A Sensible Arrangement

By: Tracie Peterson

Marty Olson is a widow who lives in Texas.  Her surroundings serve as constant reminders of her past and she desperately wants to run from the pain.  She responds to an advertisement placed by Jacob Wythe to marry for appearances only.  Jacob lives in Denver so this opportunity will allow Marty to start a new life. 

Jacob is rising quickly in the banking industry but the Morgan Bank board has made it clear that a man in his position should be married.  Jacob places an ad for a “Lone Star bride” as his heart is still in Texas.  He grew up on a ranch and misses his life there.  He plans to save enough money so he can one day return to the life he loves.  When Jacob places the ad he is looking for nothing more than a woman who will attend social gatherings with him.  In exchange he will take care of her every need. 

When Marty arrives in Denver the two are married.  As their lives become more intertwined, they find themselves embarking on an adventure that neither of them planned.  Will the pain of Marty’s past and her secrets push Jacob away or draw him closer to her?   Will Jacob’s desire to return to Texas prove to be too much for Marty?

I really enjoyed this book but I have to say that the ending leaves you with many unanswered questions.  The second book called “A Moment in Time” will be released in June so I look forward to seeing how the pieces come together.  This book had elements of faith, adventure, romance and mystery.  I found myself not wanting to put it down as I wanted to know what happened next.  I would definitely recommend this book.    

*Thank you to Bethany House for providing me this book in exchange for my honest review.

A Broken Kind of Beautiful

By: Katie Ganshert
 

Ivy Clark has been living a life that has left her empty and broken.  Bruce, her uncle and agent, got her into the modeling industry at the age of fourteen.  She was taught to disregard her feelings and look beautiful for the camera.  For years she has buried all of her hurt and pain.  Although many models turn to drugs for their escape, Ivy choose men.  The attention from men always made her feel wanted and she knew she could control her feelings so she would not get hurt.  Now that she is approaching the age of twenty-five she realizes that the industry is looking for younger women.  Jobs are hard to come by and she is forced to accept a job modeling wedding dresses for her step-mother’s bridal store.   Ivy is reluctant to accept the job as it will force her to face her past.  Going back to Greenbrier is the last thing she wants to do but Bruce encourages her to take the job.

When Ivy travels back to Greenbrier she soon learns that Davis Knight will be her photographer.  Davis is a mysterious man who was a successful photographer and he suddenly left the industry for reasons he will not discuss.   Davis has a gift for photography and at a young age his father encouraged him to pursue it.  He told Davis that he could capture the world through the lens and allow people to see things in a way they never saw things before.  This fact was proven when Davis did the first photo session with Ivy.  He was able to capture her in a way that no one else had seen her.  Their relationship forces them both to come face to face with their pasts.  As they both travel this bumpy road will they be able to find the healing they both so desperately need?

This is the third book I have read by this author and I loved it!  This book was about redemption and forgiveness.  The story illustrated how God always pursues us and our sins are never too much for him to handle.  I want to let other readers know that Ivy was very flirtatious and she mentions how men are her “drug of choice”.  I just wanted to mention this as it may bother some readers.  It did not bother me as I found the story to be real and can only imagine how many women feel the same way Ivy did.  Today we see so many beautiful smiling faces and this book has challenged me to see that things are not always as they seem.  Something I new but this book served as a reminder.  I look forward to reading more from this talented author!

*I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for my honest review.

 

     

 

 

Dancing with Fireflies

By: Denise Hunter

This is the second book in the Chapel Springs Romance series.  I enjoyed the first book and loved this book!  This focus of this story is on Jade McKinley and Daniel Dawson.  Trying desperately to run from her past, Jade moves to Chicago.  A new life and new scenery is sure to erase the scars of her past.  However, this journey leads her to even more hurt and pain.  Will she ever be able to find healing?  Jade discovers she needs the support of her family and moves back to Chapel Springs.  Unable to bear her soul to her family at first, she confides in Daniel.  She has grown up with him and feels safe with him.  She knows he will always be there for her. 

Daniel is mayor of Chapel Springs and his family is paving the way for him to run for congress.  However, he has to search his heart to see if running for congress is what he really wants to do with his life.  He enjoys being mayor and helping people.  He knows the political games that must be played and is not sure that is the right path for him.  He has loved Jade for years and her return to Chapel Springs brings excitement, as well as, confusion.  As their lives are once again intertwined he knows this may be the last opportunity he has to tell her how he feels.  However, that proves much harder after Jade confides in him.

