Book Review

About the Book

Book:  The Elnora Monet
Author: Rachel Skatvold
Genre: Christian Contemporary Romance
Release date: April 27, 2021

Islanders call him the Elnora Monet.

Is that island speak for “pompous, arrogant jerk?”

When Carly Mulligan volunteered to make house calls on Elnora, she never imagined treating the richest cat on the islands. What other feline has his own wing in a mansion like the Belshaw Estate?

After a wrong turn in the mansion, Carly stumbles across a secret room—one filled with incredible paintings. Perhaps there’s something more to the man than she first thought.

Most people envy Jean-Luc Belshaw’s position. The heir to a lucrative business and family fortune, he should have everything he could dream of.

But Luc dreams of days past. Days when he traveled the world with his wife and painted the breathings of his soul disappeared with Angeline’s passing.  Faith and inspiration gone, he wonders if returning to France to take his place in his father’s business is the right thing to do.

Carly has a few relational demons of her own, and she’s reluctant to trust him, but Luc’s paintings draw her in even as his story touches a long-empty place in her heart.

Only God can transform two broken pasts into a work of art.

The Elnora Monet continues the Elnora Island romances of the Independence Islands Series featuring five islands, six authors, and a boatload of happily-ever-afters.
The Independence Islands Series: beach reads aren’t just for summer anymore.

My Thoughts:

I have been reading glowing reviews about the books in this series and how great they are, so I decided to request a review copy of The Elnora Monet. It was a good way to read a book by an author I had heard of but never read, as well. I didn’t realize until I started reading it that it was a billionaire romance.

Carly was working as an assistant to her veterinarian sister Kendall. They ran a clinic out of an RV, and made house calls on the islands. Her first call, in this story, was to treat a cat who lived in his own wing of a mansion! What kind of person would have space like that? She treated the cat—and then wandered into another wing and found herself snooping before she realized what she was doing. She couldn’t believe the paintings she found in there; there was more to Luc, the cat’s owner, than she had at first thought.

As Carly got to know Luc better, he had to face memories from his past. He used to paint a lot—until Angeline died. Since then, he had not painted at all, but Carly’s snooping brought him face-to-face with his past. What should he do about it? He couldn’t stop thinking about the snoopy young veterinary assistant, either. As the two spent more time together, she had to face up to her hang-ups about men. Could she allow herself to get close to Luc?

I did not enjoy this story very much, unfortunately. If I had realized that it’s pretty much straight-up romance, I would have passed on it. I don’t mind some romance in a book, but I much prefer if there is a story apart from that. I also really don’t like billionaire romances, come to find out! I like more realistic, every-dayish stories! So, bottom line: I probably won’t be requesting very many more review books from this series—I’ll be back to my policy of being very picky—but most ladies would love this book.

I received a review copy of this book from the author, and these are my honest thoughts about it.

WARNING: There are passionate kisses in chapters 13, 15, and 17.

About the Author:

Rachel Skatvold is a Christian author and stay-at-home mom from the Midwest. She enjoys writing inspirational romance and encouraging blogs. Rachel completed her first series, the Riley Family Legacy Novellas in 2014 and is now working on the Hart Ranch Series, set in the Montana wilderness and the Ladies of Ardena Series, set in medieval times. She is also a contributing author in the Whispers in Wyoming and Brides of Pelican Rapids Series. Other than writing, some of her hobbies include singing, reading and camping in the great outdoors with her husband and two young sons.

More From Rachel:

Thank you for helping celebrate the release of The Elnora Monet by following this Celebration Tour hosted by Celebrate Lit. I hope you enjoy learning a little more about the characters and what inspired the story. Please follow the other stops on this tour and don’t forget to enter in the giveaway. Thank you!

It has been a wonderful experience working with the talented authors and editors in the Independence Islands Series. Each of these stories has a heartwarming message of faith and the characters always teach me something new. Ever since writing Kendall Mulligan’s story in Her Merriweather Hero, I’ve been excited to share her free-spirited younger sister’s story.

Carly had many struggles in the first book, questioning what purpose God had for her life. This time around, her feet are more grounded, but she still has some growing to do when it comes to faith. Carly has been a fun character to write about because of her witty extroverted personality and some of the humorous predicaments she ends up in…one of them including getting caught snooping around a billionaire’s mansion.

