Your Invitation to Participate in a Fun Book Exchange!

 

Yep, all you will have to do is send one favorite book to a stranger and in return, receive up to 36 books for you to keep. They will be favorites from strangers all over!

Drop a comment below if you are interested or would like more information. 😊 Email may be the easiest and fastest way to communicate - feel free to share your email address in the comments and I will keep the comment unpublished and use that address to get in touch 😄

I look forward to hearing from you! Let me know if you have any questions. Also, for those under the age of 18, please be sure to obtain parental permission before signing up to participate. Thanks so much!

Not just surviving,

Ellen S.

"Garden of the Midnights" // Book Review

Hello everyone! Yes, I am still alive and doing well! I began my sophomore year of college on August 23 and life has been crazy, crazy busy ever since. But it's been great. Recently I had the privilege of getting to participate in a launch team for an awesome new book by author Hannah Linder, which I am sharing about with you guys today!

This past year I was introduced to some of Linder's work. Thus far I have read her three novels published by Barbour Publishing: Beneath His Silence, When Tomorrow Came, and Garden of the Midnights. (When Tomorrow Came is one of my top favorite reads for 2023 - highly recommend for other young adult readers!) Several of Linder's other books (not published by Barbour) are on my TBR (to-be-read) list 😊

Today, I am reviewing Garden of the Midnights, which released earlier this month! 

BACK COVER SUMMARY:

The accidents are not a matter of chance. They are deliberate. As English gentleman William Kensley becomes aware of the danger at Rosenleigh Manor, he pleads for the truth of his past from the only man he can trust - until that man is murdered.

As the secrets unfold into scandal, William's world is tipped into destitution, leaving him penniless and alone. His only comfort is the constant friendship and love of Isabella Gresham. If he does not have their nonsense at the seashore, their laughter, their reckless adventures, has he anything at all?

He should have known that would be ripped from him too. When a hidden foe arises from their acquaintances and imperils Isabella's life, William may be the only one willing to risk his life to rescue her. But even if he frees Isabella from her captors, will he still have to forsake her heart?

Some sacrifice everything for love. Others sacrifice love for everything else. In this haunting tale of rigid social prejudices and heart-aching regrets, the greatest decision of their life will be determined in the garden of the midnights.  

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 Stars

I had high expectations for Linder's newest release, and she did not disappoint.

I started reading Garden of the Midnights just after completing a literary analysis essay assignment for a class (it was kind of my reward for a job well done, lol), not anticipating that I would soon want to write another essay analyzing this book, too. There were so many hidden treasures and messages of truth interwoven throughout just waiting to be sleuthed out and grasped! Linder’s writing style is beautiful, and I loved how at times, I could sense some Jane Austen-influence (particularly with Isabella’s character arc – she reminded me of Austen’s Emma). And all the mystery and unexpected plot twists and surprises kept me guessing!

From the start, I felt and rooted for William, and while Isabella’s character needed a bit more time to grow on me, I was rooting equally as hard for her by the book’s end. (But William... he's still my favorite. His story brought a physical ache to my chest and tears may even have stung my eyes.)

I appreciated the bits and pieces of raw dialogue the characters shared with God. However, I did not prefer the way one character overcame a spiritual struggle through “forgiving” God. Our God is infinitely perfect and capable of no wrong – all that He does in our lives is above reproach and always for our good and His glory. I think if the character had realized this, it would have made their spiritual victory all the righter and more inspiring.

With that aside, this book was an excellent read. I would 100% recommend to those who enjoy reading Christian, regency, romance, or suspense, and definitely get this one if you enjoy a mix of all four genres. I am so glad that besides receiving an e-ARC to review, I also preordered a physical copy to keep on my shelf. 

Now, please excuse me while I go do some rereading.

**I received a free advance e-copy from the author and NetGalley. No positive review was required. All thoughts expressed in this review are my own.**

FIND GARDEN OF THE MIDNIGHTS ON

Amazon.com || Goodreads || Hannah's Website

Have you read anything by Hannah Linder? Does Garden of the Midnights sound like a book you would enjoy? What are you currently reading? Drop a comment below - I would love to hear!

