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The Will of Wisteria By Denise Hildreth / Thomas Nelson When wealthy Edward Wilcott dies, his children have to “earn” their inheritance. Attorney Elizabeth must work pro bono for a year; plastic surgeon Jeffrey must find a less superficial practice; Mary Catherine has to stay in one place and teach; and Will is to build homes for the poor. Will they defy Wilcott’s wishes—or end up rich? 320 pages, softcover from Nelson.

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Kelly’s Review:

This book was recommended to me at my favorite local Christian bookstore and I picked it up based on that recommendation. I am so glad I did. There is no way I can review it properly enough to do it justice, but I’ll try.

In a word: WOW!!! The Will of Wisteria was an incredible read. This was a book that captivated me and I didn’t want to put it down nor was I ready for it to end. One of the best novels I’ve read!!

The basic storylines for this novel revolve around the children of a deceased billionaire in Charleston, South Carolina. Their father’s will left them with strict instructions to work for one year’s time without pay in order to earn their inheritance. The book entails each sibling’s decision and direction along the course of that year. The storylines are magnificently unfolded and the character development is outstanding. Hildreth didn’t lean at all towards any cliches and perfectly played out each character’s journey artfully and true to character along the way.

This was a novel that left an imprint on my heart. So many lessons are contained within these pages. I found myself drawn in and not wanting to let go. I wanted to read more, learn more and know more. I am now a huge fan of Denise Hildreth and will be reading more of her novels in the very near future. I recommend this book wholeheartedly and enthusastically to each and everyone!

For Better or For Worse By Diann Hunt / Thomas Nelson She’s a wedding coordinator. He’s a divorce attorney. She begins marriages. He ends them. How could these two possibly find common ground?Wendy Hartline is finally starting to settle into the single life. After a difficult season of grief following her husband’s death, she’s taken over the family business of coordinating memorable weddings. Life has become . . . comfortable.Then the charming and incredibly frustrating Marco Amorini opens a legal practice–specializing in divorces–right next to her wedding chapel and stirs up everything.

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Kelly’s Review:

Simply stated, this novel is a great read. It has so many wonderful elements that combine to make it an excellent read from start to finish. This novel contains humor, drama, romance and also life lessons. I enjoyed it tremendously!

For Better or For Worse is a novel in which the main character, Wendy, is a widowed wedding coordinator whose life and family are in the midst of turmoil and chaos. Adding to this is the introduction of Marco Amorini, a divorce attorney, into Wendy’s life. Things are never quite what they seem and this novel reveals that many times over through the use of humor and family situations.

I loved Diann Hunt’s writing style in this novel. I immediately felt a connection to Wendy and felt that I could relate to her right from the start of the novel. The way Hunt skillfully blended together all the elements of this novel kept the storylines flowing seemlessly from page to page. There was never a time when I felt the storylines were mundane or dragging at all - I was engaged in the novel from beginning to end. And, honestly, I was left wanting more. That is one sign of a great novel for me.

I have become a fan of Diann Hunt and look forward to reading more from her soon. I recommend this novel without reservation. A+!!

The Note By Angela Hunt / Thomas Nelson En route from LaGuardia Airport to Tampa International, Flight 848 bursts into flames and crashes into Tampa Bay. All 261 passengers and crew are killed. For one week, newspaper columnist Peyton MacGruder and her fellow reporters cover one of the worst air disasters in years with overwhelming and numbed emotions.Then a woman Peyton has never met gives her a plastic bag that has washed up behind her house. The bag contains a note, almost certainly from the doomed flight, with a simple yet wrenching message: T- I love you. All is forgiven. -Dad

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Kelly’s Review

The Note is an extremely well-written novel that deals with forgiveness, compassion and redemption. It opens with a plane crash that kills everyone on board. A newspaper columnist by the name of Peyton Macgruder is given a note that has washed up on shore that is presumably from one of the passengers that was on the plane. The note simply reads “T - I love you. All is forgiven. - Dad” Peyton uses her newspaper column to track down the rightful recipient of this note.

This novel takes us through Peyton’s professional and personal quest to find the person for whom the note was intended. The story takes some twists and turns that are unexpected and keeps the reading interesting. We also learn more about the character of Peyton and what motivates and also hinders her. Her character development in this novel is especially moving.

This was a great read. It is a novel that brings to light many lessons we could all learn from each day. I enjoyed it from beginning to end. Recommended reading!!

Healing Stones, Sullivan Crisp Series #1 By Nancy Rue & Stephen Arterburn / Thomas Nelson When Demetria Costanas finally confronts a fellow professor to tell him that their affair is over, it’s more than the relationship that’s finished. After a photo is delivered to the university president and her husband, she may lose her career and marriage, too! Will sorting things out with Christian counselor Sullivan Crisp help? 400 pages, softcover from Nelson.

