Though My Heart is Torn

Though My Heart is Torn, The Cadence of Grace book 2 by Joanne Bischof is the sequel to Be Still My Soul.  “Gideon O’Riley has two wives-but he doesn’t know it.”  Lonnie and Gideon have finally found happiness after the rocky start to their marriage but a strange turn events tears their lives apart.

I thoroughly enjoyed Be Still My Soul so when I got the opportunity to review Though My Heart is Torn I jumped at the chance. I was not disappointed. The book may be a little hard to understand if you haven’t read the first one though. You will miss the whole saga of how Gideon and Lonnie became husband and wife so I would suggest reading the 1^st one before reading this one.

I found myself heartbroken for the couple after they had overcome so many struggles to get to a place in their marriage and they were so happy and then faced with this trial.  I really enjoyed the characters in the 1^st book and all of them were included in this one with some additional people added. The author does a really good job with keeping with the era and backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains. She brings the characters to life. She brings out the struggles of both Lonnie and Gideon and through their faith they believe God’s grace will bring them through. Even though it is difficult they both are trying hard to move on with the new life they have been dealt.  I couldn’t put this book down once I started it.  With the way the book ended I’m sure there will be a 3^rd in this series and I can’t wait to read it also.

If you love Christian romances this book is for you. I received this book at no charge from Multnomah publishing for an honest review. You can purchase a copy of this book here.

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Invisible

Invisible by Ginny L Yttrup is an awesome book. I have to say it is right at the top of my favorites list. It is a unique Christian fiction that feels more like reality. I’ve read it at a time in my life when I really need it.

 It’s a story of a group of people who seemingly have nothing in common. Ellyn is a chef who struggles with her weight and eating too much.  Twila, a 27 year old nutritionist, who struggles with an eating disorder. Sabina, a psychologist, who is struggling with depression. And Miles, a doctor who lost his wife a few years earlier because of cancer struggling with the fact he couldn’t do enough to save her all looking for a way to be invisible.

The story intermingles the life of each individual person and an intricate web is woven that brings each of them together. The author does a wonderful job at pulling you into the lives of these people. Ellyn is the common denominator of the group. They are each drawn to her for different reasons. God has put them together to help them heal and grow. They learn they have more in common than they expected.

The author has broken the book up with headings using each person’s name. It is very easy to follow who is who. The book has wonderful insights on what God wants for each of our lives. Several points have stuck in my mind one being that sometimes when we believe we are responsible for situations we are putting ourselves on the same level as God. He after all is the one and only Creator and is in control of all things. We are only put here to facilitate and do what He would have us to do. He wants us to use the things He gives us to help other and to teach others about Him. We are made in His image.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good Christian fiction and anyone who has ever asked God “Why?”  As I said before it is one of my new favorite books.

I received this book from Handlebar Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

Truth Stained Lies

I have loved every book that I have read by Terri Blackstock and Truth Stained Lies is no exception. I could not put it down. My biggest con of the book is that I shouldn’t have picked it up at night before bedtime. I stayed up two nights in a row until 2 or 3 am reading it.

“Cathy Cramer is a former lawyer and investigative blogger who writes commentary on high-profile homicides. When she finds a threatening not warning her that she’s about to experience the same kind of judgment and speculation that she dishes out in her blog. Cathy writes it off as mischief….”

Cathy’s family is thrown into turmoil after she receives this letter. It doesn’t hit her at first but then things keep happening. Her brother faces jail for a crime he didn’t commit and then his son is kidnapped. One thing right after another happens. Cathy’s family pulls together to work it all out. And throw in a little “romance” to boot.

The characters were so fun to get to know. I loved the plot it was very believable and not far out in left field somewhere. This could be a true story that could happen very easily. I don’t enjoy reading books that are unbelievable I believe that is why I loved this book. Terri sticks to events and people that are realistic. I like the way that she includes more than just mystery. I love the little tidbits of romance that she adds in.

If you love a good mystery you will love this book. If you like romance you will like this book. If you like books by Terri Blackstock you will like this book. If you’ve never read anything by her you need to start. Happy reading.

