Book Reviews: Captured Prey by Craig Odanovich

Katie October 5, 2011 0 Comments

In September, I reviewed The Black Widow Trainer, the first book in the Black Widow Series by Craig Odanovich.  This month I review the second in the series, Captured Prey.

Since we left Misty, her divorce from her husband has been finalized and she has been hanging out in Argentina with Gabriella.

She lets Gaby pick her next client and it turns out to be a beady eyed man that Misty is not in the least bit attractive to, however, she has a contract that she must stick to to be paid, so she tries to put the fact that she is not attracted to this client aside.  While in Texas, she falls for the client’s ranch’s foreman – when her client finds out he tries to put a stop to it.

As always with Misty, there is a lot of drama and eventually the contract is broken by the client (thanks to his wife who was looking for a reason to divorce him that would be his fault so she would get more than her pre-nup)

After her client in Texas, she takes a client in Washington DC that is a congressman.  Of course, there is more drama when the woman running against the congressman tries to bring him and Misty down with the help of her client in Texas!  One of Misty’s past clients comes to the rescue – BIG TIME! And saves Misty (and all her friends) butts.   Her bodyguard, Miguel, seems to be out of commission for a while after recovering from an altercation with some burglars who were looking for dirt on Misty for the congresswoman.

The book sets up for the possibility that Misty may retire from her profession… or not!  She is in love with the foreman from Texas – but of course not without some drama there as well.  Will their relationship last and have her leave her job as the black widow trainer? Or will she try to work out a deal with him like she did with her now ex-husband?

Unfortunately the 3rd book does not look like it will be released until March next year, but there is an excerpt at the end of the book and it sounds like a familiar face from Book #1 returns…

I received free copies of Book 1 and 2 from Greenleaf Book Group in exchange for mentioning the books on my blog. I was not otherwise compensated nor was I asked to write a favorable review.  All opinions are 100% mine.

Book Review: Absolute Love by R.I Willroth

Katie October 2, 2011 0 Comments

I have to say this was not one of my favorite books to read.  It was very wordy and had a lot of reference information listed in it – bible verses, definitions, etc and it was really hard for me to really sink my teeth in to it and actually receive some sort of message from the words that were written.

The book is not just for Christians – it mentions several other religions as well.  It was a bit too technical for me which is unfortunate because I really was hoping to learn more about love. Perhaps I just was having a bad day when I read it, I don’t know, but it was incredibly difficult for me to get in to, though I did power through and read the whole book in hopes that something would end up catching my attention.  It didn’t.

There are 12 chapters:

Absolutes

Love IS

Fear, Faith and Love

I AM is One

Humility

Belief and Trust

Acceptance and Confidence

Gratitude and Compassion

Freedom, Stewardship, and Servanthood

Loyalty, Purity, and Justice

Rest and Determination

Love Never Fails

Book Description

Have you ever wondered where love comes from, why love exists or what exactly love is? Love is an inexhaustible subject. Love is a being, not just a behavior or emotion. Absolute love exists within and overflows from God. That might sound strange, but if there is one absolute it comes from a supreme, all-encompassing force – God. If it is true that, as the apostle John said, “God is Love,” then this is absolute love. Absolute Love begins a discussion around what love is, or more exactly, who love is. This is not for Christians only. It can stimulate discussion between followers of Islam, Judaism or any religion, and can be a starting place between those who believe in God and those who deny the existence of God.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review: Plain Perfect by Beth Wiseman

Katie September 30, 2011 0 Comments

I don’t usually read Amish Fiction and I was a bit hesitant to even read this book (I had won a free copy and was not required to do anything with it), but I am glad that I read it.  While yes, the book does focus on Amish culture and beliefs, you can easily strip it down and it is just like any other romantic novel I would have read.

Lillian’s mother was born in to the Amish community, but after rebelling and becoming pregnant with Lillian she decided to leave and go out in the world to raise her child.  Lillian, at 27, decided to look for herself and inner peace and heads to her grandparents home in Lancaster County, PA.  Early on she meets one of her grandparents neighbors – Samuel.  It was quite clear to me that this man who recently lost his wife would end up striking up a relationship with Lillian and in fact I announced that if they ended up together in the end I would be mad that I had “figured out the book” very early on.  While they do end up together, it was not an easy decision for them to make – Lillian with her worldy ways and Samuel who was trying to raise an eleven year old son, David.

