Antoine Rey is a divorced father of two trying to get over his ex-wife, navigating ennui with his job as an architect and the struggles of parenting teenagers (ACK!). I found him to be slightly wimpy, but as the story progresses, I come to realize that he’s not really wimpy, just tired and disappointed with life.

A Secret Kept begins in the hospital. Antoine’s sister Melanie has been taken to the hospital after getting in an accident while driving home from a special trip they took together to celebrate Melanie’s 40th birthday.

They visited Noirmourtier, the place they vacationed as children until the death of their mother. While they are there, they talk about their past and present lives. It is here that memories are dredged up about their mother and her death.

The single-woman-turning-40 angle is another theme that has great contemporary interest, and I don’t know when I’ve read a book that portrayed the functional relationship between a brother and sister so well.

I have a feeling that this story is quite different from her first novel. It is slightly dark, dealing with family secrets and personal disappointments, but it is very contemporary. The issues addressed will be familiar to anyone, in any industrialized country, even though it takes place in France.

Notes on the Audiobook: The male narrator Simon Vance (who I just noticed also narrates the audio versions of Stieg Larsson’s wildly popular books) does a great job telling this story in a voice that I think suits and describes Antoine well, slightly mousey, yet in a way that garners sympathy or empathy. He also voices the females quite well.

This is a fairly slow-moving story, in spite of all the secrets and surprises that are unfurled, and while the slow pace of such a character-driven novel sometimes is frustrating as I am reading, I love to listen to these types of stories on audiobook (See my review of Home: A Novel by Marianne Robinson for another example of this).

Since I am not French, nor can I pronounce or read French, I enjoyed the European (British?)-accented narrator’s ability to rattle off French names and places that I would have skimmed over if I was reading it. It helped the story maintain its sense of place for me.

The book/audio book doesn’t release until September 14, but we have a copy to give away to one of you, as well as a bonus audiobook of Tatiana de Rosnay’s first novel, Sarah’s Key.

Leave a comment if you’d like to win (U.S. residents only). One of you will receive both audiobooks. We’ll announce the winner on September 15.

Check out our current giveaways. Subscribe to our feed. Follow us @5M4B on Twitter.

Jennifer Donovan is such a fan of audiobooks. If you aren’t, why not? Read more of her strong opinions at her blog Snapshot.

I really enjoyed this book, and not just because I love dogs.  Anyone who’s had a dog can relate to Van as she tries to figure out how his doggy brain works, but he just wants to be loved and Van finds herself doing just that.  But you don’t have to be a dog lover to enjoy this book, as Van turns from learning to control Joe to dealing with her mother’s death 3 years earlier and how Pete really feels about her.

Stay is very well written, though I would have liked to see some of the minor characters fleshed out a little more, though that can be difficult with a first-person storyteller.  Van does learn some things about Pete, Janie and Janie’s mother, and she also learns that love comes in many different forms, especially where you least expect it.

I found myself doing something I can usually resist – flipping a few pages ahead to find out what happens.  The story really moves along and I kept picking it back up after putting it down.

I will warn interested readers that there is quite a bit of drinking, as that’s how Van deals with her troubles, and some foul language, and one very mild sex scene that barely registers, but I thought I should mention it if you don’t care to read that kind of thing.

Nancy has an overgrown ball of fur of her own, though the dog doesn’t respond to Slovakian and her vet is a woman.  She blogs about her 2 boys and life in Colorado at Life With My Boys.

This is the one word that’s been on many, many lips since the third book was announced in The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. Forget sparkly vampires, this one is all about a dystopian world in which society as we know it has been gone for quite some time, and in its place is a controlling and abusive government called the Capitol which keeps order through horrific measures.

*You can count on me to leave out any spoilers for Mockingjay, but if you haven’t read the two previous installments of the trilogy, you might want to get thee to a library/bookstore/friend’s bookshelf before reading further.*

We first met Katniss in The Hunger Games (linked to my review), the teenager from District Twelve whose life of daily struggles changes the instant her younger sister’s name is drawn as a Tribute to be sent to the yearly Hunger Games– a televised national “competition” in which two children from each district are sent into an arena where they must fight to the death until one Victor can be crowned. Katniss volunteers in her place, and we follow her into the arena of the 74th Hunger Games.

