Havah: The Story of Eve by Tosca Lee

Have you ever wondered about the stories of the bible? Why did they end when they did...with so much left unsaid? Tosca Lee sought the answers to the story of the first woman in this fictional depiction of Adam and Eve.

Through beautiful prose, Lee depicts the Garden and the majesty of being in communion with God. We get to race the gazelle, rub the belly of the lion and understand the words of the animals.

This book is written as if you are listening to Havah tell her story - while reading her mind. We get to experience the words of the serpent and watch as Adam and Havah damn the world through that one fateful decision. We experience the pain of being forced to flee paradise and the confusion that results.

Adam and Havah must now figure out how to survive in a hostile world. They learn to live off of the land, build a home and bear children. They make many mistakes, but how could they not - they had no example to follow, no one to teach them.

We follow their lives as they seek to return to paradise and strive to return to their original relationship with the Lord, not understanding the separation caused by sin. They are forced to watch the world slowly decline as tempers flare, jealousy stirs and one son murders another. Has God turned His back on them?

I had a difficult time getting into this story at first. I made myself keep reading for the first few chapters, and I am so glad that I did. I wasn't sure how I would feel of a fictional depiction of a Biblical figure...but I absolutely loved this book. It is evident Tosca Lee did extensive research to support her theories and her imaginary paradise. As a result, she has created a riveting and powerful story of God's love, forgiveness and power.

Although we will only know the truth in heaven, Lee provides powerful answers to the questions of Eve's story. Why did she eat from the forbidden tree? Why did Adam? How many children did they have? Was Cain evil? What were they like as the first parents? This story had me in tears and gave me much to think about in regards to my own walk with the Lord.

I don't know what else to say other than that I strongly recommend this novel.

I received this book free from NetGalley.com. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

The Brides of Bonneterre by Kaye Dacus

From the author's website: Follow the lives and loves of a southern wedding planner and some of her fun-loving—but meddlesome—cousins in this contemporary romance series. Set in the fictional, quintessential southern city of Bonneterre, Louisiana, the Brides of Bonneterre series is filled with fun, food, family—and lots of romance! Although each volume deals with serious themes such as forgiveness and fear, the tone is lighthearted and humorous, with plenty of southern charm, wit, and wisdom mixed in.

Stand-In-Groom: Wedding planner, Anne Hawthorne, has always wanted to plan her own wedding. When she meets George Laurence, she thinks her single days may soon be behind her. George is a tall, good-looking Englishman - and a Christian. But, he turns out to be too good to be true. He is one of her clients.

With Anne planning a wedding for the man of her dreams, will she risk her heart for her own chance at happily-ever-after?

This book follows the typical plot layout of boy meets girl, boy and girl are obviously made for each other, but boy and girl have serious obstacles in their paths. However, this novel is so full of humor and romance, I just couldn't put it down. This story has a great supporting cast of characters (mainly members of Anne's huge family), leaving me anxious for the second book in the series!

Menu for Romance: Event Planner Meredith Guidry has been in love with Executive Chef Major O'Hara for the past eight years. Since they both work for Meredith's parents and Major is best friends with Meredith's older brother, the two are good friends. But nothing more.

Meredith makes a New Year's resolution to get over him and when she meets a hunky contractor on New Year's day, she takes that as a sign she's making the right decision. Will Major finally come clean with her...both about his feelings for her and about his biggest secret?

I love the characters in this series. They are so authentic and genuine. They seem to really care about each other and are easy for the readers to care about. I think Kaye Dacus writes funny, fun and romantic stories that are realistic and enjoyable. This story is no exception.

A Case For Love: Being the oldest in a large family had made Forbes Guidry feel responsible for his seven younger brothers and sisters. He is known as a control freak and can't help feeling as though he needs to solve all his family's problems.

But when the beautiful Alaine Delacroix accuses Forbes' parents of putting her parents’ garden center out of business and endangering other local-business owners, Forbes will have to decide if he can let God take control of his own life.

And, can the two fall in love even if they are pitted against each other?

