Life, Love and Books

  Letters From My Sister                                  by Valerie Fraser Luesse This is the first book I have read by Valerie Fraser Luesse, the title drew me in and I was hooked from page one. This is one book I would recommend to anyone who loves to read an historical read.  As we open the book we meet the Bullock sisters Emmy and Callie who live a very rich and fulfilled life. One day their lives are turned upside down, when their family opens their home up to the granddaughter of one of their servants. Lily McGee was born with an exotic beauty and has a secret of her own she is trying to protect; her unborn baby.  Shortly after Lily has her little girl, terror visits the Bullock household and Callie suffers from short memory loss. The only image she can remember is an image of her sister Emmy standing on the riverbank holding Lilys baby girl in her arms. Having to take the steps to...

A Lady in Attendance By Rachel Fordham In the latest book by Rachel Fordham when venture into the life of a young lady who has recently been released from a State reformatory. Hazel has finally found a job as the lady in attendance for the local dentist on the little town she has settled in. Her job comes with more than just an income, she finds a friend in the very quiet dentist. Dr Gilbert Watts was just looking for an assistant to help him in his practice. What he did not realize was this redheaded beauty was going to draw him out of his shell with her chatter each day they worked together.  As the days go by their friendship grows, Hazel realizes she needs to be open and tells Gilbert her secret. Gilbert and her friends band together to find the truth behind the lies that sent Hazel to the reformatory. Their quest to find the truth also has Hazel facing her past straight on. When she thought she would not be wanted she was welcomed with  open arms by those she had left beh...

Woman of Sunlight by Mary Connealy It is always a delight to read another book by Mary Connealy, she writes stories that capture us and will not let us go . Her latest series Brides of Hope Mountain does not disappoint us. In the second installment to the series, we find Ilsa Nordegren getting stir crazy after a long recovery from an illness. The Warden family had blown into the sisters lives turning their quiet oasis into a uproar. But what the sisters never thought they would find was love. , Mitch returned home a rich man looking to reunite with his family, but he finds the family homestead abandoned. When he finally locates his family up in the mountains, to his surprise he finds they have found sanctuary with three sisters. The youngest sister black haired  Ilsa catches his eye and intrigues him.   When the danger follows Mitch up into the mountains, he has to face the truth that he needs to find whoever has a price on ...

Claim Your Crown by Tarah-Lynn Saint-Elien Young Women in todays society are living in a world that teaches them to be dissatisfied with their body image. Society's standards say that we need to look, act or be a certain way and at times it is a double standard. Deep down inside they are longing for more then what is offered by the people around them.  In this book we meet a beautiful young lady who has faced some insecurities of her own and has overcome them. By using her deep insight on the many subjects that touch young women today, she brings some new light to each of these that helps us to understand it better.  By dismantling lies and myths that have been fed to us by society, Tarah helps us to see the truth that our heavenly Father. By bringing us to a better understanding of how He loves us so much that He longs to bestow a crown on each of our beautiful heads. I would recommend this book to all young women to read!! "I voluntarily ...

. Always Look Twice by Elizabeth Goddard In the second installment to the Uncommon Justice series, we return to the wilderness of Jackson Hole, Wyoming.  It opens with a bear, a camera and a eyewitness to a murder! Harper Reynolds is on a sabbatical from her job, when in the midst of getting a award worthy shot  movement catches her eye. Now she is running from the killer that she just witnessed shooting a unknown woman. Heath McCade is now a reserve sheriff deputy in his home county, but he did not expect to have a witness fall right into his path. While he is out with a wilderness group from his ranch retreat;  something catches his attention in the woods. His dear childhood friend, Harper; was back in his life as fast as she had disappeared years before. Harper is devastated to hear that all the evidence of  the crime that she has witnessed has  disappeared. Now she is determined to ...

More Than Words Can Say by Karen Witemeyer In the second book of the Patchwork Family series, by Karen Witemeyer; we follow Zacharias Hamilton to Honey Grove. It is here we meet the heroine Abigail  Kemp, who is fighting to save her family business from being closed by the town. Seeing no way out, she makes a decision  to marry the most eligible bachelor in Honey Grove. With a contract in hand she sets out to propose to Zacharias.  The bakery has been a favorite place for Zacharias to go get his favorite breakfast bun. It also was a treat for him to be served by the pretty baker that made them. But he has no plans toward settling  down anytime soon. When faced with the  dilemma, he makes the choice to accept Abigail's proposal to have a marriage of convenience. What they both did not count on was the attraction that starts to brew between them.  Something I love about this book is the heroine is a curvy girl, who feels no ...

