Tag: 2025 Release

First Line Friday

First Line Friday #406 | Don’t Blink: 12 Inspirational Suspense Thrillers

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line.

I have been a Doctor Who fan for as long as I can remember, and one of the episodes that stays in my memory is Blink (the episode with Sally Sparrow and the Weeping Angels). Anyone who watches Doctor Who will know what I’m talking about, and will therefore understand why I knew I had to buy an anthology of Christian thrillers titled “Don’t Blink.”

I’m sharing the first line from the first story in the anthology, Love to Die For by Terry Toler:

"Don't blink, Paige," my handler whispered urgently as she fixed my hair and touched up my makeup.

What’s the book nearest you, and what’s the first line?

 

About Don’t Blink

Get ready for twelve intense, edge-of-your-seat suspense thrillers in this collection from bestselling and award-winning Christian authors. From murder in a mansion to deadly chases in remote locations, each tale offers high-stakes action and heart-pounding drama, proving that hope and faith shine through even in the darkest moments.

Love to Die For by Critically Acclaimed Award-Winning Author Terry Toler

Paige Wells joined the hit reality dating show Love Only hoping to find romance. But when a fellow contestant is found dead in the mansion, Paige must uncover the truth before she’s sent home for good — not with a broken heart, but in handcuffs.

Silent Retribution by New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Cynthia Hickey

When a former student’s parent begins targeting third-grade teacher Heather Richardson, dark secrets from her past resurface, threatening her safety and the lives of those around her as she confronts a deadly pursuit fueled by blurred perceptions.

Queen Bee by Daphne du Maurier Award-Winning Author Heather Day Gilbert

When a violent windstorm traps Twila and her teen daughter at a remote mountain retreat, they’ll have to outwit an unhinged killer in order to survive.

Abandoned Into Darkness by Publishers Weekly Bestselling Author Jordyn Redwood

Blinded from an attack and abandoned in the Black Canyon by search and rescue, Isla Thorne must still flee a serial killer.

One of Us is Guilty by Illumination Christian Book Awards’ Silver Medalist Author Urcelia Teixeira

In the Florida Keys, a book club’s “perfect” murder plot becomes a deadly reality when one of their mutual enemies is found dead.

Gavin (A Durham Private Security Novella) by USA Today Bestselling Author Melanie D. Snitker

Ivy’s search for her missing brother leads her to Gavin, a former Army comrade, and a sinister plot that puts them both in danger.

Bento and Betrayal by USA Today Bestselling Author Camy Tang

Disgraced bodyguard September Wong is forced to team up with security consultant Isaac Noguchi in pursuit of the same criminals who ruined her career.

Unauthorized by Critically Acclaimed Bestselling Author Sherri Wilson Johnson

A budget analyst and an IT auditor must work together to save their Nashville organization from the clutches of an embezzler before both their lives are ruined.

Murder by Accident (A Miss Finch Prequel) by Critically Acclaimed Award-Winning Author Vikki Kestell

Miss Finch teaches a course at UCLA called The Forensics of a Traffic Accident. As it turns out, not all her case studies are the mishaps they’ve been labeled.

Guarded by Reader’s Favorite Award-Winning Author C.D. Gill

She doesn’t want a babysitter. He’ll do anything to get back to SWAT. Both are puppets in a bigger game.

Going Once, Going Twice by USA Today Bestselling Author Jan Thompson

When her four-year-old son is kidnapped, a stay-at-home mother reactivates her hidden skills to mount a rescue operation.

Deadly Pursuit by Publishers Weekly Bestselling Author Lynn Shannon

When a mysterious note links Texas Ranger Vikki Rodriguez to a young woman’s murder, she’s pulled into a perilous case that may cost her everything–including her life.

Find Don’t Blink online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

Click here to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today.

And you can click here to check out my previous FirstLineFriday posts.

Share your first line in the comments, and happy reading!

Don’t forget to click here to check out my Amazon shop for my top picks in Christian fiction!

Not every secret needs to be told. Some just need to be forgotten.

