Review: One Last Thing by Rebecca St. James & Nancy Rue

A hope-filled soon-to-be bride makes a discovery about her fiancé that rocks her world and provokes a maelstrom of decisions and self-discovery.

Tara Faulkner has dreamed of her wedding and the life she and her fiancé Seth will share in their hometown of Savannah . . . and by all accounts, it should be a charmed one. But when she discovers three weeks before the wedding that Seth is seriously addicted to pornography, Tara's dreams are shattered.

She must decide whether she will stand by Seth, but she also must let go of the dream she shaped for herself and discover a real vision for her life--and where it will come from. With all else falling apart, Tara encounters an unexpected--and unlikely--group of women mentors. They help her peel back the layers of shaming secrets and begin to clearly see the real issues of her generation.

In the end, she's able to make a decision based on God's vision--not her own.

Paperback, 368 pages

Expected publication: March 10th 2015 by Thomas Nelson

Terri's Thoughts

**I received an advance readers copy of this book from the publisher Thomas Nelson via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  The expected publication date is March 10th 2015**

Discalimer - I am writing these initial thoughts at only 7% of the book as my reaction is so strong I feel the need to share it before continuing lest I forget upon completion of the book.  Tara walks in on her fiancée and catches him watching a porn video on his computer.  Her reaction is one that I can not comprehend.  Yes it is tasteless, trashy and I do not understand the appeal but her reaction is like he is a monster.  It is the reaction as if she caught him in the act of murder, molestation or even cheating or some other unforgiveable act.  She views him as a monster and visualizes what it would mean to have to cancel the wedding as a result .  If I were in her shoes I would be disappointed and disgusted but is this really such a horrific act?  Would I walk out without an explanation or discussing it?  Would I treat it as cheating?  I think not. They are saving themselves for marriage...could this be an underlying factor in to his decision?  I don't know but I worry about the direction this book will take and it may end up too "preachy" for me.  I just can't see this as something I would take such a stand on (don't get me wrong....it is gross and I don't condone it and a knock down drag out fight would probably ensure but....)  Onward I continue to see how this turns out.

I have now gone on to finish the book.  I have to admit that it almost went in my DNF pile on multiple occasions.  Since I do not believe in putting a book aside without giving it a fair shake I saw it through to the end.  For me, it did not get any better.

I am sure it could be debated endlessly the moral grounds of if this was a forgivable "crime" or not.  I am fairly conservative on my outlook of social issues and I still could not take Tara's side.  I agreed with her disgust however I did not agree with how she made it all about herself.  How she could not treat the situation like an adult and properly discuss what had happened.  I will not judge the decision to stay in or leave the relationship as that is a personal moral question and it would bother some people more than others.  For me yes it would bother me but I would not get all hurt because of someone else's actions.

Sorry guys I really couldn't see past this.  It felt like a preachers judgement to me instead of carefully telling the story of a personal moral journey.  I will not be recommending this book.  I am giving it a two star rating.  The only reason it gets the second star for me is because the writing style was easy to follow and flowed well.  Unfortunately that is the only thing I liked.

About the Authors

Rebecca St. James, an Australian-born Christian recording artist, is both a Grammy Award winner and a multiple Dove Award recipient. She is also the bestselling author of Wait for Me, SHE Teen, and What is He Thinking. In addition, St. James has appeared in the film Sarah's Choice and lent her voice to VeggieTales' An Easter Story.


Website:  http://www.rsjames.com
Twitter:  rebeccastjames

Nancy Rue is the author of over 100 books for adults and teens, including the Christy Award-winning The Reluctant Prophet, Unexpected Dismounts and Healing Waters (with Steve Arterburn), which was the 2009 Women of Faith Novel of the Year. She travels extensively—at times on the back of a Harley—speaking to and teaching groups of women of all ages. Nancy lives on a lake in Tennessee with her Harley-ridin’ husband, Jim, and their two yellow Labs (without whom writing would be difficult).


Website:  http://www.nancyrue.com/

Feature and Follow Friday #63

Feature & Follow Friday is a weekly meme that allows book bloggers to interact with each other and find new blogs! It has two hosts, Parajunkee and Alison Can Read. The rules are...
 
(Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts {Parajunkee & Alison Can Read}
(Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers
Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts.
Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say “hi” in your comments and that they are now following you.
If you are using WordPress or another CMS that doesn’t have GFC (Google Friends Connect) state in your posts how you would like to be followed
Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don’t just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don’t say “HI”
If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love…and the followers
If you’re new to the follow Friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog.

