Review: My Big Book of Bible Heroes Devotional by Glenn Hascall

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About the Book:

Kids love My Big Book of Bible Heroes. . .and now your kids will love the My Big Book of Bible Heroes Devotional!

This fully illustrated devotional explores the heroic characteristics of 50 Bible characters—including Joshua, David, Daniel, Ruth, Mary, and more. Each engaging reading features a full-color illustration followed by “where to find it in the Bible,” a relevant devotion for kids (ages 7 and up), plus a short prayer starter to encourage kids  to talk with their Creator, and “Becoming a Hero” questions to get kids thinking about the Bible and how faith can be integrated into their daily lives.

My Thoughts:

This devotional book for kids is eye catching. From the cover throughout, this book brings these Bible characters into action by showing who they may have been in their poses and even the looks on their faces. The art is bold, showing muscles, wings (for Gabriel), and expressions that show secrets, anger, and even prayer. There are 50 characters in this book and along with the picture we are given a story, about one page in length, a prayer, and questions to do with a parent or on your own.

My seven -year old gobbled this book up. These are not superheroes but real men and women who lived and loved God and were called to do some pretty amazing and daring things. Even my older kids took a second look at this one.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

Review: A Song of Home by Susie Finkbeiner

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About:

Pearl Spence is finally getting used to life in Michigan. She’s made her peace with the piles of snow that come with winter. She and Ray are making friends and figuring out how to fit in. Pearl has even discovered the library, a place she’d never heard of back in Dust Bowl Oklahoma. In fact, a chair in the stacks, surrounded by books, might be her new favorite place on earth— until she discovers swing dancing.

Now Opal Moon, the family’s hired help and an expert in swing, is teaching Pearl the steps to this new style of dance. The sheer fun of the moves and music is a distraction from the fact that Mama is still missing, too caught up in her own grieving to spare a thought for her family.

When Mama unexpectedly returns, it isn’t a happy occasion. Pearl must decide between forgiveness and bitterness—and when calamity strikes again, there are no easy answers.

Finkbeiner’s portrayal of both tragedy and everyday life in times of great change is charged with a raw beauty that will haunt the reader. Fans of the two prior Pearl Spence novels won’t be disappointed!

My Thoughts:

In this third book of following Pearl Spence’s young life, we pick up shortly after the second book left off. Pearl is in a new town, new school, new home, her mother has left the family so the only constants she has is her father and Ray who came with them from Oklahoma to live with them. Pearl has gone through a lot, especially for a young girl. I could understand her wanting to find some happiness and stability after the tragic circumstances of the first two books. I like that she has found a respite in the library and the books she begins to read and in Opal and dancing.

There are some heavy topics in this story and they deal with depression and prejudice. I am glad that Pearl’s father, although very hurt by his wife, continues to be a strong steadfast character and though it was not easy for him, he chooses to love and keep his promises and vows to his estranged wife. Mama is not quite the same person she was in the first book. I was sad to see this change in her; however grief has a way of changing people for the good or the bad. I think the author showed a very real picture of the damage that grief, shame, and blame can take on a person’s mental health and on their life choices. Sometimes this causes loved ones to ask, where is our loved one and can they come back home?

I found this book, this whole series a thought provoking lyrical tale of a young girl coming of age in less than ideal circumstances. I would really like to see a novel written about Pearl all grown up.

I was provided a copy of this novel from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

Review and Giveaway: Twofer Murder by Lauren Carr

About:

Twofer murder? What’s a twofer murder?

Twofer Murder is a treat for fans of best-selling author Lauren Carr’s fast-paced mysteries! Lauren’s latest novel contains the main characters from her three successful series: Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, and Thorny Rose mysteries. The guys go away for a fishing weekend only to get caught up in the murder of a journalist investigating fraud at a timber company. Meanwhile, the ladies are spending the weekend in the presidential suite at a posh resort where Jessica Faraday is to accept a lifetime achievement award for her late grandmother at a murder mystery writers conference. But before they have time to get their facials, they get wrapped up in their own real mystery when an up and coming author ends up dead!

Lauren Carr’s Twofer Murder is a 2-for-1—making it a must-read for any mystery fan!

