My Review of My Foolish Heart by Susan May Warren

My Foolish Heart by Susan May Warren is the story of Issy Presley, the daughter of a small town football coach. Her father was beloved by the school he coached and by the town. In a terrible accident, Issy has lost her mother and suffers from PTSD while her father is in an assisted living facility from the injuries he received in the accident. Issy has not left her home to speak of since her mother's funeral. But while she is in her home, she moonlights as Miss Foolish Heart, a radio host that gives advice on love and dating...which is somewhat ironic since she has never been on a date herself.
Next door, Caleb Knight has moved in. Caleb has lost one of his legs when he was in the military, but does not want the town to know just yet. As Caleb sets out to prove himself to the school and to make the lovely town of Deep Haven his home, he notices the girl next door, Issy. Something about her captivates him and he can't seem to figure out why he can't get her to even want to be his friend. So who does he call? He calls Miss Foolish Heart. And the story grows from there...
This story was so fun to read. At times, I felt so sad for Issy as she tried to cope with her pain and overcome her anxiety. She so wishes to be the girl that she was before the accident. The author does an excellent job introducing us to her characters and helping us understand their inner battles. I also enjoyed the banter between Issy and her close friend, as well as the side story line of the other minor characters in the story.
This was my first book to read by Susan May Warren and I don't plan on it being my last! The plot was well developed and I enjoyed it cover to cover! I would happily suggest this book to anyone who enjoys a modern day love story about imperfect people in an imperfect world.
I was provided with a copy of this book in exchange for my review by Tyndale Publishers. I was not obligated to provide a positive review.

My Review of Save Your Marriage in Five Minutes a Day

Save Your Marriage in Five Minutes a Day by Bonnie Jacobson and Alexia Paul is a book that offers "simple strategies to transform your relationship." I have to say that I was disappointed with this book as a whole. When I received it for review, I was looking forward to reading it and seeing what ideas were offered. Sadly, I felt like the book was lacking in depth and was somewhat unrealistic. It seemed to me that while the concepts of the "Say This" sections of the book were well meaning, it seemed that the way it was worded was how you would speak to your child, not your spouse. While I get the idea of approaching your spouse without blaming or accusing, I think you can obviously adopt your own way of speaking to the concept and have a conversation with your spouse that is non threatening.
Additionally, there were suggestions in the book that went against my personal beliefs. In one of the early chapters, a marriage is described in which the wife has affair. She, of course, later regrets the affair, however, she feels that she learned from it. In my opinion, it seemed that the affair was excusable, even though she regretted it, because she had learned from it. I also disagreed with the idea of viewing pornography together with your spouse. I don't feel that this is ever acceptable.
That being said, I did feel that there were some positive ideas in the book. The author gives some practical ideas of ways to communicate love to your spouse. There are many illustrations in the book of how couples have put the strategies to work and have seen success from them. The book is broken into helpful sections and addresses issues such as communication, children, physical and sexual relationships. I am not saying that every idea and suggestion in the book was a waste, I just didn't feel that there were any earth shattering revelations that we haven't all heard on any afternoon talk show. But admittedly, there were some practical thoughts. Having read many books on marriage and family, this one would not be at the top of my list. I would suggest anything by Dr. Kevin Leman or Dr. James Dobson. Overall, this book was not my favorite or one that I would ever suggest to anyone.
I was provided with a copy of this book from Book Sneeze in exchange for my review. I was not required to submit a positive review.

My Review of Promises to Keep by Ann Tatlock

Promises to Keep by Ann Tatlock is the story of a mother who has taken her three children to flee from her abusive and alcoholic husband. The story is told by the middle daughter, Roz. After settling into their new home, they arrive home one day to discover an elderly woman sitting and reading a newspaper on their porch. Tillie Monroe and her beloved husband, who recently deceased, built the home and raised their family in it. Tillie's last wish is to die in her home. So, through a series of events, Tillie is allowed to return to her home and live with the Anthony family and is a tremendous God send to them. As Tillie cares for the Anthony children while their mother works, she slowly begins to become a part of their family as she teaches them lessons about life and God.
Soon after Tille moves in, Roz's older brother, Wally, who was beginning to head down a hard road, decides to leave for the military. His mother is heart broken at his departure and Tillie helps her walk through the process of overcoming her grief, having watched her own sons go off to war during her earlier years.
After starting school, Roz meets Mara Nightingale. They soon become best friends and begin to share secrets that are deep in their heart. As the girls discover, some secrets are dangerous and should not be kept. And sometimes what believe to be the desire of heart is nothing more than a fairy tale.
This book kept me interested until the very end. Tatlock does an excellent job of telling the story from the child's perspective and capturing the thought process of a young girl who wants nothing more than her family to be together and happy. In the end, Roz discovers that sometimes you can have family that was not given to you by birth, but that God sends just when you need them.
The drama and suspense of this Christian fiction book are extremely well written. The characters are well developed and very interesting to read about. I absolutely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a light suspense story. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for my review.

