Fiction Review: A Quilt for Christmas by Melody Carlson

The ladies of "A Quilt for Christmas" very quickly become the reader's best friends. Among them, one has downsized after her husband's passing. Another is young and divorced. They're brought together when Vera helps a new neighbor and decides to make a large quilt for her at the request of the woman's sweet daughter. 

This short novella probably has some of the best character development I've seen from author Melody Carlson. As much as I love her heartwarming stories, I always feel shortchanged by the limitations her novels' length puts on her lovely stories. In this case, one of the women of Vera's quilt "club" has lost both a husband and child, which has given her a less-than-sunny disposition. Carlson switches to telling part of the story from her perspective toward the end of the book, and I felt the story would have had so much more of an impact if Carlson had written the character's perspective into the novel much earlier. Instead, the character's change of heart feels sudden and abrupt, albeit inspiring. 

Christian themes are murky in Carlson's writing, as well. "A Quilt for Christmas" is your typical holiday novella. There's not much to it, but it's still highly enjoyable.

*Disclaimer: I received this book in exchange for my honest review.

Fiction Review: Sea Glass Cottage by Irene Hannon

Heartwarming. Inspirational. Raw. 

Irene Hannon continues to draw us in with both new and beloved characters making their home in Hope Harbor, a charming coastal community every reader wishes were real. From the generous, guardian-angel-like Charlie, who always seems to be in the right place at the right time with the right thing to say, to two couples struggling with difficult pasts and promising futures, Hannon crafts believable, relatable characters that quickly become her readers' good friends. The only disappointment is that the mystery of who owns the "sea glass cottage" of the title is never revealed, although it's fun to guess.

The minimal plot of "Sea Glass Cottage" follows Christi, a former spoiled rich girl, and Jack, Christi's ex-boyfriend who learns he has a daughter from another relationship. Christi comes to Hope Harbor hoping Jack will loan her money for a friend, only to find a new, providential home and job. The woman who offers her the job has separated from her husband after the death of their son. Her husband's redemption and dedicated efforts to love his wife were the highlight of the book for me. But, really, there's something for everyone to love in this novel. Hannon rarely disappoints, and "Sea Glass Cottage" quickly won me over.

*Disclaimer: I received this book for free in exchange for my honest review.

Fiction Review: The Catch by Lisa Harris

Lisa Harris gives readers another thrilling page turner with "The Catch." This is the third novel in her US Marshals series, and readers may have an easier time feeling attached to marshals Madison and Jonas if they have read the previous two books in the series. However, Harris does a good job of filling any new readers in on details they may have missed. In any case, this isn't really a book you read for the character development. Harris excels in crafting an exciting plot with many unexpected twists and turns, but any faith elements or real character development feels like more of an after thought. Madison and one of the other characters both deal with loss of loved ones, and Madison also finally has a chance to "catch" the person who murdered her husband. Meanwhile, the main story line follows the search for a missing woman with ties to a criminal and a judge. To say any more would be to give away too much, but I can promise you that, out of the three books in this series (and out of the several Harris books I've read), "The Catch" contains probably the most interesting plot in terms of edge-of-your-seat moments. 

*Disclaimer: I received this book for free in exchange for my honest review.

Fiction Review: The Prince and the Prodigal by Jill Eileen Smith

Joseph's story is a favorite of mine. I love getting to know him through various books and films, and, for  that reason alone, I enjoyed reading Jill Eileen Smith's take in "The Prince and the Prodigal."

I'm not a huge fan Smith's writing style, though. She changes the point of view multiple times, which I thought distracting, and her wording is not very descriptive, although she does pay attention to historical detail. Since she begins the story with Joseph's youth, much of the novel directly reflects the biblical narrative, with not much new to add and with some stiff, unnatural dialogue pulled straight from the original texts. The long period of time covered also forces Smith to skip through the most interesting and nuanced part of her story, that of Judah's time in Canaan and Joseph's time in Egypt. 

I appreciated the inclusion of some new characters and situations the two half-brothers encounter, and Judah's journey from hatred to guilt to fear of God in particular hit home for me, especially his reaction to the Canaanite custom of child sacrifice. I wish Smith had spent more time developing Judah and Joseph's characters instead of spending so much time with side characters. After all, the book title refers specifically to these two.

Overall, there's just enough in "The Prince and the Prodigal" to recommend itself to most readers. I read the book in just three days, and the speed was not due to any desire to get it done and over with. 

*Disclaimer: I received this book for free in exchange for my honest review.