A Good_hearted Man by Barbara Kaylor

A Beautiful Story

I have to say that for me, this is one of the best Christian romance stories that I have read. And although this is a romance, it's also a story of forgiveness, redemption, overcoming, acceptance, faith, and trust. The author blended all of these elements together in such a way that I was able to feel what the characters were going through, from the pains to the joys and everything in between. I loved how Sarina and Jess's relationship unfolded and blossomed. I also loved that the characters did not compromise their beliefs or their moral values. It is an absolutely beautiful story.

Murder Tightly Knit (Amish Village Mystery #2) by Vannetta Chapman

What You're Missing

"In a town where Amish and Englisch mingle every day, a grisly murder leads to mutual suspicion. Can Amber and Hannah find the killer before fear unravels the community...and before he strikes again?"

And if those lines from the back of the book don't make you want to read Murder Tightly Knit, then you'll never know just how much you're missing out. You'll miss a great mystery entwined with romance. You'll miss reading on and on, because you can't put the book down even though you told yourself, "Just one more chapter." The reason will be that the story has you sitting on the edge of your seat anticipating the next part, and you just can't put it down. ("Grasped in both of his hands and pointed directly at them was his crossbow.") You'll miss learning a little about the Amish and survivalists. And, you'll miss out on some laughs, too. (Is Tate really jealous of the cat?) You'll miss reading a story of love and friendship. You'll also miss out on biting you nails and holding your breath on some suspenseful events. Yah, if you don't read Murder Tightly Knit, you'll be missing out on all of that and so much more. Murder Tightly Knit definitely deserves a spot on your "To Read" list, because you surely won't want to miss out on anything.

*****I received this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and viewpoints are my own.

Hidden (Jacobs Family Series) (Volume 1) by Vannetta Chapman

Wow!!!

Having read just about all of Vannetta Chapman's books wasn't enough to prepare me for Hidden (Jacobs Family Series Book 1). One thing I knew for sure, if Ms. Chapman wrote it, it has to be a winner, and is it ever!

Ben Marshall recently ended his military career and is starting a new job with the Department of Homeland Security in Taos, New Mexico. He knows God has placed him there for a reason, and soon enough, Ben believes that reason is Dana Jacobs. Dana Jacobs is a woman with a very sad and troubled past, but every day she tries to put that past behind her in order to fulfill her job as supervisor in charge of the Department of Homeland Security. And the last thing she wants to be troubled with is Ben Marshall. However, that is easier said than done when a backpack left at the local high school begins a string of events that cause Ben and Dana to team up and join with the rest of the department in order to solve the series of mysterious events that follow. 

Hidden is full of romance, humor, suspense, action, and enough twists and turns that will have you turning pages as fast as you can while literally sitting on the edge of your seat. Aside from being a romantic suspense story, it's also a story of faith, forgiveness, and redemption. It's an emotional roller coaster ride that you won't want to get off of. It's just that good. And by the time you're done, all you'll be able to say is, "Wow! That was amazing!"

*****I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and view points are my own.

Anhelando la Presencia de Dios

Tengo un libro que leo cada mañana y cada noche. El título es Starting Your Day Right and Ending Your Day Right (Comenzando tu Día Bien y Terminando tu Día Bien), escrito por Joyce Meyer. He tenido este libro ya hacen muchos años y sin embargo, cada vez que lo leo, me bendice.

Hacen unos días, el título era “Anhelando la Presencia de Dios.” Ese título es tan digno, porque así es como empiezo cada día; anhelando la presencia de Dios. Pero, no se trata sólo de anhelando su presencia. Es anhelando su guía y dirección, Su voluntad, Su amor, Su Espíritu, y mucho más.

Ponemos tanto tiempo y esfuerzo en conseguir las cosas que queremos o cumplir los objetivos que queremos alcanzar. Sin embargo, ¿por qué no ponemos el mismo entusiasmo y pasión en nuestro caminar con Dios? Debemos tener mucho más hambre, entusiasmo, y pasión en nuestro anhelo por Dios, nuestra relación con Dios, y nuestra confianza en Dios. Que nuestro deseo y pasión diario sean desear la constante presencia de Dios.

y me buscaréis y me hallaréis, cuando me busquéis de todo vuestro corazón.  Jeremías 29:13 RVR1977

