The River Review

The River is Michael Neale's first book. It is a book about a child's tragic loss of his dad & his journey to forgiveness & hope. 
Gabriel is five when he witnesses his dad die by trying to help another person. For years, he stays away from the river.His life is one of existence, not life. He is haunted by his day's death which seemingly controls the everyday events of his life.
Fifteen years later, he is invited on a trip that will change his life. Reluctantly, he travels back to the river with his best friend. Gabriel learns to face the tragedy & finds forgiveness in his life. Meeting a special girl helps to show him there is hope for his life as well. At long last, he is free from the pain that controls his life & finds the meaning of true forgiveness.
Though this book was exciting from the start, included well developed characters & had a good message, I found it a slow read. I think it's just my personal preference for historical fiction, not modern fiction.
I received this book free from Booksneeze.com in exchange for my honest review of the book.

Simply Grilling Review

Simply Grilling Review

I have never been one to cook on a grill even though I love the taste that only charcoal can bring to food. After reading Simply Grilling, I’m not as intimidated by the grill as I was before reading this book. The author, Jennifer Chandler, not only makes grilling over charcoal seem easier that I originally thought, but she includes helpful tips for gas grilling as well.

 The recipes include easy to find ingredients one can obtain in any well stocked grocery store. Bright, clear pictures enhance the appetite of the eye. We always eat first with our eyes! Simple, easy to follow directions to make even the most timid griller (me!) a success. I’ve enjoyed the recipes I’ve used and hope to go through the whole book before Summer’s end.

I was given a copy of the cookbook in exchange for an honest review by book sneeze and Thomas Nelson publishers.

Dawn Comes Early Review

Dawn Comes Early Review

Dawn Comes Early by Margaret Brownley is the first book in her new series “Brides of Last Chance. Dawn Comes Early is a story about Kate Tenney, a girl from Boston who heads west. Kate is deserted by her father & neglected by her mother. She deals with overcoming a hurtful childhood by getting an education & becoming an author. The only problem with her becoming an author is that her latest book is banned! The banning sets Kate in motion to the Arizona Territory in hopes of becoming an heiress to a cattle ranch. 

 Upon arrival, Kate is instantly put in danger by a local outlaw Cactus Joe. Fortunately she faints & is rescued by the town’s blacksmith Luke Adams. Despite warnings about Miss Walker, the ranch’s owner where Kate is trying to become an heiress, Kate heads to the ranch. She must prove herself able to run a ranch in four months time and agree to remain single.

Kate learns firsthand from Ruckus and other cowhands what it takes to perform daily tasks required of a ranch. Along the way, Ruckus also teaches Kate about God & His word. Thinking back to her father’s desertion, Kate finds it hard to trust God and men.  

 Luke Adams sees Kate when he works at the ranch or when she comes to town. Slowly, his feelings for her develop despite her fancy words and polished speech, which he finds annoying at first. Luke realizes his feelings when he helps search for Kate when she is kidnapped by Cactus Joe. Will Kate realize her own love for Luke & forsake the ranch? Read this delightful & funny book to find out!

I received this ebook through Booksneeze in exchange for my honest opinion.

Beauty for Ashes Review

Beauty for Ashes written by Dorothy Love is a must read for the reader who’s read Ms. Love’s previous book, Beyond All Measure. Some of the characters appear in the second book of this series but it is focused on Carrie Daly. Mrs. Daly is a widow in Hickory Ridge looking to find happiness & purpose in her life after the death of her husband.

 Carrie lives with her brother until he marries a bitter, hateful woman with two undiscipled children. She is forced to leave her home to make it on her own.  Along the way, she meets Griff Rutledge. Griff is seen as a no-good gambler passing through town. The attraction between the two is instant even though Carrie is courted by the bookshop owner, Nate Chastain. When her brother loses his job & goes to Chicago to find work, Carries reluctantly moves back to help Mary, her now pregnant & sick sister-in-law.

Money is tight due to the recession. Mary’s lack of running the farm has the family in desperate times. Griff helps out, much to Mary’s & the town’s disapproval. Carrie, however sees more substance in Griff than the town’s gossip makes out. Grateful for his help, Carrie in turn helps Griff when he is injured. Through each crisis, the writer portrays Carrie has a normal, believable character. She relies on God but has her moments of doubt as to His purpose for her life & if she’ll ever be happy.

 By the end of the book, there is a change in Mary as well as Griff. Carrie is finally appreciated for her sacrifice & her work to help the family stay together. Griff comes to a peace with his father & his wanderlust subsides. He realizes his love for Carrie who he proposes to. Carrie, at last, has found happiness. A wonderful book for anyone who likes realistic characters that depend on God.

Grace of God Review

The Grace of God Review

    Andy Stanley is the author of The Grace of God. This is the second book I’ve read by him. I think he has been blessed with the ability to explain God’s Word in layman terms. 

    Grace is the foundation for salvation. God’s desire to draw man to Him is based on grace-Jesus died for our sins so we could be reconciled to God. Period. There is no way to earn this gift. Mr. Stanley does a good job explaining this simple but profound truth. He explains this truth through Bible stories- beginning with Creation all the way through the New Testament.  He chose stories most are familiar with since our childhoods. The complexity of God’s Word is so amazing! A child can understand & learn the stories yet as adults, we continue to learn more & more in each layer of the stories. God’s Word is alive & active. No one can exhaust His Word. It by grace you have been saved-this is made very clear in the book.

I received this book free from the publisher for my honest opinion. The opinions I’ve written are my own. 

Spring for Susannah Review

Spring for Susannah

This book is a debut for author Catherine Richmond. It is a great book for those who love historical fiction based on faith in the one & only God like I do. The story begins right after the Civil War with the lead character Susannah needing someone to take care of her. She becomes a mail order bride & heads west to North Dakota territory.

 Her husband, Jesse, is patient man who encourages her to be comfortable in his love for her. Susannah begins to realize that God truly did bring the two of them together to be husband and wife. They go through trials that many married couples who live on the prairie experience. Emotional battles in each person help unite them as a married couple as well. Their faith in God is deepened & strengthened through their trials.

 I really enjoyed this book & hope to read more by this author. It’s so refreshing to know there is faith based books to read. I was given this book free in return for my honest opinion. Thank you Booksneeze!

How to be God's Little Princess Review

My Review: I received the above book through my membership with Thomas Nelson's Booksneeze blogger program. I receive this book for free and will give my honest opinion for the review.

This book for younger girls who are just beginning to look at fashion as an identity for themselves. Fortunately, Sheila Walsh does a great job in directing young girls to appropriate behavior while leading them to the knowledge that who they are depends on the inner beauty, true beauty according to God’s word, not the outer.

Shelia Walsh reminds girls that first and foremost, they are princesses and should act like one at all times. That means putting others first & using good manners. Bible verses that support each chapters’ content point young girls in the understanding that God created them, therefore they are special & unique. No wrong decision or behavior will separate them from His love. “You are loved by your Heavenly Father” is a strong & recurring statement throughout the whole book. How I wish I had this book when I was growing up! I can’t wait to share this with my child as she reaches the appropriate age.

The book is filled with Bible verses I hope my child will write on the tablet of her heart. There’s even a section in the back teaching how to organize “Beauty Essentials” which is a recipe box filled with index cards containing Bible verses. It also has quizzes to ensure understanding, journaling areas for personal thoughts,”What’s Wrong with this Picture?” sections to help understand the difference between what’s right or wrong, and crossword puzzles with must know vocabulary words. It is a very girly book & encourages the reader to be very girly in a way that pleases God. (Being very girly doesn’t mean no to athletics-there’s even a section on that too!)