The Mess Detectives and The Case of the Lost Temper {Karen Poth}

I am a BookLook Blogger, and received this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

In this Level One VeggieTales I Can Read, The Mess Detectives and the Case of the Lost Temper, Bob and Larry have another important case … track down the Masked Door Slammer. But when the investigation doesn’t go the way Bob wants, and things go wrong, he begins to lose his temper.

Will a gentle reminder from Larry help Bob get his temper under control?

"A foolish person lets his anger run wild. But a wise person keeps himself under control. Proverbs 29:11"

Bob and Larry on on the search for the masked door slammer. My daughter is in kindergarten and learning to read, plus she loves Veggie Tales, so this is a great book for her. She was excited that she had a book she could read mostly by herself. It was a great book for practicing, while continuing to learn a valuable lesson about loosing your temper.

Veggie Tales and I Can Read will always be favorites at our house, and this is no exception.

Learn more about the series: Veggie Tales | I Can Read

That's Amore {Janice Thompson}

Bella Neeley is a busy woman these days. Not only is she juggling two young kids, her hunky husband, and her always-entertaining family--she has another baby on the way. To top it off, she and D.J. are busy opening a second Club Wed location, this time a historic building in beautiful Splendora, Texas. When D.J. suggests they start off the new Club Wed facility with a bang--by getting married again--Bella isn't sure if she can handle planning another wedding. Still, who could say no to such a sweet man? 

But nothing's simple in relationships or building restoration! When Splendora's mayor shows up to contest Bella's facility, she's faced with the prospect that her long-awaited expansion of Club Wed may be destined to fail before it even gets off the ground. Determined to find out why the mayor seems to have a vendetta against her and D.J., Bella will have to enlist the help of the fabulous Splendora sisters.

Whew! What's a girl got to do to get a break around here?

Bella Neeley is probably my favorite character from all the books I've ever read. That fact has made Janice Thompson one of my favorite authors. So I was beyond excited when I found out we were getting a fourth book in the Club Wed series that focuses on Bella and her family.

In this fourth book, Bella is pregnant and DJ has decided they need to get married again - a vow renewal. They make a temporary move to Spendora to open the new wedding facility in time for their December ceremony. Once they get to Spendora, Bella gets hit with one obstacle after another. If the mayor is threatening to shut down construction, then the girls she selected as co-managers of the new facility are fighting. Her pregnancy is NOT going as planned, and all she wants to do is go home to Galveston and snuggled up in her own house.

But as always, Bella comes through everything with shining colors. But she only does it after reminding us all that God can get us through anything - all we have to do is ask and trust.

Meet the Author: Janice Thompson | Twitter

Purchase the Book: Christian Book

Add to your reading list: GoodReads

Join My Pinterest Board

If you are a book reviewer, I want to invite you to join me on my newly developed Pinterest board - All Things Books.

This is simply a board for added exposure for us book review bloggers and a way to get our content in front of more readers.

To join the board, just comment on the pin below and I'll get you added! And thanks for reading.

Princess Ever After {Rachel Hauck}

Regina Beswick never dreamed of faraway places. She’s happy with her life as a classic car mechanic and owner of a restoration shop.

But an unexpected visitor and the discovery of a fairytale, drawn by her great-grandma, causes Regina to wonder if she might be destined for something more.

Tanner Burkhardt, Minister of Culture for the Grand Duchy of Hessenberg, must convince the strong-willed Southerner, Miss Beswick, that she is his country’s long-lost princess. Failure could destroy his reputation and change his nation forever.

As Regina and Tanner face the challenges before them, neither are prepared for love to invade their hearts and change every thing they believe about themselves.

However, when a royal opponent nearly destroys Regina’s future, she must lean into God and trust He has sovereignly brought her to her true and final destiny.

I told you a few weeks ago how much I loved Once Upon a Prince, the first book in this Royal Weddings series. This second book was just as amazing.

Reggie is your typical southern girl. She has quit her fancy CPA job at a big accounting firm and joined forces with family friend Al to open a classic car restoration shop. She is living her life and she is happy with how things are going.

