Redeeming Love - Francine Rivers

WOW! Just WOW!

I don't even know what to say other than it is one of the BEST books I have ever read, and I've read some really good ones before but this one by far takes the cake. I started the book with no expectations, I had never read Francine Rivers before....I had heard about her and seen a lot of bloggers praising her work, but couldn't personally add my own opinion.

So last weekend I went to the library and picked up "Redeeming Love" which seemed to be the most known and most loved amongst her books, though I've heard really good things about all her others.

I brought it home and opened the book, I settled in and started reading and within the first 10 pages I was crying and I was heartbroken and moreso I was dying to find out what happened to Sarah. I couldn't put this book down, I read it every single chance that I had, in the bedroom, while the kids took their bath, I sat in on the bathroom floor with it clutched tightly in my hands, while I fixed dinner, while I watched tv taking sneak peeks during commercials and I even read it in the car while waiting for Jasmine after school. I just couldn't put it down.

I went through the motions, and it was funny because at times I loved Sarah and then there were other times I wanted to shake some sense into her. This book had it all, a rich variety of characters, some you loved straight away and others you loathed and then the ones you pitied.

By the time the final page came into view, I was literally in tears, I closed the book and cried, not just for the wonderful story that had unfolded between the pages but for the beauty that is the Lord's love and understanding. If one book will make you remember what having faith and being in the Lord's arms is all about....THIS.IS.IT!

Thank you Francine Rivers, you have made me a fan for life and I just can not wait to read one of her other books. If you have yet to enjoy her work, I suggest you start with this one, it's just amazing beyond words.

REDEEMING LOVE - FRANCINE RIVERS

Best-selling author Francine Rivers skillfully retells the biblical love story of Gomer and Hosea in a tale set against the exciting backdrop of the California Gold Rush. The heroine, Angel, is a young woman who was sold into prostitution as a child. Michael Hosea is a godly man sent into Angel’s life to draw her into the Savior’s redeeming love.

Story Behind the Book

“Writing Redeeming Love was a form of worship for me. Through it, I was able to thank God for loving me even when I was defiant, rebellious, contemptuous of what I thought being a Christian meant, and afraid to give my heart away. I had wanted to be my own god and have control of my life the way Eve did in the Garden of Eden. Now I know to be loved by Christ is the ultimate joy and fulfillment. Everything in Redeeming Love was a gift from the Lord: plot, characters, theme. None of it is mine to claim.”

Every Storm by Lori Wick

 

1945, WWII—When Lieutenant Donovan Riggs experiences trouble with his PT boat, the sailors of Every Storm make an unscheduled stop...and a surprising discovery.

Lorraine Archer is an American teacher living and working in Australia. While on a flight with her sister, her daydreams are disrupted by the sounds of the plane going down. Lorri ends up alone on a deserted island in the Pacific. And just when she loses all hope of being found...Donovan and his crew arrive.

Neither Donovan nor Lorri suspect that their encounter is the beginning of something very certain...a future not left to chance, but to faith.

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You all know what a huge fan of Lori Wick's books I am and when I got this one a while ago I knew I would love it as much as the others, I just wasn't counting on not being able to put it down and crying like a baby during some parts.

Lorri and Josie are sisters and living in Australia as teachers, they miss their family in California and sometimes wonder why they let so much time go by without returning home at least for a visit.

Back in California they have their mother and younger sister AND their Grandfather Dean, an admiral in the Navy.....he's been more like a father to them since his son (their father) died.

Now the girls are off for a vacation, they board a small plane in Australia with the pilot they had flown with so many times.  They are hit by a storm and go down in a small island in the middle of the ocean.....Josie and the pilot are killed instantly, but Lorri survives and for 6 weeks lives off berries and leaves and water. 

Lieutenant Riggs is in charge of a PT boat out patrolling during the war, their engines give out and they end up on the same island as Lorri.  They rescue her and deliver her to the Seaford Naval base where she's met by her grandfather and then flown home to California to her mother and sister.

This book is so heartbreaking, from watching Lorri survive this horrible tragedy, starving, having to bury her sister and the pilot in a makeshift grave, then having to board a boat filled with only men......to going home and having to learn to live without her sister Josie.

