Melody Carlson's Love Gently Falling ~ Reviewed

LOVE GENTLY FALLING
Melody Carlson
Paperback: 192 pages
Publisher: Center Street (January 6, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1455528102



Description:

Rita Jansen is living her dream as a hairstylist in Hollywood when her father calls with news that her mother has suffered a stroke. When she gets home to Chicago, Rita finds her mother is healing but facing a long recovery. Worse, without being able to run their family-owned salon, her mother could lose the business. Rita decides to help, but she only has until Valentine's Day to come up with a plan. 
As Rita takes her mother's place at work, the nearby skating rink she loved as a child brings back fond memories. Rita also finds herself renewing friendships with her childhood best friend, Marley, as well as her classmate Johnny. Although they now lead such seemingly different lives, Rita is surprised by how well she and Johnny connect and how far he will go to help her. Though Rita believes Johnny is only being kind, with romance kindling in the air and on the ice, their friendship may just fall into something more. 

Review: 

Love Gently Falling is about Rita Jansen, a young woman who is currently living in Beverly Hills, working in an upscale salon as a successful hairdresser. When her mother, who owns her own beauty shop in Chicago, suddenly suffers from a stroke, Rita is forced to take time off to come home to see her. After her mother's condition stabilizes, Rita decides to go to her mother's salon, Hair and Now, to see how things are going, and is surprised to see how run down and shabby it's looking. When she finds some of the original décor and furniture in the storage room, she decides to take it upon herself, with her mother's permission, to “make over” the salon. With the help of longtime friend Marley, as well as a former classmate, Johnny, she is able to make the transformation happen in less than three weeks. But when it comes time for Rita to leave, she's having a hard time, not only leaving her family and the salon, but the possibility of a relationship with Johnny.

This was a really cute story. Just nice and sweet. I really enjoyed how Rita took up the task of saving her mother's salon, using her own savings to do so. Not a lot of children would do that now-a-days. It was an enjoyable story.

Review by: Sarah Meyers.

Marissa Shrock's The First Principle ~ Reviewed

The First Principle

By Marissa Shrock

Published by Kregel Publications

Release Date: January, 2015

Pages: 237

ISBN: 978-0-8254-4357-2

About the book:

In the not-too-distant future, the United Regions of America has formed. Governors hold territories instead of states, and while Washington, DC, is gone, the government has more control than ever before. For fifteen-year-old Vivica Wilkins, the daughter of a governor, this is life as usual. High school seems pretty much the same--until one day, that controlling power steps right through the door during study hall.

When Vivica speaks out to defend her pregnant friend against the harsh treatment of Population Management Officer Marina Ward, she has no idea she's sowing the seeds of a revolution in her own life. But it isn't long before she discovers her own illegal pregnancy. Now she has to decide whether to get the mandatory abortion--or follow her heart, try to keep the baby, and possibly ruin her mother's chances at becoming president.

A rebel group called the Emancipation Warriors, who are fighting to restore freedoms once held unalienable, offer her asylum. Can Vivica trust these rebels to help her or will they bring everything crashing down around her? Accepting their help may come with consequences she isn't ready to face.

Marissa Shrock's debut novel crafts a chilling story of what may be to come if we allow the economic and moral crises currently facing our country to change the foundations on which we built our independence--and of the difference one person can make when they choose to trust God's lead.

Review:

I should read young adult novels more often. YA authors tend to be crazy-talented. They have to be, because most youth won’t waste their time reading otherwise. In The First Principle, Marissa Shrock gave credence to my point. Consider her first sentence:

The biggest rebellions begin with the smallest steps, and I took my first small step one December morning during study hall.

If I were a teen, that statement alone would capture my attention as I suspect every adolescent has a rebel lurking within. As they should, to some extent, or society would never change. We’d still be listening to Gregorian Chants and wearing corsets. Because sometimes to do what’s right, one must stand up against what’s wrong, and often our youth are the few with the courage to do so.

In that vein, Marissa Shrock is a talented author who challenged me to think outside the box while simultaneously encouraging me to evaluate my culture on a deeper level.

Though completely different than the Hunger Games in almost every way, this novel reminded me of the underlying thread presented in that best-selling series: Children, well, in this case, teens, controlled by adults. Adults the teens weren’t entirely sure they could trust. In that regard, I felt Marissa captured the struggle many of today’s teens face—that of wanting independence; of seeing societal rules, laws and customs as confining yet wanting to conform.

