Book Review: And Then I Found You by Patti Callahan Henry

Posted on April 11, 2013 · 2 Comments

andthenifoundyouAnd Then I Found You
by Patti Callahan Henry
Publication Date: April 9, 2013
St. Martin’s Press

Amazon Synopsis:

Kate Vaughan is no stranger to tough choices.

She’s made them before. Now it’s time to do it again.

Kate has a secret, something tucked away in her past. And she’s getting on with her life.  Her business is thriving. She has a strong relationship with her family, and a devoted boyfriend whom she wants to love with all her heart. If Kate had ever made a list, Rowan would fill the imagined boxes of a perfect mate. But she wants more than the perfect on paper relationship; she wants a real and imperfect love. That’s why, when Kate discovers the small velvet box hidden in Rowan’s drawer, she panics.

It always happens this way. Just when Kate thinks she can love, just when she believes she can conquer the fear, she’s filled with dread. And she wants more than anything to make this feeling go away. But how?

When the mistakes have been made and the running is over, it’s time to face the truth. Kate knows this. She understands that a woman can never undo what can never be undone. Yet, for the first time in her life she also knows that she won’t fully love until she confronts those from her past. It’s time to act.

Can she do it? Can she travel to the place where it all began, to the one who shares her secret? Can the lost ever become found?

And Then I Found You gives new life to the phrase “inspired by a true story.” By travelling back to a painful time in her own family’s history, the author explores the limits of courage, and the price of a selfless act.

My Thoughts:

And Then I Found You is an amazing, heartwarming book which is based on the real-life story of the author’s sister. Kate and Jack (characters in our book) were childhood sweethearts who were destined to spend their lives together. However, things do not go to plan when Jack ends up marrying someone else and Kate finds herself pregnant … with Jack’s baby. Faced with unimaginable decisions, 22 year old Kate (and Jack) decide to give their baby up for adoption in hopes to give her a better life than the one they could provide for her.

Thirteen years later, Kate is on the verge of getting engaged to her beau of four years, Rowan. However, things just do not seem “right” with him. She wants to love him and spend her life with him, but there is always the nagging feeling in her heart that keeps drawing her back to Jack and the “what ifs” surrounding their relationship. When she receives a friend request on Facebook from someone named Emily Jackson, her life begins to take an unexpected turn.

Emily Jackson is a thirteen-year-old girl living in New York who is prompted by her best friend to start looking for her birth parents. Adopted at birth, she has always had nagging questions regarding her identity and worth. Emily uncovers some information which leads her to finding Kate on Facebook.

Reuniting over the discovery of their daughter, Kate and Jack are forced to confront the past and face an uncertain future.

This is truly a wonderful book. The fact that it is based a real-life story makes it even better because true life is stranger than fiction, as the saying goes! I’m thrilled for the author’s family that they were able to reunite with the child they were wondering about for so long.

Kate and Jack are awesome characters. I really felt for each of them. I engaged with their story and felt their emotions. Kate was a bit stand-offish and I did not completely understand Jack’s motives for what he did at times, but that can be said for any one of us humans, I think! Overall, a great story with a heartwarming theme of redemption and hope. I would highly recommend this book.

And Then I Found You is the April Selection for the SheReads Book Club!
Click the banner below to head on over to their site and participate in the discussion!

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Disclaimer: I received a free review copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts are my own.

*****

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Book Review: Proverbs Prayers by John Mason

Posted on September 26, 2012 · 2 Comments

Proverbs Prayers
by John Mason
Publication Date: August 1, 2012
Publisher: Summerside
Source: Litfuse Publicity Group
*****

About the Book

Praying the Wisdom of Proverbs into Your Life Every Day

Experience God’s wisdom as never before and find encouragement, peace, answers, and a better life through this devotional prayer book.

Many people read a chapter a day from the book of Proverbs as a regular devotional practice. They consider it their favorite book in the Bible because its daily practical guidance offers tools to make the right choices and have the inner strength to stand against pressure, size up a situation and know how to respond, make fewer careless mistakes, and avoid unnecessary trouble.

In these pages, readers will find a chapter from Proverbs followed by a heartfelt prayer that includes all of the insights from that chapter. In a mere thirty-one days they can pray all of the wisdom of Proverbs for their lives.

