Book Review: "I Hope You Dance" by Robin Lee Hatcher

Skye Foster is a hopeless romantic and dreams of a cowboy sweeping her off her feet and riding off into the sunset to get married and have a large family. She just hasn't met the cowboy yet. When Grant Nichols comes in for private dance lessons in preparation of a wedding he's a groomsman for, they have an instant attraction for each other. The only problem, Grant is from a large family and doesn't want any kids of his own.

This is a really quick read. If you have read other books in the Kings Meadow series of books, you will notice some familiar people. (I'm sure that also helps with backstory for them as well) The romance moves along really quickly, but as this is a novella, you kind of expect that. The characters themselves even are concerned about how fast it is moving.

"I Hope You Dance" by Robin Lee Hatcher is the July installment for the Year of Weddings Novella Series. I have read some other novellas and books by Robin Lee Hatcher. While none of them were my favorite books, I enjoyed reading them.

I would recommend this novella to those who like clean, Christian stories to read in a short amount of time.

"I Hope You Dance" is available for Kindle:

• File Size: 2364 KB
• Print Length: 74 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Up to 5 simultaneous devices, per publisher limits
• Publisher: Zondervan (June 30, 2015)
• Publication Date: June 30, 2015
• Sold by: HarperCollins Publishing
• Language: English
• ASIN: B00OFMBF4E

I received a free digital copy of this book from booklookbloggers in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Book Review: "Prison" by Toni V. Lee

Sonja Grey and Max Trent are narcotics detectives and Max always gets on Sonja's nerves, so when their Sergeant pairs them up for an undercover  drug operations, things could get a little tense.  It isn't a normal stake out, either.  It's going down at Sonja's church. Will they get their man without any of the church congregation getting involved, and find a way to express their true feelings for each other?

This was the first book I've read by Toni Lee.  I felt that she did a good job of portraying the African-American culture.  I felt like I was there with Sonja and her "Aunties" at the Prayer Tabernacle.  They made me laugh at their antics.  I felt slightly lost with some of the secondary characters' backstories, but I discovered that they were introduced in a previous book called "Expectations".

I received a free digital copy of this books from booklookbloggers when I requested to review another book.  I wasn't sure if I would like the book,  but why turn down a free book?  Well, it turns out I enjoyed the book quite a bit.  There is some action and suspense thrown in along with the romance. There is no sex in the book, but a couple of the characters had previously had intimate relations before they were Christians. The gospel message is clearly given.

"Prison" is available in paperback:

• Paperback: 212 pages
• Publisher: WestBowPress (April 28, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1449748503
• ISBN-13: 978-1449748500
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.5 x 9 inches
• 
  

In Kindle edition:

• File Size: 532 KB
• Print Length: 214 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1449748503
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: WestBowPress (April 28, 2012)
• Publication Date: April 28, 2012
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B007ZL0ONU

And hardcover:

• Hardcover: 212 pages
• Publisher: Westbow Press (April 26, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 144974849X
• ISBN-13: 978-1449748494
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.6 x 9 inches

I received this book in exchange for my honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Book Review: "A Simple Prayer" by Amy Clipston

Aaron Ebersol left the Amish community 17 years ago. When he gets word that his mom has suffered a stroke, he comes home, but he isn't sure if he will be accepted back into his family and church.  Linda Zook has had a rough childhood, being orphaned at a young age and being raised by her uncle who seems to resent her. Together, can Aaron and Linda find the peace that they are looking for?

I have not read any of the other books in the Hearts of Lancaster Grand Hotel series by Amy Clipston. I did read a novella by her in "An Amish Cradle" that had some of the characters from the series. She does a good job of filling you in on details of the characters' lives, but it would be best to read the books in order. I had a hard time putting the book down and got pulled into the story and reading about Aaron and Linda. I wanted to yell at Solomon for how he made things worse (and truthfully, I did! I was glad no one was around to hear me yelling at my book!) I felt like the characters were realistic and if I went to Paradise, Pennsylvania, I could visit their houses.

There was no violence, sexual content, or swearing in this book. There was mentions of the characters wanting to know God's will and praying and going to church.

