CSB Lifeway Women’s Bible & GIVEAWAY

CSB Lifeway Women’s Bible

Publisher: B&H Publishing Group

ISBN: 9781087757513

Earlier this year my husband convinced me to start using the CSB Bible. I wasn't sure about making the change, but I've liked reading through this version of the Bible. So, when the incredibly gorgeous CSB Lifeway Women's Bible was available for review, I was hoping I'd be able to join the team. Thankfully, I was chosen to review the Bible and share about a fantastic giveaway!

First of all, can I ask where this color Bible has been hiding? The CSB Lifeway Women's Bible I received for review is called Marigold. It's such a gorgeous, bold color that will stand out in a crowd and be a conversation starter. The other color options for this Bible are: Butterscotch, Camel (cloth over board), and Gray/Mint.

Check out these features:

• Including Bible study and devotional content from Lauren Chandler​, ​Gloria Furman, Lisa Harper, Mary Kassian, Kelly King, Kelly Minter, Trillia Newbell, Jackie Hill Perry, Angel Thomas Pharr, Jennifer Rothschild, Mary Jo Sharp, Priscilla Shirer, Angie Smith, and other Lifeway Women. 
• Over 100 articles placed alongside the corresponding biblical text to foster deep reflection on Bible passages and topics focused on the life needs of women
• Nearly 100 short devotional thoughts placed throughout the Bible 
• Bible genre introductions with a short overview and reading plan highlighting key passages in that section
• 66 book-focused introductions providing a concise overview with book-specific timelines
• Over 40 character profiles of key women in the Bible with questions for application
• More than 35 reflection questions to help women engage more deeply with the Bible
• Nearly 100 brief inspirational quotes on the Bible 
• Over 25 word studies on individual words or phrases detailing meaning and significance
• 30 plus charts, tables, and maps 
• Distinctive full-color design elements to foster an immersive reading experience for women of all ages
• Single-column text layout 
• Black-letter text for easy readability 
• Easy-to-read 9.5-point type size
• Durable Smyth-sewn lay-flat binding 
• Ribbon marker for easy referencing between pages 
• Concordance
• Presentation page for gift-giving 
• Full-color maps

If you're looking for a gift for a woman in your life, the CSB Lifeway Women's Bible would make an excellent gift! Speaking of which, get 50% off the purchase of (1) Lifeway Women’s Bible with code SAVE50LWB (Only available on Lifeway.com. Limit 1 Bible at 50% off retail price, any Lifeway Women’s Bible sku. Limit one offer per person. Cannot be stacked with any other offer. Valid 11/15/22-12/31/22.)

We have small group at our house now so I'll have this Bible out for the ladies to use and look through during our study. I'm also going to be bringing it to our women's small group! What better place to share this beautiful Bible?!

 

You can take a closer look at this Bible to see the colors close-up, a handful of the Key Features, and check out a sample of the Bible. The sample will give you an incredible look into what you can expect to see inside. There are so many incredible features you'll want to order this book asap!

Now you also have the chance to win this CSB Lifeway Women's Bible!

1 (one) copy of the Lifeway CSB Women’s Bible (Marigold LeatherTouch Edition). Open to US Residents  ONLY!

To enter, please leave a comment letting me know which feature you're looking forward to checking out if you win! Be sure to leave a way to contact you in your comment (either email or social media link).

Giveaway closes December 12, 2022. Winner must be willing to share their name and address with me and Momentum Influencers.

Where The Blue Sky Begins By Katie Powner

Where the Blue Sky Begins

by Katie Power

Publisher: Bethany House

ISBN: 9780764240393

I read Katie's first book The Sowing Season a couple of years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. Somehow I missed reading A Flicker of Light (which will have to be rectified). I was excited to learn I had won this book, but I also signed up to review it. I'm so thrilled I did!

Summary:

Sometimes the hardest road of all is the road home.

When confident and handsome Eric Larson is sent to a rural Montana town to work in the local branch of his uncle's financial company, he's determined to exceed everyone's expectations, earn a promotion, and be back in Seattle by the end of summer. Yet nothing could prepare him for the lessons this small town has in store.

At forty-six years old, eccentric and outspoken Eunice Parker has come to accept her terminal illness and has given herself one final goal: seek forgiveness from everyone on her bucket list before her time runs out. But it will take more courage than she can muster on her own.

After an accident pushes Eric and Eunice together, the unlikely pair is forced to spend more time with each other than either would like, which challenges their deepest prejudices and beliefs. As summer draws to a close, neither Eric nor Eunice is where they thought they would be, but they both wrestle with the same important question: What matters most when the end is near?

My Review:

If you're looking for a contemporary women's fiction author, look no further! Where the Blue Sky Begins was incredibly well written and I became very connected to the characters. If you ever wonder what a character would be like if they're taken out of the city where they've lived all of their lives and dumped in a podunk town where everyone knows each others' business, then you'll see it in all of it's glory in this story.

