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Snowflake Falls Inn Romance #2
When Fireflies Sing
When Isabelle Atkins, pop star socialite, goes missing, no one has a clue where to find her. Her accounts go dark, her credit cards vanish, and her mother throws a fit. But Isabelle isn’t gone for good. She’s hiding out at Snowflake Falls Inn, kicking it real world style by scrubbing toilets.
With the new name of Journey Miller, she’s determined to shed her old persona and come back stronger than ever. Journey’s desperate play to get out from under her mother’s controlling thumb and back to her roots is interrupted by the arrival of bad boy country star Cody Blake.
Cody has a feeling he’s met Journey before, but he just can’t place where. Journey remembers clearly and she’s determined to keep Cody at arms length. However, she can’t deny a growing attraction when they’re forced to work together.
A rock-your-world kiss in the meadow has Journey putting aside her initial resistance. That is, until Journey’s cover is blown and Cody realizes why she looked so familiar. With so much to lose, Journey has to trust her gut and hold true to who she really wants to be … even if it means risking love.
With the new name of Journey Miller, she’s determined to shed her old persona and come back stronger than ever. Journey’s desperate play to get out from under her mother’s controlling thumb and back to her roots is interrupted by the arrival of bad boy country star Cody Blake.
Cody has a feeling he’s met Journey before, but he just can’t place where. Journey remembers clearly and she’s determined to keep Cody at arms length. However, she can’t deny a growing attraction when they’re forced to work together.
A rock-your-world kiss in the meadow has Journey putting aside her initial resistance. That is, until Journey’s cover is blown and Cody realizes why she looked so familiar. With so much to lose, Journey has to trust her gut and hold true to who she really wants to be … even if it means risking love.
286 pages, Paperback
Published February 2, 2017
15 people are currently reading
119 people want to read
About the author
Christene Houston
10 books43 followersWanna be runner, writer, reader, Momma of four, and in love with a great man. I write what I love so you will love it too.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
February 7, 2017
Cute!
I really enjoyed this one, was sucked in right from the start and didn't want to put it down. I thought it was really well written, had a great setting, likable characters and a fun plot.
Journey (Isabelle) was a fun character, a well known singer in a very public family. She doesn't like the direction her life is going or the controlling way her mother runs her life. She feels trapped and has decided to escape. She goes to great lengths, which she'd have to, in order to disappear. She finds sanctuary at the Snowflake Falls Inn, a cozy lodge nestled in the mountains far away from the limelight. She finally gets settled in and enjoying her freedom when the Inn gets an unexpected visitor. Cody Blake, the famous country singer bad boy. Just out of rehab and not to happy to be there, Cody doesn't make the best first impression. I did enjoy his character development though and seeing him grow and self-reflect. I loved Journey and Cody's relationship, she definitely isn't dazzled by his fame and knows how to put him in his place. Lots of fun moments and of course a believable romance with lots of chemistry.
I love the setting of Snowflake Falls Inn, I so wish I could visit there. The supporting cast adds a lot of fun to the story. Overall, this is a fun romance with depth and charm. Definitely one to recommend.
Content
Romance: Clean, some kissing
Language: Very mild, 1-2 mild curses
Violence: None
Series: Snowflake Falls Inn, Book Two - stands well on its own
Source: Review copy, will also be getting my own hardcopy
I really enjoyed this one, was sucked in right from the start and didn't want to put it down. I thought it was really well written, had a great setting, likable characters and a fun plot.
Journey (Isabelle) was a fun character, a well known singer in a very public family. She doesn't like the direction her life is going or the controlling way her mother runs her life. She feels trapped and has decided to escape. She goes to great lengths, which she'd have to, in order to disappear. She finds sanctuary at the Snowflake Falls Inn, a cozy lodge nestled in the mountains far away from the limelight. She finally gets settled in and enjoying her freedom when the Inn gets an unexpected visitor. Cody Blake, the famous country singer bad boy. Just out of rehab and not to happy to be there, Cody doesn't make the best first impression. I did enjoy his character development though and seeing him grow and self-reflect. I loved Journey and Cody's relationship, she definitely isn't dazzled by his fame and knows how to put him in his place. Lots of fun moments and of course a believable romance with lots of chemistry.
