Title: Set Your Eyes Higher by Whitney Lowe
Pages: 208
Publisher: Zondervan (Sept. 24, 2024)
Genre: Christian non-fiction, devotional
Summary
Find peace and rest for your spirit when you fix your eyes on God.
Life feeling out of control? Overwhelmed and need a break? You’re invited to a 40-day reset that will help you let go of what’s not serving you, honor your limitations, and turn your gaze toward a God who loves you. Set Your Eyes Higher is a life-changing devotional journey from anxiety to peace.
We spend a lot of time looking down. Mostly at our phones. Sometimes at ourselves. The artificial blue light in our eyes makes us anxious about the world. It makes us chase trends that have nothing to do with who we want to be. It causes us to put time, energy, and brain space into what won’t last.
It’s time to look up.
Each daily devotion in Set Your Eyes Higher from Whitney Lowe includes honest reflections, a suggestion for a Scripture reading, and a prayer that will help you refocus your attention on God. This insightful guide for our modern world will help you if you are:
- Searching for a rhythm to anchor your spiritual practices
- Looking to take control of your time, and gain clarity on what you want in life
- Seeking long-lasting contentment over trends
- Wanting to let go of the world’s worries you are carrying on your shoulders
- Eager to know the Bible but don’t know where to start
Set Your Eyes Higher will help you find new perspective, purpose, power, and peace. If you’re feeling unmoored because you’ve taken your eyes off of what matters most, the hope you’re searching for is within reach–if you’re ready to look up.
*Thank you to the publisher and TLC Tours for the gifted copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own!*
I’ve been following Whitney Lowe’s instagram, Scribbled Devos, for several years now. So, when I was given the opportunity to review her debut book, I was very excited! This is 40-day devotional has been the perfect book to start off my 2025.
Read more: Book Review | Set Your Eyes HigherHonestly, for the past few years, I’ve struggled to find daily devotionals that actually feel genuine, biblical, and applicable to my life. Yet, somehow, Set Your Eyes Higher, managed to do all three of those things! I appreciate how Whitney shares her life and struggles with anxiety. That being said, she writes in a way that makes it clear this book isn’t “about” her. As someone who has dealt with anxiety my entire life, I appreciated Whitney’s vulnerability and honesty.
Another aspect I loved, which is surprisingly lacking in many devotionals, is that Whitney was able to back up everything she was saying with Scripture. This isn’t a devotional that just throws in a bible verse or two at the end to make it “Christian.” The author clearly did her research and made sure her advice was biblically sound.
Overall, I would recommend Set Your Eyes Higher to anyone looking for an authentic devotional. I loved the format and the option to study scripture even deeper.
Title: Daughter of Ruins by Yvette Manessis Corporon
Pages: 400
Publisher: Harper Muse (oct. 8, 2024)
Genre: historical fiction
Summary
A motherless daughter. An Italian prostitute. A mail-order bride. Are these women brave enough to change their fates?
Demitra’s mother died in America in the 1930s when Demitra was three years old. Her father took her home to the Greek island of Cephalonia, where she endures a lonely childhood and dreams her dead mother watches over her, like the goddesses she reads about in her mythology books. When Demitra comes of age, she refuses to marry the man chosen for her. Instead, she defiantly begins an affair with a forbidden man who ignites her passion for painting the goddesses she once imagined protected her.
Elena is a beautiful Italian woman who dreamed of a life away from the brothels where she was raised. But opportunities are not meant for daughters of prostitutes and Elena has no choice but to become one herself. When Italy occupies Cephalonia, Elena finds work entertaining the soldiers. Her life on the island is happy and carefree–until the Germans arrive in 1943.
Maria lives in a poor mountain village in 1921 with a loving mother and sister. When her father grows desperate to feed his family, he sends her to America as a picture bride to marry a stranger. Only eighteen years old, Maria is terrified of the journey ahead.
Daughter of Ruins is an all-encompassing tale steeped in the rich history, culture, and myths of Greece. It is a deeply moving story that follows three women as they struggle to control their destinies, fighting to become the women they were meant to be.
