Review of Blind Trust by Sandra Orchard

Nutshell: Kate Adams is back in the spotlight as her trouble continues. Someone seems to be out to still keep her silent with new accusations and behind the scenes secrecy to take her down. Another who-dun-it in the Port Aster Secrets Series.

Pro's: This book keeps you guessing! With every turn of the page you still don't know who's out to get the main character.

Con's: If you pick this up without reading the first book, it may be a bit more difficult to understand what is going on. It can be a stand-alone fiction, but better to go in reading book #1. The "what-ifs" got a bit weary to keep reading throughout the book. The characters coming up with different scenarios as to why someone said one thing, or why another person came from the basement, or why another's wallet was empty at one time of day and bulging later in the day. I understand it goes along with the detective work, but it seemed to be in abundance in this book.

Recommendation: Read book #1 first. If you like mystery, you may like this book. It wasn't my favorite, but also, that's my opinion.

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

Review of All Right Here by Carre Armstrong Gardner

The Nutshell: Family. Ivy Darling is the main character. This book is centered around her. Her struggling relationship with her husband, her foster kids, her family, her in-laws and finding her voice amidst all of them.

The pro's: I loved this book. It wasn't suspenseful in the least, but you wanted everything to turn out for the best by the end. And it doesn't wrap up with a nice bow. The word that kept floating through my head while reading this was: messy. Messy relationships with family. Messy results of choices made that weren't the best. But very real messiness. This book exposed, I think, how the majority of families and marriages are. Messy. It was very down to earth and real.

The con's: None.

Recommendation: This book would be great for anyone who enjoys reading. A light read for more in-depth readers. A book full of emotions and real-world scenarios for the realistic reader and for the reader who likes a good story.

Tyndale Publishers sent me this complimentary copy to review for them. Opinions expressed are my own.

Review of A Broken Kind of Beautiful by Katie Ganshert

The nutshell: A famous model reluctantly returns home after her fast-paced, soul-sucking career runs dry. A photographer who wants to forget his past mistakes. An aunt/step-mom who brings them together which starts the healing process for the two wandering souls. 

The pro's: What a great story! Full of redemption, whole acceptance of God's love, and understanding true friendship and forgiveness. 

The con's: It took a bit to figure out who all the characters were and how they fit into the story. Some relationships took a good chunk of time to figure out, and how specific people fit with others. 

Recommendation: I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a book that is chalk full of redemption and how God cleans up some very messy lives.


Click here for the synopsis of the book.
Interested in reading chapter one? Click here.
Want to learn more about the author? Go here.

I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review.

Review of Fatal Exchange by Lisa Harris

The nutshell: Meet Mason, an undercover cop, who is on limited time in trying to find Emily Hunt's niece who was kidnapped by the drug cartel which has dirty cop's working for them. Join their journey in relying on God during a stand-off, a kidnapping and just trying to stay alive long enough to rescue a family member.

The pro's: Quick paced, action packed and keeps you flipping the pages. Not graphic by any means.

The con's: A bit heavy on the romance, of which I can leave behind. It may be a bit harder reading as a stand-alone as this is the 2nd book in the series.

Suggestion: Like suspense and action packed pages? Then you'll like this book.

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

Review of One Perfect Spring by Irene Hannon

The nutshell: A single mom with an 11 year old daughter, a neighbor diagnosed with cancer, and a letter that changed the trajectory of their lives forever. A die-hard, workaholic single guy with a boss whose life became more clear after the passing of his wife and the same letter that intercepted into their lives and collided these four people together.

The pro's: What a sweet story of forgiveness, choosing to move forward and living life to its fullest no matter the past. This is a feel-good story that leaves you wanting to live life better, to not miss the little things that God has placed in your path and to love others despite their flaws.

The con's: Not much to say against this book. It felt like the relationships moved pretty quick-like, but overall, a great read.

Suggestion: If you like books with more depth and meat on them, this is not for you. If you like books with a light, sweet storyline...then this is your gig.

Revell Books sent me this complimentary book to review for them. The opinions expressed above are my own.

Review of A Table by the Window by Hillary Manton Lodge

The nutshell: Juliette is the youngest in her Italian/French crazy family and is in love with food. She is a food critic, which she loves, but she feels like there is more out there for her to conquer. Her life begins to turn upside down when her close-knit family enters a tumultuous time, she is offered a position at her brother's new restaurant and is also trying to keep up a long-distant relationship that is going much faster than she expected. Journey along with Juliette as she navigates through life's ups and downs.

Pro's: The center of this book is around family. I love this. It all comes back to family, no matter how quirky, dysfunctional, stress-laden and messy. This family is always there for each other, and in the Italian way, honest and very open with each other. It was a light read laced with a rich love woven through the storyline. You felt a part of the family, sitting at their table, conversing and eating with them. And the recipes! I'm a sucker for them! A bonus at the end of most chapters was a recipe that correlated with the chapter. A cookbook AND great novel in one? It's a win - win!

