‘He wasn’t interested
in finding a wife, and even if he was,
he didn’t want another city gal, especially one who rode a Harley, had guns and
knives stashed on her person, and owned at attack poodle.’
I had never read this author, but the book cover looked great and the synopsis
sounded even better, so I took a chance on a new author. My attention was captured from the very beginning
and the book got better with each chapter.
Chloe Spencer, former delinquent and now super security specialist
witnesses a murder on her webcam when she is monitoring security for a
client. The killer sticks his face in
the camera and demands she give him a disc or she is next in line to be
killed. So she runs after assuming an
alias. Chloe is tough and ends up in
Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where she runs into Sheriff Ethan Hoyt, widower with a 6
year old daughter. But the killer has
sent hired goons after her and things begin to accelerate rapidly. Chloe has to
decide whether or not to stand on her own, as she always has, or trust
the sheriff with her past and allow him to help her stay out of danger.
I loved this book!
There is great suspense and great characters. I am quite pleased when I can be pulled into
a character’s persona in a book. This
one was great and with a bit of dry wit, it was just right up my alley. I look forward to more from this author.
The other day I read a quote in a book and it really got me to thinking. Here’s the quote: ‘She wasn’t in over her head yet. No need to bother God about it when she could still handle it herself.’ Here’s the rub: God ‘wants’ us to give Him our burdens. That’s what He’s there for. How often do we struggle unnecessarily, trying to lug around a big burden when God is standing there, just hoping we’ll hand it over to Him? I’m guilty. Very guilty. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve worried and cried over situations, holding them in my tight little hands to my chest, hurting over them, before handing them to God. And they all turned out well in the end! Think about it like this: if you’re a parent, you will totally get this. When your child is struggling or in pain, you want to take care of it and take care of it now! We don’t want to see our children hurt and struggling. Well, we are God’s children and He wants us to turn to Him with our problems and not try to solve them on our own. Because the thing is, we can’t see the future, but God can. He knows what’s going to happen and how He will bring us out. So today, try to make it a practice to just give those burdens and problems to God first thing. Now after you’ve worried yourself to death over them. Turn to God FIRST! I’m going to be trying to do just that.
‘God promises to direct our paths when we submit to
Him. He doesn’t promise to bless any
plan we decide on our own to make. We
get that confused sometimes.’
I LOVE discovering a new author! And I especially love it when I connect with
what that new author has written, which happened here in a huge way.
This book is a prequel in Tari Faris’ new series, Restoring
Heritage, Heritage being a very small town in Michigan. Caroline Williams who has a desire to be a
life coach, but is currently managing a small shop bequeathed to her by her
grandfather, is thrown for a loop when Grant Quinn shows back up in town. Caroline has crushed on Grant since the age
of 13 and he was her cousin Nate’s best friend.
Caroline believes in plans, plans everything down to the tiniest detail
and Grant just doesn’t check off any of her detailed plans for her life. Enormous attraction is not on her list. So she just tries to avoid how she feels.
Grant is back in town after leaving the military because of
an injury. His life is in a sort of
limbo and he is not exactly sure what he wants.
So, he agrees to help Caroline get her website up and running and
reluctantly allows her to be his life coach and find meaning for his life.
Both Grant and Caroline have serious issues stemming from
their hurts in their families, but neither can open their eyes to the plan God
has for them. And unlike our plans, His
never fail.
Tari Faris is a wonderfully fresh new voice in Christian
fiction and she has created characters whose personalities jump right off the
page and their emotions felt deep in your heart. I love it when this happens! When I connect
with characters this way, my heart smiles. Faris is now on my go-to author
list. I highly recommend this
novella. Which, by the way, was so full
and rich it seemed like a full length novel!
I am a total forever fan of Susan Sleeman’s. All in.
She knows how to do inspirational romantic suspense and do it very well
indeed. She never, ever
disappoints. This is the start to a new series
and I was so excited to start it!
We met Emory Steele in her last book in the Cold Harbor
series which featured the Blackwell Tactical Team. We see some of those members again in this
book briefly and it was fun to see them again.
We also met Sheriff Blake Jenkins in several of the Cold
Harbor books. I was hoping that he would
get a book some day and I was just thrilled to see him as one of the main
protagonists here.
