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

Author's Website

Facebook

Twitter

More Info

Read Chapter One

Author Bio

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.

A Match Made in Texas Review

There's a secret matchmaker at work in frontier Texas!

In the small town of Dry Gulch, Texas, a good-hearted busybody just can't keep herself from surreptitiously trying to match up women in dire straits with men of good character she hopes can help them. How is she to know she's also giving each couple a little nudge toward love?

A Cowboy Unmatched

Neill isn't sure who hired him to repair Clara's roof--he only knows Clara desperately needs his help. Can he convince this stubborn widow to let down her guard and take another chance on love?

A  Cowboy Unmatched by Karen Witemeyer starts the  Match Made in Texas collection off perfectly. I fell in love with the Archer brothers from the moment I first met them all in The Short Straw Bride and was pleased Neill got his own moment in the lime light and found Clara. As with all the stories in this book this story didn't seem as rushed as I usually find most novellas to be. Even though the stories are short (which is the point of novellas) I was pleasantly surprised with the fact that I didn't find them overly rushed.

5 out of 5. 

An Unforeseen Match

Hoping to earn an honest wage on his way to the land rush, Clayton ends up on Grace's doorstep, lured by a classified ad. He may have signed on for more than he expected though--and he may have found the one woman who can keep him from moving on. 

An Unforeseen Match by Regina Jennings was so sweet! I instantly fell in love with Grace and loved how surprisingly well she handled the problems before her. As for Clayton the moment I read about what had happened to him my heart broke. His past was so sad. Out of all the stories in the book I felt like this one should have been much longer. The two main character have such important back story's that I would have loved to read more about them. But of course this is a novella and the point is to be short and sweet, which it was so mission accomplished! 

5 out of 5.

No Match for Love

Andrew can't fathom how refined Lucy ended up as the caretaker to his dotty aunt, and somehow her arrival has prompted even more bizarre occurrences around the ranch. When they join forces to unearth the truth, will the attraction between Andrew and Lucy develop into more?

No Match for Love by Carol Cox brought the touch of mystery needed in the collection. It also seemed to take the shortest time for me to read. Probably because I wanted to find out how it ended as quickly as possible. This was the first taste I've had of any of Carol's writing and I must say I have just added her books to my 'to read' list. I loved No Match for Love.

5 out of 5.

Meeting Her Match

When the tables are turned and a tenderhearted meddler becomes the beneficiary of a matchmaking scheme, her world is turned upside down. As her entire life changes, will she finally be able to tell the banker's son how much she cares for him?

As I'm pretty sure I'v said before I love Mary Connealy's writing so its no surprise that I loved Meeting Her Match. Equal parts romance and comedy it was definitely the story that brought on the most smiles from me. And I'm not just saying that because me and the heroine of this story share a name :) Meeting Her Match was the perfect end to the sweet collection of stories that make up A Match Made in Texas.

5 out of 5. 

All in all A Match Made in Texas was wonderful. 

5 out of 5. Or if I add up each story's rating 20 out of 5 :) This Afternoon Snack was a perfectly balanced four course meal! 

I got a free review copy of A Match Made in Texas from Bethany House Publishers in return for my honest review.

Claiming Mariah Review

author’s website

After her father’s death, Mariah Malone sends a letter that will forever alter the lives of her family. When Slade Donovan, strong willed and eager for vengeance, shows up on her front porch, Mariah is not ready to hear his truths: her father’s farm, the only home she’s ever known, was bought with stolen gold. With Slade ready to collect his father’s rightful claim and force Mariah and her family out on the streets, Mariah must turn to God for guidance. Though Mr. Frederick Cooper, a local landowner, promises to answer her financial woes if she agrees to be his bride, Mariah finds herself drawn instead to the angry young man demanding her home.

With the ranch now under Slade’s careful eye, he unearths more than he ever imagined as a devious plot of thievery, betrayal, and murder threatens the well-being of the ranch, endangering those who hold it dear. As the days dwindle until the rest of the Donovan clan arrives at the Lazy M ranch, Mariah and Slade must rise above the resentment of their fathers and see their true feelings before greed changes their futures forever.

Claiming Mariah by Pam Hillman was so wonderfully full of romance and suspense. I loved every minute I spent reading Claiming Mariah and hated that it had to end. The characters Ms. Hillman crafted together were so very easy to fall in love with. Everything the main characters, Mariah and Slade, went through in the past and were going through in the present made them that much more real and believable. I loved her writing style and I'm hoping that we'll soon see more books by Pam Hillman. 

5 out of 5. An Afternoon Snack that I found very satisfying.


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

Destination Unknown Review

It's senior year, and Whitney Richards is tired of the constant pressures to be perfect. When she gets a D in Calculus, her mother immediately hires a tutor, worried Whitney won't get into the 'right' college---her alma mater---with imperfect grades. Her tutor, Taylor, is a quiet, mysterious boy who is unlike anyone Whitney has met before. But Taylor's rougher upbringing has her mother and friends discouraging any type of relationship. Tired of having to play a part for everyone else, Whitney quits the cheerleading squad that once defined her social identity, and begins spending more time with Taylor. Her mom and friends worry Whitney is making a huge mistake, and even Taylor begins to show concern for some of her choices. But for the first time, Whitney is in the driver's seat of her life. Will she be able to find her identity---and God's plan for her life---before she throws everything away?

First, before I say anything else, I have to comment on the cover. Isn't it gorgeous?! It made me fall in love with the book before I even read the first sentence. :)
Anyways on to the book itself.  Destination Unknown by Amy Clipston was a wonderful story about finding out who you truly are and want to be. I loved Whitney's story almost as much as I loved Emily's (Whitney's cousin in Roadside Assistance). The only problem I had was that the dialogue seemed a little too unreal. The characters seemed to share their feelings way to quickly and easily. I don't know many people who are that open so quickly. But other than that I loved the characters and I felt the book ended perfectly. 

4 out of 5. An Afternoon snack that was pretty good. 

I was provided a copy of  Destination Unknown by Zondervan and the author in exchange for my honest review.