The Secret Keepers of Old Depot Grocery is a Stirring Read

 

If you've been living under a rock for the past five or six years and haven't read Amanda Cox's books you're seriously missing out! Amanda writes rich, powerful, thought-provoking, dual-time POV stories that make you think, but also tug at your heart strings and make you cry. Every story I've read of Amanda's I always think I'm not going to cry while reading it, but inevitably there's some good tears shed before I've read the last page. 

This was my second time reading The Secret Keepers of Old Depot Grocery for my book club. Wow! It was even more intense the 2nd time listening to it on audiobook. To me that's the power of an exceptional story.

The Secret Keepers of Old Depot Grocery is set in a smalltown Tennessee town and explores the complex grandmother/mother/daughter relationships between Glory Ann Clearwater, Rosemary Anderson, and Sarah Ashby and how the secrets we keep shape our lives and the lives around us. 

While Amanda's stories contain some romance that's not the main storyline. As I've gotten older, I find that while I always want to romance, I don't always need it. She also writes compelling and complex heroes in all of her books, and The Secret Keepers of Old Depot Grocery is no exception. The heroines (Glory Ann, Rosemary, and Sarah) were gripping, I found myself draw to the heroes. I'm curious if you felt the same way. 

I'd rate it 5 out of 5 stars. One aspect of Amanda's books I enjoy and have come to expect from her is the distinct way she weaves her dual-POV stories and how each character is essential and well-written in her books. She's become an auto-buy author for me. If you're interested, you can read more of Amanda's book reviews here. 

Reading is an adventure,

    Emilee 

About Last Christmas is a Charming Romantic Read

 

Rachel Scott McDaniel's books have been on my TBR pile for a while. After reading About Last Christmas, I want to read more books by this author.  

Greta Carlton is a caretaker for her grandmother and is content running her antique shop in the charming town of Silver Creek. 

She meets Leo, a handsome stranger during the Christmas festival, and they share a memorable and romantic evening causing her to believe in the movie-style romance. They agree to meet, and she is stood up leaving her wondering if it was all too good to be true.   

Greta was a unique heroine. I liked that she appreciated vintage/antique things but was also an expert in her field. I loved her care of others and her generous heart. 

The romance between Greta and Leo is a sweet, Hallmark-style romance that readers expect from rom-coms, but there was more depth than I was expecting for a holiday rom-com. This was an unexpected delight. 

One aspect I loved About Last Christmas was the author's humor. There were so many laugh-out-loud moments in this story. 

I'd rate About Last Christmas 4 1/2 out of 5 stars. The ending felt a little rushed, but overall, it was a charming, heartwarming holiday read that left me smiling long after I closed the book. 

Reading is an adventure,

    Emilee 

The Second Story Bookshop is a Miss

 Best-selling author Denise Huner is my go-to if I want sweet small-town love stories with depth.

Having read probably over half of this author's 40+ books I had high hopes for The Second Story Book Shop.

Shelby Thatcher has been helping her grandmother run her bookshop since she was in high school. Reeling from the death of her beloved grandma's passing she's shocked to learn at the will reading that her grandmother left her 51% of the book shop and 49% to Grayson "Gray' Briggs that man who broke her heart a decade ago.

Typically, I like Denise's heroines, but 80 pages in I was struggling to like Shelby. The only thing I liked about the heroine was that she was an avid reader. Bonus points for working at a bookstore. (I'd never make any money working at a bookstore.) I got a total character 'ick' when I found out she dog-ears her pages. That's a bookworm cardinal rule to never ever do in my opinion. (If you break this rule, I'm never lending you another book.) I know Shelby's just lost her beloved grandma, but I found her to be a little whiny and naive. 

Gray Briggs left the second he graduated high school leaving the girl he loved. Now back because he's a beneficiary in his elderly friend's will he faces the same animosity of the town when he was younger.

I normally binge Denise's book in a couple of days. The Second Story Bookshop took me a little longer to finish. Honestly, I skipped the last ten chapters read the final chapter and epilogue. 

The theme of this story centers around forgiveness and second chances. It explores how grief can change you and bring you back to people and places you thought you left behind. The Second Story Bookshop reminds readers that letting go of the past is hard, but necessary to make room for something new. 

As for Shelby and Gray's relationship. There were a few moments of chemistry where they let their guard down were great. Maybe it stems from my lack of relating to Shelby's character that I had hard time believing their relationship. 

