A Heart Revealed

By: Julie Lessman


http://www.revellbooks.com/



In this story we are introduced to Emma Malloy who has left Dublin and an abusive husband ten years ago for a fresh start in America. In this time Emma has drawn closer to God and has found completeness in running her own business and in taking care of those that are close and dear to her heart. During the past ten years that she has spent in Boston she has drawn close to the O'Connor family and she has become really good friends with Sean O'Connor but she is afraid to look any further at her feelings due to her refusal to break her vows to her husband.



Sean O'Connor is a confirmed bachelor who refuses to give any thought to finding the right woman and settling down in wedded bliss. So it comes as no surprise when his sisters and their husbands conspire to trick him into catching the garter at his sister's wedding. Sean is dealing with a lot of secrets from his past and has a hard time moving on from some of the terrible things that happened to him and has spent his life trying to make up for them. When the loss of his job causes him to help Emma in her store he begins to realize that Emma could be the type of woman that could make him change his mind about remaining single. Can Sean and Emma learn to forgive themselves and move on from the sins of their past? Pick up this story and find out.


I really enjoyed reading this story and it kept me hooked until the last page was read and even then I was looking for more. There are so many great points in this story that I will only be able to pick out a few to expound on in this review. First and foremost I really loved the theme of forgiveness that was shown throughout this whole book. Not only did the characters have to learn to forgive each other but they also had to learn to forgive themselves for the things that they had done wrong as well. Like Emma and Sean there are a lot of people that feel that because they have done wrong in the past that they don't deserve to be forgiven and to find happiness in their lives. We are all human and have done wrong but we should learn from the things that we have done wrong and change them so that we have a chance at a better future. I also liked how the author showed how forgiveness and compromise should work in a marriage. When you marry someone you don't look to change them but you look to find a middle ground that will make each person happy. The biggest thing is to remember to communicate and to compromise when troubles arise. Put pride aside when needed and admit when you are wrong because silence and anger can cause more harm to a marriage but if you look deep and remember why you married that person and always PUT GOD FIRST things will work out for your good. Pick up this book and let God talk to you through the characters and the words found within.


Available September 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group

Blue Skies Tomorrow

By: Sarah Sundin


http://www.revellbooks.com/



This is book three in the Wings of Glory series and we are once again introduced to those Novak brothers and this story is about Raymond Novak. In this story Raymond is more interested in being a pastor than joining the army but the more that he hears about the great things that his brothers are doing and the sacrifices of other men that are serving their country the more he begins to feel that he is missing out on something great and he sets out to prove to himself and others that he is just as good as his brothers.

We are also introduced to Helen Carlisle who's husband was killed in action during the war and she is left alone to raise their son. Helen sets out o fill her time volunteering and also uses it as a way to escape her true feelings. She has been hiding a terrible secret and is afraid that she will slip and give it away.

When these two meet up sparks begin to fly and there new found attraction will be put to the test. Can Helen over come the secrets of her past and find a lasting love that will surpass all her expectations or will she let the secrets from her past destroy her chance a t love? and can Raymond survive his tour of duty during the war and find his true calling before it is too late? Pick up this amazing story and find out what happens to these two people.


I really really enjoyed reading this Story and catching up with all of the Novak brothers that we meet in the first two stories. I loved the message in this story of forgiveness and the message of moving on from the past and not getting lost in what happened. I also like that Raymond began to realize that he did not need to compete with his brothers and that what he was doing was just as important as what they did fighting in the war. Many people today get so caught up in trying to do what others are doing that they forget to look at the good that they are doing. God made all of us unique and equipped us all to handle certain tasks. There are also a lot of people who are walking around today caring scars from thing that were done to them in the past and they are letting it cause them problems today. We must all learn to forgive those that have done wrong to us, not for them, but for us so that we can move on and have greater hope in the future.


Available August 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

The Colonel's Lady

By: Laura Frantz

http://www.revellbooks.com/

In this novel we are introduced to Roxanna Rowan who is heading to a Kentucky fort to reunite with her father who has been serving with the army there. Little does she know the hardships and trials that she will face thanks to her decision to leave the safety of Virginia and brave the wilds of Kentucky. To make matter worse She receives the terrible news that her father was killed but a few days before her arrival to the fort. Can this brave girl hold up under the strain of the loss of her father and the struggles of fort life?

Next we are introduced to Colonel Cassius McLinn who has been placed in charge of the men and women who reside at the fort. When he meets Roxanna he fills a great need to take care of her because he feels a great responsibility for the death of her father. Felling a need to help her he offers her the chance to feel in the job that her father held by writing letters for him to certain people. The more together that they spend the sparks begin to fly between them but one terrible secret threatens to ruin it all. Can these to people over come the harsh trials and the deep secret that separates them and find lasting love? Pick up this exciting story and find out.

I found this novel to be an exciting page turner that kept me hooked until the last page was read. Each character in this story faces several trials that they must over come and there is a great bases of faith and prayer being the answer. Also there is a great part that forgiveness plays in this story as Roxanna must forgive the Colonel in hopes of finding the chance at true love and happiness and the Colonel must forgive himself for something that happened that was beyond his control.

