Book Review: Catch A Falling Star

Catch A Falling Star
By
Beth K. Vogt

About the Book:

At 36, Kendall Haynes has begun to feel like she’s doomed to the single life. Even though she’s a successful medical doctor with a thriving practice of her own, she can’t help but wonder if she’s missing out on something. It doesn’t help that her younger sister keeps trying to coax her to give her a family heirloom engagement ring because she thinks Kendall will never use it. Just when she’s about given up hope, Kendall meets two men who pique her interest; another doctor with plans to help those less fortunate and an Air Force who is currently grounded from flying and has recently become the guardian of his younger brother whom he barely knows. One of these men will lead her astray and get her mixed into some really bad business, the other has to deal with issues in his past before he can let himself love her. What unfolds is a beautiful story that shows that love doesn’t only happen to those in their twenties and that life goes best when we chose to let God lead the way.

My Thoughts:

I really liked reading this book, especially since it was set in Colorado Springs where I currently live. I was also able to relate to the military aspect of this book since I am a proud Air Force wife! I was really able to find myself in the setting of the story and really put myself in the middle of it. The characters were easy to relate to and I often found myself rooting for the “right” couple to end up together. I enjoyed how the characters each had their own story, their own issues to deal with, yet their stories were beautifully intertwined. This is the first book I’ve read by Beth K. Vogt and I hope to read more in the future.

Disclaimer:

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for this review. All thoughts are my own and I was not required to write a positive review.

Buy the Book:

If you’re interested in checking out this book you can find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble, as well as many other retailers.

Book Review: Undeniably Yours

Undeniably Yours
By
Becky Wade

About the Book:

 When her father dies unexpectedly, Meg Cole is thrust into running the family’s hugely successful oil company. Even though she has zero interest in the oil industry, she must spend hours and hours learning about it and how to keep the company and her father’s ranch running smoothly. It’s at Whispering Creek ranch that she meets Bo, the man who runs her father’s thoroughbred horse farm. Horses are another thing Meg has zero interest and she lets Bo know that she will be shutting down the thoroughbred business. Though they are determined not to like each other, Meg and Bo find themselves falling fast for each other. Just when things are going well, Meg’s sociopathic ex-husband makes an appearance and tries to ruin Meg’s life for the second time. All the while, Meg is learning to trust God more and more and to stop worrying so much about what others, especially her family, think of her. Just when she thinks her father’s death and the events that occur following it might overwhelm her, she finds that they’ve all been a part of a bigger plan.

Check out the trailer:

My Thoughts:

You can’t go wrong with cowboys, Texas and romance; it’s like a recipe for a good story. When you add a sociopathic ex-husband into the mix, it makes the story even more interesting.  I really enjoyed this new book by Becky Wade; she took what could have been another run-of-the-mill Christian romance novel and made it so much more than that. The element of suspense she added kept it interesting and kept me turning the pages. I noticed that this book is being marketed as book #1 in the Porter Family series, I can’t wait to follow the Porter family through Becky’s future novels!

Disclaimer:

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for this review. All thoughts are my own and I was not required to write a positive review.

Buy the Book:

If you’re interested in checking out this book you can find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble, as well as many other retailers.

Book Review: Stress Test (And a Giveaway)

This review is part of a blog tour, to see what others have to say about Stress Test, click here.

Stress Test
By
Richard L. Mabry, M.D.

In order to appease his girlfriend, Dr. Matt Newman is giving up his private practice and heading to a career in academic medicine. After his last night at his practice, his life definitely changes but not in the way he’d expected. Matt is kidnapped on the way to his car. When he wakes up in the hospital hours later he finds he’s also been charged with murder. Shortly after this, his girlfriend dumps him. It seems his life is headed downhill quickly.

Enter Sandra Murray, Matt’s new lawyer. She believes Matt is innocent and will stop at nothing to help prove this. She won’t let him just give up, she makes him fight to clear his name even when it seems like the cards are stacked against them. With her help, Matt endures and overcomes the hardest time of his life.

