The Light of His Presence

Anne Graham Lotz was once called, "the best preacher in the family," by her father.  Her writings show an intimacy with God that is enviable, but it is also achievable. The Light of His Presence is a book to aid the reader on the path to the same kind of intimacy she experiences. 

The Light of His Presence contains prayers that fit various occasions we all encounter in life.  These are not just prayers from the top of her head, but they are prayers steeped in scripture and show how God understands what the readers are going through.  These are also prayers that help the reader focus on who God is and how much He loves us. 

As Anne writes, “My prayer for you . . . is that God will use my struggle with prayer to help you overcome yours. And that, as a result, you will be drawn nearer to the heart of God.”

Five stars, two thumbs up, and a place near to the heart of God. 

WaterBrook/Multnomah and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are my own. 

The Librarian of Boone's Hollow

Addie Cowherd has been called to the Dean's office just weeks before the finals week of her junior year in college.  She is being barred from finishing her term because of non-payment of her tuition and board.  She can stay in her room because she paid that up with funds from her job at the library in town.  She went to the post office on campus to see if she had any letters from her parents, who were paying faithfully for her college. She found that her father had lost his job when the bank where he worked had been sold.  Her parents had lost their house and were living in a boarding house. 

Addie goes to the end-of-the-term bonfire and meets Emmett Tharp, a business major who is graduating.  Neither of them think anything of that brief meeting. 

Addie is allowed to stay with one of the librarians she works with until her job with the library is finished.  Before her job is finished, the head librarian tells her of a job as a horse-back librarian in Boone's Hollow, Kentucky,  as part of the WPA program started by President Roosevelt.  Boone's Hollow is one of those back-woods areas where newcomers are not easily welcomed.  Because of the lady Addie chooses to live with while she's in Boone's Hollow, she is particularly not welcomed by any of the customers on her route. 

When the head librarian for Boone's Hollow takes ill, Emmett Tharp takes over as the head librarian.  One of the horse-back librarians, Bettina, thought she and Emmett had an understanding and saw Addie as competition for Emmett's attentions, and tried to thwart her whenever and wherever she could.

One of Addie's innovations for the library was to take well used magazines and make themed scrapbooks with them.  She worked hard to find a way to gain acceptance, and her first foot in the door was to write the story of her landlady's years in the Hollow. 

Kim Vogel Sawyer is one of the quality writers I am always excited to read. This book kept me involved from the very first page to the very end.  Her setting of the Great Depression makes the story very real, and reminds me of a book I read last year.  Both dealt with the mining areas of Kentucky, and the horseback librarians.  Kim's characters are unusual in that they are college educated during a time when money for that education was hard to come by. 

This is a five star book, two thumbs up, and someone willing to write your story.

WaterBrook/Multnomah and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are my own.

A Bride of Convenience

Zoe comes to British Columbia, ostensibly looking for a husband and a better life, but in reality she wants to find her twin brother and fulfill some unfinished business with him. 

Abe Merivale is the minister/missionary to Yale, BC, but he is in Victoria when the bride ship comes in.  Two of the ladies on the ship weren't able to overcome their illnesses and it became Abe's duty to offer their funerals.  One of the ladies was Zoe's friend, Jane. 

Almost as Jane took her last breath in the hospital, a man shows up with a baby in a satchel.  His wife had died of small pox, and he couldn't care for the baby girl.  Zoe immediately takes over the care of the infant and refuses to give her back. 

Zoe receives a note telling her that a miner will marry her and take on the baby as well.  The note instructs her to meet at the church at seven pm.  When she shows up at the church, the miner isn't there, but Abe is.  He had just gotten a letter from his fiancee telling him she'd married someone else.  So when Zoe asks him to marry her, he assumes she is proposing to him and gets his fellow missionary, John, to marry them. 

This is the third book in the Bride Ship series by Jody Hedlund.   She has fleshed out a story that is captivating and compelling.  I wouldn't say it is a quick read, but it is easy to get involved in the plot and not want to put it down.  While the movement of the plot is very similar to other "marriage of convenience" type romances where the couple eventually fall in love, Jody has included some gripping elements to make it not just another "marriage of convenience" book.  For one, the Bishop that oversees Abe is a bully and makes demands that belie the fact that he is supposed to be a Christian.  Jody has also included some exceptional advice through Zoe's dialog with Abe:  that if God calls you to a ministry, only God can rescind that call--not a bossy-boots Bishop. 

This is a five star book with two thumbs up and an orphanage full of children to love.

Bethany House and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are my own.

A Reckless Love

Last night I stayed up too late to finish reading A Reckless Love by Beth White. It seems to be a habit of mine.

