Amelia McNeilly

Pink Patriot - My desire is to share with you the journey God has me on. Whether in joy hardship, I hope that my blog offers a place of respite, and bring joy to your heart!

Articles, Books, Reading

Book Review – “Playing the Part,” by Jen Turano

I recently read the book “Playing the Part,” by Jen Turano, and wanted to share my thoughts.

About the Book:

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 Playing the Part (Bethany House, March 2016)

Can they accept who they are behind the parts they play in time to save the day?Lucetta Plum is an actress on the rise in New York City, but is forced to abandon her starring role when a fan’s interest turns threatening. Lucetta’s widowed friend, Abigail Hart, is delighted at the opportunity to meddle in Lucetta’s life and promptly whisks her away to her grandson’s estate to hide out.

Bram Haverstein may appear to simply be a somewhat eccentric gentleman of means, but a mysterious career and a secret fascination with a certain actress mean there’s much more to him than society knows.

Lucetta, who has no interest in Abigail’s matchmaking machinations, has the best intentions of remaining cordial but coolly distant to Bram. But when she can’t ignore the strange and mysterious things going on in his house, it’ll take more than good intentions to keep her from trying to discover who Bram is behind the part he plays.

Purchase a copy: https://bit.ly/1RQM4QD

My Thoughts: 

“Playing the Part” is the third in a series by Jen Turano, but it was the first time I had ever read one of her books. That being said, “Playing the Part” can easily be read as a stand-alone title, but after reading this one, you will most definitely want to read the others. This book had the perfect mix of humor, wit, romance, and mystery.

When a fan’s stalking becomes dangerous, Lucetta Plum has to quickly find somewhere to escape, and her friend Abigail Hart decides that her grandson’s estate is the perfect solution. Bram Haverstein is a man of wealth and mystery, but there is more to him than meets the eye. Even though Lucetta is not amused with Abigail’s matchmaking ideas, as the book unfolds Lucetta has a hard time avoiding her attraction to Bram as well as the odd things that continue to occur around the house. Lucetta is determined to learn who Bram really is, and who is the source behind the weird happenings. If you are looking for a new book that is light and funny with a bit of mystery this book is for you.

I was given this book by Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for my review. Read what other reviewers are saying here – https://litfusegroup.com/author/JTurano

About the author:
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Jen Turano, author of the Ladies of Distinction series and the A Class of Their Own series, is a graduate of the University of Akron. She is a member of ACFW and lives in a suburb of Denver, Colorado.

Books, Reading

And it Was Beautiful Book Review

For those of you who know me or follow me regularly, you know that I love books and am always reading. Recently, I joined Litfuse Publicity as a book reviewer so be sure to check on the blog often for some good book recommendations. Below is my review for “And It Was Beautiful” by Kara Tippetts.
unnamedAbout the book:

And It Was Beautiful: Celebrating Life in the Midst of the Long Good-Bye (David C Cook, March 2016)

“I was here. I saw beauty. I embraced it.” -Kara Tippetts

How do you live out extravagant love in the everyday moments? How do you celebrate grace when your life turns out differently than the one you dreamed?

Kara Tippetts discovered how to find joy in the small moments of life. She learned how to hold tight to hope even while battling intense physical and emotional pain. And she lived out the truth that God can redeem any story.

In her final book, Kara offers gentle reflections on living and dying well. She invites us to cultivate soft hearts even when we face great disappointment. Her ideas for living are hard-won, wrestled with in the crucible of family, illness, and faith. And her constant reminder is that whether we are in the midst of dark days or mundane moments Jesus is always there, life is surprisingly beautiful, and God is forever good.

My Thoughts: 
“And It Was Beautiful” is one of the most inspiring books that I have read in a long time. I felt like we were old friends having coffee, and me listening to Kara share her story.  The book chronicled Kara’s personal journey through cancer and the “long goodbye” Kara experienced with her family. The pages of this book are filled with evidences of Jesus’ mercy and grace, and how He creates something beautiful out of hard circumstances.
Over the past year, I have been homebound due to some major health problems and this book was the balm my soul needed during this season. This book is a great resource for anyone experiencing health challenges or families and friends of those who are suffering. This is one that I will often go back to for much wisdom and encouragement. If you haven’t yet, pick up a copy to read — you won’t be sorry.
I was given a copy of this book from Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for an honest review.

Purchase a copy: https://bit.ly/1QVAvgz

About the author: unnamed (1)

Kara Tippetts was the author of The Hardest Peace and the co-author of Just Show Up. She blogged faithfully at mundanefaithfulness.com. Since her death in March 2015, her husband, Jason, has been parenting their four children and leading the church the couple founded in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Read what other reviewers are saying about this book here.

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