Rooms - by James L. Rubart

Micah Taylor is an incredibly talented and wealthy software company owner in Seattle, or at least, that's what he is when he receives a letter from his Great Uncle Archie.  A great uncle who has been dead for several years, and whom Micah has, to his knowledge, never met.  Weirder still is that Archie has left Micah a house on the Oregon Coast, the same coast where as a child, Micah created both happy memories, and the worst memory of his life.  When he goes to Oregon to inspect the house, ostensibly to put it up for sale and to return to his life in Seattle, he finds the house to have been created to his exact taste and preferences.  He is drawn to the house, and even when strange things start to happen in the house, and his life seems to be shifting out of balance, his search for himself and God within him keep him going back and digging deeper to see what his life is meant to be.

This book was a bit strange for me; not necessarily the content - the idea of God working through a shifting house and an inexplicable timeline is not out of the realm of possibility, but it was just a tough story for me to get through.  Instead of being eager to see Micah change and grow and realize the path God had for him, I found myself irritated at Micah and his reluctance to seek the whole truth at each step.  I can't even pinpoint why the book didn't connect with me.  Maybe there were too many back and forths for the story's continuity, or maybe it felt like too many chances for Micah to pick the right one.  Micah's girlfriend Sarah confronts him with "God gives only two choices; hot and cold.  Living in a world of lukewarm gets you spit out," and yet Micah continues to waver between his two lives and separate worlds, trying to find a way to have both.

Overall, I give this book 3 stars.  I didn't find it to be a bad book, I just didn't think it a great book. Even still, we can take Micah's story as a lesson to not be lukewarm in our own lives, and to not try to live in two worlds of our own.

You can find the book and an excerpt HERE.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Today's Shadows - by Becky Melby

Heather Conrad has lost her job as an assistant to a hotel company's CEO when her boss is let go for scandalous reasons.  Choosing to spend some time house-sitting for her former boss while she gets her life plan together, Heather, instead is surprised that "house-sitting" turns into "babysitting" for 3 months while her former boss jets off to Venice.  Additionally, Heather is now responsible for helping 6-year-old Izzy settle into her new house, a task made more daunting by strangers continuing to show up too often for coincidence and by the fact that Izzy keeps getting lost in secret passages built for servants long ago.  Intertwined with the story of Heather and Izzy is the story of Maggie, a servant well-familiar with those secret passages and tiny room at the top of the stairs.  What do their stories mean to each other, and how will they intersect to tie them together?

I am not often drawn to books with half the story in the past, and half the story in the present, but this book was very well done, and I was equally invested in both Maggie's story of long-ago, and Heather and Izzy's story from today.  Although Ryan, the love-interest, initially appeared to be somewhat of a goof, as his story filled in, he became more endearing, and a good match for Heather.

I gave this book 4 stars, mostly based on the seamless joining of the disparate stories, and Heather's search for truth to where God has worked in her life.  Also, even though this book is listed as #3 in a series, there is no sense that the reader is missing anything for having not read the other two novels.  My theory from reading the other books' descriptions is that the series is linked by theme only, and not by a common character or story.  As much as I enjoyed this book, I will likely look to read the rest of the series.

You can find the author's blog HERE
You can purchase the book or read an excerpt HERE..

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

At Every Turn - by Anne Mateer

In At Every Turn, Alyce Benson has a heart for God, and when she's presented with the situation of starving children in Africa who need to hear His Word, she immediately rises to the occasion and pledges a large sum of money to the missionaries returning to serve them.  The only problem is that she had counted on her father granting her request, as he has every request before now.  When her father learns of the purpose for the money, he refuses, and Alyce is left having made a promise that she doesn't know how to fulfill.  Additionally, she has asked the people of the church to match her generous offering and can no longer count on them to assist her in raising her half.  What Alyce does have is a skill few women of her era possess, the ability to drive and to drive fast.  She and her mechanic, Webster, concoct a scheme to race incognito and to use the earnings to raise her donation amount.  But can Alyce trust Webster, who has shared very little of his past with her?  And what of her seeming suitor, Mr. Trotter?  Is he as godly and trustworthy as he seems?

I loved the idea of Alyce's character - a woman in the early 1900s going against the norm of the day and developing her own passion in a male-dominated pastime.  I loved that she wasn't interested in just going along with her mother's plans to "marry well."  Yet, the independent thinking that would develop that sort of character and hobby didn't seem to jive well with her inherent trust of Mr. Trotter and her naivete in trusting others opinions.  Her fear of gossip and scandal also seemed inconsistent with the life she wanted to live.

