Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Forever Friday

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Author: Timothy Lewis
Pages: 288

I received this book for free from Waterbrook Multnomah publisher in exchange for an honest review.


From the back cover:

Every Friday, a postcard.
Every Friday, a love poem.
Every Friday for sixty years.

Adam Colby is just doing his job, sorting through the unsold Alexander belongings after the estate sale. He is unprepared for what he finds in an old photo album, overlooked by the bargain hounds and treasure hunters—six decades of postcards and poems from Gabe Alexander to his wife, Pearl. The mystery of the Alexanders’ love entices Adam, a man unhinged by divorce and puzzled by the depth of commitment that he finds in the unabashedly romantic cards.

Forever Friday invites you to travel back in time to the early twentieth century Texas Coastal Bend where a young couple—Gabe and Pearl Alexander—are swept up in a miraculous love. As the heartwarming, pulse-quickening story of their relationship develops through Gabe’s poems, the Alexanders reveal a new way to consider what it means to be truly devoted to each other. Could the secrets of their love affair, laid to rest twenty years ago, hold the key to one man’s future?

Review:

The story was written in two different settings. One was when Gabe and Pearl’s relationship and their story set both in the past and in the present as Pearl (aka “Huck”) was in a nursing home and dying. The other was Adam’s story as he discovered the postcards and sought to learn the story behind them. I really liked that the story jumped back and forth because rather than a passive voice of Yvette telling their Gabe and Huck’s story, it allowed you to experience their love story with them.

I loved the romance in the story and the way that Gabe was so intentional about keeping romance alive. He seemed to always be doing something sweet for Huck... He was very invested in their marriage. For a successful relationship both people have to be truly invested and "two hearts commanding love" like Gabe and Huck rather than “two hearts demanding love” like Adam and his ex-wife. They actively loved each other than were very intentional about it.

The point was made a few times in the book that part of the secret for a happy marriage was Gabe and Huck’s mutual faith in God and their constant hope for the future. This should have been the entire point of the book and while I think Timothy Lewis might have understood that this was the secret to a happy marriage, he got caught up in the romance of the story like so many of us tend to do in our own stories and our own lives. You can keep the romance alive; however, big romantic gestures are not the secret to a happy marriage. The secret to a happy marriage is a deep abiding faith in God that takes you through the hard times and a hope that a better day is coming. That faith and hope, sprinkled with big (or sometimes the small ones are best) romantic gestures keep true love alive.

I really enjoyed this book and enjoyed this story. I just think that Timothy Lewis failed to support with his story the whole point that he was trying to make. Regardless, I would read another book by this author and I would still recommend this book. 

Sunday, December 22, 2013

Distant Dreams

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Distant Dreams (Ribbons of Steel, book 1)
Author:  Judith Pella and Tracie Peterson
419 pages

A lot of the books that I review I do in cooperation with a book review program administered by the book publisher. This book I downloaded to my Kindle and it is currently offered for free on Amazon.com. I am under no obligation to review this book and this is my honest review.

From the back cover:

The year is 1835 and Carolina Adams finds herself enchanted by an unlikely suitor...the railroad. Frustrated by society's expectations upon her gender, she longs to study more masculine subjects and is thrilled when her father grants her a tutor.

James Baldwin arrives to serve as Carolina's teacher, but of more importance, he is to court Carolina's beautiful older sister, Virginia. Will expectations--and Virginia's southern charm--elicit the hoped-for proposal? Or will James and Carolina dare to acknowledge the mutual interests and feelings growing between them?

My Review:

I really disliked this book. I will usually read a novel to completion, but I seriously considered closing this book before I reached the conclusion and never re-opening it. I stopped this book part was through and read two other books before coming back to this one and then I only completed it out of stubbornness.

First, I will discuss the positive aspects of the book. I enjoyed the characters. I felt like they were well-developed and each had their own individual personality. I did, obviously, enjoy some characters more than others, but considering that I relate better to some people than others this is to be expected. Each character got the reaction from me that was intended – I didn’t like Virginia, I loved Carolina, Margaret I found difficult to connect with until she became personable, James was kind and caring and I fell in love with him myself, Joseph was kind and fatherly, etc. Great care was taken to give each character a personality unique to them.

I enjoyed the historical parts of the book. I feel like I learned a lot about the railroad and politics of the time. A lot of information was given regarding these things.

