Thursday, November 30, 2017

Mrs. Oswald Chambers: The Woman Behind the World's Bestselling Devotional



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 About the Book
Among Christian devotional works, My Utmost for His Highest stands head and shoulders above the rest, with more than 13 million copies sold. But most readers have no idea that Oswald Chambers's most famous work was not published until ten years after his death. The remarkable person behind its compilation and publication was his wife, Biddy. And her story of living her utmost for God's highest is one without parallel.

Bestselling novelist Michelle Ule brings Biddy's story to life as she traces her upbringing in Victorian England to her experiences in a WWI YMCA camp in Egypt. Readers will marvel at this young woman's strength as she returns to post-war Britain a destitute widow with a toddler in tow. Refusing personal payment, Biddy proceeds to publish not just My Utmost for His Highest, but also 29 other books with her husband's name on the covers. All the while she raises a child alone, provides hospitality to a never-ending stream of visitors and missionaries, and nearly loses everything in the London Blitz during WWII.

The inspiring story of a devoted woman ahead of her times will quickly become a favorite of those who love true stories of overcoming incredible odds, making a life out of nothing, and serving God's kingdom. (Goodreads)



My Thoughts

This book makes me want to re-read My Utmost For His Highest. I found this book about Mrs. Oswald Chambers to be very in depth and interesting. At times I think the author could have made it a little less textbook like because at times it was just facts upon facts. I enjoy reading biographies and this one was pretty good. I didn't know anything about either Chambers and this gave a glimpse into their lives. I enjoyed the added pictures, they added to the visual . If you like biographies you will enjoy this book. If biographies are difficult for you to read, this might not be the book for you.

Four stars.

"I received this book from Baker Books for free. All opinions are my own."










Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Never Look at the Empty Seats Book Review


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 About the Book
Few artists have left a more indelible mark on America’s musical landscape than Charlie Daniels.


Readers will experience a soft, personal side of Charlie Daniels that has never before been documented. In his own words, he presents the path from his post-depression childhood to performing for millions as one of the most successful country acts of all time and what he has learned along the way. The book also includes insights into the many musicians that orbited Charlie’s world, including Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Tammy Wynette and many more.


Charlie was officially inducted into The Country Music Hall of Fame in 2016, shortly before his 80th birthday. He now shares the inside stories, reflections, and rare personal photographs from his earliest days in the 1940s to his self-taught guitar and fiddle playing high school days of the fifties through his rise to music stardom in the seventies, eighties and beyond.


Charlie Daniels presents a life lesson for all of us regardless of profession:


“Walk on stage with a positive attitude. Your troubles are your own and are not included in the ticket price. Some nights you have more to give than others, but put it all out there every show. You're concerned with the people who showed up, not the ones who didn't. So give them a show and…Never look at the empty seats!” (Goodreads)



My Thoughts

 I didn't know a lot about Charlie Daniels but I figured this could be an entertaining book. There is a lot of humor and lot of straight forwardness and no beating around the bush. Some chapters were more interesting than others but overall the book held my interest. The chapters are short and to the point and the parts about him when he was young were the most interesting to me. Also, the chapter about Louis L'Amour was a great addition. I liked reading about him growing up in the changing times, which is why I read books like this. You can learn so many things by reading or listening to other people's stories. 

Five stars. 

"I received this book for free from BookLook. All opinions are my own."
















Tuesday, November 28, 2017

In the Middle of the Mess: A Must Read!

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About the Book

How do you turn your struggles into strengths? Beloved Bible teacher Sheila Walsh teaches readers how the daily spiritual practices of confession, meditation on God’s Word, and prayer result in fresh freedom in Christ.

In her long-awaited new book, Sheila Walsh equips women with a practical method for connecting with God’s strength in the midst of struggle. From daily frustrations that can feel like overwhelming obstacles to hard challenges that turn into rock-bottom crises, women will find the means to equip themselves for standing strong with God. Using the spiritual applications of confession, prayer, and meditation on Scripture to form a daily connection to Jesus, women will learn how to experience new joy as a child of God who is fully known, fully loved, and fully accepted.

