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!