I am a Christian, a retired teacher, a mother and a grandmother. I love to read and I love the Lord Jesus Christ! Unless otherwise specified ,all visual illustrations are from the YOU VERSION APP of the Bible.
This is well-written and completely absorbing historical fiction with a dual timeline that works well. The historical part of the book is set in St. Petersburg, Russia during the last years of the Tsars and at the time that the House of Faberge was creating unique eggs for the ruling family. The current time includes engaging characters Nick Laine, a treasure hunter, and his estranged daughter Ava whom he convinces to go to Russia and find a missing Faberge egg. Because of his ill health, Nick cannot go so he sends Ava along with Carol, his former wife, and Zak, a computer guru who is secretly in love with Ava. Once there, Ava meets her Russian helpers, Xander and Anatoly, who are to help her solve the mystery of what happened to the missing egg. The historical details included in this book are fascinating with many details that kept me thoroughly enthralled in the story of how Faberge acts were created. There is mystery, subterfuge and family devotion all rolled up into one neat package in this well-written and intricately developed plot. The characters are almost all likable and relatable and even those whom I did not like were well-developed and multi-faceted. My favorite characters were Zak because of his quirkiness and Ava because of her determination to please her father. The themes of understanding, forgiveness and love are the foundations of this wonderful story that is memorable as well as educational. I learned a great deal about Russian history, the revolution that overthrew the tsars and the Faberge family that was caught in the middle. The mental images presented in the book are vivid, but I also found myself seeking real images on a search engine of what the various Faberge eggs looked like. The intricate details in the eggs is matched by the author’s brilliant and insightful descriptions that placed me right there in St. Petersburg, seeking the treasure alongside of Ava. This is a remarkable story that had an intriguing mystery, a love story and a well-researched story to tell. I highly recommend this captivating book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction that is profound, thought-provoking and well-crafted. Disclaimer Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell Books 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.”
Rated G for all audiences. This is clean Christian fiction that mixes historical fiction with contemporary. Kelli Stuart is a writer and a storyteller at heart. A graduate of Baylor University with a degree in English Professional Writing, and a minor in the Russian language, Kelli has honed her skills in the written word through editing, ghostwriting, blogging, and traveling the world. Kelli is the author of the Carol-award winning novel, Like a River From Its Course, based on true stories from Ukrainian World War II survivors. Her second novel, A Silver Willow by the Shore, was the NIEA winner for literary fiction and received the IPPY silver award for literary fiction in 2020. Kelli’s third book, The Fabulous Freaks of Monsieur Beaumont released in August, 2021. She will release her fourth novel, The Master Craftsman in April, 2022 with Revell books. In addition, Kelli is part of a collection of short stories in the Christmas release, It’s a Wonderful Christmas: Classics Reimagined. Kelli has co-authored the non-fiction books Dare 2B Wise with Joe White, and Life Creative: Inspiration for Today’s Renaissance Mom with Wendy Speake. Kelli lives in Tampa, Florida with her husband and five children. (Info from author’s page on Amazon)
There is no fear of dying for Christians because dying on earth means living eternally in the presence of the Lord. The thought of dying can be scary for some people because it is an unknown that we have never faced and when we finally face death, it’s for the first and last time. We cannot go through the occasion again and tell others about our experiences so that they won’t be afraid. The good news is that Jesus died BUT He came back to life again and because He lives, I know that one day when I die, I will also be resurrected and live with Him. I’m sorry for all those who do not believe this Biblical truth because they are truly without hope. The older I get, the more I anticipate being with the Lord forever. It will be glorious, beyond what I can think or imagine. It is normal that those left behind will grieve, but they also have hope of seeing their loved ones again in Heaven. “Ever be with the Lord” is not just a Biblical phrase. It’s the hope that I cling to as I face every challenge of being elderly, complete with aches and pains and a body that is breaking down, just as it is supposed to. I just read about the death of Moses and was amazed that he seemed to be totally spry at death…clear vision and a spring in his step. After all, he was able to climb a mountain to see the Holy Land before he died. I’m not Moses, though, and my seventy year old body is weary. Nevertheless, I am called to keep on keeping on until the Lord calls me to my eternal rest. I pray that you have the same hope of eternity with the Lord. No pain, no sorrow, no tears. Just Heaven! As the song says, “I Can Only Imagine.”