Con's: The ending. It came up so fast and ended so abruptly that it left me a bit perplexed as to what to think. Seeing that there is a 2nd book coming helped, but if this was a stand alone novel, I would leave feeling disappointed.

Suggestion: If you enjoy recipes and good light read, this a book worth picking up!

Would you like to learn more about Hillary Manton Lodge? Check out her website here.
Interested in reading the first chapter in this book? Click here.

I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review. Opinions expressed are my own.

Review of The One Year: Did You Know Devotional 2

The Nutshell: A devotional with lots of trivia and stories to make each day's devotional come a bit more to life.

Pro's: Easy for kids to read and understand. Geared more for elementary age kids.

Con's: There didn't seem to be much guided discussion for each day. Also, I think more delving into scripture would be beneficial, like offering more verses to look up after each devotional. Of course, parents can guide this and take it much further than what is on the page.

Tyndale House Publishers sent me this complimentary copy to review for them. Opinions are my own.

Review of A Stillness of Chimes by Meg Moseley

Meg Moseley is a new author to me and she did not disappoint.

The Nutshell: Laura Gantt heads back to her hometown to settle the household of her recently deceased mother. Memories swirl around her as well as rumors that her father, who drowned years before, has been seen around town. With the help of her high school sweetheart, Sean and her best friend Cassie, her heart and life intertwine her past and present in the town she just can't shake. Filled with heartache, compassion and a melodic lilt, Meg Moseley weaves a sweet story of friendship, forgiveness and moving forward in life.

Pro's: When I think of the South, I think of warm, cricket sounding, hazy days. Swinging slowly on a porch swing with a cold glass of ice tea that has condensation dripping down it. And I think, now, of this book. While reading it, it was the South. Just the right amount of pace, not too fast, not too slow. It had a lilt to it of crickets that keep you going. Page after page after page. Meg Moseley not only wrote a sweet filled story of friendship and forgiveness, but a story that came to life and took you along side the characters. Their heart aches. Their deeply rooted history in a little town that was dredged in tradition.

Con's: None.

Suggestion: If you like light hearted, but yet full of sweetness and southern charm books, this one is for you!

Want to learn more about Meg Mosesly? Visit her website.
Want to get a little taste of A Stillness of Chimes? Go here to read the first chapter.

WaterBrook Multnomah sent me this complimentary copy to review for them. Opinions are my own.

Review of Shadows of the Past by Patricia Bradley

This is a new author that I took the chance of reading and was not disappointed. Shadows of the Past is a criminal suspense book, the first in the series by Patricia Bradley.

The Nutshell: The main character, Taylor, a professor and criminal profiler, is fighting to find the person who is trying to kill her, while also working on solving her fathers disappearance and ends up with the help from a famous writer whom she falls for along the way.

Pro's: Good story line and development of characters. The pace kicked in to high gear towards the end and I just had to see how it concluded. It provided an interesting look into profiling and the minds of criminals.

Con's: I pegged the killer half way through the book, but I was still interested in how he was caught. It was slow in parts, but the interest was still there to find how everything connected. A bit mushy, which I could do without. A bit gory and graphic in spots.

If you like suspense books, you may be interested in picking this one up. I look forward to reading book 2 in Patricia Bradley's series!

Revell Books sent me this complimentary book to review for them. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

Review of Chasing Hope by Kathryn Cushman

This book was different than ones I usually read. Going in with an open mind, it turned out that I liked this style of writing. It was a slower, more reflective story based around the subject of running. One runner who had to quit her dream, and one who didn't have any dreams, but could run. The story revolved around these two characters who were put together and how each grew because of the other person. I liked the flavor of the story, the underlying plot of forgiveness of one self and learning about the forgiveness of God.

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

Review of No One to Trust by Lynette Eason

This is book one in a new series by Lynette Eason called Hidden Identity. This first book had a different flavor than her past books. The romance element was taken out and it was purely suspense. I loved it! It was super fast paced, character twists that you didn't see coming and full of redemption. Ms. Eason did a great job keeping the reader captivated, kept the plot plugging along at a fast clip and did it all without a love-blossoming sub-plot.

If you enjoy clean suspenseful books, you will enjoy this one. The one part I don't like is that the next book in the series doesn't come out until the fall of 2014!

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

Review of Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

I remember reading this book years ago and being impacted by it. In a 20th Edition re-release, the book still grips my heart. Francine Rivers transforms the Old Testament book of Hosea into a story set in the 1800's. You can read the story for what it is: Hosea never giving up on the bride God chose for him, Angel - a prostitute. Or you can take it a lever deeper and parallel the story to God's unconditional love for us. No matter how many times we leave, turn our back, or run, God is always there when we come back. He doesn't give up on us. Francine does an amazing job telling the story of God's deep love of his people.

