Beginner's Pluck by Liz Forkin Bohannon

Liz Forkin Bohannon is a free spirit with big dreams. She is an entrepreneur, public speaker, wife, and mom along with many other accomplishments. She is the founder of Sseko Designs which started with an amateur pair of sandals. She started making and selling these sandals in order to  provide a way for Ugandan women to continue their education. In this book, Liz tells you how she got to where she is today and offers advice for making a difference in your own life.

I really wanted to like this book, but sadly, I just couldn't get into it. I wasn't able to relate to the author's lifestyle because she is so spontaneous and I'm more of a structured person. I also wasn't crazy about the outlines of the chapters. She took common inspirational ideas and flipped them to convince people to "Own Your Average" and "Dream Small." I couldn't find motivation from these ideas and tips. She also used footnotes that I thought were not necessary and could have been left out. I usually enjoy self-help books, but this just wasn't the one for me. However, I do applaud the author for doing many things to make the world a better place. She is making a way in her world and the world of others and that should be commended. Thank you so much to BakerBooks and the author for the chance to read and review this book!

Deadly Deceit by Natalie Walters

When Vivian DeMarco's boss suddenly dies, she is convinced that it was no accident. Her journalist skills kick in and she sets out to find the truth. In the midst of her searching, she finds more than she bargained for. She finds romance with Deputy Ryan Frost and she helps uncover a sinister plan from a mysterious stranger known as The Watcher. Ryan and Vivian must team together and work quickly to catch The Watcher before he or she finds a new target.

First of all, I think the cover of this book is great. It's very eye-catching and fits the mood of the story. I also thought the plot was well developed and interesting. The book captures the attention of the reader quickly and keeps them guessing as it goes along. I did think some of the subject matter of this book was a little much for a Christian book. There is talk of drug use and a young girl having multiple partners as well as some other extreme situations. I thought the story would have been better if these situations were toned down a bit. I don't think conservative readers will appreciate these parts of the book.

I thought the ending wrapped up the mystery well. There is a third book in this series which will be the conclusion. I would probably still read it just to see how the series ends. However, this book works well as a standalone book also. Thank you so much to the author and Revell for allowing me to read this book and share my opinions!

Why I Hate Green Beans by Lincee Ray

Lincee Ray wants her readers to know that everyone deals with insecurity at times, but that's okay. No matter what imperfections we find within ourselves, we are always unconditionally loved by God. Lincee uses funny stories from her life to convey this important message. Her book is very light-hearted and humorous and feels like a talk with a friend. Lincee is not afraid to be real and share about her own personal experiences. I think readers that are interested in an uplifting, inspiring story will enjoy this book. Thank you so much to the author and publisher for the chance to read and review this book!

The Intimacy You Crave by Lucille Williams

This book is all about striving to find intimacy within your marriage in a way that honors God. God wants married couples to enjoy intimacy, but this topic is often hard to talk about and misconstrued. God is the great Creator and he created man and woman to leave their parents and join together as one. His design is the best design and he wants the best for us.

Lucille Williams's delivery of this topic is spot on. I am as modest as they come and I was able to read this without having too many blushworthy moments. She really teaches you how to have an enjoyable marriage with your spouse and honor God's gifts. There are a lot of helpful tips in this book and I loved being able to see the perspective of men and how they think. It really opened my eyes to the way I should be treating my husband and making sure to always show him respect and appreciation. Lucille's approach is very light-hearted and humorous which makes this book on such a personal topic easier for all types of women to read. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

Growing in Holiness by R. C. Sproul

This book is a short read that is taken from the lectures of R. C. Sproul. I can't say that I liked this book as much as the last one of his that I read. It just seemed to have a slow start and there was a lot of unnecessary filler. There are a lot of full page quotes in the book that I felt were repetitive and maybe just put there to make the book seem longer. However, there are good things about this book as well. I really liked the cover. It's very eye-catching and relevant to the topic. I also really liked the chapter on love. That chapter resonated with me more than the others and it was the most memorable. Thank you so much to BakerBooks for the chance to read and review this book!

Praying for Girls by Teri Lynne Underwood

I loved this book on prayer that was written specifically for girl moms. The author covers many prayer topics including identity, heart, mind, relationships, and purpose. Teri Lynne Underwood has a daughter of her own so it's easy for her to understand the needs of young girls and which areas of their life need constant prayer. I really liked how this book contained actual prayers based on scripture for you to personalize for your own daughter. This makes it easy to express the wants and needs we all desire for our daughters. I also liked the section at each chapter for discussion time. There are discussions for a variety of ages from little girls to young women. Therefore, this book can be used by all girl moms. This is a book that you will want to keep handy for those hard days. Parenting is not possible without prayer. Thank you so much to the author and the publisher for the chance to read and review this book!

Joyful Surrender by Elisabeth Elliot

Joyful Surrender was first published in 1982, but has now been repackaged and released by Revell. This book by Elisabeth Elliot focuses on "7 Disciplines for the Believer's Life." These disciplines include: body, mind, place, time, possessions, work, and feelings. Elisabeth uses a soothing writing flow and her own personal experiences to inspire and inform her readers.

I have always thought that Elisabeth's life story was so inspiring. She was truly an inspiration who will always be remembered. Her writing lives on and she is still bringing lives to Jesus, even in her passing. This book really put things in a fresh perspective for me. My favorite chapter was the one that focused on the discipline of work. Elisabeth reminded me that being able to work and serve others is a gift that I should never take for granted. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more of Elisabeth's work. Thank you so much to Revell for the chance to read and review this book!

