Category: Litfuse

August 3, 2014

The Butterfly and the Violin by Kristy Cambron #review

In The Butterfly and the Violin a mysterious painting breathes hope and beauty into the darkest areas of Auschwitz and in the lonely hearts of Manhattan.

Manhattan art dealer, Sera James, watched her whole world fall apart at the altar two years ago and is still suffering from the event. Her desire for distraction reignites a passion for a mysterious portrait that she first saw as a child – a painting of a young violinist with piercing blue eyes.

In her search for the painting, Sera’s pat crosses with William Hanover, the grandson of a wealthy California real estate mogul who may be the key to uncovering the hidden artwork. Together they slowly unravel the story behind the painting’s subject – Australian violinist Adele Von Bron.

Considered a darling of the Austrian aristocracy, a talented violinist and the daughter of a high ranking member of the Third Reich, Adele risks everything when she begins to smuggle Jews out of Vienna. In a heartbeat her life of privilege dissolves into a world of starvation and barbed wire.

As Sera untangles the secrets behind the painting, she finds beauty in the most unlikely of places, in the grim camps of Auschwitz and in the recesses of her own battered heart.

From the moment I laid eyes on the cover of this novel and read the story line I knew it would be a gem and I was not disappointed. I fell in love with the characters of Sera and Adele – two strong young females both naive in many ways who struggle throughout the novel but grow in many ways as well. Adele’s story is humbling, saddening and hard to read through at times. It was hard to see her life change drastically especially as she believe those around her would protect her when she was doing something that was right and for the good of human kind. The friendships she forms while in the camps is strong but heartbreaking as well as she could lose them at any time. The way Sera and Adele’s lives cross is fascinating and will keep you guessing throughout the novel.

This is a rare book that you can love for years! I definitely 100% recommend picking up a copy of this book – you will cry, laugh and grow along with the characters.

You can find more reviews on the Litfuse site here. You can purchase a copy of this book here.

Rating: 5/5 (if I could give it more I would – it was that good!).

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

May 23, 2014

The Heart’s Pursuit #review

The Heart’s Pursuit written by Robin Lee Hatcher (one of my personal favourite authors!) follows the story of Silver Matlock, a bride that was left at the altar and in financial ruin. She meets Jared Newman, a bounty hunter seeking revenge for his family.

They decide to travel together despite traveling together being bad for Silver’s tarnished reputation and Jared’s secret mission for revenge. But Silver is determined to track down the rogue who had not only left her at the altar but stole the last remnants of her father’s fortune. Jared is in a hurry to hunt down the murderer who destroyed his family but Silver is too distractingly beautiful for comfort.

The two take off over the mountains, past bleak homesteads and raw mining towns, hot on the trail of two villains who took what was not theirs to take. Soon supplies dwindle, secrets emerge and suspicion leaves Silver and Jared at odds when they really need each other the most. To confront an enemy deadlier than desert rattlesnakes and rocky cliffs, Silver and Jared must learn to forgive and trust and face the question they have not dared to voice: What happens next?

I love novels set in the West during this time period – the cowboys, the farm life and the simplicity. Tie this in with the lack of law and a spirited young woman determined to regain what was stolen from her – you have a pretty fantastic book! Silver is an incredibly brave woman who goes against the norm in order to save her family after her fiance stole all their money. She teams up with a bounty hunter (which is completely unheard of!) and they set off to track down this man. I loved how their stories ended up intertwining together and how the story evolved.

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

Rating: 4.5/5

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

May 15, 2014

MOMS’ NIGHT OUT | No More “Frumpy Mommy” Challenge! ($200 Visa Card Giveaway!)

USA Today best-selling author Tricia Goyer has written the novelization to the much-anticipated movie, Moms’ Night Out.

Don’t miss this hilarious family comedy that celebrates real family life—where everything can go wrong and still turn out all right.

And, look for the companion devotional written by comedian Kerri Pomarolli, Moms’ Night Out and Other Things I Miss: Devotions To Help You Survive.

Tricia and Kerri have teamed up for the “No More Frumpy Mommy” challenge.

