Book Reviews

The Story of With by Allen Arnold

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The Story of With: A Better Way to Live, Love, & Create by [Arnold, Allen]

Back Cover Blurb:

You are not alone.

“Whether you’re a free spirit, an office exec, a writer, musician, college student, or tired parent–your soul, like mine, knows life is meant to go beyond rat races and rare applause. This book speaks to that belief. And if you’re not careful, you may find tears warming your eyes as you read because finally someone is naming your weariness, your striving, your questions of why you just can’t quite make it, or the emptiness that hit because maybe you did. It is into those places The Story of With reaches–fusing allegory with application–to offer fresh perspective, restored hope, and a rebirth of creativity.”

–From the Foreword by Mary Weber,                                                                                                          Christy & Carol Award-Winning, Scholastic                                                                                                           Pick Author of the Storm Siren Trilogy

This book combines good storytelling and teaching. It’s a story that will touch you deep within. It will speak to you, wherever you are in life, right now. The teaching enriches the story and the message.

Do you know who you are? Are you aware that what you do does not define who you are? This book includes the story of Mia’s journey, and, at the same time, takes the reader on a journey to discover who he/she really is.

When I first saw this book, I thought, “what kind of title is the story of WITH”? As I read it, I soon discovered just how important the title of the book is, and it couldn’t have a better-fitting title. This book will challenge you. It will make you examine your life, your choices. It might inspire you to make some changes.

This book held me captive and left a very deep impression upon me. It resonates with me, and it challenged me to make a few changes in my life. This book fanned a spark that was already in me and created a flame. I am sure I will read this book again. I have much of it highlighted in green. I, who revere books, even dog-eared a page that I want immediate access to–and I have NEVER dog-eared the page of a book before.

This book CHANGED MY LIFE, and I challenge you to read it and let it change yours.

 

 

 

The Politician’s Pawn by Jeannette DiLouie

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The Politician's Pawn (Dirty Politics Book 1) by [DiLouie, Jeannette]

This is the first Political Thriller I have read and I was pleasantly surprised.

Kayla is kidnapped to swing a vote. However, Kayla is the wrong woman. Things go from bad to worse until an unlikely knight steps in.

Jeannette DiLouie did such a good job of writing Kayla’s emotions through the entire ordeal that I wondered if Ms. DiLouie interviewed a kidnap survivor. Kayla’s emotional reactions to all of the trauma throughout the story came across as very realistic.

Not only were Kayla’s emotional reactions realistic, but the redemptive qualities of a couple of the other characters were impressive as well, to the point that I felt they had earned forgiveness.

Ms. DiLouie did a great job of creating the characters in this story. Even the arrogance and criminal thinking of the politician came across as realistic, albeit maybe a bit eccentric or over the top.

My favorite books always include well developed characters who draw me in and make me feel what they’re feeling, and Ms. DiLouie did that with several of the characters in this book. Then she added a plot line that contained enough tension and strange circumstances to keep me turning pages.

This was definitely another hit by Ms. DiLouie and there is a second book that connects to this one, which I now HAVE to read!

 

Not So Human by Jeannette DiLouie

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Not So Human (Faerietales Book 1) by [DiLouie, Jeannette]

Sabrina is an average young American woman who struggles in the relationship department. However, her life becomes more than average in a matter of seconds when four men in black suits and sunglasses follow her home.

She’s really a faerie princess with a royal family in Scotland, but that doesn’t mean her life is suddenly a real life faerie tale. On the contrary, her life is suddenly in danger and if she isn’t battling the bad guys, she’s running for her life and finding possible romance that might not get the chance to blossom.

This is another book by Jeannette DiLouie, who seems to have a talent for multiple genres. Not So Human puts a new spin on faerie stories with the Human Preservation and Advancement Committee out to get Princess Sabrina and all of faeriedom. The story had me on the edge of my seat when the HPAC followed her home and her best friend, Deanda, tells her they have to pack and leave their apartment. That’s when the run for her life begins. The faerie characters are endearing, the HPAC, not so much.

This story is full of action, suspense, a little bit of humor and a touch of romance. Who could ask for anything more?

Not So Human by Jeannette DiLouie is the first of a four book series of “Faerietales”. I can’t wait to get the rest of the series to find out what happens to Princess Sabrina and a certain male faerie I’ve come to love.

 

Maiden America by Jeannette DiLouie

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Maiden America (Founding America Book 1) by [DiLouie, Jeannette]

The year is 1776 and the fate of the brand new United States of America is in extreme peril. The British and their Hessian help invade the homes of people in New Jersey.

