Ellie Claire 365-Devotional Journals

Each of these journals are exquisite. All are of the highest quality, and would make a beautiful gift for  family, friend or yourself. I love the daily habit of writing my thoughts, and the daily devotion in these pages are a lovely addition. All three include an elastic closure band.

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Peace Begins with Me 

This journal has a lovely watercolor look to its fold flat cover with foil gold lettering. The non-bleed paper inside is highlighted with colorful designs, and has a daily devotional to reflect upon. Not only can you enter your own thoughts onto the lined pages,  there is enough space for responses to the devotion of the  day.

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus 

The title alone is inspirational, but each page within begins with a song or hymn. In addition, there are short stories, a bit of scripture, and a verse suggestion from the Bible. The interior non-bleed pages matches the flowered cover. 

The Earth is the Lord's, and Everything in It.

I adore, absolutely adore, the cover on this high quality, artistic, and inspiring journal. Can you tell it's my favorite of the three in this series? Ellie Claire most certainly outdid herself with this one. The inside its filled with lined pages, each headed with a devotional story that touches upon the gifts of nature that God blessed us and the earth with. Throughout these stories are Bible verses to look up if you so choose.  There's plenty of room to pen thoughts, or reflect upon the daily devotion.

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I received review copies of these journals from Ellie Claire Gifts.

The Lost Girls of Paris

The Lost Girls of Paris is a fictional story about strong women, filled with conflict, yet tied together with a cause so important, they overcome many obstacles. This well-researched historical novel is set in a dual timeline fashion. 

It begins in 1946, with Grace, a woman working with European refugees, and trying to deal with the grief of losing her husband to the war. While going through an abandoned suitcase, her curiosity draws her, and me as a reader, into wanting to figure out what the strange contents mean and who is the mysterious owner of the luggage. 

The contents inside is full of mysterious photographs, a pair of baby shoes, and other seemingly unrelated things. Grace digs deeper, and learns about the life of a female secret agent and how she headed a group of women like herself in clandestine operations during WWII. Though it’s a fictional story, these types of brave female agents existed, though sadly, were left out of most history books.

 The story constantly drew me in, with no lags in the storyline. Both timelines are stitched together seamlessly.  I admire the strength and bravery of all the women, including Grace and Trig, my two favorites.  For any fan of historical fiction, this is a must read! 

5 stars

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are completely my own.

The Christmas Company

I love everything about the holiday season, and Christmas stories that warm my heart are near the top of the list.

The Christmas Company is such a story. Just like the Hallmark holiday movies, this stirring story gave me all kinds of winter chills. I'm so glad to be introduced to Alys Murray's writing. I enjoy her writer's voice and the delightful characters she's created for Miller’s Point, Texas.

Kate and Clark are not a likely pair, which makes their journey all the more enjoyable. And the Christmassy Texas town is an integral part of their relationship as their chemistry is. If you enjoy the classic Charles Dickens Christmas Carol, you’ll love this one too! 

4 stars

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. All opinions expressed are completely my own.

The McAvoy Sisters Book of Secrets

The McAvoy Sisters Book of Secrets is filled with angst, love, trauma, and newfound secrets. Ultimately, redeemed love, and redemption of a broken family is the main focus.It’s told through the views of Meredith, the mother, and three sisters, two grown with lives of their own, and one a teenager.

The sisters are estranged at the beginning, and harbor a lot of hurt and anger. The family resentment is palpable when they are all brought together due to the need to care of their ill mother. Though this family is imperfect, as most families are, the effort of forgiveness and eventual open communication, brings hope for this broken family. This book is not an easy read at times, however, there are some sweet and light moments. But, there’s also some very disturbing parts of this story that may be a trigger for some readers, such as rape, and dementia issues. 

All in all, The McAvoy Sisters Book of Secrets is a well written, and fulfilling read. 

