If you're looking for a Christmas book filled with good cheer and happy tidings, Christmas, Present by Jacquelyn Mitchard is NOT for you. Reading the premise from the back cover promises that" a family comes together during the holiday season as they learn a powerful lesson about love and how to live each day of their lives as if it were their last." This is NOT a happy story, while there might be a message tucked inside that tomorrows are never a guarantee and that we should embrace the present as if is the only day we will ever have.
As Elliot and Laura Banner make plans for their fourteenth wedding anniversary by attending a very wonderful play that Laura has been wanting to see performed by Cirque du Soleil only to have their car break down on their way home. Laura has been dealing with a horrible headache that she feels is a migraine, although she has never had one. She begs Elliot to take her to the hospital or at least call for an ambulance because she feels something isn't quite right. After considerable stalling, Laura begs a policeman to call the ambulance for her. Elliot can sense at this point that she doesn't look right and agrees.
When they arrive at the hospital, Laura is whisked away while Elliot deals with the paperwork only to learn that despite all his efforts, Laura has had a rupture of a major artery in her brain and has only hours left to live. Even if he had called for an ambulance when she experienced her headache, it would have been too late to do anything. While the doctor believes some internet searching and calling some colleagues might yield a different result, he tells Elliot that she will continue to have seizures until she lapses into a coma and dies.
I received Christmas, Present by Jacquelyn Mitchard, compliments of William Morrow, a division of Harper Collins Publishers. I guess the intent in the writing this novel is to embrace our days even more than we do now, because we always believe there will be a tomorrow. But like the Bible reminds us, life is merely a vapor. It is gone much too soon, and then we are faced with dealing with regrets for things we never did, believing we could always do it later. I would advise, NOT reading this during Christmas as the holidays are difficult to get through without reading something not so cheerful. I had hoped it would turn out differently but it doesn't. This is not a book with a happily ever after ending, unless it is a that the family will eventually move on, dealing with their losses in their own way. For me, I'd rate this one a 4 out of 5 stars in my opinion.
For more information about Christmas, Present, Jacquelyn Mitchard, or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:
When Kathleen Morris' father received a letter informing him that he had inherited a mercantile from his brother, they were both willing to quit their new life in St. Louis and make a new start in Colorado. Never one of them was afraid of the new challenges that might face them. Since they were successful in their own store in St. Louis, it allowed them to net quite a sum so they would have something to live on until they could see the condition of the mercantile and determine what would need to be done. They would also need to find a home suitable for them both and hopefully one that would allow Kathleen to entertain gentlemen suitors that might come around.
When they arrived in Colorado, it was a drastic change than what they were used to. Dirt and dust was everywhere and there appeared to be more brothels and saloons than reputable businesses, not that they didn't exist. They were lucky that there mercantile was the only one in town. They were greeted by Martin Long, owner of the stamp mill and a very wealthy man who seemed to fancy Kathleen. Not only was she beautiful but he knew she probably came from well-to-do upbringing. She would make the perfect wife and with all of Martin's wealth, she knew he would take good care of her and her father should things go south in town.
But Kathleen wasn't willing to take any risks with her heart and found a much more charming suitor who also couldn't pass up a new face in town. While buying a hat in the mercantile, Colin McAllister was charming, humble and always willing to help out anyone in need, including one of the soiled doves who happened to take a fall just outside the mercantile's front door. Colin warned her that she would be best suited if she didn't use Blair Street to find her way home or any other place in town. A respectable lady would find more than trouble on that end of town. Now she just had to convince herself and her father that Colin seemed to have found a place in her heart she wasn't expecting quite so soon and that money and position wasn't her reasons for marriage. She wanted to marry for love.
I received Silverton: Claims on the Heart by Karen Cogan compliments of White Rose Publishing, Pelican Book Group and NetGalley. This is a short but sweet novel on marrying for love or money, and how appearances are not always what they appear. She has to wrestle with her emotions in what is best for her or what would be best for her family. Even the friends she meets in Colorado seem to think that Martin would be the logical choice for her and while Colin's career as a simple miner would not be the best thing for her or her father. I love that even though this is a shorter novel, for me, under 2 hours to finish, it doesn't feel that way. I feel like I inhaled this one since it is that good and I didn't want to put it down. For that reason this one easily garners a 5 out of 5 stars in this reader's opinion.
