Veil of Secrets Book Review

SUMMARY:  Can a woman face - and forgive - her own painful past before her house of cards crumbles . . .  and before her own daughter makes the same mistakes?
     Melanie and Will Connors are the perfect power couple.  Will is the chief campaign strategist for a rising presidential candidate.  Melanie is a prominent advocate for protecting children in an over-sexualized culture.  Their devotion to one another is admired, even envied.

     But their marriage isn't what it appears to be.

     Will maintains an apartment n Washington, DC, and over the years his visits home have grown fewer and farther between.  The long-distance marriage has enabled Melanie to avoid intimacy - and has only increased her shame about her secretive past.  But then Will issues an ultimatum: We work on the marriage . . . or we work on the divorce.

The Connors commit to marriage counseling in the most brutal of environments - snowy New Hampshire, a tiny state that is first in the nation for presidential primaries and a prize to be won at any cost . . . and the price of victory keeps rising.

As Melanie sifts through the debris of her past, she obsesses over the fear that she hasn't done enough to protect her teenage daughter.  When Melanie sees her facing some of the same temptations, she knows she must intervene . . . but how can a woman with so many veiled secrets guide a daughter honestly?

While the country struggles with threats to its integrity and security, Melanie can no longer ignore the dangers looming in her own world.  She can never undo the mistakes of her youth, but perhaps she can still save her marriage and family - if she can surrender her guilt and learn to open herself to her husband once again.

REVIEW:  This book is a follow-up to To Know You.  While it stands well on its own, it helps to have read the first book to understand Melanie's relationship to Destiny and Dillon and some of the background of these characters.  I loved how Will was determined to fight for his marriage to Melanie, to weather through the tough counseling sessions and work through the problems they were having.  I love how Melanie worked on her marriage and stuck with the individual counseling sessions to help her figure out how her past was influencing her relationship with her husband and daughter, Sophie.  It is refreshing to read about a couple who faces the difficulties, who weather the storms that could tear them apart, and come out stronger on the other side.  Without giving away too much information, it was difficult to read about the situation Melanie and her daughter both found themselves in.  I was glad to see the counselor recognize the source of most of Melanie's problem regarding this incident, help Melanie see the potential danger her daughter was in and give her the tools to help Sophie.
     The book ended without tying up all the loose ends, I guess to make way for a few more books.  I don't want to say anything about the way it ended, afraid I will give something away but I will say this:  Melanie and Will's relationship is stronger and better than ever, still a work in progress but aren't all relationships?

This book was provided by BookLook Bloggers and Thomas Nelson Publishers for review without compensation.

Shannon Ethridge is a best-selling author, international speaker, and certified life coach with a master's degree in counsseling/human relations from Liberty University.  She has spoken to college students and adults since 1989 and is the author of twenty books, including the million-copy best-selling Every Woman's Battle series.  She is a frequent guest on TV and radio programs and host the Sexy Marriage Radio Show.  She also mentors aspiring writers and speakers through her online BLAST Program (Building Leaders, Authors, Speakers & Teachers).

Kathy Mackel is the acclaimed author of Can of Worms and other novels for middle readers from Putnam, HarperCollins, and Dial.  Her latest book, Boost, tackles the thorny issue of steroids and girls' sports.  Writing as Kathryn Mackel, she is the author of the YA fantasy series the Birthright Books and of supernatural thrillers including the Christy finalist The Hidden.  She was the credited screenwriter for Disney's Can of Worms and for Hangman's Curse, and has worked for Disney, Fox, and Showtime.

To Know You Book Review

SUMMARY:  Julia Whittaker's rocky past yielded two daughters, both given up for adoption as infants.  Now she must find them to try to save her son.
     Julia and Matt Whittaker's son has beaten the odds for thirteen years only to have the odds - and his liver- crash precipitously.  The only hope for his survival is a "living liver" transplant, but the transplant list is long and Dillon's time is short.  His two older half-sisters, born eighteen months apart to two different fathers, offer his only hope for survival.
     But can Julia ask a young woman - someone she surrendered to strangers long ago and has never spoken with - to make such a sacrifice to save a brother she's never known?  Can she muster the courage to journey back into a shame-filled season of her life, face her choices and their consequences, and find any hope of healing?
     And what if she discovers in her own daughters' lives that a history of foolish choices threatens to repeat itself?
     Julia knows she's probably embarking on a fool's errand - searching for the daughters she abandoned only now that she needs something from them.  But love compels Julia to take this journey.  Can grace and forgiveness compel her daughters to join her?
     In To Know You, Shannon Ethridge and Kathryn Mackel explore how the past creates the present ... and how even the most shattered lives can be redeemed.

REVIEW:  This book is very interesting.  The idea of having to go to the daughters you gave up at birth and ask them to help the child you kept is a hard decision to make but one Julia and her husband decide to do.  I like how the authors did not gloss over the difficult parts but shows the readers that we all have choices and, sometimes, we have to face difficult consequences.  Some parts were harder to read than most because of the emotions involved and the choices that were made when you knew they were the wrong ones.
     When I first started reading this book, I had some difficulty following at times because of all the different characters involved with their own story lines and background information.  But, as I continued reading, following everything became a little easier.  The ending was not what I expected but I loved it.  One of the problems that occurred during a visit to one of the girls' fathers seemed to be "wrapped up" too neatly as an afterthought.  That said, this was a great book and I am definitely interested in reading the next book.

