The Heart of King, Jill Eileen Smith, blog tour. (Book Review)

About the book:

  King Solomon could-- and did-- have anything he wanted, including many women from many lands. But for all of his wealth and wisdom, did he or the women he loved ever find what they were searching for?

 In this engrossing novel, find yourself whisked away to ancient Israel, where you'll meet four remarkable women: Naamah the desert princess, Abishag the shepardess, Siti the daughter of a pharoah, and Nicaula the queen of Sheba.
 As you experience the world of Solomon through his eyes and theirs, you'll grapple with whether this king's storied wisdom ultimately benefited him and those he loved... or betrayed them.

My thoughts: 2/5 stars.

 I was very intrigued by this story in the beginning.
 King Solomon was a very layered man. Reading this book gives you insight and perspective into this wise king.

I was very pleased by how close to the real story this book was.
 I have been reading about Solomon lately and this book gave me perspective.

However, I did not enjoy this book very much. The imagined personalities of the first three wives were terrible.

  Naamah was selfish, whiney and a brat.
   And Abishag was way too focused on stealing another girl's guy.
 Siti was completely full of herself and totally unlikeable.

 The writing was very good though. Smith really does have a talent with words.

  I had some conflict with content. 
   There were a lot of mentions of sex without directly saying it.
 I did not want to invite those thoughts into my head.

 I found the book boring and slow.

 All of these things ultimately made me decide not to finish the book.

 I'm definitely NOT giving up on Jill Eileen Smith.

 I loved her nonfiction book, When Life Doesn't Match Your Dreams,  which I reviewed just a little while ago.

 I will be reading more books by Jill Eileen Smith, this book just wasn't for me.



If you're interested in purchasing The Heart of a King Christian Books.Com has it on sale now!

-Rebekah


**I was given a free copy of this book from the publisher  in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are purely my own.**

On a Summer Tide by Suzanne Woods Fisher: Blog Tour (Book Review)

About the book:
  Sometimes love hurts--and sometimes it can heal in the most unexpected way.

Camden Grayson loves her challenging career, but the rest of her life could use some improvement. "Moving on" is Cam's mantra. But there's a difference, her two sisters insist, between one who moves on . . . and one who keeps moving. 

Cam's full-throttle life skids to a stop when her father buys a remote island off the coast of Maine. Paul Grayson has a dream to breathe new life into the island--a dream that includes reuniting his estranged daughters. Certain Dad has lost his mind, the three sisters rush to the island. To Cam's surprise, the slow pace of island life appeals to her, along with the locals--and one in particular. Seth Walker, the scruffy island schoolteacher harbors more than a few surprises.

With On a Summer Tide, bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher begins a brand-new contemporary romance series that is sure to delight her fans and draw new ones.

My thoughts: 3.5/5 stars

A speaker without a voice. 

 A counselor who can't counsel. 

A college student with no major in sight. 

 A woman with no clear path in life. 

Where can God take these four people if they only trust Him?

I hate, hate, hate doing this...  But.... I didn't really enjoy this book. 

  I wanted to, so badly did I want to! But I just found the book a little too boring and calm.

 All of the girls were so focused on what the "perfect life" should look like, they forgot what truly makes them happy.

The girls were way too focused on themselves and didn't really care about those around them. 

Cam was too immature to be a mother. She needed to settle down and take care of her son. Instead she was looking for her next way out. 

 Cam doesn't know the difference between independence and loneliness. She's strong but holds herself away from others.

 But you could definitely see how the girls and Paul and even little quirky Cooper grew so much.

The book was much too calm, and if there was a bit of chaos, it got resolved very quickly.

 On a Summer Tide was... Calming  Like the reader was meant to be observant and patient. It felt like... waiting.

But I do believe my hesitancy to love this book was completely my fault. 

 I've been in an awkward state with reading lately. 

 I believe this book is better suited to other people. It just wasn't for me.

Some of my favorite quotes:

 "It's okay to start with a small Faith. We've got a big God.

Cam wondered how the world could be so beautiful yet so heartbreaking. 

"Few observations worth making are quick ones."

I still recommend this book to anyone who loves Christian romance, learning about new states, and is who looking for a nice summer read. 

 My lack of enjoyment from this book is totally on me. 

