One Thing I Know (By: Kara Isaac)

One Thing I Know
By: Kara Isaac

Story Line: 4 Stars
Depth: 4 Stars
Faith: 2 Stars
Love Story: 3 Stars
Overall: 3 Stars

Kara Isaac brings us a new story full of twists and turns.Dr. Donna's books are climbing the charts as readers soak up her advice on relationships. However - Dr. Donna isn't actually Donna. Rachel Somers and her aunt, Donna Somerville, have a plan and so far it has worked - Rachel writes the books, while Donna is the face of it all. Although the fear of being found out lies beneath the surface, the charade must be kept up to pay for Rachel's dad's medical care. However, they didn't quite factor in the challenges of bringing on a late night radio host on their tour. Who doesn't like to see things shaken up a bit? 

Lucas Grant, late night sports radio show host, cannot get women to stop calling in to ask for relationship advice. Even better, the ratings go way up when Dr. Donna is his guest! When their producers book them to do shows together, Lucas grudgingly accepts. After all, this isn't what he signed up to do and he is just on the cusp of getting his dream of a big time show after getting a call from a hot shot LA producer! But it comes with a catch; Lucas must expose any secrets Dr. Donna might be hiding. His best chance? Befriend her assistant, Rachel. But as he tries to win her over, Lucas realizes he might be losing a bit of his heart in the process. 

Both Lucas and Rachel have some past hidden hurts and must learn to forgive and move on. While we loved the character growth in one of them, we found the other to be lacking. Faith was not a big part of the story until the end and we would have liked to have seen it develop more throughout the entire story. We must also note that there were several comments about homosexuality that didn't add to the story and were unnecessary to the plot.  The story does keep your interest very well and there is a nice depth to this it, but we felt overall it deserved three stars because of these two concerns.

Note: We were given this book in exchange for our honest review.  

On Magnolia Lane (By: Denise Hunter)

On Magnolia Lane
By: Denise Hunter

Story Line: 2 Stars
Depth: 2 Stars
Faith: 3 Stars
Love Story: 3 Stars
Overall: 3 Stars

This is the fourth and final book in the Blue Ridge Romance Series by Denise Hunter, and we finally get a front row seat to witness if anything will blossom between Pastor Jack McReady and Daisy Pendleton, as we've been suspecting for awhile now! Jack has been carrying a secret torch for Daisy for a long time, but hadn't been sure how to cross the pastor/congregant barrier between them. 

Unfortunately, our eager anticipation was met with disappointment. Although the storyline had the right plots for a page-turning, late night read (like secret online identities and mysterious people with shocking revelations), this one just failed to grab our attention until about 75% of the way through, and the story never delved into complexities of life. Hard issues were present in the story like dyslexia, infidelity, and abandonment, but these readers unfortunately didn't *feel* what the characters were supposed to have felt. We didn't feel invested in it. Everything kind of stayed at the surface, followed by quick and easy resolutions. 

If you are looking for a quick, lighthearted, predictable read, this series may entertain you. In fact, we just gave 4.5 stars to the previous book! But unfortunately, one book cannot carry an entire series, and that's what is going on here. Denise Hunter is one of our favorite authors, however, so we would recommend one of her older series to read (check out our list!) and will look forward to the start of her next series.

Note: We were given this book in exchange for our honest review.  

The Masterpiece (By: Francine Rivers)

The Masterpiece
By: Francine Rivers

Story Line: 5 Stars
Depth: 5 Stars
Faith: 5 Stars
Love Story: 4 Stars
Overall: 5 Stars

Before you read this review - did you happen to look at the star rating we gave it? If not, look again because these two chicks rarely give five stars! 

Francine Rivers has always been one of our favorite authors, however it has been some time since we delved into a novel of hers. This one grabbed our attention right from the start and never let go. The Masterpiece - that is precisely what this story is! Francine tackles extremely difficult subjects but does so with knowledge and grace. The characters are so real with their ugly pasts, and we were left hanging on to our seats as we waited for the redemption to unfold. 

Roman Velasco is a highly sought after artist who, from the world's point of view, has everything one could ever want. However, not many are close enough to know how the demons of his past haunt and torture him. He longs to feel more and wants more from this life, but what could that be? His new assistant Grace slowly starts to see the man underneath the rough exterior. But she, not immune from her own difficult memories, just wants to provide for her son - not be more to Roman. But what is God calling her to do? And what will it take for Roman to realize how desperately he needs the love of Jesus? This story was still written on our hearts days after we read the last page - and probably will be for awhile. 