While not outspoken as Carly, I can relate to the character’s search for direction. Sometimes it is difficult learning to trust, especially during troubling times, but we can rely on God’s promises. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; don’t rely on your own intelligence. Know him in all your paths, and he will keep your ways straight.” This verse means so much to me because I know even when I can’t understand something, He is behind the scenes guiding me in the right direction. For Carly, it leads in a direction she never expects, but it is worth it in the end.

Certain parts of the story were inspired by my mom. If you have read Her Merriweather Hero, you know the Mulligan sisters are originally from New England, close to where my mom grew up. I love hearing about her memories of spending time at Nantasket Beach, drinking orange pop, and putting chips in her sandwich so they wouldn’t blow away. Even though I grew up in the Midwest, I still put chips in my own sandwich because of watching her do the same thing and her fridge is always stocked with orange pop to this day. Little bits of my mom’s childhood are weaved into this story, making it close to my heart.

I hope you have enjoyed learning a little more about characters and story behind The Elnora Monet. Now continue reading for a summary of the book and giveaway. Blessings!

To purchase your copy, click here.

To visit more of the blog stops on this tour, click here.

To enter a fun giveaway, click here.

About the Book

Book:  Rooms of a Mother’s Heart
Author: Dr. Carol McLeod
Genre: Christian Living
Release date: April 20, 2021

For thousands of years and in a myriad of cultures, women have forged identity, unconditional love, and vast purpose in the calling of motherhood. From Eve to Sarah, from Ruth to Mary, the Scriptures are filled with the accounts of the heart of a mother who was given a divine opportunity to raise the next generation for the purposes and call of the Father.

Inside the soul of every mother lies a heart that becomes a repository of sweet memories, hard lessons, glorious victories, ordinary days, glaring failures, and God’s grace over the years of mothering. The heart of a mother becomes home to jokes around the dinner table, holiday traditions, the tears of childhood, and the love that only a mother knows. And this tender heart that has given birth to the future of mankind or has lovingly adopted the seeds of the next generation also develops rooms of unsurpassed greatness and quiet strength. These are the Rooms of a Mother’s Heart.

With her characteristic charm, joy, and biblical teaching that she shares like a good friend over a cup of coffee, Carol McLeod examines what it means to be a mother and offers tender encouragement to all women who accept that calling.

My Thoughts:

It’s good to read a book about being a mother every so often. I find that I need the encouragement of a mother who has been there, to renew my enthusiasm for my job. Rooms of a Mother’s Heart contains a lot of encouragement, as well as some well-aimed stomps on my toes!

Carol McLeod has organized her encouragement to mothers into sections labeled as rooms. The first room, of course, is the Birthing Room—where a woman becomes a mother. No matter how a woman becomes a mother—whether by actually birthing a baby or by adoption—she is changed forever by the experience. The Foundation is very important—build your family on Scripture and Jesus. The Nursery is the room of dreams, and the place where nurture begins. She points out the absolute importance of cuddling babies if they are to thrive.

In the Classroom of your heart, you decide what sort of mother you will be. I was really challenged here to be a kinder mother. The next two chapters, about the Pink and Blue Bedrooms, discuss the differences between mothering girls and boys. The Corner talks about training and discipline—and then we get to my favorite chapter, The Library. Carol and I have something in common: We were both compulsive readers as children. She encourages reading to your children frequently, so there’s one thing I’m doing right!

The Music Room was a chapter I didn’t relate to very much. Music is just not my thing. In The Family Room, the author stresses the importance of doing things together as a family, and having family traditions. The Kitchen talks about family meals and how a mother should not only make them delicious and nutritious, but also a way to show love to the family. The Laundry Room talks about helping your children to stay clean inside, and The Prayer Closet, of course, stresses the absolute importance of prayer. The final chapter is The Front Porch—time to let go and let your children go when they are ready, while following them with prayers.

I found a lot of encouragement in this book; I hope I will be a better mother for reading it. I appreciate the nudges to spend more time with my children and to show them every day how much I love them. There were parts of the book that I just don’t relate to very much, and places where I was annoyed by what seemed like a superior tone of voice—but then Carold McLeod talked about times when she had failed, which helped me feel a little better! If you are needing encouragement in the journey of motherhood, check out Rooms of a Mother’s Heart—you might find what you need. In closing, here is a quote I really liked: Joy always follows knowing one’s purpose. One thing I was amused at was how the author mentioned a couple of times the long span between her oldest and youngest children: 14 years. I was amused because there are 21 years between my oldest and youngest!

I received a review copy of this book from the author, and these are my honest thoughts about it.

