Tag: Thomas Nelson

Book Review:: Everything’s Coming Up Rosie | Courtney Walsh

With a title like Everything’s Coming Up Rosie and such a cute cover, who could resist this new release from Courtney Walsh and Thomas Nelson Publishing?! Luckily, it’s not all flash, but substance too. Don’t miss this adorably sweet five-star read about chasing dreams and accepting who you are.

Everything's Coming Up Rosie by Courtney Walsh Book Cover

Rosie’s dream has always been to make it big as an actor. For years she’s had half a foot in the door, getting just enough jobs to keep her going, but her big breakout moment remains elusive. She’s on the verge of a full out existential crisis when she applies to every possible job she can think of willy-nilly style, and takes the first (and only) job she’s offered. When she shows up in Wisconsin, she realizes she should have actually read the job description, because putting on an entire production as a director is a bigger bite than she’s qualified to chew, even if it is ‘only’ for a retirement community’s theater program.

Oh, this book. I want every young girl to read this. Rosie has a dream she’s chasing, but she’s never stopped to think about why she’s chasing it, and if it’s really even what she wants. As she slogs through the problems she’s facing with the play, she gains confidence, experience, and friendships along the way. In the end, the situation she thought was just going to pay the bills until she moved on to bigger and better things turned out to be just the thing she needed to become her happier, healthier self. New and improved Rosie!

There is also a very sweet romance subplot with a man called Booker. He won he over quickly when he shrugged and said “I’m a hard person to know”. With a line like that, you just know someone else put that into his head. The friendship he and Rosie have is so sweet and romantic and a little bit risky, because opening up your heart is always a risk.

I was blown away by this book. Every aspect was just done so well, and I was fully engaged. There were a few ways that seemed plausible for the plot to go, but it still kind of surprised me, and I was proud of Rosie and her ultimate decisions.

This is a book I would put into the ‘feel-good’ category, which, to me, is hard to achieve. If you need a lift in spirits this summer (or ever), Rosie’s got your back!

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: Everything’s Coming Up Rosie
Author:: Courtney Walsh
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Thomas Nelson
Length:: 352 pages
Audio Length:: 11h 10m
Audiobook Narrator:: Jorjeana Marie
Published:: June 10th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

amazon
B & N
Bookshop.org

Goodreads
author website

If you liked this book, check out…

My (Not So) Perfect Life | Sophie Kinsella
When Alec Met Evie | Jenny Proctor
The Last Love Note | Emma Grey
The Tourist Attraction | Sarah Morgenthaler

Book Review:: The Summer of You and Me | Denise Hunter

One day Maggie is at the fair with her young daughter and swears she sees her husband among the crowds. Trouble is, he was killed in the line of duty five years ago.

The Summer of You and Me by Deinse Hunter Book Cover

Calling upon his brother to help her search for him opens up a new world of possibilities neither of them ever expected, and are a little afraid to entertain. But they don’t give up, and eventually are confronted with an impossible truth.

This novel is at once a mystery, a love story, and a story of revitalization. Grief is heavy and comes in waves, some hitting so hard and fast it makes us feel like we’ll never get a breath of fresh air again. But holding stagnant doesn’t allow you to buoy back to the surface, lifted by the spirits of those who came before. By the love and honor you have for them. This is a story about humanity in a lot of ways. Coping with death. Resilience.

An undercurrent of support, love, and understanding runs through this novel. The characters seem to be at least casually religious, though it’s not outwardly discussed much through the narrative. Instead they lead by example, telling truths even when it hurts, finding forgiveness in difficult situations, overcoming shock in favor of compassion. There is plenty of drama in this book, but I could feel the safety net underneath, in the best way possible.

The Summer of You and Me blurs genre lines to bring a story that will tug at your heart strings. I absolutely loved it. I hope you will too.

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: The Summer of You and Me
Author:: Denise Hunter
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Thomas Nelson
Length:: 352 pages
Audio Length:: 9h 55m
Audiobook Narrator:: Kim Churchill
Published:: April 22nd, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

amazon
B & N
Bookshop.org

Goodreads
author website

If you liked this book, check out…

Before We Were Us | Denise Hunter
Counting Miracles | Nicholas Sparks
Every Moment Since | Marybeth Mayhew Whalen

Book Review:: Ambush | Colleen Coble

Paradise Alden is ready to confront the demons of her past. She takes a job as the vet at a big animal rescue in the hometown her parents were murdered in, hoping to find out more about what exactly happened that horrible night.

