31 May 2015

The Choosing by Rachelle Dekker

★★★★★
“Not to be Chosen would yield a cruel fate of my own making.”

Like all citizens since the Ruining, Carrington Hale knows the importance of this day. But she never expected the moment she’d spent a lifetime preparing for – her Choosing ceremony – would end in disaster. Ripped from her family, she’ll spend her days serving as a Lint, the lowest level of society. She knows it’s her duty to follow the true way of the Authority. 

But as Carrington begins this nightmare, rumors of rebellion rattle her beliefs. The whispers contradict everything she’s been told; yet they resonate deep within. 

Then Carrington is offered an unprecedented chance at the life she’s always dreamed of, but she can’t shake the feeling that it may be an illusion. With a killer targeting Lints and corruption threatening the highest levels of the Authority, Carrington must uncover the truth before it destroys her. 


I‘ll admit that what first drew my attention to Rachelle Dekker’s debut novel, The Choosing, was her familial connection to Ted Dekker, whose books I have loved for many, many years. However, once I started reading, it did not take me long to realize that Rachelle Dekker’s talent speaks for itself. From the very beginning, Dekker’s The Choosing grabbed my attention and imagination with its fascinating and compelling story of discovering the truth of identity and worth amidst the lies. Using an intriguing dystopian world and authentic characters, as well as excellent suspense, drama and a touch of romance, this novel was nearly impossible for me to put down. I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it - and I’m sure other fans of dystopian novels will as well. I highly recommend it. With a novel like The Choosing, Rachelle Dekker has definitely become one of those authors I look forward to reading again in the future.

Thanks to Tyndale BlogNetwork, I received a copy of The Choosing and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.

Q&A with the Author
The oldest daughter of New York Times bestselling author Ted Dekker, Rachelle Dekker was inspired early on to discover truth through storytelling. She graduated with a degree in communications and spent several years in marketing and corporate recruiting before making the transition to write full-time. She lives in Nashville with her husband, Daniel, and their diva cat, Blair. Visit her online at her website.

1. How did you come up with the story for The Choosing?
This is a hard question because it has many answers. I wanted to write a theme-based novel about identity. I wanted to write a dystopian novel. I wanted to write in a world that was familiar, but in a setting where I could change the way the world worked. It actually is several ideas I’d been toying with pulled into one story. Once I landed on Carrington’s core revelation and story arc, I simply fell in love with her as a character and drew the rest of the story around her. That’s usually how it works for me. I come up with a character, good or bad, and create the story from there.

2. One of the story’s most significant lines is, “Life is a journey of remembering and forgetting.” What do you mean by this?
It means exactly what you probably think. We have these flashes of clarity where we see so clearly who we are – and our connection to the Father – but then, in a single moment, something pulls our attention away and we forget who we are. This is the journey of life, remembering and forgetting. But I believe the more we remember, the more we set our gaze on the Father, the less often we forget.

3. What is it like being Ted Dekker’s daughter? Did your father help you with the writing process?
Being Ted’s daughter is wonderful! He’s the best, but then I hope many daughters feel that way about their fathers. He is a bit of a mystery, though. Sometimes, even sitting at the dinner table, I can tell he’s lost in thought, and I wonder what it might be like to have his mind.

It’s been a blessing to watch him write and struggle with writing, so that now when I struggle I have an understanding ear to talk off. He is always willing to talk me through the emotional and mental side of writing (which is where the biggest battles lie in wait) but as far as story, for the most part he lets me fend for myself. It’s always been important to me to write through my challenges on my own. To figure out scenes alone. In fact, he didn’t even read The Choosing until I was already in conversations with Tyndale about publication. I think that’s because he wanted me to believe I could do it on my own.

But when I doubt my ability as a writer, and when I forget who I am, he is the one I call. And he reminds me that life is a journey of remembering and forgetting, and helps me in remembering once again.

30 May 2015

Restoring All Things: God's Audacious Plan to Change the World through Everyday People by Warren Cole Smith & John Stonestreet

★★★★★
God is at work – and He invites you to join Him

It's easy to get discouraged by the headlines. It can often feel as if God has left the building and we are on our own. This soul-stirring book cuts through the chaos and uncertainty to show you how God is powerfully active and intensely engaged in fulfilling His promise to restore all things. Through inspiring real-life stories of justice, mercy, love, and forgiveness in our communities and neighborhoods, you'll encounter a God who is intimately involved in His creation and using His church to work out the redemption of this world.