I pray that God will bless and keep you today and give you the gift of hope and the refreshing presence of His Spirit guiding you in all your ways.
Let’s assume that you have followed the Roman Road, confessed your sins and accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. So, what do you do next? Do you just return to life the way it has always been for you? The most important thing you can do is to establish a routine of reading your Bible and praying daily. The Bible is God’s instruction book for our lives and in it He tells us His expectations of us and His promises for us. Praying is simply talking to God. How long would you expect to have a relationship if you never talked to the person with whom you are trying to establish one? You need to get into the habit of talking to God daily, about little things, big things, everything. If it bothers you, talk to God about it. If it puzzles you, talk to God about it. If it pleases you and makes you happy, talk to God about it and tell Him how thankful you are. Then, after you have done your talking, sit quietly and wait for Him to talk to you. Sometimes, He speaks to me through a Scripture verse that He puts into my mind or a song that I recall or sometimes He just speaks to me to be still and let Him calm me and prepare me for the day. Regardless, give God a chance to speak to you so you don’t always have a a one-way conversation.
Here are some Scripture verses that were in my devotional this morning to encourage you along the way.
Reading your Bible is a good start, but you also need to put His Word into your heart and apply it to your own life. I call that meditation on God’s Word. For example, the first verse above, as I think about it, I ponder what it means to continue to live my life in Him. What are the daily choices I make that would please Him? Are there changes that I need to make in order to walk more closely with Him?
Ultimately, your life as a Christian is still filled with choices. Every day, I make the choice to read a certain book or watch a certain show, based on what its effect might be on my faith in Jesus. I know that no matter where I go or what I do, Jesus is with me now and I want to choose to do things and see things that are pleasing to Him. The choices are still ours to make. That’s why we have to be rooted in Him, dependent on Him to help us make the right choices. Will you mess up? Probably. We all do. But God’s love is so big that He forgives again and again. We just have to be honest with Him and tell him that we sinned again and ask for His forgiveness again. Be careful with that, though. You can’t plan to sin knowing that you will then ask for forgiveness later. That’s like a premeditated act of defiance against God. The sins we continue to commit because we all have a sin nature are from choices that we make without thinking of consequences for ourselves, our spiritual relationship with God and for others. I have found that it helps to pause and pray before I make choices. The pause is brief, the prayer is brief, but if I feel any hesitation at all about the choice, I save the choice for later and wait for God to lead me in the direction He wants me to go.
The Christian walk is just that, a walk that you start again daily. Sometimes, you may go off on the wrong path (sin), but when you pray, God will lead you back to where you should be. One of the things that will help you to persevere as the Scripture above says is to find a good, Bible-believing church and attend regularly. How do you do that? Well, you visit the pastor beforehand and ask about some of the church’s basic beliefs. If they have a firm foundation on God’s Word, it would be a good place for you to plug into to be nurtured with other Christians, some of them new to the faith just like you. I can’t tell you what a good church looks like or believes because that is up to the leading of the Holy Spirit inside you. Yes! Another promise! Jesus said that when He returned to the Father, He would send a new comforter, the Holy Spirit, who will lead and guide us in all things. So, when you pray, asking for a church to call home, ask for the guidance and leading of the Holy Spirit to help you find the place you should be. My husband and I have moved over 25 times (military family) and each time we move, the first thing we do is visit local churches and find one that meets our spiritual needs. When our children were at home (they are all grown now), we always chose a church that had programs for them because we knew it was important for them to be fed spiritually, too.
