A Place Called Hope by Philip Gulley {Book Review}

A Place Called Hope

Hope Series, Book 1

Philip Gulley

Fiction

When Quaker Pastor Sam Gardner is asked by the ill Unitarian minister to oversee a wedding in his place, Sam naturally agrees. It's not until the couple stand before him that he realizes change has come to Harmony. The wedding stirs up a tempest of strong opinions and misunderstandings, and Sam soon finds himself facing possible unemployment.

Deeply discouraged, he wonders if his pastoral usefulness has come to an end. Perhaps it's time for a change. His wife has found a new job at the library, his elder son is off to college, and the younger has decided to join the military once he graduates high school. Sam contemplates a future selling used cars, until he receives a call from a woman in the suburban town of Hope, Indiana. It seems Hope Friends Meeting is in desperate need of a pastor. Though they have only twelve members, they also have a beautiful meetinghouse and a pie committee. Sam is quite fond of pie. But can he really leave his beloved hometown of Harmony?

My Thoughts
After reading A Place Called Hope I found myself longing for the simplicity of the original Harmony series. I fell in love with the quirky characters that felt very familiar to me. I'm pretty sure every congregation has a member like Dale Hinshaw who always comes up with wacko ideas like Scripture eggs. Thankfully there is usually a Miriam Hodge to balance out the craziness. 
Dale, Miriam, Fern, and the rest of the gang return in this series. And in fact it starts out pretty funny but quickly takes a turn that it didn't come out of until the very end. I'm pretty sure that Mr. Gulley expected the reader to sympathize with the dilemma that Sam found himself in the midst of but I just didn't. In fact it was Sam that I was the most disappointed in. 
So, am I ready to write off the rest of the series? No, for two reasons. The first is because I already have a copy of the second book. The second reason is I'm hopeful about the new community that Sam and Barbara have moved to. We've already been introduced to some very interesting characters and I'm looking forward to getting to know them better. It's also my hope that we'll still get to check in with the people at Harmony Friends Meeting now and again. 
My recommendation would be to read at your own discretion knowing that it is going to be a bit preachy about being accepting of gay marriage. If you can look past that and just enjoy catching up with some beloved characters then you should be able to at least partly enjoy the book.
Connect With The Author

www.PhilipGulley.com

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Eve by William Paul Young {Book Review}

Eve

William Paul Young

Fiction

WHEN A SHIPPING CONTAINER washes ashore on an island between our world and the next, John the Collector finds a young woman inside--broken, frozen, and barely alive. With the aid of Healers and Scholars, John oversees her recovery and soon discovers that her genetic code connects her to every known race. No one would guess what her survival will mean . . .

No one but Eve, Mother of the Living, who calls her "daughter" and invites her to witness the truth about her story--indeed, the truth about us all.

Eve is a bold, unprecedented exploration of the Creation narrative, true to the original texts and centuries of scholarship--yet with breathtaking discoveries that challenge traditional beliefs about who we are and how we're made. As The Shack awakened readers to a personal, non-religious understanding of God, Eve will free us from faulty interpretations that have corrupted human relationships since the Garden of Eden.

Eve opens a refreshing conversation about the equality of men and women within the context of our beginnings, helping us see each other as our Creator does--complete, unique, and not constrained by cultural rules or limitations.

Thoroughly researched and exquisitely written, Eve is a masterpiece that will linspire readers for generations to come.

My Thoughts
This is a tough review for me. I'm torn with what to say because I don't want to disparage Mr. Young but I also don't want to be false in my assessment of the book. I went into the reading of this book with the knowledge that Mr. Young was a talented writer. I've read some of his previous endeavors and enjoyed his writing style. In Eve I once again enjoyed his mastery of words and story. But unfortunately I couldn't separate the fiction from the Biblical account.
If Eve truly were a work of fiction based solely upon the authors imagination I would rate it higher and say that it was a good story just not quite to my liking. However, the story crosses over into Biblical fiction and that takes it to another level of scrutiny for me. 
Even though Mr. Young proclaims extensive research into the original texts the story of Eve deviates from it over and over in quite extreme ways. Mr. Young also states that he wishes to take a look at gender equality in a new way but I perceived it as more of a shifting of blame onto Adam rather than Adam and Eve equally disobeying God. Many of the themes throughout the book lean to an ultra feminist agenda that just don't sit well with me and seem to be contrary to Scripture.
Eve is a book that I would personally recommend skipping. While the author is quite talented the subject matter in this book make it impossible for me to recommend it to anyone. It is my hope that Mr. Young will continue to use his talents but in areas that aren't as controversial. 
Connect With The Author

www.WmPaulYoung.com

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Death Takes A Ride by Lorena McCourtney ~ A Cozy Mystery Review

Death Takes a Ride

The Cate Kincaid Files, Book 3

Lorena McCourtney

Cozy Mystery

Back of the book:

It's official. This case is 

above her pay grade--and 

Cate's in over her head.

