Review: The Sacrifice by Diane Matcheck

From Goodreads:

An Apsaalooka (Crow) Indian girl has lived her life as a despised loner, overshadowed by her dead twin brother, who, it was prophesied at their birth, would become a "Great One" among his people. One night, she sets off on a forbidden journey to prove to her village, and her brother's spirit, that "she" is the one destined to become the true Great One. Her trek over the plains and into the mysterious region of modern-day Yellowstone National Park is a disaster, culminating in her eventual capture by a tribe of Pawnee. Strangely, these foreigners treat her with an unfamiliar respect, and the girl starts to let down her guard. But when it is suddenly revealed that she has been kept alive in order to be killed in a ritual harvest-season sacrifice, the girl is thrown back into her desperate battle for survival.


My Thoughts:
I am so glad I found this book again after all these years. I found it during my high school days in the school library and was deeply affected by it. Over the years I remembered the story, but not the title/author. So, after years of searching, I was ecstatic about sinking my teeth into it once more.
The Sacrifice follows an Apsaalooka (Crow) girl who has grown up on the fringes of her community, treated poorly because she was considered "bad in the head." When her father dies, and she is denied the opportunity to seek vengeance for his death, she sets out to follow the warriors, but loses track of them and her way. Her will to prove herself drives her to push forward rather than go back and face humiliation. She finds her way to modern day Yellowstone National Park, survives a bear attack, and is abducted by a band of Pawnee men. In the Pawnee camp, she is surprised to find happiness through Wolfstar, the boy who slowly softens her stone heart.
This story was as beautiful, heart wrenching, and as moving as I remembered. This coming of age tale about a "Crow" girl mesmerized me from start to the final page. Without spoilers, that ending still gets me and leaves me with a massive book hangover. In fact, it left me craving more.
I absolutely loved it.

Review: Ogre Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

From Goodreads:
In this prequel to Ella Enchanted, which can stand on its own, young healer Evie is transformed into an ogre by the meddling fairy Lucinda. She’ll turn back only if someone proposes and she accepts!

Returning to the land and many of the characters from her beloved Newbery Honor–winning Ella Enchanted, Gail Carson Levine has written a delightful tale about a clever and endearing heroine who is determined to defy expectations.

Evie is happiest when she is healing people, diagnosing symptoms, and prescribing medications, with the help of her devoted friend (and test subject) Wormy. So when Wormy unexpectedly proposes to her, she kindly turns him down; she has far too much to do to be marrying anyone. And besides, she simply isn’t in love with him.

But a certain meddling fairy named Lucinda has been listening in, and she doesn’t approve of Evie’s rejection. Suddenly, Evie finds herself transformed from a girl into a hideous, hungry ogre. Evie now has only sixty-two days to accept another proposal—or else be stuck as an ogre forever.


My Thoughts:
I was so excited to win this advanced reader! It will take pride of place next to my first edition Ella Enchanted on my bookshelf.
Because it is an advanced reader, I wanted to get on it asap, so bumped it to the top of my TBR pile. Plus, Ella is so beloved and a book that has inspired me since I was twelve, I couldn't let it wait.
All up, it was a fun and light read. I prefer books that way. It has the same tone and feel as Ella, which is great since it's set in the same world.
It was fun to see some familiar faces, like Ella's parents, King Jerrold pre-crowning, and a smooth introduction into Ella's story as well.
Our heroine of Ogre Enchanted is Evie, a healer and recipient of one of Lucinda's infamous "gifts". At fifteen, it's no surprise she turns down a marriage proposal, but instead of giving Evie and Wormy the chance to work things out, Lucinda sticks her nose into things and turns Evie into an Ogre. Evie has sixty-two days to get another marriage proposal or she stays an ogre forever.
In typical Levine fashion, this young heroine sets off to discover her own path and a way to set herself free, leading the reader on a magical adventure around the familiar kingdom of Kyrria from Ella's story.
My only disappointments were the writing. It wasn't as crisp and deep as EE was. There are parts that just feel rushed, and other parts that feel like YA style cliches. I didn't feel like the character and world building was up to par for other Levine books I've read, which disappointed me. I wanted more to sink my teeth into, but it wasn't there.
Again, I did enjoy this book. It kept me turning pages and it brought me a smile. And, it made me pick up Ella Enchanted again!

