The Hidden Village - Book Review

The Hidden Village

By Bonnie Rose Hudson

This blog post may contain affiliate links. Thank you for your support! 

Title: The Hidden Valley
Author: Bonnie Rose Hudson
Publisher: JourneyForth (BJU)
Release Date: June 2017
Genre: Children's Fiction/ Christian Fiction 

 The Hidden Village is a children’s Christian fiction book about a boy named Manju who lives in India. When Manju finds a village hidden in the mangrove forest, he wants to do everything he can to help his new friends. But what can he do when the people in his own village won’t believe his story, and even the weather keeps him away from the hidden village?

This story is a wonderful read for children and adults alike. The story is told through the eyes of the main character, Manju who lives in West Bengal, India. He lives in a small village surround by mangrove trees. One day while climbing a mangrove tree he noticed smoke from a fire in another clearing of trees. Since he knows what can happen if a fire breaks out in the forest, he investigates to find out where it is coming from.  This investigation leads him to the hidden village that this story is centered around. From there on, the story continues with the daily life and adventures of Manju, his village, and his new friends. The vivid details and descriptions transported me to India with Manju.

This short story is great as a read aloud or for an emergent reader to read independently. The chapters are short and leave you wanting to know what is going to happen next. This is a Christian based children’s book, and I think it would be a great tool to use to teach children that they too can share the Gospel of Jesus with others.  As a homeschool mom, I have been looking for books and resources to teach my children about missionaries and examples of children sharing the good news of Jesus. I thought this book was interesting and encouraging that no matter a person’s age they can be a light for Jesus. Some of the extra features that I thought were great include the pronunciation guide, information about Manju’s home country, and ideas for the readers to help others like Manju’s village.

About the Author:

Bonnie Rose Hudson's heart's desire is for every child to feel the love of God and know how special they are to Him. She works as the Director of SchoolhouseTeachers.com, the curriculum site of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. She would love for you to explore the wonderful curriculum available there and to stop by her author's blog WriteBonnieRose.com for resources to help teach your children about missions and the persecuted Church, free history and writing printable, discover how you can write for the homeschool market, and check out her newest release from JourneyForth, The Hidden Village, an early reader  set in India. 

I received a copy of this book from the author. I was not required to give a positive review. I enjoyed this book very much and all opinions are my own.

The Austen Escape - Book Review

The Austen Escape

Katherine Reay

Title: The Austen Escape

Author: Katherine Reay

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Release Date: November 2017

Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Christian Romance Fiction

                                                       A NEW Austen Fan Fiction Novel!

Mary Davies finds the safety in her ordered and productive life. Working as an engineer, she genuinely enjoys her job and her colleagues - particularly a certain adorable and intelligent consultant. But something is missing. When Mary's estranged childhood friend, Isabel Dwyer offers her a two-week stay in gorgeous manor house in England, she reluctantly agrees in hopes that the holiday will shake up her quiet life in just the right ways.

But Mary gets more than she bargained for when Isabel loses her memory and fully believes she lives in Jane Austen's Bath. While Isabel rests and delights in the leisure of the Regency lady, attended by the other costume-clad guest, Mary uncovers startling truths about their shared past, who Isabel was, who she seems to be, and the man who now stands between them.

Outings are undertaken, misunderstandings play out, and dancing ensues as this company of clever, well-informed people, who have a great deal of conversation, work out their lives and hearts.

The Austen Escape is truly an interesting read for any Jane Austen fan! There are beautiful evening gowns, dancing, feasting together, an exquisite mansion, and of course the reader's eye view of how relationships between people work  out. The main characters, Mary and Isabel, couldn't be any more different, and let's not forget Nathan the love interest. Even though this novel is set in modern times, the chapters about Mary and Isabel's time in Bath were well-written and true to a good Jane Austen-inspired story.

