For the Record Book Review

                                                     For the Record by Regina Jennings is a historical fiction book set in Missouri during the late 1800s. I’m a big fan of historical fiction. It is the majority of what I read, so I was excited to start reading this one. One of the main characters is Betsy, who wishes to write for a newspaper, other than her uncle’s. She soon gets her chance when a new deputy arrives that sparks new ideas for Betsy. Not soon after does Betsy get her stories publish to a newspaper. Joel, the other main character, tries to adjust to his new life as a deputy in Missouri.

                As I began this book I really did enjoy it. I liked both of the main characters and their relationship with each other. As I got further to the end I started losing interest and didn’t pick it up until a few days later. I don’t know what it was because technically that is when the story was reaching its climax. But that could have been just me. This was not my only problem with this book. Once the mystery was solved I thought it happened way too quickly and easily and was not that rewarding in the end. As I was reading I was expecting a little more out of the mystery being solved, but I was let down in the end.

                I'm not sure if this is a spoiler or not, but I'm going to mention it anyway. The very end I though it was unnecessary for Joel to return to Texas to clear his name.  It was already said and done and he was already moving on with his life. In my opinion, why dig up old dirt? Since this happened literally the last few pages it felt like it was almost an afterthought and I didn’t care for it too much.

                So in the end I thought I was going to enjoy this book, but it just didn’t happen for me. I was just too disappointing.

                I received a free copy of this book through the Bethany House Blogger Review Program. 

31 Verses to Write on Your Heart Book Review

                                                                                                                                                                   Every time I read a Liz Curtis Higgs book I thoroughly enjoy it and this one is no exception. 31 Verses to Write on Your Heart is a great book for anyone that is looking to memorize more verses. These verses will encourage you and lift your spirit. Each chapter breaks down one verse. So you can clearly and purposely understand what God’s Word is trying to tell you.  At the end of each chapter there is space for you to write your favorite version of the verse studied.  There are tips and tricks to help you better memorize the verse. This is a great help for those of you that find memorizing tough.

                Since this book focuses on 31 verses you could read one verse a day for a month and memorize one verse a day. Or you can you a verse a week. I read this book through once and plan on going back and memorizing one verse a week. I plan of writing the verse on an index card and putting it around the house. This will help me memorize it and I will always see it around the house so I will be constantly reminded about it. But whatever why you decide to memorize these verses it will have a lasting impact on your live and how you live your life. I know for me these verses were a great reminder of God’s love for me. Some of the verses were familiar to me whereas some were not. But nevertheless, they were all great and beneficial to my life. I highly recommend this book for anyone that wants to memorize more verses and get closer to God.

                I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

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"Shadow of the Storm" book review

                                                                                                                                                        Shadow of the Storm by Connilyn Cossette is the second book in the Out from Egypt series. I absolutely loved the first book in this series, Counted with the Stars. So I was having high hopes for this one and it did not disappoint. I loved this book! Everything about it was fabulous.

                In this second book it focuses mainly on Shira, sister to Eben from the first book. Shira was in the first book, but not one of the main characters. But in this one she is. I loved getting to know Shira better and reading her back story.

                So this pretty much takes off right where Counted with the Stars left us. The Exodus to the Promised Land is well under way. And the Tabernacle is being built. Shira is a young woman anxious to become a midwife, even if her mother disapproves. She quickly becomes entangled with a man that deceived her and a woman that despises.

                Always before I read a book I usually read that back, so I know what I’m reading. I loved that the description didn’t really give a whole lot away and spoil it for me. And being spoiled is just no fun. This book definitely has a major plot twist in it; I didn’t see it coming at all. It completely shocked me and changed the rest of the story. One minute I’m completely in love with Shira’s love interest and then the next minute I want to choke him. But then later he comes back into my good graces.

                Cossette has such a way with words. I loved all the dialogue between all the characters, especially Shira and Ayal. At some points it just made me melt inside because it was so cute and heartfelt.

                This is definitely my favorite out of the series so far. I am really looking forward to the third book in this series. I highly recommended you reading Shadow of the Storm.

                I received an ARC from the author. No review, positive or otherwise, was required, all opinions are my own. 

Book Review - The Angel of Forest Hill by Cindy Woodsmall

                                                                                                                                                                 The Angel of Forest Hill by Cindy Woodsmall is a sweet Amish romance during the Christmas season.  When I got this book i didn’t expect it to be as thin as it was. It is quite a short book and i read it within two days. I probably could have read it in a day if I hadn’t started so late in the day.

