Review of 'The Painter's Daughter' by Julie Klassen

Thank you to Bethany House for my copy of Julie Klassen's latest work - The Painter's Daughter - in exchange for my honest review.


Let me start with the cover of the book -

While I think the model is a good fit for the way Sophie is described - I pictured someone more frail as I read (by that I mean very skinny and short). The dress the model is wearing is beautiful, but seeing the other covers that Julie Klassen has for her books - this really doesn't surprise me much. :)


And now my review -

The Painter's Daughter is filled with drama, mystery, and romance that will have any lady who enjoys books along the line of Pride and Prejudice swooning. It is a book that keeps you on your toes with some twists and turns you wouldn't expect in the plot. This is a good thing because then the book doesn't become boring to read. Some of the twists I managed to guess (this might be only because I am a writer also), and some that I didn't even think of putting together. There were a few instances I would have done a different twist if it had been my story - but that just makes it all the more fun.

This was my first Julie Klassen book ever and I am pleased to say it will not be my last. The way Julie writes weaves together a beautiful story that fills the pages and the reader's imagination long after the book is put down. I can say that I thought of Captain Overtree, Sophie, and Wesley off and on whenever I had to put the book down.

Now, I do have to be honest - I almost gave up with the book after the first two chapters. Why? Because I can't stand weak female characters and Sophie reminded me of one the way she feared the Captain. It got to be a bit annoying - but I am happy to say that Sophie's character grew stronger as the story went on. I don't want to give anything away, but I was quite pleased with Sophie at the end of the story.

All in all, this book is one of the best I have read in a while. Julie Klassen may be one of my all-time favorite authors - which if you know me and how much I read, this is a hard thing to achieve.


Opinions of the characters:

Captain Overtree - I loved him the moment he stepped onto the scene (probably why I disliked Sophie so much at first...) He is exactly my type: strong, brooding, sarcastic, and secretly romantic - Mr. Darcy, anyone? ;) Speaking of Darcy, I had some friends attend Julie's book banter held on Facebook and one commented on the photos of the people Julie had used for inspiration. To my surprise and happiness, the one she picked for Stephen was indeed Darcy from Pride and Prejudice with Keira Knightley.

Wesley Overtree - What can I say about him? He is the reason Sophie is in the situation she is in the first place. He is a free-spirit type that goes wherever the wind blows him. Not my type of guy and honestly, though he gets better as the book goes on - I wanted him to just go away.

Sophie - At first, I hated her. She seemed so weak and fragile. But then, she grew and developed into one of my favorite characters by the end.

Keith - I liked him a lot. Yes, he had his issues - but you could see he had a heart of gold.

Miss Blake - Eh. She seemed rather bland. The only times I really liked her was when she was around Keith.

Captain Overtree and Wesley's Grandfather - I loved him! He was so cute and funny. Definitely made me smile whenever he was mentioned.

Kate - I enjoyed her personality. Julie pinpointed a young girl perfectly and made me giggle with her comments about the book that Kate was reading.

Winny - Honestly, she was a bit weird. I am neither here nor there on her character. The moments with the cat were probably my favorite with her.


Overall -

This book is amazing! If you find you are like me and want to put it down within the first couple chapters, you owe it to yourself to keep reading because it turns into an amazing story! Honestly, one of my favorites ever! Here is the link to buy a copy from Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Painters-Daughter-Julie-Klassen/dp/0764210726/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1450548163&sr=8-1&keywords=the+painter%27s+daughter+by+julie+klassen

Review of 'On This Foundation' by Lynn Austin

Thank you to Bethany House for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

On This Foundation is book three in the Restoration Chronicles series (the other two are 'Return to Me' and 'Keepers of the Covenant'). Lynn Austin does a fantastic job throughout the series of bringing the Old Testament to life.

The fact that she picked Biblical people that most would tend to look over, I love. 'On This Foundation focuses on Nehemiah. That was a huge factor for me in choosing this book to review because I have always loved Nehemiah (the name and the person). The other factor was that it was the third book and I wanted the whole series so far for my collection.

One of my favorite Bible verses was mentioned in the book: Joshua 1:9 - Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. 

