The Last Operative - by Jerry Jenkins

I have never met a Jerry Jenkins book I didn’t like. I normally prefer a happy, family, everything’s merry kind of Christian novel, but when I read his books, I get excited. The Last Operative was no different.

Jordan Kirkwood is an NSA intelligence operative who is entrusted with very secretive information that he is uncertain what to do with. The book takes an early and shocking turn as a traumatic event happens in Jordan’s immediate family. Feeling that someone with whom he works may be behind this huge threat to not only his family, but also the United States, he becomes even more unsure about whom to trust.

I so enjoyed reading this book. Jerry Jenkins has a way of making his reader feel involved in the story and rooting for the good guys, even if it’s not easy figuring out who the good guys are! I heartily recommend this book (or any Jenkins book) with two thumbs up!

Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions are all mine.

Sarah's Garden - by Kelly Long

I love a good work of Christian fiction and Sarah's Garden by Kelly Long did not disappoint! I was immediately drawn into the life of Sarah King, a good Amish woman who was torn between the faith with which she had been raised and the potential love of her life. The book was well-written in that the reader feels Sarah's attraction to the new veterinarian in town, while at the same time roots for her to remain true to the simple life she knows and loves.

Sarah is what we might call a Master Gardener and helps her new neighbor learn of the joys and blessings that come from having a garden and growing herbs and vegetables. While the garden is growing, so is their forbidden love.

Although parts of the book were predictable, the author did a good job of taking the reader for a few unexpected twists and turns. I enjoyed them very much.

I will be picking up Kelly Long’s other books in this Patch of Heaven series to follow the story of these people of Amish faith.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Healing Sands

Healing Sands by Nancy Rue and Stephen Arterburn is an easy read that hooks you in fairly quickly. The book tells the story of Ryan Coe, a photographer who moved to be closer to her two boys, Jake and Alex, who live with her ex-husband.

She has difficulty re-entering their lives and when her son Jake is arrested, she feels like her life is completely our of her control. She believes he is innocent, but her husband refuses to allow her son to discuss the situation with her. When her son shuts down completely, she begins to see a local therapist, Dr. Sullivan Crisp. She realizes that she needs to control her anger in order to get through to her son and make a difference in his life.

Dr. Crisp, or Sully as he is known, is also new to the area and is struggling with his own pain and sorrow following the deaths of his wife and infant daughter. Sully and Ryan work together in their search for healing.

Although I thought the book was very predictable, I enjoyed it enough that I purchased the other titles in the Sullivan Crisp series and they also made for enjoyable reading.