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Kelly’s Review:

Healing Stones is one of those novels that drew me in from the very beginning and never let go. The character depth in this novel connects them to reality and gives powerful insight into their lives, faith and struggles. The turmoil and strife for resolution that the main character, Demitria, faces is intense and believable. The back stories and sub plots are also powerful and intriguing. I didn’t want this book to end. The lessons contained were so true for all of  us - even those who will never face the exact same challenges in life. The reminders of God’s infinite grace, love and forgiveness are interwoven beautifully throughout the novel.

I’m glad to know that this is a series. I wasn’t ready for this one to end and I am eager to read more. I recommend this book as a great read!!

Calm, Cool & Adjusted, Spa Girls Series #3 By Kristin Billerbeck / Thomas Nelson Best friends since Johnny Depp wore scissors for hands, “The Spa Girls” live very separate lives, but stay in touch with routine visits to California’s Spa Del Mar. The third novel in the Spa Girls Series focuses on Silicon Valley chiropractor Poppy Clayton, who is as calm, cool and adjusted as they come. ..Or is she? Known for her bad fashion sense, a love for all things natural and the inability to get a second date, Poppy is beginning to wonder if she might be misaligned herself. Her route to self discovery will be an unnatural one–a plastic surgeon, a house in Santa Cruz and a wedding date from the dark side. It’s all enough to send a girland her gal palsrunning for the spa.

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Kelly’s Review

This is the third and final installment in Kristin Billerbeck’s Spa Girls series. I enjoyed the first two books in the series and looked forward to reading this one and getting to know more about Poppy, the lead character in this novel. Throughout the first two novels, I had become intrigued with Poppy’s character , but this novel came up short for me. I wanted to like it more than I did.

Cool, Calm and Adjusted felt rushed to me. It seemed to me that this was the last book in the series, so Poppy’s story was rushed. At least once in the novel I found editorial mistakes regarding the characters where one character was referred to, but it was supposed to have been another character that was named. Poppy’s character development was okay for me, but not superb. I would like to have known more. Towards the end of the novel she comes to terms with a deep-seeded family issue from her past and I would have liked to have seen her deal with that in more depth. I would have also like to have seen her love interests developed better. Like I said, it just all seemed rushed to me.

That being said, it was a decent read. Not as great as the first two, but I’d still rather read a piece of Christian fiction like this than most secular works any day. It wasn’t the best book of the series and I felt that quite a few details were left untold. It leaves me somewhat wishing that there will be a next installment in this series, but if there is I hope it steps back up to the original quality I found in the first two novels of the Spa Girls series.
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Spa Girls Series, Vols 1-3 By Kristin Billerbeck / Thomas Nelson

A Girl’s Best Friend, The Spa Girls Series #2 By Kristin Billerbeck / Thomas Nelson Morgan’s a girl who has it all, or so it seem. But even with diamonds at her disposal, a fabulous figure and a doting daddy, her well-sculpted life has left her without an identity to call her own. To add insult to injury, the Prince Charming she thought she’d found to rescue her proved to be a dud. So with all of that going on, a getaway with her best friends was in order. And it’s then that Morgan can rejuvenate, regroup and figure out with God’s help how to make a life she can live with. 1

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Kelly’s Review:

A Girl’s Best Friend is the second novel in Kirstin Billerbeck’s Spa Girls series. The Spa Girls are three friends in the San Francisco area - Lily, Morgan and Poppy. The Spa Girls met in college and have been friends ever since. They are all approaching 30 and are dealing with various phases in their lives. Dealing includes many trips to their favorite spa, of course.

This novel’s central character is Morgan. Morgan is one who seems to “have it all” from all outward appearances. Her father is in the diamond business and Morgan’s job has always been to showcase her father’s jewel collections and to just be on the fashion scene. Morgan is wealthy and has so much at her disposal, but she finds that material things don’t always add up to happiness and certainly don’t bring her love.

In this novel, Morgan begins to question her father’s motives and winds up on her own. She has to learn what she can live with and without. I felt that Morgan’s character was very superbly developed. Throughout the course of the novel, she was revealed to have her flaws just like everyone else. She was real and I felt that I could relate to her trials in the way that her actions and reactions were written.

This is a great read. There are many reminders throughout the book of putting our trust in God’s sovereignty. There are encouraging and uplifting examples of dealing with low times in the walk of faith. This book is more than “chick lit” , without a doubt. I recommend it whole-heartedly. In fact, I recommend this series. I’ve moved on now to the third and final book in the series and I can’t wait to review it here as well! Excellent book, great series!!

