The Man He Never Was

There is only one novel of James L. Rubart's I haven't read and I will correct that very soon. However to understand his style of writing, it is not going to be something you can easily figure out like most novels. Most of his take the reader on a journey that may have not been expecting and with that I believe comes a greater understanding that we share similar qualities with the characters he pens to life in his novels.

The Man He Never Was is exactly like that. You have the main character Toren Daniels who mysteriously wakes up in a hotel room with no recollection of why he is there. He believed he went bed beside his wife in his own home, but that is not what has happened, nor will he like what he is about to discover. Eight months of his life have completely vanished without a trace. He has no memory other than the rage he used to have to contend with is no longer present in his life, leaving his with a calming peace in places where only there used to be burning rage and anger. His only clue is a mysterious package that arrives, telling him that the anger that has robbed him not only of his chance with the NFL but also with his family.

He vaguely remembers that anger as it seems that he is looking outside of the former person he was and all he knows from those he talks with is he apparently wrote a suicide note, and vanished into thin air, leaving people to believe he followed through on his threat. Even his wife and children have moved on and his wife is now in love with someone else. Through vague recollections and pieces of what might have occurred he struggles to get back what he has lost, without losing himself to the former man he was. Using the examples of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, along with the Hulk, Toren believes he may have been experimented on, giving some kind of mind altering drink but as he feels that peace and contentment slipping away, he knows he is running out of time and the dark beast within is threatening to become unleashed again.

I received The Man He Never Was by James L. Rubart compliments of TLC Book Tours and Thomas Nelson Publishers. There are so many spins in this novel that unless you are familiar with James' work you might just get lost before you settle in and wait for the outcome. Most often than we'd like to admit, there is a bit of darkness in all of us. Some can make peace with it while keeping it under control and there are others that allow it to dominate the person they become and in the process are lost like children who can't find their way home. "Henry Jekyll says that he and every other man and woman is not truly one, but truly two, and he sees the human soul as the ultimate battleground of our lives - one part of us an angel and the other a demon, both struggling for mastery and destruction of the other." You'll have to see what you get from this when you finish, but for me, another well done masterpiece. There is even a reader's discussion guide included which would make this a great novel for book clubs. For me, another well deserved 5 out of 5 stars.

For more information about The Man He Never Was, James L. Rubart or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

The Man He Never Was by James L. Rubart

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To read more reviews on The Man He Never Was, please visit TLC Book Tour page. 

The View From Rainshadow Bay

Just read the first two pages.

If you can manage to put the novel down after that and decide you have other things to do instead, I would have to check to see if you are still breathing. Of course, for me, I didn't realize I was holding my breath as I read those first two pages. What begins as a full adrenaline rush with the prologue beginning of The View From Rainshadow Bay, the latest novel from Colleen Coble in her Lavender Tides Series. She is truly one talented author in her ability to jump seamlessly from one genre to another without breaking a sweat.

In what marks the beginning of a new trilogy, suspense and murder mystery fans will want to jump on this series. The books opens quickly with a murder that will connect itself into the storyline that begins with what has happened a year later. We need that to help connect the dots to what happened earlier and why that would be so relevant to the characters we meet in the novel. Shauna McDade finds herself working through the recent loss of her husband Jack in a climbing incident, and one for which she holds Zach Bannister responsible as his best friend. Now she is forced to make her way as a single parent to her five year old son, as a helicopter charter pilot, using the skills she learned in the Navy. The last thing she needs is another loss on her plate and she will do whatever she can to make ends meet financially.

But like all great novels, things are about to get messy and complicated, when her business partner is murdered and leaving behind a message that Shauna and her son are in danger as well. Of course, now is when you have to learn to release your breath again, because things have just increased to put Shauna and her son at risk while they try to uncover what it is that is causing them to both be the focal point of a murder threat. She will have to learn to trust Zach again if she hopes to keep her son alive, despite all the threats that are now beginning to appear.

I received The View From Rainshadow Bay by Colleen Coble compliments of Thomas Nelson Publishers and TLC Book Tours. I guess you could say I am hooked and I love both a complex mystery to engage my brain, because I try to piece together my own clues to figure it out before the ending of the book. The intensity between Shauna and Zach is crazy because you have Zach trying so hard to make amends for the guilt he feels for Jack's death, and he also has to win over Shauna's trust to allow him to help her, even when she is fighting against her own personal feelings towards him. Let's just say I know you will LOVE how this one all plays out in the end. Well worth all 5 out of 5 stars in this reader's opinion.

For more information about The View From Rainshadow Bay, Colleen Coble or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

The View From Rainshadow Bay by Colleen Coble

You can find Colleen Coble on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on The View From Rainshadow Bay, please visit TLC Book Tour's page. 

An Amish Christmas Love

I love reading Christmas novels during anytime throughout the year and happened upon An Amish Christmas Love, by four extremely talented authors, Beth Wiseman, Amy Clipston, Ruth Reid, and Kelly Irvin. In this delightful collection of four novella's each of the authors shares a wonderfully sweet Amish romance all tucked inside this book. This is perfect for busy readers, who can just sit down and read one at a time, and still feel like they've read a full length novel.

In Winter Kisses by Beth Wiseman, three generations of Amish women find love with the wonderful men who they rent out their rooms for a construction job nearby. All of them have various reasons for wanting to find the right man but will they all be successful in their endeavors as Christmas is coming.

The Christmas Cat by Amy Clipston finds a lonely widow as Christmas Eve approaches with no one to share the day with as she fondly remembers her husband Henry, until a wayward cat finds her home during a winter storm. With it comes changes she never expected in her life, when she realizes she is never really alone.

Snow Angels by Kelly Irvin pairs an Amish couple up with the past one of them wishes would never come back to town. Now that she is here, will those old familiar feelings from the past threaten a relationship already on rocky ground?

And finally in Home for Christmas by Ruth Reid, a young English woman returns to her Aunts home she has inherited as a winter storm approaches and finds her GPS directions have led her to enter a home she thought was her Aunts, but turns out to be a Amish father and her young daughter. But did she really take a wrong turn after all?

I received An Amish Christmas Love by Beth Wiseman, Amy Clipston, Kelly Irvin and Ruth Reid compliments of NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Publishers. Each of these wonderful stories generate a wonderful sense of love, family, faith and hope and truly feel like you've gotten 4 novels in one. I have to say my favorite one might just be the Christmas Cat, because it reminds us that while we might missing a loved one's presence here, their memories are never gone! At the conclusion of each, you will find some discussion guide questions that are wonderful for book clubs. For me, this collection really is worth all 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion.

For more information about An Amish Christmas Love, Beth Wiseman, Amy Clipston, Kelly Irvin, Ruth Reid or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

An Amish Christmas Love by Beth Wiseman, Amy Clipston, Kelly Irvin, Ruth Reid

You can find Beth Wiseman on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

You can find Amy Clipston on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

You can find Kelly Irvin on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

You can find Ruth Reid on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on An Amish Christmas Love, please visit Thomas Nelson Publisher's website. 

