Break My Fall, Gossamer Falls Book 2 by Lynn Blackburn

 

Break My Fall is book number 2 in Lynn Blackburn's Gossamer Falls series. I really enjoy Lynn Blackburn's writing as she creates characters who are strong and full of faith. The story is strong and suspenseful. The plot is strong and very engaging. I loved the characters and I really enjoyed the cameo appearnces from previous books. The town of Gossamer Falls seems like a great place to live.

I suggest you grab a large cup of tea, a cozy blanket and settle in for a great read. 

I was given a copy of Break My Fall with no expectations. All thoughts are my own.

From Amazon: 

She's determined to make an impact in her community.
He's determined to make sure she lives long enough to do it.

Dr. Meredith Quinn always planned to return to Gossamer Falls to practice dentistry. Now that she's back home, she's made it a point to offer clinics to children and adults in nearby underserved areas. Unfortunately, those same areas are known to harbor drug traffickers, and Police Chief Grayson Ward suspects that local law enforcement is looking the other way.

After too many losses, Grayson has closed off his heart. But with Meredith in his life, he feels his walls crumbling, leaving him exposed and vulnerable. To keep her alive, he must keep her close, but that makes it impossible for him to retreat and rebuild.

Will she be the one who finally helps him emerge from isolation? Or will this force of nature leave him shattered?


Praise for Never Fall Again

"The start to Blackburn's new Gossamer Falls inspirational thriller series is an exciting story of difficult truths and second chances."--Booklist

"Romance, danger, and deadly crime-fighting scenes make this a perfect read."--The AR Critique

About the author:

Lynn H. Blackburn loves writing romantic suspense because her childhood fantasy was to become a spy, but her grown-up reality is that she's a huge chicken and would have been caught on her first mission. She prefers to live vicariously through her characters and loves putting them into all kinds of terrifying situations while she's sitting at home safe and sound in her pajamas!

She’s currently writing the Gossamer Falls series set in the mountains of Western North Carolina. The series will include three novels and one novella and kicks off with Never Fall Again.

Unknown Threat, the first book in her Defend and Protect series, was a 2021 Christy Award finalist, and her previous titles have won the Carol Award, the Selah Award, and the Faith, Hope, and Love Reader’s Choice Award.

Lynn lives in South Carolina with her family. You can stay up-to-date by signing up for her newsletter at her website and following her on social media @LynnHBlackburn.

Dawn Of Grace by Jill Eileen Smith

 I enjoyed reading Dawn Of Grace by Jill Eileen Smith. Her attention to details along with her storytelling skills brought Mary Magdalene to life. She created a backstory for a little known character from the Bible.  Her descriptions the despair one would feel at being possessed compared to the joy of deliverance really made me think. Reading Dawn of Grace made me review the life I have and be thankful for everything God has given me. I highly recommend Dawn Of Grace. 

I was given a copy of Dawn of Grace with no expectations. All thoughts are my own.

From Amazon:

She's been pulled up from the depths of despair--but what happens when the hope she has found slips from her grasp?

From her earliest days, Mary Magdalene has known fear and loss at a level so deep she has no hope of surfacing. Bound to the demons within her and incapable of freeing herself, Mary walks in shadow--until one day she encounters a healer, a rabbi who is radically different from the religious leaders and family members who could do nothing to help her. One touch from Jesus and Mary is never the same.

Now Mary's one mission in life is to serve the one who freed her. She is determined never to leave his side, fearing that if she loses him, she'll return to her former bondage. Even when the unthinkable happens and her savior is arrested and sentenced to execution, she cannot abandon him as so many others did. Let her be buried in his tomb, for she cannot live without him.

On the brink of despair, Mary is about to discover that while the life of faith is never perfect, perfect love casts out fear--and Jesus makes all things new.

About the author:

Jill Eileen Smith is the bestselling and award-winning author of many biblical novels, including her first series The Wives of King David. Her upcoming release Dawn of Grace, Mary Magdalene’s Story, will hit the shelves in February 2025. After twenty years of closed doors, she has published 24 books, fiction and non-fiction, and had one of those books optioned for film. She loves Jesus and His Word and all things related to learning more about the culture and times of the people of the Book, particularly the women, whom God has immortalized there.

