WOW {Warm Oven Wednesday}

 

Rock Harbor Search & Rescue by Colleen Coble

  

Book Description:  In Rock Harbor Search and Rescue, a middle grade fiction novel based on Colleen Coble’s bestselling Rock Harbor series for adults, kids will enjoy the mixture of pets, adventure, suspense, and a mystery. 

Emily O’Reilly is obsessed with all things Search and Rescue. She volunteers with the team and goes on rescue missions with her stepmom. She is even selling homemade jewelry to save up for her own Search and Rescue puppy. But when an expensive necklace is stolen from a renowned jewelry artist at Rock Harbor’s fall festival and Emily is accused of the crime, it looks like she’ll never get her puppy and be able to join the Rock Harbor Search and Rescue team. 

Emily isn’t willing to give up on her Search and Rescue dreams that easily, and she sets out to find the real culprit and to restore her reputation. With a few suspects in mind, Emily is determined to uncover the truth, but she isn’t prepared for the secrets she and the Search and Rescue dogs sniff out in the process. This exciting mystery is filled with twists and turns that will keep readers on the edge of their seats and have them pining after a Search and Rescue puppy of their own!

My Thoughts:  I always enjoy a story written by Colleen Coble.  So, when I had the opportunity to read her new book with co-author Robin Caroll I knew it would be fantastic!

This is a youth read and I had to keep this in mind as I read about Emily, her dad, stepmom and siblings.  Emily's dad is very concerned about Emily being responsible for the jobs she takes on.  

As the story beings . . . Emily and her stepmom, Naomi,  are on a search & rescue mission when Emily is told that she can have her own search & rescue puppy if she can pay half the money ($150).  Emily then comes up with the idea to sell her homemade jewelry at the next community wide sale.  This is where the mystery "happens."

Of course, as an adult I was slightly put out with Emily's dad . . . didn't he trust her?  But then I remembered that the authors are trying to make a point with young readers that parents are there to guide and help their children.

I loved learning about search & rescue dogs and their owners with a mystery thrown in!  I kind.of knew who was behind the theft but I think younger readers will be kept guessing.  I, also, liked the idea that Emily had to pay half for the expensive dog.  A great lesson in not living the "entitled life."

This is a great read for ages 8-11 (but adults and older teens may love it too!  I did!).

• Age Range: 8 - 11 years
• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson 
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1400321069
• ISBN-13: 978-1400321063

The Simplified KJV [Wildflower Medley] Hardcover

 

 My Thoughts:  WOW!  This Bible is super!  I really have no words to describe how beautiful it is.  

It's a nice size too so the pages are big enough that there is room to write or draw in the margins.  It will make a nice journaling Bible. It's hard back so the pages don't get messed up. But best of all Barbour has simplified the King James and Barbour's Simplified KJV builds off the familiarity and trustworthiness of the King James Bible while removing the difficulties of antiquated language and punctuation. 

Keeping all the original translation work of the 1611 Bible, the Simplified KJV carefully updates old styles that may interfere with your understanding today: 

• outdated verb styles are refreshed--for example, art becomes are; gavest becomes gave
• old forms of address--like thee, thou, and ye--are updated
• confusing older terms--such as wroth or divers--are modernized
• pronouns for God--He, His, Him, You, Yours, Me, My--are capitalized for clarity
• quotation marks are included with spoken language
• long sentences are shortened with modern punctuation
• paragraphs are added throughout

I love  this Bible!  It's truly in a class by itself.

*This Bible was provided for review by Barbour*

It's available at Amazon

Fun Friday!

 

WOW {Warm Oven Wednesday}

 

The Return to the Big Valley by Wanda E. Brunstetter, Jean Brunstetter, Richelle Brunstetter

 

 Book Description:  Journey back to an area of Pennsylvania that is home to three distinct Amish communities and meet three young women who face heartfelt disappointments in romance.

My Thoughts:  Three short stories in one book all penned by the Brunstetter women.

Wilma’s Wish by Wanda E. Brunstetter:  The wise old heart and five young children.  Such a humorous story full of laughter and children.  Five boys!  What can five boys do to help love along?  Such a great story.

Martha’s Miracle by Jean Brunstetter:  Martha is not your average Amish young woman.  She loves to fish and hunt not cook, sew and bake.  Can a man understand Martha's feelings for nature?  Then she meets Glen.  Glen is great and a fireman to boot but Glen wants to leave the Amish faith.  Is this romance headed for disaster or can Martha see how Glen feels.  An interesting take on the Amish life.

Alma’s Acceptance by Richelle Brunstetter:  This was the saddest of all the stories to me.  I felt deeply for Alma as a widow and needing acceptance.  Sometimes people no matter the religion can be so cruel in their disdain for what they don't know or see.  Elias Krutz doesn't see their romance as a problems and then Alma receives some news that changes her thoughts.  A lovely if somewhat sad story.  But remember sad doesn't mean bad just emotional.

*This book was provided for review by Barbour Publishing*

• Publisher : Barbour Fiction 
• Language : English
• Paperback : 448 pages
• ISBN-10 : 1643528718
• ISBN-13 : 978-1643528717

The Inn at Ocean's Edge (Shadow Bay) by Colleen Coble

 

Book Description:  Claire’s visit to a luxury hotel in Maine awakens repressed memories, threatening all she holds dear.

In 1989, Claire Dellamare disappeared from her own fourth birthday party at the Hotel Tourmaline on the island of Folly Shoals, Maine. She showed up a year later at the same hotel, with a note pinned to her dress but no explanation. Nobody knows where Claire spent that year—and until now, Claire didn’t even know she had ever been missing.

But when Claire returns to the Hotel Tourmaline for a business meeting with her CEO father, disturbing memories begin to surface . . . despite her parents’ best efforts to keep them forgotten.

Luke Rocco lost his mother under equally mysterious circumstances—at the same time Claire disappeared. After a chance encounter reveals the unlikely link between them, Claire and Luke set out together to uncover the truth about what happened that fateful year.

With flashbacks swimming just beneath her consciousness and a murderer threatening her safety, Claire’s very life depends on unscrambling her past . . . even if her family refuses to acknowledge it. Someone—maybe everyone—is hiding something from Claire Dellamare, and it will cost her everything to drag the truth out into the light.

My Thoughts:  I was drawn to the cover of this book.  I love the landscape and the picture goes so well with the title.  I can just "see" a mystery lurking at the doorstep of this read!  

And, lo and behold, there is a mystery! Quite a suspenseful mystery, too!

This is an interesting story that leaves the reader on pins and needles. 

It seems that when Claire goes to the luxury motel, Hotel Tourmaline , she has repressed memories.  And these memories keep the local sheriff wondering what in.the.world.is.going.on!

Claire also witnesses an employee of the hotel being murdered. But when she awakens there is no body! Absolutely nothing!

And 25 years ago Luke's mother went missing.  It seems that Claire and Luke's mother are somehow "bound" together in this haunting mystery.

Secrets, Secrets abound everywhere!  But with Luke's help maybe Claire will be able to unravel this quite disturbing "memory."

Colleen Coble has outdone herself in this fantastic read! 

If you enjoy romantic suspense then this is the book for you!

This is also the first book in the Shadow Bay series.  

• Series: Shadow Bay (Book 1)
• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson 
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401690262
• ISBN-13: 978-1401690267