One Perfect Spring by Irene Hannon

Whether it is Christian Contemporary Fiction or Christian Romantic Suspense, author Irene Hannon knows how to weave a tale that will grab the reader, pull them in, and make them feel part of the story.  Ms. Hannon's book, One Perfect Spring was just such a tale. 

One Perfect Spring begins with a handwritten letter from 11 year old Haley Summers. She wrote the letter to David McMillan because she saw where he had given money to a children's hospital and her mother, Claire, told her Mr. McMillan did a lot of nice things for people. In Haley's letter, she tells Mr. McMillan about her neighbor, Dr. Maureen Chandler, who is looking for her son that she gave up for adoption at birth. That sets the basis for the story.

Keith Watson is the executive assistant to Mr. McMillan and part of his job is to go through some letters written to the McMillan Charitable Foundation. When Keith comes across Haley's letter he has no intention of bringing it to David's attention, however, it ends up on the floor where David discovers it and believes it to be a worthy cause. So Keith is put in charge of helping Dr. Chandler find her son.  

There is one thing that could throw a major glitch into the plans of answering Haley's request, Maureen Chandler told Haley's mother Claire about her son in strict confidence. Unfortunately, Haley was eavesdropping and decided she wanted to help their friend.

Sparks slowly ignite between Claire and Keith, but an added bonus is Keith and Maureen find themselves involved as well. Now, some may say a story like this is far fetched, but as the title of my blog says, "All Things Are Possible" and as a Christian I know God can do anything. I would love to tell you more about this wonderful story but I never hand out spoilers.

This novel is filled with well crafted, believable characters and a few twists and turns that keep you guessing. It is a story of forgiveness, hope, love and prayers answered. All in all this was a beautiful story that was ignited by the wish of a small child. 

I would highly recommend Ms. Hannon's newest book to anyone wanting a good clean book to read. If you have never read anything by this author, please take a chance on One Perfect Spring, you won't be sorry. If you have read Ms. Hannon's work before then make sure to grab yourself a copy of this wonderful book. It's a sure hit!

On a 5-Star Scale - 5 Stars!!!!!

I would like to thank Revell, a division of Baker Publishing group for my copy of One Perfect Spring. I received my copy for free in order to read it and give my honest review, which I have done.

Smiles & Blessings,

The Study Bible for Women, a Holman Christian Standard Bible

The Study Bible for Women is a Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) and it would be the perfect gift for any woman. This Bible is beautiful from beginning to end. It has areas for the Wife's family tree and Husband's family tree, followed by The Ketubah, which is a unilateral marriage contract requested by the groom. It also has an area to record family milestones and an area to list the owner's Spiritual Mothers. It is filled with "Word Study" sections where words are explained in detail and there are sections sprinkle throughout where Doctrine is explained.

One thing I really loved about this Bible is an area explaining how to study the Bible. This in itself would make it a wonderful gift for a new female believer or anyone woman wanting to know how to study the Bible. There are also "Character Profiles" throughout the Bible as well. There is also a very unique thing that you will find sprinkled throughout and that is a section for "hard questions".  In the back of the Bible you will find a list of many questions that you or someone you know may have asked at one time or other. It will give you a page number where you can go and read the comments in answer to those questions.

The only negative thing about the Bible I received is that it isn't a Red Letter Edition. I grew up using a Red Letter Edition so I guess I am a little spoiled in that respect. I would however recommend this Bible to any woman wanting a beautiful edition of the Bible sprinkled with meaningful comments and profiles thoughout.

I would like to thank B & H Publishing for my copy of The Study Bible for Women. I received my copy for free in order to read it and give my honest review, which I have done.

Smiles & Blessings,

Bluebonnet Bride by Colleen Coble

Bluebonnet Bride by Colleen Coble was a follow up novella to her novel Butterfly Palace (read my review here). While it is a mere 58 pages long, Ms. Coble packed it with suspense, romance and well developed characters. 

Ellie is a mail order bride that has agreed to marry Nathan and to be a mother to his daughter Hannah.  While the marriage was to be one of convenience, I found it hard to believe that the author would be able to bring them together beyond “in name only” within the few pages allowed in this novella, but Ms. Coble is a gifted author and she tied their story up quite nicely.

I am thankful to Ms. Coble for continuing Nathan and little Hannah’s story that began in Butterfly Palace. While I would have loved for this story to be a full-fledged novel, allowing the character’s relationship to grow slowly, I did enjoy it for what it is.

