Blog Tour: My Father's House by Rose Chandler Johnson

MY FATHER’S HOUSE BY ROSE CHANDLER JOHNSON

Author: Rose Chandler Johnson

When all illusions of happily-ever-after shatter, Lily must choose to abandon her husband or risk losing much more than her marriage in Rose Chandler Johnson’s debut novel, My Father’s House. She flees their home in Detroit and sets out on a fearful journey to a house in Georgia that her husband knows nothing about. This is one woman’s compelling tale of love and survival as she finds her way back home to who she’s meant to be . . . in her father’s house.

Cynthia Ruchti’s ‘Song of Silence’ Music-Themed Giveaway and Book Review

About the Book:

Charlie and Lucy Tuttle are committed to each other for life, but that life isn’t turning out quite like they expected. Charlie retired early, but Lucy planned to continue in her position as a music educator in a small Midwestern K-8 school indefinitely. And then the day came when she was forced to retire. Lucy was devoted to the program her father started years ago and now she can only watch as it disintegrates before her eyes. The longer she is separated from the passion of her heart, the more the music fades from her life and she wonders if her faith’s song is fading too. When a simple misstep threatens to silence Lucy forever, a young boy and his soundless mother change the way she sees—and hears—everything.

As the music fades and a chasm separates her from the passion of her heart, will Lucy's faith song go silent, too? Find out in Cynthia Ruchti's new book, Song of Silence. The musical score of her life seems to be missing all the notes. When a simple misstep threatens to silence Lucy forever, a young boy and his soundless mother change the way she sees—and hears—everything.

My Review:  

Cynthia Runchi's main character in Song of Silence is a woman in her late fifites (a few years older than me) who was laid off from her beloved job as a music teacher when the program was the victim of budget cuts.  Her husband has recently retired from a job that was just that--a job, not a passion.  He was looking for a passion and when she was laid off, he assumed she'd join him at it.  She feels smothered, and yet she sees her husband's irritating actions for what they are--expressions of love.  He wants to spend more time with her and to do things together; she feels smothered and seems to want to be left alone to wallow in her grief.   

On the one hand I got a little impatient with her. Yes, she was laid off from a job she loved but on the other hand, she had spent previous summers giving private music lessons and presumably could have done so again this summer.  It is also not a reach to figure that with the school dropping music, there would be more demand more private lessons, not less.  Instead of teaching private lessons that summer, she waits tables where she did in high school.  She sees a counselor who refers her to a group of women in the same boat and it was interesting to hear them discussing the changes in their lives.  I have had some recent questions about the long-term viability of my job and have had to consider whether I should move on or stay--and possibly be told that I'd be moving on, whether I want to or not.  I get how hard change is at this stage in life.  I'm by no means ready to go out to pasture but I'm not striving to take over the world either.  I have my niche, I like it and frankly I hope to retire from this job.   

Two interesting characters in the book were her daughter-in-law and her step-grandson.  The daughter-in-law was deaf and the step-grandson suffered from Asperger's   I could relate to many of his issues, having raised an autistic son.   

I think Cynthia Ruchti is a fan of music in the schools as we heard a lot about how studies show that those who study music do better in academic areas than those who don't.  We meet a former student who credits her with putting him on the path to his current non-musical profession.   

The book is Christian fiction and mentions prayer and faith but unless you are anti-faith, I don't think there is enough religion in the book to turn you off.  There are no lectures or sermons and nobody has a great faith experience in the book.  Lucy is a woman of faith and and that does affect the way she deals with the world.   

One thing this book shares with much Christian fiction is its happily ever after ending.   

I'd like to thank the nice folks at Litfuse for providing a complimentary review copy for the purpose of this blog tour.  Grade:  B+ 

Celebrate the release of Song of Silence with a blog tour and giveaway. Two winners will be chosen!

 

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A copy of Song of Silence
• A $150 Visa cash card

One second place winner will receive:

• A copy of Song of Silence
• A music-themed prize pack filled with goodies hand-picked by Cynthia

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry! The giveaway ends on May 9th. The winners will be announced May 10th on Cynthia's blog.