*****

My Thoughts

In this 31-day devotional book, John Mason lays out an effective way to pray through the Proverbs. Each day, the proverb is presented in the NASB translation which is then followed by a prayer. This is an easy, but dynamic, way to add value to your study of the Proverbs or just as a supplemental resource for a daily proverb reading. It is a book that can be used over and over again. If you do not prefer the NASB translation, then you can read the day’s proverb out of your own Bible and then go to this book to read John’s prayer. Or you can read the NASB and your preferred translation for deeper meaning and understanding of the text. There are many ways this book can be used, but it is a great resource that I would definitely recommend.

Blog Tour Schedule: http://litfusegroup.com/author/jmason

 *****

Meet John

John Mason is an author with over 1.2 million books in print, including “An Enemy Called Average”, “You’re Born an Original- Don’t Die a Copy”, and “Let Go of Whatever Makes You Stop”.

He is the founder and president of Insight International, an organization dedicated to helping people reach their dreams and fulfill their destiny. John is in great demand as a speaker throughout the United States and abroad.

Find out more about John at http://www.freshword.com.

*****

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Audiobook Review: Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Dicks

Posted on September 11, 2012 · 5 Comments

Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend
by Matthew Dicks
Publication Date: August 24, 2012
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Source: ARC copy from BEA (print and audio)
*****

My Thoughts

Jamin. Jumbly. Cynthia. Sarah.

I was an imaginative kid. I had not one, but FOUR imaginary friends. We did everything together. But, alas, they faded away, as many imaginary friends do. I never really thought about them having their own lives. But, this book has made me think of imaginary friends in a whole new way! Budo, the lead character in Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend is unique as far as imaginary friends go. He’s been alive for five years! He’s helped Max, his human friend, navigate the world of home and school for a long time. Max is special. From Budo’s description, the reader is led to believe that Max has autism. So, Max has relied on Budo and Budo loves Max. They are best friends. Budo helps Max make decisions, keeps guard while he goes to the bathroom, and tells him if his mom kisses him one too many times before she goes to bed. Their relationship is special and, as a reader, I felt it. Even though Budo is a figment of Max’s imagination, Budo came alive on the pages.

But when Max’s teacher kidnaps Max and no one sees it but Budo, he must figure out a way to save Max before it is too late! But, in doing so, Budo realizes that by saving Max, it might mean the end of himself. As long as Max believes in him and needs him, he will continue to exist. So, Budo is torn between wanting to help Max get away and wanting to save himself, because Max will eventually stop believing in him.

This book is heartfelt, at times laugh-out-loud funny, and at times sad. I would have loved a bit more detail on Mrs. Patterson’s (Max’s teacher) motives for kidnapping Max. There were some hints and I can make my own conclusions, but I wanted more about the WHY she did it. The audiobook narration is top notch and this is one of those books that I would definitely recommend listening to. It is phenomenal. Here is a clip for your enjoyment:

http://media.us.macmillan.com/video/olmk/macmillanaudio/MemoirsOfAnImaginaryFriend.mp3

And thanks to Macmillan Audio, I have one AUDIO CD copy to give away to USA residents! Just fill out the form below with your name and e-mail address. That’s it! Giveaway will end one week from today on Tuesday September 18 at 11:59pm EST.


 

Tell me about your imaginary friends – did you have one (or two, or three, or four?)? What was his/her name? What did you do together?

 

*****

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Book Review: The Choice by Robert Whitlow

Posted on August 28, 2012 · 2 Comments

The Choice
by Robert Whitlow
Publication Date: August 7, 2012
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Source: I received a free copy of this book from Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for my participation in a blog tour

The Choice is my first read by Robert Whitlow and I am impressed. The storyline captivated me from the first pages. I actually stayed up until the early hours of the night to read through Part I (approx. 150 pages) in one sitting! I truly did not want to put the book down. The author captures the voice of the female protagonist beautifully. She comes to life on the pages.

The novel opens in 1974 when 17 year old cheerleader, Sandy Lincoln, discovers she is pregnant with the popular football player’s baby. Sandy must make the agonizing choice whether to keep the baby, have an abortion, or give the baby up for adoption. The choice Sandy makes changes the course of her life forever.

