Growing Up Duggar: It's All About Relationships by Jana Duggar, Jill Duggar, Jessa Duggar, Jinger Duggar

About Book

It's All About Relationships!

In this delightful and very personal book, the four oldest Duggar girls share their hearts and their core beliefs, explaining that it's all about relationships! 

Relationship with self: The girls share their own personal journeys to self-acceptance and navigating the difficult stage of adolescence. 

Relationship with parents: You'll find revelations about how Jim Bob and Michelle keep the lines of communication open with their children. 

Relationships with siblings: Here, you'll get a peek into the Buddy system, how the siblings handle conflict, and how the loss of little Jubilee (their sister) affected their relationships with each other. 

Relationships with friends: You'll find principles on how the Duggar kids deal with peer pressure and how they interact with friends outside their family. 

Relationships with boys: You'll learn the Duggar view of dating and courtship, and these four sisters will address the often-asked question of when one of them will get married. 

Relationship with God: And woven throughout the book, the girls talk about their most important relationship of all their relationship with God and their own personal faith and beliefs. 

This candid look into what Jana, Jill, Jessa, and Jinger believe and why they believe it will give you practical insights into your own life and will inspire you to evaluate principles that will work for you.

Read Except Here

Where to buy: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, CBD

My Thoughts

This is definitely a book for young women of faith.  I would like my granddaughters to read this book. Starting new relationships with the intent of marriage in the future is a an exciting yet difficult time for young women of faith.  Following the rules of parents and church is not always easy unless you have been raised with Christian values. The Duggar parents have not slacked on raising their children with Christian values. 

The book is a short fast read but I suggest you slow down and enjoy the inspired advise and experiences offered by these lovely young women of faith.

I highly recommend this book for young women.

I rated this book a 4 out of 5.

Disclosure:  I received a free copy of this book from Howard Books/SimonSchuster for an hones review.

Healer of Carthage, The Carthage Chronicles, Book 1 by Lynne Gentry

About Book

A twenty-first-century doctor. A third-century plague. A love out of time.

First-year resident Dr. Lisbeth Hastings is too busy to take her father’s bizarre summons seriously. But when a tragic mistake puts her career in jeopardy, answering her father’s call seems her only hope of redeeming the devastating failure that her life has become. 

While exploring the haunting cave at her father’s archaeological dig, Lisbeth falls through a hidden hole, awakening to find herself the object of a slave auction and the ruins of Roman Carthage inexplicably restored to a thriving metropolis. Is it possible that she’s traveled back in time, and, if so, how can she find her way back home? 

Cyprian Thascius believes God called him to rescue the mysterious woman from the slave trader’s cell. What he doesn’t understand is why saving the church of his newfound faith requires him to love a woman whose peculiar ways could get him killed. But who is he to question God? 

As their different worlds collide, it sparks an intense attraction that unites Lisbeth and Cyprian in a battle against a deadly epidemic. Even as they confront persecution, uncover buried secrets, and ignite the beginnings of a medical revolution, Roman wrath threatens to separate them forever. Can they find their way to each other through all these obstacles? Or are the eighteen hundred years between them too far of a leap? 

Read an Excerpt here.

Howard Books |  416 pages | ISBN 9781476746333 | March 2014 - See more at: http://books.simonandschuster.com/Healer-of-Carthage/Lynne-Gentry/The-Carthage-Chronicles/9781476746333#sthash.cBnEMm3V.dpuf

Where to purchase: Amazon, Barnes&Noble

About Author

Lynne Gentry was a finalist in Westbow’s 2010 fiction contest. She is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), and three of her novels have been selected as finalists for the ACFW Genesis contest. Lynne is a pastor’s wife and the mother of two grown children. 

See more at: http://authors.simonandschuster.com/Lynne-Gentry/412732530#sthash.Pidtkp2y.dpuf


My Thoughts

Dr. Lisbeth Hastings while on a suspended leave is summoned by her father to an archaeological dig. While exploring ancient cave drawings Lisbeth finds the ground literally disappearing from under her feet. When she regains consciousness she finds herself being sold as a slave to Cyprian Thascius. Angry and fighting for her life Cyprian drags her away to his home.  He tries to calm her but she was beyond calming.  God called upon Cyprian to save Lisbeth from being sold to an evil man. He finds himself draw not only by God to this woman but also by  his heart.

