The 2018 INSPY Award Winners!!!

Yes, the 2018 INSPY awards winners have been announced! Visit the page to see which books won.

I’ve only read True to You by Becky Wade! (Winner of Contenporary Romance / Romantic Suspense.)

How many of the winners have you read?

Falling for You by Becky Wade

Model Willow Bradford has traveled internationally, gained wealth, purchased a home in LA, and dated famous men. But for now, she's taking a reprieve from public life and managing her family's bed and breakfast inn. Corbin Stewart, Willow's ex-boyfriend and a former NFL star, abruptly disturbs her peaceful respite when he arrives with his preteen niece and her unusual request for help. Determined to maintain distance from Corbin and cognizant that she has none of the skills needed to help, Willow graciously refuses. Yet, shortly after her initial refusal, she finds herself agreeing to help! Can Willow and Corbin maintain distance while they work together? Will they finally lay the past to rest and find peace? Read more in Falling for You by Becky Wade.

Falling for You is the second full-length novel in Becky Wade's Bradford Sisters Romance Series. It works fine as a stand-alone if you have not read the prequel, Then Came You, and the first novel, True to You.

Falling for You opens with a decades-old mystery and heavy tension between Willow and Corbin. This captivated my attention immediately and I stayed interested throughout the story. The tension, witty banter, and underlying passion was spot on for Willow and Corbin. I enjoyed watching the characters develop and mature, paralleling the development in their complicated relationship.

Between the mystery and the romance, the plot moved steadily, never dragging, constantly drawing me back even though I had to read it over several days. Falling for You felt like a fairly light read, but it had some tense, difficult, and heavy moments. Becky Wade also added in a strong Gospel message as well as promotion of core Christian principles (which I won't name because I don't want to get to close to giving spoilers).

I recommend Falling for You by Becky Wade to all fans of Christian romance. If you like other Becky Wade books, you will probably like this one as well. I'm already excited for the next book!

Read an excerpt from Falling for You by Becky Wade on the publisher's website.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this ebook free from the publisher via netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

$100.00 to spend on books? Yes, please!

Book Blogger Hop

Every week Coffee Addicted Writer hosts the Book Blogger Hop. Participants answer a question and then visit other blogs of fellow participants to chime in on the discussion. This week's question is:

"You have just won a $100.00 Visa gift card. WIll you spend the entire amount on a rare collector's edition you have always wanted, or buy several newly-published books? Explain your choice. (Submitted by Maria @ A Night's Dream of Books)

My answer: Several newly published books.  At the top of my wish list are:

• Inspired by Rachel Held Evans.
• Send Down the Rain by Charles Martin.
• Olivia Twist by Lorie Langdon.
• Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate.

Important to note: I would buy the physical version, because I like love filling up bookshelves.

What about you?

The Road to Magnolia Glen by Pam Hillman

Kiera Young braved a voyage across the Atlantic with two younger sisters, expecting to wed upon her arrival in Natchez, Mississippi. Quinn O'Shea also crosses the Atlantic looking to begin a new life full of adventure and devoid of the responsibilities he's carried for years. When Kiera's fiance turns out to be an unsavory business man with no intention of marriage, Quinn intervenes on behalf of Kiera and her sisters. Secreting them away to Breeze Hill where his older brother resides, Quinn finds himself protecting Kiera time and again. Gradually, he finds himself steeped in Breeze Hill with no desire to leave. Will Kiera and Quinn surrender to the tender feelings growing between them? Is there freedom in Kiera's future? Read more in The Road to Magnolia Glen by Pam Hillman.

The Road to Magnolia Glen is the second novel in Pam Hillman's Natchez Trace series. It gives sufficient background information on Isabella and Connor's relationship, but they feature prominently, so I do recommend reading The Promise of Breeze Hill first.

