Five Fall Favorites {Historical + Backpacks}

Hello everyone! Welcome to day one of the Five Fall Favorites party! :D Are y'all as excited about this awesome blog event as I am? Because I'm super duper thrilled. ;) For most of the bloggers, today's genre is Biblical fiction, but I'll be substituting with historical fiction. Be sure to read the whole post so you don't miss reminders about the giveaway and other bloggers' posts. 

Here's how this is gonna work. For those of you who have only found my blog through FFF, this may not be new. But for those of you who are readers of my blog, this is a little different. I don't usually link my images, but for this party, cover images will lead to the book's Goodreads page. Okiedoke? xD 

Let the fun begin! :D 

Today's room theme is backpacks. Backpacks are an epic thing to go right along with books, aren't they? I don't know about y'all, but whenever I'm toting one of those nifty things around, it's usually so crammed with books I can hardly handle the weight. But I manage. ;) 

MONDAY: HISTORICAL FICTION

Courageous Love by Susan K. Marlow // Circle C Milestones, book #4

Andrea Carter is finally pulling her own weight on the Circle C Ranch she loves. The only thing she loves more than helping to run the ranch is spending time racing and stunt-riding on her horse Shasta, with the help of wrangler Riley Prescott. Little does she know that when she and Riley stumble onto a mysterious cut in the fence around her brother's prize calves, life is about to get far more exciting--and dangerous.

A cryptic warning tied around a brick crashes through the window at a family party. Then cattle begin to die. When the horse barn catches fire, Andi knows this is more than just coincidence. But who is trying to hurt her family--and why? Evidence begins to point to criminals from her brother Justin's past who want revenge. But that discovery may be too late to keep Andi and her brother's family out of danger.

Now Riley is her only hope of rescue. Can he find her before she disappears from the Circle C forever? Can she keep everyone else safe until then?

The fourth volume in the Circle C Milestones quartet, Courageous Love is high on action, danger, and drama, and full of appealing characters readers love. Andi's final adventure, sparked with a little romance, is sure to please Marlow's legions of loyal readers who want a happy ending for this frontier heroine.

If you've been around my blog for long, you probably know my love for Mrs. Marlow's books. In fact, it was through the Circle C Adventures blog that I can upon the idea to start a blog myself! As bittersweet as it was to read the ending of Andi's journey, I absolutely adored this book. One hundred and ten percent recommended...after you've read the others, of course. ;D 

A Question of Courage by Jesseca Wheaton // Questions of War, book #2

A man. A decision. A destiny.

Rafe Sullivan never imagined the war would come to his doorstep. But when Pearl Harbor is attacked and America's focus suddenly shifts to the pacific, he finds he can't ignore the problem anymore.
Leaving the life he loves behind, he joins up to do what he does best. Fly.
Yet, nothing could have prepared him for the horrors of war, and the struggle that is going on in his own heart. As an outstanding navy pilot, he is stationed on one of the few Pacific carriers. But could God be calling him to step out in faith, and go beyond the call of duty?

Lily Wilson gives her all to help the hurting community around her. With the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the war is brought home to many American families. And as a nurse, she longs to be able to relive some of the suffering. Yet, her own grief is still fresh in her heart, and though she's made the decision to get on with her life, she can't seem to leave the past behind. When healing at last comes, the guard she placed around her heart slowly begins to crumble.
But when she receives the news she hoped she would never again hear, can she trust that God’s plan is always right?

Arthur Warrington saw the Navy as an escape from the life he left behind. And it seems good for him. He is able to forge new friendships and distance himself from his past. But when his best friend makes a decision that rocks his world, he is left grappling with the question: what is true courage?

Three lives. One War. And a search for the Courage to go on.

People, people, people. I love this book so, so, so much. When my darling critique partner (the lovely Miss Jesseca) was working on this book, I wasn't too sure what to think. I didn't have much of a connection to Rafe from book one (A Question of Honor) and I honestly wasn't sure what to expect. 

I shouldn't have worried. To say this book blew me away is an understatement. The storyline is incredible, the faith theme beautiful, and the three-POVs on target. It's a story of war, and heartache and love... <3 It's beautiful and everyone must read it expeditiously. 

**Releasing later this fall!

You're the Cream in My Coffee by Jennifer Lamont Leo 

In 1928, Chicago rocks to the rhythm of the Jazz Age, and Prohibition is in full swing. Small-town girl Marjorie Corrigan, visiting the city for the first time, has sworn that coffee's the strongest drink that will pass her lips. But her quiet, orderly life turns topsy-turvy when she spots her high school sweetheart--presumed killed in the Great War--alive and well in a train station. Suddenly everything is up for grabs.