In In the Middle of the Mess, Walsh reveals the hardened defenses that kept her from allowing God into her deepest hurts and shares how entering into a safe place with God and practicing this daily connection with him have saved her from the devil’s prowling attacks. Though we will never be completely “fixed” on earth, we are continually held by Jesus, whatever our circumstances.









My Thoughts

I have to say that this is my favorite book by Sheila! I have read a few others but this one I couldn't put down, which is saying a lot for a non-fiction book! She gets right in the grit of things and I LOVED so many things in this book. One of the main topics in the book is suicidal thoughts and Sheila puts it as how it feels like an attack of evil. Satan will do what he can to destroy you and this book is a perfect example on how God is the light and with Him you can overcome! She also writes that it can relate to many things not just suicidal thoughts. I liked how well written this book was, not overwhelming or boring. I highly recommend!!!! Five stars.


"I received this book from BookLook Bloggers for free. All opinions are my own."







Tuesday, November 21, 2017

A Prairie Girl's Faith: The Spiritual Legacy of Laura Ingalls Wilder Book Review



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 About the Book

The beloved author of the Little House books was not only one of America's great pioneer storytellers but a woman of vibrant faith.

A Prairie Girl's Faith provides the first extended, in depth discussion of the Christian faith of one of America's most beloved pioneer women--Laura Ingalls Wilder. Although the faith of the Ingalls' family pervades books in the Little House series, the more specific details of Laura's faith have never been fully explored. It took extraordinary pluck for anyone to survive the harshness of frontier life--from the heartbreak of sudden crop losses to murderous storms to unrelentling loneliness. This book reveals how in surviving, the brave Laura drew not just on her character, but found encouragement, strength, and hope in her relationship with God. (Goodreads)




My Thoughts

I was excited to see what this book was all about. I love anything Little House and have read most any book I can find about the Ingalls/Wilder family. I'll be honest in saying this book wasn't a great as I was expecting. It seemed very choppy and random in many chapters and I wasn't totally certain what the overall point of the book was. You do learn the family history in where they attended church but the reality is that we really don't know where everyone was in their faith. We can only know by their actions and what they wrote. Also, the Little House books were by no means completely accurate of their life. Many things that actually happened are completely different in the books. BUT I do think the main thing is that the books teach good morals and for children these books can show them a good example. 
Three Stars. 
"I received this book from Blogging for Books for free. All opinions are my own."











Friday, November 17, 2017

Cowboy Christmas Guardian Celebrate Lit Tour and Giveaway!

cowboy christmas guardian FB cover 2 copy



About the Book:

image1
Name of book: Cowboy Christmas Guardian
Author: Dana Mentink
Genre: Isnpy Romance Suspense

Someone is dead set on stopping Shelby Arroyo from doing her job: assessing mineral rights in a mine in gold country. But after rancher Barrett Thorn rescues her from an attack, the handsome widowed cowboy seems to feel responsible for her. That is, until he discovers she’s from the family that he’ll never forgive for his wife’s death. As the threats against Shelby escalate, cowboy honor and an unexpected attraction keep Barrett by her side, even at his own risk. And since Shelby won’t back down, Barrett must protect the brave, loyal woman he has no business falling for…a woman someone wants to kill by Christmas.
Click here to purchase your copy.

About the Author:

dana mentink
Dana Mentink is a two time American Christian Fiction Writers Carol Award winner, a Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award and a Holt Medallion winner. She is a national bestselling author of over thirty-five titles in the suspense and lighthearted romance genres. She is pleased to write for Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense, Harlequin Heartwarming and Harvest House. Besides writing, she busies herself teaching third grade. Mostly, she loves to be home with Papa Bear, Yogi, Boo Boo, a nutty terrier, a chubby box turtle and a feisty parakeet.

