Review: Evermore by Jody Hedlund

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

Synopsis

An ancient key. A secret treasure. And a princess destined to use them both to fight evil and restore peace.

Raised by a noble family, Lady Adelaide has always known she’s an orphan. Little does she realize she’s one of the lost princesses and the true heir to Mercia’s throne…until a visitor arrives at her family estate, reveals her birthright as queen, and thrusts her into a quest for the throne whether she’s ready or not.

Unable to tolerate King Ethelwulf’s cruelty and lawlessness, Christopher Langley left Mercia years earlier, training a group of rebels in neighboring Norland. When he returns home after his mother’s death, he discovers that not only is Adelaide all grown up, but she’s also the rightful queen of Mercia.

When King Ethelwulf discovers Adelaide’s location, he’ll stop at nothing to capture her and the key she holds to the ancient treasure. Christopher is just as determined to protect Adelaide so she can lead the growing rebellion. When feelings ignite between the two old friends, forces threaten to destroy their love and rip them apart forever.

My Review

After reading the compelling prequel novella to this series, I couldn't wait to discover the fates of the three lost princesses. Adelaide is the oldest of the three, and discovers her true identity at the beginning of the book. The author did a great job of giving the reader a sense of her character and personality before the action and adventure swept the story into a faster pace. Reunited with Adelaide after several years of being disowned by his father, Christopher faces his own dilemmas but the themes of loyalty, family, and forgiveness help him and Adelaide overcome the obstacles in their paths. I easily connected with the characters and felt the danger and excitement as I read. I'm looking forward to the next two books and am *very* appreciative that there won't be a long wait for them!

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

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Don't miss the prequel novella for The Lost Princesses series . . .

Book Two

Releases September 2019


Book Three

Releases October 2019

Book Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway: Chronic Love: Trusting God While Suffering with A Chronic Illness by Brooke Bartz

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for Chronic Love by Brooke Bartz, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

 

ABOUT THE BOOK

 

Title: Chronic Love: Trusting God While Suffering with A Chronic Illness 

Author: Brooke Bartz  

Publisher: Ambassador International 

Release Date: September 1, 2019  

Genre: Christian Living, Health and Wellbeing

Suffering is inescapable in this world. 

Jesus told us we would face perilous trials and that even our bodies would feel the effects of the Fall. For women dealing with chronic illness, most books offer quick-fix counseling or devotional verses taken out of context, helpful only for momentary encouragement.

For true and lasting comfort we must dig deeper into God's Word and the context in which those much-used passages were written.

In Chronic Love, Brooke Bartz reveals a deeply raw and descriptive account of life with a chronic and debilitating illness, and she shares with readers how comfort and strength can be found through the Truth in God's Word.  

Specifically designed for women who daily battle chronic illness, Chronic Love's goal is to provide solid Scriptural encouragement for the fight.
 

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Christianbook

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EXCERPT

He will carry you. He will wrap his invisible wings around you and rock you, put peace over your war, sing over your fragmented heart, and hold you up as you try to slink down and retreat. He will supernaturally do this through the peace that passes all understanding in Christ. He gives answers to questions in such a way we just don’t understand as humans; yet this kind of help He gives protects our heart and mind.“ I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints” Ephesians 1:18 

The pain might still be there, but you will find His peace, courage, and strength as you disclose your many prayers and petitions without any fear or trepidation.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

Brooke Bartz is a stay-at-home wife and mom who lives daily with a chronic disease, knowing firsthand the daunting, gnawing physical and spiritual pain it causes. Yet disease was not always her close companion; in the years before her diagnosis, she grew up playing sports and earned a full scholarship to play volleyball at the University of Mary Hardin Baylor. Not yet a Christian, she transferred colleges and attended an event for an on-campus ministry; as the Lord had planned, she heard the Gospel and He saved her. Soon after and while still in college, she married her childhood crush and began a volleyball coaching career.

Living with rheumatoid arthritis and gastroparesis, Brooke desires for women to know the truth about the God who loves them and is with them each day as they face disease and disability; she shares the Truth of the Bible as their ultimate healing. Brooke’s passion is spurring on the women God leads to her sphere of influence, inspiring their hearts to keep their strength and hope at the foot of the cross, to trust in the Great Shepherd to one day heal them completely in glory, even though for now they are suffering on earth.  

