Not often I review Christmas romance novels. My last one was a total dud that failed even to impress my mom. BUT, I felt it was time to take another chance. This one I’m happy to say, was a lot better even if there were some cheesy parts.

Whitney is kind of your standard flighty girl. Good heart, a bit clumsy, but never able to finish anything she starts if she encounters a little resistance and is always needing to be bailed out. Something her parents are now refusing to do anymore. Making the tuition to attend culinary school is her last attempt to make something of herself. Unfortunately her only income is selling pies of which she’s also dependent on someone else’s oven for. This leads her into a situation where she agrees to help out Aunt Aretha who’s determined to get Daniel hitched up for the holidays in exchange for financial aid. 

Daniel himself is dead set against romance. Again, standard type. Neat, fastidious, organized, finance expert, and a complete grump who’s making do with frozen dinners and the TV after his last failed attempt at romance. Meeting Whitney causes him to unthaw inside. 

While the story follows your standard Hallmark style, I found this surprisingly better written. Most people are probably going to find Aunt Aretha’s antics in trying to get her nephew hitched charming. I found it exasperating. To be honest, I thought she’d be more discerning as her choice was also your standard model girl that acts like a snob and any man with sense would run away from. Something which Daniel certainly did. I thought perhaps she was secretly trying to get Whitney together with Daniel since practically everyone saw they had a connection. But nope, she really was that clueless. 

I think the best part is watching both Daniel and Whitney help each learn and grow. Whitney has been lost on direction and faith in herself, and Daniel has lost his joy in life and even in God. Both are reminded that God does care and He never leaves them alone. 

Overall, this is a pretty decent story with developed characters and which I think everyone will enjoy for the holiday season. 

I received an advanced reader’s copy from the publisher through the Revell Reads program and was not required to leave a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Adelaide Smith is a struggling law student with big dreams for the future she’s worked so hard for. When she receives a mysterious letter informing her she’s not only the daughter of a king but that he’s dying and wants to see her, life as she knows it is upended. 

I always love a good Christmas story, but unfortunately for me, this fell flat. 

People here remark that this is just like a cheesy Hallmark movie. Having watched those same movies, I can say the movies are better. 

The story is a fairly quick read. Things like characterization or even romance is left by the wayside. The romance in particular is practically nonexistent. I understand this is a novella, but I’ve read novellas where you were pulled into the character’s life, breathed their hopes and dreams, and were swept away in a whirlwind romance. This book has neither.

To be fair, there are times when you are actually able to connect with the main character. Adelaide is an intelligent girl with a backbone. While the queen is adamant about preventing her from spending time with the king, Adelaide refuses to be intimidated.Unfortunately, these moments are brief. Exposition dominates the pages. The queen is predictably a villain but without any sort of subtlety or tact and God is thrown in a couple times.

In the end, you’re left with an abrupt ending without even the satisfaction of a good romance.

Verdict: Pass.

I received an advanced reader’s copy from the publisher through the Revell Reads program and was not required to leave a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

I don’t usually read books that are a spin on the classic Cinderella tale, but the plot looked decent and I also thought my mom might enjoy it. And let’s be honest, I’m never opposed to a good romance. 😀  Hence my reason for choosing to read the Maid of Ballymacool. 

Brianna, our heroine, is an orphan deposited on the steps of Ballymacool School for Girls. Outside of the battered locket, she has no other clues as to who she is or her family. Her days are spent doing the most arduous and menial labor for her horrible guardian, Headmistress Maureen Magee, who will immediately conjure up images of Miss Trunchbull instead of the wicked stepmother once you start reading.

With Brianna’s days filled with nothing more than work from before dawn until late into the night, abuse ready to be heaped on her no matter how much she does, she retreats into her own little world. Her comforts are her walks into nature to have alone time with God, and the occasional treasure-hunt search on the grounds of Ballymacool on the rare moments she’s allowed a little time off. Enter now Michael Wray, the son of a wealthy family, who is sent to the school to oversee and reign in his headstrong niece who’s been terrorizing the school. Once he sees Brianna, he immediately feels drawn to her and can’t shake the sensation that he knows her from somewhere. 

