My Hope is Found Review...

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through blogging for books for free, for my honest review of the book. This is the third book in the Cadence of Grace series. I really enjoyed the first two books, and did enjoy some of the parts of the third. Gideon and Lonnie are forced to be separated from each other again, in what may be forever in the third book. While Lonnie and Gideon area no longer together, she wonders what Gideon is doing, while at the same time starts to have feelings to Reverend McKee. Choices at times in our lives are not easy, but in this book at the end I felt that Lonnie didn't really make a choice it was made for her. I had a few issues with this book; how involved both of the Reverends were in the Cassie/Lonnie/Gideon marriage scenario, Lonnie couldn't write her aunt to find out information every once in awhile? (which in previous books she did exchange letters in), Lonnie after a few months of being separated from Gideon, suddenly has feelings and possible fell in love with someone else. These were just a few things that I didn't quite believe. Especially, if Lonnie loved Gideon I would think that she would still be grieving too much to even think about another relationship. Yes, I know that during this time period women still had to rely on men for their livelihood (especially if one had children), but she lived with the Bennetts and it wasn't like they would kick her out on her own. Then at the end she doesn't even make the choice really herself, it is made for her, perhaps because she couldn't decide by herself? I want to know though what happens more to the man who didn't get her in the end. If you have read the other books, you will want to read this one as well, but not the best one out of the series.

Rank: 3.0 out of 5

Be Still My Soul Book Review..

This is the second book I will be reviewing for blogging for books through Waterbrook Multnomah publishing. I received a free e-book for my review and am not obligated to give a positive one.

 

The book I chose to read was Be Still My Soul by Joanne Biscof, which is a Christian fiction romance book. I have never read anything by her and this book is the first one in a series. The main character is Lonnie who lives in the Blue Ridge mountains in the 1800's with her family. I loved the setting in the book, it reminded me sometimes, although not all of the time, of being in the rural Midwest.  The good and the bad that go with it, that is not to say that there are only issues with rural areas, as I don't think any certain place is perfect, whether it be a major city or very small rural area.

  

She has hopes for her future but they are changed, and instead she finds herself having to marry Gideon. They barely know each other at all, even though Lonnie did find Gideon handsome, which Gideon was well aware that most females found him so. He seemed to take advantage of this. I found Gideon wasn't very likeable to say the least; highly selfish, immature, and only cared about getting girls or more moonshine.

 

Lonnie and Gideon end up moving to another area outside of their community, this was done more so at the urging of Gideon. They eventually meet a nice couple, and face heartache and sorrow along the way.

 

I never thought I would end up liking Gideon's character, but by the end I had warmed up too him. They both did not have the best of families to show them love, so perhaps in some cases they went about showing it the wrong way (although Gideon at the beginning of the book didn't care about anyone else). It makes you think about how we should express our love, but that not everyone knows how or does it the same way.

 

Besides making you think about love, the book throughout brought up more subjects that still make me reflect on a few things. If someone has changed how do we know to trust them? Even if they make some changes and fall along the way, does that mean we no longer are they for them or forgive them? Even in our own lives it is hard to come to these answers, and I felt the book did a good job in describing all of the different type of emotions that will come up in trying to figure those answers out.

 

There was a few things that I didn't care for or at least wanted more of. At the beginning of the book I kept on having to remind myself that Lonnie was a girl, because of the name, I have only known men to have it.  Even though we learn Lonnie gets a few letters from her family after she leaves, we are never informed of how they are doing or what she writes to them. I thought this was disappointing, especially since she was so close to her aunt. Gideon did seem to change somewhat fast I thought in maturing and finding faith, but perhaps that was all due to the recent things he can been facing.

 

Rate: 4 out of 5

The sequel to this book will be out in a few days, and I can't wait to read it.