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Carla @ Carla's Book Crush

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The Way of Water Audiolibro Por Toni Cabell arte de portada

An emotional roller coaster that will captivate you

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 05-06-25

This is book two of the Water Witch series. This picks up where the first book left off and has us in Toresz at the new king’s coronation. As they are doing a dress rehearsal for the coronation, the King and Princess from neighboring Censarra come in and announce that the Princess is legally betrothed to the King of Torez. Then the Princess has the gall to recommend that Solace stay on as the King’s mistress. At the onset, I was immediately thrown into feelings of anger, hurt, and sadness. This book (actually the series) is so good I want to shout from the rooftops (or from the hills of Toresz) that you must read this.

While a young adult low-fantasy, the storyline captures has a historical romance feel. If you do not typically like fantasy but enjoy historical fiction, this book will definitely change your mind about fantasy. The world is imaginative and inviting and draws you in while not taking you far from an earthly feel so that you can truly capture everything in your minds eye. Characters have special gifts, such as Solace’s gift to divine for water, but there are no supernatural creatures which is something that I prefer. Although, Solace’s horse does seem rather intuitive.

Lisa Lynn Sandlin’s narration is top notch. She kept the same voices through both books in the series and captures the spirit and voice of Cabell’s writing. You do need to read book one (The Way of Water) to be able to really grasp what is going on in this book. But reading both books is well worth it. While this book did wrap everything up, it was so good, that I want more. I could happily “live” in Toresz for many books to come. In the absence of another book in this series, I will gladly pick up other books that Cabell has written.

I received a copy of this book from the narrator. All opinions are my own.

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Season of Hope Audiolibro Por Sara Jane Jacobs arte de portada

You Will Be Emotionally Wrecked And Wanting More

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 04-23-25

I just finished this book and it has emotionally wrecked me in such a beautiful way. On Amazon it says that the reading age for this book is 16 to 18 years—really? Because I am 55 years old and this book made me cry like a baby.

The book follows Amanda Jarvis and Tyler Armstrong from about the age of seven to the age of 18. At the beginning of the book, given their young ages, you get some history from the mother’s point of view—and then slowly, over time, it becomes Amanda and Tyler’s point of view only. It’s done at a nice pace so that it doesn’t feel like you’re suddenly missing part of the story. It just naturally evolves as you continue to see the friendship grow.

It truly is quite some time before you get to that point where they start realizing that maybe there’s more there, and it genuinely feels like a perfect relationship—the kind of relationship that you would want for your children, or that, if you didn’t already have this, you wished you had for yourself.

Honestly, I’m afraid to say too much because I feel like I’m going to tell you everything, just because I want to be able to tell everyone how absolutely amazing this book is and let them know what they’re missing out on. It really should be read by so many people.

It’s a Christian romance, but it isn’t overly done—so if you usually shy away from that genre, I don’t think you should pass on this one. I believe it’s written in a way that is both inviting and relatable to Christians and non-Christians alike.

I will say that the book ends on a cliffhanger, and you will become deeply invested in this story and not want to put it down—so be prepared to keep going, because there’s no way you won’t want to.

I did read this as an audiobook, and the narrator, Lisa Lynn Sandlin, is exceptional. She has taken the heartfelt writing of Sarah Jane Jacobs and given it such a moving emotional voice. I’m really not sure I could have captured that on my own reading, so if you enjoy audiobooks, I strongly recommend that you go for that. But if you don’t, please pick up the book and read it the way you enjoy—because you will be absolutely captivated.

I received this book from the narrator. All opinions are my own.

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The Lightness of Water Audiolibro Por Toni Cabell arte de portada

Excellent choice to start reading fantasy!

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 04-02-25

Fantasy is not a typical genre for me, as I don’t like having to figure out the pronunciation of made-up words or struggle to bring the book to life. Having the narrator made all the difference! I also liked how Lisa was able to make the male voices sound authentic and not just like a woman trying to sound like a man. She is a favorite narrator because of that!

Solace’s gift as a water diviner seemed almost like a skill she had learned. Her mother did teach her to use her gift, so I suspect it was a mix of both. She is the type of person who focuses on others and ensures they feel included, needed, and loved—no matter who they are. Rhees is gruff and single-minded in his desire to help the kingdom, so much so that his plans cause harm to others, particularly Solace. The book had me on the edge of my seat with the action. While the entire book was good, once I hit Chapter 13, I couldn’t stop reading and stayed up late to finish. There was just so much going on; I was anxious for Solace and Rhees and had to keep reading, even though it meant staying up late.

If I had one complaint about this book, it’s that Solace is 17. While I appreciate that this is a young adult book, I would have preferred Solace to be in the 18–20 range, given the things she has to deal with. Not that anyone should have to go through them, but for the sake of young minds, having her be older would have felt more appropriate.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, which I received from the narrator. All opinions are my own.

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The Mother's Day Bargain Audiolibro Por Martha Fouts arte de portada

wonderfully sweet, funny romance

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 03-19-25

I read the audio and print versions of the book together. I also read it in mostly one day because I could just not put it down. This is billed as a romantic comedy, and when combined with Sandlin's narration, the words come to life, and it gives the story a real LOL factor. 

Before the book begins, there is a quote by Fred Rogers that, right there, tells me something. That something is that I'm going to like the book. Right away, you are introduced not only to childhood best friends Rae and Gabriel but also to the fact that their other best friend, Chet, mysteriously disappeared when he was 17. That immediately has me wondering. 

Gabriel is my favorite character. He has all the best lines, whether he speaks them to Rae or they are just in his thoughts. Gabriel is the first one who expresses his feelings, although not to Rae—just to you and me, dear reader—and that gets me in the heart right away. He also has me thinking about my relationship with God right away. 

Rae is a little more traditional in her approach to life. Regular nine-to-five job IT job. She has a hard time saying no to people and puts others' needs above her own. Such a relatable quality, at least for me.  

It is easy to see what is behind the mother's bargain, but that doesn't spoil the book or make it any less entertaining. The vibe that the women gave off was that they were older (maybe in their 70s ) by their actions and their understanding of technology. Which did give the book a little bit of a The Grandmother’s Day Bargain feels. But everything still worked together cohesively. 

I recommend any format of this book. No matter which version you go with, you will be entertained by this wonderfully sweet, funny romance.

I received a copy of this book from the author and the narrator. All opinions are my own.

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