Melodies of Christmas Love

 

Here is the book summary:

The Heart of Christmas - Lynnette Bonner

When Wynn Mason sees police lights at Misty Cove’s one-and-only bar, she goes inside to investigate and is just in time to see her ex-boyfriend punch Ryland Sage in the face. What is the star of her favorite TV show doing in their tiny Pacific Coast town? Since Wynn is the only medical help for miles around, she has to stitch up his face—and also maybe his heart—all while protecting her own heart from the worldly charmer.

Love on a Mission in Millcreek - JoAnn Durgin

Angelia Ford wonders if she’ll ever live down her unfortunate outburst at the end of the Millcreek Elementary Christmas program. Sixteen years later, she’s home to care for her grandfather and prays the town’s citizens have finally forgiven her youthful indiscretion.

Millcreek’s newest resident, Nicholas Sanders, recognizes the beautiful blonde server at the local diner, but it’s clear Angel doesn’t remember him. What better time than the festive holiday season for Nick to reintroduce himself to the girl he’s never forgotten?

The Bells of New Cheltenham - Chautona Havig

When Justine Driscoll decides to enter a short story contest using a Christmas carol as the inspiration, she discovers love in the carols she investigates, in the story an ex-Army guy tells, and in the little tourist town of New Cheltenham.

A Christmas Duet - Annette M. Irby

A breakup steals a cellist’s inspiration. How will she create new compositions for her ensemble’s next album? Perhaps the church’s handsome music director could help. Join Kate Fleming and Zach Tillmon as Christmas music brings them together on Whidbey Island, Washington.

A Night Divine - Dawn Kinzer

One chilly December night, a tragedy connects successful model Camryn Tate and outreach minister Trace Gardner. As they share a common mission serving the homeless on the streets of Seattle, they provide more than food—they offer hope. But as Christmas Eve approaches, secrets have the potential to break Camryn’s heart.

To Hear the Angels Sing - Lesley Ann McDaniel

Being guardian of her niece isn’t as easy as Devlin Welsh might hope. When her niece is invited to be in a church show, the free childcare is hard to pass up. But when Devlin admits to knowing how to sew, she’s enlisted as costume designer. How will she find the time?

One of Jonah Ryan’s favorite parts of his job as worship leader is working on the kids’ Christmas musical. There’s something about the woman who’s volunteering to design costumes this year that gets him thinking. Could there be more to life than music?

Prairie Rose - Sylvia Stewart

For many years, Rose Morris has lived alone with her dog, Rusty. Mitch Foster, a handsome, un-married neighbor, brings her a bright red geranium, and insists on helping with chores. But who should drive into Rose’s farmyard? The scoundrel husband who had deserted her and her teenaged son years before. Later, a pre-teen runaway, found in her barn, adds his troubles to her own, so Rose decides to re-capture the peace and serenity of Christmas.

And now, my review:

A Christmas Duet by Annette M. Irby is one of seven stories in Melodies of Christmas Love.  This story is full of wonderful moments of connection.  It starts on a ferry, which I just love because I personally enjoy riding them when I’m in the PNW.  The author made me feel like I was right there enjoying the ride with them.  She has a way with words and she drew me right in to the story, painting each scene with wonderful word choices.  I really loved the cello centerpiece of this one.  It’s the encompassing pivotal piece of it.  Makes me want to sit down and enjoy a cup of something warm and some cello music.  Tis the season for some great Christmas reading and I was so blessed with this one.  I’m sure I’ll go on to enjoy the others as well. 

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review.

https://www.amazon.com/Melodies-Christmas-Love-Collection-Contemporary-ebook/dp/B08K3WG9S2/ref=sr_1_1?crid=9YLZM0JGFAHS&dchild=1&keywords=melodies+of+christmas+love&qid=1603235980&sprefix=melodies%2Caps%2C190&sr=8-1

Choose Joy by Ink & Willow

 Here is the book summary:

Relax and enjoy a creative approach to gratitude with this beautiful coloring book for adults filled with breathtaking illustrations and inspirational quotes from writers, hymns, and Scripture.

In today's hectic, stress-filled world, taking stock of our blessings and truly experiencing gratefulness isn't always easy, but this coloring book offers a beautiful and unique way to find moments of peace and quiet to meditate on gratitude. Each beautifully illustrated page features an original design from one of seven talented artists that illustrates a corresponding quote.

Features include:
  •  Large format 9.75" x 9.75" (25x25cm) pages
  •  45 single-sided coloring pages
  •  High quality, bright white paper stock--heavy enough to use pencils, pens, or markers
  •  Quotes from the Bible, hymns, and variety of inspirational writers, such as Charles Stanley, Henry Ward Beecher, Maya Angelou, Louisa May Alcott, Martin Luther King Jr., Shauna Niequist, Bob Goff, G.K. Chesterton, Mr. Rogers, and more
  •  A link to the "Gratefulness" playlist to help set the mood for worship, contemplation, creative expression, and a spirit of gratitude
  •  Illustrations by Holly Camp, Jennifer Tucker, Ann-Margret Hovsepian, Katie Howe, Laura Marshall, Bridget Hurley, and Radha Carlson--all artists previously featured in the bestselling Whatever Is Lovely and Everything Beautiful

This coloring book will take you on a journey towards deeper gratitude. Whether you are embarking on this journey by yourself or in a group, pick up your favorite art supplies and color your way to a new understanding of what it means to be truly grateful.

