Stand By Me By Neta Jackson

I received this book for no charge from Thomas Nelson Publishing through Booksneeze.com for my honest review of this book.

Book Description:

Sometimes the person you most need is the one least like you.

Kathryn Davies is a bright young woman from a prominent Phoenix family. But after making a leap of faith at a Christian music fest, dropping out of med school, and moving to inner city Chicago, her family has all but disowned her. Kat’s enthusiasm for her new found faith tempers the sting of their rejection.

When Kat discovers SouledOut Community Church, she longs to become a part of the multi-cultural church family. But her tendency to say whatever she’s thinking and her eccentric ways step on the toes of nearly everyone she meets—especially Avis Douglass, a woman she admires but who seems distant.

Avis is known for her mature faith and her reliance on listening to God more than people. Married to a kind and successful businessman, she is the principal of one of Chicago’s highest performing elementary schools, and a founding and active member of SouledOut. But the country’s economic downturn has thrown both her and her husband’s jobs in question. And Avis hasn’t heard from her youngest daughter in months—an estrangement that gnaws at her every day. Where is God in all this?

Kat’s flamboyant zeal for living a “radical” Christian life is a stark contrast to Avis’s quiet crisis of faith. But in God’s own mysterious ways, the two women discover they need each other in ways neither of them expected.


My Thoughts:


Stand By Me is the first book in the SouledOut Sisters series by Neta Jackson.  I have had the privilege of reading many other books by Neta Jackson including The Yada Yada Prayer Group Series and The House of Hope Series.  Picking up Stand By Me was like coming home to an old friend. This new series has some definite new characters but so many "old" characters from the other series books. The great part of Neta Jackson's style of writing is you are able to pick up the book and read it stand alone because she gives background but not to the point that her other readers are bored by this.  Neta Jackson writes a wonderful story about faith, following God's leading, and how everyone that comes into your life is there for a reason.  Stand By Me has some fun new characters that are so easy to relate to and are new friends.  The descriptions of the people, places, and events are so vivid you feel like you are right there with all of them experiencing the whole story with the characters. I love Neta Jackson's style of writing, you can "hear" what the characters are saying and feel the emotions they are feeling.  I could not put this book down but didn't want to see it end! I look forward to more books in this series. I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Christian Fiction and Chick lit.  Thank you BookSneeze for the opportunity to read this awesome book.

By the Light of the Silvery Moon by Tricia Goyer

I received this e-book from Barbour Publishing, Inc through NetGalley.com for no charge in exchange for my honest review of this e-book.

Book Description:

Destiny Brought Them Together. Will Tragedy Draw Them Apart?

Amelia Gladstone’s mind is filled with promise as she gazes at the marvelous new ship, ready for its maiden voyage. The Titanic holds the promise of a reunited family. . .and of possible love waiting on American shores. Nothing could mar Amelia’s joy, until she sees a ragged stowaway being escorted down the gangplank.

Down-and-out after squandering his fortune, Quentin Walpole thought his voyage to America ended on the Southampton pier. Then a sweet lady—his angel of mercy named Amelia—secured his passage with a spare ticket. Now he’s headed to America, eager for a second chance.

But once the voyage begins, the past confronts Quentin when he discovers that his wealthy railroad tycoon father and older brother Damien are also on board. As Amelia tries to bring about reconciliation between father and son, she suddenly finds herself the center of both brothers’ attention with a choice to make: Who can she trust with her heart?

Then the fateful night arrives, and one brother faces a greater choice.

Will Amelia’s fate ultimately be one of love or loss?

My Thoughts:

By the Light of the Silvery Moon is one of many books by Tricia Goyer I have had the honor of reading. This story did NOT disappoint. This story is a historical fiction about the Titanic tragedy. The story starts in Southampton where the ship first sets sail.  Amelia Gladstone and her Aunt are on their way to the United States to be with Amelia's cousin and to meet the man she has been corresponding with and whom paid for their passage. He also paid for Amelia's other cousin to come with but he is detained in jail so they have an extra ticket. Amelia witnesses a man being thrown off the ship for trying to stow away. She decides to offer him her cousins ticket and all of his stuff.  The man comes on with them and the story goes from there.

This story is fiction but the historical facts are well researched and well described. I could picture the ship and all the different places on it.  The characters are realistic and you feel like you are right there with them on this journey.  This is a romance and suspense novel that you find very hard to put down until you get to the end.  Tricia Goyer writes a story with a strong theme of faith and also happiness, forgiveness, and heartbreak.  This book has history, romance, and suspense and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys any of those types of stories. 

