My Stubborn Heart

My Stubborn Heart

Becky Wade

Kate is accompanying her grandmother to Pennsylvania to help her restore a home that has been in the family for generations. Kate loves antiques and needs a break from her job, so this is the perfect opportunity. She's been praying for a husband for years, but never suspects that this trip just might be the answer to her prayers. Nor does she expect to find the contractor, repairing her home, to be as broken as the house.

This book was a wonderful surprise. I thought it would be good, but I didn't expect it to be so good that I kept reading late into the night. It was fun, refreshing and sweet. The characters were realistic and loveable. While you assume they will get together in the end - it is a romantic story after all - it had some twists that I didn't see coming. It's a story about listening to your heart and God.

I am looking forward to reading more from this author.

I received this book free of charge from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review.

The Guest Book

The Guest Book

MaryBeth Whalen

Macy and her family spent a few weeks every summer at a beach house in the Carolinas.

Each year she would draw a picture in the guest book. And every year she would return to find a picture from a boy in response. Years go by. After the death of her father the family quits their yearly visits. But in order to heal they feel the need to return. Will Macy find the guest book again? Will she finally get to meet the mysterious artist?

I loved this book. Maybe it's in part because I grew up in the Carolinas and spent quite a bit of my adult life there as well. But even without that connection I know I would enjoy reading this author's books. The visuals were perfect for picturing the guest house and beach. The characters are well thought out and engaging. I found myself loving each family member and caring about them. The plot was enough to keep me entertained in the story, but the main character and her daughter were the main draws. Definitely a good summer (or any other season) read.

I received this book free of charge in exchange for my honest review.

Blog Give-Away

I have been given an extra book to give-away on my blog by Handlebar Marketing.

I've just read the book and I'm excited that I can share it with my readers.

Please leave a comment on this post or the review post and I will randomly pick a winner on Friday.

 

Faith and Other Flat Tires

A Memoir

Searching for God on the rough road of doubt

Andrea Palpant Dilley

 

 

Rules:

1. Please leave your name and an email address I can reach you at. You will not be entered into the drawing if I have no way of contacting you. 

2. If you do not respond to my email announcing you have won by one week, I will pick another winner and you will forfeit the book.

3. I can only mail this book in the US. Sorry!

Faith and Other Flat Tires

Faith and Other Flat Tires

A Memoir

Searching for God on the rough road of doubt

Andrea Palpant Dilley

Andrea spent the first few years of her life in Kenya. Moving to the US was shocking and challenging. Her next few years as a teenager and young adult were spent trying to decide where she fit in. Not just in society, but in her Christian walk with God.

Memoirs are a bit difficult to review. Every person's story is different and will therefore resonate with every individual differently. This book seems to end abruptly. There isn't really a "closing" chapter in my opinion. But the author's story isn't finished yet; so, I suppose, it's impossible to put an ending where there isn't one. The book was filled with interesting stories and antidotes that made the book more enjoyable to read. This book certainly isn't for everyone, but some of the questions she asked will give the reader pause to think and consider their own walk with God.

I received this book free of charge from Handlebar Marketing in exchange for my honest review.

Memories

Memories

Deanna Lynn Sletten

The book begins as a woman stands at her husband's funeral, reminiscing over their marriage. Then it jumps back to when they met eighteen years before. But this wasn't the first time they had met. So the story of their first meeting is interwoven into the second story.

Michael wasn't the same after returning from Vietnam War. He jumped from woman to woman until he finally found a woman who could understand. But then when tragedy strikes he abandons her. Years later Danielle and Michael meet again and must learn to forgive and forget the past in order to move forward.

The story is written in such a way that the reader knows how it will end. There are no surprises. This was alternately good and bad. I didn't really like knowing that he was going to die from the very beginning. It set a rather sad tone to the book. The love story was beautiful, but since the book was about getting to the love story it was mostly filled with conflict and misunderstanding. I would rather have read more of their story instead of how they got to their story. The character development was good. I found myself liking the characters and getting frustrated with their many attempts to connect. It was a sweet book that I enjoyed reading. The blub in the back of the book about her next book was intriguing enough that I want to read it was well.

I received this book free of charge in exchange for my honest review.

The City of Lost Secrets

The City of Lost Secrets

A Mara Beltane Mystery

Katie McVay

Mara is a chick-lit author and is searching for something with a bit more meaning. After seeing a documentary on a grave site she heads to Jerusalem to see if this burial site actually contained the body of Jesus and his family.

This is the author’s first book and I think she did well.  It was a fun, fast read. I enjoyed the story and the characters. The characters were well written and relatable. The author didn’t tie everything up with a neat little bow at the end. She left some questions and an opening for the next book in the series. While this book isn’t super deep, it was enjoyable to read. I will be checking out her next book.

I received this book free of charge in exchange for my honest review.

Moonblood

Moonblood

Anne Elisabeth Stengl

Prince Lionheart has made a bargain with a dragon to ensure his country’s prosperity. Once he’s made the terrible choice between love and duty he can’t seem to find his courage and finds himself banishing his best friend. When he realizes she is in danger he must make the decision to rescue her, even if it means losing his throne.

This book is a Christian allegory. The imagery is amazing. The author has a wonderful imagination (which is key to writing a good fantasy) and uses it well in this book.

I’m not a huge fan of fantasy or allegories (although I enjoyed the Narnia series). This may have factored into my opinions about the book. I was confused for much of the book. While it was easy to identify who the Princes and the dragons were, I had a hard time figuring out how each character played a part in the story. I was lost several times as the story changed characters and scenes. This might be typical of this genre. My guess is that a fan of fantasy would absolutely love this book. For me it was just okay.

(Update: I found out after writing this review that this is book three in a series. This would explain my confusion for most of the book.)

I received this book free of charge from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review.