For Sale By Owner/Marlene Bateman

Synopsis:

    "McKenzie Forsberg is headed home. She’s quit her big-city job to return to her roots in the small town of Lake Forest. Kenzi hopes to buy her childhood home from her brother, Tom, as a way of revisiting the peace and security she’s been missing in her life. But soon she is shocked to discover that the house has a pending sale, and Tom won’t budge from the sale—not even for his sister.

    Handsome widower Jared Rawlins catches Kenzie’s eye until she realizes that he’s the one who is buying her house—but he can only close the deal if he sells his own house by Christmas Eve. Jared is more than a little interested in Kenzie but has second thoughts when it seems that she may be sabotaging the sale of his home. Slippery feelings of animosity and distrust ensue, with both Jared and Kenzie denying the chemistry between them. But then an unexpected discovery about their connected past puts a new twist in the dynamic. Now, can they set their differences aside and come to terms on a relationship that could last forever?"

Review:

    A boy and girl, friendship is forever right? Until the boy moves away and life takes them both in two different directions. Years later Kenzie and her daughter make a surprise move home with intentions of buying her childhood home.
    Enter Jared and his son, who have already made a deal on the home. When Kenzie finds out, she will do what she needs to, to find a loophole and finally get her home. Meeting each other for the first time, sparks fly (attraction) but must fight it, and let the battle (for home) begin.
    A fun romance with a bit of mystery. If you want a home town feel for your reading pleasure, then this is a great one.

The Moses Chronicles Vol: 3, Exodus/H.B. Moore

Synopsis:

    "Let my people go . . .
A plea has been made in behalf of the children of Israel. Now comes the epic climax years in the making—the final showdown between two of the most powerful men in history—one fueled by pride, the other guided by the word of God. Moses has received an extraordinary call from the Lord: he is to lead the exodus of the Hebrew people out of Egypt, ending generations of bondage. And he must return to the land of his birth to boldly petition a man he does not want to challenge . . . or lose to: Ramses—pharaoh of Egypt. Ramses, harboring years of feeling betrayed by his best friend, is determined to stop Moses no matter the cost. He will not yield, even as a dark veil of plagues and pestilence descends over the land of Egypt.
What follows is a powerful chronicle of the struggles of the children of Israel as they traverse uncharted territory, both physically and spiritually. Amid the horrific catastrophes devastating their land and through the dramatic events that follow, the Hebrews must face their fears and their faltering faith. For even in the darkest of times, there are manifestations of the Lord's constant care to inspire their hope for a bright future."

Review:

    This is the last installment of the Moses Chronicles. Finishing this series is bitter sweet. I know the story from the Bible, as do most people, but Heather has taken another historical event and expanded it making those past events come to life.
    Moses is now reunited, not just with his biological family, but the mother who raised him. He has brought his own little family out of the wilderness to do the Lords work. Trials and tribulations run rampant effecting not just the Egyptians, but the Hebrews.
    Moses needs to find his strength and courage to lead his people out of the grip of Ramses. Thank goodness for his brother Aaron and those close to him. Family is a powerful influence.
    Read all the Moses Chronicles, follow the Prophet who led the children of Israel out of bondage and on the path to freedom.

The Soldier's Bride/Rachelle J. Christensen

Synopsis:

    "As WWII ration cards and battle scars become commonplace across America, it seems to Evelyn that even love is rationed out. When she finds a message from her late husband tucked inside a music box, Jim’s words have the power to change her life: Don't die with me.

    Words written out of love, long-lost but never forgotten.
    Grief stricken, Evelyn is unsure of how to honor his request, but she finds the courage to keep on living. Jim’s note urges her to give the music box away to unlock the secret within, and although it breaks her heart again, Evelyn trades the music box for a cradle to hold her infant son. Thus begins the decades-long journey of the music box, mending broken hearts, reuniting lost loves, and giving people the courage to heal themselves along the way.
    This romance crosses battlefields and time as the music box touches the lives of two soldiers, a broken father, a crippled child, a struggling farmer, and a woman once called the soldier's bride."

Review:

    I don't know what to really say about this book......I liked it, but didn't love it. I am not a fan of love triangles, so that was a mark off. I don't enjoy having many points of view and trying to keep up with who's talking and where they were left off. She did space them out and had the chapter marked with the name of who the chapter was focusing on.
    I did love the music box and how it meant something to each person that it was in the hands of. Especially the little messages they left with it before it passed off to the next. This book spanned, I would say about 27 years, most of it in the first few years.
    This book took me through most emotions you could think of. One of my favorite parts was the appearance of the gravestone. Can you guess who's side I was on??!! The story was well thought out and written. Just because I am not a fan of some of the details of the book, doesn't mean I had to hate it. I liked it! I was rooting for the happiness of all, and the joy those received from one little music box, that was made with love right from the start.
    I was given this book for an honest review. I have read other books from Rachelle and plan to continue with many more!

