Book Review - Love Has A Name

I was minding my own business, just mentally ranting about the state of the world and this culture of disrespect that seems to have become so prevalent, when I saw the info for an upcoming release from Adam Weber and Waterbook called Love Has A Name. My rant came to a screeching halt. THIS! This is what I was struggling to articulate! Love DOES have a name, and a face, and a story. Putting those elements together, name + face + story, gives humanity to the people around us and facilitates the kind of love we're meant to have for each other. Adam Weber articulates this well through the chapters that each highlight the names and stories of individuals God has used to teach the author about love, as well as corresponding Bible characters who exhibit each kind of love. I recommend reading this one with a highlighter in hand; the stories are spot-on and the insights are well worth noting.

No publisher disclaimer is necessary in this case, as I gladly threw down my cash for this one. By now, I hope y'all know I give my own honest opinion every time. Because I'm full of 'em and I like to share!

Book Review - Don't Keep Silent

The McKade boys are in it again. This time, it's Liam, and he's still trying to figure out what he wants to be when he grows up. Sure, he has served in the Marines and in the DEA, but a blown cover and a bullet have him back at the Emerald M with his brothers while he figures out what God has planned for him next. He didn't dream it would be the woman who blew his cover. The woman he took that bullet to save. The woman he thought he loved, before he realized she had used him for her own purposes. The woman who now needs him to help her find her missing sister-in-law before time runs out.

Elizabeth Goddard's Don't Keep Silent is the third book in her Uncommon Justice series. If you don't know the McKade boys by now, it's high time to pick up the first book and read your way through the adventures kicked up by Austin, Heath, and now Liam. Goddard balances danger and romance intricately and pulls the reader into the lives of the Emerald M. Don't Keep Silent is another action packed page turner. Sure, you could read it as a stand-alone, but frankly, you wouldn't skip straight to the end of the book, so why miss out on the rest of the Uncommon Justice series.

Thank you to the author and to the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this book. All opinions in this review are my own and are completely genuine.

Book Review - These Nameless Things

My very first impression of Shawn Smucker's These Nameless Things was that the imagery crafted within is positively astounding. It was not at all difficult to become immersed in this carefully crafted world, so thorough were Smucker's descriptions. My second impression was that I did not enjoy this book, but I encourage you to roll with me as I explain a bit more. You see, These Nameless Things is not meant to be lightly read. It is utterly exhausting. Not because it is an untimely story or poorly written, but for the exact opposite reason. This book is an eloquent image of Dante's Inferno, a timely parallel and a wake-up call to the beauty of the human creature that is so thoughtfully made in the image of God. Exhausting in the sense that every nuance is critical to the understanding of the value of a person and overwhelming beauty of grace and forgiveness, These Nameless Things is worth every moment of toil alongside the characters in order to appreciate the complex themes.

I particularly love how the characters grapple with the issue of forgiveness and grace, both the giving and receiving of these precious gifts that have the power to restore humanity. Not only to restore the recipient, but also to heal the heart and soul of the giver. These elements do not come naturally or easily to the flawed creature of humanity, and the toil involved in their exploration helps to highlight how very precious they are. Yes, These Nameless Things is exhausting, but is well worth digesting every hard earned sentence.

Thank you to the author and the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this book. All opinions in this review are my own and are completely genuine.

Book Review - An Appalachian Summer

With An Appalachian Summer, Ann H. Gabhart gives readers a thoroughly enjoyable story wrapped in with a celebration of differences. It was easy to get pulled in from the very first introduction of Piper Danson, who wants nothing to do with a debutante season or finding a suitable match, much less doing so in the midst of the Great Depression. It is easy to relate to Piper's search for an opportunity to do something with real meaning, and to find out who she truly is before settling for a the match chosen by her father instead of marrying the man she has loved since childhood. And it is easy to see why Piper grows to feel the way she does about the Frontier Nursing Service and the people she meets during her time with them.

Piper is different from many of the people around her; her social status dictates that she should marry money, especially amidst the uncertainty of the Depression era, but the love of her heart has lost his family money and along with it, his social status. She does not care for the extravagance of lavish parties when so many others are suffering, and she searches for her own identity in a time when such is not considered necessary. Through the course of this one summer, Piper finds that she is not such a rare bird, nor is she unsupported by the women in her life. She finds beauty and strength in the works and ways of those she encounters during her Appalachian summer, which helps her discover the beauty and strength within herself to follow God's lead for her future.

Thank you to the author and the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this book. All opinions in this review are my own and are completely genuine.

Book Review - A Dream Within A Dream

A Dream Within A Dream is the third book in the Coffey & Hill series from Mike Nappa and Melissa Kosci. I am going to be straight up with you right now; y'all know I'm a sucker for a series. If I am reviewing the third book in a series, I will absolutely read all three. And now for the sake of honesty, you should know that I didn't read this series. I tried. I really did. I got about three chapters into the first book, Annabel Lee, and walked right away. I was sure this review was going to be an altogether different kind of first for Woman by Grace: one where I explain why I just couldn't get into this book. And now we are all surprised, because A Dream Within A Dream has made a liar out of me.

It took a bit of time for me to grow accustomed to the stream of consciousness flow of Dream's narration. Following the flow of a story that involves an art heist, the Irish mob, Saudi terrorists, and a little boy lost seemed overwhelming. However, it did not take long at all for this madness to snatch my attention and hold me captive until the very last word. Not only that, but the references to previous Coffey and Hill escapades has inspired me to revisit Annabel Lee and follow that with The Raven.

Thank you to the authors and the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this book. All opinions in this review are my own and are completely genuine.

Book Review - What Momma Left Behind

"I tried to convince myself this was a mistake, but it was like the good Lord stuck His hand down my mouth and pulled them words right out. They was no doubt I'd regret it."

Worie Dressar's notions of family get turned on their ear when her momma leaves this earth and Worie finds that Momma has been caring for the orphans of Sourwood Mountain. What is she supposed to do about the children who keep showing up at her feet with empty bellies and no families? The answer sure wasn't to take them in, but the good Lord had other plans for Worie's life.

Cindy K. Sproles has developed very strong and interesting characters in What Momma Left Behind. Their strengths and flaws are relatable, opening the reader up to a beautiful journey to understanding forgiveness and unconditional love. Her exploration of what makes a family, especially in light of God's love and care, is a heartfelt experience for the reader.

Thank you to the author and publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book. All opinions in this review are my own and are completely genuine.

Book Review - The Heart of a Hero

Susan May Warren's upcoming release, The Heart of a Hero, reunites us with our Global Search and Rescue family. Picking up on relationships we built in the first book, The Way of the Brave, this one focuses on the stormy one between Jake Silver and Aria Sinclair. But here's the deal, this is so much more than adventure. This is so much more than romance. This is...

Aria has been fighting all her life just to thrive, sometimes just to survive. But what really makes her Aria? And why can't she shake the need to be a bit Kia, as well?

Jake is the devil. Or is he? And he knows about grace, but is he really worthy?

And the bigger question: Are we defined by one part of who we are or by the whole? By our vision of ourselves or by God's?

When Jake and Aria are caught in the storm, what's left in the aftermath is well worth reading The Heart of A Hero. There's beauty to be found among the destruction, because sometimes we have to be broken to find the truth.

Thank you to Susan May Warren and to the publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. Please know, dear reader, that the opinions stated in this review are my own and are completely unbiased.