Book Review - "Claudia: Wife of Pontius Pilate"

"Claudia: Wife of Pontius Pilate," a novel written by Diana Wallis Taylor, tells the story of a Biblical character who is not well-known, but plays an important role.  Claudia grew up in a guarded villa as a child and has been sheltered her whole live.  Suddenly at the age of sixteen Claudia finds herself being given to Pontius Pilate to be his wife.  In the midst of turmoil and controversy Claudia finds who she is and whom her heart really loves. 
The author does a wonderful job of bringing this time period alive, complete with the setting, customs and culture as well as historical events.  I find Claudia to be a fascinating and admirable character.  I really enjoyed reading about her and the relationship between her and Pontius Pilate as they grew to love each other.  As with everyone, Pontius Pilate has more than one side and personality, a softer side of him that comes out with Claudia.  This is a great book that will draw you into the lives of Claudia and Pontius Pilate. 

“Available June 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

Book Review - "Stealing the Preacher"

Karen Witemeyer's latest historical romance novel, "Stealing the Preacher," is a fun read that takes the readers back to spending time with the Archer brothers.  Crockett has always filled the role of being the spiritual leader at the family ranch, but now he has the chance to be a pastor at a church.  However, on the way to speaking at the church, he is kidnapped and taken to a ranch.  Upon arrival, Crockett finds out that he was kidnapped in order to be given to the outlaw's daughter for her birthday as she has been praying for a preacher to lead their church.  Feeling an immediate spiritual connection with Joanna and feeling a need to return to her church and ranch after his position falls through, Crockett begins to work for the outlaw who originally kidnapped him.  Silas has been hiding from his past for over the past decade and he has also been hardening his heart from God.  As Crockett becomes immersed in the ranch, the church, the community and also in Joanna's heart, he realizes that being kidnapped really was part of God's plan.

I loved "Short-Straw Bride" and I was so excited to read another book about the Archer family.  These books are so well-written and fun to read.  Crockett is an admirable man and leader on the both the ranch and as a preacher.  Joanna is a great heroine as she is so loyal to her father and is strong during trials and pressure. The minor characters all added so much to the story as well.  Jackson played an important role throughout the book and I loved his character.  I am hoping there will be more books about the Archer family, but maybe one written about Jackson as well.  A Five-Star Read!!!

*Thanks to Bethany House Publishers for a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.*

Giveaway & Book Review - "The Quarryman's Bride"

Enter Today - 6/20 - 7/9!

Welcome to the campaign page for Tracie Peterson's newest book in the Land of the Shining Water series, The Quarryman's Bride. Tracie is celebrating with a "True Love" $200 Anthropologie giveaway and a Facebook Author Chat Party. One winner will receive:

• A $200 Anthropologie gift card
• The Quarryman's Bride and The Icecutter's Daughter by Tracie Peterson

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on July 8th. Winner will be announced at the "The Quarryman's Bride" Facebook Author Chat Party on July 9th. Connect with Tracie for an evening of book chat, trivia, laughter, and more! Tracie will also share an exclusive look at the next book in the Land of Shining Water series and give away books and other fun prizes throughout the evening.

So grab your copy of The Quarryman's Bride and join Tracie on the evening of July 9th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today. Hope to see you on the 9th!

Book Info

About The Quarryman's Bride: The latest book in the Land of Shining Waters series. Peterson Hits the Bestseller Lists Again and Again! Emmalyne Knox and Tavin MacLachlan were destined to be together . . . until the tragic deaths of Emmalyne's youngest sisters. Family tradition mandates that the youngest daughter should remain single to care for her parents in their old age, and now that daughter is Emmalyne. Her father unyielding, Emmalyne surrenders to her duty, heartbroken. Tavin leaves town, equally devastated. Years later, Emmalyne's family moves, and she and Tavin meet again. Their feelings for each other are as strong as ever, but their painful past and Emmalyne's father still stand between them. Soon both families are in the midst of the growing conflict rising between the workers at the granite quarry that Tavin's father owns and operates. When a series of near-fatal accidents occur, Tavin must figure out who is behind the attacks before someone gets killed. Bound by obligation, yet yearning for a future together, can Emmalyne and Tavin dare to dream that God could heal a decade-long wound and change the hearts of those who would stand in the way of true love? Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/m1ovH Meet Tracie: Tracie Peterson is the award-winning author of over eighty novels, both historical and contemporary. Her avid research resonates in her stories, as seen in her bestselling Heirs of Montana, and Alaskan Quest series. Tracie and her family make their home in Montana.  Visit Tracie's Web site at www.traciepeterson.com

 

My Review:

This is Tracie Peterson's second book is her Land of Shining Water series and I am looking forward to many more in this series. The author does such a wonderful job with bringing the time period and culture alive in her stories and this one is no exception! Emmalyne and Tavin are both excellent strong main characters and have many conflicts to deal with as they are trying to balance being loyal to their families yet follow their hearts as well. The tension and union struggles with the quarry and the role that depression plays in many lives is not glossed over at all which adds to the realistic feel of the story and is eye-opening.  Filled with traditions, tragedy and true love, this story is one that will be read and enjoyed by historical fiction fans.  This is a story that will have the readers believing in true love that will remain strong over the years, during separation and through many trials. 

