Review: Blades of Valor by Sigmund Brouwer (ebook)

In the fourth and last book in the Merlin's Immortals series, Thomas has made his way to the Holy Land on a quest to find answers to his questions about Magnus and the mysteries that surround it. But along with answers, Thomas finds still more questions that must be solved. Because of an unexpected plot twist, Thomas sets out for Jerusalem alone on yet another risky journey. Will he find there what he is searching for? Will he be able to determine who he can trust? What is the final key that will unlock all of the mysteries?

This was a great conclusion to the Merlin's Immortals series. Like the previous three books, Blades of Valor is strongly written. Excellent storyline, great theme and characters. This is one of my favorite series' of all time and I HIGHLY recommend this book and the whole series.

Thank you to WaterBrook Multnomah for giving me a free ebook copy of Blades of Valor in exchange for an honest review.

Review on Ten Days Without by Daniel Ryan Day

"Life is full of good intentions, but for too many, our good intentions never become good actions - they don't move us forward, draw us closer to God, or make a difference in the world. Good intentions are cans of paint that could have become amazing works of art... but never did." -Daniel Ryan Day in Ten Days Without

Ten Days Without is a book about someone who went beyond good intentions to do something to make a difference. For ten days at a time, Daniel Day went without a specific "essential" thing in order to raise awareness for a need. For example, he went without shoes for ten days to raise awareness for disease. He went ten days without furniture to raise awareness for poverty. He went ten days without speaking to raise awareness for victims of human trafficking and slavery. In Ten Days Without, Daniel Day talks about his experience doing these things and encourages the reader to do a Ten Days Without experience too.

This book was interesting, inspiring and challenging. Reading this book really made me think about how much I take for granted and how many people around the world don't even have things like shoes or coats or even a voice and it has challenged me. Reading this book has inspired me to do "Ten Days Without Shoes".

I think that the subtitle sums up this book well: "Adventures in discomfort that will change your world and you". Reading this book will change your perspective, raise your awareness and challenge you to do something about it.

I recommend this book.

Thank you to WaterBrook Multnomah for sending me a free copy of Ten Days Without in exchange for an honest review. 

Review of "What Once Was Lost by Kim Vogel Sawyer"

When a fire breaks out at Brambleville Asylum for the Poor, Christina Willems turns to the townspeople to give lodging to her flock of charges until their home can be rebuilt. With nowhere else to go, Christina must ask miller Levi Johnson to take in Tommy, an eleven-year-old blind boy. Levi is reluctant, but a bond soon forms between Levi and Tommy. Meanwhile, Christina is busy trying to get the poor home rebuilt despite numerous complications.

Honestly, I didn't think this book was that great. I felt like the main character, Christina, was pretty lame. I probably wouldn't have even finished the book if it weren't for me really liking a couple of the other characters- namely, Levi, Tommy and Cora. I really loved seeing the bond between Tommy and Levi grow and how they both changed for the better because of it. The redemption and love as Cora's story unfolded was really great and one of the best parts of the book.

All in all, this book ended up being okay, but definitely not great. I don't recommend it.

Thank you to WaterBrook Multnomah for sending me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Critical Reaction by Todd M. Johnson

I enjoyed reading this book. It was really interesting and had some very intriguing elements to it. I liked how some parts were like a mystery but not all of the book was. There was enough suspense to keep it a page-turner and the plot/story was realistic. I liked how there was also a focus on rebuilding/restoring relationships between Emily and her dad and Emily and Kieran that gave an emotional side to the story. I enjoyed reading Critical Reaction, and I would recommend it. I think that people who like reading books that have good, solid plots with a bit of mystery would enjoy reading this book.

Thank you to Bethany House for sending me a free copy of Critical Reaction in exchange for my honest review. 

Review: The Jesus Story

Review for The Jesus Story by Dr. William H. Marty:

This book is an easy read, not really in depth, but it is really interesting to read the New Testament in chronological order. Because it is not an in-depth book, I don't think this would be a great read for a mature Christian unless they just wanted to read a simple overview of the New Testament, but I think that a new believer could benefit from reading it because of its simplicity. Because this book uses simple language it would be an easy overview of the New Testament for someone new to the Bible or maybe to read to a younger child.

Reading the Bible is an important part of being a believer and I don't want to imply that you should read this instead of the Bible. You should definitely read the Bible, and this book could be interesting for you to read on the side.

Thank you to Bethany House Publishers for sending me a free copy of The Jesus Story in exchange for my honest review.  

4 stars. 

Review: The Governess of Highland Hall by Carrie Turansky

GOOD-QUALITY WRITING! 

I really enjoyed this book. Yes, the plot was predictable in that you knew somehow Julia and William were going to fall in love, but it was really well-written, not cheesy (one of my pet peeves is cheesy romance) and it was written in a realistic way. It was believable, unlike some books where the author's attempts at a romance ruin the book. The characters in this book were really well-done too and were really enjoyable to read about. I loved them. Julia was my favorite, of course, and I really liked reading about the growing friendship between her and Sarah. Julia is such a sweet, kind character. The plot of this book kind of reminded me of The Sound of Music but a little bit different- and if you loved that movie, you will love this book. I liked this book a lot and I recommend it. I think that anyone who likes historical fiction, especially from this particular era, would enjoy reading The Governess of Highland Hall.

Thank you to WaterBrook Multnomah for sending me a free copy of The Governess of Highland Hall in exchange for my honest review. 

Review: The Dawn of Christmas by Cindy Woodmall

After Sadie's heart was broken by her unfaithful fiancee, she went to Peru to do mission work and to heal. Four years later, her father wants her to move home but Sadie doesn't want to give her new life up.
Levi doesn't want to get married yet, but is family is pressuring him to do otherwise. When Sadie and Levi meet, they find unexpected allies in each other. But what will happen as time goes on and they begin to fall in love with each other?
I enjoyed the first 3/4 of the book, but the romance seemed forced and corny. I had expected better quality writing from Cindy Woodsmall.
This book would make a quick, light read for anyone who enjoys Amish romances. I give it 3 1/2 stars.
I received a copy of The Dawn of Christmas free from WaterBrook Multnomah in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!