Review: Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esqivel

From Goodreads:
Earthy, magical, and utterly charming, this tale of family life in turn-of-the-century Mexico became a best-selling phenomenon with its winning blend of poignant romance and bittersweet wit.

The number one bestseller in Mexico and America for almost two years, and subsequently a bestseller around the world, Like Water For Chocolate is a romantic, poignant tale, touched with moments of magic, graphic earthiness, bittersweet wit - and recipes. 

A sumptuous feast of a novel, it relates the bizarre history of the all-female De La Garza family. Tita, the youngest daughter of the house, has been forbidden to marry, condemned by Mexican tradition to look after her mother until she dies. But Tita falls in love with Pedro, and he is seduced by the magical food she cooks. In desperation, Pedro marries her sister Rosaura so that he can stay close to her, so that Tita and Pedro are forced to circle each other in unconsummated passion. Only a freakish chain of tragedies, bad luck and fate finally reunite them against all the odds.

My Thoughts:
I had mixed feelings about this book. I liked how the recipes were entwined into the story to enrich the plot, and the hint of magic was enchanting. But the whole story made my heart ache. I struggle with books that make my heart ache, especially this kind where family hurt each other over and over due to selfishness.
But I can understand why it is a classic. It is beautifully written and tragic.
I read this on Audible.

Review: Mountain Hero by Cheryl Yeko

From Goodreads:
Broken Engagement:
Finding her fiancé cheating with her best friend was bad enough, but when Michelle heads up the Rocky Mountains for a little R & R, it goes from bad to worse when her car breaks down during a major snowstorm.

Mountain Hero:
Along a deserted stretch of highway, Jason rescues a beautiful woman who’s being accosted by two men. But can he keep her safe when they’re left stranded during a harsh winter storm? 

Love Blossoms:
Sometimes, one finds their Soul Mate in the most unexpected places.

My Thoughts:
This was one of my quick audio books I played while doing house work. As for the story, it was okay. None of the characters really popped for me, and I'm not a fan of that much steam, which is entirely personal preference. It simply wasn't the best book for ME.

The Glass Mermaid by Poppy Lawless

From Goodreads:
Kate 
I'm the last mermaid. I'm back on shores of Lake Erie, but the cold waters are silent. There is nothing here for me but ghosts and the beach glass that litters the rocky shore. Long ago, I lived below the waves. Now, I am the sole survivor, and at long last, my mermaid glamour is leaving me. Every day, I walk the beach. Every day, I wonder what happened to my people. The little pieces of colored glass that wash ashore give me simple pleasure. They are gifts from the lake, reminders of home. I fashion them into trinkets: necklaces, earrings, bracelets. They are beautiful things. The humans seem love them. Every day, I walk the beach. Nothing ever changes, until the day he says hello. 

Cooper 
I'm dying. It's not a question, it's a fact. The cancer is eating me alive. They told me I have six months to live, maybe less. I came home, back to Chancellor on Lake Erie, to die. The sunsets are vivid there, and I will relish every one. I've never seen anything more beautiful than a Lake Erie sunset until I see her. All life is as fragile as glass. What would you sacrifice to save the one you love?



My Thoughts:
This is a sweet, feel-good story. I played it on audio book while cleaning, and the shorter length of the novella really helped pass the time. In the town of Chancellor, old myths and legends still exist, hidden away. This story follows Kate, the last mermaid of Lake Erie, as she comes to terms with how long she has outlived her kind and her dealing with her grief to do with her part in their demise.
Cooper returns home to live the last of his life in his childhood home, but when he meets Kate, he finds a reason to fight.
I love how each character strengthened and uplifted the other, even when they didn't know the pain the other was going through. I very much enjoyed this book.

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Blitzes, Reviews, and Release Date Announcement

Today, Widow of Papina has a blitz going on, so I'm being tweeted links to blogs like crazy! I'm glad to see it getting some noise around it, and I hope it picks up a bit of momentum.

The blitz for Quest for a Popstar is on January 16th, which is also it's release date! It's coming up so fast. If you want to join the blitz, sign up HERE.


Both books are available for review. I'd love to see some reviews up on the day of QfaP's release, and I'd love to see some reviews on Amazon and Goodreads for WoP. You can request Quest for a Popstar HERE and Widow of Papina HERE.

