Falling for You Again

Charlie and Esther Moore have been married nearly fifty years when the contented life they’ve built together begins to crumble. Esther has been forgetful recently, but it’s rarely a problem until the day she puts her car in drive instead of reverse, flying off the end of the carport and into the backyard. Esther’s accident and declining health shatter their reverie, and the couple must come to terms with all the paths their lives have not taken if they ever hope to pull their marriage out of winter. As always, the quirky characters of Deepwater Cove will pop in and out of the story and delight readers.
I've really been enjoying this series of books.  Each on focuses on a different couple and their marriage problems, but shows how everyone around can help you (whether you want them to or not).  In each book the couples have had problems that with some work they've been able to overcome.  This book ends differently but still shows us that life still goes on.

Summer Breeze

In book two of this fiction series based on the best-selling non-fiction book The Four Seasons of Marriage, readers meet the blended family of Derek and Kim Finley. Kim has a set of twins—one boy and one girl—from her first marriage; Luke has recently been diagnosed with diabetes, and Lydia is acting out as a result of the attention now being showered on Luke. To complicate matters, Derek’s overbearing mother comes to live with them. With all that’s going on in their lives, Kim and Derek’s communication begins to break down and their marriage slowly moves into winter. Although the second book will focus on Kim and Derek, readers will also encounter all their favorite characters—Patsy Pringle, Pete Roberts, Steve and Brenda, Esther and Charlie—as well as some new ones, like the proprietor of the new sandwich shop that’s moved in next to Patsy’s beauty parlor.
I can totally relate with Kim in the mother-in-law department.  Being married to an only son can really make marriage life hard when the mother doesn't know how to be accepting.  I really like that everyone learns how to 'fish' and learns so much about each other while also learning to be accepting of their differences.  This is a great lesson to take from the story.  There is also the element of you don't know what you have until you've lost it that the whole community learns the hard way.

It Happens Every Spring

Meet the characters that live, work, dream, and love in the community of Deepwater Cove. Bestselling authors Gary Chapman and Catherine Palmer team up to show how four married couples, all in different stages in life, experience the joys and hardships of marriage as examined in Gary Chapman’s The Four Seasons of Marriage. In book one, Steve and Brenda face a common problem among middle-age couples: empty nest syndrome. Steve works too much, and with their two children out of the house, Brenda feels lonely and unfulfilled. In order to save their marriage, the two must learn to reconnect. Readers are also introduced to many charming characters, like Cody, the mentally challenged homeless man that shows up on Steve and Brenda’s porch; Pete, who owns the Rods ‘N’ Ends tackle shop; and Patsy Pringle, who owns the Just As I Am beauty parlor, where much of the action takes place. The series is based on the marriage principles found in Gary Chapman’s nonfiction book The Four Seasons of Marriage.
I've read several of Gary Chapman's books and enjoyed them all.  This series is no exception.  The characters are easy to get to know and very easy to relate to.  This book focuses on Steve and Brenda but everyone in the town plays a part in helping to heal the couples marriage.  I like the small town that they live in and how everyone takes care of each other.  Many of the neighbors seem overly nosy but who doesn't have a family member or neighbor that isn't?

Avenged

I received a copy of Avenged by Janice Cantore from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
When Officer Carly Edwards finds three young gangbangers shot execution style, she and her husband, Sergeant Nick Anderson, head of the gang unit, fear Las Playas may be on the verge of a gang war. The Las Playas PD is put on high alert as tensions escalate between rival gangs, especially after Carly confiscates weapons from a gang leader and learns they were stolen from a military base along with explosive devices.
But something isn’t adding up, and Carly suspects there might be more going on. As she prepares to testify at a major trial, Carly’s reputation is shredded by a reporter apparently trying to discredit her professionally. Facing pressure on all fronts, Carly must rely on faith and trust God in a deeper way during one of the biggest struggles of her career.
This book had a lot of police lingo that kind of made it hard for me to follow.  I did enjoy the book overall and liked that I couldn't guess the ending like I thought I could part way through the book.  Reading this gave me a new perspective into the lives of couples who both work in the police force.

The Dance

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.

Darkness Before Dawn

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.  

Grounded

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.