Yes, I failed my previous reviewing schedule. I’m already disappointed in myself for not keeping up with what I said I was going to do. I have made it one of my goals for 2020 to once again get back into reading and reviewing books.
However, I can’t guarantee how often I will be doing so. I currently have college classes starting up in a little less than a week, which will definitely leave less time for reading as I have to prioritize my education sadly.
What I’m going to say is that I will attempt to post at least one review each month until the summer, which might mean I’ll be reviewing a little more than that. I’ve missed reading and I want to get back to it as much as I can.
For those of you that are awaiting reviews from me for your book, please don’t be worried! I have not forgotten you and I am planning on getting to all of your books in due time. While I still have time before college starts again, I’ll be trying to get through as many of them as I can and will continue to do so after.
Thank you for continuing to follow Purely by Faith Reviews! I appreciate every one of you ❤
Spoiler alert: Falling for a hot, older guy can only mean trouble … especially when he’s your bestie’s brother.
Ava
After my parents passed away, music was my only refuge until I came to Edenvale. It was there that I met my BFF, whose family treats me like one of their own. The only downside is Hannah’s overprotective brother who loves to torment me, even to the point of invading my dreams.
If only I were Liam Mitchell’s type.
Liam
It’s senior year, and I should be figuring out my future, but with my dad in jail, I’ve had to step up to take care of my family. The only thing that’s clear is how much I like spending time with Ava Alverson. Adorable, smart, and strong, she’s the only one I can let my guard down with. Too bad we’re stuck in the friend zone.
But not for long.
I’m determined to let her know how I feel and also prove to my sister that I’m good enough to date her best friend.
The Edenvale Arts High School series brings you the sweetness and innocence of young love amidst a backdrop of the performing arts. Combining creativity and romance, this clean and wholesome YA series is perfect for fans of High School Musical and Zombies.
Spoiler alert: It was supposed to be a pretend relationship, so why are they getting all the feels?
Hannah
When my dad went to jail, my world flipped upside down. Even my boyfriend wanted to take a break. But I’ve got a brilliant plan to show him what he’s been missing since he broke my heart.
Enter the cute new guy—Seth Spark.
Seth
When Hannah Mitchell, a girl completely out of my league, asks me to be her fake boyfriend on my first day at Edenvale, I almost lose it. A shy and awkward guy like me would never get any girl’s attention— especially a pretty one.
Never say never.
Now, I only have ten days to convince her to forget about her ex… and to give us a real chance.
The Edenvale Arts High School series brings you the sweetness and innocence of young love amidst a backdrop of the performing arts. Combining creativity and romance, this clean and wholesome YA series is perfect for fans of High School Musical and Zombies.
Grace Neunaber has finally found happiness. After struggling for years as a single mother of four, she’s thrilled about her newfound faith and her marriage to a strong Christian man. But as David is added to their family of five, her enthusiasm is quickly dampened by her older children’s open hostility and resentment toward their new father.
For Grace’s daughter, Faith, having a principal for a step-dad is only one of the downsides. Her parents are nosy, restrictive, and most of all embarrassing. But Faith’s issues with her parents are quickly shoved aside when she’s faced with a decision that will change the course of her future.
I’m kicking myself right now. I have been inactive on the blog for over a month, and it was my New Years resolution to get back to posting twice a week.
Truthfully, it’s not realistic for me anymore. I have been in a reading slump since maybe September last year, and I have been lacking motivation to post because of that as well as a depression flare-up. I have been a little tired lately, ever since my baby brother was born and can’t read until it’s too late at night. Not to mention, I’m turning 18 soon and I need to focus on my schoolwork and career options… getting my drivers license. Ugh, so many things to do!
So, I decided it might be best to change my schedule to posting every other week on either Tuesdays or Fridays until I know I can juggle the old one. Basically, expect a post twice a month (with blog tours as exceptions) until further notice.
Thank you so much for being patient, everyone, and continuing to follow Purely by Faith Reviews.
Third Blade Leith Torren never questions his orders or his loyalty to King Respen until an arrow wound and a prairie blizzard drive him to the doorstep of the girls whose family he once destroyed.
Their forbidden faith and ties to the Resistance could devastate their family a second time.
Survival depends on obedience, but freedom beckons. How far does he dare go to resist the king and his Blades?
No matter what Leith chooses, one thing is certain.
I was supposed to post this earlier today, but I wasn’t quite finished with the book at that point. Let me give you a hint: A-MA-ZING! There’s my review as well as a giveaway, so let’s get right into it!
Angel Cutler’s routine life is overturned when local ganglord Viktor Marino tries to kidnap her. When she finds out her adopted sister is back in town and working with Viktor, Angel has to run away with the protection of two total strangers. Can Angel have faith in God to protect her family when she can’t?
Elijah Davis has seen Viktor bleed once, and to save his family, he’ll make it happen again. But who is the One Eli can turn to when he realizes he can’t protect his loved ones alone?
Hiding from gangsters and gunfire, the trio struggle to seek God above all else and trust that His plan is greater than their own. Or Viktor Marino’s.
Beloved: 365 Devotions for Young Women is a topical devotional that uses the inspiring stories of girls and women in the Bible—such as Ruth, Esther, Mary, and Abigail—to encourage faith and confidence as well as provide insight into topics like relationships, inner beauty, and chasing your dreams.