For more information about Silverton: Claims on the Heart, Karen Cogan or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:
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:
The one thing I love about Mandisa is her transparency and beautiful soul. I fell in love with her first as a contestant on American Idol, but then found her through my Christian music stations with her singles Stronger, that exemplified for listeners that we could find strength in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Now her latest CD, Out of the Dark is exactly her next level of connectiveness to her listeners and fans. It never dawned on me that even Christian artists can face the temptations of the enemy and find themselves feeling alone, in the dark and at the bottom of a pit with no way out. This is why I believe this CD will identify with so many. We have all been there. Some of us are still struggling and each song on this CD will connect with those emotions.
There are 18 songs on this CD with the first being a voicemail intro of some of those trying to reach out to Mandisa, who was going through her own personal struggle. "It's been 4 years since I released my last album Overcomer. The inspiration for Overcomer was my friend, Lakisha Mitchell, who was pregnant with her second child when she was first diagnosed with breast cancer. I begged God for a healthy child to be born, and for Kisha to be healed. My first prayer was answered with a resounding yes; Brennon is healthy and will be 4 this June. My second prayer didn't receive the answer I wanted or expected. Kisha had one year with Brennon and her other son BJ, and husband, Breonus, before she went home to be with Jesus. While I know that Kisha is in a better place and feels no pain, the deferred hope made my heart sick, and I spiraled into a deep depression. I ignored God, isolated myself from everyone, and turned to my old ways. I didn't go to church, didn't open my Bible, barely left my house, and after losing over 120 pounds since 2008, gained it all back and then some. Shame and insecurity weighed me down and suicidal thoughts tried to overtake me in that dark pit. Thankfully, it only takes a flicker of light to dispel the darkness. God worked through my family and friends as the literal hands and feet of Jesus." You can see her interview below:
You can read the conclusion of this story, but I feel it is more felt through the lyrics of the songs you'll find on this CD. They are powerful, life-changing and have the ability to relate to those who are experience their own time in the valley or in a pit of complete and utter darkness. Good thing is that God doesn't leave us alone to figure things out. He can use anything and everyone to get our attention and bring us back into the light where we can remain victorious and stronger! Just like Psalm 40:2-3 says, "He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what He has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord."
I received Mandisa: Out of the Dark compliments of Capital Records and Propeller LLC and FlyBy Promotions. 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 honestly believe like some of the lyrics Mandisa has compiled into her latest songs, this will bring light into those dark places. My favorites are believe it or not, her voicemail intro, because for me it brings me back to the reality of how when we are in the darkest places, we can push away everyone who comes around to help us out. Unfinished has recently topped the music charts and I especially LOVE Good News! There is even a duet with Jeremy Camp with the song My First Love, a duet with Britt Nicole in What You're Worth and even one with Toby Mac with Bleed the Same, a powerful song about uniting the racial tensions that are wrecking havoc in our communities all over the world. This by far is one of my new favorite albums of hers and look forward to seeing the lives that will be changed by those who are touched by this CD. By far this CD easily garners a solid 5 out of 5 stars!
For more information about Mandisa: Out of the Dark or where you can pick up a copy of this CD today, please click on the links below:
You can find Mandisa on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest projects.
To purchase Mandisa: Out of the Dark, please click here.
Now for the best part: Thanks to the generosity of Capital Records and FlyBy Promotions, they are offering a giveaway CD to one lucky reader! Here are the guidelines to enter this giveaway!
2. Be a resident of the US or have a US mailing address! No P.O. Boxes please!
3. Leave a comment below why you'd love to win a copy of Out of the Dark! Don't forget to include your email address so I have a way to contact you, if you're the lucky winner! You can use the words (at) and (dot) instead of the symbols.
