I started the year off with nine books. I enjoyed them all. 

Before We Were Us was the first book I read this year. Three of the four contemporary romances that I read are a complete series: Memory Lane, Rocky Road and Uneasy Street. I loved the entire series very much.

I listened to The Count of Monte Cristo because it was such a HUGE book. I knew I could listen while I did other things and I could speed it up if I wanted to. It was really in-depth that at times it was hard to keep track of all the people and situations. Things all fell into place towards the end of the book. 

The two suspense novels were not from the same series, but they were from the same author. Unexpected Danger and Deadly Secrets kept me on my toes trying to figure out how it would unfold. 

The two historical novels were very different. To Love a Beast was a fun Beauty and the Beast retelling. It is now one of my favorite retellings. Against the Rain is number five in a six-book series that takes place in Alaska. The family dynamics is such a draw for me. Can't wait for book six to come out. 

You can check out my full reviews with their individual posts. And follow me on Goodreads. 

I've got so many wonderful books on my TBR pile, and it just keeps getting bigger. My goal is to read one classic each month that I haven't read or haven't read in a while. I want to read some of the older titles each month along with the newer books and new releases that I can't help but get. I love supporting the authors and gracing my shelves with beautiful books at the same time. I do read a lot on my kindle with KU. It helps me decide what I need to get for my shelves. Honestly, I'd love to be able to get all the books, but I have limited shelf space and funds. That doesn't seem to stop me in MANY cases. 

I can't wait to share with you the books for February! I have a book review I need to write and am in the process of reading two other books.  

As always, 

~A Simple Texas Girl living life on the Jesus Way! 

I intended to get this running journey started back in December, but one day turned into a week and a week turned into a month and well, you get the idea. I let the last two months pass without making sure that my daily habits were on track with my goals. I can't even say that is the first time that has ever happened. Far from it. 

I have all sorts of excuses, but the fact is, I just didn't "feel like" doing anything. I gave into those feelings. It's true that we let ourselves down more than anyone else in our lives. I really want to change that about myself.

Today, I chose a simple run that wouldn't ask me to push myself beyond what I felt like I had to give. After not working out or running this past month and most of December, I knew I didn't have much to give. With this run, the fastest RPE (rate of perceived exertion) is a 3-4. It was the slowest I've ever run. Most of the time my RPE of 4 leaves me with at least a 15-minute mile. I have to count this as a win since I completed the run with very little walking. I may not have gone very fast, but I did keep going. I was thrilled to get outside today in the sunshine, even though it was still only 50 degrees. 

On Saturday morning, I will be running a 10K and I know it will not be in the time that I wish it could be. I am not in the shape I need to be in, and I haven't been running consistently to have a time that I will be thrilled with. Is that going to make me quit and just throw in the towel? NO WAY! I am going to give it my very best and come out a winner in my eyes, if no one else's. My family will be proud of my no matter my time. They have always been my biggest supporters. 

If you would like to check out the workouts and running program that I am doing, you can find out more HERE. This is an affiliate link but it will not cost you extra to use it. It will just help me because I shared. 

Time to start fresh and work on my routine for better physical and mental health. Here are my Routine goals. 

• Going to bed early each night so I can get enough rest
• Fueling my body with healthy foods and cutting out unhealthy ones
• 5-6 Lifting workouts that are 25-40 minutes day
• Running 3-4 times with varying types of runs EVEN if I have to use the treadmill
• Walk the days that I don't run at least 30 minutes
• Rebounding twice a day for ten minutes each
• Taking Magnesium Breakthrough and Beef Organ Complex supplements
• Magnesium bath once a week, especially after long runs. 
• Lymphatic lotion nightly on my face and neck
• Rowe Casa Organics Hormone Kit each night
• Spend time each morning in Bible study and prayer
• Close out my day with time in the Word and journalling 
• Spend no less than one hour on my WIP 
• Limit TV to the weekend with no more than 2 hours
• Limit social media time to posting once daily on all platforms and no more than 30 minutes to connect with friends 

I may add to this list over the next few months but for now, these are things I am going to make happen daily. I will show myself grace when needed. 

