by admin | Feb 16, 2014 | Biblical, Books, Historical
MY REVIEW:
Jill Eileen Smith has taken a story from the Old Testament that is so familiar to most Christians that we may tend to miss the whole truth in how it could relate to our own lives. The author includes the actual scripture at the beginning of each section of the novel then with the use of much research and her vivid imagination begins to fill in between the lines with a captivating tale that gives her readers with a more intimate look at everyone involved. As we get to know Rachel, Jacob, and Leah better, we begin to see what motivated them. We also get some insight into possible reasons that Joseph’s history played out the way it did.
A story filled with jealousy, manipulation, and deception, “Rachel” was also laced with faith and prayer. It was interesting how the characters acknowledged God’s answers to their prayers yet fell back to their own plots and plans over and over again and only remembered to pray when they became desperate. I realized that many Christians today, myself included, tend to follow their example when our lives would probably run more smoothly if we would only follow the Lord’s will.
“Rachel” was an encouraging lesson as well as an enjoyable way to learn more about Old Testament people and customs. I believe it would be an excellent book to include in the required reading for high school age home schoolers. 
This book was provided for review by
Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Can true love overcome a legacy of betrayal?
Rachel wants nothing more than for her older half sister Leah to wed and move out of their household. Leah wishes her father would find a good man who would love her alone. Unbeknownst to either of them, Jacob is making his way to their home, trying to escape a past laced with deceit and find the future God has promised him.
But the past comes back to haunt Jacob when he finds himself on the receiving end of treachery. The man who wanted only one woman ends up with sisters who have never gotten along and now must spend the rest of their lives sharing a husband. In the power struggles that follow, only one woman will triumph . . . or will she?
Combining meticulous research with her own imaginings, bestselling author Jill Eileen Smith not only tells one of the most famous love stories of all time but will manage to surprise even those who think they know the story inside and out.
“A faithful portrayal of the story of Jacob and his two wives, Rachel will make you feel the agony of two sisters in love with the same man. Smith has the knack of making her fiction feel truly authentic to the world of the Bible.”
—Tessa Afshar, award-winning author of Harvest of Gold
Read an excerpt from “Rachel” HERE.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jill Eileen Smith is the author of the bestselling Michal, Abigail, and Bathsheba, all part of The Wives of King David series, and of Sarai and Rebekah in the Wives of the Patriarchs series. Her writing has garnered acclaim in several contests. Her research into the lives of biblical women has taken her from the Bible to Israel, and she particularly enjoys learning how women lived in Old Testament times. Jill lives with her family in southeast Michigan. Learn more at www.jilleileensmith.com.
by admin | Feb 15, 2014 | Books, Historical, Post Civil War, Romance
MY REVIEW:
In the final book of Ann Shorey’s Sisters At Heart series, Cassie Haddon takes center stage. In the aftermath of the Civil War, Cassie and her mother find themselves without a home or the means to take care of themselves. Cassie’s mother seems to be in denial and somehow expects that relatives will take care of them – only her brother-in-law has had enough of her and finding her brother turns out to be not the easy task she expected. Despite her mother’s disapproval, Cassie takes the bull by the horns and decides that she must find work and a home for them even if her background has left her ill prepared to earn a living.
Love’s Sweet Beginning has an excellent cast of characters. Cassie and Jacob, the hero and heroine grew on me as I got to know them better. A couple of the characters, one of which was Carrie’s mother, are the kind most readers love to hate. It was also fun to revisit Cassie’s friends from the two earlier books of the series. The plot moves along at a steady pace with drama, a bit of humor, family secrets, a hidden past and of course the requisite romance.
I loved Cassie’s determination and spirit and found it rewarding to watch her confidence grow as she learned new skills. Jacob was a bit more difficult to get to know but I enjoyed seeing him finally let go of his fear over his past. And even Cassie’s mother with all her airs was eventually an overcomer.
Love’s Sweet Beginning is a wonderful story about putting the past behind and moving on with life as God leads. It was a welcome ending to an enjoyable series.
This book was provided for review by
Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
What will it take for a once-privileged young woman to make her way in the world?
It isn’t Cassie Haddon’s fault that she has reached the age of twenty-five without possessing any useful skills. Until the War Between the States, she always had servants. Since then, she and her mother have been forced to rely on family to care for them. But now the well of human kindness has run dry–and Cassie must find work to support them.
Unfortunately, leaving the past behind is easier said than done, and Cassie must summon all of her courage and wits to convince local restaurateur and grocer Jacob West that she’s exactly what his business needs.
