Book Review: $10 Great Dates

Hubby and I are saving up for a house (and waiting for the right one to open..) ;) And with a little one, dates don't happen as frequently as they probably should, but when they do happen, they certainly aren't anything fancy. :) So $10 Great Dates by Mr. and Mrs. Larson and Mr. and Mrs. Arp really got my attention. The book is divided into sections by types of dates such as outdoor dates, adventure dates, and even seasonal dates. I love the imagination that the authors put into each date - they are things I wouldn't think of doing - lots of fun ideas! :) The have different sections for each date including tips for prep before hand, questions for during or after the date and a thought to focus on after the date. A fun resource for couples at any stage in life who want to light a fresh spark in their marriage.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you to Bethany House for the review copy. My opinions are my own.

Book Review: Words To Dream On

Somehow I have a renewed interest in children's Bible story books! :) When I saw the opportunity to review this one, it certainly sounded interesting! I have not been disappointed! I love the structure of the book. Each story has a Scripture verse as well as a bedtime prayer and a blessing. What a wonderful way to end the day with our little girl! The art work is beautiful, very colorful and pictures that a child will enjoy looking at.  I also love that it includes so many stories from the Bible. The last story is taken from 1 Thessalonians and mostly Revelation and talks about looking forward to Jesus's return and Heaven. Such an important part of God's book - the ending! :)


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I got this book in exchange for my honest review from the
BookLook review program. My opinions are my own. 

Book Review: The Sweetest Story Bible for Toddlers

What a fun little story Bible. We gave this to our little one for Valentine's Day. She liked it. The illustrations are very bright and colorful. Fun to look at! The stories are short, lots of detail left out. That bothered me a bit at first, but it IS a book for toddlers, so a lot of detail isn't necessary, and I know we will be getting more into detail as she grows older. I do love that in it's brevity, the book does have the story of Jesus's birth, death and resurrection - the main focus of the Bible. I also like that it is a board book, one I can let my 14 month old play with on her own.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Book provided in exchange for review by BookLook. My opinions are my own.

Book Review: A Bride in Store

In "A Bride in Store," Eliza goes west to become a mail order bride. Her new life quickly off to a bad start when the train she is traveling on is robbed, she is injured and her dowry stolen. When she arrives in town, her groom isn't anywhere to be found. His business partner is, and allows her to work in their store. Eliza has a good mind for business and merchandising and quickly gets to work putting the store to rights. Unfortunately, when her groom finally shows up, he isn't the man she expected him to be.

This was a fun read, but didn't really grab me like some books do. The plot line did have some interesting twists and turns though. Would I recommend it? Of course! A fun read, interesting story and nothing objectionable. It's the author's second novel, it will be interesting to see what else she comes out with.

~~~~~~~~~~~
Book provided in exchange for review by Bethany House publishers. My opinions are my own.

Book Review: The Secret of Pembrooke Park

After losing their wealth through poor investments, Abigail Foster's family is given the oppurtunity to live in at stately manor, the home of a distant relative. A home that was abandoned suddenly eighteen years before. Mystery surrounds the home and she isn't the only one searching for answers.

Intrigued? I was too! I love Julie Klassen's books. They do all need to come with a warning though... they are not easily put down! Unless, you're like me and you don't like reading suspenseful stuff at night, so you are worried about reading when you are the only one left awake... However, I needn't have worried. The suspense level is perfect. And like all her other books, once you start it, the story is stuck in your head... even when you're not reading.

I loved the characters in this novel! They aren't straightforward and expected. You might think you have someone figured out, but the character ends up being more complex or perhaps not as "evil" as you originally thought. The house itself is a "character" of sorts and well thought out. You'll feel like you've been there.

I loved the theme of friendship running through the book - enduring friendships past and the hope of future friendships. There is also the theme of righting the wrongs of the past, and the hope that we have in God to restore what has been broken by sin.

A couple of fun things to add to this review:
First my favorite quote that I put into a fun picture:

and a fun tour of the home that inspired the house in the story, done by the author, Julie Klassen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A big thank you to Bethany House Publishers for giving me this copy to review... my opinions are my own.