A Billion Books

 I really liked this coloring book. This is a countdown to Christmas, starting with December 1st. Every day has a devotional and a coloring book. It was fun to see the cool designs. The cover is a good representation of the detail in the pages, they just take up the whole page instead of the borders. The devotionals in the book are very good and help you focus on the real reason of Christmas.  If you want a teen/adult coloring book, this is a good one to get. I received a free reviewers copy in return for an honest review from Tyndale House Publishers.

Official Summary: Norah has agoraphobia and OCD. When groceries are left on the porch, she can't step out to get them. Struggling to snag the bags with a stick, she meets Luke. He's sweet and funny, and  he just caught her fishing for groceries.  Because of course he did.  Norah can't leave the house, but can she let someone in? As their friendship grows deeper, Norah realizes Luke deserves a normal girl. One who can lie on the front lawn and look up at the stars. One who isn't so screwed up. Readers themselves will fall in love with Norah in this poignant, humorous, and deeply engaging portrait of a teen struggling to find the strength to face her demons. My thoughts: The summary was very accurate. I did fall in love with Norah and Luke too! I know people who struggle with these demons and I think the author did a very good job showing what it really feels like. Everyone with OCD has different demons but they are all hard to deal with. Luke was a very good...

Summary: Scripture memorization grounds kids in the faith, equips them for the future, and solidifies relationships with Christ, family, and others. The  Hidden in My Heart Scripture Memory Bible  was created to encourage kids not only to read God’s Word but also to hide it deep within their hearts. One hundred of the Bible’s core verses have been set to music by renowned children’s author and song writer Stephen Elkins. The 100 songs include a variety of genres and are available in the New Living Translation, New International Version, and King James Version, and all songs are free with the purchase of the Bible. Additional interactive features encourage school-age kids to engage with the Word in every place of their life. My thoughts: I really enjoyed reviewing this book! The first thing I did was to download the songs that go a long with the selected verses they have for memorization. The songs are a variety of genres from lullabies to upbeat pop songs...

Summary: When her mother suffers a stroke, medical student Deirdre O'Leary makes the difficult choice to put her career on hold to care for her. Dr. Matthew Clayborne is renowned for his amazing results with patients, but when Deirdre approaches him about helping her mother, she finds him challenging and surly. Deirdre has had enough of complicated men in her life. After her fiancé left her, she vowed never to give a man that kind of power again. Widower Dr. Matthew Clayborne is devoted to two things: his work with wounded soldiers and his four-year-old daughter, Phoebe. He won't abandon either of these priorities to care for one older woman. However, when Phoebe suffers a health scare, they're offered respite at the Irish Meadows farm, where his daughter's weakened lungs can recover--but only if he cares for Mrs. O'Leary. Matthew intends to hate Irish Meadows, yet he immediately feels at home, and soon both Mrs. O'Leary and Phoebe are showing improvement. B...

Official Summary: When Clara Vesper's husband, Adolph, dies suddenly, Clara is stunned--but not grief-stricken. Her marriage to Adolph had been arranged, their primary interaction revolving around the sapphire jewelry Clara designed and Adolph produced and sold. Widowed and penniless, with two small children, Clara decides to return to her aunt and uncle's ranch in Montana, the only place she has ever been happy. Curtis Billingham, injured in a sapphire mine collapse, is recuperating at the ranch of his friends, Paul and Madeline Sersland. But when the Serslands' niece returns from New York City, Curtis curses both his broken body and his broken past. Clara, the love of his life, has come back to him, but he is no longer worthy of her love. Clara's brother-in-law Otto Vesper, Adolph's business partner, fears that the loss of Clara's design skills will doom the company's prospects. Following her to Montana, Otto is prepared to do whatever it takes to get ...

