Book Reviews

Experiencing God’s Presence – A Review

~ Ann Cuddy-Sullivan ~ Leave a comment

Experiencing God's Presence: Learning to Listen While You PrayExperiencing God’s Presence: Learning to Listen While You Pray by Linda Evans Shepherd

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“God wants to hear from you – but He also wants you to hear from Him.

What if every time you had a conversation, your best friend never got a word in edgewise? Your relationship would be less than fulfilling – for both of you! In the same way, a fulfilling prayer life is more than just regularly talking to God. And it’s more than checking items off a prayer list. God loves us so much that He wants us to draw close enough not only to talk but also to listen.” Continue reading →

Let Me Fall: The Love Story Between God and His Dimwitted Daughter – A Review

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Let Me Fall: The Love Story Between God and His Dimwitted DaughterLet Me Fall: The Love Story Between God and His Dimwitted Daughter by Beth Pensinger

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Anyone who’s struggled with an addiction of some sort would agree that finding lasting contentment from the actual addiction is much like a dog chasing its tail – only a lot less adorable.”

“Let Me Fall is the love story between God and His dimwitted daughter.  I’m the dimwit in case you were wondering.”

“Let Me Fall is where my literal world figuratively collides with God as He shows me once more of who I am and who He is. My story isn’t a formula for falling in love with God. But I would be thrilled if it is a catalyst for others to do the same.”

I won this book through a Goodreads.com giveaway. I was so excited for it to arrive, as I was intrigued just from the title alone. I have to say, I was not disappointed!! I loved this book. Though the author states that this book is her story through her addiction… this book spoke to me in a very different tone. It spoke to me in the words that God knew I needed to hear. What a blessing this book was to me. It is not a book that I will read one time and put up on the shelf.

Thank you Mrs. Pensinger for being dutiful to that heavenly nudge and putting pen to paper.

*Disclaimer: I won this book through a Goodreads giveaway. All opinions are my own, and no monetary compensation was received for this review.

*Reviews of this book were posted at the following locations:
Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Deeper Shopping, and Goodreads

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Confident Faith – A Review

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Confident Faith: Building a Firm Foundation for Your BeliefsConfident Faith: Building a Firm Foundation for Your Beliefs by Mark Mittelberg

My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Confident Faith – Building A Firm Foundation For Your Beliefs
by Mark Mittelberg
Tyndale House Publishers

“Are you confident in your beliefs? Don’t let doubts or objections intimidate you. Bestselling author Mark Mittelberg will show ho you can enjoy a solid and robust faith that you can share with your skeptical friends or questions family members. There is a firm foundation for your beliefs with:

~ A fun Faith Path Questionnaire
~ The Twenty Arrows of Truth
~ The Ten Barriers to Belief
Continue reading →

The Prodigal – A Ragamuffin Story – A Review

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The Prodigal: A Ragamuffin StoryThe Prodigal: A Ragamuffin Story by Brennan Manning

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Prodigal – A Ragamuffin Story by Brennan Manning and Greg Garrett
Zondervan Publishers

Jack Chisholm is “the people’s pastor.” He is the founder and leader of a growing mega-church. His slogan… “We have got to do better”. He can do it all. He knows how to preach, teach, write, and he knows how to chastise people into performing. What he doesn’t know is… grace. But after one night of reckless behavior that causes him to loose everything that is precious to him…. He learns the meaning of Grace.

I LOVE this book! It grabbed me from page one and didn’t let go until the last page. Nothing got done around here today. I thought that perhaps it was going to be one more “formula” story about the fall and redemption of a sinner where everything ends up totally restored and smelling like roses. This book is so much better than that. Continue reading →

Marriage by Arrangement

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Marriage by ArrangementMarriage by Arrangement by Anne Greene

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A Marriage Covenant
Why does a handsome, powerful noble of the highest rank in England stoop to marry a mere Lady of Lowland Scotland?

A Great Secret
Are the whispered stories about him true? With his shadowy past and strange behavior, what awful secret does he hide? Each change of clothes transforms him into a different man.

An Impossible Choice
Can Lady Cailin keep her vow to make her marriage happy and successful, unlike that of her parents, or must she arrange for the Duke’s accidental death?

Marriage by Arrangement – 1746 Scotland. Cailin MacMurray is married to the grand and noble English Duke Avondale; an arrangement by her father. Her marriage to the Duke will give her family protection, after all… no one – English or Scottish – would dare invade a castle that bore the powerful Duke’s Coat of Arms.