I’ll admit, it took me a little time to get into the story, but once I did, I started to move along at a clipper pace. The story is nicely written and the characters are fully fleshed out, even the secondary ones that pop up in the story. I’ll admit I didn’t care too much for either Brianna or Michael at first. She felt more like an airhead at times, the usual nice girl who has been bullied into meek submission and so encloses herself in her own safe space. And Michael seemed like just a nice guy who gets pushed around by others. He prefers to spend his time in books and getting to know people less fortunate than himself rather than bossing them around and looking for ways to make more money. When he encounters Maureen Magee and feels slightly intimidated by her, I nearly groaned aloud. But see, I believe this is where good writing comes into play. 

Over the course of the book, as Michael sees Mistress Magee’s cruel treatment of Brianna, we get to see him become a strong protector who has no trouble standing up to Magee, even disrupting her rules. 

And Brianna, who has always felt like she was meant for more but had long given up on it, starts to open up to Michael’s kindness and growing strength. She dares allow herself to feel…hope.

The spiritual element isn’t in your face, but is weaved in as an essential thread that makes the characters who they are. The clearest message is that it isn’t your identity or worth isn’t determined by what family you’re born from, but who you are in Christ.

My major criticism would be with some of the mysteries the author tried to weave into the story to create tension. While it did do its purpose, they were pretty easy to solve or the answers were telegraphed a mile away. I can honestly say there was only one twist at the end that surprised me, which was actually a good one in showing just how low our villain could sink too. Speaking of the horrible Magee, my fears that we would see her miraculously become good after all the evil committed and she would be accepted by everyone were put to rest. While the ending wasn’t as satisfying as I would have liked, justice was still served partially. 

To sum it all up, it’s a pretty cozy story that doesn’t get graphic or too tense. The romance is done in a way I think everyone will enjoy, and while there are some slow spots, they are brief before things pick up again. And I think everyone will appreciate that it doesn’t matter the birth or circumstance, all are precious in God’s sight. And even when you think no one sees the silent tears you cry, He does and will always comfort you.

I received a free copy from the publisher through the Revell Reads program and was not required to leave a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Eve is not someone we have a lot of information of in the Bible. We know she was created to be Adam’s helpmate, taken from his rib. She’s the first to succumb to the serpent and receives the curse that she will bring forth children in pain and that her desire will be to her husband. She gives birth to Cain, Abel, and Seth + other children obviously. Beyond that? Nothing else. So a lot is left to the imagination. Jill Eileen Smith attempts to chronicle the life of the first woman God brought into being and life after Eve and Adam fell. 

Is it compelling? Definitely. I was surprised and appreciated Mrs. Smith tackling the creation of the angels, satan’s fall, and the divine counsel of the Godhead concerning the creation of the world and man. My only complaint is that they were brief and mostly scattered, as if the author was unsure how far to go with those scenes. But moving on. 

I loved how the description of the idyllic life Eve lived with Adam. Freedom to roam, time spent with her beloved Adam, and best of all, fellowship with the Father. No hours spent looking at the sky wondering if there was a Creator or where He was. No, God Himself came down to walk and sit with the children He had formed with His own hands. 

Then there is the fall, and life isn’t perfect anymore. It’s sweat and tears, loneliness and bitter regret. Both Adam and Eve now struggle to adapt to the new state of things and even with their own feelings regarding each other. I can’t say I liked how Adam was portrayed in this. Adam came across as a selfish and sullen cur with anger issues he’d take on Eve, because he blamed her for eating the fruit. While we did touch on the anger at his own inaction, most of it was focused on blaming Eve. Plus, he’d struggle with not wanting to ask God for any help learning to live, because he wanted to do everything himself. Personally, I feel if you’re walking and talking with the Creator and experiencing perfect fellowship every day, then go to almost nothing, you’d be grieving like you lost a loved one. Not looking to prove you can do everything yourself. If anything, you’d be doing that after a few centuries.  

