When Love Arrives by Johnnie Alexander

Johnnie Alexander has released her second book in the Misty Willow series.  When Love Arrives is a contemporary romance novel set in Ohio and tells the story of the Somers and Sullivan families. And this is Brett Somers' story.

From the Back Cover:

Dani had planned to spy on Brett--so how did she end up on a date with him? 

Dani Prescott can't believe the lie Brett Somers is trying to sell to the media. During an interview about the plane crash that killed his parents, he blamed Dani's mother. But the crash killed her as well. Vowing to restore her mother's reputation, Dani has been following Brett and taking photos, hoping to find something she can use to discredit him. But when she catches his eye instead, she quickly finds herself agreeing to a date. Brett knows this mystery girl is hiding something--but he's got his own secrets to keep. What will happen when he discovers who she really is?

My Review:
This was my first time reading one of Johnnie's books, and I was pleasantly surprised at how she could draw me into the story.  I didn't realize that this was the second book of the Misty Willow series.  Even though I haven't read the first book in this series, I was still able to jump right into the story and get a feeling about the story line.  I will say there were several times I thought that I will have to go back and read the first book to fill in some of the details.  So make sure to read them in order.  I thought the story was interesting and captivating, and I stayed up most of the night finishing this book.  It is definitely a romance story all the way through.  I liked how there was just enough of a mystery about the plane crash events and Dani Prescott's background that I was learning new things about the character throughout the story.  It kept me wondering about how everything would turn out in the end.  So if you're looking for a fun new romance book, make sure to pick up this new series by Johnnie Alexander.

You can find out more about the first book in the series, Where She Belongs, by clicking here. And head over to her main website to find out more about this author by clicking here.

***I received this complimentary novel from Revell.  I was not required to give a positive review.  All opinions are my own.

The Cautious Maiden by Dawn Crandall and Author Giveaway!

Dawn has just released her fourth book in the Everstone Chronicles called The Cautious Maiden.  This is the story we've been waiting for about Vance Everstone, the black sheep of the family.
Vance has been forever changed by the circumstances of his brother's death.  Knowing that it was his fault his brother was killed has changed him.  Of course, trying to change a bad boy image in the community seems quite daunting.  Vance has sworn off love not wanting to jump back into married life after things had gone so wrong in Europe.  He wasn't looking for love, but has stumbled upon a quest to protect an innocent girl from utter demise.
Violet Hawthorne cannot choose her family.  With her parents deceased, she only has her brother Evan left, and he is less than honorable.  When Dexter Blakely took pity on her and gave her a job at his hotel, she thought that life had taken a wonderful turn for the better. Being rescued from her brother and his disreputable brothel inn was a dream. But now her good for nothing brother has come around again. Violet isn't sure what he's planning now, but she seems to be in the middle of the troubling situation he has gotten himself into.

I thought that Dawn's book was fabulous!  This story has mystery, romance and redemption written all through it. I love how the whole story is told from Violet's point of view. It draws you into the story, and keeps you up 'till the middle of the night.  Her characters have great depth, and I liked how each of them grew throughout the situations they faced in the story. This book also includes many of the other characters you've come to love in the Everstone Chronicles. Which gives you that feeling of familiarity with the story.


So make sure to pick up this latest book and find out all about Vance and Violet's story!  If you're new to the Everstone Chronicle series, make sure to begin with book 1 as these books should be read in order so that you can understand the whole story.

Book 1: The Hesitant Heiress
Book 2: The Bound Heart
Book 3: The Captive Imposter

Visit Dawn's website by clicking here.






Giveaway!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

A Cautious Maiden Giveaway!

Dawn Crandall's newest book has just released, The Cautious Maiden. This is book 4 in her series The Everstone Chronicles.  Below you can enter to win this new book through a GoodReads giveaway. Hurry, giveaway ends on Nov. 4th.
Also, make sure to check back here to read my review of her book later this week.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Berenstain Bears Christmas Fun Sticker & Activity Book by Jan and Mike Berenstain

Look what's out in time for your Christmas shopping!  Has your family grown up reading the wonderful books by Jan and Mike Berenstain?  The Berenstain Bears has a fun new Christmas book full of activities and over 50 reusable stickers.