But why would such a powerful and noble man marry such a woman as Cailin? Are the stories about his strange behavior true? Will God hear Cailin’s prayers of making this marriage more than a political arrangement, will it ever be a marriage of love and honor versus a marriage of obligation and duty?

This is a book that I truly did enjoy reading to the point that I finished it in one day. It was so well written that I had to keep reading to find out the answers to those questions. I especially appreciated that this is in fact a good clean love story. This is a story that I would allow a mid teen to read without concern.

I was however, let down when it was not revealed if the baby Cailin was carrying would be the necessary heir. I felt as though the last chapter ended rather abruptly and left me wanting the story to continue for just a bit longer. Perhaps there is a sequel?

*Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book through the “For Readers Only” group at The Book Club Network, in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own, and no monetary compensation was received for this review.

*Reviews of this book were posted at the following locations:
Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Deeper Shopping, and Goodreads

View all my reviews

This book is available online at
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Emma of Aurora – A Review

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Emma of Aurora (Change and Cherish Historical #1-3)Emma of Aurora by Jane Kirkpatrick

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Change and Cherish Trilogy based on the true story of Emma Wagner Giesy.

“A Clearing in the Wild”
When Emma’s outspoken ways and growing skepticism lead to a clash with the beloved leader of her 1850s Bethel, Missouri, colony, she finds new opportunities to purse her dream of independence. But as she clears a pathway West to her truest and deepest self, she discovers something she never expected, a yearning for the warm embrace of community.

In 1850 at Bethel Missouri, we meet Emma Wagner a young feisty 17-year old. Emma is in love and will stop a nothing to be married to Christian Giesy, a man nearly 20 years her senior. The leader of the Bethel religious colony is dead set against this marriage… but with Emma’s cunning ways and “reverse psychology”, she becomes Emma Giesy. Continue reading →

Elusive Hope

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Elusive Hope (Escape to Paradise, #2)Elusive Hope by MaryLu Tyndall

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
“In a colony names New Hope, while their friends are seeking a southern utopia… Hayden is seeking revenge. Relentlessly. Magnolia is seeking a way out. Desperately. As they journey toward Rio de Janeiro, they each seek to use the other for their own purposes. Deceptively. Falling in love was never part of their plans…”

This is the first book that I have read by MaryLu Tyndall. (I did not read book one of this series, though I am to understand that it isn’t necessary, though some found it helpful for continuity of the story.) The author has a unique writing style that draws the reader into the lives of her characters. This is true with both of the main characters of this book. Magnolia Scott is a spoiled, pouty-faced southern belle that has been pulled away from her life of privilege to find herself dragged by her father to the jungles of Brazil in 1866. Her only goal is to find her way back to the life she knew – no matter the cost, no matter what, or who, it takes to get her there.

She manipulates a man – Hayden Gale – from the New Hope Colony to get her to Rio so that she can make her way back home. Hayden has a dark secret that he is keeping, one that entails tracking down the man that killed his mother… his own father.

This book contains some aspects of spiritual warfare, which can be off-putting and disturbing to some readers. I did like the strong message of redemption and forgiveness that is portrayed throughout the story,

I am not a huge fan of historical fiction, I am not sure that I would read the next book in the series.

*Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book through the “For Readers Only” group at The Book Club Network, in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own, and no monetary compensation was received for this review.

*Reviews of this book were posted at the following locations:
Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Deeper Shopping, an Goodreads

View all my reviews
This book is available online at
Deeper Shopping Books and Bibles

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Pathways To The King – A Review

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Pathways to the King: Living a Life of Spiritual Renewal and PowerPathways to the King: Living a Life of Spiritual Renewal and Power by Rob Reimer

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“The Church in America desperately needs revival. We have fewer people attending church now (percentage wise) than ever before in the history of the United States. But how do we experience revival? How do we usher in God’s kingdom on Earth and see the next great spiritual awakening? It starts with you. God wants you to draw near to Jesus and to be a carrier of His kingdom, and He wants you to expand the kingdom to others – just like Jesus did. Pathways to the King provides you with 8 Kingdom pathways that you’ll need to incorporate and internalize in order to experience and expand God’s kingdom on Earth. When you begin you walk down these pathways, you will develop intimacy, authority, and power in Christ and become a kingdom-minded person living out the compelling life of the Spirit.”

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It served as both a wake up call and a reminder for me that I have been becoming complacent in my walk. I was “OK” with the way things were… instead of being hungry for more, and wanting all that God had for me – like it was all those years ago when I first met Jesus. Not only do I need revival, but also the Church needs revival.

