About Me I am a retired librarian and I now support books and authors through my reviews.

I have always loved to read and I was able to share that love through my work as a public librarian for 22 1/2 years. I now promote literacy by reading, and then writing reviews. I love to support authors by sharing my reviews with others!

Saturday, June 7, 2025

Meet Me on Lilac Lane (Jonathon Island #2) by Andrea Christenson

Meet Me on Lilac Lane (Jonathon Island #2)
ABOUT THE BOOK

The last—very last—person this widow can love is her late husband’s best friend. Period.

Mia Jonathon Franklin’s heart broke forever when her husband and high school sweetheart died in a fishing boat accident two years ago. Now, the life insurance money is gone, the mortgage is overdue, and she’s about to be on the Jonathon Island streets with her two young children.

And then she’s offered a chance to buy her own house cute for a dollar. But only if she can find business owners to move to Jonathon Island—and it comes with a ridiculous quota to complete the deal. She’s in over her head...or is she?

He can’t—just can’t—give into the longings of his heart….

Cody Hart refuses to let his love for Mia get in the way of being her best friend. After all, it was his fault, on his boat, that her husband—his best friend—died. And if he has to put his hopes of reopening the family fishing business on hold to help her, he will. After all, Mia needs him.

But the last thing he’s going to do is tell her how he feels—and has felt since long before she married his best friend. So, they ‘ll work together to find businesses, help revitalize the town, save her house and then he’ll get out of the way.

Except…well, there’s that undeniable connection, and so many long-buried feelings and suddenly his heart is in too deep. But if it all falls apart, they’ll lose their friendship, as well as her family’s future. And Mia—well, happy endings don’t show up twice, right? Especially not with a man who might cost her everything…again.

If you like sweet and clean, small town, unrequited love, best-friends to more stories about single parents, and finding a second happy ending, you’ll love this second book in the Jonathon Island series!

The Jonathon Island series is created by USA Today bestselling, award-winning author Susan May Warren.




MY THOUGHTS.....

This second book in the Jonathon Island series is just as special as the first! I loved the setting, the characters, and the underlying theme of overcoming loss and learning to trust God. I admired the young, widowed mother who'd struggled to stay afloat after losing her husband two years ago, but my favorite character was certainly Cody Hart. He'd loved Mia since childhood but stepped aside when his best friend stole her heart. Troy, Mia, and Cody had once been 'the three musketeers' until their marriage and a tragedy changed this forever.

Author Andrea Christenson shares a poignant picture of a complicated history marked by a longtime friendship and Cody's unrequited love for Mia. His desire to help her and her adorable children seems futile until...unexplained feelings assault Mia when Cody is nearby!

If you enjoy sweet romance, second chances, and a strong message of faith, grab a copy of Meet Me on Lilac Lane. You'll love Jonathon Island as much as I do!

I received a digital copy from Sunrise Publishing. There was no obligation for a positive review.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Andrea Christenson is a contemporary Christian romance author. She’s a pastor’s wife with a biblical studies degree and over 20 years of ministry experience. Her stories are clean, faith-filled, and family-honoring, and can be trusted to entertain the heart, engage the mind, and edify the soul. Andrea lives in Plymouth, MN, with her husband and two daughters.

Learn more by visiting her Website

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JONATHON ISLAND SERIES
Meet Me on Lilac Lane



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Tuesday, June 3, 2025

Unshaken by Shelley Shepard Gray

Unshaken
ABOUT THE BOOK

When Stephanie Miller planned her visit to a dollar store in southern Ohio, she was expecting to pick up a few items she couldn't find in her Amish community. She was not expecting to find herself an innocent bystander as a drug deal went horribly wrong. The sole witness to a murder, now Stephanie is targeted by the gunman.

Hardy Anderson is always ready to help his social worker sister, Beverly--which now includes hiding an Amish woman until a killer can be brought to justice. Surely if they dress her in English clothing, Hardy can hide her at the sprawling ranch where he works.

But the killer is desperate--and there's no telling what lengths he will go.

This tension-filled, tightly written tale from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Shelley Shepard Gray is sure to thrill fans of Amish fiction and romantic suspense alike.





MY THOUGHTS.....

Some readers love romantic suspense novels, and others prefer Amish fiction, but do they want them in the same story? In this new book, UNSHAKEN, author Shelley Shepard Gray once again uses her winning formula for combining these two genres, and the result is pure reading enjoyment! I was mesmerized from the first paragraph, when a young Amish woman locked eyes with a "scary young Englischer" after realizing that he had just fired a gun. A gun that left a man dead and Stephanie Miller a terrified witness to a murder. What follows is a tautly crafted plot that is hard to put down!!

UNSHAKEN has adventure, danger, and non-stop action! I loved the amazing connection and alliance that develops between Stephanie and her protector, Hardy Anderson, as he struggles to protect her and she experiences freedom for the first time! I'm also thrilled that most of the book is set in Crittenden County, Kentucky. Gray's Crittenden County series is a favorite, and I'm glad that she's used my home state as a book setting once again. Well-developed characters, page-turning suspense, and an inspiring faith element make this an engaging story that you don't want to miss. I recommend UNSHAKEN to all who enjoy thrilling romantic suspense and clean Amish romance.

I received a copy from the author and publisher. There was no obligation for a positive review.

My rating: 5 of 5 stars






ABOUT THE AUTHOR


Shelley Shepard Gray has written over one hundred novels. She currently writes Amish romances for Harper Collins, Kensington, and Simon & Schuster and contemporary women’s fiction for Blackstone Publishing.

Before writing romances, Shelley lived in Texas and Colorado, where she taught school and earned both her bachelor’s degree in English literature and elementary education and later obtained her master’s degree in educational administration. She currently lives in Colorado Springs and writes full-time. Shelley is married, the mother of two young adults and she is an active member of her church.

Learn more about Shelley at her    Website 
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UNFORGOTTEN
UNSHAKEN

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