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This is the page where I will be posting my honest reviews about the Books I receive from 


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Anne of Green Gables, My Daughter, and Me

By
Lorilee Craker

About the Book
A charming and heartwarming true story for anyone who has ever longed for a place to belong.“Anne of Green Gables,” My Daughter, and Me is a witty romp through the classic novel; a visit to the magical shores of Prince Edward Island; and a poignant personal tale of love, faith, and loss.
And it all started with a simple question: “What’s an orphan?” The words from her adopted daughter, Phoebe, during a bedtime reading of Anne of Green Gables stopped Lorilee Craker in her tracks. How could Lorilee, who grew up not knowing her own birth parents, answer Phoebe’s question when she had wrestled all her life with feeling orphaned―and learned too well that not every story has a happy ending?

So Lorilee set off on a quest to find answers in the pages of the very book that started it all, determined to discover―and teach her daughter―what home, family, and belonging really mean. If you loved the poignancy of Orphan Train and the humor of Mennonite in a Little Black Dress, you will be captivated by “Anne of Green Gables,” My Daughter, and Me. It’s a beautiful memoir that deftly braids three lost girls’ stories together, speaks straight to the heart of the orphan in us all, and shows us the way home at last.

My Review
Lorilee shares her memoirs about her adopted daughter and her life, in a way where they are become a common thread all of them being orphans and wanting a place to belong. I should mention I have not read "Anne of Green Gables" and should have because the book didn't make much sense to me. At times, the book seemed like Lorilee was just ranting and other times it seems like a bit of response and feelings towards the book. I wish i could have enjoyed it more. And it does have a heartwarming tale of how being an orphan one deals with abandonment, not having a place to "belong", and looking for your "real" parents.

I would recommend this book to those who have read “Anne of Green Gables” and are a fan, otherwise the book will not make any sense.



About Author
Writing my 13th book: "Anne of Green Gables, My Daughter and Me: An Unexpected Story of Love, Faith, and Three Orphan Girls Who Find Their Way Home."
    Lorilee Craker, a native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, now resides in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where she proudly drives a minivan to hockey, gymnastics, and everywhere in between. She is the author of twelve books, including "A is for Atticus," the "New York Times" bestseller "Through the Storm" with Lynne Spears, the current CBA bestseller "My Journey to Heaven" with Marv Besteman, and the 2012 Audie Awards nominee "Money Secrets of the Amish," which she wrote and narrated. For over 17 years, Craker was a freelance entertainment writer for The Grand Rapids Press. She and her husband, Doyle, have three children, Jonah, Ezra, and Phoebe.




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Valley of Decision:

A Novel (The Carthage Chronicles)

by 

About the Book
Every choice has a consequence in the explosive conclusion to the Carthage Chronicles as Lisbeth returns to third-century Carthage for a thrilling final adventure.
Thirteen years ago, Lisbeth made an impossible decision—leave third-century Carthage and her husband Cyprian behind for good. She knew it was to protect her daughter Maggie, so Lisbeth gathered the strength to move on with her life.
All these years, Lisbeth has thrown herself into her work and raising her headstrong daughter, all to live up to the promise she made to Cyprian. But Maggie is sick of being protected. In an act of teenage rebellion Maggie decides to do what her mother can’t—secretly returning to the third century on a quest to bring her father back, leaving Lisbeth no choice but to follow.
With Maggie’s surprise arrival in Carthage, chaos ensues. She finds her grandmother on trial for murder and attempts to save her, but instead the diversion sparks a riot that nearly destroys the plagued city. Only one thing will appease the wrath of the new proconsul of Carthage: the death of the instigator.

Will Lisbeth arrive in time to save her daughter from the clutches of Rome? How can God possibly redeem such a slew of unwise decisions and deep regrets? Filled with heart-wrenching twists and riveting action, Valley of Decision brings the romantic adventure epic, The Carthage Chronicles, to an electrifying conclusion.


My Review

I am happy that this is the first book of this series!!! When I first started reading I got a bit confused....but I have ADHD and that will mess me up sometimes. Once I got into it, I was there with the characters and all the things that were going on around them....it is a romantic adventure as the description says. There are many turns when you turn the pages of this book, which keep you wanting to see what was going to happen next. The characters go through many different trials, which we can all understand. In the end I was satisfied but wanting more...

Would LOVE to read the other 2 books in this series!!!

I would recommend this book to those who enjoy a romantic adventure with many twists and turns.

