About the Book


God created you for exceptional impact. Exceptional power. And exceptional blessings.

Gwen Smith knows how easy it is to dismiss God’s plans with the thoughts, I can’t make a big difference for God because I’m just an ordinary woman with an ordinary life. Yet God created us to join Him in doing amazing work in the world. He created us to live with abundant joy, courage, and influence. But not the joy, courage, and influence of the world. He offers His grace for each failure, His love that shatters hate, His peace that soothes the turmoil, His comfort, guidance, wisdom, rest, power, and significance. Every blessing He has for us is ours for the taking.

I Want It All will ignite a fire in your heart to experience more faith, more power, and more impact. More of Jesus. All of Jesus. Everything that God has for you.

My Review


I always like to read non fiction books about other people trials and faith journeys, however there was really nothing new in I Want It All. At least nothing I haven't heard before in my entire church life, which is my whole life all 23 years of it. I think this book would better serve new believers rather seasonsed ones. STill a good book nonetheless.

REVIEW: Season of Glory by Lisa T. Bergren

About the Book

In the third and final volume of the Remnants series—Seasons of Glory—the power of the Remnants and their people are growing, threatening Pacifica’s careful plans for domination. Among the Trading Union, village after village, outpost after outpost, and city after city are drawn to people of the Way, and agree to stand against those who hunt them. But Pacifica intends to ferret out and annihilate the Remnants—as well as everyone who hasn’t sworn allegiance to the empire—setting the stage for an epic showdown that will change the course of a world on the brink … forever.

My Review

My goodness what a fantastic conclusion to a great series! Season of Glory starts right where Season of Fire leaves off. The characters in Season of Glory are re-grouping and readying themselves for the ultimate fight of good vs. evil. This book was heart pounding and kept me on the very edge of my seat almost the entire time. There were a lot of "spiritual" aspects, but I wish they were more bold and brazen. I am a very bold and brazen person and writer when it comes to my faith and I just wish that had happened here. 

The Remnants series by Lisa T. Bergren is a must read for YA, Fantasy, and Dystopian readers.

REVIEW: The Calling by Rachelle Dekker

About the Book


Remko Brant had never been so sure of anything as escaping the Authority City with Carrington Hale. But bravado comes easy when you have nothing to lose. Now a husband, father, and the tactical leader of the Seers, Remko has never had so much at risk.As he and his team execute increasingly dangerous rescue missions inside the city, they face growing peril from a new enemy. Recently appointed Authority President Damien Gold claims to be guiding a city shaken by rebellion into a peaceful, harmonious future. But appearances can be deceiving. In order to achieve his dangerous ambitions, Gold knows he must do more than catch the rebels--he must destroy the hope their message represents . . . from the inside out.With dissension in his own camp--and the CityWatch soldiers closing in--Remko feels control slipping through his fingers. To protect those he loves, he must conquer his fears and defeat Gold . . . before one of them becomes his undoing.

My Review


The Calling is the second installment of Rachelle Dekker's The Calling series and leaves off right where The Choosing ended. The writing is so good and the world Rachelle has created in utterly exceptional. If you're a fan of YA Fantasy/Dystopian-esque works than I think yoou'll love this series. Faith is very subtle through out the story, which is my only complaint. I wish Rachelle had been more bold about it. But it didn't deter me from enjoying this novel.

REVIEW: The Hearts We Mend by Kathryn Springer

About the Book

For young widow Evie Bennett, moving forward will mean deciding what to leave behind . . . and what to keep.


Widowed at the age of twenty-five when her firefighter husband was killed in the line of duty, Evie Bennett has spent the last thirteen years raising their son, Cody, in the close-knit community of Banister Falls. As the women’s ministry director of her church, Evie encourages women to boldly pursue God’s plan for their future . . . while she is content with her memories of the past. But Evie’s well-ordered life begins to change when she meets Jack Vale.


As Evie gets drawn into Jack’s world—a world that isn’t as safe and predictable as the one she’s worked so hard to create—he challenges her to open her eyes to the problems in the community . . . but will Evie open her heart to love again?


Because even though Jack isn’t anything like her late husband, he just might be everything she needs. 

My Review

The Hearts We Mend is the second book in the Bannister Falls series, but my first Kathryn Springer novel. I feel like this one started where the last one left off so I probably should have read book one first, but that did not hinder me from enjoying the novel. The Hearts We Mend is the story of young widow Evie whose son Cody is now getting married and how Evie's life get oh so more complicated after she meets rough-around-the-edges and tattooed Jack.

This was a sweet romance filled with relatable, but flawed characters. I also loved how faith was truly the heart of the story. I give this story 3.5/4 stars.

Note::: I recieved this book from the publisher for free in exchange for my honest review.

REVIEW: Behold the Man by Brock & Brodie Thoene

About the Book

Encounter the death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth in this culmination of the Jerusalem Chronicles.


How could Jesus—who preached righteousness before God, and love and mercy toward neighbors—be so hated and pursued? To the Temple officials, he was a threat to the livelihood and authority of the priesthood. To Herod Antipas, he was a threat to his ambition to be the King of the Jews. And to the Roman overlords, he was seen as a dangerous threat; a man who commanded an army of the common people. He could heal wounds, offer miraculous provisions, and even raise from the dead. If Jesus had accepted popular acclaim and become an earthly king, he would have been unstoppable.


Jesus’s last days are explored through three people who interacted with him: Governor Pilate, for whom Judea will either make or break his career; Pilate’s wife, Claudia, desperately seeking aid for her much loved, crippled son; and Centurion Marcus Longinus, caught in the middle between loyalty to the Empire, love for Claudia, and an ever-increasing belief in Jesus as the Son of God. After encountering Jesus, none of them will ever be the same. 

My Review

Behold the Man by Brock & Brodie Thoene is the third book in the Jerusalem Chronicles series and my first novel by this husband and wife writing team. They are known for their Historical and Biblical novels. Behold the Man is the story of the death and resurrection of Jesus from the perspective of Claudia, Pilate's wife. Whereas Jesus Wept was from Lazurus' perspective and Take This Cup from a young Nehemiah's perspective. Behold the Man was gripping and emotional from the very beginning. I do not read Biblical fiction often, but I think it is safe to say that I will be reading more of it. Especially ones written by Brock & Brodie. I very much llok forward to reading more of their work, especially Vienna Prelude, as recommending to me  many times by a friend who is a big fan. Also The Zion Chronicles and The Galway Chronicles.

Note::: I recieved this book from the publisher for free in return for my honest review.

COVER CANDY: 2016 Releases

                   

       

     

   

   

   

COVER REVEAL: Unblemished by Sara Ella

About the Book

Eliyana has always recoiled from her own reflection in the mirror. She believes in nothing if not the ugliness of her own face. But what if that were only one Reflection—one world? What if another world existed where her blemish could become her strength?

Eliyana is used to the shadows. With a hideous birthmark covering half her face, she knows she will never be prom queen. Not that she wants to be. She’d much rather go unnoticed and graduate high school unscathed. That is, until Joshua hops a fence and changes her perspective. No one, aside from her mother, has ever treated her as normal. Wanted. Maybe even beautiful. Because of Joshua, Eliyana finally begins to believe she could be loved.

But one night her mother doesn’t come home, and that’s when everything gets weird.

Not only is Joshua her new, and rather reluctant, legal Guardian, but the strange man who repeatedly shows up in her mother’s drawings may be more important than Eliyana realized. Add a hooded stalker and a Central Park battle to the mix and you’ve gone from weird to otherworldly.

Eliyana soon finds herself in a world much larger and more complicated than she’s ever known. A world so similar and yet so very different from our own. A world enslaved by a powerful and vile man. And Eliyana holds the answer to defeating him. But saving this world could mean losing everything she holds dear. How can an ordinary girl, a blemished girl, become a savior when she can’t even save herself?

About the Author

Not so long ago, SARA ELLA dreamed she would marry a prince (just call me Mrs. Charming) and live in a castle (aka The Plaza Hotel). Though her fairy tale didn’t quite turn out as planned, she did work for Disney—that was an enchanted moment of its own. Now she spends her days throwing living room dance parties for her two princesses and conquering realms of her own imaginings. Oh, and her husband is far more swoony than any cartoon character could ever be. She believes “Happily Ever After is Never Far Away” for those who put their faith in the King of kings.

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REVIEW: Siren's Song by Mary Weber

About the Book

Nym and Draewulf prepare to face off in a battle destined to destroy more lives than it saves.

With the loss of Tulla still fresh in mind, Rasha’s fate unknown, and Lord Myles taken over by the dark ability, Nym and the few Bron soldiers rush to warn Cashlin’s queen. Only to discover it may already be too late for the monarch and her eerie kingdom. As the Luminescents are sifting through Nym’s past memories and the queen is reading into her future, Nym is given a choice of how to defeat Draewulf, but the cost may be more than she can bear. And even then there are no guarantees.

With that reality burrowing into her bones—along with the guilt of the lives she will sacrifice—Nym returns to her homeland of Faelen to raise an army of peasants through promises of freedom. But when the few friends she has left, along with the world and citizens she loves, are staring down the face of a monster and his undead army, will Nym summon every element her blood is capable of controlling . . . or surrender to a different strength—one of sacrifice?

Because in the end, death may be more merciful for them all.

My Review

Here we are, at the end of a long three year journey through Nym's story. It's been wild Nym. Siren's Song is the third and final installment of Mary Weber's fantasy trilogy. There is so much I want to talk about but I won't because...SPOILERS! This trilogy is probably one of the best I have ever read and if you haven't started this series yet I recommend that you do. Amazing world building, romance, and suspense flood these pages. I found myself while reading Siren's Song laughing, crying, and my heart pounding in my chest.

Note::: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for a review.