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Category: Religious & Inspirational

Review: The Rose of Winslow Street by Elizabeth Camden

[ 1 ] May 14, 2012

Reviewed by Meg Massey

Libby Sawyer and her father are stunned when a Romanian man named Michael Dobrescu overtakes their home, claiming that he owns it. Libby soon learns that Michael claims to be a descendant of the previous owner, and that he and his family were never notified of his uncle’s death.

Libby finds herself in a predicament as the novel continues, and not just because she’s no longer living in her own home. She soon finds herself growing more and more attracted to Michael, and the more she learns about him, the more she disagrees with her father that Michael and his family are imposters. As the court case to decide the fate of the house looms closer, Libby must decide if she sides with Michael and his family, or the father she’s never really understood.

The Rose of Winslow Street is a delightful historical, Christian fiction novel by librarian Elizabeth Camden. In the beginning of the novel, Libby is a young woman living with a shameful secret, and by the novel’s close, she had matured into a woman who knows what she wants, with the gumption to get it. And Michael is a man who often makes mistakes with his words, but always knows how to encourage and show love to those he cares for. My only complaint is that it ended too quickly!

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

Meg lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, Ryan. Library professional by day, freelance writer by night, Meg writes about life, entertainment and everything in between on her blog.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Bethany House. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Blog Tour & Kindle Fire Giveaway: Baroness by Susan May Warren

[ 2 ] April 29, 2012

Please welcome Susan May Warren, author of Baroness, who is touring the blogosphere with Litfuse Publicity Group!

Reviewed by Meg Massey

The second in Susan May Warren’s Daughters of Fortune series, Baroness picks up several years after where its predecessor, Heiress, left off. Esme’s daughter Lilly is spending time in Paris with her cousin Rosie, Jinx’s daughter, but not of her own free will. She’d much rather return to Montana, a place she feels that her mother has long forgotten. Rosie, in the meantime, is longing for fame on the silver screen. But when both jump into relationships with men they barely know, will their broken hearts prevent them from pursuing their dreams?

From the streets of Paris, to the lights of Broadway, and to the wild west, Susan May Warren’s Baroness takes readers on a journey they won’t soon forget. A wonderful follow-up to the story of Esme and Jinx in Heiress, this tale creates unique heroines in Rosie and Lilly. Lilly’s untamed nature is part of her charm, but is it destined to lead her to trouble? And Rosie wants to create a life of her own, apart from her mother and stepfather, but it leads her, and the man she loves, onto a dangerous path.

I loved that this story allowed its new heroines, Lilly and Rosie, to shine, but it also provided an update on the lives of Esme, Oliver, Jinx and Bennett, which I very much enjoyed. And with just the right amount of romance and drama, you can’t go wrong. If you liked the first installment of the series, you’ll love where the second book takes you.

Rating: ★★★½☆ 

Also by Susan May Warren:

Heiress | My Foolish Heart | Licensed for Trouble | Double Trouble

Meg lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, Ryan. Library professional by day, freelance writer by night, Meg writes about life, entertainment and everything in between on her blog.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Summerside Press. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.
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Baroness Roaring 20s Kindle Fire Giveaway from @SusanMayWarren!
Find out what the reviewers are saying here!

Expected to marry well and to take the reins of the family empire, they have their lives planned out for them. But following their dreams –from avant garde France, to Broadway, to the skies in the world of barnstormers and wing-walkers –will take all their courage.  And if they find love, will they choose freedom or happily ever after?

Celebrate with Susan by entering her Roaring 20′s Giveaway!

One grand prize winner will receive:

  • A Kindle Fire
  • Signed copies of Baroness and Heiress by Susan May Warren

But hurry, the giveaway ends on 5/7/12. The winner will be announced on 5/9/12 on Susan’s blog, Scribbles!

Just click one of the icons below to enter! Tell your friends about Susan’s giveaway on FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning.

