Books I Love

Love or Justice by Rachel Mannino

Winter Book Review

Love or Justice by Rachel Mannino was a great book.  I was a nice change to get back to a book like this one because I do love this genre of book.  I have always been a fan of these types of books so much so that I have been to know to buy them even though I know I won’t get around to reading them for years.  This book was pretty predictable to me, but that is probably because I have read so many books like this one that it is easy for me to figure out the pattern and see what is going to happen before it actually happens.  Even with that being said I still loved this book and was sad when it was over because I fell in love with all the characters right from the start of the book.  I would recommend this book to anyone who loves suspense/thriller novels because I know you will love it just as much as I did.

Love or Justice by Rachel Mannino

About The Book

Laurie Shelton is the only person alive who can identify Hawaii’s most notorious mob boss…

After stumbling into a deadly kidnapping, Laurie’s life is in grave danger, and it falls to US Marshal Dante Stark to keep her safe until she testifies against Kaimi Quamboa—assuming he can be captured.

Dante knows he’ll lose his job if he becomes romantically involved with a witness…

But when he has to comfort her through constant nightmares, he finds it nearly impossible to fight his attraction to the beautiful, strong young woman he is sworn to protect. Laurie feels it too, but aware she’s in a high-stress situation and that when the danger is passed she’ll never see Dante again, she tries to ignore his easygoing smile and the security he offers.

Laurie and Dante are forced to flee again…

When Kaimi’s men descend on their hideaway, they escape to a second safe house, only to be tracked down there as well. Dante now knows there’s a mole inside the US Marshal Service, and the only thing left to do is disappear.

Kaimi will never stop looking for Laurie, and if he’s caught, showing up to testify could be the last thing she ever does.

With each choice as dangerous as the next, Dante and Laurie must confront the boundaries of what they’re willing to sacrifice, and which is more important…

Love or Justice.

Rachel Mannino

About The Author

Rachel Mannino is a passionate writer who creates characters and settings that allow readers to explore power dynamics in relationships, the empowerment of women, and the ethical and moral dilemmas love can create in our lives. Rachel also uses her writing skills to raise thousands of dollars for entities that enrich our lives and create community change around the world.  She has worked for the Peace Corps; the Humanities Council of Washington, DC; Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company; and the Mayor’s Office of Arts, Tourism and Special Events in Boston, MA. Her first novel, Love or Justice, was published by Limitless Press in November 2016. Her second novel, Fractal, will be published by eTreasures publishing in the spring of 2016. Rachel has a BA in theatre studies and writing, literature, and publishing from Emerson College, and she has used it every day since graduation.  She lives with her husband, author Christopher Mannino (http://www.christophermannino.com/), and their adorable dog and cat in College Park, Maryland.

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The Girl From The Train by Irma Joubert

Winter Book Review

The Girl From The Train by Irma Joubert was a book I knew I was going to like because it takes place during WWII and I love almost all books that take place during that time period.  I loved this book  because I really loved Gretl from the start of the book.  I was amazed at how she was able to go through what she did and still keep going.  I don’t think I could do the same if I were in her shoes.  I also enjoyed Jakob because of how he treated Gretl and how he was willing to take care of her when he could have just as easily ignored her and let her figure it out on her own.  I can’t say enough good things about this book and I know if you love historical fiction books then you will love this book like I do.

The Girl From The Train by Irma Joubert

About The Book

A sweeping international love story that celebrates the triumph of the human spirit over the inhumanities of war and prejudice.

Six-year-old Gretl and her sister jump from a train bound for Auschwitz, her mother and grandmother unable to squeeze between the bars covering the windows. The daughter of a German soldier, Gretl understands very little about how her grandmother’s Jewishness brought her first to the ghetto, then to the train, and now, to the Polish countryside where she wanders, searching for food and water for her dying sister.

Soon, Gretl finds refuge with Jakob, a Polish freedom fighter, and his family, where she is sheltered until the end of the war. Gretl is then sent away to a new life, a new name, and a new faith in Apartheid-era South Africa. As she comes of age in this strange place, she confronts its prejudices as she hides the truth of her past from her new family.

When Jakob makes his way to South Africa many years later, Gretl and Jakob are reunited in a love story that transcends time and distance and survives the ravages of hatred and war.

About The Author

International bestselling author Irma Joubert was a history teacher for 35 years before she began writing. Her stories are known for their deep insight into personal relationships and rich historical detail. She’s the author of eight novels and a regular fixture on bestseller lists in The Netherlands and in her native South Africa. She is the winner of the 2010 ATKV Prize for Romance Novels. Facebook: irmajoubertpage

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Whispers In The Reading Room by Shelley Gray

Winter Book Review

Whispers In The Reading Room by Shelley Gray was a great book.  I have read several Amish fiction by Shelley so I wondered if I would like this book as much as I liked her other series.  I have started to wonder if there will ever be a book by Shelley that I won’t like because so far I have loved every book that she has written.  I loved this book because I really liked Sebastian because I loved that he was a bookworm like me and that he tried to hide what he did from Lydia because he really liked her.  I also loved that he tried to help her when she got hurt by the man she was engaged to.  If you love historical fiction books I know you will love this book as much as I did.