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

We finally had a beautiful spring day

Well spring has finally sprung in Northeast Tennessee. We had a beautiful day and the family and I were able to take a little weekend trip to Museum of Appalachia. I got to finally get out and get back to a little photography.

 

I think my new favorite animal is the peacock.

 

 

 

North of Hope: A Daughter's Arctic Journey

 

North of Hope: A Daughter’s Arctic Journey is a memoir by Shannon Polson.  Her journey begins when her dad and stepmother are killed by a bear on a rafting trip in the Arctic. She decides to retrace their last steps hoping to find a peace and understanding for her life. Her journey teaches her lessons and helps her cope with the losses in her life. She explores her relationships not only with her father but also other family members and friends along with other aspects of her life.  I believe God gives her a peace throughout her journey and I believe He has opened her eyes to His grace. Her words and thoughts seemed to flow beautifully in the pages of this book.

 I normally don’t read this genre of book but I really enjoyed this book. It really made me want to examine my path in life. I think maybe I should try more memoirs. North of Hope very well written and I found myself not being able to put it down. I believe it made me think we each have a journey in life and maybe we should take a “journey” even if only in our quiet times to evaluate what God wants us to hear and know. I think even if you don’t usually read memoirs you will thoroughly enjoy this boo and if you do like memoirs you will love it.

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

Wishing on Willows

 

After reading Wildflowers in Winter I was looking forward to Wishing on Willows by Katie Ganshert and I wasn’t disappointed.

“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.”

Robin had suffered so much and now Ian threatens to take one more link to her late husband. She is so torn. The author once again did a wonderful job at bringing the entire story to life. The characters were so easy to get to know and fall in love with. I found myself cheering Robin on (knowing in the end she would probably make the right decisions). She was always so busy helping others but feeling like she was losing everything. Would Ian be a thorn in her flesh or her knight in shining armor? There are no great surprises in the book and I would say it is light reading. I would start and had a hard time putting it down. I really enjoyed the book. I think if you love Christian, romance novels this is one that you won’t want to miss.

This book was provided to me at no charge from Blogging for Books for an honest review

You can purchase this book here

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Echoes

Echoes by Robin Jones Gunn is the third book in the Glenbrooke series. I didn’t realize this when I chose this book to review. I really hate it when I start with a book in the middle of the series without reading the others first.  That being said I still enjoyed this book. I don’t think that not reading the other books hurt the story at all but I would like to go back and read the others now. 

The story is based on the relationship between KC & Wren (Lauren) who met online. The only thing that seemed strange to me is that this story is set in a modern setting but Lauren a 25 year old didn’t have a computer and really didn’t know how to use one. I find this a little unbelievable and made me feel more like the book should have been set in the early 1990’s. Today’s world is too full of technology to make this part of the plot believable to me. The story line was still enjoyable and I found myself reading just “One more chapter and I’ll stop.” The story is predictable and there are no huge surprises but none the less still a fun read. The ending left me slightly disappointed but I believe it will pick up in the next book. I guess I was looking for an epilogue. I have never read anything that Robin Jones Gunn that I haven’t enjoyed. I would recommend this book to any audience who loves a good romance fiction. I would suggest you read the other two books first I think it would probably add to the story but even if you don’t you can still enjoy this one.

I received this book at not charge from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.

You can purchase a copy of this book here

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A Sudden Glory

I really, really wanted to enjoy this book but I just can’t say that I did. Maybe it was just not the right time for me.  I would read it and get through a few pages and find myself not really interested. To me it was full of good stories that were the same stories over and over. One part that I did like or that stuck out to me was that we should not divide our spiritual life from our daily life. If we look at everything we do we should be doing it with the joy of the Lord. I can see that this is a very important point. I fail sometimes in life and make things more of a chore than they have to be. Maybe if I could use her advice and realize that I’m doing what God has planned for me they would not seem as much of a chore but instead a blessing. Sharon Jaynes sums the book up nicely telling us that it’s not the “work” that we do but that the life we live with Christ. I just never found the real “meat” of the book. I will keep the book on my bookshelf for a while to see if God leads me to read it again.

