Like Never Before: A Novel by Melissa Tagg Book Review

Like Never Before is the second novel in the Walker Family series. One of the main characters is Amelia Bentley who lives in Maple Valley. She works for the local newspaper as a reporter. The owner of the paper recently passed away and the paper is suffering from financial hardship. It is about to be shut down unless the new owner decides to save it. Logan Walker becomes the new owner of the paper. He is a former reporter that moved away to become a political speech writer and he married his wife Emma. Emma is tragically killed in a car wreck. They have a three year old, Charlie who won’t speak a lot of words yet. Everyone is concerned about Charlie and they think something is wrong. He travels back to Maple Valley where he can meet with a highly trained speech therapist. He is also trying to decide if he should sell the newspaper. Amelia is determined to convince Logan not to sell the paper. Amelia is also trying to solve a mystery and reveal the truth to the community. She needs Logan’s help in order to try and solve the mystery. Along the way a budding romance begins to happen but both are afraid of falling in love again. 

I would recommend this awesome book to anyone who enjoys reading books that contain romance and faith. This was the first book in the Walker Family series that I have read. I was able to easily get caught up on the storyline and I wasn’t confused or lost. I liked how descriptive Melissa Tagg was in conveying the plot. I especially liked how Logan was portrayed as being a caring father and how he struggled with trying to make all of the right decisions. I liked how Melissa explored his journey with losing his faith after losing his wife and I think people will be able to relate to the storyline. If you’re looking a new book to read during the nice summer weather, check this one out!

“I received this book free from the publisher through the Bethany House Publishers/ Chosen book review bloggers program.”     

If you would like to purchase a copy of Like Never Before, check it out on Amazon.com:

 http://www.amazon.com/Like-Never-Before-Melissa-Tagg/dp/0764213083 

Living in the Light: Money, Sex, and Power by John Piper Book Review

In Living in the Light, John Piper explored three key areas the world loves to worship and engage in. God created money, sex, and power with good intentions but the enemy is actively attempting to lure us into falling into these dangerous temptations. God created each of these in order to bring glory to His Holy name. John Piper explained that money is a currency we can use for good purposes or for evil. Where we spend our money shows where our treasure is. Sex was defined as, “experiencing erotic stimulation, seeking to get the experience, or seeking to give the experience.” When sex occurs between a husband and wife, it is a God given gift to be enjoyed among both spouses. Power was described as, “as the capacity to get what you want, or the capacity to pursue what you valve.” 

One of my favorite chapters was entitled, “The Pleasure- Destroying Dangers of Sex”. This chapter discussed how Adam and Eve sinned and ate the forbidden fruit. Satan has attempted to try and tempt people into falling into sexual immorality. Piper explored the verses found in Romans 1:23-28. It talked about trading the glory of God for images looking like men and women and animals. It also goes into details about how women are settling and seeking another woman and how men are longing for another man. He also shared 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 and how the “unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God. Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the Kingdom of God.” The wonderful thing is when we repent and turn from our ways, God can forgive us for our sins and we can be cleansed. 

I would recommend this life changing book to anyone who is ready to live in the light and they are wanting to honor God and bring glory to His name. I loved how John Piper was very real in dealing with the difficult topic of sex and sex outside of marriage and even homosexuality. Most authors are afraid to deal with this challenging topic because I think some are afraid they will upset some readers. I will be honest I also haven’t heard many sermons taught on these verses either. I love how he gave readers hope that even if they have already sinned sexually before marriage, God is able to forgive them and cleanse them for their sins. This book is a very impactful book and it will change believer’s outlook on how they live their lives.

“I received this book for free from Cross Focused Reviews / The Good Book Company for this review”. 

If you would like to purchase a copy of Living in the Light, then check it out on Amazon.com: 

http://www.amazon.com/Living-Light-Money-Sex-Power/dp/178498051X