Kathleen Friesen

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My place for interviews, book reviews, and the occasional meditation. Do you enjoy a good book? I'll feature them here, so let's visit!

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Book Review: Second Time Around

5/13/2015

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TITLE:  Second Time Around

AUTHOR:  JoAnn Durgin

DATE:  December 2013

STARS:  *****

The follow-up novel to the popular Awakening and second in The Lewis Legacy Series, Second Time Around proves that God's time is the right time. Marc Thompson is on top of the world-a newlywed with a beautiful wife, the owner of a thriving Boston sports advertising agency, and a century-old home they're renovating in the suburbs. Then the unthinkable happens. Two months after the wedding, Marc sits in a hospital emergency waiting room after Natalie suffers a horrible fall. One shock follows another. Not only does his wife remember nothing of their life together, but now he has a personal timeline to reconnect with her-seven months. Marc's gold wedding band mocks him, a glaring reminder of a promise broken by a rotting basement stair and his own negligence. His renowned psychologist advises him to court his wife again-a daunting task the first time around. Then Marc's pastor suggests he call Sam and Lexa Lewis of TeamWork Missions, a ministry dear to Natalie's heart. 

Determined to help her reclaim her life, the young groom makes great strides until a ghost from the past surfaces, opening fresh wounds and threatening to destroy it all. With Natalie's trust shattered and Marc's faith wavering, they head to Milestone Ranch outside Helena, Montana, with TeamWork for a two-week work camp. But instead of romancing his wife in the freezing November temperatures with warm fires and shared sweet moments, he's out in the cold and back at square one. Even if Natalie recovers her lost memories, will she forgive him? If not, can Marc come to terms with his deepest fear-the failure of his marriage? 

You'll root for Marc and Natalie as they fight against the odds and discover that surrendering all at the throne of grace doesn't mean failure. It's simply called faith. And it might be the only way to finding their way back to one another . . . the second time around.
 

First line of Second Time Around: “It wasn’t the bloodcurdling scream that made Marc’s heart pound. Not even the sickening thud. It was the silence.”

No wonder I couldn’t put this book down. Author JoAnn Durgin had my heart from that first line. Just two blissful months into their marriage, a terrible accident and the resulting amnesia tear Marc and his bride Natalie apart. Their struggles to regain what was lost, or barring that, rebuild a relationship, swung my emotions from hope to despair and back again.

The supporting cast from TeamWork show their love in sacrificial ways, a beautiful picture of the way the Church should operate.

I loved Second Time Around and give it five stars. Highly recommended.

 


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Book Review: Love So Amazing

5/9/2015

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TITLE:  Love So Amazing

AUTHOR:  JoAnn Durgin

DATE:  March 2015

STARS:  *****

Dance instructor Ava Carlisle lost her fiancé in a tragic car accident. Pedicab owner/operator Sawyer Mancini understands her pain all too well.

Ava and Sawyer aren’t looking for love when they meet outside an Indianapolis, Indiana hotel. Drawn to one another, these two lonely souls discover they share much in common during a six-block trip when Sawyer pedals Ava home to her downtown apartment building. When they unexpectedly meet a second time, both interpret it as freedom from the chains of past heartache and the Lord’s blessing to pursue a relationship. Although they intend to go slow, Ava and Sawyer tumble headfirst into the kind of love that only happens once in a lifetime. 

A few months later, Sawyer uncovers a shocking revelation. He and Ava share an unfathomable bond they never could have imagined, and one that threatens to destroy their love. Is it a cruel twist of fate or could it somehow be God’s perfect plan for their lives? 

Can Ava and Sawyer survive the ultimate test by fighting their way past old heartaches to be together and share...a love so amazing? 


Love So Amazing is a delightful story by JoAnn Durgin. By page two I was already half in love with Sawyer Mancini and wanted Ava Carlisle for a close friend. These two characters display their faith, their pain, and the sparks that fly between them with charisma and charm. Sprinkles of humor add to the enjoyment. I especially enjoyed the relationship between Sawyer and his sister Allie, with her daughter Sophia bringing a wonderful dose of kid humor.

