Hurt Road by Mark Lee

Hurt Road tells the life story of Mark Lee, the guitarist for the popular Christian group Third Day. Mark's rise to fame didn't come without its share of challenges including injury, family health issues, and career challenges. Along with these struggles, Mark had to learn to deal with daily obstacles and really learn to embrace God's plan for his life. 

I really enjoyed reading about Mark's background and his experiences being a famous musician. His faith is very admirable and so is the way he uses his talent to serve the Lord. I think this is a very inspiring read that everyone can gain insight from. Thank you so much to Mark Lee and Revell for the chance to read and review this book.

Sing by Keith and Kristyn Getty

Keith and Kristyn Getty are songwriters who know how important music is for a life of worship and witnessing. Music is a language that can be shared by all people. In this book, the Gettys share Biblical truths that demonstrate how important singing is. They share how to make music a priority in the church, in your family, and as a witness to others. One of my favorite quotes from the book was this one that can be seen on the wall in the Moody Radio Headquarters: "Your song may be used to save a soul. Sing it prayerfully." That really resonated with me and gave me a new perspective. Another memorable quote for me was this one: "Your singing is always a witness. The question is: Is it a good witness or not?" I could really relate to this book because music and singing is very important to me and I enjoyed the tips and inspiration that was shared. I also really enjoyed the "Bonus Tracks" section which gave practical advice for worship leaders, choir members, songwriters, and others who are involved in the music ministry. I am excited to take what I have learned in this book and apply it to my life and I also plan on passing this book on to others that will benefit from it. I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. These opinions are all my own.

Know Your Bible Journal for Women

The Know Your Bible Journal for Women is a beautiful keepsake devotional that would be a great gift idea for the special ladies in your life. It covers all sixty-six books of the Bible in a very unique format. It includes the author and date of each book of the Bible as well as important details and unusual facts. I really appreciated all the extra information because it is hard for me to remember who wrote what book and specific details for each chapter. There is also plenty of space for writing your own thoughts and jotting down your favorite Scriptures. This journal is beautifully bound with a ribbon bookmark and it is also very sturdy if you want to toss it in your bag for on-the-go Bible study. I think this is a great resource for learning more about the Bible and adding inspiration to daily life. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

Obsession by Patricia Bradley

Emma Winters is a historian who is working on an important project when she is caught up in a dangerous situation. She finds herself dodging bullets when she is fired upon. The race is on to find the culprit before someone else is hurt. Emma also has a major problem with a stalker who is following her every move. Is her stalker the one responsible for the gunshots or is this an isolated incident? Emma must find out in order to save her life and the lives of her loved ones.

The plot of this book is not an entirely new one and is similar to a lot of other books that I have read. I found myself losing interest as the book continued. I also didn't feel much of a connection with the characters and the conclusion was very lackluster. However, I did like the back and forth style of writing and it was interesting that the chapters from the culprit's point of view were anonymous for most of the book. This book is a clean suspense read and will continue on in the next book of the series. Thank you so much to the author and publisher for the chance to read and review this book.

Active Defense by Lynette Eason

This book has been one of my favorite reads of the year so far! It is the third book in the Danger Never Sleeps series. In this installment of the action-packed suspense series, Heather Fontaine is traumatized by a bombing that occurs at the hospital she is working at in Afghanistan. Even after she returns home to South Carolina, she can't get this tragic situation out of her mind. To make things worse, Heather is almost positive that she has a stalker. Strange things keep happening and Heather desperately needs to find peace in her life again.

The storyline of this book flows along effortlessly. It was really fun trying to piece together the puzzle and solve the mystery. I was wrong about my guess and was super surprised by the ending! This is a must read for people who love suspense! Thanks so much to the author and publisher for the chance to read and review this book.

The Love Note by Joanna Davidson Politano

I just love Joanna Davidson Politano! She is such a talented writer and all of her books are must-reads. The substance of Joanna's newest book is just as beautiful as its cover. The Love Note tells the story of one determined young lady, Willa Duvall. Willa has her heart set on pursuing a career in the medical field, even though the 1800s is not the time and the place for that to happen. Willa's father expects her to follow the usual path for a woman and get married and start a family. However, Willa is not your usual girl. 