And now, my review:

To me Choose Joy: A Coloring Book of Gratitude and Wonder is an inspiring adult coloring book.  It has quotes written by other Christians throughout it with about 10 pages of Scripture pages.  The drawings are beautifully done.  Each one stands alone and brings a relaxing feel to it.  I was pulled to this book because of the title and the season in life that I find myself in.  Very fitting for such a time as this.  My favorite quote outside of all the Scripture pages is the one by Kay Arthur.  I just love her.  There is a little snippet on the backside of each page of where the quote, which I really enjoyed reading, came from. I'm looking forward to some color time with this one.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

https://www.amazon.com/Choose-Joy-Coloring-Gratitude-Wonder/dp/0593232208/ref=sr_1_7?dchild=1&keywords=choose+joy&qid=1601940165&sr=8-7

https://www.christianbook.com/choose-coloring-book-gratitude-and-wonder/ink-willow/9780593232200/pd/3232200?event=

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/choose-joy-ink-willow/1136665360?ean=9780593232200

Choose Joy

 

I'm excited that this one was released yesterday, September 22.  Looking forward to coloring through it.  

Blowing on Dandelions by Miralee Ferrell

Here is the book summary:

Do dandelion wishes actually come true?

Katherine Galloway knew this moment of calm wouldn't last, blown away like the dandelion seeds she scattered as a girl. In 1880, three years after her husband's death, she struggles to run an Oregon boardinghouse and raise two girls alone. Things don't get easier when her critical, domineering mother moves in. Katherine must make the situation work, but standing up for herself and her family while honoring her mother isn't easy. And with a daughter entering the teenage years, the pressure on Katherine becomes close to overwhelming.

Then she crosses paths with Micah Jacobs, a widower who could reignite her heart, but she fears a relationship with him might send things over the edge. She must find the strength, wisdom, hope, and faith to remake her life, for everything is about to change.

And now, my review:

I found the audio version of Blowing on Dandelions by Miralee Ferrell to be very romantic.  I liked that they changed the perspectives in that one time I was hearing from the Grandma’s perspective and another time I was hearing from the main character’s perspective.  This was all done with the same reader.  I enjoyed the way that they fixed their pasts and made a great new future. 

I received a copy of this audio file from the author in exchange for my honest review.

https://www.amazon.com/Blowing-Dandelions-Love-Blossoms-Oregon/dp/B073RPHQ8Z/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3VBFGBEF7SMK6&keywords=blowing+on+dandelions&qid=1596744064&sprefix=blowing+on+dan%2Caps%2C182&sr=8-1#customerReviews

Find Your Weigh by Shellie Bowdoin

Here is the book summary:

When has a diet ever yielded long-term weight results?

If you have ever felt hopeless about your weight or struggled with the up and down rollercoaster of yo-yo dieting, Find Your Weigh offers a new perspective and proactive steps to change your relationship with food. You will develop a mental framework and workable habits that will allow you to enjoy all kinds of food in a healthy, managed, Holy Spirit-empowered way!

When we think about losing weight, we immediately think of a diet. However, diets are only short-term fixes to target our weight, which is really just a symptom of our behavior with food. If we really want to change our weight story, we've got to target our behavior with food and uncover the beliefs that actually inform that behavior. The problem is that most of us have no idea what we believe or why we act the way that we do with food.

It's time to walk in freedom over food and weight. Join Shellie Bowdoin as she shares her own weight journey and lays out practical, "aha" steps to help you renew your mind with food. Filled with biblical insights, practical steps and interactive questions, Find Your Weigh helps uncover your excuses and mental blocks with food so you can develop new, workable habits that you can see yourself following next week, next month and next year!

Filled with biblical insights, practical steps, and interactive questions, this book will help you get to the bottom of your food issues to help you figure out why you do what you do and think what you think when it comes to food. Find Your Weigh will lead you through a proven process that will yield tailor-made solutions to fit your preferences and your lifestyle.

Instead of looking for another diet or another workout plan, it's time to alter your relationship with food for good. The only way to do this is to renew your thinking and establish focused eating habits that you can carry on for the rest of your life. I did it and, for the first time in my life, I've taken weight off its pedestal in my head and replaced it with living.

Find Your Weigh is written to be motivational and practical. It can be used alone to set up healthy food habits for successful weight maintenance or alongside another proven weight loss plan.

·       - 50 - day interactive journal with weekly guided reflection questions

·       - Practical steps for developing food habits to include all types of foods into your daily life

·       - Guided practice for developing new life-long eating habits without hunger or deprivation

·       - Personal reflections from my own real-life weight journey

This book also comes with a companion group Bible study. Check out the Find Your Weigh: Walk In Freedom Bible Study Guide by Shellie Bowdoin.

Free video links are also available for use with the study guide. Both the book and the study guide can be used alongside any healthy weight loss program or to help you set up a healthy plan for weight maintenance.

