My Foolish Heart - Susan May Warren

I've been in desperate need of a good book lately. I am a teacher and 15 hours from now, I will be on summer break. In my excitement for the impending summer, I started dreaming about all of the wonderful books I was going to read. And in that excitement, I couldn't help but get started a bit earlier than I probably should have. I was so lucky to start my summer reading off with Susan May Warren's My Foolish Heart. While this books is part of a series, it does not need to be read in order to understand what is going on. (Turns out I had read one book in the series...didn't even realize it until partway through!)

I love a good story with good guys and bad guys, but I love it even more when you're not really sure who is good and who is bad. I loved that about this book. There is one character in particular who you just want to not like, but you can't help it, and you can't decide if he's "good" or "bad".

In the end though, it is not just a quick, fun read. Yes, it's quick, yes, it's fun, but there's a lot more to My Foolish Heart than is seen from the back cover. There are issues of faith and issues that have great depth. I appreciated going on the journey with Issy, Caleb, Lucy, and Seb and discovering my own areas of crippling fear along with them.

Thank you to Tyndale for the review copy of this book. My opinions are entirely my own.

Journey to Riverbend - Henry McLaughlin

I have to admit that I was a little skeptical about Henry McLaughlin's Journey to Riverbend. My skepticism mostly came from the cheesy cover. I even got made fun of by my sweet cousin while on the plane to Hawaii.

"You are reading that book? From the cover, I thought that was a book that Grandma brought with her."

I agreed with her that it was a dumb cover, and that I was a little hesitant to read it. The description on the back cover and the pictures on the front cover made me feel like I was being set up to read a cheesy Christian romance.

Oh, was I wrong! This book had everything I was (secretly) hoping for: adventure, intrigue, (some) romance, growth, mystery, suspense. Michael and Rachel are both portrayed as beautiful examples of redemption, and their story carries all of the subplots throughout this lengthy novel. I was sad when it ended.

While some of the bad guys seemed all bad, with no redeemable qualities, McLaughlin carefully wove humanity through all of his characters. It was an engaging and captivating read and I appreciated the redemption emphasized.

A great debut novel; I look forward to reading more of McLaughlin's work as he continues his writing career.

I was given this book (thank you!) by Tyndale and have expressed my honest opinions in this review.

Code Triage - Candace Calvert

I LOVE getting books in the mail (especially when they're free! Thank you, Tyndale!). This book, in particular, was anxiously awaited - I practically ran to the mailbox after arriving home from work each day. I don't know why I was so excited to get this book, Code Triage, by Candace Calvert, but I was stoked when it finally did come. Unfortunately, I was somewhat put off by the somewhat (I think) ridiculous cover photograph; but after reading the first two chapters, I was hooked!

Calvert's writing draws the reader into the story quickly, and her descriptions are clear and concise. She weaves a somewhat predictable story; however, her characterization makes the reader thirst for more of what will happen. I appreciated the focus on truth and the faithfulness of God, and the oh-so-common human desire for space. I may be the only person to think so, but I did not like how evil Sam was made out to be. While I completely agree that her actions and desires were horrible, I wonder if maybe Calvert could have still made her out as the "bad guy" without the twirling of the mustache and "muah-ha-ha"-ing. Overall though, an enjoyable read! Thanks, Ms. Calvert!

I received this book free of charge from Tyndale. My review contains only my opinions!