*Thank you to the publisher and TLC Tours for the gifted copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own!*
It’s been a while since I’ve read an historical fiction novel that not only transports you back in time but also transports you to another setting. The depictions of Greece really had me feeling like I was there. I found the culture so fascinating!
Daughter of Ruins follows 3 different women and how their stories blend together. I found myself drawn to all of the characters. There was so much emotion in this book, and I loved that. Demitra’s storyline was particularly compelling.
This entire novel was emotional, inspiring, and empowering. It shows the strength and resilience of women even in a society where they are treated less than. I felt all the feelings while reading this one. I found myself experiencing everything alongside these characters.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I need to read more of Yvette Corporon’s books now! I would recommend Daughter of Ruins to all historical fiction fans.
Welcome to the Takeover + Review Blitz for Beyond Ivy Walls by Rachel Fordham hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
About the Book
Title: Beyond Ivy Walls
Author: Rachel Fordham
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Release Date: August 14, 2024
Genre: Historical Romance
Reminiscent of Beauty and the Beast, a recluse and a young woman discover that the scars of life are no match against an act of love. Iowa, 1903. All of Monticello believes Otis Taylor has been away fostering his musical genius. But the truth is that his father exiled him long ago, rejecting Otis’s appearance and the scars that came with it. Now that he is the last living Taylor, Otis has covertly returned to settle his family’s affairs and rid himself of his past for good. However, he soon discovers that he may not have been the only discarded Taylor and begins a tireless search for his missing niece. At twenty-three years old, Sadie West left her family farm and found employment at the Hoag feather duster factory. It isn’t a romantic job, but she’s hardly had a glimmer of romance since her beau went off to college, leaving her with no promise of a future together. Desperate to save money and help her family make ends meet, she trespasses and finds shelter in an abandoned building–and is thrown in the path of the town’s mysterious bachelor. Otis’s wounds are deep, but as Sadie’s friendship with him grows, she begins to fall for the man beneath the mask. The mystery of his long-lost niece, however, is more complex than either could have imagined, and Sadie may be the key to Otis Taylor finally finding his way home.
PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Christianbook | Bookshop
*I received a gifted copy of this book. Thank you to the author and publisher! All thoughts and opinions are my own!*
Y’all! I loved this book!! I’ll be honest, I’ve read a lot of Beauty and the Beast retellings, so my expectations were very average. I figured I’d like the book, but I wasn’t expecting anything groundbreaking. So, just know I was so pleasantly surprised when I got hooked on this book from the very first chapter!
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Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for A Summer to Remember by Lisa Phillips, Andrea Christenson, Rebecca Reed, Gina Conroy, Angela Ruth Strong, Carrie Padgett, Tabitha Bouldin, and Bell Renshaw, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
About the Books
Eight summer novels across 2 volumes. From Christian fiction’s hottest contemporary romance authors.
Title: Bright Lights
Series: A Summer to Remember #1
Authors: Lisa Phillips, Andrea Christenson, Rebecca Reed, Gina Conroy
Publisher: Two Dogs Publishing, LLC
Release Date: May 16, 2024
Genre: Christian Contemporary Romance
Finally Home – Lisa Phillips Ashlynn Monroe knows she has a reputation as the Ice Queen, but being the police commissioner’s assistant that rep serves her just fine thank you. When her Aunt Ruby comes to visit from Last Chance County on the anniversary of Ashlynn’s mom’s death, neither realizes it’s a week that will alter both their lives in ways they never imagined. Fire Chief Greyson Frayer followed in his father’s footsteps. Saving lives is who he is, but the burn scars he earned along the way seem to have kept him from the life he wants…until he sees a familiar face as if for the first time. Is Ashlynn the future he’s been looking for? With a romance brewing between Russ and Ruby in the background, Adelynn and Greyson discover the future they’ve always wanted. And the chance to finally come home.
