Tidewater Bride

 Title: Tidewater Bride

Author: Laura Frantz

Publisher: Revell

Publication Date: January 5, 2021

Genre: Historical Fiction

Synopsis: 

Selah Hopewell seems to be the only woman in the Virginia colony who has no wish to wed. True, there are too many men and far too few women in James Towne. But Selah already has her hands full assisting her father in the family’s shop. And now she is in charge of an incoming ship of tobacco brides who must be looked after as they sort through their many suitors.

Xander Renick is perhaps the most eligible tobacco lord in the settlement. His lands are vast, his crops are prized, and his position as a mediator between the colonists and the powerful Powhatan nation surrounding them makes him indispensable. But Xander is already wedded to his business and still grieves the loss of his wife, daughter of the Powhatan chief.

Can two fiercely independent people find happiness and fulfillment on their own? Or will they discover that what they’ve been missing in life has been right in front of them all along?

Bestselling and award-winning author Laura Frantz takes you to the salty shores of seventeenth-century Virginia in this exploration of pride, honor, and the restorative power of true love. (taken from Laura Frantz's website)

My Review:

    Laura Frantz's Tidewater Bride is the newest release for this Christy Award winner and the ECPA bestselling author of eleven historical novels. Frantz has been writing since she was seven years old and never had a desire to be published, yet here we are. I am thankful that the Lord saw fit to change her plans so that readers could have access to books written from this interesting author.

    Tidewater Bride is set in James Towne, Virginia Colony, during the spring of 1634. This is a time of unrest between the colonists and the Powhatan nation, an era when Tobacco was a huge commodity. A time when marriage was more about a business arrangement than about love.

    Selah Hopewell is not one of the Tobacco brides, but she is put in charge of them when they come to James Towne. Selah has a hard time understanding the concept of women coming to her town looking for a marriage. Her thoughts are scandalous for the time period as she states, "I would rather marry for love than the price of tobacco." To which her father replies, "Love hardly fills the larder. Marriage is first and foremost a business matter. Affection may come in time, but 'tis clearly secondary to prudence." However, someone catches her eye and changes things for her.

    Xander is a tobacco lord, married to his job. His character is surprising as we continue to learn new information about him as the story unfolds. He has had no desire to remarry since his late wife passed. However, as time passes, he warms to the idea of a new bride, the choice is, which one?

    This story has many layers. Every time you think you have a grasp on the story, a new detail emerges. At first I was not sure where the story was going, or if I was going to even like it. However, there are many twists and turns in this book. New characters are constantly emerging, changing the dynamics and the drama. There is also an incredible mystery that kept me hanging on the edge of my seat, and made the book impossible to put down.

    I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes historical fiction, clean romance stories, and stories shrouded in mystery.  With engaging characters, with minds of their own, this book is a good read. This is the first book that I have read by this author, but it will not be my last.

Thank you to Revell for the opportunity to read this book. I was not required to give a positive review, but was happy to do so. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

    For those who want more, the author has put together a Pinterest board that brings the novel to life, visually. Laura Frantz says on her website: "You’ll see the inspiration for our heroine, Selah Hopewell, & other characters & scenes from the novel. Imagination is a wonderful thing!"

 

Active Defense

 Title: Active Defense

Author: Lynette Eason

Series: Danger Never Sleeps #3

Publisher: Revell

Publication Date: January 5, 2021

Synopsis:

As a former field surgeon in Afghanistan, Heather Fontaine is used to life-or-death situations. She just didn't expect them to follow her home. When she returns from a party to find that someone has broken into her house--and threatened her friends--she assumes it is the stalker who has been following her and creeping her out. She hopes to find safety and peace of mind by leaving the city and hiding out in a small town. But trouble has followed her even there.

Luckily, a stalker isn't the only one watching Heather. Travis Walker has been secretly watching out for her for weeks. As owner of his own security agency, it's what he does. Together, Travis and Heather must figure out who wants her dead--and why--before it's too late.

Bestselling and award-winning author Lynette Eason will have you looking over your shoulder as you dive into this fast-paced, suspense-filled story about losing control and finding something even better.

