Tag Archive | Sunrise Publishing

Anyone But You by Rachel Hauck

Apr12

Warm & Wonderful

Anyone But You by Rachel Hauck is a most charming contemporary Christian novel that I adored. It is the second book in the Home To Hearts Bend series but can be read as a stand-alone.

I am a huge Rachel Hauck fan, and it is lovely to have characters from her previous novels popping up in Hearts Bend. It adds an air of familiarity.

This is a book about love and loss; grief and life; faith and God.

A character has returned home to Hearts Bend as a young widow. Her heart is broken. She fears loving again because “the men I love, die” – but “love was worth it. Even if it could also be painful.” We need to take a chance on love as we were never meant to live in isolation.

Grief has seen a character pull away from God. “Ever since Daddy had died, she’d wondered if He was a good God at all.” In contrast, her mother has run towards God. “You want to know what I did to get through those dark days… I grabbed hold of the hand the Lord offered me and never let go.” We need to keep our eyes on God who will help us through our grief journey. “Grief comes in waves and stages.” Grief is different for everyone.

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When I’m With You by Rachel Hauck

Apr5

The Heart Of The Father

When I’m With You by Rachel Hauck is the most delightful Christian contemporary novel that I adored. It is the first book in the Home To Hearts Bend series which promises to be fabulous.

Hearts Bend is the place where everyone knows your name. “Friends take care of friends in this town.” Where there are needs, they are met. The location feels familiar to readers of Rachel Hauck’s previous books as characters and locations have been met previously.

All the characters are wonderfully warm and welcoming. The reader really feels wrapped up in the tale as we receive a hug in a book.

We learn about what is really important – family. Friends. God. Love. “She [Granny] loved well.” We all need people to love us. Characters feel drawn back to Hearts Bend as it is the place that they call home.

A character has suffered from Epstein Barr Virus. “Broken things always needed love.” Her spirit doesn’t feel like she can love anyone for fear of passing on the Epstein Barr Virus – but God does not want us to live in fear. He wants us to trust His guiding and to live and love in freedom.

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Chaos by Ronie Kendig & Steffani Webb

Jan9

Exciting

Chaos by Ronie Kendig and Steffani Webb is an exciting contemporary Christian suspense that I really enjoyed and could not put down. It is the second book in the series A Breed Apart: Legacy but can be read as a stand-alone.

The leading characters include an ex-marine K9, Chaos, who is very much a personality in her own right. She is unswervingly loyal and will protect those in need, whilst simultaneously tracking down the bad guys.

There is a chemistry between the two main characters. Both are strong personalities who begin by rubbing each other up the wrong way! Both, like Chaos, are loyal and relentless in their pursuit of justice.

We travel from domestic America to the jungles of the Philippines. As the vegetation becomes more thicker, the tension also rises, as we track down and chase the villains.

Our upbringings shape the adults we become. A childhood tragedy means a character is very protective and determined that no one will be lost on their watch. Other events have also shaped lives.

We see how desperation can cause characters to get caught up in events they never intended. Good guys can become corrupt if they stay silent when they should speak up.

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Havoc by Ronie Kendig

Oct16

Loyal & True

Havoc by Ronie Kendig is a fabulous contemporary Christian suspense. It is the first book in the Breed Apart: Legacy series and I cannot wait for subsequent books.

The reader follows military dog Havoc and his ex-soldier owner. Although they were both invalided out of the military, they still both possess their skills. A simple acting job quickly becomes much more as both man and dog revert to type, putting their military training back into action.

Havoc and his owner work in partnership. Both can predict the other’s moods. Havoc, a large Malamute, whilst fiercely protective and loyal to his handler, still needs to be treated with caution. Their bond is beautiful to witness.

The past influences actions in the present. Previous hurts have made characters wary of forming new relationships. Cautiousness is sometimes mistaken for aloofness.

We all need a relationship with God. When the chips are down, a character presses into God with prayer. For another, it takes a dire situation, for the realization that the God, whom her friend believes in, is real.

God looks at us and He sees us. “He saw me. Not my name. Not my family.” God sees us just as we are. He looks at us and He loves us and He calls us His children.

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