Rising Darkness by Nancy Mehl

So, I needed a good book and picked up Rising Darkness by Nancy Mehl. It has a intriquing looking cover and the plot sounded good but when I read the book, It was even better then I thought!

It is the story of Sophie Wittenbauer who had grown up in a Mennonite town but did not have the best childhood. Her parents did not think that school was important, she had to do chores from sun up to sun down and sometimes her father hit her. So to rebel against her parents she hung around with the wrong crowd as a teenager and did a very bad thing.  Trying to forget her past, she ran away and went to college and got a job at a newspaper writing obituaries and restaurant reviews. but she wanted to become more and she finally saw her chance. A man she once knew was in prison and had a tip that the main suspect from a decades old crime that was never solved was hiding out in a small town not far from where she lived. So she decides that if she can solve this case and write the story first she would get promoted. So she decides to pretend to be the granddaughter of the sister of a town member that died years ago so that she can investigate the case without anyone suspecting.  Sophie travels to Sanctuary, Missouri which is a small partially Mennonite town and starts her masquerade. Her investigation was going well until she runs into Jonathon, a old childhood friend and he threatens to blow her cover. Suddenly everything seems to fall apart . She starts receiving threatening notes, was attacked at the Church and two more people discover who she is and why she is really there. 
As she gets closer to solving the crime, the danger seems to be getting closer to her. Can she solve the case before she or someone she loves gets hurt? Or will she be in such a hurry to get the story that she puts herself or a innocent bystander in danger?

I LOVED this book, It was a little hard to get into it at the beginning but after that it hooks you and you just can't seem to put the book down.  I love the characters, especially Sophie, Esther and Jonathan.  The best part (of course ) was the end, which I surprisingly was not expecting but overall the story and the plot were excellent. This is the 3rd book in the Finding Sanctuary series, but I read the book as a stand alone and was perfectly fine with it. I had no trouble following the story or the characters.
Overall I give it 5 stars *****

Hey! Don't forget to check out her other books, She has alot of them! Her link is below:
http://nancymehl.com/books/

Happy Reading!   :)

I would like to thank Bethany House for allowing me to read and review this book in return for a free copy and I was not asked to write a favorable review, Just a honest one. 

Every Girl Gets Confused by Janice Thompson

So I just finished reading  Every Girl Gets Confused by Janice Thompson.
It is the story of Katie Fisher who has the most perfect boyfriend named Brady James . He's sweet , kind and absolutely adorable, so it looks like this small town girl is about to get her "happily ever after "  right?   Maybe , because she finds herself being pulled in several different directions, She has to coordinate a special event at her job , help a bride find the perfect wedding dress, work out some bad publicity from a nasty customer, Support her boyfriend because he is having surgery that could end his basketball career  AND if that was not enough, Her ex-boyfriend/almost fiance' is back in town and wants to get back together.  Katie is not sure that she can handle everything that is going on right now but she knows that God is in control and that this is just a season and things will slow down and get back to normal . But with Casey coming back and seeming as sweet as ever, Will she leave Brady just when he needs her the most or will she finally get her "happy ever after"? 


So I read the book as a stand alone having not read the first book in the series, Every Bride needs a Groom. It was OK, Well written with an easy to follow story line but it was too much of a romance novel for me. It seemed like all of the characters had some sort of "lovelife" moment and there was alot of PDA (Public Displays of Affection) .  It was a good story if  you like contemporary romance  and it had a good message but it just was not my cup of tea.
 Overall I give it 3 stars ***

You can check out her other books by clicking the link below!
http://janiceathompson.com/blog/books

Happy Reading!  :)


 I would like to thank Revell , A division of Baker Publishing Group for allowing me to review this book in exchange for a free copy, I was not required to write a favorable review, just an honest one.

The Christmas Joy Ride by Melody Carlson

Can you believe that Christmas is in 56 days?!