My Review:

While Active Defense  by Lynette Eason is part of a series, it can also be read as a stand alone. I think the reading would be richer for having read the first two books, so you can understand the connections between the friends, but it is not necessary. I thought I had read the first two, but when I went back to see, I realized I had not. Lynette Eason is known for her thrilling suspense novels, and this one exceeded my expectations.

Heather is a surgeon who is stationed in Afghanistan, but quickly ends up back at home after a harrowing event. Once she is home she notices a stalker is following her, but never actually approaches. As she arrives at a party for one of her friends, she notices her stalker and starts after him. However, Travis arrives on the scene and the stalker gets away. During the party Heather downplays the stalker and tells her friends she will reach out if she needs their help.

After the party and Heather has gone home, her friends decide to take matters into their own hands and help Heather without her noticing. They decide Travis will follow her to make sure she stays safe. The only problem is they do not realize that once Heather gets home things are amiss in her house and she runs away. When Travis gets to her house that night he doesn't realize that she is gone. 

This story is action packed, from the first chapter to the last. It will take the reader through a lot of twists and turns, with some surprises thrown in. Things are not always as they seem and it was impossible to figure out who the bad guy was. The characters are real and relatable with struggles like anyone else. For Heather it was trust issues from things that she dealt with in her past. This helped her to connect to another with similar circumstances which led to an incredible (and surprising!) scene that really touched my heart. Quite unexpected in a suspense novel, but incredibly well done.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves suspense novels, that literally keep you on the edge of your seat. This book was hard to put down and an easy read. I can't wait until the next book in the series comes out.

Thank you to Revell and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book. I was not required to give a positive review, but was happy to do so. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Gifts from 2020

 2020 has been an interesting year. It started out with the busyness of any typical year, until everything came to a screeching halt in March. At this point in the year we are all in Covid fatigue, we are sick of the masks, sick of the mandates and I personally am sick to death of hearing about it. I get in the van to go somewhere and I am listening to music, and then on a break the DJ will start talking about how hard this year is. It is, I get it, but do we have to keep saying it? Do we have to keep rehashing everything? Can we have 5 minutes where we can forget what a hard year it is and just be grateful for what is not hard? This post is not a rant (although it might seem like it), but there are so many good things and gifts that 2020 has brought us. And, as 2020 winds down, I am sharing the gifts from this year that I have seen, and I hope you will take the time for reflection too, because despite an incredibly hard year, there has been good there.

Gifts from 2020 (in no particular order)

Over 200 answered prayers*

A closer walk with God

More time to read than I have ever had

Quality family time

More games  on the shelf

More puzzles on the shelf

We exercised more as a family with daily walks than probably any other time

Binge watching shows

Kayla picking her college

Intentionality with the Advent season 

Good health

Closer friendships

Kayla graduating High School

Kayla getting some scholarships

Kayla being on campus her full semester

Kayla making the Dean's list

Elijah continuing to grow taller

Elijah adjusting to Kayla being gone

Elijah finishing 9th grade and the first semester of 10th

Elijah learning a new instrument

Elijah working on his singing voice

Matt getting a supervisory position at work

Elijah getting braces

working through issues

a dream coming true

Zoom (seriously, love/hate relationship with it)

Connecting with more readers

 Connecting with more bloggers

Never running out of books to read

reviving my blog :) (Gift to me)

Christmas

More projects done around the house

Celebrating birthdays 

Two of my foster kiddos getting adopted

One foster kiddo going to family

Closing of a chapter

New chapters begun

A new pastor and family for our church

Online church that can be watched anytime

New recipes

More home cooking

Getting my kids to try new stuff

I got to see my mom and older sister for the first time in a few years

All of us learning to cope/adjust to difficult circumstances

Learning to adjust to almost constantly changing circumstances

Making an intentional effort to see the good each day

Teaching my kids to find the good in any situation

Kayla learning more independence

We got a new (to us) van in January (had literally forgotten)

My father-in-law retired from being a pastor

Elijah has learned to use a lot of new tools

Elijah has helped build several big projects this year

Matt and I celebrated 21 years of marriage

Kayla got a fantastic roommate

Kayla made a lot of friends

Elijah got the rest of his baby teeth pulled

God is not finished with us

*If you do not see prayers answered I encourage you to write down SPECIFIC requests and see how God answers them, it is impossible to see an answer to a vague prayer. I was not as "good" if you will, of keeping up with prayer requests as thoroughly as I have in the past or I am sure I would have seen even more answered. 

