Book Review: Rose of Winslow Street

Rose of Winslow Street
By Elizabeth Camden
Bethany House, 2012
English, 342 pgs


Description:
The last thing Libby Sawyer and her father expected upon their return from their summer home was to find strangers inhabiting a house that had been in their family for decades. Widower Michael Dobrescu brought his family from Romania to the town of Colden, Massachusetts with a singular purpose: to claim the house willed to him long ago. Since neither party has any intention of giving up their claim, a fierce legal battle ensues between the two families.

When important documents go missing from the house, Libby suspects Michael is the culprit. Determined to discover the truth behind the stolen papers, Libby investigates, only to find more layers of mystery surrounding Michael and his family. Despite their rivalry, Libby finds herself developing feelings for this man with the mysterious past.

As a decision about the house looms in the courts, Libby must weigh the risks of choosing to remain loyal to her family or give her heart to a man whose intentions and affections are less than certain.

Review:
This book hereby ends my reviews of Christian historical fiction. I have decided there is nothing new I will read in them. True, the specific circumstances change from book to book, but I'm getting fired of the "formula" of they meet...they don't like each other...they're both hiding something...they surprise each other...they fall in love...it's getting old. Just once, I'd like to see a couple NOT end up together. Let him fall for her best friend or maid or something.

For this reason, I'm torn about a rating.

The plot isn't bad. It's actually quite engaging and exciting. I admit that I didn't fully guess what was going to happen, but I had pretty close guesses (based on the formula). The characters are well developed and have a lot of "like-a-bility" to them.

I had read Camden's other book The Lady of Bolton Hill and did like it so I was willing to give this a chance. It wasn't by any means a bad read. It handles well the topics of how we treat others,  how we can define ourselves by our circumstances, the longing for home and loyalty.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for a review. No additional compensation has been received and I was not required to write a positive review.

Book Review: The Coming Revolution

The Coming Revolution
By Dr Richard G Lee
Thomas Nelson, 2012
English, 256 pgs


Description:
People need a creed and a cause, and today millions of patriotic Americans are finding their voices.
They say the best indicator of the future is history. How things have been can be a powerful signal of how they will be. But what will be our role in shaping the future for this country?
In The Coming Revolution Dr Richard G. Lee powerfully explains that a new revolution is coming. It may be in the streets of our nation's capitol-as we saw in Europe last year-or, better yet, in voting booths across America. Signs from our nation's past and present ring out the truth: a second American revolution is near at hand.
Using this country's rich heritage of liberty and democracy as a roadmap toward where we could be headed, Dr. Lee brings thoughtful clarity to the ever-growing probability of such a revolution in America; illuminating the important reminder that the voices of every revolution have been-and always will be-the ordinary everyman.
Discover how you can be a part of this country's social, political, and moral reform and how faith in God serves as the one truth that can provide both individual and national guidance for America's next revolution.

Review:
 I am purposely not a political person. I do not like studying history. Yet, I see the purpose in these as a participant in American culture. I vote, therefore I need to be informed about the vote I am casting.

Dr Lee gives an overview of American history and what lead to the formation of our government and explains some of our laws as they were intended by the authors. A vast number of Americans are upset with the "change" we received from the last Presidential election. I don't think many realized how that change would infringe upon our lives.

Dr Lee describes what he sees as a mandate for change, back to what our country was supposed to be about in the first place. There is a lot of history and a lot of current facts which are used to support this view.

This book is deep, yet it all makes sense. I think it's interesting that he even uses examples from Lenin and Marx to support his views. He sites battles over the definition of family and marriage, the health care dilemma, problems in our schools and the basic dignity of human life as the major areas where a growing number of Americans want change. Or at least to get rid of the change we just had forced upon us.

The last chapter is "What You Can Do' and it really spells out steps you can take personally to start making a difference.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for a review. No additional compensation has been received and I was not required to write a positive review.