- A Kindle Fire
- Rumspringa's Hope by Beth Shriver
Monday, June 9, 2014
Kindle Giveaway from Beth Shriver to celebrate RUMSPRINGA’S HOPE
Saturday, June 7, 2014
Free e-book! Prize of My Heart by Lisa Norato
Download Prize of My Heart by Lisa Norato for free on e-book!
(E-book deal is for a limited time, so check the price before ordering)
Massachusetts, 1815.
Will His Love Endure Once He Learns Her Secret?
Three years ago, Captain Brogan Talvis's late wife abandoned their son, leaving no clue as to the boy's whereabouts. After searching relentlessly, Brogan discovers his son was adopted by a New England shipbuilder. And the man's daughter, Lorena Huntley, acts as loving guardian to the child.
Lorena, who hides a dark truth, finds herself falling for the handsome captain and ex-privateer who's come to secure ownership of one of her father's ships. She's unaware of Brogan's own secret when another's deceit has her sailing toward Europe against her will.
Haunted by thoughts of Lorena in peril, Brogan is compelled to choose between the boy he longs for and the woman who has captured his heart.
Free e-book! Bellflower by Amber Stokes
Download Bellflower by Amber Stokes for free! It includes two short stories from her series The Heart's Spring.
(E-book deal is for a limited time, so check the price before ordering)
BELLFLOWER: Short Story Prequel to Forget Me Not
Spring 1880
Annabelle knows only one way of life. Jacob knows only one way to feel secure. When their paths cross in a Western mining town, can they find a way for love to bloom? Discover the story behind two hurting hearts in this short but sweet retelling of Beauty and the Beast.
FAIRY SLIPPERS: Bonus Short Story Companion to Bleeding Heart
Spring 1888
Margaret is fragile. Zachary is tough. Both are lonely. Will a dance in a redwood lumber town bring them together - or drive them apart forever? Discover the continuing story of the cook from Bleeding Heart in this short but sweet retelling of Cinderella.
Thursday, June 5, 2014
Two e-books on sale for $1.99 each from Jody Hedlund's Michigan Brides series
Download Unending Devotion and A Noble Groom by Jody Hedlund for only $1.99 each!
(E-book deal is for a limited time, so check the price before ordering)
(E-book deal is for a limited time, so check the price before ordering)
Michigan, 1883
In Her Darkest Hours, Is He the Man She Needs?
Lily Young longs to find her lost sister or will die trying. Heedless of any danger, she searches logging camps and towns, posing as a photographer's assistant. And then she arrives in Harrison, Michigan--and the sights of Connell McCormick.
Connell is determined to increase the fortune of his lumber-baron father and figures as long as he's living an upright life, that's what matters. But when Lily arrives in town she upends his world, forcing him to confront the truth that dangerous men have gained too much power while good men turn a blind eye.
Vexing but persuasive, Lily soon secures Connell's help, drawing them ever closer to each other. Will standing for what's right cost them both everything?
Synopsis
Recently widowed Annalisa Werner has the feeling her husband was murdered but can't prove it. Alone with her young daughter in 1881 Michigan, she has six months left to finish raising the money needed to pay back the land contract her husband purchased, and the land is difficult to toil by herself. She needs a husband. With unmarried men scarce, her father sends a letter to his brother in the Old Country, asking him to find Annalisa a groom.
For nobleman Carl von Reichert, the blade of the guillotine is his fate. He's been accused and convicted of a serious crime he didn't commit, and his only escape is to flee to a small German community in Michigan where he'll be safe. He secures a job on Annalisa's farm but bumbles through learning about farming and manual labor.
Annalisa senses that Karl is harboring a secret about his past, yet she finds herself drawn to him anyway. He's gentle, kind, and romantic--unlike any of the men she's ever known. He begins to restore her faith in the ability to love--but her true groom is still on his way. And time is running out on them all.
E-book sale TODAY ONLY: Tide and Tempest by Elizabeth Ludwig
Today only, download Tide and Tempest by Elizabeth Ludwig for only $1.99! (Even though it is book three in a series, it can be read as a stand alone).