Ambush by Colleen Coble Book Cover

The animal refuge is run by the family she was closest to after her parents died, but they’re also the reason she was bounced back into the foster system, when she was in a bad situation. Trouble is, sometimes bad can turn worse, and unfortunately that’s what happened to Paradise.

In this first book of a new series by Colleen Coble, Paradise is searching for answers, but does she want justice? Or will she be able to find forgiveness in her heart for past transgressions?

The action gets started as soon as Paradise steps into her new role, and it doesn’t let up. With large animals (especially the large predators) in their sanctuary, careful execution of strict procedures are paramount to safety, and when locks are left open, animals not where they’re meant to be, and traps set for the unwitting, accidents are inevitable.

For me, the pacing was a little unhinged. It is one hurdle after another after another with barely room to adjust before the next big event happens. More incidents doesn’t necessarily mean more danger, and I think this book could have done with some trimming of the excessive dangerous episodes.

I found the relationship between Paradise and the son of the Sanctuary owner, Blake, very well done. They were once teenaged sweethearts, but after fifteen years of hard lifetime apart, will they be able to forgive one another and develop a friendship anywhere near the level of trust they once did? There are a lot of complicated emotions there, and the dynamics of Paradise and his family is a beautiful thing.

One of the main themes of the book is forgiveness and finding faith. When Paradise confronts one of her greatest fears, she has a moment of transcendence, but for me her realizations felt too in-your-face and repetitive through the rest of the book. If they had been a little more inter-woven into the story and subtle in the language, I think it would have been more immersive.

Overall it was quite a unique setting for a story which was very interesting to read. The characters are good, and I’m curious to know where the series is headed next!

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: Ambush (Sanctuary #1)
Author:: Colleen Coble
Genre:: Thriller
Publisher:: Thomas Nelson
Length:: 352 pages
Audio Length:: 9h 55m
Audiobook Narrator:: Karen Peakes
Published:: March 5th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 3-Stars

amazon
B & N
Bookshop.org

Goodreads
author website

If you liked this book, check out…

I Think I Was Murdered | Colleen Coble & Rick Acker
Before We Were Us | Denise Hunter
Every Moment Since | Marybeth Mayhew Whalen

Book Review:: The Perfect Rom-Com | Melissa Ferguson

I am happy to report another 5-star romance to blissfully indulge in with a title that isn’t shy about what it is: The Perfect Rom Com.

The Perfect Rom Com by Melissa Ferguson Book Cover

Bryony Page is a passionate ESL teacher with a dream of becoming an author and using her earnings to bolster the perpetually under-funded school she works at. She’s written a profound literary masterpiece that is twice the length of a typical debut novel and is frantically trying to find a publisher who will give it a chance. Jack Sterling, literary agent to the stars, is her last chance…but when their short meeting begins to tank, she surprises him with her quick wit and sharp analysis skills, and he realizes she might be the answer he’s been searching for for another project. If she agrees to ghostwrite one of the biggest names in the biz, he’ll work with her to get her passion project greenlit.

And thus begins the most romantic of romances.

Bryony’s character is very well developed. She has dreams and passions and history, and as far as her work is concerned, she knows exactly what she wants, and she’s determined to get it. Jack’s character is maybe not as visible in the story, but he doesn’t feel flat. He’s incredibly good at his high stress job, and though that makes it hard to distinguish his true feelings from Bryony’s perspective, since she’s his client and he’ll do anything to appease his clients, I feel like the integrity of his character is plain as day.

The romance is so deliciously crafted. They can’t really indulge in a usual romance because of their unique situation, but the friendship that develops between them is so genuine and endearing it fuels the craving and yearning for more. Everyone seems to see the potential between them before Bryony, and I was SO on board for every succulent sentence of it.

The story’s development didn’t lack either. There are real, serious conflicts that Bryony and Jack are contending with that don’t have easy answers, but in perfect rom com fashion, everything resolves itself in the end, and the characters are done justice in a way that satisfies the built-up tension.

I was seriously so engrossed in this book the way that only great ones can do. I can’t wait to read more from Melissa Ferguson, and I hope you find the time to add this one to your ever-expanding TBR if you’re a romance lover like me!

