Review

Where Treasure Hides by Johnnie Alexander

/ sandramervillehart

A page-turner!

Alison Schuyler meets British Lieutenant Ian Devlin in a train station. She falls in love with him for championing a young boy transported by the unrest settling over Europe in 1939. But she parts from Ian with a heavy heart—even if he can find a way to survive the coming hostilities, she’ll never rise above her family’s curse.

Great Britain enters the war shortly after he meets Alison but he promises he will come home—a promise that isn’t easy to keep.

While Ian fights bravely, Alison busies herself with hiding her family’s priceless art and smuggling Jewish children to safety. And that’s just the beginning.

Danger follows them with every step as the war rages throughout Europe. Is any place safe?

This World War II romance kept me on the edge of my seat through the novel’s many twists. Believable characters struggle to save themselves and their loved ones, making this a story that stays with you.

Recommend! I will look for more novels by this author.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Christianbook.com

 

 

What Ta-Ta’s Teach Us by Jane Jenkins Herlong

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I expected this book to be about breast cancer.

It touches on the topic of cancer, but it is about so much more.

As girls mature into women, their bodies go through many changes. The author briefly talks about those changes and then offers words of wisdom for each change.

The book is also beautifully illustrated by Beth R. Clark.

Lighthearted and full of advice, this quick read is one that many women and girls would find benefits from reading.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, something that has touched many of us personally or through loved ones. That’s why I chose this month to review this book.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Amazon

Miracle at the Higher Grounds Cafe by Max Lucado

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Captivating story!

Chelsea Chambers recently separated from Sawyer, her NFL celebrity husband, and is trying to make the coffee shop that her mother left her a success for her two children. Business crawls. Her only employee quits. Manny shows up the same day. He’s a real godsend and she hires him on the spot.

Then the IRS delivers a huge tax bill that her mother neglected to pay. Sawyer can’t help—he’s somehow managed to go through millions of dollars. Chelsea has to close the shop and sell the property.

Then someone delivers a router that she can try out for three months. Free. She jumps at the chance to increase her business.

But there’s a catch. Internet access is limited to one blog—the God Blog.

And there’s something special about Manny…

I loved this book! The reader sees early on that Manny is really Chelsea’s guardian angel. We’re given glimpses into his conversations with Gabriel.

I particularly loved how the author shows the behind-the-scenes battle between good and evil. Can our prayers for our loved really live on past our death?

Thought-provoking. An enjoyable multi-layered story. Recommend!

-Sandra Merville Hart

Christianbook.com

Civil War Women

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The Civil War Seen Through Women’s Eyes in Stories by Louisa May Alcott, Kate Chopin, Eudora Welty, and other great Women Writers

Edited by Frank McSherry, Jr., Charles G. Waugh, and Martin Greenberg

This is a collection of short stories about the Civil War. Some have such a ring of truth that one wonders if they really happened just this way.

There are stories written by women who lived during the Civil War (1861-65). Other authors were born almost fifty years after the war.

Most stories really resonated with me. They transported me back in time to how citizens of the North and South suffered and I hurt with them.

-Review by Sandra Merville Hart

Amazon

Loving a Harvey Girl by Linda W. Yezak

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From the Smitten Historical Romance Collection: The Cowboys

Taming the West … one heart at a time.

 Eva Knowles has to get a job to support her family back home until her pa gets back on his feet. She meets the handsome cowboy, Cal Stephens, soon after she arrives at a Texas town. She’s grateful for the good word he puts in for her because it lands her a job at the Harvey House.

Cal hasn’t seen the beautiful Eva since she left for six weeks of job training in Kansas. He’d love to court her but his childhood friend, Melody Malone, suddenly seems to be everywhere he goes. When he does go on a date with Eva, she makes it plain she’s not interested in marrying. And Melody isn’t making the situation any easier.

I loved Cal’s character. The author masterfully wrote in deep point of view, enabling me to connect with the cowboy. His honest reactions touched me. I also enjoyed learning about the Harvey Girls, adding to my interest in the well-written story. A page-turner!

I will look for more stories by this author.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Amazon

Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas  Save money and use coupon code SandraMHart for a 20% discount on Lighthouse Publishing books!

Becoming Brave by Jennifer Uhlarik

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From the Smitten Historical Romance Collection: The Cowboys

 Taming the West … one heart at a time.

