A Reluctant Queen - Book Review and Giveaway

I was recently asked to review the book, A Reluctant Queen by Joan Wolf.



Here's what the publishers say about her book:

An inspiring re-imagining of the tale of Esther, a young Jewish woman thrust from a life of obscurity into a life of power, wealth, intrigue . . . and tender love.

See the story of Esther in an entirely new way-with all the political intrigue and tension you remember, but told as a passionate and tender love story between a young man and woman. Misunderstood by many, King Xerxes was a powerful but lonely man. Esther's beauty caught the eye of the young king, but it was her spirit that captured his heart.

Imagine anew the story of Esther, one of our faith's great heroines, destined to play a key role in the history of Christianity.

And about Joan:

Joan Wolf was born in New York City but has lived most of her adult life with her husband in Connecticut, where she raised two children and countless numbers of assorted animals. Joan is the author of numerous historical novels including The Road to Avalon which Publishers Weekly lauded as “historical fiction at its finest.”
For more about Joan and her other books, please visitwww.joanwolf.com



REVIEW: I personally LOVE to read. I enjoy a good romance and especially so if it based on a Bible story I love and am familiar with. I have a fondness for Biblical accounts that are "novelized" or made into a story for pleasure reading. It has just enough biblical history and then enough added romance to keep me interested. A Reluctant Queen was a great book. It started off a little slow, I think it was awkward transitioning the biblical language into modern day English, but then picked up quickly! I thought I would be bored or uninterested because I have read the story of Esther so many times, but I wasn't. There was romance, intrigue, a hint of mystery, and all of that wrapped up into a beautiful love story. The author takes liberties with the biblical and historical facts, but it is all in the name of creating an interesting, fresh, and "readable" story. This fresh take on Esther is definitely a must read, but don't go basing your theological foundations on this story! :) I know you will enjoy watching Esther fall in love with her king and seeing how God uses difficult and sometimes unwanted circumstances to bring about His ultimate purpose.


Now for the giveaway part:

To celebrate Joan Wolf’s debut Christian Fiction title, A Reluctant Queen, Joan and her publisher, Thomas Nelson, have teamed up to give away A Reluctant Queen prize package worth over $150!

One grand prize winner will receive:

* A brand new Latest Generation KINDLE with Wi-Fi and Pearl Screen

* A Reluctant Queen by Joan Wolf (for KINDLE)

To enter, just click one of the icons below. But, hurry, the contest ends on June 20th. Winner will be announced on June 21st during Joan’s A Reluctant Queen Book Club Party on Facebook (details below)! Hope to see you there – bring your friends!

Join the fun on June 21st! 

Joan will be wrapping up the blog tour and Kindle giveaway promotion during her A Reluctant Queen FACEBOOK party on her FB author page. During the party she'll announce the winner of the Kindle, host a book chat discussion, test your trivia skills (Is Esther's story in A Reluctant Queen fact or fiction?), and more. Don't miss this chance to meet the author and make some new friends!

Good Luck!!
bc

Book Review and Giveaway: Money and Marriage by Matt Bell

Money & Marriage is a complete guide for engaged, newly married couples, or couples who have been married for years.
In this thorough and practical guide, financial expert Matt Bell helps engaged and newly married couples navigate the merger of habits, flaws, and attitudes about money so two can truly become one. His writing is full of helpful advice, Scripture, and practical steps to gaining financial freedom together as a couple. Learn to use money in a way that minimizes disputes and maximizes marital happiness.

Matt began his career as a radio journalist, with his work featured on National Public Radio, the NBC Radio Network, and several other networks. His reporting earned national awards from the Society of Professional Journalists and United Press International.
Today, Matt is a full-time personal finance writer and speaker. He is the author of two books: "Money, Purpose, Joy" (September 2008) and "Money Strategies for Tough Times" (April 2009), both by NavPress. Matt has been quoted in USA TODAY, U.S. News and World Report, the Chicago Tribune, and Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine, has written for ChristianityToday.com, and has been a guest on WGN-TV and several nationally syndicated radio talk shows.

Matt holds a Master's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from DePaul University, where he wrote a thesis about the emergence of America's consumer culture and its influence on people's beliefs and behaviors. Matt lives with his wife and their three young children in the Chicago area. Visit his website and blog at www.mattaboutmoney.com.


Review:

I really enjoyed reading Money and Marriage. Josh and I have been married for 6 years and money is still one of our biggest struggles. Matt Bell puts forth some great suggestions for laying a successful financial foundation in your marriage basted on Biblical principles. The book is divided into three sections: decoding each other's financial DNA, a ten-step action plan for financial success, and fostering financial oneness. In the first section, Matt helps the readers figure out their financial personalities. Men and women see money differently and its important to understand your spouse. The second section gives great steps toward acheiving financial freedom like making a plan, putting some money away, and "ruthlessly avoiding debt". Then the final section discusses "financial oneness" which is mainly an issue for engaged and newly married couples - merging checking accounts, figuring out what to do with your separate credit cards, etc.

Throughout the book Matt throws out questions for you to discuss with your spouse, which I think is awesome. Sometimes just figuring out what exactly to ask can be the toughest part of dealing with finances. And once you know how your spouse feels about money issues you can move on to making your plan and getting started on the road to financial success. Matt does a great job explaining money issues and solutions and putting everything into words that are easy to understand.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who needs guidance with their finances. The steps are easily explained and defined and the solutions are doable if you put your mind and effort behind them.


Giveaway!


To celebrate Matt has put together a Nest Egg Giveaway with a prize package worth over $250! 

One winner will receive:

•    A Free 1 Hour Financial Session
•    A $100 Visa Cash Card
•    A signed copy of Matt’s Money, Purpose, Joy and Money Strategies for Tough Times

To enter just click one of the icons below. Then tell your friends. And hurry - the contest ends April 11th. The winner will be announced on Matt's blog on April 13th.

Be sure to pick up a copy of Money & Marriage – important principles whether you're newly engaged or just celebrated your 30th anniversary.

Thanks for reading!
Brittany


(The book was provided to me by Litfuse Publicity Group at no cost, but I was not required to give a positive review... that's all me!)