Cate Kinkaid arrives at H&B Vintage Auto Restorations to give a friend a ride. But, as usual, trouble finds Cate even there--this time in the form of one dead man, one wounded man, and what appears to be a pretty obvious case of self-defense.

Despite having been merely an unfortunate bystander, Cate finds herself sucked into the case. And the deeper she gets, the more she begins to suspect that the shooting in the H&B office may not have been as cut-and-dried as it appeared.

Bestselling and award-winning author Lorena McCourtney takes you on wild ride in this clever cozy mystery that will keep you guessing.

READ AN EXCERPT!

My thoughts:

My reading in the summertime tends to be of the lighter variety. A good cozy mystery is just the right thing on a long summer evening. The Cate Kincaid Files are especially nice because they strike the right balance of being a light story that has just enough substance to keep you interested.

Death Takes a Ride is the third in the series. Dying to Read and Dolled Up to Die are the first two, but each one can be read as a stand alone. There is an underlying story that threads through each of the novels but each story contains a new mystery that doesn't really hinge on the previous ones.

When the story begins Cate is anxiously awaiting the arrival of her official license that will propel her from being an Assistant Investigator to a full fledged Investigator. When that happens it is expected that she will take over the agency so her Uncle Joe can retire and travel.

Cate is also trying to patiently wait for Mitch to take their relationship to the next level as in marriage. Unfortunately Mitch and his business partner have been offered a lucrative proposal that will take Mitch to another city. Cate begins to wonder if the relationship means more to her than Mitch. Will he ever get over his aversion to her being a PI?

As was the case in the two previous novels Cate didn't go looking to become involved in a murder investigation but it surely sought her out. To say that she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time is putting it mildly. At first it looks like a robbery gone bad, but then things just don't add up. The deeper Cate digs into a different matter involving the murder victim the more her intuition tells her that there is more to it than they first suspected.

The characters are just quirky enough to add humor to the serious theme of murder. Add in a big slobbery dog and a persnickety cat and you have the makings of a story that will amuse you as you try to figure out who the real culprit is. 

Connect with the author:

www.LorenaMcCourtney.com

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Book Review ~ The Choice by Robert Whitlow @whitlowwriter

The Choice

Robert Whitlow

Fiction/Christian/General

Buy it on Thomas Nelson!

Back of the book:

One young woman. Two very different roads. The choice will change everything.

Even as a pregnant, unwed teen in 1974, Sandy Lincoln wanted to do the right thing. But when an ageless woman approached her in a convenience store with a mysterious prophecy and a warning, doing the right thing became even more unclear. She made the best choice she could . . . and has lived with the consequences.

More than thirty years later, a pregnant teen has come into her life, and Sandy’s long-ago decision has come back to haunt her. The stakes rise quickly, leaving Sandy with split seconds to choose once more. But will her choice bring life . . . or death?

About the author:

Website: www.RobertWhitlow.com

Twitter: @whitlowwriter

Robert Whitlow is the best-selling author of legal dramas set in the South and winner of the prestigious Christy Award for Contemporary Fiction. A Furman University graduate, Whitlow received his J.D. with honors from the University of Georgia School of Law where he served on the staff of the Georgia Law Review. A practicing attorney, Whitlow and his wife, Kathy, have four adult children. They make their home in North Carolina.

My thoughts:

If you are like me you have your favorite authors in different genres. For a great southern legal drama I tend to gravitate to Robert Whitlow. His novels have an authenticity in them that seems to lack in others. Mr. Whitlow’s novels probably ring true because he is active in the areas that he writes about.

The Choice is the latest work from Mr. Whitlow. This story is an emotionally charged tale that starts in 1974 just following the passing of Roe v. Wade. For anyone that grew up in this time frame and especially anyone that has dealt with an unplanned pregnancy be prepared to have your feelings turned inside out.

The title is so appropriate. Throughout the two sections of the book we are led to see exactly how far reaching our choices are. The first section covers a nine month period in 1974. The second section jumps forward to 2008. With this jump in the story you get to experience the lasting effects of a choice made thirty plus years before. The repercussions are far reaching. They not only affect the one making the choice, but those that the choice was made for and everyone surrounding the decision.

