Author: Jenna Evans

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Book Reviews, Gifts/Purchases

Book Review! “Brides of Alaska” by Tracie Peterson

Jenna Evans

Goodread’s Synopsis:

My Review:

I received this book from my Mom for Christmas and I was super excited to read it! I have a soft spot in my heart for books with 3 novellas! I dove right in and immediately fell in love with the characters. I found myself reading this book on my lunch at work and basically anytime that I could find a spot to read, you would find me reading this book. You find out that Julie, August and Rita are all related which is awesome considering that the first novella starts off 40 years earlier. I really liked seeing how the roads evolved and how things were much different in Alaska in the first novella from the last. This book is a very easy read and you will fall in love with all of the characters!

I chose to review this book on my own and these are my own opinions. I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars!

Book Reviews, Revell Reads

~Book Review~ “A Moonbow Night” by Laura Frantz

Jenna Evans


Goodreads Synopsis:
“After fleeing Virginia, Temperance Tucker and her family established an inn along the Shawnee River. It’s a welcome way station for settlers and frontiersmen traveling through the wild Cumberland region of Kentucke–men like Sion Morgan, a Virginia surveyor who arrives at the inn with his crew looking for an experienced guide. When his guide appears, Sion balks. He certainly didn’t expect a woman. But it is not long before he must admit that Tempe’s skill in the wilderness rivals his own. Still, the tenuous tie they are forming is put to the test as they encounter danger after danger and must rely on each other. With her signature sweeping style and ability to bring the distant past to vivid life, Laura Frantz beckons readers to join her in a land of Indian ambushes, conflicting loyalties, and a tentative love that meanders like a cool mountain stream.”

My Review:

As I have been reading “A Moonbow Night”, I keep thinking that it’s going to get better. I am going to like the book. It’s like the little blue engine saying “I think I can”. I keep reading and sometimes I feel as if I am going nowhere. Looking at the cover and then reading the back of the book made me really want to read this book. I believe that this book is really a good book. I am just having a hard time reading the language that is used throughout. It could be that I am reading on my lunch at work and my brain is so tired that I don’t have much energy to even make the words make sense. I don’t know at this point, but I am going to continue reading until I finish. I have been reading this book now for 3 weeks and for some reason the language of this book just is not getting through to my brain. I have read other books by Laura Frantz and liked them a lot, but for some reason I just am having a hard time with this book. The storyline is really good and I will continue reading it, but because of me having these issues I am going to give the book a 3 out of 5 stars.
I received this book in exchange for my review from Revell Reads. 

BookLook

~Book Review~ “Just a Kiss” by Denise Hunter

Jenna Evans

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Synopsis from Book Look Bloggers:

Riley Callahan’s plans to reveal his secret feelings for his best friend are derailed when his life is drastically altered in Afghanistan.

Watching the love of his life fall for his brother was enough to send Riley straight to boot camp. But over a year later, he’s officially a marine, and Beau and Paige are no longer an item. When Riley’s tour in Afghanistan is up, he intends to confess his feelings to Paige and win his best friend’s heart once and for all.

But all that changes when an IED takes the life of a comrade and leaves Riley an amputee. Now he’s heading home, injured and troubled. His plans to win Paige are a distant dream. She deserves so much more than the man that’s left. All he can do now is put some healthy distance between them. But upon his return he discovers his family has arranged for him to stay with Paige.

Paige is a nurturer at heart and happy to take care of her best buddy. By all appearances Riley is adjusting miraculously well to his disability. But as the days pass, Paige begins to see that the smiles and laughter are just a mask for the pain he’s hiding. To make matters worse, her job is in serious jeopardy. The animal shelter that she’s poured her heart into has lost its funding, and she has three months to come up with the money needed to save it.

As the weeks wear on, Paige’s feelings for Riley begin to shift into uncharted territory. Why is she suddenly noticing his arm muscles and the way his lips curl at the corners? Will she be able to deny her feelings for another Callahan brother? And will Riley let his heart heal so he can let Paige in?

My Review:

This book was another great one! I’ve always liked reading Denise Hunter’s books and this one was no exception. The cover caught my eye and then the story drew me in. i had already read a story about Riley’s brother Zac earlier this year which is what also led me to want to read this story. Being that Riley always had feelings for Paige hits home for me because I have had feelings for someone for a long time and have never acted on it. I wanted to know more about this story and the more I read the more I couldn’t put it down. There were a lot of great moments, a lot of funny moments and even some sad moments throughout this book. Once I got closer to the end, it seemed to lose something that the rest of the book had. It wasn’t drastic so it didn’t make the book bad, but it did disappoint me. I ended up giving this book a 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.

