tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62096228736502345062024-03-05T16:32:03.547-08:00I'm Going on an AdventureKorinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16926163104508732885noreply@blogger.comBlogger147125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6209622873650234506.post-27707261188455837112024-02-26T08:09:00.000-08:002024-02-26T08:09:51.988-08:00Embers in the London Sky by Sarah Sundin<p><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81xA2e+sPxL._SL1500_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="518" height="800" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81xA2e+sPxL._SL1500_.jpg" width="518" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">Photo and book description from Amazon.com</span></td></tr></tbody></table><i><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></i><p><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">About the Book: </span></span></h2><p><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">As the German army invades the Netherlands in 1940, Aleida van der Zee Martens escapes to London to wait out the Occupation. Separated from her three-year-old son, Theo, in the process, the young widow desperately searches for her little boy even as she works for an agency responsible for evacuating children to the countryside.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;" /><span style="background-color: white;">When German bombs set London ablaze, BBC radio correspondent Hugh Collingwood reports on the Blitz, eager to boost morale while walking the fine line between truth and censorship. But the Germans are not the only ones Londoners have to fear as a series of murders flame up amid the ashes.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;" /><span style="background-color: white;">The deaths hit close to home for Hugh, and Aleida needs his help to locate her missing son. As they work together, they grow closer and closer, both to each other and the answers they seek. But with bombs falling and continued killings, they may be running out of time.</span></span></p><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></h2><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">My Review:<br /></span></h2><p><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">Sarah Sundin is the queen of WWII fiction. She is a master at exploring and uncovering different aspects of the Greatest Generation, and making a gripping story out of sometimes little-known history. </span></p><p><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">Embers in the London Sky stars Hugh, a BBC radio correspondent, and Aleida, a Dutch evacuee who is searching for her missing son. Aleida's search for her little boy, Theo, is what much of the plot is cenetered around, and really brought to light the struggles of English parents during the Blitz and the agonizing choices they had to make. </span></p><p><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">I loved both characters so much, and their fun banter made for an entertaining read. Sarah Sundin tends to stay away from the typical plot and character stereotypes that many authors fall into, and I love how multi-layered her characters are. </span></p><p><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">I laughed, cried, and eagerly turned the pages to see what would happen next. Another brilliant novel from Sarah Sundin! </span></p><div style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><i style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">I voluntarily received this book from the publisher in order to write an honest review. All opinions are truly my own.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></div><div><i style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></div>Korinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16926163104508732885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6209622873650234506.post-46275393771887896132023-12-06T07:02:00.000-08:002023-12-06T07:05:05.482-08:00The Warsaw Sisters by Amanda Barratt <p><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81CrYzPJluL._SY425_.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="275" height="425" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81CrYzPJluL._SY425_.jpg" width="275" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">Cover image and description from Amazon.com</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">About:</span></h2><p><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"> <span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;">On a golden August morning in 1939, sisters Antonina and Helena Dąbrowska send their father off to defend Poland against the looming threat of German invasion. The next day, the first bombs fall on Warsaw, decimating their beloved city and shattering the world of their youth.</span></span></p><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />When Antonina's beloved Marek is forced behind ghetto walls along with the rest of Warsaw's Jewish population, Antonina turns her worry into action and becomes a key figure in a daring network of women risking their lives to shelter Jewish children. Helena finds herself drawn into the ranks of Poland's secret army, joining the fight to free her homeland from occupation. But the secrets both are forced to keep threaten to tear the sisters apart--and the cost of resistance proves greater than either ever imagined.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Shining a light on the oft-forgotten history of Poland during WWII and inspired by true stories of ordinary individuals who fought to preserve freedom and humanity in the darkest of times, </span><span class="a-text-italic" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic;">The Warsaw Sisters </span><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px;">is a richly rendered portrait of courage, sacrifice, and the resilience of our deepest ties.</span></span><div><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span><div><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span><p style="text-align: center;"></p><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">My Review: </span></h2><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">Amanda Barratt's latest novel is a hard read. Warsaw suffered a lot of heartbreak under the hands of the Nazis, and therefore any accurate novel about its occupation is going to be grueling. However, I wasn't a fan of the way the novel was written. At many times it came across more as a high school history book than a novel (props to Mrs. Barratt on her research), and I skimmed through the first half of the story since I got kind of bored. Once we entered into the Resistance, things picked up speed and I was able to slow down and enjoy the story more, and I liked learning about that area of Warsaw's history. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">Helena's POV was by far my favorite, and I really did enjoy learning about the secret army she was involved in. She was a very relatable heroine, and helped make that area of history come alive. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">While this book isn't ever going to be a favorite of mine, it was an eye-opening, heartbreaking story that gave me a glimpse into the lives of ordinary people in Warsaw during its occupation. </span></p><div style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><i style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">I voluntarily received this book from the publisher in order to write an honest review. All opinions are truly my own.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></div><div><i style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #666666; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></div><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p></div></div>Korinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16926163104508732885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6209622873650234506.post-14171478466411233032023-06-16T11:43:00.004-07:002023-06-16T11:48:08.556-07:00Stuff I'd Only Tell God by Jennifer Dukes Lee<p><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></h1><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://g.christianbook.com/g/slideshow/2/241675/main/241675_1_ftc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="689" data-original-width="428" height="689" src="https://g.christianbook.com/g/slideshow/2/241675/main/241675_1_ftc.jpg" width="428" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">Photo and book description from Christianbook.com<br /><br /></span></i><h1><span style="background-color: white; font-weight: 700; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">About the book: </span></span></h1><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; font-weight: 700; text-align: left;">Welcome to your own little confession booth.<br /><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">What would you say if you were completely honest with yourself and with God? It's time to find out.</span><br style="background-color: white; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">With daring questions, provocative lists, and quirky charts and illustrations, this journal is a place to record all the stuff you'd only tell God: ideas, beliefs, secrets, memories, wonderings, and wishes--things that might seem outlandish or outrageous to anyone else but are what make you </span><em style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">you</em><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">. You'll find the space, the courage, and the help you need to unearth the real you, the you that is sometimes buried deep beneath a layer of self-protection.</span><br style="background-color: white; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">Where to begin? With your beautifully ruthless honesty.</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><br /></span></h1><h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">My Review: </span></h1><p><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">I love this journal! It has prompts both for fun and for thought, that help you reevaluate your life, your purpose, and the people in it. Jennifer Dukes Lee writes in such a friendly, easygoing way and encourages you to open up and be vulnerable with yourself, God, and others. And I loved the variety of the prompts! Questions as fun as "If your life was a movie, what would be the title? What actors would play you, and the people in your life?" and as thought-provoking as "I understand God better because of these people..." and "A person who understands God better because of me..." (that last one really convicted me!). </span></p><p><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"> I do wish that the format of the book was different: coil binding for the spine would make the book so much easier to write in, and a little pen loop would also be helpful. That would make the book more aesthetically pleasing, and more appealing to give as a gift. Either way, though, this is a great gift idea for the writers in your life, and also would be great as a way to encourage someone to start journaling. </span></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #777777; font-family: "Noto Sans"; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><i style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #666666; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">I voluntarily received this book from the publisher in order to write an honest review. All opinions are truly my own.