This book was probably my favorite in the series. We got to hear more about the couples in the first two books of the series as well as learn about Forbes, who plays a role in all of the books. Kaye Dacus is not afraid to have her characters go through hard times and to have them learn to lean on God through trials and tribulations...just like real life. I would definitely recommend this book as a great Christian romance!

The series: Overall, I really enjoyed this series. I found it to be a lighthearted, easy read full of humor and love. Kaye Dacus seems to write books on a segment of the population often missing from romance stories - single women in their 30s who have never been married. I found her characters to be well developed and their chosen professions to be well researched. The characters were realistic and dealt with real-life issues.

Each book presents the point of view of two separate character and shows how they grow in life, love and faith to reach a point where each is ready for the other at the same time.

I recommend these books and only wish there were more stories in the series!

Love Remains (The Matchmakers #1) by Kaye Dacus

Fourteen years ago, Zarah Mitchell and Bobby Patterson were deeply in love. Unfortunately, Zarah's father found out and forced them apart with lies. When Zarah literally runs into Bobby at a mutual friend's house, they are both shocked to see that God has crossed their paths once again.

Can a group of five grandmothers prove themselves the matchmakers they hope to be? Or will secrets tear Zarah and Bobby apart once and for all? Zarah doesn't know it, but she's the number one suspect in a criminal investigation - and Bobby is the special agent in charge. Can they move past the secrets to discover if love remains?

I really enjoyed this book. Kaye Dacus does a phenomenal job of creating realistic characters - with interactions that feel natural. Her characters have depth and faults and you can't help but root for. I definitely recommend this book and can't wait to read book two!

I received this book free from NetGalley.com. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Out Live Your Life by Max Lucado

What if you could change the world? What if you could make a lasting impact – an impact for God’s kingdom?

In the book, Out Live Your Life, Max Lucado urges that although we may consider ourselves to be average, we were created to make a difference. By following Jesus’ example, we can impact the world one person at a time.

Grounded in biblical principles, Lucado follows the book of Acts and uses inspirational real-life stories to motivate readers to make their lives matter. From the first page, I was in tears over the numerous examples of people serving others in the name of the Lord.

I love Max Lucado’s books and this one was no different. Although a very convicting book, it is a very easy read – and very addicting. I feel motivated and on fire for the Lord. I feel challenged to act and “to live in such a way that the world will be glad I did.” Lucado says we can do this by helping others – for “I was hungry and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was stranger, and you invited me into your home” (Matt. 25:34-36).

As Max says, “None of us can help everyone. But all of us can help someone. And when we help them, we serve Jesus. Who would want to miss a chance to do that?”

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

The Red Siren (Charles Towne Belle Series #1) by M.L. Tyndall

After falling in love with M.L. Tyndall's story, Surrender the Heart, I decided to read some of her earlier works.

I started with The Red Siren, the first in the Charles Towne Belles series. After her oldest sister is forced to wed an unfaithful and cruel man, Faith Westcott pledges to protect her two other sisters from a similar fate by becoming a part-time pirate (a secret to everyone except her crew). She becomes especially determined to raise a fortune when she discovers her father wants her to marry a conceited, self-absorbed man.

Dajon Waite, who is in the British Royal Navy with the girls' father, is forced to become their temporary guardian since their father is leaving on assignment. This becomes a problem for Faith - who stole Dajon's father's boat 5 years prior. Even worse, Dajon now hunts pirates...especially the Red Siren, the pirate who now uses his father's ship as her own.

Unfortunately, I had a very difficult time getting into this story. I never came to like Faith or Dajon or find them to be very sympathetic characters. At first meeting, Faith steals Dajon's ship as he tries to help what appears to be a damsel in distress. Faith is a manipulator and Dajon is easily manipulated.

However, M.L. Tyndall writes beautiful, descriptive scenes and has characters that develop spiritually in a smooth, realistic manner without being overly preachy. She also isn't afraid to have the lead characters display passion towards each other as they fall in love, creating sincere, sweet romances.

Although I am not sure if I will continue with this series, I will definitely read other novels by MaryLu Tyndall.