I received this book in exchange for my review from Book Look Bloggers.

BookLook

~Book Review~ “The Goodbye Bride” by Denise Hunter

Jenna Evans

goodbyebride

Goodreads Synopsis:

Following a concussion, Lucy Lovett can’t remember the last seven months of her life. She doesn’t remember leaving her fiancé Zac Callahan weeks before their wedding or moving to Portland, Maine. And she sure doesn’t remember getting engaged to another man. All she remembers is loving Zac more than life itself.

It’s taken Zac months to move on after Lucy left him with no explanation. He’s thrown himself into his family’s farm and his restaurant business in Summer Harbor. Now Lucy’s back, vulnerable, homeless, and still in love with him. She needs his help putting the pieces together, but letting her back into his life is a risk—and the stakes are high. If he follows his heart he’ll win back the love of his life. But if her memory returns he’ll lose her all over again.

My Review:

From the moment that I started reading this book, I knew that it was going to be a book that I liked and would remember for a long time. I thought that having Lucy not being able to remember what had happened to her and her ex fiance Zac was genius. This gave the book a major hook and kept me entertained throughout the whole book. It was nice seeing the tension between Lucy and Zac although they had not been together. Zac still cared about Lucy and it showed in this book. It did not take me very long to read this book as it was a very fast reading book. I am a fast reader, but sometimes books take me a long time to get into if the plot line is not active enough. This book definitely had a good plot line and kept me hooked. The characters were great, the setting was great and the twists were great. It might seem a little redundant, but this book was one of my favorites.

I received this book in exchange for my honest review from BookLook Bloggers.

I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars.

Purex Insiders, Reviews

~Product Review~ Purex plus Clorox2 Detergent

Jenna Evans

purex-plus-clorox2

My Review:

When I seen that Purex Insiders was doing a promotion for the Purex plus Clorox2, I knew that I had to get in on this one. I am always spilling food and drinks on me. I am just a clumsy person. Anyway, I think the night that I received this in the mail I was eating chocolate ice cream and some dropped on my shirt. I always do this. This time though I was able to put my shirt in the washer and try out this Purex plus Clorox2 that I had just received. I didn’t treat it or anything because I wanted to see how this worked. It came out without any chocolate on it! I really like this detergent. It also smells great which is a great addition to the benefits it already has of getting out chocolate and other stains.

I received this product from Purex Insiders for my honest review.

Blogging for Books, Book Reviews

~Book Review~ “I Said Yes” by Emily Maynard Johnson

Jenna Evans

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Goodreads Synopsis:

When her high-profile search for romance led Emily Maynard to dead end after dead end, real love finally found her.

Millions know Emily Maynard Johnson from her unprecedented double appearances on The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. Millions also know that neither of the relationships from those shows lasted much longer than a commercial break.

Overcome with embarrassment following her nationally televised failures at romance, Emily finally committed her heart to the only one she knew would never leave her empty and alone. Abandoning her desire to be chosen by men and finding peace in the fact that she was already chosen by God, Emily found the joy she had been looking for in serving God.

In I Said Yes, Emily tells the story of her life before and after reality TV fame, describing the profound new reality she discovered when she forsook fame in favor of the Lord. At the end of a long, fruitless search for a man, this courageous young woman found the truest love of all waiting right in front of her. To that love, Emily said yes.

My Review: 

I have been an avid Bachelor and Bachelorette fan since the very first season of the Bachelor when Alex broke Trista’s heart and then Trista went on to find love with Ryan in the first season of the Bachelorette. I don’t agree with the way that they go to “find love”, but it is great entertainment. Many seasons later, I remember seeing Emily Maynard on the show and her and Ricky stole my heart. The way that Emily and Ricky interacted was so sweet. Her story captured the hearts of many people and this book just helped me understand more about the reasons why she went on the show. The story was heartbreaking and made me cry at times, but it was a great story about overcoming anxiety and fear about falling in love after having heartbreak. It only took me a couple days to read this book because I wanted to know more about this person I had seen on TV. I tend to like to read books about people who were previously on reality TV. This one had writing that was not as developed as I would have liked which one of the few reasons why I gave this book a 4 out of 5 stars and not a 5 out of 5 stars. I received this book from Book Look Bloggers in exchange for my honest review.

