Author: cvegnad

June 30, 2014

Four Weddings & a Kiss #review

Four fantastic authors come together to bring you Four Weddings & a Kiss – Margaret Brownley, Debra Clopton, Mary Connealy and Robin Lee Hatcher. Four stories intertwine when a young man questions the suitability of a potential woman.

Spitfire Sweetheart by Mary Connealy follows the story of Maizy Place – an unruly tomboy. When she causes an accident that injures her neighbour Rylan Carstens, she becomes his unlikely caregiver. Rylan has never noticed how pretty his infuriating neighbour is and he definitely never expected to fall in love.

Love Letter to the Editor by Robin Lee Hatcher is the story of Molly Everton, the outspoken daughter of the town’s newspaper owner. When her father brings in an outsider to be the editor she tries to drive him out of town. But Jack Ludgrove is not intimidated. He is resolved to change Molly’s mind about him both as an editor and as a man.

A Cowboy for Katie by Debra Clopton finds us meeting Katie Pearl, a young woman that is uninterested in men and love. What she needs is help on her ranch so she hires Treb Rayburn. Treb is a wandering cowboy looking a make a few dollars – will he help to change Katie’s mind?

In Courting Trouble by Margaret Brownley Grace Davenport is either the unluckiest woman alive or a killer. When her third husband is found dead Grace is arrested. Attorney Brock Daniels is not intersted in the case until he meets Grace. Only a miracle will prove her innocence but the joining of two lonely hearts may be their saving grace.

There is so much to love in this novel! Four fantastic authors spin tales of love, romance and mystery in a way that leaves you craving more. They give just enough to keep you hanging on the edge of the seat. The simple romances in each story will make your heart warm (who wouldn’t want a strong cowboy?!). Each story is intertwined in a unique way to show that love knows no boundaries and that we can never help who we fall in love with. Only that we should embrace love – the most precious gift of all.

You can find more reviews on the Litfuse blog tour here. You can purchase a copy of the book here.

Rating: 5/5

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

June 26, 2014

The Fragrance of Crushed Violets: Forgiving the Inexcusable #review #giveaway

Forgiveness. Why is it so hard to talk about forgiveness? I know at times I find myself slow to forgive others (and even harder to let that hurt go from my memory) and I am even slower to forgive myself. It has only been through my faith over the years and my hours spent at Church in prayer and mass that I found some understanding on the word forgiveness.

“God’s forgiveness by it’s very nature is rooted in His grace and mercy – it is something that can not be earned it is a gift” – The Fragrance of Crushed Violets

Cathy Bryant (author of A Bridge Unbroken) brings us this incredible and thought provoking companion Bible study booklet on the topic of forgiveness. Cathy examines relevant Bible scriptures to explore the meaning and understanding of forgiveness, God’s process in forgiveness and how to forgive.

Cathy examines the current understanding of forgiveness and all the emotions that can contribute and make it harder to forgive (anger, resentment, vengeance and pride) as well as the Christian meaning of forgiveness. She gives us relevant scriptures and questions to help us examine the most hurtful moments in our life that we may still be holding on to and how to release that.

“Forgiveness isn’t natural. It is supernatural” – The Fragrance of Crushed Violets

I worked my way through the guide (roughly forty pages) over a period of two weeks. Each stage has it’s own questions and suggested Bible readings. I loved how thought provoking her questions were. It really had me examining my current feelings and some resentment that I have held on to over the years without truly forgiving the individual who harmed me.

Even harder was learning to forgive myself. I used a lot of the questions in relation to myself and some poor choices I had made that only I felt were affecting my current life. Between this book, prayer and attending Church I have found a way to forgive myself. Forgiveness is a continuous act – when I feel myself building up again I find myself re-reading the guide and praying in order to re-release the hurt I hold against myself.

“To be a Christian means forgiving the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you” – C.S. Lewis

I love this guide and all the relevant life questions and readings it provides. As forgiving is a constant act and life is constantly changing this is an important guide to have around to help you work through all the difficult times.

Cathy is now giving one of you the chance to win your own digital copy of the guide. Please enter via the Rafflecopter form below and good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this guide in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

June 25, 2014

A Prayer #WW w/linky

This week’s Wordless Wednesday post is in honour of my Grandfather. He has been admitted to the hospital and is having a rough time. There are so many wonderful things that I love about him especially his drive, his patience and his willingness to do anything for his family. I remember as a child all of our weekly Sunday trips for family time at his house, his incredible vegetable garden, him leaving coins around his house for us to find and so much more. This week’s Wordless Wednesday is all about him and a prayer that he remains well and free from pain.

Link up your Wordless Wednesday post below so that I can visit you as well!

June 20, 2014

Little Champion Reader 3-Level Reading Kit

Reading is one of the most important skills we can teach our children and also one of the hardest. We want to ensure they are challenged but that they are still having fun so that they do not become discouraged. There is nothing worse then a discouraged child when it comes to reading. You want them to know that reading is important but also fun too!

