Friday, December 8, 2017

12 Days of Clean Romance: Author Janette Rallison & Giveaway!

     


How I Met Your Brother by Janette Rallison 

The best day of his life, the worst day of hers. Back in college, Marco Dawson never thought of Belle as anything more than a friend. If she had crossed his mind on his wedding day, it was probably only to wonder why she hadn’t shown up to be a bridesmaid. After all, his new wife was her old roommate. Seven years have passed since then, and Belle just found out that Marco is divorced and vacationing with his family in an elegant Cancun resort. She’s not about to let the right man get away twice. She heads to the resort where she plans to casually bump into Marco and ignite some romantic flames. But Belle hadn’t planned on one thing: Flynn Dawson, Marco’s handsome, charming, and determined twin brother. He thinks Marco and his ex-wife can make amends and he’s not about to let Belle stand in the way. Part Sabrina, part While You Were Sleeping, romantic comedy readers will eat this book up! 

   

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  Praise for How I Met Your Brother 

 "This is a romantic comedy in one of it's finest hours." 
"In true Janette Rallison form, this novel does not disappoint!" 
 "Love, love, love this book!"
   
 

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 “Dawson,” she called in feigned surprise. “Is that you?” He looked up from the map and his blue eyes wandered over her. “Yes.” He must have liked what he saw because a smile appeared on his lips. Not a smile of recognition, just a smile of approval. She sauntered over, taking slow nonchalant steps. “Don’t tell me you don’t remember me. I haven’t changed that much, have I?” “I’m not sure,” he said. “Tell me who you are, and I’ll tell you how much you’ve changed.” His lack of recognition should have bothered her a little, but it felt like victory. Proof the mousy unnoticeable girl she’d been was gone. “Perhaps you recall a study group we were in at WSU? Or the fact that I proofread a lot of your papers? You obviously don’t remember telling me that you’d never forget me.” “Ah,” he said, with understanding. At least now he knew she wasn’t a stranger with a creative pickup line. “Perhaps you remember me introducing you to Daisy?” His eyes widened and his expression changed. She couldn’t quite read it. Was it astonishment? Disbelief? Regret? “Isabelle,” he uttered. She smiled at the way her name sounded on his lips. “I go by Belle now.” His gaze went over her a second time, stopping on her ring finger—absent of the symbols of marriage. “What a surprise. I don’t know what to say.” “Most people say something along the lines of ‘It’s good to see you.’ But I’ll settle for a belated, ‘Thanks for all those papers you helped with.’”   

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Author Janette Rallison 

Janette Rallison is old. Don’t ask how old, because it isn’t polite. Let’s just say she’s older than she’d like to be and leave it at that. Janette lives in Chandler, Arizona with her husband, five children and enough cats to classify her as “an eccentric cat lady.” She did not do this on purpose. (The cats, that is; she had the children on purpose.) Every single one of the felines showed up on its own and refuses to leave. Not even the family’s fearless little Westie dog can drive them off. Since Janette has five children and deadlines to write books, she doesn’t have much time left over for hobbies. But since this is the internet and you can’t actually check up to see if anything on this site is true, let’s just say she enjoys dancing, scuba diving, horse back riding and long talks with Orlando Bloom. (Well, I never said he answers back.) 

 
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Also by Janette Rallison

 
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Giveaway Details

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Giveaway
Ends 12/21/17
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.    





Thursday, December 7, 2017

Review & Giveaway: A Promise for Tomorrow by Michele Paige Holmes


Heidi Reads... A Promise for Tomorrow by Michele Paige Holmes

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

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Synopsis

Scottish Highlands, 1700s:


Barely two weeks have passed since Laird Collin MacDonald first darkened Katherine Mercer’s doorstep and married her. Marriage has hardly been what she expected, given their grueling and adventurous days of travel to the Scottish Highlands. Along with the discovery that Collin’s twin Ian would like to see her dead, Katie must now face her own clan, whose chief wants to kill Collin and take her to wife himself. All because Katie possesses the Campbell gift of sight, passed down through centuries of her ancestors.