I've spent too much time NOT taking care of myself. Not that I didn't have time, because I did. Everyone has more time than they realize. Every minute we are scrolling reels; we are using our time for something that doesn't benefit us. Every minute spent doing something that has no value or benefit for us or someone else, is time we could have used for something that matters to us. 

I want to make this the year that I do the things I've dreamed of doing for so long. I can't do those things if my mind and body aren't in the best shape they can be. When my body isn't functioning like it should from lack of rest, nutrients and movement then my mind can't function correctly, either. That isn't how I want to live my life. 

For the month of February, I will be focusing on these routines and making them an everyday part of my life, again. No excuses. These things will be non-negotiable. They will help me reach my goals and will help me be the best ME I can be as I continue to live this life on the Jesus Way with my husband, kids and grands. They need me to be the person I am supposed to be. I have so many things I am tired of putting on hold for the "right time" or "later". It's "later" now! Time to start doing those things and living those dreams that God gave me.

As always, 

~A Simple Texas Girl living life on the Jesus Way!

This book had a theme of grace and forgiveness running through it. Will everyone who needs to forgive do it? Will everyone who gets forgiven accept it? Can they see through the lies they have told themselves about their worth. Can they move forward trusting that they are worthy of love? 

Some new characters come into play, Sloane and her niece, Ivy who are living in an apartment on Max's property that he is renting out. He and Sloane have a complicated past. Once being as close as any friends and business partners could be to enemies in what appears to be a blink of an eye. The how and why are revealed some chapters in but the deep-down heart of things takes a little more time. It is worth the wait. 

There is a couple of interwoven substories in this book. One is with the mom of Max's two brothers, Fiona. Becky had this story brewing in the first two books, but it finally gets sorted out in this one. It is a HUGE part of the forgiveness and grace theme. I loved how it played out. 

The second one is a missing tiara that has been lost for over 14 years. We don't see a whole lot of page time on this topic but there are underlying facts that must come to light. It reminds us how things can continue to fester in our hearts if we don't forgive those who have hurt us in the past. It can make us bitter, and it can stop us from living the life God has for us to live. 

 The whole reason for Sloane and Ivy being there is because Ivy needed someone to stay with while her adoptive parents went on a long mission trip. Sloane is her real aunt. Her birth mom, Harper arranged for an open adoption with Ivy's parents. Harper and Ivy were allowed to have contact with Ivy anytime. Sloane built up a great relationship with her while Harper did not. Sadly, Harper chose to end her life four years prior. There were so many unanswered questions for Ivy. She wants to find her birthfather, even though Harper never told anyone who it was. It takes a bit of sleuthing, but they figure it out. Once she goes down this part, secrets unfold that no one ever dreamed about. 

Sloane has lots of baggage from her childhood. Her mother left them and her dad really didn't take care of them. They lacked basic needs, including food and clothing. They learned early how to take care of themselves. Sloane deals with some of those hurts with her dad during this book. 

Quotes from the book that stuck with me. 
"She'd been conceived accidentally. But the bigger part of her identity was that she'd been adopted purposefully."  I was adopted so this one touched me. 

"Give to other people what you need. I've spent time pondering it as a question. Am I giving to other people what I need?" She later talks about how in doing that it isn't something the person has to quality for. It isn't if they will be grateful or if they deserve it. Neither of those things matter. 

Despite the fact that something HUGE happened between Max and Sloane, something new that they never explored in their past starts to grow. They each had stronger feelings for each other in the past but neither one acted on it or shared it with anyone. They had too good of a friendship to want to mess it up. As this starts to grow and change, they slowly fall back into the easy friendship they had. Max does apologize for how he acted four years ago and it surprises Sloane, but she accepts it. Sloanes part in it is a bit more complex and it comes out later. 

