A thing that happened...

So a thing happened today that made me stop and think about stuff. I've been really sick and miserable, and just not wanting to do literally anything. I went for three DAYS without reading and if you know me well, you KNOW that's like rock bottom for me. I've had a hard time really getting back into the swing of things, though I've been trying hard. I still don't feel great, but I'm making progress.

Anyway, I was walking down the hallway to the teacher lunch room (I KNOW, people always say to avoid that room like the plague, but you guys. I NEED tall talk after a morning of boogers, bodily functions, drama, tattling, and everything else that goes along with little ones), and I passed a group of first graders. One of them walked past my classroom every day last year, and wouldn't pass without giving me and the other fourth grade teachers a giant hug. Now, this gal is pocket-sized, and just the cutest thing, so her giant hugs are absolutely adorable. Anyway. She gives me her giant hug on my way down to lunch and is all happy. One of her classmates gets into a faceoff with her, puts his hands on his hips and demands to know if I'm her aunt or something. He wants to know why she's always hugging me.

This girl. Oh, this girl!! She puts her hands right back on her hips, faces off with Mr. Snarky, and says in a very loud first grade tiny person voice, "NO, SHE IS TOTALLY ONE OF MY BFFs." And then turned around, got back in line, and went on her merry way. She was not having it. Not even a little. She stood up, made it known that her action was a-okay, and that she was not to be questioned.

This girl is going places, people.

As for me, it made me stop and think. What's really important? I had this dream last night that there was a fire and I lost every single thing I own, and was left completely destitute. It was upsetting. I was kind of out of sorts over it all morning, and then Little Miss M happened, and I realized that I'm the BFF of a pocket-sized first grader, and all is suddenly right in my world.

If you don't have a first grade BFF, I feel sorry for you.

Book Review: A Return of Devotion

Photo: Goodreads
Series: Haven Manor #2

(Click the book cover to visit the Goodreads page)

"Daphne Blakemoor was perfectly happy living in her own secluded world for twelve years. She had everything she needed—loved ones, a true home, and time to indulge her imagination. But when ownership of the estate where she works as a housekeeper passes on, and the new marquis has an undeniable connection to her past, everything she's come to rely upon is threatened.

William, Marquis of Chemsford's main goal in life is to be the exact opposite of his father. Starting a new life in the peace and quiet of the country sounds perfect until his housekeeper turns his life upside down.

They've spent their lives hiding from the past. Can they find the courage to face their deepest wounds and, perhaps, find a new path for the future together?" (Goodreads)

**FTC Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

You know how sometimes you finish a book and then you want to turn around and read it again right then? Yeah, that was this book. Kristi Ann Hunter hit every single right note for me, and then some. I loved the storyline, the characters, the conflict, and the resolution. It always felt genuine to me, which is super important for me to love a book. I have to believe it. I totally believed this one.

William and Daphne are perfect for each other. I don't know of a single other Regency hero I'd rather pair her with, because William was just so good. The best part about him is that he retained enough of the arrogance of his position to make the whole situation come alive. His internal conflict was fabulous, and I could really see his progress. Daphne was the perfect match for him, because she was just down-to-earth enough, while still keeping her quirkiness that made me love her in the first book. Her responses to pretty much EVERYTHING were spot on, and actually kind of reminded me of myself. Definite win when I can see myself in the heroine. I spent the entire book cheering for them.

Jess was delightful as well, and made me laugh out loud. The best line in the book was Jess's, "It was either that or the vase." You'll have to read to get the context of that one, but trust me. It's a gem. She's still mysterious enough to make me desperately want to get my hands on the next book. Luckily, Goodreads claims that it'll be out in November, so I don't have too long to wait.

I'm still in raptures about the plot here. Imagine a Regency-era gentlewoman taking on the daunting task of raising aristocratic by-blows. I just can't imagine it happening, and yet it's so incredibly believable and real here. It makes perfect sense, the way it all worked out. I don't want to give too much away (GO READ THE BOOK, LIKE RIGHT NOW), but believe me when I tell you that you'll end up a believer.

