Review & Giveaway: True to You by Becky Wade

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

Synopsis

Exciting Start of a Brand-New Series by a Contemporary Romance Fan Favorite

After a devastating heartbreak three years ago, genealogist and historical village owner Nora Bradford has decided that burying her nose in her work and her books is far safer than romance in the here and now.

Unlike Nora, former Navy SEAL and Medal of Honor recipient John Lawson is a modern-day man, usually 100 percent focused on the present. But when he's diagnosed with an inherited condition, he's forced to dig into the secrets of his past and his adoption as an infant, enlisting Nora to help him uncover the identity of his birth mother.

The more time they spend together, the more this pair of opposites suspects they just might be a perfect match. However, John's already dating someone and Nora's not sure she's ready to trade her crushes on fictional heroes for the risks of a real relationship. Finding the answers they're seeking will test the limits of their identity, their faith, and their devotion to one another.

My Review

True to You is oh-so-good! It totally made me cry... and that's a good thing. By the end of the book I felt so much compassion for John and his struggle to accept and overcome some pretty tough things. As a mother who adopted her children, I completely related to the theme of adoption and was fascinated by Nora and John's search for his biological parents. The contrasts between Nora and John were stark, but their differences complemented each other and the chemistry between them was awesome. I loved the emotional journey they went on as they learned to trust God and rely on Him for peace and resolution. Nora's sisters were a fun and integral presence and I can't wait to read their stories! Some scenes were written from Willow's perspective so I wonder if her book is coming next... I highly recommend reading the prequel novella for details about Nora's parents which influenced her in this story. 

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)

Don't miss the prequel novella in the Bradford Sisters Romance series, Then Came You... 
(the e-book version is FREE!)

Synopsis

A leather-bound journal. A single father. A woman in pursuit of freedom.

Garner Bradford, heir to the troubled Bradford Shipping empire, doesn't know much about babies. But he's going to have to learn fast because he's just become a single father to his newborn daughter. As he confesses through his journal entries, he's not entirely sure how to keep a newborn alive, whether or not he'll ever patch together his shattered heart, or how to forgive himself for his mistakes.

Career girl Kathleen Burke is wholly uninterested in settling down. She has big dreams, and none of them include Garner and his small hometown in Washington State. Yet she can't seem to get her handsome boss out of her head or her heart. There's something extraordinarily tempting about his beautifully sad green eyes. . . .

Told through journal entries, phone conversations, and letters, Then Came You is a unique, heart-stirring romance novella by acclaimed author Becky Wade.

---

Do opposites really attract? John and Nora might just be the perfect match. Find out in True to You, book one in Becky Wade's new series! Genealogist and historical village owner Nora Bradford has decided that burying her nose in her work and her books is far safer than romance in the here and now. Former Navy SEAL and Medal of Honor recipient John Lawson is a modern-day man, usually 100 percent focused on the present. But when he’s diagnosed with an inherited condition, he’s forced to dig into the secrets of his past and his adoption as an infant, enlisting Nora to help him uncover the identity of his birth mother. Finding the answers they’re seeking will test the limits of their identity, their faith, and their devotion to one another.

Celebrate the launch of Becky Wade's new series by entering to win a fabulous prize pack and $100 cash card!

 

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A copy of True to You
• A $100 Visa cash card
• A prize pack hand-picked by Becky

 

Enter today by clicking the icon below, but hurry! The giveaway ends on May 30. The winner will be announced May 31 on the Litfuse blog.

Becky Wade's 'True to You' Author Chat Party

Raise your hand if you're ready for Becky Wade's new series! 

Celebrate the release of book one, True to You, with Becky and other readers on Facebook on May 4th during a fun author chat party at 8:00 PM EDT (that's 7:00 Central, 6:00 Mountain, & 5:00 Pacific)! 

Becky will be chatting about the book and answering your questions about the new series, and of course, there will be plenty of fun giveaways too!

Pre-order your copy of True to You so you're ready for a fun book discussion. Find out more about the book here.

Hope to see you on May 4 for Becky's True to You Facebook Party!

Favorites of 2016: Contemporary

In 2016 I found myself really getting into contemporary romance! I enjoy both first person and third person POV and I read a good mix of both. Here are the stand-out contemporary novels I read in 2016 (in no particular order). I highly recommend all of them and they are all ones I plan to read again in the future! Add them to your Goodreads TBR or Amazon wishlist!

