Book Blogger Hop | December 30th - Jan. 5th

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This week's question:

In 2022, how many books did you read?

My answer:

I read this many books in 2022: 133

Unless I miscounted, this is how it breaks down:

Fiction: 112

Nonfiction: 21

Rereads: 1 1/3 (reread Every Crooked Path and the third story in North Star Brides)

What's your answer? I'd love to know in a comment below. :)

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I Can't Wait for... Under Fire (Can't-Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday)

This post may contain “affiliate links.” This means if you click on a link with my affiliate code and purchase an item(s), I will receive an affiliate commission. You won't be charged extra, I'll just receive a small percentage of the purchase price. See my disclosure page here.

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine.

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About the book:

They'll protect the president at any cost--but who will protect their hearts?

USSS Special Agent Zane Thacker has landed his dream assignment protecting the president of the United States. When the president plans a fundraiser at the exclusive estate of a political supporter in Raleigh, Zane is thrilled to be working again with Special Agent Tessa Reed, his best friend--and the woman he desperately wishes could be more.

Though Tessa almost lost everything, she battled her demons and came out on the other side healthy and healed. But when her role as the liaison between the Raleigh office and the president's protective detail wrenches her past back into the present, her greatest failure threatens to come to light.

Zane refuses to let Tessa go through this alone. But can he stand by the woman he loves and protect the president from a mounting threat at the same time?

Pages: 352
Publisher: Revell 
Release Date: March 7, 2023
ISBN-10:  0800737970
Find the book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3OIylS0 (aff link)

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December 27: Most Recent Additions to My Book Collection (Top Ten Tuesday)

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~ Most Recent Additions to My Book Collection~

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(in no particular order)

• The Words We Lost by Nicole Deese
• Broker of Lies by Steven James
• After the Shadows
  
• Under Fire
  

I'm looking forward to reading all of these books (especially Broker of Lies). They all sound like great reads and I hope to read them next month. 😁

This post contains “affiliate links.” This means if you click on a link with my affiliate code and purchase an item(s), I will receive an affiliate commission. You won't be charged extra, I'll just receive a small percentage of the purchase price. See my disclosure page here.

What are some of the books you recently added to your book collection?

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Review: Vanishing Point by Lisa Harris

About the book:

Six girls missing . . . and every clue leads to a dead end

During Garrett Addison's first week on the job as a criminal investigator for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, his team is called out to a murder scene of a young girl. She's just one in a string of disappearances with one thing in common--a Polaroid photo of each victim left behind at the crime scene.

The FBI is pulled into the case to help, and Garrett finds himself working with Special Agent Jordan Lambert, the woman he once loved. When yet another girl dies, Garrett wonders whether he really has what it takes to be an agent. Maybe he should just walk. But while he may be done with the killer, the killer is not done with him--or Jordan.

My rating:
4 stars

(View my rating system)

My thoughts:

Vanishing Point is the fourth book in Harris's Nikki Boyd Files series and I really enjoyed it. It's been a while since I read the previous books, but it didn't take me long to get into this story and I found myself eager to see how things would go.

I liked how it was a realistic story...it took years for any resolution in the case. I was curious who the killer was and mostly figured it out, which I loved. The book had a ton of suspense and the romance was nice. I liked how it was a second chance story.

All in all, Vanishing Point was a great read and I recommend it. I don't think you need to read the previous books in order to enjoy this one.

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*

Find the book on:
Amazon (aff link), Goodreads

This post may contain “affiliate links.” This means if you click on a link with my affiliate code and purchase an item(s), I will receive an affiliate commission. You won't be charged extra, I'll just receive a small percentage of the purchase price. See my disclosure page here.

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Weekend Wrap-Up (December 25th, 2022) | Merry Christmas!!

Weekend Wrap-up is where I share what I read this past week, am currently reading, and my reading plans for the coming week. 

Feel free to join along and post your own Weekend Wrap-up on your blog/site (if you do, please leave the link in a comment so I can stop by) or, in a comment, share what you've read this past week. :)

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This post may contain “affiliate links.” This means if you click on a link with my affiliate code and purchase an item(s), I will receive an affiliate commission. You won't be charged extra, I'll just receive a small percentage of the purchase price. See my disclosure page here.

