Book Reviews – Laurel Luehmann

April memories – 2023

May 1, 2023by Laurel Luehmann6 Comments

Things worth remembering

participating in a local road race with siblings + friends
feeding cattle (punctuated by hysterical laughter) with a sister
seeing the northern lights for the very first time
contagious laughter
FaceTiming the brother
getting sunburned
acquiring badly needed new windshield wipers and proceeding to keep them in my back seat for weeks
shopping adventures with a sister
Ultimate Frisbee

I don’t worry about my small salary, ’cause I am getting a happiness and a joy in service that money couldn’t buy…
Peter Marshall

What I’ve been reading

A Man Called Peter – Catherine Marshall

“I’d like this clearly understood,” he went on, grinning like a small boy, “I’m not going to get mar-r-ied till I’m good and ready. I’m good enough now, but I’m not ready.” This remark soon went the rounds.

I don’t even feel like I’m reading a biography when I’m reading this…Catherine Marshall has such a gift for storytelling and description, and Peter Marshall was such a character!

Three Blind Mice – Agatha Christie

The fact that her breakfast had been excellently cooked and served, with good coffee and homemade marmalade, in a curious way annoyed her still more. It had deprived her of a legitimate cause of complaint. Her bed, too, had been comfortable, with embroidered sheets and a soft pillow. Mrs. Boyle liked comfort, but she also liked to find fault. The latter was, perhaps, the stronger passion of the two.

I listened to an audiobook of this short mystery. I so enjoyed this one. The characters were so intriguing, and the ending completely blindsided me! If you want a good snowbound mystery that won’t take too long to read, here’s your book!

Crooked House – Agatha Christie

Curious thing, rooms. Tell you quite a lot about the people who live in them.

I still don’t know what to say about this one. The ending was so dark, but it was clever. Most of the characters just didn’t come alive for me, either. I don’t know that I would recommend it.

Dead Man’s Mirror – Agatha Christie

Godfrey Burrows came in with a pleasant eagerness to be of use. His smile was discreetly tempered with gloom and showed only a fraction too much teeth. It seemed more mechanical than spontaneous.

This was an enjoyable short mystery!

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe – C.S. Lewis

“Why not now?” said Edmund. His face had become very red and his mouth and fingers were sticky. He did not look either clever or handsome, whatever the Queen might say.

I’m reading through this classic for the first time, and am once again enjoying C.S. Lewis’s style of storytelling.

This Will Not Last – Laurel Luehmann

when the world knocks the breath from my lungs, You fill them once more with Your own

Yes, I’m rereading my own book. XD

Where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.
James 3:16

From the journal

I want to know You for who You are, not for who I think You are.

How is Christ changing the way I live my life? How is He altering my heart, my desires, my priorities? The way I spend my seconds?

I know You will provide, and I know Your timing is best. I lay down any thoughts of “I know better” and give this mess to You.

What were some of the most memorable parts of your April?

❤ Laurel

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

Book Reviews, Personal

March memories – 2023

April 10, 2023April 10, 2023by Laurel LuehmannLeave a Comment

How does March already feel so far away??

Things worth remembering

spending time with a cousin
tacos and fun conversation with friends
eating “maple foam”
our first small group meetings!
making significant progress in Project Redemption
getting an internship I really wanted
The Arm-Wrestling Night (if you know, you know)
getting a box of Clarion Hope copies
late night sibling talks
getting posts prepped for the Clarion Hope release

Jesus is our Ruler.
It is His trail.
Kimu (transcribed from a prayer by Elisabeth Elliot)

What I’ve been reading

Chasing the White Lion – James R. Hannibal

This is the sequel to The Gryphon Heist, and I really enjoyed it! It did get a little bloodier than I like, but I really loved how the author dug into one character’s backstory…and the banter and suspense from the first book didn’t disappoint in the second!

By My Own Betrayal – Cydnie Trenholm

Okay, I loved this one so much!! The sibling relationships, the disguises, the plot twists, the dangling end that leaves you hungry for the sequel…it was just amazing. Put it on your TBR.

The Butterfly and the Violin – Kristy Cambron

I picked this up without realizing it was a romance (if you’ve been around the blog for a bit, you probably know how I feel about those XD), but it pleasantly surprised me! The storylines were gripping, and the descriptions of the death camp were heart-breaking and thought-provoking. I learned quite a bit from this book.