Now for the negatives…

This book was boring, boring, boring. It took WAY TOO LONG to get interesting and when it finally did, it still wasn’t gripping. At any point in time I could have walked away from this book never caring what happened to the characters. I suppose that could be considered a positive since nothing in the book ever resolved. I realize that this is the first in a series; however, the book ended without really tying up any loose ends, but it also ended in such a way that it left me with no desire to read it’s sequels. A good book, especially one with a sequel must end in such a way that you feel that your time spent reading it was worth it and are satisfied and yet there are just enough loose ends to make you really really curious about what happened next. A book should leave you longing for more because it’s just that good, not longing for more just so the story will have had a point.

I’ve heard wonderful things about Judith Pella and Tracie Peterson and I think I have read books by both of them previously. In fact, in the middle of reading this book I read one co-authored by Tracie Peterson and loved it. I was very disappointed that this book turned out better. If the sequel is ever offered for free on Amazon I’ll probably download and at least start reading it, but I wouldn’t pay a dime for it.

All Things Hidden

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Title: All Things Hidden
Author(s): Tracie Peterson and Kimberley Woodhouse
352 pages

*I received a free copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review.*

From the back cover:

Tracie Peterson and Kimberley Woodhouse Team Up to Deliver a Stunning Depression-Era Drama

Gwyn Hillerman loves being a nurse at her father's clinic on the beautiful Alaskan frontier. But family life has been rough ever since her mother left them, disdaining the uncivilized country and taking Gwyn's younger sister with her.

In Chicago, Dr. Jeremiah Vaughan finds his life suddenly turned upside down when his medical license is stripped away after an affluent patient dies. In a snowball effect, his fiance breaks their engagement. In an attempt to bury the past, Jeremiah accepts Dr. Hillerman's invitation to join his growing practice in the isolated Alaska Territory.

Gwyn and Jeremiah soon recognize a growing attraction to each other. But when rumors of Jeremiah's past begin to surface, they'll need more than love to face the threat of an uncertain future.

My Review

I really enjoyed reading this book. The characters were realistic and relatable. Gwyn struggled with feelings of abandonment and worry and fear of change and the future. Jeremiah had some baggage and the guilt that came with it that followed him to Alaska. The romance that unfolded between them wasn’t overly sentimental or superficial, but instead I found it to be fairly realistic.

The book was a historical fiction. The historical aspects of it were interesting and the characters really aided in carrying the historical part of the story along without the history being lost in the romance. There was also an element of suspense in the story that kept you on your toes a little.

All Things Hidden addressed the issue of worry and putting your faith in God to provide for all of your needs.

I struggled at first to figure out where one part of the story ended and another began; however, my ebook version had a few other issues and I feel quite certain that this had more to do with that than the writing itself. For some reason words that had f’s in the middle of them (different, sufficient, office, etc) were printed without the f’s and often without a following “i”, making it necessary to decipher some of the words. For example: Different became “dierent” and office was always “oce”. It seemed like there may have been headers introducing a setting change/ story change due to a few capital letters here and there which could have been for that purpose, but I am assuming this was an actual phrase or sentence and not just a letter or two. Like I said, I think the problem was more with the ebook edition and some problems there than with the writing itself.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story. I highly recommend it. You can pre-order the Kindle Edition at Amazon. It will be released on January 7, 2014.

Friday, December 6, 2013

Emma of Aurora: The Complete Change and Cherish Trilogy: A Clearing in the Wild, A Tendering in the Storm, A Mending at the Edge

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Author: Jane Kirkpatrick
Pages: 1170

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for free from Waterbrook Multnomah Pulbishers as part of their Blogging for Books program in exchange for an honest review.

In a time and culture where women were subservient and seen rather than heard, Emma was fiercely independent, outspoken, and opinionated. Growing up in the German communal-living colony of Bethel, Missouri under the almost autocratic leadership of Wilhelm Keil, Emma was often at odds with the way things were done. The community practiced the Diamond Rule: To make someone else’s life better than your own. Though in her youth Emma’s independence and strong-will made her do some selfish things, as she grew and matured and struggled through life’s difficulties she learned to lean on those around her and became a very generous woman.

The trilogy follows Emma Wagner Geisy from her teenage years until she was in her late 30s. It is a fictional story based on a real person. Many of the larger details that carry the story along are factual.