Mas si desde allí buscas a Jehová tu Dios, lo hallarás, si lo buscas con todo tu corazón y con toda tu alma. Deuteronomio 4:29 RVR1977

Y amarás a Jehová tu Dios con todo tu corazón, y con toda tu alma, y con todas tus fuerzas. Deuteronomio 6:5 RVR1977

¡Cuán amables son tus moradas, oh Jehová de los ejércitos! 2 Anhela mi alma y aun ardientemente desea los atrios de Jehová;Mi corazón y mi carne cantan al Dios vivo. Salmos 84:1-2 RVR1977

Como el ciervo busca jadeante las corrientes de las aguas,
Así te anhela a ti, oh Dios, el alma mía.  2 Mi alma tiene sed de Dios, del Dios vivo;…..Salmos 42:1-2 RVR1977

Enséñame, oh Jehová, tu camino; caminaré yo en tu verdad;
Afianza mi corazón para que tema tu nombre.  Te alabaré, oh Jehová Dios mío, con todo mi corazón,  Y glorificaré tu nombre para siempre. Salmos 86:11-12 RVR1977

Mas buscad primeramente el reino de Dios y su justicia, y todas estas cosas os serán añadidas.  Mateo 6:33 RVR1977

Craving God's Presence

I have a book that I read from every morning and every night.  The title is Starting Your Day Right and Ending Your Day Right, by Joyce Meyer.  I’ve had it for several years and yet, every time I read from it, I it blesses me. 

A few days ago, the title was “Crave God’s Presence.”  That title is so befitting, because that is how I start every day; craving God’s presence. But, it’s not just craving His presence.  It’s craving His guidance and direction, His will, His love, His Spirit, and so much more.  

We put so much time and effort into getting the things we want or accomplishing the goals we want to achieve.  Yet, why don’t we put the same zeal and passion into our walk with God?  We should be that much more hungry, zealous, and passionate in our desire for God, relationship with God, and trust in God. May our daily desire and passion be to crave God’s presence.  

And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.  Jeremiah 29:13 NKJV

But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. Deuteronomy 4:29 NKJV

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. Deuteronomy 6:5 NKJV

How lovely is Your tabernacle,
O Lord of hosts!
2 My soul longs, yes, even faints
For the courts of the Lord;
My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Psalm 84:1-2 NKJV

As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God….Psalm 42:1-2 NKJV

Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth;
Unite my heart to fear Your name. I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, And I will glorify Your name forevermore. Psalm 86:11-12 NKJV

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.  Matthew 6:33 NKJV

Gabriel's Atonement (Land Rush Dreams 1) by Vickie McDonough

An Amazing Story!

Professional gambler, Gabe Coulter, is quite good at what he does, and feels absolutely no guilt about it. No guilt, that is, until the unthinkable happens.  Lara Talbot has had a rough life that spans from her youth to her marriage, and there seems to be no hope that things are going to change any time soon.  No time soon, that is, until a stranger enters the picture.

Gabriel’s Atonement is an amazing story! Author, Vickie McDonough, has written a story that will take you on an emotional roller coaster.  It’s a story of love, mystery, intrigue, faith, hope, redemption, forgiveness, and new beginnings.  The story will draw you in from the very beginning, and you won’t want to put it down.  Meshed in with Gabe and Lara’s story are a few subplots that the author blends in very well.  The author also meshes in an inspirational message, and while some authors overkill in this department, McDonough puts in just enough that it flows very well in the story without being overdone.  Her attention to detail regarding the Land Rush gives the reader just enough background information, again, without being overdone.  The details are an integral part of the story that enhance it without overshadowing the main storyline. I’m definitely looking forward to reading more of this series.

*****I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions and viewpoints are my own.  

Always a Bridesmaid (The Bridesmaids Series Book 2) by Melinda Curtis

Nicole Edwards is a master baker, but as far as her love life is concerned, she’s definitely not a master.  Her impulsiveness and spontaneity may help her in the kitchen, but they don’t help her her love life.  After all, she’s been a bridesmaid thirteen times, but that’s as close as she’s gotten to being a bride.  Maybe it’s because of her family curse. Well, no matter, because Nicole has plans to get rid of that curse once and for all; plans that have her leaving New York just as soon as she’s finished helping with yet another wedding.

Sean O'Malley is a master at cooking, something he takes seriously. Very, very seriously.  As a top chef, he receives rave reviews about his cooking talents, but his entrees are known for their lack of creativity.  His menus are much too predictable. But that’s the way Sean likes things.  Predictable. 100% predictable.  Which is why working around Nicole makes him crazy.  Or is there more to it than that?

What can I say about this book?  Well, where shall I begin?  I loved, loved, loved it! It’s a wonderful contemporary romance that is just plain and  simply a lot of fun.  It’s entertaining from the first page to the last page.  Melinda Curtis draws you in from the first few lines of the story.  In no time at all, I fell in love with Nicole and Sean.  Their conversations had me laughing over and over again. I think what I loved most was how well Sean understood Nicole and how that played out throughout the story.  I felt it was an integral part that enhanced much of the story.  One of my favorite parts was when Sean made a discovery about himself and ultimately shared that discovery with Nicole.  The author writes that scene beautifully showing Sean as sweet, open, honest, and real. It drew me into the story so completely that I found myself holding my breath waiting to see how Nicole would respond. Amazing!  Not every author can draw you into the story like that, making you feel what the characters are feeling. And yet, Melinda Curtis does just that, making Always a Bridesmaid a wonderfully entertaining story that will leave you with a feel good feeling and a smile on your face.  

*****I received this book in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions, viewpoints, and comments are my own.

Ashes in the Wind by Peggy Levesque

Wow!

Sara Jennings is placed in Witness Protection after her husband’s death.  Greg Jennings, Sara’s husband was a DEA agent.  They’d been married for 4 years.  Theirs was a wonderful marriage until some months before Greg’s death, when he had suddenly become vert withdrawn and secretive.  His death brought no closure as to why he had changed. However, it did bring another change to Sara when there was an attempt on her life.  

James “Mac” MacIntyre was Greg’s best friend.  He will do anything to protect Sara.  And even though Sara doesn’t always make protecting her easy, he does his best to do so.  After all, Greg was his best friend, and he feels responsible for Sara, except there’s more to it than just wanting to protect her.  

Wow! This is an amazing story! The suspense had me flipping pages as fast as I was able to read.  It had me sitting on the edge of my seat, holding my breath.  I just can’t say enough about how much I enjoyed this story.  Well, I can add that I also enjoyed the romance and the faith message, which fit perfectly into the story without distracting or taking away from the main story line.  Peggy Levesque has done an awesome job creating a romantic suspense story. I find it so hard to believe that it’s her first book, but I sincerely hope it won’t be her last.  This is definitely an author you will want to follow.

*****I received this book in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions, comments, and viewpoints are my own.

Review of The Postcard (Amish of Jamesport Book 1) by Laura V. Hilton

Every time I pick up a Laura V. Hilton book, I tell myself, "One chapter and that's it," but it never works out that way. Her books grab my attention within the first paragraphs, and I end up being unable to put the book down until I've finished it. The Postcard is no exception to this rule. It grabbed me from the start, and sure enough, I didn't stop until I'd read the entire book.

The Postcard is unique in that David and Rachel's story began way before they ever met. This happened when David suffered a buggy accident. During his recovery time, he and Rachel began corresponding through letters and postcards. As they continued corresponding, Rachel told David about her community, including the fact that they use closed buggies. So, David, whose accident involved an open buggy, decides to move to Rachel's community in search of a fresh start and perhaps, much to Rachel's surprise, something more. And thus begins the story of David and Rachel. 

I love the way the author offers just enough background on the characters to let you fill in any blanks, yet it doesn't overshadow what's happening in the present. David and Rachel's feelings for each other would seem to have developed quickly. But, in light of how long they've been communicating with each other, it's really not too soon, not rushed, and is totally understandable and believable. However, there is one problem. Both David and Rachel have their share of baggage which causes stumbling blocks in their blossoming relationship. 

The Postcard is a story of redemption, forgiveness, new beginnings, faith, love, and a little humor thrown in for good measure. The author captures your attention from the first page of the book. Once you pick it up, you won't be able to put it down until you've read the entire book. The characters in the story are real people facing real issues, so much so, that the reader can easily put him/herself in their place and feel what they are feeling and experiencing. The ability to immediately grab your attention and create believable characters that make you feel what they're feeling and experiencing is the mark of a great writer, and Laura V. Hilton is just that. She is a master at hitting that mark, and she's definitely hit it with The Postcard.

*****I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and viewpoints are my own.*****