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Rhe’s Bookshelf – Redeeming Love

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California’s gold country, 1850. A time when men sold their souls for a bag of gold and women sold their bodies for a place to sleep. 

Angel expects nothing from men but betrayal. Sold into prostitution as a child, she survives by keeping her hatred alive. And what she hates most are the men who use her, leaving her empty and dead inside. 

Then she meets Michael Hosea, a man who seeks his Father’s heart in everything. Michael obeys God’s call to marry Angel and to love her unconditionally. Slowly, day by day, he defies Angel’s every bitter expectation, until despite her resistance, her frozen heart begins to thaw. 

But with her unexpected softening comes overwhelming feelings of unworthiness and fear. And so Angel runs. Back to the darkness, away from her husband’s pursuing love, terrified of the truth she no longer can deny: Her final healing must come from the One who loves her even more than Michael does…the One who will never let her go. 

A powerful retelling of the story of Gomer and Hosea, Redeeming Love is a life-changing story of God’s unconditional, redemptive, all-consuming love.

Includes a six-part reading group guide!

What I thought:
I’m sure many of you have read this book, at least that’s how I felt when I first let people know that I was reading this book.  So many of my friends expressed shock that I had never read it, many of them reading it while we were in high school and our early college days.  Even my mom read it.  How did I miss this?!  Frankly, I have no clue how I did.  Francine Rivers is a name that I’ve heard and seen, and I was surprised to find out that she had previously been a mainstream romance writer.  Trust me, she’s got a knack for that particular kind of romance, that is more about the romance and less about anything physical.  I would be willing to bet good money that most women know exactly what I’m talking about and are just as much of a succor for it as I am.  The emotional connection one feels with someone can be more powerful than anything else.  Redeeming Love is just that.  It’s an emotional, and spiritual romance novel.  I couldn’t put it down.  I was absolutely addicted to it.
The story, it was just amazing.  What kind of love is this?!  It was a beautiful representation of the love Christ has for us.  He never gives up on us!  Ms Rivers painted a word picture like none I’ve read in a really long time.  It is a rather long book but it didn’t feel like it, there was no real slow parts, which is a pet peeve of mine.  Everything that was written mattered to the story.
I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone!  If you have older teenage daughters…yes!!  I’m already looking forward to my next Francine Rivers book.  In the Spring of 2014 Francine Rivers’ new book, A Bridge to Haven, which takes places in 1950s Hollywood is being released.  I’m so excited!
5 out of 5 Stars
visit Francine River’s blog and facebook

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Blogging for Books, book review, Christian Fiction, Cindy Woodsmall, Rhe's Bookshelf, The Winnowing Season, WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing

Rhe’s Bookshelf – The Winnowing Season, by Cindy Woodsmall

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The Winnowing Season (Amish Vines and Orchards, #2)

On the eve of their departure to begin a new Old Order Amish community outside of Unity, Maine, Rhoda Byler is shocked to discover that choices made by her business partner and friend, Samuel King, have placed her and her unusual gifts directly into the path of her district’s bishop and preachers. She is furious with Samuel and is fearful that the Kings will be influenced by the way her leaders see her, and not what they know to be true—that Rhoda’s intuition is a gift from God.

Jacob King won’t be swayed by community speculation. He loves Rhoda, believes in her, and wants to build a future with her in Maine. But when the ghosts of his past come calling and require him to fulfill a great debt, can he shake their hold before it destroys what he has with Rhoda? Samuel has a secret of his own—one he’ll go to great lengths to keep hidden, even if it means alienating those closest to him. Throwing himself into rehabilitating the once-abandoned orchard, Samuel turns to a surprising new ally.

What I thought:
The Winnowing Season is book 2 in the Amish Vines and Orchard Series, and my second Amish book ever.  If you read my review of book 1 you’ll know that I was kind of surprised to really like it.  There were portions of this book that were slower than I normally like.  However, I should be truthful and say that most of the books I normally read are of a much faster variety.  A lot of the stuff that has to do with Amish tradition still got me and sort of broke up the story for me.  I found that it sort of distracted me because I spent so much time being annoyed with that.  It was almost like it got in the way of the story and it didn’t make sense to me.  Some things are so Amish, and then other parts of the story just didn’t follow that same vein.  I still am committed to continuing on with the series because I just want to know what happens next.  So, to that end Ms. Woodsmall has done her job!  The hardest part for me was the Jacob storyline.  It became really frustrating, but I just don’t want to give away too much of the story to elaborate on that.  All I will say is that it is quite emotionally taxing.  The characters are developed well and you learn so much about the Amish culture, which I find extremely fascinating.
Rating:
3 out of 5 Stars
Disclaimer:
I received this book in partnership with WaterBrook/Multnomah Publishing and Blogging for Books.  I was not compensated in any other way.  And, as always, my views and opinions are my own.  Take them or leave them.
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A Season for Tending, Blogging for Books, book review, Cindy Woodsmall, Multnomah Publishing, Rhe's Bookshelf

Rhe’s Bookshelf – “A Season for Tending,” by Cindy Woodsmall

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A Season for Tending (Amish Vines and Orchids #1)


Summary:
 
Old Order Amish Rhoda Byler’s unusual gift and her remarkable abilities to grow herbs and berries have caused many to think her odd. As rumors mount that Rhoda’s “gift” is a detriment to the community, she chooses isolation, spending her time in her fruit garden and on her thriving canning business. 