Quest for a Popstar is also available for pre-order which you can find on Amazon

Curiosity Quills has ARCs available for Dwarves of Calcus (Fairytale Galaxy #3) Here are the details to request a copy:

Simply email your request to marketing@curiosityquills.com, along with your preferred digital format - Kindle (mobi), Nook (ePub), Adobe Reader (PDF) - and one of the team will have copies sent to you as soon as possible.
If you're interested in reading a book that's a sequel, but have yet to read the previous books in the series, please let us know, and we'll send you all the books in the series! 

I'm still waiting for a cover for this one, but the insides are all ready to go for what I believe is going to be a MARCH 6TH release. 

In other news, I am now back in college! I intend to earn my degree to become a Secondary English Teacher! So excited. I'm currently working at an Elementary school as an Interventionist, so I'm getting some real world skills while studying. But, because of work and school, my releases will likely slow down for a while. I'll work on keeping the series current, but new projects won't be in the works for a while. The studying should help improve my writing skills though, which, in the long run will be beneficial for my readers! Yay!


That's it! Update complete.

Review: Perfect For You by Ashelyn Drake

From Goodreads:
Seventeen-year-old Meg Flannigan isn’t very self-confident, but what girl would be after her sophomore-year boyfriend dumped her by making out with another girl in front of her locker? 

Now a senior, Meg catches the eye of not one, but two gorgeous guys at school. Sounds good, right? What girl wouldn't want to be in Meg's shoes? One cute boy happens to be her boyfriend, and the other? Well, he wants to be. And Meg? She't torn between Ash, the boy she's been with for nearly five months, and Noah who is pretty irresistible. 

But Meg is playing with fire. Pitting two boys against one another, even if she doesn't intend to, could end badly if she isn't careful. PERFECT FOR YOU is a teen romance from bestselling author Ashelyn Drake, where one girl will risk everything to find her perfect match.




My Thoughts:
This was a book I've had sitting on my kindle for a while. I had it on my 2017 TBR purge, so I squeezed it in right in the nick of time!
My feelings were pretty meh. It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't great.  The characters were pretty ordinary, and I didn't feel any real connection to the MC. She was just a typical silly girl. The guys were the same, just ordinary.
I did root for Ash all along, simply because Noah was so... stereotypical.
Anyway, read it, thought it was cute, and checked it off my list.

Review: Rival Love by Natalie Decker

From Goodreads:
Skylar Fletcher is a proud Harris Academy Bulldog! She has everything she’s ever wanted: a perfect boyfriend, great friends, and her dream college waiting for her in the fall. But nothing lasts forever. Skylar's world shatters when her mom decides it is time to move and drags Skylar, kicking and screaming, into Bobcat territory.

At Delmont High School, home of the Bobcats, Skylar has no friends and is often bullied. To make matters worse, her home life sucks thanks to all-star quarterback Caleb Morgan, nephew of her mom's live-in boyfriend.

At first Skylar and Caleb want nothing to do with one another. But they soon discover they're not that different after all--and each is harboring a secret attraction to the other. But can a Bulldog and a Bobcat ever really be more than friends? And are Skylar and Caleb willing to risk everything to find out? Rival Love is a debut young adult contemporary romance from Natalie Decker. 



My Thoughts:
I read this book because it's been sitting on my kindle for a few years and I'm trying to shrink my TBR  list, especially long term items. This was an easy read, good pace, although sometimes I wished there was more detail and internal dialogue.
I enjoyed Skylar and Caleb. Both had strong personalities and good depth to them. I enjoyed watching them come together, which helped me speed through this book.
The problems came from two things for me.
1. That ending. Absolutely killed an otherwise great YA story. Seriously, it sucked hard. I feel like there needs to be one more chapter or something to give a real conclusion.
2. Skylar's mom. Oh. My. Gosh. I'm not sure to start. Let's try from the beginning. No mother is that selfish. Yeah, she's in love with a guy after forever being alone. That's great, but moms, especially single moms, are fiercely aware of their kids needs and feelings. There were so many better ways her mom could have and would have handled things like waiting until the end of the school year, arranging a boundary exception, especially since these were private schools, attending a different but closer private/charter or even a public school etc. A mom also would never have removed a kid from a situation where a potential full ride to college through sports was established.  Especially knowing how hard a kid worked and how passionate they were. I also feel like making her mother that oblivious to an obvious and clearly harsh rivalry was a plot device and made her mom unbelievable. And to add to the insult, her mom was completely clueless to the bullying when her own boyfriend worked at the school. As someone who works at a school, we know who the bullies are, and the signs of bullying, even if none of the kids tell. Teachers aren't stupid, especially in this day and age of anti-bullying. The resolution of her mom thinking a few friends would make things better was too weak for me.
These two things alone ruined an otherwise enjoyable novel. The characters were great, the typical teen scenes were amusing, and I enjoyed flipping through the "pages".  I will read the next book though, and hopefully my issues will be resolved.

