Cruel Harvest by Fran Grubb: A Review

I could hardly put down Cruel Harvest by Fran Grubb. My husband picked it up and read it for a long while, something he never does. This is an incredibly sad story. It’s not a fun book to read, but it is horrifyingly fascinating. That a man could treat his children like that is almost beyond comprehension, although this isn’t the first time I’ve heard of such sadness, and it might not even be the worst story I’ve read. Still, it makes one’s heart to ache to realize that there are innocent children in this world that suffer unimaginable things by the very people who were meant to love and protect them.

This book is well written and definitely holds one’s attention, but I do wish there was more detail to the story after Fran escaped from her father, how she became saved, etc. It was wonderful that she could, at last, find it in her heart to forgive her father for the awful things he did to her and the family.

If nothing else, this story renews in my heart the desire to somehow find a way to help those caught in similar unfortunate circumstances. I definitely recommend this book, although I do caution that it’s not light reading.

This book was given to me free by Thomas Nelson Publishers through the Booksneeze program in exchange for an honest review.

When The Hurt Runs Deep by Kay Arthur

There are times in our lives when shock and grief wash over us, drawing us into such darkness that we despair of ever seeing the light of hope again. That is when the hurt runs deep. (paraphrased from the first chapter of the book)

Kay talks about various kinds of hurt and grief and pain, addressing questions like “Why would God allow this?” and “Is there a purpose in this suffering?” and “Will the hurt ever go away?”. She gives examples from different stories, including her own. She explains how hurts aren’t meant to separate you from God and His love, but to draw you to Himself.

I think this book could be very helpful to someone experiencing hurt and grief. I do not agree with some of her theology, so that detracted somewhat from the usefulness of the book in my opinion. I like that a study guide and prayer and meditation journal are included in the back.

This book was given to me free by Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group through the Blogging for Books program, in exchange for an honest review.

Constantly Craving

Constantly Craving by Marilyn Meberg is about how we always crave more. More from our lives, more from our marriages, more happiness, more meaning and purpose. Marilyn points the reader to Jesus, the only One who can truly satisfy our longings and desires. She also explains why we were created to always want more.

This book was an interesting read, but it didn’t really speak to my heart. It may be just what someone else needs, but it wasn’t really that thought-provoking for me.

This book was given to me free by Booksneeze and Thomas Nelson Publishers in exchange for an honest review.

Everything Romance

Everything Romance- A Celebration of Love For Couples is a compilation of love stories, trivia, romance tips and ideas, verses, recipes, quotes and love letters designed to celebrate the beauty of love.




There are verses like “Love one another deeply from the heart. 1 Peter 1:22” There are quotes like “A career is wonderful, but you can’t curl up with it on a cold night- Marilyn Monroe.” There is a list of creative ways to say “I love you.” There are recipes like “Seductively Sweet Strawberry-Kiwi Jam.” There are “Love Boosters” and “Love Busters”.



There are so many neat things in this 281 page book. I will definitely be referring to it, especially when I want to plan a date night, or need creative ways to express love, or just need a push to be a little more romantic.



This book was provided to me free by Multnomah Waterbrook Press in exchange for an honest review.

The Canary List

The Canary List by Sigmund Brouwer is an interesting and easy read… it is on the darker side, talking about the forces of evil without being too creepy and scary. Crockett Grey and Jaimie Piper are drawn into a mystery that they don’t understand. Crockett, especially, is completely baffled by all that is going on.




At the end, things are finally starting to make sense, but the conclusion is a little bit unsatisfying. I am left wondering what the truth really is. It could go either way. Some people like that kind of cryptic-ness, but I personally like to have solid answers to my questions.



I was given this book free from Multnomah Waterbrook Press is exchange for an honest review.

Love and Respect

Love and Respect -The Love She Most Desires, The Respect He Desperately Needs-by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs is a good book for any married couple to read, especially for anyone who hasn’t heard about the love and respect principle. The basic concept is that men need to feel respected by their wives, and wives need to feel loved by their husbands. If a woman doesn’t show respect to her husband, he will have a hard time showing love to her, and vice versa. It’s easy for a couple to get trapped in a vicious cycle of not showing proper love and respect for their spouses. The cycle needs to be broken, and Dr. Eggerichs shows in this book examples of proper love and respect as well as what it looks like to not respect your husband properly, or to not love your wife the way you should.




I would recommend this book to anyone looking to improve their marriage in any way.



I was given this book free by Booksneeze in exchange for an honest review.

For Men Only- A Straightforward Guide to the Inner Lives of Women by Shanuti and Jeff Feldhahn

This book is a quick read, and is very easy to comprehend and relate to. As a woman, I found that the advice was pretty relevant- this really is the way a lot of us are. However, among all the women surveyed, there were also plenty that weren’t exactly like the majority, so it’s definitely not a one-size-fits-all solution. I was impressed by the research that went into the writing of this book.

My husband found this book helpful as well. We had both read the related book For Women Only and we often found ourselves asking the other “Is this how it really is for you?” as we read one book or the other, and surprisingly, it often was. We learned things we didn’t know or really “get” before.

There are a lot of relationship and marriage books out there. It’s hard to say which ones are the best, but I think it’s good to read books like these on occasions just to be reminded of the areas in our marriages that could improve. I would give For Men Only 4.5 stars out of 5

“I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review”