Enter via E-mail Enter via FacebookEnter via Twitter
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Blog Tour: The Wedding Dress by Rachel Hauck

[ 4 ] April 19, 2012

Please welcome Rachel Hauck, author of The Wedding Dress, who is touring the blogosphere with LitFuse Publicity!

Reviewed by Amanda Schafer

Charlotte Malone owns a bridal shop where she helps brides-to-be find the perfect dress. She’s also supposed to be finding the perfect dress for herself since her own wedding to Tim Rose is just a few weeks away. But Charlotte is feeling out of sorts so she goes up to Ludlow Estates (a well-known mountain attraction) to think and have quiet time. What she finds instead is a beautiful old trunk at an auction and impulsively buys it. However, a short time after Charlotte buys the trunk, she and Tim break off their engagement. They both realize they rushed things and are not really ready to get married.

Emily Canton gave her love to Daniel Ludlow before he went off to play baseball. Since Daniel didn’t write to her to profess his mutual love, Emily decided to marry Phillip Saltonstall. Phillip is a young and handsome man who is a part of a wealthy and prominent family in Birmingham. But when Daniel comes back and tells Emily that he did in fact write to her while he was gone, she begins to doubt her decision. When she suspects Phillip of being unfaithful to her, she questions herself even further.

Emily’s mother insists on a particular wedding dress, made by a popular designer in town. But Emily’s heart is set on wearing the wedding dress designed by Taffy Hayes, a black seamstress from the “other” side of town. Taffy’s dress is simple, elegant, beautiful, and timeless.

Charlotte finally decides to open the trunk with Tim’s help and discovers a beautiful wedding dress inside that looks as if it’s never been worn or altered in any way. But who would part with this dress and lock it away in a trunk? In the process of finding out about the dress, Charlotte also finds out that she is deeply connected to the dress in ways she never imagined.

Rachel Hauck is a great writer and can really draw a reader in. I was a bit disappointed at first because The Wedding Dress did not “grab” me in the way her books usually do. But I kept reading and within a few chapters I was hooked!

While at first I was expecting the book to be about a dress that was handed down through generations in a family, The Wedding Dress was about so much more. A wedding dress and generations, yes, but Hauck threw in plenty of twists and turns that made the story more exciting.

At the end of the book Rachel Hauck states that the book is a symbol of the Gospel in that it never wears out, is timeless, and fits everyone who tries it on. But I also came away with the idea that we’re always connected to past generations even when we don’t feel like we are. Charlotte felt completely alone in the world because she had no immediate family. What she didn’t realize at the time was that she has always been connected to her ancestors through her town and through the people she met.

Again, Rachel Hauck has done a great job with The Wedding Dress and her writing style is very easy to read. The only thing about the book that disappointed me was that she never came back to address Daniel’s letter to Emily while he was away. She found them and started to read them, but stopped and hid them away. We never get to finish those letters to know what else he said in them. However, this was a minor issue for me and did not affect the plot at all. As a whole, this was a very enjoyable book!

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

RSVP for the Facebook party to win some great prizes!

Amanda lives in Missouri with her engineering husband, two sons, and one daughter. In between homeschooling and keeping up with church activities she loves to read Christian Fiction, Women’s Fiction, and any Chick-Lit. She never goes anywhere without a book!

The review copy of this book was provided free of any obligation by Thomas Nelson. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Abby Finds Her Calling by Naomi King

[ 2 ] April 12, 2012

Reviewed by Meg Massey

The Lambright family is well known and respected in their Amish community. The eldest daughter of the family, Abby, runs a popular sewing shop, and lives on her own. Abby has been in love with buggy maker James Graber for years, but he is to marry her younger sister Susanna.

But when their wedding day arrives, Susanna has disappeared. At first, they all believe that she just has cold feet, but they are shocked when they discover her alarming secret. Suddenly there is a rift in their once very close community. Abby struggles to help her sister while trying to maintain relationships with those around her, including James. Can she help her sister find redemption? Will her family ever recover from Susanna’s mistake? And will she ever find love for herself?

