IT HAD TO BE YOU $100 Visa Giveaway from @SusanMayWarren!

Today, I want to tell you about It Had to Be You, a novel by Susan May Warren.  Oh, this was a good one!  I actually got caught up in it the night I picked it up, and when Paul woke up after 1 a.m. and I was still reading, he was not exactly thrilled with me.

It's a love story, but you could tell that from the cover art, right?  This book makes me smile just trying to describe it.  The characters are strong, vivid people you can easily imagine.  The tension of knowing that Eden and Jace are going to end up together, but not seeing how it's going to happen because they're so different and don't like each other at all makes the story suspenseful.

Parts of it are sad, parts of it are funny, but all in all, this was a great read for a cold winter's day, since it's centered around the world of hockey.

You know how sometimes you get the same "theme" or message from several different sources in your life?  Call it the Law of Attraction, or God trying to get your attention, or whatever you want, but here again, I find myself picking up the theme, Why do bad things happen to good people?  I liked the conversation between Jace and Eden's dad, John, where he talks about blessings from ashes and discovering what was seeded in the fire.  (If you're interested, there actually are certain trees that only sprout after a fire, learn why here.)

This book will make you smile.  It may make you cry.  And hopefully, it will make you register to be an organ donor.  I know Sam and Maddy's story made me want to double check my license for that telltale pink dot.

I loved the way there were several different threads going within the story line.  I felt made the book more multifaceted.  This was a worthwhile read, and I'll be looking for more books by Susan May Warren next time we make it to the library.

Susan May Warren is celebrating the release of her newest Christiansen Family novel, It Had To Be You, with a $100 Visa cash card giveaway and offering readers a free book club kit.

  One winner will receive:

• $100 Visa cash card
• Take a Chance on Me and It Had to Be You by Susan May Warren

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on March 29th. Winner will be announced April 1st on Susan's blog. Also, visit her website to learn more about the It Had To Be You backstory and Susan's free book club kit.

Don't miss a moment of the fun; enter today and be sure to stop by Susan's blog on April 1st to see if you won.

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The Price of Valor

 

If you remember my Books of 2019 post from January, I mentioned that I read 6 books by Susan May Warren last year.  I want to share with you one of this year's Susan May Warren books, the newly released, The Price of Valor.  

The Price of Valor is book 3 in Susan's Global Search and Rescue series.  Each book can be read and enjoyed as a stand alone story, but you'll want to read them all!  I actually read book 2, The Heart of a Hero first, and enjoyed it so much that I ordered book 1, The Way of the Brave.  You can read my review of The Heart of a Hero here.  

The Price of Valor follows the story of Hamilton Jones.  As a kid, Ham's best friend was the girl next door, Signe.  Through a complex set of twists and turns, they end up married but living apart, and Ham believes her to be dead.  

Not only is Signe alive, but she has a child--Ham's child.  Ham's got some big feelings about missing the first 10 years of his daughter's life, but more than that, he wants to make this marriage work.  

You know how most of us have been indulging in a little shelter in place television escapism?  Well, my drug of choice on the screen is NCIS.  The original and the spin offs.  Well, when I was reading The Price of Valor, it was every bit as action packed as an NCIS episode.  This isn't a fluffy love story.  This is a suspense tale, and it kept me on the edge of my seat.  

Longtime readers will appreciate cameo appearances of characters from other Susan May Warren books.  If you're just coming on scene with this series, you'll appreciate that we get more time with Jake and Aria, and your heart will ache when Jenny drops a bombshell on Orion in this book.  

If you're up for glaciers and avalanches, hurricanes and escaped convicts, an erupting volcano and a terrorist plot, I'd highly recommend this series.  

Montana Rescue series from Susan May Warren

I whiled away the hours (well, some of them, anyway) on the long flight to Hong Kong in November with Wild Montana Skies, by Susan May Warren.  I had every intention of coming home and telling you all about it, after I finished it in China, but life got busy, and somehow, I let it slide.  Now that Rescue Me, book 2 in the Montana Rescue series, is out, it seems like a good time to talk about both books.