I love the setting of Snowflake Falls Inn, I so wish I could visit there. The supporting cast adds a lot of fun to the story. Overall, this is a fun romance with depth and charm. Definitely one to recommend.
Content
Romance: Clean, some kissing
Language: Very mild, 1-2 mild curses
Violence: None
Series: Snowflake Falls Inn, Book Two - stands well on its own
Source: Review copy, will also be getting my own hardcopy
December 25, 2017
While this claims to be second in a series, I could detect no signs of the previous book (which I admit I haven't read). So I'm thinking you're good to go starting here if you like.
I have a policy of giving a book its premise, even when unlikely. That got a workout with this story. The premise is about nine kinds of screwed up in that Journey/Isabelle's mother is one messed up tyrant. This comes out right up front, so if you want to see if you can get past that, too, it'll only take a couple minutes. At any rate, Journey has plenty of reason to drop out of sight for a while and "find herself" (with enough reason that it's not really a cliché in this case). And that's where we get the second premise to swallow—that Cody, a country music bad-boy, would be assigned to the same little backwoods inn that Journey found refuge in.
If you can give it that premise, the rest of the story flows relatively naturally. I liked Journey and her search for meaning in her life felt real-enough and I really liked the relationships she had found in her backwoods refuge. She starts off with mostly what she wants to avoid, but I liked how she was searching for the more active "life purpose" that would make her life meaningful.
Cody was something of a harder sell, but I came around to him eventually, too. Mostly I liked his commitment to being better even if he was kind of fuzzy on the why of it all. And yes, it really was straining my ability to "give the story its premise" to have them both searching for their purpose in this one location and finding inspiration in each other.
And if you suspect that there's a lot of moralizing and life lesson serving going on, you aren't wrong. Houston manages to keep it from feeling preachy by centering the sermons on the individual and specific circumstances and making it more "life wisdom" from an honored grandma and/or grandmotherly innkeeper. Still, there's a lot of rather pointed bits that probably go down smoother depending on your receptivity to the things said. Most of it was pretty solid generally-speaking, but I'll admit that some of it rankled in the details.
The relationship worked, though, and that matters in a romance. I liked both of them and I really liked how they handled conflict when it arose. And not because they handled it perfectly because they didn't. But see, to me, seeing when and how a couple can apologize to each other (and forgive when called upon) when one or the other is wrong means a lot to me and Houston depicted the powerful strength in humility very well and I appreciated that, here.
The rather bare moral lessoning and the very large premise-granting pushed this down to 3½ stars. I'm torn on how to round it, though. It was a bunch of premise to swallow, but I admired the working out of differences enough that I'll probably end up rounding up.
A note about Chaste: This is chaste, with a couple kisses on-page but nothing more.
A note about missing faith: Note the lack of the tag on this one, so I didn't feel there was anything missing faith-wise. And not because the moralizing had anything to say about unmarried sex (because it didn't). Houston resolves the relationship very naturally before it develops to the point where physical intimacy could be reasonably expected. And then skips to the marriage without specifying sex or no sex. And that is very much how it is done best, IMO. In other words, nothing jarring for whatever your expectations may be. So kudos on this front for having a chaste romance that fit naturally into broad cultural expectations just fine.
I have a policy of giving a book its premise, even when unlikely. That got a workout with this story. The premise is about nine kinds of screwed up in that Journey/Isabelle's mother is one messed up tyrant. This comes out right up front, so if you want to see if you can get past that, too, it'll only take a couple minutes. At any rate, Journey has plenty of reason to drop out of sight for a while and "find herself" (with enough reason that it's not really a cliché in this case). And that's where we get the second premise to swallow—that Cody, a country music bad-boy, would be assigned to the same little backwoods inn that Journey found refuge in.
If you can give it that premise, the rest of the story flows relatively naturally. I liked Journey and her search for meaning in her life felt real-enough and I really liked the relationships she had found in her backwoods refuge. She starts off with mostly what she wants to avoid, but I liked how she was searching for the more active "life purpose" that would make her life meaningful.
