Love on the Rocks: a second chance romance with faith, struggles and a happily ever after

Love on the Rocks is the second book in the Crane’s Cove by Kerry Evelyn. Kat Daniels regrets the day she chose barrel racing over her fiance, Easton Crane. A year later, she returns to Crane’s Cove with a secret. Easton Crane has loved Kat for as long as he can remember. When she shows up a year after their broken engagement, he is confused and conflicted. Especially when he sacrificed six years of his life to care for her after her traumatic brain injury. He is full of questions: what brought her back to town? Is she going to stay? What is she hiding? When a hurricane hits the cove, the life of Kat’s beloved horse, Easton and Kat must work together to save her. Can they also battle the storm of old memories? Can the wounds heal? Can their second chance at love be even stronger than before? 

Love on the Rocks is a clean, sweet Christian based romance with a small town community. It has been a while since I read the first book; however, the story in this book was easy to follow without a lot of information from the first book. From the beginning, Kat was closed off and hiding a secret that she tried to drink away. When the storm threatened her beloved horse, my heart dropped. I was even angry at Kat for her animosity toward Easton. However, as Kat’s hard facade began to crack, my heart broke for her. I loved the struggles with faith the characters experience in this story. Many authors who write faith based stories don’t really dive into struggles; however, Ms Evelyn does this beautifully. It felt real and relatable. Overall, I enjoyed this story and I look forward to reading the rest of the series. I highly, highly recommend Love on the Rocks. 

Love on the Rocks is available in paperback and eBook

The Last Letter: an emotional tragic story with loss, struggles and love

The Last Letter by Rebecca Yarros is a story of loss, love and the struggles. Ella MacKenzie was asked by her brother, Ryan, to write to his fellow serviceman who didn’t get many letters from home. She eagerly does. She and Beckett Gentry begin a friendship through their letters. Although she only knows him by his call sign, Chaos. When Ryan is killed in action, his last letter is to Beckett, asking him to watch over his sister and her two six year old twins, Colt and Maisie in Telluride, Colorado. Ella is raising her children on her own while running a local bed and breakfast and dealing with Maisie’s health struggles. Beckett leaves the army and arrives in Telluride with his retired K-9, Havoc, and immediately jumps into his new role. At first, Ella is resistant but soon there is an attraction that neither can resist. However, there are still secrets between them and the truth could threaten to tear them apart. 

I have seen The Last Letter heavily on social media. Many reviews highly recommended it while others warned the emotional damage readers would suffer after reading it. I looked forward to a good emotional story. From the opening chapter to the closing pages, the emotions and tears flowed. There were also moments of laughter and smiles. I loved Beckett as he takes his role as protector seriously. I loved Ella as an independent woman who was determined to prove those who doubt her wrong. I loved Colt and Maisie as the precocious twins with their unusual bond. I even loved Havoc and wished to have a dog like her. The ending was tragic but an expected tragedy. I was expecting one of five deaths and the death did not play out the way I expected. My only nitpick is one scene where a character from Lord of the Rings was referenced and in the book, the name was spelt, AOWYN when the character is EOWYN. If you are going to reference another character, spell the name correctly! Overall, I did enjoy this story. I highly recommend The Last Letter. 

The Last Letter is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

Tomorrow's First Light: a marriage of convenience romance with faith, hope and drama

Tomorrow’s First Light is the first book in the Texas Promise series by Naomi Rawlings. Sam Owens grew up in an orphanage in the small dusty town of Twin Rivers. All he dreamed about was a spread of land of his own and a family. For a year, he has been writing to Ellie Spritzer, who agreed to come to Twin Rivers and become his wife; however, she was bringing her siblings with her. Sam had no issue with it, looking forward to a ready made family. He wasn’t prepared for the eight young children who arrived with Ellie. As Sam and Ellie start to figure out life together, with a brood of children and limited resources, someone from the shadows tries to steal his land from him. They are now in a fight to hold their new family together on the land they all have come to love. 