Thank you Francine Rivers for writing this beautiful, emotionally rich tale of redemption and mercy. A story that can only come from being brought into the family of God, regardless of what life has dealt you.

Note: We were given this book in exchange for our honest review.  

Thief of Corinth (By: Tessa Afshar)

Thief of Corinth
By: Tessa Afshar

Story Line: 4 Stars
Depth: 4 Stars
Faith: 5 Stars
Love Story: 3 Stars
Overall: 4 Stars

Tessa Afshar has a way of bringing Biblical history to life unlike anyone else and has done it again in this story set in first-century Corinth! Ariadne has mourned the day her parents divorced, when she was moved away to live with her mother and grandfather. Longing to return to Corinth, and back to the father she loves dearly, Ariadne daringly escapes and runs away, hoping her father will be waiting with open arms. 

Galenos, Ariadne's father, is delighted that his daughter has returned. His home will once again be filled with love and purpose! However, Ariadne is unaware of the reasons that drove her mom away, and soon uncovers the truth - her father is the notorious thief who has been robbing corrupt, wealthy men in Corinth. To his surprise however, she does not walk out on him, but decides to become his apprentice in an effort to keep him safe. Because she has been blessed with incredible athletic ability she catches on very quickly. But how long can they live like this without getting caught? And who will be hurt in the process? 

When Galenos and Ariadne are introduced to an apostle named Paul, who offers a different way of life and talks of a man named Jesus, they both realize their desperate need for a Savior. The tangled web they have created will not be an easy one to unravel. The journey the characters travel throughout the story is one you will not want to miss! 

A final note on this book... Tessa Afshar reveals that she wrote this story largely due to having been asked countless times for a book readers could share with friends who are not practicing Christians. Us two chicks loved having this insight into the story and we think you will too!

Note: We were given this book in exchange for our honest review.  

Dead Drift (By: Dani Pettrey)

Dead Drift
By: Dani Pettrey

Story Line: 4 Stars
Depth: 3 Stars
Faith: 3 Stars
Love Story: 5 Stars
Overall: 4 Stars

Luke Gallagher vanished seven years ago without a word to his family, his serious girlfriend. Kate Maxwell, or his three best guy friends. The first three books in the series were about those friends, and it’s finally time to solve the mystery of Luke’s disappearance, subsequent re-appearance - and best of all, what Kate is going to do about it. In all that time, she never quit loving Luke or searching for him. Now that he is back, he needs his friends’ help to stop an imminent terrorist attack. He and Kate must figure out their very complicated relationship as they try to stay ahead of a terrorist network determined to get revenge on American soil. 

Dani Pettrey’s conclusion to her four-part Chesapeake Valor Series was dynamic and explosive! We were eager for this book and were not disappointed. While a few plot lines didn’t quite tie up and the end felt a bit rushed, the storyline nevertheless was exciting, intricate and beautifully written. Luke and Kate’s love story played out realistically and tenderly, which was our favorite part. Dani is one of our favorite up and coming authors and she has shown she is brilliant at both suspense and romance. We look forward to her next series!

Note: We were given this book in exchange for our honest review.  

The Love Letter (By: Rachel Hauck)

The Love Letter
By: Rachel Hauck

Story Line: 4 Stars
Depth: 4 Stars
Faith: 4 Stars
Love Story: 4 Stars
Overall: 4 Stars

Author Rachel Hauck delivers yet another split-time romance that tells the tell of a long lost love from centuries ago, and a modern love story waiting to happen! Back in the time of the Revolutionary War, Hamilton Lightfoot and Esther Longfellow are from different sides of the battle, but love each other deeply. Hamilton writes a letter proposing marriage - but it apparently never gets to Esther. When this letter is passed down through family centuries later to Jesse Gates, a Hollywood screenwriter, it inspires him to write a love story of what may have happened between the star crossed lovers. Meanwhile Chloe Daschle, daughter of two mega Hollywood stars and talented actress in her own right, is tired of playing the damsel in distress who always dies. Determined to find her destiny in the role of Esther and to find true love in real life, she presses forward through tension and doubt to make this her best role ever - all the while in her personal life, gathering the courage to open her heart to Jesse. 