These were so good!  I really enjoy the way Susan writes.  Her characters are realistic and have a lot of depth.  If you've read any of the Christiansen family series, you'll know that she creates a place and a group of people, and then each book in the series takes a closer look at some of those characters.  I like that you still hear about old favorites in other books within the series.  And while each book stands alone, it's nice to read a book 2 where you already know several of the main players.

Wild Montana Skies sets the stage for this series with a fast paced tale of an old romance being rekindled with some delightful complications.  But it's not just Ben and Kacey's story.  There's steadfast Sierra and driven Ian.  There's flower child Willow and innocent Audrey.  And overshadowing it all, the search for Esme, who's been missing for 3 years.

The heroics continue in Rescue Me, a suspenseful story of a youth group outing gone wrong.  Way wrong.  Here we meet new characters, like young loves, Quinn and Bella.  Sheriff Sam is brought into the limelight with Willow struggling with her feelings for him.  Then there's co workers, Pete and Jess.  Really, that's all they are.  They just work together on the PEAK Rescue Team.  Only maybe... there's the potential for more.

I'm already looking forward to finding out what comes next in A Matter of Trust, due out this summer!

Susan May Warren's books prove that a story can be compelling and handle sensitive topics realistically and with discretion.  Although pregnancy out of wedlock occurs, there are no graphic sex scenes, and I feel good about letting my teen daughter read them.

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The Heart of a Hero - book review

Reading offers an escape from the COVID-crazy, upside down-ness of the world around us right now.  If you're looking for that escape, might I suggest The Heart of a Hero, the latest release from Susan May Warren? 

The Heart of a Hero takes you on a wild, heart-stopping adventure from the sailboat mishap beginning, to the "Omigosh, what happens next?" ending.  But the majority of the book is set in a hurricane.  I don't want to give too much away, but suffice it to say, this fast paced story is hard to set down.   

As usual with a Susan May Warren book, the cast of characters is varied and complex.  From main characters Jake and Aria, to the interesting supporting players like Aggie, a traumatized child whose father didn't know she existed, and a motley band of stragglers who shelter together out of necessity until the storm passes. 

I like the way the author combines romance and adventure with plenty of factual "local color."  For example, I know nothing about sailing, but the vivid explanations of the sailing scene in the first chapter make it so much more real.  Bits of the story take place around the world, and she infuses so much reality into these that you can almost see the sun sparkle on the Mediterranean, or feel the cold of a perilous Alaskan rescue. 

The Heart of a Hero is book 2 of Susan's Global Search and Rescue series.  Book 1 is The Way of the Brave, which I immediately placed on my wish list upon finishing The Heart of a Hero. 

The Heart of a Hero is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Christianbook, IndieBound, and Baker Book House. 

Sunrise Book Review

It's no secret that I enjoy Susan May Warren's writing.  I've reviewed several of her books, and read as many as I can get my hands on.  Today, I want to share her latest work with you.  Sunrise is the first book in her new Sky King Ranch trilogy.  

Sunrise is the story of Echo Yazzie, who's had a rough childhood and carries some hurts from that time in her life. She also has some unfinished business with Dodge Kingston, who took off years ago, and has come back to small town Alaska because his dad crashed an airplane he was piloting.  

Now, I'm not supposed to give spoilers, which makes it really hard to gush about the book as much as I would like to, but let me just say that this book contains, hands down, the best awkward hug scene I've ever read.  I cringed.  

Sunrise is suspenseful without being scary when it comes to the action scenes.  There's danger, yes, but there's not darkness and evil, if that makes sense.  When it comes to romance, Susan May Warren creates tension and sweetness, never anything explicit.  

If winter weather has you wanting to curl up with a good book, look no further than Sunrise.  

When I Fall In Love book review and Kitchen Aid Mixer GIVEAWAY

Susan May Warren does an amazing job of creating 3 dimensional, likable characters.  I reviewed It Had To Be You earlier this year, and was sucked into the storyline and thrilled to discover that it was part of a series. When I Fall in Love was just as intense, as we find out what happens to more of the Christiansen family, and meet new characters.

Set both in Hawaii and in Minnesota, the story centers mainly around Grace, a shy girl, and Max, a celebrity hockey player... with a secret.  They go from strangers to classmates at a culinary school, to a team competing in Honolulu Chop, a cooking competition.

