Review: The Curiosity Keeper by Sarah E. Ladd

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

Synopsis

“It is not just a ruby, as you say. It is large as a quail’s egg, still untouched and unpolished. And it is rumored to either bless or curse whomever possesses it.”

Camille Iverness can take care of herself. She’s done so since the day her mother abandoned the family and left Camille to run their shabby curiosity shop on Blinkett Street. But when a violent betrayal leaves her injured with no place to hide, Camille has no choice but to accept help from the mysterious stranger who came to her aid.

Jonathan Gilchrist never wanted to inherit Kettering Hall. As a second son, he was content working as a village apothecary. But when his brother’s death made him heir just as his father’s foolish decisions put the estate at risk, only the sale of a priceless possession—a ruby called the Bevoy—can save the family from ruin. But the gem has disappeared. And all trails lead to Iverness Curiosity Shop—and the beautiful shop girl who may or may not be the answer to his questions.

Curious circumstance throws them together, and an intricate dance of need and suspicion leads the couple from the seedy backwaters of London to the elite neighborhoods of the wealthy to the lush, green Surrey countryside—all in the pursuit of a blood-red gem that collectors will sacrifice anything to possess.

Caught at the intersection of blessings and curses, greed and deceit, two determined souls must unite to protect what they hold dear. But when a passion that shines far brighter than any gem is ignited, each will have to decide how much they are willing to risk for their future, love, and happiness.

My Review

This is an intriguing tale with a variety of characters, each with ulterior motives that Camille can only guess at. I loved the setting of the gritty London streets since that's not the norm in Regency romances. Even though Camille can hold her own there, she is not comfortable in her surroundings and I was happy to see her take control of her future. The countryside is a stark contrast and Camille does not take it's beauty and freshness for granted. Jonathon and Camille are a perfect match for each other with their guileless gentility. I didn't feel like their romance had much passion, especially with their hesitancy to trust each other, but there was a definite feeling of hope, that they wanted to trust and love.

(Thank you to Thomas Nelson Publishing and Litfuse Publicity for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review)

 About the Author

Sarah E. Ladd received the 2011 Genesis Award in historical romance for The Heiress of Winterwood. She is a graduate of Ball State University and has more than ten years of marketing experience. Sarah lives in Indiana with her amazing husband, sweet daughter, and spunky Golden Retriever.

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Review: Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Beth K. Vogt

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

Synopsis

Wedding bells and storm clouds collide in the first engaging novel in a brand-new series about destination weddings, the power of love, and the possible mishaps and missteps that happen on a couple’s journey down the aisle to “I do.”

Paramedic Vanessa Hollister has put her adolescence behind her, including the unwanted label of being the new kid in town over and over again, thanks to her father’s military career. She’s overcome what her mother called “the biggest mistake of her life” and is planning an elegant destination wedding in Destin, Florida with her new fiancé. But will the reappearance of her first husband from her what-were-you-thinking teenage elopement disrupt her dream of an idyllic beach wedding?

As a professional storm chaser, Logan Hollister is used to taking risks. However, a reckless decision during the last tornado season has him questioning the future of his team, the Stormmeisters. Coming face to face with his ex-wife eight years after their divorce compels him to confront his greatest regret: losing Vanessa. Does their past give him the right to interfere with her future?

A fast-moving, powerful hurricane throws Vanessa and Logan together as they evacuate to a storm shelter along with other residents of the Florida Gulf Coast. Forced to spend time together, the pair battles unexpected renewed feelings for each other.

Vanessa and Logan are faced with a choice: Should they accept, once and for all, their teenage marital mistake? Or is God offering them a second chance at happily ever after?