~

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Book Blogger Hop | December 23rd - 29th

This post may contain “affiliate links.” This means if you click on a link with my affiliate code and purchase an item(s), I will receive an affiliate commission. You won't be charged extra, I'll just receive a small percentage of the purchase price. See my disclosure page here.

Hosted by Coffee Addicted Writer

This week's question:

Did you get any books for Christmas?

My answer:

Christmas isn't until tomorrow, but most likely not. :)

What's your answer? I'd love to know in a comment below. :)

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Shelf Control: Dating, Dining, and Desperation

This post may contain “affiliate links.” This means if you click on a link with my affiliate code and purchase an item(s), I will receive an affiliate commission. You won't be charged extra, I'll just receive a small percentage of the purchase price. See my disclosure page here.

Welcome to Shelf Control — an original feature created and hosted by Bookshelf Fantasies. 

Shelf Control is a weekly celebration of the unread books on our shelves. Pick a book you own but haven’t read, write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up!

 

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This week's spotlight

Title: Dating, Dining, and Desperation

Author: Melody Carlson

ISBN: 1433679310

Publication Date: March 1, 2014

About the book:

Daphne Ballinger has learned to accept her deceased, eccentric aunt’s strange request that she marry in order to inherit her estate, along with taking over her aunt’s hometown paper’s advice column.

But knowing and accepting that God’s will be done becomes harder when a new neighbor, a divorced socialite, learns of Daphne’s predicament and takes on the task of finding her the perfect man, even if it includes speed dating. When God does open Daphne’s heart, it is instead to take in a young girl left parentless and in the care of her dying grandmother. It may be a temporary arrangement until the girl’s uncle returns from the Marines, but God uses Daphne to speak His heavenly love and protection into the life of the child -- whom Daphne soon discovers has a very handsome and single uncle.

Find on: Amazon (aff link) | Goodreads

Why I Want To Read It:

I read the first book years ago and am curious how the story will continue...have had this one on my shelf for years now and keep meaning to pick it up.

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Review: The Bride of Ivy Green by Julie Klassen

This post may contain “affiliate links.” This means if you click on a link with my affiliate code and purchase an item(s), I will receive an affiliate commission. You won't be charged extra, I'll just receive a small percentage of the purchase price. See my disclosure page here.

About the book:

Come home to Ivy Hill, where friendship endures, romance triumphs,

and mysteries are revealed in this eagerly anticipated conclusion. . . .

Spring is in the air . . . and change is too. Mercy Grove has lost her girls' school and is resigned to life as a spinster, especially as the man she admires is out of reach. She contemplates leaving Ivy Cottage to become a governess--a decision with consequences she never imagined.

Meanwhile, her friend Jane Bell is facing a difficult decision of her own. Should she accept Gabriel Locke even if it means giving up her inn and destining another man to a childless marriage?

When a secretive new dressmaker arrives in the village, Mercy, Jane, and the other ladies of Ivy Hill attempt to befriend her, but they soon suspect she isn't who she claims to be.

Together, the women of Ivy Hill look forward to one wedding, but surprises lie in store and dearly held dreams may yet come true.

My rating:
3 stars

(View my rating system)

My thoughts:

The Bride of Ivy Green is the third book in the Tales from Ivy Hill series and it was written well. The characters were a little difficult for me to keep track of (something I also struggled with in book two), since there were several different main characters and romances. I enjoyed them, but never connected deeply to any storyline.

I liked how not everything went as expected and therefore was more realistic. The ending was good and makes me curious how their lives will continue to go. Looking forward to reading the Christmas novella soon. :)

All in all, The Bride of Ivy Green was a good read and I think fans of the genre will enjoy it.

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*

Find the book on:
Amazon (aff link), Goodreads

This post may contain “affiliate links.” This means if you click on a link with my affiliate code and purchase an item(s), I will receive an affiliate commission. You won't be charged extra, I'll just receive a small percentage of the purchase price. See my disclosure page here.

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I Can't Wait for... Fairest of Heart (Can't-Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday)

This post may contain “affiliate links.” This means if you click on a link with my affiliate code and purchase an item(s), I will receive an affiliate commission. You won't be charged extra, I'll just receive a small percentage of the purchase price. See my disclosure page here.

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine.

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About the book:

Beauty has been nothing but a curse to Penelope Snow. When she becomes a personal maid for a famous actress whose troupe is leaving Chicago to tour the West, she hides her figure beneath shapeless dresses and keeps her head down. But she still manages to attract the wrong attention, leaving her prospects in tatters--and her jealous mistress plotting her demise.