                I have read many Amish novels and really enjoy them. I have read a few of Cindy Woodsmall’s novels, so I expected this one to be good. I was a little worried that this one might not be as good because of its length. I was curious to know how she was able to write a well-developed story in the length of this novel.

                Reading chapter one you’re immediately thrown within the action of this story. Then beginning chapter three you jump ahead three years. So you miss a lot of the ‘in between’ action and events that took place during that time. You may or may not like this. For me I was kinds of the fence about it. She could be skipping ahead because there was no ‘real story’ to tell within that time. It could have been dead space if she added it in and it just might bore us. So maybe she left it out for good reason. Or she was just going for a short story here. Whatever the reason, it didn’t bother me too bad.

                I did really enjoy the main plot of this story. I thought it was sweet and to the point. It didn’t fuss around with small details that didn’t matter. That being said, I still enjoy books that are very detailed oriented.

                Although I did enjoy the overall plot and characters, I didn’t enjoy the ending. I felt like it ended very abruptly. If she extended it by a chapter or two I think I would have been satisfied with the ending. Or even a chapter that jumped ahead a year or two. I would have loved to see what happened to the characters and their growing relationship.

                So overall I did like this book and the characters. But I didn’t like how short it was. That may be because I just like longer books. But if you like a short fast paced book I think you’ll like it.   

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I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

A Lady Unrivaled Book Review

                                                                                                                                                                                    I was excited to start reading this book because I had read on the back that if you were a fan of Downton Abbey then you would enjoy this book. That caught my attention since I’m a serious fan of Downton Abbey. This is the third book in the Ladies of the Manor series by Roseanna M. White. I had not read the first two books in this series before reading this one. I have to admit, during the first few chapters I was a little confused, but once I past those few chapters I had caught on to everything. This particular series it is not crucial for you to have read the others before you pick the third. But that being said, if I decide to read the first two books they will probably be spoiled for me.

                Since this was the first book in this series I had read I was unfamiliar with the characters. I’m super thankful she put a list of characters and their relations to each other at the beginning of the book. If I came across a character I didn’t know I could flip back to that list and know exactly who they were.

                Before I began reading I read the back just to get an idea of what it was about. At first I was thinking the whole diamond thing was a little cheesy and I wasn’t too sure about it. But once I got further into the story, it made sense and I did enjoy it. I loved the main characters in this book. I specifically loved Lady Ella and Lord Cayton together. They had great chemistry between each other and I loved their flirtatious conversations. It had me smiling the whole way through.

                I absolutely loved this book and couldn’t put it down. Highly recommend it for Downton Abbey fans.

I received this book from Bethany House Blogger Review Program for my honest opinion. 

Really Bad Girls of the Bible Book Review

                                                                                                                                                              I have read several of Liz Curtis Higgs books in the past and have loved them. This is the third installment of her Bad Girls of the Bible series. I haven’t read the other books in the series, but have heard of them and I have always been interested in reading them. So I was excited to dive into this one.

                This book focuses on all those bad girls that we read about in the Bible. Some of them I had heard of and others not so much. I loved learning about their back story and the lessons we can learn from them.  For the women I have heard and read about in the Bible, it was nice to dig a little bit deeper into their story. This book was a loving reminder that God can use broken and messed up people and of course that He loves us no matter what we do in our lives. It gave me a new and fresh perspective on God’s unending love for us.

                At the back of the book there are discussion questions and a study guide. So this would be a great book for a group study. But even if you are not reading it with a group I would highly recommend going through the study guide. It enhances the chapters and digs a little bit deeper into each chapter. It also provides the scripture references so you can read the passages for each chapter.

                Overall I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for my honest opinion.

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Punderdome Game Review

                When I first read about this game I though it sound interesting and wanted to give a try. I’ve played a lot of games and I did expect this one to be different. Let first beginning by saying that this game is about puns and coming up with puns. If you are someone that doesn’t have a clue what a pun is then I would advise to skip this game, you won’t like it. That being said, I personally knew what a pun was, but more time than not think they are stupid. Most of the time I don’t even get them. So I’m probably not the best person to review this game, but I am anyway.

                So When I first got this the only thing I knew about was that it was about puns. I had to read the directions over a few times in order to really get how the game was played. Along with the directions in the box in comes with two sets of cards, two pads of paper, a card of examples (which was helpful), and two mystery envelopes along with the paper that goes with it. So let me go back to the example card. Without this card I don’t think I would know what to do, so I’m glad they included this.