Eric was a fun to get to know throughout this story. You could feel his "pain" as he adjusts to this new town. So many cringe-worthy moments including his run-in with Eunice. The two of them are quite the pair to say the least. Eunice forces Eric to help her complete her "forgiveness" list.

Speaking of Eunice, while I wish we could've known what she was like before her illness, we do get a glimpse of it as she seeks forgiveness from the handful of people on her list. As a caregiver I could understand her struggles of wanting to do things she no longer can because I see the same thing in my clients. 

I think the author really captured the essence of a small town as well. Even the simplest of changes can have a big impact on the townspeople's lives. You also see how close knit they are, especially when it comes to taking care of each other.

You truly can't help but become emotionally connected to both Eunice and Eric. Their intertwined stories forces you to reflect on resentment, grudges, and forgiveness. In the midst of the pain in watching Eunice decline, there are many hilarious moments. I think most, if not all, of the tabs I added to my book are the scenes that cracked me up. I also never expected to think a Polish hen would be a great side character!

About the Author:

Katie Powner (www.katiepowner.com) is an award-winning author who lives in rural Montana where cows still outnumber people. She is a two-time OCW Cascade Award and ACFW First Impressions Award winner. Katie is a biological and adoptive mother of three and foster mother to many more. She and her husband have been in youth ministry for over a decade.

Sundown By Susan May Warren

SUNDOWN

by Susan May Warren

Publisher: Revell

Series: Sky King Ranch

ISBN: 9780800739843

Susan May Warren is the Queen of suspense! This series has been epic and I have love all three stories. I was sent the book for review from the publisher. If you haven't read this series, get to is ASAP!

Summary:

He doesn't trust her . . . but he can't let her go it alone

Former Delta Operative Colt Kingston knows when someone is lying. He may not know the truth, but he sure doesn't trust Tae, the mysterious woman his family rescued from an Alaskan blizzard. Behind those beautiful blue eyes, Colt can tell there is a troubled--and smart--woman.

A few of her stories prove true--they found the crashed plane and the dead body inside. Still, her tale of survival seems too incredible to believe . . . until the thugs she claims to be hunting her across Alaska show up and threaten Sky King Ranch. Now Tae must disappear, along with her secrets.

Colt will have to track her down and earn her trust before it's too late. It'll take the entire family to save the world from disaster. 

The epic conclusion to Susan May Warren's Sky King Ranch trilogy.

My Review:

First of all, why does this series have to be OVER?! Imagine me whining like a child.

There was SO much to love about Sundown! First, the best part is that we get all three of the brothers in this story. The ladies as well! They all make an incredible force to be reckoned with.

Suspense in the name of the game from beginning to end. Of course, that's to be expected with any SMW story. For Tae, danger seems to follow her everywhere. Good thing Colt is committed to keeping her as safe as possible. Colt always heads into danger without counting the cost thought.

It's so great to watch Colt, Ranger, and Dodge use their various skill sets to get jobs done! They're a trio you don't want to be on the bad side of!

The way the story unfolds, it's understandable that the brothers don't quite believe Tae's story of why she's being hunted. But, when you look at the world around us, is it really so far-fetched? The writing of this story makes you realize how "easy" it could be for a world disaster to happen. Good thing there are people like Tae in the world who battle disaster the way only people like her can.

The suspense in the story had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Just when we come up for breath the author takes us back into the crazy. I appreciate the author's strong faith thread throughout the story. Seeing the characters wrestle with their past in regards to God is a theme that will speak to many of us.

While I'm sad this story is coming to an end, I can see where some new characters may show up in a future series. Here's to hoping!

About the Author:

Susan May Warren is the USA Today bestselling author of nearly 90 novels with more than 1.5 million books sold, including the Global Search and Rescue and the Montana Rescue series, as well as Sunrise and Sunburst. Winner of a RITA Award and multiple Christy and Carol Awards, as well as the HOLT Medallion and numerous Readers' Choice Awards, Susan makes her home in Minnesota. Find her online at www.susanmaywarren.com, on Facebook @SusanMayWarrenFiction, and on Twitter @SusanMayWarren.

Christmas On King Street By Ashley Clark

Christmas on King Street (Novella)

by Ashley Clark

Publisher: Independent

Series: Heirloom Secrets 

ISBN: 979-8359363440

I was so pleased when Ashley reached out to me and asked me to review her Christmas novella. I have loved her Heirloom Secrets series! She sent me this book for review. 

Summary:

This Christmas, her music box holds the key to a wartime secret.

Alice's flower shop is in trouble and her boyfriend has yet to propose. She's weary and disillusioned, so when her boyfriend suggests a trip to visit family and friends in Charleston, South Carolina, she's eager to go. But a discovery at her friend's vintage store reveals a decades-old music box with a secret that may just help Alice find what she needs this Christmas.

