“Tattered Wings” by Kassie Angle // Tattered Wings Book Release Blog Tour

Tattered Wings:
Rangers Lead the Way!!

by Kassie Angle

Synopsis: 
Some scars can't be seen. And some can't be hidden.
Layla Trent's life is pretty much perfect, except for the little matter of a dog of her own--and maybe a brother. So why does a random nightmare of a princess dress, a hospital, and a stranger who's definitely not her daddy feel more like an aching wound? And can a broken, glassy-eyed puppy somehow help her release the pain she didn't even know she was carrying?
Corporal Andrew Reyes has proven he has what it takes to be the best--a US Army Ranger. But when a double tragedy rocks his world, his resolve is shaken to the core. What's left for a man to live for when he's lost everything he ever wanted to be? And is the sudden appearance of a teenage girl with a three-legged therapy dog a cruel joke or a divine appointment?
Some scars can't be hidden. But some don't need to be.

My Review:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ & ❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎

5+ stars & 9/10 hearts. I love Kassie Angle’s books because they are so real and heart-breaking and beautiful and satisfying and redemptive and joyful. I love all her stories, but this one has my heart. I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s because there’s policemen, and I’ve always had a special spot for the police. Maybe it’s because so many of the characters stole my heart. Maybe it’s because the MC makes me think so much of a certain sweet, hilarious friend whom I love so much. Probably all of these things. Broken characters, God’s wise & mysterious ways, policemen, dogs, writing, soldiers, brothers... folded together by Kassie’s beautiful, humorous writing... there’s so much in this that goes to my heart. I love it so much, so much. I’m not telling you much about this book, and I know. I can’t tell you anything more than this. Just read it. If it doesn’t touch you, there’s something wrong with your heart. Don’t ever take these heroes for granted. Kassie, thank you—thank you for writing these stories & showing us what it’s like to be in the Army. 

*I received an ARC of this book from the author in return for my honest review.*

Get this book:
Canada | America

About the Author: 

Kassie Angle is a teenaged Christian author, cowgirl, therapy dog trainer, stereotypical INFJ, and Army girl to the core. Her first love, i.e. debut novel, O to be Like Thee, swept her unsuspectedly into the world of indie authors. She tries to use her stories to fill the silences in literature, helping more people understand the world of the Army and showing how God heals the broken-hearted. You can find her and more of her writing at Soldier Girl Stories.

*NOTE: KASSIE’S DOMAIN HAS LAPSED AS OF 2022 AND BEEN TAKEN OVER BY ANOTHER COMPANY. DO NOT GOOGLE IT*

If all that can't convince you, here are some quotes for you all....

(I wasn't able to include quotes in my review because I only had a PDF copy, but I will be adding them as soon as I get a Kindle copy!) 

Head over to Kassie's website for the last post of the release tour!

“Rose in Bloom” by Louisa May Alcott

Rose in Bloom:
A Sequel to Eight Cousins

(Rose Campbell Dulogy, #2)

by Louisa May Alcott

Synopsis: 
Before she wrote Little Women, Louisa May Alcott told this story of a ninteenth-century girl finding her way in society.
In this sequel to Eight Cousins, Rose Campbell returns to the “Aunt Hill” after two years of traveling around the world. Suddenly, she is surrounded by male admirers, all expecting her to marry them. But before she marries anyone, Rose is determined to establish herself as an independent young woman. Besides, she suspects that some of her friends like her more her money than for herself. How can Rose tell who her real friends are? Is there anyone she can count on?

My Review:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ & ❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎

5+ stars & 8/10 hearts. This is such a beautiful book. I love it even more than the first book. It’s less humorous, although it still has its very funny moments, but it is more serious and touching. Rose is my age now, and I see her growing and learning and struggling. I love how the love story expands. I love to see Archie and his love story. I love Mac and his manliness. I love the lessons that fill this book—Charlie’s story, especially. It’s thought-provoking and heart-tugging and satisfying and beautiful. <33

A Favourite Quote: “...the old lady had already stopped useless bewailing, and was praying heartily, like one who knew well where help was to be found.”
A Favourite Beautiful Quote: “...he [waved] a plumy spray of asters, as if pointing out the lovely autumn world about them, full of gay hues, fresh airs, and mellow sunshine.”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “[A]s everybody rose en masse, [Aunt Plenty] said as impressively as extreme agitation would allow, while she put her glasses on upside-down, and seized a lace tidy instead of her handkerchief,—‘Stop! all stay here, and let me receive Alec. Remember his weak state, and be calm, quite calm, as I am.’
“‘Yes, aunt, certainly,’ was the general murmur of assent: but it was as impossible to obey as it would have been to keep feathers still in a gale; and one irresistible impulse carried the whole roomful into the hall, to behold Aunt Plenty beautifully illustrate her own theory of composure by waving the tidy wildly, rushing into Dr. Alec's arms, and laughing and crying with an hysterical abandonment which even Aunt Myra could not have surpassed.”