                So you may be wondering how to actually play the game. Well I’m the wrong person to ask. I did somewhat get how to play, but it was still confusing at times. I found it incredibly difficult to come up with a pun that answered the questions. You have to be quick to answer and come up with cleaver puns. If you can’t do that than you will completely fail at this game. So the prize from actually winning this game is the mystery envelope, which if I’m being completely honest is stupid. The whole concept of these envelopes is at the beginning of the game you write of the slips provided what you want to the winner to have. But the only thing is one of them has to be a good prize and the other a bad prize. It may sound a little fun to some of you, but I wasn’t a fan. They do give you examples of what to write down of the slips. Some of these examples where a ‘temporary tattoo’ for the good one and ‘used napkin’ for the bad one.  The winner gets to choose which envelope they want without knowing what’s inside.  Although it could be comical, I just thought it was stupid.

                So my overall impression of this game is bad. I didn’t like it and will probably end up giving it to Goodwill. But if you like cheesy puns they you may like it, but as for me it’s a no.

I received this from Blogging For Books for my honest opinion. 

A Heart Most Certain Book Review

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        A Heart Most Certain is written by Melissa Jagears. This is a historical romance set in 1905. The book centers around main character, Lydia King. In hopes of getting her family out of financial difficulties she catches the eye of a local politician. Even though she may not love him, it’s her only way to help her family. But when she meets a local businessman, Nicholas, it further complicates her plans.

                Let me first say how much I loved this book! I’m going to go as far to say it’s my favorite book I’ve read so far this year. From reading the back of the book I was expecting something different from what I actually read in the book. I didn’t expect it to turn out the way it did. But that’s a good thing, because I loved how it turned out. When reading the description of this book it feels as if this is going to be a lighthearted romance and although in some ways it is, it still deals with much heavier topics. So don’t expect this book to just be what you read in the description, because you’ll get that and then some. But don’t let that discourage you from reading this book. If you love historical romances than you’ll love this one.  

                I loved everything about this book. The relationship between Lydia and Nicholas was sweet and pure. I loved the interaction between the two characters. I could feel their attraction for one another from the very beginning. This book also showed character development in both of them. I loved seeing both Lydia and Nicholas grow with each other. I can only say good things about this book. I highly recommend it for all the historical romance junkies out there.

I received a free copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers. 

Room for Hope Book Review

                                                                                                                                                   Room for Hope by Kim Vogel Sawyer

                I was going back and forth whether to get this book or not. I was happy to receive a review copy and was excited to start reading it. I read the summary and it definitely intrigued me. I have never read a book with this kind of plot, so I was excited about it.

                This book jumps you right into the action. Since I read the back of the book I knew what was going to happen. But everything you found out from the back pretty much happened in the first chapter. I was not expecting it to jump right in. I almost would have liked the first chapter to be a sort of background of Neva and her husband. I would have liked to see their relationship and how they interacted with each other. But instead, we never get to meet Warren. Knowing how this story pans out, I would have liked to meet him at least once in the book. A flashback would have been nice, maybe the early years of Neva and Warren’s marriage.

                The other thing I really didn’t like is the ending. It felt like it was a little rushed and it just didn’t feel right. An epilogue would have been great. The other thing that I wish she included was a reason why her husband married another woman and had a whole other separate life. It would have been great if he left behind some kind of note explaining why he did this. I just left me constantly wondering and I was waiting for it to be explained more. I was a little disappointed when it didn’t happen.

                With all that said, I still greatly enjoyed this book. The plot was great and it kept my attention throughout.  Now if you’re looking for a highly romantic story, this is not it. Evening though it has a small amount, I still wouldn’t classify it as a romance. But it was a great book and I really liked it.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Beauty Begins Book Review

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Beauty Begins by Chris Shook & Megan Shook Alpha

              

                 Beauty Begins is written by a mother-daughter duo. It is a book about self-image and how we should accept ourselves as we were created and shine that beauty that lives within us. It was a great read and really makes you think about your self-image.

                I have always struggled with my self-esteem and self-confidence. I really can’t remember a time that I wasn’t. There would be days I would really struggle with looking in the mirror, because I knew I wouldn’t like what I saw. As I have gotten older I have improved, but I still have those days or even weeks of not feeling beautiful. I think I will always have that, I don’t think I will be able to completely get rid of that. In a way, I think it’s natural and a normal thing. But that doesn’t mean I should constantly be putting myself down every day, saying that I’m not good enough.

                Reading this book has really opened my eyes about this subject that so many women and girls are going through, including me. There are so many of us that think were not good enough, not pretty enough. We keeping feeding yourself with negativity and the more we do it the worse it gets. Instead of tearing ourselves down, let’s build each other up and gain self-confidence.

