Review of The Artist's Daughter by Alexandra Kuykendall

When Alexandra Kuykendall became a mother, she knew she had to go back to the beginning. To that hot July afternoon in Barcelona when she met her father for the first time. The only daughter of a single, world-traveling mother and an absent artist father, Alexandra embarks on a soul-searching trip into the past to make sense of the layers of her life-both the memories she experienced and the ones she wished for.

In this memoir, you travel with Alexandra on her journey of healing and finding who God created her to be. She speaks from her heart from the time of her first moments meeting her father to becoming a mother of four girls and everything in between. Not an upbeat read, but more raw and intense as you read. But isn't that life? It's not all roses and sunshine. There are storms and very dry desert places and seasons of growth. Alexandra does a great job sharing her seasons, storms and dry places with flecks of roses of sunshine in-between.

Available may 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Revell Books sent me this complimentary copy to review for them. Opinions expressed are my own.

Review of When a Secret Kills by Lynette Eason

Investigative reporter Jillian Carter knows it's time to put the past to rest. She's tired of looking over her shoulder, letting a killer go free. She's no longer the scared kid who changed her name and disappeared. Now, no matter what the cost, Jillian must do what she is trained to do--ferret out the truth and expose it. Senator Frank Hoffman committed murder ten years ago--and Jillian watched it happen.

Didn't she?

Not even the enigmatic and attractive Colton Brady, her ex-boyfriend and nephew of the killer, will be able to make her leave this alone.

From the opening page, this book sucks you in right until the end. Book 3 in the Deadly Reunion series wraps up the story of three high school friends who get wrapped up in a 10 year old murder. Ms. Eason did a great job picking up the story where it left off in the previous book, and also did a great job writing so this book could be a stand alone book if the first two were not read. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys murder mysteries!

Available May 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Revell Books sent me this complimentary copy to review for them. Comments/thoughts are my own.

Review of Bread and Wine by Shauna Niequist

Bread and Wine is a collection of essays about family relationships, friendships, and the meals that bring us together. This mix of Anne Lamott and Barefoot Contessa is a funny, honest and vulnerable spiritual memoir. Bread and Wine is a celebrations of food shared, reminding readers of the joy found in a life around the table. It's about the ways God teaches and nourishes people as they nourish the people around them. It's about hunger, both physical and otherwise, and the connections between the two.

I approached this book from a different angle. Instead of me reading it by myself, the small community of gals I'm in read this book together. It's not only a book to read, but a book to experience together: in the kitchen. After several chapters, a recipe was given, so every week, we took a couple of the recipes, whipped them up in the kitchen then ate together around the table with a glass of wine (sometimes it was white, sometimes red, and one time green). Through good conversation about out thoughts on the book, we ate and journeyed together.

Group reviews about the book were along the same threads. My personal review of the book would echo my friends'. I like the short chapters. Each being a snap shot into a season of Shauna's life. I liked how the recipes meant something to her. They had a past, a memory, a meaning. I liked her honesty of hardships of how her journey of life has been. I liked her recipe choices.

On the flip side of the coin, it was a bit difficult to find a flow. Maybe I wasn't supposed to, or there wasn't one to be found, but not knowing her personally and finding it difficult to relate, every chapter I was wondering where in the context of her life this chapter happened. She writes beautifully, so it was capturing to read, but the overall flow was hard for me to follow.

Along the flow part, some of the recipes were hard to follow. For example, the Green Well's Michigan Harvest Salad directions for the maple vinaigrette didn't follow the order of the items listed. I had to jump back and forth between the two to make sure I was putting things in the correct order.

Some of the recipes we as a group created together were:
     Goat Cheese Biscuits
     Basic Risotto (I think this was one of our fav's)
     Steak au Poivre with Cognac Pan Sauce
     The Green Well's Michigan Harvest Salad
     Mango Chicken Curry (we swapped mango's with pineapples)
     Mini Mac and Cheese

We are not yet finished with trying the recipes, but with the enjoyment we each had with the above, we know they are going to be fantastic.

Overall, a good book of reading about the life of someone and seeing how her faith, friends and food are all an integral part of her journey that she is on.

Available April 2013.

Shauna Niequist is the author of Cold Tangerines and Bittersweet, and Bread & Wine. Shauna grew up in Barrington, Illinois, and then studied English and French Literature at Westmont College in Santa Barbara. She is married to Aaron, who is a pianist and songwriter. Aaron is a worship leader at Willow Creek and is recording a project called A New Liturgy. Aaron & Shauna live outside Chicago with their sons, Henry and Mac. Shauna writes about the beautiful and broken moments of everyday life--friendship, family, faith, food, marriage, love, babies, books, celebration, heartache, and all the other things that shape us, delight us, and reveal to us the heart of God.