Naomi Rawlings is a new author to me and I enjoy mail order bride historical fiction. Tomorrow’s First Light is a great read, fast paced and page turner filled with drama, faith and struggles, filled with love, friendship and support. I loved the struggle with faith and doubt of Ellie as she faced the drama with the land, entering a marriage with a stranger and questioning her decisions. I enjoyed Sam as a young man who knew hardship and the support of friends and held a deep faith in God that he moved forward despite the overwhelming odds in front of him. His friends were great characters and I enjoyed their interactions. Overall, I enjoyed this story and I am looking forward to the rest of the series. If you enjoy marriage of convenience with faith, hope and new beginnings, I highly recommend Tomorrow’s First Light. 

Tomorrow’s First Light is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

Perfect Imperfections: finding love among the struggles of life and uncertainties

Perfect Imperfections by Mariah Ankenman is a story of finding love among the struggles of life and uncertainties. Ellie Clark deals with anxiety steaming from her OCD compulsions which makes forming relationships difficult. As one of the head aviary keepers at the Sunlight Zoo, she enjoys spending her life around the birds who don’t judge her idiosyncrasies. Her life is about to change in ways she never imagined one fateful day as she makes the split second decision to rescue a child who falls into the penguin pool. In the aftermath, she finds an unusual bond with Charlotte, the young girl, and an attraction to her handsome father, Sullivan. Dr Sullivan Green has focused his life on his medical practice and raising his daughter since his ex-wife left them both. He is taken by surprise at the yearning he feels when near Ellie. As they began to spend time together, the attraction between them built until passion ignited. However, when the ugliness of their lives interfere, they must find the courage to take a risk on love. 

Perfect Imperfections is the type of story that takes you by surprise. When I started the book, I was intrigued as the story jumps into the event which brings them together. It started to slow down a bit and I wondered if I even wanted to continue. But I did and I am so glad I did. It speeds up once Ellie and Sullivan acknowledge their feelings. Once it did, the book was hard to put down. I enjoyed all the characters from Ellie, Sullivan and Charlotte to the supporting characters of Cam, Ellie’s best friend, and Gavin, Sullivan’s younger brother. The story was so sweet and oh so emotional. There were multiple scenes that I cried as I read. I cried sad tears. My heart broke with the characters as they deal with the ugliness of life. I cried happy tears and I closed the book with a smile. The banter was great and made me laugh and smile. The heartfelt moments made my heart melt. The depiction of mental health, especially OCD, was eye opening. I highly, highly recommend Perfect Imperfections. 

Perfect Imperfections is available in paperback and eBook

Shadowing Stella: a Christian suspense

Shadowing Stella is the first book in the Endless Mountain series by Elle E Kay. Pregnant and alone, Stella McIntrye has no choice but return home to Edinsville to the family and God she ran from. Her family welcomes her home. Jason Duncan sees Stella beyond her mistakes and wants to show her that she is loved and deserves love. But first he needs to break through the walls she has built around her heart. As they spend time together and become close, they don’t realize that someone is watching Stella from the shadows and evil is around the corner. When Stella is abducted, she must keep her faith and wits as she works to set herself free. Who has abducted her? Will she be set free? 

Shadowing Stella is a Christian suspense story. I loved the focus on faith and trust in God. I also loved the acknowledgement of doubts and struggles with faith and God and yet continuing to trust. I don’t know why Christians have this idea that believers cannot have doubts or struggles. I also loved that Stella’s parents welcomed her home like the prodigal son and helped her get back on her feet. On a sad note, the attitudes from others in town about Stella’s situations were all too real. However, the pace was a bit too slow for me and the suspense part of the story dragged the story down even more. Overall, the story was okay; however, I will not be continuing the series. If you enjoy Christian suspense stories, you may enjoy Shadowing Stella. 

Shadowing Stella is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

The Book of Fire: human resilience and healing in the face of tragedy

The Book of Fire by Christy Lefteri is a story of tragedy and the resilience of the human spirit. In present day Greece, deep in an ancient forest, Irini lives with her husband, Tasso and their daughter, Chara. One fateful day, a fire rages out of control, changing their lives forever. In the aftermath, as the village tries to rebuild and injuries begin to slowly heal, Irini stumbles across the man who started the fire. He is dying but whether it was by his own hand or someone else’s is unclear. In her anger, Irini makes a decision that will haunt her. As the local police investigate the man’s death, Tasso mourns for his father who has been missing since the fire and Irini struggles with her decision and the meaning for their future. Can they rebuild their lives? Can they find forgiveness within themselves to move forward? 

