Treasuring Emma by Kathleen Fuller

Who treasures Emma? Is it her grandmother, Leona, who is living with her after her parents have died? Is it her sister, Clara, who has a family and a husband, Peter, who is unable to find work? Is it a former boyfriend, Adam, who left his Amish roots to live in the world and has now returned to his home town? Is it a cousin of Peter’s, Mark, who shows up and makes a show of helping and being everyone’s friend?

As Emma moves through the days following the death of her mother, she begins to see that while she has always puts the needs/wants of others first there has come at time when she must begin to treasure herself.

Each of the people in Treasuring Emma eventually finds that they must depend on God and less on themselves in their daily life. When the reader reaches the end of this book, lives have been changed and the character for the next book apparently has been revealed.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers 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 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Restless in Carolina by Tamara Leigh

The third is a series of books dealing with the women of the Pickwick family of North Carolina, Restless in Carolina took a little bit of persistence to get into. Readers of Leaving Carolina and Nowhere Carolina would have no problem as many of the characters are already introduced.

However, do not let that discourage you, dear reader. Bridget Pickwick Buchanan is a tree-huggin’, animal- lovin’ widow who is still recovering from the death of her husband four years previously. Like no one you probably have never met, she has a history of doing outrageous things (outrageous to everyone but her) and so no one is really surprised by the way she lives or what she holds dear. Content to live in her widowhood, that state of life is ultimately challenged by her young niece and nephew. Happily ever after does not exist for Bridget and God isn’t fair in His dealings with her. On top of all of this, she takes on the job of helping to sell the family Biltmore style home and estate so her uncle can repay debts to families that the Pickwicks have treated unjustly in the past.

Enter J.C. Dirk, a developer from Atlanta who sees the possibility of developing the land while keeping with an eco-friendly development favored by Bridget. What no one knows initially is that J.C. is the descendent of a family who had been taken advantage of.

As I progressed through the four month period this book covers, I found it increasingly difficult to put down. I wanted to find out what happened next as Bridget and J.C. interact and eventually realize they have fallen in love. There are enough twists and turns to keep you, the reader, interested as you discover the motivation and plans of a second developer, meet members of the Pickwick family, discover lost relatives and find both Bridget and J.C. moving beyond their past, learning to forgive and let go of hurts/wrongs done and into a future together. Humorous with romance and a message of hope and healing, I recommend this book to readers of Christian fiction.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

Summer Dream by Martha Rogers

What does the daughter of a minister do when the man she is attracted to has no place for God in his life? This is the quandary facing Rachel in 1888. Nathan arrives in her hometown of Briar Ridge, Connecticut to settle the estate of a recently deceased woman. While there Rachel and Nathan are attracted to each other, but they know nothing can come of it. Rachel because Nathan is not the kind of husband she needs, Nathan because he doesn’t want to associate with a Christian woman.

Caught in a sudden spring snow storm (the White Hurricane of 1888), Nathan stumbles across Rachel’s youngest brother in the snow and is credited with saving the boy’s life. Passing out due to his own cold and exhaustion, Nathan finds himself recovering at the home of Rachel’s family. The family has been praying for his recovery and speaking to him of the love God has for him. As a result he begins to return to the faith of his childhood and comes to the realization he has to return to his childhood home to restore relationships with his mother and sisters.

Summer Dream is book one of the Seasons of the Heart series. Chapter one of Autumn Song, the second book, gives the reader a chance to follow Rachel’s minister brother and her cousin and spouse as they minister and live in Texas.

I recommend this series to readers of Christian historical fiction.

 

I received this book free for review.

