Out of the Ordinary

Out of the Ordinary by Jen Turano is a lovely religious historical fiction novel. This is the second book in the Apart from the Crowd series. I did not read the first book but feel that this books stands well on its own. Many of the characters in Out of the Ordinary were introduced in the first book but I felt as though I could easily catch up with the different characters and the adventures that they had already embarked upon.

This book focuses on Gertrude who is a paid companion for Mrs. Davenport. Mrs. Davenport has a bad habit of taking things that Gertrude is asked to discreetly replace. Her love interest, Harrison Sinclair, is an unusual character that shows an interest in Gertrude right from the beginning. The characters in this story are interesting and quirky. They all mesh well together and create a very interesting journey.

I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from Jen Turano. I think this book would be good for anyone that enjoys historical romance. Though it is of course much more tame than most as it is Christian fiction.

I received this book from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review.

Comments

A List of Cages

I was inspired by the February Bookish Box to read A List Of Cages by Robin Roe. There is an option to receive a book with the box and this was the book that was chosen for the month of February. While I did not receive a book with my box, the title was included with everything else that I received. I have not cried this much over a book in a long time. It is so heartbreaking. I think this story fit very well with the theme of friendship. Julian lost his parents when he was 8 or 9 and was put into foster care with Adam and his mother for 8 months. After that he was taken to a long lost uncle by marriage who was very abusive. Adam and Julian reconnect after Adam is asked by the school psychologist to hang out with him and find out why he is missing class. They end up building a beautiful friendship. Julian who does not feel worthy of anything finds a place among Adam's group. I feel like there were still a lot of loose ends at the ending but it ends on a hopeful note. The story end...

Driftwood Bay

Driftwood Bay by Irene Hannon is a sweet and inspirational story. This is part of the Hope Harbor series but is the first one that I have read. I feel that this makes a good stand alone book but found myself becoming curious about the side characters in the story and would love to read the others in the series. Jeannette has created a new life for herself in the town of Hope Harbor. She owns a lavender farm and tea shop and spends most of her time alone. Her quiet world is shaken up when Logan moves in next door. Not only does he have a little girl, but also a trouble making dog that force their worlds to collide. Alongside the story of Jeannette and Logan is a beautiful and heartbreaking story of a family that has escaped persecution in Syria. Everyone in the story has their own heartbreak, but they all come together to create a new life and new relationships. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books from Irene Hannon.

Raven Cycle

I finally finished the Raven Cycle series! I really loved these books but just didn't have that much time to read in the last week so it took a long time for me to get these up. Even Goodreads was telling me that I was 1 book behind on my reading goal. Guess I need to get on that! These last two, Blue Lily, Lily Blue and The Raven King both by Maggie Stiefvater, were my favorites of the four. I really liked how the story developed for the entire group so they all had a chance to really find their own strengths. It felt like the magical component of the book seemed to grown with each one as well and that just made that even more fascinating. If you are looking for a book about friendships, love and magic then I highly recommend this series!

Mama Bear Reviews

Search This Blog