Back in Minnesota, we meet Raina, who I am gussing will be the focus of an upcoming book, as her story leaves off with a bit of a cliffhanger in this one.  Raina tangles with one of the Christiansen brothers--only to discover he was the wrong one for her.  By the time she figures out that she likes Casper, things are... complicated.

Susan May Warren's newest book in the Christiansen Family Collection, When I Fall In Love,  has won over readers' and critics' hearts alike. With critical reviews like, ". . . an exquisite romance. Profoundly touching on the topic of facing fears, this book is a true gem," and more than 60 five-star reviews at Amazon, When I Fall in Love is sure to please.

Susan has teamed up with some amazing food bloggers for a fun food challenge and a KitchenAid Mixer giveaway!

  One grand prize winner will receive:

• A KitchenAid Mixer
• The first three books in the Christiansen Family Collection.
• Melissa Ringstaff’s Kitchen Planner
• Jackie Brown's Freezer Inventory sheet

Grab your aprons and wire whisks and buzz on over to the When I Fall in Love website to learn more and enter the Hawaiian Chef Showdown! Susan is challenging you to make a Hawaiian-inspired dish using coconut, mango, or one of the other ingredients mentioned in the book. You’ll get extra points for creating your own recipe—plus she might share it on the When I Fall in Love site! Or if you're not up for an adventure in the kitchen just click one of the icons below for easy entry.

Hurry, the giveaway ends on August 10th. All winners will be announced August 13th at Susan's blog.

Don't miss a moment of the fun; enter today and be sure to visit Susan's blog on the 13th to see if you won!

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A Matter of Trust #bookreview

Do you remember when I shared about Wild Montana Skies and Rescue Me?  Great books, I hope you've had a chance to read them by now.  Today, I'm back with Book 3 in the Montana Rescue series, A Matter of Trust.

Susan May Warren creates a network of likable characters, and highlights a few of them in each book in her series, but you get to check back in with old favorites, too.  Although A Matter of Trust is a Book 3, you can absolutely read it as a stand alone book and not feel "lost" without the backstory.  However, you'll end up feeling so strongly about the characters, you'll go back and read the others, too, so you might as well start at the beginning!

One of the reasons I'm finding this series so fascinating is because it takes place in such a foreign-to-me setting.  I'm a suburban housewife.  The most dangerous thing I do is drive on the freeway.  The members of PEAK Rescue put their lives on the line, both for each other and for complete strangers all the time.

A Matter of Trust is full of adrenaline and intrigue.  Someone on the team is not who you think.  The relationships are complex and evolving.  You have Gage, who is a really amazing skier, but he's still grappling with mistakes in his past.  Pete and Jess, who still haven't figured out if they're "just teammates" or not.  And Brette the reporter who knows there must be a story here somewhere.  Then there's Ella, who had a complicated run in with Gage a few years ago, and now she's just trying to keep her younger brother from self destructing, but the only one who can help her do that, is Gage, of course.

The tension and the drama are enticing.  This is one of those books you just can't put down.  You know, the sort of book that makes your chest ache as you read, hoping that things will work out?

I'm really looking forward to Troubled Waters, Book 4, which comes out in January.  Looks like we'll finally find out the rest of Esme's story, and how things work out (or don't!) between Sierra and Ian from Book 1.  If you plow through the first 3 between now and then, check out some of Susan May Warren's other books.

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The Wonder of You - book review

You know why I don't like Susan May Warren books?  They make me cry.  Not, "Aw, happily ever after" tears, either.  The characters in her stories are so real, so human, with struggles just like mine.  Take, for example, the newest book in the Christiansen series, The Wonder of You.  Several passages held little nuggets of wisdom, such as when Roark tells Amelia, "It's not about how you feel.  It's about what you do."  Or when Jace tells Max (from When I Fall in Love), "Stop trying so hard not to be happy, and start trusting the life God is giving you.  It just might knock your socks off."

The downside of tears is quickly surpassed by getting totally engrossed in the plot and characters.  I really do become absorbed Susan's stories, even when they make me cry.  This book even mentions adoption, which, as you know, is near and dear to my heart.

