Book Review: The Last Bride

I've heard it said that all of Beverly Lewis's books sound the same.... and this thought does kindof come to mind because, on the outside, they all look very similar and they DO have similar settings. But never judge a book by it's cover! :) The Last Bride was a very hard one for me to put down!! (It took longer for me to get around to writing a review than it did to read it!) :)

Tessie is in love with a man, and her father refuses his approval and doesn't tell her why. Impulsively, she and her fiance, Marcus, elope; sneaking off to a Justice of the Peace. Afterwards, they continue to live their lives separately, sure that given enough time, her parents will come around and bless their marriage. Tragically, before they can divulge their secret, Marcus dies in an accident.  Tessie must grieve alone. She must tell her people eventually, but will they believe her?

I don't want to give away the ending. Beverly Lewis is a bestselling author for a reason. She truly is a master storyteller and knows her setting well. I certainly don't regret reading yet "another" Beverly Lewis book. :)

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This book was given to me by Bethany House in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.

Book Review: Through the Deep Waters

I have struggled with this review... Truth be told, I haven't even finished this book. Not sure I will. I have really enjoyed Kim Vogel Sawyers book, I think there is only one of her's that I haven't read or started. She addresses different points in history and some tough issues (like child labor in her last book).

However, there are ways to deal with tough issues tastefully, and in my opinion, "Through the Deep Waters" crosses the line and made me uncomfortable. The copy I received is an advanced reading copy, so the final product may be a bit different.

The context is this, Dinah was born in a brothel. She has remained untarnished by the business of the place she has grown up until she finds herself in desperate need of money. When presented an opportunity for a sum of money by the owner of the establishment, she initially refuses and seeks other work but is not hired because of where she has come from. Desperate, she accepts the offer and finds herself alone with a man in a hotel room.

It's not the storyline that is uncomfortable for me but I feel like what happens in the room could have been handled more tastefully and many details left out. I choose to read Christian fiction for a reason - because I do not want to fill my mind with details and images that are not appropriate. I have read books where such subject matter was handled in a more appropriate way. I assume that this is probably the only part of the book that I would object to, but it left such a distaste, I don't even desire to finish it.

It is easy to think that just because a book is labeled "Christian fiction" that it is going to be safe and appropriate, but it just goes to show that care needs to be taken even with an author you are familiar with.

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I was sent this book by Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Parenting the Wholehearted Child

I just finished reading "Parenting the Wholehearted Child" by Jeannie Cunnion. You may have seen it in bookstores. It is one of the most recently published books on parenting. I love this book!! It is a heartfelt book full of practical advice to help instill the love of God into your children. One of the themes of the book is giving your child grace, because we have been given grace. The author really connects with the reader - you feel like she really is in the trenches with you - her children are still at home. I love that she, in some of the first chapters, gives very practical advice on how to instill Scripture in our children.

One important thing I came away with is that our children learn about God through us - not just in what we teach them, or what we say, but in the very way we act and in how we discipline them. When we show love and grace, we are showing them how God loves them and gives us grace that is unmerited. "We must demonstrate a faith that our children desire to experience, not flee." This book really made me think and contemplate how I want to be as a parent.

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Thanks to BookLook for providing this free review copy. My opinions are my own. 

Finished Object Friday: Celebrating Spring!

Thankfully, spring has started to "spring" around here!! We are starting to see blooms!! So happy! I know we don't have a whole lot to complain about down here in Texas, but the trees are about a month late budding out! Such a strange year! But my little project made it feel a bit more like spring whether the weather cooperated or not!

I haven't made many wreaths, but I'm thinking this could quickly become a favorite craft!! It wasn't that expensive to make and came together quickly as well! It sure has been fun to have something cheery on our front door (it had been empty since I took our Christmas decorations down!)  I got a lot of inspiration from Pintrest, no surprise there! And the supplies came from Hobby Lobby. Oh, and my mom actually did the bow. She's the expert bow maker! :)

 

So, yes, I have had a couple of minutes here and there to squeeze in some crafting! Little "Joy" is sleeping for looong stretches at night - usually at least 8 hours!! YAY!!! She is such a sweetie and we are so very blessed! :) Not sure when I'll get the next bit of craftiness in, other than hair bows for my little one. I've had fun with that! Maybe I'll do a post of bows sometime... :) 

Until then, feel free to link up here with a project!! Maybe you've had a minute to put together something springy?! 

Book Review: Echoes of Mercy (Plus a bit of news!)

In Echoes of Mercy, Caroline Lang goes working in a candy factory to discover the truth of allegations surrounding child labor. She is also seeking to discover the mystery surrounding the death of the previous undercover worker. What she doesn't know is that the heir to the factory is also working undercover to understand how the factory operates. Together they find out what is really going on with the factory management and how to better help all the worker and help provide what the children need.

I really enjoy reading Kim Vogel Sawyer's books. You can always tell the amount of research that she has put into each novel to ensure historical accuracy. (The historian in me loves that!) I enjoyed reading the book - and the candy factory setting just "sweetened" the deal! (Sorry... hard to resist that one!) ;)


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Thank you to Blogging for Books for the review copy. My opinions are my own.


PS... I have a "Finished Object!!" YAY!! SOOOOO I will try to get a FOF post ready for this Friday! I wanted to give a bit of time in case anyone else wants to share! Yep, I kinda fell off the bandwagon on this. Having a baby does take away time from any big craft projects, but it sure is fun to fit one in every now and then! :)