While she loves writing and researching, she is willingly interrupted by her west-coast children and adorable grandchildren. Traveling to Israel was a highlight of her life, but traveling west is her new favorite vacation location. When she’s not packing her bags, she can be found reading stories that take her away, playing too many games and puzzles on her phone (call it down time), or snuggling her lovable, mischievous cats Kody and Kaelee. She has been married to the love of her life for 47 years and counting and lives in a quiet neighborhood in southeast Michigan.

Lost In Time by A. G. Riddle Disclaimer: Not Christian fiction

 

I have never read anything by  A G Riddle. Lost in Time stretched my mind in many ways. I struggled at times to follow the concepts but ended up really enjoying it. In fact I have spent a good bit of  my dayoff binge reading to find out the conclusion. I highly recommend this book 

All thoughts are my own.

From Amazon:

WINNER OF BEST ALTERNATE HISTORY NOVEL AT THE 2023 DRAGON AWARDS

The SUNDAY TIMES bestseller

"Amazing! One of the twistiest time-tales I've ever read."
–Diana Gabaldon

"Crichtonesque thrillers don't come much better than this... Readers won't be able to turn the pages fast enough."
–Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

"Are we talking plot twists? More like spirals. Gripping, clever, mind-bending stuff."
–Daily Mail

From the worldwide bestselling author of Departure and Winter World comes a standalone novel about a father and daughter trying to unravel an intricate murder mystery spread across time – with a jaw-dropping twist.

Control the past.

Save the future.

One morning, Dr. Sam Anderson wakes up to find that the woman he loves has been murdered.

For Sam, the horror is only beginning.

He and his daughter are accused of the crime. The evidence is ironclad. They will be convicted.

And so, to ensure his daughter goes free, Sam does what he must: he confesses.

But in the future, murderers aren't sent to prison.

Thanks to a machine Sam helped invent, the world's worst criminals are now sent to the past – approximately 200 million years into the past, to the dawn of the time of the dinosaurs – where they must live out their lives alone, in exile from the human race.

Sam accepts his fate.

But his daughter doesn't.

Adeline Anderson has already lost her mother to a deadly, unfair disease. She can't bear to lose her father as well.

So she sets out on a quest to prove him innocent. And to get him back. People around her insist that both are impossible tasks.

But Adeline doesn't give up. She only works harder.

She soon learns that impossible tasks are her specialty. And that she is made of tougher stuff than she ever imagined.

As she peels back the layers of the mystery that tore her father from this world, Adeline finds more questions than answers. Everyone around her is hiding a secret. But which ones are connected to the murder that exiled her father?

That mystery stretches across the past, present, and future – and leads to a revelation that will change everything.

About the author:

A.G. Riddle spent ten years starting and running internet companies before retiring to focus on his true passion: writing fiction. He is the author of thirteen novels that have sold over six million copies worldwide in twenty languages.

In 2023, his standalone novel, Lost in Time, won the Dragon Award in the Alternate History category.

He lives in North Carolina with his wife, two school-aged children, and an extremely photogenic dog.

Jack, Book 1 of the Minnesota Kingston's by Susan May Warren

 

I always look forward to reading Susan May Warren's books. Most of her books have cameo appearances from characters in her former books. Jack is no exception. I also love the way she weaves faith and suspense through her stories. Jack points out the realities of second chances both with people and even more so with God. I look forward to reading the rest of the stories in this new series.

I was given a copy of Jack with no expectations. All thoughts are my own.

From Amazon:

There's Trouble in the North...

Meet Jack, a tracker with a past he’s trying to escape the first epic book of the Minnesota Kingston series by USA Today bestselling author Susan May Warren.

