Right Where I Belong by Krista McGee

Natalia’s about to discover her place in the world . . . and it’s not following in her father’s footsteps.

After watching her father jump from one marriage to the next, Natalia has completely written off love. And when her father divorces his third wife—the only one who has been a mother to her—Natalia is ready to write him off too.

Needing a change of scenery, Natalia leaves her home in Spain and relocates with her stepmother to sun-soaked Florida. But she didn’t realize just how far a new school, a new culture, and a new lifestyle would push her out of her comfort zone.

One of her biggest surprises comes from Brian, a pastor’s son with an adorable smile, who loves God with a sincerity that astounds Natalia. She doesn’t want to fall for him, but she can’t seem to avoid him long enough to get him out of her mind.

Love is the last thing Natalia wants. Even so, God has her right where she belongs.

Right Where I Belong by Krista McGee is a very interesting and adorable novel that kept me glued to the pages throughout. I finished the book in about one sitting. The plot line was exciting, and it contained elements of romance, humor, and helping others. The intriguing aspect of the storyline of this book is that Krista McGee crafted it after the story of Ruth and Naomi in the Bible. There were of course many differences in the story, but it was interesting to see the parallels between the story of Ruth and this novel. The narrative of the story was accounted mostly from the perspective of Natalia, but also from Brian.

The characters of this novel were my favorite part of this novel. They were realistic, well-developed, and I was able to identify with their struggles. Right Where I Belong is the third novel, following in the footsteps of First Date and Starring Me. While it is not necessary to read the other two novels before this one, I did enjoy seeing characters that I knew and loved in Right Where I belong. Addie from First Date was a mentor of sorts for Natalia, and Kara from Starring Me was also present at times. However, I really enjoyed the new characters of Natalia and Brian. They were so different yet they complemented each other well. I really enjoyed Brian's humor, his kindness, and his patience. It saddened me that he felt like he was an idiot who had no purpose at times. I had less connection to Natalia because many of our characteristics are different. She loves fashion and is too afraid to fall in love. Both Brian and Natalia struggled with what their callings were in life, for both were under pressure to choose differently than what God had called them to do with their lives. It was extremely neat to see how their paths meshed and to see their growth as Christians as they learned to trust in God alone.

Overall, I really enjoyed Right Where I Belong. The plot line was exciting and enjoyable, the characters were realistic and engaging, and the book was crafted after a well-loved story in the Bible. I would highly recommend this book and the two novels that come before it.

I received this novel for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

If We Survive by Andrew Klavan

They came on a mission of mercy, but now they’re in a fight for their lives.

High schooler Will Peterson and three friends journeyed to Central America to help rebuild a school. In a poor, secluded mountain village, they won the hearts of the local people with their energy and kindness.

But in one sudden moment, everything went horribly wrong. A revolution swept the country. Now, guns and terror are everywhere—and Americans are being targeted as the first to die.

Will and his friends have got to get out fast. But streets full of killers . . . hills patrolled by armies . . . and a jungle rife with danger stand between them and the border. Their one hope of escape lies with a veteran warrior who has lost his faith and may betray them at any moment. Their one dream is to reach freedom and safety and home.

If they can just survive.

If We Survive by Andrew Klavan was an exciting and suspenseful novel that filled with action, some romance, and mystery. The plot line flowed well and moved at a quick and exciting pace. There was a good mix of action, suspense, and a little romance as well. There were several surprising occurrences and unexpected twists that kept me glued to the pages. The story was told from the perspective of Will Peterson, and all the events were displayed along with his thoughts and feelings.

The characters of If We Survive were interesting and somewhat realistic. I liked how Palmer was initially viewed as a wicked, uncaring man but as the book progressed his true colors were revealed and his character began to improve. All of the characters were very different and each had their own unique flaws and weaknesses. However, as the story continued the characters each discovered their strengths and became heroes as they all contributed to their escape from danger. All of the characters experienced growth and development throughout the novel, and I really enjoyed watching their changes.

