Just a Kiss (By: Denise Hunter)

Just a Kiss

By: Denise Hunter

Denise Hunter is one of our favorite authors, and we have eagerly waited for the final book of the Summer Harbor Trilogy! The story between Riley and Paige has been building since book one and we couldn't wait to see how their story would turn out. Unfortunately, however, these 2 chicks were disappointed in this much anticipated read.

Storyline 

Riley Callahan has secretly been in love with his best friend, Paige, for longer than he can remember. When he finally decides to tell her, an IED changes his life forever and leaves him an amputee. Now he feels he isn't worthy of her and is determined to move on. But when his family sets him up in Paige's house to recover, moving on really isn't an option. On the other hand, she has never seen Riley as anything except a best friend. But suddenly with him wounded and always around, Paige can't help but acknowledge that maybe things are going to be different between them from now on.

For the first two books in the series, the reader has been aware of Riley's feelings and watched him even go so far as to enlist in the Marines to fight them. But what we hoped would be a satisfying conclusion unfortunately wound up falling flat.

As Riley returns home, he is bitter, sullen, traumatized and rude - and while understandable, it was hard to see why Paige was suddenly falling in love with him. Any conversations between them felt stilted and too short, and the usual good tension of not knowing each others feelings became frustrating as it drew out just too long. There were a few additional plots (namely about the animal shelter, Miss Trudy and Sheriff Colton, and Paige's family history) in the book that seemed to abruptly begin and/or end - too quickly for us to process, much less feel invested in.

Depth

The story deals with PTSD, abandonment, betrayal and long waited for dreams and longings - deep issues to be sure. But really only the surface felt scratched with these. Some problems experienced were quickly dealt with, but those that did take longer to resolve, we as readers were not drawn into the wrestling and brokenness we would have expected.

Additionally, some of the main characters either have a broken past to deal with or currently have great pain to contend with. Broken families, past mistakes, and unfulfilled dreams are addressed.

Faith

As Paige deals with feelings of abandonment by her father, her mother and many others in her life, she comes to realize that God is the perfect Father. Christian principles are followed by most, and Riley and Paige both attend church along with most of the characters.

Love Story

Riley and Paige have a lot of chemistry, which is what kept them best friends for so long and is now drawing them closer together. Their first kisses are very tender and sweet and were extremely sigh-worthy! However, we would have liked more in-depth, soulful conversations about all they had been through as they reveal their feelings to one another.

Overall

Denise Hunter remains one of our favorite authors, and although this final book in the trilogy was disappointing to us, the first two books elevate the star rating for Just A Kiss higher than had we only read it as a stand-alone novel. We have loved the Callahan family and will revisit them fondly from time to time - even if its only the first two books we truly get deep into.

Find it on Amazon: Just a Kiss

Note: We were given this book free in return for our honest review

The Wedding Shop (By: Rachel Hauck)

The Wedding Shop

By: Rachel Hauck

Storyline

Decades apart, two women want to help others achieve their dreams through The Wedding Shop, even if each may never see her own come true.

In 1930's Tennessee, Cora has inherited the shop from her aunt and delights in helping blushing brides choose the perfect wedding gown and accessories. She hopes that one day her man will finally be able to marry her and then she too can be the one walking down the aisle. But as the Depression hits, life changes forever for both her family and all the families around her. Will her waiting for Happily Ever After never end?

Today, Haley Morgan moves back home to Heart's Bend, Tennessee after her childhood best friend, Tammy, dies. She is drawn to the old, abandoned wedding shop where they used to play, promising to one day reopen the magical store. When Haley finds out the shop is scheduled to be torn down and turned into a parking lot, she takes a leap of faith and decides to renovate and reopen the shop - even with opposition from every side. Can she overcome the odds to fulfill God's plans for her future? Especially with a past like hers?

There is no one better than author Rachel Hauck at seamlessly interweaving the past and present, creating a fascinating plot with vivid detail and heartfelt characters. She tells little bits of the story at a time, leaving us hungry for more and satisfying us with answers at just the right times.