Emory Steele is head of the Veritas Lab, a super specialized
crime unit, having more resources and quicker results many times than law
enforcement agencies. A local woman goes
missing and when Blake delivers her DNA to Emory’s lab, he is dumbfounded to
see the same woman standing before him.
She is a dead ringer for the missing woman. Emory is not so sure, but agrees to run the
test. She then realizes she has a twin
sister she knows nothing about. Emory is adopted so what is going on here? Blake determines to keep Emory safe and find
her twin, but things heat up quickly and both are in soon in danger. Blake finds himself having feelings for
Emory, but she was the victim of a brutal attack six months earlier and has no
use for any man. But does God have other
plans for these two?
Susan Sleeman is in fine form here for sure! She researches everything and absolutely
fascinates this reader with her find tuning of police procedure and the latest
in crime scene investigations. It’s like
watching an episode of Criminal Minds!
Seriously. She builds suspense
until we can’t wait to see what happens and must force ourselves not to skip to
the ending. I loved every moment.
Highly recommended.
*My thanks to the author for providing a complimentary copy
of this book. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
I LOVE this little book! It is truly wonderful and I am using it as a devotional book right now. Each little section is easily read in 5 or 6 minutes and has a short devotion type reading, with little sayings afterwards, each of which can be applied in your daily walk with Christ. I plan to begin again after I finish each day. I just love it so much! Worth of many re-reads. I am a devotion book addict and own loads of them and they are everywhere in my house and on my kindle and phone. This one is just so good, I can’t tell you how much I love it. I highly recommend it.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.
Publisher: Shiloh Run Press Publication Date: April 1, 2019
‘Fear is a bitter, vile
enemy—it will rob you of today’s joys and steal your strength to fight for
your purpose.’
Sarah E. Ladd brings us a very good start to a
new series set in Cornwall. I have loved her books since her very first and
look forward to what she has next for her readers.
Cornwall, England, 1811. Cordelia Greythorne
has escaped Cornwall after being blamed for her husband’s death and taken a
position as a governess. Three years later, the unexpected death of the children’s
father and mother leave her without a job, but the late father has asked her to
remain with his children as a last request. He has left guardianship of his
five children to his estranged brother, Jac Trethewey, who lives in Cornwall at
Penwythe Hall, the home many felt should have been his older brother’s.
Cordelia fears her late husband’s family, who
also live in Cornwall, but she is determined to provide a safe environment for
the children. Jac Trethewey wants to restore Penwythe’s apple orchards into a
flourishing business, but is concerned about the new venture he plans to try.
He is completely shocked when he finds out that he has the care of his five
nieces and nephews.
There are many secrets here and danger
abounding. Ladd once again takes her readers on a fascinating journey into the
coast and moors of Cornwall. She brings the landscape and characters alive with
her rich prose and descriptions, all the while giving us a rich spiritual
theme. Highly recommended.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book
from Thomas Nelson Publishers via Net Galley. Opinions expressed in this review
are completely my own.
‘Had God set this in motion?
Did God care about him that much? When Wade so rarely relied on Him?’
Wade Croft’s childhood friend, the one whom he
spent time with in foster care, Kit McAllistor, shows up at his ranch widowed
and pregnant. He offers her a place to stay, but that’s all. His heart is not
up for sharing. But old feelings surface, along with past tragedies and Wade
finds it hard to ignore them.
His ranch is seriously at risk, too. Can he
also risk the woman he’s beginning to love as well?
Jill Kemerer brings us the fourth book in her
Wyoming Cowboys series and it’s a good one. There is a strong spiritual message
here for her readers as well. Fear is not from God and He wants His children to
walk in peace and mercy, not in fear. Watch as these characters figure this
truth out from a loving heavenly Father.
*My thanks to the author for a preview copy of
this book. No review was expected and the opinions stated here are entirely my
own.
Publisher: Love Inspired; Original edition
(May 1, 2019)
Good Morning! I am so
happy to have you here today. I am a
reader. And that’s an understatement.
I love Christian fiction most, so today I am offering you a
chance to win a wonderful book. It’s
Secrets at Cedar Cabin by Colleen Coble.
Colleen Coble has long been a favorite of mine and I never miss her
books. She writes a really good suspense
novel and this book is some of her best work.
