When Love Arrives (Misty Willow #2) by Johnnie Alexander | Contemporary Romance Review

When Love Arrives

(Misty Willow #2)

Johnnie Alexander

Contemporary Romance

Dani had planned to spy on Brett--

so how did she end up on a date with him? 

Dani Prescott can't believe the lie Brett Somers is trying to sell to the media. During an interview about the plane crash that killed his parents, he blamed Dani's mother. But the crash killed her as well. Vowing to restore her mother's reputation, Dani has been following Brett and taking photos, hoping to find something she can use to discredit him. But when she catches his eye instead, she quickly finds herself agreeing to a date. Brett knows this mystery girl is hiding something--but he's got his own secrets to keep. What will happen when he discovers who she really is?

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My Thoughts

When Love Arrives is the continuation of the story that was started in Where She Belongs. This time the focus of the story shifts from AJ and Shelby to Brett and Dani. Dani Prescott is a new character and from the very beginning she's one that I wanted the best for.

Dani is torn by her past and has a plan to set the record straight. Her target is Brett. He is pretty much enemy number one but the more she gets to know him personally the harder it is to keep her anger and need for revenge at the forefront of her mind. 

Brett has his own set of obstacles that he needs to overcome. I won't do a spoiler but if you read Where She Belongs you already know what weighs heavy on his heart. After meeting Dani by chance he tells himself he's just not interested but he is continually pulled towards this intriguing woman.

Just as the first book had a bit of mystery as well as romance so does this one. It was interesting to watch things unfold and come to a head. When all was said and done I was satisfied to know a bit more about the ongoing storyline and I am eagerly anticipating the next book to allow us to venture a bit farther down the path with these characters. 

Other Reviews For This Author

Where She Belongs

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Miracle in Music City (Glimmer Girls #3) by Natalie Grant | Juvenile Fiction Review

Miracle in Music City

Glimmer Girls #3

Natalie Grant

Juvenile Fiction

In this third title in the Faithgirlz Glimmer Girls series by Natalie Grant, Miracle in Music City, the Glimmer Girls are at it again—looking for a mystery to solve. Gloria wants her daughters to learn they aren’t too young to make a difference, so she gets them involved in her annual benefit and auction. But as things often do with the trio of smart and sassy sisters, they get themselves and their nanny Miss Julia involved in a lot more than just helping mom raise money for a worthy and wonderful cause.

My Thoughts

Miracle in Music City is a book that you and your daughters will love! I had reservations about book 1 and book 2 in this series but I can happily say that I heartily recommend this book. There are all of the things that I liked about the other stories like spunky girls, loving parents that put their trust in God, and a situation that involves a bit of mystery. I'd also like to say that there are no instances of children being in dangerous situations.

In this book the Glimmer family has just returned to their home in Nashville after being on tour with their mother over the summer. Maddie and Mia are so excited to see their best friends Annabeth and Emily. Unfortunately that green-eyed monster named Jealousy chooses to rear its ugly head. All of the girls get their feelings hurt in different ways which is painful but it's also a wonderful learning opportunity. Kuddos to the mommas that gently guided behind the scenes to nudge their daughters towards reconciliation.

The mystery involves The Grand Ole Opry and a very valuable guitar. It was fun to wander the backstage area with the girls and get to know a little bit more about such an iconic place.

A secondary storyline involves the homeless and what we can do to help. I thought this was presented in a very sensitive way. Natalie Grant wrote it with an empathetic voice toward the plight of homelessness, especially children that are caught in this awful situation. I liked the lessons that were inserted into the story. They were presented in a natural way without being soapbox preachy.

If you have a tween girl I recommend this book. It's my favorite of the three by far. It is a part of a series but I think it can easily be read as a stand-alone story. If you would like to read the series however, it does need to be done in order or you will encounter spoilers. There's a fourth book that is slated to come out in January 2017 and I look forward to reading it as well.

Other Reviews For This Author

London Art Chase (Glimmer Girls #1)

A Dolphin Wish (Glimmer Girls #2)

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The Prince Warriors and the Unseen Invasion by Priscilla Shirer | Juvenile Fiction Review

The Prince Warriors and the Unseen Invasion

The Prince Warriors Trilogy #2

Priscilla Shirer & Gina Detwiler

Juvenile Fiction (ages 8-12)

A stream of blackness began to climb from a hole in the ground, swirling in a vortex like a lasso being whipped in circles. It took a moment for Levi to understand what the blackness was.

