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I've been meaning to do this review for a long time. I had to wait to buy Tender Graces , but I figured from reading Kathryn Magendie's blog that when I did buy it, I'd love it. I wasn't disappointed. The prose in Tender Graces captured me. The plot was interesting and the characters were unique, but the writing itself, the way Magendie uses words, elevated the story to something gorgeous. The way Magendie writes Virginia Kate's point of view is so endearing and vulnerable. Although Tender Graces is completely different than To Kill a Mockingbird, the whole time I read it I kept thinking of Scout. That wasn't the only famous book Tender Graces reminded me of. Magendie's mastery with words, how she plays with them and uses them in unique, new ways, totally reminded me of The Book Thief. I loved reading Tender Graces because it had both a compelling plot and words that felt a little like Godiva on every page. I'll definitely be reading more of her, but as ...

I haven't read many books in the Christian market featuring Puritans. This story was wonderful! The writing was smooth and easy to get into. I loved the romantic dynamic between heroine and hero. I'm a sucker for "ugly duckling" heroines. Add to that a healthy dose of danger and intrigue, and you've got an engrossing read. Besides the interesting plot and realistic, strong characters, Jody planted me in Puritan England effortlessly. She is genius when it comes to weaving history into the story. I learned all sorts of interesting things, like it was against the law to dance. Can you imagine? And to even preach about Jesus without a special license... I flew through the story and finished with a happy sigh. If you want to read more reviews, fellow blogger Jill Kemerer posted some wonderful quotes about The Preacher's Bride . You can find the author, Jody Hedlund, on facebook and at her blog . The Preacher's Bride is based on a true story. Do you like fictio...

Reading Julie Lessman's books is like sitting down for my favorite soap for an hour of guilty pleasure. Her books pack a powerful spiritual punch though, and unlike a soap opera, her characters actually learn from their mistakes and repent. Her latest release is A Hope Undaunted . Below are some things she graciously shared with me. 1. Are there any scenes in AHU modeled after your own life? As a matter of fact, there are two things I pulled directly from my own life. The first is mentioned in the opening scene where we find out that Katie O’Connor was made fun of in kindergarten because of skin condition she had, which consequently molds her into a champion for the underdog and women’s rights. In that scene, an elderly nun asks Katie if she has leprosy in front of the whole class, and that kicks off a barrage of ridicule from her classmates, which is exactly what happened to me in the 2nd grade. You see, when I was in half-day kindergarten, I attended all day because my sisters an...

First, Congrats to Lisa Jordan ! My two year old drew your name so e-mail me with your address and I'll get Tailor-Made Bride out to you. :-) I'm running around this week doing all sorts of things so I'm taking a week off of blogging. I hope wonderful things happen for all you this week and I'll see you next Monday!

Jericho "J.T." Tucker wants nothing to do with Coventry, Texas's new dressmaker. He's all too familiar with her kind--shallow women more devoted to fashion than true beauty. Yet, except for her well-tailored clothing, this seamstress is not at all what he expected. Hannah Richards is confounded by the man who runs the livery. The unsmiling fellow riles her with his arrogant assumptions and gruff manner while at the same time stirring her heart with unexpected acts of kindness. Which side of Jericho Tucker reflects the real man? If I saw this book in the bookstore, I'd pick it up because of the title and cover. I loved them. It was great getting between the pages and realizing that the outside reflects the inside. Karen Witemeyer's debut historical romance is a sweet, humorous story that I enjoyed reading. The heroine Hannah is both funny and smart and I liked J.T.'s gruffness. Even though the plot felt a little on the predictable side to me, the characters...

Hand of Fate is the second installment of the Triple Threat series. The story starts off with a chemical attack that sends the city of Portland into panic mode. Someday has just killed controversial talk show host Jim Fate and everyone is afraid the poison is spreading. The first half of the book covers the three main characters, friends who each offer something different to the story. Cassidy is a court reporter and is portrayed in a stereotypical way, blonde, beautiful and trying to keep her age to herself. Then there's Allison, a federal prosecutor, and then Nicole, an FBI agent. Allison and Nicole were already going to help Fate discover who was sending him death threats, so when he dies they're involved with finding out who killed Fate, and why. Cassidy has personal reasons for being involved. When I received this copy from Thomas Nelson I was really excited. I loved the cover and thought the premise sounded intriguing. I love reading this type of fiction. Unfortunately, I...