I empathized with and admired Vivica, the usually obedient and political correct heroine. As the daughter of a politician, she’s been raised to believe many of the rules of her time—the banning of unapproved Bibles, mandatory pregnancy tests and vaccines, and forced abortions, are for the good of all. Until a personal problem causes her to reevaluate everything she knows. For much of the novel, she wrestles with this uncertainty and the emotional angst that comes with it, because for her, changing beliefs means much more than pushing back against societal expectations. It could destroy her relationship with her mother. And maybe cost her her life.

This was a great book, authentically told, and literally kept me up well past my bedtime on numerous nights. I found the conversations between the teens in novel very true to life, and I loved how Marissa resolved the issues presented and the story. I will definitely be looking out for more Shrock novels, and I plan to tell the teens I know about her as well.  

Reviewed by: Jennifer Slattery

Suzanne Woods Fisher's Anna's Crossing ~ Reviewed

ANNA'S CROSSING 
Suzanne Woods Fisher
Series: Amish Beginnings
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Revell (March 3, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0800723198

Description:


Some endings are really beginnings . . . 

On a hot day in 1737 in Rotterdam, Anna König reluctantly sets foot on the Charming Nancy, a merchant ship that will carry her and her fellow Amish believers across the Atlantic to start a new life. As the only one in her community who can speak English, she feels compelled to go. But Anna is determined to complete this journey and return home--assuming she survives. She's heard horrific tales of ocean crossings and worse ones of what lay ahead in the New World. But fearfulness is something Anna has never known. 

Ship's carpenter Bairn resents the somber people--dubbed Peculiars by the deckhands--who fill the lower deck of the Charming Nancy. All Bairn wants to do is to put his lonely past behind him, but that irksome and lovely lass Anna and her people keep intruding on him.

Delays, storms, illness, and diminishing provisions test the mettle and patience of everyone on board. When Anna is caught in a life-threatening situation, Bairn makes a discovery that shakes his entire foundation. But has the revelation come too late?

Bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher invites you back to the beginning of Amish life in America with this fascinating glimpse into the first ocean crossing--and the lives of two intrepid people who braved it.


Review:
Anna's Crossing tells us about a young Amish woman named Anna. She is among the first wave of Amish to come to America in 1737. Anna unwillingly leaves behind her Grandparent's to sail to the New World. While aboard the ship, she meets the ship's carpenter, Bairn, and they form a friendship. While he finds the way of her “People” odd, as well as their belief in God, he can't help but find himself drawn to her and them. And while Anna knows she could never be with him because he's not one of her people, she finds she can't help falling in love with him.

This book started out a bit slow at first, but once the characters were aboard the ship, it started to get really interesting. I enjoyed Anna's character, and how she stuck by her faith, and wasn't afraid to share about her beliefs with Bairn, even though she knew he had no faith.

Sarah Meyers

Tom Pawlik's Beckon ~ Reviewed

Beckon [Kindle Edition]

Tom Pawlik (Author)
File Size: 572 KB
Print Length: 413 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1414338732
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. (March 16, 2012)

Description:

Some things weren’t meant to be discovered. Three people are each drawn to the small town of Beckon, Wyoming. A young anthropologist researches a Native American legend and makes a terrifying discovery. An ex-cop investigating her cousin’s disappearance finds herself in grave peril. And an aging businessman is lured by the promise of a miracle. One by one they discover the town’s ghastly secret. The only question is . . . will any of them make it out alive?

Review:

This book released a few years ago. And I loath to admit I am just now read it for review. There are so many books that I want to read and just not enough time to read them. This one was a have to and I finally squeezed it in.

Okay. Mutant Cave Creatures, Batman! This is an intense and mind boggling novel. A very well written one I must add, that didn't sacrifice character development or attention to detail for the plot factor. This one has it all. I can see why Pawlik is a Christy Award winner. The man can write and he can weave a story. If you have a trip coming up and need a travel or beach read/listen, or just want to be thoroughly juiced on intensity give this one a chance. Creepalicious.

The publisher sent me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Reviewed by: Kelly Klepfer

Stephanie Reed's The Bachelor ~ Reviewed

The Bachelor: A Novel (Plain City Peace)
by Stephanie Reed
Series: Plain City Peace (Book 2)
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Kregel Publications (October 1, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0825442168
Description:

In this sequel to The Bargain, Betsie Troyer is back home in her Amish community where she knows she belongs, free from the confusing Englisher way of life. She and Charley Yoder have made promises to each other, and her life is back on track--until Gerald Sullivan shows up with his young daughter, asking for Betsie's help. He’s on his way to find his estranged wife, and begs Betsie to take young Sheila in.