I received this book at no charge from Blogging for Books for an honest review

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Goodbye to Yesterday

 

 

Goodbye to Yesterday by Wanda & Brunstetter isn't the genre of book that I usually read but I'm always open to new genres. This book is part 1 of a 6 part saga set in Lancaster County and is an Amish fiction. Luke Stoltzfus and newly wed wife Meredith face numerous challenges after he loses his job at a furniture store. He decides to take his uncle up on an offer to come to Indiana and learn a new trade. Will they be able to survive with one another?

 

First, this book was a quick read. I read it in about 2 hours. It has an interesting storyline and has the potential to be a good series. The characters are likable and easy "to get to know". I was really enjoying the book and then it just ends. It reminded me of watching a movie on tv and then receiving the disappointing "to be continued" line. I was disappointed with the ending of the book as I felt it was unfinished. I guess I'm used to reading series books that are full novels. This felt more like a partial, unfinished story that probably should have been written as a novel with all parts included in one book instead of a series. Other than that I liked the book and would like to finish the story. I wish the story would been completed in one book and the next "saga" begin in the next one. Maybe the authors intend to keep it light and a quick read.I would probably give this book a 2 or 3 stars out of 5 just because of the abrupt ending.

 

This book was furnished to me by Handlebar Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

Secretly Smitten

 

 

A sequel to Smitten by authors Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, Diann Hunt, and Denise Hunter once again gives us four romantic stories set in the fictional town of Smitten, Vermont. The stories center around three Thomas's sisters, Tess, Clare, and Zoe, along with their mother, Anna, and their grandmother, Rose.

Love Between the Lines is the first story by Colleen Coble. Tess is in her grandmother's attic and comes across a pair of dog tags belonging to a man named David Hutchins. She is trying to figure out who the tags belong to when her grandmother tells her about her first love who died during the war. Rose has no idea how his dog tags are in her attic because she thought they had never been recovered. Tess decides to investigate the mystery against her mother’s wishes. Will her search turn up anything, will it help or hurt her grandmother, and will she find love in the process?

Make Me a match by Kristin Billerbeck is the second story. In this novella Zoe Thomas is opening a matchmaking business called Cupid’s Matchmaking Services. Her opening may be put on hold when the new city manager, William, begins enforcing codes and regulations at her. As Zoe struggles to start her business she finds herself falling for a man who is causing her trouble.

Knit One, Love Two, the third story written by Diann Hunt is about the Thomas sisters' mother, Anna, the owner of Smitten's only knit shop called Sit 'n Knit. She is a divorced woman and the majority of her life revolves around her three grown daughters. When Michael comes into her store he makes her rethink being single.

The last story, Love Blooms by Denise Hunter is about Clare, a nursery manager, just got dumped by her boyfriend Josh because she was boring. She decides that she will no longer live a boring life and makes a hasty decision to hire a drifter she finds taking shelter in a storage building, Ethan. While training Ethan he becomes ill and stays in bed until she can return to work. She is terrified that she made a mistake in her haste. She struggles with her feelings for Ethan until she realizes what she may have lost. This story also brings to light the mystery of the dog tags.

This book is a pleasure to read and it isn’t necessary to have read the 1^st one in order to enjoy this one. Smitten gave you the history of the town but Secretly Smitten doesn’t go into any of that. Each story is pretty short and can be read quickly. The characters are fun and believable.  This book is not a book that will cause you to “think” about it, it is just an enjoyable, predictable romance. The stories don’t have the depth and character of a stand-alone novels but you still get a good feel of the community and it’s people. If you’re looking for the unexpected this isn’t the book for you.  But if you love a good, old-fashioned romance you have it. I read it in just a couple of evenings and would recommend it if you enjoy a “light” read. I have enjoyed this series and I love these authors.

I received this ebook at no charge from booksneeze.com for an honest review.