CONNECT WITH BROOKE: Instagram
 

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GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will receive a print copy of Chronic Love, a Chronic Love T-shirt, a Chronic Love coffee mug, a copy of Trusting God Even When Life Hurts by Jerry Bridges and the workbook for Trusting God Even When Life Hurts!

Be sure to check out each stop on these tours for more chances to win. Full tour schedule on this tour shown below. Giveaway begins at midnight September 3, 2019 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on September 10, 2019. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. Due to shipping cost, only US mailing addresses valid. 

For our giveaway rules and policy, click HERE.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE

 

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

 

*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.

Review: My Not So Wicked Boss by Jennifer Peel

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

Synopsis

Love knows no contract.

Aspen Parker's life can be summed up in one word. Unexpected. For instance, she never expected to become a mother at twenty. Her divorce at twenty-one really threw her off. She certainly didn't see losing her promotion at the bank to that weasel Stephen. And she most definitely didn't see Miles Wickham, better known as Taron Taylor--international bestselling author, the man whose words have captivated her--offering her a job to be his nephew's nanny.

But there's a caveat to accepting the position; she must sign a contract agreeing to no romantic entanglements between her and the debonair Brit. Aspen doesn't expect this to be an issue seeing as she's not particularly fond of men. Once again, though, life is not turning out how she expected.

While Aspen and Miles traverse single parenthood together, there's no denying the chemistry between them. She can't figure out how her charming boss knows how to pierce the protective layers of her heart, and it's driving her mad. Mad with desire that is. Miles, too, is finding it hard to resist the reserved beauty who brilliantly takes care of his nephew and him. But with both their tentative hearts on the line, can they risk taking a chance on each other? Which will win? Love or the contract?

My Review

Plenty of emotion, angst, humor, and chemistry in this third book of a series I have thoroughly enjoyed! They don't have to be read in order but I recommend you read them all so you might as well ;) Aspen's life doesn't follow the more traditional paths of her friends, but as much as she regrets her choices, she never regrets her daughter. She loves and sacrifices for her, and I liked the relationship the author showed between the two. The teenager and the toddler play a vital role in the story and in the transformation Miles goes through as he learns new parenting and relationship skills with the support of Aspen. Aspen's friends Emma, Shelby, and Jenna from the previous books make more than cameos and I love how naturally they fit into this story. It's a bumpy road to the happy ending, but I grew to love the characters and the way they bring out the best in each other.

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

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Don't miss the first two books in the My Not So Wicked series . . .

Book Tour & Giveaway: Fatal Memories by Tanya Stowe

About the Book

Series: Love Inspires Suspense  
Genre: Christian, Inspirational, Romance, Suspense  
Publisher: Harlequin  
Publication date: September 1, 2019

She was framed! Or was she? If only she could remember... Border patrol agent Jocelyn Walker has no memory of how she turned up unconscious with a cache of drugs—or why a gang is dead set on killing her. With evidence stacking up against her, Joss takes refuge with driven DEA agent Dylan Murphy, who guards—and suspects— her. But will finally trusting each other lead them into a trap they’ll never escape?

GOODREADS | B&N | AMAZON

About the Author

Tanya Stowe is an author of Christian Fiction with an unexpected edge. She fills her stories with the unusual…mysteries and exotic adventures, even a murder or two. No matter where Tanya takes you…on a trip to foreign lands or a suspenseful journey filled with danger…be prepared for the extraordinary.

FACEBOOK | TWITTER | WEBSITE

Giveaway

Giveaway ends September 7 at 11:59pm MT. Giveaway is subject to policies HERE.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule

September 2 - Heidi Reads… Pause for Tales

September 3 - Remembrancy Jorie Loves A Story Blooming with Books Kat's Corner Books

September 4 - Tell Tale Book Reviews By The Book Edits and Reviews by Leslie

September 5 - Mindy Houng  Hallie Reads Red Headed Book Lady

September 6 - Life Is What It’s Called Reading Is My SuperPower Singing Librarian Books

Review: The Killing Tide by Dani Pettrey

My rating: 3 stars / I liked it

Synopsis

A Corpse That Only Leads to Secrets.
An Old Flame with Danger Written all over Her.
Things Are about to Get Very Complicated.

