Category: Uncategorized

In case you haven’t been outside of your house or watched any tv recently, I am here to inform you that Valentine’s Day is this week and so I thought I would post a bit about the importance of the romantic formula. Lately I’ve been reading novels that have been trying to leave the romantic formula. There is a romantic formula and it goes like this: Guy and girl meet, for whatever reason they can’t be together right away, but eventually they get together. It’s simple really and people have made millions of dollars off it. And frankly, we love it. But, when authors go astray in their attempts to be creative and unique it has a tendency to leave me…cringing or uninterested. Here are some examples of formulas that do not work:

1. Guy and girl don’t meet until late into the book. They absolutely must meet within the first 5 chapters whether it’s through mail or in person. If this novel is being advertised as a romantic novel please don’t go post-modern on me and have them meet in the end. I bought the book for the interaction! I will skim, there I said it!

2. There is no problem. There must be a problem folks. It can be a tiny problem, but it must be a real problem. There is nothing more aggravating than when authors create mountains out of mole hills and I, the reader, start thinking that the characters are idiots. It’s never a good sign for the novel if I start not liking the characters. Also, I love straight up romance novels that don’t need mysteries or high drama so the problem doesn’t have to be intense. It could merely be personality differences, but then the author almost has to add humor to it for it to work. But at the end of the day, there must be a real problem. 

3. Two guys one girl. Yes, I went there. I hate this idea that has sprung from Twilight. I can deal with it if one guy is obviously a loser while the other is a winner. But I don’t like it when you have two attractive, Godly, wonderful, mysterious men and one girl who really isn’t all that. Maybe it’s the fact that I’m single and finding one good guy is hard enough let alone two, but I don’t care for it. One guy gets hurt, or I prefer one guy over the other, or they fight over the girl the whole book. To me, this formula can only work sometimes, but lately it seems to be a common theme that I’m just not in love with.

4. Guy must get girl in the end. I hate sad endings. I only want to cry happy tears when I read books and while I know some people think that books are more poignant when someone dies, I am not one of those people. So yes, if it’s a new author, I will flip to the back to make sure that someone gets together in the end.

Anyone have anything else to add? Anyone disagree?

About

Callie DeBoyer is unsettled as she arrives at Bridal Veil Island with the Bridgeport family. She’s just received a letter from her parents, missionaries in coastal Africa, stating they are in dire need of more personnel. Should Callie give up her governess job and join her parents in their important work? Is God calling her to the mission field, or does she just want to escape the emotional scars of being jilted by her former beau?
When she enrolls young Thomas Bridgeport in golf lessons, Callie meets Wesley Townsend, who urges Callie to take lessons, as well. During their time at the golf course, Callie comes to care for Wesley–until she discovers hidden secrets about his past.
Then expensive jewels go missing from various homes on the island, and suspicion is aimed in Callie’s direction. As the investigation continues, Callie wonders if she should escape it all by going to Africa. After the secrets he kept about his past, will Wesley ever be a man she can honor and trust for the rest of her life?

Review

This was my first book in this series, but I must say that the authors did a fantastic job of placing me in Bridal Veil. By the time I finished the novel, I felt like I knew what it was to vacation there in the early 1900s. My favorite character in the book was Wesley. I thought he was the most developed character in the novel. He was a Christian without having that veneer of perfection and I just plain liked who he was. Callie was kind of a difficult character for me to like. She came across as a bit self-righteous and more controlling than I would have liked. While there was an explanation for her behavior, I’m not sure that it sufficed.  I also felt that the novel lacked romantic tension. Callie and Wesley seemed to just fall in love because they were both there. That said, the writing was flawless and everything flowed. The characters were people of their times and I never felt like anything pulled me out of the novel. Spiritually, I liked that many people in the book sought God’s direction for their life and there seemed to be this overall theme of trust. The novel was well-written, but it just wasn’t my cup of tea.

**I recieved this copy from BethanyHouse. My opinion was not affected in any way.**

About

Review

I am a huge fan of gothic fiction, so this novel already had me from hello. There was the dark atmosphere, the creepy house, the mystery surrounding the wife, the child who was a little off, things that went bump in the night, characters who were just plain odd. I always like the way gothic novels reveal everything slowly and leads up to the big reveal. And yet, I really enjoyed how Ms. Byrnes was able to keep the gothic elements and still have Rosetta’s faith be at the center of the novel. I loved the emphasis on telling the truth, even when it hurts. It took me a minute to guess the bad guy because there were a lot of strange people on that island. I found it interesting to learn about gypsy culture and I thought that element made this story kind of unique.  If there were any drawbacks, I would say that the hero and Rosetta fell in love a bit too quickly for me. I think I would have liked to see them interact more outside of the mystery. Otherwise, I recommend this novel!