Summary: After a medical discharge from his duties in the Napoleonic War, Thomas Quincy Fitzbatten has returned home. Disoriented, burdened by guilt for his wealth, and disillusioned with life's injustices, Thomas longs for a chance to make a difference in the world. But he keeps himself a mystery to those around him as, another motive for his charity gnaws at the back of his mind: to seek redemption from the traumatic demons of war. Then everything changes at the arrival of Ruth Dawson, the niece of Thomas's butler, a stunning woman with a secret of her own. Thomas graciously offers to assist Ruth in her predicament, but a surprise instinct prompts Thomas to handle the case a little more personally. As their love blossoms, it appears that all will be well—until Thomas receives a mysterious letter from an old friend in trouble, compelling him to the rescue. But will Thomas do when nothing is as it seems? And why can't Ruth shake the feeling that her destiny is intertwine...

Summary: Spring 1813 The exotic splendors of India are legendary, and the colorful sights of her new home in Calcutta immediately captivate eighteen-year-old Lady Helen Poulter. Whereas many of her fellow British expatriates despise the culture they see as barbaric, Helen sees excitement in the unusual locale. It is in this vibrant, bustling city that she finds a kindred soul in Captain Michael Rhodes, an Englishman whose lifelong love of India runs deep. Their friendship quickly grows, yet despite their undeniable connection, she could never think of Captain Rhodes as more than a dear friend. Her love, in truth, has been captured by dashing British Lieutenant Arthur Bancroft. This handsome soldier represents the embodiment of all she’s dreamed of in a husband. Preoccupied by her growing affections, Helen never dreams that beneath the  glamour  of the city, hostilities are reaching a boiling point. When battle ultimately threatens both of the men in her life, she...

Summary: Lady Ella Myerston can always find a reason to smile--even if it's just in hope that tomorrow will be better than today. All her life everyone has tried to protect her from the realities of the world, but Ella knows very well the danger that has haunted her brother and their friend, and she won't wait for it to strike again. She intends to take action . . . and if that happens to involve an adventurous trip to the Cotswolds, then so much the better. Lord Cayton has already broken two hearts, including that of his first wife, who died before he could convince himself to love her. Now he's determined to live a better life. But that proves complicated when old friends arrive on the scene and try to threaten him into a life of crime. He does his best to remove the intriguing Lady Ella from danger, but the stubborn girl won't budge. How else can he redeem himself, though, but by saving her--and his daughter--from those dangerous people who seem ready to destroy t...

Summary: It is 1664 and Patience Terry is devastated to learn that Captain Jeremy Horton’s ship has been shipwrecked off the coast of Barbados. There were no survivors. She had hoped that Jeremy would someday give up the sea and settle down with her in Southold, Long Island. Unaware his memorial service is being planned, Jeremy sails aboard a British warship with secret orders to attack New Amsterdam and claim it for the British Crown. When he makes his surprise return to Southold—and to an overjoyed Patience—it’s not quite the happily-ever-after his beloved had hoped for. With a finely tuned sense for authentic historical characters and settings, Rebecca DeMarino plunges you into a world of tall ships, daring journeys, and yearning hearts. My thoughts: I wasn't aware that this book was in a series that I think needed to be read in order. So I thought this book was cute in the beginning when he was missing and she still thought he was alive when everyone said h...

 official summary: While Lydia King's reasons for joining the Teaville Moral Society might be suspect to some members, her heart is in the right place. Because of her father's debts and her mother's persistent illness, her best chance at a secure future and curing her mother is to impress the politician courting her. Her first task--to ask the town's wealthiest man to donate--seems simple enough . . . until he refuses. Despite appearances, Nicholas Lowe wants to help others, but prefers to keep his charity private. When Lydia proves persistent, they agree to a bargain, but Nicholas still intends to do things his own way. Neither predicts what they'll learn about true charity or foresee the complications their actions will bring to the town, forcing Lydia to decide where her beliefs and heart truly align. My thoughts: I enjoyed watching Lydia pester Nick. She is very determined to get what she wants and Nick doesn't want to budge. They both grow a lot in thi...

official summary: Emma Hill was practically born with a violin in her hands. She lives for the life of the piece, for each song’s story, for the perfect stillness after the endnotes when the vibrations of sound are still humming through her body. If only her love life were that harmonic. But she knew her chances at love would take a hit when she decided to leave her prestigious concertmaster position in the Cleveland Orchestra and move back home to Asheville, North Carolina. She justifies her actions with the fact that being concertmaster for the Asheville Symphony is better than no dates  and  no job. But when Emma’s world collides with piano-playing YouTube sensation Elliott Hart, she finds herself falling for the way he plucks at her heartstrings. Despite a— ahem —not-so-good first impression, the two soon develop the beginnings of a rhythmic relationship. But when Elliott insists they can’t be together, it’s up to Emma to strike up a little romance. Will she be abl...

