A Tree, A Book, and A Breeze

Five Glass Slippers Elisabeth Brown, Emma Clifton, Rachel Heffington, Stephanie Ricker, and Clara Diane Thompson Rooglewood Press First of all, before I say I anything else, I'm going to go ahead and tell you that I think this is the best novella collection I've ever read. Collections by different authors are always going to get mixed reviews, and while there were some stories I liked more than others, I can honestly say that they all had something to offer that makes each one worth reading. What Eyes Can See by Elisabeth Brown Now, I've heard complaints about Cinderella's character in this story, pointing out that she's not overly likable. However, I think it's pretty clear that it's the stepsister Drusilla who's the real heroine of this tale. What Eyes Can See was an interesting twist on the story and sweetly written, although I have to admit *SPOILER* I didn't care for the fact that Drusilla ended up with the prince...I didn't...

Hidden Agenda Lisa Harris Revell Michael Hunt is alive--and on the run. Presumed dead by friends and family, the undercover assignment he's been working for the past eight months has just been blown. With a hit out on his life and corruption inside the Atlanta police department, Michael finds himself hunted by both the cartel and the law. His only hope is the daughter of the man who wants him dead. This nonstop chase from taut suspense writer Lisa Harris will leave readers breathless as they race to connect the dots before it's too late. I'm not usually a reader of suspense- while I will pick on up on occasion, I often find it too frustrating for me to truly enjoy, However, I was pleasantly surprised when I read the previous book in the series, so I when I saw this one available for review, I snapped it up. This book was pretty strong in plot- though I didn't like the set-up quite as well as that of the other book, Fatal Exchange.  However, in o...

Price of Privilege  Jessica Dotta Tyndale Having finally discovered the truth of her birthright, Julia Elliston is determined to outwit Chance Macy at his own game. Holding a secret he'd kill to keep, however, is proving more difficult than she imagined.Just when Julia thinks she's managed to untangle herself from Macy's clutches, he changes tactics with a risky ploy. As the scandal of the century breaks loose, drawing rooms all over London whisper what so far newspapers have not dared to print: Macy's lost bride is none other than Lord Pierson's daughter--and one of the most controversial cases of marital law ever seen comes before Victorian courts.Though Julia knows Macy's version of events is another masterful manipulation, public opinion is swaying in his favor. Caught in a web of deceit and lies, armed only with a fledgling faith, Julia must face her fiercest trial yet. This book was really hard for me to read- it was one of those stories when...

The Secret of Pembrooke Park Julie Klassen Bethany House Abigail Foster fears she will end up a spinster, especially as she has little dowry to improve her charms and the one man she thought might marry her--a longtime friend--has fallen for her younger, prettier sister.  When financial problems force her family to sell their London home, a strange solicitor arrives with an astounding offer: the use of a distant manor house abandoned for eighteen years. The Fosters journey to imposing Pembrooke Park and are startled to find it entombed as it was abruptly left: tea cups encrusted with dry tea, moth-eaten clothes in wardrobes, a doll's house left mid-play . . .  The handsome local curate welcomes them, but though he and his family seem to know something about the manor's past, the only information they offer Abigail is a warning: Beware trespassers who may be drawn by rumors that Pembrooke contains a secret room filled with treasure.  Hoping to improve her famil...

Bonhoeffer Abridged Eric Metaxas Thomas Nelson From the  New York Times  bestselling author of  Amazing Grace , an abridged version of the groundbreaking biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, one of the greatest heroes of the twentieth century, the man who stood up to Hitler. A definitive, deeply moving narrative, Bonhoeffer is a story of moral courage in the face of the monstrous evil that was Nazism. After discovering the fire of true faith in a Harlem church, Bonhoeffer returned to Germany and became one of the first to speak out against Hitler. As a double-agent, he joined the plot to assassinate the Führer, and was hanged in Flossenberg concentration camp at age 39. Since his death, Bonhoeffer has grown to be one of the most fascinating, complex figures of the 20th century. Bonhoeffer presents a profoundly orthodox Christian theologian whose faith led him to boldly confront the greatest evil of the 20th century, and uncovers never-before-revealed f...

The Barefoot Queen Ildefonso Falcones Crown A historical epic full of bravery and romance that follows two women as they make a life for themselves in 18th-century Spain. It's January of 1748. Caridad is a recently freed Cuban slave wondering the streets of Seville. Her master is dead and she has nowhere to go. When her path crosses with Milagros Carmona's-a young, rebellious gypsy-the two women are instantly inseparable. Milagros introduces Caridad to the gypsy community, an exotic fringe society that will soon change her life forever. Over time they each fall in love with men who are fiercely loyal and ready to fight to the death for their rights as a free people. When all gypsies are declared outlaws by royal mandate, life in their community becomes perilous. They soon find themselves in Madrid-a city of passion and dancing, but also a treacherous one full of smugglers and thieves. Caridad and Milagros must help in the gypsy's struggle against society and its...

Where Treetops Glisten Cara Putman, Sarah Sundin & Tricia Goyer Waterbrook The crunch of newly fallen snow, the weight of wartime Three siblings forging new paths and finding love in three stories, filled with the wonder of Christmas   Turn back the clock to a different time, listen to Bing Crosby sing of sleigh bells in the snow, as the realities of America’s involvement in the Second World War change the lives of the Turner family in Lafayette, Indiana.  In  White Christmas   by Cara Putman ,  Abigail Turner is holding down the Home Front as a college student and a part-time employee at a one-of-a-kind candy shop. Loss of a beau to the war has Abigail skittish about romantic entanglements—until a hard-working young man with a serious problem needs her help.  Abigail’s brother Pete is a fighter pilot hero returned from the European Theatre in Sarah Sundin’s   I’ll Be Home for Christmas , trying to recapture the hope and peace his ...