So to get ready for the upcoming Christmas season I just read Melody Carlson's new book The Christmas Joy Ride. It is the story of 85 year old Joy Jorgenson (who is also known by her blog name "Christmas Joy" ) who decides to take a road trip from Chicago to Phoenix in a RV that is completely decked out for Christmas with lights in the windows, Sparkling garland taped on the sides and a huge wreath tied to the front of the RV. Her neighbor Miranda is worried about Joy's health on such a long trip and being that she is unemployed and facing foreclosure she agrees to come along and help out. Joy had posted a contest on her blog that 6 people were going to win Christmas. She did not tell them what the prize was but she wanted to know why they needed a little "Christmas Joy" this year. Miranda and Joy are going to go to each of the winners home or business and put up Christmas decorations , hand out cookies and get them into the Christmas spirit. The places they go varies as much as the people themselves, like a Nursing home that needs a little hope,  A diner where a single mother is struggling to keep her restaurant open so she can support her family or a little girl that has not had Christmas since her mother died . Each of the stops are to very different people in all stages of life but they may not get to finish their trip because Joy's health is starting to fail. Will they be able to make all of their stops and still get to Phoenix for Christmas? Or will the coming winter weather and Joy's health concerns force them to abandon their mission?


I thought that the book was well written and that the characters were sweet. The only thing that I did not like in the book was that it mentions Santa Claus a lot and did not mention the meaning of Christmas (which is the birth of  Jesus) . Yes, they did have a nativity given at all of their stops but they also had Santa Claus. I wish that somewhere in the book Joy would have explained to Miranda or one of the winners from the contest what the true meaning of Christmas is, since you cannot have any Christmas joy without the real reason for the season.
Overall, It is a heartwarming story with a OK ending. I give it 3 stars ***


If you want to check this book out or other books by Mrs. Carlson, You can check out her books by clicking on the link pasted below. (  I recommend Double Take or Grace Unplugged by Melody Carlson)

http://www.melodycarlson.com/index.shtml




 I would like to thank Revell , A division of Baker Publishing Group for allowing me to review this book in exchange for a free copy, I was not required to write a favorable review, just an honest one.

Vendetta by Lisa Harris

Hey Everyone, I have just finished reading Vendetta  by Lisa Harris. It is the story of Special Agent Nikki Boyd whose sister, Sarah was abducted 10 years ago. Nikki has been weighed down with guilt since her sisters disappearance because she blames herself since she was not on time to pick her sister up that day. While spending the day with her friend Tyler, She receives a call that informed her that a young girl named Bridget Ellison had gone missing, First they thought that she just wondered off a trail since her brother and some of her friends were spending the weekend in the woods for her birthday, but then the evidence started pointing towards her being taken by a boy she met online. They discover that whoever she was meeting created a false profile online and has been tracking her by the GPS on her phone.  They find some clues that point to her being taken to a national park where they uncover a Polaroid picture of Bridget. Nikki notices that the evidence and the MO ( A word  is used by the Police to describe a criminal's characteristic way of committing a crime) was similar to the person who abducted her sister and worries that her sisters abductor is back after 10 years. While looking up evidence at the officer who worked on her sisters case, she receives a creepy phone call from the man who took Bridget. Now it seems that the man she has hunted for, for ten years is now hunting her...
When they find evidence that Bridget was at a campsite near them, The team goes to see what they can find, But when someone on the team turns out to be the man they are looking for, All of their lives are in danger, Can Nikki and Tyler escape alive ?  Will anyone be able to save Bridget... If she is still alive? Guess you will have to read it to find out!!!



I loved the book! This book is the first in the "Nikki Boyd Files" series and I cannot wait to read the rest of the books in the series. The book reminded me a lot of watching a Crime Drama on TV, where the plot takes some time to develop but then its like "Whoa, What just happened!!!" towards the end, and I have to say... the end is the best part!!! Oh, I wish I could tell you how the book ends! but I don't want to spoil it for you. (Nobody likes Spoilers) I definitely recommend that you read the book, but don't read the sneak peek at her next book that she includes in the back of the book, It is like one of those horrible "To Be Continued..." that you see on TV because the book does not come out until Summer 2016!!!
(huge sigh,) I guess I will have to wait until next year to see what happens.
Overall I rate it 5 stars *****

If you would like to read this book or the other amazing books she has written, just click on the link below:  
http://www.lisaharriswrites.com/books/

Happy Reading  :)


 I would like to thank Revell , A division of Baker Publishing Group for allowing me to review this book in exchange for a free copy, I was not required to write a favorable review, just an honest one.

