Where Hearts are Free - a BookSneeze book review

The daughter of the plantation owner and an indentured slave....in love - but there is no way they can be together.  Philippe was royalty in France, but the escape cost his family everything.  He is working off his passage as an indentured servant to the Barrington's.  Bridget is the daughter of the manor, but she not happy with the choices her parents are making for her future.  When Philippe is sent away, it seems that all hope is lost, but their faith in God keeps them from giving up. 

This book was a great beach read!  Light-hearted, but with just enough intrigue to keep us interested.  I love a good romance novel, and then to have a little mystery thrown in was a nice diversion.  I felt, throughout the book, that it was fairly realistic.  So often romance novels are pure fantasy - this would never happen in "real life", but in Where Hearts are Free I felt like I could have been reading the pages from someone's journal & I could picture this happening back in the 1600's. This book is the third one The Darkness to Light series, but I never felt like I was reading a series book.  This book does stand on it's own.

As you can see - I really enjoyed the book.  It is a great little romance novel<3


I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

What if we rocked the world with hope?

Out Live Your Life  by Max Lucado

Admittedly, I am not a big non-fiction reader - but, after all - this is a Max Lucado book.  I have several Lucado books on my bookshelf- ones that sound so interesting, but I have never read them.  I think I will have to change that now!


In Out Live Your Life, we walk through Acts and the commission to the disciples to go out and "change the world".  God didn't send Jesus to earth as a prince - he came as the son of a humble carpenter.  In the same way, Christ didn't call kings, and princes to follow him.  He called simple men, fishermen, tax collectors - regular people called to an extraordinary mission.  Today - God can use any one who will follow Him to His purpose.  He calls regular people - you and me - to do the extraordinary - to go out and make a difference.  Lucado walks us through ways that we can be change the world - even with something as simple as prayer. 


I actually loved this book.  For a non-fiction girl it was very easy to read and didn't talk over the head of a non-theologian.  I have always felt that God's plan for me is to serve others, but it is so easy to get caught up in the "Oh - I can't do that, that is for the seminarians and for those who can committ to 10 years living in the rain forrest."  But - we can all impact this world for the kingdom.  Something as simple as praying for a country, to carrying an extra sandwich in the car to give to the person holding the sign at the highway exit, to basketball/cheer camps in the lower east side of Manhattan, to medical clinics in the Ukraine.  There are people in need everywhere and we are called to love them.  
      "None of u can help everyone.  But all of us can help someone.  And, when we help them, we serve Jesus.
     Who would want to miss a chance to do that?"

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

My very first BookSneeze book review - Love, Charleston by Beth Webb Hart

When I heard about BookSneeze - it sounded like the perfect situation for me!  They sent me a complimentary copy of the book Love, Charleston by Beth Webb Hart, in exchange for a quick review on my blog - win-win situation for me - I get a book (which I LOVE) and I get inspired to actually use the blog I have had for 2 years are written on three times!  When I got the book in the mail - it was like Christmas in August!

Love, Charleston is a  "christian romance novel" set in, of course, Charleston South Carolina.  I automatically assumed it was historical so I was pleasantly surprised to find that is was set in 2008/2009. The book follows two families whose lives are intertwined.  We have Roy, a widower Episcopal preist and his daughter Rose, who answer the call to move from a small, country church in his home town - to a large, very historical church in Charleston.  We also have Lish & Anne, sisters, and their cousin Della.  Lish has the "perfect" life - a doctor herself, married to a doctor with 2 kids (& 1 on the way) and a beautiful home.  Anne is single, a bell ringer at St. Michaels and waiting, sort of patiently, for God to bring someone special into her life.  Della is married to a great guy  who adores her - handsome & creative - but she is unsatisfied with their position in life.  She is a writer, but takes a full time job teaching English at a private all-girls school so that their daughter can attend there.  It is pretty hard to teach full time and try to write the next great novel at night in a roach infested house.  She wants more - more money, more comfort, more children and she doesn't think Peter can provide that.   Throughout the book, we experience the pain of depression, loss of faith, infidelity and more with these characters.  It is a great story of the strength of family and faith.

I actually really liked this book.  I thought that it was well written and draws you in right from the first chapter.  This is one of those stories that you are eager to finish, just because you want to know what is going to happen to the characters.  I felt like I knew the characters, and at one point told someone - "this guys is such a jerk!" as if it was someone real.  You cry with them and laugh with them and rejoice with them.  Keep in mind that this is not a deep, intense, earth shattering novel - but they don't all have to be.  This book would be a great beach read!  It is nice to be able to read a romance novel that you don't get embarrassed by the content.  It is also not completely unrealistic like so many others!  This is a very sweet story about the bonds of family.

I promise.....

To my sweet monkeys:

I can't believe that you are getting so big!  Starting 4th grade and 7th grade....wow!  The time has flown by....next thing I know you will be heading off to college!  But for now - I still have you here and can hold you and love on you all I want!

We all know that I am not the "perfect" mom, but this year...

I promise to remember to send in lunch money when you need it...
I promise to remember to fill out and send in all forms in a timely manner...
I promise to help you study for your spelling test throughout the week instead of on Friday morning...
I promise to help you with your homework when you need it (except math - sorry!)...
I promise to listen to you talk about your classes and your teachers and your friends and your day...
I promise to encourage you to look for the positive in everyone and in every thing...
I promise to always be there for you - no matter what...
I promise to take a few minutes every night for a little snuggle...
I promise to remind you to read God's Word, and to let you see that I struggle with it too...
I promise to take you to church, even when you are tired or busy...
I promise to love you more than my luggage...unconditionally...without end...