 

(Check out my historical faves of 2016, and stay tuned for my favorite novellas and series!)

 

My Stubborn Heart by Becky Wade

Amazon - Goodreads

 

 Cold Shot by Dani Pettrey

Amazon - Goodreads - My Review

 Change of Heart by Courtney Walsh

Amazon - Goodreads - My Review

His Personal Relationship Manager

Amazon - Goodreads 

 

 Pimpernel by Sheralyn Pratt

Amazon - Goodreads - My Review

 Beyond the Rising Tide by Sarah Beard

Amazon - Goodreads - My Review

 A Portrait of Emily Price by Katherine Reay

Amazon - Goodreads - My Review

 Gladly Beyond by Nichole Van

Amazon - Goodreads - My Review

 The Thirteenth Chance by Amy Matayo

Amazon - Goodreads - My Review

Walk of Infamy by Sheralyn Pratt

Amazon - Goodreads - My Review

What are YOUR favorite contemporary novels you read last year?

Review & Giveaway: Her One and Only by Becky Wade

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

Synopsis

Gray Fowler, star NFL tight end, is being pursued by a stalker, so his team hires a protection agency to keep Gray under the watch of a bodyguard at all times. When Gray meets Dru Porter, an agent assigned to him, he's indignant. How can an attractive young female half his size possibly protect him?
 
But Dru's a former Marine, an expert markswoman, and a black belt. She's also ferociously determined to uncover the identity of Gray's stalker. And she's just as determined to avoid any kind of romantic attachment between herself and the rugged football player with the mysterious past. But the closer they get to finding the stalker, the closer they grow to each other. As the danger rises, can Dru and Gray entrust their hearts--and their lives--to one another?

My Review

The Porter Family series is one of my favorites in the contemporary genre! The characters are realistically flawed, yet their strengths help them overcome the trials they face. In the beginning of this book, I didn't relate to Dru and Gray at all, didn't even like them much... so it's a real indicator of the author's skill that I began to care about them and for them, and was emotionally involved enough by the end to shed a few tears. Details of Dru and Gray's pasts and personalities were revealed slowly throughout the story, layer by layer, and I followed right along and connected with them as they connected with each other and appreciated the deeper aspects of their characters as they discovered them within each other. Not to mention their amazing chemistry!

I loved the attention to detail when describing the procedures of the security team. It was realistic and reassuring, and made Dru believable as a "executive protection agent". The author didn't leave gaping holes that have bothered me when reading other books. The element of suspense balanced the pacing of the book with the development of their feelings for each other. The secondary plot of Meg and Bo's struggles add another dimension without derailing the main plot. Those scenes will be most enjoyed by those who have read the whole series, but this book also does well as a stand alone. It made me want to go back and read the whole series all over again :) Highly recommend!

(Thank you to Litfuse Publicity and Bethany House Publishing for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review)

---

Meet Dru Porter, former Marine, expert markswoman, and black belt—who also happens to be assigned as a bodyguard to star NFL tight end Gray Fowler. Don't miss the final Porter family novel by Becky Wade, Her One and Only. Gray starts receiving death threats from a stalker, and Dru is determined to find his stalker. Every secret that leads Dru closer to the stalker also draws her closer to Gray. As the danger escalates, they’ll survive only if they can learn to trust their lives—and their hearts—to one another.

Join Becky in celebrating the release of Her One and Only by entering to win her Porter prize pack and $100 cash card giveaway!

 

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A copy of Her One and Only
• A $100 cash card
• Follow Your Heart tote bag
• 24 oz Tervis Wonder Woman Tumbler
• The Blind Side DVD
• Necklace with star charm
• Porter Family navy jersey

 

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry! The giveaway ends on May 31st. The winner will be announced June 1st on the Litfuse blog.

Join Becky Wade for a Facebook Party May 5th!

 

A female bodyguard plus her star NFL client plus danger equals a great recipe for romance! Her One and Only, book four in Becky Wade's Porter Family novels, releases May 3. To celebrate, Becky is hosting an author chat party on her Facebook page on May 5 at 5 PM PDT/8 PM EDT. Join Becky for an evening of book chat with other bookworms and prizes.

Plus a portion of all pre-sales and sales the release week of Her One and Only will be donated to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. For more details on how to purchase a copy, click here.