I can already tell that this story is going to linger in my thoughts for some time to come. If you enjoy gritty real life dramas that make you contemplate not only what you believe but why you believe it, then The Choice is for you.

Follow the blog tour 

“Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or

Services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it

on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally

and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance

With the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides concerning the

Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Blog Tour for Lucy Come Home by Dave and Neta Jackson

Lucy Come Home

Dave and Neta Jackson

Fiction/Christian/General

Back of the book:

Fifteen-year old Cindy worked long days beside her migrant worker family in Michigan’s sugar beet fields in the early 1940s—the “war years”—until she met a dashing young man from a traveling carnival, bringing some joy and fun into her hard-scrabble life. But a tragic twist of fate—and a dead field boss—sent the two young people on the run, leaving behind a family and everything she’d ever known.

Lucy Tucker, the crotchety old bag lady from the popular Yada Yada House of Hope series, is a veteran of the Chicago streets and not about to give up her independence, even as she approaches her 80^th birthday. Until, that is, a young displaced woman with her gentle ageing mother and a dog named Dandy seem to need her—unsettling the secretive Lucy, who doesn’t let anyone get too close. But just when it seems her past is catching up with her to bring her in out of the cold … Lucy disappears again.

How these two tales intersect and intertwine between past and present gradually shines light into the dark corners of Lucy’s murky past. But … why won’t Lucy come home?

About Dave and Neta: 

Dave and Neta Jackson are award-winning authors living in the Chicago area where their parallel novels from the Yada Yada House of Hope and Harry Bentley series are set.

As a husband/wife writing team, Dave and Neta Jackson are enthusiastic about books, kids, walking with God, gospel music, and each other! Together they are the authors or coauthors of over 100 books.

Visit http://www.daveneta.com for more info.

My thoughts:

For fans of the Yada Yada series and its spin offs you are in for a complete treat with this one! If you’ve not read that series don’t worry, you can still enjoy this story as a stand-alone.  You won’t have all the background that will make the story richer, but it will still be an excellent read. If I could make the decision for you I’d say read them all in order. Dave and Neta Jackson are master storytellers and you won’t be disappointed you took the time to meet all of the characters.

We met Lucy for the first time in Where Do I Go? She shows up as a homeless bag lady that is ill and in need of attention. She’s feisty, fearless and determined. From that time on I began to wonder just how she wound up on the streets. The answer to that is found in the pages of Lucy Come Home.

Lucy starts out as Lucinda Tucker, the daughter of migrant workers. While her family is in Michigan picking sugar beets she meets James Bodeen, also known as Bo. A sudden death changes her world completely. At fifteen years of age she is on the run with Bo just trying to eke out a meager existence.

Lucy’s story flashes back and forth from the present day to the past. It is a story full of lessons about faith, love and hope. We also learn about the cost of carrying burdens that are too big for us to bear. Through Lucy we are taught that the Truth really can set you free.

Follow the Blog Tour

“Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or

Services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it

on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally

and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance

With the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides concerning the

Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Blog Tour for Beyond Molasses Creek by Nicole Seitz @nicoleseitz

Beyond Molasses Creek

Nicole Seitz
Fiction
Buy it on Amazon

Back of the book:

Having traveled to the ends of the earth as a flight attendant, Ally Green has finally returned to the Lowcountry to bury her father as well as the past. But Vesey Washington is still living across the creek, and theirs is a complicated relationship—he was once her best friend…and also part of reason she’s stayed away so long. When Ally discovers a message her father left behind asking her to quit running, it seems her past isn’t through with her yet.

As Ally’s wandering spirit wrestles with a deep longing to flee again, a young woman on the other side of the world escapes her life of slavery in the rock quarries of Nepal. A mysterious sketchbook leads Sunila Kunari to believe there’s more to her story than she’s ever been told, and she’s determined to follow the truth wherever it leads her.

A deep current intertwines the lives of these three souls, and a destiny of freedom, faith, and friendship awaits them all on the banks of Molasses Creek.

My thoughts:

From the beginning pages I fell in love with this novel. It reads like a classic Southern fiction tale. The story is beautifully written about a very sad time in our country’s history. Throughout the narrative you are swept between Mount Pleasant, South Carolina and Kathmandu, Nepal. Ms. Seitz’s way with words puts you right in the midst of these complex places. In my opinion this one is going to hang around for a long time.

I do feel that it is important to point out that although it is published by Thomas Nelson, I personally wouldn’t consider it Christian fiction. Since parts of the story are set in Kathmandu it has a lot of references to Hinduism.  I wish that the ending were more forthcoming about some of the main character’s faith, but I still loved the way it read. The prevailing themes are ones of forgiveness and second chances.

