Merchant of Alyss Review

Life for Hyam is bittersweet. Admired by the citizens of Falmouth for his heroic rescue mission, he cherishes these peaceful days with Joelle by his side. Yet grief over the loss of his magical skills during the great Battle of Emporis threatens to engulf him. Sometimes he even wishes he had never known magic at all.

When Hyam comes into possession of an ancient Milantian scroll, he is thrilled to feel the surge of power that courses through him whenever he touches it. But what he discerns in the text could mean war. He embarks upon another journey to determine its true meaning and forestall any attack. But as Hyam is seeking answers, he is unaware that the merchant of Alyss is seeking him...

Merchant of Alyss by Thomas Locke is the second book in the Legends of the Realm series. I really loved jumping back into this world, it was so worth the wait! Like with the first book (Emissary), there were plenty of twist and turns to keep me turning the page. I loved being able to continue on this adventure with Hyam and like always meeting the new characters was fun! Once again though I am left saying I can't wait for the next book in the Legends of the Realm series to arrive! 

5 out of 5. A wonderful Afternoon Snack!

I received a copy of this book from Revell in exchange for my honest review. 

Thin Ice Review

After losing her parents in a car accident and her sister to a house fire, Christy Reed has been mired in grief. Life is finally starting to feel normal again when an envelope arrives in the mail--addressed in her sister's handwriting. And the note inside claims she is still alive.

FBI Special Agent Lance McGregor, a former Delta Force operator, is assigned to reopen the case, but he's coming up with more questions than answers. If Ginny Reed is still alive--who is the woman buried in her grave? Where is Ginny? And is Christy a pawn in a twisted cat-and-mouse game--or the target of a sinister plot? As he digs deeper, one thing becomes clear: whoever is behind the bizarre ruse has a deadly agenda.

Thin Ice by Irene Hannon is the second book in the Men of Valor and about Mac's brother Lance (Mac is from the first book in the series Buried Secrets.) I really enjoyed the suspense which is what I love most about Hannon's books. While I can't say that the characters of Christy and Lance were my favorite I did really love their story. Even if you skipped the first book (Which I wouldn't because it was great!) you could still read Thin Ice and enjoy it. 

5 out of 5. A suspenseful Afternoon Snack. 

 I received a copy of this book from Revell in exchange for my honest review.

At Love's Bidding Review

After helping her grandfather at their Boston auction house, Miranda Wimplegate discovers she's accidentally sold a powerful family's prized portrait to an anonymous bidder. Desperate to appease the furious family, her grandfather tracks it to the Missouri Ozarks and makes an outlandish offer to buy the local auction house if they promise not to sell anything until he arrives.

Upon their arrival, however, they discover their new business doesn't deal in fine antiques, but in livestock. And its manager, ruggedly handsome Wyatt Ballentine, is frustrated to discover his fussy new bosses don't know a thing about the business he's single-handedly kept afloat. Faced with more cattle than they can count--but no mysterious painting--Miranda and Wyatt form an unlikely but charged partnership to try and salvage a bad situation getting worse.

At Love's Bidding by Regina Jennings was a treat to read. I fell in love with Miranda on the first couple pages. She is a wonderful character! And so is the hero of this story, Wyatt. Miranda and him make quite a pair as they try to fix the mess they find themselves in. I didn't read the first book in this series (I know shame on me!) but you don't have to in order to enjoy At Love's Biding. But now I do want to go back and read A Most Inconvenient Marriage because why not?! Regina Jennings is an amazing author. I love her books so much. Do yourself a big favor and pick this authors books up! 

5 out of 5. A lovely Afternoon Snack. 

I got a free review copy of At Love's Bidding from Bethany House Publishers in return for my honest review.

NIV Bible for Teen Girls Review

An all-new inspirational daily reading Bible designed specifically for girls 13-18, in the popular NIV translation.

The NIV Bible for Teen Girls, designed specifically for girls ages 13 to 18, is for real teenage girls with real lives. Packed with daily readings, highlighted promises of God, challenging insights, smart advice, and open discussion about the realities of life, this Bible is designed to help teen girls grow in faith, hope, and love.

The NIV Bible for Teen Girls is as sincere about your walk with God as you are, helping you discover his will for all areas of your life, including relating to your family, dealing with friends, work, sports, guys, and so much more.

