"Thank God for fresh starts."
Maddy's life as she knows it is over. She's lost her job, her boyfriend, and now her grandmother is missing. What else could go wrong? When Maddy travels to her grandmother's beach house to find her, she runs headfirst into her stubborn sisters, Nora and Emma. The sisters have a lot of catching up to do and they all need to learn the power of forgiveness. Their family secrets have caused so much heartache, but God is always there to provide a fresh start.
This book started off really good, but seemed to go downhill a bit about midway through. It just didn't seem like the Denise Hunter books I have read in the past and almost seemed like it was written in a hurry. There was a bit too much drama for my taste. The situations were very soap opera-esque and just over the top. I also felt like the characters were not fully developed as their seemed to be conflicts with their stories. I also still had unanswered questions at the end of the book that I wanted to have the answer for. On a high note, I love the cover and I did find inspiration in the first half of the book. Thank you to the author and the publisher for the chance to read and review this book!
Wednesday, July 24, 2019
Friday, July 19, 2019
Light from Distant Stars by Shawn Smucker
This book is strange and different yet hard to put down. This is the first book I have read by this author so I wasn't sure what to expect. The story jumps back and forth between main character Cohen's childhood and his adult life. Cohen's life has been anything but easy and when he stumbles upon his father's seemingly lifeless body, the traumatic events from his past come to light.
This book is unlike anything I've read before. It's shocking and twisty yet a glimmer of hope remains beneath the surface. I can't say that this is something I would want to read again as it left me feeling sad and uneasy, but it definitely held my interest and kept me flipping the pages. The author is very talented and has an obvious gift for storytelling. Thank you so much to the author, bookishfirst, and Revell for the chance to read and review this book!
This book is unlike anything I've read before. It's shocking and twisty yet a glimmer of hope remains beneath the surface. I can't say that this is something I would want to read again as it left me feeling sad and uneasy, but it definitely held my interest and kept me flipping the pages. The author is very talented and has an obvious gift for storytelling. Thank you so much to the author, bookishfirst, and Revell for the chance to read and review this book!
Wednesday, July 17, 2019
Where the Fire Falls by Karen Barnett
Where the Fire Falls is the second Vintage National Parks Novel by Karen Barnett. This book takes place in the wondrous beauty that is Yosemite. The author is a former park ranger so she used her experiences and inspirations from her past career to provide the beautiful descriptions of scenery throughout this novel.
This book is a perfect blend of adventure, suspense, and romance. Artist, Olivia Rutherford, has taken a job painting the sights of Yosemite for a magazine. There she meets a park guide named Clark Johnson. He turns out to be an even more wonderful surprise than the beauties of the wilderness. Their newfound romance will not blossom without a bit of peril and mishaps, of course. What is Yosemite without a little bit of adventure?
Karen Barnett has done an excellent job on researching and developing this book. The setting alone is enough to make you want to pick this one up. I especially love the title of the book and the event it represents. I could just imagine myself in this beautiful park while I was reading. This is definitely a book to sweep you away! It's a perfect vacation read and it gets 5 stars from me! Thank you to WaterBrook and Karen Barnett for the chance to read and review this book!
This book is a perfect blend of adventure, suspense, and romance. Artist, Olivia Rutherford, has taken a job painting the sights of Yosemite for a magazine. There she meets a park guide named Clark Johnson. He turns out to be an even more wonderful surprise than the beauties of the wilderness. Their newfound romance will not blossom without a bit of peril and mishaps, of course. What is Yosemite without a little bit of adventure?
Karen Barnett has done an excellent job on researching and developing this book. The setting alone is enough to make you want to pick this one up. I especially love the title of the book and the event it represents. I could just imagine myself in this beautiful park while I was reading. This is definitely a book to sweep you away! It's a perfect vacation read and it gets 5 stars from me! Thank you to WaterBrook and Karen Barnett for the chance to read and review this book!
Friday, July 12, 2019
Breaking the Power of Negative Words by Mary C. Busha
Too many times, we allow ourselves to be affected by negative talk. Whether the negativity is coming from others or even our own self, the results are detrimental to our well-being. In this inspirational book, Mary C. Busha teachers her readers how to use positive words to heal and how to get rid of the negative thoughts that can easily take over our lives. This book is separated into three different parts: words spoken to us, words we speak to ourselves, and words we speak to others. Each one of these categories is essential to living our best life. Mary C. Busha uses scripture passages and her real life experiences to encourage and inspire positivity.
This book was so helpful and encouraging to me. I especially loved the section that focused on words we speak to ourselves. It is so easy to let our insecurities take control, but God doesn't want that for us. I also really liked the section on forgiveness, which is often difficult but necessary. This book was just a great overall read that everybody can gain insight from. Thank you so much to Revell for the chance to read and review this book!
This book was so helpful and encouraging to me. I especially loved the section that focused on words we speak to ourselves. It is so easy to let our insecurities take control, but God doesn't want that for us. I also really liked the section on forgiveness, which is often difficult but necessary. This book was just a great overall read that everybody can gain insight from. Thank you so much to Revell for the chance to read and review this book!
Tuesday, July 9, 2019
Cross My Heart by Robin Lee Hatcher
"We can become so busy doing good things for God that we miss the best things He intends for us.”
