Review: In Firefly Valley by Amanda Cabot

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

Synopsis

Marisa St. George is devastated when she is a victim of downsizing and has no choice but to return to the small Texas town where she grew up. Though it's a giant step backward, she accepts a position as business manager at the struggling Rainbow's End resort. The only silver lining is Blake Kendall, a new guest who is making her believe in love at first sight. But will her dreams of happily-ever-after be turned upside down when she discovers who he really is?

My Review

Like the previous book in the series, In Firefly Valley is slow moving, but in a relaxing way. I enjoyed all the characters in the small-town community. The personal struggles of Marisa were realistic as she deals with her issues of abandonment and anger. Blake and Marisa have great kissing scenes, and secondary romance between Drew and Lauren was nice. Strong themes of family, alcoholism, anger, secret identity, trust, grief, and forgiveness, and second chances make this more than just a light read.

(Thank you to Revell Publishing for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review)

Review & Giveaway! The Moses Chronicles: Bondage by H.B. Moore

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing!

Synopsis

A gripping, historical fiction account of the events that lead to Moses’s flight into the wilderness, The Moses Chronicles: Bondage will take you back to a rich period of history replete with scandal, strife, love, and hope as God prepares a prophet to lead His chosen people.

My Review

Amazing, epic, seriously can't wait for the next book in the series! I'm not often in the mood for Biblical fiction but I'm so, so glad I chose to read this one! Heather B. Moore never disappoints. This is the story of Miriam, Moses' sister, and her life as a Hebrew slave, daughter, and sister. She is headstrong but fiercely loyal, and attracts the interest of Caleb, who wants to protect her but doesn't understand why she continues to put herself in danger by watching the Egyptian royals (Moses and his friends). The story is also told from the perspective of Moses and his Egyptian mother which offers fascinating insights into his life in the Egyptian court, his compassion for the Hebrews, and the strength of the princess who raised him. The characters and setting are so well-written that I could easily envision the story in my mind and I couldn't put it down (words like intense and gripping apply here). There is action, drama, intrigue, romance, and while the ending of the book nicely wraps up Miriam's adventures, it's only just beginning for Moses...

(Thank you to Covenant Communications for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review)

May 18th

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Review: Somewhere, My Love by Susan May Warren

Pre-order Somewhere, My Love for only 99 cents! Release date is May 26th!

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

Synopsis

We’d all like to believe that there is someone out there, waiting for us. The perfect one, who is exactly the right fit. But sometimes the wait – and the fear of launching out to find that special someone -- keep us from leaping out in faith. From saying hello, accepting that cup of coffee, saying yes to a romantic walk on the beach.

Sometimes it just takes a providential moment to change everything. RITA and Christy award-winning, ECPA and CPA best-selling novelist, Susan May Warren brings you three delightful novellas about leaping out into the unknown only to discover that yes, somewhere, my love is waiting.

"This Little House of Mine"
When they said "missionary," Interior Decorator Ellen White expected, well, not the hot, tall, and sweet Paul Stoneman, fresh from the backwoods of some Russian village. And sure, she'll help him redecorate his cute missionary home. After all, clearly the confirmed, rough-around-the edges bachelor needs a woman's touch. But when she falls for him, she discovers that loving a man with a heart for God requires more from her than she's willing to give.

Paul Stoneman longs for a wife to share his life wife. Sure, he loves his life as a missionary, but admittedly, he's lonely. Beautiful Ellen White is exactly what he's prayed for - right down to her ability to turn his life into something beautiful. But Ellen isn't interesting in leaving the comforts of America for the rustic life of a missionary, right?

"Measure of a Man"
The last person Calli Deane expects to find trapped in an elevator in Siberia at 2.a.m is Peter Samuelson—the man who broke her heart. Besides, she has a life she loves now - as a missionary in Russia. But Peter is not the man she remembers, and suddenly, she has to take another look, remeasure the man she once knew. But can love be reignited, or will the fears – and mistakes – of the past drive them apart again?