With Catching Fire (also linked to my review), we learn that not even Victors get to live happily ever after as Katniss once again finds herself in the Hunger Games arena. The plot twists in book one have forced President Snow into an undesirable position, and the one thing he cannot have is unrest in the districts. With that in mind, it appears that the Capitol is determined to take Katniss out before she embodies the rallying cry a nation needs to rebel.

That’s where Mockingjay begins, and just to be safe, I re-read both previous books in the two days leading up to the delivery of my pre-ordered book. I was ready to jump right back into action by Katniss’ side, and I prepared myself for what I knew would be another intense experience, knowing that Katniss would have no home to return to in light of the rebellions now united by the symbol of the mockingjay. Yes, the action and intensity are on par with the others, but there’s a growing sense of hopelessness in this one that tore at my heart. The atrocities that can be justified by people in power are again overwhelming, and the socio-political statements here are as thinly veiled as ever. The irony in the “Peacekeepers” moniker is just the beginning, and there’s so much that can be dissected, discussed and pondered over in this world that Collins has created- a world that reads in horrors, so unreal and unimaginable, until tiny cracks of reality peek through. It’s beyond horrific to think that anything like this could ever truly occur, but it’s even more frightening to imagine the small events and actions that could eventually lead to something none too different.

Without revealing any spoiler info, I have been reading discussions taking place on other book blogs, and the common theme has been personal reactions to the ending. I’ve read much grumbling about the ending by some folks, but I have to say that it worked perfectly for me. Perhaps I’m easy to please, but I didn’t bristle at one aspect of Collins’ choices in the end, even though I mourned the ending of series that simultaneously horrified and fascinated me for two years.

Brilliantly conceived trilogy, so of course, Mockingjay must join its predecessors on our 5 Star Reads list!

I’d love to hear what you thought– did Suzanne Collins come through for you? Were you rooting for Gale or Peeta to win her heart (or maybe neither??)? Did the ending leave you satisfied, frustrated or just wanting more? I cannot guarantee that the comments will be spoiler-free, so readers be warned. But really, if you haven’t read these books yet, what are you waiting for?!

Dawn parented for three days straight with her eyes behind a book, and thankfully her children are no worse for the wear. She even blogged at my thoughts exactly in the wee hours of the morning upon finishing the book.

The story in Her Fearful Symmetry is completely different, but the theme of eternal and undying love (the benefits and detriments of it, to be specific) is strong.

Another wonderful feature of this novel is the way it’s told. It’s told with a 3rd person narrator, but instead of the narrator simply being omniscient, the thoughts of the characters are added in the first person. I’m not sure that I’ve read a novel that used this device — or at least not consistently throughout — and I loved it.

Robert is at the bedside of his lover Elspeth’s bed as she passes from life to death. He misses her. He spends time in her now-empty flat (we are in London after all) which is right above his, to try to hold on to her memory. Months go by, and he still misses her.

In another flat in the Vautravers building, Marijke is choosing to cut ties with her husband Martin and return to Amsterdam. She loves him, but his OCD compulsions have made living with him unbearable.

A year later two Americans will be added to the mix. Elspeth has left her flat and her fortune to her twin nieces, daughters of her own twin sister from whom she’s been estranged. A condition of their inheritance, which they can collect when they are 21, is that they have to live in her flat for a year together.

This seems like a lot of plot summary, which I usually avoid in reviews, but this is just the beginning — all of this literally takes place within the 1st 40 pages — and then, BAM, the story makes an odd plot twist. I went into this book completely cold — not having read any other reviews, not even looking at the back of the book. I knew that it was by Audrey Niffenegger and that I had enjoyed The Time Traveler’s Wife, and that I would likely enjoy this. If these facts are true for you, try to avoid knowing the twist. Just pick up the book and let it wash over you.

I ended up with two copies of Her Fearful Symmetry (one from the Regal Literacy to celebrate the new release, and one that I won on twitter, that I wasn’t really even trying to win). So I’m going to pass along my copy to you — U.S. shipping addresses only. Leave a comment if you’d like to win, and we’ll announce the winner on September 8.

We don’t generally review a book more than once. Dawn reviewed this book here when it came out in hardcover, but I couldn’t resist accepting a copy of the paperback version, and telling you about this contest at Regal Literacy, going on through September 17. Find out how you can enter to win a trip to London, one of 100 rare signed special editions of Her Fearful Symmetry designed by Niffenegger, and more, including a special prize package to bloggers if you post a link on your blog.