I'd rate The Second Story Bookshop 3 stars out of 5. The premise of the story had potential with the shared inheritance of the bookshop and there were some sweet, small-town cozy moments. For me, the pacing lagged and I had a hard time connecting with the heroine. Longtime fans of Denise Hunter might still enjoy this story for the heart and message of second chances. I'll definitely keep reading her work, just not re-reading this one. 

Reading is an adventure,

    Emilee 

Top 5 Books I'd Re-Read Forever

As an avid bookworm I joke my TBR pile is taller than my 5-foot-2 frame. Every true bookworm is 50% wondering why they have nothing to read and 50% wondering how they are going to find time to read all the books. 

Maybe I'm following C.S. Lewis' quote on reading. "It's a good rule after reading a new book, never allow yourself another new one till you've read an old one in between."

It got me thinking what are top 5 books I'd re-read forever.  No matter what stage of life I'm in re-reading these books feels like coming home. They are comfort reads.

5.) Keeper of the Bees by Gene Stratton-Porter

You can read more about The Keeper of the Bees here.

4.) Short-Straw Bride by Karen Witemeyer

You can read more about Short-Straw Bride here.

3.) The Hawk and the Jewel by Lori Wick

It's been over a decade since I last e-read The Hawk and the Jewel. Before writing this blog post I read this story again and remembered how I felt as a teenager (I won't say how long ago). It brought back the same nostalgia. I'd forgotten how swoon worthy Captain Brandon Hawkesbury was! 

Sunny Gallagher's family thought she perished at sea with her mother. She was being raised in the alabaster courts off the Arabian coast by the ruler of the palace of Darhabar. 

Brandon nicknamed "Hawk" is sent by the Gallagher family to retrieve Sunny and bring her home to England. In the beginning of The Hawk and the Jewel it had elements that reminded me of My Fair Lady with Brandon's teaching her the customs and traditions of the British. During the midpoint of the story, it reminded me Jane Austen's Emma with how Brandon became a mentor to Sunny but is also falling in love with her.

Brandon and Sunny's relationship and love story has always been my favorite part of this book. But I also love how Lori Wick incorporates so much gospel into her stories through characters turning to God's Word for guidance or turning to God in prayer.

I'd rate The Hawk and the Jewel a solid 4 out of 5 stars. The writing is a little dated, but the heart and soul of the story still rings true. 

2.) Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

You can read more about Anne of Green Gables here.

1.) The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery

You can read more about The Blue Castle here.

I'm curious what's on your re-reads list? Did any of these books make it on your list? I'd love to know. 

Reading is an adventure,

    Emilee 

The Christmas Book Flood is a Heart-Warming and Charming Read

 I am thrilled Christy-award winning author Roseanna M. White (Roseanna can write any genre. Historical, contemporary, fantasy she does it all.) is delving a little more into the WWII era. Just in time for Christmas she's given us The Christmas Book Flood novella. Don't you just want to dive into this gorgeous cover? 

Tatiana Eliasdottir works at a publishing house. Her first seasonal book catalog she put together for the company is a massive success and floods the publisher with book orders. 

Anders Johannasson is an editor and illustrator at the same publishing house and has garnered a reputation for being one of the best in the industry. He shares Tatiana's love of story. 

Anders and Tatiana's friends-to-more romance was heart-melting. I love how the author had both Ander's family and Tatiana's niece playing matchmaker between the two. It added an extra dose of humor and fun. 

As much as I enjoyed the sweet romance between them, I think I liked Ander's storyline the best. For years he felt misunderstood and unseen by his family for his love of writing and drawing. He discovers how proud his family is of him. This brought tears to my eyes. Everyone wants to know they are loved. I also liked the way Roseanna wrote Tatiana's sweet relationship with her niece. It was adorable. Being an auntie eight times over it reminded me of my own precious nieces and nephews.

Unfortunately, for all you die-hard bookworms who love paperback (It's me, I'm the one who loves paperback) The Christmas Book Flood is only available in e-book and audiobook. If you love audiobooks, I highly recommend this one.  The narrator did a marvelous job.

I'd rate The Christmas Book Flood a solid 4 1/2 out of 5 stars. My reason being I feel like the author perhaps stated Ander's sense of not feeling like his family understood him a few too many times. I'm not trying to be nit-picky; it's just something I noticed. 

The Christmas Book Flood is the perfect read to get you excited about the delights and traditions of Christmas. 

Reading is an adventure,

    Emilee 

A Very Merry Match Up is the Perfect Holiday Read

If you loved First Love, Second Draft you NEED to add A Verry Merry Match Up to your TBR pile. I don't mind admitting I was having some serious Becca Kinzer withdrawals after First Love, Second Draft.  Thankfully, Becca didn't make her readers wait too long and treated us to this hilarious and zany novella just in time for Christmas. This story has heart, charm and all the holiday joy and magic to rival your favorite rom com. 

