tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19198617028157002012024-03-13T03:13:22.407-04:00A Lady in TimeAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821632206695719840noreply@blogger.comBlogger127125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1919861702815700201.post-69371911483739312932018-08-09T16:16:00.002-04:002018-08-09T17:14:20.418-04:00Book Review: The Weaver's Daughter<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhtVmV_EjGYu054n1WydgiSLemrCYWHFCpf0lm34A67MB7hc9YQ-kpACKH1fyrRV0iTVNZxmZI5kDOdGxETFrLz813UXnltQoETGjg2c1OriMmh3s1FuZpJvNdY5ICe3PBnuZZXvdCyplK/s1600/BB+the+weavers+daughter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1524" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhtVmV_EjGYu054n1WydgiSLemrCYWHFCpf0lm34A67MB7hc9YQ-kpACKH1fyrRV0iTVNZxmZI5kDOdGxETFrLz813UXnltQoETGjg2c1OriMmh3s1FuZpJvNdY5ICe3PBnuZZXvdCyplK/s400/BB+the+weavers+daughter.jpg" width="261" /></a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Kate Dearborne is just a girl looking to take up the mantle of her family weaving business and do the work she loves but her father has other plans for her. As tensions between small traditional weavers and the ever-growing local mill industry grow Kate is just trying to keep up- and keep to the right side of her father’s anger and unflinching demand for loyalty. When Henry Stockton, grandson of the mill, returns from war and to all who believed him to be dead, it only takes things between the weavers and mill to new heights of passion. Throw in a murder and a rumor of new mill equipment arriving that will put craftsmen out of work and the town becomes a powder keg waiting to go off! In the midst of this Kate most certainly shouldn’t be having so many accidental meetings with Henry, a man she’s supposed to hate- but what if he isn’t what and who everyone assumes he is just because he carries the Stockton name? What if he, and Kate, can find a way together through the fighting and animosity to create something beneficial for all the townspeople- weaver and mill worker? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">If you are a fan of historical lit you are going to be easily drawn into the setting of this book and the story it tells as you think back to the ever popular <i>North and South</i>. Having that background imagery playing in your mind it’s easy to fall for this book and the characters in it. I think all of us have been waiting for more stories in this vein in our historical lit reading! </span><span style="font-family: "wingdings"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">J</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Part of me kinda hopes to see Kate and Henry again in the future because I felt like we were only scratching the surface with all that was going on in their minds and hearts as they worked through their individual and shared troubles. The other half was just pretty happy to get to enjoy their story as is because it’s rare to find a novel these days without any major plot holes or silliness in characters!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">All in all, I’d recommend it as a good read. I enjoyed this over a couple weeks as I went in and out of doctor’s appointments and it helped to chase away time as I waited. I think you’d enjoy it too! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Final Rating: 3.5 <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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I have been given a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and opinion of the product.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821632206695719840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1919861702815700201.post-57455159605938453812018-08-09T16:12:00.001-04:002018-08-09T17:14:02.068-04:00Book Review: Christmas at Carnton<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3MaC_5jkuj3uHAQoyF2aqe0SM02Aa3c-qsJYLKD55nGD_wHulHHnyLm_deS3hngOPWVpFyu_kyfoscR8tcUXdSRrocNpJJCqNqecqPxf33sb8QP_Jceem_FQwmBjlJ7Lgr_r8aTiQi34L/s1600/BB+christmas+at+carnton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3MaC_5jkuj3uHAQoyF2aqe0SM02Aa3c-qsJYLKD55nGD_wHulHHnyLm_deS3hngOPWVpFyu_kyfoscR8tcUXdSRrocNpJJCqNqecqPxf33sb8QP_Jceem_FQwmBjlJ7Lgr_r8aTiQi34L/s400/BB+christmas+at+carnton.jpg" width="266" /></a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What fun to have a small Christmas novella to read from Tamera! Introducing her upcoming Carnton series Christmas at Carnton takes a quick peek at the Plantation from an outsider’s point of view. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Taking place while the Civil War rages on around them we meet Aletta Prescott who’s just received news that her husband has been killed. With nothing to her name to keep her and her six-year-old son Aletta seeks employment at Carnton for their upcoming war relief benefit auction. While there she finds herself making friends with a soldier there on medical leave, Captain Jake Winston. Jake’s orders are to help the ladies in their war effort but saying he’s not too keen on it is an understatement. Aletta can’t quite figure out why a seemingly able-bodied man isn’t on the front lines, but with how her son’s grown to love him and how kind he’s been to Aletta herself, she can’t quite figure out if their pasts and differences matter or if there’s a new future tucked between the crinolines and carpentry. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Okay, so this may be the middle of August as I write this but honestly, do yourself a favor and cool off by picking up a copy of this Christmas novel! Aletta and Jake’s story is a sweet one and one that had me guessing for quite a while! Aletta is also a sweet character whose sweet pastry skills immediately caught my attention! I love it when bakers show up in books- and do things right- it gives my little pasty chef heart joy hehe! There is a cool recipe section at the end of the book that I’m looking forward to trying out this Christmas season- but will still be just right for your family table at the next get-together- even if it’s in August! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Final Rating: 4.5 <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 115%;">I have been given a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and opinion of the product.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821632206695719840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1919861702815700201.post-58610727494693073972018-08-09T16:08:00.003-04:002018-08-09T16:08:37.624-04:00Book Review: To Wager Her Heart<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4r__qrMG0gYkA3D4nciIl831f3Y20l6q6IVUapBwZYgwM37u85MMQPbFlx20ajUZwwgveZg2SA1b_EyAAIAKNPbHwRafUoo3fGTvBH8j8vRpuQzTHQEvngN4evPwaWcxcnWFyqwxTUmy2/s1600/BB+to+wager+her+heart.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4r__qrMG0gYkA3D4nciIl831f3Y20l6q6IVUapBwZYgwM37u85MMQPbFlx20ajUZwwgveZg2SA1b_EyAAIAKNPbHwRafUoo3fGTvBH8j8vRpuQzTHQEvngN4evPwaWcxcnWFyqwxTUmy2/s400/BB+to+wager+her+heart.jpeg" width="266" /></a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Well, you all should know by now that I’m a total fangirl for a Tamera Alexander book- so it’s a real treat to have had so many books released this past year! My reading spree of the new books began with the final installment in the Belle Meade Plantation series, “To Wager Her Heart”. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As we again venture into Belle Meade’s part of the world in Reconstruction Era Nashville we are met with the story of a train. It’s the story of those who ride on trains like Alexandra Jamison; and those wishing to own and build them, like Sylas Rutledge. For Alexandra she never wishes to ride on a train again after the accident that killed her fiancé and left her battling her fears and trauma from that day. For Silas, his goal to build the new line for General Harding and cement his place in the Eastern railroad market is only surpassed by his desire to clear his father’s name from infamy after the terrible accident that killed him and others. Having searched for something useful to do now that marriage is no longer on the horizon for her, Alexandra seeks out a job teaching at the Fisk University, a freed blacks school, much to the dismay and disapproval of her father. Alexandra and Sy are a couple with pasts that put them at odds, but they are a couple that finds they need each other as Alexandra has the position and graces to tutor Sy in the ways of the Nashville elite, and Alexandra is in need of a hand up as she begins her teaching job at rock bottom. Together they may be able to find justice for the past that will put them on course for a future together. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">While Alexandra and Sy’s story is front and center in this book it would be entirely remiss not to talk about the secondary theme that is shared with the reader. I loved learning about Fisk University and about their brave students who put together a highly risky and completely unguaranteed traveling group known as the Jubilee Singers. These singers were the true historical part of this novel and traveled all over the North, and later on across the world all to raise money for funding their school. A noble endeavor indeed. I love learning these tidbits of forgotten history every time I open one of Tamera’s books! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Two tiny nitpicks for this book are that when the book cover described Sy as having a “reformed gambler from the Colorado Territory” I kinda expected him to have a little more of a rough edge to him or to see him struggle a bit with those past impulses- but nope- this guy was a total gentleman through and through! What a complaint to make! Lol </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> I was also a bit disappointed that our duo didn’t get full resolution to the answers they sought about the accident. With the judge being so shady about things I was eager for people to get their due, but I guess in retrospect that those are really the things that we need to learn to live with in our lives too. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As usual, the setting, themes, and writing of this delightful novel are far above par. To sit and open one of Tamera’s books is to both find new friends and new truths to walk with you in your Christian living. It’s something we all could use a little more of every time we curl up with a book. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Final Rating: 5<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;">I have been given a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and opinion of the product.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821632206695719840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1919861702815700201.post-38225657134738804122018-08-09T15:59:00.000-04:002018-08-09T15:59:10.889-04:00Book Review: A Stranger at Fellsworth<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3rfX60ahc9r6nyw3S-vVsmq9tFTy6aLENavTMUmNUZ7nqbSVIRpdvE2GVx-czvbCV9pC-_HjiY9QXK1R7pW8GzUMrFlkivVYxi0EzW0qYLFgIDZOOSEZFUHIsvFvzqzZWqMYHlj94VKVm/s1600/BB+a+stranger+at+fellsworth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="912" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3rfX60ahc9r6nyw3S-vVsmq9tFTy6aLENavTMUmNUZ7nqbSVIRpdvE2GVx-czvbCV9pC-_HjiY9QXK1R7pW8GzUMrFlkivVYxi0EzW0qYLFgIDZOOSEZFUHIsvFvzqzZWqMYHlj94VKVm/s400/BB+a+stranger+at+fellsworth.jpg" width="262" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There’s no doubt about it- I love digging into a novel from Sarah E. Ladd! It only took me three nights to polish off this latest one, “A Stranger at Fellsworth”! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Annabelle Thorley has always had a life of privilege and comfort in her family home but after the passing of her parents and the questionable doings of her elder brother Anabelle’s future is in question. When her brother becomes increasingly abusive and tries to force her into an arranged marriage she can see no other way out but to leave home. As she escapes under the cover of darkness- even as shots ring out in her home- Annabelle is afraid and unsure but seeks help from the first trustworthy man she finds- Owen Locke, who delivers her to her long lost uncle’s home where she begs for sanctuary. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As Annabelle begins to work for the first time in her life she grows fond of one of the pupils in her uncle’s school and finds that she is Owen’s daughter. As Owen’s duties as a magistrate, and his work as a gamekeeper overlap with Annabelle’s past they begin to grow closer, but too many coincidental things are going wrong around them to not all have a connection to each other and to Annabelle’s past- and possibly an impact on their future. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This read truly didn’t take me long because I was so caught up in it! There was a lot of great little details in the weaving of this story and of the characters in it. All of them quickly won me over and I was eager to follow their story and see how Annabelle developed and strengthened her character as a woman, and to see how Owen as strong as he was in character and purpose learn to soften a little in love and open his future to it again after the death of his wife. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For those who love Regency stories this one will be a great one for you! I’m betting that you will finish it off just as quickly as I did! A solid recommendation to pass the evening with!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Final Rating: 4.5 <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;">I have been given a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and opinion of the product.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821632206695719840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1919861702815700201.post-80709570898289024522018-08-09T15:35:00.002-04:002018-08-09T15:35:48.070-04:00Book Review: Death at Thorburn Hall <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6lKPxfe-Sfun-XAFFtn0qbCxA9VzV90PSqNaQLXUn_9u4dQsMLrq3nHcM6V7MVYzfu7C02aZryR-SrGYdx-Pwas_QZp5JHi8gD4HfOToAhhgq0jyORAQ7GU2PZC4Gmk8hB-gFLvjKUY5H/s1600/BB+death+at+thb+hall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="285" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6lKPxfe-Sfun-XAFFtn0qbCxA9VzV90PSqNaQLXUn_9u4dQsMLrq3nHcM6V7MVYzfu7C02aZryR-SrGYdx-Pwas_QZp5JHi8gD4HfOToAhhgq0jyORAQ7GU2PZC4Gmk8hB-gFLvjKUY5H/s400/BB+death+at+thb+hall.jpg" width="258" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Well, it’s been some time since I reviewed a Drew Farthering Mystery! I was eager to get this book and catch up with the series. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This fifth book in this series by Julianna Deering has Drew and his ever charming wife taking a trip north to Scotland to be spectators in the British Open. Joining them are Nick, and Carrie who’s come from America and is still grieving her father’s death. Planning to spend a lovely and relaxing holiday with their hosts Lady Louisa and Lord Rainsby focusing on golf- and avoiding any murders- doesn’t quite work out when the bodies begin to fall! With his right-hand man, Nick ever at his side Drew stashes the upset ladies at the local inn and sets off to honor a promise and get to the bottom of things. Along the way, he begins to discover things that don’t add up and point to a much larger dastardly plot on the verge of playing out before his eyes! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I had a lot of fun reading this book, it’s well paced and has creative twists and turns all along the plot that keeps you pressing forward in wanting to get to the end and find out ‘whodunit’. Drew is a great character that really can’t help get himself tied up in things that might be better for his wife’s nerves that he stay out of- but oh so fun to jump in next to him and his right-hand man, Nick, as they muddle their way through! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This time around I was annoyed by one little detail that the turning of the plot seemed to hang around. Seeing one thing without any supporting facts caused Drew to have all sorts of crazy theory’s that drove most of the rest of his investigation. I wished that the rabbit trail had shown more carrots, as it were, before leading us off on that path. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">All in all, this is a great little escape to curl up with and enjoy! I know I’ll be waiting for the next time that Drew and his whole crew get to meet up with their next murder! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;">I have been given a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and opinion of the product.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821632206695719840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1919861702815700201.post-47953095825405496622018-08-09T15:30:00.002-04:002018-08-09T15:30:52.202-04:00Book Review: The Ladies of Ivy Cottage<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4pF_FzOboMIR-YQyWNVgZaGIVT5yR_N-2H7oUwwU4FjHDze-XUrnGArnLoUBUA8Tdt-yqccsl0EJIQiop5iHsRaCLsGEu6Dg_OecIQtNirD9h5c8ADfa7KLR6UyOPmuZ15YocDF-3P8rB/s1600/BB+ladies+of+ivy+cottage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="773" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4pF_FzOboMIR-YQyWNVgZaGIVT5yR_N-2H7oUwwU4FjHDze-XUrnGArnLoUBUA8Tdt-yqccsl0EJIQiop5iHsRaCLsGEu6Dg_OecIQtNirD9h5c8ADfa7KLR6UyOPmuZ15YocDF-3P8rB/s400/BB+ladies+of+ivy+cottage.jpg" width="257" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In Julie Klassen’s latest installment of this “Tales from Ivy Hill” series picks up right where book one- “The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill” left off. As we enter this not-so-sleepy little village again our attention now focuses in on our friends that live down the road from the inn and the plights of friends Rachel Ashford and Mercy Grove. Last time we saw Rachel lose her family home after her father’s death. Now living as a guest in the little home where Mercy and her aunt run a small school Rachel finds herself in need of a living- for starters, and a purpose as well- if she is to learn to live her life as an independent woman. Mercy, on the other hand, has her purpose and means to keep her independence- even when her parent's disapproval of her teaching and demands to marry come marching through the door.</span> <o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When Rachel opens a library in the front rooms of Ivy Cottage it brings more to her than she ever expected including mysterious books, unexpected friendship with the village women, and a curious collection of suitors- for both her and Mercy! But what the future holds for both women still may remain a mystery… <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As I said before in my review of book one of this series Ivy Hill reminds me of Cranston. The BBC miniseries that so adeptly wove together the lives and tales of its residents find the loveliest echo here in Ivy Hill. There is no better time spent than in curling up with a book that takes you time to chew and leaves you feeling satisfied and happy and that’s just what is found here in “The Ladies of Ivy Cottage”. There were so many things that I could relate to, personally, in this story and I made my best wishes and stacked up my best hopes to pull for both Rachel and Mercy as they worked through the day to day of living with joyfulness and contentment in the midst of uncertainty and a surprise around every turn! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This was a wonderful addition to this series and it is a book I recommend you get busy reading soon! It will be well worth your time and leave you with a smile at the end! (I can’t wait for the final part to come out!) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Final Rating: 5 <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;">I have been given a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and opinion of the product. </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821632206695719840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1919861702815700201.post-85131633832156534692018-06-12T18:40:00.000-04:002018-06-12T18:40:02.003-04:00Book Review: The Spirit-Led Heart <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNKI5TrF4VwBdGPanth7TuJ2UdX0kINLltUvWBiGk4q0rjwsDcZWxCqW5xHILPRNsg1sV9UdFHA_IxAb3azirfM8W-wcBFC7-85rDjydJhyz9n-0RS1IoQCHXW-3Rtk0su4_MGIU4vkGOr/s1600/BB+spirit+led+heart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1036" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNKI5TrF4VwBdGPanth7TuJ2UdX0kINLltUvWBiGk4q0rjwsDcZWxCqW5xHILPRNsg1sV9UdFHA_IxAb3azirfM8W-wcBFC7-85rDjydJhyz9n-0RS1IoQCHXW-3Rtk0su4_MGIU4vkGOr/s320/BB+spirit+led+heart.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>
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It was so exciting to get Susanne Eller’s newest book in the mail the other week! I really enjoyed her last book focusing on the disciples so I was eager to hear what she had to share on living a life equipped and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Opening up “The Spirit-Led Heart” I was not disappointed! Once again Suzie comes approaching her teaching like a friend at your kitchen table, opening up the Word with you and sharing what she’s learned and how to apply it. It’s an approach with a lot of impact!</div>
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There are ten chapters in this book and I read them for my morning devotionals over two weeks. The topics she covers begin at ‘Released from Uncertainty’ and travel to chapters on finding direction and listening to counsel, ending up at a final chapter on understanding the Spirit gives us each good gifts to use. Each chapter begins with a personal story from Suzie before she focuses in on the passage she wants to share and expands on the details of her thinking and helps to both ask and answer questions with solid biblical understanding. Each chapter ends with a summary of what was covered and a suggested prayer to help guide your conversations with the Lord. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The chapters that had the most impact on me were the ones on truth, and on a Spirit-led heart being advocated and comforted. The chapter on truth deals with understanding what lies Satan tries to make us believe and how to counter the bombardment of lies from the broken world around us and reject them with the truth of God’s Word in us. The chapter on how the spirit advocates and comforts us was touching and empowering. Suzie shares about her daughter’s cancer diagnosis and how overwhelmed she was by it but how God’s power can be illuminated through our battles and the battles that we bring to God on behalf of those we love. It really encouraged me as I thought about people I love and health struggles of my own. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that is looking for some good encouragement or a good study for over the summer! The back of the book has small group study questions and would be perfect for anyone who wanted to connect with a few ladies they know! <o:p></o:p></div>
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Final Rating: 5 <o:p></o:p></div>
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I have been given a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and opinion of the product.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821632206695719840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1919861702815700201.post-42922709540637810802018-02-09T16:34:00.000-05:002018-02-09T16:34:53.629-05:00Book Review: All is Bright<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyhYIXqCQERKxhdSZwzOeIN7W4zgm8IkEpKPSA7AuDKJXq-FHnaVGr-IgUVChW2cVR5AREC_hITNVj4cqzi2FLgmc-IPir4CBZZRCaVbitVR_7F6KqmQxGVUsTY6G9jW0i1PSOQ_VafsVr/s1600/IMG_0118.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyhYIXqCQERKxhdSZwzOeIN7W4zgm8IkEpKPSA7AuDKJXq-FHnaVGr-IgUVChW2cVR5AREC_hITNVj4cqzi2FLgmc-IPir4CBZZRCaVbitVR_7F6KqmQxGVUsTY6G9jW0i1PSOQ_VafsVr/s320/IMG_0118.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Advent is one of the most important and special parts of Christmas to me. From the time I was a child, my mom made advent a part of our celebrations every year with lots of creative activities for us to do to participate in the celebration.<br />
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I am sure that this coloring book would have been well loved in our family! Not only are there coloring pages with accompanying advent devotionals for every day of December, but there are some great pages at the back for kids too! The kid's section has a small selection of readings and some nice large image pages that any younger or middle-aged kid would enjoy coloring without feeling the pressure of being super detailed and fussy. The main adult pages provide a wide array of images that correspond back to the main theme of that day’s devotional.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIfD3LH2XNWGf7sqCo3JQKI6ZZIeXAcrcgwSKSxePD4RKNKRIUxD5GR543atcUyMttc1RPHCgNHlfd9g3MAmbLpFrkGukalSGx_P91aqMnVkJxzP91OO7CFMJoE1WZ0bMoX_4GGGpTnQoE/s1600/IMG_0113.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIfD3LH2XNWGf7sqCo3JQKI6ZZIeXAcrcgwSKSxePD4RKNKRIUxD5GR543atcUyMttc1RPHCgNHlfd9g3MAmbLpFrkGukalSGx_P91aqMnVkJxzP91OO7CFMJoE1WZ0bMoX_4GGGpTnQoE/s200/IMG_0113.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
I colored several of the images with my Tim Holtz Distress Crayons so I could get a feel for the paper and weight and how it would handle being colored. The quality of the paper is pretty good. It’s very smooth without any feel of large fibers and I feel colored pencils would blend really well on paper like this. With my distress crayons and the light application of water to blend and smudge the colors, it worked ok but maybe not the best. The pages when dry and pressed still show some warping front and back on the pages and if you are someone who likes pristine pages a less water-based medium is what you are going to want to aim for on these pages.<br />
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Overall, it’s a really nice book that I think many families could enjoy together during the Advent season!<br />
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Final Rating: 4<br />
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I have been given a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and opinion of the product.<br />
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Additional photos:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb5d8wwVKWZ7VttMxWM70wMYLAaxLNgI2rXoLINMuYw7LPhfKLYHVaHpakA0Xcok-HszDC9EPd6Y3c8VSkf8UrW0gVINO_fnN0NuJ8YWdkLPXEaBqutwFPvZNRcUHZZyAdQ4y51Pndnx0q/s1600/IMG_0115.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb5d8wwVKWZ7VttMxWM70wMYLAaxLNgI2rXoLINMuYw7LPhfKLYHVaHpakA0Xcok-HszDC9EPd6Y3c8VSkf8UrW0gVINO_fnN0NuJ8YWdkLPXEaBqutwFPvZNRcUHZZyAdQ4y51Pndnx0q/s400/IMG_0115.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Note warping on text page</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAdk4k8Je3hhi2HGcFFrCIlbgUx1EdAIvcQqUOM4y1SN-aC-LZzTI3PH_LkvAhcQmHEs_ucistfJsDoIj-mWEnV3FUeagAiFX_ccpZZYZH3iccFGs8S66HQTErToWmJFC23cQbhJVNvyUo/s1600/IMG_0116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAdk4k8Je3hhi2HGcFFrCIlbgUx1EdAIvcQqUOM4y1SN-aC-LZzTI3PH_LkvAhcQmHEs_ucistfJsDoIj-mWEnV3FUeagAiFX_ccpZZYZH3iccFGs8S66HQTErToWmJFC23cQbhJVNvyUo/s400/IMG_0116.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821632206695719840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1919861702815700201.post-59858272828049881992018-02-09T15:30:00.000-05:002018-02-09T15:32:04.581-05:00Book Review: Beyond Suffering Bible<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXuYEqN1ON1GqzqkBZvcQ_oi7h3klWfXI-fs0PltLWfVZPIgDiJbDzshtBXKlb2pPiP3cbUI1JZzeDylDDakCocHiISUgVQwcRH3Yv1eH6cZCtsbsyw71jhYzNC-BS4EnZeNWY5a-LxiYh/s1600/IMG_0144.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXuYEqN1ON1GqzqkBZvcQ_oi7h3klWfXI-fs0PltLWfVZPIgDiJbDzshtBXKlb2pPiP3cbUI1JZzeDylDDakCocHiISUgVQwcRH3Yv1eH6cZCtsbsyw71jhYzNC-BS4EnZeNWY5a-LxiYh/s320/IMG_0144.JPG" width="320" /></a>There are many reasons, as you may guess, that I wanted to have this book for my collection. As most<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> of you know, I myself suffer</span> with several chronic illnesses. It’s a journey I began as a young girl and one that expands and continues even today nearly twenty-four years after my first diagnosis. What Joni and her ministry ‘Joni&Friends’ have meant to me over that time has been huge, they are such a strong support of ministry to the disabled and of personal encouragement to those of us who carry those conditions and diseases, and to those who care for us as well.</div>