(E-book deal is for a limited time, so check the price before ordering)
Two years ago, her fiance perished
during their voyage to America.
Now she discovers it may have been murder...
Dreaming of a better life, Tillie McGrath leaves Ireland behind and, with her beloved fiance by her side, sets sail for America. But when illness robs her of the man she holds dear, she's left alone with only a handful of tattered memories. While forging on proves difficult, Tillie soon finds some new friends at her New York boardinghouse, and begins pursuing a new dream--to open a home for orphaned children.
Despite two years passing, Captain Keondric Morgan has never forgotten the lass who left his ship so heartbroken. When a crewman's deathbed confession reveals her fiance's demise was the result of murder, the captain knows he must try to contact her. But his attention draws the notice of others as well--dangerous men who believe Tillie has in her possession something that could expose their crimes. And to their way of thinking, the best way to prevent such an outcome is to seize the evidence and then hand Tillie the same fate as her naïve fiance.
Review: Full Steam Ahead by Karen Witemeyer
My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing
When Nicole Renard returns home to Galveston from an eastern finishing school, she's stunned to find her father in ill health. Though she loves him, he's only ever focused on what she's "not." Not male. Not married. Not able to run their family business, Renard Shipping.
Vowing to secure a suitable marriage partner, Nicole sets out with the Renard family's greatest treasure: a dagger personally gifted to Nicole's father by the pirate Jean Lafitte. Many believe the legend that the dagger is the source of all Renard Shipping's good fortune, though Nicole is sure her father's work ethic and honorable business practices are the keys to their success. Before she can board the steamer to New Orleans, Nicole finds her father's rivals—the Jenkins brothers—on either side of the gangplank, ready to grab her and steal the dagger. Quickly, she decides to instead travel north, to Liberty, Texas, where she can decide what to do next.
Darius Thornton needs a secretary—someone to help him get his notes in order. Ever since the boiler explosion aboard the "Louisiana," Darius has been a man obsessed. He will do anything to stop even one more steamship disaster. The pretty young socialite who applies for the job baffles him with her knowledge of mathematics and steamships. He decides to take a risk and hire her, but he's determined her attractive face and fancy clothes won't distract him from his important research.
The job offer comes at exactly the right time for Nicole. With what Darius is paying her, she'll be able to afford passage to New Orleans in mere weeks. But Mr. Thornton is so reclusive, so distant, so unusual. He can create complex scientific equations but can't remember to comb his hair. And his experiments are growing more and more dangerous. Still, there are undeniable sparks of attraction between them. But Nicole is leaving soon, and if she marries, it must be to a man who can manage a shipping empire. Darius certainly doesn't fit that description. And the Jenkins brothers have not given up on kidnapping Nicole and seizing the Lafitte dagger for themselves.
My Review
Karen Witemeyer never fails to fully engage me in her stories! The setting for Full Steam Ahead has a different vibe than her previous westerns, since much of the storyline involves steamboats and the shipping industry. The pirate connection made it feel slightly more exotic, especially as we see the influence on Nicole as some special... talents are revealed. From reading the book description I was worried that I wouldn't care for the "socialite" since I prefer down-to-earth characters, and I was pleasantly surprised! She is definitely not your average spoiled daughter. From her aptitude with math to her tenacity, grit, and compassion, she is a wonderful heroine. Even her flaws are endearing as her overconfidence and self-sacrifice land her in some sticky situations.
Darius Thornton is a complex character, and because of his name and obsessive work habit I came to visualize him as Richard Armitage from BBC's North and South (even though their hair color doesn't match). It's fascinating to me that characters I read about can have such vivid personalities, but their appearance is more ambiguous and vague. So it was a bit of a change for me to have such a specific image of Darius in my mind! The story is just as much Darius' as it is Nicole's, and begins with the tragic accident that spurs his all-consuming work with the dangerous steam engine experiments. That element of risk and passion is very compelling, and the chemistry between Darius and Nicole is explosive (check out my puns!)