While you don’t have to read Butterfly Palace first in order to enjoy Bluebonnet Bride, I would highly suggest it so you understand about Hannah.  I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good clean romantic suspense novel.

On a 5-Star scale – 4.5 Stars!

I would like to thank Booklook Bloggers for my review copy of Bluebonnet Bride. I received my Kindle e-book copy for free in order to read and give my honest review, which I have done.

Smiles & Blessings,

For Such a Time by Kate Breslin

 I have always been a fan of debut novels. One thing I love about them is the opportunity to discover a new voice, someone I will want to follow in their future novels. So when given the opportunity to read and review For Such a Time by Kate Breslin, I jumped at the chancce. I can honestly say her book touched my heart at the deepest level and I can hardly wait to read more by this very talented debut novelist.

For Such a Time is set during World War II and takes place over a little less than a months time in the year 1944. It is the story of SS Kommandant Aric von Schmidt and Hadassah Benjamin, who early in the novel, goes by the alias of Stella Muller in order to protect herself because of her Jewish heritage. Aric rescues Stella from being shot while she was a prisoner at Dachau. He takes her to his aunt's house where she is kept locked in a room. In time, Aric comes and takes her to the camp he is the commandant for, Theresienstadt, another prisoner camp that is known as a paradise ghetto, but it is just as bad as the rest of the camps that kept the Jewish people prisoners simply because they were Jewish. Aric tells her she is to be his secretary and will live in his home outside the walls of the 'ghetto'. 

Stella's parents died when she was very young and she was then raised by her uncle Mordecai. She soon finds out that her Uncle Morty is a prisoner in the Theresienstadt prison camp. She is able to see him on rare occasions and in the end they work together to escape the camp.

Aric is an Austrian who has had a difficult life. Stella is a Jew who is living a difficult life. Together they find that barriers between the Nazis and Jews can be torn down and they can coexist, after all, they are both human. 

Ms. Breslin based her story on the Book of Esther in the Bible. It's almost as if she used the Book of Esther as her outline for her masterful first novel.  She did a phenomenal job!

I could go on and on about all that happens but I don't believe in handing out spoilers, but I will say one thing, Please take a look at the cove on the novel. You will find that the red hair, pearls and the tattered Bible all play a significant part in the telling of this wonderful story.

I would highly recommend For Such a Time to any adults who love a good, well researched historical novel. Due to the topic of the killing of the Jewish people, I wouldn't suggest this to younger children.

I would like to say one more thing, this is without a doubt, the best book I have read since reading Francine Rivers' book, Redeeming Love. It is a book filled with forgiveness, trust, perseverance and love. I loved all the characters but I was particularly drawn to Aric. Ms. Breslin's words brought him to life for me. Remarkable!

I would like to thank the publisher, Bethany House, for my review copy of For Such a Time. I received my copy for free in order to read and give my honest opinion which I have done.

On a 5-Star scale = 5 HUGE Stars!!!!!

Smiles & Blessings,

Bodyguard Reunion by Margaret Daley

I am a huge fan of Margaret Daley's work and when given the opportunity to read and review her newest release, Bodyguard Reunion, I jumped at the chance. As usual with anything written by Ms. Daley, I fell in love with her characters and their story.

Bodyguard Reunion is the story of Chloe Howard and T.J. Davenport. These two characters come into this story carrying a past with them, a shared past. They had previously worked together and fell in love only to separate after the case was completed. They now find themselves partnered up again as bodyguards for Paul and Mary Zimmerman, a couple who is quite controversial and currently on a book tour. 

While working together to protect the Zimmerman's, Chloe and T.J. find their old feelings stirring back up again but realize they have to keep their feeling in check or risk botching their jobs as bodyguards.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Bodyguard Reunion  and would highly recommend it to anyone who loves to read a good clean romantic suspense novel.

On a 5-Star Scale = 5 Stars!!!!!

I would like to thank the author, Margaret Daley for my copy of Bodyguard Reunion. I received my copy for free in order to read it and give my honest opinion which I have done.

Smiles & Blessings,

Critical Condition by Richard L. Mabry, M.D.

Medical Suspense at it's finest! In my humble opinion, Dr. Mabry has yet another hit on his hands. Personally, I believe his newest release, Critical Condition, is his best novel to date.

