Sunday, July 15, 2012

Tidewater Inn by Colleen Coble - a review

Every time I finish a book by Colleen Coble I let out a very deep sigh.  Because her books are just that good.  They are exciting enough to keep me turning page after page as quickly as possible and they are so good I hate to finish them.  Tidewater Inn was no different.  It was a page turner that that kept me in suspense until the very, very end.  

Tidewater Inn is the first book in Ms. Coble's new Hope Beach series.  It is the story of Libby Holladay, a restorer of historical buildings and Alec Bourne, a Coast Guard lieutenant.  Their story takes place in the Outer Banks and it is a story filled with suspense and a very sweet romance.  There are twists and turns in the story that will keep you guessing right up until the very end. I must say I was totally surprised at the end of the book.

There are several things that keep drawing me back over and over again to Ms. Coble's books.  Her characters, settings and the suspense that she weaves into most all of her books are beyond compare.  She has a knack of creating warm, caring and very believable characters.  I find one thing that she does with each leading character that I always look forward to learning.  They all have a quirk about them.  In her Rock Harbor series, Bree, had a passion for pistachio nuts.  In Tidewater Inn Libby has a passion for jalapeno jelly beans.  Oh, and not to create a spoiler, but if you are a fan of Bree and Samson, from the Rock Harbor series, you must read this book.  

I would highly recommend Tidewater Inn to anyone looking for a good Christian book that offers romance, suspense, forgiveness and renewing family ties.  In my humble opinion, you can never go wrong in reading a book by Colleen Coble.

On a 5-Star scale - 5 BIG wonderful stars!!!!!

I would like to thank BookSneeze and Thomas Nelson books for my copy of Tidewater Inn.  I received my copy for free in order to read and give my honest review which I have done.



Smiles & Blessings,



Sunday, July 1, 2012

Wildflowers from Winter - a review of Katie Ganshert's debut novel

I'm sure I've said this before, but I absolutely love reading author's debut novels.  With that said, I must say, Katie Ganshert's debut novel was a sparkling delight.  I was pulled into the story from the first sentence, "The summer I turned twelve, I tried to kill myself.", and I enjoyed every sentence until the end.  Katie is definitely a pro and I can hardly wait for her next novel, Wishing on Willows.

Wildflowers from Winter, is the story of architect Bethany Quinn and farmer Evan Quinn.  Their story is a tumultuous one and at times I just wanted to shake Bethany and tell her to look at what God had set before her.  When the story begins, Bethany has been called back to her hometown of Peaks, Iowa, a place she would rather not visit at all.  Through circumstances she inherits five hundred acres of farmland and finds herself tied to the town she so desperately wants to forget.  But God has other plans for her.

This book is not just a love story between two people but it's a story between two people and the land that they have both come to love.  Ms. Ganshert has created something beautiful with Wildflowers from Winter and I look for many more wonderful novels from her.

On a 5-star scale - 5 wonderful stars *****

I would like to thank WaterBrook Multnomah for my Advanced Readers Copy which they supplied to me to read and give my honest review, which I have done.


Smiles & Blessings,