About

Review

I am not really a fan of Biblical fiction because the Bible is just the go to place for finding out about these people, but that said, A Pearl in the Sand had such great reviews it needed to be tried. And oh how I enjoyed it! I think Ms. Afshar did a fantastic job of keeping the story uniquely hers while also staying true to the Bible. I loved Rahab’s desire to know God and to please Him and it was a lesson that I can always keep with me. I thought Salmone’s personality really fit him as a man of his times and a man in love. I particularly love that the story didn’t stop when they got married. I like how marriage is just the beginning and the illustration that is given to describe Rahab at the end is perfect. Highly Recommended!

About

Review

I picked up this book because I like a good mail-order bride story. But there can be some unusual ones and this was one of those. I thought Zach, the hero, was great. He was fleshed out and real. At times he was slightly too perfect, but then there would be something that would make him human again. But that McKenzie! Rarely do I read a book with a protagonist who is hard to read, but she was hard to read. I will say though, that the author did a fabulous job of maintaining her personality throughout the novel. She didn’t change right away. In fact she didn’t change until the end. That said, I still wanted to find out what happened in the end. Something about this novel kept drawing me to finish it. Spiritually, McKenzie learns that just because you go to church doesn’t make you a believer and she really gets to see Jesus in Zach. Interesting book. lol

About

Life has done its best to knock Beth McCasland to the ground, and the truth is:
it’s done a pretty good job of keeping her there. Stuck in a minimum-wage job
with a young daughter counting on her, Beth does her best to stay standing under
the weight of it all because she knows God is on her side. Then one night she
gets the chance to be an angel to another of life’s weary travelers. For once
hope has never looked so real.

Cowboy is a grace-filled story about the
power of giving everything to God and how a simple act of compassion can change
lives forever. Emotional, soothing, and heart-wrenching, Cowboy is infused with
the message that no matter who we are and no matter what life has thrown at us,
we never have to walk alone.

Review

Call me a sucker for romance, but I really loved the premise behind this book. I liked the idea of getting to know a celebrity and not knowing it! I especially loved that the romance started with friendship and that it wasn’t based on attraction right away. This to me made the novel unique. I also appreciated that Beth witnessed to Timothy on the phone and wasn’t afraid to speak the truth in love. If there was a downside, it was after the “big reveal”. I felt like they started inventing problems for their relationship to not work. Otherwise, I really enjoyed this story. Spiritually, I loved Beth’s desire to witness although I did notice that no one seemed to attend church or use scripture (not that its required, but still noticeable). Fun read!

About

Review

This novel picks up right where the last one left off and I for one, was excited to see what would happen to Charlotte Crowley. Though this novel was not better than the first, it was still a good read. With the introduction of Barrett, I found the romance to be interesting and I looked forward to watching it unravel on the pages. The novel was well-written and the characters fully developed. However, I did feel that midway, the plot kind of thinned more than I would like. Spiritually, Charlotte learns that there is pride in independence, and by insisting on doing things her way, she is essentially saying she doesn’t need God. It was a good novel and nice read.

About

Ever since I returned from Moscow, life is a full court press. Mission League
field agents are everywhere. All the time. Watching. Waiting for me to fulfill a
sixty-year-old prophecy. When some baddies try to guy-nap me, the field agents
threaten to move me and Grandma Alice to some random hick town, to give us new
fake identities until the prophecy is fulfilled.

Not going to
happen.

I’ve got one chance to stay in Pilot Point. I have to prove to
the agents that I can stay safe. Have to make this work. For basketball. For
Kip. For Beth.

So, bring it, baddies. It’s game on.

Review

This novella picks up right where The New Recruit left off and I loved being in Spencer’s head again. Ms. Williamson has so captured the thoughts and actions of a teenage boy that I feel like I’ve met a form of Spencer before. Spencer begins to try to dig deeper into his family past while also dealing with a traitor in the agency. Fun, exciting, and intriguing. Spiritually, there is the continual emphasis on the use of spiritual gifts and Spencer comes to realize the importance of prayer even more. You won’t want to put it down and I’m eager for the next mission to come out.

Special note:100% OF THE PROCEEDS FROM THIS ENOVELLA GO TOWARD THE ADOPTION OF LITTLE SYNDEY
FROM EASTERN EUROPE. PLEASE, HELP BRING SYDNEY HOME.

Elyssa!

You have won Love’s Reckoning!