Throughout her life, Emma experienced adventure, love, hardship, and loss. The books take us through her journey as she goes from being fiercely independent to being dependent on the people around her and happy to be. Emma grows so much as a person and as a Christian. Life softens her rough edges, as it has a tendency of doing.

I enjoyed reading this book. I could relate to Emma and her independent streak and strong will. Emma’s independence and strong was both an asset and a liability as it led her to both good decisions and bad.

When you’re as strong-willed as Emma was and I am, life isn’t always easy. You tend to learn things the hard way and through being broken and remolded, eventually you become more pliable in the hands of God. At least that’s what happened with Emma, and I hope will happen with me. Over time Emma learned to depend on God and others and trust them more.

I liked the characters in this book. They were very well-developed and each had their own individual quirks about them that made it easy to keep them separate. The story was gripping in a way that you didn’t always like it, but also couldn’t put it down.

I would recommend this book.


Friday, March 8, 2013

Book Review: Wings of Glass

Author: Gina Holmes
Pages: 400

Disclaimer: I received this book for free from Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for an honest review.

Wings of Glass is a novel written by Gina Holmes about an abusive marriage and the woman getting the courage to leave.

Penny Carson was 17 when the handsome Trent Taylor staked his claim to her. He swept her off her feet and out of town and away from her overbearing father.

Trent is controlling and abusive and manipulative. He is an alcoholic who hits her when he's drunk and even when he isn't. He has an accident that leaves him blind and he permits Penny to go to work where she makes two good friends who help her find her wings.

Wings of Glass is written as though it is a letter to Penny's son so that he will know about his father and why Penny had to leave.


This book was personal for me. I found it very easy to relate to Penny, not just because the author did a great job of creating the character, but because I have lived in an abusive relationship.

Gina Holmes did an amazing job of dealing with two very difficult topics -- abuse and divorce.

Trent isolated Penny from friends and family, which is exactly what happens. He made her believe that she was lucky that he loved her and that she wasn't really worth it. Penny was always walking on eggshells trying to not set Trent off but at times egging him on because she wanted to have some control over when and why he hit her.

Penny, like many abused people, tried to see the best in the abuser. She loved him because she needed him and didn't see value in herself or believe in her ability to stand on her own two feet. She loved him because when he was good, he was really good... except that he wasn't. He was selfish, but slightly pleasant to be around.

Because of my own experience, this book hit really close to home. So much, in fact, that I felt like I was in Penny's mind and knowing what she was thinking and why and what would happen next... and it would happen next and it was what she was thinking.

The author very accurately portrayed the complicated relationships that are between the abuser and the victim and the emotional turmoil that it puts you through. The relationships of the victim and those who care about her were also very accurate. Often authors approach difficult topics and sugarcoat them or write about them in ways that makes them less than realistic. That wasn't the case with this book. It is realistic and not sugarcoated.

For me personally, the abuse and violence in this book did not offend me, but it's only fair to warn you that the author does write about the abuse as it was happening.... and she doesn't "tell", she "shows" you. So if that would be too difficult for you to read, you may want to skip this book.

This book also addressed the topic of whether or not divorce is ok for a Christian. The book never really stated if it was ok or not and left that part somewhat unresolved. Varying viewpoints were presented. There were those who think that divorce is never okay and there were those who encouraged Penny to divorce him because God would not want her in that situation. In the end, Trent divorced Penny and she did not have to make that decision.

Personal note:

Within a week or two, maybe less, of me ending my relationship with my abusive boyfriend, I was at a Mexican restaurant where they were doing karaoke. I decided to get up there and sing and chose Martina McBride's song "A Broken Wing". When I chose it, I chose it for the vocal range and the fact that I knew it by heart and liked it, not because of any personal meaning. But when I finished and looked at my dad and saw him crying I realized the significance of the song I had chosen.

In this book, Trent throws away the figurine with the glass wings and when Penny pulls it out of the trash, the wings were broken. Often it's not just a matter of unbinding your feet and being free of the abusive relationship. You can leave, yes, but you are still broken and it takes time to heal. The healing process is long and difficult. My wings were broken and I still flew and as I did I gained strength and healing that can only come from God alone... but I had to trust Him enough to walk away.