4. Share this giveaway on your own social media sites, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and others! For each link you come back and share here as a comment, gives you another entry into the giveaway! You can even share it every single day until the giveaway ends! Let's spread the word!
The giveaway ends on Thursday, May 25, 2017. So enter as many times as you want. Just make sure that you post your shared link for each entry! We really want to help get the word out about this album out to as many social media contacts as possible! So please share away! Lives will be changed, I am sure of it. .
“Disclosure (in accordance with the
FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and
Testimonials in Advertising”):
Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize
for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and
NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the
product in exchange for this review and post.
Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway.
If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller /FlyBy
Promotions in the last 30 days on the same blog, you are not eligible to
win.
Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again.
Winner is subject to eligibility verification."
"One way to describe it is a longing for home, though that's not quite accurate. The Welsh have a word for it: hiraeth. It's difficult to translate in English, but I've heard it described as a homesickness for a home you can't return to. Our a place that never was. I've come to acknowledge it in myself as a longing for God. 'Eternity set in the hearts of men,' as Solomon so eloquently wrote."
I guess everyone has their own definition of what "home" really means. All I know is it is NOT confined to the walls of a brick and mortar building, but it is what is located in my heart. "It is either the sturdy foundation or the crumbling underpinnings a child is built upon." Home is in here. In our hearts, and time or distance have no bearing on it or cause us to lose our sense of where home really is.
In Ginny L. Yttrup's latest novel, "Home," we get a sense of what it means for quite a few of her characters. For married couple Melanie and Craig, who have been married for twenty-three years are struggling to come to terms with where their future might be headed. After learning that they can't have children, they have both faced their own uncertainties. Craig is a home builder struggling to manage both his business and home with the rising financial downturns of the local economy. All he knows is that he has to come clean with Melanie that they might have to sell their custom built home and cut spending until things pick up. He feels at fault for not providing for their family. Melanie, a successful author now on her sixteenth novel, but is now wondering if she has more creativity left to inspire her to her looming deadline with her publisher. She wants to contribute to the finances, but if she can't complete this novel, they will have to look at selling their dream home.
Their neighbors Marcos and Jill are facing their own struggles as well. For Jill it is dealing with her OCD behaviors that are beginning to impact her way of life and the way she relates to her family. She believes it has to do with a recurring nightmare that she is putting together bits and pieces of things that don't make sense to her. When she tries to explain it to her mother, she is dismissed. However it is possible these aren't nightmares but repressed memories? All she knows is that if she doesn't get help soon, she will come unglued and possibly hurt herself or her family without meaning to. Her only ally is her best friend Melanie, but even they are dealing with their own issues and now that Melanie has taken a trip away to a lakeside home to finish her novel, is it possible it is the end of her marriage as well to Craig?
I received Home by Ginny L. Yttrup compliments of Barbour Publishing 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 novel really hit home for me after a particular rough Mother's Day and found myself questioning whether I made a difference in the lives of our family. I can't believe how much I found myself relating to Melanie's character. Struggling to understand if she loved Craig as much as she should being married or it is possible they simply have grown apart. Is there a way to put things back together and see one another differently now that they're in different places in their personal and professional relationships. One thing is certain, temptation is just around the corner in places they least expected. Home is found in our hearts! Everything else is simply temporary. We are all created to live life to the full, and we can only do that if we're willing to fully participate! That is what I realized, after reading this novel. It isn't about what others are doing, but what we contribute to the life we are living. We can partner with our spouse or walk away. It is always better to work together!! There are some great discussion questions at the conclusion of this novel that would be great for a book club. For me, this one earns a 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion, because it changed something even in my own heart, and for a novel to that, it has to be extraordinary.
