Revell Blog Tour - Faith and Family Reviews

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You’re Going to be Okay by Holley Gerth Book Review

Posted by Bobbie Gould on February 8, 2014
in Books, Reviews

Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.

You’re Going to be Okay is a novel that uses scripture and the encouraging words of Holley Gerth to lift women up emotionally and mentally.

Covering topics ranging from depression to feeling insecure and unworthy of love, she writes with words of love and understanding.

She acknowledges the fact that life hurts and sometimes we feel down, or that bad things do happen. And while she doesn’t attempt to sugar coat it, she writes in a way that makes you feel as though there is hope when things feel dark.

Using examples from her personal life, she makes the reader feel as though you are talking to a close friend. The scriptures that she uses are uplifting and back up everything that she says through the novel.

She also offers tips and advice that she has found helpful through her personal struggles. Some good points that she made were that we were not made to settle for anything less than joy, exercising to help lessen our stress levels, and eating better to help improve overall health.

I recommend this to anyone who is looking for encouragement, and to know and realize that they are enough and that they will be okay.

“Available February 2014 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

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Choices of the Heart

Posted by html404 on January 14, 2013
in Books, Reviews

Getting sick of my book reviews yet? Don’t worry I won’t be reading much more since spring is around the corner. 😉

Choices of the Heart by Laurie Alice Eakes is the third book in The Midwives series. It appears to be about the second generation of Book One. Once again this is an author I am familiar with and have read the other two books in the series. See my review of Book One here and Book Two here.

In Choices of the Heart, Esther Cherrett, a midwife, a healer, runs from her past when personal scandal forces her to abandon all that she loves for the sake of her loved ones. The scandal not only separates her from her family but wreaks havoc with her self-belief and her relationship with God. You’ve heard the saying that hard times either draw you closer or put a distance between you and God. Well, it’s a matter of choices, thus part of the reason for the title of the book Choices of the Heart.

I loved how more details of Esther’s healing gift were shared in this book, if you remember in Book One I complained there were not enough midwifery details. Remember I was a former midwifery student….some day….maybe.

Esther possessed a lot of strength to leave everything that was familiar to her and to start anew in a foreign place without all the necessities she was use to with her privileged upbringing.

What I didn’t like about the book is the blame put on Esther, by herself and others. Perhaps it was a reflection on the time in which the book was set but still it didn’t set well with me. Inside I was screaming, “Don’t blame her/yourself!” You know how we all can belittle ourselves into almost nothing over silly mistakes or misjudgments? That’s exactly what happened to Esther.

The romance part wasn’t as predictable yet it was. It was a typical love triangle in which Esther had to choose. I was guessing for quite a while as to who she was going to choose and Esther was tempted again to run from her troubles.

The family feud aspect of the book had me guessing too. I was rather surprised at the culprit’s identity and results of the feud.

I really liked Choices of the Heart and give it two thumbs up.

“Available January 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

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A Promise of Love

Posted by html404 on November 5, 2012
in Books, Reviews

I love children (obviously) but I don’t think my love for them would make me want to jump to their aid and marry a man I did not know and who also happened to be their father. Marriage is a life long commitment. But Ingrid did just that in A Promise to Love by Serena B. Miller. It is a heart-warming story of how a kind, loving young girl offers to marry a man named Joshua Hunter, whom she only met once. She does it for the sake of his children, and her initial attraction to him after he saved her from a difficult situation.

Ingrid and her family lived and worked on a farm, so of course I loved the farming aspect of the book because of my own interest.

I bawled like a baby at Ingrid’s child-like ways, like at the dance on page 219 and when she received her gifts. In many ways she’s unassuming, yet she was definitely working hard to capture Joshua’s attention and love. It was very easy to feel Ingrid’s emotions of pain, rejection and anger as Joshua sorted through his own issues. It was heart-wrenching at times to read the beginning account of their marriage.

I loved this story and the grit Ingrid showed and the intertwining of I Corinthians 13. This story is based on the author’s grandmother’s life, which makes is that much more compelling knowing the details are based on real events.

It was interesting how Serena interwove how prevalent abortion was in the 1800’s. So often life for wives and mothers during that time period is painted at “rosey” and hunky-dory. Women were very hard working and the struggles they faced were anything but rosey. A Promise of Love shows the struggle of one woman who had dealt with many losses in her family, which led to emotional disconnect with other people in her life. And it showed the character and strength of yet a completely different woman. It was a striking contrast to how women are usually portrayed in that time period.

A Promise of Love was a refreshing read for me and gets two thumbs up, as it is probably going to be read again and again.

“Available October 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

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Twice Promised

Posted by html404 on November 4, 2012
in Books, Reviews

The old west has always intrigued me with the pioneers traveling in wagons, leaving comfortable lives for the unknown, the mining towns and even mail-order brides. I don’t think I could have ever been a mail-order bride but I do like to read about them.

