Redemption by Karen Kingsbury and Gary Smalley

Redemption by Karen Kingsbury and Gary Smalley. Tyndale House, 2002. 384p. (1414333005) Series: Redemption, #1

Ten minutes ago I finished my third book by Karen Kingsbury (The Bridge and The Chance being the first two). I don’t know why I’ve avoided her books for so many years. I don’t know why I thought they were fluffy romance novels. They are anything but. She has a knack for creating real characters with real problems and feelings.

There have been many times when I have turned the last page of a story wishing that it wouldn’t end with the proposal or the wedding, wishing that the story would continue and tell the characters joys and hardships in marriage. I know life isn’t all sunshine and roses after the I Dos and I wish more books would include that.

And Karen Kingsbury’s books seem to do just that. Last night and this evening I read Redemption, co-written by Gary Smalley and Karen Kingsbury. It is about a couple whose marriage is falling apart in the worst way and yet the wife clings desperately to the love they once had, to God’s grace and the firm conviction that love is a decision.

Which, actually, is something I’ve often said (and learned from my wise mother). Love is a choice.

Go read the Redemption series. And then the two series about the Baxter family that follow it. I know I’m going to. In fact, as soon as I post this, I’m going to head over to the library and grab book two. (Oh the joys of being the librarian and being able to get a book at any time of day or night. :-) )

And if you can't go buy, borrow or beg this book right now, envy the librarian with the keys...

Go read it! Find it at a library near you; Buy it from Amazon; Buy it from ChristianBooks.com 

Disclosure: I borrowed this book from the library. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

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Remember - Anytime you visit Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com or ChristianBooks.com use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.

Top Ten Books When You Need Something Light & Fun

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

This week's topic is books you pick up when you need something light and fun. There aren't ten books that I turn to to reread bits and pieces of (or the whole thing).

Top Ten Books When You Need Something Light & Fun

1. Love Comes Softly by Jannete Oke

2. The Princess by Lori Wick

3. Philippians – The Bible

4. The Blue Castle by L. M. Montgomery

5. Seven Daughters and Seven Sons by Barbara Cohen

6. Anne of the Island by L.M. Montgomery

7. The Ordinary Princess by M.M. Kaye

And that's all the titles I can think of that I pick up to cheer up / un-stress / unwind

What's books are your comfort foods?

Remember - Anytime you visit Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com or ChristianBooks.com use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.

Once Upon a Prince by Rachel Hauck

Once Upon a Prince by Rachel Hauck. Zondervan, 2013. 320p. (9780310315476) Series: Royal Wedding, #1

This was such a fun story in the spirit of Grace Kelley, Kate Middleton and any other “commoner” who falls in love with a real prince.

Goodreads Summary:

Susanna Truitt never dreamed of a great romance or being treated like a princess---just to marry the man she has loved for twelve years. But life isn’t going according to plan. When her high-school-sweetheart-turned-Marine-officer breaks up instead of proposing, Susanna scrambles to rebuild her life.

The last thing Prince Nathaniel expects to find on his American holiday to St. Simon’s Island is the queen of his heart. A prince has duties, and his family’s tense political situation has chosen his bride for him. When Prince Nathaniel comes to Susanna’s aid under the fabled Lover’s Oak, he is blindsided by love.

Their lives are worlds apart. He’s a royal prince. She’s a ordinary girl. But everything changes when Susanna receives an invitation to Nathaniel’s coronation.

My Review:

If you’re in the mood for a contemporary princess tale then this is a good one to pick up. The author does a great job describing the emotions that Susanna experiences when her boyfriend of twelve years (!) breaks up the relationship.

Nathaniel meets her in a moment of crisis and they become friends, but he doesn’t tell her who he really is. Which leads to an awkward moment and confusion later.

The events that occur when and after Susanna goes to the coronation reminded me a lot of the movie Princess Diaries and especially Princess Diaries II. Which I didn’t like so much, but then there are only so many ways for events to transpire and for a conclusion to be reached.

I really liked the interaction between family members. They were funny, they had their flaws, they had character, they tried to live out their Christian faith. It made the story seem more realistic.

In America the story takes place on St. Simon's Island and I think the photo below (that the author uploaded to pinterest) must be Lover's Oak or at least the inspiration for Lover's Oak. What a lovely spot!

St. Simon's Island (picture from Rachel Hauck's pinterest board)

And even though the European places and families are all made up, the names are European sounding enough to make one think those places could actually exist.

It’s the beginning of a series! Wonder who the next ones will be about since the prince only has one brother? I do have a guess for one of the books, but shan’t share it since it’s kinda a spoiler. :-)

Worth re-reading if you're in the mood for some light hearted fun (since you'll already know how events transpire).