Ents.

A mass of Ents, spewing forth from under the earth. They made a horrific noise, an ear-splitting buzz like a squadron of amped-up killer bees, as they spiraled up into the sky. There they began to gather, forming a dense black cloud, hanging ominously over the playground.

Levi looked around--the other kids were still skateboarding, still playing their games on the playground, unaware of the danger at hand. Apparently, they could neither see nor hear what was happening.

The unseen invasion had begun.

In the second book of Priscilla Shirer's epic fiction trilogy, the Prince Warriors encounter mysterious creatures and evil weapons designed for their demise. Equipped with new pieces of armor and empowered with Ruwach's instructions, they must battle bravely to stand firm against the deadly threat of the enemy.

My Thoughts
I purchased the first book, The Prince Warriors, for my oldest grandson. He loves sci-fi and I thought that this trilogy would be a perfect fit. I was right, he loved it. In fact he not only loved it but his younger brother and dad did as well. After reading it myself I am also of the opinion that girls will love it too.
The Prince Warriors and the Unseen Invasion is book two in the trilogy and we have all eagerly anticipated it. The story picks up where the first left off and still centers on the theme of Ephesians 6:10-18 (putting on the full armor of God). In the first book the enemy's schemes had been defeated and truth prevailed.
In this second book the enemy is furious and is coming back at our warriors with a vengeance. New creatures, weapons, and even characters are introduced. Never fear though, our warriors will receive more of the armor they need to ultimately defeat this enemy. I felt like this story was even more intense than the first. I'm pretty sure the next book will ratchet it up another notch. As with any good trilogy the tension just builds and builds. In this instance the tension is building but so is the warriors confidence, knowledge, and skills.
I cannot possibly recommend this series enough. It is designed specifically with middle-grade kids in mind. The humor and situations will appeal to them and the lessons that are presented are put forth in a way that will make sense to their growing minds. If you have an 8-12 year old you should definitely get this for them. The third and final book, The Prince Warriors and the Swords of Rhema, is set to be released on February 1st. I can promise you I'll be snatching it up for my grands. 
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www.ThePrinceWarriors.com

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A Primary Decision (The Worthington Destiny #3) by Dr. Kevin Leman & Jeff Nesbit | Contemporary Fiction Review

A Primary Decision

The Worthington Destiny #3

Dr. Kevin Leman & Jeff Nesbit

Contemporary Fiction

THE ROAD TO POWER AND POSITION

IS FRAUGHT WITH PERILS, EVEN FOR 

A WORTHINGTON.

BUT SARAH DOES NOT INTEND TO LOSE.

Sarah Worthington never expected to become the US attorney general--at least not this early in her career. Plunged into the vicious vetting process, with all sides digging for secrets in her family closet, she steels herself for the path forward. Nothing will deter her from making her mark on the world in the biggest way possible--even if that means prosecuting the current president of the United States. 

Yet powerful forces conspire behind the scenes to take the Worthington family down, and the president orders her to close the investigation. Will she comply? Or turn the tables to pursue her ultimate dream--the US presidency?

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My Thoughts

A Primary Decision brings The Worthington Destiny series to a close and in my opinion it's the most powerful of the three. Of course that's probably because all of the loose threads are tied up but I still enjoyed it the most. 

In this part of the series the focus is mostly on Sarah Worthington. She becomes the US Attorney General and is thrilled with the opportunities it presents. Unfortunately she quickly finds that a case that she has been working on leads directly to the President. When he nominated her he probably thought that it would insulate himself from prosecution but Sarah's moral character just won't let her give it a pass.

This really does read like a political thriller but what I liked about it was the aspect that Dr. Kevin Leman obviously brought to the book. I found it fascinating to see how Sarah interacted with her siblings. She's the baby of the family so they all want to coddle her. She's pretty spunky and won't have it. 

There's a bonus feature in the back called Birth Order Secrets and it was fun to read after finishing the series. The match-up of Leman and Nesbit was one that I hope happens again. It gave authenticity to the characters motives and actions. 

If you like stories that contain some political intrigue yet still center on personal relationships then I think you will enjoy this book and series. It is possible to read this book as a stand-alone novel but if you are going to read the series you need to do it in order because there are spoilers between the books.