Her secret blew apart his life—and now she needs his help? If only he could say no…

Ten years should be long enough for Jack to forget the girl-next-door, his kid sister’s bestie and the woman—no, girl—who derailed his life. Now, he sort of likes his loner world as a missing person’s tracker. Well, mostly. But of course, when he returns home for his sister’s wedding, there she is…
Nope, not forgotten at all.

Of course Jack the Grump has shown up for his sister’s wedding, and by the way he looks at Harper, um, clearly her sins aren’t forgiven. So what—she’s sooo over her best-friend’s brooding, dark oldest brother. Really.

Then a bridesmaid goes missing.

And sure, Harper is a journalist who knows how to sniff out truth, but the clock is ticking and there’s only one person who can help…Perfect. No problem. She’s not going to fall for her childhood crush again. Promise.

Yes, Jack can admit that Harper’s not the girl he used to call Pigtails anymore. She’s all grown up…but he’s not going to get burned again. Still, what’s a guy going to do?

So, find her missing friend, get the bride down the aisle and ditch town before they find themselves in over their heads…or worse.

Dead.

Jack is a best friend’s brother, childhood crush, grumpy-to sunshine, sweet but sizzly romantic suspense about second chances and finding the family you always wanted…

Tropes:

• Second Chance at Love
• Unrequited Love
• Return to hometown
• Grumpy/Sunshine
• Secrets
• Boy/Girl Next door
• Kissing only

The Minnesota Kingstons
Book1: Jack
Book 2: Conrad
Book 3: Doyle
Book 4: Austen
Book 5: Steinbeck

About the author:

Although I attended the U of Minnesota, I’m a woodsy girl at heart. Or maybe I’m an adventurer—having lived and traveled all over the world, including Siberia, Russia as a missionary for eight years. That’s why my characters seem to get into one scrape after another—they’re too much like me! I love God, my family, my country, my church, and feel privileged every day to be able to write stories.

And my 'official' bio:

With nearly 2 million books sold, critically acclaimed novelist Susan May Warren is the Christy, RITA, and Carol award-winning author of over ninety novels. Known for her compelling plots and unforgettable characters, Susan has penned contemporary and historical romances, romantic suspense, thrillers, rom-coms, and Christmas novellas. With books translated into eight languages, she's a USA Today, ECPA and CBA bestseller, and has received numerous starred Publisher Weekly reviews. Library Journal says, "Warren’s characters are well-developed and she knows how to create a first rate contemporary romance.”

Susan is a nationally acclaimed writing coach, and winner of the 2009 American Christian Fiction Writers Mentor of the Year. She is the founder of Novel.Academy, author of the popular writing method, The Story Equation, and a founding partner of Sunrise Media Group.

The Redemption Collection: Redemption / Remember / Return / Rejoice / Reunion (Baxter Family Drama—Redemption Series) By Karen Kingsbury

 

These are the books that launched the Baxter family series and are now portrayed in the Baxters a tv show on Prime. I read these books as they were released in the early 2000s. After watching the Baxters I decided to reread these books. They are even better than I remembered. I highly recommend these books if you want a gritty, family series that covers real life situations. I among many others love the Baxter family and enjoyed this trip back to the beginning.

From Amazon:

The complete 5-book bestselling Christian fiction series that has sold nearly 2 million copies!

These original Baxter Family books have captivated millions of readers and are currently being made into an original television series produced by Roma Downey and Will Packer.

This collection bundles the five-book Redemption series from Karen Kingsbury, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of “heart-tugging and emotional” (Romantic Times) life-changing fiction, co-authored with Gary Smalley, which centers around the Baxter family. As readers follow the hopes and struggles of the family, they will explore key relationship themes as well as the larger theme of redemption, both in characters’ spiritual lives and in their relationships. In each book, fans will enjoy a personal note from Karen Kingsbury and Gary Smalley as well as discussion questions for book group use. Revisit the Baxter family in all their life-changing events, or share the series with someone who hasn’t discovered it yet.

Share the Baxter family’s joys and struggles, triumphs and pain.