Whispers In The Reading Room by Shelley Gray

About The Book

Whispers in the Reading Room (Zondervan, November 2015)

Lydia’s job at the library is her world—until a mysterious patron catches her eye . . . and perhaps her heart.

Just months after the closure of the Chicago World’s Fair, librarian Lydia Bancroft finds herself fascinated by a mysterious dark-haired and dark-eyed patron. He has never given her his name; he actually never speaks to a single person. All she knows about him is that he loves books as much as she does.

Only when he rescues her in the lobby of the Hartman Hotel does she discover that his name is Sebastian Marks. She also discovers that he lives at the top of the prestigious hotel and that most everyone in Chicago is intrigued by him.

Lydia and Sebastian form a fragile friendship, but when she discovers that Mr. Marks isn’t merely a very wealthy gentleman, but also the proprietor of an infamous saloon and gambling club, she is shocked.

Lydia insists on visiting the club one fateful night and suddenly is a suspect to a murder. She must determine who she can trust, who is innocent, and if Sebastian Marks-the man so many people fear-is actually everything her heart believes him to be.

Shelley Gray

About The Author

Shelley Gray is the author of The Heart of a Hero series. Her Amish novel (written as Shelley Shepard Gray), The Protector, recently made the New York Times best seller list. A native of Texas, she earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Colorado and taught school for ten years. She and her husband have two children and live in Southern Ohio.

 

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Rising Darkness by Nancy Mehl

Winter Book Review

Rising Darkness by Nancy Mehl was an amazing book.  This book kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the entire thing, but it also was nice that you don’t have worry about what will be in it like you do when you read some other suspense books.  I am that kind of person that doesn’t mind books that have violence and sexual things talked about but I know some people  do like that so is great for them.  I loved that you get an amazing story and you don’t have to worry about what you will be reading because of who the author is.  I also loved that she was able to keep me reading and on the edge of my seat.   This is the 3rd book in series, but you don’t have to read them in order because this is the first book in this series that I have read and I can’t wait to go back and check out the other 2 books in this series.

Rising Darkness by Nancy Mehl

About The Book

Sophie Wittenbauer left her strict Mennonite hometown under a cloud of shame and regret. After a rough childhood, her teenage poor choices harmed others, leaving her with no choice but to change her life. Her entry-level writing job at a newspaper puts her in the right place at the right time to overhear office gossip about a prisoner who has information on a decades-old unsolved crime. While the other reporters write off the tip as the ravings of an angry criminal, Sophie can’t ignore it because she knows the name of this prisoner from her old life.

Upon learning from the man that one of the other suspects is hiding out in the Missouri town of Sanctuary, she takes on a false identity to investigate and meets the young pastor of a local church–the very man she’d loved as a troubled teenager. As she gets closer to finding the suspect, will the truth of her own past come out before she discovers the identity of the criminal–or the very person she’s seeking puts a fatal stop to her investigation?

Nancy Mehl

About The Author

Nancy Mehl lives in Wichita, Kansas with her husband, Norman, and her very active puggle, Watson. First published in 2001, she has now authored nine books, including an omnibus mystery collection, Cozy in Kansas, which contains three of her previously published Ivy Towers mysteries. Book three in the series, For Whom the Wedding Bell Tolls, won the American Christian Fiction Writers Mystery Book of the Year award. Nancy’s main writing interests lie in mystery although her new Harmony Series leans more toward the romantic suspense genre. Nancy runs a HUD program for the city of Wichita and is president of a volunteer organization, Wichita Homebound Outreach. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Kansas Authors Club. You can find out more about Nancy by visiting her Web site at: http://www.nancymehl.com”

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The Wedding Chapel by Rachel Hauck

Winter Book Review

The Wedding Chapel by Rachel Hauck was another great book by this author.  I have read several books by this author and I have loved them all so this story had a lot to live up to and I love that it was everything that I hoped it would be.  I have to say that Jimmy was my favorite out of all the characters.  I think it was because of his personality and he seemed the most relatable to me.  I loved that the story was told from different time periods because that gives you a better understanding of  the characters and why things happened like they did.  If you love Rachel’s books or are just looking for a great chick lit book than I would for sure recommend this book to you.

The Wedding Chapel by Rachel Hauck

About The Book

An old, forgotten chapel holds the key to love and forgiveness.

Retired hall-of-fame football coach Jimmy Westbrook never imagined anything would come of his labor of love—building a wedding chapel for Collette Greer, the woman he fell in love with in 1949. But now a realtor wants the land the chapel sits on, and he sees no reason to hang onto the past.

