The Wedding Shop by Rachel Hauck

Rachel Hauck knows how to keep you on the edge of your seat!  This book gives the term "page turner" true meaning!  This story at times shocking, unnerving, pulse racing, tear jerking and amazing will captivate you in the first pages.  The story spins back and forth from Cora, a bridal shop owner in the 1930s to present day Haley military veteran.  Haley has come back home to re-establish her walk with God and find a dream she can commit to.  When the old bridal shop she once played in is up for demolition she comes up with a plan to save the shop and in the process God saves her.  As Haley works through her own bouts of grief and guilt God continues to show her in intimate details that He is present in her life and that He loves her.  As she begins to cling to His grace, mercy and forgiveness her heart is open to wondrous possibilities for her life that she had never imagined.  As the reader goes back in time to Cora's heart rending story - one sees how God is meticulous in every piece of the puzzle in an individual's life.  The choices and consequences of one person's decision have far lasting effects into future generations than any can fathom.  The best thing is that God is still in control and He allows U-turns.  No mistake, no fumble, no sin is a match for God's unconditional love that unfolds in a person's life to bring about a plan of blessings if one just accepts God's gift as presented at the cross.

I received this book free from Book Look Publishers and was not required to write a positive review.

Home on the Range by Ruth Logan Herne

One of the best books I've all year!  Ruth Logan Herne is a new author for me but I can assure you this won't be the last of her books I'll read!  In fact when I realized this was book 2 of her Double S Ranch Series I quickly went out and got book 1 Back in the Saddle.  To say I can't wait for book 3 to come out is an understatement.  This book (series) has lots of family drama!  With three strapping cowboy brothers each dealing with tremendous loss from their childhood and as grown men, there is a lot to deal with. This story offers readers a taste of processing grief, forgiving the unforgivable, restoration of faith, family and God's surprising ways of helping us become whole again.  Filled with a cast of intriguing and secret holding characters this is a book that is hard to put down.  Elsa, the counselor who needs healing herself from past trauma finds amazing peace as she reaches out to a hurting child.  A little girl abandoned by her mother and angry at the world finds wonder in the birth of puppies.  A man learning to trust his instincts and build a safe haven for his daughters find forgiveness a balm he didn't expect.  A grandfather who put his sons last commits to putting them first now as he faces his own time running out.  The small town flavor mixed with the big ranch living provide a wonderful blend of homey belonging that makes one wish they could live there among the Stafford clan and friends.

I received this book free from the publishers and was not required to write a positive review.

To Have and to Hold by Betsy St. Amant, Becky Wade and Katie Ganshert

I absolutely ADORED this book!  And that is saying a lot because I usually don’t enjoy novellas that much. But with authors like Katie Ganshert and Becky Wade how can you lose?  If you haven’t read any of their other books GO NOW, I mean RUN and buy them!  Betsy St. Amant also pleasantly surprised me with her lovely addition to this book.  Each story is filled with quaint romantic settings that make you just long to jump into the pages of the book and be there!  A cozy bakery, charming florist boutique and a wedding reception in a transformed barn!  If that doesn’t wet your appetite to try this book let me tell you about the characters.  You will simply fall head over heels for the couples in these stories.  Not perfect characters but realistic characters with flaws and fears just like the rest of us.  How they work through those issues to embrace true love is not only enchanting but inspirational!  Still not convinced?  This book was so good that I read it non-stop while in the midst of a horrible sinus headache but I couldn’t help myself I just had to find out what happened next!

I received this book from BookLook publishers and was not required to write a positive review.

I Believe in Jesus by John MacArthur

For parents who are serious about letting their children know able salvation this book is excellent.  This is a book for young children that details the steps in the process of salvation.  It begins with God creating the world and continues into the fall of man and God’s plan to save us and bring us back to Him.  The role of God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are explained in terms a young child can grasp.  The examples of God’s love for us throughout this book is strong and tangible.  Jesus earthly life and the gift of Him as our friend and Savior is clearly brought out in this storybook.  Several scripture verses are provided on each page to emphasize the point being taught.  Bright, colorful illustrations compliment the word pictures.

I received this book free from the publishers and was not required to write a positive review.

Sea Rose Lane By Irene Hannon

Irene Hannon tells a solid love story.  Her characters don’t just fall madly in love and poof that’s the end of the story.  Hannon slowly simmers the emotions and brings them to a boil.  Her characters get to know each other.  They weigh pros and cons about the relationship.  They struggle with real life issues such as self-doubt, guilt, pride, greed, and whether they can trust each other with their secrets.  Hope Harbor is a place where I would like to live.  It has beautiful scenery, quaint small-town allure and authentic characters that would make wonderful friends.  Her Hope Harbor series is fantastic and I can’t wait for the next book!

I received this book free from the publishers and was not required to write a positive review.

All Summer Long By Melody Carlson

This is just what a summer romance book should be:  light and fun.  What could be more perfect than a restaurant on a ship in San Francisco Bay?  What I appreciated about Melody Carlson’s book is that she wrote about a love triangle that wasn’t.   You have to read the whole book to know what I’m talking about.  But that’s just an appetizer for you.  I seriously appreciate how Carlson has the characters dealing with some emotionally charged scenes with strong moral convictions.  While Carlson is a writer of Christian fiction, the dialogue flows naturally and is not “preachy”.  Her characters are believable, lovable and it’s an enjoyable experience getting to know each one. 

I received this book free from the publishers and was not required to write a positive review.

More Than Rivals by Ken Abraham

This is an amazing story of friendship and the power of that one friendship to change a town torn apart by fear and hate.  It begins when a young boy just wants to play basketball.  He makes a friend not “seeing” the color of his skin simply because that’s not what matters.  Throughout this book the reader is taken on one side of town and then on the other to see how each boy lives.  The reader is drawn into their family, school, social circles and into the very hearts and minds of these boys as they become young men.   When the final chapters unfold they are fueled with the tension of the 1960s in the South.  Your heart will be pulled in one direction and then another and at times feeling the frustration and pathos of the times as if you were sitting there with the spectators in that gymnasium for the championship ball game. 

I received this book free from the publishers and was not required to write a positive review.