Check out our current giveaways. Subscribe to our feed. Follow us @5M4B on Twitter.

Jennifer Donovan loves to read about the human experience, especially when set in exotic locales. She blogs about the human drama in her own life at Snapshot.

Astute readers of this site will be familiar with my affection for the Patrick Bowers Files, a series of novels by Steven James. I’ve reviewed The Rook and The Knight and have eagerly awaited The Bishop, the latest installment featuring FBI agent Patrick Bowers.

As I’ve stated in earlier reviews, James’ novels are not your grandmother’s Christian fiction. They are thrillers in every sense of the word. In fact, The Bishop takes the intensity to a whole new level. The bad guys are beyond bad; they are evil, disturbingly so. And yet, like The Rook and The Knight, James tells his story apart from gratuitous violence and language. He is not unnecessarily explicit and instead employs good storytelling. Really good storytelling. Here’s the publisher’s description:

The game is on.

FBI Special Agent Patrick Bowers’s cutting-edge skills are about to be pushed to the limit. When a young woman is found brutally murdered in Washington DC, her killers continue a spree of perfect crimes in the Northeast. But with nothing to link them to each other, Agent Bowers faces his most difficult case yet–even as his personal life begins to crumble around him.

The Bishop is a gripping, adrenaline-laced story for readers who are tired of timid thrillers. Strap on your seat belt and get ready for a wild ride.

The Bishop, also like the novels in the series, is more than a good guy/bad guy tale. There is complex characterization and character development and smart and witty dialogue (and as usual Tessa gets most of the good lines). Certainly the suspense and mystery keep the reader engaged, yet the characters themselves and their interactions are just as compelling if not more so.

James does more than tell a good story. In this novel more so than the others, his characters (and thus by default the reader as well) wrestle with deep philosophical issues such as the problem of evil and man’s responsibility before God. In addition to (gruesome) murder, James touches on other hot topics like abortion and fraud. The Bishop is a complex story that will not only keep you on the edge of your seat but will also make you think. I thoroughly enjoyed it and cannot wait to read more about Patrick and Tessa in the next novel in the series.

Wife and mother, Bible teacher and blogger, Lisa loves Jesus, coffee, dark chocolate and, of course, books. Read more of her reflections at Lisa writes…. Lisa thanks Revell publishers for providing the review copy of The Bishop!

Diamond Ruby is based on the true story of Jackie Mitchell, a young woman who played for the Chattanooga Lookouts Minor League team. Because the Yankees had heard about the female pitcher, they stopped in Chattanooga to let her pitch against Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. Both Ruth and Gehrig struck out. After hearing about Jackie’s pitching success, Judge Landis, the commissioner of baseball, banned Jackie (and all women) from from the sport.

Joseph Wallace uses these facts to craft an exciting tale about Ruby Thomas, a seventeen-year-old girl struggling to care for her two nieces in New York City during the 1920s. Ruby is a strong, determined girl with an amazing talent: she can throw a baseball accurately and hard. Ruby’s ability enables her to earn a living for her family, but it also leads to her involvement with some rough characters. Throughout the novel, Ruby has run-ins with bootleggers, the Klan, and other thugs intent on using Ruby’s talent to advance their own purposes. On a more positive side, Ruby also interacts with Babe Ruth and Jack Dempsey (a boxer), and the story includes fascinating historical details about these characters as well as other events in our nation’s history.

I am a baseball fan, so this book was especially appealing to me. I would say, however, that this is simply a well-written tale that will appeal to anyone who enjoys historical fiction. The characters are interesting (Ruby is especially delightful), and the novel is truly a page-turner. I felt like I was a part of the 1920s setting, and I hated to say good-bye to the characters at the end of the story. Whether you are a baseball fan or not, I think Diamond Ruby is a home run for all readers, and I am excited to add it to our 5 Star Reads category. I hope you will pick up a copy and read it for yourself!

Lauren is a wife, mother of two, and an avid reader. She thanks Simon and Schuster for providing the review copy of this book. Lauren blogs at Baseballs and Bows.

Lindsey and Alex, fraternal twins, hardly have a close sisterly bond. In fact, the distance in their relationship is made of much more than the simple miles between Lindsey’s life in New York City and Alex’s in Washington, D.C. Told from Lindsey’s perspective, there are significantly different roles that she and her sister have played their entire lives- one that left smart and capable Lindsey consistently in the shadow of the stunningly beautiful Alex. Lindsey has embodied her role by becoming so successful in her career at an elite advertising agency that she is poised to become a twenty-nine year old vice president.