Another valuable read from Baker Books, Restoring All Things: God’s Audacious Plan to Change the World through Everyday People by Warren Cole Smith and John Stonestreet explores God’s restoration at work in the world. Smith and Stonestreet tell encouraging examples of restoration in various aspects of culture and through the participation of ordinary Christians, and their book had me thoroughly captivated and challenged. All-around interesting, inspiring and motivating, Restoring All Things is a book I highly recommend to any Christian reader.

Thanks to Baker Book Bloggers, I received a copy of Restoring All Things and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.

About the Author
Warren Cole Smith is the vice president of WORLD News Group, publisher of WORLD magazine, and producer of the nationally syndicated radio programs The World and Everything in It and Listening In, a weekly interview program he also hosts. His books include A Lover's Quarrel with the Evangelical Church and Prodigal Press.

John Stonestreet is a speaker and fellow with the Chuck Colson Center for Christian Worldview and the voice of two nationally syndicated radio commentaries: BreakPoint (with Eric Metaxas) and The Point. A sought-after speaker and thought leader, he is the coauthor of Making Sense of Your World: A Biblical Worldview and Same-Sex Marriage: A Thoughtful Approach to God's Design for Marriage.

29 May 2015

The Proposal at Siesta Key by Shelley Shepard Gray

About the Book
★★★★★
Penny Troyer rarely disobeys her parents. In the years since her sister's tragic death, they've wanted nothing more than to keep her safe… even if it means never leaving the house.

But tonight, she's bending the rules because Michael Knoxx, the most famous member of The Knoxx Family Singers, a traveling Mennonite Evangelical family, is scheduled to speak. Penny has heard of Michael – how he lost part of his leg in a terrible accident and uses the experience to inspire others – and knows she must meet him. So, for the first time ever, Penny stands up to her parents and goes out on her own.

Though he speaks about living life to the fullest, Michael knows he needs to take his own advice. Life on the road is grueling and Michael wants to slow down, to rest… to perhaps meet someone who sees him as a man, not just a celebrity. So when a twist of fate allows him the chance to stay a little longer in Pinecraft, Michael knows God is showing him a new path, especially when he discovers how much he and Penny Troyer have in common.

But new friendships can't stop time. Soon, Michael's time in Pinecraft will be over and he'll be back on the road. Her time with Michael has brought her happiness, but will she be able to follow her heart? Or will she be faced with the one thing she's sure she'll never have the courage to do?

The second book of Shelley Shepard Gray’s Amish Brides of Pinecraft, The Proposal at Siesta Key delivers a tale of Pinecraft romance just as charming as the first (The Promise of Palm Grove). While revisiting Pinecraft and some of its familiar faces, Gray introduces two fresh characters to take the lead - Penny Troyer and Michael Knoxx, both dealing with past tragedy and trauma and needing a bit of independence. As they cross paths, strike up an unlikely yet heartwarming friendship and confront the challenges that arise, I happily followed their story from start to finish. A quick yet sweet and engaging read, The Proposal at Siesta Key will surely please any fans of The Promise of Palm Grove and leave them as interested as I am in the third book, A Wedding at the Orange Blossom Inn

Thanks to LitFuse Publicity Group, I received a copy of The Proposal at Siesta Key and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own. To read other opinions, be sure to check out what other reviewers think here, and purchase a copy of the book here.

About the Author
Shelley Shepard Gray is a two-time New York Times bestseller, a two-time USA Today bestseller, a finalist for the American Christian Fiction Writers prestigious Carol Award, and a two-time Holt Medallion winner. She lives in Southern Ohio, where she writes full-time, bakes too much, and can often be found walking her dachshunds on her town's bike trail.

Find Shelley online at her website, Facebook and Twitter.

28 May 2015

As Waters Gone By by Cynthia Ruchti

Can a marriage survive when separated by hundreds of miles and impenetrable prison walls? Find out in Cynthia Ruchti's new book, As Waters Gone By. Emmalyn and Max Ross may have to endure the fight of their lives to mend the tattered fabric of their marriage. His actions ensured she could never be a mother and put him in prison, giving their relationship a court-mandated five-year time-out.

