An Addition to The Reunion Book Review

For the for the next week, starting today and running till next Monday, September 17^th, Dan Walsh is celebrating the release of his new novel, The Reunion, with a 10-book giveaway contest! Five winners will each receive a signed copy of The Reunion, as well as his third novel, The Deepest Waters. (He’s  including this book because it was named a finalist for an ACFW Carol Award for book-of-the-year). Click on the link below to see how easily you can enter the contest!

 

http://danwalshbooks.com/the-reunion-book-giveaway-contest/

 

The Reunion Book Review

SUMMARY:  Everything lost can be found.
     Aaron Miller knows a thing or two about loss.  He's lost love.  Dignity.  Second, and even third, chances.  Once honored for his heroism, he now lives in near obscurity, working as a handyman in a humble trailer park.
     But God is a master at finding and redeeming the lost things of life.  Unbeknownst to Aaron, someone is searching for him.
     With deep insight into the human heart, consummate storyteller Dan Walsh gently weaves a tale of a life spent in the shadows but meant for the light.  Through tense scenes of war and tender moments of romance, The Reunion will make you believe that everyone can get a second chance at life and love.

REVIEW:  Second chances is the theme of this book and flows through every character involved.  War buddies getting a second chance at living.  War heroes getting a second chance after royally messing up life.  A second chance at love, in personal romance and with a long-lost family. 
     This is an awesome book!!  Dan Walsh did not disappoint but just raised the bar even higher for his next project.  BE WARNED - Aaron's story will touch you deep inside so you will need to read this book with a big box of tissues close by and preferably alone.  I was bawling my eyes out during the last few chapters of this book and was SO GLAD I was home alone because my crying was so bad.  This is a great book and would HIGHLY recommend this and any other Dan Walsh book.

This book was provided by Revell for review without compensation.

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

Dan Walsh is the award-winning author of several books, including The Unfinished Gift, The Deepest Waters, and The Discovery.  A member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, Dan served as a pastor for 25 years.  He lives with his wife in the Daytona Beach area, where he's busy researching and writing his next novel.

Abducted Book Review

Pacific Coast Justice Series

Book 2

SUMMARY:  After solving the mayor's murder and exposing corruption among the top brass in Las Playas, Carly Edwards is happy to be back on patrol with her partner, Joe, putting bad buys behind bars.  For once, everything in life seems to be going right.

     But then everything starts going wrong.  Slow to recover from an injury, her ex-husband, Nick, begins pulling away just as they were starting to get close again.  Meanwhile, when Joe's wife lands in the hospital with a mysterious illness, their baby is kidnapped.  As Carly chases down every lead in a desperate search to find the baby, her newfound faith is pushed to its limits.

REVIEW:  Carly is a strong woman whose Christian faith is new when she is confronted by problem after problem.  She doesn't let her circumstances get her down and tries to do the right thing, even when it is not popular. Andrea, Carly's best friend and roommate, does not agree with her belief in God but starts to become more open to the idea after some rough circumstances occur in her own life. I really like how the kidnapping incident ends and where Carly and Nick's relationship ends up.  This book is a great follow-up to Accused, this first book in the Pacific Coast Justice series. I really enjoyed getting to follow these characters through this recent publication and can't wait to read more.  The third and last book of this series, Avenged, is due out in April 2013 and I can't wait to see what happens next and how the series will end.  If it is anything like the other two, it will be a great read.

This book was provided by Tyndale House Publishers for review without compensation.

 

Janice Cantore is a retired Long Beach police officer who now writes suspense novels to keep readers engrossed and leave them inspired.  Her years of experience on the force lend authenticity to her stories.   Abucted is the second in the three-book Pacific Coast Justice series.

Love's Reckoning Book Review

The Ballantyne Legacy

Book One

SUMMARY:  On a bitter December day in 1784, Silas Ballantyne arrives at the door of blacksmith Leige Lee in York County, Pennsylvania.  Silas is determined to finish his apprenticeship quickly and move west.  But because he is a fast worker and a superb craftsman, Liege endeavors to keep him in Lancaster by appealing to an old tradition:  the apprentice shall marry one of his master's beautiful daughters.

     Eden is as gentle and fresh as Elspeth is high-spirited and cunning.  But are they truly who they appear to be?  In a house laced with secrets, each sister seeks to secure her future.  Which one will claim Silas's heart - and will he agree to Leige's arrangement?

     In this sweeping family saga, one man's choices in love and work, in friends and enemies, set the stage for generations to come.  This is the Ballantyne Legacy.

