bellesmoma2021's reviews
982 reviews

I love Kasey Stockton stories and Off the Record is no exception. This sweet novella is a super fun story and I genuinely enjoyed every second. As a quick-paced story, I was able to read Off the Record in one sitting. As far as relationships go, the pacing of Paisley and Hudson’s romantic relationship is very well done. The chemistry between the two begins from page one and smolders throughout the story. Things do get quite electric between them at times. Overall, I found the friendship that blossoms between the two very realistic, and when they take things to the next level it is very believable. The characters in this story are excellently crafted, as is to be expected with all Stockton stories. I felt for Paisley the whole time. I can relate to the fact that sometimes Life feels like a bully. No matter that you’re giving the very best you can, sometimes Life just comes at you like an MMA fighter. I also feel for her as she is forced to work in the same room as her cheating ex-boyfriend and his current girlfriend. That is never an easy situation to find oneself, but Paisley deals with it through witty internal monologues and a strong sense of self. I respect that about her character. Also, her internal monologues made me chuckle. Hudson is a great hero. He sees into the heart of situations, and zeroes in on Paisley and her awesomeness right away. Hudson is a sweetheart. He feels deeply and he always wants to do the right, best thing. Together, Hudson and Paisley make not just a sweet courting couple, but a great work couple as well. I equally enjoyed their professional relationship as much as their romantic relationship. My favorite aspect of this endearing novella though is the discussion on the importance of listening to others. Too often, the world only cares about the big-wigs: the Hollywood elite, the professional athletes, and the popular politicians. This means regular people like you and me are shuffled off to the side as if we don’t matter, as if our stories don’t matter. But this is patently untrue. As Paisley says, “Everyone has a story…if we sit and listen, we’ll learn something new.” I love that! We all need to be better listeners — who knows what we can learn?!

Off the Record is a super sweet, totally endearing, very memorable Contemporary Rom-Com that I highly recommend. If you’re a fan of quick-paced romances full of depth and heart, then this is definitely the story for you!

The Friendsgiving Fake-Out by Savannah Scott is a super sweet and totally endearing Contemporary Rom-Com. Coming in at about 70 pages, I was able to read this delightful story in just one sitting. I found the pacing very well done. McKenna and Westley’s relationship journey from strangers to friends to lovers moves in a very relatable and realistic timeline. Nothing felt too quick or too impossible. I found McKenna and Westley to both be well-crafted characters. McKenna is all things sunshine and goodwill and fun. Westley is sweet and vulnerable and gallant. They are a very good match for one another. I definitely cheered for these two characters the whole time. One of my most favorite aspects to this story is the idea of meeting your person. When you force the issue, at least in my experience, the one never seems to come. But when you relax and let life happen, lo and behold “the one” tends to show up in ways almost magical and unexpectedly. This is what happens early on in this story. McKenna laments about not having “the one” in her life. Her BFF, Carli, tells her to relax. Carli kiddingly states, “Who knows…maybe the next guy you meet will be the one?” And then Westley shows up in her DMs. It’s truly super cute!

The Friendsgiving Fake-Out is a really quick and fun story. I am so glad I spent time with these characters, and I definitely recommend this book!

I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of The Perfect Rom-Com by Melissa Ferguson. This story is fun and quirky and endearing and eccentric…and I was there for it all! I enjoyed and appreciated what feels like a really unique look into the publishing industry. Man, can you say, “Cutthroat?!” I have always understood that the publishing world is not for the weak of heart, but this book really illustrates that point hard. You’ve got to be tough if you’re gonna be a writer and maneuver through that world. I’ve also known what a ghostwriter is since I was nine and my father explained how the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys series worked, but it was super cool to see a ghostwriter in action (fictionally speaking, that is). Time and time again, I felt really badly for Bryony and all the ugliness she is forced to deal with because of her ghostwriting duties and her requirement for total anonymity. To be an aspiring writer herself and to give her talents and time to some other author, an ungrateful and selfish one at that, is height of frustrating awfulness. Again, I felt really, really badly for Bryony, which means I was cheering for a win for her like crazy! And that win came in the form of Jack Sterling. I love Jack. I love his cheekiness and grumpiness and intelligence and protectiveness and strength when it really counts. He is such a good hero — the perfect one for Bryony. I think my most favorite thing about this story is the fact that Bryony is the lead in her own Rom-Com and she doesn’t even know it. That had me laughing quite a bit. Bryony is so out of touch, but that makes sense as her head is constantly stuck in her fictional worlds with her fictional characters. I feel like Melissa Ferguson is winking at her readers as she shares, through Bryony, a truth about all storytellers, and I really loved this fun insight!

