Janette Oke's newest book and Enter to win an iPad Mini!

There is another great Facebook Party coming up with Janette Oke's newest book.  I'll be posting my review on March 1st, but while you're here make sure to enter this contest!

Janette Oke's newest book, Where Courage Calls (co-written with her daughter, Laurel Oke Logan), is receiving rave reviews. It is the companion story to Hallmark Channel's TV series When Calls the Heart, set in the Canadian west.

Janette and Laurel are celebrating with an iPad Mini giveaway and a Facebook author chat party on March 4th.

One winner will receive:

• iPad Mini
• Where Courage Calls by Janette Oke and Laurel Oke Logan
• When Calls the Heart DVD

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on March 4th. Winner will be announced at the Where Courage Calls Facebook Party on March 4th. Connect with Janette and Laurel for an evening of book chat, trivia, laughter, and more!

So grab your copy of Where Courage Calls and join Janette and Laurel on the evening of March 4th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today by clicking JOIN on the event page. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 4th!

Rachel by Jill Eileen Smith

This latest book that I've read is by author Jill Eileen Smith.  Rachel is the story about Rachel, Leah and Jacob found in Genesis 29-35 and is part of the Wives of the Patriarchs series.  I guess when I think of this story, I just know the facts and have not really sat down to think through all that these sisters would of went through being married to the same man.  Maybe I really don't want to think about that....

In the book, the girls have quite a rivalry having different mothers and the firstborn needing to be married first.  It's hard to tell from Scripture what things were really like between the sisters, but we can imagine the jealousy and rivalry there must of been since they competed for having children after they were married.

The telling of this story will make you think beyond just the facts of how things were back then.  I will say, the story was hard for me to enjoy.  It's hard reading about the turmoil, strife and deceit that was going on in their family.  I'm not sure whether to completely dislike Leah or pity her. 
If you're looking for a story that will make you bring these facts to life, then consider reading this book.  I will caution that it is probably not appropriate for young teen readers as Jacob is in the tent with the women quite a bit.  Although, Jacob is married to Leah and Rachel,  I'm not sure that I would want a young teen's thinking encouraged to pursue this track of thought.

***I received this free book from Revell in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own.

Candle Bedtime Bible: Three, Five and Ten-Minute Stories by Karen Williamson, Illustrated by Christine Tappin

Looking for a new fun Bible for preschoolers?  This new Candle Bedtime Bible is for kids ages 3-5 years old.  This Bible has the stories divided by length--three, five and ten-minute stories.  The stories are on a toddler's level and the pictures are bright and colorful.  At the end of each story, the Scripture reference is included.  There are stories from both the Old and New Testaments.

Reading through the stories, I thought that the language was definitely simplified for a toddler.  A preschooler would be able to comprehend the stories and ask questions.  I liked that the stories were divided by length as there are some nights that a shorter story definitely works better.   The pictures are fun and colorful and I think that they would really draw the eye of kids.  I also liked that the scripture reference was included at the end of each story.


***I received this book free from Kregel Publications in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own.

Smitten Book Club by Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, Diann Hunt and Denise Hunter

The Smitten Book Club is the latest book in the Smitten series by Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, Diann Hunt and Denise Hunter.  Each of these ladies are terrific writers and together they have a produced a wonderful set of romantic stories.   The team will definitely feel the missing presence of Diann Hunt as she lost her battle to cancer in Nov. 2013. 

About the Book:  

Smitten is known for it's romance, but for the singles of Smitten this can be a little daunting.  Who want to see couples having fun together all over town when there isn't anyone special in your life?  When Heather discovers an old book called The Gentlewoman's Guide to Love and Courtship, she has no idea of the hidden treasure she has found.  Heather, Lia, Abby and Molly being part of a book club, begin to pass this book around the group.  All of them discover different aspects about this book that they each can admire and use in their own lives.  

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed the other Smitten novels and was looking forward to reading this book.  It really is a quick read as the stories draw you in and keep your attention.  This novel adds the twist of a little mystery surrounding the history of Smitten which I liked.  Like the other Smitten novels, this one has cute little romantic stories about each of the friends in the group and in that way, the novels are much alike.  I was a little confused when after reading the first section about Heather's story, because in Abby's story (the second section) it was like the Gentlewoman's guide was new to Abby.  In Heather's story they had talked about it and Abby was even asking to borrow the book.  I thought it would be better if Abby's story would of just picked up with her borrowing the book from Heather not acting as though she didn't know anything about it.  Other than that, I thought the story was fun, entertaining, and a good, light read for a snowy weekend.  If you're looking for a few romantic stories to read and warm your heart, then pick up this latest novel in the Smitten series!

Other books in the series are Smitten, and Secretly Smitten.

***I received this book free from BookSneeze in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own.