"Proof of Your Love"
Investigative Reporter Justine Proof knows she doesn't belong in the small, backwater town in East Tennessee...not only is she a Yankee, and hasn't the foggiest idea what grits are, but she's pretty sure someone is out to get her. And yes, it might be because she's investigating a murder, but someone is making it personal. Certainly it can't be cute, but redneck, coffee shop owner "Wild" Pat Bells, right? Still, every time she has car trouble, Pat "seems" to show up, raspberry latte in hand. Is he a rogue meaning her harm - or a friend trying to help?

Patrick Bells can’t believe he heard a woman plan a murder into her tape recorder. And not just any woman – cute and sassy Justine Proof, a woman he’s been scraping up the courage to meet since the first day she ordered a raspberry latte in his coffee shop, the Right Cup. But Pat isn't going to let anyone get hurt in his town. . .

Justine has finally found someone she’d like to trust -- someone who has suddenly become more than just an early morning ray of sunshine in her life. But her suspicious mind stands between her and true love. She’s about to learn that trust is a choice, and that only God can help her make it.

My Review

This book is a compilation of three novellas Susan May Warren published early in her writing career. Each has a preface from the author describing what inspired her to write the short story and how it influenced her later writing. The first two stories have a heavy missionary theme, each with one of the characters questioning their path in life and what God's will for them is in regards to spreading the good news and serving in His kingdom. The romance is sweet but there are also some angsty-dramatic moments to spice things up. The third story has more suspense with a quirky journalist/mystery writer and the southern town she is trying to assimilate into. I felt like things moved a bit quickly and I was missing some details in the mystery that would have rounded out the story better if it had been full-length rather than a novella. I enjoyed the stories and while they are not as high quality as the author's current writing, I appreciated her perspective on missionary work in remote places.

(Thank you to the author for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review)

$1.99 e-book sale! The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn by Lori Benton and Wildflowers from Winter by Katie Ganshert

 

Only $1.99 to download The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn by Lori Benton! I loved this book and rated it 5 stars. (Read my review here)

Synopsis

Western North Carolina, 1787 ~ To escape a threatening stepfather and an unwanted marriage, Tamsen Littlejohn enlists the aid of Jesse Bird, a frontiersman she barely knows, to spirit her away from Morganton, North Carolina, west beyond the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Trouble pursues, as the two men intent on seeing her recovered prove relentless in their hunt. Trouble awaits in the form of a divided frontier community. Across the mountains the State of Franklin has been declared, yet many settlers remain loyal to North Carolina. Chaos reigns, thwarting Tamsen and Jesse’s hastily cobbled plan to keep her safe.

With her pursuers ever nearing, the region in turmoil, neighbors grown suspicious of her presence, Tamsen’s safety is soon put in greater jeopardy. Gaining the freedom she longs for will mean running yet again, to the most unlikely refuge imaginable—the Cherokees, a people balanced on the knife edge of war.

But the biggest complication may prove to be Tamsen’s growing bond with her knight in greasy buckskins, Jesse Bird. Falling in love was never part of the plan.

 

Only $1.99 to download Wildflowers from Winter by Katie Ganshert! I haven't read this book yet but it's been on my wishlist so I am thrilled it's on sale!

Synopsis

Like the winter, grief has a season. Life returns with the spring.
 
A young architect at a prestigious Chicago firm, Bethany Quinn has built the life she dreamed of during her teen years in a trailer park.  An unexpected interruption from her estranged mother reveals that tragedy has struck in her hometown and a reluctant Bethany is called back to rural Iowa.

Determined to pay her respects to her past while avoiding any emotional entanglements, she vows not to stay long. But the unexpected inheritance of five hundred acres of farmland and a startling turn of events in Chicago forces Bethany to come up with a new plan.