My favorite characters turned out to be rather minor in terms of storyline, but very important in Alyce's life.  Her grandmother, blind and mostly bedridden, was such a source of accountability to Alyce, and I loved the spiritual legacy she was passing on to Alyce.  Webster Little was a man of mystery, but his character seemed much more consistent about his hidden secrets, and the revelation of his history at the end of the book fit with what we'd been told about him.  I really enjoyed the interactions between Alyce and Webster, and was eager for them to know the truth about each other.

Alyce's determination to help the children in Africa was admirable, and her continued efforts to raise the money while simultaneously being able to hold on to it when faced with the needs of others was humorous and honest.  Her desire to serve God and to find His call for her life made her an admirable character, even while I wanted her to be stronger in the rest of her life.

I give this book 3 stars.  There were definite positives to the book, but I would have liked my main character stronger in her decisions and actions.

You can find the book HERE.
The author's website is HERE.

I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

A Wreath of Snow - by Liz Curtis Higgs

In A Wreath of Snow, Meg Campbell has returned to her family's home for Christmas, but finds her brother's bitterness and demanding nature unwelcoming, and she decides to spend the holiday alone in her cottage instead.  However, the train she is traveling on becomes unable to reach its destination, and the passengers are forced to walk back through the snow to the station they originated from.  During this time, Meg finds herself engaging a fellow male traveler and reveals some of her hurtful past in conversation, only to find out too late that the stranger knows more of her past than she realized.  Gordon hasn't meant to hurt Meg, he only means to make up for the hurt he has caused her family in his youth.  Can Meg and her family make room for his apologies and extend forgiveness?  Can Meg trust the man who made her feel comfortable spilling her own secrets when she finds he's been hiding some of his own?

Although it's a bit early to be reading holiday stories for me, this one was a good story that just happened to take place at Christmas.  Although gifts are exchanged, and the timing plays a part in the setting, it was an enjoyable read even now.  The characters were charming, and the setting was believable.  It was definitely a light, quick read that would make an enjoyable Christmas gift, or a lovely afternoon in a comfortable chair with a hot cup of tea.

The story was almost too quick for the depth of the hurt and betrayal and lies that were woven within it.  The conclusions of healing and forgiveness came too quickly to really understand the characters' journeys to the place where they could understand what had brought them there and how it had changed them.

I give this book 3 stars - a light read where many will enjoy the quick conclusion, but that, for my tastes, I would have enjoyed getting deeper into the characters' lives and transformations.

You can see Ms. Higgs discussing the book HERE.
You can read an excerpt from Chapter 1 HERE.
The author's website is HERE.

Please consider taking a minute to rate my review:


I received a copy of this book from Waterbrook Multnomah as part of their Blogging for Books program, in exchange for my honest review.

Glamorous Illusions - by Lisa Bergren

Cora Diehl knows who she is: the daughter of a hard-working farmer who has sacrificed so that she might improve her future with an education and teaching certificate.  At least, that's who she's been led to believe she is.  When her father falls ill, and the well-known copper king, Mr. Kensington, comes sweeping in to buy the farm, send her Papa for better health care, and plans to claim her as his own, albeit illegitimate, daughter, her world and everything she knows about herself gets turned upside down.  Her biological father plans to send her on a "Grand Tour" of Europe, with his three known heirs, in the common practice of the day for rich kids to see the world and find out how they fit into it.  Can Cora take this chance to find out she fits into this world she didn't know could be hers?  Will she lose Cora Diehl and become Cora Kensington, or is there another option she can't foresee?

Although this book was set in 1913, for the most part, it felt as if it could be a contemporary novel.  In a good way.  I didn't get lost wading through settings and traditions of the past, but was able to be swept up in Cora's dilemmas and emotions.  The Grand Tour, however, sounds like a fabulous tradition, and I can only wish that that were still common practice, leaving out the spoiled rich heirs and heiresses, of course.

Even though I enjoyed the story and Cora's revelations very much, there was something about it that kept me from loving it.  The abrupt ending was one; even though it is to be the first book in a series, there was no wrap-up whatsoever.  Maybe I wanted the book to be truly about Cora finding herself while seeing that her true identity lies in how God sees her, and less of it to be about the gentlemen pursuing her.  I can understand how she struggled with how her half-siblings related to her, and that was an honest part of her search for self, but it seemed odd that she'd had no love interests in her old life, and now she's suddenly surrounded by suitors.  Regardless, I still give the book 3 stars, and I will look forward to continuing the saga with the next installment.

You can find the author's website HERE. (Her children's books are fantastic, by the way!)
The publisher's site is HERE. (They list an e-book for free every week - join their list to get the notifications!)
You can buy a copy or read an excerpt HERE
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I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher, in exchange for my honest review.

