A Broken Kind of Beautiful By: Katie Ganshert

If you only read one book this year, this is it. Katie Ganshert does a wonderful job showing how God can take someone who is broken and makes her whole and beautiful in Him. Fear not, for I have called you; I have called you by name, you are mine. Isaiah 43:1. A Broken Kind of Beautiful is a powerful message to everyone who has been hurt, broken, or feels unloved. If God is for you, who can be against you?

Do you struggle with feelings of loneliness? Have you been hurt? Do you feel unloved? This is the book for you. Ivy Clark has it all. A modeling career, a beautiful face, but she doesn’t feel loved. Her father doesn’t want to have anything to do with her. Her mother can’t stop her addiction long enough to care for her. So, she puts her heart on hold and takes control of her own life, blocking out all the love, joy, and peace. She doesn’t want to be hurt anymore. Sometimes life hurts; but God still loves us. And He puts people in our lives that love us if we will just let them in. All of us are beautiful, empty shells, until we let Jesus in to fill us.

Have you ever had someone that really loved you and sought you out and made sure you were okay? God is calling you in the same way. He loves you so much and wants you safe in His love. After reading this book, I was filled with peace, joy, and love. God wants all of that for His children. We just have to accept it, as Ivy did. God sees behind all the layers we build to hide our true selves from everybody else. But God still sees us, all of us, knows us, and loves us.

I could feel Ivy’s brokenness, but with her I experienced her being made whole and beautiful by God. God may not answer our prayers the way we think He should, but he knows and cares for us. He has only the best for His children.

Pick up this book today and enjoy Ivy’s journey from brokenness to beautiful. God gathered all the broken pieces and made something new. He can for you too. I received an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wishing on Willows By: Katie Ganshert

What do you do when you have suffered so much loss and pain you don’t know how to move? Robin knows how that feels, and when Jed Johnson shows up in her café after his wife has died, Robin wants to treat him to a hot egg soufflé. But, her oven won’t work. The Willow Tree café was started by Robin and her husband. When he died, it was just her and their son Caleb. Now, Ian McKay wants to tear down her business and build condos. Will she let him? Not a chance. What she doesn’t know is that he is just as stubborn and determined to pull this deal off so his family will be proud of him again as she is to hold on to her cafe. Robin is told by many people that things will work out, God will provide, but how is that possible if she loses her café? She will hold on to the end and fight everybody that stands in her way. Will she discover what God’s way is before it is too late? Can Ian talk her into selling since he has so much more at stake? Katie Ganshert does a wonderful job in Wishing on Willows, drawing you in and creating characters that you can’t wait to read more about. If you haven’t read Wildflowers from Winter you don’t have to read it first. Wishing on Willows teaches how to let go and let God. You can’t control outcomes, cancer, deaths, or developers. Even though you are overcome with loss, there is still hope. Hope in God, faith, love. Ian’s mother says that if that pain brings us to the throne of God, if it brings us to our knees before the King of Kings, there is amazing grace in that. Reading Robin’s story has given me hope that even though things don’t work out as I expected, God still loves me and is still in control. God has perfect timing, even though we may not be able to see it at first. Enjoy Katie Ganshert’s latest novel and see how Robin discovers God’s will for her life in the midst of her sorrow and confusion and how God equips Robin and Ian to move past their pain and loss to find the hope, peace, and love that God has for them.

Wildflowers from Winter By Katie Ganshert

This is a great book from a debut author. Once you start this book, you won’t be able to put it down! Bethany Quinn is called back home. Her best friend’s husband is in a coma; they haven’t talked for many years. Her grandfather, Dan, has a heart attack. Bethany decides to go back home for one week. Then she finds Evan has been living with her grandfather and running the farm. This book will grab your heart and not let go. Bethany deals with loss, hopelessness, and fighting to find her faith. Her life is pulled out from under her. She loses everything she thought was important. Now God can get her attention and show her what He wants her to do. Grandpa Dan used to say, “Even if we do everything right, things are still going to go wrong.” Bethany must learn how to let go and let God in all aspects of her life. Can she figure out how to do that before she does something that will radically change her life and before she find out what she should do? I can’t wait to read more books by this great debut author. Her characterizations will draw you in and you will feel a deep connection to the characters. You will laugh and cry with Bethany and love the town of Peaks as she does. I look forward to more awesome books by this great author! I was given this book by Waterbrook Press in exchange for a review.