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Be My Inspiration

June 27, 2025 by Emma Filbrun · Leave a Comment

27 Jun

Title: Be My Inspiration
Author: Chautona Havig
Major Themes: Valentine’s Day, Romance
Synopsis: Linus writes love songs to make his living—but when writers block strikes, he decides he needs to fake-fall in love with a single mom at church for more inspiration.

If you know me, you know that I am not real big on Valentine’s stories or other sappy romances. But you also know that if Chautona Havig writes a book, I am going to read it, and most likely I am going to love it. Her most recent one is Be My Inspiration. While I’m not sure if I’ll read all the other books in the collection for which she wrote it with three other authors, I was delighted to read hers.

Publisher’s description:

He’s just trying to salvage his career…and his heart.

Award-winning songwriter, Tanner Lawson, believes that avoiding romantic relationships is the secret to his success. When writer’s block strikes, he decides to win over a single mom at church. You know, for inspiration.

Dana Lyles thinks Linus is sweet—until she finds out he’s fake dating her. Sort of. Oh, and that he’s not who she thought he was. Then come the botched Valentine’s gifts. All fourteen of ’em.

With his secret identity (and his heart) on the line, Valentine’s Day just got all kinds of complicated.

My thoughts:

Unlike most of Mrs. Havig’s books, Be My Inspiration is written in the first person. I enjoyed that perspective; it kept me right there, feeling everything with them. The chapters switch back and forth between Linus and Dana, but I didn’t have any problems keeping them straight.

A child is included in this book, which always enhances one of Chautona’s books. As the mother of nine, she can write about children authentically and age appropriately, which is something that I don’t see in every book. I loved seeing Linus’s fumbling attempts to court Dana and had to groan as well as chuckle over so many of his mistakes. This book is a romantic comedy if I’ve ever seen one! The way Linus keeps stopping what he’s doing to jot down ideas in his notebook, and turning everything into a potential line for a song, is hilarious!

Another thing I enjoyed was the way I was seeing so many old friends as characters from some of Chautona’s other books showed up. While a new reader wouldn’t necessarily notice them, for me, it was almost like meeting up with old friends again. I’m looking forward to seeing Linus and Dana again sometime. Oh, and can you remember what Linus in the original comic strip is most famous for? Yes, that shows up here. Fun!

One last thing: Can you resist the first line? “I think I’m doomed to a future of ramen noodles and boxed mac and cheese.”

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author, and these are my honest thoughts about it.

WARNING: A woman has a bad period, a shooter comes into a workplace, a child discusses parents kissing, adults kiss once, a child says parents kiss all the time.

Age levels:

Reading Independently—Ages 15 and Above, Adults

Links to buy this book:

Amazon: Paperback | Kindle
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com

Courting Miss Darling

June 25, 2025 by Emma Filbrun · Leave a Comment

25 Jun

Title: Courting Miss Darling
Author: Chautona Havig
Series: Ballads from the Hearth
Major Themes: Cowboys, Teachers
Synopsis: Miss Darling got a letter one day from some man she’d never met, asking if she would be interested in corresponding with him—but should she respond?

Several years ago, I joined Chautona Havig’s launch team for Jack, the story of a cowboy falling in love. She wrote a bonus short story for early orders, Courting Miss Darling, and it was a very sweet story. Now, she has expanded that story into a novella, and I got to read it last week. What a delightful story!

Publisher’s description:

When an unexpected (and somewhat unwelcome) letter from the man she’d fallen in love with offers to introduce her to someone he thinks would be a good match for her, should schoolmarm, Muriel Darling, be pleased or insulted?

A few hundred miles away, Pete Donaldson manages his ranch and watches as his men fall in love and marry. Selfish or not, he’d like to be next, thank-you-very-much. So when one of them suggests a courtship by mail to a woman in Wyoming, he’s all in. And he doesn’t even play poker!

What begins as a bridge between two lonely hearts may change those hearts forever—if only they’ll learn to trust themselves, each other, and the Lord.

This epistolary romance is a stand-alone companion novella to Jack: a lot of hullabaloo on the prairie.

My thoughts:

I loved getting to know Miss Darling and Pete as they wrote letters to each other. I also enjoyed seeing Tilly and her daughter and their interactions with Pete. Then, at the end of the book, came the scene I remember best from the original short story. I won’t give it away, but just to offer a hint—it includes a door that was supposed to be open but wasn’t!

If you enjoy prairie romances, this is the book for you. I don’t particularly enjoy prairie romances, but I love Courting Miss Darling anyway. As a companion to Jack, it is wonderful, but also good as a stand-alone book. You won’t have any confusion if you read this and haven’t read the other.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author, and these are my honest thoughts about it.

No warnings!

