Whisper on the Wind

Whisper on the Wind by Maureen Lang

Review by: Melissa J. MacDonald

Genre: historical Fiction

Publisher: Tyndale

Date: 2010

Whisper on the Wind takes the reader on an intriguing historical journey into Belgium during World War 1. Occupied by the Germans Belgium is no longer safe for its people and they are longing for escape. Against all odds Isabelle Lassone manages to sneak into Brussels in a desperate attempt to rescue the love of her life Edward Kirkland. Edward, however, has no desire to be rescued as he is busy running a very important underground newspaper that brings hope and revolution to his country.
Okay, let me pause for a moment. Don’t immediately dismiss this book because Isabelle and her
“daring” rescue into Belgium sounds simply ridiculous. I almost did and if I would have I would have missed out on an excellent historical read. At first Isa seems foolish and stupid and in many ways she is, she’s not even 18 yet and she’s from a wealthy family. Her heart is good but her methods are naïve. She soon realizes that she is not going to get her own way with Edward so she begins to work on his behalf.
Isa makes herself indispensible to the cause and to Edward’s family. She houses them in her Belgium mansion and eventually the entire printing of the illegal newspaper takes place in her secret basement. As the plot grows so does Isa’s maturity and faith. In the end she becomes quite likeable and admirable. Edward begins to find himself quite drawn to the brave beautiful young woman.
Danger lurks in Belgium in World War I and the plot twists will keep you guessing and cause you no small amount of anxiety. Germans invade the mansion and the woman Edward loves in suddenly in extreme danger.
And that’s all I’m going to tell you.
Lang writes with wonderful description and thoroughness. However, if you are looking for a light easy read this is not the book for you. The plot is a bit slow moving at times and the extremely descriptive war chronicles can get very long especially if you are not familiar with World War I. Isa is completely unlikeable at first but I promise she will grow on you. Edward is entirely intriguing either but he too becomes a character rich with depth. The plot is clever and will keep you guessing. As always, I appreciated the historical aspects but in many ways this was even a bit much for a history buff like myself. It’s definitely worth a read though, just be ready to sit down for awhile.  

Rated: Pg-13 for war violence

Billy Graham in Quotes

Sigh....I absolutely love this book. Billy Graham has recently become my hero (for reasons I will explain in a later post) so when I had the chance to review this book I jumped at it. I'll also fully admit that I haven't read every single little quote yet because I'm still mulling them all over. Anyway, enough about that.


Billy Graham in Quotes is a unique collection of the thoughts of the most well known evangelist and pastors of our time. The authors have gleaned material from Graham’s seven decades of ministry, drawing from both his published and personal works. The material is then arranged topically for easy reference, covering subjects from A – Y, abortion to young people. Each quote is footnoted so you can find the source of the quotation.

A full 387 pages long this book will keep you reading and learning for days. There is nothing particularly profound about any of the quotes. They clearly reflect their author as they are straight shooting, down to earth, and easy to understand. Quotes such as, "once you have been to the foot of the cross, you will never be the same." and "God welcomes our prayers. He is much more concerned about our hearts than our eloquence." are absolutely beautiful in their simplicity.

This is a book you will want for your library. I've been using it as part of my devotion time and I am loving it. Graham is a man of integrity and a man who has walked with God steadfastly though his life. He continually points to Jesus and therefore I can read this and enjoy what God can do in a single willing soul.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com http://BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck

Charlotte Beck is young, impetuous, and she has big dreams. Alex Hambly likes looking at the stars and has no room for Miss Beck in his life. Quite unexpectedly Charlotte falls literally into his arms one evening. Sparks fly, and not the good kind. Charlotte is an American heiress on the verge of becoming a lady of society and Alex finds her both disarming and annoying all at the same time. Through a series of predictable events Charlotte and Alex are thrust into each others lives over and over again.  When Alex's father dies and he learns his family estate is almost in ruins Charlotte's father steps in to save the day. Promising Charlotte to him with a handsome dowry attached Alex and Charlotte agree to marry. Their marriage of inconvenience starts out as a sham but as you would expect it grows into something much more.

