Saturday, February 16, 2013

Secrets... a book review

Print

Secrets, Glenbrooke Series #1   -     
        By: Robin Jones Gunn


Secrets
 
Glenbrooke Series #1
WaterBrook Multnomah
February 2010
ISBN13 - 9781601422736
 
 
 
 
 
 
Publisher's Description:
 
Beginning her new life in a small Oregon town, high school English teacher Jessica tries desperately to hide the details of her past. Yet two individuals remain determined to discover the painful truth: the jealous woman who is Jessica's immediate superior, and Kyle Buchanan, a handsome, compassionate paramedic and dreamer. Will Jessica's past destroy her future? Or can she find a deeper peace that will end her need to keep Secrets?
 
*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *
 
After reading Echoes, book 3 in the Glenbrooke Series, I was excited to be able to read the first book of the series.  From page 1, I was pulled into the lives of wonderful people desiring to live their lives for the good of others.... even when they must "disappear" to do so.
 
Jessica leaves her family home and forges a new life far from the corporate world of her father.  Yet, on her way to Glenbrooke, her car runs off the road and she ends up in the local hospital.  While there, she learns the principal who hired her had a stroke.  Now, who would keep her secret while she started her new life?
 
I love this series and am looking forward to reading all of the books: (1) Secrets, (2) Whispers, (3) Echoes, (4) Sunsets, (5) Clouds, (6) Waterfalls, (7) Woodlands, and (8) Wildflowers.

 
My rating: A+
 
 
I received a complimentary ebook from WaterBrook Multnomah and their Blogging for Books program for my honest review.  No other compensation was received.
 
Blessings,
 
   Ellen

Friday, February 8, 2013

To Honor and Trust.... a book review

Print
To Honor and Trust, Bridal Veil Island Series #3   -     
        By: Tracie Peterson, Judith Miller
    
  To Honor and Trust
 
Bridal Veil Island series
 
 
Bethany House Publishers
 
2012
 
ISBN: 9780764208881
 
 




Bridal Veil Island resort... a place where the wealthy Northerners can escape the bitterness of harsh winter months and continue their lives in the warmth of the South.

Publisher's Description:

Callie DeBoyer is unsettled as she arrives at Bridal Veil Island with the Bridgeport family. She's just received a letter from her parents, missionaries in coastal Africa, stating they are in dire need of more personnel. Should Callie give up her governess job and join her parents in their important work? Is God calling her to the mission field, or does she just want to escape the emotional scars of being jilted by her former beau?

When she enrolls young Thomas Bridgeport in golf lessons, Callie meets Wesley Townsend, who urges Callie to take lessons, as well. During their time at the golf course, Callie comes to care for Wesley--until she discovers hidden secrets about his past.

Then expensive jewels go missing from various homes on the island, and suspicion is aimed in Callie's direction. As the investigation continues, Callie wonders if she should escape it all by going to Africa. After the secrets he kept about his past, will Wesley ever be a man she can honor and trust for the rest of her life?

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Not having read the first two books in the series, I was surprised at how easily I slipped into the storyline and characters.  I enjoyed watching the romance between Wes and Callie take shape almost as much as her putting other suitors in their place! 

When specific characters were introduced, there was no question as to what part they would have in the book or their character's character.  This took away from the mystery of it all.  As a historical fiction novel, other than knowing it was in the early 1900s, I never felt that I was gleaning any historical facts or details about this time period.

Overall, I enjoyed the book.  Yet, the predictable storyline and characters took away some of the novelty of the story.

My rating: C+

I received a complimentary copy of To Honor and Trust from Bethany House Publishing for my honest review,  No other compensation was received.

Blessings,

  Ellen
 

Saturday, February 2, 2013

echoes... a book review

Print
Echoes, Glenbrooke Series #3   -     
        By: Robin Jones Gunn
 
echoes
The Glenbrooke Series, #3
ISBN: 978-1-59052-193-9
WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group
2004
 
I am always concerned when I begin a series in the middle.  Echoes is the third of eight in the Glenbrooke Series, so I wasn't sure how well I would be able to jump into the story line.  Well, Robin Gunn has written it so beautifully that it did not matter.
 
Open the pages and meet your newest friends: Lauren, Mindy, K.C., Kyle, and Teri.
 
After Lauren's broken engagement, she finds herself unsure of who she really is.  She is working a job she has no passion for, lives in solitude, and desires companionship.  When her brother Brad drops into her life for a visit, her life begins to make sense, maybe for the first time in a long time.  She has returned to college and, thanks to Brad, is now on the internet where she and her brother begin a penpal relationship with K.C.  Long after her brother leaves, she continues writing to K.C. and is soon opening up more to him than the real people in her life.
 
Well, what happens next..... pick up the book!  You won't be disappointed!
 
 
I received a complimentary copy of echoes from WaterBrook Multnomah for my honest review.  No other compensation was received.
 
Blessings,
 
   Ellen

Friday, February 1, 2013

A Christmas Surprise... a book review

Print
Unfortunately, the book was a Christmas disapointment.
 
 

 
 
A Christmas Surprise
 
by Janelle Taylor
Published by Belle Bridge Books
December 4, 2012
48 pages
 
 
 
Christmas is just around the corner as Betsy and Tommy plan a romantic getaway for the holiday. With each of them carrying secrets, each is consumed with rocking the boat of their "perfect" life. By the cover, can you guess what her secret is? Tommy's is not uncovered until the end of the short novella. In the end, the marriage their friends envy, continues on in romantic, happy bliss.
 
The writing-style of this book was lacking. In some parts, it wasn't much better than a junior high student's. The plot was so simple that the reader is not surprised by the turn of the page. I was hoping for a wonderful, loving Christmas short story. Instead, I read a mediocre story that did not draw me into the character's lives or plot.
 
My Rating: 1 star out of 5
 
I received a complimentary e-copy of A Christmas Surprise from Belle Books, Inc. and NetGalley for my honest review.  I received no other compensation.
 
Blessings,
 
    Ellen
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...