Book Review | Women of Oak Ridge by Michelle Shockley

The Women of Oak Ridge is a compelling dual-timeline story set in the once-secret town of Oak Ridge. Yes, it’s a real-life place, and that adds to the intrigue and tension.

It’s 1979, and Laurel Willett has just arrived in the small Tennessee town of Oak Ridge to stay with her Aunt Mae and conduct research for her PhD in psychology. Her plan is to spend the summer interviewing local residents about their work during World War II, when they were working on what they later discovered was the Manhattan Project–the USA’s atomic weapons programme that led to the end of the war.

Many of the townspeople are happy to talk to her, but her aunt is not.

In 1944, Maebelle Willett has left her coal mining hometown to earn seventy-five dollars month at the Clinton Engineering Works in Oak Ridge. She is assigned to deliver parts and messages at K-25 under conditions of utmost secrecy. Not only are employees not to tell their friends and families where the lie or what they do, but they’re not even allowed to tell each other.

The Women of Oak Ridge makes for compelling reading in both timelines – in the past, as we learn about the conditions of work for the various classes of workers – the women, the Army men, and the Black workers. The present timeline is equally compelling as we’re gradually drawn into the mystery of what Mae did in K-25 and why she’s still unwilling to share her secrets.

I really enjoyed the historical component, and appreciated the way Michelle Shocklee didn’t allow her excellent research to overtake the story. Instead, it is well integrated into the story and doesn’t get more complex than it needs to be (we don’t all need to understand nuclear physics).

The characters are strong, and I particularly enjoyed the subtle faith thread that brought the story together. It’s an excellent novel, with plenty of tension. Recommended for historical fiction readers.

Thanks to Tyndale Publishing and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About Michelle Shocklee

Michelle ShockleyMichelle Shocklee is the author of several historical novels including ALL WE THOUGHT WE KNEW, a 2025 Christy Award Finalist; APPALACHIAN SONG, a 2024 Christy Award Finalist; COUNT THE NIGHTS BY STARS, winner of the 2023 Christianity Today Book Award in Fiction; and UNDER THE TULIP TREE, a Christy Award & Selah Award finalist.

As a woman of mixed heritage–her father’s family is Hispanic and her mother’s roots go back to Germany–she has always celebrated diversity and feels it’s important to see the world through the eyes of one another. Learning from the past and changing the future is why she writes historical fiction. With both her sons grown and happily married, Michelle and her husband make their home in Tennessee.

Find Michelle Shocklee online at:

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About Women of Oak Ridge

1944. Maebelle Willett arrives in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, eager to begin her new government job and send money home to her impoverished family. She knows little about the work she will be doing, but she’s told it will help America win the war. Not all is what it seems, however. Though Oak Ridge employees are forbidden from discussing their jobs, Mae’s roommate begins sharing disturbing information, then disappears without a trace. Mae desperately attempts to find her but instead comes face-to-face with a life-altering revelation―one that comes at significant cost.

1979. Laurel Willett is a graduate student in Boston when she learns about the history of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, where thousands unknowingly worked on the atomic bomb. Intrigued because she knows her Aunt Mae was employed there, Laurel decides to spend the summer with her aunt, hoping to add a family connection to her thesis research. But Mae adamantly refuses to talk about her time in the Secret City. Mae’s friends, however, offer to share their experiences, propelling Laurel on her path to uncovering the truth about a missing woman. As Laurel works to put the pieces together, the hidden pain and guilt Mae has tried so hard to bury comes to light . . . with potentially disastrous consequences.

 

Find Women of Oak Ridge at:

Amazon | BookBub | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Don’t forget to click here to check out my Amazon shop for my top picks in Christian fiction!

 

 

If we aren't talking to one another anymore, it means we stand little chance of understanding one another.

Book Review | Why I’m Still a Christian by Justin Brierley

I’m always intrigued to know how people (especially adults) decide to become a Christian. I’m equally intrigued to understand why Christians, in this age of doubt and deconstruction, maintain their belief in Jesus. I’m intrigued, but many of the arguments for and against faith are built on false logic. (“Christians still sin, so God can’t be real” – which is the doctrinal equivalent of throwing the baby out with the bathwater). Others are expressed in academic terms I find difficult to relate to.

