Showing posts with label healing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label healing. Show all posts

Friday, March 10, 2023

Book Review - Flight by Lynn Steger Strong

 

Flight by Lynn Steger Strong is about three siblings, Henry, Kate, and Martin, dealing with the aftermath of their elderly mother’s recent death. The three siblings and their young families decide to spend the Christmas break together at Henry’s house in upstate New York. This is the siblings' first Christmas without their beloved matriarch. They decide to use the time to bond with each other and to decide on what to do with their late mother’s house.

Over the three day gathering, the siblings find themselves squabbling with each other and past resentments bubble to the surface. Each of the siblings want a different outcome for their mother’s house. Kate wants to keep the house, Tess (Martin’s wife) wants to sell the house and split the profits, and Henry wants to donate the land for conservation purposes. They try to perform the same traditions they used to when their mother was alive but the dilemma of the house is hanging above them like a dark cloud.

As tensions rise and tempers flare between the siblings, a local mother, Quinn, reaches out to the group for help. Quinn is a single mother and she is struggling to provide for her young daughter, Maddie. When Maddie goes missing during a brutally cold night, Quinn is desperate to find someone to help her find her daughter. The siblings will need to put their differences aside and help the young woman find a missing child.

The story is told from multiple points of view and the points of view change often enough that it was hard to keep track of who was narrating. The book also had a lot of characters and it was hard trying to remember the family structure, as some of the siblings had multiple kids.

It was interesting seeing how each of the siblings was trying to adapt to the new family dynamics while trying to keep the memories of their mother and her traditions alive. I enjoyed reading how the characters were struggling to find their own identity especially since they were so close to their mother and so different from each other. During the novel, we saw the  siblings’ struggle to connect with each other and move forward after their loss.

The book was mostly narrated by the women including Henry and Martin’s wives. I thought it was interesting how the wives had complicated feelings over their deceased mother in law. However, I felt like the book felt one sided or incomplete as we never got to see the point of views from the male characters.  Also, I felt the book was sparse on character development.

I felt the subplot of Maddie being missing and her relationship with her mother detracted from the main story line. I feel like the book should have focused on the siblings healing and resolving some of their conflicts. The book ended with some conflicts being left to interpretation and I felt like I would have enjoyed the book more if the ending was spelled out and the characters were developed more. If you like character driven family stories that slowly unfold, then you might enjoy this book.   

 

Saturday, July 24, 2021

Book Review - Come Back to Me (Waters of Time, #1) by Jody Hedlund

 


Marian Creighton doesn't believe there is an ultimate cure that could cure any disease. She doesn't believe in her father's quest to find the cure for the disease that killed their mother and has affected her sister. However, Marian's father falls into a coma after drinking a vial of holy water that is believe to contain trace residue from the Tree of Life. Marian begins to question everything she thought she knew. Marian tries to study the clues that her father left behind to see if he crossed back in time. She didn't think it was possible until she found herself back in time during the Middle Ages.

William Durham is a knight for the king and comes to Marian rescue. He is willing to offer protection if she becomes his wife. As Marian stays longer in the Middle Age, she begins to care for William. Will she find a way to return to the present?

I thought the book had an interesting premise but, I didn't quite care for the book. I was more than one third of the way done before I lost interest in the novel. I felt like it was boring and moved very slowly. If you like time traveling romance novels with hints of medical drama, then this would be a good read for you.

 

**I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion**

Friday, November 22, 2019

Book Review - Glow Girl by M. Weidenbenner + Giveaway


Photo Credit - Amazon
Sixteen-year-old Willow is your average high school student. Except, Willow has a secret that she keeps hidden from other people. Willow can heal animals but, her parents forbid her from using her powers because they fear for her safety. Unfortunately, Willow can't seem to keep her promise and ends up using her powers to help the sick animals.

Willow has to hide her abilities because a group known as Trident, targets people like her. People with special abilities are feared and hated by people without special abilities. Willow is content with keeping her abilities a secret but, when her friend's life becomes endangered, Willow must decide if she is willing to get involved or sit in the sidelines.