In 1942, witty Kit and a handsome soldier start a whirlwind romance at a USO dance. But when war takes him away and tests their love, all Kit wants for Christmas is to see him again. Her story becomes more complicated with the mysterious appearance of a music box on her doorstep, and their romance takes a turn she never expected...

My Review:

It was nice to get back to Alice and Sullivan after reading book three in the Heirloom Secrets series. While this happens in winter, it's not really Christmas-y except for the time of year.

I enjoyed the historical time period with Kit and James. You can feel the chemistry between them when they meet at a USO dance. Like Kit, I felt like swooning! I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them in their short time together. Kit is full of life and James is the kind of man who finds the ONE woman he'll always love and you just want to sigh!

Alice and Sullivan are having a difficult time, but when she finds a music box, they're able to work together to find out its history. Once again, I adored Millie in this story. She's so cute! It was fun to have Peter and Harper in the story as well. 

The story of the music box was a little confusing and I think if the story had been a chapter or two longer it might've been fleshed out a bit better. There was a part of the historical storyline that I wasn't quite comfortable with, although it was explained.

I would give the story a 3.5 if we could give half stars! If you haven't read this whole series I would suggest reading the other stories first so you know the characters.

About the Author:

Ashley Clark writes romance with southern grace. She's dreamed of being a writer ever since the thumbprint-cookie-days of library story hour. Ashley has an M.A. in English and enjoys teaching literature courses as an adjunct. She's an active member of American Christian Fiction Writers. When she's not writing, Ashley's usually busy rescuing stray animals and finding charming new towns.

Authentically, Izzy By Pepper Basham

Authentically, Izzy

by Pepper Basham

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

ISBN: 978-0840714985

I have never met a Pepper Basham book I didn't thoroughly enjoy. She has such an incredible gift of writing in historical fiction as well as contemporary fiction. When she asked me to read her book with her launch team, I was thrilled! She sent me her ARC ebook for review.

Summary:

Dear Reader, My name is Isabelle Louisa Edgewood—Izzy, for short. I live by blue-tinted mountains, where I find contentment in fresh air and books. Oh, and coffee and tea, of course. And occasionally in being accosted by the love of my family. (You’ll understand my verb choice in the phrase later.) I dream of opening my own bookstore, but my life, particularly my romantic history, has not been the stuff of fairy tales. Which is probably why my pregnant, misled, matchmaking cousin—who, really, is more like my sister—signed me up for an online dating community.

The trouble is . . . it worked. I’ve met my book-quoting Mr. Right, and our correspondence has been almost too good to be true. But Brodie lives across an ocean. And just the other day, a perfectly nice author and professor named Eli came into the library where I work and asked me out for a coffee. I feel a rom-com movie with a foreboding disaster nipping at my heels.

But I’ve played it safe for a long time. Maybe it’s time for me to be as brave as my favorite literary heroines. Maybe it’s time to take the adventures from the page to real life. Wish me luck.

Authentically,

Izzy

My Review:

I don't even know where to start with this utterly delightful story! Is there any genre Pepper Basham CAN'T write in and do it in a fantastical way? I would have to say, "No!"

Authentically, Izzy is written as an epistolary, but do NOT let that deter you. The author does it in a way that is contemporary and hilarious. I'll be honest with you here. I reached out to Pepper and asked her to write my review because SHE'S the author and I will NOT do this story justice. I've actually never read an epistolary before (although I have watched a movie that we all know ;) )

I literally felt like I was part of the emails and text messages between Izzy and her cousins. Heck, I even felt like one of the cousins being in on the conversations. This story was hilarious, romantic, and just all around sweet. From the relationship of the cousins to Brodie and his family, this has everything one could want in a romance.

The story was a quick read, even at over 400 pages, because I got so lost in the story I couldn't stop myself from reading it. I can't even tell you how many times I laughed out loud! Izzy was absolutely delightful. With the loss of her parents, but being blessed by living with her aunt, uncle, and cousins, you'd think she is on solid ground. I think that's the case (except for her love life) until her cousin, Josephine puts her on a dating website. The hilarity that ensues as she drags her other two cousins, Luke and Penelope through her emotional highs and lows was fabulous!

And let's talk about Brodie, shall we? There's not much I could say negatively about this fella. He has an accent, his family owns bookstores, he can quote from books Izzy loves and ones she hasn't read, and he likes her! Too bad he lives in a country an ocean away and she would have to fly there to meet his family!

I have SO much anticipation for the rest of this series!! They'll definitely become keepers.

About the Author:

Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes romance “peppered” with grace and humor. Writing both historical and contemporary novels, she loves to incorporate her native Appalachian culture and/or her unabashed adoration of the UK into her stories. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC, where she is the wife of a fantastic pastor, mom of five great kids, a speech-language pathologist, and a lover of chocolate, jazz, hats, and Jesus. You can learn more about Pepper and her books on her website at www.pepperdbasham.com; Facebook: @pepperbasham; Instagram: @pepperbasham; Twitter: @pepperbasham; BookBub: @pepperbasham.