The goal is not to have unrestrained disclosure in every relationship, but to know at any level of communication that we are not holding back our voice out of fear.
Rosalie De Rosset

From the journal…

God, thank You for the pain… Thank You for Your gracious “no”s and “not yet”s… Oh, You know best then, God, and You know best now.

Lord, I pray for unity in Your Church… Show us the art of dying on the hills You’ve told us to die on, and the art of being quiet when the hills aren’t big enough.

David refused to offer to the Lord that which would cost him nothing. Help me to have this heart, Father! May I never look for the easy way out…may I pay full price.

God, who am I to tell You how to write my story?

How was your March? Anything remarkable that you learned/read/did?

Stay the course!

❤ Laurel

Book Reviews, reading

This Life of Mine – book review

March 27, 2023by Laurel Luehmann3 Comments

Friends, meet one of my favorite books and the first one I’ve had the privilege of endorsing!

This Life of Mine has earned a forever home on my bookshelf and in my heart. Featuring memorable characters and a powerful stance on the sanctity of life, it had me in tears with its story of redemption in the wake of regret. Victoria Lynn has done it again, weaving a tale that holds out hope to the ones who have been broken…and to the ones who have broken others.
Laurel Luehmann

First off, let me introduce you to the book via the blurb…

Marcus is tired of losing those he loves. The last shred of his childhood has been uprooted, and he feels alone… again. When the ruler’s new policies take effect, the anger of the Rusalkan mountain king is unleashed upon the borderlands. With refugees streaming into Elira by the hundreds, the stories from the wall are horrific.

Marcus joins a convoy to lend his medical skills to those in need at the Eliran border. What he finds there requires him to face his own deformities. Will he be able to overcome them? Or will his life forever be marked by suffering and sacrifice?Dilara’s life as a slave in Rusalka was anything but idealistic. Consumed by a system designed to use, abuse, and discard the likes of her, she has been taken through the very depths. Carrying a traumatic secret and wounded in her frenzied escape, she finds herself with an unlikely protector and an even more confusing relationship. Can she traverse the waters of this new life of hers and make it her own?

“Curses often have a way of turning out to be blessings in disguise. It’s a wise man who will see the first and recognize it as the other.”
This Life Of Mine – The Chronicles of Elira

What I loved about This Life of Mine

The characters.

Even the side characters in this book had so much personality! Everyone was so endearing and just came alive so effortlessly in my mind. (I’ve got to admit that Keitha was probably my favorite side character.:) )

I loved how you got to see the main character’s flaws, too. The characters weren’t unrealistically perfect…they were believable and relatable.

Marcus’ prayers/conversations with God.

Every now and then, there comes a fictional character who challenges you to live your life differently, and Marcus’ effortless open dialogue with the Lord did just that for me.

The recurring imagery and parallels.

Man, oh man. This was so much fun. It was the ashes one that got me.

The reveal.

I can’t say much about this because of spoilers, but WOW. This was one plot twist I never saw coming, and the absolute beauty…

“Pain shared brings healing instead of making the wound grow deeper with each remembrance.”
this life of mine – The chronicles of elira

Intrigued? Purchase a copy from Amazon here or a signed copy here!

This Life of Mine is the second book in Victoria Lynn’s series, The Chronicles of Elira, but this book can also be read as a standalone! If you’re interested in hearing more about the first book in the series, check out my review of Once I Knew here.

Meet the author

Victoria Lynn has an insatiable desire for truth, light and beauty.

Traveling to destinations of beauty created by our Heavenly Father, reveling in creative pursuits that fill her with joy, or pouring her heart into words of life are some of her favorite things to do.

She seeks to bring the life giving words of the Savior to a dark and broken world that desperately needs to know of His sacrifice.

A writing and publishing coach, author, journalist, seamstress and creator, she loves spending time with any of her 8 siblings, exploring her native state of Michigan, and sewing gowns fit for a princess.

Victoria’s content just blesses me so much…be sure to check out her blog and Instagram account!

Book Reviews, Journaling, Personal, reading

February memories – 2023

March 6, 2023by Laurel Luehmann3 Comments

I have run out of original introductions for these posts. So here you are!