With Eve, she too avoided calling on God’s help, but it was done a little differently. Eve truly missed God’s presence and love, and she continually felt like a failure and wondered whether God still loved her for what she had done. Which I can totally appreciate and expect, because I think it’s only natural. But it really grated because of the lack of remorse you saw with Adam.

The rest of the story focuses on Adam and Eve learning how to survive in their fallen world and building a civilization. There’s a lot of fast-forwarding through the years and even centuries which does tend to jar the story a bit. You have mini-subplots that will encompass a couple chapters, get resolved, then zoom! We’ve advanced another century or decade. I’m not saying the subplots were not interesting. Conflicts with their now-grown children who are now questioning the Creator’s ways, the devil’s plans to corrupt man with the fallen angels, a rescue, Enoch’s attempts to warn humanity to repent—it’s all enough to keep you turning the pages. But it’s far too brief before you’re carried along to the next part in the story.

But finally you reach the end. And while I think it could have been done differently, it was still sweet and beautiful as Eve gets to meet God once more and understands how much she is still and forever loved.  

Gripes aside, it was still a poignant story with a lot of lessons to learn. But the most important is while we see the price of disobedience, we see also that God’s mercy is never-ending and He will never desert you or stop loving you. And that is what will stick with you long after closing the pages. 

Disclaimer: I was given a free copy in exchange for an honest review. The views expressed are completely my own.

So here we are with Jill Eileen Smith’s newest novel, “The Prince and the Prodigal”. After her last work which felt a little strained and not knowing where to go with the plot, this one is more a return to the excellent form Jill usually writes her books in.

Joseph’s story is written beautifully. I was a bit surprised at how humble Jill made him to be before being sold into slavery. I always felt Joseph was a bit more arrogant and spoiled due to being the favored son. Why else would you go bragging on your dreams? But it’s a minor quibble and didn’t detract from me enjoying the story or Jill’s version of the character.

Joseph, despite being the favored son, is the good kid. He loves and respects his father, tries to honor God, and genuinely is looking to mend the rift between him and his brothers, even though he doesn’t know where to start. Despite his efforts not to stir up strife, just the difference between his behavior and that of his brothers is added fuel to the resentment already brewing because of Jacob’s love and favor towards Joseph.

When Joseph is sold into slavery by his own brothers, he’s faced with not only fears for his own life, but also trying to understand how his own siblings could hate him so much to inflict that kind of misery and pain on him. He’s now alone in a strange land and worse, as a slave. He’s gone from being a prince, to a drudge. Even though God’s favor seems to follow him in his new life, it’s not enough for him. Because he was meant for so much more, to be a leader among his people. But here he is doing daily tasks as just a slave. He’s still trapped, still alone with no one he can trust.

And still far from the father who means everything to him.

And then there’s Judah. I’ll admit that one was a surprise as there’s not as much info in the Bible on him to work with as there is with Joseph. But Jill managed to pull it off with showing a man who hungers for his father’s love deep down but sees everything going to Joseph. The brother he once comforted when his mother died, he now can’t even stand to look at. After betraying Joseph, guilt drives him to leave everyone and try to forge a new life. But is one really able to make a new life and family after committing so terrible a deed?

It’s a powerful and story, one that makes you think and consider your own circumstances in life. And how God is always there holding your hand through it all.

Final verdict: A definite buy. It’s a worthy addition to your book shelves.

Disclaimer: I was given a free copy in exchange for an honest review. The views expressed are completely my own.

In her eventful lifetime, Miriam was many things to many people: protective older sister, song leader, prophetess, leper. But between the highs and the lows, she was a girl who dreamed of freedom, a woman who longed for love, a leader who made mistakes, and a friend who valued connection. She navigated the challenges of holding on to hope, building a family in the midst of incredible hardship, and serving as a leader of a difficult people, all while living in her brother’s shadow. Follow Miriam’s journey from childhood to motherhood, obscurity to notoriety, and yearning to fulfillment as she learns that what God promises He provides–in His own perfect timing.
***

I am a huge fan of Jill Eileen Smith’s work, so I make it a point to try to collect all her books. When I saw Miriam’s Song, there wasn’t any hesitation on my part to request the title. We all know the story of Moses, how he was placed in a basket and sent over the Nile to save his life, raised as prince of Egypt, fled to the wilderness, and then sent by God to deliver Egypt. But what were things like from the eyes of Miriam, his sister?

