Esther the Queen/H.B. Moore

Synopsis:

    "When Esther is summoned to enter harem the first step toward becoming his wife Esther is torn between her desire to be with Xerxes and the knowledge that they will forever be divided by the secret of her Jewish heritage. Encouraged by her family to do what she must to help her people, she deftly navigates her new position in the palace, quickly becoming beloved by all including Xerxes. But when a treacherous plan threatens to engulf the kingdom in violence, Esther must choose between love and duty. Is she prepared to sacrifice all that she holds dear in order to save her people from certain annihilation?"

Review:

    Wow, this book was inspirational! I have always loved to story of Esther and what a powerful woman she was in her time. Heather takes you on a heart hammering journey in her depiction of this courageous heroin and her beliefs. I love the relationship between Esther and Xerxes and the development you see in their personalities from beginning to end. Haman is just evil and I got the shivers every time he popped up in the book.
    I have read several of Heather's books and it is not surprising that they just keep getting better every time she writes them. If you want to get into the minds of some of your favorite people from the Book of Mormon, then pick up Abinadi, Ammon, or even The Daughters of Jared (to name a few). Esther I believe is her first Bible novel. I am looking forward to seeing what new and fun stories she has in mind!

Love in Darkness/E.M. Tippetts

Synopsis:

    "Alex had everything when he was with Madison. But the darkness within him wouldn’t go away. After two years apart, he returns to Pelican Bluffs and to the girl he never wanted to leave.
    Madison wants to give their love another chance, but Alex can’t fight fate. He is what he is. Ruined. Crazy like his mother. And Madison deserves so much more.
    When his secrets spill out into their small town, Alex has a choice to make. Hide away in the darkness forever, or let love in."

Review:

    This is a sequel to Castles on the Sand, but is from Alex's point of view. What a tragic point of view it is too! I wasn't even half way through the book and I wanted to cry. The struggles that Alex has to deal with while taking care of his psychotic mother, and him now realizing he has the disease as well, is just heart breaking! He starts pushing people away, especially the love of his life Madison. He doesn't want her to have to take care of an insane person. He knows all about that having taken care of his mother pretty much his whole life, and he is only 21.  With help from those who love him, and those who once were his enemies, life has different plans for a closed off Alex.
    Like I said, this is a pretty sad read, but it ends perfectly! Having worked with special needs children and their different ailments, I feel the love that Alex has for those around him with disabilities. I am pretty sure that Emily had to do a lot of research to write this book. It was written and prepared with knowledge and care. Make sure that you read Castles on the Sand as well  so that you can truly understand how much Madison means to Alex and visa versa. Love IS the light in the darkness!

Visions of Glory/John Pontius

Summary:

    "Visions of Glory Recounts the amazing neardeath experiences and subsequent visions of Spencer, as told to author John Pontius. For the first time, Spencer shares his incredible visions of the overwhelming events that he saw cleanse and reshape the United States and parts of Canada.

    He Describes Foreign Invasion, a devastating plague, floods, earthquakes, changes in weather and the constellations of heaven, the return of the ten tribes, the miraculous journey of the Saints to build the New Jerusalem and temple, the gathering of the elect by the 144,000, the miracles of the Millennium, and the final celestialization of the earth at the end of the Millennium.

    Learn About These Future Happenings and many other astonishing events long prophesied in scripture but never described in such vivid detail. Visions of Glory is a mesmerizing read that inspires hope and courage for our time."

Review:

    I heard about this book after I had read Gaze Into Heaven. People told me that if I enjoyed that book, I would love this one. They were right! What amazing experiences! I couldn't imagine, not just dying once, but four times (the first time he was born dead). 

     I think that anyone who is struggling in life, no matter what it may be, can find the will to move forward and overcome their weakness' and hardships after hearing what "Spencer" has to say. 

    Whether I believe these visions and experiences are true or false, I know for a fact that I want to live my life in a way leading back to my Father in Heaven. I don't fear death, or what is yet to come, because either way I have a journey to take, and at the end is paradise.

