Wednesday, February 26, 2014

No One to Trust - Lynette Eason



So tell me, what would you do?  If you woke up to a gun in your face held by a very not nice man who asked you for something you didn't know existed and then said your husband might not be who he said he was?  What would you do if a federal agent showed up at your door?  And what would you do if you didn't know who you could trust, but knew you had to trust someone?

This was Summer Abernathy's day.  Her husband is missing and may not be who she thinks he is.  She has 8 hours to find something that she has no clue about, and she has two very young clients who are counting on her to save them from their abusive daddy.

My review of No One to Trust by Lynette Eason?  LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE

I had so much fun reading this book.  She had me hopping and guessing all through the book.  Loved that there were twists and turns right up to the end.  Loved the story of trust and forgiveness and trust and forgiveness and trust and forgiveness....that was woven again and again throughout the story.

My one con.  There was one scene at the back of the book (don't worry, I won't tell you which one), that I found entirely unbelievable.  It had to do with something Shannon carried with her through her adventure.  I don't recall it ever being mentioned and I just didn't see how she would have been able to keep it with her the whole time, but maybe that's the not so closeted cynic in me.

Anyway, absolutely loved this book and will continue reading other books by Ms. Eason such as her Women of Justice or Deadly Reunions Series or whatever book #2 will be in this Hidden Identity Series.  

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Bethany House 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/wa...; : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

My Amish Boyfriend by Melody Carlson

Sixteen-year-old Shannon McNamara has exciting plans for the summer, and she can't wait to get to them. Unbeknownst to her, however, her widowed and ailing mother has plans of her own--to relocate them both to the heart of Amish country in Ohio where she has relatives who can look after her. Shannon quickly learns that living a "simple" life is actually a lot of hard work. But when a hot young Amish guy named Ezra enters the picture, she's ready to get an Amish makeover and even consider making it a permanent change. But does Ezra share her attraction? Will Shannon really make the jump into this new way of life? And will it be for the right reasons?

I have been racking my brain trying to figure out if I have ever read Melody Carlson before, but I think I figured out that I'm confusing her with Kathryn Cushman.   My understanding is that Ms. Carlson is a fairly well-liked author of teenage novels.  Actually, as I sat here perusing Amazon.com to see what else she had written, I stumbled across the book that goes with a movie my 16-year-old just purchased called Grace Unplugged.

Shannon McNamara reminded me a lot of myself at her age, well except for the whole beautiful and pretty thing.  I was pretty much an ugly duckling.  I'm talking more the daughter of a single mother who ends up having to grow up a lot faster then her mother probably anticipated.  Shannon has definite plans for the summer: get her license, get a job, and get a tattoo, but her whole world is thrown into turmoil when she comes home and finds out she and her mother are leaving the very next day to go live with relatives Shannon didn't even know they had.  What's even worse is when she discovers these unknown relatives are Amish.

I laughed with Shannon as she tried to figure out how to do daily activities without the ease that most of us have come to rely on, and I almost cried with her as she struggled with being the adult by taking care of her mother, ensuring she takes her medicine, cleaning up after her when she has accidents, etc.  Then Ms. Carlson throws a huge twist by getting hormones involved.  Now no one's safe. 

This is a good, solid story.  I think I mentioned in one of my previous posts that these are nothing like the Young Adult novels from my youth.  I did love the way Melody snuck the theme of recommitment and rededication into the story both for Amish and for Shannon into the story.

All in all a good read.  I would recommend it.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Bethany House 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/wa...; : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Monday, February 24, 2014

Book Review: Rachel by Jill Eileen Smith



I've read comments and reviews where several people say they don't like to read fiction set in Biblical times.  They say it detracts from the Bible itself and puts the characters in scenarios they were probably never in.  I suppose that's a valid argument, but call me cynical,  I just don't buy it.

My very first historical fiction was a book about Ruth.  I'm not even sure who wrote it, but I remember reading it when I was about 12 or 13 years old.  It helped me see the struggle between the Moabites and the Israelites and the problems that Ruth probably would have had in both countries as part of a mixed marriage.

Let's not even get into Hadassah.  I could go on for days about Tommy Tenney's book. Suffice it to say, I LOVED it!

But I digress.  I love fiction based on Bible stories because it helps me see some of what they faced.  It may not be 100% completely accurate, but I truly believe God helps the writers to get it close.

This story is actually the 3rd in a series called Wives of the Patriarchs.  It follows Sarai and Rebekah, the stories of the wives of Abraham and Isaac, and yep, you guessed it, I've now got more books to be added to my TBR list.  Plus, one of the perks of this book is that it gives you a little bonus.  Not only do you get Rachel's story, but you get Leah's story as well.  SCORE!

I really liked this book because it brought out issues I never thought about such as the relationship between Rachel and Leah before and after the weddings.  The problems of having a multi-wife household because don't forget, Jacob's household grew to include the maids of both Rachel and Leah as wives or concubines.  I even enjoyed some of the little side stories about the sheep and the goats that brought to mind some of Christ's parables from the New Testament.

If you love getting to see the Bible stories from the inside, you're going to love this book and will probably love the other two Wives of the Patriarchs as well as the Wives of King David series.

I would highly recommend this book.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Bethany House 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.”

Thursday, February 20, 2014

It wasn't Cassie Haddon's fault that she had managed to reach the age of twenty-five without possessing any useful skills. Until the war, she had always had servants to wait on her. Since then, she and her widowed mother had moved from place to place, relying on family to care for them. Now she's forced to find work to support them both. What isn't in her plans is falling for Jacob West, a local restaurateur and grocer. She needs a job and he needs help. But what they both need is love.