Photographer Taylor Branson is trying to make a life for herself in New York. Leaving her hometown of Heart’s Bend, Tennessee, she put a lot of things behind her, including her family’s string of failed marriages. When she falls head-over-heels for Jack Gillingham, a top ad man, their whirlwind romance and elopement leave her with doubts. Jack, while genuine in his love for Taylor, can never seem to find the right way to show her he really cares.

When a post-mortem letter from Taylor’s Granny Peg shows up, along with an old photo, she is driven to uncover family secrets and the secret to her own happiness, starting with an assignment to photograph an unknown, obscure wedding chapel back in Heart’s Bend.

Taylor begins a mission to convince Jimmy that the chapel is worth saving—and that forgiveness and healing might happen within the chapel’s walls . . . for both of them.

Rachel Hauck

About The Author

RITA finalist and award winning author Rachel Hauck writes from sunny central Florida.

With strong southern stories, she infuses faith and real life into the lives of her fictional characters.

Rachel loves to encourage new writers and is the book therapist for My Book Therapy and writing community founded by
Susan May Warren.

Rachel graduated from Ohio State University with a BA in Journalism. She’s and avid OSU football fan.

Visit her web site to find out more and click on the icons to follow her on Twitter and Facebook.

http://www.rachelhauck.com

 

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A Moment of Weakness by Karen Kingsbury

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from 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.

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A Moment of Weakness by Karen Kingsbury was a book that at first I didn’t like but by the end I loved the book and the characters.  This is the second  book I have read by this author and I have fallen even more in love with this author than I was before.  I wasn’t a huge fan of Jade and Tanner’s parents throughout the entire book.  I know it is because of  how they acted towards each other and if I am being honest small town crap just bugs me.  I really did like Jade and Tanner though so that made reading the book not so  bad.  This is the second book in the series but you don’t have to read the books in order so if you just want to read this one you won’t be lost.  This book was a super easy read and one that I was able to read in a couple of days so you don’t have to commit tons of time to read this one.  If you love chick lit I know you will love this book as much as I did.

A Moment of Weakness by Karen Kingsbury

About The Book

Had they found each other again after all these years, only to lose everything that matters most?”
“As children, Jade Conner and Tanner Eastman were best friends–until scandal drove them apart. Then, one golden summer, they find each other again. Through endless days they share their hearts and souls and dreams of forever. Then, in a moment of weakness, they make a decision that will tear them apart for nearly a decade.

In their own separate corners of the country, Jade and Tanner have become fighters for religious freedom. Now Jade’s unfaithful husband is determined to destroy her in a custody battle that will rock the nation and shake people’s understanding of faith and freedom. Could Jade lose her only child because of her faith? Only one man can help her in her darkest hour. And only one old woman knows the secret about that summer and the truth that can set them all free.”

Karen Kingsbury

About The Author

USA Today and New York Times bestselling author Karen Kingsbury is America’s #1 inspirational novelist. There are more than 15 million copies of her award-winning books in print, including several million copies sold in the past year. Karen has written more than 40 novels, ten of which have hit #1 on national lists.

Karen has a true love for her readers, and she has nearly 100,000 friends on Facebook along with more than 7,500 followers on Twitter. The popular social networking sites have allowed Karen daily interaction with her reader friends.

Karen is best known for her Life-Changing Fiction (TM) and for creating unforgettable characters. When speaking before women’s groups – some with more than 10,000 in attendance – Karen makes audiences laugh and cry with her compelling story-telling. She likes to tell attendees they have, “One chance to write the story of their lives,” and her talk focuses on reminding women to live every day loving well, laughing often, and finding true life in Jesus Christ. Karen routinely speaks before more than 100,000 women each year.

Karen’s latest novel, Above the Line, Take Three, released March 23rd, 2010. Take Three is the third in the Above the Line Series. Look for the final installment in this series, Above The Line, Take Four to hit stores June 22nd, 2010. Shades of Blue, Karen’s latest stand alone title, hit stores in October, 2009. Karen’s newest series, Above The Line Series began with Take One, which released in March, 2009. The second book in this series, Take Two released in June 2009.

Karen’s recent title, This Side of Heaven landed in the #5 spot on the CBD Bestselling Fiction List. Also, Karen’s novel, Sunset landed #2 on the New York Times Best Seller’s List. Karen has also written many best selling series including The Redemption Series and the Firstborn Series. Her fiction has made her one of the country’s favorite storytellers. Several of Karen’s novels are being considered for major motion picture movies. Her emotionally gripping titles include the 9-11 Series, Even Now, Ever After, and Between Sundays.

Karen is also a public speaker, reaching more than 100,000 women annually through various national events. Karen and her husband, Don, live in the Pacific Northwest with their six children, three of whom are adopted from Haiti.

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