I would highly recommend this book.

"A Simple Prayer" is available in paperback,

• Series: Hearts of the Lancaster Grand Hotel (Book 4)
• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan (May 5, 2015)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310335884
• ISBN-13: 978-0310335887
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.9 x 8.4 inches

in Kindle edition:

• File Size: 1874 KB
• Print Length: 318 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Up to 5 simultaneous devices, per publisher limits
• Publisher: Zondervan (May 5, 2015)
• Publication Date: May 5, 2015
• Sold by: HarperCollins Publishing
• Language: English
• ASIN: B00KV0ZURM

and in hardcover:

• Series: Hearts of the Lancaster Grand Hotel
• Hardcover: 445 pages
• Publisher: Thorndike Press Large Print; Lrg edition (July 8, 2015)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1410479455
• ISBN-13: 978-1410479457
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.6 x 1 inches

I received a free paperback of this book from the booklookbloggers in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own and a positive review was not required.

Don't Forget the Homeschool Buyers Co-Op Free Summer

Just a reminder about the Free summer subscription for Homeschool Buyers Co-op. 

This is a promotional post for Homeschool Buyers Co-op

The Homeschool Buyers Co-op is giving away a FREE subscription to Discovery Education Streaming Plus for the summer to homeschoolers.  A 1 year subscription retails for $375, so this is a REALLY GOOD DEAL.  It has won oodles of awards and testimonials from homeschoolers. It has over 12,000 full-length educational videos, games, interactives and more.  Check it out here:

https://www.homeschoolbuyersco-op.org/discovery-education-streaming-plus-free-trial/

Homeschooler Testimonials here:

https://www.homeschoolbuyersco-op.org/discovery-Testimonials/

Benefits of Membership

GroupBuy Savings

Join other Co-op members to get volume discounts on homeschool curriculum and more.

Homeschool Resources

Free Homeschool Curriculum
Free Homeschool Classifieds
Field Trip Finder
Contests & Scholarships Homeschool Conferences
Money Tips
Writing Tips

Free Homeschool ID Cards

Use our FREE templates to create your homeschool ID card, or order a sturdy plastic card for only $7.95.

Homeschool Planet

Organize your world with our full-featured, online planner."The best planner out there!" - Kara A.

Deals of the Week

Featuring some of the deals on the Internet for homeschool educational products and services.

SmartPoints Reward Center

Get SmartPoints and spend them on award-winning homeschool curriculum available through the Co-op.

Affiliate Program

Have a homeschooling blog or site? If so, earn cash and/or products as a Co-op Affiliate. Click for details!

Bring Your Homeschool Lessons to Life

It's easy to see why homeschoolers rave about Discovery Education Streaming Plus. It's probably the most extensive and feature-rich educational video streaming service in the world.

It's much like having the entire DVD selection of your local public library available to you from the convenience of your home, 24/7/365.

But it's not just a collection of videos that you can watch from beginning to end. This library has been organized into useable video clips, organized and categorized, close-captioned, and supplemented with lesson plans, teaching guides, interactive simulations, images, audio resources, and other resources and materials that you can incorporate into virtually every aspect of your homeschool curriculum.

Discovery Education Streaming Plus features:

• Thousands of full-length videos from scores of producers, segmented into tens of thousands of content-specific clips tied directly to state and national standards.
• Supplemental resources such as Assignment Builder, Quiz Center, Writing Prompt Generator, lesson plans, and more
• Fast and accurate search functionality and dynamic navigation menus
• The ability to customize and personalize lessons to different subjects, grades, and learning styles
• Comprehensive K-12 curriculum coverage in six core subject areas.
• Thousands of images
• Membership in the Discovery Educator Network (DEN)
• Interactive self-paced training
• Exclusive Discovery programming such as Frozen Planet, Human Planet, LIFE, Into the Universe, Mythbusters, and Curiosity
• Video series from trusted content providers such as BBC Worldwide, CBS News, Channel 4, Discovery Studios, Scholastic, TV Ontario, and Westin Woods
• Hundreds of games, skill builders, and body atlas interactives
• Thousands of self-paced math tutorials spanning concepts from basic addition to calculus
• Thousands of audio files including podcasts, classic literature audiobooks, children's literature audiobooks from Scholastic, and numerous supplemental study aids for auditory learners