As far as the characters, I really enjoyed Chana and her family. Her father was so cute with his daughters, and her sisters made me smile because their personalities were so on point with how sisters are. The relationship she had with her sisters was wonderful and made me happy.

Nava bugged me until later on in the story. At first, I liked her and understood her - but she stayed a bit too much the same for the majority of the book. Once she realized the truth of God, I liked her once again.

Shimon was my favorite character! I LOVED him! He was so kind and reminded me of a wonderful father figure. His secret didn't surprise me as I had guessed it early on in the book, but I am a writer - so just because I guessed it doesn't mean everyone will.

The interaction between Nehemiah and Chana made me laugh more than once. I loved the way Nehemiah wanted to take care of his siblings. It made him seem even more real. One thing I really liked was how Lynn brought Ezra back into the series. That made me happy because I really liked him from the other book.

I don't want to give too much away, so I will just summarize my review. There were many moments when I laughed, a few when I cried, my heart broke at a few spots. Overall, it was a wonderful story.

However, the ending seemed a bit too rushed and it didn't really explain how the story about Nehemiah and his enemies ended. I think Lynn could have expanded that section a bit more. Also, I would have liked to see certain characters get what they deserved instead of it seeming like it was almost "shoved under the rug".

The other thing that bugged me was Lynn's use of the NIV. I am not a stick in the mud about having only use the KJV, but there is a lot that has been removed from the NIV (and other versions) that is essential to God's word.

Anyway, as I said overall it is a wonderful book and will have a place on my shelf happily. I give it a 4 1/2 out of 5 because of the rushed ending and use of NIV.

Review of 'Shadow of the Mountain - Exodus' by Cliff Graham

Thank you to Bethany House for my free copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is the first book by Cliff Graham I have read. I actually had never heard of Cliff Graham until Bethany House sent me the email to pick a book to review. When I saw what Shadow of the Mountain was about, I picked it without even reading the other books on the list.

Why? - Because I had just finished with that part of the Bible and I thought it would be really interesting to read a book about Caleb, Moses, Exodus, etc. Also, because I love Biblical Fiction.

The cover of this book is amazing! It fits the actual story in the Bible perfectly, in my opinion. It, also, fits the story in the book quite well.

Now, for my actual review -

I am not sure what I think of this book. It is written wonderfully. The characters are alive and fascinating. The second part of the story is amazing! 

So, why do I feel so torn about if I liked it or not? I don't know...

The second part of the book was breathtaking. It made the plagues that struck Egypt so much more real. Don't get me wrong, I know it happened. I know they were horrible. However, the way Cliff Graham described them was painful, heartbreaking, and it made my love for God that much stronger. God is SO good in His judgements.

The first part of the book was interesting enough to read. I just could have done with the battle scenes toned down a bit - BUT they are battle scenes and therefore should not be toned down. The ending of the book was... different. It ended not like I expected, but for that I was glad.

When Caleb talked about meeting Joshua for the first time, I cried. Something about it, along with the plagues, just made me almost long for people of such strong faith.

So, as a whole I give this book 3 1/2 stars because while I liked it a lot, I don't know if I would read it over and over again.

The second part of the book with the plagues, I give 5 stars because it was breath-taking.

Review of 'From the Start' by Melissa Tagg

Thank you to Bethany House for my free copy in exchange for my honest review.

I completely adored Melissa Tagg's first book 'Made to Last', so when I saw this one was up for review I requested it right away. I was so excited to get it in the mail and started reading it that night. Much to my disappointment, I had a very hard time getting into it. I just couldn't bring myself to care about Kate and Colton, or the storyline - at first.

After putting it down for almost a week, I started reading it again determined to push past the first couple chapters. Partly because I needed to be able to review it, and partly because I know Melissa's talent. Sure enough, once I pushed past the lackluster (for me, at least, but then again I am not a football fan - someone who is may not have a hard time getting into it) I discovered why so many people have been raving about the book.

There is romance, humor, family ties, drama, and most important growth. The characters - and I am talking about all of them - grow on you until your heart nearly bursts with love for them. Truly, by the end of the book I felt like they were my characters, and I found myself wanting friends like them.