Thirty-four years later, Sandy is a schoolteacher at the local high school. She comes into contact with a pregnant student who is facing an agonizing choice about her own pregnancy. Although the circumstances are different, Sandy has the opportunity to help this teenager in a way that was not available to her so long ago. She is also forced to confront many long buried feelings regarding her own pregnancy and the resulting outcome.

The Choice is full of many twists and turns. The plot is a bit far-fetched, but taking the story for what it is, I highly enjoyed it. The obvious theme running throughout the novel is that of choice. Each choice we make will affect not only our life, but the lives of those around us. And each choice has the potential to come back to us many years later, for good or for bad.

Highly Recommended.

*****

Meet Robert: 

Robert Whitlow is the best-selling author of legal novels set in the South and winner of the prestigious Christy Award for Contemporary Fiction. A Furman University graduate, Whitlow received his J.D. with honors from the University of Georgia School of Law where he served on the staff of the Georgia Law Review. A practicing attorney, Whitlow and his wife, Kathy, have four children. They make their home in North Carolina.

For more about Robert and his other books, visit www.robertwhitlow.com.

*****

Blog Tour Schedule

http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/13527503/robertwhitlow

*****

Celebrate with Robert by entering to win a Nook Color with GlowLight!

See what folks are saying about The Choice!

One “choice” winner will receive:

  • A Nook Color with GlowLight
  • A four book Robert Whitlow library (winner’s choice)

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on August 27th. Winner will be announced at the “The Choice” Author Chat Facebook Party on 8/28. Meet Robert, get a sneak peek of his next book, try your hand at a trivia contest, and more. There will also be gift certificates, books and a Book Club Prize Pack to be won (10 copies for your book club or small group.)!

So grab your copy of The Choice and join Robert on the evening of the August 27th for a chance to connect with Robert and make some new friends. (If you haven’t read the book – don’t let that stop you from coming!)

Enter via E-mail Enter via FacebookEnter via Twitter



Don’t miss a moment of the RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 28th!

*****

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Book Review: 15 Seconds by Andrew Gross

Posted on July 10, 2012 · 4 Comments

15 Seconds
by Andrew Gross
Publication Date: July 10, 2012
Publisher: William Morrow
Source: I received a copy of this ARC at Book Expo America

*****

Amanda Hofer’s life changed in just 15 seconds.

On her way to work and strung out on Oxycontin, Amanda crashes her car, killing a woman and the woman’s young child.

Dr. Henry Steadman is on his way to speak at a medical conference when a series of bizarre circumstances begins to unfold. He is pulled over for a minor traffic violation, harassed by the patrol officer, arrested and placed in the back of the police car. When he is asked a series of 9-11-esque questions, he becomes concerned – what is going on here? The officer finally lets him go and as he is writing out a ticket, a car pulls up and shoots the officer and speeds away. With no witnesses, a dead police officer, and Henry as the last contact, the police are hot on his tail.

He retreats to his good friend’s house for help, only to find another unsettling situation. Not knowing what to do or where to turn, Henry runs, trying to uncover the mystery as he hides out. Finding a sympathetic ear in Carrie Holmes, the Community Outreach Director at the police department who is manning phones at the hotline center, Henry and Carrie begin tracking clues to discover who is framing him and why. Carrie is recovering from her own tragedy – an accident that took the life of her husband and severely injured her son.

Gross skillfully plots a suspenseful and intriguing story from start to finish. What I found fascinating is that the initial elements of the story are actually based on fact; something that Gross describes in the Acknowledgments section at the end of the book (you can also read about it here). Something so small can truly change your life – in a matter of 15 seconds.

I loved this book. It kept me riveted to see how the plot would play out. I was not sure how Amanda and Henry were connected, if they were connected at all. Gross kept me turning those pages, wanting desperately to know how the story ended. There was only one thing that was not completely resolved for me, but if I talk about it here it will give out spoilers. So, if you have read the book and want to talk about it, let me know! But that is my reason for the 4 star rating instead of 5 stars. I just wanted a bit more detail about a particular situation. Other than that, I definitely recommend this for mystery/thriller lovers out there!

Note: This book contains graphic violence and language.

*****

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