Category: Book Reviews

Book Reviews, Booksneeze

~Book Review~ Gunpowder Tea by Margaret Brownley

Jenna Evans

20131230-221423.jpg

Book Description:

In a case that could change her career, Miranda uncovers a love that will change her life.

When Miranda Hunt sees the classified ad for an heiress to the legendary Last Chance Ranch, she knows assuming the identity of Annie Beckman is the perfect cover. As one of the finest agents for the Pinkerton Detective Agency, Miranda has been tasked with apprehending the Phantom—an elusive and notorious train robber thought to be hiding on the sprawling ranch.

But she isn’t the only one at the ranch with something to hide. Wells Fargo detective Jeremy Taggart is working undercover as well. Their true identities may be a secret, but it is impossible for Jeremy and Miranda to hide the sparks flaring between them.

Neither is about to let romance interfere with such a huge case. Besides, Miranda hasn’t removed Jeremy from her list of suspects yet. The closer they get to uncovering the identity of the Phantom, the more dangerous he gets—and no one on the ranch is safe.

The longer Miranda and Jeremy spend working together, the harder it becomes to keep their feelings in check. Their careers—and their lives—depend on solving this case. Love will just have to wait.

My Review:

I really liked reading this book! It was funny, witty, and well written. I loved the mystery of the novel and how Miranda decide to take the role of Annie Beckman. Miranda and Jeremy meet and the reader definitely knows that there are sparks between both Miranda and Jeremy. Not knowing the real identities could have made their romance a very complicated matter, but if they had not went undercover, then they would have never met and found a love that they had never known before. I loved seeing the characters Jeremy and Miranda play undercover for their jobs. Margaret Brownley did an awesome job developing the characters and making sure that one did not know which way the story was going to go. Although I thought that Margaret Brownley did an awesome job with the book and the characters, there was something missing. Some books just go over the top and this book did not do that. I gave this book a 4 out of 5 stars.

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

Bethany House, Book Reviews

~Book Review~ A Simple Change by Judith Miller

Jenna Evans

20131215-193116.jpg

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Judith Miller’s Novels Offer a Fascinating Look inside the Amana Colonies

Joining the communal society of the Amana Colonies isn’t what Jancey Rhoder planned for her future, but when unforeseen circumstances force her family to make some difficult decisions, she chooses to give up her teaching position in a Kansas City orphanage and move with her parents to Iowa.

Her besotted suitor, Nathan Woodward, isn’t at all happy about the move and is determined to get Jancey to change her mind. And Jancey herself isn’t sure what she’s gotten herself into when the simple life of the Amana Colonies means she’ll be assigned a job and may have to give up teaching for good. Will Nathan woo her back to the city, or will she be forever changed by the mysterious events and new relationships that await her in the quiet villages of the Amana Colonies–and decide to make this unique place her forever home?

My Review:
This book looked good from the cover which it was just that, good. I didn’t think it was a 5 star novel, but it could be because this was a second book in a series. I didn’t have background information to know what the Amana colonies were. After a little research, i knew what it was, but I really don’t like to research to read a book! I did like the book and the characters. Jancey was a good character, but could’ve had a little more depth to the character. Overall, I liked the book. I gave the book 4 out of 5 stars.

I received this book in exchange for my honest review from Bethany House Publishing.

Bethany House, Book Reviews

~Book Review~ Stealing the Preacher by Karen Witemeyer

Jenna Evans

image

Synopsis from Goodreads:

On his way to interview for a position at a church in the Piney Woods of Texas, Crockett Archer can scarcely believe it when he’s forced off the train by a retired outlaw and presented to the man’s daughter as the minister she requested for her birthday. Worried this unfortunate detour will ruin his chances of finally serving a congregation of his own, Crockett is determined to escape. But when he finally gets away, he’s haunted by the memory of the young woman he left behind–a woman whose dreams now hinge on him.

For months, Joanna Robbins prayed for a preacher. A man to breathe life back into the abandoned church at the heart of her community. A man to assist her in fulfilling a promise to her dying mother. A man to help her discover answers to the questions that have been on her heart for so long. But just when it seems God has answered her prayers, it turns out the person is there against his will and has dreams of his own calling him elsewhere. Is there any way she can convince Crockett to stay in her little backwoods community? And does the attraction between them have any chance of blossoming when Joanna’s outlaw father is dead set against his daughter courting a preacher?

My review:

This book draws you in the very first chapter that you read with a train robbery, but they did not take the valuables, only the preacher. I like the way that the author let you read from each characters point of view. That way you can learn about each character in an intimate way. There were several unexpected events that happened and kept my interest throughout the book. I loved that the book ended with an epilogue, I am always curious to see what happens next. I give the book a 4.5 stars out of 5.

I received this book free in exchange for my honest review from Bethany House.

Bethany House, Book Reviews

~Book Review~ Angels in the Fire by Dann Stadler

Jenna Evans

image

Synopsis on Goodreads:

An Amazing True Story of Angelic Intervention in a Desperate Situation
The Stadlers’ harrowing journey began with a midnight crash caused by a drunk driver. The odds they would both survive the crash were minimal–a testimony to the miracles that began that night and continued through months of surgeries and hospitalizations. The Stadlers struggled to rebuild their lives, only to face more heartache and loss. But through the hard times, their faith grew as God continued to save them from despair and bring blessings into their lives.
For everyone seeking a deeper faith or affirmation of their belief in a good God, this book will provide hope and the reassurance that God still ministers through his angels today.

My Review:

I loved this book so much! I read the synopsis when it came out in the nonfiction blog list that Bethany House sent me and knew that I just had to read this book! The way that Dann Stadler told his story made you feel like you were right there at the scene! The stories and miracles that he told were just more revealing about how God is there for people who love and believe in him. I gave this book a 5 out of 5 stars!

