True to You by Becky Wade

From the publisher:
After a devastating heartbreak three years ago, genealogist and historical village owner Nora Bradford has decided that burying her nose in her work and her books is far safer than romance in the here and now.

Unlike Nora, former Navy SEAL and Medal of Honor recipient John Lawson is a modern-day man, usually 100 percent focused on the present. But when he's diagnosed with an inherited condition, he's forced to dig into the secrets of his past and his adoption as an infant, enlisting Nora to help him uncover the identity of his birth mother.

The more time they spend together, the more this pair of opposites suspects they just might be a perfect match. However, John's already dating someone and Nora's not sure she's ready to trade her crushes on fictional heroes for the risks of a real relationship. Finding the answers they're seeking will test the limits of their identity, their faith, and their devotion to one another.
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First of all, I want Nora's Historic Village to be real, I want to live there! (Visit this Pinterest link to look at Becky Wade's pinterest board for True to You)  I was totally enamored with the setting of Merryweather.  Everything about it fit the scenes and the people that lived there.  In this novel Becky creates characters that will lead you into the next two books and does it so seamlessly that you aren't distracted from Nora and John's story at all.  I love how Britt, Nora, and Willow's relationship is shared through conversation and also text/email shown in the book.  I loved how Wade wrote more than just standard dialogue but added emails, letters, texts, Facebook messages, into the story. It added a whole new dimension and anticipation. 

Nora and John are amazing characters.  I loved reading them in this novel.  They were perfect.  Nora's job as a genealogist was fascinating and I getting to know more about genealogical searching was fascinating.  I was surprised how the story took different spins and turns but each time Wade made the story better and more complete.

The story is romantic, interesting, deep, and profound.  The deep level that the characters came to understand the truths about their need for God and what that meant for them individually was beautifully done.

I highly recommend this book (and the prequel "Then Came You") and cannot wait to read the following books in the series!

I received this book free from the publisher.  All opinions express are my own.

What Hope Remebers

From the publisher:
When Amy Somers loses her job as a lobbyist, she moves to Misty Willow, well aware that she's crossing bridges she'd burned years before. With all the mistakes she's made and the uncaring things she's done--even to her own family--she can hardly believe that happiness will find her, especially when Gabe Kendall, her first crush and her first kiss, rides back into her life atop a buckskin mare.

A former Marine, Gabe is at loose ends after serving a prison sentence for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. He sees beyond Amy's hard exterior to the girl he once knew and loved, and he longs to see her open her heart. Yet with his vision clouded by shame for his past and fears about the future, he finds it difficult to see the path ahead.

But the memory of that long-ago kiss just may have the power to reignite a romance that brings out the best in both of them
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This is the third book in the Misty Willow's series.  What I have really enjoyed about each book was the redemptive power.  So often in books, or series, the antagonist stay the antagonist.  But with this series it delves deeper.  Johnnie Alexander gives dimensions to her characters just like we have in real life.  We make good and bad decisions but that doesn't define us. It is our character that makes us who we are.

Gabe will capture your attention and heart as he grounds and balances Amy Somers. Amy will continue to develop and unfold as a character that you will be able to see much of yourself in and be hopeful for what come of her life.

I received this book from the publishers. All opinions expressed are my own.

Bible Trivia, Jokes, and Fun Facts for Kids by Troy Schmidt

This is an excellent book to help your kids know that being a Christian can be fun.  With good, clean jokes that are truly funny your child can read and memorize these jokes to tell his friends.  The Bible trivia and fun facts can be used for family worship time or even in Bible classes at church.  This book can be read alone by an individual child.  This book can be used by a teacher at camp, church school or church children’s classes as a resource material.  The material can be used in connection with making games or challenging individual students or teams, etc.  

The Noble Servant by Melanie Dickerson

From the publisher:
The impossible was happening. She, Magdalen of Mallin, was to marry the Duke of Wolfberg. Magdalen had dreamed about receiving a proposal ever since she met the duke two years ago. Such a marriage was the only way she could save her people from starvation. But why would a handsome, wealthy duke want to marry her, a poor baron’s daughter? It seemed too good to be true.
On the journey to Wolfberg Castle, Magdalen’s servant forces her to trade places and become her servant, threatening not only Magdalen’s life, but the lives of those she holds dear. Stripped of her identity and title in Wolfberg, where no one knows her, Magdalen is sentenced to tend geese while she watches her former handmaiden gain all Magdalen had ever dreamed of.
When a handsome shepherd befriends her, Magdalen begins to suspect he carries secrets of his own. Together, Magdalen and the shepherd uncover a sinister plot against Wolfberg and the duke. But with no resources, will they be able to find the answers, the hiding places, and the forces they need in time to save both Mallin and Wolfberg?
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What Melanie Dickerson does with classic fairytales is really a dream come true for many readers who have loved the classics.  This novel is loosely based off of The Goose Girl, which is a favorite of mine.  The storyline that Dickerson creates is engaging and will keep readers excited. 

This is a Young Adult book and so some of the time I felt that the dialogue was a bit stilted.  That being said, it was still an enjoyable read. 

It is fun to read this in conjunction with her other novels as some of the characters weave in and out.  It is fun to read about previous characters as they go on with their lives.  You do not have to read any previous books to enjoy this one though.

I received this book free from the publisher.  All opinions expressed are my own.