Lillian helps her grandmother tend to the home and aid her ailing grandfather, who is quite sick with cancer.  Meanwhile, her grandmother is also teaching her how to accept God and become Amish and all the Amish traditions and guidelines.  At first Lillian questions just about everything her grandmother tells her is the way of life.  Eventually she comes around and decides that maybe being Amish is the right decision for her – even though she and Samuel are not on speaking terms – she wants to do this for herself, not so she can try and impress / get Samuel as a husband.

Lillian’s mother also eventually comes for a visit (as well as Lillian’s ex boyfriend – completely unannounced and unwanted!) And for a while there it seems like they are on the right track to being one big happy family. There are ups and downs along the way and in the end I am quite glad that the 3 pages of translated words that were presented in the beginning of the book didn’t completely scare me away.  And, better yet, there is a recipe for Shoofly Pie in the back of the book! I might have to consider trying to make that…

About the Book

A search for peace in Amish country proves anything but simple for a woman on the run from life…and herself.  On the rolling plans of Lancaster County, PA., Lillian Miller is searching for her grandparents’ house..and so much more. After years of neglect and abuse, she’s turning to a lifestyle of simplicity among the Amish to find herself.

As she discards the distractions of her former life, she befriends the young boy working on her family’s farm and his attractive widowed father, Samuel Stolzfus.  Despite Lillian’s best efforts to the contrary, her feelings for Samuel–and his for her–deepen.  Will Lillian find her faith in Plain living, or will she be be forced to return to her former life?

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I received a free copy of this book in a contest sponsored by Thomas Nelson. I was not required to write a review, I just wanted to share my thoughts on the book with my readers.

Book Review: There You’ll Find Me by Jenny B Jones

Katie September 24, 2011 2 Comments

There You’ll Find Me is about a young girl named Finley Sinclair, who is an heiress (though not obnoxious like Paris Hilton) and decides to take a trip to Ireland.  The trip was previously taken by her brother Will, who was killed in Afghanistan a couple of years earlier. Finley thinks that by taking his travel journal and visiting all the locations that he did she will finally be able to let go and accept the fact that is is gone, as well as find God.

While on the plane to Ireland she is seated next to Hollywood Heartthrob Beckett Rush who is in several popular vampire movies (and therefore I pictured him as Robert Pattinson throughout the whole book).  She is not impressed by him and does not want an autograph or a photograph with him and in fact, would prefer to have nothing to do with him.

When her host family is too busy to take her site seeing, it is all too perfect that Beckett is staying at their B&B as well while filming his latest vampire installment.  He offers to take Finley around to see the sites if she will be his assistant and help him read lines.  Reluctantly, she agrees, not sure she’ll be able to see everywhere she needs to if she doesn’t go with him.

Meanwhile, for her class assignment she has to spend 20 hours with a woman in a nursing home.  She gets paired with Cathleen Sweeney, a mean old woman who is very ill with cancer and does not have much time left.  Although she wishes she did not have to be around death (again), she pushes through and tries to become friendly with this woman.

Throughout the book her relationships with the people around her change, Finley begins to find God and deals with some other struggles as well.  The whole point of the trip is to find a grave stone that her brother took a photo of and left as the last page of his journal.  Will she find it? Why is it significant? Find out in There You’ll Find Me!

Book Description

Grief brought Finley to Ireland. LOVE WILL LEAD HER HOME.

Finley Sinclair is not your typical eighteen-year-old. She’s witty, tough, and driven. With an upcoming interview at the Manhattan music conservatory, Finley needs to compose her audition piece. But her creativity disappeared with the death of her older brother, Will.

She decides to study abroad in Ireland so she can follow Will’s travel journal. It’s the place he felt closest to God, and she’s hopeful being there will help her make peace over losing him. So she agrees to an exchange program and boards the plane.