I hope that this rambling missive has been helpful and instructive. If you have questions, just ask me via the comments or my email address on the site. I have been where you are, many years ago, but I have been standing in your place, bewildered about how to move on with God. Just take the first step and He will meet you there and tell you what’s next.
God bless and keep each of you as you make choices that will glorify and honor our Lord and Savior.
A sweet online friend pointed out that I did not elaborate in my post yesterday about how to be saved. Thus, that is the theme of today’s post because I certainly want anyone who reads my blog and who needs salvation to come to the Lord in repentance and to be saved.
This is an astonishing promise! It doesn’t say that you have to walk right, talk right or be right. God makes you right with Him through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ.
The steps to take for salvation are easy to follow. They are commonly known as the “Roman Road” because the verses are found in the Book of Romans. There are no special words to say or a sinner’s prayer that you have to utter. In fact, the words, “sinner’s prayer” are not in the Bible. You just have to believe that Jesus died for you, confess that you are a sinner to Him and accept His free gift of salvation.
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Here are the accompanying Scripture verses to ponder in your hearts as you face the choice of eternal life with God:
Part of our message in church yesterday was that we cannot be good enough to save ourselves from eternity in hell. Before I became a Bible-believing, Jesus-confessing Christian, I thought that I was a pretty good person. I didn’t do too many bad things and I generally felt bad and apologized quickly when I did offend someone. I didn’t kill or steal or destroy things, so I thought I was okay. Then, one night when I was alone and reading the Book of John, I was convicted that I am a sinner, saved by grace and that God had to send His Son into the world for die because of my sins. Well, really the whole world’s sins, but He died for me! I discovered almost fifty years ago that I would never be good enough to have a relationship with God without Jesus as my Intercessor.
No matter how much we think that we are doing right, even when we are doing things that we think are for God, we are not good enough to have a relationship with Him without Jesus forming the bridge between us. God established His plan of salvation from the beginning of the world. I am not wise enough to understand how God knew from creation that he would need to send His Son to save us all from our sins, but Genesis 3:15 is called the proto-evangelical verse because in it God says, speaking to the serpent in the garden: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he will bruise your head, and you will bruise his heel.” (MEV) On the day of Jesus’s crucifixion, part of this Scripture came to pass, when Jesus was nailed to the cross. Satan thought he had finally won the war, but Jesus rose again and showed to Satan and all of mankind that the ultimate victory is His. God knew we need a Savior, yet so many are still lost in their sins, thinking that they are good enough and they just want to live their own lives without any “interference” from God. God doesn’t want to interfere in your life, my friends. He wants to bless it beyond what you can ever imagine. Furthermore, He wants to spend eternity with you. But, as the old saying goes, the ball is in your court now. You have to choose to believe that you are not good enough and that you need a Savior to be saved from your sin. Your eternal destiny depends on your own choice, so choose wisely!
Crackling with tension, this suspense-filled book had me captivated from beginning to end. The final book in the U.S. Marshals series, this one tied everything together and was a satisfying conclusion to an intriguing set of books. In this latest book, deputy U.S. Marshals Madison James and Jonas Quinn are tasked to find a missing babysitter and her charge before notorious and ruthless criminals find her and kill her. Ava is definitely on the run and doesn’t know who she can trust. Her cleverness and ability to stay just out of reach of the criminals and the U.S. Marshals contributed to the fast pace and the non-stop action of the story. There were various sub-plots, most notably the fact that Madison is still searching for the person who killed her husband Luke and wants to close the book on that chapter of her life so that she can move forward. The romance is hovering over the surface, just enough to tease and to let the readers know that love is ready to come on the scene. With a complex plot and a compelling mystery within a mystery, this book was intense and absorbing. The characters were well-rounded and have demonstrated growth and change throughout the series. Nevertheless, this book can be read as a standalone with no difficulty since everything is explained well and all of the loose ends are tied up nicely in a very satisfying conclusion. In the genre of Christian Romantic Suspense, this book includes all that I want to read, with a little romance and a lot of suspense and a totally clean read. The suspense kept me reading. Let’s face it! Who doesn’t want a baby to be found safe and sound? The pleasures that reading this book gave me are innumerable; it was my “Calgon, take me away” book and I enjoyed every minute I spent within its pages. I was captured by the characters and felt as though they became my friends to whom I gave unsolicited advice, trying to help them not to get killed, of course. Fans of romantic suspense will not want to miss out on this conclusion to a fantastically mesmerizing series! Disclaimer Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell via Netgalley as part of the Revell Reads Blogger Tour. I also received a hard copy of the book from the author as part of her review team. Finally, I pre-ordered my own copy because I love this author’s books and collect them. With all that being said, 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.”
