A Light On The Hill by Connilyn Cossette

 

After being branded during the battle of Jericho, Moriyah has had no prospects for marriage–until now. She hopes to please the man, but things go horribly wrong and she is forced to flee for her life. Seeking safety at one of the Levitical cities of refuge, she is unprepared for the dangers she faces, and the enemies–and allies–she encounters on her way.

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“I do not know the mind of the Eternal One, Moriyah. But neither do you. He has preserved your life this far, in the most unlikely of situations. Perhaps He has a unique purpose for you, in spite of what you endured. Or perhaps because of it.” He took my face in his hands, his brown eyes intent on mine. “But I do know this, if he commands you to speak truth, you must do so. No matter the cost.”

Connilyn Cossette has been a favorite of mine since her first book came out, and I am surprised at how she tops herself each time she writes a new one!! I didn’t like biblical fiction until I tried her Out Of Egypt series….Then, wow!!! All of her writing delivers like a wonderful fiction book, but also makes me want to read the Bible and just worship Him more.

A Light On The Hill is the first installment in the Cities Of Refuge series, documenting the events following after the Israelites captured Jericho in the book of Joshua. The story was amazing, and it felt intricately woven….Like she truly poured all her heart, soul, and energy into crafting the perfect plot twists and characters for Moriyah.

The romance felt natural, the action was perfection, and I honestly couldn’t put it down for very long without starting to think about what happened next!

I also loved the travel aspect of this book. I don’t normally read that type of story, but it was refreshing and exciting to follow her along, especially with so much detail to the landscaping.

Overall, it was just a solid book. I loved it! I can’t wait for the next one coming out in October of this year.

 

LINKS AND FUN STUFF:

• Connilyn’s Website
• Connilyn’s GoodReads
• Connilyn’s Instagram
• Connilyn’s Pinterest
• Connilyn’s Twitter
• and…Her Facebook!

ALSO! I met her at a book signing in February to celebrate the launch of A Light On The Hill….And yes, she is just as amazing and sweet in person as she is on social media!

-Halee

The Austen Escape by Katherine Reay-A Book Review

Destination Unknown (Book 2 In Roadside Assistance series)-Halee’s Bookshelf

I’ve read this lovely book twice, and it never gets old! The plot, family dynamic and the Christian themes provide just enough depth to tone down some of the annoying characters. (Characters that are actually necessary to the feel of this story.)

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It’s senior year, and Whitney Richards is tired of the constant pressures to be perfect. When she gets a D in Calculus, her mother immediately hires a tutor, worried Whitney won’t get into the ‘right’ college—her alma mater—with imperfect grades. Her tutor, Taylor, is a quiet, mysterious boy who is unlike anyone Whitney has met before. But Taylor’s rougher upbringing has her mother and friends discouraging any type of relationship. Tired of having to play a part for everyone else, Whitney quits the cheerleading squad that once defined her social identity, and begins spending more time with Taylor. Her mom and friends worry Whitney is making a huge mistake, and even Taylor begins to show concern for some of her choices. But for the first time, Whitney is in the driver’s seat of her life. Will she be able to find her identity—and God’s plan for her life—before she throws everything away?

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This book is a contemporary in that it’s very simple to read and understand but it’s not fluffy or “air-head-ish” like most of that category!

Whitney suffers from the consequences of her parents spoiling her just a bit too much-and getting a rude awakening when she meets Taylor. Immediately, that relationship is very interesting…..Their personalities and backgrounds being so different; not to mention she feels humiliated having to meet with a tutor. God uses him and many other circumstances to teach her about the shallow-ness of the circles she runs with. She realizes through painful conversations that everything she’s been striving for in the past several years has been meaningless and not near as important as her and her family always believed.

I LOVED this book both times I read it. It’s super quick, yet packs a punch!

As for some of my negative thoughts, I don’t appreciate how Whitney described appearances a few times….A tiny bit too descriptive for my taste. I’m not saying it wasn’t realistic, it just shouldn’t be portrayed in a book that’s read by younger girls. :-) But that’s honestly all.