This book is for kids ages 4-8 years old. There are mazes, crossword puzzles, color-by-number, hidden pictures and much more all centered around the birth of Jesus. The pictures are grayed-out where the stickers are supposed to be placed making it easy for kids to figure out on their own where all the stickers should go. I'm excited to be able to put this in my child's stocking this year. It should keep them busy for quite a while. 
So, if you're looking for some great stocking stuffers this year, make sure to pick up this sticker and activity book full of fun stuff to do centered around characters that your kids love.

***I received this complimentary book from BookLook bloggers.  I was not required to give a positive review.  All opinions are my own.

Gratitude: A Prayer and Praise Coloring Journal

Look at the beautiful new prayer and praise coloring journal by Living Expression, published by Tyndale House Publishers.  This journal is filled with color from the cover and throughout various pages inside the book as well.  The coloring pages are beautiful fun designs by Jennifer Ghionzoli and will inspire your creativity.  Throughout the book there are prayers that have been adapted by Amie Carlson from 365 Pocket Prayers for Mothers by Barton-Veerman Company, Amie Carlson, and Erin Keeley Marshall. There are also verses spread throughout taken from the New Living Translation of the Bible and space to record your reflective thoughts.

I like how the cover is made of thick cardboard which makes it feel more substantial.  I love the colors.  The oranges and teals are just beautiful.  The pages are pretty thick too and should hold up to all the creative coloring and journaling you'll do in this fun book. So if you have someone in your life who is creative, this might make a great gift for them. Make sure to check it out!

Make sure to take a look at Tyndale's fun Living Expressions Collection by clicking here. 
If you'd like to see some sample pages from this gratitude journal, you can view them on Tyndale's Pinterest board.  It's also full of creative journals and pins of the new Bible Journaling craze you see going around. Head over there by clicking here.


***I received this complimentary book from Tyndale Blog Network.  I was not required to write a positive review.  All opinions are my own.

Where Hope Prevails by Janette Oke and Laurel Oke Logan

Janette Oke has teamed up with her daughter, Laurel Oke Logan, to once again venture to the Canadian West. They have released their third book in the Return to the Canadian West series, Where Hope Prevails. This series is a companion story to the popular Hallmark Channel's When Calls the Heart TV series.

Miss Elizabeth Thatcher has just returned back to Coal Valley from visiting her family out east.  She is quickly surprised by how much things have changed in the landscape as well as with the addition of some new folks in town that may prove to be hard to live with. 
Beth is also hoping that Jarrick Thornton will soon propose, but she wonders how the future will play out since he is gone on duty most of the time.  Will Beth continue to let God lead her and grow her faith?

I thought that the third book was a well written story that brought things together well.  I enjoyed the addition of a new character that brought some tension into the story and helped the main character, Elizabeth Thatcher, think through some of her thoughts concerning people who don't think quite like she does. It is easy to like those around us that act and think like us, but when confronted with an opposing view, it can be quite easy to get upset or just avoid them all together.  I think it was a good subject to address with this book and what God would have us to do in those circumstances. As always, Janette Oke and Laurel Oke Logan have written a wholesome novel with a good storyline that will peak your curiosity. 

***I have received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers.  I was not required to write a positive review.  All opinions are my own.

Download Your Free How-To Guide for Bring Your Bible to School Day

 

Our thoughts and prayers are with those who are preparing for Hurricane Matthew to hit. For students in hurricane-affected states who are facing school closures but still want to participate in Bring Your Bible to School Day, the alternate date is Thursday, October 20.

This brings about a good point: Any day can be a day you organize your friends to bring your Bibles to school together!

By signing up during the month of October for Bring Your Bible to School Day (even if you missed the official celebration), you can download a free how-to guide for teens, parents, pastors, and elementary students. It's full of helpful information that will help you organize a day to take a stand for religious freedom and bring your Bible to school with your fellow classmates.