**I am going to be very real. This year has been difficult for me, not necessarily because of Covid, but because I feel into a deep depression and didn't see it. I think it started before Covid, but I didn't really connect it until September, with everything else going on, I just didn't see it. It was so dark and while I would love to say that I am better now, that would be a lie. I am doing okay. I am on medication for it, but am still working through some of the other health issues and stuff that I believe have brought it on. Covid certainly didn't help it and neither does all the negativity that people tend to throw around. But, this too shall pass. I know Who is in control and I trust that He will work it out for good. Friends, I know it has been a very hard year, we all have lost loved ones, or know people who have, and we lost a lot of our plans and extracurricular activities. It is okay to mourn all that, please do, just don't stay there and dwell there. We all need to move forward, doing our best to make the best and most out of each moment that we are given. We don't know when our time will be up, but I want to make the most of mine. I want to be ready and have no regrets. I don't want to live in despair and gloom, I want to be a light, even when I don't feel like being a light, and I want to be more like Jesus and know that those I love know Him too.

What gifts have 2020 brought you? I would love to hear the good from this year and rejoice with you.

All That We Carried

Title: All That We Carried

Author: Erin Bartels

Publisher: Revell

Publication Date: January 5, 2021

Genre: Christian Fiction

Synopsis:

Ten years ago, sisters Olivia and Melanie Greene were on a backcountry hiking trip when their parents were in a fatal car accident. Over the years, they grew apart, each coping with the loss in her own way. Olivia plunged herself into law school, work, and a materialist view of the world--what you see is what you get, and that's all you get. Melanie dropped out of college and developed an online life-coaching business around her cafeteria-style spirituality--a little of this, a little of that, whatever makes you happy.

Now, at Melanie's insistence (and against Olivia's better judgment), they are embarking on a hike in the Porcupine Mountains of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. In this remote wilderness they'll face their deepest fears, question their most dearly held beliefs, and begin to see that perhaps the best way to move forward is the one way they had never considered.

Michigan Notable Book Award winner Erin Bartels draws from personal experience hiking backcountry trails with her sister to bring you a story about the complexities of grief, faith, and sisterhood. 

My Review:

    Olivia and Melanie have been estranged for ten years, ever since their parents died and Olivia left town. Olivia has contributed to the estrangement by not being willing to get together and work things out, until a moment of weakness when she agrees to go hiking with Melanie.

     Olivia thrives on being in control of everything, so she plans the entire trip. Melanie seems to have a more relaxed approach and tensions fly between the two sisters when things start spiraling out of control.

      This book has the drama of sister arguments, encounters with wildlife, unexpected twists and turns, and the angst of trying to determine what to believe in. It also has beautiful descriptions of the wildlife and thought-provoking conversations. The hike ends up being a life-changing experience, but not in a way they could have imagined or planned for.  A story of redemption, dealing with grief, forgiveness, loss and acceptance, it will pull you in and make you want more.

       I really enjoyed this book, but felt like the ending was a little rushed, and it did literally leave me wanting more. I have read one other book from this author, and will read more from her in the future, she is a gifted writer.

      Thank you to Revell for the opportunity to read this book. I was not required to give a positive review but was happy to do so. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Hope

  

  I don't know if you choose a word for the year, but it is something that I have started doing. Last year (2019) my word was intentional. For me I wanted to be more intentional with being present, with my family, in my devotions, in my prayer life, with whoever I was with, I wanted to be intentional. My focus was on prayer and reading books on prayer. 

    This year (2020) my word is hope. I don't know that there could have been a more suitable word for this year. I have needed hope, the world has needed hope. So, what is hope?     

    According to the dictionary, hope is "a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen. A feeling of trust. A person or thing that my help or save someone. Grounds for believing that something good may happen."

    Other words often used in place of hope:  

anticipation, belief, expectation, faith, expectancy, gain, 

hopefulness, and security.

    My verse for the year is Isaiah 40:31-"But those who HOPE in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint."

   So, how does this work? What do I do with my word? How do I get my word?