This book is filled with suspense and mystery from the very first chapter; there are twists and turns that I was completely unprepared for. Night after night I found myself turning pages (rather swiping the screen of my iPad) late into the night. If it weren’t for my need for sleep, I would not have put it down. The action just kept coming without any of the lulls that can make you get bored with a book. I really enjoyed reading this book and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a good read.

Richard Mabry is celebrating the release of Stress Test with a Nook HD Giveaway! Enter today.

One winner will receive:

• A brand new Nook HD
• A $15 gift certificate to BarnesandNoble.com

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on April 27th. Winner will be announced on 4/29/13 at Richard’s blog.

Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning.

Disclaimer:

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for this review. All thoughts are my own and I was not required to write a positive review.

Buy the Book:

If you’re interested in checking out this book you can find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble, as well as many other retailers.

Book Review: To Honor and Trust

To Honor and Trust
By
Tracie Peterson and Judith Miller
(Bridal Veil Island #3)

About the Book:

Callie DeBoyer is spending the winter on Bridal Veil Island as the governess for the Bridgeport family. Though she loves her job and the family she works for, she can’t help but wonder if there is something else she should be doing. Perhaps she should join her parents on the mission field in Africa? Or go to work at a school that has offered her a job?

Then, when Mr. Bridgeport enrolls her in golf lessons alongside his son Thomas, Callie begins to develop feelings for the instructor, Wes. Just when she realizes that she’s falling for him, she discovers that Wes is keeping secrets from her.

As if all that is not enough, she learns that the house her grandmother left her in Indiana has been destroyed by flooding and Callie finds herself a suspect in a string of burglaries around the quiet, little island. Are all these signs that she should head to Africa?  Or is God teaching her something else?

My Thoughts:

This is the second book I’ve read in this series and I enjoyed this just as much as the first one. As I said in that review, I always enjoy reading historical fiction.  It takes me back in time and makes me feel as if I’m right there with the characters in the given time period. I enjoyed reading this book and trying to figure out what would happen with the thefts and how the ending would bring the characters together. Honestly, this book took me a while to get through but I think that’s mostly due to the fact that by the time I have the chance to sit down and read it’s 10:30 or 11:00pm. I did enjoy reading this book more than the first one in the series, but I think as whole it’s a great series and something I’d recommend to anyone looking for a a historical fiction read.

Disclaimer:

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for this review. All thoughts are my own and I was not required to write a positive review.

Buy the Book:

If you’re interested in checking out this book you can find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble, as well as many other retailers.

Book Review: The Sky Beneath My Feet

The Sky Beneath My Feet
By
Lisa Samson

I really enjoyed reading this book, but the storyline is a bit much for me to explain.  So here’s the synopsis from thomasnelson.com:

Being married to a saint isn’t what it’s cracked up to be.

Beth’s husband won’t be joining the family on vacation at the beach this year. He’s not even joining them in the house. Instead, Rick has holed up alone in the backyard shed. Nobody knows exactly what he’s up to. Maybe he’s immersing himself in prayer. Maybe he’s lost his mind. Maybe he’s even the modern-day prophet or the saint the neighborhood artist imagines him to be. But while “St. Rick” waits for an epiphany, Beth will have to figure out what to do with herself and their teenage sons, possibly for the rest of her life.

What happens next is both uproarious and bittersweet: a peace march turns violent, her son is caught with drugs, and she embarks on an ambitious road trip that turns into something nearly surreal. Will Beth rediscover the idealistic woman she used to be, once upon a time? Can her marriage survive Rick’s backyard vigil? Will anything ever be the same? And should it be?

Truthful, comic, heartbreaking, and magical in the very best sense of the word, The Sky Beneath My Feetgently tears the veil off our egos and expectations to reveal the throbbing, redemptive, and achingly beautiful life beyond and within us.