Depth

Many deep issues are touched on in The Wedding Shop. The Depression Era is often taught in history as a financial problem. Everyone knows that money was tight, and hard times were had by many all over the country. But this book explores the emotional side of the Depression as well. What must families have gone through when the dads were out of work? How did the husbands and fathers feel at being unable to provide for their families? How did the women feel when their men were depressed and when some even left their families out of shame? The raw pain of this era is boldly brought to life.


Additionally, some of the main characters either have a broken past to deal with or currently have great pain to contend with. Broken families, past mistakes, and unfulfilled dreams are addressed.

Faith

Light shines brightest in the darkest places. Author Rachel isn't afraid to show the depths of sin the human heart can plunge into, but that makes the redemption all the sweeter. And what better way to parallel what Jesus did for us on the cross, than with the white of a wedding dress and the purity of the bride wearing it? She shows through these stories that God is a God of second chances and complete forgiveness. No matter what our past holds, Jesus cleans our souls whiter than snow.

Love Story

The romances in The Wedding Shop are fulfilling pictures of true love! They are genuine, deep and contrasted against a backdrop of what true love is NOT. Past relationships and romances are shown for what they are - shallow imitations. The heartaches and joys are so well written, we felt what the characters felt and loved journeying with them.

Overall

This book was like a breath of fresh air to these 2 Chicks who have been in a drought of good reads lately. Believe it or not, this is only the second book this year to make it to our Golden List! But The Wedding Shop's placement there is well deserved. The characters are flawed, lovable and realistic. This book is raw, not shying away from the harsh realities of mistakes and life's circumstances. All loose ends were tied up and when we had turned the last page, we were completely satisfied.

Find it on Amazon: The Wedding Shop

Note: We were given this book free in return for our honest review

The Things We Knew (By: Catherine West)

The Things We Knew

By: Catherine West

Storyline

Lynette Carlisle's mom passed away 12 years ago. Since then she has watched her family unravel and the worst part is she cannot remember what really happened the day her mom died. She has spent years trying to sort out what really took place. She was there that tragic day but her memories are suppressed. Now she is the only one left to care for her dad who is starting to show signs of Alzheimer's and to top it off, the house is falling apart. It's time for her to start calling her siblings home to tackle some tough decisions together. Little does she know, her siblings are each dealing with their own drama and hardships. This homecoming will either push them farther apart or be a time to come together and remember the importance of family. 

Enter Nick Cooper, another main character in this story is and Lynette's neighbor and past crush. Key word being PAST. Nick Cooper comes home to live with his father and help out with the family business. Nick remembers a time when the Carlisle family was more of a family to him than his own. Five years ago that changed when he had a falling out with his best friend, Gray Carlisle. Should he keep the past in the past? And what about the feelings he still has for Lynette? Will he help her remember what truly happened the day her mother died, or will that just push her away?

Depth

This story is definitely not lighthearted. It dives into tough family dynamics and struggles in life. There are five Carlisle siblings and all but one is living with lots of heartache and pain. Each one is dealing with their own grief but have kept it to themselves. When they all come home and the stories start to unravel it's evident that it's time they start relying on one another and working together to rebuild their family.

Faith

Lynette, Nick and the housekeeper are the main characters who profess to having faith in this book. With the three of them it was nice to see themes of grace and forgiveness. Dealing with so much pain from the past it was good to see those themes in parts of the book. However, this story is one that should have been wrapped tightly and bubbling with faith elements. Sadly, it lacked in this area. With all of the heartache and trials this family is going through we would have liked to have seen more growth in walks with the Lord and even started to see more evidence of faith in some characters.

Love Story

Lynette and Nick have a very sweet yet sometimes complicated relationship. They have a lot of heartbreak and unspoken bitterness between their two families to work through. We loved Nick's character and enjoyed watching him love and care for Lynette. These two have some sweet moments that you are sure to enjoy.

Overall

It was hard to not want to give this book more than three stars. Catherine is a very talented writer and tackles some very tough subjects in this story. However, too much drama and not enough redemption or faith built in to support all that took place had us longing for more at the end.

