Title: A Tailor-Made Bride
Author: Karen Witemeyer
Publisher: Bethany House
Pages: 348
ISBN: 978-0-7642-0755-6

Synopsis:

Review:

After finishing Stealing the Preacher by Karen Witemeyer, I wanted read another book by her. Low-and-behold in my TBR pile, I had A Tailor-Made Bride.

Karen Witemeyer has a fun style of writing. She is able to infuse humor and throw in a bit of trouble and have perfect harmony between them. The characters created feel real with a wonderful depth to them. The story moves you along at a wonderful pace and makes it very hard to put down.

J.T. Tucker is an interesting character. He has a very strict view of life after a trauma his family suffered when he was younger. I can get where he comes from and why his views are the way they are. He is a guy set on living the right way, but his perception of things is just a little askewed. He is one you can relate to in someway, either you've been that kind of person, or you know someone. He cares about the ones closest to him and tries his hardest to be a good neighbor.

When Hannah Richards comes to town, she throws everything J.T. has ever thought about things, out the window. And it isn't with her words that Hannah is able to do it, it is her actions. She is a girl who will work hard, welcome the people around her that others tend to over look, and offer a listening ear to someone in need.

Hannah and J.T. are a lot of fun to read about. They each are able to help each other see their weakness and take the knowledge that they have learned and grow form it. They are not alone in their journey, the story also has several great minor characters. Ezra an old-timer of the town, Louisa and her children, and Cordelia, J.T.'s sister. They helped to create a fun town for Hannah and J.T. to live in.

Too Read!
5 out of 5

My goodness, I can't believe July is already coming to an end! This month has flown by.
It's time to wrap up the month and see what all has been read. It was a good month for reading again! I was able to knock out 14 books! With all that work, I have pushed myself so close to my goal. I'm now 9 books away, so I've been thinking of upping my goal to 75, from 55.

The ones that I have really liked/loved this month, in no particular order:




 Then, the ones I just found just so-so. Not bad and not great, in no particular order:




How has your month been? What were your hits and misses?

Princess Jehosheba wants nothing more than to please the harsh and demanding Queen Athaliah, daughter of the notorious Queen Jezebel. Her work as a priestess in the temple of Baal seems to do the trick. But when a mysterious letter from the dead prophet Elijah predicts doom for the royal household, Jehosheba realizes that the dark arts she practices reach beyond the realm of earthly governments. To further Athaliah and Jezebel’s strategies, she is forced to marry Yahweh’s high priest and enters the unfamiliar world of Yahweh’s temple. Can her new husband show her the truth and love she craves? And can Jehosheba overcome her fear and save the family–and the nation–she loves?

I'm looking forward to In the Shadow of Jezebel. I have read the three previous books by Mesu Andrews and have just loved them!

Discussion:

2. Bourne & Tributary by Lisa T. Bergren
"And then I let my arrow fly."

3. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins.
I'm not going to post the last line, it would give away too much, but what an ending!

4. Covenant of War by Cliff Graham
"They all sat together for a long time, until the land grew quiet and cold, and the stars dimmed with the coming of the morning sun."

5. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
"Oh my girls, however long you may live, I never can wish you a greater happiness than this!"

Title: Stealing the Preacher
Author: Karen Witemeyer
Publisher: Bethany House
Pages: 347
ISBN:978-0-7642-0966-6
Publication Date: May 2013

Synopsis:

A cowboy who wants to be a preacher. An outlaw's daughter who wants to change his mind.

On his way to interview for a position at a church in the Piney Woods of Texas, Crockett Archer can't believe it when he's forced off the train by an outlaw and presented to the man's daughter as the preacher she requested for her birthday. He's determined to escape--which would be much easier if he could stop thinking about Joanna Robbins and her unexpected request.

For months, Joanna had prayed for a minister. A man to breathe life back into the abandoned church at the heart of her community. A man to assist her in fulfilling a promise to her dying mother. But just when it seems her prayers have been answered, it turns out the parson is there against his will and has dreams of his own calling him elsewhere. Is there any way she can convince Crockett he ended up right where he was supposed to be?

With her signature blend of humor, history, and lively western romance, two-time RITA Award finalist and bestselling author Karen Witemeyer delivers a Texas love story sure to steal your heart.

Review:
I just have to start off by saying...What a fun book! I've been looking forward to reading Stealing the Preacher by Karen Witemeyer for a little while now, and I'm happy to say, it didn't disappoint. The story draws you in right from the start and holds on to you till the very last word.

Joanna Robbins is a fun girl. She is passionate about what is important to her. In her quiet and straightforward way, she is able to reach people on a level they are not use to. She is caring and won't be pushed around and does her best to look for the positive in the situations. She is also one who will take charge when needed, Joanna has no problem standing her ground. She also inherited her mothers love for art, along with her mother's hope that her dad would finally turn away from the shadows of his past that haunt him.