Guest Post from Dana Mentink

Howdy, readers! I am thrilled to be bringing you this four book Gold Country Cowboys series that takes place in an area near and dear to my heart! My family and I have enjoyed many adventures in this amazing area, from exploring gold mines, to climbing through caverns, and soaking in the incredible history. As a matter of fact, we recently enjoyed a train trip on the historic V and T Railroad which took us past abandoned mines and even some active ones where people are engaged in modern day treasure hunting. California’s Gold Country is a fascinating place filled with secret treasures. I hope you will enjoy some wild adventures with four cowboy brothers who have some secrets of their own. God bless you all!

Blog Stops

Cordially Barbara, November 16
Genesis 5020, November 16
Have A Wonderful Day, November 17
A Greater Yes, November 17
ASC Book Reviews, November 18
Splashes of Joy, November 18
Red Headed Book Lady, November 19
Remembrancy, November 19
Autism mom, November 20
Janices book reviews, November 21
Moments Dipped in Ink, November 22
New Horizon Reviews, November 23
Pause for Tales, November 24
Ashley’s Bookshelf, November 24
Cafinated Reads, November 25
Blogging With Carol, November 26
Daysong Reflections, November 26
Carpe Diem, November 27
Karen Sue Hadley, November 27
Babs Book Bistro, November 28
Bibliophile Reviews, November 28
The Power of Words, November 29

Giveaway

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In honor of her tour, Dana is giving away a copy of Cowboy Christmas Guardian in print or ebook, a horse scarf and a $25 Amazon gift card! Click the link below to enter! https://promosimple.com/ps/c0d3

 My Thoughts

I really enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. I loved the setting and the characters. The mystery and suspense was very well written for a shorter novel and held my interest. This book wasn't an overload Christmas theme, I thought adding the holiday added a sweetness to the story. Another thing I was rather surprised about was how well the author wrote emotions into her characters. I also loved the secondary characters A LOT. So needless to say, I need to read more books by this author. 

Five stars. 

"I received this book from the author for free. All opinions are my own."









 

The Crooked Path Book Review



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 About the Book
As retired physician Lettie Louw looks back upon her life, she recounts her coming of age in WWII-era South Africa in this compelling story of delayed love, loss, and reconciliation.
Lettie Louw is the daughter of the town physician in their South African village. She spends her childhood in the warm African days playing with her friends and being adored by her doting parents. When she becomes a teenager, she experiences her first taste of unrequited romantic love in the form of her best friend’s older brother, De Wet Fourie. When De Wet pursues the beautiful and wealthy Annabelle, Lettie’s dreams are crushed, and she moves to Johannesburg to pursue her studies in medicine.
Life in Johannesburg feels strange to Lettie, and the world around her is in profound upheaval as the Second World War rages. Her feelings for De Wet never waver, and Lettie is heartbroken when he marries another of her childhood friends. Lettie soon meets Marco Romanelli, an Italian immigrant, and they marry and raise two daughters, as the racial and political tensions in South Africa swirl about them.
Lettie never forgets her first love, even as the ravages of time, war, and illness play upon her life and the lives of those she loves. In their later years, Lettie and De Wet are thrown into one another’s company again, and they are given another chance at a life together. (Goodreads)





My Thoughts

I will be honest in saying that this book was really difficult for me to get into. I have read so many good things about this author that I figured I would try this story out. It moved so slow for me it was difficult to totally be into the characters and I so wanted to! I did like the setting and there were a few lines of dialogue that I thought of being superb. I wish I could say I loved this book but I just don't think it was the book for me.

Three Stars.
"I received this book from BookLook for free. All opinions are my own."
 












