Permanent Marker by Aimee Ross

Permanent Marker is the memoir of Aimee Ross. Who is Aimee Ross? She is a wife. She is a mother. She is an English teacher. Most importantly, she is a survivor. Aimee's life looked great from the outside until it wasn't great anymore. She found herself struggling through her marriage and she found herself a victim of a heart attack at the young age of 41. But her life's defining moment happened on July 27, 2010. Aimee and 3 of her dance team students were traveling home from a dance camp when they were hit by an intoxicated driver. The driver didn't make it, but Aimee and the girls survived. Aimee's survival did not come easy as she began the fight to gain her life back. But life would never be the same. Too many injuries. Too many changes. Too much guilt. These are just a few of the things that Aimee had to deal with on her journey.

Reading this book is like reading Aimee's diary. Her story is very candid and real. She doesn't hold back and she doesn't sugar coat the struggles she went through. To be honest, this book was not at all what I expected. I was expecting this to be a Christian book, but it is not. There is a lot of foul language that I didn't care for. Also, Aimee gives credit to the Universe instead of God, so it's obvious that she and I have different belief systems. I was also expecting a feel good, inspirational book, but Aimee's story is quite sad to me. I am sad for the pain and struggles she went through. Her story taught me how to be more empathetic and aware of the trials people are facing. Nevertheless, Aimee did find her new version of happily ever after, even though it's not quite what she expected her life to be like. I am happy that Aimee survived and wish her the best as she deals with the remnants of this tragedy. Thank you to KiCam Projects for the chance to review this book!

Breaking Matthew by Jennifer H. Westall

WARNING: Do not start reading the Healing Ruby series until you have enough free time to read all four books in a row. Once you start, you will not be able to accomplish much of anything else until you finish. Rarely will you find a series as entrancing as this one. I know it's cliché to say "I couldn't put this book down", but in this instance it is nothing but the truth. Prepare to be transported into the world of Ruby and Matthew.

Breaking Matthew is the second book in the Healing Ruby series. Years have passed since Ruby and Matthew have seen each other, but as we know, nothing and no one can keep true love apart. However, in this book, Ruby and Matthew will have to go through some serious trials(literally and figuratively) to try to stay together.

This book is exciting, inspiring, dramatic, heartwrenching, surprising, and just overall amazing. I could think of a hundred adjectives to describe it and Jennifer's talent. I consider it an absolute honor to have stumbled upon a series as unforgettable as this one. This book and the complete series is every reader's dream. Stay tuned for my review of the third book in the series, Saving Grace. Spoiler alert: it is the best book in the series so far. ;)

On Pills and Needles by Rick Van Warner

On Pills and Needles is one family's heartbreaking story of addiction. Addiction is a serious problem in our world today. The author of this book wanted to share his story in order to help other people who are dealing with these same issues. Rick Van Warner spent 8 years trying to helping his son, Tommy, when he became addicted to drugs. He shares in detail the struggles his family went through during this dark time. Tommy's drug addiction almost destroyed the family as they tried to help him over and over again and failed. Rick finally realized that he couldn't do anything to help Tommy until Tommy decided to help himself. He goes on to say that the only person we can control is our self and we can't focus on trying to control other people. Honestly, when I started this book it made me anxious as I am a parent myself and I started wondering what I would do if I were in Rick's situation. I quickly determined that I would do the same thing that he did which is to not give up on my child no matter what. Rick is a true example of a father. Even though he felt like washing his hands of Tommy many times throughout this ordeal because he couldn't find another way to help him, he didn't. He kept on trying and kept on doing what he could for his child. This is what God does for us. He doesn't give up on us. Ever. No matter what. Families that are going through this experience can benefit from reading this book. Although it is a sad story, it is eye-opening to the path of destruction that is formed by drug addiction. I received this book from BakerBooks in exchange for my honest review. 

The View from Rainshadow Bay by Colleen Coble

If you are looking for a thrilling, exciting read, The View from Rainshadow Bay is the book for you! Colleen Coble's books are always on my to read list and this one does not disappoint. You will be swept away into the mystery of this story as you read about the perils that main character, Shauna, and her family have to experience. Shauna is trying to deal with loss in her life while raising her young son who is everything to her. After losing her husband, she doesn't ever think she can love like that again, but sometimes love surprises you when you least expect it. This book is filled with suspense, excitement, and a little romance, too! I also really appreciated the message that was focused on in this book, which is from my favorite scripture of Romans 8:28. We all have bad things happen to us. That is out of our control. But we can trust God when he tells us that there will be good things that come from our troubles. God is bigger than whatever we are facing and He will be with us every step of the way. I received this book from the publisher and netgalley in exchange for my honest review.