Blog Tour and Giveaway: An Endless Christmas

An Endless Christmas: A Novella

About the Book:

There's no getting out of Christmas now, despite Katie rejecting Micah's marriage proposal. Cozy up this holiday season with Cynthia Ruchti's new novella, An Endless Christmas. The Binder family celebrates every Christmas as if it were their last. Too many people, too much snow, and too little room should be a recipe for disaster. But sometimes too much is just enough. Especially when it’s Christmas.

My Comments:

I really enjoyed this sweet Christmas read.  As noted above, Micah's family celebrates each Christmas as if it may be their last together and this year a couple of things happen that remind everyone that this really COULD be it--and yet there is a new generation, so while things change, family remains.  Cynthia Ruchti managed to write an emotionally moving story while staying true to the Christmas novella genre.  

The book is Christian fiction, so we know it is Jesus' birth, not Santa's arrival that is being celebrated and there are evangelical moments in the story, so it is probably too religious for those who don't like religious fiction, but since I prefer Jesus to Santa, I had no problem with it.  

An Endless Christmas is a book of contrasts--Micah and Katie live in Florida, but are celebrating Christmas in Minnesota.  That Christmas season involves both death and new family members.  Katie is from a small family that was never close; Micah's family always spends time together at Christmas. I think we all have our dream of the perfect Christmas; I think Cynthia Ruchti is telling us that the perfect Christmas is the one we make perfect, not the one that goes the way we plan.  

One thing I really liked about the story is that the characters went through Bayport Minnesota, which is where my parents met.  

I'd like to thank the nice folks at Litfuse for providing a complimentary review copy.  Grade:  B+

Celebrate the holidays with Cynthia and An Endless Christmas by entering her $100 Target gift card giveaway!

 

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A copy of An Endless Christmas
• A $100 gift card to Target

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on November 30th. The winner will be announced December 1st on Cynthia's blog.

A Love Like Ours: My Review

Fall in love with Becky Wade's new book, A Love Like Ours, a story of healing, romance, and cowboys. A glimmer of the hope Jake thought he’d lost returns when Lyndie lands back in Texas, but fears and regrets still plague him. Will Jake ever be able to love Lyndie like she deserves, or is his heart too shattered to mend?

To celebrate the release of her new book, Becky is giving away a $100 cash card and a book-inspired prize pack!

 

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A $100 cash card
• A copy of A Love Like Ours
• A copy of the Secretariat DVD
• A scarf
• A dog-tag/cross keychain
• A pair of earrings
• A Scarf
• A Texas-shaped cutting board
• A Jake Porter mug

 

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on May 26th. Winner will be announced May 27th on Becky's site.

Review

Some Chrisian romances are nothing but clean romances between people who happend to go to church. Others are stories of the characters' spiritual lives that happen to have some romance thrown in. Finally, there are stories that preach a strong conversion sermon while telling a good romantic story, which  is what this book does.  Jake and Lyndie were childhood best friends until her family moved far from their Texas home.  Both moved on with life; he became a Marine and was injured on duty and now suffers with PTSD.  She is an artist and illustrator who really wants to be a jockey.  Now he owns a horse ranch and her family has returned to Texas.  She is about thirty and while a part of her wants a husband, she is comfortable not being married.  He does not want to get close to anyone.  
I liked watching these two become re-acquainted and I loved the way Becky Wade made Lyndie's handicapped sister a source of healing.  All too often in our society those deemed imperfect are cast aside, yet I've known families that were truly blessed by children who were severely handicapped.  
The book is part of a series and there are times those who have not read the first book, Undeniably Yours, will wonder why some of the characters even make an appearance in this book, but A Love Like Ours stands well on its own.
I'd like to thank Litfuse for sending me a complimentary review copy.  Grade: B.

Litfuse Book Tour: The Mason Jar

The Mason Jar

About the Book:
What if your old college roommate called, raving about a book someone sent her, calling it the most beautiful book she's ever read? "But," she said, "it's about you." The author is your college ex.

In The Mason Jar, Clayton Fincannon is a Tennessee farm boy raised at the feet of his grandfather. He and his grandfather leave letters for each other in a Mason jar on his grandfather's desk; letters of counsel and affirmation. When Clayton attends college in Southern California, he meets and falls in love with a dark haired debutante from Colorado. However, when an unmentioned past resurrects in her life and she leaves, Clayton is left with unanswered questions.

