Time for Bed, Sleepyhead - Book Review

This children's book written to help gently lull little ones to sleep and develop good sleeping habits was not at all what I expected.  It is written by a child psychiatrist and rather than be a sweet calming book it uses psychological visualization, and is supposed to have a hypnotic affect on the reader and listener.  There is even a warning in the front of the book not to use it in a car while driving.

That's not for me.  I personally am disappointed in Zondervan for publishing such a book and it will have no place in my house.

The book itself had a cute story about a little bear and his friends having a big day at the beach and what they do when they return home and prepare for bed. The illustrations are colorful and fun, but hypnosis? No thanks!

***This book was provided to by by booklookbloggers.com in exchange for my honest review.

This Road We Traveled - A Book Review

Tabitha Brown refuses to be left behind in Missouri when her son makes the decision to strike out for Oregon - even if she has to hire her own wagon to join the party. After all, family ties are stronger than fear.

Along with her reluctant daughter and her ever hopeful granddaughter, the intrepid Tabitha has her misgivings.  The trials they face along the way will severely test her faith, courage, and ability to hope.  With her family's survival on the line, she must make the ultimate sacrifice, plunging deeper into the wilderness to seek aid.  What she couldn't know was how this frightening journey would impact how she understood her own life and the greater part she had to play in history.

Ever since I was a young girl I have enjoyed reading about the Oregon trail.  I absolutely loved This Road We Traveled by Jane Kirkpatrick.  She has taken my favorite historic time period and written a beautiful story of love, hope and faith.  The journey continues beyond the trail and there is plenty of adventure to be told once they arrive in Oregon.

There is so much history in this book and so much I did not realize about this time period.  This was one of those books that left me thinking about it well after I finished the last page.  If you are a history lover this book is definitely for you!  I think you will be very pleased, as you read about how it was like from a woman's prospective.

***Thanks to Revell Reads for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Raven - A Book Review

As part of his street performances, a deceptions specialist who goes by the name The raven picks his audience's pockets while they watch.  It's harmless fun until he decides to keep the wallet of a prominent politician, hoping for a few extra bucks.  When he finds compromising photos of the councilman and his "personal assistants", The Raven hatches a plan to blackmail the man.  However, he quickly finds himself in over his head with the the Ukrainian Mafia and mired in a life threatening plot code named "Nevermore".

Private investigators Trudi Coffey and Samuel Hill must scramble to sort out the clues to rescue The Raven from a wild card bent on revenge.

Sometimes you connect with a book and sometimes you don't.  This was one of the latter times for me.  I really struggled with reading this and just did not enjoy it.  I have recently become a fan of suspense novels and I really had high hopes for this one.  I am not a fan of first person narrative and a great deal of the book was written this way.  It seems like I always have a hard time connecting with books that are written this way.  It's just my own personal hangup.

The book just seemed busy and confusing at times to me.  It was the first book I read from author Mike Nappa.  Some times you just do not click with an author.  This was one of those times for me.


***Thanks to Revell Reads for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A Love Transformed by Tracie Peterson

When her husband, Adolph, dies suddenly, Clara Vesper is stunned.  Not grief-stricken, as their marriage had never been a love match, but staggered by what might become of her and her children.  For years she designed the sapphire jewelry that made her husband's company a fortune, but she has little money in her own name and soon discovers that she has inherited nothing.  Fearing the welfare of her two small children, she decides to take them to her aunt and uncle's ranch in Montana, the only place she has ever been happy.

but much has changed since she last visited the Montana ranch, both for Clara and for those she was forced to leave behind.  And when dangerous secrets from her late husband's past threaten everyone she loves, Clara must fight to remain where she can fulfill her dreams.

From the very first page I thoroughly enjoyed A Love Transformed.  It's been a while since I read a book that I didn't want to put down. This book is the third of the Sapphire Brides series, but there is not need to read them in order as each book features a different character.

I love reading historical fiction books and this one was very well written.  The character's were well developed and Clara's determination to care for her children was admirable.  There were a few twists in the book that kept me intrigued!   I would highly recommend this book as well as the other books in this series.

***Thanks to Bethany House Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Catching Heat by Janice Cantore

Twenty-seven years after the deaths of Detective Abby Hart's parents, she's desperate to find the proof that will put the mastermind - the governor's wife - behind bars.  When she joins a newly formed task force and teams up with PI Luke Murphy, Abby is sent to San Luis Obispo to work the cold case of a murdered college student.  Realizing their investigations will bring them near the town where California's first lady, Alyssa Rollins, grew up, Abby decides to do a little digging of her own into the Triple Seven fire.

Luke is eager to help Abby Close the books on a case they both have personal stakes in.  But as she uncovers long-held secrets, Abby stumbles into an explosive situations, and Luke fears that her obsession may prove deadly.

Catching Heat is the third and final book in the Cold Case Justice series.  I would recommend reading the books in order.  I didn't and I definitely felt like I was missing something.  It took me a little longer to connect with the characters as well.  Once I got deeper into the book, I did enjoy it.  I just wish I would have read the entire series.

Janice Cantore is an excellent writer and being a former police officer adds to her great ability of writing suspense novels. I was not very familiar with this author before this book, but I will definitely be keeping my eye out for her work from now on.  Next time I'll just be sure to start from the beginning.

***Thanks to Tyndale Publishing for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.