I am happy to award Love So Amazing five stars. 


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Book Review: No Place To Hide

5/7/2015

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TITLE:  No Place To Hide

AUTHOR:  Lynette Eason

DATE:  2015

PUBLISHER:  Revell

STARS:  ****

It's not every day you see your childhood friend and one-time crush on national news. Jackie Sellers just wishes it were under different circumstances. She can't believe that Ian Lockwood is wanted in connection with a terrorist plot, and she's determined to find him and help him clear his name. But she's not the only one looking. The FBI wants him captured. The bad guys want him dead. Ian just wants to stay alive long enough to save thousands of innocent lives.

Lynette Eason throws readers right into the action from page one, propelling them along a dangerous road and asking the provocative question of how far we'd be willing to go if we were up against a wall.
 

No Place To Hide is definitely fast-paced, with little or no let-up in the action. If you enjoy hard-hitting, tension-filled stories, this will be a great read. Unfortunately, I found myself skimming many of the more violent scenes.

The two main characters, Jackie Sellers and Ian Lockwood, are childhood friends trapped in a web of deceit, betrayal, and danger. Branded as terrorists, they have to evade police and other authorities as well as the unknowns determined to kill them. The pace is intense, and the storyline is all too possible. Lynette Eason has obviously done her homework.

However, it took me quite a while to feel as though I knew the characters, especially since there were so many. The plot carries the story, but the relationship aspect didn’t come through until well into the story.

Revell gave me a free copy of No Place To Hide in exchange for my honest opinion. I give this book four stars.


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Book Review: Secretly Yours

5/6/2015

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TITLE:  Secretly Yours

AUTHOR:  Valerie Comer

DATE:  February 2015

PUBLISHER:  GreenWords Media

STARS:  *****

Chef Lindsey Solberg agrees to cater the church's Valentine's Day fundraising banquet as a favor to her teen sister, but she's shocked to discover the bad boy from her high school days is now Riverbend's youth pastor. Seriously? How could he have changed that much? Nick Harrison has prayed for years for an opportunity to make amends. Now Lindsey's back in Riverbend and won't give him the time of day. What's a guy to do except leave a trail of gifts from a secret admirer?

Lindsey's heart takes a beating when she realizes the boy who was never good enough is now a far better man than she deserves.
 

What woman could resist a secret admirer? Especially one who doesn’t give up, who listens to a woman’s heart and sends little gifts that lead her into a deeper relationship with the One who loved her first?

Within the word-count constraints of a novella, Valerie Comer gives readers a romance that goes well beyond boy-meets-girl. Her characters are realistic, not perfect, and I thoroughly enjoyed Lindsey’s and Nick’s journey to forgiveness and love. The setting added to my pleasure, since British Columbia is my home—an added bonus for me.

Secretly Yours is a well-written and finely paced novella, and I recommend it. This story earns five stars.


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Book Review: Buried Secrets

5/6/2015

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TITLE:  Buried Secrets

AUTHOR:  Irene Hannon

DATE:  2015

PUBLISHER:  Revell

STARS:  ****1/2

After seven years as a Chicago homicide detective, Lisa Grant has hit a wall. Ready for a kinder, gentler life, she takes a job as a small-town police chief. But the discovery of a human skeleton by a construction crew at the edge of town taxes the resources of her department. A call for assistance brings detective Mac McGregor, an ex-Navy SEAL, to her doorstep. As they work to solve the mystery behind the unmarked grave, danger begins to shadow them. Someone doesn't want this dead person telling any tales--and will stop at nothing to make certain a life-shattering secret stays buried. 

Master storyteller Irene Hannon is back with an exciting new series featuring former special forces operatives now in the thick of the action in civilian life. Hannon is at the top of her game in this can't-put-it-down thriller that will have readers up until the wee hours devouring every page.

