Review: The Rancher's Texas Match by Brenda Minton

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

Synopsis

A Rancher's Mission

As a volunteer at the Lone Star Cowboy League Boys Ranch, Tanner Barstow helps the troubled young residents turn their lives around. When a local rancher dies and leaves his large property to the boys ranch, Tanner finds himself spending a lot of time with Macy Swanson, whose orphaned nephew, Colby, lives at the ranch. Tanner's attracted to the newcomer, but she doesn't fit his plans. Macy longs to have Colby come home with her, but the former city girl worries she won't be the mother he deserves. Can Tanner help her see that the future she and Colby need is right here—with him?

My Review

I loved the setting of a ranch where boys get the chance to learn how to cope with their trauma and heal. Macy and Colby are working toward reunification, and Tanner becoming more involved in their lives is a catalyst to help them move forward. It's heartbreaking that children go through such tough situations, and I'm thankful to the people who work in the industries that help them. Since this is the first book in the series, we are introduced to various characters at the ranch and in the community that will be featured in the following books. The subplot of suspicious trouble making which is blamed on the boys at the ranch by the local cantankerous lawyer isn't resolved but seems that it will be an overarching plot connecting the books. The healing and faith that Macy and Colby experience brought depth and sweetness to the story and I enjoyed their happily ever after.

Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided from a tour group, publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, OR borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR purchased. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.

Check out the other books in the Lone Star Cowboy League series . . .

Review: Healing the Cowboy's Heart by Ruth Logan Herne

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

Synopsis

A perfect match...or sworn enemies?
Only time will tell at Shepherd's Crossing.

Horse breeder Isaiah Woods can't believe his only ally in helping a neglected mare is the descendant of his family's bitter enemy--veterinarian Charlotte Fitzgerald. Despite the feud, Charlotte risks everything to save the horse. But as she falls for Isaiah--and the orphaned niece and nephew in his care--the mare isn't the only one who needs saving.

My Review

Isaiah and Charlotte have amazing chemistry which bumped my rating to five stars! I felt connected with their emotions, and loved their journey as their relationship progressed in the midst of familial and community strife. The themes of grief, redemption, and forgiveness are strongly portrayed in the lives of the characters. It was interesting to learn about equine care with Charlotte's occupation as a mobile vet, and the horses they rescue. Isaiah's Native American heritage also provided details that brought depth to the story. Great setting, great characters, great plot. Loved it!

Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided from a tour group, publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, OR borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR purchased. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.

Check out the other books in the Shepherd's Crossing series . . .

Review: An Amish Proposal for Christmas by Vannetta Chapman

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

Synopsis

Her deepest Christmas wish will bring more than she imagined… in this novel by USA TODAY bestselling author Vannetta Chapman.

The only way she’ll find home is by leaving it…

The one thing Becca Yoder loves more than Christmas is her dream of leaving her Amish community and traveling the world. Becca has her father’s reluctant permission to leave—if she trains Gideon Fisher to run the family’s enormous outdoor market. But Gideon is homesick for Texas. Can Becca make him fall in love with her hometown…without falling for the handsome bachelor herself?

My Review

This was a fun story with grumpy Gideon feeling like a fish out of water in a new state with a new job. I didn’t expect him to struggle as much as he did, and Becca is in limbo with her plans for adventure and travel depending on Gideon’s decision to stay or go back to Texas. The large Amish market is a great setting, and really kept them busy. I loved the way Gos worked on their hearts to reevaluate and give things a chance, opening the door for friendship and more. The sweet romance has some bumpy roads as Becca feels conflicted over her dreams and her love of home and family. We get to know all the sisters in Becca’s family with their unique personalities; this was a great introduction to them and I’m looking forward to reading more in the series!

Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided from a tour group, publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, OR borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR purchased. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.

Review: The Bachelor and the Bride by Sarah M. Eden

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

Synopsis

London, 1866

Dr. Barnabus Milligan has always felt called to help people, whether that means setting a broken bone or rescuing the impoverished women of London from their desperate lives on the streets as part of his work with the Dread Penny Society.

Three years ago, he helped rescue Gemma Kincaid by secretly marrying her to protect her from her family of notorious grave robbers.

But six months after Gemma and Barnabus exchanged vows, she realized her love for her new husband was unrequited. To protect her heart, she left, telling Barnabus to contact her if his feelings for her ever grew beyond a sense of duty.