Why I’m Still a Christian is built on over fifteen years of dialogue with Christians and atheists of all persuasions on his weekly radio show-turned podcast, Unbelievable. Brierley is also widely read, in that he quotes from books by mainstream Christin apologists such as C. S. Lewis and Lee Stobel, but also from nonChristian and atheist authors, who often make the case for Jesus even more powerfully than Brierley can.

This is the strength of the book.

While it is Brierley’s personal testimony and rationale for Christianity, it’s also based on extensive personal research, reading the works of many of the big thinkers about faith over the last two millennia.

Brierley discusses some big issues on contemporary science and how they can be interpreted to support or even prove the idea of a Creator: entropy, the Big Bang theory (it’s not just a TV show), the multiverse. He also points to some things that are perhaps easier to understand as proof: mathematics, gravity, and morality:

The belief that humans are created free, equal, and with inherent dignity only makes sense if there is a God.

And:

If atheism is true, then there is no ultimate right or wrong.

What stood out most to me, especially in the section on science, is that many of the new discoveries are pointing towards God, not away from Him (which is  contrary to much of what I was taught in school). It reminds me of the importance of thinking and questioning matters of faith so we can have robust conversations on

Recommended for those who enjoy the topic of apologetics, and anyone looking for sound, reasoned and readable information that examines some of the central debates around the Christian faith from both points of view.

Thanks to Tyndale Elevate and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About Justin Brierley

Justin Brierley has been working in radio, podcasting, and video for two decades. He co-hosts the Re-Enchanting podcast for Seen & Unseen and is a well-known speaker and broadcaster. Justin founded the popular Unbelievable? faith debate show, and has also hosted the Ask NT Wright Anything podcast. Justin’s first book, ‘Unbelievable?: Why, after Ten Years of Talking with Atheists, I’m Still a Christian’ (SPCK), was published in 2017. His latest book is ‘The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God’ (Tyndale House Publishers). Justin and his family live in Surrey, UK.

Find Justin Brierley online at:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube | X

About Why I’m Still a Christian

A compelling and intriguing discussion of why believing in God makes the most sense of human existence and our purpose on earth by one of the most respected Christian thinkers of our time.
“Highly readable survey of the reasons for Christian faith. Not just an academic exercise, Justin has respectfully engaged many thoughtful atheists and sceptics over years, which is always a test for a believer. The book is therefore very personal―it explains how his own faith has emerged while working through the challenges he has received.” ―Timothy Keller

Why I'm Still a ChristianPopular radio host and podcaster, Justin Brierley, has been creating and facilitating constructive conversations about faith for more than two decades. He is an expert in Christian apologetics and has had a ringside seat as believers and nonbelievers alike have debated Christianity. Surprisingly, Justin has come out on the other side of these debates more convinced than ever of the truth of Jesus’ claims―and the power of good conversations.

With this book, you get to watch Justin as he engages with the most unlikely of conversation partners―from Richard Dawkins to Philip Pullman―on the subject of faith. You’ll understand why Justin, after hearing the strongest objections to the Christian faith and religion, is still a Christian. For him, God makes sense of human existence, the inherent value of human life, and our ultimate purpose on earth.

With this book, you’ll explore tough questions, with Justin Brierley as your guide:

  • Why would God allow suffering?
  • Are Christianity and the existence of God compatible with science?
  • Is there any evidence for the resurrection?
  • And much more.

Discover the reasons to believe.

This book is a revised and updated edition of the Unbelievable book published in 2017, with a new chapter on deconstruction.

Find Why I’m Still a Christian online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

Book Review | The Atlas of Untold Stories by Sara Brunsvold

The Atlas of Untold Stories is classic women’s fiction, the story of three women – on a (literal and symbolic) journey to discover their true selves, rediscover their relationships, and share their secrets.

Lauren Vance is the responsible older daughter who has just lost her job and is scared to tell her family. Chloe is her flaky wannabe-artist younger sister. Edie, their mother, is still living in the shadow of her domineering mother, Moira Mondell.