Handsome farmhand Evan Price has taken care of the Quinn farm for years.  When Bethany is left the land, Evan must fight her decisions to realize his dreams. But even as he disagrees with Bethany’s vision, Evan feels drawn to her and the pain she keeps so carefully locked away.

For Bethany, making peace with her past and the God of her childhood doesn’t seem like the path to freedom. Is letting go the only way to new life, love and a peace that she’s not even sure exists?

Robin Lee Hatcher’s Kickin’ Karaoke and Country-Music Matching Contests!

Real-life romance meets fictional romance in Robin Lee Hatcher's new book, Whenever You Come Around. Being back in Kings Meadow dredges up a painful secret, and old fears threaten to overwhelm Charity. But after Charity's dog causes an accident that leaves Charity’s former high school classmate Buck injured, Charity has little choice but to render aid while he recuperates. Soon Buck becomes the inspiration for Charity’s hero, both on the page and off. Can he also help her face and overcome her fears so they might find their own happily ever after?

Robin is hosting TWO contests to celebrate the release of Whenever You Come Around! 

 

Robin is challenging you to a karaoke contest and giving away a $100 iTunes or Amazon gift card to one lucky reader and karaoke-r who uploads a karaoke video of himself or herself to YouTube (song choice is completely up to you). The person whose video has the most likes by May 26th will win the gift card! Plus everyone who participates by uploading a video and filling out the form below will receive a copy of the book. For full details about the $100 gift card giveaway, karaoke contest, and the chance to get a free copy of the book, click here—voting begins May 12.

 

Robin is also challenging you to a matching contest. How well do you know your country music?

One winner will receive:

• A set of rustic, decorative Mason jars
• A copy of Whenever You Come Around

Another winner will receive:

• A decorative country-music vinyl
• A copy of Whenever You Come Around

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on May 26th. Winner will be announced May 27th on Robin's blog.

Review: Chance of Loving You by Terri Blackstock, Candace Calvert & Susan May Warren

 An anthology by three bestselling romance authors:

 Terri Blackstock 

Candace Calvert

Susan May Warren
 

 

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

Synopsis

For Love of Money by Terri Blackstock
Trying to launch her own design firm while waitressing on the side, Julie Sheffield was drawn to the kind man she waited on at the restaurant last night . . . until he stiffed her on the tip by leaving her half of a sweepstakes ticket.

The Recipe by Candace Calvert
Hospital dietary assistant Aimee Curran is determined to win the Vegan Valentine Bake-Off to prove she’s finally found her calling. But while caring for one of her patients—the elderly grandmother of a handsome CSI photographer—Aimee begins to question where she belongs.

Hook, Line & Sinker by Susan May Warren
Grad student Abigail Cushman has agreed to enter the annual Deep Haven fishing contest. She’s a quick learner, even if she doesn’t know the difference between a bass and a trout. But nothing could prepare her for competing against the handsome charmer she’s tried to forget since grief tore them apart.

One chance for each woman to change her life . . . but will love be the real prize?

My Review

For Love of Money by Terri Blackstock - 3 stars
This was a cute yet predictable story with characters that banter unusually well for only having just met. I didn't feel drawn to the characters but it was fun seeing how they responded to each other and their unexpected and overwhelming wealth. Their interactions are impetuous and dramatic, and it played like a made-for-tv movie in my mind.


The Recipe by Candace Calvert - 4 stars
Set in San Diego (yay!), this one hit closer to home since my mother is an advocate for caregivers and the elderly. Lucas and Aimee bond over his grandmother's care and provide emotional support for each other. Aimee's love of cooking stems from the time she spent with her late mother making meals for others. I enjoyed the themes of compassion, grief, hope, and acceptance as Lucas and Aimee both come to terms with their struggles. Great romantic moments!

Hook, Line & Sinker by Susan May Warren - 5 stars
Unlike the two previous, the couple featured in this story has a romantic history. There is a great intro scene involving a dunk tank, but then the grief and misunderstanding that came between Abby and Ross brings a boatload of emotion and angst to the narrative. Their past is revealed to the reader in bits and pieces while the present day takes place at Deep Haven's lake fishing contest. I was impressed by the details of the fishing- something I have absolutely no experience with :) Abby and Ross have distinct personalities that complement each other and I was rooting for them to take a chance and finally communicate and forgive.