Ivy West is a travel nurse who loves to play matchmaker. 

Beau Wall is a minor league baseball player with his sights on the majors lands the hospital. (Fun fact: Scotty, Noah's agent from First Love, Second Draft makes a brief appearance in A Very Merry Match Up.) 

There's an undeniable spark between him and Ivy. She does what any girl in her position would do...she tries to set him up with her best friend Lucy. The chemistry between Beau and Ivy was one of my favorite parts of the book. 

In A Very Merry Match Up the matchmaker gets a taste of her own medicine. Ivy has some deep scars from her childhood. Her parents divorce ingrained in her certain ideals and tendencies she clung to of what she did and didn't want in a marriage. Over the course of the story, her ideals shift.  

I was howling with laughter at so many scenes in this book. Becca's humor tickles my funny bone. I loved the clever use of pop culture references from Hollywood's Golden Age. So skillfully woven in. For me, old movies are a close 2nd to my love of reading and whenever the two (reading and old movies) are combined you've got a fan for life. Becca Kinzer is an auto-buy author for me. One aspect, I appreciate about Becca's stories is how you end up falling in love with all the characters she creates in her books. She's consistently done that in every book and it's part of what keeps me coming back to her stories.

I enjoyed the dual POV of Ivy and Beau in A Very Merry Match Up. I liked that the audiobook version had dual narrators as well.  It added more enjoyment and depth to the story. 

If you love laugh-a-minute, sidesplitting humor set during the holidays you need to add A Very Merry Match Up to your TBR pile.  I'd rate this a solid 4 1/2 out of 5 stars. My reason being Ivy's insistence on following her plan drove me a little nuts, but I think the author was trying to show her readers we can all be like Ivy during certain times in our life. All in all, a great holiday read not to be missed. 

Reading is an adventure,

    Emilee 

 

Christmas Came Early with On a Midnight Clear

Christmas came early in the form of On a Midnight Clear! It was such a privilege for me to be on Karen's influencer team for this 3-in-1 Christmas novella collection with stories from Tracie Peterson, new-to-me-author Misty M. Beller, and of course my all-time favorite historical author Karen Witemeyer.

I binged On a Midnight Clear in a few days and would have read Karen's novella (A Star in the West) in one sitting had I started it earlier in the evening. I enjoyed The Shepherd's Heart by Tracie Peterson and No Room at the Inn by Misty M. Beller, and both had memorable characters and heartfelt messages. The Shepherd’s Heart offered a touching perspective on love and healing, while No Room at the Inn drew me in with its sense of hope and perseverance. That said, if I had to pick a favorite, A Star in the West was the clear winner for me. I especially appreciated how elements of the nativity tied all three stories together, creating a cohesive Christmas theme that was both meaningful and nostalgic.

Each novella explores faith and surrender in a unique way, but I found Stella and Frank’s journey in A Star in the West especially compelling. Stella Barrington was fulfilled in her life, running her father's household and volunteering at various charities. She believed that God did not design marriage as part of her path. She struck up a friendship with Harvard mathematics professor Frank N. Stentz (Sidenote: What does his name remind you of? The genius of Karen Witemeyer strikes again!) through letters, never anticipating it would evolve into anything more.

I love how Frank pursued Stella with the intention of wanting to marry her. He was not pushy or presumptuous but genuinely interested in her as a person, not just as a potential wife. Their relationship was marked by mutual admiration, shared faith, and a desire to honor God in whatever path He chose. Both Stella and Frank wrestled with sacrifice and calling. Either Stella would be leaving the comfort of her father's home to get married, or Frank would be forfeiting his academic career for the sake of love.

The central theme of the story, and the collection as a whole, is God's sovereignty and the beauty of surrendering to God's will. Whether it is yielding to expectations, comforts, or long-held beliefs about the future, each character learns that God's plan is bigger and better than their own.

Together, these three novellas weave a meaningful Christmas collection. Each is unique, yet they are tied together by the reminder that faith, sacrifice, and God’s sovereignty are at the heart of Christmas.

If you have a book lover on your list who enjoys historical fiction set around the Christmas season, tuck this in their stocking. They are sure to love it.

I would rate On a Midnight Clear as a solid 4 stars. Novellas are tricky because the author must tell a complete story in a shorter word count, and it is a challenge to write a truly satisfying novella. This trio of stories is sweet, faith-filled, and festive. It is a lovely start to the Christmas reading season. 

Reading is an adventure,

Emilee