Cody was something of a harder sell, but I came around to him eventually, too. Mostly I liked his commitment to being better even if he was kind of fuzzy on the why of it all. And yes, it really was straining my ability to "give the story its premise" to have them both searching for their purpose in this one location and finding inspiration in each other.
And if you suspect that there's a lot of moralizing and life lesson serving going on, you aren't wrong. Houston manages to keep it from feeling preachy by centering the sermons on the individual and specific circumstances and making it more "life wisdom" from an honored grandma and/or grandmotherly innkeeper. Still, there's a lot of rather pointed bits that probably go down smoother depending on your receptivity to the things said. Most of it was pretty solid generally-speaking, but I'll admit that some of it rankled in the details.
The relationship worked, though, and that matters in a romance. I liked both of them and I really liked how they handled conflict when it arose. And not because they handled it perfectly because they didn't. But see, to me, seeing when and how a couple can apologize to each other (and forgive when called upon) when one or the other is wrong means a lot to me and Houston depicted the powerful strength in humility very well and I appreciated that, here.
The rather bare moral lessoning and the very large premise-granting pushed this down to 3½ stars. I'm torn on how to round it, though. It was a bunch of premise to swallow, but I admired the working out of differences enough that I'll probably end up rounding up.
A note about Chaste: This is chaste, with a couple kisses on-page but nothing more.
A note about missing faith: Note the lack of the tag on this one, so I didn't feel there was anything missing faith-wise. And not because the moralizing had anything to say about unmarried sex (because it didn't). Houston resolves the relationship very naturally before it develops to the point where physical intimacy could be reasonably expected. And then skips to the marriage without specifying sex or no sex. And that is very much how it is done best, IMO. In other words, nothing jarring for whatever your expectations may be. So kudos on this front for having a chaste romance that fit naturally into broad cultural expectations just fine.
February 4, 2017
Isabelle Atkins has had it up to here with her mother running and ruling her life. There's only so much a person can take. "Wear this... do your hair like this... date him... don't eat that..." Enough is enough! It's time to reclaim her life back! It's time for "Isabelle" to disappear for good. And time for Journey Miller to make a fresh start in the world.
And what better place for a fresh start than Snowflake Falls Inn. Her new life is not always glamorous but it IS her own. With plans already in motion, she just needs to lay low until the time is right to get back out there and show the world what she's really made of!
But fate has decided to throw a wrench into her plan in the form of Cody Blake... bad boy country star extraordinaire! And boy does he get under Journey's skin!
Cody has had a rough go the last few years and has found himself in more trouble than ever. Court appointed community service lands him at Snowflake Falls Inn where he will work side by side with Journey. Their first meeting knocks him off his feet... literally... and makes it hard for him to keep the sassy, feisty little firecracker off his mind. There is just something about her that draws him in. He's never met anyone like her before and getting to know her proves difficult when she seems to hate his guts. He definitely has his work cut out for him! But slowly both Journey and Cody let their guards down enough to realize that maybe fate knows what she's doing after all. ;)
And just when things start getting good... BAM! Evil incarnate makes an entrance threatening to ruin everything that Journey has worked hard for and her new found relationship with Cody. Will the truth send Cody running for the hills? Or will he take a leap of faith and stand by Journey's side? Is their relationship over before it could start? Or will they both get their HEA? One thing's for sure... Journey won't go down without a fight.
Oh. My. Gosh! I absolutely loved When Fireflies Sing! Seriously LOVED it! It was such a fun book! I laughed out loud on several occasions.. found myself letting out little dreamy sighs.. caught myself with a perma-grin on my face and wanted to read as fast as I could to see how things would end! But the closer I got to the end, the slower I wanted to read so that I could savor every moment I had left. I already want to read it again! It's SUPER cute and a MUST read! You can thank me later! ;o)
Ms. Houston has most definitely been added to my favorite authors list! I can't wait to see what she has in store for us next! Is her next book out yet?! ;o)
And of course I can't forget my casting! Pretty perfect if I do say so myself. What do you think?!
Content: Mild language. Mild innuendos.
*I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are solely my own.*
And what better place for a fresh start than Snowflake Falls Inn. Her new life is not always glamorous but it IS her own. With plans already in motion, she just needs to lay low until the time is right to get back out there and show the world what she's really made of!