The Road to Magnolia Glen boasts a beautiful cover to match the beautiful story in its pages. Themes of sacrificial love, faith, and redemption weave together through Quinn and Kiera's story. A well-paced plot that mingles romance and danger carried my attention the entire time I read this novel. I especially liked Quinn's character and the extent to which he was willing to go in order to redeem others. Though the ending is thick with action and developments, it did not feel rushed. This novel earned a permanent home on my book shelf to be reread in the future. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

I recommend The Road to Magnolia Glen by Pam Hillman to fans of historical Christian romances, especially those who read and enjoyed The Promise of Breeze Hill.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 

The Captured Bride by Michelle Griep

Mercy Lytton's keen eyesight and stealth preserve her life as she scouts on dangerous missions. Her newest mission includes Elias Dubois, who is a French traitor, and a huge stash of gold. As they navigate the perils of the New York wilderness, delays and danger are constant. Working, living, and surviving together draws them close despite their divided loyalties and uncertain futures. Will they complete their mission and part ways? Or is their a greater purpose for this mission that could lead to an abundant life? Read more in The Captured Bride by Michelle Griep.

The Captured Bride by Michelle Griep is the third book in The Daughters of the Mayflower series. I have not read the others and this one was fine as a stand-alone. From beginning to end, this novel's romance, danger, and beautiful prose held my attention. I adored the occasional use of French and Mohawk words. The attraction between Mercy and Elias mixed with tension and suspense as they carefully sought the truth of each other's motives and hearts. Their relationship blossomed into a most satisfying love story that I expect to reread in the future.

Overall, I enjoyed The Captured Bride by Michelle Griep and I think most fans of Christian romance will as well. This novel earned a permanent spot on my bookshelf and I look forward to enjoying more of Michelle Griep's books.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.  

The Study Bible for Women: CSB Version

I was so excited to receive The Study Bible for Women: Christian Standard Bible (CSB) produced by Holman Publishers. I've never had a study Bible and I liked the idea of having one written specifically for women as the last few months I've been seeking to glean truths from studying women in the Bible. This hardcover Bible is well-made. It lays flat when open and has two built-in bookmarks. Without the dust cover, it is a bit plain, so I hope the cover holds up for awhile.

I have heard really good things about the Christian Standard Bible version. The introduction discusses the translation method of “optimal equivalence.” Basically, they stick to a literal translation as much as possible, but if the literal translation would be confusing to a modern day reader, they strive to translate the original thought while staying close to the literal translation.

I won't try to review each part of the introduction because this review would be too long, but to summarize, there are family trees, a marriage contract (ketubah), family milestones, reading guides, information about this translation, and charts of weights and measures.

The CSB Study Bible for Women is comprehensive. There is so much information. I will probably use this Bible most often when I can be alone and sit down for awhile. I estimate it takes at least three times as long as normal to read a chapter, if you read all the word studies, footnotes, commentary, character profiles, hard topics, personal application, maps, charts, etc. It is a lot of information and good if you want to dive deep. But not something I can read when my young children are awake. Sometimes the commentary notes, profiles, etc. are more concentrated near the beginning of books because they are introducing people, families, concepts.

So far, I feel like I have learned a lot. I have not had time to read this entire Bible before writing my review. Overall, I feel the translation itself is solid and I expect to learn a lot. I also expect to disagree with the editor on a few issues (as is probably the case with any study Bible).

Other things to consider when deciding if The CSB Study Bible for Women is for you:

The underlying worldview and editorial commentary (often titled as Biblical Womanhood or Hard Topics) are very “evangelical” Christian. If that isn't for you, you might want to try a CSB Bible without all the study features.

There is anti-feminism bias. I haven't yet seen any definition of what they consider “feminism” but the writer(s) blame it for negative things/situations and expect the reader to accept their perspective.

Regarding the complementarian v. egalitarian debate about marriage roles, the Biblical Womanhood sections seem to fall heavily on the complementarian side.

The managing editor, Dorothy Kelley Patterson, is the wife of Paige Patterson, President of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Mr. Patterson is accused of perpetuating domestic abuse through his teachings / counseling and there is a huge debate / uproar at the moment about this. His wife may hold similar views and her personal view may filter into the commentary.

Again, I have not had time to read The CSB Study Bible for Women all the way through before writing this review. I think the translation is solid. I have enjoyed reading the Biblical text and many of the features are informative. I disagree with some of the commentary, but I can still learn from this Bible.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this Bible free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."