The Cautious Maiden- Christian period romance filled with intrigue & passion!

My Thoughts:

"Jesus paid it all, all to whom I owe..." is still on my mind and in my heart after swooning through this wonderful period romance. The Cautious Maiden, by Dawn Crandall, is the 4th book in the Everstone Chronicles series. It's involves dashingly handsome and wealthy Vance Everstone (I guarantee he'll make your heart pound!) and beautifully innocent Violet Hawthorne. The book begins with an attack on Violet where Vance comes to her aid. With his questionable past and rumors that seem to endlessly follow in his wake, Violet questions Vance's motivations and finds herself feeling quite alone. Her parents have passed away and her brother has turned their home into a brothel! Going from bad to worse, Violet awakens one morning to find that she and Vance are in bed together! Through no fault of her own, she is compelled to remedy her reputation through an arranged marriage soon after. What is to become of our heroine?

I absolutely loved this book. The relationship between Violet and Vance is sizzling and mysterious (clean romance with plenty of passion) as there are many unanswered questions that come to light throughout the story. The setting is enchantingly romantic, the dialogue is perfection (I had to force myself to slow down and savor), the storyline is delightfully composed of bible verses, hymns and themes of redemption, true love and forgiveness. But don't be lulled into thinking this is all sweetness and light- there is also intrigue and danger! Violet's brother, Ezra, is a gambler, among other unsavory things, and shares his company with scoundrels. In fact, he "gambled" his own sister- and lost her to the retched Rowen Steele! Now Violet is at the mercy of Vance- but can she trust him? It's the first book I've read by Dawn Crandall and I truly look forward to reading more.

More about the Book:

Violet Hawthorne is beyond mortified when her brother Ezra turns their deceased parents' New England country inn into a brothel to accommodate the nearby lumberjacks—but when Violet's own reputation is compromised, the inn becomes the least of her worries. In an effort to salvage her good name, Violet is forced into an engagement with a taciturn acquaintanceAnd—Vance Everstone. As she prepares for a society wedding, Violet learns that her brother had staked her hand in marriage in a heated poker game with the unsavory Rowen Steele, and Ezra had lost. Now Rowen is determined to cash in on his IOU. With danger stalking her and a new fiance who hides both his emotion and his past, Violet must decide who to trustAnd—and who to leave behind.

Dawn Crandall is an ACFW Carol Award-nominated author of the award winning series The Everstone Chronicles, which consists of four books: The Hesitant Heiress, The Bound Heart, The Captive Imposter and The Cautious Maiden which released October 4th, 2016.
Apart from writing, Dawn is also a mom of two little ones and serves with her husband in a premarital mentorship program at their local church in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
A graduate o…f Taylor University with a degree in Christian Education and a former bookseller at Barnes & Noble, Dawn Crandall didn’t begin writing until 2010 when her husband found out about her long-buried dream. It didn’t take her long to realize that writing books was what she was made to do.
Dawn is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, the secretary for the Indiana ACFW Chapter (Hoosier Ink), and an associate member of the Great Lakes ACFW Chapter. She is represented by Joyce Hart of Hartline Literary Agency.

I received an ARC copy of this book from the publisher, and this is my honest review.

40 Days to a Joyful Motherhood by Sarah Humphrey- Devotional Coloring Book

My Thoughts:
40 Days to a Joyful Motherhood is a lovely combination of a devotional and coloring book. Each of the 40 days includes a bible verse, short devotion, a prayer as well as a coloring page. I brought mine on a plane trip to Maine along with a pack of crayons! It's light enough to pack in your purse for times you're waiting in the doctors office, for your kids to get out of class, etc. I really enjoyed Sarah Humphrey's encouraging words to moms. They are real and refreshing and get right to the point- can be read in about 10 minutes. Mothers don't have a lot of free time! Topics covered include self-acceptance, self-care, reconciling with grief, hope, and expectations, generosity, presence and forgiveness. I also loved the fact that I could break out the crayons! The time I spent enjoying this book was all mine.😀 The words and bible verse blessed my heart and the coloring page was a sweet stress reliever. It would make a great gift for the mom who has everything!

{MORE ABOUT 40 DAYS TO A JOYFUL MOTHERHOOD}

40 Days to a Joyful Motherhood: Devotions and Coloring Book to Nourish Mom (Abingdon Press, August 2016)

Nourishment for a mother’s soul through 40 days of devotion and . . . doodling! 