With little more than faith in her grandfather’s vision and her unique bond with Collin to guide her, Katie steps bravely into an unknown future, where the glimpses afforded her may bring more danger than direction. When the misuse of her gift takes Collin from her side, she is left alone and vulnerable. Help arrives in the most unexpected form as Ian MacDonald makes good on his threat to attack the Campbells and Katie learns that the bond between brothers and love knows no bounds.

My Review

Wow. What a rollercoaster for my heart! I totally fell in love with the characters in the first book, Yesterday's Promise, and anxiously awaited this second installment in their story as they confront the villain and attempt to take back the castle and rescue the people under Brann's cruel thumb. There is just as much danger, romance, twists, and angst in this book, and I couldn't put it down as I was completely immersed in the setting and plot! There is quite a lot going on and I don't want to give anything away, so just know that this series is definitely one of my favorites of the year and overall! There is a third book coming in a few months, but this one had a satisfying conclusion while still leaving me looking forward to more. You HAVE to read the first book before this one to lay the foundation and because it's just so amazing :)

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




Be sure to read the first book in the Hearthfire Scottish Historical series!

The Kindle e-book is currently only $1.60! 
(Be sure to double-check the price)

Heidi Reads... Yesterday's Promise by Michele Paige Holmes


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Synopsis

In the Scottish Highlands, 1761

Nineteen-year-old artist Katherine Mercer dreams of selling her paintings to help support her struggling family. Before she has the opportunity, Katherine learns she is to be sold—or practically so—given in marriage to a lord she has never met or even heard of. In return, a much-needed settlement will be made upon her mother.

Katherine’s situation goes from frightening to surreal when her husband-to-be Laird Collin MacDonald arrives with an entourage of men, each heavily armed and speaking with a thick brogue. As if leaving all she knows behind and traveling to another country with strangers isn’t bad enough, Katherine soon discovers a Scottish heritage she knew nothing of, a brother-in-law who wants her dead, and far more at stake with her paintings than she had ever imagined. Forced to turn to her reclusive husband for answers, comfort, and even her very survival, Katherine begins to unravel the mysteries of her past and what it is to love and be loved.

Connect with author Michele Paige Holmes:




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12 Days of Clean Romance: Author Josi S. Kilpack & Giveaway!

   


All That Makes Life Bright: The Life and Love of Harriet Beecher Stowe by Josi S. Kilpack 

When Harriet Beecher marries Calvin Stowe on January 6, 1836, she is sure her future will be filled romance, eventually a family, and continued opportunities to develop as a writer. Her husband Calvin is completely supportive and said she must be a literary woman. Harriet’s sister, Catharine, worries she will lose her identity in marriage, but she is determined to preserve her independent spirit. Deeply religious, she strongly believes God has called her to fulfill the roles of wife and writer and will help her accomplish everything she was born to do. Two months after her wedding Harriet discovers she is pregnant just as Calvin prepares to leave for a European business trip. Alone, Harriet is overwhelmed—being a wife has been harder than she thought and being an expectant mother feels like living another woman’s life. Knowing that part of Calvin still cherishes the memory of his first wife, Harriet begins to question her place in her husband’s heart and yearns for his return; his letters are no substitute for having him home. When Calvin returns, however, nothing seems to have turned out as planned. Struggling to balance the demands of motherhood with her passion for writing and her desire to be a part of the social change in Ohio, Harriet works to build a life with her beloved Calvin despite differing temperaments and expectations. Can their love endure, especially after “I do”? Can she recapture the first blush of new love and find the true beauty in her marriage?

 

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 Praise for All That Makes Life Bright

 "Passionate--and entertaining." Publisher's Weekly, Sept 2017

"Kilpack writes with great insight and superb sensitivity." Booklist, Starred Review Sept 2017

"All That Makes Life Bright is about making marriage work in the face of challenges like a desire for personal freedom. It is a romance with broad appeal." Foreword, November 2017

   

