Call of a Coward- by Marcia Moston

Marcia Moston was a housewife from New Jersey. She had a husband and a daughter and was satisfied and in control of her life. Or so she thought. In this book, Marcia relates how her life suddenly changed as she, her husband and daughter embarked on a mission trip to Guatemala to run a shelter for women and orphans for a time. She writes of the work required to get there, the struggles faced while serving there and the mixed emotions about returning to the states. Then, in an unexpected twist, the story shifts to Vermont, where Marcia’s husband speaks at a small church without a pastor. Again, Marcia shares how she and her husband sought God’s direction in yet another, very different ministry endeavor. Amazing events and evidence of God’s leading ensue. While in Vermont, Marcia’s concern for those in Guatemala continues to re-surface.  She is able to use this yearning to return to the mission field to introduce the church people in Vermont to foreign mission opportunities. And eventually, Marcia is even able to take some of her new church family on a mission trip and return to the people in Guatemala.

I recently read this book as part of the Booksneeze blogger program and I hesitate to tell too much of the story, as it is so incredible to read how God led and blessed in the lives of the author and her family. It was possible to imagine myself in the author’s shoes because of the way she described the surroundings and the people, both in Guatemala and in Vermont (and a few other places, too.)  It was successful at describing life on the foreign mission field, as well as relating culture and life in a small New England town. I enjoyed reading this book, mainly because it seemed very real and honest. It was a woman sharing not only her experiences, but also her thoughts, hopes, fears, and doubts as she went through a myriad of adventures while endeavoring to follow the Lord’s will. And whereas I have not been to the foreign mission field myself, I could relate to having some of the same concerns faced by the author while attempting to determine the Lord’s will for my own life. It was an encouraging book, as God’s faithfulness was revealed time and time again. It was awesome to see the author’s deep reluctance turn to intense yearning. Very inspiring read to anyone who has had thoughts of being a missionary, or who has struggled with following the Lord’s will when it doesn’t seem like the ‘wise’ thing to do because of the sacrifice involved. 

Collen Coble's Silent Night

I just finished reading Colleen Coble’s latest work- Silent Night: A Rock Harbor Christmas Novella. It wasn’t so much a Christmas story, as it was a story that took place as the Christmas season was approaching. Bree Matthews and her search dog, Samson, were called into duty to investigate the mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of a parachuter in the nearby woods. Bree’s husband, Kade, helped out too, while trying to figure out how the events are connected to his sister, Lauri, who arrived early and unannounced for a Christmas visit. While this mystery, and another related to a missing girl played out, Bree and her husband continued to deal with the emotional aftermath of a miscarriage. There are a few other parts of the novella that I refuse to mention, as it would ruin the story for people who would like to read it for themselves.

The author packed a lot in a few pages, and while enjoyable, it was kind of disappointing to have it end so quickly. It was one of those stories that could have been written in more detail and made into a full-length novel, but it was written in such a way that I didn't feel that it was lacking anything. I recall reading the first book in the Rock Harbor series a while ago, but have not read the other 3 books that followed. Perhaps I would have been more vested in the story had I read them all, but it was still an enjoyable read. I will admit that after reading this novella, I am now interested in finding and reading the other books in this series that I have missed. I read and reviewed this book as part of the BookSneeze blogger program.

Baker's Wife

The Baker’s Wife by Erin Healy is a Christian fiction mystery novel. The title character, Audrey, is a former pastor’s wife, who near the very start of this book is a suspect in the disappearance of another woman in town, Julie. The rest of the story focuses on the mystery surrounding Julie’s disappearance, her police officer husband Jack’s suspicion of Audrey’s family, and his desperate attempts to locate her. The main backdrop in this story is the bakery owned and operated by Audrey, her former-pastor husband Geoff, and their teenage son. Another character is Diane, a woman fresh out of prison who has ties to the town and also to the missing woman.

When I selected this book as one to read and review as part of Thomas Nelson’s Book Sneeze program, I thought it would be the kind of novel I would start and not be able to put down. Unfortunately, this was not the case. For me, it was slow going at the start, and then picked up some when Audrey’s accident occurred on a foggy morning, and Julie was thought to be the victim of this wreck, but could not be located. I waded through a few more chapters, before the storyline picked up again, and then I forced myself to see it through to the end. The mystery of what had really happened to Julie kept me wondering through a good portion of the book, and there was some suspense as Jack became a loose cannon and was holding people hostage. Apart from the mystery, there were definite themes of evil and forgiveness throughout the book, among both major and minor characters. But overall, it just seemed to be missing something for me. In addition, there was a supernatural element that I didn’t particularly care for- specifically the way that Audrey seemed to physically be affected by the pain of others. Overall, it was an okay novel, but I wouldn’t whole-heartedly recommend it to anyone.

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.