Breaking the Power of Negative Words by Mary C. Busha Growing up I have always heard the old adage " Sticks and Stones may break my bones, but words will not ever hurt me". In my experience words have been very harming to me and the ones I love.  Other times words have been used to encourage me or have been brought together to entertain us. This book helps us to turn around the negative words that have been spoken over our lives and find healing in positive words.  Mary C. Busha gives us steps toward finding healing from the barrage of negative words that have built up in our lives. She also gives us accounts of other people who have struggled and overcome the negativity in their own lives. At the end of each chapter, there is questions to answer that help you apply the concepts to your life.  I would recommend this book to anyone dealing with the negative words that have harmed us from childhood to present. Healing is obtainable, we...

The Girl's Guide to Conquering Life Erica & Jonathan Catherman This book is a must have for girls of all ages, if there is something you want to learn how to do this book will give you simple instructions. From how to change the tire to applying for a job, this book has 100 skills that help to thrive i n life.  Growing up I would have loved to have had a book like this to guide me thru the skills that I never was taught. Even now as an adult, I will be using this book to guide me to learn new skills, maybe even get a dream job. I will also be sharing this book with young women in my life as they seek to conquering life. As a mentor of young women myself, I have ran into moments where I did not know how to teach certain skills, ones that I did not know. I see this book as a blessing that is going to touch alot of young women's lives.  I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by Tyndale Blog Network. A favorable review was not required....

He Calls You Beautiful  "Hearing the Voice of Jesus in the Song Of Songs" by Dee Brestin "I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine" a Quote from Song of Solomon. This Quote comes from one of the most misunderstood books of the bible. It seems it gets overlooked by so many in the church. Dee Brestin takes the time to break this book down to help us understand it. God wrote us a love song that shows us how much love He has for us as His children.  I love that she takes the chapter and breaks it down to where we can understand it. It does not matter if we are single, married or widowed, we are all alike in God's eyes. One of His Beloved!!!   This book can be used as an in depth bible study in a group setting or alone. I would recommend this book for all women to read.  I received a complimentary copy of this book from Blogging For Books and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*

Beauty Begins:  Making Peace with Your Reflection by Chris Shook and Megan Shook Alpha A Mother and daughter team bring to us a fresh look at the struggle girls and women are facing today. Diving into a very hard topic that bombards us everywhere from billboards to magazines in the grocery store checkout line. Exploring the origins of true beauty, while challenging all women to trade the pressure to meet a certain perfect look, for what God has provided for us in perfect love.  Our culture has taken a precious thing and created it into an obsession that has made us into objects more than humans. It does not matter where we turn we face images that feed us that beauty is all about looks. I, myself have struggled with this issue to the point I could not see the truth in the mirror.  The mother and daughter team share from their life experiences and struggles with body image and appearance. Drawing from what they have been thru they give us ...

Shine like the Dawn by Carrie Turansky Carrie Turansky brings us a very beautiful story that is set in time of  Edwardian Northern  England, Margaret Lounsbury life was uprooted four years ago when tragedy struck in the form of a boating accident taking the lives of her parents and older sister. Her grandmother took in Margaret and her younger sister providing them with a roof over their head and food on the table. Their days are spent with Margaret working in her grandmothers Millinery Shop, while she helps to raise her younger sister. Even though she is willing to do anything to protect her sister, her heart still weighs heavy with the loss of her parents and sister.  When Nathaniel Harcourt receives news from his stepmother telling him of his father's illness. He returns  back home to Morningside Manor in time to say his last goodbyes to his father. Now he is the heir to the partial control of his father's engineering company and the duty of repaying ...

Another Day, Another Dali Sandra Orchard In the second Serena Jones mystery, Serena continues her pursuit on finding the truth out about the murder of her grandfather. When her grandmother asks her help with a friends missing painting, Serena finds herself mixed up into two investigations. The deeper she gets in the investigations the more danger she faces. Sandra Orchard takes art and mixes it up with a mystery. As a mystery lover I fell in love with this series from the first page to the last page of this book. I can't wait to see what Serena is going to get into next and which guy will she chose the super or the FBI guy.  

Where Two Hearts Meet by Liz Johnson Return to the beautiful Prince Edward Island in the newest arrival from Liz Johnson. We briefly met Caden Holt in the first book of the series as the baker at her fathers shop. Now we find her in the position of executive chef at the Red Door Inn. Being able to do the her favorite thing in life, baking and making meals for others. When word comes that a travel writer is coming to visit the Inn, Caden is placed into a position she does not want. Her boss is concerned about the lack of profit coming in and the promise of a travel writer brings hope in their dire situation. Caden is their best hope at entertaining the writer and showing him the sights while selling the red door inn as a choice for a travel site. Liz Johnson has written another delightful read based on the Prince Edward Island; also the home to the Anne of Green Gables series. I love getting to read about a different area then where I live. Caden reminds me of myself, wan...