Wouldn’t it be marvelous if mothering came with a concrete set of instructions—an easy recipe we could follow? Instead, motherhood challenges women to find their faith, their true selves, and their family through daily doses of trial and error. It is a brilliant and healing time of life that is full of joy, pain, and beauty with a small side of crisis (and humor). What mothers do not know, they learn. And through this lifelong process of learning, they nurture and care for the most precious gifts on earth: children. In a modern society where moms often have a full and busy plate, these 10 minute daily devotions focus on six key topics of motherhood:

—Self-acceptance
—Self-care
—Reconciling with grief, hope and expectations
—Generosity
—Presence
—Forgiveness

In addition to the devotions, these beautiful pages are adorned with handmade illustrations to help you refresh from long days or even occasional sleepless nights. So, grab your colors and a little quiet time for yourself while doodling at the kitchen table. You will be grateful you did!

Learn more and purchase a copy.

{MORE ABOUT SARAH HUMPHREY}

Often considered a dreamer and silly heart, Sarah Humphrey uses inspiration from her most beloved career, motherhood, to fuel her passion for writing, creative movement and teaching. She has and is authoring several books and children’s books. Sarah currently resides in Nashville, Tennessee with her husband and three beautiful, bouncy kids.

Find out more about Sarah at http://sarahhumphrey.com.

*I received this wonderful book from Litfuse.

Unstuffed by Ruth Soukup- The Perfect Read for Lightening your Home, Mind & Soul!

My Thoughts:

Unstuffed, written by Ruth Soukup, made an appearance into my life at just the right time. We're in the middle of moving and, not only that, there are many transitions occurring in my family- only one of which involves material items. I warmed to the author immediately as she speaks to her readers like a good friend- encouraging and very real. She provides helpful advice on how to declutter your home but that's just the beginning! (Her weekend intense purging schedule is awesome!) "Unstuffing" entails getting rid of excess that causes stress- too many "things", too busy of a schedule, toxic people, etc. and not enough quality friends, family, and alone time. Ruth Soukup bares her soul and shares her life's trials with us. She's been through very difficult times involving depression and several attempts at suicide and the bottom line is that we all need Christ and to rid ourselves of things that separate us from Him. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to others. It absolutely put me on the right track to unstuff my life.

Book Description

STUFF. It's everywhere. Lurking in corners and closets, spilling onto counters and coffee tables, creating havoc everywhere we look. And it's not just the physical clutter that weighs us down. Oh no, it is the stress of overbooked schedules, and the weight of life that sometimes feels oppressive and totally out of whack.

New York Times bestselling author Ruth Soukup feels your pain--she has been there too. Through personal stories, Biblical truth, and practical action plans, she will inspire and empower each of us to finally declutter not just our home, but our mind and soul as well. Unstuffed is real, honest, and gets right down to the question we are all facing--how can we take back our lives from the stuff that is weighing us down?

In this book, together we will:

• Create a comprehensive vision for our homes, and make instant changes to improve its overall function.

• Discover that more closet space is not the solution, and instead learn how to set strict limits for the stuff we bring in

• Overcome the frustration of dealing with our kids' influx of stuff and implement practical solutions for keeping the chaos at bay.

• Recognize the pitfalls of an overstuffed schedule BEFORE it gets out of hand, and instead learn to combat the culture of busy that keeps us running from one thing to the next.

• Finally conquer that mountain of paperwork that threatens to tumble down around us at any moment.

• Let go of the guilt that gets attached to gifts and instead learn to separate our loved ones from their stuff.

• Begin to cultivate our real friendships while eliminating the toxic relationships that weigh us down.

*I was given an electronic copy of this book from Booklook Bloggers and happily provided an honest review.*

The Alliance by Jolina Petersheim

My Thoughts:

The Alliance, written by Jolina Petersheim, is a thought provoking story of what could happen in an earth shattering, unseen future. The beginning of the book immediately grabs hold of readers when Moses Hughes' plane dramatically crashes into an Old Order Mennonite community after the instruments are destroyed, His accident was mysteriously caused by an electromagnetic pulse which wiped out technology- cars stop running, electricity fails, and telephones ceasing to work are only the beginning. Leora Ebersole, a young independent Mennonite, volunteers to care for Moses' wounds, although she's already responsible for her younger siblings and grandmother. When Moses reveals his concerns to the Mennonite community members it includes plans of guns and protection from the outside world. Chaos will be coming soon, he tells them, and they need to be prepared. What follows is something no one could have ever foreseen.

I enjoyed this unique glimpse into the future with Mennonite and "Englisch" people working together for survival. There is tension, drama and emotion and the feeling of peril is pervasive. The story does tend to drag a bit in portions of the book but overall a good read. The sequel, The Divide, will be released in spring 2017.

