When I Fall in Love: A Review

 

Summary: When Grace Christiansen's family buys her a trip to Hawaii for a cooking retreat, she never thought she'd end up paired with Max Sharpe, her soon to be brother-in-law's former hockey teammate. Sparks fly, but when the timid Grace starts to spread her wings, Max pulls back. Will he let a unsure future ruin a beautiful present?

 

My thoughts:

I love this series. The family is so real. I love that while they love Jesus, they are still human, making mistakes and figuring life out. Grace is no exception. She's stronger than she knows, and I loved seeing her figure it out.

I also liked that Susan May Warren tackled a tough topic--a terminal disease. If you knew your time was limited, how would you live? Keep everyone away or embrace every moment.

Readers were also introduced to Raina and Casper, who I guess will be featured next. I can't wait to see what the author does with them.

 

Fans of Christian fiction will love this book. You don't have to read the series in order, but it does help get to know the characters better--and you'll love them. 

 

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It Had to Be You: A Review

 

Susan May Warren creates terrific characters, and this book gives us the lovely Eden, who is a mother hen to her hockey-playing brother. When she meets his teammate Jace, sparks fly, but Eden knows better than to fall for hockey's bad boy enforcer.

I love the Christiansen family that Susan introduced us to in book one, and it was fun getting to know Eden. I really liked her and her struggle of finding her way in a family of stand-out siblings. And even though Jace had fame, he was still struggling for a sense of family and belonging. They were cute together.

I really liked the side story of Jace's friend Sam, who is struggling to keep his business afloat and care for his daughter who is rejecting her heart transplant. It was a beautiful story of a father's love for his child, and I kinda wish Sam had gotten his own book.

Fans of Christian fiction will love this addition to the Christiansen saga. Can't wait for the next one!

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

 

 

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Duchess: A Review

 

 

 

The final book in the Daughters of Fortune series follows Rosie as she leaves everything behind to follow her dream of being a movie star. Will the price of fame be more than she's willing to pay?

While I liked the way the first two books alternated between story lines, I liked that this book focused solely on Rosie, now called Roxie, since Lily was settled and happy at the end of book two. Roxie is a character that is so headstrong that she messes things up for herself time after time. Even when I grew frustrated with her actions, I still loved her character, who had lost so much and kept going with a fierce determination.

As with the other books in the series, the author does a great job capturing the culture and time of the book. From movies to rescuing Jews from the Nazis, the time period enhances the story so much by adding realistic circumstances.

Finally, I didn't want this book to end. After following this family for two generations, I wanted to read about the next generation, particularly Coco, who has a story to tell for sure.

Fans of historical Christian fiction will love this series. It's true to the time periods and full of twists and turns.

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

 

 

Baroness: A Review

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Baroness continues the emotional roller coaster ride started in Heiress. In book two, Lily and Rosie are coming of age and both determined to leave their parents behind to chase their own dreams. In Paris, they both fall in love, and that loves takes them through more heartaches than happiness.

 

There were times I wanted to strangle both girls. Didn't they learn anything from their parents' drama? The author does a superb job capturing the time period where women were gaining independence and standing on their own. I love the culture in the book, ranging from airplane tricks to baseball.

 

As with the last book, just when you thought nothing else could happen to destroy the character, something else happened. Yet, Lily's journey is one of hope.

 

Fans of historical Christian fiction will enjoy this series.

 

 

 

 

 

Heiress: A Review

 

This book kept me reading way too late last night. I just kept thinking how it couldn't get any worse for the two main characters, sisters Esme and Jinx, and then it would. The Gilded Age is often romanticized, but the author does a fantastic job of sharing what went on behind the façade of parties and the cost of keeping up appearances.

Esme and Jinx live a life of luxury. As heirs to their father's publication, they lack nothing. Except love. They take drastically different paths looking for love. While I liked both characters, I felt horrible for them. Their realities were often harsh, and their lives were full of unhappiness.

I loved the way the author captured that time period---the good and the bad. Because the books spans several years, you could see the way society was changing in regards to women and the effects of war.

Fans of Christian historical fiction will enjoy this book.  It's more proof that Susan May Warren is one of the best and can write in multiple genres with success.

 

 

 

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Take a Chance on Me: A Review

Susan May Warren is one of the best at creating a family of characters that leaps off the pages. Rugged Derek is heir to the Christiansen family's resort and should be on the top of every eligible bachelor's list. But, he's not. Angry over his wife's death at the hand of his best friend, he's determined to focus on his son and reviving his family's business.

When Ivy Madison moves to town, looking for a place to call home after a childhood of jumping from foster placement to foster placement, she feels sorry for Derek when no one bids on him at bachelor's auction. On their date, sparks fly, but Ivy has a secret, one that could end their relationship before it starts.

Take a Chance on Me is a great start to a new spin-off series. While the book is a little long, mainly because it's two story lines in one, it's full of great characters. Darek and Jensen are flawed but strong heroes. I especially liked Jensen's story, full of pain and regret, and I hope he's in future books.

Most of all, I appreciate how Warren didn't gloss over their pain and anger with Christian platitudes but instead let their raw emotions carry the story.

The Christiansen family is lively and full of stories to come. I can't wait to see what happens next!

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

The Shadow of Your Smile: A Review

When Noelle wakes up in the hospital, she can't remember her life--the accident that caused her memory loss, the man she calls husband, her boys, or her daughter Kelsey who was brutally murdered.

Emma can do nothing but remember Kelsey--and the guilt she feels for living when her best friend died. Will the two women be able to find a bright future or remain stuck in the memories of yesterday?

I usually enjoy Susan May Warren's books, and this one was no exception. I like the darker topic of a struggling marriage, an inappropriate friendship that crosses a line, and the forgiveness that lasting love requires. These harder topics may make for a tough read for some, especially those who want a beach happy love story, but they are real issues that Christians face. Warren did a fantastic job with the character of Noelle. She often seemed cold and unfeeling in the book, which was perfect for a woman who didn't even know these people. The depth and honesty of the characters will make this a book readers don't just enjoy but remember.

My only complaint was it was resolved a little too easily at the end. Each character had so many major issues, the book could have easily been stretched to two books and thus made the ending a little more realistic.   

**I would love to read another book about Emma. I think she has a lot of story left to tell. Hint, hint, Mrs. Warren. :)

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

Waiting for Dawn: A Review

As a fan of the Team Hope series, I was excited to read this prequel to the books I enjoyed so much. Although this story is short, there is a lot of action packed into each page.

When Jim Micah's team is captured in Afghanistan, Lacey and John risk their lives to save him through a covert mission. When bullets fly, so do emotions. Lacey finds herself pulled between an exciting love and a strong, stable love.

This story/novella was a great introduction to the characters for new readers and an extra adventure for faithful readers.

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

Book Giveaway!

Congrats to Michelle for winning Miss Invisible. :) I'll mail the book soon.
Today, I'm giving away Reclaiming Nick by Susan May Warren. You should enjoy this book if for nothing else than the good looking guy on the front. LOL!
Since beauty is in the eye of the beholder, to enter to win, leave a comment with what makes someone attractive to you. To get a second entry, leave a separate comment letting me know you follow the blog.
As always, I can only ship to the US. My sister will pick a number next week.

Thanks for entering!