Buy the Book:
Amazon
Add to Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Author Lauren Carr has brought her iconic characters back and all together in her latest novel. The guys and the girls are separated as each group goes on their respective trips: the girls off to their fancy writer’s award ceremony and the guys going on their guy bonding fishing trip. I really liked seeing all the characters together, human and animal, and I quickly got lost in their lives again.

What I really liked was the family theme that seemed to be running throughout, just like her other books. The Thornton’s, Faradays, and O’Callaghan’s are a blended family of blood relatives and in-laws and maybe future in-laws and I liked that familial bond that kept them watching each other’s backs and sticking together. It is a very strong bond. Because of such a large family, we are given many people to keep track of. However, the author does give us a list of characters at the beginning of who’s who and the new characters of the mysteries each group is involved in. I had no trouble keeping people straight as just like all the characters in an Avenger movie, each of her characters have a distinct voice and talents. I was glad to get reacquainted and get to know some of the other members.

As always, we have the pets that also get involved in the adventure and sometimes create more havoc or help in solving the crimes. And thanks to cell phones, the guys and girls were in touch with each other frequently. So if you like murder mysteries, give this one a try as you not only get one but two. And both mysteries have enough twist and turns to keep you turning the pages.

On content: there is some innuendo and there is language here and there (though I do not recall any profanity). I would consider this a fairly clean Adult read somewhere along the lines of TV dramas like the show Castle with such hard topics like murder and evil people but the characters adding humor to lighten the mood. I look forward to more works by Lauren Carr. I think a picture book story of the animal stars would be a fun story to read, hint hint.

I received a copy of this novel for free. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

Meet the author:

​Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, and Thorny Rose Mysteries—over twenty titles across three fast-paced mystery series filled with twists and turns!

Book reviewers and readers alike rave about how Lauren Carr’s seamlessly crosses genres to include mystery, suspense, romance, and humor.

Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She lives with her husband, and three dogs on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV. 

Connect with the author: Website  ~  Twitter  ~  Facebook  ~  Instagram
​​

Giveaway:

Win a $100 Amazon gift card (open internationally where Amazon.com delivers gift cards)

(ends Jan 27)

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/defcd44e333/

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Review: Holding the Fort by Regina Jennings

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About:

When dance hall singer Louisa Bell visits Fort Reno to see her brother, she is mistaken for the governess that the harried Major Daniel Adams is waiting for. Between his rowdy troops and his two daughters, he has more responsibility than he can handle alone. Eager for the opportunity, Louisa sets out to show the widower that she is a perfect fit.

My thoughts:

Holding the Fort was such a joy to read. I cannot think of another book that had me giggling out loud as much as this one did in quite some time. It takes a special story to really be able to infuse humor into a romance during a time in history that was very stressful and could be deadly. I like that this story had such a quirky heroine.  Her growth as a character and the transformation that she made in a world that often judged her and the wonderful romance that develops between her and Major Daniel Adams was both sweet and swoony.

This is the first in a new series by author Jennings and there are a few side characters that I hope get their own stories. Every book I read by her is my new favorite one and I enjoy her out of the box storytelling.  I highly recommend this one of a kind story with a heroine who knows her mind and a hero who knows his heart.

I received a copy of this novel for free. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

Review: The Lacemaker by Laura Frantz

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About:

On the eve of her wedding, Lady Elisabeth Lawson’s world is shattered, as surely as the fine glass windows of her colonial Williamsburg home. In a town seething with Patriots ready for rebellion, her protection comes from an unlikely source—now if she could only protect her heart.

My Thoughts:

I have read every Laura Frantz book to date. So I really enjoy her stories and look forward to each one when it comes out and The Lacemaker was no different as I was very excited to see her set her novel right before the Revolutionary War. I will say that this book did start out a bit slow for me. With the historical detail surrounding the events, the author definitely made me feel like I was immersed in the times and the political intrigue and problems that were going on then and they really make today's pale in comparison.

I love the historical beginnings of our country so I am very much on the side of the Patriots; I especially appreciated when author Frantz gave us a viewpoint on what it may have been like for a loyal Tory. Like I said, the amazing series of events that was taking place at that time in history is so unlike anything any of us have experienced. The birth of a new nation, our nation is something that brings tears to my eyes.

