Cherished

Cherished, by Kim Cash Tate, is the story of two very different women, Kelli London and Heather Anderson. Both have regrets from past sin and feel they are unworthy and undeserving of good things in life and of God’s best for them. The storyline throughout the novel revolves around the Christian music industry. Kelli used to write songs and sing, but stopped doing so years ago, because of what happened in her personal life due to poor choices. Her family is unaware of the past tragedy in Kelli’s life, but when her former boyfriend arrives back in town, and becomes involved at her church and with her family again, past events come to light and feelings re-surface. In a parallel and interwoven story, Heather is rescued from a bad situation by a man who becomes a true friend, helps her realize her need for Christ, and arranges for her to be mentored in her new walk with Christ. But complications arise when the mentor realizes that Heather is the woman who caused extreme pain for her best friend. Both Kelli and Heather have to deal with the guilt they carry and allow God to forgive and heal them. They also have to allow themselves to feel worthy of love and a second chance to be happy in life.

Cherished was the second book I’ve read by this author. This book involved some of the same characters as the previous book, but could have easily been a stand-alone novel as well. The storyline was original and engrossing. The characters were realistic, the emotions were powerful, and the message of the book was clear without being contrived. I read and reviewed this book as a BookSneeze blogger: http://booksneeze.com/blogger . I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to be challenged in their walk with Christ and their relationships with others, particularly when dealing with people who may have wronged them.

The Mountains Bow Down

The Mountains Bow Down, by Sibella Giorello is part of a series about Raleigh Harmon, an FBI Special Agent. This book has Raleigh on a cruise ship in Alaska with her mom and her aunt, for the purpose of taking a break from her work and her personal life at home in Virginia. But, right away, the wife of a movie star (who is on the ship to shoot a movie) is found dead and Raleigh refuses to believe it is suicide. She sets out to prove the woman was murdered, and much to her dismay, the assistance sent to her is in the form of another agent, Jack Stephanson. The two are forced to work together to find the killer before the ship docks and a murderer goes free. Complicating matters is the fact that Raleigh’s mom, who has a fragile mental state, doesn’t know that her daughter is an FBI agent. There is also the matter of Raleigh’s fiancé, back in Virginia, who doesn’t appreciate that Raleigh is away, that she is too busy to contact him, or that she has been drawn into working on a case with a certain other FBI agent.

Whereas this book is part of a series, it does fine as a stand-alone novel, as well. This mystery had me baffled most of the way through, which was refreshing. But, at the same time, I will admit that it was not a real page-turner for me. It seemed to start out quickly, but then progressed kind of slowly, before being resolved rather suddenly at the end. I did appreciate that it was not a predictable plot, and I also liked that there was not a resolution to the romance side of the story. It seems likely that this part of Raleigh’s life was left unresolved for the purpose of continuation in future novels. I recently read this book as part of Thomas Nelson’s Book Sneeze Blogger program (http://booksneeze.com/) and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys an intriguing mystery with a little romance thrown in.

Heart of Ice - by Lis Wiehl

I just read Heart of Ice by Lis Wiehl as part of the Book Sneeze Blogger program (http://booksneeze.com/blogger). This was another title in the Triple Threat series, wherein the stories involve three main characters who are friends and whose professional lives also intersect as they deal with various crimes. In this story, the women encounter arson, theft, fraud, and murder, all at the hands of a master manipulator- a woman who becomes part of their lives and is not as she seems. While the three try to figure out the connection between the crimes, they are unaware of how close they are to the source of the danger. Little do they realize the threat she poses to them and their families. Not only is it suspenseful, but like the previous books involving this trio of friends, there are also back stories in each of the women’s personal lives, that lend an emotional slant to the book.

This book dove right into the action, but then seemed to bog down for a few chapters, causing my interest to wane. Thankfully, I kept reading, because the storyline suddenly picked up again and drew me in once more, this time for the duration of the book, making it an overall quick read. Wiehl always does a great job with character creation, making the people in her novels incredibly realistic and believable, and this book was no exception. The three main characters encounter and deal with issues and problems in their personal lives, such as a miscarriage, weight struggles, a recovering drug addict sister, and a cancer diagnosis, all of which bring a certain depth to the overall story. The villainess was a woman easy to imagine knowing, with multiple layers and reasons for them, causing me to wonder if I could fall prey to someone like her. Whereas I enjoyed the last book in this series more, Heart of Ice is definitely worth a read for people who have enjoyed Wiehl's other books or who like realistic, suspenseful stories.

Save the Date- by Jenny B. Jones

I recently read Save the Date as part of Thomas Nelson’s Book Sneeze program (http://booksneeze.com/blogger). The story is about Lucy, a girl who grew up poor, raised by a single mother who cleaned houses for Charleston’s elite. Lucy was looked down upon by her peers all through school and suffers from low self-esteem. To make matters worse, instead of the proposal she expected, her steady, dependable boyfriend broke up with her. Two year later, the home that Lucy runs for less-fortunate girls, is in danger of closing due to lack of funding. In exchange for the financial help she needs to save the house, Lucy desperately agrees to pose as fiancée to wealthy ex-football player, Alex Sinclair, in order to help his political aspirations. Alex and Lucy are opposite in so many ways, leading to numerous complications as they deal with acting like an engaged couple, Lucy must try to fit into the world she has avoided because she felt like an outcast, while Alex strives to put his public image of spoiled playboy behind him. The two grow closer and then have to deal with the eventual reality that it is only a temporary arrangement.

Although this was the first Jenny B. Jones book I’ve read, it will most likely not be the last. This book had many humorous parts scattered throughout, but there were also numerous times when the characters’ feelings and what was in their hearts spoke to issues faced by many people. Among these was the need to let go of past hurts and feelings of inadequacy; the need to face fears and move on; and most of all, the need for forgiveness and the freedom it can provide. What began as a typical Christian romance became something deeper and quite memorable, with a few unexpected twists and revelations. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys humor and a good romance, but also welcomes the opportunity to think about some deeper, personal issues along the way.

Same Kind of Different as Me

I just finished reading Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore as part of Thomas Nelson’s BookSneeze program: http://brb.thomasnelson.com .It is an inspirational, true life account of the authors’ lives, from their early years to how their lives intersected and became intertwined. Chapters alternate between the two men’s lives; and later, when they are part of the same story, they alternate between the men’s viewpoints of the same events. Denver Moore was a black man, who grew up poor in Louisiana, where he suffered prejudice and heartbreak. Ron Hall was a white man from modest beginnings who went on to experience success as an art dealer. Denver tired of his life and hopped a train out of Louisiana, eventually ending up in Ft. Worth, Texas. Ron met his future wife Debbie while in college in Texas, and through a series of events in their marriage, they ended up in Ft. Worth, as well. The remarkable story of how Ron’s and Denver’s lives not only crossed paths, but became connected is so incredible, that I hesitate to even share any more details, for fear of ruining the experience for someone else.

It was difficult to read this book at first, as it was slow-moving and kind of confusing to follow. But I am so glad I stuck with it, as about 50 pages in, I became more interested and invested in the story and the people’s lives, and soon thereafter could not put it down until I had finished the whole book. It is a story that addresses the issues of prejudice, homelessness, faith, and forgiveness, in such a compelling and raw manner that it had me in tears. I highly recommend that everyone read this book, as it will speak to your heart and inspire you to love people unconditionally, in the same way that God loves us.