Mama Bear Reviews

I have always been a fan of historical romance novels. A Rebel Heart by Beth White is set in the time 5 years after the Civil War has ended and I found this to be a really fascinating time period. The author, Beth White, does a wonderful job of covering the prejudices and emotions that were found at this time. The main character, Selah, is trying to save her family home and to do so, she needs the help of not only the other main character, Levi, but also the people that had worked as former slaves for her family. I loved that Selah was such a strong female role model. She was very forward thinking for her time and had the courage and strength needed to take care of her family and those that she loves. As I mentioned, this is historical romance but there is also a bit of mystery and suspense involved in this story as well. I was drawn into this book from the beginning as it is very action packed and the author does a good job of developing the characters early on in the book. A Re...

Romance is one of my favorite genres and I am always a sucker for second chance love and a happily ever after. Falling for You by Becky Wade is a beautiful story about a model and football player that are given a chance to once again find love. Willow and Corbin were once in a relationship that did not end very well and left both with broken hearts. Years later, the two are living in the same area and are brought together by a request from Corbin's niece for help. The three work to solve a family mystery and Willow and Corbin become closer through events that throw them in each others paths. I enjoyed the mystery element of this book along with the romance. The characters work to solve a case that has been long ago pushed to the side. I really enjoyed the way that their investigation developed. I also really liked the relationships in this story. Willow has a strong connection with her sisters and this is actually part of the Bradford Sisters Romance series so I am really ex...

I just finished reading The Return: Reflections of Loving God Back by Lacey Sturm. This book is a memoir and the author is a musician, writer and speaker. I wasn't familiar with the group that she was a part of which is Flyleaf and had to look up some videos on YouTube. She is no longer part of the group but still sings on her own and she has some beautiful music. I will admit that I struggled with this book a bit in the way in which it is organized. It took a while for me to get used to what felt at first like chaos but grows a bit more structured as the book goes on. The author shares bits about her life and her journey with being Christian as well as songs, poems, recipes, and journal entries. I enjoyed that the author was very open with her personal struggles with depression. She talks about dealing with this over time and how she has dealt with this and continues to deal with this issue. I also enjoyed how she covers the changes that happen in life over time. She went from...

The Girls' Guide to Conquering Life: How to Ace an Interview, Change a Tire, Talk to a Guy & 97 Other Skills You Need to Thrive by Erica & Jonathan Catherman is a how to manual for girls on a variety of life skills. While some life skills may seem like simple things, they aren't unless we are first taught how to properly do them. I do remember learning some of these skills in school such as setting a table and checking the oil on a car but many of these items are not taught in basic curriculum. I think this would be a great guide for girls that are about to graduate high school and go out on their own. I know there are a few skills in this book that I needed to call my mom about after I had moved out. Now we live in an age of Google where is seems simple to look things up but I think this book touches on some basic manners that might otherwise be missed. Skills such as making introductions and how to behave if you are pulled over by the police are very important t...

Generous Love: Discover the Joy of Living "Others First" by Becky Kopitzke is a book that I finished a couple of days ago but I haven't stopped thinking about. I honestly have felt so inspired by this book that it has changed my actions over the last few days. I have been looking for the different ways in which I could bless others or share kindness which is what this book is all about. Not only have I changed my own actions but I have also been finding myself whispering suggestions to my children of little things they can do for others and get to see them beam with pride every time that they go the extra mile to help. Beck Kopitzke uses a Christian perspective to share why and how we should put the needs of others before our own. My favorite parts in the book are the stories that she shares of times that people have been called to bless others. I especially loved the story of a family that made it their mission to sneak blessings onto others. I was discussing this with...

The Theory of Happily Ever After by Kristin Billerbeck is the perfect read to kick of the summer. Ok, it might not quite be summer yet but I can pretend. The sun is out longer and the days are getting warmer so why not fantasize about taking a cruise? Maggie wrote a book on the topic of happiness and finds herself completely lacking in it herself after being left by her fiancé. While she is spending her days with gelato and romantic movies, her friends decide to pull her out of her rut by taking a cruise. As it turns out, she is blindsided when she finds that she is to be a speaker on the cruise. I found this story to be funny and real. We can't all be happy 100% of the time even if we believe that we are experts on the topic. There will always be setbacks that we find ourselves needing to recover from and sometimes the best way to do that is to get a change of scenery. Maggie is able to find her happiness by stepping out of her comfort zone and I really enjoyed taking the jour...

There are some topics that are considered taboo to speak about even though many people are affected by them. One of these such topics is that of pregnancy loss and miscarriage. In her book, Grace Like Scarlett: Grieving With Hope After Miscarriage and Loss, Adriel Booker navigates this topic with openness and honesty. Adriel has experienced three of her own miscarriages and opens up her soul to reveal what she went through in the days, weeks and months following those events. This book is very really and honest. I love that it covers that everyone will grieve in different ways and that doing so is ok. Along with her person views, Adriel shares the perspective of other parents that have gone through loss and talk about the grief and guilt that they have experienced. She also includes journal prompts at the end of each section to help the reader make it through their own grief experience. Another thing that I found very helpful was that at the back of the book, there is information o...