One Last Thing by Rebecca St James and Nancy Rue

A hope-filled soon-to-be bride makes a discovery about her fiance that rocks her world and provokes a maelstrom of decisions and self-discovery.

Tara Faulkner has dreamed of her wedding and the life she and her fiance Seth will share in their hometown of Savannah . . . and by all accounts, it should be a charmed one. But when she discovers three weeks before the wedding that Seth is seriously addicted to pornography, Tara's dreams are shattered.

She must decide whether she will stand by Seth, but she also must let go of the dream she shaped for herself and discover a real vision for her life--and where it will come from. With all else falling apart, Tara encounters an unexpected--and unlikely--group of women mentors. They help her peel back the layers of shaming secrets and begin to clearly see the real issues of her generation.

In the end, she's able to make a decision based on God's vision--not her own.

My review:

  It is a brave author, or in this case, authors, who take on a subject like pornography. I applaud their decision, as it is something that affects a lot of marriages and relationships, and many Christian marriages and relationships. 

 Although fictional, this is a scenario that has most likely happened to a young girl on the brink of marriage - finding out her fiancee' is addicted to pornography. Sadly, if most women find out, it is after the vows have been said.

 This is a story, not a "what to do if you find your fiancee'' is addicted to pornography" advice book, yet the book does present a good idea of how to handle it, and how not to handle it. 

 I liked the characters and felt for them, even Seth, the porn addict, who has suddenly had his secret pulled into the light and realizes he could lose the woman he loves. I won't give the ending away, but I wish the book had ended differently, but it was still a great read and dealt in a great way with such a topic.

About the authors:

Rebecca St. James, an Australian-born Christian recording artist, is both a Grammy Award winner and a multiple Dove Award recipient. She is also the bestselling author of Wait for Me, SHE Teen, and What is He Thinking. In addition, St. James has appeared in the film Sarah's Choice and lent her voice to VeggieTales' An Easter Story. www.rsjames.com

Nancy Rue is the author of over 100 books for adults and teens, including the Christy Award-winning The Reluctant Prophet, Unexpected Dismounts and Healing Waters (with Steve Arterburn), which was the 2009 Women of Faith Novel of the Year. She travels extensively—at times on the back of a Harley—speaking to and teaching groups of women of all ages. Nancy lives on a lake in Tennessee with her Harley-ridin’ husband, Jim, and their two yellow Labs (without whom writing would be difficult).

One Last Thing is available from Thomas Nelson Publishing. 

Thanks to Book Look Bloggers for the review copy.

Heaven's Prey by Janet Sketchley

A grieving woman is abducted by a serial killer—and it may be the answer to her prayers.

Despite her husband’s objections, 40-something Ruth Warner finds healing through prayer for Harry Silver, the serial killer who brutally raped and murdered her niece. When a kidnapping-gone-wrong pegs her as his next victim, Harry claims that the chance to destroy the one person who’d pray for him proves God can’t—or won’t—look after His own. Can Ruth’s faith sustain her to the end—whatever the cost?

    My review:
       I ran across this author on a Facebook group and thought her books sounded good. I commented, and that comment led to an offer to review a couple of her books. This is the first book in the Redemption Edge Series.

   I believe this is the author's first book, and it is a great debut novel. The book was very suspenseful with a great Christian message woven throughout it. Although fictional, it does show how God can work in anything, even the kidnapping at the hand of a cruel rapist and killer.

  The book goes back and forth between the present and the past, showing the growing up years and descent into his crimes of murder and rape of the killer, Harry, which breaks up the book a bit instead of it all being about a criminal hiding out with his captive. Although not every person who develops an addiction to pornography, the story shows the dangers of getting involved in pornography and the downward trend it has as the addict needs something more hardcore and extreme after a while. We know that it does happen that people starts out with pornography and graduate to rape and/or murder.

  I enjoyed the book a lot. It was suspense, which I enjoy, and had a great plot and characters. It carries a great lesson that no matter what situation we are in, God can work it out for the best, and that He can reach anyone, no matter how far gone they seem to be.

  Even if I didn't have the second book waiting to read and review, I'd be wanting to read it after this one. I highly recommend.

About the author:

  Janet Sketchley is the author of Heaven's Prey and Secrets and Lies, two novels of suspense and redemption. She also blogs about faith and books. Janet loves adventure stories, worship music, tea and Formula 1 racing. Like Carol in Secrets and Lies, she loves music and tea. Unlike Carol, Janet isn't related to a dangerous offender, has a happy home life, and has never been threatened by a drug lord. May those tidbits continue to hold true! You can find Janet online at http://janetsketchley.ca. Fans of Christian suspense are invited to join Janet's writing journey through her monthly newsletter: http://bit.ly/JanetSketchleyNews.