Ms. Lefteri’s books are always gorgeously written with haunting images and deeply intimate with emotions and struggles. After falling in love with her writing since The Beekeeper of Aleppo (2019), I eagerly looked forward to The Book of Fire. Inspired by the fires that devastated Greece a few years ago, The Book of Fire is about the search for meaning in the wake of tragedy. It is a look at the human toll in all events, either natural or man made, people must learn to pick up the pieces and rebuild. Irini is deeply relatable as she makes a decision that most of us would probably have made in the heat of anger and the need for retribution and her coming to terms with her decision. Overall, I enjoyed The Book of Fire. If you enjoy deeply moving stories about the human spirit, I recommend The Book of Fire. 

The Book of Fire is available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook

Fear Has a Name: Christian suspense with real issues and real struggles

Fear Has a Name is the first book in the Crittendon Files by Creston Mapes. A stranger breaks into the home of Jack Crittendon while his wife, Pamela and young daughters were home. As the police chalk it up to another in a string of home invasions, something feels off. Only personal items were taken and personal items destroyed. As a journalist, Jack is put on a story of a missing pastor, who reportedly left a suicide note. His investigation leads him into a dark world of lies, greed and danger. When a name surfaces from Pamela’s past, is there a connection between their home invasion and the missing pastor? It is a race against the clock as Jack knows he must uncover who this person is and what he wants with Jack’s family before it’s too late. 

A Christian suspense? An oxymoron? No, this story is filled with suspense, intrigue and faith. As a Christian, I find many Christian fiction to be too overly positive. The same goes with books labeled as Christian suspense. With the same basic, repetitious sunshine and rainbow versions of faith and believers, the story would fall flat. However, the Christian message in Fear Has a Name is real and deep which didn’t shy away from the issues that many Christians struggle with. These characters aren’t perfect, they are deeply flawed and struggle with their faith and their human nature. Fear Has A Name is a slow burn suspense story with a fast paced ending that will leave you hooked. Overall, I enjoyed Fear Has a Name. If you enjoy suspenseful stories with a Christian message, I recommend Fear Has a Name. 

Fear Has a Name is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

Invisible: a hard hitting story of personal and spiritual growth

Invisible is the first book in the Mendocino Village series by Ginny L. Yttrup. In a small town of Mendocino in Northern California, three women find their lives intertwined and challenge the hurts they hide behind. Ellyn DeMoss is a chef, cafe owner and an overweight woman. While she sees the good in others, she only sees the worst in herself. When Dr Miles Becker, the handsome widower, shows interest in her, she simply cannot believe it. Who would be attracted to an overweight woman? Sabina Jackson is hiding in Mendocino. She left her husband and young adult daughters behind in Georgia as she comes to heal, or so she says. Heal from what? Twila is a young woman with a troubled past. She is coming out of hiding and working on gaining back all she has lost. Can she figure out the triggers that keep her from reaching her goals? 

Invisible is a hard hitting story of personal hurts, grief, guilt and struggles. At the beginning, I could tell this story would be a doozy! This story blew me away! I immediately related with Ellyn as a woman who felt unlovable and unattractive to men. She had a horrible inner voice that fueled her self-loathing. Sabina is a woman running, overwhelmed with a sense of guilt and unsure how to move forward. Twila is a young woman who identifies where she has gone wrong and yet still struggles moving forward. This story is filled with God moments, faith and spiritual growth that holds powerful messages for readers. We are all made in His Image for His divine purpose and we are greatly and fiercely loved! My heart broke for these women and I cheered as they made strives toward a brighter future. I highly, highly recommend Invisible. 

Invisible is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

Silent Tears: one woman's journey volunteering in a Chinese orphanage

Silent Tears: A Journey of Hope in a Chinese Orphanage by Kay Bratt is a true story of her experience in China and her time as a volunteer at a local orphanage. It is a story of adversity, setbacks and triumphs as she fought against the Chinese bureaucracy to help the country’s orphaned and abandoned children. In 2003, Ms. Bratt and her family relocated to a rural Chinese village as her husband took on a new management position for his employer. She begins to volunteer at the local orphanage and soon it becomes more than just something to fill her days. She begins a crusade to improve the living children and minimize the unnecessary deaths of the children. Silent Tears is the collection of her journal entries from their four-year assignment in China and chronicles the emotions, hurdles and daily frustrations faced by Ms. Bratt and her fellow volunteers as they strive to become champions for these marginalized children. A story with a message that everyone can make a difference. Big or small, it is still a difference. 

