Review ~ Above Rubies by Jaclyn M. Hawkes

29 Oct, 2013 by in review Leave a comment

Above Rubies 
Rockland Ranch #2
by Jaclyn M. Hawkes
Paperback 
400 pages
Published April 20, 2013
by Spirit Dance Books
ISBN-10: 0985164824
Book Source: LDSBA
Adult Fiction
LDS, Romance
4 stars

His chivalry was strangling her.

He thought he was helping her—and in truth, he was. She was in desperate straits. But as honorable as he was, he was also breaking her heart.

Her attraction was drowning him.

When World Champion rodeo cowboy Rossen Rockland and his friends rescue a young runaway who has been abused by her foster father and take her home to his parents’ ranch, he expects her to turn out to be a pain in the neck. And sometimes she is.

It doesn’t take him long to figure out that she has way more than her allotment of troubles—and far more than her share of gifts. Lovely, talented, and ravingly brilliant, Kit Star is too young, unbelievably humble, and oh, so loveable. Knowing that she needs his protection and time to grow into her potential, Rossen also figures out that what she really is, is a pain in the heart.

Watch for more of the Rockland Ranch Series!

Review: Rodeo champion Rossen Rockland is on his way home from a world rodeo championship in Las Vegas with his adopted brother when he becomes witness to an attack on a young woman walking alone with her guitar. He is in the right place at the right time to rescue Kit and bring her home to Rockland Ranch where she will have a chance to heal and experience what family, love and loyalty really are. How can he help but become attached when he is there every step of the way through hospital visits, surgery, recovery and nurturing the child that is on it’s way?

Kit is 17 and though young in years, has grown up fast from her experiences in the world. She’s smart, gorgeous and talented in more ways than one. But is she ready to be a mother? How can she experience college life and “growing up” when there are so many complications that stand in her way…including Rossen?

I enjoyed book two in the Rockland Ranch series.  It openly explores a woman’s virtue as the victim of abuse: that Kit is worth more than rubies, pure and innocent. Despite what others may think, or find to gossip about, her worth is constant, and it is seen by her new family and Christ. There are messages about the atonement, prayer and hope in God when life seems to be leading away from what you want. At times the story dragged a little bit with a lot of “telling instead of showing”, but when rock star Nick Satori steps in about halfway through, things really pick up speed. He is the prefect addition and the catalyst that was needed to get this fairy tale ending moving in the right direction.

I had a bit of trouble with suspension of disbelief at how perfectly Kit’s life turns out and all the opportunities she is handed. There is also some codependency with she and Rossen which I wish would have been addressed. But overall, I truly enjoyed Above Rubies. I liked that the author teaches justice for the abuser and mercy for the victim. It’s a feel good book with a great message about agency and love. I recommend the series and have already breezed through book 3 🙂

Highlight with cursor to see content: teen pregnancy from abuse, drinking at a party, mention of a meth lab, mild violence from kicking to punching, kissing

                   

Jaclyn M. Hawkes
Photo copyright Heather Zahn Gardner

About the Author: Jaclyn M. Hawkes grew up in Utah with 6 sisters, 4 brothers and any number of pets. (It was never boring!) She got a bachelor’s degree, had a career and traveled extensively before settling down to her life’s work of being the mother of four magnificent and sometimes challenging children. She loves shellfish, the out of doors, the youth and hearing her children laugh. She and her fine husband, their family, and their sometimes very large pets, now live in a mountain valley in northern Utah, where it smells like heaven and kids still move sprinkler pipe.

Find Jaclyn on Facebook/ Twitter/ Website/ Goodreads

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A Holiday Miracle in Apple Blossom by June McCrary Jacobs Blog Tour and Review

25 Oct, 2013 by in review Leave a comment

A Holiday Miracle in Apple Blossom
by June McCrary Jacobs
Hardcover, 144 pages
Published October 8th 2013 
by Cedar Fort Publishing & Media
ISBN 1462113524
Christian 
Adult Fiction
Book Source: Publisher
3 stars

When her student, six-year-old Mary Noel, survives a car accident over Thanksgiving break, Amber and her new friend, Paul, are determined to cheer her up during the holidays. But Mary Noel’s most painful injury is the loss of her dog. The more withdrawn Mary Noel becomes, the more Amber and Paul need a miracle—a miracle that requires the entire community’s help.

