Keturah by Lisa T. Bergren

FTC disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The first third of this book was entertaining, intriguing, and mostly well written. My enjoyment of this portion of the book is what saved it from being a one-star read for me. The back-cover copy and beautiful cover art drew me to this story, and I had been excited to receive an early copy (a positive review not required). The aspect I was most looking forward to was a woman in the late 1770s fighting to save her family's plantation. That was a unique approach.

The Melody of the Soul by Liz Tolsma + Giveaway!

Lately, I've been on a WWII reading kick. There are so many great books in this particular part of the historical fiction genre. One book I recently had the pleasure of reading was The Melody of the Soul by Liz Tolsma. It was my second of Ms. Tolsma's books, but it definitely won't be the last. She creates beautiful, detailed stories that make me weep and laugh and hope, sometimes all within the same scene.

Be sure to stay tuned through the end of the article, because there's a GIVEAWAY to celebrate the release of this book.

DISCLOSURE: I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, authors, and sites like Netgalley, Litfuse Publicity Group, and Blogging for Books. They do not require me to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Bravery in the Face of Fear

What a powerful, exquisite story. It was gripping, emotional, and heartrending. From the very first line, it was immersive and well expressed. The beautiful setting of Prague, Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic and Slovakia), came alive with the inclusion of the Charles Bridge and other sights, sounds, and scents. The heartbreaking setting of Theresienstadt Concentration Camp also came alive with the stench, frailty of the inhabitants, and cruelty of the German guards. My heart squeezed every time one of the characters was in that place.

Imperfect Justice by Cara Putman

by Andrea Renee Cox

Wow! I want to reread this book immediately, but I don’t have the time. Imperfect Justice was so complex and interesting. From stalkers to murders to grief, domestic violence, and custody battles, this book pretty much had a little of everything. Don’t let that intimidate you, though. These things were all balanced out by faith and clean romance. The fact that domestic violence and fighting for folks stuck in those scenarios were featured made this an especially great read. The encouragement to get out of unsafe relationships was well presented, with heart, compassion, and experience. For those who are in the position of being abused, I pray this book will provide hope that you can survive and find joy in a brighter tomorrow.

Many Sparrows by Lori Benton

by Andrea Renee Cox

Heartache in a Book

*** 

DISCLOSURE: I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, authors, and sites like Netgalley, Litfuse Publicity Group, and Blogging for Books. They do not require me to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

***

From the outset of this story, I knew it was going to twist my heart into a pretzel. While I didn’t much care for Philip, his arguing with his wife was what first endeared me to Clare. It was clear she wanted the best thing for her family, and it’s hard sometimes to know what that is, especially when the leader of the family is off chasing a whim. I’m glad I stuck through with Clare through the stubbornness she displayed often throughout the remainder of the book, because her heart journey was exquisite. To have one’s son stolen by Indians and then to attempt to gain those Indians’ trust in order to get merely a glimpse of the child lost to you… I can imagine how much one’s heart would wrench and ache in that scenario.

My favorite character was Wolf-Alone. He was quite mysterious, and I can’t remember him in The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn (I wish I had time to reread that one right now!), but he was the type of guy who stands for what he believes in and tries to keep the peace but is willing to fight for his people too. Ultimate hero, right there. So yeah. I may have to dig out my copy of Tamsen after all. I want to see what happens next to Wolf-Alone, who might just go by a different name in the other book.

A Name Unknown by Roseanna M. White

by Andrea Renee Cox

A stuttering author and a beautiful thief. What could possibly go wrong?

Now Available!

Before I get into why I enjoyed this book, let me first share with you the two things that bothered me. Firstly, there were lots of minor expletives, words that many people wouldn’t consider bad but, in the context, quite likely are. Examples include blighted, blasted, blazes, etc. In and of themselves, not terrible words. But like I said, within the context of how they were used and intended, they were replacements for the really bad ones, which equals the same thing to me.

Secondly, there was a moment when the leading man, a Christian, “could hardly begrudge” the leading lady “mumbling and grumbling and growling words no lady should know.” This was disturbing to me. Curse words should never be okay from a Christian perspective—whether saying them or being okay with other people saying them—because they do not honor God, and a Christian’s goals should include honoring God with every word we speak or think. Since Peter was thinking that he couldn’t fault Rosemary for cussing up a storm, it seemed to me that he was okay with it, that he was condoning it. That, to me, was inappropriate and out of character of him.

