Sunday Post - 12/21/25

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ The Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~this meme was inspired in part by ~ In My Mailbox~ It's a chance to share News. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.

Monday was a normal day. Big Girl had pitching lessons. We'd intended to take the kids to martial arts too, but the temps were so low we decided not to. Husband and I both have been battling colds this week. I feel better, but he started getting sick later than me so he probably has a few more days. Thankfully, I don't think it's the flu which seems to be going around in our area and probably everywhere. Tuesday, we normally go to my parent's house, but our co-op friends were meeting at Sky Zone (a local trampoline park) so we joined in that and had big fun. We grabbed Chick-fil-a for lunch on the way home. The Big Kids did go to martial arts Tuesday night. Wednesday was our last day of school. Little Boy had a party at his mother's day out/preschool. Thursday, we went to see Santa and did what we call "sibling shopping." That's where we take the kids to shop for each other. They love it. This year they went really fast. We went to eat lunch at Huey Magoo's after that. Friday was a day at home with not much going on. I packed up the Christmas puzzle I'd borrowed from my mom and finally finished. And then I spent a large part of the day listening to an audiobook while working on a diamond art snowman. We did do "gingerbread" (graham cracker) houses. Big Girl's is the only one who stood. Mine collapsed from a lack of patience. Big Boy made a "spreadsheet" by spreading all his icing on two crackers and then putting all his candy onto the flat space. Little Boy squirted all his icing onto one cracker and made a sandwich and then proceeded to eat all of his candy. Personally, I'd like to give up this tradition, but the kids asked to do it this way this year. Saturday, we spent the day with my parents and my side of the family celebrating. We didn't have everyone together this year, which is sad. But that's the nature of a growing family. The bigger the family the harder it is to get everyone's schedules to align. Also, when some move from the area that always adds to difficulty as well. But it's life. I am glad we still get together with those who can make it and not cancel altogether. Merry Christmas to everyone this coming week! I hope you all have a wonderful holiday!

THE PAST WEEK

Monday: Review of The Governess and the Rogue (Somerset Stories, # 6) by Mimi Matthews (3.5 Stars)
Tuesday: Top Ten Winter 2025 TBR List
Wednesday: Can't Wait for First and Forever by Lynn Painter
Friday: Homeschool Friday - The Storm that Stopped

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: Reivew of A Presumptuous Hope (Daughters of the Gentry, # 3) by Jennie Goutet
Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday?
Wednesday: Can't Wait Wednesday?
Thursday: Merry Christmas!
Friday: Homeschool Friday - The Children's Book of Virtues by Michael Hague

NEW BOOKS:

First adn Forever

By: Lynn Painter

Expected Publication: May 12, 2026 by Berkley

320 pages

Genre: Adult, Contemporary

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--A football star and a diehard fan entangled in a PR stunt—that only one side knows is fake—might be the right play in this new romantic comedy by #1 New York Times bestselling author Lynn Painter.

Duffy Distefano loves three things: her dad, the family cat, and Minneapolis Coyotes football. So when she gets booed out of a game and becomes the internet’s villain, she is distraught—and disgruntled. All she did was shove Coyote Carl away when he made a move on her, but everyone else just saw a woman attacking their team’s beloved mascot. Eager to clear the air, Duffy agrees to an interview on a hit morning show. She doesn’t expect a co-guest to join her—especially not the Coyotes’ star tight end.

When MVP Connor Cunningham gets tasked with damage control to help his team out of their PR nightmare, he thought that meant saying a few words on the team’s behalf. Instead, he finds himself in a highly amusing verbal sparring match with a recently wronged fan on live TV. Duffy pelts him with fiery jabs but is also clearly diehard about the Coyotes—color him intrigued…and attracted.