Reviewers Needed!

Okay guys, normally I go hunting for reviewers, but at the moment, I'm really short on time so I'm going to put this out there.

I NEED reviewers for:

Widow of Papina

Amazon Goodreads

Quest for a Popstar

(Reality Romance #1)

(Cover and links still to come)

Blurb:

I haven’t done much performing, not since high school. Yet here I am, backstage, waiting for my turn to audition.

I’m excited, I’m nervous, and after witnessing the talent of the Murphy family that performs before me, I almost throw in the towel. But I don’t. I walk out on that stage, and what happens next is something I never could have predicted.

The events that follow all fall like well lined-up dominoes. My life, my world, everything changes. Suddenly success is overshadowed by exploitation, loyalty wrecked with betrayal, and trust gets slaughtered by life changing secrets.

Oh, and then there’s Lucas, the guy—of course there’s a guy—who might end up being the deciding factor on whether walking out on that stage would end up being the best decision of my life…

…or the worst.

Dwarves of Calcus (Fairytale Galaxy #3)

(Cover still to come)

Goodreads

Please only offer if you will post on Goodreads and later Amazon when they go live (Widow of Papina is already live FYI) I have electronic ARCs, no paperbacks.

If you are interested, please contact me at katiejteller@gmail.com
Feel free to pass this on to anyone who would be interested.

Review: Rebekah by Orson Scott Card

From Goodreads:
Born into a time and place where a woman speaks her mind at her peril, and reared as a motherless child by a doting father, Rebekah grew up to be a stunning, headstrong beauty. She was chosen by God for a special destiny.

Rebekah leaves her father's house to marry Isaac, the studious young son of the Patriarch Abraham, only to find herself caught up in a series of painful rivalries, first between her husband and his brother Ishmael, and later between her sons Jacob and Esau. Her struggles to find her place in the family of Abraham are a true test of her faith, but through it all she finds her own relationship with God and does her best to serve His cause in the lives of those she loves. 

In Rebekah, Orson Scott Card has created an astonishing personality, complex and intriguing, and her story will engage your heart as it captures your imagination.



My Thoughts:
I read Sarah earlier this year, and I read Rachel & Leah several years ago (not long after it released) but Rebekah is hands down my favorite of the three books.
I struggle to like Rachel & Leah, mostly because the whole premise, even the biblical version, hurts my heart and I really dislike Jacob for the way he treated the women. Sarah hit some tender places in my with her fertility struggles, and self-sacrifices, and I always empathized with her. But Rebekah. Rebekah I really felt like I knew because I saw myself in her. Her fire, her fight, even her relationship with God reminded me of myself. Isaac was wonderful too, even if he couldn't see past his own self-loathing at times. Rebekah's love for him made up for that.
I also really enjoyed seeing so much of her younger years, as the foundation of her adult life was put in place. The strong, devoted young girl was incredible.
It makes me wish there was more in the bible about Rebekah and Isaac.
LOVED!!!

Review: The Preacher's Bride by Jody Hedlund

From Goodreads:

In 1650s England, a young Puritan maiden is on a mission to save the baby of her newly widowed preacher--whether her assistance is wanted or not. Always ready to help those in need, Elizabeth ignores John's protests of her aid. She's even willing to risk her lone marriage prospect to help the little family.

Yet Elizabeth's new role as nanny takes a dangerous turn when John's boldness from the pulpit makes him a target of political and religious leaders. As the preacher's enemies become desperate to silence him, they draw Elizabeth into a deadly web of deception. Finding herself in more danger than she ever bargained for, she's more determined than ever to save the child--and man--she's come to love.






My Thoughts:
I didn't expect this to be perfectly timed for Thanksgiving, but I'm glad it was! Learning about the puritans before they became pilgrims couldn't have been more perfect for the season.
Elizabeth's story begins when a mother dies soon after delivering her baby. Elizabeth, headstrong and bright, puts her talents and loving heart to the task of keeping the infant alive. Her faith gets her through, which is something I greatly admired, especially in the darkest times she faced. She's outspoken, but she's a quiet and powerful force, a person whose influence isn't really noticed, but needed and present.  I think that's what I enjoyed about her love with John; it's so honest and built on him noticing her character and her quiet strength.
Clean read, and well worth the time, this book charmed me and transported me to a time of struggle and reform well worth understanding.

