Monday, May 15, 2017

Review & Giveaway: Wrong for You by Jenny Proctor


Heidi Reads... Wrong for You by Jenny Proctor

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

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Synopsis

Lane Bishop is a hardworking, intelligent, young woman. With her recent move to Chapel Hill, she is determined to leave behind the drama and effort of keeping up with the dating scene. Even so, Lane somehow manages to get dragged out by a gaggle of girls to go watch boys play soccer. Just watching is not Lane’s forte, so she joins in the fun and leads her team to victory.

Rather than feeling intimidated by the vivacious beauty on the opposing team, Jamie Hamilton is intrigued. Risking his “untouchable” dating status, he decides to pursue Lane—with a little help from his older brother Simon. With Simon’s behind-the- scenes assistance, Jamie proves irresistible, even to a disillusioned dater like Lane. But as she gets to know both brothers, Lane can’t help but wonder—beneath the grand gestures and romantic words, is she falling for the wrong guy?


My Review

This is a fun story that took me right back to my days in the YSA (young single adults) group at church. Lane's interactions with Jamie and Simon are entertaining and brought the feelings of anticipation and uncertainty associated with dating. The dynamics of Lane's relationships get more complicated as the plot progresses, and a well-rounded secondary cast help propel her towards the climax where secrets are revealed and she has some choices to make. Recommend to fans of clean contemporary romance and LDS fiction.

Review & Giveaway: True to You by Becky Wade


Heidi Reads... True to You by Becky Wade

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

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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!)





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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.


Sunday, May 14, 2017

Love in Bloom Giveaway Hop!


http://bookhounds.net

I've been loving all the spring flowers this year! We got an extraordinary amount of rainfall this winter in Southern California so we're experiencing a "superbloom" and it's amazing! 

What are your favorite flowers? I love so many, but here are my top picks...

For appearance- Hydrangeas

http://www.hydrangeashydrangeas.com/mopheads.html

For scent- Freesias and Sweet Peas
 
http://www.floretflowers.com/shop/sweet-pea-maloy/

  For sentimentality- Johnny-jump-ups

https://auntiedogmasgardenspot.wordpress.com/2013/04/15/how-to-grow-johnny-jump-up-flowers-plant-care-guide/

I'll be giving away a print copy of Flirtation Walk by Siri Mitchell for the Love in Bloom Giveaway Hop! Enter in the Giveaway Tools widget below.


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Synopsis

West Point History Comes Alive in this Warmhearted Romance

Trying to escape the shambles her con-man father has made of their reputation, Lucinda Curtis arrives in West Point, New York, determined to land a husband from the military academy. Campbell Conklin is first in his class and preparing to embark upon a storied career in the U.S. Army. Lucinda thinks Campbell will make the perfect husband . . . as long as he does not find out about her father.

Seth Westcott also has taken a liking to Lucinda. He's kind, smart . . . and working extremely hard to graduate last. Tradition states that the worst cadets are assigned to the cavalry out west. And west is where Seth must head to track the swindler who stole all of Seth's mother's money. Seth is smart enough to vie for the top spot, but life isn't fair and this is his chance to catch the man who ruined his family. It's too bad Campbell is all shine and no substance, but Lucinda will surely see through all of that, won't she?




Friday, May 12, 2017

Book Tour Grand Finale: The Fireman's Son by Tara Taylor Quinn

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

Book Tour Grand Finale for
THE FIREMAN'S SON
By Tara Taylor Quinn

We hope you enjoyed the tour and getting a look at this author's 80th release with Harlequin! If you missed any of the stops, go check them out...

Launch - Note from the Author

The Fireman’s Son is a story particularly close to my heart. I can tell you from firsthand knowledge that women suffer as Faye did more often than you’d ever expect. I can also say, unequivocally, that with love, kindness, and the right man, women like Faye do find pure joy again. Abuse is horrible. But that doesn’t mean the other side of abuse has to be. The world is filled with survivors. Women who know and value their strengths. Who reach out to other women who’ve been where they’ve been and are struggling to get where they are. Women who care.

Please, come on in to The Lemonade Stand. Join us. As a collective group, we’re going to make the world a beautiful, safe place. One heart at a time.


CHAPTER ONE, Part 1

REESE BRISTOW WOULD not normally race to the scene of a small fire on the beach in the middle of the night. He was the newly appointed Santa Raquel Fire Chief. One truck of junior firefighters could handle the call half asleep.

Still, there he was, in jeans and a T-shirt, racing up the beach behind men in full gear carrying hoses he hoped they wouldn’t need to use.

deal sharing aunt - Guest Post

In The Fireman’s Son, one particular part came from a very particular place. Faye Walker is a paramedic. I’ve never been a paramedic. I couldn’t just become one. So I married one. Ha, ha, not really. I mean, I really did marry one, but not to write Faye’s story.


"Emotionally raw and gut wrenching! You feel sorry for the child for what he’s been through, and as secrets and questions unravel, you find yourself feeling so sad that such little things caused such a monumental life change for all of them. Really connectible characters who we hope can find the peace they all need."

Brooke Blogs - Guest Post

Love is the most powerful force. I’ve always known this. I believe it still. Love will be the final victor – no matter what. It’s the best part of us. The deepest and strongest part of us. If we could all just let love work its magic, trust that which we can’t see, and be able to mute the world’s interferences and cerebral messages, mute the greed and jealousy and insecurities, love would deliver us to the happiness we all crave.


