Stepparenting With Grace: Encouragement For Blended Families by Gayla Grace

BOOK INFORMATION
Genre: Christian living; Devotional; Family

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Worthy Inspired (August 7, 2018)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1683972686
• ISBN-13: 978-1683972686

Synopsis: These devotions provide companionship, encouragement, understanding, and biblical insights from a veteran stepmom. This trusted resource will help you gain strength, wisdom, and comfort as you navigate the rocky terrain of creating a blended family.  You will learn how to:
Trust a loving God when the kids do not.
Find unity in your new marriage and parenting through grace and understanding.
Explore your worth in Christ amid rejection.
Gain confidence in the stepparent role as you take on the armor of God.
Persevere through challenges and obstacles toward healthy, thriving relationships.
Each devotion begins with Scripture along with an encouraging thought for the day and closes with prayer.

Review: This is a resource I would highly recommend for any blended family. The devotions are relatively short, and each one is practical and filled with encouragement. The author writes from her own experiences and does so with understanding, love, and knowledge. The index is arranged so that the reader can easily find a devotional about a specific topic or immediate need.
Thank you to Worthy Publishing for providing me with an advanced copy of this book.

Rating: Five stars

About the author

Gayla Grace is the leader and co-founder of Sisterhood of Stepmoms, a non-profit organization designed to create community and a retreat for stepmothers. She holds a master's degree in Psychology and Counseling and founded StepparentingWithGrace.com more than a decade ago to offer coaching services, resources, and other encouragement to stepfamilies. Gayla and her husband, Randy, have five children in their blended family, ages sixteen to thirty-two, and reside in Bossier City, Louisiana, with an ours child still at home.

Sunflower Touches (DIY Dolls #1) by Cheryl Oblon

BOOK INFORMATION

Genre: Young Adult, family issues

• File Size: 2142 KB
• Print Length: 235 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publication Date: March 12, 2016
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
• Language: English
• ASIN: B01BXGMT9E

Synopsis: One more Brady Bunch joke, and I swear I will ugly cry in the corner! 

Dad took seven years after Mom died to find the right woman. My stepmom is nice. I have no complaints but one. Like Dad, she has three daughters. If math is your defect, that’s six teenage girls in one house. 
At least, we have a new house, but we also have a forced bonding project. It’s not a camping weekend—that’d be lame, but short. We have to share our craft and creative skills as a group to help each other with stuff. That’s what I get for offering to help with decorating this drab house. Even worse, it has to be recorded for the parents. 
Add that to school, boys, friends, and our own stuff…when am I supposed to have any fun? I’m glad Dad is happy, but the sister explosion was never in the plan. I’m the oldest. I’m hoping a stepmom will free me from being mini mom. Maybe I’ll find the freedom to pursue my art, spend time with some interesting guys, and enjoy what’s left of high school.

Review: I LOVED this book, and can't wait to read more in the series. It's definitely not the Brady Bunch, for sure. It's a more realistic look at two families blending, and six girls trying to find a way to get along.

One of the first differences that rears its head is how the families look at money. Chloe has no problem buying tablets and vanities for her new sisters, and making sure everyone had top quality hair products and feminine products. Cat is more frugal, and would be happy with the status quo.

The parents decide that the six girls should work together to decorate their home, reflecting each of their personalities--and that the entire process should be recorded. That shouldn't cause any problems, right?  LOL

Having raised three children, and survived, I found this author to have a truly authentic teen voice. I'm looking forward to learning more about this family in future books!

Rating: Four stars

About the author

Writer of YA…currently DIY Dolls contemp with intrigue and romance. She loves meeting readers, binge watching TV shows, wasting time watching YouTube, writing as much as possible, and making up stuff.
Cats over dogs. Chocolate over vanilla. Lime over lemon…gotta make decisions!