January Wrap Up

I read eight books in the month of January. That means I've read eight books 2019. I've set my Goodreads goal for seventy, so I'm a little ahead of schedule. Here are the books I read this month and what I thought of them.

With This Pledge

I really enjoyed this Civil War era romance. I loved the setting and the sweeping plot. All of the story takes place at the Carnton plantation which is turned into a hospital. I should give a warning that some of the content is gruesome, but it's really well done. The characters are well developed and have good chemistry. I'm interested to see where the series goes from here. I received a free review copy from Netgalley. The Curse of Misty Wayfare This is the third book I've read by Jaime Jo Wright, and I think it's my favorite so far. I loved the creepy insane asylum setting. She did such a good job setting the mood and building the characters. I preferred the historical time line a little over the contemporary, but they both had intriguing mysteries and engaging storylines. I didn't see the end coming for either of them. A little warning, this is essentially a ghost story. I have heard a couple of reviewers say this book was too scary for them. I didn't have that problem, and I read primarily at night. Still, if you don't like scary stories you might want to give this one a pass, or read it with the lights on.         I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher for the purpose of review. The Atomic City Girls I was a little disappointed in this book. The time period and setting were interesting, but I didn't care for the main characters. Also,the title and cover are misleading. There are four main characters and only two of them are women. I was expecting a story of female friendship and camaraderie, and mostly got a soap opera. There are a lot of other really great WW2 era novels out there. I wouldn't bother with this one. The Dreamers Oh...this book. I could not put it down. It's so well written, and the story is amazing. It's an interesting look at how people handle crises and relationships. I became really involved in the lives of the people in this town, and weather or not they were going to survive the epidemic. I read most of it one sitting because I had to know what was going to happen next. Highly recommended! I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher for review. Where the Crawdads Sing I listened to this one on Audible. I really enjoyed the narration. The story was beautiful and heart breaking. I loved it, and I can't stop thinking about it. I would caution you of you're sensitive to language , there are several instances of profanity and a couple of intimate scenes.    Between Two Shores

I thought this book was really well written and I enjoyed it a lot. The female characters were strong and independent. The male characters were hard for me to like. One was abusive and another one seemed really selfish. While there is some romance, this isn't a love story. It's a story about war and adventure. There is a lot of historical detail, which I love. I would recommend this for lovers of historical fiction and readers who enjoy strong female characters. I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher for the purpose of review.

The Wartime Sisters This book was really well done, and I enjoyed it. It's set during World War Two, but it's really a family drama. Female friendships also play an important part in the story. I enjoyed the New England setting and learning about women's roles in the war. The family secrets were somewhat predictable, but I enjoyed the process of discovering them. I would recommend this books for readers of family drama and WW2 novels. I received a copy of this book from Netgalley for the purpose of review. Grace for the Good Girl One of the biggest struggles of my faith has been that I haven't struggled in my faith. I'm a rule follower. I don't rebel or question authority. This has made me feel like I'm a somewhat dull Christian. In this book, Emily tackles the good girl image and the masks good girls wear. I highly recommend this book for women who grew up in church, but also any Christian interested in the theology of grace. What books did you read in January? Let me know in the comments or leave a link to your wrap up post.