Review: Every Girl Gets Confused by Janice Thompson

Every Girl Gets Confused

Welcome back to the Fisher family and friends.  It was great to go back and see what was going on in this really funny yet great family and their town in Fairfield, Texas.   Everyone is adjusting to the changes since the last book where everyone decided it was time to step out of their comfort zone.  Katie has learned many lessons since she and Casey broke up and now she and the famous basketball star Brady James are dating.  There is a lot going on in this book, we catch up with all the characters for Katie’s grandmother, Queenie’s, wedding and for the holidays.  However, not all is right just yet in Katie’s world.  Brady has just been dealt some devastating news, and while she tries to stand by her man, he is pulling away.  Not only that, but Casey is back in Fairfield and missing her.  Katie has really matured in this second book by applying the lessons she learned to her life and with this new situation with Brady and dealing with some rather testy brides in the bridal shop.  How will this end?  Who wins Katie’s heart?  You will have to read the book to find out.  With a quirky cast of characters and Doris Day notes at the beginning of each chapter this was a lighthearted fun read.  I look forward to the next in Brides with Style series.  My thanks to Revell Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book for my honest review.  All of the opinions are my own.

Black Friday Book Sale!

 

It's that time of year. The time for buying presents, making wish lists, and planning New Year's Resolutions. If any of those activities involve books for you, Indie Christian Authors has a perfect event for you.

From Nov 27 (that's today!) through Nov 30th, more than 70 independent Christian books are on sale. You can find free shipping, $0.99 ebooks, package deals, and more! And if your budget is depleted from Christmas shopping, they've got you covered with some freebies!

Think 70 books is overwhelming? Narrow it down and find the perfect books for you or someone on your Christmas list by using this quiz to generate a customized book list.

What awesome reads of 2015 are you grateful for? What books are you looking forward to reading in 2016?

A note on the Ebooks Only page. All books are listed as “Sold Out.” This only refers to paperback copies of these titles. Please click onto the product pages to find descriptions and links to discounted or free ebooks.

Acknowledgements: Thanks to Leah E. Good for her work organizing this sale, Gloria Repp for completing the time consuming job of uploading book info to the sale website, and Hannah Mills for her fantastic design work on the website graphics. Hannah can be contacted at hmills(at)omorecollege(dot)edu for more information about her design services.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Review: Hearts Made Whole by Jody Hedlund

Hearts Made Whole

Jody Hedlund can always be counted on to write riveting reads, and Hearts Made Whole is no exception.  Taking the two love interests both with unimaginable personal lost and throw in the hero battling opium and alcohol and you have a heart wrenching tale.   Taking place soon after the Civil War, Caroline Taylor has become the keeper of the Windmill Point Lighthouse in Michigan due to the unforeseen sudden death of her father.  Now she must be the sole provider for her younger two sisters and two brothers.  However, Caroline lives in a world before women’s rights and is told she will be replaced by a returning war veteran by the name of Ryan Chambers.  Ryan is not a whole man and lives with the disfigurement the war brought on not only physically but emotionally and spiritually as well.  Seeing that his addictions are crippling him to the point that he cannot perform his light keeper duties, he and Caroline make a pact.  Basically for her to become his assistant and she and her family will remain living at the lighthouse cottage.

There is an evil however that stalks Caroline and wants her out of the lighthouse for good no matter what the cost.   As Ryan and Caroline begin to fall in love with each other they are buffeted by storms on all sides.  Just when you think they are so close to their well-deserved HEA, Ms. Hedlund throws in a plot twist that literally felt like it bruised my heart.  Oh! The angst of it all!  Read this book if you must know.  I so look forward to the next in the Beacons of Hope series.

I received a copy for an honest review from The Book Club Network, Inc. and the opinions are my own.

Review: A Splash of Substance by Elizabeth Maddrey

A Splash of Substance

A Splash of Substance is my first read by author Elizabeth Maddrey and she told a very interesting tale.  Interwoven with civic duty and living a sustainable lifestyle was a love story of two young adults who are looking to live the best that they can.  And though neither expects to make a huge impact, what changes they can make for the better in their personal lives they hope will be a benefit to others.  I really liked Paige Jackson and Jackson Trent (clever concerning the names) and really rooted for them through the whole book.  We do get both sides of their story making their whole romance well rounded.  Jackson was my favorite, and though I liked Paige, she was a bit of an icy character and very, very stubborn.  Jackson had his work cut out for him.   Not only did I learn some lessons about living with the goal of sustainability but Ms. Maddrey gives us a peak into the behind the scenes workings of a political candidate and her campaign.  All in all, this story was well done and very interesting.  I received a copy of this book for an honest review from The Book Club Network, Inc. and the opinions are my own.

Stay tuned as this is just the first in her series Taste of Romance and I will be reviewing the next two soon.

