29. January 2010 by Shannon.

Another Revell Blog Tour book!!  (I love my “job” *grin*)

The Hidden Flame takes us back to the very foundations of the Christian Church.  Back to the time of the Apostles… and their helpers.  As with all churches, there is much work done by the “invisible people” (no offence, and I do not believe these people’s works go unnoticed by our Heavenly Father).  Abigail is one of those “invisible people”… a behind the scenes kinda girl.  Orphaned with her younger brother, she serves the people following The Way dutifully, even though she is in great pain both physically and emotionally.  And now along come two suitors, both unbidden, looking to have her as their wife.  With a cast which includes Stephen, Martha, Peter and many other familiar figures of the Early Church, this is truly an incredible book by author team Davis Bunn & Janette Oke.   Abigail’s journey of faith, of learning to rely fully on God and trusting in His good plans for our lives, is not only a good read.. it’s good encouragement for those of us facing challenging circumstances which we feel we can not control.  Bunn & Oke remind us gently throughout the novel - sometimes in the words of people we know and love like Martha - that God is in control… and that He loves us.

The writing style was enjoyable to read, and the historical insights captured my imagination and had me often forgetting I was reading a romance novel.  There is another book by this author team called The Centurion’s Wife which I’m looking forward to buying soon to enjoy more of this style of historical fiction.

** a little side note… and I didn’t realise this till right now, but did you know that Janette Oke (pronounced Oak) is from Canada?  I know… silly thing not to have known, but she is.. Yay for Canada! :o)

Available 2010 at your favourite bookseller.

As a review blogger,  I am provided a free copy of the book, curriculum or product to test and use in order to write an honest review. I receive no other compensation and the opinions I share are my own and not influenced by the company in question.

Posted in Literature | Print | 1 Comment »

26. January 2010 by Shannon.

The first book I get to review for the Revell January Blog Tour (doesn’t that sound so nice? I’m on a tour! LOL!) is The Choice by Suzanne Woods Fisher, who is also the author of Amish Peace, Simple Wisdom for a Complicated World.  I don’t know much about the Amish besides buggies and their desire to shun all modern conveniences… so I was curious to learn while reading this book.  I wasn’t disappointed!!

The story is pretty much like any other romance novel, with all it’s unpoken feelings and love triangles… but this novel has a comforting godly twist… Carrie Weaver is not looking for love, she’s already found it in the heart of one of her community’s “black sheep” who has plans to run away with her to join a local baseball team.  But life doesn’t always go the way we planned… and just as they are preparing to “escape”, the Lord calls her father home to Him, the love of her life leaves without her, and she finds herself accepting a marriage proposal with a man who is almost a stranger to her.  Carrie’s life is very typical in that often we have seasons of trials that feel like they last forever.  When one thing after another goes wrong in her life, Carrie finds herself struggling with her faith, her community restrictions, and her Choice. 

The highlights in this book are the colourful characters (”Steelhead” comes to mind) who, although seems rough around the edges, have a fervent love of the Lord.  I also learned a lot of little tips (like how to hang laundry!) which I’ll remember probably for the rest of my life.   The simpleness of the Amish lifestyle appeals to me, even if I couldn’t imagine giving up my front loading washing maching, and so I found the “little things” in the book most interesting.  The writing style is enjoyable to read.  I was surprised to find that overall I enjoyed the book, and would definately recommend it to any of my friends over the typical romance novel out there. 

Available January 2010 at your favourite bookseller.

As a review blogger,  I am provided a free copy of the book, curriculum or product to test and use in order to write an honest review. I receive no other compensation and the opinions I share are my own and not influenced by the company in question.

Posted in Literature | Print | 2 Comments »