Waiting for Spring

In Waiting for Spring, the second book in the Westward Winds Series by Amanda Cabot, Charlotte Harding finds herself hiding many secrets about herself: who her husband was, why she is hiding, where she grew up, her previous career, and the fact that her son is blind. She never expected to meet someone like Barrett Landry. He is a wealthy cattle baron who is contemplating a run for political office. Although their attraction to one another is apparent, Barrett’s advisors are pushing for him to marry the daughter of an influential newspaperman. These is also some suspense and mystery, as the “bad guy” is after money he assumes Charlotte is in possession of.  

 

I loved the romance aspect of this book, as well as the characters. I was really rooting for Charlotte and Barrett, as well as the secondary characters. Although I read the first book in this series, it’s not necessary to have read it to understand what is going on in Waiting for Spring.

 

"Available January 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group."

 

*I received a complimentary copy of this book for review 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.*  

The Lesson

 

The Lesson tells the story of Mary Kate Lapp, the last daughter in the Lapp family who have their stories told in the Stoney Ridge Seasons of books. Mary Kate, M.K., is the youngest daughter in her family, and she is definitely the most precocious of all the children. No matter what she tries to do, there always seems to be some type of disaster following the 19 year old.

 

M.K. dreams of travel, and she wants to leave her Amish community. Her plans for travel are put on hold when she causes an accident which leaves the school teacher out of commission for 10 weeks. M.K. finds herself with a new position in her community as she becomes the substitute teacher. In addition to her new job, M.K. can’t help but let her imagination wander when she decides the newest resident of her town is a thief and murderer. Obviously, this creates many interesting moments for M.K.    

 

I really enjoyed this book, and as I read the other books in the series, I could not wait to learn about M.K. since she was always entertaining in the other books. I thought this book tied in nicely with the others in the series, but you don’t necessarily have to read the first 2 in order to enjoy this book. I’m sad to see this series come to an end, but I will be looking forward to more books by Suzanne Woods Fisher.

 

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."

 

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


Suzanne Woods Fisher is holding a contest in celebration of the release of The Lesson. Suzanne is giving away TWO iPads and iTunes gift cards!

Contest details on Suzanne's site: http://suzannewoodsfisher.com/contest

Contest dates: Jan 3-20, 2013

Two winners will receive:

• A brand new iPad

• A $15 gift certificate to iTunes

Still Lolo

I remember hearing the story of Lauren Scruggs on the news initially after she was involved in the accident which took her arm and eye, but I did not know the whole story and the great role that her faith played in her life and her reaction to the accident. In Still Lolo: A spinning propeller, a horrific accident, and a family’s journey of hope I heard the whole story of not only the accident, but also the recovery Lauren went through.

 

The terrible accident happened when Lauren went for a flight with a friend who was a pilot in December of 2011; during the flight she had a premonition that something was going to go wrong. When they landed safely, Lauren was relieved, but she still felt that something was not right. As she was leaving the plane, she stepped onto the propeller which caused the terrible accident most of America heard about. In addition to telling about Lauren’s accident and recovery, her childhood and family matters are detailed in the book.

 

Each chapter in this book is told through the perspective of a different family member, and I liked the way this allowed me to see how they experienced the different stages in their life and Lauren’s recovery. I was able to read this book in the span of a few days, and I really liked that the book was written in a way that most ages would be able to enjoy the book. I’ll definitely be giving this book to my teenage sister to read!!

 

If you want to read more about this book before you buy it, visit this link!! http://mediacenter.tyndale.com/downloads/press_kits/StillLoloCh1.pdf

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received the book at no cost from the Tyndale House Publishing Company for review purposes. 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 Roses

Since everywhere I look everyone seems to be in the Christmas mood, I was really excited to read Christmas Roses by Amanda Cabot. This was a cute, short story that looked at Celia Anderson and her daughter Emma in the year 1882. Celia recently lost her husband, and she seems to be the most eligible bachelorette in her small community in Wyoming. As the local boardinghouse owner, she gets the opportunity to meet new people in the town. Unfortunately, there aren’t too many residents at her business, so she serves dinner to some local bachelors and takes care of a young child to earn money.

When Mark Williams comes into town looking for his father, he saves Emma’s life with his quick-thinking after she contracts Croup. He quickly becomes a part of their family. As Mark and Celia’s friendship grows, Celia receives marriage requests from two men who are interested in marriage for practical reasons. She thinks it would be best for her daughter to have a family, but she does not want to give up the notion of finding true love: a kind of love where someone would bring her Roses for Christmas. Mark, meanwhile, continues on his mission of finding his father who left him at a young age.

I really liked this book, and thought it was the perfect read for a cold winter night! I liked seeing the relationship between Celia and Mark grow, and I also liked the focus on Mark coming to terms with his past and reconnecting with his faith. The connection Mark and Celia’s daughter Emma had was also great to read about. Although Mark was not Emma’s birth father, he truly cared for her and was concerned about her health and well-being.

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

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell as part of their Blogger Review 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."

 

The Christmas Pony

 

The Christmas Pony by Melody Carlson follows Lucy Turnbull during Christmas in 1937. Her father is no longer living, and her mother made their home a boardinghouse as a way to provide for her young daughter. When Lucy meets a young couple in town and hears about their car breaking down, she believes it is an answer to prayer as a way to help her family earn money through their rental of rooms at their home. She is also hopeful for the fulfillment of two other prayers: a pony and to have her mother’s smile return. As Lucy spends time with the young man, George, and woman, Veronica, she learns more about their true character.

 

This was very quick read, and it was a cute book that got me ready for Christmas! I think this would be a good book for a family to read together before the Christmas Season. The book focused on the real reason for the holidays, and the Christmas play at the local Church was a perfect way to focus on Christ’s birth rather than just presents. I’m glad I had the opportunity to read the book, and I can’t wait to share it with others.

 

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

 

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell as part of their Blogger Review 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."

 

Flight of Fancy

Flight of Fancy is the second book in The Daughters of Bainbridge House series of books by Laurie Alice Eakes. Cassanda Bainbridge is engaged to Geoffrey Giles, who ultimately becomes the Earl of Whittaker after the death of his brother. When Cassandra calls off her engagement due to an accident which causes her to have burns, she travels to the country where she focuses on her other love, ballooning. Even before her accident, she was more interested in reading about ballooning than doing the typical girl things, like sewing and attending a party. As could be imagined, her ex-fiancee Geoffrey would rather her keep her feet on the ground in order to stay safe.

 

Cassandra and Geoffrey were both characters I liked, although I think I liked Geoffrey more than the heroine. He really cared for Cassanda regardless of the scarring she experienced due to her accident. He was also a great boss with an interest in doing what was best for the factory workers. I read the first book in this series, but even if I had not read the book, I would have been able to follow the story of Cassandra and Geoffrey.

 

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

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell as part of their Blogger Review 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."

American Patriots

Being from Pennsylvania, Rick Santorum is a name everyone knows. That’s why I could not wait to read his book American Patriots: Answering the Call to Freedom. It was a very easy read and is the perfect book to randomly pick up and read short stories about forgotten heroes from the time of the Revolutionary War. I also liked the fact that this book was very Patriotic and written in a way that anyone can understand, even young teenagers. Also, the way it is written teaches you about history without being dry like some history books tend to read.

 

Each of the 25 chapters is dedicated to a particular individual who had certain characteristics of a Patriot. As well as being a book about America’s history, it had a Biblical focus as each chapter contained a well-known Bible Verse to tie together the story from the particular chapter.

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Tyndale House Publishers as part of their Blogger Review 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."