This is the third in the Daughtry House series and chronicles the story of Aurora, the youngest Daughtry sister, and Zane Sager.  Zane is a US Marshall tasked with protecting a couple of states' witnesses until the trial for a federal judge's murder. 

Aurora and her sisters have inherited the Dogwood Saloon, but Aurora has designs for the place to make it a boarding house for Civil War widows.  When Zane and his charges show up in town, Aurora hides them in the attic of the Dogwood. 

Zane and Aurora are attracted to each other, but both of them are living in denial.  Zane came through the Civil
War, finishing it out in the Cahaba POW camp in Alabama.  His nightmares never seem to end, and he's afraid that he will hurt Aurora because of them.  Aurora's empathy breaks through his defenses and unlocks that hidden place within himself. 

Aurora's sister, Joelle, gives Aurora one piece of advice that should be given to every young Christian girl:  find a man who serves Christ above all, and you will find a worthy husband. 

Beth White has been masterful in presenting society's problems of the time.  She's got a finger on the pulse of difficulties of the post-war South.  The whole series is Five Star Worthy, but this book especially is Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a Fairy Wedding Waltz.

Revell Publishing and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are my own. 

Line by Line

Jennifer Delamere has looked into the history of telegraphy and its impact on the world, and pulled together a quite amusing novel centered around telegraphs and telegrams.

Alice McNeill is a telegrapher for the Central Telegraph Offices in London, but when she hears of an opening at the Henley Company, an imports company, she applies for the job.  She is a conscientious telegrapher who works on incoming telegrams by ear, listening to Morse Code as it comes in.  She rarely has to read the ticker-tape, which makes her more valuable to the company. 

Douglas Shaw is second only to the owner in the Henley Company and is relied on by Henley to make contracts and provide profit.

Archie Clapper is Mr. Henley's wife's cousin, and whose only purpose in life is to make life harder for his coworkers.  When he feels that he's been jilted by Alice, he goes out of his way to get back at her, and eventually get her fired.

This is a compelling novel that has cameos by real historical people who were active in the business world at the time.  The secondary characters really flesh out the plot and make it more enjoyable, and the novel itself is very hard to put down.

Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a telegram full of good news.

Bethany House  and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  The opinions expressed are my own.

The Summer House?

I am not sure what the title of the book has to do with the book itself.  It's not so much a summer house, as it is a house in a retirement village in Southern Alabama.  When Lily wakes up to find that her husband of one year has left her with divorce papers, she is left with having to leave the house where she's been living.  Lily finds that the retirement community wants a hairdresser and she is a licensed beautician, so she applies. 

Rose is the owner of the village and the one who hires the help and the one to whom Lily applies for the beautician position.   Because there are sleeping quarters above, Lily believes this will be the perfect place for her to light and land.  Rose begrudgingly hires her for a trial period.  Lily finds in Rose an unconventional friend who sees her through some tough days.

The Summer House is a book about forgiving yourself, picking yourself up, dusting yourself off, and making the best of a bad situation.  Lauren K Denton has written an entertaining book that has some interesting characters who make the plot move along at a good clip.  The setting is quaint and interesting at the same time. I found the book very hard to put down and quite compelling.

Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a new hair do that fits you to a T.

Thomas Nelson and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Carolina Breeze

Carolina Breeze is the middle book of the Bluebell Inn series by Denise Hunter.   Levi, Molly, and Grace are siblings who have inherited the Bluebell Inn, and are in the opening of the second season when they have a single guest who rented out the whole Inn for a honeymoon week.  Mia Emerson is an up-and-coming movie star who has been the victim of some false publicity orchestrated by the wife of a co-star of the movie she just finished filming.  

Because Mia's ex-fiance had already paid for the week at Bluebell Inn, Mia decides to leave town to get away from the negative press and go to the Inn and use up the week that has already been paid for.  The Ex had also arranged for Levi to be chauffeur for the week they were in North Carolina; and because of that proximity, Levi and Mia become attracted to each other.  Mia's grandparents had once owned the Inn and it was a bit of searching for family/nostalgia. 

This book includes it all: a treasure hunt, paparazzi, sibling conflict, break ups and make ups.   The characters are significantly developed and move the plot at a steady pace.  It is one of those books that is hard to put down.  I stayed up way too late (early?) reading the book to finish it off.  It is the story of Levi's and Mia's romance and a continuation of Molly's and Adam's romance.  I am assuming the next one in the series will be Grace's romance.  

This is a five star book, with two thumbs up, and a personal chauffeur for a week. 

Thomas Nelson and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  The opinions expressed are my own. 

Of Literature and Lattes

I enjoy Katherine Reay's writings because they are real to life and hold the reader's interest from beginning to end.  Of Literature and Lattes takes Alyssa and Jeremy through several life-altering events, shakes them up, and turns them upside down before turning them loose. 

