Take a photo of a barcode or cover
jessreadsfiction's reviews
84 reviews
The Lost Boys of Barlowe Theater by Jaime Jo Wright
5.0
✅ Christian Mystery Thriller
✅ Dual Timeline - 1915 + Current
✅ Edge-of-your-seat thrill with amazing plot twists!
✅ Clean thriller with naturally and beautifully interwoven faith.
I never knew it was possible to combine Christian faith with a supernatural thriller - Jaime Jo Wright NAILS it with this book! This is my first book by this author and my first Mystery Thriller in the Christian Fiction realm. I was initially worried that something would be compromised with this combination - either the faith aspect (with bad theology or watered-down theology) or the supernatural aspect wouldn’t be as thrilling as you would expect. My fears were quickly soothed as I dove into the pages of this novel, sitting at the edge of my seat with each page turn as I devoured this well-written story!
Miss Wright’s writing style was lyrical and beautiful - her descriptions of the characters, buildings, and surroundings were well done without being overdone. You can easily envision the storyline from the 1915 era and the current day. Each timeline in this dual timeline novel was fascinating and fun to read with enough mystery and intrigue to keep you turning the pages quickly. Some would consider this a slow burn and I can see why. Even with the slower build at the beginning of the book, I still found myself sucked into the plot.
If you are looking for a truly thrilling read with unpredictable plot twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat from cover to cover, then I highly recommend you pick this book up and read it!
✅ Dual Timeline - 1915 + Current
✅ Edge-of-your-seat thrill with amazing plot twists!
✅ Clean thriller with naturally and beautifully interwoven faith.
I never knew it was possible to combine Christian faith with a supernatural thriller - Jaime Jo Wright NAILS it with this book! This is my first book by this author and my first Mystery Thriller in the Christian Fiction realm. I was initially worried that something would be compromised with this combination - either the faith aspect (with bad theology or watered-down theology) or the supernatural aspect wouldn’t be as thrilling as you would expect. My fears were quickly soothed as I dove into the pages of this novel, sitting at the edge of my seat with each page turn as I devoured this well-written story!
Miss Wright’s writing style was lyrical and beautiful - her descriptions of the characters, buildings, and surroundings were well done without being overdone. You can easily envision the storyline from the 1915 era and the current day. Each timeline in this dual timeline novel was fascinating and fun to read with enough mystery and intrigue to keep you turning the pages quickly. Some would consider this a slow burn and I can see why. Even with the slower build at the beginning of the book, I still found myself sucked into the plot.
If you are looking for a truly thrilling read with unpredictable plot twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat from cover to cover, then I highly recommend you pick this book up and read it!
The Rose and the Thistle by Laura Frantz
5.0
✅ Christian Historical Romance
✅ Forced Proximity
✅ Enemies to Lovers
✅ Set in 1715 Scottland
The cover of this book is GORGEOUS. The images online do no justice - you just need to see the book in person! I am a huge fan of Historical Fiction novels set in Scottland. This book came so highly recommended and it did not disappoint! This is my first Laura Frantz novel but now I have added all of the rest of her novels to my TBR list. I am equally as excited for her upcoming release, The Indigo Heiress, set to release on January 21st, 2025! I just get a feeling that the more I read, the more Laura Frantz will become one of those “auto-buy” authors for me.
The writing in this novel was TRULY masterful. When a novel has a list of words and definitions in the beginning of the book, you KNOW it is going to be a good one! I absolutely adored the amount of research that went into this novel to make it feel truly authentic. The Scottish words only added beauty, depth, and character to this book. It made me slow down which isn’t a bad thing! Everard Hume is one of my new favorite MMC. He isn’t perfect but that is what makes him so endearing. We see his struggles and it only adds depth to his character. The love story in this one was a slow-burn and it was so dreamy! I love the forced proximity, enemies-to-lovers aspect.
The side characters added richness to the story as well - who doesn’t love a secondary romance inside a romance?! As a mother myself, Orin Hume’s story really pulled at my heartstrings. His relationship with our MFC, Lady Blythe Hedley, was truly special to watch unfold. I love when an author can add some great depth to side stories and characters!
✅ Forced Proximity
✅ Enemies to Lovers
✅ Set in 1715 Scottland
The cover of this book is GORGEOUS. The images online do no justice - you just need to see the book in person! I am a huge fan of Historical Fiction novels set in Scottland. This book came so highly recommended and it did not disappoint! This is my first Laura Frantz novel but now I have added all of the rest of her novels to my TBR list. I am equally as excited for her upcoming release, The Indigo Heiress, set to release on January 21st, 2025! I just get a feeling that the more I read, the more Laura Frantz will become one of those “auto-buy” authors for me.
The writing in this novel was TRULY masterful. When a novel has a list of words and definitions in the beginning of the book, you KNOW it is going to be a good one! I absolutely adored the amount of research that went into this novel to make it feel truly authentic. The Scottish words only added beauty, depth, and character to this book. It made me slow down which isn’t a bad thing! Everard Hume is one of my new favorite MMC. He isn’t perfect but that is what makes him so endearing. We see his struggles and it only adds depth to his character. The love story in this one was a slow-burn and it was so dreamy! I love the forced proximity, enemies-to-lovers aspect.
The side characters added richness to the story as well - who doesn’t love a secondary romance inside a romance?! As a mother myself, Orin Hume’s story really pulled at my heartstrings. His relationship with our MFC, Lady Blythe Hedley, was truly special to watch unfold. I love when an author can add some great depth to side stories and characters!
If the Boot Fits by Karen Witemeyer
4.0
If the Boot Fits by Karen Witemeyer is number 2 in her Texas Ever After series. The story was easier to relate to than the first book in the series. The story was exciting and I loved looking for the bits of the story that harken back to the original Cinderella tale. In this story, our “Cinderella” is gender-swapped and is told through the eyes of our male lead - Asher Ellis. I loved this little twist on the story and thought Karen did an excellent job with it! Like the first book in this series, I greatly appreciated the deep faith elements present in the story. The action in this story was unexpected but welcomed. I love it when a story can pull you deeply into it and have you feeling the anxiety and rush right alongside the characters.
While a clean read, I thought the descriptions of the females' bodies and the feelings evoked from touches or kisses (or even thoughts of wanting/daydreaming about such things) were a bit spicier than a normal Christian Fiction book. There was also a part toward the end of the story where the material began to get HEAVY and DARK. Sin is real and the author certainly doesn’t paint it in a positive light but I would caution anyone who allows their children to read this book to be aware of the adult themes/sins that are present.
While a clean read, I thought the descriptions of the females' bodies and the feelings evoked from touches or kisses (or even thoughts of wanting/daydreaming about such things) were a bit spicier than a normal Christian Fiction book. There was also a part toward the end of the story where the material began to get HEAVY and DARK. Sin is real and the author certainly doesn’t paint it in a positive light but I would caution anyone who allows their children to read this book to be aware of the adult themes/sins that are present.