 A grisly scene of death greets Coy Whittaker on a cattle drive. Five dead bodies—no, a lone brave is still alive. Barely. What happened here?

Aimee Kaplan crawls out from a hollow log—her hiding place during the attack that killed her four brothers. They’d been frightened of someone and on the run in Indian Territory. Was that terrible man behind this attack?

Somehow, she knows she can trust the Coy, the cowboy who finds her. He stumbles upon an outlaw gang near the brothers’ graves. If they were the ones after Aimee’s brothers, he and the other hands must keep her safe while driving the herd.

I was touched by the tragic loss of so many family members at once. The cowboy carries deep wounds from the past and hides his true identity. Danger and suspense kept me turning pages. I had to know what happened. The action drew me immediately to this well-written story.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I will look for more stories by her.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Amazon

Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas  Save money and use coupon code SandraMHart for a 20% discount on Lighthouse Publishing books!

Healing Hearts by Cindy Ervin Huff

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From the Smitten Historical Romance Collection: The Cowboys

 Taming the West … one heart at a time.

 After all he’s lost, Lonnie Holt is determined to save his brother’s life and get Jed back to their newly-inherited home. The snowstorm wasn’t helping matters. The welcome sight of his uncle’s ranch quickly turned to dread. No one should be there. So why did smoke billow from the chimney?

 Having been hired through correspondence, Genny Collins took a job as Clyde Holt’s housekeeper months ago and had been waiting for her new boss to arrive. Meeting the Holt brothers brought more surprises than the death of her employer. She has no place to go and every reason to hide.

Lonnie, with his scarred face and scarred soul, knows that Genny will prefer his brother over him. But that doesn’t prevent him from loving the feisty, resourceful woman.

Both characters carry scars from the past. These wounded, believable characters drew me right into the story. Well-written.

This isn’t the first book I’ve read and enjoyed by this author. I will look for more stories by her.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Amazon

Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas  Save money and use coupon code SandraMHart for a 20% discount on Lighthouse Publishing books!

 

The Epistles of James, Peter, and Jude by Trina Bresser Matous

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Christian Living Bible Study Series

This study takes readers through James, 1st Peter, 2nd Peter, and Jude.

Like  Paul’s Letters to the Early Church, another wonderful Bible Study by Matous, historical and Biblical background begins each new book. Each chapter contains background, overview, insights, and 2-3 discussion questions. I can see Bible Study groups easily doing one or two chapters a week, depending on discussions.

I love the author’s insights from the passages. For instance, the book of James is packed with helpful advice for Christians. Mateous describes it as “one of the most practical books in the New Testament.” She also states that “Wisdom is not the same as information.” She gives the insight that “Finding joy in the midst of trial does not negate the pain.”

Readers will find many gems throughout the book.

This study is appropriate for men’s groups and women’s groups.

This book is also a wonderful supplement for personal study.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas   Use coupon code SandraMHart for a 20% discount on Lighthouse Publishing books!

 

Dictionary of Similar but Separate Words by William R. Luellen

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This book is filled with words commonly used in incorrect ways. For example, do you know the difference between complement vs. compliment? How about eminent vs. imminent? Famous vs. infamous?

If any of these made you wonder about true meanings, this book may be for you.

There is also a section in the back for words that share the same spelling but not the same meaning, such as bass or present.

The author of the book is an editor, writer, and professional speaker. He wrote this book, in part, to answer questions from his clients who spoke English as a second or third language.

A nice reference book for writers, educators, and public speakers.

-Sandra Merville Hart

A Perfect Weakness by Jennifer A. Davids

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No one is beyond redemption.

This 1868 novel set in Hampshire, England, Penelope Howard busies herself helping neighbors of Ashford Hall. Her brother, Thomas, had not inherited the estate as they expected. No, an American doctor was the new baron.

But she has a secret not even her brother knows.

Dr. John Turner no longer feels he deserves that title, but does his new one fit any better? Penelope soon captures his heart. That hardly matters. He doesn’t deserve her, not after what he’s done.

Both hide secrets from the world and from each other. Can God’s grace really be sufficient to cover a terrible sin?

Wounded, scarred characters tugged at my heart and made this a page turner. I couldn’t put it down for long as I had to discover how the ending.

A romance that will tug at your emotions. Recommend.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas  Use coupon code SandraMHart for a 20% discount on Lighthouse Publishing books!