Twice Promised is a novel written by Maggie Brendan. It is about two mail order brides who travel to Central City, Colorado to meet their future husbands. They realize upon arriving they are there to meet the same man, Jess Gifford. Unbeknownst to Jess, his dear brother, Zach, corresponded with the two lovely ladies to give him a choice of wives.

The story line kept my attention only because I was interested in finding out who was going to end up with who. Other than that I’ve read far too many novels like this and quite frankly the only new thing was the chaotic unraveling of which mail order bride was going to marry Jess. I hate sounding like a broken record but the information was the same old same old.

I’ve said before that I am a bit of a prude so when the story featured the brides kissing another man other than their intended behind their intended’s backs I couldn’t help but wonder if that would really happen in the old west. I know it can happen, and even to Christians, but I think it’s rare not the norm.

I also think Maggie made the men seem weak, but that’s just my opinion.

What I loved About Twice Promised

I loved the character Granny but her meddlesome ways created some huge problems!

I loved the bear and outhouse scene. 😉

I loved Greta and Cora’s characters, strong, god-fearing women.

Overall, I liked Twice Promise but it’s not likely to be a book I pick up and read again.

“Available October 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

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A Farmer’s Daughter

Posted by html404 on October 28, 2012
in Books, Reviews

I love to bake and cook even though I don’t do much of it anymore now that I work nearly full-time – that’s what happens when you have a large family and teen girls. And in our family the boys are even learning to cook. I just put them on lunch duty for the winter. They are doing well….we just have to work on clean up! I have lots of recipe books but tend to use a recipe book my mom used and one that a dear friend wrote out for me as a shower gift. My girls love trying new recipes so I thought they would appreciate a new cookbook A Farmer’s Daughter by Dawn Stoltzfus is a book of yummy recipes from a Mennonite Kitchen.

Peanut and I chose to try French Puff Cinnamon Muffins for the purpose of this review.

They have been our breakfast for the past couple of mornings and are a yummy, albeit sugary treat. Peanut says this recipe doubles well. That’s always a requirement for a good recipe in our house as most normal recipes are too small for our family and we have to double it, sometimes tripling if we want leftovers.

French Puff Cinnamon Muffins

These melt in your mouth. They’re like donuts – without being fried. And so simple to make! Yeah!

1/2 cup white or raw sugar
1/4 cup salted butter, softened
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. baking powder
1 cup flour

Cinnamon mixture:

1/4 cup salted butter
1/2 cup white or raw sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 24 mini muffins cups. Mix sugar, butter, and cinnamon in a bowl. Stir in milk, and then mix in baking powder and flour until combined. Do not overmix. Fill prepared mini muffin cups about half full and bake until lightly golden, 18-20 minutes.

While muffins are baking, prepare the cinnamon mixture by melting butter. In a separate bowl, mix together sugar and cinnamon. When muffins are done, let cool slightly and remove from their cups, then dip each muffin completely in melted butter and roll in sugar-cinnamon mixture. Yields 18-20 mini muffins. Serve warm!

Many recipes include a little note at the bottom from Dawn, like this one:

And Another Thing…And Another Thing…The key is to put these in a mini muffin pan. They are such a fun food and when you bake them in a mini muffin pan you can eat more without feeling guilty.

A Farmer’s Daughter Review

We really liked this recipe. It was super easy to make. We didn’t make them in a mini muffin pan but they still turned out yummy. I like how Dawn includes a note at the bottom of many recipes like the one above.

We are looking forward to trying more recipes from A Farmer’s Daughter, many of which seem like spin offs of the ones we already make, like the hot cocoa recipe, even the French Cinnamon Puff recipe is very similar to a plain muffin we make with strudel topping.

All the recipes seem very straight forward requiring regular ingredients that most American families would have on hand at any given time.

One thing missing from this recipe book is photos, though I realize that many cookbooks do not include photos, I think it is nice when they do.

Two thumbs up from us!

“Available October 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

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Raising Financially Confident Kids- A Revell Blog Tour

Posted by html404 on August 11, 2012
in Books, Money & Finances

Money. Something that your child will have to manage for their entire life so why not start teaching them young? Teaching kids about money can be a long process filled this mistakes and life lessons, but a brand new book is making the process easier.

Raising Financially Confident Kids by Mary Hunt is a great book for any parent wanting to teach their kids how to manage money for the rest of their lives. This book doesn’t just teach you how to train your five year old to save, spend, and give-it also shows parents easy ways to get their teenager to manage their money wisely and to earn money without relying on mom and dad.

I loved Mary Hunt’s writing style. She is funny, yet shares her wisdom in such a way that you are never bored. I really enjoyed reading this book and gleaning tidbits from it.

