Falling for You

Falling for You by Becky Wade
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Falling for You is the second in a series by Becky Wade.

Synopsis: Willow Bradford is content taking a break from modeling to run her family's inn until she comes face-to-face with NFL quarterback Corbin Stewart, the man who broke her heart--and wants to win her back. When a decades-old missing-persons case brings them together, they're forced to decide whether they can risk falling for one another all over again.

Unlike the first book in the series, this book dealt with characters with professions of which I have no background knowledge: fashion modeling and professional sports. However, the struggles of the characters were believable--many things within the human experience are universal, after all. I actually found myself more engaged in the subplot with Charlotte searching for her great-aunt, who went missing long before she was born. The mystery of that and the investigative process, although possibly meant to get Willow and Corbin back together, was more engaging for me than seeing if the two leads were truly going to work out their differences.

I enjoyed the book, and it was well-written, but like many series I've read it has a bit of "book two" syndrome, perhaps a bridge between the first and third. Nevertheless, I will definitely read book three, because that story will be a really good one based on the hints the author drops within this book.

Recommended for fans of contemporary Christian women's fiction.
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FTC Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book on NetGalley for review. All opinions are my own.

Busy Mom's Guide: a Review

Busy Mom's Guide To Parenting Teens by Paul C. Reisser
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received this book for review a few years ago, and realized recently that I had not posted a review. This book is a great reference to have on hand for parents navigating the teen years. The only criticism I have of it is that it is not current with the social media addiction I see going on in my classroom today, which seems to have really taken off since this book was published. But with all things including sexuality and internet, rule-setting in the home and family relationships, I believe this is a good book for parents whose children are just entering the preteen and early teenage years.


Disclosure: I received a copy of this book for review in 2012. All opinions are my own.

Maggie Hope #7

The Paris Spy by Susan Elia MacNeal
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this latest installment in the Maggie Hope Mystery series by Susan Elia MacNeal. There were a couple of things I did not like, which kept the book from getting 5 stars; however, I don't want to ruin anyone else's experience in reading so I don't want to tell what they are. Spoilers, you know :)

I am really anxious for the next book in the series! Just a few more months...

First Impressions by Debra White Smith

First Impressions: A Contemporary Retelling of Pride and Prejudice by Debra White Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a re-release of a book that was previously published. I was very excited to read it, because I enjoy both Austenesque stories and modern Austen retellings.

Some things about this book were fun: the mirroring storylines, the similar-but-not-quite-the-same names, the theater links, and the characters. I enjoyed Eddi, although at times she annoyed me and I can't quite put my finger on why.

Some things, however, felt a bit repetitive (the mirroring storylines, in some places, for example). I also felt that the character of the aunt needed a bit more consistency, because the confrontation scene felt inconsistent to me.

All in all, it's a sweet story and I enjoyed it. I recommend it for fans of Christian fiction and Austen retellings.

I was granted a NetGalley review copy of this book for my Kindle for review. All opinions are my own.

Mountain Refuge, a true Alaska book

Mountain Refuge by Sarah Varland
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Mountain Refuge is a good, suspenseful book with a romance that seems a bit fast, but still believable, due to the fact that the relationship is forged in fire, fear, and fighting against a serial killer.

I really enjoyed this book. It moved quickly, and yet it was paced well. Plenty of crisis moments, faith moments, and conversation to make it all worthwhile.

Books set in Alaska are tricky, and because I've lived there I am overly critical. I can almost always tell if the author has been there or not, just from how they write about Alaska. (I could name names, but that might get me in trouble!)

You can rest easy with anything by Sarah Varland, however--she's the real deal! Her book gives such a sense of place with Alaska. From the strangeness of summer daylight to the feel of hiking in the mountains, she's absolutely captured the essence of Alaskan life.

Highly recommended!


{I received an advanced copy of this book for the purpose of writing an honest review. All opinions are my own.}

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Church of the Small Things

I am thrilled to review and recommend Melanie Shankle's latest book, Church of the Small Things (not an affiliate link, but takes you to the autographed edition at Barnes and Noble).

Church of the Small Things is a wonderful, lovely, encouraging, and thought-provoking collection of essays about the little things in life. And not just the little things, or that we should be grateful for those little things--although that is certainly true. But it's more about how we notice and remember the people in our lives. We sometimes remember them in big ways, but more often we remember them by the little things in their lives, and the little ways they made us feel special. Or the little things they said or did that made them uniquely themselves. 

I tend to read and then want to immediately apply what I have learned in my own life. What this book has done for me is make me more aware of what I may or may not be doing to help others see God. I am a teacher, and there are days I love my job, and days I don't. I often feel as if I fail in every way possible that a person can fail God. But I am reminded in little ways every day that what we say and do matters a great deal, and God can use everything I experience to shape me and help me grow and serve Him better. All I have to do is look and see. Listen and obey and be aware.

The most poignant story for me was in the chapter about her grandparents. It made me remember so many things about my own grandparents, and how wonderful it was to know them in my life. I lost a grandmother about a year ago, and this chapter made me tear up as I was filled with memories of her and my grandfather who passed 20 years ago, and how we were able to celebrate them this past summer together as a family.

In some ways this book reminded me of Emily P. Freeman's book Simply Tuesday. But it is distinctly Melanie and not Emily. And if you know anything about these ladies, you know they are definitely their own women, with their own voices on the page. 

Mostly, though, this book is a poignant reminder to be awake to the little things in our lives.

For more information about the book and its author, please go to the website for the book here: Church of the Small Things

Summer at Bluebell Bank: a Review

Summer at Bluebell Bank by Jen Mouat
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a great debut from author Jen Mouat. My friend recommended it to me as something to read that is the same flavor and feel as Maeve Binchy, and I would agree.

Friendship, family, memories and loves lost and found again. These are just a few of the things Mouat brings into light throughout the novel, in the charming setting of small-town Scotland, with a summer home and a bookstore supplying plenty of fun as a setting.

This book has a lot going on, and by the end a whole large cast of characters that might feel a tad overwhelming. Nevertheless, I liked it very much and would recommend it to fans of Binchy and similar British women's fiction writers.

From the publisher:

Returning home is never smooth sailing…

Summoned by her childhood best friend, Kate Vincent doesn’t stop to think. Instead she books at one-way ticket from New York back to Wigtown, Scotland, leaving her glittering new life behind. Scenes of idyllic holidays at Bluebell Bank with the Cotton family dance in her mind, but not everything has stayed the way it once was… Especially when her first love, Luke, returns to town.

Emily Cotton never expected one email, sent off in a wine-fuelled daze, to bring her old friend barrelling through the front door of her dismally failing bookshop. But life for the Cottons isn’t what it once was; Emily’s brothers are hardly speaking, her beloved grandmother isn’t quite the same and Emily…well, Emily is the one most in need of Kate’s help.

Kate has given herself until the end of the summer to stay in Wigtown. Can she bring the Cottons back together, and save the family who once saved her?

**Thank you to NetGalley for an ebook review copy.**

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