Chloe is given the opportunity to teach art at a Christian school in Prague, but is too nervous to tell her mother. Instead, Chloe somehow convinces Edie to join her on a impromptu road trip. Lauren later agrees to tag along, which sets up plenty of tension between the sisters and with their mother.

Read more

We’ve known each other for years through Jacob. Disliked each other for just as long.

Book Review | If All Else Sails by Emma St. Clair

Josie is a school nurse who wants to buy a house, so when her brother asks her to help nurse his client and best friend, ice hockey player Wyatt, during the summer break, she is open to the suggestion … once she’s recovered from being arrested detained and negotiated an appropriate fee.

If All Else Sails ticks all the trope boxes.

Sports romance (Wyatt is a successful professional ice hockey player).

Forced proximity (Josie’s brother basically bribes her to stay with the injured Wyatt and ensure he heals).

Grumpy-sunshine (even if Wyatt’s grumpiness is mostly a result of his ability to unfailingly say the wrong thing).

Big misunderstanding (Josie thinks Wyatt doesn’t like her).

Unrequited love (Wyatt loves her).

Slow-burn romance (which means the will-they-won’t-they is the main plot and there isn’t any irritating third-act breakup.)

It’s billed as enemies to lovers, but that’s only half true.

While Josie has loathed Wyatt almost since the day they met, Wyatt has been harbouring a secret crush for just as long.

The story is written in first person point of view, which means it’s important to read the chapter headers to stay on track with which character we’re reading about. I do find first person allows me to get into the heads of the characters and really get to know them, and I loved that. It gave the story a unique and fun voice.

If All Else Fails is one of the few novels I’ve read in recent years which actually has chapter names, and where those chapter names add to the story rather than providing spoilers.

I particularly loved the slow-burn aspect of the romance, the way their relationship developed slowly and naturally. Seeing Wyatt’s point of view was great, because it added tension (whereas Josie’s scenes mostly added comedy).

The only possible criticism is that there isn’t a Christian faith arc, something which has become more the norm than the exception for books from Thomas Nelson.

Recommended for rom-com fans who love witty banter and all the tropes.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About If All Else Sails

In this enemies-to-lovers romance, school nurse Josie and her brother’s best friend–hockey player Wyatt Jacobs–are tricked into spending a summer together that’s anything but smooth sailing.

When Josie’s brother sends her to a random address for their (sometimes) annual Super Summer Sibling Extravaganza, she finds neither siblings nor extravaganzas. Instead, ends up at a run-down cottage on the Northern Neck of Virginia occupied by a hockey player she knows and loathes.

A hockey player who isn’t just one of her sports agent brother’s clients. He’s also his best friend. And Josie’s sworn enemy.

Oh–and her brother wants Josie to help Wyatt recover from his injury.

Dragging grumpy hockey players to physical therapy is a far cry from bandaging skinned knees, but for the price her brother offers to pay, Josie is willing to try.

Even if it means sharing what she dubs the quaint little murder cottage with Wyatt.

Find If All Else Sails online at:

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About Emma St. Clair

Emma St. Clair is a USA TODAY bestselling author who loves sassy heroines, witty banter, and love stories with heart and humor. Her books have sizzling chemistry while keeping the bedroom door closed. She has an MFA in Fiction and lives in Katy, TX (go Tigers!), with her hubby, five children, and Great Dane. Her favorite place to write is tapping on her phone while on the elliptical machine. No Emmas have been hurt in the writing of these novels (yet).

Find Emma St. Clair online at:

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Don’t forget to click here to check out my Amazon shop for my top picks in Christian fiction!

First Line Friday

First Line Friday #403 | It Shouldn’t Be You by Jessica Wakefield

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I’m sharing from It Shouldn’t Be You, the new release from Australian author Jessica Wakefield.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

Declan Collins was in trouble again, evident by the sound of Julie, his boss, tapping her pen against the table, a steady rhythm that matched his pulse.

What’s the book nearest you, and what’s the first line?