But fate has decided to throw a wrench into her plan in the form of Cody Blake... bad boy country star extraordinaire! And boy does he get under Journey's skin!
Cody has had a rough go the last few years and has found himself in more trouble than ever. Court appointed community service lands him at Snowflake Falls Inn where he will work side by side with Journey. Their first meeting knocks him off his feet... literally... and makes it hard for him to keep the sassy, feisty little firecracker off his mind. There is just something about her that draws him in. He's never met anyone like her before and getting to know her proves difficult when she seems to hate his guts. He definitely has his work cut out for him! But slowly both Journey and Cody let their guards down enough to realize that maybe fate knows what she's doing after all. ;)
And just when things start getting good... BAM! Evil incarnate makes an entrance threatening to ruin everything that Journey has worked hard for and her new found relationship with Cody. Will the truth send Cody running for the hills? Or will he take a leap of faith and stand by Journey's side? Is their relationship over before it could start? Or will they both get their HEA? One thing's for sure... Journey won't go down without a fight.
Oh. My. Gosh! I absolutely loved When Fireflies Sing! Seriously LOVED it! It was such a fun book! I laughed out loud on several occasions.. found myself letting out little dreamy sighs.. caught myself with a perma-grin on my face and wanted to read as fast as I could to see how things would end! But the closer I got to the end, the slower I wanted to read so that I could savor every moment I had left. I already want to read it again! It's SUPER cute and a MUST read! You can thank me later! ;o)
Ms. Houston has most definitely been added to my favorite authors list! I can't wait to see what she has in store for us next! Is her next book out yet?! ;o)
And of course I can't forget my casting! Pretty perfect if I do say so myself. What do you think?!
Content: Mild language. Mild innuendos.
*I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are solely my own.*
February 4, 2017
I love Snowflake Falls and the simpler feeling that exudes off the pages. The crisp mountain air, cozy family feels, and delicious foods really add a flair to the drama, transformations, and romance that is flitting through the air.
Journey is ready to reclaim her inner roots and become who she's always wanted to be, shedding her pop star persona in the process. Although she lived in the limelight for a few years, she's a very grounded woman and one that I really liked. She's not afraid to get her hands dirty and live the way common folk do. I love how sassy she is and when her sass flairs, I would laugh out loud! So many funny incidents resulted because of her spunk, which really shows when Cody Blake arrives. He's just finished rehab and has community service hours to fulfill. He's very conceited and vain because of his edgy country music stardom. I enjoyed seeing his true self emerge through the process of working at this Inn and interacting with Journey.
There are a couple of big messages that came through in this story--everyone has a story and reasons for doing what they do--don't be quick to judge; everyone deserves a second chance; find your life course and follow it. While there are many humorous moments, there are a few sobering moments as well, which really touched my heart. I absolutely loved the romantic angle--it felt so real, natural, and swoony! Adorable best friends, psycho family members, sweet co-workers, quirky guests...this book has a plethora of great characters.
This author has a fantastic talent of describing things. Her wording is so vivid and accurate and really sparked my imagination. She is definitely one to watch and I can't wait for more.
Content: mild language (a handful of mild words and 1-2 more moderate words); mild *swoony* romance (kissing, some innuendo from talk of past relationships);
*I received an ARC from the author, which in no way influenced my review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*
Journey is ready to reclaim her inner roots and become who she's always wanted to be, shedding her pop star persona in the process. Although she lived in the limelight for a few years, she's a very grounded woman and one that I really liked. She's not afraid to get her hands dirty and live the way common folk do. I love how sassy she is and when her sass flairs, I would laugh out loud! So many funny incidents resulted because of her spunk, which really shows when Cody Blake arrives. He's just finished rehab and has community service hours to fulfill. He's very conceited and vain because of his edgy country music stardom. I enjoyed seeing his true self emerge through the process of working at this Inn and interacting with Journey.
There are a couple of big messages that came through in this story--everyone has a story and reasons for doing what they do--don't be quick to judge; everyone deserves a second chance; find your life course and follow it. While there are many humorous moments, there are a few sobering moments as well, which really touched my heart. I absolutely loved the romantic angle--it felt so real, natural, and swoony! Adorable best friends, psycho family members, sweet co-workers, quirky guests...this book has a plethora of great characters.