About the Author:

The president and CEO of Carol McLeod Ministries, Carol McLeod is a popular speaker at women’s conferences and retreats. She is the author of a dozen books, including Vibrant: Developing a Deep and Abiding Joy for All Seasons, Significant: Becoming a Woman of Unique Purpose, True Identity, and Irrepressible Hope; StormProof: Weathering Life’s Tough Times; Guide Your Mind, Guard Your Heart, Grace Your Tongue; Joy for All Seasons; Holy Estrogen; and Defiant Joy.

Carol hosts a twice weekly podcast, A Jolt of Joy! on the Charisma Podcast Network, and a weekly podcast, Significant. Her weekly blog, Joy for the Journey, has been named in the Top 50 Faith Blogs for Women. Carol also writes a weekly column in Ministry Today.

She has written several devotionals for YouVersion, including “21 Days to Beat Depression,” which has touched the lives of nearly one million people around the world. Her teaching DVD The Rooms of a Woman’s Heart won the prestigious Telly Award for excellence in religious programming.

Carol was also the first women’s chaplain at Oral Roberts University and served as chaplain on the university’s Alumni Board of Directors for many years.

Carol has been married to her college sweetheart, Craig, for more than forty years and is the mother of five children in heaven and five children on earth. Carol and Craig also happily answer to “Marmee and Pa” for their captivating grandchildren.

More From Carol:

Evening Conversation …

I am working with my fabulous editor on the edits for my next book that will be released in April.

“The Rooms of a Mother’s Heart” is the title and writing it has caused me to travel back through the memory bank of my heart.

As I was working on the edits for the chapter, “The Nursery”, tonight, I came upon these words and thought that I would share them with all of you in my evening conversation.

It’s a lesson that I am still learning …

“The nursery is filled with little things, isn’t it?

It holds little bears and little clothes, tiny blankets and miniature books.

It is in the nursery of your heart that you develop an appreciation for the little things in life and where you begin to understand that these are actually life’s big things.

The nursery teaches that it is the little things in life that are capable of building a grand and historic life.

So often, during other years of my life, I have made the glaring error of living for the big moments, for the red-letter days of graduations, weddings, and championship ball games. The nursery has taught me that those monstrous occasions, as fabulous as they might seem at the time, do not construct a vital and enchanting existence at all.

A glass of iced tea on the back deck while the children are playing baseball, and the sweet giggle of a child just waking up from a nap—these give birth to a whimsical life.

The smell of the roses as I walk to the front door, a good book and a cup of coffee on a rainy afternoon, and making cookies with the children to share with the neighbors—these build a life of grand and lasting proportions.

A glorious life is built on one small but meaningful and carefully chosen building block at a time.

A wonderful life is composed of long walks along country roads while the children gather wildflowers.

It is pancakes on a Saturday morning and popcorn on Sunday evening.

In the nursery of my heart, I have been taught that the real stuff of life is as close and as dear as the morning song of the bird outside my bedroom window, the companionship of my daughter on my daily run, and the treasure of reading a devotional book that belonged to my grandfather.

Those events may seem small and even in consequential to you, but to me, they deliver joy.

There is no applause in a nursery, nor are there diplomas on the wall or trophies lined up across the changing table, but it remains the most splendid room in the entire home.

The nursery is absent of the rush of adrenaline, but it is filled with the sweet sighs of contentment.

Perhaps living inside a regular day in which nothing of earth-moving significance happens is at the heart of all that is truly meaningful and extraordinary.

The glory of life is found quite simply in the ordinary moments.

The treasure of a life well lived is acquired not in getting but in giving.

The substance of all that is good, rich, and meaningful is found in a thousand inconsequential gifts that are easily overlooked if one is not careful.

I hope that you will treasure the time spent in the nursery of your heart and remember that it is the little things that contribute to a large life.”

These are my thoughts for Sunday, January 31, 2021.

Blessings, my friends.

To purchase your copy, click here.

To visit more of the blog stops on this tour, click here.

To enter a fun giveaway, click here.

About the Book

Book:  I Prayed for Patience, God Gave Me Children
Author: Linda Wood Rondeau
Genre: Non-fiction
Release date: Second Edition 2019

God indeed has a sense of humor. He chose children to teach us too-smart adults what it means to be his child, the very special relationship the believer enjoys with our Heavenly Father. We adults experience the same chaos, misadventure, and heartaches as our charges. Through a child’s example, we learn how God nurtures us with his infinitesimal patience. This easy to read, often hilarious treatise, uses cartoons, witticisms, anecdotes, quotes, and scripture study to bring home these truths. A veteran social worker, Rondeau draws upon her many experiences in working with families as well as her personal experiences as a mom.  “You will want to keep this book close at hand for those moments of weakness and pass it along to your friends.”