I received this book free in exchange for my honest review from Bethany House.

Book Reviews, Tyndale

~Book Review~ “Heart of the Country” by Rene Gutteridge & John Ward

Jenna Evans

Heart of the Country

Summary from Goodreads:

“Faith and Luke Carraway have it all. Faith is a beautiful singer turned socialite while Luke is an up-and-coming successful businessman. After taking his inheritance from his father’s stable, lucrative business to invest in a successful hedge fund with the Michov Brothers, he’s on the fast track as a rising young executive, and Faith is settling comfortably into her role as his wife. When rumors of the Michovs’ involvement in a Ponzi scheme reach Faith, she turns to Luke for confirmation, and he assures her that all is well. But when Luke is arrested, Faith can’t understand why he would lie to her, and she runs home to the farm and the family she turned her back on years ago. Meanwhile, Luke is forced to turn to his own family for help as he desperately tries to untangle himself from his mistakes. Can two prodigals return to families they abandoned, and will those families find the grace to forgive and forget? Will a marriage survive betrayal when there is nowhere else to run but home?”

Here is a link to the YouTube video for the DVD: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4DXfARALE8

My Review:

When I seen this book on the website, it looked like a book that I would read. I then found out that it was also a movie! I watched the trailer and couldn’t wait to watch the movie and read the book! I received an email from Tyndale saying that my book had shipped and that the first 25 people who clicked to get the book would get the DVD as well. I didn’t think that I had been one of the first 25 so I just brushed it off, but when I got my package it had the DVD in it. I was excited! I watched the movie first since the book was an adaptation of the movie. I loved the movie, but knowing that it they used the Prodigal Son from the Bible as part of the novel then I kind of knew what was going to happen. I then started to read the book and it was like the movie was coming to life in my hands. There were a few things different, but I would’ve never known that it had started off as a movie first. I loved the book and how each chapter had a different character’s point of view. It was like a 360 degree version that some writers don’t do. I personally like that better because I want to know how everyone feels. I normally don’t like movies on books because my version of the character doesn’t look like what I thought they would or they left out part of the book, but this was a movie first so that problem didn’t exist.

I give this book a 4.5 stars out of 5.

I received this book in exchange for my honest review from the Tyndale Blog Network.

Book Reviews, Booksneeze

“Once Upon a Prince” by Rachel Hauck

Jenna Evans

20130913-235033.jpg

Book Description

Once Upon a Prince, the first novel in the Royal Wedding series by bestselling author Rachel Hauck, treats you to a modern-day fairy tale.

Susanna Truitt never dreamed of a great romance or being treated like a princess—just to marry the man she has loved for twelve years. But life isn’t going according to plan. When her high-school-sweetheart-turned-Marine-officer breaks up instead of proposing, Susanna scrambles to rebuild her life.

The last thing Prince Nathaniel expects to find on his American holiday to St. Simon’s Island is the queen of his heart. A prince has duties, and his family’s tense political situation has chosen his bride for him. When Prince Nathaniel comes to Susanna’s aid under the fabled Lover’s Oak, he is blindsided by love.

Their lives are worlds apart. He’s a royal prince. She’s an ordinary girl. But everything changes when Susanna receives an invitation to Nathaniel’s coronation.

My Review

So this book took me a while to get to as I read a lot of books and this one was an Ebook which I don’t like as well as a real book. Anyways, I really liked this book and although I don’t think I will ever fall in love with a prince, I could really relate to this book!

Susanna Truitt thinks she is love with her boyfriend of 12 years until he tells her that he wants to break up which totally comes out of the blue to her. When I read this part I totally understood because I had just found out something about someone I really cared about for a really long time. I was devastated, but just like Susanna I realized I was grateful that it happened and that I didn’t get any more involved than I already was.

Truthfully, I am a hopeless romantic with no love life so I read romance because I love sappy romance. This book was definitely a typical romance with a few twists and turns. I loved reading it and would recommend it to anyone who loves a good romance with a prince!

I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars!

I received this book courtesy of Booksneeze in exchange for my honest opinion.

Book Reviews, Tyndale

*Book Review*~ In Broken Places by Michele Phoenix

Jenna Evans

20130907-230434.jpg

The description of the book from Tyndale’s website:

Shelby’s life isn’t glamorous, but it is predictable—and that’s the way she likes it. A survivor of her father’s violence, she has spent a lifetime creating a safe existence devoid of dependence. But her carefully managed world begins to break when, under staggering circumstances, she becomes a single mother to four-year-old Shayla. In a drastic attempt to escape her childhood’s influence, Shelby moves to Germany, but she quickly discovers how intimately linked memory and healing are—and how honestly she must scrutinize her past in order to aspire to a richer future. As she juggles a new job, a new culture, a new daughter, and the attention of an enterprising man, Shelby’s fresh start becomes a quest for the courage to be not only a survivor, but someone who prevails.

My thoughts:

Overall, I loved this book! There were pieces in this book that were thrown my way that I never guessed would of happened, but there were also predictable things that happened just like any other romance novel. The book was confusing at first with going back and forth between the past and the present, but I soon figured it out which helped make me like the book even more.

The story of Shelby and her sister which you find out pretty early in the book. Showing how even through the things that Shelby went through with her father in her past, she could still love her sister as much as she would her own despite the age difference and Shayla only being her half sister. Child abuse is not an easy thing to incorporate into a story, but the author did a great job! This book was thoughtfully put together and I am grateful for the chance to read the book.

I give this book a 4.5 stars out of 5 stars.

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