You're Gonna Love Me

Nick Chastain was a risk taker. There wasn't anything that he wouldn't do. From extreme sports and even the occasional dare, he never turned down an offer. He believed in living life to the fullest despite what risks there might be that something could go wrong. It was this attitude that both attracted Samantha Winters to him. They met at an accounting class and for Nick, she was his biggest challenge. They attempted to make a go at it with their relationship but with Sam's fears that one day Nick would be killed, they abruptly ended things on a bitter note.

It wasn't Sam's fault she felt this way, after watching her dad die while skiing, she knew that something life was ugly. This is why she wouldn't do anything or be with anyone who took those kinds of risks. Yet even after their breakup Sam had second thoughts and tried to reach out to Nick in hopes they might be able to work something out, but all her emails and text messages were never turned. That might be why she was more than surprised when she headed back to Idaho to care for her grandmother who was injured while horseback riding. It also gave her a much needed break working for a boss she hates, but she isn't one to quit when the going got tough. At least might give her time to put her own life in perspective.

When she saw Nick at the hospital, it definitely put things in perspective. He was the one to help her grandmother get help when he saw her fall from her horse. He is also more than surprised because Nick isn't that same guy as he was two years ago. He desperately wanted to tell Sam about the new life he was facing and the challenges that came with almost losing his life, two years ago, but it might also mean giving up on the chance to love anyone else again. If only they could find a way to resolve the past and find hope for a future.

I received You're Gonna Love Me by Robin Lee Hatcher compliments of NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Publishers. This is the second novel in the Thunder Creek series, and I absolutely LOVE the blunt honesty that comes across in this novel. Both characters are changed by something that made them face the certainty of death and it forever changed how they looked to the future. It is going to take some kindly advice from Sam's grandmother to put things in the light that they truly are. Only God knows what the future holds and to think otherwise doesn't convey that faith that they both claim to hold on to. A Discussion Guide is included at the conclusion of this book that would make this a wonderful book club selection. I give this one a 4.5 out of 5 stars in my opinion.

For more information about You're Gonna Love Me, Robin Lee Hatcher or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

You're Gonna Love Me by Robin Lee Hatcher

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To read more reviews on You're Gonna Love Me, please visit Thomas Nelson Publisher's website. 

Home All Along

Some people struggle their whole lives to find a place to call home, when in all actuality it was right in front of them the whole time. In Beth Wiseman's newest novel, Home All Along, the third in the Amish Secrets series, Charlotte Dolinsky is faced with more challenges then most. Being orphaned along with her brother Ethan, she has watched the family deteriorate around her. First her father died, then her brother, and while she struggled to maintain any sense of a relationship with her birth mother Janelle, she watched her slowly die while languishing away in a mental institution lost in her mind in a rage of madness. It would make one wonder, why she shed any tears at all at her mother's funeral. But perhaps deep inside she was mourning for a family most had and she didn't.

Even though her Amish family made her feel at home, they weren't her biological family. Daniel Byler is struggling himself with the feelings he has for Charlotte, an English woman who makes herself at home among the Amish, but still keeping a foot in the English world. He knows what implications will happen if he chooses to walk away from all he has known to follow his heart, but he is hoping that Charlotte might just want to walk away from the English world and join him. After all, it seems as if she is home already.

They didn't see all the changes coming for both of them. The new Bishop has warned Daniel that Charlotte must make a decision soon as many in the fold are beginning to question if the Bishop intends to allow them to continue as they have been, clearly having affections for one another but not equally yoked. Charlotte is introduced to a sister, Andrea, she never knew she had, when she turns up at her mother's funeral, only to remind her that she just needed to know who she was for medical issues. This makes Charlotte question what God has in mind with all this news on the same day she buries her mother. Can she find the right faith to hold onto her life and weather the storms that seem to be pressing on her at this time? Only time will tell.

I received Home All Along by Beth Wiseman compliments of Thomas Nelson Publishing and NetGalley. Oh how I have thoroughly enjoyed this entire series. It makes one realize that the Amish are just like the English in so many ways and have the same struggles we all do. The only difference is their ability to try and accept the things that happen as God's will, but it still doesn't mean it makes it easy for them to handle it well. So many other relationships are addressed as well in this novel with characters readers have met in the other novels. I especially LOVE the ideas that butterflies are rumored to be messages from heaven! I easily give this novel a 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion.

For more information about Home All Along, Beth Wiseman or where to pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Home All Along by Beth Wiseman 

You can find Beth Wiseman on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Home All Along, please visit Thomas Nelson Publisher's website. 

The Crooked Path

For fans of WWII fiction and coming of age stories that will have you rooting for your favorite characters, you might just want to check out Irma Joubert's novel, The Crooked Path. We all know that the life we dream of for our futures is often a far cry from the one we actually get to live out. For Lettie Louw, she has lived in the shadows of the girls she grew up with. One to notice the obvious differences that girls seem to intuitively understand, she sees herself as less than. Her friends, if she can call them that, are more beautiful, more smarter and just more of anything that Lettie doesn't seem to have enough of. To make matters worse it seems that all the boys she is interested in, are not interested in her or at least not in the way she hopes. So she resolves herself to spending all her time, being the best doctor she can be. After all her father hopes to hand over the reins to her once she is ready. Perhaps that is her calling for her own life.

Marco Romanelli spends his time living in Italy with his large Italian family. His story is much like Lettie's even though they live in vastly different countries, it is their own self esteem issues that get the better of both of them as the reader is introduced to what will become our two main characters and the roads that will take them to an intersection that will spell out their futures together. Like Lettie, Marco has his hearts set on a girl who may never love him as he does her. She is a Jewish girl and now that the countries are about to get embroiled into the historical aspects of WWII, we know what fate lies ahead for his heart. This will immediately garner a sympathetic desire in the heart of the reader to see these two star-crossed lovers find true love with one another in the midst of a war that will undoubtedly change both of their lives.

I received The Crooked Path by Irma Joubert compliments of Thomas Nelson Publishers and TLC Book tours. What I really loved is how the author took her time to build up the characters for the reader. It gives us an idea of what might motivate them through the novel to make the decisions they do, based on their own unique upbringing. This is what ear-marks this novel as something to be savored, not in a rush to finish. We see what affects the war will have on both of them and see what surprising events bring them together and keep them from falling apart like those around them. It gives readers an idea of how difficult life must have been just to survive WWII but to find a lasting love is truly to be treasured. I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars.

For more information about The Crooked Path, Irma Joubert or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

The Crooked Path by Irma Joubert

You can find Irma Joubert on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest books.

To read more reviews on The Crooked Path, please visit TLC's Book Tour Page. 

Know The Word KJV Study Bible

I love reading the Bible. There is so much based on historical and archaeological evidence that to question its relevance in the world today, would be a huge mistake. In fact many libraries, museums and even archaeologists reference the Bible because its accuracy can't be questioned. From the ancient civilizations founded at the beginning of the world in Mesopotamia according to our history books, evidence has been found, and continues to be found to support every single book of the Bible. Makes you wonder why there are so many wanting to keep people from reading its very contents to see what it contains. Others make a mockery of it, calling it a random library of ancient made up myths from men in the desert who rode camels. Funny how this very book is the most published book in all of history and yet it continues to change lives forever.