The Perfect Rom-Com is a really awesome story. I truly cannot recommend it enough. If you’re a fan of well-written Rom-Coms with quirky, endearing characters and thematic depth, then this is definitely a book you’ll not want to miss.

The Roads We Follow by Nicole Deese is a stellar odyssey of self-realization, truth-telling, and forgiveness. It’s a story of families discovering their pasts and realizing their legacies. This story made me laugh out loud and it made me sob. It made me cheer and it made me want to punch…hard. My emotions ran the gamut, and I loved every single beautiful moment. I truly adored every aspect of this story, but it’s the unique and endearing characters who steal the show. I truly grew to love each one. Adele and Hattie, Raegan’s older sisters, are both going through so much hard life. I wanted to dive into the narrative and hug them and help them find peace. I wanted to make the bad guys and bullies go away. Raegan, the heroine of this novel, had a lot of growing up to do, and I really enjoyed every mile of her tumultuous journey. I fully get what it feels like to be stuck by your family. Sometimes it is really, really hard to stand up for yourself as an individual when you’re such an integral part of your BIG family. I understand why Raegan feels she needs to hide everything from her family, but I also understand why this is such a destructive path to take. Then there is Micah, my absolute favorite character in this story. Aside from the fact that he is seriously handsome and swoony and so, so smart and uber protective, he is ultimately the voice of reason, the breath of fresh air, that Adele, Hattie, and Raegan need. I love how he comes into this family, sees their truths, and then isn’t afraid to confront all of the issues with each woman. He becomes the brother Adele and Hattie didn’t even know they needed, and he becomes the best friend and lover Raegan desperately wanted. The journeys these characters undergo, both individually and as a group, are touching and hard and lovely. Self-discovery and self-realization are not easy tasks. They are messy endeavors, but they are necessary. Ultimately, they allow for better — better relationships with God and better relationships with people. I loved this poignant message. It was a great reminder for me.

The Roads We Follow is an absolutely beautiful story. I will very much miss these characters, and I am so sad my time with them is up. If you’re a fan of expertly crafted Contemporary Romances with heart and depth, with characters you won’t soon forget, then purchase a copy of this story ASAP. You won’t be disappointed you did!

Across the Star-Kissed Sea by Arlem Hawks is a great at-sea adventure and romance. This was a really fun novel to escape into this past week. As with Georgana's Secret, the first book in this series, there is a lot to love about this book. First, it’s non-stop action. As I was reading this book, I was reminded of all the fun movies from the 30s and 40s like Captain Blood, Sea Hawk, and The Spanish Main. The constant action definitely kept me turning pages well into the night. I also enjoyed that as a sequel I got to see many of the main characters from Georgana’s Secret again. It was awesome to see Georgana and Capt. Peyton navigate marriage while dealing with all the issues of being at sea during war with France. I also liked getting to see Etienne again. There is a bit of intrigue with him at the end of this novel. I hope this means a third book in this series is in the future. As far as the main characters go, Elias and May are very realistically drawn. Elias is a wonderful hero, but he’s been so emotionally beat down he can’t see his true value. And his internal voice is heartbreaking. Born from all those who have emotionally beaten him down in his past, Elias’s intrusive thoughts are rough. I wanted so badly to hug him and tell him it was all going to be alright. How he deals with his intrusive thoughts, his lack of confidence, and his fear because of all his past emotional smack-down felt incredibly realistic and made Elias one of the most relatable characters I’ve ever read. I do appreciate how May, with all her life and fire and boisterousness, props Elias up and rehabilitates his confidence levels. I did find their journey to friendship and then to romance believable and charming. But I struggled a bit with May as a heroine. She is SO self-focused and myopic and young and frustrating. And she can get absolutely MEAN. There were some moments I had to walk away from the story because I needed a break from her. She does see the error of her ways and she does grow, which are all good things, but I still struggled with her character as a whole. She didn’t feel very hero-ish to me, and I found it hard to root for her. Mostly, the mom in me wanted to put her in a time out. LOL!