official Summary: Now that Stephanie Pink has broken off a bad engagement, a new career opportunity appears to be just the distraction she needs. Presented with the chance to achieve her dream of becoming a full-fledged literary agent, Stephanie seeks to retrieve a coveted, handwritten manuscript from reclusive author Agnes Wharton. Things go awry when Agnes's dog, Sweetness, runs off during their meeting. The distraught author gives Stephanie an ultimatum: find her dog or Stephanie will never see the manuscript. While combing a nearby campground for Sweetness, Stephanie meets Rhett Hastings. Unbeknownst to her, he's a former CEO and bazillionaire who walked away from the very world she's trying to enter. Rhett agrees to help Stephanie search for the missing dog, and so begins a high jinks-filled adventure in a thirdhand RV.  Will Stephanie ever obtain the elusive manuscript and launch her career? Or will she see that maybe, just maybe, Rhett's choice for a simpler li...

official  summary : Sarah Yoder belongs to a Plain community in Oklahoma, but her days are far from simple. Her father suffers from bipolar disorder—until a tragic accident ends his life and the abuse he inflicted. Instead of stepping up to provide a better future, Sarah's mother packs her bags and leaves her six children behind. Alone with her younger siblings, Sarah is exhausted but finally at peace. Then she nearly runs over a small Hispanic boy with her buggy...and somehow finds herself sheltering two more orphans. Paul Byler moved to Cody's Creek to help his brother in a time of need. But now that Joseph has recovered from his heart attack, Paul's ready for a quiet place of his own. The only problem? His new property lands him next door to the orphaned Yoder family—and a calling from God he can't seem to ignore. My thoughts: I  usually  stay away from  Amish  books because although authors research, unless they are of that religion they will get ...

Official Summary: After ten years in the NFL, superstar Gray Fowler is accustomed to obsessive fans. But when Gray starts receiving death threats from a stalker, his team hires an executive protection agency to guard him until the culprit is caught. Dealing with bodyguards 24/7 is a headache, especially when one of them is a young, beautiful woman. How can a female half his size possibly protect him better than he can protect himself?  Dru Porter is a former Marine, an expert markswoman, and a black belt--none of which saved her from disaster on her last assignment. In order to rebuild her tarnished reputation, she's determined to find Gray's stalker and, since relationships between agents and clients are forbidden, avoid a romantic attachment between herself and the rugged football player with the mysterious past. Yet every secret that leads Dru closer to the stalker also draws her closer to Gray. As the danger escalates, they'll survive only if they can learn to trust t...

Janice Thompson is hands down one of my favorite authors. About 30-50% of the time I read a book and say " I Love that book!" I look at the author and it's from her. A lot of her books are about weddings. When I found out I could review this book I was super excited. Summary: Katie Fisher is ecstatic. Pro basketball star Brady James has proposed, and she can't wait to start planning their life together. But it's hard to focus on her own happily ever after when her calendar is filling up with celebrations for friends and family. Beyond that, it seems everyone around her has an opinion--and a strong one at that--on what Katie's special day should look like. Will she ever manage to settle all of the details for  her storybook wedding? Or will her overzealous friends and relations make a mess of everything? My thoughts: This book is the 3rd in a fantastic series about Katie. I read the first two books and absolutely loved them. I recommend you read a...

summary: Seventeen-year-old Cyra Berque wants two things in life: a date with Rochan and a chance to fence at the Olympics. But people with one hand don’t normally fence, and girls with big thighs don’t get the boy. Knowing that she wants to make the Olympics, Cyra’s coach sets her up with another coach, one who could take her all the way to the top, but the new coach costs more. Feeling her dreams slipping out of reach, Cyra agrees to tutor a ballerina with a rich father and a D minus in English. It’s triple the pay and triple the pain. The ballerina isn’t interested in passing classes―she wants Rochan, and she’s promised she’ll turn her D minus into a full-fledged F if Cyra doesn’t help her win the heart of Rochan. My thoughts: I really liked the detail the author went into to see Cyra's passion. She doesn't let her one handless arm get her down and doesn't do the woe is me act. The ballerina, Christine is a very fun character and Crya and her compliment each other v...

