When Sparrows Fall

When Sparrows Fall written by Meg Moseley tells the story of Miranda Hanford. Miranda lives her life in Georgia in a controlling church with six young children to raise, as her husband died a few years previous to the timeframe of the book. When the church’s pastor decides it’s time to move to North Carolina to have a fresh start, Miranda sees it as her opportunity to release herself and her family from the church. When an accident causes Miranda to find herself in the hospital, the legal guardian of her children, Jack Hanford, Miranda’s brother-in-law enters into their life to help watch after the young children.

I really enjoyed this book, and liked the characters of both Miranda and Jack. I think it’s apparent that they both want what is best for the children they are caring for…in Jack’s case his nieces and nephews and in Miranda’s case her children. I think Miranda definitely faced hardship in her life, as being married at a young age and entering into a cult-like church entirely shaped the kind of person she was. I think her bravery in trying to always do what was best for her children really stood out to me in this book. I will definitely be recommending this book to others.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the WaterBrook Multnamah Publishing Group book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

A Great Catch

A Great Catch by Lorna Seilstad is the second book in the Lake Manawa Summers series of books, and I was extremely excited to read this book as I loved the first book in this series. A Great Catch tells the story of Emily Graham. She is an extremely motivated woman who is working in the early 1900s to ensure women are given the same rights as men, and thus the ability to vote. Emily is entirely focused upon achieving her goal, and, in turn, she feels as if she doesn’t have time for relationships with both her friends and God. Throughout the summer, Emily plans a special event to draw attention to the cause which connects her to Carter Stockton, a pitcher for the local baseball team. Although Emily doesn’t think she has time to foster this relationship, her thoughts change as the summer progresses and so do their feelings for one another.

As I said, I was extremely excited to read this book since I liked the characters in the first book in this series. Some of the same characters again reappear in this book, but it is done in a way that A Great Catch can easily be read as a stand-alone book. I liked the focus of having a personal relationship with Jesus in this book, and the fact that Carter shows Emily that although her cause was important it could not be all consuming in her life. The setting of the book was also nice to read about, as I liked hearing how the area changed since the first book, Making Waves. Overall, I loved this book! I will recommend it to my friends, and I can’t wait to read about another summer in Lake Manawa.

“Available May 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Revell book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Beyond All Measure

Beyond All Measure, A Hickory Ridge Romance, written by Dorothy Love tells the story of Ada Wentowrth as she travels from Boston to Hickory Ridge, Tennessee. In this particular instance, Ada thinks her new job is to care for Lillian, but rather than just being a caretaker, she is expected to run the household. In addition to the difficulties in her job, she is faced with concern by some of the people living in Hickory Ridge due to the fact that she is a Northerner.

I really enjoyed this book, since I am interested in historical romance book. I also liked the time period in which the book took place. Following the Civil War, there are many difficulties occurring in the south which Ada and the other characters must work their way through. I also liked the relationship between Wyatt and Ada, and I enjoyed seeing the relationship progress as I read about their lives in the Tennessee town.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

A Heart Divided

A Heart Divided by Kathleen Morgan is the first book in the Heart of the Rockies series, and it looks at the lives and feud between the Caldwell and the Wainwright families. Although the feuding began before either Cord or Sarah were born, the home which was won in a game of cards by the Wainwright continues to cause strains between their two families. What started as a robbery attempt, soon escalated into a further relationship between Sarah Caldwell and the Wainwright brothers. Sarah and Cord are both forced to make difficult decisions throughout the book. Should they continue to harbor ill feelings toward each other or can their growing relationship overcome their past?

I enjoyed this book immensely, and I am hopeful there will be more books in this series. I think the Wainwright and Caldwell families are characters I would really like to learn more about. Nick Caldwell was a very strong character in the story. Although he faced hardship in his life, through an accidental shooting which caused him to be paralyzed, he was a character with a strong faith and ability to forgive. I also liked the setting of the story; the family ranch created an interesting backdrop for a story as it automatically creates tension in the day-to-day operation of the ranch. Monetary troubles and relationship troubles are also discussed in the book, and they are issues all people can relate to. I would recommend this book to my friends if they are looking for an uplifting summer read!

“Available May 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

NYC

NYC for the day....going to see Chicago with Christie Brinkley--hopefully the rain holds off!!