A Sweet Misfortune- Maggie Brendan

My Rating: 2 Stars

Description: Rachel Matthews isn't one to rely on others to take care of her. Destitute and alone, she still wants to make her own way and her own money--even if she's forced into the life of a dance hall girl. Horrified by her circumstances, Rachel's brother sends a friend--the widely admired cattle baron John McIntyre--to rescue her, then sets off to earn enough money to buy back the family ranch. But when months pass without her brother's return, Rachel isn't sure she can take one more day in John McIntyre's home--especially once she discovers that he's the one who holds the deed to her family's ranch.

Sparks fly between this spunky, independent heroine and the ruggedly handsome hero as they navigate the snarled terrain of pride, greed, faith, and love in Maggie Brendan's delightful series set in the Old West.

My Thoughts: A Sweet Misfortune addressed some important concepts, such as taking the time to learn people's stories and not casting judgement. These appeared often in the story, with many of the characters having to address their opinion of Rachel's dance hall days and the friends from the Wild Horse who she is unwilling to abandon. However, this is one of the few things I can say I liked about the novel.

Everything mentioned in the back cover description takes place in the first couple chapters, which should give some hint as to how little happens in the book plot-wise. Time and again something would happen, hinting at a conflict that would carry the book, only to be resolved before it could cause any real complication in the story. Physical ailments disappeared after a couple chapters and any complicating romantic interests are dismissed after two or three conversations. Even John's initial belief that Rachel was a soiled-dove didn't seem to really matter as he dismissed it rather easily.

Yet it was repetitive dialogue that took me out of the otherwise sweet story. Through most of the book, characters would repeat the same words and phrases within the same conversation, making the interactions feel copied and pasted.

The lack of urgency and complication, along with repetitiveness, made this book difficult for me to get through. I'd had no doubt that the characters would work things out and had little interest in finding out how they did it. What kept me reading was a hope that eventually one of the conflicts would pay off, creating some suspense in the story. I don't feel that that ever happened.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Back in the Saddle- Ruth Logan Herne

My Rating: 3.5 Stars

Description: The Prodigal Is Coming Home

It’s been a long time since Colt Stafford shrugged off his cowboy legacy for shiny Manhattan loafers and a promising career on Wall Street. But when stock market manipulations leave him financially strapped, the oldest son of legendary rancher Sam Stafford decides to return to the sprawling Double S ranch in Gray’s Glen, Washington. He’s broke, but not broken, and it’s time to check in with his ailing father, and get his legs back under him by climbing into the saddle again.

He doesn’t expect to come home to a stranger pointing a loaded gun at his chest— a tough yet beautiful woman that Sam hired as the house manager. Colt senses there’s more to Angelina Morales than meets the eye and he’s determined to find out what she’s hiding...and why.

Colt’s return brings new challenges. Younger brother Nick has been Sam’s right-hand man at the ranch for years and isn’t thrilled at having Colt insert himself into Double S affairs. And the ranch’s contentious relationship with the citizens of Gray’s Glen asks all the Stafford men to examine their hearts about what it truly means to be a neighbor.  And as Wall Street recovers, will Colt succumb to the call of the financial district’s wealth and power—or finally find the courage to stay in the saddle for good?

My Thoughts: Back in the Saddle is an easy read with a sweet romance. It is set at a fairly slow pace, with the characters living life one day at a time and only slightly worried about the future. The conflicts are all relational, with both the consequences and rewards coming in the form of broken or mended relationships. In many ways, this book is one of the more realistic contemporary novels I have read, where the villain is our own choices.

While there was conflict (brothers who didn't get along, a father who needed to make up for past mistakes, a woman trying to do the best thing for her family) and the consequences were real (the estrangement of family, the loss of a parent), there were not many moments of true excitement. For the most part, many of the outside conflicts seemed to be ones that will pay off more in the sequels.

I will probably read the next books because I am interested in what happens with Nick and Trey. The relational tension in this book was enough that I am intrigued by the series and would like to see it to the end. Hopefully their romances will be just as sweet as Colt and Angelina's.

Back in the Saddle is relaxing read, dealing with family struggles and forgiveness. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a book with an uplifting message and strong family dynamics.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Miriam Scavenger Hunt and Giveaway

I'm so excited to be a part of this scavenger hunt blog hop in celebration of the launch of Mesu Andrews' second book in her Treasures of the Nile series, Miriam!

I realize most of you are probably already "on the hunt", but if you just happened on this page first, you'll want to hop on over to the start of the hunt at Mesu’s blog and then you'll finish your journey at Mommynificent.com. At the bottom of this post, you can find the full list of stops for the entire hunt. Between March 15th and 20th, click on the next link, head over to the page, meet a new book-lover, and read their thoughts about Miriam. Somewhere in each post there will be a single word that is in BOLD AND ALL CAPITALS. Write it down. (The words “Home” and “Good Luck” are not secret words for anyone.)