When Barnabus sends a letter to Gemma inviting her to return home, she hopes to find a true connection between them. But unfortunately, he only wants her help to foil the Kincaids, who have been terrorizing the boroughs of London, eager to gain both money and power.

Heartbroken, Gemma agrees to help, but she warns Barnabus that she will not stay for long, and once she goes, he'll never see her again.

Yet as the couple follows the clues that seem to connect the Kincaids to the Mastiff, the leader of London's criminal network, Gemma and Barnabus realize they might make a better match than either of them suspected. Perhaps the marriage that had once saved Gemma's life might now save Barnabus—and his lonely heart.

But before the once-confirmed bachelor can properly court his secret bride, they'll need to evade the dangerous forces that are drawing ever closer to the hopeful lovers and the entire Dread Penny Society itself.

My Review

Another exciting installment in the Dread Penny Society! I love how the women in their lives are becoming increasingly involved in helping, and they are looking for a way for them to officially serve, perhaps in a sister organization. Gemma and Barnabus have a complex relationship, yet it is simple enough- Gemma loves Barnabus, but won't stay with him unless he truly wants her as well. He is so focused on his career as a doctor that there is no room in his heart, or so he thinks. It takes some help for him to properly recognize and identify the feelings he has when Gemma is around, and though these two have a rocky road, especially with communication, the investigation into Gemma's family draws them closer together than ever before. The plot is intricately woven and Barnabus and the other members of the Dread Penny Society have difficulty staying one step ahead of the criminal network. There's a bit of a teaser and reveal leading into the next book and I'm so excited for it! Like the other books in the series, there is a penny novel woven into the chapters, yet I have a difficult time being drawn into those stories so I tend to skim or skip them, focusing instead on the main plot of the book.

Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided from a tour group, publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, OR borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR purchased. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.

 

Don't miss the previous books in The Dread Penny Society series . . .

 

 

 

Blog + Review Tour for The Dark Guest by Sarah Hamaker

 

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for The Dark Guest by Sarah Hamaker, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

 

ABOUT THE BOOK

 

Title: The Dark Guest 

Series: The Cold War Legacy #1 

Author: Sarah Hamaker 

Publisher: Seshva Press LLC 

Release Date: May 15, 2022 

Genre: Christian, Romantic Suspense 

The Cold War is over, but The Wolf is still at the door. 

When Violet Lundy isn’t cleaning rooms at Happy Hills Assisted Living Facility, she loves spending her free time with resident Rainer Kopecek. Hearing his stories of the dangerous life he led behind the Iron Curtain in East Berlin makes her own life seem more tolerable. But when Rainer is found dead and his room in disarray, Violet suspects foul play. 

Dr. Henry Silverton lives among his books, teaching and writing about the Cold War. A letter about an East German traitor known only as “The Wolf” propels Henry out of academia and into Violet’s life. Together, they embark on a perilous quest to uncover the truth about Rainer’s death and the traitor’s identity. 

Can Violet and Henry uncover the secrets of the past before one of them ends up as The Wolf’s next victim?

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookDepository | IndieBound

 

EXCERPT

“You have date tonight?” Rainer Kopecek smiled from his seat by the window, which overlooked the manicured lawn of the Happy Hill Assisted Living Facility.

Violet Lundy returned the old German’s smile as she removed the pillows from his bed. “Only if you’re available.”

He cackled with glee. “If I were only—”

“Forty years younger.” she finished his sentence before stripping the bed and tossing the sheets into her cart. “I don’t mind being alone.”

“Ah, you are much too young to give up on love. Too pretty as well.”

“You sound like a matchmaker.” She snapped a fresh sheet on the twin bed, then sprinkled a little lavender on it to help cover the strong disinfectant odor that permeated all the laundry. Of all the residents at the facility, she liked Mr. Kopecek best because of his optimism.

“Nothing wrong with that.” He waggled a gnarled finger. “I would like you settled before I meet my Maker.”

“I thought you were going to live as long as Methuselah.” She chuckled. “So I have plenty of time.”

He shrugged his shoulders. “Life, it can be cut short. You should not wait too long to find someone.”

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

Sarah Hamaker loves writing books “where the hero and heroine fall in love while running for their lives.” She’s written romantic suspense novels and nonfiction books, as well as stories in Chicken Soup for the Soul volumes. As a writers coach, her heart is encouraging writers. She’s a member of ACFW; ACFW Virginia Chapter; and Faith, Hope and Love, as well as the president of Capital Christian Writers Fellowship. Her podcast, “The Romantic Side of Suspense,” can be found wherever you listen to podcasts. Sarah lives in Virginia with her husband, four teenagers, a preschool foster child and three cats.