Book Review: "To Capture Her Heart" by Rebecca DeMarino

Heather Flower is kidnapped at her wedding after being forced to watch her new husband die. Even after the ransom is paid, she is left alone to die. Dirk Van Buren rescues her and brings her back to Fort  Amsterdam where Heather Flower's long time friends Joseph and Benjamin Horton get her and bring her back to her aunt's house.  With both Dirk and Benjamin interested in winning her love, how will Heather Flower know what she is supposed to do?

"To Capture Her Heart" is the 2nd in the Southold Chronicles series. I did not read the first book and felt lost as to who all the characters were. The names were hard to keep track of, also. I liked the concept of the story and the era it was set in, but couldn't get into the book. It did not pull me in and carry me along. It was unrealistic to me on how Dirk had just rescued Heather Flower and he was already in love with her. I never got a sense of either man being in love with her. It just kept being mentioned that she had two men who loved her.

"To Capture Her Heart" is available in paperback:

• Series: The Southold Chronicles (Book 2)
• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Revell (July 7, 2015)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0800722191
• ISBN-13: 978-0800722197
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches

in Kindle edition:

• File Size: 5609 KB
• Print Length: 353 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0800722191
• Publisher: Revell (June 30, 2015)
• Publication Date: June 30, 2015
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B00QMSCJ26

and in hardcover:

• Series: The Southold Chronicles (Book 2)
• Hardcover: 430 pages
• Publisher: Thorndike Press Large Print; Lrg edition (September 23, 2015)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1410481573
• ISBN-13: 978-1410481573

I was given a free paperback copy of this book by Revell Publishers in exchange for my honest review. All opinions and thoughts are my own. 

Book Review: "The Wonder of You" by Susan May Warren

"The Wonder of You" by Susan May Warren is the 5th book in the Christiansen Family Series. Amelia Christiansen is the youngest child of the Christiansen clan and her family tends to hover around her to keep her safe, but she longs for adventure. After her time in Prague she flees home with a broken heart. When Roark St. John follows her to Deep Haven, Amelia is confused on what she wants--the familiar Seth Turnquist or the exotic Roark St. John.   Roark knows that he needs to tell Amelia that he is the heir to the Constantine Worldwide company of hotels and is very rich. He wants to be honest with her, but he also wants to know if she loves him for him or for his money.   Will they find the path that God has for them? How will Amelia know which man God intends for her.   Any book by Susan May Warren is a reason to read it, so I was excited to read "The Wonder of You". Susan May Warren creates realistic and developed characters. I didn't want to put the book down. I enjoyed the way the characters wanted to do what God wanted them to do but sometimes struggled with following, just like a regular person would.   Besides the main story line, this book also follows Max Sharpe, Grace Christiansen's fiance, and his struggles to love life with his realization that he is going to die earlier than Grace. Susan May Warren also sets up the story for the last book in the series, "You're the One That I Want" scheduled to be released in February 2016. (I can't wait!)   It would be best to read the books in the series in order as you can get to know the characters better that way and the later books have continuations of the other siblings' stories from the earlier books.   I would highly recommend this book.   "The Wonder of You" is available in paperback:  Series: Christiansen Family Paperback: 416 pages Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. (June 18, 2015) Language: English ISBN-10: 1414378459 ISBN-13: 978-1414378459 Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 1.1 inches And in Kindle edition: File Size: 3551 KB Print Length: 416 pages Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. (June 18, 2015) Publication Date: June 18, 2015 Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc. Language: English ASIN: B00PCK3A7I I received a free paperback of this book from Tyndaleblognetwork in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Book Review: "The Innocent" by Ann H. Gabhart

Carlyn Kearney has lived for two years uncertain of whether her husband is dead or alive. All she knows is that he is listed as missing and she has no way of paying her debts. She finds herself alone and without a home, so she goes to the nearby Shaker Village for shelter.

Mitchell Brodie finds himself drawn to help Carlyn but fears rejection since she is not free until she knows for sure of her husband's fate.

