Joshua's Mission by Vannetta Chapman

When a hurricane strikes the Texas hometown of Charlie Everman, he loses most of his possessions and almost loses his life as well. Charlie's effort to recover and rebuild is made easier by the disaster relief group called MDS. MDS is made up of a group of hard-working volunteers who are helping to build new homes for the hurricane victims. Among the volunteers are several members of an Amish community in Oklahoma. Two brothers, Alton and Joshua, must embrace their differences and learn to accept one another. The girls in the group, Becca and Sarah, have a lot to learn as well. None of them are quite prepared for how much this mission trip will change their lives for the better.

This is one of those effortless reads that takes you away and leaves you feeling refreshed. The characters are instantly interesting and relatable. Reading about the problems that the characters went through was very helpful because it was a great example of how to approach difficult issues in real life in an appropriate way. This beautifully written story is a great lesson on forgiveness and love. Thank you so much to JustRead, Vannetta Chapman, and Harvest House for the chance to read and review this book!

Nice by Sharon Hodde Miller

There's a misconception that as Christians, we are obligated to always "be nice." Such is not the case. Of course, being hateful is not the goal here. The goal is to realize that in certain situations, being nice just doesn't bring forth the ideal results. Sharon Hodde Miller wrote this eye-opening book to show us that God has called us to more than just being enablers and people pleasers.  We are always striving to make others happy, but are we being pleasing to God?

The topic of this book is surprising, but desperately needed. My toes got stepped on a lot while I was reading, but in a good way. I didn't know how much I needed to study this concept. The author makes so many good points to reflect on throughout this read. She brought up so many things that were helpful to me and that I need to work on. I love her viewpoint and how she stresses that we are not to be mean or judgmental, but we do need to be firm in certain difficult situations. I think this would be a great Bible study for a small group and would really change a lot of people's way of thinking. It's great to read about this important topic while also hearing the author's experiences in her own life. Thank you so much to BakerBooks and the author for the chance to read and review this book!

Until the Mountains Fall by Connilyn Cossette

Until the Mountains Fall by Connilyn Cossette is the third book in the Cities of Refuge series. Connilyn describes this book as being inspired by the parable of the Prodigal Son. This story's "Prodigal Son" is Rivkah, a woman who foolishly flees her life, her family, and her betrothed in a desperate escape attempt. Rivkah soon realizes her mistake, but she feels like her sins can never be forgiven so she chooses to keep her distance from her loved ones. Five years later, Rivkah finally decides to make contact with her father. Her father sends Malakhi, Rivkah's betrothed, to fetch her and bring her safely home. Malakhi thinks he is over Rivkah and has moved on, but he soon realizes that the old feelings are still there. Malakhi will stop at nothing to rescue Rivkah from her life as a servant and finally have the privilege of making her his wife.

Connilyn Cossette is such a talented writer. Her research is impeccable and the way she weaves together Biblical truths with inspired fiction is compelling. Her books flow seamlessly throughout the series and it's always interesting to learn more about characters from previous books. I especially loved Raviv's part in this book as he displayed forgiveness and sacrifice. I did feel like this book was a little more descriptive in certain parts when compared to other books by the author. Some of the descriptions were a bit too much for me and made me uneasy. I'm aware that these circumstances took place in Bible times, but it is difficult to read about. Nevertheless, this was a good continuation to the previous book and I look forward to reading how she series ends. Thanks so much to Connilyn Cossette and Bethany House for the chance to read and review this book!

Pray Big Things by Julia Jeffress Sadler

Pray Big Things is one of those books that comes along at the perfect time when you didn't even know how much you needed it. In this book, Julia Jeffress Sadler shares what happened when she gave God complete control of her life and boldly asked for his blessings. Julia went from being brokenhearted after dealing with multiple miscarriages, to experiencing absolute joy as she became a mom of miracle triplets. Julia shows her readers that if you pray big, big things happen!

I really enjoyed reading this inspirational book. I was not familiar with the author and her background so it was great to hear about her miraculous story while being inspired to pray for big things in my own life. I found myself really relating to Julia's words. It's incredible to see big results when you stop being afraid and start trusting God. I have taken away a lot of helpful information from this book and I highly recommend it as a helpful tool to improve your prayer life. Thank you so much to the author and BakerBooks for the chance to read and review this book!

When God Says Wait by Elizabeth Laing Thompson

If you are in a waiting season, you need this book. This is a devotional journal so there is plenty of room for writing out your own thoughts. There are also wonderful, inspiring, and helpful thoughts provided by the author. This book came along at the perfect time for me as I really needed to read this during this season of my life. You will go away from this book feeling refreshed, hopeful, and new. It is also beautifully bound, making it a perfect gift idea. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

A Christmas Haven by Cindy Woodsmall and Erin Woodsmall

A Christmas Haven is the newest romance by Cindy Woodsmall and Erin Woodsmall and it picks up where the 2018 novella, The Christmas Remedy, left off. Ivy Zook is set on leaving her Amish life to chase her dreams of becoming a party planner. When Amish brother and sister, Arlan and Magda, literally crash into Ivy and her family's life, Ivy must face a crossroads. Does God want her to honor the Amish lifestyle or does he have a place for her in the modern world? Meanwhile, Arlan and Magda are facing big decisions as well, as they try to make a life for themselves outside of their parents' strict rules and regulations. They must all rely on God's guidance to get them through some very difficult situations.

This is a quick, sweet read with an inspiring message. I really enjoyed the medical aspect of this book because I can relate to that as I have a medical background. I also really enjoyed the characters. They were interesting and relatable. I do feel like this didn't have as much of a Christmas feel to it as I expected, but I still really enjoyed the book and I look forward to reading more books about these characters. I am honored to be on the launch team for this book and thankful to the publisher and the authors!

Master Organizer of Mayhem by Kristi Clover

Kristi Clover is a homeschooling mom, speaker, author, and a professional organizer. Her book is absolute perfection for messy moms who need help getting their lives and household organized. The best part about this book is that it works for all kinds of families. Kristi doesn't just give set guidelines that may or may not work for you and your loved ones. She shows you how to tweak her organizational tips so that they fit your specific needs. She also stresses to allow yourself grace and don't push for perfection. The tips in the book are ones that can be introduced gradually until you start to see your everyday life change for the better. I am so excited to use what I learned in this book to improve my household. Some of the tips that I am planning to use are implementing chore schedules, making a master to-do list, and clearing the clutter. This book is not one to collect dust on the shelf. This book is one you will want to live out of every day. This book deserves every bit of 5 stars and more! Thank you so much to Kristi Clover and BakerBooks for the chance to read and review this wonderful book!