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This special edition of the Bible is written just for us. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5S2gkkAXOfSET3_9ycfPr6ag1FZE9GoB2vexcM00egLzGfNM5Lfa-cKpB0KFI3MbDxX-3LYBekArvdpBoxfcIpGzEQ2jNWm7I3_IXfWibT0yE_ME9c3b0x9OWx_WHSLLefXonp0sYOvCN/s1600/IMG_0147.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5S2gkkAXOfSET3_9ycfPr6ag1FZE9GoB2vexcM00egLzGfNM5Lfa-cKpB0KFI3MbDxX-3LYBekArvdpBoxfcIpGzEQ2jNWm7I3_IXfWibT0yE_ME9c3b0x9OWx_WHSLLefXonp0sYOvCN/s200/IMG_0147.JPG" width="150" /></a>In the New Living Translation, this Bible is an extensive source of resources and encouragements for the Christian going through difficult journeys. The beginning of each book offers basic introductory points as to the themes of disability that are given and referenced in that book. Pop-out sections throughout each book mark out and explain connections between the text and the theme of disability, and frequently there are entire pages dedicated to enlarging topics about the character of God and how we walk, how we trust, as believers. Throughout the Bible are also whole pages of study notes or devotional entries from Joni herself, or other comparable teachers. <o:p></o:p></div>
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It was really nice to find at the back a lengthy section with essays from noted Christian teachers and writers on topics like the biblical view of the sanctity of life, questions on why am I disabled, the Church’s call to minister to the disabled in their midst, and the hope of heaven, amongst others. It will make for fine reading in both the informative and personally encouraging senses. The publishers have also included a well-rounded easily readable dictionary/concordance in this final part of the book. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I think that this book would make a great gift for anyone you know that is dealing with a chronic illness or for anyone who is the caretaking parent, spouse, or loved one of someone with one! I’m going to be making this one of the Bibles that I have close at hand for cross-referencing as I study the Scriptures and I’m sure it will become one that I end up frequently reading and frequently gaining a lot from! <o:p></o:p></div>
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Final Rating: 10<o:p></o:p><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDjcfsMm8eMnoIsAShzYy4N48oLHCF4x9gmbP_4dqVkxavw2XbYyigNyqEE80YrxrhhMqM7WSfTeW8OKyq_hChkm7TTrgqxwrze0XGfgH-CHbbvacDJToeS0Ef9ON-zdynnicc19-Ko1LL/s1600/IMG_0154.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDjcfsMm8eMnoIsAShzYy4N48oLHCF4x9gmbP_4dqVkxavw2XbYyigNyqEE80YrxrhhMqM7WSfTeW8OKyq_hChkm7TTrgqxwrze0XGfgH-CHbbvacDJToeS0Ef9ON-zdynnicc19-Ko1LL/s400/IMG_0154.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821632206695719840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1919861702815700201.post-68110991485610728032017-06-30T19:26:00.001-04:002017-06-30T19:53:45.917-04:00Book Review: The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoMWdVTHhW2YcA3m5SNIm1zE_5lHBTCqiKCbLHb-sMIvyDglXyLX0phJNrB_4ednxj62RD_HV66UqZrNiJkDX3vj-cxKzzTQCJ1nCJ2et1pVQVvu3gGVoCa7ayTBR8UGric2PgrAl7lL3Z/s1600/BB+inkeeper+of+ivy+hill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="307" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoMWdVTHhW2YcA3m5SNIm1zE_5lHBTCqiKCbLHb-sMIvyDglXyLX0phJNrB_4ednxj62RD_HV66UqZrNiJkDX3vj-cxKzzTQCJ1nCJ2et1pVQVvu3gGVoCa7ayTBR8UGric2PgrAl7lL3Z/s320/BB+inkeeper+of+ivy+hill.jpg" width="206" /></a>Thora Bell was born, raised, and brought up her family in the coaching inn The Bell- only to see her son die suddenly and pass the family business on to his gentlewoman wife, Jane Bell- who has seemingly never taken in interest in the inn. Jane is forced to take in interest however when she finds that her husband has left a massive loan on the books- and the bank is long past being repaid! With their livelihood, past memories, and future security on the line Jane and Thora must find a way to work together and to bring the inn back to its former glory and pay off the debt before they are left with nothing!<br />
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Two women from two very different backgrounds and lives are the highlights of The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill! I cannot remember anytime recently seeing or reading a book where the two main characters were women of different generations and I loved seeing it here!<br />
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Thora is a working woman and always has been. She is steeped and invested in her family business and known for her knowledgeable running of the inn and for her sharply honest tongue. Jane is born to a life of privilege that lies far in the past with both of her parents dead and her family home being left in ruins. She is not accustomed to the life she’s been thrust into since her husband’s passing but that doesn’t mean that she doesn’t have the mind for it, or the strong will to survive! Together Thora and Jane make an unlikely pair, but a pair that works together the harder the circumstances that surround them become!<br />
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Something I thought was really interesting about this book was the look it gave to women working in the Regency era. This isn’t a book that is puffed up on a whirlwind romance in the halls of Bath’s best balls; it is an honest look at the working class of the countryside. Women are and always have been the backbone of farm and country industry. It was neat to learn about the strong connections of how woman and business in these small towns are truly dependent on each other and work to help each other. <br />
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Another thing I liked about this book is that it isn’t primarily a romance novel. There is certainly no end of potential suitors for both of the woman in this book but it never overtakes and overshadows the main conflict of the inn’s future. Both storylines complement each other but they do not fight each other for the spotlight. With this being the first installment of Klassen’s first series I was also rather delighted that this book felt like returning to the BBC’s Cranford and getting bits and pieces of all the lives of everyone in the village! I will look forward to the story continuing to unfold and for more to be revealed about all of the characters as the series progresses!<br />
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I would highly recommend this book to anyone- even those that have never tried a Regency set book before! I was very happy reading this and am looking forward to the end of the year when the next installment will be released!<br />
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Final Rating: 5<br />
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I have been given a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and opinion of the product.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821632206695719840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1919861702815700201.post-39679814483721814512017-06-30T19:08:00.002-04:002017-06-30T19:53:03.719-04:00Book Review: The Loyal Heart<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyyPeo-X3-_ToGIz506gkPIOFQ6_JBiz74pjOWhEM_o7jMSgtx7o3eRTmp9ZyMs6D5RdDGimvYSBtbUXQVXzc2ZbJ1HA-0dP46mCqvYnuJ7BHFTuidqxAeCf7ouNnNQrCxD3p3xJxRntfQ/s1600/BB+loyal+heart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="510" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyyPeo-X3-_ToGIz506gkPIOFQ6_JBiz74pjOWhEM_o7jMSgtx7o3eRTmp9ZyMs6D5RdDGimvYSBtbUXQVXzc2ZbJ1HA-0dP46mCqvYnuJ7BHFTuidqxAeCf7ouNnNQrCxD3p3xJxRntfQ/s320/BB+loyal+heart.jpg" width="240" /></a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I was really excited to get into The Loyal Heart as I had enjoyed Shelley Shepard Gray’s short story that was a part of the book “Among the Fair Magnolias”. It’s not every day anymore that you get a western theme novel so I was excited to see this story set in Texas! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This story has a really intriguing premise, Robert Truax, former Confederate Officer and war prisoner has some to Galveston to check in on the widow of his former comrade and to make sure she is comfortable and secure. What he finds when he arrives at Maranda Markham’s home turned boarding house is that everything is far from okay. Maranda is in a deep depression, her home threatened by her mother-in-law, and worse of all her husband, Philip’s, name dragged through the mud after being branded a traitor after his death. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Robert wants to honor the promise he made to Philip and the other men in his company to watch out for and care for each other after the war but he hardly knows where to start after discovering the position Maranda is in! As he begins to remedy the situation she is in he finds himself in danger of losing his heart- something that was never part of the mission!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I thought this was a nice story from start to finish. However- It really didn’t draw me in or delight me the way that the previous stories of the author that I have read and that surprised me and rather disappointed me. The story moves both quickly in the development of the characters feelings for each other, and slowly, in the way that the plot progresses. Something that was really frustrating was the repeating of information over and over again. I really don’t feel like once a detail has been revealed and explored that it’s necessary to repeat it again a few paragraphs of chapters later. Readers are intelligent and want to be pushed to explore, not talked down to and a number of times I kinda felt that way. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I would say give this book a go if you are looking for a light vacation read that doesn’t take a lot of time or concentration! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Final Rating: 3 <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 115%;">I have been given a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and opinion of the product.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821632206695719840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1919861702815700201.post-73669898525813684552017-06-22T15:28:00.001-04:002017-06-22T15:28:06.194-04:00Book Review: Come with Me <div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglxXI87W1cZBLqrha9vlWXUcYIPL8RXbU5mvLb14_J0EWKYX3z5QNbY48r9xonHjdM1OWg4feKwTTcpgSpaKiyJNJHqOyp-iu8gufba08xRtij3V-HmfHzE5diesUAtkx5qaizqv6nmcVV/s1600/come+with+me.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="324" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglxXI87W1cZBLqrha9vlWXUcYIPL8RXbU5mvLb14_J0EWKYX3z5QNbY48r9xonHjdM1OWg4feKwTTcpgSpaKiyJNJHqOyp-iu8gufba08xRtij3V-HmfHzE5diesUAtkx5qaizqv6nmcVV/s320/come+with+me.jpg" width="207" /></a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I have really enjoyed going through this new devotional! In Susanne Eller’s “Come With Me” she focuses us into the disciples and to see who they really are, what they did, and how we can learn from them- and Jesus! Each chapter is dedicated to a single disciple and walks you through what we know, or maybe don’t know about each of them and draws out a lot of truth that took me time to digest. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The format of each chapter is laid out really nicely and has special quotes to jump out at you from the text, and header sections that break up the reading if you wanted to read a chapter over more than one day. The end of each chapter has a list of discussion questions that would be great not just for personal use, but for a small group meeting! There is also a memory Scripture, prayer, and a section that gives you a few ideas on putting things into practice in your life. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Something that I really appreciated from the author was her transparency in writing. She shares many personal stories throughout but while sometimes those can bog down a devo book I didn’t feel there here. Rather, I felt like I was in the company of a good friend who was taking time to mentor and disciple me with things she had learned. I highlighted a great deal in this book so I could make sure I could go back and find all of my favorite parts easily! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In the final chapter of the book Eller turns the focus back to you and I as “The Thirteenth Disciple” wrapping up and challenging us to put into practice what we learned and how we will walk with Jesus in our lives. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Final Rating: 4.5</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">I have been given a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and opinion of the product.</span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821632206695719840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1919861702815700201.post-78772933764278401772017-06-22T15:18:00.001-04:002017-06-22T15:34:28.294-04:00Book Review: The Mark of the King<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjllH9pLPsNr4sZxXxxNZha8IynautZj_iTB6C5sin6xtIpUlNuDkidJXJCPfxIwQ4eSCenHPGpoX4wOE0rzTMEKOqDyeX8UI4gF5qV0Xe1oPruUvhjsIhnkMN7yk_y0pstV6PDW_SbdmIl/s1600/mark+of+the+king.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="329" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjllH9pLPsNr4sZxXxxNZha8IynautZj_iTB6C5sin6xtIpUlNuDkidJXJCPfxIwQ4eSCenHPGpoX4wOE0rzTMEKOqDyeX8UI4gF5qV0Xe1oPruUvhjsIhnkMN7yk_y0pstV6PDW_SbdmIl/s320/mark+of+the+king.jpg" width="210" /></a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Whenever I run into a book with a setting or premise that I have never heard of or read before I know that book is going to come home with me! When I saw this book, “The Mark of the King” from Jocelyn Green on the bloggers list I knew I was going to be eager to read it! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This story begins in 1719 France where our heroine, midwife Julianne Chevalier, is hard at work attending a birth. Tragedy strikes and Julianne is sentenced to one of France’s most infamous prisons- and forever branded by a fleur de lis marking her as a murderer. When Julianne finds a ticket out of prison and a chance to find her brother she takes it and finds herself in a whirlwind of events that lead to her on a boat to the fledgling Louisiana colony! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">While Julianne thought she was coming to a settled colony she finds instead the swamps of New Orleans, the push and pull of Native Indian wars sponsored by the French and British, and sickness and suffering everywhere, as well as becoming a part of soldiers and settlers alike who are forced to fight the land at every turn just to live- and still there is no definite sign of her brother. Fighting many of her own personal and professional struggles, and deep personal tragedies Julianne seeks underneath it all to find redemption from the past that marks her. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I don’t want to give away too much of the plot of the book but I was really intrigued and surprised at every turn in this book- and there are <i>many</i> twists and turns the author always kept me on the edge of my seat! I loved the author’s writing style and how she expressed the characters and described the scenes! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Readers should be given slight caution that there are two or three scenes of a stronger nature in this book. They did not damper my enjoyment of the book but it may startle more sensitive readers and may be skipped over with little trouble if desired. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Though it took me a while between busy days and nights to find time to read I was very glad that I kept going with this book! I very much enjoyed it and learned a lot too about the history of Louisiana. I think it’s great when a book is able to weave a great story and help you to learn something too! In the end I enjoyed seeing Julianna find that God’s grace covers all and we are all able to start again with Him at our side. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Final Rating: 5 <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