Cynthia is celebrating the release of As Waters Gone By by giving away a summer of fun to one lucky reader!

as waters gone by - 400 

One grand prize winner will receive:
  • A $100 cash card to put toward your trip to Madeline Island (discover the beauty of the setting of As Waters Gone By) or your summer vacation destination
  • A book-club set (10 copies of As Waters Gone By and a downloadable starter kit) so you can start your own summer book club
Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on June 10th. The winner will be announced June 11th on Cynthia's blog.

as waters go by-enterbanner 

Plus, now through mid-July, sign up for Cynthia's mailing list for a five-day virtual tour around Madeline Island for the chance to win a Hemmed in Hope prize pack. Each day begins with an email from Cynthia that introduces where you'll be “visiting” that day (all key places from As Waters Gone By) with various interactive elements, including“I wish you were here” postcards, trivia quizzes, and an ongoing Island scavenger hunt. The person who interacts the most will win a Hemmed in Hope prize pack (valued at more than $200). That includes:
  • The letterpress block Hope sign from DaySpring
  • A set of 6 Hemmed in Hope notecards showing a hope-themed Bible verse
  • A leather “I can’t unravel, I’m hemmed in hope” journal
  • Signed copies of each of Cynthia’s books, fiction and non-fiction

About the Book
★★★★★
How can a marriage survive when separated by hundreds of miles and impenetrable prison walls?

Emmalyn and Max Ross may have to endure the fight of their lives to mend the tattered fabric of their marriage. His actions ensured she could never be a mother and put him in prison, giving their relationship a court-mandated five-year time-out. On a self-imposed exile to beautiful but remote Madeline Island, one of the Apostle Islands of Lake Superior, Emmalyn has just a few months left to figure out if and how they can ever be a couple again.

Nudged along by the exuberant owner of the Wild Iris Inn and Café, a circle of misfit people in their small town, and a young girl who desperately needs someone to love her, Emmalyn restores an island cottage that could become a home and begins to restore her heart by learning what it means to love unconditionally. Yet even as hope begins to find a place within the cottage walls, Emmalyn still wonders if she's ready for Max's release. She may be able to rebuild a cottage, but can she rebuild a marriage?

What a simultaneously heartwrenching and heartwarming read. Cynthia Ruchti’s As Waters Gone By tells Emmalyn Ross’s story, as she relocates to a small island town, fixes up a run-down cottage and waits for the few remaining months of her husband’s prison sentence to pass. She arrives on the island utterly broken by unfulfilled dreams and unexpected tragedies, but quickly finds the encouragement she needs from the quirky and lovable residents. As I read As Waters Gone By, I loved seeing Emmalyn settle into her new island life, dealing with difficult emotions and situations, while discovering hope and healing. This book offers a beautiful, emotional and uplifting story and it left me quite satisfied. For readers of contemporary fiction, it is certainly worth the read - I highly recommend it.

Thanks to LitFuse Publicity Group, I received a copy of As Waters Gone By and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own. To read other opinions, be sure to check out what other reviewers think here, and find out how to purchase a copy of As Waters Gone By here.

About the Author
Speaker and award-winning author, Cynthia Ruchti draws from 33 years of experience writing and producing a daily radio broadcast to tell stories hemmed in hope through her novels, novellas, devotions, and nonfiction. She serves as the professional relations liaison for American Christian Fiction Writers. Cynthia and her husband live in the heart of Wisconsin.

Find her online at her website, Facebook and Twitter.

27 May 2015

How to Love Your Neighbor Without Being Weird by Amy Lively

★★★★★
A woman's guide to sharing her faith while making new friends. 

Many women are comfortable hanging out at church but also long for a spiritual connection to their community. Amy Lively shows you how to love those strangers next door even when you're fearful. She writes from her experience, saying, "I've knocked on hundreds of doors. Every time I invite my neighbors for coffee I learn something new." This book is a candid compilation of her mistakes (yes) and gives God the glory for successes. 

You'll find hands-on tools and ideas that will help you share the Gospel, explore how to use social media to form real-life relationships, and give you the courage to take the first step of faith to reach out to that neighbor whose name you don't yet know.

Amy Lively’s How to Love Your Neighbor Without Being Weird first caught my attention with her amusing title, but continued to keep my attention with her amusing stories of reaching out to neighbors. Lively shares of her experiences (both successes and failures) acting on the challenging commandment, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” and offers practical advice for reaching out to neighbors. Encouraging and helpful, Lively’s How to Love Your Neighbor Without Being Weird is a beneficial and thought-provoking read for any woman struggling to reach out to her neighbors. It’s worth a read.

