Review on Miss Brenda and the Loveladies

In the book, Miss Brenda and the Loveladies by Brenda Spahn and Irene Zutell you first meet Brenda in one of those life-altering moments.  For Brenda Spahn, her moment of truth came in the form of a possible jail sentence when things went very wrong with her business, Fortunately, things worked out and she did not serve any time in jail, but she did get a wake up call from God and in that moment came a new calling on her life- a call to help women who were serving time find a way to actually make it back to lives that were meaningful and whole. The more Brenda tried to help these women, which so easily could have been her, the more she realized that there was a big need for a “whole-way” house to help them to really heal and live well and with meaning and purpose. And this is how the Loveladies house was born-  a community of women fighting the odds for survival on the outside.

  This story is utterly compelling to see a woman who according to the world’s standards had it all -a successful business, vacations, clothes, etc,- but whose focus was mostly on making money. When her very world and living are rocked and she finds what she is really meant to do, she literally rocks the world with this new idea- to open the Lovelady house. In march some pretty tough ladies who each have heartbreaking stories and who Brenda describes as “never having a chance” with the environments that they came from. As was usual with ex-cons, leaving the penitentiary system, they were issued a pair of pants and a shirt, 10$ and a bus ticket back to where they came from, which almost always resulted in re-offenses and they went right back to prison. Brenda was frustrated with the system and just knew that she could do better and help these ladies find hope. And so she does, by offering love, faith in Jesus and a listening non-judgmental ear, as well as lots of practical life lessons and encouragement. 

  This story is told with humor, love, passion and some heartbreak. The descriptive phrase on the front of the book describes it perfectly- “A Heartwarming True Story of Grace, God and Gumption.  I was very moved by this book- the courage and obedience of Brenda in some pretty discouraging circumstances, the stories of the Loveladies are truly heartbreaking at first and then stand up and cheer inspirational by the end. All I can say is I hope this story is being made into a movie because these Loveladies are an inspiration to us all. 

5 stars

I was given a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes. I was not obligated to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Review on Wildwood Creek by Lisa Wingate

History meets the present in a most unique and creative way in Wildwood Creek, Lisa Wingate’s latest in her Moses Lake series. (This one can be read as a standalone.)  Allie Kirkland a young woman with a passion to continue on in her belated  father’s footsteps in the film industry and  lands a production’s assistant job for a docudrama which chronicles the life of a frontier settlement known as Wildwood.   The trouble is there were many mysterious disappearances among the settlers back in 1861 and  as history has a tendency of repeating itself, strange things start happening  in the present day “Wildwood” as well,  which makes things very interesting.  

  A wonderful and fascinating part of this book is the dual narrative where you follow a storyline of an Irish school teacher named Bonnie Rose trying to flee her very difficult past and raise her younger sister in this brand new settlement of Wildwood in 1861. At the same time we are also learning the story of Allie who is working on a film set where all of the actors are being asked to actually live as the settlers lived  back then with a functional setting, period clothing and of course no modern conveniences or communication to try and mimic what life was really like  and then to document their journey on film.

  When the past meets the present and the truth of the past comes out, it becomes a very poignantly told story where you are rooting for both women as they struggle to make their way in their own world’s.  This book feels like a mix of a lot of elements - a bit of history, a bit of drama and definitely suspense, mystery, and a touch of romance. The spiritual thread is not heavy handed but present in the aspect that no matter how bad things look, God is active and working in the lives of both women.  I still was left wanting to know a bit more of how Allie’s story played out, but I don’t consider that a negative thing- it just makes me wonder.  

  For those who love the blend of history with contemporary, and Lisa Wingate’s wonderful writing, I think you will enjoy this special book Wildwood Creek.

   

4 Stars

I was given a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are mine.

Review on Friend Me by John Fabion

As you take in the cover of Friend me by debut novelist John Faubion you notice the descriptive phrases “Current and Captivating” by one reviewer , as well as the words “A novel of suspense”, both of which I would heartily agree with. This novel definitely clips along at a suspense novel pace and draws you in right away. So if you are inclined towards a fast paced Christian suspense novel with a bit of an edge to it, then I would say give this novel a try.

Husband and wife ,Scott and Rachel Douglas are both in a rough spot, their marriage is on shaky ground as Scott is starting to cave under the immense stress at work. The only solution in his mind is to work harder so that he can be more successful in order to provide for his family. As a result, Rachel begins to feel more and more lonely as those long hours Scott is working is erecting a wall between them. And so as a young mom with 2 small children, she comes up with a solution which fits into her stay at home lifestyle. She signs up for a virtual friend through an up and coming new company called VirtualFriendMe.com. From there she shows Scott her new virtual friend patterned after an old friend of hers who passed away, and from there Scott ends up designing a virtual friend for himself, although his virtual friend is female, which leads to some difficulties which I am sure you can imagine.