______________________

All profits from the paperback version of Find Your Weigh go to fund mission outreaches throughout Asia through Assemblies of God World Missions.

 

And now, my review:

I really enjoyed Find Your Weigh by Shelley Bowdoin.  In this book she points out a mind over matter approach that can be so freeing.  It’s about our thought processes and the actions tied to them.  I loved how it motivates the read to success.  It’s very practical and not a never have that food again kind of plan.  It’s not about dieting but freedom in getting down to the things that weigh us down.  I also enjoyed how transparent this author was and how much she shares with her readers.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

https://www.amazon.com/Find-Your-Weigh-Freedom-Bible/dp/9715034454/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=find+your+weigh&qid=1596214284&sr=8-2#customerReviews

https://www.christianbook.com/weigh-renew-walk-freedom-edition-0002/shellie-bowdoin/9789715034425/pd/034421?event=ESRCG

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/find-your-weigh-shellie-bowdoin/1134897680?ean=9789715034425

The Clutter-Free Home by Kathi Lipp

Here is the book summary:

When it comes to your home, peace is possible...
 
Longing for a place of peace from which you can love others well? The Clutter-Free Home is your room-by-room guide to decluttering, reclaiming, and celebrating every space of your home. 
 
Let author Kathi Lipp (who once lived a life buried in clutter) walk you through each room of your house to create organizational zones that are not only functional and practical but create places of peace that reflect your personality.  Kathi will help you tackle the four-step process of dedicate, decide, declutter and “do-your-thing” to reveal the home you’ve always dreamed of, and then transform it into a haven that reflects who you truly are meant to be.
 
If you’re also feeling overwhelmed by the care and upkeep of all the stuff under your feet or sense that your home is running you, instead of the other way around, come discover how to create a space that doesn’t have to be showroom perfect to be perfect for you and the people you love.  

And now, my review:

I thought this book hit this subject undeniably well.  It was more than just becoming a minimalist but truly looking at each area of my home and then each item in that area and asking myself questions to see if what I’m seeing fits.  I can be a very sentimental person and there’s just something about stuff, sometimes, that is hard to part with even if it doesn’t fit my space.  This book went into that and it really just comes down to giving yourself permission to let someone else get use out of an item and that someone doesn’t have to be me.  Sounds like freedom.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

https://www.amazon.com/Clutter-Free-Home-Making-Room-Your/dp/0736976981/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2G11KK6T3YZ5N&dchild=1&keywords=the+clutter+free+home+kathi+lipp&qid=1596205341&sprefix=the+clutterfree+home%2Caps%2C234&sr=8-2

https://www.christianbook.com/clutter-home-making-room-your-life/kathi-lipp/9780736976985/pd/976987?product_redirect=1&search_term=the%20clutter&Ntt=976987&item_code=&Ntk=keywords&event=ESRCP

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-clutter-free-home-kathi-lipp/1131010988?ean=9780736976985

The Bridge to Belle Island by Julie Klassen

Here is the book summary:

After a humiliating mistake, lawyer Benjamin Booker resolves to never again trust a beautiful woman. When an old friend is killed, the senior partner isn't satisfied with Bow Street's efforts and asks Benjamin to investigate. Eager to leave London for a while, Benjamin agrees. Evidence takes him to a remote island on the Thames, a world unto itself, shrouded in mist and mystery. Soon he finds himself falling for the main suspect--a woman who claims not to have left the island in ten years. But should he trust her?

On Belle Island, Isabelle feels safe and leads a productive life, but fear keeps her trapped there. When Mr. Booker arrives with news of her trustee's murder in London, Isabelle is stunned. She has not left the island, yet she has a recurring dream about the man's death. Or is it a memory? She had been furious with him, but she never intended . . . this.

When a second person dies and evidence shockingly points to her, Isabelle doesn't know who to trust: the attractive lawyer or the admirer and friends who assemble on the island, each with grudges against the victim. Can she even trust her own mind? While they search for the truth, secrets come to light and danger comes calling.

And now, my review:

I would relate this book to an Agatha Christie type book.  It goes round and round with twists and plot changes.  I thought the author really developed her characters well and gave them depth.  I love the beautiful cover of this book.  I also love the pull toward Jane Austen that this author has.  I don’t however enjoy mystery/murder.  I found talk of this at every turn and all over the book not just a little here or there.  I’m sorry that I didn’t like it more.  It absolutely didn’t have anything to do with a lack in this author.  I found her to be top notch. 

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

https://www.amazon.com/Bridge-Belle-Island-Julie-Klassen-ebook/dp/B07PZYTSC8/ref=sr_1_2?crid=FSYHIV4YIE3I&dchild=1&keywords=the+bridge+to+belle+island+julie+klassen&qid=1596204646&sprefix=the+bridge+to+belle+i%2Caps%2C178&sr=8-2

https://www.christianbook.com/the-bridge-to-belle-island-softcover/julie-klassen/9780764218194/product-reviews/218194?submitted_review=1

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-bridge-to-belle-island-julie-klassen/1130543143?ean=9780764218194