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

Shannon Ethridge is a best-selling author, international speaker, and certified life coach with a master's degree in counseling/human relations from Liberty University.  She has spoken to college students and adults since 1989 and is the author of twenty books, including the million-copy best-selling Every Woman's Battle series.  She is a frequent guest on TV and radio programs, and she mentors aspiring writers and speakers through her online B.L.A.S.T Program (Building Leaders, Authors, Speakers & Teachers).

Kathy Mackel is the acclaimed author of Can of Worms and other novels for middle readers from Putnam, HarperCollins, and Dial.  Her latest book, Boost, tackles the thorny issue of steroids and girls' sports.  Writing as Kathryn Mackel, she is the author of the YA fantasy series The Birthright Books and of supernatural thrillers including the Christy finalist The Hidden.  She was the credited screenwriter for Disney's Can of Worms and for Hangman's Curse, and has worked for Disney, Fox, and Showtime.

The Fantasy Fallacy Book Review

A Response to the Fifty Shades of Grey Phenomenon

Exposing the Deeper Meaning Behind Sexual Thoughts

SUMMARY:  Erotica has invaded more than our minds - it has exploded onto our bestseller lists and into our bedrooms.  

     Many are looking to sexual and emotional fantasies as avenues to fulfillment.  Our fantasies, however, are not reliable guides into the future - they are actually rocky road maps from our past.  Best-selling author Shannon Ethridge theorizes, "Fantasies are simply he brain's way of trying to heal itself from unresolved tragedies and traumas.  We mentally compartmentalize our pain to make room for pleasure."

     Fantasies have deep psychological roots, and if acted on many of them can do deep psychological damage.  Rather than let fantasies rule us, let's take out the sting and bring them under God's rule, allowing the Lord to heal us from the brokenness and insecurities that cause inappropriate fantasies to haunt us.

     Without being judgemental or condemning, Shannon helps us dissect several common and often-disturbing topics, such as:

• a distorted fascination with pornography
• the mental pursuit of multiple partners
• bondage, domination, and sadomasochism (BDSM)

     With tips for controlling unwanted fantasies and resources for providing a safe haven for recovery, The Fantasy Fallacy helps us recognize and heal our emotional pain and equips us to help others do the same.

REVIEW:  This was an interesting and very different book.  Shannon does not shy away from any topic.  She faces it head-on, bringing understanding to difficult subjects we like to keep hidden away and avoid, discussing them in length and bringing it out into the light.  Shannon includes the research studies, material, books she used and counseling sessions she has been in herself and ones she has led to help others to help bring understanding to these formidable subjects.  Also included in the Appendixes are lies we tell ourselves to justify our behavior and ways to combat them; help for curing the sexual abuse epidemic with information on what to look for, discussions to have with our kids and resource information for help; resources for those looking for guidance, encouragement and support for sexually broken people; twelve steps to recovery; and recommended resources for your personal library or for your church's.

This book was provided by Thomas Nelson Publishers (Booksneeze) for review without compensation.

Shannon Ethridge is an international speaker and certified life coach.  she has a master's degree in counseling/human relations from Liberty University and is the author of the million-copy best-selling Every Woman's Battle series.  Learn more at www.ShannonEthridge.com.

Every Woman's Battle Book Review

Discovering God's Plan for Sexual and Emotional Fulfillment

SUMMARY:  Your sexual needs are far different from your man's.  And they may be more dangerous.

     When does an affair begin?  Not with the first forbidden touch...but with the first forbidden thought.  Unexpectedly, you find yourself enjoying a powerful emotional bond with another man.  You feel like you matter to someone again.  And the door you thought was locked so firmly - the door to sexual infidelity - is suddenly ajar.

     The only way you as a woman can survive the intense struggle for sexual integrity is by guarding not just your body, but your mind and heart as well.  Every Woman's Battle can help you learn to do that.

     Using real-life stories and examples from her own struggle, Shannon Ethridge helps women like you - whether married, engaged, or planning to marry someday - to:

• understand the four unique components of female sexuality
• discern the common myths that keep women standing in the line of fire
• design a new defense to protect every aspect of your life
• cultivate an unimaginable level of intimacy with your husband or husband-to-be
• develop an affair with the one and only Lover who will truly satisfy your innermost desires:  Jesus Christ

     Written in the honest style of the best-selling Every Man Series but with a uniquely female perspective, Every Woman's Battle will lead you on a lifelong path to true joy and fulfillment - sexually, emotionally, and spiritual.

REVIEW:  This book is a must-read for women getting married and those who are already married, no matter how long.  The author includes stories of women who have struggled with inappropriate sexual fulfillment, whether it was an emotional or physical affair, making bad choices in regards to the men in their lives or making decisions that they will later regret.  Shannon Ethridge points out areas women struggle with and gives ideas and ways to counteract them.  She shows you what the bible says about a woman's relationship with her husband and her relationship with God.  She also gives personal illustrations to show how she struggled in certain areas and, with the help of a counselor and her husband, she overcame them and hopes to help other women too.
     This is a great book and should be required reading for college-age women and anyone going through premarital counseling.

This book was provided by Waterbrook Multnomah for review without compensation.

Shannon Ethridge is a million-copy best-selling author and international conference speaker.  Since 1989 she has counseled thousands of students, women, and married couples on the subjects of sexual integrity and sexual intimacy, encouraging women to develop a passionate relationship with Jesus Christ and with their husbands (in that order) rather than "looking for love in all the wrong places."  She lives in east Texas with her biggest cheerleaders - her husband of 20 years, Greg, and their two teenage children, Erin and Matthew.  Visit her website at www.shannonethridge.com.