Then, go to the next stop. That post will also have a word that’s bolded and capitalized. You will need to visit all 14 blogs as each one will have a word that you need. Once you reach the end and have found all the words, you will have found an inspirational quote from the book Miriam. There are 14 words in this quote. Enter the quote into the Rafflecopter on the last stop and you will be entered to win a Kindle Fire from Mesu Andrews! (Open to U.S. residents only) If you have any questions, get lost, or experience any technical difficulties, you may email Tina at tina{at}mommynificent{dot}com for help. Now, let's talk about this fantastic book!

 

About the Book

Title: Miriam

Author: Mesu Andrews

Series: Treasures of the Nile, Book 2

Publication Date: March 15, 2016

Publisher: WaterBrook Press

Print Length: 384 pages

Summary from the publisher: At eighty-six, Miriam had devoted her entire life to loving El Shaddai and serving His people as both midwife and messenger. Yet when her brother Moses returns to Egypt from exile, he brings a disruptive message. God has a new name – Yahweh – and has declared a radical deliverance for the Israelites. Miriam and her beloved family face an impossible choice: cling to familiar bondage or embrace uncharted freedom at an unimaginable cost. Even if the Hebrews survive the plagues set to turn the Nile to blood and unleash a maelstrom of frogs and locusts, can they weather the resulting fury of the Pharaoh? Enter an exotic land where a cruel Pharaoh reigns, pagan priests wield black arts, and the Israelites cry out to a God they only think they know.

 

My Thoughts about Miriam by Mesu Andrews

There are times I feel jealous of the relationships I see other people experience with God. In my church, we believe in prophets and miracles and I see so many of my brothers and sisters in Christ who have these gifts and use them to God's glory. I do not have these gifts and like Miriam, I have felt jealous of THOSE who do, as well as unsure of my own standing with God. It is tempting to think that because I do not have those gifts that I must not be as special, or that I've done something to displease Him. Reading Miriam was at times like looking in a mirror, seeing my tendency to begrudge others their closeness with God rather than working to cultivate my own and rejoice in the gifts I have been given.

If you would like to read my review of Miriam, you can find it here.

 

About The Author

Mesu Andrews is the award-winning author of Love Amid the Ashes, Love's Sacred Song, Love in a Broken Vessel, In the Shadow of Jezebel, as well as two books in her Treasures of the Nile series: The Pharoah's Daughter and Miriam. Winner of the 2012 ECPA Christian Book Award for New Author, she has devoted herself to passionate and intense study of Scripture, bringing the biblical world vividly alive for her readers. She lives in Washington.

Mesu's Website * Facebook * Twitter * Goodreads

 

 

Stops on the Scavenger Hunt

1. Mesu Andrews
2. A Holland Reads
3. Mother of Three
4. Just A Second
5. Grace and Glory
6. Angela Arndt - Joy on the Back Roads
7. God's Peculiar Treasure Rae
8. What If
9. Carole Towriss
10. Kate Hodges, Storyteller
11. Backing Books
12. Creative Madness Mama
13. Climbing to the High Calling
14. Mommynificent

*Stop 12 is currently not working. The clue is WHO. Sorry for the inconvenience.

 

Win Both Treasure of the Nile Books

WaterBrook Press has given me permission to give away one copy of each of Mesu's Treasures of the Nile novels to one lucky winner so to enter to win your own copies of both The Pharoah's Daughter and Miriam, all you have to do is enter the rafflecopter below. (Open to U.S. residents only.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Miriam- Mesu Andrews

Come back tomorrow to take part in the Miriam Scavenger Hunt. There will be a grand prize giveaway along with a raffle on each blog for a copy of Miriam and The Pharaoh's Daughter.

My Rating: 4 Stars

Description: At eighty-six, Miriam had devoted her entire life to loving El Shaddai and serving His people as both midwife and messenger. Yet when her brother Moses returns to Egypt from exile, he brings a disruptive message. God has a new name – Yahweh – and has declared a radical deliverance for the Israelites.

 Miriam and her beloved family face an impossible choice: cling to familiar bondage or embrace uncharted freedom at an unimaginable cost. Even if the Hebrews survive the plagues set to turn the Nile to blood and unleash a maelstrom of frogs and locusts, can they weather the resulting fury of the Pharaoh?

Enter an exotic land where a cruel Pharaoh reigns, pagan priests wield black arts, and the Israelites cry out to a God they only think they know.



