Archive | June, 2017

#BookReview: Friends, Partners, and Lovers by Kevin A. Thompson

6 Jun

Friends, Partners, and Lovers shares Kevin A. Thompson’s thoughts and experiences on “what it takes to make your marriage work”. Thompson discusses three critical roles of a spouse and offers strategies and suggestions for developing and maintaining a healthy relationship. “Healthy marriages do not have less conflict; they have more positive interactions.”

I enjoyed the insight, practical approaches, and simple instructions outlined in the book, as well as the intentional thoughts and discussion questions that conclude each chapter. “Marriage at its best harnesses both the strength of two individuals and the power of a united couple.” Friends, Partners, and Lovers is a great source of encouragement for couples at any stage of marriage!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. No review was required, and all thoughts expressed are my own.

 

About the book:

Great marriages don’t just happen–they’re made, intentionally, day by day. Yet most of us enter the covenant of marriage thinking that the role of spouse will be easy, natural, effortless. Rarely is this true. In fact, the number one cause of divorce isn’t adultery or finances or disagreements. It’s apathy–a lack of intentional emotional, physical, and mental investment in the relationship.

With engaging stories and clear, simple language, pastor Kevin A. Thompson explains the three critical roles of a spouse–friend, partner, and lover–and shows how to nurture those roles in order to keep a marriage healthy and strong. Using solid biblical principles, he helps couples understand how to grow their friendship, be a supportive partner through the good times and the bad, and develop a healthy and satisfying sex life.

Friends, Partners, and Lovers offers essential insight for couples at any stage of marriage but will be especially helpful to those who are struggling and those who are engaged or newly married and looking to start their marriage on strong footing.

Learn more about the book and the author.

#BookReview: Under a Desert Sky by Lynne Hartke

5 Jun

Under a Desert Sky is a candid and compelling read! When faced with her own cancer diagnosis, as well as the diagnoses of both her parents, Lynne Hartke wrestled with a myriad of thoughts, questions, and emotions. Relating her experiences to the Sonoran Desert, Hartke illustrates both the desolation and the beauty to be found in life’s desert places. Heartfelt and hopeful, Under a Desert Sky is a stirring memoir!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. No review was required, and all thoughts expressed are my own.

 

About the book:

There comes a time in life when we find ourselves in the desert place of burning questions: Why? and Why me? But even as we shake our fist heavenward, the heart whispers another question: Who? Who are you, God? Who are you to me?

Against the backdrop of the Sonoran Desert, Lynne Hartke asks her own hard questions as cancer arrives like a thief with one goal: to take it all. Hair. The contents of a stomach. A marriage. A life. As her days become a blur of doctors’ appointments, treatments, and surgeries, she wrestles with a tumble of tangled emotions, a shaken faith, and crushing self-doubt. And then, the unthinkable. Cancer is now threatening not only her own life but also the lives of both her parents.

Through her raw, lyrical words, Hartke invites you to discover, as she did, that even in life’s hardest places, you are not alone in your fear, you are not foolish to hope, and you are never forgotten by a loving, pursuing God. Never.

Learn more about the book and the author. 

#BookReview: Peace in the Valley by Ruth Logan Herne

5 Jun

Peace in the Valley is a great conclusion to the Double S Ranch series! I have enjoyed each of the Stafford stories, and Trey’s tale is my favorite of the bunch. I delighted in the pairing of a successful country crooner with an overwhelmed single mother. Their relationship is entertaining and romantic, and one that beautifully illustrates the importance of faith, love, and forgiveness. While Peace in the Valley can stand alone, I believe fans of cowboy romance will enjoy reading all three books in this heartwarming series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. No review was required, and all thoughts expressed are my own.

 

About the book:

In spite of their differences, Trey Walker Stafford knows he owes his life to cowboy and legendary rancher Sam Stafford—the uncle who rescued him after his parents’ death. Trey had left the Double S Ranch to pursue music against Sam’s wishes, but returns to central Washington when he learns he’s the best match for a procedure that could save Sam’s life. Although Trey’s found country music fame and success, he’s also endured the tragic loss of his wife. He croons about love, but struggles with a yawning emptiness he can’t explain.

Overwhelmed by a growing list of challenges, but mistrustful of Stafford men, single mother Lucy Carlton reluctantly accepts Trey’s help to revive her crumbling farm when Sam instructs him to repay the overdue debt to her family.

As the two grow closer, Trey slowly begins to open his heart to this beautiful woman and strives to let go of the grief he’s held for years. Lucy has a complicated history of her own. Can Trey accept her as she is, learn to forgive the past, and find the elusive peace he’s sought for so long?

Learn more about the book and the author.

#BookReview: My Heart Belongs in Ruby City, Idaho by Susanne Dietze

1 Jun

This mail-order mix-up charmed me right from the start! Filled with action and adventure, Rebecca’s Plight engaged and entertained with every turn of the page. I thoroughly enjoyed the suspense and romance of the story and am eager to read more from Susanne Dietze. My Heart Belongs in Ruby City, Idaho is a delightful tale and a recommended read!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. No review was required, and all thoughts expressed are my own.

 

About the book:

Is it possible to marry the wrong man? Rebecca Rice was looking forward to a quiet life and a full stomach by becoming mail-order bride to her shopkeeper intended, Mr. Fordham—until the justice of the peace calls him Thaddeus, not Theodore, proceeded by the title Deputy. Rebecca would never marry a lawman like her father, so an annulment seems in order—and fast, since Rebecca’s true intended is impatient to claim her as his own. But when the legalities take longer than expected, Rebecca wonders if Tad Fordham wasn’t the right husband for her all along. . . .

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