I received a copy of The Dance by Dan Walsh and Gary Smalley from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Combining the literary talents of bestselling author Dan Walsh and the relationship expertise of bestselling author Gary Smalley, The Dance is the first novel in The Restoration Series.Readers will get caught up in these flawed but sincere members of the Anderson family as they rediscover genuine love and start a transformation that ultimately affects all of them. Based on the principles behind Smalley’s bestselling The DNA of Relationships, Walsh expertly weaves proven relationship advice to restore a marriage into this powerful novel.
This is a fictional story but has the lessons of a non fiction marriage book. I've read some of Walsh's and Smalley's books and really like their fictional work the best. This is the first book in a series about the Anderson family. I'm looking forward to the next book.
I received a copy of Darkness Before Dawn by Ace Collins from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
On the same night she discovers she is pregnant, twenty-eight-year-old nurse Meg Richards’ husband is killed in an auto accident caused by a drunken teen. James Thomas, the teen, comes from one of the most influential families in the community. He’s a star athlete and glamour boy at the local high school. Angered by her senseless loss, Meg blames God for what has happened and considers a decision that could change her life even further—until the D.A. intervenes.The results of the brutal trial enrage Meg, leading her down a frightening path of retribution. When the opportunity for revenge comes unexpectedly, will Meg follow through? Or will the remnants of her faith lead her in a different direction?
This is a really dark book. I can totally understand why. I'm not sure how I would've reacted if I was put in Meg's place. I do like to think I wouldn't have let the hate consume me like it did her. In the beginning I was hating Jim as much as Meg, but the more she took her revenge the more I began to feel sorry for him and hate how Meg was acting. I really like how the book ended I just wish it would have followed Meg and Jim a little longer to see how they impact drinking and driving with the teens in their area. I really think Collins was clever with the name of the book.
I received a copy of Grounded by Neta Jackson and Dave Jackson from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Grace’s fiance, bothered by her outspoken stance on purity and her near constant travel, has broken off their relationship. Exhausted and unwilling to continue her current tour, she books a flight home. Traumatic events result in a paralyzing fear of flying. Stuck at home due to a major snowstorm, Grace begins, for the first time, to connect with the residents of Beecham Street. Will she recover her faith and overcome her fears, or will she give up her career? Grounded in Chicago is an uplifting, contemporary tale in an urban setting featuring characters courageously wrestling with the real spiritual and practical issues of average people.
I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the next one in the series. All the characters were very easy to relate to and were developed very well by the authors. I loved how Grace learned to lean on God through out the book. She learned lessons that I think we all have to learn at some point to be able to live a full life. I really hope that Grace makes the right decision when it comes to her future.
I received a copy of Pastors' Wives by Lisa Takeuchi Cullen from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Pastors’ Wives follows three women whose lives converge and intertwine at a Southern evangelical megachurch. Ruthie follows her Wall Street husband from New York to Magnolia, a suburb of Atlanta, when he hears a calling to serve at a megachurch called Greenleaf. Reeling from the death of her mother, Ruthie suffers a crisis of faith—in God, in her marriage, and in herself. Candace is Greenleaf’s “First Lady,” a force of nature who’ll stop at nothing to protect her church and her husband. Ginger, married to Candace’s son, struggles to play dutiful wife and mother while burying her calamitous past. All their lives collide during a fateful event that threatens the survival of all that is precious to them, each will ask herself: what is the price of loving a man of God? Inspired by Cullen’s reporting for Timemagazine, Pastors’ Wives is a passionate portrayal of the private lives of pastors’ wives, caught between the consuming demands of faith, marriage, duty, and love.
The book was a little slow starting for me, but as we got into each of the lives of the women the story really took off. Candace is by far the strongest character in the book but also the most feared and admired. All the women live with a fear of their true self being found out. In the end once everything's out in the open is when they all find true happiness.
I received a copy of Talon by Ronie Kendig from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Air Force veteran Aspen Courtland wants her brother back—dead or alive. Instead she adopts his combat tracking team dog, Talon. But after the attack that separated dog and handler, Talon is afraid of his own shadow. Military Intelligence Operative Dane Markoski has spent his life running from the truth. Now it’s the only thing that can save him—and rescue Austin Courtland—if he dares to face the past. Dane and Aspen need each other to untangle the web of lies. . .and they both need Talon. But can Talon overcome his fear—or will he put everyone in danger?
This is the second book in the A Breed Apart series by Kendig. I read and enjoyed the first book in the series and this one was just as good. Both books have a glossary of terms/acronyms that are a little daunting. I'm not familiar with military terms and did have to refer to the glossary. Don't let the military terms deter you from reading these books. Kendig does a great job of building the characters and putting in twists that you don't see coming.
