Review: Trouble in Store by Carol Cox

Melanie Ross is alone in the world and working as a governess for a wealthy family in Ohio. When she loses her job as a governess, she is at a loss of what to do until she remembers a letter from her deceased cousin’s business partner informing her that she was her cousin’s heir and that she was welcome to come anytime she could to work with him. What she didn’t count on was him dying before she got there.

Enter: Caleb Nelson and his son. When his uncle Alvin invited him to Arizona to help him run his store, the last thing Caleb was expecting was to be saddled with a partner. When Melanie arrives in Arizona claiming half of the store, Caleb is at a loss. He was already having trouble with someone threatening him. Now he had Melanie to worry about too.

I thought that this book was well written and a good book. The story got off to a slow start though and was predictable. The first half of the book seemed to mainly be build up and fill in to the actual story line. But about half way through the book it picked up the pace and turned into an enjoyable story that was funny and adventurous. While it is not a book that I would rush out to purchase, it is a good book for a lazy afternoon read.

Review: Jennifer by Dee Henderson

Jennifer O’Malley is the youngest of the O’Malleys (a group of children who adopted each other and changed their last names to O’Malley when they turned 18). She is a pediatric general practitioner who works with children who are critically ill. Tom Peterson is a surgeon at the hospital where Jennifer works. They meet and fall in love.

Tom introduces Jennifer to Jesus too. And she falls in love with Him also. But her faith is quickly tested in an unexpected way. Will she still cling to the One who gave His life for her? What will happen to her relationship with Tom? And how will she ever explain to her family all that has changed in her life?

I have to admit that while I have heard of Dee Henderson, I had never read any of her books until now. I fell in love with Jennifer and Tom to the point that I was disappointed with the end of the story, and immediately went and downloaded The Negotiator (which has been free on Amazon Kindle lately). Dee Henderson is a gripping writer, and Jennifer is not your typical love story and leaves you longing for more. I recommend adding it to your summer reading list.

Review: Secrets to a Happy Life

Do you long to be happy? Not just a temporary feeling of happiness, but a deep down feeling of joy that never leaves?

In Secrets to a Happy Life, Bill Giovannetti takes us on a journey through the life of Joseph to teach the secrets that made Joseph a happy and resilient person. Mr. Giovannetti is honest in his book about what he believes and about the fact that while he can teach you the secrets to happiness it is up to you to take the journey.

He teaches 11 secrets to happiness and practical ways to apply them to your life. Hopefully as you read the book you will learn to see how God is working for your joy, learn to let go of what is holding you back, and how to find your own happiness.

My copy of the book has highlights and notes on every page. Mr. Giovanetti packs a lot of information into less than 200 pages which I think is great. I now look at Joseph’s life in a way that I hadn’t before and I am starting to look at my own life in a way that I haven’t before.  His writing is direct and to the point with examples from Joseph’s life and other Biblical examples.  I strongly recommend reading this book if you are ready to begin your journey to happiness

WEEK OF BOOKS: Learning to Love

Due to a lot of changes in my life recently I have gotten behind on my book reviews so for the next week...possibly two...I will be catching up on my reading.

What does love look like?

That is the question that Heidi and Rolland Baker are attempting to answer in their book Learning to Love. They take you on a journey through all of the amazing things that God has done to show them His love for them and for the people that they serve and love in Mozambique. Heidi and Rolland are in Mozambique to share Christ with the people, and their love for Him and the people shine through this book. They also strive in this book to show us how Christ can move in our own lives in miraculous ways if we are willing to let Him.

I found this book to be an interesting read. As someone who has always had an interest in the field of missions, I enjoyed reading the stories of the Baker’s experiences in Mozambique. To me, they were the best part of the book. They also encompassed most of the book with a few chapters being dedicated only to those stories.

While the stories were wonderful, I found that the book didn’t really show me or teach me more about how I can love others here where I am at. It did cause me to reflect more on my relationships with Christ and others, but it lacked something…I guess what I am getting at is that for me while I loved the stories, I had trouble applying it to my life. 

Thank you to Chosen, a division of Baker Publishing Group for allowing me a chance to read and review this book.

God Bless You!

Misty