This author has a fantastic talent of describing things. Her wording is so vivid and accurate and really sparked my imagination. She is definitely one to watch and I can't wait for more.
Content: mild language (a handful of mild words and 1-2 more moderate words); mild *swoony* romance (kissing, some innuendo from talk of past relationships);
*I received an ARC from the author, which in no way influenced my review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*
July 19, 2017
I picked this one up on kindle unlimited. I really enjoyed the main characters and the cast of secondary characters as well. They were individual and easily pictured in my mind. The build up of chemistry between the main characters was great. A fun read!
Content: mild swearing, kissing, alcoholism, mention of previous sexual exploits with no details.
Content: mild swearing, kissing, alcoholism, mention of previous sexual exploits with no details.
February 6, 2017
In the book, When Fireflies Sing, Isabelle Atkins has had enough of her high profile demanding life. Knowing her mother, Helen, would be furious with her, she secretly leaves at goes into hiding at Snowflake Falls Inn. Isabelle changes her name to Journey Miller and begins a simple life of cleaning toilets and discovering her true self. That is until Cody Blake, famous country singer, is ordered to rehab and community service for his drinking problem. Together they find themselves while discovering what true love really means.
Once I started this story I could not put it down! There were so many times I just laughed out loud at Journey’s sass! I related to her so much because I could see many personality traits of myself in her. I love her determination of being true to herself while learning to trust those around her. I rooted for her to be able to walk away from those who brought her down while finding a true home and friends. Cody is a pain! He is good looking and knows it! The entire world revolves around him. I enjoyed his humbling moments and his realization that there is more to life than a good time.
I loved this book! Loved it! Not only did I love the romance and witty humor, but I love music and this book was full of it. I appreciate characters in stories that also have a passion for music. I am excited to hear it is part of a series and look forward to reading other adventures from Christene Houston.
Please note I received a copy of this book to review. All opinions are my own.
Once I started this story I could not put it down! There were so many times I just laughed out loud at Journey’s sass! I related to her so much because I could see many personality traits of myself in her. I love her determination of being true to herself while learning to trust those around her. I rooted for her to be able to walk away from those who brought her down while finding a true home and friends. Cody is a pain! He is good looking and knows it! The entire world revolves around him. I enjoyed his humbling moments and his realization that there is more to life than a good time.
I loved this book! Loved it! Not only did I love the romance and witty humor, but I love music and this book was full of it. I appreciate characters in stories that also have a passion for music. I am excited to hear it is part of a series and look forward to reading other adventures from Christene Houston.
Please note I received a copy of this book to review. All opinions are my own.
February 16, 2017
3.5 stars
I think to be fair I just wasn't quite in the mood for this book. I liked the two main characters a lot but the book itself was filled with pages of descriptions at times and I start to get kind of bored when that happens.
I thought the premise of the book was super fun and I love a good main character whose a firecracker!!
I think to be fair I just wasn't quite in the mood for this book. I liked the two main characters a lot but the book itself was filled with pages of descriptions at times and I start to get kind of bored when that happens.
I thought the premise of the book was super fun and I love a good main character whose a firecracker!!
February 12, 2017
Romance, Clean, mild Christian faith elements
This was a magical read for me. I loved the two hurting main characters, Isabelle/Journey and Cody. The other characters in this Inn made a lovely foil for them. Both characters had things they were escaping/hiding from, both had hearts that needed to heal. Cody had lots of introspection and self-examination to see if he was heading where he really needed to be heading with his life.
The Inn made for a lovely backdrop for them to get to know each other, and heal. Their music was a lovely common ground for them both. There was obvious chemistry, and some beautiful moments between the two of them. The initial scene where Journey takes Cody to a muddy place and subsequent antics was funny, could just see it happening, and laughed out loud. Their other bonding experiences and moments were beautifully and vividly sketched. You could see and feel their hearts, emotions, hurts, confusion, and joys. LOVELY read. Highly recommend if you love reading a fall!
