(A David C. Cook Publication)

When a daughter becomes a mother, can she learn to accept her own?

Mia is a granola-eating, sensible shoe-wearing, carbon footprint-conscious twenty-something living in a multicultural neighborhood in Chicago. Her mother, Babs, is a stiletto-wearing Zsa Zsa Gabor type who works as an activities hostess on a Caribbean cruise line…and if you guessed there’s some tension there, you’d be right. Factor in an unexpected pregnancy and Mia’s idealistic boyfriend, and the mother-daughter relationship is, well, stretched very thin. As is Mia’s sanity when Babs shows up to…help.

Actually, Mia has a whole neighborhood of quirky characters who want to help, including her BFF, Frankie, a magenta-haired librarian; Silas, the courtly gentleman of indeterminate age who lives downstairs; and Adams, proprietor of the corner grocery store where Mia shops. But it’s Adam-endearing, kind, possessed of a perfect smile and impeccable Persian manners-who ultimately charms Babs and rescues Mia from more than one mother-induced meltdown. Could it be that Mia and Babs might actually be able to get along?

With Kimberly Stuart’s trademark irreverent humor and a surprising and satisfying take on romance, Stretch Marks is an authentic but tender story about family, grace, and the importance of a good grocer.

Author bio: Kimberly Stuart’s lives, plays, parents, does a lot of laundry, and writes at her home in Des Moines, Iowa. She would like to thank you for your support. Please visit her, probably not in Des Moines, but definitely at www.KimberlyStuart.com.

Melody Carlson is one of my favorite authors, is she one of yours too? Would you like a chance to check out her latest book Three Weddings & a Bar Mitzvah absolutely free? Post a comment and you’ll automatically be entered with a chance to win!

(A David C. Cook Publication)

In this final installment in the 86 Bloomberg Place series, Three Weddings & a Bar Mitzvah, follow four roommates through the high drama of their romantic relationships.

Newly engaged Lelani has returned from Maui with her toddler anticipating a simple, beautiful wedding to Gil, but his Latina mama has other ideas – and the willpower to make them happen. Kendal, who accepts her “Maui Man’s” proposal of marriage, finds her wedding plans turned upside down by her absentee parents and cruel sisters, who don’t think she’s capable of making a single smart decision on her own. Marcus takes a trip to Africa, leaving Megan uncertain about the future of their relationship, and Anna risks losing Edmond to a flirty young intern at their office. And to complicate matters, Megan and Anna have just a few months to find a new place to live.

With only two months to pull off both weddings (on the same day!), the pressure is on, and the stress just might kill any promise of happily ever after. Are their friendships strong enough to weather the hassles and heartache?

Author bio: Melody Carlson has published more than one hundred books for adults, children, and teens, with many on the best-seller lists. Several books have been finalists for, and winners of, various writing awards, including the Gold Medallion and the RITA Award. She and her husband live in the Cascade Mountains in Oregon and have two adult sons. To learn more about her visit www.MelodyCarlson.com.

Post a comment for your chance to win a FREE copy of Bon Appetit!

In this second book in the French Twist series, readers join Lexi Stuart in a crème de la crème adventure!

Deciding to leave her familiar home in Seattle and her could-be boyfriend Dan, Lexi moves to a quaint village in France to pursue her dream of becoming a pastry chef.  Life among the French initially proves to be less than easy as Lexi is challenged by her coworkers, missing her friends, and failing to master the perfect baguette.

Determined to find her place, Lexi settles into the culture and life becomes la perfection. She finds a church, meets a new friend, and makes the acquaintance of a child named Celine—as well as Celine’s attractive, widowed father, Philippe. Even Patricia, the gruff pastry cook, shows a softer side as she mentors Lexi in the art of baking.

Fast, fun, and packed with French culture, foodie appeal, and unique recipes readers will love accompanying Lexi on her journey in Bon Appetit as she tries to choose between two countries, two men and the faith to lean on God while savoring the surprises life brings!

Top 5 Clues That He’s The One:

1. He’s smart, which is why he’s dating you and not the snob mob.

2. He knows he’s hot, but he thinks you’re hotter.

3. He’d rather listen to you than himself.

4. You’re in on his jokes – not the butt of them.

5. He always gives you the last cookie in the box.

New Yorker Gillian Chang starts her second term at Posh Spencer Academy boarding school, in San Francisco prepared to focus on her studies, her faith, and her friends – Lissa Mansfield, Carly Aragon. She plays half a dozen musical instruments and can recite the periodic table of the elements backward. She’s totally prepared for everything – except love!

She’s falling hard for Lucas Hayes, a junior who is already aiming at a PhD in Physics at Stanford. The problem is she never seems to be able to measure up and be the girlfriend he wants. He’s under a lot of pressure to achieve – maybe that’s why he’s short-tempered sometimes. But even a thick-skinned girl like Gillian can only take so much.

With her heart on the line, Gillian conceals more and more from her friends. So when she’s accused of selling exam answer sheets, even Lissa and Carly wonder if it’s true. Can Gillian hang on to her integrity -and her faith- when she loses her heart to Lucas?

Shelley Adina is a world traveler, and a pop-culture geek, with an incurable addiction to designer handbags. Between books, Shelley loves traveling, listening to and making music, and watching all kinds of movies.

Somethings you just know without being told, like…

You past the math final (or you didn’t).

Your boyfriend isn’t into you and wants to break up.

You’re the “new girl” and your junior year is going to be utterly miserable.

Lissa Mansfield is used to being in the “in crowd” – but being accepted by the popular girls at Posh Spencer Academy boarding school in San Francisco is a lot harder than she thought. And then there’s her New York loudmouth roommate, Gillian Chang, who’s not happy just to be a Christian herself – she’s determined to out Lissa too. If Lissa can just keep her faith under wraps long enough to hook Callum McCloud, the hottest guy in school she’ll be golden.

But when Callum pressures her to go all the way with him, Lissa has to decide how far is too far. How can she see that line when he’s so gorgeous and popular and God seems so far away? Between that and shopping for a knockout dress and booking the hottest celeb for the Benefactors’ Day Ball…who knew finding a place at Spencer Academy would be so complicated?

Shelley Adina is a world traveler and pop-culture geek with an incurable addiction to designer handbags. Between books, Shelly loves traveling, listening to and making music, and watching all kinds of movies.

Chenille Rizzo, owner of Garments of Praise (fashion design company), is devastated at the loss of her husband Lyle. She is flung from wife to widow all too soon. As a result, her heart lingers somewhere in between the two. Overwhelmed with heartache, she functioned in spite of her grief, with the help of her friends and business partners.

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One day to her surprise, she found herself in the presence of a familiar face and her response held to be different than expected. Now she finds herself in a whirlwind of emotions, and to complicate things she receives an email from the grave. Confused, Chenille masked her true feelings and revealed the contrary. Leading to an ending filled with tears, but not all tears are of a sorrowful nature.

Griffith is a virtuoso in her genre, Christian Chick Lit. Hungry for faith, fiction, and fun, I devoured every word with colossal satisfaction.

Reviewed by: Takiela Bynum