Clayton goes on to serve as a missionary in Africa, while he and his grandfather continue their tradition of writing letters. When Clayton returns home five years later to bury his grandfather, he searches for answers pertaining to the loss of the young woman he once loved. Little does Clayton know, the answers await him in the broken Mason jar.

A story about a girl who vanished, a former love who wrote a book about her, and a reunion they never imagined.

Written for the bruised and broken, The Mason Jar is an inspirational epic, romance, tragedy which brings hope to people who have experienced disappointment in life due to separation from loved ones. With a redemptive ending and written in the fresh, romantic tones of Nicholas Sparks, The Mason Jar interweaves the imagery of Thoreau with the adventures and climatic family struggles common to Dances with Wolves, A River Runs Through It, and Legends of the Fall.

Note: In September 2014, a new version of The Mason Jar (distinguishable by the blue title box on the front cover) was released with a redemptive ending. Used versions sold may be the old edition.

Follow James Russell at jamesrussell.org

James Russell Lingerfelt's debut novel, The Mason Jar, is hot-off-the-press and causing quite the buzz. It's even been optioned for a feature film and is in pre-production.

My Comments:

I thought the writing was top-notch as far as the use of language went but really thought that Clayton pined far too long and far too much over a short relationship with a woman who was obviously holding something back from him at the time.  Frankly, even if I was the woman he with whom he was enamored, I'd run in the opposite direction.

The copy above says this is a new version, which may explain a few things in the book that I found confusing.  

I'd like to thank the folks at Litfuse for providing a complimentary review copy.  

Giveaway:

Catch the spark by entering James' Kindle Fire giveaway!


 


One grand prize winner will receive:

A Kindle Fire

The Mason Jar by James Russell Lingerfelt 

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on October 19th. Winner will be announced October 20th at James Russell's blog, Love Story from the Male Perspective.





Blog Tour: Home to Chicory Lane With Facebook Party and Giveaway!

Home to Chicory Lane: A Chicory Inn Novel | Book 1

About the Book:

Audrey Whitman’s dreams are coming true. Now that their five kids are grown, she and her husband Grant are turning their beloved family home into a cozy bed and breakfast, just a mile outside of Langhorne, Missouri.

Opening weekend makes Audrey anxious, with family and friends coming from all over to help celebrate the occasion. But when Audrey’s daughter, Landyn, arrives, the U-Haul she’s pulling makes it clear she’s not just here for a few days. Audrey immediately has questions. What happened in New York that sent Landyn running home? Where was Landyn’s husband, Chase? And what else was her daughter not telling her? One thing was for sure, the Chicory Inn was off to a rocky start. Can Audrey still realize her dream and at the same time provide the comfort of home her daughter so desperately needs?

My Comments:

Those who like their Christian fiction on the religious side should enjoy this novel about two newlyweds working out the terms of their relationship.  Those holding more modern egalitarian views of marriage will shake their heads at references to the husband being the head of the home and at marriage vows of obedience.  Both Landyn and Chase are trying to listen to God in their lives and yet they aren't listening to each other.  Frankly Landyn really needs to grow up; she gets mad (rightly so) because her husband makes a major life decision without consulting her, so she quits her job and runs home to Mom and Dad where she acts like a teenager when asked to help with chores.  She refuses to answer her phone or check her messages because she doesn't want people telling her what to do.  

Deborah Raney does a good job of contrasting the broken marriage and immature ways of relating that Chase and Landyn have adopted to the mature and loving marriage of Landyn's parents.  This is clearly a book written to teach a lesson about marriage.

I'd like to thank Litfuse for providing a complimentary review copy.  Grade:  B.

Blog Tour:

The first book in Deborah Raney's new Chicory Inn series, Home to Chicory Lane, introduces us to Audrey Whitman, a mother who has launched all her children into life and now looks forward to fulfilling some of her own dreams during her empty-nest years. However, not all of her children are ready to stay out of the nest quite yet.

Deborah is celebrating the release of her new series with a $200 B&B Weekend Getaway and a Facebook author chat party.

 
  One winner will receive:

• A B&B Weekend Getaway (via a $200 Visa cash card)
• Home to Chicory Lane by Deborah Raney

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on September 9th. Winner will be announced at the Home to Chicory Lane Author Chat Party on 9/9. Deborah will be hosting a heartfelt book chat, giving away prizes, and answering questions from readers. She will also share an exclusive sneak peek at the next book in the Chicory Inn series!