This was a magical read for me. I loved the two hurting main characters, Isabelle/Journey and Cody. The other characters in this Inn made a lovely foil for them. Both characters had things they were escaping/hiding from, both had hearts that needed to heal. Cody had lots of introspection and self-examination to see if he was heading where he really needed to be heading with his life.
The Inn made for a lovely backdrop for them to get to know each other, and heal. Their music was a lovely common ground for them both. There was obvious chemistry, and some beautiful moments between the two of them. The initial scene where Journey takes Cody to a muddy place and subsequent antics was funny, could just see it happening, and laughed out loud. Their other bonding experiences and moments were beautifully and vividly sketched. You could see and feel their hearts, emotions, hurts, confusion, and joys. LOVELY read. Highly recommend if you love reading a fall!
February 13, 2017
I loved this book so much. It is an amazing book about self discovery and taking responsibility and action in your own life, all wrapped up in a sweet romance. Journey and Cody lead similar lives but approach them in totally different ways. Yet both find themselves on the path of needing a life change. The best thing about life, no matter how hard things get, is the people we choose to associate with. Finding people who lift us up and carry us through the hard times is what it's all about and that is what this book has love and friendship and new life purpose. Awesome read. Great job!
Note- I was gifted this book in exchange for a review and all opinions are my own.
Note- I was gifted this book in exchange for a review and all opinions are my own.
February 13, 2017
Sweet, cozy romance with a little bit of bite. Loved the country music references and it was fun revisiting Snowflake Falls.
November 24, 2017
When you belong to a family famous for their social media exploits, when your mother thinks it's reasonable to arrange your marriage via contract--including how long the marriage will last, how many children it will produce, and the sex of each--how do you get away?
Isabelle changes her name to Journey and escapes to the remote Snowflake Falls Inn run by a freind of her late grandma. There she feels safe to lie low, make her own decisions, and chart her own path. While there she meets the handsome and chauvenistic country music bad boy, Cody Blake. He's been sent to the inn to work off community mandated community service hours. He's got his own reasons for avoiding publicity.
Journey and Cody work together at the Inn and despite her very best efforts, Journey finds herself falling for Cody as he begins to realize what a jerk he's been and how alcohol has ruined his life and relationships. The problem is, while Cody is learning how to be honest and authentic, Journey is living a lie, hiding her identity from Cody.
Misunderstandings ensue when Journey/Isabelle's identity comes out and Cody is pretty dumb about things for a bit and both Cody and Journey have to decide who they each really are and whether they trust eachother before they can continue their relationship.
Secrets and misunderstandings due to unwillingness to just ask/talk are not my favorite plot devices, but they weren't too heavy handed or excessive in this book. So that's something. :-) I definitely enjoyed watching both Cody and Journey figure out who they were outside of what the world/fans/parents expected them to be.
Isabelle changes her name to Journey and escapes to the remote Snowflake Falls Inn run by a freind of her late grandma. There she feels safe to lie low, make her own decisions, and chart her own path. While there she meets the handsome and chauvenistic country music bad boy, Cody Blake. He's been sent to the inn to work off community mandated community service hours. He's got his own reasons for avoiding publicity.
Journey and Cody work together at the Inn and despite her very best efforts, Journey finds herself falling for Cody as he begins to realize what a jerk he's been and how alcohol has ruined his life and relationships. The problem is, while Cody is learning how to be honest and authentic, Journey is living a lie, hiding her identity from Cody.
Misunderstandings ensue when Journey/Isabelle's identity comes out and Cody is pretty dumb about things for a bit and both Cody and Journey have to decide who they each really are and whether they trust eachother before they can continue their relationship.
Secrets and misunderstandings due to unwillingness to just ask/talk are not my favorite plot devices, but they weren't too heavy handed or excessive in this book. So that's something. :-) I definitely enjoyed watching both Cody and Journey figure out who they were outside of what the world/fans/parents expected them to be.
July 27, 2017
I enjoyed this book, it kept my attention, I cared about the characters, and it was clean and sweet. It wasn't earth shattering or life changing, but I liked it. I picture Snowflake Falls Inn as a mixture of The Dragonfly Inn and BYU's Aspen Grove Family Camp. I love both of those places (yes, I know one is fictional), so it was a fun picture to have in my head. I mean, there was even a Sookie and a brief mention of a Jackson! I loved the country music references and constantly had a song stuck in my head while reading. It is the second book of a series, but there would be no problem reading them out of order.
