If You Were Me

If You Were Me and Lived in Israel

Carole P. Roman

This book is part of a series designed to introduce children to how other people live in different countries. Using a mixture of illustrations and photography, the author talks about children who live in Israel and what life might be like if you were a little boy or girl who lived there. She talks about location, family, food, and fun. The difficult or unfamiliar words have a pronunciation beside them and are all included in a pronunciation guide at the back of the book.

 

My children really enjoy this series and look forward to each one. While the style of the book is laid out like a story, this is non-fiction and more informative. Children will learn quite a bit about the culture of other children around the world while having fun reading. I would recommend this book for family fun or for schools as an addition to curriculum.

 

I received a copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Promises for You

FaithGirlz Promises for You Coloring Devotional

60 Days Discovering God's Hope and Love

Zondervan

 This book combines several different elements of Bible study. Each page has black and white color pages. One one side is a Bible verse, short devotional, and space for journaling. The devotionals are geared towards pre-teen girls. The hard glossy cover and thick paper make this a book to keep long after the pages are colored and the spaces filled with writing.

I liked this so much that I was tempted to keep it and get another one for my daughter. While the devotions were shorter than what I would want, they fit perfectly for the intended age group. My daughter loved the book and the topics have prompted further studying and deeper questions. This would make a perfect gift for the young girl who is growing in her walk with Jesus.

I received a copy of this book from BookLook Bloggers. All thoughts expressed are my own.

Created for Connection

Created for Connection

Seven Conversations for a Lifetime of Love

Dr. Sue Johnson and Kenneth Sanderfer

The two authors have taken their experiences as psychologist and emotional focused therapist and written a book designed for couples using the EFT method. EFT is Emotionally Focused Therapy the views the love relationship as an attachment bond. The couples are taught to find ways to grow and enrich the bond they have with each other. The authors give practical advice and tell stories from their experiences that help show the method they are encouraging.

The book was easy to read. The steps seemed easy to implement and the authors appeared knowledgeable about the topic. I found the book to be incredibly long and as it went on, more and more boring. While it was a well written book, it seemed more therapy focused and less self-help. Which would have been my reason for purchasing had I picked up the book. Overall, this might help couples who really don't realize that negative words towards their spouse are a bad thing, or someone who really needs their eyes opened. But it wasn't really something I found that I could benefit from.

I received a copy of this book from Goodreads. All thoughts expressed are my own.

The Perfect Pumpkin

The Perfect Pumpkin

Teandra Knapp

Mother and daughter arrive at a pumpkin patch to pick out the perfect pumpkin for carving. But as time goes on, the mother realizes that her daughter's version of a perfect pumpkin is far from her own. The little girl wants a pumpkin that is so different and dis-formed that no one else wants it. She intends to give it a loving home when no one else will.

My daughter enjoyed reading the book and picked up on the message that the author was trying to convey. The illustrations were colorful and filled every page. The story is sweet and can be the opener for deeper conversations with young children. My only complaint was the lack of editing. I found quite a few grammatical errors that jumped out at me. I know I'm an adult and this is a children's book, but several of the errors were such that the story could be confusing or read incorrectly. Cleaned up, this is a cute story with a great message.

I received a copy of this book. All thoughts expressed are my own.

Mail Order Mommy

Mail Order Mommy

Boom Town Brides #2

Christine Johnson

Amanda, an orphan, is taken in by a foster family. But she isn't treated like family. She's just another servant working in their home. When the son makes inappropriate moves on her and blames her for his advances she flees with a friend as a mail order bride. But upon her arrival she realizes that the children of the man wrote the advertisement and Garrett has no intention of getting married again. His wife was not faithful and upon her death Garrett vowed to remain a widow. But Amanda falls in love with his children and he needs a nanny and a housekeeper.

I've read the first book in this series and really enjoyed it. So I was excited to see what happened next. This book was part sweet and part frustrating. I wanted to give the main male character a good swat upside the head for being so stubborn. But that just means the author did a great job of creating a likeable character that had flaws. Because in the end, the reader and the main female character forgive him. The author does a great job with the characters. They all stand out and the secondary characters play a big part in the plot as well. Looking forward to the next book in the series.

A Stolen Heart

A Stolen Heart

Cimarron Creek Trilogy #1

Amanda Cabot

Lydia packs up her entire life and moves to Cimarron Creek to be with her fiance, Edgar. But when she steps off of the stage coach, she's met by the sheriff who informs her that Edgar is missing and his pregnant wife is very worried about him. Lydia manages to hide her dismay and soon learns that the town has many secrets and a not so secret dislike of Northerners. But she shoulders on and insists on calling this small town home.

The story started out with rich details and captured my attention immediately. I've read a series by this author before, but it was a contemporary setting. So this was a change for me. I enjoyed this book even more than her previous ones. The characters were very well defined and stood out. They all had flaws and quirks that made the story come alive. The romance was clean and the plot had elements of faith woven throughout. There was a little mystery mixed in with the romance and drama that added a touch of suspense. The author did a great job of tying everything up together in the end, while leaving an opening for the next book. I loved how she set the scene and found my self wishing she'd hadn't limited herself to only three books by calling this a trilogy. I can see an entire line of books with different characters from the town. Can't wait to read the second book. 

 

I received a copy of this book from Revell Reads. All thoughts expressed are my own.

Somebody Like You

Somebody Like You
Maverick Junction #1

Lynette Austin

Cash is dumbfounded when he realizes that he might lose the ranch he's put his life in to. His grandfather has passed away and his will states that Cash must be married by his 30th birthday or risk losing the ranch to his horrible step-grandmother.
Annelise is going against family wishes and the body guards her father hires for her to come to Maverick Junction. She is in search of long lost relative who might be able to help her grandfather beat cancer. What she doesn't expect to find is Cash Hardeman and the sweet people in Maverick Junction.

I hadn't read anything by this author, but had heard some good things. This book didn't disappoint. The characters came alive, the plot had original elements, the descriptions were well done without being too much, and the story had heart as well as humor. The author has done a great job of creating well defined characters that you love or love to hate. And she has a style of writing that draws the reader in. I can't wait to read more books by this author.

I received a copy of this book from Goodreads. All thoughts expressed are my own.