So grab your copy of Home to Chicory Lane and join Deborah on the evening of September 9th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 9th!

Litfuse Blog Tour and $200 Dollar Giveaway: All My Belongings by Cynthia Ruchti

All My Belongings

About the Book:

A new identity can’t protect Becca from a past that refuses to go away. Where do you turn when changing your name doesn’t give you the anonymity you want? When running hundreds of miles away isn’t far enough? When your search for a place to belong lands you right back where you began? One phone call destroys all the hope Becca Morrow has for a life beyond the shame of her past. Further discredited by the death of her elderly, ailing patient—the mother of the influential businessman, Isaac Hughes—Becca’s new life is shattered and her longing for love slips away. Working to clear her name, Becca must learn to see the beauty in the ugliness of dying, to accept the tenderness in forgiveness, and—at last—discover that where she belongs isn’t as much about her family history as it is about her faith in the One to whom she’ll always belong.

My Comments:

This was definitely one of those right book at the right time books for me.  About six weeks ago I watched my father die.  This book deals with the deaths of three people.  Like my father's death, these were expected.  Unlike my father's death, some of these were hastened.  We learn quickly that Becca was the one who turned her father into the authorities for killing her mother, who had ALS.  She changes her name and gets a job across the country, a job caring for an elderly woman who is dying.  She avoids talking about her past but the police become suspicious when the death of her charge has odd elements.  

I think the book does a good job of looking realistically at the problems we have caring for the infirm.  It is obvious that Isaac's mother's care was greatly enhanced because of his ability to pay for it.  Mention is made of multiple downsizings made necessary by Becca's mother's illness.  As families become separated by miles, as they become smaller, and as we live longer, more and more of us are going to have to deal with the financial reality of infirmity.  I have to wonder what part that financial reality played in the decisions made by Becca's father.

All My Belongings is definitely Christian fiction.  The characters pray.  They drink sparkling juice, not wine.  Isaac belongs to a men's group from church and they meet regularly.  The final moral is that forgiveness is necessary and freeing.  

I'd like to thank the publishers for making a review copy available for this Litfuse tour.  Grade:  B+

Cynthia Ruchti asks what it takes to overcome your past and become who you were meant to be in her latest novel, All My Belongings. Cynthia has woven a heart-wrenching tale of forgiveness, grace, and learning what it means to truly belong.

Cynthia is celebrating the release of her latest novel with a fun giveaway and a live webcast event!

 
One winner will receive:

• A $200 Visa cash card
• All My Belongings by Cynthia Ruchti

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on June 11th. Winner will be announced at the All My Belongings LIVE webcast event on June 11th. Connect with Cynthia for an evening of book chat, trivia, laughter, and more! Cynthia will also be taking questions from the audience and giving away books, fun prizes, and gift certificates throughout the evening.

So grab your copy of All My Belongings and join Cynthia and friends on the evening of June 11th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today by signing up for a reminder. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 11th!

Litfuse Blog Tour and Review: A Miracle of Hope

A Miracle of Hope (The Amish Wonders Series)

About the Book:

Lindie Wyse thinks an arranged marriage is the only way to preserve a future for herself and her unborn child. Josiah Plank is certain he’ll never love again, but he needs someone to care for his deaf eight-year-old daughter, Hannah. The two take on their arrangement tentatively at first but soon realize they are each in for more than they imagined. After a short time, Lindie experiences a breakthrough with Hannah when she recognizes the child’s special gifts, but a risky pregnancy and serious health issues threaten to demolish the foundation Josiah and Lindie are building—and the love that is growing between them.

Will their marriage survive their struggles, or will their hearts become as cold as the northern winter?

My Comments:

Sometimes it is tempting to idealize the life of the Amish.  It is easy to see them as a community focused on each other and on God.  What could be more perfect here on earth?  Unfortunately for them, they are as human as we are.  While Jesus welcomed repentant sinners, this book shows that Amish (and face it, many other observant Christians) do not, particularly when there is permanent evidence of that sin (such as an illegitimate child).  

Lindie needed a new start, Josiah needed wife, though he didn't want one.  They agree to marry, and, not surprisingly, fall in love.  

I enjoyed the story and enjoyed seeing Lindie and Josiah develop a relationship despite themselves.  