Editing alert: (These things drive me crazy. I may make mistakes like this in writing, but I'm not a published author.)
Several uses of "reign" instead of "rein" when using phrases such as "reign in the bad attitude", "reign in the emotion"...
One use of "your" instead of "you're".
One use of "tale-tell" instead of "tell-tale".
I still liked the story, though!
Editing alert: (These things drive me crazy. I may make mistakes like this in writing, but I'm not a published author.)
Several uses of "reign" instead of "rein" when using phrases such as "reign in the bad attitude", "reign in the emotion"...
One use of "your" instead of "you're".
One use of "tale-tell" instead of "tell-tale".
I still liked the story, though!
January 18, 2022
An alright read.
What I liked:
- Journey sticking up for herself and values, whether with her family or with Cody
- Cody had a pretty decent growth arc
- Female friendships!
- Self awareness
What was meh/didn't like:
- This book was pretty preachy which was not my jam e.g. there's a whole section of Journey trying to find her purpose - probably the biggest thing I didn't like
- Caricature villains. Seriously there was zero development with Journey's mum, she was just there to be a bad person in the most outlandish way possible
- Convenient plot devices - plot devices are allowed to be convenient but only when they fit into the natural flow of the story. In this case, out of actual nowhere, Cody "deduces" that Journey is using him as a publicity stunt (beyond stupid).
Ultimately I just really didn't connect with this one at all. I could probably make the case for two stars but I felt meh about it all, so a middling 3 stars it is.
What I liked:
- Journey sticking up for herself and values, whether with her family or with Cody
- Cody had a pretty decent growth arc
- Female friendships!
- Self awareness
What was meh/didn't like:
- This book was pretty preachy which was not my jam e.g. there's a whole section of Journey trying to find her purpose - probably the biggest thing I didn't like
- Caricature villains. Seriously there was zero development with Journey's mum, she was just there to be a bad person in the most outlandish way possible
- Convenient plot devices - plot devices are allowed to be convenient but only when they fit into the natural flow of the story. In this case, out of actual nowhere, Cody "deduces" that Journey is using him as a publicity stunt (beyond stupid).
Ultimately I just really didn't connect with this one at all. I could probably make the case for two stars but I felt meh about it all, so a middling 3 stars it is.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 8, 2017
Book Therapy
I so enjoyed this book! I liked that the storyline involves two stars who are looking for an escape (rather than one), a different twist on a pretty frequent plot. This is a clean, stand-alone novel. I had previously read another story by the same author but I preferred this one. The characters were engaging, realistic, well-developed, the pace was fast-moving. Once I started reading it I couldn't put it down. This was like book therapy for me, at a time when things are stressful, it was a wonderful escape. I've already downloaded the next book in the series and can't wait to start reading it. I'm disappointed I missed purchasing it when it was on special but I will definitely keep it on my wish list with the hopes that it comes on sale again. Highly recommended.
I so enjoyed this book! I liked that the storyline involves two stars who are looking for an escape (rather than one), a different twist on a pretty frequent plot. This is a clean, stand-alone novel. I had previously read another story by the same author but I preferred this one. The characters were engaging, realistic, well-developed, the pace was fast-moving. Once I started reading it I couldn't put it down. This was like book therapy for me, at a time when things are stressful, it was a wonderful escape. I've already downloaded the next book in the series and can't wait to start reading it. I'm disappointed I missed purchasing it when it was on special but I will definitely keep it on my wish list with the hopes that it comes on sale again. Highly recommended.
November 1, 2018
I grew up on country music and I love to sing so reading about Journey spoke to my heart. I'm not a small town girl myself, but I've always loved stories about them and getting back to your roots and the things that matter most. The chemistry between Journey and Cody was delicious and I loved her sass. I loved Ruby too and felt hungry the whole book. ;) Some parts were a bit melodramatic for my taste, but I was invested and entertained the whole time. Cookie Girl Christmas is still my favorite, but I really enjoyed this one and loved revisiting Mama Lucille, Big Ben and the Snowflake Falls Inn. I'm grateful for authors like Christene who keep it clean without sacrificing quality writing.
