Fifteen Minutes: A Review

 

Zach loves Reese, singing, and Jesus. When he gets a chance to compete on the TV competition show Fifteen Minutes, he's convinced it's God's plan for him. When fame pulls him away from his faith, and Reese is drawn to London to continue her work as a therapeutic horse instructor, Zach and Reese are torn between their dreams and their love for each other.

As with most Karen Kingsbury books, Fifteen Minutes is full of heart-wrenching emotion. Love, loss, and loneliness plague the main characters, making them authentic and likable. I wanted to see both Reese and Zach happy and pursuing their dreams.

However, the plot was often stalled with what seemed like lectures on the wiles of fame and Hollywood. Page after page was filled with characters bemoaning the evil that came with being a celebrity. It got old and even took away from the great story going on.

I was a little surprised by the ending, but it was fitting and a solid conclusion.

Karen Kingsbury's faithful fans will enjoy Zach's story, but after being one of those faithful readers for so many years, I'm growing weary of the celebrity/fame story lines. I'd much rather read about real people dealing with real issues---the life changing fiction that made me count down to the next Karen Kingsbury book!

I was given this book in exchange for my review. My thoughts are my own.
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Giveaway--Never Say Never

 

 

Congrats to Polly for winning Rebellious Heart. I have a second copy of it that I'll give away in a couple weeks, so if you didn't win, you'll get a chance soon enough.

Today, I'm giving away Never Say Never by Lisa Wingate. I love her books. To enter to win, leave a comment telling me something you've never done but want to. I've never been on a cruise, and it's on my  bucket list. However, I just read Dani Pettrey's book Stranded, and maybe I should reconsider. :)

Be sure to leave an email address.
If you want a second entry, follow the blog and leave a second comment letting me know you follow.
I can only ship to the US.
If I don't hear from the winner within two weeks, I'll pick a new winner.

Have a great week!

 

 

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Shattered: A Review

Shattered shares Piper McKenna's story. As she desperately tries to prove her brother’s innocence, she has to beg family friend Landon to help her.  

I loved this book even more than the first one, mainly because by book two, I knew the characters already. I like how the author showcases one sibling while including all the others, so the romance in the next book doesn't seem contrived since there were hints in book one. Piper is strong and stubborn, making her a great heroine.

Dani Pettrey is quickly becoming one of my favorite for Christian romantic suspense. The heroines are strong. The men are manly and tough. The suspense is fast, and the romance is authentic. Deep character development and family ties tie the story together. 
 I love the McKenna family. In fact, I like them almost as much as my all-time favorite O'Malley family (by Dee Henderson). It will take a few more books for me to decide for sure.

Fans of Dee Henderson, Lynette Eason, and Irene Hannon should check these books out. Don't wait a year like I did.

 

 

 

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Giveaway: Rebellious Heart

Congrats to Dawn for winning Into the Whirlwind.

Today, I'm giving away Rebellious Heart. To enter to win, leave a comment about something on your heart. The violence in the world is on my heart. World leaders can meet all they want, but the only solution is Jesus. Yet, so many want nothing to do with him. It encourages me to live well for Him, to be a witness of His love by loving people.

Be sure to leave an email address.
I can only ship to the US.
I'll pick a winner next week.


Have a great first week of fall!

 

 

 

 

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Submerged: A Review

 

Friends had been telling me how great this series is for a long time, but it somehow kept slipping to the bottom of my to-read pile. I finally got to it, and it's fantastic!

Bailey left Alaska, leaving her heart there with Cole McKenna and swearing never to return. When a death in the family pulls her back, she becomes involved in a police investigation that leads her into harm's way and Cole's arms.

The mystery is interesting, but the characters are what make this book such a great read. The McKenna family is full of interesting backstory (which will hopefully be developed in the rest of the series). I loved the family and community dynamics.

Christian fiction often seems a balancing act of characters who follow Christ but remain true to the real world, full of flaws and weaknesses. I think that's what I liked most---the characters struggle with real issues while trying to walk in faith. It was a nice balance to many characters who are too good to be true.

