Waiting for Christmas by Lynn Austin

 Waiting for Christmas, by Lynn Austin, is a delightful Victorian-era look at one newlywed couple's first Christmas. I am always excited when Lynn releases a new book, as I know it'll be one to savor. This one did not disappoint. The characters became real to me as I read about Adelaide (Addy) and Howard. The book is four parts, all corresponding with candles lit at their church during the month of December. The changes they go through during this time reflect the themes of the Advent Candles. Addy arrives home one day to find a little boy hiding in the bushes outside her door, she takes him in and, with help from her cook and housekeeper, cleans him up and gets him some new clothes. Addy is determined to help him find his missing sister while they wait to see if his father arrives home by Christmas. 

I adored watching Addy learn how to cook and keep house, wanting to do things on her own for her new husband, as she'd grown up an heiress and never learned to do these things. Her determination was sweet. 

As with any Lynn Austin book, this was a clean read and suitable for all ages. A very good look at historical Christmas. 

I was gifted this book as part of the Waiting for Christmas launch team. It's been a pleasure to read and I recommend it. 

What I Left for You by Liz Tolsma

 

What I Left for You, by Liz Tolsma, is the third and final installment in the Echoes of the Past series. Liz has become a favorite author of mine as I adore her books set in the WWII era. This book follows a dual timeline and switches back and forth effortlessly as Helena navigates Poland/Germany during WWII and McKenna, dealing with a broken heart, tries to untangle some things from her family history, leading her on a trip to Poland.

Both women portrayed in this book are strong characters, more so Helena though. Just reading a fictional account of what happened during the war was hard to read because you know this is just the story of one person and there were thousands of others that could have gone through the same things. 

The heart wrenching decisions that Helena made are unraveled and pieced back together with some sleuthing by McKenna in current time. Another thing I loved about this book was the reference to Pennsylvania and the Polish population in my home state. Really enjoyed that tidbit, especially when it mentioned that the hills and mountains reminded Helena of Poland. Loved that. 

About the book:

A Family’s Ties Were Broken in Poland of 1939

1939
Helena Kostyszak is an oddity—an educated female ethnic minority lecturing at a university in Krakow at the outbreak of WWII. When the Germans close the university and force Jews into the ghetto, she spirits out a friend’s infant daughter and flees to her small village in the southern hills. Helena does everything in her power to protect her family, but it may not be enough. It will take all of her strength and God’s intervention for both of them to survive the war and the ethnic cleansing to come.

2023
Recently unengaged social worker McKenna Muir is dealt an awful blow when a two-year-old she’s been working with is murdered. It’s all too much to take, so her friend suggests she dive into her family’s past like she’s always wanted. Putting distance between herself and her problems might help her heal, so she and her friend head on Sabbatical to Poland. But what McKenna discovers about her family shocks everyone, including one long-lost family member.

Also in the Echoes of the Past Series:
What I Would Tell You
What I Promise You

I was honored to be part of the launch team for this book and am always looking for more from this author. 

Meddling with Mistletoe by Liz Johnson

 If ever a book was meant to be made into a Christmas movie, it is this one. Meddling with Mistletoe, by Liz Johnson, was a delight to read - from cover to cover. I was engaged with this book on the first page. A rom-com with a subtle Christian message, this book is a clean read and is appropriate for all readers. It was sweet and funny. I loved getting to know Whitney and Daniel. The characters became real to me and I whipped through this book as fast a Whitney could whip up a pie. Such a fun read. And that first kiss.....I swear I felt it too! 

From the back cover:

The recipe for romance is simple: Sweets, Treats, and Mistletoe Meets.

Whitney Garrett is preparing to enter culinary school in the spring, but first she has to sell enough homemade pies at the local Christmas markets to pay her tuition. When her oven breaks, Whitney asks Marie Sloan, proprietor of the Red Door Inn, is she can use the inn's kitchen to keep up with her orders. Marie agrees with a catch: Whitney has to watch the three Sloan children and cook breakfasts for the Red Door in return.