For more information about Home, Ginny Yttrup or where you can pick a copy of this novel today by clicking on the links below:
"And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you." ~ Ephesians 4:32 NKJV How do you find it in your heart to truly forgive someone? Do you wait for some kind of restitution from them? Do you wait for an apology? What happens when we lose someone before we can make amends? These are all the kinds of questions that are being asked in the latest movie coming to theaters on May 19th from Icon Media Group, Champion. I guess you could ask the question what makes a true champion in the eyes of the world? Someone who is great at winning? Someone who takes the risk no one else would or does God have a different definition in mind? For both Seth Weathers and Ray Reed, the competition on the dirt track racing circle is fierce. For Seth Weathers, he has always held to the belief that to win, you must be willing to do whatever it takes even if others around him don't like it. He isn't winning anyone to his side as his arrogance and pride in being the winner brings about some harsh criticism from his sponsors and boss if he doesn't work on his ego and his attitude. They even threaten to fire him unless he wins more races. With upcoming rookie Ray Reed always on his heels, Seth believes it is time to show him who is the winner and not to be messed with. When the race ends in tragedy, Seth is fired from his boss due to the sponsorship being pulled out. Seth lashes out to anyone close to him including his crew and even his own daughter. As a single dad with no hopes of work, he falls into a depression taking prescription pain killers to help him cope with his life. But when he fails to make it to his daughter's ballet recital as promised and she walks to the recital in the rain, he faces a loss in the custody of his daughter until he can straighten his life out. His help will come in the most unlikeliest of places and will define for both men the true meaning of what it takes to be a champion.
I received Champion by Brannon Pictures compliments of Icon Media Group. 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 moving message of what forgiveness is and looks like when modeled in the eyes of the world. There are a few surprises I didn't see coming in this one and believe it will help those who see this film in understanding what forgiveness really is and how they too can become "Champions" to those around them. I easily give this movie a 5 out of 5 stars and hope you take someone to see this amazing movie on May 19, 2017.
You can find Champion on Facebook to get all the latest details about the film and message of forgiveness including the 40 day forgiveness challenge.
About Brannon Films
With a heart for bringing stories to life, Judd Brannon has had the
opportunity to direct and produce multiple video projects. His music
video "For Freedom," featuring the music of Avalon, and was selected to
be a part of Sean Hannity's "Freedom Tour." His recent projects include
working on the Kendrick's feature film "War Room." Currently, Judd
serves the people of First Woodstock in Atlanta, GA where he is the
staff video producer. Judd is thankful for the support of his wife and
two boys.
Just how does anyone come to terms with saying goodbye knowing you are going to die? Is there any way to prepare for the loss not only are you going to feel but also for your family and friends who have to stand by and watch as cancer robs the life of another precious saint?
Most people can say that they recall the story of Joey and Rory Feek, a country music duo, who faced such a hardship. In March of 2016, Joey Feek quietly walked into the arms of Jesus and entered into eternity despite all the best known attempts at beating cancer. Some people might say that she lost her battle. That despite the many months of prayers for a miracle, she simply didn't get one. Yet she was healed of her cancer. It may have robbed this precious wife and mom of her earthly life, but where she dwells now in heaven, cancer can no longer touch her and one day she will be eternally reunited with her family and friends, never having to say Goodbye again.
In the DVD, To Joey, With Love, this documentary chronicles this story of both the love and faith of Joey and Rory Feek, the birth of their daughter Indiana, who was born with Down's Syndrome, and the loss of the life of a mother for her two-year-old daughter. Thankfully the couple had the insight to film this journey and viewer of this DVD get a look at the personal journey that most never saw. The courageous battle to beat cancer this side of heaven, and the decision to quietly give up treatments when the cancer refused to shrink.
I believe that everyone will take away something different from watching this love story. For me, it is the love is eternal and everlasting. Perhaps that is why the Bible says that the greatest gift from God is love. It transcends time and space and it is the one thing we will take with us when we breathe our final breath on earth and take our first one in heaven. It shows that her faith in God never wavered in spite of all the doctor's diagnosis. Perhaps this one hits home for me, was my dear friend is also facing her third diagnosis of cancer. One thing is certain, the battle isn't ours to wage but God's and faith can be found woven into the entire documentary.