Willa comes up with a unique plan that will help her advance her medical career as well as solve a mystery that she has stumbled upon. She travels to a place called Crestwicke Manor to become a nurse for a difficult patient named Golda Gresham. While she is there, she embarks on an unforgettable journey that will show her that things are not always as they seem.

I think this is such a well-written book and Joanna is quickly becoming one of my go-to authors. I love the way she intertwines such a special meaning throughout this book and all of her books. You can always count on her to write a book worth reading. Thank you so much to Revell for the chance to read and review this book!

Facing the Dawn by Cynthia Ruchti

This one is a really hard one for me to review. It was one of the saddest books I have ever read, and I can't really say that I enjoyed it. It is definitely not a light read and I actually felt drained and sad when it ended. I was never able to visualize the characters or really find a connection with them. I also thought a lot of the characters' characteristics were just odd and I had a lot of unanswered questions. However, I don't want to make this seem like it's not a well-written book because it is. The author is obviously a talented writer. I just feel like this book has a specific audience and I am not that audience. I think this would be very helpful to someone who is dealing with grief because it deals with some heavy subjects. The truth is, the circumstances in this book happen in real life all the time, so this may be helpful to people who are dealing with similar issues. Just read with caution because this is not a vacation or escape read. It's a book with a purpose. Thanks so much to the author and Revell for the chance to read and review this book! These opinions are all my own.

Undeniably Yours by Becky Wade

City meets country in this sweet wholesome romance. Meg Cole has no idea how to run an oil business, but when her father passes away, his job responsibilities fall on her. Meg must rearrange the company and make changes in order to fit her lifestyle and needs. One of those changes is doing away with one of her father's side businesses, a racehorse farm. However, the manager of the farm, Bo Porter, refuses to accept defeat and makes a bargain with Meg that she can't bear to turn down. Bo wants six months to prove to Meg that the horse farm is beneficial and should stay open. Meg agrees and she has no idea the wonderful changes that are about to take place in her life.

I fell in love with the cover of this book immediately. A girl in pink heels is definitely someone I want to read about! I really enjoyed reading this refreshing romance. This would be a great read for vacation or just for anytime you want to get cozy and read! Thank you so much to sweet Becky Wade for sending me an autographed copy of this book out of the kindness of her heart! I can't wait to read more of Becky's books!

936 Pennies by Eryn Lynum

This sweet book will have you reading with a lump in your throat and tears in your eyes. The author received a special gift of a jar holding 936 pennies...one penny for each week of her child's life from birth. As she removes a penny each week, she is reminded how fast time flies by and she learns to embrace and appreciate each moment.

This is such a beautifully written book. I love the author's poetic and emotional writing style. This really made me think about how important family is and how I should enjoy each moment with them. This made my heart ache at times when I was reading it, just because I thought of how fast my children are growing and how precious each moment is. I love the idea of the penny jar and I think it's such a great visual reminder. Thank you so much to Bethany House and the author for the chance to read and review this book!

The Lady in Residence by Allison Pittman

This book is a very unique read and unlike anything I've read before. It's part of a series called Doors to the Past so it goes back and forth between the early 1900s and present day. Dini Blackstone is the main character of the present day tale and she has become fascinated with a lady from the past named Hedda Krause. Dini has read Hedda's memoir countless times and even collected memorabilia from Hedda's life. Growing up in a family of magicians has made Dini look at life through a magnifying glass and her attention to detail is like no other. However, she has never been able to completely solve the mystery which was Hedda Krause's life until a stranger named Quin Carmichael enters the picture. Quin has a familial connection to a person from Hedda's past and he has the clues to finally solve this mystery and break through walls that Dini didn't even realize were there.

This is probably not something I would normally read just because I'm not usually interested in things that are "haunted" or "ghostly." However, the author has done a great job of making this into more of a mystery than a typical ghost story. It is a clean read with some inspiration and romance thrown in as well. The characters are very interesting and unique and the conclusion is definitely not what I expected. I think the author is very talented and it is obvious that she put a lot of work and research into this book as the plot was inspired by a true story. This may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it definitely has a one-of-a-kind style and storyline.  I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.