About the Book:

When Leora Ebersole sees the small plane crash in her Old Order Mennonite community, she has no idea it’s a foreshadowing of things to come. When the young pilot, Moses Hughes, regains consciousness, they realize his instruments were destroyed by the same power outage that killed the electricity at the community store, where Englischers are stranded with dead cell phones and cars that won’t start.

Moses offers a sobering theory, but no one can know how drastically life is about to change. With the only self-sustaining food supply in the region, the Pacifist community is forced to forge an alliance with the handful of stranded Englischers in an effort to protect not only the food but their very lives.

In the weeks that follow, Leora, Moses, and the community will be tested as never before, requiring them to make decisions they never thought possible. Whom will they help and whom will they turn away? When the community receives news of a new threat, everyone must decide how far they’re willing to go to protect their beliefs and way of life.

***Read a sample of The Alliance here!***

*I was given this book by Tyndale Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion. No other compensation was received.*

God Bless Us Everyone by Eva Marie Everson

My Thoughts:

God Bless Us Everyone is a contemporary story with parallels to the classic book, A Christmas Carol. Charlene Dixon was raised by her grandmother, "Sis", while keeping the whereabouts of her parents a secret. Life is good until she loses her position at an exclusive all-girls school. Charlene returns to her home town as the holidays approach and discovers that her old crush, Dusty Kennedy, is now the school drama teacher. Memories from the past assault her as she also runs into her father- whom she hasn't seen in many years. Has he changed? Can she forgive him? Charlene's grandmother and Dustin guide Charlene toward an introspective look into A Christmas Carol. Faith, grace and forgiveness play a large part in yesterday as well as today.

God Bless Us Everyone is an interesting contemporary twist on an old story. Unfortunately, I didn't connect with many of the characters, as they all seemed a bit shallow to me. I wanted to like Charlene and Sis but their relationship appeared awkward, at best. I'd categorize this book as more of a novella and that's perhaps why the characters lacked the depth that I typically prefer in a story. I wanted to hear more about Dusty's wife and son, Charlene's mom and dad, as well as Charlene's grandmother. I was left with more questions than answers after finishing this book.

God Bless Us Every One(Abingdon Press, September 2016)

Charlene Dixon—called Charlie by family and friends—is devastated at the recent loss of her job. 

For the last five years, the twenty-seven-year-old has blossomed as the activities director of an exclusive all-girls school. But when a misunderstanding with the headmistress leads to a pink slip right before the holidays, Charlie packs up her dreams and returns to her grandmother, Sis, who raised Charlie as her own in the mountains of North Carolina.

When Charlie arrives—broken and confused—Sis immediately puts her granddaughter to work behind the scenes of the local school’s Christmas play, A Christmas Carol. Charlie prickles at working with Dustin Kennedy, the drama teacher and her old crush from schooldays, but is even more put out at that the choice of the Dickens’ classic for the holiday performance. When she discovers her estranged father’s involvement her world turns on its head once more. But when Sis and Dustin encourage her to take a deeper look at the story behind A Christmas Carol, Charlie learns about trust, faith, and forgiveness and the needs of people in their own community.

{MORE ABOUT EVA MARIE EVERSON}

Eva Marie Everson is an award-winning speaker and author of “The Road to Testament,” “Things Left Unspoken,” “This Fine Life,” “Chasing Sunsets,” “Waiting for Sunrise,” “Slow Moon Rising,” and The Potluck Club series (with Linda Evans Shepherd). She is the president of Word Weavers International, Inc., a member of AWSA, ACFW, RWA, the director of Florida Christian Writer’s Conference, and the contest director for Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writer’s Conference. She and her husband make their home in Casselberry, Florida.

Find out more about Eva Marie at http://www.evamarieeversonauthor.com.

*I was given a copy of this book by Litfuse in exchange for my honest opinion. No other compensation was received.*

The Things We Knew by Catherine West

My Thoughts:

The Things We Knew, by Catherine West, is a compelling family drama/mystery with intriguing flashbacks from the past scattered throughout. The Carlisle siblings- Lynette, Gray, Liz, David and Ryan grew up on the island of Nantucket in rambling Wyldewood Manor. Summers were filled with sailing, beach time and family until the night that their mother died. Questions remain unanswered as to the events of that evening. The tragedy spurred the scattering of the siblings and all but Lynette and her father, Drake, leave Nantucket in search of a new path. As the book beings we discover that Lynette is desperately trying to keep Wyldewood and is financially struggling while at the same time her father is losing his health. She demands a family gathering of all her siblings and upon there reunion finds that she's not the only one with problems. 