Oops, I did it again! I started with the third book in a series, and now I'm going to have to go back and buy the other ones so I can get their story too.

For those of you who love historic fiction, you're going to really like this author.  This book is set post Civil War in my home state of Missouri and follows a 25-year-old "lady", Cassie, who has never done anything but honor her mother and try to live up to her standards.  Fed up with having to rely on everyone else to take care of her, she decides she is going to take care of herself.''

Luckily she has tenacity and a willingness to learn, and a local restaurateur and grocer who is willing to take a chance on her.  What she doesn't know is that Jacob has a past of his own.  She also doesn't know all the other twists and turns that life is so good about throwing in people's way.

Find out how Cassie handles all of life's little bumps and hiccups along her journey to understanding her true self worth and possibly love.  

Spoiler alert - there's also a side romance thrown in for good measure. :-)

I really enjoyed this book and will definitely go back and read it again after I have read the first 3.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Bethany House 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 &lt;http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html&gt; : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Book Review: Shadows of the Past by Patricia Bradley




Psychology professor and criminal profiler Taylor Martin prides herself on being able to solve any crime, except the one she wants most desperately to solve--the disappearance of her father twenty years ago. When she finally has a lead on his whereabouts, Taylor returns home to Logan Point, Mississippi, to investigate. But as she is stalking the truth about the past, someone is stalking her.

Nick Sinclair pens mystery novels for a living, but the biggest mystery to him is how he can ever get over the death of his wife--a tragedy he believes he could have prevented. With his estranged brother the only family he has left, Nick sets out to find him. But when he crosses paths with Taylor, all he seems to find is trouble.

Join the chase as this determined duo search the murky shadows of the past for the keys to unlocking the present and moving into a future filled with new hope and love. Readers will be swept into the sultry South in this debut novel from a promising and already award-winning writer.

My family and I LOVE mysteries.  It becomes a challenge to see who can figure out the killer/stalker/bad guy and why first.  On my good days, I can usually get it within the first quarter of the t.v. show or movie. Sometimes books take me a little longer because I'm having to piece together words into a picture instead of having the pictures provided for me..

Before Shadows of the Past, I had never read Patricia Bradley, but I have to say, this was a good book.  It was well written and for the most part kept me interested.  The story line was solid and the characters were decent.

Some of the cons...It took me a while.  For me, I can usually whip through a book in a few days.  This book took me the better part of a week.  It didn't grab me and hold on to me as well as others I've read.  I figured out the bad guy pretty easily as well as the supplemental bad guys.  While it is probably not a "re-reader" for me, I wouldn't hesitate to read other books by Ms. Bradley.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Bethany House 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 &lt;http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html&gt; : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Sunday, February 2, 2014

Worth the Wait by Laura Jackson

Ellie Lansing has a picture-perfect life with a close-knit family and the perfect boyfriend. But her world is suddenly knocked off center when her drool-worthy boyfriend cheats, and her always-has-it-together mother is diagnosed with cancer. Ellie doesn't get it. She always does the right thing - doesn't God owe her a happy life? Through her heartache, Ellie learns that sometimes what seems like the end is really just the beginning and that what God has for us is always worth the wait.



When I was in Junior High and High School, I, like most girls my age, loved romance.  Since I had none in my life, I lived vicariously through the heroines of Young Adult Romances, which at that time were totally secular.  I mention this because I went to a Christian School and had one of my teachers grab my books and try to embarrass me by reading them out loud or point out the obvious way they differentiated from my Christian faith.  This was extremely helpful to me because, as par for the course for an independent only child, I was extremely stupid and wasn't able to differentiate these things for myself.  

(Side Bar:  I wish you could have heard that sentence like I said it in my head, especially the word "stupid".  I had a slight British accent, which made it extremely delightful to say!).

Anyways, back on course.  As I've grown older, of course, my tastes have changed.  I don't read a book just for the romance.  I'm not a highly romantic person.  I want action, or a deep spiritual theme, or...I don't know, but something more than just hand holding and kissy face.  Since most YA romance is precisely that, hand holding and kissy face, I don't normally read YA romance because it's just plain boring.  On the flip side, I always jump at the chance to read a pre-published manuscript, so when author Laura Jackson went on Facebook and asked for reviewers for her soon-to-be-released book Worth the Wait, my hand immediately went in the air like that annoying know-it-all girl in elementary school.


First of all, I want to make sure everyone understands, this is not the YA adult romance from my youth (## years ago).  This delved right in to issues most of our youth are dealing with, making yourself over to please someone else; living your parents' dreams; should I have sex with someone I love; or should I take someone back after he cheated on me.  One of the things I really liked was Ms. Jackson did not make the responses of our 17-year-old heroine too grown up.  When she is dealing with the dilemma of whether or not to take her boyfriend back it sounded just the way I would imagine my daughter would sound.  

I was moved to tears as Ellie struggled with why, if she followed God's laws, was all of this happening to her.  Now I want to clarify something, which was absolutely huge to me.  This is maybe the third book ever to move me to tears.  When I mentioned earlier that I was not overly romantic, I am also not overly emotional.  I cry when I'm tired or on medication, but very, very rarely do I cry at movies or books.  This one moved me that much and for that I whole-heartedly applaud Ms. Jackson for making me connect so fully with the characters in the book.

There was one flaw to the book.  The ending.  For me, it shouldn't have ended there.  I want to know more.  I want to know how college was; who does Ellie marry; hat kind of foundation does she start?  You can't leave me hanging this way.  

I have already recommended this book to both of my daughters, and will happily recommend it to anyone else.  When it releases on Tuesday, February 4th, I encourage you to go and get this book.  It's worth the read.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher.  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.”