I've cried so many times through this book, Lorri is an amazing and courageous woman, she clings to the Lord during her time in the island, she begs Him for help and to get her off the island to go home to see her mother.

I'm halfway through the book and I can't put it down, I find myself carrying it with me everywhere I go, I sneak peeks at it while fixing dinner, I read it while giving the kids a bath, I read in front of the tv completely forgetting whatever show is on.  It's just THAT good.

I've recommended so many of Lori Wick's books before but if you only read one of hers, let this be it, I promise you won't be disappointed.

The Perfect Bride by Brenda Joyce

 

A woman without passion...

A childhood trauma has left Lady Blanche Harrington incapable of all emotion, least of all love. Now circumstance demands she marry, and Blanche dreads choosing from her horde of fawning suitors. For one very eligible gentleman has not stepped forward...

a man without hope.

A war hero and a recluse, Rex de Warenne has long admired Lady Blanche. Though fate and his own dark nature have robbed him of any hope for the kind of future such a lady deserves, Rex is determined to aid her--and keep his feelings to himself. But when their growing friendship leads to a night of shocking passion, Blanche's newfound memories threaten their fragile love...and Blanche's very life.

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I just finished this book last night and really enjoyed it.  Brenda Joyce was a new author for me so I wasn't sure if I would like her writing style but just as Madeline Hunter did taking me back to the 14th century so well.....so did Ms Joyce.

This book is part of the De Warenne Dynasty and tells the story of Lady Blanche and Sir Rex and straight away what surprised me was finding that the book hero was an amputee.  It's not something you really see in romance books, they have this way of making the hero's these Alpha Males, handsome and perfect in every sense, truly an example of a woman's dream come true.

But with Rex, I fell in love with the character in the first few pages and completely forgot that he was an amputee.....he was an amazing man in every sense and I enjoyed following his need to be a recluse turn into a host of dinners at his house and doing whatever possible to be with Lady Blanche.

Lady Blanche on the other hand was this innocent woman, with no emotion whatsoever, never been kissed, never been with a man and not interested in it at all.  She had spent most of her life taking care of her father and when he passed away she inherited all his fortune.  Within a few short months she had 228 suitors at her house.

Her friends Bess and Felicia arranged for her to end up in Land's End which is home to Sir Rex....and so their story began. 

I read this book in about 2 days, I didn't want to set it down because I got so caught up in the characters and what they were doing, always anticipating their next step and wanting to find out more, wanting to know how they would get through their secrets and find their way to each other.

Truly enjoyable book, but then again I may be biased because Historical Romance is my favorite genre.

 

The De Warenne Dynasty Books

The Conqueror

Promise of the Rose

The Game

The Prize

The Masquerade

The Stolen Bride

A Lady at Last

The Perfect Bride

Scandalous Love

House of Dreams

14th Century Romance.....

 

I recently discovered a new book author, she writes romance historicals set in the 14th century and she's quickly become one of my favorites.

The 3 books that I just read were called "By Possession", "By Arrangement" and I'm almost done with the third titled "By Design". 

By Arrangement

Lady Christiana Fitzwaryn is not opposed to marriage. But she demands to be married on her own terms, not as punishment for a romantic indiscretion, and especially not to a common merchant. Yet she is in for a shock when she meets David de Abyndon. For she is confronted by no ordinary merchant but a man of extraordinary poise and virility. He is unaffected by their difference in social status. And even less affected by her well-thought-out arguments against their upcoming betrothal. Instead, it is Christiana who feels uneasy in the presence of this naturally lordly man behind whose cool blue eyes she senses the most uncompromising of passions.

Although she has promised her heart to another man, she cannot resist David's seductive charm. Lured by his charisma, she discovers pleasure, then love, and finally the secrets hidden in his heart.

Loved this first book, one thing that Madeline Hunter does is research the time period really well, so when she describes something going on you literally feel like you're there, immersed in the going ons and witnessing things first hand.  Wonderful book!

 

By Possession

For years she had thought him dead. Yet when Addis de Valence strides into Moira Falkner's cottage, there is no mistaking the sharp planes of his face, and the scar she herself had helped to heal. The young squire who had once been her hero is now her lord, a hardened man who has returned to claim the son she has raised as her own. By law she belongs to him, but Addis soon desires to possess even more-her passion and her heart..

