12.04.2024

The Cowboy's Christmas Treasures by Jill Kemerer // Just Read

Lucie's Review:

Dean McCaffrey returns home to take the reigns of his father's contracting business, but he holds onto a paralyzing secret.

Dean picks up where his dad left off with remodeling Brooke's home, her two-year-old twin girls take a shine to him. Brooke is a widowed single mom, worried that her health will keep her from caring for her daughters. Dean admires Brooke for her devotion to her daughters, and he offers to help her when he can, and they connect over their shared faith and giving God the things they can't control.

Megan and Alice are so adorable, and they love being around Dean. A heartwarming second chance romance, with strong faith, themes of new starts and trusting God. I liked how he reconnected with his father, and his small town roots. Dean and Brooke make a good team, and I liked seeing them work together. Highly recommend this Christmas western romance!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

12.03.2024

CSB Grace Bible for Kids // Giveaway and Review

Help every kid experience the truth of God's Word with the CSB Grace Bible for Kids.

Created in partnership with Holman Bibles, 2K/DENMARK and Cambridge University, the CSB Grace Bible for Kids is designed to enhance readability for kids with all levels and varieties of dyslexia and other reading challenges.

The CSB Grace Bible for Kids features innovative and academically tested typeface, layout, and design principles. These principles include distinct letter forms and added space between letters, words, lines, and paragraphs.

Dyslexia shouldn’t keep kids from reading the Bible. And now, it doesn’t have to!

Order your copy of the CSB Grace Bible for Kids today!

Learn more at CSBGraceBibles.com

Also available, Grace Bible for Adults! Shop for the entire family at holmangiftguide.com

My Review:

Made with children in mind, this brightly colored Bible instantly caught my eye, impressing me with the thoughtfulness with which it was constructed.

When I first saw this Bible advertised, I instantly thought, "What a great idea!" Printed using a special font to increase readability, as well as a size 11 type, with 40 colorful inserts with book summaries, guides, maps, and themed reference lists, it is inviting from the get go. Using the Christian Standard Bible translation, which prioritizes accuracy and readability, it is a perfect fit for elementary age and beyond into adulthood. I especially liked the emphasis on connecting the readers to the people, themes, and context of the Bible, throughout the inserts as well as with the appendix that include a cross reference list that connect the OT quotes in the NT to the original text in the OT. I will note that it took time for me to get used to the book chapter indicators being at the bottom of the page instead of the top as I am used to, so navigating took some adjusting on my part.

But that's not all, it also comes with 10 colored overlays in various colors to help readers with dyslexia process the text better, there are options to play around with and find what works best for them.

I could not be more impressed with this Bible, the presentation is excellent, with a wonderful understanding of it's target audience, and great design throughout. Excellent choice for a full text Bible for the young person in your life!

#GraceKidsBibleMIN #MomentumInfluencerNetwork @christianstandardbible @bhpub

Many thanks to Lifeway Christian Resources for providing a sample of the product for this review. Opinions are 100% my own.

Giveaway: 1 copy of CSB Grace Bible for Kids (Note: This is limited to US winners only).

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The Queen's Cook by Tessa Afshar // Review

My Review:

An immersive novel that brings Queen Esther's Court to life through the eyes of a talented cook, kind physician, and the queen herself.

Beautifully written, compelling, with characters that captured my heart. Roxannah grew up hiding in the shadow of her father's cruel ways, but her talent for flavor may be her family's only hope after her father leaves them destitute. I admired her determination, and her loyalty, as she works to prove her self in the royal kitchens. I especially liked her gentle natured way of winning others with honesty and kindness.

A richly woven novel with evocative descriptions and an attention to detail that brings the story to life. I loved how the novel was told in the midst of things, as well as from memory looking back, which added a depth of personality to the storytelling, and a unique touch. I loved the fresh take on one of the Old Testament's most beloved stories, as the author draws from extensive research, and historical details to vibrantly bring the court to life. I enjoyed the themes of standing up to your enemies in the face of opposition, something that sounds good, but in reality is much harder to practice!