4 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Becoming Mrs. Lewis

Becoming Mrs. Lewis is unlike any story I’ve read before. Although it’s a long read, (416 pages) I plunged into the highly researched world of Joy Davidman, and C.S. Lewis. Sometimes I found it hard to sympathize fully with Joy, but I loved how her trials were portrayed realistically, and how they each may have strayed from their Christian beliefs without abandoning them.

Previous to this book I had little knowledge of C.S. Lewis’s life or his writing, but the author did a wonderful job of presenting the ups and downs of their unconventional relationship. Not only was I entertained, but I learned a lot about the literary and personal world of Mrs. Lewis. 

This is the first book I've read by Pattie Callahan, and her writing style is amazing. 

Her novel is enchanting, as well as providing an in-depth view into the life between a couple of authors embracing life through prose, and self-discovery.
5 Stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Ellie Claire Journals

Faith & Lettering Journal

The Illustrated Word ~ An Illuminated Bible Journal

Illuminate Your Story Journal

Faith & Lettering Journal folds flat for writing ease and has 160 pages filled with ways to incorporate devotional time while writing your thoughts. The added perk of basic hand-lettering instructions, and bible journaling prompts, are a beautiful addition to this journal. The cover is embossed and colorful. There is a thick elastic band on the binding to hold a pen. I love the quality of this beautiful journal, and the pages within are inspiring. I highly recommend this creation by Ellie Claire.

The Illustrated Word~ An Illuminated Bible Coloring Journal has an embossed, detailed cover. the thick pages won't bleed through when coloring the beautiful historical drawings. Though there is a plethora of coloring pages throughout the journal, there's still plenty of lined pages for your thoughts. The scripture quotations are from many versions of The Bible, such as New International, New King James, English Standard, New Revised Standard, so no matter what version you like, it's included here. Ellie Claire created a fun way to reflect and relax with this journal.

Illuminate Your Story Journal has an embossed cover, an elastic band to hold your pen on the binding, and an elastic band to hold the journal closed. The 160 pages are a combination of lined pages and those which have graphed, step by step instructions to create your artistic lettering. The first few pages introduce the history of illuminated manuscripts from hundreds of years ago. Detailed explanations of each type of illuminated letters, Insular, Carolingian, Ottonian, Romanesque, Gothic, and  Renaissance. The list of supplies needed to try your hand at this type of lettering is a nice addition. The lined pages are headed with quotes, an attached bookmark ribbon, and a paper pocket on the inside back cover to hold keepsakes are nice additions to this journal. I believe this is my favorite journal by Ellie Claire.

5 stars

I received these complimentary copies from Elle Claire Gift and Paper Expressions

Shelter of the Most High

Connilyn Cossette's book, Shelter of the Most High, is second in Cities of Refuge series, however it stands well on its own. I enjoyed this book immensely and can't wait to read the whole series now.

Shelter of the Most High brings biblical times alive in my mind. I connected immediately to Sofea. The romance she has with Eitan is only one part of this historical story. It tells of times fraught with danger and fears, as well as perseverance, bravery, hard times, and blessings just to name a few. All of these times are described with vivid storytelling and played out like a movie in my head. 

This wonderfully written book is one I will come back to from time to time just to relive it all over again. The cover art is absolutely eye-catching and drew me in, hungry for more. I believe it is one of the most gorgeous covers I've seen in quite a while. The writing is superb, editing thorough, descriptions vivid and I am hard pressed to find a single flaw to this book. I highly recommend this read. 

5 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Once Upon a River

The storytelling element of Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield sparked my imagination. Instead of snuggling in my bed reading, I was transported along the riverside, sitting by a bonfire, the chill permeating through my bones, yet leaning forward to catch every word of the storyteller’s voice. 

Oh, how the author spun this story into a web of intrigue! The characters were REAL, the scenery tangible, the mystery, heartache, love, life, death all twisted into the river somehow. 

