Five Fall Favorites: Wednesday – Books I Loved (2025)

Welcome to the 10th annual Five Fall Favorites blog party! Kate Willis and Rebekah Morris are the hosts of this fun yearly event. This is my first year joining the FFF party, and I’m excited to be here with you all today!

This year the FFF participants were split into teams. I’m on team Walnut along with a a handful of other blogs.

Also on my team are:
Skai

Madisyn

Abigail

Bethany

Kelsey

Kate

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_{This post includes affiliate links, which simply means that if you click on one of them and make a purchase, I’ll also make a small percentage at no extra cost to you.}

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Wednesday’s Prompt: Books I Loved

1. Splendor of the Land by Connilyn Cossette –

Gavriel, a soldier in the elite company of Yonatan–son of King Saul–dreams of forging his destiny through crafting weapons with his own hands. Despite earning his place among Israel’s finest, he is haunted by a dark past that no distraction can dispel. When his reckless behavior forces Yonatan to present him with an ultimatum, Gavriel is sent on a mission to persuade a distant tribe to sever their ties with the Amalekites.

Zahava, a gifted goldsmith hidden behind her father’s legacy, lives in the shadows due to her physical affliction. Her talent, unmatched and unrecognized, is a closely guarded secret within her family. Disheartened by a love that seems unattainable, she resigns herself to a life of obscurity. However, when Gavriel arrives in her village, they’re tangled together in a way no one could have imagined. As they navigate through unforeseen dangers and enemy threats, Gavriel must confront his past and either bend his knee to the One True King or lose his love forever.

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This story could have gone a lot of different ways, but after reading several of Cossette’s other stories, I knew that I was probably going to enjoy this one. It didn’t take long for it to tie as one of my absolute favorites from her! (Tied with Like Flames in the Night and Between the Wind Branches.) She writes redemption arcs so well, and I adored all the fun twists and surprises along the way. (Plus her side-characters are some of the best! There’s always one or two that really make an impression on me each time.)

2. Better Together by Mandi Blake –

She doesn’t believe in love, but a marriage of convenience with her best friend might change her mind.

Colt has been in love with Remi for years, but she friendzoned him a long time ago. When tragedy strikes, Remi comes up with a plan to help–she’ll marry him so he can get custody of his niece and nephew. All the odds are stacked against him, but Remi’s crazy proposal just might work.

Remi wants nothing to do with relationships, but when she sees how determined Colt is to help his niece and nephew, she can’t stand by while they’re taken from him. Her painful childhood might be locked up in the past, but she has a chance to give these sweet kids the life she always wanted. Marriage doesn’t have to mean risking her heart, right?

Being married to Remi is Colt’s dream come true, but the hurts of her past keep her at arm’s length. Can he show her that love is the path to healing?

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I read this one a few years ago, and it was actually my first time reading anything by Mandi Blake. It also remains one of my favorites by her to-date! I loved the characters in this one, and really enjoyed several of the Wolf Creek Ranch books, but this one was just something extra special, and is one I’d love to maybe try to re-read at some point.

3. No Time to Die by Taylor S Newport –

*SPOILERS- Make sure to read book one first for this series!*
The enemy believes the battle is nearly over, but he’s just getting started.

Sector 17 has tried to silence the Ghost of Oz, but he doesn’t back down. Back on the hunt, Tyler Reid uncovers chilling truths that challenge everything he knows about his enemy and the woman who works for them. Caught between protecting a Russian heiress and the job she has to do, Tyler starts to question who he can rely on.

Alexandra “Alex” Romanova has been told who she is, but fragmented memories hint at a past she’s reluctant to reclaim—a past far darker than what she remembers. When Tyler offers her a chance to escape her cruel boss at Sector 17, the plight of young recruits being turned into killers weighs heavily on her conscience. She’s determined to give them the same freedom she’s found, but doesn’t realize that in doing so she has put them all at risk.