Love Everlasting by Tracie Peterson

So I just finished reading Tracie Peterson's newest book, Love Everlasting. It is the story of Abrianna Cunningham,a 21 year old girl that has grown up in a bridal finishing school run by her 3 aunts.  Since she the day she came to the school, She has been friends with Wade Ackerman, The boy next door.  Now that she has turned 21, She has found that her feelings for Wade have changed and that somehow she had fallen in love with her best friend! Thankfully Wade feels the same way and proposes to Abrianna., Even after the wedding proposal, a rejected suitor named Priam Welby (Welby for short)  decides that he will not let Abrianna marry Wade because she will be marrying him. Despite being rejected several times , He is determined to make her marry him at all costs, Not because he loves her but because she is a "challenge" to him. Meanwhile Abrianna is having doubts about marrying Wade, She is worried that she will not be a good enough wife because She did not pay attention to her homemaking classes at school, and she can't cook. but under the good counsel of her Father and her Aunts, She is reassured that Wade will love her no matter what, especially since he knows her better then anyone else because they have been best friends since childhood.  Welby is looking for anyway to get to Abrianna and realizes that the only way to her is through her family, So he sees the opportunity and has her father beaten and arrested, Then he has Wade thrown in jail and falsely accused of murder. So Welby approaches Abrianna and tells her the only way that her family will be released from jail and not hung for murder will be if she agrees to marry him.  She still refuses and he tells her that he will not only have Wade and her father killed but then he will cause harm to fall on her Aunts and her friends to. Abrianna fears for her family's safety and agrees to marry Welby if he will get her father  and Wade out of jail and if he will leave her family alone. So Welby agrees and has the wedding set for a month later on October 19th and Abrianna attempts to convince everyone that she is in love with Welby.  As the Wedding day approaches, Abrianna does not see any way out of this mess that she has gotten into,  Will God help her to get out of this mess or will she be forever stuck with a madman for a husband? Will Wade ever forgive her for breaking his heart?
Guess you will have to read the book to find out!

I loved this book!  I read this book as a stand alone, It is book 3 of the Brides of Seattle series. While it was a great book by itself, I would recommend reading the other books prior to reading this one because I got lost during some parts of the book. One thing that I loved was the faith that both Wade and Abrianna show., Especially when Abrianna was fighting with Welby and she told him that he was not the only one with friends in powerful positions, She also had a friend in a powerful position, That her hope is in the Lord.  One of the best parts in the book , So check out and tell me what you think. :)

I rate the book 5 Stars *****


  As I said before, I loved the book, but I need to find the first two books in the series so that I can see what I missed. In case you want to check out this series or other books by Mrs Tracie Peterson, I have included a link to her website below.

http://www.traciepeterson.com/books.html

Happy Reading!!!



I would like to thank Bethany House for allowing me to read and review this book in return for a free copy and I was not asked to write a favorable review, Just a honest one. 

Treasure at Battersea Bluffs by Sarah Norkus

Hey, Just read a Awesome new book by Sarah Norkus called Treasure of the Battersea Bluffs. It is the story of sixteen year old Emily and her boyfriend Josh,  Who were volunteered by Emily's parents to work at a rundown villa known as Battersea. While they were there, A spooked horse managed to get
into the old home and one of his hooves broke a hole in the floorboard. As Emily looks into the floorboard, She gets dizzy and passes out. Josh tried to catch Emily but he got dizzy and also passed out. When they both wake up, they discover that they are not in the year 2009 anymore , They had somehow time traveled back in time and now are in the eighteenth century. Within minutes of Emily and Josh's "arrival" into the eighteenth century, They save the life of a servant girl who was almost murdered , but in doing so became the target of Angus Blackburn, a young plantation owner who is obsessively looking for jewels that his father has hidden just before he died. With the help of a young black slave named Ezra, Emily and Josh are able to escape from Blackburn's hands, But they are not out of danger for long. Blackburn corners the kids next to a cliff and threatens to shoot them if they do not tell him the location of his jewels. Emily, Josh and Ezra have no clue what he is talking about and before they can try and come up with something. Blackburn shoots Josh and tries to shoot Ezra but Ezra jumps off the cliff after Josh. Seeing Josh get shot, Emily runs for her life and to see if she can find help for the boys. She finds help with a farmer and his son but as they are on their way to help them, Blackburn stops them and convinces them that Emily is his servant that has runaway and the farmer reluctantly hands Emily over to him. Blackburn has Emily put in his mother's old room and has the door locked so she cannot escape while he continues to look for the treasure. Emily finds an old diary belonging to Blackburn's mother and it tells EVERYTHING!, It tells about the jewels and how greed poisoned the family . Greed so bad that his mother and father hid the jewels from Blackburn, because even when he was a child, he did not care who he had to hurt to find the jewels. Meanwhile, back in the woods, Josh survives being shot ( it is a miracle from God that he was not killed ) and Ezra risks his life to save Josh. Ezra said that Josh and Miss Emily were the only people that treat him like a person and not just a piece of property and that he was willing to die to save them and to get them back to their own time. Josh and Ezra finally reach Blackburn's house where Emily is being held hostage  and attempt to rescue her but during their escape, Ezra is caught by Blackburn,  Will they be able to save Ezra in time ? Will Josh and Emily ever make it back to 2009?  Well,  you will just have to read the book to find out.             



