Chocolate-Covered Cashews Book Review

First of all, I love Chocolate-Covered Cashews, what a great title for those that love chocolate!  This book is not about chocolate though, it's about family and how people can find each other after so many years of not knowing they even existed.  This book by Wiley Baxter is his story of how he found out he had family after he bought a bag of Chocolate-Covered Cashews.  The book was provided to me from Booksneeze and I really enjoyed learning how this families secret was revealed.

Wiley Baxter was 57-years-old when God brought a surprise to him. Over the next four days, it was revealed to him that he was the biological father of identical twin daughters and four grandchildren, which resulted from a two-year marriage he had 36 years before. Overjoyed and overwhelmed, he began a new chapter in his life.

Here are my highlights from the book...

Here's a question for you.  Have you ever had a once-in-a-lifetime experience that totally changed your idea of how you would live your life from that point on-an experience that you wanted to share with everybody?

God has tried to reach me in many ways, by placing others in my path to encourage me to examine my heart.

My wish is to share with you one of the greatest blessings of my life.

Sometimes we need to fall to learn, even though we don't see it that way at the time.

Recognize the postivie input of loved ones in your life, let the people know we appreciate them.

"Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made know unto God" (Phil. 4:6).

One thing God does is fill our hearts with love, and there is plenty of love to go around.

The book includes two other family members that share their personal stories.  Overall, I enjoyed the story and was able to share the exciting news about this families special connections with my friends and family.  

Book Rating 4 Stars

Do you have an exciting family story to share or a great book you recently read?  I'd love to hear about it.  Leave me a comment with a link to your blog or the book you recommend!

xoxo,

Nicole Flothe

Join Me: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Google+

www.TheHeartbeatMagazine.com Enter this month's Giveaway! 

Get more Tips, Savings, & Heartfelt News : Subscribe to Heartbeat Magazine News

********************************************************************************************************** 

Barefoot Summer Book Review

I was given the opportunity to review Barefoot Summer (A Chapel Springs Romance) a romance novel from Booksneeze.  I loved the title. It fit perfectly as I was looking for a good romance while I enjoyed my summer holiday.  

Here is the book description:

Madison’s heart has been closed for years. But one summer can change everything.

In the years since her twin brother’s drowning, Madison McKinley has struggled to put it behind her. Despite the support of her close-knit family and her gratifying job as a veterinarian in their riverside town, the loss still haunts her.

To find closure, Madison sets out to fulfill her brother’s dream of winning the town’s annual regatta. But first she has to learn to sail, and fast.

Beckett O’Reilly knows Madison is out of his league, but someone neglected to tell his heart. Now she needs his help—and he’ll give it, because he owes her far more than she’ll ever know.

Madison will do anything—even work with the infamous Beckett O’Reilly—to reach her goal. And as much as she’d like to deny it, the chemistry between them is electrifying. As summer wanes, her feelings for him grow and a fledgling faith takes root in her heart.

But Beckett harbors a secret that will test the limits of their new love. Can their romance survive summer’s challenges? And will achieving her brother’s dream give Madison the peace she desperately seeks?

I loved being able to read the book on my iPhone and using the bookmark feature along with the highlights.  One of the things I like to highlight is wherever the author uses the word heart.  Here is one that I loved:

Her mom gave her a long, knowing look.  The kind that made Madison realize that she could shutter off her heart to the outside world, but Mom would still see right through. 

When I was growing up my parents would send us to my grandparents house for the summer.  We took sailing lessons at the yacht club and when Madison was learning to sail it brought back a lot of memories for me.  The photo below is from my cousin Tara, her son is now taking sailing lessons at Hudson Yacht Club, such an amazing experience.  

Another part of the book I really enjoyed was the times she took pets to the nursing homes.

"Animals make people happy.  Besides, I like the folks here.  Older people are storehouses of wisdom.  It's too bad people forget that."

I think most of us could relate to the story, throughout the book you learn how her brother died and why she had so many relationship issues.   Her mother was a great influence and I seemed to highlight what she said a lot.

Her mom's words from earlier in the summer came back, "You've always been afraid of feeling, Madison.  Sometimes those negative feelings are so strong, they're overwhelming, and it's easier to just not deal with them." 

I was rooting for Madison to be brave and courageous during her struggles.  She had trouble sleeping, learning a new skill, being in love and making decisions that would benefit her life.  

God knew her heart.

You can do this, Madison.  Be brave.

Give me courage, God.