Thursday, November 16, 2017

Out of the Ordinary Celebrate Lit Tour and Giveaway!

out of the ordinary FB Banner copy


About the Book

out of the ordinary
Name of book: Out of the Ordinary
Author: Jen Turano
Genre: Christian historical

Release Date: November 7, 2017

“With all the charm of a Regency romance, the humor of a drawing room farce, and the swoonworthy delight of a fairy tale, Turano’s first Apart from the Crowd historical absolutely sparkles.”–Publishers Weekly on Behind the Scenes

Working as a paid companion may be quite commonplace, but Miss Gertrude Cadwalader’s eccentric employer makes her job unpredictable, to say the least. She finds herself carrying out an array of highly unusual tasks, including wearing peculiar outfits and returning items the woman pilfered. But when the wealthy Mrs. Sinclair catches Gertrude sneaking around the Sinclair yacht with some of the missing items in her possession, she immediately jumps to the wrong conclusion.
Shipping magnate Harrison Sinclair is caught in the middle of a misunderstanding between his mother and Gertrude, but he can’t help coming to his friend’s defense. Even as he hopes their friendship might become something more, Harrison is unprepared for the outlandish escapades that seem to follow the lovely, anything-but-ordinary Gertrude at every turn.
“The second installment of Turano’s Apart from the Crowd series is laugh-out-loud enjoyable. The foibles of the characters, balanced out with a light-hearted yet meaningful love story, is a true treat. . . . All of the threads are tied together in the end, even the small mysteries and side stories. It makes for a very satisfying read when the last page is turned.”–RT Book Reviews
Click here to purchase your copy!

About the Author

jen turano 
Jen Turano, author of nine books and two novellas, is a graduate of the University of Akron with a degree in clothing and textiles. She is a member of ACFW and lives in a suburb of Denver, Colorado. Visit her website at www.jenturano.com.

Q & A with Jen Turano

What Readers Want to Know from Jen

Hey Everyone! Thank you so much for stopping by today. Because I’m in the midst of a first draft, and in case you don’t know, I don’t actually care for first drafts – all those pesky blank pages, but…I’m getting off track…where was I? Oh yes, why I brought up first drafts in the first place. You see, I’m a little scattered when I’m doing a draft, and because of that, and because my mind is a scary place to visit while filling up those already-mentioned blank pages, I was having a tough time coming up with a post for Celebrate Lit. That’s why I reached out to my fabulous readers, and…here are some of the questions their inquiring minds wanted to know about me or my books. I hope you enjoy them!

Why write in the Gilded Age?

When I started writing historical romance after experimenting with other genres, I didn’t write Gilded age but Regency pieces. However, when I ran across the book “The Court of Mrs. Astor in Gilded Age New York” by Greg King, I was intrigued, and a little baffled about how it came to be that I was so unfamiliar with that riveting time in history. It’s an era where unprecedented fortunes were made at a remarkable rate, those fortunes responsible for so many scandals that I’ll have enough fodder for stories to last me for years. The antics of the members of high society are vastly intriguing, as are the fashions of the day, which is exactly why I’ve never had second thoughts about choosing to write Gilded Age romances.

How do you come up with such unusual names for your characters?

I get asked this a lot. And, contrary to popular belief, I don’t make up the names of my characters. I search through obituaries from the 1800’s, peruse books on the New York Four-Hundred (those were members of high society – chosen by Mr. Ward McAllister, the social arbiter of the day,) and I also scour old census records. I do occasionally pair a first name with a different surname so that my main characters aren’t real historic figures because that can get tricky. Not long ago, while reading through Memoirs of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: Person and Genealogical, Volume 1, I found a bit on my great-grandfather, which was cool – not that I’ll be using him, but I might have a character modeled after him at some point in time. Another interesting tidbit about choosing names is this – names only work for me if the characters decide they like the names I select for them. If they don’t like the name, they simply stop cooperating. I can’t write their stories until I choose another name. An example – I was recently going to name a heroine Georgianna – but it was like trying to write through mud. As soon as I changed her name to Myrtle, I was back in business.

What is the most ordinary thing you enjoy doing?

I love to shovel snow.

Who is responsible for your book covers? Do you choose the model/setting?

Bethany House’s design team does all of my covers, and occasionally they hire out the job to other design houses. The only input I give is when I send in a character/setting sheet, describing my heroine and listing a few scenes that I feel might be good for the background. In “Out of the Ordinary,” I suggested having Gertrude on or near a boat, and the design team then hired a model who resembled my character sketch and put her on a boat.

Which character has been the most difficult to write?

