I’ve been trying to get this book read ever since I got it (2019 or 2020, Kassie, help me out 😆), and I really want this to be the year I get it read! I have started it three different times!

This is the story of Marcus Luttrell and the men who served and died in Operation Redwing. I first became aware of this story in 2012-2013 (?) and I knew exactly where I was when SEAL Team 10 started living this nightmare… It was eerie and it still kinda haunts me a little. So yeah, least I can do is learn their full story, right?

I read an article about amputees going back into the service and I was afraid it was all made up…then I found this book and let me tell you, I was so excited! I passed it up once at the library, but when I saw it was still for sale, I knew it was there for me 😆 So yeah, I’m excited to read about a hero who got a second chance to serve!

I’ve had this book for several years after my sister did a collection purge! I can’t wait to read about a Marine Colonel’s point of view, especially one I have looked up to ever since I was six 😁 Little me is very excited rn, haha! Plus its twenty years old so 😢

This is probably the book I know the least about. I know it’s about the service of Chris Kyle, but I’m not exactly sure if it’s about his whole career or something specific. But I do know it at least covers some of his time as a SEAL. Chris Kyle is no longer with us, which makes me want to read it even more urgently. I guess I don’t want to be part of the generation who forgets those who gave it all for us, even if their death wasn’t on the battlefield.

This one, oh man, I am so excited for! It’s a compilation of stories of men and women who have served our country, based on interviews done with the authors! Similar to Modern Warriors by Pete Hegseth, This book has nearly 400 pages of soldier stories! All written in bitesize pieces! With how little uninterrupted reading time I get these days, I’m sure this will be a good read for me, even if it will take time!
 
What’s on your patriotic TBR? Do any of these books sound interesting to you?
 
Happy Independence Day! Let Freedom Ring!
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22

This is the author’s second series and if you want the full story, I recommend starting with her San Diego Marines series, which I am back tracking to 😉

*Just so you know, this is a sweet romance series, with minor steamy scenes (my copies are censored to meet my personal convictions.) I recommend this series to mature adult readers. *

This was such a sweet story! I was craving a good modern military story, and when I saw this one, I decided to give it a try. I am a hardcore Army girl, but I used to live 15 minutes from a Marine base, so I'm well acquainted with the Corps *halo*

I love Roman and Molly's different personalities; how they show that you don't have to be the same to love each other! And I love Molly's highlighter system! The Pineapple Love story analogy was so sweet and sad too... I also loved the reference to the USO center at the airport because I feel like civilians like me don't usually know about things like that. (I did know about them, but only because I'm a military fanatic and have friends in the service.) And finding out that there were certain things Roman couldn't do in the military because his dad was from Italy was fascinating to me. AND CAN WE APPRECIATE THAT ROMAN WAS HOMESCHOOLED???

Content: pre-marital kissing, hugging and deception.

*I received an early copy of this book for review purposes. All thoughts are my own.*

This book was precious! The characters were so individual and easy to tell apart. I loved the content creator aspect, indie publishing and homeschooling! I felt like I had taken a tour of Hawaii and that's what I love in books, immersive setting! Add in the military flavor and the food choices? It was a recipe for success! Great plot and awesome talent!

Content: alcohol (brief, not drunk); noticing physical attributes but not too detailed/risqué); kissing hugging prior to marriage; mentions of drugs, immorality (clear it's wrong).

This was a fun read! A little steamier than I care for, but still not toooooo detailed. Glad I finished! Tyler is so sweet and makes me think of my husband with all the little things he did and the way he gently pushes you out of your comfort zone. So yeah! It didn't disappoint!

Content: alcohol, refers to drunkenness as a diseases, swimwear, touching, kissing, thoughts, unmarried couple stranded together overnight for a few days.

This book is my favorite. I know I say that every time. But it's true! I love this story and come on, who isn't a softy for snarky, hurting marines who read books to escape? I love remarriage stories (when they were widowed) and this story was so beautiful! Take me to Hawaii btw…

Content: N/A (Forgot to list it when I read it, pregnancy brain 😉)

Loved this books so much! When I was putting this together, I realized I never reviewed this book, therefore there will be no content review. But I know there was nothing more than what was mentioned in the previous books. It was a rivals to lovers, workplace romance setting and honestly, it was so sweet! And the plot twist at the end!!! LOVED IT!!!

