*My Stubborn Heart* A blog tour!

This review is for the debut novel "My Stubborn Heart" by Becky Wade.

I absolutely love finding new authors to read that have tremendous talent and Becky Wade is just such an author!
I love this story because not only does it use at least two generations of family together it weaves a wonderful tale of life, death, pain, redemption and grace.
Becky brings her characters to life with poignancy. The opening of the book was quite unique and immediately peaked my interest in the story. It was almost like the beginning of a fairy tale and was sure to be a charming story I thought. I do, however, hesitate to stick with my charming thought as it almost seems too trivial of  a word to use when, the wonderful author, Becky, manages to bring such depth and feeling to their lives and stories. She truly does an amazing job of weaving human characteristics into this story and gives you a glimpse into how different people deal with loss and pain while maintaining a thread of hope for something better to come for them.

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Kate Donovan has walked through the past months in a lackluster daze. She does her job as a social worker well but really she is only going through the motions.
A request from her grandmother, for Kate to take a three month hiatus from her 9-5 and accompany her to her old hometown of Redbud, Pennsylvania to help restore the old family home, she jumps at the opportunity to escape her doldrums.
She is tired, lonely and depressed. At 31 she was sure God had her spouse out there for her and has prayed faithfully for him since she was young but still finds herself single wondering if he will ever appear.
Then Kate meets Matt Jarreau who is the hunky carpenter her grandmother hired to help them re-do the house.

Unsure of why, but knowing with a strong fact that she feels this way, Kate senses a deep and guarded sadness to Matt. Feeling attracted but waving it away by proclaiming him to attractive for her, she instead determines to pull Matt out of his shell and befriend him. Kate and her grandmother set out to do just that very thing and feel sure that they can succeed.

Could God be finally answering Kate's long uttered prayers or is Matt just in her path so she can help him along the rode to finally healing from his traumatic past?
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I wholeheartedly recommend that you pick up this debut novel and read it for yourself! I think that you will find yourself sucked into the story and just as eager as I was to find out what happens to these very likable characters!


Also be sure and enter the author's fun giveaway!

Win a Nook Simple Touch™ with GlowLight™ in Becky Wade's My Stubborn Heart Giveaway and RSVP for FB Party {5/24}!

Celebrate with Becky by entering her My Stubborn Heart Giveaway and connecting with her during the Author Chat Party on 5/24!

One fortunate winner will receive:

• A Brand New Nook Simple Touch™ with GlowLight™
• A $25 Barnes & Noble Gift Certificate
• A copy of My Stubborn Heart by Becky Wade

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends at noon on May 24th. Winner will be announced at the "My Stubborn Heart" Author Chat Facebook Party on 5/24. Becky will be hosting an book chat, testing your trivia skills and giving away some great prizes!



So grab your copy of My Stubborn Heart and join Becky on the evening of the May 24th for a chance to meet Becky and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book - don't let that stop you from coming!)

 



Don't miss a moment of the fun. RSVP today and tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 24th!

http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/13491775/beckywade

Happy week and reading to you all!
Jenny

*Note* I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my review. I am not required to post a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own and they are sincere.

Fairer Than Morning~Rosslyn Elliott~Blog Tour

This book review is for the novel "Fairer Than Morning". Which is the debut novel by Rosslyn Elliott.

What a novel to debut with! I read it for a blog tour and although the book is somewhat long at 387 pages she writes with an almost poetic feel to the novel. The imagery that her novel produces is beautiful. She paints pictures with her words in this moving novel.

The book is actually a work of fiction that is inspired by a real family that lived in American history, the Hanby Family.

Ann Miller is a young lady with a large mind who loves to read the classics and discuss books with her suitor Eli. Her mother died in childbirth many years ago and she has been left to be a surrogate mother to her two young sisters. Their father, who is a saddle maker by trade, tends to the business and occasional rides off the farm as a traveling preacher. He can't make a decent living at the preaching, therefore he continues with the saddle making. He is considered a master saddler and has a prominent family from Pittsburgh who have him come from Ohio to build their saddles.
On one such trip, Ann and her sisters accompany him to Pittsburgh and she meets Will Hanby, who is the apprentice of another saddle maker. His master is unbelievably cruel and beats him nearly to death.
Will has almost given up hope in life after the awful death of his parents and the torture of working under his master. Meeting Ann even for a fleeting few moments and seeing her kindness and light shine through give him hope for a brighter future.

Everything in this novel culminates toward a suspenseful end. The issue of slavery and murder are touched on several times in this novel. Deep seated emotions are richly portrayed throughout the entire book.

Here are my two favorite lines from the novel by far.

"The intense feeling of presence subsided, as if someone standing next to him had just moved away but remained in the room." This takes place when Will is praying.

"Tell me what you wish me to do. I want to be certain, like the others. In an instant, the night sky became more vast, the vault of heaven opened to limitlessness. Will felt himself minuscule in the sight of something that was everywhere and moving through him, as if he broke apart and mingled with it.His breath came in short, staggered puffs. Who was he, to have asked for an audience with Eternity? At the same time, he felt acceptance such as he had never known, as if these fragments that made him were revealed in all their brokenness and inadequacy...and he was fully loved. He would never be alone."

I have to say again just a beautiful, moving book! Big thumbs up to Rosslyn!


Rossyln has a fun giveaway coming up that you should definitly check out!

Win a custom made period dress ... and a KINDLE from Rosslyn Elliott!
Enter 9/1-9/20!

After entering the contest be sure and check out Rosslyn's website http://rosslynelliott.com/where you can find out more about this new author!

You can read an excerpt of this wonderful book here: http://www.rosslynelliott.com/books.php just scroll down to read the excerpt.

You can purchase the book for yourself, here: Own Fairer Than Morning For Yourself

I highly recommend you picking up this novel and diving into it! I love discovering great new authors for my collection!

Happy week and reading all!
Jenny


*Note* I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review. I am not required to post a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own and they are sincere.