Age levels:

Reading Independently—Ages 15 and Above, Adults

Links to buy this book:

Amazon: Paperback | Kindle
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com

Stone Cold

June 23, 2025 by Emma Filbrun · Leave a Comment

23 Jun

Title: Stone Cold
Author: Chautona Havig
Series: The Agency Files, book 6.5
Major Themes: Michigan, Winter, Suspense
Synopsis: After Beryl found her aunt dead and realized she herself was being chased, she ended up hiding in a castle—which happened to be occupied already.

I’m cautious about reading thrillers and mysteries. Because most of my reading time is late in the evening and just before I go to bed, I have to be careful not to read a book that is too intense. I’ve learned that from hard experience, as I lost sleep several times because I didn’t know what was coming next, but it felt like something bad was just around the corner in the book. I make an exception for Chautona Havig’s books, though, and was delighted to get to read the next book in The Agency Files series, even though it is an unrelated spin-off to the rest of the series. Stone Cold is a novella, rather than a full-length novel like the other books in the series, but I enjoyed having a shorter book to read this time.

Publisher’s description:

When Beryl finds her aunt dead, she flees before the cops blame her. Unfortunately, the killers are after her. Rural Michigan isn’t Gramercy Park, but it does have a great castle to hide out in!

“Gibbs” arrives home from the hospital (broken leg and all) to find someone living on his third floor, hiding out from “goons,” and making boobytraps to fend off an attack!

Beryl is determined to beat the goons at their own game. Gibbs just wants to keep her alive. And maybe steal her heart by Christmas.

A lifetime of Home Alone marathons might just keep Beryl and Gibbs alive.

My thoughts:

There was about the right balance between suspense and romance in Stone Cold, in my opinion. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the mystery unfold as Gibbs and Beryl did what they could to protect themselves and each other, although with a broken leg, Gibbs sure couldn’t do much! I was reminded again why I like The Agency so well. This story is especially fun because the (former) agent was physically helpless, which gave Beryl free rein to find her own ways to protect them. Those ways turned out to be quite funny. If you enjoy romantic suspense, you will love Stone Cold.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author, and these are my honest thoughts about it.

WARNING: Chapter 10: “Two or three bodies in the way.” Chapter 20: Fight, one man killed.

Age levels:

Reading Independently—Ages 15 and Above, Adults

Links to buy this book:

Amazon: Paperback | Kindle | Audible Audiobook (unabridged)
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com

The Codebreaker’s Daughter

June 20, 2025 by Emma Filbrun · Leave a Comment

20 Jun

Title: The Codebreaker’s Daughter
Author: Amy Lynn Green
Major Themes: Codes, Ciphers, Espionage
Synopsis: Dinah had the opportunity of a lifetime to work for the government in Washington, helping with the war effort—but found that she had to face her conflict with her mother.

I have read most of Amy Lynn Green’s books, and enjoyed every one that I read. She has a knack for telling a story in a fresh, new way. So, when I saw The Codebreaker’s Daughter available for review, I jumped at the chance! What a treat it was to read.

Publisher’s description:

In the heart of the US capital, Dinah Kendall’s role for the Office of Strategic Services isn’t the thrilling espionage career she dreamed of. Instead, she spends her days crafting rumors aimed at undermining Axis morale. As Dinah navigates her duties, she uncovers a startling revelation: Her mother, Lillian, was once a codebreaker, cracking military ciphers during the Great War alongside some of the nation’s most brilliant minds. The deeper Dinah dives into her mother’s past, the more secrets come to light—including the heavy cost of high-stakes codebreaking.

Lillian, though resolute in her decision to avoid war work, reluctantly enters the fray when old friends in Washington, DC, seek her expertise. Both mother and daughter find themselves working behind the scenes—and working together—to support the Allied cause. But just when Dinah begins to excel in her new position, everything she’s worked so hard to obtain comes crashing down around her. Caught in a web of intrigue and unsure who to trust, she must piece together the truth in time to confront the shadowy threat that could compromise the impending D-Day invasion.

My thoughts:

Quite soon after I started reading The Codebreaker’s Daughter, I realized that William and Elisabeth Friedman were important characters. That made me quite interested because I had just listened to Code Girls by Liza Mundy, which tells the story of the women who broke codes during World War II. (For the record, I found Code Girls extremely interesting for the history it told, but I can’t recommend it without reservations. It has a very feministic slant, and the author endorses same-sex relationships.) The Friedmans were leaders in breaking enemy codes during World War I, and helped with training and breaking codes during World War II. It was obvious that Amy Lynn Green studied the story of the Friedmans; I thoroughly enjoyed reading their story in this book after hearing it in the other.

I was very interested in watching the interactions between Dinah and her mother. It made me think about my own relationship with my daughters—are there ways I can make them feel more loved and accepted, rather than feeling like they are inferior? Dinah ended up in trouble and danger in part because she felt like she had to prove herself to her mother. The ending was wonderful!

The Codebreaker’s Daughter is labeled as a Christian book. I didn’t see very many references to faith in it, but it was very clean. There is actually no romance in the story, and no violence, although one man tried to kiss Dinah against her will. I enjoyed it, and will be watching for more books by this author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley, and these are my honest thoughts about it.

