Day 10 of 25 Days of Christmas: The Holiday Jingles Set by Christianne C. Jones

Holiday Jingles Set by Christianne C. Jones and Emma Randall [Illustrator]

Published: August 2015

Publisher: Picture Window Books/Capstone

Rating: 5/5

My Thoughts

This is the cutest set of children’s Christmas books I’ve seen in forever! The pictures are vivid and amazing and each story is so cute your children can’t help but get drawn in. This is a great way to get the kids involved and the rhyming story is something everyone can get into. While the suggested age is 2 I dare you not to fall in love with these whimsical characters that make the season a little brighter. These are bound to put smiles on the faces of all ages.

Review: This Fragile Life by Kate Hewitt

This Fragile Life by Kate Hewitt
Source: via NetGalley
Published: August 20, 2013
Publisher: Carina UK
Rating 5/5
Amazon/Goodreads/NetGalley

Synopsis

You love your best friend. You trust her with your life. But could you give her the most precious gift of all? Alex’s life is a mess. She’s barely holding down a job, only just affording her apartment, and can’t remember when she was last in a relationship. An unexpected pregnancy is the last thing she needs. Martha’s life is on track. She’s got the high-flying career, the gorgeous home and the loving husband. But one big thing is missing. Five rounds of IVF and still no baby. The solution seems simple. Alex knows that Martha can give her child everything that she can’t provide. But Martha’s world may not be as perfect as it seems, and letting go isn’t as easy as Alex expected it to be. Now they face a decision that could shatter their friendship forever. Provocative. Emotional. Affecting.

My Thoughts

Talk about heart-wrenching! This is a beautifully written story of love, hope and faith. It tests the true meaning of friendship, a story that will truly break your heart.

A story of two lifelong friends who couldn’t be any different yet they are more alike that either one could imagine. Alex’s life isn’t ready for children when she finds herself pregnant after a one night stand with her recently married ex. While having lunch with her friend Martha she finds out her last chance at IVF didn’t take. Martha later asks Alex if she could adopt her baby when she finds out Alex isn’t sure she can afford to have the baby. All the while Alex is struggling with the agreement she made. While the days past she finds herself growing more and more attached to the baby yet she knows she can’t break her friend’s heart and back out. Later it is determined that the baby has a genetic disorder and will not make it past a few months after birth. Martha decides she can’t take care of a sick baby and backs out of the adoption. Alex decides against abortion and realizes that she loves this baby too much to not have it no matter the grim outlook.

The aftermath of Martha and Alex’s decisions are ones that rocks their respective worlds to their cores. Martha’s marriage is tested like never before and Alex realizes that life is too precious no matter how short lived it may turn out to be.

This book is one of those that stays with you way beyond the last page. It shows you that life is indeed fragile and that if you’re lucky enough to experience love of any kind consider yourself truly blessed. This is a story that will bring you to tears but one that you will be happy you read.

WoW [13]

Waiting on Wednesday (WoW) is a weekly event hosted by Jill @

Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

This week’s WoW feature is:

And Then I Found You by Patti Callahan Henry   

Expected publication: April 9, 2013

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

[Goodreads] Katie Vaughan is no stranger to tough choices. She’s made them before. Now it’s time to do it again. Kate has a secret, something tucked away in her past. And she’s getting on with her life. Her business is thriving. She has a strong relationship with her family, and a devoted boyfriend whom she wants to love with all her heart. If Kate had ever made a list, Rowan would fill the imagined boxes of a perfect mate. She wants the facts to move from her head toward her heart and settle in with deep love, something past admiration and comfort. But when Kate discovers the small velvet box hidden in Rowan’s drawer, she panics.

It always happens this way. Just when Kate thinks she can love, just when she believes she can conquer the fear, she’s filled with dread. And she wants more than anything to make this feeling go away. But how? When the mistakes have been made and the running is over, it’s time to face the truth. Kate knows this. She understands that a woman can never undo what can never be undone. Yet, for the first time in her life she also knows that she won’t fully love until she confronts those from her past. It’s time to act. Can she do it? Can she travel to the place where it all began, to the one who shares her secret? Can the lost ever become found?

And Then I Found You gives new life to the phrase "inspired by a true story." By travelling back to a painful time in her own family’s history, the author explores the limits of courage, and the price of a selfless act.
I'm a big fan of the author. In my effort to read more fiction I can't wait for this one. I've enjoyed her other books and I'm sure I will enjoy this more even more.

So what are you all waiting on? Please share.