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It’s a Love Story by Lincee Ray | Book Review

It’s a Love Story by Lincee Ray | Book Review on Grace to Grow Blog

The Basics

Title: It’s a Love Story: From Happily to Ever After by Lincee Ray

Genre: Christian Living

My Rating: 4/5 Stars

From the Back Cover: Human beings love to be loved. And we love to fall in love. As children we pour our love into our pets and our friends. As teenagers we fall in love with musicians and actors and the boy whose locker is next to ours. As we mature, we long for romantic love that will last a lifetime. Sacrificial love, unexplainable love, familial love, desperate love. Love songs and love stories. Clearly we were created with the longing for love ingrained in our souls.

With lots of wit and a bit of wisdom drawn from a lifetime of falling in love, Lincee Ray invites you to an unabashed celebration of that loving feeling. As she reveals the loves of her life and encourages you to recall your own, you’ll discover alongside her that there is only one who can ever truly fulfill the deepest longings of our hearts. And he made us to be part of a divine love story.

My Thoughts

Speaking of love – I love Lincee’s latest funny, poignant book! 🙂 This book celebrates love of all kinds – love for music and romantic comedies (including Hallmark Christmas movies, of course!), for family and friends, for the communities we come from and are shaped by. It’s fun, easy to read, and written like a memoir with plenty of personal stories. Lincee shows us that ultimately, our fascination with all the love stories in our lives points us to the truest love story – the love God has for us. I really enjoyed this book and Lincee’s storytelling writing style. If you’re looking for a fun summer read, I think this would be a great choice!

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own; I was not required to write a positive review.

- Jen Leave a comment

On a Summer Tide by Suzanne Woods Fisher | Book Review

“Mom always told us that life would surprise us with important choices, and our true character would emerge in how we responded.” — Suzanne Woods Fisher, On a Summer Tide

On a Summer Tide by Suzanne Woods Fisher | Book Review on Grace to Grow Blog

The Basics

Title: On a Summer Tide by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Series: Book 1, Three Sisters Island Series

Genre: Contemporary Christian Romance

From the Back Cover: Sometimes love hurts–and sometimes it can heal in the most unexpected way.

Camden Grayson loves her challenging career, but the rest of her life could use some improvement. “Moving on” is Cam’s mantra. But there’s a difference, her two sisters insist, between one who moves on . . . and one who keeps moving.

Cam’s full-throttle life skids to a stop when her father buys a remote island off the coast of Maine. Paul Grayson has a dream to breathe new life into the island–a dream that includes reuniting his estranged daughters. Certain Dad has lost his mind, the three sisters rush to the island. To Cam’s surprise, the slow pace of island life appeals to her, along with the locals–and one in particular. Seth Walker, the scruffy island schoolteacher harbors more than a few surprises.

With On a Summer Tide, bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher begins a brand-new contemporary romance series that is sure to delight her fans and draw new ones.

My Thoughts

This is the first of Suzanne Woods Fisher’s books I’ve read, but when I heard it was set in Maine, (my home state) I had to read it! I loved the island setting, and since I’ve never actually been to an island in Maine, it was still a little like visiting a new place for me.

I did enjoy the sisterhood aspect, but two of the sisters’ characters fell a little flat for me in the beginning. It seemed like their flaws were emphasized more than their positive traits, and it was hard to like them at first. Luckily, as they faced challenges and began to grow closer to each other throughout the book, they became more relatable and likeable. There was also a surprise twist near the end that definitely kept the story interesting! I’m looking forward to seeing how the characters continue to take shape in the rest of the series. Overall, this is a solid summer read!

Fun fact: all three of the sisters’ names have connections to Maine! Camden and Madison, the names of the two older sisters, are both towns in Maine. The youngest sister is named Blaine – as in James G. Blaine, who was a Congressman, Senator, and U.S. Secretary of State from Maine in the 1800s. The Governor’s house is also called the Blaine House after him. I don’t know if all of these connections were intentional, but since it’s all three sisters, I have a feeling they were! Those are some fun details that made me enjoy the book even more 🙂

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own; I was not required to write a positive review. Thank you, Revell!

- Jen Leave a comment

The Next Right Thing by Emily P. Freeman | Book Review

“What is one next right thing you can do today?” – Emily P. Freeman, The Next Right Thing

The Next Right Thing: A Simple, Soulful Practice for Making Life Decisions by Emily P. Freeman | Book Review on Grace to Grow Blog

The Basics

Title: The Next Right Thing: A Simple, Soulful Practice for Making Life Decisions by Emily P. Freeman

Genre: Christian Living

From the Back Cover: Nothing gets our attention like an unmade decision: Should I accept the new position? Which schooling choice is best for my kids? How can I support my aging parents? When we have a decision to make and the answer isn’t clear, what we want more than anything is peace, clarity, and a nudge in the right direction.

If you have trouble making decisions, because of either chronic hesitation you’ve always lived with or a more recent onset of decision fatigue, Emily P. Freeman offers a fresh way of practicing familiar but often forgotten advice: simply do the next right thing. With this simple, soulful practice, it is possible to clear the decision-making chaos, quiet the fear of choosing wrong, and find the courage to finally decide without regret or second-guessing.

Whether you’re in the midst of a major life transition or are weary of the low-grade anxiety that daily life can bring, Emily helps create space for your soul to breathe so you can live life with God at a gentle pace and discern your next right thing in love.

My Thoughts

I have been indecisive my whole life. I tend to be a black-and-white thinker, so I often feel like there are only two choices: right or wrong, and I feel pressure to make the right one. Since decision making is something I’ve struggled with, I was excited to read Emily P. Freeman’s new book! If you’ve listened to her podcast, also called The Next Right Thing, some of the content in the book may be familiar. I haven’t listened to the podcast, but the book exceeded my expectations!

This book is not a guide making quick decisions and it won’t give you easy answers, but it is an invitation to a slower, more reflective way of living. Focusing on doing the next right thing, through the practices outlined in the book, helps to cut through everyday “decision fatigue” and to gain clarity when making big life decisions. Even if you don’t have a big decision to make now, reading this book would still be a good way to prepare your heart and mind for when you are facing one in the future.

Each chapter is short and easy to read, with a prayer and a practice (an action step or reflection) at the end. I found myself underlining parts in almost every chapter; this is one of those books you could read again and learn something every time. I especially enjoyed the chapters on embracing being a beginner, staying in today, and not rushing clarity. There’s something in this book for everyone, and it would make a great gift – especially for graduates or anyone going through a transition.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own; I was not required to write a positive review. Thank you, Revell!