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.

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

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!

The Basics

Title: Joyful Surrender: 7 Disciplines for the Believer’s Life

Genre: Christian Spiritual Growth

Length: 150 pages

Note: Previously published in 1982 and 2006 with the title Discipline.

From the Back Cover: In our age of instant gratification and if-it-feels-good-do-it attitudes, self-discipline is hardly a popular notion. Yet it may be one of the most important lost virtues of our time. In Joyful Surrender, former missionary and beloved author Elisabeth Elliot offers her understanding of discipline and its value for people of all times. She shows readers how to:

• discipline the mind, body, possessions, time, and feelings
• overcome anxiety
• change poor habits and attitudes
• trust God in times of trial and hardship
• let Christ have control in all areas of life

Elliot masterfully and gently takes readers through Scripture, personal stories, and incisive observations of the world around her to help them discover the understanding that our fulfillment as human beings depends on our answer to God’s call to obedience.

My Review

I have known about Elisabath Elliot’s for years, having read her book Through Gates of Splendor in school, but I had never read any of her other books. This one sounded interesting, and I know I always need more self-discipline in my life, so I decided to give it a try.

This book is written in a conversational style, and Elisabeth included lots of personal stories to illustrate what she was teaching. She also referenced and quoted a lot of Scripture while making her points, which I really appreciate. She didn’t include the Scripture references in the body of the book, but in the notes at the back – in case you’re looking for them like I was!

The first six chapters of the book set the stage by describing discipline as the disciple’s obedience and “the wholehearted yes to the call of God.” This introductory half also discusses living in the tension of His sovereignty and our free will. The rest of the book deals with discipline in seven specific areas of life. Each chapter is full of food for thought, encouragement, and spiritual principles. As long as you’re not looking for a step by step plan to become more disciplined, but rather the scriptural basis for why discipline is important, I think this book will be an encouragement you.

I received a 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. Thank you, Revell!

Rachel Hauck is one of my all-time favorite authors; I always pre-order her books, because I know I’ll love them! Today is the release day for her newest book, The Memory House. I’m excited to share a little about this book with you today!

The Basics

Title: The Memory House by Rachel Hauck

Genre: Christian Contemporary/Historical Romance

My Rating: 5/5 Stars

From the Back Cover: Embracing the future means remembering the past …

When Beck Holiday lost her father in the North Tower on 9/11, she also lost her memories of him. Eighteen years later, she’s a tough New York City cop burdened with a damaging secret, suspended for misconduct, and struggling to get her life in order. Meanwhile a mysterious letter arrives informing her she’s inherited a house along Florida’s northern coast, and what she discovers there will change her life forever. Matters of the heart only become more complicated when she runs into handsome Bruno Endicott, a driven sports agent who fondly recalls the connection they shared as teenagers. But Beck doesn’t remember that either.

Decades earlier, widow Everleigh Applegate lives a steady, uneventful life with her widowed mother after a tornado ripped through Waco, Texas, and destroyed her new, young married life. When she runs into old high school friend Don Callahan, she begins to yearn for change. Yet no matter how much she longs to love again, she is hindered by a secret she can never share.

Fifty years separate the women but through the power of love and miracle of faith, they each find healing in a beautiful Victorian known affectionately as The Memory House.  

My Thoughts

Rachel Hauck is a master of split-time stories, and The Memory House is no exception! She weaves both time periods, plots, and sets of characters together seamlessly. This book features Everleigh, a young widow living in Waco, TX in the 1950s and 60s, and Beck, an NYPD sergeant facing some difficult decisions in the present day. Their stories intertwined in multiple ways, as they both faced tragedies and had to find the courage to open their hearts to love again.

The characters in both the past and the present were very well developed, and neither storyline felt rushed but flowed naturally. I fell in love with Beck and Everleigh, as well as Bruno and Don. I was totally invested in their characters from beginning to end, and I had a hard time putting the book down – I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next!

Both Beck and Everleigh’s stories show how our pasts shape who we are, but that we don’t have to let loss, mistakes, or tragedies define us or dictate our future. Just as they both found healing through their memories at the Memory House, we can remember the good things about the past, but also have the courage to open our broken hearts again. This is a beautifully written, moving book, and well worth the time spent to savor it.

If you are a fan of Susan May Warren or Becky Wade, you will love this book, and all of Rachel Hauck’s previous books as well!

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

I’m excited to share my review of this Southern WWII story with you today! I hadn’t read anything by Valerie Fraser Luesse before, but her newest book, Almost Home, was a great introduction to her writing.

The Basics

Title: Almost Home by Valerie Fraser Luesse

Genre: Inspirational Historical Romance

My Rating: 4/5 Stars

From the Back Cover

With America’s entrance into the Second World War, the town of Blackberry Springs, Alabama, has exploded virtually overnight. Workers from all over are coming south for jobs in Uncle Sam’s munitions plants–and they’re bringing their pasts with them, right into Dolly Chandler’s grand but fading family home turned boardinghouse.

An estranged young couple from the Midwest, unemployed professors from Chicago, a widower from Mississippi, a shattered young veteran struggling to heal from the war–they’re all hoping Dolly’s house will help them find their way back to the lives they left behind. But the house has a past of its own.