I really enjoyed the setting of this book- charming Nantucket and the glorious old Wyldewood mansion. It's badly in need of repair, but I'd love to be able to have a look inside this fictional home! The characters were richly described and I particularly liked the relationship between Lynette and the handsome next door neighbor, Nick. The mystery added the perfect amount of suspense while the flashbacks drew me deeper into the story. Very enjoyable!

About the book: 

The Things We Knew (Thomas Nelson, July 2016)

A tragedy from the past resurfaces in this tale of family secrets and reignited love.

After her mother's death twelve years ago, Lynette Carlisle watched her close-knit family unravel. One by one, her four older siblings left their Nantucket home and never returned. All seem to harbor animosity toward their father, silently blaming him for their mother's death. Nobody will talk about that dreadful day, and Lynette can't remember a bit of it.

But when next-door neighbor Nicholas Cooper returns to Nantucket, he brings the past with him. Once her brother's best friend and Lynette's first crush, Nick seems to hiding things from her. Lynette wonders what he knows about the day her mother died and hopes he might help her remember the things she can't.

But Nick has no intention of telling Lynette the truth. Besides the damage it might cause his own family, he doesn't want to risk harming the fragile friendship between him and the woman he once thought of as a kid sister.

As their father's failing health and financial concerns bring the Carlisle siblings home, secrets begin to surface---secrets that will either restore their shattered relationships or separate the siblings forever. But pulling up anchor on the past propels them into the perfect storm, powerful enough to make them question all they ever believed in.

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/29vkFGh

About the author:

Catherine West writes stories of hope and healing from her island home in Bermuda. When she's not at the computer working on her next story, you can find her taking her Border collie for long walks on the beach or tending to her roses and orchids. She and her husband have two grown children.

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*I was given a copy of this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest opinion. No other compensation was received.*

If My Husband Would Change, I'd Be Happy (& Other Myths Wives Believe)

My Thoughts:

This book is a life changer. The author, Rhonda Stoppe, addresses topics that every married, engaged, and yes, single woman should ponder. It's an easy to read, heartfelt, and entertaining "instruction book" for how to treat your husband, deal with hard times, think about sex, and basically how to be happy when marriage gets difficult- aka "when the honeymoon is over." ;) As I read her words I could feel God changing my heart and it was a beautiful, long overdue transition! (Her husband also writes his viewpoint at the end of each chapter which added an eye opening perspective.) Perhaps your marriage could use some fine tuning, too? :) I really enjoyed how the author told her personally humbling and "aha" moments. She's been there as a wife/mother/lover and understands how women think. I believe most of us are wired to think that our husbands are here to bring us happiness but truly we must find our joy in the Lord. "The key to...experiencing fulfillment in your marriage does not lie in how well your husband measures up to your expectations, but in how well you love God." Wow.  If My Husband Would Change, I'd Be Happy is just what you need to fall in love with your husband all over again. <3 amp="" and="" begin="" blessed="" book="" can="" family.="" has="" how="" i="" it="" me="" much="" my="" needed="" p="" read="" rhonda="" stoppe="" t="" tell="" thank="" this="" to="" very="" whole="" you="">

About the book: 

If My Husband Would Change, I'd Be Happy: And Other Myths Wives Believe (Harvest House, August 2015)

Like most brides on their wedding day, you no doubt were filled with love for your husband and the hope of a happy life together.

But perhaps today, as the realities of life together have settled in, those happy expectations are going unfulfilled. And it's tempting to think, "If only my husband would change, I'd be happy."

That myth is but one of many that Rhonda Stoppe dispels in her easy-to-read exploration of what it takes to experience a truly happy marriage. In the process, she addresses such important topics as

-understanding your husband's need for your unconditional respect

-rekindling the love that drew you to your husband in the first place

-refusing to believe the lie that you'd be happier married to someone else

-learning to be content in the midst of financial struggles

-thinking about sex from a biblical worldview

If you desire to rekindle the love and hope you felt on your wedding day, this book will go a long way toward making that dream come true.

Contains discussion questions and personal reflections at the end of each chapter.

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/2a9Izc6

About the author:

Rhonda Stoppe is the No Regrets Woman. She is an author and speaker dedicated to helping women live life with no regrets. With more than 20 years' experience as a mom, mentor, and pastor's wife, Rhonda's wisdom and experience helps women discover significance in God and His specific purpose for their lives, connect biblical principles to everyday decisions, develop a loving marriage that others dream about, and influence the next generation by raising children with integrity.

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*I was given this  amazing book by Lituse in exchange for my honest opinion. No other compensation was received.*