There some aspects of this novel that I did not like. I was not too enthusiastic about how Christianity and God were portrayed by some of the characters. I thought that some of the comments they made were untrue, and I felt let down by how the book concluded and what Will thought about God. I did appreciate the honesty that was portrayed about the harm can occur when governments intervene with other countries before they know all the facts.

Overall, I thought If We Survive was very exciting, suspenseful, and interesting and that the characters were realistic and developed over the course of the novel.

I received this novel for free in exchange for an honest review from Booksneeze.com and Thomas Nelson Publishers.

Lovelier Than Daylight by Rossyln Elliot

Susanna is a lady of principles who values family above all. Johann seems to represent all she despises . . . but appearances can be deceiving.

In 1875, Susanna Hanby is headed off to college in Westerville, Ohio, when she discovers her sister Rachel and Rachel’s children have disappeared. Susanna suspects that Rachel’s alcoholic husband knows more than he’s saying and she vows to uncover the truth.

Johann Giere is heir to a successful German-American brewery in Columbus, but longs for a career in journalism in New York City. When Johann signs on as the supplier for a new saloon in Westerville, his and Susanna’s paths cross and sparks fly. A fiery temperance crusader, Susanna despises Johann’s profession, but she cannot deny the attraction.

When Susanna learns that Rachel’s children have been indentured to orphanages in the city, she despairs that her family will be fractured forever. But Johann makes Susanna an offer she can’t refuse—pitting her passion and her principles against one another.

If she can find a way for her head and her heart to be in harmony, a future lovelier than daylight awaits her.

Lovelier than Daylight is a story of love and faith based on the Westerville Whiskey War of 1875, a dramatic real historical event featured in the 2011 documentary Prohibition by Ken Burns.

Lovelier than Daylight by Rosslyn Elliot is a well written story that was a neat mix of romance, intrigue, truth and fiction. It is the third book in the The Saddler Legacy Series, but it is not imperative that you read the other two first in order to enjoy this novel. The plot line was interesting and held my attention throughout. The plot started quickly, but then went into a lull as more background information was given about the situation and characters. However, after a few chapters I was captured by the storyline and the characters, and I read well into the night in order to finish the novel. The plot contained a good mesh of themes such as love, overcoming prejudice, suspense, and intrigue. I was completely satisfied with the ending, and I enjoyed how the novel alternated between the perspective of Susanna and Johann.

The characters were well developed, realistic, and captured my affection. Susanna was a character that had her share of both strengths and flaws. She started out extremely prejudiced against Johann and his trade, but the words of Johann, his family, and her aunt caused her to have a better understanding of what God can do with any business and any people. Johann was a truly admirable character whom I really liked. He was kind, compassionate, gentle, and he trusted God and His leading even when he felt like his heart was leading him somewhere else. The supporting characters of Will and Ann Hanby were exceptional, and I was convicted over and over by their wise words.

Overall, I truly enjoyed Lovelier than Daylight, and I would highly recommend that anyone who enjoys historical fiction/romance read the Saddler Legacy Series.

I received this novel for free from Thomas Nelson Publishers and Booksneeze.com.

A Kingsbury Collection by Karen Kingsbury

Read Chapter one here

Three Page-Turning Novels in One Volume!

Where Yesterday Lives

Ellen Barrett is a Pulitzer prize-winning journalist with an uncertain marriage, a forgotten faith, and haunting memories of her picturesque hometown and the love she left behind. The eldest of five siblings, she longs for the time, long ago, when they were a happy family. Now Ellen’s beloved father is dead, and she returns to her childhood home to make peace–with the people who still live there, with the losses and changes that time has wrought, and with the future God has set before her.

When Joy Came to Stay

Maggie Stovall is one of the golden people. She has it all together...at least on the surface. Ben Stovall is a godly husband and successful attorney. He has no idea of the darkness about to overtake his life. Amanda Joy is a child of society–abused, broken, thrown away. But her trust in God is still alive. When Joy Came to Stay is the heart-wrenching story of one woman’s descent into the shadows of depression, her husband’s search for understanding, and a precious child’s unwavering faith.