Review: A Reason to Stay by Kellie Coates Gilbert

A Reason to Stay

I have really been enjoying Kellie Coates Gilbert’s Texas Gold series of books and A Reason to Stay is my favorite right now.  This was such a beautiful yet terrifying story.  Beautiful due to love: a husband’s, a family’s, a sister’s, and the heart of a mother.  Terrifying because of man’s inhumanity to man.  First and foremost this novel is a book about marriage.  How sometimes it is really hard to let go and compromise instead of just seeing a lawyer and seemingly taking the easy way out.  Marriage is worth sticking together.  There were faults on both sides of this couple’s lives just as there always is.  Faith was maybe to career oriented and Geary didn’t set up boundaries with his family.   I was cheering for this couple all the way through and wanted them to stick together and when tragedy struck them, well I cheered for them all the more.  This was a poignant story of family, marriage, regrets, forgiveness, and second chances all for the sake of love, true love.  I received a copy for an honest review from Revell Publishing and the opinions are my own.

Review: The Caterpillar Cowboy by Russ Lanier, Illustrated by Whitney Lanier

The Caterpillar Cowboy

The Caterpillar Cowboy is a children’s story about a caterpillar who dreamed of being the best cowboy ever.  He would sit up in his apple tree and watch the cowboys as they passed under and dream his dream.  Seeking wisdom from an owl and telling his friends that one day he would soar with the cowboys, who then in turn told him he would always just be a plain little caterpillar.  However, due to some zany circumstances this little guy becomes a cowboy and not in the way you might think.  With bright colorful illustrations that capture the action, this is a very adorable book.  I received a copy for an honest review from The Book Club Network, Inc. and the opinions are my own.

Review: Close as a Breath by Callie Grant

Close as a Breath

Close as a Breath is another addition to the Graham Blanchard series of books.  In this one we have a very curious little girl asking her daddy many questions about nature; ‘Is the air there? And why do leaves change color?’ etc. Focusing on the Romans 1:20 verse, this is a very simple yet profound way to teach a child that though we cannot see God’s face, we can see his power in nature.  Yet, He is very close to us.  Added to this wonderful message is the beautiful artwork and the love and patience the daddy clearly shows his little girl.  I highly recommend all of the Graham Blanchard books.  I received a copy for an honest review from the The Book Club Network, Inc. and the opinions are my own.

Review: The Jesus Training Manual by Richard Mull

The Jesus Training Manual

In his book, The Jesus Training Manual, Richard Mull talks about his personal testimony and what he learned about while studying scripture and time spent in fasting and prayer.  I was interested in this book, as he was asking some of the same questions that I have often asked; why don’t we see more of the miracles, signs, and wonders that happened in Jesus’ and His disciples times here on earth?  I have been told a few reasons for that, which Mr. Mull also tackles and discusses in the book.  And while I may not have agreed 100% with everything he said he really did give me food for thought.  This is his personal story when he decided to look outside the box that he had put God into.  It is a well-organized book backed with many scriptures and also includes study questions at the end of chapters that would benefit a study group.  I received a copy for an honest review from the The Book Club Network, Inc. and the opinions are my own.

Review: Vendetta by Lisa Harris

Vendetta

Vendetta, I believe, is the best Lisa Harris book I have read so far.  I have always enjoyed her books, but this particular story just sucked me in and would not let me go till I got to the conclusion of this tension filled story.  Wow.  First off, this is a great warning to parents to really monitor what your kids are doing on the internet.  Especially with the popular social sites and their own cell phones; there was some really eye opening and scary stuff happening along those lines.  Nikki Boyd, a member of the Tennessee Missing Person Task Force, is called in to investigate a missing person’s case involving a young girl.  However, this case begins to take a personal turn and brings up questions of what happened to Nikki’s own sister who disappeared ten years ago.   This story takes the reader through many emotions and the biggest ones is fear and what ifs.  I look forward to the next in the series as there was the beginnings of a romance that looks like we the reader get to watch slowly develop.  I have a feeling it will be swoon worthy.  I am really looking forward to seeing where Ms. Harris takes Nikki and her team especially after reading the sneak peek to the second in the series.   I received a copy for an honest review from Revell and the opinions are my own.  

Review: Mud Puddle Hunting Day by Callie Grant

Mud Puddle Hunting Day

Mud Puddle Hunting Day is another cute addition to the Graham Blanchard line of books.  This is about a little girl who goes out on a wet day with joy in her heart as she is looking forward to going mud puddle hunting.  As she goes about her hunt she notices nature, animals, and the bugs along the way and even how her steps sound.  She is observing everything so that she might find the treasure.  This again is a beautifully illustrated and very sturdy hard book a young child would enjoy.  I received a copy for an honest review from The Book Club Network, Inc. and the opinions are my own.