With a broken wing, She still sings,
She keeps an eye on the sky
With a broken wing, She carries her dreams,
Man you outta see her fly
(Martina McBride, A Broken Wing)

If you are in an abusive relationship please seek help. Not all abuse is physical, but it is still abuse and you deserve better. Get out. Please. Contact a counselor or pastor or trusted friend who can help you find your wings.

National Domestic Violence Hotline
1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
1-800-787-3224
www.thehotline.org

You can purchase this book at Amazon.

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Book Review: Sparkly Green Earrings

Author: Melanie Shankle, from The Big Mama Blog
Publisher: Tyndale House
Pages: 240

Sparkly Green Earrings is a memoir written by my favorite blogger, Melanie Shankle, author of the Big Mama Blog. I started reading Melanie's blog around 2008, but eventually went back and read every post she ever wrote.

Much of Sparkly Green Earrings, was familiar to me from reading her blog. However, it was worth reading because she added life lessons and spiritual depth to what might just be a funny story on her blog. Everyday that she posts on her blog I look forward to pulling it up on my computer and reading.

Though I don't know Melanie personally, I have read her blog long enough to know her voice. She wrote her book in the same flippant and entertaining style that she writes her blogs, staying true to her voice and who she is. She is well-versed in pop culture and can always manage to squeeze in a line or two from a favorite song ("well-versed"... get it?) or reference something that has recently happened. (By the way, that was a Melanie-style sentence right there, just in case you needed an example.)

I laughed, cried, my ovaries ached while reading Sparkly Green Earrings.

After talking about the birth of Caroline and the moment she was placed in her arms, Melanie writes, "...like I was looking straight into the face of God. A God who had just blessed us with more than we ever could have imagined."

Prior to this, Melanie had talked about her miscarraige.

She continued, "How amazing that he brings life this way. Through pain and hurt and the ugly things inside us we try to keep hidden away. The things we don't talk about. In that moment, as I looked at my little girl lying in my arms, I realized this whole process was such a striking picture of how Christ works in us. He takes our disappointments, rejections, and hard times, and he makes something beautiful. He creates life and shows us what beauty looks like in places where we look and see nothing.

He blesses us beyond our imaginations, in spite of all the broken roads we've walked. In fact, maybe he blesses us so lavishly because of all the broken roads we've traveled. As if to remind us that he sees us -- really sees us -- not just for who we are at any given moment, but for what we could be one day" (page 46, emphasis mine).

That one had me on my way to an ugly cry, as Melanie calls it. Though I'm not a mother, I am a woman. I am a human. I have disappointments and rejections, and hard times... and I know that God blesses me lavishly. He sees me, not just for the wretched sinner that I am, but for the person he created me to be.

In Chapter 14, Melanie talks about stepping out in faith and leaving her job to be a stay-at-home mom to Caroline. She looks back at times when God has led and how he has always been faithful to her. I can 100% relate to the struggle of knowing that God has been faithful, but being faithless myself at times. But it's amazing how when we exercise that faith, God blesses beyond our wildest imaginations.

As much as this book is about motherhood, it is so much more. This book isn't about Caroline or Melanie. At its core, this book is about learning to trust a God who is bigger than we are. For Melanie, God is teaching her to let go and let him be God through the experience of being Caroline's mother.

In her last chapter, Melanie quotes something that a guest speaker said one mother's day at her church: "When we loosen our grip, he tightens his." That is the essence of Sparkly Green Earrings. It is also what the Christian walk is about -- loosening our grip, and being, to borrow a line from Max Lucado, "in the grip of grace."

There are people who we meet, and people that we may never meet who impact our lives in ways that may never realize until we all get to Heaven and start chatting. Melanie is one of those people who has impacted my life without me having ever met her. I see so much of myself in her. She is real and transparent in her book about some of her insecurities that God is working with her on... and I have those same insecurities at times. Like Melanie, I am an introvert and I have a plan for the way things should be, but just like she is learning, I am learning that God sometimes has other plans. And even if he has other plans, we can ALWAYS guarantee that they are better than ours.

Through reading The Big Mama Blog, and now Melanie's book, Sparkly Green Earrings, I have come to know and understand myself better and trust that I will be a better mother one day for having "known" Melanie. I have always wanted a large family, but because of Melanie I have actually considered that God may only have plans for me to have one child... and that's okay. That would never have been okay with me before. Because of Melanie, I've realized that even now when I don't have children, that it's okay if I feel that it's necessary to sit in a closet ALONE and cry if necessary... or go to my bedroom to get away from people for a while. Because Melanie is so real and so honest about who she is, I have been able to see myself in her and come to know and understand who I am and what I need to function at my best.

