Beyond the Ashes by Karen Barnett

Where better to rebuild and face one’s fears than in 1906 San Francisco, a city rising from the ashes?

Ruby Marshall, a young widow, is certain she’ll discover new purpose assisting her brother Robert with his cancer research, but she doesn’t anticipate finding new love.

Dr. Gerald Larkspur dreams of filling his empty home with family, but he’d always hoped it would be a wife and children. In the aftermath of the great earthquake, the rooms are overflowing with extended family and friends left homeless by the disaster. When Robert’s widowed sister arrives, the close quarters seem close indeed.

Ruby and Gerald’s fledgling romance is put at risk when Gerald develops symptoms of the very disease they’re striving to cure. Together they must ask—is it worth a second chance at love when time might be short?

My opinion: This is a interesting read about the aftermath of the San Francisco earthquake. Filled with rich historical details this book was an engrossing read. I enjoyed reading about the medicine of the early 20th century. The characters were interesting and realistic. I found this to be a very interesting read and look forward to reading other books by this author.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.  

Letters from my Father's Murderer by Laurie Coombs

When her father was murdered, Laurie Coombs sought justice and found it.

His murderer now serves two life sentences with no possibility of parole. Yet, despite the swift punishment of the killer, Laurie found herself increasingly full of pain, bitterness, and anger she couldn’t control. After coming to faith, she realized she was being called to seek something infinitely more difficult than justice: forgiveness.

This is an extraordinary true story of grace, mercy, and the redemptive power of God to change lives. The reader is swept along with Laurie as she undergoes the life-changing transformation of becoming a Christian. As she studies Scripture, seeing God redeeming losses and healing deep wounds time and time again, she starts to understand that her own healing would require her to love her enemy in a real, practical way.

Using her incredible correspondence with the man who killed her father, Laurie reveals a compelling journey of transformation, not only in her life, but in the lives of those whom many would call irredeemable.

Letters from My Father’s Murderer is for any audience Christian or secular who

—Craves freedom from the inability to forgive those who’ve caused them harm
—Wants to hear testimony of God’s power in our obedience
—Has experienced pain through other’s sin against them
—Needs to know healing is always possible

The real story here is not primarily about murder and its fallout, but rather about redemption and how far it can reach.

My opinion: What a heart wrenching book. This is a story about something no one wants to ever experience, the loss of a loved one at the hand of a senseless murder. I am totally in awe of  Laurie and what she was able to overcome and learn from such a tragic event in her life. This book was a good read and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Straight up tasty by Adam Bigman

What a fun book! This book is very eclectic and has a little bit of everything. Written  by a man who has eaten his way across the country this book has some seriously delicious recipes in it. I am drooling over the Pulled pork egg rolls, why didn't I think of that? So many delicious recipes to try and so little time. Another recipe that looks amazing is Mama's Spinach pie, can you say yum? I will have fun making recipes out of this book for sure.The nice thing is it looks to have recipes for all skill levels and has a lot of ingredients one would have on hand.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Summer's List by Anita Higman

Summer’s List (River North, June 2015)

A dying wish alters the course of a young woman’s life.

Life hadn’t been easy for Summer Snow. In acts of selflessness-caring for her ailing parents and running her grandmother’s bookstore-she had forfeited her youth and dreams for the needs of others. And the only tries she had at love… didn’t turn out. She had the bookstore, she had her beloved granny, but she was missing something-or someone.

Opportunity strikes when Granny sends Summer on an unexpected adventure with one Martin Langtree, a kind but gangly young man from Summer’s past. A childhood friendship is rekindled, a romance is sparked, and mysteries are solved in one magical Texas summer. Will Summer strike out on love again, or will things finally go her way?

My opinion: This book deals with a young woman living others dreams, realizing that she needs to live out her own. I really enjoyed the character of Summer, she is one who is not always sure of herself and yet blossoms as the book goes on which I enjoyed watching.  This book was a very entertaining read, filled with some great characters ( I absolutely loved her Granny, she was such a character) and I loved the sweet romance develop between the two characters. All in all a very good read! I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Love Arrives in Pieces by Betsy St. Amant

For so long, Stella was known for her beauty. Now, with her heart stripped bare, she must discover who she really is.

Former pageant queen Stella Varland doesn’t trust beauty anymore after her divorce. Her appearance betrayed her and led to brokenness, so instead of being beautiful, now she tries to make beautiful things, but she always falls short. So she keeps her passion for art to herself and focuses on her interior design work. But if she doesn’t get another job soon, she’ll be stuck living with her parents.

Contractor Chase Taylor is determined to live a life of no regrets after losing his fiancée. Now he lives life at full speed, striving to see how much he can accomplish. He knows if he slows down, he’ll fall apart. So he returns home to Bayou Bend to renovate the town’s old theater and is shocked to discover that the designer for the project is his old flame, Stella.

Forced to work together, Chase and Stella battle their chemistry and past as they struggle to compromise and work together on a vision for the theater. Their wills clash as they attempt to hide their brokenness—and their unresolved feelings for each other—until Chase discovers the hidden parts of Stella, while losing her trust in the process.

A near catastrophe, a fire, and a small-town gossip mill finally force Stella and Chase to realize that they have a choice—to hold on to the shards of their pasts, or surrender their fragmented pieces to the One who makes a beautiful masterpiece from their brokenness.

My opinion: Usually I cannot stand books where  the main character is so stunningly beautiful, I find it totally unrealistic, I mean how many people really are gorgeous? That being said, I found myself enjoying this book much more than I thought possible. I was willing to give it a try in the first place because I enjoyed the previous book in the series and this one did not disappoint. I love how the author talks about how looks alone are not enough, yes, Stella is gorgeous on the outside but she realizes that is not enough in the long run. I loved the characters development and found it to be a very engaging, easy read. My only gripe is that the romance was a bit much at times, but that is a personal preference. I receive a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Two Roads Home by Deborah Raney

What if it’s too late for dreams to come true?

Minor-but-nagging setbacks continue to sour Grant and Audrey Whitman’s initiation into the world of innkeeping, but larger challenges brew when an innocent flirtation leads to big trouble for the Whitmans’ son-in-law, Jesse. Jesse Pennington’s friendly, outgoing personality has always served him well, especially in a career that has earned him and his wife Corinne a very comfortable lifestyle. But Corinne and Jesse are both restless—and for similar reasons, if only they could share those with each other. Instead, too many business trips and trumped-up charges of harassment from a disgruntled coworker threaten their marriage and possibly put their three precious daughters at risk.

With their life in disarray, God is tugging at their hearts to pursue other dreams. Can Corinne and Jesse pick up the pieces of what was once a wonderful life before it all crumbles beneath them?

My opinion: This book is yet another wonderful book by Ms. Raney and is filled with very thought provoking elements. Dealing with issues as flirting with temptation, restlessness in marriage and what to do when setbacks come your way. I really enjoy this series as it deals with realistic occurrences and deals with things that often come up in marriages. I found the writing to be engaging and the characters to be interesting in a very flawed way, but it made the book easier to read.  I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Called for life by Kent and Amber Brantly

What a wonderful book! I remember hearing about the brave missionary Doctor who chose to risk his own life helping others and contracted Ebola and I remember praying for him, so imagine my delight when I was able to read the amazing book documenting his experience fighting ebola and how he was miraculously spared.
This book offered a beautiful insight into the man who risked his life and the women who is behind him. Filled with wonderful testimonies this book is a great read and is a great reminder that our God truly is a God of miracles and that he is moving and working in lives today.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.