Each day features an easy-to-read, relevant devotion paired with a scripture verse about a biblical girl or woman, as well as journaling space to help readers reflect on the day’s message. With honest, poignant, and sometimes humorous text, every page will speak to the pressures and changes girls face, giving them real-world applications to find God in their hearts and in their lives. Perfect for everyday use, Beloved will resonate with girls searching for truth and guidance. Gift givers will love this highly designed book featuring a beautiful, foiled cover, two-color interior pages, and a ribbon marker.
Guess what? Rebekah Morris and Faith Blum have teamed up for a fun Christmas Duet Blog Tour! But, why Christmas Duet? Simply because both books have titles that are related to a Christmas song! Be sure to check out all of the blog posts as well as the giveaway. Wouldn’t it be sweet to have some new reads for Christmas just in time for, well, Christmas?
Today, I’m doing something different. Instead of actually reviewing a novel, I had the wonderful opportunity to instead review three art journals by Ellie Claire! Honestly, I really love art. It’s so fun to look at, especially when I just search some up on the internet, and admire other people’s work. I’m not necessarily into doing art myself, other than sometimes drawing on envelopes, but I really do want to change that.
Note: I don’t know if this is technically a repost, but I was having HUGE technical difficulties. I was using the WordPress app on my phone to upload the photos of the journal, and I somehow managed to publish this post as well as one with photos of the journals (which I have since then deleted). The weird thing is that my app said that both said posts were simply drafts, and not published. I pretty much decided I’ll probably not be using the app again since things went kind of wacky.
The first journal that we will take a look at is Illuminate Your Story, which is below.
I really like the cover. It is so simple, yet the design really gives the impression that the journal is meant for creativity. I love the fancy ‘S’!
The first few pages in this journal discuss the history of illuminated letters, which I find to be informative and awesome! I really enjoy learning the history behind things in our world today, and that was something that really caught my eye. I really never realized how much you could history you could learn from art as well as fonts.
What I really am thankful for about this journal is that it walks you through how to write letters in a fancy way. These two pages about the first letter of the alphabet really inform you on how to draw the letter. The dotted grid really helps you to be precise as you practice. I find the walk-through to be absolutely beautiful! I like how the flower wraps itself around the letter. You also have plenty of room for writing throughout the whole journal, which is another plus!
I was surprised to find a little area in the back of the journal for your keepsakes. This would be the ideal location to store some meaningful notes that you treasure. I was slightly confused with the small elastic strapped around the book until I realized it was for your writing utensil (both a plus). I think this journal is worthy of five shiny gold stars!
I’m going to be honest. This is probably my favorite journal out of the three. I have no words for the cover… it’s so gorgeous and screams “write in me!” The introduction is helpful as well as informative. The author of the journal explains what lettering is and how she discovered it, and she goes on to explain how to use the journal.
As you can see from the photos, you are able to practice your lettering with the different techniques. In the first picture, you can see that the first thing you practice with is San Serif. It’s a common font, often seen on the internet as well as on many graphics and items, is a great place to start! This comes from a beginner, and although I don’t have much experience with lettering as of yet, I know enough to tell that San Serif wouldn’t be the hardest font ever to start with.
The pages later feature more complex designs. The one featured in the second photo is a verse from the Bible, Ezekiel 36:26. This type of thing to practice sort of terrifies me because I would have no clue to begin (lol)! I can see these longer and more eloquent designs as something practice a little later once I have more experience.
There are beautiful pieces of artwork throughout the journal, and there are plenty of areas to practice your lettering as well as write about your day. The dotted grids are extremely useful, and give you the perfect advantage as to design the perfect quote design. This journal is five stars for sure!
Lastly, we have The Illustrated Word Coloring Journal.
The cover matches the journal completely! I just noticed, after uploading the photos, that areas of it are colored in while others are blank, kind of like a coloring book. That was very clever, along with the title. Literally, the first page in the journal is one you can color! I love that verse, and the artwork that goes along with it is simply unique! The pages are thick enough that, even if you use a sharpie, they do not bleed through so you can color the pages in any way you choose.
The one thing I really wasn’t certain about was some of random pieces of artwork spread throughout the journal for you to see. I’m not sure if it was just me, but it was really off-putting and a little creepy. I think that they’re supposed to portray something, and maybe the first one is from the Bible, but I’m not that educated in specific portraits… I don’t know. Honestly, this journal is probably my least favorite due to the pieces I’m supposed to color in, but I do really like the ones with verses attached to them (such as the fourth photo above). I’m rating this journal three stars.
Am I the only one who had their tree set up on Thanksgiving day? 😛
I like these journals overall, and I’m rating them four stars altogether.
Seriously though, they would be perfect Christmas gifts for this upcoming holiday season, depending on if it fits the person’s interest, and I know I still need to do some shopping. I can see some of my family members loving these journals, especially The Faith and Lettering Journal, and these journals could be perfect for yours! The journals do use multiple versions of the Bible, including ESV and NIV, just in case you’re curious.
If you’re looking for something creative to do, then one of these journals ought to do the trick for you and satisfy the cravings!
