{ All I read in February }

I do believe February was the month I have read the most books, ever.  I try to read, but I do go through some phases where I don't pick up a book, or I struggle to get through a single one in months.  Then there are times when I can't seem to get enough of reading, and I zip through the books as quick as I can read them.

 

February was such a month for me. 

 

I stepped away from social media, and just focused on living my life in the reality around me, which is something I do most of the time anyway, but even I get sucked into the doom scrolling on Instagram and other social media outlets.  It's never a good thing, and when I step away from it, I feel so much better.

 

So that's what I did, and I ended up reading 7 books.  I don't think there was a single book on that pile that I didn't enjoy or struggled getting through.  They were all Christian fiction which means very minimal nonsense and when I say nonsense I mean things that I don't want to read anymore.

 

As I have progressed in my Christian journey and have gotten closer to God, there are a lot of things that he convicts me to do, and things to avoid.  I used to love romance books, books with spice and smut and all that other stuff.  Now, I can't read them at all, they make me very uncomfortable and quite honestly, I don't think they add anything to the story itself.  But that is my personal opinion.  Instead, I have been nudged to read more Christian fiction, and I am loving it.

 

If that's a genre you are looking into reading, then here are some books that I think you will enjoy.

 

 

The Huntress by Carrie Cotten - #1 in the Medieval Christian Fiction

 

 Betrayed by their allies, the last of the Picts have escaped to the innermost part of an endless, dark forest, content to remain hidden there forever. Made queen at just a child, Cyrene has given all of her life and heart to the task of making sure her people are never terrorized again.

When a handsome stranger from the kingdom that betrayed them falls injured at the boundary of her village, she’s forced to choose between mercy and duty.

The second son of a ruling monarch, Duncan would never be considered for the throne, neither did he wish to be. But when a plague sweeps through the land, he is the only one of royal blood left standing. Returning to the tower that holds too many dark memories, the truth of his father’s tangled reign begins to unravel and Duncan is once again forced into a role he never wanted.

 

 

The Viking by Carrie Cotten - #2 in the Medieval Christian Fiction

 

Will the loyalty that saved their kingdom destroy their hearts?

As a girl, Astrid washed up on the shores of the Picts, haunting memories of her homeland locked deep inside. She began a new life serving Queen Cyrene, ultimately becoming her dearest friend and the captain of her army. But when Cyrene’s unexpected marriage unites her people with the enemy realm of Tràigh, only Astrid’s dedication to the crown can help her battle her mistrust of these rival forces, especially their maddening captain, Eowin.

Trusted as a brother, Eowin can imagine no life other than serving his king. As Tràigh struggles to hold its place amid tumult, a mysterious Viking warrior and his men sail in with a claim that will change everything. Sent to far lands on an impossible mission, Eowin finds his courage, integrity, and wisdom stretched to the limits.

Will he sacrifice everything for this warrior maiden he can never have? 

 

 

The Raven by Carrie Cotten - #3 in the Medieval Christian Fiction 

 

Will the darkness that hides her finally destroy her?

Revna has spent her whole life thirsting for justice. When the chance to avenge her murdered mother and enslaved sister is denied her, she finds an even greater cause in gathering her people from their Norse captors and sending them home. Using threats and violence as her shield, she has built a seemingly invincible and invisible persona of terror. Then the drunken son of a chieftain discovers that the much-feared “Raven” is really just a slight teenage girl.

Unable to please his angry father or protect his villagers from extortion and need, Aksel turns to endless mugs of mead to drown his despair. But a fierce little bird turns all that upside down. With her unequivocal purpose and unparalleled bravery, Revna rescues him from his meaningless existence but at a staggering cost neither of them expects.

Revna and Aksel will sacrifice everything to free the slaves, but who will free them from the bondage of their pasts and the truth behind their disguises?

 

 

Spark of the Revolution by Megan Soja - #1 in the Harbor of Spies Series

 

Contrary to her name, Patience Abbott has long felt unsettled and anxious to leave behind her painful memories in England for a fresh start in America. But her new life isn’t quite what she expected, and as tension grows in her new home of Boston, so does the distance between Patience and her estranged father. So when Josiah Wagner walks into her life, it finally feels like she’s not alone. If only his patriotic leanings didn’t put him at odds with her father’s loyalties.

Josiah Wagner has spent his life yearning for a true home and family, something he works toward each day, forging tools as a blacksmith, and each night, forging plans with the Sons of Liberty. But when the destruction of tea in Boston Harbor lights the spark of the Revolution, Josiah finds himself drawn into its tumultuous wake, pulling the woman he loves along with him.

As tensions mount, will their search for belonging lead to each other, or will the obstacles between them be too great to overcome? In a land on the brink of war, can they find the home they seek in the One who calls them His own?

  

 

Secrets of the Revolution by Megan Soja - #2 in the Harbor of Spies Series

 

Hannah Pierce is determined to keep her father‘s apothecary shop running, despite his failing health, the heavy burden of her mother’s recent death, and the mysterious disappearance of her brother. She’ll do whatever it takes to preserve her family’s legacy, including joining a dangerous ring of patriot spies...and falling for a revolutionary printer with a brave heart.

William Abbott always keeps his promises. He vowed long ago to never abandon those in need like his father did. So when new British acts of Parliament threaten Boston and endanger his family, he throws himself into serving the Patriot cause, using his position at the printing office to gather and spread intelligence. But when his clandestine role in the newly formed spy ring causes him to cross paths with the apothecary’s beautiful daughter, he may find himself fighting for more than the cause.

As tensions in Boston reach a breaking point, Will and Hannah find their bond deepening even as the noose tightens around the spy ring. When promises and determination are not enough to protect the ones they love, they’ll need to trust God if they are to survive what is to come. 

 

 

Scars of the Revolution by Megan Soja - #3 in the Harbor of Spies Series

 

Libby Caldwell has been in love with Isaac Harrison for years, ever since her late father befriended him. While her head knows there is no hope of sharing her life with a British soldier, her heart is much more difficult to convince, especially now that he is quartering in her home. With Boston under siege and battle looming, each day together forces her to recognize how deep her feelings truly are…and how forbidden.

Bound by duty to both his family and country, Isaac is determined to serve honorably in the King’s army, despite never wishing to be a soldier. But quartering with the widow and daughter of his old friend places another obligation on his shoulders—that of their well-being. The more time he spends with Miss Caldwell, the more that duty begins to feel like something personal, something he cannot allow.

As the siege of Boston tightens, Libby finds herself drawn into a dangerous game of espionage that could save the Patriot cause—and destroy any chance of a future with the man she’s growing to love. 

 

Land of Silence by Tessa Afshar

 

Before Christ called her daughter . . .

Before she stole healing by touching the hem of his garment . . .

Elianna is a young girl crushed by guilt. After her only brother is killed while in her care, Elianna tries to earn forgiveness by working for her father's textile trade and caring for her family. When another tragedy places Elianna in sole charge of the business, her talent for design brings enormous success, but never the absolution she longs for. As her world unravels, she breaks off her betrothal to the only man she will ever love. Then illness strikes, isolating Elianna from everyone, stripping everything she has left.

No physician can cure her. No end is in sight. Until she hears whispers of a man whose mere touch can heal. After so many years of suffering and disappointment, is it possible that one man could redeem the wounds of body . . . and soul?