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: The Perfect Rom Com
Author:: Melissa Ferguson
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Thomas Nelson
Length:: 304 pages
Audio Length:: 9h 10m
Audiobook Narrator:: Karissa Vacker
Published:: February 11th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

amazon
B & N
Bookshop.org

Goodreads
author website

If you liked this book, check out…

Business Casual | BK Borison
Funny Story | Emily Henry
Hello Stranger | Katherine Center
The Slowest Burn | Sarah Chamberlain

Book Review:: I Think I Was Murdered | Colleen Coble & Rick Acker

I Think I Was Murdered by Colleen Coble and Rick Acker is a thriller that’s unafraid of modern technology. With elements of AI, bitcoin, and blockchain included as major plot drivers, the read somehow doesn’t feel too tech-heavy for a reader who isn’t completely on the up-and-up with these emerging technologies (like me). It maintains its balance with the incorporation of the very organic realm of relationships, family, and friendship.

I Think I Was Murdered by Colleen Coble & Rick Acker Book Cover

The company Katrina works for in Silicon Valley is beta testing a new AI system, and she’s fed in all her recently dead-husband’s electronic records in to test it (but really as a coping tool as she grieves his unexpected death). Texting the program is really communicating with him. He even sends her photographs of their memories. One day she asks him to tell her something she doesn’t know. “I think I was murdered,” he tells her. He died in a car accident, so this is the last thing she ever expected.

Meanwhile, her grandmother died, so Katrina has come back to her hometown, inherited her family’s restaurant, and reconnected with an old friend. Her Silicon Valley career is in shambles and being investigated, and it turns out her husband may have left something behind for her. It turns into a race against time for her to find before whoever killed him for it.

I can’t find anything really to fault in this novel. I thought it was done incredibly well. It managed to surprise me a few times, while I was also able to anticipate a few twists and feel that sense of self-satisfaction, too. There are plenty of plotlines to keep us busy, and all of them play into the main story in some way by the end. There is plenty to capture your interest as a reader, and the story felt very robust.

I was provided with an advanced listening copy of this book by the publisher and netgalley. The audio narration is also very good, if you’re an audiobook listener like me.

On the scale of wimp to true crime fanatic, I am way down on the wimpy side, and though there are moments of violence included in this book, it never gave me that haunting anxiety feeling as I read. I always like to know where thrillers end up on that spectrum because you can’t unread stuff! That’s not to say it didn’t keep me on the edge of my seat-just that I didn’t pee my pants all the way through. ha.

Details

Title:: I Think I Was Murdered
Author:: Colleen Coble & Rick Acker
Genre:: Thriller/Mystery
Publisher:: Thomas Nelson
Length:: 352 pages
Audio Length:: 9h 46m
Audiobook Narrator:: Karen Peakes
Audiobook Publisher:: Thomas Nelson
Published:: November 12th, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

Linky Links!!

Goodreads
Author Website
Amazon Affiliate Links
[Hardcover] [Paperback] [eBook] [Audible]

If you liked this book, check out…

Every Moment Since | Marybeth Mayhew Whalen
Wrong Place Wrong Time | Gillian McAllister

Book Review:: Before We Were Us | Denise Hunter

Life is good. After struggling through so much of life, you’ve finally found the place you belong, and the one who is meant to stand by your side. Then, in the blink of an eye, all the memories of discovering these things are wiped from your mind. Before We Were Us is the story of Lauren Wentworth, who fell from a ladder and lost an entire, formative, summer.

Before We Were Us Denise Hunter Book Cover. New Hampshire Latefront in fall foliage.

As a new college graduate, Lauren took a job as the manager of a tourist lodge in New Hampshire as a condition to winner her dream job in Boston: being a bona fide party planner at one of the most prestigious firms in New England. It’s her chance to prove her capabilities to her future employer and she won’t let anything get in the way of the future she’s dreamed of for so long. Except one day she wakes up in the hospital and finds that four months have passed since her last memory, and suddenly the owner’s son she couldn’t stand is saying that somehow they’ve been in a loving relationship all summer long. The two realities are impossible to reconcile in her head, and she’s unsure if she wants to regain her lost memories.

Jonah, her almost fiancée, is devastated. Just on the cusp of their happily ever after, the woman he loves is suddenly all but repulsed by him. He steps back, gives her the space she desperately needs, and waits for her. All he can hope for is that she’ll remember their time together, but when nothing changes even weeks after her injury, he isn’t sure what their future might hold.