The inn is busy with holiday guests -- including Aretha Franklin Sloan's nephew, Daniel and Ruby, a businesswoman in town to purchase Aretha's antiques store. Intent on making a Christmas match for the two, Aretha enlists Whitney's help in her schemes. But the deeper Whitney gets, the more she realizes that Ruby is not the right woman for Daniel -- and the more she thinks that she just might be his perfect match.

Honestly, an adorable book that is filled with quirky characters and a lot of fun. Made me laugh and made me feel all cozy. You'll love it!

This book provided for review by Revell. 

Flyover Church by Brad Roth

 

Flyover Church, by Brad Roth, is an easy-to-read book that encourages pastors in rural communities to reach their communities without comparing their ministry to bigger ones. I like that the author shares his hesitation to talk to people in public because, as a fellow-introvert, I have done the same thing. Being an introvert in ministry is hard! I like how he encourages the reader to focus on who you have in front of you at your church and in your small town. Minister to the people right there. You don't have to be bigger or better or have the crowd-attracting methods. The people right there need ministered to. Not to look past the small town that appears to be dying, as most of our country is "fly-over". 

Just 150 pages, this is a good book for any pastor. Roth weaves scripture throughout the book and I didn't find anything that would be a warning or red-flag with his theology. He is a man who loves the Lord and wants to help small-town pastors realize what they have right in front of them. 

This book provided for review by MennoMedia 

The Elusive Truth of Lily Temple by Joanna Davidson Politano

 The Elusive Truth of Lily Temple, by Joanna Davidson Politano, is a story with many layers that unwraps slowly while drawing the reader into the intrigue. This author consistently delivers beautiful fiction that is clean and appropriate for all ages. Lily Temple is a silent film star, one wrapped in mystery. Peter Driscoll is an independently hired investigator, his job: to find the truth about Lily's identity. Lily evades questions and, while other outside sources try the same thing, manages to invite Peter into her world and into her heart. Another local mystery teams them to find a missing child. All the while, the gardener friend from Lily's memories lingers somewhere out there...with clues along the way. 

This book was a delight to read. Not one to read quickly, took me about a week to finish it. 

Highly recommended. 

This book provided for review by Revell.  

Never Fall Again by Lynn H Blackburn

 Never Fall Again, by Lynn H. Blackburn, is the first in the Gossamer Falls series by this romantic suspense author. I have really enjoyed Lynn's books in the past and was so looking forward to a new one. This book didn't hook me as quickly as some of her previous ones. There is a gospel theme in it and that was really nice to have in it. The main character, Landry (I kept reading it as Laundry lol) was not as likable as I wanted her to be. She kind of got on my nerves and seemed weak. I did like Cal though. I was rooting for them to get together and was happy when they did. The Haven seemed like an interesting place and I would have liked more of the action to take place there. There seemed to be a lot of filler stuff in this story, stuff that didn't really lead the story forward but was more like dinner at someone's house or shopping. I was hoping for more suspense than this delivered.

This was a clean read and is good for all ages. Nothing in this that I would caution against. Easy to read and a good way to spend a few hours.

This book provided for review by Revell. 

All My Secrets by Lynn Austin

 All My Secrets, by Lynn Austin, is the story of the women in the Stanhope family - heiresses, the grandmother, mother, and daughter. The story takes place over many years in three timelines, going back in time as the character telling her story instead of a separate timeline. I enjoyed the way Austin wrote this, it was very easy to follow. 

As with Austin’s other books, I was drawn in from the first page. I don’t even bother reading the back cover copy of her books anymore, because I know I will love it no matter the topic. 

All My Secrets stays true to the author’s commitment to writing a clean book with strong Christian themes. This went so far as to have the gospel presented fully by the characters. 

This book was a treasure to read and I know the characters will stay with me for a long time. 

Look for it soon from Tyndale