Book Reviews, BookLook

~Book Review~ “The Hearts We Mend” by Kathryn Springer

Jenna Evans

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Thirteen years ago, Evie’s firefighter husband was killed in the line of duty, leaving her to raise their young son, Cody, alone. Now, Cody is marrying the love of his life, and as he packs up his belongings, the house feels as empty as Evie’s heart. But for all her planning and mad organizational skills, Evie could never have anticipated the dramatic shift her life is about to make.

Tattooed, rough-around-the-edges Jack raises quite a few eyebrows in the tight-knit community of Banister Falls. Where Evie’s life is stream-lined, Jack’s approach to living is moment by moment. But as Evie gets drawn into Jack’s world—a world that isn’t as safe or predictable as the one she’s worked so hard to create—he challenges her to open her eyes to the problems outside the walls of the church.

Jack doesn’t make Evie feel comfortable, but he definitely makes her feel something. Something she hasn’t felt since Max passed away—or, maybe ever. Because even though Jack isn’t anything like her late husband, he just might be everything she needs.

My Review:

Jack, Evie, romance, kids and more helped to make this book a great book that grabbed my attention throughout the whole book. I was reading this book every chance I got! I loved the concept of Jack and how he had an open house and helped everyone in the department building. He just had a great concept around him and I felt like that was the heart of the book. I felt for all the characters when they went through all the twists and turns in this book. Evie and Jack had such great chemistry and make me want to continue reading the book. Jack’s niece was such a doll! She was so cute and was a great addition. Overall, this book was really good and I would recommend it to anyone. I give this a 4 out of 5 stars. I received this book from Book Look Bloggers in exchange for my honest review.

#ScriptureSunday

#ScriptureSunday

Jenna Evans

Another series! #ScriptureSunday

  
My goal for this blog is to do a post every day no matter how small.

This morning I had this passage come into my mind while I was at church. As a 26 year old, I see all my friends getting married and having babies which I would love to do. This passage reminds me that if I just trust God that everything will fall into place and God will keep me from things that danger me.

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked. Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place— the Most High, who is my refuge— no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot. “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.””‭‭Psalms‬ ‭91:1-16‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/psa.91.1-16.esv

Toodles!

Mz Jen

Ultimate Finds

My Ultimate Find of the Week! #1

Jenna Evans

I have decided to create a new series about 1 ultimate find of the week. This series will be something that I feel is the best thing that I could of have received, attended, found, etc. I hope y’all enjoy this as much as I will enjoy creating them! 

  
This week, my ultimate find is something that I had wanted to do for a long time, but was never able to do until this past week. My favorite author came to a city that was only an hour away from where I lived and I got to go see her and her family for FREE! I would have paid to see her because it was such a fun time, but was also happy that I got to bring my parents along for a fun night that wasn’t expensive.

Now for the story about how Karen Kingsbury became my favorite author!

When I was in high school, I absolutely LOVED books and reading! A person I care about always says that you shouldn’t say you love something unless you are willing to give your life for it. Let’s just say that I would give my life for my book collection that I have in my room. My books are my babies! Back to the story…  My mom also has a love for books which is most likely where I get it from. 🙂 Her boss at the time decided to loan a book series to my Mom by Karen Kingsbury. The series was called the Redemption series and I didn’t know if I would like it or not. We owned 1 book by Karen Kingsbury which was the first book of the 9/11 series that she wrote  and I hadn’t read it yet. These books were different from what I normally read, but when my Mom said that these books were really good, I decided to start reading them. That was one of the best decisions I have ever made. These books were also based out of my hometown, Bloomington, Indiana! Go Hoosiers! 🙂 I have read most of her books and still have a few more to read, but they are so good so it shouldn’t be too much longer before I have read every one of her books! She just knows how to make you feel as if you are right there in the room with each one of her characters. If you have not read one of her books, go read “Redemption” right now! You will not regret it.

