Restoring Love By Jennifer Slattery

Mitch, a contractor and house-flipper, is restoring a beautiful old house in an idyllic Midwestern neighborhood. Angela, a woman filled with regrets and recently transplanted to his area, is anything but idyllic. She's almost his worst nightmare, and she's also working on restoring something herself. As he struggles to keep his business afloat and she works to overcome mistakes of her past, these two unlikely friends soon discover they have something unexpected in common, a young mom who is fighting to give her children a better life after her husband's incarceration. While both Mitch and Angela are drawn to help this young mother survive, they also find themselves drawn to each other. Will a lifetime of regrets hold them back or unite them and bring redemption along with true love?

Restoring Love, part of New Hope Publishers' line of contemporary missional fiction, demonstrates how God can turn our greatest tragedies and failures into beautiful acts of love and grace that can impact the lives of others. Readers will connect with the realistic characters and find they can relate to the complex situations that makes Jennifer Slattery's book so appealing. Readers will be inspired to see how God wants to use us to restore people's perception of love in action.

Pick up your copy here...

https://www.amazon.com/Restoring-Love-Contemporary-Jennifer-Slattery/dp/1625915136/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1485049804&sr=8-3&keywords=jennifer+slattery

Jennifer Slattery, author of Breaking Free, Beyond I Do, Intertwined, and When Dawn Breaks, is an inspiring contemporary novelist whose stories of hope, love, and grace resonate with real people. She also writes Christian Living articles for Crosswalk.com and devotions for her personal blog, JenniferSlatteryLivesOutLoud.com; Internet Cafe Devotions; and oversees the blog and social media accounts for Takin' It To The Streets, a ministry serving Omaha Metro's working poor and homeless. When not writing, she enjoys hanging out with her teenage daughter and real-life hero husband, as well as serving in her church.

I have to say Slattery can write a romance and share the love of the Lord all while not being preachy or over the top in your face. She always writes love stories that get you to think.

This was her best book yet in my opinion. I never put it down once I started reading it. The plot, the characters, all so real. It was so good I hated for it to end. For me it was like a box of fine chocolate I savored it until the very end.

Warning: You will not get any thing done once you crack this book open, so cook, clean and do whatever you need to do before you dive in.

I gave this book 4.5 stars and I can't wait to get my hands on Slattery's next book.

I received  this book from the publisher for review. A favorable was not required and all views expressed are my own

Grace and the Preacher By Kim Vogel Sawyer

At the age of twenty-four, postmistress Grace Cristler has all but given up hope of finding a husband among the narrowing group of eligible men in her town of Fairland, Kansas. But when her uncle decides to retire from the pulpit, Grace is responsible for corresponding with the new preacher set to take his place. She can’t deny the affection growing in her heart for Reverend Rufus Dille—a man she deeply admires, but has only met through his letters.

Theophil Garrison is on the run from a past and a label he’s desperate to escape. Ten years ago, his outlaw cousins convinced him to take part in a train robbery, but Theo fled the scene, leaving his cousins to face imprisonment. Now their sentence is complete, but the plan for vengeance has only just begun. Branded a coward and running for his life, a chance encounter could provide Theo with the escape he needs. 

But the young man’s desperate con might come at an enormous price for the tenderhearted Grace—and the entire town. Will Grace’s undeserved affection and God’s mercy make something beautiful from the ashes of Theo’s past?

Pre Order your copy here...

https://www.amazon.com/Grace-Preacher-Kim-Vogel-Sawyer/dp/0307731413/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1484576023&sr=1-1&keywords=grace+and+the+preacher 

KIM VOGEL SAWYER is a highly acclaimed, best-selling author with more than one million books in print, in seven different languages. Her titles have earned numerous accolades including the ACFW Carol Award, the Inspirational Readers’ Choice Award, and the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence. Kim lives in central Kansas with her retired military husband Don, where she continues to write gentle stories of hope. She enjoys spending time with her three daughters and grandchildren.

 

As a huge Sawyer fan, I have never read one of her books that have not touched me and left me wanting more. Grace and the Preacher was so enjoyable and left me wanting more. I am so excited for this new book. The characters were so real to me and the story was very endearing. A book about God's grace, well we all need to read this one.

I can't wait for Sawyers next book.

I gave this book 4 stars and I recommend it.

 I received  this book from the publisher for review. A favorable was not required and all views expressed are my own.