(Thank you to Tyndale Publishing for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review)

New from Becky Wade | ‘A Love Like Ours’ $100 Cash Card and Prize Pack Giveaway

Fall in love with Becky Wade's new book, A Love Like Ours, a story of healing, romance, and cowboys. A glimmer of the hope Jake thought he’d lost returns when Lyndie lands back in Texas, but fears and regrets still plague him. Will Jake ever be able to love Lyndie like she deserves, or is his heart too shattered to mend?

To celebrate the release of her new book, Becky is giving away 

a $100 cash card and a book-inspired prize pack!

 

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A $100 cash card
• A copy of A Love Like Ours
• A copy of the Secretariat DVD
• A scarf
• A dog-tag/cross keychain
• A pair of earrings
• A Scarf
• A Texas-shaped cutting board
• A Jake Porter mug

 

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on May 26th. Winner will be announced May 27th on Becky's site.

Review: A Love Like Ours by Becky Wade

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

Synopsis

Former Marine Jake Porter has far deeper scars than the one that marks his face. He struggles with symptoms of PTSD, lives a solitary life, and avoids relationships.

When Lyndie James, Jake’s childhood best friend, lands back in Holley, Texas, Jake cautiously hires her to exercise his Thoroughbreds. Lyndie is tender-hearted, fiercely determined, and afraid of nothing, just like she was as a child. Jake pairs her with Silver Leaf, a horse full of promise but lacking in results, hoping she can solve the mystery of the stallion’s reluctance to run.

Though Jake and Lyndie have grown into very different adults, the bond that existed during their childhood still ties them together. Against Jake’s will, Lyndie’s sparkling, optimistic personality begins to tear down the walls he’s built around his heart. A glimmer of the hope he’d thought he’d lost returns, but fears and regrets still plague him. Will Jake ever be able to love Lyndie like she deserves, or is his heart too shattered to mend?

My Review

This is an amazing book. The characters and their interactions felt so real. The prologue perfectly shows the unique and special relationship between Jake and Lyndie as well as their individual personalities, which made me feel like I knew the characters immediately, even though Jake is so different as an adult because of his trauma. Lyndie trusts that he is the same person deep down, and the strength of her faith is counterpoint to Jake's hopelessness and despair. There is so much desire in him to have her goodness surround him, yet he continually holds her at arms length. Her optimism is one of the things I enjoyed most about her character, in addition to her creativity as an artist which really shone through.

I appreciated the themes woven into this novel. Lyndie has an adult sister who has had cerebral palsy since birth, and Lyndie cares for her deeply with compassion and grace. The portrayal of Jake's PTSD is heartbreaking; I couldn't wait for him to turn to the Lord to begin healing. The members of Lyndie's family play an important role alongside her in providing direction and support to Jake.

The romantic tension and passion is intense once Jake's guard begins to falter. The author is skilled at creating genuine moments between the two as they help each other deal with the difficulties life has handed them. A subplot of Lyndie's neighbor Amber and her dating woes creates some interlude from the intensity of the drama yet doesn't detract from the story. Several other family and community members are influential in the story and create a sense of unity.

(Thank you to Litfuse Publicity and Bethany House for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review)

Review: Captive Trail by Susan Page Davis

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

Synopsis

The Captive Trail is second in a six-book series about four generations of the Morgan family living, fighting, and thriving amidst a turbulent Texas history spanning from 1845 to 1896. Although a series, each book can be read singularly.

Taabe Waipu has run away from her Comanche village and is fleeing south in Texas on a horse she stole from a dowry left outside her family's teepee. The horse has an accident and she is left on foot, injured and exhausted. She staggers onto a road near Fort Chadbourne and collapses.