This would be a wonderful book for reading groups. It includes very thought provoking questions in the back of the book. I’m looking forward to sharing this with my friends. You can be sure that I will be reading more by Nicole Seitz.

“Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or

Services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it
on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally
and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance
With the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides concerning the
Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Blog Tour for Chasing Mona Lisa by @TriciaGoyer & @MikeYorkey

Chasing Mona Lisa

Tricia Goyer and Mike Yorkey
Book 2
Historical Fiction
Publisher: Revell (January 1, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0800720466
ISBN-13: 978-0800720469
Buy it on Amazon

Back of the book:

August 1944. Paris is on the cusp of liberation. As the soldiers of the Third Reich flee the Allied advance, they ravage the country and steal countless pieces of irreplaceable art. In fact, Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring will stop at nothing to claim the most valuable one of all—the Mona Lisa—as a postwar bargaining chip.

But the woman with the mysterious smile has some very determined protectors. Can Swiss OSS agents Gabi Mueller and Eric Hofstadler rescue Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece before it falls into German hands?

With nonstop action and intrigue, Chasing Mona Lisa is sure to get your adrenaline pumping as you join the chase to save the most famous painting in the world. From war-ravaged Paris to a posh Swiss chateau, the race is on—and the runners are playing for keeps.

About the Authors:

Tricia Goyer is the coauthor of The Swiss Courier as well as the author of many other books, including Night Song and Dawn of a Thousand Nights, both past winners of the ACFW's Book of the Year Award for Long Historical Romance. Goyer lives with her family in Arkansas. For more about Tricia and her other books TriciaGoyer.com

 

Mike Yorkey is the author or coauthor of dozens of books, including The Swiss Courier and the bestselling Every Man's Battle series. Married to a Swiss native, Yorkey lived in Switzerland for 18 months. He and his family currently reside in California. For more about Mike and his other books visit MikeYorkey.com

My thoughts:

Chasing Mona Lisa is the second book in this series by Tricia Goyer and Mike Yorkey. Their first endeavor together was The Swiss Courier. I did not read The Swiss Courier before reading Chasing Mona Lisa and I was able to follow the story just fine. Of course now I want to go back and read the first installment to catch all of the elements that I did not even know I was missing out on.

The story is full of intrigue and a bit of romance, but my favorite parts where more about what was going on in the country as a whole. The story opens in the midst of Paris just before the Allies swoop in and liberate the city. We are reminded that Charles de Gaulle and his troops will eventually take leadership in France, but there was another faction that was seeking to take control. Had they prevailed France would have become a communist country. Just think of all the changes that would have meant in our world.

Think about all of the priceless art that we have in our museums. Think about the devastating destruction that wars do to countries. It is completely amazing that we have so much that was preserved. To lose the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and Winged Victory at Samothrace would have been a tragedy, not only for France but for the world.

I really enjoyed that this story had accurate historical elements and that it was told from a French perspective. So much of what we read comes from an American perspective. It was interesting to step into the lives of the French and see it from their vantage point. I think anyone that enjoys a historical story set around World War II will appreciate this piece of work.

Follow the Blog Tour: Here

“Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or
Services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it
on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally
and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance
With the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides concerning the
Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Baker's Wife by Erin Healy Facebook Party

Let the flour fly! Beginning October 24th, Erin's celebrating the release of her latest page turner, The Baker's Wife, with an outstanding KitchenAid baking prize package giveaway that includes a brand new KitchenAid Mixer, cook books, and all you need to whip up some fabulous bread or sweets! Then and on November 10th she'll be wrapping up the release of The Baker's Wife with an Author Book Chat Party on Facebook! Don't miss a minute of the fun!

Falling to Pieces (Shipshewana Amish Mystery Series #1) by Vannetta Chapman

Falling to Pieces

Vannetta Chapman
Fiction
4 out of 5

In this first book of a three-book series, author Vannetta Chapman brings a fresh twist to the popular Amish fiction genre. She blends the familiar components consumers love in Amish books---faith, community, simplicity, family---with an innovative who-done-it plot that keeps readers guessing right up to the last stitch in the quilt. When two women---one Amish, one English---each with different motives, join forces to organize a successful on-line quilt auction, neither expects nor wants a friendship. As different as night and day, Deborah and Callie are uneasy partners who simply want to make the best of a temporary situation. But a murder, a surprising prime suspect, a stubborn detective, and the town's reaction throw the two women together, and they form an unlikely alliance to solve a mystery and catch a killer. Set in the well-known Amish community of Shipshewana, Falling to Pieces will attract both devoted fans of the rapidly-growing Amish fiction genre, as well as those who are captivated by the Amish way of life.