I don't know where I got the impression that Ruth Reid's "niche" in the Amish fiction world is stories with a supernatural element, but it is something I knew when I selected this book and Hannah in this book has a gift that isn't normal.  It is presented as having come from God and is used for good, but it definitely isn't the usual answer to a prayer.  

In short, this is an enjoyable Amish romance.  Grade:  B. 

I'd like to thank the folks at Litfuse for providing a review copy of this book.  You can see the links of other reviewers here.  You can see Ruth Reid's website here.

A Miracle of Hope is the first book in Ruth Reid's new series, Amish Wonders, and she is celebrating the release with a Kindle HDX Giveaway and an Author Chat Facebook Party!

One winner will receive:

• A Kindle Fire HDX
• A Miracle of Hope by Ruth Reid

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on February 11th. Winner will be announced at the A Miracle of Hope Facebook Party on February 11th. Connect with Ruth for an evening of book chat, trivia, laughter, prizes, and more!

So grab your copy of A Miracle of Hope and join Ruth and friends on the evening of February 11th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 11th!

Litfuse Blog Tour: A Promise Kept

A Promise Kept

About the Book:

God was going to save her marriage, Allison was sure of it. But neither her husband nor her marriage had been saved.

What had become of His promise?

Tony Kavanagh had been Allison’s dream-come-true. They were in love within days, engaged within weeks, married and pregnant within a year. Her cup bubbled over with joy . . . but years later, that joy had been extinguished by unexpected trials.

The day Allison issued her husband an ultimatum, she thought it might save him. She never expected he would actually leave. She was certain God had promised to heal; it was clear that she'd misunderstood.

Now, living in the quiet mountain cabin she inherited from her single, self-reliant Great Aunt Emma, Allison must come to terms with her grief and figure out how to adapt to small town life. But when she finds a wedding dress and a collection of journals in Emma’s attic, a portrait of her aunt emerges that takes Allison completely by surprise: a portrait of a heartbroken woman surprisingly like herself.

As Allison reads the incredible story of Emma’s life in the 1920s and 1930s, she is forced to ask a difficult question: Does she really surrender every piece of her life to the Lord? 

Drawing from her own heart-wrenching story of redemption, A Promise Kept is Robin Lee Hatcher’s emotionally charged thanksgiving to a God who answers prayers—in His own time and His own ways.

My Comments:

This was an enjoyable story with a lot of fodder for thought.  Allison had prayed for her marriage to be healed, but her husband walked out on her.  Does God answer prayers?  Most of us have been told that God always answers prayers--it is just that sometimes the answer is "no".  Allison is coming to terms with the fact that her answer was "no", that her marriage was not going to be saved.  It was time to live life on her own and she chose to start that life in a place she'd always loved and recently inherited, her great aunt's cabin.  While there, she learns through her aunt's journals, that her aunt had been through a similar situation.  

Later in the book Allison's husband seeks reconciliation and Allison has to grapple with what she wants and what God wants her to do.  She wants to protect her heart, yet she wants to be open to the will of God. That had to be a tough spot to be in .  

I like Allison.  She was developing a new life for herself after her old one was basically ripped out from under her.  I loved reading Aunt Emma's journals, the journals of a woman who grew from someone willing to accept less than she deserved to one who built a life and career in a time when most women's lives were defined by family.  

The book is Christian fiction and Allison's faith is definitely front and center in the book but it isn't a book where getting saves solves all the problems of life nor does it push particular beliefs on the readers.  

I'd like to thank the publisher for providing a complimentary review copy via Litfuse.  Grade: B+

Don't miss Robin Lee Hatcher's stunning new novel, A Promise Kept. Robin is celebrating with a fun giveaway and an encouraging Facebook Author Chat Party.

 One winner will receive:

• A Kindle Fire HDX
• A Promise Kept by Robin Lee Hatcher

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on February 6th. Winner will be announced at the "A Promise Kept" Facebook Author Chat Party on the 6th. Connect with Robin and friends for an evening of encouraging book chat, prizes, and an exclusive look at Robin's next book!

So grab your copy of A Promise Kept and join Robin on the evening of February 6th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today by clicking JOIN at the event page. Spread the word—tell your friends about the giveaway and party via FACEBOOK or TWITTER. Hope to see you on 2/6!