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The Innkeeper Of Ivy Hill (Tales From Ivy Hill #1) by Julie Klassen | Historical Fiction Review

The Innkeeper Of Ivy Hill

Tales From Ivy Hill #1

Julie Klassen

Historical Fiction

WELCOME TO THE ENGLISH VILLAGE OF IVY HILL,

WHERE FRIENDSHIPS THRIVE, ROMANCE BLOSSOMS,

AND MYSTERIES AWAIT . . .

The lifeblood of the village of Ivy Hill is its coaching inn, The Bell. When the innkeeper dies suddenly, his genteel wife, Jane Bell, becomes the reluctant landlady. Jane has no idea how to manage a business, but with the town's livelihood at stake and a large loan due, she must quickly find a way to save the inn.

Despite their strained relationship, Jane turns to her resentful mother-in-law, Thora, for help. Formerly mistress of The Bell, Thora is struggling to overcome her losses and find purpose for the future. As she works with Jane, two men from her past vie for her attention, but Thora has promised herself never to marry again. Will one of them convince her to embrace a second chance at love?

As pressure mounts from the bank, Jane employs new methods, and puzzles over the intentions of several men who seem to have a vested interest in the place, including a mysterious newcomer with secret plans of his own. With the help of friends old and new, can Jane restore life to the inn, and to her empty heart as well?

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My Thoughts

There's really not much more delightful to me than reading a series set in a small village that revolves around ordinary people living their everyday lives. If you've read Jan Karon's Mitford series or Miss Read's Fairacre Chronicles you know exactly what I am talking about. 

To say that I was excited to get my hands on Julie Klassen's first installment in the Tales From Ivy Hill series is an understatement. I have long enjoyed Julie's historical fiction books and I knew that she would be the perfect author to give us a new village and people to love. By the end of the book I felt as if I had made new acquaintances and looked forward to getting to know each of them better.

The book starts with one of my favorite things . . . a map of the village! I love being able to picture the layout as the story progresses. When we first dip into the story we meet Jane Bell who is a recent widow and has suddenly and unexpectedly become the new innkeeper for The Bell. Much to her dismay her late husband left the coaching inn for her to run. The problem lies in the fact that before this Jane's husband insisted that Jane lead a life of a genteel lady and as such she really had very little to do with the inn.

The next central figure that we are introduced to is Thora Bell. She's Jane's mother-in-law and the two of them have a very strained relationship. The Bell coaching inn has been in Thora's family for generations so Thora is a bit territorial when it comes to all things concerning the inn. The problem is that the decisions are no longer hers to make. 

There are other friends and family that we meet but I would say that this installment centers around these two women. I found the storyline to be very easy to relate to. Even the best of daughter-in-law and mother-in-law relationships have a tension about them. Jane and Thora are leary of each other but they also need each other. Watching the barriers come down and the trust factor go up was a delight.

As I said earlier this is a gentle read but it does have a bit of mystery involved. I'm delighted to say that I was completely wrong about who was behind the deception. In this case it was so nice to be wrong! There's a bit of everything to entice the reader. There's relationship issues, both romantic and platonic, there's mystery, and there's also some very intriguing history. You just can't go wrong with this read.

Let me close with my favorite quote from the book. It comes from Mercy, a dear friend of Jane's, and it comes at the beginning of the book but it sets the tone for the rest of the story.

"Manage the inn, Jane; save it. Have a mission in life. Discover that work worth doing is about more than profit and toil. It's about using the gifts and ability you've been given to serve your fellow man and please your Maker." (pg. 130)

Other Reviews For This Author

The Maid of Fairbourne Hall 
The Tutor's Daughter
The Painter's Daughter

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Baa! Oink! Moo! God Made The Animals by Rhonda Gowler Greene | Children's Book Review

Baa! Oink! Moo! God Made The Animals

Rhonda Gowler Greene

Illustrated by David Walker

Juvenile Fiction (ages 4-8)

Sheep. Pigs. Cows.

God made all the animals on the farm!

Listen in on a lyrical conversation between a mother and a child

as a young boy learns that God is responsible for

creating all the animals on the farm.

Baa! Oink! Moo! God Made the Animals, written by award-winning author Rhonda Gowler Greene and illustrated by David Walker, is set on a farm and follows a conversation between a mother and child as the child repeatedly asks "Mama, who made . . . ?"