Connect with Sarah by visiting sarahhamakerfiction.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

 

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TOUR GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will receive a copy of The Dark Guest (print or ebook, winner's choice), a 20 oz Wolf Tumbler-Stainless Steel Travel Mug With Lid And Straw, a Wolf Wristlet Keychain, an assortment of specialty teas, a The Dark Guest tote, and The Dark Guest notebook.

(1) additional winner will receive an ebook copy of The Dark Guest, a Wolf Wristlet Keychain, an 

assortment of specialty teas, and The Dark Guest notebook.

 

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight October 11, 2022 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on October 18, 2022. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE

 

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

 

Blog Tour, Guest Post & Giveaway: Bentonsport - A Christmas Story by Lisa Schnedler

 

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Bentonsport - A Christmas Story by Lisa Schnedler, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

 

ABOUT THE BOOK

 

Title: Bentonsport - A Christmas Story 

Series: Bentonsport #1 

Author: Lisa Schnedler 

Publisher: Scrivenings Press 

Release Date: September 27, 2022 

Genre: Clean Romance/Christmas/Time Travel

What if you found the love of your life right in your hometown—in another century? Bentonsport—two different eras in one special town, two lonely persons, and one miraculous Christmas...

For Bentonsport Academy Headmaster Thomas Barton, Christmas emphasizes his loneliness. He has given up hope of discovering a woman to share his heart and life and plans to return to his hometown for the holidays. But when his friend’s preposterous prophecy comes true, he finds himself having traveled not by train, but through time, from 1869, to Bentonsport today! Now he must navigate a modern world for the two weeks before Christmas and discover what he was sent to find. 

Baker Sarah Peterson has everything she wants in the small historic town of modern-day Bentonsport—everything but a man with whom to share her dreams and future. And, in a town of under fifty residents, where’s she going to encounter a soulmate? But when Thomas walks into her bakery, seemingly odd and out of place, but handsome and charming, she finds herself hoping something special might happen this Christmas.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | BookDepository | IndieBound | BookBub

 

GUEST POST FROM AUTHOR LISA SCHNEDLER

 Bentonsport: A Magical Setting for A Christmas Romance

There are towns that you visit—or perhaps ones you have lived in—that are so unique and notable that they seem to have a personality all their own.

Bentonsport is such a town and is the setting of my new novel, Bentonsport, A Christmas Story. And, Bentonsport is a real place.

Bentonsport is a town of just 42 residents. Once a bustling river town with mills along the riverbank, steamboats carrying cargo and passengers to and from the town, and trains chugging prosperity to and from its station, Bentonsport nearly disappeared with the end of river traffic and the development of highways that bypassed it.

But, there was something special about the town that spoke to visitors in its nearly abandoned state—as it spoke to visitors long ago. The serene landscape, undulating hills, and soft churn of the Des Moines River beckon to those who wanted to slow down a bit and focus on the art of living—and on art.

Over the past 30 years, this tiny town of historic homes and bucolic scenery has become home to many artists –a weaver, blacksmith, potter, watercolor artist, writer, and sculptor, to name a few. They restored houses, set up shops, reopened the inn, and held events celebrating history and art.

The town that grew on the riverbank more than a century before—attracting those wanting to create a new future and to see their dreams come to life—attracted a new generation desiring to do the same.

And today, thousands of tourists come to experience the tiny town, walk the rose garden, fish from the riverbank, visit the shops, stay at the inn, and enjoy stepping back in time.

Bentonsport: A Christmas Story is about two people, from two eras, who meet two weeks before Christmas. Set mainly in modern-day Bentonsport, readers get a brief glimpse of Bentonsport in the 1870s. And though time travel plays a role in the story, it is a subtle one.

The focus of the novel is on love and commonality. The town, though changed, offers the same special opportunities to the different generations. Although much has changed within the town, people have come to make their dreams come true in both eras.

The beauty of the landscape, the goodness of people, and the endurance of love and faith carry us through the decades—and Christmas brings this all together.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

Lisa Schnedler writes cozy romances. She has lived in Bentonsport, Iowa, for more than 25 years, the setting of her latest series. A certified Christian Life Coach, Lisa has a Christian life planning ministry, Branch Living, to help Christians live out their God-given purposes. This ministry includes retreats, classes, a website, blog, and podcast. She is president of a health system in Wisconsin. She is a pastor’s wife, mother of three, and grandmother of six.

