Refining Fire

Tracie Peterson has long been recognized as a leader in Christian historical fiction. Often featuring memorable female leads, Peterson weaves life int these characters while providing readers landmarks of events, places, or advancements to help anchor her stories,


Refining Fire is no different in this vein, featuring many memorable characters while centering on Militine, Thane, Abrianna, and Wade in Seattle of 1889.

Militine and Thane both have painful pasts that are, in their minds, best left behind them, not only for the bad memories but also for the potential cost to their newly rebuilding lives.
For Militine, this involves hiding out at the Madison Bridal School. For Thane, through his work as a volunteer firefighter. Neither are overly concerned with the Christian life and God their friends continually propose through word or deed.

I really enjoy Militine. I like the wounded character and by now it should come as no surprise the Militine was an instant draw in this book. Her backstory, slowly unfolded was fascinating to guess at although it's abrupt reveal did feel a little anticlimactic. Thane rounded out a wonderful pairing as Peterson captured a great dynamic. The counsellor in me cringed slightly as, in real life, this pairing and the speed with which they progressed could spell disaster but for a fictional account I was willing to simply read and enjoy without getting overly critical.

Wade and Abrianna provided an interest counterpoint to Militine and Thane's intensity. Wade's longsuffering at Abrianna's ideas and lack of awareness provided a lightness to the narrative (although at the same time couldn't be faulted Abrianna's lack of awareness did become an aggravation at times). I appreciated that the Christian models in Refining Fire weren't perfect: Wade struggled with his future, Abrianna with her . . . let's call it intensity, and the Aunt's also had their own little quirks to help them feel less archtype and more human.

Even the climactic adventure, though somewhat expected given Abrianna and Militine's friendship, provided an exciting finish that kept me emotionally invested (an element I often find missing in this genre) as I worried with Militine over her friends safety.

I would definitely pick up other books in the Brides of Seattle series and heartily recommend this to other fans of the genre.


I received this book from Bethany House Publishing in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

Women Are Scary

Women are Scary is supposed to get your attention, make you question, make you laugh but like most  of the relationships it's describing, at the core is something necessary that has a lot of heart.

I had intended to write this review before our second little arrived, instead I ended up remembering it's pages as we spent our week in the NICU waiting for our little one to gain enough strength to come home.

Women are Scary is a truth many moms can face with the so-called "mommy wars" and the general insecurities that can accompany gaining responsibility for the life of a helpless human being.
Since welcome our oldest two years ago I've found myself battling PPD alongside the general trying to unravel just how one does make friends with other mommies. I long ago admitted I am an introvert and while I can make small talk, insecurities about social interactions along with an inability to shut up about my passions (sci-fi, adoption, counselling issues and the church) tend to make friendships a hard won achievement.

Melanie Dale's book is brilliant in it's simplicity.
I'm guessing many moms reading this will probably not be overwhelmed by new knowledge (unless teething is currently underway at home in which case most information could be considered overwhelming). Most of this book is reiterating information most of us already know but we've forgotten or simply have decided it no longer applies now that we've moved into adulthood.

For me, the strength of Melanie's book is her presentation.
Here is a book about friendship that feels like sitting down with a friend over coffee (or tea if you'rea dreaded tea drinker like myself ;) ).
I recognize that not all readers will resonate with her humour, sci-fi references, etc. . . but it's just like in real life - some people are never meant to be more than first base acquaintances and that's okay (don't worry sports don't factor too heavily into this book, even I was able to follow all the references).
In today's social media driven culture, it is refreshing to hear someone stop and point out that not everyone is going to be invited into every area of one another's life - and that's okay! Between her three bases of relationship to her chapter on saying goodbye, these practical tips and insights read as a breath of fresh air to a society that feels driven to add their brother's best friend from third grade onto various social networks.

After reading Melanie's book I had the chance to put some of her advice into practice in the unique setting of the NICU. While not an obvious first choice for striking up a conversation there was a captive audience of moms in the same boat we were in - having a child needing help - who weren't able to go anywhere else. So I did as Melanie suggested - I started with a hello. Here's the amazing thing. I don't think I found life long friends but we did talk, for a few days we shared life, and in the end the other moms weren't so scary after all.