REVIEW:  Silas wants to finish his apprenticeship and head west with no delay.  But, if Leige has his way, Silas will marry one of his daughters and continue to build his blacksmith business.  Elspeth, the oldest daughter is manipulative, conniving, loose with her morals and lies.  Eden is like her name: a little piece of heaven in the chaos of her household but abused by her father and sister and left to manage the house and help their mom take care of her younger brother and Elspeth's illegitimate son.  Silas and Eden fall in love and decide to leave to start a new life together in western Pennsylvania, but they are forced to face even more problems and revelations which changes everything. 

     This is an awesome book!!!  It is the first in a series with many possible storylines to tie into future volumes.  My heart went out to Eden and Silas and the many difficulties they had to face and soared when they finally find each other again.  I can't wait for the rest of the series to be completed and published!

This book was provided by Revell for review without compensation.

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

Laura Frantz is the author of The Frontiersman's Daughter, Courting Morrow Little, and The Colonel's Lady.  A two-time Carol Award finalist, she is a Kentuckian living in the misty woods of Washington with her husband and two sons.  She enjoys connecting with readers on Facebook and at LauraFrantz.net.

Over The Edge Book Review

The Kincaid Brides

Book 3

SUMMARY:  Seth Kincaid remembers almost everything . . . except getting married.

     Seth Kincaid survived a fire in a cave, but he hasn't been the same since.  Then he fought in the Civil War and returned to Colorado crazier than ever.

     Somewhere along the line, it appears Seth got married.  Oh, he has a lot of excuses, but his wife isn't too happy to find out Seth doesn't remember her.  Callie isn't a long-suffering woman.  When Seth disappeared, she searched, prayed and worried.  Now she's come out west to wrangle her long-lost husband.

      Seth is willing to make amends.  Callie is more interested in shooting him.  Can they rekindle their love before one of them goes over the edge?

REVIEW:  Seth is suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome due to fighting in the Civil War and when he was burned as a child.  Because of this, he doesn't remember some of the events of his life, like getting married.  Callie, his wife, is furious because Seth left her one night with no explanation and with no forwarding address.  When she found out she was pregnant, Callie returned to her home and was scorned by her father.  When Callie's dad dies, she packs up her son and heads to Seth's brothers in Colorado, hoping for a place to stay and information on Seth's whereabouts.
     This was an okay book.  I liked the storyline but felt like so much background information was missing in regards to Callie and her family.  It was also a little confusing with Seth's sisters-in-laws relationships to each other.  I couldn't tell if they were mother and daughter, sisters, or step-mother and step-daughter.  Since this is the third book in the series, the background information on the brothers and their lives were touched on but not important.  It may have been helpful for me to have read the others to straighten out some of my confusion.
     I like Callie.  She is a rough and tumble woman, able to hold off three would-be stagecoach robbers by herself while waiting for help to arrive.  She was determined to keep her relationship with Seth platonic until he remembered the details of their marriage and showed that he would not up and leave again, like before.  Seth is a great character too.  Once Callie lays down the boundaries of their relationship, Seth does what he can to show her he is dependable, to overcome some of the demons he is fighting (due to the PTSS), and to remember the details about Callie and their marriage.  Both of them have obstacles to overcome and they do it.
     I would recommend this book but would suggest you read the others in the series too to have a better understanding of all the characters.

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

Mary Connealy writes romantic comedy with cowboys.  She is the author of the acclaimed Lassoed in Texas, Montana Marriages, and Sophie's Daughters series.  Mary has been nominated for a Christy Award, was a finalist for a RITA Award, and is a two-time winner of the Carol Award.  She lives on a ranch in eastern Nebraska with her very own romantic cowboy hero, Ivan.  They have four grown daughters and two grandchildren.  Readers can learn more about Mary and her upcoming books at:

maryconnealy.com

mconnealy.blogspot.com

seekerville.blogspot.com

petticoatsandpistols.com

Story Book Review

Our Journey of Heartache and Grace 

from Eden to Evermore

SUMMARY:  Recapture the mystery of God's story.

     With stunning imagery, powerful poetry, and real-life drama, Story is an inspiring journey from the creation of the world to eternity and everything in between.  Consummate storyteller Steven James threads together familiar scenes from Scripture that will awaken your faith and inspire you to live in the reality of Christ's sacrifice.  As he unveils the intricacies of the whole story of the Bible, you will rediscover the majesty and the mystery you've been missing.