Connect with Lisa by visiting lisaschnedler.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates. 

 

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TOUR GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card & bookmarks.

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight October 10, 2022 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on October 17, 2022. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US/CAN. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE

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

Book Tour, Review & Giveaway: The Belle of Belgrave Square by Mimi Matthews

 

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

Synopsis

A London heiress rides out to the wilds of the English countryside to honor a marriage of convenience with a mysterious and reclusive stranger.

Tall, dark, and dour, the notorious Captain Jasper Blunt was once hailed a military hero, but tales abound of his bastard children and his haunted estate in Yorkshire. What he requires now is a rich wife to ornament his isolated ruin, and he has his sights set on the enchanting Julia Wychwood.

For Julia, an incurable romantic cursed with a crippling social anxiety, navigating a London ballroom is absolute torture. The only time Julia feels any degree of confidence is when she’s on her horse. Unfortunately, a young lady can’t spend the whole of her life in the saddle, so Julia makes an impetuous decision to take her future by the reins—she proposes to Captain Blunt.

In exchange for her dowry and her hand, Jasper must promise to grant her freedom to do as she pleases. To ride—and to read—as much as she likes without masculine interference. He readily agrees to her conditions, with one provision of his own: Julia is forbidden from going into the tower rooms of his estate and snooping around his affairs. But the more she learns of the beastly former hero, the more intrigued she becomes…

My Review

Wow, I didn't expect the amazing and lovely story I read when I picked up this book! I adored the inspiration from The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery and Beauty and the Beast.  Julia and Jasper do have some time to develop the beginnings of friendship amid the turmoil of society events and Julia's household of invalid/hypochondriacs, which provided a foundation to their relationship when secrets begin seeping out to damage their trust. I loved that they also had the stirrings of attraction from the beginning which helped their friendship naturally transition to romance as they grew to know the core of each other's goodness over time and learn how well-matched they are in personality. The author skillfully inferred how intimate relations in their marriage drew them closer together as an expression of love, while still keeping details vague enough to not cross the borderline of comfort for her readers who prefer clean romance. I didn't expect some of the reveals when I began the book, but with very light foreshadowing I was able to anticipate them as I read and it created such a wonderful reading experience, looking forward to Julia's discovery of the mysteries of her husband. Julia's own growth as an anxious wallflower to a confident woman with a greater perspective of the world is a major theme of the book, and I loved her full character arc. The supporting characters of friends, family, and servants create a vibrant world of subtle influences on Julia especially, and it was interesting to see how three dimensional the author could made even her minor characters. Overall, a favorite read of the year and highly recommended!

Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided from a tour group, publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, OR borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR purchased. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.

About the Author

Photo credit: Vicki Hahn 2021

USA Today bestselling author Mimi Matthews writes both historical nonfiction and award-winning proper Victorian romances. Her novels have received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Booklist, and Kirkus, and her articles have been featured on the Victorian Web, the Journal of Victorian Culture, and in syndication at BUST Magazine. In her other life, Mimi is an attorney. She resides in California with her family, which includes a retired Andalusian dressage horse, a Sheltie, and two Siamese cats.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Bookbub | Goodreads

VICTORIAN READING ROOM

Join Mimi at her Victorian Reading Room Facebook Group for exclusive access as she shares her love of writing, historical romance, Victorian fashion, brooding heroes, independent heroines, and of course, her beloved pets!


READ AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH MIMI MATTHEWS

Discover intriguing insights into The Belle of Belgrave Square and Mimi’s writing life in this exclusive interview at austenprose.com.

 

GIVEAWAY

 

 

1 winner (selected at random by Rafflecopter) receives a paperback copy of The Belle of Belgrave Square, signed and annotated by the author with personal comments, underlining of her favorite lines, and other highlights by Mimi Matthews.

Giveaway is open from 12:01 am Pacific time 10/03/22 until 11:59pm Pacific time on 10/30/22.

The winner will be announced on Mimi's blog on 10/31/22.

Terms & Conditions:
Giveaway hosted by Mimi Matthews. No Purchase Necessary. Entrants must be 18 years or older. Open to US residents only. All information will remain confidential and will not be sold or otherwise used, except to notify the winner and to facilitate postage of the book to the winner. Void where prohibited.

ENTER HERE