I grew up reading books about horses so I was excited to find this horse book for grown-ups! Ashley and Ben are two people who want to make a difference, and they find their motivation in a horse stall. When they team up to start a program that will help others through equine therapy, they also start to wonder if they will make a great team romantically. They have more in common than they think and they will have to face their problems from the past in order to move on with their future together.
This book definitely reminded me of a Nicholas Sparks novel but it's clean reading and filled with inspiring scripture. I love how the author used specific scripture passages throughout the book and I highlighted so many passages. My eyes were opened to many thoughts I hadn't paid attention to before and that is always a great thing to gain from a good book. The one thing I didn't care for in this read was the time jump. I felt like I was reading two different stories and I would have like to read these as separate books. I am not usually a fan of jumping back and forth. Nevertheless, I am thankful to have had the chance to read and review this book!
I grew up reading books about horses so I was excited to find this horse book for grown-ups! Ashley and Ben are two people who want to make a difference, and they find their motivation in a horse stall. When they team up to start a program that will help others through equine therapy, they also start to wonder if they will make a great team romantically. They have more in common than they think and they will have to face their problems from the past in order to move on with their future together.
This book definitely reminded me of a Nicholas Sparks novel but it's clean reading and filled with inspiring scripture. I love how the author used specific scripture passages throughout the book and I highlighted so many passages. My eyes were opened to many thoughts I hadn't paid attention to before and that is always a great thing to gain from a good book. The one thing I didn't care for in this read was the time jump. I felt like I was reading two different stories and I would have like to read these as separate books. I am not usually a fan of jumping back and forth. Nevertheless, I am thankful to have had the chance to read and review this book!
Friday, July 5, 2019
The Inn at Hidden Run by Olivia Newport
Meri is running from life as she knows it. Her life has been pre-planned for her and she has decided it is time to make her own choices and follow a new direction. However, her family is at the root of her problems and they will not give up easily. Meri cannot run from them forever and she will eventually have to face them and her future.
This book alternates between the 1800s and present day. Both stories have a connection, but the delivery of the present day chapters didn't resonate with me as well as the stories from the past did. I couldn't connect with the present day characters as well and I would have preferred to hear more about Meri's ancestors. I did appreciate the fact that this is a clean faith-filled read. I also like the eye-catching cover art and am interested in the next books in the series. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to write a review.
This book alternates between the 1800s and present day. Both stories have a connection, but the delivery of the present day chapters didn't resonate with me as well as the stories from the past did. I couldn't connect with the present day characters as well and I would have preferred to hear more about Meri's ancestors. I did appreciate the fact that this is a clean faith-filled read. I also like the eye-catching cover art and am interested in the next books in the series. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to write a review.
Tuesday, July 2, 2019
The Very Best, Hands-on, Kinda Dangerous Family Devotions by Tim Shoemaker
This is what you call a one of a kind, definitely unique, kinda crazy devotional. I doubt you have ever read a devotional like this. This book contains 52 activities that demonstrate God's Word to kids and families in a way that will leave a lasting impression. Each activity has a Biblical lesson that goes along with it. The activities are categorized by age range and danger level. Some of the lessons will take some time and extra effort while some are simple and easy to execute.
This book has a very specific audience and will not be a hit with every reader. The readers who will appreciate and benefit from this book are ones who are out-of-the-box thinkers and risk-takers. While I was excited to read this book, it was much different than I thought it would be and it turned out that it was not my cup of tea. I cannot really relate to this book as I have young children and this book is more relevant for tweens and teens. I am also a very cautious person, so the "kinda dangerous" activities scream "really dangerous" to me. I kept picturing emergency room trips in my future if I attempted these stunts. This book is geared towards families, but I really think it would be better used in a youth group. There were only maybe a handful of these activities I would even think about trying with my young children. On a high note, I did really like the glow stick activity(#45) and thought it was a great visual. Also, the author does a great job of providing instructions and safety precautions throughout the book to help prevent injury.
I understand the author's reason for writing this book because sometimes it takes a different approach to relate to children. Even though I am not in the target audience for this book, I appreciate the message the author is sending and the attempt to share God's Word in a unique way. Thank you so much to Revell for the chance to read and review this book!
This book has a very specific audience and will not be a hit with every reader. The readers who will appreciate and benefit from this book are ones who are out-of-the-box thinkers and risk-takers. While I was excited to read this book, it was much different than I thought it would be and it turned out that it was not my cup of tea. I cannot really relate to this book as I have young children and this book is more relevant for tweens and teens. I am also a very cautious person, so the "kinda dangerous" activities scream "really dangerous" to me. I kept picturing emergency room trips in my future if I attempted these stunts. This book is geared towards families, but I really think it would be better used in a youth group. There were only maybe a handful of these activities I would even think about trying with my young children. On a high note, I did really like the glow stick activity(#45) and thought it was a great visual. Also, the author does a great job of providing instructions and safety precautions throughout the book to help prevent injury.
I understand the author's reason for writing this book because sometimes it takes a different approach to relate to children. Even though I am not in the target audience for this book, I appreciate the message the author is sending and the attempt to share God's Word in a unique way. Thank you so much to Revell for the chance to read and review this book!
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