Things worth remembering

getting my teeth bejeweled
learning how to jig
finishing the Sue Thomas, F.B.Eye series with my sisters
speed walking behind my sister on roller skates for what had to be miles
many games of Rummikub with my family
realizing that not all potato pancakes are created equal
writing the outline for Project Redemption in two days

It does not matter how great the pressure is. What really matters is where the pressure lies – whether it comes between you and God, or whether it presses you nearer His heart.
Hudson taylor

What I’ve been reading

The Gryphon Heist – James R. Hannibal

“Also you are very small, no? You need the help.”

Eddie turned and walked away.

Man, oh man, was this an exciting read! I was very pleasantly surprised to find that, not only was it void of junk, it also had some cool forgiveness elements, as well. A great balance of action, banter, character depth, and plot twists.

Becoming Elisabeth Elliot – Ellen Vaughn

“He is my Rock. it is on Him I count, not on the purity of my own heart…His promises depend on His character, NOT MINE. This is the only foundation for faith.”

Yes, I’m still reading it…yes, I’m still loving it. (It does get a bit descriptive with some of the injury scenes, so if that’s something that disturbs you, be forewarned.)

The Magician’s Nephew – C.S. Lewis

The Bear lobbed the whole sticky mass over the top of the enclosure and unfortunately it hit Uncle Andrew slap in the face (not all the bees were dead). The Bear, who would not at all have minded being hit in the face by a honeycomb himself, could not understand why Uncle Andrew staggered back, slipped, and sat down. And it was sheer bad luck that he sat down on the pile of thistles.

I just finished this one! It was so fun to read it again.

(I also got to beta-read a dual-timeline novel that hasn’t been published yet.)

Teach me never to let the joy of what has been pale the joy of what is.
Elisabeth Elliot

From the journal

…thank You, Lord, that the love does not come from my meager resources, but from the incredible depths of Your love.

Purify my heart, Lord…let self-will die a quiet death in me.

Help me to live in pursuit of Your heart, Father. And yet it is not a pursuit…for You ask me to knock, and tell me it will be opened to me, and all I must do is keep in step with Your Spirit.

What memories/lessons are you taking away from February?

❤ Laurel

Book Reviews, Journaling, life, Personal

November Memories – 2022

December 5, 2022by Laurel Luehmann6 Comments

Another month, another review…

Blessed is the man who, having nothing to say, abstains from giving us wordy evidence of the fact.
george eliot

Things worth remembering

Sniffing 95% of the candles at Hobby Lobby (even the disgusting ones) with a sister
puddle selfies
the first real snow of the season
Bananagrams and peanut butter cups with friends
sharing music with my family at a local church
family time and preparations on Thanksgiving Eve
baby snuggles and rodent tales on Thanksgiving Day
surviving a painfully awkward and extremely predictable Hallmark-style movie

I’ll walk with you through the shadowlands till the shadows disappear…
from Andrew Peterson’s “Dancing in the Minefields”

What I’ve been reading

The Hobbit – J.R.R. Tolkien

Up jumped Bilbo. “Breakfast?” he cried. “Where is breakfast?”

“Mostly inside of us,” answered the other dwarves who were moving about the hall; “But what is left is out on the veranda.”

I’m still reading this one…and it’s still just as hilarious and thought-provoking as last month.

Death by Living – N.D. Wilson

Drink your wine. Laugh from your gut. Burden your moments with thankfulness. Be as empty as you can be when the clock winds down. Spend your life. And if time is a river, may you leave a wake.

This was an enjoyable read…and while I did get lost in some of the poetic nature of it all (I’m a baby poet, and too much of it loses me) and I didn’t really agree with all of Wilson’s conclusions, this book has quite a few quotable lines and provides a lovely perspective on eternity and mortality.

This Life of Mine – Victoria Lynn

I had the privilege of beta reading the second book in my friend’s series, The Chronicles of Elira, and goodness. It’s just so good. I can’t wait to share my review with you!

“We do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies. O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive!”
Daniel 9:18

From the journal…

Help me to remember truth: that You loved me eve when I was dead in sin. that You chose me before the world began. That it is grace that leads me home, not my stellar conduct.

What made your November memorable? What’s been your favorite read of late?

