Bout of Books 11 Sign Up!

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 18th and runs through Sunday, August 24th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 11 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team


-This will be my fifth time participating in this read-a-thon! I always have a blast! And since I saw that a couple of my blogging friends signed up, I decided to join in again too! :)

Review: When I Fall In Love by Susan May Warren

My Review:

5 Stars!!!

Another amazing treat of a read from Ms. Warren!

When I fall In Love is an excellent addition the Christiansen family series! After 'meeting' Grace briefly in the first two books in the series I was excited to get to know her. And it blew me away just how much I found myself relating to her, this made the story much more personal for me as I found myself learning and acknowledging a number of the same things about myself that Grace did about herself. And a certain very powerful scene inspired me to yet again recommit my life to Christ! So needless to say I loved Grace as a character (If she wasn't fictional I could totally see us being best friends!) And I also loved Max! He was a great hero, but I loved that he wasn't perfect, he had flaws and fears which we all have. This was definitely a positive which served to make him even more real and vivid as a character. It was so cool how this book was set mostly in Hawaii which is a state that I know next to nothing about so it was awesome to get some great history tidbits sprinkled through this book, and the surroundings were written so perfectly that I felt like I was there! At times this book made me laugh out loud and at others nearly made my heart break for the characters, further proof of Ms. Warren's brilliant storytelling. This was such an amazing book and I absolutely loved every moment I spent with my eyes glued to it's pages! I highly recommend this entire series! And I cannot wait to read the next book in this series. So hoping it's about my favorite member of the Christiansen clan... Casper! *Crosses Fingers*

I was honored to receive a review copy of this amazing book from Tyndale House publishers in exchange for my honest review! 

Firewall by Diann Mills

This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingFirewallTyndale House Publishers, Inc. (July 1, 2014)byDiAnn Mills



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

DiAnn Mills believes her readers should “Expect an Adventure.” She is a fiction writer who combines an adventuresome spirit with unforgettable characters to create action-packed novels. Her books have won many awards through American Christian Fiction Writers, and she is the recipient of the Inspirational Reader’s Choice award for 2005, 2007, and 2010. She was a Christy Award finalist in 2008 and a Christy winner in 2010.



DiAnn is a founding board member for American Christian Fiction Writers, a member of Inspirational Writers Alive, Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, and is the Craftsman Mentor for the Christian Writer’s Guild. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops.



DiAnn and her husband live in Houston, Texas. Visit her website or find her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/diannmills





ABOUT THE BOOK

After a whirlwind romance, Taryn Young is preparing to board a plane at Houston International Airport, bound for a dream honeymoon, when a bomb decimates the terminal. Injured but still alive, she awakens to discover her husband is missing and they’re both considered prime suspects in the attack. Further, the FBI is convinced her husband isn’t who he appears to be.




Agent Grayson Hall’s number-one priority is to catch those responsible for the day’s act of terror. All evidence is pointing to Taryn and her new husband. But his instinct tells him her pleas of innocence are genuine. Is her naiveté just for show, or could she truly be another victim of a master scheme, possibly linked to the software she recently developed for her company?




With both their lives and reputations on the line, and the media outcry for justice increasing with each passing minute, Taryn and Grayson have no choice but to trust one another . . . and pray they can uncover the truth before they become two more casualties.



If you would like to read the first chapter of Firewall, go HERE.





My Thoughts:
5 Stars!!!
This was my first time reading a book by this author so I didn't really know what to expect but the description of this book really intrigued me from the get go, and the glowing endorsements from two of my favorite authors didn't hurt either! :)
I loved this book! I've read a number of Christian romantic suspense novels and one of the things that struck me about this one was how truly unique all aspects of the storyline were! I loved both Taryn and Grayson, they were such awesome characters! Firewall hooked me at page one and didn't let me go until I reached the end of the epilogue! This book has it all, awesome suspense, sweet romance, a few heart wrenching moments, a very original plot, and a longer chain of villains than I have ever seen in a book before (BTW, I totally did not guess who the true mastermind was. Thinking about it after the fact, that person's identity probably should have been obvious to me but at the time I was totally and completely stumped!) I don't want to risk spoiling anything so I will just say that I absolutely loved Firewall from start to finish! I highly recommend it, and I look forward to reading more books by Diann Mills in the future!