The interview instantly goes viral, and the public is obsessed with them. A strong push from the Coyotes’ PR team to ride the wave results in Connor asking Duffy out. Despite his distaste for PR stunts, he’s surprised to discover being with Duffy is much easier than he thought, and somehow it doesn’t feel fake to him. Harboring this secret can only blow up, but all he knows is that if he messes things up with Duffy, it’ll be the greatest fumble of his life.

The Bible in 52 Weeks Devotional for Girls: A Year of Growing in Faith

By: Jaseña S'vani

Expected Publication: February 3, 2026 by Callisto Kids

152 pages

Genre: Children, Devotions, Christian, Non-fiction

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--An interactive, yearlong journey through the Bible for girls ages 8 to 12

This one-year journey through the Bible guides young girls into the habit of reading, reflection, and prayer, with inspiring passages from Scripture that show them how God's wisdom can help and support them as they learn and grow. Spending a little time with their faith every week will give girls the confidence to tackle anything—because they'll know God is cheering them on!

One year of weekly Scripture—Each of these 52 weekly devotions features a Bible passage, stories and commentary that explain the theme for the week, a prompt to respond to, and a prayer to keep in mind.

Reflect on what matters—Young girls will find God's guidance on topics that relate to their lives, such as staying positive, being a leader, and discovering who they're meant to be.

A few minutes at a time—These prompts and prayers are simple and brief, so it's easy for kids to find time for them no matter how busy they get!

Study with the whole series—Give the gift of deeper faith to everyone in your life with the companion books from this USA Today bestselling series, including The Bible in 52 Weeks for Women, The Bible in 52 Weeks for Families, and The Bible in 52 Weeks Devotional for Boys.

Help preteen girls grow into the smart and strong women God created them to be with this inspiring girls' devotional!

The Bible in 52 Weeks Devotional for Boys: A Year of Growing in Faith

By: Lord Badu

Expected Publication: February 3, 2026 by Callisto Kids

152 pages

Genre: Children, Devotions, Christian, Non-fiction

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--An interactive, yearlong journey through the Bible for boys ages 8 to 12

This one-year journey through the Bible guides young boys into the habit of reading, reflection, and prayer, with inspiring passages from Scripture that show them how God's wisdom can help and support them as they learn and grow. Spending a little time with their faith every week will give boys the confidence to tackle anything—because they'll know God is cheering them on!

One year of weekly Scripture—Each of these 52 weekly devotions features a Bible passage, stories and commentary that explain the theme for the week, a prompt to respond to, and a prayer to keep in mind.

Reflect on what matters—Young boys will find God's guidance on topics that relate to their lives, such as being a good friend, dreaming big, not judging others, and practicing honesty.

A few minutes at a time—These prompts and prayers are simple and brief, so it's easy for kids to find time for them no matter how busy they get!

Study with the whole series—Give the gift of deeper faith to everyone in your life with the companion books from this USA Today bestselling series, including The Bible in 52 Weeks for Women, The Bible in 52 Weeks for Families, and The Bible in 52 Weeks Devotional for Girls.

Help preteen boys grow into the smart and strong men God created them to be with this inspiring boys' devotional!

That's it for my shelves and recaps of my past and upcoming week. What did you add to your shelves this week? Any bookish news you want to talk about? Let me know!

Homeschool Friday - The Storm that Stopped

Homeschool Friday is a feature here at Somewhere Only We Know that showcases books my family reads during homeschool and provides a mini-review for each.

The Storm That Stopped

By: Alison Mitchell

Illustrated By: Catalina Echeverri

Publication: February 1, 2016 by The Good Book Company

32 pages

Genre: Children's, Non-fiction, Christian, History, Picture Book

Source: Personal Library

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Third in the 'Tales that Tell the Truth' series comes The Storm that Stopped!

Based on the account of Jesus calming the storm from Mark chapter 4, this dramatic storybook will teach children about who Jesus really is, as they witness his power over nature.

