Please post book reviews and/or comments on Christian books that you have read in January 2013 here

If you are participating in the 2013 Christian Reading Challenge:

Extra, Extra Bonus

Spread the Word:  Post a review of a book that you have read in the monthly review topic and you will be entered for a random drawing of a WL book to be chosen by me (valued under $15).  There will be a minimum of 4 drawings a year with maybe a couple of more thrown in.  You do not have to track them.  I will get the names from the thread.  A person may only win once.

FYI - I am exempt

Love Finds You by Carmel-by-the-Sea by Sandra D. Bricker..........another great LFY series book.......This one was one of the best; Annie is the granddaughter of a former movie star who was in movies with some of the best: Clint Eastwood, Doris Day, etc...........Annie is looking for a romance out of a movie, when she meets someone , begins to fall in love, but doesn't realize what's happening..........Each chapter of the book begins with an exerpt from a classic movie.  Loved this one!

I'm just curious - but does anyone follow Debbie Viguie (Psalm 23 mystery series) on FB?

She posted either last night or this morning that she was going to take donations to help her be able to continue writing this series.  I think she has six books out so far and she expects there to be another six or so.  I looked at her donation page and the goal is $20,000. 

I don't know but it doesn't sit quite right with me.  Seems strange really.

I just finished reading Paige Torn by Erynn Mangum. I would definitely give it 5 stars.

This was a total hoot! If you like comedy and modern mixed in your books, this is one you want to pick up. The characters are funny while being realistic and the plot is great. This deals with a young woman who juggles everything in her life and doesn't have time for romance. So when the new youth pastor starts showing interest, she isn't sure she can add that in. You will laugh but learn as you read this one. I cannot wait for the next book in the series!

Reading the series of books by our own PBS author Ashley Dawn: Shadows from the Past, Shadows of Pain, and Shadows of Suspicion.........great christian mysteries!  with romance thrown in!  Each book centers around different family members who are in law enforcement who get involved with the same bad guys for all the books...........entertaining good clean reads.

I just finished going through the 2nd qtr. reviews to see who will receive a WL book. 

Congrats to the winner, who is:

Charity L. (kingsdaughter1611)

I will be getting in touch with her.

This review was posted today in the May review thread by:

How Do I Love Thee by Nancy Moser

I just completed this book and really enjoyed it. It is based on the life of Elizabeth Barrett Browning. The author even included a section in the back of the book telling what parts were actually true events in Elizabeth's life. I love learning about people in the context of a novel. I was amazed at the character's upbringing and her courtship with Robert Browning. In some ways the story is tragic but well worth the read.

Yay! Can't believe I won something:)

Charity's prize book has been ordered and has shipped.

I read All Things New by Lynn Austin.  As always she does not disappoint, even though this was a bit slower of a start than some of her other books. A family who were the cream of Southern society and a couple who were former slaves and stay on to work for them all have their lives turned upside down in the aftermath of the Civil war. The various characters are forced to grapple with how their lives have changed and what they now believe in the new world in which they find themselves.  The characters are well developed and the plot takes some interesting turns that held my attention right to the end.

Got done reading Dolled Up To Die by Lorena McCourtney. This is definitely a funny mystery story. Cate is the main character and is an assistant PI. She gets a call about a triple murder and then finds out that they are dolls. There is a good witness in this book but it isn't preachy. Loved the extra characters and don't even get me started on Mitch. He is Cate's hunky boyfriend. And for those of you who like cats in your stories, you will thoroughly enjoy Octavia. A cat with spunk! Overall a great story. 

Read The Bridesmaid by Beverly Lewis last week;  this is the second in her Hickory Hollow trilogy............it is the story of an Amish young lady who feels she is always going to be a bridesmaid and never a bride.   She meets someone while on a family trip to the Jersey shore but he is obligated to stay with his father and take over his business and she has been accepted into the church where she lives and feels she can't leave home..........so we have a long distance relationship........two who want to become engaged but obligations are preventing them from doing so.  They both start seeing someone else but it just isn't happening for them...........

I'm now reading The Guardian .  It's the 3rd book of the trilogy but about different people; a totally different story.  The 4 year old daughter of a young Amish widow falls from the buggy on a ride home at night, unbeknown to her Mother until they arrive home and she is no where to be found.  She's found the next morning by a visiting Englisher out for a jog.  The Englisher becomes a friend of the family....and the story continues with the differences between the friends and how they are overcome.

I finished Rosemary Cottage by Colleen Coble. I would give this 5 stars for sure.

This is the second book in the Hope Beach series and I really enjoyed it. There is mystery, suspense and some romance:) The main character, Amy, is a midwife and healer. She is searching for answers on how and why her brother Ben died. Curtis who is a Coast Guard is also searching for answers as his sister, Gina, was mixed up in whatever Ben died from. The characters have their troubles and make mistakes but I totally loved the plot. And if you have read Tidewater Inn you will recognize many of the characters. Can't wait for the next book in the series and hoping it follows more of the Coast Guards. Maybe Sara or Josh? 

I realized that I was lagging behind posting any reads here so I have a few.

