• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • The words
  • The writer
  • The work

Beauty on the Backroads

Stories of grace for life's unexpected turns

inspirational fiction

When life throws a curve: Review of Meant to Be Mine by Becky Wade

June 4, 2014

What if an impulsive decision changed your life forever?

meant to be mineCelia Park has had a thing for Ty Porter since high school and when their paths cross in Las Vegas, the spark is still there. After four unbelievable days of a Vegas-style romance, Celia and Ty end up at a wedding chapel for an equally Vegas-style wedding. In the morning, Celia wakes up with no regrets; Ty, on the other hand, has nothing but. Their dream relationship ends after four days and the two part ways. Five and a half years later, they’re still married though they haven’t seen each other all that time. Circumstances force Ty to find Celia and he finds more than his in-name-only wife–he finds Celia raising a daughter, his daughter, alone.

Meant to Be Mine by Becky Wade is the story of Celia and Ty’s relationship as Celia learns to trust a man who broke her heart and Ty learns to live for something other than bull riding. (Disclaimer: I received a free e-copy of the book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my review.) It’s a sweet, funny, inspiring love story that mirrors the aches of the human heart for love and forgiveness.

Wade writes some of the best contemporary inspirational stories on the market today. I love her style of storytelling, especially in this book Celia’s spunk and Ty’s charm. You can almost hear the irresistible smile as he speaks. And the cover is just plain adorable and captures Celia’s personality perfectly.

If you’re stocking up on summer reading, add this one to your list. (And check out Becky’s other books, including the first in the Porter family series, Undeniably Yours.)

 

Filed Under: Fiction, The Weekly Read, Uncategorized Tagged With: becky wade, bethany house, bull riding, contemporary romance, forgiveness, inspirational fiction

World War II fiction at its finest: Review of Daisies are Forever by Liz Tolsma {plus a giveaway}

May 21, 2014

If history books were written like Liz Tolsma’s stories, I’d have changed my major in college.

Okay, that’s probably not true because I was born to be a writer, but I want you to know just how amazing Tolsma’s tales of World War II are. (Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the book from the author and an e-copy from Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for my review.)

daisiesDaisies are Forever is the second of Tolsma’s novels that tell the lesser known stories of World War II. The first, Snow on the Tulips, was set in The Netherlands. This one focuses on an American woman living in East Prussia who is forced to flee to Berlin and a British soldier escaped from enemy captivity who pretends to be her husband.

History, especially war history, is not something I’m generally eager to read about, but Tolsma takes readers to the depths of the characters’ emotions. I felt the weight of the burdens Gisela carried as she fought for survival in a near-hopeless environment, and I gained a new appreciation for the immense suffering people all over the world felt during the long years of war.

These are not necessarily feel-good stories, but they do offer hope in the darkest of circumstances. And a unique aspect of Tolsma’s work is that her stories are based on ones that happened in her family. Through stories and pictures she’s heard throughout her life, she is able to take us along on the kind of journey most of us will never have to face.

This is World War II fiction at its finest.

To celebrate the release of her new novel, the author is hosting a giveaway. Details follow.

Liz Tolsma‘s latest WWII historical fiction novel, Daisies are Forever, is getting rave reviews. 

“. . . compelling and fast-paced tale about the atrocities and tremendous losses. . . .” —Library Journal

“Excellent storytelling, accurate historical reporting and gritty, persevering characters make this WWII-era novel a must-read.” —CBA Retailers + Resources


daisies-400-click

Liz celebrating the release with a Kindle HDX giveaway!

One winner will receive:

  • A Kindle Fire HDX
  • Daisies are Forever by Liz Tolsma

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on May 31st. Winner will be announced June 2nd on Liz’s website.

Don’t miss a moment of the fun; enter today and be sure to stop by Liz’s website on June 2nd to see if you won.

 

Filed Under: Fiction, The Weekly Read Tagged With: daisies are forever, extraordinary women, inspirational fiction, litfuse publicity group, liz tolsma, women's fiction, world war 2 fiction

  • « Previous Page
  • Page 1
  • …
  • Page 7
  • Page 8
  • Page 9
  • Page 10
  • Page 11
  • …
  • Page 13
  • Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Photo by Rachel Lynn Photography

Welcome

Hi. I’m Lisa, and I’m glad you’re here. If we were meeting in real life, I’d offer you something to eat or drink while we sat on the porch letting the conversation wander as it does. That’s a little bit what this space is like. We talk about books and family and travel and food and running, whatever I might encounter in world. I’m looking for the beauty in the midst of it all, even the tough stuff. (You’ll find a lot of that here, too.) Thanks for stopping by. Stay as long as you like.

When I wrote something

May 2025
M T W T F S S
 1234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
262728293031  
« Jun    

Recent posts

  • Still Life
  • A final round-up for 2022: What our December was like
  • Endings and beginnings … plus soup: A November wrap-up
  • A magical month of ordinary days: October round-up
  • Stuck in a shallow creek
  • Short and sweet September: a monthly round-up
  • Wrapping the end of summer: Our monthly round-up

Join the conversation

  • A magical month of ordinary days: October round-up on Stuck in a shallow creek
  • Stuck in a shallow creek on This is 40
  • July was all about vacation (and getting back to ordinary days after)–a monthly roundup on One very long week

Footer

What I write about

Looking for something?

Disclosure

Lisa Bartelt is a participant in the Bluehost Affiliate Program.

Occasionally, I review books in exchange for a free copy. Opinions are my own and are not guaranteed positive simply due to the receipt of a free copy.

Copyright © 2025 · Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in