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The Spa Girl Series 3 volume pack By Kristin Billerbeck / Thomas Nelson

A Time to Mend, Safe Harbor Series #1 By Sally John & Gary Smalley / Thomas Nelson Claire Beaumont shatters her marriage with one simple sentence: “Max, either the business goes or I do.” The ultimatum exposes long unaddressed wounds in her husband, herself, and their four adult children. Will a fatal fire reignite their passion for each other—or destroy everything they’ve worked for together? 320 pages, softcover from Nelson.

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Kelly’s Review

This is the first novel in Sally John and Gary Smalley’s new Safe Haven series which was just released this year. I enjoyed reading this book. I felt that the story lines were very well developed and weren’t overly clinched nor were they too predictable. The character development in this book is really rich and the characters each bring depth to the story lines.

I appreciated that this novel touched upon issues that are real and relevant in marriage, especially Christian marriages. Topics covered include submission, fidelity and also providing each partner with a safe harbor within the marriage. I thought that each facet of the story was handled beautifully.  This is a great read for those who are married whether facing trials or not. The issues and lessons of the story could serve as reminders to many of us even if we are never faced with the exact same situations.

I recommend this one. It’s a worthy read. I will be looking forward to more books in this series. I will also be sure to check out more works by Sally John.

On April 28th, I posted a review of The Shack by William P Young. It has been two weeks since that post and I still find myself reflecting on the book. In my initial review, I noted that this book didn’t change my life because, honestly, it wasn’t life-altering for me. But, to say that it has been thought-provoking is an understatement. When a book continues to remain on my mind for days and weeks after I have completed it, as The Shack has done, then I know the message has gone deeper than words can convey.

The main messages that have remained with me since I read this book are these:

Forgiveness - In this novel, the main character, Mack, has to come to terms with making peace with the death of his daughter. He has to find a pathway to forgiveness in order to attain any sort of peace. He has been encumbered by a “Great Sadness” to the extent that the sadness became his very identity. His very soul was being darkened by sorrow, hatred and bitterness. Coming to a place of healing for his heart and soul was not easy. I appreciated the way the book didn’t sugar-coat what he was going through nor make light of the struggles he faced in his faith in the aftermath of his daughter’s death. His struggles were so real and the way he worked through them were emotionally raw and powerful. That element really touched me and made a lasting impression upon my heart.

Redemption - In this novel we learn that Mack has struggled basically all his life. He had a rough and terrible childhood and a hard upbringing. He made his own way in the world and in many ways overcame his past, but it still haunts him daily. He loves his family and is broken by his inability to protect his daughter from death. By grace Mack goes through a process of finding his way to feeling worthy of forgiveness and embracing the love of God. That really pulled on my own heartstrings. I sometimes feel that as a sinner, I don’t have any right to God’s love, but that is absolute incorrect thinking on my part. God doesn’t ask us to earn His love, but He does ask us to accept it. And, forgiveness also comes so freely from God. He doesn’t hold onto our sins, but we hold onto them ourselves making us captive to them. This novel beautifully demonstrates the need to let go and give ourselves completely over to God.

Love - We’ve all heard it said that “God is love” and The Shack resounds that message very beautifully. There are times when the emotional charge of the display of love is emotionally raw and I found that to be the most beautiful message in the story. As parents, we love our children to the depth of our very souls. And, yet, I know that I am guilty of neglecting to remember that I am God’s child and He loves me even more than that.

I don’t want to say much more about the book because I am trying to be extra careful not to give too much away for those that haven’t read it yet. Several staff members at our church are all abuzz about this book! I’ve also had some interesting conversations with others that have read it.I hope that anyone that reads this will pick up a copy of this book. I am not going to say that it will change your life or anything, but I will tell you that it will leave a message on your heart.

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The Shack By William P. Young / Windblown Media Mackenzie Allen Philips’ youngest daughter, Missy, has been abducted during a family vacation and evidence that she may have been brutally murdered is found in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Four years later in the midst of his “Great Sadness,” Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to that shack for a weekend. Against his better judgment he arrives at the shack on a wintry afternoon and walks back into his darkest nightmare. What he finds there will change Mack’s world forever. In a world where religion seems to grow increasingly irrelevant “The Shack” wrestles with the timeless question, “Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain?” The answers Mack gets will astound you and perhaps transform you as much as it did him. You’ll want everyone you know to read this book!

The Proposal, The English Garden Series #1 By Lori Wick / Harvest House Publishers Lifelong bachelor William Jennings is a fierce-tempered, agnostic 19th-century Englishman—and an unlikely candidate for fatherhood. But when a distant relative dies, he finds himself guardian of three children, and in over his head! Taking refuge at his sister’s home, he befriends her kindhearted neighbor, Marianne. Can she change his mind about faith . . . and family? 300 pages, softcover from Harvest.