Lisbeth is forced into a situation to use her medical skills when two boys are brought into Cyprian's home during a Christian gathering. The Romans are out to destroy any of the followers of Jesus. How and why did she manage to be in Roman Carthage eighteen hundred years in the past?

This story gave me goosebumps when the ground fell out from under Lisbeth. I wish to tell you so much about the story but then that would spoil the story for you. The author started with a contemporary novel jumping into a historical romance novel. I found interest in the conditions, knowledge and medicines healers eighteen hundred years ago had to work with.  

If you are interested in time travel and biblical fiction this is the book for you.

I rated this book a 4 out of 5.

Disclosure:  I received a free copy of this book from Howard Book/SimonSchuster for an honest review.

Vow Unbroken, A Lone Star Novel by Caryl McAdoo

About Book

A spunky young widow hires a farmhand with a bad reputation to help her get her cotton to Jefferson to meet the wagon train, and sparks fly—but can she love a man who doesn’t love the Lord?

Susannah Abbot Baylor reluctantly hires Henry Buckmeyer to help her along the Jefferson Trace, the hard stretch of land between her Texas farm and the cotton market, where she is determined to get a fair price for her crop. It’s been a rough year, and she’s in danger of losing the land her husband left to her and the children, but she’ll need help getting both of her wagons to Jefferson safely. She knows Henry’s reputation as a layabout and is prepared for his insolence, but she is not expecting his irresistible good looks or his gentle manner. Soon they are entwined in a romantic relationship that only gets more complicated when Susannah learns that Henry doesn’t know God the way she does. Dangers arise on the road—but none as difficult as the trial her heart is going through.

Will Susannah and Henry’s love overcome their differences? And will she get her crop safely to the cotton market with enough money to save the farm? In this heartening and adventurous tale, a young woman’s fortitude, faith, and heart are put to the ultimate test.  

"For You, O God, have heard my vows; You have given me the heritage of those who fear Your name."

Psalm 61:5 NKJV

See more at: http://books.simonandschuster.com/Vow-Unbroken/Caryl-McAdoo/9781476735511#sthash.yepD10Av.dpuf

Where to Purchase: aMAZON,  BARNES & nOBLE,

Howard Books |  368 pages | ISBN 9781476735511 | March 2014 

About Author

Caryl McAdoo lives in Red River County, Texas, where she brags the nearest soda pop or gasoline is almost ten miles from home. In the country setting of the Texas piney woods, she enjoys four wheeling over the 916-acre McAdoo Ranch, horseback riding, and caring for donkeys, dairy goats, chickens, and a plethora of dogs and cats. Caryl credits her relationship with the Lord for every good blessing in her life, including ten children (counting “in-loves”) and fourteen grandsugars. Her heart’s desire is to bring Him glory. - See more at: http://authors.simonandschuster.com/Caryl-McAdoo/411169289#sthash.fTTJCuAd.dpuf

My Thoughts

The young widow Susannah Baylor is angry and ready to make a long trip to catch up with friends set out on a wagon train to sell their bounty of cotton.  She had been glad to not be making the long trip but after the wagon train was several days out she finds herself cheated and mislead by a buyer that offered her a fair price but when she arrived with her cotton he insisted on paying her a much lower price.  She is discouraged by friends at home to not make the trip alone especially with her daughter and nephew since there are so many danger in such a trek. They recommend she hire Henry Buckmeyer to help her on the trip.  She had heard he was a slacker and a drunk but she knew she could not go alone.  

Susannah took their advise finding all the rumors about Henry were unfounded. He was a hard working attractive man and was very patient and kind. Her young daughter Becky falls in love with him and makes it know to him she wants him to be her daddy which must remain their secret until just the right time.  Susannah sees the attachment the children have for Henry but she has made a vow she can not break.  She must focus on getting the cotton sold while overcoming apparent dangers on the long trip.  

Susannah is like a mama bear ready to do what she must to protect her cubs.  Her character is strong , independent and determined.  The author writes of a woman wanting to prove to the world she can stand on her own two feet not needing a man to tell her how to do anything.  A character in charge no matter how badly she would love to have a partner to lean on for a change. 

An adventurous tale of romance, danger and trust. 

I rated this book 5 out of 5.

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book from Howard Books/ SimonSchuster for an honest review.