Sunday, March 27, 2016

A Fool and His Monet Review


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 About the Book

Serena Jones has a passion for recovering lost and stolen art--one that's surpassed only by her zeal to uncover the truth about the art thief who murdered her grandfather. She's joined the FBI Art Crime Team with the secret hope that one of her cases will lead to his killer. Now, despite her mother's pleas to do something safer--like get married--Serena's learning how to go undercover to catch thieves and black market traders.

When a local museum discovers an irreplaceable Monet missing, Jones leaps into action. The clues point in different directions, and her boss orders her to cease investigating her most promising suspect. But determined to solve the case and perhaps discover another clue in her grandfather's murder, she pushes ahead, regardless of the danger. (Goodreads)



My Thoughts

 Sandra Orchard writes with a bit of humor as the pages turn in this latest novel. While the story continues there is slight suspense and an alright character development. I'll be honest and say that this book didn't grab me in and keep my interest. I tried to get into the characters and the main idea of the book but it was a challenge for me. I can't say much more as this just wasn't the book for me. I have read other reviews and many people think this book is great so I recommend reading it for yourself. 

Three Stars. 

"I received this book from Revell for free in exchange for an honest review."

















The Travelers Book Review

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 About the Book

It’s 3:00am. Do you know where your husband is?

Meet Will Rhodes: travel writer, recently married, barely solvent, his idealism rapidly giving way to disillusionment and the worry that he’s living the wrong life. Then one night, on assignment for the award-winning Travelers magazine in the wine region of Argentina, a beautiful woman makes him an offer he can’t refuse. Soon Will’s bad choices—and dark secrets—take him across Europe, from a chateau in Bordeaux to a midnight raid on a Paris mansion, from a dive bar in Dublin to a mega-yacht in the Mediterranean and an isolated cabin perched on the rugged cliffs of Iceland. As he’s drawn further into a tangled web of international intrigue, it becomes clear that nothing about Will Rhodes was ever ordinary, that the network of deception ensnaring him is part of an immense and deadly conspiracy with terrifying global implications—and that the people closest to him may pose the greatest threat of all.

It’s 3:00am. Your husband has just become a spy. (Goodreads)

My Thoughts

 Well this book was a major letdown. I couldn't get into the story line or the characters at all. The first few chapters I usually think things are leading up to something better. That was not the case in this book and I so wish it wasn't. I think it had a great possibility of being good but just seemed off. 
That is just my opinion. 

"I received this book from Blogging For Books for free in exchange for an honest review."















 









Saturday, March 26, 2016

First Calf of the Year!





Playing the Part Review

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About the Book
Lucetta Plum is an actress on the rise in New York City, but is forced to abandon her starring role when a fan's interest turns threatening. Lucinda's widowed friend, Abigail Hart, is delighted at the opportunity to meddle in Lucetta's life and promptly whisks her away to her grandson's estate to hide out.

Bram Haverstein may appear to simply be a somewhat eccentric gentleman of means, but a mysterious career and a secret fascination with a certain actress mean there's much more to him than society knows.

Lucetta, who has no interest in Abigail's matchmaking machinations, has the best intentions of remaining cordial but coolly distant to Bram. But when she can't ignore the strange and mysterious things going on in his house, it'll take more than good intentions to keep her from trying to discover who Bram is behind the part he plays. (Goodreads)


My Thoughts

I enjoy Jen's humor in her writing and this book is no exception. I think this is one of her best books and the characters had more depth and the story line kept me hooked. Lucetta is a wonderful character and Bram was fun to read as well. At first I wasn't so sure where in the world this book was leading (which is a good thing) and as the pages flipped I found myself totally captivated. The ending is solid and I look forward to reading more of Jen's books!!
Five Stars.
"I received this book from Litfuse for free in exchange for an honest review."













Thursday, March 24, 2016

Bear Country Fun Activity Book Review For Kids


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 About the Book

The Berenstain Bears come to life in The Berenstain Bears Bear Country Fun Sticker and Activity Book that fans are sure to love! Join the whole Bear family in creative and interactive fun with 32 pages of age-appropriate activities such as word finds, mazes, puzzles, coloring pages, and colorful reusable stickers that are sure to please. Features Mama, Papa, Brother, Sister, Honey, and their friends from Bear Country. (Goodreads)

My Thoughts

I love the Berenstain Bears and this book is wonderful!! There are so many fun pages and the stickers would make any kid excited!! I think it's a great idea to create an activity book from this very popular book series. I highly recommend if you are looking for something new for your child!! 
"I received this book from BookLook Bloggers for free in exchange for an honest review."
 