Seventeen-year-old Abigail Carpenter is caught in the middle. She and her sister-in-law are forced to house and care for five boarding officers. Things get more dangerous as a wounded patriot spy ends up on their doorstep with nowhere else to turn and Abigail finds herself deeply embroiled in the patriot cause, and an unexpected friendship has Abigail searching for answers as to what she is willing to sacrifice if she is faced with a difficult choice.

This historical fiction novel by Jeannette DiLouie is filled with wonderful historical facts about a time that was detrimental to the birth and success of our nation.

Jeannette DiLouie wrote this novel in first person, which as a writer, I find very difficult to do well. Ms. DiLouie did a fine job of it, although I did feel like there were places where Abigail became more of a narrator “telling” some of the story. I didn’t feel there was enough live action and dialogue. However, that’s my personal opinion, which could very well stem from the fact that I don’t read many novels that are written in first person. In any event, it didn’t keep me from liking the story line and the characters.

Ms. DiLouie is very good at creating characters that capture the reader’s interest and make the reader care about them. In combination with Abigail and one or two other characters in the story, the story line also kept my attention as I love history. These are the two things that kept me turning the pages.

I would like to see Ms. DiLouie write at least a novella as a follow-up because I would really like to know more about a particular relationship in the story.

If you like American history and strong, interesting female characters, I think you’d like Maiden America by Jeannette DiLouie.

The Adulteress by Jeannette DiLouie

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Back Cover Blurb:

Living in 1st Century Jerusalem, Keziah considers herself to be a Law-abiding Jew, devoted to appearances and propriety. When her parents announce her betrothel to an older priest who cares nothing for her, however, her worldview crumbles and she decides to create her own rules. But her new focus on the immediate over the eternal leads her into further trouble until the day she comes face to face with a universal story too inspiring to ignore.

Loyal to Rome but ruing his decision to join the legions, Demetrius is sure he hates absolutely everything about Judea. That is until the day he meets Keziah. Drawn to her from the start, he ends up fixating on her as some sort of salvation he has to have. Yet while he desperately wants to protect her from her abusive husband, he only ends up putting her in extreme danger; and himself down a precarious path he never could have predicted.

My Review:

First of all, I found this cover very intriguing, and though I’m not one who reads a book based on the front cover, I will say that the front cover of The Adulteress definitely drew me to the book. The blurb on the back cover cinched the deal and I was hooked.

I will admit that even though both front cover and back cover blurb grabbed my interest, I still approached the book with some caution and skepticism because I was well aware that it is a self-published book, and I have read many books that have been self-published or published by vanity presses that are of very poor quality and could have used a good editor’s eye to help the writer whip them into shape before publication.

So imagine my surprise when, from the beginning of the very first page of The Adulteress, Jeannette DiLouie captured my interest and held it captive until the very last sentence on the very last page.

I rarely give a book a five star rating because, as a writer, I believe it is important to continue learning and improving with each book, but once in a while I read a book that I believe the author has done a top-notch job on and couldn’t have done much, if anything, to improve it, and this is one of those books. Therefore, The Adulteress by Jeannette DiLouie has earned a 5 star rating from me.

I highly commend Jeannette DiLouie for producing a top quality book in the self-publishing market; for taking the time to have one or more than one other person/editor read her book and help her to be sure her writing had no glaring mistakes or typos that drive people like me crazy because those things always distract me from the story.

Ms. DiLouie did an excellent job of placing me in the setting of this story. I was drawn into Jerusalem and as Keziah’s story unfolded I found myself experiencing strong emotions: anger, frustration, and bewilderment with her parents; sympathy, fear and concern for Keziah; and the emotions continued throughout the story as Keziah’s life intertwined with the life of Demetrius and other important characters.

My concern for Keziah, and later, Demetrius, kept me turning pages as I hoped that by the end of the story, each would have their problems resolved and find some happiness or contentment in place of their pain and suffering.

Ms. DiLouis also created a situation in Keziah’s story that, though very familiar with the Bible, I didn’t see coming because I was so caught up in Keziah’s emotions. It made for a surprise followed by the thought “How come I didn’t see that coming?” This made the book even more enjoyable.

Jeannette DiLouie did a wonderful job with making Jerusalem real, bringing the 1st Century to life and describing scenes in such a vivid way that I was there, in Jerusalem, witnessing all of these happenings, and some made me chuckle, some made me want to give certain characters a good talking to, and others brought tears slipping down my cheeks.

