Brazen by Leeana Tankersley

Sorry no photo of this book is being used for this review.

This review is being written without the full book written.  I've only read the first six chapters.  I cannot bring myself to finish.  Not when I am disagreeing with basically everything she is saying.  When what I am reading is going against what I believe in.  

I think her use of the words "Soul Bullies' is a mockery.  I highly doubt that God would ever says "its none of our business".  These book feels like an extreme contemporary type of beliefs, and that is something I am completely against.  

I tried to read it,  I honestly did, but I can't.  I'm fighting it with every page I try to read.  When you are starting in disbelief at what is being said, when you need to cross out a curse word in a book that is supposed to be about Christian living.  I cannot keep reading it.  I cannot recommend it. I cannot keep it.

This book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.   I was not required to write a positive review.  The opinions I have expressed are entirely my own.

Like Never Before by Melissa Tagg

Amelia Bentley has made Maple Valley her home.  While she's only lived there a few years, the people have accepted her as if she grew up there.  Amelia works for their local newspaper and is upset they might loose their small local paper.  She pins all her hope on a story that she hopes will save the paper and keep the once-a-week local paper going.

Logan Walker is a speechwriter on the fast track.  A chance of a lifetime has opened up to him.  A chance to work on a presidential campaign.  While he is making the decision, he finds himself returning to his home town.  It seems he's inherited a newspaper business.   He plans to only go for a few days.  Long enough to sell it.

His plan doesn't seem to go as he wanted, when he meets Amelia.  She all but begs him to keep the paper going.  They work together on the story she is working on.  As they learn more about the story, they also learn more about each other and a drawn together.

Melissa Tagg has written a really sweet romance.  The love and intrigue between the two main characters draws you in.  You also want to know more about the story Amelia is writing and it's slowly played out throughout the book.

I do have to say I am disappointed that a Christian publishing company, would publish a book with little to no mention of God and how God is working in their lives.  Yes, they go to church, but it appears to be just something they do, and has no meaning to them.

This book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.   I was not required to write a positive review.  The opinions I have expressed are entirely my own.

The Atonement by Beverly Lewis

Lucy Flaud is a young Amish women who, at 25, is past the age of courting.  She is trying to put things from her past behind her by keeping her self busy by volunteering everywhere she can.  She works for both the plain community she lives in as well as the English community.  Even though she's doing what she can to help others, even going above and beyond at times, she feels as if she is not doing enough.  She feels as if she is to remain single, that with what's happened, she cannot forgive her self and doesn't deserve to be married.

Lucy's father Christian starts attending grief counseling, as a front to the death of his father a few years earlier.  While there he meets Dale.  Dale is very interested in living "off the grid" and wants to learn about the simple life.  Christian invites him home with him to show him the farm and many other things as well.  

Dale is intrigued with Lucy and strikes up a friendship with her.  A friendship this is frowned upon by the community.  Meanwhile Lucy's childhood friend Tobe is very much interested in courting her.  He communicates this to her in many different ways and times, but Lucy keeps turning him down as she cannot forgive herself for her past.

Will Lucy learn to forgive herself?  Will she ever find love?

Some of Beverly Lewis' books I've read and not enjoyed. Not this one.   Once I picked it up and I couldn't wait to get to the end and find out what happened.  The story of Lucy's past, and why her father is really attending grief counseling, is slowly played out throughout the book.  It keeps you drawn in and intrigued. 

This book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.   I was not required to write a positive review.  The opinions I have expressed are entirely my own.

The Inheritance by Michael Phillips

The Inheritance by Michael Phillips is set in Whales Reef, a tiny island that is part of the Shetland Islands in Scotland.  Steeped in tradition, the clan patriarch (laird of the island) Macgregor Tullock died without a will.  Everyone assumed his much loved grand-nephews David would inherit.  However, David's distance cousin Hardy almost wants to inherit.  Hardy submit a claim to assure he will inherit.  Hardy only want to inherit so he can sell to an oil investor.

During the investigation as to who will inherit the assets of the estate are frozen.  David, as chief of the island, cares deeply for the people.  When the people start to suffer due to the lack of income, David does everything he can to help to move things along.  He wants to assure the traditions of the island remain.  While it may seem ancient in their practices, and not current with modern times, everyone loves the island and don't want to see any changes.  David want to see that it stays that way.

Loni Ford is enjoying a rising career in a large investment firm in Washington, D.C.  While she does have great success, she questions about who she is.  She grew up in a very conservative Quaker home, and was raised by her grandparents.  She knows very little about her father and even less about her her mother was.  She left everything she knew growing up behind to start a new life.  Her career seems to be on the rise, when a letter arrives from a solicitor in Scotland.  It seems she could possibly have an inheritance in Scotland.  Loni doesn't know what to do.

It's been a while since I've read a new book by Michael Phillips.  He certainly didn't disappoint!  You can almost see the island the way of life there.  I loved how he included the dialect of the way the people talked (although it did make it hard to read!).  He also included comments about the history of the way life was what certain things meant.  In looking at pictures I looked up the place looks as beautiful as he describes.

I have fallen in love with the characters of the island, well with the exception of Hardy!  David has a wonderful personality and I was routing for him to inherit.  He cares for the island and the people there.  He wants to see the traditions stand.  You can see the struggles Loni feels with knowing who she is and wanting to know more.  

As I reading I kept going, resisting the urge to get to the end to know who would inherit.  Then to know what would happen with the person who is the first in line to inherit, but I still have to wait!!!  Book 2 is due out in October and I don't think that time can come fast enough!! 

This book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.   I was not required to write a positive review.  The opinions I have expressed are entirely my own.

Counted With the Stars by Connilyn Cossette

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Counted with the Stars tells the story of Kiya.  Kiya is an Egyptian living in the time when the Hebrews were slaves in Egypt, just before their exodus.  She has live a privileged life,  but her father has lost almost everything and sells her into slavery to help pay for some of his debts.  Kiya serves Tekurah who does everything she can to humiliate her and belittle her - everything except hit her.  Tekurah's husband (a friend of Kiya's dad) Shefu want to see that she is taken care of.

While serving Tekurah, Kiya meet Shira, a Hebrew slave.  Shira befriends her and as the plagues start happening in Egypt, begins to tell her about Yahweh.  Kiya is intrigued by what she tells her and is terrified by everything that is happening.

During the night of the death of the firstborn, Shefu helps Kiya escape to Goshen to help protect her mother and her older brother Jumo.  She is very protective of her older brother who is disabled.  Kiya goes to her friend Shira's home where most welcome her, except her older brother Eben, who hates all Egyptians.  In the morning they all leave Egypt together.

Through their journey to the Red Sea and beyond Kiya learns more about Yahweh.  She also struggles with the decision to leave Egypt.  Will she continue on with her family or will she go back?  Will she learn to believe and follow Yahweh?  Will her and her family be accepted by the Hebrews, especially by Eben?

Connilyn Cossette did a remarkable job.  I loved reading a Biblical Fiction book about the escape from Egypt through the eyes of the slaves.  It makes you wonder a lot more about that time and what it was like for those that escaped.  What were their thoughts as they were leaving?  What where their thoughts as they say everything happening around them through the plagues happening to Egypt.

This book was a very hard one to put down.  The author does a remarkable job of drawing you in.   As you read about the events as the happen, especially the crossing of the Red Sea, you can see it happening before your eyes.  You feel drawn to the characters and want to learn so much more about them.  I can't wait for the next book in the series!

This book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.   I was not required to write a positive review.  The opinions I have expressed are entirely my own.