A while back I received fellow blogger Warren Baldwin' s book Roaring Lions, Cracking Rocks and Other Gems from Proverbs. I really enjoy Warren's Family Fountain blog so I looked forward to reading his book. I'm not sure whether it's a devotional or not because I don't usually read devotionals, but it is interesting and it is practical. I like that each essay has a theme taken from a proverb and that the essays are arranged according to subject matter, such as Responsibility and Spiritual Living. Warren also uses real-life examples, which I think strengthens his points. You can learn more about Warren on his website or his blogs. You can buy his book HERE . Do you read devotionals? Have you ever written any? What's your favorite book of the Bible?

I loved the main character of this book. Ray Quinn is a cross between House and Ollie Chandler . I was intrigued immediately. The writing was spectacular. Author Mark Mynheir outdid himself and I was hugely impressed, not to mention hooked. A great read, imo. I've loved all of Lessman's books but this one topped them for me. While pushing the boundaries of sensuality for the CBA market, I also think it pushed the spirituality of today's Christian. The book overflowed with Godly principles and bible verses without ever becoming preachy. I loved it. This was a great ABA thriller. I couldn't put it down and even though I guess the killer, it wasn't until the very end. If you like suspense, I highly recommend this one. Interestingly enough, Castillo wrote category for years and I believe this might be her "break-out" novel. Jones is a new author for me. I sat by her at dinner one night at the conference. She was super nice, I'd heard great things about...

I recently received The Wackiest, Weirdest, Wildest Animals in the World by Jack Hanna in the mail. Thanks to Thomas Nelson's book review program, I get all sorts of cool stuff to read and review. The book is filled with all sorts of cool facts that even an adult might like to read. Big pictures and bubbles of information keep each page interesting and bright. The animal facts range from the ordinary to the really weird. For example, you've heard of a Wallaby? It's like a mini kangaroo. According to the book, a Wallaby can't hop backwards. Very interesting and doesn't make much sense, but there you have it. I sat down to read this book with my kids but soon realized that they're too young. My five year old enjoyed some of it, but mostly they looked at the pictures then jumped up to play. I do think this book would be ideal for someone in middle school or towards the end of elementary school. A curious child who enjoys reading would probably like this book a lot....

I'm still soaking sun in the Keys, but here's the review of a book I recently read. Higher Hope by Robert Whitlow delves into the murky waters of slander. A preacher known to "know" things accuses a businessman of corrupt actions. Is this slander? If something is the truth, then can it be labeled as slander? The story is told mostly in first person, through the eyes of a ultra-conservative Christian woman who is working in a law office, trying to make it to associate level. First person is tricky. I had trouble relating to her, not because of her beliefs, but because there was so little internal narrative. I have to wonder if that's because the book was written by a male? Okay, okay, no one get upset. LOL The author did use third person with the preacher and he did a great job with her. Whitlow is a solid writer whose intriguing premise kept me reading the story. I almost stopped because this is the second in the series and the first hundred pages were devoted to...

Hi everyone, I'm heading out early today for a niece's birthday part FAR away, so I thought I'd post this review for some of you moms. I just received Max Lucado's Hermie and Friends DVD in the mail. Whenever Lucado switched from books to movies is beyond me, but he's done well. Skeeter and the Mystery of the Lost Mosquito Treasure kept my kids on the couch. The movie is all about this little mosquito who has always felt like less because his stinger is crooked. When his "perfect" brother comes home, everybody fawns over him. His stinger is long and straight, plus he's a famous explorer. When the brothers discover a treasure map from their father, they decide to work together to find the treasure. In the process, they discover that they're each special and are formed the way they are for a special purpose. It's a cute little movie set in a garden. Like I said, both the 4 year old and the 2 1/2 year old sat down and watched it. I liked letting t...

As you all know, I just received and have now read Kiss by Ted Dekker and Erin Healy . I believe this is Healy's first book, but not Dekker's. The first novel I ever read of Dekker's was When Heaven Weeps . What a powerful, beautiful story of God's passionate love for us. This is one of my absolutely favorite books of all time! The depth and insight of that book propelled me to buy more of Dekker's books. Lately his books have seemed more action-packed, less insightful. I miss the deep conflicts between good and evil, the prominent spiritual truths, and the memorable characters found in his earlier works. With that said, I enjoyed the fast pace of Kiss, the twists in the plot, and the happy ending. It was a page turner and from the first page begged me to discover the answers to all of the questions posed. The story does deal with the pain of mistakes, wounds and how we deal with them. I enjoyed those parts of the story as well. Overall, Dekker and Healy did a grea...