My Thoughts:

When I saw the title of Linda Wood Rondeau’s book, I Prayed for Patience, God Gave Me Children, I was immediately intrigued. Haven’t all of us, as parents, experienced that? I’ve often thought, and sometimes said, that my children have taught me a lot of patience—especially the ones who had dyslexia, and seemingly couldn’t learn to read (but that’s a story for another time).

This short book is divided into six sections. They are titled Persevere, Teach, Lead, Order, Protect, and Serve, and each one has several short devotionals in it. These each include a funny or wise saying, such as “Sometimes we lead only because everyone is behind us.” After this saying, there is a Scripture verse, and then a short story. It might be a story about parenting from the author’s own experience, or some other story. This is followed by a list of Scripture references to look up, and then some thoughts and study questions. Each devotional is wrapped up with a prayer. Each section begins with a comic that gives a bit of a chuckle—I liked the one about not being able to teach driving because I can’t parallel park myself! It was very true-to-life for me.

I was given an ebook for this review, but I think a hard copy would be much more useful. This would be a good study for mothers to go through; there are many good thoughts to meditate on, and each entry is short enough that it won’t take a lot of a busy mother’s time. I appreciated what I read in I Prayed for Patience, God Gave Me Children!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author, and these are my honest thoughts about it.

About the Author:

The author of the acclaimed Hosea’s Heart and Miracle on Maple Street, LINDA WOOD RONDEAU, a veteran social worker, writes from the heart of personal experience. Her blog, Snark and Sensibility, embodies her sense of humor, a trait she believes God gives parents for survival. A resident of Hagerstown, Maryland, the author shares her days with her husband and best friend in life, Steve. Readers may visit her website at www.lindarondeau.com. Contact the author on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

Excerpt from the book:

For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship.

And by him we cry, Abba, Father

(Romans 8:15)

JUST LIKE MY DADDY

The courtroom was silent, waiting for the judge to make a decision—a decision to determine not only where little Joshua would live, but also what his name would be.

Not able to have children of their own, my son and daughter-in-law have adopted five children through the foster care system. Each addition to the family has been considered a blessing—especially so with Joshua. Joshua, who had been in foster care since early infancy, was free to be adopted. When the agency called my son and daughter-in-law who already had one adopted son and another whom they hoped to adopt, they opened their hearts to welcome the youngster into their burgeoning nest. Finally, all the legal work was over, and the family accompanied Joshua for his day in court.

The judge motioned Joshua to approach the bench. From his austere heights, the magistrate pointed to someone in the room. Each time, Joshua was asked, “Who is this?”

“Those are my brothers,” Joshua said, referring to the other adopted children. “That’s Mommy,” he explained as he pointed to my daughter-in-law.

Then the judge’s attention focused on my son who positioned Joshua in his arms, allowing the child to see the judge at eye level. “And who is this man holding you?”

Joshua’s eyes widened. He took his little hand and touched his father’s face as he squealed in delight, “THAT’S MY DADDY!”

The judge, assured of Joshua’s placement in a loving family, told John and Melissa that Joshua was now their legal son. Then the judge asked Joshua, “Do you know what your new name is?” Joshua hugged his new father and blurted with excitement, “Joshua John Barringer, just like my daddy!”

Sad are the indictments against Israel’s kings who “walked in the ways of their fathers” to commit vile acts of murder and idolatry. Sadder still are the descriptions of those sons who choose evil over the Godly example of their fathers. David was revered as a man after God’s heart because he cherished the relationship he had with his Heavenly Father more than any earthly treasure. When he sinned, he could not rest until his spirit was one again with the God he adored.

When we received Christ, God adopted us into His family. He holds us in His arms so we can touch His face. We are privileged to call him “Daddy, God.”

He asks us to be holy as He is holy. He asks us to look inside our hearts and say, “I want to be just like You.”

To purchase your copy, click here.

To visit more of the blog stops on this tour, click here.

To enter a fun giveaway, click here.

About the Book

Book:  Catching Hope
Author: Kathy Cassel
Genre: Young Adult, action/suspense
Release date: February 1, 2021

Catching Hope—a pursuit fraught with danger.