What happens, then, when every aspect of life that has come to define her suddenly changes? Unable to share her new reality when she takes up temporary residence with her parents in suburban Maryland, Lindsey takes to hiding the truth while she attempts to build a new life, focused on professional success, of course. Naturally, complications pop up, and a series of events leads Lindsey to question how she has always defined herself… and perhaps her sister, as well.

In all honesty, I found the second half of Pekkanen’s novel to be much more appealing than the first half, perhaps because it took a little while for me to truly understand Lindsey. The depth of her character becomes revealed as her life changes drastically on the career and personal fronts, and as a result, she appears more believable and likable, in my opinion. I thought this novel was very well-written “chick lit,” not subscribing to the more fluffy aspects of that label, while certainly still appealing to female readers. Emotional exploration into sibling relationship marks the core of The Opposite of Me, but there is much more self-discovery happening here as well. An often amusing and endearing novel!

Dawn has often wondered what life would have been like with a twin… chances are there would be a sister site to her blog, my thoughts exactly.

With Infinite Days, Rebecca Maizel satisfies that craving.

I heard the author speak at the Book Expo, and her take on the story intrigued me: “Lenah is a 592 year old vampire who turns human and lives in a boarding school as a 16-year-old girl. She has all this guilt associated with her evil ruthless vampire life as she begins to feel and experience things as a human.”

The way that relates to us is that we all have guilt about our pasts, and we have to learn to deal with it as we grow and change.

This story was very interesting. I’m not sure how it compares to other vampire novels, but these are mean, dark, blood-sucking killing vampires, not sweet lovable heartthrobs. I found the vampire lore to be interesting, and I would think it would add to the knowledge of anyone who likes vampires.

What’s more, this book spans history — from the 15th century to the present day — as Lenah flashes back on her life. There is some humor as she has to struggle to learn what life is like in the 21st century, since she’s been asleep the last 100 years, so it touches on so many genres that this book could earn a wide audience. If you enjoy historical fiction, paranormal suspense, or just a good YA read, Infinite Days might be your next favorite book.

CONTENT NOTE: YA content is unpredictable, with some being appropriate for a young tween and others that make my own 39-year-old self blush. This doesn’t really have any objectionable content per se, but I don’t think I’ll pass it along to my 12-year-old daughter quite yet. I don’t recall any swearing. The sexual content is implied, but mild by high school YA standards. There is a bit of drinking, but it’s not portrayed in a positive light.

I think that my reservations come because it’s just a bit intense and heavy. As I said, the vampires are evil and ruthless, so I think that a little more maturity is needed to process and filter it.

I listened to the audiobook of The Adoration of Jenna Fox a while ago — a long while, and I’ve been remiss in posting a review, even though I really liked it, and Amanda (age 11) also listened and enjoyed it.

This book is set in an unknown future time. Science’s progress has begun to chip away at certain things, and people like Jenna’s grandmother are trying to preserve things of old, like heirloom fruits and vegetables. That’s a very timely issue for now with people asking themselves those very same questions in relation to the way that food is grown and raised.

Another issue that will stand out to parents and kids today is the adoration of their children (hence the title). Jenna is able to remember her life from the hours and hours and hours of video footage that her doting parents shot of her.

Corollary issues aside, the theme of this novel is medical ethics. How far is too far? Just because science gives us the ability to do something, should we?

This is one of those semi-cryptic reviews (which is maybe why I held off so long in writing it), and that’s intentional. The story is best unfolded as the reader discovers the truth along with Jenna.

I believe that this video trailer of the book is word for word from the first pages. It gives a pretty good set-up, and unlike other trailers, since it’s just an excerpt from the beginning of the book, it doesn’t give anything away.

The Adoration of Jenna Fox is a YA title that will also appeal to adult readers, especially those looking for a suspenseful, futuristic, medical drama.

Audiobook notes: I first listened to this because I loved narrator Jenna Lamia’s work in The Chosen One (linked to my review), which is not really dystopian, but runs in that same vein, because something is very very wrong with the society of which Kyra is a part and begins to question.

Jenna Lamia delivers another outstanding understated, yet absolutely riveting performance in The Adoration of Jenna Fox. She manages to convey Jenna’s sense of confusion and wonder without going overboard. She’s awesome.

