Review of Whose Waves These Are by Amanda Dykes

About the Book ~

In the wake of WW11, a grieving fisherman submits a poem to a local newspaper:a rallying cry for hope, purpose...and rocks. Send me a rock for the person you lost, and I will build something life-giving. When the poem spreads farther than he ever intended, Robert Bliss's humble words change the tide of a nation. Boxes of rocks inundate the tiny, coastal Maine town, and he sets his calloused hands to work, but the building halts when tragedy strikes.

Decades later, Annie Bliss is summoned back to Ansel-by-the-Sea when she learns her Great-Uncle Robert, the man who became her refuge during the hardest summer of her youth, is now the one in need of help. What she didn't anticipate was finding a wall of heavy boxes hiding in his home. Long-ago memories of stone ruins on a nearby island trigger her curiosity, igniting a fire in her anthropologist soul to uncover answers.

She joins forces with the handsome and mysterious harbor postman, and all her hopes of mending the decades-old chasm in her family seem to point back to the ruins. But with Robert failing fast, her search for answers battles against time, a foe as relentless as the ever-crashing waves upon the sea.

For more information about Amanda Dykes and her books, check out her website here!

My Thoughts ~

The theme of Whose Waves These Are by Amanda Dykes is found in the beauty of breaking...and rebuilding in the way only God can!

The author has a lyrical, poetic way of storytelling that is unique and different than other authors with this writing style. The words flow and move... Truly, it's like the author's words move like ocean waves, through blessed calm and heart-wrenching tragedy, crashing against the shore of the reader's heart. The setting flourished under this writing style, but by itself, Ansel-by-the-Sea is one of the most charming fictional towns I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing via story!

We experience the story through Robert and Annie's perspectives -- and it is quite the story! It is the kind of story that while you know it's fictional, you also know these stories exist (and maybe even in your own family history). Tales of daring rescue, crushing loss, and fathomless love. Their story -- because it is as much one story as it is two -- will move you to weep and fall to your knees in respect and grief, but it will also build something life-giving in your soul. It is a story of light piercing the darkness in a miraculous way that can only be credited to God. It is a story of looking for the light because -- as Roy said -- "there's a whole lotta light."

Four Stars ~ Whose Waves These Are by Amanda Dykes is a stunning story of hope and light in the darkness. Amanda Dykes is an author to watch! Whose Waves These Are is a standalone, but there is a prequel novella, Up from the Sea. However, it is not necessary to read it before reading Whose Waves These Are.

Disclaimer ~ In accordance with FTC regulations, I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not compensated, nor was a positive review required. All opinions expressed are my own.

See you next time, and God bless you guys!!!

Hugs!

~V. Joy Palmer

V. Joy Palmer is the author of Love, Lace, and Minor Alterations and Weddings, Willows, and Revised Expectations, and she is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. She is also an avid blogger and co-founder of Snack Time Devotions. In her spare time, Joy is an unprofessional chocolate connoisseur/binger, and she loves acting crazy and drinking coffee with the teens she mentors. When Joy isn’t urging the elves that live in her computer to write, she’s hanging out with her husband, their adorable baby girl, and their socially awkward pets.

Connect with Joy on her website, personal blog, devotional blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Goodreads, and Amazon Author Page!

Any questions? Check out my Disclosures and Policies Page!

Review of Wooing Cadie McCaffrey by Bethany Turner

About the Book ~

After four years with her boyfriend, Cadie McCaffrey is thinking of ending things.

Convinced Will doesn't love her in the "forever" way she loves him, Cadie believes it's time for her to let him go before life passes her by. When a misunderstanding leads to a mistake, leaving her hurt, disappointed, and full of regret, she finally sends him packing.

But for Will, the end of their relationship is only the beginning of his quest to figure out how to be the man Cadie wanted him to be. With the dubious guidance of his former pro-athlete work friends and tactics drawn from Cadie's favorite romantic comedies, Will attempts to win her back. It's a foolproof plan. What could possible go wrong?

For more information about Bethany Turner and her books, check out her website here!

My Thoughts ~

I don't know if I'm crying because I loved Wooing Cadie McCaffrey by Bethany Turner sooo much, or if I am mourning the fact that this wonderful story is over! I adored each and every word, but I hated that each word I read brought me closer to the end! And that ending! AMAZING! Yeah, I'm gushing, but "you had me at hello" Wooing Cadie McCaffrey! That is, if books can say hello...