 Thanks to the author for the review copy.

Miracle At Higher Grounds Cafe' by Max Lucado, with Candace Lee and Eric Newman - and win an iPad

What if you could ask God anything? What would you ask? And how would he answer?

Chelsea Chambers is on her own. After a public split from her NFL superstar husband, Chelsea takes a bold step out of the limelight and behind the counter of the Higher Grounds Café, an old-fashioned coffee shop in dire need of reinvention. But when her courage, expert planning, and out-of-this-world cupcakes fail to pay the bills, this newly single mom finds herself desperate for help. Better yet, a miracle.

Then a curious stranger lands at Chelsea's door, and with him, an even more curious string of events. Soon, customers are flocking to the Higher Grounds Café, and not just for the cupcakes and cappuccino. They've come for the internet connection to the divine. Now the café has become the go-to place for people in search of answers to life's biggest questions.

When a catastrophe strikes and her ex comes calling, Chelsea begins to wonder if the whole universe is conspiring against her quest to make it on her own. After a shocking discovery opens her eyes to the unseen world around her, Chelsea finds the courage to ask, and heaven answers in a most unexpected way.

My review:

  Other than his Christmas novels he has written, I don't recall reading an adult fiction novel by Max Lucado before, but I liked this one.

 I did think the book could have been longer. The chapters were too short and ended abruptly, and the reader isn't given much time to get to know the characters before the book is over, but I liked the plot, characters, and setting. 

 This isn't t he first book to be written that has an angel in human form, and I like the idea. It worked well for the book, and the authors did a good job of writing him into the story.

 Obviously, God would never have a blog where He answers questions, but it was a neat idea. 

  Overall, this is a cool little story and shows through fiction how much God cares about each one of us and is involved, but I did think it could have been deeper and been developed more.

About the author:

More than 120 million readers have found comfort in the writings of Max Lucado. He ministers at the Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas, where he lives with his wife, Denalyn, and a sweet but misbehaving mutt, Andy.

Find Max online: website, Facebook,Twitter

Miracle At Higher Grounds Cafe' is available from Thomas Nelson Publishing.

Thanks to Litfuse for the review copy.

In Max Lucado's new fiction release, Miracle at the Higher Grounds Cafe, he asks, If you could ask God anything, what would you ask—and how would he answer? When a catastrophe strikes and her ex comes calling, Chelsea begins to wonder if the whole universe is conspiring against her quest to make it on her own. After a shocking discovery opens her eyes to the unseen world around her, Chelsea finds the courage to ask, and heaven answers in a most unexpected way.

Join Max in celebrating the release of his new fiction book by entering his iPad giveaway and RSVPing to his Coffee with Max webcast!

One grand prize winner will receive:

• An iPad Mini
• A copy of Miracle at the Higher Grounds Cafe

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on March 23rd. Winner will be announced March 24th on the Litfuse blog. Then tune in later on the 24th for his Coffee with Max webcast. RSVP here!



{NOT ON FACEBOOK? ENTER HERE.}

Mercy's Rain by Cindy Sproles

When your life is built around a father's wrath, how can you trust in the love of Father God?

Mercy Roller knows her name is a lie: there has never been any mercy in her young life. Raised by a twisted and abusive father who called himself the Pastor, she was abandoned by the church community that should have stood together to protect her from his evil. Her mother, consumed by her own fear and hate, won't stand her ground to save Mercy either.

The Pastor has robbed Mercy of innocence and love, a husband and her child. Not a single person seems capable of standing up to the Pastor's unrestrained evil. So Mercy takes matters into her own hands.

Her heart was hardened to love long before she took on the role of judge, jury, and executioner of the Pastor. She just didn't realize the retribution she thought would save her, might turn her into the very thing she hated most.

Sent away by her angry and grieving mother, Mercy's path is unclear until she meets a young preacher headed to counsel a pregnant couple. Sure that her calling is to protect the family, Mercy is drawn into a different life on the other side of the mountain where she slowly discovers true righteousness has nothing evil about it--and that there might be room for her own stained and shattered soul to find shelter. . . and even love.

Mercy's Rain is a remarkable historical novel set in 19th century Appalachia that traces the thorny path from bitterness to forgiveness and reveals the victory and strength that comes from simple faith.