I received To Joey, With Love compliments of Icon Media Group. It is the hardest DVD I had to watch and review because it hits home for me as a wife and mother. It is a beautiful love story that had the pause button pressed for now, but one day will continue and will be the true story of happily ever after. I am so humbled by this mother's faith and the love she shows for her daughter, even as she knows her time is growing short. For me this will be one that stay with me, long after the movie ends and thus the reason for a 5 out of 5 stars!
Now for the amazing part, thanks to the blessed generosity of Icon Media Goup, they are offering a DVD of To Joey, With Love to one lucky follower of my blog Reviews From The Heart. Here are the details to enter.
2. Be a resident of the US and please NO P.O. Boxes.
3. Leave a comment below telling me why you'd love to win a copy of this DVD along with your email address. I will be notifying the winner via email so make sure to include it with your comment. You can even use the words (at) and (dot) instead of the symbols.
4. For social media followers, simply comment on my page why you would love to win a copy. I will reach out to you via private message if you are the lucky winner and contact you for your mailing information at that time.
So there are two ways to enter but only one winner. I will notify the winner via email or private message when the giveaway ends on December 16th.
For more information about To Joey, With Love, Icon Media Group or where you can pick up a copy of this DVD today, please click on the links below:
"Why has God allowed this to happen to me?" is perhaps the hardest question Christians are asked. Whether it is from an unexpected death of a family member or friend, the loss of a job at the worst time of the year, cancer diagnosis for the first time or third time, or fill in the blank to any number of things you wish you had an answer for. So how do you answer any of those questions and still give someone hope?
In the book, When There Is No Miracle by Robert L. Wise is a great place to start. I know for me, I have had my own share of questions for God and often times, feel when there is no answer and just never ending silence, it can seem as if God doesn't care or your prayer simply wasn't filled with enough faith.
Yet as Christians we know that Jesus, as the very Son of God, had enough heartache to last an eternity. Not only did He witness it in the lives of the people He came into contact with day in and day out while He walked the earth, but even the brutality He, Himself, would face through beatings, the crucifixion and even His death on the cross. So where is God when bad things happen? Why do we automatically assume God is to blame for both good things and bad?
You might reason that since God is Creator He could heal someone if He chooses or stop a terrorist from killing innocent people, so why doesn't He? Is it possible there is someone else to blame than God? Is there an answer when a miracle doesn't happen for even the most dedicated person of faith? The answer is a resounding yes to all of these questions. For me, this book was a great resource for my own prayer life in helping me to pray for things along the lines of God's will but in also helping me to understand God's expectations of us and what the greater purpose might be in these situations. I believe it should be a resource in any believer's library. Using the Bible, I can now help those struggling to find answers in the world we live in today and to accept the uncertainty we will face in some of those times. One thing is clear, God is always present in all of those situations.
I received When There is No Miracle by Robert L. Wise compliments of Kregel Publications. My reason for wanting to read this book was a dear friend of mine was going through her cancer diagnosis for the third time. After battling this horrible disease twice and winning, it was heart-breaking to see this come a third time. Yet despite it all, the grief was real along with the many tears that followed, but the one thing that remains true is her undying spirit that God has NOT forsaken her, despite an incurable diagnosis. While she might not win this battle, she is looking for the purpose God is using this for. What a great example of getting through dark times, we simply need to turn to the Light and remember while we might not see the miracle this side of life, death is NOT the end for the believer. I easily give this book a 5 out of 5 stars and highly recommend this to anyone wanting to know the "Why's" of life purpose when bad things happen in our own lives.
For more information about When There Is No Miracle, Robert L Wise or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:
When you lose the love of your life, how long will it take before you feel comfortable about dating again, or do you ever? What about the relationships you have built with the family after the death, do you maintain it or simply realize at some point that too will change? These are the questions running through Bree Whitman faces when it has been five years since she lost her Marine husband Tim in Afghanistan. She just can't even begin to imagine what that must be like, even though she is still young enough to begin again. Where does one even start? How will she ever be able to explain that to the Whitman family who feels more like her own family, than her real ones?
