GOD WILL USE THIS FOR GOOD: SURVIVING THE MESS OF LIFE by MAX LUCADO

Title: God Will Use This for Good: Surviving the Mess of Life

Author: Max Lucado

Publisher:   Thomas Nelson (September 17, 2013)

Pages: 64

I have yet to read a book by MAX LUCADO that I didn’t like, and GOD WILL USE THIS FOR GOOD: SURVIVING THE MESS OF LIFE is no exception. As soon as I spotted the title I had to have it. It is in a sense my motto in life. What a great little book to share with others who are struggling with the valleys in life. GOD WILL USE THIS FOR GOOD: SURVIVING THE MESS OF LIFE may be small in pages, yet it is huge in content. Would make a great idea for a Bible study, and cheap enough to purchase one for each person.

THE BUCKET LIST DARE by ANGELA BREIDENBACH, JESSICA FERGUSON , PAMELA S MEYERS, and LINDA W YEZAK

Title: The Bucket List Dare

Author: Angela Breidenbach, Jessica Ferguson, Pamela S Meyers, and Linda W Yezak

Publisher:  Gems (October 18, 2016)

Pages: 394

From the Back Cover

The Bucket List Dare -- Four stories of adventure...but do they dare to love too?

Four best friends--Texas A&M grads--challenge each other to revisit the bucket lists they made in college and tackle one daring item before they turn thirty. Living in different parts of the country and with birthdays on the horizon, the Aggie girls choose their adventure and work toward making it happen . . . with wonderful, unexpected results.

HER IMPOSSIBLE DREAM by ANGELA BREIDENBACH - Arabel Milligan, recently unemployed and with a new genealogical certification to her name, takes off for Scotland to discover the answer to a mysterious missing branch in her ancestral tree.

SAVE THE GROOM by JESSICA FERGUSON - Annie Flowers, a wedding photographer whose reputation is her pride and her job is her life, crashes the most extravagant wedding in the country.

WHAT LIES AHEAD by PAMELA S MEYERS - Kat Brownlee, an army veteran and amputee, has always dreamed of climbing the most challenging mountain she could find. Now that her life and body have been drastically altered--does she dare?

PAMELA S MEYERS sticks to proper writing, and not faltering from the rules of writing. WHAT LIES AHEAD is a unique story you are sure to enjoy.

SKYDIVING TO LOVE by LINDA W YEZAK - Jojo Merritt is a country veterinarian who has never jumped out of anything higher than a hayloft much less an airplane. How did that get on her bucket list?

As of today I have read just one other book by LINDA W YEZAK aside from SKYDIVING TO LOVE. The fact that I love, Give the Lady a Ride: Circle Bar Ranch Series, there is only one explanation, and that is that I am committed to reading other books and have not had the time to do so.

From the very first word of SKYDIVING TO LOVE, I was swept away in this amazing story. MS YEZAK is an amazing writing, with a remarkable talent for telling a story. Her characters are three dimensional, and are sure to win their way into your heart. SKYDIVING TO LOVE is the best short story I have EVER read. Most writers – in my opinion – cannot pull off a good short story. That is not the case with MS YEZAK. Everything about SKYDIVING TO LOVE is perfect.

LONG WAY GONE by CHARLES MARTIN

Title: Long Way GONE

Author: Charles Martin  

Publisher:  Thomas Nelson (October 4, 2016)

Pages: 320

I admit I have only read a few books by CHARLES MARTIN’S, and each time I am blown away by his amazing writing, incredible ability to create a story, the depth of emotion, and perhaps most of all by the content of the plot. 

I recently tried to figure out what it is about MR MARTIN’S writing that has me reading them at a slower pace, yet keeps me engaged until the very end. That something I discovered is pace. MR MARTIN has all the great qualities of a remarkable writer. The only thing that one could consider lacking might be the pace, and or the peaks and valleys. Yet the amazing storyline, emotion, and message holds so much weight, along with his wonderful writing, the pace seems irrelevant. 

“No matter where you go, no matter whether you succeed or fail, stand or fall, no gone is too far gone. You can always come home.”

Cooper O’Conner up and left home, leaving his father and the only life he knows behind. Yet he didn’t leave empty handed. No, he took his father’s cherished guitar and life’s savings. Sadly, it didn’t take Cooper long to lose everything. 

When Daley Cross unexpectedly shows up in Cooper’s life, he has to wonder if it’s too late to tell her the truth about his past, or if he is ready to face it himself.

What a unique telling of a prodigal son. I believe the only reason I have not read more by MR MARTIN is due to the intense plots. They will affect you right down to the very core of your being, and is life changing. MR MARTIN’S stories will remain with you long after you have read the last word. Years later and I am still affected by, WRAPPED IN RAIN.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN COWBOY by TINA RADCLIFFE

Title: Rocky Mountain Cowboy (Love Inspired 

Author:  Tina Radcliffe

Publisher: Love Inspired Large Print; Large Print edition (December 20, 2016)

Pages: 288

Oklahoma Reunion by TINA RADCLIFFE is one of my favorite reads, and I will now be adding ROCKY MOUNTAIN COWBOY to the list. I was held captive from cover to cover, it’s that good. The writing and story line is amazing. I LOVE Joe Gallagher! What a great character. MS RADCLIFFE has a unique gift for pulling off a stubborn and surly cowboy that you can’t help but love. And talk about great lines. Oh my, there were many funny and unique lines.   

Joe Gallagher never expected to see the woman he loved again, and certainly not on his ranch. She may have reason to be there, but that didn’t mean he had to like it. 

Becca Anshaw Simpson doesn’t blame Joe Gallagher for being angry with her. Heck, she’s angry with herself. She’d made a mistake. A huge one. But it was time to let the past go, and head for a better future for her and her daughter. 

It goes without saying that Joe Gallagher will remain with me for some time. I'm thinking there is going to be a story about Abby. Can’t wait.

OUT OF THE ASHES by SANDI ROG

Title: Out of the Ashes

Author: Sandi Rog

Publisher: Tulpen Publishing (June 6, 2015)

Pages: 302

There are a handful of things that one needs to incorporate to make a great book, and OUT OF THE ASHES by SANDI ROG certainly has a few of them. The cover is the first thing that typically catches reader’s eyes. The second the title. Both I give MS ROG five stars. Another important aspect of a great book is the ability to capture the reader immediately. Another five stars for MS ROG. OUT OF THE ASHES has one of the best beginnings I have ever read. I couldn’t stop reading, wanting to know what would happen next. 

Amelia Taylor never plans to marry. Not because she doen’t have the opportunity, but because she can’t see beyond her past family history. 

Nathaniel Ward needs a wife, but not just any wife would do. Wealth has afforded him a ray of woman to choose from, but only will do, and he means to set out to find her. 

*Please see my profile for more information on this review.