#1 Redemption:
When Kari Baxter Jacobs finds out that her husband is involved in an adulterous relationship and wants a divorce, she decides she will love him and remain faithful to her marriage at all costs. This book shows how God can redeem seemingly hopeless relationships, and it illustrates one of Gary Smalley’s key messages: Love is a decision.

#2 Remember:
Convinced she could make it on her own, Ashley Baxter has kept the most important people in her life at a distance—her family, the man who loves her, and the God she is sure can never forgive her. Now, just as she begins to open her heart, the events of September 11 rip into Ashley’s world and she is led to heartbreaking and hope-filled decisions that will forever change her life. This story vividly illustrates that we must value others more than ourselves, and it drives home one of Gary Smalley’s key messages: Honor one another.

#3 Return:
This touching novel reunites readers with the Baxter family and focuses on the only Baxter son, Luke. He is determined to leave his faith and his past behind and embrace a new, free-thinking future. But what he doesn’t realize is that his past holds a secret even he doesn’t know. When Luke finds out, his comfortable new life is turned upside-down, and he must turn back to his roots.

#4 Rejoice:
In the continuing saga of the Baxter family, Brooke Baxter has achieved everything this world has to offer—a prestigious career, a beautiful home, and two wonderful children. Her recent return to her faith is an encouragement to her family. But if she faces tremendous loss, can her fledgling faith and her rocky marriage survive?

#5 Reunion:
Plans are being made for a family reunion. Nearly all the adult Baxter children have a reason to celebrate—except one. As the preparations get underway, a deadly diagnosis sends shockwaves through the Baxter family and threatens to tear them apart.

Winner of Christian Retailing’s Retailer’s Choice Award for Best Series

About the author:

Karen Kingsbury, #1 New York Times bestselling novelist, is America’s favorite inspirational storyteller, with more than twenty-five million copies of her award-winning books in print. Her last dozen titles have topped bestseller lists and many of her novels are under development with Hallmark Films and as major motion pictures. Her Baxter Family books are being developed into a TV series slated for major network viewing sometime in the next year. Karen is also an adjunct professor of writing at Liberty University. In 2001 she and her husband, Don, adopted three boys from Haiti, doubling their family in a matter of months. Today the couple has joined the ranks of empty-nesters, living in Tennessee near five of their adult children.

Some Like It Scot by Pepper Basham available April 2025

 

Recently I had the honor of reading an ARC copy of Pepper Basham's Some Like It Scot. I loved the way Pepper created beautiful word pictures of a country I would love to visit someday. The book takes place on a small Scottish Isle as Katie Campbell, a travel writer, shares her Misadventures with her blog followers. She is taken in by a wonderful group of people who live on the island. Graeme MacKerrow has lived there all his life and doesn't trust outsiders, especially red headed women who like to travel. 

I found the story to be delightful and the scenery magnificent. I adore the way Pepper weaves faith throughout the story as easy as breathing. I highly recommend Some Like It Scot. The only downside is you will have to wait until April 0f 2025 to enjoy it.

So be sure to pre-order your copy today.

https://www.amazon.com/Some-Like-Scot-Pepper-Basham-ebook/dp/B0D8VP99G9/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2XNTS6KRVJB84&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.j2YbTQOP4K3s4vU2h-gniA.7t3thGcNN3VX_CSnaYyyrMwKVcdYzJtjc90WAsylaxs&dib_tag=se&keywords=some+like+it+scot+pepper+basham&qid=1730159620&sprefix=some+like+it+sc%2Caps%2C142&sr=8-1

I was given a copy of Some Like it Scot with no expectations All thoughts are my own.

From Amazon:

She lives her life on the fly. His heart is double-knotted to home. Can two different souls create a life together?

Popular travel writer and podcaster Katie Campbell roams the world collecting other people's stories. She's built a career as "Miss Adventure," known for saying yes to anything new--country, food, or experience--and predictably finding those adventures taking a downward turn into misadventures.