All of my characters give me trouble at some point in time, but recently, Mrs. Davenport was the character who was being incredibly difficult. For the first three edits of “Out of the Ordinary,” she was too complicated and a bit on the dark side, but after I changed her backstory, and remembered she was supposed to be eccentric, not deranged, she turned into a delightful lady, one I enjoyed writing.

What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever Googled while doing research for a book?

I don’t know if this is crazy, more on the lines of idiotic, but I once googled Gentleman’s Clubs when I was looking for an all-male club my hero would want to join. That was a definite mistake, especially since I didn’t include a very important word – historic. Well, the next thing you know, all sorts of naughty sites were flashing in front of my eyes, and to this day, I still get advertisements for singles looking for a good time and all sorts of other interesting…offers.

Have you always wanted to be a writer?

Nope, it never entered my head to pursue a career in writing, nor was I ever a person to even keep a diary or a journal. I’m pretty sure I wanted to be a movie star when I was younger, but when that didn’t pan out, I majored in fashion and spent quite a few years working for department stores. It wasn’t until my son was in third grade and we wrote a book together just for fun that I began entertaining the thought of trying to see my stories in print.

How long did it take you to break into the publishing world, and how many books did you write before that happened?

What everyone needs to understand is that publishing is a cut-throat business. I had no idea when I decided to try and get published what the competition was like, and if I had, well, I might have nipped the whole idea of getting a book into print right in the bud. But, because I knew I only wanted to go the traditional route, it soon became clear, what with all the suggestions I was getting about the work I was sending out to agents, that I needed to up my game…a lot. I experimented with quite a few different genres – middle grade, YA, contemporary women’s fiction, Regency romance, and then Gilded Age, getting really proficient with query letters in the process. It wasn’t until I started writing historical romance, though, that I really began getting requests for full manuscript. After I’d been writing for about three years, I finally signed with an agent. She never sold the book she signed on to represent, but after I wrote “A Change of Fortune,” she sold that within two months. Long story short – it took me about seven years to get published from the time I wrote my first book, and…I have seven manuscripts that will never see the light of day because they’re awful.

Is there a reason you include so many animals in your stories?

I’ve always been an animal lover, and as such, I really enjoy writing different animals into my scenes. Dogs are my favorites, followed by pigs, and most of the characteristics my animals have are traits I’ve seen in real life. Matilda, the pig in “A Match of Wits,” was inspired by a pig I used to see in New York. She was so quirky, as well as intelligent, that I knew I would have to write a pig in at least one of my stories. This current series does not have as many animals because I do want to keep my stories fresh. But, having said that, my next series finds my heroine visiting a farm, and well, I don’t know many farms that don’t have animals, especially adorable cows by the name of Buttercup that may or may not have the odd tendency of moseying into the house to eat pie whenever the urge strikes.

Last question – Have any of the crazy antics in your books been inspired by real-life events???

I seem to be a magnet for weird things happening, so…yes, quite a few of those antics were inspired by real life events. I’ll share just one since I do need to get back to that first draft. I live near Denver, and when my son was little, we used to visit the Denver Zoo. That zoo just happens to have a very large flock of peacocks – peacocks that took one look at me one day – and I must add that I wasn’t doing anything except pulling my son in a wagon, and the next thing I knew, I was being chased through the zoo by what seemed to me to be the entire flock of peacocks – all seemingly intent on trying to murder me. Funny how fast a mom can run while pulling a wagon when in fear for her life. My son thought it was fabulous fun, and bless those members of the staff who came to my rescue. They were almost successful in not laughing, and…I received a free lunch after the dastardly peacocks were chased away. That event is what inspired me to write a mad flock of peacocks in “In Good Company.”

Thank you so much for visiting me today. Hope I answered a few questions you may have about me!