This will be my 4th time reading it from cover to cover and what I have found is that each time, I gain greater understanding of what it going on in my life at the time, and how I can work through it. Think of it as our book of instructions if you will to get you through life. What I have found that benefits me is reading a different version each time and following up what I don't understand with a Bible Commentary. It makes it come alive in new and exciting ways because that is the beauty of God's Word. It is a living document of our entire past and our future that awaits us all.

I have been using the Know the Word Study Bible in the King James Version during my morning reading time because it helps you understand more of what your reading in vastly different ways. You can read it book by book which is how I have been doing it, but more along the lines of the chronological way the events happened, or you can just study the Bible verse by verse or even topic by topic. I find most people gravitate to the Bible by the topic at hand in their life the most when they reference it, like a quick answer guide of sorts. The King James Version is probably one of the most accurate versions of the Bible based on its interpretations from the the Greek and Aramaic texts found within the Dead Sea Scrolls word for word. For those new to reading the Bible, this version might turn you off, because it is like reading Romeo and Juliet from Shakespeare's old English interpretation. There are a lot of thee's and thous, with might frustrate a new time reading it.

However whatever version you choose, you can find valuable insights into every version. What I love about this version is the More Insight sections you find scattered throughout. It's like having a commentary right there and also provides you with additional resources to study in the Bible that will make the topic a bit more clear to the reader. I love following references that will help me understand what I am reading a bit more. Like a sequel to the book almost! Its almost like getting a commentary all in one place. There are also great resources included in this Bible, like full color maps, which I love to use to see where these places were in the past as compared to now, a concordance, which allows you to look up specifics words like "love," or "angels," to see where in the Bible these topics are referenced. This also includes Jesus' words in red so you can separate what others say compared to the exact words He spoke. Like most Bibles, I love the hard cover format. It makes it easy to keep your notes all tucked in one place and use for note taking by having something hard to write on in church.

I received Know the Word KJV Study Bible by Thomas Nelson Publishers and Litfuse Publicity Book Tours. You can even download a sample of this Bible for your reference first by going to downloads.thomasnelson.com/KJVknowtheword. That is a great resource to use before deciding on whether this might be the type of Bible for your use. This Bible also comes with resources to enable you to receive a lifetime guarantee on this Bible. Don't let reading the Bible intimidate you, simply pray and ask God to show you what He wants you to know and you're off and running. For me this one rates a 4.5 out of 5 stars in this reader's opinion.

For more information about Know the Word KJV Study Bible, Thomas Nelson Publishers or where you can pick this Bible up today, please click on the links below:

Know the Word KJV Study Bible by Thomas Nelson Publishers. 

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To read more reviews on Know the Word KJV Study Bible, visit Litfuse Publicity's Book Tour Page.

Diving deeper into God's Word can be easy and rewarding if you break it down book by book, verse by verse, or topic by topic with the new KJV Know The Word Study Bible by Thomas Nelson. The book-by-book series of notes leads you through the main points of each book of the Bible. The verse-by-verse notes help you to dig deeper into God's Word. The topic-by-topic articles, which cover 21 theological topics, guide you through a series of insightful notes and give you a thorough biblical understanding of each topic. With the beautiful and timeless text of the KJV translation, the KJV Know the Word Study Bible offers you choices of how to study Scripture and grow in your relationship with Christ.

This fall, become a regular student of the Bible and enter to win the Kindle Fire giveaway!

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A copy of the KJV Know The Word Study Bible
• A Kindle Fire 7
• A Kindle Fire case (winner's choice)

Enter today by clicking the icon below, but hurry! The giveaway ends on October 31. The winner will be announced November 1 on the Litfuse blog.

Christmas At Carnton

It's hard to imagine that war once divide this great country. That men and women both lost those they loved when the North divided against the South. Men ill equipped to go to war went anyway and so much blood was shed on both sides of the country. For Aletta Prescott, she learned that her husband would not be returning home from the war as he had hoped and now she has learned she is about to be laid off from her job at the Chilton Textile Mill. It wasn't due to her work, but as a matter of last hired is those who would have to face the burden of no longer having a job, a ways to provide for their family and for Aletta, now seven months pregnant and with a young boy at home, she struggled to figure out how she was going to pay for their mortgage now with winter coming.

She had hoped that the bank would be understanding regarding her recent loss and now unemployment, but despite all the bank manager's assurances that they might be able to work something out, the bank's board members refused to allow her any more time. They felt they were being generous in letting her have two weeks before they foreclosed on her home. But where could they go? When she learned that the Carnton estate was looking for help in preparation for an upcoming auction to lend financial resources to help the war effort, she felt assured this would be an answer to prayer. She had to find something otherwise she didn't know what she would do or where they would go.

Jake Winston felt that his life was spared when he was shot in the shoulder, but it also allowed him to deal with the loss of his eyesight even temporarily. He would have to wear glasses now to miss seeing the sharp details a marksman like himself would need if he was to be an use of continuing in the war effort, but such was not to be the case just yet. His commanding General has asked him to travel to Carnton Estate and lend in the security of helping the women raise funds to benefit the war. It would also give him time to continue to allow his eyesight to return. But there was no winning this battle with the General. He just didn't plan on having his heart fall for a young mother due with another child and her sweet, young, impressionable son as well. He will have to maintain the respect due to her after learning she had lost her husband while trying to do as ordered, but will God have other plans in store for them all?

I received Christmas at Carnton by Tamera Alexander compliments of NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Publishers. This is such a heart warming book because it really takes the readers into the very heart of both Aletta and Jake. You can understand how difficult both the timing and the circumstances surrounding them both would be, and with time running out for them both, anxiety only increases the need to figure out the future, even if it is out of their hands for the time being. I love the generosity of Mrs. McGavock, who is the wife of the Carnton Estate in how she is with her hired staff. She keeps the respectability of her position, but treats them all like family. I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion.

For more information about Christmas at Carnton, Tamera Alexander or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Christmas at Carnton by Tamera Alexander

You can find Tamera Alexander on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest books.

To read more reviews on Christmas at Carnton, please visit Thomas Nelson Publisher's website. 

The Promise of A Letter

Could the promise of a letter really get the lives of the Raber men to change forever? Seeing as there is so much division between the two, especially when Roman, the youngest, decided to up and leave the Amish community in Birch Creek, Ohio without ever saying goodbye. No note. Nothing. Now that he's been trying to live among the English and get into college as an Engineer, he receives word that his grandmother has passed away. The one and only person who really was family to him. She died. He wasn't there. Is it possible to go home again?

Roman wasn't sure what to expect when he packed up what little he owned and headed by to Birch Creek. All he knew was that he needed to see his grandmother's grave and tell her how sorry he was for not being there for her. Perhaps things might have had a different outcome. Perhaps even today, she might still be alive. He just didn't expect to see his father while standing at her grave. He said nothing in passing. No expressions on his face. He just handed Roman a letter and walked away. It was a letter from his grandmother. One last request. That he reconcile with his brother Daniel and then he could do whatever he needed to do with his life. But Daniel got the same letter in regards to the terms of reconciling with his brother, he just never expected to see him back so soon. But it was the one thing both brothers could do was to find a way to fulfill their grandmother's request, but it might take an act of God to heal the bitterness and pain inside them both.

