10. The French Kitchen and more...

10. The French Kitchen. Kristy Cambron. 2025. 384 pages. [Source: Review copy] [3 stars, historical fiction, Christian fiction]

First sentence: What would a French glamour girl wear to stash weapons in the dead of winter besides a haute couture gown? Kat Harris wished she knew.

The description of French Kitchen sounds great, interesting, intriguing. However, for me at least, the book failed to match the description. 

The French Kitchen has dual timelines. 

There is a timeline set in France during World War II where the heroine, Kat Harris, is masquerading as Celine a woman part of the Resistance. The real Celine never arrived at her assignment. Kat Harris took her place and assumed her name. She's going undercover as a pastry chef, I think??? Regardless, she's going undercover in a French kitchen. France is occupied. The book opens with a cliff hanger, though since you have no investment in the characters much of the intensity and suspense is wasted. 

The second timeline is France in the 1950s. Kat Harris has received a telegram that may or may not be concerning her dead or not dead brother who was also a spy working with the Resistance. For whatever reason she feels the best way to find her possibly-not-dead brother is to find a man she may or may not be able to trust, Gerard, and marry him. For whatever reason he says yes. (At this point, readers are most likely as clueless as I was as to why he would say yes and why she would propose and what the point is). 

The chapters alternate between the past and present. In the 'present' story line Kat is once again become interested in cooking and meets Julia Child. This is what the description emphasizes. This is what the author's note emphasizes. This supposedly is the whole reason the book exists--to create fictional characters to interact with a fictional Julia Child. She's also searching for her possibly-not-dead brother. 

There are characters--friends, enemies, frenemies--in both timelines. But the way this story unfolds...at least to me...is not as effective as it could be if the author had chosen a timeline and kept things chronological. I am not opposed to dual timelines IF the story flows well and most importantly if it makes sense with little to no confusion. 

The description seems like it was written by someone who only heard a summary of the book and didn't actually read it. 

   

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Sunday, March 8, 2026

NKJV Wide Margin Sovereign

Leviticus 16-20; 2 Chronicles 1-5; Mark 7-9;

RSV Sovereign

Isaiah 40-43; Jeremiah 32-36;

ESV Women's Study Bible

Proverbs 12-17

KJV Chronological Life Application Study Bible

Isaiah 49-59

NASB 95 Large Print Compact Bible

Exodus 31-40 

Monday, March 9, 2026

Leviticus 1-11;

Tuesday, March 10, 2026

Leviticus 12-27

Wednesday, March 11, 2026

Numbers 1-36

Thursday, March 12, 2026

Deuteronomy 1-5

Friday, March 13, 2026

Deuteronomy 6-16;

Saturday, March 14, 2026

Deuteronomy 17-34

   

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1. RSV Sovereign. God. 1977. Thomas Nelson. 1488 pages. [Source: Bought] [5 stars, Bible review]

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters. Genesis 1:1-2

About the RSV: The Revised Standard Version was a revision of the American Standard Version of 1901. The New Testament was released as early as 1946. The Old and New Testaments together were published in 1952. The translation went through several updates becoming finalized, I believe, in 1977.

According to Wikipedia, the VERY first copy of the RSV to come off the press was given to Harry S. Truman in September 1946. It was released to the general public a few days later.

Not every Christian embraced this new translation especially regarding the Old Testament. A strong reaction against this NEW translation in part led to a King-James-Only Movement. The fuss was over how Isaiah 7:14 was translated.

I have read the RSV three perhaps four times. It is not my favorite translation. It is not my least favorite translation. 

The method I used to read this one was to start with TWO ribbons--or bookmarks--with one in Genesis and one in Revelation. To read forwards from one and backwards from the other. (Revelation, Jude, 3 John, 2 John, etc. and Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, etc.) I was curious WHERE I would meet in my read through. I ended up meeting in Isaiah. 

The Sovereign was a nice printing of the RSV for the most part. Sometimes the verse numbers are too close to the verse. BUT I love the size and weight of the Sovereign collection. 

   

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Sunday, March 1, 2026

NKJV Wide Margin Sovereign

Romans 13-16; Exodus 8-9; Matthew 13-14;

RSV Sovereign

Proverbs 5-11; Ezekiel 33-36;

ESV Women's Study Bible

Psalms 86-94; 

KJV Chronological Life Application Study Bible

Psalms 42-49

Monday, March 2, 2026

Psalms 84, 85, 87, 1, 2, 10, 33, 66, 67, 71, 91

Tuesday, March 3, 2026

Psalms 92-93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 102, 104, 105, 106, 107

NASB 95 Large Print Compact Bible 

Genesis 1-24

Wednesday, March 4, 2026

Genesis 25-50

Thursday, March 5, 2026

Exodus 1-10

Friday, March 6, 2026

Exodus 11-18

Saturday, March 7, 2026

Exodus 19-30

   

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9. Taming Lady Temperance. Karen Witemeyer. 2026. 336 pages.  [Source: Library] [historical fiction, historical romance, christian fiction, 4 stars]

First sentence: Casting a surreptitious glance over her shoulder, Noreen O'Sullivan tiptoed pas the unoccupied Methodist church, then darted across Walnut Street toward the schoolhouse. Heart palpitations brought on by self-imposed skulking shallowed her breathing.

Premise/plot: Noreen O'Sullivan is a "spinster" (27 years old) who has reconciled herself to being single, strong, independent, and, of course, opinionated. Soon after the novel opens, she joins a Spinster Society. Noreen's cause is temperance. She is out to almost singlehandedly change her community.  She's protesting and using her first amendment right to try to dissuade anyone from entering the local saloon. The local deputy, James Paxton, wants to be fair to everyone. He does. But he is becoming more and more smitten with Noreen by the day. He wants to support her cause without going on the record as supporting her cause. After a parade--with band--in support of temperance, a local drunk beats up his daughter and wife. Noreen loses control and makes an unwise decision...which sets her up to be set up. 

James will have to fight for Noreen...even when she asks him to consider his own career before her freedom. 

My thoughts: This one was a quick read. I enjoyed it. It was both unique and predictable. Unique in that I haven't personally read many Christian fiction romances about feisty heroines who are part of the temperance movement. Predictable in the romance perhaps. Though maybe that is unique in some ways too? I feel I've seen some old black and white movies that might perhaps feature this type of romance. Anyway, a deputy falling in love with someone he's had to arrest.... Anyway, plenty of drama and melodrama. I liked it for the most part. 

   

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