In the Prologue, Shannon Frasier is a medical student who loses her soon-to-be fiance in a drive by shooting. Unable to honor his last words, "Help me!" she finds that the words tend to 'haunt' her. Fast forward ten years, Dr. Frasier is now a General Surgeon and dating Dr. Mark Gilbert, a pathologist on staff at the hospital she works at. They love each other and Mark would like nothing more than to marry Shannon, but something is holding her back.

In Chapter One, Shannon is holding a dinner party at her house to celebrate the final day of Dr. Le Duan (Lee) Kai's residency. Lee, his wife Ann, Mark and Shannon are sitting at the dinner table and as Shannon raises her glass to offer a toast for Lee, they hear three flat cracks. Since it is the 4th of July weekend Shannon thinks someone has gotten an early start on the celebration. The fact that the cracks were so quick in a row prompts them all to head to the door to check things out. What they find is a man laying in the yard with gunshot wounds. Shannon and Lee run out to him and Lee calls back to Mark to call 911. Before the police and EMTs can get there the man passes away. But before he does, he whispers something that only Lee and Shannon heard and then says to Shannon, "Help me".

I will say that there are many twists and turns in this book making you think everything is tied together one minute and then in another minute you start questioning things and begin thinking everything is unrelated. Oh my it was a wonderful suspenseful ride!  

For anyone who enjoys a fast paced suspenseful read you must pick up a copy of Critical Condition. I guarantee that you will not be disappointed.  It is a wonderful, clean read that will keep you up turning the pages as fast as you can.

On a 5-Star scale - 5 HUGE Stars!!!!! 

I would like to thank Litfuse Publicity and Thomas Nelson for my review copy of Critical Condition. I received my copy for free in order to read it and give my honest review, which I have done.

Smiles & Blessings,

A Sensible Arrangement by Tracie Peterson

I have to say that I love a good "Mail Order Bride" story and A Sensible Arrangement, the first book in Tracie Peterson's "Lone Star Brides" series,  was absolutely wonderful!

Martha Dandridge Olson's mother died when she was born and her father died when she was only five years old. She and her brother Andy, were raised by their older sister Hannah.  Andy now lives with his family in Wyoming. Martha, or Marty, as she is called, was given part of the family ranch in Texas. She married and unfortunately never had children due to several miscarriages with her husband Thomas.

As the story begins, Marty is a widow, having lost Thomas to the goring of a Longhorn Steer. She has come to hate her ranch and her native Texas and can only think to escape by moving away. She answers an advertisement for a Mail Order Bride in which one Jacob Wythe, a widower from Colorago was looking for a girl from Texas to marry him in a marriage of convenience. Without letting her family know she lies and tells them she is going to Colorado to visit some old friends.

Jacob Wythe, who goes by Jake, is a Banker but his heart lies in his native Texas. He hopes to one day save up enough money to buy a ranch in Texas but for the time being he has to continue working for Mr. Morgan and his bank.

Marty take the stagecoach to Denver and just before arriving a couple of robbers try to commandeer the stage, shooting both the driver and the shotgun rider.  Marty pulls a revolver out of her carpetbag and begins to shoot at the would-be robbers. Once the robbers flee, Marty climbs up on top and drives the stagecoach the rest of the way into Denver. This makes for a grand entrance on her part.

Being a bank manager put Jake and Marty in a higher class of society and it seems Jake's boss, Mr. Morgan, while he is good to Jake financially, he demands a lot from him and Marty. I personally did not like Mr. Morgan.

Marty has a bad habit of telling lies or not divulging information that should be told. Such as the fact that Marty owns a ranch and Jake yearns for the day to have enough money to buy a ranch back in Texas. Marty finally asks her sister if her husband would buy Marty's ranch. The guilt begins to eat her up inside and she battles with herself on whether she should let Jake know about the ranch. Once she realizes that she loves Jake and he loves her she tells Jake about the ranch and well, lets just say she broke his heart.  

There is a small suspenseful thread that ran through the book and unfortunately it wasn't totally tied up by the end of the book. Which of course means I can't wait to read book two in the series, Moment in Time, which is scheduled to release June 3, 2014.

Ms. Peterson has created extremely believable characters who both had their demons to battle.
I would highly recommend A Sensible Arrangement  to anyone who loves good clean fiction and especially Mail Order Bride stories.

On a 5-Star Scale = 5 HUGE Stars!!!!!  I loved this book!

I would like to thank Litfuse Publishing and Bethany House for my review copy. I received my copy for free, in order to read it and give my honest review, which I have done.

Smiles & Blessings,