No warnings!

Age levels:

Reading Independently—Ages 15 and Above, Adults

Links to buy this book:

Amazon: Paperback | Kindle | Hardcover | Audible Audiobook (unabridged)
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com

The Atlas of Untold Stories

June 18, 2025 by Emma Filbrun · Leave a Comment

18 Jun

Title: The Atlas of Untold Stories
Author: Sara Brunsvold
Major Themes: Authors, Midwest, Family, Relationships, Books, Road Trips
Synopsis: Struggling with secrets they can’t divulge, three women embark on a literary road trip, hoping that along the way they’ll find inspiration through the stories and examples of classic authors.

Publisher’s description:

A literary journey beckons them…and may profoundly rewrite their stories.

Chloe Vance, dreamer of the family, needs to tell her pragmatic mom, Edie, that she has accepted a low-paying art instructor role at a Christian school in Prague. Her older sister, Lauren—the “responsible one”—is doing all she can to hide the fact she’s been fired for a foolish mistake and is desperately seeking her next career move. Meanwhile, Edie, estranged from her own sister following their mother’s recent death, is frankly in no mood for anything else to change.

The one thing they can all agree on? Life in books sure is easier to navigate than life in the real world. As the three women embark on a nine-day road trip to visit significant literary sites throughout America’s heartland, they hope to find inspiration through the works and lives of literary greats. As they experience firsthand the adventure and wonder of the classics, they’ll discover the value of being honest with themselves—and their family—about their losses and failures. Only then can they come to terms with their own needs and desires and find support from the most important women in their lives—each other.

Emma’s review:

Ever since I read Sara Brunsvold’s amazing debut novel, The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip, a few years ago, I have been watching for more books by her. When The Atlas of Untold Stories was made available for review, I jumped at the chance. What a treat I was in for when I opened this book!

I thoroughly enjoyed every chapter of The Atlas of Untold Stories, although I was quite annoyed with two of the characters most of the time. I badly wished my daughter had read the book already, so I could discuss it with her—but she hadn’t. She can’t stand any whiff of a spoiler, so I couldn’t say much of anything. I did tell her that two of the women acted very childish, and the other was delightfully childlike. There were so many secrets that needed to come out in the open so that there could be healing—and the people who held the secrets wanted to keep them!

My favorite part of this book, of course, was the interaction between the women and how they worked through their issues. I love books in which the main focus is personal growth. However, I also enjoyed reading about all the locations to which the three women traveled and the authors they learned about. One town they stayed in startled me a little—Manhattan, Kansas. I thought it sounded familiar, and sure enough, when I looked in an old photo album I found the pictures I took when my husband traveled there for a job in 2003 and took us with him! Sara Brunsvold has done a wonderful job of describing each location.

The Atlas of Untold Stories is a wonderful book, offering hope for families who are at odds and help for people who have deep-seated hurts. It would also be a good choice for a literary club to read together, since the background of the story visits the homes of so many authors and describes their most famous works.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley, and these are my honest thoughts about it.

Esther’s review:

Ever since reading The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip, I’ve been a fan of Sara Brunsvold’s writings. When I saw that The Atlas of Untold Stories was set to be released soon, I made sure to request a review copy and eagerly anticipated the publisher’s response. I’m so glad I got to read this book! It was well worth the wait, and in my opinion, even better than The Divine Proverb of Streusel!

Most of my favorite books include characters with deep hurts—the kind of stories where the conflict is just as much, if not more, internal than external. In this book, all three main characters have big things that they’re working through—and most have coping mechanisms that fail them most of the time. I loved watching the mother-daughter dynamics change as the story progressed, and I appreciated the way Chloe did her best to pull the family together. I especially loved Grant and his timely words of wisdom. Multiple times throughout the story, I found myself wishing I could reach into these pages and give certain characters a great big hug—not that they would have accepted it, but even so. It just hurt so much to see them hurt—and to see them hurting others in the process.

The literary road trip element of the story was a lot of fun. At a guess, I’ve only heard of about half of the authors mentioned in this story, so I found that interesting—and there are one or two new-to-me authors that I’d love to check out sometime!

If you enjoy deep characters, women’s fiction with little to no romance, and strong, faith-based stories, I’d highly recommend you check out The Atlas of Untold Stories, as well as Sara Brunsvold’s other books. I sped through this book in just a few days, and can’t wait to see what topic Brunsvold has up her sleeve next—she’s an author to keep an eye on!

I was given a complimentary copy of this book, and this is my honest opinion of it.

WARNING: Chapter 13: Heck. Chapter 30: Blasted. Chapter 31: A woman who bucked traditions, dressed like a boy, and called herself by a man’s name—“Cather was the kind of woman every girl should aspire to be.” Chapter 36: Gracious.

Age levels:

Reading Independently—Ages 15 and Above, Adults

Links to buy this book:

Amazon: Paperback | Kindle | Hardcover | Audible Audiobook (unabridged)
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com