I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley and Bethany House Publishers. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I have read and enjoyed Angela Hunt's books before and this was no exception. I really enjoy Biblical fiction and this did not disappoint. Everything that came from the Bible and the history of Jesus was accurate and not tampered with. The fiction comes in with Jude and Tasmin, Thomas's twin. Jude is a true person but Tasmin is pure fiction.
This story takes in the years of Jesus' ministry starting with the wedding at Cana and ending with his return to heaven. The story is more about Tasmin and her views on what is happening, along with Jude's views. The story switches between Tasmin narrating and Jude's narration.
The story is well written, the editing was well done. The main characters were very well developed and the story was believable.
I give this book a 4 out of 5 star review. Five stars are saved for truly exceptional books. Most books are 3 star. I would recommend this book to my friends.
Monday, May 18, 2020
Sunday, May 10, 2020
On a Coastal Breeze by Suzanne Woods Fisher
I requested and was granted the opportunity to read and review this book through Revell Reads Blog-review program. This review is totally my own opinion and a good review is not required.
This is not the first book I've read by Suzanne Woods Fisher and it will not be the last. :) This book was the second in the series Three Sisters Island. It is a good stand-alone book, but it would have been better if I had read the first book. I wasn't lost without reading the first book, it just would have made the characters easier to understand.
I suspect that the first book revolved more around the oldest sister, Cam ad this book was more about Maddie, the second sister. The characters are nicely developed and fun to "get to know". I am sure that this book is a continuation of the story in the first book as the ending leaves room for the book to continue with the youngest sister in a third book.
The story was a true Christian romance as it did portray God and show your need for Him without being preachy. I am thankful for truly Christian fiction with a bit of meat.
Mostly, I enjoyed the book. The editing was done well, but I found the choice of words once in a while were a bit unusual. This only happened a few times but I had to go back and re-read sometimes. I was sorry to see the book end and look forward to reading the next book.
I give this book a 4 out of 5 star rating and it is a book I would recommend to my friends.
This is not the first book I've read by Suzanne Woods Fisher and it will not be the last. :) This book was the second in the series Three Sisters Island. It is a good stand-alone book, but it would have been better if I had read the first book. I wasn't lost without reading the first book, it just would have made the characters easier to understand.
I suspect that the first book revolved more around the oldest sister, Cam ad this book was more about Maddie, the second sister. The characters are nicely developed and fun to "get to know". I am sure that this book is a continuation of the story in the first book as the ending leaves room for the book to continue with the youngest sister in a third book.
The story was a true Christian romance as it did portray God and show your need for Him without being preachy. I am thankful for truly Christian fiction with a bit of meat.
Mostly, I enjoyed the book. The editing was done well, but I found the choice of words once in a while were a bit unusual. This only happened a few times but I had to go back and re-read sometimes. I was sorry to see the book end and look forward to reading the next book.
I give this book a 4 out of 5 star rating and it is a book I would recommend to my friends.
Monday, May 4, 2020
Starfish Pier by Irene Hannon
This is the first book I've read by Irene Hannon and I enjoyed the book. It is part of the Harbor Hope series but is also a stand-alone book. The story grabbed my attention from the very first chapter and I was kept captivated throughout. There were four main characters in this book and each one had a secret. That was one thing that helped keep my interest. The story flowed well.
I also enjoyed that this was truly a Christian novel. It showed how the characters used their faith to help with their problems. It was not preachy, but faith-based.
The editing was very well done. I don't remember any errors.
I would recommend this book to my friends. This is my own, honest opinion. I received this book through the Revell Reader's Blog Program. I am not required to leave a positive review. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.
I also enjoyed that this was truly a Christian novel. It showed how the characters used their faith to help with their problems. It was not preachy, but faith-based.
The editing was very well done. I don't remember any errors.
I would recommend this book to my friends. This is my own, honest opinion. I received this book through the Revell Reader's Blog Program. I am not required to leave a positive review. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.
Sunday, May 3, 2020
Oh, Gracious! by Chautona Havig
About the Book
Book: Oh, Gracious!
