What Your Heart Needs for Hard Days

What Your Heart Needs for Hard Days: 52 Encouraging Truths to Hold On To, by Holley Gerth, is a great short book that has 52 devotions based on the Psalms. These were all quick reads, and they were the perfect length to read in the mornings before going to work. Even if you don't think you need to hear encouragement, this book gives you great topics to return to when you are having a difficult time in your life.

In addition to having great content, the book was really cute. It's a small size book, so it was the perfect size to put in my purse if I wanted to read it at lunch at work. I think this is a perfect gift for a family member or friend during this holiday season!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, as part of their Book Review Blogger 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.”

Trading Secrets

Trading Secrets by Melody Carlson is a cute, young adult book that is a relatively quick read. Micah has been pen pals with an Amish boy for the past 6 years, and when she thinks about going to visit him, she immediately has concerns that he will find out her secret…that Micah is not a boy! This was such a cute concept, and I really liked the interaction between an “Englisher” and an Amish person (Zach). Also, I liked that Zach and Micah really forged a great bond from their letter writing. Throughout the difficult times in their life, they were able to rely on each other.

 

 I think most teenagers would really enjoy reading this book, as well as learning about the lifestyles of their Amish counterparts. In addition to being an entertaining concept, the characters in the book were both very likeable. I would definitely be interested in reading more about Micah and Zach in the future.  

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. 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."

The Christmas Cat

The Christmas Cat, by Melody Carlson, is the perfect book for any cat lover during the holiday season. Garrison Brown recently returned from missionary work in Uganda, but he did not take much time out of his busy schedule to visit his grandmother who raised him. When Garrison Brown’s grandmother passes away near the holidays, he has to return to her home and pack up her belongings. With those items are also six cats that need to be relocated to new homes. Although you would think this would be a relatively easy task, his grandmother left very specific instructions which made their placement a little difficult. Also, he was not going to be able to inherit his grandmother’s home until the cats find good homes.

Throughout the book, Garrison meets many interesting characters as he tries to place his grandmother’s cats. While the main focus of this book was not romance, I did enjoy the little bit of romance that was added. It made the book more than just a story about cats. Even though I don’t particularly like cats, I really did enjoy this book. I think many different people will enjoy reading The Christmas Cat during this holiday season.  

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. 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."

Christmas at Rose Hill Farm

Suzanne Woods Fisher’s new book, Christmas at Rose Hill Farm: An Amish love Story, is a great read during the holiday season. Bess Riehl grows roses on her family farm. When she finds a rose she can’t identify, her family calls Penn State to have an expert come out and identify the rose. Little does she know, the person who will show up at her family farm is Billy Lapp. Billy and Bess have a history with each other, but they have not seen each other in years since Billy unexpectedly left his family. Bess, before even realizing Billy would be entering into her life again, found herself wishing her upcoming wedding would have Billy as the groom, instead of his best friend Amos.

 

This book was a really quick read, and I think it’s the perfect gift for someone during this holiday season. Even though I’m not particularly interested in flowers and roses, I still found this book very interesting. There wasn’t too much technical information about roses, and I really enjoyed reading about the relationship between Billy and Bess. The way the book had flashbacks also did a great job of giving Billy’s backstory so we realize why he feels the way he does about returning to his hometown.

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. 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."    

Surprised by Love

I am a huge fan of Julie Lessman, and having read her first two Heart of San Francisco books, I could not wait to read Surprised by Love. Surprised by Love follows one of the younger McClare girls, Megan. Megan grew us as a shy and chubby girl. When she returns from her year in Paris, she is a completely different person, and her relationship with her best friend Bram has changed too. Bram finds it hard to keep his feelings for Megan those of friendship. Megan gets an internship at the district attorney’s office where she learns she will be working with Devin Caldwell, the boy who was so mean to her in school. He soon begins to have feelings for her, but is he being honest with her, or will she face sadness again at the hand of Devin Caldwell, with Bram there to help her pick up the pieces just like in the past.

 

In addition to Megan’s story, her mother Caitlyn McClare must decide between following feelings for her brother-in-law, Logan, who has broken her heart time and time again, and the District Attorney who she has so much in common with as they attempt to clean up the streets of the Barbary Coast.

 

This book does a great job of tying together any loose ends that were left after the first two books in the series. While you don’t have to read the first two books in the series to follow what is happening, I would definitely recommend reading them because they are some of my favorite books. I really liked reading about the relationship between Bram and Megan in the earlier books, so I was very happy to see their friendship/relationship revisited in this book. I am really disappointed to be at the end of this series, and I’m hoping somehow there will be a spin-off of these books so I can read more about the McClare family.

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. 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."    

At Bluebonnet Lake

At Bluebonnet Lake, the first book in the Texas Crossroads series by Amanda Cabot looks at Kate Sherwood and Greg Vange. Kate took a month off her job in advertising to take her grandmother to Rainbow’s End in the Texas Hill Country. Rainbow’s End is not exactly what she expected when she heard stories from her grandmother about what a great resort it was over 50 years ago. The paint is peeling, there are holes in the window screens, and it seems that the closure of the resort is in the near future. When she’s there, she meets Greg Vange. At first, she thinks he’s a handyman, but she soon learns he’s a guest at the failing resort. She doesn’t know he sold his software company for millions, and is at Rainbow’s End looking for the next step in his life.

 

I thought this book was a cute, romantic read. It was really easy to follow, and it was a very quick read for me. The characters were likeable, and I found myself relating to their struggling with slowing down after constantly being on the go with their jobs. I also liked reading about the relationship between Kate and her grandmother. You could really tell they cared for one another, and they had a special relationship since Kate’s parents were killed at a young age and she was raised by her grandparents. Overall, this is a great book that really focuses on the role God plays in the lives of both Kate and Greg.

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. 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."