  Men are optional. That's the credo Emma Chandler's suffragette aunts preached and why she started a successful women's colony in Harper's Station, Texas. But when an unknown assailant tries repeatedly to drive them out, Emma admits they might need a man after all. A man who can fight--and she knows just the one. Malachi Shaw finally earned the respect he craved by becoming an explosives expert for the railroad. Yet when Emma's plea arrives, he bolts to Harper's Station to repay the girl who once saved his life. Only she's not a girl any longer. She's a woman with a mind of her own and a smile that makes a man imagine a future he doesn't deserve. As the danger intensifies, old feelings grow and deepen, but Emma and Mal will need more than love to survive. My thoughts: I really liked this book. Emma has spunk and determination that a lot of authors try to get and Karen Witemeyer nailed it. She wants to be able to help the ladies in the colon...

Official Summary: Lady Georgina Hawthorne has worked tirelessly to seal her place as the Incomparable for her debut season. At her first London ball, she hopes to snag the attention of an earl. With money and business connections, but without impeccable bloodlines, Colin McCrae is invited everywhere but accepted nowhere. When he first encounters the fashionable Lady Georgina, he's irritated by his attraction to a woman who concerns herself only with status and appearance. What Colin doesn't know is that Georgina's desperate social aspirations are driven by the shameful secret she harbors. Association with Colin McCrae is not part of Georgina's plan, but as their paths continue to cross, they both must decide if the realization of their dreams is worth the sacrifices they must make. My thoughts: I  liked this book. This book is part of the Hawthorne house series. The other books are fabulous and I highly...

Hi! I realized I have a lot of books to review so the next few will be short. Millie Diamond is your typical high school senior. She has great parents, a younger brother, and two best friends who round out her better than average life. Her future is planned out, thanks to her police officer father, who strictly enforces the rules with a firm, but loving hand. Millie is a kind-hearted soul and proper daughter who respects her dad’s authority…until she meets a mysterious new student who stirs emotions in her she’s never felt before. A drug deal gone bad in South Boston, leaves Cash Davis’ mother no choice but to move him to Tennessee. His life hasn’t been easy, but Cash is tough, and plans on making his future better than his past. Those plans include keeping his head down and finishing high school… but nothing ever comes easy for Cash. His connection with Millie surprises him, and as hard as he tries, he can’t stay away from her. Millie’s dad arresting him before their first date is d...

official summary: Most teens dream of visiting the City of Lights, but it feels more like a nightmare for Sophie Brooks. She and her brother are sent to Paris to spend the summer with their father, who left home a year ago without any explanation. As if his sudden abandonment weren't betrayal enough, he's about to remarry, and they're expected to play nice with his soon-to-be wife and stepdaughter. The stepdaughter, Camille, agrees to show them around the city, but she makes it clear that she will do everything in her power to make Sophie miserable. Sophie could deal with all the pain and humiliation if only she could practice piano. Her dream is to become a pianist, and she was supposed to spend the summer preparing for a scholarship competition. Even though her father moved to Paris to pursue his own dream, he clearly doesn't support hers. His promise to provide her with a piano goes unfulfilled. Still, no one is immune to Paris's charm. After a few encounters...

official summary: If ten girls were asked to describe the “perfect” girl, they would likely rattle off an eerily similar list of qualities―from hair, skin, and weight to a cute button nose. That’s a problem, because God has given girls a desire to be desirable. If girls think that they will be most wanted if they fit a one-size-fits-all image of “perfection,” they will continually chase that proverbial carrot their entire lives. Backwards Beauty examines ten cultural lies young women listen to regarding beauty to help them unpack how they’re looking at themselves through the wrong lens. The “tips to feel ugly” range from “compare yourself to every other girl” to “eat junk and diet, diet, diet.” My thoughts: I loved this book!!! It took me a while to get through it because I kept on having to stop and then come back a couple of days later. But I am proud to say I know how to feel ugly and it only took 10 steps! The thing with beauty is that it is in the eye of the beholder. This...

