Book Review: Waiting for Morning by Karen Kingsbury

Waiting for Morning is a fictional novel, filled with fictional characters that took me on a very real emotional roller-coaster.  The main character, Hannah Ryan, experienced such tragic loss early in the book.  I cried with her in her anguish and at times I wanted to reach out and shake her as she struggled to find new ground.    I rejoiced in the new friendships she unknowingly formed in the midst of tragedy.

Karen Kingsbury has written what I would call plausible fiction.  While this is categorized and intended as a work of fiction, I found myself asking if I would respond the same way Hannah Ryan responded if faced with similar circumstances.  In many ways, I hope not.  Yet, I realize that Hannah's response is very real and possible.  Could I be the friend to Hannah that she found in Carol and Matt?  Would my relationship with God change for the better or worse?  Would I be able to reach out to my children in my pain?

Waiting for Morning is the first of Kingsbury's Forever Faithful Trilogy.  I look forward to completing the series and taking another ride on an emotional roller-coaster.  Kingsbury also includes discussion questions at the end of her novel for personal or group consideration.

An excerpt of this book is available here.

I received this book for free from Waterbrook Multnomah publishing for the purpose of my unbiased review.

Book Review: Submerged by Dani Pettrey

A glowing review from one of my favorite authors, Dee Henderson, on the front cover of Dani Pettrey's novel, Submerged, set me up with high expectations for this romantic suspense.  I am pleased to report that my high expectations were not disappointed.  Dani Pettrey did a superb job of mixing characters, faults and faith with twists and turns to keep you tuned into the action.  In the midst of action, Pettrey creates budding romances and restored relationships that satisfy the hopeless romantic reader.  I thoroughly enjoy a book that keeps me so involved I don't want to let it rest.  That is what I found in Submerged.  Be prepared to pull an all-nighter when you pick up this romantic suspense.  Obviously intended as "book one" of an Alaskan Courage series, upon completing Submerged, I immediately went looking for information on the release of book two.  Dani Pettrey has earned her place on my "watch-list" of favorite authors.

I received a free copy of this book from Bethany House for the purpose of my unbiased review.

Dee Henderson Returns!

One of my favorite author's has returned!  Last year when I began my blogging for books pastime, it led me to an area of the library I had never been before, Inspirational Christian Fiction.  There I discovered Dee Henderson's O'Malley Series which I quickly conquered in a couple weeks.  I just wrapped up reading her Uncommon Heroes series, which took a little more work to access through the inter-library loan program at my local library. Don't get me wrong - the program is great and free -  I just had to remember to request them and be patient for them to arrive!  You can only imagine my joy when I received a confirmation email that I was going to receive an advance reading copy of her new book, Full Disclosure.  I must admit it sat on my nightstand for a couple weeks while I completed other books, but once I picked it up I completed it in my typical reading style for great books.  Have I mentioned how much I love a Dee Henderson book?

I have been looking forward to Dee Henderson's new release and Full Disclosure did not disappoint.  Although I sensed a different writing style in Full Disclosure compared to Dee's previous novels, it grabbed my attention at the very beginning of the book and held it to the end. The depth of characters in this book is extremely deep and well planned. I enjoyed reading tidbits about the lives of the characters I met in Dee's previous books. I strongly encourage anyone who plans to read Full Disclosure, to spend the next month catching up on all of Dee's previous books in order to appreciate the depth of Full Disclosure. There are many twists and surprises within the novel that kept me engaged and curious to the end. I appreciate how the author always manages to bring each character to life and how she weaves together budding romance within the same pages of mystery and suspense.

Thanks Dee for another great read!

Full Disclosure releases October 2, 2012.

You can join the Full Disclosure Countdown on Facebook for chances to win your own copy of Full Disclosure here.

You can also view the book trailer and check out the Full Disclosure website: http://fulldisclosurenovel.com/

If you are interested in checking out Dee's previous novels before the Full Disclosure release, I've compiled a list to get you started:

Danger in the Shadows - prequel to the O'Malley Series

The O'Malley Series:

The Negotiator

The Guardian

The Truth Seeker

The Protector

The Healer

The Rescuer

Uncommon Heroes Series:

True Devotion

True Valor

True Honor

True Courage

Happy Reading!