 

About It Shouldn’t Be You

To revive his stalled career, jaded journalist Declan Collins is assigned to cover the Hamiltons’ extravagant Christmas party—the same Hamiltons who are demolishing the community centre where Declan spent some of the best moments of his childhood.

Addey Bennet, the event planner behind the party, needs everything to go perfectly. Her business is on the line, and so is her chance to mend a strained relationship with her powerful parents—the ones footing the bill.

Neither of them expects the spark between them.

Addey never planned to fall for the man who resents everything her family stands for. Declan never imagined he’d be drawn to the Hamiltons’ daughter. But as tensions rise and emotions deepen, their unexpected connection could cost them everything they’ve worked for—and maybe even a shot at love.

Find It Shouldn’t Be You online at:

Amazon | Goodreads

Click here to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today.

And you can click here to check out my previous FirstLineFriday posts.

Share your first line in the comments, and happy reading!

Don’t forget to click here to check out my Amazon shop for my top picks in Christian fiction!

Book Review | The Collector of Burned Books by Roseanna M White

One of the things I love about great historical fiction is the power it has to shine a light on our own time. The Collector of Burned Books is an exemplary example of this principle, illustrating the importance of critical thinking, of being able to understand (and even argue) both sides of an argument in order to fully satisfy ourselves that we understand right and wrong … and how to spot the proverbial wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Anyway, that is getting off track.

The Collector of Burned Backs is set in Paris, France, in the German occupation of 1940. Corrine Bastin is a professor of German literature at the Sorbonne university … and a spy, hiding coded messages in the books in the Library of Banned Books next door to her apartment. Christian Bauer is a German officer, sent to Paris to catalogue and “relocate” the contents of Parisian libraries – especially the contents of the infamous Library of Burned Books.

It’s obvious from the beginning that Christian is a booklover who values ideas over politics. But he’s also booklover who wears a Nazi uniform, which makes him the enemy as far as Corrine is concerned.

It’s also obvious Christian will have to walk a fine line, appeasing his Nazi masters while still following his own conscience. (To be fair, Corrine and every other Parisian has the same problem – especially those who are secretly working against the Nazis, as Corrine is).

The story started solidly although perhaps a little slowly, although there was an underlying tension that kept me reading. I didn’t have to wait long. At around the one- third mark, we discover Christian’s secret, one that makes all his actions clear. From that point on, the book is simply un-put-downable as Christian and Corrine navigate occupied Paris.

The Collector of Burned Backs is compelling fiction. The characters are intelligent people with integrity, stuck in a difficult situation not of their own choosing. The writing took me straight to World War Two Paris. The plot and pacing is excellent, resulting in a thought-provoking and challenging story.

There’s also a fun link back to some of Roseanna M White’s previous novels.

The writing is a study in the importance of free thought vs indoctrination, and the perils of an education system that prioritises the latter in the name of “truth” which is not God’s truth. It’s a mirror on modern life as we consider how easy it can be to support the right ideas for the wrong reasons – or worse, supporting the wrong ideas for the right reasons.

Let him who has ears to hear …

Recommended for historical fiction lovers, especially those who appreciate robust debate about difficult issues.

Thanks to Tyndale and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About Roseanna M White

Roseanna M WhiteRoseanna M. White pens her novels beneath her Betsy Ross flag, with her Jane Austen action figure watching over her. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two children, editing and designing, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna has a slew of historical novels available, ranging from biblical fiction to American-set romances to her new British series. She lives with her family in West Virginia.

Find Roseanna M White online at:

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About The Collector of Burned Books

In this gripping World War II historical about the power of words, two people form an unlikely friendship amid the Nazi occupation in Paris and fight to preserve the truth that enemies of freedom long to destroy.

Paris, 1940. Ever since the Nazi Party began burning books, German writers exiled for their opinions or heritage have been taking up residence in Paris. There they opened a library meant to celebrate the freedom of ideas and gathered every book on the banned list . . . and even incognito versions of the forbidden books that were smuggled back into Germany.

For the last six years, Corinne Bastien has been reading those books and making that library a second home. But when the German army takes possession of Paris, she loses access to the library and all the secrets she’d hidden there. Secrets the Allies will need if they have any hope of liberating the city she calls home.