Fans of Christian suspense will enjoy this book as much as I did. Dani Pettrey is right there with Dee Henderson, Irene Hannon, and Lynette Eason in the ranks of Christian romantic suspense!

 

 

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Giveaway: Into the Whirlwind

 

Today, I'm giving away a copy of Into the Whirlwind, which is a fantastic book. I love Elizabeth Camden's books. She brings history to life through her well-researched books.

To enter to win, leave a comment about a time you felt a whirlwind of emotion. I have when I got the contract for my first book and when we found out my dad had pancreatic cancer. Both were a whirlwind of emotion even though they obviously were different feelings.

I can only ship to the US.
I'll pick a winner next week.
BE SURE to leave an email address.
Finally, if I don't hear back from the winner within two weeks, I'll pick a new winner.

 

 

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Giveaway: Submerged

Congrats to Lisa, who won last week's book. Today, I'm giving away Submerged, which is FANTASTIC. I had been hearing how good it was for a while now, but somehow it kept getting overlooked on my bookcase....even though I bought two copies by accident.
But, the good news is that now I have all three in the series, which means as soon as I finished this one, I started book two. I love that...waiting for the next book in a series is so hard!

To enter to win, leave a comment about what you're submerged in right now. I'm submerged in writing a second book and brainstorming ideas for marketing my first book. But, to be honest, I'm feeling convicted and inspired (at the same time) to submerge myself in God's Word....maybe it's because I just left a Bible Study a few minutes ago about self-control!

Be sure to leave an email address. If there's not an email address, I'll pull a different winner.
I can only ship to the US.
I hope y'all have a great week!

 

 

 

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Cover Reveal!

The cover for Worth the Wait, releasing February 4, 2013, has been finalized.

 

 

 

I LOVE it for a few reasons.

1. I love pink.

2. I like the shadows....people's faces on covers aren't my favorite because I like to picture the characters the way I want to picture them.

3. I love the fresh green look with the pink and the fence.

 

I hope you like it.

It's available for pre-order on Amazon: Worth the Wait on Amazon

 

Happy Reading!

 

 

 

 

 

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Into the Whirlwind: A Review

Elizabeth Camden is a research librarian, and it shows in her books. The details of the Chicago fire rang true and the events drew me into the book from the first page when Mollie Knox, the owner of a watch company, and Zack, the lawyer for her biggest buyer, flee the city as it burns.

Although she could walk away from her destroyed company, Mollie refuses. Many of her employees are wounded veterans who fought with her dad in the Civil War. Instead, the remaining members of the 57th come to help her rebuild the company named after them. With the group comes the beloved leader, Richard, who shows an interest in Mollie. Will he win her heart with his promise of security? Or will Mollie run into the whirlwind that surrounds Zack?

I enjoyed the fire between Mollie and Zack? They had energy, depth, and wit. They both annoyed me at times, but I think it was because there was sometimes so much feeling between them that I wanted them to just admit it already! I loved Mollie's strength in running a company even when certain businessmen looked down on her, and I loved Zack's street-smart way of getting things done. Sophia, a young girl who is a minor character, also shines bright.

The book starts off with bang with the fire blazing, and it keeps a steady chain of events until the end.

I definitely enjoyed this book and look forward to Camden's next book.

I received this book in exchange for my review. My thoughts are my own.

 

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Giveaway! The Shadow of your Smile

 

Today I'm giving away The Shadow of your Smile by Susan May Warren. I love this series. I also love the cover because it promises that winter is coming. This Houston heat is too much!

To enter to win, leave a comment about your favorite thing about winter? Be sure to leave an email address.

I don't usually reply to comments because I don't want it to interfere with picking a winner through random.org. However, I do read them all. I think I'll start replying because I do appreciate the time you take to reply and enjoy your responses!

Have a fantastic week!
As always, I can only ship to the US.

 

 

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