Alyssa worked for Vita XGC, a company now under investigation by the FBI for its nefarious dealings in the health market.  Her only option is to move back home, but on her way to Winsome, IL, all of her belongings are stolen from her car.

Jeremy has moved from Seattle to Winsome because his ex-wife and daughter live there.  He wants to be a part of his daughter's life and to provide stability for her between his ex and himself. 

Alyssa is given the chance to work with the FBI to find the evidence they need to convict the owner of Vita XGC in exchange for her not being arrested. 

Jeremy has opened up a coffee house, Andante, with the help of an ex-con/recovering addict named Ryan.

Alyssa is trying to re-fit into her home town, while Jeremy is just trying to fit in and provide a nice spot for folks to hang out while drinking their coffee. 

Katherine has provided angst in abundance throughout this book, but the conflicts between some of the characters move the plot along at a fairly decent clip.  She works in concepts of forgiveness, grace, and mercy throughout the happenings of the book.   This book is the second installment to the Printed Letter Book Shop (reviewed here).  I am not sure if Katherine means this to be a series, but some of the same characters and places populate the book.   It can be read as a stand-alone book without losing much in the plot lines.   It is a solid four star book.  I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as the other two books by her that I've read, but it does have much to recommend it.

Thomas Nelson and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are my own.

The Peasant's Dream

I love Melanie Dickerson's novelizations of well-known fairy tales.  The Peasant's Dream is a kind of reverse Cinderella story.

Frederick is the son/slave of a drunken farmer, and he also carves wood in his spare time.  He is always available to help out when needed by friends and neighbors.  His mother encourages him to take his carvings to the market, where he is noticed by one of the Fathers who works with the Bishop.  Thomas, the Father, buys one of the carvings to show the Bishop.  Frederick also meets Adela, the daughter of the local Duke. 

Adela is taken by Frederick, but at the same time, she is being courted by the son of another Duke. She feels for Frederick what people believe she should feel for the son of the other Duke. 

Melanie has populated the book with the requisite self-absorbed half-sisters, the ubiquitous bad guys, and the abusive parent.  She has added some secrets about her characters that only add to the story.  Her settings are on point and lie in the background where they belong, but add to the story when they are described. 

This is a five star book, two thumbs up, and a glass slipper. 

Thomas Nelson and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  The opinions expressed are my own.

What Momma Left Behind

Occasionally I find a book that will make me read into the wee hours of the morning until I completely finish the book.  What Momma Left Behind is one such book.   This isn't a romance novel, but it is historical, taking place in the post-Civil War-Era.

Worie Dressar lives in the back hills of the Appalachians during an epidemic of influenza in the 1880s.  The first action in the book is Worie burying her mother after her mother shot herself.  After the body is buried, Worie finds three young children who were looking for food after their parents both died from the disease.  Worie's Momma spent a lot of her time and resources taking care of people in the area who needed food, and now it has fallen to Worie to take care of them.

Worie's nearest neighbor, Ely finds a young girl stealing his chickens because her father has died and she has no food.  So now Worie has four children and nowhere to put them.  The pastor of the area comes by and asks how he can help, and she gives him the task of building beds for the children.  She has plenty of food to feed them, but she needs something more substantial than pallets for the children to sleep on.  This is only the beginning of Worie's troubles.  Her brothers are another case entirely and bring their own troubles to Worie's doorstep.

With Ely's and the pastor's help, Worie sets out to undo what her brother, Calvin, has done--taking two of the children, kicking her out of her cabin, and trying to rob her of the last three coins she had.

What Momma Left Behind is her caring attitude, her willingness to give aid where it is needed, and her love for children. Cindy K Sproles has written a book that tugs on heartstrings, restores faith in most of humanity, and points out the abject depravity in all of us. 

This is a five star book with two thumbs up and a red stone to get you through the hard times.

Revell Publishing and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  The opinions expressed here are my own.

How Sweet It Is

Robin Lee Hatcher has a light touch in her writings that make her works easy to read and follow.  She inserts humor in a sometimes understated way, but always with grace and tact.  How Sweet It Is is a book that plumbs more spiritual depths than I normally remember from her writings.  The overarching theme is forgiveness and acceptance and it pushes the readers to do some soul-searching of their own.

Jed has been charged by his father to make amends with his brother, Chris, and try to get him back into the company Jed and he began.  Laffriot is a computer gaming company that has Jed as the business brains and Chris as the creative force. 

Chris' last known location is Boise, Idaho, so that is where Jed is headed to try to make contact with Chris.  While taking a stroll, he passes by the apartment where his grandparents first lived when they got married. He finds that the apartment is available for rent and his landlady is a beautiful young lady who captures his interest and his eye.