 

 

To read other reviews included on this blog tour click here!

 

*Thanks to Litfuse Publicity Group for the complimentary copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.*

Book Review - "Touching Heaven"

Leanne Hadley has put together a collection of inspirational stories in her book "Touching Heaven: real stories of children, life, and eternity."  God loves each of us and children are close to God's heart and can be used to reach adults and bring us closer to God.  There are several accounts shared in this book about children whom the author has had contact with, each story tells the child's story.  The book concludes with lessons learned from the children. This book is an inspiring collection of stories that will leave you appreciating life, feeling closer to God and thinking about eternity and life in general.  I would recommend this book as a gift for anyone who has recently dealt with the loss of a loved one or for someone involved with children's ministry. 

Book Review - "The Wishing Tree"

"The Wishing Tree," by Marybeth Whalen, is a summery read that will transport you to a warm beach and a time of reflection. 

Book Description from the publisher:

Compelling stand-alone novel with a southern, beach setting sure to appeal to fiction readers.

In The Wishing Tree, Ivy Marshall, a savvy, determined woman, finds out her husband has cheated on her on the same day her sister’s perfect boyfriend proposes on national television. When Ivy’s mother asks her to return to her family’s beach home to plan her sister’s upcoming wedding, she decides to use the excuse to escape from the pain of her circumstances.

When her return to Sunset Beach, North Carolina, brings her face to face with her former fiancé, old feelings rise to the surface and she wonders if there is a future for them. However, her husband has started tweeting his apology to her and doesn’t want to give up on their marriage. As she helps prepare the wishing tree for her sister’s wedding, she must examine her own wishes for the future and decide what love should be.

My Review:
Ivy's life is turned upside down when she loses her job, finds out about her husband's affair and her sister is proposed to.  Ivy returns home to help with her sister's wedding plans and to escape her current life and try to decide where to move on from here.  As Ivy gets drawn back into her family and hometown, she is faced with what she wants to do with her life and whether or not she can forgive her husband, and if she even wants to give him another chance.  This is a story that I was immediately drawn into, I think mainly because of the characters as they are so easy to empathize with.  Also, I love weddings, so I loved all of the wedding details and the idea of the wishing tree.  Overall, this is a well-written story filled with love, betrayal and family relationships. 

*Thanks to Thomas Nelson Publishers and BookSneeze for the complimentary copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.*
 

Book Review - "Slow Moon Rising"

"Slow Moon Rising," by Eva Marie Everson, is the latest Cedar Key novel and ties all three books in the series together.  The four Claybourne sisters' stories are told as well as their step-mother's story and their father and mother's as well.  Anise, Kimberly, Jamie-Leigh, Ami and Heather have all struggled with things in their lives and have all relied on each other and their faith in order to get through the tough times.  Cedar Key has been home to this family during the summer and holidays and has brought pain and healing to these women as the girls are faced with memories of their mother, yet also find a sense of peace while being at the home. 

This is a well-written book and the story had me crying, smiling and immersed in the characters' lives.  I love how this book was written as it changed perspectives throughout the story, yet each woman's story was still connected.  I have read the other two books in this series and this book just really filled in all of the missing pieces of those two books as well as filling in some gaps and bringing everything to a nice conclusion for this family in the end.  This is a really touching story and will leave you wishing for a home in Cedar Key to escape to in times of need for rest, relaxation and healing. 

“Available June 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

Book Review - "Deadly Devotion"

"Deadly Devotion," book 1 in Sandra Orchard's Port Aster Secrets series, is an excellent start to the series as it drew me into the storyline and the characters' lives and has me waiting for book 2 to be released! 

Kate's mentor is dead.  The police have concluded that it was a suicide, Kate believes that Daisy was murdered.  Kate marches into the police station intent on convincing them to reopen the case; however she is met with resistance and decides to take the matter into her own hands.  However, Kate is happy to have some help from detective Tom Parker, but Kate begins to question if she can actually trust him.  As Kate delves more and more into the case, she uncovers secrets, secrets that people want left as secrets and motives for wanting Daisy to be gone and now possibly herself gone.  Will Kate go too far to uncover the truth?

This is an exciting read filled with many twists and turns throughout the story as various people are suspected (for good reason!).  At first I felt as if the story was jumping around quite a bit, but after a few chapters I was really drawn into the story and my attention was held that I just wanted to keep reading to see what would happen as I found out along with Kate that people are not whom they appear to be. 

For more on this book, visit the author's website for some "bonus features:" 

http://sandraorchard.com/extras/bonus-book-features/  

 

“Available June 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”