May 2025
- Katie Peterson
- Apr 30, 2025
- 8 min read
Something old, something new, something steamy, something true-ish
(Hint: If you click on the image of a book below, it will take you directly to the section about that book!)
Something old: Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
Something new: Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister
Something steamy: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
Something true-ish: The Hunting Wives by May Cobb
Book club pick: Birthday Girl by Penelope Douglas
The Ratings:
Like plain, black coffee. Strong dislike.
A little cream, a little sugar. Not bad. Not great.
Add some flavor or syrup, it's getting good.
I liked this a latte!
Love! Refill please!
The Steam:
No peppers: Love/romance not a major part of this story
One pepper: Mild! Some love scenes; nothing risque on the page; fade to black
Two peppers: Moderate! Slightly descriptive romantic scenes may occur on page; some implied innuendos
Three peppers: Hot! Blushing while reading may occur; lots of spice
Redeeming Love
Francine Rivers
I checked this book out from the library based on a recommendation in a book group I follow on social media. The poster had asked for 'books with a strong male character who saves a female character'...and you can imagine this request was met with two very different viewpoints. Many spouted something along the lines of, "I don't need to read about a man saving a woman" or "women are fully capable of saving themselves-no thanks"...and then others actually put ideas. And one book that repeatedly came up, and was liked hundreds of times, was Redeeming Love. I thought..."I like books with strong male characters, and I'm not against a damsel in distress storyline"...but I was not prepared, at all, for how much I was going to love this book.
Sarah is sold into prostitution at age 8. She witnesses and experiences horrors beyond imagination. She escapes her captor and attempts to sail to freedom, only to find herself imprisoned once more with a new master. Now, going by Angel, she is the most requested and expensive prostitute in the town of Pair-A-Dice California, home to many opportunists trying to strike it rich with the gold rush. Through the years, Angel's learned to shut down any feelings she may experience. She's existing solely in body, but her soul is damaged beyond recognition. Michael, a local farmer, glimpses Angel when he's selling his produce in town and knows that she's the person God is telling him to marry.
So begins a journey filled with betrayal, judgement, and anger....which through Michael's patience, Angel's growth, and God's intervention becomes a road towards compassion, understanding, and forgiveness.
Definitely Christian fiction (very loosely based on the book of Hosea), and there are some things that happen that many will take issue with (Angel is forced into marriage when she's relatively unconscious for one---and we are meant to see this as a heroic and selfless act) but the story as a whole is so beautiful with a really powerful lesson for both main characters at the end.
My rating:
Good to know before reading: Child rape & prostitution are alluded to.
Famous Last Words
Gillian McAllister
Thriller mystery. A genre I rarely pick up, because I get so stressed out. Also, I find it extremely difficult to put these books down because it's always as if you're hanging off a cliff waiting to see what happens next. This book is clever with bits of foreshadowing that you don't understand until the end, and is a unique take on the 'your husband isn't who you think he is' trope.
Camilla & Luke are happily married and enjoying life as new parents. On Camilla's first day back to work as a book publisher after her maternity leave, she finds a strange note from Luke. Although she doesn't understand it, she goes about her day. Until the police show up and she's shown live footage of her husband holding multiple people hostage at gun point. What ensues is a deadly negotiation gone wrong, and Camilla's life is shattered. She's still attempting to pick up the pieces years later when strange occurrences have her rethinking everything. Unfamiliar coordinates and meeting times are text to her from an unknown number. An address is found taped to the back of a piece of furniture. An ominous shadow is seen lurking around the house. Is Luke still alive and trying to contact Camilla? Or is someone else trying to tie up loose ends from the past?
As Camilla races to try to put all of the clues together, she finds the answers in a most unexpected place. Unfortunately, not everyone is who they say they are, and her discovery has just put everything at risk.
My rating:
Outlander
Diana Gabaldon
I don't even regret waiting so long to jump on the Outlander train-er, horse-because now I can simultaneously read the books and watch the show...and to say I'm obsessed would be the understatement of the year.
Claire, a nurse in the British Army, is taking a holiday in Scotland with her husband Frank to celebrate the end of the war and to conduct some research on Frank's family tree. While exploring the countryside, Claire discovers a circle of towering standing stones. During a closer inspection, she finds herself being hurtled through time and space itself...landing 200 years prior in the middle of a battle between Scottish highlanders and the hated British redcoats. Unable to explain her presence, Claire is immediately distrusted by both the locals and their English foes.
