Wildwood Creek Review

Allie Kirkland has always heard the call of her father's unfinished destiny. When she's offered a production assistant's job on a docudrama filming in the hills near Moses Lake, Texas, the dream of following in her director-father's footsteps suddenly seems within reach. The reenactment of the legendary frontier settlement of Wildwood is a first step into the film industry. A summer on set in the wilderness is a small price to pay for a dream. 

But in 1861, the real Wildwood held dangerous realities. Town founder Harland Delavan held helpless residents, including young Irish schoolteacher Bonnie Rose, in an iron grip. Mysterious disappearances led to myths and legends still retold in the region's folk songs. Eventually, the entire site was found abandoned.

When filming begins, strange connections surface between Allie and the teacher who disappeared over a century ago, and everyone in Wildwood--including Blake Fulton, Allie's handsome neighbor on the film set--seems to be hiding secrets. Allie doesn't know whom she can trust. If she can't find the answers in time, history may repeat itself...with the most unthinkable results.

I really, really loved Wildwood Creek by Lisa Wingate! I've always loved books that weave two different stories from different times together into one book, so its really no wonder why I fell in love with Wildwood Creek so quickly. The main characters, Bonnie and Allie, as well as others were as engaging and well-developed as I've come to expect from the characters of Lisa Wingate. Oh and the foreshadowing!! It was amazing! 

This book has something for everyone. So if your looking for a great book Wildwood Creek is for you!

5 out of 5. An Afternoon Snack that is for everyone. 


 I got a free review copy of Wildwood Creek from Bethany House Publishers in return for my honest review.

gods at War Review

In this student edition of gods at war, Kyle Idleman, bestselling author of not a fan, helps us recognize there are false gods at war within each of us, and they battle for the place of glory and control in our lives. What keeps us from truly following Jesus Christ is that our hearts are pursuing something or someone else like money or popularity. While these pursuits may not be the 'graven images' of old, they are in fact modern day idols. Behind the sin you're struggling with, the fear you're dealing with, the lack of purpose you're living with is a false god that is winning the war for your heart.

gods at War by Kyle Idleman made me think. A lot. I know the Ten Commandments and have since I was little. In my mind I've always separated them into different sections. Like "Honor your Father and Mother" and "Do not Lie" was put in the 'Always work on these because they are really hard to keep.' Then there are the ones I put in the 'Never gonna happen. So I got these covered' section, like "Do not Murder". But I've never really thought that hard about the second commandment, "Do not make any idols". I've always just written that one off as irrelevant to me. Back when it was written they had tons of idols, golden cows galore. But nowadays I don't walk down the street and see someone kneeling down at a gold statue and asking me to join them. Or have I?

gods at War made me realize that while I may not see any actual golden cows laying around tempting me to worship them there is still a lot of other stuff in my life and today's world that we have turned into our golden cows. Because idols can come in any shape or size. An idol is anything we have put in Gods place. 

If your like me and think that the second commandment is irrelevant to you, read this book and I'm sure you'll see commandment number two in a whole new perspective. 

5 out of 5. An Afternoon Snack that is food for thought. 

I was provided a copy of gods at War  by Zondervan and the author in exchange for my honest review.

Echoes of Mercy Review

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Sometimes a secret must be kept for the truth to be revealed. 

When a suspicious accident occurs at the famous Dinsmore Chocolate Factory in Sinclair, Kansas, Caroline Lang goes undercover as a factory worker to investigate the circumstances surrounding the event and how the factory treats its youngest employees—the child workers. Caroline’s fervent faith, her difficult childhood, and compassionate heart drove her to her job as an investigator for the Labor Commission and she is compelled to see children freed from such heavy adult responsibilities, to allow them to pursue an education.   

Oliver Dinsmore, heir to the Dinsmore candy dynasty, has his own investigation to conduct. Posing as a common worker known as “Ollie Moore,” he aims to find out all he can about the family business before he takes over for his father. Caroline and Oliver become fast friends, but tension mounts when the two find themselves at odds about the roles of child workers. Hiding their identities becomes even more difficult when fate brings them together over three children in desperate need. When all is revealed, will the truth destroy the love starting to grow between them?

Echoes of Mercy was another wonderful book by Kim Vogel Sawyer. No matter how many times I read her books I still find the next one new and exciting. Caroline has become one of my favorite heroines. No matter what challenges she faced  she always stayed true to what she believed. Oliver has also become a favorite. What he did at the end of the book was what had him officially placed on my favorite heroes shelf. :) 
I don't think there was one single thing that I disliked about this book... well besides the villain of the story, but your not supposed to like them, right? ;) 
Echoes of Mercy was just the book I needed to read, it was perfect. I don't know how any book that I read in the near future will be able to hold up to it. 

5 out of 5. An Afternoon Snack that was as sweet as Dinsimore's World-Famous Chocolate-Coated Vanilla Creams. :)

I received this book for free fromBlogging for Books for this review.

The Sentinels of Andersonville Review

Near the end of the Civil War, inhumane conditions at Andersonville Prison caused the deaths of 13,000 Union soldiers in a single year. In this gripping and affecting novel, Christy Award winner and critically acclaimed author Tracy Groot recaptures the unsung barbaric truths of the historical Andersonville Prison in a riveting reimagining of the parable of the Good Samaritan.

Sentry Dance Pickett has watched, helpless, for months as conditions in the camp worsen by the day. He knows any mercy will be seen as treason. Southern belle Violet Stiles cannot believe the good folk of Americus would knowingly condone such barbarism, despite the losses they’ve suffered. When her goodwill campaign stirs up accusations of Union sympathies and endangers her family, however, she realizes she must tread carefully. Confederate corporal Emery Jones didn’t expect to find camaraderie with the Union prisoner he escorted to Andersonville. But the soldier’s wit and integrity strike a chord in Emery. How could this man be an enemy? Emery vows that their unlikely friendship will survive the war—little knowing what that promise will cost him.

As these three young Rebels cross paths, Emery leads Dance and Violet to a daring act that could hang them for treason. Wrestling with God’s harsh truth, they must decide, once and for all, Who is my neighbor?

The Sentinels of Andersonville by Tracy Groot was a pretty good read. For me it was a slow read because of how much information was in the book. It also kept me up, if not because I was reading it then because I was thinking about it. The characters seemed as real as the events Tracy Groot was describing, almost as if this story was pulled straight from a history book. I'm not much of a history buff but I really liked this book.

4.5 out 5. An Afternoon Snack that was quite filling.

I received a copy of this book from Tyndale Blog Network in exchange for an honest review.