A Heart's Rebellion by Ruth Axtell

Overview: In a world governed by unspoken rules, one young woman is about to break them all . . .

Dutiful Jessamine Barry is tired of waiting patiently for a man to decide her future. So even though Lancelot Marfleet, second son of an aristocrat, is taking an interest in her during the London season, she refuses to consider him as a suitor. Instead, she's ready to take fashionable society by storm--and finds a rakish young man all too willing to help her do it.

Can Jessamine trust her heart to lead her to a love that proves true through thick and thin? Or will her rash actions close the door on the life she really desires?

Lose yourself in Ruth Axtell's sumptuous story of discovering one's true self and finding true love.

My review: This was a good book. The plot was good. I love regency novels, so it hit the spot there. The author provided rich details of the gowns and ball rooms, which I loved. There were parts of the story that moved kind of slow. However, the end was satisfying.

The characters are relatable, even though it's discouraging to know one can relate. I can understand Jessamine's behavior. Who doesn't act out of hurt and anger sometimes? I found I didn't really care for her though. I wasn't that impressed with Lancelot either. For a vicar, he was very judgmental. But, I can relate to his actions toward Jessamine because he cared for her. People tend to be more judgmental about ones they love. 

The message was the best part of this book! Jessamine struggles to let God take control of her life because she felt He let her down. Everything happens for a reason, even when you can't see it! God knows what he is doing! We also need to learn to forgive ourselves because God has forgiven us. 

Overall, this was a good story with a great message!

**I received this book for free from the publisher as part of the Revell Reads blogger program in exchange for my honest review, which I have given.**

• Find out more about Ruth Axtell
• Follow Ruth: Facebook
• Purchase A Heart's Rebellion: B&N | Amazon | CBD

Weekend Wrap Up (March 14)

 

This is the Weekend Wrap-Up, inspired by Melanie at Christian Bookshelf Review. This is where I will tell you what I've read in the past week, what I'm currently reading, and what I plan to read in the week ahead. I might also share some interesting events from the past week!

It's been a busy week for me! I've been PACKING up my apartment all week! Next Friday is moving day!!!!! 

What I've Read: 

(Review for A Heart's Rebellion will be posted Sunday!)

Reviews Posted: 
Dancing with Fireflies

What I'm Currently Reading: 


What is Up Next:


That about wraps it up!

Dancing with Fireflies by Denise Hunter

Overview: Jade returns home to Chapel Springs after years of protecting her fragile heart. Then along comes Daniel, making her long to dance again.

Creative and complicated, Jade McKinley felt like a weed in a rose garden growing up in Chapel Springs. When she left, she thought she’d never look back. But now, pregnant, alone, and broke, she has no other choice but to return.

The mayor of Chapel Springs, Daniel Dawson, has been an honorary member of the McKinley family for years. While his own home life was almost non-existent, Daniel fit right into the boisterous McKinley family. He’s loved Jade for years, but she always saw him as a big brother. Now that she’s back, his feelings are stronger than ever.

As Jade attempts to settle in, nothing feels right. God seems far away, she’s hiding secrets from her family, and she’s strangely attracted to the man who’s always called her “squirt." Finding her way home may prove more difficult than she imagined.

My Review: What a lovely story! I was intrigued and sucked in from the very first page. The prologue had me reeling. I can't imagine being in Jade's shoes. The plot is not very exciting or fast paced, but it doesn't need to be because the romance and character development takes it's place.

Poor Jade! One tragedy after another leads her to believe that God is far away from her and doesn't care for her at all. She has spent years protecting her heart, and the author does a great job of showing her tumulous emotions throughout the story. I can relate, on a very personal level, to Jade's feelings. The highs and the lows of suffering a tragedy are hard to capture, and Denise Hunter does a great job of it. Daniel is another matter all together! He has spent years fighting his feelings for Jade. I loved his protective, caring heart. He is the all-American good guy in this story, and I love him for it! The romance between them progressed slowly, at first, and then sped up toward the end, but it seemed natural. They've known each other forever!

The message of the story was my favorite part. God can't direct your path or ease your fears if you don't let him. Even though tragedies happen we, as Christians, are to turn toward God for comfort and strength instead of turning away from Him. The author does a great job of proving that point in Jade's life. Once Jade surrenders to the tender mercy of God, her life falls into place.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story. Though it is the second book in the Chapel Springs series, it can definitely be read as a stand-alone. I will definitely be reading more by this author!

*I received this book for free from BookLook blogging program in exchange for my honest review, which I have given.*

About the Author: Denise lives in Indiana with her husband Kevin and their three sons. In 1996, Denise began her first book, a Christian romance novel, writing while her children napped. Two years later it was published, and she's been writing ever since. Her books often contain a strong romantic element, and her husband Kevin says he provides all her romantic material, but Denise insists a good imagination helps too!

