Bird on a Wire is a Heartfelt Story

 

If you're looking for a book on motherhood, identity and what truly makes someone a parent you need to pick up author Katie Powner's newest release Bird on a Wire. 

Katie is an author I've been wanting to read for a while. When I saw the opportunity to join the influencer team for this book I jumped at the chance. Her style of writing and cadence are engaging and keeps you turning pages. She handled heavy topics with depth and sensitivity. 

Eighteen-year-old Bri Marshall and Forty-year-old Laura Gambler's lives are interwoven through the parenting of baby Providence. Bri is Providence's biological mother and Laura is his foster mother. 

The author did a great job of balancing but also intertwining Bri and Laura's stories as they struggle through the trials and triumphs of being a parent. Bird on a Wire tackles the tough question who is the better mother for Providence? 

Bri was a hard character to relate to. I'm not sure it was because she struggled with an addiction to drugs or if it was her youth. One aspect I didn't like of Bri is I felt she was slow to do what CPS required if she wanted to be reunited with her son. She's a well written character; I personally had trouble relating to her and this impacted the emotional connection I had to the story. 

In contrast, I related more to Laura. I appreciated her caring and compassion nature as she is trying to correlate parenting her own children but also falling in love with a precious newborn. Her perspective grounded the story for me.

Fostering isn't a topic I see in a lot of in Christian fiction, and I thought Katie Powner did an exceptional job approaching it with equal parts honesty and grace. 

I'd rate this book a solid 4 1/2 out of 5 stars. My half-star deduction is mainly because I had trouble relating to Bri. 

Bird on a Wire is an emotional, thought-provoking story that have you shedding a few tears and stay with you long after you close the book.

Not What We Pictured is Rom Com Gold

If you haven't read Becca Kinzer's books this is your official nudge to do so! Her latest release Not What We Pictured is comedy gold with her trademark humor, heartfelt moments, and characters you won't want to leave behind. Her books should come with a PSA or a warning label...prone to cause fits of laughter when reading in public. 

I've been a fan of her books since her 2023 debut Dear Henry, Love Edith. Becca keeps getting better and better. She is the queen of creating small towns filled with zany characters. In each of her books, the town is like anther character. 

If you like humorous, clean romantic comedies Becca has you covered and then some. Her books have a great balance of comedy, heart and substance. I could spend the rest of this review raving about what I love about her books.

I appreciate that all of her characters are different. You don't feel like you're reading the same character in a different plot or vice versa. This makes her books especially satisfying to re-read. I also like that her story and plot pacing are fast. It keeps you turning pages. I binged Not What We Pictured in three days and it was only because real life kept interrupting. 

This story had strong screwball comedy vibes and reminded me of classic films such as Bringing Up Baby (1938), and You Can't Take It with You (1938). The forced proximity trope and the banter between McKenna and Nate was my favorite part of the story. Becca's gift for dialogue shines in this read. You can practically hear the timing and rhythm of each exchange. 

I've read and reviewed all Becca Kinzer's books and noticed a trend in all my reviews. All of her books are consistently rated a solid 4 1/2 out of 5 stars. My reason for the half star deduction is that her heroines cling a little too tightly to their plans until the end. As a romance reader, sometimes I want my heroines throw caution to the wind and pick the guy over their well laid plans.

 All of Becca's books are standalones. If I had to rank order of First Love, Second Draft, Not What We Pictured, Dear Henry, Love Edith, Love in Tandem and lastly A Very Merry Match-Up. 

If you are in the mood for a romantic comedy that will make you laugh and give you a happily ever after love story you need to check out Not What We Pictured.