This is one of those books whose characters and story will stay with me for a long time to come. It’s the kind of book I enjoy so thoroughly and love so much that I hate to see it end, and yet am relieved to reach the last page so that I won’t have to stay up late for one more night.

The Adulteress is filled with living, breathing characters set in a time of Biblical history and truth that reaches to your very soul as you read.

I was astounded to find that this is Ms. DiLouie’s first published book, and the fact that it is self-published was also surprising. It is definitely the best written self-published book I have read to date, and I highly recommend it. It is a story of abuse, romance, bad choices, pain and regret, suffering, real love and true forgiveness.

 

Friends and Enemies by Terri Wangard

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Friends and Enemies is the first book in the Promise for Tomorrow series by Terri Wangard.

The story begins in 1943 and moves through 1944 and touches a bit of 1945. Heidi Wetzel lives in war-torn Germany. She moves to a rural farm to help care for evacuated children and has never been a supporter of National Socialism. She takes pleasure in passive resistance, but must exercise caution around neighbors who delight in reporting to the Gestapo.

Cadet Paul Braedel trains for the U.S. Army Air Force. As a navigator, he is sent to England with a crew that will fly a B-17.

Both Heidi and Paul experience loss during this difficult time in world history. Then Paul finds himself alone in Germany and he hears a gentle whisper, “Find Heidi”. Heidi had lived in America during her high school days and had known Paul during that time, but now he’s an enemy. How much will she risk to help him?

This story drew me in right from the beginning. I love history, especially when it is woven together with wonderful fictional characters. That brings history to life and implants it in my brain much deeper and stronger than any dry history textbook ever has. Friends and Enemies is a 527 page book, but it kept me turning pages and in just one week, I completed reading it.

I came to care deeply about both Heidi and Paul throughout the story and I felt their fears, shared their laughter and their tears in the experiences of life during war; war that touches every aspect of your life. Heidi and Paul will live in my memory for a long time.

Friends and Enemies was very well written and though war can never be without violence, pain and sorrow, Terri Wangard did an excellent job keeping the violence to a bare minimum. The story also taught lessons about what it’s like to live with war right in your own backyard.

I look forward to reading No Neutral Ground (Book Two) and Soar Like Eagles (Book Three) in the series.

If you enjoy reading historical fiction, I encourage you to pick up Friends and Enemies by Terri Wangard. You won’t be disappointed.

Unfolding by Jonathan Friesen

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I received a free copy of Unfolding by Jonathan Friesen in exchange for my honest review for BookLook Blogger.

Jonah has a heart of gold and he would like to be the guy who gets the girl, but Jonah has a physical deformity and suffers from debilitating epileptic seizures, while Stormi is beautiful and seems perfect, although there is something quite unusual about her as well — she seems to know things and many of the adults in Gullery are a bit intimidated by her.

Even though Jonah feels that he can never win Stormi’s love, Stormi prefers Jonah’s company over most other people’s. They seem to understand each other and are able to sympathize with each other.

Jonah has a job taking care of the one prisoner in the town jail but doesn’t know why the prisoner is in jail, and Stormi won’t go anywhere near the jail.

As the story moves along, Jonah and Stormi experience an adventure that reveals a secret that’s been kept for years in Gullery, a secret that could change everything.

You will care about Jonah and Stormi and find yourself routing for them for several different reasons.

Unfolding will keep you turning pages as you travel on the adventure with Jonah and Stormi, experiencing strange occurrences and finding the truth. You will want to turn pages to see if Jonah really can get the girl in the end.

Unfolding is a strange ride, and I did feel that the ending was a bit lacking, but all-in-all Unfolding by Jonathan Friesen is a good read.

The Captain Takes a Wife by Doris Durbin

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I received a free copy of The Captain Takes a Wife by Doris Durbin for my honest review for BookLook Blogger.

The war is over and Captain Harry Richardson is looking forward to starting a new life in a small town as a pastor. He also hopes to find a wife sometime soon. His journey to the little mountain town turns quite interesting when he meets Sarah Franklin and realizes she’s in some kind of trouble.

She begs him for his help, and he cannot refuse. After all, she’s quite an attractive woman. So, as he tries to help her during the journey, they seem to meet trouble around every corner.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It was suspenseful and romantic. There were unexpected twists, and just when I thought I knew who the head bad guy was, I found out I didn’t.

The plot, character development and dialogue all worked well to move the story forward without slowing down to much or leaving me too breathless for too long. There were some sweet, tender moments to balance out the threats and suspense, yet the pace  didn’t waiver.