When she agrees, Betsie's carefully planned life is shaken up again. Sheila's newfound faith is troubling to Charley--and his attraction to another girl is beginning to be a problem. But how can Betsie confront him when she is still trying to confront her own feelings about Sheila's brother, Michael? Keeping the peace between the Amish man she's always loved, a twelve-year-old Englisher girl, and a draft-dodging hippie is more than she ever thought she’d have to deal with in her simple, orderly life. Still, Betsie is convinced she can keep things from falling apart completely.

Then during her best friend's wedding, tragedy strikes and her world is upended. She has to make a decision: does she love Charley or Michael . . . or is she craving a deeper love that only God can give?

The compelling second novel of the Plain City Peace series, The Bachelor deftly weaves together the strands of a solid, simpler time with the turmoil of an era of change, revealing the strengths of both in its powerful narrative.

Review: 

The Bachelor is book two in the Plain City Peace Series. Betsie Troyer's new friend, Michael, left at the end of the previous book to avoid being drafted to go to Vietnam. Betsie has gone back to her home to wait and pray for her parent's to come home. They left the Amish life after finding salvation in Jesus Christ. Betsie and her siblings just don't understand and are afraid for their eternal fate for leaving the church. Charley, Betsie's intended, continues to pursue her, though there are little things that he is doing that are beginning to irritate her. In the meant time, Sheila, the Michael's younger sister and the daughter of the English family she was working for, comes to stay with her for an indefinite period of time while her parent's try to to save their marriage. Sheila is unafraid to share her faith in Jesus with Betsie and her family. While this causes problems with some people, you can begin to see Betsie's heart turning, though you can't be sure she's convinced.
I was so excited to get this book. The last book really left the reader hanging, and it was exciting to pick back up with the characters. There were some twists and turns in it that were completely unexpected, yet it was exciting to see the outcome due to these events. I really enjoyed the story and am excited for book three.

Reviewed by: Sarah Meyers

Terri Blackstock's Twisted Innocence ~ Reviewed

Twisted Innocence
Terri Blackstock
Series: Moonlighters Series
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Zondervan (February 3, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0310332362

Description:

Holly Cramer’s past choices have finally caught up to her, but she never expected them to endanger her baby.

Though Holly’s stumbled through most of her adult life as a party girl, she longs to live a more stable life for her daughter. Then police show up to question her about the whereabouts of Creed Kershaw, Lily’s father. She has kept his identity a secret from friends and family—she never even told him about the pregnancy. Now he’s a person of interest in a drug-related murder case.

Determined to keep him out of their lives and turn him over to police, Holly uses her private investigating skills to search for him. But her bravado backfires when he turns the tables and takes her and the baby hostage. As desperate hours tick by, Holly realizes his connection to Leonard Miller—the man who has gunned down several members of her family. Creed claims he’s innocent and that Miller is after him too. His gentleness with Lily moves her, but she can’t trust a man who has held her at gunpoint . . . even if he reminds her so much of herself.

Dangers old and new threaten Holly and her baby, and lives are demanded as sacrifices for love. Through a complex web of mistakes and regret, redemption is the one hope Holly has left to hold on to.

Review:

I haven't read Terri Blackstock in a bit. When a publicist sent a copy of Twisted Innocence winging my way I had to crack the cover. And there went a good portion of my next week. 

Blackstock writes a complex tale that ends up cleaning up a trilogy in Twisted Innocence. I missed the others in the series but didn't have any trouble figuring out what happened in previous books.

With tremendous plotting and characterization skill Blackstock weaves a tense drama that is full of investigative and legal intrigue.

Holly, a recent new mama has changed since she ended up pregnant after a night she regrets. Her shame is intensified because her sisters have been through so much in the past couple of years. When Holly discovers the secret father of her baby is in legal trouble she secretly uses her PI skills to make sure he's not looking for her and her sweet little Lily. Instead she ends up being kidnapped. When he tells her the story of why he's in hiding she doesn't want to believe him, but he seems so overwhelmed at what he thinks his future holds and so tender toward their baby. In the meantime paths are crossing, and details are unfolding within her family and justice needs to be served.

If you like crime fiction or just page turners check this one out. I might have to go back to read the rest of the series.

Reviewed by: Kelly Klepfer

Rachel Hauck's Princess Ever After ~ Reviewed

Princess Ever After
Rachel Hauck
Series: Royal Wedding Series
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Zondervan (February 4, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0310315506

Description: 

Regina Beswick was born to be a princess. 