Miles away in Harvest Mills, Samuel King struggles to keep his family’s apple orchard profitable. As the eldest son, Samuel farms with his brothers, the irrepressible Jacob and brash Eli, while his longtime girlfriend Catherine remains hopeful that Samuel will marry her when he feels financially stable. 

Meanwhile, Samuel’s younger sister Leah is testing all the boundaries during her rumschpringe, and finds herself far from home in Rhoda’s garden after a night of partying gone badly. But Leah’s poor choices serve as a bridge between Rhoda and the King family when a tragic mistake in the orchard leaves Samuel searching for solutions.
Rhoda’s expertise in canning could be the answer, but she struggles with guilt over the tragic death of her sister and doesn’t trust herself outside her garden walls. As the lines between business, love, and family begin to blur, can Rhoda finally open up to a new life? And what effect will this odd, amazing woman have on the entire King family?

What I Thought:

This was the first time I have ever read an Amish book.  It wasn’t that I particularly shied away from them, I just never really found one that I wanted to buy.  When the opportunity came to read one I jumped on it.  I feel really lame in same, “oh my goodness I loved it so much,” but that’s sort of what i feel like saying.   I really really did.  The characters were really endearing, real, and complex.  They didn’t come off as stuffy or unrelatable.  What they experienced and how they handled those experiences was something that I could see in my own life; and anyone else’s for that matter.  That is important thing for me when I’m reading a book.  I generally like books where I am drawn into the story in such a way, that I feel for the characters on a personal level.  Like, maybe I could be in their world.  Much to my happiness it is the first book in a series, and I can’t wait to get my hand on “The Winnowing Season”.

Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Where can you get it:

$11.99 kindle version (which I read on the Kindle App on my iPhone)

you can snag a paperback version for around $11.00 on Amazon

**Disclaimer – I received this book in my partnership with Blogging for Books and Multnomah Publishing.  I was not compensated in any other way.

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Blogging for Books, booksneeze, Clouds Review, Multnomah Publishing, Rhe's Bookshelf, Robin Jones Gunn

Rhe’s Bookshelf – two more down!

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Today I’ve got another review from Robin Jones Gunn and the Glenbrooke Series! I’ve become such a fan of this series.

Summary: This bestselling former Palisades release is book five in the new Glenbrooke series by award-winning author Robin Jones Gunn. Shelly Graham has moved home to Glenbrooke, where she’s flooded with memories of her high school sweetheart, who took off for Europe after they broke up. But when Shelly travels to Germany, she suddenly runs into the former boyfriend who has filled her thoughts. Learning that Jonathan is engaged, Shelly hides her feelings for him. After returning home, however, she must face these feelings, especially after her path crosses Jonathan’s yet again. Only this time, if they can find the strength to be honest, they just might discover what God has in store.She remembers their childhood with longing their parting with regret…

Coming home wasn’t supposed to feel this way. After five years as a flight attendant, Shelly is home again, in a house alive with happy memories. Yet she feels strangely lost. Without direction. Alone.

Where is Jonathan Renrield when she needs him? Jonathan, her best friend nearly all her life, her first and only love. Shelly hadn’t meant to hurt him when she left him behind to chase her dreams. And she misses him more than she’s ever admitted. When they unexpectedly meet in Germany , Shelly manages to hide her feelings from Jonathan—and his fiancée. But she can no longer hide them from herself. Will she ever be ready to tell Jonathan the truth? Will she have the chance?

Not until a business trip takes her to charming Glenbrooke , Oregon does Shelly finally understand: only the truth can set her free. But is it too late for her and Jonathan?

What I Thought: Clouds is Book 5 in the Glenbooke Series, and the third one that I’ve read. Its yet another great read for me, and it only makes me love the series more. I haven’t read the series in order (I’ve read books 1,3 & 5, but I haven’t felt disoriented in doing so. That’s what I appreciate about Ms. Gunn. Even though the book is a series and each book plays off the next, I haven’t had a difficult time transitioning through the stories in the books.

