Veronica's 'Views

Saturday, November 15, 2014

Where Treetops Glisten - by Tricia Goyer, Cara Putnam and Sarah Sundin

About the book:

The crunch of newly fallen snow, the weight of wartime

Siblings forging new paths and finding love in three stories, filled with the wonder of Christmas

Turn back the clock to a different time, listen to Bing Crosby sing of sleigh bells in the snow, as the realities of America's involvement in the Second World War change the lives of the Turner family in Lafayette, Indiana.

In Cara Putman's White Christmas, Abigail Turner is holding down the Home Front as a college student and a part-time employee at a one-of-a-kind candy shop. Loss of a beau to the war has Abigail skittish about romantic entanglements---until a hard-working young man with a serious problem needs her help.

Abigail's brother Pete is a fighter pilot hero returned from the European Theater in Sarah Sundin's I'll Be Home for Christmas, trying to recapture the hope and peace his time at war has eroded. But when he encounters a precocious little girl in need of Pete's friendship, can he convince her widowed mother that he's no longer the bully she once knew?

In Tricia Goyer's Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Meredith Turner, "Merry" to those who know her best, is using her skills as a combat nurse on the frontline in the Netherlands. Halfway around the world from home, Merry never expects to face her deepest betrayal head on, but that's precisely what God has in mind to redeem her broken heart.

The Turner family believes in God's providence during such a tumultuous time. Can they absorb the miracle of Christ's birth and His plan for a future?

My review:

This was a wonderful collection that really put me in the Christmas spirit! I loved that each story focused on a sibling at Christmas and the different problems they struggled with. I liked the focus on helping people, whether it was a stranger, a person you used to bully, soldiers on the front lines or Jews in danger. The faith elements were wonderful as Abigail struggles to trust God with her future instead of living in fear of losing another person she loves, Pete tries to forgive himself for past mistakes and learn to be who God wants him to be while keeping God first, and Merry needs to learn to forgive and pray for an enemy. There were cute romantic moments in the first two while Goyer's was a little different with the characters already having a relationship and taking a while to meet up. I loved that the Christmas songs of the titles were incorporated into the story. This is one of my favorite time periods to read about and I loved the details that made the stories so authentic. I wish there had been a little more interaction with the couple in Goyer's story and while I enjoyed all three, I probably liked Sundin's best for the plot line of a reformed bully trying to make good and for the precocious little girl who made me smile. These stories aren't the fluff of some romances, with each character dealing with real grief from loss, especially due to the war they're in the midst of. Even though the stories deal with death and grief, they also manage to have joy and happiness and made me close the book with a satisfied smile. I definitely recommend this book for those who like historical romance!

I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity in exchange for an honest review.

More reviews at Litfuse!

Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/BwVP9

About the authors:

TRICIA GOYER is a prolific author of nearly forty books, including Chasing Mona Lisa, and a speaker and blogger.

Website, Facebook, Twitter

CARA PUTMAN is the author of twenty books including Shadowed by Grace. She is the winner of the 2008 Carol Award for historical fiction.

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SARAH SUNDIN is the critically-acclaimed author of the Wings of the Nightingale series, the Wings of Glory series, and the forthcoming Waves of Freedom novels.

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Sunday, November 9, 2014

The One Year Hearing His Voice Devotional - by Chris Tiegreen

This is a wonderful, insightful devotional I really enjoyed! It consists of reading one page a day for a whole year with a verse written out at the beginning, the devotional, and then a prayer at the end. Some of the devotions are written as if God is speaking directly to you and others use personal experiences or that of Biblical characters or Christians in history to show what someone else has experienced as they learn to listen for God's voice.

The author points out in the beginning that we need to believe that God still speaks in order to hear His voice. He also points out that when God speaks, it usually comes from within because that's where the Holy Spirit resides. He also says if you focus too much on trying to hear God's voice rather than focusing on God and your relationship with Him, you'll probably end up frustrated. By putting the relationship first, everything else will fall into place.