Question of the Week: Do you have any furry friends? Share a picture! - Suggested by Cornerfolds

 

Cousins Dolce and Maya swimming at the lake

Terri's Golden Retriever Maya

 

Kristine's Golden Retriever Dolce

 

 They are our babies and we just love them to pieces.

 

How about you? Do you have any fur babies?

 

That is our Feature and Follow Friday for this week! Comment down below if you're a new follower of ours with a link to your blog and we will make sure to follow you back. You can follow us via gfc, bloglovin, email, facebook and/or twitter.  

Review: The Shopkeeper's Daughter by Lily Baxter

In World War II–torn England, a young woman must fight to keep her family together, whatever the cost.

Ginnie Travis has been working in her father's shop for the past five years, trying to keep it afloat. When scandal rocks her family just as relentless Nazi raids threaten their very lives, Ginnie and her sister are forced to flee and stay with their aunt in the North of England. The last thing she expects to find in the quiet countryside is love, especially with an American soldier. A soldier who has secrets of his own.

Tragedy strikes, the horror of war rages on, and Ginnie will do whatever she must to protect everything she holds dear.

ebook, 384 pages

Expected publication: March 10th 2015 by Avon Impulse 

Genre: Historical Fiction/Romance

Kristine's Thoughts:

I received an advanced readers copy from Avon Impulse via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

I had a lot of issues with this book. Some of them were minor but there was one major issue with the story that I just couldn't get past.

Let me start off by saying that I love historical fiction and books that take place during war time. I have read hundreds of them and perhaps that is the reason that this one didn't live up to my expectations. There are so many outstanding books about war in the genre that I have rated very high as well as one that I consider the greatest love story I have come across to date. This one is not it.

My biggest issue with this book (and it was a really big one) was the relationship between Ginnie and Nick. What relationship? There lies my issue. On one page it mentioned she had a crush on him and by the time you flip the page they were going on their one and only date and breaking up on that same date. It then went on and on throughout the entire book about how heartbroken Ginnie was and how she would never love again. What??? There was zero development or chemistry where their relationship was concerned so the reader did not get an opportunity to care about it or feel it. Honestly, I couldn't have cared less about it and thought it weakened Ginnie's character to the point that she wasn't the strong independent woman that I think she was meant to be in the story. There was more chemistry between her and Laurence and Steven for that matter. Who cared about Nick? I certainly didn't. 

This leads me into another issue with the book for me. The characters for the most part were all a little weak and lacked depth. Shirley was probably one of the most annoying and unlikeable characters I have come across. I know times were different but come on. She changed who she loved almost as much as people change socks and was so incredibly selfish. Ginnie catered to her and was a strong enabler to her annoying personality which made it hard to like Ginnie.

The final thing that I will mention (although there are other things) was the extreme overuse of the word "honey." Every single American character in this book from the Army doctors to civilians said honey all the time and it drove me crazy. I get that some people are "honey/sweety" type people and I try not to take offence but every American character in this book said honey a lot. The rest of the characters did not. Was this intentional? Was it to be implied that it is an American thing? It may seem silly but it annoyed me to no end.

I hate to write an unfavourable review but I have to be completely honest. As I stated above, this is my favourite genre to read and I have read a lot from it. This book just does not compare to the many amazing books out there in the historical fiction genre.

About the Author

Lily Baxter lives in Dorset. She is the author of Poppy's War, We'll Meet Again, Spitfire Girl and The Girls in Blue. She also writes under the name of Dilly Court.

Review: The Reluctant Midwife: A Hope River Novel (Hope River #2) by Patricia Harman

The USA Today bestselling author of The Midwife of Hope River returns with a heartfelt sequel, a novel teeming with life and full of humor and warmth, one that celebrates the human spirit

The Great Depression has hit West Virginia hard. Men are out of work; women struggle to feed hungry children. Luckily, Nurse Becky Myers has returned to care for them. While she can handle most situations, Becky is still uneasy helping women deliver their babies. For these mothers-to-be, she relies on an experienced midwife, her dear friend Patience Murphy.

Though she is happy to be back in Hope River, time and experience have tempered Becky’s cheerfulness-as tragedy has destroyed the vibrant spirit of her former employer Dr Isaac Blum, who has accompanied her. Patience too has changed. Married and expecting a baby herself, she is relying on Becky to keep the mothers of Hope River safe.

