Book Review: Bathsheba by Jill Eileen Smith/5 Stars

About the book:

Bathsheba is a woman who longs for love. With her devout husband away fighting the king's wars for many months at a time, discontent and loneliness dog her steps—and make it frighteningly easy to succumb to King David's charm and attention. Though she immediately regrets her involvement with the powerful king, the pieces are set in motion that will destroy everything she holds dear. Can she find forgiveness at the feet of the Almighty? Or has her sin separated her from God—and David—forever?

With a historian's sharp eye for detail and a novelist's creative spirit, Jill Eileen Smith brings to life the passionate and emotional story of David's most famous—and infamous—wife. Smith uses her gentle hand to draw out the humanity in her characters, allowing readers to see themselves in the three-dimensional lives and minds of people who are often viewed in starkly moralistic terms. You will never read the story of David and Bathsheba in the same way again.

My thoughts:

Bathsheba, book three in the Wives of King David series, is the latest book by Jill Eileen Smith, and it doesn't disappoint at all!  While the story itself is not new to me, the delivery of the story is what makes this book so special.  I love the descriptions of David's palace, like the extravagance of the food and the elegance of his garments, which make the story come to life on the page.  I also love the emotion that is displayed in the love triangle which is Bathsheba, David, and Uriah, and Jill does not hold anything back! 

Jill Eileen Smith has seriously found her niche in writing Biblical fiction. I'm hard pressed to find anyone else at the top of their game in that genre as well as she is right now. She has such exceptional talent that explodes on every page with her emotional characters and words that breath new life into age-old Biblical stories.  I highly recommend Bathsheba for fans of Biblical fiction!

5 Stars

Southern?  No
Sass?  No

**Many thanks to Revell for providing a copy for review.

**Click here to read my review of book 2 in this series, Abigail.

Spring Reading Thing 2011

I just realized today that I have not signed up for a SINGLE reading challenge all year!  Well, there's no time like the present, and I seriously need a fire lit under me.

I've decided to sign up for the Spring Reading Thing 2011 that's being hosted by Calapidder Days. I've got a stack of review books that I need to get working on, so that's what will be making up the majority of my list.

Christian Fiction

Love Amid the Ashes by Mesu Andrews--3/25/2011
Scattered Petals by Amanda Cabot--4/10/2011
The Inheritance of Beauty by Nicole Seitz--4/6/2011
Disaster Status by Candace Calvert
A Case for Love by Kaye Dacus
Deliver Us From Evil by Robin Caroll--3/29/2011
Plain Proposal by Beth Wiseman--5/8/2011
Amish Love by Beth Wiseman, Kathleen Fuller, and Kelly Long

Christian YA Fiction

Finding Hollywood Nobody by Lisa Samson--5/31/2011

Christian Non-Fiction

Plain Wisdom by Cindy Woodsmall and Miriam Flaud--3/28/2011

CFBA Blog Tour: The Caregiver by Shelley Shepard Gray

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing The Caregiver Avon Inspire; Original edition (March 8, 2011) by Shelley Shepard Gray



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Shelley Shepard Gray is the beloved author of the Sisters of the Heart series, including Hidden, Wanted, and Forgiven. Before writing, she was a teacher in both Texas and Colorado. She now writes full time and lives in southern Ohio with her husband and two children. When not writing, Shelley volunteers at church, reads, and enjoys walking her miniature dachshund on her town's scenic bike trail.






ABOUT THE BOOK:

Two lives converge one stormy night on a train headed to Cleveland

Lucy is traveling by herself via train to Jacob's Crossing to help care for her cousin Mattie, recently diagnosed with breast cancer. Trying to overcome the sudden death of her husband, she's glad to get away and focus on someone else for a while.

The only other Amish people on the train are Calvin Weaver and his little sister, Katie. When their train breaks down outside of Cleveland, Calvin and Lucy band together to face the outside world. But Calvin also carries the weight of past hurts. When an altercation brings both their wounds to light, they question whether they can trust each other.

Once in Jacob's Crossing, Lucy is occupied with caring for Mattie, while Calvin does his best to run his family's farm. But they can't stop thinking about those special hours spent together. Will the bond they formed last? And will Lucy and Calvin be able to put away the pain in their pasts to recognize the happiness that is suddenly in their grasp?

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Caregiver, go HERE.

Book Review: The Anonymous Bride by Vickie McDonough/4.5 Stars

About the book:

Check yourself into the Texas Boardinghouse Brides series by Vickie McDonough, where you'll meet Luke Davis, marshal of Lookout, Texas, who flippantly tells his cousin he'd get married if the right woman ever came along. When three mail-order brides are delivered to Luke a month later, he's in an uncomfortable predicament. How will he ever choose his mate?

Rachel Hamilton's long-time love for Luke is reignited with his return to town. So when three mail-order brides appear, she panics. Will she find the courage to tell Luke that she loves him? Or take an anonymous part in the contest for his hand?

My thoughts:

Discovering new authors can really be a mixed bag of surprises for a reader. I've had experiences where I wonder what took me so long to get around to them, and I've had other experiences where I wished I could've used my time differently.  No worries....Vickie McDonough fits perfectly into the first category.  :o)

Vickie's western style of writing was very reminiscent of Mary Connealy and Lori Copeland, except it was deeper.  I loved that I got to really invest myself in the emotions of each character.  Luke--who initially had a heart filled with unforgiveness--slowly allowed his heart to soften.  Rachel--who scorned Luke many years ago--longed to admit that she'd made a terrible mistake.  And Jacqueline--better known as "Jack"--was a feisty tomboy that just wanted her ma to marry Luke.

But setting up Luke and Rachel wasn't as easy as a couple of cousins thought it would be!  Luke's cousins took it upon themselves to find a mail-order bride for Luke.  What they didn't count on was that instead of one girl being interested in Luke...there were three!  And what made things even crazier...poor Luke didn't have a clue what he was about to be in for--a pushy mayor, a nosy journalist, and three women vying for his hand in marriage!  If that's not a recipe for a great story, I don't know what is!

I'm so happy to add Vickie to my list of highly recommended authors, and it comes after reading just one book.  I have a feeling that the tiny town of Lookout, Texas has a few more surprises up it's sleeve before the series concludes.  My rating for The Anonymous Bride is 4.5 Stars.

Southern?  No
Sass?  Most all the women in this book have a good dose of it.  :o)

**Many thanks to Barbour Books for providing a copy for review.