There are some big ups and downs as well as a set back here and there. Don't expect an easy ride because it is anything but. It is a great read and wrap-up to the three-book series. Read all three, in order, if at all possible.  It is worth it!


​Check out the authors website for more information about her books: ​BeckyWade.com

Suspense and humor make this a page turner that will capture your heart and emotions.

​I am enjoying this series so much! Book one, we got to know two of the three brothers, the oldest more than the middle with just a mention of the youngest. In this book, we get to know the middle brother AND the youngest brother just a bit. The story goes into some detail with the two older brothers' mom in both books. The youngest brother has a different mom. We meet the dad of all three boys in both books but don't get anything from his POV. 

Jude is an FBI agent and such a stickler for the rules and details. Playing it by the book in every way he can. He does not like breaking rules, even in everyday life. When it comes to family, he is there for them any way he can be. They mean everything to him. We saw that in book one, as well. 

Gemma and her family are such a hoot! There are four generations of women that we get to see most with a few other people from the family here and there. I loved getting to see the dynamics of those women. There ended up being a mystery thrown in alongside the main storyline that had to do with the matriarch of the family, Gemma's great grandmother, Gracie. It was just enough of a mystery to keep me reading to find out how it unfolded.

The main storyline was with Jude and Gemma working on a case together, her as a cooperating witness. Her great grandfather came from a family with a 400-year-old perfume recipe and when he moved to American, he gave up his claim to that heritage. He chose the love of a woman over that. One of Gemma distant cousins, Cedric was involved in illegal activities, and they needed her help catching him. The only reason she chose to help was because he was doing things that went against her family's standards and beliefs. He had caused her father to be put in prison for working with him and instead of her cousin getting caught, her father took the fall. 

Gemma and Jude had to pretend to be dating to get close to her cousin. The lines of pretend and reality became hard to determine quite quickly. Gemma took it as playing a part, like in a movie or a play. She went all out to make sure they didn't leave any detail out. He fought it for a short time but felt she had a point that they needed to know things about each other, so it didn't look forced and unnatural when they were around her cousin and his henchman, Victor. That situation made me nervous because I didn't know just how dangerous it was going to get. I knew that Cedric wasn't beyond playing dirty and getting what he wanted any way he could. Victor sounded worse than Cedric, so I knew it could get very dicey. 

She doesn't introduce her boyfriends to her family. She seems to end her relationships before they get serious. At the start of this book, she has a long-distance boyfriend. They hardly see each other and there really is no connection there. She ends up ending things with him because she is starting to have feelings for Jude and the "fake boyfriend" seems more real than her real boyfriend. 

There were a couple of quotes that stuck out to me.

"You'd think, once you find the right person, that the road to happiness would be straight. For me, it wasn't. But I can tell you that it was worth all the stress it cost me." 


"Love the people in your life with all that you have and all that you are. Show them grace. Forgive." 


Check out the authors website for more information about her books: ​BeckyWade.com

They say, "You have to start somewhere." I guess, THIS is my somewhere. On an icy day, I am writing down all "my turn around" plans to share them with you.

​Here is where my turn around began...

I HAD built up my friend's list on my socials with wonderful authors, long time school friends, new friends, family and acquaintances. Those were built up over decades of interactions. I was proud of all the authors I had on my "friends" list and that followed me and I followed back. That was ALL wiped away on every platform a few weeks ago by who knows who or what. It is what it is. I could, and did for a few days, get upset and live in the misery of all I had "lost". 

On the third or fourth day, it came to me that I could make this a beginning, instead of an ending. A fresh start. A chance to do things the way I wanted and needed to do them for the purposes and visions I have. When I did that, it was like a switch flipped in my mind. Everything became clear and I began reconstructing my thinking and my pages, including my website. I began narrowing down what I wanted to do at this point in my life. I turned 60 this year and that is a GREAT time to re-evaluate one's life, don't you think? 

