A Suitor For Jenny

Title: A Suitor for Jenny
Author: Margaret Brownley

Goodreads Blurb:
After their parents died, Jenny felt responsible for seeing that her two younger sisters were well-taken care of. Tipped off by an article naming Rocky Creek the town with the highest number of eligible bachelors, Jenny rolled into this Texas town with a clear objective: find suitable husbands for her two sisters and then start fresh somewhere far, far away.

Jenny believes that women who fall in love at first sight often wish they'd taken a second look, so she diligently begins to follow all the rules set forth in her handy manual on how to land a husband.

But while Jenny is interviewing the less-than-promising candidates, her sisters are falling in love the old-fashioned way—with men of their choosing. And the longer Jenny stays, the more her sense of control slips away. The town isn't living up to her expectations, her sisters are rebelling against her practical choices, and soon her own heart starts to betray her, as US Marshall Rhett Armstrong stirs up emotions in her that weren't part of her plan.

To relinquish her control to God and calm her restless spirit, she'll need to give up her foregone conclusions about marriage, love, and faith.

My Take: 

I won this book in the firstreads contest on Goodreads so I want to thank them and the publisher, Thomas Nelson for providing the book. I read it in one day. That says something all by itself. I'm a reader who loves books that have great characters and this one does. You don't often read about a barber who sings opera - just as one example. All the "people" that inhabited the pages of this book became three dimensional and I found them funny and my heart broke for them as well. It was very well written.


I can't imagine being so driven to find a husband that you would post a sign and advertise for one. People have always done (and still do) crazy things in order to find and keep a man/woman. Have you heard of any? Please share them.

In the meantime, I wouldn't hesitate to suggest you add this to your pile of books to read. I'm sure you'll love it.

Out Live Your Life

Title: Out Live Your Life
Author: Max Lucado

Book Description:

These are difficult days in our world's history. 1.75 billion people are desperately poor, natural disasters are gouging entire nations, and economic uncertainty still reigns across the globe. But you and I have been given an opportunity to make a big difference. What if we did? What if we rocked the world with hope? Infiltrated all corners with God's love and life? We are created by a great God to do great works. He invites us to outlive our lives, not just in heaven, but here on earth. Let's live our lives in such a way that the world will be glad we did.

My Take:

Most of the books I review are fiction. I do read non-fiction though. One of my favorite writers of Christian non-fiction is Max Lucado because he manages to inspire and challenge without using ten dollar words and resorting to theological terms that most people can't relate to. His stories cut straight to the heart and stick with you long after you close the cover. This book is no exception. In fact, I think it's the best book of his that I've read.

The whole idea is that just like the humble motley crew of fisherman, tax collectors and the like from the early church - we can make a difference today. Too many people believe that they are just one person and can't do anything. Yet there are many examples when one person made a huge impact. We need to remember that God can and wants to use us to impact the world around us in big and small ways.

A lot of it is also about legacy. What do we want to leave behind? What we give and do for God can impact generations and last much longer than just our lifetime. What an exciting and challenging concept. I also think it's something that our world desperately needs right now. Many more people don't understand who God is at all. They need to know the truth about what the Bible says and they need people who will live out that truth for them - showing them they don't need to be perfect.

I can't say enough good things about this book. It was a great read and had wonderful ideas. Please consider reading it and passing it along to friends and family. My copy was provided by Thomas Nelson for review. I thank them for it, though it did not influence my review.