The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck by Kathleen Y'Barbo

Beginning in 1887 London, this  is a humorous story of the planned marriage between Charlotte Beck and Alex Hambly. Charlotte wants to remain single, attend the university to study mathematics and eventually join her father in Beck Enterprises as vice president. Viscount Alex Hambly has his sights set on astronomy and moving ahead in that field.  Neither is prepared for the proposition that Charlotte’s father offers them. Charlotte is to marry Alex and then go she may go to the university. Alex will receive the funds to pay off family debts and move ahead in the field of astronomy. All seems like it should work, except no one has taken into account unpredictable Charlotte as she looks for ways to prevent a marriage and obtain her goals. A series of laughable mishaps surround this couple from the very first time they meet until the day they both accept their married state and decide they really do love each other. Kathleen Y’Barbo keeps the reader laughing as she involves the reader in the situations and dangers that Charlotte manages to find herself in, though most of them are of her own making. An enjoyable book that I will read again and again.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

Spring for Susannah by Catherine Richmond

Taking place shortly after the Civil War, Spring for Susannah tells the story of a young woman who traveled to the Dakota Territory to join a husband she had never met. Not exactly a mail order bride because she did not respond to a newspaper ad, Susannah’s experience is very similar. She married Jesse Mason by proxy after being introduced to him through letters and by her pastor who is Jesse’s brother.

What has caused Susannah to make this move? And what of the man she is married to, what secrets does he hold within himself? Catherine Richmond has spun a story that will take the reader back to an earlier time before the Dakota Territory became a state, when settlers lived in sod houses and battled wind, cold, fire and grasshoppers. A time when ex-soldiers dealt with war memories and ladies, gently raised, did not speak out of turn or express any opinions. The reader will meet a variety of people who settled this cold and lonely land and who out of necessity bonded to form a community of people who stood by each other in laughter and tears. After Jesse leaves home to find work, Susannah learns to fend for herself, make decisions and become the person God had intended her to be. The twists and turns of life that they experience eventually sets them free from their pasts and brings them to the realization of the depth of their love for each other. Thus spring, a time of renewal and freshness, comes to Susanna and Jesse after a time of winter in their lives.  

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers 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 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

To Win Her Heart by Karen Witemeyer.

Eden Spencer, left standing at the altar, lives in Spencer, Texas. She runs the local library out of her home and devotes her time to various charity activities. Levi Grant, having been released from prison for murdering a man, comes to Spencer as the town’s next blacksmith. Having introduced the main characters, the reader now begins a journey of discovery. How does Eden overcome her decision not to marry? How will she handle it when she finds out the man she falls in love with has a big secret that will shake her Christian moral stance? How does Levi overcome his past mistakes and come to the full realization that he has indeed been forgiven by Father God? The reader will follow Eden and Levi through the process of learning forgiveness, acceptance and eventually to acknowledging their love for each other. Of course, any good story has supporting characters who add suspense, jealousy, laughter and love.

I found it difficult to put this book down as I was drawn into the story. I wanted to know not only about Eden and Levi, but about Duncan and Chloe. What role does the sheriff, Conrad Pratt, play in everyone’s lives? Why does he insist that Eden is to be his bride? When Eden’s father comes to visit her, what will he say about Levi, his past and his love for Eden? As the reader will soon come to realize, Karen Witemeyer based her story on the Prodigal Son parable from scripture. To quote the author: The underlying theme of this book is one of forgiveness and of learning to view others through God’s lens instead of our own. I recommend To Win Her Heart to anyone who enjoys Christian fiction.

I received this book to review for free from Bethany House.

Love Food & Live Well by Chantel Hobbs

It would be hard to call Love Food & Live Well a diet book, but that is the underlying theme. She addresses many of the things we have been told about dieting and how to diet. For the first time I read a clear explanation about carbs, protein and fat in the foods I eat and their function in my diet.  For that alone, I recommend this book.

But let’s not stop there. Chantel tells about her weight struggle and the things that she learned when it came to losing weight. She encourages the reader to look at why they eat, what they eat and how they can make changes while still enjoying that chocolate. Yes, you can love food and lose those extra pounds. Exercise and its importance are talked about, but Chantel doesn’t stop there. She shows exercises that we all can do using a stability ball.

She introduces us to the 80:20 rule. Choose foods with calories that have solid nutritional value 80% of the time. The other 20% is for those special foods that you really like, but couldn’t enjoy of many of the diets that are out there. If you know you are going to a party at the end of the week, then you eat out of the 80% for the first part of the week.

A book well worth reading if you are having trouble losing weight, need to lose some or maybe just want to help someone else with a weight problem. Not a typical diet book, Love Food & Live Well is a book of help and encouragement without overloading the reader with a lifestyle that many cannot follow.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.