Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Where Wildflowers Bloom

Ann Shorey’s newest book, Where Wildflowers Bloom, is the first in the Sisters at Heart series which looks at Faith Lindberg dealing with life after the Civil War in the year 1866. Her family fought in the war as she lived her life in Noble Springs, Missouri. After the completing of the War, and the loss of her father and brother, Faith tries to convince her grandfather to leave the only home they have ever known and their family mercantile to travel and start a new life in Oregon. When the man she wanted to marry before the war returns home, she must decide what she really wants out of her life. In addition to deciding what she wants her future to look like, she also wonders about the strange occurrences that are taking place in the town.

As with most books I read, I’m drawn to anything that is historical in nature. This book was no difference. I enjoyed reading about how a family copes with the losses from war and how they go on with their lives. The various characters played different roles in the military, a militia-man, a nurse, and a soldier suffering from PTSD. Faith also deals with prejudice due to her being a woman, and difficulties in running a family business. I felt the characters of Faith’s grandfather and Curt Saxton were especially endearing, and I can’t wait to hopefully hear more about these characters in future Sisters at Heart books.

Available January 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell Books. 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."

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Love Lifted Me

Love Lifted Me: A Songbird Novel, by Sara Evans with Rachel Hauck, is the third novel written by Sara Evans. Since I am a fan of Sara Evan’s music, I have read all of her books, and I was excited to have the opportunity to read the newest addition to her series. This book again looks at the life of Jade and Max and their marriage which has some difficulties. After Max’s drug problems and his time spent in rehab, he decides to leave his law practice and moves to Colby, Texas for the opportunity to coach a High School football team.

I liked the relationship between Jade and Max, and that Jade was willing to forgive her husband’s mistakes and even become closer due to the circumstances they went through. Also, they learn to grow with one another as they are attempting to find their place in a new city. They have to learn to move on from the past, both their past mistakes and their past home. I think this is something everyone struggles with at some point in their life, and I liked how this aspect of moving on was addressed. Overall, I enjoyed this book, but I would most likely only recommend it to an older-aged audience.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Books. 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."

Chasing Mona Lisa

Chasing Mona Lisa, written by Tricia Goyer and Mike Yorkey, takes place in 1944 during the time of WWII in Europe. Since I love reading anything concerning WWII, this book was especially interesting for me. The book looked at the Germans attempts to obtain famous and expensive pieces of artwork. The Mona Lisa was one such piece which held historical and monetary importance. Swiss OSS agents Gabi Mueller and Eric Hofstadler are tasked with working with the French Resistance to save this piece of artwork from being taken by the Germans.

Although I did not read the book The Swiss Courier where the two main characters were originally introduced, I did not have any problems following the story. There were many characters, but I felt with a little concentration I was able to understand and remember the characters. Overall, I enjoyed the book and learning more about this time in history. I remember once watching a movie where German individuals stole pieces of artwork during WWII, and I found this book to be in line with what the movie portrayed. The characters were well-rounded, and I found myself caring deeply about them protecting Leonardo da Vinci’s artwork and also them forming a relationship with one another. I will definitely be reading The Swiss Courier to see an earlier story with these two Swiss OSS Agents.

Available January 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell Books. 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."

Saturday, January 14, 2012

The Keeper

Recently I read The Keeper by Suzanne Woods Fisher which looked at the Lapp family, and the problems they are facing in their Amish household. Julia Lapp’s engagement has just been broken, her father is refusing to have a life-saving surgery, and the younger children are dealing with problems at school. To top it all off, Roman Troyer is back in town. Roman Troyer has a way of getting under Julia’s skin, and this visit is no exception. He is an Amish man who seems to have no roots; he wanders from town to town with his bees that the farmers use to help in the growth of their fruits and vegetables. As Roman spends time of the farm, living in an abandoned cottage, the two begin to spend time together. As time goes on, their feelings begin to change, but they must first deal with some difficulties they are experiencing in the present and face some of the problems they had in their past.

I really enjoyed this book, and I did not guess what was going to happen at the end of the book. This was more than a book about love, rather it looked at forgiveness and the ability to move on. I really liked the relationship between the characters. The siblings always seemed to be there for each other, and they were very caring for Julia when her engagement was broken. The youngest sister, MK, also tried to raise money to help with her father’s surgery. Also, when their mother died, they worked together and each took on different parts of running the household. Although they worked hard to keep their home functioning after their father’s illness, the book shows the difficulties children experience when their parents have health problems. I cannot wait to read more books by Suzanne Woods Fisher!

Available January 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

I received a copy of this book for review purposes. I did not receive any monetary compensation.