Need You Now, Pt 1

I received a short preview of this book (the first 10 chapters) from the publisher. It was free in exchange for a review with no requirements as to the content of the review.  My comments are my own.

Beth Wiseman ventures into new territory with this new book.  Need You Now is about a family struggling in the city who moves to rural Texas to raise their family in the country.  The family finds out that being in the country doesn't mean a life free of struggle.  In this preview of the soon to be released novel it is clear that the problems of city life are temptations in the country as well.

As usual Wiseman delivers interesting characters and a page turning read.  The preview sets up a family drama filled with the realization that communication and time truly getting to know your children is important. Its a good reminder for all of us.

I can't wait to read the entire book!

Lis Weihl Heart of Ice

Interesting book but not the typical Christian fiction read.  It is another book in Weihl's "Triple Threat" series.

The storyline revolves around a group of three women who are close friends and also work in various areas related to or a part of the justice system.  The book's plot follows each of the three women that compose the "triple threat": Cassidy Shaw, Allison Pierce and Nicole Hedges.  The three plot lines eventually converge into a resolution, but at times it seemed too much was going on and at times it was a bit unbelievable.   Still it was a page turner and a good vacation read.


This is not a typical Christian fiction book.  Little is mentioned about faith.  There are times when the character's refer to their beliefs but it is not in any way a main theme in the book.  There was a significant amount of violence and hate in the story and while free of the gore and language that has come to be typical of crime novels, it was troubling.  I would not share this book with my daughter where on other occasions we have enjoyed doing "book club" together.   It was enjoyable to me as a former Patricia Cornwell fan.  I am no longer reading her works as a result of the level of inappropriate language and themes, but do enjoy the genre.  Just don't go looking for your faith to be fueled here, this is just a crime novel. 


Overall while it was okay I would not recommend this book.  There are just too many other choices that are better out there.

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 

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

The Wonder of Your Love

Beth Wiseman’s The Wonder of Your Love is a good read.  It is the second installment in the Land of Canaan series.  The main characters are Katie and Eli.  Both have reached a changing point in their lives, Katie’s change has resulted from the death of her estranged husband and Eli’s change involves his life after children following the marriage of his last child at home.  The story is not your usual Amish novel plot line and that is refreshing.  Both characters have expectations of what life has in store next for them.  The plot reveals how often times what God has in store is not what we have planned.  The characters are well written and refreshingly realistic, while still inspiring.  The growing strength revealed through Katie’s character and spiritual maturity was one of my favorite aspects of the book.  While still growing as a person she makes mature decisions that most in the world would find hard to do.  The character is an excellent example of a Christian dealing with the results of sin and being a shining example in the process.  This book is an enjoyable recreational read that will also give one some inspiration for ways to improve their walk.  So while its not the best book I've read lately, that makes it worthwhile for me.  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

The Baker's Wife

The Baker’s Wife by Erin Healy is an enjoyable book.  The story involves a group of individuals connected through life events brought to crisis through a mysterious disappearance.  The main character, Audrey, is a former pastor’s wife turned baker and a woman with the gift of comforting others.  This crisis will test that gift and force her to open herself to others as never before.  There are questions at the end of the book for discussion of the story and message in the novel.  I found the book enjoyable. The fact that sometimes helping others requires more of yourself than you might really want to give was a theme that was well written in the book.  The character of Geoff, Audrey’s husband, also models forgiveness and selflessness.  He shows true dedication to loving others with Christian love and compassion, even when many would have reacted differently and felt justified.  The connection Audrey experienced with others was sometimes a stretch for me.  I appreciated the modelled sacrifice of the character, but did not enjoy that element of the book at times.  It would not be my top recommendation of the books I have read over the last few months, but it is a good book.  The Baker’s Wife has a interesting story, characters that are well developed and well written, and inspires the reader to treat others with compassion. 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