These two chicks really enjoyed reading The Love Letter with its dual storylines - one historical and one contemporary. The love stories between our main characters were realistic and relatable, yet charming! Also shining brightly in this novel is the faith aspect - Jesus is close to all characters who believe in Him, gently guiding and directing those who are willing to follow Him. Rachel Hauck is mastering both historical and contemporary fiction, and her books always draw us in for an intriguing escape. This was no exception and we eagerly look forward to her next one!

Note: We were given this book in exchange for our honest review.  

Storm Front (By: Susan May Warren)

Storm Front
By: Susan May Warren

Story Line: 4 Stars
Depth: 4 Stars
Faith: 4 Stars
Love Story: 4 Stars
Overall: 4 Stars

Susan May Warren's latest book in her Montana Rescue Series, Storm Front, hits the ground running! But this time, not in Montana. Our beloved PEAK team is headed to Minnesota to help in the aftermath of a tornado recently blown through. It not only destroyed a town, but several people have gone missing, including rescue team leader Chet King. PEAK Team member Ty Remington, as we have learned from previous books, looks to Chet as a father figure in his life and will stop at nothing to help find him. As the team heads to Minnesota, an unexpected person awaits them there, Brette Arnold; the one girl who has held a special place in Ty's heart and prayers, yet got away. She has been facing her own personal storms in life but has decided to battle them alone. Ty, being the man he is, is determined to not give up and continues to fight for her. Will she allow both Ty and the Lord to walk through life with her, or will she run again and not look back? 

Susan does a remarkable job (as always!) taking us on this journey with the PEAK Rescue Team. What, and whom, do we cling to when disaster strikes? Susan tackles both personal and physical storms, and the reality of fighting through them. She continues to be one of our most treasured authors, and really, the only drawback to reading one of her books is having to wait until the next one releases!

Note: We were given this book in exchange for our honest review.  

Falling For You (by: Becky Wade)

Falling for You
By: Becky Wade

Story Line: 4 Stars
Depth: 4 Stars
Faith: 5 Stars
Love Story: 4 Stars
Overall: 4 Stars

In this second book of the Bradford Sisters Trilogy, we get a solid look into oldest daughter Willow's life. A famous and successful model, she is currently taking a little time off from her busy career to run her family's B&B in her hometown of Merryweather, Washington. For Willow, it feels good to help out the family and take a step back from her hectic life. But she never expected her old flame Corbin Stewart to be back in town as well, much less for them to be thrown together in solving a missing persons case that went cold many years ago. As Corbin and Willow work together, they must confront the mistakes they made four years ago and learn the true meaning of forgiveness and redemption. 

As usual, author Becky Wade writes an incredible story, drawing the reader in right from the very beginning and keeping us interested with every page! Her characters are well developed and realistic but lovable, her mystery storyline is well developed and paced, and one of these two chicks' favorite things - the romance! - sizzles with chemistry! But the faith aspect is where this story really shines. Author Becky drives home the importance of purity, she explains the gospel beautifully and brings about much redemption in several characters' lives, including some incredible forgiveness. 

We cannot wait for the final book in this trilogy to conclude youngest sister Britt's story. Thank you to Becky Wade for giving us a good, solid read!

Note: We were given this book in exchange for our honest review.  

Heart Land (By: Kimberly Stuart)

Heart Land: A Novel
By: Kimberly Stuart

Story Line: 2 Stars
Depth: 3 Stars
Faith: 2 Stars
Love Story: 4 Stars
Overall: 2.5 Stars

Grace Klaren left Iowa ten years ago in pursuit of her dreams of becoming a fashion designer in New York City. However, when she is unexpectedly fired, Grace journeys home, to the heartland, hoping to get back on her feet - with the intention to moving back to NYC as soon as possible. But going home also means going back to the place where Tucker is; the only boy she has ever loved and regretfully left to pursue her dreams. With help from her grandma, Tucker and some friends, Grace starts to see potential for new success and must wrestle with how far she will go to create a name for herself! 

This book's cover and description captured our attention and we were eager to jump in. The story is filled with charming characters but unfortunately they lack those defining growth moments so vital to great stories. We had great hopes that faith would be strong and vibrant, but instead was pretty mild. 