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></div><div><i style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #666666; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></div>Korinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16926163104508732885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6209622873650234506.post-34515691626921870312023-06-03T04:43:00.003-07:002023-06-03T04:43:23.265-07:00Fairest of Heart by Karen Witemeyer <p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.karenwitemeyer.com/images/cv-fairest-of-heart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="275" height="425" src="https://www.karenwitemeyer.com/images/cv-fairest-of-heart.jpg" width="275" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Photo from karenwitemeyer.com</i><br /><br /><br />Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤ 5 out of 5 hearts </span></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My Review:</span></h2><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is such a sweet story! Fairy tale retellings are getting to be pretty popular, so whenever a new one comes along I'm becoming pretty skeptical of the quality and originality. However, fairy tale or not, this is a great story, worthy of ranking up with Karen's best novels! It plays more of a homage to the original Snow White tale than anything, allowing the Western adventure to hold its own while the fairy tale aspects add charm and whimsy, not cheesiness. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">The characters are completely lovable, as well. I loved the elderly ranchers-- amazing dwarf substitutes! Their relationship with Penelope was so sweet, it almost took the stage. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Almost! Penelope and Titus's relationship was equally charming, and they were such an easy couple to cheer on. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">I could really relate to Penelope. I am also way too trusting, and many times get along with the elderly more than I do people my own age. She was such a mixture, from pliable to determined, and yet not too sweetly perfect to be unrealistic, like so many other princess portrayals. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">If this is going to set the tone for the rest of the Texas Ever After series, I cannot wait to see which magical Western adventures we get to go on next! </span></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #777777; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><i style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #666666; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I voluntarily received this book from the publisher in order to write an honest review. All opinions are truly my own.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></div><div><i style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #666666; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Korinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16926163104508732885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6209622873650234506.post-595942329573210882023-05-13T07:24:00.000-07:002023-05-13T07:24:34.620-07:00The Long March Home by Tosca Lee and Marcus Brotherton<p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://g.christianbook.com/g/slideshow/7/742759/main/742759_1_ftc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="783" data-original-width="521" height="783" src="https://g.christianbook.com/g/slideshow/7/742759/main/742759_1_ftc.jpg" width="521" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Photo from Christianbook.com</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;">Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤ 5 out of 5 hearts</p><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Review:</span></h2><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Combining the forces of Marcus Brotherton and Tosca Lee for a WWII novel was a genius idea. Marcus Brotherton, known for his war biographies, brings the gritty reality of the war to life, while Tosca Lee, historical fiction novelist, adds nostalgia and romance. Together, it's a novel of epic proportions and I think this is a duo that needs to collab more often! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Long March Home sucks you in and doesn't let go. Just when you think things might get better for our main characters, something else happens to tragically make their lives miserable (basically, it's the book version of Whac-A-Mole), and it really brought to light a lot of the atrocities prisoners in WWII had to go through. It's eye opening and heartbreaking- a ton of different emotions hitting you full force. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">With that in mind, this isn't a light read, not by a long shot. The characters smoke, drink, and swear, although the cussing only appears a handful of times. One character is a womanizer, although the book isn't in his perspective so we don't get any harsh content from there. Go into this book expecting a war novel, not a book that's part of the Christian fiction genre. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">But the harshest part of the novel is the violence. Horrible things are done to the prisoners, and the prisoners in turn are forced to do horrible things to themselves and other people in order to survive. This isn't a book for young teens or those triggered by that kind of violence, but for me, these elements made the story raw and eye opening. However, personal tip: don't read this book while eating, unless you want to lose your lunch. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">There are plenty of romance aspects to the story, but at its heart, The Long March Home is definitely a story of brotherhood. Jimmy, Hank and Billy are a classic trio of guys who are brothers not by blood, but by friendship, and each of them is uniquely and realistically written. Their goal: to get home alive, all of them, no matter the cost. Brotherhood stories are my favorite, and with this one I was not disappointed. </span></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #777777; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><i style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #666666; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I voluntarily received this book from the publisher in order to write an honest review. All opinions are truly my own.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></div><div><i style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #666666; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></div><p><br /></p>Korinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16926163104508732885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6209622873650234506.post-59454199831314817542023-02-26T13:51:00.002-08:002023-02-26T13:51:24.525-08:00The Sound of Light by Sarah Sundin<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61WYaKv2i+L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="518" height="800" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61WYaKv2i+L.jpg" width="518" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from Amazon.com</td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤ 5 out of 5 hearts</span></p><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">My Review:</span></h2><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sarah Sundin's novels are always a breath of fresh air, and I absolutely adored The Sound of Light! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">The story came right when I needed it. I was struggling with confronting someone, and Else was so relatable. I realized if she could find her courage to stand strong during the occupation in WWII, I definitely could as well. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Henrik and Else are two fabulous, courageous characters, whether alone or together, and both their POVs were captivating. I was previously in a bit of a reading slump, but when I got to The Sound of Light I couldn't stop reading! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sarah Sundin weaves an encouraging and thought-provoking message in between the intrigue and espionage of WWII, and The Sound of Light has definitely earned a special place on my bookshelf. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #777777; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><i style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #666666; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I voluntarily received this book from the publisher in order to write an honest review. All opinions are truly my own.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></div><div><i style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></div>Korinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16926163104508732885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6209622873650234506.post-22392362517105082242023-02-09T05:06:00.001-08:002023-02-09T05:06:17.512-08:00Everything is Just Beginning by Erin Bartels<p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://g.christianbook.com/g/slideshow/0/0741655/main/0741655_1_ftc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="727" data-original-width="463" height="727" src="https://g.christianbook.com/g/slideshow/0/0741655/main/0741655_1_ftc.jpg" width="463" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from Christianbook.com</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">My Review:</span></p><p style="text-align: center;">♥♥♥♥ four out of five hearts</p><p> Michael is a normal guy living a normal life -- until one night changes it all. His character is flawed, relatable, and endearing. Combined with Natalie's smart, quick-witted, and effortlessly cool personality, they make a great combo. I loved Natalie's character- in so many books, a handicapped character is portrayed as a stereotype or a sidekick, but Natalie is no one's sidekick. She marches to the beat of her own drum. </p><p>The messages in the book weren't too heavily handed, either, and shone all the more for their subtlety. I wasn't a fan (at all) of Bartel's last book, The Girl Who Could Breathe Under Water, but I'm glad I decided to give her another chance. Everything is Just Beginning is a realistic story about life and the choices that we make, and the scenes played out in my head like a nostalgic, 1990's movie. </p><div style="color: #777777; font-family: "Noto Sans"; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><i style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">I voluntarily received this book from the publisher in order to write an honest review. All opinions are truly my own.