Moms Night Out Tricia Goyer Kerri Pomarolli

Motherhood can sometimes seem like survival of the fittest. Every day brings its own troubles, and by the end of the day, you’re spent. Between school, soccer practice, cleaning, laundry, cooking dinner, putting away dishes, and keeping your kids from going at each others’ throats, the last thing on your mind is getting away for an evening. If that’s you, you’re invited to take part in Tricia and Kerri’s No More Frumpy Mommy challenge.

Tricia and Kerri will choose 10 winners to receive a Fandango gift card to see Moms’ Night Out, as well as copies of Moms’ Night Out (the book) and Moms’ Night Out and Other Things I Miss. One grand-prize winner will receive $200 to put toward her own moms’ night out or her own moms’ night out “ride” (getting her car detailed and cleaned).

GO HERE TO JOIN THE CHALLENGE!

May 9, 2014

Surprised by Grace #review

Renowned writer, Elizabeth “Tib” Sherill, brings us her personal faith journey in Surprised by Grace – showing us God’s work in our every day life.

In Surprised by Grace, we discover how God’s love transformed her life from one of struggle to one with a clear direction. Surprised by Grace helps us find inspiration, hope and strength for our journey. Elizabeth shares stories about her own family and relationships, from her unhappy childhood to her marriage and beyond. We meet her friend Mea, her father in law who sees her for the complex person she is despite being blind. We follow her around the world and through the decades in this journey to help her find God and herself.

Surprised by Grace is a beautiful story of Elizabeth’s life that draws you right in. You feel like you are right there with Elizabeth step by step feeling her pain and her joy. She writes in a manner that you can feel her pain and her happiness. She becomes like a close friend and a confidante as she shares her personal life with us (can you imagine how hard this must be to do?!). In this book, Elizabeth brings it all. The good, the bad and the ugly. She tells life as it is and not as how we all wish it could be. It reminded me that at all times God is with us, that He loves us and is there to guide us through all. A fantastic read for all of those looking to strengthen their relationship with God.

My favourite quote from this book: “It is to God to whom and with whom we travel, and while He is the end of our journey, He is also at every stopping place.” – Elisabeth Elliot

To find more reviews on this book, check out the Litfuse blog tour page 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.

April 30, 2014

Mom Seeks God #review

Motherhood is full of joy, love, happiness but also full of challenges. Especially during those first few months of motherhood when we tend to lose all sense of ourselves not to mention our faith.

Those first few months (not to mention years!) can be the challenging not only in the home but in your faith. When you are surrounded by the happy chaos of children (not to mention the noise!) how do you spend quiet time with God if the only quiet time you get is while you are asleep? How can you demonstrate a solid spiritual life to your children if you don’t have the time to pursue one yourself?

When Julia Roller discovered that her spiritual growth had been stunted by the busyness of life with her toddler, she embarked on a year long journey through ten spiritual disciplines: prayer, submission, study, simplicity, silence, worship, fasting, service and celebration. As she focused on each discipline, she discovered practical way to observe them – even in the every day chaos of her life.

From the very first page of Mom Seeks God you could tell it was going to be great. Julia has a way of writing that makes you feel like you are speaking with your best friend. Julia shares personal stories that as mothers we can all relate to (the dreaded cold with work deadlines, feeling isolated, tired and never finding enough time for yourself let alone God). Her stories made me laugh and cry at the same time as many moments in my life I have become impatient with the last minute potty horror moments, feeling overwhelmed with deadlines and this has helped me to feel not so alone with this.

Julia also shares the wisdom of other mothers and well known authors and figures to help illustrate her points. It helps to remind me that at the end of the day we are all the same. Julia also offers excellent “non-expert” tips at the end of each chapter to help us incorporate faith in to our everyday life.

One of my favourite parts of the book was learning about the Examen. I felt like I knew a lot about my faith but this was new to me. I have been incorporating this type of prayer into my every day life and this has made a huge difference. I like the reflection of my day to see where I can find Christ in it and where did I stray away from Christ. It helped me see all the good that is in my life especially when I have had a bad day!

I really loved Mom Seeks God. It has helped me not only on a spiritual level but also on a personal level. Helping me to unwind and appreciate all the good things in my life. You can find more reviews of Mom Seeks God 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.