Although the stranger insists he's not who she thinks he is, Marjorie becomes obsessed with finding out the truth. To the dismay of her fiancé and family, she moves to the city and takes a job at a department store so she can spy on him. Meanwhile, the glittering world of her roommate, Dot, begins to look awfully enticing--especially when the object of her obsession seems to be part of that world. Is it really so terrible to bob her hair and shorten her skirt? To visit a speakeasy? Just for a cup of coffee, of course.

But what about her scruples? What about the successful young doctor to whom she's engaged, who keeps begging her to come back home where she belongs? And what, exactly, is going on at the store's loading dock so late at night?

Amid a whirlwind of trials and temptations, Marjorie must make a choice. Will the mystery man prove to be the cream in her coffee--the missing ingredient to the life she yearns for? Or will he leave only bitterness in her heart? 

I'm not sure that I know anyone, in person or online, that have read this book. Which is rather sad, really. Because it is golden. The charming humor, the relatable and lovable characters, the fun settings. This is a book that made me laugh out loud and sniffle back tears. Although it's set ten years after WWI, the aftermath played a large roll in the story...which I loved. <3 In my opinion, the synopsis makes it sound like more of a romance than it is. To me, it's a darling story of how Marjorie discovered who she is and what she wants, all the while guided by the one to Whom she belongs. 

Interrupted by Rachel Coker 

Can love really heal all things? If Sam Carroll hadn't shown up, she might have been able to get to her mother in time. Instead, Allie Everly finds herself at a funeral, mourning the loss of her beloved mother. She is dealt another blow when, a few hours later, she is sent from Tennessee to Maine to become the daughter of Miss Beatrice Lovell, a prim woman with a faith Allie cannot accept. Poetry and letters written to her mother become the only things keeping Allie's heart from hardening completely. But then Sam arrives for the summer, and with him comes many confusing emotions, both toward him and the people around her. As World War II looms, Allie will be forced to decide whether hanging on to the past is worth losing her chance to be loved. 

What an amazing story this one is. A story of people and life, Dickinson poems and broke-down trucks, teenage friends and Ferris wheels, salvation and young love. An older lady with a beautiful heart and a young lady with a deep hurt. It's wonderful. <3 (And y'all, it was written by a homeschooled teenager. It's totally worth a read just for that!)

A Gown of Spanish Lace by Janette Oke // Women of the West, book #11 

Ariana loves her life as a schoolteacher in a little frontier town. But one evening after classes are done and she prepares to hurry home, her life changes in an instant when a band of rough outlaws abduct her and take her far away from all she has ever known.

Trapped in a small shack, Ariana prays and waits, her emotions swinging between terror and boredom as days stretch into weeks. Still, the outlaws refuse to tell her why they've taken her or what they plan to do.

Then the boss's son appears in the doorway of her cabin. He seems different from the others, but can she trust him? Will she ever again see her mother and father, the couple who lovingly adopted her and raised her as their own? Will she ever wear the beautiful wedding dress so carefully saved for her--her one remaining link to her birth parents? 

One of the first Janette Oke books I've read, and so far my favorite! A Gown of Spanish Lace is a well-written story of trusting in God no matter what. Ariana was sweet and lovable, and our leading guy was a dear too. ;) I just loved the storyline of the gown and the secrets it held!! Definitely holds a spot among my favorite historicals. :D 

Hop on over to Rebekah's post for more stops with the FFF party by clicking on the image below!! :D 

What would a party be without a giveaway, am I right? And for those of us enthralled by the written work, the best kind of giveaway is a book giveaway! Our sweet leading hostess, author Rebekah Morris, has put together this adorable fall-themed basket for the giveaway! Click the image below to enter to win and read on to check out the contents. :D 

(Psst! Depending on the number of entries we receive, there will be second or even third place prizes!) 

Basket includes: 

~ Signed copy of Dylan’s Story by Rebekah A. Morris

~ Signed copy of Dandelion Dust by Faith Potts

~ Signed copy of Kate’s Innocence by Sarah Holman

~ Signed copy of The Twin Arrows by Kate Willis

~ Signed copy of Journey to Love by Amanda Tero

~ Coffee Nut M & M’s

~ Packets of Apple Cider

~ Cute Fall Mug

Do of these sound like books you would enjoy? Are you hyped for a whole week of fall, bookish fun?! :D 

~Faith