I'll be honest, Y'Barbo is not my favorite author. Her stories always sound enticing and fun and the covers always look amazing and yet I am always left wanting when I'm done reading. She's published a number of books so I can't say it's lack of experience but she almost writes that way. The characters are not well developed and in many cases she adds unnecessary characters to prove a point and it just gets messy. For instance, Alex's older brother who is troubled after war and is not able to take over the estate. He's brought in so the reader knows why Alex has to take over and then we never hear about him again. It's just a little messy and unnecessary in my eyes. However, this was an easy cute read. The Beck family is good friends with Buffalo Bill Cody and I enjoyed reading more about his Wild West Show. Alex's commitment to his marriage is admirable and ultimately the book ends just as you would want and expect.

I received this book from Waterbrook Multnomah for the purpose of review. All opinions are my own.

Ten Beach Road

Ten Beach Road by Wendy Wax

Review by: Melissa J. MacDonald

Genre: beach fiction

Publisher: Berkley

Date: 2011

Three women, complete strangers, have one thing in common, they’ve been duped by a Ponzi scheme. They  have lost everything and they unite to rehab the only asset they now own, third shares in a large but neglected mansion on Pass-a-Grill Beach, Florida. As they work to bring Bella Flora back to its former glory so that they can sell it and hopefully recoup at least some of their catastrophic losses, the women become friends. But the secrets they are hiding from each other could prove more devastating and hard to overcome than the massive work needed on the decaying house.

Madeline is a homemaker who is coping nicely with empty-nest syndrome. Content, if not sometimes bored, with her life she is completely shaken when she finds out her husband has not had a job for months. As he falls into depression she has to hold the family together….which also means taking care of her adult daughter who is pregnant by a married movie star.

Nikki is a renowned successful matchmaker to the stars . Her world crumbles as her money slowly but surely completely disappears. She’s particularly affected by the Ponzi scheme because the maker of the scheme, the one who has run off with billions of dollars, is none other than her brother. Her younger brother whom she raised.

Avery is a beautiful and feisty architect whose skills have somehow become less appreciated over her other….ahem, assets. A co-host with her ex-husband on a popular HGTV show she’s recently been fired and has no money and nowhere to go.

Somehow these three women must work together to get what money they can out of their only asset.  Described as a “perfect beach read” you will most definitely feel yourself transported to the beaches of Florida as you read this story. Bella Flora is described in detail and you’ll find yourself wanting to walk through the house and watch the renovation unfold. The three women have their own quirks and together they are often hilarious. As the story progresses so does a real-life storm and you will find yourself dashing through the last few chapters to find out what happens.

A very pleasant story that is almost, but not completely, ruined by very strong language. I was quite surprised that the author chose to sully a cute story with language you would only find in an R-rated movie. Instead of referring to strong language she wrote every word out and I found it quite distasteful.  Other than that, the story line is intriguing, the characters fun, and the setting idyllic.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing for providing a copy of this book for review.

Rated: R- for content and strong language

A Cowboy's Touch

A Cowboy’s Touch by Denise Hunter

Review by: Melissa J. MacDonald

Genre: modern fiction

Publisher: Thomas Nelson Publishers

Date: 2011

Forced to go on sabbatical in Montana, Abigail Jones is less than thrilled to find herself leaving the city far behind to spend the summer with her aging aunt. Abigail finds herself surprised at how quickly she adapts to a slower pace of life. Her blood pressure drops, she’s finding God again, but this investigative reporter just can’t get a possible story out of her head!

Abigail’s neighbor is the handsome Wade Ryan. He’s got a precocious daughter and did we mention he’s handsome. When Wade’s daughter loses her nanny Abigail is more than happy to step in. Wade can’t help but find himself drawn to attractive Abigail. With Abigail’s care both daughter and dad begin to thrive. However, Wade is hiding a secret of monumental proportions and Abigail smells a story.

