Image from BakerPublishingGroup.com

Review: 

Robin Jones Gunn is back! Fans of Robin's Christy Miller series will love this new release, and new readers will enjoy the series as well. It centers around two new characters, Fern and Lily, but expect some fun easter eggs from Robin's other series!

Fern and Lily are such fun, lovable characters. Both come to Africa with a wanderlust long kept dormant, and both also arrive with burdens that they must deal with during their trip. Their friendship is unique and heartwarming- I love the way Robin can write about so many different friendships and people over the years, and yet make each specially unique and interesting!

This was a perfect read for me during the chilly fall evenings- a cup of hot chocolate while reading TwE made for the best cozy evening. However, while this is definitely a laid-back, heartwarming read, expect to be challenged a bit on the way, as the characters each confront things in their own hearts.

I've heard Christians place fiction as less important, underneath non-fiction theological books. I think both are necessary, both can make an impact. Ironically, I had just recently become jobless when I received this book to review, and so Fern's plight resonated with me even more. It was like a little nod from God saying, "I see you. I've got you."

Tea with Elephants is also a love letter to God's awe-inspiring creation. Robin's beautiful descriptions take you right into the heart of Africa, and make you long to jump on a plane and go visit this beautiful country. It made me nostalgic for the international trip I've been on, and may have been part of the reason I said yes to my next adventure.....

From the eye-catching cover; to Robin Jones Gunn's sweet, prayer-filled words inside; to the prose that takes you right into Africa; this book holds a special place in my heart.

Photo from Amazon.com

My Review: 

Usually, I am an advocate for hard, (sometimes gritty) realism in stories, and that hasn't changed, but I feel like we can give Christmas books a pass. There's just something special about that time of year, something that makes the occasional Hallmark movie or fluffy Christmas book more palatable. I've read Melody Carlson books before and have never been a huge fan of her style, but I actually did enjoy The Christmas Tree Farm. Like I said, it's a little fluffy. I can definitely see it premiering on the Hallmark Channel as a Christmas flick. However, the protagonists and their situations had more depth and realism than I was expecting, and I found myself engaging with the story and the plight of its characters. 

I liked Madison's can-do attitude, her willingness to get dirty if it meant getting things done, and how she preferred the outdoors. It made a good foil to her sister's more typical girly-girl personality. The dirt bike aspect was fun, too. 

Also, the cover is so cute and appealing for a Christmas novella! It fit the story perfectly. 

Overall, if you're looking for a cute Christmassy novel to get you smiling over the holidays, then this book is for you. There were still some cheesy moments that made me cringe a little (like the ending...) but all in all, this book got me a little more in the Christmassy mood. 

Photo and description from BakerPublishingGroup.com

Review:

Photo from Amazon.com

About:

Photo and book description from Amazon.com

About the Book: 

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.

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.

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.

My Review:

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. 

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. 

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. 

I laughed, cried, and eagerly turned the pages to see what would happen next. Another brilliant novel from Sarah Sundin! 

Cover image and description from Amazon.com

About:

 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.

Photo and book description from Christianbook.com About the book:  Welcome to your own little confession booth. What would you say if you were completely honest with yourself and with God? It's time to find out. 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 you. 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. Where to begin? With your beautifully ruthless honesty.

My Review: 

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!). 

 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. 

Photo from karenwitemeyer.com Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤ 5 out of 5 hearts

My Review:

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. 

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. 

Almost! Penelope and Titus's relationship was equally charming, and they were such an easy couple to cheer on. 

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. 

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! 

Photo from Christianbook.com

Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤ 5 out of 5 hearts

Review:

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! 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

Photo from Amazon.com

 Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤ 5 out of 5 hearts

My Review:

Sarah Sundin's novels are always a breath of fresh air, and I absolutely adored The Sound of Light! 

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. 

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! 

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. 

Photo from Christianbook.com

My Review:

♥♥♥♥ four out of five hearts

 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. 

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. 

Photo via GoodReads.com

My Review:

 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).

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. 

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. 

Photo from GoodReads.com

 About: 

My Review: 

Photo from ChristianBook.com

♥♥♥♥ = Four out of five hearts

Review:

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. 

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. 

Photo from ChristianBook.com

Review:

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. 

 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. 

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. 

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. 

Photo from Amazon.com

My Review: 

 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, Your Time is Now 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.

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. 

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. 

Photo from GoodReads.com

My Review:

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. 

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. 

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. 

I'm so glad I picked up this book, and I know many other women are going to be impacted by Mikala's words. 

Image from Amazon.com

 ❤❤❤❤❤= Loved it 

My Review:

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! 

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. 

A cute addition for a child's bookshelf! 

Photo from GoodReads.com

About:

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.

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.

Description from GoodReads.com

Review:

 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. 

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. 

 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.

The writing and cover? A+. The story itself is one that I'm more conflicted about.