Features include:

Daily readings for teen girls by popular Christian female authors Character profiles of women in the Bible Book introductions for each book of the Bible Highlighted promises of God: verses worth remembering A concordance for help in finding verses The complete text of the bestselling New International Version (NIV) of the Bible

NIV Bible for Teen Girls is an absolutely beautiful hardcover Bible that  I think any teen girl would love.  It's a New International Version translation that is easy for everyone to understand. This teen Bible is one that I feel every teen girl would love to own. The features it includes are amazing. I personally loved the Growing in Faith Hope Love sections. It's a fun little section for you to read along with a Bible passage, I feel like this makes reading the Bible a little less daunting. It takes a passage and tells you how it helps you to grow.

5 out of 5.

I received a copy of this book from BookLook in exchange for my honest review.

Every Girl Gets Confused Review

How can she choose between the love she thought she lost and the love she stumbled upon in the aftermath?

Katie Fisher and Brady James may be a match made in heaven, but that doesn't seem to guarantee them a happily ever after accompanied by angelic choirs. In fact, the sounds being heard at the bridal shop where she works are on the contentious side lately, as a bride- and groom-to-be try to mediate the growing rivalry between their basketball-obsessed families in the middle of play-off season. On top of that, Katie's parents are nagging her to get out of Dallas and come home to tiny Fairfield where her former boyfriend Casey is waiting for her, ready to rekindle their relationship. Oy vey! What's a girl to do? And will she ever be able to wear that gorgeous wedding dress she won?

Every Girl Gets Confused by Janice Thompson is a wonderful second book in the Brides with Style series. As with everyone of her books that I have read I laughed out loud at characters antics. I love Katie as a narrator and enjoyed every moment I spent in her world. But with every Janice Thompson book you get those lovely spotlight stealing supporting characters that will always make you laugh. If you loved Every Bride Needs a Groom then you won't want to miss this installment to the series. And if you have yet picked up the first book then what are you waiting for?! Do it now! 

5 out of 5. A hilarious  Afternoon Snack.

 I received a copy of this book from Revell in exchange for my honest review.

Vendetta Review

No one needs to push Nikki Boyd to excel on the Tennessee Missing Persons Task Force. The case of her own missing sister, still unsolved after ten years, is the driving force in her work. When a Polaroid photo of a missing girl shows up at a crime scene, Nikki quickly recognizes similarities to the past. The closer she gets to the abductor, the more she feels this case has become personal, and she is not the hunter . . . but the hunted.

Vendetta by Lisa Harris is the first book in the series the Nikki Boyd Files and boy did it start off good! It hits the ground running and continues with a great pace till the very end. I loved this book because while it did have romance it didn't over shadow the suspense and mystery of the story. Nikki is an engaging character that I can't wait to read more about in the future books in this series. If your looking for a page turner then I suggest you pick this book up!

5 out of 5. A delightfully suspenseful Afternoon Snack. 

I received a copy of this book from Revell in exchange for my honest review.

Fire and Ice Review

Saddle Up for a Wildly Fun Ride 

in Mary Connealy's Latest

Bailey Wilde is one of the best new ranchers in the West. She's been living disguised as a man for a while, but when Gage Coulter comes to drive her off her homestead, he quickly realizes he's dealing with a woman--a very tough, very intriguing woman at that.

Gage is an honest man, but he didn't make his fortune being weak. He won't break the law, but he'll push as hard as he can within it. Five thousand acres of his best range land is lost to him because Bailey's homestead is located right across the only suitable entrance to a canyon full of lush grass. Gage has to regain access to his land--and he's got to go through Bailey to do it.

Spending a winter alone has a way of making a person crave some human contact. In a moment of weakness, Bailey agrees to a wild plan Gage concocts. Can these two independent, life-toughened homesteaders loosen up enough to earn each other's respect--and maybe find love in 

the process?

Fire and Ice by Mary Connealy is the last book in the Wild at Heart series and features oldest sister Bailey Wilde. Overall I really loved this book, it has everything I can always count on in a book by Mary Connealy. Romance, humor, adventure, intrigue. What more could you ask for?! Bailey and Gage make for a fun couple who will definitely keep each other on their toes! I loved getting to know more about both of these characters history. Fire and Ice is the perfect book to end this series. (Though I wouldn't mind one bit if there were more!) 

5 out of 5. An adventurous Afternoon Snack!

 I got a free review copy of Fire and Ice from Bethany House Publishers in return for my honest review.