On Every Side

Faith Evans is an up-and-coming newscaster, a woman of honor and integrity who must take a stand against the one man she never imagined would be her enemy. A beloved, hundred-year-old statue of Jesus stands in a small-town park–but some say it’s a clear violation of separation of church and state that must come down. Jordan Riley is a powerful attorney fighting for human rights and against God, but still reckoning with bitter boyhood losses. Amid political intrigue, social injustice, and personal conflicts, will love be enough when the battle rages on every side?
All three of the novels in this collection by Karen Kingsbury were excellent. All three novels addressed different issues that both women and men face in their struggles in life and with their beliefs in God, but all three novels clearly portrayed the importance of prayer and having a prayer life. The plots were all rich and contained elements that were either unexpected, tear jerking, or suspenseful.

Where Yesterday Lives was an excellent novel that displayed the importance of family, forgiveness, and fidelity particularly in marriage. Ellen and her sisters Jane, Amy and Megan and her brother Aaron were realistic characters, each with an exaggerated but still realistic character flaw. Ellen was completely self focused, Jane embittered and angry, Aaron felt unable to communicate so he blew up at people, Megan used to be rebel and had abandoned her family, and Amy was overly quiet, ignored, and gave in easily to her siblings. However, despite all of these attributes that pushed the family apart, as the book progressed, it was beautiful to see them beginning to work through their issues and actually begin to understand one another. The book was written so that at points in the story events that occurred in the characters' past was revealed in order that the reader would have a better understanding as to why the characters were acting and feeling a certain way.

When Joy Came to Stay was a compelling story that revealed the pain that secrets, lies, and bad choices can have on a person's mental health and their marriage or relationships with others. Maggie had a secret that she never told her husband that caused her to start having mental issues. She had stopped, or never really started, trusting God and relying on Him for answers, and it caused her to make some not so great decisions and become severely depressed. Ben, her husband, was an excellent character who stuck by his wife in the midst of it all and went to extreme lengths to discover the truth, get his wife back, and redeem their mistakes and their relationship with God and each other. I was truly inspired by his perseverance, and I was touched and moved watching Maggie's growth and her revitalization as she revealed her story and worked through her issues with the Lord. Amanda Joy was my favorite character because she always had an overwhelming faith in God even in the midst of some truly frightening circumstances. Despite these events, she never once stopped trusting and praying to her Savior.


On Every Side was a beautiful tale of one man's battle against God even as countless people in his life were praying for Him and as God was working on his heart. Jordan was very interesting to watch as he struggled against his feelings of rejection and hatred towards God for the death of his mother and loss of his sister. Faith Evans, his old childhood sweetheart, was an inspiring character who never stopped believing in Jordan and at the same time discovered that she had begun to trust in her own abilities instead of putting her faith in God and acting out in obedience and trust. There were several other minor characters that helped pull the novel together, and it was lovely to watch the story and characters begin to connect and to see how God was working out the events in their lives for good.

Overall, I really enjoyed all three novels, and I would highly recommend this collection of novels to any Karen Kinsgbury fans or readers that want to try out a Karen Kingsbury book for the first time.

I received this collection for free from the Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review.

Girl in the Glass by Susan Meissner

“The Girl in the Glass is possibly the most beautiful book I’ve ever read. Susan Meissner lifted her book to the level of poetry at the same time she drew me in so deeply to the story that I was lost in the world she created. The story comes in three threads that twist together into a stunning, compelling, enchanting whole. I absolutely loved it.”
—Mary Connealy, author of The Kincaid Brides series

Renaissance is a word with hope infused in every letter.
Since she was a child, Meg has dreamed of taking a promised trip to Florence, Italy, and being able to finally step into the place captured in a picture at her grandmother’s house. But after her grandmother passes away and it falls to her less-than-reliable father to take her instead, Meg’s long-anticipated travel plans seem permanently on hold.

