River's Call Book Review

The Inn at Shining Waters Series

SUMMARY:  What happens when the ties between generations are severed?  Anna Larson's daughter, Lauren, is confused, brokenhearted, and misguided.  It's the turbulent 1960s and, feeling alienated from her mother, Lauren chooses to stay with her paternal grandmother.  However, repelled by the woman's manipulative and spiteful ways, Lauren returns to her mother, the river, and the Inn at Shining Waters.  But as time passes, Lauren, now a mother to her own defiant teenager, faces a new crisis - one that puts the entire family at risk.

REVIEW:  This book is the second in the Inn at Shining Waters series and picks up where the first book, River's Song, ends.  I like how there is no gap in the story between the books.  Some books in a series will often jump ahead a few years or switch main characters.  Not this one.  The main character is still Anna but she also shares some of the limelight with her daughter Lauren and granddaughter Sarah.  This book focuses mainly on the relationships between Anna and Lauren and Anna and Sarah.  The story flows easily and is very easy to follow.  You may need to read the first book to understand all the nuances with the relationships of the different characters and the changes that take place within these relationships.  This is a wonderful book and I can't wait until the third and last book comes out.

This book was provided by Glass Road Public Relations for review without compensation.

Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of more than two huindred boks for both teens and women, including Love find You in Sisters, Oregon; Limelight; the Diary of a Teenage Girl series, the True Colors series; and the Carter house Girls series.  She and her husband live in central Oregon.  Visit Melody's website at www.melodycarlson.com.

Winners!!

The winners of my Everything Romance giveaway are:

Carol Dice Temple

Susan McMaster Cook

Contact me on Facebook and let me know how you want to get your book!!! 

Congratulations!!! 

Great Day Every Day Book Review

Navigating Life's Challenges with Promise and Purpose

SUMMARY:  Have you traded the majestic for mundane, the splendid for so-so?  Somewhere along this journey we call life, have you given up on a day here and another one there?  Have you decided divorce days, final-exam days and surgery days just don't pass muster?

     Maybe you need a new prescription.

     It's not a pill to pop or drink to down.  It won't make you lose weight or erase your wrinkles.  It won't make your boss give you a raise, find your lost luggage, or help you meet that deadline.

     This prescription does so much more.  It offers a divine purpose and promise for every day - even the tough ones.

     Tempted to toss today aside?  Why not give it a chance?  You may just find that injecting your day with a dose of God-given power and purpose makes it better than bearable.  In fact, it could be great.

     Imagine following the same prescription tomorrow.  And the next day too.  Soon your toss-away days will become treasures.  And you can have a great day.  Every day.

REVIEW:  Max Lucado hit it out of the park again with this book.  Written in short, easy-to-read chapters, this book offers you a way to make the most of every day by helping you remember that it is a day God made and we should rejoice and be glad in it.  He offers wonderful stories and illustrations to help you look at your day differently.  At the end of each chapter, there is a Daily Compass to help you accomplish your goal and change your way of thinking.  Also included in the book is a Discussion Guide and a Thirty-Day Journey to help you "Change Your Day, Change Your Life."  This is a wonderful book which I highly recommend.

This book was provided by Booksneeze, a division of Thomas Nelson Publishers, for review without compensation.

 

With more than 100 million products in print, Max Lucado is one of America's most widely read authors.  He and his wife, Denalyn, live in San Antonio, Texas, where he serves the Oak Hills Church.  Visit his website at MaxLucado.com.

88 Great Daddy-Daughter Dates Book Review

Fun, Easy & Creative Ways to Build Memories Together

SUMMARY:  Start making memories that last a lifetime.

     She'll be your daughter for life.  But she'll only be your little girl for a while.  Make the most of this special time with the help of 88 Great Daddy-Daughter Dates.

     This creative book gives dads a wide variety of fun ideas for spending quality time with their little girls.  Each date tells you what to grab (any needed supplies), where to go, and how to grow together while having a blast.  You'll also find Scriptures and questions for each date to get conversation flowing.  From bird-watching and making paper airplanes to bowling and photo scavenger hunts, there's something for every dad and every little girl ages 6-12.

REVIEW:   My husband and daughter love to go on Daddy-daughter dates so I thought this book would give them some great ideas other than the usual going-out to-dinner date. It gave Mike some conversation starters to use with Hannah and ideas on things to do that are outside their normal routine.  He also liked the idea of having a list of needed supplies for the different dates so he wouldn't forget anything.

