My Sing-Along Bible by Stephen Elkins

My Sing-Along Bible by Stephen Elkins features 50 Bible stories and a music cd with a coordinating song for each story. Each page spread contains a section of a Bible story with illustrations complementing the story. Below that is a Scripture verse and the chorus to the corresponding song. Finally, a “Little Lesson” section offers a single-sentence synopsis of the story.

I'm not sure what the recommended age group for My Sing-Along Bible is, but my three year old enjoys it. We received this book a week or two ago which is typically long enough for her to have lost interest in a book. However, she still likes to look through this one and occasionally asks me to read it to her. What she really loves is the cd of Bible songs. We listen to it multiple times a day. After the opening song on the cd, I thought it was going to drive me crazy b/c the chorus to that one was extremely repetitive. But, it turned out that I liked many of the remaining songs and she loves them all. Repetition does not bother my three year old.

The content is in line with Scripture as far as I can tell. I recommend My Sing-Along Bible by Stephen Elkins to parents of children ages 2-5 – again, I'm not sure what the publisher's recommended age group is. It's a good to book to just sit and read to your child during the day. It's also versatile enough that it could serve a bedtime story book with you choosing how many stories to read based on how long story time is.

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. 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."

Hearts Made Whole by Jody Hedlund

About the book: 

Hearts Made Whole (Bethany House, June 2015)

Can she forgive the hurting man who costs her the role she loves?

After her father's death, Caroline Taylor has grown confident running the Windmill Point Lighthouse. But in 1865 Michigan, women aren't supposed to have such roles, so it's only a matter of time before the lighthouse inspector appoints a new keeper---even though Caroline has nowhere else to go and no other job available to her.

Ryan Chambers is a Civil War veteran still haunted by the horrors of battle. He's secured the position of lighthouse keeper mostly for the isolation---the chance to hide from his past is appealing. He's not expecting the current keeper to be a feisty and beautiful woman who's angry with him for taking her job and for his inability to properly run the light. When his failings endanger others, he and Caroline realize he's in no shape to run the lighthouse, but he's unwilling to let anyone close enough to help. Caroline feels drawn to this wounded soul, but with both of them relying on that single position, can they look past their loss to a future filled with hope...and possibly love?

My thoughts: 

Hearts Made Whole is the second book in Jody Hedlund's Beacons of Hope series. While it worked fine as a stand-alone book, I recommend reading Out of the Storm (The Series Prequel) and Love Unexpected (Book One) because they are enjoyable and certain characters are mentioned in Hearts Made Whole. Of the three, I think Love Unexpected is my favorite.

Like its predecessor, Hearts Made Whole oozes with themes of grace and forgiveness. Character development comes partly through struggles with anger, resentment and grief. The struggle, perseverance and process of overcoming allow the characters to be both relatable and admirable. I especially enjoyed seeing Ryan change and grow. That the characters needed each other to heal is not uncommon, but the fact that Ryan realized ultimate healing comes from God, not another person, is an important thought missing in many of today's inspirational romance books. Some unexpected suspense also heightened the story's appeal. The plot didn't drag, but the suspense of “who did it, what really happened, and is there any way they can be together?” definitely kept me reading later into the night than I should have.

I fully recommend Hearts Made Whole by Jody Hedlund to fans of historical romances. It's a keeper for my bookshelf. :)

Enter the giveaway: Details here.

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/1eN4pC8

About the author:

Jody Hedlund is an award-winning and bestselling historical fiction author. She won the 2011 Inspirational Reader's Choice Award, the 2011 Award of Excellence from the Colorado Romance Writers and was a finalist for Best Debut Novel in the 2011 ACFW Carol Awards. Currently she makes her home in central Michigan, with her husband and five busy children. She loves hearing from readers on Facebook and on her blog.

Find Jody online: website, Twitter, Facebook

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. 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."

No Place to Hide by Lynette Eason

Jackie Sellers is shocked when her childhood friend, Ian Lockwood, is accused of terrorism. Willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, she rushes to his home only to find the FBI isn't the only one chasing him. Her connections allow her to assist Ian in evading capture and searching for evidence to prove his innocence. But time is running out as the smallpox virus has been stolen and someone plans to release it very soon. Will Ian and Jackie prevent disaster and rekindle their relationship? Read more in Lynette Eason's No Place to Hide.

No Place to Hide is the third book in Lynette Eason's Hidden Identity Series and works fine as a stand-alone novel. I have not read the previous two books, but did not feel that I was missing any pertinent information.

 

No Place to Hide met my expectations with a suspense-filled plot and a tad of romance. Jackie and Ian's relationship developed quite nicely, but the focus was more on what was happening and less on romantic moments or overtures. This is not necessarily a bad thing as perhaps too much romance would have slowed things down. The story kept me guessing about who was behind the smallpox release and I liked that the individual scenes seemed original. I haven't read a lot of suspense novels so I can't be completely sure of it's originality, but it wasn't overly predictable to me. I recommend No Place to Hide by Lynette Eason to fans of inspirational suspense novels.