Leanna Chupp went against what most people might think for an Amish woman. She didn't cook. Couldn't cook. Wasn't good with sewing or any of the household tasks most would expect. In fact she left her house pretty much the way she did every single day. Bed unmade, dishes in the sink, and time to do that later. At almost six feet, she didn't look like most Amish women either, but her family loved her for what she was. Talented at anything with a motor or moving parts. Thankfully her father raised her to do what she loved and she had a great job working for Daniel Raber, until he fired her. Without explanation. She would later learn that some of the elder ladies in the community had taken to gossiping about Leanna that she was having an affair with Daniel, since the two worked to closely together at his shop and often late into the evenings. While his wife Barbara never considered it, with being pregnant and hearing the rumors herself, she began to wonder. That is just the very reason that Daniel came to the decision even though doing this would put his business far behind getting the orders fulfilled.

I received The Promise of A Letter by Kathleen Fuller compliments of Thomas Nelson Publishers and NetGalley. This is such a heartwarming novel of reconciliation and of unconditional love as the central theme. It shows us that we don't have to forget the pain, but with God's help we can move forward and let the healing begin. We don't need to understand the why's of doing it, and that is the question that Roman and Daniel are challenged with since their grandmother had passed, there was no way to ask anything of what lead to this decision to reconcile. However once the men have a chance to solve their own personal pain, can they begin to build upon the pain that pulled them apart and be honest despite the hurt it might cause to finally achieve resolution. I absolutely LOVED this novel and can't wait for what is coming next in this series from Kathleen Fuller. I give this one a 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion.

For more information about The Promise of A Letter, Kathleen Fuller or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

The Promise of A Letter by Kathleen Fuller

You can find Kathleen Fuller on Facebook to stay on top of all her latest books.

To read more reviews of The Promise of A Letter, please visit Thomas Nelson Publisher's website. 

Beneath Copper Falls

Have you ever stayed up so late at night to finish a book? Perhaps even trying everything to keep your eye open including holding them open? Well that was my summary of how I spent last night as I began Beneath Copper Falls by Colleen Coble. Just the first three pages had my interest and I knew I was in for an adrenaline rush before my night was over. And yes, even as midnight approached I knew I had to finish this one. I had to know what was going to happen, I mean who can nod off to sleep while your characters fate hung in the balance, not knowing if they were going to live or die?

Yup.

Me again.

Dana Newell was married after thinking she had found the perfect guy. But as we all know, there is no such things as the perfect guy. When all the warning sounds are going off around you, but you still believe you were meant to be. I mean she meet Garret through her brother Chris, when attending one of his military parties. They were good friends. She loved how focused on her he was never looking away and making her feel like she was the only one in the room for him. After countless threats, beatings and fearing for her life, she knew she had to escape. So she waited for her shift as a 911 operator to end, and she made her way back home to Washington, where her brother Chris was waiting for her. She knew he wouldn't let anything happen to her.

She even managed to score another job working as a 911 dispatcher and soon life would be perfect. She knew that Garret would know she went back to her hometown, but Dana felt that with so many people she knew looking out for her that she would be safe. At least until she began to see signs that Garret was back and he was going to make sure Dana would come home with him, even if it meant taking out those who stood in his way, one by one. She finds solace and comfort in Boone Carter, a former smoke jumper who was badly burned and found that true love doesn't exist. At least when his fianceè left him when she saw his face. Now he knows that no one can love him for who he really is, when all they can see is his scars. But even though Dana may not have visible scars, she still has them and soon her and Boone work together to ensure that Dana can defend herself if Garret gets too close. But will Boone become Garret's next target instead?

I received Beneath Copper Falls by Colleen Coble compliments of Thomas Nelson Publishers and TLC Book Tours. This was one of the best murder mysteries I have read because one I was engaged I never wanted to turn my back on the action jumping off of the pages. It was heart-stopping, page turning, and trying to convince my eyes to read faster so I could know how it turns out. I love the interactions between Dana and Boone and love their friendship! That so many of us focus on what we see in people without getting to truly know them, but its on the inside the counts so much more. As the years go by and we age, we better hope that what we loved about someone is more than just skin deep! I wanted so much more and now will take a trip to my local library or book store to get all the Rock Harbor series novels. This is book 6 in the series! Who knew I could love a genre as much as I did this one! 5 out of 5 stars for keeping me wide awake til I finished and wanting more!!! A Discussion Guide is included for book clubs at the conclusion of this novel.

For more information about Beneath Copper Falls, Colleen Coble or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Beneath Copper Falls by Colleen Coble

You can find Colleen Coble on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Beneath Copper Falls, please visit TLC's Book Tour page.

Ascension of Larks

I can't imagine living a life loving someone who loves you back but whom you can never truly be with. That is the life of Maggie Henry who spent her college years with her best friend Lena and Marco Firelli. A truer friendship none could find anywhere. Maggie was a talented photographer who has been gifted with the opportunity to travel all over the world showing the world what life looked like someplace else. Marco was so much like Maggie, craving the lime light of success as a budding architect who dreamed one day to have it all, a successful self made business and a wife and family. Maggie and Marco were so alike that is seemed natural that they would be a power couple, but soon it dawned on Maggie that Marco wasn't willing to settle for someone so much like himself that they would burn one another out. So he married Lena and broke Maggie's heart.

While he built a family and a business, Maggie stayed gone for as long as it would take for her heart to mend. Unfortunately it never would and soon, she found herself spending more time alone and leaving her truest friends behind. Just as she was about to finish up a photo shoot abroad, Lena calls her to tell her Marco is dead. A tragic accident that has left Lena and her three children all alone. Of course, Maggie heads back to San Juan Island to figure out just what happened and to help manage things for Lena while she struggles with her own grief. Unwilling to admit and acknowledge the death of her husband, Lena spends all her time, baking, canning and creating to keep the present day from dawning on her doorstep. Maggie knew that people needed their own way to grieve and when Lena woke up one morning, said goodbye and walked out the door, Maggie just assumed she was running errands. She never expected for Lena to attempt to take her own life driving her car into a wall hoping to put an end to the pain. Now locked away from her pain in a coma, Maggie works with Ellen, Lena's aunt to help the children deal with their grief not knowing in their mom will come back to them.

Maggie meets Daniel and man that seems intent on keeping watch over the house and family but staying far away. She learns that he is serving out a self penance of sorts as he is the man responsible for Marco's death. He believes he is doomed to spend his life trying to write all the wrongs in his own life and it will take an experience like no other for all of them to find a way back to life and for healing to finally begin. But with so many unanswered questions Maggie isn't sure what is next in her life. She imagined Marco would always be there and now she spends her own solitude dealing with the feelings she had for him and how to resolve it now possibly having to raise three children all on her own. But soon she will learn that there are more secrets to Marco's life than she ever imagined and now she will have to deal with the possibility she could have had the life she might have always dreamed of before it was snuffed out much too soon.