Crockett Archer, I loved reading about him! He is a Texas boy through and through, and I really love his name! (Check out Texas history for a hint why.) He is reserved, polite, and a true gentleman. He is respectful and he knows how to hold his ground in a challenge and he appreciates hard work. He lets his actions speak for themselves and that plays a big part with his relationship with Silas Robbins, Joanna's dad. Even though the circumstances were less than ideal on their original meeting, he appreciates what Joanna is trying to accomplish.

The characters were great in Stealing the Preacher and they all had their moment of transformation, whether it was little or big, but they grew and it was wonderful path to go down with them. The story was funny, sweet, and touching, plus it was also hard to put down. I wanted to see what Jo and Crockett were planning next and where the story led to.

It is definitely Too Read!
5 out of 5


I want to say thank you to Karen Witemeyer and Ellie at Soul Inspirationz, this book was a prize from a contest that they held. I gave my honest opinion in the review.

Super Six Sunday is a weekly meme hosted by Bewitched Bookworms. It's a take on Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week features some sort of fun book related question or topic.

Question:

I'm super excited about this movie! I will say, I have read the How to Train Your Dragon books...I was not impressed at all, but I loved the movie! The movie was 10 times better than the books.

We only get a little teaser bit, but I can't wait for June 2014!!

Title: The Frontiersman's Daughter
Author: Laura Frantz
Publisher: Revell
Pages: 413
ISBN: 978-0-8007-3339-1

Synopsis:

One woman searches for love--and herself--in a wild land.

Lovely and high-spirited, Lael Click is the daughter of a celebrated frontiersman. Haunted by her father's ties to the Shawnee Indians and her family's past, Lael comes of age in the fragile Kentucky settlement her father founded. As she faces the many trials of life on the frontier, Lael draws strength from the rugged land. But the arrival of a handsome doctor threatens her view of her world, her God, and herself. Can the power of grace and redemption break through in this tumultuous place?

This epic novel gives you a glimpse into the simple yet daring lives of the pioneers who first crossed the Appalachians, all through the courageous eyes of a determined young woman who would not be defeated.

Review:
This is a difficult book to review. I'm of two minds with this one.

I will start with the positives:
Laura Frantz has a beautiful writing style. I just fell in love with Love's Reckoning and couldn't wait to read more. The way she describes the surroundings, the fort, the homesteads, the people, the dress, she can transport you back to the time. You can imagine everything she is writing with such clarity. I love when a story does that and The Frontiersman's Daughter does that easily.

However, moving on to the not so positives:
The Frontiersman's Daughter didn't seem as polished as Love's reckoning. We were introduced to many characters in this book, but many of them just disappeared, leaving the reader to question what happened to them, and a few of them were killed off and everything just moved on. It left me scratching my head a little bit. Another part in the book, I kind of question it being in there at all. It seemed to be just a bridge the character needed to move forward in time, but played no real purpose to the story.

Lael I did also have a bit of a problem with. She's kind of all over the place with her thinking. I can understand her thinking at the beginning of the book. We are introduced to her when she is 13 going on 14. Her ideas of love, I can understand are just a bag of emotions at that age, but she doesn't seem to change much in her ideas of it as she gets older. She just switches her attention to a different guy.

I did enjoy Ian Justice, he was a very mature and responsible character that balanced out Lael. Lael's brother was another good balance for her, but sadly, he wasn't in the book a whole lot, but the parts he was in brought a calm to Lael's flighty thinking for a time.

The book had many good parts and a few head scratchers.
It's a Maybe.
3 out of 5

For Review:

The 21 Toughest Questions Your Kids Will Ask About Christianity
by  Alex McFarland (Tyndale House Publishers)
GoodReads

Books Won:

Stealing the Preacher by Karen Witemeyer
(From Soul Inspirationz)

Purchased:

One True Love by Lori Copeland

I'm back for Kid Favorite Friday! Last week, I couldn't bring myself to do it, I was sick! Thankfully, I'm feeling better this week and I'm able to get back to it.

I stumbled upon an old box of books of mine and decided to focus this week on the classic books I loved. I pulled these out for my kiddo. She's not ready to these herself, but I think they will be fun to read together.

The Little House Series by Laura Ingalls Wilder
I will say, I have read these through once with the kiddo, but that was a year ago, and she doesn't remember them. It will be fun to dive into these stories again.
Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
I loved this book as a kid. I also love the new movie version of it. I hope to read this one soon. The kiddo loved the movie!
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
I may be reaching a little bit with the kid's age, but she has seen the 3rd movie, The Dawn Treader and loved it. I think this book is an essential read to every child.
Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter
I grew up with this movie and it wasn't until I was 12 did I read it. I remember it was an interesting book. The movie stayed pretty true to the book.








These are my hope to read soon. They are also ones I think are pivotal for a kid to read at some point in their childhood.



And.....one more thing! It's kind of a kid favorite rant!
I stumbled upon something horrifying! I kid you not, I was in shock after seeing it. I was floored that the publisher would do this to a much beloved book. What I'm talking about is the new covers of Little House on the Prairie! The wonderful pictures by Garth Williams have been replaced with models! I found these on GoodReads and thankfully no where else.


          The Old Cover                                                                       New Cover

Which one do you like?

How do you organize your books to be read?