Good & Angry

Can you be both good and angry?

In this groundbreaking book, David Powilson reframes the universal problem of anger through and in-depth exploration of God's anger and ours.  Full of practical help for all who struggle with how to respond when life goes wrong.  Good & Angry sets readers on a path toward the faithful and fruitful expression of anger.

David Powlison, MDiv, PhD, is Executive Director of CCEF and a counselor with over thirty years of experience. He has written many books and minibooks, including Seeing with New Eyes; Speaking Truth in Love; and The Biblical Counseling Movement, and is the editor of The Journal of Biblical Counseling.










My Thoughts:
David Powlison is a long time trusted biblical counselor.  In his latest book, Good & Angry, Powlison offers readers a seat at the table with him for a biblical look at anger.  In typical Powlison style, the book is written in a conversational and engaging style.  It's almost as if the reader has pulled up a chair at their local Starbucks and is sharing a cup of coffee and conversation with Powlison.  I appreciated that Good & Angry was not another psychological treatise on "how to control ourselves" better, but a biblical and redeeming response to a natural emotion. You will be blessed by your time spent reading Good & Angry.  The book would be a great resource for discipleship meetings or small group studies.
*I received a complimentary copy of the book for the purpose of giving an honest review.

Blessings,
Jennifer

Priceless: She's Worth Fighting For

In 2012 Joel and Luke Smallbone founded for King & Country and were named Billboard's New Artists to Watch.  Since then, they've exceeded expectations with 750,000 albums sold, 100 million streams, sold-out shows, two Grammy awards, six K-LOVE fan awards, and appearances on national television shows such as The View, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Tonight Show, Fox & Friends, and others.  The "Priceless Movement" has been part of the band from the beginning, reminding women of their worth and encouraging men to respect and honor women.

The powerfully compelling novelization of the major motion picture by Joel and Luke Smallbone of the band for King & Country.

Publisher:  Worthy Publishing

James Stevens was, at one time, a good man with a great life.  After the tragic death of his wife and losing custody of his little girl, James is at the darkest crossroad of his life.  Angry,desperate, and unable to hold down a steady job, he agrees to drive a box truck on a shady, one-time trip cross country for cash - no questions asked.  When he discovers what he is delivering is actually a who, the questions in his mind begin haunting him mercilessly.  James becomes an unlikely hero who must fight to save the lives of two young women and finds himself falling in love with one of them.
Can love, strength, and faith redefine his past and change the course of his future?

My Thoughts:
If you were to ask me, "Who is your favorite band?", I would without a second thought answer with "for King & Country, of course".  Their lyrics inspire and now that inspiration is spreading to the big screen with the upcoming movie Priceless in theaters October 14th.  Joel and Luke Smallbone teamed up with Nancy Rue to write a novelization of the major motion picture.
I don't typically appreciate novelizations of movies.  Most of the time, I find them lacking.  Priceless: She's Worth Fighting For was a refreshing and expected cut way above the rest.  While the book begins and moves for a few chapters at a slow pace, the second half takes your breath away!  The slow pace of the beginning of the story is acceptable as it sets up the characters and back story which for me enhanced the emotional and inspiring second half of the book.
I appreciated that Joel, Luke and Nancy did not hold back as they approached the subject matter.  They didn't clean things up to make it more easy to swallow.  I felt anger at points in the story and was heartbroken and in tears at other points.  The characterization and plot are well thought out and the transformation of James is beautiful.  This is a story portraying how beauty can arise from the ashes and I can't wait to see it on the big screen.

*I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher for the purpose of giving an honest review.



Blessings,
Jennifer

To Follow Her Heart

Rebecca DeMarino is the author of The Southhold Chronicles, a series based on the lives of her ninth great-greandparents, Mary Langton and Barnabas Horton.  She inherited her love of baking and gardening from her mother; a love of horses, reading, and writing from her dad; and the wanderlust gene from both parents.  She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Romance Writers of America, New England Historical Genealogical Sociaety, and the Southold Long Island Historical Society.

You can learn more about Rebecca and her books at her website:  www.rebeccademarino.com.

Duty and love are powerful forces.  Only one has the power to make her life complete.

It is 1664 and Patience Terry is devastated to learn that Captain Jeremy Horton's ship has been shipwrecked off the coast of Barbados.  There were no survivors.  She had hoped that Jeremy would someday give up the sea and settle down with her in Southold, Long Island.

Unaware his memorial service is being planned, Jeremy sails aboard a British warship with secret orders to attack New Amsterdam and claim it for the British Crown.  When he makes his surprise return to Southold - and to an overjoyed Patience - it's not quite the happily-ever-after his beloved had hoped for.

With a finely tuned senxe for authentic historical characters and settings, Rebecca DeMarino plunges you into a world of tall ships, daring journeys and yearning hearts.

My Thoughts:
I have really enjoyed the previous books in The Southold Chronicles, A Place in His Heart and To Capture Her Heart, and To Follow Her Heart did not disappoint!  DeMarino's impeccable research and knowledge of the history and nuances of the time period are obvious.  She is able to transport readers to another time and place.  I felt as if I were actually there with Patience and Jeremy and could see and feel the things they were seeing and feeling.  This is an exceptional Historical romance series and author you will not want to miss!

*I received a complimentary copy of the book for the purpose of giving and honest review.

