Archive | July 2024

Fury by Steffani Webb (introduced by Ronie Kendig)

Jul16

Fast Paced Thriller

Fury by Steffani Webb, introduced by Ronie Kendig is a fabulous Christian suspense that I really enjoyed. It is the fourth book in A Breed Apart: Legacy series but can be read as a stand-alone. I enjoyed hearing about familiar faces.

Steffani Webb has produced a tense thriller that had my heart racing and teeth clenched as I read through the fast-paced action.

The novel is mainly set in Abu Dhabi but also briefly in America. It is easy to picture the hot, dusty atmosphere as we alternate between glitz and glamour with grey, barren rooms.

All the characters were well drawn and easy to empathise with. Fury, aa working dog, is a character in his own right. Whilst being potentially dangerous, he is a big softie with those that he trusts.

We see the importance of trusting God, even when God seems silent. “God hasn’t abandoned me, even if I feel like it sometimes.” God is always beside us. He never leaves us to face life alone. His plan is best. We can trust God in the dark as well as in the light.

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The Secret Hotel In Berlin by Catherine Hokin

Jul15

Back Where She Belongs

The Secret Hotel In Berlin by Catherine Hokin is a powerful dual timeline historical novel that I read in just two sittings.

The action is set in Berlin, mostly surrounding a hotel, during World War II and in 1990. The hotel was a favourite of Hitler and the leading Nazis in the war years, then fell into Soviet hands as it was in East Berlin. After the wall came down in 1989, it was privately purchased. Now it has the opportunity to be renovated and brought back to life.

Walls came down in hearts too in 1990. Families torn apart by the Soviet controlled East Berlin, had erected walls to protect hearts but it had the opposite effect and actually hurt hearts. Now these hardened hearts need to be softened, renovated and brought back to life. Now is the time to build bridges instead of walls.

Sacrificial love was a major theme. There was love that let go, in order that others might thrive. The love remained when all else was gone. The memories remained. And a hope for restoration one day remained.

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Let The Purring Begin: Sapphire’s Tale by Sallie Cochren

Jul14

A Cats Eye View

Let The Purring Begin: Sapphire’s Tale by Sallie Cochran is a most charming contemporary novel and purr-fect for any cat-lover, whatever your age.

Sapphire’s Tale is told from the point of view of Sapphire, a rescue cat and is in the first person. It is as if the author has jumped inside Sapphire’s head and read her thoughts. As a crazy cat lady, I really felt like Sapphire was narrating the story.

We hear how Sapphire was dumped, wandered the streets and found a home. Her tale is very similar to my rescued cat’s story – also found wandering the streets of Coventry with kittens and she was under a year old.

There is a beautiful bond between owner, Sapphire and her kittens. The owner has a huge heart for animals in need of a home.

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Sandcastle Inn by Irene Hannon

Jul13

Where Hope & Dreams Live On

Sandcastle Inn by Irene Hannon is the most delightful Christian contemporary novel that I absolutely adored. It is the tenth book in the Hope Harbor series but can be read as a stand-alone.

Hope Harbor is a positively idyllic setting. The scenery and the residents all come alive under Irene Hannon’s descriptive pen. A warm welcome reaches from the pages of the book to envelop the reader.

This is a place of refuge for the hurting and the lost. The community offers hope for the hurting and provides a new direction for the lost. “If someone in Hope Harbor is in need, everyone rallies.” This applies to strangers too, who are quickly taken into the bosom of the community. Hope Harbor is a place where there are some very huge hearts who not only notice others but they care. “Hope Harbor is a wonderful refuge for those seeking healing and peace.” The natural beauty and the openness of the locals ensures that those who enter as strangers, soon become friends who have new prospects ahead.

There is much love within the novel. We see the fallout from fractured family relationships. “Part of loving is giving the other person what they need, not what you thing they need.” We need to be careful that we don’t dictate to others but we give them space to grow.

Characters are carrying grief, guilt and burdens that were never meant for them. “God doesn’t hold our mistakes against us… So why should we hold them against ourselves?” We are often our own worst critics. We need to extend grace to ourselves.

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