After his brother lost his life over a woman, Texas ranger Titus Kingsley has learned to expect the worst from women and is rarely disappointed. So when a young woman found in suspicious circumstances takes up residence with the seven old drovers living at his grandfather's ranch, Titus is determined to keep a close eye on her.

With a promotion hanging in the balance, Titus is assigned to investigate a robbery case tied to Penelope's acting troupe. The evidence points to her guilt, but Titus's heart divines a different truth--one that might just get Penelope killed.

An enchanting Western take on the classic Snow White fairy tale, Fairest of Heart will sweep you away from once upon a time to happily ever after.

Pages: 352
Publisher: Bethany House 
Release Date: June 6, 2023
ISBN-10:  0764240412
Find the book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3u2YIbR (aff link)

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Books On My (Christmas) Wishlist (Top Ten Tuesday)

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~Books On My (Christmas) Wishlist ~

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(in no particular order)

This post contains “affiliate links.” This means if you click on a link with my affiliate code and purchase an item(s), I will receive an affiliate commission. You won't be charged extra, I'll just receive a small percentage of the purchase price. See my disclosure page here.

I don't have a lot of books on my wishlist right now. Here are a few that I would like to acquire at some point to read. :)

1. To Every Love a Season by Stacy Henrie

2. The Journey of Runs-Far by Lori Benton

3. Heart of the Crown by Hannah Currie

4. One Enchanted Noël by Melissa Tagg

5. To Wager Her Heart by Tamera Alexander

What are some of the books on YOUR Christmas wishlist this year?

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Bookshelf Bounty (December 2022)

This post may contain “affiliate links.” This means if you click on a link with my affiliate code and purchase an item(s), I will receive an affiliate commission. You won't be charged extra, I'll just receive a small percentage of the purchase price. See my disclosure page here.

Bookshelf Bounty - hosted by book'd out. 

Linking up with Mailbox Monday

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Book Blogger Hop | December 16th - 22nd

This post may contain “affiliate links.” This means if you click on a link with my affiliate code and purchase an item(s), I will receive an affiliate commission. You won't be charged extra, I'll just receive a small percentage of the purchase price. See my disclosure page here.

Hosted by Coffee Addicted Writer

This week's question:

Which time of day do you prefer to read: morning, afternoon, or evening?

My answer:

Morning or afternoon. I used to be an evening reader, but now I'm usually too tired. LOL. 

What's your answer? I'd love to know in a comment below. :)

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Shelf Control: Fear Has a Name

This post may contain “affiliate links.” This means if you click on a link with my affiliate code and purchase an item(s), I will receive an affiliate commission. You won't be charged extra, I'll just receive a small percentage of the purchase price. See my disclosure page here.

Welcome to Shelf Control — an original feature created and hosted by Bookshelf Fantasies. 

Shelf Control is a weekly celebration of the unread books on our shelves. Pick a book you own but haven’t read, write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up!

 

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This week's spotlight

Title: Fear Has a Name

Author: Creston Mapes

ISBN: 0781408164

Publication Date: June 1, 2013

About the book:

How Far Would He Go To Keep Them Safe?

It was more than a break-in. More than a stalking. It was personal. When a stalker targets his family, journalist Jack Crittendon must uncover who the person is and what his motives are—if he is to protect the ones he loves. It will lead Crittendon into a world of behind-closed-door secrets and faith gone awry, as does his investigation of a missing pastor, whose apparent suicide is more than it appears. Each move Crittendon makes weaves him tighter and tighter into a web of lies, greed, hypocrisy, sin, and danger. He believed he’d never give in to fear. But that was before. And holding on to his faith won’t be easy. Nor will keeping his family safe, and ending the terror. Because that might require him to step over lines he never dared to cross.

Find on: Amazon (aff link) | Goodreads

Why I Want To Read It:

It is highly rated and I've heard good things about it. :)

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Review: The Deadly Shallows by Dani Pettrey

This post may contain “affiliate links.” This means if you click on a link with my affiliate code and purchase an item(s), I will receive an affiliate commission. You won't be charged extra, I'll just receive a small percentage of the purchase price. See my disclosure page here.

About the book:

A deadly attack.

A stolen weapon capable of immense destruction.

A painful secret that threatens to tear two hearts apart.