With her signature sweet romance, Ann Shorey weaves a tale of two people from different backgrounds finding common ground and the hope of a bright future together.
Read an excerpt from Love’s Sweet Beginning HERE.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Ann Shorey is the author of the At Home in Beldon Grove series, Where Wildflowers Bloom, and When the Heart Heals. She has also published selections in the Cup of Comfort series and in Chicken Soup for the Grandma’s Soul. Ann and her husband make their home in southwestern Oregon. Learn more at www.annshorey.com.
by admin | Feb 12, 2014 | Books, Contemporary Fiction
MY REVIEW:
The Sinners’ Garden is one of those books that will not be quickly forgotten. I fully expect that various events from the novel will pop into my mind or dreams from out of the blue. It is a beautifully crafted story with a supernatural ambiance that captured my imagination yet left me with some thoughts to ponder.
It was easy for me to connect with the characters of The Sinners’ Garden. They are fairly normal people, although each is emotionally broken in some way. Pain or grief has been a constant companion to some of them. Each is desperately in need of healing. Another thing they have in common is their need for God but like many of us, they are so busy trying to earn His love or feeling unworthy of His attention, that they completely miss His free gift of grace. But God has chosen as unique way to get their attention that is a predominate factor in the plot.
With a strong cast of characters, a well-paced plot, a good dose of mystery and suspense, and a reasonably strong emphasis on faith and forgiveness, The Sinners’ Garden is nearly perfection. There were several scenes where sharing the message of salvation would have fit quite well and would have been so appropriate. Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed The Sinners’ Garden and look forward to future books by this author.
This book was provided for review by LitFuse Publicity.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
In the small Lake Erie township of Benning, someone is at work cultivating a supernatural garden …
Andy Kemp’s young life has been as ravaged as his scarred face. Disfigured by an abusive father, the teenager hides behind his books and an impenetrable wall of cynicism and anger.
As Andy’s mother struggles to reconnect with him, his Uncle Rip returns transformed from a stint in prison and wants to be a mentor to the reclusive boy, doing everything he can to help end Andy’s pain. When Andy begins hearing strange music through his iPod and making near-prophetic announcements, Rip is convinced that what Andy is hearing is the voice of God.
Elsewhere, police officer Heather Gerisch responds to a late-night breaking and entering in one of the poorest homes in town. She soon realizes that the masked prowler has left thousands of dollars in gift cards from a local grocery store.
As the bizarre break-ins continue and Heather pursues the elusive “Summer Santa,” Andy and Rip discover an enormous and well-kept garden of wildflowers that seems to have grown overnight at an abandoned steel mill.
Soon, they realize who the gardener is, and a spree of miracles transfigures this small town from a place of hopelessness into a place of healing and beauty.
Purchase a copy HERE.
Read an excerpt from The Sinners’ Garden HERE.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Over the course of his life, William Sirls has experienced both great highs and tremendous lows–some born of chance, some born of choice. Life lessons involving faith, grace, and forgiveness are evident in his writing. “The Sinners’ Garden” is his second novel. His first novel, “The Reason,” was published in 2012. William makes his home in southern Michigan.
Learn more at William’s website.
by admin | Feb 10, 2014 | Books, Contemporary Fiction, Suspense
MY REVIEW:
“Friend Me” is a contemporary suspense filled novel that could be a harbinger of where current social media could take us if we are not careful. The idea of being able to create virtual friends who actually interact with their creators is unique and many people would jump on the bandwagon in an instant. However Faubion’s tale gives the reader a warning about what could happen when the person behind the scenes is both mentally disturbed and unethical.
The story of Scott and Rachel’s marital problems is one to which untold numbers of husbands and wives could relate – a husband whose work is so demanding that he is unable to spend quality time with his wife and children and a wife whose life is spent in the presence of young children with very little adult conversation. As a result both husband and wife begin to feel unappreciated and unloved and begin to grow apart. In the case of Scott and Rachel, they were both ripe for the picking when they discovered the virtual friend service. Neither of them expected their experience to turn into a living nightmare.
For me, the beginning moved a bit slowly and was filled with more details than I wanted. It took me awhile to connect with the primary characters. Scott and Rachel were obviously Christians who tried to live according to their beliefs and were genuinely remorseful when they failed. Their faith was an integral part of the storyline without being intrusive. After several chapters the plot began to move along and I wanted to keep reading in order to find out what was going to happen. The ending was climatic yet just a little rushed . Overall, I found “Friend Me” to be an interesting concept that made a suspenseful story.