When tragedy strikes, Dolly’s only hope will be the circle of friends under her roof and their ability to discover the truth about what happened to a young bride who lived there a century before.

My Thoughts

This beautiful Southern story, set in Alabama during WWII, is a story of loss, hope, belonging, friendship, and healing. It’s a different take on WWII fiction, told from the perspective of people fighting for their families and their country at home. The variety of charming characters added a beautiful richness and depth to the story. The mystery of a couple who lived in the same house 100 years earlier was an intriguing subplot, and turned out to be very important to the story in several ways. I loved the way it was told both through memories of women in the community, and through the journals of the young bride.

If you enjoy Southern or historical fiction, Almost Home by Valerie Fraser Luesse is worth a read! You might also be interested in my review of another Southern story with a little bit of history here.

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

If you’ve read my blog before, you know that Susan May Warren is my all-time favorite author! Knox, the first book in her new Montana Marshalls series releases tomorrow, March 12th. I was able to read a copy early, and I’m excited to share my review with you today!

The Basics

Title: Knox by Susan May Warren

Series: The Montana Marshalls (Book 1 of 5)

Genre: Inspirational Romantic Suspense

Links: Amazon, christianbook.com, Goodreads

From the Back Cover

Montana rancher Knox Marshall’s danger years are behind him. A former bull-rider, he now runs the Marshall family ranch, raising champion bucking bulls for the National Professional Bullrider’s Expo (NBR-X). Wealth and success are his, but life is stable, expected, and…ordinary. He can’t help but wonder if his best years are behind him.

Kelsey Jones just wants a safe life, a family, a home. Onstage, the beautiful rising star of the Yankee Belles becomes the person she longs to be – vivacious and confident – burying the brokenness she carries from a violent assault. Becoming NBR-X’s next country act is key to outrunning her past and achieving the success and security she craves.

Knox and Kelsey’s paths collide when an explosion at an NBR-X event traps them in the rubble and leaves them reeling. Kelsey’s crippling nightmares return, but for Knox, an obsession to find the bomber is ignited.  

When Kelsey’s past threatens Knox’s family, he’ll have to choose between saving the Marshall legacy or becoming the protector he’s always longed to be.

My Review

Susan May Warren is back with a new series, and it’s off to an explosive start with Knox! This book has everything I love about her writing: a big family saga, top-notch suspense, epic adventure, compelling characters, and beautiful spiritual truths. Now I want to move to Montana and be part of the Marshall family! 🙂

Knox starts off with a bang – literally! The danger from Kelsey’s past seems to be catching up to her, and when Knox gets involved, he makes it his mission to keep her safe. Throughout the book, they each have to deal with their own fears. Kelsey is afraid of the trauma in her past coming back to haunt her, and she’s not sure she can trust God with her future. Knox wants to be the one people can count on to show up, the one who holds his father’s legacy together. He doesn’t want to let his family down, and he’s a little afraid of what might happen if he went after a new dream and left the safety of the ranch.

One thing that sets Susan May Warren’s writing apart for me is the way she writes her characters. I feel like I’m inside their hearts and minds, and like I really understand them. Their struggles, their hard questions, and their faith all ring true. I can connect with and relate to them, no matter how different their lives are from mine. That is definitely true with the characters in Knox! The characters and the plot are have just enough complexity and detail to keep you engaged in the story without getting bogged down or lost. Expertly woven sub-plots and hints of the series arc add depth to this story and build anticipation for the rest of the series.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I loved Knox! It’s a well-written, engaging story, and a must-read for anyone who enjoys suspense or romance. It’s a great start to the new series, and I can’t wait for the next four books. We won’t have to wait long, since they’re all coming out in 2019! We can catch up with the Marshall family in the second book, Tate, which releases on July 9th.

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

You can find out more about all of Susan May Warren’s books at www.susanmaywarren.com, and follow her on Facebook , Instagram, and Goodreads!

You might also be interested in my reviews of some of her other books: Troubled Waters (Montana Rescue series #4) and Wait for Me (Montana Rescue series #6).

Happy release day to Courting Mr. Emerson by Melody Carlson!

The Basics

Title: Courting Mr. Emerson by Melody Carlson

Genre: Christian Contemporary Fiction

From the Back Cover

When fun-loving artist Willow West meets buttoned-up George Emerson, it’s not exactly love at first sight. More like intriguing project at first sight. Willow makes it her mission to get the obsessive-compulsive, newly retired English teacher to loosen up and embrace life, but even she has to admit it seems like a lost cause.

A confirmed bachelor, George vacillates between irritation and attraction whenever Willow is around–which to him seems like all too often. He’s not interested in expanding his horizons or making new friends; it just hurts too much when you lose them.

But as the summer progresses, George feels his defenses crumbling. The question is, will his change of heart be too late for Willow?

My Thoughts

This was kind of a quirky story, full of eccentric characters! There were serious moments, especially when dealing with some hurts and tense relationships, and George’s process of coming to terms with all the loss he experienced and how much it influenced his life. The romance aspect didn’t really come into play until the end, and even then it felt a little forced. I didn’t think the book really needed it, though; it was a still a lovely story about unlikely friendships! Overall, I thought this was a fun, light-hearted book, perfect for spring and summer reading.

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