So this book is the sequel to The Secret Diary of Sarah Chamberlain, and I just have to say that the first book was good , but this book is Amazing! The main characters are the same as in the first book, but you get to know a little more about Emily's life and how she survived cancer, and you get to see how cool her boyfriend Josh is , How he sticks by her side even when it puts his life in danger.  The plot has a lot of action in it so it is hard to put the book down, but at the end of the book, you see how the two timelines come together in such a awesome and amazing way that when you finish the book you will have a smile on your face. I love that when the characters lives were saved, They thanked God for preserving their lives. I love the faith in God that Emily and Josh show as they go through this adventure. Overall I give it 5 stars *****

So I also wanted to tell you how I received this book, My mom was out shopping at Barnes and Noble to look for a b-day gift for me and Mrs Norkus was doing a meet and greet that day, My mom took at look at the books she wrote and thought that I might like this one. So needless to say, my mom found an awesome present and the author even signed it! 

So If you want to check out this book, take a look at her website by clicking the link below.
I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did!

http://www.sarahnorkus.com/

Agents of Babylon by Dr. David Jeremiah

Hey, I just read my first complete Non- Fiction book!
 ( I have started several, but never finished it)
I just finished reading Agents of Babylon by Dr. David Jeremiah. It is a book study on the Book of Daniel, which is the 27th book in the Bible.
Dr Jeremiah goes into great detail about the faith, courage and devotion of a young Jewish captive that was taken from his home at the age of 14 and forced to serve the king of Babylon. The book outlines the events that occurred during the book of Daniel, Such as when Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nago were thrown into the fiery furnace , The Writing on the Wall, King Nebuchadnezzar's Dream and the well known story of Daniel and Lions Den. But the book also goes into great detail about visions that Daniel received from God that foretold events that were in the future for Daniel but have already come to pass for us, like Alexander the Great,  Ptolemy II,  and Antiochus Epiphanes (Antiochus IV) . We are also shown the visions that God gave Daniel that foretell events that have not happened yet like the reign of the Antichrist, The characteristics of the Antichrist, and The 7 year
Tribulation.  We are shown evidence of Spiritual warfare when we read about a battle between some demons and the angels Gabriel and Michael.  We also get a glimpse into the life of Daniel and his friends through fictional stories that start each chapter. The stories are about what we will learn in the " The Scripture Behind The Stories" section that forms the second half of each chapter and at the end of each chapter it ends with  the "Daniel for Today" section that shows how we can apply the truths we just learned in our every day lives. Dr Jeremiah also includes some amazing charts in the book, like the "A" Kings of Daniel 11 or "An Unexpected Answer to Prayer" that help us picture events or timelines.  There is a lot of  information in this one book, but I can't tell you everything, I guess you will have to read it to find out what else is in the book.


I loved the book, it did take me some time to get into it since I normally only read fiction but I did enjoy the book very much. I love the fictional stories that capture your attention  and the "The Scripture behind the Stories " section that separate fact from fiction. The book was very easy to understand and had a lot of Scripture to back up his points.
Overall,  I give this book 5 stars *****

If you want to read more of Dr. Jeremiah's books just click on the link below!
http://www.davidjeremiah.org/site/about/books-written.aspx

I would like to thank Tyndale House Publishers for allowing me to read and review this book in return for a free copy and I was not asked to write a favorable review, Just a honest one.