There really isn’t a lot in the Bible on Miriam, other than she was a prophetess and then later condemning Moses for marrying a woman from Cush before getting punished by God with leprosy. So I have to take my hat off to Mrs. Smith for being able to create an entire story with little to work with.

I have to say this is one of her weaker novels which I warrant to the limited amount of info she had to work with. The beginning started out great, with us being treated to the perspective of Hatshepsut, the Egyptian princess who would become Moses’s adoptive mother.

Then on to our main protagonist Miriam as she tries to help her family hide Moses and has to take on a lot of responsibility early in life. Which grows even more as she gets older and starts her own family.

But then we start having time gaps. Sometimes it’s months, then years, and even decades. Mrs. Smith tries to cover the entire story of Exodus, so we end up speed-traveling through the novel. Adding to the problem is that a large portion of the book is actually from the perspective of Moses. His character is probably the most developed, and therefore, also the most interesting. When we do get back to Miriam, all she can do is worry and obsess over Moses.

Despite all that, there’s still several strong points in the story I enjoyed. Miriam loves her family and God, and she does all she can to encourage the women around her to follow Him, in spite of the distrust and resentment some of the Israelite women have towards her because they think she and her family are privileged. She feels discouragement wondering if God has forgotten about them and if His promises would ever come true. And then even her relationship with God is put to the test as she sees Moses bask in His presence more and wonders why Moses is being so privileged while she is forgotten.

Final verdict: Buy if you’re looking for a decent read.

(I received a free copy of the book from the publisher and author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.)

Zoe Johnson spent most of her life living in the shadows, never drawing attention to herself, never investing in people or places. But when a wide-eyed, bedraggled teenager with no memory walks into the diner where Zoe works, everything changes. Now, against her better judgment, Zoe, who has been trying to outrun her own painful memories of the past, finds herself attempting to help a girl who doesn’t seem to have any past at all. The girl knows only one thing: she must reach a woman in Corpus Christi, Texas, hundreds of miles away, before the government agents who are searching for her catch up to them.

 

 

***

 

 

After reading “The Girl Behind the Red Rope”, I’ll admit I wasn’t too eager to pick up another book by Rachel Dekker. While it certainly wasn’t terrible, I can’t say the story was memorable enough to make me want to grab another book by the author. But…I have a weakness for stories about genetically enhanced individuals on the run from the government (we’ll just chalk it up to too many comics :P). So I decided to give this one a try.

Nine is written just as brilliantly as The Girl Behind the Red Rope, but with a much more engaging storyline that pulls you in. The characters are real, the pacing fast, and the impact behind a name of love vs. a name of blood is felt long after you close the book.

I really came to like Zoe. She’s got her own emotional baggage to deal with, and hiding from her own past. But meeting Lucy awakens something she thought was long dead in her. In spite of the dangers and being hunted by the government, she puts everything on the line to help Lucy.

As for Lucy herself, she’s like a lost lamb mixed with the Bourne and Wolverine. One moment she’s a bewildered girl who can’t remember a thing, and the next she’s a ruthless killing machine. But it’s her struggle against how others have programmed her and what she really wants to be that tugs at your heart.

Seeley was a hard one. I got it how he could reach a point where he had almost no conscience. But he really annoyed me. You’d alternate between totally rooting for the guy and hoping for his redemption, and then being so disgusted by his actions that you wanted someone to put him six feet under. Considering what he did by the time all was said and done, I was leaning more towards the six feet under part.

So any quibbles? Only one. The major theme in the story is that we’re products of our own personal programming that has been shaped by the people around us. And we have the power to change our destiny, alter our programming that has been influenced and formed by other people.

We do up to a point. But without God, many times we end up fighting a losing battle. And that was my biggest peeve.

Aside from a focus on self, Nine is a solid and well-developed story that leaves you thinking long after you finish the book. Verdict: A definite buy.