But becoming a midwife and ushering precious new life into the world is not Becky’s only challenge. Her skills and courage will be tested when a calamitous forest fire blazes through a Civilian Conservation Corps camp. And she must find a way to bring Isaac back to life and rediscover the hope they both need to go on.

Full of humor and compassion, The Reluctant Midwife is a moving tribute to the power of optimism and love to overcome the most trying circumstances and times, and is sure to please fans of the poignant Call the Midwife series.

Paperback, 432 pages

Expected publication: March 3rd 2015 by William Morrow & Company

 

Terri's Thoughts

**I received a copy of this book from the publisher William Morrow via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.  The book has just been published**

This is the second novel in the Hope River series following The Midwife of Hope River and I had not read the first one.  I carefully researched before requesting this to ensure that I could read it as a stand alone and I was correct.  That being said for those who have read the first story the character of Patience is still a key character in this story so those who want more of her will get it with this book.

As is my tendency I am going to try to not discuss the plot but more of my thoughts on how the book made me feel.  The highlight for me was the backdrop of when the story took place.  Deep in the middle of the great depression I was fascinated with how people were struggling and surviving on little to no resources.  The story spoke of the government programs in place to try to help with the unemployment rate and how communities attempted to help their own and how people would do almost anything to be able to put food on their table.  This appealed to me even more than Becky's story.

I also had a strange fascination with Blum.  The question ever lingering as to if he will ever snap out of his inner prison.  What were his feelings for Becky?  He was probably my favorite character which is kind of funny as he had very few words to say.  The dynamic between Blum and Becky was an interesting one.  It is almost like in hos wordlessness that he was carefree temperament to Becky's uptight personality.

Now this story is title The Reluctant Midwife so you know there will be some birthing scenes.  As someone who has only every has fur babies I did find them a little disturbing.  I don't know why but everything about child birth has always made me feel a little light headed so I did struggle with the passages that described it.  Others may not.  Also if I had to add a little critique I would say that a lot of the scenes were descriptively the same.  I got a little sick of reading "mmmmmmmmmm" every time a mother had a contraction.  There are other words/description to describe the pain.

Ultimately this was a very interesting story.  As previously mentioned the era in which it took place was what captured my attention the most.  I do think I will go back to read the first story as the character of Patience was an interesting one and I can see how her story could be a great read.

 

 

About the Author

 

Patricia Harman has spent over thirty years caring for women as a midwife, first as a lay-midwife, delivering babies in cabins and on communal farms in West Virginia, and later as a nurse-midwife in teaching hospitals and in a community hospital birthing center.

She spent over a decade in the sixties and seventies in her wild youth living in rural communes in Washington (Tolstoy Farm), Connecticut (The Committee for Non-Violent Action) and Minnesota (Free Folk). During the Vietnam years, she and her husband, Tom Harman, traveled the country, often hitch-hiking, as they looked for a place to settle. In 1974 they purchased a farm with a group of like-minded friends on top of a ridge in Roane County, West Virginia. Here on the commune, they built log houses, dug a pond, grew and preserved their own food and started the Growing Tree Natural Foods Cooperative.

It was during this time that Patsy attended her first home birth, more or less by accident. "Some people are destined," she has written. "I was staying at a woman friend's commune when she went into labor and I ended up delivering my first baby." Soon after, Harman traveled to Austin, Texas to train with a collective of home-birth midwives. When she returned, she became one of the founding members of The West Virginia Cooperative of Midwives. Her passion for caring for women and babies led her to become an RN as the first step in getting licensed as certified nurse midwife. In 1985, with her children, a yowling cat and her husband she traveled north, pulling a broken down trailer to begin her training at the University of Minnesota where she received her MSN in Nurse-Midwifery.

For the past twenty years, Ms. Harman has been a nurse-midwife on the faculty of The Ohio State University, Case Western Reserve University and most recently West Virginia University. In 1998 she went into private practice with her husband, Tom, an OB/Gyn, in Morgantown, West Virginia. Here they devoted their lives to caring for women and bringing babies into the world in a gentle way.

When, in 2003, the cost of liability insurance for Obstetrics sky-rocketed from $70,000 a year to $110,000, the Harman's decided to give up deliveries. Though many loyal patients grieved the loss of their favorite mid-wife/physician team, the change in life style gave the author time to begin writing her first book, The Blue Cotton Gown: A Midwife's Memoir.