I pray about my word for the year until I feel like God has pressed it upon me. Once I have my word I write it down in a notebook. Then I look the word up and define it, because I want to be clear on the meaning. Then I look up synonyms for that word and write them too. If I have a particular verse that I feel is "my" verse, I write that with it. Once I have done all this I am ready to do more.

In my morning quiet time, I will spend part of my quiet time each morning looking up the Scriptures with my word in it and will write it out. I use the concordance at the back of my Bible for this. It usually takes a couple of months to get all the words written in the notebook with its variations (like hopes). I also make notes of when I see that word in books that I read, on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well. It's not necessarily the most effective way of doing it, but it is how I have done it the past two years (it will be different in 2021). 

However, somewhere along the way I seemed to have forgotten my word and stopped looking for it in places once I had all the Scripture written out. What do you think happened? I started to feel hopeless. Had my circumstances changed? Not really. Had a catastrophe happened? Well, kind of with the coronavirus, but really we were safe and we were getting a lot of time together. The problem was I had shifted my focus. I was no longer looking for hope, so I wasn't finding it. I was letting the circumstances around me dictate what I was looking for (as I studied headlines, newsfeeds etc) and I started to see more chaos and hatred. This left me feeling despair and hopeless. 

The thing is, nothing had truly changed except my focus. So, what to do about it? Realizing you have a problem is the first step to solving it. I had a focus problem and I needed to refocus. I don't know if it happens to you, but we often find ourselves focusing on things that we don't want to focus on, and then don't seem to have the time or energy to put our focus where we want it. For me, setting this word, helps me to know where to keep my focus. When I set my goals for the year, I keep that word in mind. I have found my focus again, and I know what I need to do in order to keep that focus. It doesn't mean it's going to be easy, but I want to live a hope-filled life, not a hopeless life. My hope is in Christ, not this world, not my circumstances, not my family, not our money, not my church, not the government, I find my HOPE in Jesus Christ.

Do you set a focus word? How do you go about getting your word? Do you already have your word? I feel like the Lord has led me to my word for 2021, but I am going to keep praying to be sure. It is going to be challenging, which is how I am pretty sure it is my word!! I would love to hear whether you chose a word or not.

Fabulous Friday Christmas 2020

 Merry Christmas my friends. Today I choose to focus on the positives and there are quite a few! I hope that you and your loved ones are enjoying a very Merry Christmas and I would love to hear what is making this a fabulous Friday for you! We only have one more week of 2020, the end is in sight, hang in there and cherish the moments. Things that I am thankful for and making this day/week fabulous:

It's Christmas!!!

Celebrating Jesus' birth

Quiet time before anyone else was awake

Yummy food 

laughter

lots of joy today

Waiting on Kayla to wake up

The kids excitement over their gifts (can I still call them kids?!)

a friend calling to wish me Merry Christmas

lots of texts wishing us a Merry Christmas

A Chronological Bible

A Ministry Essentials Bible

 New books

new games

a new scarf

a new watch

a new mug for coffee :)

family time

family movies 

being able to get the kids things they needed for Christmas

being able to get the kids things they wanted for Christmas (books!!)

did I already say yummy food?

new book smell!!!

a nice Christmas eve service last night

being on vacation (stay-cation) 

not having anything we have to do today

Jesus still working on me

being able to relax and rest

the beauty of the Christmas tree

answered prayers

we are healthy

Seeing all my friends post pictures of snow (send some our way!)

Seeing everyone's posts about Christmas

What are you thankful/grateful for? What is making this a fabulous Friday for you?

He is reading his new Bible, nevermind he has other gifts 💗

Sorry the pictures are weird, at least they are there! Merry Christmas, again, I would love to hear what is making this a fabulous Friday for you, drop your comments below 👇

Her Every Move

 

Title: Her Every Move

Author: Kelly Irvin

Publisher: Thomas Nelson    

Genre: Christian Suspense

Release date: February 9, 2021

Synopsis:

He’s a cop trying to stop a serial bomber. And she’ll stop at nothing to clear her own name. 

Choosing His Family

 Title: Choosing His Family

Author: Jill Lynn

Publisher: Love Inspired

Series: Colorado Grooms #6

Genre: Christian Fiction

Publication date: February 1, 2021 (e-book) January 26, 2021 (paperback)

Synopsis: 

Three reasons to ask her to stay…

Will offering a helping hand open the door to forever?

