Whirlwind by Cathy Marie Hake (3 Stars)

I picked this book up at the library on a whim. I had read another book by Cathy Marie Hake that I did not particularly like but this title sounded interesting. My mother stole it from me so I had to wait a while to read it. Finally, today I finished it.

Whirlwind is about a woman named Millicent Fairweather. In the opening scenes of the book, she is a nanny in England to two girls whom she loves dearly. Their father sends both girls to a boarding school leaving Millicent jobless. And so we find our heroine traveling to America with her sister and brother-in-law. On board the ship, she meets Daniel Clark and his son Arthur who is in need of a nanny. She agrees to work for Mr. Clark while during the trip. However, extenuating circumstances throw both Millicent and Daniel together. They enter a "marriage of convenience" and head to make a home in Texas. Yes, I'm sure you can already see how this will turn out :)
So, I liked this book but I wasn't enraptured by it. At the beginning of the book I liked Daniel Clark and how considerate he was of others. After the marriage I disliked him immensely. He became domineering and I could never feel the attraction between the characters as I would have in a Lori Wick or Deanne Gist novel. The plot was interesting and didn't have a great deal of unbelievable twists as one might expect from Christian fiction. The book was a fast read and though I was satisfied with the way it ended, I was irritated that the characters both seemed so distant. I don't think I would recommend it.

Read and Share: The Jesus Series, Life and Miracles (DVD)

Review of "Read and Share: The Jesus Series, Life and Miracles" DVD

I got this dvd for participating in the Book Sneeze project through Thomas Nelson Publishers.

This DVD contained eight chapters detailing parts of Jesus' life including the calling of the disciples, feeding the 5,000, walking on water, and the last supper. The DVD is based on the "Read and Share Bible."
This movie is a good way to introduce children around the ages of 3 or 4 to the stories of Jesus. While it was not completely Biblically accurate, I think young children would find it interesting. The narration was a little irritating and the stories were disjointed. All in all it was certainly not the best movie for kids about Bible stories but it could be used as a tool to start teaching your children about the Bible and Jesus.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”