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></div><div><i style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></div>Korinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16926163104508732885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6209622873650234506.post-76901464070033135842022-11-03T12:28:00.007-07:002022-11-03T12:28:58.529-07:00The Lost Melody by Joanna Davidson Politano<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1657518162l/60324252.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="259" height="400" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1657518162l/60324252.jpg" width="259" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Photo via GoodReads.com</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><h2 style="text-align: center;">My Review:</h2><p> Joanna Politano's books have a special place on my bookshelf. Her style is unique and unmatched, and never fails to draw me in. There's an element of mystery and intrigue in each story, which is why I was so excited to see that The Lost Melody was releasing in October, just when I'm in the mood for something complex (and just a tad creepy).</p><p>Politano's words are lyrical and meaningful, and if I had a highlighter I'd probably have underlined most of the novel. Vivienne is such a great character, and I felt as if I journeyed and changed with her as her circumstances and perspective changed. However, that was also kind of a bad thing, as for the first half of the book I felt as trapped as Vivienne in the dark, old asylum. I struggled to get into the story, but after the first half it got better and I was able to appreciate and enjoy the book. </p><p>While this book was not my favorite of Politano's, it was definitely not a disappointment and left a lot of light and beauty behind in its wake. </p><p><br /></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #777777; font-family: "Noto Sans"; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><i style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">I voluntarily received this book from the publisher in order to write an honest review. All opinions are truly my own.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></div><div><i style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></div></div>Korinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16926163104508732885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6209622873650234506.post-70572231309548754492022-09-07T05:41:00.002-07:002022-09-07T05:41:25.282-07:00The Last Way Home by Liz Johnson<h1 style="text-align: center;"><br /></h1><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1643839578l/59573539.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="518" height="680" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1643839578l/59573539.jpg" width="440" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from GoodReads.com</td></tr></tbody></table><h1 style="text-align: center;"> <span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">About: </span></h1><div><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">When Eli Ross left Prince Edward Island to join the NHL, he left a broken family behind. More than a decade later, he's broke and headed home to an uncertain welcome. He wants to make things right with the family he wronged, but his mom's business partner isn't making it easy. To top it off, the coaching job he's accepted turns out to be far more difficult than he anticipated.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;" /><span style="background-color: white;">For years, Violet Donaghy has put everything she had into making Eli's mom's ceramics shop a success, and she's not eager to forgive the man who hurt the family that's taken her in as one of their own. But when the kiln at the shop starts a fire that nearly destroys the studio, she'll need all the help she can get to save the business and their summer income.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Can these two strong-willed people come together to mend the broken pieces of the Ross family? Or will the ghosts of the past continue to haunt them?</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Return to Prince Edward Island for a romantic story of family, forgiveness, and the power of love.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i>Description from Amazon.com</i></span></span></div><h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">My Review: </span></h1><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">♥♥♥♥= four out of five hearts</span></div><div><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">Eli messed up. Bad. He let everyone he loves down, and now he's back- but not to hurt Mama Potts again, or the rest of the family that he left behind. Not if Violet has anything to say about it, anyway. She claimed Mama Potts, Oliver, and Levi as her own years after Eli left, and no one is going to hurt her found family. </span></div><div><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">Eli and Violet appear outwardly to be the classic pairing of good girl + prodigal son, but each of them has their secrets, and layers of character depth that are revealed throughout the novel. One thing that made me enjoy them even more as characters was their flaws- both were not without scars, whether self-inflicted or otherwise, and that made them so much more relatable. </span></div><div><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">Cozy, down-home stories set on the beautiful shores of Prince Edward Island are Liz Johnson's trademark, but I love how her books aren't all fluff and comfort. Her characters and situations are realistic and journeying with them is always a pleasure. </span></div><div><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">I absolutely adored the previous book in the series, and if you did as well, The Last Way Home is a must-read! It also includes a tantalizing snippet of Levi's story, which I've been anticipating ever since he (very quietly) stepped into the pages of Beyond the Tides. </span></div><div><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><div style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><i style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">I voluntarily received this book from the publisher in order to write an honest review. All opinions are truly my own.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></div></div><div><i style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></div>Korinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16926163104508732885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6209622873650234506.post-18146958800415113152022-06-15T04:57:00.007-07:002022-06-15T05:03:55.141-07:00In Honor's Defense by Karen Witemeyer<p style="text-align: center;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://g.christianbook.com/g/slideshow/4/4232091/main/4232091_1_ftc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="740" data-original-width="479" height="740" src="https://g.christianbook.com/g/slideshow/4/4232091/main/4232091_1_ftc.jpg" width="479" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><i>Photo from ChristianBook.com</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">♥♥♥♥ = Four out of five hearts</span></p><h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">Review:</span></h1><p><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">Luke Davenport is the last of the Horsemen to have his story featured, and he is paired with the supposedly plain, bookish spinster, Damaris Baxter. It's easy to relate to Damaris. She's quiet, demure, and doesn't consider herself to be very pretty, which I certainly struggle with feeling from time to time. Luke, however, doesn't see her that way, but instead sees what most people don't- the unique, beautiful woman she really is. Quiet people tend to be overlooked, so I love that discerning Luke sees her, actually sees who she is, as soon as he meets her. </span></p><p><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">The story itself has a good bit of action, as you would expect from a Horsemen novel, and the best part involved one or two (or more ;) ) of our favorite ex-calvary men. At some points the story did feel a bit typical of the romantic western genre, but overall it was a charming book with a definite dash of danger and mystery. </span></p><div style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><i style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">I voluntarily received this book from the publisher in order to write an honest review. All opinions are truly my own.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></div><div><i style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></div>Korinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16926163104508732885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6209622873650234506.post-38185239688125366592022-06-10T06:50:00.007-07:002022-06-10T06:52:02.449-07:00All That Fills Us by Autumn Lytle <p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://g.christianbook.com/g/slideshow/0/0740160/main/0740160_1_ftc.