Not This Time By Vicki Hinze

I received this book from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing through their Bloggin For Book program in exchange for my honest review of this book.

Book Description:

Small town scandal. International terrorist attack. Who among them is the traitor?

Sara and Beth have built a multi-million dollar business together, but their once solid friendship is now strained. Beth is leery of Sara’s husband, and when he is kidnapped, authorities consider Beth their prime suspect.

Then, their small town of Seagrove Village is rocked by an act of terrorism, and Beth doesn’t know who to trust. Someone she knows is linked to the attack, but who? Is there a connection to Crossroads Crisis Center? In the midst of the confusion and fear, Beth finds herself attracted to a man from her past. She knows she shouldn’t fall in love with him, but she can’t resist or even explain their bond. As her world unravels around her, she wonders, is it possible to be beyond redemption?

 

 

My Thoughts:

 

 Not This Time is the 3rd Book in Vicki Hinze Crossroads Crisis Center Series but the first one by Vicki Hinze I have read.  I read this book without reading the first two and I did not feel like I was lost or missing anything. Vicki Hinze does an awesome job of making sure her readers know what is going on.  This book grabbed me from the start and kept me guessing until the end. The characters are well written and real people, who have real life experiences.  This story has a little bit of everything in it and throughout the book the characters faith in God is seen. Vicki Hinze tackles the question of the purpose of pain and the importance of faith when there is no hope left.   Vicki Hinze writes a fast paced, nail bitting thriller. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Christian Suspense.

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Echoes of Titanic By Mindy Starns Clark and John Campbell Clark

I received this e-book from Harvest House Publisher through Netgalley.com for no charge in exchange for my honest review of this e-book.

Book Description:

Kelsey Tate comes from sturdy stock. Her great-grandmother Adele endured the sinking of Titanic and made it safely to America, where she not only survived but thrived. Generations later, Kelsey works for the firm Adele founded nearly 100 years ago.
Now facing a hostile takeover, the firm’s origins are challenged when new facts emerge about Adele’s actions on the night Titanic sank. Kelsey tries to defend the company and the great-grandmother she has long admired, but the stakes are raised when Kelsey’s boss is murdered and her own life threatened. Forced to seek help from Cole Thornton, a man Kelsey once loved—and lost, thanks to her success-at-all-costs mentality—she pursues mysteries both past and present. Aided by Cole and strengthened by the faith she’d all but forgotten in her climb up the corporate ladder, Kelsey races the clock to defend her family legacy, her livelihood, and ultimately her life.

 

 

My Thoughts:

 

Echoes of Titanic is the first book by Mindy Starns Clark I have read and I genuinely enjoyed it. This book is written by Mindy and her husband, John Campbell Clark who is a Titanic buff and her help with her books.  Echoes of Titanic takes place in the present with flashbacks to the days on Titanic our

characters had.  This story is a very enjoyable one. It held my interest all the way to end. It also keeps you guessing to the end.  The characters have much depth and real people who deal with real things.  The details of Titanic and the events are very well researched and in these descriptions you can picture what the characters see. Echoes of Titanic also has strong themes of forgiveness and lost faith that is found through the story.  This book has a little of everything but is mainly a Mystery/Suspense book. I truly enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone who enjoys stories about Titanic and also mystery and suspense.

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Beauty For Ashes By Dorothy Love

I received this book from Booksneeze.com for no charge for my honest review of this book.

Book Description:

She's a beautiful young widow. He's a Southern gentleman with a thirst for adventure. Both need a place to call home.
After losing her husband in the Civil War, Carrie Daly is scared she will never have the family she longs for. Eligible bachelors are scarce in Hickory Ridge, Tennessee, but Carrie has found love. Not the weak-in-the-knees kind, but something practical. Still, she isn't quite ready to set a wedding date with Nate Chastain.
Griff Rutledge is a former member of Charleston society, but has been estranged from his family for years. He's determined to remain unattached, never settling in one place for too long. But when asked to train a Thoroughbred for an upcoming race in Hickory Ridge, he decides to stay awhile.
Despite objections from the townsfolk, and her fear that true happiness has eluded her, Carrie is drawn to Griff's kindness and charm. It will take a leap of faith for them to open their hearts and claim God's promise to give beauty for ashes.