Purchase this book: 

Canada | America

“Daddy-Long-Legs” by Jean Webster

Daddy-Long-Legs:
A Comedy in Four Acts

by Jean Webster

Synopsis: 

When Jerusha Abbott, an eighteen-year-old girl living in an orphan asylum, was told that a mysterious millionaire had agreed to pay for her education, it was like a dream come true. For the first time in her life, she had someone she could pretend was "family." But everything was not perfect, for he chose to remain anonymous and asked that she only write him concerning her progress in school. Who was this mysterious gentleman and would Jerusha ever meet him?

My Review:

⭐⭐⭐ &  ❤︎❤︎❤︎

5 stars & 5/10 hearts. This story is very humorous (the sketches are amazing xD). It ends perfectly and it has just the right amount of suspense and hinting to make it satisfying. I really enjoyed the humour (it really was very funny!) especially after I guessed the identity of Daddy-Long-Legs! ;) It is simply delightful.

A Favourite Quote: “It isn’t the great big pleasures that count the most; it’s making a great deal out of the little ones—I’ve discovered the true secret of happiness, Daddy, and that is to live in the now. Not to be forever regretting the past, or anticipating the future; but to get the most that you can out of this very instant.... I’m going to enjoy every second, and I’m going to know I’m enjoying it while I’m enjoying it. Most people don’t live; they just race. They are trying to reach some goal far away on the horizon, and in the heat of the going they get so breathless and panting that they lose all sight of the beautiful, tranquil country they are passing through; and then the first thing they know, they are old and worn out, and it doesn’t make any difference whether they’ve reached the goal or not. I‘ve decided to sit down by the way and pile up a lot of little happinesses[.]”
A Favourite Beautiful Quote: “There is a March wind blowing, and the sky is filled with heavy, black moving clouds. The crows in the pine trees are making such a clamor! It ’s an intoxicating, exhilarating, calling noise. You want to close your books and be off over the hills to race with the wind.”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “I trust that your secretary won’t be hurt because I pay so little attention to the suggestions offered in his letter, but I can’t help it if he is. He ’s a spoiled child, Daddy. I ’ve meekly given in to his whims heretofore, but this time I intend to be FIRM. Yours, With a Mind, Completely and Irrevocably and World-without-End Made-up. Jerusha Abbott.”

Get this book.

“Gift From the Storm” by Rebekah A. Morris

Gift From the Storm

by Rebekah A. Morris

Synopsis: 

One cold, dark evening a young stranger appears outside the Morgan home with two small children. Injured and on the verge of complete exhaustion, she will only say that her name is “Amy.”
Where did she come from? Who is she? And what has she been through? Dr. Justin Morgan and his family look for answers as they struggle to minister life and health to the needy ones in their midst.

My Review:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ & ❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎

5 stars & 5/10 hearts. I really enjoyed this story. I think my favourite part was how although the mystery kept teasing and baffling me and leading me on, the setting was so peaceful and happy and calm that I also kept calm. I loved the idea of singing evening hymns (my favourites) and Justin was an amazing doctor. My favourite scene was when Amy panics during the snowstorm—talk about drama! Adam was a darling, and the minor characters were interesting too. And I love the cover :)

A Favourite Quote: “‘That’s what I feel my mind is like,’ she said quietly as though to herself. ‘A large blank nothing. Only the snow sparkles when the sun shines, but my mind doesn’t. It’s just empty.’
“Coming into the dining room just then, Adam caught the girl’s troubled words. ‘The best thing to do with an empty mind is to fill it with good things.’”
A Favourite Beautiful Quote: “The grass began to turn green, and here and there brave flowers poked up their heads and looked about as though making sure winter had really gone and taken its cold blanket with it.”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “‘[Amy] said she’d help ice and decorate the gingerbread men later.’
“‘I help too,’ Danny grinned up at Justin before popping a piece of cookie dough into his mouth. Justin laughed.
“‘Well, surely you don’t need me to taste test for you with such a willing and irrepressible taster right here.’”