I have been given a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and opinion of the product.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821632206695719840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1919861702815700201.post-8827070328248358912017-03-04T10:30:00.000-05:002017-03-04T10:30:17.598-05:00Book Review: The Confessions of X<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpprKgK2qWMjIAMPhcaUS2omQIRz9ymPzLbqJ1IFRT7flXh9g758djf3BTQYctbunzIScleeZKdqx00HkhE3xJUgBMUq2DG6s62KbpRJ42v_bO32q68MrD2JD8vAiBTiWOx8BTdGW7LdWx/s1600/BB+the+confessions+of+x.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpprKgK2qWMjIAMPhcaUS2omQIRz9ymPzLbqJ1IFRT7flXh9g758djf3BTQYctbunzIScleeZKdqx00HkhE3xJUgBMUq2DG6s62KbpRJ42v_bO32q68MrD2JD8vAiBTiWOx8BTdGW7LdWx/s320/BB+the+confessions+of+x.jpg" width="209" /></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;">When this
book first came in my mailbox I was convinced that it was a book that I couldn’t
like on a topic I wasn’t interested in reading about. And so it sat around on
my bookshelf for quite some time as I read through other review copies on my
list. When I finally got myself in the mood to sit and read this I was very
surprised about it indeed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This book
takes you to a very long time ago, to the ancient Carthaginian world of Augustine,
the great Christian theologian. The story is told from the eyes of his
concubine, a woman whose name is lost to history but whose impact was strongly
felt on the life of the man she considered her husband. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">From the
very first the language in this book sucked me in, it is stunningly beautiful
and lyrical and has a loneliness and hunger to it that compels the listener to
hear her and know her story. The world in which the woman lives is nothing like
our own- and yet her story is so familiar in the storytelling world. It is one
of falling in love with someone not of her own class but being loved in return
and dearly cherished. It is one of the journey of life and the struggle of
living side by side with someone on a journey they don’t know the end of. It is one of being ripped apart when the odds
can no longer pretend they are in your favor. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The woman’s
story is told in the strong brush strokes of a hard and sometimes harsh life. There
is childbirth, and death, life and love painted in strongly worded descriptions.
And there are also the soft stirrings of her own heart as she seeks to
understand the world around her and follows alongside of Augustine and is a part
of his philosophical work. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I was very
struck by all of this story and several times found myself in tears. I could
spend a lot more words here trying to explain the details of this story but I
think it would only cloud the issue. While I don’t agree with all the events
that take place in this story I could not help but be moved by it all the same.
This book doesn’t really fit into a box that I can neatly check as being good
or bad. The writing is amazing. The story that is told is amazing. But it is
also one that pushes me out of my comfort zone. The writer’s notes at the back
of the book help to clear up some of the historical perspective and context and
I did find that very helpful in understanding this book. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In the end, I
would recommend this book to someone who was looking for something very
different from the standard Christian fiction fare. I would not recommend it
for younger teen readers, I think there is too much in here that needs an older
eye to discern. But I’ll tell you that if you do read it, it will change you,
and that I guess is what all books are meant to do. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Final Rating: 4</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">I have been given a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and opinion of the product.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821632206695719840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1919861702815700201.post-70399723914661971922017-03-04T10:00:00.000-05:002017-03-04T10:00:08.379-05:00Book Review: Fading Starlight<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVCcVZaKZBUyQdyDqC7EBJ8lIMcEWd4DhEe8OoJDeapS8VJd1qoX0YjWm8x4QM5PtCAHVtXtJy9-JWuUTc2VeaWWSsFDMWDLG9U3Hmeqpv3ht3EJaD6jkFeY1N1dswFnvlXKMJbmAYFWMn/s1600/BB+fading+starlight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVCcVZaKZBUyQdyDqC7EBJ8lIMcEWd4DhEe8OoJDeapS8VJd1qoX0YjWm8x4QM5PtCAHVtXtJy9-JWuUTc2VeaWWSsFDMWDLG9U3Hmeqpv3ht3EJaD6jkFeY1N1dswFnvlXKMJbmAYFWMn/s320/BB+fading+starlight.jpg" width="207" /></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Have you
ever wanted to run away from your life? Have you ever had a personal and
professional disaster so large that you couldn’t ever imagine recovering from
it? Well welcome to Lauren Summers life. Hollywood and the fashion industry are
savage and unforgiving when it comes to ‘wardrobe malfunctions’ and when the
brightest ‘innocent’ starlet of the moment suffers such a humiliation as she receives
an award the backfire Lauren receives as the gown’s designer ends in the stunning
silence of a two line text message as her boss fires her minutes later.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Blackballed from
designing again in respectable circles Lauren finds a little job making
costumes for a private high school’s theatre company and takes up residence in
a run-down cottage in a secretive gated community- and tries to reassemble the remainders of her
heart and her dreams. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Living in
the gated community offers privacy, but isn’t without its challenges. The
imposing figure of Charlotte Montgomery- a former starlet of another era looms large
at the end of the lane. As time goes on it becomes clear to Lauren that
Charlotte isn’t just an old woman with a prickly exterior- but is someone who has
had her own personal disasters…that she is still running from. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Can common
threads knit them together and bring about healing for them both? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">If you are
someone who knows me at all you know that I love classic film, and that I <i>love </i>historical costuming! What a treat
is was to have the two laid out like a buffet throughout this book! Katherine
Cushman paid attention to all the fine details of both the classic era of old
Hollywood film, and to its signature luscious couture and created a book that
is full of delicious descriptions! It was loads of fun for me to read about the
gowns and costumes that Lauren was working on and every detail was vivid making
me wish for a fairy godmother to bless me with someone to create such lovely
things for me! ;) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Fading
Starlight is not all about the dresses though it’s about the people that
surround them. Miss Montgomery is a hurting woman with a bitter past that has
taken more than her social standing- it took her will for living life and
soured her on any who have dared to cross her path. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Lauren
herself faces a crossroads as she looks at her own disappointments and decides
what to do with the rest of her life. I liked that Lauren was so real in this
story. She feels all that she is going through and feels it deeply, but she is
also looking to God, and consistently and willingly seeks out the counsel and guidance
of her second mother Rhonda’s wisdom. The cast of secondary characters from
Lauren’s best friend Chloe, to Miss Montgomery’s housekeeper Frances, to the
handy-man Cody are all important and delightful additions to Lauren’s life and
story and I couldn’t help but like them! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">One little
thing that I liked was that this isn’t a romance story. While Chloe does her
best to hook Lauren up with Cody and start something brewing Lauren recognizes that
her life is in a bit of a shambles right now and is focused on getting herself
where she needs to be personally before she begins any romance. I appreciated
that perspective. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I highly
recommend this book and enjoyed to so much! I will look for other titles from
Ms. Cushman in the future! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Final Rating: 4.5</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">I have been given a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and opinion of the product.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821632206695719840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1919861702815700201.post-91462071038168567112017-03-02T08:15:00.000-05:002017-03-02T08:15:01.030-05:00Book Review: Dawn at Emberwilde<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSWYHBBkL6GjkiatFT2ohIDWenM3ybxduh7X0hPkWiNvdR6p6DaeUzvQ5z2Tsau1HQFj6w6Jwciq6Cg3XBd8jkRLINswH-t-zOQaHEWcAVTNpZIWAlokwq8l7pTbONy9rSx3sxPrUPwXSD/s1600/BB+dawn+at+emberwilde.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSWYHBBkL6GjkiatFT2ohIDWenM3ybxduh7X0hPkWiNvdR6p6DaeUzvQ5z2Tsau1HQFj6w6Jwciq6Cg3XBd8jkRLINswH-t-zOQaHEWcAVTNpZIWAlokwq8l7pTbONy9rSx3sxPrUPwXSD/s320/BB+dawn+at+emberwilde.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">From the moment
I began this story I couldn’t bear to put it down for long! Being a great fan
of regency novels I was eager to begin Dawn at Emberwilde and to see what
author Sarah E. Ladd had to offer- I’ve been looking at her books for a while
now and I wanted to know if the insides were as lovely as all the covers! I was
not disappointed!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This book
follows Isobel Creston, an aspiring schoolteacher who has some up through the
ranks in the small girl’s school she and her half-sister Lizzy have found home for
many years. Orphaned, Isobel’s main hope and dream is to make a safe and
comfortable life for herself and her sister. But their entire lives are turned
upside down when relatives magically appear to claim them and invite them to
live in their family estate. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Everything
is not as it seems at Emberwilde however, the great forest that surrounds the
estate is said to be haunted, her cousin is cordial but hiding something and
her aunt clearly has her reasons for bringing them there but Isobel can’t
figure out why- or get her aunt to answer questions about Isobel’s mother and
why she left the family. To complicate matters two gentleman of the county seem
to have a growing interest in her- and as Isobel faces the pressures of her
aunt to marry and marry quickly- when all she really wants to do is protect her
sister from the trappings of the lavish lifestyle that she is quickly becoming
used to- and figure out why God has brought them to this place! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">All throughout
the book I found Isobel a sensible and likeable character that in a gentle way
put God and her morals at the forefront of her life. Isobel was not in any way stuffy
or un-relatable, she is pictured from the first as someone with a great whimsy
and love of nature, someone who was kind and sought the best for those around her.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Lest anyone
think that this book is all romance and naught else- never fear! There is a
great mystery lurking under the cover of darkness in Emberwilde Forest and Collin
Ellison, the local magistrate is keen to get to the bottom of it- his only
problem is he keeps running into a certain attractive young lady that has
recently arrived on the estate! I liked Collin a great deal and really took a
shine to his manner and thinking, and his presence was a welcome addition to
any scene! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Overall I
really enjoyed the book and would recommend it! I made a great read in between
work over the course of a week and I looked forward to that time I could pick
it up and enjoy it. I will look forward to enjoying more of Sarah Ladd’s work
in the future too! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Final Rating: 4</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">I have been given a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and opinion of the product.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821632206695719840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1919861702815700201.post-91522789034975622142017-03-02T08:00:00.000-05:002017-03-02T08:00:04.977-05:00Book Review: The Beautiful Pretender<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-c3BKXSFor3_K91_MM-KuWLQdPnIn1nd82YSONmDjsygKe7m5Hu2PR7H3HNsvn8oSzHywdYgvGna9l4VF7Gnn2s8phJpC2C8fNWVh92jpxzY-kYDuJ32iwM6I6DLmFVZLzNP1VUH2_Yll/s1600/BB+the+beautiful+pretender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-c3BKXSFor3_K91_MM-KuWLQdPnIn1nd82YSONmDjsygKe7m5Hu2PR7H3HNsvn8oSzHywdYgvGna9l4VF7Gnn2s8phJpC2C8fNWVh92jpxzY-kYDuJ32iwM6I6DLmFVZLzNP1VUH2_Yll/s320/BB+the+beautiful+pretender.jpg" width="210" /></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;">This story
is a new retelling of an old, old story. Avelina is a servant and companion to
the earl’s daughter, lowly in standing, but very smart and clever on the spur
of a moment’s notice as she is always needing to aide and cover up Dorothea’s misdeeds.
