Tag Archives: BookLook

Twisted Innocence by Terri Blackstock – Fast Paced Intrigue

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I was excited at the opportunity to read Terri Blackstock’s newest book Twisted Innocence, which is the third book in her Moonlighter series.  This book carries on the storyline of the Cramer family, Cathy, Juliet and Holly, who have been gravely impacted by the illegal drug trade in their hometown of Panama City, FL.  Since coldblooded murder, Leonard Miller, walks free they continue on their relentless quest to find him and bring him to justice.

Twisted Innocence focuses on the youngest sister Holly, an admitted party girl, whose life has had sudden change in direction with the birth of her daughter Lily.  Has Holly really changed her ways?  Will she make better and wiser decisions now that she’s a mom?  Or will she continue down the slope of irresponsible decisions that impact other people?  Is her Christian faith real?  If so, how will her faith be manifested in her life?  Answers to those questions are revealed throughout the story.

I appreciate how Terri Blackstock weaves Christian faith into her characters and views life from the lens of the Bible.  She also shows people as real, in the process of growing in their faith, changing and sometimes backsliding.

I found myself challenged in my emotional response to Holly and some of her decisions.  I think it revealed how I feel in real life when I see loved ones making unwise decisions.

I’m impressed with how Terri handles the relationship the girls have with their father, a former minister who fell into sin and deserted his family when they were still children.  His sin greatly impacted his daughters.  But he’s back in their lives now as he suffers from Alzheimer’s and is in a nearby care facility.  I think this story portrays a good picture of how children can obey God’s commandment to honor their parents even when their relationship has been broken.

One thing I would have liked to have seen handled a little stronger is in a conversation between Holly and Creed.  As they talk, Holly assures Creed that God hasn’t given up on him and is not disgusted with him.  Holly says, “I get the feeling that He’s not made at me.  He wants better for me and for you.”  Our God is a God of steadfast love, kindness and mercy.  But He is also holy and He hates sin.  Our sin is what necessitated God the Father (who is loving, holy, just and righteous) to send His only begotten Son to die in our place and pay the penalty for our sin.  I would like to have had the truth that God does hate sin brought out.  Without the knowledge that I have sinned against God, I don’t see my need for a Savior and forgiveness from God whom I sinned against.

I highly recommend Terri Blackstock’s newest book Twisted Innocence.   It’s a good read, fast paced and intriguing with Christian faith woven throughout the book.  If you’ve not read the earlier books in this series, I think it’s a good read on its own.  Terri fills in the necessary background of the characters from the earlier books.

I would like to thank the people at BookLook and Zondervan publishers for the opportunity to read Twisted Innocence in exchange for an honest review.  I was under no obligation to give a favorable review.

Loved Back to Life – by Sheila Walsh – Highly Recommend This Book

Posted in Book Review, BookLook, Loved Back to Life, Sheila Walsh by

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I was privileged to read and highly recommend Sheila Walsh’s new book Loved Back to Life – How I Found the Courage to Live Free.

Sheila is a very gifted writer.  She shares about her struggle with depression and pain in her own life with openness and transparency.  She is real and honest.  One would think that a book about depression would be a downer and hard to read.  On the contrary, I found this book almost healing and filled with hope and compassion.

Sheila shared about her trust and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ that she held onto, even in the darkness of depression that threatened to drown her.  Her Savior has walked with her and never abandoned her.  Throughout the book she brings the reader back to the life giving truth found in Scripture.  I especially liked the chapter, Following the Shepherd.

I was shocked and saddened at the reaction of the people around Sheila when she sought treatment for depression.  Instead of encouraging and walking alongside her she was blamed and accused of lacking of faith and told that God would never use her again.  Hopefully, these days there is less of a stigma to those who battle mental illness.  We don’t blame someone diagnosed with cancer or diabetes.  But why is it that we may blame someone with depression or other mental illnesses?

What most touched me the most was Sheila’s compassion for hurting people.  As a host of the 700 Club, which featured incredible stories of people whose prayers were powerfully answered, Sheila wondered what about the people who aren’t healed or whose marriages and businesses fail, or whose loved one dies?  Why not feature stories about them too?  Learn how the Lord is walking with them in their trial or how they need help.

