Location: United States
Member Since: Feb. 02, 2013

Deanna Love Gottreu

Where to find Deanna Love Gottreu online

Website: http://www.buzzardsroostcrafts.com/store/
Twitter: @dgottreu
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Blog: http://www.buzzardsroostcrafts.com/blog/

Smashwords book reviews by Deanna Love Gottreu

  • Searching for Sara on Feb. 07, 2013

    Sara Little’s mother died when she was only twelve and for the next twelve years she worked as a servant for several different families who were members of the English aristocracy. Some of her jobs were somewhat enjoyable but the last one was terrible due to the cruelty of her employer. Sara kept hearing the whisper of God and she decided that she had to escape to America. The story began in London in early 1892 when Sara finally escaped from her employer. Christopher Lake was a widower who could not seem to get past the death of his wife. His five year old daughter Gwyn was the only bright spot in his life but he was beginning to neglect her in some ways. His wife had promised to help Sara and he was determined to keep that promise not knowing the toll it would take on his life. He had not painted since the death of his wife and had very little interest in the art gallery that he owned. Sara’s artistic ability, kindness, and faith was an inspiration to Christopher and through his sponsorship he was determined to protect her spirit and reputation. The author has a knack for writing romance novels and she did an excellent job of developing the plot, the characters, the dialogue, and the scenes. I enjoyed how the author incorporated the crafts of tatting and crochet into the story. These days it seems that quilting is about the only craft that gets mentioned. I was drawn into the story on the first page and was wanting to read more when I reached the end. I was touched by Sara’s ability to pray at any time and in any situation and she had a strong faith in God that never wavered and never let her down. Sara was such a gentle soul and was just what Christopher needed in his life to get through the grief of losing his wife. I became so involved in the story that I was feeling many of the things that Sara was feeling and I could also feel Christopher’s grief and confusion. Sometimes I was laughing with the characters and other times I was crying with them. The author did a commendable job of showing how Christopher overcame grief and Sara overcame self doubt. Through the story of Sara and Christopher, she also emphasized how one has to move on with life and let go of the past and welcome the future and whatever it may hold. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well written historical romance. There was even a little mystery in the book concerning some of Christopher’s charcoal drawings but don’t want to say more and give away any of the plot. I read the teaser for the second book in the series and I am really looking forward to reading the continuation of the story. Many thanks to the author for a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
  • The Innkeepers on March 16, 2013

    The Innkeepers by Russ Durbin is a delightful little book of less than one thousand words that is one author’s version of what happened the night Christ was born when Mary and Joseph tried to find an inn. Abigail and Simon own an inn in the town of Bethlehem and on this particular night the entire inn is rented to a rich merchant from Antioch. Simon wants to rent the attic room to Mary and Joseph but Abigail will not hear of it. Simon is determined to find a place for the couple and finally realizes they can stay in the stable on his property. The dialogue between Simon and Abigail after he takes Mary and Joseph to the stable is quite interesting. Would recommend as an enjoyable little read to make one think about what is really important in this life. Review of free eBook from Smashwords.
  • Christmas Legends on March 16, 2013

    Christmas Legends by Heather Hydrick is a very short little book but it still has a good message to present. The first part of the book deals with the birth of Jesus, the worship of the Shepherds, and the Magi bringing gifts. It also includes the legend of the first Christmas tree and the legend of the Christmas spiders. The last section of the book gives the meanings for all the days in the song, The Twelve Days of Christmas. I would recommend this book for reading at anytime and not just during the Christmas season. Probably more suited for children but still a good read for adults. Review of free eBook from Smashwords.
  • Ruth's Sacrifice for Loyalty on March 16, 2013

    Ruth’s Sacrifice for Loyalty by Sandy Zabel is the author’s interpretation of the conversations that may have taken place between Ruth, Orpah, and Naomi. The husbands of all three women had died and Naomi told Ruth and Orpah that she intended to return to her people in Israel. Why each decided to go or stay made for interesting reading. The book continues the story of Ruth through her marriage to Boaz and the birth of their son, Obed. This book is well written and I would recommend to anyone. Review of free eBook from Smashwords.
  • Summer Storms on April 15, 2013

