Reclaiming Lily by Patti Lacy

Two Women. Two Cultures. A Troubled Teen

About the Book:

A storm the size of Texas brews when Gloria Powell and Kai Chang meet in a Dallas hotel. They have come to discuss the future of Lily, the daughter Gloria adopted from China and the sister Kai hopes to reclaim. Kai is a doctor who had to give up her little sister during the Cultural Revolution and has since discovered that an inherited genetic defect may be waiting to fatally strike Lily.

Gloria's relationship with her daughter is tattered and strained, and the arrival of Kai, despite the woman's apparent good intentions, makes Gloria fearful. Gloria longs to restore her relationship with Lily, but in the wake of this potentially devastating diagnosis, is Kai an answer to prayer...or will her arrival force Gloria to sacrifice more than she ever imagined?

About the Author:

Patti Lacy graduated from Baylor University in 1977 with a BS in education. She taughtat Heartland Community College in Normal, Illinois, until she retired in 2006 to pursuewriting full time. She and her husband, Alan, have two grown children. Visit Patti at http://www.pattilacy.com.

Video Trailer for Reclaiming Lily:

Read Excerpt at http://www.scribd.com/doc/63098733/Reclaiming-Lily

My Review:

What a beautiful story! A story of loss, redemption, reunion, healing and sacrifice. This is the type of story that you don't just read and move on, it is one that you think about for days if not even longer. It is a very powerful story and Patti Lacy does a great job at telling it and making the story come alive. She had the ability to transport you to China and to feel the pain, joy, and healing that the characters face.

This book has easily become one of my favorites and plan to re read it many times in the future. A true 5 star book! I would highly recommend this book to everyone who loves China, adoption stories, or who love a high quality book that you won't ever forget.

*I received this book from the publisher through Tywebbin Creations for the purpose of this review. All I was asked was to give my honest opinion.

VISIT THE FULL BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE AT http://bit.ly/ReclaimingLilyVirtualBookTour.

Intervention by Terri Blackstock

What would you do if your daughter is missing and may have murdered someone? Barbara Covington is willing to do anything she needs to to prove her daughter's innocence and bring her home.

Emily, Barbara's daughter has become a prisoner to drugs and her mother will do anything to help her from it. Barbara stages an intervention with Trish from the Road Back Recovery center. Emily willingly goes but what happens next will keep you turning page after page. When Barbara finds out that Trish has been found murdered and Emily missing, panic sets in but she knows deep inside that Emily never could have done it. So, who murdered Trish? What happened to Emily? Is she even alive?

Intervention is the first book in the intervention cycle series and it is a total page turner. This book did not take me long to finish since I couldn't put it down. I couldn't wait to find out what happened and how. I found this book to be very unpredictable. I would rank this as a 5 star book, actually higher if possible. I would recommend this book to anyone who like a good murdery mystery/suspense story with christian faith tied in.

I received this book from Zondervan in exchange for my honest review!

Refuge on Crescent Hill by Melanie Dobson

From the back cover:

This homecoming wasn’t what she expected . . .Jobless, homeless, and broke, Camden Bristow decides to visit the grandmother she hasn’t seen in years. But when Camden arrives in Etherton, Ohio, she discovers that her grandmother has passed away, leaving her the 150-year-old mansion on Crescent Hill. The site of her happiest summersas a child, the run-down mansion is now her only refuge.When Camden finds evidence that she may not be the mansion’s only occupant, memories of Grandma Rosalie’s bedtime stories about secret passageways and runaway slaves fuel her imagination. What really happened at Crescent Hill? Who can she turn to for answers in this town full of strangers? And what motivates the handsome local Alex Yates to offer his help? As she works to uncover the past and present mysteries harbored in her home, Camden uncovers deep family secrets within the mansion’s walls that could change her life—and the entire town—forever.

About the Author:

Melanie Dobson is the award-winning author of The Black Cloister; Love Finds You in Liberty, Indiana; and Together for Good. A former corporate publicity manager at Focus on the Family, Melanie has worked in the fields of journalism and publicity for more than eighteen years. She and her family live in Oregon.

My Review:

I found myself really enjoying this book. I had never heard of the author was excited to get to read someone new to me. This book did not disappoint. Though I will say the start of the book (first few chapters) was a little slow and confusing since the author was setting the backdrop of the story and introducing the many characters. Once the story got going and you knew who was who I found the book hard to put down. I definitely would recommend this book to anyone who likes a good mystery, suspense book with a little romance mixed in. I would say this is a 4 star book!

*Note: This book will be available for free on the Amazon Kindle for one week starting on Oct. 31, 2011!

An exceprt of of the first two chapters can be found here: http://www.kregel.com/Media/MediaManager/Refuge%20on%20Crescent%20Hill%20excerpt.pdf

*I received this book from Kregel in exchange for my honest review. Thanks Kregel!

A Whisper of Peace by Kim Vogel Sawyer

Lu'qul Gitth'ihgi, Athabascan for White Feather lives alone in a small cabin in Alaska away from her tribe that her father built for her before her mother died and he left for San Francisco. White Feather mainly goes by the name Lizzie Dawson and is outcasted by her tribe because she is part indian and part white. Since her mother died four years ago he has lived alone with her dogs and has been trying to find away to reconcile with her grandparents and bring peace between her and her tribe. Lizzie is convinced that she has finally found a gift to present to her grandmother, will this gift bring forgiveness and acceptance Lizzie needs?