I would recommend this book for someone who is struggling with depression or mental illness or has a loved one who is.  I would also recommend this book for Christians, to help us examine ourselves and our responses to people who are hurting.  For those who don’t know the Lord, I also recommend this book.  You may just find the Good Shepherd who will walk alongside you in your trial.

I would like to thank the people at BookLook and Thomas Nelson Publishers for the opportunity to read Loved Back to Life by Sheila Walsh in exchange for an honest review.  I was under no obligation to give a favorable review.

Storm by Jim Cymbala – A Good and Important Read

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It was my privilege to read Jim Cymbala’s newest book Storm – Hearing Jesus for The Times We Live In, coauthored with Jennifer Schuchmann.  I’ve never read a Jim Cymbala book before, but after reading this one I look forward to reading more of his work.

In Storm, Jim Cymbala Pastor of the Brooklyn Tabernacle came across as humble, concerned and broken over some of the trends he’s seeing in today’s Christian church in America.  He also wielded authority as he spoke truth and warnings from scripture.

This book was well balanced.  Too often I’ve read books in which Christians share their concerns about the church, but they seem judgmental and lack grace and mercy and aren’t speaking the truth in love.  Jim Cymbala came across as the man who after removing the log from his own eye, he gently helps the reader to remove the speck from their eye.

Jim speaks, not only to Pastors and church leaders in this book, but also to congregants and challenges each of us to live in the light of Jesus soon return.  He knows the power of the Gospel to change hearts, minds and lives of those who truly repent and receive Christ as Lord and Savior.  He also conveys the importance of daily reading and studying God’s Word for yourself and being a prayer warrior dependent upon God.

Jim shares warnings that there is a storm approaching and we need to beware of the tempest within the church and prayerlessness.  I especially appreciated the personal stories he shared about the radical transformation of some of the people in his church.

I’m one who likes to underline and make notes in my books.  I did a lot of that in Storm.  I found myself convicted, challenged, corrected and encouraged.

I highly recommend Storm by Jim Cymbala with Jennifer Schuchmann.  It’s a book you will want to read, reread and share with others.

I would like to thank the people at BookLook and Zondervan Publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.  I was under no obligation to give a favorable review.

The Spirit-Filled Life by Charles Stanley – A Great Resource – Convicting, Challenging and Encouraging

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The Spirit Filled Life

It was my great privilege to read Pastor Charles Stanley’s newest book The Spirit-Filled Life in which he shared how a Christian can discover the joy of surrendering to the Holy Spirit.

Wow…this was a great read and a valuable resource to understand the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer.  I found the book to be biblically sound and Pastor Stanley doesn’t mince word or back down when confronting people who misinterpret what it means to be filled with the Holy Spirit.  But he does so in a winsome manner.  He goes through the Scriptures that address being filled with the Spirit and presents a strong argument that the phrase does not mean being able to speak in tongues.  He also exposes an issue that arises with an incorrect interpretation, that of second class Christians, the haves and the have nots.

Pastor Stanley also goes through the Fruit of the Spirit and helps the reader to better understand what it means to Abide in Christ.  I’ve got to warn you, this book is very convicting and there were times I felt like he had read my diary and was expressing what I feel when I see a lack of the fruit of the Spirit in my own life.

Thankfully, Pastor Stanley also shares and encourages Christians how to remedy that through abiding in Christ and by surrendering yourself completely to God and recognize your own inability to live the spirit-filled Christian life on your own.  He stresses the absolutely necessity of reading the Word of God everyday, understanding it in context and gives examples of how the Holy Spirit may use Scripture to help us walk strong in Christ.

There were a couple of instances where I thought Pastor Stanley could have made a stronger argument on knowing God’s will where he addressed the question of Christians dating unbelievers and if it’s okay to continue to have relationships with people from our past when we were unbelievers and walking in sin.  He approached the subject from the standpoint of making wise choices, but there are scriptures that he could have used to show God’s will on those subjects.

I greatly appreciated Pastor Stanley’s openness and transparency from his own life, both the successes and failures, and seasons of fruitfulness and dryness.

I highly recommend The Spirit-Filled Life by Charles Stanley.  This book is a keeper and one that I will read again.  It would also make a great gift to someone who wants to better understand the Holy Spirit and what He does in the life of a Christian.

