Saturday, April 29, 2017

Book Review of Long Time Gone

Long Time Gone is the second book in Mary Connealy's The Cimarron Legacy series.  This book picks up right where the first book ended.  Cole is on the mend after being shot with the help of the doctor and Angie Dupree's help.  The Bodens thought that the trouble had ended with the death of a dangerous enemy, but they may have uncovered the real plot to take their ranch.  Everything that has happened could be part of a bigger plot that goes back to a decades old secret.  While Cole and their father continue to heal, Justin and the rest of the family work to put the pieces together but there is danger along the way.

This book is full of suspense and romance.  I've become of a fan on Mary Connealy's writing.  I loved the twists and turns in this book.  The characters are interesting and well developed.  I enjoyed seeing the relationship between Angie and Justin develop in this book.  I would suggest reading the first book in the series to be able to follow the story completely.  I highly recommend this series.

*I received this book in exchange for an honest review.*

Book Review of Quick Tips for Busy Families by Jay Payleitner

This is a description of the book, Quick Tips for Busy Families by Jay Payleitner on Amazon: 

"Parenting can be hard work, and our lives continue to get busier and busier. Is it possible to lighten the load but still raise great kids?

From his experiences as a dad as well as interacting with countless other parents, Jay Payleitner has gathered scores of secrets worth passing along--simple things veteran moms and dads have learned over the years. Things as simple as passing along truths during TV commercials. Or connecting with your children as you tuck them in at night. Or learning how to laugh over spilt milk.

Some of the ideas are old-school secrets that were passed from one generation to the next; others deal with issues that would have never crossed Grandma and Grandpa's minds. All of them are easy to implement. 

This book is designed for a quick, breezy reading experience, letting parents pick and choose those ideas that will make th
eir lives easier, their kids happier, and their futures even brighter."

I liked the set up of this book.  Each tip is about a page long--a few are longer.  There are 144 topics.  You can look in the topical index for something you would like to read about it you don't want to read the book in its entirety.  I sort of expected the tips to be more spiritually based, and there are some there, but the majority are just basic tips which is fine.  We can all use some parenting tips and this is a book that would be good if you aren't interested in reading a super long book.

*I received this book in exchange for an honest review.*

Book Review of Still Life by Dani Pettrey

Still Life is the second book in Dani Pettrey's Chesapeake Valor series.  Avery Tate attends a gallery opening of a photography exhibit and support her best friend, Skylar, who modeled for the show.  The only image displayed in the photography exhibit is a chilling one of Skylar posing as dead and the photographer insists it isn't the photo he took.  Skylar is missing.  As Avery works together with Parker and his friends to solve Skylar's disappearance, they find themselves face-to-face with a relentless and deadly threat.

Dani Pettrey is one of my favorite authors.  I'm so happy that I can say that I loved this book!  It was a little darker subject than her Alaskan Courage series (think Criminal Minds), but I still enjoyed it.  I loved the suspense and the relationship between Avery and Parker.

*I received this book in exchange for an honest review.*

Book Review of The Cottage by Michael Phillips


The Cottage is the second book in Michael Phillips Secrets on the Shetlands series.  

The back of the book says:
     "When Loni Ford is informed that she has inherited property in the Shetland Islands, she laughs. She wants nothing more than to sell it and be done with it. But when she arrives in the North Sea enclave, she is stunned to find that "the Cottage" is not at all what she expected, nor is David Tulloch, the man most of the islanders believe to be the rightful heir.

The locals could hardly be more surprised that the heir is a woman--and an American. Loni, in turn, finds the islanders quaint and a bit behind the times. Expecting David to be as provincial as the rest of his clan, she discovers that there is far more to the man than meets the eye. And there is something about the peaceful atmosphere of the place--and the character of its most prominent citizen--that soon gets under her skin. 


Beneath the peaceful surface, however, change is threatening the island of Whale's Reef. David's cousin Hardy Tulloch, whose claim to the inheritance now in Loni's hands was backed by oil investors, has not been deterred in his aim to control the island. But his co-conspirators have plans of their own, plans that put Loni's very life in danger."

When I first started the book, I found it to be slow, but once I got further along I didn't want to put it down.  I didn't realize that this book was part of a series, but after finishing this book, I'd like to read more.  The characters were interesting and well developed.  I really liked David and Loni's relationship.

*I received this book in exchange for an honest review.*

Book Review of Amish Weddings by Leslie Gould

Amish Weddings is the third book in Leslie Gould's Neighbors of Lancaster County series.  In this book, Zane and Lila prepare to marry, but before they do, Lila is seriously injured in a buggy accident.  Zane's army buddy, Trevor, comes to visit and Lila's sister is quite taken with Trevor despite the fact that she is courting Reuben.  While caring for Lila as she recovers from her injuries, Rose begins sneaking around with Trevor.  She thinks that since she never had a rumspringe it won't hurt to have some fun before she marries Reuben. She makes a foolish decision and hurts Reuben.  Can Reuben forgive her for what she has done?

I loved this book so much that I have purchased the previous two books.  This book can stand alone, but there is a lot of background information that may be confusing if you haven't read the first two books.  I have loved the first two books as well, and they answered a lot of questions I had about how some of the relationships came to be.  I highly recommend the entire series!

*I received the book Amish Weddings from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*


Thursday, April 20, 2017

Book Review of You Carried Me: A Daughter's Memoir by Melissa Ohden

The book You Carried Me: A Daughter's Memoir is the story of Melissa Ohden's search for her biological parents. 

 The back of the book says: Melissa Ohden is fourteen when she learns she is the survivor of a botched abortion. In this intimate memoir she details for the first time her search for her biological parents, and her own journey from anger and shame to faith and empowerment.

After a decade-long search Melissa finally locates her birth father and writes to extend forgiveness, only to learn soon thereafter that he has died―without answering her burning questions. Then her birth mother’s parents say they are unable to pass along Melissa’s letter. Years later, when she finally hears from the woman who carried her and gave her life, she finds out why. But the shocking truth is more than she can bear.

Yet even the most startling family secrets are eclipsed by the triumphant moment when Melissa becomes a mother herself in the very hospital where she was aborted. And she reveals how―through the miscarriage of her only son, the birth of a second daughter with complex health issues, and her own birth mother’s story―she gained a deep empathy for every woman who has had an abortion.

Like none other, this intensely personal story of love and redemption cuts through the debates surrounding a divisive contemporary issue to touch our common humanity.

I thought this was a good book.  I think this is a story that needed to be told, and I think that Melissa did it beautifully. 

I received this in exchange for an honest review.