Since she has been on the receiving end of the attentions of her co-worker Aaron, who has expressed more than a passing interest in dating her, Bree just isn't sure what to do, but believes it may be time to see how it might work out with Aaron. While her job permits interoffice dating, she knows if it doesn't work out, it will be very uncomfortable to continue to work together and it may affect her working relationship with clients in the event planning business if her and Aaron can't work together. Still it is a risk she is willing to begin, but when Aaron gets too pushy on what he believes Bree should be willing to do at this point in her grieving process, she begins to wonder if she made a mistake, especially when he wants her to give up her Tuesday night dinners with the Whitman family at the Chicory Inn.
Drew Brooks find himself laid off from his job and with no prospects within town including with his brother Dallas' company that is at a hiring freeze, he opts to look outside for work in St. Louis. He just didn't expect it would mean giving up being a part of the family with the Whitmans. But since Grant and Audrey's mother, Cee-Cee is dealing with health issues including forgetting things and running the risk of getting injured living alone in her old age, they believe now is the time to begin building her a small cottage in the meadow on the land in which they run the Chicory Inn, a bed and breakfast so they can keep her close but still allow her to live independently. Now that Drew is looking for work, Grant offers him a job working on the cottage with him until he can find a more permanent job. That works out perfectly until he begins to spend Tuesday nights with the Whitmans and finds a friendship with Bree building into something much more more!
I received Close to Home by Deborah Raney compliments of Net Galley and Abingdon Press for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation aside from a free eBook of Close To Home in exchange for my unbiased and personal opinion. Since I have read the previous novels, this one was missing and was so glad I got the chance to see how Bree would deal with the loss of her husband Tim. I can only imagine how difficult the situation would be and dealing not only with your own feelings but that of your former spouses as well. This played out so well and I was rooting for Bree and Drew the whole time. I really didn't think she would work out with Aaron since their first interactions. A man who thinks Bree is ready but isn't willing to consider all the aspects of beginning again, certainly isn't worth anyone's time. I would easily give this one a 5 out of 5 stars and reader's even get a sneak peek at the 5th novel coming soon, Home at Last! Even though these are part of a series, you can read this one just fine, but the back stories of each of them are in subsequent novels including the first one that establishes why Grant and Audrey decided to start a Bed and Breakfast in their home.
The Chicory Inn Series
1 - Home to Chicory Lane
2 - Two Roads Home
3 - Another Way Home
4 - Close to Home
5 - Home at Last (Coming Soon)
For more information about Close to Home, Deborah Raney or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:
"We never know if this time we say "I love you" will be our last, or the last time we will say it in quite that way. In the next few days I would hear from people all over the world, telling me their stories of their own fathers, of fathers who loved them but couldn't quite say it, or who loved them and had passed away and had been unable to say it for many years. Or, for some, fathers who never showed any sign of love, or even showed evidence of the opposite.
I couldn't have known any of those things, either. Who knows how far a simply love letter will travel? Who knows how far a sky lantern, with a simply phrase of love scrawled on the side, will fly? None of us have any idea.
So we have to keep singing it, keep saying it, keep writing it, keep showing it.
We have to send our live out into the world so others will find it." (pg 49).
In the book Sky Lantern by Matt Mikalatos, a seemingly ordinary event of picking up trash that had blown into his yard, turned into a life changing event when he discovers a sky lantern in his yard with a heart felt love letter inscribed on it by someone only known as Steph. Matt takes readers into the journey of his search to find Steph and convey to her what he believes any father would say to his daughter if he could. Along the way, Matt discovers something about his own love for his three daughters, an unexpected friendship with Steph and more importantly how we can all make an impact in our own world to make things better for someone each day.
"I was sitting at my gate an hour later, thinking about my trip, which had come to an end much faster than I had expected. I had a new friend who lived halfway across the country. Someone I would have never met, would have never known, if not for that lantern crashing in my yard. I had driven through her city many times. She had come to visit Portland, even staying ten miles from my house. It was strange to think that all the so-called strangers around me might be one small act of kindness away from becoming good friends. We have so much in common, all of us. We have lost our loved ones or we will. We have lived, fought, loved, and wanted to be loved. We have cried and laughed, struggled in relationships. We have lit in the darkness with our small flames. It that not enough to build a friendship around?