Review: The first thing I love about this book is the cover…romantic and Christmasy. The characters are Christian and sweet, though at time they seemed older than pictured–maybe late 40’s-50’s and not in true with their modern day setting. I admit this was a bit hard for me to get into because I couldn’t connect with the story line. The author does a wonderful job explaining the detail of the decorations and preparations for a Christmas Festival in honor of a little girl in the hospital, but not enough time was put into helping the reader know Mary Noel or her parents. I wanted to really feel their plight and sympathize with the dire circumstances they are in. I wanted to smell the goodies for sale at the festival, feel the snow on my cheeks and get a warmth in my heart from the miracle of it all.

A Holiday Miracle in Apple Blossom is a short and sweet read for adults with an example of what true love could look like in a perfect Christian courtship. This author has a lot of potential if she can tap her characters in to the present day and really make everything come alive. I look forward to seeing what she does in the future, as this is her debut novel and she has a great start.

Thanks so much to Cedar Fort for giving us a free copy in exchange for our honest review and inviting us to be a part of the blog tour.

About this author: June’s holiday novella was chosen as the winner of Cedar Fort Inc.’s 2013 Holiday Tale Contest. ‘A Holiday Miracle in Apple Blossom’ was be released on October 8th, 2013.

Although this is June’s debut novel, it is not her first published work. Nearly one hundred of June’s original sewing, quilting, and stitchery projects and articles have been published in recent years in sewing books and sewing and crafting magazines distributed nationally and internationally. Two of her sewing designs for children will appear in the upcoming ‘101 One-Yard Little Wonders’ book published by Storey Publishing.

A Californian since age six, June enjoys reading, writing, visiting historic homes and museums, cooking, designing, sewing, quilting, sewing for charity, and hand-embroidery.

Follow June’s writing, sewing, and reading adventures on her ‘Writing and Sewing’ blog found at: http://www.junemccraryjacobs.com.

Her weekly posts (updated each Wednesday) include book reviews, sewing tips, sewing projects with complimentary instructions, and journaling of the author’s visits to museum exhibits, textile and art shows, and more.

Learn More: Email/ Website & Blog/ Facebook/ Amazon Author Page

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Free Read Friday- Kindle E Books for #Free

25 Oct, 2013 by in Uncategorized Leave a comment

The Captain of Her Heart
Buchanan Saga, Volume I
Kindle Edition
by Anita Stansfield
The year is 1777. As the brooding mists of war settle over a stark American battlefield, Captain Ritcherd Buchanan yearns for his native England—and for Kyrah Payne, the woman he loves. Wounded and disheartened, he eventually returns home, only to have Kyrah torn cruelly away from him and deported for a crime she didn’t commit. Desperate to bring her home, he joins a band of privateers and finds himself embracing the American patriot cause—a cause he’d once sworn to defeat.

All alone in a country at war, Kyrah becomes a victim of the breach between her own impoverished circumstances and the aristocratic upbringing of the man she loves. They had been best friends and confidants for more than half her life, but now she wonders if Ritcherd will ever be able to find her—or if he’ll even try. And she fears that the chasm between their worlds can never be bridged.

A powerful and deeply moving saga, its intricate plot expertly woven and guaranteed to keep any reader turning its pages. The only disappointment is that the book ends!

The Captain of Her Heart may be the finest novel yet by best-selling author Anita Stansfield.