Abby Finds Her Calling is a moving story about the power of forgiveness. Abby is a wonderful character who strives to make others happy, often neglecting herself. Her ability to forgive her sister and accept her mistakes is something that we can all learn from. If you’re a fan of novels about the Amish community, this is a story you’re sure to enjoy.

Rating: ★★★½☆ 

Read Naomi King’s guest post, “Do the Amish DO that?“

Meg lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, Ryan. Library professional by day, freelance writer by night, Meg writes about life, entertainment and everything in between on her blog.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by NAL Trade. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Illusion by Frank Peretti

[ 3 ] April 10, 2012

Reviewed by Christen Krumm

Who is Mandy Whitacre? She thinks she is a 19-year-old living in 1970, who has been transferred to the twilight zone, but when she wakes up in a hospital she is confused to see the calendar read 2010. Spokane County Medical Center’s staff thinks she is a mentally insane woman with no records—no driver’s license, no birth certificate, and no living relatives. Dane Collins thinks she looks uncannily like his late wife did…40 years ago. Would the real Mandy Whitacre please stand?

Frank Peretti’s latest novel, Illusion, follows Mandy as she tries to discover who she really is. She finds a home with a family that rehabilitates women, changes her name to Eloise Kramer, and tries to make money as a magician. Shockingly, she discovers an impossible ability within herself—she can move objects mentally. After getting a gig at a local café, her repertoire of amazing magic tricks astounds costumers and helps her make a more-than-modest living.

Enter Dane Collins. The 60-year-old popular magician is mourning his wife, who recently passed away in a tragic car accident. His friend convinces him to meet Eloise, and when he watches the talented young woman perform, he is struck by her resemblance to Mandy, his wife. When he begins mentoring her, he loses his ability to see her as anyone other than Mandy Collins…but that is impossible. For Mandy to discover who she really is, she will need to learn the secrets of her past. These secrets lead to dark, disturbing nightmares…but they are her only hope to discover her true identity.

In the back of Illusion, Peretti’s author’s note summarizes the novel’s far reaching symbolization: “Being lost in this weird and sinful world, trying to discover who we are and where we belong.” As I read Illusion, its 497 pages flew by. Frank Peretti’s fast paced style held me captive while his deeply personal glimpses into the characters’ hearts touched me deeply.

Illusion is a must-read for the Christian suspense/romance lover—seriously, run out and buy this book now!

Rating: ★★★★★ 

Christen graduated from the University of Arkansas Fort Smith with a BA in English. She’s a coffee drinking stay at home mom by day and a freelance writer/editor by night. She currently resides in Arkansas with her husband and daughter and is excited to welcome a son in August.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Howard Books. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Gone to Ground by Brandilyn Collins

[ 3 ] March 27, 2012

Reviewed by Joanne Reynolds

Amaryllis, Texas, population 1700, has experienced the murders of six women in the past three years. The murders are being labeled “The Closet Killings”. Each woman has been found in a bedroom closet, killed by one stab wound to her carotid artery, with a paring knife from her own kitchen. The women are of varying ages and races.

Cherrie Mae is the local cleaning woman. She cleans homes all across town, including the mayor’s home. While cleaning the mayor’s manor, she comes across some damning information and does not know what to do with her discovery.

Tully is pregnant and gets some disturbing information about her husband and the latest of the murder victims. Just like Cherrie Mae, she has information that she doesn’t know what to do with.

Deena is the local hairdresser and is disturbed by her brothers’ activities concerning the latest murder. One of her brothers is really not “all there” and is the target of many townfolks taunts and rude comments. When Deena’s brother is arrested, the three women are brought together with their own pieces of the puzzle that the police don’t have.

Trent Williams is a reporter who has been covering the murders and has won a Pulitzer Prize in doing so. He gets in contact with Deena, given the women more information for solving the crimes.

Gone to Ground was a nice read. The chapters were written as if the women themselves were speaking to me, and I loved that I could actually hear them talking, right down to the southern dialect.