CGIS Agent Noah Rowley is rocked to the core when several of his valued team members come under fire on his Coast Guard base. He and his remaining team race to the scene and end the attack, but not before innocent lives are lost. Furious and grief-stricken, he vows to do whatever is needed to bring the mastermind behind the attack to justice.

Stunned by the ambush, Coast Guard flight medic Brooke Kesler evacuates in a helicopter carrying the only surviving gunman. The gravely wounded man whispers mysterious information to Brooke that immediately paints a target on her back.

As Brooke and Noah race to uncover answers, emotions between them ignite. Noah struggles to protect Brooke at all costs and to conceal the secret that prevents him from becoming what he longs to be--the right man for her.

Everything is at stake as a horrifying truth emerges. . . .

The attack wasn't the end game. It was only the beginning.

My rating:
4 stars

(View my rating system)

My thoughts:

The Deadly Shallows was a good read and one I really enjoyed reading. I liked the characters and the banter that they had with each other. :)

The romance stories were nice. I did get a little confused at times, but I think that was due to life and distractions.

The ending was good and I am eager to read the upcoming novella, as it is about a certain relationship and I am curious how it will wrap-up.

All in all, The Deadly Shallows was a good book and I think fans of the genre will enjoy it. 

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*

Find the book on:
Amazon (aff link), Goodreads

This post may contain “affiliate links.” This means if you click on a link with my affiliate code and purchase an item(s), I will receive an affiliate commission. You won't be charged extra, I'll just receive a small percentage of the purchase price. See my disclosure page here.

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I Can't Wait for... Yesterday's Tides (Can't-Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday)

This post may contain “affiliate links.” This means if you click on a link with my affiliate code and purchase an item(s), I will receive an affiliate commission. You won't be charged extra, I'll just receive a small percentage of the purchase price. See my disclosure page here.

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine.

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About the book:

In two world wars, intelligence and counterintelligence, prejudice, and self-sacrifice collide across two generations

In 1942, Evie Farrow is used to life on Ocracoke Island, where every day is the same--until the German U-boats haunting their waters begin to wreak havoc. And when special agent Sterling Bertrand is washed ashore at Evie's inn, her life is turned upside down. While Sterling's injuries keep him inn-bound for weeks, making him even more anxious about the SS officer he's tracking, he becomes increasingly intrigued by Evie, who seems to be hiding secrets of her own.

Decades earlier, in 1914, Englishman Remington Culbreth arrives at the Ocracoke Inn for the summer, never expecting to fall in love with Louisa Adair, the innkeeper's daughter. But when war breaks out in Europe, their relationship is put in jeopardy and may not survive what lies ahead for them.

As the ripples from the Great War rock Evie and Sterling's lives in World War II, it seems yesterday's tides may sweep them all into danger again today.

Pages: 416
Publisher: Bethany House
Release Date: January 24, 2023
ISBN-10:  0764240013
Find the book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3OKr5oP (aff link)

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December 13: Books on My Winter 2022-2023 To-Read List (Top Ten Tuesday) #TBR

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~Books on My Winter 2022-2023 To-Read List~

This post contains “affiliate links.” This means if you click on a link with my affiliate code and purchase an item(s), I will receive an affiliate commission. You won't be charged extra, I'll just receive a small percentage of the purchase price. See my disclosure page here.

I always love planning my seasonal TBR lists. I'm beyond excited about some of these reads (new books from favorite authors!). :)

(in no particular order)

1. The Rose and the Thistle by Laura Frantz 

Amazon (aff link)

2. Yesterday's Tides by Roseanna M. White 

Amazon (aff link) 

3. Broker of Lies by Steven James

Amazon (aff link) 

4. An Ivy Hill Christmas by Julie Klassen

Amazon (aff link) 

5. A Hope Remembered by Stacy Henrie 

Amazon (aff link) 

6. In Love's Time by Kate Breslin

Amazon (aff link)

7. Still My Forever by Kim Vogel Sawyer

Amazon (aff link) 

8. Dear Henry, Love Edith by Becca Kinzer

Amazon (aff link) 

9. Autumn by the Sea (Muir Harbor #1) by Melissa Tagg 

Amazon (aff link) 

10. Engaging Deception (The Joplin Chronicles #3) by Regina Jennings

Amazon (aff link) 

What are some of the books on your winter TBR list?

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