The Wonder of You picks up where Always on my Mind leaves off.  Amelia is home from Europe, broken hearted.  Roark follows her to try and patch things up, but he's keeping a secret from her.  A big secret.  And then there's Seth, the boy Amelia dated all through high school.  The man that makes sense for her to settle down with.

I don't want to spoil the plot for you because you'll want to read it yourself.  In fact, you'll want to read all of them, starting with Take a Chance on Me.  I have really enjoyed all Susan's books that I've reviewed so far.  One of the things I like best about them is that we get to check in on the characters from previous books and see how they're doing.

You can connect with Susan May Warren at her website.

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Have Yourself A Christiansen Christmas #bookreview

 

You ever read a book and wish it would never end?  You just want to keep reading about these characters you've come to know so well?  Back in 2014 & 2015, I reviewed some of the books in Susan May Warren's Christiansen Family series.  So when she asked for reviewers for Have Yourself A Christiansen Christmas, I jumped at the chance.  

I got a few pages in and thought, "I barely remember who's who.  Maybe I should just start over."  

So out came the whole series.  (Almost.  I couldn't find my copy of Evergreen, so I requested it from the library.)  Very little else got done around here as I devoured them all over again, remembering why I enjoyed them so much, even though they made me cry.  The Christiansens are a strong, close-knit family with a good balance of faith and humanity.  

The next time I picked up Have Yourself A Christiansen Christmas, it was with eager anticipation to catch up with old friends.  HYACC takes place after a gap of about 7 years since the last Christiansen Family book.  The babies are kids, and the kids are teens now.  The young adults are (mostly) mature married folk now.  

One of the things I liked about Have Yourself A Christiansen Christmas, is that the characters are more mature than your typical romance.  A lot of books have all the fireworks of initial attraction and how a couple comes together.  This book shows the longevity of deep relationships and the hard work of living out that togetherness.  I think I appreciate that more because I'm no longer in the fireworks season of life, and while I still appreciate a good fluff romance from time to time, this book resonated with me more.  

The 7 couples (including Ingrid & John, the parents) deal with a variety of issues in this book.  Blessings, losses, good and bad surprises, misunderstandings, secrets, and opportunities.  But they face these challenges with a strong family support network.  I'm not supposed to share specifics, so as to not spoil anything for you, but I really enjoyed the book, and I hope author Susan May Warren will update us again in the future.  

Storm Front by Susan May Warren

If you've not yet discovered author Susan May Warren, you're in for a treat.  I got hooked on her books with the Christiansen Family series.  They're so good.  Susan creates families.  And while each book mainly deals with the romance of a different couple, you get updates on familiar characters from prior books in the series.  In fact, confession time here, when book 5 of the Montana Rescue series arrived for me to review and I realized I had somehow missed book 4, I ordered it that day.  And I was done with 5 before 4 arrived.  They're that good.

If you missed it, here's a post where I talked about books 1 & 2.  My review of book 3 is here.  Book 4, wowza!  It had me on the edge of my seat!  There's a shipwreck, and lots of nail-biting action.  I stayed up way, way too late finishing it because I just couldn't put it down.

But I'm here to talk about book 5 today, Storm Front.  Like all the Montana Rescue series, Storm Front is full of action and adventure.  PEAK Rescue collides with a storm chasing team (Remember the movie Twister?  Kinda like that.) when a tornado rips through southwestern Minnesota, throwing Ty and Brette back into each others lives in a way that creates swirling chaos that rivals the storms surrounding them.

Storm Front chronicles the efforts to find Chet and a group of students after a tornado wrecks havoc and leaves families crazy with worry about missing loved ones. 

Meanwhile as their wedding date gets pushed back over and over, Kacey wonders if Ben has changed his mind about marrying her.  And Pete gets terrible news about Jess. 

Eventually, Ty and Brett find themselves weathering yet another devastating storm together in the library, where they make a vitally important discovery. 