Read an excerpt from No Place to Hide on the publisher's website.

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. 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."



New from Becky Wade | ‘A Love Like Ours’ $100 Cash Card and Prize Pack Giveaway

Fall in love with Becky Wade's new book, A Love Like Ours, a story of healing, romance, and cowboys. A glimmer of the hope Jake thought he’d lost returns when Lyndie lands back in Texas, but fears and regrets still plague him. Will Jake ever be able to love Lyndie like she deserves, or is his heart too shattered to mend?

To celebrate the release of her new book, Becky is giving away a $100 cash card and a book-inspired prize pack!

 

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A $100 cash card
• A copy of A Love Like Ours
• A copy of the Secretariat DVD
• A scarf
• A dog-tag/cross keychain
• A pair of earrings
• A Scarf
• A Texas-shaped cutting board
• A Jake Porter mug

 

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on May 26th. Winner will be announced May 27th on Becky's site.

A Love Like Ours by Becky Wade

About the book: A Love Like Ours (Bethany House, May 2015)

Former Marine Jake Porter has far deeper scars than the one that marks his face. He struggles with symptoms of PTSD, lives a solitary life, and avoids relationships.

When Lyndie James, Jake's childhood best friend, lands back in Holley, Texas, Jake cautiously hires her to exercise his Thoroughbreds. Lyndie is tender-hearted, fiercely determined, and afraid of nothing, just like she was as a child. Jake pairs her with Silver Leaf, a horse full of promise but lacking in results, hoping she can solve the mystery of the stallion's reluctance to run.

Though Jake and Lyndie have grown into very different adults, the bond that existed during their childhood still ties them together. Against Jake's will, Lyndie's sparkling, optimistic personality begins to tear down the walls he's built around his heart. A glimmer of the hope he'd thought he'd lost returns, but fears and regrets still plague him. Will Jake ever be able to love Lyndie like she deserves, or is his heart too shattered to mend?

My thoughts:

A Love Like Ours is Becky Wade's third book featuring the Porter brothers of Holley, Texas and it is my favorite. It works fine as a stand-alone story, but Undeniably Yours and Meant to Be Mine are good as well, so I recommend reading them before A Love Like Ours.

Wade's writing style is good as usual. At no point did the plot drag or rush. Jake and Lyndie are well-developed characters with flaws and strengths that make them authentic, but still remarkable. However, the story is what really enchanted me with this book. I felt like cheering as Lyndie took Silver Leaf out to attempt his first run. Lastly, I appreciated the compassion with which the author treated Jake's PTSD. As someone who's been there, I felt Wade did an excellent job in dealing with the issue without making it too tidy, too easily fixed.

I recommend A Love Like Ours by Becky Wade to fans of clean, Christian romances. It's a keeper for me as I have no doubt I'll read this series again in the future.

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/1R9Tv8p

Enter the giveaway: Details here

About the author: 

Becky Wade is a native of California who attended Baylor University, met and married a Texan, and moved to Dallas. She published historical romances for the general market, took time off to raise her children, then felt God nudging her to pursue contemporary Christian fiction. Becky's work has been a finalist for both a RITA and an INSPY Award.

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. 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."

Every Bride Needs a Groom by Janice Thompson

Katie Fisher's small town of Fairfield, Texas is all she knows and all she wants. Surrounded by family, friends and her long-term boyfriend, Casey, her life is almost complete. Having dreamed of being a bride and wife all her life, she is beyond ready for Casey to pop the question. She's sure it will be soon and with the encouragement of her cousin, she enters an essay to win a one-of-a-kind wedding dress. Ironically, on the same day she wins the dress, her boyfriend breaks up with her. Tired of everyone knowing and talking about her business, she travels to Dallas for some time away from Fairfield and to inform the bridal shop owner that she can no longer claim the prize. She's unprepared for the owner's son, a recovering, handsome and single pro-basketball player named Brady. As Katie is swept along through the fitting and designing, she and Brady strike an easy friendship that could be so much more. Will Brady discover her secret and will he want anything to do with her if he does? Read more in Every Bride Needs a Groom by Janice Thompson.

Every Bride Needs a Groom commences Janice Thompson's “Brides with Style” series and delivers an emotional story about losing dreams and finding new hope. Though there were plenty of issues for Katie to work through, I would have liked a little more depth. In spite of Katie's (and her family's) issues, the story felt pretty light overall. Katie's character exemplified uniqueness and beauty. I was initially unsure if I would like the first person point-of-view, especially since Katie has such quirky, small-town mindset (at least in the beginning), but after a few chapters, I enjoyed seeing her life from her perspective. As with other books by Janice Thompson, movie trivia and humorous situations are woven into the plot.

Every Bride Needs a Groom is solidly written and will likely appeal to readers looking for a clean, sweet romance with touches of humor.

Read an excerpt from Every Bride Needs a Groom on the publisher's website.

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. 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."