Looking back, one thing has always been a HUGE part of my life; books. When I was little, my grandmother taught me how special books are. I have memories of her reading certain stories to me. Those memories are filled with the sense that it wasn't a one-time read. I saw her reading all the time, too. She modeled what she felt was important by her actions. The ONE book she read more than any other was her Bible. I have two of her Bibles in my possession, filled with her hand-written notes. My Bible is my most prized book. I have many copies, even many different versions. It is what I use as my ultimate how-to guide for life. All other books are secondary to it. 

I believe my love for books is the reason I get the greatest joy when I teach a child to read. When another child learns to read, I know I have given them what I call the "keys to the world". They are able to learn anything if they can read. They can go on fantastical adventures and travel the world in a book. They can also learn about any subject they have a desire to know more about, learn a new skill and even create their own works of art with the written word. What an honor it is to be a part of that.

Two decades ago, I started meeting authors and became a part of writer's groups in hopes of becoming a writer. While I didn't go farther in my writing career than doing book reviews and blog posts, I met some of the most amazing authors and future authors. I am so blessed and thankful for that. I have some long-time friendships with many of them. I get the honor of reading their books and sharing them with others. That has always been something I felt I was called to do; share with others the well written Christian fiction books on the market. At the time, it was more or less a NEW thing. It isn't anymore, thankfully. There is an abundance of wonderful books with content that touch the heart in so many ways. I still want to share those with everyone I am able. People need to know they can read fiction that isn't filled with worldly "garbage" and still have the adventure, the love and all the feels. 

Then we come to the writing part of this journey. I still feel that I am supposed to write. Not just blogs posts and reviews, but actual books. I have come up with ideas for children's books, chapter books for kids, young adult and adult women's fiction. When my youngest daughter was little, I would make up stories for her at night. I dreamed of making those into a book to share with others. That dream quickly was forgotten as I went through some years of struggles. As a teacher and homeschool mom, I saw how fun it could be to create books for kids in upper elementary and jr. high. My heart always wanted to write women's fiction. I started many times but that was in the midst of my struggling years, and they quickly fell by the wayside, as well. Looking back, I think now, they could have been an answer to my need for an outlet. We can't go backwards, only forwards so, here I go! 

I want to write fiction, but I keep having these flashes of telling my actual "story" in the sense of what I've learned and how I've grown. I just might have to work on that one a little here and there in the middle of writing some fun fictional stories. That book may end up being just for me and my kids for them to pass down to theirs. I won't know until it's finished. 

Leaving a legacy for my children and grandchildren is important but above all else, I want them to remember and share my faith in Christ. When they remember me, I want them to think of His love that I shared through my love for them. One of the things I want to give them is a quilt that will be a comfort and will bring a smile to their faces when they see and use it. Quilting is another thing that I learned and loved doing and got put on the back burner years ago. Like books, I could not walk into a fabric store without wanting to buy more fabric. I finally forbade myself from going into the stores unless I had a specific purpose. I can't say that I didn't buy MORE fabric on some of those occasions. I never finished the really large quilts I started and never started the ones I gathered material for. One reason was I felt it would be impossible to do the quilting on the entire thing with the machine I have and without a large quilting frame. I did make a few large quilts and some baby quilts but not my huge quilts for queen size beds with all the detailed quilting. I have my eye on a new quilting machine and frame with a goal of starting those quilts in 2026. If I am successful at getting those and starting that quilting journey, you will see the fruit of that labor on this blog and on my social media pages. 

I have been on a journey of cooking healthier for decades and I have slowly but surely changed many of my cooking habits. Recently, I purchased a grain mill to make my own flour from the wheat berries. It has been a learning curve, to be sure. The fresh milled flour "acts" differently than the stripped flour we buy in the stores. It took me three tries before I made a loaf of bread that I didn't want to throw in the trash. It was well worth the effort it took to find a recipe and a person who could instruct me on the process and art. My goal is to change out everything we eat that uses flour to something I make myself. I will be sharing that on this page and all the resources I have found beneficial. 