My favorite character was Mary. I loved her dedication to her father and her job that she loved. I thought she was a well-written character, and I was just as crushed as she was with that one phone call. I felt like she was dependable because when Isabel needed her the most she was there taking care of her, even if she didn't think she was doing that great of a job.

After reading The Austen Escape I need to make a date to reread Jane Austen's novel again.

About the author:

Katherine Reay has lived all across the country and Europe and has enjoyed a life-long affair with the works of Jane Austen and her contemporaries. Her first novel, Dear. Mr. Knightley, was the 2014 Christy Award Finalist and winner of the 2014 INSPY Award for Best Debut aw well as Carol Awards for both Best Debut and Best Contemporary. Her other works include Lizzy & Jane, The Bronte Plot, and A Portrait of Emily Price. Her stories are all contemporary with a bit of "classics" flair. 

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher for review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.

Blind Spot: Chesapeake Valor #3 - Book Review

Book Review: Blind Spot

Chesapeake Valor Book 3

Dani Pettrey 

Title: Blind Spot

Series: Chesapeake Valor, Book 3

Author: Dani Pettrey

Publisher: Bethany House

Release Date: October 2017

Genre: Romantic Suspense/Christian Fiction

"The wrath is coming"!

From the back cover:

"The wrath is coming" were the final words that FBI agent Declan Grey heard the suicide bomber say. Now Declan is in the chase of his life-but isn't sure exactly what he's chasing after or when the threat will be unleashed on American soil. When his investigation's best clue leads him to a closed immigrant community, he turns to Tanner Shaw for assistance. She's sought justice for refugees and the displaced around the world, and if there's anyone who can help, it's Tanner.

Tanner Shaw has joined the FBI as a crisis counselor ...meaning she now has more opportunity to butt heads with Declan. As they work together to uncover the mounting threat, the tension between them also includes a spark she can't deny-and she's pretty sure Declan feels the same. But before anything more can develop, they find themselves in a race against time to stop the coming "wrath" that could cost thousands their lives.



My review:

I love a good mystery or in this case a suspense, and that is exactly what Dani did in her third book- Blind Spot. It was another "can't put down" read that I enjoyed. I liked the tango that Declan and Tanner's characters had between them. They liked each other, but neither seemed willing to let their guard down until it was almost too late. I am drawn to books that not only have a great hero but also a leading heroine. Tanner's character reminded me of Ziva from NCIS but that is all I am going to say about that. I think one of the best parts about Blind Spot is that Dani has more than one major crime happening in this book. Griffin and Finley from Cold Shot, Parker and Avery from Still Life, and Kate (who is still looking for Luke) join Declan and Tanner to solve both cases. I just love the group comradery! I would recommend reading the books in order even though you could still follow along if Blind Spot is your first time meeting this group of characters. If you enjoy a clean romantic suspense then get ahold of Blind Spot for your next good read. 

About the author:

Dani Pettrey is the author of two great series: Alaskan Courage and Chesapeake Valor. She is a wife, former homeschooling mom and author. She feels blessed to write inspirational romantic suspense because it incorporates so many things she loves - the thrill of adventure, nail-biting suspense, the deepening of one's faith and plenty of romance. She and her husband reside in Maryland, where they enjoy time with their two daughters, son-in-law, and two super adorable grandsons. 


 You can connect with Dani by visiting her website. -  Up All Night Suspense - Dani Pettrey 

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher for review. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions are my own. 

Walk It Out - Book Review

Walk It Out by Tricia Goyer

I am planning on making this into a series of posts about books that I have been reading, reviewing or just books that are in my "to-be-read" pile. I haven't decided if this will be weekly, bi-weekly or monthly yet. Sometimes I write about books in my homeschooling posts too.

 This is my review of the book, Walk It Out by Tricia Goyer and all opinions are my own.