But she’s content to be a small-town girl, running a classic auto restoration shop, unaware a secret destiny awaits her. One that will leap from the pages of her grandmother’s hand-painted book of fairytales.

Tanner Burkhardt is the stoic Minister of Culture for the Grand Duchy of Hessenberg. When he is tasked to retrieve the long-lost princess, he must overcome his fear of failure in order to secure his nation’s future—and his own.

Yet lurking in the political shadows is a fierce opponent with sinister plans to abolish the throne forever. 

Overwhelmed with opposition, Regina must decide if she’s destined to restore old cars or an ancient nation. Together—with a little divine intervention—Regina and Tanner discover the truth of her heritage and the healing power of true love.

Review: 

Tasty as a cool glass of Southern Iced Tea on a steamy day, is this fun, fictional concoction. Reggie Beswick is all tough as nails and hangs with the boys and is embracing her new life with gusto. She just closed up her short but-lasted-forever CPA career and jumped into her dream. Restoring classic and rare cars is going to be everything she ever wanted and the first car, the first success, proved it. But she didn't know that there was truth to the fairy tale her very elderly grandmother had written and illustrated for her on her 6th birthday. 

When handsome and troubled Tanner Burkhardt jumps a Royal Air Force One plane over the pond to fetch Hessenberg's princess Reggie's life is forever changed. The tale unfolds with plenty of drama and soul-searching, unfolding love and renewed faith. A very satisfying romantic read.

Reviewed by: Kelly Klepfer 

Melissa Jagears's A Bride in Store ~ Reviewed

A Bride in Store

By Melissa Jagears

Published by Bethany House

Date: September, 2014

356 pages

ISBN: 978-0764211690

Description:

Impatient to meet her intended groom and help him grow his general store, mail-order bride Eliza Cantrell sets out on her travels a week early. But her plan goes sadly awry when her train is held up by robbers who steal her dowry and Axel, her groom-to-be, isn't even in town when she finally arrives.

Axel's business partner, William Stanton, has no head for business and would much rather be a doctor. When his friend's mail-order bride arrives in town with no money and no groom in sight, he feels responsible and lets her help around the store--where she quickly proves she's much more adept at business than he ever will be.

The sparks that fly between Will and Eliza as they work together in close quarters are hard to ignore, but Eliza is meant for Axel and a future with the store, while Will is biding his time until he can afford medical school. However, their troubles are far from over when Axel finally returns, and soon both Will and Eliza must decide what they're willing to sacrifice to chase their dreams--or if God has a new dream in store for them both.

Review:

I’ve often heard other Christian fiction addicts talk about how they long to read about authentic, flawed characters. We want to know they struggle, that they have weaknesses and faults, and even sin on occasion. Yet, I’ve begun to wonder if there’s an unspoken line regarding what flaws are acceptable. More than that, I wonder if we—or perhaps I should say, I—truly do want to read about characters that struggle with the same things that we do. Fear, insecurities, perhaps the occasional stubbornness--those are appropriate flaws, it seems. But what happens when a character displays a great deal of selfishness? 

Like gold digging selfishness? 

These were the questions I found myself pondering as I read Melissa Jagears A Bride in Store. To be honest, at first I didn’t like the heroine or the story. Though Eliza had many character traits I admire, such as determination, intelligence, perseverance, and inner strength, her continual desire to look out for herself really bothered me. She ultimately parceled herself off as a mail order bride in order to help run a store. Perhaps this was common in her era. I know mail-order brides were, but I’d prefer to read about one who chose such a situation out of desperate need or perhaps to help her orphaned sister. 

And yet, I kept reading. Because Melissa Jagears writes well, and she crafted a plot that, for the most part, intrigued me. Enough that I finished the novel, which says a lot considering the large number of books I have on my shelves. About 100 pages into A Bride in Store, I was glad I persevered. And I began to rethink my initial judgments of Eliza, not because her initial acts were any less selfish but rather, my own acts of selfishness sprang to mind, reminding me of all of our need for grace. 

So, although at first sweet and spunky Eliza caused me to grit my teeth on more than one occasion, the story—a mail order bride, a train robbery, a major unexpected plot twist, and an intriguing small town community—drew me in. In the end, I found Eliza’s journey satisfying. 

I also liked how Melissa Jagears surprised me. I don’t want to spoil the story, but I will say, the hero in this novel turned things upside down, adding a bit of intrigue and mystery. I also really liked William Stanton, the doctor with a tender, perhaps too tender, heart for others. He and Eliza were thought-provoking contrasts, for sure! And they both had realistic flaws, resulting in authentic and dynamic characters. 

