Book Review: Raspberries and Vinegar By Valerie Comer

RASPBERRIES AND VINEGAR
A Farm Fresh Romance #1

By: Valerie Comer

Published: August 1, 2013/ July 29, 2014 2nd edition

Publisher: GreenWords Media

Fiction/Christian/Romance

After reading and reviewing the book GROUNDED by Angela Correll, the author approached me to read her book based on similar settings.  See my review of GROUNDED, HERE.

RASPBERRIES AND VINEGAR, won The Word Award for Best Contemporary Romance of 2013.

Jo and her two best friends, Sierra and Claire move to a small town community in Idaho to begin their dream of an organic lifestyle. They plan to live off the earth and hope to teach their neighbors to do the same. Jo is extremely independent and passionate about her dream of sustainable living and isn't afraid to tell others about it.  She receives some kick back from the locals, but doesn't expect to fall head-over-heels for one of them, her neighbor, Zach.  Zach is back just to help out on the farm while he dad is recovering from Guillain-Barre Syndrome and has no intention of farming or sticking around.  He wants to live the big city life and run a small animal vet clinic. When he learns what may have caused his dad's illness, he may start to wonder if his new neighbors might just be on to a new way of living. And he can't seem to get Jo out of his mind.

While reading, you will learn a lot about sustainable living, where our food comes from, and how to live in a way to reduce your resources.  If anything, it will make you stop and think the next time you go to the grocery store. I was very curious about the title of the book and the drink the locals seemed to enjoy on a hot afternoon, Raspberry Vinegar. The author even includes a recipe for the beverage at the end of the book.  A little bit of tart mixed with the sweet flavor of raspberries, much like the main character, Jo.

There is a quaint feel to the story and definitely a Christian message throughout the book. We are reminded to take all our worries to God and pray for Him to work in your life.  You just have to be willing to follow His direction and guidance.  It is also stressed to take care of the world God gave us and appreciate the land and the animals, even the mice.

Jo and Zach's relationship was complicated, immature at times, and continually frustrating, but you still were rooting for them all the way through.  Even though parts of the book were predictable, there were some twists thrown in to keep you interested. I appreciated that there were road blocks along the way and not everything was easy as sometimes happens in romance novels.

Reading this will remind you of the simpler life and make you want to rush out and grow your own garden or at the very least, stop by your local farmer's market. The author has included discussion questions at the end of the book. It would make a great read for a book club or church group.  If you are interested in reading more, the second book in the series, Wild Mint Tea (Farm Fresh Romance) (Volume 2)came out on March 1, 2014, and tells Claire's story.

Valerie Comer

Valerie Comer's life on a small farm in western Canada provides the seed for stories of contemporary inspirational romance. Like many of her characters, Valerie and her family grow much of their own food and are active in the local foods movement as well as their creation-care-centric church. She only hopes her creations enjoy their happily ever afters as much as she does hers, shared with her husband, adult kids, and adorable granddaughters. For more on Valerie, visit her website, http://valeriecomer.com/. You can also find her on Twitter, HERE and Facebook, HERE. 

To purchase RASPBERRIES AND VINEGAR, click the photo below. It is just $.99 on Kindle right now.

To purchase WILD MINT TEA for $2.99 on Kindle or in paperback, click the photo below:

Coffee Creamer Review

I have been reviewing products for BEST CHOICE Brands.  I compare their product to a similar name brand product and offer my opinion on which one is better. They will then be posting my reviews on their site and when they appear, I will share them with you here.  You can always see reviews of the Best Choice products by myself and other mom bloggers, by clicking HERE. 

I am always so excited to open up the box and see what I am reviewing next.   In our area, we can find Best Choice products at Alco stores and smaller independent grocery stores. Stay tuned for more product reviews from Best Choice. I think you may be surprised by our results. 

I go through a lot of creamer in our house, so trying out Coffeemate French Vanilla Coffee Creamer vs Best Choice French Vanilla Coffee Creamer was right up my alley.  Click HERE to see which product won in my taste test. 

A Little Monday Inspiration

Has your summer flown by as fast as ours has? 

I feel like the kids just got out of school yesterday and now they start up again a week from today! 

I feel like this summer was all about 

rush, rush, rush 

and not enough laid back, go with the flow kind of days.

There are so many things I didn't get accomplished. 

I still have two craft projects unfinished. I

 didn't have as many "fun days" with the kids as I wanted to have. 

But, I can't change it now. 

What I can do is try to slow down our last week of summer.  

We can try to cherish the little things 

and have fun before life speeds up again.