The Busy Mom’s Guide To Speed Cleaning And Organizing: How To Organize, Clean, And Keep Your Home Spotless
Kindle Edition
by BJ Knights
Being a busy mom and handling a large family can be a full-time job by itself, let alone trying to keep your home clean and organized as well. This book will help you save time and money and keep your house clean and organized while balancing life’s other challenges. We will show you numerous cleaning tips, tricks, and techniques to help you clean your house more quickly and efficiently. We will also show you how to get your entire family involved in the cleaning process and how to start developing strong cleaning and organizational habits in your young children.
 
 Awakening 
Book One of The Geis
Kindle Edition
by Christy Dorrity
“AWAKENING is a wonder and a delight. Christy Dorrity is a talent to watch!”- DAVID FARLAND, New York Times bestselling author of Nightingale
“Dorrity invites her readers to a céilí that will quicken the pulse of anyone with Ireland in their blood! AWAKENING will draw you deep into the mysteries of the Celtic worldview—and leave you wanting more of McKayla and her fascinating Aunt Avril!”- KERSTEN HAMILTON, author of Tyger Tyger and the Goblin Wars books
“I thoroughly enjoyed AWAKENING, a captivating and unique debut novel that creatively integrates Irish dance.”- CHRIS NAISH, Riverdance member and Creative Director of Fusion Fighters Irish dancers.
Because some Celtic stories won’t be contained in myth . . .

A little magic has always run in sixteen-year-old McKayla McCleery’s family—at least that’s what she’s been told. McKayla’s eccentric Aunt Avril travels the world as a clairvoyant for the FBI, and her mother can make amazing delicacies out of the most basic of ingredients. But McKayla doesn’t think for a second that the magic is real—it’s just good storytelling. Besides, McKayla doesn’t need magic. She recently moved to beautiful Star Valley, Wyoming, and already she has an amazing best friend, a solo in her upcoming ballet recital, and the gorgeous guy in her physics class keeps looking her way.

When an unexpected fascination with Irish dance leads McKayla to seek instruction from the mute, crippled, janitor at her high school, she learns that her family is not the only one with unexplained abilities.

After Aunt Avril comes to Star Valley in pursuit of a supernatural killer, people begin disappearing, and the lives of those McKayla holds most dear are threatened. When the janitor reveals that an ancient curse, known as a geis, has awakened powers that defy explanation, McKayla is forced to come to terms with what is real and what is fantasy.

A thrilling first novel, Awakening is a gripping contemporary fantasy, based in Celtic mythology, that is rife with magic, romance, and mystery.
Awakening is a clean young adult fantasy
Language: None
Violence: Moderate
Sexual Content: Low to None


 The Legacy
Kindle Edition
by J. Adams

North Carolina native, Cisely Matthews has seen and suffered much in her twenty-two years of life, and she has the scars to prove it. When amazing blessings come to her, she wonders if she will ever feel worthy enough to deserve them.

Australian-born Ingo Kelly is thrown for an emotional loop when he visits his aunt in Utah and meets Cisely for the first time. He falls for her hard and fast. But getting her to accept his love is a challenge he is more than willing to take on.

Adagio St. John is Ingo’s best friend and the two are as close as brothers. When Adagio travels to Utah from his home in Italy to attend Ingo and Cisely’s wedding, he is overjoyed that his friend has found happiness with such an amazing woman. He hopes he can find the same happiness one day and end the loneliness he struggles with on a daily basis. There are prospects aplenty, but none of the shallow beauties can capture his heart.

When love does finally come to Adagio, will he allow himself to embrace it or continue to go it alone?

ENJOY these Free Friday Reads found at Fire and Ice. 
Click book image to download and be sure to double check prices.
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The Romney Family Table by Ann Romney Blog Tour and Review

24 Oct, 2013 by in review, Shadow Mountain, The Romney Family Table 1 comment

The Romney Family Table
Sharing Home-Cooked Recipes and Favorite Traditions
by Ann Romney
Hardcover, 224 pages
Published October 1st 2013
by Shadow Mountain
ISBN 1609076761
Cookbook
Book Source: publisher
5 stars

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!