Go read it! Find it at a library near you; Buy it from Amazon; Buy it from ChristianBooks.com (Releases May 7, 2013)

Disclosure: I received this ebook for free from the publisher through NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission.

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Remember - Anytime you visit Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com or ChristianBooks.com use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.

Top Ten Words/Topics That Instantly Make Me Buy/Pick Up A Book

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

It's been a while since I've participated in TTT. This topic was suggested by Karin at My Life In Books.

Top Ten Words/Topics That Instantly Make Me Buy/Pick Up A Book

1. First, almost anything I read is always Christian Fiction

2. Retellings of classic fairy tales

  

(Fairest Beauty, The Wide-Awake Princess, The Merchant's Daughter, Princess of Glass)

3. Historical Fiction

(El Rey: A Novel of Renaissance Iberia, Maire)

4. Especially set in 1800s America

(particularly western America - the whole homesteading, Oregon Trail idea, but I also like the Eastern Seaboard and everything in between...)

(Sixty Acres and a Bride, Prize of My Heart)

5. Or Colonial America around and during the Revolutionary War

(The Messenger)

6. Marriage of Convenience/Necessity

(Short-Straw Bride, Montana Rose)

 7. Fantasy with adventure 

 (Tales of Goldstone Wood Series, LOTR, The Orphan King, Ranger's Apprentice Series, Dealing with Dragons)

8. Missionary Kids 

(Bamboo & Lace, It's a Jungle Out There)

9. Regency/Victorian England

(The Heiress of Winterwood, The Tutor's Daughter)

10. What words/topics instantly trigger the thought, 'Ooooh, that looks good!'?

Remember - Anytime you visit Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com or ChristianBooks.com use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.

Undeniably Yours by Becky Wade

Undeniably Yours by Becky Wade. Bethany House, 2013. 384p. (9780764209758) Series: A Porter Family, #1

Last summer Becky Wade’s debut novel, My Stubborn Heart¸ was published and I absolutely loved it. So I was quite excited to hear that her next book was coming out this spring. Undeniably Yours is a fast paced Christian romance complete with cowboys and a psychopath. (Never thought I’d put those last six words together!)

Goodreads Summary:

When Meg Cole’s father dies unexpectedly, she becomes the majority shareholder of his oil company and the single inheritor of his fortune. Though Meg is soft-spoken and tenderhearted–more interested in art than in oil–she’s forced to return home to Texas and to Whispering Creek Ranch to take up the reins of her father’s empire.

The last thing she has the patience or the sanity to deal with? Her father’s thoroughbred racehorse farm. She gives its manager, Bo Porter, six months to close the place down.

Bo’s determined to resent the woman who’s decided to rob him of his dream. But instead of anger, Meg evokes within him a profound desire to protect. The more time he spends with her, the more he longs to overcome every obstacle that separates them–her wealth, his unworthiness, her family’s outrage–and earn the right to love her.

But just when Meg begins to realize that Bo might be the one thing on the ranch worth keeping, their fragile bond is viciously broken by a force from Meg’s past. Can their love–and their belief that God can work through every circumstance–survive?

From Becky Wade's
pinterest board
for the book

My Review:

I enjoyed the way Meg was committed to doing what she thought was the right thing even when she really didn’t enjoy it – her job with the oil company. Not sure I could be that dedicated.

Bo was a fabulous hero: strong, caring, had self-control, can defend his lady’s honor in a fight (yep! it’s a great scene). But he is also very down to earth and sensible.

From Goodreads I learned that this is the beginning of a series, A Porter Family. We didn’t really get to know any Porters other than Meg and her uncle a bit in this book, I’m quite curious who the next books will be about. My guess was that it’d be about the single mom Meg took in but she’s not exactly a Porter. So I don’t know.

The chemistry between Meg and Bo was very tangent. Meg’s stress level faded away when she was in Bo’s company. They do kiss and hug quite a bit, but that’s as far as it goes. While reading about these sorts of couples it makes me wonder if such chemistry, electricity really can exist between a man and a woman. Or if it’s just a secret pact all novelists sign. Maybe I should read more biographies and/or autobiographies.

All in all, this was an enjoyable, contemporary Christian romance that kept me turning the pages, especially towards the end. But My Stubborn Heart is my favorite of the two books the author has written.

Win a copy from Goodreads (ends May 1, 2013): http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/49541-undeniably-yours

Go read it! Find it at a library near you; Buy it from Amazon; Buy it from ChristianBooks.com

Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher through NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission. 