When mysterious troubles hit the Shaker Village, Carlyn is taken under intense scrutiny. Can Mitchell and Carlyn find the truth to the troubles and their hearts before it's too late?

I have not read any other books by Ann H. Gabhart before so do not know if this book is tied to her other "Harmony Hill" books or not. I really liked Carlyn and Mitchell and found them to be well rounded, realistic characters. I enjoyed Mrs. Gabhart's writing style and found that it flowed well. Along with the romance aspect of the book, there is also the mystery of the troubles that are plaguing the Shaker Village. I started to suspect a few of the characters, but did not guess the extent of the mystery before she revealed it in the story. This is the first story that I've read that dealt with the Shaker community and it was interesting to see into this belief system.

I would recommend this book to those who like historical romances.

"The Innocent" is available in paperback:

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Revell (July 7, 2015)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0800723414
• ISBN-13: 978-0800723415
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• 
  

and in Kindle edition:

• File Size: 8687 KB
• Print Length: 401 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0800723414
• Publisher: Revell (June 30, 2015)
• Publication Date: June 30, 2015
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B00QMSCM50

I received a free paperback of this book from Revell in exchange for my honest review. A positive review was not required and all opinions are my own.

Month in Review: June

In June,  I accomplished the following towards my goals:

• I only wrote about 1215 words this month
• Tatted 4 crosses, plus 4 new flower and vine design bookmark
• Exercised about 25 days
• Read Proverbs 1-19

Book Review: "The Beginner's Bible: Jesus Shows God's Love"

"The Beginner's Bible Jesus Shows God's Love" starts with Jesus' birth and goes through His earthly ministry. It does not show His Crucifixion or Resurrection. The first page (telling about Jesus' birth) says "he was going to save us", but the rest of the book only speaks of Jesus telling the people of God's love for them. I was somewhat disappointed that it didn't tell the ultimate way that God showed His love was by sending Jesus to die on the cross to save us from our sins. I didn't think the book covered that at all. It is a nice book, it just skims the surface more than I think it needs to.

"Jesus Shows God's Love" is available in paperback:

Age Range: 4 - 8 years

Series: The Beginner's Bible

Paperback: 24 pages

Publisher: Zonderkidz (December 24, 2013)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0310741483

ISBN-13: 978-0310741480

Product Dimensions: 8 x 0.1 x 8 inches

and in Kindle edition:

• File Size: 20506 KB
• Print Length: 27 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Up to 5 simultaneous devices, per publisher limits
• Publisher: Zonderkidz (December 24, 2013)
• Publication Date: December 24, 2013
• Sold by: HarperCollins Publishing
• Language: English
• ASIN: B00JU24G0E

I received this book for free from Zonderkidz to review through their zblogsquad program. All opinions are my 
own and a positive review was not required. 

Book Review: "The Beginner's Bible Super-Duper Mighty Jumbo Activity Book"

When this activity book is called "Super-Duper Mighty Jumbo" it means it! It is huge. There are 382 pages of activities for kids all dealing with the Bible. I thought that was really awesome. There are activities of all kinds: color by number, dot-to-dot, tracing, bigger/smaller, matching...(pretty much any activity you can think of!)

This activity book will keep the kids busy for quite awhile.

"The Beginner's Bible Super-Duper Mighty Jumbo Activity Book" is available in paperback:

• Age Range: 4 - 8 years
• Series: The Beginner's Bible
• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Zonderkidz; Act Clr Cs edition (September 8, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310724996
• ISBN-13: 978-0310724995
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 1 x 11 inches

I received this book for free from Zonderkidz to review through their zblogsquad program. All opinions are my own and a positive review was not required. 

Book Review: "The Beginner's Bible Collector's Edition"

"The Beginner's Bible Collector's Edition" is a boxed set that includes "The Beginner's Bible Timeless Children's Stories" and the complete book animated on DVD and 2 audio CD's. Both the DVD and the CD read the book word for word. The DVD adds animated versions of the book's pictures. There are 48 stories from the Old Testament and 46 stories from the New Testament.