Rescuing a single mom and her triplets during a snowstorm lands rancher Finn Brightwood with temporary tenants in his vacation rental. But because of his past, Finn’s reluctant to get too involved in Ivy Darling’s chaotic life. When he starts falling for the three rambunctious little girls—and Ivy—he can’t help but wish this family would stick around for good.

My Review:

I used to read the Love Inspired Stories all the time, but then I had a harder time getting a hold of them and my library didn't carry very many of them, so I stopped reading them. When the opportunity to read this book crossed my path, I jumped at it. I am so glad that I did. The cover is beautifully done, and is a great reflection of the story. Ivy is on her way across the country to move in with her parents, when an unfortunate accident lands her on the side of the road. Finn is on his way home when God nudges him to investigate tracks that look like someone ran off the road. Finn notices the woman behind the wheel, and hears lots of crying. When he opens the door he discovers three little girls crying in the backseat, triplets. From that moment on Finn and Ivy's lives are changed.

The characters are very well-developed and the story line is awesome. The story moves quickly and is filled with humor and heart melting scenes. I do not usually use "heart melting" but there is one scene, and when you get there you will know it, that literally I felt like my heart was melting. It was incredibly well-written and I could see it. 

While this is the sixth book in the series, it can be read as a stand alone. I did not read the first five books in the series, and while I would always recommend that for a series, I do not feel that I missed anything by starting with this book. 

I would recommend this sweet, quick read to anyone who loves clean fiction, with tender scenes, and light romance. This is the first book that I have read by this author, but it will not be the last.

 

Fabulous Friday 12/18/20

 This has been a long, but fast week. Can I get an amen?! 

It was very busy, but the days were long, yet it went quickly, and for that, I am thankful. 

Here are the things that I am thankful for this week and this Friday:

We are all healthy (I know this is generic, but seriously thankful)

We had a socially distanced Christmas with my sister-in-law and her family on Saturday

Was able to Zoom with my sister, niece and brother-in-law yesterday

My Christmas shopping is done

All my presents are wrapped (except the box that appears lost in the mail)

It is Friday and the end of the school semester for us, praise God!!!

Our socially distanced youth party went well Wednesday night

Making Christmas cookies with Kayla this week

Laughter (it keeps showing up because it has been rare this year)

We all four piled into my bed one night, it was sweet, precious and also so rare these days, it was a great bonding time of talking, praying and laughing

Seeing Kayla leading worship again

The opportunity to serve at the Christmas Bureau on Monday

My Christmas cards are done and mailed

Kayla got her license renewed yesterday (and they were MUCH nicer to her this time)

I have one more grade to average and then I am done with grades for this semester

Opportunities to follow a dream

Reading goals met

Some December goals accomplished

Kayla has an opportunity to make a little cash today to help with her spring semester

Elijah's BFF over yesterday (socially distant, with masks)

Laughter during our devotional last night, so unexpected

Elijah continues to grow 

Christmas cards that we've gotten in the mail this week

5 followers on my blog (a small milestone)

Hitting 25 reviews on Net Galley (another milestone)

Kayla making the Dean's List (straight A's, super proud)

Uninterrupted time in God's Word

Christmas break!!

What are you thankful for this week and what is making this Friday fabulous for you?? Would love to hear from you in the comments below.

Why we wear a mask

 

 Title: Why We Wear a Mask

Author: Lieve Snellings

Publisher: 

Series: Margot the Groundhog and Her North American Squirrel Family

Synopsis:

 They’d love for everybody to be healthy.

But a horrible virus brought them into a nightmare.

What can be done to stop the spread of this coronavirus?

My Review:

 I love this cute little story! I think masks can be scary for little children because they do not understand why some people chose to wear them. I think the author does a great job of explaining why we wear masks and what the coronavirus is. She gives the need to know in a way for our littlest ones to be able to understand. I appreciate the inclusion of different animals and the characters will be a delight to the ones reading the book. I highly recommend this book to parents and caregivers alike. It does not matter which side of the mask you are on, this book does an excellent job of explaining why people are wearing them, which will be helpful to all children.

Thank you to Net Galley and Books Go Social for the opportunity to read this book. I was not required to give a positive review, but was happy to do so. All thoughts and opinions are my own.