Review on The Tutor's Daughter by Julie Klassen

The Tutor’s Daughter is Julie Klassen’s  latest offering in the Regency Historical Fiction genre, a genre that she simply excels at. Verging on a gothic romance with her sweeping landscapes and mysterious moments of “things that go bump in the night”, she brings home a story full of secrets, romance and some pretty suspenseful scenes as well.  

  We see her main character Emma Woodhouse, who is extremely prim, proper and structured, show growth in this story as her faith grows and her relationships with others as well.  She truly learns to let go of the control she desperately tries to hold onto and surrender her life to God’s control.  This story is reminiscent of Jane Eyre as it takes place in a grand sweeping house named Ebbington Manor in Cornwall, England.  There lives the Weston family- the older sons, Henry and Phillip Weston- former pupils of Emma’s father-, their father Sir Giles, their stepmother Lady Weston and half brothers Rowan and Julian.  Add in Lizzie a ward of Lady Weston’s and you have a houseful of people that add to the mystery and suspense that unfolds at Ebbington Manor. Who of these people is sneaking in to Emma’s house late at night leaving mysterious messages in her room, stealing her journal and playing music downstairs in the wee hours of the night?

   Julie Klassen crafts  a fun, mysterious and lovely historical fiction novel  in The Tutor’s daughter.  She is quoted as saying that she loves “all things Jane”- I do too!  So for those that love to see the influence of Jane Austen, “Jane Eyre” and some well researched history of Cornwall thrown in, placed in a faith based novel, I am sure that you will enjoy this journey to Ebbington Manor in the form of The Tutor’s daughter.

 

4 stars

 

I was provided with a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions expressed are my own.

 

Review on Iscariot by Tosca Lee

Brave, passionate and fearless are three words that I would choose to describe both the author Tosca Lee and her new novel Iscariot, A Novel of Judas.  I think it takes a true master and someone who is willing to take a major risk to write a novel like this.  And take risks she did. But I think unequivocally the risk paid off as Iscariot is an amazing literary work that takes us on Judas’ journey with Jesus in a way that was so heartfelt and yes, heartbreaking, I mean, how can it not be?  Personally I think it’s very tough to take a story where everyone knows the ending and the ending is not a good one, but still make it a compelling read. Tosca Lee does this so well and I really appreciated the journey and feel that everyone who reads this book will look at Judas a little differently.

  Judas is portrayed as someone who was always searching- searching for a true messiah. And with much heartache and tragedy to show for this search, his story unravels in an intricately done way. He loses vastly important people to him, and his grief and guilt play a major role in shaping him as a man.  His search for a messiah and search for love draw him to this person of Jesus. Along with Tosca’s portrayal of Judas, I loved how she wrote Jesus as well. His amazing love for his disciples and the people around him showed through beautifully, as well as the absolute desperation for why he came to us.  I think the thing I most loved about this portrayal of Judas though, is the fact that he loved Jesus, but still even with that love there was  his constant battle between what he grew up knowing as the law versus what he saw before him in the person of Jesus. 

Another aspect of this novel that I found utterly compelling was Judas’ “fall”- so different from how I have ever pictured it, I think that most of us have just left Judas as a 2 dimensional character- “he’s the bad guy who betrayed Jesus”, but Tosca brings him alive and we can see him and understand him and empathize with him and yes, even see ourselves in him.  He like so many of us was a man deceived and with that deception came ultimate destruction.

Finally, I would like to urge you to read the author’s note at the end of the book- it is fascinating to read Tosca’s journey as she wrote this book. I loved the questions that she wrestled with to bring this character of Judas to life; especially with regards to grace- are there no limits? Truly this last bit of the book puts a period at the end of the story, which is why I mention it- I always feel that if we get a further look into the heart of the author with regards to their work that it broadens our understanding.  In the usual Tosca Lee style she brings beautiful prose to this book as well as an intense realness to the situations.  I found it to be masterful, compelling storytelling and a story that I will remember for a long time.

 

I was given a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions expressed are my own.

 

Review on The Bridge by Karen Kingsbury

Heartwarming, Inspirational, Romantic and reminiscent of  “It’s a wonderful life”, are just a few descriptors that come to mind as I reflect on “The Bridge” by Karen Kingsbury.  This charming Christmas novella completely satisfies the inspirational Christmas “feel good” novel that we are all craving during the Christmas season. 