 I can't believe I'm the mom of a high schooler, an 8th grader and a fourth grader.  

Where did the years go? 

I know these four years of Patrick's high school life are going to fly.

So, I'm taking Lily Tomlin's advice and going to do my darndest to slow life down. 

"For fast-acting relief try slowing down."

-Lily Tomlin 

I'm Grateful Today

I'm in a grateful mood today.  How about you?

It's a beautiful day in Eastern Iowa.

I was able to sleep in a bit this morning and enjoy laying in bed a little longer than normal.

But, mostly, I'm grateful that Bennett is on the mend.

 This is not a sight you want to see.

Bennett had been sick since Tuesday evening.

Fever, vomiting....constant vomiting. 

Yesterday, our Nurse Practioner wanted to see him. 

We were worried about dehydration and yes, a trip to the hospital was needed for fluids.

As he slept, 

fluids pumping into his body, 

I thought of the thousands of parents who deal with this on a daily basis. 

 Parents who watch their children being poked and checked over.  

Parents who watch chemo drip 

into their sweet child's little bodies in the hopes of making them better.  

Parents who are praying over them, 

hoping someday all these visits and needles will all be in the past. 

This I could handle 

because I knew it would make him better 

and we'd be on our way home in a matter of hours.  

I knew this was the best thing for him. 

Then, he woke up with a shock and was in extreme pain.  

Teenage-Boy-Crying kind of pain. 

Bennett is our tough kid and I knew he was in a lot of pain.  

Our NP was called and concerns were raised about appendicitis. 

After tests and an ultrasound, it ended up being Mesenteric Adenitis. 

Yep, it's a real thing. Click on the word.  

If you have children or teenagers, it might be nice to know about it 

in case this ever comes up for you.  

It mimics appendicitis.  But, thankfully, it isn't. 

We arrived home after five hours at the hospital.  

Everyone got a good night's sleep

 and hopefully each hour Bennett will be feeling better.  

I'm so thankful for the nurses in the Pediatric's Unit at Mercy Medical Center. 

I am extremely thankful to our NP Erin.  

Bennett received excellent care. 

I would highly recommend them to any one who has a sick child. 

Thanks to my friends and family who texted me to keep me company. 

Would you do this today?

While watching your child 

play or sing or eat or sleep, 

say a small prayer for all those parents 

who are watching their child sleep in a hospital bed, 

hooked up to machines

and ask for a healing touch, a guiding hand, and a gesture of love.  

If you know a parent in this exact situation, offer a hand.  

Give gas money, 

a pizza gift card, 

make a meal for the family, 

offer respite or to take their other children for a day. 

Offer a listening ear or sit with them at the hospital. 

Be a friend to a parent in need today. 

Be grateful for today.  

Book Review: Three Good Things By Wendy Francis

THREE GOOD THINGS: A Novel

By: Wendy Francis

Published: January 1, 2013

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Fiction



This book has all the pieces that I love in a story: sisters, a bakery, great quotes, and a bit of romance. Ellen raised her younger sister, Lanie, after their mom died. They are now adults and as close as two sisters can be. Ellen, recently divorced, has built a new life and is the owner of a Kringle bakery in Wisconsin. Lanie is a mom to toddler, Benjamin, as well as a busy lawyer, and married to Rob, a busy architect. Lanie longs to have it all yet feels like she is falling short in motherhood and her marriage. Ellen just begins to move beyond her past when suddenly her past shows up at her door. As both women struggle in their lives, they miss their mom and her love and guidance. They are reminded how she closed each day by remembering three good things. Will remembering three good things each day lead Ellen and Lanie to a second chance at happiness?

I had really high hopes for this book, but it fell a little short for me.  There wasn't much of a plot and the characters were a little too whiny for me. I found myself skimming a few chapters. It is a short book at just a bit over two hundred pages, but when I finally started to get excited about the story, it ended, leaving the reader wondering how life turns out for Ellen and Lanie.

Each chapter begins with a quote, either from a fictional kringle cookbook or something related to what is going on in the story. Quotes from baking to parenting and even architecture offer lessons that can be applied to daily life. I also loved the lesson from the title of the book. It is a reminder for all of us on how to live out each day.

"Her mother had always told them 

to count three good things at the end of every day. 

'You can always find three,' she would say, 

'and if you can't, you're not looking.'" Page 75

The characters were easy to identify with and I could relate to their Midwestern values. But, I found a few of their situations were too easily tidied up. This is definitely a light read and enjoyable. I was just expecting a bit more.

I have never seen or tasted a kringle, but after reading this book, I certainly want to try one. The book does include a recipe to make a Danish kringle and I may just have to try making one myself.