There truly is so much to love about Across the Star-Kissed Sea, and I do heartily recommend this story. If you’re a fan of well-written, well-researched historical romances full of adventures on the high-seas, then this is definitely a story for you!

12 Days of Mistletoe by Jen Atkinson is a unique RomCom. I’ve never read a Jen Atkinson story before, so I really had no idea what I was in for when I picked up this book. This story exceeded all expectations. I LOVED this book. It is a RomCom in the traditional sense, for sure. I experienced the warm-fuzzy moments that made me smile, and I definitely chuckled out loud. One time, I laughed so loud I woke my husband in the middle of the night. I didn’t mean to. I just wasn’t expecting the moment. So, yeah, this book is a RomCom in the traditional sense, but it is so much more. It’s an honest look into situational anxiety: what it is, how it can manifest, how frustrating it can be, what methods to mitigate anxious moments might look like, and how others can/do react to those who deal with this type of anxiety. I appreciate the attention Atkinson brings to this type of disability. She is honest and raw and real and respectful. I also really love Atkinson’s characters. I love Bonnie. She is so fierce and strong and courageous. She can get super frustrated by her anxiety, but she never, ever lets it define who she is. And I love her compassion. When one has battled something for most of her life, it is a little easier to give the benefit of the doubt and walk a mile in someone else’s shoes. Elliot is a wonderful hero. He always does the right thing. At first, the right thing is following the rules to the letter, but then he learns some pertinent information and adjusts to doing the real right thing. I like that about him. I like how patient and caring he is towards Bonnie. He allows Bonnie to be herself, and works with her to overcome anxious moments. He asks questions to understand Bonnie because he genuinely wants to know her. Elliot can see Bonnie for who she really, truly is and, boy, does he likes what he sees! Their relationship starts off rocky, but grows and blossoms into something truly wonderful. I am genuinely glad I read this book and met these characters. I love them so much!

12 Days of Mistletoe is an excellent story. I will truly miss my time with these endearing and totally relatable characters. If you’re a fan of exceptionally well-written Contemporary Romances with heart and humor and real-life depth, then you will not want to miss out on this story!

Christmas at Sugar Plum Manor by Roseanna M. White is a delightfully sweet and endearing Christmas Romance. I very much enjoyed my time reading this very memorable story. I must admit that I am unfamiliar with The Nutcracker. I know there is a nutcracker, a mouse, and sugar-plum fairies, but that is all. I’ve never seen the ballet or read the story. It simply was never a part of my life. But that’s OK. Not knowing the original Nutcracker story didn’t negatively impact my reading of this lovely Christmas tale. My favorite aspect of this story is the sense of community this story effects. I appreciate how genuinely caring and compassionate Mariah and her stepfather are towards their tenants, and I love how the community reciprocates this care and compassion. This sense of community fosters such a lovely, cheerful sense of togetherness that I was drawn to from the very beginning of the story. It’s a large part of what kept me turning pages well into the night. The characters, as with all White stories, are brilliant. They are all just people with responsibilities, expectations, hurts, hopes, and happinesses upon their shoulders. I could easily relate to them all! Mariah, the heroine of this sweet story, is one of the happiest characters I’ve ever read, and I loved her! I love how things come at her — some good, some bad, some just life — but she never lets any of it dim her light. She’s the kind of character you wish were real because she would make such a good friend! And then there is Cyril. Cyril is a young man who still needs to mature a bit. He rushes into things before fully thinking things through and it causes a bit of turmoil. But being back with his best friend, Mariah, he is able to see the errors of some of his ways, he is able to mature a bit, and become the man he needs to be. I really appreciate how it’s the friendship between Mariah and Cyril that aids in his growing up process. That’s what I’m taking away the most from this delightful story: good friendships are everything and we need to cherish them. We need to recognize and acknowledge how special they are — a true gift from above, if you will.

