Stay! A Top Dog Story

Fun book with great illustrations. Ben knows his dog's quirks well and leaves humors, yet helpful note on how to care for him. One thing we can learn is that a little training goes a long way with dogs.

My third grader found it inspiring on how to write a short story for school this year.

*This book was given to me by Net Galley for an honest review.

A Bride at Last

A Bride at Last is a whirlwind of hurt, troubled pasts, and a little bit of love. There's a lot of action packed into this book; enough that I thought surely I'm nearing the end when I was less than halfway through. There's so much hurt and pain that I found myself grieving for these people. I can't imagine going a lifetime without a kind word or touch. Under all the story lines we see lessons that we can take away like not judging people for who they were, but who they are.

Overall it was a great story that I would definitely recommend and possibly read again.

*The novel was given to me by Net Galley for an honest review.

The Gift

The Gift by Wanda E. Brunstetter didn't disappoint!!! We journey through love, sacrifices, loss, pain, and so much more. This is one of those books I struggle to put down because I'm always at a "good part". You seem to settle or calm one issue and suddenly find yourself building up in another area. We have unlikely meetings and chances for new beginnings. It's a whirlwind of a story that leaves me wanting to read more.

While all the relationships are growing, building and blossoming we learn of Leah's love for humming birds. This isn't just a little "I like hummers" and moving on. A lot of facts are shared about the little guys. It made me wish I had a feeder to put out so we can attract our own humming birds.

*This book was given to me by NetGalley for an honest review.

The Promise Box

The Promise Box is a powerful book about loss, love, consequences, and your personal walk with God. We get to see the beauty of adoption after horrific circumstances and the love of a mother. We also witness the over protection of some parents and the patient love of others.

I found this book quite inspiring and at times I was moved to tears. Tricia Goyer's sprinkled wonderful life nuggets throughout the book.

*This book was given to me by NetGalley for an honest review. This is my second time reading it after I realized I didn't review it the first time.

The Undercover Bride

The Undercover Bride is an intriguing book about theft, deception, love, and danger. I was quickly drawn in and HAD to find out how it would end which involved some late night reading. The characters are engaging and loveable. I enjoyed reading the mystery unfold.

*This book was given to me to read by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Heart of the Amish: Life Lessons on Peacemaking and the Power of Forgiveness

I don't read book descriptions because I like the mystery so imagine my surprise that this wasn't another fictional story about an Amish family. I enjoyed the true stories of adversities and how they were overcome. The nuggets of wisdom were truly inspiring. I found myself highlighting throughout the chapters the wonderful points. One thing I loved about this book, even though it's Amish, everyone can find stories they can relate to. Actually, the story about the red coat and the advice that followed were quiet timely for me to read because of a situation with a family member.

This is definitely a book I will be recommending to anyone who wants to learn more about forgiveness and dealing with adversities overall.

*NetGalley gave me a copy of The Heart of the Amish for an honest review.

40 Fun Fables

40 Fun Fables really isn't fun. I thought my daughter would enjoy it given she won both her school and district speech meets, however her connection would only illicit mild interest. Most of the fables seem harsh with "morals" saying things like "It's good to be nice, but watch your back." Several times I would think of what I felt was a better moral to end the story with. I was excited to see fables by Aesop, but that excitement quickly fizzled when I read the quality of the stories. My daughte 40 Fun Fables really isn't fun. I thought my daughter would enjoy it given she won both her school and district speech meets, however her connection would only illicit mild interest. Most of the fables seem harsh with "morals" saying things like "It's good to be nice, but watch your back." Several times I would think of what I felt was a better moral to end the story with. I was excited to see fables by Aesop, but that excitement quickly fizzled when I read the quality of the stories. My daughter recited the Fox and the Crow by Aesop for the district speech meet; where are fables like that? *This book was given to me by NetGalley for an honest review.