So the first half showed us the varying strengths of Elisabeth, “Liberty”, and our dashing hero Noble and we got to know them better separately before becoming a couple. I enjoyed the names that the author used for the hero and heroine as they were true to their character traits. When the romance takes off, be prepared to fly through the last half of the book. I like that we get to know the characters individually first as that makes the romance all the more beautiful and relevant. Read it and find out for yourself.

I received a copy of this novel for free. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

Review: To Wager Her Heart by Tamera Alexander

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About:

Set against the real history of Nashville’s Belle Meade Plantation and the original Fisk University Jubilee Singers ensemble, To Wager Her Heart is a stirring love story about seeking justice and restoring honor at a time in American history when both were tenuous and hard-won.

My Thoughts:

To Wager Her Heart by author Tamera Alexander is a story of a young woman who has decided to follow her dreams instead of her parent’s plans for her life. She does however do this in a most respectful way, even considering her age which is in the mid-twenties. Taking place in Nashville in the year 1871, the Civil War and its aftermaths was still very much on everyone’s minds. As the country was changing from the way before the war to the new reality, unfortunately Alexandra was seeing that old prejudices did not want to die. Stepping out on her own, to the best of her abilities, she was also paving the way for more women to do just the same.

This was much more of a historical novel than a romance, although we do get to see a romance bloom between Alexandra and Sylas Rutledge after a rocky beginning. I did appreciate the author’s historical details and the real life people she placed in this book. Sylas was a railroad owner and trying to make his name by purchasing more lines and opening up the country’s infrastructure. I was unaware of some of the historical facts that even took place closer to my neck of the woods and I am intrigued enough to look closer at that history.

This is the third novel in the series A Belle Meade Plantation, and I have yet to read the first in the series. I still enjoyed To Win Her Favor more (more of a romance historical, more my cup of tea) I did like getting a peak Alexandra’s and Sylas’s world.

I received a copy of this novel for free. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

Review and Giveaway: Mojave Rescue by Tanya Stowe

GOODREADS | AMAZON

About:

Series: Love Inspired Suspense

Genre:  Christian, Romance, Suspense

Publisher: Harlequin

Publication date: January 1, 2018

Brilliant, electronic warfare engineer, Drina Gallagher is riddled by guilt and determined to create a weapon to protect American soldiers. Caleb Norwood is a CIA agent working undercover. For two years he’s been trying to infiltrate a highly organized group selling secret plans on the black market. He’s scheduled to connect with operatives at a wind farm in the middle of the desert where he’ll be taken by helicopter to meet with the leader. He arrives at the meeting place only to discover the men have kidnapped Drina and plan to kill her. Cal must make an instant choice, keep his cover and stop the organization or save Drina. Cal chooses Drina. They race across the Mojave Desert to escape the killers and Drina discovers that Cal is a man of action grounded in unbreakable faith. His personal walk gives Drina the confidence she needs to confront the guilt of her past. Can He possibly forgive her and allow her and Cal to escape their pursuers? Or will all her hopes and dreams die in the desert?

My Thoughts:

If you are looking for an intense, almost nonstop action adventure story- you will find that and more in Mojave Rescue. This is a Love Inspired Suspense novel so I expected a few things to happen. What  I got was a story that I could not put down and stayed up later then my bedtime and I got up very early to continue reading- (yawn, I am tired but it was so worth it). I liked how the author had the hero and heroine at odds throughout the story line, yet their goals were very similar. There was the gospel message that was relayed in a very genuine life-like way. There was the spark of romance that lit the way even in the most dangerous circumstances and the maddening fights these two had. And, oh the twists and turns that really took me by surprise. I have read this author’s work before and I would say she definitely can tell a story, especially ones with twists I was not expecting. This was a fun read.

I received a copy of this novel for free. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

About the Author:

Tanya Stowe is an author of Christian Fiction with an unexpected edge. She fills her stories with the unusual…mysteries and exotic adventures, even a murder or two. No matter where Tanya takes you…on a trip to foreign lands or a suspenseful journey filled with danger…be prepared for the extraordinary.

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