The Memory House (By: Rachel Hauck)

The Memory House
By: Rachel Hauck

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

This newest book by Rachel Hauck was a journey you will not want to miss! One of our favorite authors, she is extremely talented weaving together characters and storylines in the past and present. 

We start off with young Everleigh Applegate in the 1950's. She has it all: a wonderful husband, a baby growing in her womb and a bright future, until a dreadful tornado sweeps through and shatters her hopes and dreams. Now stuck in a monotonous and hopeless pattern of life, it is hard for her to see the sun peeking through the clouds - until an old acquaintance shows up. Can Don breathe new life and hope back into Everleigh? Will Everleigh open both her heart and life to a new beginning? 

Beck Holiday, a present day New York City cop, is on a leave of absence due to anger issues. Frustrated and confused on what is next for her, she receives a letter in the mail saying she has inherited a house in Florida from someone named Everleigh Applegate. Beck lost her father in the attacks on 9/11 and along with losing him, she lost many of her memories tied to him as well; including her childhood trips to Florida where Eveleigh lived. Confused as to why she would inherit this house, she takes advantage of her time off to travel to Florida to find out. Upon arriving she runs into Bruno; apparently her first crush,. She may not remember him, but he definitely remembers her and their summers spent together! Can Bruno help Beck get her memories back? And is it too late for him to earn a spot in her heart? 

This book is filled with emotion, struggles, forgiveness and love. We had a hard time putting it down and spent too many nights staying up past our bedtimes to keep reading! We fell in love with the characters and appreciate the depth Rachel brought into this story. Only the rushed and crammed ending held this back from a higher star rating for us! We highly recommend taking this journey! .

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

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.