samanthakreads's reviews
193 reviews

City of Books: A Novel by Nicole Meier

2.75

The Waiting: The True Story of a Lost Child, a Lifetime of Longing, and a Miracle for a Mother Who Never Gave Up by Cathy LaGrow

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

Waves of Redemption by S.L. Klein

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

 

I loved everything about this beautiful historical pirate story with biblical themes is filled with adventure, hardships, love, humor, and redemption. The characters are gritty, relatable, and deep, showing how they struggle, question God and his allowance for bad things to occur, and their growth in who he created them to be. 

 

 

S.L. Klein isn’t afraid to discuss hard-hitting topics where she sheds light on a very important topic that is human trafficking while doing so in a respectful and God-honoring way. Her writing reminds me of Francine Rivers in how she beautifully intertwined such a difficult topic with Scripture while being 100% uniquely her own. 

 

“𝐕𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐨 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.” 

 

While the topic of this book is heavy, there are epic quests, sword fights, and many laugh-out-loud and humorous moments with an amazing cast of characters that you grow to love and root for. There is also a slow-burn enemies-to-friends-to-lovers romance… plus there may be some side characters who find love too. 

 

If you are a fan of Francine Rivers, prominent Biblical themes, second chances, and stories that display how God can take something evil and turn it into good, you will love this book! 

 

I HIGHLY recommend this book… and believe I found not only a new favorite book but also a new favorite author💕 

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𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 

Human trafficking (discussed nothing explicit) 

Violence 

Some kissing 

Trauma 

The Calling by L.C. Pye

adventurous fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

This book is a mash-up of Divergent meets Robin Hood with its own unique twist! It’s a fast-paced book with fun and unique characters, a great plot and storyline, and some valuable lessons intertwined. I loved all of the characters and found Talia to be someone many can/will relate to. There are some laugh-out-loud moments and some that are more serious. Some girls are kidnapped and mistreated, but nothing explicit. There is no language or explicit content, some violence but nothing overly descriptive. The one thing that stuck out to me most in this book was the subtle comments characters made about prayer. Although it’s not considered a Christian Fiction book, I noticed a few breadcrumbs which made me love the book that much more. I think the author did a wonderful job and I cannot wait to read book two (book one leaves you on a cliffhanger!).


Age rec: 15+

Walking on Hidden Wings by Rachel Scott McDaniel

adventurous funny mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

This book had me invested within the first few chapters, Rachel is great at mini cliffhangers… on multiple chapters! I loved the past and present timelines and how they were written. I’ve read some books where I lose interest about halfway through but not this book, Rachel did a fantastic job. There were twists and turns that I wasn’t expecting, and I loved every minute of it. I enjoyed the fun mix of history, mystery, and romance. Her writing is beautiful, easy to read, and completely captivates you into the story. I loved Geneva, her personality (funny, smart, quick wit), and her abilities as a wing walker and well Warren is amazing (I will leave it at that). I honestly suggest going into this book a bit blind as the story will pull you in, which makes the mystery and twists that much better and keeps you guessing and wanting to read more. I highly recommend checking this book out! I mean the cover itself is gorgeous but the story… is even better ✨ 

The Blooms That Broke Us by Ashley Dill

emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is not your typical romance, it’s full of the ups and downs of life, raw emotions, heart-wrenching situations, and a beautiful message of strength, resilience, love, and forgiveness. It will take you on an emotional rollercoaster with all that Jack and Miranda go through together and as individuals. 

"𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙞𝙣'𝙩 𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚. 𝙄𝙩'𝙨 𝙜𝙧𝙞𝙩" 

I loved the dual POV and past/present timeline which helped you as the reader see from both perspectives. Jack and Miranda are flawed and imperfect, you love them, get frustrated with them, and find yourself rooting for them. They show so much growth and overcome so much in this book. It depicts the value of putting others above yourself and choosing to forgive, let go, and continue to show up even when it’s hard.

“𝙄𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙚, 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙜𝙤𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙, 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙤𝙬𝙣.”

