July 24, 2015
A Bride at Last by Melissa Jagears
Two strangers are drawn together in A Bride at Last through one woman and her child.
About A Bride at Last
Abandoned by his mail-order bride, Silas Jonesey has fought a battle to recover from a pattern of poor choices. Now his prayers have finally come true and his estranged wife has contacted him with her whereabouts.
Kate Dawson was supposed to be a mail-order bride, but upon realizing she had been deceived about her intended groom, she’s now settled into life as a schoolteacher. When the mother of a student passes away, Kate assumes she will take on care of nine-year-old Anthony – until two men suddenly show up in town, both claiming to be the boy’s father.
Silas can see Anthony loves Kate, so he enlists her help in reaching out to the boy and attempting to prove his paternity to the court. When a common interest in Anthony leads to an interest in each other and Silas and Kate begin to think they can overcome their rocky start, neither is prepared for the secrets and past hurts that have yet to come to light. Can Silas, Kate, and Anthony’s wounded souls bind them together or will all that stands between them leave them lonely forever?
My Thoughts
Whenever I read a historical novel, I always feel how shocking the norms were during these time periods especially in North America. The concept of mail-order bride can be mind blowing and the same goes for the many children that were orphaned or left to survive on their own. Kate Dawson is an incredibly strong woman for the time period she lives in. She has been hurt, taken advantage of but still manages to push ahead. Her job as a teacher helps her to protect ‘her’ children and guide them. She becomes extremely attached to Anthony who has been abused by his ‘father’.
When a new man comes to claim Anthony as his own, both Kate and Anthony are forced to struggle to put Anthony’s safety and well being first. When bribes were the norm, his fate could be decided by who has more money. It broke my heart.
When Kate and Silas begin to realize they may have feelings for each other or at least try to help each other move past their own hurts, it is heart warming. Both of them have been hurt so badly in the past, that you want to see them happy but their wounds are still so fresh!
You can find more reviews on the Litfuse Blog Tour Page. You can purchase a copy here.
Rating: 4/5
About the Author
Melissa Jagears, an ESL teacher by trade and the author of A Bride for Keeps and A Bride in Store, is a stay-at-home mother on a tiny Kansas farm with a fixer-upper house. She’s a member of ACFW and CROWN fiction marketing, and her passion is to help Christian believers mature in their faith and judge rightly. You can connect with her online and on Facebook.
Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
July 23, 2015
Balm of Gilead by Adina Senft
The third installment, Balm of Gilead, in the Healing Grace series finds our main character Sarah Yoder facing her greatest challenge yet – herself.
About Balm of Gilead
Sarah Yoder has not seen Henry Byler since he became engaged to an Englisch woman, which has been the best decision for peace of mind for her. Since Henry never joined the Church, a relationship between the two of them would be impossible. So Sarah stays busy with her family, match making for her sister-in-law and making healing tinctures and teas for her community.
When Henry seeks her out for help with his hands before it jeopardizes his career as a potter, Sarah must protect her heart and ask God for strength. Yet there is One person who can provide a truly healing balm but will it be too late?
My Thoughts
I absolutely love the way Adina writes. She builds up her story slowly and peels away the layers not too quickly and not too slowly. You are immersed in her work, her story and her characters until they become a part of your family. The same is true with Balm of Gilead.
Sarah is strong in her faith and convictions but is also kind, loving and respectful. She offers advice out of the love of her heart and faith in God. God is the centre of her life and I think this a practice so many of us forget. When we put our trust in God and put Him front and centre we live truly enriching lives. This is a lesson she tries to teach Henry without becoming too emotionally attached to him. No matter how strong her love is for him, she will never hurt Henry (with his fiancée) nor come between him and God. The lessons she teaches him are so important for everyone to follow. I know that I can step away from my religious teachings and put material things first but this was the perfect reminder that I need to always remember to put my faith in God. He will always provide, care and heal us.
While I was sad about Henry’s engagement and path away from the Church, especially as he would be perfect for Sarah, the ending really threw me off track (in a beautiful, happy way!).
Balm of Gilead is a beautiful story of love, life and God (and not in that order!). It will leave you with a sense of peace, hope and a few tears of happiness!
You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.
Rating: 5/5
About the Author
July 22, 2015
The Curiosity Keeper by Sarah Ladd
“It is not just a ruby, as you say. It is large as a quail’s egg, still untouched and unpolished. And it is rumored to either bless or curse whoever possesses it.”