(Sign-ups must be received by midnight (MT), Oct. 7, in order to be automatically entered into the Newsboys giveaway.)

Plus Bring Your Bible to School Comes to Adventures in Odyssey

 

Getting used to a new school isn’t easy, especially for someone as paranoid as Buddy Norman. In “A Predicament of Biblical Proportions” he envisions wacky worst-case encounters with townsfolk who seem like mobsters, snoops and fairy-tale tyrants—until he gets to know them. He’s also a little confused about Bring Your Bible to School Day. What’s it about? Should he participate? See Odyssey through Buddy’s eyes in this witty celebration of religious freedom.

Listen to this story through a two-week trial only on the Odyssey Adventure Club.

To Love a Stranger by Colleen Coble

Publisher Thomas Nelson just released a book by Colleen Coble called To Love a Stranger.  This book is from a collection called: "From the Early Works of Colleen Coble." 

Did you know that Colleen Coble has written some books that were set out in the wild west during the 1800's?  This novel takes place during the year 1868 when there were skirmishes with the Indians and the west was truly wild.  Bessie Randall lives in civilized Boston, Massachusetts. She is twenty-six years old and has still not had a proposal of marriage. Her beautiful younger sister Lenore will have no problem in that area, but the older sister must marry first.  When Lenore decides to write a stranger in Bessie's name, things begin to escalate and before Lenore knows it, she has married her sister, Bessie, off to a man named Jasper Mendenhall without Bessie even knowing.  Bessie was quite upset with her sister, but decides to honor the marriage that her name was signed to. 
Jasper Mendenhall is a soldier who is stationed at Fort Bridger in the Utah Territory. When Jasper sees Bessie get off the stagecoach, he is thoroughly confused and thinking he has been duped. Bessie looks nothing like her picture. The two of them must decide to either make this work or get the marriage annulled.  Can their distrust of each other ever be put to rest? Can Jasper love a non-beauty like Bessie?

I thought the beginning of this story was an interesting way to start the book.  Who could not be upset with a sister who had married you off to a stranger?!  It was surprising that Bessie didn't contest it more, but understandably she was at the age of being considered a spinster.  So, this could be her only chance. Once out in the Utah Territory, the story seems to be familiar in that it reads a lot like her other early series, Journey of the Heart. It was so familiar that I thought maybe I'd already read this book. That being said, it is a good, wholesome love story between two people who have to get to know each other even though they are already husband and wife.  I love that she included scripture in her story and makes that part of their journey to get to know each other.
I feel as though the plot line is lacking in creativity, and I would say this was not one of my favorites of her works.

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

Take the Bible Challenge with Odyssey Adventure Club

How much do you know about the Bible and its influence on our culture, history–and the whole world? Focus on the Family and Bring Your Bible have teamed up to create a quiz to test how much you and your kids know about the Bible. Take the quiz to find out!

Don't forget to mark your calendars to celebrate religious freedom with other students across the U.S. on October 6—Bring Your Bible to School Day! Students from kindergarten to college will be bringing their Bibles to school and sharing God with their friends in just a few short weeks. Sign up to be a part of the movement to protect religious freedom for future generations.

 

By signing up, you’ll receive a free guide with tips, downloadable posters, sticker and T-shirt designs, information on your legal rights, and other fun, interactive activities.

You’ll also be automatically entered for a chance to win a free trip for four to hear the Newsboys, an award-winning Christian music band, in Dallas!

Plus Bring Your Bible to School Comes to Adventures in Odyssey

 

Getting used to a new school isn’t easy, especially for someone as paranoid as Buddy Norman. In “A Predicament of Biblical Proportions” he envisions wacky worst-case encounters with townsfolk who seem like mobsters, snoops and fairy-tale tyrants—until he gets to know them. He’s also a little confused about Bring Your Bible to School Day. What’s it about? Should he participate? See Odyssey through Buddy’s eyes in this witty celebration of religious freedom.

Listen to this story through a two-week trial only on the Odyssey Adventure Club.