Home is where good things happen–and for the Romney family, the heart of the home is the kitchen. In The Romney Family Table, Ann Romney, wife of former Massachusetts governor and presidential candidate Mitt Romney, reflects on her many years as a mom, shares family recipes, and describes some of her favorite and not-so-favorite moments of raising a family. Woven together with personal memories and traditions are Romney family favorite recipes such as Peppered Pork Chops with Peach-Vinegar Glaze, Welsh Skillet Cakes, Honey Wheat Bread (which Ann made regularly for five growing sons), and Mimi’s Buttermilk Pancakes, which she and Mitt shared with their Secret Service detail at the end of his presidential campaign.

This unique blend of heartwarming and humorous stories told in Ann’s warm, welcoming style, candid family photos spanning four decades, and more than 125 fabulous recipes will inspire your own traditions and family dinners for years to come.

Includes: • more than 80 family recipes • mouthwatering photographs and menu ideas • family snapshots spanning more than four decades

Review: What a gorgeous cookbook! I admit, that as a mother of five I am constantly on the look out for easy to prepare meals. I appreciate recipes that don’t have a lot of ingredients and aren’t over the top. Ann Romney seems to understand that! Her suggestions are simple yet yummy Mango Salad, monkey bread and cheesy noodles among some of the mouth watering creations. Not only are there recipes, there are pages full of heritage, tradition, family photos and tender moments.

I may have become a little jealous hearing of their Michigan summers at a beach cottage and the fun Fourth of July’s. But I know how hard she and husband Mitt worked to grow a family of all boys in the midst of a political career!  This cookbook is so much more than just recipes, it is a glimpse into the Romney household. My own mother used to receive Christmas cared form the Romney as a thank you for her long hours put in for their campaign. While I’ve never met the Romney’s she and my grandmother cherish their photos with them. And, now that my mom has passed, we cherish them too, as a memory of what my mother loved and stood for.

Heartily recommend The Romney Family Table to gourmet chefs and ordinary moms like me. 

Thanks to Deseret Book and publisher Shadow Mountain for inviting us to be a part of the blog tour.

FTC Disclosure:  I was offered a free book in return for this honest and non-biased review.

About the Author: Ann Romney places primary importance on her role as a wife, a mother, and a grandmother. As First Lady of Massachusetts, she worked to focus attention on the challenges facing at-risk youth and served as the Governor’s Liaison to the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1998, she has volunteered much of her time to raise awareness of the disease. She and her husband, Mitt, celebrated their 44th wedding anniversary this year. They have five sons, five daughters-in-law, and twenty-two grandchildren.

Learn more at Deseret Book/ Goodreads

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Lost in London by Cindy Callaghan Blog Tour and Review

23 Oct, 2013 by in Uncategorized Leave a comment

Lost in London
by Cindy Callaghan
Paperback
240 pages
Published October 125, 2013
by Aladdin
ISBN 1442466537
Middle Grade
Contemporary Fiction
Book Source: Sparkspoint PR
4 stars

 A tween’s foreign exchange experience lands her in London luxury—and some hot water as well! Twelve-year-old Jordan isn’t unhappy, but she’s definitely bored. So when she gets the chance to take part in a London exchange program, she’s thrilled to ditch her small town in Delaware and see the world across the pond. 

Unfortunately, Jordan’s host sister in London, Caroline, isn’t exactly enthusiastic about entertaining an American girl. Despite the chilly welcome, Jordan finds herself loving the city and Caroline’s group of friends, who are much nicer than Caroline herself. 

And then a major misstep leaves Jordan and Caroline trapped together overnight—inside Daphne’s, the world’s largest department store. Given they have complete access to all the fancy shoes, designer dresses, and coolest makeup around, there are worse places to be stuck. But when the girls’ fun has not-so-fun consequences, Jordan’s wish for excitement abroad turns into a lot more than she ever bargained for…

Review: I typically do not read a lot of middle grade books (I pass them on to my kiddos), but this one caught my eye as it is set in London and the premise sounded really promising. And right-O, was not disappointed! I was quickly and easily engaged in the story line and the cast of 13-15 year old characters.