I would like to thank BookLook for the privilege of reading this book in exchange for an honest review.  I was under no obligation to give a favorable review.

Robert Whitlow – The Confession – Well Done

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The Confession is the first book that I’ve read by author Robert Whitlow and I must confess, I’m hooked and look forward to reading more of books by this author.

The Confession tells the story of up and coming Assistant DA Holt Douglas as he stumbles across an old case, a murder that was quickly labeled suicide and the case closed.  But for what reason and who would stand to benefit from this cover-up?

Robert Whitlow has a very inviting style of writing.  He skillfully weaves a story through the lives and events of the characters.  He’s not in a hurry and takes time to develop both the story and let the readers learn about the characters as they go through everyday life and events that will change their lives.  Instead of a fast pace that leaves the reader exhausted, Robert unravels the story slowly.  In doing that I think he also gives the reader a chance to examine themselves and see how they would have responded when facing similar circumstances.

The Confession is not predictable; it had some twists and turns that I didn’t expect.  I appreciated the fact that Robert Whitlow doesn’t put his characters in jeopardy because they make stupid and illogical decisions.

One of the questions I have when reading “Christian Fiction” is what makes a book “Christian”.  I think Robert Whitlow has struck a fine balance of weaving faith and the Gospel message into his book.  It’s was not done in a contrived way, but faith, repentance and salvation was portrayed as several characters wrestle with their faith or recognize their brokenness and need for a Savior.  At the same time, the author doesn’t beat the reader over the head; instead he plants some Gospel seeds.

I give a big thumbs up and bravo to Robert Whitlow’s newest novel The Confession.

I would like to thank that people at BookLook for providing with a complimentary copy of The Confession to read in exchange for an honest review.  I was under no obligation to provide a favorable review.

A Deadly Business – Mixed Emotions

Posted in Book Review, BookLook, Lis Wiehl by

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I’ve watched her on Fox News and I’ve seen her mystery books in Christian bookstores, but this is the first novel I’ve read by author Lis Wiehl.

A Deadly Business in the second book in the Mia Quinn mystery series by coauthors Lis Wiehl and April Henry.  The main character Mia is mother of two children, widowed and a prosecutor in Seattle.

This is a fast-paced novel, filled with action from the get go.  Starting on page two, buckle you seat belts because you are on a roller coaster ride as Mia, her family and coworker are thrust into danger, mystery and intrigue.  Questions arise on her husband’s death seven months earlier, that may indicate murder not an accident.  In the middle of dealing with that duty calls as Mia is assigned a case prosecuting juveniles who critically injure a woman by dropping a shopping cart on her from two stories up.  Mia has to make the tough decision to prosecute these criminals as juveniles or as adults in a highly volatile and politically charged atmosphere.

Now what did I think of the book…well the book held my attention.  I found that I didn’t have a chance to get to know the main character early on because the action started so abruptly.  I connected with two of the characters, Detective Charlie Carlson and Mia’s fourteen year old son Gabe because they seemed good and real.  There were times I found myself put off by Mia’s thoughts and approach to the criminal justice system.  Rather than punishing criminals for their acts, the character approached it as a place to help rehabilitate criminals.  I wondered is that the authors view point or just what they wrote about the character?

Another question that came up, as I was reading this novel, is that I’m not sure what would qualify this book as “Christian Fiction”.  If a writer is a Christian does that mean what they write is Christian fiction?  I don’t think so.  There was precious little in the book about God, faith or prayer and nothing that would stand out to suggest it was a Christian book.  I wouldn’t have guessed this book was from a Christian writer unless I had known this was put out by a Christian based publisher.

Nevertheless, I did appreciate the fact that the book did not contain filthy language or promote sexual immorality, etc.

Would I recommend this book?  I would advise customers to read the book synopsis, reviews, and choose based on an informed decision if it sounds like something you might like.  I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it for someone who likes to read books that include characters dealing with God, scripture, prayer and wrestling their faith.  But if you are looking for a good mystery you might like it.

I would like to thank the people at BookLook for providing me with a free copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review.