</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When it’s
discovered that Dorothea has run off with one of her father’s knights- just as
word comes of the Margrave of Thornbeck holding a search for a bride- a bride
that will help ally and strengthen neighboring regions- Avelina has little
choice but to obey the earl’s command and take his daughter’s place! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Avelina’s
one job if she is to keep her family safe and well cared for is to get into the
margrave’s good graces for the sake of her region- but not get herself noticed
too much- and certainly not allow herself to fall in love with the margrave! With a serious of odd and dangerous occurrences
keep happening around the castle Avelina however, may be in danger of failing
her mission- and falling in love with a man she can never marry! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I read this
book over the course of a couple of weeks as I sat in and out of doctor’s
appointments and waiting rooms- and boy was I glad to have this book as companion!
I really enjoy old themes and stories being retold in new ways and enjoy the medieval
time period this book is set in! It’s a nice change of pace from more modern
books and settings, and from some of the same-old, same-old historical eras and
settings that flood the market today. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I really
love reading YA fiction from time to time and usually find that the storylines
are more interesting and the plot is more detailed with more twists and turns
than your average novel. This is the case of this book by Melanie Dickerson. As
in her previous works I found myself drawn right into the story and swept along
to enjoy every minute of it! I cannot remember anything that I found
objectionable content wise, though if you are sensitive to kissing scenes and talk
of attraction there is some of that in the latter portion of the book. I didn’t
find this overly or soppily done (as I do in many books) but felt it was in
keeping for the situations and relationship point where they take place.
Frankly, I was more interested in at last solving the whole of the mystery that
is throughout the story, and was glad to see it come to a satisfying
conclusion! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I would
recommend this book for yourself or for a mid-teen reader that you may know! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Final
Rating: 4.5<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">I have been given a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and opinion of the product.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821632206695719840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1919861702815700201.post-6355934317703972942017-02-28T13:18:00.001-05:002017-02-28T13:19:32.826-05:00Book Review: Among the Fair Magnolias <div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvOUpqblxsyy6ai5aV8hSMhPt_rgQLxGSdPOgJVrpWwnNEzYOuMaKYbER_aGnGixMnl0tUY66xPpXvHUoATfnoWbGtofbmBTrxFkrSwjavTPz5H8g-7p2axOUlmwKInm6EBvvKZm5RKJt6/s1600/BB+among+the+fair+magnolias.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvOUpqblxsyy6ai5aV8hSMhPt_rgQLxGSdPOgJVrpWwnNEzYOuMaKYbER_aGnGixMnl0tUY66xPpXvHUoATfnoWbGtofbmBTrxFkrSwjavTPz5H8g-7p2axOUlmwKInm6EBvvKZm5RKJt6/s320/BB+among+the+fair+magnolias.jpg" width="210" /></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Among the
Fair Magnolias is a compilation of short stories written by four different
Christian fiction authors. I had been looking forward to reading this book long
before it came out as it includes an entry from my personal favorite Tamera
Alexander, and also at the time I won it from a Goodreads giveaway I was not
familiar with any of the other authors and was eager to get to know them! The
cover on this book is incredibly pretty and makes me want to grab it right up
and set to some cozy reading!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With there
being four novellas in this book I don’t want to take up too much space in
detailing the entire plot of each story and my reactions so I will try and
summarize things briefly and add a few thoughts from there. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">~</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>A Heart So
True by Dorothy Love</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In this
story Abigail must choose between marrying the man her father has picked for
her even though she knows he is unscrupulous and violent and the childhood
friend and sweetheart she is truly in love with. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As I have
mentioned before I really am tired out with the ‘tyrant father’ trope in
writing and here in this book we find it in full force. It is overused and I
think it shows bad precedent for teen readers that contributes to pulling down
their own dads. Having said that however, in this story I found it equally
annoying that ninety percent of the heroine’s problems stem from keeping a
secret from her father that she should have immediately revealed when it
occurred then none of this would have happened! Additionally, when she did talk
to her father and have the chance to tell again she didn’t press the point and
make him listen! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I didn’t
feel like there was anything to praise in this story, I feel like the writers
style is very blunt and lacks subtlety. It was not my favorite story in this
collection. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>To Mend A
Dream by Tamera Alexander</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In this
story Savannah, a side character from the novel “To Win Her Favor” gets to tell
her story! Savannah is a seamstress in
post-Civil War Nashville taking care of her younger siblings and taking on a
redecorating job in her former family home! She knows her father left a
treasure for her family- now this is her last chance to find it! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I don’t know
if being a Tamera Alexander fangirl makes me the best of worst candidate to
review this story but I do know how much I enjoyed it! This story really makes
me wish that Savannah had her own full length book! Every inch of what is
backed into this story however is gold!
I really liked the hero Aiden and I would have loved to get more on his
backstory! I appreciated that <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">I didn’t feel like the way that his and Savannah’s</span> </span>relationship develops
cheated or was at the expense of any other character. They were a great couple!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I love how
on point Tamera always is with her Spiritual content! Her observations are
always timely and her writing always ends up being my own personal reminder
note for me from God! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>Love Beyond
Limits by Elizabeth Musser</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In this
story Emily teaches freed blacks, young and old, in her little schoolhouse and
struggles to protect them against the growing threat of the Klan even as her
family pressures her to marry. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I was really
surprised by this story! It took me a lot of different directions that I wasn’t
expecting and delivered on a satisfying ending! I found there to be good
historical accuracy with the origins of the Klan and of the political
environment of the day which is always refreshing to read! This is my first
time reading a story by this author and I really liked it! I think I will have
to check out more of her books in the future! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>An Outlaw’s
Heart by Shelley Grey</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In this
story Russell finds his way home after fleeing seven years ago as a mere boy of
15, now he must reconcile with his dying mother and see if his fleeting hopes
of rekindling love with his former sweetheart is possible.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This story
is set a bit west of the deep south as it slides on over to Texas- and really-
I may have enjoyed this story a little too much! For many years I have been a
huge fan of westerns and cowboy stories and have spent many hours reading that
genre but those stories aren’t popular in the Christian market anymore and it’s
a shame! This story was delightful and though short, explored some important
themes of forgiveness and redemption- all with great cowboy stubbornness and
humor! It was easily the best western story I’ve read since Stephen Bly’s
passing and I can’t wait to read another! I very much hope the author continues
to write in this genre! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">~</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In the end
this was a great collection of novellas and it was a great pleasure to read!
Though I didn’t personally enjoy one of the stories it was really nice to be
able to have a ‘sampler’ of authors and if you haven’t read any- or some- of
them before it will give you a great idea of whether you should try their other
works! Among the Fair Magnolias is a definite recommend for me! I’m sure you
will enjoy it! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Final Rating: 4</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">I have been given a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and opinion of the product.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821632206695719840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1919861702815700201.post-54041683537028644812017-02-28T13:12:00.000-05:002017-02-28T13:12:17.175-05:00Book Review: A Respectable Actress<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9XlwiEGhgzDJzipQBPhhUmcRDJXwwLW58wrjorckFIC5AM-_hDy-HOBj7d66DEwSapQVxVST8QrKyLBOpV5nsltKyIZ8um_6Rmy_gbqTL0JOA0ZDXwG9gXuf6EwlXaK4m0BZEycO1QX0n/s1600/BB+a+respectable+actress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9XlwiEGhgzDJzipQBPhhUmcRDJXwwLW58wrjorckFIC5AM-_hDy-HOBj7d66DEwSapQVxVST8QrKyLBOpV5nsltKyIZ8um_6Rmy_gbqTL0JOA0ZDXwG9gXuf6EwlXaK4m0BZEycO1QX0n/s320/BB+a+respectable+actress.jpg" width="213" /></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I was
intrigued by Dorothy Love’s A Respectable Actress when I first picked it up,
the cover is attractive and the back cover reveals a detailed storyline and
promises a good mystery set in post-Civil War Georgia. I wish the inside of the
book had held up to that promise.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This story
follows India Hartley, professional touring actress- and accused murderess. On
the second night of her new show her leading man is shot dead on stage
seemingly at her own hand- but she insists it is all a horrible mistake. Enter
Philip Sinclair, her legal counsel and the man who whisks her away from the outrage
of the city to the solitude of his country plantation. As Philip and India try
to unwind the hidden details of her case India begins to find some mysteries
lurking around the plantation as well and <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">begins to fall for who will help determine her fate.</span>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As I look
over my notes I’m really not sure where to begin on all the ways I disliked
this book. The ‘fake-out’ opening of the book was confusing to understand and a
blur of sensationalized information that was simply repeated in more detail a
few paragraphs later and it annoyed me from the first. I had a really difficult
time connecting with India and found her whiny and clueless. Her romance with
Philip was sadly lacking and frankly boiled down to ‘oh my, what a handsome man
with such broad shoulders and look he rescued me, let me cling to him’. India
was far more interested in assessing his <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">physique</span> and snooping around his home than she was in aiding her
own defense. Where I was expecting the two of them to spend many long hours
together talking and sleuthing methodically working over her case they only had
a couple of minimal conversations and the remainder of the time she went around
playing amateur Nancy Drew on his past while he was back and forth away on other
business! It annoyed me that only minutes from her trial he gives her a few
rushed instructions and coaching on being a defendant and how this was needed
to be her role of a lifetime if she hoped to get off! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Aside from
the story I did not enjoy the writing style either. I felt the pacing of the
details of the stories- things like the conversations, and the how we get from
here to there narration to be rushed and choppy. For example, at one point when
India is found snooping and is questioned she offers an excuse and then
suddenly is <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">magic'ed</span>
back into her bed without any response from the other party or further
discussion of any sort on the matter. It’s like the people around her are
players, only meant to bounce her thoughts and feelings off of to her own ends
and benefit and not individuals with autonomy, action, and feeling! Additionally,
there is a great deal of <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">unusually large </span>words in this book that I had
difficulty slogging through much less understanding, even from the context,
what they were or meant. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Overall, I
just didn’t like this book. I felt like the author tossed the reader from one
implausible scenario to another racking up scenes but not developing the
characters or plot. There was nothing about the characters or plot that I found
engaging and all too often I found myself checking and gauging how much more
was left in this book and how soon I could stop reading. In the end I couldn’t
even give myself any good reason for India and Philip to be together- or even
care about who the culprit in the shooting was. This is not a book I will be
recommending to anyone anytime. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Final Rating: 1</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">I have been given a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and opinion of the product.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821632206695719840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1919861702815700201.post-3870853837727822352016-08-05T19:15:00.000-04:002016-08-05T19:15:38.307-04:00Book Review: The Golden Braid<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Melanie
Dickerson is another new author for me and though I have seen her around in the
book catalogs I’ve never picked up any of her books until now. The Golden Braid
is a retelling of the Rapunzel story and this book has an amazing and striking
cover showcasing the heroine in vibrant rich colors! I was immediately drawn to
it! Reading up on this book a little I also learned that it is a young adult (YA)
story, it’s been a while since I reviewed one of those- and since the last YA I
reviewed was set in this time period </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I
was eager to dig into this one and see how they compared.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPGSnh73qlG7fYQl15uuK9DjoecI-_Kd7V2RlkRPlD7ckk3SXFbr812gg-SnqQG329GE71mzWQa7-J6N8_hrjtsTP8CvglADojvOJmrzorBjk9REqIRg_092gYfS3PvIPsuqsxaszSRH-O/s1600/BB+braid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPGSnh73qlG7fYQl15uuK9DjoecI-_Kd7V2RlkRPlD7ckk3SXFbr812gg-SnqQG329GE71mzWQa7-J6N8_hrjtsTP8CvglADojvOJmrzorBjk9REqIRg_092gYfS3PvIPsuqsxaszSRH-O/s320/BB+braid.jpg" width="209" /></a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Rapunzel
story has been told and retold many times but this retelling has been very
thoughtfully and carefully told. In short an evil mother keeps her daughter
locked away in a tower where no one will ever see her great beauty or hear her
beautiful voice. She is rescued by a handsome prince who breaches her prison by
climbing her long hair. In this story there are great twists on the story from
beginning to end! The story begins long before Rapunzel is locked in the tower-
Rapunzel is eager to learn how to read and has dreams for her future, her
mother is legit paranoid insane, and the prince turns out to be a grumpy but
handsome knight! The extra twist on Rapunzel’s story is a great one that I
don’t want to spoil but I will say I was pleased with it and it set things up
for a really cool and satisfying ending! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In the beginning
part of this book things sometimes seemed to be repetitious with facts gone
over again and again but I don’t know if a teen reader would necessarily notice
that and as the book progresses it does get better and begins bringing in new
details and storylines. I really liked how there were several morals that were
woven throughout the story including that of healthy relationships between both
parent and child and between guys and girls. Sir Gerek was a true hero who
demonstrated his dedication to his vows and acted honorably towards Rapunzel.
