This is a book that starts with a kidnapping of a young wife and daughter. In an instant, she disappears from the life of everyone who loves her. If not for the courage and persistence of veteran detective Terrence Cooper, then Julie Montgomery might not live. The Christian faith of all of the main characters is a source of strength for each of them and a major part of the story. I enjoyed seeing how Luke Montgomery matured during the course of the novel. I also really liked Detective Cooper because he was a real thinker who knew who his source of strength was. I highly recommend this book to those who enjoy Christian fiction with a lot of suspense.

Disclaimer

Disclosure of Material Connection: I own a copy of this book on my IBooks App. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own.

What a feel-good story, at least at the end! Kristan Higgins does a masterful job of leading the reader through the lives of two stepsisters, Kate and Ainsley. Ainsley is distraught because her boyfriend with whom she has lived for over a decade has just dumped her. Worse, Eric has been posting about how awful she was on the web. Kate is mourning the sudden loss of her husband of only a few months. The two move in together and support each other through the ups and downs of their lives. I enjoyed the interaction between the two sisters and the way the author told the story through both of their eyes. Ainsley is the more fun sister, the one who doesn’t take anything seriously, so she is devastated when Eric throws her to the side. Kate is already taking life seriously and enjoying her role as the wife of a well-respected and successful architect. Too quickly, Nathan is gone and Kate is like a ship without a rudder. I think that my favorite character was Daniel, the “Hot Firefighter.” He was funny and quirky and showed just the right amount of empathy to Kate, giving her a compass to hold on to during her time of deep grief. Readers of romance that tell a good story about friendship and family will really enjoy this book. I certainly did!

Disclaimer

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a signed copy of this book from the author via an online contest. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions 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 Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

Kate is a high society mother, wife and doctor in Baltimore. Her husband Simon is gorgeous, her daughter Annabelle is delightful and her life seems to be charmed. That is, until the night that her mother Lily is murdered. Then Kate spirals into a maze of not believing in anyone, ricocheting from accusing her father to her husband to everyone and anyone who could possibly be a suspect. For many years, Kate has been estranged from her former best friend Blair. But now, during her tumultuous time of grief, she calls on Blair to come to her side. I thought it was very strange that Blair left behind her career as a bestselling author, her co-author husband Daniel and her high life in New York City in order to rush to Kate’s side. Nevertheless, that is what she did and stayed by Kate’s side throughout the ordeal. Not everything is as it seems though because there is a murderer close to Kate, very close. This psychological thriller is not as fast-paced as I would have liked it, but it was very well-written, drawing me quickly into the dilemma of Kate’s family and circle of friends. Lies are at the center of the story as is infidelity, but it is well concealed until the conclusion who is being truthful and who is not. Fans of the author will not want to miss this book!

Disclaimer

Disclosure of Material Connection: I checked out a copy of this book from my local library on the Overdrive App. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own.

Do you remember playing Tag or Hide n’ Seek when you were a child? There was always a safe place that if you could get to it, you couldn’t be tagged or found? That is what God is to each of us…our safe place, our refuge. I looked up the definition of stronghold in the Google dictionary and it says, “a place that has been fortified so as to protect it against attack.” Fortified means strengthened. With what is God fortified? Well, He is God, so He is the ruler of all and stronger than all. He also has an entire army of Heavenly Beings that He can call on for reinforcements, although just because He is God, I don’t think that He needs anyone but Himself. Imagine running into the Father’s arms and His loving arms completely surround you with His mighty power and protection. God is our stronghold and refuge. He is the only One to whom we can tell exactly how we are feeling and what is frightening us or causing us distress. Today, I am feeling low because a dear friend from church got a bad report from his recent visit to his oncologist. The cancer is spreading and aggressive. To whom can my friend go? To God, his stronghold and refuge. No matter what happens, at the end of each path we choose to take, is God. I am depending on God to help me to be strong no matter what happens and to help me to be a loving encouragement to both my friend and his wife.