I enjoy being a part of the REVELL READS BLOGGER PROGRAM because I have discovered many new-to-me authors and books that I can recommend to my blog readers and friends online.
The somber day of Jesus’s crucifixion is done. The celebration of His Resurrection is yet to happen. What do we do on this Holy Saturday? Like the disciples, we wait. Unlike them, on that day after His death, we know that the future is bright because of His empty tomb. The disciples had to be terrified that they, the ones closest to the Messiah, would also be arrested, tortured and put to death. They scattered and hid because they had lost their shepherd. We have the hope that they did not have and know that Sunday is coming! We put our hope in God’s Word, waiting with expectation for the next great thing He will do in our lives to show His love for us. He already did the greatest thing possible when He sacrificed His Only Son for our sins. How can we not believe in His great love for us?
Have a blessed day as you reflect on the sacrifice of the Lord and wait for the celebration of the Resurrection Day.
The story of the grieving Porter family and their path to a new future is one that tugged at my heart strings and that resonated with me because of the different circumstances of each family member. When Lily Porter dove into the ocean to save two drowning girls, she was doing what came naturally to her, but she gave her life for the little ones. Rosemary, her mom, decided to go ahead with Lily’s plan to start a “glampground” on the headlands of the beach and is determined to make it a success. Lily’s twin sister Violet, a special education teacher in Sacramento, returns home to help her mom with the campers and to find her own peace in the midst of her grieving. Cami, the lawyer like her father Ted, comes home to also help her mom and her sister, but first she has to mend some broken bridges with them. The family has been torn apart by Ted and Rosemary’s divorce years before the story begins, and they have never really healed. Ted and Cami stayed in the city practicing law while Rosemary and the twins moved to Moongate Farm and pursued a rural life. The story is a complicated one, with a sub plot of a neighbor suffering from dementia and the dilemma that he does not recall giving Lily permission to use his land for the campground. When his son Jon returns from Guatemala where he is pursuing his passion as an archeologist, he comes with the idea in his mind that he has to seek justice for his father Frank and get his land back that the Porters have tricked him into leasing. Although there is a lot of backstory to the story, the author did a masterful job of creating the layers so that they flowed seamlessly into each other. Her greatest accomplishment, in my opinion, was the characterization of each person in the story. Even the minor characters took on a life of their own, with flaws and human frailties that were evident and portrayed realistically. I enjoyed the small town feel of the setting, the ups and downs of resolving the conflict and the emotions that were an undercurrent throughout the story. There is romance involved between multiple characters, but I was delighted that it was presented tastefully without the steamy details that make me roll my eyes. This is a good, wholesome and sweet romance with a lot of drama and many characters with whom I could identify with at least part of what was happening to them. The plot was fast-paced and absorbing, so I finished the book in only a few days, wanting to know the resolution as much as the characters did. I would highly recommend this book to any reader who enjoys an intricately woven and character-driven plot with relatable characters. 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.”