Both Darius and Nicole help each other on a spiritual journey to learn that we can't redeem ourselves from our failures, but by surrendering to God and relying on His guidance, He will direct our paths for good.
(A copy of the book was provided by the author for unbiased review)
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
Free e-book! Safe by the Marshal's Side by Shirlee McCoy
I have to admit that I enjoy reading the Love Inspired books! They are sweet, quick reads that provide a nice escape for a few hours. The Love Inspired Suspense line provides more excitement and drama, and I've read several that I rated 4 stars. Download Safe by the Marshal's Side by Shirlee McCoy for FREE!
(E-book deal is for a limited time, so check the price before ordering)
HER LIFE IS ON THE LINE
For a year, U.S. Marshal Hunter Davis has protected witness Annie Delacorte and her toddler daughter. But now, someone is determined to stop Annie from testifying against the men who killed her husband. To guard Annie, by-the-book Hunter will have to break a promise to himself: to not get emotionally involved. After all, he already cares more deeply than he ever imagined for the sweet family of two- a family he'll do anything to keep safe and sound by his side.
E-book sale! $1.99 for Sixteen Brides by Stephanie Grace Whitson
Download Sixteen Brides by Stephanie Grace Whitson for only $1.99! I enjoyed this book and gave it 4 stars!
(E-book deal is for a limited time, so check the price before ordering)
Sixteen Civil War widows living in St. Louis respond to a series of meetings conducted by a land speculator who lures them west by promising "prime homesteads" in a "booming community." Unbeknownst to them, the speculator's true motive is to find an excuse to bring women to the fledging community of Plum Grove, Nebraska, in hopes they will accept marriage proposals shortly after their arrival!
Sparks fly when these unsuspecting widows meet the men who are waiting for them. These women are going to need all the courage and faith they can muster to survive these unwanted circumstances--especially when they begin to discover that none of them is exactly who she appears to be.
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
Top ten books that will be in my beach bag this summer...
My goal this summer is to make it to the beach twice a week... which means plenty of reading time in the sun! Here are ten books that will definitely be in my beach bag... What are you planning to read this summer??
Monday, June 2, 2014
Review: Vow Unbroken by Caryl McAdoo
My rating: 2 stars / it was okay
A spunky young widow hires a farmhand with a bad reputation to help her get her cotton to Jefferson to meet the wagon train, and sparks fly—but can she love a man who doesn’t love the Lord?
Susannah Abbot Baylor reluctantly hires Henry Buckmeyer to help her along the Jefferson Trace, the hard stretch of land between her Texas farm and the cotton market, where she is determined to get a fair price for her crop. It’s been a rough year, and she’s in danger of losing the land her husband left to her and the children, but she’ll need help getting both of her wagons to Jefferson safely. She knows Henry’s reputation as a layabout and is prepared for his insolence, but she is not expecting his irresistible good looks or his gentle manner. Soon they are entwined in a romantic relationship that only gets more complicated when Susannah learns that Henry doesn’t know God the way she does. Dangers arise on the road—but none as difficult as the trial her heart is going through.
Will Susannah and Henry’s love overcome their differences? And will she get her crop safely to the cotton market with enough money to save the farm? In this heartening and adventurous tale, a young woman’s fortitude, faith, and heart are put to the ultimate test.
My Review
I thought I would enjoy this book more than I did. The premise sounded interesting- two strong characters on an adventure... but something was off for me. I didn't care for the writing style- it didn't give me a good visual in my head of the setting, and there were long passages of dialogue interchange where I would lose track of who was saying what. The main character Susannah was prickly and judgemental of Henry, even after her prejudices and first impressions were proven false. Her thoughts often contradicted with her words and actions, which gave a hypocritical vibe, like when she was griping about taking a rest and meal at the home of a family Henry knew, but even after befriending the wife, she didn't admit that it was a positive choice. I guess her prideful personality just rubbed me the wrong way.
(ARC provided via Netgalley for unbiased review)
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