EmpowerMoms

All Fall Down by Julie Coulter Bellon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

WOW!! From the first chapter, this book drew me in with the fast paced drama and excitement! I loved all the main characters-Rafe, Claire and the others from the Hostage Negotiation Team. The story line was very intriguing, exciting, and I enjoyed every minute of it. Claire and Rafe work together in this international suspenseful book to take down terrorists and to keep certain secrets from being exposed. I can’t wait to read more of Claire and Rafe’s story in book 2 of the Hostage Negotiation Team series.

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Book Description: 
Ring around the rosy, a pocket full of posies, ashes, ashes we all fall down . . . 

That simple rhyme turns negotiator Claire Michaels’ current hostage situation into an international incident. Claire just wants to help get everyone out safely, but as the crisis escalates she realizes she’s dealing with an al-Qaeda operative who has the means to become another bin Laden—with the potential to attack America. Claire has her own personal reasons for wanting to stop al-Qaeda, but time is slipping away as negotiations break down. Can she overcome her scars of the past in order to get the hostage out alive and possibly stop an assault on U.S. national security?

Navy SEAL Rafe Kelly is on leave to recover from a knee injury he suffered during his tour in Afghanistan and he doesn’t expect to be fighting terrorists on his home turf. But when he is taken hostage and his brother is kidnapped, Rafe teams up with a hostage negotiator in order to stay alive and get his brother back. The terrorist is always one step ahead of them, however, and the situation quickly turns from desperate to deadly. Will Rafe be able to save himself and his country without anyone he loves getting caught in the crossfire?

Find out more about the series here: 
http://www.juliecoulterbellon.com/p/hostage-negotiation-series.html

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This book was set in the time period of WWII with characters Lt. Kay and Lt. Roger. It was an interesting book and story line, but not one of my favorites. Lt. Kay had alot of personal issues with being raised with a “religious” father which resulted in her having misunderstandings about God. She tries to keep control in her life by having meaningless relationships with men (which I think was very taboo back then!) until something drastic happens to turn her life around. The different chapters go back and forth between what Kay and Roger are doing during the war and things that happen to them and their colleges. 
Good, clean, christian story! If you like stories during the WWII time period, you will like this one!

About the book: Bold, sophisticated, and flirtatious, Army Air Force flight nurse Lt. Kay Jobson collects hearts wherever she flies, leaving men pining in airfields all across Europe. So how can ruggedly handsome C-47 pilot Lt. Roger Cooper be all but immune to her considerable charms? In fact, he seems to do everything he can to avoid her.

I’m a blog book reviewer for LitFuse Publicity so I was given this book complimentary in exchange for an honest review on my blog and social media-all opinions are my own.

Middle School: The Inside Story: What Kids Tell Us, But Don’t Tell You by Cynthia Ulrich Tobias
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Do you ever wonder what goes on in the mind of a middle schooler? Now you can find out!

This book couldn’t have come at a better time and I love that it’s put out by Focus on the Family!
I have a 12 year old who is starting 7th grade this month and I am always looking for good ways to communicate with him and ways to strengthen his faith and character.
There are 4 parts to this book-Changes, Parenting, Friends and other problems, and School.
I had to laugh at the first story shared in the book about the difference between a middle school age child and elementary school aged child, because I have that exact situation at home with my two boys!
This book was filled with great suggestions and used alot of quotes and feelings from middle schoolers.
I learned some better ways of communicating to my son about his body changes and to be more sympathetic to his clumsiness and emotions.
I also loved the communication NO NO list of 10 common mistakes parents make in talking to their kids. GREAT list!!
There is also a great chapter about responding to red flags which addresses some serious issues like eating disorders, bullying, depression, etc.
This was a great book to read and I would recommend it to all parents who have children close to this age, or middle school age.
I am going to do as the book suggests and ask my son to read it too and see what he thinks about it.
Good luck to all you parents out there!

I received this book complimentary for blog review from Tyndale House Publishers. All opinions are my own.

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A Match of Wits by Jen Turano
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received this book complimentary for blog review from Bethany House-all opinions are my own.
I could not get into this book at all. I tried several times to keep reading it after putting it down but just could not get into the characters or story line. I was really put off by the main character Agatha’s personality and how she treated others. This book wasn’t for me.

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Book Description: 
After his departure from New York two years ago to meet up with his almost-fiancée, Zayne Beckett is the last person Agatha Watson wanted to stumble upon in her travels as a reporter with theNew York Tribune. Quite pathetically bedraggled, he clearly needs to be taken in hand and sent back East to his family. Although she no longer has feelings for him, Agatha realizes, by hook or by crook, she’ll have to be the one to get the obstinate man home.

Zayne has no desire to be taken anywhere and is prepared to drag his heels all the way home… until he finds himself slipping back into the familiar banter of his former friendship with Agatha. Once they arrive in New York, Zayne realizes Agatha’s determined nose for news has earned her a few enemies, and he hopes to repay her help with some help of his own. When she rebuffs all his attempts to prove himself a knight in shining armor, the lengths to which they’ll go to win this battle of wills lead to some memorable antics. 

Everyone else may think them a match, but nothing could be further from the truth–until Agatha finds herself in real trouble. Have these two stubborn, too-smart-for-their-own-good people been meant for each other all along?