REVIEW: Jilted by Varina Denman

About the Book

Lynda Turner has struggled with depression since her husband abandoned her and their young daughter fifteen years ago. Yet unexpected hope awakens when a local ex-convict shows interest. As long-hidden secrets resurface, Lynda must fight for her emotional stability and for a life where the shadow of shame is replaced by the light of love.

Jilted tells of a woman who has lost the joy of living, a man determined to draw her back toward happiness, and a town that must—once and for all—leave the past where it belongs. It is a gentle reminder that all things can work together for good.

My Review

Jilted is the third anf final book in Varina Denman's Mended Hearts trilogy. Jilted is the story of Lynda Turner who has struggled with depression since her husband lefter her and their daughter over fifteen years ago. But hope comes in an unexpected way as a local ex-convict. Jilted is a story of forgiveness and leaving the past where it belongs...in the past and learning to finally move forward with life. Jilted was a well-written, researched, and emotional story that will have Contemporary readers screaming for more from author Varina Denman.

TOP TEN TUESDAY: Top 10 Favourite 2016 Releases So Far

Top 10 Favourite 2016 Releases So Far

(And for this post I am strictly staying with Fiction titles. That's a completely different post which I will do in the near future.)

BONUS:

(Beccause I can never stick with only 10.)

REVIEW: Medical Judgment by Richard Mabry

About the Book

Someone is after Dr. Sarah Gordon. They've stalked her and set a fire at her home. Trying to recover from the traumatic deaths of her husband and infant daughter is tough enough, but she has no idea what will come next. Her late husband's best friend and a recovering alcoholic detective are trying to solve the mystery before it's too late, but both appear to be vying for her affection as well. Sarah finds herself in constant fear as the process plays out. 
As the threats on her life continue to escalate, so do the questions: Who is doing this? Why are they after her? And with her only help being unreliable suitors in competition with each other, whom can she really trust?

My Review

Medical Judgment by Richard Mabry, M.D. is not the typical novel I gravitate towards. I do not normally read medical drama books because it's not really my thing. I rated Medical Judgment 3.5 stars because while the writing style was good I found the characters to be trying and the plot dragged in some spots of the story. So while it won't be a favourite of 2016, I didn't completely hate it like a few others I've read this year. 

NOTE::: I recieved this book for free from the publisher for my honest opinion.

REVIEW: An Anchor in the Storm by Sarah Sundin

About the Book

For plucky Lillian Avery, America's entry into World War II means a chance to prove herself as a pharmacist in Boston. The challenges of her new job energize her. But society boy Ensign Archer Vandenberg's attentions only annoy--even if he "is" her brother's best friend. 
During the darkest days of the war, Arch's destroyer hunts German U-boats in vain as the submarines sink dozens of merchant ships along the East Coast. Still shaken by battles at sea, Arch notices his men also struggle with their nerves--and with drowsiness. Could there be a link to the large prescriptions for sedatives Lillian has filled? The two work together to answer that question, but can Arch ever earn Lillian's trust and affection? 
Sarah Sundin brings World War II to life, offering readers an intense experience they won't soon forget.

My Review

Sarah Sundin's new Waves of Freedom series has quickly become my favourite series Sarah has ever written! The stories are incredible, the characters are relatable and you really want to root for them, and don't get me started on these covers. The covers for this series have also become favourites. If you're looking for a top notch WWII series then Sarah Sundin's Waves of Freedom series is the one for you.

REVIEW: The Beautiful Pretender by Melanie Dickerson

About the Book

What happens when a margrave realizes he’s fallen in love with a servant?

The Margrave of Thornbeck has to find a bride, fast. He invites ten noble-born ladies from around the country to be his guests at Thornbeck Castle for two weeks, a time to test these ladies and reveal their true character.

Avelina is only responsible for two things: making sure her deception goes undetected and avoiding being selected as the margrave’s bride. Since the latter seems unlikely, she concentrates on not getting caught. No one must know she is merely a maidservant, sent by the Earl of Plimmwald to stand in for his daughter, Dorothea.