My review:
   I had a hard time getting into this book. It was written in the first person point of view, which is not my favorite, and used Appalachian style language when the people were talking, or the main character was thinking. I get that authors do that to be more authentic, but it bugs me.

  It was still an interesting read. The main character's father was a pastor that did a lot of bad and gave her a wrong image of God, and it took her a long time to get past that. The author does a great job of showing how our views of God can be misconstrued, often by family members and/or authority figures.


Mercy's Rain is available from Kregel Publishing.

Thanks to Kregel for the review copy.

Lethal Beauty by Lis Wiehl with April Henry

Mia Quinn discovers that a series of seemingly unrelated murders are linked. How far up are the strings being pulled--and what happens when one of her own is at risk?

The murder Mia is prosecuting seems like an open and shut case--until the accused claims he was the real victim and that the dead girl attacked him first. The tabloids dub her a "lethal beauty." Still, a conviction seems imminent. Then a key witness goes missing. Just when it looks like the killer could walk free, the dead woman's mother takes matters into her own hands.

Meanwhile, Charlie Carlson, a Seattle homicide detective, is investigating the murder of a man whose body washed up on the beach of Puget Sound, but he's got little to go on. He has no dental work, fingerprints aren't on file, and he doesn't match any missing person reports. Then a church pianist is senselessly gunned down before horrified parishioners.

All three cases seem unrelated--but are they? Together, Mia and Charlie race to find the answer before another crime hits too close to home.

My review:

  I have enjoyed this series most of the ones I have read by Lis Wiehl, and this book is the best one so far. I like a series where most of the same people are in it, and that is the case with this series. I wish more books had a male lead, but Mia Quinn is a great lead for this series. I like her character, and her challenging home life of raising a teenage boy and a little girl. while still dealing with the mess her dead husband left her.

  The main plot of the book revolves around human trafficking, and the book gives a look at what people might go through who are caught up in that. In this book, the ones trafficked are brought in from other countries and enslaved for work and prostitution.

 The book picks up some story line from other books, and brings it to a conclusion. It had a lot of suspense and drama that her books are becoming known for, and I would put this one up against a John Grisham book in style and excitement.

  One problem I have with this book, and the previous one, is it ended rather abruptly. I would have liked to have read a little more after the climax of the story, but there isn't much after the most exciting part of the book. I still enjoyed the book and read it in one sitting. I highly recommend it to readers of suspense and legal thrillers, though the series should be read in order.

About the author:

Lis Wiehl is the author "Face of Betrayal," a New York Times Best Seller. 

She has also written "Winning Every Time: How to Use the Skills of a Lawyer in the Trials of Your Life" and "The 51% Minority: How Women Still Are Not Equal and What You Can Do About It." 

In addition to her written work, Wiehl is currently a legal analyst for Fox News. She has been with the network since 2001. 

A graduate of Harvard Law School, Wiehl is an adjunct professor at New York Law School.

Check out her website.

Lethal Beauty is available from Thomas Nelson Publishing.

Thanks to Book Look Bloggers for the review copy.
   

Rise of the Fallen by Chuck Black

A six thousand year war rages and now the demonic Fallen are coming for him—the one man shrouded in mystery. Only Validus stands in their way.

Validus is the last and least of God’s angels, but he’s seen much across the millennia since his creation. Empires have risen and fallen as angelic and demonic forces battle in a raging war that will determine humanity's fate – and the fate of his defeated brothers.

Eventually called to be an earth-bound warrior, Validus rises to a position of power and respect, commanding legions of angels through impossible battles and overwhelming odds. But when orders arrive from the Creator's most elite Messenger, he finds himself suddenly demoted to a task of apparent insignificance considering the fierce war they are waging against the demonic Fallen – the covert protection of one unbelieving man. 

Validus soon finds himself on a mission that will push him beyond his abilities as he battles to protect Drew Carter, for the Fallen are coming for him. Legions of them. 

As Validus races against time to discover why Drew is so important to humanity's survival, can he stand between Drew and all who would destroy him?

My review:

  Ever since I finished the first book in this series, Cloak of the Light, I have been looking forward to reading this one. The first book ended with quite the cliffhanger, and I wanted to find out what happened next. Unfortunately,  I will have to wait for the next book, as this one did not go much past where book one ended.

  The first book centered around Drew Carter, a young man who has an accident that temporarily blinds him. After he regains his sight, he can see beings that he doesn't realize for a long time are angels and demons.