I received The Ascension of Larks by Rachel Linden compliments of Thomas Nelson Publishers and TLC Book Tours. In accordance with the new FTC Guidelines for blogging and endorsements, you should assume that every book reviewed here at Reviews From The Heart was provided to the reviewer by the publisher, media group or the author for free and were received, unless specified otherwise. This is such an exceptional novel once you get past the slow beginning. Trust me, hang in there it is so worth it when the novel picks up speed and gains momentum. I love the legend of the island that helps the family come to terms with their loss. "They were waiting for a sign, you see. They needed to know the soul had come back home and could now rest peacefully. The sign could be anything - a strange bird flying by the window, a whistle of wind that sounded like the deceased persons' voice. They just had to believe it was the sign they had been waiting for. Then they could go on about their lives, assured that their loved one was safely on his or her way to heaven. The sign will always come, you see, the island is full of surprises. Strange and wonderful things can happen here, things you can't explain, things that don't happen anywhere else."

This is so poignant because it deals with so many of those "what if" moments people have when they are suddenly faced with loss, even death. All those things unspoken, undone, and now they live with the regrets of a life of maybe's instead of simply moving on and accepting what is now. A skylark and their call was a song for travelers and weary pilgrims, for those who had lost their way and were longing for a place to rest. This sums up and the characters in this novel for they each needed to find their own way home and find a place to finally rest. I easily give this one a 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion. Such a beautiful and truly heartwarming story of love, loss, regret and healing.

For more information about Ascension of Larks, Rachel Linden or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Ascension of Larks by Rachel Linden 

You can find Rachel Linden on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews of Ascension of Larks, please visit TLC Book Tour's page.

A Stranger at Fellsworth

I love it when you find an absolutely charming and heart-warming series of novels that you can follow from beginning to end. A Treasure of Surrey series from Sarah E. Ladd is perfect of fans of Christian Historical Romance genres and in A Stranger at Fellsworth is the third book in series. Annabelle Thorley is at the end of her rope when she learns that her brother Thomas intends to marry her off to Mr. Bartwell in order to pay off his debts and keep the estate at which she has been living from being sold out from underneath them. In a world where women retain little and have no rights to inheritances, her only hope is to marry into a suitable family, but she isn't the slightest bit interested in Mr. Bartwell. Her brother will do whatever it takes to ensure the marriage takes place. With no other suitable options remaining Annabelle decides that leaving is the best option.

She meets Owen Locke, a gamekeeper in town when her reticule is almost stolen on the streets by a former friend who has fallen on hard times herself and in the situation, Annabelle sees a mirror image of what will happen to her if she doesn't leave home or even worse if she doesn't marry Mr. Bartwell. She makes arrangements with Owen to secure her safe coach passage to her Aunt and Uncle's home at Fellsworth, Owen's employer and puts all her hope that they will allow her to stay despite spending only a fair amount of her childhood with them. She makes a deal with her lady's maid to accompany her to Fellsworth and once there, she can start a new life for herself as well since she won't have the funds to continue to keep her.

Owen wasn't hoping to catch Annabelle in his sights when he arrived in town, but if he can make restitution through assisting her to Fellsworth and away from her brother and Mr. Bartwell, perhaps he can feel better about his own failed efforts to save his wife from being murdered. He doesn't want the same outcome for her and even goes to great lengths to ensure her safety without compromising her reputation. Her Aunt and Uncle are thrilled to have her move home, but it won't be anything close to her former life. While remaining on the Fellsworth property, she will live in the school quarters and take a job as a Junior teacher for the students that they support. Is this life worth living home for or is there something more in her future?

I received A Stranger at Fellsworth by Sarah E. Ladd compliments of TLC Book Tours and Thomas Nelson Publishers. In accordance with the new FTC Guidelines for blogging and endorsements, you should assume that every book reviewed here at Reviews From The Heart was provided to the reviewer by the publisher, media group or the author for free and were received, unless specified otherwise. I love this conclusion to the Treasures of Surrey because each of the novels can stand alone. I love the strength and courage it took Annabelle to walk away from her life of comfort without knowing what her future held. In a time in history where women had few rights, it took fortitude to put her faith on the line and hope that her former family ties might just be the future she needed. The romance between Owen and Annabelle is wonderful because it happens slowly over the time they spend with one another and the relationship Annebelle builds with Hannah, his daughter teaching her to paint. I easily give this novel a 5 out of 5 stars.

For more information about A Stranger at Fellsworth, Sarah E. Ladd or where you can pre-order a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

A Stranger at Fellsworth by Sarah E. Ladd

You can find Sarah E. Ladd on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on A Stranger at Fellsworth, please visit TLC's Book Tour Page. 

Abiding Mercy

As I sit back and reflect on the novel I just read, it is easy for me to see both sides of the story. In Abiding Mercy by Ruth Reid, the reader is taken into two very different story lines. One Amish and the other English. It is the reason why I had a difficult time placing this novel into either genre and included it in both. The novel centers around two people, Adrianna Colepepper and Faith Pinkham. They are the same person without knowing it.

Fifteen years ago, Adrianna was the subject of every parents worst nightmare. She was kidnapped by her nanny at the time, and left in the care of Amish parents at the age of 2. When the nanny dropped Adrianna off at the Pinkham's, they knew the Amish would take good care of her and wouldn't notify the police about a baby just being dropped off unexpectedly. For Irma Pinkham, she figured the mother was simply a woman who was having a difficult time with raising a baby and would be back once she had time to figure things out. Yet she never did. Irma never dreamed that this child was kidnapped from her English parents and set about raising her Amish all these years.

For Faith Pinkham, she never imagined in her wildest dreams of ever leaving her Amish faith, and even made a decision to never engage in rumspringa, a time of leaving the Amish faith and taking time to explore the English world. She decided early on, she wanted to be baptized without having any second thoughts about her life. She spent her life helping her mother run The Amish Table, a restaurant that served up Amish food in Posen, Michigan. She even began to fall in love with her best friend, Gideon Rohrer, whom at one time was going to marry her sister Olivia. But when Olivia made it apparent she was going to "jump the fence," leave the Amish faith, Gideon knew that they would never marry and instead began day by day falling in love with Faith. Just when it seems like everything is perfect, the police arrive to arrest the Pinkham's and return Adrianna to her English parents, wealthy property owners of Colepepper Hotels. But is going home as easy as anyone thought?

I received Abiding Mercy by Ruth Reid compliments of Thomas Nelson Publishers and Net Galley. In accordance with the new FTC Guidelines for blogging and endorsements, you should assume that every book reviewed here at Reviews From The Heart was provided to the reviewer by the publisher, media group or the author for free and were received, unless specified otherwise. This is such a heart-warming story to see both sides of the situation. For grieving parents who never gave up their search for their daughter only to reunite with her and realize how hard the transition would be. It's not as easy as simply coming home and thinking everything will go back to the way it was. For Faith, her entire life has been about being Amish, from her faith, to her way of living, dressing and even talking. Now all her parents want is to make up for 15 years of lost time, but it won't be as easy as they thought. There are some discussion questions at the end of this novel that would make it an excellent book club selection and for me, this one garners a solid 5 out of 5 stars. I literally inhaled it and couldn't stop until I finished it. This is the first novel in the Amish Mercies series!