God doesn’t promise that we won’t have troubles. In fact, this Scripture verse says WHEN, not “if.” So, God knows that we will go through deep waters and fire, through troubles and hard times. But He promises to be with us so that we will not be defeated by them. That is my prayer for all who are going through the deep waters and fire called cancer. I pray that God will be with them and that the waters will not overwhelm them and the fire will not burn them. Will you join me in my prayer today?

Blessings for you and your household for a day of peace and love and giving to others as you have received.

This book needs to be in the hands and hearts of everyone who has ever had difficulty believing that they belong. Everyone at one time or another has had difficulty fitting in: at work, socially, in the neighborhood, etc. The author does a masterful job of addressing this issue and presenting solutions in an organized and practical manner. Each chapter offers useful advice as well as a testimony of a story in which this “path to belonging” has helped someone in the author’s life. Each chapter also ends with a “Belong Blessing” with Scriptural verses that the reader can use to strengthen them in their quest to fit in. I loved this book and really needed it years ago, when I was moving from place to place and needed to fit in quickly before we moved again! The author is a wife of a military veteran, just like I am, so I identified with her from the beginning. But this book is not just for people like me who have faced constant moves. This book is for everyone, because doesn’t everyone want to belong somewhere?

Disclaimer

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, Revell Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions 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 Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

This book is available now from your local bookseller and online. I highly recommend it for anyone who has problems with self-confidence, especially for young adults and teens just now working on finding the group that they will fit into. It is also useful for those mature adults like me who want to explore fitting into a new group, that of being retired. And it is useful for those in their middle ages who want to fit in at work or wherever they go. Honestly, everyone needs to get a copy of this book!

Susan Isaacs does a masterful job of writing a story that is mysterious as well as humorous. Corie Geller was an FBI agent who is not married and a mother. She misses the excitement of her previous life but has settled well into her new one. She even has lunch weekly with a group of freelancers and enjoys observing all of their habits. One day, she notices that Pete, a member of the group, has varied from his daily routine. Most people wouldn’t even notice that Pete is a little strange and now has become stranger. But Corie’s FBI background leads her to question and investigate. Her investigation is what the majority of the book is about and leads to some humorous situations and dialogue. I enjoyed the interaction between the main character and those with whom she talks, trying to get to the truth about Pete and who he really is. The mystery becomes more thrilling as the book moves on into later chapters and easily kept my interest. Fans of mysteries with a twist and a lot of humor will enjoy this book.

Disclaimer

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bookishfirst.com. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions 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 Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

This book will be available on October 1, 2019.

Lisa Harris has done it again with her latest mystery thriller! She has presented an original plot that is totally believable and one that drew me right into the middle of the action. Caitlyn Lindsey has a regular job as a research scientist until she is forced off the road one evening. Then, she starts to remember others with whom she worked who have died. With total determination, grit, and resolve, she seeks the help of recent widower and detective Josh Solomon to try to protect her life and find out the truth of what happened to her colleagues. As Josh and Caitlyn get closer to finding the truth, their lives are in more and more peril, creating a tense and enjoyable scenario for the reader. This is a thrilling story of good versus evil in which each chapter is more intense than the previous one. Readers of romantic mystery and suspense with a touch of thriller will thoroughly enjoy this book!

Disclaimer

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley and a hard copy from Revell. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions 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 Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

This is Christian romantic suspense so it is a clean read! It is available now at your local bookseller or online.

Allison Radcliffe and Lincoln St. John combine their efforts to stop Russian Mafia kingpin Nevsky from killing his daughter Daria and from continuing to expand his criminal empire in the U.S. They have to work totally undercover since Nevsky thinks that Allison is dead. The interaction between these two is charged with tension because the reader just knows that somehow, some way, Allison and Linc will come together as a couple. Their romance is not the real focus of most of the story, though. The plot is complicated with many characters, both those in law enforcement and those on Nevsky’s team. I enjoyed finding out more about the St. John family and the background of Allison was jaw-dropping. This is a book to be read quickly the first time and then to be read again to go back and find all of the clues that you missed before. Lynette Eason has proven again that she can draw the reader in and keep them there because of her mastery of suspense and a tense atmosphere. I highly recommend this book for readers of romantic suspense who really enjoy being wrapped up in a story that won’t let you go until the end.