Until they know who she is and why she's there, the leader of the Clan insists she stay with them. For one, she may be a spy working for the British. And two, her nursing experience is proving very valuable in a time when wounds and sickness often lead to death. Jamie, the highlander tasked with transporting Claire back to the castle, becomes her one friend in this strange time and place. She must use her knowledge of history and her wits to keep herself safe and alive in this tumultuous moment in time. For although Jamie has vowed to protect her at all costs, he has his own enemy behind him at every turn.
This book has it *all*....fantasy (time travel), historical references, gruesome and intense battle scenes, and throughout it all, romance. This is ultimately a love story...proving just how far one will go for love. Unfortunately for the couple...the 1700's weren't a time where 'happily ever afters' were easy to come by and Jamie and Claire are taken to hell and back...and they may not return unscathed....or even alive.
My rating:
Steam rating:
Good to know before reading: sexual assault, attempted rape(s), torture, domestic violence, and battle wounds.
If you're a fan of the show--book 1 and season 1 follow each other extremely closely.
The Hunting Wives
May Cobb
This was such a weird reading experience for me. In one way, I disliked every character and their endless drunken stupidity was just so.much.dumb. On the other hand, I whipped through this thing and it didn't cross my mind to not finish. Of course I was going to finish--I was totally invested in counting the number of times the author used the word 'Facebook'. Which ended up being 50x too many. Anyhoo-finish it I did, therefore, review I shall write.
Sophie, her husband Graham, and their son Jack are recent transplants to the idyllic small town of Mapleton, Texas. Hailing from the bustle of Chicago, they find themselves cherishing their newfound tranquil and relaxed existence. Except...Sophie finds herself itching for something. Something exciting. Something adventurous. Something scandalous. And she finds all of these things with some fellow housewives...joining their self-named 'hunting wives club'. [As far as clubs go...this one is kind of lame. The only things they "hunt" are clay targets and local high school boys.] They meet at 6:30 p.m. on Fridays, which is really confusing, as this meeting time only gives 3 people enough time to shoot before it gets too dark. Really. This happens every week, where someone doesn't have time to go...and I'm thinking, "Why not just meet at 6?"
The more time Sophie spends with 'the wives', the further she goes from being the wife she wants to be to Graham. Small omissions of the truth become outright lies. Observing her friends cheat on their husbands turns into her straying herself. Sophie can feel herself spiraling (Sophie's motto in life: when in doubt, get a drink) and her lapses in memory after nights with her friends lead her to hot water. With her husband, with her friends...and with the police. Because a local girl has turned up missing...and all the clues lead to Sophie knowing more than she's letting on.
My rating:
Honestly...I thought this was so bad (Not DNF bad, but right up there). But maybe I'm an anomaly, because it's being turned into a TV series, with good actors in it. I'll probably watch it. But read at your own risk! (P.S. If you read, please count the "Facebook" mentions. I lost track and I just can't bring myself to go back and do it again.)
Steam rating:
Birthday Girl
Penelope Douglas
I had to let a couple of inhibitions go in order to enjoy this book. For one, I am the same age as the 'older' character in this age-gap romance. I had to basically put that out of my mind. Secondly, I'm not sure I could ever actually see a relationship blossoming when one of the individuals has slept with (known to all parties) multiple people in the same family. So, again, I had to just not think about that too closely. Once those 'teensy little details' were overlooked, I zipped right through this one.
The book starts with Jordan celebrating her 19th birthday...alone, as her boyfriend Cole is kind of a d*#k and chooses partying with friends instead of her...over and over. While enjoying an old movie, Jordan finds herself sitting next to an older man...one who is funny, kind, and handsome. At the end of the night, she finds out that the man sitting next to her is none other than Cole's dad, Pike (honestly we are just meant to like the dad more in this book...he even has a 100% cooler name). Following unfortunate life choices (by Cole), the young couple move in with Pike to save money for their own place.
While there, Jordan finally sees what it's like to be treated with respect...like she's someone who matters. As Cole continues to flounder through bad decisions, Pike and Jordan find themselves building a routine together, one that includes thoughtful gestures, deep conversations, and a lot of lusting. Neither one is sure they can, or even want to, act on their deepening feelings...but once the ember is stoked, they both go up in flames. Is this just a secret fling? Or is it something more? Because the winds are all blowing against them, and they're both at risk of burning everything they've built to the ground.
My rating:
Steam rating:
Read along with me in June
Something old | Only the Beautiful by Susan Meissner |
Something new | Don't Forget to Write by Sara Goodman Confino |
Something steamy | A Love Letter to Whiskey by Kandi Steiner |
Something true-ish | These is my Words by Nancy E. Turner |
Book club pick | The Perfect Divorce by Jeneva Rose (and since this is actually a sequel, I will also be reading The Perfect Marriage, same author). |
As always, send any book recommendations to me at sosnssst@gmail.com.
Comments