Disclosure: These books were sent to me by the publisher. The post contains affiliate links; opinions shared are mine.

Ah, summer. A cold drink, poolside chill, and a great book — can anything top this bliss? I enjoyed three (yes, three) books this weekend that you’ve got to check out. They each escalated in the WHOA scale. I’ll start you out gently!

If you’re a fan of The Ugly Duckling type of story, check out Surprised by Love by Julie Lessman. It reminds me of that great 90’s movie Sabrina where the young girl goes off to France and comes back a stylish woman.  The book tempers deeper messages, though, about expectation and forgiveness. The loyalty and familial bonds highlighted throughout the story were touching, yet made me realize how fortunate I was not to depend so fiercely on my family for my life decisions.  Bram was my favorite character in this book.  Dependable and trustworthy, he was a caretaker for more than just his parents.  The book ends with less closure than I’d like. It seemed to wrap up in a quick chapter or two, while I needed to know more about what happened next.  However, Lessman left plenty of room for future novels in this series. San Francisco can’t rest just yet!

If you haven’t read a Cynthia Ruchti book yet, let this one be your first.  As Waters Gone By is a prime example of Ruchti’s ability to carve her name into the tree of your heart.  Emmalynn Ross seems like someone you might pass by at the supermarket, someone you’d nod to, say hello to, and then never remember again.  As she struggles with the uncertainty of her future, she experiences life changes that help her to realize that expectations can sometimes undermine our dreams.  As Waters Gone By is a great book to explain the idea that family isn’t always determined from a bloodline. Sometimes the family we choose is the dearest of them all.  It’s hard not to give away the main events of the book, because it all ties in so well together. One part couldn’t exist apart from the rest.  Suffice it to say that if I could pick any person to be in this book, it would be Bougie.  Although she’s a side character, Bougie demonstrated love and understanding to every person who darkened her doorway.  I had a hard time keeping up with the passing of time in this book, though.  Sometimes a chapter would seem like a week or a month had passed, when it would really be one day. It is probably similar to the way life would feel on an island, separated from civilization and the rest of the world.  We all know someone like Emmalynn, and this book serves as a good reminder not to forget her.

A Cry from the Dust was the biggest WHOA book I’ve read since Gone Girl. When a book has a foreword from Frank Peretti, you know you’re in for a wild ride. Although the story seemed rather preposterous as the main character Gwen went from consecutive dangerous situations and life-threatening peril, it was suspenseful and thrilling to follow. Having a smart female protagonist was a nice twist in the conspiracy novel genre; it seems that most of the intelligent heroes tend to be men. I grew a bit tired of hearing about Gwen’s deception detecting skills, and her daughter came across as a seriously spoiled brat. As typical as it sounds, the biggest excitement for me came in the form of questions like, “Is that real?” or “Could that happen?” Be warned that some religious beliefs are shadowed in a negative light in this book. The author clearly states that her research helped her to weave the novel, and invites the reader to learn more about her sources. If the idea of a strong, kick-butt female character appeals to you, check out A Cry from the Dust.