Category: Litfuse

Sometimes God’s ways are not at all what we expect and exactly what we need.

About Another Way Home

Grant and Audrey are adding grandchildren to their family left and right, but middle daughter, Danae, and her husband, Dallas Brooks, have been trying for years with no baby in sight.

Though Danae is ready to consider adoption, Dallas will not even discuss it. Despairing of ever having a family of her own, Danae decides to pour her passion and energies into volunteer work with a newly opened women’s shelter in town. Looking for a good cause to fill her lonely days, she never expects to give her heart to the hurting women she meets there. She’s finally learning to live her life with gratitude, but then heart-wrenching events on Thanksgiving weekend threaten to pull the entire Whitman clan into turmoil-and leave them all forever changed.

My Thoughts

Another Way Home is a touching, heart warming story that so many women can relate to. It touches on pregnancy, infertility and the pain that comes with this. I am one of those women. I struggled with miscarriages and infertility and it is painful, especially when you see others pregnant. You want to be happy but it is hard not to feel selfish. Deborah does a fantastic job of addressing these emotions on both sides, the side of the person dealing with infertility and the pregnant couple. She did a wonderful job showing both sides and how these emotions can affect families.

I love how adoption was tied into this story. It was a good portrayal of adoption and the love that forms from these relationships. The end shocked me in many ways (definitely not what I was expecting but in a good way). I love how Dallas and Danae grow as not only a couple but how as a part of their extended family and the relationships that are strained as they deal with infertility.

This is one of the book in the series but is great as a read alone but even better when you have read the other stories. It gives you an even more intimate view into the feelings and lives of our characters. Another Way Home will be the perfect addition to your home library!

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

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Deborah Raney’s books have won numerous awards, including the RITA, National Readers Choice Award, HOLT Medallion, and the Carol Award, and have twice been Christy Award finalists. She and her husband, Ken, recently traded small-town life in Kansas-the setting of many of Deborah’s novels—for life in the (relatively) big city of Wichita, where they enjoy gardening, antiquing, movies, and traveling to visit four children and a growing brood of grandchildren who all live much too far away.

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

Too many people, too much snow, and too little room should be a recipe for disaster in An Endless Christmas.

About An Endless Christmas

Christmas takes a very different turn when the guests of honor break up instead of announcing their engagement. Trapped with his family, they learn that love looks different from either imagined. Both in their eighties, Dodie and Wilson Binder celebrate every Christmas as if it were their last. This year, their grandson Micah is planning to ask his girlfriend, Katie, to marry him so they can celebrate with the whole family. But things go very wrong when she says, “no.” Now they are stuck. Too many people, too much snow, and too little room should be a recipe for disaster. But sometimes too much is just enough. Especially when it’s Christmas.

My Thoughts

Love and romance can become complicated especially when we let our past dictate our future. Sometimes we feel like we aren’t good enough to feel love or have someone appreciate us the way they do. This is Katie. She is scared to let herself feel and receive love freely. She very much loves Micah with all her heart but is scared of how he truly feels or if he will leave her. This is what guides her decision to turn down his proposal.

Instead of angering Micah or encountering a difficult situation, Katie is encompassed by his family as they try to relieve some of the awkwardness of the current situation. She is welcomed by his family as they show her the true meaning of love, family and Christmas.

A very special story, especially so close to Christmas! It was a heart warming story of love and family, trust and faith in each other. The novel was well written, engaging and witty, something you can re-read over and over again.

You can find more reviews on the Litfuse Blog Tour page. You can purchase a copy of the book here.

Rating: 4.5/5

About the Author

Drawing from 33 years of on-air radio ministry, Cynthia Ruchti tells stories of hope-that-glows-in-the-dark through her novels and novellas, nonfiction books and devotionals, and speaking for women’s and writers’ events. Her books have been recognized by Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Awards, Selah Awards, the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, Christian Retailing’s BEST Awards, and Carol Award nominations, among other honors, including a Family Fiction Readers’ Choice Award. She and her plot-tweaking husband live in Pittsville, Wisconsin, not far from their three children and five grandchildren.

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

Would you be willing to fight for your dreams? In War for the Waking World, the Dreamtreaders must do this.

About War for the Waking World

Fifteen-year-old Archer Keaton has the ability to enter and explore his dreams. He is a Dreamtreader, one of three selected from each generation. Their mission: to protect the waking world from the Nightmare Lord who dwells beyond the Slumber Gate. But as Archer’s dreams become more dangerous and threatening, so too does his waking life.

In this fast-paced conclusion to the exciting fantasy trilogy, the dream world and the waking world bleed into each other when a rift is formed between the two. People in the real world suddenly find their waking lives resemble their wildest dreams. Now it’s up to Archer and his fellow Dreamtreaders to race to reverse the rift before too much damage is done and to battle Archer’s ex-best friend, Kara, who sits on the throne of the Nightmare Lord. Kara is building an army of her own. Will Archer be strong enough to stand against her?