Get this book:
Canada | America

“My Daughter Susan” by Isabella Alden

My Daughter Susan

by Isabella Alden

Synopsis: 

If Miss Susan Carleton has one overriding ambition in her life, it is to one day hear the King say: ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.’ She won’t be content with anything less than the commendation God promised to those who faithfully serve Him.
And serve she does, filling one single day with more testimony and more kind Christian acts than most people accomplish in a lifetime. With so many lives to be helped and souls to be won, Susan draws energy and inspiration from God’s promise, “Inasmuch as ye did it unto the least of these, my brethren, ye did it unto me.”

My Review:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ & ❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎

4.5 stars & 5/10 hearts. I love this story! It was an excellent portrayal how what a young, well-off young Christian woman should act in the 1800s. The active work against liquor was very good. Susan is an excellent model, and I learned a couple good things from her that I can use even in my generation. 

A Favourite Quote: “Watching her, it appeared that half the secret lay in her habit of planning ahead. She carried out a half dozen schemes at once. This faculty shone conspicuously in all the minor household duties which fell to her lot. Did she have occasion to go up to her mother’s room, it seemed to flash upon her that she should pass the jelly closet on her way, and that certain jellies would be needed for dinner, and that the linen closet was just across the hall, and piles of clean table drapery lay ready to be sent there, which might as well go then; and a book that her mother would be inquiring for was on the parlor table, she would just take it along. And little Ted’s tin horse she noticed on a shelf in the back kitchen; he would be sure to want it, she would step there, and take it up to him. Thus her one journey accomplished half a dozen errands, and her descent was equally triumphal.”

A Favourite Humorous Quote: “'I meet with not a few women who do not descend to particulars, but content themselves with that favorite argument among a certain class of Americans: "Fiddlesticks!" And in some respects it is really the most unanswerable argument that can be offered; because, after you have given what you consider to be an earnest, and practical reason on the other side, what can you say to a woman who tosses her head, and curls up her nose, and answers "fiddlesticks!"?'”

Download this book.

“Farmer Boy” by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Farmer Boy

(Little House Series, #2)

by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Synopsis: 
Immerse yourself in Laura Ingalls Wilder’s beloved Little House series, now featuring Garth Williams’ classic art in vibrant full-color!  
While Laura Ingalls grows up in a little house on the western prairie, Almanzo Wilder is living on a big farm in New York State. Almanzo and his brother and sisters help with the summer planting and fall harvest. In winter there is wood to be chopped and great slabs of ice to be cut from the river and stored. Almanzo wishes for just one thing—his very own horse—but he must prove that he is ready for such a big responsibility.
Based on the childhood of Laura’s husband, Almanzo Wilder, Farmer Boy is the second book in the award-winning Little House series, which has captivated generations of readers with its depiction of life on the American frontier.

My Review:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ & ❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎

4.5 stars & 5/10 hearts. This book is a very enjoyable picture of life on a bustling, independent farm in the 1860s. The food descriptions, of course, made me so hungry ;) but I loved the details and information. Almanzo hasn’t the best attitude sometimes and I don’t agree with everything, but it is an enjoyable and nostalgic read. :)

Purchase this book: 

Canada | America

“The Case of the Tabloid Tattler” by Perry Elisabeth Kirkpatrick

The Case of the Tabloid Tattler

(The Kitten Files Book 1)
by Perry Elisabeth Kirkpatrick

Synopsis: 

"I'm Mia.
I know how to write.
Why's that a big deal?
Because... I'm a cat."
Someone is telling the tabloids about Ms. Thornblood's every move. Is it the housekeeper? the cook? the maid? the handyman? The detective hired to solve the case isn't sure. Things are looking pretty hopeless until Mia, his talented cat, offers to spend a week at Ms. Thornblood's as a spy.
With time running out, and an embarrassing secret about to be revealed, will Mia be able to save the day—and solve her first case?
A cute, clean mystery for all ages. 

My Review:

⭐⭐⭐⭐ & ❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎

4 stars & 4/10 hearts. Oh my word. . . this little book is so clever. I enjoyed every single chapter. Mia was just so funny, especially with her sarcasm—the whole cat-POV was awesome. The mystery was well-done, even if it was very short. Definitely 100% recommended well-written mystery. (Oh, and be sure to read Perry's bio! *wink, wink*).

A Favourite Humorous Quote: “Keith set me in a cardboard box and put it in the back seat of his car. I’d never been in a car before, but I knew cats were supposed to hate riding in them.
So I did.
It wasn’t that hard, really.”