(I received a free copy of the book from the publisher and author from the blogging program in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.)

 

Ten years after her parents were killed, Evelyn Radcliffe is once more homeless. The orphanage that was her refuge and later her workplace has burned to the ground, and only she and a young orphan girl have escaped. Convinced this must be related to her parents’ murders, Evelyn flees with the girl to Mesquite Springs in the Texas Hill Country and finds refuge in the home of Wyatt Clark, a talented horse rancher whose plans don’t include a family of his own.

 

At first, Evelyn is a distraction. But when it becomes clear that trouble has followed her to Mesquite Springs, she becomes a full-blown disruption. Can Wyatt keep her safe from the man who wants her dead? And will his own plans become collateral damage?

Suspenseful and sweetly romantic, Out of the Embers is the first in a new series that invites you to the Texas Hill Country in the 1850s, when the West was wild, the men were noble, and the women were strong.

***

 

A haunted orphan on the run, a desperate killer willing to murder whoever stands in his way, and a charming rancher who wants to follow his own dreams but stays to take care of his family. Sounded good to me, and something that set it apart from the usual Western romance. The beginning started out strong enough. Evelyn has always felt like a watcher has been monitoring her movements. When the orphanage she’s been living at for 10 years is mysteriously burned down and all its inhabitants with it, she knows her past has finally caught up with her. She flees with Polly, the only orphan to escape the carnage because she was with her. They travel to the quaint town of Mesquite Springs where during a thunderstorm, they are found by a handsome rancher, Wyatt Clark.

For me, I kept looking for the story to pick up in some way. If not with the plot, at least some more interesting character interaction. But it’s very brief and any character conflicts are swiftly resolved. We had an interesting one going with Sam, a lawyer who is Wyatt’s friend, and determined to have his own way no matter what. After building up on this, though, things are swiftly resolved within a page and a half, roughly. Once we finish meandering through the rest of the story, the author decides to throw in a hasty confrontation with the villain and poof! All done, and you’re left feeling like you missed something.

For characters, they’re solid, no complaints there. Polly, Evelyn’s six year old companion, I confess annoyed me tremendously. I’ve always thought that if you’re an orphan and someone is going out of their way to take care of you, show a little respect. This one shows zero, and alternates between being a cute girl to a spoiled little runt you just want to squash (I know that sounds violent :P).

The romance is bland, and the standard insta-attraction that morphs into love. Nothing memorable, or what would tug at my heartstrings.
For the moral message, I was a little bit disgusted with how it was portrayed. One of the themes at the beginning is to abstain from lying. Evelyn, however, in a strange town and believing that the person who murdered her parents just destroyed an orphanage with a bunch of innocent children, decides to change her last name and lie about her past to avoid drawing attention and alerting whoever might be stalking her. This is somehow still wrong.

I appreciated the scene where the characters pray for healing and God answers. But what deflated it for me was “well God, we know you don’t heal everyone, so if it be your will…” Wow, that’s a load of faith. I was almost shocked the prayer even got answered.

So personal feelings aside on some of the scenes, the story is charming enough on its own. If you’re looking for a lighthearted romance with just a touch of suspense, you won’t be disappointed. As for something truly moving, or even eliciting that warm feeling inside that you get when you read some books, I can’t say you’ll get that with this book. At least I didn’t, anyway.

Verdict: Pass, unless you’re looking for a slow read.

(I received a free copy of the book from the publisher and author from the blogging program in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.)

 

In 1943, Private Clay Paxton trains hard with the US Army Rangers at Camp Forrest, Tennessee, determined to do his best in the upcoming Allied invasion of France. With his future stolen by his brothers’ betrayal, Clay has only one thing to live for–fulfilling the recurring dream of his death.

 

Leah Jones works as a librarian at Camp Forrest, longing to rise above her orphanage upbringing and belong to the community, even as she uses her spare time to search for her real family–the baby sisters she was separated from so long ago.

After Clay saves Leah’s life from a brutal attack, he saves her virtue with a marriage of convenience. When he ships out to train in England for D-day, their letters bind them together over the distance. But can a love strong enough to overcome death grow between them before Clay’s recurring dream comes true?