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Eliza. Thoughts of her dear friend and Calvin’s first wife brought an array of emotions. What would Eliza think of Hattie carrying Calvin’s child? A child Eliza had wanted so much and never had. Hattie usually told herself Eliza would be happy that she and Calvin found comfort together, but there were days when Hattie’s awareness that Calvin still held affection for Eliza rose like a specter. Prayer, studying the Bible, and remembering the assurance she’d felt of God’s approval would usually silence her guilt, but today the fears roiled inside her like the churning wheels of an undertaker’s carriage. Had Eliza lived, Hattie would be teaching, writing—unmarried and unpregnant. Had Eliza lived, Calvin would only be the husband of Hattie’s friend, and he would enjoy dinner on the table every night, and pressed pants and clean shirts in the closet every morning. Perhaps Eliza would have given him a child by now. When headaches laid him low, Eliza would tend to him without a thought for herself. Would Calvin be happier if Eliza had been the only Mrs. Calvin Stowe? Would Hattie? Was Catharine right? Had Hattie entered a phase that would lead to the demise of being her own person? Anxiety wrapped around her until she found herself sobbing at the splintery kitchen table. Eliza. Eliza. Eliza. Calvin. Calvin. Calvin. Was she living the wrong woman’s life?

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Author Josi S. Kilpack

Josi S. Kilpack hated to read until her mother handed her a copy of The Witch of Blackbird Pond when she was 13. From that day forward, she read everything she could get her hands on and credits her writing “education” to the many novels she has “studied” since then. She began writing her first novel in 1998 and has written twenty-five novels, one cookbook, and been part of multiple collaborations since then. She is a four-time Whitney Award winner and Best of State winner in Fiction. Josi currently lives in Willard, Utah, with her husband and children. When Kensington Press picked up her first national women's fiction novel, As Wide as the Sky, Josi was in need of a pen name to differentiate between her other genres. For years, Josi has been called Jessica Pack by people who hear her name but don't know her, it made her new pen name easy to choose. As Wide as the Sky will be released in paperback sometime in 2018.


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Also by Josi S. Kilpack

 

Coming in 2018

  • Miss Wilton's Waltz, Regency Romance, coming May 2018
  • As Wide As the Sky, Women's Fiction, coming June 2018
  • Promises & Primroses, Book One in the Mayfield Family Series, Regency Romance, coming fall 2018
 
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Giveaway Details

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Giveaway
Ends 12/20/17
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Book Tour, Review & Giveaway: Christmas Secrets by Donna Hatch






Heidi Reads... Christmas Secrets by Donna HatchHolly's two Christmas wishes this year are to finally win her mother's approval by gaining the notice of a handsome earl, and discovering the identity of the stranger who gave her a heart-shattering kiss...even if that mystery kisser is the resident Christmas ghost.





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Donna Hatch is the author of the best-selling “Rogue Hearts Series,” and a winner of writing awards such as The Golden Quill and the International Digital Award. A hopeless romantic and adventurer at heart, she discovered her writing passion at the tender age of 8 and has been listening to those voices ever since. She has become a sought-after workshop presenter, and also juggles freelance editing, multiple volunteer positions, and most of all, her six children (seven, counting her husband). A native of Arizona who recently transplanted to the Pacific Northwest, she and her husband of over twenty years are living proof that there really is a happily ever after.


Connect with the Author here: 

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My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

I loved this wintery holiday romance! I felt like there were three facets to the story that resonated with me- the romance, the holiday traditions, and the family dynamics. It was enjoyable getting to know the characters, their flaws and strengths, and how they interacted with each other. Holly's sister teases her but as the story progresses she shows more depth of character as she helps Holly. Her mother is a difficult person- hard to please and motives woven with selfishness and maternal devotion. I liked her father best of all since he reminded me of my own, thoughtful and quiet yet strong- when he speaks, people listen, and his word is final.

Will was charming and I liked that while he wasn't perfect, he had a good heart and tried to do his best. He took joy in participating in the Christmas traditions of old England and I loved learning more about the history of those practices. I felt like I gleaned more details in this book than others in the same genre and setting. Participating in the activities with open pleasure is something Will and Holly have in common, and it was sweet to see them turn from their initial interests and realize how well they are suited. Their chemistry is great and the author skillfully builds the anticipation of something more between them. Highly recommend to fans of Regency romance and holiday themes!
(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)



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