Blog Tour and Review: Whispers on the Dock

Whispers on the Dock (Postcards from Misty Harbor Inn series)

Book three in the Postcards from Misty Harbor Inn series, Whispers on the Dock(Guideposts Books) is now available. Come back to Nantucket and be enthralled by the final installment of the cozy intrigue of Misty Harbor Inn.

About the Book:
As Nantucket reaches the pinnacle of its summer glory, and the Marris sisters welcome guests at Misty Harbor Inn, youngest sister Sam Carter enters her mother's cobbler recipe in the Summerfest baking contest. But she faces a formidable opponent, a past winner who is determined to keep her title even if it means stooping to dirty tactics. Can Sam's newfound faith help her rise above the fray and reach out to this lonely woman? Meanwhile, an elderly guest arrives who knows the inn's history, and the sisters are stunned to learn that their late mother lived there as a child. But she told them she'd never been to Nantucket until her honeymoon! Through the woman's reminiscences and photos, the sisters make an intriguing discovery -- not only about the mysterious Hannah Montague, the young woman who disappeared from the house in 1880, but also about their own family history.

Readers will delight in the inviting Nantucket setting and be enthralled by the adventures of these sisters who reunite to bring their mother's Misty Harbor dreams to life.

My Comments:
I enjoyed this charming conclusion to the series.  The blurb above mentions Sam's faith, and it is true that in the book the minister suggests reaching out to this woman, however, this really isn't that religious a book.  It is more along the lines of sweet women's fiction.

It was fun watching the sisters solve the mystery of Hannah as well as a mystery about their own mother.  In short, a great beach read.  Grade:  B.

Enter to win the entire set of Postcards from Misty Harbor Inn.

Three winners will receive:

• Seaside Summer, Sunflower Summer and Whispers on the Dock by Evangeline Kelley

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on August 31st. All winners will be announced September 2nd at the Litfuse blog.

Don't miss a moment of the fun; enter today and be sure to visit the Litfuse blog on the 2nd to see if you won one set! (Or better yet, subscribe to our blog (via the box in the top right sidebar) and have the winner announcement delivered to your inbox!)

Blog Tour: Small Town Girl

Small Town Girl: A Novel

About the Book:

In the autumn of 1941, rumors of war whisper through Rosey Corner. The town practically vibrates in anticipation, as if it is holding its breath. But for Kate Merritt, it seems life is letting out a prolonged sigh. As Kate watches her sister marry the man Kate has loved since she was fifteen, her heart is silently breaking. And even the attentions of Jay Tanner, the handsome best man, can't draw her interest.

Then suddenly, Pearl Harbor changes everything. Kate's friends are rushing to get married before the boys go off to war. The newspapers talk of women making airplanes and bombs. Everyone in town begins rolling bandages, planting victory gardens, collecting scrap metal. Kate finds herself drawn to Jay in surprising ways, and when he enlists she can hardly breathe worrying about him getting killed. Could she truly be in love with him? And if she is, will she ever see him again?

In her gentle and textured style, Ann Gabhart tells a timeless story of love, sacrifice, and longing that will grip the heart and stir the spirit. Fans of Angel Sister will be thrilled to see Kate Merritt all grown up. New readers will find that Ann Gabhart weaves in Small Town Girl a beautiful story that will touch their hearts and win their loyalty.

My Comments:

None of us want to get hurt.  All of us do things to avoid pain--it's normal, it is in our best interest.  If we purposely choose pain we are called masochists, and considered to be at least a little off, if not mentally ill.  However, never risking pain can end up hurting us too, and in this book Kate is one who seeks to avoid pain rather than to embrace life.  Jay has that in common with her and it is only when they learn to accept the risk of pain that they are able to live happily ever after.

Ann Gabhart did a good job of bringing in historical details of life in the early 1940's.

Kate's brother-in-law is a minister and his attempt to covert Jay and others in the congregation is integral to the story but I wouldn't call the book preachy.  

I'd like to thank the folks at Litfuse for providing a review copy of this book.  Grade:  B+.  

Blog Tour: Barefoot Summer

Barefoot Summer (A Chapel Springs Romance)

About the Book:

In the years since her twin brother’s drowning, Madison McKinley has struggled to put it behind her. Despite the support of her close-knit family and her gratifying job as a veterinarian in their riverside town, the loss still haunts her.

To find closure, Madison sets out to fulfill her brother’s dream of winning the town’s annual regatta. But first she has to learn to sail, and fast.