For more information about Abiding Mercy, Ruth Reid or where you can pre-order this novel due out in July of 2017, please click on the links below:

Abiding Mercy by Ruth Reid

You can find Ruth Reid on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Abiding Mercy, please visit Thomas Nelson's website. 

The Noble Servant

I think there is a reason why little girls love fairy tales is because all the endings wind up with a happily ever after. And then there is Melanie Dickerson who has taken such fairy tales we have come to know and love, add a bit of Christian flair to them and make them something you would LOVE to read to your children and teens but also for yourself. After all, there is still a little girl inside of us all.

In the Noble Servant, is a bit of a twist on the princess meeting said prince, falling in love and living their own happily ever after. This time, for Lady Magdalen of Mallin, she has been waiting a long time for her prince charming and thought she might have met him once a couple years ago. But with her mother constantly reminding her of her need to marry into a wealthy family in order to save the very lives of those in her town, she believes her time has past. After all since her father's copper mines we no longer supplying the town with copper, the very people who live in Mallin are barely making ends meet. So when she receives a letter announcing the intentions of the Duke of Wolfberg's intentions to wed Magdalen, she believes her fairy tale just might come true after all. This was the very man she had feelings for a couple years ago, and believes she may have just made a lasting impression on him after all.

Only just as she is about to enter the town of Wolfberg, her servant Agnes and her father Elrich, force her to pull of the masquerade of the century by switching roles so Anges can marry the Duke instead, relying on the fact, that they only really interacted a couple of years ago. She has no other choice but to comply or they will kill her and her servant boy Lenheart, who is mute. She isn't about to risk either of their lives but believe she can find a way to tell the Duke who she really is. She just doesn't plan on Agnes putting her to work as a goose girl herding geese outside the castle. Things are about to get interesting and one I don't want to spoil by giving any more of it away.You just need to pick up this novel for yourself and see what adventures await.

I received The Noble Servant by Melanie Dickerson compliments of Thomas Nelson Publishers and Net Galley. In accordance with the new FTC Guidelines for blogging and endorsements, you should assume that every book reviewed here at Reviews From The Heart was provided to the reviewer by the publisher, media group or the author for free and were received, unless specified otherwise.  This is such a wonderful novel centered around the theme of faith and forgiveness. When it doesn't seem like prayers are going to be answered in spite of the odds against them, God comes through in the end in ways you hadn't planned. Sometimes adversity has its own rewards and for Steffan and Magdalen, they will have to fight for it every step of the way. I absolutely LOVE every single one of these novels that Melanie Dickerson has been inspired to write. These are the novels I wish my girls grew up on because they showcase a woman's inner strength and the courage she has to stand strong in the face of some terrible storms and come out of them, shining like the sun! What makes them work is the believability that this could have happened in the historical context she uses.They don't contain magic or fairies but just the goodness and courage you would expect in a Christian novel.  For this reason, I give this one a 5 out of 5 stars!

For more information about The Noble Servant, Melanie Dickerson or where to pre-order a copy of this novel due out in May of 2017, please click on the links below:

The Noble Servant by Melanie Dickerson 

You can find Melanie Dickerson on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on The Noble Servant, please visit Thomas Nelson Publisher's website. 

NKJV Woman's Study Bible

I love Bibles, and I can say I do have quite a few, but what makes a Bible truly unique for you? For me there are features that I am always looking for in any Bible I consider to use for my Bible Study or just daily readings. I love study Bibles because they contain so much back story information about any particular passage you are reading. It's like getting a commentary and a Bible all in one. So what makes Thomas Nelson's New King James Version of the Woman's Study Bible so special?

First of all, I love the New Kings James Version. It is what most pastors teach from in reading from the Bible because it is accurate in its translation from the King James Version which was found in the Dead Sea Scrolls and makes them a reliable source to reference in any of your Bible Studies. Just the box alone makes this Bible appealing. It pertains to women in each section you read. If there is some reference to a godly woman quality such as Commitment, found in the Book of Ruth. It highlights why that is so important for women that it is the very bedrock of any relationship along with other references on where you can find more notes on commitment like Matthew 16.

Just the comparisons of Ruth and the Virtuous Woman are highlighted in Ruth and cross compared to those specific traits in Proverbs 31. Her family commitment is noted by others, she provides sustenance for her household, her selfless lifestyle drew praise from others, and she committed herself to Yahweh as God. It even takes special consideration to note Orpah, the daughter in law with a wavering faith, as well as Naomi the wise mother-in-law. There is a section on Ruth the faithful Moabitess and what made her truly unique that an entire chapter was devoted to her actions while Orpah was never heard from again.

There is even a illustration of the family tree of Ruth and why it was so important in the line of David's descendants and later in Jesus Christ. We even get a description of grandparenthood when we dive further into Naomis' life as a live-in grandma and what impact that has in not only her life but in the life of Ruth and Boaz and how if that is your situation, how you can benefit from that in your own life exemplifying for your grandchildren, that forgiveness is the highest form of giving, right and wrong are defined by God's Word, and that great joy can be experienced in each day, rather than dwelling on the past or future.

I received the NKJV Woman's Study Bible by Thomas Nelson compliments of Thomas Nelson Publishers and Litfuse Publicity. In accordance with the new FTC Guidelines for blogging and endorsements, you should assume that every book reviewed here at Reviews From The Heart was provided to the reviewer by the publisher, media group or the author for free and were received, unless specified otherwise. I especially love the Large Print 11-point font format and the fact that this Bible is so wonderful to hold. It is a soft leather cover with embossed flowers on it and the best part is that it lies flat! Full color illustrations are found throughout the Bible as well as maps that highlight each chapter and show you exactly where that took place in the world. There are over 100 biblical profiles of women in the Bible as well as insightful essays by women who are experts in the fields of theology, biblical studies, archaeology and philosophy. Also included are topical index, concordance, quotes from Godly women throughout history, book introductions and outlines. This is such a beautiful Bible that would make the perfect gift to any woman in your life and would be perfect for Mother's day or Easter! I give this Bible a 5 out of 5 stars and now is my new morning devotional Bible of choice!

For more information about NKJV Woman's Study Bible or where to pick up a copy of this Bible today, please click on the links below:

NKJV Woman's Study Bible by Thomas Nelson Publishers

You can find Thomas Nelson on Facebook to stay up to date with all their newest products.

To read more reviews on the NKJV Woman's Study Bible, please visit Litfuse Publicity's book tour page.


You're invited to receive God's truth for balance, hope, and transformation in the fully revised and redesigned The NKJV Woman's Study Bible. The new edition features a beautiful, full-color redesign and poignantly reveals the Word of God with Scripture insights and the contributions of more than eighty women from a wide variety of ethnic, denominational, educational, and occupational backgrounds. Special features designed to speak to a woman's heart appear throughout the Bible text, revealing Scripture-based insights about how godly womanhood grows from a woman's identity as a Christ-follower and a child of the Kingdom.