Although the author was able to tactfully convey Scott’s improper relationship with his virtual girlfriend without unnecessary details, there are a few somewhat violent and/or disturbing scenes that I would consider mature content. I would advise parents to read “Friend Me” and judge for themselves whether it is appropriate reading for their teens.
This book was provided for review by LitFuse Publicity.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
When a lonely wife and her frustrated husband each secretly pursue companionship online, neither dreams that a real woman is behind their virtual creations, threatening their marriage—and their lives.
Scott and Rachel’s marriage is on the brink of disaster. Scott, a businessman with a high-pressure job, just wants Rachel to understand him and accept his flaws. Rachel is a lonely housewife, desperate for attention and friendship. So she decides to create a virtual friend online, unaware that Scott is doing the exact same thing. As Rachel desperately tries to re-create a friendship with a friend who has passed, Scott becomes unfaithful and is torn between the love for his wife and the perfection of his cyber-girlfriend. But neither realizes that there’s a much larger problem looming…
Behind both of their online creations is Melissa, a woman who is brilliant—and totally insane. Masquerading as both friend and lover, Melissa programmed a search parameter into the virtual friend software to find her perfect man, but along the way she forgot to specify his marriage status. And Scott is her ideal match. Now Melissa is determined to have it all—Scott, his family, and Rachel’s life.
As Melissa grows bolder and her online manipulations transition into the real world, Scott and Rachel figure out they are being played. Now it’s a race against time as Scott and Rachel fight to save their marriage, and their lives, before it’s too late.
In today’s digital age, the Internet presents all kinds of opportunities to test our personal boundaries, and this exciting and suspenseful story raises important questions about the ethics of virtual relationships. Friend Me will open your eyes to a new—and terrifying—moral dimensions and how they play out in the real world.
Purchase copy and learn more at John’s website.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
John Faubion has spent many years in Asia as a missionary with his family. Since returning to the United States, John has worked as a senior software developer for a large appliance chain. He teaches an adult Sunday school class and enjoys writing and driving his 1949 Packard automobile. John lives near Indianapolis with his wife, Beth, and their daughter.
by admin | Feb 10, 2014 | Books, Contemporary Fiction, Romance, Valentine's Day
This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingOnce Upon a Winter’s HeartCenter Street (January 7, 2014)byMelody CarlsonABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Over the years, Melody Carlson has worn many hats, from pre-school teacher to youth counselor to political activist to senior editor. But most of all, she loves to write! Currently she freelances from her home. In the past eight years, she has published over ninety books for children, teens, and adults–with sales totaling more than two million and many titles appearing on the ECPA Bestsellers List. Several of her books have been finalists for, and winners of, various writing awards.
She has two grown sons and lives in Central Oregon with her husband and chocolate lab retriever. They enjoy skiing, hiking, gardening, camping and biking in the beautiful Cascade Mountains.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Emma Burcelli has suffered over a decade of dating disasters. But she concludes that love is officially dead when her grandfather Poppi suddenly passes, leaving her grandmother Nona devastated. To help out, Emma works in the family bookstore, which Nona insists must be decked out in sweetheart décor as Poppi would have done for Valentine’s Day. Although she feels like a V-Day Scrooge, Emma quickly learns to enjoy the task with the help of a handsome family friend, Lane Forester, who shows her that hanging hearts is much more fun when done to the tune of Dean Martin. As Emma and Lane share time and memories of Poppi, she reconsiders the notion that romance is alive.
If you would like to read the first chapter of Once Upon a Winter’s Heart, go HERE.
MY REVIEW:
I have come to look forward to Melody’s newest Christmas novella each year – it just wouldn’t be Christmas without one! After reading Once Upon a Winter’s Heart, I vote for a new tradition of an annual Valentine’s Day book as well. In true Carlson style, this novel is a tender romantic story that also gets to the heart of what constitutes a good marriage and/or relationship.
A quick read, Once Upon a Winter’s Heart is a story about Emma, a young woman who has given up on finding true love when she finally meets a man who seems to be everything she has ever desired. Naturally there are complications and Emma tries her best to keep her heart intact. I loved Emma’s devotion to her family, her loyalty to her sister, and her love for her nephew. Lane was such an encourager that I hoped he and Emma would end up together.
A sweet romance with a Valentine theme, Once Upon a Winter’s Heart is sure to be an encouragement to those who have almost given up on finding their perfect match.