Sweet and wholesome. Rated G. Author Bio: New York Times bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne finds inspiration in the beautiful norhtern Utah mountains where she lives with her family. Her stories have been described as “poignant and sweet” with “beautiful honest storytelling that goes straight to the heart.” She loves to hear from readers and can be reached through her website at http://www.raeannethayne.com. Social Links:Author Website Twitter: @raeannethayne Facebook: RaeAnne Thayne Instagram: raeannethayne Goodreads
Excerpt
2
VIOLET
WILD, FRENZIED BARKING RANG OUT WHEN Violet Porter let herself into the back door of her mother’s comfortable kitchen at Moongate Farm.
Rosemary was nowhere in sight. Instead, a cranky-faced schnauzer–toy poodle mix planted himself in front of the door, telling her in no uncertain terms that she was an intruder who wasn’t welcome here.
“Hi, Baxter,” she said, mouth stretched thin in what she knew was an insincere smile. “How are you, buddy?”
Lily’s dog only growled at her, baring his teeth with his hack-les raised as if he wanted to rip her throat out.
The dog hated her. Violet wasn’t exactly sure why.
She might have thought he would look more fondly toward her, considering she was the identical twin to his late owner. But maybe that was the problem. Maybe the fact that she looked so much like Lily but clearly wasn’t her sister confused the dog and made him view her as a threat.
He had never really warmed to her, even when he lived in her condo with Lily. Since Lily’s death, he had become down-right hostile.
“Stop that. What’s gotten into you? I could hear you clear back in my bedroom.”
Her mother’s voice trailed out from down the hall, becoming louder as she approached the kitchen, still fastening an earring.
She stopped dead when she spotted Violet.
“Oh! Violet! You scared me! What are you doing here?”
“You invited me. Remember? You’ve known for months I was coming to help you out during my summer break.”
“You were coming tomorrow. Not today!”
Okay. That wasn’t exactly the warm welcome she might have expected, Violet thought wryly. Instead, her mother was staring at her with an expression that seemed a curious mix of chagrin and dismay.
She shrugged as Baxter continued to growl. Wasn’t anybody happy to see her?
“I finished cleaning out my classroom and calculating final grades this morning. Since all my things were already packed and loaded into my car, I couldn’t see any reason to wait until the morning to drive up. Is there a problem?”
Rosemary, usually so even-tempered, looked at her, then at the giant wrought iron clock on the wall of the Moongate Farm kitchen with a hint of panic in her eyes.
“No. It’s only…this is, er, a bit of a complication. I’m expecting dinner guests any moment.”
“That must be why it smells so good in here.”
It smelled like roasting vegetables mixed with garlic and cheese. Violet’s stomach rumbled loud enough she was certain her mother had to hear, but Rosemary didn’t seem to notice, looking at the clock again.
Why was she so nervous? Who was coming? If she didn’t know better, Violet might have suspected her mother was expecting a date.
Not impossible, she supposed. Her mother was still a beautiful woman, with high cheekbones, a wide smile and the deep blue eyes she had handed down to Violet and her identical twin.
Rosemary didn’t date much, though she’d had a few relationships since her divorce from Violet’s father.
As far as Violet knew, she had broken up with the most re-cent man she had dated more than a year earlier and Rosemary hadn’t mentioned anyone else.
Then again, just as Violet didn’t tell her mother everything that went on in her life in Sacramento, Rosemary likely had secrets of her own here in Cape Sanctuary.
“No problem,” she said, trying for a cheerful tone. “You don’t have to worry about feeding me. If I get hungry later, I’ll make a sandwich or something. I’ll get out of your way.”
“You’re not in the way,” Rosemary protested. “It’s just, well…” She didn’t have time to finish before a knock sounded at the back door. Baxter, annoying little beast, gave one sharp bark, sniffed at the door, then plopped down expectantly.
Violet thought she heard a man’s deep voice say something on the other side of the door and then a child’s laughter in response.
Something about that voice rang a chord. She frowned, suddenly unsettled. “Mom. Who are you expecting?”
“Just some…some friends from town,” Rosemary said vaguely. She heard the man’s voice again and her disquiet turned into full-fledged dismay.
No. Rosemary wouldn’t have. Would she?