The giveaway will run from April 13, 2019 to April 20, 2019. I will pick a winner at that time and the winner will be announced on my blog and via email on April 21sh. The winner will have until April 26th, 2019 to contact me with his/her shipping address. I will pick another winner if I am not contacted.
Here’s how to get
your name in the hat to win this great book:
1. Follow my blog.
2. Comment on this post.
3. Be sure to leave your email in your
comment. Leave it in this form:
susan (at)yahoo(dot)com.
I am looking forward to placing this book in one of your
hands. And may I ask a favor? When you read the book, please leave a review
at Amazon and Goodreads. That will let
the author know you enjoyed her work.
*This contest is run by me and no compensation was given by
the author or publisher.
Good Morning! I am so
happy to have you here today. I am a
reader. And that’s an understatement.
I love Christian fiction most, so today I am offering you a
chance to win a wonderful book. It’s
Secrets at Cedar Cabin by Colleen Coble.
Colleen Coble has long been a favorite of mine and I never miss her
books. She writes a really good suspense
novel and this book is some of her best work.
The giveaway will run
from April 13, 2019 to April 17, 2019. I
will pick a winner at that time and the winner will be announced on my blog and
via email on April 18th. The
winner will have until April 24, 2019 to contact me with his/her shipping
address. I will pick another winner if I
am not contacted.
Here’s how to get
your name in the hat to win this great book:
1. Follow my blog.
2. Comment on this post.
3. You must live in the contiguous 48 states.
Sorry, but postage prevents mailing outside these parameters.
4. When leaving your
email, please leave it in this form:
susan (at) yahoo (dot) com.
So cross your fingers!
I am looking forward to placing this book in one of your hands. And, please, when you’ve finished reading the
book, leave a review on Amazon and Goodreads to let others know you enjoyed
it. The author will surely thank you.
*The contest is run by me and no compensation was given by
the author or publisher.
Today I’d like to talk about one of my all time favorite chapters in the Bible: 2 Chronicles 20. It brings me joy every time I read it and that chapter in my Bible is so full of notes and highlights. I love it! It shows us, as believers, how battles can be won in our walk with Christ.
I won’t list the entire chapter here, but I heartily encourage you to read it. It begins with 3 armies coming up against King Jehoshaphat of Israel. Now Israel had no power to beat these guys and they knew it. But the king knew what to do. In verse 3, we read that he resolved to inquire of the Lord. This is exactly what we should do when troubles come our way. Instead of wringing our hands in despair and telling everyone our problems, take it to God. He also called a fast for all Israel. Sometimes we must fast, bringing our flesh into submission and pouring our hearts out to God during that time.
King Jehoshaphat then prayed in front of all the people and reminded God of all His promises to His people through the years. He also told God they had no power to fight this vast army that was attacking them. And one of my favorite verses follows: ‘We don’t know what to do, but our eyes are on You.’ Praise His name! We can take anything to Jesus! Anytime! Don’t stress about it. Just take it to God.
Then God answered the prayers of His people and told them to not be afraid, not to stress, but to just stand still because this battle was God’s. Furthermore, He told them that this was not their battle, but His! You see, as a child of God, your battles are God’s because He cares for you! He is on your side! He will fight for you! When the enemy comes at you, He will have to go through God to get to you. And that’s never going to happen. The glory of the Lord is your rear guard!
But notice something in verse 17: Even though God told them it was His battle, He also told them to take up their positions and stand firm. We can’t just lolly gag around and wait on God to do everything and keep trouble away from us all the time. We must be prepared to fight. We have to put on our armor and take up that position and carry our weapons. Read Ephesians 6 to find out what those weapons are. What God is telling them here is: Be ready! Be alert! Take up your place!
Then, we see what won this battle. God gave them instructions on how to proceed. They didn’t send out the warriors with all their weapons at the head of the army. No, they sent praisers first! Those willing to lift their voices to God in praise and glorify His name! And guess what? They had victory! God set ambushes against the armies and they turned on and destroyed each other! The men of Israel did not have to lift one single weapon! And it took them 3 days to carry off all the plunder from the battle!
So next time you have a trial or burden, resolve to follow the precepts listed in this chapter. Seek God, stand firm, take up your position, ready to fight if need be , and start praising God! Because even in the midst of the most difficult trial, you can always find something to praise God for! (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
If you have time, I’d love to hear in the comments how God delivered you in a battle.
Simply Susan 