Newly adopted Lexi Michaels is taking her first real vacation as she, twin brother Levi, adoptive brother Chad, and new cousin Jen head to Haiti where their dad, a pediatrician, will be volunteering in an island clinic. But who is the man who displays such hatred for the Michaels when they arrive at their resort? Is an attempted burglary as random as it appears? Will Jen ever accept the newcomers to the family? When the four teens set out to explore Haiti’s sights and history on their own, an unexpected encounter and natural disaster plunge them into adventure and danger. With their very survival at stake, can the four teens work together or will Lexi’s dream of a “forever family” end in tragedy?

My Thoughts:

There were some things I really liked about Catching Hope. I requested it for review because I thought it sounded different and very interesting. I mean, how many books have you read that are adventures set in Haiti? This was the first one I have come across!

Lexi tells the story in first person; she and her twin brother Levi have both recently been adopted. With their adoptive parents and brother Chad, and a cousin, Jen, they are visiting Haiti. Their adoptive father is a doctor, and often comes to Haiti to volunteer for awhile. Lexi is excited about being in a foreign country, and she enjoys the beach—but the attempted robbery on the first night shakes her up. Jen’s attitude is hard to know how to handle, as well. Will Jen ever accept Lexi and Levi?

When a trip to explore an old mission goes wrong and the teens find themselves prisoners of some evil men, they must pull together to survive. Levi’s diabetes and autism add more challenges, and then a natural disaster strikes. How will the children escape—and can they manage to avoid recapture before they find their way back through the wilderness to their parents? One aftershock after another keep them unsettled, and Levi has to have food and water or he won’t last long. What can they do?

Through everything that happens, Lexi discovers what was missing from her life. She also learns more about love. The changes in Jen through the childrens’ experiences were just as interesting to me, though. I liked reading about the things Jen revealed about herself. As a mother, that was probably the most challenging part of the story; she felt like everything her parents did and said was for show, rather than because they loved her. On the other hand, Levi and Lexi’s new family genuinely loved them and each other. Those were the elements of the story that I liked the best! Children will love the adventure part of the story, as the teenagers had to face one danger after another through most of the book. I would recommend this book for children over 12; younger children might struggle with it because of the intensity of the action. I thought about reading it aloud to my older children, but decided against it because the 6-year-old would hear it as well, and I am guessing it might give her nightmares.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author, and these are my honest thoughts about it.

WARNING: Kidnapping, earthquakes, robberies, and being locked in a dungeon may be too much for children.

About the Author:

Kathy Cassel lives in the Florida panhandle with her husband and four of their eight children, five of whom are adopted. She is a motorcycle rider, scuba diver, and loves spending time with her family. Her debut novel, Freerunner, was published by Elk Lake Publishing, Inc. in 2019.

More From Kathy:

My Experience with Haiti

Prior to the 2010 catastrophic 7.0 magnitude earthquake that caused immense damage to the country of Haiti, many people would not have been able to tell you that Haiti and the Dominican Republic share the island of Hispaniola just a two hour flight from Miami.

I knew where it was because our family had adopted a child from Haiti in 1997. At the time the earthquake took place, my husband and I were in the process of adopting twins from a different orphanage in Port au Prince Haiti. It had been over three years and our adoption was not yet complete. During those three years I visited the twins at the orphanage five times. Other family members went with me on some of those trips, and at one point, all of our children still living at home went to visit the orphanage.

This was an eye opening experience for my family. In fact, I volunteered us to do the daily wash. That meant hand washing clothes and sheets for 135 orphans using large metal tubs and harsh soap, then rinsing the clothes in other tubs before hand wringing them and hanging them on clotheslines. Once home, my children no longer complained about unloading the dryer!

Cooking was done in large pots over open fires and mainly consisted of rice and beans, or red sauce over rice. The cooks originally prepared the food in a wooden shack, but more than once one of them would get so hot she’d pass out, so an outdoor area was set up for food preparation.

After the earthquake, there was a mountain of paperwork to be done to get refugee status for children in the orphanages who had families waiting for them. Finally the children were brought to the United States, although some of the orphans went to other countries too, to be united with their forever families. Sadly, many were held in the airport for days before being released. For our family, the long wait was over January 25, 2010. Now our family is complete with three birth children and five adopted children, three of whom are from Haiti.

Some of the places mentioned in the book resemble real places in Haiti, although they have been fictionalized. I hope you will not only read Catching Hope, but will also take time to learn more about the country of Haiti.

To purchase your copy, click here.

To visit more of the blog stops on this tour, click here.

To enter a fun giveaway, click here.