The Inheritance by Michael Phillips

May 1, 2016

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

The Inheritance by Michael Phillips was a super long book. I liked the book for the most part, but it is super long, and the font isn’t the biggest so at times it was hard to me to read. Had I know all of that before I would have requested the ebook version because that way I could have made the font bigger and easier for me to read without straining my eyes. With all that said I loved the story and how it was written. I did feel at times that there were almost too many details, and I found that I got bogged down in all the details. I did enjoy this book for the most part, but I don’t think that I will check out any other books by him. I enjoyed how the author wrote like people from Scotland talk. I did have to read it out loud so that I could figure out what was being said but I enjoyed those parts of the book. It is a book that I would recommend to people, but I would recommend getting a digital version of the book if your eyes get strained easily.

About The Book

The death of the clan patriarch has thrown the tiny Shetland Islands community of Whale’s Reef into turmoil. Everyone assumed MacGregor Tulloch’s heir to be his grand-nephew David, a local favorite, but when it is discovered that MacGregor left no will, David’s grasping cousin Hardy submits his own claim to the inheritance, an estate that controls most of the island’s land. And while Hardy doesn’t enjoy much popular support, he has the backing of a shadowy group of North Sea oil investors. The courts have frozen the estate’s assets while the competing claims are investigated, leaving many of the residents in financial limbo. The future of the island–and its traditional way of life–hangs in the balance.

Loni Ford is enjoying her rising career in a large investment firm in Washington, DC. Yet in spite of her outward success, she is privately plagued by questions of identity. Orphaned as a young child, she was raised by her paternal grandparents, and while she loves them dearly, she feels completely detached from her roots. That is until a mysterious letter arrives from a Scottish solicitor. . . .

Past and present collide in master storyteller Phillips’s dramatic new saga of loss and discovery, of grasping and grace, and of the dreams of men and women everywhere.

About The Author

Michael Phillips has been writing in the Christian marketplace for 30 years. All told, he has written, co-written, and edited some 110 books. Phillips and his wife live in the U.S., and make their second home in Scotland.

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Song Of Silence by Cynthia Ruchti

April 26, 2016

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

Song Of Silence by Cynthia Ruchti was an okay book just not the right fit for me. I have read several books by Cynthia and I have liked all of them but this book just wasn’t the right fit for me. With that being said it was well written and I the plot but I just couldn’t get into the book. I always feel bad when I can’t get into the book because I hate giving anything less than a raving review but I have to with this book. I know that this book would be great for some people it just wasn’t that one for me. I had a super hard time getting into this book and I was glad when it was over because I was just bored by the end of it.

About The Book

Lucy and Charlie Tuttle agree on one thing: they’re committed to each other for life. Trouble is, neither of them expected life to look like this. While Charlie retired early, Lucy is devoted to a long-term career . . . until the day she has no choice.
Forced to retire from her position as music educator in a small Midwestern K-8 school, Lucy can only watch helplessly as the program her father started years ago disintegrates before her eyes. As the music fades and a chasm separates her from the passion of her heart, Lucy wonders if her faith’s song has gone silent, too. The musical score of her life seems to be missing all the notes.
When a simple misstep threatens to silence Lucy forever, a young boy and his soundless mother change the way she sees–and hears–everything.

About The Author

Drawing from 33 years of on-air radio ministry, Cynthia Ruchti tells stories of hope-that-glows-in-the-dark through her novels and novellas, nonfiction books and devotionals, and speaking for women’s and writers’ events. Her books have been recognized by Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Awards, Selah Awards, the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, Christian Retailing’s BEST Awards, and Carol Award nominations, among other honors, including a Family Fiction Readers’ Choice Award. She and her plot-tweaking husband live in Pittsville, Wisconsin, not far from their three children and five grandchildren.

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Simple Pleasures by Marianne Jantzi

April 17, 2016

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

Simple Pleasures by Marianne Jantzi was a good book to read. I have read one other book in this series. With that being said it, they are part of a series but not part of a series. Each book is written by a different Amish person, so they are different stories, but all have to do with what it is like to be Amish. I enjoyed the first book which you can read my review on if you click here but I had a hard time getting into this book. I enjoyed this book, but it was slower for me, and it isn’t one that I would want to read again. I think that is because it was most just her talking and not her telling stories. Even with all that being said I did enjoy parts of this book, and it is one that I know some people will love. If you love books written by the Amish and love to get an inside look at what their lives are like I would for sure have you check out this book.

About The Book

Young Amish homemaker Marianne Jantzi invites readers into her family s life and Amish community. The mother of four young children, Jantzi writes about her daily routines and heartfelt faith with equal measures of wit and warmth. Sewing, cleaning, cooking, gardening, and helping to manage the family store take up most hours in her day, but Jantzi finds time to pen columns for theConnection, a magazine beloved by Amish and Mennonite readers. Never sugarcoating the frustrations of motherhood, Jantzi tells it like it is, broken washing machine and bickering children and all. But through her busy days, Jantzi finds strength in simple pleasures of family, fellowship with her Amish community, and quiet time with God.

Hear straight from Amish people themselves as they write about their daily lives and deeply rooted faith in the Plainspoken series from Herald Press. Each book includes A Day in the Life of the Author and the authors answers to FAQs about the Amish.

About The Author

Marianne Jantzi is an Amish writer and homemaker in Ontario, Canada. Formerly a teacher in an Amish school, Jantzi now educates and inspires through her “Northern Reflections” column for The Connection, a magazine directed mainly to Amish and plain communities across the U.S. and Canada. She and her husband have four young children and run a shoe store among the Milverton Amish settlement of Ontario.

