Promise Box by Tricia Goyer *Book Review*

When Lydia Wyse returns to the town of West Kootenai, Montana for her mother's funeral, she plans on visiting and returning to her busy life as a editor in Seattle. Having left the Amish community several years earlier, Lydia struggles to reconcile her past with her future. She left the community to start a new life. Does she even want to return? Would they accept her if she did? A Promise Box, left to her by her mother, opens her eyes to the answers she's been looking for.

 Amish bachelor Gideon Hooley has as secret of his own. A mystery from his childhood haunts him and he hopes that his time in West Kootenai will give him the answers he needs. When a beautiful English woman enters the community, Gideon feels a spark, but knows that he could not marry someone outside of his faith.

I have to admit, the Amish way of life is a bit of a mystery to me. Having grown up in the Southwest portion of the United States, I'm more familiar with Southern Baptist potlucks than I am with the Amish Ordnung. That being said, I enjoyed taking a glimpse into that different way of life. I have to admit that the simpler life (free of smartphones, constant noise, and hectic schedules) does certainly seem appealing at times.

The Promise Box (Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors) is ultimately a story of redemption - of coming home. I love how Tricia Goyer weaves the promises of scripture throughout the story. Yes it's a love story between two characters (who doesn't love a classic romance), but it's also about the love between a mother and her child, and more importantly, the love between a Heavenly Father and his creation.

I love the idea of a promise box. I'd love to start something like that for my own children - a record of God's promises and faithfulness to me and to my family.

What is your favorite promise from God's Word? 

Tricia Goyer is celebrating the release of her lastest novel, The Promise Box (Zondervan), by hosting an Amish Baking Box giveaway and connecting with readers during her June 12th Book Chat Party!

One "promising" winner will receive:

• Apron, hot mitts, and kitchen towels
• Amish baking items (rolling pin, pie plate, etc...)
• Sherry Gore's Simply Delicious Amish Cooking
• The Memory Jar and The Promise Box by Tricia Goyer 

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on June 11th. Winner will be announced at the "The Promise Box" Facebook Author Chat Party on June 12th. Connect with Tricia for an evening of Amish fun - book chat, trivia, laughter, and more! Tricia will also share an exclusive look at the next book book in the Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors series and give away books and other fun prizes throughout the evening.

So grab your copy of The Promise Box and join Tricia on the evening of June 12th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 12th!

I received a complimentary copy of the book to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed are my honest thoughts of the book. 

Pastors’ Wives | iPad Mini Giveaway and Facebook Party with Lisa Takeuchi Cullen

Book Description:
What’s it like when the man you married is already married to God? asks Pastors’ Wives, an often surprising yet always emotionally true first novel set in a world most of us know only from the outside.

Lisa Takeuchi Cullen’s debut novel Pastors’ Wives follows three women whose lives converge and intertwine at a Southern evangelical megachurch. Ruthie follows her Wall Street husband from New York to Magnolia, a fictional suburb of Atlanta, when he hears a calling to serve at a megachurch called Greenleaf. Reeling from the death of her mother, Ruthie suffers a crisis of faith—in God, in her marriage, and in herself. Candace is Greenleaf’s “First Lady,” a force of nature who’ll stop at nothing to protect her church and her superstar husband. Ginger, married to Candace’s son, struggles to play dutiful wife and mother while burying her calamitous past. All their roads collide in one chaotic event that exposes their true selves. Inspired by Cullen’s reporting as a staff writer forTime magazine, Pastors’ Wives is a dramatic portrayal of the private lives of pastors’ wives, caught between the demands of faith, marriage, duty, and love.


I'm a third-generation pastor's wife, so when I saw a work of fiction focusing on the lives of pastor's wives, I was a bit intrigued. I wondered how the author would portray the inner workings of a pastor's family.

I have to admit that she was right on the money on a lot of the struggles faced by pastors and their families: the demanding schedules, the isolation/loneliness, the pressure to perform and present a positive image. Of course the novel is much more dramatic and exciting than my everyday life (which would be expected, since no one really wants to read 400 pages about going to Ladies Bible Study and washing dishes).

I liked that the author showed the humanity of the characters; their struggles with issues of faith, their past choices, and their purpose/role in ministry. I think it's good for "outsiders" to recognize that the pastors and their families are just normal people with their own issues and struggles. We're not super-human and we're not immune to difficulties. I found myself identifying with several of the different characters at different points in the story.

It's obviously a fictionalized account of life as a pastor's wife, but when it comes to the basics, Cullen does a good job of capturing the unique challenges faced by the families of those in full-time Christian ministry. I read the entire book in two days. I didn't want to put it down. It's kinda like a "Real Housewives of the Mega Church" - there's plenty of drama, and the plot and characters hook you in right from the beginning.

It was a fun read. Fair warning, there are a few mild obscenities in the book, although the book is about pastor's wives, it is not necessarily Christian Fiction.

Lisa Takeuchi Cullen is celebrating the release of her debut novel, Pastors' Wives, with an iPad Mini Giveaway and connecting with readers on Facebook on May 23rd!

One winner will receive:

• An iPad Mini
• A $25 iTunes gift card

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on May 22nd. Winner will be announced at the "Pastors' Wives" Author Chat Party on May 23rd. Connect with Lisa for an evening of book chat, trivia, laughter, and more! Lisa will also be giving away books and fun gift certificates throughout the evening.

So grab your copy of Pastors' Wives and join Lisa on the evening of May 23rd for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 23rd!

I received a complimentary copy of the book to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed are my honest thoughts of the novel.