Available August 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

A Killer Among Us

By: Lynette Eason

http://www.revellbooks.com/



This Novel is book three and the final installment in the Women of Justice Series. In this book we meet Kit Kenyon who is the sister of Samantha and Jamie who first meet in the previous two books. Kit is working as a hostage negotiator and is very good at what she does. She is partnered up with Noah Lambert who is a detective. Kit and Noah find themselves dealing with a serial killer who is not only killing certain victims but he has also formed an unhealthy fixation on Kit. In the midst of all of this turmoil Noah has to deal with the issues that he has over being given another female partner after the loss of his previous partner. This book is a powerful suspense novel that will leave the reader on the edge of their seat.


This book was a great way to end the series and I really hate to see it end. This book was a page turner that kept me hooked til the very end. Just when you think that you have the story figured out and that you know who the killer is with the turn of the next page you are thrown for a loop again. It was great to catch up with the earlier characters in the series and to see how they are doing. I liked the message of forgiveness in the story when Kit is faced with coming to terms with her adoptive mother and that Noah must learn to forgive himself for something that happened that was beyond his control. There are a lot of people today that are still holding on to anger at perceived wrongs as well as people who are holding on to missed place guilt.


Available May 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Tomorrow's Garden

By: Amanda Cabot

http://www.revellbooks.com/

This story is book 3 in the Texas Dream series and in this book we are introduced to Harriet Kirk who is doing the best that she can to take care of her younger siblings after the tragic death of her parents in a house fire. She decides to take a teaching position in the town of Laderville, Texas. Harriet is hoping that with this new job and by moving to new location that she will be able to hide what she sees as a shameful secret and she also hopes that this move will help to keep her brother out of trouble. Little does she know that this move will bring with it a new set of trial and tribulations and that her past will return to haunt her even here in this new town.

We are also introduced to Lawrence Wood who is a former Texas Ranger turned Mayor and Sheriff of this small town. Lawrence is facing problems of his own which are further complicated with the arrival of Harriet and her siblings. The more time these two spend together the more their feelings for one another begin to grow. Can this fragile relationship stand up to the trials and test that arise in this small Texas town. pick up this book and find out what happens when a Schoolteacher meets a former Texas Ranger and watch the sparks fly.

I really enjoyed reading this story and found myself being pulled into the story and experiencing everything with the characters. Harriet finds herself in the desperate situation of having to raise her siblings after the death of her parents and find that she must make some difficult decisions. This story is full of tough decisions that each character has to face as well as a story filled with learning to trust in others and realize that not everything is as it seems. This is a great story about learning to trust in others and to not feel that you have to do everything yourself. It is also shows how important it is to face your fears and to always be prepared for the unexpected. It also reveals that for everything you do there is a consequence as one of the characters found out in the story. Over all this is a great story about family and the love that can be found when it is lest expected.

Available April 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Bathsheba

By: Jill Eileen Smith

http://www.revellbooks.com/




This is the final installment in the Wives of King David series and in the story we are introduced to Bathsheba and her husband Uriah who is one of King David's soldiers. In this story we see Bathsheba as a lonely woman who is longing to feel loved and looking for a way to fill the loneliness that she feels from being married to a man that is constantly away at war. Little does she expect to feel a connection to David when she first meets him and talks to him. The connection also takes King David by surprise as well and he finds it hard to keep her off his mind. One night of passion turns into turmoil when Bathsheba finds herself pregnant with the King's child. David makes one fatal decision which will forever change all of their lives and which leads to consequences that well follow them throughout the rest of their lives.


As many times as I have read this story in the Bible it has never really struck me as it did reading this book. I found myself feeling more for the characters in this story and truly being able to feel what led them to do what they did even knowing that it was wrong. What really came through for me was the love that David felt for his wives and how much he loved his children and most of all how much he truly loved God. I found myself unable to put this book down until the last page was read. This story really shows how one decision can affect your whole life and not just yours but those around you as well. I also brought home that no matter how powerful you may think you are you are still responsible for your actions that the consequences that those actions bring. No man is above God's law and no man is immune to his punishments but in the end God's love will always shine through. In the case of David and Bathsheba even though they were punished for their sins in the beginning by the ens of the story they were once again feeling God's love and mercy in their lives.

Available March 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Angel Sister

By: Ann H. Gabhart

http://www.revellbooks.com/

In this novel we are introduced to Kate Merritt who is taking care of her family in 1936. She is having to help out her mother in taking care of her sisters as well as dealing with her father who is an alcoholic. The family is trying to come to terms with their financial troubles as well as coping with a husband who has been suffering with an addiction to alcohol since he came back from the war. One day while going to the church Kate finds a dirty little girl sitting on the steps. The little girls name is Lorena Birdsong and she was left by her parents who told her that an angel would come and take care of her. When she sees Kate she begins to think of her as her angel sister. The arrival of Lorena seems to bring some life back into the family that is until the town begins to question the wisdom of allowing this little girl to be raised in a family that is dealing with such troubles. Pick up this book and see what happens to Kate and her family as well as little Lorena Birdsong.

This was a great novel to read and at certain points actually brought tears to my eyes as i read it. I loved the message of forgiveness and the underlying strength of the characters in this novel. Even though each of the characters have fallen short in their lives they each possess an inner strength that allows them to continue to do what they must in order to survive. Kate as the middle daughter has stepped in to help her mother out and also to be the one to help her father when he comes home late at night drunk. I also loved the willingness of this family to take in a poor lost child even though they were struggling with problems of their own. It has become so easy for people today to turn away those in need because they feel that they already have enough on their plate dealing with their own troubles. Sometimes in helping others we can actually help ourselves in the process.

Available February 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.