This is a sweet single mom military romance that takes place at Christmas time on Kailua Hawaii! All the young mom feels…

This story was so vibe-y! It’s everything I would expect from a Hawaiian Christmas and I so want to visit! All the found family vibes and 😍 I loved the on going arc with Logan and his brother and I will say, I even enjoyed screaming at my book/phone when Jimmy was in the picture. I hate him. And Jess did a great job making sure I did. And the Christmas trees. Guys 😭

I loved the military tidbits scattered through the story and the peek into military life! That’s probably my favorite element of this series! And shot out to Jess for making us first time moms feel seen!

(There are a few things in the book I wasn’t a fan of, those are under content.)

Logan is the literal best y’all. He’s honest about his feelings of insecurity about being a step dad, he’s such a hero family member his brother (and learns he’s maybe too much so!), and he’s so protective of Tess and Sadie! This girl needed him 💚 Even with the *spoiler alert* miscommunication, he wasn’t about to let her go and I love him for that *end of spoiler* Also the Christmas tree scenes. All of them.

Tess grew on me. She wasn’t my favorite of the gals, but definitely not one I disliked! She’s young, dumb and way too trusting and I love her’s and Nora’s relationship 🥰 She’s a great mom to Sadie and as I said, I felt so seen! And at one point I wanted to slap her, but when we switched to her POV, OH MY GOODNESS I WAS SO PROUD OF HER! I can’t give deets, but read this book so we can fangirl! Cause this trope (see above spoiler) was done right!

Content: pre-marital touching and kissing; divorce (I do not believe this is biblical, however, it does happen, and in spite of, I enjoyed this book); lots of talk about what people look like in the beginning, but it wasn’t overbearing to me; flirting; alcohol talked about in a casual manner.

Hope you have a lovely time on your trip to Hawaii ;) What are your favorite beachy reads? Share them below!

Have a great summer!
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22

1| I have Deadline Commitment Issues, haha!
I don’t know why, but having a deadline pretty much guarantees that I will not finish on time. I get so nervous about it that I just freeze up. So giving myself a stack of books to finish in a month is a bad idea for me.
 
2| I’m a Mood Reader
This is something that I am figuring out about myself, but my mood heavily dictates what I want to read. If I’m not in the mood for romance (clean ones!), I’m going to take the romance book slow or stop completely. Even if I’m enjoying it, I just can’t seem to force myself to finish it without going into a slump.
 
3| I Have Trouble Focusing when I have too many Pre-Scheduled Books or Not Enough Time
Hailing back to reason 1, my brain freezes up under pressure. I feel panicky, even though I’m the only one putting pressure on myself. I don’t like being a quitter. It’s deeply ingrained in me, and I am trying to break that mindset in regards to reading.
 
4| Did I mention I hate Deadlines?
Yeah, I just really, really, hate deadlines.

1| Allowing My Self to DNF Books I’m not Enjoying
Not enjoying the book, I’m stopping. Sometimes it takes me a page, sometimes a few chapters. But when I realize I don’t like it, that’s it.
 
2| Reading comic books to help me feel accomplished.
I need to see progress happening. I need to see my number of books read growing. Comic books are a great way to feed that need while also reading longer works. This why, I don’t feel like I’m spinning my wheels.
 
3| Trying new authors and new genres
A few years ago, I never would have read anything remotely romantic or related to manga. Now, I’m cautiously dipping my toes into these genres and am eyeing suspense novels too!
 
4| Reading books I love, regardless of what others may think.
Relating to those two genres I just mentioned… Many people have a stigma attached to romance and manga. Let me be clear. I am very selective with the one I read and I am not above censoring my copies. But as long as I don’t feel God telling me not to or my husband for that matter, I don’t have to justify my reading habits to anyone else. Some books I mention on here are not going to be for everyone. And that’s okay!
 
5| Shelving books that I’m just not clicking with in that moment.
Some books just aren’t right for the moment, ya know? Classics usually do this to me. If they don’t intrigue me from chapter one, I probably won’t stick with it/have to take a break. They will keep for the right time. (Also, audiobooks help!)
 
6| Reading the first chapter of multiple book and picking the one I’m most interested in.
I never used to do this, but now, I’m finding this really helps me pick my books! I highly recommend grabbing four or five books you can’t choose between and reading the first chapter before deciding!
 
How about you? What are your tips and tricks? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
 
Have a blessed day!
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22

This book was a lovely old-fashioned style story depicting life in the mountains. If I were to guess, I would say they were going for a depression era story. It reminded me of the Waltons! A sweet story of two children living with their Grandparents!

My favorite one in this batch! The watercolor style artwork, the message of using “failures,” as learning opportunities and just the overall beauty of this story make it a 5-star read! Join the Gaines crew as they learn how to nurture a garden and combat the elements to keep it going and never give up!

This book had a quirky art style that I loved! It shares the message of small acts having big consequences (good ones!)  and it’s done in such a beautiful way!

Okay, the artwork on this one, y’all, was so adorable and cozy! It felt perfect for the transition between winter and spring and teaches kids what signs to look for in the changing seasons!

Educational and beautiful, Dixie adored this book! The colors were heavy on the Purple, which is one of her favorites! It includes some amazing science facts that I literally stopped and asked Jacob how I missed this in school! Or was it even taught? I feel like Mushroom rain isn’t common knowledge!

Do you love horse-back librarians, bookmobiles and just libraries in general? You will love this book about little forest critters sharing the love of books with each other! Probably my second favorite of all of these! It’s one that I definitely want to own a copy of!

Even kids can get depressed as winter stretches on. This books subtly deals with the subject in a lovely, endearing way, teaching kids how to look for the hope in every situation, even when on the surface (or rather…under the surface in this case 😊), you can’t see it, if you go looking for it, it might be right under (or above!) your nose!

I didn’t know what to expect with this book, but I was not disappointed! The little dog trying something no one ever has is a good lesson for kids! I can see how the woke agenda could warp the message, but its also a message in teamwork and doing your own research!

I love the whimsical artwork of Garth Williams and he gave permission for the illustrator for this book to copy his style so another generation could appreciate his genius! I didn’t like how it was kind of a vegan message, but at the same time, it was a beautiful book and I want to read more of these children’s stories!

This one was read to us during Library story circle and both Dixie and I loved the art style! It followed a fox and few other critters through the forest as they live their best life as nocturnal animals! I loved the concept and again, I would love to own a copy!

I purchased this book from PaperPie books (I am a consultant so if you are interested in purchasing or in hosting a party, let me know!) and gave this to Dixie for the first day of Spring! It’s one of four in a set and this one covers the spring season! Dixie loves the pictures and points at all the animals and honestly, it’s just adorable!

This is another PaperPie book, but this one was found at a Goodwill from my sister! She gave it to Dixie for her birthday and she loved it! We read it outside together and it was the perfect atmosphere for the story! And now I realize that I accidentally lied on my Put a Spring in Your Step Book Tag Reel that I did for my IG. I said I hadn’t read outside yet. Totally forgot about this. Oops. Anyway, the artwork is adorable, and the story is simple enough, any child can enjoy it!

A Book List From Brighter Day Press || April's List

Posts I’ve been enjoying:
A Calling to New Life: Are We Embracing It? || Sophia E., Glorious Daughters
Vacation || Rebekah A. Morris, Read Another Page

Question of the Day: What is one of your favorite Picture Books?
 
Have a blessed day!
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22

Well, I am doing a terrible job of getting back into blogging but I won’t apologize, because life happens and my girly needs more attention with her teething! Two pearlies are working their way to the surface, my husband’s work schedule is a mess at the moment and we are camping out at my in-laws half the time, lol!

But today, I am here and I am posting a fun tag with Katja @ Little Blossoms for Jesus, sharing about my current WIPs! I hope you enjoy reading about them!

1| Has your WIP a working title? If so, tell us! If not, have you any idea of what it might be?

Yes! My current WIP is The Battlefield is Silent, book 5 in The Battle for Heritage Series. It’s bittersweet working on the final book in this series…it’s exciting and heartbreaking for me, reaching this milestone.

I’m also doing work on Book 2 in the Natty’s Warrior’s Series, To Save a Marriage. And I’m going to mention here, there is no special publishing schedule for the series. Each book can be read on it’s own, so I’m not panicking trying to get them out rapid fire.

2| Have you a synopsis for your WIP? If so, give it to us! If not, can you give us a blurb on what your WIP is about?

I don’t have a proper one for either of them, but here’s what I’m working with!

