Promise Me This by Cathy Gohlke

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale House Publishers.  I really enjoyed this book.  I found the characters very well written.  They seemed very real to me.  I was drawn into the story and wanted to know what happened to each of the characters.  Annie lost her whole family and was controlled by an awful women, but she was able to triumph.  Michael lived a hard life, then he meet Owen Allen and his life was never the same.  Annie and Michael lived an ocean apart but shared a love for Owen.  The story is told from many viewpoints.  The threads of the story were woven together well.  There are many characters and you care about all of them.  I would definitely recommend this book.  I would give it 4/5 stars.

The Authors website can be found at  http://www.cathygohlke.com
The publishers website can be found at  Tyndale.com

 

When the Heart Cries by Cindy Woodsmall

I received a complimentary copy of this book from WaterBrook Multnoma through their blogging for books program.  This book is about an Amish girl named Hannah.  She is in love with a Mennonite boy.  She agrees to marry him and then on her way home she is raped.  The story deals with the repercussions of this.  Hannah does not know what to do, and her parents tell her to forget about it and pretend like it never happened.  Hannah falls into a deep depression.  When she is finally starting to feel better she discovers that she is pregnant.  I really enjoyed the character of Hannah.  She is a very believable person.  I was interested in what happened to her, and found myself cheering her on.  I felt like the author played with time in the book.  The author would say that several weeks or months had passed, and then suddenly act like only a couple of weeks had passed.  It made it hard to understand what the time frame of the story was.  I would give this book 3.5/5 stars.

First Date by Krista McGee

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through their booksneeze program.   This was a cute story.  I enjoyed the main character and a lot of the other characters in the book.  I felt like the main character was very real.  The story was light.  It is intended to mirror the story of Esther in the bible.  I felt that some of the things added in for this were a bit of a stretch.  It was nice to see the girls trying to win a date with a boy who was genuinely nice.  Overall I quite enjoyed the book.  I would give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Wrapped in Rain by Charles Martin

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through there BookSneeze program.  I really enjoyed the characters in this book.  They were a little zany, and you never quite knew what to expect from them.  I liked how the book dealt with forgiveness.  The father may not have "deserved" forgiveness, but Tucker couldn't move on until he had given it.  Some of the situations in the book seemed a little to contrived, but over all I quite enjoyed the book.  Tucker and Mutt both had to come to terms with their feelings for their father before they could start healing.   I would give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars.

The Christmas Singing by Cindy Woodsmall

I have read and enjoyed several books by Cindy Woodsmall. I think that The Christmas Singing would make the perfect gift for Christmas.  Find out more about the book below.

You can also offer 30% off and free shipping on The Christmas Singing (and any other title) when you use promo code CHRISTMAS11 at checkout on WaterBrookMultnomah.com. The coupon code expires on December 20th, 2011.







The Christmas Singing (Chapter 1 Excerpt)

The Harvest of Grace by Cindy Woodsmall

I received a complimentary copy of this book from WaterBrook through their blogging for books program. I enjoyed this book. I was able to read one of the other books in this series and I enjoyed seeing some of the same characters again. I thought that it was very well written and the characters were well fleshed out. Sylvia is a spunky girl who knows what she wants and is willing to do what she needs to to get it. She loves deeply and takes care of those that she cares about. I would recommend this book. I would give it 4/5 stars.

Dry as Rain by Gina Holmes

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale House Publishers. I did not enjoy this book. The main character is trying to save his marriage, but the only thing he says about his wife is how crazy she is. She has thrown him out because she thinks that he has cheated on her. He makes it sound like the last several years of their marriage have been awful, and I have a hard time understanding why he wants her back. Then he has an affair. I have a hard time understanding why he would have an affair if he really wanted to save the marriage. I did not enjoy the book or the characters. I would give it 1/5 stars.