❤ Laurel

Photo by Anne Nygård on Unsplash

Book Reviews, Journaling, life, Personal, reading

October memories – 2022

October 31, 2022by Laurel Luehmann7 Comments

And so another month sinks beneath the dust of time…

Before we carry on with my typical format for this post, I want to give you some bad news, and then some good news.

The bad news: a few months ago I lost all of my contacts for my email list. (That’s why I haven’t been sending newsletters.)

The good news: You can sign up again for emails now (follow this link!)…and you’ll want to, because tomorrow I’m sending an email with some pretty exciting news that you won’t want to miss! So go ahead and sign up…as long as you don’t mind me saying hello in your inbox every month.:)

Things worth remembering

participating in a fun Instagram challenge hosted by my friend Victoria
frying up lots of apple fritters
jam sessions made even better with a cajon
an apple orchard adventure
walks…as always
raking corn stalks on a beautiful (and very dry and dusty) day
dozens and dozens of runzas
hauling silage for the last time this year
several deep (and some very strange) conversations
hikes with breathtaking views
a slumber party with Grandma, complete with hot chocolate and an old movie
pizza, more apple fritters, and Ole and Lena jokes with family

To forgive is to set a prisoner free and to discover the prisoner was you.
corrie ten boom

What I’ve been reading

Adorning the Dark – Andrew Peterson

…my expression, even if it is of the most intimate chambers of my heart, can lead the audience beyond me and to the Ultimate Self, the Word that made the world. In that grand chamber alone will art find its best end, as an avenue to lead the audience home.

Nothing to say but that several times during this book my soul has been screaming, “Yes! I’m not the only one?? Yes. Yes. Yes!!!” The truth. The beauty. Words can’t describe it.

The Hobbit – J.R.R. Tolkien

His house was perfect, whether you liked food, or sleep, or work, or storytelling, or singing, or just sitting and thinking best, or a pleasant mixture of them all. Evil things did not come into that valley.

So begins my foray into the wild and wonderful world of Tolkien. Not only is this making me laugh with its humor and smile over Tolkien’s golden descriptions, it’s convincing me that I, like Bilbo, am most likely a descendent of both the proper hobbits and the wilder Tooks. And now I’m absolutely sure I want to create a home like The Last Homely House.

To-Do: With Love – Abigail Rehmert

If I give my best efforts only when I feel like it, or when it blesses me, then what will this accomplish? If I share my possessions with the needy, but am impatient about it, this counts for nothing.

This post was so convicting to me. Give it a read if you can.

Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.
Jesus Christ (John 12:24)

From the journal

John 16:29-30 – The moment of the disciples’ strongest confidence in their Savior was followed by the greatest test of their faith. Lord, help Thou my unbelief! Make me unwavering in my trust and help me to remain humble and ever aware of my need for grace.

Oh, Lord, You knew all that was to come upon You and You walked forward to meet it anyway. What greater courage is there than this? Thank You for paving the way for me to walk in the most selfless of loves.

…inconsistency taints the picture I’m painting for others of You.

Oh, let me not stray from the path You have laid for me, whether that leads through meadows or minefields. The world roars so loudly, Lord…may I keep my ear close to Your song.

…if the trumpet makes an uncertain sound, who will prepare for battle?
1 corinthians 14:8

What made your October memorable? ❤

Photo by Debby Hudson on Unsplash

Book Reviews, Journaling, life, Personal, reading

September memories – 2022

October 3, 2022by Laurel Luehmann4 Comments

Hello, friends!

I was going to apologize for my lack of posting for the last couple of weeks, but then thought maybe I shouldn’t…because I’m not sorry for sparing you hastily pulled-together words just for the sake of saying I posted. So…sorry, not sorry.🙃

Just because I haven’t posted, though, doesn’t mean I haven’t been writing. I’ve been working again on the project I started this summer and *cough cough* another project that I will likely be announcing sometime within the next few months. There’s a lot happening behind the scenes right now, and I am so excited to be able to share it with you!