This spring, cultivate your heart's spiritual roots and enter to win the Grow in the Word Giveaway!

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A copy of The NKJV Woman's Study Bible (winner's choice of design)
• A decorative plaque
• A rose gold Tree of Life necklace

Enter today by clicking the icon below, but hurry! The giveaway ends on April 27. The winner will be announced April 28 on the Litfuse blog.

A Stranger at Fellsworth

I love it when you find an absolutely charming and heart-warming series of novels that you can follow from beginning to end. A Treasure of Surrey series from Sarah E. Ladd is perfect of fans of Christian Historical Romance genres and in A Stranger at Fellsworth is the third book in series. Annabelle Thorley is at the end of her rope when she learns that her brother Thomas intends to marry her off to Mr. Bartwell in order to pay off his debts and keep the estate at which she has been living from being sold out from underneath them. In a world where women retain little and have no rights to inheritances, her only hope is to marry into a suitable family, but she isn't the slightest bit interested in Mr. Bartwell. Her brother will do whatever it takes to ensure the marriage takes place. With no other suitable options remaining Annabelle decides that leaving is the best option.

She meets Owen Locke, a gamekeeper in town when her reticule is almost stolen on the streets by a former friend who has fallen on hard times herself and in the situation, Annabelle sees a mirror image of what will happen to her if she doesn't leave home or even worse if she doesn't marry Mr. Bartwell. She makes arrangements with Owen to secure her safe coach passage to her Aunt and Uncle's home at Fellsworth, Owen's employer and puts all her hope that they will allow her to stay despite spending only a fair amount of her childhood with them. She makes a deal with her lady's maid to accompany her to Fellsworth and once there, she can start a new life for herself as well since she won't have the funds to continue to keep her.

Owen wasn't hoping to catch Annabelle in his sights when he arrived in town, but if he can make restitution through assisting her to Fellsworth and away from her brother and Mr. Bartwell, perhaps he can feel better about his own failed efforts to save his wife from being murdered. He doesn't want the same outcome for her and even goes to great lengths to ensure her safety without compromising her reputation. Her Aunt and Uncle are thrilled to have her move home, but it won't be anything close to her former life. While remaining on the Fellsworth property, she will live in the school quarters and take a job as a Junior teacher for the students that they support. Is this life worth living home for or is there something more in her future?

I received A Stranger at Fellsworth by Sarah E. Ladd compliments of Net Galley and Thomas Nelson Publishers.In accordance with the new FTC Guidelines for blogging and endorsements, you should assume that every book reviewed here at Reviews From The Heart was provided to the reviewer by the publisher, media group or the author for free and were received, unless specified otherwise.  I love this conclusion to the Treasures of Surrey because each of the novels can stand alone. I love the strength and courage it took Annabelle to walk away from her life of comfort without knowing what her future held. In a time in history where women had few rights, it took fortitude to put her faith on the line and hope that her former family ties might just be the future she needed. The romance between Owen and Annabelle is wonderful because it happens slowly over the time they spend with one another and the relationship Annebelle builds with Hannah, his daughter teaching her to paint. I easily give this novel a 5 out of 5 stars.

For more information about A Stranger at Fellsworth, Sarah E. Ladd or where you can pre-order a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

A Stranger at Fellsworth by Sarah E. Ladd

You can find Sarah E. Ladd on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on A Stranger at Fellsworth, please visit Thomas Nelson Publisher's website. 

The Illusionist's Apprentice

"The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes." Sherlock Holmes, The Hound of Baskervilles (1902).

Some people call it magic, others illusion, but only those on stage performing it in the limelight know the secrets that each act holds. Yet truth is the illusion we always chase and often times it is far from what we may think it is. That's the thing about secrets is that they always come up for air. They're never content to stay buried for long. For Wren Lockhart, illusion is all she has, and once it is broken, the story dies forever.

Training under one of the great magicians ever to have lived, Harry Houdini, she has acquired all his hidden secrets, and its those very secrets that some would give anything to possess. But for Wren Lockhart who lives what some might call eccentric lifestyle, trust is the one thing she can't afford to share with anyone, even if it means locking her heart away with it. She knows one thing for sure and that is secrets are best hidden in plain sight. If there is no darkness, there would be no opportunity for light to overcome it. That is the time when heroes arise.

For Agent Elliot Matthews, his job is to notice what other people don't. When an illusion in a cemetery to raise a man from the dead appears to work for a brief moment, he soon becomes his former self, a dead corpse again. Elliot knows that there is no one better to talk to about this act than those who performs illusions among the Vaudeville performers but like most, he knows that the elusive Wren Lockhart won't be easy to convince to help. It appears that she is hiding more than what the eye can see and it is that mask and the girl behind it that is worth more than what the world sees on a stage. Now if he can only convince her to help, before the body counts continue to rise.

I received The Illusionist's Apprentice by Kristy Cambron compliments of Thomas Nelson Publishers and Net Galley. While I was hoping for one kind of story just looking at the title this was something a bit different. I didn't think it was a murder mystery, but for it was an exceptional one along the lines of what Sir Arthur Conan Doyle might have written. It contains just the right elements of suspense and secrets that the reader has a hard time guessing who all is involved until the very end. I love how the chapters take the reader back and forth from the past to present times, so you can see how the current story is unfolding and how those secrets that Wren has kept locked away has helped keep certain things safe in her life. There is even a discussion guide included at the conclusion of this book along with an Author's Note that conveys what is fictional in the novel and what is historical fact. I easily give this one a 4.5 out of 5 stars in my opinion.

For more information about The Illusionist's Apprentice, Kristy Cambron or where you can pre-order a copy of this novel today that is due out in March of 2017, please click on the links below:

The Illusionist's Apprentice by Kristy Cambron

You can find Kristy Cambron on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on The Illusionist's Apprentice, please visit Thomas Nelson Publisher's website.

Some Small Magic

"Keep your eye on things that matter and don't, and learn to know the difference. Most people die every day in some way or another. It's the good ones who only die once."

If you have never read a novel from Billy Coffey, you might just be missing out on one of the most articulate southern gentlemen's artistry with words. You might even call him a true wordsmith, but that down-home humility of Mr. Coffey's is likely to make you think he doesn't recognize his own God-given gift to weave such belivability into these stories, you might forget your reading a fictional novel.

In Some Small Magic by Billy Coffey, he takes readers back to the small-town charm of Mattingly, Virginia and into the heart of a broken young boy named Abel Shifflett, who has found himself at the hands of the school principal once again on the final day of school for getting even with Chris Jones, his nemesis and school bully by feeding him what looked to be a chocolate bar, but was in fact a large dose of laxative. This would put Chris Jones as the butt of jokes to come from here on out, but one that requires that his busy momma Lisa to leave work at the diner to come fetch Abel.

Abel is considered broken by many due to a medical condition that renders his bones to be soft and subject to breakage at the slightest fall or bump. He's gotten used to it, the way people want to ignore him instead of befriending him, and that is why his only friend is a young man called Dumb Willie. He wasn't born dumb, more like his parents beat him senseless and now they are stuck dealing with him. Yet Abel and Willie share something that transcends what most don't see and that is their genuine friendship for one another, the kind that would have either of them laying down their life for the other. But now, threat comes to Abel this summer, as Chris vows to get even with him, and that is a threat that Abel has to take serious. If he were to get into a fight with Chris, who knows how badly he might be in the hospital or even worse.