A little girl, seemingly drowned and quite dead, regained consciousness … or is it some sort of magical intervention? The parentage of this mute child becomes the focus of the story, two families claiming her. The other villagers are enthralling, and add a lot to this story.

I closed this book with a sigh of regret, because I wanted the story to continue.

I highly recommend this wonderful read. 

5 stars

I received a complimentary copy from Net Galley. All opinions are my own.

House of Gold

House of Gold is about The Goldbaum dynasty, loosely based on the real-world Rothschild family, depicts what life was like for the privileged family during pre-WW1. Both male heirs and female family members have pre-destined lives. The men are expected to be bankers, and women must marry suitable men, sometimes marrying first cousins to keep everything within the family.  Other than arranged marriages, the women are expected to produce heirs to carry on the family name.

The main character, Greta begrudgingly marries her cousin, Albert. At first I felt sorry for her, but then came to realize Albert wasn’t so keen on marrying her either. Somehow, they grow to tolerate each other, and eventually a tender love begins to emerge. I was beginning to like this book at this point.

I adored the secondary character, Greta’s brother, Otto. His dedication and love for his sister is lovely. My heart broke when he went to war. I also grew to love Albert, and actually started to dislike Greta for the way she treated him. Later in the story, she redeems herself (in my eyes) by helping less fortunate woman, and showing more of her innermost thoughts with her husband.

Then I started considering not finishing the book, but wanted to give it a chance ... I continued. 

I was bored: The Goldbaum men deal with anti-Semitism, and all the banking issues involved with the brewing war. This part of the book dragged on for me. I felt there was way too much info-dumping. I really didn’t anticipate a history lesson, and found myself skimming through these dull parts. There was simply way too much telling and not enough showing in this aspect of the story. 

Then I felt cheated: At times this story line jumped ahead and yanked me out of the story, and left me wondering if I missed something. (I did skim over boring financial discussions after all.) 

But after turning back the pages, I realized I didn’t miss anything to do with Greta’s self-growth. The story simply skipped an integral part of her life.  Did her ambivalence simply evaporate? When did they consummate the marriage? When was this child born? How did she feel about being pregnant? How did they reach that point in their relationship? Suddenly she was a loving mother and wife, without an inkling that she was pregnant. When did this take place? 

As I mentioned above, I wanted to like this book, but I feel cheated. I am left with many questions and a slew of disappointment. It was if a chapter or two was omitted. The character growth was suddenly plopped in my lap. My interest began to wane… and it never sparked again. Sadly, it affects my opinion of this book.

2 stars

Copy of book compliments of NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

The Love Letter

I really enjoy when a story includes two time eras. It’s like a buy one get one sale, and I love a bargain.

It was a little more difficult for me to connect with Esther and Hamilton (the Revolutionary War era) and I kept finding myself wanting to skip to the contemporary era with Jesse and Chloe’s story. Their stories involve the movie industry and overcoming upsets of the past, which carried more depth for me. 

The theme of forgiveness weighs heavy and reveals a powerful and freeing conclusion to both stories. 

I wanted a faster pace with the Historical side of the story, but overall, I enjoyed the book as a whole. 

3 Stars. 

Book courtesy of Net Galley. All opinions are my own.

The Myth of Perpetual Summer

I was captured by every aspect of The Myth of Perpetual Summer. This novel spans from the Civil Rights Era, to the 1970s, and beyond. 

Tallulah James, is a child of constant emotional upheaval due to a Bi-Polar father and emotionally absent mother.  She somehow finds a way to navigate through this turbulent time in her life. 

The close relationship with her older brother, Griff, is sweet and trusting, and her motherly ways with her younger siblings is heartbreaking.  Tallulah’s childhood is lost as she takes over her mother’s role while she’s on one of her many “protest marches.” She later learns it’s simply an escape from home and the family life her mother seems to despise.