Really Bad Girls of the Bible More Lessons from Less-than Perfect Women by Liz Curtis Higgs She did it again, Liz Curtis Higgs has taken the bad girls of the Bible and brought them to life in her latest book. We are introduced to some very overlooked women in the Bible, Jael, Medium of En-dor, Athalia and Herodias. Also some women that touched lives thru the things they did, Bathsheba, Tamar, the Adulteress and the Bleeding Woman. Each of these women did things that were bad or something that was considered bad in that time period in the case of the Bleeding Woman. Each chapter highlights one of these womens stories and at the end it gives us insight that we can learn from each of these women. I loved reading Slightly Bad Girls of the Bible, so when I got the chance to review this book I jumped at it. Liz does an amazing job of taking the stories of the women in the Bible and bringing them to life for us 20th century women. I would recommend this book to anyone as a study...

Honor Redeemed by Christine Johnson  In the second book in the Keys of the Promise series, we meet Prosperity Jones. Two years ago she stood waving farewell to her beloved David as he headed to the faraway Key West. Now faced with no family to care for her, Prosperity travels to find the one person that can provide for her. When she arrives in Key West, only to find out that her dear fiance has married another woman. With her heart broken in many pieces, Prosperity chooses to push forward and find another way to provide for herself. When she gain the interest of a older Doctor, Prosperity starts to finally feel like she is going to be able to find hope in her life. David's choices in life have had consequences, ones that have caused heartache not just to himself and the one love of his life. Being the man he is, he chose to make things right and now life has another twist for him.  Christine Johnson has written a fast moving love story that will...

Every Bride has Her Day Today is a special day for me, it is my wedding anniversary. On this day a very rainy afternoon my hubby and I stood in front of our beloved family and friends to say I do. The months that led up to that day, was a struggle for both of us. We had so many telling us how we should plan our special day, where we should have it at and what to wear for the day. When it came down to it, we planned a wedding that was us; as a couple. A Old Fashioned Campmeeting Wedding theme, that took place at a special place for my family.  Here is a few pics from my very special day!! Calming the brides nerves!! We chose a location that we both loved, a campmeeting grounds near where my parents grew up at and my grandmother took all of the grandkids too. It made it even more special that my dad was able to be there and walk me down the aisle. We chose a simple setting with not much decorations, but a look that played up our love of Count...

Land of Silence by Tessa Afshar  This story is so beautifully written and touched my heart as a daughter of Christ. I have always known of the verse that speaks of the woman with a problem with bleeding. This book dives deep into the life story behind the women who got a short notation in the New Testament. My heart broke as I read this story of a woman who was broken and lost. The moment that she finds healing brought a rush of relief and peace that flooded my soul. Elianna is a young girl whose life has been touched with sorrow. When the loss of her little brother affects the whole family, when another tragedy hits the family.  Elianna has to step up to take over the family business, while caring for her family.  With her talent for design she draws more business to her father's textile trade. Still longing for the forgiveness that she seems to be not able to find, her world seems to just unravel in front of her. Choosing to sever the one tie ...

Meet the New You by Elisa Pulliam We as women are always looking for ways to make ourselves better, by re-evaluating everything about our lives. This book empowers us to take charge of our own life transformation by engaging in a deeper relationship with God. Broken down into a 21 day plan it gives us new and fresh attitudes with focused habits to give us a real life change. Elise uses real life stories, biblical applications , personalty assessments, thought provoking questions combined with life coaching principals to bring us to a real life change.  If you are looking for to change in youtr life this is a book for you!!!  Taking time to read a chapter a day is a way to take a big step toward becoming the new you!! This book was given to me for free by blogging for books!!

My Dating Journey: Meeting My Hubby  I did not start dating till I was twenty years old, my first date was with a guy that I had met thru a mutual friend. I truly enjoyed going out on the date with this guy, but we did not hit it off very well. I was told by the mutual friend that I talked to much. It was a year before I went on another date with a guy that my boss had wanted me to meet. He was interesting, but he did not like that I was focused on volunteering as an EMT/FF. I even went on a few blind dates, each of them ended up not calling me back. One of my rules for dating was I only went out once with the guy and if I did not feel a connection with him I did not go out with him again. I struggled with being single and not having someone to be with. I dedicated myself to volunteering with my local fire and EMS company. Also I spent my weekends volunteering at a dirt racetrack with our ambulance. It was not till I was 30 did I meet the guy that would sweep me off my ...

Change of Heart by Courtney Walsh Evelyn Brandt's life has been carefully constructed for her from the time she married her husband. One day her life is thrown into chaos when the FBI crashes her society lunch with the news of her husband being arrested for an embezzlement. She soon realizes that everything she thought he was, was truly the opposite of the man she thought she fell in love with. Choosing to walk away from the facade of a life, Evelyn withdraws from everyone and everything around her. The Valentine Volunteers  are not willing to allow one of their own to wither away and become a loner. Teaming up they make big plans to use Evelyn's long forgotten talent to re renovate the iconic lamppost hearts. By doing so Evelyn will be forced to work closely with her Ex-husband's best friend Trevor Whitney. Although Trevor has came to her rescue and offered her a place of refuge; his uneasiness to be a...