Book Review: "Yesteryear" by Caro Claire Burke

Wow. I have seen so many mixed reviews of this book that I wasn’t sure if I was going to read it, but my curiosity got the best of me. This was utterly fascinating and really mind-bending!!

“And who was I? A flawless Christian woman. The manic pixie American dream girl of this nation’s deepest, darkest fantasies. The mother every woman wanted to be, and the wife every man wanted to come home to….My name is Natalie Heller Mills, and I was perfect at being alive.”

Natalie is one of those influencers you either love or hate. She and her husband Caleb live on a 500-acre farm in Idaho. Her husband is a cowboy, and their five children (with one more on the way) are photogenic and thriving in the traditional lifestyle they’re raising them in.

Of course, nothing is quite what it seems. Their rustic farmhouse cost millions to look that way; they have nannies to watch and educate the children; and the farm definitely doesn’t run itself. But her millions of followers eat it up—or they criticize her every move.

But there are cracks in this perfect façade. And then one morning, Natalie wakes up to find she’s in 1855. She’s living in the original version of her farmhouse, with a family that resembles her real one—but is also vastly different. Is this a dream? A hoax? A reality show?

I really had no idea how Caro Claire Burke would tie everything up. This book was very timely given the trad wife craze, and it was both insightful and emotional. What an incredible debut!

Book Review: "A Good Animal" by Sara Maurer

Funnily enough, this is the second consecutive book I’ve read in which sheep farming is involved. What are the chances? Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the complimentary advance copy of this beautifully written coming-of-age novel!

For many young people, growing up in a small rural town can be confining, making them feel stuck in place. They dream about getting away, living a whole different life. But not Everett. He has grown up on a sheep farm outside Sault St. Marie, Michigan. It’s the only life he’s ever known and it’s the only one he wants.

Everett is biding his time, waiting to finish high school so he can get a job as well as raise and breed sheep. He dreams of one day buying the family farm from his parents and making good money from his animals.

Then he meets Mary. Mary has just moved to town with her father, who is in the Coast Guard. She’s moved around a lot and done what’s expected of her. But all she dreams of is getting away, going to art school in California, doing what she wants to do and being totally free to live her life her way.

The two fall for each other, even though Mary is clear that she doesn’t want to stay in Michigan. But for the first time, she feels seen for who she is. When they come to a crossroads, Everett wants a life with Mary in his hometown; she wants so much more. What decisions can they make for their future?

This is a very quiet, character-driven novel. It’s as much a love story about farming and raising animals as it is a romantic love story. There are a few graphic scenes in which nature and predators have an impact, but you can easily skim over those. This is a memorable debut novel, one that could have easily turned to melodrama, but I’m thankful it didn’t.

The book will publish 2/24/2026.

Book Review: "Happy Medium" by Sarah Adler

Sarah Adler made me a fan with her spectacular debut, Mrs. Nash’s Ashes, and her new novel was equally fun and romantic.

Gretchen Acorn (not her real name) is a medium, helping people communicate with their dead loved ones. The truth is, her abilities are about as genuine as her name, and she comes from a long line of con artists. But Gretchen prides herself on not taking real advantage of her clients—she only helps those who truly would benefit from her “services.” (And if that helps pay her bills, so be it.)

When one of her clients asks Gretchen to help her bridge partner by investigating the phenomena that seem to interfere with his selling his family farm, she’s a tiny bit apprehensive. However, her client is going to pay her handsomely, so how can she pass up helping an old man?

She makes some quick discoveries when she arrives at the farm. First of all, her client’s bridge partner isn’t a little old man—Charlie is young, hunky, and doesn’t want anything to do with a fraud like Gretchen. And much to her surprise, Gretchen meets Everett, a distant family member of Charlie’s, who happens to be the ghost that’s been causing all the trouble on the farm. (So maybe there’s some truth to this whole medium thing after all?)

Everett, who has been haunting the farm since the 1920s, is a little annoying and quite a bit of a flirt. He asks Gretchen to convince Charlie not to sell the farm or he’ll face the same curse that killed Everett. But Charlie doesn’t believe Gretchen, so she vows to stay on the farm to make sure she wins him over. Of course, that entails actually working on the farm (physical labor is not her strong suit), and the more time she spends with Charlie, the more she realizes she needs to be honest—with him and with herself.

Everett is one of the best characters I’ve encountered in some time. The banter between him and Gretchen cracked me up. This was a sweet, steamy, and enjoyable romp that made me smile.

Book Review: "Go As A River" by Shelley Read

This is a moving and beautifully evocative story of a young woman who follows her heart.

It’s 1948. Ever since her mother, aunt, and cousin died in an accident, Victoria has become the woman of the house. She cooks all the meals for her father, brother, and uncle, not to mention the workers on her family’s Colorado peach farm. It’s a house full of tension, as all three of her family members have issues of their own.

One day she meets Wilson Moon, a young Native American man who has left his tribal land to pursue his own path. For the first time in her life, Victoria knows what it feels like to want someone and be wanted. But their time together is fleeting, because her town doesn’t like the idea of someone who is different having free will to do what he wants.