Anyway, here’s September’s review…

Things worth remembering

Fresh zinnias and snapdragons from our little flower garden
Charring an apple over a bonfire…it did not live up to my expectations. Its tumble into the ashes didn’t improve the taste. At all.
The lovely photos of the moon I captured
Learning what to do (and what not to do) when a faulty latch locks you in the tractor
Walks by the lake
Dancing the polka with my dad
Gorgeous road trip weather
Harvesting corn silage
Visiting a writer friend at Bible college
Worship in the stairwell, late night talks and laughter, and dancing in the rain on aforementioned trip
Wandering a huge cemetery with a friend

Be careful not to measure your holiness by other people’s sins.
Martin luther

What I’ve been reading

The Westing Game – Ellen Raskin

A most uncommon-looking delivery boy rode around town slipping letters under the doors of the chosen tenants-to-be. The letters were signed Barney Northrup. The delivery boy was sixty-two years old, and there was no such person as Barney Northrup.

This mystery both cracked me up and blew my mind. It’s the perfect autumn read!

The White Cliffs – Alice Duerr Miller

Ah, they forget they cannot write their parts; the bell has rung, the curtain rises, and the stage is set for tragedy – they were in love and young.

I read this novel-in-verse last fall, and enjoyed it so much I decided to read it again.

The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip – Sara Brunsvold

As if sensing the widening gap, Admin Gal looked over her shoulder and came to a stop. “I can get you a wheelchair if you’d like, Mrs. Kip.”

“I think a race car would serve me better, honey.”

I’m halfway through this one and am loving it so much! The dual timeline, the different perspectives in the same scenarios, Clara Kip in general…it’s just so good. The descriptions are fresh and poignant. It’s perfection.:)

To me, a lady is not frilly, flouncy, flippant, frivolous and fluff-brained, but she is gentle, she is gracious, she is godly and she is giving.
Elisabeth Elliot

From the journal

Oh, Father, may I not mourn the death of this season. May I rejoice in You, gladly giving You all of me. Regardless of where it leads me.

I’m afraid to hand my plans to You. I’m afraid to let go of hopes I’ve held for so long. It’s ridiculous because I know You. I know You always handle things so much better than I do. Lord, I choose surrender. I choose to let go. I choose to raise open palms to You, waiting blindly in the darkness…

The devil tempted Jesus with that which belonged to Him, but it was not yet time for Him to take hold of it.

Let me carve my legacy in souls, Father!

“Whoever of you does not give up all claims to personal rights, ambitions, and dreams for My sake cannot be My disciple.” (paraphrase of Luke 14:33)

What were the highlights of your September? Have you been reading anything lately?

❤ Laurel

Photo by Brigitte Tohm on Unsplash

Book Reviews, Journaling, life, Personal, reading

August Memories – 2022

September 5, 2022by Laurel Luehmann5 Comments

You know the routine…let’s cut to the chase!

Things worth remembering

The smell of new twine and hay
“Getting” to hear what it sounds like when a tire blows
All of the music, dance, and stories shared at my grandma’s memorial service
Singing around the bonfire with family and hearing my grandpa play the guitar
Getting to see and help set up my brother’s new apartment
The guys and girls singing together in the hallway on the youth retreat…the closed door in between the two groups only made for more giggles and louder scream-singing!
Misty mornings
Baseball and wading in the crik with friends
Baby Cchini (If you know, you know)
Hauling silage
Watching the goldenrod start blooming in the road ditches
my brother coming home a day earlier than he said he would
a road trip with my grandma, aunt, and friend
escaping the sketchy antique store and enjoying the beauty of a much better one

A gracious woman retains honor.
Proverbs 11:16a

What I’ve been reading

The Scarlet Pimpernel – Baroness Orczy

“Mr. Hempseed shook his head with an infinity of wisdom, tempered by deeply-rooted mistrust of the British climate and the British Government.”

I’ve been meaning to read this one for years, and I finally dug it out of the darkest corner of my bookshelf and started. I’m so enjoying the humor and the eloquent writing style!

(At this present moment, I have misplaced the book. Pray that it has the courage to once more show its face.)

The Best Yes – Lysa Terkeurst

We have to put our hearts and our minds in places where wisdom gathers, not scatters.

There are some real nuggets of wisdom in this book!

Today’s choices become tomorrow’s circumstances.
Lysa Terkeurst

From the journal…

With the privilege of being a partaker of the divine nature comes a grave responsibility: to live as the royalty I am.