This book was provided for review by NetGalley.

Experience God as Your Provider by Brian Kluth

In this inspiring book, Brian Kluth explores the road to financial stability – but not through investment strategies; instead, he explains that depending on God as your provider is the true path toward financial security.

The book is broken into the following three parts:
1. Recognize God’s Provisions
2. Receive God’s Principles
3. Respond to God’s Plan

Kluth uses many biblical references throughout the book, grounding his advice in Godly principles. He also uses many personal anecdotes as examples and as evidence of God following through on His word.

I found this book to be incredibly motivational. It really pushed me to rethink how I spend my money – am I really being as generous as God has called me to be? Even more so, am I being generous with the other things God has given me? Such as with my time, talents or with the items I own. This book also challenged me to really depend on God for all my needs and to keep my eyes open to all the ways He provides for me on a daily basis.

More than a book on finances, this book will dare, encourage and teach you to experience God as your provider. I really recommend this book - especially for Christians as the author tends to write with a Christian audience in mind.

This book was reviewed as part of the NetGalley review program.

Love Is a Battlefield (A Walk in the Park) by Annalisa Daughety

Kristy O'Neal has been a park ranger at the Shiloh National Park in Tennessee for years and has worked her way up the ladder. After her world turns upside by her fiance, Mark, who fails to show up for the wedding, Kristy goes on her honeymoon alone. However, when she returns, she finds that her job has already been filled by someone else - Ace Kennedy. 

 When someone starts vandalizing the monuments at the park, Ace and Kristy are forced to work together...and find themselves drawn to each other. However, Ace is hiding something and Kristy does not believe in love. 

This predictable story is sweet with a light romance and a focus on God's plan, faith and forgiveness without being overly preachy. Kristy's personal growth is the heart of this story - with her learning much through the people in her life and her relationship with God. This was a fun, light and easy read, but not a must read.

The Sheriff's Surrender (Ladies Shooting Club Book 1) by Susan Page Davis

When Gert Dooley arrives in Fergus, Idaho in the late 1800s to help her pregnant sister-in-law, she arrives to find her brother, Hiram, grieving the deaths of his wife and child. Gert stays to take care of him. She also begins to test the guns Hiram repairs as gunsmith. Years later, she has become an astonishing markswoman.

After the murder of the sheriff, Ethan Chapman is appointed as interim sheriff. Ethan has been friends with Hiram for years and Gert has developed feelings for him. Despite reciprocating feelings, Ethan plans to never marry.

As the danger increases, the women of Fergus vow to learn to protect themselves. They form a shooting club with Gert as its leader. Gert and Ethan band together to protect the town from a murderer - but can they work together without letting their feelings for each other get in the way?

This was a really good story. I found the people of Fergus to be charming and realistic - they had fears and courage; friends and enemies; joys and sorrows; humor and determination. However, much of the book is spent introducing the townsfolk and setting up the mystery, leaving the romance to fall a little flat. I also never felt a connection to Gert. I never felt like we really got to know her. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series and finding out what will happen next in Fergus, Idaho.

Surrender the Heart by M.L. Tyndall

Marianne Denton finds herself engaged to the man who tormented her when they were both children because she needs to access her dowry to save her mother and sister. Noah Brenin agreed to the engagement to please his father, but now regrets it. On the night of their engagement party, Noah decides to continue to torment her - hoping she'll break off the engagement so he won't have to damage her reputation by doing it himself.

Unfortunately, Marianne has grown a backbone and decides to confront Noah on his disrespectful behavior. She follows him to his cargo ship, where she stumbles and is knocked unconscious. When she comes to, she finds they have set sail and she is stuck on Noah's ship headed to England.

Marianne tries to sabotage the ship to convince Noah to turn around and bring her back home to care for her sick mother and young sister. However, he is determined to continue on his business. Eventually, his stubbornness and her efforts result in both of them being captured by a British warship along with two other crew members.

They stumble across information that can help save American naval officers. They fight to save themselves and other Americans during the War of 1812. And fall in love in the process...