On one of the first runs through Texas, Butterfield Overland Mail Company driver Ned Bright carries two Ursuline nuns returning to their mission station. They come across a woman who is nearly dead from exposure and dehydration and take her to the mission.With some detective work, Ned discovers Taabe Waipu is Billie Morgan. He plans to unite her with her family, but the Comanche have other ideas, and the two end up defending the mission station.

Through Taabe (Billie) and Ned we learn the true meaning of healing and restoration amid seemingly powerless situations.

My Review

I've read some fictional accounts before of captives escaping from Indian tribes, and while this story is not as gritty, raw, or descriptive as others, it still shares the reality of how turbulent and violent the interactions between settlers and natives were at the time. Taabe's story is revealed in layers throughout the book as she looks back on her time among the Comanche, struggles to remember her life before that, and learns to live in the white world again. She befriends the man who rescued her, and Ned's patience and kindness to her was endearing. He both wishes for and dreads the day when she will discover her true family and be reunited with them. I enjoyed the nuns with whom she lives at the mission, each having their own personality and idiosyncrasies. Taabe's point of view shows us the difficulty she has understanding and communicating, but she quickly learns with the help of the nuns and their young ward and her perspective shifts along with her growing knowledge. I felt tense anticipation throughout novel waiting for the inevitable Indian attack from her pursuers, and the climactic battle scene is both harrowing and inspiring.

(Thank you to Moody Publishers for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review)

Review & Giveaway! Trouble in Paradise by Karen Tuft

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

Synopsis

Andy Kendrick has always dreamed of bigger things than tiny Eagle Bluff, Arizona. So when the opportunity arises to shake off the dust of his hometown and move to the tropical paradise of Hawaii, he grabs it. But he never imagined that apiece of his past would follow him to his new life . . . Kimberly Briggs has lived her life on the fringes of the crowd, timid and afraid since the death of her brother, but when she learns that Andy, her lifelong crush, is moving to Hawaii, she's finally ready to step out of the shadows and take a risk.

Kimberly is the last person Andy expected or wanted to see in Hawaii. But when fate incessantly throws the pair together, there's little to be done but make the best of the situation. As the awkwardness fades and Kimberly begins to emerge from her shell, Andy realizes there's much more to her than he realized. But even as they revel in the adventures of island life, drawn together by a growing attraction, an unforeseen peril threatens Kimberly's life.

Can the once-timid young woman now draw upon the inner strength Andy has helped her discover so the two of them can build a life together? Will Andy grasp that love knows no geographical bounds?

My Review

First off I just have to say that I was glad to discover when reading the book that Kim does not follow Andy to Hawaii like it says in the synopsis... she moved there first in fact! It relieved my mind to know that she wasn't that stalker-obsessed with him and their meeting again really was a true coincidence. I totally identified with Kim's unrequited crush from elementary and high school- there's something about confident and charismatic boys that shy girls really admire and fall for.

Kim and Andy both have great character arcs and help each other to stretch and become better. Kim has already started the process of living outside her tiny comfort zone and breaking out of the shell of fear and overprotective parents. Andy is a typical guy- I struggled a bit with liking him in the beginning since his inner thoughts make him seem shallow and insensitive, but I eventually appreciated the realistic perspective. Kim inadvertently helps him to recognize and overcome his selfishness as he learns to get over himself and the sibling rivalry that motivates him and appreciate her for who she really is. Once he realizes how great Kim is their friendship finally blossoms and the sweet moments they share propel their relationship into something more... which brings a whole new level of drama :)

As an art major I loved that Kim was an artist and one of the ways she took risks was through her artwork. The Hawaiian setting was awesome- the author did a fabulous job painting a picture of the environment, culture, and community. The bit of mystery and action spiced up the plot and created a nail-biting climax. Since the characters are Mormon there are some occasional references specific to the religion but I think any Christian would enjoy this book.

(Thank you to Covenant communications for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review)

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