Silent Tears is a vivid memoir of strength and determination as Ms. Bratt fights against despair at the conditions of these children and the powerlessness she often feels when her efforts are for naught. She is unapologetic as she describes the conditions these children live in, the circumstances beyond their control that brought them to the orphanage in the first place. Ms. Bratt finds the inner strength to pursue her mission day after day to bring a small bit of happiness to these children’s lives and smiles to their faces. My heart broke as Ms. Bratt talks about the different children who lived there, the treatment they received from the workers and her strives to carefully improve what she saw. I admire Ms. Bratt’s determination to help these children. I also appreciate that she doesn’t gloss over or hide her own preconceived notions and even prejudices as she enters a world so different. It is evident she has a big and open heart for the children she helps care for. I enjoyed the personal letters she included at the end as an update for some of the children she talks about in the book. I highly recommend Silent Tears. 

Silent Tears is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook

Hope Lies Ahead: follow up to Prayers for Prodigals

Hope Lies Ahead: Encouragement for Parents of Prodigals from a Family That's Been There is the follow up to James Banks’ Prayers for Prodigals. In Hope Lies Ahead, Mr. Banks writes about his journey as a parent with his prodigal son, Geoff. Geoff also contributes to the book as he writes about his side of events as well as his thoughts and feelings as he descended into drug use, his struggle to recovery and the transformation his life has taken now. Each chapter is a conversation with James providing the parental perspective and Geoff providing the prodigal perspective. Their goal for the book is to show all their faults, struggles and successes to encourage parents and prodigals who deal with the same faults, struggles and look forward to their own successes. It is also their goal to encourage churches to open their doors and arms, to become a place that people can truly be honest about their struggles, without judgement, for prayers, love, and support.

From the very beginning, Hope Lies Ahead is brutally honest. Misters Banks open their hearts and laying everything on the table to show what they went through and how they battled to achieve the recovery that live today. Not just Geoff’s recovery from drug abuse but their own relationship as father and son recovered to be in a better place than it had ever before. Geoff at one point said, “My father was so concerned with getting me to God that he forgot to maintain our relationship.” Hope Lies Ahead is a great heartfelt look into one family’s battle with addiction. One side are the parents, desperate to help their child and on the other side is the child whose addiction takes him to the very depths. Only through prayer, faith, and determination is that child alive and well today. I highly recommend Hope Lies Ahead!

Hope Lies Ahead:

Encouragement for Parents of Prodigals from a Family That's Been There

is available in paperback and eBook

Twenty-One Truths About Love: one man's life in list form

Twenty-One Truths About Love by Matthew Dicks is the story of Daniel Mayrock, told through his lists as he struggles with his failing bookstore, his inability to tell his wife, Jill, about their financial future and her desire to have children. He is a man at a crossroad in his life. He knows that he loves his wife. He regrets opening the bookstore and quitting his job to do so. He takes great risks to save his marriage, to do almost anything for love, but he is a man who wants to do something out of the ordinary, to be special and to deserve happiness. Will he be able to do all he dreams? Will he come clean to his wife about their finances? Will they be able to have a family?

Twenty-One Truths About Love is told in an interesting style. A style I had not heard about, so I was intrigued and decided to give it a chance. While it was hard to read, it was like getting deeper into the mind of the narrator in ways I haven’t seen before. I applaud Mr. Dicks for taking a chance on such a unique idea. However, I discovered I did not like Daniel. I had no sympathy for him whatsoever and some of his comments in his lists were annoying. That was the beginning, as I read and as I saw his struggles once Jane does get pregnant and he sees his worst nightmare coming true, he realizes that success and happiness comes in different forms. There were times I wanted to scream at the book, “TELL HER!” but I also see why he fears telling her. In the end, it is a book about a man struggling to make a life for himself and his family and struggles on how to do it. If you are interested in new forms of storytelling, I recommend Twenty-One Truths About Love. If you aren’t, its best you leave this one alone. 