There is a romantic element to the story, and yes, even some kissing and
unchaperoned travel but through it all nothing felt it was ‘off’ or
inappropriate to the characters and their ages (Rapunzel is 19 and Sir Gerek
23). This was something that was really nice to see in a YA book and I was
pleased that the author balanced romance and purity well. Other themes were
forgiveness, patience, and timing, and these were all well woven through the
story and never felt like the reader was being bombarded with a religious or
moral message.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As a side
note, some retellings of Rapunzel have been questionable to me as they have
presented a picture of joyful consequence free teenage rebellion but I didn’t
feel this was the case in this book. This Rapunzel is a <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">young woman of legal age</span> </span>and she only
leaves her mother’s side when her mother’s madness takes a turn from bad to
worse and Rapunzel’s safety is threatened. I felt it marked an appropriate time
for her to move on and taught the reader about taking the right kind of actions
for personal safety. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In the end,
The Golden Braid was a great novel and I enjoyed it as much as I think a YA
reader would! I would recommend it to any of the teen girls that I know! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Final Rating: 4.5</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 18.4px;">I have been given a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and opinion of the product.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821632206695719840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1919861702815700201.post-35266304611620048562016-08-02T21:21:00.002-04:002016-08-02T21:21:11.474-04:00Happy Planning for a Happy Girl<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<i>Well ladies a few days ago I re-posted an article on Facebook that was giving a few short points about why to buy a Happy Planner. It got some interest and I had already been thinking about doing a review of it on the blog here so a few snapshots later here we are! Prepare yourselves for a flood of love for my favorite planner!</i><br />
<br />
<h2>
Welcome to the Happy Planner!</h2>
<div>
What is a Happy Planner you say? </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Well the Happy Planner is the relatively new planner (two years old, I think) put out by MAMBI, or if you were a scrapbooker back in the day, you might recognise them more readily as Me & My Big Ideas. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVVJJIo3x1HWWgG57OJ8HDXG53ZdDvVsaeOKImwTtdmTFWjGvOqSR1rFx_PW-AFZc9i1cBc4T9QbkjSraD_XM_WD4nL_6L7UiaevGq-tb_wWzOqHw7S_gW5s-NoRIH_hQnkBGCYqfaNCoQ/s1600/B+happy+planner+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVVJJIo3x1HWWgG57OJ8HDXG53ZdDvVsaeOKImwTtdmTFWjGvOqSR1rFx_PW-AFZc9i1cBc4T9QbkjSraD_XM_WD4nL_6L7UiaevGq-tb_wWzOqHw7S_gW5s-NoRIH_hQnkBGCYqfaNCoQ/s400/B+happy+planner+1.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front and back of the planner</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This is what the front and back of the planner look like. The cover is very sturdy and is laminated. The Happy Planner comes in many different styles and it's a lot of fun to head over to their website and check out each of them. MAMBI has done a great job of letting you get a thorough look through with a short video of each design!<br />
<div>
The Happy Planner operates off of the disk-bound binding system. Each sheet of paper that goes into the planner is punched with a notch and easily pops on to the disk ring. At first I was really unsure about how this system would work and was worried that I would be loosing pages or that things wouldn't stay together but that hasn't been the case- every thing has stayed neatly in the binding without any problems- a delightful surprise! Let me tell you why: CUSTOMIZATION! With no 'permanent' binding each page goes in and comes out as you wish it. There are three reasons why this is a good thing.</div>
<div>
<ol>
<li>Want to put in a sheet of notepaper or a list to write groceries on in it goes! </li>
<li>Want to take out your pages- to write on them, decorate them, or just move stuff around- you can! And it's not a hassle either. </li>
<li>Goodies. Accessories. Every variety of happiness that you can think of can be added in- but I'll get to that in a minute! :) </li>
</ol>
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqzlXYEJc7U9kQYKJn__yTO_OZQFcQCjR66c4p0i79nW1m1PNQRHmTVf-PQuUfkcRXHmRKFqUP9tszd1Ntmr5hyizEuZ_IjHfjdgH8kNmixi9AbDjsWZvNNAEVsTxIkA4dHXJtrVFW-CAJ/s1600/B+happy+planner+7.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqzlXYEJc7U9kQYKJn__yTO_OZQFcQCjR66c4p0i79nW1m1PNQRHmTVf-PQuUfkcRXHmRKFqUP9tszd1Ntmr5hyizEuZ_IjHfjdgH8kNmixi9AbDjsWZvNNAEVsTxIkA4dHXJtrVFW-CAJ/s400/B+happy+planner+7.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside cover and added front folder</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
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When you open the cover This is the inside page where you can add your contact info in case your planner should wander off without you. You will notice also that on the left is a pocket. That is one of our goodies and is an add in. The pockets are very sturdy and come in a multi-pack so you have several designs to choose from and can use multiple pockets if you want. In my planner I have one in the front and one in the back. The pockets are big enough to hold a half sheet of printer paper so I have easily stashed handouts, flyers, and class notes in these guys without a problem!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS80J1zEIBPXOqkS_ppAgXw8KpGEjCUFvgmq8-bgrHTgx_-SFizn8qrnN5OAS_WBzNwQ8ho8f96o9vuerH4qRlwjjUGtp0577oouXGfKGVfs6l8XT2tM1DWB2lSwawOyotcgLjDt-l_x_9/s1600/B+happy+planner+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS80J1zEIBPXOqkS_ppAgXw8KpGEjCUFvgmq8-bgrHTgx_-SFizn8qrnN5OAS_WBzNwQ8ho8f96o9vuerH4qRlwjjUGtp0577oouXGfKGVfs6l8XT2tM1DWB2lSwawOyotcgLjDt-l_x_9/s400/B+happy+planner+2.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monthly laminated-tabbed dividers </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Here's a quick look at the monthly dividers. Each Happy Planner has a different design theme on the inside. The planner I chose last year has a very graphic style topography that I love. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h2>
Getting it Down</h2>
<div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhchR2pNHtk3WKfnw1dDb4LNetgZY496cV8NRw6mTeSpoqvH1GqfljJuJsb2fzLm6v4eEhNRycnx3pLN8Y-7euWIGc2J_CpwdiIHzRVDWzvAjhnvAyIW7eTrhL2JNW9QSPK9lHh3fpX5trk/s1600/IMG_9554.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhchR2pNHtk3WKfnw1dDb4LNetgZY496cV8NRw6mTeSpoqvH1GqfljJuJsb2fzLm6v4eEhNRycnx3pLN8Y-7euWIGc2J_CpwdiIHzRVDWzvAjhnvAyIW7eTrhL2JNW9QSPK9lHh3fpX5trk/s320/IMG_9554.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monthly planning layout</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div>
Ok now here's where we start getting down to the nitty gritty of the actual planning. At the end of every month there is this monthly review sheet. Happy planners have two different styles for this page and this is my favorite version. This is where as the month goes on I start prepping for the next month. There is spots for birthday's, goals, and for all the important stuff that I always forget. :) Overall I kinda use this spot for setting all my big vision goals for the month and it gives me a single spot to go to and check when I need to see what my month looks like. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiapSIiqqc1tDPxJFJXxbaOULkr2LoXhxE8uGax3qdYHGVMo9KagDFTC6WFbOe83n1RZK8oOZ5LQ39PZZD0djv-4LN2L-1xkDJuuXJX-wZgkLRdcwgBcrhb5s4v8DeYZfKo5Q5OeOaqMmnq/s1600/IMG_9557.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiapSIiqqc1tDPxJFJXxbaOULkr2LoXhxE8uGax3qdYHGVMo9KagDFTC6WFbOe83n1RZK8oOZ5LQ39PZZD0djv-4LN2L-1xkDJuuXJX-wZgkLRdcwgBcrhb5s4v8DeYZfKo5Q5OeOaqMmnq/s400/IMG_9557.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The month view with side notes section</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
When you flip over into your month you have this great layout of a full month view. The boxes in this are roughly 1 1/2 inch square so you have lots of room to write! There is also a sidebar for notes.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJEQlsNMEbI3ArVv6PiNIMJJndzWexej5lPp6CjamP2QTaG_WAxgcedmKnJDDRx5TbOFXgYnjkJjmy5OPn-YajYbUiRu_2lH-NF9-LV0c1J9qv0ygD7YYCV0I7LCVY5htx80uWGR8pRnc3/s1600/IMG_9561.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJEQlsNMEbI3ArVv6PiNIMJJndzWexej5lPp6CjamP2QTaG_WAxgcedmKnJDDRx5TbOFXgYnjkJjmy5OPn-YajYbUiRu_2lH-NF9-LV0c1J9qv0ygD7YYCV0I7LCVY5htx80uWGR8pRnc3/s400/IMG_9561.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The week view with side notes section</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Okay, not here is probably my favorite part of the Happy Planner- BOXES. I love boxes. Usually it's a bad thing to be 'inside the box' but when it comes to planning it is a very good thing! This is what makes my head happy and my mind at rest because this is where clarity and ease of use come in. Each day is divided into morning/afternoon/evening sections so I can section off my day and know even if I don't accomplish certain tasks as certain hours that IT'S OKAY and I just need to do it within the block of time. This vertical style is a mental lifesaver for me. The HP is also now in a horizontal style layout so if you aren't a box girl they've got you covered too! </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
NOW, something that you will start to notice here is that there are a lot of colors on that page! </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So I have a confession:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i><span style="color: #0b5394;">I </span><span style="color: #f6b26b;">am </span><span style="color: #cc0000;">a</span> <span style="color: purple;">colored</span> <span style="color: #9fc5e8;">pen </span><span style="color: #6aa84f;">junkie.</span> </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
I like them for a lot of reasons (one of which is that it helps me to like my handwriting) but in this context I like them because I am able to color code. At the beginning of the year I got me a stash of Paper-Mate Flair pens (which don't bleed through the pages) and assigned each area of my life/responsibility/job a different color so I could see different events from each other and to also see where I was spending/not spending my time. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
You may call this super over-organized. I prefer to think I'm super cool. ;) </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<h2>