When one Coast Guard officer is found dead and another goes missing, Coast Guard Investigative Service special agent Finn Walker faces his most dangerous crime yet. His only clues are what little evidence remains aboard the dead officer's boat, and the direction the clues point to will test Finn and the Guard to their limits.

The already volatile situation is complicated even further by the arrival of Gabby Rowley--Finn's boss's sister and an investigative reporter with unrelenting questions about the crime. Now that she's returned, the tug on Finn's heart is strong, but with the risks she's taking for her next big story, he fears she might not live through it.

Thrown together by the heinous crime, Finn and Gabby can't ignore the sparks or judgments flying between them. But will they be able to see past their preconceptions long enough to track down an elusive killer, or will they become his next mark?

My Review

There's plenty of action and suspense in this quick-paced novel that introduces us to a new team of agents, their friends and family. Gabby has a tough shell and is 100% devoted to her job and identity as an investigative reporter- and the risk to her life seems like an afterthought. I was surprised at how cavalier her attitude is about the safety of herself and others, but perhaps that's just her defense mechanism. She and Finn have had a relationship in the past but she left him behind to pursue a new job opportunity in another city. So in this book the chemistry and angst is already present in their interactions. Part of the story is told from Rissi's point of view as well, and I'm hoping the next book features her as the main character. She is the youngest member of the CGI team as well as the only female, and she also competes in various water sports competitions during the story with Gabby's brother Noah and Travis, another agent. The different loose threads and angles they are each investigating in the beginning tighten up as the plot progresses and the reading was full of tension as it drew closer to the climax. A great one for suspense fans!

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

Book Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway: Mind of Mine by C.F.E. Black #MOMPrism

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

Mind of Mine
By C. F. E. Black
Young Adult SciFi
Paperback & ebook, 302 Pages
August 7th 2019 by Illuminate YA

Raised to put science over self, V must link her brain with fifteen other people, making her one of the world’s smartest humans. With this privilege comes a life dedicated to continual research inside a secluded facility, a life devoid of freedom.

But V is losing her identity and unable to predict which face will peer back at her from the nearest mirror. Escaping this life will mean freedom to think for herself—and abandoning everything and everyone she’s known and loved.

When your thoughts and speech are no longer private, freedom comes at a price. But for V the price may be her life.

(Affiliate links included.)

Goodreads│Amazon│Barnes & Noble│Book Depository

Excerpt

My fingertips tingle, as always, at the end of the mental exchange. The syringe-like cable extracts itself from my neck, leaving a sharp itch for just a moment. When the metal hood slides back, exposing my shaved head, the chill of the streaming room nips at my skull. I rub the back of my neck before sitting up, my fingers brushing the smooth scars that mark the sensors behind my ears. With a groan, I lurch my chest upward, reeling with the memories that have just been dumped into my mind.

In the greenish light, I see the others in the room also start to reenter the here and now. Marcus is still down, his chest convulsing. From across the circle of reclining chairs, the sound of vomit sucking into a chute proves that I’m not the only one who still struggles with this exchange. Prudentia, stone-faced and beautiful, is already standing. She’s borderline machine, that one.

As I stand, I try to ignore the spinning in my head. Pru eyes me gripping the side of my chair for support. Marcus is rising, his arms boasting grooves and bulges as he pushes himself up. He sees me staring, and for just a moment longer, I wait to look away.

All sixteen of us are standing now. Dr. Yamaguchi says in her hypnotic voice, “To whom much is given—”

As one, we say, “—much is expected.”

About the Author

If you're a teen, I work for you.
I write for you. I teach for you.

Seven days a week I seek to shine light into the world-darkened lives of young people, whether it be in a high school Spanish class, a youth group Sunday school class, or a coffee shop with my computer writing my next book.

I want my writing to be a bright spot on a dark shelf, a source of truth among many lies. You guys deserve books like this.

I live in north Alabama with my son, two droopy hound dogs, a cat named Sprinkles, and my superhero husband. No, really, he saved my life once. It’s a cool story.

If you want to know more about me, my writing, or my escapades as a teacher, please visit my blog.

Mind of Mine is my first novel.

Website│Goodreads│Facebook│Twitter│Pinterest│Instagram

Tour Schedule

Tour Giveaway

1 winner will receive a print copy of MIND OF MINE and a $25 Amazon gift card

US only

Ends September 4, 2019

a Rafflecopter giveaway