All in all, though Eliza irritated me on numerous occasions, I must applaud Ms. Jagears for her courage in presenting a character—Eliza—who is probably more like each of us than we’d care to admit. 

If you enjoy characters who, perhaps, are more like our neighbors than our church buddies and historical romance, you should give a Bride in Store a try. If you do pick it up, I encourage you to stick with it—stick with Eliza. She just might pleasantly surprise you.  

Reviewed by: Jennifer Slattery 

Melody Carlson's The Dating Games #3

The Dating Games #3: Double Date
by Melody Carlson
Series: The Dating Games (Book 3)
Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: Revell (January 20, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0800721292

Description: 

The girls of the DG have found that through the club, both their friendships and their dating savvy have grown. But all that is about to be put to the test. Despite their promises of secrecy, word has somehow gotten out, and new girls want to join the club. The reaction in the DG is mixed, but with the Christmas Ball coming up, they need to pull together to organize their double dates. The trouble is, how can they get guys interested in a dance that's become increasingly unpopular?

Cassidy, Devon, Abby, Bryn, and Emma are quickly becoming teen favorites as they navigate the crazy world of dating. As always, Melody Carlson subtly delivers great advice wrapped up tight in a package of fun and friendship.

Review: 

I've read quite a few of Melody Carlson's novels. They never fail to be entertaining and most of the time I take away something tho think about. 

Even though my teen years are a bit behind me I'm confident most teen or preteen girls can find plenty of pertinent drama in this novel. Warning to the parental units who want fully inspirational and Amish innocent reading material in their girls' libraries, this novel travels a little more along the worldly road. 

The drama is plentiful. Carlson has covered issues that are problematic in the Christian young lady's world. One teen crosses common sense lines, another is hungry for attention and makes a couple choices that set her up for some serious pain. Mean girls cause some angst and more than one of the members of the DG face an identity crisis. Areas such as judging and appropriate behavior and clothing are covered. Relationships between the girls and the boys they like adds even more drama as the girls try to find their way in high school. 

Well written and thought provoking and any girl who is intrigued by the idea of dating might pick up a life lesson or two.  

Of note, I've not read any of the other books in the series and felt like I was able to figure out the girls and their relationships pretty easily. 

Reviewed by: Kelly Klepfer

Allison Pittman's All for A Sister ~ Reviewed

ALL FOR A SISTER
Allison Pittman
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. (June 20, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1414366825
Description: 

In Hollywood during the Roaring Twenties, Celeste DuFrane has it all. Her father’s work with color movie film opens doors that lead to the stardom she’s always aspired to. But after losing her mother, she discovers that half the estate has been left to a woman accused of killing Celeste’s baby sister before Celeste was even born.

Dana Lundgren arrives on the steps of the DuFrane mansion having spent most of her life imprisoned for a crime that never happened. After accusing her of murder so many years ago, why did Marguerite DuFrane leave her a sizeable inheritance? 

As Celeste and Dana learn each other’s stories, they come up with more questions than answers. Then a surprising discovery begins to fill in the missing pieces: Marguerite DuFrane’s written confession, penned shortly before her death. Uncovering the treachery and deceit that changed the course of countless lives—most of all, their own—the two women find more than they ever dreamed of.

Review:

All For A Sister takes place during the roaring 20's and follows the journey of two young women. Celeste DuFrane is a young, beautiful, upcoming actress who's father has paved the way for her in Hollywood. After both of her parents pass away, she receives news that she is to share the estate with Dana Lundgren, a woman who has been imprisoned for 20 years for supposedly killing Celeste's baby sister, before Celeste was born. The two are thrown together due to the terms of the will, and develop an affection for each other. The book jumps back and forth between the current time, Celeste's childhood, Dana's childhood, and Mary DuFrane's (mother of Celeste) confession of what really happened and why Dana was imprisoned for most of her life.
    
I LOVED this story. The fact that it kept jumping back and forth between time periods didn't confuse me at all, as each chapter was clear about what it was speaking about. I had a hard time putting it down, because as I read each chapter, it kept me wanting to read more to find out what was going to happen next. I've read all three stories in Ms. Pittman's Roaring 20's series, and this one was by far my favorite. I really did have a hard time putting it down, and highly recommend it!