Clay Selby and his step sister Vivian arrive in Gwich'in Village, from Oklahoma, to set up a mission school for the Athabascan's as a way to teach them English and share God with them. Clay is desperatley seeking to be like his father, who was a missionary to a tribe in Oklahoma, but has a lot to learn. Vivian is dealing with her own heartache that she keeps buried deep inside. She wants to prove to her brother she can live in Alaska and minister to the people.

When Clay and Vivian run into Lizzie they become very interested in her and Lizzie feels the same way. Lizzie ends up asking them to teach her in the ways of the English so she can leave one day and find her father, who said she would never fit into the english world. In exchange Lizzie teaches Vivian the ways of the Athabascans and how to cook. When the tribe tells them to have no more contact with Lizzie, what will they do? Will they be able to bring Jesus to the people?

The biggest reason I was drawn to this book was the Alaska setting and it made me fall in love with Alaska all over again. I loved reading about Lizzie hunting, and trapping and about the wildlife that resides. The book made me feel like I was right there with Lizzie, Clay and Vivian. I love it when a book has the ability to transport me to the place.

I have read many of Kim Vogel Sawyers books and this one was one her best that I have read. I highly recommend it to any one who likes historical fiction, loves Alaska and is looking for an enjoyable story with interesting characters. This is definitely a five star book!

*This book was provided to me by the publisher, Bethany House, in exchange for my honest review. Thank you Bethany House!

Belonging by Robin Lee Hatcher

Felicia Kristoffersen has just arrived in the town of Frenchman's Bluff, Idaho to be their new school teacher. She is running from her painful past and is hoping to build a better future for herself in this town. Felicia went through teacher college but has never taught yet and it is this fact that has a couple people in town worried about her qualifications. Will she be able to make it as a teacher in this town.

Colin Murphy, the local merchant, is raising his daughter after the death of his wife five years ago. His heart blocks off love and he claims he does not want to marry again. He is one who worries that Felicia will either leave or get married leaving the town with out a teacher again. His daughter needs love that only a mother like figure can give.

How will these two individuals with bitter pasts move past and make a better future?

I really enjoyed this book. It is a light, quick read at only 275 pages, but very enjoyable. It is a great late night before bed type of book because it is a simple story. I have read many of Robin Lee Hatcher's book and I personally liked this one the best. I look forward to reading the others in this series when they come out in the future.

I would recommend this book to any who likes a good, quick historical romance! I would rate it 4 stars out of 5!

I received this book from Zondervan, in exchange for my honest review. Thank you Zondervan!

Wonderland Creek by Lynn Austin

What if real life becomes more adventuresome, more romantic, and more engaging than fictional stories? This is what happens to Alice Ripley who has been living with her nose stuck in a book and barely paying attention to the world around her. When her boyfriend breaks up with her and she loses her job at the library during the depression she decided to up and go to Acorn, Kentucky to deliver books that her town as donated. What she finds in Acorn is so much more than a library in need of books. She finds true friendship, love, adventure, and an interest in life outside of books.

I found this book to be amazing, it has so much depth to the characters and the stories of their lives fascinated me. As much as the story was about Alice it was also about the many residents of Acorn. Lynn Austin is such a gifted and talented writer and brought so much excitement in this book, she wrote with vivid detail that I could picture myself right along side Alice. She also filled the book with so many twists and turns that once I thought I knew what was going to happen something changed.

This is the type of book that I would recommend to everyone since it has something for all: history, romance, adventure, and even some suspense. This is definitely a 5 star book!

I recieved this book from the publisher, Bethany House, in exchange for my honest review! Thank you Bethany House!

The Wonder of Your Love by Beth Wiseman

What a delightful book to read. I really enjoyed reading this second book in the Land of Canaan series by Beth Wiseman. While it is the second book it could be as easily enjoyed by itself. This is only the second Beth Wiseman book I have read, the first being the Seek Me With All Your Heart the first book in the series. I definitely will be looking forward to reading more from here.

The wonder of your love, that is God's love is the main theme of the book. Throughout the book the characters, Katie Ann, Eli, and Martha are amazed by the wonder of His love and pray that others will see it too, in particular a teenager name Danielle that Martha takes in.

Katie Ann, who we met in the first book,gave birth recently and alone, her husband of twenty years has left her has now also died. Her dear friend Martha is helping her out daily but wants Katie Ann to move on and find a new husband. Martha gets her wish when Eli shows up in town for a wedding. Martha just knows he is perfect for her. Will Eli and Katie Ann have a future?

Eli Detweiler, a widow for the past 17 years, has just finished raising his six children and plans to travel and take time to relax. When he meets Katie Ann in Canaan, he starts getting confused on what he wants. Does Eli really want to travel or will settling back down and raising a child again make him happy?

Martha, the wonderful and cranky older lady that we first met in the first book has turned into a dear and kind friend to Katie Ann. Martha has almost become a mother figure for Katie Ann and treats her son as if he was her grandson. What surprises will Martha have in store for us? The best way to find out would be to read this wonderful book.

I received this book from booksneeze.com in exchange for my honest review.