 My Thoughts: In my opinion, the best part of Biblical fiction is experiencing the stories of the Bible as though we were there, reading the events as though hearing them from a close friend. Mesu's Miriam brings the Biblical plagues and the Israelites' departure from Egypt into vivid focus, including the horrifying results of plagues which are not expanded upon in the Bible. Through the eyes of Miriam and her nephew Eleazar, the reader is able to see the full destruction of Egypt and the mighty hand of Yahweh.

For me, Miriam as not as enjoyable as The Pharaoh's Daughter. This story follows Biblical text far closer then it's predecessor, leaving the reader with fewer questions as to how it was going to end. This is not to say that there were no surprises, Mesu includes enough characters who are not mentioned in the Bible to keep the reader guessing up until near the very end.

What makes Miriam stand out however is themes of love and obedience. The main characters constantly struggled with balancing their love for others with obedience to their masters. Tied into these themes is the concept of trust and the consequences of placing it in the wrong things.

Miriam is a rich novel, full of strong themes and complex characters. It is one I am grateful to add to my Biblical fiction library and will be sharing with my friends.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher exchange for an honest review.

Miriam Scavenger Hunt Announcement

I have the privilege of being a part of the launch team for Mesu Andrews' newest book, Miriam, the second installment in her Treasures of the Nile series. Several of us on the team decided to get together and have a scavenger hunt and giveaway to celebrate the book's release. We want to invite you to be a part of the fun next week!

From 1am Eastern (US) time on March 15th, the book's release date, until 11:59pm on March 20th, there will be a scavenger hunt with stops on 14 different blogs! You'll start at Mesu's blog and finish your journey at Mommynificent.com. At the end of each post, you’ll find links to all of the stops in the hunt. Between March 15th and 20th, click on the next link, head over to the page, meet a new book-lover, and read their thoughts about this fantastic book. Somewhere in each post there will be a single word that is in BOLD AND ALL CAPITALS. Write it down. (The words "Home" and "Good Luck" are not secret words for anyone.) Then, go to the next stop. That post will also have a word that’s bolded and capitalized. You will need to visit all 14 blogs as each one will have a word that you need. Once you reach the end and have found all the words, you will have found an inspirational quote from the book Miriam. There are 14 words in this quote. Enter the quote into the Rafflecopter on the last stop and you will be entered to win a Kindle Fire from Mesu Andrews! In addition, each blogger will be running their own giveaway of a set of paperbacks of Mesu's two Treasures of the Nile books - The Pharaoh's Daughter and Miriam!

Mermaid Moon- Colleen Coble

My Rating: 3 Stars

Description: Mallory’s mother died fifteen years ago. But her father’s last words on the phone were unmistakable: “Find . . . mother.” Shame and confusion have kept Mallory Davis from her home for the last fifteen years, but when her dad mysteriously dies on his mail boat route, she doesn’t have any choice but to go back to Mermaid Point. Mallory believes her father was murdered and childhood sweetheart Kevin O’Connor, game warden in Downeast Maine, confirms her suspicions. But Kevin is wary of helping Mallory in her search. She broke his heart—and left—without a word, years ago. 

When Mallory begins receiving threats on her own life—and her beloved teenage daughter, Haylie—their search intensifies. There’s a tangled web within the supposed murder, and it involves much more than what meets the eye. As answers begin to fall into place, Mallory realizes her search is about more than finding her father’s killer—it is also about finding herself again . . . and possibly about healing what was broken so long ago with Kevin. She just has to stay alive long enough to put all the pieces together.

My Thoughts: In the beginning, I really struggled with this one. There were a lot of references to past mistakes, and even the first book (which I have not read), that I did not understand or entirely care about. Side characters were introduced as POV characters, only to never really play another role outside their first scene. The greatest confusion for me through the first part of the novel was trying to tell apart the four (or five?) female POV characters who all sounded very similar. In my mind, this book would have been far more understandable and enjoyable if the scenes had only been from Kevin and Mallory's perspectives.

Toward the middle of the book, the story started to take center stage more. There were fewer POV appearances from anyone other than the main couple and the current conflicts finally came into play. This was where I became interested in Kevin and Mallory's separate family troubles as well as their reemerging romance.

The mystery was the better part of the book (appropriate since it is a mystery novel). The stakes to solving what had happened to Mallory's father continued to escalate, leaving the reader to guess who was behind it all and why. And yet I felt like the conclusion was handed to the heroes. After solving one part of the mystery, the rest seemed to resolve on its own, without the help of Kevin or Mallory.

There were parts of this book I liked and parts that I didn't. Certain characters were very well fleshed out (such as Kevin and Mallory), while others were not (the villain), and the conflicts were at times attention holding and at times not. I believe that Mermaid Moon will be enjoyed by Coble's fans, and that it could hold the attention of new readers as well. However it is not one that particularly held my attention, nor one that I would whole heartedly suggest.

I received this book through The Fiction Guild in exchange for an honest review.