Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Book Review & Giveaway: Reunion by Lauraine Snelling

Reunion by Lauraine Snelling
Publisher: FaithWords
Publish Date: July 17, 2012
Paperback, 336 pages
Fiction, Christian
 ISBN: 9780892969098







buy the book from The Book Depository, free delivery
My Review:
I read Reunion in one day. Started it mid-afternoon, finished it before bed.  That should pretty much say it all.  Once I started, I had to finish it.  And wow, what an enjoyable book.

The characters, Kiera, her husband Bjorn, her brother Marcus and his wife and Kiera's best friend Leah were all wonderful.  Kiera and Leah played the starring roles in the book alongside Kirsten, Leah's 17-year-old daughter.  Each character was masterfully developed from the beginning.  I got to know Kiera, Leah, Kirsten and even Marcus, Bjorn and Jose a little bit.  But the main characters were developed in such a way that I felt like I understood them and understood their motivations.  I like it when I can understand and relate to a character, even when the characters are older and younger than me as they were in this book.

The overall book was made up of several plots wove together to make up the book as as a whole.  And the plots were wove together masterfully.  I liked seeing each story come to life, the trials and tribulations, the tests of faith.  The twists and turns and the things I thought would happen that didn't and the things that I didn't expect, did.  Ms. Snelling has created a compelling plot with Reunion by using problems that everyday people have to face head-on and dealing with the what-ifs in a way that brings the story to life in front of my eyes and makes me feel like I know each one of the characters like they are my best friend.

Reunion is an amazing book. A rare find that really tackles life's problems but still leaves you feeling upbeat in the end.  I loved this book and I am so glad I got the chance to read and review it.  It is a rare gem that should be enjoyed by readers that are intrigued by it.  So if it sounds the least bit appealing to you, I suggest you go out and get it.  I don't think you will regret it.

My Rating: 5.0/5.0


About the Book:
Keira Johnson, a 50-year-old mother of two grown sons, believes she lives a good Christian life without secrets-- until she discovers a life-jarring fact her late mother kept hidden all her life. Kiera was born out of wedlock, and the man she had always known as her father had adopted her as an infant.

Meanwhile, Keira's beloved 17-year-old niece, Kirsten, has just discovered an unwanted pregnancy. Her boyfriend, Jose, is bound for college and Kirsten does not know what to do. As the family comes together for a reunion, Keira and Kirsten struggle with their fractured pasts and jumbled present. Will truth and honesty be the catalysts that allow the entire family to find peace?

Inspired by events in Lauraine Snelling's own life, REUNION is the author's finest novel to date.


About the Author (from Goodreads.com): 
Lauraine Snelling has been writing since 1980, with a total of 56 books published, both fiction and non-fiction, historical and contemporary, for adults and young readers. Lauraine's books consistently appear on CBA bestseller lists and are frequently featured in the Crossings Book Club. Lauraine and her husband, Wayne, live in California and have two grown sons.

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Giveaway:
Thanks to Sarah Reck, publicist for Hachette Book Group, I have 1 copy of Reunion by Lauraine Snelling to giveaway. US/Canada only, no PO Boxes.  The book will ship directly from the publisher.  Ends 7/25. Simply fill out the Rafflecopter below.

If you have any problems with the Rafflecopter of commenting, please email me and let me know: crystalfulcher(at)ec.rr.com.  Thanks!


a Rafflecopter giveaway



FTC Information: I received this book from the publisher for an honest review.  I do make money from purchases made at The Book Depository, Alibris and B&N.com, but all money is used to fund giveaways and shipping for giveaways from the blog.

Book Promo: Taken By Storm by Angela Morrison

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Synopsis:

Mormon girl Leesie has life figured out until devastated Michael lands in her small town high school. He needs her like no one has before. A rare journey into a faithful LDS teen’s intimate struggle.
"[Morrison] handles the topics of religion and premarital sex gracefully without passing judgment. The message has less to do with religion than learning to respect and cherish others while staying true to one’s own beliefs.”  – Publisher’s Weekly, starred review

Brand new paperback and reformatted ebook with fully scalable fonts. Includes bonus, never-before-published scene, "Airport Good-bye!" 
10 Year Anniversary
Ten years ago this week, Taken by Storm's scuba-diving hero, Michael, swam out of Angela's brain and onto her page. Join the anniversary celebration! Win your own copy of the brand new paperback!  Snag Taken by Storm's Kindle ebook for only $ .99 

Unbroken Connection (Book 2) and Cayman Summer (Book 3) are free on Kindle! Hurry. The promotion ends Friday, July 20th. Don't own a Kindle?  Download free Kindle apps for your laptop, tablet, iTouch, or phone.  
Short Excerpt:
I’m lost to his firm chest,
his slender fingertips, his long wavy hair,
his mouth sucking my bottom lip—
The world spins, the stars shift,
and I can’t see anything except his smoky
gray eyes gazing into mine.


You scare me, whispers
from my mouth across his.


Good, he breathes into me.
I need you to save me.






Links to Buy:

Author Bio
Angela Morrison is the award-winning YA author of Taken by Storm (Books 1-3) and Sing me to Sleep. She graduated from Brigham Young University and holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She grew up in Eastern Washington on the wheat farm where Taken by Storm is set. She's an advanced NAUI, Nitrox certified scuba diver. The hurricane that kills Michael's parents was inspired by a real-life diving accident. 
After over a decade in Canada, Switzerland, and Singapore, Angela and her family are happily settled in Mesa, Arizona. She enjoys speaking to writers and readers of all ages about her craft. She has four children--mostly grown up--and the most remarkable grandson in the universe.