Those are just some of the good points the author makes among so many. This book is rich with insight and helpful information. He continuously points the way to God and keeping our focus on deepening our relationship with Him. I highly recommend this awesome devotional!

I received this book free from Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for an honest review.

Saturday, November 8, 2014

At Bluebonnet Lake - Texas Crossroads 1 - by Amanda Cabot

About the book:

Her life is set to warp speed. His is slowing to a crawl. But love has its own timing.
Marketing maven Kate Sherwood's world is fast-paced, challenging, and always changing. The last thing she wants to do is grind to a halt at Rainbow's End, a dilapidated resort in the Texas Hill Country. Still, she cannot deny her ailing grandmother's request to visit the place where she and her deceased husband spent one glorious week fifty years ago. There, Kate meets Greg, who appears to be the resort's unassuming handyman. But there's more to Greg than meets the eye--billions more, in fact.

Kate isn't looking for romance, but she can't deny the sparks of attraction that fly every time she and Greg are together. Could there be a future there? Or will Kate's long-sought promotion take her back to the big city?

Amanda Cabot invites you to step into a place away from the pressures of the day. You might be surprised by what you find at Rainbow's End.

My review:

I liked this story mostly because of the way the characters grew throughout. I found it interesting to watch workaholic Kate struggle with taking a vacation and how former workaholic Greg tries to open her eyes to really living. They both had issues to deal with and I enjoyed seeing how they helped each other. I especially liked how they both cared about helping other people. There were many likable characters in the story besides Kate and Greg, including Kate's wonderful grandmother and an adorable little girl. I liked the secondary romance between her grandmother and a man she met at Rainbow's End. The romances were sweet. There was some conflict occurring with Kate having to figure out her priorities, health issues, an unexpected visitor, and the worries about saving Rainbow's End. Sometimes the story felt a little slow. The setting was beautiful and relaxing. I enjoyed how faith was portrayed, with Greg having a strong faith and wanting to follow God's will while Kate struggled a bit more with that. I would recommend it if you like contemporary romance.

I received this book free from Revell in exchange for an honest review.

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Free Kindle Books, 2 Wednesday Only!

Free for kindle!

Amazon

Free for kindle Wed only!

Amazon

Free for kindle!

Amazon

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Review of BECOMING BEA By @LeslieJeanGould | Kindle Giveaway and Facebook Party!

About the book: Can Bea and Ben Turn Rivalry Into Romance?

Beatrice Zook knows God wants her to learn patience toward others. When assisting a family overwhelmed by triplets proves surprisingly successful, her confidence in dealing with others, both young and old, grows.

One person she'll never be able to find peace with though is Ben Rupp. They've known each other forever, and Ben understands precisely how to antagonize her. What neither she nor Ben will admit is that beneath all their bickering, attraction awaits. When friends decide to try and bring the couple together, will the pair be able to find true love? Or will they damage their relationship beyond repair?

My review: This was an interesting story based on Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, where misunderstandings ensue between Bea and Ben on their way to love. I liked Bea and felt like I had a lot in common with her as far as her introverted personality went. Seeing her grow and change into a better person reminded me of Cate in the first book; I really enjoyed her positive attitude. There's a lot of day-to-day details in this story, with Bea helping to take care of triplets and the adults, too, babies crying and needing to be fed and changed all of the time. It got to be a lot of the same. I found the relationship between Bea and Ben interesting and it had its cute moments, but I got frustrated over a huge misunderstanding between them and annoyed that they had such a hard time working it out. Why don't people just tell the truth!? There were some faith elements, with Bea praying for patience and trying to trust God with her future. Each story can be read alone in the series, but the characters still feature prominently in each book. I liked this story more than the last one in the series, but I have to say it was just okay. If you like Amish fiction, you might like it.

I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity in exchange for an honest review.

More reviews at Litfuse!

Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/Dcnfl

About the author: Leslie Gould is the coauthor, with Mindy Starns Clark, of the #1 CBA bestseller The Amish Midwife, a 2012 Christy Award winner; ECPA bestseller Courting Cate, first in the Courtships of Lancaster County series; and Beyond the Blue, winner of the Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice for Best Inspirational Novel, 2006. She holds an MFA in creative writing from Portland State University and has taught fiction writing at Multnomah University as an adjunct professor. She and her familyl live in Portland, Oregon.