   As the novella opens, we meet the lovely Molly Allen and are introduced to her simple and a little lonely live in Portland, Oregon where she heads up an animal rescue shelter.   It is the day after Thanksgiving, a day that she reserves for thinking on an old friend and one she hoped would be more- Ryan Kelley. Ryan is a guitar player who had just been touring with a popular country band, but as things happen in the music business, he is currently unemployed and looking for a new gig.  Molly and Ryan, years ago were inseparable in their college days in Franklin, Tennessee, and although they were never technically dating per se, they had a very strong connection with each other.  Because Molly’s overbearing father did not want Molly forming any attachments while she was off at college, (He wants her to come home and learn the ropes of running the family business) Molly and Ryan needed to keep up appearances that they were not involved.  And so they would meet secretly in the upper room of a charming little book shop called “The Bridge”.  The Bridge was run by a wonderful couple named Charlie and Donna Barton who in many ways became surrogate parents to both Molly and Ryan.  Charlie and Donna poured their heart into their bookstore and especially into all their customers who entered their doors, offering help and love anyway they could. Molly and Ryan love and respect the Barton’s immensely and it is at The Bridge where their relationship continues to grow.

   Sadly, because of misunderstanding and miscommunication Molly and Ryan part ways and now 8 years later they still think of each other with longing and regret.  Tragedy strikes the Barton’s in a way that draws both Molly and Ryan back to the small town of Franklin to come to the Barton’s aid.  Old feelings are rekindled and grace, friendship and love are prevalent in a very satisfying ending that all will enjoy. 

    As always Karen Kingsbury gives us great character’s that we can cheer on to overcome their obstacles through God’s love and grace.  If you are in the mood for a Christmas miracle sort of story, where second chances come to life, friends rise up and come to each other’s aid and God is the author of it all, then do pick up “The Bridge” by Karen Kingsbury, you won’t be disappointed.

 

4 stars

 

I received a complimentary copy of The Bridge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Review on Hidden in Dreams

There is a reason that Davis Bunn is an award winning author with national bestsellers to his credit- he’s just plain good.  And not only is he good, he  is also diverse in his writing which is kind of fun as a reader to get different genres for the price of one.  In his new sequel to The Book of Dreams, Davis Bunn brings  Hidden in Dreams with the ever controversial Dr. Elena Burroughs once again at the center of things trying to pick up the pieces of her life that has somewhat spiraled out of control.  As she is trying to rebuild her professional reputation, heal from a romance gone wrong and move forward in her life, she finds herself in the middle of yet another controversy involving dreams.

  This time the controversy revolves around a nightmare that is very vivid and real and quite specific and is a warning in nature as several people around the globe are having the exact same dream.  Elena herself is one of the “dreamers” and a real sense of foreboding and the need to share the news with the world,  is present in every single person that dreams the dream.  As Elena is trying to follow God’s lead on the whole dream phenomenon and what it might mean, she learns a lot along the way, about who God is, how he operates and who exactly He has brought into her life and for what purpose- that’s a lot for a girl to learn!  Also present in this story is her arch nemesis Dr. Jacob Rawlings who all but ruined her professional reputation through a debate in which he dressed her down quite soundly with regards to her dream interpretation.  However because of his own journey and situation with a client having the “dream” he is forced to re-think his stand on dreams himself, and as a result in working together, the two forge a friendship.

This story was very interesting to read and its pacing was picture perfect as the mystery and different parts to the story unfold.  It was that book that kept you reading for sure to find out in the end what was going on and what it meant for all the people involved, end of the world stuff, or…?  Very well done.

If you enjoy a page turner with great characters, a spiritual journey and a bit of mystery, I think you should pick up Hidden in Dreams by Davis Bunn.  It’s a great read.

4 stars

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Review on Angel Eyes by Shannon Dittemore

Beautiful and heartbroken Brielle Matthews shows up in her old, small hometown of Stratus, Oregon after being gone for a while chasing her dream of being a dancer/model  at a fancy art school in Portland.  But tragedy hits as the death of her good friend Ali, her friend at her Portland school, haunts her and leaved her adrift and shaken and full of fear.  Even being at home doesn’t help things and the heaviness that is a part of her life now.  However in the midst of this oppressive darkness someone new has come to town.  His name is Jake, Jake Shield and he keeps popping up everywhere- her calculus class, around town.  She starts to feel as though she now has her own bonafide stalker, albeit a really cute one. 

  As she gets to know Jake a bit better and his story unfolds she finds that there is more to Jake than meets the eye, especially surrounding his guardian Canaan. And as a whole new Celestial world opens up to Brielle, she sees things in a whole new way.  However her heartbreaking past in losing her mother at a young age coupled with the death of her best friend Ali keeps her from really having a true faith and trust in God as frankly she doesn’t trust Him based on what she sees He has or hasn’t done with those she has loved.  As she sees true forces of good and evil battling it out through people and celestial beings she gains more understanding and her relationship with Jake deepens. 