I would recommend this book for all practical, down to earth moms who are lonely and looking for some perspective.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.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 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Midwife's Tale

Martha is happy with her life and work - living with her brother's family and carrying on the family tradition of welcoming the babies of Trinity into the world.

As town midwife she leads a content life secure in her place and assured of her position in town. However, when her daughter runs away and a new doctor takes up practice while she's away, Martha finds her entire existence suddenly shaken as she tries to find her footing in a shifting world.

Midwifery and doula's are of particular interest to me (especially as we hit month 9 of this pregnancy) so this book by Delia Parr seemed like the perfect way to beat some pregnancy insomnia. 

Having grown up in a smaller community I appreciate Parr's ability to stay true to life in a small town. Trinity was a highly believable setting to the cast of characters introduced, to small town relationship quirks, the power of public sentiment, and the ability of the gossip mill to turn life upside down. Trinity's ebb and flow help set the pace for the story's plot and added depth for me personally.

With a town like Trinity it wasn't hard to appreciate the characters within that setting. I know I am biased but certain characters like Martha, the sisters at the confectionery, Thomas and Eleanor, and Samuel (and boy although for different reasons) felt more relatable  as I had met people in my own small town who were brought to mind as I read the characters. Honestly, I'm not sure if these personal connections allowed me to add depth where it may not have been explicitly written or if that depth was always there in the pages but either way, I know my own experiences added to my enjoyment of The Midwife's Tale.

With so much enjoyment of the pacing, setting, and characters, I thought we were in for a clear win on this book, however, I do wonder at the ending to a degree. In all fairness, The Midwife's Tale is clearly noted as book 1 in a new series (I actually got to start a series on book 1 for a change someone write this down!) so perhaps storylines, and I won't say which ones for spoilers sake, that felt rushed and incomplete may, in fact, be slotted in for a book 2 or book 3. A highly plausible scenario given the way the last few chapters were set up.
If the book and it's characters were truly left in the situations they are in, I think some readers would have a difficult time fully enjoying the potential this tale has to offer. I reserve the right for final judgement until book 2's eventual release.

In the meantime I give this book 4 out of 5 stars and my thanks for some pleasant pregnancy insomnia filled nights.


I received this book from Bethany House Publishing in exchange for my honest opinion, the views expressed here are my own. 

The Crimson Path of Honor

The Crimson Path of Honor by M.B. Tosi follows the story of Luci Towers, a young, privileged Luci Towers who is on a mission to avoid a loveless arranged marriage that would leave her trapped in society. To escape her fate, Luci packs her bags and heads west to teach on the new frontier . . . only to be promptly captured as the lone survivor of her wagon train by a Native raiding party.
Now faced with a new people, new culture, and new life Luci- renamed Morning Star, must find a way to adapt to a foreign land while trying to understand the confusion of her new chief Golden Eagle.


I wanted to like this book. I've racked my brain thinking about this since I finished Tosi's book a few weeks ago and the premise was solid. I love historical pieces. I love strong female characters and the way that Luci/Morning Star wrestles with her faith and her heart in the midst of trying circumstances was refreshing in the honesty it portrayed rather than the clean cut version that can be so evident in Christian literature.

However, the cons sadly outweighed the pros for me in this novel. While the book opened with a preface regarding history and sensitivity certain facts were omitted to make the novel work with Luci initial overwhelming (Scalping for example was adopted from white settlers). There were also instances throughout the book where frustration and language differences were either ignored or poorly represented leaving the village looking less intelligent and more "savage" so to speak than the educated Luci. These passages just didn't seem to sit right, even after rereading them.

Finally, despite the honesty of Luci's struggle, the ending fell into a very neat pattern that left it feeling a little too formula driven for me. The last chapters were quite predictable and felt more rushed and cheapened given the pacing and wrestling of the rest of the novel - more like an afterthought than a well structured conclusion.