Find Leslie online: website, Facebook, Twitter

Leslie Gould is back with the latest book, Becoming Bea, in her Shakespeare-inspired series, The Courtships of Lancaster County. Don't miss the other books in the series, Courting Cate (retelling of The Taming of the Shrew), Adoring Addie (inspired by Romeo and Juliet), and Minding Molly (inspired by A Midsummer Night’s Dream).

Leslie is celebrating the series with a Kindle giveaway and a Facebook party on November 11th.

One grand prize winner will receive:

A Kindle Fire
One copy each of the entire The Courtships of Lancaster County series: Courting Cate, Adoring Addie, Minding Molly, and Becoming Bea.

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on 11/11. Winner will be announced at Leslie's 11/11 Becoming Bea Facebook author chat party. RSVP for a chance to connect with Leslie and Amish fiction fans, as well as for a chance to win some great prizes!

{NOT ON FACEBOOK? ENTER HERE.}

RSVP today and spread the word—tell your friends about the giveaway via FACEBOOK, TWITTER or PINTEREST and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 11th!

Sunday, November 2, 2014

Review of THE PROMISE, Kindle HDX Giveaway from @BethWiseman!

About the book:

Mallory's search for happiness leads her to a faraway place. There she finds heartache, betrayal---and danger.

Mallory Hammond is determined that no one will stand in the way of her goal---to save a life. She had that chance years ago, and she failed to take it, leaving her adrift and in search of the real meaning of her life. Finally, she meets a man online from a volatile corner of the world who offers her the chance to find that purpose. But she will have to leave everyone she loves behind in order to take it.

Tate Webber has loved Mallory for many years. He understands that Mallory will never be happy with him until her deepest heart's desire is satisfied. When Mallory decides to travel across the world to fulfill her dreams, Tate begs her not to go but tries to give her the space she needs. Mallory embarks on her dangerous journey only to discover how swiftly and easily promises can be broken. And Mallory can only pray that she will make it out alive.

Inspired by actual events, The Promise is a riveting love story that asks the question: how far will we go for love?

My review:

This was a very interesting story, but also very frustrating. I couldn't believe how naive Mallory was to trust a man she didn't know, though I admired the lengths she went to to save a life. Since it's inspired by actual events, I can't complain too much about the plot or her choices. For spiritual content, the story had Tate and his mother as Catholic and talked about prayer and God a lot, yet Tate and Mallory were sleeping together. I was disappointed in that conflict between his faith and actions. There were some Muslims who were more radical and others who picked and chose what they wanted to believe. One couple was sleeping together and another husband was abusive. It was very clear the sort of attitude the radical Muslim had toward women. I didn't like that the word b**ches was used, but I'm glad that the story didn't get graphic. I liked that there was a discussion about some of the differences between Christianity and Islam and that Allah and God are not the same god. I liked learning about what life and culture was like in Pakistan. The story got pretty suspenseful near the end when Mallory realized what kind of situation she had gotten herself into. Overall, I thought it was okay. You might like it if you like realistic stories.

I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity in exchange for an honest review.

More Reviews at Litfuse!

Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/CP8sr

About the author:

Beth Wiseman is the best-selling author of the Daughters of the Promise series and the Land of Canaan series. Having sold over 1.3 million books, her novels have held spots on multiple Bestseller lists. She was the recipient of the prestigious Carol Award in 2011 and 2013. In 2013 she took home the coveted Holt Medallion. Her first book in the Land of Canaan series--Seek Me With All Your Heart--was selected as the 2011 Women of Faith Book of the Year. Beth lives in Texas with her family.

Find Beth online: website, Facebook, Twitter

In a daring new novel, Beth Wiseman jumps way outside the box. The Promise will take readers far away from Amish country and small Texas towns to a dangerous place on the other side of the world. Inspired by actual events, this is the book Beth has been working toward for a long time.