 This book centers around one of the angels assigned to guard him. Although the book is fictional, and thus the author's idea of how things happened, it was still fascinating to read an account of what it might have been for an angel to be there for Lucifer's rebellion, Creation, the fall of man, Noah, the Tower of Babel, and more. The book went back and forth from those events to modern day, where the angels were guarding their charge.

 I like books like this where an author writes angels into the story, if it is done right, and this author tried to stick to Biblical views of angels and what they might do in our lives. I loved the book, and read it the day it came in the mail. I liked the characters, especially Validus, an angel guarding a human, and having no idea why this human is so important. The book has a lot of drama and excitement, battles between angels and demons, between good and bad. t is geared for juvenile readers, but reads like an adult book. It is a book that juveniles and adults alike can enjoy, which is a testament of the author's writing abilities. I loved the book, and enjoyed every page of it. There were no parts I wanted to skim over, and found myself wishing I had not reached the end of the book. I highly recommend it, though book one should be read first.

About the author:

Chuck Black spent eight years in the Air Force traveling the world as a communications engineer and an F-16 fighter pilot. Today, Chuck is a product design engineer and has invented or coinvented eleven patented construction products now being sold internationally. His passion in life is to serve the Lord Jesus Christ and to love his wife, Andrea, and their six children. The Blacks take their family music ministry on the road, singing Christian gospel, contemporary, and traditional songs. Chuck and his family live in North Dakota.


Rise of the Fallen is available from Waterbrook/Multnomah Publishing.

Thanks to Waterbrook/Multnomah for the review copy.

Twisted Innocence by Terri Blackstock and a giveaway

Romantic Times gives Terri Blackstock's Twisted Innocencefour stars! Written for anyone who's ever made bad choices, this thrilling conclusion in Blackstock's Moonlighters trilogy is packed with romance, danger, and intrigue.

Holly Cramer's past choices have finally caught up to her, but she never expected them to endanger her baby.

Though Holly's stumbled through most of her adult life as a party girl, she longs to live a more stable life for her daughter. Then police show up to question her about the whereabouts of Creed Kershaw, Lily's father. She has kept his identity a secret from friends and family---she never even told him about the pregnancy. Now he's a person of interest in a drug-related murder case.

Determined to keep him out of their lives and turn him over to police, Holly uses her private investigating skills to search for him. But her bravado backfires when he turns the tables and takes her and the baby hostage. As desperate hours tick by, Holly realizes his connection to Leonard Miller---the man who has gunned down several members of her family. Creed claims he's innocent and that Miller is after him too. His gentleness with Lily moves her, but she can't trust a man who has held her at gunpoint . . . even if he reminds her so much of herself.

Dangers old and new threaten Holly and her baby, and lives are demanded as sacrifices for love. Through a complex web of mistakes and regret, redemption is the one hope Holly has left to hold on to.

My review:

  Teri Blackstock was the first author of Christian suspense/mystery I read. At that time, there wasn't much of it on the Christian market. Now there is, but I still enjoy her books. This series is among her best she has written, and this third and last book brought the series to a great conclusion.

  This book is about the final sibling in the family, Holly, who has a track record of making bad decisions. The book has all of the action, suspense, and drama Terri is known for, but there is also a message that no matter how bad we have been in the past, there is hope in Jesus to change and live a better life.

  Even though each book in this trilogy has had an ending, there was a criminal on the run in each book, and that was brought to a conclusion in this book. I really enjoyed this book and couldn't put it down until I finished it. Great plot, characters, and a fast paced story that kept me guessing. 

About the author:

Terri Blackstock has sold over six million books worldwide and is a New York Times bestselling author. She is the award-winning author ofIntervention, Vicious Cycle, andDownfall, as well as such series as Cape Refuge, Newpointe 911, the SunCoast Chronicles, Restoration, and Moonlighters.

Find Terri online: website, Facebook,

In Terri Blackstock’s third and final book in her Moonlighters series, Twisted Innocence, readers are in for a story of suspense and redemption. Dangers old and new threaten Holly and her baby, and lives are demanded as sacrifices for love. Through a complex web of mistakes and regret, redemption is the one hope Holly has left to hold on to.

Celebrate the series' final release by entering Terri's Nook giveaway!

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A Nook GlowLight
• The entire Moonlighters series

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on March 8th. Winner will be announced March 9th on the Litfuse blog.

{NOT ON FACEBOOK? ENTER HERE.}