I began my running journey in 2015 with the Couch to 5K guide. I also enjoy lifting because I know that is key especially at my age, to a healthy life. I have let my busy life and stresses get in the way of putting it as a TOP Priority of my life but that is where it should be. If it isn't, I won't be here to do all the other things I want to do. I know full well it HELPS with the stresses I deal with, and yet, I'm as easily tricked into thinking it doesn't matter and won't help anyway. Those lies we believe have a way of taking our goals and dreams and trashing them, if we let it. Time for a "turn around" in this area, too. I have a 10K race in just 2 weeks! YIKES! It may not be my fastest race, but it will be something I accomplish, and it will get me out there again and give me the desire to sign up for more. 

I hope you have at least enjoyed something about this glimpse into my "turn around" plans for 2026. If something resonated with you, please feel free to share it with me in the comment section. I'd LOVE to hear more. Turn arounds aren't always easy but they CAN be an adventure IF you let them. It is really all about how you set your mind. God can use our experiences to bring Him glory even when we feel like it is too much of a mess up to matter. You matter to Him! 

As always, 

~A Simple Texas Girl living life on the Jesus Way!  

This is one of the most captivating novels I have read from Becky Wade. I have not read all of her books yet, I think only 4. I will be reading the next two in this series back-to-back, starting tonight before I go to bed. I really enjoy her style of writing and will eventually get all of her book on my "read" shelf. 

Adventure from the first page! The mystery behind him being in the water almost dead, her living in a small cabin away from everyone, who he was and so many other details were slowly revealed as the story unfolded. Kept me on the edge of my seat, not wanting to stop.

Remy really wanted to help him find his family and people who knew him. Family is so important to her. That is a big theme in this book. I feel like the entire series will show that to be true. It has all three brothers, one in each book. 

Remy spends much of the book emotionally "protecting" herself from this good-looking man because his is not for her and she will get hurt if she allows herself to like him. She has some trauma that we don't find out about until a bit later. But it is WHY she won't commit or get close. YET, she is overcome with the need to help him, and it is waring inside her with the need to run as far away from him as she can get. At first, he can't do anything for himself because she dragged him out of the water with a wound on the back of his head, bruised and broken ribs AND amnesia. I enjoyed the snarky banter between them. It did get less as they got to know each other. At first, they got on each other's nerves a lot. 

Jeremiah is a man with no memory, but Remy can tell he came from money. He has a wedding ring, so she knows he is a married man. He is demanding and seems to know deep down what he likes in life. Despite the loss of his memory, he seems to know what he wants and is used to getting it. Remy does a bunch of internet searches trying to find out who he is and if his family is looking for him. When his health takes a turn for the worse, they head to the mainland for medical treatment. 

The story turns into a "murder" mystery partial way through. It is gripping and filled with amateur detective work paired with some real detectives helping out. It also has a "second chance's" theme running through it with some secondary characters. 

I'm so glad I got this book! It kept me reading even when I needed to put it down. I enjoyed it very much and it ended perfectly. I can't wait to read book 2, "Uneasy Street". Jude, his brother, is the main guy in book 2. He played a pretty big part in helping solve this murder.

*Trigger warning. There is r*pe mentioned in the book in some detail as a memory retelling. ​

Check out the authors website for more information about her books: ​BeckyWade.com

I have longed to read this book since the movie came out. I was told many times from different people that it is very different than the movie. They are correct. 

“The Count of Monte Cristo” by Alexanre Dumas is a complex story that spans 23 years where a man wrongly thrown in prison escapes after 14 years and seeks his revenge on those whose lies put him there. This is a book with over a thousand pages that is filled with rich detail and intertwining storylines that draw you in and makes you want to find out just how far it will go before it ends. 

It became a little overwhelming in some parts because of the audio, I think. If I ever get the time to read it again, I will do it with just the book so I can be drawn into it a bit more. I think even though the audio helps get through it faster since you can listen when you can't read, for me, it sometimes loses some of the depth that comes with being IN the book. 