Descriptions were vivid and painted pictures in my mind. There was even some humor at places. The  only thing I question is the setting. The place was well described and explained, but the story is to be taking place in 1875, and yet, I felt like I was in present day more often than 1875. That didn’t hinder my interest or the fact that I liked the book, but it did cross my mind a few times.

I’ve been reading books published by West Bow Press for quite a while and often find them lacking in many areas, so it was refreshing and delightful to read a book published by West Bow Press that I felt was quality fiction. So kudos to Doris Durbin for writing a book of good quality that I can honestly say I would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys a romantic suspense story.

16 Lighthouse Road by Debbie Macomber

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I have waited almost three years to finally get to reading this series by Debbie Macomber. My mother had open heart surgery almost three years ago and it was a very difficult road, and when she was in a nursing home for rehabilitation, I visited one evening and she had the T.V. on and I caught the tail end of a show that grabbed my attention. I watched the credits roll and saw that the show was based on the “Cedar Cove” series of books by Debbie Macomber. I was thrilled! We don’t have T.V. at our house, by choice, and I would much rather read a book, so I was on a mission, from that point on, to obtain the entire series, which I did last Spring, and I just finished reading 16 Lighthouse Road, the first book of the series, and the first book I read in 2017.

So, here’s what I thought. I recently was talking with a couple of ladies I know who love to read as much as I do, and one of them mentioned a book that she had begun to read but couldn’t finish because it reminded her too much of a soap opera, and that was my thought as I was reading this book. A soap opera in the fact that it follows the lives of many characters with everyday, real life struggles like most people in the current era; characters who all live in a small town and know one another and one another’s business. However, unlike a soap opera, it’s not the same people struggling with the exact same issues over and over again, and some of these characters actually work to resolve their problems.

I love the characters and Ms. Macomber did a great job of creating characters who grab your heart and make you care about them and want to see them rise above their struggles to find happiness, love, success, God, whatever it is they are looking for. I did not find the book so soap opera like that I’m not interested in reading the rest of the series. As a matter of fact, I care about these characters and want to see what happens in their lives and if the ones I’m routing for the most find love and happiness that requires work (for that is what is real).

I will say, however, that I was quite disappointed to find that this book had some profanity and one sexually explicit scene, though it was between a husband and wife and was a relatively short scene. I don’t believe that a Christian author has to include those things in their books. I believe it is a compromise and that they lose some integrity in doing so. Those are my personal thoughts and beliefs. I’ve read that Debbie Macomber is a Christian, but I noted that the book was not published by a Christian publisher and I’m sure the publisher wanted Ms. Macomber to include such things and she complied.

I completely understand Ms. Macomber’s desire to publish with a mainstream publishing company because I, too, prefer to not have my writing specifically labeled “Christian” because that label seems to carry a negative connotation in secular society and will keep someone from reading such a book because they don’t want to read a book that’s “preachy”. Ms. Macomber’s book is not preachy and does not speak of God, although it does include at least one character involved in church and has several characters with good, strong morals. The book also includes characters who seem to have no scruples. It’s the kind of book that all readers can relate to because each reader should be able to relate to at least one character in the story.

I do look forward to reading the rest of the Cedar Cove series because some of these characters have already become like dear friends and I wish them well.

However, I will be reading other books in between the books in this series because this is a large series — something like 14 books, and my TBR list is MASSIVE.

 

The Hungering Dark: Awakening by Stephen R. Clark

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I received a free copy of The Hungering Dark: Awakening from BookLook Bloggers in order to write my honest review.

The darkness feels alive one evening as Rat is helping his sister finish up the dinner dishes. It’s creepy. The next day his father goes to do some work for an elderly couple living nearby. What happens there leads to the mystery of a puzzle box and the power inside it.

This story began with suspense and had me wondering and guessing at what was going on. Stephen R. Clark created some very interesting characters whose lives I quickly became interested in. The suspense and action held my interest and the mystery of the puzzle box and the power it contained was quite intriguing. The characters who came to town to help figure out the mystery or to try to get their hands on the box were an interesting bunch and it was sometimes hard to figure out which were the good guys and which could be the bad guys.

Sadly, in the final third of the book, the mystery sadly diminished as the author began to tell the reader everything instead of continuing to lay clues to the end. There was no more suspense or any piquing of my curiosity in the final third of the story. Even the action seemed slower and the danger was much less intense. The author no longer wrote any buildup to the big finale.

I enjoyed the book but was disappointed in the ending. I like a story like this to keep me guessing right to the end and that didn’t happen in The Hungering Dark: Awakening.