Wednesday, March 7, 2012

A Great Romance Set in Texas

Blue Moon Promise is written by Colleen Coble and published by Thomas Nelson.

Lucy Marsh just wants to take care of her brother and sister but on this particular day nothing seems to be going her way. On the same day she loses her job and home, she is offered a chance to marry a stranger and decides this is her best option. Nate Stanton just wants to live out his life on his ranch with no drama but has recently been considering finding himself a wife to help out with some of the duties. Will these two try to make the marriage work by learning to trust, respect and love each other? Will they find what they have been looking for by committing to each other?

While dealing with the emotions between them they also face snakebites, a stranger looking through their belongings, a neighbor set on revenge and a relative’s betrayal. The story is set in Wichita Falls, Texas and the setting plays a real part in the story. The descriptions of the area and activity that takes place on the ranch are all well written and believable. I enjoyed the characters themselves and thought the romance was well written. All the main characters in the book were well developed and it was fun to follow their stories. I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone looking for a Christian romance set in the west.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the copy of this book I enjoyed reading. I gave an honest review based on my opinion of what I read.

I gave this book 5/5 stars.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

A devotional with a different viewpoint

Listening To God, Experience His Presence Every Day is written by Bruce Bickel and Stan Jantz and is published by Barbour Books.

This is a devotional that will take you through all 52 weeks in the year. Divided by the days of the week each day’s devotional is written in the first person. At first it is hard to get used to. The authors write as if the Lord or Jesus Christ or the Holy Spirit or the Bible or even the church is actually having a conversation with you. I think the concept is a good one but the book itself is a bit of a let down.

I found the devotionals a bit confusing at times. I did like how the authors explained the principles they were discussing and enjoyed the many verses that they presented. The writing style is kind in nature and not a book I found to be condemning in nature. You will learn more about the Lord and what He wants for you as you live as a Christian here on earth. You will also get a better understanding of how you can make a difference for Him while living here. This was not the best devotional I have read through, but it does have helpful information if you stick with it.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the copy of this book I enjoyed reading. I gave an honest review based on my opinion of what I read.

I gave this book 4/5 stars.

A good book for a new Christian to read.

A Quick Overview of the Bible: Understanding How All the Pieces Fit Together was written by Douglas Jacoby and published by Harvest House Publishers.

This book has helpful information if you are looking for an overview of what is in the Bible. There were so many parts of the book that were interesting. This is not a very in-depth book, meaning you will not find out what each verse in the Bible means. You will have a better understanding of where the books of the Bible got their names or who wrote the different books or even why they were originally written.

My favorite part of the book was the section on sayings that have been attributed to the Bible but are not in the Bible. I also enjoyed the unique questions he singled out to answer. I thought he did a very good job of backing up his answers by using well-researched scripture references.

This book would be a good gift for a new Christian or for someone who has been away from the Church for awhile and needs a refresher on the contents of the Bible. Written in simple language this book was an easy and informative read.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the copy of this book I enjoyed reading. I gave an honest review based on my opinion of what I read.

I gave this book 5/5 stars.

A book with four fun romances!

Seattle Cinderella is written by Gail Sattler and published by Barbour Books.

This book has four separate love stories and they all take place in Seattle, Washington. The characters are all family or acquaintances so the stories flow well together. Although the stories are short the romances are believable and enjoyable.

In the first story, Cindy is running the family muffler shop and does not see the need for a man in her life. But can she resist Luke much longer? In the next story Annie must prove she has changed and win the heart of Brent. The third story finds Zella in a writing class and falling in love with her favorite author. The last story is very cute as Farrah is a little older then the man she has fallen for. Will he pursue her no matter their age difference?

Each story is a quick read. I liked the interaction of the main characters and how each story flowed well into the others. The minor characters in each story were also well written and help the stories move along. Overall a great book with four fun romances.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the copy of this book I enjoyed reading. I gave an honest review based on my opinion of what I read.

I gave this book 5/5 stars.

Monday, March 5, 2012

This book will help you learn how to better handle your emotions

The Reality Slap by Russ Harris is a book about how to handle incidents that come into our life that we are not ready for.

You have in your mind something that should happen. Whether it is someone showing up at a certain time or wanting your son to be good at sports. When these do not come to be you want to change the reality into what you were wishing would have happened.

This book helps you deal with the emotions that go along with the "reality slaps" you encounter. First you have to go through the five stages of grief. This may happen right away or it may take you months. While you are going through these stages be sure to take care of yourself. Spend some time alone or even take a break from work. One way to move more quickly through the stages is helping others through their problems. There are great examples listed on what to say or not say to others going through difficult times.

Once you have accepted your "reality slap" you have to decide what you are going to do about it. There are a few options expounded on in the book. One is leaving the situation. Another is staying but changing what can be changed. No matter how you handle your situation this book will have examples on how to help you improve yourself and learn from it.

The back of the book has an extended section of helpful information talked about in the book. The best section is the part that helps you with goal setting. This would have been great to include as part of the main book. Be sure to read that part as well! Although there is a lot of information that is medical in nature the author does a good job of making it easy to understand.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the copy of this book I enjoyed reading. I gave an honest review based solely on my opinion of what I read.

I gave this book 4/5 stars.

Another great story!

Leaving Lancaster is a great book about family and forgiveness. Written by Kate Lloyd, the story is set in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It takes place during modern day with cell phones and computers. It also has plenty of the Amish traditions that normally appear in this style of book.

Holly Fisher has grown up believing she had no other immediate family except her Mother. Finding out otherwise changes her life. Esther has kept many secrets from her daughter Holly and decides that it is time to open up about her family and all that transpired when she left her Amish community and ran off with Samuel. Samuel, Holly’s father, had a family too and meeting Holly and forgiving Esther will change their lives for the better.

Holly and Esthers’ relationships with family and friends is the core if this book. Finding love also plays an important role in this story. The book did have some confusing parts. The story would switch from one persons’ viewpoint to another. It took me a few chapters to get the flow of the story because of this. I enjoyed the story itself and found the characters to have depth. I liked how the story ended and thought the author did well at describing the emotions that were felt as the main characters lives changed.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the copy of this book I enjoyed reading. I gave an honest review based on my opinion of what I read.

I gave this book 4/5 stars.