Overall- I would recommend this book to any girl 12 and up, especially if you’re in the mood for a “palate cleanser” storyline!! ^_^

~By His Grace,

Halee

SOME INFO AND LINKS FOR THE AUTHOR, AMY CLIPSTON:

• GoodReads
• Her Website
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Pinterest
• Twitter

-Her Roadside Assistance Series-

        

Amy Clipston is a wife, mother, bestselling author, crazy cat lady, Disney fanatic, Marvel fan girl, kidney donor. (Bio from Instagram)

***She’s also written over 30 books, so be sure to check her other series’ out!!***

The Coronation – Up and Coming Author!!

What do you want in a good novel? Not just in a particular genre, but the basic foundations… Do you want flawed and developed characters? A super fast-paced action plot? Or maybe you prefer a poetic writing style?

For me personally, I have only a couple that I want to see for my next favorite story.

Wings Of The Wind-Halee’s Bookshelf

Alanah, a Canaanite, is no stranger to fighting and survival. When her family is killed in battle with the Hebrews, she disguises herself and sneaks onto the battlefield to avenge her family. The one thing she never counted on was surviving.
Tobiah, a Hebrew warrior, is shocked to find an unconscious, wounded woman among the Canaanite casualties. Compelled to bring her to a Hebrew healer back at their camp, he is soon confronted with a truth he can’t ignore: the only way to protect this enemy is to marry her.
Unused to being weak and vulnerable, Alanah submits to the marriage—for now. As she comes to know and respect Tobiah and his people, however, she begins to second-guess her plans of escape. But when her past has painfully unanticipated consequences, the tentative peace she’s found with Tobiah, the Hebrews, and Yahweh is shaken to the core. Can Alanah’s fierce heart and strength withstand the ensuing threats to her life and all she’s come to love?

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There’s a special thing about books that truly sets them apart from other forms of entertainment. They pull you in so effortlessly, cause you to grow a bond with the characters. You rejoice with them when they are successful and feel for them when they fall. But there’s a certain talent that Connilyn Cossette has that I cannot explain other than talent from God.

A good book takes you on a journey, and this one was stunning…Wings Of The Wind was like a beautiful painting, a creatively scripted song, and a perfectly plotted play all at once. Absolutely breathtaking!

Different by Sally and Nathan Clarkson-Halee’s Bookshelf

Nathan was different and Sally knew it.
From his early childhood, Nathan was bursting with creativity and uncontainable energy, struggling not only with learning issues but also with anxiety and OCD. He saw the world through his own unique lens–one that often caused him to be labeled as -bad, – -troubled, – or someone in need of -fixing.-

Bravely choosing to listen to her motherly intuition rather than the loud voices of the world, Sally dared to believe that Nathan’s differences could be part of an intentional design from a loving Creator with a plan for his life. She trusted that the things that made him different were the very things that could make him great.

Join Sally and Nathan as they share their stories from a personal perspective as mother and son. If you are in need of help and hope in your own journey with an outside-the-box child, or if you’re an adult trying to make sense of your differences, you’ll find deep insight, resonance, and encouragement in the pages of this book. Dare to love and nurture the -different- one in your life.

I feel REALLY bad posting my honest opinion for this book….Because for me it was, well, just not good.

I also feel like I’m not qualified to even review this at all, seeing as how this deals with OCD, ADHD, ADD and other mental disorders that I haven’t experienced. And the feel of this book was directed towards parents of “outside-the-box” kids and I obviously couldn’t relate to that.

I didn’t enjoy this book. It was really hard for me to finish it, so I didn’t….I only read about 150 pages out of 220. I couldn’t. It was depressing, un-relatable (for me, personally), and fell flat of an interesting story.

I don’t really want to go any further for this review, for fear that I might say something rude….Because in the end I know that these authors spend a lot of time and effort and heart on writing and publishing a book, but I just didn’t care for it. :(

****Thank you to Tyndale Publishing for providing me with a free copy in exchange for me honest opinion. :-)****

~By His Grace,

Halee

Lizzy & Jane-Halee’s Bookshelf

Lizzy and Jane never saw eye to eye. But when illness brings them together, they discover they may be more like Austen’s famous sisters after all.