Even when her mother is home, she’s negligent. Tallulah never loses hope that someday her mother would “see” her. She longs for typical parents like her friends have. Ones who are there when they come home from school, attend their games, take an interest in their goals, and lavishes love and attention on their children.

This dual time period novel seamlessly depicts Tallulah’s life from childhood to adult, from heartbreak to recovery, from pulling away from one life and creating another. Then being pulled right back into what she ran away from the moment she was old enough to do so. 

I empathized with her through every choice she made, both good and bad. She learned from mistakes, and carried on. The lives of her siblings, and how each were affected by their upbringing are vastly varied. This shows how one can make their own future despite their past. 

5 stars

ARC copy received from Net Galley. All opinions are my own.

The Theory of Happily Ever After

I couldn’t stop laughing while reading The Theory of Happily Ever After. 

At first I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to connect with the scientific yet quirky main character, Dr. Maggie Maguire. Needless to say, she grew on me. 

Ironically, Maggie is an acclaimed author of a book that is about the science of happiness, while in reality she is struggling with a broken relationship, and feeling quite sorry for herself. Her two best friends, Haley and Kathleen, won’t let her wallow for long. Unbeknownst to her, they book her on a singles cruise. After boarding the ship, Maggie learns she’s has to give a speech on her scientific happiness theory to the shipmates. This is where the craziness starts. 

To top things off, two men show an interest in her despite her mistrust. She's lying to her parents, and  her ex continues to add to her misery by adding to the pain he’s already inflicted, and her publisher has expectations Maggie isn’t sure she can satisfy. What a bunch of unhappiness right? Nope. You have to read this to find out what happens! It's so good!

The comedy is refreshing, and the story is super entertaining. 

 4 stars 

ARC compliments of Net Galley. All opinions are my own.

Bluestone & Vine

Though Bluestone and Vine is the second book of the Blue Hollow Falls series, it works a stand-alone story.

The main character, Pippa MacMillan, is a feisty, independent, Irish folk singer. Due to a catastrophe onstage, she stays out of the limelight to recover.  She house-swaps with her sister’s friend for a quiet, private cabin in the mountains of Virginia. With tabloids following her every move, Pippa grabs the opportunity. 

Seth Brogan, a former special forces solder turned vinter, is the owner of the private cabin, and brother of the other end of the house-swap, discovers his sister has "volunteered" him to have Pippa stay at his home for eight weeks. Within moments after his discovery, Pippa shows up in the midst of a snowstorm.

I was captured at once. Both characters are likeable. Pippa’s bouncy attitude made me chuckle, especially when she awkwardly curtseys. However, underneath, she is dealing with a lot of uncertainty and life-changing decisions.  

Seth is a hulk of a man, intent on bringing an old vineyard back to life, and quite content to live alone. He’s kind, giving and private—the latter now being invaded by Pippa.

Right from the start, there’s no denying the attraction between the two.  Throughout this endearing story everyone in the town is invested (aka endearingly nosey) in Pippa and Seth’s friendship. Those closest to Seth encourage him to stop getting in the way of his own happiness. Actually, Pippa is in the way of her happiness as well. They both seem to be more concerned with the drawbacks of their logistics than the closeness of their hearts. 

The community is chock full of fun characters. Mabry, the old man, is my favorite. There are several others who portrayed the closeness of a small town. Everyone embraces Pippa, and keeps her shielded from the adoring public and tabloids she fled from. 

Never once did this story lag. I couldn’t put this book down.  What happens to this charming Irish folk singer next? Can Pippa trust her voice … as well as her heart? And what about mountain-man Seth Brogan? Will he remain a part of her life when she goes back to Ireland? 

The answers and so much more are within the pages. The descriptions of the countryside and residents become “real” and the storyline makes one “feel” --Two of the best qualities a book can hold. 

 Be sure to read Bluestone and Vine. Pippa, Seth, and the myriad of charming residents of this mountain town are sure to capture your heart.