Overall, I give this book 2 stars out of 5.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.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 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Fairy Tale Romance Collection by Melanie Dickerson

If you've been checking in here for awhile the name Melanie Dickerson might sound a bit familiar.

Last Christmas season I had the opportunity to read the last book in this collection and review it in this post .

Overall, I enjoyed the book and found it held its own as a "read-alone" given the references to prior characters and books.

However, I love stories that continue on well, giving insight into the area or secondary characters that would have distracted from the initial plot. So when I was given the chance to review Dickerson's full fairy tale collection I eagerly signed on for a lighter distraction from these darned braxton-hicks :)

Dickerson's fairy tale collection weaves it's way through 5 medieval recreations of classic fairy tales (and I've heard rumours of two more novels expected to join the series). 

Each book bares its own driving theme i.e. Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, etc. .. and, with the exception of one lone tale, have a strongly interconnected nature following the same Noble family and their town as they grow and mature throughout two generations.

Book #1 - The Healer's Apprentice ( Sleeping Beauty) follows the story of a young village girl named Rose. Rose has achieved her dream of becoming her town healer's apprentice - thereby freeing her from the obligation of marriage out of duty rather than love something her mother is more than eager to encourage. Unfortunately, Rose finds herself at a disadvantage becoming unsettled/queasy/ ill-at-ease when it comes to people who are ill, bleeding, or in need of medical help- a problem for any future healer yet one that seems far less troubling than the noble who continually crosses her thoughts and path or his brother who seems intent on finding a way into her life.

The Merchant's Daughter (Beauty and the Beast) follows young Annabel who's family has fallen on hard times through a combination of her father's death and her family's selfishness. To save the family's prospects, Annabel becomes a servant at the new master's house but who's salvation is really at hand and what circumstances really surround the mysterious new master?

The Fairest Beauty (Snow White) technically follows young Sophie, a beautiful servant girl who has lived all her memoried life at the hands of a vain, cruel Mistress, however, this story also gives equal time to the young Noble Gabe. With Sophie's life at risk when her Mistresses' patience finally runs out, Gabe risks everything to save the young servant who may be his injured brother's betrothed while discovering some hard truths about himself in the process.

The Captive Maiden (Cinderella) Gisella grew up the daughter of a knight and a lover of the horses her father bred. After his death, Gisella became content to care and live with her father's horses trusting their companionship over the human's who betray and mistreat her. A chance encounter in the marketplace and a snowballing series of events at the town's tournament threaten to give Gisella a  chance at a life she's only dreamed of as long as conspirators don't turn her dreams into nightmares.

Overall, I enjoyed this series. Dickerson's work is a fun read for teen's and adults who enjoy Christian fantasy or romance novels as the books maintain a steady balance between both. As someone who can't really handle romance novels (darn pregnancy hormones) I found the relational aspects of these books to be mostly balanced and well maintained. The Christian aspect is also well worth noting as some reviews I saw floating around before reading the series myself felt this wasn't marked clearly enough in the series' identifiers (I disagree) but do note some books have sections that could be labelled as "preachy" depending on the readers' background and experience with religion.

Dickerson shows a lot of potential in her books and her skill shows evident signs of growth when her books are read in order (or reflected upon in context if you're like me and stumble across book 5 before 1-4). I found this to be a highly enjoyable aspect of the series as the character's depth and growth seemed to find parallels in what felt like Dickerson's personal growth and gained confidence throughout the series.

That said, I did find the early books were the ones that held my attention the longest.

Annabel and Rose were characters who felt more resonant, making their stories more personally appealing. 

It probably didn't hurt that Beauty and the Beast is a long-time favourite story of mine either which is why I was a little sad Annabel doesn't feature in later books as other characters are apt to pop in and out as the plot allows.

Granted a target audience of Christian fantasy/romance enthusiasts I would definitely recommend this series - in order :) - for readers looking for easier reads in these upcoming summer months. 