The Air We Breathe - by Christa Parrish

In The Air We Breathe, Hanna is a normal 11-year-old girl, enjoying a morning of errands with her daddy, until their routine trip to the bank becomes a tragedy.  Claire also knows tragedy, having lost her children in a horrific accident, and having lost her marriage in the aftermath.  Both woman and girl feel responsible for their loss, and find some sort of connection in each other.  Can they help each other heal?  What will happen to Claire when Hanna disappears again?

When I started this book, I wasn't sure I was going to be able to finish.  The transitions between points of view of different characters, and then shifting of time between a 2002 storyline and a 2009 storyline made it difficult to feel part of the characters' lives.  As the story filled in, however, and the connections between the points of view became clearer, I became fully ensconced in the characters' lives and hopeful for their healing. I especially loved the point where Claire realized that while, all along, she'd thought that she was the one helping Hanna, she also needed Hanna to help her.

There are very dark aspects to this story, and I do not recommend it lightly without a word of caution.  What happened to Hanna, and the tragedy that Claire suffered, are enough to make you want to deadbolt your door and keep your children inside as long as you can.  But as Hanna and Claire both learned, there is no healing or growth in that, only fear.

I have a couple of minor, picky issues with some little things along the way in the story, but they're more suitable for discussing with someone else who's read it.  And they certainly did not spoil the story as a whole.  As a whole, I surprised myself by giving this book 4 stars.  There is so much depth to the characters and so much to learn from their journey to true faith and healing that I think this book will stick with me for awhile.  One specific moment from Hanna's life was especially poignant: "She asked herself sometimes why He didn't answer her prayers like that anymore, with immediacy, with clarity and theatrics.  And then she answered her own question.  She had stopped expecting Him to.  Without realizing it, [Hanna] had convinced herself she was only allowed one miracle.  She'd used up her allotment and didn't deserve any more."

I, for one, am grateful and blessed that that isn't the way God works.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

The Breath of Dawn -by Kristen Heitzmann

Breath of Dawn, by Kristen Heitzmann, is a long-awaited continuation to the story of Morgan Spencer and his family.  We met Morgan and his brother Rick in Rush of Wings, and The Still of Night, originally published 9 years ago.  This third book picks up after Morgan has lost his wife Jill, and has escaped to Rick and Noelle's cabin, once again, to heal and care for his infant daughter.  Quinn Reilly has landed in Juniper Falls after leaving the church community that effectively shunned her after she sent their "prophet," to jail for fraud and embezzlement.  Markham Wilder, the so-called prophet, is now out of jail and seeking revenge on the woman who ruined his perfect plan.  Morgan is known for solving problems, both large-scale corporate failures, and individuals who need rescued.  How far will he go to save Quinn, and will it be enough to save them both?

I was so excited to see a new release from Kristen Heitzmann, and extra excited to see that it involved some of her former characters, that I immediately re-read the Spencer brothers' stories from nine years ago so that I could brush up on the details before diving into the newest installment.  If you haven't read the previous two books, this review may contain spoilers that I find unavoidable in order to give a complete review.  Having just re-read the story of Morgan and Jill, and their love that waited 15 years to be reunited, I found it really difficult to transition immediately to Jill's death, and Morgan's interest in another woman.  Even though 2 years had passed in novel time, the story of Jill and Morgan was still so fresh to me that it was disconcerting to read a second love story for him.  As much as I loved Quinn, though, I eventually settled into the new story and wanted them to find true love and healing together.

I believe that I have read every book that Kristen Heitzmann has had published, and I find that her stories are becoming darker and darker.  This one was a continuation in that pattern, with the vengeful Markham, and the inclusion of a possibly haunted former asylum that included stories of previous patients and staff workers suffering unexplained accidents and testifying to strange occurrences.  As such, this was not my favorite of her writings, and I found myself disappointed in the content of the story.  I still loved the characters, and I was excited to have the extended Spencer family included to help complete the story.  However, I can only give this book 3 stars, based on the rough transition of Morgan's storyline, and the wish for some deeper redemptive revelations for the new characters.

On a positive note, I do think that this novel would suffice as a stand-alone novel, perhaps even better than as a conclusion to the Spencer story if you've read and loved them from the first two books.  There was enough basic information included that I don't think a new reader would feel lost, but she also did not go overboard in rehashing the details of the past.  If you're a Kristen Heitzmann fan, or looking to try a new semi-suspense, semi-romance author, I think this one's worth a read.

You can find more from the author HERE.

I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher, in exchange for my honest review.