“Mom. Who’s here?” Her voice sounded shrill and she was quite sure Rosemary could pick up on it.
“I didn’t know you were coming tonight,” her mom said defensively. “You told me you were coming tomorrow, so I…I invited Alexandro and his daughter for dinner. He’s been such a help to me with Wild Hearts. I could never have set up all those tents or moved in the furniture without him. I’ve been meaning to have him and his daughter over for dinner but the time got away from me, until here we are. I’m sorry. You weren’t supposed to be here until tomorrow and I didn’t think it would be a problem.”
The news hit her like a hatchet to the chest. Alex was here, on the other side of the door. Alex, who had once been her best friend, the man she thought would be her forever.
Alex, who had betrayed her.
She had seen him exactly twice since they broke up a decade ago.
One previous encounter had been a few years after he married Claudia Crane, when she had bumped into him at the grocery store while home from college for a brief visit.
The second time had been four months earlier at Lily’s memorial service.
That was two times too many, really. Three encounters was asking far too much of her.
She wanted to jump back into her car and head back to Sacramento.
No. This was silly. She had known she would see him this summer. How could she avoid it? Cape Sanctuary was a small town. Not only that, but his house and boat charter business were both just down the road from Moongate Farm.
The concept had seemed fine in the abstract. Like algebra and the periodic table.
It had been nearly a decade, after all. She was a completely different person from that besotted girl she had once been.
He meant nothing to her anymore. She should be able to blithely chat with him about what he had been up to the past decade.
Yeah. Not happening.
Maybe she could turn around, climb back into her car and go hang out at The Sea Shanty until he was gone.
No. That was just kicking the can down the road. She had to face him eventually. Why not now?
She could come up with a dozen reasons, but none of them seemed compelling enough for her to flee without at least saying hello.
“I’m sorry,” Rosemary said again, her hand on the doorknob. “It’s fine, Mom. Don’t worry about it. Don’t leave them standing outside. I’ll just say hello and then head over to the bunk-house to settle in. You won’t even know I’m here. It will be fine.”
She didn’t believe that for a minute, but she forced herself to put on a pleasant smile as her mother opened the door.
And there he was.
As gorgeous as ever, with those thick dark eyelashes, strong features, full mouth that could kiss like no one else she had ever met…
Her toes curled at the unwelcome memories and she forced her attention away from Alex to the young girl standing beside him. She had dark hair that swung to her shoulders, bright brown eyes and dimples like her father.
Right now she was staring at Violet like she had just grown a second head.
“Miss Lily?” she whispered, big brown eyes wide and mouth ajar.
Of course. Ariana thought Violet was her sister. It was a natural mistake, as they were identical twins, though as an adult, Vi had mostly seen the differences between them.
She approached the girl with the same patient, reassuring mile she used in her classroom when one of her students was upset about something.
“Hi there,” she said calmly, doing her best to ignore Alex’s intense gaze for now. “You must be Ariana. I’m Violet. Lily was my twin sister.”
“You look just like her,” the girl said breathlessly. Her gaze narrowed. “Except I think maybe your hair is a little shorter than hers was. And she had a tattoo of flowers on her wrist and you don’t.”
When they were in college, Lily had insisted on getting a tiny bouquet of flowers, intertwined lilies and violets and camellias to represent the three Porter sisters.
She had begged Violet and Cami to both get one, too. Cami, older by two years and always far more mature than either Vi or Lily, had politely explained that she didn’t want any tattoos because of the serious nature of the law career she was pursuing. Violet had promised she would but then kept putting it off.
She still could go get a tattoo. After Lily’s death, she had thought more seriously about it, but the loss of her sister was always with her. She didn’t need a mark on her skin to remind her Lily wasn’t here.
She forced a smile for the girl. “Right. No tattoo. That’s one sure way of telling us apart.”
Plus, she was alive and Lily wasn’t. But she wasn’t cruel enough to say that out loud, especially not to this child.
