Review & Giveaway: Southern Charmed by Melanie Jacobson

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

Synopsis

Lila Mae Guidry is a Southern girl through and through. As a fourth-generation Latter-day Saint in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, she’s proud of her heritage as both a Southerner and a Saint—and she doesn’t take kindly to people who disparage either. Ten years ago, Max Archer was just that kind of jerk. As the mission president’s son, Max spent his entire three years mocking the South . . . and teenage Lila. After Max’s family moved away, Lila forgot about her sworn enemy. Almost.

When a new job brings a grown-up Max back to Baton Rouge, Lila is less than thrilled with his reappearance, especially since everyone seems intent on throwing her together with this old adversary. Yet fight as she may, Lila soon realizes resistance is futile—their connection is undeniable. Max embodies everything she wants in a man—except perhaps the most important thing—her life is rooted in the city she loves, but his dreams are bigger than Baton Rouge. With such mismatched visions of the future, Max and Lila are faced with a life-altering decision: jeopardize their aspirations or risk losing love.

My Review

What a fun book with a great sense of setting! Baton Rouge is a huge element in this book and it totally made me want to visit Louisiana and try all the food that the main characters were swooning over ;) Lila Mae is one of those women who is beautiful and independent with an inner strength... and everyone wonders why she isn't married yet. I loved that even though she struggles with difficult feelings when it seems all the young women around her are planning weddings or having babies, she is determined to trust God and be happy with the life she has. The subplot of Lila helping a bright student trapped in poverty reach above her circumstances was inspiring and showed how compassionate and thoughtful Lila is.

Max is a charming leading man, but because the story is told in first person from Lila's perspective and she initially harbors a grudge against him for being a punk as a teen, it was harder for me to move past that, even though Lila seems to pretty quickly. They begin with friendship but since the chemistry is sizzling between them from the start, the romance naturally grows in spite of Lila's misgivings about his temporary stay in Baton Rouge. I love how they relate to each other, it's very real and they don't hide their flaws from each other.  It was refreshing to see them face and work through their differences. The other subplot of Lila's sweet grieving mother touched my heart and even brought a few tears at the end.

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

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#TackleTBR Daily Update - Day 1

 You don't have to be a blogger to join the read-a-thon! Sign-ups are open through Sept 24th here

Day 1

Success! I read My Hope Next Door by Tammy L. Gray *and* wrote my review and got it posted (just in time for release day!)

Tally:
Pages Read: 318
Books Finished: 1

Review: My Hope Next Door by Tammy L. Gray

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

Synopsis

Former bad girl Katie Stone can feel the weight of her reputation settle over her as she drives home for the first time in years. Feeling deeply guilty about her past mistakes, Katie wants to do the right thing for once. But the small town where she grew up is not nearly as forgiving as she’d hoped. Despite it all, she’s determined to help her parents cope with her mother’s recent illness, and Katie finds a surprise ally in the man next door.

Asher Powell never minded being the son of a small-town pastor until a recent breakup leaves him wounded by lifelong members of his church. He remembers his new neighbor as a mean-spirited high school troublemaker, but he senses that her newfound faith and desire for forgiveness are sincere.

Through an unexpected friendship, two people from different worlds find peace, hope, and a second chance they never dreamed was possible.

My Review

This was an intricate look at a new believer's path to overcoming her fears by confronting her past. Her MO to coping with her dysfunctional childhood and choices as a youth has been a mixture of fight or flight, but when devastation results from her actions, it's easier to run to escape the pain. Her journey of redemption is not an easy one and I felt the author portrayed all the aspects of the situation in a realistic way, not shying away from the grittiness but also maintaining an overall feeling of hope. I loved that Asher sees the real Katie, and is able to support her in her trials even as she unknowingly pulls him out of a fog of bitterness and despair. Even though they are both flawed, they are wonderful examples of how God can transform us when we turn to Him and make courageous decisions to bring about change in our lives.