With the background of the struggling marriage comes something even more sinister, a woman named Melissa who is very intelligent, but not playing with a full deck. As she has programmed the software to flag when a man who would be her perfect match, shows up, the flag waves for Scott. It’s just a small trifle that he happens to already be married. However, Melissa uses her job at the VirtualFriend Me company to manage to find out all she needs to know about Scott and Rachel and use that knowledge to get what she wants which is Scott and Rachel out of the way. The story unfolds and the suspense begins. 

This story was definitely a page turner and I think that most people reading it will enjoy the current times aspect of it with the inclusion of the Virtual friend concept, that did draw me in. In reading it there were a few word choices that sort of put me off e.g.- describing something as “super secret” vs perhaps “top secret”, etc. I only mention it because when word choices like that happen and it takes me out of the story, then I think it’s odd. The other thing I would like to mention is that there is a pretty tough scene to read towards the end. I just like to forewarn folks as for me as a mom it was hard to read. As far as the themes of the book- the author talks in the question and answer section at the back of the book about the themes of “being real and being faithful“ and wow in our virtual world of Facebook where we can be and project whoever we want to be and have conversations with folks we have never met, I think that it’s a good message, very timely. As far as the ending, I think the author brought things together pretty well, it was maybe on the edge of believability for me and slightly rushed, but I think readers will be satisfied. All in all, I would say a good first novel and I hope the author keeps writing suspense novels. Well done.

3 stars

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

Review on Faking Grace by Tamara Leigh

“Desperate times call for Desperate measures” might be the mantra for Maizy Grace Stewart the main character in Tamara Leigh’s novel Faking Grace as she is most definitely desperate. Maizy is an investigative journalist whose lost her prominent job in Seattle and now has fallen to the depths of her journalistic career as she has a part time job with a Nashville newspaper writing lifestyle fluff pieces . A girl can’t pay the rent on a part time salary so here’s where the fun comes in- she finds another part time job that she is applying for where she would be working for Steeple Side Christian Resources- a Christian publication. Here’s the deal- they only hire committed Christians and well Maizy isn’t exactly what you would call committed. And so, to solve her problem, she “brushes up” on Christianity by buying  a copy of “A Dumb Blonde’s guide to Christianity” to make sure she can fake it effectively in order to land the job.  After purchasing a“Jesus is my co-pilot” bumper sticker, and toning down her regular look from edgy to modest, she feels ready to play the part of a “committed Christian”. There’s only one little glitch in her plan- Jack Prentiss- the managing editor who happens to see through Maizy’s little charade (although now she has dropped the Maizy and is going by Grace- a more Christiany  name). Perhaps one of the tip offs  for Jack was Grace “taping” her bumper sticker onto her car for easy removal later. Anyway, Jack, with his cool British accent and suave demeanor is on to her and she knows it. It doesn’t help that he keeps popping up wherever she is and of course the relationship begins.

  And then the conflict- Maizy (Grace) is asked to write an expose on her time at Steepleside by her other employer to show the hypocrisy that takes place there. Maizy is excited, her big shot to return to investigative reporting. But as she gets to know the people at Steepleside and sees both their strengths and their weaknesses she’s not so sure about this whole investigation thing. Will she really be able to stay “Faking Grace” or will she need to extend some and receive some as well?

In reading Faking Grace there are many hysterical moments as Maizy is trying to fake her way through the Christian world- trying to learn the lingo, talk the talk, and even attend church. As she goes along and sees authentic people with authentic faith she is definitely drawn in to real faith in God and of course, it is life changing. A very poignant scene was when she was volunteering in a soup kitchen and helping to feed the people coming in and she was so touched by a woman who had nothing and yet could still thank God for his provision for her. That really affected Grace and will affect the reader as well.  This was a great contemporary fiction novel with humor, poignancy, and imperfect people meeting their perfect God. Very enjoyable read!

4 stars

I was given a free copy of Faking Grace by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Review on Rebellious Heart by Jody Hedlund

All I can say is that it was a good thing that I read Rebellious Heart by Jody Hedlund while I was on vacation sitting by pool because it afforded me time to keep my pages turning with little interruption. In usual “Jody Hedlund style” we are given a wonderful Historical Fiction novel inspired by the courtship of John (2nd president)and Abigail Adams. She creates two characters that mirror a lot of the same situations that John and Abigail faced- parental disapproval, the Colonial time frame, etc. As always with Jody Hedlund books we get strong characters, an interesting storyline as well as some pretty exciting moments along the way.

Susanna Smith is a smart and well bred young woman whose been raised to understand that she need to make a profitable connection when it comes to marriage. And so when she first meets Benjamin Ross as a young girl she informs him that he is a “nobody, a Farmer and a shoemaker’s son and she would never marry anyone that is from the middling class, her mother wouldn’t allow it.” Thus sets the stage for Benjamin Ross ,years later, a poor country lawyer when he meets up with Susanna again. HIs thoughts of her are that she is still a snobby rich girl thinking herself above everyone. But as Benjamin gets to know Susanna a bit better by happening upon her at a party, he finds her socked away in a room “reading Milton”. He slowly comes to see that Susanna has grown up a bit since he’s seen her last and not only is she a beautiful woman, but she’s smart and kind as well, with a bit of gumption thrown in . Susanna’s heart is huge and she ends up getting involved in helping a runaway indentured servant escape a very cruel master. There is much danger involved with this situation as of course it is illegal to harbor an indentured servant. Susanna gets in a bit over her head and Ben comes to her rescue more than once. As he helps her escape one bad situation after another their relationship as well as their understanding and respect for each other just continues to grow. 