If you ever get the chance to be a part of a book launch team, then I say go for it! This is something that I have been getting to do for awhile now, and I love it!!! This opportunity is great for book people. My favorite part of joining a book launch team is getting to interact with the author. I think that is just the coolest thing. OK, so here is the short and long of it. This is a first for me, but I am so honored to be working on three different book launch teams currently. They are as follows:

1. Walk It Out by Tricia Goyer
2. The Lifegiving Table by Sally Clarkson
3. Blind Spot by Dani Pettrey

Today I want to talk about the first book listed above, Walk It Out by Tricia Goyer. I am just going to say that if you are only familiar with her novels, then Walk It Out which is non-fiction will NOT disappoint you. I am greatly enjoying reading, highlighting, and making notes while going through this book. My heart has broken for the tragic events that have happened in Tricia's life, and my heart has also beamed with happiness for the awe-inspiring events. There is nothing cookie-cutter about this book. She has sprinkled gems of wisdom gleaned from her walk with the Lord. Every time that I read another chapter I am even more inspired to find more or different ways that my family and I can serve others. I come away encouraged to keep finds ways to walk out my faith. I think that it would be so neat to meet her in person, by the way. 

This post would get way too long to share all of my favorite quotes from the book, but I would like to leave you a few. 

1. "I trust and follow Him as He leads me in His perfect will. I've learned that God's good plans are not always easy or neat, but when we step out in obedience we never walk alone."
2. "His purpose for your life is one that will not only fulfill you but will also benefit the world."
3. "It seems to me that God does His best work through ill-fitted yet determined servants who willingly follow His directives."

I also have a treat for you. Tricia asked her launch team members to share the first chapter of her book Walk It Out with everyone. Yay!! Click here for more information. Thank you for sticking around until the end of this post, and I hope that you enjoy this book as much as I have. Blessings!

The Lifegiving Home - Book Review

Building a Lifegiving Home

I am planning on making this into a series of posts about books that I have been reading, reviewing or just books that are in my "to-be-read" pile. I haven't decided if this will be weekly, bi-weekly or monthly yet. Sometimes I write about books in my homeschooling posts too.

Reading good books is like breathing air for me. There are very few times when I do not have a book with me. Since becoming a mommy to now five munchkins, I have to be intentional about making time to read books that I want to read. This can be hard sometimes when we are in the thick of our homeschool year. Does anyone else binge read over the holidays or is it just me?

Today I am going to share with you about a book that I read awhile back but have picked back up to reread. It is Sally Clarkson's The Lifegiving Home book and study guide. I had the privilege of being apart of her launch team  before this book released back in 2016.  If you follow me on any of my other social medias then you know that I LOVE reading Sally's books. Her books are so inspiring to me on this journey of motherhood. I've even nicknamed her my "mentor mom". I love that she encourages her readers to turn to God and His Word for guidance because when the day is done ultimately God is the only One with the answers.

So let's get back to her book and the wonderful ideas that she shares with her readers. Sally actually co-authored this book with her oldest daughter, Sarah. I love Sarah's writings as well. I have some of her books too. The Lifegiving Home is a great book written to show you how you can bring back an element of beauty that seems to be lost in today's society.  So many times I have read where Sally encourages ladies to bring both beauty and truth into their lives, homes, and that of their families. Home should be the safe haven from this world that ridicules God and His Word. Our homes should be "Lifegiving" and a place of blessing for our families.

The book is broken down into two parts and includes a chapter for each month of the year. Each chapter has information about special times that can be celebrated during a specific month, stories about the Clarksons, questions to ponder, and fun ideas to incorporate or even spur you on to create your own. If you want to dig even deeper, then you will need to get the book, The Lifegiving Home Experience by Sally and Joel Clarkson. The study guide provides further study by showing you how to apply what you have read and planned in the main book. It is filled with even more ideas, questions to ponder, and book recommendations. I love books with lists of books!! If you are new to Sally Clarkson and her books, then I urge you to visit her website and to sign-up for her newsletter. She has some exciting news going on right now. You can find her at Sally Clarkson

Have you read any of Sally's books? If so, I would love to hear from you and how her books have encouraged you!