The Battlefield is Silent: They don’t know it, but the war will end this year. At least, that’s what the history books try to tell us. But we all know better…the war will never be over. Final clashes of arms, betrayed trusts, nightmares, unjust taxes, murder and mental breakdowns threaten to pull the Mason family down deep into a whirlpool of despair. When the good guys lose, how can the possibly see God’s hand in it all and keep their heads above the water?

To Save a Marriage: Before there was a survivor, there was an abortion. Cammie Carter-Tate has fought for her position as director of her prestigious clinic. Unlike many clinics around her, she has a sanitary building, has a hotline to a hospital should something go wrong and has a 98% success rate. Life is good. But the few failures they’ve had and one negative review threatens to bring it all crashing down around her. What’s worse, her own nephew is a survivor. Her husband wants kids; she refuses. A rainy night reveals her darkest secrets and spirals her married life out of control. Is there anyway to bring it all to a halt and rebuild the life she has so carefully curated…without turning into the one woman she despises with all her heart?

3| Have you a working/mock cover for your WIP? If so, show us! If not, have you an idea in mind?

I don’t have covers for my books, but I definitely have some ideas! I can’t talk about them much, but I will share my base colors. The Battlefield is Silent is Gray and To Save a Marriage is Blue.

4| How did you get the idea for this story?

Nothing super special for books 5, it just follows in line with the rest of the series, lol!

But To Save a Marriage wasn’t supposed to happen. But everyone fell in love with my hurting abortion clinic director and begged for a book just about her story and hopefully a redemption arc. Y’all know I hate those, lol! But for her story, it actually worked. So, Cammie’s story in is progress!

5| How long do you think it will be? Is it longer or shorter than you thought it would be?

I have no idea! TBIS will probably be over 400 pages. There’s so much to wrap up, I honestly might have to turn it into two books.

I figure this one will be about 250 pages or so, close to the first one. Maybe 300, but I’m not sure yet.

6| Who’s your favourite character so far?

Michael and Jeremy. Hands down. But Burdy is being adorable as usual.

Cammie, even though she stands for everything I am against. She just needs to let God’s love take over… And Chris, her husband. I feel. so. bad. for him…

7| What’s your favourite memory related to this WIP?

N/A

8| Any special person(s) who helped create it?

Not TBIS, but TSAM was created with Katja, Kassie, Rebekah, Lissa, Jenna, Hannah and Angie (did I miss anyone? 0.0)

9| What’s your favourite scene so far (if you can tell about it without spoilers!)?

Sorry, no can reveal XP

10| Can you give us a snippet? 

Nope *halo*

11| Is the story still what you thought it would be or has it thrown you a couple curve-balls?

Both books are throwing curve-balls faster than I can dodge them. As you can see, they don’t know this is baseball and are aiming their throws at my head and heart XD

12| Is there a Bible verse, poem, hymn, picture, or quote that helped shape this story?

Not really, for either of them yet. But I know they are coming, because I always get verses and quotes and songs…

Well, this isn’t a hymn, but The Southern Girl’s Reply and Your Mission both influence TBIS.

13| When and where have you done most of the writing so far?

In bed or on the couch XD

14| Where do you get inspiration for this story?

Watching movies about the Wars Between the States, Pinterest and picture books on the war.

Pinterest, Instagram and rereading To Save a Life.

15| Are you a plotter or a pantser?

I am a plotser (I HATE the term plantser.) I have to have an idea of where the story is going, but if I get too detailed I lose motivation.

16| Do you have a little ritual before you start writing?

Not really, but I’m trying to make one. I do try to get something to drink and something to listen to. Also, a sleeping baby is preferable, lol!

17| Are you thinking of publishing this story?

Absolutely! I think people would riot if I didn’t XD

18| What things have you learned while writing this story?

1865 is depressing and pro-choice people still need to know God’s love.

So, what are you working on today? Are you doing NANOWRIMO? (I’m doing an alternate, The King’s Daughters Writing Camp and The Glory Writers {Disclaimer: neither are KJV only} which I am enjoying very much!) Share about your WIP in the comments below, or write your own post! Be sure and come back here and leave the link to your post in the comments below! And don’t forget to check out Katja’s post!
 
“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers…”—Anne Shirley
Ryana Lynn+Dixie Cross
Jude 22