Book Review: Justice Delivered

From The Back:

"Compelling characters, southern flair, and shocking plot twists--Patricia Bradley delivers a gripping suspense."--Jessica R. Patch, author of the Security Specialists series


Carly Smith came by her trust issues honestly. She's been at the mercy of merciless men, ignored by law enforcement officers who should have helped her, and seemingly rejected by her family. She can't even trust herself to do the right thing. Though she is working hard on building a new life, the past continues to haunt her when she discovers that the man she couldn't bring herself to report to the police is still out there, luring vulnerable girls under the guise of being a modeling agent.

When her own niece is kidnapped, Carly must overcome her fears and come forward with the information she has. But if that proves to be too little, too late--she'll have to go after the perpetrators herself.

My Reflections:

This is book four in Patricia Bradley's "A Memphis Cold Case Novel" though it can certainly be read as a stand-alone, I would recommend you start with book one to get the full back story. 

It was a nice change that this book focuses less on the romance thread, favouring a deeper and slightly troubling subject matter. As I read I felt the familiar tightness start to clench up my gut as I realized exactly what was unfolding. At this point, nothing was getting in the way of finishing the novel. So my warning to you is if you have PTSD around abuse of this type you may want to skip this series.  

From start to finish this book is a roller coaster ride of emotions the ride is intense but so well done. Bradley is a master storyteller, she has a nack to bring subjects that most authours would steer clear of and brings them to light with clarity and compassion. 

Carly's past comes back to haunt her as she faces a very painful and eerily familiar scenario. Will she be powerless to overcome the past, or can she find the healing and restoration needed to help her niece. 
Logan is a pice of Carly's past, and she doesn't fully trust him or any other man for that matter. Will Logan be able to crack into Carly's protective shell? Will they be able to forge a working relationship or possibly more before more trouble comes their way?

I loved this book, and hated it, all the same, the raw emotion was palpable. I was completely captivated, I'm glad the ending was as it should have been. The part I hated was the very real, and ugly subject matter. Things like this actually happen in real life, and sometimes it's just nice to read happy not so true to life novels. That being said, Patricia Bradley is a master storyteller, she was able to weave faith and hope into the ugly, making her readers see the light in the darkness.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

Patricia Bradley

Patricia Bradley is the author of Justice Delayed, Justice Buried, and Justice Betrayed, as well as the Logan Point series. Bradley won an Inspirational Reader's Choice Award in Suspense, was a finalist for the Genesis Award, won a...

Continue reading about Patricia Bradley

Life Update

So today I went to the orthodontist. they are going to pull out ALL of my baby teeth and do MORE mouth surgery.
 I was clearly devastated. And now I don't know what to do I am scared and I don't know how I am going to deal with it.
I am scared that, I will have no teeth for MONTHS.
 At least not as many that I need to eat an apple or something.
When I 1st heard the news I was still about 1/2 an hour in so I tried to hold my tears.
 I failed. tears came streaming down my face.
 I am still trying to get myself to calm down.
it will cost OVER $10,000
I know this is short but that's all for now, do you like my life updates or do you want me to do something different? please tell me in the comments. thx

Book Review: Sweet On You

From The Back:

Britt Bradford and Zander Ford have been the best of friends since they met thirteen years ago. Unbeknown to Britt, Zander has been in love with her for just as long.

Independent and adventurous Britt channels her talent into creating chocolates at her hometown shop. Zander is a bestselling author who has spent the past eighteen months traveling the world. He's achieved a great deal but still lacks the only thing that ever truly mattered to him--Britt's heart.

When Zander's uncle dies under mysterious circumstances, he returns to Merryweather, Washington, to investigate, and Britt is immediately there to help. Although this throws them into close proximity, both understand that an attempt at romance could jeopardize their once-in-a-lifetime friendship. Britt is determined to resist any change in their relationship, but Zander finds it increasingly difficult to keep his feelings hidden.