What a concept! I think a premise like this naturally tugs at our human heartstrings. Memory is fallible, and so deeply, deeply personal. You can’t convey to another person exactly how something felt, or how it affected you. Even journals probably couldn’t evoke the same feelings if you don’t have the memory to accompany it. You can try. Lord knows, we all try. That’s what literature is. Poetry, and music too…all art in its various shapes forms strives to capture and convey human emotion.

This is a very strong story with many moments of sweetness and heartbreak and necessary, if reluctant, soul searching. There are strong examples of family with themes of overcoming hardships and long-held grievances. Jonah was exemplary in his role as supportive, loving partner. Finding out that Thomas Nelson is a Christian publisher is not surprising. Though I wouldn’t say this book is blatantly religious, but it does serve as a good example of what I imagine a healthy religious practitioner should look like. It’s not a story about characters making conflict-ridden choices, but rather navigating difficult circumstances with all the nuance it entails.

Any reader, especially of romance, might enjoy this story. I know I did. I was lucky enough to be chosen as an advanced listener by netgalley and the publisher. The narrator, Kim Churchill, did a wonderful job.

Details

Title:: Before We Were Us
Author:: Denise Hunter
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Thomas Nelson
Length:: 304 pages
Audio Length:: 9h 9m
Audiobook Narrator:: Kim Churchill
Audiobook Publisher:: Thomas Nelson
Published:: September 10th, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars
Spice Rating:: 1 (smooches only)

Linky Links!!

Goodreads
Author Website
Amazon Affiliate Links
[Hardcover] [Paperback] [eBook] [Audible]

If you liked this book, check out…

It’s All Relative | Rachel Magee
Hello Stranger | Katherine Center
Funny Story | Emily Henry

Book Review:: It’s All Relative | Rachel Magee

In It’s All Relative, Rachel Magee has crafted a tangled saga of blending families delivered with the levity of a fun romantic comedy.

It's All Relative Rachel Magee Book Cover

Helena’s mother is getting married, which means an extended stay at the Maddox family beach house with her soon-to-be family. She is happy about the wedding, she wants all the best for her mom, but Helena doesn’t fit in with the groom’s family, who she’s secretly dubbed ‘the perfects’ – and to top it off, she has a huge crush on her future sister-in-law’s fiancé, Gage. In a panic, she drags her closest friend Landon to the week-long getaway, but since she never used the family’s real names, they never realized the sister-in-law is actually Landon’s one-that-got-away in college. Amelia is her name, and she has packed the itinerary within an inch of its life with thoughtful activities and plenty of time for contingencies if anything goes wrong. She would do anything for her family. A week all together on an island should go smoothly, right?

The book starts off with a bang – so much conflict in so little time! It was very compelling to wonder how in the world this double romance was going to get pulled off, but she did it! I felt like everything was resolved satisfactorily by the end, with plenty of hijinks along the way.

There are a lot of underlying conflicts worked through in this book. Helena is struggling with the feeling of not belonging within her new expanded family, feeling like she’s ‘too much’. She is also grieving, on some level, the life she and her mother shared solo all those years before. Amelia is caught between duty and passion. She works for the family business and is marrying the ‘right’ guy, both of which are fine. Just, fine. Nothing in her life lights her up anymore. Being confronted with her past in Landon is a reminder of the girl she used to be, before she shouldered so much responsibility.

If you’re a no spice girly, rejoice! There is nothing untoward in these pages. Personally I like to follow the relationships a little bit longer so you do get into those moments of intense intimacy, but this was handled the way it was meant to. I think it would be maybe a little icky if anything went too fast, considering how things were set up at the beginning.

This is apparently a retelling of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which I have not read. I’m going to need to – I think it’d be so interesting to find out more about the inspiration material.

If you’re looking for a charming book to fall into to recharge or cleanse your palette between heavier books, this one is a great choice!

Details

Title:: It’s All Relative
Author:: Rachel Magee
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Thomas Nelson
Length:: 336 pages
Audio Length:: 10h 1m
Audiobook Narrator:: Tanya Eby
Audiobook Publisher:: Thomas Nelson
Published:: August 6th, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

Linky Links!!

Goodreads
Author Website
Amazon Affiliate Links
[Paperback] [eBook] [Audible]

If you liked this book, check out…

The Cheat Sheet/The Rule Book | Sarah Adams
The Perfect Putt | Annah Conwell