In the end, children learn that God is responsible for creating sheep, cows, pigs, horses, goats––all the animals on the farm… including puppies! Together, parents and children will discover the wonder of God’s creation when they open Baa! Oink! Moo! God Made the Animals.

My Thoughts
Little kids and farm animals just go together. What child doesn't love to make their noises? In Baa! Oink! Moo! God Made the Animals Rhonda Gowler Greene captures the curiosity and unending questions of little ones. If you're a momma of a little you know all about the cycle of question after question.
With the sing-songy verses the momma gently responds to all of her little boy's queries. As they move from animal to animal the son continually says "Mama, look!" and then responds with a question about who made the animals and their particular characteristic. I really like how the momma responds that only God can make these animals and give them their particular makeup. 
I am pretty sure that once you read this aloud to your little one they will begin to respond in all the right places with the animal sounds. The book itself is a padded board book that is very sturdy for the multiple readings that you are surely going to be doing. When the words have a rhyming flare it is actually fun to read it again and again. I think you'll also enjoy the illustrations by David Walker. His use of disproportionate features makes for a whimsical visual that goes really well with the verses.
This book would be a great addition to any child's library. It would also make a wonderful baby shower gift for that expecting momma. 
Other Reviews For This Author
Only God Can Make A Kitten Noah And The Mighty Ark
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www.RhondaGowlerGreene.com

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Read Your Bible Through Using The Snowball Effect

Every couple of years I read my Bible through. I usually just start in Genesis and read a few chapters a day until I reach the end of Revelation. I've used other methods (chronological, daily mix of old and new testaments, etc.) but for the most part I just read it from beginning to end.

I was talking to some of my book club friends about it and by and large everyone said about the same thing. We all start out strong but then you quickly come upon Leviticus and Numbers. We all acknowledged that those books are important . . . but boy are they tedious to get through!

As I began thinking about ways to make reading through your Bible more doable a concept kept coming to the forefront of my mind. We've been working through Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace using the baby steps he outlines. If you are familiar with the program you know that step 2 is creating a debt snowball.

To do a debt snowball you list out all of your debts and pick the one with the smallest balance and pay it off. Then you move on to the next smallest and just keep paying them off. You don't look at interest rates or things like that you just do the smallest debt first and keep going. Trust me when I say that this works! You quickly get a sense of accomplishment and motivation to power through the rest.

So . . . what if you used that same principle to read the Bible? Start with the smallest books and read them through and then move on to the next batch until you have finished the entire Bible. The more I thought about this the more excited I became.

I decided to put together a booklet for my fauxdori that I could use to track my reading. My dashboard is called "1st Things First". On the first page I printed the 2017 Habit Tracker from Illustrated Faith. I like the way I can hold myself accountable just by coloring in the dots for every day that I read.

For the rest of the pages I just made a table with the number of chapters for each book of the Bible. As I read a chapter I'll color the cell in. My booklet turned out a little wonky (I need to fix the margins) so for now I'm not offering it as a download. It would be quite easy for you to make your own and I'm betting you can be a bit more creative than I was.

Did you know that there are five books of the Bible that only contain one chapter? So if you think in terms of snowball effect you can easily read FIVE books of the Bible in five days if you only read a chapter a day. Now if that doesn't make you feel like you've accomplished something I don't know what else will! 

Here's the list of books by chapter length:

1 Chapter

Obadiah, Philemon, 2 John, 3 John, and Jude

2 Chapters

Haggai

3 Chapters

Joel, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, 2 Thessalonians, Titus, and 2 Peter 