This was the first book I have read by M.L. Tyndall and I absolutely loved it and could not put it down. There was so much action and adventure. The characters were so real - full of bravery and courage, as well as imperfections. Noah and Marianne judged each other from their experiences as children and struggle to come to grips with the reality rather than their preconceived ideas of who the other is. Their romance is realistic - starting with apathy and then slowly morphing into admiration and friendship before growing into passion and love. I would highly recommend this story and I can't wait to read other books by this author.

Critical Care by Candace Calvert

After facing the death of her brother in the trauma room, ER nurse Claire Avery feels she's lost her edge and must create a new life for herself. She begins a new career in nursing education at a hospital where no one knows her history.

After the ER staff treats the victims of a day care center explosion, Claire is forced to confront her fears by being asked to counsel the ER staff. This is where she butts heads with Dr. Logan Caldwell, the critical and controlling ER doctor. However, as they get to know each other better, they become drawn to each other.

But, will Logan's demanding ways and Claire's fears keep them apart? Or will they turn to God and to each other for healing?

This story will draw readers in and keep them asking for more. The plot is intriguing and full of romance.Logan and Claire's relationship unfold in a realistic and genuine path. Candace Calvert does a nice job of setting the hospital scenes without getting caught up in medical jargon.We also get to know other characters in the book and I can't wait to read some of their stories!

You Can Be Everything God Wants You to Be

In You Can Be Everything God Wants You to Be, Max Lucado takes one of my favorite books, Cure for the Common Life, and turns it into a gift book.

He discusses finding your "sweet spot" and learning what God has created you to do and to be and has condensed it into an easy read. 

Max Lucado encourages readers to "be the best you you can be" and to "take great risks for God." His words are inspiring, encouraging, uplifting and full of God's wisdom. If you have a job that you don't like or think you aren't good at, if you don't know what you want to be when you grow up (even if others would consider you grown up), if you are a student or recent graduate, then this book is for you! This book helps you identify your strengths and to teach you to decipher why God gave you those talents.

I would encourage others to forget that this book is a small, hardcover "gift" book. It is a small, condensed book of encouragement. As I struggle with knowing what God wants me to do, I so enjoy this reading and re-reading this book to remind myself that God has designed me to "use my uniqueness to make a big deal out of God every day of my life."

I received a free copy of this copy through Thomas Nelson Publishing’s Book Sneeze book review program. The opinions expressed in this review are my own and I was not required to provide a positive review.

No Place for a Lady (Heart of the West Series Book 1) by Maggie Brendan

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In this Christian historical romance novel, Crystal Clark travels to her aunt's ranch in Colorado after the death of her father. This beautiful, Georgian southern-belle struggles to adjust to life where everyone pulls their own weight as she has no experience in domestic affairs.

Ranch foreman, Luke Weber, doesn't think Crystal has what it takes to thrive in this wild land. And, he doesn't understand why it bothers him to see all the attention the local men show to Crystal.

After the death of her aunt, Crystal has to step up and learn to run the ranch. Suddenly, Crystal is cooking, cleaning and learning to drive the herd. Aside from the death of her aunt, Crystal also faces greedy neighbors, a jealous woman, mixed emotions and her struggles to rely on God.

As a reader, I did not feel like I connected with any characters other than Crystal. When other characters struggled or faced losses, it almost seemed to detract from the story rather than enhance it. Also, the dialog in the story was awkward and unrealistic. At times, I struggled to get through some of the conversations.

A romance, a challenge and God's infinite provisions provide an engaging tale. Although this book will not become one of my new favorites, it was still an enjoyable read. I do plan on reading the second book in the series, Jewel of His Heart.

Greater Love by Robert Whitlow

Greater Love is the third book in the Tides of Truth series by Robert Whitlow. Unfortunately, I had not read the previous two books prior to reading this one and felt a little behind. I must also admit that I cheated a bit and skimmed ahead before going back and reading the book completely.