Puttin' on the Glitz</h2>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYXsw3b8Eq-wKtefezInaoiXVkxpxDwGj-G4CAM_oDg68013hzuhHfFsGL_aLARBweU5keYA0KtIphcg3vMGUYci8n1xu1u3_nMTtF8k0EZIjpNVnNhSgifO6TVTk-kxM364qDid_nxPq/s1600/IMG_9579.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYXsw3b8Eq-wKtefezInaoiXVkxpxDwGj-G4CAM_oDg68013hzuhHfFsGL_aLARBweU5keYA0KtIphcg3vMGUYci8n1xu1u3_nMTtF8k0EZIjpNVnNhSgifO6TVTk-kxM364qDid_nxPq/s400/IMG_9579.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My entire 'planner stash'. It all fits into one small cookie tin and one small pen holder. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0z5iDEGDpKlaijG3Lh_n4NgQbM4ZY_4HkRUYTsns-hNzNzXady07DLcnnCjml0AW5blzngI2ogMFV394Lffxpq_0-iJNy6F8OkX1GCjpK8vOMn7lV1-Takrjg5AX6Z7JdvezgzNQozIEL/s1600/B+happy+planner+5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0z5iDEGDpKlaijG3Lh_n4NgQbM4ZY_4HkRUYTsns-hNzNzXady07DLcnnCjml0AW5blzngI2ogMFV394Lffxpq_0-iJNy6F8OkX1GCjpK8vOMn7lV1-Takrjg5AX6Z7JdvezgzNQozIEL/s400/B+happy+planner+5.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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As soon as you begin to look up planners online one of the main things that you will encounter is how to decorate your planner. Everybody has a style, and there are an endless list of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheHappyPlannerAddicts/" target="_blank">opinions</a> as to how to decorate. A lot of people choose to cover their boxes in the week view with stickers and/or scrapbooking paper. To be frank, I'm really not into this style as I feel it makes the whole planner unuseable. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I am not, however, opposed to decoration in moderation! I love using MAMBI's quote sticker packs to add an inspirational note to the beginning of my week layout; or an extra motivational punch to special days! You can also utilize washi tape in doing simple border designs, and blocking off special days or events.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXh40rHYEXd3lqBG6I43G30hO2oHzsbZFz4aOOLz4BUk-KI9juMnTDJPyJln_SKpT3Bh4oJLmbbVFlz932hG4CUFnI84cc6lIhDFE8QSk2TmmXrvlrUVNPMjq-75OdW9bvfAn9k2ahoK7B/s1600/B+happy+planner+6.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXh40rHYEXd3lqBG6I43G30hO2oHzsbZFz4aOOLz4BUk-KI9juMnTDJPyJln_SKpT3Bh4oJLmbbVFlz932hG4CUFnI84cc6lIhDFE8QSk2TmmXrvlrUVNPMjq-75OdW9bvfAn9k2ahoK7B/s320/B+happy+planner+6.png" width="214" /></a>One of my favorite add-ons for the planner are the snap-in tabs. These tabs are a sturdy plastic punched to fit into the rings of the planner and have a strip of adhesive along one side. This means that you can add in anything and everything you want to personalize your planner! In the picture I have attached it to a strip of HP sticky notes so I can keep them close at hand when I need to add a little reminder in somewhere! With these tabs you can add everything from a card with a Bible verse or quote, to a picture, to the ticket stubs from last week's special event with your family. Anything is possible! </div>
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There are a lot of reasons that we buy a planner. </div>
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We want to stay on track and organized with our time, we want to look forward to the future, we want to remember the past and look back on it in pleasure. I have a stack of old planners in my room, basic black, simple, flat, uninteresting, unremarkable. They indeed hold the details of my past days and show the kind of life that I have lived in starkly printed lines. The thing is that my life isn't stark, or routine, or basic. My life is vivid and full of action, color, and design! For me the Happy Planner reflects the creative part of me and how I want to remember both myself and my days. The Happy Planner helps me to grab hold of my days and plan them to the fullest- and that makes me one happy girl! </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL_Fx6_zwTJ4DK3lpfv4LMyR-S3B2wzGKsxX7xlruqeWWp4VaNJfVHhK4fcT5f41DsQs0eubKlhwafiaJ5xlW1D3YHSO2BsPyhh4wTM14IvfjbgrVu-Sj-K5KlXhg3x-DNQJ_InvW4-YfF/s1600/B+happy+planner+4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL_Fx6_zwTJ4DK3lpfv4LMyR-S3B2wzGKsxX7xlruqeWWp4VaNJfVHhK4fcT5f41DsQs0eubKlhwafiaJ5xlW1D3YHSO2BsPyhh4wTM14IvfjbgrVu-Sj-K5KlXhg3x-DNQJ_InvW4-YfF/s400/B+happy+planner+4.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clockwise from top left: Martha Stewart Home Office note pad, HP magnetic bookmarks, homemade bookmark listing how I divide my color coding, weekly inspirational sticker on my weekly view. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Where to Purchase</h2>
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://shop.meandmybigideas.com/collections" target="_blank">MAMBI's site</a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.hobbylobby.com/search/?text=create+365" target="_blank">Hobby Lobby</a> or <a href="http://www.michaels.com/papercraft/planners/809188563#prefn1=brand&pmpt=qualifying&prefv1=Me and My Big Ideas" target="_blank">Michael's</a>- make use of that 40% coupon ladies! </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://scrapbook.com/">scrapbook.com</a> </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Many Sam's and Cosco's are now carrying bundled kits! Check your local store! </li>
</ul>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821632206695719840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1919861702815700201.post-45714030191988356042016-08-02T14:46:00.002-04:002016-08-02T16:25:06.147-04:00Book Review: Restore My Soul<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5C-sbpv0WRu_CasqHnKrNQt5o_SMbFKF1F46t9lo-jgiSmLVehHRYopkQH8EvTHNnLxBNb-LcQySNZV3lMUB8xN23rRyGOXjmMi1pH5tm7R9FXS2Y6EaoYpGVGxrBwud_fIDli3DYfuTK/s1600/IMG_9603.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5C-sbpv0WRu_CasqHnKrNQt5o_SMbFKF1F46t9lo-jgiSmLVehHRYopkQH8EvTHNnLxBNb-LcQySNZV3lMUB8xN23rRyGOXjmMi1pH5tm7R9FXS2Y6EaoYpGVGxrBwud_fIDli3DYfuTK/s400/IMG_9603.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>With today being National Coloring Book Day I thought it was time to get this review up!</i></div>
<br />
<br />
Well unless you have been living the life of a hermit I'm sure you have noticed that in the last two years the coloring book craze has majorly taken off! Books of every size and description are available everywhere from the supermarket check-out aisle, to the local craft store, and are seen in spades at the big box bookstores.<br />
<br />
It's a craze that I don't think is going anywhere any time soon- and I think that's great news!<br />
<br />
I have always been a fan of crafting for relaxation and coloring books for adults provide a great outlet for you to unwind and destress without needing a lot of fuss and muss.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijmJ2ygN_NA97CD7JhcbcELuc5lZsCWsYLBgj1NEGHTK9bfU41OUlIMntl8WHU7OGDlm82_a7J43njsrx9ydQlGE9Jf3G8egpjvrsFMCmmOfvmBfjyE8UHgl8gDqvkR6iow6apVBrknvWp/s1600/IMG_9520.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijmJ2ygN_NA97CD7JhcbcELuc5lZsCWsYLBgj1NEGHTK9bfU41OUlIMntl8WHU7OGDlm82_a7J43njsrx9ydQlGE9Jf3G8egpjvrsFMCmmOfvmBfjyE8UHgl8gDqvkR6iow6apVBrknvWp/s200/IMG_9520.JPG" width="200" /></a><i>Restore My Soul</i> by Ann-Margret Hovsepian is the newest addition to the world of inspirational coloring and is a lovely one at that! This 10x10 inch book boasts about 80 pages of coloring delights. The unique thing about this book is that it's not just a coloring book but it's one that is paired with devotionals too! For every coloring page there is a devotional page opposite it for meditation and reflection.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXHPmyd7PCujUuidV4GIfQ2CAqTDJ17tVrACWyH5pJ298EyEBIsG5ud2EmWkc4w608PVvsUYNQYvgfdRskAa4CQi_6WpyFTWqgfrNd7Lg2ycirBOKnqLcN2Wu_vHuqDzbHpOlbrfwbzwEi/s1600/IMG_9538.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXHPmyd7PCujUuidV4GIfQ2CAqTDJ17tVrACWyH5pJ298EyEBIsG5ud2EmWkc4w608PVvsUYNQYvgfdRskAa4CQi_6WpyFTWqgfrNd7Lg2ycirBOKnqLcN2Wu_vHuqDzbHpOlbrfwbzwEi/s200/IMG_9538.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
The devotionals in this book are really nice with a verse at the beginning and a passage that you can read in a few minutes to give you a little bit to think about for the day.<br />
The illustrations in this book are really nice too and have lots of different styles of drawing, enough to keep you busy picking and choosing for a while!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgotJOiOpVGUoRteJaYTMpI_qoO2KxpNQ2PnwrewPNfnjwXLPHEMJQtRMJUHP0s6_TTKzqptzUlsQ2IVAzvn1tFf998b3EYnN41XQXPr1Ec2h4kz8lF4rlGEyyBsO0KIKbK3a5Hp5OZBH1/s1600/IMG_9598.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgotJOiOpVGUoRteJaYTMpI_qoO2KxpNQ2PnwrewPNfnjwXLPHEMJQtRMJUHP0s6_TTKzqptzUlsQ2IVAzvn1tFf998b3EYnN41XQXPr1Ec2h4kz8lF4rlGEyyBsO0KIKbK3a5Hp5OZBH1/s400/IMG_9598.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">w/colored pencil </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwJg5RewgtdYWptEi3b3j4TYTTlcksSRfNxudQ79VLdVNY8321-OsvZ3EeKVfCZUHw1JAqjeNY7Mfhj22iUabhekyuQUsrCDqBceTtFtHQ6qoxONiSFCPbX2pD98nKBxHgK5kdXz0jctNy/s1600/IMG_9599.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwJg5RewgtdYWptEi3b3j4TYTTlcksSRfNxudQ79VLdVNY8321-OsvZ3EeKVfCZUHw1JAqjeNY7Mfhj22iUabhekyuQUsrCDqBceTtFtHQ6qoxONiSFCPbX2pD98nKBxHgK5kdXz0jctNy/s400/IMG_9599.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">w/colored pencil</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA5GRIc4mnY4Ta5VVnNHBn4fESPS8SI0sv7Yf8nI0PTwqQTorosbZqtAVNJ76Ox43OiXu5xJVp9imzwlJgOQ5dvymlEIUuxNiPfF0f5ggAXlvvZKVi8pc3ho7wU8Pqg_Q-xgp8GKS_oBLi/s1600/IMG_9601.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA5GRIc4mnY4Ta5VVnNHBn4fESPS8SI0sv7Yf8nI0PTwqQTorosbZqtAVNJ76Ox43OiXu5xJVp9imzwlJgOQ5dvymlEIUuxNiPfF0f5ggAXlvvZKVi8pc3ho7wU8Pqg_Q-xgp8GKS_oBLi/s400/IMG_9601.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">w/Distress Crayons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk0SuVi-PLH2mLYHL0F0m-1aitbUIyHGZePJVrT1R63f8vE4GutDTMvBZsKtCjjR6aLx_WK32L16X8EUKrGvXMXX3CpuSF-rc012E-dwxiz4Oq_lFpbB1KskPyCkVAhOFL_hCrPkYnM3oB/s1600/IMG_9533.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk0SuVi-PLH2mLYHL0F0m-1aitbUIyHGZePJVrT1R63f8vE4GutDTMvBZsKtCjjR6aLx_WK32L16X8EUKrGvXMXX3CpuSF-rc012E-dwxiz4Oq_lFpbB1KskPyCkVAhOFL_hCrPkYnM3oB/s400/IMG_9533.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">w/Distress Crayons- after watercoloring </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
For me I really like designs that have lots of open room like the above 'Celebrate Today' page or the 'Fruit of the Spirit' page and I had fun coloring those because I could finish a page in a reasonable amount of time. Many of the other pages though are much more detailed and even after spending hours on them I still have never finished them. Detailed pages aren't necessarily a bad thing, the problem with them for me was that continually coming back to the same devotional reading and that frustrated me. I think it would be better to have illustrations that were easier to accomplish in a shorter amount of time.<br />
<br />
Overall I thought this was a good Christian coloring book and I feel like many people would enjoy working through it! <br />
<br />
Final Rating: 4<br />
<br />
<br />
I have been given a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and opinion of the product.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821632206695719840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1919861702815700201.post-60311048992205431402016-07-26T21:57:00.000-04:002016-07-26T21:57:13.715-04:00Book Review: Whispers in the Reading Room<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpvmcY0iosThSk6P7N2nd3mXU22Rqg3NPGVhyameLGY1D9fov6JqNOAvsyWUw9mhF8Bn-Ev_nnCDxIrKFDnSuKJvJ14jd7qLqlFJ32cP6SHHTlNZTo0iU8a4lOt0SGVCE3wSf4O_MBT126/s1600/BB+whispers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpvmcY0iosThSk6P7N2nd3mXU22Rqg3NPGVhyameLGY1D9fov6JqNOAvsyWUw9mhF8Bn-Ev_nnCDxIrKFDnSuKJvJ14jd7qLqlFJ32cP6SHHTlNZTo0iU8a4lOt0SGVCE3wSf4O_MBT126/s320/BB+whispers.jpg" width="209" /></a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Hello Dear
Readers! Today I am reviewing a fabulous looking new book from author Shelley
Grey, Whispers in the Reading Room! I love the cover of this book, it drew me
in right away and made me want to know what mystery I was going to uncover
inside!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Our heroine
is Lydia Bancroft, the librarian for a small reading room in Chicago after the
World’s Fair. Lydia loves her little domain of books, helping others love
reading, and reading about the faraway places and adventures that she will
never experience in person. Having fallen drastically in fortune after her
father’s death her mother is doing all in her power to make an advantageous
society match for Lydia and restore their fortune and social standing, though
willing to help her mother the only way she knows how Lydia would really love
to be left to the solace of her books! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When the
quiet and mysterious library patron Sebastian Marks comes to Lydia’s rescue one
day the two of them begin a whirlwind friendship that knocks Lydia off her feet
with his attentions and kindness- and finds her wishing that there might be
more than friendship between them. When Lydia finds out that Sebastian is the
owner of a notorious underground gambling saloon in the worst part of town she
must decide who he really is, who she can trust, and how any relationship
between them can survive. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">From the
first moments of opening this book I was sure I was going to love it- and I did!