When her dad finally tells Meg to book the trip, she prays that the experience will heal the fissures left on her life by her parents’ divorce. But when Meg arrives in Florence, her father is nowhere to be found, leaving aspiring memoir-writer Sophia Borelli to introduce Meg to the rich beauty of the ancient city. Sofia claims to be one of the last surviving members of the Medici family and that a long-ago Medici princess, Nora Orsini, communicates with her from within the great masterpieces of the Italian Renaissance.

When Sophia, Meg, and Nora’s stories intersect, their lives will be indelibly changed as they each answer the question: What if renaissance isn’t just a word? What if that’s what happens when you dare to believe that what is isn’t what has to be?

 

Girl in the Glass is hands down one of the best books I have read in awhile. It was not an action packed, fast moving book by any means. But the attraction of this novel lies in its slow moving flow that matches the beauty and the timeless pull of Florence, Italy. I had the opportunity to visit Florence, Italy over a year ago, and this novel both reminds me of its beauty and makes me yearn to spend a month or more exploring this city's exquisite depth. The plot of Girl in the Glass fits beautifully into the setting of Florence. It is rich, deep, and full of surprises. There are several moments in this book are completely unexpected and add to its enchantment. The narration of this book is beautifully intertwined between the perspective of Meg as she finally experiences Florence, the story of Nora, the Medici princess, and Sophia, the 'last Medici'. The connection and flow of this story is confusing at first, but it quickly adds to the beauty and complexity of the story. There is a final level of narration that is discovered at the end of the book, but I will leave that for you to discover yourself.

 

I loved the beauty and flow of the language used in the Girl in the Glass. It was varied, descriptive, and perfectly fit the world of Florence. Here are some examples:
"Florence, my father told me long ago, is like a dance. It is more than streets and buildings and a steady river; it's a presence you feel, a rhythm you fall in step with."
"Grief is a river like the Arno, the depths of its dark bed you cannot see. To swim in it is to tire in it and sink in it and be lost forever in it."
"Heaven's rules don't just ell us what to do and what not do. They tell us what God is like. People searching for God only need to look at what God says is important. I think love is important to Him. So there are rules about it. Not to make us feel bad about how far we fall short, but to show us how wonderful the real thing is."
Florence itself is also described exquisitely. I felt like I was back in Florence, and I also discovered other places, museums, statues, etc. that I want to return to Florence to see.

The characters in the Girl in the Glass were interesting as well. I really liked Meg, Lorenzo, and Sophia. They were all very different and added their own dimension to the story. They all experienced growth during the novel, and I was very pleased to see how their stories ended. I wish the epilogue that been longer, but I was given plenty for my imagination.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story, and I am seriously considering visiting Florence again because of the Girl in the Glass.

I received this novel for free from Waterbrook Multnomah Press in exchange for an honest review.

Band of Sisters by Cathy Gohlke

Maureen O’Reilly and her younger sister flee Ireland in hope of claiming the life promised to their father over twenty years before. After surviving the rigors of Ellis Island, Maureen learns that their benefactor, Colonel Wakefield, has died. His family, refusing to own his Civil War debt, casts her out. Alone, impoverished, and in danger of deportation, Maureen connives to obtain employment in a prominent department store. But she soon discovers that the elegant facade hides a secret that threatens every vulnerable woman in the city.

Despite her family’s disapproval, Olivia Wakefield determines to honor her father’s debt but can’t find Maureen. Unexpected help comes from a local businessman, whom Olivia begins to see as more than an ally, even as she fears the secrets he’s hiding. As women begin disappearing from the store, Olivia rallies influential ladies in her circle to help Maureen take a stand against injustice and fight for the lives of their growing band of sisters. But can either woman open her heart to divine leading or the love it might bring?

Band of Sisters by Cathy Gohlke was an interesting and truly captivating story that illustrated the presence of trafficking even in the early 1900's. The plot line was engaging and moved at the perfect pace. There were chapters that moved quickly and there were also chapters that were slower and focused more on the characters' feelings and thoughts. The book had instances of suspense, mystery, romance, sadness, and joy that nicely combined to keep me emotionally engaged in the storyline. The plot followed the life events of the characters primarily, but it also had a broad enough scope to clearly portray the poor living and working conditions the Irish immigrants had in America. This allows the plight of the characters to really shine through and cause that sympathetic connection with the reader. The narration of the story alternated primarily between Maureen and Olivia, but Maureen's younger sister and one of Maureen's friends also have a couple chapters from their perspective.