There is so much more I could say about this wonderful Christmas Romance, but I don’t want to accidentally spoil any part. It’s one of those stories I could gush and gush over for days! Suffice to say, Christmas at Sugar Plum Manor is magical. I loved every minute of this story, and if you’re a fan of magically endearing Historical Romances, then this is definitely the story for you!

Brave by Mesu Andrews is AMAZING, and I don’t know how to review this AMAZING story. I’ve been trying to gather my thoughts into something coherent for days. I find that I have too many words. Too many feelings. I’m completely overwhelmed by this superb story.

Brave is set before David officially becomes king of Israel and while he is on the run from king Saul. Andrews does an absolutely phenomenal job of illustrating the level of stress upon David’s shoulders during this tumultuous time. There’s so much tension, I felt stressed for David. Page after page of running away from a literal insane man. Just when David and his soldiers and his soldiers’ families felt a modicum of safety, a modicum of normalcy, crazy king Saul and his army of thousands pop back up myopically determined to murder David and all his followers. It felt like the worst, most-stressful game of Whack-a-mole. But all these times were also awesome illustrations of God’s faithful and miraculous workings. I really loved the examples of true, deep faith in Yahweh as shown through Ahinoam, Ahinoam’s beloved father, and David. It’s a convicting illustration. There truly is nothing to fear with God on our side!

Ahinoam is a lovely character in this story, and the reason why I kept furiously turning pages well into the night. My reader-heart hurt for her so badly. I’m talking sobbing-like-a-baby kind of hurt. I understand Ahinoam’s struggles. She’s the plain Jane who loves Yahweh with her whole being. She’s the weird girl raised by a father. She doesn’t know how to be a proper girl and do proper-girl things, and the world loves letting her know how insufficient she is as a woman. Instead, she’s fierce. She’s a metal worker who knows how to make weapons and fights better than most men. For all intents and purposes, Ahinoam is a soldier and she doesn’t know how to be anything else. It takes Ahinoam a very long time to give her heart to king David. It takes a lot of prayer to Yahweh, a lot of cajoling and words of assurance from David, and a lot of support from her father and best friend, Zerry. Eventually, Ahinoam succumbs to David and gives her heart and body completely … and then he marries another woman, a pretty woman. I’ve never wanted to reach into a story more to protect one character and slap another. I understand the reasoning Andrews gives for why David marries Abigail, but, man, this moment sure did wreck me. Days after finishing this novel and I still feel raw and hurt on Ahinoam’s behalf. What a testament to stellar storytelling!

Brave is a novel I won’t forget. The scary, heart-pounding moments when king Saul was on the attack, the overwhelming weight of responsibility upon David’s shoulders, and Ahinoam’s almost constant heartbreak will all stay with me forever. Mesu Andrews has brought king Saul, king David, Ahinoam, and this time period to life. She’s made these Bible stories, these people who died a really long time ago, come back to life, and has illustrated that truly nothing is new under the sun. The human struggles of David’s time are the same human struggles of today’s time. The answer to human’s problems in David’s day is the same answer to our issues today — run towards God. What a wonderful reminder! I love this story, and I am so glad I read and wrestled with it. I truly cannot recommend this book enough!

