Priorities Change, but this isn't goodbye for good

*crickets chirping... again* 

Hi, hey guys. Probably only a handful of people will see this, but I'm writing this mostly for me.

Four years ago, there was a girl who never skipped a Wednesday blog post. 

She was prompt and organized, her blog was her way to outreach and meet online friends. Four years ago, there was a girl who teased her older sister who had stopped reading due to work, but she was determined to always have time for reading. Sometimes, it feels just like yesterday that I was starting my blog, networking in the blogosphere. Writing for writing contests and doing fun blog tags. Heck, I even did a Q&A video! 

I don't even know where to begin. This blog has such a special place in my heart because it's played a huge role in my story. I've grown so much and changed so much. Because of this blog, I've stepped outside of my comfort zone countless times... Who would have guessed it would have been the reason I had the opportunity to meet online friends!

Priorities change. 

It's weird to think about, but I have two years left of college. This next fall, I'll be starting my Junior year! God has also opened the door to many unexpected things. My summer plans include a few milestone vacations and as much as I'm excited for all the new changes, I've had to put blogging on the back burner. Even reading fiction has slowed down quite a bit (even though I'm still determined it will never stop completely! *winks*) 

Priorities have changed. This isn't goodbye forever, I'll be posting an occasional book review. But for now, I've decided to say goodbye to posting things other than book reviews on Showers of Blessings. 

I'm actually really sad to write this post. Somehow it went from every Wednesday posting like clockwork to not posting for months and I don't know what to blame other than life gets busy and priorities change. God gave me this blog at a time when I needed it. Boy, did I need it. And I look back to see how far He's brought me. If you're reading this right now, if you've read my blog at any time in the last 4 years, I just hope you know how much Jesus loves you. 

I hate change so much but I can't keep up with blog posts anymore. I'm not a author yet but I'm still a writer at heart. Who knows, when I come back to the blogging world, it might be to promote my book! But until then, this blog will be for Revell book reviews. 

I don't know how to end this post other than to say, thank you for reading and following my blog over the years. If you'd like to stay connected, you can find me on Instagram (I don't post that often but when I do, it's like an extension of Showers of Blessings) @brooklyne_elysse and my business page is @windsoffaithco

I truly hope this blog has been a blessing to someone out there. And I know for sure that my story would look a lot different if I hadn't decided to start a blog to share my writing on. I don't regret for one minute all the designing and writing that went into this blog. Each post is certainly not perfect but every one of the 264 posts in this blog have meant something to me and I won't soon forget this little corner of the internet.

Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV "For I know the thoughts I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." 

Psalm 16:11 NKJV "You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore." 

Many Blessings, 
Brooklyne Elysse :)

*P.S. I had every intention to do a giveaway celebrating 4 years of blogging but I didn't get around to it... I may be doing one on Instagram soon though! 

The Lady of Galway Manor - Book Review

 

Book Review 

Back of the Book: 

"In 1920, Annabeth De Lacy's father is appointed landlord of Galway Parish in Ireland. Bored without all the trappings of the British Court, Annabeth convinces her father to arrange an apprenticeship for her with the Jennings family--descendants of the creator of the famed Claddagh Ring. 

Stephen Jennings longs to do anything other than run his family's jewelry shop. Having had his heart broken, he no longer believes in love and is weary of peddling the "lies" the Claddagh Ring promises. 

Meanwhile, as the war for Irish independence gains strength, many locals resent the De Lacys and decide to take things into their own hands to display their displeasure. As events take a dangerous turn for Annabeth and her family, she and Stephen begin to see that perhaps the "other side" isn't quite as barbaric and uncultured as they'd been led to believe--and that the bonds of friendship, love, and loyalty are only made stronger when put through the refiner's fire.

Travel to the Emerald Isle for another poignant and romantic story from the enchanted pen of Jennifer Deibel."

My Review: 

⭑⭑⭑⭑⭒

What a fun and summery read! The Lady of Galway Manor was a light historical read that had me day dreaming about what it would be like to see Ireland in the 1920s. I loved the descriptions to this book and the characters were great too! The fact that it was centered around a jewelry shop was also unique and I liked getting the behind-the-scenes descriptions to making jewelry. 

Annabeth was a fun main character. Her role was the optimistic one, she always saw things through different lenses. Her view of the world around her was refreshing and even though she was naive at times, she always put others above herself. I definitely enjoyed watching her character grow and I admire her thoughtfulness and faith in God. Stephen was a bit stubborn at first, but his character grew on me. One of the side characters that I will mention is Stephen's dad, Seamus. He was a hoot, his antics and wisdom found a great balance. 

Towards the end of the book, the plot fell a bit flat for me, the excitement wasn't that exciting and the reasoning behind the climax didn't feel valid to me. Despite this, the historical details, fun characters, and cool setting made this book worth the read! I'd recommend this book to historical fiction lovers! 

Thanks Revell Reads for a complementary copy of this new release! 

Many Blessings, 

Brooklyne Elysse