Reviewed by: Sarah Meyers

Myra Johnson's Whisper Goodbye ~ Reviewed

Whisper Goodbye: Till We Meet Again - Book 2
Myra Johnson
File Size: 8345 KB
Print Length: 338 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1426753667
Publisher: Abingdon Press (April 15, 2014)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00ITZTMM0

Description:

Crippled both physically and emotionally by his war injuries, First Lt. Gilbert Ballard struggles to find himself again in civilian life. After breaking his engagement to Annemarie Kendall, he has found solace in the arms of Mary McClarney, a spunky Irish immigrant nurse he met at the Army and Navy Hospital in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Yet Mary's love for Gilbert goes unreturned.

If it's not Gilbert's insane jealousy over his former fiancée's new marriage, it's his addiction to pain killers and gambling that thwarts Gil's own happiness. Worse, Gilbert's mother, Evelyn, continually reminds him of what he lost when he pushed Annemarie away. Under Evelyn's critical eye, Mary fights to believe in her worth, wondering if she will ever be enough.

As Mary longs for the day when Gilbert will finally let go of the past and learn to love her as she loves him, she realizes that the only way to open Gilbert's heart is to whisper her goodbyes . . . and pray God will bring them back together.

Review:

Whisper Goodbye tells us about Mary McClarney, a young Irish nurse who works at an Army and Navy hospital in Ho Springs, Arkansas during World War II and First Lt. Gilbert Ballard, who has been crippled, both physically and emotionally by his war injuries. The two meet in the hospital, where Gilbert is Mary's patient, and, not surprisingly, they end up developing feelings for each other. However, due to Gilbert's past, Mary has a difficult time trusting him, while Gilbert has a hard time telling Mary his true feelings.
    
I did enjoy this story. I enjoy reading about the 1940's. That whole era is fascinating to me. I really sympathized with Gilbert. Having come back from the war and losing a leg, among the other things he was dealing with, would have been hard. He was fortunate to have Mary there for him, through some very difficult times, but had a hard time letting himself fully care for her. It was nice to see both Mary and Gilbert open up and deal with their past in order to move forward with their future.


Reviewed by: Sarah Meyers

Jennifer Slattery's When Dawn Breaks ~ Reviewed

When Dawn Breaks
Jennifer Slattery
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: New Hope Publishers (December 17, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1596694238
Description: 

As the hurricane forces Jacqueline to evacuate, her need for purpose and restitution forces her to head north to her estranged and embittered daughter and into the arms of a handsome new friend. Dealing with his own issues, Jacqueline isn’t sure if he will be the one she can lean on during the difficult days ahead. And then there are the three orphans to consider, especially Gavin. Must she relinquish her chance at having love again in order to be restored?

Review:

This story hit fairly close to home. I am a foster grandma to three little ones. One of the main story lines in When Dawn Breaks involves Gavin, a too young boy who is forced to take care of siblings and his unstable mom. Slattery captured some serious authentic depth in his situation and responses.  

Since it's been just a few short months since I finished Beyond I Do, Slattery's first novel, I couldn't help comparing the two. Though Beyond I Do has great elements and tells a good story, I noticed that When Dawn Breaks felt like an organic story. Not flawlessly told because that's nearly impossible, but with more author confidence and less author intrusion. 

Slattery's books pack a lot of plot. She deftly walks through mine fields with characters who grow and change and become better people all the while keeping details straight. The subject matter tackled includes parent child relationships, dysfunctional relationships, overcoming or choosing to remain a victim, substance abuse, shame, adultery, death, making difficult choices, grieving and starting over. 

This novel has a broad readership pool. Since it's fiction that adds quite a bit of godly truth and wisdom it goes beyond an escapist read. However, the spiritual elements aren't heavy handed. Anyone dealing with any of those difficult situations or struggles could benefit from feeling a little less alone in this big world, or find a little ray of hope within it's pages.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Reviewed by: Kelly Klepfer

Lynette Sowell's A Season of Change ~ Reviewed

A SEASON OF CHANGE
Lynette Sowell
Series: Seasons in Pinecraft (Book 1)
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Abingdon Press (May 20, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1426753551
Description:

Can a past filled with loss lead to a new season of life? Stranded at a Sarasota hospital at the bedside of his ailing daughter, Amish widower Jacob Miller is wary of his unfamiliar surroundings—including the strange curiosity of Englischer Natalie Bennett. Natalie, an aerial silks artist whose career in the circus ended before it began, has just uncovered a secret her mother kept hidden for years. Her mom—or rather, mamm—was once Amish. A hundred questions suddenly surface. Why did Natalie’s mother keep this secret for so long? Does Natalie still have Amish relatives? How can she learn more about her heritage? Can Jacob trust Natalie’s piqued interest in his family and their simple ways, or will their clashing cultures thwart their hopes for finding the love of a family?