Whispers in the Reading Room is a zippy read with a smart and resourceful
heroine in Lydia. She is someone who has curiosity about the world around her
and dreams about what it would be like to be the heroine in one of the books
she reads. She is someone who is both a compassionate dutiful daughter and
someone who knows her own value. Sebastian is an interesting and different hero
who comes from a rough-and-tumble background and has raised himself to
prosperity and sophistication through his love of reading. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I found the
word play between the two book lovers a delicious treat for a fellow
bibliophile and I liked the language banter between them. I even found myself
laughing out loud at their discussion of Austen’s Emma as I too would agree
with Sebastian’s opinion! </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> I really loved
the author’s writing style too and I as a read through I found myself delighted
as I haven’t enjoyed a turn of phrase so much in ages! Shelley Grey is a new author to me and this
is the first of her books that I have read but I can’t wait to go and pick up
the other two books she’s written under the “A Chicago World’s Fair Mystery”
banner! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Overall,
this book is a fast paced fun read. Sometimes the relationship between Lydia
and Sebastian moves quickly in this novel but I didn’t find it out of place, it
just reflected the fast pace of the swinging city. I didn’t find any big red
flags in this content wise, many of the scenes take place in Sebastian’s world,
which is far from propriety, but nothing was overdone or gratuitous. Whispers
reminded me of any number of old black and white films. In fact, though the
settings are a bit different, this book really reminded me of the Judy Garland
movie The Harvey Girls! Whispers in the Reading Room will be a great weekend
read for anyone! In fact, I dare you to try and put it down! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Final Rating: 4.5 </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 18.4px;">I have been given a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and opinion of the product.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821632206695719840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1919861702815700201.post-60356329551420645662016-07-26T21:42:00.001-04:002016-07-26T21:47:49.785-04:00Book Review: The Girl From the Train<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAb7NzG9wLmj5eyM7tzQmGEkLJytpgWZQbO6NVYUBGsD6wTvzzUSyAhTPJ5q7AQdcTzjpyfgHIUshMwrlFQbDRecqSnS3Hfto75JX0BY_gCDBTFUCZTmBUTgRyPquF_XH3PQkfSw2CnONt/s1600/BB+girl+from+the+train.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAb7NzG9wLmj5eyM7tzQmGEkLJytpgWZQbO6NVYUBGsD6wTvzzUSyAhTPJ5q7AQdcTzjpyfgHIUshMwrlFQbDRecqSnS3Hfto75JX0BY_gCDBTFUCZTmBUTgRyPquF_XH3PQkfSw2CnONt/s320/BB+girl+from+the+train.jpg" width="210" /></a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Well dear
readers, I have to admit that it took a little getting into to begin this book
but now that I dedicated some time to beginning afresh I have to tell you that
<span style="background-color: white;">I <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">wizzed</span></span> through
this book in a day’s time! I simply couldn’t put it down! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Girl From the Train</span></i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> by Irma Joubert is a book with a bit
of an unusual history. Originally published in South Africa, and then the
Netherlands, it became a best seller in both countries! Now it has again been
translated, into English this time, and is being published through Thomas
Nelson. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Beginning in
Poland during the height of the Second World War we meet little six year old
German-Jewish Gertl Schmidt and are drawn along into her life story. Gertl is
orphaned, family-less, homeless, and hopeless- until she comes into the life of
Jakob Kowalski who fights for Poland with the Home Army and against all forces-
German or Russian- that want to destroy his beloved homeland. Gertl and Jakob
form a strong bond- the kind that can only be forged in the intensity of bombs,
and blood, and the pain of relentless nightmares. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In time
Jakob and his family can no longer safely care for Gertl in the politically
turbulent Poland so he is forced to send her where she can be better cared for,
and eventually have a chance at a new life as an adopted war orphan in South
Africa. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I was really
kind of blown away by this book! Through reading it I realized even on a
subject I thought I had thoroughly covered there is still so much about WWII that
I do not know and so much I need to learn. Many times historical fiction that
is written on this era is told from the point of view of an American or a Brit,
having this story told from the eyes of a person who is in the very center of
the conflict packs a huge emotional punch. For example, there is a moment early
on in the book where knowledge and book hungry Gertl has been studying an atlas
and is trying to identify nearby markers and towns but the thing she searched
for, Auschwitz, wasn’t on the map. I have to tell you that one small line, one
small detail, was like being doused in cold water. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The beauty
of this book is in the small details. The storytelling style reminded me (from
what I remember) of the Little House series. The style is not elaborate or
embellished but is simply related in honestly told truths. In Gertl’s younger
years many of her personal observations come off as stark or abrupt but it is
simply the nature of a child who has seen and experienced things beyond her
years. In time this matures into a special kind of warmth and magnetism as
Gertl, now Afrikkans Grietjie Neethling, becomes a young woman. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I am known
for loving books that have well drawn detailed descriptions- for a girl who
grew up on George MacDonald it’s no wonder really. It’s the quality of those descriptions
and what they end up conveying however that are the important part. So often
writing can go from in-depth to long-winded in the space of a few words, but that
is not the case here. In <i>The Girl From
the Train</i> so much is said in so few words- and the effect is very
powerfully touching. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On the
‘warnings’ side of things readers should be aware that there maybe a few
instances of objectionable material depending on their comfort level with wartime
violence or romantic scenes. There is two times that profanity occurs and while
I don’t condone that it’s not gratuitous or out of place for the context of the
setting. This book also explores the two faiths of Catholicism and
Protestantism and does a good job of relating why those faiths are different
even while respecting the sincerely held beliefs of both. One little nitpick
was that I very much wished the publisher had included some type of glossary at
the end for help in pronouncing some of the eastern-European and Afrikkans
names and places. I confess I felt rather stupid bumbling through them and
wished I could say them properly! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I would
highly recommend this book as being the next thing you should read! I was taken
in from cover to cover and feel as if I read something worthwhile for my time. It
is a book that I know will be driving me to dive back into world history- and
left me very satisfied with Grietjie’s new beginnings in the end. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Final Rating: 5</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px;">I have been given a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and opinion of the product.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821632206695719840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1919861702815700201.post-63006359981646161802016-03-17T17:12:00.001-04:002016-03-17T17:12:30.472-04:00Book Review: Reservations for Two<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp2eqQq2kzeS1VgkZRu6MNKngCZG3s2lf3grvX2tRYQzx8csxlfe7FUQLcSIzDcNYUzHIcuBY1VgS38DtEVmuZunSUic45pySchtgE8VYiF7Ey1_BcITCZe38XUyAqIM6JeZdN00lL0ems/s1600/blog-+reservations.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp2eqQq2kzeS1VgkZRu6MNKngCZG3s2lf3grvX2tRYQzx8csxlfe7FUQLcSIzDcNYUzHIcuBY1VgS38DtEVmuZunSUic45pySchtgE8VYiF7Ey1_BcITCZe38XUyAqIM6JeZdN00lL0ems/s320/blog-+reservations.jpg" width="213" /></a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Being the
restaurant chef person that I am I was really eager to get a hold of this book
and review it. I thought the premise of <i>Reservation
for Two</i> by Hillary Manton Lodge to be a nice and refreshing one. Amongst
all the bonnet novels- Amish and otherwise- and the other historicals on the
market I was ready for a contemporary novel set in the food world!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I requested
and began this book not realizing it was book two of a series, something I
avoid like the plague as I find it difficult to come into a cast of
pre-established characters and backstory and not feel lost and uncomfortable
but I decided to just give it a go.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">From the
first the reader is dropped, literally into the middle, of a conversation that
feels as if it’s been directly carried over and picked up right where it was
left in the first book. It was off putting, frankly, and I struggled to figure
out what was going on and what I had missed from the first book. It is clear in
the first few chapters that the main character, Juliette, has been undertaking
a great adventure as she searches for clues to her grandmother’s past but it
was hard to figure out what was going on and who all the people were beyond
that. Without the back of the book I would not have been able to figure out
anything. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Another
reason I struggled with this book is that I found the writing style to be a
rather odd one. I consider myself a person who has read widely and enjoys a
variety of literary styles but this I did not enjoy. This I found unreadably
choppy and really missing a lot of the trimmings that makes a text pleasant to
read. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In the end I
will confess that I did not finish this book. After a certain point I simply
began flipping and skimming till the end.
It’s a fact that galls me to admit as I’ve sat through a number of truly
horrid novels and forced myself to finish them word by word, but with this
every paragraph was a losing battle. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In the end I
won’t recommend this book. Not because I found something terribly wrong with it
but because it just wasn’t my style. Perhaps for others it might be. Perhaps if
it had been the first volume it would have had a chance. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Final Review: 1.5 </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px;">I have been given a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and opinion of the product.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821632206695719840noreply@blogger.com0