Book Review- Journey of Hope

I finished reading Journey of Hope by Lurlene McDaniel on Saturday.

From Goodreads:

HEATHER BARLOW HAS always been idealistic, and now that she has finished high school, she’s ready to make a difference in the world. After graduation she joins a mission group on a hospital mercy ship sailing to Africa.

Journey of Hope is two novels put together: Angel of Mercy and Angel of Hope.

I used to love reading Lurlene McDaniel's books as a kid.  So I was excited to dive into this one.  I wasn't expecting it to be so religious.  I can't remember if all of her books are so religious and I just never noticed when I was a kid or if it's just this one, but it kind of turned me off. 

That being said, I loved reading about the time in Africa.  I'd love to travel there someday.  And my best friend's little sister just left for a missionary trip of 11 countries in 11 months, so that part did strike close to home. 

Both novels in this book definitely had that classic Lurlene McDaniel twist in it and I found myself holding back tears.  I have a few more of hers on my bookshelf and I look forward to getting to them.

I gave this book a rating of 3/5.

*FTC Disclosure: I bought this book.

Book Review- Three Dark Crowns

I finished reading Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake last week for an Around the World ARC Tour.

From Goodreads:

Every generation on the island of Fennbirn, a set of triplets is born: three queens, all equal heirs to the crown and each possessor of a coveted magic. Mirabella is a fierce elemental, able to spark hungry flames or vicious storms at the snap of her fingers. Katharine is a poisoner, one who can ingest the deadliest poisons without so much as a stomachache. Arsinoe, a naturalist, is said to have the ability to bloom the reddest rose and control the fiercest of lions.

But becoming the Queen Crowned isn’t solely a matter of royal birth. Each sister has to fight for it. And it’s not just a game of win or lose…it’s life or death. The night the sisters turn sixteen, the battle begins. The last queen standing gets the crown.

If only it was that simple. Katharine is unable to tolerate the weakest poison, and Arsinoe, no matter how hard she tries, can’t make even a weed grow. The two queens have been shamefully faking their powers, taking care to keep each other, the island, and their powerful sister Mirabella none the wiser. But with alliances being formed, betrayals taking shape, and ruthless revenge haunting the queens’ every move, one thing is certain: the last queen standing might not be the strongest…but she may be the darkest.

I thought I would really enjoy this book since it had to do with queens and triplets.  Unfortunately, it didn't really do it for me.

Each chapter or so varied among the queens.  It took a while for me to really understand which queen was which.  All of the details were confusing.  And once I did figure out and understand the differences in the queens, I never really got into any of them.

And the story was pretty dark.  I'm not into completely dark stories.  I need some kind of light or majorly sweet romance or something. 

I suppose the overall idea of the story was interesting enough.  Triplet queens who are separated as young children and raised thinking they have a gift, or will come into one.  And that they have to kill their two sisters when they are 16 to because the true queen. 

I can't decide if I'll pick up the next book.  I guess I'll have to see how I'm feeling at the time.

I gave this book a rating of 3/5.

 *FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free for an honest review as part of the Around the World Tours.