Review Snippet: Worth the Wait by Karen Witemeyer

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

Synopsis

Benjamin Porter is one of only two men allowed inside the women's colony of Harper's Station, Texas. A freighter by trade, he works closely with local shopkeeper, Victoria Adams, to transport the colony's goods to market. But it is more than profit that keeps him coming back. He's fallen hard for the shopkeeper and her son. Tori is brave, beautiful, and a savvy entrepreneur--the ideal partner not only for his business but for his life. Too bad she's under the impression that a man, any man, is the last thing she needs.

Despite Ben's consistent kindness, Tori continues to hold him at a distance. His towering height and muscular frame, while attractive, are also dangerous. And she's faced dangerous men in the past and vowed never again.

After Ben convinces Tori to partner with him in a new venture, delivering goods to area farms and ranches, he finally has a chance to woo her in earnest. But when an accident derails his plans, what once was a chance at love may be lost forever.

My Review

I loved revisiting Harper's Station and seeing how Tori finally lets her guard down enough to trust Ben. I admired his patience and gentleness, and also that he stood his ground and provided stability and protection. Tori definitely has her reasons to mistrust men, but it took a special person to help her see that releasing the feelings she has been hiding from will bring her freedom from her past and peace in trusting God. This novella is just what I needed to tide me over until Heart on the Line releases! (It also includes a sneak peek at the first few chapters on Heart on the Line which promises to be a wonderful and exciting book!)

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

Don't miss No Other Will Do, the first book in the Ladies of Harper's Station series!

Check out my 5 star review here!

Synopsis

Men are optional. That's the credo Emma Chandler's suffragette aunts preached and why she started a successful women's colony in Harper's Station, Texas. But when an unknown assailant tries repeatedly to drive them out, Emma admits they might need a man after all. A man who can fight--and she knows just the one.

Malachi Shaw finally earned the respect he craved by becoming an explosives expert for the railroad. Yet when Emma's plea arrives, he bolts to Harper's Station to repay the girl who once saved his life. Only she's not a girl any longer. She's a woman with a mind of her own and a smile that makes a man imagine a future he doesn't deserve.

As the danger intensifies, old feelings grow and deepen, but Emma and Mal will need more than love to survive.

The next book in the Ladies of Harper Station series, Heart on the Line, will release June 6, 2017 and is available for pre-order!

Synopsis

Grace Mallory is tired of running, of hiding. But when an old friend sends an after-hours telegraph transmission warning Grace that the man who has hunted her for nearly a year has discovered her location, she fears she has no choice. She can't let the villain she believes responsible for her father's death release his wrath in Harper's Station, the town that has sheltered her and blessed her with the dearest friends she's ever known.
Amos Bledsoe prefers bicycles to horses and private conversations over the telegraph wire to social gatherings with young ladies who see him as nothing more than an oddity. His telegraph companion, the mysterious Miss G, listens eagerly to his ramblings every night and delights him with tales all her own. For months, their friendship--dare he believe, courtship?--has fed his hope that he has finally found the woman God intended for him. Yet when he takes the next step to meet her in person, he discovers her life is in peril, and Amos must decide if he can shed the cocoon of his quiet nature to become the hero Grace requires.

Release Week Special for Still Life by Dani Pettrey!

Go to Dani Pettrey's website to check out the exclusive bonus content for everyone who purchases STILL LIFE during release week (1/31-2/7), and anyone who pre-ordered it as well!

Synopsis

Work hits too close to home for crime scene photographer Avery Tate when her best friend disappears. The only lead is a chilling photo of her--apparently dead. As Avery, her boss Parker, and his friends dig into the case, she's forced to confront her feelings for Parker when they come face-to-face with a dangerous criminal.

Review: Never Forget by Jody Hedlund

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

Synopsis

Rose Island Lighthouse, Rhode Island
June 1880

Will she betray his trust to stay on the island she loves?

Abbie Watson is content to spend her days clamming, crabbing, and tending Rose Island Lighthouse. Her grandpa is the head light keeper, but his senility may lead to their eviction. Since leaving the island would kill her beloved Gramps, Abbie will do anything to keep him in the one place he knows and loves.

Wealthy Nathaniel Winthrop III’s wild living has gained him a reputation as the ‘bad boy’ among the elite social circles of Newport. After a blow to the head in a yachting accident washes him up on Rose Island, Nathaniel has no memories of his past.