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="751" data-original-width="483" height="613" src="https://g.christianbook.com/g/slideshow/0/0740160/main/0740160_1_ftc.jpg" width="394" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">Photo from ChristianBook.com</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Review:</span></h1><p><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">The star of the show is our main character, Mel. Full of self-deprecating humor and a unique outlook on life, it's not hard to like her. I appreciated how, while this is a book about an eating disorder and that fills up 90% of the pages, anorexia wasn't all to Mel's story. We get to know her as fully as any other character in any other book and her journey took her on different directions that didn't always have to do with her disorder. </span></p><p><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"> Readers who have struggled with eating disorders or body image may find this book hard to read at times. It brought me very fully into Mel's head, which wasn't always a good thing for me as I have struggled with some of the same things Mel did. It also helped me, though, especially towards the end of the book when she was finding healing. </span></p><p><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">Props to the cover designer- I loved how cheerful and colorful the cover was, even while the inside subject matter dealt with a difficult topic. </span></p><p><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">I thought the hiking parts were a bit lacking in reality, but otherwise this is a pretty good book that deals with a difficult topic. I hope this leads more Christian authors to deal with subjects like this one. </span></p><p><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #777777; font-family: "Noto Sans"; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><i style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">I voluntarily received this book from the publisher in order to write an honest review. All opinions are truly my own.</span></span></span></span></span></span></i></div><div><i style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></div>Korinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16926163104508732885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6209622873650234506.post-37856852230180314232022-04-14T10:13:00.003-07:002022-04-14T10:13:16.321-07:00Your Time is Now Devotional by Jonathan Evans<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41cDyZIsZrL._SX355_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="357" height="499" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41cDyZIsZrL._SX355_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" width="357" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">Photo from Amazon.com</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">My Review: </span></h2><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">★★★ three out of five stars</span></div><p><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"> I got this book not realizing that it was a daily devotional, which aren't my favorite as usually I feel they tend to only cover the surface, and don't get very deep. Unfortunately, <i>Your Time is Now </i>has the same depth as I feel the other devotionals do. While it has a great message inside, I personally didn't feel very impacted by the brevity of the passages.</span></p><p><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">Also, another false assumption I had was that this book was geared towards teens and young adults, mainly based off of the back cover copy. From the book description- "How does God want to use you? Not your parents. Not your pastor. Not your friend with all the social media followers." Then while reading, the book would reference to "your spouse and kids" and other things that made me realize this was an all-ages devo. I don't know, maybe this was just a mistake I'd make. </span></p><p><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">I will say that guys might enjoy the book more than I, a twenty-something girl, did. The author, Jonathan Evans, is a former NFL fullback and currently serves as a chaplain to a football team. Football references make their way into the pages, and football fans who have followed Mr. Evans' career may be able to relate to his words more than I was able to. </span></p><div style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><i style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">I voluntarily received this book from the publisher in order to write an honest review. All opinions are truly my own.</span></span></span></span></span></span></i></div><div><i style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></i></div>Korinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16926163104508732885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6209622873650234506.post-71921217211270133012022-04-07T05:06:00.006-07:002022-04-07T05:09:05.076-07:00Ordinary on Purpose by Mikala Albertson<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1636980970l/58543361.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="259" height="400" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1636980970l/58543361.jpg" width="259" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from GoodReads.com</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">My Review:</span></h2><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">So many people, myself included, fall into the "perfection" trap, many times without even realizing it. Mikala Albertson suggests that there is a better way, one where we realize that we are all imperfect, struggling human beings living this beautifully ordinary life together. <br /><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">This book is perfect for today, where the internet constantly shows us how "wrong" we are living our lives. The author hasn't had an easy life- her husband was a drug addict for many years- which makes her emotional story relatable, and the idea that life wasn't meant to be perfect, all the more powerful. </span></p><p><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">I just loved the graceful way Mikala wrote her story. Many of the passages were lyrical and so beautifully worded, and the inviting tone that she used made her feel like a friend offering a hug. </span></p><p><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">I'm so glad I picked up this book, and I know many other women are going to be impacted by Mikala's words. </span></p><div style="background-color: white; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><i style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">I voluntarily received this book from the publisher in order to write an honest review. All opinions are truly my own.</span></span></span></span></span></i></div><div><i style="font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></i></div>Korinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16926163104508732885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6209622873650234506.post-10170536556141863302022-03-07T11:42:00.003-08:002022-03-07T11:44:09.646-08:00Good Morning, Little One: written and illustrated by Amy Kavelaris<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/P/1400231949.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_SX500_.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="485" height="500" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/P/1400231949.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_SX500_.jpg" width="485" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image from Amazon.com</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="text-align: center;"> ❤❤❤❤❤= Loved it </p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">My Review:</span></p><p>The illustrations are what sold me on this book. I would have loved the cute bunnies, lambs and other animals as a kid, and honestly, as an adult I'm enjoying them nearly just as much now. Sometimes artists tend to simplify kid's book illustrations (something I've disliked since I was little) but these are detailed and perfectly whimsical. Amy Kavelaris's artwork is beautiful! </p><p>Instead of a story, the book features a blessing, with promises for the child from scripture and various scripture references to find hidden in the illustrations. "Good Morning, Little One" would make a meaningful gift, particularly for a baby shower or first birthday, and there's a handy section where the giver can inscribe who it's to, from, and the date. </p><p>A cute addition for a child's bookshelf! </p><div style="background-color: white; color: #777777; font-family: "Noto Sans"; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><i style="font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">I voluntarily received this book from the publisher in order to write an honest review. All opinions are truly my own.</span></span></span></span></span></i></div><div><i style="font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></i></div>Korinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16926163104508732885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6209622873650234506.post-19825115058818362302022-01-20T05:29:00.001-08:002022-01-20T05:29:16.823-08:00The Girl Who Could Breathe Under Water by Erin Bartels<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1624729843l/58303325.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="518" height="800" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1624729843l/58303325.jpg" width="518" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from GoodReads.com</td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">About:</span></h2><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">When Kendra Brennan moves into her grandfather's old cabin on Hidden Lake, she has a problem and a plan. The problem? An inflammatory letter from A Very Disappointed Reader that's keeping her from writing her next novel as long as its claims go unanswered. The plan? To confront Tyler, her childhood best friend's brother--and the man who inspired the antagonist in her first book--in order to prove to herself that she told the truth as all good novelists should.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">What she discovers as she delves into the murky past is not what she expected. Facing Tyler isn't easy, but facing the truth of her failed friendship with his sister, Cami, may be the hardest thing she's ever had to do.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">Description from GoodReads.com</span></i></span></p><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></h2><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">Review:</span></h2><p><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"> I have mixed feelings about this book. Erin Bartels never fails to dive deep into tricky subjects that many books avoid, and she does so with finesse. I admire her for this, as I think we need more books that authentically explore the hard topics. However, I wasn't a big fan of this story in particular. </span></p><p><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">While the story has an intriguing start, I began to lose interest as things went on. Things began to pick up a little towards the middle, but I still had a hard time keeping focused on what was going on in the story. The content also went a little farther than I was used to -a sex scene, unwanted by the MC, and not described in detail, but startling in a book on the Christian market. It was also a little surprising since the book's back cover copy was vague, and for a long time I had no idea what the book was really about. </span></p><p><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"> I understand that the author went through a similar situation so I don't want to be unfeeling as to how the story played out, however I wish there had been more hope in the story. I understand that life doesn't always work that way, but I left it feeling a bit depressed.