My Thoughts:

Beauty For Ashes is the second book in The Hickory Ridge Romance Series by Dorothy Love. I had the honor of reading Dorothy's debut novel, Beyond All Measure, and Beauty For Ashes is another hit for Dorothy Love.  In this new book the focus is on the widow Carrie Daly that we met in the first story.  In Beauty For Ashes Carrie is in a dilemma of whether to forgo love and marry for practical reasons until she meets Griff Rutledge, a new comer to Hickory Ridge.  I truly enjoyed this story. From the start I found myself drawn in and kept there until the end.  I felt like I was there seeing familiar friends and meeting new ones. The historical details were accurate and very well researched.  The story is a romance but it does have a little bit of everything in it. Dorothy Love writes with such authority on this time in history and about this place, Hickory Ridge.  I find myself seeing everything the characters see. I cannot wait to read the next book in this series. I highly recommend this book to those who enjoy Historical fiction and also Historical Romance. You will not be disappointed.

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Ten Plagues by Mary Nealy

I received this e-book from Barbour Publishing Inc. through Netgalley.com for no charge in exchange for my honest review of this e-book.


Book Description

A detective with a gift for discerning spirits. . .· A pastor whose sinful past is awakened by a murderer. . .· A killer with a demonic taste for destruction. . .· And the plague of murders that has them on a collision course. When a serial killer wreaks havoc on the city of Chicago with the fury of an Old Testament plague, detective Keren Collins is assigned to the case. Armed with her God-given gift of discerning spirits, she sets out in a race against time to stop a madman before he strikes again. Pastor Paul Morris, a retired cop who once tried to ruin Keren’s career, is the focus of the murderer’s obsession. . .but unaware of the link between himself and the killer that marks him as the ultimate victim. As the two race to end the killing spree, Paul struggles to not let his old self rule him. And Keren can’t decide whether she is glad to see Paul suffer or if she is falling in love with him. Will they win in this battle of good over evil?


My Thoughts:


Ten Plagues is the first book by Mary Nealy I have read. Mary Nealy is the pen name for Mary Connealy. She uses this pen name for her suspense genre books.  I enjoyed Ten Plagues a lot. It is a fast paced, keep you guessing thriller that really has you on the edge of your seat to the end.  This book grabbed my attention right away and kept it until the end.  The characters in Ten Plagues are very real and you can relate to them.  The biblical references to the plagues and how they were carried out is very well researched as well as the police and crime details.  Throughout this book there are strong ties to faith, forgiveness, and God's love.  I truly enjoyed this book and I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Suspense/Thriller stories. It will not disappoint.

The Last Plea Bargain by Randy Singer

I received this e-book from Tyndale Publishing through Netgalley.com for no charge in exchange for my honest review of this e-book.


Book Description:

Plea bargains may grease the rails of justice, but for Jamie Brock, prosecuting criminals is not about cutting deals. In her three years as assistant DA, she’s never plea-bargained a case and vows she never will. But when a powerful defense attorney is indicted for murder and devises a way to bring the entire justice system to a screeching halt, Jamie finds herself at a crossroads. One by one, prisoners begin rejecting deals. Prosecutors are overwhelmed, and felons start walking free on technicalities. To break the logjam and convict her nemesis, Jamie must violate every principle that has guided her young career. But she has little choice. To convict the devil, sometimes you have to cut a deal with one of his demons.

My Thoughts:

The Last Plea Bargin by Randy Singer is an action packed, keeps you guessing until the end, legal thriller.   I found myself completely engrossed in the story where I had a hard time putting it down.  Jamie Brock is an assistant DA who is waiting for her mother's killer to be put to death.  He is on death row and trying for his last chance of appeal.  Her mother's murder is the reason Jamie became a DA.   As Jamie starts to look into details of her mother's death and receives anonymous information about her father and others in the DA's office, Jamie doesn't know what to believe. She enlists the help of a police officer and a defense attorney.  As the story unfolds, the truth is hard to believe.
Randy Singer's The Last Plea Bargin is truly a legal thriller. It keeps you guessing until the very end. I found myself completely shocked at how it all came together.  I really felt like I was there watching the whole thing unfold.  I found myself unable to put the book down, did not want to miss anything.  Randy Singer writes with much authority on the law, legal terminology, and how it all works.  Throughout the book the theme of forgiveness was dominant.  The necessity to forgive and allow God to handle the rest.  I am a HUGE fan of legal thrillers and now a huge fan of Randy Singer! I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys legal thrillers. This book will NOT disappoint!

Randy Singer's Official Website

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