Review:

A Season of Change tells us about Jacob Miller, an Amish widower with two young children, and Natalie Bennett, a former circus performer how now teaches acrobatics to young children. Jacob, who is from Ohio, is visiting his grandparents with his two children in Sarasota, Florida. While there, an accident occurs in which his daughter, Rebecca, is hit by a car and ends up in the hospital with a broken leg. While in the hospital, Natalie, who visits children dressed as Bubbles the clown, visits the family. Through a series of events, they keeps seeing each other, and not surprisingly, an attachment begins to form, not only with Natalie and the children, but with Natalie and Jacob. Though their feelings for each other grow, they are faced with the challenge of how a relationship might work. Even though Natalie is a Christian, she has no desire to become Amish, while Jacob could never leave his faith for love.

This was a really good story. I liked that the Amish folk in Sarasota weren't as legalistic as some. And I really liked how the author blended the Amish and English cultures. The story really kept me interested, as I was anxious to see how Natalie and Jacob's relationship would progress. I really didn't know how it was going to happen until the end, because I couldn't see either of the compromising. I was really happy with the ending. 

Reviewed by: Sarah Meyers

Courtney Walsh’s Paper Hearts ~ Reviewed

Paper Hearts

Courtney Walsh

Series: Paper Hearts
Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. (December 18, 2014)
Language: English

Description:

Abigail Pressman would never have guessed that love notes penned on paper hearts by an anonymous couple could restore her belief in love. As a business owner in a quaint town at the base of the Rockies, she’s poured everything into dreams of expansion . . . and resisting the matchmaking efforts of the Valentine Volunteers, who gather in her store to continue Loves Park’s tradition of stamping mail with the city’s romantic postmark.

When Abigail is unwillingly drafted into the Volunteers, she encounters the paper hearts, a distraction that couldn’t come at a worse time. A hard-to-read doctor has become Abigail’s new landlord, and he’s threatening to end her lease to expand his practice.

As she fights a growing attraction to this handsome man crushing her dreams, Abigail is inspired to string the hearts in her store, sparking a citywide infatuation with the artsy trend. But when a new batch of hearts reaches the Volunteers, it appears something tragic has happened to the couple. Will uncovering their story confirm Abigail’s doubts about love, or could it rescue her dreams . . . and her heart?

Review: 

Walsh has written a satisfying romantic tale that contains elements of several romantic comedy movies that I've enjoyed. The basic plot includes a newcomer who enters a small Colorado community with the intention of opening a medical practice. Great idea. He's got a few challenges and needs a fresh start. And Loves Park could use a good doctor. So far win, win.

Unfortunately, the location he chooses was right next door to Abigail's Book Nook. And Abigail had plans for that space, big plans that would secure her future, honor her family and feed her soul. As the story unfolds, Jacob not only buys the building, but there is immediate discussion on the future demise of the Book Nook. Jacob needs the space for his practice and he owns the building and his business manager is not about to back down, especially to someone like Abigail.

Abigail is further thrown into a panic when she's targeted by the town's Valentine Volunteers as their next member, and possible unwilling poster woman for their sideline of fixing up the single lonely hearts in town. Can Abigail save her father's book store? What will become of her if she can't? And does real love even exist anyway? With more questions than answers, Abigail begins to look for the truth and assess her heart’s desires.

Jacob is fighting his own battles. And they are challenging ones. Can he get over his broken heart and rebuild a life for him and his little girl? When a secret that involves him comes to light, and a woman he cares about is not who she seemed will he run back to the big city or stay and try to build a different life?

Well written and charming. A great cozy escapist read for the cold winter months.

Reviewed by: Kelly Klepfer

Kelly Irvin's Love Still Stands ~ Reviewed

LOVE STILL STANDS
Kelly Irvin
Series: The New Hope Amish (Book 1)
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers (September 1, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0736954937

Description: 

Readers of Kelly Irvin's Bliss Creek Amish novels will be overjoyed to discover her new series for lovers of Amish fiction: The New Hope Amish. In the first installment, Love Still Stands, a group of dedicated families leaves Bliss Creek to establish a new community in Missouri. Among them is Bethel Graber, a beautiful young woman with a passion for teaching. But after being disabled in a terrible accident, overseeing a classroom is out of the question...and romance seems a long-lost dream.