My Thoughts

An extremely interesting and unique read from start to finish. This novel follows the dream and fantasy world and the interesting divide that is between them. In this novel that divide has fallen down and now it is hard to tell reality from fantasy. It is up to the Dreamtreaders to fix the rift if they can before the world collapses into fantasy.

A well written and thought out novel. While it was the conclusion of the trilogy, I did not feel lost or confused without having read the first two novels. The plot was incredible and I love the way it built up quickly and never lost momentum. The Dreamtreaders were amazing individuals who can conquer up objects at their own will (now that would be a skill I would love!). The best part – they were all young children and teens! Talk about making it great for youth to relate to and get lost in while reading. This is a novel that people of all ages will love!

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

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Wayne Thomas Batson is an American writer. He has been married to his wife, Mary Lu, for seventeen years and has four children. He currently works as a teacher at Folly Quarter Middle School teaching sixth grade English language arts and is the youngest of four children. His most recent series, Dreamtreaders published by Thomas Nelson Inc (2014), is a modern-day paranormal YA adventure dealing with the subject of dreams.

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

In A Respectable Actress, when India Hartley is accused of murder, she must uncover the deceptions of others to save herself.

About A Respectable Actress

India Hartley, a famous and beautiful actress, is now alone after her father’s death and embarks upon a tour of theaters across the South. Her first stop is Savannah’s Southern Palace. On the eve of the second night’s performance, something goes horribly wrong. Her co-star, Arthur Sterling, is shot dead on stage in front of a packed house, and India is arrested and accused of the crime.

A benefactor hires Philip Sinclair, the best—and handsomest–lawyer in Savannah to defend India. A widower, Philip is struggling to reinvent his worn-out plantation on St. Simons Island. He needs to increase his income from his law practice in order to restore Indigo Point, and hardly anything will bring him more new clients than successfully defending a famous actress on a murder charge.

Because India can’t go anywhere in town without being mobbed, Philip persuades the judge handling her case to let him take her to Indigo Point until her trial date. India is charmed by the beauty of the Georgia low country and is increasingly drawn to Philip. But a locked room that appears to be a shrine to Philip’s dead wife and the unsolved disappearance of a former slave girl raise troubling questions. Piecing together clues in an abandoned boat and a burned-out chapel, India discovers a trail of dark secrets that lead back to Philip, secrets that ultimately may hold the key to her freedom. If only he will believe her.

My Thoughts

A Respectable Actress is set in one of my favourite time periods in the South of America. It follows the story of India, who grew up in the theatre world and has herself become an actress. It is still a profession that is looked down upon, especially for women. We encounter this several times throughout the novel. Dorothy has this fantastic way of putting historical facts into the story without taking over the plot.

The way the story comes together is fascinating and keeps you guessing right to the very last second. The secrets India uncovers not only set her free but also Philip as well.

Well written, interesting and captivating, A Respectable Actress will become a quick favourite to read!

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

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

A native of west Tennessee, Dorothy Love makes her home in the Texas hill country with her husband and their golden retriever. An award-winning author of numerous young adult novels, Dorothy made her adult debut with the Hickory Ridge novels. When she isn’t busy writing or researching her next book, Love enjoys hiking, traveling, and hanging out with her husband Ron and their rambunctious golden retriever. The Loves make their home in the Texas hill country.

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

In Miracle Drug, overcoming these odds will take more than a miracle drug – it will take a miracle.

About Miracle Drug

The infection wasn’t supposed to happen, but it did. The treatment was supposed to take care of it, but it didn’t. Then Dr. Josh Pearson discovers why – his patients, including the former President of the United States, have been dosed with a different strain of the original virus, one that is universally fatal. The only chance for survival is treatment with an experimental drug, but the manufacturer might already have discarded its supply.

As if treating the President of the United States isn’t stressful enough, the situation goes from bad to worse when Rachel Moore, a nurse Josh is falling in love with, falls ill. With the nation’s eyes on him, Josh must pull off a miracle to save a man who holds a good deal of power and the woman who holds his heart.

My Thoughts

A thrilling and suspenseful novel from start to finish, Miracle Drug keeps you guessing and never really knowing what to expect right to the very end.

I want to call this a medical thriller as it was full of medical suspense; an infection that is hidden behind another infection that needs a treatment that can not be found! Talk about intense! While a medical suspense novel, it is perfect to read for any individual without a medical background. The terminology was not overwhelming but instead exciting and kept your mind reeling.

The plot line was intense throughout the whole novel, building up to a fantastic but never quite guaranteed ending. The novel is well written and thought out with nothing left out that would make it hard to follow. A definite gem from start to finish!

You can purchase a copy of the book here. You can find more reviews on the Litfuse Blog Tour Page.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Dr. Richard Mabry is a retired physician who writes “medical suspense with heart.” His novels have won multiple awards: a semifinalist for International Thriller Writers’ debut novel; finalists for the Carol Award, Inspirational Reader’s Choice Award, and Romantic Times’ Reader’s Choice Award; and both finalist and winner of the Selah Award. “Miracle Drug” is his ninth published novel. He and his wife live in Frisco, Texas.

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