I purchased a copy of this novel in eBook form from Amazon.com on September 30, 2024, in order to review. I also received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House Publishing via NetGalley. I am under no obligation to leave a positive review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Cotswolds Holiday by Kasey Stockton is the perfect read to get into the Christmas spirit. I loved traveling to the Cotswolds with our heroine, Luna. Luna is fantastic. She is understandably broken at the very start of this story, but so full of light and life. She is fun and funny and candid. And she genuinely has a heart for others. It was fun to watch her rise out of her doldrums and become a member of the Snowshill community. Luna’s default setting is to run — there isn’t a problem she won’t run from — but she’s getting to that age where running doesn’t work anymore. I appreciate how instrumental Rhys is to Luna’s emotional growth. He sizes Luna up from day one and doesn’t let her get away with running from her issues. Over the course of the story, Luna and Rhys become really good friends — friends who genuinely want what’s best for each other. As much as Rhys keeps Luna honest about all she’s going through, Luna does the same for Rhys and helps him overcome some serious emotional baggage. I really love this couple, and right from the start I wanted Luna and Rhys to attain their happily ever after. Their journey from friendship to more does evolve quickly, but when you know, you know. About five seconds after meeting my husband I knew he would be my husband. The heart wants what the heart wants! The chemistry between the two — ooh, la, la! You could cut the romantic tension between the two with a knife, and the kisses are absolutely swoonalicious! In addition to Luna and Rhys, the secondary characters are the best. Ruby and Hamish are so cute. I could have read a book just on them! And the townspeople of Snowshill as a whole are uniquely sweet and quirky and endearing as only small-town people can be. All in all, this is a Christmas romance I won’t soon forget!

Cotswolds Holiday is a fantastic Contemporary Romance that I highly recommend. This story was fun. If you’re in the mood for a sweet and cozy Romance that will get you into the holiday mood, then definitely purchase a copy of this story today. You won’t be disappointed you did!

Christmas With a Crank by Courtney Walsh is a super sweet, incredibly fun Contemporary Romance that totally got this reader into the festive, holiday mood! There is so much to love about this story. The characters are excellently crafted (but of course they are…Walsh always creates the BEST characters). Of the many characters, Olive is my favorite. She is absolute sunshine, but she is not saccharine or fake. Olive has faced some adversity in her very recent past and it’s holding her back, unbeknownst to her. At the very start of the story, Olive is a failed business owner who now finds herself juggling several part-time jobs trying to make ends meet. She is thrilled when a job opens up at her most favorite place ever — the local Christmas-tree farm. I love how the transformation of the beloved Christmas-tree farm mimics Olive’s own transformation over the course of the story. Olive is gifted with the ability to breathe new life and love and sunshine into a place or into people, and this is what she does, overtime, to the Christmas-tree farm. I think I love Olive because she reminds me of my best friend. Lara was uber-capable, super smart, brought ALL the fun, was incredibly loyal and genuine, and was massively creative. This is Olive in a nutshell. In addition to her personality, I also love Olive’s mental-health growth. Walsh has created a sunshine character who has to work through depression, but doesn’t even realize she’s depressed because her dominant personality is sunshine. Olive’s default is happy even when she is sad. I appreciate Olive’s journey from realizing her many nuanced feelings that reside underneath all her sunshine, to being OK with all those many feelings and sitting in them for a minute or two, to forgiving herself (read the story, you’ll understand what she needs to forgive), and then becoming the even awesomer (it’s a word, I promise) woman she was always meant to be. Olive is wonderful, and my absolute favorite aspect to this lovely story. As far as everything else in this story goes, I totally loved the storyline. I was hooked from page one and didn’t want to put the book down. I cheered for Olive and Lacey, Liam’s sister, the whole time. I so wanted their entrepreneurial dreams to come true. I also cheered for Olive and Liam to get their happily ever after. There’s is a slow-burn romance for sure, but the chemistry between the two is electric. And when they finally do admit their feelings, it’s the best. I sighed happy sighs and smiled big! See, I told you there’s so much to love about this story.

All in all, Christmas With a Crank is another home run by Walsh. I loved every minute of this delightfully sweet Contemporary Romance, and cannot recommend it enough. If you’re a fan of fun, swoony Contemporary Romances with depth and heart, then this is definitely the story for you.