Who isn’t a sucker for a good cowboy romance? I mean, honestly! City girl goes to the country and meets a handsome cowboy…sigh. The setting is perfect ,set in Montana where western cowboys still exist and still steal women’s hearts. I found Abigail completely annoying at first. She isn’t very well developed at the beginning and you might find yourself annoyed with her desire to find a story and then to keep digging. Wade has his own issues and isn’t as well developed as I would have liked either.  Maddy (the daughter) is a delight and you’ll thoroughly enjoy her. As the story develops you’ll like all of the characters more and you’ll find layers that you weren’t expecting. The story has a bit of a twist that I won’t reveal and the book ends exactly like you would want it to.  Don’t be surprised if you don’t have the sudden desire to go see a rodeo, buy some cowboy boots, or take a trip to Montana. Denise Hunter transports you and I think you’re going to like it.

Rated: Pg- for adult situations

The Lightkeeper's Ball

The Lightkeeper's Ball by Colleen Coble

First of all I have to say that the cover of this book is absolutely amazing. I know you can't judge a book by it's cover but I couldn't help but find myself staring at the beautiful color and dress. I know, I know, that has nothing to do with the book.

Olivia Stewart is an heiress and from the famed Four Hundred (those considered the wealthiest and most distinguished in America). However, not all is well in paradise. Her father has died and her once engaged sister has been found dead as well. The family' security rests in Olivia marrying well. Olivia wants to find out what happen to her sister Eleanor. She travels to Mercy Falls, California to find out what really happened. Travel under an old family title she "sneaks" into Mercy Falls and begins her investigation of Eleanor's former fiance Harrison Bennett.

From the beginning Olivia's visit is met with peril. She's thrown overboard before even landing. Harrison rescues her...or did he push her overboard in the first place? Harrison and Olivia's paths continue to cross and Olivia begins to think he may not be the man she originally thought him to be. A plane crash, an attack, and more keep Olivia guessing throughout the whole book.


As always Coble does an excellent job of waving mystery and intrigue into beautiful period stories. I have always loved her depth of historical references and her characters are charming. I will admit I was a bit lost in this book. It's the third in a series but I've read the one previous to this and I was still lost. It's a bit confusing for the reader to have Olivia have a different name in Mercy Falls. I also felt the whole incognito thing to be extremely far fetched. If you can get beyond that, and try to follow the names, you'll find a good read.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson Publishers for providing a free copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Daughter's Walk

The Daughter's Walk by Jane Kirkpatrick

Absolutely and totally fascinating!

In 1896 Helga Etsby accepted a wager from the fashion industry to walk from Spokane, Washington to New York City. Her prize: $10,000 for doing the walk within 7 months while wearing the new shorter hemline skirts. She brought her 18 year old daughter, Clara, along and the two of them start on a journey with the hope that they could save the family farm. That is where the story begins and by no means is it where it ends.

A non-fiction story written with fiction elements I found myself completely captivated. Let's be honest, who in their right mind thinks it's a good idea to walk 3500 miles especially in a time where much of the western US was still very much frontier. Crazy!  The story is told by Clara and you will find yourself loving her, hating her, angry with her, crying for her, and immersed with her.This is one of those books that while you want to turn the pages quickly to see what happens you also want to savor each word, paragraph, and moment.

When the two women return home from their walk everything has changed. Life takes an interesting twist and Clara sets out on her own. Just when I think I've read it all in the story world this woman decides to try her hand at trapping animals for fur. Kirkpatrick is a master storyteller and she weaves this tale with finesse. Rich with period history and research about the actual Etsby family and Clara herself this story will amaze you. Prepare to dive in and not come out until you put the book down. Believe me, it will be a trip worth taking!

WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group provided this book to me for free in exchange for this honest review as part of their Blogging for Books program.