When Colton learned the truth, my heart broke for him and I longed to shelter him from the pain and heartache he had gone through. I cried, I laughed, and I, even, felt the chemistry between characters. One character made me laugh because she sounded so much like me when I was younger (her style and attitude, that is), it was a bit crazy - her name is even my name: Megan. I swear, I thought Melissa knew me when I was going through that phase of my life because she was me in a lot of ways.

The cover is perfect, but then again I LOVE the covers of Melissa's books. Seriously, she gets some of the best. Though, I do think the guy picked to represent Colton didn't fit him completely as I pictured a taller and more "footballer" type of guy - something like Tim Tebow.

Anyway, I ended up loving the book and it is going into my collection happily. However, I give it a 4 out of 5 just because I am not into football and because of that, it was hard to get into. Wonderful story! I can't wait for the next one from Melissa!

Review of 'The Pharaoh's Daughter' by Mesu Andrews

Thank you to Mesu Andrews for being an awesome BFF! :)

I was so excited to get this book in the mail, unfortunately it took me a bit of time to sit down and read it, but I finally finished! It was amazing! This was the first book of Mesu's I have read and I am definitely going to be reading more.

The cover is simply beautiful. One of my favorite covers ever. Truly it takes my breath away.

I loved the way she took us through Anippe's life and showed how she grew with the help of her friends and God. I also loved reading about Moses and him growing up both Hebrew and Egyptian. My favorite character was Mered. I loved him! Many tears were shed while reading this, but by the end, I found myself so attached to the characters that I didn't want the story to end.

My only issue was having the names of the "gods" of Egypt repeated so many times. I get it, it is about her life and she is Egyptian - and I am sure that is how they had to address the pharaoh, but I got tired of reading it. It is more of my own issue than an issue with the book, but the names of those "gods" give me the chills.

For this being the first book of Mesu's I have read, it has been a pretty amazing experience. I am a bit amazed at how authors like Mesu and others who write Biblical fiction can do it. I know it is a God thing and blessing on them and that everyone has their own talents, but it still amazes me at how eloquently they can write these stories.

I give five stars out of five stars! Amazing book, amazing story. Beautiful through and through.

Review of 'Sabotaged' by Dani Pettrey

Thank you to Bethany House for a copy of Sabotaged in exchange for my honest review.

Just like the others in the Alaskan Courage series (Sabotaged is book five, and the last one), Sabotaged is simply amazing! While the storyline was a bit irritating for me to read about with the topic about Kirra being slightly overdone, Dani handled it quite perfectly. Actually, she didn't take it in the way I thought she was going to - which was a relief because it removed the irritating factor. I would say more, but I don't like spoilers and many other people don't as well.

As far as the cover, this one is actually my least favorite. There is just something about the look of the model that doesn't fit the Kirra I pictured in my head as I read the book. Now, maybe she is what Dani pictured and if that is the case, then that is fine - just for me, she doesn't quite fit the character.

The suspense, romance, and mystery all flow together in a beautifully wrapped package. As a writer myself, I often wonder how certain authors manage to make their books so perfect. I suppose it just goes to show they have a God-given talent. Speaking of God, I adore the way Dani explains the relationships the characters have with Him without being over-the-top. Truly, she is a very talented author and is one of my favorite to read.

Reef actually turned out to be a character that I grew to really like and his feelings for Kirra were apparent. However, I still gotta say that he is my least favorite out of the McKenna family - which is NOT a bad thing by any means, it is just that I connected less with him than the others. Kayden is my all-time favorite - followed by Gage, Piper, Cole, and Reef.

At first, I wasn't too thrilled about Kirra as a character, but as I read - I found myself liking her more and more. However, she - like Reef - isn't my favorite "other half". Personally, my favorites go: Darcy, Jake, Bailey, Landon, and then Kirra.

Reef and Kirra's relationship, however, was so sweet! I loved their banter back and forth and then when they admitted to caring for each other - talk about adorable.

Another thing I love about Dani's writing is that she makes sure to put the other characters from previous books in it as well. The whole part with Jake and Kayden made me smile so much and nearly made me cry with happiness. The epilogue was the perfect ending to the series and I really hope she returns to these characters in future books.

The whole series deserves a million stars and this book is easily a five-star rating. What a great story!