My Stubborn Heart

My Stubborn Heart

by Becky Wade

From the back cover:

Kate Donovan is burned out on work, worn down by her dating relationships, and in need of an adventure. When her grandmother asks her to accompany her to Redbud, Pennsylvania, to restore the grand old house she grew up in, Kate jumps at the chance. Upon her arrival in Redbud, Kate meets Matt Jarreau, the man hired to renovate the house. Kate can't help being attracted to him, drawn by both his good looks and something else she can't quite put her finger on. He's clearly wounded - hiding from people, from God, and from his past. Yet Kate sets her stubborn heart on bringing him out of the dark and back into the light...whether he likes it or not. When the stilted, uncomfortable interactions between Kate and Matt slowly shift into something more, is God finally answering the longing of her heart? Or will Kate be required to give up more than she ever dreamed?

My take:

I first heard about this book when my friend Becky reviewed it on her blog.  She rated it highly, and when she loves a book, most of the time I love it too. I finally got the chance to read it, and boy am I sorry I waited so long! I can't begin to recount how much I loved this book. From the setting in Redbud, Pennsylvania, the rich descriptions, the memorable characters...I loved all of it! Wade does an excellent job of building up tension/romance between Kate and Matt. I also loved Gran, Velma, and Morty. I found myself wishing I could go over to Chapel Bluff for a game of poker with them! 


I want to preface what I'm about to say with reiterating how much I loved this book. The only thing I wasn't entirely crazy about was Matt's dark, withdrawn personality. It seems that so many women go for men who are "emotionally unavailable," myself included (in the past). I don't consider this very healthy, and hope women reading it don't think they can change a man who is this way. That being said, I also recognize God's powerful work in a life, and know that He and only He can change someone for the better.

I probably went on a bit more for a book review, but I felt the need to elaborate a bit on the subject since it is one I feel strongly about. I also realize this is just a book of fiction, and it is fun to dream about "what could be."

I would recommend this one to anyone who enjoys a good inspirational romance. I give it a "5."


About the author:

Becky Wade is a graduate of Baylor University. As a newlywed, she lived for three years in a home overlooking the turquoise waters of the Caribbean, as well as in Australia, before returning to the States. A mom of three young children, Becky and her family now live in Dallas, Texas. Visit www.beckywade.com to learn more about Becky, her writing, and a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of My Stubborn Heart.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers. 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."

Safely Home

Safely Home

by Randy Alcorn

Ben Fielding is an American business executive whose company is trying to expand development in China. When his boss asks him to travel to China to visit an old college roommate in order to get a better feel for Chinese culture, Ben is skeptical. He hasn't seen his roommate, Li Quan, for 20 years. When he arrives at Quan's house, he is shocked to discover that his friend lives in a tiny one room house with little amenities. He also discovers that Quan has kept true to his faith in God, while Ben has walked away. 

Determined to keep his distance from Christianity, he escapes the first few Sundays of the underground house church that meets in the wee hours of the morning. When he agrees to go one week, his impression of the Chinese Christians, and God, makes him second guess his aloofness. When Quan takes the ultimate stand for his faith, Ben discovers what is most important in life. 

I loved this book. It was very hard to read at times, because persecution is not an easy subject. I found myself amazed at the level of faith that the Chinese Christians have. As the book notes, American Christians have no idea what it is like to have to hold a church meeting in secret, or hide Bibles. I was very moved when I read the part about the way they painstakingly copy sections of scripture, and rip out books of the Bible so they still have a part of the Bible in the case of Chinese authorities discarding. 

Of note, this book was originally written in 2001, and the copy I read was the 10th anniversary edition. This is truly an amazing, eye opening book, and it is one I think every Christian should read.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Tyndale House Publishers. 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."

A Short Life Well Lived

A Short Life Well Lived

by Tom Sullivan

Brian O'Connor is an attorney who is married with two kids. He is also blind. When his 11-year-old son, Tommy, is found to have cancer after breaking his arm during a baseball game, Brian is devastated. Having no faith in God, he feels angry and lost. Rev. Clayton McRae, the hospital chaplain, befriends him and encourages him to train with him for the Boston Marathon, and raise money for kids with cancer. During his running sessions with Clayton, Brian vents his frustrations about his son being sick, and questions a God who would allow this to happen.

A Short Life Well Lived takes the reader on Brian's faith journey, which I found to be very honest and realistic. I have to admit this was a hard book to read. Any story about a sick child makes me sad. But overall I did enjoy the book. Working in healthcare myself, I was able to better empathize with parents of sick children by the end of the book. I think another thing that made the book intriguing was the fact that the author, Tom Sullivan, is also blind. This gave an authenticity to his character's experience with blindness. I would recommend this book to anyone who questions their faith in God, or just simply wants a closer walk with God.


About the author: Tom Sullivan

Tom Sullivan, known to many as an actor, singer, entertainer, author and producer, lives and works by “Sullivan’s Rules.”  As a young boy he found himself fenced in his back yard, but he refused to be fenced in by his blindness.  “Sullivan’s Rules” were invented by Tom and his father, Porky Sullivan, so that he could play baseball with the neighborhood boys without the benefit of seeing the ball.  It became the most popular game on the block.  “Sullivan’s Rules” became the rules to play by in the sighted world, and that meant playing almost anything.

One of Sullivan’s first rules is that any negative can be turned into positive.  Born prematurely in 1947, Tom was given too much oxygen while in an incubator.  Though it saved his life, it cost him his eyesight.  The “inconvenience” of being blind has never kept Tom Sullivan from competing in a world where he realized that to be equal, for him, meant that he must be better.  Even as he may have had to change the rules slightly, he has proven that one need not be limited by a handicap, whether it is playing backyard baseball as a youngster or any activity he’s pursued.  Tom is an excellent golfer.  (“I’ve never seen a water hazard.  I always have an open shot to the green.”)  He’s an avid snow skier and a marathon runner and has been inducted into the Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

As a special correspondent for ABC’s Good Morning America, Tom became a regular morning fixture in millions of American homes.  His touching and insightful reports gave many that “you can do it” bit of inspiration to start their day.

Tom went on to be nominated for two Emmy Awards and has acted on TV series, such as Designing Women, Highway to Heaven, Fame, M*A*S*H, Mork & Mindy and WKRP in Cincinnati, just to name a few.  But to create the characters and fulfill the role of a blind man on prime time he also helped write and develop many of these stories.

Thanks to Tom’s public life, he has been privileged to become one of America’s most sought-after motivational speakers, communicating with over 3,000 corporations around the world.  His message of hope is best expressed in his quote from his ESPN special, Superior Beings:  “If extraordinary people can do impossible things, isn’t it reasonable to assume that ordinary people can do extraordinary things.”

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Glass Road Public Relations. 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."