If you've been reading along from the beginning, you're going to want to get your hands on Storm Front right away.  If you're new to the series, here are links for the whole thing:

     Wild Montana Skies
     Rescue Me
     A Matter of Trust
     Troubled Waters
     Storm Front
     and coming in November... Wait For Me

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Evergreen

Evergreen: A Christiansen Winter Novella was such a touching little book!  Being a "novella," Evergreen is 181 pages of story, and then discussion group questions, if you are reading it with a group.  If you're familiar with Susan May Warren's Christiansen series, including It Had To Be You and When I Fall In Love, you'll recognize John & Ingrid, and many of the other characters.

I loved that, instead of the young love stories we usually read, this book was about a mature couple, who'd raised their kids, and was facing the empty nest.  Now, I won't have an empty nest for many years to come, but I can relate to being in a season of life where the kids are starting to live on their own.

One of my favorite interactions takes place on pages 44-45, between John and his son Derek.  They're working together on Derek's house, and John makes reference to Naked Tuesday as a perk of having an empty nest.  Derek, of course, is horrified.  Living with a flock of teenagers, I've noticed that they think sex is fascinating--unless it involves their parents!  Then, it's totally gross.

During preparations for the very memorable Live Nativity comes a deep observation from Ingrid's friend Noelle.  "Our children are destined to leave us from the moment they're born.  And the paths they walk are theirs, not ours.  We can only give them a place to come, stop in, find comfort."  Wise words.

Evergreen is a story of loss and gain.  A story of new beginnings and the continued faithfulness of a long term marriage.

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Learning About C. S. Lewis with YWAM Publishing

We reviewed for YWAM Publishing last year (Columbus), so when the chance to review again this year came up, I knew we'd be getting another quality biography to enjoy.  This year, I selected C. S. Lewis, Master Storyteller from their Christian Heroes Then & Now series.  Paul is currently reading the Chronicles of Narnia aloud to the children after dinner, and I thought this would be a perfect fit for us.  We received the physical book and the digital unit study that goes with the book.


I began reading the biography aloud to Jack and Hannah (ages 12 and 8), but when we got to C. S. Lewis' time in WW1, I read when Eli (age 14) would be around to listen in, too.  Although the website says ages 10 and up, the vocabulary is pretty advanced.  There were plenty of words Jack would not have been able to define, but from the flow of the story, he could pick up the gist of what happened.  You can read a sample chapter online to get a feel for the vocab level.

C. S. Lewis was born in Ireland, but educated at some rather horrible boarding schools in England.  Academic life suits him, however, and he goes on to teach at college, where he makes friends with another of our family's favorite authors, J. R. R. Tolkien (The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings trilogy, etc).

His name was actually Clive Staples Lewis, but he commonly went by Jack.  (I think I would, too!)  His mother died when he was a child, and he was closer to his brother, Warren than to his father.  During The Great War, he makes a pact with a friend, Paddy Moore, that if either of them die, the other will see to his family.  Paddy does not survive the war, and Mrs. Moore (Paddy's mother) and Paddy's little sister, Maureen become Jack's family.  I kept expecting Jack to marry Maureen, but in fact, Maureen marries someone else, and Jack doesn't marry until late in life, when he marries the same woman twice!

Hannah points out where the events of the book took place.

The digital unit study that goes along with the book has maps, pertinent Bible verses, comprehension questions, ideas for a display corner and further study within your community.  It also lists related themes, books and other resources, and makes suggestions for a culminating event at the end of your study.  Honestly, the chapter questions, while written with 2 levels of difficulty, are all a bit advanced for the academic level of my current students, but the study guide would be great for teens.

One of the neat things I really appreciated within the digital resources was the extensive list of YWAM biographies organized by country/geographical area.  It also lists the relevant time periods of each book.  This would be a great reference for adding a biography to history or geography studies!  In fact the main curriculum we use calls for the addition of some of these fine books in 3 of the years of their 5 year cycle.

Authors Janet and Geoff Benge do a great job of bringing C. S. Lewis' life story to tweens and teens in a story-like but fact filled manner.  I enjoyed this book, and I feel like I have a deeper understanding of the life experiences that he allowed to peep out of the pages of his writings.  I think I will get more out of reading the Chronicles of Narnia this time around, now that I know the back story behind them.


You can connect with YWAM Publishing via their Blog, Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter.  Other Crew families received many different biographies, and you can read their reviews by clicking the box below.

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