If you want to laugh or cry or understand God a little better, I highly recommend Sparkly Green Earrings. And for your daily dose, check out The Big Mama Blog.

You can purchase Sparkly Green Earrings (click the link to go to her webpage about the book) at Barnes & Noble or Lifeway or purchase it online at Amazon. I'm sure it's available in lots of other places too as Sparkly Green Earrings debuted at #27 on New York Times Best Seller's list!
 

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking


Author: Susan Cain
Publisher: Broadway
Pages: 352

Disclaimer: I received this book for free through the Blogging for Books program in exchange for an honest review.

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking was a great read. Written by an introvert, Susan Cain, who was a quiet and soft-spoken lawyer on Wall Street. Susan had the ability to be a powerful negotiator, not in spite of her introversion, but because of it.

Part One: The Extrovert Ideal
Part one discusses the cultural shift from a society that valued character and integrity to one that valued personality and gregariousness.

Part Two: Your Biology, Your Self?
This section of the book explores physiological and psychological studies done concerning introversion and extroversion to discover how our temperament is an intricate part of who we are.

Part Three: Do All Cultures Have an Extrovert Ideal
This section looks at other cultures and what their “ideal” temperament is considered by society. It especially focuses on the Asian culture and the value that they place on thoughtful study and meditation rather than socialization.

Part Four: How to Love, How to Work
This is where the book brings it all home and becomes very practical by giving advice for when you should act outside your temperament and how; how to talk to members of the opposite type and the value in conversations with opposites; and how to relate to your introverted child.

As an introvert myself, I really enjoyed this book. It took me quite a while to get through, though not necessarily because it was boring. I think more because I’ve been spending my time lately on things other than reading. It was a fairly easy read, but still one that I would have to read in sections and then spend a few days ruminating over the information I had learned.

I cannot tell you how many times I have referenced this book recently in conversations with both introverts and extroverts. It has been a very valuable source of insight into my own temperament and the reasons for it. Though I had come to a point that I had learned that I was definitely introverted and that my temperament was normal and ok and a healthy part of who I am and I had learned how I function best and happiest because of my temperament, this book gave me a small push toward stepping out of my comfort zones at times as well. This book also encouraged me that there are many others out there like me and that I AM normal.

I highly recommend this book if you are an introvert, married to an introvert, the parent of an introvert, friends with an introvert, the child of an introvert… or just ever come in contact with an introvert. And considering that introverts make up approximately 1/3 of the people we know it’s safe to say that you have a few in your life.

You can purchase Quiet online at Amazon or from your favorite book store.

Friday, January 25, 2013

Book Review: Lovelier than Daylight




Title: Lovelier than Daylight
Series: The Saddler's Legacy
Pages: 358
Author: Rosslyn Elliott

Disclaimer: I received this book for free from Thomas Nelson Publishers through their BookSneeze program in exhange for an honest review.

http://www.booksneeze.com/art/_140_245_Book.725.cover.jpgSusanna, a woman of principles, is headed off to college at Otterbein College in Westerville, OH in the summer of 1875. She stops by her sister’s house to visit with her before arriving in Westerville and discovers her sister and children missing. Her sister Rachel’s alcoholic husband, George, tells Susanna that Rachel has left and taken the children to orphanages.

Susanna tries to get the children out of the orphanage to take them home with her while she searches for her sister. Her efforts in both areas are fruitless.

Johann is a brewer’s son and also writes for the German newspaper. He has an opportunity to go to New York and become a journalist. He struggles with loyalty to his father and staying in the family business and going on to pursue his own dreams and God-given talents.

When a saloon opens in the dry town of Westerville, OH, Johann and Susanna cross paths. Will Susanna be able to look past her preconceived ideas and balance righteousness and love? Will Johann make the right decision between duty and his dreams? In the hunt for her orphaned nieces and nephews and her missing children, will Susanna find them… and more?

Lovelier than Daylight is a story based on the real Westerville Wiskey War of 1875. The characters in it are based on real people from Westerville and their stories all rolled up into one.

This was a really good book! There are several other books from this author using characters in this book. I would love to read them all.

Each character was well-developed and strong… and different. It was easy to keep them separate because each had their individual personalities.

