Category: book review

June 6, 2014

The Hatmaker’s Heart #review

In The Hatmaker’s Heart by Carla Stewart, Nell Marchwold finds bliss in seeing the transformation when someone gets a glimpse in the mirror while wearing one of her creations and feels beautiful. Nell has always strived to create hats that bring out a woman’s best qualities. She knows she’s fortunate to have landed a job as an apprentice designer at the prominent Oscar Fields Millinery in New York City. Yet, when Nell’s fresh designs begin to catch on, her boss holds her back from the limelight, claiming the stammer that she has had since childhood reflects poorly on her and his salon.

But it seems that Nell’s gift won’t be hidden by Oscar’s efforts. Soon an up and coming fashion designer is seeking her out as a partner of his 1922 collection. The publicity leads to an opportunity for Nell to make hats in London for a royal wedding. There she sees her childhood friend, Quentin and an unexpected spark kindles between them. But thanks to her success, Oscar is determined to keep her. As her heart tugs in two directions, Nell must decide what she is willing to sacrifice for her dream and what her dream truly is.

Nell’s story is fantastic. A young girl, troubled from her past that has left her with a stutter is trying to make her way in America. She finds her call but is constantly put in the back by her male boss. A good reminder of how far women have come from the days when we were not allowed nor thought to be appropriate for women to run businesses. I felt for Nell and kept wanting to guide her and encourage her to stand up for herself. She has so much strength but it is kept hidden inside. A truly lovely story!

You can find more reviews on The Hatmaker’s Heart on the Litfuse blog tour here. You can purchase a copy of the book here.

Rating: 4.5/5

Carla Stewart is offering a giveaway on her blog to celebrate The Hatmaker’s Heart – you can enter here.

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

June 6, 2014

Out of the Ruins by Karen Barnett #review

In Out of the Ruins, Abby’s faith in God and her fellow men is challenged when the terrible earthquake hits 1906 San Francisco.

While her sister lies on her deathbed, Abby Fischer prays for a miracle. What Abby doesn’t expect however is for God’s answer to come in the form of the handsome Dr. Robert King, whose experimental treatment is risky at best.

As they work together toward a cure, Abby’s feelings for Robert become hopelessly entangled. Separated by the tragedy of the mighty San Francisco earthquake, their relationship suddenly takes a back seat to survival. With fires raging throughout the city, Abby fears for her life as she flees alone through burning streets. Where is God now? Will Robert find Abby even as the world burns around them? Or has their love fallen with the ruins of the city?

A wonderful story of faith and learning to trust in God. Abby is devastated by her sister’s illness. I can’t even begin to imagine how heart breaking this is for her. She blames everyone but especially God. Her faith wavers. I can’t even begin to imagine the pain and hurt she is feeling and it can be easy to see how she would blame God when we don’t understand why bad things are happening to us. The earthquake and subsequent fire that starts in San Francisco and quickly spreads is devastating. It also brings her closer to God and to her own heart. I felt connected to Abby and I love how her faith grows.

You can find more reviews on, Out of the Ruins, 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 3, 2014

A Stitch and a Prayer #review

In A Stitch and a Prayer by Eva Gibson a quilt becomes a labour of love for a lonely wife separated from her young husband.

After her fiance returns from the Klondike gold rush in 1897, Florence Harms sets about building a new life in her new marriage – even though the lingering effects of an illness have left her weak and vulnerable. The two work tirelessly to clear the land around their Northwest cabin – content with their modest life.

But a stranger comes around and Florence suddenly senses a restlessness in Will’s spirit that she had never seen before. When he leaves her with only a note that tells her he will return before their baby’s birth she is devastated and the illness that stiffens her joints returns. Counting down the days until Will walks back through her door, Florence busies herself with a Tree of Life quilt displaying a map of the farm they will call home. Doubt claws at her heart as Florence struggles to believe Will’s promise to return to her. Will her labour of love and Faith in God sustain her as she waits to see her beloved again?

A Stitch and a Prayer is a beautiful story of love, faith and community. Florence is devastated when Will leaves but has faith in him and God that he will return in time. Even when the illness ravages her body she still carries on – carrying for the baby and using the quilt to help with her faith. Her loved ones around her rally around her to protect her, to help her and to love and guide her. Her strength is unbreakable even though her body is fragile and vulnerable. I loved every moment of this story.

You can find more reviews of A Stitch and a Prayer on the Litfuse Blog tour here.

Rating: 4/5

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

June 1, 2014

Get Started Preserving #DKCanada #review

If you haven’t noticed already I am really big on learning and even more so on how to make clean foods at home for our family to enjoy. A big part of this is freezing and preserving food during their in seasons (talk about a money saver too!).

DKCanada’s Get Started Preserving was the perfect selection for me in their May Boutique. It had everything I could possibly need to start preserving and to expand my knowledge as my expertise grows. The book starts off with simple freezing and preserving techniques and then develops on this basic knowledge.

Get Started Preserving also contained numerous recipes to help get you started on preserving your own delicious jams, sauces and more! Ever since we moved into our new home I have had dreams of creating a fruit cellar full of preserved items and I am now on my way there. The book also included helpful tips, tricks as well as very specific rules to prevent contamination.

As berries become more in season and on sale more often in store, I began by freezing my first batch of raspberries! I have to say I think they turned out perfectly and will be the perfect addition in my morning smoothies.

Have you checked out the boutique yet at DKCanada? Don’t miss out on all of their fabulous sales! Check it out now.

Disclosure: I received the above featured book free of charge in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

May 29, 2014

Spider Man: Character Encyclopedia #DKCanada #MayBoutique

Our youngest son is a HUGE Spider Man fan! He loves his super heroes but there is something special about Spidey that he just loves.

Spider Man is one of the most famous super heroes and is part of the Movie Maniacs May Boutique at DKCanada. DKCanada also has up to 30% off at their Movie Maniacs May Boutique this month so if you haven’t taken advantage of this you really should!

The Spider Man Character Encyclopedia takes a closer in depth look at the famous Spider Man. The Encyclopedia contains more than 200 of Spider Man’s friends and foes as well as tons of facts on the famous Spider himself. Each profile is full facts, statistics and original comic book art!

Our son loved his character encyclopedia. He learned about the different versions of Spider Man and all his friends. Some of them were new to me but most of them I knew (which they were proud of). The comic art was incredible – I felt like I was going back in time looking at the art. He fell in love with the whole book and we are still slowly working our way through the book at bed time with him.

Disclosure: I received the above featured book free of charge in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.