In This Moment is Consuming and Compelling

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In This Moment tops my list of' "Most Anticipated Reads of 2023." After loving When the Day Comes, I had exceptionally high expectations for this book and author Gabrielle Meyer doesn't disappoint. In fact, she manages to make In This Moment even more riveting with heroine Maggie as a time crosser with three time periods. 1861, 1941, and 2001.

Ms. Meyer ingeniously balances all three eras giving Maggie three distinct roles and families. In 1861, she's Margaret Wakefield, a Senator's daughter with the country on the verge of Civil War. In 1941 finds her working as nurse, Maggie Hollingsworth and in 2001 she's Meg Clarke a young prodigy medical student. 

Like her mother, Libby she must choose which time to permanently live in on her 21st birthday. Making it ever more challenging she has one man in each period she's beginning to develop feelings for. Which man will ultimately capture her heart? Will it be Gray, Seth or Zechariah? Who will she choose? I was definitely leaning towards one hero over the others, but I'm not going to tell you which one.  You'll have to read In This Moment to find out. Neither Maggie nor the reader knows which time she should choose. It takes great skill as a writer to do this well. That's the genius of this story. The author keeps you turning pages and guessing. 

The theme of In This Moment of how God plans and orchestrates our lives really resonated with me and I felt was such a timely and comforting message for today.

As with When the Day Comes, In This Moment will draw you in  and I guarantee you'll be replaying scenes in your head and this story will stay with you long after you've closed the book. 

Author Gabrielle Meyer keeps you on your toes with a few plot twists I wasn't expecting. She has set the bar sky-high and exceeded all my expectations.  I confess when I read the ending I was jumping up and down in my living room screaming with excitement over the way she sets it up for book #3! I can hardly wait! If you love books that combine history and romance coupled with the unique time-crossing element you need to add this book to your TBR pile.

~~In This Moment was provided to me by the author herself and the publisher in return for my honest review. I received a complimentary copy of the book. All opinions expressed are my own, I was not required to write a positive review. All viewpoints expressed are my own. ~

And...The Winner Is...

And...The Winner Is...

Short-Straw Bride by Karen Witemeyer!

If you're a fan of historical Christian fiction you need to add this book to your 'Must Read' pile.

You can find out more of my thoughts on this book here.

Doing this Sweet Sixteen Book Bracket was so much fun and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

Thank you for everyone that participated and voted. 

Can't wait to share more books with you this spring.

Credit and Thanks for the beautiful book bracket goes to my talented best friend Jennifer Klotz. 

The Metropolitan Affair is A Historical Kaleidoscope

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Get ready for a historical adventure that will take you from the ancient ruins of Egypt to the luxurious mansions of New York's elite in Jocelyn Green's latest page-turner, The Metropolitan Affair.

Author Jocelyn Green has the ability to transport her readers to whatever historical era she chooses and also make us feel fully immersed in that period. Her latest release, The Metropolitan Affair, part of her new On Central Park series, takes us back to 1920s New York filled with jazz music, flappers, bobbed haircuts, prohibition, and, of course, the world's fascination with all things Egyptian with the discover of King Tut's tomb. This juxtaposition of two iconic historical eras was a unique historical kaleidoscope for me!  

Dr. Lauren Westlake is a rare and captivating heroine. Her vast knowledge and passion for Egyptology reminded me somewhat of the character 'Evelyn' from the 1999 movie The Mummy and I was so onboard with this.  Not sure if this was the author's intention or not, but I loved it.

Lauren is now in her early 30s and recognized in her line of work, but her father's recent appearance in New York asking her to accompany him to Egypt has thrown her orderly and organized world off-kilter.  Lauren still yearns for a relationship with her father despite how damaged and tense it is due to his long absences and hollow promises to take her on an archeological dig. Her interest and love of  Egypt's culture and artifacts may have began as a way to win her father's affection and praise, but it's turned into her passion and life's work. While she's a specialist in her field, Lauren still encounters some opposition to those who doubt her area of expertise. I like that she is confident in her skills, but not arrogant. This trait is evident all throughout the story and makes you like her even more. 

Enter Detective Joe Caravello, a man on the hunt for a notorious forger who is preying on New York's high society. With Egyptomania sweeping the city following the discovery of King Tut's tomb, Lauren's expertise in Egyptology makes her the perfect partner for Joe as they search for the truth behind the forger's identity. The closer they get to uncovering the forger's identity, the more entangled they become in a world of secrets and lies.

And this, of course, draws them closer. I'm not sure there are enough words to express how much I loved Joe and Lauren's relationship, They had this natural chemistry that you couldn't wait to see how they would interact and what was going to happen next. Ms. Green did a great job of pacing the story and keeping the romance between Joe and Lauren realistic. It's almost as if the Metropolitan Museum became like another character and a place of refuge for both Lauren and Joe as their relationship builds. 

Ms. Green explores the theme of forgiveness and how it relates to our families. We all have our fair share of family issues and struggles, but it's through forgiveness that we can find healing and peace. Through relatable characters and heartwarming anecdotes, the author reminds us that no family is perfect, and we all make mistakes. But it's when we look to our true Heavenly Father that we can find the strength and courage to forgive one another and move forward with love and compassion.

My absolute favorite quote is on page 229. This quote made me sigh with happiness. When you get to that part in the book I would love to know what you think of the quote as well. 

I'm hopeful the author will give us more stories form this era. I'd love to know more about Lauren's roommates Elsa and Ivy or her secretary Anita. Just me? Would you like to read their stories too?

I found the book to be filled with vivid descriptions of exotic locales, fascinating historical details, and heart-pounding suspense, so I can happily recommend that you need to add The Metropolitan Affair to your Must Read List.  

Championship...Top Two Book Bracket

 

The 3rd round of voting for the top 2…results are in...which book will win? I love both of these books for different reasons. The Short-Straw Bride is historical and The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip is contemporary. I have strong guess on which one I think will win, but I'm curious if my readers agree with me. 

CHAMPIONSHIP

Short-Straw Bride
Karen Witemeyer

VS.

The Extraordinary Deaths
of Mrs. Kip Sara Brunsvold

• You can vote from April 2nd- April 3rd
• On April 4th, I’ll reveal your winner!

Credit and Thanks for the beautiful book bracket goes to my talented best friend Jennifer Klotz. 

Room For One More: One of Grant's Best Films

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Lights, Camera, Action - Let's Talk Movies!

I've been a fan of Cary Grant and his films forever and according to my author bio I've been in love with him since I was 10. (It's true!) 

Room For One More made me fall a little more in love with Cary. His role as George "Poppy" Rose alongside his real-life wife actress Betsy Drake playing Anna Rose is a heartfelt and touching film you won't soon forget. It is so unlike the suave, debonair Cary Grant persona and roles movie buffs are accustomed to seeing him in. 

Poppy and Anna Rose have a lively household with three children and a menagerie of stray pets. 

One of my favorite aspects of  Room For One More was the way they portrayed the family in this film. It's not perfect, there's a lot of chaos, but most importantly there's a lot of love. 

The tagline on this poster said "Make room for your broadest grins and your longest laughter."  There was a lot of smiling and laughter while I watched this movie. Room For One More  is definitely on my re-watch and want to own list. 

Grant and Drake met on the set of Every Girl Should be Married and in real life were married shortly after filming and their chemistry in Room For One More is just as enchanting and compelling. I loved how Drake's character Anna had such a heart for children and pets and Grant's character knew it was fruitless to complain and went along with it. 

Room For One More is based on a book with the same title by author Anna Rose Wright which I'd be curious to find and read.

If your looking for a family friendly film, look no further than this charming and heartwarming movie Room For One More.

Happy Watching,

Emilee

Final Four Book Bracket

 

The final four is in!  I love all four of these books, so its a good thing you are voting or it could end-up a four way tie, lol. 

FINAL FOUR: 

Use this list to easily paste your votes for your top two down below in the comments. 

Short-Straw Bride
Karen Witemeyer

Sweet Briar Cottage
Denise Hunter

Dear Henry, Love Edith
Becca Kinzer

The Extraordinary Deaths
of Mrs. Kip Sara Brunsvold

CHAMPIONSHIP

The 3rd round of voting for the top 2…voting gets a little more interesting and intense.

• You can vote from March 29th- March 31st)
• On April 1st, I’ll reveal your top 2 picks.

Have a blast & May the best book win!

Credit and Thanks for the beautiful book bracket goes to my talented best friend Jennifer Klotz. 

Daughter of Eden: A Captivating and Insightful Journey Through Time and Faith

    This site contains affiliate links to products. I may receive teensy tiny commission for purchases made through these links. I only recommend books and products I love. Thank you so much for the support.

In Daughter of Eden author Jill Eileen Smith tackles the arduous task of telling Eve's story, the mother of all mankind. The author did a wonderful job painting the picture of Eden before the fall and after portraying a world of darkness, hardship, and toil. When Adam and Eve are banished from the garden of Eden they are all alone cut off from their Creator. With the Bible not having been written, what must it have been like for Adam and Eve to have His proclamations, but no context or understanding of how He was working things out for their good? You see all the struggles Adam and Eve went through to live their lives, but also all the pain and hardship they went through with their children raising them and continually pointing them to their Creator. 

Over the years, I've read my share of Biblical Historical fiction. While I enjoy this genre, I find myself somewhat cautious of this type of fiction because I want to be mindful that the author isn't imparting characteristics on Biblical characters that aren't present in His Word.

However, then there's the other side of me when I finish a story like this I find I have a whole new appreciation for the Bible. This was definitely the case for me when I closed the book on Daughter of Eden. One point that Ms. Smith reminds us and beautifully brings home is that we are created in His Image and we are to be his Image-Bearers. I found myself pondering the parallels and contrasts between the two versions (the bible vs. fiction account) of this iconic story.

My only slight critique of Daughter of Eden is I felt that for me the chapters on "The Unseen Realm" somewhat took me out of the story only because I was so invested in Eve's story. (In her author's note, the writer explained how unseen realm played a part in the fall of humanity and while I agree with this, it did take me out of the story a little although I feel it shouldn't have.) 

One particular aspect that resonated with me was the portrayal of the grief that Adam and Eve may have experienced in the aftermath of Cain's heinous act against Abel. The author's vivid depiction of their emotions and struggles brought a new level of depth and understanding to this biblical story.

The ending was particularly poignant. The author masterfully conveyed the message that while we may not be perfect, God still loves us unconditionally. This beautiful portrayal of faith and redemption left a lasting impression on me, and I would highly recommend this novel to anyone seeking a thought-provoking and deeply inspiring read.

Daughter of Eden is God's redemptive plan set in motion before Adam and Eve fell and how He was working things out in His great wisdom. How comforting today to be reminded that even in our modern day and age of living He is still working things out for His good. 

Reading is an Adventure,

Emilee 

~~Daughter of Eden was provided to me by the author herself and the publisher in return for my honest review. I received a complimentary copy of the book. All opinions expressed are my own, I was not required to write a positive review. All viewpoints expressed are my own. ~