Author: Chautona Havig
Genre: Christian fiction, contemporary Romance, woman’s fiction
Release Date: March 31, 2020
Life is too short to settle for just anyone.
Grace gave her whole heart to Jesus, but now he wants a part of it.
Grace gave her whole heart to Jesus, but now he wants a part of it.
All she ever wanted was to be a homemaker.
Sure, she has a degree in physics. Yes, she could have a lucrative job in Rockland, but Grace Buscher enjoys her life as a single homemaker. As they say, it’s her choice.
As a successful business owner, a handsome guy, and heir to a small fortune, it’s no wonder Nolan Burke is one of Rockland’s most eligible bachelors. The problem is, he hasn’t met anyone who isn’t looking for a “trophy husband.”
Don’t family-centered women exist anymore?
Grace isn’t exactly eye candy. Nolan is a bit blind. So when an “accidental meeting” forges an unlikely friendship, it becomes obvious to everyone that it’s likely to become more.
But is Grace ready to give up the life she loves for the man she loves?
Find out in this completely updated, revised, and improved version of Chautona Havig’s first novel, Noble Pursuits.
Chautona Havig lives in an oxymoron, escapes into imaginary worlds that look startlingly similar to ours and writes the stories that emerge. An irrepressible optimist, Chautona sees everything through a kaleidoscope of It’s a Wonderful Life sprinkled with fairy tales. Find her at chautona.com and say howdy—if you can remember how to spell her name.
Click here to get your copy!
My Review:
This is the first book I've read by Chautona Havig. I like her style of writing and look forward to reading more.
This book is a modern day Christian romance. He is looking for the woman that meets his wish list. She is his new neighbor. Their first meeting was unusual and totally unexpected. From there the story progresses in a well set out manner.
The characters are pretty well developed and the story flows quite well. The editing was well done, which can ruin a good book if not done well. I enjoyed the fun in the story and I really enjoyed that it was truly a Christian book. That God was shown.
What I did not enjoy was that it seemed to just jump into the new characters and you had to wade through a bit to learn who they were, but it wasn't too badly done, it didn't take too long.
This book was given to me through Celebrate Lit and the review is my own, freely given and a good review was not required. I give this book a 4 out of 5 star rating. Three stars is a good book, 4 is a really good book, and 5 stars are rarely given by me.
This is the first book I've read by Chautona Havig. I like her style of writing and look forward to reading more.
This book is a modern day Christian romance. He is looking for the woman that meets his wish list. She is his new neighbor. Their first meeting was unusual and totally unexpected. From there the story progresses in a well set out manner.
The characters are pretty well developed and the story flows quite well. The editing was well done, which can ruin a good book if not done well. I enjoyed the fun in the story and I really enjoyed that it was truly a Christian book. That God was shown.
What I did not enjoy was that it seemed to just jump into the new characters and you had to wade through a bit to learn who they were, but it wasn't too badly done, it didn't take too long.
This book was given to me through Celebrate Lit and the review is my own, freely given and a good review was not required. I give this book a 4 out of 5 star rating. Three stars is a good book, 4 is a really good book, and 5 stars are rarely given by me.
About the Author
Chautona Havig lives in an oxymoron, escapes into imaginary worlds that look startlingly similar to ours and writes the stories that emerge. An irrepressible optimist, Chautona sees everything through a kaleidoscope of It’s a Wonderful Life sprinkled with fairy tales. Find her at chautona.com and say howdy—if you can remember how to spell her name.More from Chautona
Wow, My Beloved First Book Was a Hot Mess
On my blog, I sometimes answer readers’ questions, and one of the earliest ones was, “Since you zip out your books so fast, do you ever later wish you had done something differently with them?”
My answer today is the same as back then—usually. No. Yes, I sometimes regret not being able to tell a supporting character’s story because the book has given away that person’s past and/or future. Still, most of the time, I tell the story as I want it.
But in that post about “regrets,” I said that as I learn, I definitely wish to improve sentences here, and others there. I did this already with Argosy Junction, the second book that I published. The first two or three books were experiments where I made many serious mistakes. Took bad advice. Didn’t know the right things to research. All the mistake-ness.