The characters in this novel were excellently developed and realistic. The main characters all had their strengths and weaknesses, and their struggles to overcome their flaws was realistic and inspiring. I really liked Maureen. She was strong willed, stubborn, and unafraid to stand up for what she felt was right. I enjoyed watching her grow in her knowledge of God, her trust towards others, and her courage to fight against injustice. I had more trouble connecting with Olivia because her troubles as a wealthy woman seemed less important in comparison to Maureen's. I did admire her persistence in seeking out Maureen, her relationship with God, and her desire to do more to help the oppressed immigrant women. I especially loved her discussion of the book In His Steps and her  application of it to the proper mindset the 'band of sisters' should have -what is the Holy Spirit calling us to do? The other minor characters supported the main characters well and added a nice variety and depth to the story.

The themes of the Band of Sisters were clear and convicting. These included the importance of following God's will for your life, the reality of trafficking and slavery for women in America, and the call we have to help those who are suffering.

Overall, I really enjoyed this novel, and I would highly recommend The Band of Sisters by Cathy Gohlke.

Darkness Rising: East Salem Novel by Lis Wiehl and Pete Nelson

The evil in East Salem is no longer content to hide in the shadows. The stakes—and the darkness—are rising.

Dani Harris thought there wasn’t much left that could surprise her after serving as a forensic psychiatrist in East Salem. And Tommy Gunderson has faced few challenges in his life that he couldn’t overcome by either physical strength or his celebrity status.

But as they race to uncover what’s really happening behind the high walls of St. Adrian’s Academy, it becomes clear that supernatural forces have been at work here for generations. And now their focus is on making sure Dani and Tommy don’t interfere.

When the unseen becomes seen, faith is the only weapon strong enough to fight in a battle involving not just murder and betrayal—but angels and demons.

Darkness Rising by Lis Wiehl and Pete Nelson is the second novel in the East Salem Trilogy. Occurring only a few months after the first novel, Waking Hours, the plot line flows quickly and never stops moving. The plot is exciting, action packed, and filled with suspenseful moments.  Some important facts are revealed to the reader in the first few chapters, but the characters do not realize what is going on until near the end of the book. This causes the reader to be literally on the edge of their seat waiting to discover if the characters will unveil the truth in time. The story is told alternatively between Dani and Tommy's point of view. There are also a couple of other characters who are focused on from time to time. These changing perspectives allow the reader to have a greater understanding and wider view of the situations at hand.

The characters in Darkness Rising were interesting and had their flaws. I felt like there was less character development in this novel than in the first one. I did not learn very much that was new about Dani Harris nor Tommy Gunderson, and the new characters that entered this novel only received the merest of development. However, there were still some interesting elements of the story related to the characters, and the interactions between the characters were entertaining and added to the plot. Some of the characters did have unexpected roles or changes in the story, and other characters' flaws and strengths were made more apparent.

Darkness Rising deals significantly more with demons, demon possession, and angel-demonic warfare than the first novel did. Some of these aspects were interesting, but I was put off by many of Lis Wiehl's assumptions about spiritual warfare and how demons and angels interact with humans. I do not want to ruin the story for anyone, but there was one time in particular in this story where I completely disagree with Lis Wiehl's view on demon possession. Suffice it to say, I could not find any biblical support for that type of demon possession, and I found plenty of biblical references that indicate that it cannot occur.

Overall, I found Darkness Rising to be an incredibly interesting and nail biting read that I was glued to for several hours. My only warning would be to read it carefully and evaluate the ideas and concepts wisely from what you know.

I received this novel for free from Thomas Nelson Publishers and Booksneeze.com in exchange for an honest review.