Review: Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

From Goodreads:
Eleven-year-old orphan Anne Shirley has just arrived at Green Gables, and already her guardians want to send her back. First, she’s not the boy the Cuthberts expected. Second, she talks too much. And even with her generous spirit, the redhead’s a trouble magnet. She gets the neighbor drunk and nearly poisons the pastor!

Still, despite a rocky start, the fiery Anne wins over her guardians and her new community. She enjoys life at Green Gables, excels in school, and earns a coveted scholarship. But when tragedy hits, Anne must choose between her dreams and the only home she’s ever known.

In this beloved coming-of-age story, Lucy Maud Montgomery drew from her own experiences growing up in Canada during the nineteenth century to introduce generations of readers to one of literature’s most original and inspiring characters. 




My Thoughts:
I know this book is in no need for reviews, but I have made a goal to read more classics, especially North American literature since I wasn't exposed to them much growing up, and I also leave reviews for all that I read. So, here we go!
This was an interesting one for me. I loved it, but then, I didn't. It was engaging, yet, it didn't keep me flipping the pages. I felt like the end finally became interesting, and there were parts that were also engaging, but the writing didn't pull me in like I wanted. I'll put it down to the older "style" of writing employed that I'm not used to reading anymore. Aside from that, it's a cute story. Each chapter seems to have mini stories that show Anne aging, learning, and growing,which all ends up with an ending tht I wanted to cry about, but, couldn't for the above reasons.
I will now continue my reading of classic books, and include the rest of the seven Anne books.

Review: For All Eternity by Dr. John L Lund

From Goodreads:
Popular speaker, author, and marriage counselor, Dr. John L. Lund shares his wealth of knowledge, insight, and humor on the all-important topic of improving communication and strengthening marriage relationships. In this four-talk set you will laugh as you and your spouse see yourselves in Dr. Lund's descriptions of the differences between men and women and how we communicate. You will be enlightened as you take his Love Language Quiz and find out how to speak your spouse's love language. You will learn how to use active and reflective listening skills to resolve conflict in your relationships. Finally, you will understand the art of giving an apology and accepting responsibility. All of these tools and more, combined with Dr. Lund's trademark humor and stories, will make this set an important resource in strengthening your marriage and helping it last For All Eternity.

My Thoughts:
I truly loved this book (audio). It's not JUST for newlyweds. I've been married almost 9 years and Lund's guidance has helped and inspired me. This is great counsel for any relationship, but especially marriage. It gave me not only an idea of my and my husband's love languages, communication skills, etc, but also helpful way to implement them, while keeping the discussion light, humorous and realistic. The message on forgiveness really rang true with me, and stands out in my mind. I loved that he implemented how the Savior plays an crucial part and how I can rely on Him to help me forgive not just others but myself.

Highly recommend this to Everyone!!! 

Review: Behind Every Good Man by John Bytheway

From Goodreads:
"Behind every good man is a good woman," the old saying goes. How can a wife help her husband grow and progress and be a priesthood leader in the home without criticizing, nagging, or making him feel like he is not measuring up?

As a result of some wide reading, pondering, and research, John Bytheway attempts to answer that question in this book. With his trademark humor and unique insights, the author shares experiences from his own marriage, practical counsel from several marriage experts, and inspired statements from Church leaders.

Simple tools such as: praising betimes with sharpness, and making requests with an exit strategy will bless marriages and help husbands and wives fulfill their roles as they try to lead their families in the latter days.

My Thoughts:
This was a wonderful short read. My parents bought me this book (signed copy!) a few years ago, and I set it aside thinking I didn't really need it. Boy, was I wrong!
 I just recently finished the marriage talks by John Lund, and this book reinforced those talks as well as add to the discussions the talks raised. My marriage is so important to me, and I'm so glad the Lord has inspired people like John Bytheway--who I devoured his talks as a teenager--to give helpful advice and guidance filled with love to help me grow and, as a consequence, help my marriage grow. The only downside for me is that this book is so short so I read too fast. But for someone who isn't as avid a reader as me would definitely benefit.
Recommend for anyone wanting to strengthen or take steps toward repairing their marriage.

