Sunday, January 9, 2011

A Suitor For Jenny

"When looking for a husband, it’s best to go where the odds are in your favor. And that would be Rocky Creek, Texas, 1880. But Jenny Higgins's plan to find husbands for her two sisters hits a snag when enthusiastic applicants fail to meet her stringent requirements. Rejecting her sisters' choices for mates and riding herd on her growing feelings for Marshal Rhett Armstrong, she refuses to give up. Jenny thinks choosing a husband is not a job for the heart. It'll take one strong and handsome marshal to convince her otherwise."

This book was okay as far as Christian fiction goes. I read it in just a few hours which shows that there was not a whole lot of depth to the story. It was a cute, entertaining story with too many plot twists to be believable. This plot of women going out west with hopes of snagging a husband and then falling in love with the most "unlikely" one has been done a few too many times. I liked the Marshal and I liked the three sisters. Their antics and the sisters' relationship made it enjoyable, if not memorable. I would definitely not recommend it or even consider it one of the better books I read last year, but it mildly entertained me for a short time. I would give it about 3 stars since the characters were so like-able.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the 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.”

Umm...Weird and Ridiculous

Immanuel's Veins by Ted Dekker

After all the hype this book got on facebook and Booksneeze before it was released, I was expecting something great. My expectations were unmet. In fact, I was extremely disappointed. This is the book description:

"This story is for everyone--but not everyone is for this story. It is a dangerous tale of times past. A love story full of deep seduction. A story of terrible longing and bold sacrifice. Then as now, evil begins its courtship cloaked in light. And the heart embraces what it should flee. Forgetting it once had a truer lover. With a kiss, evil will ravage body, soul, and mind. Yet there remains hope, because the heart knows no bounds. Love will prove greater than lust. Sacrifice will overcome seduction. And blood will flow. Because the battle for the heart is always violently opposed. For those desperate to drink deep from this fountain of life, enter. But remember, not everyone is for this story."

The story line was weird, with many vampirish overtones. I kept expecting it to get better, since I have enjoyed many of Dekker's books, but it did not. I didn't feel drawn to any of the characters. The mysticism and pagan themes and the vivid descriptions of Toma's desire for his love were disconcerting. I did not understand how any of the symbolism could be considered Christian without quite a bit of stretching. Try one of Dekker's other books. This was another lame attempt at a vampire story, a subject that is lame enough to begin with without adding "Christian" themes.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the 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.”