There are quite a few lessons that you can learn from her stories about raising her own children as well as stories that she told about family members. I enjoyed reading about what worked and didn’t work for her family. Mary shared valuable life lessons that any parent could use in teaching their child how to manage money.

Raising Financially Confident Kids is available August 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

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The Discovery Review

Posted by html404 on April 14, 2012
in Books, Reviews

If you are looking to read an intriguing book, The Dicovery by Dan Walsh is one to read. This is a sentimental love story, fictional of course, but sweet with a hint of espionage and the lies that often come with being a spy.

I have to admit that I read all the portions written by the main character’s grandson first before I delved into “the discovery”. Not something I usually do, but for me it set the tone for the whole book.

Most of these books that I have been reviewing are not overtly preachy by any means. The Discovery is another novel that brings the main character back to God through life’s hardships. Most hardships people can relate to, however, the details of “Ben’s” story are hardly normal by any means.

I liked the sacrificial love Ben showed, as well as the lasting love and devotion of a couple in their eighties. I also liked the fact that when the grandfather knew he was dying he spoke to each member of his family about the terms of the will and what to expect; thus eliminating any money wars you often read about or see in the movies!

While the story was a bit surreal at times, it had all the elements of a good book and made me cry too. Two thumbs up from me.

“Available April 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive free products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.

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Words Spoken True

Posted by html404 on February 25, 2012
in Books, Contests

Set in 1855, Words Spoke True is about a young woman who was raised in her father’s newspaper offices in Louisville, Kentucky. Shunning cultural norm, she was a newspaper woman in a man’s world. However, due to her father’s expectations, political and financial woes he puts her in more danger than anyone ever expected. Amidst the danger and political unrest Adriane Darcy is attracted to an unconventional new editor….her father’s rival newspaper.

I really enjoyed this book. I was an entertaining, suspenseful novel with a romantic twist. It was far from your predictable romance, which you may recall I am weary of. Adriane’s romantic life is filled with more than just controversy and not what you would call a dream romance. More like a nightmare run wild, but that’s all I’m saying!

It was interesting to learn just a little about life inside the newspaper office. What is intriguing is the idea that years ago, printing stories that were true could cost not only subscribers but also your life. It makes me wonder if there is still that risk today? Do reporters focus on truth or a story that will sell? Hmmm…..

Adriane’s father seemed to have lost sight of what was important in his life when he began flirting with a politician. A politician whose wealth and position had “pull” shall we say. I just couldn’t imagine being under the thumb of someone who had the power to control what I said and did. What a scary thought.

I admired Adriane’s grit. She had courage, strength and talent, all of which she used for the good of “her” newspaper. And the loyalty shown to her and her father from their trusted employees is something to envy. Loyalty and honesty among friends are rare gifts not to be taken advantage of, but to be treasured and held like a prized possession.

Two thumbs up for Words Spoke True!

The author of this book, Ann Gabhart, is hosting a fun contest that you can check out here.

“Available February 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

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Summer of Promise Blog Tour

Posted by html404 on February 4, 2012
in Books

The next book up is Summer of Promise by Amanda Cabot and thankfully not a predictable romance! It is romance with a little intrigue thrown in. I really enjoy Amanda Cabot’s books.

Summer of Promise is set during the summer of 1885, and Abigail Harding travels from her home in Vermont to the high plains of Wyoming to visit her sister.

I liked that this novel, while based at a Fort, focused on life inside not outside on a battle field. I have never really thought much about the kind of life soldiers lead while living at a fort. This story reveals the stark contrast between the service men on the battle field and those living at the fort.

It has it’s humorous parts. On the spiritual side, the lesson that stood out to me throughout the story was the fact that knowing God’s will and following are two very different things. Patience is needed to wait for God’s leading, so this book was a very good reminder, especially as it relates to my businesses and other things going on in our life right now.

Sisterly love and devotion is another theme that was presented. I am looking forward to the second book in the series! Two thumbs up from me!

“Available January 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

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Where Wildflowers Bloom – A Revell Blog Tour

Posted by html404 on January 28, 2012
in Books

I read Where Wildflowers Bloom shortly after Christmas. It is a book in the Sisters at Heart series written by Ann Shorey.

Unfortunately my review isn’t going to give a stellar rating of this story. It was only ok. I found it a predictable, historical romance. I thought the main character, Faith Lindberg, was a bit flaky and did not make very wise choices because she was trying to run from her problems. Guess I am old enough now that I know running from problems only gives you more problems in the end!

On the other hand, I could understand Faith’s grief and wanting to run away from it because I have been there and done that. It is the realist in me, which is now on the other side of grief, that saw how useless her running away was ineffective against her healing.

I didn’t like the predictable story line. It makes for a rather bland book, in my humble opinion.

Ann Shorey is offering a giveaway that you may enter here.