Review: Souls Endure by Anne B. Cole

From Goodreads:
‘Without faith, love may not exist. Without love, evil takes control.’

Protected against the ring’s curse by their bond in marriage, Sam and Gretta begin a new life together. Gifted with a free honeymoon from strangers, they encounter visits from spirits of dead loved ones as they travel to the origins of the curse on Gretta’s ring. The beautiful Greek Islands become not only their honeymoon getaway, but their fated destiny where they will be forced to either break the curse or succumb to its evil.

With help from ancestral spirits Roxana and Katarina, Sam and Gretta time travel to the nineteenth century in search of answers to the mysteries behind the ring’s final curse. Faced with challenges of faith, trust, and forgiveness, Sam and Gretta prepare to make the ultimate sacrifice.



My Thoughts:
I have LOVED this series, having read one after the other as the released, and watched as Cole went from querying to this final book. Sam and Gretta were fabulous from the beginning, their love raw and strong, and their family bonds tangible.
Book 1 is still my favorite though. Each book had a different feel about it, this one hving a fantasy, mythological feel about it. But this wasn't my favorite of the 3 books. Were the other books kept me flipping through the pages, this one had me getting disinterested in places. I think with the gods bickering like children it became disjointed emotionally for me. Where the first two books were focused on getting to know Sam and Gretta and their family backgrounds, this book didn't really have that.
But, that said, the writing was as strong as ever, and I enjoyed the conclusion. I'd recommend this series to anyone who likes history or mythology.

Review: 18 Thoughts (My So Called Afterlife #3) by Jamie Ayres

From Goodreads:
Olga Gay Worontzoff left the Underworld for her final year of high school anxious for things to return to normal, but fate has other plans.

The new hottie at school reads her thoughts but nobody else’s. Her best friend wakes up from his coma acting like a completely different person. Caught in a world that’s a mix of familiar and supernatural, she must confront what she will—or won’t—do to bring him back and stare down her own perceived inadequacies to face a couple of tenacious demons, figurative and literal.

Everything she thought she knew about reality will change as she walks the line between past and present, fear and faith, love and loyalty.

And by the end of a heartbreaking year, she might be forced to realize “normal” in the conventional sense of the word is the one thing she may never achieve.




My Thoughts:
After I finished the first two books, I jumped straight into this one to see how things would end with Olga and the boys. This book started out strong. I loved that we saw Nate and Connor's perspectives as well, although it did make me like Connor even less. He always came across as selfish, even with his intentions for Olga.
But about halfway through, things just got... weird. Things made me uncomfortable and I found myself glancing around to make sure no one else was around.
But what bothered me the most was in book 1 I felt like Olga made massive progress, even book 2 had her continue to grow in ways I understood, even when they were reckless. But I felt like the memory wipe made all of it get reversed, and the parallel "18 Things" were just not as good.
And the ending. Blurg. It was like an anime ending; unsatisfactory. No spoilers, though. I just want to say I did not like it. It could have been so much stronger and way more interesting, plus again, satisfying.
Anyway, I'm glad I read the books. Like Hunger games, most of it was great, except that ending.

Review: 18 Truths (My So Called Afterlife #2) by Jamie Ayres

From Goodreads:
Lying is unbearable, betrayal is inevitable, and choosing which path to take is impossible.

Olga Gay Worontzoff ended her senior year as an eighteen-year-old girl totally in love with Nate, enjoying their new romance and about to attend the university of her dreams. Now she’s spending her summer in the weird subculture of the Underworld, with charmingly witty and powerful angels, and problematic demons, trying to rescue Connor, the best friend and secret crush she was unable to save during a freak accident.

But Nate has other things on his mind, mainly Grace. She’s their first assignment as joint spirit guides, and Olga’s feeling hurt and jealous. His mysterious behavior has Olga questioning everything she believed about him and now she must decide whether to stick to their plan, or follow her heart. Unfortunately, a series of mistakes threatens everyone around her and plants Olga in the center of cosmic events much larger than she ever imagined.

Only one thing is certain: the chilling truths uncovered during her journey will leave no one untouched. 