• Learn more about Denise Hunter 
• Follow Denise: Facebook | Twitter 
• Purchase Dancing with Fireflies: B&N | Amazon | CBD

Weekend Wrap Up (March 7)

 

This is the Weekend Wrap-Up, inspired by Melanie at Christian Bookshelf Review. This is where I will tell you what I've read in the past week, what I'm currently reading, and what I plan to read in the week ahead. I might also share some interesting events from the past week!

 The winner of the Leap Into Books giveaway is....
JULIE F.*
Thank you to everyone who commented and participated! I thoroughly enjoyed reading all of your responses! I love reading pretty much anything, as long as it's clean. :)

*Winner has been notified and has one week to claim their prize. If no response is received, a new winner will be chose.*

Current Giveaway:  
Enter to win a mini kobo e-reader and several copies of Slave Again.
Enter here










What I've Read This Week:


Reviews Posted:
The Quilted Hearts
The Beloved Daughter
A Most Peculiar Circumstance

What I'm Currently Reading:


What I Hope To Read in March:


That about wraps it up, folks!

A Most Peculiar Circumstance by Jen Turano

Overview: Miss Arabella Beckett, defender of the down-trodden women of America, is returning from her travels in support of the women's suffrage movement when she makes a simple offer of assistance to a young woman in need. But things go sadly awry, and both ladies soon find themselves in dire need of rescue. Arabella, always loath to admit she needs help, is particularly reluctant to receive assistance from the arrogant, narrow-minded knight in shining armor who shows up just in time.

Private investigator extraordinaire Mr. Theodore Wilder is on an assignment that began as a favor to his good friend Hamilton Beckett, but swiftly evolved into a merry chase across the country. He is already in a less than pleasant mood, and when Hamilton's sister turns out to have radical ideas and a fiercely independent streak, he's at his wit's end.

Much to their chagrin, Theodore and Arabella's paths continue to cross when they return home to New York, but the most unusual feelings beginning to grow between them certainly can't be anything serious. When the trouble Arabella accidentally stirred up in her travels follows her home and threatens her very life, the unlikely couple must face the possibility that they might have landed in the most peculiar circumstance of all: love.

My Review: I absolutely loved this book! Jen Turano has such a way with words. This fast-paced book is packed with humor, witty dialogue, and intriguing characters. The mystery and danger surrounding the plot kept me guessing until the very end. The romance between Arabella and Theodore was hilarious to watch as each battled their feelings for the other.  The story is very well written and I could picture the characters as they are interacting with one another and getting into one scrape after another. 

Arabella's character is well-written. The struggle she goes through with her self-worth is very natural, especially for a woman. I could relate to it. Theodore's character is also well-written. The progression of his thoughts and character development felt natural and not rushed. Arabella and Theordore find themselves in one "peculiar" circumstance after another, especially their romance! The secondary characters add depth to the story and also provide humorous side stories of their own.

Arabella has to learn, throughout the story, that sometimes it's hard not to judge another's circumstance. It's one thing to talk about caring for others and trying to help them, it's another thing altogether to feel compassion for them and really get to understand them. God wants us to feel that compassion for one another, especially when He calls us to the work we're doing.

Overall, this story was hilarious, enjoyable, and well-written. I really enjoy this author's writings and definitely look forward to the rest of this series!

• Learn more about Jen Turano 
• Follow Jen: Facebook 
• Read my review of A Change of Fortune
• Purchase A Most Peculiar Circumstance: B&N | Amazon | CBD

The Beloved Daughter by Alana Terry - Blog Tour and Giveaway

The Beloved Daughter, an inspirational suspense novel by award-winning author Alana Terry, is a story of persecution and triumph set in the oppressive North Korean regime.

The Beloved Daughter

Synopsis: In a small North Korean village, a young girl struggles to survive. It is her father's faith, not the famine of North Hamyong Province, that most threatens Chung-Cha's well-being. The Beloved Daughter follows Chung-Cha into one of the most notorious prison camps the contemporary free world has known. Her crime? Being the daughter of a Christian.



The Beloved Daughter has won awards from Women of Faith and the Book Club Network. It was also a #1 amazon bestseller in Christian suspense and is the top-rated ebook in several different kindle categories. The Beloved Daughter is available in kindle or paperback. You can also get the audiobook narrated by four-time Audie award-winner Kathy Garver.

My Thoughts: First, this is not a book for the lighthearted. This is not a book for someone looking for light reading. There were times I had to stop reading because the subject is very tough.