As they work together to uncover his uncle's tangled past, will the truth of what lies between them also finally come to light?

My Reflections:
This is the sweet conclusion to the series "A Bradford Sisters Romance" 
This sassy, spunky novel will have you melting if you are a fan of fluffy romance novels. You must read them in order to get the full flavour of the story, so don't start with this one if you are new to Becky Wade. 

Zander's character is my all time favourite type of male lead characters. He is a sensitive, deep, attractive and all around kind person. His hard life was probably due to his keen drive and doggedly dedicated personality. 
It kind of killed me how he was so helplessly infatuated with Britt. He was an expert in all things Britt (his words) 

Britt, on the other hand, is sassy, fun and very generic. She has to slowly awake to the fact that Zander is attracted to her in more than a friend zone. This seemed to take forever and I felt like bopping her on the head to say, duh, come on woman it's so obvious that he is head over heels for you!

The icing on the cake is the unexpected mystery in this plot. It was a nice distraction from the romance that had been baking for 14 long years. As you can guess I loved Zander, he was just so adorable and his character just clicked for me. That is unusual as I tend to favour the female lead characters! 

If you are up for a nice romance with a twist of mystery this series will give you all that and a little more! I'm kind of sad to see this series end but also eager to see what Wade has up her sleeve for the next set of novels.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

Becky Wade

Becky Wade is the 2018 Christy Award Book of the Year winner for True to You. She 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,...

Continue reading about Becky Wade

Book Review: Whose Waves These Are

From The Back:

"An absolute gem of a debut! Whose Waves These Are transcends to the highest level of fiction."--Joanne Bischof, Christy and Carol Award-winning author of Sons of Blackbird Mountain

In the wake of WWII, a grieving fisherman submits a poem to a local newspaper: a rallying cry for hope, purpose . . . and rocks. Its message? Send me a rock for the person you lost, and I will build something life-giving. When the poem spreads farther than he ever intended, Robert Bliss's humble words change the tide of a nation. Boxes of rocks inundate the harbor village on the coast of Maine, and he sets his callused hands to work.

Decades later, Annie Bliss is summoned back to Ansel-by-the-Sea when GrandBob, the man who gave her refuge during the hardest summer of her youth, is the one in need of help. But what greets her is a mystery: a wall of heavy boxes hiding in his home. Memories of stone ruins on a nearby island ignite a fire in her anthropologist soul to uncover answers.

Together with the handsome and enigmatic town postman, Annie uncovers the story layer by layer, yearning to resurrect the hope GrandBob once held so dear and to know the truth behind the chasm in her family's past. But mending what has been broken for so long may require more of her and those she loves than they are prepared to give.

My Reflections:

Written like a song this book floats along in a melodious fashion. Filled with interesting characters a beautiful setting coupled with a tender plot.

A nice bonus to this novel is that you can pick up the prequel novella called Up From The Sea, this will completely immerse you into the history and characters of Ansel-by-the sea. 

This book is filled with heartache, well-hidden secrets that must see the light, and exquisite attention to detail. A must read!

Annie's story starts out with a simple purpose but soon morphs into so much more, will she be able to finish what was started so long ago?

I so enjoyed learning more about GrandBob, the pioneer of the story, his life during WWII and the aftermath, he is the true hero in this tale, and I just fell in love. This story settles into your very being, like a song that you want to listen to again and again. I am smitten with the style and cadence Amanda Dykes has created in this novel, so from here on out sign me up for reviewing any and all books by this authour! What are you waiting for, the perfect summer read is right here and waiting.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

Amanda Dykes

Amanda Dykes (www.amandadykes.com) is a drinker of tea, dweller of redemption, and spinner of hope-filled tales who spends most days chasing wonder and words with her family. Give her a rainy day, a candle to read by, an obscure corner of history to dig in,...

Continue reading about Amanda Dykes

Book Review: Loving My Actual Neighbor

From the Back:

As Christians, we know we are called to love our neighbor. But how do we do that? Where do we start? What does this look like in our increasingly isolated world?