Ashley is truly talented & I love her writing style. She doesn’t stray away from sensitive topics but rather integrates them in a beautiful, respectful, and relatable way. She shows the true obstacles that Jack and Miranda face and how they handle them: the good, the bad, and the ugly, but in a way that I think many will be able to relate on a deeper level and feel seen, both something I could relate to and greatly appreciate. (Content discretions are listed below)

*This can be read as a stand-alone, but there are characters from Ashley’s 1st book 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿 that add context + depth to the story. 

I highly recommend checking out and reading her books!🫶🏼
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𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀:
Abusive relationship (mental, emotional, physical, etc)
Miscarriage(s)
Fade to black
Mild language 
Death of a parent
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𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙:
No use of God's name in vain 
No constant F-bombs
No explicit on-page scenes
No cheating or infidelity (Hard to find in second-chance romance) 
No glorification of toxic or abusive relationships
Value placed on Marriage

Paper Castles by Ellie Ember

adventurous medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

The Memory of Lavender and Sage by Aimie K. Runyan

hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

𝗔 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿-𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝘁𝗺𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽, 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆, 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱, & 𝗮 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲.💜

Synopsis:
Food critic Tempèsta Luddington lost her beloved mother at the age of thirteen and always felt like the odd one in her family with the treatment she received from her father and grandmother. When her father passes fifteen years later, Tempèsta is left a small inheritance from her mother.

With a little push, she decides to visit a small town in France where her mother grew up and decides to place her roots in the community when she purchases a rundown manor with her inheritance. Her greeting and welcome are not at all what she anticipated, with the mayor of the town’s dislike for her. But she doesn’t let it scare her off as she begins to connect with the community, discover her abilities and strengths with food and herbs, and unravel questions and answers about her mother’s past including the magical gifts she inherited from the generations of women before her.

Thoughts:
This was such a beautiful and charming story! The author’s writing makes you feel as if you are completely immersed in the story with the descriptions of France, the food, and the small community. I had the opportunity to listen to the audiobook read by Caroline Hewitt who did a fantastic job and made you feel as if you were in France yourself. I liked the characters and watching Tempèsta progression as she learns more about her mother, her family, and herself.

I don’t usually read books like this with magical realism elements (this is my first!). I wasn’t sure if I would like it or if it would take away from the story, but I didn’t mind it at all. This book is also marketed as romance but I wouldn’t consider it that, it’s a small subplot which I think fits the story as a whole really well.

I highly recommend this book & will be checking out more of Amie K. Runyan’s work in the future!

Thank you so much Netgalley and HarperCollins Focus for sending me an advanced audiobook in exchange for my honest review! All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.

My review and others can be found at the links below (let's connect + discuss books!):
https://www.instagram.com/literaryreader_/

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/22397377-samantha-literaryreader

Hey, Jude Carpenter by Storm Shultz

funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 

This YA story is a modern-day retelling of Romeo and Juliet that follows the lives of two 14-year-olds and their unlikely friendship despite the ongoing feud between their two churches. 

 

Jude Carpenter helps operate and run his family's dairy farm. He has a big heart, deeply cares for his family, and has a special love for the cows. Then we have Mona Montgomery, who loves all things books, the Beatles, and baking, oh and her cat Ringo. 

 

Although a rocky first encounter, Jude and Mona meet and become quick friends… that is until the history, distrust, and feud that initiated their churches to split resurfaces, putting a damper on their friendship. 

 

Jude learns that his family is at risk of losing their dairy farm because of their inability to afford it, as the deadline quickly approaches Mona goes on a mission to help Jude save the family farm, can she do it? 

 

𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 💭 

This story was a cute and quick read! The characters were relatable, it was fun while incorporating real-life issues with a discussion of faith, turning to God, and prayer. I’d recommend it to teens 14+ 

 

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 

An encounter with a college boy who displays bad behavior and off-putting comments during a bake sale. It was handled well, nothing explicit, and brief. 

Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

2.0