Official Summary: Trying to escape the shambles her con-man father has made of their reputation, Lucinda Curtis arrives in West Point, New York, determined to land a husband from the military academy. Campbell Conklin is first in his class and preparing to embark upon a storied career in the U.S. Army. Lucinda thinks Campbell will make the perfect husband . . . as long as he does not find out about her father. Seth Westcott also has taken a liking to Lucinda. He's kind, smart . . . and working extremely hard to graduate last. Tradition states that the worst cadets are assigned to the cavalry out west. And west is where Seth must head to track the swindler who stole all of Seth's mother's money. Seth is smart enough to vie for the top spot, but life isn't fair and this is his chance to catch the man who ruined his family. It's too bad Campbell is all shine and no substance, but Lucinda will surely see through all of that, won't she? My thoughts: I rea...

Here is the official summary: Outspoken and fearless, Deborah has faith in God but struggles to see the potential her own life holds. As an Israelite woman, she'll marry, have a family, and seek to teach her children about Adonai--and those tasks seem to be more than enough to occupy her time. But God has another plan for her. Israel has been under the near constant terror of Canaan's armies for twenty years, and now God has called Deborah to deliver her people from this oppression. Will her family understand? Will her people even believe God's calling on her life? And can the menace of Canaan be stopped? With her trademark impeccable research and her imaginative storytelling, Jill Eileen Smith brings to life the story of Israel's most powerful woman in a novel that is both intriguing and inspiring.  My thoughts: I was really excited to read this book because I love reading about women heroes from the scriptures. Deborah had a hard time because her family and peo...

Official Summary: In a reverse twist on the Robin Hood story, a young medieval maiden stands up for the rights of the mistreated, stealing from the rich to give to the poor. All the while, she fights against her cruel uncle who has taken over the land that is rightfully hers. Forced to live in the woods and hide with the poor people she's grown to love, she works to save and protect them, but she never anticipates falling in love with the wealthy knight who represents all she's come to despise.  My thoughts: I loved this book! Juliana, a former lady turned homeless, is such a good person. She thinks that she is the only one who can help her followers and is very loyal to them. She faces death a couple of times and stands firm for what she believes in every time. Colin, a boy from her childhood, is also a brave soul. He understands loyalty too since he is a knight and is able to understand how Juliana feels about the helpless. The two of them are one of those unstoppable co...

Official Summary: Maggie McKitrick loves everything about her new life in Gibson's Run, Ohio—her charming bakery, her quirky customers, her distance from the past. Yes, she loves everything…except her new landlord. Police Chief Sean Taylor is like a piece of sand in an oyster—irritating, but with the promise of something beautiful. Despite Maggie's self-imposed man-fast, she wonders what kind of treasure she and the lawman could create together. Sean Taylor likes to keep the peace, but his new tenant is making it nearly impossible to keep anything on an even keel—including his heart. Despite her sassy attitude, Sean is drawn to the beautiful pastry chef and has an overwhelming need to serve and protect her. As Maggie and Sean draw closer together, her long buried dreams about her life are reawakened into a hopeful prayer…until a threat from her past promises to destroy their future. Will Maggie be forced to run—again—starting fresh? Or will God answer her prayer and give her ...

What is a girl to do when her rival wants to nab the attention of the one boy she’s liked since he shared his peanut butter sandwich with her in the first grade? Love, Lexi follows seventh grader Alexis Dawn Cooper (Lexi) as she navigates middle school and being a middle child. But this is no ordinary middle-school novel. Love, Lexi is a unique combination of a fictional story combined with a devotional and journal to allow readers to watch Lexi learn to seek God first above all else, while writing their own letters to God. Love, Lexi draws young people into Lexi’s life as they contemplate their own place in God’s eyes. This book is in a devotional book format. You read a journal/letter and then you apply it to yourself. For example: Lexi talks about how she is worried about talking to a boy. Then there is an interpretation of Philippians 4:6-7 and then you are able to write what you are worried about and how you are going to be better at trusting God. I think thi...