Purchase this book:
Canada | America

“Alicia” by Alicia Appleman-Jurman

Alicia

by Alicia Appleman-Jurman

Synopsis: 

WINNER OF THE 1989 CHRISTOPHER AWARD
Here is a thrilling, uplifting story of true-life heroism unequaled since the publication of Anne Frank's diary—a story that the young must hear and their elders must remember. Take Alicia's hand—and follow.
Her name is Alicia. She was thirteen when she began saving the lives of people she did not know—while fleeing the Nazis through war-ravaged Poland.
Her family cruelly wrenched from her, Alicia rescued other Jews from the Gestapo, led them to safe hideouts, and lent them her courage and hope. Even the sight of her mother's brutal murder could not quash this remarkable child's faith in human goodness—or her determination to prevail against overwhelming odds.
After the war, Alicia continued to risk her life, leading Polish Jews on an underground route to freedom in Palestine. She swore on her brother's grave that if she survived, she would speak for her silenced family. This book is the eloquent fulfillment of that oath.

My Review:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ &  ❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎

5 stars & 5/10 hearts. This is my favourite Holocaust biography. It is well-written and very clear, and shows Alicia very well. Honestly, the tragedies she lived through hurt me extra because I have a dear friend called Alicia & I kept thinking of her when I read Alicia’s name. This book is honest & open, but it didn’t creep me out (except when they tore her earlobe... but little things like that horrify me way more than torture). It was a side of the Holocaust that I hadn’t heard of before—simply hiding. You were sort of prepared for the horrors because she started off by telling you everyone who died. And after that, you admired Alicia so much, you only focused on her. There were so many great characters. And it was so real, I could see everything. I was so grateful when 1944 rolled around because I knew it was nearly over. Obviously not a book for children and probably not for sensitive readers, but it isn’t as shocking as say, The Hiding Place, since it was more survival than being mistreated. There was some swearing, mentions of kissing, two or three mentions that Alicia’s body was changing, a scene where she sleeps close to a guy & ties their feet together & he gets mad, mentions of rape; and a speech about God not being able to stop the Holocaust & humans having to prove to Him that there were still good people. Other than that, it was excellent. Really, an amazing biography.

A Favourite Quote: “But we, the orphans in Biala, sat in silence while the world celebrated. We were thinking of our murdered families, and we wept. For us the end of the war had come too late.”
A Favourite Beautiful Quote: “My brother’s voice would reach into the depth of my soul and carry me off into the beauty of its words and melody.”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “The Russian-language teacher was always quoting things that Stalin had said. He, the teacher said, was the father of all children, and he commanded us to learn, and learn, and learn. I did not believe such stories. I had a father at home; besides, I did not like this man hanging in the place of the Madonna.”

Purchase this book: 

Canada | America

“The Railway Children” by Edith Nesbit

The Railway Children 

by Edith Nesbit

Synopsis: 

When their father mysteriously disappears “on business,” Roberta, Peter, Phyllis, and their mother suddenly turn poor and are obliged to leave London and move to the country. Here they fall in love with the railway and befriend the people that work and travel upon it. They meet and make friends with several country people, all the while wondering at Mother’s different behaviour and Father’s non-return. When Bobbie stumbles upon the cause of poor Father’s disappearance, can a new friend save her father from his undeserved predicament and reunite the family? 

My Review:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ & ❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎

5+ stars & 9/10 hearts. How I love this book! It is easily in my Top 10 All-Time Favourites list. The children are so sweet and loveable and funny and realistic—I love them all. Mother is simply wonderful, and all the other characters are perfect in their way too. (There are a couple instances where the children say the trains/railway are magic/enchanted; also a mention of bargees drinking beer together.) There are so many hilarious quotes in this book, it was terribly hard to pick one! I’m not sure how many times I’ve read it but I still laugh aloud at certain speeches. ;) And it is so beautiful! This is definitely my absolutely-everyone-should-read-this book. Just simply wonderful!! <33

A Favourite Quote: “‘I say,’ said Peter, musingly, ‘wouldn’t it be jolly if we all WERE in a book, and you were writing it? Then you could make all sorts of jolly things happen[.]’
“‘Don’t you think it’s rather nice to think that we’re in a book that God’s writing? If I were writing the book, I might make mistakes. But God knows how to make the story end just right—in the way that’s best for us.’”
A Favourite Beautiful Quote: “And from the three long uncurtained windows the beautiful stretch of meadow and moorland, the far violet of the hills, and the unchanging changefulness of cloud and sky.”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “‘Oh, I BEG your pardon, Peter,’ said Bobbie, ‘I AM so sorry.’
“‘Don’t mention it,’ said Peter, grandly, ‘I knew you would be.’”

Purchase this book: 

Canada | America