I read this for my own enjoyment after a recommendation from my cousin. Since there are discussion questions at the end of the book, this would also make for a good book club choice.

Wendy Francis - source

A Wisconsin native, Wendy Francis is a former senior editor in book publishing. THREE GOOD THINGS is her first novel. She is currently working on her second book. For more on Wendy, visit her blog at http://www.wendyefrancis.blogspot.com/. You can also find her on Twitter, HERE. 

To purchase a copy of THREE GOOD THINGS, click the photo below:

  

Book Review: Little Mercies By Heather Gudenkauf

LITTLE MERCIES

By: Heather Gudenkauf

Published: July 1, 2014

Publisher: Harlequin MIRA

Fiction




In Gudenkauf's latest novel, moms everywhere won't be able to forget this story, ripped right from today's headlines. Gudenkauf, I'm sure, had no idea how timely her novel would be.

Gudenkauf is an Iowan and sets her books around the people and places that are in the heart of the Midwest. She makes her books easy to identify with characters and the places they live. In LITTLE MERCIES, Ellen is a social worker exposed to horrific scenes of abused wives and children and hungry faces, but goes home to the idyllic life with a husband and her three children. There are days when the enormity of caring for other children can be exhausting and often times she has to care for others children over her own. One day, her career and her personal life combine into a crashing catastrophe.

In another Midwestern community, ten-year-old Jenny is finding out she and her father are moving again. Life hasn't been stable since her mother left her and she moved in with her alcoholic father.  On the day they are starting out on a new life, Jenny finds herself alone. She is forced to live off of the kindness of others and the few dollars in her pocket. When she meets a waitress, she finds herself wrapped in a kind of love and protection she has never known.

Eventually Jenny and Ellen's lives collide. In that moment, they will realize the "little mercies, the good that can come from the terrible".

I don't want to give away any of the twists and turns of this heart breaking and emotional story. What I do want to say, is it will break your heart, make you cry, remind you to appreciate the big and little moments in life, and to make time for those you love.

Gudenkauf writes with heartfelt emotion, realistic situations, identifiable characters, and at a pace that will keep the reader guessing and constantly turning the pages.  As a former social worker, I can say with confidence that the author did her research and put me right back into that chaotic world.

This will make an excellent choice for book clubs that include women or men, mothers or grandmothers.  I would expect it to be an emotional discussion for most members.

I purchased this on my Kindle and as of right now, it is just $6.00. Prices can change daily, but regardless of the price, it is a book I highly recommend. Click HERE to purchase LITTLE MERCIES.

Gudenkauf has also published a novella to accompany LITTLE MERCIES.  LITTLE LIES is available on Kindle for just $.99. To purchase it, click the photo below:

Novellas are usually short stories to get readers excited for a new novel coming out.  I actually read LITTLE LIES after I read LITTLE MERCIES.  I would agree that reading LITTLE LIES would make you very interested in reading more of Ellen's story.  But, reading it after is just as good.

LITTLE LIES is comparable to a few chapters in a regular book. So, you have to fit a lot of details in a short amount and Gudenkauf does it well. The story flows well and gives you a glimpse into the horrors Ellen sees in her job as a social worker. The mystery of the murder will surprise you and leave you wanting more from Gudenkauf. 

Heather Gudenkauf - source

Heather Gudenkauf is the New York Times bestselling author of THE WEIGHT OF SILENCE, THESE THINGS HIDDEN, and ONE BREATH AWAY (see my review HERE). She lives in Iowa with her family. For more on Heather Gudenkauf, visit her website, http://www.heathergudenkauf.com/. You can also find her active on Social Media by following her on Facebook, HERE, Twitter, HERE, and Instagram, HERE. 

To purchase a copy of LITTLE MERCIES, click the photo below:

All Purpose Spray Cleaner Review Featured

I have been reviewing products for BEST CHOICE Brands.  I compare their product to a similar name brand product and offer my opinion on which one is better. They will then be posting my reviews on their site and when they appear, I will share them with you here.  You can always see reviews of the Best Choice products by myself and other mom bloggers, by clicking HERE. 

I am always so excited to open up the box and see what I am reviewing next.  My family especially likes it when we get to taste test products.  In our area, we can find Best Choice products at Alco stores and smaller independent grocery stores. Stay tuned for more product reviews from Best Choice. I think you may be surprised by our results. 

I recently reviewed Best Choice All Purpose Cleaner vs 409 All Purpose Cleaner. 

Click HERE, to see which Spray Cleaner won in our test.