 Jordan is an American student taking a trip to London for a school report. Caroline, her English counterpart is less than thrilled with the prospect of being a tour guide. Caroline comes equipped with her own posse of awesome friends: Sam, Gordo and Ellie who keep the balance between a tourist who want sot see the famous London sights, and a spoiled local who wants to shop and hit a movie. 

I truly enjoyed London through the eyes of a middle school girl and guy. Sam can’t get enough of the sweets–the cafe and the goodies from the bakery owned by their nemesis. While the girls can’t get enough of the famous 18 floor department store named Daphne’s. 

The only sometimes annoying part was the personality of host sister Caroline. Grrrr. That girl. Her personality grated on me. But Cindy Callaghan’s writing was delightful. I even downloaded one of her other books after finishing Lost in London. I love the covers, the idea of introducing my girls to new sights and countries. At ten, my daughter still thinks boys are gross, so I will probably hold on to this series for a couple of years before passing it on. But, I’m so happy to have found a new fun middle grade author that I can also read along and enjoy as an adult.

Thanks so much to SparkPoint Studio for inviting Fire and Ice to be a part of the blog tour and furnishing a free book for review.

Content: Cheating on school work, stealing, sneaking into an older rated movie. No bad language or sexual innuendo. Recommend for ages 12-15.



About the author: Cindy grew up in New Jersey and attended college at the University of Southern California before earning her BA in English and French, and MBA from the University of Delaware. She recently exited corporate America after nearly twenty years, and is now fully entrenched in business consulting, writing, and family.  She is very involved with her children’s activities, including coaching the occasional soccer team. Cindy lives, works and writes in Wilmington, Delaware with her family and numerous rescued pets.

Learn more on her website/ twitter / facebook/ instagram/ goodreads


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Cedar Fort Blog Tour- Carla Kelly’s Christmas Collection

22 Oct, 2013 by in Uncategorized Leave a comment

Carla Kelly’s Christmas Collection
by Carla Kelly
Paperback, 288 pages
Published October 8th 2013
by Sweetwater Books
Adult
Historical Fiction, Romance
Source of Book: Publisher
4 stars

Come explore Regency London with Carla Kelly! This collection features four stories that will warm your heart with Christmas cheer: “The Christmas Ornament,” “Make a Joyful Noise,” “An Object of Charity,” and “The Three Kings.” Filled with romance and a touch of humor, these stories are sure to find a place in your heart and remind you that Christmas is a time for love.

Review: I’ve long been a fan of Carla Kelly’s historical romances because of all the details she puts in that make them feel authentic. These four Christmas novellas all take place in time of war, but offer a wide variety of nationalities and circumstances. From Scottish to Spanish, Navy to the English countryside, Carla takes each of her characters and weaves small tales of unconventional love. Romance that blossoms in the least likely of circumstances between those form different walks of life.

It;s a book you can easily read all in one day. I have to admit I think I like her full length novels a little better because these wrapped up a little too quickly and neatly for my taste. I also wish they were cleaned up just a little bit more from the previous main market release. The oft mention so often of brothels and of women seeking out employment in unsavory places isn’t something I like to read about– though I’m sure it was reality at times. Other than that, I can never find much to complain about with Carla Kelly. She is a wonderful storyteller and historian who find a way to add hope to bleak surroundings. I love how she makes her men real gentlemen, those who ease the suffering of women and are chivalrous, yet down to earth.

This is sure to put you in the mood for Christmas!

Recommended for adults. Thanks so much to Cedar Fort for inviting us to be a part of the blog tour. I was offered a free copy of the book in exchange for my fair and honest review.

Content: drinking, mention of prostitution, sensuality, quick marriages.

About the author: Award-winning author Carla Kelly is a veteran of the New York and international publishing world. The author of more than thirty novels and novellas for Donald I. Fine Co., Signet, and Harlequin, Carla is the recipient of two Rita Awards (think Oscars for romance writing) from Romance Writers of America and two Spur Awards (think Oscars for western fiction) from Western Writers of America.  