And then Tanner arrives and turns Reggie's world completely upside down with his announcement that Reggie is actually the princess of Hessenberg. Tanner seems to me like a young, carefree guy who just happened upon his appointment in the Hessenberg government.

Soon after Reggie and Tanner meet for the first time we start to think that there could be something much deeper to their relationship than just government business. But both of them are smart enough to realize that getting Reggie to agree to return to Hessenberg and take on her princess duties are the primary focus.

One of my favorite parts of this book was the flashbacks to Princess Alice, and the memories that Reggie begins to remember about her great-grandmother. Alice never told Reggie they were part of the royal family, but the more Reggie remembers and learns, the more she realizes what a huge responsibility she has to the people of Hessenberg.

Once Reggie arrives in Hessenberg and begins interacting with the people, we all fall in love with her for sure. She is such a regular person trying to connect with everyone - and mostly succeeding.

The struggle within the governer's office made for some tense moments in the story, but I was glad that this drama was mostly overshadowed by the growing love between Reggie and Tanner.

I was also happy to see Nate and Susanna (from the first book) reappear in this story. Of course Nate is now King Nathaniel, but Susanna plays a major role in Reggie's decision making in this story.

This book had the perfect "happily ever after" ending to it, and I am looking forward to the next one. It's coming out soon!!

Meet the Author: Rachel Hauck | Twitter

Purchase this Book: Family Christian | Christian Book

Add to your Reading List: GoodReads

Feast for Thieves {Marcus Brotherton}

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Sergeant Rowdy Slater is the most skilled-and most incorrigible-soldier in Dog Company, 506th PIR, 101st Airborne, an elite group of paratroopers fighting for the world's freedom in World War II.

Through a bizarre set of circumstances, Rowdy returns to the States after the war, turns his life around, and falls into the only job he can find-preacher at the sparsely populated community church in Cut Eye, Texas, a dusty highway town situated at the midpoint of nowhere and emptiness.

The town's lawman, suspicious that Rowdy has changed his ways only as a cover up, gives an ultimatum: Rowdy must survive one complete year as Cut Eye's new minister or end up in jail.

At first Rowdy thinks the job will be easy, particularly because he's taking over for a young female missionary who's held the church together while the men were at war. But when a dark-hearted acquaintance from Rowdy's past shows up with a plan to make some quick cash, Rowdy becomes ensnared due to an irrevocable favor, and life turns decidedly difficult.

When I first started this book, I wasn't too sure it was going to be for me. The book begins with a crime and then following Rowdy on journey that eventually lands him right back where he started - Cut Eye, Texas.

Once Rowdy gets back to Cut Eye and his life as a preacher begins, this story gets interesting and eventually turned into a page turner for me. Rowdy's life in Cut Eye is full of twists and turns. He meets some characters along the way, but eventually finds a way to make himself fit into the small town life that he has. He find a way to earn the respect of the people in the town and grows the church using some of the most unusual ways imaginable.

Along the way Rowdy becomes very close to the former leader of the church, a female missionary who just happens to be the Sheriff's daughter. Their relationship also spins around in different directions and it is not until the very last paragraph of the book that you learn their true feelings.

One of the things I really enjoyed about this book is the transformation that Rowdy makes in his life. His story begins as a criminal, but through preaching and reaching others he truly becomes a leader in the church. His heart is changed and we see the effects of that in many circumstances throughout the story. It is during the high-stress events towards the end that we see proof that God has changed Rowdy and made him a better person.

I enjoyed this book and do recommend it as a read.

Meet the author: Marcus Brotherton | Twitter

Purchase this book: Family Christian | Christian Books

Add it to your reading list: GoodReads

A Mom's Prayers for Her Son {Rob & Joanna Teigen}

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

It's that very first moment you look into your newborn son's eyes-- wonder, joy, and the weight of responsibility overwhelm you. Questions about his needs, his well-being, and his future fill your mind. You want to pray for your son, but you're not even sure where to start.

A Mom's Prayers for Her Son is written just for women like you; women who are eager to learn the best ways to support their sons through prayer and intercession. Learn how to pray specific prayers for your son and read about testimonies of other mother's answered prayers. 

The same authors who brought you A Dad's Prayers for His Daughter will help you build a strong foundation and lifelong habit of praying for your son. The authors also explain what boys need from their parents while growing up, including ways to pray for each area of your son's life.

Being a parent is tough, and probably one of the things i worry the most about. Am I teaching them right from wrong? Am I helping them learn skills they will need in life? Do they know they are loved and how to love back?

As if all that isn't enough, I have the added responsibility of being the mom to a boy. Yes, our daughters are important. But our sons will one day be husbands and dads. They will be the leaders of their homes and the ones that our future grandchildren rely on to provide for their needs. They will be the protectors and the defenders, and the ones who carry on our family names.

So am I praying the right things for my son?

In A Mom's Prayers for Her Son, we are guided through almost 80 prayers that are specific to the needs of boys. Each prayer is proceeded with scripture to help us know God's words for our son's needs.

Some of the prayers include:

• When he's afraid
• When he needs courage to live for God
• When he's rejected
• When he has enemies
• When he is in the wrong crowd

One of the things I also love about this book are the stories that are nestled in between the sections. Stories from real life boy moms who are willing to share their experiences to help us all raise better moms.

I've already made notes in my books and found myself marking prayers I know I will need often. This is one of those books that will remain within my reach for as long as I am praying for my son.

About the authors: Rob & Joanna Teigen

Purchase this book: Family Christian | Christian Book

At Bluebonnet Lake {Amanda Cabot}

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Marketing maven Kate Sherwood’s world is fast-paced, challenging, and always changing. The last thing she wants to do is slow down to a crawl at Rainbow’s End, a dilapidated resort in the Texas Hill Country. But she cannot deny her ailing grandmother’s request to visit the place where she and her deceased husband spent one glorious week (albeit fifty years ago). There Kate meets Greg Vange, the resort’s handyman. But there’s more to Greg than meets the eye–billions more, in fact, as he recently sold his successful software company and is at the resort in search of what’s next for his life.

Kate isn’t looking for romance, but she can’t deny the sparks of attraction that fly every time she and Greg are together. She even starts to see potential in the rundown resort. Could there be a future there? Or will Kate’s long-sought promotion take her back to the big city?

Fifty years ago, Grandma Sally and her husband spent an amazing vacation at the Rainbow's End resort. It was a Christian based, family resort and Sally wants to revisit it for old time's sake. She has convinced her granddaughter, city-girl Kate, to take a month off from her fancy advertising job to join her for the vacation.

One look at Rainbow's End and it is apparent things aren't the way they used to be. By the description of the resort, I would have turned around and left without checking it! But Sally is determined to have a wonderful vacation, and Kate is not one to argue with her grandmother who raised her.

As we go through the process of meeting all the players in this story, we meet Roy and Greg. Roy is an older gentleman who lives in the nearby town but has dinner at the resort each night. Greg is an out-of-work guest with a big secret. Of course, Roy and Greg immediately become friendly with Sally and Kate.

This story didn't have many "oh wow, that was exciting" aspects to it, but it also didn't fall completely flat. Each character has their struggles that are working behind the scenes in their lives, and thankfully all these struggles and secrets eventually come out for everyone.

It is hard to tell much about this story without giving away all the spoilers, but I really appreciated the relationships that blossomed throughout the entire story. I loved seeing the romance between the characters, and the willingness of some of the characters to go above and beyond to make good things happen for others.

At Bluebonnet Lake is the first book in the new Texas Crossroads series, and I am definitely looking forward to the next book. This story is far from over, and I'm looking forward to see if I get the happy ending that I'm really wanting for these characters.

About the Author: Amanda Cabot | Twitter

Purchase this Book: Family Christian | Christian Book

Add on GoodReads: GoodReads