Zondervan sent me this complimentary copy to review for them. All opinions are expressed as my own.

Review of Unrivaled by Siri Mitchell

Lucy Kendall returns from a tour of the Continent, her luggage filled with the latest fashions and a mind fired by inspiration. After tasting Europe's best confections, she's sure she'll come up with a recipe that will save her father's struggling candy business and reverse their fortunes. But she soon discovers that their biggest competitor, the cheat who swindled her father out of his prize recipe, has now hired a promotions manager -- a cocky, handsome out-of-towner who gets under Lucy's skin.

Charlie Clarke's new role at Standard Manufacturing is the chance of a lifetime. He can put some rough times behind him and reconnect with the father he's never known. The one thing he never counted on, however, was tenacious Lucy Kendall. She's making his work life miserable ... and making herself impossible for him to forget.

Putting the romantic slant aside, this was an overall good book. Rivaling candy companies trying to stay in business. One's future depends on it and the other's pocket depends on ousting the competition. Side stories run along the lines of formed friendships, healing past wounds and learning how to be humble and put pride aside. With unexpected turns along the way, the book keeps you hooked up until the end.

Bethany House sent me this complimentary copy to review. Opinions expressed are my own.

Review of The Deposit Slip by Todd M. Johnson

Erin Larson is running out of options. In the wake of her father's death, she found a slim piece of paper -- a deposit slip -- with an unbelievable amount on it. only the  bank claims they have no record of the money, and trying to hire a lawyer has brought only intimidation and threats. Erin's last chance is Jared Neaton.  

When Jared wearied of the shady ethics of his big law firm and went out on his own, he never expected the wheels to fly off so quickly. One big loss has pushed him to the brink, and it's all he can do to scrape by. He's not sure if Erin's case is worth the risk, but if the money is real, all his problems could vanish. When digging deeper unleashes something far more dangerous than just threats, both Jared and Erin must decide the cost they're willing to pay to discover the truth.

A fantastic read that had me up until the wee hours of the morning wondering how in the world this book would end. Not a fru-fru-white-puffy-all-sparkly-sunshine book by any means. And that's what I loved about it. Good meat and potatoes story that has substance and depth to it. The flow was smooth and I had to slow down during the lawyer jargon as it was foreign to me, but all in all, a fantastic book. Those that like solid mystery/suspense books, this is for you!

Bethany House sent me this complimentary copy to review for them. The opinions above are my own.

Review of Finding Our Way Home by Charlene Ann Baumbich

   When principal ballerina Sasha Davis suffers a career-ending injury at age thirty-eight, she leaves her Boston-based dance company and retreats to the home of her youth in Minnesota. But Sasha’s injuries limit her as much as her mother’s recent death haunts her. Concluding she can’t recover alone, Sasha reluctantly hires a temporary live-in aide.

    Enter the übercapable Evelyn Burt. As large-boned as Sasha is delicate, Evelyn is her employer’s opposite in every way. Small town to Sasha’s urban chic, outgoing to Sasha’s iciness, and undaunted where Sasha is hopeless, nineteen-year-old Evelyn is newly engaged and sees the world as one big, shiny opportunity. 

    Evelyn soon discovers Sasha needs to heal more than bones. Slowly, as the wounds begin to mend and the tables tilt, the two women form an unlikely alliance and discover the astounding power of even the smallest act done in the name of love.

Charlene Ann Baumbich delivers a heart warming, charming story about a unique bond that develops over pain, tears, laughter, encouraging and helping others. A good example and reminder of how true friendships can be formed and stand the stormy trials of life. Also how the young can learn from those older than them, and how the  "old" can learn from years younger. 

A light read that makes one feel good when the last page is turned and completed.

WaterBrook Multnomah sent me this complimentary copy to review for them. All opinions expressed are my own.

Review of A New Home for Lily by Suzanne Woods Fisher and Mary Ann Kinsinger

Lily Lapp is moving with her family to Pennsylvania to join a new Amish community. In this small town where changes--and newcomers--are greeted with suspicion, Lily must adjust to a new school, new friends, and Aaron Yoder, an annoying boy who teases her relentlessly. Still, there are exciting new developments, including an attic full of adventure and a new baby brother. But why, Lily wonders, can't God bring her just one sister?

Today's blog post review is brought to you by my eight year old daughter, Alina.

I like the book because Lily moved to a difrent state, and so did I! I like Lily because she sometimes gets in to trouble and you just want to keep reading about her! I would recommend this book to whoever is reading this review. I can't wait untill I get the next one!


Revell Books sent this complimentary book to be reviewed. All opinions are Alina's.

Available February 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Review of House of Mercy by Erin Healy

Beth has a gift of healing—which is why she wants to become a vet and help her family run their fifth-generation cattle ranch. Her father’s dream of helping men in trouble and giving them a second chance is her dream too. But it only takes one foolish decision for Beth to destroy it all.

