Shadowed by Grace by Cara Putnam {Book Review}

Disclosure: I received a complimentary free book in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given, and all thoughts are 100% mine.

My Review:

Shadowed by Grace is set mainly in Italy during the time of WWII. Scott Lindstrom faces the task of protecting the art that the Germans and others were stealing or destroying. He finds that his task is further complicated by Rachel, a photographer sent under his care. Her mission seems unrealistic but finding her father in the midst of a raging war is her last chance to save her mother.

The plot line throughout this book is pretty clear cut. I find it always intriguing to see how a woman sent out to a war-torn country would fare—it always catches my eye and interest. Though a strong character throughout this book, Rachel’s quest to find her father sort of lacked a bit of depth and enough support in my opinion. But still Rachel’s resolve to use what little facts she had from the journal spurred on a plight worth reading about. I did like the little bit of romance in the book which seemed easy to spot from the beginning. My preference…love triangles…or a romance that keeps me wondering who will end up with whom. I am not a fan of the way Putnam created the romance, but there were other things that kept me reading.

Bright Points:
I can tell capturing the emotions, the sights, and sounds of the war were truly important to Cara Putnam. From reading the descriptions, I was pulled into walking the dusty roads, seeing the dilapidated buildings, and feeling the helplessness and devastation that those in the WWII experienced. In this respect, Putnam does a great job in recreating the world her characters were in and our past. I feel that this is something we do need to not forget about or take lightly. I do love the deep emotions Putnam evokes to her readers. In my mind I could picture what the book would play out as a movie! 

Overall an okay read. Not one of my favorites, but still a decent read for those interested in Historical romance fiction.

About the book (information from the blog tour page):

She found peace in a time of war.
Desperate to save her dying mother, an American woman accepts her newspaper's assignment to travel to Italy where she takes photographs dangerously close to the front lines during World War II. But Rachel's real motive in this journey is to find the father she never knew, an artist she hopes can offer the comfort and support both she and her mother need to survive at such a desperate time.
 In her quest, Rachel becomes involved with what will become the Monuments Men effort to save great monuments and works of art from the Third Reich. Soon enough she will find more than she ever imagined---in war, in love, and in God.

About the author: Cara C. Putman graduated high school at 16, college at 20, and completed her law degree at 27. The best-selling author of more than a dozen books, Cara is active in women's ministry at her church, teaches graduate courses at Purdue University, practices law, and is a homeschooling mom. She lives with her husband and 4 children in Indiana.

Learn more about Cara at:http://caraputman.com
Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/sCIbG

A Promise Kept by Robin Lee Hatcher {Review}

Disclosure: I did receive a complimentary review copy of this book for the purpose of writing a review.  This did not affect my positive or negative thoughts on the book.

My Review:

I rather like this style of Robin Lee Hatcher.  I have read her “Autumn’s Angel” in A Bride for all Seasons, and I have to say this more contemporary A Promise Kept is a very welcome change.  Hatcher does a great job in drawing me in.  The backstories created are in depth yet not lengthy that I lose focus.  It is a perfect blend of parallel past and the present.  The book itself reads smoothly and not choppy.  As the story develops I find myself drawn into the world and into the lives of the characters. 

The presence of God, faith, and growth in the characters are believable, relatable, and quite authentic feeling.  I never felt myself rubbed a different way when Hatcher includes God or a prayer.  The way Hatcher displays her own personal faith and beliefs throughout her book is so natural.  The different relationships the main characters had were well thought out with each character serving a purpose in maturing the two women in this book, Allison and Emma.  I have no negative things to say or reserve about this book.  This is a book I would recommend heartily for someone looking for encouragement in how God is faithful to keep His promises.

About the book: 

Information from the Blog Tour (not my writing):

God was going to save her marriage, Allison was sure of it. But neither her husband nor her marriage had been saved.

What had become of His promise?

Tony Kavanagh had been Allison's dream-come-true. They were in love within days, engaged within weeks, married and pregnant within a year. Her cup bubbled over with joy . . . but years later, that joy had been extinguished by unexpected trials.

The day Allison issued her husband an ultimatum, she thought it might save him. She never expected he would actually leave. She was certain God had promised to heal; it was clear that she'd misunderstood.

Now, living in the quiet mountain cabin she inherited from her single, self-reliant Great Aunt Emma, Allison must come to terms with her grief and figure out how to adapt to small town life. But when she finds a wedding dress and a collection of journals in Emma's attic, a portrait of her aunt emerges that takes Allison completely by surprise: a portrait of a heartbroken woman surprisingly like herself.

As Allison reads the incredible story of Emma's life in the 1920s and 1930s, she is forced to ask a difficult question: Does she really surrender every piece of her life to the Lord?
Drawing from her own heart-wrenching story of redemption,A Promise Kept is Robin Lee Hatcher's emotionally charged thanksgiving to a God who answers prayers---in His own time and His own ways.

Meet the author:

Robin is the author of 65+ novels and novellas. Her home is in Idaho, where she spends her time writing stories of faith, courage, and love; pondering the things of God; and loving her family and friends.

Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/sK3Ti 

Learn more about Robin at:http://www.robinleehatcher.com

Blog Tour/More Reviews: http://litfusegroup.com/author/rhatcher

Aloha Rose by Lisa Carter

Disclosure: I received a free complimentary copy of this book for the purpose of writing a review.  This however did not affect my positive or negative opinion about the book.

Aloha Rose.  The story of adoption was beautiful.  I loved how Laney who was adopted was reunited with her family in Hawaii.  Though a bit skeptical, unsure of herself or her feelings, she warms up as the story of her birth mother unfolds through the beautiful dancing of her grandmother.  The quilt in which she was wrapped as a baby are dear to her birth family and a matter of tradition and love.  As Laney opens up her heart one can be moved by her emotions and can relate to the shock of meeting a family one never knew to love.  The descriptions of Hawaii were beautiful and was easily pictured in my mind.