     Even though the book is geared towards daddies and their daughters, it gave me some great ideas on things to do with my boys.  I would have to change a few things to make is more fun for my boys (like taking #24 and instead of shopping for something fun, something pretty and something sweet, changing the something pretty to something slimy or loud).  It even gave me some ideas of things to do with our daughter that I wouldn't normally thing of, like playing mini golf, bowling, or going on a GPS treasure hunt.
     This is an awesome book for anyone looking for more ideas on how to spend quality time with their daughters and sons.  Check it out!!

This book was provided by Revell for review without compensation.

Available March 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Rob Teigen is the author of Laugh-Out-Loud Jokes for Kids (under the pseudonym Rob Elliott).  He met his wife, Joanna, when they were students at Moody Bible Institute.  Today, Rob and Joanna live in West Michigan with their four children, where they enjoy foster parenting.

Another Giveaway!!

A Celebration of Love for Couples

On February 18th, I posted my review of this book.  Today, I received another copy in the mail.  So, I am giving it away to one lucky reader.  To enter, all you have to do is comment on my blog or Facebook.  It's that easy!!  The contest ends Tuesday, March 27 and the winner will be announced Wednesday, March 28.  The contest is open to both men and women.  It has some great ideas for dates, recipes to try out with your significant other, and interesting love stories.  Good luck!!

And The Winner Is ............

Congratulations you two!!!!  I will contact you regarding shipping information.  Thank you to everyone who entered!  I wish I had enough to give each one of you a copy.

Love's Sacred Song Book Review

 SUMMARY:  Wisdom came as God's gift, but sacred love was forged through passion's fire.
     Standing in the shadow of his famous father, young King Solomon wavers between fear and bravado, longing for a love that is true and pure - a love that can be his cornerstone.
     A shepherdess in the northern city of Shunem, Arielah has known since she first laid eyes on Solomon that it was her destiny to become his bride.  When her father secures a promise from Solomon to marry Arielah as a treaty bride to help unite the kingdom, it seems her dreams will come true.
     But how can this simple shepherdess live as part of Solomon's harem?  Can Solomon set aside his distractions to give himself completely to just one woman?  Or will he let duty, deception, and the daily routine divide his heart?
     Mesu Andrews expertly weaves the words of the Song of Solomon into this touching story of the power of love from a master storyteller.

REVIEW:  When I read the Song of Solomon (also called Song of Songs) in the bible, I wish it was easier to understand and give more behind-the-scene details.  This book does just that by taking the poetry of this beautiful love story and merging it in with the history of Solomon's early reign.  The author weaves mercy, grace, passion and love in with the intrigue and danger of court life and life in a harem.  While Mrs. Andrews does take some liberties with the story, I think she does an outstanding job conveying the love between the young king and his Shunemmite bride.  It's hard to convey the depth and the great detail of the story without giving it all away.  The characters grabbed me from the very beginning and kept it until the end.  I love how Arielah's love for God and Solomon touches those she is around and how it changes lives.
     This is a fantastic book.  After reading it, I am thinking of rereading the Song of Solomon again along with the references of King Solomon's early reign.  Awesome!

This book was provided by Revell for review without compensation.

 Available March 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Mesu Andrews is the author of Love Amid the Ashes and is an active speaker who has devoted herself to passionate and intense study of Scripture.  Harnessing her deep understanding and love for God's Word, Andrews brings the biblical world vividly alive for her readers.  She and her husband have two married children and live in Washington.  Read her blog, sign up for devotions, and learn more interesting facts about he books at www.mesuandrews.com or on Facebook.

Sarai Book Review

SUMMARY:  He promised her his heart.  She promised him a son.  But how long must they wait?
     When Abram finally requests the hand of his beautiful half sister Sarai, she asks one thing - that he promise never to take another wife as long as she lives.  Even Sarai's father thinks the demand is restrictive and agrees to the union only if she makes a promise in return - to give Abram a son and heir.  Certain she can easily do that, Sarai agrees.
     But as the years stretch on and Sarai's womb remains empty, she becomes desperate to fulfill her end of the bargain, lest Abram decide that he will not fulfill his.  To what lengths will Sarai go in her quest to bear a son?  And how long will Abram's patience last?
     Combining in-depth research and vivid storytelling, Jill Eileen Smith brings to live the beautiful and inscrutable Sarai in this remarkable story of love, jealousy, and undaunted faith.