About the Book

After ten years in the NFL, super star Gray Fowler is accustomed to obsessive fans. But when Gray starts receiving death threats from a stalker, his team hires an executive protection agency to guard him until the culprit is caught. Dealing with bodyguards 24/7 is a headache, especially when one of them is a young, beautiful woman. How can a female half his size possibly protect him better than he can protect himself?

Dru Porter is a former Marine, an expert markswoman, and a black belt–none of which saved her from disaster on her last assignment. In order to rebuild her tarnished reputation, she’s determined to find Gray’s stalker and, since relationships between agents and clients are forbidden, avoid a romantic attachment between herself and the rugged football player with the mysterious past.

Yet every secret that leads Dru closer to the stalker also draws her closer to Gray. As the danger escalates, they’ll survive only if they can learn to trust their lives — and their hearts — to one another.

Learn more and purchase a copy.

Review: Undeniably Yours by Becky Wade

* Undeniably Yours is currently free on e-book! *

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

Synopsis

When Meg Cole’s father dies unexpectedly, she becomes the majority shareholder of his oil company and the single inheritor of his fortune. Though Meg is soft-spoken and tenderhearted–more interested in art than in oil–she’s forced to return home to Texas and to Whispering Creek Ranch to take up the reins of her father’s empire.
The last thing she has the patience or the sanity to deal with? Her father’s thoroughbred racehorse farm. She gives its manager, Bo Porter, six months to close the place down.
Bo’s determined to resent the woman who’s decided to rob him of his dream. But instead of anger, Meg evokes within him a profound desire to protect. The more time he spends with her, the more he longs to overcome every obstacle that separates them–her wealth, his unworthiness, her family’s outrage–and earn the right to love her.
But just when Meg begins to realize that Bo might be the one thing on the ranch worth keeping, their fragile bond is viciously broken by a force from Meg’s past. Can their love–and their belief that God can work through every circumstance–survive?

My Review

I started the Porter Family series with the second book, Meant to be Mine, and I've been meaning to get back and read Bo and Meg's story. It totally confirmed why Becky Wade is one of my favorite contemporary fiction authors! The characters are flawed enough to be realistic and relate-able without making them unlikable. I particularly connected with Meg and her issues with anxiety. I loved how she uses coping techniques to manage her overwhelming feelings and searches for a way to come to terms with her circumstances. Even though she was raised in an environment of wealth and is the heiress of a huge fortune, her struggles show that everyone has difficulties, no matter what their station in life. Bo's protectiveness of her is pretty awesome. The way their friendship developed naturally from heartfelt conversations gave their eventual romance a foundation that was tested by the conflict that emerged from Meg's past. There are scenes that hint to the reader what is to come, which amped up the tension instead of diffusing it. It made me want to read all the books in the series again before finishing with the newest one which releases in the beginning of May 2016.

(I won a copy of this book in a giveaway from the author; this is my honest review)

Bonus!  I marked off "A book you own but have never read" from my 2016 Reading Challenge! Eight more books to go...

Don't miss the rest of the Porter Family series! Now is a great time to get these books while they are on sale!

 e-book sale: $1.99
My review here - 5 stars!

e-book sale: $1.99 
My review here - 5 stars!

Pre-order sale: $7.99 for print book 

Short story e-book 99 cents

Review: Love in the Details by Becky Wade

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

Synopsis

She left him to save his future, but they’ve never gotten over each other.

When Josh returns to his hometown of Martinsburg, Texas, to help his best friend get married, he didn’t intend to run into church wedding coordinator—and ex-girlfriend—Holly. He can’t help but pine after the girl he never got over.

Holly broke up with Josh years ago in an attempt to ensure his future success. But she loved him then and still loves him now. As she helps him plan his best friend’s wedding, she can’t help but feel horrible for the pain she caused him. And even though she longs to be with Josh, she doesn’t feel worthy of his big-time lifestyle when she is more comfortable in her small town world. Will Josh and Holly be able to keep things as they are when their true feelings threaten to surface at every turn?

My Review

There's something about a hero longing for the woman he's always loved but could never have that gets me every time! Josh wasn't planning to pursue Holly but after their first encounter since years of separation he just can't help himself. The clincher is that Holly never wanted to lose him but outside forces compelled her to set him free- against both their wills, and she didn't tell him why- which seriously ups the angst factor. I love how Josh conspires to spend more time with Holly and they fall back into their friendship and banter despite the palpable undercurrents of attraction and yearning. The novella is definitely character focused and was such a pleasure to read!

(Thank you to Zondervan Publishing for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review)