Last week, I seen a post on Karen Kingsbury’s Facebook page that said to email her because she was giving out free tickets to her family tour. I emailed them for 2 tickets so my Mom and I could go. She ended up giving me another ticket so my Dad went with us as well. This event was amazing! Karen is a great speaker and I could have just listened to her speak  the whole time, but I enjoyed everyone else as well. Karen’s son Tyler and son-in-love, Kyle, started off the event by leading worship. They did a great job! Then Karen talked for a while and told some really great stories about her family. They even showed some home movies! Karen said at the beginning she wanted everyone to feel as if they were a part of her family and I definitely felt like it. The event continued with Kelsey and Kyle, Karen’s daughter and son-in-love talking about their book “The Chase” which I did a review on. This book was amazing and their love story is one for the books. I really believe that girls should chase God and not guys which is what the book is all about. After Kyle and Kelsey finished, Karen’s adopted son Sean gave his testimony about how he was adopted from Haiti. This was very touching. They gave an intermission and I  kept thinking, “Yay! There’s more!”. Kyle started off the second half my giving us a concert. I first found Kyle’s music when he was in Anthem Lights. He was awesome and when he went solo, I listened to every song that he put out. He has such a clear, strong voice! I took a lot of videos and posted some on Instagram. On Monday, I got a notification that I had been tagged in a comment by Kyle Kupecky. He had reposted all 3 of the videos that I had posted! My inner geek was coming out! I love to sing and listen to music so when an artist reposts my videos or pictures I get very excited!

By the way, Kyle Kupecky, if you ever read this, I would love to sing a duet with you. 🙂

Back to my story…

Karen came back on stage after Kyle finished and talked more about her books and how “Brush of Wings”, her newest book is being spread around the US through jails and other places. She told many funny stories and we laughed a lot. Funny fact: she told us that laughter is the only thing that exercises our liver! I had never hurt that before, but every time I laugh that is what I think about! Karen ended the night by reading an excerpt from her book and then the family came out on stage and sang “Oceans” together. It was a great ending to a fabulous night. 

Overall, we had a great time going to this event. My Dad even enjoyed it! If I could go to every Karen Kingsbury event, I would! I would even work for her if I had the chance! Luckily, I am part of her street team called “Team KK” which is great to be apart of!
~Toodles- for now!

~Mz Jen~

Book Reviews, BookLook

~Book Review~ “Kissed by a Cowboy” by Debra Clopton

Jenna Evans

Kissed by a Cowboy cover

Goodreads Synopsis:

Cassidy was looking for a home and a place to belong . . . not for a cowboy to steal her heart. Having lived through her parents’ endless string of “matrimonial bliss gone wrong,” Cassidy Starr knows when the odds are not in her favor. Divorced and humiliated, her faith on rocky ground, Cassidy is through with love. She’s been bucked off that horse far too many times. Instead, she returns to Wishing Springs, Texas, and the rundown farm she’s inherited from her great aunt Roxie. She’ll reopen the strawberry farm and a bed & breakfast and follow in her aunt’s footsteps, remaining forever-independent, happy . . . and single. Rancher Jarrod Monahan’s hands are full running the ranch, looking after his ailing grandfather, and chasing down a group of rustlers on the loose. He’s pushed his longing for a family to the bottom of his list of priorities. Besides, he was in love once but ran scared and lost his shot at happiness. But suddenly, the biggest regret of his life has moved in next door with a wounded heart, determined to become a spinster . . . and that’s a challenge that Jarrod can’t pass up.

My Review:

This book is so good! I just finished it and decided to go ahead and write my review.

Cassidy Starr is a stubborn red head who doesn’t want to relive her past. Jarrod Monahan is a handsome cowboy who lives next door. Jarrod kissed Cassidy a long time ago and then ran and Cassidy just got through a divorce. These 2 characters were great staples in this wonderful romance novel by Debra Clopton.

What drew me to this book was the cover. A few horses and a handsome cowboy kissing a girl made me want to read this book and I mean, who wouldn’t with a title like “Kissing a Cowboy”! I have always liked books that have to do with Cowboys and horses and this one was no different. While I was reading, it was like I was taken to a different world. I love when a book can take me out of my current situation and transport me to someone else’s story. I want to feel as though it is a movie in my head. This book did that from the first page. I felt as though I could see every laugh, cry, heartache, and lovely moment that happened throughout this book. The story between Jarrod and Cassidy made me root for them as much as if I knew this couple. There were a few twists in the story which made it more fun to read.

I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars. I received this book in exchange for my honest review form Booklook Bloggers.

*image courtesy of Booklook Bloggers*