Abbie tends the wounded stranger in her home only to realize he assumes they’re married. Although she knows she needs to correct Nathaniel’s mistake, his presence calms Gramps and provides a way to prevent eviction from the lighthouse.

The longer the charade continues, the harder it gets for Abbie to tell Nathaniel the truth, more so as she begins to fall in love. Everyone she’s ever loved has abandoned her. Will Nathaniel leave her too, once he discovers he’s not really her husband?

My Review

Boy, does this story give its characters quite a dilemma! I was initially disappointed in Abbie's choice to deceive Nathaniel, and was surprised that she easily dismissed any concern for his family. However as she got to know Nathaniel she started exhibiting more feelings of conflict over her decision and taking his happiness into consideration. I admired Nathaniel's thoughtful insights and determination to use his second chance at life to become a better man. He developed a relationship with Abbie's Gramps and treated him compassionately, which spoke to his true character. There was strong romantic chemistry between Abbie and Nathaniel; he appreciated Abbie's strength and inner beauty, while Abbie realized that the goodness and kindness of Nathaniel showed how different he was from her former husband. The threats from a rival lightkeeper and a looming deadline kept the tension high as Abbie is desperate to find a way to prove that she can manage the lighthouse so she can keep Gramps on the island, all the while dreading the day she would have to reveal the truth to Nathaniel. Some of the twists kept me guessing how the story would end, but don't worry, this amazing series dedicated to female lighthouse keepers ends with a happily ever after in its final book.

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

Review & Giveaway: Petticoat Spy by Carol Warburton

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

Synopsis

Colonial Massachusetts, 1775

Abigail Stowell is a rarity for her time. The comely young woman is educated, outspoken, and attuned to the charged political climate around her. She is a staunch Patriot. In short, she is a rebel. So when Gideon Whitlock, an avowed Tory, rides into her village, Abby is not only put off by his politics and arrogance but is also annoyed by her undeniable attraction to him.

When she observes a clandestine meeting between her Patriot father and Gideon, Abby soon realizes that in a world divided by loyalties, not everything is as it seems. Soon she is drawn deeper into political intrigue than she ever dreamed possible. And just as feelings begin to heat up between Abby and Gideon, the shot heard round the world ignites the beginning of war between the colonists and the British redcoats. There is no time for hesitation, and Abby finds herself thrust into a world of intrigue, treachery, and terror. Lives hang in the balance, and Abby will stop at nothing to support the Patriot movement—but will her allegiance to the cause mean losing the man she loves?

My Review

Whenever I read a good book set in Colonial times it makes me feel patriotic and humbled by the men and women who lived during such a turbulent and important era, participating in the formation of our country and fighting for liberty. Petticoat Spy has a strong heroine who is passionate for the cause, and learning to balance speaking out for her convictions with maintaining a ladylike demeanor and schooling her mind to bring honor to her family name. Although Abby has an impetuous nature, she is intelligent and grows throughout the story from her experiences. I liked Gideon from the start and how he admires Abby even when she is at odds with him. There is a suspenseful tension as the danger increases, yet the author weaves in a sweet romance between the two patriots, however inopportune the circumstances. I really loved the historical details that enhanced the setting and gave me a feeling of being there with the characters. Highly recommend to fans of historical fiction and those who enjoyed the books of Amber Lynn Perry and Ann Rinaldi!

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

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Jan. 23rd
My Book a Day

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Jan. 24th
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Jan. 25th
I Love to Read and Review Books
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Jan. 26th
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Getting Your Read On 
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Pre-order Perfectly Imperfect by Annette Lyon!

Only 99 cents to pre-order this sweet romantic novella by Annette Lyon!

Synopsis

From USA Today bestselling author Annette Lyon comes a captivating historical novella. In 1905 Shelley, Idaho, Della Stafford hates being a farm girl in a tiny town. She’ll do anything to live in a big city and experience real city life. Her only regret is that leaving town also means leaving Joseph behind, the young man who makes her heart flutter. But she's convinced that moving away is for the best; her dreams and Joseph's dreams are too dissimilar. So Della takes a job as a maid in Los Angeles, where she learns that what she thought would make her happy and what really will are totally different things.

PERFECTLY IMPERFECT originally appeared in the best-selling and award-winning Timeless Romance Anthology series's OLD WEST collection, under the title A SWEETEST TASTE.

Can't Wait Wednesday: A Stranger at Fellsworth by Sarah E. Ladd

I'm looking forward to Sarah E. Ladd's upcoming book, A Stranger at Fellsworth, releasing in May of this year!