Total transparency here. I chose Argosy Junction to revise first because I made fewer mistakes on it. Still lots, but not as many as my first book, Noble Pursuits.
Bad editing advice, horrible cover design (twice), and just basic writing craft stuff that I didn’t know when I started this whole journey all culminated in a book I both loved (the story) and hated (the final result). Many reviewers said the same thing, too. That poor book has the worst reviews of all of my books combined.
And for good reason.
But it’s a good story—one I love, as I said—and it has some strong fans. Some readers were able to look past the problems and see the heart of what I tried to do with it. And that was a beautiful thing. Those readers, actually, are the ones I’ve rewritten this book for.
Yes, I rewrote Noble Pursuits. While every sentence isn’t completely rewritten, enough are that I considered it a new book, not just a revised one.
A few readers have panicked to see the title changed, the story rewritten. They’ve asked if I took out this or even that. I took out and added nothing that 99.9% of readers would ever notice. And it’s a better book for it.
I am updating the original Noble Pursuits file with the new text. I’m doing this in hopes that those who already own that book can go into their digital content on Amazon and get the updated version. I don’t know if it will work, but I pray it does.
Meanwhile, for those who’ve asked why they can’t buy the first book on my Suggested Reading Order list, well… now you can!
Oh, Gracious! has been a long time coming, but she’s here with a new title, rewritten content, and even a lovely new cover by the brilliantly talented Perry Elizabeth. It took what seems like forever to settle on a title, but we finally did. Why we chose Oh, Gracious! however, is a story for another day.
Blog Stops
Among the Reads, April 24
Wishful Endings, April 24
Truth and Grace Homeschool, April 25
The Meanderings of a Bookworm, April 25
Inklings and notions, April 26
deb’s Book Review, April 26
Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, April 27
Texas Book-aholic, April 27
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 28
Kat’s Corner Books, April 28
Aryn The Libraryan 
, April 29
, April 29
Cultivating us, April 29
Through the Fire Blogs, April 30
For Him and My Family, April 30
Locks, Hooks and Books, May 1
The Collaborative Press, May 1
Connect in Fiction, May 2
Spoken from the Heart, May 2
Read Review Rejoice, May 2
She Lives To Read, May 3
Books I’ve Read, May 3
Emily Yager, May 4
Captive Dreams Window, May 4
Back Porch Reads, May 5
Lots of Helpers, May 6
As He Leads is Joy, May 6
Artistic Nobody, May 7 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)
Pause for Tales, May 7
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Chautona is giving away the grand prize package of one paperback copy of each of the 3 fully revised novels: Oh, Gracious, Argosy Junction, and Thirty Days Hath…!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
Monday, April 27, 2020
The Key to Everything by Valerie Fraser Luesse
This is the first book by Valerie Fraser Luesse that I've read but hopefully it won't be the last one. I really enjoyed this book.
The characters were quite well developed, they seemed like real people from the time and area of the book. The setting is in the south in post WWII. The main character is a 15 year old boy trying to figure out life.
The story was based on a true event and was very interesting. The story flowed well and kept my interest throughout. The descriptions were very well done, not too flowery or wordy, but enough to see what she wanted you to see.
The book is from Revell and it is a clean story. It is not what I would call a true Christian book as very little of faith is revealed. You get the impression the mother is a Christian but it is in no way a preachy book.
I was given an ARC version and the editing was very well done. This is important to me as it can make an otherwise good book unreadable if not edited well. I am not required to write a positive review, this is my own, unbiased opinion.
I would recommend this book to my friends and give it a 4 out of 5 star rating.
The characters were quite well developed, they seemed like real people from the time and area of the book. The setting is in the south in post WWII. The main character is a 15 year old boy trying to figure out life.
The story was based on a true event and was very interesting. The story flowed well and kept my interest throughout. The descriptions were very well done, not too flowery or wordy, but enough to see what she wanted you to see.
The book is from Revell and it is a clean story. It is not what I would call a true Christian book as very little of faith is revealed. You get the impression the mother is a Christian but it is in no way a preachy book.
