The Tutor's Daughter by Julie Klassen ~ Book Review

About The Tutor's Daughter: 

Filled with page-turning suspense, The Tutor's Daughter takes readers to the windswept Cornwall coast-a place infamous for shipwrecks and superstitions-where danger lurks, faith is tested, and romance awaits.

Emma Smallwood, determined to help her widowed father when his boarding school fails, accompanies him to the cliff-top manor of a baronet and his four sons. But soon after they arrive and begin teaching the two younger boys, mysterious things begin to happen. Who does Emma hear playing the pianoforte at night, only to find the music room empty? And who begins sneaking into her bedchamber, leaving behind strange mementoes?

The baronet's older sons, Phillip and Henry Weston, wrestle with problems-and secrets-of their own. They both remember the studious Miss Smallwood from their days at her father's academy. But now one of them finds himself unexpectedly drawn to her...

When suspicious acts escalate, can Emma figure out which brother to blame and which to trust with her heart? 

My Thoughts:
Julie Klassen is a wonderful writer that takes her readers on a gentle, love-inspiring journey.
The Tutor's Daughter is a delightful read, filled with tempestuous storms amidst wonderful Cornwall history and setting. Meet self-sufficient tutor's daughter, Emma Smallwood. Lonely after the death of her mother, she must rely upon herself to get things done as her father is near drowning in his melancholic state of mourning.
Called to tutor the twin sons of Sir Giles Weston, Emma and her father move to Cornwall, leaving her beloved home behind. Emma is cautiously happy, but realizes things aren't going to be easy. Especially when she must face Henry Weston, her father's previous student who lived to torment her. Could reconnecting with his brother, her old friend, Phillip Weston, help her through the uncomfortableness of being in a home where their reception is less than welcome? And is it possible to forgive when wrongs almost take her life during her journey to finding God's never-ending love for one of His children?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the characters will be a part of my thoughts for months to come. Another winner from my favorite author. This one deserves a place on my favorite books shelf. Highly recommend to those who love clean Christian fiction with a strong message of forgivenness.

Secretly Smitten ~ Book Review

Four different authors. Each with their own writing style, each with their own quirks, and each with their own audience ~ the result?

A fun, flirty read.
I really enjoyed this book. As an author, I'm always looking for ways to become better at my craft. Reading books is one way for me to learn. If you have a favorite author, have you ever wondered why they're your favorite? What is it about them that makes you want to read their book?

Voice. I felt like not only was I learning about the characters themselves, but gaining a glimpse into my favorite author's heads. Coble, Billerbeck, Hunter, and Hunt are a team to be reckoned with and have created a book that is a delight to read. The stories, while short, are well written, the characters are well-rounded. 
One character is shy and serious. 
Another is perky and outgoing.
Then there's mom. Can there be romance for her?
While the remaining may be a little on the weighty side, she still finds love.

Each character had her own way of dealing with things. Her own way of hiding from things, and her very own romance ~ whether she was looking for it or not!

This is a delightful book. Highly recommended!
My thanks to Thomas Nelson who provided me with a free copy in exchange for my honest review. These thoughts are my own.

About the Book:
Summer, fall, winter, spring-Smitten, Vermont, is the place for love . . . and mystery!

There's a secret in Grandma Rose's attic-a forgotten set of dog tags belonging to her first love. But David Hutchins was killed in action and never returned to Smitten. How did the dog tags end up in the attic?

The mystery intrigues Rose's three granddaughters-Tess, Clare, and Zoe-and they decide to investigate, though their mother, Anna, warns against meddling. But as the seasons turn and the mystery unravels, the three young women and their mother encounter some intriguing mystery men of their own. Has a sixty-year-old puzzle sparked something new for this close-knit family of women?

Join popular romance novelists-and real-life BFFs-Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, Diann Hunt, and Denise Hunter for four delightful intertwined tales of mystery and sweet intrigue.

Link to buy the book: http://ow.ly/gM679 

JRR Tolkien: The Making of a Legend ~ Book Review

Have you ever wondered what made someone tick? Or, why someone was a certain way? No? Drat. I do it all the time.

Like when our son decides it's the perfect time to go feed the dog while he's supposed to be doing his math lesson. Yeah, it's times like those that I wonder what he's thinking. 

But, living with the little guy, I'm at an advantage. I can pretty much tell you why he's feeding the dog instead of doing Algebra ~ because he doesn't want to do it. Shocking revelation, wasn't it?
I didn't think so.

