A Light in the Window by Julie Lessman

  Amazing story!  For those who have read Julie's two series' about the O'Connor family, The Daughters of Boston and Winds of Change, you will not want to miss this prequel about the parents' love story.  For those who haven't read her other books, you can read this first and be surprised about who she ends up with!

More than anything Marcy wants to find a man who loves God as much as she does.  She's always had  a crush on her best friend's brother Sam and when she moves back to town, both he and his best friend Patrick are interested in her.  However, they both have reputations as rogues and she wants nothing to do with them.  They end up volunteering at the local parish where Marcy is running the fundraising program for the Christmas season.  She's directing a play about the Irish tradition of putting a light in the window starting on Christmas Eve to welcome the Holy Family.  As the two men build sets and help at the soup kitchen, she starts to see who they really are and wonders if she might have been wrong about them. For one of them, getting to know her and the God she loves will change his life forever.

This is a great story about the start of the O'Connors!  I loved the redemption, the importance of forgiveness, and reserving judgment.  One thing that bothered me is instead of saying a character cursed, it actually shows a character taking God's name in vain.  I would have preferred it to say he did that instead of spelling it out.  Julie does an amazing job of showing her characters' flaws and making them seem extremely real.  I also loved the romance.  This is definitely a must-read!

Only available as an e-book.

A Lady in Defiance by Heather Blanton

This is a suspenseful romance set during the late 1800's in which Naomi, her husband, and her two sisters were making their way to California in their wagon when her husband dies and she feels led to put down roots in Defiance.  Defiance is a lawless town built on gold mining and the only women there are prostitutes.  Needless to say, it's pretty shocking for these three upstanding women with the looks and comments they get.

Naomi strikes a deal to run a restaurant and hotel with Charles, the wealthiest local saloon and brothel owner who pretty much owns the town.  The sisters try to befriend the prostitutes and show them God's love, but there is one who's incredibly hateful and threatening to Naomi.  Rose is pretty unpredictable and that's where the suspense comes in because you're not sure what she'll do next.  Naomi is grieving, but soon finds herself feeling attracted to Charles, a man she despises.  Not only does she hate his profession, but he also has no use for God.  He delights in getting a rise out of her and she has a hard time being civil to him.  There's also a bit of romance for one of her sisters.

I enjoyed this story about three sisters trying to change a town with God's help.  We get to see the different character's points of view and I really liked all three sisters, especially Naomi.  She's a feisty character who struggles with showing God's love and not being judgmental.  I liked the darker aspect to it that the Rose character lent.  The story's gritty without being graphic.  There were also some great humorous moments.  Overall, an enjoyable story for historical fiction lovers!

This is only available as a kindle e-book.

I received the e-book free from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Real Life, Real Miracles by James L. Garlow & Keith Wall

  I have only one word for this book: Wow! Some of these stories blew me away.  I found myself getting chills and my eyes filling with tears several times as I read this amazing book.

This is a compilation of thirty stories of about ten pages each, along with a chapter of a lot more shorter stories.  The first one immediately grabbed me as it told the story of a woman on an airplane.  She wasn't able to sit in her assigned seat and had just loosened her seat belt when she heard a voice behind her telling her to tighten it and that she was in for the ride of her life, but no one was there. She did, and within a minute there was a loud POW and the right side of the plane disappeared! You'll have to read the story to find out what happens to her and the rest of the passengers, but it was amazing.  The miracles vary from lives being saved from some kind of physical trauma to being healed of various diseases to food showing up in the nick of time when someone didn't know where their next meal was coming from.

This is an incredibly encouraging book.  If you question whether God gets involved in our daily lives, just read this and question no more.  If you think that miracles only happen to special people, these stories show they can happen to anyone.  Time after time, the recipients say they don't know why God chose them; they're just grateful He did!  I highly recommend this book to everyone!

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

Giveaway of Promise to Protect!

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Unexpected Christmas Hero by Kathi Macias

  This was an interesting story about a homeless family trying to survive on the streets of Riverview, Washington and a fellow homeless man they meet that ends up changing their lives. Josie and her two children have been homeless for several months and she struggles every day with making sure they have food in their bellies and shelter for the night.  They used to live in a nice home and have all of the luxuries most people take for granted.  She thought everything was great, but her husband hadn't told her he lost his job or of the bad decisions he made afterwards.  He still didn't tell her anything after he got sick, and when he died, she was in for a shock. 

Josie had turned her back on God long ago and doesn't believe He cares or answers her prayers.  Then they meet Rick, a Vietnam veteran and follower of Christ, who looks out for them, along with Karen and the Lunds, other people who God puts in their path. Will the love of God they show melt Josie's hard heart? And how will Rick become her unexpected Christmas hero?

I liked the unique storyline and the interweaving of the stories of Josie, Rick, and Karen.  Sometimes it was a bit repetitious when Josie was trying to figure out where they should sleep and where to get food, but I'm sure that reflects the real day-to-day struggle when you don't know where your next meal will come from or where you'll sleep, especially during the winter.  This book especially shows the importance of being grateful for what we have and Rick was a great example of having nothing yet truly being rich because he has Jesus.

Postmark Christmas by Paige Winship Dooly, Darlene Franklin, Kathleen E. Kovach, and Paula Moldenhauer

These are four cute contemporary love stories about life in Christmas, Florida!  Home for Christmas is about Stella, an event planner who comes to Christmas, FL to organize their Christmas festival.  She's hired by Brick, a local contractor, and as he helps her with the planning, they start to fall for each other.  Brick's family also make her feel welcome and she wonders if it's time to give up her life on the road and put down roots.  Will Brick give her a chance or protect himself before she leaves for good?

Merry Christmas, With Love focuses on Randi, a war widow with a rebellious teenage son.  She's involved in her church ministry of sending cards to soldiers overseas and she and a soldier have been corresponding back and forth. But when he shows up in Christmas, she doesn't want him to know who she is. Will she ever be ready to risk her heart again?

A Blessed Angel Came is the story of Gabi, a shy store clerk who lets out her zany side when she dresses up as a reindeer for the Christmas festival.  When her little sister was seriously injured in a car accident years ago caused by a drunk driver and confined to a wheelchair, she put her first and her life on hold.  Photographer David Levine arrives in town for some time off and donates his time to help out at the festival.  She notices his tender care of a child in a wheelchair, but little does she know about his rebellious teen years.  Could she ever get past it to see the changed man he's become?

You're a Charmer, Mr. Grinch tells the story of Randi's mother Edie, the postmaster of Christmas, FL.  Rick, a retired police officer who dons a Grinch costume to promote the festival, has been trying to get her attention for years.  She doesn't trust charming men, however, after what she went through with her husband.  Will Edie learn to trust and open her heart before his patience runs out?

These were all fun light reads centered around a Christmas festival.  Some of the characters appear in other stories and it's fun to see the crossover that ties them all together.  These stories will definitely get you in the Christmas spirit!