Amish Weddings By Leslie Gould

Gould's Series Concludes in Love and Marriage
Gregarious Rose Lehman, who's always the life of the Amish youth singings, is determined to marry the bishop's son, Reuben Byler--until the handsome Army buddy of her future brother-in-law shows up in Lancaster County. In comparison to Trevor, Reuben seems downright boring. Trevor shares Rose's sense of fun and adventure, and her easygoing disposition.

When her sister Lila's buggy is rear-ended and Lila is horribly injured, Rose finds herself with more freedom than she's ever experienced. Everyone is so concerned about Lila that no one realizes Rose is sneaking out with Trevor. Except for Reuben. But in his usual passive way, he doesn't confront her, nor does he address the situation with her Dat or anyone else in the district. Rose appreciates Reuben's discretion, but she also resents it. Part of her relishes the freedom she's found with Trevor, but the other part of her wishes Reuben would "fight" for her, as much as any Amish man would. Too late, she realizes the foolish choice she's made. Has she ruined her best chance at love, or is there another path to happiness she just hasn't seen yet?

Pick up your copy here...

https://www.amazon.com/Amish-Weddings-Neighbors-Lancaster-County/dp/0764216945/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484267733&sr=8-1&keywords=amish+weddings+leslie+gould

Leslie Gould is the coauthor, with Mindy Starns Clark, of the #1 bestselling The Amish Midwife and The Amish Nanny. She is also the author of numerous novels including two Lancaster Amish series. She holds an MFA in creative writing from Portland State University and has taught fiction writing at Multnomah University as an adjunct professor. She resides with her husband and four children in Oregon. Learn more at www.lesliegould.com.

This is book three in the Neighbors of Lancaster County. Gould reading all night, she out did herself with this one. This can be read as a stand alone and enjoyed but I recommend the whole series. 

I could not get enough of these characters. Rose and Lila have been so much fun getting to know. Gould wants you to know that no one is perfect and that forgiveness is a must.

Oh you will never see the weddings coming in this one. I loved them!

I have to say I loved the ending, I did not see it coming but I was a happy girl.

I gave this book 4 stars and I HIGHLY recommend it.

 I received  this book from the publisher for review. A favorable was not required and all views expressed are my own.

A Moonbow Night By Laura Frantz

From the beloved author of The Frontiersman's Daughter and Courting Morrow Little comes a new Kentucky novel...On the vast, uncharted Kentucky frontier of the 1770s, Temperance Tucker has learned to be fleet of foot, accurate with her rifle, and silent about the past. But her family secrets complicate her growing attraction to a handsome Virginia land surveyor with a harsh history of his own. Will the hurts and hardships of the past prevent them from a fulfilling future?

Pick up your copy here...

https://www.amazon.com/Moonbow-Night-Laura-Frantz/dp/0800726626/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483733019&sr=8-1&keywords=a+moonbow+night+laura+frantz

Award-winning author Laura Frantz is passionate about all things historical, particularly the 18th-century, and writes her manuscripts in longhand first. Her stories often incorporate Scottish themes that reflect her family heritage. She is a direct descendant of George Hume, Wedderburn Castle, Berwickshire, Scotland, who was exiled to the American colonies for his role in the Jacobite Rebellion of 1715, settled in Virginia, and is credited with teaching George Washington surveying in the years 1748-1750. Frantz lives and writes in a log cabin in the heart of Kentucky.

According to Publishers Weekly, "Frantz has done her historical homework." With her signature attention to historical detail and emotional depth, she is represented by Janet Kobobel Grant, Literary Agent & Founder, Books & Such Literary Agency of Santa Rosa, California.

 

Being from the Kentucky area I was super excited to read this book. Frantz paints the perfect picture of the wilderness and scenery that makes you feel part of the setting she is writing about.  I love Tempe, she is the perfect strong willed character that carries this story very well. You  have a wonderful romance that develops the entire book that will take your breath away. The author slowly develops a bond between Tempe and Sion. Each chapter begins with a quote from someone that lived in the era of the book. This is a great novel of love, loss, courage, and the strength to trust God and continue life.

I gave this book 4 stars and highly recommend it to Historical Christian fiction  lovers.

I received  this book from the publisher for review. A favorable was not required and all views expressed are my own.

 

Summer on Sunset Ridge By Sharlene MacLaren

Brought up on a Quaker farm near Philadelphia at the brink of the Civil War, plainspoken Rebecca Albright is expected to be charitable, peace-loving, and submissive. However, those traits don't always come naturally to the feisty abolitionist. Spirited and spunky, Rebecca's chief ambition is to aid the Underground Railroad no matter the cost - until her path collides with slave-catcher Sheriff Clay Dalton who's grimly fighting battles of his own. When tensions between the North and South escalate, the two find themselves propelled on a journey to discover just who God has called them to be and to determine whether their newfound friendship can stand up to a myriad of conflicts.