Beth scrambles to redeem her mistake, pleading with God for help, even as a mystery complicates her life. The repercussions grow more unbearable—a lawsuit, a death, a divided family, and the looming loss of everything she cares about. Beth’s only hope is to find the grandfather she never knew and beg for his help. Confused, grieving, and determined to make amends, she embarks on a horseback journey across the mountains, guided by a wild, unpredictable wolf who may or may not be real.

Set in the stunningly rugged terrain of Southern Colorado, House of Mercy follows Beth through the valley of the shadow of death into the unfathomable miracles of God’s goodness and mercy.

This is my second Erin Healy book that I read and I was not disappointed. Healy describes her writing as supernatural suspense, and this book reflects that.  Just like in The Baker's Wife, Healy does a fantastic job setting up the story quickly and you are immersed from the first page of wanting to know what is going to happen to this person. Her characters and writing is so real. To the point that I was getting frustrated and disliked some personalities and had a breaking heart for others.

Putting the fiction aspect aside, the spiritual asset was oh so rich. One part that grasped my heart was during one scene where Beth was having a little conversation with God about healing her grandfather. The gist of it was that God could've healed her grandfather Himself, but He was choosing to use Beth as a way to heal her grandfather, to show her what His mercy looks like. How many times do I miss this in my own life? Where God could so easily do something all by Himself, but instead chooses to do something by using me, to show me His character, grace, mercy and love? Still chewing, mulling and digesting this nugget that I believe is so profound.

This is a fantastic read and I highly recommend it.

Booksneeze sent me this complimentary book to review for them. Opinions of this book are my own.

Review of Vanished by Irene Hannon

Reporter Moira Harrisons is lost. In the dark. In a thunderstorm. When a confusing detour places her on a rural, wooded road, she's startled by the sudden appearance of a lone figure caught in the beam of her headlights. Though Moira jams on her brakes, the car careens across the wet pavement--and the solid thump against the side of the vehicle tells her she hit the person before she crashes into a tree on the far side of the road. 

A dazed Moira is relieved when a man opens her door, tells her he saw everything, and promises to call 911. Then everything fades to black. When she comes to an hour later, she is alone. No man. No 911. No injured person lying on the side of the road. But she can't forget the look of terror she saw on the person's face in the instant before her headlights swung away. The person she hit had been in trouble. She's sure of it. But she can't get anyone to believe her story--except a handsome former police detective, now a private eye, who agrees to take on the case.

Irene Hannon has done it again. Vanished is a book one in a new series called Private Justice. She has kept the reader on the edge of each page, ready to keep flipping to the next. I loved the reference of one of the characters from a previous series and how she incorporated that in, every so briefly.

One portion I was a bit disappointed in was one of the choices the main character made towards the end of the book. It set up an easy-to-figure-out-what's-going-to-happen section of the book. That was a bit of a let down, but the twist at the end wasn't expected, and honestly, was a bit gruesome.

Overall, a fantastic book and I'm looking forward to book two in this new series.

Available January 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Revell Books sent me this complimentary book to review. All thoughts and words are my own. 

Review of Placebo by Steven James

While covertly investigating a controversial neurological research program, exposé filmmaker Jevin Banks is drawn into a far-reaching conspiracy involving one of the world's largest pharmaceutical firms. After giving up his career as an escape artist and illusionist in the wake of his wife and sons' tragic death, Jevin is seeking not only answers about the questionable mind-to-mind communication program, but also answers to why his family suffered as they did. Rooted in ground-breaking science and inspired by actual research, Placebo explores the far reaches of science, consciousness, and faith. Readers will love this taut, intelligent, and emotionally gripping new thriller from master storyteller Steven James.While covertly investigating a controversial neurological research program, exposé filmmaker Jevin Banks is drawn into a far-reaching conspiracy involving one of the world's largest pharmaceutical firms. After giving up his career as an escape artist and illusionist in the wake of his wife and sons' tragic death, Jevin is seeking not only answers about the questionable mind-to-mind communication program, but also answers to why his family suffered as they did. Rooted in ground-breaking science and inspired by actual research, Placebo explores the far reaches of science, consciousness, and faith. 

Steven James does not disappoint in this book. It is not for the faint of heart though as there are some pretty graphic scenes in it that make the stomach quite squeemish. It was a bit tough reading through the neurological terminology whenever it came up, but you get the gist of it the further in you read. The plot and characters are well developed and the story line is fast paced and reads smoothly. If you are a Steven James fan, this new series is going to be a great one. If you've never read Steven James, pick up one of his books. He's a fantastic storyteller and writer.

Available November 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Revell Books sent me this complimentary copy to review for them. The words above came straight from my own brain.