There are a lot of different facets to this novel and a lot of things about it that I thought were well done.  The author explores that “why would a good God let bad things happen?” question which many of us wrestle with, through Brielle’s’ past and her journey throughout the novel.  I thought that the angels vs. demons portions were suspenseful and the characters believable.  I definitely will continue to read more in this series as the author gives great foreshadowing, along with a bit of a cliffhanger making the reader really want to find out the future for these characters.  Lastly I felt that Brielle’s journey was a good one, well paced and you felt for her through the whole thing. 

  So while I will definitely recommend this as a great YA read for teenagers, I really enjoyed it as well, so a great read for all ages.

4 stars

I was given a free digital copy of this book through the Booksneeze program in exchange for an honest, non-biased review.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Review on Starring Me by Krista McGee

Ok all for whatever reason, the reviews I have been doing a lot lately are in the YA genre- so if you have teenagers- I would recommend this one...

Starring Me, Krista McGee’s second offering in the YA genre follows well behind “First Date” as a charming and very age appropriate YA novel aimed at young teen girls and at the young at heart.  Following in the footsteps of the reality TV show gig, Starring Me centers around the charming character of 17 year old Kara McKormick who readers will remember as Addy Davidson’s best girlfriend from her first book.  But this time the spot light is all on Kara and her own shot at staring in a new up and coming teen show along the lines of a teen versioned Saturday Night line and what Kara doesn’t know is that if she were to get this shot, she would be co-starring with none other than Chad Beacon, an instant teen pop star who soared to popularity by winning America’s Next Star.  But here’s the deal, Chad’s parents are loving and protective and wants to make sure that his co-star isn’t just any girl and aspiring starlet, but one that has integrity , character and that they hope shares their Christian faith as well since their son would be spending so much time with this girl.  So the family hatches a plan to put their beloved housekeeper undercover as a sort of “house mother” living in with the girls that get chosen to be the top ten girls vying for the shot at this show and going through a grueling audition process.  Their housekeeper “Flora” is very flamboyant and so many girls show their true colors around her which helps Flora really see which girl is the best girl. Kara has all the right qualities except the most important one- she does not believe in God.  

  Kara gets to know Chad a little bit through his friendship with Jonathon who happens to be the President’s son and the guy who is seeing her best friend Addy.  There is an instant connection between the two and a friendship starts to grow.  As the story unfolds it takes the reader on another sweet story about faith, relationships and what is the most important thing in the end- faith, family and love.  As a mother of teen girls I can recommend Krista McGee’s books with confidence knowing that they are sweet and yet carry a message that I hope will make a teenage girl think with regards to her relationships in life and her standing with God. 
 My only bit of criticism might be that I felt the “audition scripts” were a bit too young and perhaps corny for me to believe they would be used in a program designed for teens. But that is being pretty nit-picky and a very minor part of the story.

Overall, another great read to recommend to your daughters!

4 Stars

I was graciously provided with a digital copy of this book by the publisher through the Netgalley program in exchange for an honest, non-biased review.  All opinions expressed are my own.
 

Review on Prophet by R. J. Larson

Riddle me this. What if God asked you to leave your family, all that you know and become his prophet- to bring truth and prophecy to people that really don’t want to hear it, don’t want to obey it and oh yeah, the kicker, being in His service will mean that your life will be cut short. It doesn’t sound like a job that most would sign up for. But Ela Roeh of Parne a young 17 year old girl somehow with her close relationship with “the Infinite” just can’t refuse. She is a most remarkable girl with many of the insecurities of most 17 year old girls feeling inadequate and unworthy of the task ahead of her most of the time. Yet Ela perseveres and gets better and better throughout the story in hearing the Infinite’s voice, seeking Him at every turn and doing what He tells her to do.

  Along the way she meets a young handsome Traceland ambassador named Kien who is seeking justice and help for his downtrodden people. Ela and Kien’s paths cross and the Infinite is working in both of their lives to bring about His plans for all people involved in this war filled time.  In Ela’s mind, Kien can’t be a part of her future because she is a prophet for the Infinite. And yet they are thrown together time after time. Could the Infinite’s plans for them both be different than what she thought? 

This story does well by the Christian Fantasy genre and it is fun to see a new face on the scene in R J Larson.  I thought the characters were engaging and relatable and enjoyed the addition of the trusty steed “Scythe” of “Pet” and the humor that he brought to the story.  I liked the pacing with Kien being a total   non-believer at the beginning of the novel, but as the story progresses and he starts seeking out the Infinite, how He is finally able to hear his voice. It wasn’t instantaneous and I like that, it had a ring of truth to it.  I am looking forward to the next book in the series titled Judge.

4 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House in exchange for an honest review- all opinions expressed are honest and my own.