My thoughts…

Vannetta Chapman is a new author to me, and one that I will be looking forward to reading again. She has a fresh voice in this genre. I enjoy reading Amish fiction and I liked the way this story came at things in a different way.

If I were classifying this piece of work I’m not sure that I would classify it as Amish fiction. The main character, Callie, is not Amish nor are several of the other leading characters. There is a very large Amish presence in this novel because it is set in Shipshewana, Indiana which has a large Amish and Mennonite population. I would prefer to classify it as a cozy mystery with an Amish twist.

The plot was fast paced and kept the pages turning. In the end I thought that I knew who had committed the crime and why…but I was wrong. To be wrong about a mystery is the best! 

One of the bonuses with this book is that it has discussion questions in the back. It would be a nice read for your book club, especially if you have just finished something very heavy in subject matter. I am looking forward to reading the next two installments in this delightful series.

*   I received a copy of this book from NetGalley  for  my honest opinions. No other compensation was received and all thoughts are my own and may differ from others.

Heiress by Susan May Warren

Heiress

Chronicles of an American Empire Series #1

Susan May Warren

They can buy anything they want—fame, power, beauty, even loyalty. But they can’t buy love. The beautiful and wealthy heiress daughters of August Price can buy everything their hearts desire. But what if their desire is to be loved, without an enormous price tag attached? 

When one sister betrays another for the sake of love, will she find happiness? And what happens when the other sets out across the still untamed frontier to find it—will she discover she’s left it behind in the glamorous world of the New York gilded society? What price will each woman pay for being an heiress?

Set in the opulent world of the Gilded Age, two women discover that being an heiress just might cost them everything they love.

My thoughts

I am a big Susan May Warren fan. In fact she wrote one of my all-time favorite Christmas stories, The Great Christmas Bowl. I’ve read several of her contemporary fiction works and thoroughly enjoyed them. When I received Heiress and realized that it was a historical fiction story I wondered how she would do in this genre. Well, Ms. Warren you have just proven that you can write with the best of them!

Esme and Jinx Price are two very privileged daughters of newspaper mogul August Price. Esme is expected to make a good marriage to propel the family upwards on the social ladder. The problem is that Esme doesn’t want that life. Jinx on the other hand wants what she can’t have, which is namely whatever her sister has.

The story takes many twists and turns and leaves you wondering just how anything is ever going to work out. Years pass and things seem to go from bad to worse. But just when you think all is lost, Providence happens.

This is a great story about love lost and love gained. The author’s note in the back of the book will provoke thought on what happiness is and to what lengths are you willing to go to obtain it. The questions for discussion would be great for your book club.

Last but not least…my favorite part of the book is that it is book one in the series. That means there are more to come! I cannot wait to find out what happens next in the lives of Esme and Jinx’s families.

*I received a copy of this book for my participation in this book tour from Litfuse . This review is my own and may differ from others. No other compensation was received.

Book review: Pattern of Wounds by J. Mark Bertrand Roland March Mystery Series #2

Pattern of Wounds

J. Mark Bertrand

Roland March Mystery, Book 2

Suspense

4 out of 5

Back of the book…

It’s Christmas in Houston, and homicide detective Roland March is on the hunt for a killer. A young woman’s brutal stabbing in an affluent neighborhood bears all the hallmarks of a serial murder. The only problem is that March sent the murderer to prison ten years ago. Is it a copycat—or did March convict the wrong man?

Alienated from his colleagues, and with a growing rift in his marriage, March receives a series of taunting messages from the killer. The bodies pile up, the pressure builds, and the violence reaches too close to home. Up against an unfathomable evil, March struggles against the clock to understand the hidden message in the pattern of wounds.

My thoughts…

In all fairness I have to say that I have not read the first book in this series. I’m sure that there are some elements of the story that you would understand better if you read the first book first. Having said that, I enjoyed the book and didn’t feel like I didn’t know what was going on.

This book is what I would call edgy. If explicit details offend you, then move along to your next book. But, if you are looking for something that feels real and tells it like it is, then this is your book. The details in the book make the story breathtaking. I found myself going to bed and then having to get back up to read just one more chapter.

One of the ways that I judge if a book is worthy of a recommendation is if there are passages in it that I feel compelled to read aloud to someone. Pattern of Wounds had some of those passages. I say get the book, but be prepared to spend some time being drawn into the crazy world of a homicide detective.

*I received a copy of this book from Bethany House for my honest opinions. No other compensation was received.