When a traveling miracle man heads to Mattingly, the principal recommends that Lisa and Abel might want to see him. Miracles are promised to those the man touches and it might just be what they both need to rise above all the slights from people based on their current status in town, barely making ends meet and of course Abel being born to an unwed mother in a small town is just the kind for rumors to circulate. One thing is certain, that night will forever change the lives of every single person in town, might be for the better or might be for the worse. Just depends on whose side you might be on!

I received Some Small Magic by Billy Coffey compliments of Net Galley and Thomas Nelson Publishers. The best thing about any of Billy's novels is that you don't know what you are getting yourself into, only that is will be a remarkable and amazing ride. For me, this one was a bit of blend between Meet Joe Black and What Dreams May Come. You might not know how it plays out in the end, but you know you are forever changed somehow by this journey into the unknown. There are so many exceptional quotes from this book, I don't wonder if I have most of the book highlighted over what isn't. Well worth every single 5 out of 5 stars. "Doesn't everything and all hold its own small magic, waiting to be revealed to one who merely bends close enough to behold it?"

For more information about Some Small Magic, Billy Coffey or where you can pre-order a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Some Small Magic by Billy Coffey

You can find Billy Coffey on Facebook, to stay up to date on all his latest novels.

To read more reviews on Some Small Magic, please visit Thomas Nelson Publisher's website. 

Love Bears All Things

"Everything will be well in the end. If it's not well, it's not the end."

Such is Charlotte's motto for her life, however it seems like she doesn't take the advice to heart much. Trust seems to be something of a challenge for her, after suspecting that her boyfriend Ryan was seeing someone at work. When she got caught checking his text messages, he suggested that she see a counselor to work through her issues of trust. Not only that, but she still had memories of a girl in a purple dress and a woman in a green dress, that she couldn't remember much more than that. When she did see anyone resembling those two, she was left with anxiety that threatened to overwhelm her and convinced her that she needed to continue her treatments with her counselor.

However, she just isn't bouncing back as quickly as she had hoped. Her checks from the newspapers she edited for seemed to be delayed in coming when she needed the money the most and after three papers appeared taped to her front door, it was Ryan who told her she was being evicted. If only she can find a way to get her life back on track. After leaving Lancaster, Pennsylvania tracking down the reason her brother Ethan committed suicide and convincing the Amish living there that she was Mary Troyer, she didn't feel like she knew who she was anymore. Now with only less than 2 weeks left before she would be evicted she didn't know what she would do. Worse yet, Ryan dumped her.

Jacob shows up on her doorstep after running away from his Amish home, believing an English life is in his future. Unfortunately for Charlotte, he can't stand for long as she needs to move out. She does manage to convince him to call home and let his family know he is fine and where he is staying. Charlotte has made a friend with his sister, Hannah when she was in Lancaster before, and has promised she will do all she can to convince Jacob to return home. He left Annie Byler in the dark as to why he left and even worse, not knowing if they were to be married after all. She has a secret that only her older brother Daniel knows and it will be the one thing that will bring Jacob back home to marry her, but does she want to tell him the truth if he isn't ready to marry her on his own terms?

I received Love Bears All Things by Beth Wiseman compliments of Thomas Nelson Publishers. This is the second novel in the Amish Secrets novel, with My Brother's Keeper being the first. I can't wait to see how this will all play out and once again found some interesting Amish story lines you don't often see in most Amish novels. In this case, the desire for Jacob to stay in the English world and give up his Amish roots leaving everything he loves behind, while believing a well-meaning, wealthy man in Pittsburgh has his best interests at heart when he gives him a fresh start at life. I love that Daniel and Charlotte, both whom have dealt with love that has left them broken, finally see something more in the relationship they have been developing while working through their own family issues and I have hope, that somehow they can make an Amish/English relationship work. For me, this one rates a 4.5 out of 5 stars and there is even discussion questions included at the conclusion of this novel that makes this a perfect fit for book clubs.

For more information about Love Bears All Things, Beth Wiseman or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Love Bears All Things by Beth Wiseman

You can find Beth Wiseman on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Love Bears All Things, please visit Thomas Nelson Publisher's website.

Life is Better at the Beach

Some of life's best memories are made at the beach: the boat rides and the waterskiing, the smell of saltwater in your hair, those early-morning walks when the beach is quiet. So many memories remain vivid, even after the last laundry load is washed and summer settles into fall. Living and experiencing every moment created lasting memories of the beach. You heard, saw, smelled, tasted, and touched different things every day, and they all combined to form some of your life's best memories.

You may not be able to live at the beach 365 days a year. Your home may be in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania or the cornfields of Wisconsin. You might live in a city amidst skyscrapers and office buildings or in the suburbs of west Michigan. Wherever your home lies, even if it's not by the beach, you can still make and incorporate this ideas and memories into each and even day. That is where "Life is Better At The Beach" by Christina Vinson comes into play. This adorable and whimsical hardcover book is inspiration for living each day like you're at the beach. One of my favorite places to be of all time.

There are 15 Beach Rules and not only are they followed by wonderful beach seascapes but also with a quote or Scripture verse that applicably applies to the beach rule. Such as beach rule # 4, Look for Seashells. "If you have ever looked for seashells by the ocean, you know that the best shells aren't always visible - they're often in the water. And in order to walk home with your hands full of unique sea souvenirs, you need to get wet. Sometimes that may feel like a risk.

Getting wet doesn't always seem appealing. Perhaps it's a rainy day, or maybe you aren't dressed appropriately for the water, or maybe the water is a tad chilly. But to find something good, you need to venture in. Sure, there's a big possibility there won't be any shells when you wade in. But then again, there just might be.

This rings true over and over in life, doesn't it? The biggest opportunities may look a little daunting, whether it's introducing yourself to a new friend, applying for a new job, taking that evening class, or trying to patch up a broken relationship.

Maybe you don't feel qualified, the risk seems too big, or perhaps you're just plain shaking-in-you-flip-flops afraid. It's okay to feel those feelings. But what if giving into your fears means you miss what is perhaps the most beautiful shell you've ever seen? You won't find it scanning the edges of the water or walking on dry land. Getting wet will often feel daunting, but you may emerge with a treasure in the end." (pg 43).

I received Life Is Better At The Beach by Christina Vinson compliments of Thomas Nelson Publishers for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation, aside from a copy of the novel in exchange for my unbiased and personal evaluation. Being born and raised at the beach, my heart is always at peace whenever I hear the ocean call or smell the salty air. Peace inevitably follows. This is such a wonderful way to incorporate all those beach memories into life applications that can make your day a whole lot less stressed and enable you to remember what is important and to keep on creating those memories wherever you are. For me, this book rated a 5 out of 5 stars and I love all the ocean and beach analogies that apply to every single thing in my day.

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Life is Better at the Beach by Christina Vinson

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