The Little Champion Reader 3-Level reading kit has everything that you could possibly need to ensure a successful introduction into reading. The reading kit combines phonics, sight word memorization and whole language to help young readers get off to a great start. If you have looked into each technique they each have a wealth of advantages as well as disadvantages. The perfect part about this kit is that each one overlaps to ensure your child has the best opportunity to learn.

The kit comes in it’s own box that is easy to carry which is perfect because our eldest son wanted to help out his little brother (and siblings can be the best teachers!). It also keeps everything together so that nothing becomes lost or broken – and as a Mom to two boys this happens more often then not! The kit comes with three DVDs designed to introduce the learning session to your child at the beginning. The DVDs set up for your child what they will be learning without the pressure of being given a list of words to learn.

You then follow up those lessons from the DVD using a combination of phonics books and sight word cards. We love the books! They have beautiful, large and bright photos with an interesting story line. This is actually what sparked our eldest son’s interest to help his brother. The stories were just so funny and cute that he could not resist helping read them aloud!

If you are familiar with sight word cards (or even made your own like me) you know how easily they can be lost, ripped or ruined. These sight words cards are made from a thick material that will not easily rip and are thick and stable for little hands. I also love that they include a slide out picture to help children if they become stuck on a word.

The Little Champion Reader 3-Level reading kit is the perfect resource material to have in your home as your child begins their reading journey. It is easy to use, full of a variety of activities and extensive background research that went into the developing stage combine to bring you one of the best reading kits out there. It is also a PTPA award winner and definitely well deserved.

What did you use to help your child on their reading journey?

June 19, 2014

The Nightingale Girls Series #review

I am a huge fan of historical novels that combine facts with a fictional story. The Nightingale Girls series looked like the perfect British read for me and I could not wait to start reading it! All three books definitely lived up to my expectations and more.

In the first book of this series, The Nightingale Girls finds three very different young girls signing up as student nurses in 1986, while England is still mourning the death of George V. Dora is a tough East Ender driven by ambition but also desperate to escape her overcrowded home and abusive stepfather. Helen, the quiet one, is a mystery to her fellow nurses and avoids fun and gossip. In fact she is in the formidable shadow of her overbearing mother who dominates every aspect of her life. The third character, Millie is a rebellious aristocrat on the run from her conventional upper class life. She is doomed to clash over and over again with the terrifying Sister Hyde and to get into scrape after scrape especially where men are concerned.

Book one really brings the personalities of the characters into life. Each young lady is so different and yet so similar. Donna Douglas makes it easy to imagine the life of each class in England in this time period. I found it hard to imagine the lives of women during this era and the restraints that they were under but I also loved how each young lady was driven by something different but each one is looking to find themselves and gain independence and respect.

Book two in this series, The Nightingale sisters we are introduced to new characters but our familiar ones are still with us. The student nurses live in fear of the ward sisters whom they view as heartless and frightening with impossibly high standards. But the sisters also have troubles of their own.

Violet, the new night sister is carrying a dark secret that she refuses to let anyone know. As her mysterious life deepens, Sister Wren is determined to find out the truth. In this series, Dora is struggling with her own secrets and her heartbreak of losing Nick, the man she lost to her best friend. A new arrival on the ward brings the chance to put a smile back on her face but she finds it hard to get over Nick so easily. Millie is torn between two men but then an unexpected friendship with an elderly patient makes her question where her heart and future truly lies.

I thought it would be difficult to beat book one but the second book does not disappoint! The characters begin to grow as they grow their studying. It is incredible to watch them grow and learn but still remain true to their personalities. Violet adds quite the new twist into the story and opens up the kinder side to the Sisters that we do not always witness. I completely love the way Donna writes and pulls you right into the story and the characters lives. You feel like you are right there in the hospital learning and growing with them.

In the final book in The Nightingale series, The Nightingale Nurses find themselves in their final year of training and the most difficult and demanding part of their career. Helen is at a crossroads in her life as she battles her mother over both her love life and future career. Dora is not able to stop loving Nick who is now married to her best friend Ruby but Ruby is hiding an awful secret that could destroy her marriage and friendship. Millie is anxious for her fiance who is sent to Spain to cover the Civil War and matters on get worse when she encounters a fortune teller who delivers a sinister warning about their future.

In the final book in this series, Donna Douglas serves up so much adventure, excitement and heart break it is hard to believe she managed to do it all in one book! I can not picture any other ending then the one she delivered (even if I wished for just one more book!). The nurses find themselves in this book and develop into the young women that will go out in to the world to work, to serve and to care for others.

This series is incredible! Each book is definitely a 5++++! I could not put these books down and was literally reading non stop. If you love British novels then these are for you and if not give them a try! You may just be surprised.

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of these books in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my won.