Here's another one that I truly enjoyed, you can't help but to root for the couple and the love story they embark on is full of want and need and complications.  The big strong hero back to claim his son and the woman who raised his son, a poor heartbroken woman who he wants to make his own in every sense of the word.  It was great reading the book and again learning about that time period.......who knew that Ms Hunter could make you see and even smell at times the things that went on in the 14th century.

Well not really SMELL per say, but the way she describes it makes you feel like you can completely understand what she's talking about.

By Design

When a misunderstanding lands the pretty indentured servant in the stocks, Rhys becomes her unlikely savior. After the grueling ordeal, he tenderly cares for her bruised body and broken pride. But he longs to do much more-- to satisfy the fire that sparks between them the moment they are alone, and to claim the woman designed by providence to be his soul mate and lover.

Joan cannot deny her perilous attraction to the handsome mason and builder, but her oath to rebuild her broken life prevents her from accepting the passion waiting for her in his arms. Rhys speaks of discovering "what might be", but Joan dare not succumb to his seductive charm. She is hiding secrets that Rhys must never know, and carrying wounds that she believes his gentle care cannot heal.

I'm still reading this one, though I'm about halfway and I can't put it down.  Seems to be the general feel when I'm holding one of the author's books in my hand.

Joan and Rhys, completely attracted to each other but from different ways of life.  He's a freemason and she an indentured servant.  I have to say, I had no idea what indentured servants were until I started reading all these 14th century books, needless to say I'm glad I never lived in that time.....for all the love and heroic handsome Knights gallivanting around, I'm not quite sure I would have enjoyed being owned by someone for 4 to 7 years, or for any amount of time actually.

Anyway, I truly enjoyed these books and I just realized that I have another of Ms Hunter's books at home without even knowing, what a surprise and how excited I am to get into it.

If you like Historical Romance and even learning some history and interesting facts from centuries gone by, I suggest you pick up a copy of one of her books, I don't think you'll be disappointed!

Happy Reading!

Fannie Flagg

It's been FOREVER since I posted here, it's been crazy and hectic, we have a PCS move coming up and I haven't really had the chance to read as much as I would like to....but when I came across Fannie Flagg through one of my favorite bloggers Barb, I knew I had to get her books and give it a try. Boy am I glad I did!

Do you like books that have you laughing out loud??? Because if you do, then Fannie Flagg is the author for you, she's absolutely hysterical.

Before I tell you about her book, I want you to know that Fannie Flagg is also the author of the very well known "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe" so you KNOW she's brilliant.

Fannie Flagg - Can't Wait To Get To Heaven

Fannie Flagg, the incomparable Southern writer and actress, returns to Elmwood Springs, Missouri, to paint and portray feisty, inquisitive octogenarian Elner Shimfissle. Elner falls out of her fig tree and is presumed dead. While her family and friends mourn, she makes a "temporary" visit to heaven, where she runs into her deceased sister, Ida, as well as Ginger Rogers and Tom Edison. When she "returns," she shares details of her experience with her niece as well as communicating her thoughts on the wisdom of life and its meaning with townspeople.

Here is a small blurb from the book just to show you how funny it really is, Tot Whooten is thinking about her children, Darlene who at thirty-two has five children and more ex-husbands than Elizabeth Taylor *snicker* and Dwayne Jr has at least 6 children that they know of:

Last year when Dwayne Jr. had asked her what he could get her for Christmas, she had requested "a vasectomy" and told him that she would even pay for it, but he had taken the money and bought himself an off-road vehicle instead. He was a lost cause. She was now working on Darlene to have her tubes tied, but that was going nowhere, because she said she was scared of anesthesia. When Linda Warren had adopted that little Chinese girl, Norma had come into the beauty shop wearing a sweat-shirt with the girl's picture on it, and under the picture it said "Someone Wonderful Calls Me Grandma." Tot figured she would wind up wearing one that said "A Lot of Potential Criminals and Misfits Call Me Grandma," and she was supporting almost every one of them.

BRILLIANT, FUNNY, SWEET......this book is all of those and more, you have GOT to pick it up when you get a chance, you won't be disappointed.

