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Friday, September 16, 2016


THE DOMINO EFFECT by DAVIS BUNN

What an adventure this book was. With nonstop action and twists and turns, readers are in for a roller coaster ride that is an edge of your seat adventure. I loved the characters and the detailed intricate goings on behind the scenes of the trade industry.

Esther is very smart and holds a job at a prestigious bank as a risk analyst. She has been doing some behind the scenes snooping on her own and has discovered some unsettling information. What should she do with this unsettling information? Does she turn in banks that have been doing illegal dealings? It is about to get dangerous for Esther. Can she outsmart the system and stay alive?

There is a great deal of technical information throughout the book which made it very intriguing and helped me understand the storyline. The author has done an excellent job of making a hard to understand subject very easy to grasp. Now what will be Esther's next step? Will she risk everything to safe the economy ? I loved her determination and strong spirit and thought the author developed her character very well. The story is very intriguing and brings into question, "What would you do if you had knowledge that could bring the economy of The U.S.A. to a disastrous collapse?" Get ready for a thriller with twists and turns and a story that could easily become a real life crisis.

I received a copy of this book from the blogging program of Bethany House Publishing.

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I have always loved everything this author has written and  this book is no exception. It is emotional, mesmerizing,
loving, faith filled and touches your heart in a way that takes your breath away. I could not put the book down as I was taken on a journey of healing, forgiveness and trust. Each character breathes life into the story with their charm and  grace. The author does  an amazing job of making the reader feel every emotion and there were times when I felt tears streaming down my face as I witnessed turmoil and triumph.

Elsa Andreas is a wonderful  character and I instantly connected to her. After a tragedy happens while being a family therapist, she retreats to a place where she feels secure and hidden from the world. She blames herself for what happened that painful day and decides she has nothing to offer anyone. She has such a sweet spirit and caring heart, but she can't forgive herself.

Nick Stafford has his hands full with helping run the family ranch and being a single dad. His daughters are hurting from the divorce and the oldest is in need of some professional help. I loved the interaction between Nick and his daughters. He has a strong sense of protection for them and I could feel his despair as his oldest daughter struggles with feeling abandoned by her mother. Have  you ever felt abandoned, lost or unloved? The story is a beautiful reminder that you are never alone and when you open your heart , peace abounds.

The story takes a look at hurting people and through the guidance of God, they seek to find their way home. I loved how the author gave us a glimpse into the relationship between Nick and his dad.  Two stubborn prideful men not wanting to take that first step to say, "I'm sorry" was written with a longing for acceptance. It's funny how we all long for love and acceptance, yet when it is freely given, we let our pride get in the way. I loved every moment of this story and am thrilled to know that a third book is coming up in this series. Thank you for writing a story that shows how forgiveness heals the broken heart, trust is something we all need to work on and unconditional love is priceless.

"Love without trust isn't love."

I received a copy of this book from Blogging For Books for an honest review.










HOME ON THE RANGE by RUTH LOGAN HERNE

I have always loved everything this author has written and  this book is no exception. It is emotional, mesmerizing,
loving, faith filled and touches your heart in a way that takes your breath away. I could not put the book down as I was taken on a journey of healing, forgiveness and trust. Each character breathes life into the story with their charm and  grace. The author does  an amazing job of making the reader feel every emotion and there were times when I felt tears streaming down my face as I witnessed turmoil and triumph.

Elsa Andreas is a wonderful  character and I instantly connected to her. After a tragedy happens while being a family therapist, she retreats to a place where she feels secure and hidden from the world. She blames herself for what happened that painful day and decides she has nothing to offer anyone. She has such a sweet spirit and caring heart, but she can't forgive herself.

Nick Stafford has his hands full with helping run the family ranch and being a single dad. His daughters are hurting from the divorce and the oldest is in need of some professional help. I loved the interaction between Nick and his daughters. He has a strong sense of protection for them and I could feel his despair as his oldest daughter struggles with feeling abandoned by her mother. Have  you ever felt abandoned, lost or unloved? The story is a beautiful reminder that you are never alone and when you open your heart , peace abounds.

The story takes a look at hurting people and through the guidance of God, they seek to find their way home. I loved how the author gave us a glimpse into the relationship between Nick and his dad.  Two stubborn prideful men not wanting to take that first step to say, "I'm sorry" was written with a longing for acceptance. It's funny how we all long for love and acceptance, yet when it is freely given, we let our pride get in the way. I loved every moment of this story and am thrilled to know that a third book is coming up in this series. Thank you for writing a story that shows how forgiveness heals the broken heart, trust is something we all need to work on and unconditional love is priceless.

"Love without trust isn't love."

I received a copy of this book from Blogging For Books for an honest review.

Thursday, September 15, 2016


WHEN MOUNTAINS MOVE by JULIE CANTRELL

The story is set in  the 1940s and the author has done an amazing job of writing a beautiful historical book. I appreciate the descriptions of Colorado in those days and made the story very realistic. It wasn't easy trying to start a new life in the rough terrain  and our main characters will soon find out how much work is involved to start a ranch.