All in all, this book was perfect for me. I loved everything, and I highly recommend it to anyone who has ever seen a book.

5 stars!

You might also like:

Anything else by Kristi Ann Hunter

Anything by Sarah E. Ladd

Anything by Julie Klassen

Book Review: The Sky Above Us

Photo: Goodreads
Series: Sunrise at Normany #2

(Click the cover image to visit Goodreads)

"Numbed by grief and harboring shameful secrets, Lt. Adler Paxton ships to England with the US 357th Fighter Group in 1943. Determined to become an ace pilot, Adler battles the German Luftwaffe in treacherous dogfights in the skies over France as the Allies struggle for control of the air before the D-day invasion.

Violet Lindstrom wanted to be a missionary, but for now she serves in the American Red Cross, where she arranges entertainment for the men of the 357th in the Aeroclub on base and sets up programs for local children. Drawn to the mysterious Adler, she enlists his help with her work and urges him to reconnect with his family after a long estrangement.

Despite himself, Adler finds his defenses crumbling when it comes to Violet. But D-day draws near. And secrets can't stay buried forever.

Bestselling author Sarah Sundin returns readers to the shores of Normandy, this time in the air, as the second Paxton brother prepares to face the past--and the most fearsome battle of his life." (Goodreads)

I received this book yesterday. I finished it yesterday. It's rare for me to devour a book in one sitting, but it was unavoidable with this gem. I absolutely loved it, and I didn't want to put it down for anything. It was full of everything that I love in Sarah Sundin's books - clean romance, WWII drama, plenty of action, a mystery to solve, and fabulous characters. All in all, it definitely made for a 5-star book.

I really loved how BOTH characters had to go on a journey of redemption, not just one or the other. It drives me crazy when one party is set up to be the perfect one, and the other has to elevate to that level. Not so here. Both Adler and Violet (I really love that name!) had to come to terms with parts of themselves that weren't up to their standards. They traveled the path together, with God, and on their own at times. It was very believable and something I could totally relate to. I really liked both of them and was cheering for them the whole time. 

I appreciate how much painstaking research Sarah does into the battles she writes. I'm a student of WWII myself, and I didn't see anything that gave me pause. She's very careful with her history, and I really like that. It makes the war come alive, and helps me immerse myself in the story. In my opinion, that's the hallmark of a fantastic writer!

In the end, I absolutely loved this, would recommend it to anyone looking for a good historical fiction read, any fans of WWII fiction, and pretty much just anyone. My one complaint is that I now have to wait a year for Clay's story...

You might also like:
Literally anything else by Sarah Sundin
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
A Secret Courage by Tricia Goyer
The Line That Divides by Melanie Mason
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer

Blobfish

This may be your first reaction upon getting to this post: OH MY WORD WHY ARE YOU EVEN WRITING ABOUT BLOBFISH WHAT IS THE WORLD COMING TO

Let's talk about that.

So a few nights ago, I wasn't sleeping very well. I don't know about you, but when this happens to me, my mind tends to wander into strange places. In this case, my brain started wondering about blobfish.

I don't know why. It's not like I'm fascinated by blobfish, or even know that much about them. (although, thanks to this middle of the night musing, I know a LOT more than I did.) I think they're weird for sure, but kind of in the way that you think your fourth cousin two times removed is weird. You just don't think about them that much, or at all.

So blobfish. Here is what I learned at 2:30 in the morning:

1. They only look like blobfish when they've been decompressed. This means that they're usually super deep-water fish and their shape holds up down in the ocean trenches. The only way they look like grumpy little old men is when they've been brought up out of the deep and then turn into blobs. They actually look quite normal when they're in their natural habitat. Huh. 

Here's an artist's rendering of what they really look like:

Photo: Wikipedia

2. Blobfish look like sad, bald old men when they've decompressed.

Photo: Twitter

3. There is an actual market for blobfish merchandise. I started wondering if you could get blobfish purses, and the answer is YES OF COURSE YOU CAN.

Because why not?

Photo: Google Image Search

You're welcome.