Purchase link


**Thanks so much to Revell for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are purely my own. I was in no way obligated to leave a positive review.**

Sex, Purity, and the Longings of a Girl's Heart: Discovering the Beauty and Freedom of God-Defined Sexuality, Kristen Clark, Bethany Beal (Book Review)

About the book:

Sex, Purity, and the Longings of a Girl's Heart: Discovering the Beauty and Freedom of God-Defined Sexuality

For the modern Christian woman living in today's sexually charged society, embracing God's design for sex and purity can often feel like an impossible pursuit. As the culture seeks to normalize things such as pornography, erotica, and casual sex, both single and married women of all ages feel immense pressure to conform. With alluring temptations constantly inviting them to join in, they might even begin to question whether God's design is truly good. They wrestle with questions like

- What is the purpose of my sexuality?
- What does it mean to pursue purity?
- Are my sexual longings good or bad?

In this encouraging book, Kristen Clark and Bethany Beal share honestly about their own struggles and victories, and invite women on a personal journey to discover and reclaim a biblical vision for their sexuality. Kristen and Bethany help women understand why God's design for sexuality is good, relevant, and leads to true hope and lasting freedom.

My thoughts: 5/5 stars

Sex, Purity and the Longings of a Girl's Heart isn't a light read! Kristen Clark and Bethany Beal dig deep into the hush-hush topics.

All the things you thought you knew, all the things you didn't know, and all the things you need to know are talked about in an open and honest way. 

All these things are talked about in an amazing and Biblical perspective. When you read SPLGH, you're introduced to God's actual intention for sex, purity and the longings of your heart. 

These sisters made me feel a closeness to Christ and other Christians that I haven't felt in a long time. It made me feel not so alone in this big, ugly world, and that touched my heart. There are other women in this world that struggle with the same things I do, not just with the topics Clark and Beal covered  but with so many other things. 

Through this book I was able to connect with so many amazing and different women, I was truly blessed by it. 

  Though I haven't struggled with most of what the authors talked about, I was given new perspective; I am not the gold star Christian girl I think I thought I was. I have sinned. I am broken. I'm am definitely imperfect and full of flaws. But that's okay. Because God restores me. He accepts my brokenness and desires me to live for Him.

 "Apart from Christ, our hearts aren't going to lead us toward truth, righteousness, or freedom. (Jer. 17:9) Our hearts are actively deceiving us; therefore we should be wary of staking our entire identity. In the basis of how we feel."

    "Sexuality has been so chopped up, reshaped,         and altered that it looks very different from              what God originally designed it to be. We, as             humankind, have strayed so far from God’s             original purpose and intent for our sexuality           that most of us have accepted the chopped-up         version as normal. Without the original design       in view, we no longer know what’s right. We           no longer know what’s good. Sex is no longer           linked to marriage. Truth is no longer linked to       God. As a result, we’re pursuing a myriad of           personal choices regarding our sexuality                 without a compass guiding us to true north.            The way we navigate our sexuality today is             similar to someone trying to put together an           extremely complex puzzle without the photo on      the box to guide them."

My favorite message from this book? 👇👇

"Just as Jesus loved and welcomed this sexually broken woman in the New Testament, (Luke chapter 7), He is still welcoming sexually broken women today. Just as He gave the prostitute woman a new identity and future, He is doing the same for us today. Jesus welcomes the hurting. He invites the weary. He takes what is broken and shattered and makes it whole again. Our brokenness doesn’t render us useless to God; rather , we become a beautiful display of His amazing grace."


  I was so touched by the power in this book that gave me a very needed reminder of how Christ sees me, that I cried. He's beautiful. He's love is beautiful. His forgiveness and mercy is beautiful. I am beautiful, because of Him. It touched my heart and soul deeply.


 I 1000% recommend this book. It's absolutely amazing and I hope it will touch you as deeply as it did me.
Go grab your copy of Sex, Purity and the Longings of a Girl's Heart now!!

**Thanks so much to the authors/publisher who gave me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was no way obligated to leave a positive review.**

~Rebekah ❤️❤️

The Best of Intentions by Susan Anne Mason (Book Review)

About the book:
 In the aftermath of tragedy, Grace hopes to reclaim her nephew from the relatives who rejected her sister because of her class. Under an alias, she becomes her nephew's nanny to observe the formidable family up close. Unexpectedly, she begins to fall for the boy's guardian, who is promised to another. Can Grace protect her nephew . . . and her heart?