Millie is quite young when she married Bump Anderson. She is ready to begin a new life and doesn't mind the treacherous grounds they will have to travel to reach their destination. Millie has another reason to leave her old home that she hasn't told Bump about. What will happen when he finds out her secret?

Bump is a hard working man and is excited to take on the challenge of getting a deserted ranch back up and running. I loved the details of what chores were done daily to keep the ranch going. It was very hard work and I was impressed with Millie and her dedication to helping  her husband's dream come true. I don't think I would want to go to a land and start from scratch trying to rebuild it. I did find her friend Kat to be most unpleasant. She sure has her eyes on Millie's husband and that really added some friction between the newlyweds.

When Millie's grandmother comes to visit Millie, I really enjoyed how her heritage was a focal point of the story. Her grandmother shared some wonderful stories about the past and described some of the Choctaw traditions. It seemed to really help Millie understand where she came from and how important her ancestors were. I loved the descriptions of their culture and I could picture Millie sitting in awe as Oca shared memories. When Millie has a very hard decision to make , I could feel her despair and pain. The author did a great job of talking about a very hard subject but did it with grace and showed the struggle that women go through when faced with this decision.
What does Millie decide to do ? Dies she make the right choice?

The book is a wonderful journey of newlyweds starting out, their struggles and the lessons they learn as they grow in their faith and learn to trust each other. The secret that Millie has hidden from Bump will be a huge shock and I loved how the author shared the pain and hurt that the secret had caused. If you love historical fiction with a powerful cast of characters and reading about the challenges they face this is the book to get. There are several characters I didn't mention but you will discover how they are intricate to the story about second chances , trust and unconditional love.

I received a copy of this book from The Fiction Guild for an honest review.

Tuesday, September 13, 2016


FROM THIS MOMENT ON by DEBRA CLOPTON


The moment you open a new book with anticipation and feel chills as you start the first chapter and begin to find yourself there with the characters is special. Not many writers can capture that feeling for a reader but this author has an amazing way to open your eyes to a new adventure with words that skip across the pages with gusto. I am honored that I was able to read From This Moment On and thankful that there is more to come from this inspiring series.

Cali is a very smart young woman who has come back to the family's resort after a disasterous marriage that ended with an emotional scar that Cali carries with her. She is putting all her energy into helping the family renovate the resort. I loved how all the siblings worked together in a family business and helped them stay as a tight knit family. There is nothing more special then a family that looks out for each other and is there when they are needed. Cali is still very hurt by the divorce but won't talk about it. Will she ever be able to trust a man again?

As part of the renovation, Cali's  brother has hired Grant to do some murals to improve the appeal of the resort. He is quite handsome  and famous but carries a heavy burden of a plane accident that he can't get over. Will his guilt stop him from believing in himself? I loved when Cali and Grant first meet. I could feel the attraction right away as the author captured their intense and guarded look. As Grant started working on the murals , I enjoyed the details of the painting and felt the scenes come to life.

The story is filled with touching moments between Cali and Grant. I loved how their relationship was slowly developed and how Grant was patient with Cali. Will Cali be able to open her heart again and trust Grant to make her feel safe? I loved the way the author masterfully wrote a story about forgiveness and trust and allowed us to witness the gift of true love. Be sure and pick up a copy of this beautiful story and travel  to Windswept Bay and experience the waves as they crash against the rocks, feel the sand as you walk along the beach and fall in love with characters that will have you wanting to meet them.

I received a copy of this book from the author for an honest review.

MARY CHOSEN OF GOD by DIANA WALLIS TAYLOR

I really love books that are fictionalization of bible stories. Sometimes they are just straight forward with no real descriptions or anything to help the reader to connect to the book. In this case, the author has done an outstanding  job of retelling  a very important story that completely captivated me. I saw the breads, the fruits and other delicious items on the table as Mary's family sat down to partake of a meal that came from God's provision. I loved how the author made me feel like I was sitting at the table listening to Mary talk to her parents. I envisioned a sweet soft voice as she spoke of her love for The Most High.

I was so impressed with the way the author told the story of Mary and how she made such beautiful descriptions of the time period and the feelings that Mary experienced when she realized she was carrying a special child. I imagine there was much talk and whispers about Mary when she became pregnant. I have read the story many times, seen movies about Mary and the birth of Christ. This time I felt the story deep in my soul as the author wrote with grace and compassion about the mother of Jesus. I loved how Mary continuously prayed for guidance and believed without question that her son was destined for greatness.

The author has given me a new author to read now that I have had  the honor of reading her book. It is parallel to the story in the bible but adds real depth and brings the story to life with vivid details. The true unconditional love that Mary had for her son is written with emotions that brought tears to my eyes. I hope everyone will grab a copy of this book. It is a magnificent retelling of Mary and the son who would one day set us free.

"Therefore , let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Yeshua, whom you crucified , both Lord and Messiah."

I received a copy of this book from The BookClub Network for an honest review.