Not just surviving,

Ellen

May & June Photo Dump // Life Update Post

Hello, friends! I hope you are all doing well and enjoying your summer 😄 I wrapped up my freshman year on May 6th and now my status as a student has been updated to sophomore. (whoohoo - such an amazing feeling!) I am not taking any classes over the summer but I am still working as an academic/writing coach at Regent. When I am not working, I have been catching up on reading and enjoying hanging out with my family.

In May, we celebrated my birthday - Mom put up bookish-themed decorations, spread out a glittery tablecloth, and purchased a set of plastic silverware sprinkled with confetti. She also painted my nails before I went to work 😄 That evening, we visited with friends over warm tacos and fresh, gooey, homemade cinnamon rolls and the next day, Mom took me to the bookstore. It was all so wonderful 🥰

In late May/early June, my family vacationed again at the beach. So much fun!

I really enjoyed all my morning & evening strolls on the beach listening to an audiobook, music, or just the beautiful, rolling waves 😄

My Ruby 😍 Can you believe how big she's grown??

Went jogging on the beach early one morning 😊

My siblings & me 💕

Then, more recently, my mom and I spent a couple days in Lancaster, PA. It was the best! We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves as we walked through the shops and the Kitchen Kettle Village and saw Moses at Sight & Sound Theatre. In the evenings we hung out at our hotel and ate a light dinner and watched episodes of The Andy Griffith Show on TV (we also had some time to sit outside and read the new books we bought). ❤❤❤

One afternoon we splurged and ate out at a new (to us) place. I got a Caesar salad and Mom got a salad with a berry vinaigrette and fresh strawberries & blueberries. Yum! 😋

Aaaand, that's a wrap (for now 😁)!

How has your summer been thus far? How do you like to celebrate your birthday? Have you visited Lancaster? Let's chat in the comments below!

Not just surviving,

Ellen S.

Photo Dump // Life Update

Hello to everyone who might still read this blog! I have not forgotten about this little corner of the internet, and while I miss having all the time I once did to jump on here and post, I would not change a thing about the season of life God currently has me in. I have been learning so much! The fall semester of my freshman year went super well, and I am now in my second semester with spring break looming just around the corner (one week off at the beginning of March - woohoo!) My classes have been challenging yet rewarding, and I am giving them my all! Plus working Tuesday and Saturday afternoons and Thursday evenings 😅 When I am not doing school or working, I am reading, trying to get back into jogging regularly, adding driving hours to my permit, or writing (with God's grace and help, I am determined to shape my latest idea into a novel - currently I am 20,000+ words in). So, yep, life has been busy, but good. 

2023 started off a little rough for my family. We spent the last week or so of December attempting to keep an intense stomach bug from spreading in the family after one of my siblings came down with it. Many of our plans for the holidays were cancelled, but God stayed faithful and He brought us through it - also (VERY thankful for this), my sibling recovered well and no one else ended up catching the bug. Then January rolled in, bringing with it another illness and a couple emergency room visits. Yet through it all, God was working, and He sustained and strengthened us. So grateful 💗

And so now, without any further ado, some photos from the past few months:

DECEMBER:

for Christmas, my supervisors at work treated me to my first Starbucks coffee 😊

making peppermint chex mix!

Mom and me <3

trip to the antique store with my mom and sisters!

found some gently used Christian fiction books at said antique store selling for a little over $1 apiece *heart eyes*

JANUARY:

good start to the spring semester :)

did the March for Life for the first time!

FEBRUARY:

bookstore visit!

I do not think I will ever outgrow my love for fake food xD 

writing!

my amazing blogger friend, Lilly, whom I have known/followed for the past four+ years, was published in an anthology! I downloaded Seize the Love onto my Kindle/phone the other day and look forward to diving into all the stories. (that cover is gorgeous, by the way, and went perfectly with my Valentine's Day nail polish :D)

Valentine's Day tea party with my sisters (in our pajamas) :D

currently reading ^_^

Did you enjoy this life update/photo dump? What are you currently reading? How has your 2023 been thus far?

ALSO: if you would like to see more from me, feel free to check out my brand-new Instagram page, where I try to get on occasionally with fun photos, devotions, and brief snippets from my life. 😄

Until next time!

Not just surviving,

Ellen S.