Beckett O’Reilly knows Madison is out of his league, but someone neglected to tell his heart. Now she needs his help—and he’ll give it, because he owes her far more than she’ll ever know.

Madison will do anything—even work with the infamous Beckett O’Reilly—to reach her goal. And as much as she’d like to deny it, the chemistry between them is electrifying. As summer wanes, her feelings for him grow and a fledgling faith takes root in her heart.

But Beckett harbors a secret that will test the limits of their new love. Can their romance survive summer’s challenges? And will achieving her brother’s dream give Madison the peace she desperately seeks?

My Comments:

One thing I've seen a lot of spiritual writers say is that we all have a God-shaped hole in our heart.  Some of us allow God to fill it; others try sex, alcohol, drugs, work, or even seemingly good things like our children our our spouse.  Madison blames the God-shaped hole in her heart on the death of her twin, and blames the death of her twin on God.  The hole in her heart is giving her nightmares and otherwise interfering with her life, but she thinks that living her twin's dream will fill the hole.  Of course, she is wrong.  

While Madison is part of a large loving family headed by the mayor of the town, Beckett is the son of the town drunk, a former "bad boy" who has done jail time.  He has filled the God-shaped hole in his heart with God and now is looking for human love--but he isn't sure he is lovable.  

This book deals with both the romance between Madison and Beckett as well as Madison's attempt to fill the God-shaped hole in heart.  I enjoyed the story and give it a B+.  I'd like to thank the folks at Litfuse for sending me a complimentary review copy.  

Denise Hunter is celebrating her new Chapel Springs Romance series with a Summer Fun Giveaway. The first book, Barefoot Summer, is already a favorite with readers. “Hold-your-breath romance, heartache, and laugh-out-loud moments. It’s more than a good read. It’s a delight.” -- Lisa
 
Summer: it’s all about sunny skies, star-gazing, swimming, spending time with loved ones, and living as if a small part of the weight of the world has been lifted off your shoulders.

Get ready for some serious summer fun with Denise’s 12-Day Summer Sun giveaway. From June 10-21, keep your computer near as you head to the lake or your friend’s barbecue because Denise will be giving away a summer essential each day!

Blog Tour: The Promise Box

The Promise Box (Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors)

About the Book:

Every year, young Amish men descend on the cozy little town of West Kootenai, Montana, arriving in the spring to live there for six months and receive 'resident' status for the hunting season in the fall. They arrive as bachelors, but go home with brides! In The Promise Box, the second book of best-selling author Tricia Goyer's Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors series, Lydia Wyse, a book editor from Seattle who grew up Amish, returns to the small community of West Kootenai to give comfort to her father after her mother's death. She is drawn back to the familiar Amish ways after finding her mother's most precious possession, a Promise Box of prayers and scripture. What her publisher sees, though, is an opportunity for a sensational 'tell-all' book about the Amish. Lydia soon finds herself falling in love with Amish bachelor Gideon Hooley. She wants nothing more than to forget her past and look forward to a future as an Amish bride. But will the pain of her childhood---and her potential betrayal of her community---keep her from committing her whole heart?

My Comments:

This book was definitely on the religious side, even for Amish fiction.  We join Lydia as she reads the scripture promises her mother loved so much.  We follow her as she decides to return to the Amish and to give her heart to Gideon.  Both she and Gideon have old hurts that need to be healed.  In the end of course they realize that God keeps His promises to us.  Grade:  B-

Tricia Goyer is celebrating the release of her lastest novel, The Promise Box (Zondervan), by hosting an Amish Baking Box giveaway and connecting with readers during her June 12th Book Chat Party!

One "promising" winner will receive:

• Apron, hot mitts, and kitchen towels
• Amish baking items (rolling pin, pie plate, etc...)
• Sherry Gore's Simply Delicious Amish Cooking
• The Memory Jar and The Promise Box by Tricia Goyer 

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on June 11th. Winner will be announced at the "The Promise Box" Facebook Author Chat Party on June 12th. Connect with Tricia for an evening of Amish fun - book chat, trivia, laughter, and more! Tricia will also share an exclusive look at the next book book in the Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors series and give away books and other fun prizes throughout the evening.

So grab your copy of The Promise Box and join Tricia on the evening of June 12th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 12th!