Bethel begins physical therapy, determined to make a fresh start. But that won't be easy in the town of New Hope, where the locals seem anything but eager to welcome their new Amish neighbors. Amid growing intimidation from the community, Bethel must find the strength to face her many challenges and the faith to believe that God still has a plan--and a love--for her life. 

Review:

Love Still Stands is part of the New Hope Amish Series and follows a young Amish woman named Bethel. She had been a teacher until a tornado destroyed her school and damaged her legs, keeping her from being able to do even the simplest of every day tasks. She moves with her family to another state for a new start. It's not easy, starting a-fresh in a community that doesn't like strangers, especially people that are different than they are. Bethel begins to do therapy in a local rehabilitation center, and finds herself attracted to a young man who is in the same boat as she is. The only problem is that he is Englisch. She is also interested in an Amish man named Elijah, who is very much smitten with her. The problem is that Bethel sees herself as an invalid that no one would ever want to marry. She has a hard time believing she is of any worth since she has so many limitations.

I had forgotten that I read the other books in this series. It has been some time, so it took me a little while to acclimate myself to the characters again, but once I did, I was able to pick up where I left off. I enjoyed Bethel's journey, but I also enjoyed the sub-story of her sister Leah, and her husband, Luke. In previous stories, Leah has been a difficult and sometimes harsh person to get along with. This book delves deeper into her issues, and she is finally able to find some peace and help. I really liked seeing that, as her character was annoying to me in the previous books. But I found myself drawn to her in this one. This was a great follow-up to the other books.

Reviewed by: Sarah Meyers

James Patterson's Hope to Die ~ Reviewed

Hope to Die (Alex Cross)

By James Patterson

Published by Little, Brown and Company

Release date: Nov. 2014

400 pages

ISBN: 978-0316210966

Back cover:

How hard is it to imagine a noble detective brought low by the horrors of his job? How hard to imagine a detective so beaten down that he finds life meaningless… and becomes a perfect killer himself? That’s not hard to imagine at all, now is it?

Alex Cross is legendary as Washington, DC’s top detective, a man who has devoted his life to protecting others. With unwavering strength and courage, Cross handles the city’s most complex and shocking cases. But none of the atrocities he’s seen has prepared him for the sight of a homicide detective at his own front door. 

Alex Cross’s family has been abducted—and a madman named Theirry Mulch is threatening to kill them one by one. Blinded by rage and gripped with fear, Cross would do anything to have Bree, Nana Mama, and his beautiful children back home. But Mulch doesn’t care about money or mercy. He is obsessed with studying the psychology behind the perfect criminal. As Cross races to save his family, he realizes a deep and terrifying truth: Theirry Mulch doesn’t want to become the perfect killer—he wants to create one. 

And he’s picked Detective Alex Cross to be the guinea pig in his ruthless experiment of good versus evil. 

Review:

I love reading novels written by today’s greatest authors. Regardless of how I feel about Born to Die, James Patterson can write. (Although some say this novel was co-written. I couldn’t see any evidence of this, however.) 

There are two skills Patterson does well and consistently, and these skills were executed with enough skill that I continued reading the novel long into the night, even when I found certain aspects of the plot completely unbelievable. In other words, my experience of the story was so positive, I offered grace on areas I found less appealing. Those two skills were: In absolutely every scene, in fact, I believe every page, Patterson created a sense of urgency and incredibly high stakes. Life or death stakes. 

He starts the novel at the book signing of a crime writer, introducing us to an atrocious homicide case that occurred in Omaha, NE. Through this, we get a creepy sense, an almost indiscernible hint, of impeding danger. This foreshadowing gripped me immediately, giving my imagination free-range to work itself—and Patterson’s characters—into quite a mess. Not that they needed my help in that regard. This was one tense novel, with dead bodies popping up all over the place! The writing was tight, the various subplots converged together necessarily, and the various threads were all neatly tied by the end. 

All in all a great book… sort of.

Minus the improbability of much of it. Without giving too much a way, there were a few times when I put the book down, scratched my head (figuratively), and said, “Um… no. That couldn’t happen.” And yet, I continued reading and still greatly enjoyed the story. And perhaps that’s when great writing really shows itself—when the reader, like me, is willing to not only suspend belief but disregard moments of disbelief, in order to remain immersed in the novel. 

If you like mysteries and suspense and don’t mind a bit of improbability, you’ll enjoy Born to Die. As for me, I’ll likely read more Patterson books in the future… eventually. 

Reviewed by: Jennifer Slattery