EmpowerMoms

“Creating Your Forever Family” by Rachel A. Sullivan

This book is a great resource to study The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Ffamily Proclamation” that was released by their church years ago. The Family Proclamation was released by President Gordon B Hinckley and has been an important document that has been displayed in my home and talked about as a family many times.

This book breaks down specific sections of The Family Proclamation” in 10 chapters: Faith, Prayer, Repentance, Forgiveness, Respect, Love, Compassion, Work and Wholesome Recreational Activties.

At the end of each chapter are “application” ideas so readers can apply the doctrine and ideas taught in the specific chapter. I LOVED this!

At the end of the book are interview questions that can be asked and discussed one-on-one or as a family. Also included is 25 weeks of family fun ideas and family dinner conversation starters.

This book was very well written and easy to read. I really enjoyed going through it and will definitely be using it as a resource in the future.

I received a copy of this book complimentary for blog and social media review. All opinions are my own.

About the Book:
Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. It has been decades since the family proclamation was first presented to members of the Church by President Gordon B. Hinckley. But despite the passage of time, the counsel provided in the family proclamation is ever more vital in these tumultuous last days. Creating Your Forever Family is an indispensable resource, providing practical application of the nine principles outlined in the family proclamation. Featuring counsel from Church leaders and stories of these principles in action, this book offers ways to incorporate these values in everyday life, from interview questions to help kids open up, to game night ideas, to fun family dinner conversation starters. Families will be strengthened as each member gets involved in the discussions and applications. Now is the time to fortify families and truly embrace the principles of this great proclamation.

Purchase your copy here:

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“The Hope of Azure Springs” by Rachel Fordham

I really enjoyed this book set in the town of Azure Springs, Iowa and I hope there will be other books set in this same town! I really liked the main character Em and her determination to have a good life despite her past, and to help others around her. I liked her determination to find her long lost sister and her unfailing love and devotion to her. Readers will learn more about that time period and the orphan trains which was really interesting to read about.

I loved reading about Sheriff Caleb getting to know Em and protecting her from an unknown enemy. Great story line and characters-highly recommend!

I received a copy of this book complimentary for blog and social media review. All opinions are my own.

About the Book:
Seven years ago, orphaned and alone, Em finally arrived at a new home in Iowa after riding the orphan train. But secrets from her past haunt her, and her new life in the Western wilderness is a rough one. When her guardian is shot and killed, Em, now nineteen, finally has the chance to search for her long-lost sister, but she won’t be able to do it alone.

For Azure Springs Sheriff Caleb Reynolds, securing justice for the waifish and injured Em is just part of his job. He’s determined to solve every case put before him in order to impress his parents and make a name for himself. Caleb expects to succeed. What he doesn’t expect is the hold this strange young woman will have on his heart.

Debut author Rachel Fordham invites historical romance readers to the charming town of Azure Springs, Iowa, where the people care deeply for one another and, sometimes, even fall in love.

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“As the Tide Comes In” by Cindy Woodsmall and Erin Woodsmall

Tragic story, very well written, steady plot kept my interest. I could feel Tara’s emotions jump thru the pages. Although sad, it had alot of great parts-love and friendship-that I really enjoyed.

I have never had a tragic incident happen to me that has blurred my lines of reality-it was interesting to read of that happening to one of the characters-our brain is so powerful-I can’t even imagine!

Great book!

I received a copy of this book complimentary for blog and social media review. All opinions are my own.

About the Book:
When an unthinkable loss sends Tara Abbott’s life spiraling out of control, she journeys from North Carolina to Georgia’s St. Simons Island. Although confused and scared, she hopes to find answers about her past – her life before the years of foster care and raising her two half-brothers as a young adult. Will she find steady ground on the island, surrounded by an eccentric-but-kindhearted group of older women called The Glynn Girls and a determined firefighter? Or will the truth splinter what’s left of her identity into pieces?

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Love Held Captive (A Lone Star Hero’s Love Story) by Shelley Shepard Gray

I have read many books by this author and I absolutely loved this one as well, even though it’s different from her other Amish fiction books. The characters were great-I really enjoyed Lizbeth and Julianne; and Major Ethan Kelly and Captain Devin Monroe’s war friendship. This story is set during the after the war between the states. There are tragic war events that happen during this book but there are alot of great events, including romance, as well.

I really enjoyed the interesting steady plot-highly recommend!

I received a copy of this book complimentary for blog and social media review. All opinions are my own.

About the Book:
After the War Between the States, a Confederate officer longs to heal the heart of a beautiful woman—but first he’ll have to right the wrongs that were done to her.

Major Ethan Kelly has never been able to absolve himself of the guilt he feels for raiding a woman’s home shortly before he was taken prisoner during the Civil War. He is struggling to get through each day until he once again crosses paths with Lizbeth Barclay—the very woman he is trying to forget.

Life after the war is not much different for former Captain Devin Monroe until he meets Julianne VanFleet. He knows she is the woman he’s been waiting for, but he struggles to come to terms with the sacrifices she made to survive the war.

When Ethan and Devin discover that their former colonel, Adam Bushnell, is responsible for both Lizbeth’s and Julianne’s pain, they call on their former fellow soldiers to hunt him down. As the men band together to earn the trust of the women they love, Lizbeth and Julianne seek the justice they deserve in a country longing to heal.

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