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

Review: A Timeless Romance Anthology: Blind Date Collection by Annette Lyon, Sarah M. Eden, Heather B. Moore, Victorine E. Lieske, Rachel Branton, Sariah Wilson

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

Synopsis

THE PROMISE THAT KATY DID, by Annette Lyon
After the death of Sue Ellen, the closest thing she has to family, Katy knows it’s time to leave the house she’s lived in as a guest and start over in the city. She quickly secures a job, but before leaving, she must honor the unusual promise she made to Sue Ellen on her deathbed: meet with Mr. Balmer. The elderly gentleman arranges for his grandson Barrett to escort her to a town dance. That evening, shy Katy quickly feels at ease with her partner. If her new position weren’t taking her from town morning after next, perhaps something could develop between them. But Barrett may not feel the same about her, and besides, they don't enough time to find out. 

A LADY OF SENSE, by Sarah M. Eden
Eleanor Sherwood has lived her entire life under her parents’ thumb with little hope of escape. When they choose the unbearable Mr. Broadstead to be her future husband, she begs her father for another option. He arranges for her to meet Peter Havensham, who quickly proves himself a good and kindhearted gentleman, completely different from Mr. Broadstead, and utterly undeserving of a forced engagement. Eleanor cannot bring herself to prey upon Peter’s honor, but neither can she imagine a life with Mr. Broadstead. What is a lady to do when faced with such an impossible choice? 

A SECOND CHANCE, by Heather B. Moore
Virginia needs a new start in order to recover from her broken marriage and vicious gossips of her neighborhood in Chicago, so when her best friend Millie invites Virginia to Boston, she goes to live with her friend’s family. But when Millie asked Virginia to participate in a double-date, Virginia knows she’s not ready to start dating again. Reluctantly she agrees, only to find out that Max might just be the man who can repair the cracks in her heart.

BRAELYNN’S BLIND DATE, by Victorine E. Lieske
When Braelynn agrees to go on a blind date, she thinks she’s hit the jackpot. Tyler is gorgeous and the perfect gentleman. Of course she should have known it was too good to be true. It turns out that Tyler really wasn’t Tyler, but a random stranger who went along with Braelynn’s mistaken assumption. So, she chalks it up to a dumb mistake until she gets to work Monday morning and discovers that her gorgeous blind date is now her new boss. 

BIANCA’S HOPE, by Rachel Branton
A blind-date-gone-wrong is not the way Bianca would have chosen to celebrate the news that she might be losing her business, but saying no to the sister who took care of her after their mother’s death proves impossible. So for one date, one torturous evening, she’ll endure the company of an infuriating, heartless man she has no intention of ever seeing again. She doesn’t expect her heart to have other plans. Bianca soon learns that sometimes the unexpected is not only what you need, it’s exactly what you’ve been waiting for all along. 

BLIND SPOT, by Sariah Wilson
Ria has prepared most of her life to meet her prince, trouble is, her mother keeps yanking her back to reality. So when Ria reads about a country teeming with princes, she drops everything and applies to grad school. But every blind date goes wrong, and while Ria commiserates with her roommate Tessa and Tessa’s totally un-prince-like brother Paolo, Ria discovers that all the things she thought she wanted in a man are far from what she really needs.

My Review

I've never been on a blind date, so it was fun to live vicariously through these characters who bravely take a chance on a stranger. I especially enjoyed all three historical stories since "blind date" seems like more of a modern term, but the concept really isn't all that new. Each novella allowed the reader to quickly get to know the main characters and added a unique twist to the blind date plot. A couple of the contemporary stories were a little over the top, but I look forward to reading more by Victorine E. Lieske and it turns out I have one of her books waiting for me on my Kindle! Seriously, too many books, too little time. I think that's why I love these novella collections so much, they are the perfect quick fix during brief moments of downtime during a busy day or a great way to unwind after the kids are in bed. The Blind Date Collection is a great compilation of sweet romantic stories full of emotion and hope.

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