Following practices outlined in the first chapter of 2 Peter, Alexandra Kuykendall lays out the framework for where to begin. From practicing humility to listening with understanding to being generous in our relationships, Loving My Actual Neighbor offers practical, start-now steps you can take to love your actual neighbours.

My Reflections: I chose this particular book because as a family we felt that our neighbourhood was specifically chosen for us to live in, it was actually pretty clear from the start that God wanted us here.

 We live in a quirky little back road community with vibrant neighbours and strong community presence. Our family is young while most of my neighbours are retired and enjoying a different life stage. We are homeschoolers so I wanted the kids to be involved in the neighbourhood, I wanted them to pray for each and every one of the people on our street. So we embarked on our prayer walk project, which in turn moved onto our prayer drive. We would pray silently for each and every neighbour along our road, each time we drove by or walked by their homes. We have continued this off and on for the entire 7 years we have lived on this street. I believe God hears our prayers and will bless each and every one of the people who we have lifted up to him. 

This book is a practical and concise introductory plan on how to pray and minister to your neighbours. I loved how real and easy to follow this book was to read. This book starts with a thought-provoking introduction and moves onto well laid out chapters on practical ways to engage and foster meaningful neighbourly relationships. I particularly enjoyed how the segments were a real and not fluffy and airy fairy. Yep, you may not get along or seem to make much of a difference in your neighbour's spiritual walk, but you never know what God is doing on the inside! 

He asks us to be faithful in our walk and I believe this is one area where we can do just that. So if you are looking for ways to be impactful with the people God has nestled you between, here's your chance to get real! 

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

Book Review: God's Answers For The Graduate Class of 2019

From the Back:

This bestselling graduation gift addresses questions grads will encounter as they move into the next phases of life and is a wonderful keepsake full of answers straight from God's Word. Beautifully packaged in a stylish teal Leathersoft with foil stamping and a ribbon marker, this book is a perfect fit for today's graduates.

God's Answers® for the Graduate is a fantastic graduation gift that addresses questions grads will encounter throughout life. It's a wonderful keepsake full of answers straight from God's Word.

To commemorate your favorite student's high school or college graduation, give the gift of God's answers to the many questions they're sure to face as they take their next steps in life. God's Answers® for the Graduate addresses carefully chosen topics, such as character, relationships, time management, and decision-making, that are vital to successful living for a lifetime. Available in Leathersoft with foil stamping, rounded corners, and a ribbon marker, this book is a perfect fit for today's graduates. The design lends itself to personalization by imprinting the graduate’s name.

My Reflections:
Graduation is an exciting and pivotal time in a persons life. Big changes are often on the horizon, whether it is moving out on one's own, enrolling in post-secondary education or seeking out gainful employment. These changes bring big emotions for everyone involved. As a parent of a recent graduate, I can attest to this. I had to shift my thinking on my now young adult.
Letting go is so hard to do, hower I think my biggest desire was for my child to continue following the path I had so carefully laid out. Would they still attend church? Would they deepen that relationship with their saviour? These are big questions. So when I saw this Beautifully appointed devotional I knew I had to check it out.

My first impression was the quality. It feels quite nice in your hands, made from a leather-like material it is soft and just the right size to carry around or put in a book bag.
I also loved the colour, the teal adds that punch of colour that makes you want to pick it up and take a peek inside!
The devotional itself is well laid out with an easy to manuver index that lists questions a young adult may be pondering. (some of my favorite) What does God say about substance abuse?, What is inappropriate sexual behaviour?, how can I live a life of excellence?, when I am tempted...

The devotionals are short to the point and filled with scripture relevant to the pondering of the reader. I wish I had had something like this when I was younger and had those big questions rolling around my head.
If you are looking for that perfect gift look no further this one my friends this is the gift that can keep on giving. God's word is life!

I received this book free of charge from Book Look Bloggers, all opinions are my own. Thank you, Book Look!