Second, it's not always easy for an author to take a brutal subject such as Chung-Cha's time in prison camp and make it palatable for readers. While the author wants to be as real as possible, there is such a thing as going too far. Alana Terry does a tasteful job of portraying what went on in the prison camps without being overly graphic, yet clearly evoking my emotions and the sense of injustice.

Following Chung-Cha's story was very difficult for me. As a Christian, I would like to think that my faith is strong enough to take me through anything, but I am only human. Alana Terry does a very good job of showing Chung-Cha's struggle to keep her faith and remain alive. I kept thinking to myself, "how much more does this poor girl have to endure?" And the story does evoke the reader to ask "Why, God, why?"

The story is written from Chung-Cha's point of view, and at the end, you realize she is writing a letter to her daughter. When I reached the end of the book, I was

Overall, the author does a great job of writing a poignant story, all the while weaving in a lesson we all need to learn: God has a plan for everything. He is in control, even when we can't see the light at the end of the tunnel.


Order your own copy of The Beloved Daughter.

Alana Terry is getting ready to release her next novel, Slave Again, about a North Korean refugee who escapes prison camp only to get trafficked across the border.



Alana is giving away free copies of her next release to anyone who makes a donation to Liberty in North Korea, an organization dedicated to rescuing refugees who escape North Korea. She's also giving away a mini kobo e-reader and several copies of Slave Again, so be sure to enter the giveaway below!







a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Quilted Hearts Omnibus by Mona Hodgson

 

Overview: Like a beautiful patchwork quilt, the three novellas in The Quilted Heart tell stories of lives stitched together with love and God’s unending grace.

Once a week, Elsa Brantenberg hosts the Saint Charles Quilting Circle at her farmhouse on the outskirts of the riverside town of St. Charles, Missouri. The ladies who gather there have all experienced heartache related to the intense hardships of the Civil War, and together, they are facing their painful circumstances with friendship and prayer. Can the tattered pieces of their hearts be stitched together by God’s grace?
 
Dandelions on the Wind
When Maren Jensen took a job on Elsa Brantenberg’s St. Charles, Missouri farm, she never expected to call the place her home. As she grows to love Mrs. Brantenberg and her granddaughter, Gabi, Maren is transformed from a lonely mail-order bride-without-a-groom to a beloved member of the Brantenberg household. But when Gabi’s father, Rutherford “Wooly” Wainwright, returns to the farm unexpectedly, everything changes for Maren, and she feels compelled to find another job. Are her choices in obedience to God, or is she running from His plan?

Bending Toward the Sun
Dedicated to her education and to helping her father in his general store, Emilie Heinrich is convinced she doesn't have time for love. But when a childhood friend returns to St. Charles, Missouri, after serving in the Civil War, his smile and charm captures Emilie’s eye and her heart. Will she be forced to choose between honoring her father and a future with a husband and family of her own?

Ripples Along the Shore
Change is brewing in St. Charles. A group of brave souls are preparing to head west on the Boone's Lick Wagon Train, led by the mysterious and handsome Garrett Cowlishaw, who served as a Confederate soldier in the war that killed Caroline’s husband. Despite her dislike for him, Caroline is tempted to join the wagon train and start fresh somewhere new, but when Mr. Cowlishaw forbids her—a single woman—to travel with them, will one man’s prejudice destroy Caroline’s hope for a new future? Or will the ripples of God’s love bring the answer she needs?

My Review: These women touched my heart tremendously. I only wish this wasn't a collection of novellas! I would have loved to delve into each of their lives just a little bit more.

Dandelions on the Wind: Maren is a strong woman whose sight limitations do not limit her in life. Rutherford is a broken man coming home from the war to try to make amends. The main theme throughout the story is this: Grace cannot be earned, only given. The author does a good job of showing that theme throughout this story, as well as the book.

Bending Toward the Sun: This little novella touches on a tough subject for a short story - prejudice. Just as it exists in today's world, it existed after the war between states. Sometimes it takes a near tragic accident to overcome such obstacles and let the Lord guide your heart.

Ripples Along the Shore: This story touches closely to home for me. Caroline is a war widow, like me. Her emotions were very real to me and the author does an incredible job of portraying them. The main theme throughout this story is to humble yourself before the Lord so he can show you His plans.

Overall, this was a delightful collection of stories about being transformed. Just as these ladies learn from one another during their quilting circle, so we should learn: "A quilted heart is a transformed heart."

"Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you." - James 4: 6-8

**Thank you Blogging for Books for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.**

• Read my first book in the Hearts Seeking Home series, which follows the lives of the wagon train Prairie Song
• Learn more about Mona Hodgson
• Follow Mona: Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest
• Purchase The Quilted Hearts: B&N | Amazon | CBD