I have to say that this is one of the most unique books I’ve read in a while. While Beth’s husband checks out of life and holes himself up in the shed, she’s faced with discovering who she really is. During this time, she makes trips to a Rent-A-Mob meeting as a well as an unorthodox halfway house run by a woman who calls herself Mother Zacchaeus. She also discovers disturbing news about her son, all without her husband there to help and comfort her.  She’s sort of left to do life alone and figuring out who she is meant to be. While I am not sure how someone can come up with a story line quite like this, I really enjoyed reading the book. It was a quick read that kept me turning pages to figure out what bizarre event would occur next. It was well written, quirky and humorous.  It would make a great beach read this summer if you’re in the market for one of those.

Disclaimer:

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for this review. All thoughts are my own and I was not required to write a positive review.

Buy the Book:

If you’re interested in checking out this book you can find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble, as well as many other retailers.

Book Review: Secretly Smitten

Secretly Smitten
By
Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, Denise Hunter and Diann Hunt

Secretly Smitten is the second installment in a series written by a group of real-life BFFs. In the Smitten series, Coble, Billerbeck, Hunter and Hunt, each with best selling books of their own, come together to tell the stories of the residents of Smitten, Vermont. What results is a collection of short stories intertwining with each other, creating a rich, deep story about each character. If you’ve been reading my blog for any amount of time, you know that I really enjoy reading books that have intertwining stories and this one did not disappoint.  I was already a fan of the majority of these authors before I stumbled upon Secretly Smitten and I was super excited to partake of their collaborative efforts. The stories flow well together and I found myself completely immersed in the story, wishing I could take a trip to Smitten and meet the characters.

In Secretly Smitten we follow the stories of the women of the Thomas family, Tess, Clare, Zoe and their mother, Anna. We learn about their own stories and follow along as a family mystery unravels after a set of dog tags are found in an attic. The dog tags belong to Anna’s mother’s first love who supposedly never returned from war. As Tess, Clare and Zoe set out to solve the mystery the uncover deep family secrets.  These are the kinds of secrets that can destroy families and the bonds they share. But do they separate the family or draw them closer together?

Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, Denise Hunter and Diann Hunt have a collaborative blog, too.  If you’d like to check it out head on over to http://www.girlswriteout.blogspot.com.

Disclaimer:

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for this review. All thoughts are my own and I was not required to write a positive review.

Buy the Book:

If you’re interested in checking out this book you can find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble, as well as many other retailers.

Book Review: An Amish Kitchen

An Amish Kitchen
By
Beth Wiseman, Kelly Long and Amy Clipston

An Amish Kitchen is a collection of novellas following the stories of a group of characters who live in Paradise, Pennsylvania. In each story the kitchen plays a huge part, which is the center of the Amish home. From mixing herbal remedies to running a bed and breakfast to working in close quarters with family the characters featured in An Amish Kitchen find the kitchen to be places of love, hope and family.

As with most other story collections, the stories of these characters are intertwined and all the main characters make appearances in each story.  I really enjoy reading collections like these because I really like being able to follow characters after their main story is told. This group of stories is well written and flows together really well even though there are 3 different authors. My only complaint is that these stories, like most in these types of collections, each seem to be a rushed story.  I’d love to be able to go a little more in depth into each story, but then the book would probably be 1,000 pages long…of course then it would take me 3 times as long to read. Overall I really enjoyed reading this book.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention something super important. At the end of the book, there is a collection of 45 Old Order Amish recipes many of which make an appearance in the stories.  Some of the recipes included are soft pretzels, pumpkin whoopee pies, cream celery and quilter’s salad.  I can’t wait to try my hand at some of these recipes.  If I can remember, I’ll try to make sure and post some reviews if I ever get the time to try them out.

Buy the Book:

If you’re interested in checking out this book you can find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble, as well as many other retailers.

Disclaimer:

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for this review. All thoughts are my own and I was not required to write a positive review.

Book Review: A Christmas Homecoming and a Giveaway!!!