October 24, 2017
When Fireflies Sing - PG
Violence: a punch in the nose
Language: <15 swear words
Sex: no sex, some kissing
Wow, our heroine is something else! She gives up everything to be true to herself and the beliefs instilled in her by her grandma. The story is that beautiful journey with a broken but working-for-redemption Hero thrown in for toe-curling kisses. So Good! Very real relationship growth. A clean read. I really like this author.
Violence: a punch in the nose
Language: <15 swear words
Sex: no sex, some kissing
Wow, our heroine is something else! She gives up everything to be true to herself and the beliefs instilled in her by her grandma. The story is that beautiful journey with a broken but working-for-redemption Hero thrown in for toe-curling kisses. So Good! Very real relationship growth. A clean read. I really like this author.
June 8, 2017
Sweet with a beautiful depth
I adored this book! It is a sweet and clean romance with a fantastic amount of depth and phenomenal character development. I found myself underlining profound phrases so much (which I rarely do while reading fiction), but it was just so BEAUTIFUL! I am eagerly looking forward to more from Christene Houston.
I adored this book! It is a sweet and clean romance with a fantastic amount of depth and phenomenal character development. I found myself underlining profound phrases so much (which I rarely do while reading fiction), but it was just so BEAUTIFUL! I am eagerly looking forward to more from Christene Houston.
July 5, 2017
I enjoyed this book from start to finish. I liked that Isabelle/ Journey had the courage to go out on her own. I liked the wisdom that her grandmother shared. I did not like Cody at first and loved that Journey was not impressed with him either. The two main characters grew in strength in this story. I felt like I learned from their struggles.
September 3, 2017
This was a sweet story and I enjoyed the characters but it did take me just a little bit to get into the story...mainly because Cody wasn't that likable in the beginning and probably because it took some time to set up the story and their backgrounds, etc. Once it got going, though, I did have a hard time putting it down and was happy with the ending.
April 25, 2018
If you want a fun, engaging, and clean romance, you'll enjoy this sweet tale. I like the characters and the dialogue. There is a touch of humor, which is something I always appreciate and adds life to the characters. If you're in the mood for some escapism with a classic push me/pull you romance, check it out. If you're a country music fan, it's even better.
July 2, 2017
Really great romance
This was a really great story with a bunch of really fun characters. I loved how the main characters relationship progressed and how really sweet their romance was.
This was a really great story with a bunch of really fun characters. I loved how the main characters relationship progressed and how really sweet their romance was.
July 21, 2017
Fun!!
Like a Country tune written out. Loved the spunk between the couple and the music aspect. Would be a great Hallmark movie.
Like a Country tune written out. Loved the spunk between the couple and the music aspect. Would be a great Hallmark movie.
July 25, 2018
Perfect read
Christene is my favorite new author. Each book is better than the last. Funny, clean, romantic, uplifting, delicious and lots of sunshine and mud.
Christene is my favorite new author. Each book is better than the last. Funny, clean, romantic, uplifting, delicious and lots of sunshine and mud.
January 27, 2020
Great read
This was a great book. Loved the ending and how Journey was finally free from her mother and living life.
This was a great book. Loved the ending and how Journey was finally free from her mother and living life.
March 31, 2020
This was not my cup of tea.
February 8, 2017
I love the Snowflake Falls Romance series! When Fireflies Sing is fun, engaging and an overall feel good story. Whenever you include yummy food and Garth Brooks you'll have a winning combination. I need to know where I can find the Snowflake Falls Inn. I could use some time spent there!
February 21, 2017
I love 90s country music so maybe that's part of why I loved reading this book and I loved Journey!
February 9, 2017
Loved it! Great story, quick read and totally worth it!
February 8, 2017
I liked the story but there was a lot of eye rolling and too wordy. I liked Cody. I do wish there was an epilogue. What happens to him and his career?
May 2, 2017
Fun read!
This was a cute book with a fun storyline. Something different and creative! A great author who keeps it sweet and clean!!
This was a cute book with a fun storyline. Something different and creative! A great author who keeps it sweet and clean!!
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