The author brings out 8 pathways that we need to walk in order to bring about a fresh revival and renewal – both corporate and personal. We are called to internalize the pathways – personalizing our identity in Christ, pursuing God, purifying ourselves, praising, praying kingdom prayers, claiming promises, passing the tests, and persisting – in order to walk in continuous revival.

This book is filled with great information that just makes sense. There are probably 100 “blubs” (for lack of a better word) scattered throughout the book. They are wonderful nuggets of wisdom and truth that will certainly give you something to ponder through your day. A personal favorite – “If you believed the things that God believes about you, it would revive your soul”!! While this book is an easy read, I feel that this book deserves great attention and certainly more than just one reading to fully absorb the message that is so desperately needed in our Country.

*Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book through the “For Readers Only” group at The Book Club Network, in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own, and no monetary compensation was received for this review.

*Reviews of this book were posted at the following locations:
Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Deeper Shopping, Goodreads, and to be featured on my blog at http://titus3.wordpress.com

View all my reviews

This book is available online at
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Masquerade Marriage

~ Ann Cuddy-Sullivan ~ Leave a comment

Masquerade MarriageMasquerade Marriage by Anne Greene

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“A Secret List” “A Fugitive Warrior” “ One Life-Saving Option” “A Vow Honored” “A Sacrifice Made”

Masquerade Marriage is an intriguing story set in 1746 Scotland. Waking up on the battlefield, near fatally wounded, and realizing that his father and brothers and most of his kinsmen lay dead around him, Brody MacCauly wonders why God has spared him. His vow now becomes that he must do whatever he has to do to save his mother and sister. Their safety lies with him alone. He does the one thing; he gives up his birthright, his name, and his identity to wed (a marriage in name only) Lady Megan MacMurray and take on her family name. His mother and sister would be safe as long as they kept the ruse going.

“I Do”. Two words that save the both of them; him from being found and killed and she from an arranged marriage to a vile and abusive man. This is a story of faith through the adversity, faith in God, faith in those around you. To learn if, in the end when all is said and done, this Masquerade Marriage ever becomes more than that… you will have to read book

If you are a fan of well-written historical romance, you will enjoy Masquerade Marriage.

*Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book through the “For Readers Only” group at The Book Club Network, in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own, and no monetary compensation was received for this review.

*Reviews of this book were posted at the following locations:
Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Deeper Shopping, and Goodreads

View all my reviews

This book is available online at
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A Rooster Once Crowed – A Review

~ Ann Cuddy-Sullivan ~ Leave a comment

A Rooster Once Crowed: A Commentary on the Greatest Story Ever ToldA Rooster Once Crowed: A Commentary on the Greatest Story Ever Told by Bryant Cornett

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“We live in those few moments between the first and the second crow of the rooster – between decision and indecision, between knowing and being known. But do you even care? Small; decisions made today establish our path for all time and yet we people with a piece of this and a taste of that we diet on wisdom from antiquity and gorge on culture that is next month’s joke. This story is an opportunity to gorge on scripture – from Genesis to Revelation – in context it is the gospel of Jesus Christ and an opportunity to see for yourself what it actually is. Rather than what we mold it to be and to finally choose whether or not to care.”

“Through small stories and a modern context, this book will help you understand and decide what you believe about the greatest story ever told.”

A Rooster Once Crowed is truly a fascinating read. It challenged me, in a good way, from the first chapter by asking me to examine how much I really do know about God, Jesus, Heaven, Creation, the Trinity, the Gospels, the Crucifixion…

Using Scripture references, commentary and personal stories, the author placed me on a journey to either accept and re-affirm my faith or to deny it all together by giving me insight into God’s love for Man (me), the Fall due to sin, and the price/debt Jesus paid, His sacrifice, to bring mankind (me) into God’s plan.

In the last chapter, we are given an Invitation to the final and greatest “Dance”. Will you accept or decline? It is hoped that we accept, and if we do… what do we do until the dance? And how do we prepare? That is the crux of it all.

This is a powerful book that, in conjunction with Scripture, brings forth the truths of my/our belief’s and all that that includes. This book truly is nourishment for the soul.

*Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book through the “For Readers Only” group at The Book Club Network, in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own, and no monetary compensation was received for this review.

*Reviews of this book were posted at the following locations:
Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Deeper Shopping, Goodreads, and to be featured on my blog at http://titus3.wordpress.com

View all my reviews

This book is available online at
Deeper Shopping Books and Bibles