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Remember - Anytime you visit Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com or ChristianBooks.com use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.

The Heiress of Winterwood by Sarah E. Ladd

The Heiress of Winterwood by Sarah E. Ladd. Thomas Nelson, 2013. 320p. (9781401688356) Series: Whispers on the Moors #1

Quite the adventure! I’d forgotten any details from the summary when I started reading this and was not expecting all the turmoil and danger that ensued.

Goodreads Summary:

Pride goes before the fall . . . but what comes after?

Darbury, England, 1814

Amelia Barrett, heiress to an ancestral estate nestled in the English moors, defies family expectations and promises to raise her dying friend’s infant baby. She'll risk everything to keep her word—even to the point of proposing to the child’s father, Graham, a sea captain she’s never met.

Tragedy strikes when the child vanishes with little more than a sketchy ransom note hinting to her whereabouts. Fear for the child’s safety drives Amelia and Graham to test the boundaries of their love for this infant.

Amelia’s detailed plans would normally see her through any trial, but now, desperate and shaken, she examines her soul and must face her one weakness: pride.

Graham’s strength and self-control have served him well and earned him much respect, but chasing perfection has kept him a prisoner of his own discipline.

Both must learn to accept God’s sovereignty and relinquish control so they can grasp the future He has for planned for them.

My Review:

What seemed to start out as a potential marriage-of-convenience story turned into a tale of two people learning to let go and accept God’s plan, guidance and forgiveness. I really enjoyed the spiritual development of both Amelia and Graham.  

Amelia Barrett has lost many loved ones and is determined to do everything in her power not to lose little Lucy. At times it was hard to reconcile her independence and even defiance of her uncle and fiancé with my general impression of women of that era and also with Amelia herself. I really enjoyed her but at times things seemed a bit off.

Captain Graham Sterling was a great hero, full of flaws, wanting to do right. The spark between him and Amelia was fun to read. I wish we could have learned more about his childhood, I think that would have helped explain his brother’s behavior and the tension between the two men.

I also wish Helena, Amelia’s cousin, had been further developed. She didn’t seem to be the same person at the beginning and the end (and that’s not due to any character development, she just suddenly seemed to be someone else). For all that it still is an enjoyable read.

This is a debut novel that came about after the author won the Historical Romance category of the Genesis contest in 2011. The Genesis contest held by ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) is for unpublished Christian fiction authors. Quite glad she won and it appears as though this is the beginning of a series.

(Not sure if it's worth a re-read, but it's an enjoyable story with some good lessons)

Go read it! Find it at a library near you; Buy it from Amazon; Buy it from ChristianBooks.com

Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher through NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission. 

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Remember - Anytime you visit Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com or ChristianBooks.com use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.

Love in the Balance by Regina Jennings

Love in the Balance by Regina Jennings. Bethany House, 2013. 360p. (9780764209918)

Last spring I read Sixty Acres and a Bride and absolutely loved it so I was eager to read the author’s second book. Both draw on Bible stories for inspiration but it took a while for me to figure out that Love in the Balance is based on the Parable of the Prodigal Son.

Goodreads Summary:

Molly Lovelace dreams of a life without cares in Lockhart, Texas. She also dreams of handsome wrangler Bailey Garner, her ardent but inconsistent beau. The problem is, with Bailey's poor prospects, she just can't fit the two dreams together.

Then mysterious stranger Edward Pierrepont sweeps into town--and her life--and for the first time Molly wonders if she's met the man who can give her everything. But he won't be in Lockhart long and while he talks about their glorious future together, she can't quite get Bailey out of her mind.

What's a girl to do with all these decisions when love is in the balance?

My Review:

Since Sixty Acres is the story of Ruth I wondered if the author would continue the story and let us read her ideas of what happened to Ruth and Boaz, aka Rosa and Weston. That wasn’t the case. Instead the author drew from a different biblical story and gave the reader Molly Lovelace’s story.  

Molly wasn’t always a very enjoyable heroine to read about, but her flaws are very human flaws and her mistakes are understandable. Somewhat. The reader is told more than shown the pressure her parents exert on her to marry well.

While there are several kisses, a honeymoon, and passionate thoughts, all those scenes are handled nicely and nothing is described in too much detail.

The way the characters matured and the struggles they faced were well written. I really liked getting to know some of the minor characters a bit better. I just read an interview with Regina Jennings on another blog and learned that the third book in the series will be about Anne Tillerton. Can’t wait!

Go read it! Find it at a library near you; Buy it from Amazon; Buy it from ChristianBooks.com

Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher through NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission. 

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Remember - Anytime you visit Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com or ChristianBooks.com use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.