All the best,

~ Jen ~

Blog Stops

Vicky sluiter, November 11
Bookworm Mama, November 11
cherylbbookblog, November 11
Book by Book, November 11
Lane Hill House, November 12
C Jane Read, November 12
The Power of Words, November 12
Smiling Book Reviews, November 13
Moments Dipped in Ink, November 13
Faithfully Bookish, November 14
Bigreadersite, November 14
Mommynificent, November 14
All 4 and About Books, November 14
Just the Write Escape, November 15
allofakindmom, November 15
Pause for Tales, November 16
D’S QUILTS & BOOKS, November 16
Neverending Stories, November 17
Have A Wonderful Day, November 17
Christian Bookaholic, November 17
A Reader’s Brain, November 18
Karen Sue Hadley, November 18
The April Journal, November 18
Cafinated Reads, November 18
Bibliophile Reviews, November 19
Blogging With Carol, November 19
Mary Hake, November 19
Baker Kella, November 20
Rachel’s Back Talk, November 20
Texas Book-aholic, November 20
Joy of Reading, November 21
Remembrancy, November 21
Splashes of Joy, November 22
amandainpa, November 22
A Greater Yes, November 23
Radiant Light, November 24

Giveaway

starbucks
To celebrate the tour, Bethany House is giving away a grand prize of Two Jen Turano Novels and a $20 Starbucks Gift Card!!
Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/4664b04914/


My Thoughts 

Jen Turano knows how to write an entertaining story line. Her characters are always fun and usually I get a few laughs while reading along. This book is all about Gertrude and her escapades. This book was a struggle for me to get into at times. The humor was a tad over the top for me but I still enjoyed this light read. If you like silly humor and have read Turano's previous novels you will probably enjoy this one. Her first book is still my favorite! 

Four stars. 

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


Monday, November 13, 2017

Alpha Omega Kutless CD Review and Giveaway!



https://www.christianbook.com/kutless/alpha-omega/pd/CD22189



About Kutless:
Since signing to BEC Recordings in 2001, Kutless has transformed from a new rock band to a staple artist in the industry that has multi-format, top-charting hits, sold millions of records and more than eight million streams. Launched by original members Jon Micah Sumrall (lead vocals) and guitarist James Mead, the band formed first as a modern rock/worship band at Warner Pacific College in Portland in 2000. Kutless has two RIAA Gold-selling albums for Strong Tower and Live from Portland. The band has had 12 No. 1 radio singles across all formats including their major hits "Strong Tower,” "What Faith Can Do" and "Carry Me To The Cross.”
After more than 15 years together and reaching fans around the world, Kutless continues to be focused on sharing the Gospel with a younger generation that is searching for answers.
“We really believe that music can make a difference in people’s lives,” shares Jon Micah Sumrall. “Music is an incredibly powerful tool that can break down walls and allow us to communicate a message of hope to people who may not listen otherwise. We are still recording and performing because we really do believe it makes a difference. We hear stories all the time from people who share with us how a concert or a song has radically impacted their life, and it’s these types of testimonies that keep us going year after year.”
In 2012, Kutless formed EOTA Ministries (End of The Age) to expand their evangelistic outreach around the globe. EOTA is the non-profit arm that aids Kutless in hosting large, free outreach concerts and events. In 2015, they partnered with other organizations to bring concerts to Kiev, Ukraine and other cities for six events - the largest of their kind in that country. The next year, Kutless returned to 11 cities in Ukraine as well as in Belarus, a communist country, where more than 100,000 heard the Gospel and over 40,000 commitments to Christ.
With their upcoming album ALPHA / OMEGA, Kutless has created a collection of rock and worship songs of both original and cover tracks that are true to who the band has been for the last 17 years. They wanted to create a project that would engage the Christian community and have the greatest impact. The songs are true to who the band is at their core - rock and worship. ALPHA / OMEGA features a new version of “Strong Tower” as well as the debut radio single “King of My Heart.”
 
My Thoughts


I am really enjoying this album by Kutless. While many of the songs I already know (they are common worship songs) there were a few that I wasn't familiar with. The songs that I did already know, they did a wonderful job in keeping it the way I had heard it. Many times people take an original song and make it sound totally different (this is a pet peeve of mine). Kutless did not do this I made me enjoy the songs even more. If you enjoy great music this is the album for you! 
  

