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Not What We Pictured by Becca Kinzer

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I was looking forward to Not what We Pictured by Becca Kinzer all year--and was so excited to get my copy. I have read all of her previous books and enjoyed them--and I enjoyed this one too. As the book begins, McKenna Boston is trying to look out for her much younger sister, Bobbi, when she helps her boyfriend stage a proposal that goes awry. She promised her deceased mother that she would give her mother's engagement ring to Bobbi. She also wants to know Bobbi is safe and happy. She loves her sister and she thinks she will be free to move on in her own career besides seeing Bobbi happy. Nate Lambert is in Omaha for a funeral. He ends up resting on a park bench to relax and stave off a headache. . .but things get a little wild when he doesn't want to move off of the special bench McKenna needs to stage for Bobbi and Oliver's proposal plan. I enjoyed getting to know McKenna and Nate through Not What We Pictured . There were some humorous moments throughout the book. There ...
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TLC Book Tours spotlight: Come Close to Jesus by Lysa TerKeurst

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  Come Close to Jesus : What to Pray When You Need the Lord to Still Your Thoughts, Calm Your Heart, and Guide Your Way (50 Devotional Prayers)  by Lysa TerKeurst recently released from Thomas Nelson Publishers. This book is beautiful with devotionals to read at a time when your heart needs the words she offers. Jesus longs for you to come close. Not just for answers or blessings, but to experience His peace—because He is the only one who can calm us, strengthen us, and give us the perspective we need. Join  New York Times   bestselling author Lysa TerKeurst as she shares powerful prayers, devotional teachings, and practical ways to draw near to the Lord. Come Close to Jesus   is filled with prewritten prayers to help still your thoughts, calm your heart, and find guidance in times of need—but most important, to help you spend time with the Savior who loves you more than you can imagine. Whether you struggle with getting distracted during your quiet t...
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Harbor Pointe by Irene Hannon

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  Harbor Pointe by Irene Hannon is the twelfth book in her Hope Harbor series. I love this series. I enjoy meeting the new characters in each new book. Then, I especially enjoy seeing the taco seller, Charlie, in every book as he dispenses wisdom with his tacos. Devyn Lee is a principal dancer with a prestigious New York ballet company. She returns home to Hope Harbor when her sister, Lauren, has a serious health issue and needs assistance. Devyn and her sister also have a rift to mend. Can they mend it? Aaron Steele is a widowed mill worker who lives in Hope Harbor with his nine-year-old daughter and his father. Together, they work to heal from their losses and make life happier for Aaron's daughter, Isabel.  In Harbor Pointe , there is another couple that is working on healing. Martin and Diane. They are secondary characters but they also add to the story in a good way.  Devyn and Aaron work together for a fundraising show for charity. It is fun getting to know them bot...
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TLC Book Tours Book Spotlight: The Faith to Flourish by Christine Caine

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  Christine Caine has two flourishing olive trees in her front yard. The Faith to Flourish is her book full of lessons she learned from her olive trees. I don't have olive trees but I have 2 plum trees in my front yard that I love to watch through the four seasons. Publisher: Thomas Nelson Publication date: February 10, 2026 Print length: 240 pages AN INSTANT  NEW YORK TIMES  BESTSELLER! Discover how God has created you and called you to flourish even in the most difficult times. Join bestselling author Christine Caine as she shows you how God created you with a powerful purpose and destiny. He wants you to flourish. Sometimes it feels like hardships and struggles are endless. Like a new storm is always brewing on the horizon. You face challenging circumstances, strained relationships, or shattered dreams. And the weight of it all can feel crushing. You simply long for rest. But how can you flourish when you feel like you can barely breathe from it all? In  T...
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My Gift by Raluca Sirbu Illustrated by Alisa Barannik

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  Are you looking for some new magical fairy tale stories? My Gift by Raluca Sirbu is a beautifully illustrated book (Alisa Barannik, illustrator) that will delight children (and adults!) with 3 tales of hope and courage. My Gift is aimed at children ages 5 to 10 years old. The hardback book is illustrated in bright, vivid colors. The book measures roughly 8 by 10 inches in size and is 36 pages long. The author is from Romania and these Romanian stories are inspired by true events in the Romanian past.  The stories in My Gift show people being freed from oppression. They show courage. They show how to stand strong in the face of evil. They are wonderful stories for children in today's world. The brightly colored pictures illustrate the stories quite well.    I received a copy of this book from the author. All opinions within this review are my own. 
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Brighter Than Before by Courtney Walsh

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  As Brighter Than Before by Courtney Walsh starts out, Claire Karadec feels like a failure. Her marriage is washed up after publicly finding out her spouse had an affair with a younger woman. To try to make sense of her hurt and sadness, Claire goes to therapy. The therapist encourages her to make a list of her dreams in her journal in response to being asked, What do I really want? As a result, Claire decides if she wants a new start in life, she needs to act on her list to start a new story. At first, I wasn't sure about Brighter Than Before. It started off quite a bit different than this author's other books. But as I went along, it grew on me, and by the middle of it, I was cheering Claire on with the rest of her new friends. Then there is Miles who lives in Claire's apartment complex. I genuinely liked Miles from the start. . .I wanted him to let go of his fears too so was also cheering him on. I always love that Courtney Walsh gives me a HEA ending too...
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TLC Book Tour Spotlight: The Wholehearted Way by Dr. Peace Amadi

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  At some point in our lives most of us deal with some type of heartbreak or disappointment. That is just part of being human. The Wholehearted Way by Dr. Peace Amadi is a book offering a way to deal with the pain and find healing in your life.  A Five-Part Framework to Healing and Inner Peace · Understand your patterns of pain · Navigate heartbreak, disappointment, and rejection · From a credentialed PsyD professor of psychology, speaker, and coach Heartbreak, disappointment, and rejection are part of being human in a broken world. But when we experience them again and again, it can start to feel personal. Our identity and worth are shaken, and we may find that staying hurt feels easier than pursuing healing. Yet, in Christ, we are meant to be made  whole . The Wholehearted Way  expresses an approach to life that requires us to tell ourselves a bigger, better, broader story about our pain, allowing us to love ourselves fully and live abundantly. Combining b...
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