Lizzy was only a teenager when her mother died of cancer. Shortly after, Lizzy fled from her home, her family, and her cherished nickname. After working tirelessly to hone her gift of creating magic in the kitchen, Elizabeth has climbed the culinary ladder to become the head chef of her own New York restaurant, Feast. But as her magic begins to elude her, Paul, Feast’s financial backer, brings in someone to share her responsibilities and her kitchen. So Elizabeth flees again.

In a desperate attempt to reconnect with her gift, Elizabeth returns home. But her plans are derailed when she learns that her estranged sister, Jane, is battling cancer. Elizabeth surprises everyone—including herself—when she decides to stay in Seattle and work to prepare healthy, sustaining meals for Jane as she undergoes chemotherapy. She also meets Nick and his winsome son, Matt, who, like Elizabeth, are trying to heal from the wounds of the past.

As she tends to Jane’s needs, Elizabeth’s powers begin to return to her, along with the family she left behind so long ago. Then Paul tries to entice her back to New York, and she is faced with a hard decision: stay and become Lizzy to her sister’s Jane, or return to New York and the life she worked so hard to create?

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Whoaaaaa. What a packed book.
This story deals with some major issues: family dysfunction, depression, cancer, death, being a single parent, etc. So it was a pretty dense plot. Even the dialogue was dense.

But what an oh-so-beautiful story of family redemption and love.

Katherine blends Lizzy & Jane together like a warm and chocolately mocha, with romance as whipped cream and caramel as the delicious food descriptions. I mean , come on, I’m HUNGRY.

Yes, this is an adult book, so I say if you are an older teen this book would be perfectly fine.

It was entertaining, beautifully written, full of amazing and heart wrenching quotes, a total tear-jerker, and one of the most poetically written books in the Christian fiction industry!

 

~By His Grace,

Halee

 

You’re creating more than a meal; you’re creating sustenance and meeting needs that are way beyond nutritional.
–Cecilia ~ Lizzy & Jane, 139

Regal Hearts Blog Tour-Halee’s Bookshelf

“Here we go again. Exhibit A of how the shallow waters of Hollywood works, as you get attacked by the media sharks. First, they compliment you, allow you to put your guard down, and then SNAP! The mousetrap slams down on the innocent cheese taker.”

Watch out people, because the evil of this world is using our media! Whether we like to admit it or not, books (among other things) are strongly influenced by the culture, and these negative and ungodly things are being mindlessly fed to our young people through popular series. They may grab your attention, keep you on the edge of your seat, and may capture you with its romance and fantasy, but it’s not wise material to be putting time into.

Thank God though, because as this generation of young people comes in, so do Godly young writers who are eager to share their writing talent to hungry readers around the world! ^_^ 

I introduce to you, Livy Jarmusch, founder of Crown Of Beauty Magazine!! Livy is an amazing world changer in this generation, touching countless young girls for the glory of God, and she’s also producing TONS of clean and positive media that establishes a firm foundation of biblical content. She has written several books: Secrets Of Royalty, When Life Feels Like A Taylor Swift Song, and a magazine article bind up called Beauty, Boys, and Ballgowns.

Now, with her new “episode-style” story coming up, you’ll be in love with the vivid, relatable characters, the powerful plot, and the need-to-read messages presented.

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I’ve read the first two chapters, and let me tell you, I can’t wait to read more!! It’s such an exciting series with so many twists and turns.

Written especially for girls, Livy hits impacting issues straight on, in an amazing way…..

“No more crying. Listen to me. You are a brave, strong-willed woman. You have been asked to do something against your will, something that will require all the courage and faith that you possess. But God will help you! We will pray, and pray, and pray again, and He will see you through every test and trial that presents itself to you. You must begin to gather your head about this, child.” 

I have to say, my favorite character so far is Emma, with her spunky personality and bookworm/wallflower personality, I can’t help but relate! But I am really enjoying diving into the other creative storylines woven into the big picture…(aka, the whole series.)

I hope you’ll pre-order Livy’s first “episode” in the Regal Hearts series! It’s on Amazon right now: click here.

~By His Grace,

Halee Westbrook

(P.S. Want to read the other blog posts in this blog tour? Check out this following links below, and don’t forget to peruse Livy’s website, Crown Of Beauty!)