</span></p><p><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">The writing and cover? A+. The story itself is one that I'm more conflicted about. </span></p><div style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><i style="font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">I voluntarily received this book from the publisher in order to write an honest review. All opinions are truly my own.</span></span></span></span></span></i></div><div><i style="font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></span></span></span></span></i></div>Korinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16926163104508732885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6209622873650234506.post-33183444466747765332022-01-20T05:02:00.002-08:002022-01-20T05:02:47.865-08:00Never Leave Me by Jody Hedlund<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1624729995l/58276971.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="518" height="738" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1624729995l/58276971.jpg" width="478" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from GoodReads.com</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><h2 style="text-align: center;">About:</h2><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">In the last stages of a genetic disease, Ellen Creighton has decided to live out her remaining days at the estate of her longtime friend Harrison Burlington. Harrison cares deeply for Ellen, but as a wheelchair-bound paraplegic, he's never allowed himself to get serious in a relationship. However, he's desperately trying to save her by finding the holy water that is believed to heal any disease.</span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">When he locates two flasks, Ellen refuses to drink one of them because she believes the holy water killed her sister and father. In an effort to convince her to take it, Harrison ingests the contents first, and when Ellen witnesses the effects, she can no longer deny the power of the substance in the bottles. Dangerous criminals are also seeking the holy water, and Ellen soon learns they will go to any lengths to get the powerful drug--including sending her back into the past to find it for them.</span></span><div><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span><div><i><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">Description from GoodReads.com</span></i></div><div><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i><br style="background-color: white;" /></i></span><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;" /></span><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">Review:</span></h2><p><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">Ellen and Harrison are both interesting characters and I especially enjoyed the first part of their story together. However, especially as the story progressed, I began to feel detached from what was happening. I just couldn't connect with the story, which is kind of how I felt while reading Stay With Me, book one in the series. Maybe it's the time period they're traveling back to that disinterests me- I've never been too fond of that time in history. The plot also felt rushed and lacking in depth.</span></p><p><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"> I love the concept- two people, who have never been able to live life the way they wished due to health problems, confronted with a magical water that can turn back time- and also heal the body. What is morally right in this situation? Who should drink of this water- Ellen or Harrison? The kids in the hospital that Ellen helps at? Who is deserving of healing? I think Jody does a pretty good job of answering the questions in Never Leave Me, and it's in an engaging way through time travel. I just wish the plot itself had felt less rushed- I really wanted to like this book more. </span></p><div style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><i style="font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">I voluntarily received this book from the publisher in order to write an honest review. All opinions are truly my own.</span></span></span></span></i></div><div><i style="font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #666666; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></span></span></span></i></div></div></div>Korinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16926163104508732885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6209622873650234506.post-4982910638729268282021-11-03T11:38:00.002-07:002021-11-08T05:23:51.946-08:00Prepare Him Room by Susie Larson <p><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1619419220l/57070970.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="286" height="400" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1619419220l/57070970.jpg" width="286" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p></p><p><b style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></b></p><p><b style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">About the book:</span></b></p><p><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><b style="background-color: white;">What Matters Most This Christmas Season?<br /></b><span style="background-color: white;"></span><b style="background-color: white;"><br /></b><span style="background-color: white;">Christmas should be a time of joy and celebration. But in the hurriedness of December, sometimes we find ourselves sacrificing a sacred pace for hustle, leaving us feeling more stressed than blessed.</span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">What if you approached this Advent more open to the things of God? What if you decided to be expectant that God would move in your midst? What if you made room for the true joy found in the coming of our King?</span><br style="background-color: white;" /><i style="background-color: white;"><br />Prepare Him Room</i><span style="background-color: white;"> invites you to give God sacred space in your holiday season as you ponder the miracle of Christ within you and respond to His work in your life. As you begin your Christmas preparations this year, journey through Luke's account of Jesus' birth, life, death, and ultimate resurrection. God invites you to be still and let Jesus radically transform you this holy season. Let earth receive her King!</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><i>Description and photo from GoodReads.com</i></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">My Review: </span></h2><p><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">Prepare Him Room is perfect for the holiday season. Each devotional for the 25 days leading up until Christmas features Bible chapters to read, relevant Bible verses and quotes, a prayer for the day, and a fasting challenge (ex., fast from discontentment, from worry, etc). </span><span style="color: #666666;">Susie Larson writes passionately about re-writing modern day Christmas and turning it into the day it was meant to be from the start. A time to ignore the discontentment and anxiety that day-to-day life brings and instead focus on the beautiful gift Christ brought, and the peace it brings. </span></p><p><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">I also love the size of this devotional- it’s small and has a really cute design to it, making it a great pre-Christmas gift for someone.</span></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #777777; font-family: "Noto Sans"; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><div style="font-family: "noto sans"; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><i style="font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #666666; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">I voluntarily received this book from the publisher in order to write an honest review. All opinions are truly my own.</span></span></span></i></div><div><i style="font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #666666; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></span></span></span></i></div></div>Korinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16926163104508732885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6209622873650234506.post-52377519939492754142021-10-08T11:18:00.001-07:002021-10-08T11:20:20.825-07:00Live on Purpose: 100 Devotions for Letting Go of Fear and Following God by Sadie Robertson<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1607018042l/55918659.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="587" height="641" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1607018042l/55918659.jpg" width="471" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><span id="freeText8297073422521764377" style="background-color: white; color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">About: </span></h3><span style="font-family: inherit;">Learn how to celebrate every moment in life while living enthusiastically and following your God-given passions with <em>New York Times</em> bestselling author Sadie Robertson's devotional <em>Live on Purpose. </em>Teens and young adults will reach new depths of faith as they discover how to live life to the fullest with Sadie's 100 meaningful devotions.<br /><br /><em>Live on Purpose</em> takes the life-changing themes from Sadie's bestselling books <em>Live Fearless </em>and <em>Live</em> and helps you apply those truths through Scripture, prayer, and her passionate message to live well.<br /><br />In each entry, Sadie shares her personal journey with God and gives you practical tools for . . .<br /><br />Overcoming fear and living with confidence<br />Living without limitations by setting aside fear, anxiety, and comparison<br />Authentically celebrating every moment in life<br />Replacing temporary highs with the promises of God<br />Dreaming big and living like it's on purpose!<br /><em>Live on Purpose</em> is a valuable message for anyone eager to make a difference in the world and is a perfect gift for a graduation, a birthday celebration, the holidays, or a faith anniversary. This book will help you discover that when you follow your God-given passions, nothing can stop you from living your most enthusiastic, purposeful life.