The ending was equally satisfying. I was not made to believe in anyone’s guilt until the very end. Gone to Ground was easy to read and enjoy – a little murder mystery to put your crime-solving skills to the test.

Rating: ★★★☆☆ 

Joanne has always been an avid reader and loves the ability to lose herself in someone else’s life for the time that it takes to read about it. She has a huge admiration for authors and the worlds that they create for us. She enjoys reading to her granddaughters and hopes that they take up the love of reading.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by PR by the Book. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Blog Tour: Beauty for Ashes by Dorothy Love

[ 2 ] March 13, 2012

Please welcome Dorothy Love, author of Beauty for Ashes, who is touring the blogosphere with LitFuse Publicity!

Reviewed by Amanda Schafer

Carrie Daly was widowed when her husband, Frank, was killed during the Civil War. Since that time, she’s been living with her brother, Henry, in Hickory Ridge, Tennessee. Carrie has been seeing a new man, Nate Chastain, and feels reasonably sure that she will marry him. Some day, that is. She’s just not completely sure of the idea.

One day, a handsome gentleman saves her from being run down in the street by a runaway horse. Carrie’s thoughts are sidetracked, though, when Henry gets married and Carrie feels she is no longer welcome in her own home. Henry’s wife, Mary, is extremely rude to Carrie, treating her like a hired hand rather than a sister. Mary’s boys (from her previous marriage) are physically violent with Carrie and no one does anything to stop them. Carrie realizes she has no choice but to leave and moves into town.

Griff Rutledge is relatively well off financially but is estranged from his Charleston family. Determined to get to Australia, Griff stops over in Hickory Ridge to work with a spirited horse and train it for the upcoming race. But Griff has a quiet and mysterious nature about him that causes the townspeople to be cautious of him. So when Griff and Carrie are seen in town together and their attraction becomes obvious to the town, people begin to pull Carrie aside and inform her that she needs to end her budding relationship.

Suddenly, Nate turns up married, Henry announces that he’s heading to Chicago to find work and asks Carrie to move back to the farm to care for his wife and children. She refuses, but relents when she finds out that Mary is confined to bed with her pregnancy. Carrie feels the responsibility of caring for Henry’s family, but isn’t sure she can handle the stress, either financially or emotionally. When word comes that Henry was killed in a freak accident, Carrie leans on Griff to help Mary and the children work through the grief process.

Beauty for Ashes is the second installment of the Hickory Ridge Romance books by Dorothy Love. In it, we see that a person can experience many hardships and trials in life, and feel as if there is no hope and no God to help them through. But God always brings beauty from the ashes of the fires that we go through. Carrie went through several sad times and feelings of being let down by the circumstances in her life, but her faith in God saw her through those circumstances and caused her to be better on the other side of them.

Both Beauty for Ashes and the first installment, Beyond All Measure, are good stories and are well-researched, but there is something lacking in the writing style. The books seem a bit simplistic and not as deep as they could be, considering they are part of a series. I was disappointed that something was mentioned early in the book regarding Bea Goldston from the first book, Beyond All Measure, but the tidbit of information was never revisited or further explored. Perhaps that will come in the third book!

I did enjoy the book and will read the next book in the series to see what happens next. I hope that Love continues to write and that her writing improve with each book!

Rating: ★★★½☆ 

Amanda lives in Missouri with her engineering husband, two sons, and one daughter. In between homeschooling and keeping up with church activities she loves to read Christian Fiction, Women’s Fiction, and any Chick-Lit. She never goes anywhere without a book!

The review copy of this book was provided free of any obligation by Thomas Nelson. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.
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Dorothy Love’s Beauty for Ashes Kindle Fire and a Sapphire Ring Giveaway! Enter Today & RSVP for 3/20 Facebook Author Chat Party!

We’re thrilled to announce the fun giveaway Dorothy is hosting! First, she’ll be giving away a Kindle Fire (3/1-3/20), then on the evening of the 20th she’s inviting everyone to her Facebook Author Page for a fun Author Chat party! Don’t miss a minute of the fun … sigh.

One beautiful winner will receive:

  • A Brand new Kindle Fire with Wi-Fi
  • Beauty for Ashes by Dorothy Love
  • Beyond All Measure by Dorothy Love
Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends 3/20/12. Winner will be announced at Dorothy’s Facebook Author Chat Party on 3/20. Come for an evening of chat, trivia, and a sneak peek at the next book in Dorothy’s Hickory Ridge series – bring your friends! She’ll also be giving away some GREAT prizes: gift certificates, books and a stunning sapphire ring!

So grab your copy of Beauty for Ashes  and join Dorothy and friends on the evening of March 20th for an evening of fun.

Don’t miss Dorothy’s delightful giveaway and party. RSVP TODAY and tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 20th!

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Blog Tour: The Maid of Fairbourne Hall by Julie Klassen

[ 4 ] March 4, 2012

Please welcome Julie Klassen, author of The Maid of Fairbourne Hall, who is touring the blogosphere with LitFuse Publicity!

Reviewed by Vera Pereskokova (Luxury Reading)

Others may believe Margaret Macy’s step-father to be a dashing and charming man, but she knows just the opposite to be true. Margaret is about to come into a great fortune left by a spinster aunt, and her step-father is determined to get his hands on the money. He moves in his conniving nephew, Marcus, with the intention of marrying Margaret off and thus getting access to her fortune.

When Margaret overhears her step-father instructing Marcus to use any means available to force Margaret’s hand – even if that means dishonoring her – she flees from her home with a recently fired maid. Disguised as a maid herself, Margaret finds herself at Fairbourne Hall, employed as an under maid at the estate of her former suitors, Nathaniel and Lewis Upchurch.

Disguised with a wig and her father’s old reading glasses, and instructed to be invisible – as all maids were – Margaret at first has no trouble remaining anonymous and blending in with the rest of large staff. Before long, however, certain visitors bring up suspicions about Margaret’s true identity and she must do all she can to remain incognito until she gains access to her inheritance and independence.

I’ve read a few of Julie Klassen’s books, and The Maid of Fairbourne Hall was just as well written and researched as her previous works. In fact, the true-to-the-period language can be a little hard to get used to at first – and for that reason the beginning of the book was somewhat slow for me – but did make the book feel more authentic once I became accustomed to the various terms.

As I read The Maid of Fairbourne Hall, I could not help but compare it to the Downton Abbey series on PBS since both have similar subject matters. The sheer size of staff required to run these old English mansions, and the hijinks and politics were fascinating to read about. Margaret’s experience as a maid also provided an interesting contrast between the lives of the upper class at that time period and the lives of their help.

Overall, The Maid of Fairbourne Hall was an enjoyable read that will appeal to fans of pleasant, clean historical fiction.

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

Also by Julie Klassen: The Silent Governess

Don’t miss the perfect blend of Regency-era romance and mystery in The Maid of Fairbourne Hall! Grab a copy and then be sure to enter Julie’s Kindle Fire Giveaway and RSVP for her Author Chat party on Facebook! Swoon.

One fortunate winner will receive:

  • A brand new Kindle Fire
  • A Julie Klassen Library (The Maid of Fairbourne Hall, The Girl in the Gatehouse, and The Silent Governess)

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends 3/14/12. Winner will be announced at Julie’s Fairbourne Hall Book Chat Party on 3/15. Julie will be hosting an evening of chat, trivia and a sneak peek of her next book – bring your friends! She’ll also be giving away some GREAT prizes: gift certificates, books and a Downton Abbey Prize Pack (Seasons 1 and 2)!

So grab your copy of The Maid of Fairbourne Hall and join Julie and friends on the evening of March 15th for a book chat party.

Enter via TwitterEnter via E-mail Enter via Facebook

Don’t miss a moment of the fun. RSVP today and tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on March 15th!

The review copy of this book was provided free of any obligation by Bethany House. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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