These two chicks really tried to enjoy this read more, but sadly we felt it lacked in several areas. We owe it to our readers to write very honest reviews, even though it is hard for us to do. We wish our best to this author and hope to enjoy another of her books in the future.

Note: We were given this book in exchange for our honest review.  

Honeysuckle Dreams (By: Denise Hunter)

Honeysuckle Dreams (A Blue Ridge Romance)
By: Denise Hunter

Story Line: 5 Stars
Depth: 4 Stars
Faith: 4 Stars
Love Story: 5 Stars
Overall: 4.5 Stars

The Blue Ridge series continues with Honeysuckle Dreams and believe us when we say Denise Hunter brought her "A" game with this novel! We are thrilled to give her an excellent review after giving up some much coveted sleep as we read, "just one more chapter!"  ;)

We were introduced to both Brady and Hope in Denise's previous book, Blue Ridge Sunrise, but now we get a front row seat into their stories. Brady has recently taken sole custody of his son, Sam after the passing of his ex-wife. However, just when he feels he's getting into a new rhythm as a single dad he is dealt a huge blow. He has come to find out he actually is not Sam's biological dad and his in-laws are filing for custody. While Brady is devastated he most definitely will not give up without a fight. Biological or not, Sam is his son! After a misconception from his attorney, Brady is led to believe his chances will improve greatly if he was engaged. 

Hope, Brady's sister's best friend, has happily been helping Brady out by watching his son Sam when she can. Not only does she love this little boy, but his dad has been a friend to her for years and naturally she wants to help him out. How far will she go to help him out though? When Brady mentions his chances in keeping Sam are better if he is engaged, is it crazy that Hope offers to step in and be his fiance? As friends of course! Because that's what any good friend would do right? 

This story flowed so effortlessly. We were hooked in the first few pages and did not want to put it down. The characters are both real and lovable. We appreciated the way Denise navigated through the hurts and baggage that both Brady and Hope have from the past. We also loved how the characters both have to rely on the Lord to teach them valuable truths in order to walk fully in Him. Can they trust Him not only with their past hurts but with their hopes for the future as well? 

Pick up this book, you will not be disappointed. Now we patiently, or not so patiently await her next book in the series!

Note: We were given this book in exchange for our honest review.  

Troubled Waters (By: Susan May Warren)

Troubled Waters
By: Susan May Warren

Story Line: 5 Stars
Depth: 3 Stars
Faith: 5 Stars
Love Story: 4 Stars
Overall: 4.5 Stars

Billionaire Ian Shaw is used to being in charge. In fact, he has been able to control almost everything in his life - up until his niece Esme ran away, and doesn't want to be found. The mystery continues to elude him, but now his fortune has been liquidated, and worst of all - his relationship with the woman he loves is in shambles. 

Sierra Rose desperately loves Ian, but finds it impossible to be around him. Not only is he desperately trying to control the world around him, but Sierra is also harboring a secret: She knows Esme's whereabouts, but has made a promise not to tell Ian. With these two walls between them, it appears their relationship will never be able to get a foothold. But when a freak tragedy occurs, Ian and Sierra are thrown together in desperate circumstances where they must work together to survive - including finally talking through their issues. 

We've been waiting for Ian and Sierra's story since the prequel novella to this entire series came out over a year ago! And it did not disappoint. 

Ian has been trying to control his life, and the lives of those around him, for as long as he can remember. Author Susan always does an amazing job weaving faith into her stories, and Ian's journey to God and surrender is real and raw. It takes a lot of suffering to bring Ian to his knees and realize that God is the only one who can control everything. This book is action packed, and you pretty much cannot put it down right from the first page. Being that this series centers around a rescue team in Montana, snow and mountains have become the usual scenery for us - but we enjoyed a nice break as we journeyed to the warm Caribbean with Ian and Sierra. 

Also in this story, we get a glimpse into the continuing story of Pete Brooks and Jess Tagg, who are going to have a lot to work through in the next couple of books! Overall, this entire series is incredible so far, and this book just deepened our love for the PEAK Rescue Team and Susan May Warren's writing. Now, if she could just publish her books faster so we could have the rest of the series now! :)

Find it on Amazon: Troubled Waters

Note: We were given this book in exchange for our honest review.