Thanks to Bethany House, I received a copy of How to Love Your Neighbor Without Being Weird and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.

Waiting on Wednesday: Hearts Made Whole

Hosted weekly by Breaking the Spine 
to spotlight eagerly-anticipated upcoming releases.

Title: Hearts Made Whole
Author: Jody Hedlund
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Expected Publication Date: 2 June 2015

After her father's death, Caroline Taylor has grown confident running the Windmill Point Lighthouse. But in 1865 Michigan, women aren't supposed to have such roles, so it's only a matter of time before the lighthouse inspector appoints a new keeper – even though Caroline has nowhere else to go and no other job available to her.

Ryan Chambers is a Civil War veteran still haunted by the horrors of battle. He's been given the post as lighthouse keeper, and the isolation where he can drown in drink and hide from his past is appealing. He's not expecting the current keeper to be a feisty and beautiful woman who's none-too-pleased to be giving up her position. They both quickly realize he's in no shape to run the lighthouse, but Ryan's unwilling to let anyone close, ravaged by memories and guilt. Caroline's drawn to this wounded soul, but with both of them relying on that single position, can they look past their loss to a future filled with hope... and possibly love?

26 May 2015

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Plan to Have in My “Beach Bag” This Summer

Hosted weekly by The Broke and the Bookish.

Murder Freshly Baked by Vannetta Chapman

★★★★★
When delicious baked goods become lethal, it's time to find a killer.

Kindness is a virtue
Meanness is a sin
Better watch your bakery pies
For poison I've slipped in

The Amish Artisan Village in Middlebury, Indiana, has been decorated with every color of balloon and flower for the Race for a Cure. As manager of the Village, Amber Bowman is thrilled to see the turnout-and relieved to have something to distract her from the “Poison Poet” – an individual who has been sending notes containing bad poetry to warn of poisoned baked goods.

Then Ryan Duvall crosses the finish line of the race – and falls down dead, murdered in broad daylight. But who did it? And why? The police suspect Preston Johnstone, but Amber refuses to believe her employee could do such a thing.

Amber once again looks to her young Amish friend Hannah Troyer to help her find the killer – and to determine if it's the same person leaving the cryptic poems and pies. Can they help the police before the Poison Poet strikes again? Both Amber and Hannah will need to draw on their faith as they fight to preserve the peaceful community they've built at the Amish Artisan Village.

A deliciously suspenseful addition to her Amish Village Mystery series, Vannetta Chapman’s Murder Freshly Baked kept me intrigued and delighted from start to finish. It revisits the Amish Artisan Village in Middlebury, Indiana, introduced and explored in the two previous novels, Murder Simply Brewed and Murder Tightly Knit, and once again, Amber and Hannah - along with their now familiar group of friends, family and coworkers - wind up in the middle of a dangerous murder plot and investigation. As well-paced and full of wonderful mystery and drama as the other novels, Murder Freshly Baked will please any fan of the series. I know I welcomed the chance to catch up with these characters, as they moved forward in life and embraced the changes that naturally come in the midst of lurking dangers,  and really enjoyed every bit of the story. It’s a great read that readers of mystery and Amish fiction will not want to miss.

Thanks to BookLook Bloggers, I received a copy of Murder Freshly Baked and the opportunity to honestly review it. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own. (I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”)

About the Author
Vannetta Chapman is author of the best-selling novel A Simple Amish Christmas. She has published over one hundred articles in Christian family magazines, receiving over two dozen awards from Romance Writers of America chapter groups. In 2012 she was awarded a Carol Award for Falling to Pieces. She discovered her love for the Amish while researching her grandfather’s birthplace of Albion, Pennsylvania. Visit Vannetta online at her website, Facebook and Twitter.

21 May 2015

The Gracekeepers by Kirsty Logan

★★★★★
For readers of The Night Circus and Station Eleven, a lyrical and absorbing debut set in a world covered by water.

As a Gracekeeper, Callanish administers shoreside burials, laying the dead to their final resting place deep in the depths of the ocean. Alone on her island, she has exiled herself to a life of tending watery graves as penance for a long-ago mistake that still haunts her. Meanwhile, North works as a circus performer with the Excalibur, a floating troupe of acrobats, clowns, dancers, and trainers who sail from one archipelago to the next, entertaining in exchange for sustenance.