I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author via CFBA in exchange for an honest review. The above is my honest opinion. All thoughts and opinions are one hundred percent my own.

Top Ten TV Shows/Movies

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke And The Bookish

 These are no particular order!

TV shows

1. The A Team

2. MACGYVER

3. Sue Thomas F.B.Eye

4. Mcleod's Daughters

5. Heartland

6. Under the Dome

And movies...

7. Tuck Everlasting

8. Courageous 

9. War Horse 

10 . Finding Faith

And because I couldn't stop there I'm adding...

11. Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken and Les Miserables (It's a tie between these two!) 

Monthly Reflections #13

In June I managed to read 8 books. June was a lot more busy than I thought it would be so I'm really happy with that!

The books I read were:

1. Full Steam Ahead by Karen Witemeyer

2. The Lady of Bolton Hill by Elizabeth Camden

3. Shenandoah Nights by Lisa Belcastro

4. Yankee in Atlanta by Jocelyn Green

5. The Guardian by Dee Henderson

6. Ten Plagues by Mary Nealy

7. It Had To Be You by Susan May Warren

8. Don't Look Back by Lynette Eason (Re-Read)


Favorite read of the month: I loved all of these books so much, I rated every single one of them five stars! So this is another month in which it's impossible for me to pick a favorite!


July is shaping up to be a pretty busy month for me but I'm hoping to get at least 7 books read. And to cut down my physical and Kindle TBR piles a bit!

Yankee in Atlanta by Jocelyn Green

This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingYankee in AtlantaRiver North(June 1, 2014)byJocelyn Green



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jocelyn Green is a child of God, wife and mom living in Cedar Falls, Iowa. She is also an award-winning journalist, author, editor and blogger. Though she has written nonfiction on a variety of topics, her name is most widely recognized for her ministry to military wives: Faith Deployed. Her passion for the military family was fueled by her own experience as a military wife, and by the dozens of interviews she has conducted with members of the military for her articles and books, Faith Deployed: Daily Encouragement for Military Wives and its sequel, Faith Deployed...Again: More Daily Encouragement for Military Wives. She is also co-author of both Stories of Faith and Courage from the War in Iraq & Afghanistan and Stories of Faith and Courage from the Home Front (forthcoming, May 2012). Her Faith Deployed Web site and Facebook page continue to provide ongoing support, encouragement and resources for military wives worldwide.



ABOUT THE BOOK

When soldier Caitlin McKae woke up in Atlanta after being wounded in battle, the Georgian doctor who treated her believed Caitlin's only secret was that she had been fighting for the Confederacy disguised as a man. In order to avoid arrest or worse, Caitlin hides her true identity and makes a new life for herself in Atlanta.
Trained as a teacher, she accepts a job as a governess to the daughter of Noah Becker, a German immigrant lawyer, who is about to enlist with the Rebel army. Then in the spring of 1864, Sherman's troops edge closer to Atlanta. Caitlin tries to escape north with the girl, but is arrested on charges of being a spy. Will honor dictate that Caitlin follow the rules, or love demand that she break them?


Id you would like to read the first chapter of Yankee in Atlanta, go HERE.





My Review:
5 Stars!!!
After reading and liking Widow of Gettysburg last year I knew I wanted to read this one (Even more so after I found out that main character shares my name!) and I am delighted to say that I loved this one even more than Widow of Gettysburg! At 400 pages this is a quite long read, but it's totally worth it! The story is amazing and epic. No it's definitely not a light read (I would recommend it for ages 16+) but it is still incredibly uplifting, when I closed this book my heart was soaring and I was sighing in happiness! One thing I loved about Yankee in Atlanta was that even though there was lovely romance, the love stories (There were two!) were really secondary to the main plot which was neat for a change! This one of those books that just when you start to think that no other crises could possibly happen to these characters, something does! I loved all the characters, except one who wasn't supposed to be liked anyway, but my favorite was probably Caitlin we not only share a name but have similar personalities as well!

