Somehow I overlooked posting a review for this sweet, historical Christmas romance novella by Sharlene MacLaren. It is the perfect book for a cold evening by the fire after all the Christmas preparations are finished for the day. I apologize if my negligence prevented anyone from enjoying this experience during the past Christmas season. I hope you will add it to your Christmas reading list for 2016.
The book itself is quite attractive with snowflake illustrations on many of the page margins. Another illustration of a Christmas tree is placed at the end of each chapter. I thought it was a nice touch.
After two years, young widow Sadie Bennett still mourns her husband of only one month and finds it difficult to move on with her life without him. She especially hates Christmas and except for her job and church on Sundays has become mostly reclusive. However, this is one Christmas that friends and family, particularly Reed Harris, decide to bring Sadie back to the land of the living. She finds herself asked to participate in various Christmas projects and slowly feels her icy heart begin to thaw. Could a new love be far behind?
I enjoyed “Christmas Comes to Little Hickman Creek” both times I read it. I particularly liked how both Sadie and Reed prayed and listened to that still small voice of the Holy Spirit that directed and encouraged. Reed was a special hero whose patience and obedience helped lead to Sadie’s healing and a promise for the future.
This book was provided for review by The Book Club Network, Inc.
ABOUT THE BOOK (144 pages): Two years ago this Christmas, Sadie Bennett’s beloved husband was killed in a tragic accident at the local sawmill. What was once her favorite time of year now haunts her, with its cheerful trappings a cruel reminder of the love she lost. The young widow would like nothing more than to hibernate until the festivities are over. When she finds herself assigned to the committee tasked with picking a Christmas tree for the town square of Little Hickman Creek, she begrudgingly agrees but determines to fulfill her duties to the bare minimum. As the search for a suitable tree gets under way, Sadie is dismayed to learn that one of her fellow committee members is a man she’s worked hard to avoid. Reed Harris owns the local livery, and while he’s friendly enough, good-looking, too, Sadie isn’t ready to invest in another relationship. In fact, she may never be ready, unless a Christmas miracle manages to thaw her frozen heart.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Born and raised in western Michigan, Sharlene MacLaren attended Spring Arbor University, earning a degree in elementary teaching. In 1975, she married one of her childhood friends, and together they raised two lovely daughters. Now happily retired from 31 years of teaching,”Shar” enjoys reading, singing, traveling, and spending time with her husband, children, and precious grandchildren.
Every time I open a book by MaryLu Tyndall, I am reminded of just how much I love them. “Charity’s Cross” definitely reinforces that sentiment. From the opening paragraph to the very end, I was held captive by the dynamic characters and the fast-paced plot.
Despite her innocence in her abusive husband’s accidental death, Charity Westcott know she will be held responsible. Her desperate flight places her in the path of Elias Dutton who decides to help her even though he knows she is hiding something. If you have ever read one of Marylu’s books, you know that this is where the adventure begins. Beautiful tropical destinations, storms at sea, pirates, danger, treachery, and (did I say pirates?) are all entwined in a story that would not let me put it down.
One thing I really love about MaryLu’s books is that I can always expect to find a story filled with the Holy Spirit – filled with redemption, restoration, and miracles. “Charity’s Cross” had them all and I felt so blessed to be one of its reviewers. Character connections with two of Tyndall’s earlier series made it all the more enjoyable.
A digital copy of this book was provided for review by Celebrate Lit Publicity.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Suspected of killing her husband, Charity Westcott flees on the first ship out of Portsmouth, England heading for the colonies. Loathing all men after her abusive marriage, she hopes to reunite with her family in Charles Towne, but the ship ends up in Nassau. When she spots her husband’s brother, who is intent on seeing her hang, boarding her ship, she jumps overboard.
Elias Dutton, preacher and son of the famous pirate, Rowan Dutton, must get to Barbados as soon as possible. His sister is in danger, and his parents have charged him with her safety. He cannot let them down—again. But after rescuing a madcap woman from the bay, he now finds himself tricked into masquerading as her husband so they both can procure passage to Barbados.
Pirates, storms, shipwreck and betrayal threaten to delay the couple in their journey even as sparks fly between them. With her brother-in-law in fast pursuit, the last thing Charity wants is help from a man, especially a religious one, but she has no choice. After Elias’ heart was broken by a sordid woman who nearly ruined his life, he seeks a godly woman pure as the virgin sands of the Caribbean. He believes he has found such a woman in Charity. Until he discovers she is a murderer and is now faced with two choices: letting her go or turning her in to the authorities.
Award-winning author MaryLu Tyndall dreamt of pirates and sea-faring adventures during her childhood days on Florida’s Coast. With more than seventeen books published, she makes no excuses for the spiritual themes embedded within her romantic adventures. Her hope is that readers will not only be entertained but will be brought closer to the Creator who loves them beyond measure. In a culture that accepts the occult, wizards, zombies, and vampires without batting an eye, MaryLu hopes to show the awesome present and powerful acts of God in a dying world. A Christy award nominee and Inspirational Readers’ Choice Award winner, MaryLu makes her home with her husband, six children, two grandchildren and several stray cats on the California coast.
I have always enjoyed Sandra Bricker’s novels with their humorous and sometimes quirky twists as well as their spiritual content. This particular series seemed to me to be a tad less humorous than previous books but I found each of the three books of the serious to be excellent.
“From Bags to Riches” is the final installment of Bricker’s Jessie Stanton series and I am so sorry to see the series end. I have loved reading about Jessie and Danny’s relationship ups and downs from the very beginning and can happily say I thought things ended well for them. I also liked watching Jessie’s values change over the course of the three books and was quite pleased with some decisions she made in this one.
Emotions ran high in “From Bags to Riches” – from joy one minute to grief the next. I’ll admit I shed a few tears a time or two. Overall the entire series was enjoyable and gratifying to read. I eagerly look forward to Bricker’s next novel.
This book was provided for review by Amazon Vine.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Jessie Hart worked so hard to put her Louisiana roots in the rear view mirror and her Adornments boutique on the map. So when renegade “husband” Jack turns up again, the new and improved Jessie catches his attention. As he fights through his residual legal battles, he makes every effort to win her back and marry her for real this time… before Danny gets the chance.
When a celebrity stylist with her own reality show makes Adornments a hot spot, Jessie’s hard work is finally paying off. But amid award shows and photo shoots, Jessie’s beloved grandfather is diagnosed with cancer and she’s nudged back to the Louisiana roots she worked so hard to escape. Now, in her quest to find the success, true love, and faith that has always eluded her, will God really lead her right back home?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Sandra D. Bricker was an entertainment publicist in Los Angeles for more than 15 years, where she attended school to learn screenwriting and eventually taught the craft for several semesters. She is now a best-selling, award-winning author of Live-Out-Loud Fiction for the inspirational market, best known for her Emma Rae Creation series. As an ovarian cancer survivor, she gears time and effort toward raising awareness and funds for research, diagnostics, and a cure. Sandra resides in Toledo, Ohio, and online at SandraDBricker.com.
At a period in my life when I find myself perhaps oversensitive to noise, my review copy of Cynthia Ruchti’s “Song of Silence” arrived at the perfect time. While the story itself was enjoyable, it became more personal to me. My own circumstances could not be more different than Lucy’s but there were lessons within the pages for me to meditate upon. I was especially blessed by all the scripture references and quotations scattered throughout the story that mention silence in one form or another.
Lucy’s story began with one disappointment, the loss of her job. She found it difficult to get past her grief over the loss of what she believed to be her passion and calling and what she thought was a lack of understanding by her family, especially her husband. Imagine her surprise when her life careened even more out of control by one unexpected complication after another. Yet in Lucy’s time of trial, she encountered multiple people who spoke into her life and eventually guided her to a renewed relationship with the Lord and her husband. And in the midst of the silence, Lucy found a new calling.
“Song of Silence” is a profound novel that will stay with me for awhile. I am thinking it may be time for me to do an in depth Bible study on silence. Perhaps the Lord is trying to tell me something too.
This book was provided for review by Amazon Vine.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Music taught Lucy love and beauty. Could silence teach her hope?
Lucy and Charlie Tuttle agree on one thing: they’re committed to each other for life. Trouble is, neither of them expected life to look like this. While Charlie retired early, Lucy is devoted to a long-term career . . . until the day she has no choice.
Forced to retire from her position as music educator in a small Midwestern K-8 school, Lucy can only watch helplessly as the program her father started years ago disintegrates before her eyes. As the music fades and a chasm separates her from the passion of her heart, Lucy wonders if her faith’s song has gone silent, too. The musical score of her life seems to be missing all the notes.
When a simple misstep threatens to silence Lucy forever, a young boy and his soundless mother change the way she sees—and hears—everything.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Cynthia Ruchti is the author of the critically acclaimed Where the Morning Glory Blooms and They Almost Always Come Home. After 33-years as writer/producer of the daily 15-minute radio broadcast, The Heartbeat of the Home, Cynthia served a two-year term as president of American Christian Fiction Writers and currently serves as ACFW’s Professional Relations Liaison. In addition to writing novels, devotionals, and magazine articles, she speaks for women’s events and writers’ conferences. Cynthia and her plot-tweaking husband live in Central Wisconsin, where she creates stories of Hope-that-glows-in-the-dark. Find Cynthia on the web at CynthiaRuchti.com.
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Born and raised in western Michigan, Sharlene MacLaren attended Spring Arbor University, earning a degree in elementary teaching. In 1975, she married one of her childhood friends, and together they raised two lovely daughters. Now happily retired from 31 years of teaching,”Shar” enjoys reading, singing, traveling, and spending time with her husband, children, and precious grandchildren.
Sandra D. Bricker was an entertainment publicist in Los Angeles for more than 15 years, where she attended school to learn screenwriting and eventually taught the craft for several semesters. She is now a best-selling, award-winning author of Live-Out-Loud Fiction for the inspirational market, best known for her Emma Rae Creation series. As an ovarian cancer survivor, she gears time and effort toward raising awareness and funds for research, diagnostics, and a cure. Sandra resides in Toledo, Ohio, and online at 
Cynthia Ruchti is the author of the critically acclaimed Where the Morning Glory Blooms and They Almost Always Come Home. After 33-years as writer/producer of the daily 15-minute radio broadcast, The Heartbeat of the Home, Cynthia served a two-year term as president of American Christian Fiction Writers and currently serves as ACFW’s Professional Relations Liaison. In addition to writing novels, devotionals, and magazine articles, she speaks for women’s events and writers’ conferences. Cynthia and her plot-tweaking husband live in Central Wisconsin, where she creates stories of Hope-that-glows-in-the-dark. Find Cynthia on the web at 