When tragedy strikes, she leaves home and escapes into the mountains, where she ekes out a solitary life for herself despite the challenges posed by the elements and her own limitations. But when she returns home, so much has changed. She soon learns of the government’s plan to flood her town, so she is determined to save all she can, especially her family’s peach orchard.

This is based on the true story of the destruction of Iola, Colorado. It’s an emotional story of love, betrayal, fear, isolation, friendship, and resilience. Victoria is a truly memorable character whose bravery and ingenuity in the face of adversity was moving and inspirational.

Book Review: "In the Weeds" by B.K. Borison

In the Weeds is a terrific, steamy, small-town romance with a fantastic supporting cast!

Lovelight Farms was an absolute joy of a find last year, and I’ve been meaning to get to this second book in the series for months! I was so excited to take a trip back to the small town of Inglewild.

Beckett can’t get Evie out of his mind. It was just a one-night stand (well, two nights), but there was something different about her and the way she made him feel. The last thing he expected, though, is for her to show up at Lovelight Farms.

He had no idea that Evie, from that bar in Maine, is actually Evelyn St. James, world-famous social media influencer. And she’s at the farm as part of a social media contest. But no sooner does she appear than she leaves again.

The thing is, while Evie appreciates the renown she has achieved, she seems to have lost her passion for her job, lost the happiness and her sense of purpose. To recapture it, she goes back to the last place she truly felt peace: Lovelight Farms. (Do you think that has anything to do with a sexy, brooding farmer?)

“It’s okay if it takes you some time to find it again. And it’s okay if you find it just to lose a bit of it here and there. That’s the beauty of it, yeah? It comes and goes. Not every day is a happy one and it shouldn’t be. It’s in the trying, I think.”

I loved this book so much. Beckett is definitely a new book boyfriend, but boy, do I love the people of Inglewild!!

Book Review: "The Four Winds" by Kristin Hannah

The newest novel from Kristin Hannah, The Four Winds, proves that sometimes being tough is the only choice you have.

At 25, Elsa’s family has told her that she is too old and too ugly to ever find a husband, which in Texas in 1921 is the only path for a woman. So she’s expected to not make a fuss, stay out of the way, and live an uneventful life until the time comes when she must care for her parents.

But that’s not an acceptable option for her, and when she meets Rafe Martinelli, she makes a decision that changes the course of her life. When she finds herself shunned by her family and forced out of her home, her only choice is to marry a man she barely knows and move onto his family’s farm.

Thirteen years later, in the midst of the Great Depression and an unprecedented drought, the farm is dying. While Rafe is desperate to move to California where opportunities are rumored, his parents don’t want to leave their farm, and Elsa is determined to help them keep fighting. This causes friction in their marriage and with their older daughter, Loreda, who wants out of the relentless drought and dust storms, too.

When it gets to the point where the survival of her children are at stake, Elsa summons every last ounce of bravery she has and drives to California with them. Yet what they find when they get there, the lives they must pursue, will change each of them.

This is a beautifully written, emotional piece of historical fiction. Hannah once again proves herself an impeccable storyteller. Elsa is an exceptional character and her story is one of courage and exceeding what everyone has always told you that you could accomplish.

At times the darkness and emotions of this story feel a little relentless even though it’s fact-based, and I’ll admit I found Loreda’s character difficult to like. But this is definitely a book that moved me and once again made me thankful to those who came before.

NetGalley and St. Martin's Press provided me with a complimentary advance copy of The Four Winds in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making it available!!

Book Review: "Silver Heights" by J.L. Cole

Silver Heights, J.L. Cole's debut novel, is a moving and compelling story of navigating life's ups and downs, and how sometimes you have to trust your instincts to get you through.

Rayna dreams of being a writer, and dreams of having a more stable relationship and marriage than her parents do. Their toxic relationship has affected her tremendously. But she’s not expecting how quickly her life changes when she meets Ethan, her best friend’s brother.

Although the two couldn’t be more different, they fall in love quickly, and before she knows it, Rayna and Ethan get married and she is moving to his small Canadian town and living on a ranch. It’s not long before she realizes how smothering small-town life could be, how she’s judged for what she wears, what she says, and what she does and does not do. (And the judgment is mostly negative.)

Ethan’s very conservative mother, Carol, doesn’t approve of Rayna and makes that clear. She hates the way Rayna dresses, doesn't like that she uses foul language, and disapproves that Rayna isn't interested in going to church every Sunday. But even with the odds stacked against her she is determined to make her marriage work and ignore the naysayers. Easier said than done, though, right? And if she loves her husband why does she keep trying to sabotage her marriage?

Silver Heights is a quietly moving story about letting go of the past and doing the best you can in the present. It’s the story of how hard it can be to make marriage and other relationships work when challenges stand in the way. And it’s also a love story, a story of family, and a story of self--belief.

At 224 pages, this can be read fairly quickly, and even if the characters aren’t always likable, it’s still compelling and beautifully written. It’s hard to believe this is a debut!

I was excited to be part of the tour for this book. Kate Rock Book Tours, J.L. Cole, and Black Rose Writing provided me with a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making it available!!