My Thoughts:
Now I'm back at work, I've got the Audible going again, and since book 1 was read at the end of the last school year this way, I got started on this book now I'm back.
Honestly, I struggled in the beginning to like this book. The whole thing didn't sit well with my own personal understanding of life after death and made me uncomfortable. But, since I really enjoyed the first book, I pushed on.
Once Olga and Nate started their assignment with Grace, I was hooked. I played the book at any moment I could to find out what they'd do next. I could really feel Olga's conflict and her need to know what had happened to Connor. I'd want to know what happened to the guy if I was in her shoes too!
I was still rooting for Nate, even when he seemed to be distracted. After getting to know him in book 1, I knew there would be more to it than his eyes wandering. The waiting for find out killed me though, and broke my heart.
By the end, I flicked straight onto book 3 on my Audible because THAT ENDING!  No spoilers, but the need to continue was imperative.
So, basically I'm still enjoying this series, even if this book had a rocky start for me. Now, to conclude Olga's sordid tale.

Review: Secrets of the King's Daughter by Renae Weight Mackley

From Goodreads:
It was a relationship designed to unite not two young people in love, but two powerful kingdoms. And for Princess Karlinah, eldest daughter of King Lamoni, her marriage to the haughty heir to the throne of Jersusalem has led to a life of fear and abuse. There seems to be no escape—until her husband is murdered and Karlinah is unexpectedly free to return to her father’s kingdom. She can begin again—but no one can ever know of the part she played in the prince’s demise . . . 
Karlinah’s relief is short-lived, for upon her return to the land of Ishmael, she is once again swept into her father’s plans for a politically powerful marriage. Then the arrival of a young missionary in her father’s court changes everything: her family is converted to a new religion, and Karlinah is free to choose her path. Yet she is not so easily convinced by the words of Ammon—especially when repentance means confessing her crime. 
But as her faith grows and a young stone artisan captures her heart, Karlinah realizes that she must face the consequences of her past in order to move forward with her future.


My Thoughts:
This book starts out showing Karlinah traded off as a political marriage, but it's a far from happy one. Her husband is dead, and we can tell she has something to do with it, but we don't know what, just that she's relieved to be free of him.
Upon returning home to her family, her father is about to marry her off again so her sister can have a love-match marriage. To me, her sister was a real selfish brat throughout the book and I didn't like her at all. At this point we also meet the villain, who is truly villainous throughout.
When Ammon arrives, everything changes for not only her father the king, but her and the entire kingdom. There are good things; she is released from being forced to marry someone she despises (said villain) and there are things she struggles with, like her actions that resulted in her abusive husband's death.
Many of the side characters are so obnoxious it hurt my brain. They had this narrow mindedness typical of Utah Mormons rather than converts from vastly different cultures. No one saw Karlinah struggling, not even her parents, who were supposed to know her so well. They just judged her for not converting with everyone else.
Aside from that, I did enjoy the story. Her hesitance and fear was understandable, and I empathized with her. I do wish there was more to the romance because I did like her love interest and I wish I could have seen more of him.
It helps that the story of Ammon is one of my favorite BOM tales. I've loved it since I was a kid watching the Living Scriptures cartoons! Seeing another fictional perspective on the events made me happy.

This is a clean read, easy reading, with a steady pace.

Review: Falling for a Fraud (Star Bride Chronicles #2) by Betsy Love

From Goodreads:
“Beauty is skin deep, but ugly is to the bone.”


That’s what Kat’s grandfather used to say. With the global games only a few months away, her jump team encounters serious financial troubles. Their only chance is for Kat to take the enticing, though questionable investment offer from Lorenzo Watt. One look at his handsome face reminds her of Granddah’s warning. She wonders if Lorenzo is worth the risk of a deeper look.


Lorenzo knows his looks are a commodity, an asset to charm and manipulate gorgeous women into marrying off-worlders. To him, it’s just a job that repays a debt.


Complications arise when he is assigned to lure Kat into being a starbride. He didn’t expect her to be quite so challenging, nor did he anticipate the lure of her beauty.

My Thoughts:
This is the second book in the Star Brides series by Betsy Love, and it's as sweet as the first! What I enjoyed most about this is that the "villain" from the first book was turned around and his background exposed. I do't want to giveaway spoilers, but I enjoyed seeing the motives behind his betrayal in the first book.
Also, since the book remained on Earth, the world was developed more. I can feel it snapping together piece by piece as the series continues, and I'm eager to learn how Earth got to be "ruled" by an alien race and everyone is okay with that.
This is a sweet, clean romance for all those people out there who are always asking me for feel good reads. You're welcome. And Love, keep them coming!