His Treasure: Gems of Love from Your King by Sheri Rose Shepherd

 What a touching devotional!  As I read the words in "His Treasure: Gems of Love from Your King" by Sheri Rose Shepherd, I could "feel" God's words bringing comfort, strength, understanding, love.  Each devotion is short but impactful. My very first thought was that I wanted to get this book into the hands of a friend who recently lost her husband.  I am going to purchase a few copies to have on hand for just such occasions when I find that a woman I know has experienced a loss (death, divorce, job loss, etc.)and needs encouragement.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a free copy of this book by Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion.

Unspoken by Dee Henderson

"Unspoken" by Dee Henderson is a great example that you can have a good mystery without foul language, gratuitous sex, and gore.

Bryce Bishop, owner of a prestigious rare coin shop in Chicago, meets a mysterious woman with a troubled past that he can't get out of is mind.  She has a business proposition that he can't refuse.  As he gets to know her, he finds that she has some disturbing secrets and he wants to help her through them, all while sharing his faith in a God that she believes turned her back on her.

My take?  Bryce Bishop is an incredibly chivalrous man with a "golden" code of ethics.  He is sweet, kind, and thoughtful.  Charlotte is understandably cautious, generous, and loyal to her dear friends, John and Ellie.  The pair of them make a great team as they set out to give away more money than I could ever imagine having.

With some books, it's easy to skim the pages maybe because the book is too wordy or the storyline too week.  "Unspoken", although over 400 pages, is so well written that you don't want to hurry the story.  I really enjoyed the book although I hate to admit that I thought the story itself was pretty unbelievable and the end a bit anti-climactic.

I'm passing this one on to my soon-to-be 13 year older daughter and look forward to reading other books Dee Henderson has written.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a free copy of this book by Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion.

My Hope Is Found by Joanne Bischof

"My Hope is Found" by Joanne Bischof is the third book in her Cadence of Grace series.  Although I have not yet read the first book,  "My Hope is Found" is equally as riveting as her second book, "Though My Heart is Torn".

The story begins with Gideon returning to Lonnie, hoping to win her back now that he has been "released" from his first wife, Cassie.  What happens when he arrives is nothing less than awkward as Lonnie has just been proposed to by the new young preacher, Toby McKee.  Throughout the book, all three of them must deal with their feelings about each other.  Each grow in their personal faiths during the process and I was awed by how the characters were so authentically open about their feelings.  It was refreshing that there were no hidden agendas or manipulating going on!

Again, I really enjoyed this book and could hardly put it down.  I really have enjoyed Mrs. Bischof's writing and look forward to her next book...

• Author's Web site
• Twitter
• Podcast
• More Info
• Read Chapter One
• Author Bio

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a free copy of this book by WaterBrook Multnomah in exchange for my honest opinion. 

Harvest of Gold by Tessa Afshar

"Harvest of Gold" by Tessa Afshar picks up where "Harvest of Rubies" left off.   At the beginning of the book, Sarah and Darius discover and foil a plot to assassinate King Artaxerxes.  Although their relationship is strained, Sarah finds herself pregnant just before she, Darius, and her Uncle Nehemiah set off toward Jerusalem to orchestrate the rebuilding of the wall surrounding the city.  Tensions increase when it appears Sarah has miscarried while on the journey to Jerusalem...before telling her husband that she was pregnant to begin with.  Amazingly, the Lord works through Nehemiah to help Darius deal with a hurtful time during his childhood which allows him to come to grips with his true feelings for his wife.

I enjoyed getting to know the main characters better in this book and think to get the most of the story, reading "Harvest of Rubies" is a must.  

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a free copy of this book by Moody Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion.