Book Review: The Words Between Us by Erin Bartels

Kait's Bookshelf The Words Between UsThis month I am thrilled to be a part of the Revell Reads blog tour for Erin Bartels’s newest release, The Words Between Us. I was drawn to this book right away by – you guessed it – the cover art! I have often admitted to not necessarily judging books by their covers but being drawn to books by their covers. I mean, that’s what cover art is supposed to do, right? The cover of this new novel is books – stacks of books upon stacks of books. We see the pages but never the covers or spines. I liked that. It made the cover intriguing. Between the cover art and the title, it was clear that books and writing play a big role in this story, and that is always a plus for me. There is also a grey feather loosely placed among the books, which I found out is attributed to a certain feathered character who ended up becoming a favorite of mine.

While the cover art drew my eye, the summary really made me want to read this book. It’s about a woman named Robin whose past catches up to her after she’s spent years running from it – from a disgraced, tainted family name. The story opens on the day of Robin’s father’s scheduled execution. Yes, execution. Robin was just fourteen when her father was accused of murder and her parents ended up behind bars. Years later, she runs a used bookstore (yay for second-hand books!). On execution day, a vintage book shows up sent by someone from her past. She begins receiving regular packages of old books. She knows right away who they’re from – Peter, the boy who changed everything for her, who ruined everything for her. But why is he contacting her after all these years?

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Book Review: The Heart of a King: The Loves of Solomon by Jill Eileen Smith

kaits-bookshelf-the-heart-of-a-king.jpgOne of the incredible things about being a book blogger is getting to read new and upcoming books. I enjoy books of all genres, including historical fiction. Today I’ll be reviewing a new book from Revell Reads, The Heart of a King, which takes place during the time of Solomon’s life in the Old Testament. This is a stand-alone novel that focuses on the relationships of Solomon, the son of King David. Solomon was a wise man, granted wisdom by God. Even if you haven’t read the Old Testament, you’ve likely heard some of the stories about Solomon, such as the two women fighting over an infant. It was Solomon’s wisdom in cases like this which made hundreds of people line up on a regular basis to seek Solomon’s wisdom on various issues. But for all his wisdom, Solomon struggled to make wise choices in his own life, particularly involving his relationships.

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Book Review: Mark of the Raven by Morgan L. Busse

Kait's Bookshelf Mark of the Raven
Cover art is copyright of Bethany House.

I hope everyone who celebrated Thanksgiving last week had an enjoyable week and long weekend with family and friends, reflecting on what you’re thankful for. I sure did. My hubby and I hosted dinner for twelve people which was exhausting yet wonderful! We had a houseful of family on Thursday and then Friday was for relaxing, reading, and online shopping. Did anyone grab any great deals? I’m definitely gifting books to some people this holiday season, but I can’t say which ones because those people read this blog!

Today I’ll be reviewing a Christian fantasy novel, Mark of the Raven. I love Christian-themed fantasy novels. The Chronicles of Narnia will forever be my favorite Christian fantasy series, but I was excited to see a new fantasy novel offered through Bethany House.

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Book Review: Invitation by Bill Myers, Frank Peretti, Angela Hunt, and Alton Gansky

InvitationFirst of all, I would like to say a big thank you to Bethany House Publishers for sending me a copy of this new book. Invitation is a book made up of four short stories, each one from the perspective of a different character. These four characters don’t know each other at the beginning of the book, but by the end of the book after a few adventures that seem anything but coincidental, they are convinced they are being brought together for some larger purpose. They just don’t know what that might be.

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Book Review: Defenders of Justice #1: Fatal Frost by Nancy Mehl

fatal-frostFatal Frost is the first book in the Defenders of Justice series by Nancy Mehl. I was excited to receive this copy as the synopsis from the publisher sounded intriguing and unique for a Christian fiction novel.

First of all, this was an exciting read! It was unlike any other Christian fiction I’ve read. Too often, Christian fiction “plays it safe” rather than placing characters in contemporary, conflicting, and exciting situations. I also find that Christian fiction often goes overboard on the Christian theme, with the characters praying or quoting the Bible on every other page. This book, however, kept the Christian theme subtly woven throughout the book. It wasn’t too much or too little.
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Book Review: A Love Transformed by Tracie Peterson

a-love-transformedYears ago I read a novel written by Tracie Peterson, and I remember thinking how wonderfully written it was and how beautifully it handled difficult situations from a Christian perspective. That being said, when I saw that she had a new novel coming out, I jumped at the chance for a sneak peek, and I would like to say a huge thank you to Bethany House Publishers for providing me with a free copy of A Love Transformed in exchange for an honest review. Keep on Reading!

Book Review: A Tapestry of Secrets by Sarah Loudin Thomas

A Tapestry of Secrets (2)I want to thank Bethany House Publishers for sending me a free copy of their new release, A Tapestry of Secrets. I have never read any novels by Sarah Loudin Thomas before, and it has been a long time since I’ve read a Christian novel. I am pleased to say that I adored this book! I found it to be intriguing and refreshing. One of the most appealing things was that the message of faith was beautifully woven throughout the story, subtly inserting itself into the plot.

This book is a story about family, specifically the women in one family, trying to share truths and find healing after years of secret keeping has left anger and bitterness lingering in their lives. One of my favorite things about this novel was the cross-generational relationships – mother/ daughter with Perla and Sadie and grandmother/ granddaughter with Perla and Ella. I love novels in which the story overlaps generations of a family and was pleased to find that this novel includes several generations and has a strong emphasis on your roots and not forgetting where you came from. The characters were so well-written that I felt as if I knew them personally. It was refreshing to read about a family that has faith at its center and to see characters praying when seeking answers to difficult questions.   Keep on Reading!