What if Steph wasn't some amazing friend I had found through a series of inconceivable coincidences or generous providence? What if, instead, it was that every place was full of these potential friends, crowded around us, but we were unable to see them? Could it be that every person sitting around me could be someone who would be my friend, if only I took a few moments? If only I paid attention and gave them my full attention?" (pg 136).
I received Sky Lantern by Matt Mikalatos compliments of Howard Books, a division of Simon and Schuster Publishers for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation, aside from a free copy of this book, in exchange for my honest review. This is a book I believe we all need to read because there is some nugget of wisdom for all of us to glean something different from this book. Perhaps its validation that you are worthy, that you have something to offer the world, that you are loved, and most of all to take the time to tell others they are loved, to write letters if you are unable to, or to make a friend in the most unlikeliest of places through divine appointments in your own life. For me this one was well worth a 4.5 out of 5 stars and as you can see, I have shared with you some of those nuggets of wisdom I gleaned to share with you.
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I love it when I read a novel in which the ending seems to be right in front of you. Like you have it all figured out before you get to the end how it will all work out. Its the way of most novels. Then the rug gets completely pulled up from underneath it all and you're left wondering, "Well that is not how I thought it would work out." You find yourself debating whether or not it was a good book after all, but is that really what is going on, you're simply mad cause it didn't go the way you wanted. That is just what I got when I finished with Every Breath You Take from Travis Thrasher.
You can tell he simply loves music, because I find them scattered throughout his novels. I think my husband and him would be great friends. In this novel referenced quite a bit with The Police, Sting, and Cold Play, we find two soul mates that are no longer together despite the fact that they work in every way possible. Kayla Rowe, 26, has had enough. When she quits her high paying job in marketing on the whim of following whatever dreams she has, her friends think she has lost it. She simply tells them she can't waste another 5 to 10 years doing the same thing with the same results but no passion for what she is doing. It may have to do with the fact her boyfriend Ryan has proposed to her, and while she said yes, she can't help but remember the one man she gave her heart away to so many years ago. That man that she will always love. She just isn't sure if it is Billy Harris, the man she was once engaged to, or her father that she lost when she was 2.
All Kayla knows is that she has to make some hard decisions before her wedding and as much as she would love to talk to her mother, that isn't going to happen. Her mother walked out on them when she was born and never looked back. So she takes her conversations to her father's grave and wonders what he would say if he was alive. Their bond seems to transcend the spiritual. Thomas Rowe, Kayla's father has been well aware of what has been happening in her life from his seat in heaven and is suddenly provided with a unique opportunity to visit his daughter one final time. The catch is, he can't tell her that he is her father and he must help Kayla come to a decision of what is best for her despite being locked in a past she can't seem to fight free from.
I received Every Breath You Take by Travis Thrasher compliments of the author himself for my honest review. Aside from the free copy of this novel, I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions contained here are my own personal ones. I loved this story because as a parent, there is a bond that you have with your child that transcends human understanding and logic. Love simply does not end, because someone is no longer with you. It is the legacy that we take with us long after they have left. The bond between Kayla and her father, besides a passion for music and that unconditional love that simply accepts things as they are without trying to influence any chance. That comes across all the way through this novel even though the ending was not what I thought it would be. I applaud Travis for throwing that twist in. I would have done it as well even though I didn't like experiencing it on the other end from a reader's perspective instead of a writer's one. I get why it was done and love it. For me this one was a well deserved 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion.
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"Life is not just a bunch of disconnected events and people. It's not just a random stream of coincidences. There are reasons, and we may not know them or recognize them and we may not understand them, but we have to trust that there are reasons beyond us, because I've seen it work out enough. It doesn't mean we will all live forever. It doesn't mean bad things won't happen or we won't feel sad sometimes, but it does mean that we can't discount the miraculous in the mundane." (209).