About The Curiosity Keeper
Camille Iverness can take care of herself. She has done so since the day her mother abandoned her family and left Camille to run their shabby Curiosity Shop. But when a violent betrayal leaves her injured with no place to hide, Camille must allow a mysterious stranger to come to her aid.
Jonathan Gilchrist never wanted to inherit Kettering Hall. As a second son, he was content to work as the village apothecary. But when his brother’s death made him heir just as his father’s foolish decisions put the estate at risk, only the sale of a priceless possession, a ruby called the Bevoy, can save the family from ruin. But the gem has disappeared. And all trails lead to the Iverness Curiosity Shop and the beautiful shop girl who may be the answer to his many questions.
Caught at the intersection of blessings and curses, greed and deceit, these two determined souls must unite to protect what they hold dear. But when a passion that shines far brighter than any gem is ignited, they will have to decide how much they are willing to risk for their future, love, and happiness.
My Thoughts
The Curiosity Keeper is set in one of my favourite time periods and in London. This novel shares the story of a young woman, whose privileged lifestyle raised with the higher class is suddenly changed when her Mother abandons their family. She is forced to move into a rougher area with her Father and work for him in his shop. She has to learn how to support, defend and trust her instincts. Most of all she has learned that she needs to protect herself first.
When a chance meeting with a nobleman changes the course of her future, she is left unsure of what to do. Throw in a stolen ruby, rumours of corruption and thievery from her Father leave her feeling lost and alone. Does she trust the family that has hurt her in the past or this new young man?
The Curiosity Keeper is very well written with well-developed characters. The last few chapters surprised me greatly – but in a good way! It definitely was not the ending I was expecting especially not for Camille. Through some minor romance into the mix and it was the perfect read from start to finish!
You can find more reviews on the Litfuse Blog Tour page. You can purchase a copy here.
Rating: 5/5
About the Author
Sarah E. Ladd received the 2011 Genesis Award in historical romance for The Heiress of Winterwood. She is a graduate of Ball State University and has more than ten years of marketing experience. Sarah lives in Indiana with her amazing husband, sweet daughter, and spunky Golden Retriever. You can connect with her online, Twitter and Facebook.
Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
July 21, 2015
Photography Fails #WW with linky
I had quite a few items to photograph this past weekend in order to get caught up on blog posts. What I didn’t take into consideration was the effect that the weather may have on my photos! We had intense heat over the weekend and it seemed to have left a glossy, almost foggy look on all my photos (well I am blaming the weather as this has never happened to me before!). So I am taking my fails and sharing them with you today, if you have any suggestions or tips for this photographer to prevent this, I would love them to as this has never happened to me before.
Weird, right?
Well here are my two only good photos from that day that I took in the shade:
Make sure you link up below so that I can come visit you to! Have a great week!
July 21, 2015
Imaginative Play Outdoors with Dragons and Netflix
Summer is meant to be spent outside and since we have such a short summer it is even more important to get outside while we can. Especially for our kids! Playing outside and using their imaginations is important for their growth.
Putting together an outdoor play box will help encourage your children to get outside, get active and have fun!
Here are some tips to get outside and get started on creative play:
Create costumes and masks to encourage creative play. We were given these fantastic Dragons masks from Netflix to celebrate the release of the new Dragons,Race to the Edge series (which by the way is a Netflix original series!). We had so much chasing each other around the park pretending to be dragons and of course both kids had to be Toothless! But in all honesty how can you not love Toothless, he is a sweetheart!
Chalk! Sidewalk chalk never goes out of style! You can spend hours creating pictures and designs up and down the street. You can create hopscotch patterns, draw animals, create epic battles and write words (the best was when my kids made me a Welcome Home sign for after surgery!).
Picnic time! When the weather permits, pack up your lunch and head outside. There is nothing more adventurous and fun then eating outside with your children. Pack a nice big blanket, all your lunch time favourites and find a shady spot outside to get comfortable. Even if you are only sitting in your front yard, it still beats sitting inside and following your regular routine.
Visit a splash pad. Refresh yourself after an active day outdoors at your local splash pad. Some of our best afternoons have been spent at a splash pad, myself included – forget the bathing suit! Sometimes running through in your yoga pants and shirt is just way too much fun and a fantastic way to cool down.
Make sure you check out Netflix this month to catch up with Toothless in Dragons, Race to the Edge, you will not be disappointed.
How do you like to get outside and encourage creative play with your kids? Do you pretend to be characters from your favourite shows?
Disclosure: I am a Netflix StreamTeam member and receive perks associated with this affiliation. All opinions expressed are my own.