I have to say that I really enjoyed this book. It was nice to read a book in this time frame, just pre-revolutionary war as I haven't read many historical fiction that have been written during that time. The characters were interesting and compelling and when I realized, after I finished the book, that it was loosely based on the courtship of the real couple - John and Abigail Adams -that made it even more captivating for me. I think that those that enjoy a great and well researched historical christian novel with engaging characters, some twists and turns and a stand up and cheer ending, will definitely enjoy this one, please pick up Rebellious Heart- great read!

5 stars

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

Review on Stealing the Preacher by Karen Witemeyer

I would think that the last thing in the world that you would for-see happening when you feel a calling from God to be a preacher is to get highjacked off of a train because you are a preacher, but that is exactly what happens to Crockett Archer in the opening of the novel Stealing the Preacher, the latest novel in the Archer Brother’s series by Karen Witemeyer. Sweet , yet Spunky Joanna Robbins has been praying for a preacher for her small hometown in Burleson County Texas  for a long time, ever since the death of her dear mother who raised who her to love and worship God. However the church has long been abandoned and Joanna longs for the church to have a wonderful preacher which will help bring the word of God to her community and especially to her father whose heart is completely hardened to anything at all to do with God. However his heart is not hardened to his daughter, not by a long shot, so that is how poor Crockett gets hijacked on the way to his job interview to be a preacher in Brenham, because a Father’s love is all about getting what his daughter most wants, which is a preacher!

For those of us that fell in love with the Archer brothers in Karen Witemeyer’s Short Straw Bride, I just can’t imagine readers not enjoying reading Crockett’s story here as he meets the spunky and fun Joanna. She is a woman with a mission and so is he- although his changes a bit from what he thought. But being a man of faith, he accepts that while he thought that God wanted him in Brenham- God had a different plan, to help get the church up and running again in the little chapel where Joanna had prayed for a preacher to come!  In order to get thing up and running Crockett needs to find work for a bit so that he can pay for his expenses. The main work to be had was at Joanna’s father’s ranch. Her father (and ex-outlaw) isn’t so sure about a preacher working for him- not man enough, etc. But Crockett is no regular preacher, he knows his way around a ranch and how to work hard and he’s not a bad shot either which earns the respect of the townfolk.

As the story progresses Crockett earns the right to be heard as the preacher and captures more than a few hearts of the female persuasion which adds to the conflict in the story with the very headstrong and persistent character of Holly Brewster who stirs up all sorts of trouble for poor Crockett. But hang in there, as things come together all right in the end.

This was a nice follow up sequel to a Short Straw Bride and in the usual Karen Witemeyer way things end just as you would want them too.

4 stars

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

Review on Made to last by Melissa Tagg

Have you ever gotten yourself into such a pickle that you just have no way of figuring out how to get out of it?  I would say that is the general feeling of Miranda Woodruff, the heroine of the debut author Melissa Tagg’s book Made to last.  But it’s not just Miranda who feels that way, I would venture to say the male lead Matthew Knox feels the exact same way. And so how do two people that find themselves in a pickle  with insurmountable obstacles come together? Well it isn’t easy, that’s for sure. We have Miranda Woodruff who is the star of a homebuilding television show called From the Ground up, who has been pretending to be a happily married woman and quoting on her show all the tips and tricks her dream husband has passed onto her regarding home building projects. But here’s the problem, the shows ratings are sinking and the show is in danger of being pulled and so, a pretend husband is introduced to the public. And where does Matthew Knox fit it? Well he is a down and out reporter looking to make a comeback in his career and has been assigned the job of digging up dirt on Miranda Woodruff- America’s favorite tomboy. The problem? He’s a good reporter and actually does discover all of her little secrets. And so how can he possibly print all that he knows when he is falling for her...

   This is one of those books where you are reading the storyline, fall in love with the characters and are rooting for them to get out of their messes, get over their insecurities and mis-understandings and just figure it out already!  I can’t help but hear those sage words of wisdom in my head- “ Patience, Grasshopper! “ I did enjoy the fact that  there are a lot of subplots going on here which really made sense to me with regards to the decisions the characters were making. For instance, the basic identity question- who am I? We all have to answer that and if a vocation was taken away or if you fail big at something where does that leave you- are you completely defined by your mistakes? Do you end up lost or do you trust that God has a plan in all of it, even if a dream changes to something different than what you thought. Could the new dream be even better? Lot’s of interesting thought to ponder.

  This was a great contemporary novel and wonderful first run for Melissa Tagg, I think that she will definitely have a nice niche in this genre. I found her character’s engaging, real ,and very relatable and a storyline that played out well in the end. 

4 stars

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