Injustice For All (Justice Seekers, Bk 1) by Robin Carroll           4 Stars

When I read this one I had noticed that a previous reader only gave it 2 stars.  I will have to say that at the very first of the book, I would have agreed with that reading except it did improve.  The first of the book bounces back and forth a good bit between two time lines and the different main characters which I didn't care for very much.  If you can make it past the first 75-100 pages that goes away and it begins focusing on the current time period.  Me being me, I would read at the page I was on, skip and read some of the end, go back and repeat.  The book did keep my interest enough that I wanted to continue reading straight through.  The romance part wasn't too immediate which I did appreciate as that is usually my least favorite aspect of romantic suspense books.

DESC:  A federal judge lies bleeding on his office floor, betrayed by a most unlikely source -- people who helped him bring criminals to justice. Now, why would someone working for the FBI need to disappear after witnessing this crime? — When Remington Wyatt sees her godfather's murder, she recognizes the killers and knows it's only a matter of time before they come to silence her. She must do the only thing possible to stay alive . . . run.

The King: The Bowers Files  by Steven James                5 Stars

I realize that this type of book isn't everyone's cup of tea but it is one of my most favorite series with this one being book 6.  It does have some fairly graphic/disturbing descriptions that gave me the willies a couple of times.  It's not even that he uses words to really describe in detail but what he does say makes your mind picture it.  The author doesn't put a strong faith message in the book but it is woven into the book and comes out in just the right time.  Patrick Bowers is the main character and he is a geoprofiler with the FBI and tracks serial killers.  This story involves a continuing bad guy that has pretty much either been in every book or mentioned in every book.  A couple of other villains are also brought back.  There is an additional story in this book involving counterfeit pharmaceuticals which was very interesting.  Highly recommend this if you enjoy this type of book.

When a Secret Kills (Deadly Reunions, Bk 3) by Lynette Eason                  4 1/2 Stars

I've enjoyed reading this series and the conclusion to the series was great.  Action from start to finish which was a bit much to think it could possibly actually happen that way but reading fiction makes you suspend thoughts like that.  Jillian returns to her hometown to face what happened years ago.  The ending was actually a surprise to me and wasn't expecting it.  If you haven't tried any of this series but highly recommend it also.

DESC:  Investigative reporter Jillian Carter knows it's time to put the past to rest. She's tired of looking over her shoulder, letting a killer go free. She's no longer the scared kid who changed her name and disappeared. Now, no matter what the cost, Jillian must do what she is trained to do -- ferret out the truth and expose it. Senator Frank Hoffman committed murder ten years ago -- and Jillian watched it happen.

Forgot these two.

The Devil's Game by Daniel Patterson           5 Stars           This book is only available for e-readers of which I have a Kindle.

DESC:  What would you do if a man claiming to be the devil himself showed up in your town?

From bestselling Christian fiction author Daniel Patterson comes his latest #1 Amazon bestselling Christian fiction suspense, The Devil's Game.
One part thriller and one part romance, The Devil's Game is a quick uplifting story about a young Pastor whose work takes an unexpected turn when a man shows up claiming to be the devil himself.

Most of the time if I see a book that involves story lines of spiritual warfare I am drawn to them immediately.  Maybe because the first CF book I ever read was This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti.  Anyway, I saw this on FB and decided to give it a try since it was only $2.99.  I had not previously heard of the author. I enjoyed the writing style of the author and the story flowed very well.  It hooked me from the very first page.  The story opens with the pastor preaching on Sunday morning and after the service while greeting his members, he welcomes a visitor.  As the story progresses he comes to realize that the visitor is Satan in disguise and he has come to freak havoc on the small town where they live.  I did feel that the story ended a little abruptly but there are additional stories planned for this story.  I will be on the lookout for them.  I do have one other book of his that I downloaded but have not read yet.

The Resurrection by Mike Duran                         5 Stars

I debated on the ranking for this book between 4 and 5 stars.  I went with the 5 because it made me think of what happens in churches that become lukewarm and how it seems nowadays a lot are like that.

Truthfully I had bought this book a while back, started reading, couldn't get into it and reposted here.  I started following though the author's blog and he posts some very thought provoking articles.  The book was offered as a freebie on Amazon so decided I would give it another try.  It took me a pretty good while to get around to giving it another shot but I finally did.  The story opens up with the pastor sitting in his study and a ghost joins him.  The pastor has been at the church for a year or so and the ghost apparently has been coming ever since he has been there.  They have never communicated though so the pastor so no idea why he keeps coming.  In the church, there is a group of three women who have been faithfully praying for the pastor and the church.  One of the women has a vision while in their prayer group before the morning worship services concerning a tree that is located on a hill above the town.  Later on that day, she attends a funeral service for a young man and when she passes by the coffin she touches his shoulder in prayer for his family, turns to leave and havoc breaks out in the viewing room.  The young man has come back to life.  The story continues to build from there.

The upshot of the story shows how far from God the town has come and that the churches aren't involved any longer or the members.  They have allowed evil to overcome by not standing up for the truths of God and His standards.  I thought that it was a great parallel of what is going on in our country today.