A December Bride

December Bride is the first book in the bride novellas. I actually read it third after reading January Bride and February Bride. It is of course a story of a Christmas love story. Just as the last two novellas it is a very quick read, maybe about 2 hours or so to read the entire story. Don’t expect a deep novel but the characters are fun. The novellas so far are very predictable so if you are looking for more these are not for you. But if you need a small break from your day with a quirky love story you will enjoy these.

These novellas are short and sweet. They aren’t very thought provoking in a deep sense but they do contain a Christian message and have applications that could be applied in life.

I received this book from booksneeze at no charge in exchange for an honest review.

January Bride and February Bride

 

 

This review will be a review for 2 novellas: January Bride by Deborah Raney  and February Bride by Betsy St. Amant.

These novellas are part of the collection of the Year of Weddings Novellas.

January Bride is about writer Madeleine Houser who has moved into her sister’s home so that she can be close to her ailing mother since her sister and bother-in-law were transferred out of town. Their home is being remodeled so that they can sell it and Madeleine is having a hard time meeting her deadlines with all of the chaos. Madeleine’s neighbor makes a suggestion that she use a friend’s bed and breakfast to help try to break the block. Then the misunderstandings and assumptions begin.

I loved this novella. It is a very quick read it probably took me about an hour two to finish it. I loved the plot and the characters it was so much fun to read. The author did a great job drawing me in especially in such a short book. It is a feel-good book.

February Bride is about Allie Andrews, a runaway bride. Again another quick read taking only a couple of hours to read. Allie left her groom at the altar. Then just a few months later her best friend, her ex fiancé’s sister, announces her engagement and wants Allie to be in her wedding. Allie can’t tell her no, but she doesn’t have any idea how she will deal with Marcus and what she had done to him.

The author of this novella did a wonderful job in such a short book introducing her characters along with their lifelong struggles.  Many people struggle with the shortcomings of their parents and grandparents and fear those generational curses will fall on them. I loved the way this was addressed by the author.

I would recommend these books to those who love quick read romances.

I received both of these books from Booksneeze at no charge in exchange for an honest review

Butterfly Palace

 

 

Colleen Coble’s Butterfly Palace is set in the early 1900’s. “Austin, Texas, 1904: Abandoned by the love of her life and still mourning the loss of her mother. Lily Donaldson has turned her back on the pain and come to Austin for a fresh start.” After the death of her father and then her mother Lily needs to survive and finds employment in Austin.  She faces life head on because she must. There are several twist and turns in this historical, mystery, and romantic novel.

Although I  wouldn’t say I was left wondering what was going to happen I really enjoyed reading Butterfly Palace. The characters were fun and colorful. I really want a house like the Butterfly Palace with all of its corridors and rooms. One thing that I look for when reading this type of book is how well the imagery is. I want to be able to feel like I’m there and that I can hear and see the people and the location. Ms. Coble did a good job pulling me into the story. I would suggest this book to anyone who loves historical romances with a little action and mystery thrown in. It’s a fast and easy read because it is so much fun.

The only con I could think about this book is that it is pretty predictable but that’s okay with me when I’m looking for something to read so I can sit back and relax. This is a good vacation book.

I received this book from Booksneeze at no charge in exchange for an honest review.

 

The Power of a Half Hour

The Power of a Half Hour by Tommy Barnett tells us that in only takes a half hour to make a difference at times. Tommy Barnet is a pastor who is trying to help “people connect with God and find better ways to live.”  In this book he gives us examples and advice on how to take our life in 30 minute increments. He tells stories of 30 minute events that have changed lives.

The book is broken into 7 parts with approximately 5 chapters in each part. Part 1 tells us how the power of a half hour can impact our lives. Part 2 tells how to chart your life in half hour increments. Part 3 teaches how to strengthen faith, part 4 how to build character. Part 5 is about advancing your dreams. Part 6 how to improve relationships and finally part 7 how to change the world. Each idea is that you can accomplish these things in 30 minute sessions.

Pros: There were some really good points made that sometimes it only takes 30 minutes to get things done and to make changes in our lives for the good. It doesn’t always take a lot of effort on our parts just the willingness to follow through. Any of us can take 30 minutes at a time to do something productive. He’s not saying that everything can be done in 30 minutes but if we take small bits of time it isn’t as overwhelming. He spoke of meetings not lasting more than 30 minutes because if preparations had been made before the meeting that would be all of the time it should take. I like this concept because sometimes meetings get off track. If we know we have 30 minutes maybe there wouldn’t be anyone getting off on another rabbit trail. He made some really good points on communication and taking criticism and turning it into a growing experience

Cons: It was exhausting to me to read the number of 30 minute activities that Mr. Barnett does in one day. It felt to me as if it is an all consuming concept. Maybe it would be best to implement a few ideas at a time until it becomes common place. The book seemed to become redundant after a while with all of the 30 minute examples but I do have to say about the time I would get bored I would come across a point that applied to me.

Overall I enjoyed the book but there were times I felt like I just wanted to get through it and it seems as though this pastor came from a very legalistic denomination although he doesn’t push those beliefs in his book.

I received this book from Waterbrook/Multnomah at no charge in exchange for an honest review.

Please rank my review.