Jennifer Donovan adores her children, 11 and 6, but doesn’t have millions of photos or hours of video footage to prove it. She occasionally blogs about them at Snapshot.

Set in The Hollows, a small town outside of New York City, this novel introduces a large cast of characters, who are all interconnected in some way, from the coincidental to the significant. Much history exists among the key players– the adults among them all attended school together and they have produced the next generation of the town’s families. At the center of the story is Maggie, who couldn’t get out of town fast enough upon graduation but was drawn back in adulthood, seeing the side effects of small town living from a new perspective. She and her husband Jones, also a product of The Hollows and now a detective on the town’s police force, have built a strong foundation in this town, even if their family bonds are shaky due to different viewpoints and approaches on parenting their teenage son.

When their son’s girlfriend goes missing, the question is primarily did she run away to the big city or was foul play involved? In the process of investigating this case, a multitude of memories resurface about a previous missing teenager years ago, back when Maggie and Jones were in high school. Gradually, details are shared with the reader unlocking one decades old mystery while another is being tackled in the present day.

My attention certainly didn’t waver as I read this fast-paced novel, even as several of my predictions were quickly confirmed. Unger explored the dynamics of family relationships well here, from marriages that experience familiar ups and downs, to the long-term effects of abusive and distant parents. While I had some small nitpicking about Unger’s writing style (certain oft-repeated phrases in particular), I remained interested and drawn to the characters she created and invested in discovering the resolutions to both mysteries.

Fragile kept me turning the pages well into the night hours, and the story played out in my imagination as if on a big screen. (In fact, with all the flashbacks to a previously unsolved mystery, I couldn’t help but be reminded of a particular television crime drama!) A small town mystery filled with the effects of abused power and psychological drama made for an engaging read.

Dawn is quite pleased that her life contains very little mystery or intrigue, beyond the occasional marker-on-the-carpet-whodunnit. The boring stories from her life on the stay-at-home-mom front appear on her blog, my thoughts exactly.

But if you will give me some latitude, I will try to convince you that’s not what this book is about (in fact, that’s not what most of them are about). Yes, her only child is killed in an accident. Yes, that changes who she is overnight, but the death of her child is actually a force that causes her to examine other things in her life — her marriage, her past, and her future.

The writing is good — honest and true without going over the top. I think it’s because it’s not overly introspective. The story is rooted to place and to events and to objects.

The place element is interesting and unique. Morley is from South Africa, as is her protagonist. But Abbe has left her troubled South African behind, and settled with her husband in Hawaii, where he is the pastor of a foundering church. Each setting helps to tell Abbe’s story.

If you don’t usually read “sad stories,” but do enjoy a well-written human drama that highlights all the roles that are a part of woman’s life — friend, wife, daughter, sister, mother, employee — I recommend that you give Come Sunday a try.

One of you can enter to win a copy of the book by leaving a comment here. We’ll announce the winner on August 25.

Check out our current giveaways. Subscribe to our feed. Follow us @5M4B on Twitter.

Check out our two other giveaways still open here at 5 Minutes for Books as well: A YA series, I,Q and a BusyBodyBook planner.

Jennifer Donovan loves to read about the human experience, especially when set in exotic locales. She blogs about the human drama in her own life at Snapshot.

Georgia Grey has it all – she’s a renowned chef at a top NYC restaurant, engaged to a handsome lawyer and has dreams of opening her own restaurant.  After an influential restaurant critic publishes a scathing review and her fiancé dumps her, she escapes to Tuscany to work for her former mentor, lick her wounds and put her life back together.   Upon returning to New York she discovers the review and her un-engagement may be the best things that could have happened, forcing her to move forward with the plans to start her restaurant and find love again.

This is Nelson’s first book and a good effort.  A bit adjective heavy at times – why use one word when three will do – and Georgia’s tendency to shorten her friends’ names to their first letter grates, but the story flows easily and the characters are likable.  You’ll root for Georgia to succeed in both food and love.  The descriptions of the food she cooks will have you drooling, and you’ll want to jump on the next plane to Italy to take in beautiful Tuscany.

This is a great summer read and I look forward to reading future efforts by Nelson, including a potential sequel to Georgia’s Kitchen.  The ending was left open enough that the story could easily continue, something Nelson confirms in the conversation included at the back of the book.