The characters are wonderful, the story is touching – and the way she weaves the whole “God works in mysterious ways” that may seem outlandish, somehow work again. I mean, what are the odds right. I know the cynic that is in everyone might say that about some of the books in this series, but that’s the whole point. That’s why I love them. Sweet romance that you can find in the Christian/Faith books section. How great is that?

Thanks Robin for another great book!

 5 out of 5 Stars
**I received this book in partnership with Blogging for Books and Multnomah Press, in exchange for my review.  I was not compensated in any other way.  My views and opinions are my own**
http://www.booksneeze.com/art/_240_360_Book.771.cover.jpg
source – Booksneeze.com
Summary:  At the beginning of the Revolutionary War, a father and son struggle to trust in and follow God’s will. Farmers, preachers, and shipbuilders, generations of the Matthews family struggle to live according to God’s will. Through the Revolutionary War, droughts, and floods, they strive to hold firm to their belief in the love and forgiveness of their Creator, but will the outsiders they take into their homes and hearts reaffirm or destroy their faith? In this engrossing historical novel, set during the American Revolutionary War, readers will find a wholesome and detailed look at life and faith in the late 1700s.
What I thought:  I’m trying to decide still how I feel about this book.  It is meant as a juvenile fiction, but I’m just not sure what age of boy would read this book.  I didn’t find the story very exciting, although the premise and the idea behind it is great.  There seems to be too much stuffed into one book.  I almost think this would have made a great series of books following this family.  It seemed too simplistic and too fast.  There was a second where I thought maybe I’m too old to know whether or not this is a good book for juveniles.  I just don’t know about it.  Like I said, I feel like it could have been great.  Lots of great potential, but just missed the mark.
2 out of 5 stars
 
*I received this book in partnership with Booksneeze, in exchange for my review.  I was not compensated in any other way.  My views and opinions are my own.**
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Blogging for Books, Christian book, Christian Fiction, Multnomah Publishing, Rhe's Bookshelf, Robin Jones Gunn, The Glenbrooke Series

Rhe’s Bookshelf – Echoes, Robin Jones Gunn

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Happy Saturday everyone!  I am happy once again, to bring you a book from The Glenbrooke Sereis, by Robin Jones Gunn.  Echoes is the third book in this wonderful series.  I was able to get my hands on it and couldn’t wait to find, buy and receive number two, so I just went ahead and dove right in.

Echoes, Glenbrooke Series #3
 
Summary: In this dramatic contemporary romance by bestselling author Robin Jones Gunn, Lauren Phillips enters the wild, uncharted territory of the Internet on her home computer and “connects” with a man known only as “K.C.” As she struggles to recover from a broken engagement, Lauren keeps busy by working full time and striving to finish her college degree. But her correspondence with K.C. quickly becomes the thing she loves most…and the source of dreams she cannot bear to relinquish. When the opportunity comes for them to meet after a year of corresponding, Lauren faces a tough choice: Is she willing to risk everything…including a broken heart? Readers will stay “on-line” to find out in this bestselling former Palisades release, now the third book in the new Glenbrooke series.
Will Lauren risk losing her heart…to a man she’s never met?
Lauren Phillips tries to keep busy while recovering from a broken engagement. Then one day, through her home computer, Lauren accidentally connects on the Internet with a mysterious man she knows only as K.C.
Lauren’s e-mail relationship with K.C. quickly becomes the thing she loves most in life..and the source of dreams she cannot bear to relinquish.
After a year of corresponding, the opportunity appears for them to meet. Lauren faces a tough choice: Is she willing to risk everything…including another broken heart?
What I thought:  As I said in my brief introduction I am a huge fan of Ms. Gunn and this series.  The Glenbrooke series is a sweet series all taking place in and around the lives of those of the small town of Glenbrooke.    Book Three takes place in a time when computers, email and chat rooms are a new thing.  I must admit it was kind of weird to be catapulted back to a time when that was all new.  I remember that time!  Despite that, the book was still relate-able and didn’t feel outdated in any way.  It was sweet and cute and reminded me of You’ve Got Mail, or its older inspirations – The Shop Around the Corner and In the Good Old Summertime (movies I recommend everyone check out if you haven’t!).  Its a timeless story, and one that I think most women would love.  Sure, it might seem unbelievable at times, finding true love through someone you’ve never met.  It is a beautiful story, one full of inspiration and lessons about trusting God.  This is a Christian novel, make no mistake.  It is carefully woven through the story, but also carefully not rammed down your throat in a offensive way.  It is full of inspiration and life lessons of trust, and letting go.  I highly recommend this book, and the series as a whole to be young and adult women.
5 out of 5 stars!
I received this book as a part of the Blogging for Books program with Multnomah Publishing.  I was not compensated in any other way.  My thoughts are opinions are my own.
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