Christian Bauer may be German, but he never wanted anything to do with the Nazi Party—he is a professor, one who’s done his best to protect his family as well as the books that were a threat to Nazi ideals. But when Goebbels sends him to Paris to handle the “relocation” of France’s libraries, he’s forced into an army uniform and given a rank he doesn’t want. In Paris, he tries to protect whoever and whatever he can from the madness of the Party and preserve the ideas that Germans will need again when that madness is over, and maybe find a lost piece of his heart.

Find The Collector of Burned Books online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

Don’t forget to click here to check out my Amazon shop for my top picks in Christian fiction!

First Line Friday

First Line Friday #402 | Never Say You Need Me by Amanda Deed

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I’m sharing from Never Say You Need Me by Amanda Deed, the latest book in the Trinity Lakes Romance series.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

What’s the book nearest you, and what’s the first line?

 

About Never Say You Need Me

What does a carefree Aussie larrikin have in common with a bookish office assistant from Trinity Lakes?

Amelia Jones never thought Mud Murchison would notice her, until they are thrown together by a hit-and-run accident. But as they grow closer, some of his behavior reminds her of a past she doesn’t want to revisit.

Mud returned to Trinity Lakes to seek support from his friend Nick Gordon, instead finding himself supporting Amelia through the mystery surrounding the hit-and-run. However, his own tragic secret threatens to take over and ruin their fledgling relationship.

Can they both sort through their differences and make a future together?

Find Never Say You Need Me online at:

Amazon | Goodreads

Click here to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today.

And you can click here to check out my previous FirstLineFriday posts.

Share your first line in the comments, and happy reading!

Don’t forget to click here to check out my Amazon shop for my top picks in Christian fiction!

Human beings walk about like fading shadows. For no good reason, they hurry about gathering many possessions. (Ps 39:6)

Book Review | Psalms and Proverbs (First Nations Version)

I recently agreed to review the books of Psalms and Proverbs in the newly published First Nations Version of the Bible (in this context, First Nations being the first inhabitants of what is now the USA and Canada).

It’s written in English, not in any of the many First Nations languages, but it incorporates writing styles and terminology that will be familiar to First Nations peoples.

The FNV is a retelling of Creator’s story from the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures, attempting to follow the tradition of the storytellers of our oral culture.

I am not from the USA and do not have any family connection to any US First Nations tribes. But I welcome any translation that makes the Bible more accessible to people who need to hear the Good News (which, let’s face it, is everyone).

I also enjoy reading new and different Bible versions, which is why I asked to review this.

Psalm 23 in the First Nations version provides a good illustration of how reading a different version of the Bible can open our minds to seeing the text – and perhaps God – in new ways.

For example, the First Nations Version refers to God as grandfather. That’s a little jarring at first, as many of us will have heard the line about God having only children, not grandchildren. This is true, the way we think. First Nations use the term to refer to God as the honored elder … which perhaps reminds us that we don’t always give God the honor He is due.

Verse 1 then states:

My lodge will always have plenty

We are probably more used to reading:

I shall not want (King James version)

or

I lack nothing (New International Version)

The English versions use the pronoun “I”, which emphasize the individual – I will have plenty, but you might not.

In contrasts, the First Nations version uses “lodge”, which implies community – we will all have plenty.

Which translation is more consistent with how God would want us to act? What would it mean to the way we live if we truly saw ourselves as part of a greater whole, and that our role as Christians is to focus less on self and more on the wider community? I suspect it would make it obvious who was a Christian and who was not.

Verse 6 says:

Your goodness and love … will chase after me.

Chase? God will chase us? This feels a lot more active than what I read in the common English translations. The King James Version says:

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.

The New International Version is similar:

Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life.

Goodness and mercy following us implies we are leading … surely not? We should allow God to lead us. It also feels slow and reactive – especially if we’re going in the wrong direction?

Chasing, on the other hand, is fast and immediate and active, and suggests we might not be going the right way – which is one reason we’re being chased, to bring us back onto the right path.