Twenty-One Truths About Love

will be available on November 19, 2019

in hardcover, eBook and audiobook

Home: a story of confronting the past to have a future

Home by Ginny L Yttrup is the story of Melanie and her husband, Craig. Melanie is a writer who is struggling with her next book with looming deadline fast approaching. Craig is a custom home builder who is struggling with their marriage and their lives. He has a beautiful client who makes him feel exciting and important in ways that have been lost with Melanie. Meanwhile, their best friend and next door neighbor, Jill, is in a deep struggle with memories which her mother claims never happened and the feeling as if she is losing her mind. With the help of a fellow writer, Valerie who is also a psychiatrist, Melanie and Jill face their demons and confront the truth they both have been running from. Will Craig give in to his desires? Will he walk away from his marriage? Will Melanie discover what is causing her writer’s block? Will she be able to finish this book on time? Will Jill figure out what is wrong? Will she truly lose her mind?

Home was a interesting book as there were three perspectives shown in the story. While Melanie and Craig were the main plotline, I enjoyed Jill’s story far better. It was much more interesting and gut wrenching as she learns the truth behind her “memories” and mental issues. I loved the insight into a writer’s writing methods. As a writer myself, I enjoyed seeing the rituals and patterns Melanie follows in order to write her story. I highly recommend Home for its drama and realistic portrayal of life’s struggles and the road back to a place of peace and contentment.

Home

is available on Amazon

in paperback and for the Kindle

Christy & Todd: The Married Years series

I have grown up with Robin Jones Gunn’s books. I reviewed The Christy Miller series, The Sienna Jensen series and Christy and Todd: The College Years and The Katie Weldon series last year. I’ve finally been able to finish the Christy and Todd: The Married Years series. Forever with You is the first book in this new series and it picks up immediately after the Katie Weldon series ended. Christy has an announcement to make and her plans to tell Todd are interrupted when a series of events prevents her from sharing the news. Soon they will face trials and hardships that will test their marriage, their faith in God and their faith in each other. They must learn that plans will go awry and new dreams will be pursued together. Will they stand firm together as the tough times come?

Home of Our Hearts is the second book in the series. The story begins as Todd and Christy make ready to start their journeys to the weddings of Todd’s dad in the Canary Islands and Christy’s friend, Katie, in Kenya. Everything seems to go smoothly until a sudden medical emergency seem to derail those plans. Despite the bumpy start, the two are on their way. Christy begins to question where she and Todd are meant to be at home as she sees her father-in-law and her best friend enjoy their adopted homes. Will she and Todd ever find the home of their hearts?

One More Wish is the final book in the series which begins with Christy’s 26^th birthday as she makes a birthday wish. She makes a wish and realizes she forgot one thing to wish for. She and Todd begin to discuss having children and Christy questions if she’s ready for a family. When their dear friends, Doug and Tracy, face unexpected trials, Todd and Christy’s resolve for their future family is tested. She sees what could possibly change when children do arrive. Will Christy ever be ready for children of her own? Can she make one more wish?

Christy and Todd: the Married Years has been a series of nostalgia as the earlier series are referenced and old friends are met again. Although I found Christy still a little naïve about what it means to be a wife and possible future mother, I enjoyed seeing her grow through her trials. If you grew up the Christy Miller and her friends, you will enjoy this series. Ms. Gunn as continued Christy and Todd’s story in a new series, The Baby Years, and I will review those books when the final book is available.

Miss Fortune: a memoir of one's journey to better her life

Miss Fortune by Albina Hume is a memoir of one woman’s journey from poverty in the Ukraine to animal activism in Africa. It is a life which many of us can hardly imagine but a classic story of picking yourself up from the dust and creating a great life in any way possible.

The story opens with a prologue, Albina is eagerly awaiting the arrival of her wedding invitations which features a butterfly as a representation of the beginning of new life. She lives on a ranch in Africa with her fiance, John, who works to save the white rhinos from extinction. The short, then, flashes back to childhood and life in the Ukraine. She struggled with the pronunciation of the letter “R” and was horribly teased because of it. She would spend her life trying to avoid all words with Rs, which would be proved hard in a language with strong R pronunciations like Russian. She would be educated in boarding schools and when she has her diploma in hand, she would try to find a job. Only the doors to steady work would be closed to her as employers discovered she was a villager. She soon gets into deep debt, trying to make a living and turns to exotic dancing in order to pay those off. She would soon find herself in Greece, where she would fall in and out of love as she is used and betrayed by men who lied. She would eventually turn to a marriage agency which leads her to John and his ranch in Africa.