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Kelly’s Review:

This is the first book I have read by Lori Wick and I can say with certainty that I will be reading more of her works. in fact, The Proposal is the first novel in The English Garden series and I will be reading the rest of the books in the series at some point in the future.

This is a novel involving three children (two boys and a girl) who have been orphaned when their father is killed in a tragic accident. They are taken in by a bachelor uncle who is certain he has no want of a wife, but has a fondness for children nonetheless. Initially the uncle finds himself more drawn to the boys as he feels that he doesn’t quite understand little girls. It is discovered that the nanny he hired for the little girl is mistreating the child, so he fires the nanny and sets about to make things right with the girl as well as her brothers. Through the course of the story, the uncle and the children go to visit the uncle’s sister and her family so that he may reconcile with them and learn the ways of parenting in their home. It is at the sister’s home that he meets an intriguing lady neighbor whom the children come to adore immediately. The uncle has also had long-harbored disdain for religion and the church. The novel reveals his growing curiosity about faith and acceptance of Christ along the way. The novel also details the emotional growth of a man who comes to terms not only with being a family and having faith, but also learning to trust in love.

This book is beautifully written. It had such a classic feel to it. I felt myself drawn to the children immediately. I enjoyed the development of the uncle’s character tremendously. In all, I feel that this is a very nice read. As I mentioned before, I am very interested in reading the rest of the novels in this series.

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English Garden Series, Volumes 1-4 By Lori Wick / Harvest House Publishers

Dawn’s Light, Restoration Series #4 By Terri Blackstock / Zondervan In the final book of the Restoration Series by bestselling author Terri Blackstock, the end of a global electrical blackout signals the beginning of the Branning family’s ultimate test. Murder and affairs of the heart form the backdrop for a family sifting through the lessons they have learned-and how well they have truly learned them.

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Kelly’s Review:

Dawn’s Light is the fourth and final novel in Terri Blackstock’s Restoration series. I have read each of these books almost as soon as they came out, so I was especially anxious to read this last installment and it did not disappoint. The series is incredible and, to me, this is the best book of the series. Terri Blackstock really saved the best for last. Don’t get me wrong, the other three books are outstanding, but I definitely feel that this book had every possible element to be the perfect conclusion to this series.

The thing that touched me the most in this book was the way the central family in the book, the Brannings, deals with the many trials and tribulations that have come their way as a result of the global power outage. In this novel, the Brannings’ faith is put to the ultimate test and the way Terri Blackstock has written it, every element is emotionally riveting and powerful. The way the family, and in particular the mother (Kay), handles this huge test of faith is just so real. Again, I appreciate that this wasn’t written like “cleaned-up Christianity”, but is emotionally raw and true. The way the family works through the trial is inspiring and definitely brought to mind how I think I would react in a similar situation. I was drawn into this element of the story and it was just incredibly powerful.

The other elements of the story are superbly written as well. There are elements of suspense, romance, excitement and renewal. Terri Blackstock ties it all together just beautifully. My reading of this book just flew by. It never had any points that felt like they were dragging or weighing down the story. Everything moved at just the perfect pace and I didn’t want to put it down once I started it.

If you haven’t read the other three books in the Restoration series, I highly recommend reading them first. Save this one because it’s worth the wait. And, if you have read the others and haven’t gotten to this one yet, get it! This book delivers and is one of the best books I have read all year! Kudos to Terri Blackstock for another excellent novel and terrific series!!

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To purchase this book, please see the link above. To purchase others in the series, you can click on the following links:

Last Light, Restoration Series #1 By Terri Blackstock / Zondervan Terror reigns when electrical power is cut off across the world-creating a global crisis that reveals even deeper darkness within human hearts. What would you do? Whom could you and your family trust, especially if there was a killer in the neighborhood? The first book in this exciting new series from Terri Blackstock.

Night Light, Restoration Series #2 By Terri Blackstock / Zondervan * As global catastrophe plunges the world into darkness, survival becomes everybody’s new lifestyle. The Brannings must choose between hoarding their possessions or sharing with others. When young thieves raid their pantry, Jeff Branning tracks them down, uncovering a trail of desperation and murder—and a new purpose that’ll transform their family and the community! 352 pages, softcover from Zondervan.

True Light, Restoration Series #3 By Terri Blackstock / Zondervan On so many chilling levels The “what if” question arises as a global catastrophe affects the residents of Oak Hollow. They now have had to deal without electricity for eight months and the deep winter nights have set in. Tension mounts when a young man is murdered. Is Mark Green the killer? The darkness from the blackout also reveals the darkness in human hearts as the survival of the fittest gets more intense.