In addition to the attempted recreation of rom-com moments that make the heart happy, a deep spiritual plot, and an abundance of laugh-out-loud lines, Will and Cadie are one of my favorite literary couples! They are dorky, funny, a little clueless, and so very relatable! Their struggles with desire, miscommunication, regret, guilt, and forgiveness are so real to the average reader. (And I'm with Cadie when it comes to sports stuff, LOL!)

But what makes this novel especially realistic is how the author wasn't afraid to approach some topics that Christians tend to want to avoid. Will and Cadie make a mistake in the story...yes, that mistake. The mistake isn't glorified, but it DOES happen. Yes, even to Christians. And I love that there's a grace-filled book in Christian Fiction that shows the struggle of regret, guilt, and forgiveness with this particular topic! As Cadie's bestie Darby says to her, we all mess up in different ways and do things we swore we'd never do, but we need to figure out how to move forward after the mistake. At it's heart, Wooing Cadie McCaffrey looks at the commitment to love someone after mistakes have been made and how to move forward knowing you are securely wrapped in God's unfailing love.

Five Stars ~ Simply put, Wooing Cadie McCaffrey by Bethany Turner is one hundred percent amazing! This is a story filled with truth, grace, forgiveness, and perfectly-timed comedy interspersed with some of the most memorable rom-com moments in history! Wooing Cadie McCaffrey is a standalone, but I also highly recommend the author's debut novel, The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck!

Disclaimer ~ In accordance with FTC regulations, I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not compensated, nor was a positive review required. All opinions expressed are my own. I also purchased an additional copy, but I was not required to do this.

See you next time, and God bless you guys!!!

Hugs!

~V. Joy Palmer

V. Joy Palmer is the author of Love, Lace, and Minor Alterations and Weddings, Willows, and Revised Expectations, and she is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. She is also an avid blogger and co-founder of Snack Time Devotions. In her spare time, Joy is an unprofessional chocolate connoisseur/binger, and she loves acting crazy and drinking coffee with the teens she mentors. When Joy isn’t urging the elves that live in her computer to write, she’s hanging out with her husband, their adorable baby girl, and their socially awkward pets.

Connect with Joy on her website, personal blog, devotional blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Goodreads, and Amazon Author Page!

Any questions? Check out my Disclosures and Policies Page!

Review of The Heart of a King by Jill Eileen Smith

About the Book ~

King Solomon was wealthy and wise beyond measure. He could -- and did -- have anything he wanted, including many women from many lands. But for all his wisdom, did he or the women in his life ever find what they searched for all of their lives?

In this engrossing novel, you'll find yourself whisked away to ancient Israel, where you'll meet Solomon and four of the women he loved: Naamah the desert princess, Abishag the shepherdess, Siti the daughter of a pharaoh, and Nicaula the queen of Sheba. As you experience the world of Solomon through his eyes and the eyes of these women, you'll ask yourself the ultimate question: Did Solomon's wisdom ultimately benefit him and those he loved...or did it betray them?

For more information about Jill Eileen Smith and her books, check out her website here!

My Thoughts ~

I've read other takes on Solomon, and each of them has a lesson to learn. The Heart of a King by Jill Eileen Smith is no different! There's a profound message of truth within these pages -- if you're willing to see it!

I have always found Solomon's story to be rather tragic, but I want to be clear that this is NOT the author's fault! While we can't know all the events, thoughts, or feelings that led to his eventual despair, I greatly appreciated the author's perception and insight into the tortured King Solomon!

In The Heart of a King, Solomon was very much ruled by his passions and lusts. Instead of seeking God's wisdom for his kingdom, he relied on man's broken wisdom for a powerful, peaceful kingdom from the very beginning -- and even after receiving God's gift of wisdom! While he was not the first man to succumb to the lie of polygamy in Biblical days, you desperately wanted to see him heed what wisdom was telling him about this. My heart ached for the wives portrayed in the story, but the author did a wonderful job at taking the limited knowledge we have about King Solomon's heart and breathing life into a realistic story about him.

I like that the author didn't shy away from all the different facets of Solomon, from a wise king who longed to serve God to a playboy and even a mama's boy! The author showed us a broken man who worshiped his gift rather than the Giver of the gift, a man who thought his wisdom would surely stop him from making the same mistakes as those around him. This raw and real approach will confront readers to look at their own hearts, and the hopeful ending of Solomon's humble repentance will remind readers of God's unfailing love and mercy.

Three Stars ~ The Heart of a King: The Loves of Solomon by Jill Eileen Smith packs a powerful punch of truth! While it is inspired by the author's ebook series featuring the same characters, this story is written differently, contains some different content, and really develops Solomon as a character. Therefore, I think readers will still enjoy this novel even if they have read the original ebooks.

Disclaimer ~ In accordance with FTC regulations, I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not compensated, nor was a positive review required. All opinions expressed are my own.

See you next time, and God bless you guys!!!

Hugs!

~V. Joy Palmer

V. Joy Palmer is the author of Love, Lace, and Minor Alterations and Weddings, Willows, and Revised Expectations, and she is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. She is also an avid blogger and co-founder of Snack Time Devotions. In her spare time, Joy is an unprofessional chocolate connoisseur/binger, and she loves acting crazy and drinking coffee with the teens she mentors. When Joy isn’t urging the elves that live in her computer to write, she’s hanging out with her husband, their adorable baby girl, and their socially awkward pets.

Connect with Joy on her website, personal blog, devotional blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Goodreads, and Amazon Author Page!

Any questions? Check out my Disclosures and Policies Page!

Review of The Seamstress by Allison Pittman

About the Book ~

France, 1788
It is the best of times...

On a tranquil farm nestled in the French countryside, two orphaned cousins -- Renee and Laurette -- have been raised under the caring guardianship of young Emile Gagnon, the last of a once-prosperous family. No longer starving girls, Laurette and Renee now spend days tending Gagnon's sheep, and nights in their cozy loft, whispering secrets and dreams in this time of waning innocence and peace.

It is the worst of times...

Paris groans with a restlessness that can no longer be contained within its city streets. Hunger and hatred fuel her people. Violence seeps into the ornate halls of Versailles. Even Gagnon's table in the quiet village of Mouton Blanc bears witness to the rumbles of rebellion, where Marcel Moreau embodies its voice and heart.

It is the story that has never been told.

In one night, the best and worst of fate collide. A chance encounter with a fashionable woman will bring Renee's sewing skills to light and secure a place in the court of Queen Marie Antoinette. An act of reckless passion will throw Laurette into the arms of the increasingly militant Marcel. And Gagnon, steadfast in his faith in God and country, can only watch as those he loves march straight into the heart of the revolution.

My Thoughts ~

The Seamstress by Allison Pittman is a tale of tragedy, love, and faith in the bleakness of the French Revolution.

In The Seamstress, the author not only captures broken, realistically-flawed characters but also the angst of the French Revolution. The amount of research the author must have done shown in the details of the story! Also, I greatly appreciated how the author told the story in a way that showed the revolution from each side, and through Renee, you see that the royal family may not have been the monsters the public believed them to be. This perspective will be especially powerful as it will probe readers to confront how false beliefs like this could be and are thriving in our everyday world!

Laurette's storyline held the most beautiful aspects of the spiritual storyline, showing the unmerited grace, forgiveness, and mercy of God in such a tender way, but Renee's stand of faith will resonate with readers long after the book is closed. However, I should note that if you're sensitive to gory details, then some aspects and tragedies of the story may be difficult for you. However, the author's lyrical writing style was a welcome distraction to the harsh realities of the French Revolution.

Three Stars ~ The Seamstress by Allison Pittman is sure to be an instant classic for fans of beautiful, thought-provoking tragedies. The Seamstress is a standalone inspired by a character (ahem, the seamstress) from Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities and written in such a way that it captures the heart of Victor Hugo's Les Miserables.

Disclaimer ~ In accordance with FTC regulations, I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not compensated, nor was a positive review required. All opinions expressed are my own.

See you next time, and God bless you guys!!!

Hugs!

~V. Joy Palmer

V. Joy Palmer is the author of Love, Lace, and Minor Alterations and Weddings, Willows, and Revised Expectations, and she is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. She is also an avid blogger and co-founder of Snack Time Devotions. In her spare time, Joy is an unprofessional chocolate connoisseur/binger, and she loves acting crazy and drinking coffee with the teens she mentors. When Joy isn’t urging the elves that live in her computer to write, she’s hanging out with her husband, their adorable baby girl, and their socially awkward pets.

Connect with Joy on her website, personal blog, devotional blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Goodreads, and Amazon Author Page!

Any questions? Check out my Disclosures and Policies Page!