Hagar: Rediscovering the God Who Sees Me by Shadia Hrichi

Hagar: Rediscovering the God Who Sees Me by Shadia Hrichi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free ARC digital copy of this book.

I was not quite expecting this book to be so in depth! It was quite a study. The book is entitled "Hagar: Rediscovering the God Who Sees Me". I was wondering when I started reading this book how the author was going to get a huge study out of a character in the Bible who only has about 3 mentions. The way she does this is by not only studying Hagar's life, but all the ones who affected her life, namely Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, and her son, Ishmael. In each character, the author reveals how God is the "God behind the Seen".

This book will build your faith as you study how God takes this motley crew into a group that trusts Him through extreme circumstances. The author gives personal insights, deep studies into the Hebrew words and cultures, and forces the reader to take deep introspective looks into his or her own life of faith.

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The House on Foster Hill by Jaime Jo Wright

The House on Foster Hill by Jaime Jo Wright
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a digital ARC of this book. It was a great find!

This book goes back and forth in time between two characters who end up being intertwined by a mysterious house. One story is in present day about Kaine, a social worker dedicated to abused women, whose husband recently died in a car wreck. She bought an old house in Wisconsin to remodel, fulfilling one of her husband's dreams. She had no idea that the house was in such disrepair or had such a nefarious history when she bought it. She believes that someone tried to kill her husband, and she is fleeing from someone who she believes is stalking her. When she arrives at Foster House, she realizes that she has not escaped danger. She ends up finding answers to her family's dark history and love along the way.

The parallel story takes place in 1906. The other character is Ivy, who assists her father, a doctor, in examining the death of a young woman found dead on the property of the house (which Kaine buys many years later). Ivy becomes obsessed with finding out why this young lady died and what happened to her baby. She ends up getting too involved in the case and making the young woman's murderer very mad.

I enjoyed the characters and the story line very much. It moved quickly. It has all the elements of a great book - suspense, interesting characters, and even a little romance. The best part is that this is a really good Christian book. Throughout this story, both main characters learn that hope in God is what keeps them going.

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The Sound of Rain by Sarah Loudin Thomas

The Sound of Rain by Sarah Loudin Thomas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to have a digital ARC of The Sound of Rain by Sarah Loudin Thomas. If you are a fan of clean, sweet, southern romances, this is the book for you! A West Virginia man travels to Myrtle Beach, SC after a coal mining accident leaves him slightly wounded and looking for his purpose in life. While in Myrtle Beach, he finds an unlikely job for a coal miner - logging. He also unexpectantly meets the beautiful and vivacious Larkin. Larkin is the boss' daughter and dreams of going to Appalachia to minister to the unfortunate. The reader will learn a thing or two about the wisdom of waiting on God when the plans you've made just don't seem to be working out.


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Stolen Jesus by Jami Amerine

Stolen Jesus: An Unconventional Search for the Real Savior by Jami Amerine
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to have a digital ARC of this book. I was so excited to hear that my favorite Christian blogger had written a book. When I saw it was listed on NetGalley - I was thrilled!

This book did not disappoint. I you have ever read Jami Amerine's blogs, her book is true to her writing style - humorous, REAL, honest, and humorous some more. If you have never read her blog, I suggest you drop everything and go there right now - Sacred Ground and Sticky Floors. I honestly cannot remember how I came across this author, but I am glad I did.

In Stolen Jesus, Jami goes through many false "Jesuses" she thought she knew until she found the real deal. Actually, what happened was that all her life she was embracing a religion - not Jesus. When she, and anyone else, experiences the real Jesus, life will never be the same.

I am glad that I got a free digital copy of this book, but I may have to go out and buy a few copies to share with others.

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A Time to Stand by Robert Whitlow

A Time to Stand by Robert Whitlow
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC of this book.

I believe this book has a wonderful theme - justice for all. However, I could not get into this book. The characters were pretty forgettable. In fact, I read this book for a while and went almost all week without reading it and didn't wonder about what would happen in the book. It seems pretty predictable.

I was hoping to find a really good Christian fiction. Instead, I would say that it is pretty typical of the genre. The characters were pretty predictable as well as the plot.

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Beautiful in God's Eyes: The Treasures of the Proverbs 31 Woman by Elizabeth George

Beautiful in God's Eyes: The Treasures of the Proverbs 31 Woman by Elizabeth George
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to receive a free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I both loved and hated this book. I loved it because Elizabeth George clearly laid out what a "proverbs 31" woman should look like. I hated it for the same reason. Studying the Proverbs 31 woman exposed some real weaknesses in my life as a wife and mother that I did not care to change. It is not comfortable when the Holy Spirit reveals areas that you are weak in. However, Elizabeth George has accomplished what a good Christian writer should - to create a book in line with the teachings of God's word that, through application and God's help, changes the reader.

I now have a more clear vision of what I want to be as a wife and mother thanks to the encouragement through these pages.

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The Girl Who Came Back by Kerry Wilkinson

The Girl Who Came Back by Kerry Wilkinson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book very much. It is very suspenseful and keeps you wondering up until the very end. The story begins with a young woman who claims she is the lost daughter of Sarah. She supposedly disappeared when she was a little girl and was presumed dead.

There is a subplot about a girl's life named "Lily". The reader is thrown back into time to look at her life as she was growing up.

I will not say how these two are connected, but I will say that the author did a great job of pulling off the plot of this book!



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