Summer at Trillium Lake – Andrea Christenson Privileged Athena Vassos is banished to the family’s lake property near Sunset Falls, WI, to “think about” her place in the family’s multimillion dollar business. She isn’t sure what she wants with her life now that she has finished her graduate degree. At the rustic Trillium Lake Bible Camp, Sean Campbell is overwhelmed. He was only supposed to be the deputy director, not much more than a glorified handyman, not running the whole show. When a devastating tornado rips through the camp, Sean and Athena need to work together despite their differences.
Loving the Rodeo Queen – Rebecca Reed Quinn Mulroney, former rodeo queen, lost it all. Now, she’s dreaming of becoming a veterinarian while caring for her daughter. She’s never forgotten the one man she called hero. Tiago Vargas is seeking his passion, hoping to prove himself to his exacting father. When fate brings Quinn back into his life, he sees a second chance at his first love and offers her a job. But she’s not the same woman he rescued. She carries a secret, and if Tiago discovers it, will he still be her hero, or will her hidden life destroy her last shot at happiness?
Anxious for Love – Gina Conroy Event planner Charlee Lovelle, with a talent for creating perfect moments, except her own, is fed up with online dating games. Australian dating coach Maxwell Adams just wants to help people find love and take his business to the next level, not play the dodgy Love Doctor. Both frustrated with the superficiality of modern relationships, Charlee and Maxwell engage in an emotional game of tug-of-war as they embark on separate paths of self-discovery. In a whirlwind of humor, heart, and unexpected connection, they navigate the complexities of romance and relationships, but will they recognize the pull towards each other or will their own inner struggles keep them apart?
PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | BookBub
Title: Starry Nights
Series: A Summer to Remember #2
Authors: Angela Ruth Strong, Carrie Padgett, Tabitha Bouldin, Bell Renshaw
Publisher: Two Dogs Publishing, LLC
Release Date: June 6, 2024 Genre: Christian Contemporary Romance
Out of Play – Angela Ruth Strong When single mom Bex Lemaire is asked to step down as her eight-year-old daughter’s soccer coach for getting too competitive, she’s hoping the new coach will let her assist. Former child star Skylar Hayes agrees to take over the team as research for his comeback role. At first, he mistakes Bex for a raving fan but eventually realizes she’s only crazy about soccer, which gives her the skills needed to train him. She’s all work, while he likes to play, but together, they just might win.
Lauren’s Second Chance – Carrie Padgett Lauren’s Second Chance is a contemporary romance for readers who love sun, sand, and satisfying endings. Lauren and Mason were each other’s first loves, until life broke them apart. A decade later, when the opportunity arises to appear with Mason on a reality show, Lauren is conflicted. She needs this show for what it means to a project near to her heart. But can she keep that heart safe from the man who broke it once? Grab your shades and SPF 30 sunscreen to dive into a reality television dating show story where first love is also forever love.
Her Cowboy Champion – Tabitha Bouldin It’s true that money can’t buy happiness. No one knows that better than Sage Rhett after her boyfriend steals her photography business and leaves her penniless. Heartbroken, faith shattered, she returns to Apple Creek–the last place she called home. Maverick Pierce is used to people seeing him for the money attached to his family name. As a Pierce, he’s afforded anything that money can buy, but the one thing he wants can never be bought. When Sage accepts a job working at the Pierce ranch, Maverick discovers he never stopped loving the fiery cowgirl who broke his heart when she left twelve years ago. If he wants to win her over, he’ll have to do more than flash a little money. This second chance, rags to riches, cowboy romance pits love against responsibility as Sage and Maverick struggle to overcome their history and trust God for a happily ever after.
Love in the Lyrics – Bell Renshaw Liberty “Libby” Taylor has maxed out on space for her equine therapy business. The best way to gain the capital she needs in order to expand requires a bit of subterfuge, but that will also mean pulling one over on her new boss. Singer and songwriter Harland Grey left LA for Winter, Montana in the hopes of finding peace from the demons of his not-so-distant past, but purchasing Melody Ranch may not hold the answers he’s looking for. Thrown together, sparks fly between the two, but will the secrets kept between them finally be what tears them apart?
PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon
*I received a gifted copy of this book. Thank you to the author and publisher! All thoughts and opinions are my own!*
The A Summer to Remember series is made up of eight novellas separated in to two volumes: Bright Lights and Starry Nights. I read the first four novellas that are found in Bright Lights.
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Welcome to the Takeover + Review Blitz for Loyally, Luke by Pepper Basham hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
About the Book
Title: Loyally, Luke
Series: Skymar #3
Author: Pepper Basham
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Release Date: May 14, 2024
Genre: Contemporary Christian Romance
Sometimes love means embracing the good, the bad. . . and even the impossible. Dear Reader — My name is Luke Edgewood, and there are few things in life that I require. Mainly black coffee. And flannel. And lots of solitude. And my dogs, Chewy and Indie. What I don’t need is romance, so I have no plans to change my thirty-year-old bachelor status anytime soon. But my youngest sister thinks that by accepting a short-term construction job in the small European country of Skymar, that I’m going to follow along in her footsteps and discover my own romantic adventure. Nope. Bah humbug. The End. This time, her rom-com-movie senses are totally wrong. Or maybe not. Because I’ve met a Grace Kelly lookalike who is annoying. . . until she isn’t. But she is impossible. As in, nothing can happen between us because she is a literal princess. Even though that’s easy to forget when we’re working together to restore a castle-like orphanage in a secluded mountain town and “forced proximity” includes a small closet, a secret one-hundred-year-old journal, and the tactile memory of an off-limits royal in my arms. Basically, the whole situation has turned into an ooey gooey magical snow globe of romantic tropes complete with cute kids and an actual ball. Now, even my sentences are starting to sound like mush. Ugh. Send high levels of testosterone my way–I’m going to need it. Loyally, Luke
PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Christianbook | Bookshop | BookBub
*I received a gifted copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own!*
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Title: Leaning on Air by Cheryl Grey Bostrom
Pages: 352
Genre: literary fiction, Christian fiction
Publisher: Tyndale House Publisher (May 7, 2024)
Summary
They last spoke as teens . . .
But on a country road twelve years later, a surprise encounter reunites ornithologist Celia Burke with veterinary surgeon Burnaby Hayes, and they plunge into the most unusual romance of her life.
After a decade of marriage, Celia and Burnaby have found a unique and beautiful rhythm. Then tragedy strikes while Celia hunts for the nest of a research hawk near the Snake River. Reeling with grief, she’s certain Burnaby won’t understand her anguish or forgive the choice that initiated it.
She flees to kindness at a remote farm in Washington’s Palouse region, where a wild prairie and an alluring neighbor convince her to begin anew. But when unexplained accidents, cryptic sketches, and a mute little boy make her doubt her decision, only a red-tailed hawk and the endangered lives of those she loves can compel her to examine her past—and reconsider her future.
A soaring tale of wonder, loss, redemption, and restoration from Cheryl Grey Bostrom, the award-winning author of Sugar Birds.
*I received a gifted copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own!*
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Title: Our Kept Hearts by Tennille Marie
Pages: 354
Genre: historical fiction, coming-of-age
Publisher: Purple Iris Printing LLC (Nov. 2, 2023)
Summary
A heart-warming coming-of-age debut novel where sisters learn that even motherless daughters must grow up and become women one day.
Arkansas, 1953. Nine-year-old Hazel McKay knows little girls need a mother. So, when her mother decides to leave her and her little sister, Ruthie, without any reason except she wants more, Hazel feels like her life is falling apart. With their father working out of town most days, Hazel and Ruthie are left on their own in the little house in the middle of the woods, where they find more than just animals and birds hiding in the forest.
Meanwhile, not far away, ten-year-old Joel lives with his alcoholic father. Caught in a struggle to survive his father’s volatile nature and the desire to satisfy his curiosity about the little girls that live in the house in the woods, Joel finds a world of friendship and love he never knew existed.
Together, the three encounter school dances, heartbreaks, first loves, and a world turned upside down by the threat of nuclear war. With a new beginning on the horizon, Hazel, Ruthie, and Joel find their happiness is in jeopardy when tragedy strikes, and they are forced to make a choice. Bury a secret so deep no one will ever know the truth or lose everything they hold dear.