    I can't tell you to believe what you read in this book, but I know that when I read it I had the feeling of peace and love. It also made me move in getting food storage and being ready for any disasters that may come up.  Don't pass this book up!

   

    (Also check out Suzanne Freeman's books on her neardeath experience. She meets lots of awesome people from the Scriptures and U.S. history, and she is led by Christ himself.)

Gaze into Heaven/Marlene Bateman Sullivan

Synopsis:

"Most of us have wondered exactly what will happen when we die. What does the Spirit World look like? Will we see departed family members and friends? What do people do there? Do spirits there know what is happening on earth? What did people who had near-death experiences learn from their visit? All of these questions and many more are answered in Gaze Into Heaven. There have been many books written about modern day near-death experiences, but this book is the first to focus solely on those that took place in early church history.

Studying near-death experiences can bless us with a better understanding of this life and increase our knowledge of the life to come. By reading about those who actually entered the spirit world and saw conditions there, we can benefit from the insights they gained and use that information to reevaluate our lives and use our time on earth productively."    

Review: 

     I really enjoy reading near death experiences, call me weird, but I find people's views interesting on the subject. I also love history, so put the two together and I am set! 

     There was such a variety of near death experiences, from Men, Women, and Children.  From meeting loved ones who had passed, to meeting Christ. This read was Spiritual and brought me closer to my Heavenly Father. 

     Even though all the experiences were had by different people, there were so many similarities when you look at all of them. Some people came back for only a short period of time to say goodbye and tell their experience, then an hour or two later they would leave this life for the glory of Heaven. One man had two years to get his life in order and then he would be taken back home. 

     Two of the stories that stuck out to me both dealt with seeing the Prophet Joseph Smith in a room, with a long table and him walking back and forth being very busy with his work. This came from two very different people, one happened to be a little girl. 

     I know in my family there have been some near death experiences, which I find amazing! I can certainly wait to die, but what joy I will have when I get to the other side and get to have my own experience in pure Love. 

     Thanks Marlene for giving me the opportunity to read this book! Here are some URL's to go and buy this book. Also Marlene's website. This book is also available at Deseret Book stores and Seagull Book stores.        

www.marlenebateman.info

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Gaze-Into-Heaven-Near-Death-Experiences/dp/1462111270/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1360955844&sr=8-1&keywords=gaze+into+heaven

Deseret Book: http://deseretbook.com/Gaze-Into-Heaven-Marlene-Bateman-Sullivan/i/5105020

Seagull Book: http://www.seagullbook.com/lds-products-770255.html

 

Do Over/Shannon Guymon

Synopsis:

    "Who wouldn't be tired of dating after falling for the wrong woman over and over again? Trey has decided to take a much-needed break from the fairer sex, until Iris tumbles into his life. Their romance will either be a disaster waiting to happen or the best fairy tale since Sleeping Beauty."

Review:

    I was pulled in just reading the prologue. Iris and Trey have sworn off the opposite sex, because all they have dealt with in life is heartbreak. When they meet each other in the frozen food section at their local grocery store, they both have their eyes set for the last chunky monkey ice cream, who will end up with it?         Iris has drastically changed her appearance to scare off men, but eventually realizes its doing the opposite. Trey needs help fending off his sister in law who is trying to marry him off. What is left for him to do, then find a fake girlfriend, and Iris just happens to come to mind.
    I enjoyed Iris and her spunky nature! She knows what she wants, and goes for it. I also loved Trey's protective nature. These two were meant for each other, even if they didn't realize it at first. All the other characters play some fun roles in connection to either Trey or Iris. Believe me when I say you will be hooked by the first couple paragraphs.
    I have a couple books of Shannon's already and this just adds to some great writing. This would be a great Valentines day read. I read it in just 4 hrs and is just under 200 pages. If you need some comedy and romance in your life, get this book!