Scary Close: Dropping the Act and Finding True Intimacy

This month I had the opportunity to explore Donald Miller’s latest offering Scary Close.

 Donald Miller is a name that came up time and again throughout my college years, acting as a polarizing force through his works such as Blue Like Jazz. However, even among all this buzz, this was my first actual exposure to his work.

On a whole, I can understand the appeal of Miller’s work.

His writing style is familiar, comfortable. His book reads as a conversation between friends over a coffee. This style seemed especially appropriate given Miller’s focus on intimacy and relationships. It almost felt as though the style itself was another forum through which Miller was attempting to explore and express his feelings on the subject matter.

That said, after reading the book, I am still not entirely sure of Miller’s point.

On one hand, readers are introduced to a meandering journey of Miller’s relationship and intimacy issues ending in the author’s marriage to Betsy. On the other, Miller seems intent on trying to explain life lessons about intimacy as related to this journey.

While there were high points where Miller conveys important work (I particularly enjoyed the chapter with him ending a lecture by jumping in a lake), I almost felt like the point of Miller’s work was buried under the emotional connection he worked to form with the reader through the biographical narrative. In my case, the “so what” of the book got lost between personal growth retreats and fixing up broken down locations for the long awaited wedding.

Although I love the stated topic and have read avidly on the subject before, I couldn't shake the feeling the Scary Close was not written with someone of my gender (female) or life stage (young mom) in mind. I did get the distinct impression this would have been a much discussed book had it been around during my college years.

Overall, I give this book 3 out of stars mainly because I can see its potential given the right audience.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.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 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Blessings For the Morning by Susie Larson.

With life swirling messily around  a toddler, a pregnancy, and a big move it can become all too easy to get lost in the chaos of it all.
Big things just seem to make way for more big things, large tasks just seem to get more complex. Our to-do lists seems to have little elves that magically lengthen it while we sleep.

In the middle of all this mess, I try (and admittedly often fail) to remember baby steps.
When our son took his first steps it was, obviously, a huge milestone. Yet, looking back, I think, as adults, we often forget how much those first steps cost.

To take baby steps requires venturing into the unknown, coordinating things that have never worked in that manner before, to learn and master skills previously unknown while looking on at others who have already made that step.
Looking back baby steps are building blocks - simple, foundational. In the middle of our chaos baby steps can be a looming possibility.

Throughout our craziness I was grateful to be asked to review Susie Larson's newer devotional Blessings for the Morning.

Right out of the box I knew Susie had put together something exceedingly helpful for those, like me, in a busy stage of life.
Blessings offers a sturdy, smaller size perfect for storing by bedsides, by favourite chairs, or in purses where it can be easily accessed in the morning. There is even a ribbon bookmark to help the more distracted (like me) find my place the next day!

The material itself is beautifully presented with photo-based backgrounds that, I find, consistently draw me in, often before I even begin reading the daily text.This has had the unexpected benefit of helping me distance myself mentally from the busyness in our home, something I have struggled with for years when trying to find quiet times.

The reading itself is simple.
Larson presents a verse, a theme, and a series of promises, ideas, and challenges with which readers can direct their focus for their day. Keeping in mind the busyness of her target audience, these readings can be done quickly or used as an introduction to a longer time of prayer and reading depending on the needs and schedule of the reader.
Either way, lack of time is certainly not a reasonable excuse for skipping out with the user-friendly method Larson has compiled.

I do understand that some may be seeking a morning devotional with more depth and substance for Biblical learning. That is not Larson's endeavor with this book and those who wish to use this material for sole academic studying will be sorely disappointed. In all honesty, when I first started exploring Blessings the first thing that came to mind was - baby steps.

Blessings can help readers in times of life where quiet time is a challenge due to any number of circumstances re-enter into a daily space with their Creator. These easy to access daily meditations can serve as a way to wet the appetite as readers re-learn what it means to spend time daily doing devotionals- baby steps.

All in all I am impressed with Larson's book and give it 4 out of 5 stars.

I received this book from Bethany House Publishing in exchange for my honest review the opinions are my own.