<br /></span></span></span><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span id="freeText8297073422521764377" style="background-color: white; color: #181818; text-align: left;">With a social media audience of more than 6 million, Sadie is a wholesome role model and enthusiastic voice for her generation. Sadie's fanbase follows her hit podcast, <em>WHOA That's Good</em>; watched her become runner-up on season 19 of <em>Dancing with the Stars;</em> or read her bestselling books including <em>Live</em>,<em> <em>Live Fearless</em></em>,<em> <em>Live Original</em> </em>,<em> <em> </em> </em>and <em>Life Just Got Real.</em></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; text-align: left;"> </span></span></span></h3><p style="background-color: white; color: #777777; font-family: "Noto Sans"; line-height: 26px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Description and photo from GoodReads.com</i></span></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> Review:</span></h3><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">What are you living for? What fears and lies are shaping your life? Every generation needs some strong voices, people willing to counteract the lies thrown at teens every day with truth, and Sadie Robertson Huff is one of those people. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sadie's heart and passion for encouraging others is shown on every page of this devotional. While normally I don't like devotionals with short passages like this one (each is only two pages long, and the pages are pretty small), I honestly loved Sadie's words, no matter the short length. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sometimes I don't like teen devos because the author is, many times, way past the teen age and tries to connect with their younger readers by using hip teen words and "relatable" stories that really just sound cheesy. Sadie is none of these things, and her words just feel authentic and engaging. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">The cute devo size and impactful writing inside makes this a great gift for teens and young adults. </span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #777777; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><i style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #666666; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I voluntarily received this book from the publisher in order to write an honest review. All opinions are truly my own.</span></span></i></span></span></p><div><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><i style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></span></i></span></span></div>Korinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16926163104508732885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6209622873650234506.post-63465209069614923912021-09-28T07:43:00.004-07:002021-09-28T07:48:58.058-07:00A Midnight Dance by Joanna Davidson Politano<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1614298583l/57015810.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="518" height="800" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1614298583l/57015810.jpg" width="518" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">Photo from Goodreads.com</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">About: </span></h2><p><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">There's nothing Ella Blythe has wanted more than to dance in a theater. So she's thrilled when she finally gets her chance at Craven Street Theater- the very same theater where, years ago, a famous ballerina met her tragic end. As time goes on, however, Ella begins to realize that her life is starting to mirror that of the dead ballerina's- eerily so. </span></p><p><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">Ella's life has now just gotten a lot more complicated. Ballet is a competitive, and sometimes vicious, career, and once you've entered it, there's no going back. An old memory draws her closer to principle dancer, the mysterious, handsome Phillipe, but with the past haunting her, will all her dreams die?</span></p><p><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">My review:</span></h2><p><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">Today when I think of ballet I think of hard work, beauty, the celebrity that comes with being a renowned ballerina, and lots of pink. However, the world of ballet in the 1800s was a hard, competitive world where ballerinas were seen as ruined and disgraced outside of the theater. Under Joanna Politano's pen and imagination, that dark world comes to life in <i>A Midnight Dance. </i></span></p><p><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">I just can't describe to you how much this book made me <i>feel. </i>I actually procrastinated for awhile on this review because I love this story so very much, and I was afraid I wouldn't be able to do the beauty of it justice. Only the best books leave me breathless, and <i>A Midnight Dance </i>is up there at the top. </span></p><p><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">There's so much to love about it, but some of the best things are the characters, particularly the heroine- flawed but beautiful, who captured me from page 1 with her artistic, beauty-loving soul. Then there's the one who will earn her heart (who, might I add, just set my standard for a boyfriend very high!); and the myriad of other characters whose stories are as varied and layered as the heroine's and hero's. </span></p><p><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"> As I read Mrs. Politano's latest, I was struck, as I always am, at how unique and fresh her voice is in the Christian fiction world. If there were several passages from different books sitting in front of me, I'd know instantly which was written by her. You truly never know what's going to happen when you pick up a Joanna Davidson Politano novel. Her mind for storytelling is amazing, and the imagery she paints makes her a true artist. </span></p><p><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><i style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">I voluntarily received this book from the publisher in order to write an honest review. All opinions are truly my own.</span></i></span></span></p><div><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><i style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></i></span></span></div>Korinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16926163104508732885noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6209622873650234506.post-50875393072804021812021-09-19T13:50:00.002-07:002021-09-19T13:52:17.772-07:00Since You've Been Gone by Tari Faris<p><span face="Lato, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1614298558l/57015976.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #666666;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="517" height="800" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1614298558l/57015976.jpg" width="517" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div><h2 style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666;">About: </span></h2><div><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; text-align: left;">Leah Williams is back in the quaint town of Heritage, Michigan, and ready to try again to make her business a success. But blank slates are hard to come by, and a piece of her past is waiting for her there. Heir to the Heritage Fruits company, Jonathan Kensington is the guy who not only made Leah's past difficult, he also seems determined to complicate her present as well.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; text-align: left;">Jon is trying to prove to the Heritage Fruits board that he, not his manipulative uncle, should be running the business. The board insists Jon find a new owner for the building that will house Leah's business. To avoid forcing a buyout of Leah's part of the building, Jon strikes a compromise with Leah, and the two go into business together. With her vision and his know-how, it might work. And Leah might realize he's loved her since high school. If only he didn't keep on shooting himself in the foot by boxing her out of important decisions.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; text-align: left;">Sparks fly in this romantic story of two people who must learn to trust both each other and the one who called them to this journey.<br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #666666; font-size: x-small;"><i>Description and photo from GoodReads.com</i></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666;">My Review: </span></h2><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">💙💙 Two out of Five hearts= not a favorite</span></div><p></p><p><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">I wish I could have liked this more. It's got an amazing, adorable cover and I'd already read an excerpt, which was pretty good and was what drew me to the story in the first place (and yeah, again that adorable cover also was a pretty big draw. I mean, just look at it!). Plus, I think Leah's character is unique, and I wish I had her sense of vintage, slightly quirky yet cool, style.</span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">The reason I gave it two stars is because the story itself just didn't seem that unique. I predicted much of what was going to happen before it did, which made for an unsatisfying ending since the element of mystery was gone. One of the main plot points is the romance, which got tiring. I think a book's storyline shouldn't revolve so much around the romantic aspect or else it gets boring and stereotypical.</span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Also, the many characters (especially the girls) confused me. Which was weird, since I'd read the other books in the series (actually had recently finished book 2), but I just had a hard time remembering who was who and what was what- they all kind of seemed the same.</span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">If you like hallmark-type stories, or Christian romance where the characters face real life problems but happy endings abound, then this story may be for you. Unfortunately I just couldn't get into it.</span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;"><i>I voluntarily received this book from the publisher in order to write an honest review. All opinions are truly my own.</i></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i><br /></i></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Also, I apologize for the wonky font, sizing, etc. For some reason, Blogger has been glitching on me a lot lately. </b></span></span></p>Korinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16926163104508732885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6209622873650234506.post-54314804817702975192021-09-15T11:05:00.004-07:002021-09-15T11:11:13.158-07:00Under the Texas Mistletoe by Karen Witemeyer <p><span face="Lato, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></p><h1 style="text-align: center;"><span face="Lato, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-weight: normal;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1614215449l/57015761.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="518" height="800" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1614215449l/57015761.jpg" width="518" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></h1><h1 style="text-align: center;"><span face="Lato, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #666666; font-size: large;">Description: </span></span></h1><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">Spend Christmas in Texas this year with these charming holiday novellas from bestselling historical romance author Karen Witemeyer, whose writing is spiced with her signature blend of humor, thrilling frontier action, and sweet romance.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><span>In this 3-in-1 novella collection, Witemeyer presents the new story "A Texas Christmas Carol," where a town's wealthy, Scrooge-like bachelor finds his world invaded by a woman set on earning his donation for helping the local poor, and the penetrating questions of three mysterious visitors. It also includes, for the first time in print, "An Archer Family Christmas." When the Archer clan gathers for the holiday, they encounter an unexpected request for help that will require all their effort and a Christmas miracle to see them through. In previously published "Gift of the Heart," a widow uses the family brooch as collateral for a loan from the local resort owner. But the more she comes to know the man behind the stern businessman, the more she hopes for a second chance at love this Christmas.</span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"> </span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #666666; font-size: x-small;"><i>Description & photo from Goodreads.com</i></span></span></p><h1 style="text-align: center;"><span face="Lato, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #666666; font-size: large;">My Review: </span></span></h1><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">Four out of five hearts ♥♥♥♥</span></div><p><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><span face="Lato, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">Out of these three short stories, my favorite was An Archer Family Christmas. I loved reading Karen's previous books about the brothers, and it was nice to revisit the family and see how Karen Witemeyer imagined their lives continuing. It was also the most exciting of the Christmas stories, and to me the most heartfelt. If you've read and enjoyed the other Archer brothers books, then you'll enjoy a revisit with this short story!</span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span face="Lato, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">A Texas Christmas Carol was also an interesting spin on the traditional Christmas Carol. There were quite a few puns that were fun to catch, and I enjoyed seeing how the author was going to adapt the story into a romance.</span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span face="Lato, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">I also liked the additions of the devotional, recipes, and fun facts about Christmas. They were all a nice touch to the collection and really added to the charm of the book.</span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span face="Lato, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">Karen Witemeyer has penned a sweet collection of Christmas stories perfect for the holiday season!</span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span face="Lato, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><i>I voluntarily received this book from the publisher in order to write an honest review. All opinions are truly my own.</i></span></span></p>Korinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16926163104508732885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6209622873650234506.post-32542655121441847462021-08-23T06:05:00.000-07:002021-08-23T06:05:24.886-07:00Beyond the Tides by Liz Johnson<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1603748505l/55654909.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="518" height="647" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1603748505l/55654909.jpg" width="419" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from Goodreads.com</td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666;">About the book:</span></h3><div><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">When Meg Whitaker's father decides to sell the family's lobster-fishing business to her high school nemesis, she sets out to prove she should inherit it instead. Though she's never had any interest in running the small fleet--or even getting on a boat due to her persistent seasickness--she can't stand to see Oliver Ross take over. Not when he ruined her dreams for a science scholarship and an Ivy League education ten years ago.</span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Oliver isn't proud of what he did back then. Angry and broken by his father walking out on his family, he lashed out at Meg--an innocent bystander. But owning a respected fishing fleet on Prince Edward Island is the opportunity of a lifetime, and he's not about to walk away just because Meg wants him to.</span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Meg's father has the perfect solution: Oliver and Meg must work the business together, and at the end of the season, he'll decide who gets it. Along the way, they may discover that their stories are more similar than they thought . . . and their dreams aren't what they expected.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="color: #666666; font-size: x-small;"><i>Description from GoodReads.com</i></span></span></div><p><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666;">My Review:</span></h3><p><span style="color: #666666;">I have to admit something- I was not sure about this book, and that was mainly because of the cover.</span></p><p><span style="color: #666666;"> Yes, the photo is perfect for the story setting and it's a well-taken photo and all that, but it just doesn't capture my interest. It doesn't scream, "Read me!!!" and so the main reason I chose to actually pick up the book was because I had read an excerpt of it, and I also knew Liz Johnson had written some good things in the past. </span></p><p><span style="color: #666666;">Well, turns out that <i>Beyond the Tides</i> is probably my favorite of Liz Johnson's novels yet! I am so, so glad I didn't listen to my inner cover critic and bypass this book. </span></p><p><span style="color: #666666;">Oliver and Meg start out not as friends, but more as enemies. Slowly, their relationship morphs into partnership, friendship, and then, quite possibly, something even more... I loved how these two progressed and changed over the course of the book! Their banter was so fun, and I loved every interaction they had. </span></p><p><span style="color: #666666;">Meg can come across as detached and cold sometimes, and as an introvert, I can totally relate to that. I love how Oliver just sort of ignores that to try and get to know the person she is underneath (I kind of may have a small crush on the guy....). </span></p><p><span style="color: #666666;">The two also have some very realistic family problems. Meg's mom is losing her mobility and memory from an unknown illness. Oliver's father left him at a young age, and he's been dealing with the scars ever since. Life is messy and can't be wrapped up in a pretty bow, and I like how Liz Johnson deals with these issues. </span></p><p><span style="color: #666666;">That excerpt for book 2 at the end really whet my appetite for the continuation of the series- I can't wait to see what happens next! </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"><i><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">I voluntarily received this book from the publisher in order to write an honest review. All opinions are truly my own.</span></i></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /></p>Korinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16926163104508732885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6209622873650234506.post-20457749610207527662021-07-21T04:34:00.001-07:002021-07-21T04:34:55.465-07:00Between the Wild Branches by Connilyn Cossette<p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1602556109l/55654502.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="517" height="667" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1602556109l/55654502.jpg" width="430" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from GoodReads.com</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">My Review:</span></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span id="freeTextreview4122768027" style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">Although I liked book one, To Dwell Among Cedars, I've gotta say, this book is my definite favorite!<br /><br />The story focuses on Lukio, a famous fighter in biblical-era Philistia. When he reconnects with a childhood friend involved in some dangerous espionage, he begins to question his purpose in this country where debauchery and evil reign.<br /><br />I loved reading Lukio's point of view! The rebel child who ran away from home, he's not a squeaky-clean protagonist- in fact, he's far from it. Then there's Shoshana, the girl he loved- a woman with high morals, who would sacrifice herself to save another. Honestly, I didn't really like Shoshana in the first book. I'm not really sure why, I guess maybe I thought she was a little boring? But in this book, she shows herself to be a mature, brave woman, equal to stand up to Lukio, and I really liked her.<br /><br />The cover is gorgeous as well! I absolutely love how it connects with Eliora's book, showing the bond between brother and sister. I was a bit confused by the model they chose for Lukio, though- his hair is dark, not light like it was supposed to be (an important point, showing that Lukio's family was foreign), and he doesn't seem all that tall or fighter-ish.<br /><br />Some books I've read in this genre turned out to be low in action and interest, and since I've read the Bible stories they were based off of, I knew what direction they were going to go. However, while this duology is based off of true Biblical events, there's still enough fiction there to keep you guessing at how everything will end.<br /><br />While Biblical fiction isn't a genre I read that much, Connilyn Cossette has proven to be an author to keep on my watchlist.<br /><br /><i>I voluntarily received this book from the publisher in order to write an honest review. All opinions are truly my own.