As the head of Sector 17 clings to power, Tyler and Alex are caught in the middle of a deadly war for lives, freedom, and revenge. With enemies closing in on all sides, they can’t save everyone. The stakes are higher than ever—there is no time to die.

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I probably should have listed book one for this one, since I hadn’t thought about it before, but the blurb for the sequel is pretty spoiler-y in some ways, sorry about that! This is the one that really sparked my love for this series though, or perhaps the end of the first book? I also know that the third book is expected to release in a few months, and that it’s pretty amazing too! XD

4. Through the Waters by Embassie Susberry –

1961, Alabama. Cecelia “Sissy” Little thought she had seen the last of Truitt Tate two years ago after he left her cousin at the altar. When he shows up at her door, claiming to be an undercover FBI agent and furthermore, in need of her assistance to play the role as his fiancé, Sissy is less than thrilled. Aside from the fact that Sissy can’t stand Tate, Sissy has worked hard to build a life for her and her nephews in their racially tense town. The last thing she wants is for Tate to come and upset things.

Truitt Tate hasn’t always been a gentleman, but he has changed, starting from the moment he first met Sissy Little. He comes to Alabama on assignment for business, but hopes to make it personal.

As Tate becomes immersed in the Civil Rights movement and Sissy is forced to face old fears and secrets, will they find out that they have much more in common than they ever thought?

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I had been excited to read this one since learning about it last year. I did end up getting around to reading it early this year, but at the time only the first book (this one) was available on KU. Apparently, they are all listed now, but I don’t have a subscription right now… I might have to see about fixing that though, since this one was an emotional and exciting read, and I really want to read the others at some point soon!

5. A Rebel’s Shot by Sara Blackard –

An unwanted legacy. An easy job turned deadly. And a Don’t trust anyone.

When Merritt Harland’s father unexpectedly died and she was thrust into the CEO position of her family’s multi-billion dollar mining empire she walked away from years ago, she thought life couldn’t get any worse. But being forced to the far reaches of Alaska and surrounded by her conniving stepfamily, loneliness and the desperation to uncover the secret of her father’s death might just consume her.

Tiikâan Rebel took the job of flying the head of Harland Global Resources for the easy money the months-long contract would give him. Money he desperately needs to keep his hunting and guiding business from going belly up and confirming his status as screw-up in his family of extraordinaires. He can endure the boredom of being nothing more than an air taxi if it means his dream will survive another Alaskan winter.

But when the frosty woman he’s flying proves to be an intriguing puzzle, his curiosity gets him deeper in trouble than he imagines. His determination to live up to his family name and help Merritt expose the treachery threatening her might be more than he can handle.

And the Land of the Midnight Sun doesn’t care who lives or dies.

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I’ve enjoyed Sara Blackard’s stories in the past, and had been awaiting this sequel for a while so I actually pre-ordered this one. Still, I didn’t get to read it until June, which is apparently exactly when I needed it. This story! I ended up connecting with the story and characters in a way I’d never expected and rarely ever do. It was exactly what I needed and delivered the message my soul longed for at the moment in the most unexpected and beautiful way! (Disclaimer, probably not for everyone, but wow. This one had a much bigger impact that I could have ever guessed, and God clearly had a hand in the timing of this one!) There is a scene with a bear, well there’s a few but one in particular, that truly disturbed me though… It’s short, literally only a couple of sentences and isn’t even one of the actually scenes, but is Merritt recalling a trip goes horribly wrong… Yeah, I didn’t like that part, but otherwise there was a lot I loved about this story. (There’s also some pop-culture reference that I would have rather done without, but I know to expect that with her books, and it’s not as much of the story as what I’ve found in some other stories, but yeah there’s that too…) I’ve enjoyed several of the Alaskan Rebel books now, but this one, it was something special!

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Giveaway Time:

This year, thanks to having so many contributions, and to celebrate this being the tenth anniversary, the giveaway will have two winners!

Rafflecopter giveaway

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FFF is a yearly bookish blog party hosted by:

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