4 Chapters

Ruth, Jonah, Malachi, Philippians, Colossians, and 2 Timothy 

5 Chapters

Lamentations, 1 Thessalonians, James, 1 Peter, and 1 John

6 Chapters

Galatians, Ephesians, and 1 Timothy 

7 Chapters

Micah

8 Chapters

Song of Songs

9 Chapters

Amos

10 Chapters

Ezra, and Esther

12 Chapters

Ecclesiastes, and Daniel

13 Chapters

Nehemiah, 2 Corinthians, and Hebrews

14 Chapters

Hosea, and Zechariah

16 Chapters

Mark, Romans, and 1 Corinthians

21 Chapters

Judges, and John

22 Chapters

1 Kings, and Revelation

24 Chapters

Joshua, 2 Samuel, and Luke

25 Chapters

2 Kings

27 Chapters

Leviticus

28 Chapters

Matthew, and Acts

29 Chapters

1 Chronicles

31 Chapters

1 Samuel, and Proverbs

34 Chapters

Deuteronomy

36 Chapters

Numbers, and 2 Chronicles

40 Chapters

Exodus

42 Chapters

Job

48 Chapters

Ezekiel

50 Chapters

Genesis

52 Chapters

Jeremiah

66 Chapters

Isaiah

150 Chapters

Psalms

If you follow this you will have read FOURTEEN books by the end of the first month just by reading a chapter a day. Now the truth is that some of these chapters are pretty short so you may wind up reading more than a chapter a day. Can you say SCORE? 

Let me tell you about one more thing that I do that I count in my booklet. I also count the chapters that I read in the devotionals that I follow along on a daily basis (as long as it is a full chapter). For example I am currently reading the book of Psalms with the Lifeway Women in their 40 Days of Prayer. I also read She Reads Truth every day and we are currently reading through the book of John. 

Doing this method has made me realize that I read more of the Word each day than I thought. Thank you Jesus for revealing this to me. Even though I'm a crazy reader (some might say addicted reader) I still need the affirmation that I'm diving into the Word daily. 

I hope that this will be an encouragement for you too. I'd love for you to share the idea with your friends on Facebook and Pinterest and Instagram but more importantly I'd love to hear what you think of this approach. I'm tickled with it and want to hear how it's working for you. Tag us @RambleSAHM so we can follow along on your journey to read your Bible through this year!

Tangled Webs (Men of Valor #3) by Irene Hannon | Romantic Suspense Review

Tangled Webs

Men of Valor #3

Irene Hannon

Romantic Suspense

FINN HAS PACKED AWAY HIS COMBAT INSTINCTS--

BUT HE MAY NEED THEM AGAIN WHEN DANGER BEGINS

TO STALK HIS QUIET HIDEAWAY . . .

After a disastrous Middle East mission ends his six-year Army Ranger career, Finn McGregor needs some downtime. A peaceful month in the woods sounds like the perfect way to decompress. But peace isn't on the agenda once he crosses paths with publishing executive Dana Lewis, a neighbor who is nursing wounds of her own. Someone seems bent on disrupting her stay in the lakeside cabin she inherited from her grandfather. As Finn and Dana work together to discover who is behind the disquieting pranks, the incidents begin to take on a menacing tone. And when it becomes apparent Dana's foe may have deadly intent, Finn finds himself back in the thick of the action--ready or not.

Bestselling author and three-time RITA Award winner Irene Hannon draws readers into a web of psychological suspense where danger lurks in dark corners . . . and keeps them captive until the very last page.

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My Thoughts

Tangled Webs brings the Men of Valor series to a close. In this final book our focus shifts to the baby of the family, Finn McGregor. If you read the first two books, Buried Secrets and Thin Ice, you've already become acquainted with Finn.

Finn was an Army Ranger for the last several years, but after a mission in the Middle East went bad he found himself without a definite career path. Knowing that he needs time to recuperate his brothers arrange for him to have some downtime at a friend's secluded cabin.

All seems peaceful and serine until a woman's screams pierce the night. That single event will change things for Finn in ways that he never imagined.

Dana Lewis is Finn's nearest neighbor and she's also recuperating at her family's cabin. She grew up spending lots of time at the cabin with her grandparents and it has always been a place of security and hope. Retreating here seemed to be the right thing to do but this time something is wrong.

I absolutely love Irene Hannon's romantic suspense books. This series has been especially intriguing because it involved three brothers that all have military careers. Each book can easily be read as a stand-alone title but if you plan on reading all of them definitely read them in order.

If your tastes lean towards suspense you won't be disappointed in this book or series. The action is fast and the characters are quite intriguing. Each of the situations are ones that we could easily read about in the headlines. I for one can't wait to see where her next series will take us.

If you are part of a book club you might be interested in downloading the Reading Group Guide.

Other Reviews For This Author

Vanished
One Perfect Spring
Deceived
Buried Secrets
Hope Harbor
Thin Ice
Sea Rose Lane

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www.IreneHannon.com

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