Recently, she’s been writing Regency romances (think Pride and Prejudice) set in the Royal Navy’s Channel Fleet during the Napoleonic Wars between England and France. She comes by her love of the ocean from her childhood as a Navy brat.                                                                          

Carla’s history background makes her no stranger to footnote work, either. During her National Park Service days at the Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site, Carla edited Friedrich Kurz’s fur trade journal. She recently completed a short history of Fort Buford, where Sitting Bull surrendered in 1881.
Following the “dumb luck” principle that has guided their lives, the Kellys recently moved to Wellington, Utah, from North Dakota and couldn’t be happier in their new location. In her spare time, Carla volunteers at the Railroad and Mining Museum in Helper, Utah. She likes to visit her five children, who live here and there around the United States. Her favorite place in Utah is Manti, located after a drive on the scenic byway through Huntington Canyon.
And why is she so happy these days? Carla is enjoying writing for an LDS audience now, where she feels most at home.
Find out more about author Carla Kelly: Goodreads/ Website/ Blog

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Blog Tour and Review ~ Consider the Blessings by Thomas S. Monson

19 Oct, 2013 by in review, Thomas S. Monson 1 comment

Consider the Blessings
by Thomas S. Monson
Hardcover, 160 pages
Published September 24th 2013
by Deseret Book
LDS Non-Fiction
Book Source: Publisher
5 stars

If you ask people what they love most about President Thomas S. Monson’s teaching style, chances are they’ll say something about the personal experiences he relates. The accounts President Monson shares are always true, taken from his own life or the real lives of other people. Those warm, memorable accounts have truly become a hallmark of his messages.

Who can forget the woman who saved one of the two sticks of gum Elder Monson passed out to youth in postwar Germany? Or the neighbor who returned a box of baseballs to young Tommy as a thank-you for his kindness to her? Or the father who declined to attend a “Mormon” meeting with his family but had his heart softened by a message he heard on a radio that was actually broken?

In celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of his call as an Apostle, Consider the Blessings presents fifty of the true accounts President Thomas S. Monson has shared over the years. With beautiful photographs and heart-touching content, this is a book to treasure with the whole family.

Review: There truly could not be a more perfect book for me than Consider the Blessings. I have always enjoyed the stories President Monson shares,  and have wanted to learn more about his life for a long time. But I admit,  I have a hard time sitting down with a large biography or doctrinal volume with lots of pages. I am a visual learner who gets easily distracted when I try to focus on “big books” of non-fiction.  

That’s why when I started reading all of the “True Accounts of God’s Hand in Our Lives”  interspersed with beautiful photographs and graphic design that fit each story, I was moved several times to tears. These are the tales that make up one man’s life– and not just any man, a spiritual hero, a friend and a leader. I came away uplifted every time I opened this book.

At one point my little five year old snuggled up by my side while I was reading in bed. He asked, 
“Is that the prophet?”
    “Yes.”
“It’s good you’re reading that mom. It will being the Spirit into our home.”

Such wise, profound words from such a little one who could recognize truth when he saw it.

Consider the Blessings taught me to never postpone a prompting and to live a life of faith–that there is a Heavenly Father who knows and answers our needs. What a treasure and gift Thomas S. Monson has left his readers. His stories are proof that God is in the details of our lives, that He often works through other people’s hands and delivers his messages all throughout the world.

Thanks to Deseret Book for asking us to be a part of the blog tour and for offering me a book in exchange for my honest opinion.

About the Author: President Thomas S. Monson was set apart as the sixteenth President of The Church of Freiberg Germany Temple and in advancing the Lord’s work in other eastern European countries that were part of the communist bloc. He also served as chairman of the Scriptures Publication Committee and supervised the process that resulted in the new editions of the scriptures. His ministry has been characterized by his compassion for the needs of individuals and his gift for one-on-one service.