I thought this book was well written and I love the title!  I found the title to be both creative and adorable while reading the book.  It displays the heart of a child.  I also enjoy the McKinley family.  Reading about their family gatherings made me want to be a part of them.  Although not perfect, they know how to have fun and are there for one another.  The story was a little difficult to read at times because of what Jade had to endure but the talented author turned this into a beautiful story.  I look forward to third book in this series “The Wishing Season” which will be available in Winter 2014.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

 

Just 18 Summers

By: Rene Gutteridge and Michelle Cox

What a wonderful book about making the most of each and every moment.  This book tells the stories of four families at different stages in life.  Butch and his daughter Ava are struggling after the sudden death of Butch’s wife Jenny.  Jenny’s passing has impacted not only their lives but the lives of the other three families.  Her life was somehow intertwined with each family and her passing made an impression upon them.  Larry and Beth find that they will soon be empty nesters. They are struggling with the years having passed too quickly and feeling like they have not made enough memories with their three children.  Tippy and Daphne are looking forward to being first time parents.  However, Daphne’s fears impact her marriage while she is pregnant.  Charles and Helen work so hard to give their kids everything they never had but miss giving their children what they really need. 

I really enjoyed this book.  I loved the stories and it was a nice reminder to enjoy every moment.  Sometimes we focus so hard on certain areas of life that we completely miss out on what is really important.   This book illustrates that ultimately nothing is in our control and we have to continue to give everything to the Lord.  As shown in this book, and promised in the Bible (Romans 8:28), all things will together for our good if we love God.  For some additional information please visit www.just18summers.com.   

 

Disclaimer:  Thank you Tyndale House Publishers for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

 

A Match Made in Texas

By: Karen Witemeyer, Mary Connealy, Regina Jennings & Carol Cox

“A Match Made in Texas” is comprised of four romantic novellas.  The stories take place in 1893 in Texas.  Each story is unique in that the characters are facing their own set of challenges.  While dealing with their challenges, the characters also find themselves being given an opportunity to find love (or maybe love finds them).   I really enjoyed this book and I felt that the first two stories were well developed (given the length of each story).  I also enjoyed many of the characters, especially Clayton and Grace. 

The first story centers around the lives of Neill Archer and Clara Danvers while the second story focuses on Clayton Weber and Grace O’Malley.  Clayton and Grace’s story was definitely my favorite of all of the stories in the book.  The third story tells about the lives of Andrew Simms, Lucy Benson and Andrew’s Aunt Martha.  I loved Aunt Martha as she was a stubborn older woman who had a lot of life in her.  She definitely made me laugh.  This story also contained an element of mystery.  I liked the story but found the romance part to be a little too rushed.  The last story finds the “mystery matchmaker” now being the focus of everyone’s attention.  This story is about the lives of Hannah Taylor and Marcus Whitfield.  I felt this should have been the strongest of all four stories as this is the one that ties all of them together.  However, I found the story line to be rushed and not very well developed.  I liked it but it was my least favorite of the other stories.  Overall, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others.  I look forward to reading some of the other works from these authors.

 

*Thank you to Bethany House for providing me this book in exchange for my honest review.

 

Confident Faith: Building a Firm Foundation for Your Beliefs

By: Mark Mittelberg

 

Mark Mittelberg has penned an interesting book about building a strong foundation for your faith.  The book is broken into the following three sections: Six Faith Paths, Twenty Arrows of Truth and Ten Barriers to Belief.  The first section explains what faith is and provides a questionnaire which will help in determining which of the six Faith Paths people use to base their beliefs.  The Faith Paths are as follows: Relativistic, Traditional, Authoritarian, Intuitive, Mystical and Evidential.  A chapter is dedicated to each Faith Path to provide better insight as to why people may believe the way that they do and the pros and cons to each belief system. 

 

The second section of the book focuses on the “Twenty Arrows of Truth.”  In this section the author primarily focuses on the Evidential Faith Path to explain how science and logic strongly support Christianity.  The third and final section of this book focuses on what the author calls “Ten Barriers to Belief.”  Some of these barriers include: Lack of Information, Personal Hurts, Control Issues and Fear. 

 

I thought this was a thought-provoking book.  I really enjoyed reading it and would recommend it to my family and friends.   

 

 *I received a complimentary copy of the book for review purposes from Tyndale House.          

             

 

 

Smitten Book Club



By: Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerback, Diann Hunt & Denise Hunter

This book was penned by four friends and their unique writing styles blend together seamlessly as they write about the lives of Heather, Abby, Lia and Molly.  The four novellas go into detail about the love lives of each of these individuals who are friends and part of the same book club.  The story begins with Heather picking up a book written by a Smitten native, Pearl Chambers.  The book is titled “The Gentlewoman’s Guide to Love and Courtship” and ends up being shared among the main characters.  The wisdom that Ms. Chambers provides in her book proves useful to the characters in regards to their prospective love lives.  Ms. Chambers also provides hints regarding a hidden treasure that has yet to be found.  This treasure, if found, could be life-saving for Molly as she is about to lose everything.  Molly’s friends come together to help her search for this hidden treasure that would truly change her life.  I invite you to journey along with these four friends to get a glimpse into the lives of four women who are all struggling to find love and a hidden treasure. 

I enjoyed reading the third book in this series and look forward to reading more from these authors.  I found these stories to be quick reads as each one is a little over eighty pages with the exception of the last story which is over one-hundred pages.  Although characters from the previous two books make appearances, this book can be read independently.  I would recommend this book if you are looking for a light read with a touch of romance and mystery.

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.