I was given an ARC version and the editing was very well done. This is important to me as it can make an otherwise good book unreadable if not edited well. I am not required to write a positive review, this is my own, unbiased opinion.
I would recommend this book to my friends and give it a 4 out of 5 star rating.
Friday, April 17, 2020
The Chisholm Trail Bride by Kathleen Y'Barbo
When I first started this book I thought I had read it before but knew that couldn't be true. But, that only lasted a couple of pages and then I knew for sure this was a new book and that I was going to really enjoy it. It was a book that I finished quickly because I enjoyed it.
Kathleen YBarbo is an excellent writer and this book was no exception. The story started with a bang and it kept my interest throughout. It is a continuation of Daughter's of the Mayflower series and I highly recommend this. That may be why the beginning seemed familiar, it may just be her style. If so, I do enjoy her writing.
The characters were believable, the story was also. The flow was good and the characters were well developed.
The editing and proof reading were well done also, even though it was an ARC book and converted to a Kindle edition I didn't have trouble reading it.
I give this book a 4 out of 5 star rating and would recommend it to my friends. I am thankful to Netgalley and Barbour Publishing for giving me a chance to read and review this book. The thoughts and review are my own opinion and not required, freely given.
Kathleen YBarbo is an excellent writer and this book was no exception. The story started with a bang and it kept my interest throughout. It is a continuation of Daughter's of the Mayflower series and I highly recommend this. That may be why the beginning seemed familiar, it may just be her style. If so, I do enjoy her writing.
The characters were believable, the story was also. The flow was good and the characters were well developed.
The editing and proof reading were well done also, even though it was an ARC book and converted to a Kindle edition I didn't have trouble reading it.
I give this book a 4 out of 5 star rating and would recommend it to my friends. I am thankful to Netgalley and Barbour Publishing for giving me a chance to read and review this book. The thoughts and review are my own opinion and not required, freely given.
Thursday, April 16, 2020
Storing Up Trouble by Jen Turano
I was excited to see another book by Jen Turano on NetGalley. I was very excited when I was approved by NetGalley and Bethany House Publishing to read and review this ARC.
The story starts with a bang and I wish I could say it keeps building, but that is not the case. It is more like a roller-coaster, ups and downs. I did enjoy this book and I would recommend it, but it is not the best of Jen Turano.
The story flowed well, but at times it was slow. The characters were fairly well developed. The main characters quite well developed and possibly believable, though I don't think Ms Turano means for them to be real, that's the fun in her books.
The book is listed as a Christian book, but there is not much about God in this book. It is a good, clean read, but not exactly what I think of when I think of a Christian book.
This is an ARC that I read and the editing for the most part was well done. I did have issues with the ball that was part of the story, sometimes it was called the Potter ball and other times the Palmer ball. At one point, the owner of the hotel was called Palmer Potter. The other thing about the editing was that towards the end of the book it was like the editor/proof-reader just gave up and a lot more errors showed up.
Overall, I do recommend this book and I give it a 3 out of 5 star review. Three stars is your average, good book.
This review is my own opinion and freely given.
The story starts with a bang and I wish I could say it keeps building, but that is not the case. It is more like a roller-coaster, ups and downs. I did enjoy this book and I would recommend it, but it is not the best of Jen Turano.
The story flowed well, but at times it was slow. The characters were fairly well developed. The main characters quite well developed and possibly believable, though I don't think Ms Turano means for them to be real, that's the fun in her books.
The book is listed as a Christian book, but there is not much about God in this book. It is a good, clean read, but not exactly what I think of when I think of a Christian book.
This is an ARC that I read and the editing for the most part was well done. I did have issues with the ball that was part of the story, sometimes it was called the Potter ball and other times the Palmer ball. At one point, the owner of the hotel was called Palmer Potter. The other thing about the editing was that towards the end of the book it was like the editor/proof-reader just gave up and a lot more errors showed up.
Overall, I do recommend this book and I give it a 3 out of 5 star review. Three stars is your average, good book.
This review is my own opinion and freely given.
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