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The Bachelor Girl’s Guide to Murder by Rachel McMillan

April 15, 2016

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed are 100% my own.

The Bachelor Girl’s Guide to Murder by Rachel McMillan was a fantastic book. When I opened the package that the book came in, I had to smile because there was a note that the author wrote tucked in the book, and it made me laugh. I also loved that some of the words had an asterisk by them and then at the bottom of the page it explains what it means or why she is using it. I loved that because it makes it easier to read because she explains parts of it, so you don’t have to stop reading to figure out what she meant. As I was reading this book, I had a constant smile on my face because the book just put me in a good mood. I love how well this book was written, and I loved that the main characters were doing things that women wouldn’t have been able to do during that time. I have read tons of historical fiction books, and this one is by far my favorite as of late, and I can’t wait for another book by this author to be released. It is an easy read, and it went by super quick. I love when I read books that are easy to read and go by fast because I don’t have to wait too long to find out how the story ends. I am sure most people would enjoy this book, and I recommend it everyone who is looking for a new book to read.

About The Book

In 1910 Toronto, while other bachelor girls perfect their domestic skills and find husbands, two friends perfect their sleuthing skills and find a murderer.

Inspired by their fascination with all things Sherlock Holmes, best friends and flatmates Merinda and Jem launch a consulting detective business. The deaths of young Irish women lead Merinda and Jem deeper into the mire of the city’s underbelly, where the high hopes of those dreaming to make a new life in Canada are met with prejudice and squalor.

While searching for answers, donning disguises, and sneaking around where no proper ladies would ever go, they pair with Jasper Forth, a police constable, and Ray DeLuca, a reporter in whom Jem takes a more than professional interest. Merinda could well be Toronto’s premiere consulting detective, and Jem may just find a way to put her bachelor girlhood behind her forever–if they can stay alive long enough to do so.

About The Author

Rachel McMillan is a keen history enthusiast and a lifelong bibliophile. When not writing or reading, she can most often be found drinking tea and watching British miniseries. Rachel lives in bustling Toronto, where she works in educational publishing and pursues her passion for art, literature, music, and theater.

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A Dream Of Miracles by Ruth Reid

April 14, 2016

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own. I received no other compensation for this review.

A Dream Of Miracles by Ruth Reid was an excellent book. I am a total sucker for Amish fiction and non-fiction books so because of that I figured that I would, at least, enjoy this book. I read one other book in this series and I loved it just like I did this one. If you missed that review you can click here to go and check it out. I really have enjoyed reading both books by this author and I can’t wait to pick up the one book that I missed in this series so that I can read the entire series. You don’t have to read these books in order if you don’t want to so I also love when that happens with series of books. I felt so sorry for Mattie because of everything she had to deal with. I can’t even imagine what understand what was going on and having people convinced that you hurt your child. I spent the entire book hoping that her and Bo would end up together in the end and I won’t give away what happens with them. All I can say is that I would recommend this book to anyone who loves Amish fiction because I know it won’t let you down.

About The Book

Mattie Diener can barely keep it together. A young Amish widow and mother of two small children, she faces the lingering heartbreak of lost love, her son s mysterious illness, and a torrent of accusations that threaten to undo her.”

About The Author

Ruth Reid is a CBA and ECPA best-selling author of the Heaven on Earth series. She’s a full-time pharmacist who resides in Florida with her husband and three children.

Find out more about Ruth at:http://ruthreid.com

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Sit, Stay, Love by Dana Mentink

April 10, 2016

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation for this review. All opinions expressed in this review are all mine.

Sit Stay Love by Dana Mentink was an excellent book. I am a sucker for books that have animals as one of the characters because I love animals so much. I enjoyed this book right from the start, and I was sad when it was over because I loved Gina and Tippy. I wasn’t a huge fan of Cal but by the end of the book, I started to like him. There are parts of this book that made me laugh out loud. I also love that the author of this book is donating a part of the proceeds from this book to a rescue group that takes care of older dogs. This is the first book I have read by this author, and I can’t wait to read more because her book made me smile and I love that about it. I can’t say enough good things about this book, and I can’t wait to read other books by her. If you love super cute Christian romance novels then I know you will love this book as much as I do.

About The Book

Take one abrasive professional athlete, a quirky out-of-work schoolteacher, and an overweight geriatric dog, and you’re ready for a lesson in love…Tippy style.

Pro baseball pitcher Cal Crawford is not a dog guy. When he inherits his deceased mother’s elderly dog, Tippy, he’s quick to call on a pet-sitting service.

Gina isn’t thrilled to be a dog sitter when her aspirations lie in the classroom. Furthermore, she can’t abide the unfriendly Cal, a man with all the charm of a wet towel. But with no other prospects and a deep love for all things canine, she takes the job caring for Tippy.

As Gina travels through Cal’s world with Tippy in tow, she begins to see Cal in a different light. Gina longs to show Cal the God-given blessings in his life that have nothing to do with baseball or fame. When her longing blooms into attraction, Gina does her best to suppress it. But Cal is falling in love with her too…

Discover the charming story of Tippy, the dog who brought a family together.

About The Author

Dana Mentink enjoys writing in many different capacities. She currently writes for Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense, Harlequin Heartwarming and Harvest House Publishers.

Dana is the recipient of a Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award and an ACFW Carol Award as well as a Holt Medallion Merit Award winner.

Dana loves feedback from her readers. Contact her via her website atwww.danamentink.com.