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Book Review: Collateral Damage

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Collateral Damage by Lynette Eason    Honorably discharged from the Army after an explosion nearly killed her, former military psychiatrist Brooke Adams has set up shop to help others--but her days of helping military personnel are over. She's got her own battles to fight from her time overseas, and she's not equipped to take on more. Former Army Special Ops Sergeant First Class Asher James could handle anything that war sent his way--terrorists, bombs, bullets. The only thing that scares him now is sleep. As the shadows close in, the nightmares begin.    Finally convinced that he needs help, Asher makes an appointment with a counselor, and Brooke is pressed by her boss to take him on. When he arrives at her office she isn't there--but a dead body is. Brooke is devastated when she walks in, and Asher is a conveniently strong shoulder to cry on. But she can't take him on as a client after sharing such an intimate and unprofessional moment, can she? And he's not s...

Book Review: An Uncommon Woman

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An Uncommon Woman by Laura Frantz    Unflinching and plainspoken, Tessa Swan is not your typical 18th-century woman. Born and bred on the western Virginia frontier along with her five brothers, she is a force to be reckoned with.     Quiet and courageous, Clay Tygart is not your typical 18th-century man. Raised by Lenape Indians, he returns a hero from the French and Indian War to the fort that bears his name, bringing with him Tessa's long-lost friend, Keturah, a redeemed Indian captive like himself.    Determined to avoid any romantic entanglements as fort commander, Clay remains aloof whenever he encounters the lovely Tessa. But when she is taken captive by the tribe Clay left, his hand--and heart--are forced, leading to one very private and one very public reckoning.    Intense, evocative, and laced with intricate historical details that bring the past to life, An Uncommon Woman will transport you to the picturesque and dangerous w...

Book Review: She Prays

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She Prays by Debbie Lindell Although I didn't completely finish this book, it was really good and I do plan on finishing it! This book is a 31-day devotional on prayer. One of the author's main points that she repeats throughout the book, is that we need to 'replace the pressure to perform in prayer with a faith filled expectation.' God wants us to talk to Him every day; prayer is not just something we should put on our to-do list for the day and get it over with. Prayer is having a conversation with our God, the Creator of the world! ~Katelynn *I received a free copy of this book from the publisher (Revell) in exchange for an honest review.

Making marriage a priority

100 WAYS TO LOVE YOUR HUSBAND by Lisa Jacobson reviewed by Jen This small book is a treasure. It is not intended to sit and read through, but it is wonderful to read a thought every day or two. Lisa Jacobson writes simple yet encouraging ideas to be a blessing to our husband. I appreciate the format and font: everything seems encouraging and not cluttered. One of my favorite pages: "Know that marriage is like a long, slow walk together. More a marathon than a sprint. So just keep walking. Together." Interspersed between the 100 tips are stories to help bring home some of the points. This book would be great for a newly married wife or someone like me married nearly 25 years. *I received a free copy of this book from the publisher (Revell) in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Unscripted

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Special Guest: my Grandma N! Unscripted by Davis Bunn    Can Danny Byrd overcome his past and amount to something?  Danny grew up in the foster care system. He had a very thick folder of the wrongs he had done. As an adult he is trying to get his life straightened out but ends up in jail.    Megan Pierce, a lawyer, has been hired by a different law firm than where she works to represent Danny in court.  Neither Megan or Danny know who the person is or why they wanted to spend their money on helping Danny.     Through many trials Danny learns to trust, let go and get rid of some of the hurts he has been carrying around most of his life.  He does this mostly through his relationship with Megan and his reaching out helping a teen with a big chip on her shoulder.    This book is worth reading although the ending leaves you hanging. I would definitely read another of David BunnĂ¢€™s books or a sequel to this one. *I ...

Book Review: A Distance Too Grand

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Special Guest: my Grandma N! :) A Distance Too Grand by Regina Scott Meg Pero, a very self-sufficient woman, has helped her father with his photography since she was eight.  She had once turned down a marriage proposal from a West Point cadet thinking herself not refined enough to be the wife of a military officer.  When her father unexpectedly dies Meg is left with his camera equipment and very little money.  With no options left to her Meg sets out to fulfill her father’s contract with the army to be the photographer on a survey trip. Captain Ben Coleridge, a West Point Graduate, is leading the survey trip to the Grand Canyon to map a way around or through it for travelers.  Captain Coleridge’s father was Colonel at the base Ben is now stationed out of.  Colonel Coleridge never returned to base after he and a guide set out to look at the Grand Canyon.  Can the Captain allow the girl he once wanted to marry join his group as photographer?  Capta...

Book Review: One More River to Cross

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One More River To Cross by Jane Kirkpatrick    In 1844, two years before the Donner Party, the Stevens-Murphy company left Missouri to be the first wagons into California through the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Mostly Irish Catholics, the party sought religious freedom and education in the mission-dominated land and enjoyed a safe journey--until October, when a heavy snowstorm forced difficult decisions. The first of many for young Mary Sullivan, newlywed Sarah Montgomery, the widow Ellen Murphy, and her pregnant sister-in-law Maolisa.    When the party separates in three directions, each risks losing those they loved and faces the prospect of learning that adversity can destroy or redefine. Two women and four men go overland around Lake Tahoe, three men stay to guard the heaviest wagons--and the rest of the party, including eight women and seventeen children, huddle in a makeshift cabin at the headwaters of the Yuba River waiting for rescue . . . or their deaths. ...