Beckett Rush, teen heartthrob and Hollywood bad boy, is flying to Ireland to finish filming his latest vampire movie. On the flight, he meets Finley. She’s the one girl who seems immune to his charm. Undeterred, Beckett convinces her to be his assistant in exchange for his help as a tour guide.

Once in Ireland, Finley starts to break down. The loss of her brother and the pressure of school, her audition, and whatever it is that is happening between her and Beckett, leads her to a new and dangerous vice. When is God going to show up for her in this emerald paradise?

Then she experiences something that radically changes her perspective on life. Could it be God convincing her that everything she’s been looking for has been with her all along?

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review: Go Big by Cory Cotton

Katie September 20, 2011 0 Comments

Cory Cotton is 1/5 of the group “Dude Perfect”.  If you spend a lot of time on YouTube, you may know Dude Perfect as the group of guys who do trick basketball shots as they have had several viral videos over the past couple of years.  Go Big is the groups mantra and the book not only tells you about the story of Dude Perfect and how they became successful but it also tells you how to make your shot count in the connected world and how to use what they have learned as they went along to apply to any of your dreams and visions to help make them come true.

The book is broken up in to 5 sections which are the give principles Dude Perfect uses – Get Excited, Own It, Blink Later, Inspire Others and Give Back.  Get Excited about what you do. Fully embrace your vision – Own It!  Your window of opportunity may often be too short to blink. Blink later.  To keep lasting momentum, Inspire Others.  Shift your perspective from inward to outward – Give Back.

I had not known much about the group, although I am sure I must have seen one of their videos online at some part or another.  It was very interesting how they came up with their crazy ideas for trick shots and what they did in order to make it happen.  After being given courtside seats to the Kings, they met the mayor and were able to arrange doing trick shots at the capitol building!  As they gained popularity they even had a crew and were able to do shots out of airplanes and through moving trains! These guys sure do Go Big.

I think that it will be hard for you to read this book and NOT be motivated to come up with some kind of plan to make your dreams come true.  Whether or not you will then follow through with them is up to you – but I think the dudes would prefer it if you did GO BIG!

About the Book

Listed by Advertising Age as one of YouTube’s hottest brands, Dude Perfect has used its crazy basketball shots to reach and inspire hundreds of millions with a contagious Go Big philosophy. By leveraging the connected world, the Dude Perfect guys’ dream became a reality, and now, they want the same for you.  Written by one of the dudes himself, Go Big tells their story and unveils their secret: give practical principles for taking your passions, skills, and dreams to the next level. Are you ready to GO BIG?

About the Author

Cory Cotton, a graduate of Texas A&M University, is one of the founders of the five-man trick basketball team known as Dude Perfect.  Since its appearance two years ago, Dude Perfect has garnered more than 47 million views of its online content and has been labeled as one of YouTube’s Top 10 most in-demand brands.

An experienced writer and speaker, Cory has been privileged to speak live in front of millions on several television shows, including Fox’s Studio B and CBS’s The Early Show. Alongside his brother, Coby, he performed and spoke in front of the 13,000 attendees of the Catalyst Conference, one of the world’s largest leadership events.  Cory is involved in promoting several charities, including Compassion International and Visiting Orphans.

5% of Author’s Proceeds will go to charity:water, a nonprofit organization bringing clean, safe water to people in developing nations.

Dude Perfect’s Website: http://game.dudeperfect.com/

Cory Cotton on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/corycotton

Cory Cotton on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/corycotton

Dude Perfect on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/corycotton

I received a free copy of this book from Tyndale in order to write this review. I was not asked to write a favorable review and all thoughts and opinions are 100% mine.

Book Review: Saffron Dreams

Katie September 11, 2011 0 Comments

Saffron Dreams byShaila Abdullah is the story of a woman who loses her husband on September 11th in the World Trade Center attacks.  Arissa is Pakistani and her husband Faizan, works at the restaurant at the top of the World Trade Center.  Arissa is pregnant and during her pregnancy finds out that it is possible that the baby may have some disabilities once it is born.  Since this baby is the only thing of her husband’s she has left – terminating the pregnancy is not an option and she delivers a baby boy, Raian, who has developmental disabilities.  Arissa thinks that God gave her a child like Raian so she would spend her time keeping sure he is well and not spend her time focusing on the fact that she is now a widow.