REVIEW:  This book starts in Genesis with the creation story and ends with Christ showing Himself to His followers.  The author gives new life and insight to the Old Testament and the Gospels.  At first, a few of his observations caught my attention but it was lost quickly.  But, once I got to his take on the Gospels, my interest was peaked again.  I was really impressed with his view on Jesus and His crucifixion.
     Here is an example regarding Judas and Jesus:

For a while I used to wonder why Jesus didn't cast Satan out of Judas.  After all, he'd sent demons out of people before.  He could have saved Judas, right?  Set him free from the devil?  Why didn't he?  I thought I finally had a question that cornered God.

But then I remembered that everything Jesus did was guided by perfect love.  Judas had chosen his own path and priorities, just like that rich young man whom Jesus let walk away.  Judas didn't want to be saved.  Jesus had to let him go because Judas wasn't ready to be a follower.

Love has to let the beloved choose.  Judas had made his choice.  Jesus had to let Judas walk away because he wasn't ready to embrace the kingdom life.  He'd never been ready.  The lover gives the beloved a chance to say yes before stepping over the threshold.  For three years Judas had said no.

      If you are interested in a different look at the Bible, give this book a try.  Since I was impressed by his take on the New Testament, I am thinking of giving his view of the Old Testament another look.

This book was provided by Revell for review without compensation. 

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

Critically acclaimed author Steven James has written more than thirty books, including Flirting with the Forbidden and the bestselling Patrick Bowers thriller series.  He has taught writing and creative storytelling on three continents and is a contributing editor to Writer's Digest. Steven lives in Tennessee with his wife and three daughters.

Unbroken Book Review

A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption

SUMMARY:  On a May afternoon in 1943, an Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific Ocean and disappeared, leaving only a spray of debris and a slick of oil, gasoline, and blood.  Then, on the ocean surface, a face appeared.  It was that of a young lieutenant, the plane's bombardier, who was struggling to a life raft and pulling himself aboard.  So began one of the most extraordinary odysseys of the Second World War.

     The lieutenant's name was Louis Zamperini.  In boyhood, he'd been a cunning and incorrigible delinquent, breaking into houses, brawling, and fleeing his home to ride the rails.  As a teenager, he channeled his defiance into running, discovering a prodigious talent that had carried him to the Berlin Olympics and within sight of the four-minute mile.  But when war had come, the athlete had become an airman, embarking on a journey that led to his doomed flight, a tiny raft, and a drift into the unknown.

     Ahead of Zamperini lay thousands of miles of open ocean, leaping sharks, a foundering raft, thirst and starvation, enemy aircraft, and, beyond, a trial even greater.  Driven to the limits of endurance, Zamperini would answer desperation with ingenuity; suffering with hope, resolve, and humor; brutality with rebellion.  His fate, whether triumph or tragedy, would be suspended on the fraying wire of his will.

     In her long-awaited new book, Laura Hillenbrand writes with the same rich and vivid narrative voice she displayed in Seabiscuit.  Telling an unforgettable story of a man's journey into extremity, Unbroken is a testament to the resilience of the human mind, body and spirit.

REVIEW:  Oh my goodness!!  Where do I even begin?  This is an awesome story!!  The things this man did and saw in one lifetime is unreal, but true.  As a child, Louie was a mother's nightmare, constantly testing the limits of everything and everyone.  As a teenager, he broke track record after track record in racing which eventually took him to Berlin Olympics to compete with the American team. While in the Pacific Theater with the Army Air Forces to fight the Japanese, he and his pilot broke the record for the longest time at sea in a life raft before they were found by the enemy.  Louie survived trial after trial when he is captured by the Japanese.  Daily beatings, starvation, dehydration, sickness, slavery, torture and the threat of death by his captors during the two plus years he was a POW were only a few of the things he faced as a POW.  

     This book is long (almost 400 pages with small print) but if you can stick with it, you will see all God accomplishes through, with and for this man.  Even though the author does go into detail about the things Louie faced in the POW camps, it is necessary to understand the story and his reactions once he returns home.  Ms. Hillenbrand goes into great detail to show you what life was like for Louie before, during, and immediately after the war but also what he accomplished afterwards too.  This is a great book that will stay with me long after I have put it down.

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

Laura Hillenbrand is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Seabiscuit: An American Legend, which was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, won the Book Sense Book of the Year Award and the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award, landed on more than fifteen best-of-the-year lists, and inspired the film Seabiscuit, which was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture.  Hillenbrand's New Yorker article, "A Sudden Illness," won the 2004 National Magazine Award, and she is a two-time winner of the Eclipse Award, the highest journalistic honor in thoroughbred racing.  She and actor Gary Sinise are the co-founders of Operation International Children, a charity that provides school supplies to children through American troops.  She lives in Washington, D.C.  More information about the author and this book can be found at www.unbroken-book.com and www.laurahillenbrandbooks.com.