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Never a Bridesmaid by Janice Thompson

April 9, 2015 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

Mari Hays’s excitement at the news of her sister’s engagement is quickly extinguished when she learns she will be at the end of a long line of bridesmaids. And what’s even worse is Sienna Jameson, the person Crystal has chosen as her maid of honor, is not a good choice. The woman is self-absorbed and not dependable. Determined to help her sister create her dream wedding, Mari puts aside her disappointment and throws herself into dress fittings, cake tasting, and shower planning since Sienna seems to be more interested in capturing the attention of the best man. Mari can’t help but admire handsome Derrick Richardson, a professional baseball player, who seems to take an interest in her. Is there a happily ever after in Mari’s future with this kind-hearted man who knows she’s truly the maid of honor?

I’ve seen Janic e Thompson’s name kicked around a few times on a Christian fiction group on Facebook and I have two of her books loaded on my Kindle but have not yet read them. After reading this novella in the May installment in Zondervan’s Year of Wedding series, I’m ready to crack one of those open. This story was lighthearted and enjoyable. The scene where Mari is baking cookies with Derrick and his mother is fun and endearing. Written from Mari’s perspective, the reader gets great insight into both Mari’s and Crystal’s past. I’m not usually a fan of these books when the two characters are just meeting, but this one was an exception. Mari’s natural tendency to serve her sister, including talking to her when she’s stressed out to the point of wanting to end things, makes her more likable. This one is a keeper!

Preorder your copy (available April 28) here.

***Booklook Bloggers and Zondervan provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Remnants: Season of Fire by Lisa T. Bergren

March 25, 2015 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

With the popularity of dystopian young adult novels, it isn’t a surprise that the genre has entered the Christian fiction market. I’ve read and enjoyed the trilogies: Hunger Games, Divergent, and Legend. What do you think it is about these books that draw people in? A young person bringing hope to a people? Someone rising above, taking a stand for what they believe is right? The action? In truth, it’s most likely a combination of these things.

I’ve known about Lisa T. Bergren’s Remnants series for a while. I even downloaded the first book on my Kindle a few months ago but my TBR pile is forever growing and I just hadn’t gotten to it. When I was given the opportunity to review the second book, I took it. It took three pages before I realized I needed to read the first book or I would be lost. After reading Season of Wonder, I was into the story and picked Season of Fire (book two) up immediately. Now the waiting begins for the final book in The Remnants Trilogy (sigh).

Andriana is a Remnant, a girl with the gift of empathy who has a high calling from the Maker. She and her knight, Ronan, have joined with other remnants (each with their own unique gift—healing, discernment, a seer) and knights to fight for the Maker’s glory. Ronan and Andriana have admitted they love each other but now have the struggle of riding themselves of that love because their enemy will use it against them. When Andriana is taken captive by Keallach (another remnant who has ignored his calling), she is challenged more than ever before. Separated from her friends and Ronan and determined to show Keallach the way back to the light, Andriana struggles with succumbing to his influence instead of swaying him to her side. Will she succumb to Sethos’s evil power or rely on the Maker to lead her through the darkness.

Unlike Season of Wonder, the second book in the trilogy gives the reader two points of view (both Andriana’s and Ronan’s while they are separated). This makes the book more rounded as the reader gets to follow both Andriana’s progress as well as her follow remnants. The story moves fast with a good balance of action and internal struggle throughout, and Bergren keeps you guessing as to which side Keallach truly belongs to. If you are looking for a good read for a teenager (or if you like YA books), this is a good choice with an uplifting, Christian message.

****Booklook Bloggers provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own

A Thing of Beauty by Lisa Samson

January 10, 2015 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

A new year means a whole slew of new books. Several of my favorite authors are completing their series this year before they start on the next one, but everyone once in a while it’s nice to pick up a book that has no others attached to it, a book that was written with no follow up in mind. This is exactly why I chose to read and review A Thing of Beauty by Lisa Samson.

Fiona Hume left her Hollywood life ten years ago after an ugly divorce. She bought a beautiful home in Baltimore with dreams of becoming an artist (one that makes beautiful things with her hands as opposed to with her appearance). The only problem is that while Fiona has managed to collect plenty of “items” (junk from thrift shops and even from garbage piles off the street), she has yet to create anything. Instead her home has become a dumping ground for everything she’s collected over the years. Desperate for a makeover for an interview she’s scheduled and without money, Fiona decides to take on a boarder. Josia Yeu agrees to Fiona’s ridiculous terms and rents the maid quarters. As Fiona gets to know the man and sees how he transforms a place in her home, she begins to open up to the man and to other people in her life. Will she ever find the happiness that Josia embodies or will she always be stuck in her self-absorbed world (a life she despises her parents for living in)?

This book is not a romance, though there are several mentions of love throughout. No, this book is about a woman’s journey to discovery. Through the course of the book, Fiona discovers beauty, friendship, love, and truth. Because the book is written in first person point of view, the reader sees everything through Fiona’s eyes. Samson’s main character is quirky and funny at times but also pessimistic and uninspired. As you take the journey with Fiona, you find her growing as she lets others shine light into her world. There are no religious transformations in the book. In fact, I’m not even sure God was mentioned and I was more than a little surprised to find a few curse words in a Thomas Nelson book (not many, just three or four but some readers may find this offensive so I want to mention it). It was an intriguing story of how letting go of the past and allowing people to come alongside you in life can bring peace and happiness.

****Booklook Bloggers and Thomas Nelson provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.