Just Dessert

Just Dessert

Ladies of Larkspur

Heather Gray

Mary and her siblings need a way to get away from their abusive father. So she plans to make a pie for the pie auction at the church. The man that buys her pie is about to get a marriage proposal. He will also be taking on four younger siblings. But her father arrives, drunk and angry, and ruins her plans. But a young man, Grady, who is visiting his grandparents overhears. He works all summer befriending the family and trying to find ways to make their situation bearable. But can he walk away when the summer is over and he must return home?

This book is Christian fiction. For some reason I wasn't sure by the cover. It just didn't seem like the typical Christian fiction book covers I'm use to seeing. But cover aside, this was a sweet book. It's a clean, heartwarming romance that is about faith, trust, family, and love. I will be checking out future books by this author.

Corky Gives the Whole Scoop on the Facts of Life

Corky Gives the Whole Scoop on the Facts of Life

(For Girls Only)

Terri Shearer Trenchard

 There aren't really a lot of books out there that talk about the facts of life in a way that makes kids want to keep reading. So the author wrote a book for her son and then followed it up with this book for her daughter. Written in a conversational tone with a young girl named Corky, girls can learn the scoop on life from a peer.

Playful pencil type drawings, colorful text, and "scoops" on the facts of life make this the perfect book for girls getting ready to hit puberty. The information is straight forward and written in easy to understand language. I was impressed with the delivery of the information, but also the humor that was thrown into each chapter. It helps break up the seriousness of some of the subjects and makes learning fun. I will be keeping this book for my daughter when she gets a little bit older.

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

So Not Okay

So Not Okay

Mean Girl Makeover

Nancy Rue

Tori and her friends aren't exactly being bullied. But they are not very high on the list with the popular girls. It's more like they're invisible. But when a new girl arrives at school the popular girls begin to make her life miserable. Tori is stuck between ignoring what she sees happening or risk being put in the category with the girl being bullied. Can she come up with a plan to stop the taunts and save her class project or will everything fall down around her?

This book was extremely well written. Sadly I could really relate, so it was also a bit painful to read. The author did a great job of not only telling the story, but showing ways to combat the bullying. Young girls will be able not only feel like someone understands, but will be left with solutions and tactics they can use to help get rid of the bullies in their school. While the subject matter is heavy, the author has inserted elements of humor that makes the story fun to read as well. I would highly recommend this book to any young girl about to enter middle school.

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

Hope Runs

Hope Runs

An American Tourist, a Kenyan Boy, a Journey of Redemption

Claire Diaz-Ortiz & Samuel Ikua Gachagua

Samuel and his siblings were abandoned by their mother. Samuel and his brother eventually end up in an orphanage. Claire, an American tourist arrives at the orphanage and decides to stay. She, with the help of friends and supporters, starts a running program for the children. She will change the life of Samuel, and he in turn will change hers.

I'm a runner, so I'm sure this influenced my feelings about the story. But I know I would have enjoyed it even if I wasn't a runner. The authors took turns telling the story from their point of view. This added a fresh perspective and kept the story interesting. Even with the two authors, the story flowed well and brought the same messages and emotions into play. The story was inspiring, heartwarming, and uplifting. This was a story of two people who taught each other the meaning of family and faith. I will continue to follow these two and hope they write another book together.

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

The Reconciled Hearts Trilogy

The Reconciled Hearts Trilogy

Doris Elaine Fell

Three complete novels are put together in this large book about love and drama.  In the first story a violinist and a soldier meet and learn that their lives are inexplicably intertwined. The second story is about a woman who travels to England to uncover her past and learn about her future.

The third story is of love lost and found in the English lake country.

I had a really hard time getting into the book(s). The writing was well done and the plots were ones that would normally interest me. But the stories were dark and a bit depressing at times. I even liked the characters, but the emotions and negativity was a bit much for me. There seemed to be an enormous amount of extra details that didn't really add to the story, especially with the first book. For being so filled with angst and drama, they tied up too neatly and perfectly in the end. I like my stories to be complete and end well, but these were a bit too clique. The writer is very good at her craft, but I think I'll stick to her more upbeat stories in the future.

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

Purposeful Design

Purposeful Design

Understanding the Creation

Jay Schabacker

Our world was created in seven amazing days. Often we glaze over what really happened on each day of creation. We mention the stars and moon, but we don't really realize all that went into each step in terms of science. The author has taken day of creation and expounded different scientific elements to create a fascinating coffee table book for all ages.

I was incredibly impressed with this book. I enjoyed reading it, but my son really enjoyed it as well. Each page is filled with lots of bright, colorful pages, Bible verses, and science facts about creation. The book ends with the seventh day of creation - the day of rest. My only complaint, and it's a tiny one, is that the Sabbath wasn't given more time. There are quite a few studies that show the benefits of rest on the body. And the author only briefly touched on the last day with some Bible verses. But this didn't keep the book from being a solid 5 stars in my mind. With so many wonderful things about our earth to chose from, I felt the author did a great job of compiling the best things into each day. The book would be a great addition to any school or home library. It would also make a beautiful gift.

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

Purchase the book here.

America's Most Wanted Recipes At The Grill

America's Most Wanted Recipes At The Grill

Recreate Your Favorite Restaurant Meals In Your Own Backyard!

Ron Douglas

Everyone has that favorite restaurant dish that they would love to duplicate at home. Douglas has taken grilling recipes from 65 different restaurants and put them into an amazing cookbook. The book is part of a series of cookbooks that duplicate popular restaurant recipes.

The sheer amount of recipes and restaurants used is impressive. Each recipe is well laid out with easy to find ingredients. There are tips and comments about the recipes on almost every page. The recipes are grouped by restaurant instead of food type. There are guidelines for grilling which are pretty comprehensive. Get this book in time for grilling season and save money by cooking you favorite recipes at home.

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