This series can be categorized as Christian legal fiction. In this book, Tammy Lynn struggles to know God's will for her life. She has received two law clerk job offers and must decide which one to accept. She also has two men vying for her affections. Unfortunately, both of these men were introduced in the previous two books, so I never felt like I fully knew the history of their relationship with Tami.

There is a secondary plot based on a new client (a young teen with a rough background) that provides suspense to the story. Jessie has stumbled upon evidence in a criminal case and fears for her life. She struggles to trust and to simply survive.

Tami grew up in a very conservative home and tries to live those beliefs outside the easy comfort of her family. At times, the writing sounded old fashioned and I was unsure of the time period when I first started reading. I really enjoyed most of the characters in this story - they were well developed and had realistic flaws. I think Mrs. Fairmont, Flip and Jessie were my favorite. I had a hard time liking Sister Dabney. I felt she came off really strong and would scare others from Christianity rather than convicting them. But, that may just be a personality clash with myself. It maybe would have helped to know more about her background (if I had read books one and two).

Overall, I thought the book had great potential and was an engaging story. The story was captivating and shows how the will of God is far superior to our own and how, even though we don't always realize it, He uses us to further His purposes. I just recommend reading the previous two books in the series before starting the third. But, I would definitely recommend this series.

This book was reviewed as part of Thomas Nelson Publisher's Book Sneeze review program for bloggers.

How to Reach Your Full Potential for God: Never Settle for Less than His Best

In his new book, How to Reach Your Full Potential for God,  Dr. Charles F. Stanley urges readers to examine themselves and the choices they make to see if they are living according to God's will for their lives. He outlines seven principles for people to apply to their daily lives to align themselves with God's plan. He points out that there is no plan nor dream that can be as amazing as God's.

When I came across this title, I could not wait to read it. Who doesn't want to live their life to the fullest and accomplish what God has designed? This book seemed especially timely in this turbulent time in my life.

I had a really difficult time getting into this book. I know that his book is saturated in biblical principles, but it came off feeling more like a self-help book at first. However, Dr. Stanley does an amazing job of emphasizing the bible as the ultimate authority on living for God and living up to your potential. He explores the following principles:

1. A Clean Heart
2. A Clear Mind
3. Using Your Gifts
4. A Healthy Body
5. Right Relationships
6. A Balanced Schedule
7. Taking God- Approved Risk

As I progressed further into the book, I became more involved in Dr. Stanley's message. I was at times either encouraged or convicted and ended up enjoying the book. I would recommend this book (especially for small groups).

This book was reviewed as part of Thomas Nelsons' "Book Sneeze" blogger program.

Over the Moon at the Big Lizard Diner by Lisa Wingate

(Texas Hill Country Series #3)

Paleontologist Lindsey Attwood has a minor breakdown when her estranged ex-husband takes custody of their daughter and takes her to Mexico for the summer. At the insistence of her twin sister and a friend, Lindsey agrees to visit them in San Saline, Texas.

She agrees to pose as a horse psychology student to help solve the mystery of missing dinosaur tracks on a local ranch. There, she meets and falls in love with cowboy Zach Truitt.

But Lindsey has been hurt in the past and struggles to conquer her fears. She has spent many years going through the motions, but not really living. Can she put all that aside and learn to live again?

This book is filled with humor and hilarity, especially when Lindsey finds a stray dog who adopts her and as she struggles in her first horse psychology lesson. There is also romance and lessons on love and life woven throughout the story. However, the mystery takes a back seat to Lindsey's efforts to overcome her fears and you almost forget its importance. Definitely worth reading.

Letter Perfect by Cathy Marie Hake (California Historical Series #1)

Ruth Caldwell can't seem to keep herself out of trouble. Whether its her own clumsiness or her big mouth, she just can't seem to act the way a lady is expected to act.

After the death of her mother, Ruth is forced to travel west to meet the father she's never seen. There, she meets Josh McCain, the son of her father's business partner.

Unfortunately, her father passed away long before her arrival. With her inheritance up for debate, Ruth's clumsiness turns into something more and and puts her life at risk.

This book is full of great humor that will have you laughing out loud. The mystery and suspense add to the tale and keep you enthralled.