On a secondary note I had thought the story moved a bit too fast to develop the characters and the relationship between each other.  The love between Laney and Kai I felt was rushed.  Though I did enjoy the comical moments between Laney and Kai, I felt that their relationship was still shallow. I would have loved to have more of a developed story between Laney's Hawaiian family for I feel the characters are delightful and have so much more to offer.  There was a lot going on in the book that could have been either left out. Not one of my favorites in the Quilts of Love Series.  

Purchase a copy here.

Learn more at the Quilts of Love website.

The Christmas Quilt by Chapman (Book Review)

Disclosure: I received a free complimentary copy of this book for the purpose of writing a review.  This however did not affect my positive or negative opinion about the book.

Book Review:

The Christmas Quilt was truly moving.  As two friends work on a quilt a story develops focusing on the Fruits of the Spirit.  To distract and ease the nervousness of giving birth to twins, Leah asks her friend, Annie, to tell her stories since she is good about telling stories.  Most quilts have a story behind it, and the stories told unfold will move one’s heart as each demonstrates the Love of God behind each fruit of the Spirit.  A number of characters tell a story throughout the book, and from each story told, I find myself either in tears or held captive.  I love the beauty of God’s work and plan as he works through the lives of the Amish people to bless Leah. 

Though not  usually a fan of Amish fiction, this one truly was a delight to read, and would love more types of books like this from Chapman.  

Purchase a copy here.

Learn more at the Quilts of Love website.

Book Review: The Painted Table by Suzanne Field

Disclosure: I have been given a free review copy of the book for the sole purpose of writing a review. This has in now way affected my opinion of the book. The review of the book is solely mine and in my own words.

A Little Summary of the book:
The Painted Table depicts a story of a young child, Joann, who grows up with a painful past. In the midst of nine children, she misses the lack of the caresses and attention of a mother. Joann in the midst of trauma finds refuge under their table, passed down from generation to generation. Hidden and protected beneath it, she views the world around her. Finding solace, comfort and peace it is her refuge. As a child she overhears and sees things, that were not meant for her beneath this table. Traumatic events and happenings intertwine themselves as dark memories stored down deep in her mind. As an adult she inherits that same table she took refuge under, but now it has become nothing more than a reminder of all of the dark and forboding past. In an effort to bury the past behind her she begins to paint the table.

Watching Joann are her two daughters Saffe and April. As Joann tries to cover up her past with paint, she unknowingly traumatizes them with her disturbing behavior and childhood fears. It seems that her mother's past though gone, has come to haunt Saffe in a different way.
My Review:
At the beginning of this book, I was unsure whether or not I would enjoy this book. The more I read I felt the misery of Joann and Saffe her daughter. I felt the pains and stings of heart break and yearning. Not to mention the brunt fears they faced and ache of absence of father and mother.  Author Suzanne Fields captures the emotions the main characters feel so well that I wondered if I wanted to read on!  But I kept reading, and began seeing glimpses of hope and redemption for the characters (and me!).  The manner in which each character feels things deeply draws a reader in...I love this element.  By the middle and end of the book, I was glad to have not been discouraged by the really sad happenings that set the book into play.

The characters are quite memorable. The parts they play in this book remarkable and relatable. I have to say relatable for at some instances the characters seemed to have conversations and situations that hit close to home. I love seeing them grow into becoming who they are at the end of the book. I am so thankful to have read the Painted Table, for I believe that everyone may find ways in which to grow, become whole, and deal with their own painted table.
 
 This book is quite interesting and I have to admit in some places the tone was scary and dark. The mind can be a dark place, and author Suzanne Field captures the downward spiral of Joann's life quite well. Yet at the same time, I find the contrast of dark to light quite riveting and emotional. Somewhere in the plot, a switch is turned on in Joann's oldest daughter, Sapphire (Sapphe). The whispered promise of a different life, sparks a small ember of light in her heart. I as a reader welcomed the drastic difference from beginning to the ending of the book. And Author Field has a wonderful ending to it, that I was not prepared for. I simply loved it.

Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Personally, this was a book that I would not have picked out for myself; as I am not fond of dealing with psychological characters. But I am glad to have read this book. You cannot judge a book by its cover or in my case its back cover writing. I simply recommend this book in spite of my inclination to avoid matters of psychosis. By the end of this book I am left with a new found interest in the challenge of having a more positive mindset and not minding the "trivial" things in life.

Book Info

About the book: A beautiful heirloom ingrained with family memory has become a totem of a life Saffee would rather forget---a childhood disrupted by her mother's mental illness. Saffee does not want the table. By the time she inherits the object of her mother's obsession, the surface is thick with haphazard layers of paint, and heavy with unsettling memories. After a childhood spent watching her mother slide steadily into insanity, painting and re-painting the ancient table, Saffee has come to fear that seeds of psychosis may lie dormant within her. But as an adult with a family of her own, Saffee must confront her mother's torment if she wants to defend herself against it. Traversing four generations over the course of a century, The Painted Table is an epic portrait of inherited memory, proclivity, and guilt. It is a sprawling narrative affirmation that a family artifact---like a family member---can bear the marks of one's entire past . . . as well as intimations of one's redemption. Purchase your copy: http://ow.ly/rIosh About the author: Suzanne Field, a graduate of the University of Minnesota, has taught English as a Second Language in China, Ukraine, and Hawaii. She has also been a magazine editor and home-school teacher. She and her husband have five children and divide their time between Kansas and Hawaii where she is a tutor and mentor. Learn more about Suzanne at: https://www.facebook.com/SuzanneFieldThePaintedTable