Keep Holding On
by Melissa Tagg
Rating: 5/5
Book 3 of the Walker Family series
Larkspur Press – Fiction | Contemporary Romance

Best friends look out for each other. Best friends have each other’s back. Best friends know how to make each other smile or relax after a trying day. Best friends give each other a second chance?

Beckett Walker has come home to Maple Valley. He has a chance at a new career start since corporate law isn’t as fulfilling as he’d hoped. He’s come back to make things right with the law. What he doesn’t expect is to see his former best friend, Kit Danby, at his cousin’s wedding. What he doesn’t expect is to get arrested by Kit’s ex-fiancé, who is now the police chief. Will his dreams of becoming joining the JAG Corps be derailed by this mishap?

Kit is just as surprised to see Beckett as he was to see her. She’s back from Europe to see why her brother hasn’t been answering any of her calls, texts, or emails. She’s desperate to save her family’s legacy, Valley Orchard. What she finds at home is a mysterious missing brother and an orchard in disrepair. Can she convince her father not to sell her precious orchard filled with so many memories? Will her background and education in horticulture along with her hope to revitalize her grandparents’ dreams be enough to sustain her?

As Beckett starts working off his community service hours at Kit’s orchard, can they put aside the past, forgive one another and build a future together?

I was awake late into the night trying to finish this book. I finally finished it this morning! Talk about swoon-worthy. Talk about the feels! I definitely shed a few tears of joy and sadness. Melissa Tagg really knows how to craft genuine characters that the reader cares about. I’ve read the other two books in the series and am hoping for more. There’s humor and faith intricately woven throughout.

What struck me the most was the book’s message of hope and trust. I’ve been dealing with my own trust issues, but God has been faithful. I recently was accepted into medical school after having taken the MCAT five times. I’ve struggled and will struggle again, but I know God is on my side and I can trust His plan for me.

[W]hen God calls us to something, it doesn’t mean we’re never going to have setbacks. And if we go doubting his direction every time we face a challenge, we’ll end up stagnant and frustrated, tied up in knots.

Sometimes God whispers. Sometimes he shouts. He doesn’t always communicate the same way twice, and frankly, sometimes we’re going to get it wrong. But part of faith is embracing the mystery–all the while knowing that even when we’re confused, God is faithful. He’s trustworthy.

He doesn’t ask for perfect hearing or a life free of missteps, Kit. Just your trust.

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Bathsheba: Reluctant Beauty
by Angela Hunt
Rating: 4.5/5
Book 2 in the Dangerous Beauty series
Bethany House – Fiction | Historical Fiction

If you’ve ever been to church, you’ve probably heard about King David. He was a man after God’s own heart. He was a worshipper. He was a shepherd. He’s the one with the slingshot who killed the mighty Goliath. But who really knew him? Who really understood him?

Bathsheba is one character in the Bible who seems to be misunderstood or overlooked. She was married to Uriah, a soldier. She bathed outside, as was the custom, and David saw her and wanted her. She became pregnant and David tried to cover up his sins.

Nathan the prophet spoke the word of God even if it was not what David wanted to hear. He prophesied what would happen because of what David did with Bathsheba.

Angela Hunt cleverly and thoroughly weaves an amazing story of heartache and pain and redemption — she transports the reader into Biblical times and fills in the gaps with her imagination. Hunt is a master at historical fiction and I’m always impressed with the details that she comes up with. Although I don’t always agree with her character portrayals, Hunt is an impressive writer. The all-too-familiar story is still relevant today and Hunt drew a conclusion about David that I had never heard before. Switching the story from Bathsheba’s to Nathan’s perspectives was interesting at first, but I eventually got used to it. I would have loved some of David’s inner thoughts but that would have changed the entire story. I appreciate how true the author stays to the Biblical accounts of David’s life. I like seeing the flaws when you look up close because David was not a saint by any means. I now feel like I understand David more from reading a book from Bathsheba’s perspective.

I highly recommend this book and this author for Biblical historical fiction.

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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Wild Montana Skies
by Susan May Warren
Rating: 5/5
Book 1 of the Montana Rescue series
Revell – Fiction | Contemporary Romance

Kacey Fairing has come home to Mercy Falls, Montana, on leave from her job as a search and rescue (SAR) pilot with the military and winner of a bronze star. She is haunted by the events that led to her bronze star and hopeful that being home and working with a local SAR team for Glacier National Park will help her cope. Since her daughter is now a teenager, Kacey hopes to reconnect with her daughter and heal. What she doesn’t know is that someone has also returned to Mercy Falls.

The famous country singer, Ben King, is back home in Mercy Falls and taking care of his father who is in recovery. Years ago he left his home with a broken heart and a handful of songs about his first love, Kacey Fairing. His career is at a stand still having been betrayed by his singing partner and he is eager to get back to Nashville to stake his territory.

Due to flash flooding, Kacey is thrown back into SAR with Ben and their reunion is more than a shock. Will Kacey’s secret destroy their relationship? Can Ben find a way to reconnect with his first love and maintain his career?

I am such a huge fan of Susan May Warren. Her stories are always full of heart and great storytelling. Her characters are relatable and authentic. I was immediately caught up in the story and wanted to know more. I’m excited that this is only book one in the Montana Rescue series. I can’t wait to read more. The way that the author weaves faith into the story is sincere and organic. The author is a master of weaving a mystery thriller with romance.

I highly recommend this book for those who enjoy a good contemporary romance with some mystery.

I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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