REVIEW:  Have you ever wondered what went through Sarai's head when her husband told her they were moving but he didn't where, when he asked her to call him brother while they were in Egypt, and when decades had passed and the child promised by God had not come?  I know I have.  The author gives us great insight as to what Sarai's thoughts might have been, the struggles she faced, and the decisions she made that looked and sounded good but ended up causing more grief.  Even though this is fiction and the author does take some liberty as the backgrounds of Hagar and Lot's wife, I feel I have a better understanding of this section of Genesis as a whole.  Sarai was a woman who loved her husband deeply and struggled with the stigma of barrenness.  She wanted to do the right thing but instead of trusting God and His timing, when it looked like nothing was ever going to happen, she decided to make it happen and do what was acceptable at that time in the culture around her.  But, God's ways are not our ways; His thoughts are not our thoughts; and He sees the whole picture where we see only a VERY small portion.
     This is an awesome book that I think will help you understand one of the most pivotal characters of the whole Bible just a little better.

This book was provided by Revell for review without compensation.

Available March 2012  at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Jill Eileen Smith is the author of the bestselling Michal, Abigail, and Bathsheba, all part of the Wives of King David series.  Her research into the lives of biblical women has taken her from the Bible to Israel, and she particularly enjoys learning how women lived in Old Testament times.  Jill lives with her family in southeast Michigan.  To learn more about Jill or for more information about her books, visit her website at www.jilleileensmith.com.  You can also connect with her on Facebook (Jill Eileen Smith).

The Beautiful Wife Book Review and Give Away

Read my review and check out my give away below.

Focused on Christ, Fulfilled in Marriage

SUMMARY:  Marriage is hard work!

     When Sandy Ralya's marriage was in trouble, she was desperate for help but didn't know how to ask for it.  Everyone else's marriage seemed so perfect.  How could she admit hers was not?

     Sandy eventually sought guidance from godly mentors and Christian counselors.  What she learned transformed her life . . . and then her marriage.  Now, she wants to provide other wives with the same nurturing and mentoring that saved her relationship.

     Whether your marital struggles are few or many, The Beautiful Wife offers biblical principles, practical tips, and inspiring stories to guide and inspiring stories to guide and encourage you as ou look for God's best in your marriage.  Use this book along with The Beautiful Wife Prayer Journal or use The Beautiful Wife Mentor's Guide to lead other women through a study of the book.  Visit www.beautifulwomanhood.com to find all the tools you need to strengthen your marriage as you build loving, godly, and supportive relationships with other wives.

     "When women share with each other the details of their journeys with God as wives," writes Sandy, "it's a beautiful thing indeed."

REVIEW:  Over the last few years, I've read a lot of books on the subjects of improving your marriage, becoming a better wife, understanding your husband better, and so on.  This book is a step above the rest.  Sandy uses her own marital struggles and experiences, along with other women, to help others find solutions to their problems.  She points out twelve areas wives and women struggle in and offers advice and remedies along with scripture.  Her approach is different and is not condemning or accusing.  She is not afraid to point to other authors that have helped her in her journey to a happier and healthier marriage.
    The Prayer Journal and Mentor's Guides are great companions to this book.  The Prayer Journal can help you recognize your areas of struggles and how God is using them to help you become the wife and mom you should be.  The Mentor's Guide is a great way to help others who may be going through some of the same things you are or did.  Sandy mentions how she sought help with other Christians women and encourages her readers to do the same.  The Mentor's Guide can be used one-on-one or in a bible study group.
      The Beautiful Wife is a great book that can help anyone looking to improve their marriage and themselves.

This book was provided by Litfuse Publicity Group for review without compensation.

Sandy Ralya is the founder and director of Beautiful Womanhood, a marriage mentoring ministry that offers seminars, small groups, and resources for Christian wives.  She and her husband, Tom, have been married since 1980.

GIVE AWAY INFORMATION - I have a copy of The Beautiful Wife, The Beautiful Wife Prayer Journal, and The Beautiful Wife Mentor's Guide to give to one lucky reader.  To enter, make a comment on my blog or on my Facebook page.  The winner will be revealed on March 10th.  Good Luck!!