Weekend Wrap-Up (March 29th, 2024)

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.

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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Review: Rocky Road by Becky Wade

About the book:

Christy Award Hall of Fame Author

FBI Agent Jude Camden handles every aspect of his job with by-the-book professionalism. There's no reason why his latest assignment—which calls for him to pose as the boyfriend of perfumer Gemma Clare—should be any different.

Except Gemma is different. She's creative, bold, and feisty. And as soon as she meets Jude, she wants to loosen him up, wrinkle his perfect shirts, and test every ounce of his towering self-control.

The FBI has an iron-clad rule against romances between those working together on operations. Jude's never met a rule he didn't respect. But adhering to this one is going to be tough because, as time goes by, he finds Gemma more and more irresistible.

Buckle up! It's going to be a rocky road.

Escape to Maine for this swoon-worthy "fake romance"! Banter, humor, perfume, and a mystery from the past intertwine in this sweet Sons of Scandal love story.

My rating:
4 stars

(View my rating system)

My thoughts:

Rocky Road is the second book in the Sons of Scandal series and such a good read! I enjoyed the first book, but this one was even better! I liked how we got a hint of this storyline in the first book (Jude going undercover as Gemma's boyfriend).

I read this book mostly by listening to the audio while reading the print copy. The audiobook was read so well that it made the read even more enjoyable.

I liked how this story's romance wasn't too heated and that there was a good element of faith. I thought the ending was intense and yet so good. I also loved the side story about Gemma's grandmother, Gracie. 

All in all, Rocky Road was a great read and I recommend it to fans of contemporary romance. I can hardly wait for the next one, which is about Max.

*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. 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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Top Ten Tuesday: Books I’m Worried I Might Not Love as Much the Second Time Around (March 12)

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March 12: Books I’m Worried I Might Not Love as Much the Second Time Around

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(Posting a day late)

I love this topic. I am currently someone who loves to reread books and my favorite books I've reread multiple times...still, there are some books that I am a little nervous to and probably won't reread, as I might not enjoy them as much this time. My reading tastes have changed and I've changed in the years since I first read them, but in a couple cases it is because of how the rest of the series unfolded.

(in no particular order)

1. Anomaly by Krista McGee
   
2. Divergent by Veronica Roth
   
3. Comes a Horseman by Robert Liparulo
   
4. Monday Night Jihad by Jason Elam & Steve Yohn
   
5. The Chair by James L. Rubart
   
6. A Passion Most Pure by Julie Lessman
   
7. Redemption by Karen Kingsbury & Gary Smalley
   
8. Beckon by Tom Pawlik
   
9. Black by Ted Dekker
10. Forbidden by Ted Dekker & Tosca Lee

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.

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Review: All My Secrets by Lynn Austin

About the book:

Bestselling author Lynn Austin returns with a luminous work of historical fiction set amid the opulence of Gilded Age New York, where three generations of women in one family must reckon with the choices they have made and their hopes for the future.

New York, 1898. The only thing more shocking than Arthur Stanhope III’s unexpected death is the revelation that his will bestows his company―and most of the vast fortune that goes with it―to the nearest male heir, leaving his mother, wife, and daughter nearly impoverished. His widow, Sylvia, quickly realizes she must set aside her grief to ensure their daughter, Adelaide, is launched into society as soon as the appropriate mourning period passes. If Sylvia can find a wealthy husband for Addy before anyone realizes they’re practically destitute, there will be little disruption to the lifestyle they’re accustomed to.

Sylvia’s mother-in-law, Junietta, believes their life could use a little disruption. She has watched Sylvia play her role as a society wife, as Junietta once did, despite what it cost them both. Junietta vows to give her granddaughter the power to choose a path beyond what society expects.

But for Addy to have that chance, both mother and grandmother must first confront painful truths about their own choices. Only in bringing their secrets to light can they hope to reshape their family inheritance into a legacy more fulfilling than they ever dared dream.

My rating:
4 stars

(View my rating system)

My thoughts:

All My Secrets was a wonderful read. The characters were well written and I found myself easily immersed in their story. 

It was crazy all the different layers there were in this book. I loved the slips back in time when Junietta or Sylvia were telling parts of their story. The current day was probably my favorite, as I really liked Adelaide and her love story. 

All My Secrets is a book that I think any historical romance reader will enjoy. It is written very well and moves quickly. The narrator of the audio format was great and it was easy to listen to. 

All in all, All My Secrets was a very good read and I recommend it. I look forward forward reading more of Lynn Austin's books as I'm able. 

*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. 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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