Behold The Man

I just finished another outstanding Theone book. I was excited to have the chance to review this book because I wanted it badly anyway. I read all the Theone novels I can get my hands on. I am a Bible study nut and these novels, although fiction are woven throughout with truths that inspire me to dig deeper into the Bible. 

Behold The Man is the 3rd book in the Jerusalem Chronicles, a series following Jesus and His followers.

I love that many of the vivid characters have been present in more than one series. I feel as if I know them personally after reading about them for years.

There is a discussion guide in the back, and this is a great choice for a Book club. So much meaty dialogue would come out of this book!

Behold The Man travels through Jesus' last days and crucifixion through three major people who had interaction with Him: Pilate, Claudia, Pilate's wife, and the Centurion ( who has been one of my favorite characters in many of Bodie and Brock's novels).

If you love excellent writing, very well-developed characters and storylines,  colorful people and thorough historical research, you will be enthralled with this book. The Theone's never fail to deliver emotion and  deep truth with engaging imagination all rolled into one glorious tale. Intrigue, danger, joy, love, passion, fear, greed, heroism, kindness and cruelty - you could not possibly fail to fall in love with some characters, sympathize with or despise others. All in all, another successful work for my favorite authors.

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a completely unbiased written review.

The Midwife's Choice Review

Read an excerpt or see author's bio here

This book was #2 in a series and I wish I'd read #1 because at first I thought the author just hadn't quite finished developing her characters for my picky preferences. Once I got into the story I couldn't put it down. It's a well-written book but it I was exhausted reading it. It seemed like there was a drama or crisis three times a day for this character. In spite of that I did enjoy the tale and immersed myself in it by the fire for two days straight. Some of the characters became very dear to me, but for some reason not the main character. I just didn't like her as well as I liked some of the other female characters.

This was a fast-paced dramatic book with a lot going on. You won't be bored, that's for sure.

* I received a free copy of this paperback from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased  written review.

About

Come Home to Friendship, Family, and Faith in the Town of Trinity
In a time when the traditional ways of medicine are constantly being questioned by new doctors fresh from medical school, midwife Martha Cade tries to balance her life's calling with the demands of her family. Recently reunited with her estranged seventeen-year-old daughter, Martha finds herself torn between guiding her child and allowing her to be an adult. At the same time, she must decide whether she'll risk reopening the heart she'd long closed off to love.

Though a small town, Trinity, Pennsylvania, is fraught with secrets, and as a midwife, Martha moves among its people. She knows which homes are filled with light and love, which families have slipped into grief, which wives are unhappy, and which husbands dare to cross lines...As Martha struggles with the conflicts of being a mother, a midwife, and a woman, she learns the greatest lessons of all--that hope can shine even in the darkest hours, and that faith has a way of making the impossible possible

The Bee Keeper's Son

 

I'm not usually an amish fiction fan, but this book intrigued me because of the bee keeping written into the story line, and also I felt the need for a mental vacation. I usually read for information, and even if it's agrarian, which I love, it's still mentally taxing. This book was refreshing. In fact, I fell in love with Phineas King. The character development by Kelly Irvin was fantastic.

I had a hard time putting this novel down and read it in less than two days, which, given my hectic days, tells you I certainly did immerse in the story and escape. I really got emotionally involved with the main characters. The Beekeeper's Son was well written and enjoyable.

*I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased, online, written review.

 

Sometimes it takes a barren landscape to see the beauty of God’s creation.
Phineas King knows better than to expect anything but shock and pity wherever he shows his face. Horribly scarred from the tragic accident that claimed his mother’s life, he chooses to keep his distance from everyone, focusing his time and energy on the bees his family raises. If no one sees him, no one can judge him. So why does he start finding excuses to seek out Deborah Lantz, the beautiful new arrival in town?
Deborah can’t get out of Bee County, Texas, soon enough. Once her mother and younger siblings are settled, she is on the first bus out of this dusty town. She is only waiting on the letter from Aaron, asking her to return to lush Tennessee to be his fraa. But that letter never comes. As she spends time getting to know Phineas—hoping to uncover the man beneath the scars—she begins to realize that she no longer minds that Aaron hasn’t sent for her.
As both Deborah and Phineas try to come to terms with lives that haven’t turned out the way they imagined, they discover that perhaps Gott’s plans for them are more extraordinary than they could have dreamed. But they need to let go of their own past sorrows and disappointments to find the joy and beauty that lies just ahead for them both.