I have read several of this authors biblical fiction books about wives in the Bible. I enjoyed them and found I had a hard time putting them down. Most I read in one sitting. This new book When Life Doesn't Match Your Dreams is similar to her prior works but it contains so much more. I had this on my TBR list for awhile, and yet things happened that I was unable to get to it. I love it when God gives you just what you need, when you need it. That is what happened with Jill's novel. We learn so much from some of the most well know females mentioned in the Bible. Yet there are others we have heard very little about but have great life lessons as well. I enjoy Jill's wonderful since of wonder and creation. She has a way of making a location or setting come to life. I found that to be true throughout this book. Each character has her own little novella. From there, Jill takes us back to modern day to relate those object lessons to things in our own life. This is where I learned so much and God spoke to me about some things in my life. I found myself highlighting several pages in each chapter.

One of the first and very important things that I was reminded of comes form this quote of Jill's.
“Fear simply makes us cling too tightly to what isn't ours in the first place. Everything we have comes as a gift from our loving God. We get to enjoy these things for a time, but they do not belong to us. I needed to let go.” One more great thought and I will stop because I could go on and on.
“We have a loving Shepherd who wants to rescue us. He gives us the picture of the Father who waits for the prodigal to return or the shepherd who searched the sills and fields for the pit where his lamb has fallen (emphases mine.) He is the one who isn't satisfied with ninety—nine sheep. I would recommend this book to every women to read. I received a copy from Revell Publishing through NetGalley. The opinions in this review are my own. ( )

I don’t often review non-fiction books. It’s just not something I like to do. I’m a fiction gal. I love reading a book where I can lost and escape reality for a few hours a day. But, when I have a favorite author, such as Jill Eileen Smith, I will give even a non-fiction book a try. And, I was actually rather excited to read this one, because let me tell you. My life, definitely does not match my dreams. Sure, I have a wonderful husband and two amazing children and a loving father and two gorgeous sisters. But, my health is not great, and my dreams? I dream so much more than this. I fell like I’ll be like this forever and never accomplish anything.

Smith has done a wonderful job with this book. It brings us the stories of 12 women of the Bible and how they dreamed for so much more, but it didn’t match up to what God had in store for them. You see, He is the creator of us all and He is the one that can see our future, know our plans, know what our lives will be like. And, through the tender words that Smith uses, along with the 12 women and phenomenal research she incorporated into the book, we see how life can be when we are disappointed that our dreams are following into line with our life.

Through this devotional, I was able to better understand my own life. I know what I want, I know what I wish I had, I know that I’m going to be disappointed because I’m not fully relying on God to help me with that. If I trust in Him, if I seek out his love and guidance, I won’t be so disappointed when a hope or dream falls short. Smith has once again used her incredible talent to hook me on a book. Her research is exquisite and her writing is filled with emotion and raw feelings.

This is a 5 star devotional book I would recommend to all the women out there. Get lost among the pages, see how these 12 women made mistakes, made choices that effect them and their families and see what God had in store for them. You may find the same hope and encouragement I did. Definitely a book for the keeper shelf and one I’ll share with my family and friends!

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.* ( )

This is a nonfiction book that reads somewhat like a fiction book. I really enjoyed reading about the women of the Bible and what they might have thought when stuff was happening to them. This is very inspirational. I received a copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will. ( )

Jill Eileen Smith is usually associated with writing wonderful Christian fiction and now I can say that she also writes wonderful non-fiction. When Life Doesn't Match Your Dreams is a book about twelve real women who didn't have their dreams come true. These twelve Old Testament women were probably like many of us who once thought that our lives would be one way and then watched them as they became entirely different. It is through the stories of these Biblical women that we can recognize that our troubles can defeat us or they can make us stronger; we can continue to struggle by ourselves or we can turn it over to God and let him fight for us!

Many of the women's names are familiar: Eve, Sarai (Sarah), Hagar, Rebekah, Rachel, Dinah and Leah. And then there is Noah's wife. Her name is never mentioned in Genesis 7 but Smith has given her the name of Adah for the purpose of this book. Others mentioned are Melah (Lot's wife), Aneksi, Tamar, and Zipporah. They all faced different problems but they all persevered.

This book has twelve chapters that offer a biblical account titled If I Were.... and there are also sections titled In Our World, Imagine with Me, Ponder this, and Taking it Further. These sections allow us to consider how we might have handled the same situations and they also offer understanding and encouragement.

It is apparent that Jill Eileen Smith devoted many hours to studying Bible scripture and her efforts have helped me gain new knowledge of these women. When Life Doesn't Match Your Dreams is very well-written and I
think that this book would be a valuable resource for organized Bible Study classes. It truly does give "Hope for Today from 12 Women of the Bible".

I received a complimentary copy of this book but I voluntarily chose to write this review. ( )

"He doesn't withhold the fulfillment of our dreams to hurt us. Sometimes He delays our dreams to teach us to trust Him. We trust Him by surrendering those dreams into His care."

I don't read much non-fiction. I read the Bible, some commentaries on the Bible, and the occasional books that we read for our church group gatherings. When Jill Eileen Smith released a "non-fiction" Christian living book based on 12 women of the Bible, I wasn't sure about the book but knew that the author would have wonderful, fresh insight into what lessons we can learn from these Biblical women. So I dove in. Wow, am I glad I did. The book is incredibly well-written, with the author's trademark writing style that flows so easily, engages from the first sentence, and leaves the reader pondering and praying long after the last page is read.

Each chapter begins with "If I Were ___" that puts the reader in first person narrative into the heart of each woman. Then the chapter transitions into "In Our World" to put the same issue the Biblical woman wrestled with into our current day. The imaginative Biblical scene again comes to life in the next section entitled "Imagine with Me" where the author takes the reader further down in the Biblical woman's life and then the chapter concludes with a lesson learned (such as "From Regret to Freedom" and "From Duplicity to Trust") and points to ponder, as well as questions to take the lesson further. The book spans such well-known women like Eve, Sarai, Hagar, Rebekah, Rachel, and Leah but also focuses on the lesser known or celebrated women like Adah (Noah's wife), Melah (Lot's wife), Dinah, Aneksi (Potiphar's wife), Tamar, and Zipporah. No matter how or why life has derailed for each of these women, it is clear that God has been there through it all and there is always hope in Him.

This is a book that will have you running to the store to buy for your sisters and friends. This is a book that will stay on my bookshelf for many years to come so that my daughters, when they are of age, can read and glean from the heartbreaking lessons written on the pages.

I was given a copy of the book by Revell (Baker Publishing Group) and was under no obligation to post a favorable review. All comments and opinions are solely my own. ( )