Despite Avelina’s best attempts at diverting attention from herself, the margrave has taken notice. And try as she might, she can’t deny her own growing feelings. But something else is afoot in the castle. Something sinister that could have far worse—far deadlier—consequences. Will Avelina be able to stop the evil plot? And at what cost?

My Review

The Beautiful Pretender, Melanie Disckerson's second book in her Thornbeck series, is crossover of two very much beloved faerie-tales The Princess and the Pea and Beauty and the Beast. I love Beauty and the Beast, but not so much The Princess and the Pea. However, I was still intrigued enough to read the book even though I wasn't much of a fan of the first book. The Beautiful Pretender was better than the previous book, I'll give it that, but there wasn't anything here that was particularly different or moving. The characters felt kind of distant for most of the book and I didn't feel to invested in them and their story.

REVIEW: Go Big or Go Home by Scotty McCreery

About the Book

It was just a simple singing competition that would be fun to audition for. Who knew what kind of doors it might open for a sixteen-year-old from Garner, North Carolina. 





Go Big or Go Home is the story of a kid with country songs in his soul. The special thing with Scotty McCreery, however, is that he has this God-given ability to sing those tunes the exact way they should be sung. Daring to enter the limelight at such a young age, Scotty finds himself embraced by the nation, and even overseas, as he competes on "American Idol". This is his journey from his North Carolina roots to winning America’s most popular singing competition and launching a musical career he had always dreamt about. 





Go Big or Go Home narrates Scotty's journey from a kid imitating Elvis on the school bus to 30 million across America tuning in to see him win Season 10 of "American Idol”. Now as he completes his ground-breaking fourth album, Scotty shares a glimpse of where he came from and the impact his faith, family and friends have had on a humbled guy who keeps asking “why me?”

My Review


Go Big or Go Home chronicles Scotty's journey through his experience on American Idol and beyond. And how his faith, family, and friends have had an impact on him. Go Big or Go Home is a quick read about Scotty's life and will be a must read for all Scotty McCreery fans.

REVIEW: Saving My Assassin by Virginia Prodan

About the Book

"I should be dead. Buried in an unmarked grave in Romania. Obviously, I am not. God had other plans."

At just under five feet tall, Virginia Prodan was no match for the towering 6' 10" gun-wielding assassin the Romanian government sent to her office to take her life. It was not the first time her life had been threatened--nor would it be the last.As a young attorney under Nicolae Ceausescu's brutal communist regime, Virginia had spent her entire life searching for the truth. When she finally found it in the pages of the most forbidden book in all of Romania, Virginia accepted the divine call to defend fellow followers of Christ against unjust persecution in an otherwise ungodly land.For this act of treason, she was kidnapped, beaten, tortured, placed under house arrest, and came within seconds of being executed under the orders of Ceausescu himself. How Virginia not only managed to elude her enemies time and again, but how she also helped expose the appalling secret that would ultimately lead to the demise of Ceausescu's evil empire is one of the most extraordinary stories ever told.A must-read for all generations, "Saving My Assassin" is the unforgettable account of one woman's search for truth, her defiance in the face of evil, and a surprise encounter that proves without a shadow of a doubt that nothing is impossible with God. 

My Review

'Saving My Assassin' is one of my favourite Non-Fiction reads of 2016. It begins in the mid-1980's in Romania. It is a story of one woman's fight for freedom. One woman's fight to believe as she chooses. The road to finding that freedom is plagued by interrogation, her life threatened and the lives of her husband and children threatened, torture, and standing face to face with the person sent to kill you. 

Virginia Prodan is a lawyer married to a lawyer with children during the mid-1980's in Romania. Virginia and her family are also bible-believing Christians, which was dangerous. Romania, a communist country where the most prohibited book is the Bible. In Romania you could be imprisoned or killed for being a Christian. Virginia risked her life for her own faith and for standing up to the Romanian government in defense of Christianity. She could have renounced her beliefs as the government wanted, making all of this go away, but she didn't. She stood her ground. 

This is a book everybody needs to read.