Nancy isn’t much of a cook but loves to eat, and laments the dearth of good Italian restaurants – and pizza – in northern Colorado.  She writes about other things she misses from back east at Life With My Boys.

Houston homicide detective Roland March was once one of the best. Now he’s disillusioned, cynical, and on his way out. His superiors farm him out on a variety of punishment details•until an unexpected break gives March one last chance to save his career. And his humanity.

All he has to do? Find the missing teenage daughter of a Houston evangelist that every cop in town is already looking for. But March has an inside track, a multiple murder nobody else thinks is connected. Battling a new partner, an old nemesis, and the demons of his past, getting to the truth could cost March everything. Even his life.

Some of the endorsements for Back on Murder employ such praise as: “an astonishing and powerful mystery” and “extremely well crafted” and “grit and tension of a great crime novel.” While I sometimes take such endorsements with a grain of salt, here I can tell you that they do not lie. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Back on Murder and will be eagerly awaiting the next Rolland March mystery!

Intrigued? Here’s an excerpt!

Wife and mother, Bible teacher and blogger, Lisa loves Jesus, coffee, dark chocolate and, of course, books. Read more of her reflections at Lisa writes…. Lisa thanks Bethany House publishers for providing the review copy of Back on Murder!

A Good Confession is set in 1950’s England and Ireland, and the setting is lush and rich and a very real part of the story. Cathleen Brogan is a young widow. Her husband has just died at less than 30 years old, and her life is suddenly changed. This is not a grief-stricken novel, although Cathleen often wonders – and echoes the fears that most of us hide – “What am I going to do now?” No, Cathleen does what she must to get by, including accepting help from her mother and sister, getting a job, and following her heart.

It’s this last part that gets her in trouble. When Mick Brogan dies, old family friend and cousin Jerry Brogan comes to perform the funeral mass. He and Cathleen met only once before, when he performed her wedding mass, but this time there’s a noticeable attraction, which puts both of them in a tough situation.

Mick’s death forces Cathleen to figure out who she is going to be. Her ties with others around her are strengthened, and the supporting cast of characters add interest and depth to her story.

Though it’s not a classic “page-turner,” Bridget Whelan’s prose and characters were compelling. A Good Confession was a delightful read, with only a few uses of bad language and mild sexual content that will appeal to those who enjoy romance, historical fiction, or British family sagas.

Jennifer Donovan loves to visit other places in the pages, since she can’t hop on a plane as often as she’d like to see them herself. When she does get the chance to travel she tries to blog about it on Snapshot.

Treasure is found in the most unlikely places.

The envy of all her friends, wife and mother Saphora Warren is the model of southern gentility and accomplishment. She lives in a beautiful Lake Norman home, and has raised three capable adult children. Her husband is a successful plastic surgeon–and a philanderer. It is for that reason that, after hosting a garden party for Southern Living magazine, Saphora packs her bags to escape the trappings of the picturesque-but-vacant life.

Saphora’s departure is interrupted by her husband Bender’s early arrival home, and his words that change her life forever: I’m dying.

Against her desires, Saphora agrees to take care of Bender as he fights his illness. They relocate, at his insistance, to their coastal home in Oriental—the same house she had chosen for her private getaway. When her idyllic retreat is overrun by her grown children, grandchildren, townspeople, relatives, and a precocious neighbor child, Saphora’s escape to paradise is anything but the life she had imagined. As she gropes for evidence of God’s presence amid the turmoil, can she discover that the richest treasures come in surprising packages?

Okay, true confessions: I had tears in my eyes a couple of times while reading The Pirate Queen. Hickman writes with honesty and tenderness about the nature of regret and second chances, and while there was one coincidence that seemed a little too convenient, on the whole this is a thoroughly enjoyable, deeply moving, beautifully written story that I highly recommend. Read it if you like a Southern story well told. Read it especially if you like any story well told.

We have a copy to give away to one of you (U.S. shipping addresses only). Please leave a comment if you’d like to be entered to win. We’ll announce the winner on August 11.

Check out our current giveaways. Subscribe to our feed. Follow us @5M4B on Twitter.

Wife and mother, Bible teacher and blogger, Lisa loves Jesus, coffee, dark chocolate and, of course, books. Read more of her reflections at Lisa writes…. Lisa thanks Waterbrook Multnomah publishers for providing the review and giveaway copy of The Pirate Queen.