Flirtation Walk Book Review


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About the Book
 
Trying to escape the shambles her con-man father has made of their reputation, Lucinda Curtis arrives in West Point, New York, determined to land a husband from the military academy. Campbell Conklin is first in his class and preparing to embark upon a storied career in the U.S. Army. Lucinda thinks Campbell will make the perfect husband . . . as long as he does not find out about her father.

Seth Westcott also has taken a liking to Lucinda. He's kind, smart . . . and working extremely hard to graduate last. Tradition states that the worst cadets are assigned to the cavalry out west. And west is where Seth must head to track the swindler who stole all of Seth's mother's money. Seth is smart enough to vie for the top spot, but life isn't fair and this is his chance to catch the man who ruined his family. It's too bad Campbell is all shine and no substance, but Lucinda will surely see through all of that, won't she?

My Thoughts


Oh how I wanted to like this book! I thought it would be interesting to read about West Point and the history. I just could not get into this book at all. I have read a few of Siri's books before and I'll read one and love it and then I'll read the next and I just don't. I liked the idea of this book but the characters didn't pull through with me and neither did the story line. I think it had some interesting facts about West Point and otherwise this is not the book for me. 

Three Stars.

"I received this book from Bethany House for free in exchange for an honest review." 
























Wednesday, March 23, 2016

The Calling Review



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About the Book

Remko Brant had never been so sure of anything as escaping the Authority City with Carrington Hale. But bravado comes easy when you have nothing to lose. Now a husband, father, and the tactical leader of the Seers, Remko has never had so much at risk.As he and his team execute increasingly dangerous rescue missions inside the city, they face growing peril from a new enemy. Recently appointed Authority President Damien Gold claims to be guiding a city shaken by rebellion into a peaceful, harmonious future. But appearances can be deceiving. In order to achieve his dangerous ambitions, Gold knows he must do more than catch the rebels--he must destroy the hope their message represents . . . from the inside out.With dissension in his own camp--and the CityWatch soldiers closing in--Remko feels control slipping through his fingers. To protect those he loves, he must conquer his fears and defeat Gold . . . before one of them becomes his undoing. (Goodreads)


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About the Author
The oldest daughter of New York Times bestselling author Ted Dekker, Rachelle Dekker was inspired early on to discover truth through storytelling.
The Choosing is her critically acclaimed debut novel. She graduated with a degree in communications and spent several years in marketing and corporate recruiting before making the transition to write full time. She lives in Nashville with her husband, Daniel, and their diva cat Blair. Visit her online at rachelledekker.com.


1. The Calling is the second book in The Seer Series. Does it pick up right after The Choosing leaves off? No, a year and a half has passed when we rejoin the characters in The Calling.
2. This book is written from Remko’s perspective. Did you face any challenges writing from a male point of view?
There was definitely a looming pressure as I started to write the book. As a
woman writer, I wanted to make sure Remko felt masculine and authentic, so
I was constantly aware of how he sounded, and how he reacted. Once I got  into a flow with his character though, it started to feel more familiar I didn’t have to think
about it as much. 
My Thoughts

 You must read the first book in this series to understand what is going on in this book. That being said I admit, I liked the first book better. If you read the first book awhile ago, I recommend that if you forgot some things you should re-read the first as there are a lot of details. So this book continues with the same characters as the world and evil continue on. There is another book to come so the story doesn't necessarily end. There wasn't so much suspense for me in reading this one and it was just difficult for me to get into. I think once the third one comes out I'll try and re-read them as the first book was fantastic. 

Four stars.

"I received this book from Tyndale for free in exchange for an honest review."













Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Love + Blessed Box Thoughts









Each month the box of encouragement™ includes:
  • a MINI POSTER for your home or office
  • a repositionable REMINDER STICKER perfect for your mirror, laptop or tablet
  • a SCRIPTURE CARD sized to fit in your pocket or purse
  • a removable KEEPSAKE THEME CARD
  • a special GIFT OF ENCOURAGEMENT
Our boxes are full of little gifts of surprise and delight that help remind you to walk in faith throughout your day.  Our gift of encouragement changes each month.  You'll receive gifts of jewelry, prayer accessories, stationary, journals, home decor and more!  
Read our FAQ section to learn more about how it works and check out our shop to see examples of previous boxes.
Month-to-Month subscriptions can be cancelled at any time.  3, 6 and 12 month subscriptions are non-refundable.  