When his cousin gives Jed a box of pictures and memorabilia, Jed finds that his grandfather's Bible is included in the things he needed to go through.  There is where Jed finds the answers to his own conundrums about his relationship with his brother.

Robin's style of writing is easy for the reader to follow and to understand.  Her setting for this book is charming, and the supporting characters are all likable folk. 

This is definitely a four star book, highly entertaining.

Thomas Nelson and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  The opinions expressed are my own.

Fragments of Light

Fragments of Light came up on my reading list at just the right time.  June 6 was the seventy-sixth anniversary of D-Day (or Operation Overlord, as it was sometimes known), and this book revolves around D-Day. 

This was my introduction to Michele Phoenix's writing and I am thrilled to have read this book.

Cal McElway was in the 506th paratroop group that dropped in France on D-Day.  His chute got caught in a tree and sisters, Sabine and Lise, cut him down out of the tree and tended to his injuries after his fall. 

Ceelie Donovan is fighting breast cancer, first by having a double mastectomy, and then by having chemo treatments. During her treatments, she meets Darlene, a wild woman in her seventies who has battled cancer before and knows what Ceelie is going through.  After all of her treatments are done, Ceelie's husband, Nate, tells her he's leaving her.

Darlene has had a hate relationship with her absent father, Cal McElway, who left when she was still a baby.  She convinces Ceelie to help her find out who he was, where he went, and possibly why he left.  When Darlene's cancer comes back with a vengeance, Ceelie takes on the task with an extreme urgency.  The task served as  a way for Ceelie to deal with Nate's betrayal, and a way for her to reengage into her career as a newspaper journalist after being away from it during her cancer treatments.

Michele bounces back and forth between D-Day and present day to give background to the story.  She keeps the reader involved from the beginning to the end.

This is a five star book, with two thumbs up, and a clue to help you understand your past.

Thomas Nelson and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Romancing Nadine

Amy Lillard writes Amish Fiction quite well, usually. But Romancing Nadine aggravated me.  Amos Fisher claims that Nadine Burkhart is the woman God has chosen for him.  He pursues her relentlessly in spite of rebuff after rebuff.  She finally caves in to his pursuit and begins to care for him. 

In this book, I see so many things wrong.  Nadine lives with her widowed daughter-in-law and the two of them take grumpiness to new levels.  Nadine's lack of personableness make this book hard to read.  I was tempted more than once to just give up on the book and move on to something else. 

This is at best a two star book.  Some people might like it, but the premise was too hard for me to grasp. 

Kensington Books and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are my own.

The Joy of Falling

I keep finding jewels of books by Lindsay Harrel and The Joy of Falling is among the rarest of gems in her library of books. 

Eva and Angela married brothers who were adventurers and who died because of an accident.  Both ladies were having a hard time getting through their grief when Eva gets a phone call from an ultra marathon race director asking about her husband's entry and the remaining entry fee for the team.  Angela used to run quite a bit when she was younger, before children, and Eva thought that they should compete in honor of their husbands, along with the third member of the team, Marc--once the business partner of Eva's husband. 

Sherry is Eva's and Angela's mother-in-law and is the voice of wisdom for both girls and encourages them to find the joy of living, and not to depend on happiness. She also encourages them to find their relationship with God again. 

Lindsay's writing style is one that grabs the reader on the very first page and doesn't let go until the back cover is closed.  She puts a lot of action into her stories, and moves the plot along at a pretty good clip.  Her characters are flawed human beings and relatable to her readers.   This is  a five-star book, with two thumbs up, and an astounding finish in the ultra-marathon of life.

Thomas Nelson and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  The opinions expressed are totally my own.

A Sister's Song

I've not read anything by Molly Green in my career of reading, but this book is the perfect introduction to her writings, even though it is the second in a series.

Molly has populated this book with fallible people who make mistakes and then compound the mistakes by trying to cover them up.  Her characters are believable and likable (with a couple of exceptions), and her research is spot on.  Her settings complete the picture Molly is trying to portray. 

Suzy has been a music student with an opportunity to go to the Royal Academy of Music, but chooses to go into the ENSA (Entertainments National Service Association, also known as Every Night Something Awful) to entertain the members of the armed forces during World War II.  Her mother objects but Suzy gets a letter that puts her in the driver's seat on getting her way.  Her skills as a pianist and violinist are not as needed in the ENSA, but her voice is one that is very in demand.  Before Suzy even joins up with ENSA, she meets a man who intrigues her and quickly becomes her friend, and then becomes more.  He is in the Navy and she wonders if she will ever see him again once she is abroad.  

Molly has included faith as a background element in this story, but it only adds to the plot.  This is a five star book, two thumbs up, and a rendezvous under the apple tree. 

Avon Books UK and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are my own.