My Review of A Heart Most Worthy by Siri Mitchell

A Heart Most Worthy by Siri Mitchell is the story of three girls who work together in a dress shop in Boston during the early 1900's. Each young lady has a unique story and yet the common thread among them is that they are Italian. Julietta is passionate and yearns for excitement and fiery romance and is drawn into a dangerous relationship while the one who truly loves her waits in the background. Annamaria has been brought up knowing that her lot in life will be to care for her parents and siblings until the death of her parents. With this knowledge, she feels that she is trapped in a life in which she has no say so about what her future will be. However, when a kind young man from the "wrong" family shows interest in her, she yearns to follow her heart instead of the traditions of her family. Luciana carries a dangerous secret and grieves for the loss of the life she left behind. Will she ever find peace and happiness again?
I have to say that I loved reading this book. The author is obviously attentive to researching the period of history in which the book was set. The characters were unique and I felt like I had a view of what life would be like as an Italian immigrant during the early 1900's. The personalities and story line of each character were thoroughly developed and I was immersed in the story until the last page.
This is the second book that I have read by Siri Mitchell and I am anxious to read all of her other books. She has a beautiful writing style and creates intriguing characters and story lines. I highly recommend this book. I was provided with a copy of this book in exchange for my review.

My Review of The Final Summit by Andy Andrews

The Final Summit by Andy Andrews is the story of the last traveler, David Ponder, who is assigned to lead a summit of all the travelers to find the principle that will save humanity. I so enjoyed reading about the historical figures that were brought into the story and how the author described them. He meets with George Washington Carver, Winston Churchill, Eric Erickson, Joan of Arc, Abraham Lincoln, as well as others. I even researched some of the characters after I finished the book and found out about history I had not known. Each historical character brings a nugget of wisdom to the table and as they combine their wisdom, the puzzle pieces are put together to discover the principle that was save humanity. As each idea is discussed as to what the principle could be, the characters teach some valuable life lessons to the reader.
The Final Summit is a follow up to The Traveler's Gift and the "Five Decisions" are discussed in this book as well. As the travelers search for the principle, they are in a race against time as they watch the sands from the hour glass fall. I felt as if I needed to read the book quickly to beat the hour glass!
The Final Summit was inspiring and challenging at the same time. I loved reading this book and highly endorse it to everyone interested! I also think this would be excellent reading for high school and college students. I was provided a copy of this book from Book Sneeze in exchange for my review.

My Review of The Lightkeeper's Ball by Colleen Coble

I had not read any books by Colleen Coble, but now I intend to read more! The Lightkeeper's Ball kept me interested until the very last page. The author has a beautiful writing style. The historical time setting for the story was described very well and it was obvious that the author had researched the era in depth.
There is romance, suspense. and mystery in this story of Olivia Stewart, part of the elite society, who wants so much more than to simple be a "bauble" on the arm of an eligible man, she wants her life to have meaning and purpose. When news arrives that her sister has drowned, Olivia sets out to Mercy Falls to find out who could have murdered her. Under an assumed name in Mercy Falls, Oliva meets Harrison Bennett, her sister's former fiance and her primary suspect in the murder. Harrison is not excited about the prospect of an arranged marriage and longs to marry for love and not for money. He is weary of the polite society females who only seem interested in balls and fashion. He has a spirit of adventure and longs for an intelligent companion. As Harrison and Olivia get to know each other better, they each begin to see that the other is not who they originally thought, and that there is more to them than what appeared on the surface. As the story unfolds, there are many twists and turns that kept me guessing right up to the end.
The Lightkeeper's Ball is actually the third book in the Mercy Falls series, but it stood alone from the previous ones and didn't seem to need to reference the previous plots. I plan to read the first two now as well.
If you are someone who enjoys a classic romance, lively suspense and page turning mystery, then I would most certainly reccommend this book to you!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Book Sneeze, however, I was not obligated to give a positive review.