Pick up your copy here...

https://www.amazon.com/Summer-Sunset-Ridge-Forever-Freedom/dp/162911796X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483464566&sr=8-1&keywords=summer+on+sunset+ridge+by+sharlene+maclaren 

Born and raised in west Michigan, Sharlene attended Spring Arbor University. Upon graduating with an education degree in 1971, she taught second grade for two years then accepted an invitation to travel internationally for a year with a singing ensemble. In 1975, she married her childhood sweetheart. Together they raised two lovely, wonderful daughters, both of whom are now happily married and enjoying their own families. Retired in 2003 from 31-years of teaching, "Shar" loves to read, sing, travel, and spend time with her family, in particular, her wonderful, adorable grandchildren!

All of the Amish books out there, everyone who loves them is sure to love this new book about Quakers.

It will have you reading well into the night. I could not put it down until I read the very last page.

MacLaren is one you are going to want to add to your book shelf.

The Characters were easy to love and the rich history was very well told.

I gave this book 4 stars and I recommend it.

I received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

Do You Know What I know? By Becky Melby

When a phone call from the obstetrician’s office goes to the wrong person . . .
Elizabeth Schmidt can’t figure out why her husband doesn’t seem excited about the news she’s sure he heard. Is he unhappy? Or is James cheating on her?
Pastor Jay Davidson is in shock. Bethany Schmidt, the woman he’s in love with, is pregnant. Should he walk away, or is God asking him to play the part of Joseph in real life and not just in the church Christmas program?
Bethany can’t figure out why Jay is acting so weird. Has he figured out one of the two secrets she’s keeping until after Christmas?
Can a ponytailed itinerant carpenter with a pet chicken help unravel the confusion?

 

 

Pick up you copy....

https://www.amazon.com/Do-You-Know-What-ebook/dp/B01MA2F5GC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1481248404&sr=8-1&keywords=do+you+know+what+i+know+becky+melby

Wisconsin resident Becky Melby is the author of the Lost Sanctuary Series and a dozen other contemporary fiction titles. Married for 44 years, mother of four, grandmother to fifteen, Becky thrives on writing, reading, camping, rides on the back of a silver Gold Wing, and time with family. Connect with her at www.beckymelby.com or Facebook.

 

I was a little disappointed, this book was not long enough for me. I have decided that I do not think great authors should write novellas. Melby has some others books I will be reading those.

I liked the plot and the characters in Do you Know What I Know? It was a really good read and in my opinion it is not just a book to read at Christmas. Get this book for under the  tree for the reader in your life.   It will make a great read into the new year.

I gave this book 4 stars and I recommend it.

I received this book to review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

Of Stillness and Storm By Michele Phoenix

“I felt torn between two worlds. Each with its own mystery. One more captivating than the other, but the other more real and breathing.”

It took Lauren and her husband ten years to achieve their dream—reaching primitive tribes in remote regions of Nepal. But while Sam treks into the Himalayas for weeks at a time, finding passion and purpose in his work among the needy, Lauren and Ryan stay behind, their daily reality more taxing than inspiring. For them, what started as a calling begins to feel like the family’s undoing. 

At the peak of her isolation and disillusion, a friend from Lauren’s past enters her life again. But as her communication with Aidan intensifies, so does the tension of coping with the present while reengaging with the past. It’s thirteen-year-old Ryan who most keenly bears the brunt of her distraction.

Intimate and bold, Of Stillness and Storm weaves profound dilemmas into a tale of troubled love and honorable intentions gone awry.

 

Pick up your copy here...

https://www.amazon.com/Stillness-Storm-Michele-Phoenix/dp/0718086422/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1481111602&sr=8-1&keywords=of+stillness+and+storm+phoenix 

 

Born in France to a Canadian father and an American mother, Michèle is a consultant, writer and speaker with an international perspective. She taught for 20 years at Black Forest Academy (Germany) before launching her own venture advocating for Third Culture Kids under Global Outreach Mission. Michèle travels globally to consult and teach on topics related to TCKs. She loves good conversations, mischievous students, anything French and buttery and paths to healing.

 

  This was a very thought provoking read. A story of family and missions. In true Phoenix style you will be turning pages until the very end.

This is s different book then I usually read. But I'm sure glad that I read it. I must warn this was a emotional read.

I gave this book 4 stars. I recommend giving it a try.

I received this book to review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.