This review is part of a blog tour, to see what others have to say click here.
A Christmas Homecoming
By
MaryAnn Diorio

This is  a rather short story, I think it was about 65 pages or so.  I didn’t know it was that short when I signed up for the blog tour and if I had known that, I might have passed over this book. I am so glad I didn’t pass up the opportunity to read this amazing story.  Even though her story is quite short, MaryAnn Diorio crafts a wonderful story of forgiveness and love. The main point being that it’s never too late to seek forgiveness, in fact the main character in the story has waited 7 years to do so. If the author can create such a beautiful story in just 65 pages, I’m interested in checking out some of her full length novels to see what amazing stories she tells.

Check out this video trailer to learn more about A Christmas Homecoming:

If you’d like to check out this book for yourself, you can find it on Amazon for just 99 cents as a kindle download.

Also, check out this Kindle giveaway!
Grab a copy of MaryAnn Diorio‘s “A Christmas Homecoming” for JUST .99! MaryAnn is celebrating by giving away a Paperwhite Kindle! Details below!

One “merry” winner will receive:

• A Paperwhite Kindle
• A Christmas Homecoming by MaryAnn Diorio

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on December 22nd. Winner will be announced on 12/23/12 at MaryAnn’s Blog.

Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning.

Book Review: Come to the Table

Come to the Table
By
Neta Jackson

As I’ve said before, I really enjoy when authors write book series.  I love when I can follow characters’ stories beyond just one book. Neta Jackson is a great example of an author who does just that. I originally started reading books by Neta when I came across the Yada Yada Prayer Group series. I was bummed when that series came to an end, but delighted when she began to write other series that continued to follow some of those beloved characters as well as introducing new ones. The latest series is the SouledOut Sisters series and Come to the Table is the second installment. I loved being able to catch up with characters again and follow their lives. There were some things that were predictable but there were also events that I didn’t see coming, including some that guarantee Neta will have more stories to tell in the future! I’d highly recommend this book as well as the others written by Neta Jackson.

Here’s what thomasnelson.com has to say about Come to the Table:

Kat Davies is suddenly wondering if her good deed was a bad idea.

Kat may be new in her faith, but she’s embraced the more radical implications of Christianity with reckless abandon. She invited Rochelle—a homeless mother—and her son to move in the apartment she shares with two other housemates. And she’s finally found a practical way to channel her passion for healthy eating by starting a food pantry at the church.

Her feelings for Nick are getting harder to ignore. The fact that he’s the interning pastor at SouledOut Community Church and one of her housemates makes it complicated enough. But with Rochelle showing interest in Nick as a father-figure for her son, their apartment is feeling way too small.

But not everyone thinks the food pantry is a good idea. When the woman she thought would be her biggest supporter just wants to “pray about it,” Kat is forced to look deeper at her own motives. Only when she begins to look past the surface does she see people who are hungry and thirsty for more than just food and drink and realizes the deeper significance of inviting them to “come to the table.”

Disclaimer: A complimentary copy of this book was provided for review. All thoughts are my own and I was not required to post a positive review.

Buy the Book:

This book can be found at Amazon and Barnes and Noble, as well as many other retailers.

Book Review: Resurrect

This book review is part of a blog tour, to see what others have to say about Resurrect, click here.

A few months ago I was presented the opportunity to review Resurrect by David E. Stevens, after reading the synopsis I knew I’d be taking advantage of the opportunity, not for me but for my husband. This kind of b0ok is right up his alley! Judging by how fast he read it and h0w he chuckled a few times as he did, I’m guessing he really liked it.  Here’s what he had to say about it:

An exciting look into the bureaucracies of the government and the possibility of human annihilation.  This book does a great job of creating characters from different walks of life who are brought together to save the world. Along the way, the struggle between science and creation is discussed time and again. But, can we truly understand our universe or is our scientific knowledge still too limited to truly see the truth of all things?  This story approaches these lofty topics in an easy to read, action packed and often funny story of a top secret program, that doesn’t really exist, to save the world.

After reading his review, I’d say he enjoyed it.

If you’d like to find out more about Resurrect, head on over to http://www.resurrecttrilogy.com/

Buy the Book:

This book can be found at Amazon and Barnes and Noble, as well as many other retailers.