*I received a gifted copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own!*
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Title: Forever Home by Hope Toler Dougherty
Pages: 300
Genre: Christian fiction, romance
Publisher: Scrivenings Press (Aug. 16, 2022)
Summary
With a fulfilling job and a home of her own, former foster child, Merritt Hastings, relishes her stable, respectable life. Dreaming for more is a sure way for heartache. When a contested will turns her world upside down, she must revaluate what’s important to her, what’s worth fighting for, and what’s worth sacrificing. Patience has never been Sam Daniels’ strong suit with his history of acting quickly and asking questions later, and he’s ready for changes in his life…now. Too bad the plans for acquiring a radio station didn’t include a contract. Now he’s out of a job, out of a radio station, and out of prospects. While his life is in flux, at least he can help Merritt steady hers, or will he rush in and overstep …again? Will the sparks flying between these two opposites lead to a happily-ever-after or heartbreak for both?
*I received a gifted copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own!*
This was such a sweet and wholesome read! Forever Home by Hope Toler Dougherty is a book filled with encouragement, new beginnings, and hope for the future.
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Hello everyone and happy October! I love this time of year. From the changing leaves to pumpkin everything and, of course, all the spooky and festive, seasonal reads.
For some added, spooky season fun, I’ve decided to take part in the Hocus Pocus readathon. I’ve participated in the past, but it’s been a few years, so I am super excited to be able to participate again. This year I am signing up to be on Team Sanderson Sisters! The readathon started October 1st, and I’m just late to posting this, but I’ve already started reading. 😂
So, here are the prompts for my team, and here are the books I plan to read this October!
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Title: The Cheat Sheet by Sarah Adams
Pages: 336
Genre: romance, contemporary fiction
Publisher: Random House (Apr. 26, 2022)
Summary
Is it ever too late to leave the friend-zone?
Hi, my name is Bree Camden, and I’m hopelessly in love with my best friend and star quarterback Nathan Donelson (so is half of America, judging by the tabloids and how much the guy dates). The first step is admitting, right? Except, I can never admit it to him because he clearly doesn’t see me that way, and the last thing I want is for things to get weird between us.
Nothing but good old-fashioned, no-touching-the-sexiest-man-alive, platonic friendship for us! Everything is exactly how I like it! Yes. Good. (I’m not crying, I’m just peeling an onion.)
Our friendship is going swimmingly until I accidentally spill my beans to a reporter over too much tequila, and now the world seems to think me and Nathan belong together. Oh, and did I mention we have to date publicly for three weeks until after the Super Bowl because we signed a contract with…oops, forgot I can’t tell anyone about that!
Bottom line is, now my best friend is smudging all the lines and acting very un-platonic, and I’m just trying to keep my body from bursting into flames every time he touches me.
How am I going to make it through three weeks of fake dating Nathan without anything changing between us? Especially when it almost-sort-a-kinda seems like he’s fighting for a completely different outcome?
Send help.
XO Bree
What a fun book! The Cheat Sheet was the 3rd Sarah Adams book I’ve read and I think it’s safe to say now that she is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors! From the writing to the romance, the banter, and the fake dating…it was all just *chef’s kiss* perfection. I loved everything about this book.
I’m always a sucker for the fake dating and friends-to-lovers tropes, and Sarah Adams blended them both so well. I love how Bree and Nathan truly were friends first. The support and genuine love for each other – even before “more than friends” began is really what made them a great couple. It was about more than just chemistry. There was a lot of chemistry though. The Cheat Sheet is a closed door romance, so there is no explicit spice, but it does not skimp on the sizzle!
Another thing I loved about this one was Bree’s passion for dance. After a career-ending injury, Bree now owns a dance studio and her goal is to keep it accessible and affordable. As most of you know, I love ballet, so I loved this aspect.
Also, with it being the start of football season, and Nathan being a professional football player, I feel like there’s no better time than now to start reading The Cheat Sheet! If you love romance or are looking for a fun and quick read, look no further. You won’t regret it!
the calico books 