 


GIVEAWAY!

One copy of Alpha Omega Kutless CD. 
Enter via link below. From the continental U.S. only please. 


“Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255:  “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”):  Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway.  Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.  I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post. Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway.  If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller /FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days on the same blog, you are not eligible to win.  Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again.  Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

Saturday, November 4, 2017

You're Gonna Love Me Book Review




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 About the Book

Nick's love of thrills and danger and Samantha's love of safety and security drove them apart two years ago. After her worst fears came true, can they build something new upon the ashes of the past?


Nick Chastain, a brilliant professor of fisheries and wildlife studies at Oregon State University, planned to spend spring break kayaking dangerous rapids in Colorado. But his thrill-seeking ways didn't sit well with Samantha Winters, his girlfriend of over six months. Samantha lost her father in a skiing accident years before and has been fearful ever since. Finally, one argument too many—and a host of harsh words exchanged—ended their relationship. A few weeks later, Samantha emailed an apology, but Nick never replied.


Two years later, Samantha comes to Thunder Creek, Idaho, to nurse her grandmother back to health after an accident. She is shocked when Nick walks into Gran's hospital room and even more shocked to learn that he no longer teaches at the university, a profession he loved with a passion. As Samantha and Nick get to know one another again, Samantha realizes she should use this time in Thunder Creek to evaluate her life—and her fears—and make some changes for the better. And Nick sets out to prove he has changed far more than Samantha might imagine. (Goodreads)



 My Thoughts

As per all of Hatcher's novels, this story has a wonderful setting. I really enjoyed going back to Thunder Creek and meeting new characters. I LOVED the secondary characters possibly more than the main ones, but overall this is a sweet story. I wouldn't call this book totally unique with its story line, at times it got a tad slow for me. I felt like it was similar to other books by Hatcher so I can't say this one is my all time favorite. That being said, Thunder Creek is a place I want to visit.  Fans of Robin and contemporary romance will enjoy.
Four stars. 

"I received this book from the publisher for free. All opinions are my own."












 

Thursday, November 2, 2017

How to Find Love in a Bookshop Review


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About the Book

The enchanting story of a bookshop, its grieving owner, a supportive literary community, and the extraordinary power of books to heal the heart

Nightingale Books, nestled on the main street in an idyllic little village, is a dream come true for book lovers--a cozy haven and welcoming getaway for the literary-minded locals. But owner Emilia Nightingale is struggling to keep the shop open after her beloved father's death, and the temptation to sell is getting stronger. The property developers are circling, yet Emilia's loyal customers have become like family, and she can't imagine breaking the promise she made to her father to keep the store alive.

There's Sarah, owner of the stately Peasebrook Manor, who has used the bookshop as an escape in the past few years, but it now seems there's a very specific reason for all those frequent visits. Next is roguish Jackson, who, after making a complete mess of his marriage, now looks to Emilia for advice on books for the son he misses so much. And the forever shy Thomasina, who runs a pop-up restaurant for two in her tiny cottage--she has a crush on a man she met in the cookbook section, but can hardly dream of working up the courage to admit her true feelings.

Enter the world of Nightingale Books for a serving of romance, long-held secrets, and unexpected hopes for the future--and not just within the pages on the shelves. How to Find Love in a Bookshop is the delightful story of Emilia, the unforgettable cast of customers whose lives she has touched, and the books they all cherish. (Goodreads)




My Thoughts

I don't usually give a low star rating on books but this story really disappointed me. The first part of the book was really good! The back story I enjoyed and also the bookshop itself is simply fun to imagine. All of these things were good! BUT the second part of the book really let me down. There were multiple random characters in each chapter is was difficult to keep track of who was who. With all the different story lines and the main thread continuing everything just fell flat for me. I wasn't eager to find out what happened with the characters and many things felt long and drawn out. I so wish this wasn't the case but this book hit a dead halt for me mid way and that is why I can only give it two stars.
Others might really enjoy this novel it simply wasn't for me.

Two stars.

"I received this book from Blogging for Books for free. All Opinions are my own,"