The Dog Who Was There

Ron Marasco has presented an interesting twist on the story of the Jesus' crucifixion in the novel The Dog Who Was There. Barley is a dog who tells his story of living near and in Jerusalem. He has loving human companions but when tragedy occurs, Barley strikes out on his own. He meets Samid, a petty thief, and his friends. He learns of their struggles to survive and their take on the teacher from Galilee. Barley's encounter with Jesus as he walks to Golgotha as well as his thoughts on what he witnesses is moving. I particularly like the twist in the story as it ends. Very unexpected!!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Litfuse Publicity Group and was under no obligation to post a review.

Parenting Do Over

Have you ever had a day that you wished you could do over? Especially when it comes to your kids? I know I do. That's one reason why I wanted to read Jonathan McKee's book If I Had a Parenting Do Over. The book is neatly laid out in chapters of seven parenting changes if you had a do-over: bonding, don't sweat the small stuff, and pressing the pause button are examples. The last chapter talks about how to apply these changes which I found to be helpful. I would recommend this book for parents of tweens and teenagers to read before their kids enter these stages.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

No Greater Love

   Melissa Ohden pulled me into her story, You Carried Me: A Daughter's Memoir, with her passion, her faith and her willingness to forgive. Most true stories are stranger than fiction and this particular story attest to this adage. Melissa had known from her earliest recollections that she was adopted but what she did not know until that fateful day at age fourteen when her older sister blurted out "At least my parents wanted me!' was that she was an abortion survivor. Melissa describes her heart ache, her depression and her pain during her journey to discover the truth about her birth and her birth parents. Have a tissue handy as you are likely to shed a few tears during this journey. This book is a definite must read for those on both sides of the abortion issue. God is in the miracle business; this book is proof of it!
I received this book free to review and give my honest opinion from Plough                                         Publishing.

A Healing God

    Lauren finds herself in Kathmandu with her sullen, withdrawn son, Ryan, and her zealous, missionary husband, Sam, who goes off for weeks at a time to teach the natives. This is their dream or is it. Author Michele Phoenix in Of Stillness and Storm explores the building tension between Lauren, her son, her husband and her past - reuniting with a childhood friend, Aidan, on Facebook. Written in first person the narrative goes back and forth between the present and the past as Lauren relates how she married Sam, came to be in Kathmandu, and her struggles. What one does not expect is the ending. It caught me by surprise. At first, I wasn't sure I liked the book but the more I read, the more the pages drew me in. I would have liked to know more of what Ryan and Sam were thinking through this story. It would make a great book discussion as there are many layers to this story.
I received this book free to review for Litfuse Publicity Group.

Come As You Are - Choose Real

This book is a journey. It is not a quick read but rather a discovery of choosing to be real in a messy world as you follow Bekah Jane Pogue in Choosing Real. Society tells us women we need to have a “House Beautiful,” be super skinny, and be the perfect mom and coworker.  But God wants us right where we are, the real us, in an authentic relationship. Pogue writes, "Truth brings freedom and cements my identity. And truth can come only from the Creator (p.114).”  The book covers topics like communication, pain, loneliness and unworthiness using many personal stories from the author’s own life. It took a while for me to get use to the author’s writing style but then I was reeled into the story. The journey to discovery of the real you and your relationship with God will take time so plan on rereading this book many times to gather all the nuggets of truth and wisdom it offers.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing in exchange for my honest review.

Christmas Angel

 A delightful book, The Angel of Forest Hill, is based on an young, Amish girl sent as a mother's helper to a West Virginia community of Old Order Amish and an unknown family. Upon her arrival, Rose Kurtz realizes all is not what she expected. Instead, the mother has passed leaving behind a newborn, two young sons, and a mourning husband, Joel. To stay as a mother's helper and being single is not appropriate so Joel's father convinces him to marry Rose. And so begins a very nontraditional, Amish marriage. Can Rose over come her shyness and let Joel know how she feels? But then she finds out the Bishop is asking for an annulment since four years have passed. Will a trip home help Rose figure out what she is to do? A beautiful, Christmas love story!
Cindy Woodsmall delivers another wonderful story.
I received this book free to review for Blogging for Books (WaterBrook).

Icy Hot

  Nancy Mehl presents a new series, Defenders of Justice, with her first book introducing the reader to U.S. Marshal Mercy Brennan. In Fatal Frost, Mercy is recuperating from being shot while on duty. She carries a lot of baggage from her past but one bright spot is that her childhood friend  remains her best friend and a cop. Her boss finds out about a plot involving one of St. Louis's powerful gangs and a powerful drug cartel who have targeted Mercy after killing her father. Not knowing who to trust, Mercy's boss sends her old partner, Mark St. Laurent, and her friend, Tally, on a mission to take Mercy out of town and hide-out to protect her. In a life and death mission, the three struggle to survive when they realize the drug cartel is on to them. This is a fast paced read that will keep the reader on the edge till the last page! The story may take place during a snow storm, but it packs some heat as Mercy realizes the role God is playing in their lives! Fans of Nancy Mehl will not be let down with her latest novel.

I received this complimentary book from Bethany House to review and give my honest opinion.