    Summer Storms by Rebekah Lyn was a most enjoyable book about the ups and downs in the life of Lizzy Reynolds. She has finally moved on after the death of her mother and father and loves her work as the concierge at Hotel Lago in downtown Orlando, Florida. Lizzy lives outside the city but her dream is to own one of the historic houses in the downtown area. In searching for a more affordable place to live, she finds a house for rent in the historic district that she can afford. However, there is a big problem. The house has been vacant for years and is in need of a great many repairs and the yard could pass for a jungle. After praying, soul searching, and going over and over her budget, Lizzy decides to rent the house. One of the most touching parts of the book was the way that so many people pitched in to help Lizzy repair the house. Two of the main helpers were Emma and Ron who were “adopted” parents. Jeff Robbins has refused to enter the family business of real estate which caused a break with his parents. He is very happy as the contractor in charge of building a high rise in the downtown area. Jeff meets Lizzy when she brings cookies to the work site for the workers and he is intrigued by her and also somewhat attracted to her. He offers to help with the repairs on her home and through him she then meets Ian who does a great deal of work on the house. Ian is also quite attracted to Lizzy and they share a common bond in the fact that they are both Christians and they also want to see Jeff become a Christian. All the repairs were finally finished but then disaster struck when two hurricanes hit Orlando and did a great deal of damage to the house. Now Lizzy has to decide if she even wants to repair the damage or just give up on the house. The author did a great job developing the plot, characters, dialogue, scene descriptions, and describing the action taking place. I felt as if I were walking the streets of the historic district with Lizzy and I was standing on the sidelines watching as she was dealing with difficult people checking into the hotel or demanding a special services. There was some romance in the book but it was not the main focus. The book had enough suspense to keep any reader happy. I would think I had the plot all figured out and immediately it would change. I was a little surprised at the ending but it was a very good one. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a well written and easy to read book that is also a great Christian story. Thank you to the Author/Publicist for providing this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
  • Winter's End on April 20, 2013

    Winter’s End by Rebekah Lyn was just as enjoyable to read as the first book in the Season of Faith series. Stephen Longbottom is the acting concierge manager at the Hotel Lago while Lizzy is up in Vermont on a romantic vacation. One gets to wonder for a while just who she is with in Vermont. While Stephen is being driven to distraction by the demands of the board of directors of Silken Pleasures, a multimillion dollar company in New York, Lizzie is having a wonderful time learning to ski and being with the man she loves. Michelle Burton and her band, Tangled Web, have been trying for a very long time to break into the music field and finally they get to open for Wonderland in a club in down Orlando. The crowd goes wild for the band and when Michelle gets home she is too wound up to sleep so she decides to bake a batch of scones and go into work early. What had been the best night of her life quickly turned into the worse day of her life when she reached work and made a discovery. Jeff has become a Christian but is fighting the temptation to slip back into his old life. Ian, Emma, and Ron are also main characters in this second book. The ending of the book was heartwarming. The plot, characters, dialogue, and action scenes were all very well developed by the author. I was on that ski slope with Lizzy and was also feeling Stephen’s stress as he dealt with unreasonable people. Rebekah has a knack to pulling the reader right into the story. This book has more romance than the first and there were some great scenes with Lizzy and her man. Don’t want to give away which guy she chose. There was also a good mystery woven through the book. God’s love and forgiveness and faith and hope are an important part of the book and are seen in the lives of all the characters. They all learn that after God forgives, then one must forgive herself or himself. The author had one of the characters explaining God’s love and forgiveness in a way that really caught my attention. “God works on us one piece at a time, like putting together a broken vase, because we are all broken when we come to Him. He works with patience and tenderness, fitting the pieces back together. Sometimes a piece needs extra time for the glue to dry so it will stay in place, but He will hold onto that piece until it does finally stick. So today one more piece of your vase has been repaired.” I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a well written romantic story with a good bit of mystery and that is also a Christian story. I definitely hope that Rebekah Lyn will write at least two more books in this series, Spring and Fall. Thank you to the Author/Publicist for providing this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.