Find it on Amazon: The Things We Knew

The Silent Order (By: Melanie Dobson)

The Silent Order

By: Melanie Dobson

Storyline

It's 1928 in Cleveland and Detective Rollin Wells has one goal in life: to bring down the powerful Cardano mob family and put a stop to their decades of illegal activities and shady business. When he is nearly gunned down by the family's henchmen, Rollin takes refuge in an unlikely place: an Amish community. There, he is aided by a simple young woman, who reminds him so very much of the girl he once loved. 

Katie Lehman wants nothing to do with the world outside her community but taking care of Rollin forces her to face the secrets from her past. She must decide whether to pledge her life to the church or return to her roots outside of the Amish town. 

This book had us turning pages late into the night! It hummed along at the perfect pace as characters were developed beautifully and plot twists kept us hooked. Certain mysteries and secrets kept us guessing until the very end, where all the loose ends were tied up and answered skillfully. 

Depth

The reader is treated to a peek inside two vastly different worlds. The Cardano family's underground operations are dark and murderous, and author Melanie doesn't shy away from the grim reality of what life must have been like for those under their control. On the other hand, we explore the life of an Amish community that thrives on peace, forgiveness and simplicity. It's a sad and intriguing contrast all at the same time.

Faith

Rollin has spent the last decade cursing God and vowing revenge for the tragic loss he suffered at the hands of the Cardano family. But once immersed in the Amish community, he is confronted with issues of God's justice and blessing the Lord in any circumstance. The faith of his new friends is strong and lived out well, and it really rubs off on him.

Love Story

Rollin and Katie have an immediate connection that slowly builds into a deep, genuine love for each other. While their romance didn't necessarily get our hearts racing, it certainly made our hearts sigh with satisfaction as these two share tender and sweet moments!

Overall

This was the first novel we read by Melanie Dobson and you can be sure it won't be our last! She is a masterful storyteller, weaving plots together with action-packed excitement, realistic struggles and deep, touching interactions between characters. Excuse us, while we go choose another of hers to read!

Find it on Amazon: The Silent Order

Her One and Only (By: Becky Wade)

Her One and Only

By: Becky Wade

The conclusion to the Porter Family Series is finally here and it's a winner! We finally witness the story of Dru, the youngest Porter sibling and the only girl. Her three older brothers - Bo, Ty and Jake - all got their own stories in the first three books. Dru's story is a perfect conclusion!

Storyline

Wowza! This book grips the reader from the first sentence and doesn't let up until the last. Suspense, mystery and romance clip along at an excellent pace and the reader gets lost in the story, making it hard to put down. Dru Porter has always been trying to catch up with her three older brothers in life. A former marine, she is now a bodyguard - and has just been assigned to protect an NFL player, Gray Fowler, who has been receiving death threats from a stalker. Gray is not happy when he finds out that a girl half his size will be protecting him. He is also not happy that Dru is immune to the charm that thousands of other women fall for. As these two reluctantly work together, they slowly learn to trust one another with their hearts and lives.

Depth

At first glance, this book doesn't appear to be terribly deep - it could even be considered a lighthearted read. However, author Becky isn't content to just let the mystery and romance play out. She expertly weaves in real relationship problems and the deeper issues behind them needing to be worked out. The issues are hard, but necessary for deeper relationships and intimacy with other people. She visits the effects of child abuse, the emptiness of wealth and fame, and the purposes of life.

Faith

Forgiveness is a central theme in this book, and makes us realize we are never truly free until we forgive - and are forgiven. There is a big difference between being a Christian in name versus being a Christian in action  as a result of true, real faith.  Author Becky uses the characters' growth to shine a light on what it looks like to have a disconnect between you and God.

Love Story

Grey and Dru really don't like each other at first, which, in our humble opinion, always makes for a good love story just around the corner. This one doesn't disappoint! Their relationship is full of chemistry on the surface, but gets deep and authentic as it turns into love. Many swoon worthy moments in this story!

Overall

Very satisfying conclusion to this great series!!! We are sad to say good-bye to the Porter family, but just might have to start the series all over again to keep visiting them.

Find it on Amazon: Her One and Only

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