I received a PDF copy of this book which was hard to read at first, mainly because I have never read a book in this format before. But once I figured it out, the book was a fast read because it kept me intrigued. Her story seems only like it was written for a movie. Her story was all the more heart wrenching because she lived it. As I read her descriptions of her journey, her disappointments, her struggles, I found myself horrified that this was her journey but I rejoiced with her as she found love and a new purpose in her life. I recommend Miss Fortune as a life story which will inspire and encourage other to take their life circumstances and change them for the better.  

Short Story: The Shallow End

Today on the train, I couldn’t help listening in to this woman’s phone conservation. She seemed so tired and lost, I felt bad for eavesdropping but I was intrigued….

“How I am doing today? Let’s see. I feel like I’m in a room full of people and no one can hear me. I feel like I’m between a rock and a hard place. I feel that all my hard work is for nothing. I feel as if I’m drowning…”

“Oh, enough with the analogies. Ok, a simple sentence: I feel unappreciated. I feel pulled in different directions with no relief. I feel that all I do is give and I get nothing in return….”

“Home? The same. Get up, take care of my daughters, clean house, and shower, maybe read if I can get past a page or two and basically wait until my husband gets home where I cook dinner, clean up afterward. I’m expected to wait on him hand and foot because he quote ‘had a hard day.’ Do you know that I often dread when he has more than two days off? Yeah, I do. Because by the end of the second day, I wish that his boss would call him in just to get him out of my hair…” 

“He’s no help. I have to beg and make deals with him just to get him to give the kids a bath….”

“I have tried talking to him but he doesn’t understand and I don’t know how to help him understand. I know that he’s exhausted after working all week and he wants to rest but he doesn’t get that I don’t get a day off. I’m always on duty. Do you know how many times I have to get out of bed because they are calling for me or they’ve gotten out of bed and play with the toys? Some nights, too many to count. And when I do finally get to sleep, I get woken up by him, saying it’s time to get up. I look at the clock and I realize that I’ve only gotten a few hours of sleep. People will joke and say ‘that’s being a mom.’ Even when he is home, I’m expected to do everything. If my daughters get into something, I’ll get an attitude as if to say, ‘why weren’t you watching her?’ As if I’m the only one who is responsible for them. And if something happens, like they get sick and I’ll tell him what we need to do but he’ll ignore me and call one of his older sisters as if I don’t know what I’m talking about. You know what? About 99.9% of the time, they’ll tell him the exact thing I did…”

“I do love him. He’s usually very sweet and considerate. We get along very well. It’s just some days, he’ll come home with an attitude as if he is ‘Mr. Know-it-all’ and I don’t know what I’m talking about or I’ve been misinformed. That’s usually when I know he’s been talking to his older brother. My brother-in-law is the jack of all knowledge but a master of nothing. But he sure acts as if he has a Ph.D. in very topic under the sun…”

“No, I don’t expect perfection. I expect consideration that my opinions and comments are worth listening to and not dismissed because it contradicts what he’s been told by someone else…”

“My friends? Ha, that’s a joke. My friends don’t want to hear my problems because it would take away from their complaining. And when I do try to talk, I get a short ‘oh, that sucks. So my husband did….”

“I feel so isolated from everything and I know that life is happening outside our door. I can’t seem to enjoy it either it be money or fear or uncertainty. To sum up. You asked me how I’m feeling. Have you ever been in the pool where the deep end slopes up to the shallow end and you use your toes to keep your head above water until you can get your full footing? Well, that’s how I feel. I feel as if I’m forever in the shallow end trying to stay above water. Some days I do but most days I don’t. How do I stop from drowning in the shallow end?”

As I got up from my seat and passed her, I pressed a note in her hand that I had written. She looked at me in shocked but I just nodded and smiled and got off the train. I hoped she would find my words encouraging. I hoped she would realize that she’s not alone in her struggles. I simply wrote:

“Even diamonds have to go under a lot of pressure

before they emerge beautiful and priceless.

You are a diamond still under pressure.

Your time to shine is coming. ”