Keep prying my fingers away from what is good and let me raise willing hands to receive what is best.

Love speaks the truth for the good of the loved, even when it hurts like crazy for both parties.

I want to work to build a legacy of souls, whether they remember my name or not.

Love produces a formidable strength in the lover…oh, Lord, may I love You with this passion that overcomes all obstacles!

Listen to Me, you who know righteousness, you people in whose heart is my law: do not fear the reproach of men, nor be afraid of their insults.
Isaiah 51:7

Question of the day: What book/poem/movie/show (barring the Bible) has influenced you the most, and why?

❤ Laurel

Book Reviews, Journaling, life, Personal, reading

July Memories – 2022

August 1, 2022by Laurel Luehmann2 Comments

Goodness sakes…this was most definitely a month to remember.

You know the writing challenge I told you I was doing this July? Well, I got about 5k words written of the 20k I wanted. But I’m going to let myself be okay with falling flat on my writer’s face, because this month took the cake in terms of real-life plot twists and adventures. So much of it made me laugh. A lot of it made me cry. But I saw God’s hand and knew His presence so clearly this month, and we’ll close it out in His praise. ❤

One life. Just one. Why aren’t we running like we are on fire towards our wildest dreams?
Unknown

Things worth remembering…

Sitting by the lake and just drinking in the beauty of all of the sights and sounds and smells.
Taking goofy photos with my sisters.
Fresh veggies from the garden!!
Holding my brand-new cousin in the hospital…my heart! *happy sigh*
Being there with my family when my Grandpa left his earthly home to see the Lord face to face. I had never experienced anything like that, and the raw pain and beauty of that evening was beyond belief.
Lots and lots of hugs. ❤
Completing 20 revolutions around the sun.
Gifts and a handmade birthday card from some guys in my youth group…they have no idea how much that made my week. ❤
Bingeing Doctor Thorne with my Grandma into the wee hours. 11/10 recommend.
Wildflower bouquets.
French fries.
A weekend with cousins…the sweetest and weirdest memories made with the sweetest and weirdest souls. May Morgan, the Jensens, the fruit kabobs, and the couch (was it really free?) live forever in our hearts.
Getting my brothers graduated!!!! Another weekend with cousins and the dearest friends.

Soon shall end this earthly story, swift shall pass the pilgrim days, hope soon change to heavenly glory, faith to sight and prayer to praise.
Henry Francis Lyte

What I’ve been reading

Behind the Act – Abigayle Claire

“I should hope not,” the red-headed teenager replied, bouncing on his toes. “Welcome to The Magnificent.” He gave a dramatic sweep of his arm to the cramped lobby.

I’m not very far in this one yet, but I’m excited to see where this story leads! I love Abi’s descriptions…they make me feel as if I’m right there in the book!

The Story Jar – Robin Lee Hatcher & Deborah Bedford

“I knew all about Jesus from Sunday school and knew all the right things to say and what I was supposed to believe. But I never knew Him.“

I wasn’t sure if I would like this book, but it pleasantly surprised me! The stories were heartbreaking and heartwarming all at the same time, and the perfect read for a road trip.:)

The McWilliamses and the Burglar Alarm – Mark Twain

He looked confused and ashamed, and said, with embarrassment, “I beg a thousand pardons. I did not know you had a burglar alarm, else I would have rung it.”

Oh, this short story gave me a good laugh!

say goodbye to where you’ve been // and tell your heart to beat again // let every heartbreak and every scar // be a picture that reminds you // Who has carried you this far
“Tell Your Heart to Beat again” (Performed by Danny Gokey)

From the journal

A new month = new mercies.

My mood is very fragile…I woke up and the fact that everyone had polished off the bagels before I’d had one nearly ruined my day. (I have to laugh at myself sometimes…XD)

I was getting a headache, borderline snapped at people, and morphed into a silent, weary, glowering, ham-gobbling state of torpid existence. (…) Oh, Lord, let me bow only to Your heart, not the selfish dictates of my own.

It’s one thing to grapple with death. It’s another to realize that someone will never again be in your life, making new memories with you.

The Spirit in me is the one that gave Samson his strength; give me the strength, Lord, to love fully and abundantly, and to live this day to the hilt.

How was your July? What were the highlights? I’d love to hear from you in the comments!