I don't want to risk spoiling anything so I will just say that I absolutely loved this book, it has a spot on my list of favorite books of 2014! If you enjoy raw historical fiction set during the civil war, that is so rich and realistic you feel like you're there, Yankee in Atlanta is one you won't want to miss!

I can't wait to see what Jocelyn Green has for us next!



I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via CFBA in exchange for an honest review. The above is my honest opinion. All thoughts and opinions are one hundred percent my own.

The Lawman's Oklahoma Sweetheart by Allie Pleiter (CFBA)

This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingThe Lawman's Oklahoma SweetheartLove Inspired (June 3, 2014)
byAllie Pleiter



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Enthusiastic but slightly untidy mother of two, Allie Pleiter writes both fiction and nonfiction. An avid knitter, harp player and non-reformed chocoholic, she spends her days writing books, doing laundry, running carpools and finding new ways to avoid housework. Allie grew up in Connecticut, holds a BS in speech from Northwestern University and currently lives in suburban Chicago, Illinois. The "dare from a friend" to begin writing eight years ago has blossomed into a career that includes numerous public speaking engagements, two books on parenting; Becoming a Chief Home Officer and Facing Every Mom's Fears and now novels for Steeple Hill Books. She is the mother of two children and, most recently, a Havanese dog named Bella.






ABOUT THE BOOK

When Katrine Brinkerhoff's cabin is attacked, only sheriff Clint Thornton's heroism saves her. She owes Clint her life—and her help catching the men responsible. All she has to do is trust in Clint's plan to protect her family. But she can't let herself care too deeply, not when her past carries secrets that would drive him away. 




Infiltrating the murderous gang is a dirty job, yet Clint is determined to see it through. The brigands will face justice—and they will never harm Katrine again. Clint would give his life to keep the beautiful settler safe…but will he be willing to risk his heart? 




Bridegroom Brothers: True love awaits three siblings in the Oklahoma Land Rush




If you would like to read the first chapter of The Lawman's Oklahoma Sweetheart, go HERE.



My Review:
5 Stars!
I'm a big fan of the Love Inspired Contemporary and Suspense lines of books, I have read several of both and really enjoyed all of them. But this was my first time reading a Love Inspired Historical, and this was a new to me author so I didn't really know what to expect. But I'm very happy to say that I enjoyed every moment of this book! This book had a great cast of characters and I really liked them all. I read a lot of historical romances but so many things in this book struck me as unique, I will list a few of them. 1. The page count, at 278 pages this book was long for a Love Inspired title which really showed in the level of depth and character development the author wrote into the story, I was also impressed that even though the story does take place in a short timeframe it never felt rushed at all! 2. I don't want to give anything away but you know the secret that both the hero and heroine have that keep them apart in books like these? Well let me just say the secrets in this book were by far the most unique and original I have ever read about. Thank you to the author for her fresh take on that and not just doing the same old, same old! 3. I love it when my two favorite sub-genres (Historical and Suspense) come together in a book. The suspense aspect of this book is what drew me to it in the first place, and that part of the story was so beautifully written that I felt like I was there, loved that!

I have not read the first two books in this series, so I don't think it's necessary to read them in order.

Overall, I loved every minute of this book, it kept me turning pages and I hated to put it down. I'm so glad that I got the chance to read and review The Lawman's Oklahoma Sweetheart!

I highly recommend this book. Love Inspired really knocked my socks off with this one!


I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via CFBA in exchange for an honest review. The above is my honest opinion. All thoughts and opinions are one hundred percent my own.