Arissa also finds her husband’s manuscript and decides that since he was so close to completing it, that she will finish it for him as it was his life’s work.  Between Raian and this manuscript, Arissa is kept quite busy.

I really enjoyed reading this book – it was a fairly quick read during Hurricane Irene.  The first sitting I got to the point where she found out that her unborn child may be disabled and I spent the rest of the time while I was not reading hoping that he would end up born ok.  I soon realized that this was not going to be the case when I picked the book up again, but Arissa did a wonderful job with taking care of all of Raian’s needs as well as working and balancing everything that comes with being a single mother.  I also liked how September 11th was worked in and it showed some of the struggles Arissa had to deal with being Pakistani and having everyone say it was “her people” who did this – when she was suffering with everyone else and that the people who did these terrible things were not her people.

About the Book

From the darkest hour of American history emerges a mesmerizing tale of tender love, a life interrupted, and faith recovered. Arissa Illahi, a Muslim artist and writer, discovers in a single moment that no matter how carefully you map your life, it is life itself that chooses your destiny. After her husband’s death in the collapse of the World Trade Center, the discovery of his manuscript marks Arissa’s reconnection to life. Her unborn son and the unfinished novel fuse in her mind into one life-defining project that becomes, at once, the struggle for her emotional survival and the redemption of her race.

Book Review: Stumbling Into Grace

Katie September 9, 2011 0 Comments

At first, I wasn’t interested in reading this book.  Then I found a review of it on another blog that was saying how the blogger had seen the author at the Woman of Faith event and that she was hilarious, so I decided to check it out!

The book is definitely funny and I love her writing style.  I especially love the story she told about slipping on the cement floor at the car dealership. I could absolutely picture the predicament she was in and I couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

At the end of each chapter, she relates the story to Jesus and then has a prayer of “Living the Light of His Story”. After that, there are reflection and/or group discussion questions which I always like because even though I may not feel like I am relating to a particular chapter, these questions can often help me see things in a different way that do relate to my life.  There is also a prompt for a personal journal entry at the end of each chapter as well.

Lisa is going to be one of the guests at the Women of Faith conference I am attending in November and I am looking forward to it even more now!

Book Description

Humorous yet poignant stories from Lisa’s life help readers relate to spiritual truths found in the life and ministry of Christ.

Stumbling Into Grace is the diary-devotional of one woman’s honest, ongoing, bumbling journey of faith and how she finds encouragement through a deeper understanding of Christ’s time on earth. Within each chapter she alternates her often humorous memoir with stirring portraits of Jesus and his own encounters as recorded in the New Testament.

Both intimately relevant and refreshingly inspirational, this book will help readers to jettison the theological misconceptions, guilt, shame, and hypocrisy they struggle with, exchanging them for a vibrant, passionate relationship with Christ that results in a more abundant, joyful life.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review: Black Widow Trainer

Katie September 6, 2011 1 Comments

The Black Widow Trainer by Craig Odanovich is billed as “an erotic adventure novel”.  It tells the story of Misty and her husband Rob.  The story starts when she is in Hawaii with her husband Rob and their friend Becca.  While there, she ends up having an affair with a guy that she found incredibly attractive.  She confesses to Rob and rather than ask for a divorce – he asks for an open marriage!  She is allowed to sleep with whoever she wants and he won’t ask any questions about it, and the same goes for him.  Misty works as a personal trainer and is one of the best.  One of her clients asks her to go overseas with him for 3 months and to create a contract of what it will take to get her to go.  Misty chooses a monetary amount, but also writes in that he is allowed to sleep with her once.  As soon as he does, the contract is over and she receives the money for the 3 months.  Much to Misty’s surprise – the client signs it without even reading it and Misty’s life as the Black Widow Trainer begins.