The novel had a similar feel to other superhero storylines where the young hero must decide if they are willing to use their gift for the greater good. I thought the novel is a refreshing read but, I found some of the language to be "off". For example, a high school student calling their mother "a feisty little thing". Personally, that just seems weird referring to a parent that way. Overall, it was an entertaining read and I am interested in reading the next novel in the series.

**Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion. This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn advertising and/or referral fees if you purchase an item through my link. Please note, there will be no extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**



About the Book:
Title: GLOW GIRL
Author: M. Weidenbenner
Pub. Date: October 31, 2019
Publisher: Entangled Publishing, LLC (Amara)
Formats: Paperback, eBook
Pages: 266
Find it: GoodreadsAmazon, Kindle, B&NiBooksKobo

Multi-Award-Winning and Best-Selling Author, Speaker and Writing Coach.

Willow is just your average sixteen-year-old girl. Okay, maybe not so average. She can heal animals. For her own safety, her veterinarian parents have made her promise not to use her powers. But sometimes her compassion just takes over, and she can't help ... well ... helping.

Willow is a Droit, but hides her Droitism because people like her are feared and hated by those without special abilities. Two of Willow's schoolmates, rumored to be Droits, have simultaneously disappeared.

When Willow's non-Droit friend, Rain, is targeted, Willow wonders whether she should get involved--even if that means putting herself in the line of fire.

A mysterious new friend, Trae, just might be the key to unlock her courage.

In the end, she has a choice: she can deny who she is or declare her ability to heal, but either way, her life will never be the same again.




About M.:
AWARD-WINNING and AMAZON BESTSELLING AUTHOR.
GOLD Medal WINNER in the 2014 READERS' FAVORITE International Awards.
Bronze Medal Winner in Dan Poytner's Global eBook Awards. Winner of the Kindle Book Promotion Awards. SPIRIT and INSPIRATION MEDALS in the NEW APPLE LITERARY AWARDS.

AWARD-WINNING SPEAKER. John Maxwell Team Leader.

To obtain a free copy of one of Michelle's children's books, and receive her newsletters, go to www/MichelleWeidenbenner.com/gift/

Michelle is an author, speaker, trainer and coach dedicated to leaving a legacy of leaders who care about bringing value to others and equipping the future generation. She's also known as the UNCOVER AGENT who helps people uncover their messages so they can UNLEASH them into the universe.

She grew up in the burbs of Detroit with five brothers. No sisters. Each time her mom brought the boy bundle home from the hospital Michelle cried, certain her mom liked boys better than girls. But when her brothers pitched in with the cooking, cleaning, and babysitting--without drama, Michelle discovered having brothers wasn't so bad. They even taught her how to take direct criticism without flinching, which comes in handy with book reviews.

CACHE a PREDATOR and ECLAIR GOES GEOCACHING are currently hidden in geocaching sites throughout the US. If you'd like to see where they might be in your area, please log in to geocaching.com and search for trackables at IN SCRIBE--that's Michelle.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Amazon | Goodreads



Tour Schedule:
Week One:
10/28/2019
Excerpt
10/29/2019
Review
10/30/2019
Review
10/31/2019
Review
11/1/2019
Review

Week Two:
11/4/2019
Review
11/5/2019
Review
11/6/2019
Review
11/7/2019
Review
11/8/2019
Review

Week Three:
11/11/19
Excerpt
11/12/19
Review
11/13/19
Review
11/14/19
Review
11/15/19
Review

Week Four:
11/18/2019
Review
11/19/2019
Review
11/20/2019
Review
11/21/2019
Review
11/22/2019
Review
 

Giveaway Details:

50 winners will receive an ebook of GLOW GIRL, International. Via Goodreads


Goodreads Book Giveaway

Glow Girl by M. Weidenbenner

Glow Girl

by M. Weidenbenner

Giveaway ends November 28, 2019.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.
Enter Giveaway