In a world divided between those inhabiting the mainland ("landlockers") and those who float on the sea ("damplings"), loneliness has become a way of life for North and Callanish, until a sudden storm offshore brings change to both their lives - offering them a new understanding of the world they live in and the consequences of the past, while restoring hope in an unexpected future.

Inspired in part by Scottish myths and fairytales, The Gracekeepers tells a modern story of an irreparably changed world: one that harbors the same isolation and sadness, but also joys and marvels of our own age.


Kirsty Logan surprised me with her lyrical and mesmerizing storytelling in The Gracekeepers, telling a magical and fantastical adventure within a richly-developed, imaginative world. Though the story played out differently than I initially anticipated and contained elements I did not expect, The Gracekeepers still kept me captivated and interested from start to finish. It’s an overall unusual read, but I did enjoy it. Readers looking to explore a new world or experience a fairy-tale-esque tale should definitely consider picking up The Gracekeepers.

Thanks to Blogging for Books, I received a copy of The Gracekeepers and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.

A Heart's Danger by Colleen Coble

Sarah risks everything to expose the betrayal threatening the man she loves—but will the risk be worth it? Find out in book three, A Heart's Danger, of Colleen Coble's A Journey of the Heart series. Rand’s new fiancée wants to keep him from returning to Sarah Montgomery . . . for whom his heart clearly still yearns. Sarah just wants to move on with her life at Fort Laramie, but doing so under the watchful eyes of both Campbell—the man whose love she craves—and Croftner—the man whose lies have cost her everything.

Enter to win the perfect pairing giveaway: three books (books one–three in Colleen's A Journey of the Heart series) and coffee to pair with your new book!

heartsdanger-400

One grand prize winner will receive:
  • A copy of A Heart's Danger
  • A pound of Colleen's favorite coffee, Captain Davy's Coffee Roaster Costa Rican
  • A copy of A Heart's Disguise
  • A copy of A Heart's Obsession
Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on May 31st. Winner will be announced June 1st on Colleen's website.

heartsdanger-enterbanner

About the Book
★★★★★
On the brink of war with the Sioux, a young woman risks everything to expose the betrayal threatening the man she loves.

Christmas is coming, and the air at Fort Laramie has turned cold… but relations with the Sioux have turned colder. As tensions between soldiers and natives approach a tipping point, Ben Croftner and Jessica DuBois prepare a trap for Rand Campbell.
Bitter from rejection and backfired plans, Croftner has enlisted the help of Rand’s new fiancée to keep Rand from ever returning to Sarah Montgomery… for whom his heart clearly still yearns.
Sarah is simply trying to move on with her life at Fort Laramie, but doing so under the watchful eyes of both Campbell – the man whose love she craves – and Croftner – the man whose lies have cost her everything.

Will Rand fall victim to the conspiracy and go through with his wedding? Or will he declare his love for Sarah and make good on the promises that brought her into the rugged western territories?


Continuing the story of A Heart’s Disguise and A Heart’s Obsession, Colleen Coble’s A Heart’s Danger takes quite a few dangerous turns, as the title suggests. Full of fast-paced action, this novella shows Rand and Sarah, continuing to determine what their friendship should look like, while confronting a tricky foe or two. I enjoyed revisiting all these familiar characters and finding a bit of conclusion to Rand and Sarah’s romantic storyline and now very much look forward to seeing where the series will go next. A overall delightful and quick read, A Heart’s Danger is a wonderful afternoon choice for fans of Coble’s A Journey of the Heart series.

Thanks to LitFuse Publicity Group, I received a copy of A Heart’s Danger and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own. To read other opinions, be sure to check out what other reviewers think here, and purchase a copy of the book here.

About the Author
USA Today bestselling author Colleen Coble has sold over 2 million novels worldwide. Her romantic suspense novels including Tidewater Inn, Rosemary Cottage and the Mercy Falls, Lonestar and Rock Harbor series.

Connect with Colleen at her websiteFacebook and Twitter.

20 May 2015

No Fear in Love: Loving Others the Way God Loves Us by Andy Braner

★★★★★
How to love fearlessly – even when we disagree.

In an age when we are as connected as we are contentious, an astounding number of religious, cultural, and political polarities do more to divide us than unite us. In fact, Christians are getting the reputation of being "against" just about everything. But is this the best way to bear witness to the love of God before an unbelieving world? Or does it simply serve to push others further and further away from the life-giving power of Jesus?

Perhaps it is time to trade condemnation for compassion.