Stunningly illustrated by Catalina Echeverri, author and illustrator of several bestselling children's books as well as the first two storybooks from the 'Tales that Tell the Truth' series: The Christmas Promise and The One O'Clock Miracle.

Written by Alison Mitchell, author of The Christmas Promise and several of our children's tracts.

The Storm that Stopped covers the New Testament story of when Jesus calmed the storm while in a boat on the Sea of Galilee. The story starts with Jesus teaching a multitude of people all day, and then he decides to go with his apostles across the sea. He fell asleep in the boat on the way, and suddenly a storm arose. The wind and the waves are so big and strong that the boat is taking on water, and the apostles fear they are going to drown. Jesus sleeps through this all until they wake him.

I appreciated the illustrations included. The beauty of contrast from the light pages to the darker, stormy pages was jarring in the perfect way. I liked the page with the wind o'meter, wave o'meter, sink o'meter, and panic o'meter. My children thought those were particularly funny.

I also liked that when Jesus calms the sea, the book focuses on what he doesn't do. He doesn't help bail the water out of the boat, he doesn't help row, he speaks, but not to the apostles. He speaks to the wind and the waves.

The book (as well as the Biblical story) then focuses on who Jesus is that he could possibly have control over the wind and the waves. He was teaching His disciples that He is God. Like Jesus and the Lions' Den, this book includes a "how do we know about the storm that stopped" section at the end. I love that they include this.

The Storm that Stopped is about as good as a children's picture book can get for me. The illustrations are striking. There's a little humor. The content is Biblical, which I appreciate. And the teaching goes beyond the surface. The Storm that Stopped is a great addition to any home library. The Storm that Stopped gets 5 Stars. Have you or your child read The Storm that Stopped? What did you think? Let me know!

Can't Wait for First and Forever

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released as well. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine. Find out more here.

First adn Forever

By: Lynn Painter

Expected Publication: May 12, 2026 by Berkley

320 pages

Genre: Adult, Contemporary

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--A football star and a diehard fan entangled in a PR stunt—that only one side knows is fake—might be the right play in this new romantic comedy by #1 New York Times bestselling author Lynn Painter.

Duffy Distefano loves three things: her dad, the family cat, and Minneapolis Coyotes football. So when she gets booed out of a game and becomes the internet’s villain, she is distraught—and disgruntled. All she did was shove Coyote Carl away when he made a move on her, but everyone else just saw a woman attacking their team’s beloved mascot. Eager to clear the air, Duffy agrees to an interview on a hit morning show. She doesn’t expect a co-guest to join her—especially not the Coyotes’ star tight end.

When MVP Connor Cunningham gets tasked with damage control to help his team out of their PR nightmare, he thought that meant saying a few words on the team’s behalf. Instead, he finds himself in a highly amusing verbal sparring match with a recently wronged fan on live TV. Duffy pelts him with fiery jabs but is also clearly diehard about the Coyotes—color him intrigued…and attracted.

The interview instantly goes viral, and the public is obsessed with them. A strong push from the Coyotes’ PR team to ride the wave results in Connor asking Duffy out. Despite his distaste for PR stunts, he’s surprised to discover being with Duffy is much easier than he thought, and somehow it doesn’t feel fake to him. Harboring this secret can only blow up, but all he knows is that if he messes things up with Duffy, it’ll be the greatest fumble of his life.

What are you guys waiting on this week? Let me know!

Top Ten Winter 2025 TBR List

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. This week's topic is Top Ten Winter 2025 TBR List

1. The Folklore of Forever (Moonville, # 2) by Sarah Hogle
2. Save Me (Maxton Hall, # 1) by Mona Kasten
3. The Magician of Tiger Castle by Louis Sachar
4. The Ever Queen (The Ever Seas, # 2) by LJ Andrews
5. We Met Like This by Kasie West
6. A Carol for Mrs. Dickens by Rebecca Connolly
7. The Mist Thief (The Ever Seas, # 3) by LJ Andrews
8. Fallen City (Fallen City Duology, # 1) by Adrienne Young
9. Gilded in Vengence by Lyssa Mia Smith
10. And Then There Was You by Sophie Cousens

Oh this is too funny! All 10 of these books were on my Fall 2025 TBR list, and I didn't read a single one of them. So they are all making a reappearance for winter! Which books are you hoping to read this winter? Does anyone else use these seasonal top ten lists more for the books you should be reading and less for the books you will actually read during this season? Let me know!