 Enter below for a chance to win a year of encouragement!

Giveaway Link! 

My Thoughts

I love getting mail and the thing to get these days is monthly boxes. They have them for everything you can imagine but I hadn't heard of Love and Blessed until now. The pictures show the items that I got: a pen, a little pink bag, a sewing kit, a mini poster, a sticker, and a Bible verse card. This was the Brokenness box, getting through hard times. All of this is wonderful and happy and fun. I love the idea of the verse card because it's easy to take with you and the mini poster is small enough to put somewhere you can see it all the time but big enough to appreciate. So it is a great box and the words are encouraging. But this box is $13 a month (including the shipping). That is pretty pricey in my mind for what I got. I think something like this would make a great gift for a friend but even then you could make up your own box with more items for the same price. I love that people are making boxes like this and I think it's a great idea, I just think it's a lot of money. So that is my opinion but if you want to check out the box for yourself just click on the link below.
Website info here.

"I received this box from FlyBy Promotions for free in exchange for an honest review." 














Sunday, March 13, 2016

A Daring Sacrifice Review


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About the Book

In a reverse twist on the Robin Hood story, a young medieval maiden stands up for the rights of the mistreated, stealing from the rich to give to the poor. All the while, she fights against her cruel uncle who has taken over the land that is rightfully hers. Forced to live in the woods and hide with the poor people she's grown to love, she works to save and protect them, but she never anticipates falling in love with the wealthy knight who represents all she's come to despise. (Goodreads)


My Thoughts

 While this is not my favorite type of fiction, Jody Hedlund is a fantastic writer. So of course I had to give this book a try and I really enjoyed it. A spin on Robin Hood makes it fun and while predictable I loved all of the characters. I think there is more depth to this story line than many other books similar and there is a good deal of humor that made me smile. For a light fiction romance this is a fun read. It is good for young adult and clean romance. 
Five stars.

"I received this book from BookLook Bloggers for free in exchange for an honest review."












Summer's List Review



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About the Book
Life hadn’t been easy for Summer Snow. In acts of selflessness—caring for her ailing parents and running her grandmother’s bookstore—she had forfeited her youth and dreams for the needs of others. And the only tries she had at love… didn’t turn out. She had the bookstore, she had her beloved granny, but she was missing something—or someone.

Opportunity strikes when Granny sends Summer on an unexpected adventure with one Martin Langtree, a kind but gangly young man from Summer’s past. A childhood friendship is rekindled, a romance is sparked, and mysteries are solved in one magical Texas summer. Will Summer strike out on love again, or will things finally go her way'

With lovable characters and surprising twists, Summer’s List is a simple delight.


 My Thoughts

The first part of this book intrigued me and I thought the writing style unique. After a few chapters my interest started to wear off. I wish I could say otherwise but I just couldn't get completely into the story line. I like Summer's character I just didn't like the overall plot. It was an okay read but just not my favorite. 

Three stars. 

"I received this book from Moody Publishers for free in exchange for an honest review."










Thursday, March 10, 2016

The Bee-Friendly Garden Review


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My Thoughts

This book is loaded with bee info! Not only are there beautiful pictures of flowers and bees but anything you ever needed to know about bees must be in this book. If you want to have a bee-friendly garden this book lists the best plants to grow and also the ones that bees don't like. In the back of the book I found the most helpful list of flowers to plant that work in my area. It was an interesting book and if you had a good spot to plant flowers and create a bee garden this is the book for you!!

"I received this book from Blogging for Books for free in exchange for an honest review."

Tuesday, March 1, 2016

God's Pursuit of Man Review


About the Book
Salvation is from our side a choice, from the divine side [...] a conquest of the Most High God. - A. W. Tozer
With words like these, Tozer shakes the soul. He crumbles the lies we believe and calls us to the more sure way. 
In these pages, Tozer says what it means to truly be saved. It is not merely to assent to Jesus and go on our same old way, but to be conquered by the Almighty God and invaded by his Spirit. A saved person is a transformed person. Let Tozer upend you in this moving prequel to The Pursuit of God. And being upended, may you be found standing upright in an upside-down world.


My Thoughts

To be honest, this was a difficult book to read. Mainly because there is so much jam packed in it that you read one page and need to take a break. I'm still thinking about things I read and a few I'm not sure that I agree with. I need to do some more studying on Tozer and read a bit more. I know this book is popular and a classic but it didn't draw me in as much as other books like it. 


"I received this book from MP Newsroom for free in exchange for an honest review."