Because of that bit of a faith flub, I couldn’t give more than three stars, even though I really wanted to. You see, A Name Unknown was a rich, deep, thoughtful story. Its characters were sublime—minus those couple of things I mentioned—and intriguing and complicated. The plot was delicious and kept me riveted to the pages. The pacing was spot-on, bringing fast action scenes and ebbing pauses to let one catch one’s breath. Sweet, salty, sumptuous, suspenseful, secrets… this novel had a little bit of almost everything, and it kept me guessing on most points. I particularly appreciated Ms. White’s attention to detail and historical accuracy. Those are a couple of things I have come to expect with her books, and I was delighted to see they had continued to be strong and richly written in this novel, one I’d looked forward to for months prior to its release.

Grounded Hearts by Jeanne M. Dickson

by Andrea Renee Cox

One of my least favorite things to do is write negative reviews. I understand how much time and effort it takes to write a book, and it's never easy for me to aim an exposing spotlight on a book's shortcomings. However, sometimes it's necessary.

A book I recently read fell into this category.

The gorgeous cover of Grounded Hearts fooled me, as did the premise. I expected a sweet story about a midwife who rescued an injured flyboy, but once I dug into the plot, I discovered the sweetness was merely a mask, and a flimsy one at that. The majority of the story ended up being crude and sensual.

The Captain's Daughter by Jennifer Delamere

by Andrea Renee Cox

The premise for this book really intrigued me, as did the title. I was disappointed that the title barely had anything to do with the plot, though. I think there were two mentions, perhaps three, that the leading lady was the daughter of a captain, and she never once set foot on a ship. This was a large disappointment to me, as I really had hopes of a good ship scene or at least a more involved explanation for the title's claim.

A rather large inconsistency in Rosalyn's intuition about smarmy men irritated me throughout. She immediately sensed one character was a no-good rascal, yet another similar character with a slightly smoother but still clearly deceitful nature received welcome attention from the same woman, with little regard to anyone's warnings about him. What happened to her intuition? It vanished so quickly and with no defined reason that I found it difficult to feel sorry for her when things got tricky because of the neglect of her own common sense.

I enjoyed the complex characters from the beginning, and though this dipped a little due to Rosalyn's inconsistent intuition, the majority of the characters remained consistent throughout and I was quite able to enjoy their journeys.

A Fragile Hope by Cynthia Ruchti + Giveaway!

by Andrea Renee Cox

When I started reading A Fragile Hope, I wasn't sure what to expect. Several chapters in, I was still unsure what was to come, but I saw glimpses of the heart-wrenching tale that was to commence. By the time I finished the last page, I was overwhelmed with varying emotions: devastation, hope, joy, a sense of refreshing, and a keen dose of peace that only comes with forgiveness.

Unsinkable Faith by Tracie Miles + Giveaway!

by Andrea Renee Cox

Optimism and positivity are things I've worked hard on since I was an early teen. Sometimes I still struggle, especially on difficult days, but overall, my mind has been transformed by the mighty hand of God. When Unsinkable Faith came up on my reading list, I had a feeling it was going to be good. Once I dove into it, I realized it is a fantastic tool for guarding one's mind against those pesky negative thoughts that like to creep up in the worst of moments. I am so glad I read this book, and I hope you'll find it helpful too!

The Elusive Miss Ellison by Carolyn Miller + GIVEAWAY

by Andrea Renee Cox

When I first saw this book, I was immediately intrigued by the beautiful cover and the back cover copy. The story within was clearly inspired by Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, yet it holds its own flavor and style. I particularly enjoyed how circumstances pushed the characters to examine their behavior and make changes to improve themselves. The theme of controlling women losing the people they tried to control came through quite well, and I found this to be a direct reflection of real life.

Waiting for Wonder by Marlo Schalesky - Blog Tour + Giveaway!

by Andrea Renee Cox

Waiting.

Not the easiest thing to do. I’m not sure anyone would call it their favorite thing. But even in the fast-food and social-media era we live in, waiting is a necessary thing.

I’ve struggled with impatience my entire life. Over the years, I’ve prayed for patience, going against advice from lots of different people. But asking God for patience was something He had asked me to do, so I followed through. And He followed through. He’s faithful like that, you know. If we ask for something in accordance to His will, He is faithful to give it to us. I’m walking proof of that now.

The timing of reading Waiting for Wonder by Marlo Schalesky could only be God-ordained. He sent me this book as confirmation that what He’d been teaching me through my tutoring and editing jobs, as well as my personal growth, was that patience truly is a virtue and one worth asking for. It’s a gift worth fighting for. Yes, it’s a fight. To tame that impatience within our souls. To learn to rely on God’s guidance and especially His timing.