The Governess and the Rogue - Review

The Governess and the Rogue (Somerset Stories, # 6)

By: Mimi Matthews

Publication: August 5, 2025 by Perfectly Proper Press

pages

Genre: Adult, Historical Fiction

Source: Personal Kindle Library

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--A down-on-her-luck Victorian governess and an unrepentant rogue enter into a fake engagement during a lengthy voyage at sea in USA Today bestselling author Mimi Matthews’s sixth book in her acclaimed Somerset Stories series.

Stranded in India after being dismissed without a reference, governess Beatrice Layton exchanges her freedom for passage home to England, taking a position with the only family that will hire her. But Bea hasn’t reckoned for just how dreadful her new employers will be. Stuck with them at sea in increasingly desperate circumstances, she finds an unlikely champion in the injured ex-soldier traveling aboard their ship.

Colonel Jack Beresford has spent the last fourteen years serving in Her Majesty’s Army. Though time has lent him maturity, it hasn’t dulled the roguish impulses of his youth. When he’s confronted with the tantalizing prospect of a damsel in distress, he naturally steps in to rescue her. His solution? An engagement of convenience, of course. One that will last only as long as their voyage.

But once back on land, Jack and Bea’s simple arrangement is beset by complication after complication. There are Bea’s horrid employers to contend with, and the growing gossip in Somerset society. Most complicated of all, there’s Jack’s family—his parents, siblings, and precocious nieces and nephews—all of whom seem to think that Bea might be perfect for him. Jack is beginning to think so too. All that remains is to convince bold, beguiling Bea that he’s perfect for her.

I've read 20 books by Mimi Matthews at this point. Some have been favorites. Some I just haven't enjoyed as much. But overall, I find her to be a consistent writer with characters and stories that I love. The Governess and the Rogue falls somewhere in the middle.

Jack is the last of the Beresford boys to find love. He's been avoiding entrapment, and he's finally on his way home after serving in the military. However, he runs into Bea one night on deck after she's nearly assalted. The two have a conversation that leads to some closeness that might not have been present given other circumstances. Jack ultimately concocts a plan for a fake engagement. It will offer Bea protection against her employer and unwanted attention. And he will be unavailable to any other unmarried women and their matchmaking mamas who also happen to be on board the ship.

The only real issue is what to do after they arrive back in England with Bea. They need to travel a certain distance together both for safety and for their story. Only Jack's brother and his wife end up picking them up from the train station. And now, family is involved.

Mimi Matthews essentially said in her acknowledgements that this book was fan service. The cross over to her Parish Orphans of Devon series was defintely fan service, and I'm here for it. But The Governess and the Rogue felt rushed or not as thoroughly written as some of her other books. I don't know. Something I find hard to put my finger on made it feel a little more unpolished than I'm used to from her.

Favorite quote:

-“Mama says we mustn’t remark on people’s appearances,” Agatha said. “Except to compliment them.”

If only people enforced this rule today. I might start quoting this to others when I overhear unkind words concerning people's appearances.

The Governess and the Rogue was a fine book to wrap up the Somerset Stories series. It was much more than I ever expected to get out of the series. And I'm thankful that each member of the Beresford series got their happily ever after. I do enjoy a fake engagement as well. At the same time, this book felt more like fan service than a regular novel if that makes any sense at all. I'm giving The Governess and the Rogue 3.5 Stars. Have you read The Governess and the Rogue? What did you think? Let me know!