</i></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;"><i> </i></span></span></p>Korinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16926163104508732885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6209622873650234506.post-90048703251507955382021-06-29T17:24:00.003-07:002021-06-29T17:24:22.767-07:00Summer Reading <p><span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px;">My summer reading has been pretty exciting so far. I've discovered new-to-me authors, found books that I didn't know existed, and enjoyed new releases from authors I've loved for years. Need some book recs? Keep scrolling, and if you've already read some of these, let me know what you thought! </span></span></p><p><span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></p><h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">Come Back to Me by Jody Hedlund</span></h1><p><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1603465550l/54405695._SY475_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="308" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1603465550l/54405695._SY475_.jpg" /></span></a></div><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;">What happens when a researcher from today goes back in time to the Peasants' Revolt and falls in love with a knight?</span><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;">With her sister in one time period, her husband in another, and Marian herself caught somewhere in between, this is a conundrum of epic proportions. I honestly had no idea how this was ever going to end well for our characters, and I'm dying to get my hands on book two (which, sadly, does not come soon enough!).</span><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;">The time traveling thing was also uniquely and legitimately thought up. I'm sure the author had to put a lot of research into it, and it shows by actually being less fanciful and more of a legitimate way of traveling through time than other books and movies have done.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;">Marian and Will are an unlikely, but perfect, pairing. I mean, they're basically from two whole different worlds, so how could their romance ever seem legit? But Jody Hedlund crosses that gap perfectly and somehow Marian and Will just belong together. Get ready for some serious romance!</span><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"><i>I received this book in order to write an honest review. All opinions are totally my own.</i></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px;"><i><br /></i></span></p><h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">The Heart's Charge by Karen Witemeyer</span></h1><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1603406820l/55654325.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="517" height="601" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1603406820l/55654325.jpg" width="388" /></span></a></div><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><br /><i><br /></i></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;">The roughened-cowboy-helps-out-cute-kids storyline has been used a lot and I think sometimes it just doesn't work out. However, I love the way Karen Witemeyer utilizes it. The sort of orphanage that the ladies ran was really cool- they basically took in all the misfits God sent their way and gave them a place to belong. My first job involved lots of kids, nearly all if them missing a parent, or being raised by grandparents, and the way Karen Witemeyer showed the pain that these kids go through was relatable and honest. I really appreciated that.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;">The characters themselves are fabulous as well. I love the split story, from Jonah and Eliza to Mark and Katherine. Both POVs were different, and yielded such unique perspectives. The first chapter had me smiling and already engaged with the characters, which for me is a win since it can sometimes take me awhile to get invested in stories- that wasn't a problem this time!</span><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"><i>I received this book from the author in order to write an honest review. All opinions are totally my own</i></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px;"><i><br /></i></span></p><h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">There You'll Find Me by Jenny B. Jones</span></h1><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327917764l/10647131.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="305" data-original-width="200" height="421" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327917764l/10647131.jpg" width="276" /></span></a></div><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">At first, I thought this book was going to turn out to be your typical YA romance, all light and fluffy with a predictable ending. However, the last half of the book is anything but that! Finley is a relatable character struggling with real issues, and the author really delved into deeper stuff than I'd expected. The characters are just so realistic, I enjoyed them so much. I haven't seen the movie adaptation yet (which released this year), but I hope it did the story justice! </span></div><div><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo</span></h1><div><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1546204239l/35384793.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="316" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1546204239l/35384793.jpg" /></span></a></div><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">I'd honestly never heard of this book series before the Netflix show came out. And yes, I've got to admit- I read it largely because of the hype (and to see if the TV show would potentially be any good). </span></div><div><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">Overall opinion- actually really liked it! The characters and story line drew me in, and I was surprised at how minimal the content was (as the trilogy went on, the content did increase, though). Now I really want to try out the TV show, although I'm afraid they'll ruin the great story. </span></div><div><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">#TeamMal! </span></div><p><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">So what has your summer reading looked like so far? </span></p>Korinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16926163104508732885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6209622873650234506.post-26969343779267836652021-05-29T16:00:00.000-07:002021-05-29T16:00:30.520-07:00At Lighthouse Point by Suzanne Woods Fisher <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://g.christianbook.com/g/slideshow/0/0735005/main/0735005_1_ftc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="728" data-original-width="472" height="508" src="https://g.christianbook.com/g/slideshow/0/0735005/main/0735005_1_ftc.jpg" width="329" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><i>Photo from Christianbook.com</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666;">About: </span></h3><div><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">Blaine Grayson returns to Three Sisters Island with a grand plan--to take Camp Kicking Moose to the next level. Her dream starts to unravel when she discovers Moose Manor's kitchen has been badly remodeled by her sister, Cam, who doesn't know how to cook. Added to that blow is the cold shoulder given by her best friend, Artie Lotosky, now a doctor to the unbridged Maine islands.</span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">As old wounds are opened, Blaine starts to wonder if she made a mistake by coming home. Little by little, she must let go of one dream to discover a new one, opening her heart to a purpose and a future she had never imagined.</span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher invites you back to the coast of Maine for a story that reminds you to release what doesn't matter and cling to what does: faith, family, and friendships.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i>Description from Amazon.com</i></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666;">My Review: </span></h3><div><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #666666;">The Grayson sisters are relatable and charming, and I've been looking forward to Blaine's story for quite some time! Book two had left Blaine's story in a bit of a lurch, and I've been eager to see what's going on with our favorite aspiring chef. </span></div><div><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #666666;">Note: If you haven't read Cam's story or Maddie's, then do yourself a favor and read those first before moving on to their sister's story. You'll be more invested in the large cast of characters and their individual personalities and stories. </span></div><div><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="color: #666666;">Blaine's been struggling most of her life- to come to terms with her mom's death, which she feels she could have prevented; to feel equal next to her successful sisters; to become a mature adult and make her own responsible decisions. She's fought with these issues since book one, and to go with her on this journey and see how she matured and changed was satisfying. Suzanne Woods Fisher's knack for storytelling doesn't stop at the Amish stories she's known for- she can spin a heartwarming, beautiful contemporary novel as well, full of realistic issues and characters that readers can easily relate to and fall in love with.</span></div><div><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #666666;">One thing I do wish the book had: more Artie and Blaine scenes! There honestly wasn't that many. But I think the author probably did the right thing by keeping them minimal- it made things more true-to-life. </span></div></div><div><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #666666;">At Lighthouse Point is full of sweet scenes and neatly ties up the stories of the characters we know and love (while also offering several surprises along the way!) Do yourself a favor and look up this series at your local library, or find it on Amazon. The sea breeze will carry you away to a simpler life on Three Sisters Island. </span></div><div><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #666666;"><i style="background-color: white; font-family: "Noto Sans"; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">I voluntarily received this book from the publisher in order to write an honest review. All opinions are truly my own.</span></span></span></i> </span></div><div><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div>Korinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16926163104508732885noreply@blogger.com0