Heart of the Ocean/Heather B. Moore

Synopsis:

     "Eliza Robinson has turned down the very pretentious Mr. Thomas Beesley’s marriage proposal. As a business partner of Eliza’s father, Thomas quickly discredits the family and brings disgrace to the Robinson name.

While her father scrambles to restore his good name in New York City, Eliza flees to the remote Puritan town of Maybrook to stay with her Aunt Maeve. Although relieved to be away from all- things-male and unforgiving gossip columns, odd things start to happen to Eliza, and she is plagued by a ghostly voice. Her aunt’s explanation? That Eliza is being haunted by a woman who died of a broken heart twenty years ago.

After Aunt Maeve is tragically killed, Eliza's life is put in danger as she tries to uncover the mystery of her aunt's death. She encounters Jonathan Porter in Maybrook, whose presence in the town seems suspicious, yet she finds herself drawn to him. When she discovers that Jonathan’s dark secrets may be the link between the dead woman who haunts her and her aunt’s murderer, Eliza realizes that Jonathan is the one man she should never trust."

Review:

     What a exciting read! I had to force myself to put it down halfway through so I could get some sleep and go to work the next morning! There is so much that happens in this book, so much mystery and intrigue. Eliza and Jonathan were destined to meet, but when they do, their lives are headed in different directions. With the help of a mysterious voice that haunts Eliza, The mystery starts to unfold about what happened to Jonathan's mother twenty years earlier, and Eliza's Aunts murder in the small town of Maybrook.
    In the middle I felt it drag a bit, only because the two main characters were off doing their own things for a couple of months. But without that, Eliza and Jonathan probably wouldn't have made the decisions that ended up leading them back to Maybrook, and each other.
    This is specifically an E-book, so go onto Amazon and purchase it, and join these interesting characters on a journey through loss and gain, love and hate, and a mystery waiting to be discovered.

Nobody's Damsel/E.M. Tippetts

Synopsis:

    "Chloe has finished her masters degree and taken a job as a forensic scientist back in her home town of Albuquerque, New Mexico, only the press will not leave her alone. They follow her to crime scenes and report on her every move, eager to show that her marriage to Hollywood A-lister, Jason Vanderholt, is on the brink of collapse. Millions of fans who dream of their own celebrity romance with him want this more than anything. This scrutiny comes at a particularly bad time as Chloe's first case is a crime against a child roughly the same age that Chloe was when she survived a homicide attempt.

    Now that she sees the case from an adult's perspective, she realizes it's much harder than she ever dreamed. It's even worse for Jason, who is two steps removed from the crime. He must watch and try to support his wife as she battles with past demons and tries to keep up with a nameless suspect who evades identification and capture. Never has Jason been more frustrated with his job, its frivolities, and its lack of connection to the real world. When he storms off the set of his latest movie, the press goes wild with conjecture. While he says he wants to work on a project that means something, his agent and manager fear this may be the end of his time in the spotlight. Perhaps he never was anything more than a pretty face after all.

    Together, Chloe and Jason must find their way past all the popping flashbulbs and through the dark maze of the criminal investigation to discover whether they can balance their professional goals with the demands of a celebrity marriage. The odds are entirely against them."

Review: 

    This is the sequel to Someone Else's Fairytale. This book gives you a glimpse of what it could be like to be married to someone famous, while still trying to live the life you have worked hard for. Tabloids and rumors are only part of Chloe Vanderholts life now. Jason pledged she was his soul mate, could he have been wrong? 
    I loved where Emily brought the characters from the first book. It hadn't been too long from when we last read about them. Chloe is finally finished with school, they are both transitioning, not just to married life, but to their different work and living arrangements. Drama is definitely a fixture in this novel, and just the right amount if you ask me. Emily would have no problem expounding on Chloe and Jason's lives. Even looking more into Kyra's life, and what in the world goes on in that girls head. lol
    Follow Chloe and Jason in another exciting adventure that has romance, drama, and tragedy. This book will be released January 5th. Make sure you pick up Someone Else's Fairytale before then and be ready for Nobody's Damsel when it comes out!