The book has colorful pictures that you would expect from a Beginner's Bible product. The story is easy to read and is a step harder than the "My First I Can Read Beginner's Bible Favorite Stories"

The kids really enjoyed reading the book and watching the DVD (and following along in the book).

The Beginner's Bible Collector's Edition is available in hardcover:

• Age Range: 4 - 8 years
• Series: The Beginner's Bible
• Hardcover: 512 pages
• Publisher: Zonderkidz; Har/Com/Dv edition (October 7, 2014)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310747341
• ISBN-13: 978-0310747345
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 1.7 x 8 inches

I received this product for free from Zonderkidz to review through their zblogsquad program. All opinions are my own and a positive review was not required. 

Book Review: "The Baby Beginner's Bible: Noah"

"The Baby Beginner Bible: Noah" is a very cute board book for babies and toddlers. It has wonderfully colorful pictures that fill the entire page along with a single word that tells about the picture. It tells the story of Noah and the flood using one word a page and the picture. You could expand on the story from the one word it gives. It is a good size for small hands to hold. It is also nice and sturdy.

• Series: The Beginner's Bible
• Board book: 14 pages
• Publisher: Zonderkidz; Brdbk edition (May 30, 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 031073634X
• ISBN-13: 978-0310736349
• Product Dimensions: 5.1 x 0.6 x 6.3 inches

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review from Zonderkidz through their zblogsquad program. 

Book Review: "Bible Story Favorites (I Can Read: The Beginner's Bible) "

"I  Can Read: The Beginner's Bible Favorite Stories" is a collection of 5 "I Can Read" books that are available by themselves as well.

It contains:

• Adam and Eve in the Garden
• Baby Moses and the Princess
• Joseph and His Brothers
• Jonah and the Big Fish
• Jesus Saves the World

The stories are at the "My First" level which "is ideal for sharing with emergent readers". The pages are full of bright and colorful pictures and the simple text makes it ideal for early readers (or reading with younger kids).  The enclosed CD is an audio book narration of the book with page turn signals. This is awesome for the kids to follow along and hear and see the words at the same time. I wish the book had a table of contents so you knew where the stories started without having to flip through the whole book to find it. I also found it odd that they had Joseph sold and he was put in jail. I understand that you don't want to put the accusations he faced, but put something like "They said he did something he didn't do". 

This book is available in hardcover: 

ISBN-13:

9780310728290

Publisher:

Zonderkidz

Publication date:

04/23/2012

Series:

I Can Read! / The Beginner's BibleSeries Series

Pages:

160

Sales rank:

1,188,563

Product dimensions:

6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.80(d)

Age Range:

4 - 7 Years

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review from Zonderkidz through their zblogsquad program. All opinions are my own.

    

Book Review: "The Beginner's Bible"

"The Beginner's Bible" is written in the New International Reader's Version.  It has 20 full color pages of pictures of Bible stories. The beginning of the Bible has a presentation page, a word about the NIrV Bible, and a "Getting to Know Jesus" Q & A section.  The back of the Bible has a Dictionary and a list of 150 famous Bible stories and where they are found. Each book of the Bible has an introduction and an outline of contents before it.

I really liked the fact that The Beginner's Bible was written in a larger font (12 pt.) to be easier for children to read. I was sort of disappointed that it didn't give any other special helps or extra explanation sections that most Bibles geared for children have.

This Bible is a still a nice Bible for children aged 6-10.

You can get The Beginner Bible in hardcover:

• Age Range: 6 - 10 years
• Series: The Beginner's Bible
• Hardcover: 2048 pages
• Publisher: Zonderkidz (September 30, 2014)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310743567
• ISBN-13: 978-0310743569
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 1.7 x 8.7 inches

or in Kindle edition:

• File Size: 8696 KB
• Print Length: 2048 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Up to 5 simultaneous devices, per publisher limits
• Publisher: Zonderkidz (August 16, 2011)
• Publication Date: August 16, 2011
• Sold by: HarperCollins Publishing
• Language: English
• ASIN: B006L7R7WA

I received a free copy of this Bible from Zonderkidz for me to review through their zblogsquad. All opinions are my own.