WaterBrook Multnomah sent me a complimentary copy to review for them. Opinions are my own.

Review of Dangerous Passage by Lisa Harris

When two Jane Does are killed on the outskirts of Atlanta, Georgia, detective and behavioral specialist Avery North discovers they share something in common--a magnolia tattoo on their shoulders. Suspecting a serial killer, Avery joins forces with medical examiner Jackson Bryant to solve the crimes and prevent another murder. As they venture deep into a sinister criminal world, Avery and Jackson are taken to the very edge of their abilities--and their hearts.

This is my first time reading a book by Lisa Harris. I was not disappointed. Of course, I like the mystery suspense type books and this one was right up there. This is the first book in the Southern Crimes Series. It seemed to have slowed down in the middle some, but the story line still kept me hooked, up until the end.

I did feel like I was jumping into the middle of a book series in how the characters were developed, but I think it's just the way she writes. The characters' back stories do come out and the pieces start to make more sense the further along one reads.

I'm looking forward to reading the 2nd book in this series!

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

To learn more about Lisa Harris and her books, head over to her website.

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

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

Change is in the air!
Eleven-year-old Lily Lapp wants her life to stay just the way it is. Instead, it's constantly changing. New jobs, new schoolmates, and new challenges sure keep life interesting. It seems like the only thing Lily really wants to change--Effie Kauffman's mischief making--is the one thing that never does. Effie is up to her old tricks, and Lily is her favorite target.

This is the fourth book in The Adventures of Lily Lapp. This is one of the best books I have read. I like it because Lily has lots of surprises in life like her cousin moving far away. I feel bad for Lily when Effie and Aaron get her in trouble and tease her. I like reading about how different the Amish live and how school is different in a school house.

I would recommend this book because it's very interesting because there are always surprises.

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

This post is brought to you by Alina who read and reviewed this complimentary book for Revell Books. Her opinion is hers alone.

review of Stranded by Dani Pettrey

When Her Friend Goes Missing,Every Minute Counts
Darcy St. James returns to Alaska to join a journalist friend undercover on the trail of a big story. But when Darcy arrives, she finds her friend has disappeared. Troubled by the cruise ship's vague explanation, Darcy uses her cover as a travel reporter to investigate further. 
The last person Gage McKenna expects to see during his summer aboard a cruise ship leading adventure excursions is Darcy. And in typical Darcy fashion, she's digging up more trouble. 
He'd love to just forget her--but something won't let him. And he can't help but worry about her as they are heading into more remote regions of Alaska and eventually into foreign waters. Something sinister is going on, and the deeper they push, the more Gage fears they've only discovered the tip of the iceberg.

This is book three in the Alaskan Courage series by Dani Pettrey. She picks up the the story line with another brother in the McKenna family, Gage. This could be read as a stand alone book, but it may be a bit difficult to follow the siblings story-lines if the reader hasn't read the first two books.

Pettrey does a great job creating a thrilling story line that keeps the reader engaged and riveted to the book. The quick pace and suspense makes this book hard to put down and keeps one guessing up until the end.

I'm looking forward to reading book four and how Pettrey continues this family story.

Bethany House Publishing sent this complimentary book to me to review. Opinions are my own.

Review of Trapped by Irene Hannon

When librarian Laura Griffith's sixteen-year-old sister disappears on a frigid February day, leaving only a brief note behind, Laura resolves to do whatever it takes to track down the runaway teen. That includes recruiting ATF agent turned PI James "Dev" Devlin to help. But the deeper he digs, the more he begins to suspect that something sinister is at work in the girl's disappearance. And the closer he gets to uncovering the truth, the clearer it becomes that the situation isn't just dangerous--it's deadly.

Irene did it again. Another fantastic book. Much less of the romance and much more of the tense suspense that she does so well writing. I was actually standing and reading this in my house as it sucks you in and you can't put it down.

This is book 2 in the Guardian of Justice Series, but can easily be read as a stand alone novel. The main character was in the first novel as well, but only as a secondary character. The second book shines his character and his story with his co-workers as secondary characters.

I think Irene gets better with each book and each series. I'm already looking forward to the last book in the series (but will have to wait until next summer). If you enjoy suspense, being sucked in and even being a little disturbed, this book and series is for you.

Would you like to learn more about Irene Hannon? Head on over to her website. http://www.irenehannon.com

Want to see how fast you can be sucked in to this book? 

Read an excerpt here: http://www.irenehannon.com/trapped.html#excerpt

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

RevellBooks sent me this complimentary book to review for them. All opinions expressed above are my own.

Review of Splitting Harriet by Tamara Leigh

Once upon a time, I was a rebel. And I have the tattoo to prove it. 