Lily had drowned after rescuing Ariana and a visiting friend when a rogue wave from an offshore winter storm dragged the girls out to sea. Lily had somehow managed to get both girls back to safety, but the Pacific had been relentless that day, and before Lily could climb out herself, another wave had pulled her under.
Violet certainly couldn’t blame this child for a cruel act of nature.
The eighth book in the Hope Harbor series was one that I awaited expectantly, knowing that it would be a good story with Biblically based lessons within its pages. I certainly was not disappointed! The story of Christi Reece, a young woman who lost the golden spoon she was born with, and Jack Colby had once been in love. But Christi made the choice to stay within her golden circle and Jack left her and all of the rejection behind. When the story opens, Jack is a police officer and an author who lives in Hope Harbor and Christi has suddenly appeared in town to ask him for a big favor. Of course, he is not inclined to do anything for her, but in a series of God-incidences, the two are thrown together and get acquainted with the new person each has become. This is a second chance at love story, teaching the lessons of forgiveness and hope as well as taking responsibility for bad choices. The town of Hope Harbor embraces Christi with all of her brokenness because she is also talented and enthusiastic about helping out the town. I really enjoyed the storyline, with the romances between two different couples, both dependent on forgiveness and moving on. There were parts of the story that were predictable, but enjoyable regardless because the characters were such real people, complete with flaws, sins and neediness. I enjoyed this trip to Hope Harbor and look forward to more. Each time I visit, I look forward to seeing the seagulls who seem to be predictors of who should be together and to hearing the wisdom from Charley, the taco truck guy who is also a talented artist. Charley has more wisdom than any one human should have, so it is obvious that he has a close walk with God as he dispenses advice and sets up chance encounters to benefit his taco customers. He is a lovable man, like the town’s grandfather who knows all and sees all. The entire book was uplifting and showed what can happen when we let go of our control over our circumstances and let God into our hearts. Good messages in a great book! Disclaimer Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell via Netgalley as part of the Revell Reads Blogger Program. I was not required to write a positive review. All 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.”
Gorgeous cover for a book with a beautiful heart, inside and out! Totally clean Christian fiction. Rated G.Irene Hannon is a bestselling, award-winning author who took the publishing world by storm at the tender age of 10 with a sparkling piece of fiction that received national attention. Okay…maybe that’s a slight exaggeration. But she was one of the honorees in a complete-the-story contest conducted by a national children’s magazine. And she likes to think of that as her “official” fiction-writing debut! Since then, she has written more than 60 romantic suspense and contemporary romance novels. She is a seven-time finalist for and three-time winner of the RITA award—the “Oscar” of romance fiction—and a member of the Romance Writers of America elite Hall of Fame. She has also received a Career Achievement award from RT Book Reviews for her entire body of work. Her many other awards include Daphne du Maurier, Carol, HOLT Medallion, National Readers’ Choice, Retailers Choice, Booksellers’ Best, and Reviewers’ Choice from RT Book Reviews. She is also a two-time Christy award finalist. Irene, who holds a B.A. in psychology and an M.A. in journalism, juggled two careers for many years until she gave up her executive corporate communications position with a Fortune 500 company to write full time. She is happy to say she has no regrets! In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, gardening and singing. A trained vocalist, she has sung the leading role in numerous musicals, including “South Pacific,” “Brigadoon,” “Oklahoma” “The King and I” and “Anything Goes.” She is also a soloist at her church. When not otherwise occupied, Irene and her husband enjoy traveling, Saturday mornings at their favorite coffee shop and spending time with family. They make their home in Missouri. (Bio from the author’s website at http://www.irenehannon.com)
This sweet romance is available now for your reading pleasure. Here are some purchase links for you:
I’m delighted to participate in the Revell Reads Blogger Program. Their books provide hours of reading pleasure that is guilt free because there is nothing objectionable in them. I fully support publishers of Christian fiction!
bible.com/bible/113/psa.49.15.NIVUK
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Vickie's Book Nook and Meditation Corner 