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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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Secrets Of The Desert Rose by Marilyn Turk

Mar31

The Bonds We Form

Secrets Of The Desert Rose by Marilyn Turk is a powerful Christian dual timeline novel that I thoroughly enjoyed.

The novel is set in 2019 America and Algeria, and during World War II in Algeria. The time periods are linked by a great grandmother and her great granddaughter as the latter wants to step into her great grandmother’s wartime footsteps.

We see that friendships formed in the early 1930’s between English Audrey and French Monique have strong bonds. They both share a secret which they keep for many years.

The two women are more like sisters than friends. Audrey spent years searching for love from her cold-hearted parents. It is in Monique’s family that she finds love.

Audrey is the more adventurous of the two. Monique prefers to watch from the sidelines. Monique’s family are wealthy. During the 1930’s there were many parties with a common goal “to find a husband.” This changes with the advent of war. Both women fight two very different wars but both are very brave.

In both time periods we hear of the archaeological digs and the landscape of Algeria. It is vibrant and comes to life under the author’s descriptive pen.

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Hearts In Circulation by Sarah Monzon

Mar26

So Delightful

Hearts In Circulation by Sarah Monzon is a very charming Christian contemporary novel that I absolutely loved and savoured every minute.

Sarah Monzon has a wonderfully fun style as her lead character Hayley has a joi de vivre about life. Her enthusiasm is infectious, spreading not only to the characters but to the reader too. Hayley’s casual, fun outlook on life helps others to relax, especially mechanic Levi who finds mixing with people hard – he has a sensory disorder. The kindness of Hayley sees Levi coming out of his shell. “He’d never thought it would happen, but Levi had… found… someone who quietened his spirit and calmed the chaos inside him.” We all need that one person who ‘gets’ us.

Having had a liver transplant at age twelve, Hayley lives every day as if it were her last. “You simply cannot repay someone for saving your life… especially when that person had to die to do it.” We hear how she wants her life to “make it count.” She does not want the sacrifice of another to be in vain.

Every day is the opportunity to ‘pay-it-forward.’ “Intentionally trying to bless someone with a random act of kindness.” Hayley has been given the gift of life and tries to do good deeds daily. She is trying to repay what was given as a gift. She wants to think herself worthy of that gift – but it was a gift and she can never work her way to payment. “It’s a blessing I feel the weight of responsibility for every single day.”

Hayley learns about the gift of salvation. “You can’t earn the gift of salvation by good works.” Jesus paid for our sins by His blood. We can never repay Him. It was a free gift to us that cost Jesus everything. Jesus was motivated by His love for us.

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Garden Cottage by Carrie Fancett Pagels

Mar19

His Eye Is On The Sparrow

Garden Cottage by Carrie Fancett Pagels is a most delightful contemporary Christian novel that I read in just one sitting.

As readers of the author’s books, we know that whenever we pick up a book by Carrie Fancett Pagels, we will be richly entertained. In this book, we return to Mackinac Island and meet some new faces in a familiar setting. Cameo appearances of characters from previous novels bring an air of familiarity and comfort to the reader as we feel like we are coming home.

The pace of life is slower. The two lead characters are the other side of fifty. Both have lost their spouses and have wandered in a wasteland. One preferred to withdraw from life. The other threw herself into volunteering. Friendship blossoms as they realise that life can be fulfilling once more. There are second chances to be grabbed.

Love blossoms for younger characters too.

We see the blending of the Italian and American cultures. The latter are smaller families, whereas the Italians tend to have large extended families.

Characters need to find careers and passions that are fulfilling but “Lord, don’t let my daughter prioritize her career over life with her future family.” There is more to life than work. We witness the detrimental effect that workaholics bring to the family.

Sometimes careers are born out of love and care. A sister wants to develop healing fragrances after her brother lost his sense of smell after Covid.

Working the land brings joy. Some produce food, others produce flowers. All are part of God’s creation.

Life is not always smooth but God is always faithful. “We’re not guaranteed a smooth sailing… like in life. But we can trust God to provide.”  We see that His eye is on His children as one narrowly escapes harm. We see God turn her disappointment into thankfulness for His care.

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