"This story was far by more the most intriguing story I have read, it deals with so much of what is going on in our society then normaly does in a book.Reese Bristow is in a conundrum now, the woman who broke his heart in college is now back and is his new EMT. There are more surprises in the book that, leave you speculating how this will unfold..."

Nicole's Book Musings - Guest Post

Faye and Reese have to stay in shape to do their jobs. They have to pass physical fitness tests. And when they’re at the station, on call, they can’t get what they need by skating around the trucks. With them, I had to go back to the treadmill, the weights – the dreaded gym. It’s at the firehouse. So…I did what I had to do…I mentioned that they went there – and I left them at the door – skating off and coming back to get them when we were both done. That’s why you won’t find any scenes in this book written inside that gym. I apologize ahead of time…


CHAPTER ONE, Part 2

“I thought you’d at least call,” she was saying. Making no sense at all. “I wouldn’t take the job until Brandt assured me that you’d seen my file and approved the employment...”

Last he’d heard, Faye Browning had been in her second year of a four-year nursing program at UC Berkeley.

He’d been at Southern Cal in LA.

“You did know, didn’t you?” Her voice trailed off.

His horror must have been showing.

Celticlady's Reviews - Guest Post

We just passed tax time and my preparer once told me, everything in my life is deductible because it all goes into my books. She reads my books. And while I don’t deduct even close to ‘everything’, her statement stuck with me because she’s right. My life goes into my books.

Becky on Books - Review

"All three of the main characters here–Faye, Reese, and Elliott, Faye’s eight-year-old son–have been through so much before the story even begins. Watching them deal with the implications of the past, not to mention the new tension and drama that their present brings them, makes for a truly engrossing read. I literally couldn’t put this one down until I’d seen them get to their HEA!"


Book Excerpt - CHAPTER ONE, Part 3

SO...THAT WENT WELL. Faye’s sarcasm rang loud and clear in her mind as she trekked across the beach with her brand-new coworkers.

She was on a mission. Had a very clear plan. She’d considered every step in-depth prior to implementation. She’d allowed for every eventuality. Taken measures to ensure that nothing went wrong.

Kindle and Me - Review

"This story just breaks my heart! And I wanted a happily ever after for all of them! If you like real stories of families with abuse issues and children of those abused, shelters, fires, firemen, great counselors, second chances then this might be for you!"

Book Lover in Florida - Guest Post

In The Fireman’s Son, in a particularly difficult scene, Reese can’t take Faye inside. He has to head out to his own little paradise in his backyard. His piece of nature includes the beach and the ocean, but the physical effects to him are the same. It could be that as the author of the book, I took him out there because it was where I’d need to be. One could be a practical thinker and insist that that was the case. One might even be right. I don’t believe it, though. I think that nature is a natural healer, purposely there for all of us to draw upon.

Harlie's Books - Review

"Overall, Ms. Quinn tackles a hard subject and hits it head on. She doesn’t sugarcoat it with her characters but let’s her characters speak for themselves. This series is fast becoming one of my all time favorites. Her stories in this series just keep getting better and better. I can’t wait to see in future books how Elliot is doing and how the Lemonade Stand is and the characters that surround it. Bravo, Ms. Quinn. You did it again."

Don't forget to enter the giveaways below, if you haven't already...


Her Secret Life
(Where Secrets Are Safe #11)

by Tara Taylor Quinn
Adult Contemporary Romance
Mass Market Paperback & ebook, 384 pages
May 1st 2017 by Harlequin Superromance

Secrets are burning out of control

After she broke his heart in college, Faye Walker is the last person fire chief Reese Bristow ever expected to see again, especially as his new EMT. But that's not Reese's only surprise. Faye has an eight-year-old son, Elliott, whose counseling at The Lemonade Stand shelter is her first priority.

It's nearly impossible to accept that she had a child with another man—and married that man—right after their breakup. Trusting Faye won't be easy. Especially when she reveals a secret about the boy that might tear them apart for good.


Other Books in the Where Secrets Are Safe Series
(Books released as of March 2017. Each can be read as a standalone.)

  
  
   

About the Author


The author of more than 70 original novels, in twenty languages, Tara Taylor Quinn is a USA Today bestseller with over six million copies sold. A 2015 RITA finalist Tara appears frequently on bestseller lists, including #1 placement on Amazon lists, and multiple showings on the Publisher’s Weekly Bestseller list. She has appeared on national and local TV across the country, including CBS Sunday Morning.

Tara is a supporter of the National Domestic Violence Hotline. If you or someone you know might be a victim of domestic violence in the United States, please contact 1-800-799-7233.

Domestic Violence Shelter Drive


As Tara supports speaking out against domestic violence and supporting those who have been abused, both through her books and in her community, she would love for you to join her in donating items to a shelter in your area. Find out more here.

Tour Giveaways

1ST RAFFLECOPTER:
1 winner will receive ebooks of Where Secrets are Safe series books 1 - 13 (open internationally)
1 winner (per the four tour segments) will receive a $10 Amazon eGift Card (open internationally)

2ND RAFFLECOPTER:

1 winner will receive 25,000 Harelquin My Rewards Points, equivalent to 5 books (US and CAN only)
1 winner will receive 5,000 Harelquin My Rewards Points, equivalent to 1 book (US and CAN only)

Both Rafflecopter giveaways end November 30th, 2017