4 Stars

ARC compliments of Net Galley. All opinions are my own.

I Will Love You Forever

The death of a sweet baby is a life shattering ordeal, but Cori Salchert and Marianne Hering's story respectfully addresses loss in I Will Love You Forever. The love is selfless, and the giving nature throughout the book is touching. Cori wraps the reader with comfort through her written word.

This story shows how God guides us through hard times. This story is not sad like I thought, but uplifting. This book touched my heart, and reminded me of the strength we gain through faith.

The author grabbed my heart from the first page, and kept me immersed throughout the book. I highly recommend this true story. I Will Love You Forever changed me… and made me take a hard look within.

5 stars

I received a complimentary copy from Net Galley.  All opinions are my own.

Love in a Tuscan Kitchen

Wow, Love in a Tuscan Kitchen could very well be made into a movie. Not only is this story true, it's a fairy tale come to life. The book is filled with love, recipes and Italian culture.  The fear of taking a chance at a dream keeps many from following their heart, but this author took hold of what she wanted and filled her life with passion. What an inspiring read!

Sheryl Ness pens this story so well, I felt like I walked the cobblestone streets, met the people within the small Italian village of San Gusme, and discovered the glorious food right along with her. But the best part of the book is the love story.

The sweet emotions shared between her and Vincenzo while they fall in love is charming. I will let you delve into that part of the story yourself. I also loved the colorful characters who resided in this village tucked away in the hills of Tuscany. The photographs were a nice surprise too. However, every scene was so well described, I already pictured it. 

There are some recipes tucked lovingly within the pages of this book, and I can’t wait to sample them. The lemon cream one will be the first one I attempt to make.

The inspirational story will make anyone want to follow their innermost dream. Not only is this author a brave soul, she is an amazing storyteller. 

 4 stars

Complimentary copy from Net Galley. All opinions are my own.

Judah's Wife

Judah’s Wife, by Angela Hunt, holds a powerful message. The spiritual vein throughout the story is moving. I never really knew about the ancient Israelites lives. At the end of the book, the author writes about why she entwined fiction with the written word, and I highly recommend reading what she has to say. It gives insight about the telling of this story. 

Leah is one of many characters in this book, but the story’s point of view shifts between her and her husband, Judah. I enjoyed the inside look into each character’s frame of mind and emotions. 

Their relationship is strained at times, and Leah has a lot of trust issues. Judah, a hulk of a man, has the nickname of hammerhead, but he is very tender with her. Leah’s difficulty at accepting Judah’s love was frustrating because he constantly showed his loyalty. However, it was Leah’s unhappy past which made her this way. Eventually, she discovers more about herself, in turn, settles into a peaceful life with Judah. 

Then their lives are thrown into peril, and Judah takes over as head of the army when his father dies. The battles Judah lead are described in detail, and the many sacrifices are heart wrenching. Though Leah initially abhors the role of a warrior’s wife, she find’s purpose by becoming the storyteller about the battles fought and won. Over the years, she grows into a very strong woman, as well as a supportive wife.

Not only did I learn about Judah’s wife, I gained a lot of insight about the Maccabees during the silent years. I empathized with all the passion and heartbreak during battles fought to worship as they wished.  It is an awe-inspiring story well worth the read. 

4 Stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Net Galley. All opinions are my own.

Bella Figura

Bella Figura is a travel memoir written by a high-powered magazine editor, Kamin Mohammadi. This British woman dives into the unknown and takes a year away from all she knows to follow a dream of writing a book. I wish she had received support instead of scorn from her mother, but admired the author for packing her bags anyway.

Kamin eventually learns that life in Florence, Italy isn’t what she expected. The many twists in this story kept me turning the pages. The addition of Italian recipes sprinkled through the chapters made my mouth water.

This engaging author writes with wit and honesty. The descriptions are beautiful, be it emotions, food, local people, or the breathtaking landscapes. Most important, the self-discovery of this author was astounding and inspiring.