The Magnificent World of Spirits/Marlene Sullivan

Synopsis:

          "Life. Death. Life.
Not everyone who visits the spirit world stays there. The Magnificent World of Spirits: Eyewitness Accounts of Where We Go When We Die, gives fascinating glimpses of life beyond the veil by people who visited the spirit world during the early years of the LDS Church.
Filled with stories of insight and inspiration, The Magnificent World of Spirits is a stirring book that combines documented personal experiences with scripture, commentary, and quotes from latter-day prophets and other leaders. This book will bring you peace as you come to understand what awaits on the other side of the veil. After reading this book, you will never think of life—or death—in the same way."

Review:

    Another look into near-death experiences and a look into the past. If you haven't read the book Gaze Into Heaven, that is fine, this just expands on more experiences. But I would recommend that book as well.
    These experiences were had by people early on in LDS church history. Back then (even today) people have been looked down upon and are called crazy for having dreams, visions, and near death experiences. How do we know that what they saw is worth believing? For me it's what the spirit speaks to me.
    What happens when we die? Well we will all find out when that time comes. These stories shared are personal experiences. They are all different, yet give hope for a life with peace, love, and forever families.

Here is Marlene's Website:   www.marlenebateman.info
You can get your very own copy of this book at Cedar Fort, Deseret Book, or Seagull Book. or Online at:

Amazon:  http://goo.gl/qqI20J

Books and Things:  http://goo.gl/OBNGSR
    

Deliverance/H.B. Moore

Synopsis:

     "Moses’s life as he knew it is over. He has chosen to stand for his beliefs at the cost of being cast out of his royal home and family. He is free of the wickedness of Egypt, but peace is not to be found, for Moses is as much an aimless wanderer as those in the nomadic tribe he encounters in the wilderness. Exhausted by long weeks of travel, he nevertheless jumps to action when he observes a group of young women accosted by a band of Bedrayan men at a communal well. These lovely daughters of Jethro are grateful for his help, and their Midianite tribe welcomes Moses with open arms. As he learns the ways of the Midianites, his kinship with Jethro grows—as does his admiration of one of Jethro’s daughters, Zipporah. But when Moses suddenly receives a burning call to free the very people he has long oppressed, will he have the courage to return to the land from which he has been exiled?"

Review:

     This is the second book in the Moses Chronicles. In the first book we left Moses heading for the wilderness. We meet up with him again after he has wandered a few weeks into his journey, which he still doesn't know where he is going to end up.
    Zipporah has lived in the wilderness all her life. That's all she knows. When Moses and her meet, they don't speak each others language, but actions speak louder then words.
    This is a sweet love story, and that is what takes up most of this book (no complaints from me!). Towards the end is when he learns of his great calling, to lead the children of Egypt out of bondage. I am excited to read about the plagues and such in the next book. The end of this one leaves you hanging and wanting more.
    If you love the story of Moses in the Bible I am pretty sure you will enjoy these books, that delve into the truth of one of our most beloved Prophets.

My Wicked Half-Sister/E.M. Tippetts

Synopsis:

    "Chloe didn’t set out to be famous, but her marriage to Hollywood A-lister, Jason Vanderholt, made her a celebrity by association. Jealous and nosy fans heckle her in public and the tabloids portray her as cold, arrogant, and unworthy of her husband. As bad as that is, it’s about to get a whole lot worse.

    Her brother, Chris, is being paroled from prison, where he has been serving time for shooting and nearly killing Chloe when she was a child. This is not a situation that she wants splashed all over the headlines, especially because this could incite her brother to try to finish the job.

    When Chloe gets word of a string of crimes that might be tied to her brother, she finds she has yet another enemy: their father, Dr. Winters. He refuses to cooperate with Chloe’s security team and even gives the police a hard time when they try to investigate.

    The one ally Chloe has in her own family is her half-sister, Beth, a public prosecutor intent on bringing Chris to justice. Her approach is so aggressive that everyone from Chloe’s security specialist to the police detective insists that she is doing more harm than good. Beth assures Chloe that her way is the only way that will work, which leaves Chloe to decide whether to trust the experts, or the sister she barely knows. The wrong choice puts her very life in danger."

Review: 

    Are you ready for book four in the Someone Else's Fairytale series?? I have to say that this one wasn't my favorite of the books.
    I've gotten to know the characters even better since starting this series and I am enjoying their growth. Especially where Chloe and Jason are headed! So happy!
    Emily is a great story teller and doesn't leave anything out when bringing her characters to life. She gives them their own stories in fact. I would love to see what is going on in Chris' mind, is he guilty, is he sorry for his past? 
    I will be waiting for book five with anticipation!