Overall, a riveting and compelling tale that will grab you by the heartstrings, and have you hanging on to find out what happens next, as Queen Esther's story is told through fresh eyes, with enduring themes of forgiveness, faith, and facing your fears.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Buy it here: https://amzn.to/3ZA4PWr

12.02.2024

Falling for a Smart Cowboy by Karen Baney // Celebrate Lit

Book: Falling for a Smart Cowboy (Vargas Ranch Book 4)

Author: Karen Baney

Genre: Contemporary Christian Cowboy Romance

Release date: June 25, 2024

About the Book:

She’s on a mission to bring orphaned children hope. He wants off his family’s ranch for good. Will they survive his shocking family secrets?

Devon Vargas longs to be more than just a cowboy. After finishing his teaching degree, he plans to leave his family’s guest ranch for good. Between his growing affection for the new children’s program director and a huge family secret revealed, he second guesses everything about his life.

Raina Crawford lost her parents at a young age. Through the grace of God, she survived life in the foster system. She desperately wants to bring children the life-changing faith that gave her hope. The job at Vargas Ranch was supposed to be a steppingstone. Except she’s losing her heart to the smart, ambitious cowboy bent on leaving his family’s ranch—and her—behind.

Will Raina finally find the family she’s always wanted? Will family secrets unravel his new dreams? Will those same secrets tear them apart?

Click here to get your copy!

Review:

A heartwarming romance, with likable and compelling characters.

Devon Vargas is looking at a future beyond the Vargas Ranch, when he discovers a secret that rocks his foundation. He enjoys working with kids and is pursuing a job in teaching. Raina grew up in foster care, and is passionate about advocating for children. I liked how Devon and Raina bonded over their passion for helping children, and shared faith. Devon and Raina both struggled through things, but were there for each other throughout. I really liked Devon's parents and how they supported him in trying a new career.

I liked that Raina was passionate about helping children, she and Devon were a good team. This was a great addition to the series, and I liked learning more about the fabric of the Vargas family and their history.

Overall, a wonderful addition to the series with strong faith, great interaction, and compelling characters. A highly enjoyable read!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

About the Author

Karen Baney is passionate about writing stories full of flawed characters. She enjoys weaving together stories of second chances, redemption, and overcoming personal trials. As a transplant to Arizona, she loves researching the state’s history and finding ways to seamlessly incorporate real history and real settings into her novels. In addition to writing and speaking, Karen works as a Software Development Manager for a Christian ministry.

Her faith plays an important role both in her life and in her writing. Karen and her husband, Jim, make their home in Gilbert, Arizona, with their two dogs, Bella and Daisy. Both Jim and Karen are active at Rock Point Church in Queen Creek, Arizona.

More from Karen

Big Family Drama

I love writing big family drama in my novels! It provides such great material for the relationship between characters.

Part of this comes from my family’s drama. My mom was the youngest of eight kids, making my extended family huge. I remember going to the Independence Day family reunions as a kid. It was both fun and a little intimidating. Most of my cousins were adults by the time I was a tweener. So, my siblings and I tended to hangout with my “oops!” cousin since we were only a few years apart.

And boy, did we have drama! There was the aunt who seemed to be offended and left early year. Someone always ended up injured, but only once do I remember an ambulance showing up. There were cliques and turf wars and so much more.

As an adult, though I’ve rarely been able to fly clear across the country to see my extended family, the drama of my husband’s big family serves as inspiration too. He is the oldest of five kids. My first introduction to his large family was at his sister’s wedding. I had no idea what I was getting into. We’d only been dating for about six weeks. Everyone kept pushing me to join the family photos, and I kept trying to gracefully get out of the pictures. I didn’t want him to regret having me in the pictures if we broke up. In the end, my hubby and I outlasted that marriage.

In Falling for a Smart Cowboy, I introduce a new character to the series, Raina Crawford. She was orphaned as a young girl and has longed for a forever family, even into adulthood. Devon Vargas, the fourth out of five sons, learns a family secret that makes him want to avoid his large family. I loved writing this juxtaposition between Raina and Devon over family relationships. It helps each of them see a new perspective. It was also fun writing new friendships for Raina—even if all the friendships tied to Devon’s family. My experience with both my family and being a newbie to my husband’s family provided inspiration for both Raina’s and Devon’s characters.

If you like big family drama, the Vargas Ranch Series provides it in spades. Enjoy!