Photo by Glen Carrie on Unsplash

Book Reviews, reading

Once I Knew – Book Review

July 18, 2022by Laurel Luehmann3 Comments

Welcome to my review of one of my new favorite books!!!!! I don’t habitually binge-read anymore, but I tore through this one in about a week. (For other more voracious readers I know this is nothing, but check my Good Reads to see how often it is I actually finish a book. XD)

First, we need to talk about the cover. The cover. Isn’t it gorgeous??? The golden light, the font, the cloak, the everything. This cover makes me so very happy. *smiles dreamily*

Second…

The blurb

Violet lives her quiet life in her sleepy village, trying to remain as dead to the politics that are threatening their world as possible. She follows the rules, stays out of trouble and does her best to remain out of sight from the dreaded and overbearing Kingsmen.

With the new regent on the throne till the prince comes of age, the country has been thrown into a turmoil. Unlike the kindly king before him, the new ruler is overbearing, frightening and tyrannical in his rule. Taxes are bleeding the people dry and without the money or goods to pay, they have been forced into penal servitude and imprisonment by the Kingsmen, who show no mercy. The despair and fear that has taken over their lives has ruled out any level of hope.

When Violet stumbles upon an unconscious and injured Kingsman in the woods, despite the consequences, she is compelled to take care of the injured man. When he wakes and has no memory of his identity or past, she takes the only precaution that will keep her and her grandmother safe; she destroys the evidence of his past life.

If Violet’s lowly Kingsman regains his memory, will she survive the consequences? And will the Kingsman be able to live with his past life? Who will fight to free Elira?

Loyalty cannot be bought, and integrity should not be sacrificed at the hand of tyranny.
Violet Frell (Once I knew)

My thoughts

Not many books literally change the way I live and see the world…Once I Knew did. The part of the blurb that originally caught my attention was the forgotten identity and the political turmoil…and while I do love that aspect of the story, the themes of redemption, forgiveness, and courage, plus the way Victoria didn’t shy away from including God in this non-magical fantasy in a powerful way are what made this story stand out to me.

More things I love about Once I Knew

The multiple POVs.

I really enjoyed getting to see the story from one character’s point of view, and then see that same character from another character’s perspective! It gave me such a good sense of each character’s strengths and weaknesses.

The characters.

I have a huge soft spot for the strong, fatherly figures, the grandmothers, the sweet, tenderhearted-yet-manly side characters…this book delivered. Also, the character development in the main characters (and their friendship) was so inspiring.

The inclusion of God, prayer, and righteousness.

I’ve noticed that books in the fantasy genre tend to simply have a “God figure” or good morals – know I’m not bashing this at all; I really enjoy books like this! – and so I was delighted to find that the characters in Once I Knew have real, believable, life-changing relationships with the true God. This truly made the book so powerful and life-changing, and there were some scenes with spiritual breakthroughs that had my heart in a puddle.

The romance.

Victoria handled the romance so. well. There were no uncomfortable kissing scenes (well, there was a kiss, but it wasn’t gross or way too soon XD) or cringey emotional things. Just a sweet romance between two friends who had solid character and a deep love and respect for one another.

The forest setting and all of the references to light.

I love the great outdoors, and so all of the references to trees, fields, and golden light were the best!

You have only ever pushed me to discover the purpose for which God made me, shown me a hope that has made me serve a higher calling, and propelled me to pick up the destiny for which I was created.
*someone* (Once I knew)

The above quote…*sobs*

All the fun links

Purchase your signed copy of Once I Knew here!

Or snag a copy on Amazon here.

A custom playlist for Once I Knew?? Yes, please!

Check out Once I Knew‘s Pinterest board!

About the author

Victoria Lynn has an insatiable desire for truth, light and beauty.

She seeks to bring the life giving words of the Savior to a dark and broken world that desperately needs to know of His sacrifice.

Be sure to check out Victoria’s website, subscribe to her newsletter, and give her a follow on all the socials!

(Also, quick note: I got to meet and spend some time with Victoria this spring on the Glory Writers retreat. She is the sweetest, and I so admire her courage, talent, and fiery heart for the Lord! Her Instagram account is also one of my favorites, so be sure to check it out.:)

Have you read Once I Knew or any of Victoria’s other books?