Be that as it may, there are just sometimes I want to know a little bit more about some of my favorite people ~ authors especially. Was so and so an instant success or did they have to struggle? Did they ever feel as though they had achieved something in their lifetime? What was their purpose in writing these things?

When I was offered a chance to review the book, J.R.R. Tolkien: The Making of a Legend, I jumped at it. He's one of my favorite authors, so why wouldn't I, right?

They say, write what you know.

But what if you happen to write about things like Orcs, Hobbits, and Elves? Do you really know this enough to write about it?  In a way, yes, JRR Tolkien did write what he knew. Or, more like it, the way he saw the world. Overcoming tremendous odds, he gave us some of the best loved stories that still thrive today.

When you read this book, you're getting an intimate peek inside a complex individual that was molded by his fair share of life, death, loss, and love. Be prepared for emotional turmoil that followed him thru his life. Cheer for him when he finds his one true love, and pity him when he ultimately sets aside that love because of the wishes of another.

Not only will you meet the man behind the Hobbit, but the story of JRR Tolkien's perseverance through hardships will inspire you when you thought your hope was gone.

JRR Tolkien had a gift. He was a romantic. I know. Many a man would shudder to be labeled a romantic, but he saw life differently than most. When the regular person would see only an ordinary tower, JRR saw not a normal tower, but a different time and place with evil and good, fighting against one another and that tower, a pinnacle that holds it all in the balance.

Conjuring stories and poems on a whim, he was an immensely gifted man. A creator not only of worlds and words, but of entire languages. 

But why would he desire to write such stories as The Hobbit? To reignite a love for fairy tales to a new readership. 

He has succeeded in this and his stories live on and will continue to do so for generations of romantics to come.

Soul's Gate by James Rubart ~ Book Review

Movie Rating: PG-13 for frightening images
Book Rating: @@@@
Swearing: None
Inappropriate Scenes: None
# of Pages: 400 (paperback)
Genre: Paranormal
Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Back Blurb:
Reece stood and faced the group. "Every now and then we get a break from reality. A glimpse into the other world that is more real than the reality we live in 99 percent of our days. The Bible is about a world of demons and angels and great evil and even greater glory. A world the prophets saw; the world Enoch, and Elijah, and Paul, and John the apostle all saw. A world that is all around us in every moment if we would have eyes to see and ears to hear." What if you could travel "inside" another person's soul? To battle for them. To be part of Jesus healing their deepest wounds. To help set them free to step boldly into their divinely designed future.

Thirty years ago that's exactly what Reece Roth did. Until tragedy shattered his life and ripped away his destiny.

Now God has drawn Reece out of the shadows to fulfill a prophecy spoken over him three decades ago. A prophecy about four warriors with the potential to change the world . . . if Reece will face his deepest regret and train them.

They gather at a secluded and mysterious ranch deep in the mountains of Colorado, where they will learn to see the spiritual world around them with stunning clarity. And how to step into the supernatural as powerfully as anyone in the Bible did. Their training is only the beginning. The four have a destiny to battle for a freedom even Reece doesn't fully fathom. But they have an enemy hell-bent on destroying them as well and he'll stop at nothing to keep them from their quest for true freedom and the coming battle of souls.

My Review:
Has there ever been a time in your life where you wish someone could come inside your soul and fix what's broken? Take away your past regrets and make all things fresh and new? Yes, we've all been there, done that. We've made our mistakes. Sometimes that's what limits our growth today - when we focus on our regrets. Meet Reece Roth. Soul traveler. Soul healer. Teacher. Man with a tragic past. And an awesome destiny. All he has to do? Embrace it and be/do what God created him to do.

This book was well-written and engaging. Is there anything else we would expect from James Rubart? I didn't think so. The author of Rooms, Book of Days, and The Chair, he takes us on another wild ride. One thing I did miss? Romance. I kept wanting the two main characters to get together and, well, I was bummed. Another issue for me was that it seemed that God was kind of portrayed like a puppet. Say a few magic words, say you have tons of faith, and BAM God will give you exactly what you want. That left me a little wanting, I suppose.

Overall, I think it was very good and well written, and I was glad to pick up a book and not have to worry about swearing or inappropriate scenes.

*I was given a copy in exchange for my honest review, and these thoughts are my own.