Firefight Sean Magee never believed in angels before even as he watched his nephew Colm die after numerous attempts to try and save him from his heart defect. As Colm slowly passed from this world to the next, Sean knew that despite all the claims Colm had that heaven was real, he still doubted. He doubted until he saw what he believed was an angel at Colm's side that night. He wouldn't remember it was the very same until Sean found himself trapped in a burning building. Unable to locate his way out in the black smoke, Sean uttered a prayer to God that if he saved him, he would spend the rest of his life being a better man, and just like that the angel appeared to lead him to the third floor window. Sean's only issue was jump from this height or risk being burned further from the flames following him out.
So he jumped, not knowing if he would die in the process or be forever crippled and unable to walk. When he woke up, he was neither. Against all the odds, Sean lived even though it would take months of rehabilitation to restore his shattered legs and back and recover from the burns. Now as he spends time thinking about how he can make good on his promises, he can't help but wonder if angels are real or if he was just imagining that had happened. He would eventually discover that" the secret to happiness is not wanting. It's not getting what you've always hoped for or imagined. It's managing your expectations." (275). Perhaps, just perhaps, there are angels after all in the unlikeliest of places, just when we need them the most.
I received Proof of Angels by Mary Curran Hackett compliments of William Morrow, a division of Harper Collins Publishers for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions contained here are strictly my own unless otherwise notated. I loved this novel, especially after being familiar with Sean Magee where readers were introduced to him in Proof of Heaven. This is his story, "about finding second chances, about failure and forgiveness, about doubt and faith, and about all the angels who touch us along the way. The ones who might just bump into us long enough to nudge us on our way and the ones who stay in our lives forever and guide us indefatigably toward the light."(24). I give this one a 4.5 out of 5 stars and truly believe that there are angels around us, and some happen to be the people we need in our lives who are inspired and encouraged to help make us all better people. There is also Reading Group Discussion Questions at the conclusion of this novel.
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For those of you that have ever loved so much at one time but had to watch that time in your life slip by, there is hope that you will one day find it again. Best-selling author Karen Kingsbury takes readers into the hearts of Maggie and Jordan Wright who are finding themselves trying to find a way to get through the death of her husband and Jordan's father due to a sudden heart attack. Jordan is dealing with it much harder as an eight-year-old boy who was loved dearly by his father, but the love Maggie shared with him was simply a business transaction in the marriage. She only had that perfect love once in her life as a young girl searching for answers and finding it on the shores of a lake one summer.
Maggie has since resolved to give up on love forever and find a way to move forward in her life as a busy district attorney. But she can see that Jordan needs more time than she can find to give him. His grades are suffering and he has now taken his problems directly to God in a letter. Knowing his mother always has the right answers, Jordan believes that his special prayer for a new daddy must be written out and mailed by his mother. He knows beyond a doubt that God will hear him and answer his prayers.
Casey Cummins understands that level of grief that Maggie and Jordan are feeling. He too, lost his wife Amy and his unborn son due to delivery complications. He knew that he would never find a love like that again, but there is still an empty place in his heart for helping others. He learns about Healing Hearts, a program that places grieving children with single adults as a way of helping them through their struggles and that feels like the perfect answer for managing his own grief. Now he prays that God will provide him with just the right child for him and hopes he won't have to wait too long.
I received Maggie's Miracle by Karen Kingsbury compliments of Faith Words, a division of Hachette Book Groups for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions here are strictly my own. This is the second book in the Red Glove Series and is bound to ignite a spirit of love and hope in your heart this Christmas season. It is about believing not only in miracles but the power of prayer to restore those broken places in our hearts and find hope once again. There is also a list of activities to inspire you to incorporate them into your Christmas season and give back some hope and love to those that are hurting. I love the idea of reading this book a chapter a day starting at Thanksgiving as a way of encouraging and inspiring us all to be better people. I easily give this one a 5 out of 5 stars. While these are part of a series, they can be read as a stand alone and in any order.
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