• Book review
• Interview with Emma, a spunky character in Regal Hearts….
• ANOTHER interview with Emma, she’s a loved character. ;-)
• Book review
• A sarcastic and amazing guest post from, yes, Emma. :-D

 

The synopsis: 

Following the dramatic birth of her royal daughters, the Queen of Bella-Adar is murdered by the merciless sword of an evil usurper. The helpless princesses are placed in the care of the URIA, an undercover organization who safely extracts and protects the girls from a tragic fate. Sixteen years later, Lena Bodner encounters a stranger who uncovers secrets from her past…

Embark on these regal adventures, as Episode 1 launches an exciting, riveting mini-series of 25 pages released in a periodical, episode format. Reading Regal Hearts is like watching a TV show unfold in your mind, so you’ll have to be patient for the release of each new episode!

Redeeming Grace-Halee’s Bookshelf

Redeeming Grace (Daughters Of The Promised Land series #3)

When famine visits Bethlehem, Boaz holds out hope for rain while his relative Elimelech moves his wife Naomi and their sons to Moab. For a while, it appears the Lord is blessing Elimelech’s family, and his sons marry two lovely Moabite women. But calamities strike, one after another, leaving Naomi alone in a foreign land with only her childless daughters-in-law for comfort. When news reaches Naomi that the famine in Bethlehem has lifted, only Ruth will hazard the journey to her mother-in-law’s homeland. Destitute and downhearted, Naomi resigns herself to a life of bitter poverty, but Ruth holds out hope for a better future. And Boaz may be the one God has chosen to provide it.

Combining meticulous research with her endless imagination, Jill Eileen Smith gorgeously renders one of the most beautiful stories in Scripture. Readers will adore this third installment of the inspiring Daughters of the Promised Land series.

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Soooooo, this book. It seems to me like Biblical fiction is one of those genres that takes a few chapters to get into, then the story picks up and you’re swept away into the plot…..Except this book just never seemed to get better. I’m in no way trying to be ugly towards the HARD work the author put into this (or any book to get published) but I just didn’t get it. I thought it was somewhat interesting…But to be completely honest it just did not catch my attention and I had to force myself to read it in time for this review.

Now, this is not to say that all her books are boring, I personally did not care for it.

I was really wanting to spend my little reading time on a different book.

As for the biblical and historical aspect of the story, I think it was lined up well. It seemed well researched to me.

The last thing I want to touch on is the romance…..I didn’t care for it either. It felt strange to me. I can’t put my finger on it, but I thought it was forced and real at the same time….Not to mention the wedding night scene….Too much. :/

Overall this book was 2 stars-it was just okay. Would I recommend it…Eh, probably not….Would I discourage you from reading it? No, it was neutral.

*Thanks to Revell Publishing for providing a free copy in exchange for my honest review.*

~By His Grace,

Halee

 

Check out Jill Smith’s other two books in the series:

Jill Eileen Smith’s website:

http://www.jilleileensmith.com/books/redeeming-grace-ruths-story/

 

Moving Target-Halee’s Bookshelf

Moving Target (Elite Guardians #3) by Lynette Eason

When Maddy McKay and Quinn Holcombe come up missing, things get interesting. The search for the two missing detectives continues while far away they are in the clutches 0f a madman’s twisted idea of a game. Now, Maddy and Quinn must run for their lives, because if they don’t win this game…They die.

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In a story like this fast-paced suspense novel, you never know what to expect. You’re constantly shocked and you always think you know the plot, but the twists and turns are too much to keep up with! Coming from a person like me who loves watching shows like Criminal Minds, this book was a pleasant surprise that entertained me. I stopped watching CM years ago though, due to too many dark and inappropriate cases. BUT it was so cool to me to be able to get into the killer’s thought processes and ponder through the story’s clues and hints without being exposed to bad scenes and language.

 

I was also highly pleased with the amount of spiritual content as well! The two main characters and their families experience hard things, they fail a lot, and they don’t trust God enough during the trials. But they all slowly but surely found redemption and I loved reading that.

 

I highly recommend this romantic suspense book to anyone who enjoys a thrilling crime story! Moving Target will not disappoint.

~Halee

Feel free to check out Lynette’s website here:

http://www.lynetteeason.com/

And here’s Lynette’s first two books in the Elite Guardians Series: