Softly and Tenderly

Softly and Tenderly by Sara Evans and Rachel Hauck was a good book.  The characters are realistic and diverse adding interest to the novel.  The struggles in the plot are real world and unfortunately too common.  Jade’s struggle to find something to hold onto kept me turning pages and hoping to find her happy in the end.  I related to her struggles with infertility and perhaps that made those aspects of the book more real to me.  If one has never faced that struggle you can never really understand the depth of the longing for a child.  The majority of the plot is concluded in the end she hints as to where the characters’ lives are going, but clearly there will be more to the story in the next book.  I recommend this book as a good read and you will, like me, be looking forward to the next installment.  Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Soul Reader

Soul Reader by Gerard Webster lives up to its billing as a suspense novel. The plot was well written and engaging. While this is the second in the series I was able to understand what was happening in the story. I would like to read the first book as well and I recommend reading them in order. The characters were realistic and their interactions drew you into the story. Seeing the condition of one's soul can be a blessing and a curse as Ward discovers in the book. Christian aspects of this book are overtly Catholic and include Ward and Carrie's desire to live a more Christ-like life and the Christian works of some of the supporting characters. This is not a "fluffy" Christian fiction work. There are some worldly issues confronted by the characters. They all have fallen and been broken, but some are being impacted by Christ. The main theme was Ward's struggle to deal with his gift and his desire to protect those around him. This sends him on an adventure and through the process brings him to the place he has longed to be within himself. It is a well written book that I enjoyed and would recommend as a good fiction read. Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. 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's 16 CFR, Part 255

Lonestar Angel by Colleen Coble

Lonestar Angel by Colleen Coble was a good book.  The story begins as Eden and Clay are separated and Eden is trying to move on from their crumbled marriage and the loss of their daughter, Brianna.  Clay shows up in Eden’s life again and shares his belief that their daughter has not died and is still under the control of her kidnapper.  He believes he knows where she is and wants Eden to go with him to find her.  They embark on their journey and experience a roller coaster ride of emotions as they search for their daughter.  The plot deepens as Eden learns more about why her daughter was taken four years before.  The story is interesting and the characters have undergone a spiritual awakening, but this book did not inspire me as much as others have.  I was not left with a desire for study or for improvement in my walk in some area.  It was simply a good book and one with an enjoyable story and Christian characters.  I would recommend it as a good vacation or holiday read.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. 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’s 16 CFR, Part 255