Love, to me, goes both ways: God loves us and we love God. Mercy, on the other hand, is the result of a difference in power: God extends his mercy to us, but we don’t show mercy to God. How could we? Why would we?

As you can see, I am enjoying this new translation. For those who are interested, there is also a full New Testament available.

Thanks to IVP and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About First Nations Version | Psalms and Proverbs

Discover the rich tapestry of human emotion and divine wisdom with the First Nations Version Psalms and Proverbs. The latest volume from the critically acclaimed First Nations Version translation brings the ancient Sacred Songs and Wise Sayings of the Hebrew Scriptures to life through the vibrant, poetic imagery of Native American oral storytelling.

Discover Psalms and Proverbs Reimagined Through the Poetic Language of Native Storytellers:

Father Sky is telling us the story of the shining-greatness of the One Above Us All. The starry tent above us shows the beauty that Creator’s hands have made. Day after day, the story is told, and night after night, their wisdom fills the sky. Even though the skies above have no spoken words, all creation has heard their message. Psalm 19:1-3

From the strength of your heart, put all your trust in Grandfather, and do not hold yourself up with weak human thinking. As you walk the road of life, make every step a prayer. Grandfather will then make your eyes straight and your paths safe. Proverbs 3:5-6

Whether you’re seeking solace, strength, or spiritual insight, the First Nations Version Psalms and Proverbs will guide you with its profound expressions of praise and trust in the Creator. Step into the harmonious blend of ancient wisdom and indigenous tradition to discover a spiritual experience that speaks directly to your heart.

Find First Nations Version | Psalms and Proverbs online at:

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Some memories usually return, but not always. And most times, not all memories ever return.

Book Review | Faithfully Devoted, Jacob (Scripted Love #5) by Emily Dana Botrous

Jacob and Arlene have been happily married for over forty years and have raised five children together. When Jacob has a heart attack and wakes up with no memory of Arlene or his family, they both have to go back to the early days of dating to get to know each other again. Unfortunately, that means facing the issue that almost drove them apart all those years ago.

Faithfully Devoted, Jacob is the sixth (and probably final) book in the Scripted Love series by Emily Dana Botrous (probably final because the series has now covered Jacob and Arlene and each of their five children. Each book involves one or both of the main characters writing to the other, and the book titles are their signature sign-offs.

The story has a strong Christian element, as both Jacob and Arlene are both committed Christians. They both have to learn – twice – what Christian repentance and forgiveness truly means. It’s a challenging yet beautiful lesson.

Recommended for Christian romance readers who enjoy second-chance romance and romance featuring older couples (by which I mean over fifty, not over thirty).

Thanks to the author for providing a free ebook for review.

About Emily Dana Botrous

Emily Dana BotrousEmily Dana Botrous lives in San Diego, California with her husband and their four children. She lived in 10 states before she settled on the West Coast where she plans to stay for awhile. She started writing short stories at age 10 and studied English in college. The only thing she enjoys more than writing is motherhood.

While there are a lot of things that matter to Emily, nothing is more important to her than Jesus Christ. It is her goal to point anyone who reads her writing toward Him. When Emily isn’t writing, she enjoys cooking, long walks, music, and playing with her kids.

Find Emily Dana Botrous online at:

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About Faithfully Devoted, Jacob

He has no memories. She fears the things he can’t remember. Can a lost past become the key to their future?

Faithfully Devoted, JacobWhen Jacob Halverson wakes up in the hospital, he doesn’t know where he is. Worse yet, he doesn’t know who he is—or the woman claiming to be his wife of forty-two years. But when she’s at his side, he feels like everything will be okay.

Arlene Halverson never imagined her husband could forget her. Now she is tasked with filling in the blanks of an entire lifetime for Jacob, reminding him of their life together, the family they built, and the love they share.

With the help of old love letters, Arlene journeys through time at Jacob’s bedside, visiting memories both painful and poignant. Together they search to find the reason Jacob hid his illness from her while Arlene finds the courage to share her greatest mistake in hopes Jacob can forgive her a second time.

Will Jacob choose to trust God with an uncertain future? And can Arlene trust Jacob with the past—again

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