Synopsis

Could losing everything be the best thing to happen to Annabelle Thorley?

In the fallout of her deceased father’s financial ruin, Annabelle’s prospects are looking bleak. Her fiancé has called off their betrothal, and now she remains at the mercy of her controlling and often cruel brother. Annabelle soon faces the fact that her only hope for a better life is to do the unthinkable and run away to Fellsworth, the home of her long-estranged aunt and uncle, where a teaching position awaits her. Working for a wage for the first time in her life forces Annabelle to adapt to often unpleasant situations as friendships and roles she’s taken for granted are called into question.

Owen Locke is unswerving in his commitments. As a widower and father, he is fiercely protective of his only daughter. As an industrious gamekeeper, he is intent on keeping poachers at bay even though his ambition has always been to eventually purchase land that he can call his own. When a chance encounter introduces him to the lovely Annabelle Thorley, his steady life is shaken. For the first time since his wife’s tragic death, Owen begins to dream of a second chance at love.

As Owen and Annabelle grow closer, ominous forces threaten the peace they thought they’d found. Poachers, mysterious strangers, and murderers converge at Fellsworth, forcing Annabelle and Owen to a test of fortitude and bravery to stop the shadow of the past from ruining their hopes for the future.

Review: A Moonbow Night by Laura Frantz

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

Synopsis

After fleeing Virginia, Temperance Tucker and her family established an inn along the Shawnee River. It's a welcome way station for settlers and frontiersmen traveling through the wild Cumberland region of Kentucke--men like Sion Morgan, a Virginia surveyor who arrives at the inn with his crew looking for an experienced guide. When his guide appears, Sion balks. He certainly didn't expect a woman. But it is not long before he must admit that Tempe's skill in the wilderness rivals his own. Still, the tenuous tie they are forming is put to the test as they encounter danger after danger and must rely on each other.
 
With her signature sweeping style and ability to bring the distant past to vivid life, Laura Frantz beckons readers to join her in a land of Indian ambushes, conflicting loyalties, and a tentative love that meanders like a cool mountain stream.

My Review

What an amazing reading experience! I was completely transported to the historical setting and the story which never felt rushed, but never felt slow either. Since my parents took my sisters and I camping and backpacking often, I've loved the outdoors and exploring the mountains. The descriptions of the wilderness and how Sion and the surveying team worked to establish accurate maps and guides was fascinating. I loved that Tempe was an explorer of the country too, and that she appreciated the little wondrous details of nature. The author did a great job of depicting the grim realities of the harsh frontier, including violent encounters with Native Americans, without being disturbingly graphic. Tempe and Sion are both weighed down by grief that hasn't passed by, but their developing relationship begins the healing process, and amidst the chaos of warring Indians on the move and the unforgiving wilderness, there is an undercurrent of peace and blossoming romance. The personalities of Tempe's family and Sion's team are vividly portrayed and provide opportunities for conflict, growth, and compassion. Highly recommend!!!

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

Review: In Tune With Love by Amy Matayo

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

Synopsis

April is willing to do anything for her sister’s wedding—until she comes face to face with a guy from her past.

April Quinn is thrilled to be her sister’s maid of honor, until the wedding coordinator quits and the responsibilities get dumped on her. It’s April’s worst nightmare—especially since her sister has more objections and opinions than a lawyer presenting a high-profile court case. When the wedding singer walks out at the last-minute, her sister hires a replacement. When April finds out who the replacement is, she’s ready to call it quits as well.
Because there’s only one person in April’s past that she never wanted to see again, and her sister just handed him a front row seat to the wedding.

Jack Vaughn finally has the career he’s always wanted. After playing in bars and singing in weddings as a struggling musician for half a decade, he’s just released his second album and sales are skyrocketing. But while visiting his parent’s Nashville home the weekend before his first headline tour, he runs into an old friend. When she asks him for a last-minute favor, he can’t bring himself to say no. Even though saying yes means he has to come face to face with April Quinn—the girl who hasn’t spoken to him in years.

And rightly so, since he stole something from her that he’ll never be able to repay.

My Review

I love this author's style of writing! I was immersed right in April's drama with her bridezilla sister (I would not have lasted as long as she did!) and the disappointments with her music career. Jack's attempts to make things right with their past were lame at first and I was glad she gave him what-for. Their chemistry was sizzling though and throughout the ups and downs of learning to trust each other and their own feelings, they develop a sincere friendship and relationship. A fun novella with just the right amount of angst and romance!

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