Though the premise of this book initially reminded me of Eat Pray, Love, I quickly found it was not what I expected. The personal look into this woman’s love, life and liberating growth is beautiful.

4 Stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book from First to Read. All opinions are my own.

Hurricaine Season

Hurricane Season is the first I’ve ready by Lauren K. Denton. 

This story revolves around two sisters, Jenna and her older sister, Betsy. They share a loving, but strained relationship.

Jenna, a free spirited single mother, is trying to support two little daughters on a barista’s paycheck. When an opportunity to follow her dream as a photographer basically drops in her lap, she grabs it. However, she must leave her children with her older sister, Betsy while to follow this opportunity. I know this move was to better herself, but at times, I found this character selfish, especially when Jeanna extended her stay at the retreat. 

Betsy loves her life as a farmer’s wife. The only thing that's missing is children of her own. She takes her nieces in, though she has doubts of her ability to take care of two small children. Her fears of becoming too invested in her nieces is strong at first, but the little girls broke through that wall in no time. I really liked this character, and my heart went out to her. 

Ty, Betsy’s husband, was by far my favorite character, despite the story focusing more on the sisters. He’s a man of few words. However, he doesn’t shy away from speaking his mind when the situation calls for it. Ty is hard-working, kind, and loving man. Though his marriage with Betsy is filled with love, they’ve lost the carefree intimacy they once shared ever since Betsy miscarried their child. I love how he handles this with understanding. His soft-spoken, yet strong personality endeared me to this man.

This charming story captivated me, and though at times I was frustrated with Jenna, I ended up loving all the characters.

4 Stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Net Galley. All opinions are my own.

Exibit Alexandra

The mystery between the pages of Exhibit Alexandra is pretty interesting ...at first. After a few chapters, one of the characters doles out too much information. That fact disappointed me as a reader. I like to be kept guessing. And I wasn't. I easily figured out the plot too soon. Due to that fact, I pretty much lost interest midway through the story.

 I didn't dislike this book, but I simply didn't love it. I did enjoy the intriguing information about his wife, which honestly was the best part of this whole story. 

Summary: The premise of the story is good, but I think the main plot was given away too quickly.

3 Stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Blogging for Books. All opinions are my own.

Shadows of Hope

Shadows of Hope captured me from the beginning. The story is told from three points of view; the main character, Marissa, her husband, Colin, and a college student, Katilyn.

Marissa runs a crisis pregnancy center. This is a dream of hers and she pours her heart into it. After a miscarriage and subsequent problems getting pregnant, she fears she will never have a child of her own. Problems in her marriage arise, and she does everything to fight for it. Her best friend for years, who is also her co-worker, helps her through everything. (I think he’s secretly in love with her and I hope the author pairs them together in another book.)

Katilyn, Marissa’s favorite barista, becomes pregnant—by Marissa’s husband. To Katilyn’s defense, she doesn’t know he’s married. In addition, Marissa doesn’t know who the baby’s father is. What a mess! It sure kept me turning the pages wanting to know what happened next.

When Katilyn comes to the clinic, Marissa offers a lot of support, care and friendship. The self-growth Katilyn goes through in this story is simultaneously heartbreaking and blissful. I ended up very proud of her.

Now for Colin. the college professor, father of the baby, and cheating husband.  I will try to set aside my disdain for this character. To his credit, he stepped up and took responsibility--after being irresponsible in the first place. He was there for Katilyn during her pregnancy—sporadically and when it suited him. He did his best to be a good father—in the process, stabbing Marissa in her weakest place. Okay, I give up. I can’t stand this despicable, self-centered character. The author tried to redeem him, I give her that.

All the characters are amazingly well-developed. I could picture their quirks, grins and tears.

I’m glad I discovered this author. She writes a great story.

You’re going to love this book!

 5 Stars

I received a complimentary copy from Net Galley. All opinions are my own.