Thursday, April 30, 2015

Whenever You Come Around by Robin Lee Hatcher

 Robin Lee Hatcher is back with another fine romance. In Whenever You Come Around we meet Charity and Buck who have just reconnected after years of living in separate towns. What I love about Robin's stories is that they are always clean. She paints a beautiful picture of love and redemption without any unnecessary bad language or sex scenes. 
Charity has a past to deal with and it is one that is all too real for many women. She's kept her secret for years and finally allows someone to tear the walls of her heart down and in doing so is able to begin the healing process. There are many people who could benefit from doing the same thing and I appreciate that the author tells this story and gives an example of someone allowing the healing from past hurts to begin.

This book was provided for review by Book Look

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Every Bride Needs a Groom by Janice Thompson

Janice Thompson is back with another delicious wedding-themed story. I'm falling more and more in love with this author's works with each book I read. Her sense of humor shines through in her writing and her books always make me giggle while they melt my heart. 
If you're looking for romance with a touch of laughter then look no further. Janice writes wholesome love stories that always have a redemptive theme in them. With characters who don't shy away from their love of the Lord, and sweet love scenes that will never make you blush, this is one author that you will be sure to adore.
Every Bride Needs a Groom is the first in her new A Bride with Style series. I can't wait to read the rest!

From the back cover:
Small-town girl Katie Fisher is busy planning her fairy-tale wedding. Sure, her boyfriend hasn't managed to pop the question just yet, but that doesn't mean she shouldn't enter a contest in Texas Bride magazine to win the dress of her dreams, right? Anyway, she's sure he'll be getting down on one knee anytime now. And a one-of-a-kind designer dress doesn't just fall out of the sky right when you need it.
But when Katie's boyfriend takes a job in another town and breaks up with her-on the very same day she wins her dream dress-her world is turned upside down. Dare she go to Dallas to claim her prize? And will the hunky pro-basketball player who runs the beyond-swanky bridal shop--yeah, you read that right--discover her humiliating secret if she does?

This book was provided for review by Revell.

Saturday, April 25, 2015

A Letter to My Mom by Lisa Erspamer



Just in time for Mother's Day comes this beautiful new collection of letters from Lisa Erspamer. A Letter to My Mom is a compilation of inspiring, sometimes funny, and usually tear-inducing letters from notable people such as Melissa Rivers, Jennifer Arnold, Kristin Chenoweth, Sarah Ferguson, Josh Groban, and many more. Also included are letters from everyday people. 
A beautiful way to thank the mother in your life. While you present this book full of stories and thoughts (and pictures!) you should tuck in a letter of your own. 
A nice way to give thanks for all she's done for you.
This book was provided for review by Blogging for Books

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

How to Get Dressed by Alison Freer

I'll admit. I've been fashion-challenged for most of my life. I'd rather cook than figure out what to wear. It's just never been that important to me and, while it comes naturally to some people, it honestly takes me a lot of effort to put together an outfit that is approved by my teenage daughter.
That being said, this book is genius! Alison makes it all look so easy. She goes over every little thing about getting dressed and buying clothes. 
Chapters include:
Fit: The True Enemy of Great Style
Alter Your Clothes, Alter Your Life
Dumb Fashion Rules That Were Made for Breaking
Underthings: You Really Only Need a Few

And several others to make thirteen chapters altogether. There's even one for guys! 

My favorites are the dumb fashion rules (finally, someone agrees that we can wear white after Labor Day!) and the one about altering your clothes. No one looks good in everything they put on. It isn't possible. 

I love this little book and will use it as a reference guide for many years to come.

About the book:
Costume designer Alison Freer's styling kit is a magical bag of tricks, built to solve every single wardrobe malfunction on earth. TV and film productions wait for nothing, so her solutions have to work fast. In How to Get Dressed, Alison distills her secrets into a fun, comprehensive style guide focused on rethinking your wardrobe like a fashion expert and making what's in your closet work for you. She provides real-world advice about everything style-related, including:
Making every garment you own fit better
Mastering closet organization
The undergarments you actually need
The scoop on tailors and which alterations are worth it
Shopping thrift and vintage like a rockstar

Instead of repeating boring style "rules," Alison breaks the rules and gets real about everything from bras and how to deal with inevitable fashion disasters. Including helpful information such as how to skip ironing and the dry cleaners, remove every stain under the sun, and help clueless men get their sartorial acts together, How to Get Dressed has hundreds of insider tips from Alison's arsenal of tools and expertise.

This book was provided for review by Blogging for Books.

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Buried Secrets by Irene Hannon

 Irene Hannon is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors in the romantic suspense genre. Her books grab you from the first page and hold you so tightly that you're afraid of what will happen to the character if you put the book down.
Buried Secrets is her latest, and the first in a new series (Men of Valor). I enjoyed the different angles from which this story was told. Everyone has a past and everyone has a story, the characters in this book are completely believable and it was interesting to see why they acted the way they did.
Irene gently weaves Biblical themes into her books which is another reason that I like them, no overt preaching but you do know where the characters stand.
Never any bad language or questionable romantic scenes, I highly recommend this author and her latest book.
You can learn more about her at her website. Her books are available from Revell.
This book was provided for review by Revell.

Enough Already by Barbara L. Roose

 In Enough Already Barbara L Roose takes on the challenging subject of how women feel about themselves. There are little quizzes, journaling questions, and also group discussion questions which all make this book excellent for personal study or as a Bible study. Everything is backed by scripture and it is reinforced time and again just how much we are loved by God. 
This is more than just a book about outward beauty though. It covers topics that we sometimes bury deep inside, including forgiveness, friendship, and even a chapter on our most private physical parts (in which the author tries to add humor by using some wording that detracts from the rest of the book--I found this odd).
Overall, it's a good book. It didn't captivate my attention as I'd hoped it would but it may be helpful for others.
This book was provided for review by Litfuse.

Monday, April 6, 2015

My New Roots by Sarah Britton

 The more I read about plant-based eating the more I want to eat that way. My New Roots by Sarah Britton is a season-by-season look at eating plant-based. I like how it's divided into what is fresh and when. The recipes are simple to follow and don't have anything that's too hard to find. From soups, to salads, to jams, and desserts, you'll find everything in here! Enough to try something new several times a week.
This book is yet more proof that eating healthy doesn't mean boring food. 
There's even a chapter on stocking your pantry in which you'll learn the best ingredients to have on hand at all times.
Try something new! Pick up this book, these are just some of the yummies that you'll find:



 This book was provided for review by Blogging for Books

Finding Me by Kathryn Cushman

 Kathryn Cushman is one of those authors that I don't even bother reading the back cover blurb when I see she has a new one out. I know I'm going to love it.
This one really set the bar high, I'm not sure she can every top Finding Me. I read this in a little over a day, in between laundry, baking a cake, and other chores. It had me sobbing as I ached alongside the main character.
I've often wondered how people can disappear and begin a new identity and life somewhere else. Some circumstances make it easier to happen (hurricane's, 911) but the mystery is always there. How do they make it work? This book explores that question and I loved every minute of time spent with it.
This author continues to evolve and I am glad I found her early on. Excellent book.
This book was provided for review by Bethany House.