THE PROPOSAL - LORI WICK

William, a confirmed bachelor, becomes guardian to three children. When the girl’s nanny proves abusive, William seeks counsel from his sister and her husband and meets Marianne—who changes his beliefs about women and God.



This is the first book in the English Garden Series by Lori Wick.

William Jennings is the main character, a strong man but one who does not believe in God. When his cousin dies he becomes the guardian to his three children, Thomas, James and Penny.

The children are very close and apprehensive at first, they've lost their father and they're feeling scared and alone.

When Jennings first meets them he is not sure how to react, he starts off by becoming attached to the boys only, almost forgetting that Penny is even there. He plans all these outings with the older boy Thomas, leaving the younger two at home.

In time Jennings hires a nanny for Penny, and she is moved from sharing a room with her brothers, to another part of the house. They don't see her for a few days, she's not allowed to have meals with them, and this whole time the Nanny is being abusive, pulling on her arms and telling her that she doesn't want to hear a sound out of her.

James runs into her in the hallway and tries to talk to her, but Penny (who is only 6 years old) tells him she needs to get back before Mrs Smith (the nanny) realizes she's gone. When she turns to go he reaches out and grabs her arm and she yells out in pain. THAT is when the boys see the bruises on her arms and realize she's been abused.

The children decide to pack their things and run away, but of course Jennings finds them and brings them back home, firing the Nanny and promising that nothing like that will ever happen again.

Then we have the Palmers, Lydia is Jennings sister and he hasn't talked to her and her husband in years, they are Christian and apparently there was some kind of misunderstanding between them, Jennings was not interested in listening to the Word and he really didn't care much for Pastor Hurst.

He packs up the kids and decides to go stay with his sister, he is in desperate need of help raising the children and he doesn't know where else to turn.

From this moment on the book becomes about Jennings learning how to be a father to the children, falling in love with Marianne Walker, Lydia's best friend.....and most importantly going to church again, reading the Bible and listening to Pastor Hurst, and finding himself which leads to the part in the book where I had tears running down my face.

The moment that he gives himself to the Lord, I actually burst into tears, it was such a beautifully written part in the book, Lori Wick did an outstanding job.

I think you guys will enjoy this book, I'm so eager with antecipation for the other 3 in the series to come in, I can't wait to get into them :)

Paperback Swap!!!

Last year, or maybe the year before, I came across Paperbackswap and I knew I had hit the Book Jackpot. I'm a bookaholic and of course one of the symptons is having tons of books around the house, most of which have been read years before, and others patiently waiting on their TBR (to be read) pile.

I didn't want to sell my books or just give them away to someone who wouldn't appreciate them, so when I found Paperbackswap I realized it was the perfect way to not only pass them on to someone who will enjoy it, but get some great books in return, and all for $1.59 per book that I mail out. Nothing to it, print out the book wrapper, slap on 4 stamps and mail it off. Easy right???

Well yesterday I realized I had 5 book credits just waiting to be claimed, so I jumped right on in and got myself new books.

Dancing at Midnight by Julia Quinn

Lady Arabella Blydon is determined to discover Lord John Blackwood's darkest secrets, even if that means ignoring all of his warnings to stay away. Scarred by war, both in body and soul, John knows he can never be good enough for this beautiful bluestocking -- but Belle is will not rest until she returns joy and light to his life... and wins a place in his shuttered heart forever.

Her Highness, My Wife by Victoria Alexander

Women never said no to the dashing Lord Matthew Weston and he never said no to them. But this was the first time he found one tempting enough to impetuously say "I do." Was it any wonder he awoke to discover her gone? And when Matthew learned the enchanting creature he'd married was of royal blood — and would abandon their marriage bed without a second thought — he vowed to put her out of his life forever.

But even a princess makes mistakes. And now Tatiana's back, asking for the kind of help only he can give her. But is his assistance all she wants or are there secrets the willful royal is keeping from him? Matthew may well lend her his hand but he'll never again give her his heart. Still, he's determined to tame the green-eyed beauty and change her from a perfect princess to his passionate bride.

The Wallflower Series by Lisa Kleypas

Four young ladies enter London society with one common goal: they must use their feminine wit and wiles to find a husband. So a daring husband-hunting scheme is born.


As I read them, I will post the reviews here.