Patricia Harman still lives and works with her husband, Ob/Gyn Thomas Harman, in Morgantown, West Virginia at their clinic, Partners in Women's Health Care. Though she no longer attends births, she provides care for women in early pregnancy and through-out the life span. She brings to this work the same dedication and compassion she brought to obstetrics."

Review: The Trouble With Love by Lauren Layne

As Lauren Layne’s salacious Sex, Love & Stiletto series returns, a jaded columnist discovers a steamy way to get over an old flame: falling for him all over again.

As Stiletto magazine’s authority on all things breakup-and-heartache, Emma Sinclair writes from personal experience. Five years ago, Emma was Charlotte, North Carolina’s darling debutante and a blushing bride-to-be. Now she’s the ice queen of the Manhattan dating scene. Emma left her sultry Southern drawl behind, but not even her closest friends know that with it she left her heart. Now Emma’s latest article forces her to face her demons—namely, the devilishly sexy guy who ditched her at the altar.

After giving up everything for a pro-soccer career, Alex Cassidy watches his dreams crumble as a knee injury sidelines him for good. Now he’s hanging up his cleats and giving journalism a shot. It’s just a coincidence that he happens to pick a job in the same field, and the same city, as his former fiancée . . . right? But when Emma moves in next door, it’s no accident. It’s research. And Alex can’t help wondering what might have been. Unlike the innocent girl he remembers, this Emma is chic, sophisticated, and assertive—and she wants absolutely nothing to do with him. The trouble is, Alex has never wanted her more.

Kindle Edition, 248 pages

Expected publication: March 3rd 2015 by Loveswept 

Series: Sex, Love & Stiletto #4

Kristine's Thoughts:

I received an advanced readers copy from Loveswept via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

The Trouble with Love is the fourth book in the Sex, Love & Stiletto series. I have read other work by this Lauren Layne but this was the first in this series for me. This book can be read as a stand alone and it is not necessary to read the first three to follow along. Having said that...you'll probably want to in order to learn more about the other characters in the book. I know I will.

Before I share any of my thoughts on this book I have to say that there is something about Layne's story telling and writing that pulls you in and has you getting to the end in no time. I'm not sure if it's because of the quirky characters, the story itself or the realistic way she writes the thoughts of each character, but whatever it is, it works.

So what did I think?

The Trouble with Love is a super cute second chance romance. I enjoyed every minute of it. The sexual chemistry was dripping off the pages which was only amplified by the sarcastic and less than pleasant banter between Emma and Alex. I was in their corner. Their history included more than just a bad break up and there were a lot of unresolved and hurt feelings mixed in with all that sexual tension. A lot of emotions were at play throughout the story.

For fans of steamier reads, the pages do heat up and they heat up the way I like. There is strong character and story development as well as some well written sexual chemistry and tension in the book before the heat is turned on. I like this! All too often pages heat up too fast and the story gets lost between the sheets. Thankfully that was not the case with this book. It was well balanced which made it easy to enjoy.

This book was exactly what I was in the mood for and kept me entertained for a few good hours. Some may say that it was a little predictable or cheesy but for me I was left pleasantly satisfied. I have yet to be left any other way from any of Lauren Layne's writing. I enjoyed it so much that I will be sure to read the first books in this series.

About the Author

Lauren Layne used to work in e-commerce. She wore cute shoes and real-person clothes like an adult.

Then she was like, nope, changed into her pajamas and started writing romance novels.

She believes in sarcasm, weekday happy hours, and happily ever after.

She lives in the Seattle-area with her husband and jumbo Pomeranian.

Connect with Lauren

Website/Twitter/Facebook/Goodreads 

 

Review: Silence by Deborah Lytton

Love is blind, but it's also deaf. Stella was born to sing. Someday Broadway. Even though she's only a sophomore at a new high school, her voice has given her the status as a "cool kid." But everything changes when a tragic accident renders her deaf. She can't hear herself sing not to mention speak. She can't hear anything. Silence. What happens when everything you've dreamed of and hoped for is shattered in a single moment?

Enter Hayden, the boy with blond curls who stutters. He's treated like an outcast because he's not "normal." And, yet, Stella feels an attraction to him that she can't explain. As Hayden reaches out to help Stella discover a world without sound, his own tragic past warns him to keep a distance. But their connection is undeniable. Can the boy who stutters and the girl who's deaf ever find a happily-ever-after? Silence is a story of friendship and hope with a lesson that sometimes it takes a tragedy to help us find and appreciate beauty and love in unexpected places

Hardcover, 320 pages

Published January 6th 2015 by Shadow Mountain

Terri's Thoughts

I received a copy of this book from the publisher Shadow Mountain via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.  Netgalley says that the publication date is expected for March 3rd however Goodreads says it was on January 6th.

I really should have disliked this book.  It was so full of "rainbows and unicorns" and so squeaky clean.  It spoke of a powerful love that went deeper than anything I have ever experienced and the main character was only 15.  It had two people who could communicate without words.  Sounds kind of corny doesn't it?  Let me tell you...it wasn't!  I couldn't help but fall in love with this story.

I will not be discussing the plot today.  Read the synopsis, it covers the basics.  This story made me feel one thing and that was optimistic.  Today's novels rarely leave you feeling that way but this story did.  Think about that first mild spring day you go out for a nice leisurely walk after a bitter cold winter.  Or cuddling with your pet with a good book.  This is just a couple of examples of how I felt reading this.

Think about first love and the butterflies you got every time you saw them.  How one smile from them could brighten your entire universe.  I could go on and on.  This story reminded me of the innocence of youth and first loves and discovering who you are through someone else's eyes.  How could you not be lured in by that.  

While the relationship between Stella and Hayden could be argued as bordering on the sappy factor it just worked for this story.  Perhaps the fact that I have a hard time picturing real life like this story is what made it work for.  I honestly don't really care and I am going to stop trying to analyse it.  The bottom line is that the story got under my skin and made me smile.  It was nice to read something that makes you feel good for a change.  I also think Hayden was a wonderfully written character.

I will close by saying that I predict good things for this story in the YA genre.  In a market dominated by dystopian and paranormal stories this one stands out as refreshing because it is not.  I can see this being a big hit among YA females.  I am already recommending it to my teenaged nieces.

About the Author

Website:  http://www.deborahlytton.com/

 

Review: Painless by S.A. Harazin

A first kiss. Falling in love. Going to prom. These are all normal things that most teenagers experience. Except for 17-year-old David Hart. His life is anything but normal and more difficult than most. Because of the disease that wracks his body, David is unable to feel pain. He has congenital insensitivity to pain with anhydrosis--or CIPA for short. One of only a handful of people in the world who suffer from CIPA, David can't do the things every teenager does. He might accidentally break a limb and not know it. If he stands too close to a campfire, he could burn his skin and never feel it. He can't tell if he has a fever and his temperature is rising. Abandoned by his parents, David now lives with his elderly grandmother who is dying. When David's legal guardian tells him that he needs to move into an assisted living facility as he cannot live alone, David is determined to prove him wrong. He creates a bucket list, meets a girl with her own wish list, and then sets out to find his parents. All David wants to do is grow old, beat the odds, find love, travel the world, and see something spectacular. And he still wants to find his parents. While he still can.

Kindle Edition, 241 pages

Expected publication: March 3rd 2015 by Albert Whitman & Company
Genre: Young Adult

Kristine's Thoughts:

I received an advanced readers copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

This book is suppose to be YA but I don't think that people of that demographic will relate or enjoy this book all that much. It didn't seem to resonate or have any of the things that appeal to young readers. I hate to say it but it was extremely obvious that the author was pretty far removed from that age demographic.

If I could only use one word to describe this story it would be boring. David was dull and was made to seem like he had an intellectual disability along with his physical disability. It went farther than just being sheltered and naive. I found this frustrating because there was so much potential for great story telling with CIPA. Instead it fell flat. All of the challenges of living with CIPA for David were easily resolved and instead it seemed to focus on his intellectual challenges although I'm pretty certain he wasn't meant to have a developmental disability. I could be wrong but at the same time the plot moved along at a snails pace.

The characters were all a little weak and underdeveloped. The relationship between David and Luna was awkward, strained and uncomfortable to read. Their conversations were a little robotic and forced. Luna's shocking secret was not so shocking and it could be seen coming a mile away. Who the heck is Joe? I knew he was David's guardian although he felt more like his keeper. What I wanted to know was why? Where, why and how did a relationship build between him and David's grandmother that this decision was made?

I hate to write an unfavourable review but I have to be honest. This book just wasn't for me. From reading the synopsis it sounded like it had so much potential but it didn't live up to my expectations. Perhaps it is because I work in the developmental services field that I was so frustrated but I felt like it took us back at least twenty years in attitude and thinking. Where was the dignity of risk and positive supports (for either a physical or intellectual disability) that are so important to anyone living with challenges of any kind today?

About the Author

Connect with S.A. Harazin

Website/Goodreads