Offered the chance to explore her ancestral roots through a three-week Edwardian experience, Katie finds herself immersed in the beauty and eccentricity of Scotland. In her period attire, with traditional foods and activities, the opportunities for misadventures are endless, especially with the presence of a maniacal macaw, a jealous co-worker, and an all-too-surly Scotsman.

Reclusive and protective Graeme MacKerrow doesn't venture far from his island home. A stoic Scotsman, Graeme's comfort zone has always been family, and after his sister's death, he's even more determined to save the MacKerrow ancestral home and keep those he loves close. The sudden intrusion of a six-foot-one American lass, famous for her traveling misfortunes, was far from his plan.

As this world of folklore, community, and woodworkers-in-kilts tempts Katie to discover her own story, could this one grand series of misadventures lead her directly to where she belongs? And would a settled-in-Scot ever risk loosening his grip on what's familiar to allow a wanderlust writer a home in his heart? How could their very different worlds share the same page of life's story when "home" is in two very different places? But maybe home--and the future--isn't quite what either one imagined it would be. Maybe home is less about a place . . . and more about a person.

About the author:

Pepper Basham is a best-selling author who writes romance “peppered” with grace and humor. Writing both historical and contemporary novels, she loves to incorporate her native Appalachian culture and/or her unabashed adoration of the UK into her stories. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC where she is the wife of a fantastic pastor, mom of five great kids, a speech-language pathologist, and a lover of chocolate, jazz, hats, and Jesus. Her twentieth book, The Cairo Curse, came out in February. Next up is Positively, Penelope, the sequel to her bestselling novel, Authentically, Izzy. She loves connecting with readers and other authors through social media outlets like Facebook & Instagram.

You can learn more about Pepper and her books on her website at www.pepperdbasham.com

Here are some photos of Scottish Islands from Google Images.

Mistletoe Season : Three Christmas Stories by Sheila Roberts; Kathleen Fuller; Pepper Basham

I loved all 3 stories in Mistletoe Season! Sweet romances set at Christmas time. All 3 are standalone and quite delightful, just the type of book to curl up with a cup of hot chocolate and a cozy blanket!
I highly recommend Mistletoe Season for pure enjoyment!

I was given a copy of Mistletoe Season with no expectations. All thoughts are my own!

From Amazon: 

Say No to Mistletoe by Sheila Roberts

Mistletoe is Hailey Fairchild’s kryptonite. Every time she’s kissed someone under the mistletoe it’s led to love disaster. Not a good thing for a romance writer! When she was a gawky high school girl, her hunky neighbor, Carwyn Davies, star of the basketball team (and her dreams), kissed her under the mistletoe on a dare. But the kiss wasn’t a dream come true. It was a mortifying moment she’s never forgotten, and now she’s about to go home for the holidays, unengaged and . . . determined to say no to mistletoe. Especially if Carwyn is anywhere around.

Return to Mistletoe by Kathleen Fuller

Emmy Banks has always loved Christmas. How could she not when she lives in Mistletoe, Missouri? Kieran O’Neill has spent years abroad, renovating an old Irish castle, but returns to Mistletoe for his mother’s seventieth birthday. He reconnects with Emmy, his sister’s close friend, and spends time with her in her charming antique shop. When the weather turns colder, things start to warm up between Emmy and Kieran. But can Emmy risk her heart when she knows he’ll never stay in Mistletoe, and she will never leave?

The Mistletoe Prince by Pepper Basham

Prince Arran St. Clare has lost his freedom and fairytale life in exchange for a three-month “punishment” in the small town of Ransom, North Carolina. To prove he is ready for the royal life for which he was born, Arran must engage in the Christmas charity fundraiser, The Mistletoe Wish. But when kindness, authenticity, and hard work prove more appreciated in Appalachia than a royal pedigree, Arran must face the mirror and find out who he is beyond the crown. Add a beautiful and intelligent woman who doesn’t recognize her own worth, some mistletoe, and a little Christmas magic and it all might be enough to help the rebel-prince understand what truly matters most.

• Three stand-alone romantic holiday novellas
• Book length: 84,000 words
• Includes discussion questions for book clubs