The book chronicles through several of her jobs, taking her all over the globe.  She usually comes home for a couple of months in between jobs and at that time is a loving wife to Rob.  Meanwhile, Rob has to put whatever other relationships he was in on hold.  You’ll find out if this puts too much of a strain on their marriage if you read the book 🙂  It is 67 chapters, though many are only a couple of pages.  The book is also broken up in to 3 parts so there are plenty of stopping points if you don’t want to read it all in one go (and at 314 pages, it may be difficult to read it all in one sitting).  With all the exotic places Misty travels to, it is a nice escape from the real world. (Though I will give you fair warning – it IS an erotic novel so it is quite descriptive of just what is going on at the end / to end Misty’s contracts!)

I am looking forward to reading the 2nd book in the series – Captured Prey – in the not so distant future!  Look for a review on that coming up – but for now I’ll leave you with a

summary of it…

After enjoying a brief but sultry respite in Argentina with her best friend Gabriella, Misty–the high-price personal trainer with a unique, controversial clause in her contract–embarks to the United States to meet her next trainee. What she finds under the hot Texas sun shocks and captivates her, and she ends up caught in a wrenching dilemma that causes her to choose between love and career.

As she sorts out her feelings for an intriguingly handsome cowboy and his conniving, cowardly employer, Misty’s sexual appetite and lust for adventure take her from honky-tonks to bustling Copacabana Beach festivals–and land her in the crosshairs of a scheming DC politician hell-bent on taking down an opponent in an upcoming election.

Captured Prey is populated with a new set of impossible-to-forget characters, plus some key favorites from the first book. As always, Misty’s blend of wiliness, sensuality, and wide-eyed innocence helps her charm everyone she meets. Surprises await at every turn in this seductive, action-packed follow-up.

I received free copies of Book 1 and 2 from Greenleaf Book Group in exchange for mentioning the books on my blog. I was not otherwise compensated nor was I asked to write a favorable review.  All opinions are 100% mine.

Book Review: Worlds Collide

Katie September 5, 2011 0 Comments

Worlds Collide intrigued me at first because it was a story about a fan getting to interview one of the stars she was in love with and help write his biography.  As a wannabe journalist, that drew me in.

However, it was difficult to get in to this book because the chapters alternated between Jack’s story and Grace’s story (husband and wife, celebrity and girl next door) for the first handful of chapters and it became difficult for me to keep track of what was going on bouncing back and forth. Especially because I was reading just a few chapters a night before bed.

Once Jack and Grace’s paths crossed, the story got a LOT better so I would definitely recommend that you keep going if you get stuck as well.   The book is long – nearly 60 chapters!  As you progress through, it will make more sense why the beginning chapters were included giving you background on both of the characters lives as some of the issues and stories that were told there become relevant further in to the book, they bring the story full circle.

Even with the struggles in the beginning of this book, the story floored me and I definitely recommend it.  It is about much more than a writer becoming friends with her celebrity crush. It is about chance, family, love, struggles to love, and so much more!

About The Book

Some Decisions Change Your Day. Some Will Change Your Life.

While the headlines screamed “Hollywood Heartthrob Marries Girl Next Door,” the public relationship of Jack Harrington and Grace Winslowe never revealed the private struggles that threatened to pull them apart-and when celebrity biographer Jada Eastman starts digging, she discovers that there’s more to this couple than anyone could guess.

Their relationship began like a scene from one of Jack’s movies. Leaving behind a dead-end relationship and the bitter Chicago winter, Grace had moved to Southern California to start a new life. Meanwhile, Jack had established himself as an up-and-comer with considerable acting talent, and a private heartache. When a fateful accident pulled the two of them together, they couldn’t avoid their initial attraction or the vast differences in their values and lifestyles.

Now, against the backdrop of Beverly Hills and the 24/7 nature of the entertainment world, Jada grapples with her own beliefs as she encounters the spiritual chasm of this famous couple. Can Grace and Jack face the consequences of their own personal histories-and can the biographer avoid being affected? As the three of them examine the couple’s bittersweet story, it becomes clear that everyday decisions can carry lifetime consequences when individual worlds collide.

About The Author

Alison Strobel is a novelist and former elementary educator. Her father, bestselling and award-winning author Lee Strobel, instilled her with a love of stories at a young age. Alison and her husband live in California.

I received a free e-book copy of Worlds Collide from edelweiss and Waterbrook’s Blogging for Books program in order to write this review.  I was not asked to write a favorable review and all opinions are mine.