REVIEW: The Masterpiece by Francine Rivers

About the Book



New York Times bestselling author Francine Rivers returns to her romance roots with this unexpected and redemptive love story, a probing tale that reminds us that mercy can shape even the most broken among us into an imperfect yet stunning masterpiece.

A successful LA artist, Roman Velasco appears to have everything he could possibly want―money, women, fame. Only Grace Moore, his reluctant, newly hired personal assistant, knows how little he truly has. The demons of Roman’s past seem to echo through the halls of his empty mansion and out across his breathtaking Topanga Canyon view. But Grace doesn’t know how her boss secretly wrestles with those demons: by tagging buildings as the Bird, a notorious but unidentified graffiti artist―an alter ego that could destroy his career and land him in prison.

Like Roman, Grace is wrestling with ghosts and secrets of her own. After a disastrous marriage threw her life completely off course, she vowed never to let love steal her dreams again. But as she gets to know the enigmatic man behind the reputation, it’s as if the jagged pieces of both of their pasts slowly begin to fit together . . . until something so unexpected happens that it changes the course of their relationship―and both their lives―forever.

My Review



The Masterpiece felt very different than previous Francine Rivers novels. I had such high hopes for this book, perhaps maybe my hopes were too high. Because I did feel a little underwhelmed by this story and the characters although I did still give it four stars. I wish Francine Rivers would go back to her roots and write stories of biblical proportions in different time periods, like her Christian debut. It's still a good story, but it left me wanting something more.

REVIEW: Breaking Cover by Michele Assad

About the Book


The CIA is looking for walking contradictions. Recruiters seek people who can keep a secret, yet pull classified information out of others; who love their country, but are willing to leave it behind to head into dangerous places; who live double lives, but can be trusted with some of the nation's most highly sensitive tasks.

Michele Rigby Assad was one of those people.

As a CIA agent, Michele soon found that working undercover was an all-encompassing job. The threats were real. The mission was a perilous one. Trained as a counterterrorism expert, Michele spent over a decade in the agency--a woman leading some of the most highly skilled operatives on the planet, secretly serving in some the most treacherous areas of the Middle East. But deep inside, Michele wondered: Could she really do this job? Was she in the right place at the right time, or had she misunderstood what she thought was God's calling on her life? Did she have what it would take to survive?

The answer came when Michele faced a life-or-death choice--one that had secretly been the plan for her all along.

In Breaking Cover, Michele has at last been cleared to drop cover and tell her story: one of incredible struggle; of thwarted plans and expectations; and most of all, of discovering a faith greater than all her fears. 





My Review


Breaking Cover is ex-CIA agent Michele Assad, a counter-terrorism expert. It was so fascinating to read a book by a former agent not to mention someone who worked in counter-terrorism. Politics, international or homebound, and counter-terrorism are two topics I am fascinated by. I won't go into much detail because I don't want to give anything away. You'll have to read Breaking Cover for yourself.

REVIEW: Live Fearless by Sadie Robertson

About the Book

Sadie Robertson, bestselling author and star of Dancing with the Stars, has an important message for her generation: you don't have to be held back by fear, anxiety, or loneliness anymore. In Live Fearless, Sadie takes you on a thrilling personal journey toward power, passion, and purpose as you live at the center of who God created you to be!

Dear friends,

I don't know about you, but I'm pretty tired of the struggle. You know which one I mean--fear, loneliness, not knowing who I am or what I'm meant to do. . . . Sound familiar?

I struggled with insecurity, comparison, and isolation for too many years, from thigh gaps to eyebrows to the lifestyles I felt I had to live up to. I was so afraid of being "found out," that everyone in my life would somehow figure out that I was fearful and small and that I struggled to make my faith a reality and to be secure in who I am. It took a major perspective shift from staring at comments on a screen to really digging into the pages of my Bible to see what God actually says about overcoming fear.

Setting aside the fear, anxiety, and comparison to become the joy-filled person God created you to be is exactly what God is inviting you into. To really be seen and known. To be an agent of change by choosing compassion, connection, and acceptance for everyone you come in contact with. Inside this book are ways to find your power, passion, and purpose--and reach for your dreams. Plus, there are places to jot down notes, fun lists, practical ways to make changes, and thoughts on how living fearless can change everything.

Are you tired of the awful comparison game? Are you exhausted from trying to keep up, from feeling small and afraid that people will find the real you and be disappointed? There is so much more for you. No matter who you are, where you come from, or what your fears are, freedom is available to you. It's just a matter of saying yes. You in?

Hope you'll join me on this wild adventure as we learn to Live Fearless together.



Love,

Sadie 








My Review

I have been following the Robertson family since the beginning of Duck Dynasty. And it has been a pleasure to watch Sadie Robertson grow from a young adolescent to grown and faith-filled young woman. Live Fearless is Sadie Robertson's heart for not only her generation but for the church in general. To live a life fearlessly for Christ. For me, there wasn't really anything new, but this would be great for a young teen or pre-teen believer.