⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Long Way Home by Lynn Austin is a beautifully written novel that tugs at the heart and offers a hopeful message about healing after trauma. Set in the wake of World War II, the story follows Jimmy Barnett, a shell-shocked veteran confined to a VA hospital, and Grace, a quiet young woman determined to uncover the truth behind his silence. As Grace digs into Jimmy’s past, she uncovers a moving tale of love, sacrifice, and the unseen wounds soldiers carry home. The book also weaves in a second powerful storyline: that of Gisela Wolff, a young Jewish woman trying to survive the horrors of Nazi Germany. Her family’s journey—from […]
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A Time-Crossed Tale of Duty and Destiny
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½ Book One in the Timeless series What if you had to choose between two lives? I’ve always been a sucker for time travel—especially when it’s wrapped in history, heart, and just enough tension to keep you flipping pages past bedtime. Gabrielle Meyer’s When the Day Comes does exactly that. I loved this story so much. The setup is gold: Libby lives two lives—one in 1774 Williamsburg, the other in 1914 New York. On her 21st birthday, she has to choose which life to keep living. I mean… talk about a high-stakes birthday. Both timelines are richly drawn. In colonial Virginia, Libby faces an arranged marriage and the sparks of revolution. In […]
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Heartache, Hope, and Healing, Along Route 66
4.5 stars Vanessa Miller tackles a brutal chapter of American history with honesty and heart in The Filling Station. Sisters Margaret and Evelyn flee the devastating Tulsa Race Massacre, finding refuge at the Threatt Filling Station along Route 66. Miller shines a necessary spotlight on Greenwood, Oklahoma, and its violent destruction, a tragic event overlooked by many history books. Margaret, practical and cautious, struggles with shattered faith. Evelyn dreams of escape and a brighter future. Both women feel vividly real, their flaws and strength equally believable. Miller carefully shows how trauma shapes them differently, making their journey toward healing messy but meaningful. Some plot points land predictably, yet strong character […]
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A Captivating Time-Travel Tale of Love, Sacrifice, and Destiny
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (4.5 stars) Book Three in the Timeless series Two sisters. Two timelines. One impossible choice. I liked this book so much, I actually hit pause and went back to read books one and two. (Totally worth it.) Gabrielle Meyer’s For a Lifetime is the third in her Timeless series, and it’s a wild ride through two very different eras—1692 Salem and 1912 New York City. This one follows twin sisters, Grace and Hope, who time-cross between those two worlds. On their twenty-fifth birthday, they’re faced with a gut-wrenching decision: stay in one timeline forever and leave the other behind. No take-backs. The Salem timeline is intense. Like, witch trial […]
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Love, War, and Legacy: A Journey Through the Castle Keepers
Collaborative novels like The Castle Keepers are on trend for good reason—they bring fresh perspectives and layered storytelling. Written by Aimie K. Runyan, J’nell Ciesielski, and Rachel McMillan, this book weaves three tales of love, war, and resilience. While the concept is solid, it didn’t wow me. Set during the Gilded Age, the Great War, and post-WWII, the stories follow three women navigating societal constraints and class divisions. The setting—a castle overshadowed by a family curse—adds an air of mystery that unites the narratives. The novel shines with its strong female characters, rich historical detail, and intriguing themes. The first two novellas stood out: Beatrice’s rise from scandal in “The […]
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The Last Exchange by Charles Martin – A Heart-Wrenching Story of Redemption and Love
“Scars are just the body’s response to things that shouldn’t be there. A reminder of the pain.” This line from The Last Exchange perfectly captures the heart of Charles Martin’s latest novel, where suspense and deep emotion blend into a story that lingers long after the last page. In The Last Exchange, Martin introduces us to MacThomas “Pockets” Pockets, a former Scottish Special Forces soldier. Pockets lands a role as a bodyguard to Hollywood star Maybe Joe Sue, a woman with a picture-perfect public life but a private world marred by trauma and a desperate longing for a child. Martin’s portrayal of Maybe’s two lives—the glitz and glamour versus her […]
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A Riveting Return to Connilyn Cossette’s King’s Men Series
“We serve the God who spoke the universe into existence. The God who split the sea to rescue his people. The God who conquered death with an empty tomb. There is nothing at all that he cannot do. So keep your eyes on the Lord, my friend, for he is at your right hand. Do not be shaken” (Psalm 16: 8).—Connilyn Cossette, Shield of the Mighty. 4.5 rounded up to 5.Connilyn Cossette’s latest addition to the King’s Men series delivers a powerful story of love, loyalty, and redemption set in ancient Israel. Zevi, a seasoned captain in King Saul’s army, returns to his hometown of Maresha on a mission to […]
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A Blend of History, Faith, and Romance
“A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words.” —Unknown. Amanda Dykes’ Born of Gilded Mountains is a sweeping historical novel that beautifully blends history, faith, and romance, set against the rugged backdrop of Colorado’s mountains during the Gilded Age. Dykes is known for her lyrical writing, and this novel is no exception—it reads like poetry, with rich, atmospheric descriptions that draw you into the setting and the lives of the characters. In 1948, Mercy Windsor, once Hollywood’s beloved leading lady, seeks refuge in the remote Colorado town of Mercy Peak after a scandal topples her career. […]
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A Poignant Tale of Friendship and Survival in the Pacific Theater
The Long March Home is a moving World War II novel that follows the harrowing journey of three childhood friends—Jimmy, Hank, and Billy—who enlist in the U.S. Army just before the attack on Pearl Harbor. The story tracks their struggles in the Pacific Theater, where they endure the brutal realities of war, including the infamous Bataan Death March, testing the strength of their friendship and their will to survive. The narrative alternates between their carefree childhood in Mobile, Alabama, and their traumatic experiences as soldiers. As members of the Thirty-First Infantry in Manila, the friends are captured and forced into a grueling 60-mile march up the Bataan Peninsula, followed by […]
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Unmasking a Nazi Conspiracy in 1930s Hollywood
“If not us, who? If not now, when? It must be us, and it must be now. I would fight this war. I would not be silent!”― Stephanie Landsem, Code Name Edelweiss. Code Name Edelweiss is a fabulous historical thriller that reveals a chilling but little-known chapter of American history. Set in the summer of 1933, it follows Liesl Weiss, a single mother in Los Angeles, struggling to support her family during the Great Depression. Enter Leon Lewis, a Jewish lawyer deeply alarmed by the rise of Adolf Hitler and the increase in anti-Semitism in America. Convinced that Nazi agents are plotting to seize control of Hollywood, the world’s greatest propaganda machine, […]
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