Story-driven and biblically based, No Fear in Love challenges us to love others the way God loves us – unconditionally, brokenness and all – and to trust that God is truly in control.

I picked up Andy Braner’s No Fear in Love: Loving Others the Way God Loves Us and really enjoyed reading what it had to offer. With valuable insight, Braner addressed the important topic of loving one another. He challenges the fear Christians often have in authentically loving people with different worldviews and supports his points with a combination of compelling personal stories and biblical evidence, rooted in the truth of the gospel. Entirely beneficial for Christians in this day and age, No Fear in Love is a worthwhile read I recommend.

Thanks to Baker Book Bloggers, I received a copy of No Fear in Love and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.

About the Author
Andy Braner is the founder of Ahava Ministries, a nonprofit youth ministry that teaches teens and college students to think about the world through a Jesus paradigm. A popular blogger, he speaks to over 100,000 students, parents, and teachers every year at churches, conferences, and personal tours. He has appeared on CBN, Fox News, and various other media outlets, and lives in Colorado.

Waiting on Wednesday: A Worthy Pursuit

Hosted weekly by Breaking the Spine 
to spotlight eagerly-anticipated upcoming releases.

Title: A Worthy Pursuit
Author: Karen Witemeyer
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Expected Publication Date: 2 June 2015

Stone Hammond is the best tracker in Texas. He never comes home empty-handed. So when a wealthy railroad investor hires him to find his abducted granddaughter, Stone eagerly accepts.

Charlotte Atherton, former headmistress of Sullivan's Academy for Exceptional Youths, will do anything to keep her charges safe, especially the little girl entrusted to her care after her mother's death. Charlotte promised Lily's mother she'd keep the girl away from her unscrupulous grandfather, and nothing will stop Charlotte from fulfilling that pledge. Not even the handsome bounty hunter with surprisingly honest eyes who comes looking for them.

When the teacher he's after produces documentation that shows she's the little girl's legal guardian, Stone must reevaluate everything he's been led to believe. Is Miss Atherton villain or victim? She acts more like a loving mother than an abductress, and the children in her care clearly adore her. Should Stone break his perfect record?

Then a new danger threatens, and Charlotte is forced to trust the man sent to destroy her. Stone becomes determined to protect what he once sought to tear apart. Besides, he's ready to start a new pursuit: winning Charlotte's heart.

19 May 2015

Married 'til Monday by Denise Hunter

★★★★★
With a big anniversary party in the works for her parents, Ryan will pretend to be Abby's husband for just one last weekend.

Ryan McKinley has tried to move on from his ex-wife, Abby. He's sulked, he's gotten angry, and ultimately he bought her dream house. Big mistake. Living alone in the massive 2-story has only made him miss her more. When her parents call him out of the blue about their anniversary party in Summer Harbor, Maine, Ryan believes God has dropped a golden opportunity straight in his lap.

Abby McKinley never exactly told her parents about the divorce. A strained relationship with her dad has culminated in a distant relationship with her parents, but she's finally succumbed to her mom's pressure to make the drive for their 35th-anniversary party.

Then Ryan shows up on her doorstep, looking as devastatingly handsome as ever. When he insists he's going to Seabrook, with or without her, Abby knows she can't say no. Her parents still think they're married and now Ryan knows it too. Besides, he only wants to check in with his best friend from college – her cousin Beau, who just lost his dad. It's just a one-week road-trip with the man who broke her heart. What could possibly go wrong?

As I write this, I keep remembering just how thoroughly I loved and enjoyed Denise Hunter’s Married ‘til Monday - I cannot think of a single thing that disappointed me. Since falling in love with the McKinley family in the previous three Chapel Springs novels, I have eagerly been waiting for the novel that tells heartbroken and divorced Ryan McKinley’s story. In Married ‘til Monday, circumstances allow him the chance to spend time with his ex-wife, Abby, on a cross-country road trip. This opportunity to reconnect naturally brings painful emotions and heart-wrenching secrets - with a solid dose of enduring love and continued attraction - to the surface, in the midst of humorous misadventures. Throughout the storyline, Ryan and Abby transition between sweet moments of tenderness and passion and frustrating moments of hurt and stubbornness, but this second-chance journey of theirs, filled with healing, forgiveness and learning to trust God with both the past and the future, is wholly beautiful and encouraging and impossible to put down. An excellent novel by Denise Hunter, Married ‘til Monday is one read fans of contemporary romance will not want to miss. I certainly recommend it - especially to those who love the Chapel Springs series.

