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Lonestar Sanctuary, Lonestar Series #1 By Colleen Coble / Thomas Nelson Fleeing a vengeful stalker and desperate to help her daughter, Betsy, speak again, Allie Siders finds a safe place for them at the Bluebird Ranch, a home for troubled children—and abused horses. Owner Elijah DeAngelo welcomes them, but foreman Rick Bailey is guarded. Can Allie and Rick put aside the past to save all they hold dear? 320 pages, softcover from Nelson.

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I liked this book. This was the second novel written by Colleen Coble that I have read and I enjoy her books already. I won’t say this one completely captivated me, but I enjoyed the building of the story-lines nonetheless. The depth of character in this novel is also well done. I’ll be looking forward to the next installment in this Lonestar series. A very good read!

Chasing Fireflies By Charles Martin / Thomas Nelson When paramedics find a malnourished 6-year-old boy near a burning car that holds a dead woman, they wonder who he is—and why he won’t talk! Chase, a small-town journalist, is assigned to cover the story and investigate the boy’s identity. But will his search unearth long-buried emotions about his own history? 320 pages, softcover from Nelson.

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Lately, I have been batting a thousand with my book selections. The trend continues because this novel was an incredible read for me. I absolutely loved this book!

I noticed it at my favorite local Christian book store. They have an area where they feature novels for $5 from time to time. This is something they do to get various books and authors some exposure. One of the sales ladies recommended this one, so I got it. As soon as I started reading, I was hooked. What an excellent read!

Charles Martin has an amazing way with writing. His depth of character is outstanding. The characters in this novel absolutely come to life. It is so easy to make connections to them and their stories. The way Martin weaves the past and present together is masterful. Throughout my reading of this novel, I was torn between not wanting to put it down and wanting to slow down to savor the stories within it.

I won’t give away anything more about the plot than the summary did above. I’ll just say that this is a WONDERFUL book. I give it a whole-hearted recommendation. I’ll be reading more of Charles Martin in the very near future!

Divine By Karen Kingsbury / Tyndale House A riveting tale of tragedy and redemption! The child of a drug-addicted mother, Mary Madison moves from a life of prostitution to juvenile detention. But her praying grandmother never stops interceding. When Mary is sent into community service at a mission center, she meets a very special man—and those prayers are answered dramatically! 400 pages, softcover from Tyndale.

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This is a book that really messed me up. And, when I say that, I mean it. This book got into my heart and head like no other book has in quite a long time. It really messed me up. It messed with my sleeping, my train of thought – you name it, this book got into it. That is because this is one powerful novel. It was a book that drew me in and kept me glued because the story is so emotionally powerful and the message is so strong and real. There are parts of this story book that are difficult to read. As Kingsbury points out in the prologue to this novel, it is difficult reading, but not graphic. There were a few times when I had to make myself shut the book for a little while so that I could regroup and keep reading. This is not a bad thing at all. Rather, it demonstrates the emotional depth in Kingsbury’s writing and the pull of the story.

This novel is a modern day telling of the story of Mary Magdalene. The lead character is Mary Madison, a prominent figure in modern day Washington, DC who has had to overcome some awful circumstances in her own life to get to where she is in her career and in her faith. The trials and sufferings Mary goes through are horrifying and disturbing, but Kingsbury’s writing style is careful and deliberate not to be graphic or violent. Readers get the general idea of what has happened to Mary without being exposed to anything gruesome. Eventually Mary finds her way back to faith and accepts salvation through the guidance of a special man in her life. Mary uses her story and her faith to reach out and help others in selfless acts of mercy and love. In this novel, she encounters a desperate young mother named Emma and through the telling of Mary’s own story, she reaches out to try to help rescue Emma from a life of drugs, abuse and self-hatred and share with her the salvation of Christ.

I can’t say enough that this book is incredibly powerful. Oftentimes in this life, I have asked “Why God?” as in why do such bad things happen, especially to innocent children? I will never have those answers here on this earth. I have absolute faith that God will bring everything back to good as only He can. This novel demonstrates that. This novel shows God’s unwavering faithfulness, even in the face of unthinkable evil. This novel also shows that even the most downtrodden amongst us can still be revived to full faithfulness by accepting the salvation of Christ.

I recommend this novel to everyone. It’s not light reading, but it’s a novel that I had a hard time putting down. It’s a novel that will touch hearts and open eyes to the beauty of God’s boundless love and salvation. If you ever get a chance, read this one. I would love to discuss more.