Then there was the spiked hair–the shade of which changed monthly–“colorful” language that can’t be found in your everyday sixteen-count crayon box, a pack-a-day habit, less-than-modest wardrobe, and an obsession with guitar-trashing, drum-bashing music. 

Did I mention I’m also a preacher’s kid? That’s right. And like the prodigal son after whom I modeled myself, I finally saw the error of my ways and returned to the fold.
Today my life is all about “lead me not into temptation.” When I’m not serving as Women’s Ministry Director at my father’s church, I’m working at Gloria’s Morning Café. I even have worthy goals, like saving enough money to buy the café, keep my Jelly Belly habit under control, and to never again hurt the people I love. No more parties. No more unsavory activities. And no more motorcycles! You’d think I was finally on the right track.

This is an older book, but still super cute. Light and full of laughs, but with an undertone of learning how to forgive one's self and move on. This was a great example of pendulum living. Going from one extreme to another, of which neither are one's true self. Tamara kept the reader moving along with wit and a spunky story line.  She did a great job balancing the characters, keeping the charm throughout the book and not filling it with fluffy gooey romance.

Interested to read more about Tamara and her books (she even has a cooking website!)? Visit her website: http://www.tamaraleigh.com

Would you like to read an excerpt from the first chapter of Splitting Harriet? Click here

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

Review of Wishing on Willows by Katie Ganshert

A three-year old son, a struggling café, and fading memories are all Robin Price has left of her late husband. As the proud owner of Willow Tree Café in small town Peaks, Iowa,  she pours her heart into every muffin she bakes and espresso she pulls, thankful for the sense of purpose and community the work provides.                                      So when developer Ian McKay shows up in Peaks with plans to build condos where her café and a vital town ministry are located, she isn’t about to let go without a fight. As stubborn as he is handsome, Ian won’t give up easily. His family’s business depends on his success in Peaks. But as Ian pushes to seal the deal, he wonders if he has met his match. Robin’s gracious spirit threatens to undo his resolve, especially when he discovers the beautiful widow harbors a grief that resonates with his own. With polarized opinions forming all over town, business becomes unavoidably personal and Robin and Ian must decide whether to cling to the familiar or surrender their plans to the God of Second Chances.

I'll be honest and say that this book was a bit long. The theme was: widow has cafe, developer comes in and tries to buy cafe from her. That is the main story line. The same conversations take place over and over throughout the entire book between these two characters, so when the book finally ended one almost sighed in relief that it was done. It seemed like there were a lot of loose ends left undone and wondered what happened a lot of the times in a lot of situations with a lot of the characters. I don't mean to bash this book or the author by any means...it just wasn't my personal favorite.

Waterbrook Multnomah sent me this complimentary copy to review for them. The opinions expressed are mine alone. 

A Big Year for Lily by Mary Ann Kinsinger and Suzanne Woods Fisher

Lily Lapp's family has settled into their new home in Pennsylvania, but life still holds big changes and big steps for Lily. Good changes, like once again living close to her beloved cousin and best friend, Hannah. Bad changes, like a mean girl who plays tricks on her. And no change at all where Lily would most want one--Aaron Yoder sits near her in school and relentlessly teases her. Surprises are in store for Lily as she learns, with Mama and Papa's help, to manage the ups and downs of growing up Amish.

Today's blog post comes to you from Alina, my 9 year old daughter, who read the book. This book is the third in the The Adventures of Lily Lapp.

I like that you always want to know what happens next in the book.

I liked the chapter about the sandwich switch because Lily gets blamed for switching lunches with someone else's lunch and she was brave to stand up for herself because she didn't do it.

I like how the authors describe what's happening and the words they use are just right in understanding what they mean.

I would recommend this book to girls. I can't wait for the fourth book to come out!

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

Revell Books sent me this complimentary book to read for them. The opinions expressed are my daughter's own.

Review of Dolled Up to Die by Lorena McCourtney

When Cate Kinkaid receives a frantic call about a triple homicide, she drives to the scene against her better judgment--aren't triple homicides more up the police department's alley?--only to find that the victims are not quite who she expects. Now she has a new rule to add to those she's learned in her short stint as an assistant private investigator: always find out if the victims actually have human DNA. Because these three do not.
But who would shoot this nice lady's dolls? What possible reason could the shooter have? And then there's the startling discovery of another victim, who definitely does have human DNA . . .

This is the 2nd book The Cate Kincaid Files. The series continues with Cate Kinkaid getting into another sticky situation. A great who-dun-it book that will keep you flipping through to the last page. Lorena does a great job twisting up who you think the murderer is and throws in a lot of humor along the way. There isn't a ton of info from the previous book that would confuse the reader, so this book can stand easily alone on it's own.

If you like a light mystery with a splash of humor and that isn't graphic, this is the book for you. I'm hoping there is a 3rd one!

Available July 15, 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

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