The characters are very well developed. The details of every scene are incredibly vivid. The author did a great job of diving into so many different lives and situations but managed to bring each one to a conclusion at last quarter of the book. If you have seen the movie, you know that Edmond was betrayed by several men. That part is true in the book, but it is done just a bit differently. Each of those men are in this book, plus one that isn't in the movie. The Count visits those lives and plays a role in how things turn out. We do get to see some of their lives before the Count shows up. 

Edmond takes on several different disguises and personas, if you will, after escaping from the prison. In the movie we only see him as the Count. He not only takes an interest in the men who wronged him, but he also goes to find those whom he loved and who were good to him. Many strange things happen and not everything is as it seems. You'll find mystery and intrigue throughout the story. There is a bit of romance, yet it isn't a huge part of the book. 

I have a beautiful copy of the book, but I chose to listen to it on audible because of the length. The audio was 53 hours long. I kept track of what page I ended on with the actual book. I sometimes followed along in the book, especially the last part of the story. The audio helped me pronounce the names correctly and the narrator did a great job of bringing the characters to life. I still love the movie for its story and now I love the book for itself. 

​If you love a book that is long, full of details and descriptions that take you on the adventure with each page you turn, you should grab a copy of this book and be prepared to spend hours in the world of Edmond Dantes aka. the Count of Monte Cristo.

​Suspense isn’t my first choice of genre but I have to say that Penny is throwing out some “edge of your seat” reads.

It is well developed and had me hooked fairly quickly. It was also very clever to have the stalker’s view point without giving away who it was. I kept trying to put the pieces together of who I thought it could be. I had a really good guess at around 65% of the book. I was right!!!

Harper is a simple girl who loves people, except one very annoying co-worker. She has a pretty routine life; work, gym, church and I’m not sure there was much more than that. She’s happy and content. She’s not “looking” for a guy but isn’t upset when she discovers she kind of likes the officer handling her case and wonders if maybe they can see each other on a personal level when they catch the guy threatening her.

Kade is a dedicated detective set on solving crimes. Harper’s case is especially important because he doesn’t want a repeat from a former case that didn’t end well. He doesn’t even realize he is falling for her until he’s already down for the count.

The romance didn’t develop until about halfway through the book, which worked out well. It allowed me to focus just on the case and getting to know the male and female leads without that. When it did happen, it was very natural.

This book has all the thrills of a great suspense with a sweet romance thrown in for good measure. Well done!

Check out the author's website for information about her books: PennyZeller.com

​Book five in the Dawn of Alaska series did not disappoint!

I’ve looked forward to Yuri’s story since I first met him in earlier books. He’s such a carefree guy who just wants to make people laugh and find ways to help. He sees the good in Rosalind that others can’t.

Rosalind has been a mystery throughout the series. We’ve seen how everyone has thought badly of her because her father and uncle are so horrible to the Amos family, wanting to cause problems for them and their business. Yuri has seen her differently but his family, especially his oldest brother, Alexei has warned him against spending time with her in any way.

In the entire series, we see how the Caldwell brothers have been underhanded in their business dealings to cause financial hardship on the Amos family while lining their own packets with money they didn’t earn honestly. It even appears they have people in authority on their payroll, if you will, to do their bidding and get them out of legal trouble.

We finally get a closer look at Rosalind. Things are much darker than they appeared. She’s not only a quiet, submissive daughter, she’s forced into that role out of fear. Ever since her mother’s death, her father has been hitting her, leaving bruises that require her to stay out of the public eye until the evidence has faded. No one seems to see that truth until her friend, Bryony, who is recently married to one of the Amos brothers, tells them.

Read it for yourself and find out how things unfold as the Caldwell brothers plan to destroy the Amos family, at all costs and what Yuri does when he learns the truth of the abuse Rosalind is suffering at the hands of her father. It will keep you reading as things heat up in more ways than one.

Check out the authors website for more information about her books: NaomiRawlings.com