Happy Reading Ya'll,
Jennifer

Honor Redeemed: Keys of Promise

Christine Johnson is the author of Love's Rescue as well as several books for Steeple Hill and Love Inspired.  She was twice named a finalist for Romance Writers of America's Golden Heart Award. When not writing, she loves to hike and explore God's majestic creation.  These days, she and her husband, a Great Lakes ship pilot, split their time between northern Michigan and the Florida Keys.

Her Future - and her heart - hang in the balance.

Two years ago, Prosperity Jones waved farewell to her beloved David as the army sent him to faraway Key West.  Now with her parents gone, se has but one prospect for the future:  make the dangerous journey from Nantucket to Key West to reunite with David and secure a happier life.

But when Prosperity arrives penniless in the South, she is dismayed to find David has not been eagerly awaiting their reunion.  In fact, he is married to someone else.  Scrambling to survive and nursing a broken heart, Prosperity gains the friendship - and the affection - of a kind doctor.  Could he be the answer to her loneliness?  Or will her life be upended by circumstance yet again?

With deft hand, Christine Johnson fills the senses with the sights, sounds and smells of Key West in this heartwarming story of honor lost, honor redeemed, and a love forged in adversity.

My Thoughts:
Christine Johnson is a new author to me, but Honor Redeemed will not be the last novel of hers that I read!  Johnson writes a story that is wrought with tension and emotion.  Her characters are well-developed and her plot is intricate.  Honor Redeemed is a story of love and personal sacrifice and the dependence we have on God for our very next breath.
Johnson had me engaged on the first page and I kept turning pages until I reached the last...way too soon.  I didn't want the story to end and I'm left wondering what happens further with Prosperity and David.  My only regret is that I did not read the first book in the series, but I will be correcting that mistake very soon.

*I was given a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher for the purpose of giving my honest review.

Happy Reading Ya'll,
Jennifer

Hope Prevails: Insights from a Doctor's Personal Journey through Depression

Dr. Michelle Bengtson has been a neuropsychologist for more than twenty years.  She completed postdoctoral trainng at both the Henry Ford Hospital and the University of Alabama Health Sciences Center.  She lives in the Dallas/Fort Worth area with her husband, their two sons and two dogs.  She offers more hope at www.drmichellebengtson.com.

As a board certified neuropsychologist, Dr. Michelle Bengtson believed she was prescribing the most effective treatments for her clients who struggled with depression.  But when she experienced debilitating depression herself, she found that the treatments se had recommended weren't helping her the way she expected.  She was determined to find out what was missing.
With the deep compassion of someone who has been there, Dr. Bengtson blends her training and that vital missing piece she discovered to offer you a hope grounded in God's love and grace.  She helps you understand what depression is, how it affects you spiritually, and what by God's grace depression cannot do.  The result is an approach that offers not just the management of symptoms but the hope of true release.

My Thoughts:

"The majority of books written on the subject, as well as many treating practitioners, ignore the spiritual side of depression.  The spiritual battle is the reason more people aren't effectively treated and why individuals frequently experience recurrence after treatment.  Treatment, then, if it's to be truly helpful, cannot ignore this aspect.  I endeavor to shed light on this spiritual battle to equip you to fight this war more effectively."  (Dr. Bengtson from Chapter 1)

And equip is exactly what Dr. Bengtson does in her book Hope Prevails.  This book is weighty in that Dr. Bengtson has walked the road of depression and she is very transparent is sharing her journey with readers.  Bengtson isn't just another doctor talking to the reader, but writes as a friend talking with the hurting.  She peels back the layers of this disease and then points to the unfailing hope that is found in Christ.  Dr. Bengtson does not over-spriitualize but offers solid Scriptural support for her directives and and undeniable practical treatment components.

If you or someone you know battles depression, pick this book up today and begin your journey toward victory!

*I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher for the purpose of providing an honest review.

Blessings,
Jennifer

Starving Hearts: Triangular Trade Trilogy AND Giveaway

Janine Mendenhall teaches teens English, of all things! Sometimes she sleeps, but most nights she reads, writes, or watches movies like Pride and Prejudice and claims she's researching her next book. Splickety Love and Splickety Prime have published her flash fiction. She and her husband, Tom, live in North Carolina where they and their two golden retrievers help gratify the needs of their five children and two cats.

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Starving Hearts (Heritage Beacon Fiction, May 2016)

Since her assault, Miss Annette Chetwynd has been plagued by nightmares and worries about an arranged marriage.

She yearns to find her anonymous rescuer. Unfortunately, her health and intellect prevent it. Both repel suitors and cause Annette to doubt God's existence, at least until He answers her prayers in an unusual way. . . .

Mr. Peter Adsley is joining the clergy, and he desires a godly wife by his side. After a failed attempt to obtain one, he engages in a clandestine meeting with the bewitching young woman who keeps crossing his path. But she is so unsettling.

Destined for disappointments, Peter and Annette both endure disgraceful situations. Will Peter's faith sustain him through overwhelming setbacks? Can Annette overcome her doubts? Or will their starving hearts yield to the machinations of a mad man?

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/28OtflH

My Thoughts:
Janine Mendenhall's Starving Hearts is the first book in her brand new Triangular Trade Trilogy.  Part romance but more suspense, Starving Hearts will hold your attention.  Mendenhall writes of 18th Century England with engaging characters, time period dialogue and a steady pace moving a well thought out plot.  The cherry on top of this novel cake is that the gospel is clearly presented throughout the story.  If you love Downton Abbey or follow Jane Austen, you will enjoy Starving Hearts.  

Happy Reading Ya'll,

Jennifer