If you're looking for your next great romance novel and a heartfelt story, make sure you add this one to your list!

Denise Hunter is the award-winning and best-selling author of many novels, including A Cowboy's Touch and Sweetwater Gap.  She and her husband are raising three boys in Indiana.

Visit her website at www.denisehunterbooks.com

Amazon:
Barefoot Summer (A Chapel Springs Romance)

Summer Books Worth Reading

How do you choose a book to read?  I admit, I love reading books.  My mother loves shopping at thrift stores and I find myself drawn to the book section.  This last weekend, I found five books for under $10 dollars.  Bargin!

Can't wait to read these books!

I recently received my cousin's Gail Hedrick's book, Something Stinks!  What a great story!  I was captivated from the beginning and didn't want to put it down until the mystery was solved.

Click Here for Chance to Win!

Emily Sanders is a typical seventh grader – reluctant to see the summer end, she is dealing with BFF drama with her friend Leanne as she heads back to school in her small Virginia town and discovers that, well, Something Stinks!. When she stops by to see her Uncle Joe and Aunt Sylvie, Emily gets a whiff of something nasty. Her uncle tells her that now and then scores of dead fish clog the river near his apple orchard. He can’t figure out why and the local authorities haven’t taken much interest in helping him. Once school starts Emily joins her school newspaper and begins looking for stories beyond the middle school world of football and bad cafeteria food. The adventure begins as she explores the science of the river and the businesses that line its banks.

I loved the part where Emily had to start thinking about an apology.  She says, "Apologies were supposed to come from the heart.  Right now, my heart felt squeezed out like a used-up sponge.  And definitely not apologetic."  Don't you ever feel that way?  I know sometimes when I ask the kids to apologize it takes them a while to mumble an apology.  They probably feel similar to the way Emily felt.

Some people Love to read and others find it boring.  I love to go on an adventure and what an easy way to do that with a book that shares all about the special location.  I also enjoy books that share ways to live a better life!

What are your favorites?


This post is part of the Sharing is Caring Summer Blog Hop hosted by Life With Lovebugs , Powerful Mothering, and A Spectacled Owl!

All of the blogs listed below are sharing Summer themed posts as part of this event, so click on one or all of the links below to find some great recipes, tutorials, crafts and more!

Do you Love to Read? WW Entry

I love reading quotes, inspirational books, autobiographies, and technology books.

What books do you enjoy reading?

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Stand By Me Book Review

My Rating 4 out of 5
Stand By Me is a book by Neta Jackson, she writes about two women from different lifestyles that end up helping each other in ways they never thought possible.

Here is a great Book Description:

Sometimes the person you most need is the one least like you.

Kathryn Davies is a bright young woman from a prominent Phoenix family. But after making a leap of faith at a Christian music fest, dropping out of med school, and moving to inner city Chicago, her family has all but disowned her. Kat’s enthusiasm for her newfound faith tempers the sting of their rejection.

When Kat discovers SouledOut Community Church, she longs to become a part of the multi-cultural church family. But her tendency to say whatever she’s thinking and her eccentric ways step on the toes of nearly everyone she meets—especially Avis Douglass, a woman she admires but who seems distant.

Avis is known for her mature faith and her reliance on listening to God more than people. Married to a kind and successful businessman, she is the principal of one of Chicago’s highest performing elementary schools, and a founding and active member of SouledOut. But the country’s economic downturn has thrown both her and her husband’s jobs in question. And Avis hasn’t heard from her youngest daughter in months—an estrangement that gnaws at her every day. Where is God in all this?

Kat’s flamboyant zeal for living a “radical” Christian life is a stark contrast to Avis’s quiet crisis of faith. But in God’s own mysterious ways, the two women discover they need each other in ways neither of them expected.

Read more about author Neta Jackson.

The three things I liked about the book...

1.  I enjoyed the deep story plot and how each woman was able to figure out their struggles and trust in God to help them.

2.  It was fun viewing the life of a college student again, it's been a while and it brought back memories of my apartment hunting and sharing costs with friends.

3.  When Avis lost her earrings that her husband gave her and didn't want to tell him it made me reflect on what I hold on to at times and should just share right away instead of making the situation more frustrating.

All in all, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to others to read.  The only thing that was a bit slow for me was there are a lot of pages to read.  But as a Book lover, I can tolerate a good book any day!

xoxo,

Nicole Flothe

(I was privileged to do this book review for Booksneeze.com)