Every choice has a consequence



About Lynne

If you could visit another time and place, where would you go?
I grew up on a Kansas dairy farm. Our cows didn’t travel. So neither did we. I longed for adventure. I wanted to visit exotic places and meet famous people. Imaginary trips became my escape from rural isolation.
In an instant, my mind could magically transform a tree house into a medieval castle, hay bales into a pioneer fort, or a dank root cellar into a time portal that could transport me into the ancient civilizations of the Bible.
In my make-believe world, I was bold, brave, and beautiful. The heroes were handsome and romantic. Humanity’s fate hung in the balance. Good always triumphed over evil. And in the end, I left the past in far better shape than I found it. Outlandish journeys still feed my creative soul. I love to explore Roman baths or traipse through old English castles. My mind goes crazy imagining myself living in those times.
The stories I write launch modern women into ancient adventures. If you long to step away from the ordinary, open my books, and come away with me.
Lynne Gentry has written for numerous publications. Her newest novel, Healer of Carthage, is the first in The Carthage Chronicles series. She is a professional acting coach, theater director, and playwright with several full-length musicals and a Chicago children’s theater curriculum to her credit. Lynne is an inspirational speaker and dramatic performer whose first love is spending time with family.




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Five Brides
by


About the Book
One dress, five women, a lifetime of memories.
Five single, fiercely independent women live together in a Chicago apartment in the early 1950s but rarely see one another. One Saturday afternoon, as they are serendipitously together downtown, they spy a wedding dress in a storefront window at the famous Carson, Pirie, Scott & Co. After trying it on―much to the dismay of the salesclerk and without a single boyfriend or date between the five of them―they decide to pool their money to purchase it. Can one dress forever connect five women who live together only a short time before taking their own journeys to love and whatever comes happily ever after?

My Review
These women took hold of their own lives at a time when that wasn’t always accepted. They also took hold of their friendships. They chose to love rather than compete. They chose to support rather than discourage. I loved how each of the girls work hard, even if it's different than what their parents would have done. They chose to share rather than divide. And the love they developed helped them cover the times of frustration or disappointment.
 It reads like a photo album highlighting the highs and lows of each of the women, some more than others.
Overall, this was a wonderful read. I enjoyed reading several stories wrapped into one, where each intersects to another. The bonus was almost five happy endings...almost. I also admired the idea that each woman in the story had a bump in the road to her happiness. They gave up desired location, career, and for others, the ideal happy ending
Overall, a very interesting story that shows the changing times and how women were becoming self reliant. A very good story, but it was sometimes hard to follow because of just how many characters there were to keep track of.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to read a good story!!!

About the Author
I was born and reared just outside of Savannah, Georgia. Yeah, I have a southern accent. It gets a little more southern every time I cross the Florida/Georgia state line.
If I had all the time in the world, I'd probably lie on the sofa all day and watch old movies. I usually have to get sick for something even close to that happening.
I can quote entirely too many lines from Pretty Woman (You do? You think I've got potential?). In fact, I quote lines from movies and songs so often that most people are unaware of what I'm doing. I may or may not have offended some folks. If I have...I'm sorry.
I'm an ex-nurse and a seminary graduate. I hated nursing but love God with a passion and can hardly get through a conversation without talking about our relationship! I think the Old Testament is totally FUN to read (I mean, HOW much stuff can one clan of people get in to?) and the New Testament draws me closer to Heaven. Yeah!
I'm married even though my hubby had to have his wedding band cut off due to an infected spider bite. The nurse said either that or the finger would fall off. I was going for the second option, but was alone in that. :) Now he wears it on his right hand. I can live with that. We have kids and grandkids and two absolutely adorable dogs, Hope and Poodar. 
I'm rarely still and I sleep very little. 
Life is good.

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Maggie Bright
by
Tracy Groot

About Book
England, 1940. Clare Childs knew life would change when she unexpectedly inherited the Maggie Bright―a noble fifty-two-foot yacht. In fact, she’s counting on it. But the boat harbors secrets. When a stranger arrives, searching for documents hidden onboard, Clare is pulled into a Scotland Yard investigation that could shed light on Hitler’s darkest schemes and prompt America to action.
Across the Channel, Hitler’s Blitzkrieg has the entire British army in retreat with little hope for rescue at the shallow beaches of Dunkirk. With time running out, Churchill recruits civilian watercraft to help. Hitler is attacking from land, air, and sea, and any boat that goes might not return. Yet Clare knows Maggie Bright must answer the call―piloted by an American who has refused to join the war effort until now and a detective with a very personal motive for exposing the truth.
The fate of the war hinges on this rescue. While two men join the desperate fight, a nation prays for a miracle.