Thanks to BookLook Bloggers, I received a copy of Married ‘til Monday and the opportunity to honestly review it. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own. (I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”)

About the Author
Bestselling novelist Denise Hunter has received the Holt Medallion Award, Reader's Choice Award, Foreword Book of the Year Award, and is a RITA finalist. She lives in Indiana with her husband and their three sons. Find her online at her website, Facebook and Twitter.

18 May 2015

A Trip Around the Sun: Turning Your Everyday Life into the Adventure of a Lifetime by Mark Batterson & Richard Foth with Susanna Foth Aughtmon

★★★★
A challenge to choose adventure.

If you had your life to live over again, what would you do differently? New York Times bestselling author Mark Batterson and his mentor, Richard Foth, will help you answer that question before it's too late. In a storytelling style, Mark and Dick challenge you to take more risks, dream bigger dreams, and quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death. The accumulated wisdom from their combined 117 trips around the sun radiates from every heartfelt page.

Want to grab life and squeeze every ounce of adventure out of it? Be inspired by this unapologetic celebration of the life Jesus died to give us.

A Trip Around the Sun provides a great reminder from author Mark Batterson and his mentor, Richard Foth, to take full advantage of each given “trip around the sun.” As Batterson and Foth take turns sharing their accumulated experiences, they delight with adventures all around the world and inspire readers to live intentionally and adventurously. Though overall this book contains slightly less spiritual takeaway than I initially anticipated, considering other books by Mark Batterson, A Trip Around the Sun still offers a fun, interesting and challenging read with a valuable message, and I enjoyed it. Fans of Mark Batterson should consider picking it up - I would recommend it.

Thanks to Baker Book Bloggers, I received a copy of A Trip Around the Sun and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.

About the Authors
Mark Batterson is the New York Times bestselling author of The Circle Maker and The Grave Robber. He is the lead pastor of National Community Church in Washington, DC. Learn more at his website.

Richard Foth is the father of four and grandfather of eleven. In his roles as a pastor, college president, and conference speaker, he is best known as a storyteller who believes that God's story and our stories touch the world.

Susanna Foth Aughtmon is the author of All I Need Is Jesusand a Good Pair of Jeans, My Bangs Look Good and Other Lies I Tell Myself, and I Blame Eve. A pastor's wife and mother of three, Susanna assists her husband in various ministries at the church they planted in California.

15 May 2015

Called to Be Amish: My Journey from Head Majorette to the Old Order by Marlene C. Miller

About the Book
★★★★★
Fewer than one hundred outsiders have joined the Old-Order Amish – and stayed – since 1950. Marlene C. Miller is one of them. 

In this rare memoir, Marlene recounts her unhappy and abusive childhood, how she throws herself into cheerleading and marching band, and how she falls in love with Johnny, the gentle young Amish man who helps her lace her ice skates.

Against the wishes of both sets of parents, Marlene and Johnny get married and begin a family. Follow the author on this unusual journey to find out how God's love called her out of bitterness and depression and into the warm embrace of her new Amish community.

Accompany her as she dons an Amish dress and prayer covering and gets baptized. Learn how she endures the strain of ten children, a hundred-acre farm, and accidents and tragedy, and find out how she comes close to walking away from it all. Turning Amish has proven to be anything but plain and simple for this former majorette. But nearly fifty years later, Marlene is still living out God's call as an Old Order Amish woman.

With her memoir, Called to Be Amish: My Journey from Head Majorette to the Old Order, Marlene C. Miller gives her readers an intriguing look into her life as a woman who felt called to join the Old-Order Amish. Her choice to join the Amish is one that very few people actually make. so discovering her motivations behind this choice, as well as how it completely changed her life, fascinated me. Her testimony powerfully speaks the life-changing nature of faithfully following God, and her explanations of adapting to the Amish day-to-day life taught me quite a bit about Amish culture. Called to Be Amish is a worthwhile read that is wholly inspirational and encouraging, and I think readers who enjoy memoirs and Amish culture will not want to miss it.

Thanks to LitFuse Publicity Group, I received a copy of Called to Be Amish and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own. To read other opinions, be sure to check out what other reviewers think here and purchase a copy here.

About the Author
Marlene C. Miller joined the Amish as an adult and has been a member of the Old Order Amish for almost 50 years. She and her husband of 48 years live on a farm in Ohio surrounded by their nine children, more than 40 grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.