The Bridge Tender – Insightful

Posted in Book Review, BookLook, Marybeth Whalen, Uncategorized by

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When selecting a new book to read The Bridge Tender by Marybeth Whalen caught my eye.  First the beautiful cover picture, then comments from other readers and finally the storyline drew me in.  I’m not usually one to read romance books, so I wasn’t entirely sure if I would like this book by an author who is new to me.

The story starts out with Emily and her husband Ryan on their honeymoon in Sunset Beach filled with carefree days, romance and love.  Fast forward five years and we find Emily getting dressed for Ryan’s funeral.  In the ensuing chapters, we learn about Emily and how she handles overwhelming grief and how life moves on in spite her.

I found the author very insightful on relationships, friendships, grief, loneliness and learning to live again after a huge loss.  Many times I found what was shared evoked in me a desire to appreciate what I have been given and to recognize that I don’t know how long I will have those gifts in my life.  I appreciated how Emily reasoned through her way to be supportive of her friend Marta who had a budding romantic relationship in the wake of Emily’s loss of her husband Ryan.  God and faith were part of what Emily wrestled through, but I would have appreciated an even greater emphasis on faith.

There were many times, I didn’t want to put the book down when duty or sleep called.  All in all The Bridge Tender holds a special place in my heart and look forward to reading more books by author Marybeth Whalen.  I highly recommend this book.

I would like to thank the team at BookLook for providing me with a free copy of The Bridge Tender to read in exchange for an honest review.  I was under no obligation to provide a favorable review.

Critical Condition…WOW!

Posted in BookLook, Critical Condition, Uncategorized by

_225_350_Book.1168.coverIf you like mystery, intrigue and suspense, look no further than Richard L. Mabry’s newest book Critical Condition.  I love it when I find a good writer who is new to me, because that means I’ll be able to go back and read his earlier work.

Critical Condition is the first book that I’ve read by Richard L. Mabry M.D. and I wasn’t disappointed.  He skillfully draws the reader in to the storyline and reveals the characters, almost like pealing an onion, layer by layer you learn about the characters and what motivates them and what brought them to this place and how will it end.

Dr. Mabry brings a different twist to mystery novels.  The story includes characters who are doctors and the reader gets to view the events through the different lens of medicine.

The story is fast paced and more than once kept me up late because I didn’t want to put the book down.  I can tell a good book when it leaves me thinking about the characters and try to figure out what will happen even when I’m not reading the book.

I especially appreciated how Dr. Mabry has interwoven faith into the storyline through the characters as they struggle with and grow in their faith.  Faith seemed to be a natural part of the characters, not just something thrown in because this a book by a Christian author.  I appreciate a writer who doesn’t have to turn to immorality to tell a good story

I give a big thumbs up to Critical Condition by Richard L. Mabry M.D.  I look forward to reading more novels by this writer.

I would like to thank the people at BookLook for giving me a copy of Critical Condition to read and review.  I was under no obligation to give a favorable review.

Distortion – Fast-paced Intrigue & Suspense

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_225_350_Book.1140.coverIt was my pleasure to read Terri Blackstock’s newest novel Distortion, the second book in the Moonlights Series.  I love to read mysteries and in the past I’ve read a number of Terri’s books and now I remember why I liked her writing so much.

Distortion is a fast-paced murder mystery.  From the very beginning of the novel, I was drawn into the storyline and characters.  This is the second novel in the series, but the reader is not at a disadvantage if you haven’t read the first book Truth Stained Lies.  There is enough information peppered throughout the book that helps the reader know about the background of the characters.  I do wish I had read the first book, but Distortion a good standalone book too.

Terri does a great job in developing the characters as the storyline unfolds.  I find her characters very likable and appealing.  Unlike other writers, Terri doesn’t have her characters making stupid blunders, just to put them in jeopardy.

As a Christian, I’m very appreciative of having Christian characters that wrestle with their faith in the middle of a crisis and see how they interact with family and friends, believers and unbelievers.  I also appreciate a writer who doesn’t offend my moral standards by throwing in sin and immorality just to titillate the reader.

If you like mystery and suspense, I recommend that you give Terri Blackstock’s newest book Distortion a read.  I do forewarn you that you may be staying up late a few nights because you won’t to put the book down.

I would like to thank people at BookLook for providing me with a free copy of Distortion to read in exchange for an honest review.  I was under no obligation to provide a favorable review.