This book raises questions of real issues such as whether or not alcohol is acceptable to drink. It also presents real problems like abandoned children and the reasons their parents abandoned them. Many of the struggles that the characters faced are ones that we can all relate to in some way, such as Susanna’s stuggle with finding balance between righteousness and extending grace and trying to find the relationship between the two. Many of us can relate to Johann as he struggles to make a decision based on what he wants versus what his responsibilities are. We can relate to Rachel as she struggles with the consequences of her sin, because we have all sinned. And so many of us can admire Uncle Will and Aunt Ann and their gentle, quiet ways of standing for right but giving so much love and grace at the same time.

This was an excellent, well-written book with a fantastic storyline. I highly recommend reading this.

You can find more information or purchase the book by visiting the Thomas Nelson product page.

Sunday, January 6, 2013

yum!!!

I was doing SO great this past summer eating a vegan diet. I felt good physically which helped me feel better emotionally/ mentally. I was loosing weight, which always makes a girl feel better about herself (unless you're one of those rare birds that needs to GAIN weight). Then I fell off that wagon.

So I decided that after the holidays it was time to reset my body and restart my healthy eating. I decided that I would do this by having a diet consisting mostly of smoothies for a week or so, just to make sure I'm getting a LOT of fruits and vegetables and all the vitamins that come with those. I knew it would give me a boost of energy, kickstart my diet, and also to help eliminate cravings.

When I make a smoothie, it usually is an entire pitcherful, so... about a quart. If I don't drink all of it, I put it in the fridge for later. I don't know how it would taste the next day, because they've never lasted that long.

The one I made this morning was so delicious that I just HAD to share it with you. I wish I could pass you my cup right now to let you have a taste... except ew. Germs.

Green Pineapple Smoothie

1 can of pineapple
2 small ripe bananas
1/4-1/2 cup oatmeal
1 small handful of kale
1 small handful of spinach
1 dash cinnamon
1 splash vanilla

Drain pineapple, but reserve the juice. Put everything in the blender and blend until smooth. Add pineapple juice as needed.

I had some frozen pineapple so I tossed a few pieces in my blender instead of ice, just to make my smoothie cold. You can use ice if you want.

This was truly delicious and VERY sweet. Almost too sweet. If I were to make it again, I would use less banana (or a less ripe banana).  I just have a plain Jane blender, but I let it run for quite a while (5 minutes?) until my smoothie was completely smooth.

Servings: 2
Calories: 285
Fat: 1.8 grams
Protein: 4.3 grams

Saturday, January 5, 2013

Book Review: Waiting for Morning

http://booksneeze.com/art/_140_245_Book.757.cover.jpgTitle: Waiting for Morning
Series: Brides of Last Chance Ranch
Book Number: 2
Author: Margaret Brownley

Summary:

Molly is no stranger to sorrow. She lost both her mother and father and is the only one left to care for her crippled brother. She maybe the one who was responsible for his accident and subsequent injuries as a child, but now she is the one responsible for his well-being. After narrowly rescuing him from the fire that destroyed their home and almost all of their belongings, she responded to ad for an heiress to a ranch in Cactus Patch, AZ. Should she be made heiress she must sign a contract agreeing to never marry. It seems like a dream come true -- provide a home for Donny and having the means by which to care for him. The little thing about marriage was no big deal since no man would ever want a woman with a crippled brother that required her constant attention.

And like any good book, things never go as the characters think they're going to go...

Dr. Caleb Fairbanks thinks he can help Donny, but Molly is skeptical. Her brother has seen a lot of kooky doctors. Can Molly trust Caleb with her brother... and her heart?

Reaction:

I LOVED this book. The characters were well-developed. Molly was sweet and kind and unselfish and strong. She struggled with real problems that each of us face. Caleb was kind and funny and interesting and patient. Patience is something Molly has a hard time with so Caleb's character balanced her. The other characters in the book weren't just names thrown in for filler, but truly well-developed supporting characters. From Aunt Bessy to Eleanor to Jimmy to Rosita, each character had a personality and I could picture them in my mind as I read the story.

This book was well-written and interesting and predictable but not too much. I wish I had another book in this series to read right now!

Where to purchase:
Thomas Nelson Publishers
Amazon.com
or your favorite Christian bookstore

*I received this book for free from Thomas Nelson Publishers in exchange for an honest review*


I review for BookSneeze®