  Official Summary: Sophie Pope is devastated when she hears the news: her former boyfriend, college football star Anthony “Rocket” Rogers, is engaged to be married. Determined to win him back before he says “I do,” Sophie hatches a foolproof plan to stop the wedding. But when Rocket’s best man, aspiring baseball player David Savage, thwarts her plot, she realizes the game is up. For David, though, it’s just beginning . . . David knows that Sophie is just another pretty face, and he’s more than happy to save his best friend from her shallow advances. She’s not his type at all, so he’s baffled by his response to an awkward encounter with Donovan, another of Sophie’s former flames. Despite himself, David feels driven by an inexplicable need to protect her. Pretending to be Sophie’s new fiancé leads to unexpected sparks between the pair, and soon they’re searching for excuses to spend time together. But when a curveball threatens to send them in opposite directions, wil...

Official Summary: Following the revelation of her fiancé’s philandering ways, high-powered New York attorney Shannon Turney's wedding is off . At a time like this, the last thing she can handle is family drama. But when she learns how far her brother’s and sister-in-law’s lives have spiraled out of control, the only thought in her mind is the safety of her young niece and nephew. After Shannon is granted custody, she and the children are eager to run long and far from their problems. The end of the road is Sugar City, a place as delightful as its name implies. In the tiny town, Shannon gets much more of a change than she bargained for. Welcomed with open arms by the townspeople, including the handsome local veterinarian, Shannon and the children slowly begin to heal. But when their idyllic existence is threatened by the return of the children s mother, Shannon has no choice but to return to the courtroom she left behind. She has one last legal battle to fight, and the outcome ma...

Official summary: Ruth Henderson has moved back in with her parents--something she swore she would never do, especially not at the age of thirty-three. But in the face of the mountain of debt left by her late partner, and the fact that her teenage daughter, Maggie, is expressing her grief through acts of delinquency, there was really only one option. Returning to a house Ruth swore never to set foot in again is bad enough. Add to this an estranged father, whirlwind mother, and David--the boy next door who broke her heart--and it is little wonder Ruth can barely make it out of bed. But then, reunited with her old friend Lois, Ruth is persuaded to go along to a monthly girls' night. Here she meets a bunch of incredible women and for the first time since leaving home at eighteen, Ruth begins to make some genuine friends. ( There was more to it but they were spoilers) Here are my thoughts: This was a sweet book about getting out of hard times and becoming a better person....

This book is the 3rd book in the Jessie Stanton series. I have not read the first two books. If you want to read this book I would recommend reading the other books first because they go in chronological order. Here is the official summary: Jessie Hart worked so hard to put her Louisiana roots in the rearview mirror and her Adornments boutique on the map. So when renegade “husband” Jack turns up again, the new and improved Jessie catches his attention. As he fights through his residual legal battles, he makes every effort to win her back and marry her for real this time... before Danny gets the chance. When a celebrity stylist with her own reality show makes Adornments a hot spot, Jessie’s hard work is finally paying off. But amid award shows and photo shoots, Jessie’s beloved grandfather is diagnosed with cancer and she’s nudged back to the Louisiana roots she worked so hard to escape. Now, in her quest to find the success, true love, and faith that has always eluded her, wil...

Here is the official summary: Lady Rowena Kinnaird may be the heiress to a Highland earldom, but she has never felt good enough--not for her father, not for the man she thought she'd marry, not for God. But after a shocking attack, she's willing to be forever an outcast if it means escaping Loch Morar. Brice Myerston, the Duke of Nottingham, has found himself in possession of a rare treasure his enemies are prepared to kill for. While Brice has never been one to shy away from manor-born ladies, the last thing he needs is the distraction of Lady Rowena, who finds herself in a desperate situation. But when Rowena's father tries to trap Brice into marrying his daughter, Brice makes a surprising decision. Rowena wanted to escape the Highlands, but she's reluctant to marry a notorious flirt. And when she learns that Brice is mixed up in questionable business with a stolen treasure, she fears she's about to end up directly in the path of everything she was trying to a...