President Monson and his wife, Frances, are the parents of three children, grandparents of eight, and great-grandparents of eight.
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in February 2008. He had previously served for twenty-two years in the First Presidency of the Church, after having been a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles since October1963. Five years after his call to the Twelve, he was given a special assignment for the work of the Church in Europe, requiring many visits with members behind the Iron Curtain. He was instrumental in the construction of the Freiberg Germany Temple and in advancing the Lord’s work in other eastern European countries that were part of the communist bloc. His ministry has been characterized by his compassion for the needs of individuals and his gift for one-on-one service.

Learn more at Deseret Book. Add it to your GR shelves

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Blog Tour and Review: Written On Our Hearts by Emily Freeman

18 Oct, 2013 by in review, Written On Our Hearts Leave a comment

Written On Our Hearts
Invitations From The Old Testament  
by Emily Freeman
Hardback
180 pages
Published 2013
by Deseret Book
ISBN-10: 1609075951
Religious Non-Fiction
Book Source: Publisher
5 stars

If you have ever found the Old Testament intimidating, you’re not alone. The less-familiar history, themes, and language, coupled with the length of the book, make it a difficult read for many. But author Emily Freeman loves the Old Testament, and as she shares some of the wonderful things she has learned in her study of this book of scripture, you will find yourself coming to love it too.

Written on Our Hearts is not a commentary or an intensive doctrinal study. Instead, Emily writes about the stories of the Old Testament, stories of trusting and overcoming and enduring and believing. Within these stories are all kinds of applications for the challenges we face today.

“There will come a moment in your life,” the author says, “when you or someone you love will struggle with a challenge so great you will wonder how you will make it through. In that moment you will long to better understand the Savior’s role as the Deliverer, and to do that you must go to the book of scripture that describes that role the best—the Old Testament.”

Discover the delivering power of the Lord yourself in the pages of this book—and experience the scriptures in a new, more personal way!

Review: I have never tried to tackle the Old Testament as fully and personally as Emily Freeman does in her book Written on our Hearts. Each chapter is filled with verses, stories, and practical applications of how we can use the scriptural examples of strong Biblical women and men in our own lives. She finds the many women of the Old Testament and weaves their stories to create applications in today’s world. I truly hadn’t realized how many women there are in the Bible! Emily’s deep and studious take on things helped me understand how the Old Testament applies to my life today. Each chapter is two or three pages long, just enough to get the reader thinking and to lift, inspire every day. This is a book you could take an entire year reading, little by little, drop by drop–filling your lamp with oil. I would recommend it as a thorough and practical tool for studying and enjoying the Bible, a great gift for especially the women in your life.

Thanks so much to Emily for taking the time to truly immerse herself in scripture and to Deseret Book for asking us to be a part of the blog tour. I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.

Favorite passage: “Do you ever have one of those days when you look back and wonder if you are enough? If you gave your best? If anyone recognized your effort? Do you wonder whose team you are on? If anyone is cheering for you? On those days, maybe you could remember these verses: The Lord has chosen you because He thinks you are special. You don’t have to be more than anyone else; you can be numbered among the fewest. He will still choose you. He loves you. He won’t turn you away. The Lord, thy God, He is God, the faithful God, who has promised that you will be blessed among all people. Believe Him. There is nothing that would make Him happier than to know that you are on His team.
He know your potential. 
He has chosen you.
Choose Him.




About the Author: Emily Freeman took her first creative writing class in high school and has loved writing ever since. She finds great joy in studying the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Her deep love of the scriptures comes from a desire to find their application in everyday life. She is the author of several books, including The Ten Virgins; 21 Days Closer to Christ; and The Promise of Enough. There is nothing Emily enjoys more for breakfast than a bowl of vanilla ice cream, raspberries, and chocolate chips. Other favorites include parades, vacations, firework displays, and going for a long walk with a good friend. Emily and her husband, Greg, live in Lehi, Utah, with their four children, whom she adores.

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