Saturday, January 22, 2011

Lady in Waiting by Susan Meissner

Lady in Waiting
By: Susan Meissner

I was given a complimentary copy of this book by Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for writing a review. Lady in Waiting is about a woman, Jane, who finds out her marriage is over when her husband decides to move out. The book follows her coming to terms with the divorce and her life. In conjunction with this storyline, Jane finds an old ring that is 400 years old. The name Jane is inscribed inside. Jane takes it upon herself to find out the history of the ring and its owner. Jumping between present day to 400 years ago and following that Jane is done effortlessly by this author. Take time to get to know Jane and Edward, and this Jane as she unravels the mystery.
This story is suspenseful and romantic. You can’t wait to find out if Jane and Edward get together, or if Jane and Brad get back together. Character development is essential in carrying out two story lines. Meissner does it superbly. The dialogue is easy to follow, and enhances the story. Once you start this book, you won’t want to put it down!

The Purpose of Passion by Kurt Bruner and Jim Ware

The Purpose of Passion
By: Kurt Bruner and Jim Ware


The Purpose of Passion is about “discovering what one of the world’s greatest love stories says about the meaning of romance,” according to the back cover. We follow Dante’s The Divine Comedy to see Dante’s epic vision of romantic love. From falling in love to love fulfilled, we can connect the dots between human romance and the epic love story between God and His people.
While reading this book, I felt like I was getting a breakdown of Dante’s writings. You follow Dante as he proceeds with Virgil through Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise. This book explains Dante’s Romantic Vision, and he hopes his vision will ignite within you as you read it, which in turn will create a greater fire of godly passion. From the first sparks of a look, to being rejected or left alone, to marrying the person who completes you, Dante shows how this is in line with what God wants, so you can then be who God wants you to be. “God hardwired you for relationship with the opposite sex as a foretaste of the ‘happily ever after’ for which you were made.”
Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy in exchange for posting a review. I enjoyed reading this book, and seeing how Dante tied love between humans to love between God and His people.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Save the Date by Jenny B Jones

Save the Date
By: Jenny B Jones

I was given this book, Save the Date, by Booksneeze in exchange for a book review. I could not put this book down. Jenny B Jones uses wit, humor, sass, and exceptional dialogue to weave a wonderful tale of romance. Lucy runs a home called Saving Grace—which houses kids who have been in the foster care system. They are turned loose at 18, and she provides a place for them to stay and learn skills to be successful in the working world. Alex is an ex football player, heir to the family fortune. She is in need of money to keep her home open; Alex is in need of her assistance to win votes for his bid for Congress. They team up, and what a team they make! She is from a poor background; he used to make fun of her in school. He grew up having it all.
I could not put this book down. All the bantering back and forth between these two was phenomenal. I couldn’t wait to see what they would argue about next, or what they would get into. They explored faith, love, and family relationships. Plot and character development move the story along. I hated to see the story end. Even after the story is over, I found myself smiling about something I had read. Case in point, when Lucy is “running away” and has on a robe and snow boots, while walking down the street and Alex is trying to get her in the car. I can still see her moving on down the street. Jenny B Jones uses lots of descriptions so you can see what she is seeing while she writes the story. I highly recommend this book, and I will be checking into others of hers!

Friday, January 7, 2011

The Second Short Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner
By: Stephenie Meyer

This story is about Bree Tanner. She was introduced in Eclispse, of the Twilight series, as a newbie vampire that was killed. In this book, you get to see her side of the story. You know how it ends, if you’ve read Eclipse. Bree Tanner takes on a life of her own in the book. Her story of how she became a vampire and her relationship with Diego, bring you right into her life. I couldn’t put the book down!
If you enjoy suspense, romance, and the Twilight series, you will love this book! It has it all, even though it is a novella. It is not a long book, and doesn’t take much to read it, but I found myself rooting for Bree after the first couple of pages. The plot and character development are excellent. The dialogue kept you tuned in; you didn’t want to put the book down. You can picture what the newbie vampires are doing and what is going on around them. When Diego and Bree hide out in an underwater cave, you can visualize where they are. You can feel Bree’s fear of the sunlight. I would definitely recommend this book. Even you haven’t been introduced to the Twilight series, this book is a must read!

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Defiant Joy by Kevin Belmonte

Defiant Joy
By: Kevin Belmonte

I received this book, Defiant Joy, from Booksneeze in exchange for writing a review of it. This book is about G K Chesterton, who lived from 1874-1936. He was an English writer, and one of his many accomplishments was to influence C S Lewis’ conversion to Christianity. C S Lewis is the author of the Narnia series. G K Chesterton authored biographies, apologetics, poetry, novels, and literary criticisms. The object of this book is to “introduce a life and legacy that should be better known.”
This book accomplishes its purpose. I was expecting a bit more on the biography side of G K Chesterton, but what I read was excerpts from his many different works. These were introduced in each section and talked about, and then you got a piece of the work in question. For instance, the chapter on his critical studies talks about Mr. Chesterton’s Charles Dickens’s: A Critical Study. First you learn that this book is “marked by great intuitive insights into Dickens’s works.” Chesterton can be both entertaining and instructive. Then, Kevin Belmonte tells you about the review by the New York Times. The reviewer wasn’t too positive with the review, but then another reviewer, Hamilton Carr, came back with a more positive and insightful review of the work. This is how the book is set up. If you are looking for a biography on G K Chesterton, I would not recommend this book. However, if you would like to read about his many different works, and they were received, this is the book for you! I did enjoy this book, and will keep it as part of my library for future reference.