Disclaimer

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley as well as a hard copy from Revell. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions 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 Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

This thrilling romantic suspense is available today at your local bookseller. A Christian clean read!

This is a sweet and heart-warming story of family, love, loss and finding one’s way in the sea of life. Emerson Jordan was all set to get married on Valentine’s Day when she is unceremoniously dumped by her boyfriend. She decides to leave New York and spend some vacation time licking her wounds and thinking about her future at Seashell Cottage on the Gulf Coast of Florida. There she meets Devin Gerard, an intensely focused pediatrician who goes on missions trips to Costa Rica to help the children there. He just needs a break to recharge and is staying at Seashell Cottage to get his energy reserves restored. Em and Devin are friends, knowing that they both have future plans that don’t include romance or marriage. Then, everything changes towards the end of the book. I was happy with the ending, but now with how quickly it concluded. I felt that I was kind of left hanging about Em’s plans with her landscaping business. Nevertheless, the book was a good story set in a tropical setting that was inviting. Readers of light romance will enjoy this second installment of the Seashell Cottage series. I did not read the first book, but that did not make any difference in my ability to understand all that was happening in this book.

Disclaimer

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions 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 Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

This book is available from your local bookseller now.

Wow! I am so appreciative that Stu chose me for this month’s tag because I am a former teacher and I certainly know this reference! Thank you so much, Stu! I am thankful that Dollfaced Writer and Purple Rose created this fascinating tag! If you are not following Stu, folks, you need to. He writes from the heart and truly loves the Lord Jesus.

Here are the rules:

1. Thank the person who tagged you and link their post to yours.

2. Link this post so that we can read them.

3. Use the original featured image and include it in your post.

4. Copy and paste the meaning of the tag into your post.

The Meaning of this Tag:
For many people here in the United States, August means the beginning of a new school year, or at the very least time to prepare for school to begin in early September. It can be very stressful and chaotic. “Back to School” is all over advertisements, television, the internet, grocery stores, department stores…pretty much everywhere you look. It’s a combination of excitement, anxiety, and stress that our society dreads yet looks forward to every year.
In this month’s tag, inspired by the nostalgia of “Back to School” season, Purple Rose and I want to go “Back to the Basics” and reflect on our education and early life. Join us in remembering the sweet smell of freshly opened crayons, the sound of pencils sharpening, and the sight of red ink on the most recently graded assignment…

5. Answer the questions.

6. Tag at least one person.

7. Have fun and enjoy the rest of your month!

Here are the questions:

1. Did you (or do you) go to public school or private school? Or, were you (are you) homeschooled? (Please do not share the name of your school XD)

I went to public school for all twelve years and then I attended a state college.

2. What was (is) your favorite subject in school?

This is a really easy one to answer since I later became a Spanish teacher. Spanish, por supuesto! (Translation: of course!)

3. What was your favorite grade in school?

I think that I would have to say grade 7 because I had an amazing teacher who noticed how shy I was and worked with me to get me involved in group activities. She also understood when I really needed to be alone and allowed me to stay in the classroom and read instead of going outside for recess.

4. Do you prefer pens or pencils? Why?

I currently use both, pencils for my calendar because things change, and pens for journals, letters, etc. because my hope is that the ink will last for years and that my children and grandchildren can one day read these insights into who I am.

5. What was (is) your favorite school lunch?

I really don’t remember but I would have to say anything that had French Fries with it.

6. What is the biggest lesson that you have learned in life?

That Jesus loves me and died for my sins

7. What do you wish that someone taught you a long time ago?

I wish that someone had told me that I was valued and important when I was a child so that I would have grown up with more self-confidence and self-worth. Currently, because of my past, I still struggle with these two issues, but God is good and continually whispers to me about His love for me.

This month I am tagging:

Lisa Blair

Bible Blogger Girl

Please do not feel obligated to participate, but if you choose to do so, have fun with it!