Multi-layered characters with secrets and weaknesses as well as strengths, small town setting, and a cold-case murder mystery—all the makings of a great thriller. And Buried Secrets is a fantastic read. I couldn’t put it down unless forced to, and when I turned the last page, my only thought was, “Wow!”

Lisa Grant is an intriguing heroine with her issues and yearnings, and Mac McGregor would stir any woman’s heart. Strong, steady, and handsome, he has a few secrets of his own. Watching them work together to solve the murder kept me entranced. Ms. Hannon’s secondary characters are all well-drawn, too, making each scene realistic and drawing me deeper and deeper into the story.

Buried Secrets is a fast-paced, enthralling thriller, and it almost deserves five stars. One minor plot point regarding diabetes didn’t ring true for me, so I give Buried Secrets four and a half stars.


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Book Review: Twin Hearts

5/5/2015

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TITLE:  Twin Hearts

AUTHOR:  JoAnn Durgin

DATE:  April 2012

STARS:  *****

Third in the popular Lewis Legacy Series, this novel brings back one of the most memorable characters from Awakening. Almost five years after the TeamWork missions camp in San Antonio where Sam Lewis collided with Lexa Clarke, Joshua Grant is now a changed man, a man redeemed. He's worked hard to put the past behind him. A mergers and acquisitions attorney in a prestigious Baton Rouge law firm, he pours his energies into his career, hurricane relief efforts, and numerous civic and charitable causes. 

A near-fatal event in the life of a fellow TeamWork Missions volunteer prompts him to make some apologies, starting with his friend and mentor, Sam Lewis, Domestic Missions Director for TeamWork in Houston. Josh is still haunted by the memories of the San Antonio work camp where Sam threw him out as well as his final meeting with another TeamWork volunteer. When he also seeks her forgiveness, Josh gets the shock of his life. Could turning his deepest sin into his greatest blessing be God's answer for his hurting heart? 

Rebekah Grant, Josh's twin sister, is torn between two men. Adam, a dashing British aristocrat, offers her a world of exotic travel, socializing with royalty, fabulous couture and the life of leisure. Then there's sweet Kevin, the strong, intelligent, faithful TeamWork member. Will the shy Louisiana lumber man ever take the step of faith to move their relationship to the next level? What Kevin lacks in terms of Adam's style and panache, he more than makes up for with heart-stirring kisses and soul-searching conversation. When Rebekah suspects Adam is planning to propose a second time, she knows it's time to make her decision. Juggling both suitors is wrong for so many reasons, but what's a girl to do if she wants to marry and have children in her lifetime? 

When family tragedy strikes, Josh and Rebekah learn the true meaning and value of love, loyalty and what's most important in life. Leaning on the encouragement and support from Sam and Lexa Lewis and their TeamWork friends, both twins look to the Lord for His divine guidance. It's up to them to stake their claim on love before it slips beyond their reach, which means it's also time for a road trip from Louisiana to . . . the peace to be found in seeking and finding the sweetest desires of the heart.
 

Twin Hearts is book three of author JoAnn Durgin’s Lewis Legacy Series, and it made me want to read the rest of the series. Ms. Durgin’s skill in creating memorable characters shines once again with this cast.

Twins Josh and Rebekah Grant are both at turning points in their lives, and while their struggles differ, their faith buoys them through their emotional storms. The supporting cast, most present or past member of TeamWork, show their faith and compassion by their actions. But my favorite character has to be little Chloe, a heart-stealer from her first appearance.

Rebekah’s and Josh’s journeys to discovering God’s will for their lives captivated me from beginning to end. Twin Hearts earns five stars.


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    I’ve always loved music, even before the writing bug hit. Grace notes are little extras, not the actual melody. Just something that adds to the feel of the music. My desire for this blog is to encourage and bless readers, to share a little grace.

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