Review

At times in the book it becomes too busy and hard to keep track of so many characters. Many times I had to reread a section to remember who was talking. I found this book extremely hard to read. I committed to reviewing the book, so I kept reading but I had to put it down numerous times. I never connected to the characters and had trouble following who was who. Clare was a great lead character but I would have enjoyed getting to know her even deeper especially in her spiritual life . By the end there were too many distractions to keep up with those who were important parts to the story and I never did connect with any of the characters. I was also surprised when the book ended with a secondary character wrapping up the story instead of one of the main characters. Maggie Bright didn’t start slow but it also never picked up either.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes many things going on in a book.

About Author
Tracy Groot is the critically acclaimed and Christy Award-winning author of several works of historical fiction. Her books have received starred Booklist and Publishers Weekly reviews and have been called "beautifully written" and "page-turning" by Publishers Weekly, and "gripping" with "exquisitely drawn" characters by Library Journal.
Tracy and her husband have three sons, one daughter (in-law) and live in Hudsonville, Michigan.

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by


About the Book
FBI Agent Laurel Evertson’s investigation into a scam targeting the elderly takes an unexpected twist when key evidence leads her to Morton Wilmington, a felon she arrested five years ago on her first undercover assignment. That case has haunted her since, and though she’s vowed to forget Wilmington—and what she sacrificed to put him away—he is now her best lead.
Houston Police Officer Daniel Hilton fears his grandparents may be the scammer’s next targets, and he’ll do anything to protect his family—even force interagency cooperation. But he’s quickly drawn to Laurel’s empathy and zeal and agrees to follow her lead . . . even if it means teaming up with a felon.
As the unlikely trio uncovers evidence suggesting the scam is more extensive and deadly than they imagined, both Laurel and Daniel find themselves in the crosshairs of a killer. Together they must decide if they can trust Wilmington’s claims of redemption, or if he’s leading them straight into a double cross.


My Review
This is the second book in the FBI Houston series, although Double Cross could easily be a stand-alone novel . The story behind Double Cross is good, just not as intense and fast moving as Firewall, which I have read. The action did pick up, but would have liked it much earlier.  I liked how DiAnn uses her characters to show the reader how we can overcome our flaws with the help of our faith in God which was highly encouraging. The characters were good, I especially liked Daniel’s grandmother; she was spunk. I enjoyed how she put some romance into the novel which made it very believable but not syrupy. The relationship Daniel has with his grandparents is very sweet and endearing.
She keeps you guessing who is good and who is bad and if everyone will make it out safe throughout the book. I was not able to guess the truth until DiAnn revealed it in the story.


It was a good read.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading.


Author
DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She combines unforgettable characters with unpredictable plots to create action-packed, suspense-filled novels.
Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers' Choice, and Carol award contests.
DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers; the 2015 president of the Romance Writers of America's Faith, Hope, & Love chapter; a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, and International Thriller Writers. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country. She and her husband live in sunny Houston, Texas.
DiAnn is very active online and would love to connect with readers on any of the social media platforms listed at www.diannmills.com

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ABRAHAM
By
Charles Swindoll

About Book
When we rewind history back to Abraham’s era, we encounter people who concocted false superstitions to explain the unexplainable. Powerful kings claimed to be gods, building massive pyramids to achieve immortality. Out of this mass of misunderstandings, one man emerged. The man we know today as Abraham not only claimed that one true Creator existed but also staked his entire life on this belief. Why, thousands of years later, are we still discussing the faith of this desert nomad? One of America’s most popular Bible teachers, Pastor Chuck Swindoll, answers that question and many more in this compelling and insightful biography that will inspire your own faith.

My Review

Although this is not a biography it is about Abraham. I still found the book pleasant but not as compelling of a read as I would have initially thought. I did enjoy most of the book and it does help you want to get more into the Bible….which is always a good thing…And as I always say, “Read Gods Word with prayer before reading books such as these” .  I found some of the drawbacks to be some of the conclusions he drew from the text of scripture. On occasions, I felt that he was reading into the verses and pulling out conclusions that were not specifically stated.
Still, this work can be a useful resource for someone wanting to learn more about scripture in general and the life of Abraham in particular.

I would recommend this book to anyone…it helps you draw closer to the Lord…….

I pray the Lords blessings upon you Charles, In Jesus Name Amen.

About Author
Dr. Charles R. Swindoll is senior pastor of Stonebriar Community Church, chancellor of Dallas Theological Seminary, and the Bible teacher on the internationally syndicated radio program Insight for Living. He has written more than thirty best-selling books, including STRENGTHENING YOUR GRIP, LAUGH AGAIN, THE GRACE AWAKENING, and the million-selling GREAT LIVES FROM GOD'S WORD series. Chuck and his wife, Cynthia, live in Frisco, Texas.
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