My thoughts: 5/5 stars

This book was fun, intense, meaningful and beautiful. 

 I adored the relationships among Grace, Andrew and Virginia. 

 Andrew was kind and most of the time a gentleman. Though he did become a jerk later on. (more about that later.)

 Grace, a lovely, and humble lady.  Though she was not always gracious. She made mistakes like everyone else.

  Their love was sweet yet forbidden. But not even Drew's father's social standards could keep them from falling for each other. Hard and fast. 

  I'm not gonna lie, there were times I hated Andrew. He was a jerk for most the back half of the book. I almost wanted him to suffer the terrible fate he'd created from his own hands. THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DON'T TRUST GOD WITH YOUR FUTURE!!! 
   Andrew needed a good purse whacking and I wished someone would have given it to him. 

 I did feel the drama dragged on. I wasn't sure where things would end up but I was very content with the ending. 

 So why did I dislike Andrew most of the time? 
 Because he could forgive everyone but Grace. He perceived her to be a perfect person. And when he learned she was only human, he was disappointed he was wrong, and took it out on her! 

 I was a little disappointed by the lack of faith content, and honestly, if the characters had been more faithful, I believe things would have turned out differently. 

 I did absolutely adore Susan's writing style and her amazing ability to draw a reader in. 

 Trigger warning: there was a pretty intense kissing scene. Other than that it was clean! 

Grab your copy of The Best of Intentions!

Thanks so much to Bethany House for a free ecopy of this book.
*I was given a free copy of this in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way, obligated to leave a positive review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are purely my own.*

The Golden Bride by Kimberley Woodhouse (Book Review)

About the book:

 Can Olivia survive the crime and Gold Rush fever of 1849...and the countless marriage proposals?
A series for fans of all things related to history, romance, adventure, faith, and family trees.

The Daughters of the Mayflower series continues when Olivia Brighton finds herself widowed and working in her brother’s restaurant in San Francisco during the height of the rush for gold. Even though she receives at least twenty marriage proposals a day, she will never marry a gold miner. Her brother’s friend Joseph Sawyer has gotten caught up in local politics and the plight of Chinese in forced labor. The more Joseph gets pulled into investigating crime in the city, the less Olivia sees of the compassionate man. And just when she thinks she could love again, a fire threatens to steal all hope.

My thoughts: 5/5 stars

  Kimberley Woodhouse does it again!

Interesting historical facts delivered in an amazing way, feisty characters, and a sweet love story!

 Evil villains, beautiful (clean) romance and history galore run rampant in Woodhouse's newest novel. And I must say, she did not disappoint!

 This book, I think, is my favorite of this author's!

   I loved the characters; the story was amazing as usual, though difficult to read at times. Woodhouse captured 1849, San Francisco in all its real hardship. I was surprised to learn it was very much like "modern" day Sodom and Gomorrah.

 As always with Kimberley Woodhouse's books I learned an abundance (Thanks for writing amazing stories that count as my history lesson for the day!)

 My heart soared and melted with the cute scenes of Olivia and Joseph! 

 But they weren't all cute. Woodhouse went into deep topics (though I was shocked to discover she didn't write all the horrific details, I shuddered and cried at what she did write ) with this newest installment of "The Mayflower Brides Collection."

   Human slave trade, terrible sin, greed, this author is not afraid to speak about the things we shy away from.

 In the midst of these difficult topics there was light hearted banter, a sweet brother/sister relationship, and a sweet, sweet love story, not just man/woman but Child/God.

 Olivia and Joseph (and Daniel because I liked him too much not to mention!) were relatable, encouraging, and inspired me to deepen my faith in Christ.

 I appreciate the life lessons Woodhouse weaves into her stories, I'm always so blessed by her writing.

I can't tell you the number of times I sighed with delight and contentment  

 I was really into these characters and this story, I'm heart broken to let them go. But the ending could not have been more beautiful.

I leave with a full and happy heart, with a love bursting for these new friends that will forever live in my heart. 

Definitely, definitely don't miss The Golden Bride!

~Rebekah

**Thank you so much to the author/publisher for a free copy of this book. I was in no way obligated to leave a positive review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are purely by own. **