                This book has made me smile and cry all at the same time. I have even highlighted my favorite quotes in this book so I can flip back easily. I recommend this book to any women or teenage girl that has every experienced a self-esteem or self-confidence issue. I know I will definitely be sharing this book with some of my friends.  

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I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Counted With The Star Book Review

                                                                                                           When I received this book from Bethany House for review, I was excited to get started with it. I had only read one other book that took place in ancient Egypt, which was The Pharaoh’s Daughter by Mesu Andrews (which I loved).  So I had high hopes for Counted with the Stars by Connilyn Cossette.  I am happy to say that I was most definitely not disappointed. It exceeded my expectations and more.

                Right from the start this book had me intrigued. Once I read chapter one, I was hooked. There was not a dull moment in this book. It kept my attention from the start. Also, let’s just take a moment and appreciate the beautiful cover. It’s gorgeous!

                So, you may be wondering what this book is about, so I’ll tell you. This book centers on an Egyptian girl that had to be sold into servitude. She no longer lives a life of luxury. During her service she and her master experience the Plagues of Egypt. It was crazy to read her experience through the plagues. It really made them come into perspective. I have read about the plagues in Exodus, but never really thought about how terrifying it would be to go through it. When Kiya is released from her service she decides to take her mother and brother away from Egypt and travel with Hebrews, who are following Moses.

                This book really brings the book of Exodus to life. You get a sense of what the Hebrews went through to escape Egypt. The Hebrews where slaves to the Egyptians for hundreds of years and God brought them out of Egypt.  I will never read Exodus the same why. In fact, after I read this book I read a good portion of Exodus.

                I highly recommend this book. It was fantastic! I am anxiously awaiting the second installment of this series, probably will be rereading this one in the meantime.

I received this book from Bethany House Blogger Review Program for my honest opinion. 

Back in the Saddle by Ruth Logan Herne Book Review

                                          Back in the Saddle by Ruth Logan Herne is a contemporary fiction novel. It follows main character, Colt Stafford, who was once a business tycoon on Wall Street. Colt loses his job on Wall Street and returns home to Washington State. He has not seen his father in years and doesn’t know what to expect when he returns home. There he meets his father’s house keeper, Angelina, who seems to be hiding her own secrets too. Her mysteriousness causes Colt to find out what she’s about.

                I typically don’t read these types of novels. I’m not a big contemporary fan, but I decided to give it a try and read something different. It was a bit slow in the beginning, but then it started to pick up. I really enjoyed reading about both, Colt and Angelina.  It’s a nice light read to pick up on a weekend. It took me a little over a weekend to read this because it was kind of slow for me in the beginning. It took me a little while to really get into the story. But if you enjoyed this genre, I think you would have no problem with this book and you would fly through it.

                Overall I give this book three out of five stars. It’s not my favorite genre, but nonetheless it was a good book and I recommend it for anyone that enjoys a good contemporary novel. If you like western romances, you will definitely like this book.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

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Whatever is lovely

Whatever is lovely: A Coloring Book for Reflection and Worship

By Waterbrook Press

Review

                This is the second coloring book that I now own. I also reviewed the first coloring book that I received; you can check that out here: http://reviewsbysugar.blogspot.com/2015/10/the-time-chamber-review.html

                 But this coloring book is a little bit different then my first one. By what I said about the first coloring book, you may be wondering why I decided to get another coloring book. The answer to that is I knew this was different and I wanted to try coloring books out again.

                Whatever is Lovely is a Christian based coloring book. Each page has a beautiful drawn picture with a quote, verse, or short stanza to a hymn.  That’s what really sold me on this coloring book was what was displayed on the pages. Unlike the other coloring book, The Time Chamber, which was a continuous story, this one had a nice verity of different images. Each page is a one-sided (which, I might add, is a great benefit) creation featuring animals, plant-life, etc.

                Why I so greatly enjoy the one-sided pages is because if you decide to take a page out and say frame it, you don’t have to worry about another page on the back side that you really like. Also a great benefit on the pages being one-sided is you don’t have to worry about bleeding to the other side. This means, you can use markers or any other form of median, to color with. I also have been thinking of different ways you can use the colored pages. Because some of the pages are just so pretty I don’t just want to leave them in a book, where no one can see them. I am a scrapbooker, and have been thinking about a way I can somehow incorporate them in a layout. I think that would be a great use of some of these pages.

                So my overall verdict on this coloring book is…I liked it! I will say that I defiantly liked it better than The Time Chamber coloring book. So, I do recommend this coloring book if you’re interested in a lit bit of a different coloring book.

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I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.