Finding Beautiful by Rebecca Friedlander

Rebecca Friedlander does it all. She's an author, filmmaker, worship leader, photographer, and much much more. She is using her gifts and talents to serve the Lord, just as He intended. In this book, she shares the "true beauty" stories of twelve women from all across the world. These women share their broken and beautiful testimonies and exemplify the extent of God's love. The way that Rebecca chose to tell these women's stories is so special and unique. She provided each woman with a "true beauty" makeover and shared their physical changes with photographs. She also shared her own thoughts, Biblical truths, true beauty tips, and reflection questions in each chapter. It is obvious that Rebecca is an excellent listener and truly cares for others.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was inspiring, hopeful, and heartwarming. It was so interesting to read about these women's stories. They are all so different, but one thing is clear in each story. God is a life-changer. He takes the broken pieces and puts them back together and that is where true beauty is found. Thank you so much to the author and BakerBooks for the chance to read and review this book!

Stories Behind the Songs and Hymns About Heaven by Ace Collins

We sing those familiar songs time and time again in the pews of the church, but do we ever stop to think about the stories behind the songs? Ace Collins has compiled a wonderful book that tells us where these heavenly hymns came from. There are 30 songs highlighted in this book including favorites such as Victory in Jesus, I'll Fly Way, and When the Roll is Called Up Yonder. Oftentimes, these songs were written in times of struggle and heartache, but the composers used their God given gifts of writing to create songs to help provide comfort. Reading the stories behind the songs will make you see each one in a different light and appreciate them even more.

This book would make a wonderful gift, especially for someone who is interested in music. It would also be a great source of comfort for someone who is dealing with loss. The history of these hymns is so interesting and I enjoyed reading each one. My favorite story was the one about the song "He Keeps Me Singing." The writer of this song wrote this song to comfort others, but had to lean on the words himself when he lost his family in a fire. The stories of this composer and all of the others are remarkable. We are blessed to hear God's word through these musical masterpieces. Thank you so much to the author and BakerBooks for the chance to read and review this book!

She Laughs by Carolanne Miljavac

I first spotted Carolanne Miljavac on Facebook and soon found out she is hilarious. So when I found out she was writing a book, I knew it had to be a must read! And her book definitely does not disappoint and lives up to my expectations. She shares her hilarious life stories while sharing inspiration. She shows us how to laugh no matter what our circumstances are. And most of all, she shows us Jesus. Carolanne is the friend everyone wants to have and I'm so glad to have had the chance to read this book. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to write a review.

Powerful Prayers for Your Son by Rob and Joanna Teigen

This book covers every topic you could ever think of when praying for your son. There are 77 unique and special prayers in this book. There are also personal prayer stories throughout to demonstrate how prayer works in real life situations. This would make a great devotional to add to daily Bible study and can be used as a source of help in times of trouble. Every boymom can benefit from reading this book. I really enjoyed it and found a lot of inspiration for my prayer life. Thank you so much to Revell and the authors for the chance to read and review this book!

The New You by Nelson Searcy and Jennifer Dykes Henson

The New You is a good read for the start of 2020. It focuses on ways to improve physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wellness. This book is really helpful for making sure you are the best version of yourself and are able to be who God created you to be. My favorite thing about this book is the section at the end of each chapter called "Small Steps to the New You." These small steps allow you to take your time in making changes so as not to become overwhelmed. A small positive life change is better than no life change out all. I really enjoyed this book and the fact that I can actually use these tips in my own life and see great results. I look forward to using this book as a resource to help me improve my life. Thank you so much to the authors and BakerBooks for the chance to read and review this book!

The Gray Chamber by Grace Hitchcock

The Gray Chamber is the newest book in the True Colors series. I have really enjoyed this series. Each book is based on a true historical crime. This book tells of 1800s New York where a mental hospital was located on Blackwell's Island. Women were often falsely admitted to this hospital and were treated terribly. Journalist, Nellie Bly, went undercover as a patient and discovered the truth of this corrupt place. She was responsible for saving many women from unimaginable terror. Grace Hitchcock has added fictional characters and changed a few details, but the framework of this story is shockingly true. Grace weaves a tale about feisty Edyth Foster who is imprisoned on Blackwell's Island against her will. Her uncle has her committed to gain access to her inheritance. Edyth will not go down without a fight and her lifetime friend and love interest, Bane, will stop at nothing to save her.

This book is so well written and I have been very pleased with this author after reading this book as well as The White City. I loved reading Edyth's story and I thought the character development was excellent. The characters are instantly interesting and likeable. I look forward to reading the next book in this series! I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

Love Defined by Kristen Clark and Bethany Baird

Love Defined is a wonderful book on relationships for young women. The authors are sisters who have made it a point to search for God centered relationships when it comes to their love lives. One sister has found her forever love while one is still searching so this book covers a wide variety of relationship topics. The sisters use real life experiences and a Biblical standpoint to help young ladies learn to pursue healthy and long lasting relationships.

This is a book that I wish I had access to when I was a teen and a young adult. It would have helped me so much. Kristen and Bethany share such helpful advice and provide perfect examples for what God had in mind for romantic relationships. Each chapter also has a study guide with a question and answer section so that readers can apply the message to their own lives. The only thing that I didn't love about this book was the fact that it kept switching back and forth between Kristen and Bethany's viewpoint so it got a little confusing at times. I think it would have been more efficient to alternate chapters so it was easier to determine whose story I was reading. Nevertheless, I think this is a wonderful tool for young women and I would recommend this to each one who is interested in pursuing a romantic relationship. Thank you so much to the authors, Baker Books, and JustRead Tours for the chance to read and review this book!