***

After reading The Land Beneath Us by Sarah Sundin, I can say with all surety that I’ll definitely be grabbing the rest of the series now, especially since I found out the other two books help with backstory of the third Paxton brother. Despite starting at the third book, it stands quite well on its own.

Forgiveness and learning to accept the value God has in you even when society tells you you’re worth nothing are the two main themes that run through this story. Clay has gone through a lot because of his two older brothers. He feels literally like Joseph thrown into the pit, as his brothers took from him his girl and dreams. What gives him purpose now? Training to be the best Ranger he can be so he can take care of his buddies and then die, fulfilling the dream that haunts his every night and what he believes is God’s destiny for him. Despite what he’s lost, he still remains honorably and true, and is a thoroughly likable fellow everyone should enjoy.
Leah is like a lost little lamb when she starts out, but one thing I admired was that she never stopped fighting to better herself. Even though she’s an orphan who’s been told she has no value, she doesn’t stop trying to learn and advance in life. Somehow, she manages to see the good in everyone and thank God for His blessings instead of complaining.
A savage attack on Leah brings her and Clay into a marriage of convenience that over time, begins to develop into something much more.

A lot of story is spent on Clay training far away, while Leah learns to take care of herself and the child she now needs to raise. I was concerned that the author would just have the entire romance and a good chunk of story devoted to writing letters to each other, but I was glad to see she did not do that.

What I loved most about this book was the message of faith, of learning to trust God with everything. Both Leah and Clay started out with a lot of insecurities and hurts, but through it all they trusted God and He helped them to grow and heal. Overall, I found it an encouraging read with an awesome ending. Now on to getting the rest of the series. 😀

Verdict: Buy if you’re looking for a well-written and inspiring read.

(I received a free copy of the book from the publisher and author from the blogging program in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.)

Ten years ago, Grace saw something that would forever change the course of history. When evil in its purest form is unleashed on the world, she and others from their religious community are already hidden deep in the hills of Tennessee, abiding by every rule that will keep them safe, pure–and alive. As long as they stay there, behind the red perimeter.

Her older brother’s questions and the arrival of the first outsiders she’s seen in a decade set in motion events that will question everything Grace has built her life on. Enemies rise on all sides–but who is the real enemy? And what will it cost her to uncover the truth?

For the first time, bestselling authors Ted Dekker and Rachelle Dekker team up and deliver an intense, tightly focused ride through the most treacherous world of all.

***

I can’t say I’ve ever been a fan of Dekker’s writing. I tried reading one book of his years ago and just couldn’t get into it. But when I saw that he and his daughter were writing this one and read the premise, I thought I would go ahead and give it a try. Turned out the story was both better than I thought, but also not quite meeting my expectations. The writing is flawless. You’re pulled into the character’s thoughts effortlessly, the details are perfect with conjuring the scene without bogging you down with too much. For the story itself, I found it intriguing. Yes, it’s your standard religious community that believes only by keeping to themselves and abiding by a list of rules as long as Santa’s list that they keep themselves holy and safe. So they live in fear, scared to step out of line, scared to really know God. To them, He’s just this powerful being in the sky waiting to unleash the Furies upon them that are already ravaging the world, should they break a rule. When they finally hear the message that God loves them, that they are supposed to be His light, it’s something they almost can’t accept.

This part I enjoyed reading, especially how Grace’s eyes were opened to God’s love and she learned how to let go of the fear binding her. That the very monsters she and everyone were scared of were their own creations.

Overall, I enjoyed the story. I was expecting more of a dystopian or supernatural slant, which I feel would have helped it. As it was, it was more of a tease. The great evil haunting everyone, the terrible Furies, felt like a dream that the people of Haven Valley woke up from once they entered the real world once more.

If you’re looking for a pretty decent read with a great message, I recommend grabbing this book. As far as being very memorable, or going deeper into things, it never really reaches that level. But the excellent writing and quick pacing help make up for it.

Verdict: Buy.

(I received a free copy of the book from the publisher and author from the blogging program in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.)