My Review

My husband wants to be a storm chaser when he grows up. Thankfully, we live in California and he is a teacher... for now :) Vanessa and Logan are both in periods of transition when they unexpectedly reconnect. The perilous circumstances heighten the emotion and while they struggle in the here and now, several flashbacks share the sweetness of their love story and the tragedy when it went wrong. The book started out kind of slow for me with Vanessa an Ted planning their wedding, but it effectively contrasted with the energy of Vanessa and Logan's relationship once their paths collided. There is plenty of angst as Logan is filled with regret and seeking for a second chance, only to be shut down repeatedly by Vanessa. I had a hard time with how she felt their problems were Logan's fault, yet the flashbacks show how her refusal to communicate or compromise contributed to the disintegration as well. She does relent to spend some time with Logan, but instead of closure, their deep feelings are reawakened. The last part of the book moved in a direction I didn't anticipate, and it was interesting to see how things were resolved. The secondary cast of characters was well-rounded with Vanessa's high school friend Mindy (who was great), some elderly neighbors, parents, siblings, and Logan's storm chasing team members. Each served to help Vanessa and Logan in their pursuit to follow God's plan for their lives and find peace.

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

About the Author

Beth K. Vogt believes God's best often waits behind the doors marked "Never." A 2015 RITA® Finalist and a 2014 Carol Award finalist, Beth is a contemporary romance novelist with Howard Books. Her 2014 novel, Somebody Like You, was one of Publisher's Weekly's Best Books of 2014. In 2015 she introduced her destination wedding series with both an e-novella, Can't Buy Me Love, (May) and a novel, Crazy Little Thing Called Love (June).

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Book Tour: The Turnaround Treasure Shop by Jennie Jones

On Tour with Prism Book Tours.

Fall in love in Swallow’s Fall with

The Turnaround Treasure Shop

by bestselling Australian romance author Jennie Jones!

Introduction and Exclusive Excerpt

By Author Jennie Jones

Looking for a delightful, warm story about family and second-chance love? The Turnaround Treasure Shop follows the adventures of the heart for Lily Johnson. Everyone has the right to at least one dream coming true, and Lily is determined to achieve her goal on her own. But things are tough on the financial front and if she doesn’t take the chance offered to her by ex-Navy Captain Nick Barton, she might find that “one day” never comes.

The Turnaround Treasure Shop is book #4 in the bestselling Swallow’s Fall series. But each book in the series can be read alone and frequently are – Jennie’s had plenty of readers buy book #3 and then go back for books #1 and #2. 

Jennie’s fictional town of Swallow’s Fall is set in a remote country area in the Australian Snowy Mountains and boasts 100 residents. Lots of them falling in love, some of them longing for dreams to come true, some of them scheming or creating mayhem with their matchmaking plans – but all of them leaving a mark on this small country town.

Jennie has a great rapport with her readers all over the world and recently asked them if they’d read a new series: Daughters of Swallow’s Fall – and the resounding answer was – Yes! But before that, the next book in this series (#5) The House at the End of the Street is releasing on July 27th.

Read on for the excerpt...

“Good morning.” Lily Johnson didn’t look at Nicholas Barton, instead skimming her smile in the direction of the top of his head and off it again as fast as politely possible. Not that he noticed.

“Morning, Lily,” he said, dark head bowed to the breakfast plate she’d put on the table in front of him.

He wore a dark green crewneck with a white T-shirt beneath, the sleeves of his sweater pushed up his arms, the way they always were. How he got through the Snowy Mountains climate without a coat, Lily didn’t know. Even summers weren’t exactly drenched in heat in this part of Australia, and autumn always had a nip in the air. He was hardly ever out of dark green or bark-brown colours. A throw-back to his armed-forces days, probably. The strong silent type — but not mean or standoffish — just reserved. Which suggested a caring nature, Lily had always thought.

She moved to an empty table next to him and picked up a cruet set and a tomato sauce bottle, reminding herself to tell the young girl who’d worked Saturday night’s restaurant shift that she needed to make sure every table was set for the next day before leaving work.

“There.” She fussed with the salt and pepper, and straightened the napkin holder. “Enjoy,” she said, wiping her hands onto her white apron and hoping the salutation sounded the way it did when she said it to every customer she served breakfast.

“Thanks,” he said, in the same low-toned, unruffled manner he’d used to thank her for his weekend breakfasts for the last year.

He picked up his knife and fork. His forearms were thick and toughened with muscle. Those muscles wouldn’t stop at his elbows, they’d go right up his arms to support his heavy-duty shoulders. It was all that muscle which probably kept his body temperature warmed.

He looked up, his hooded leaf-green eyes holding an enquiry. “Everything all right?”

Lily stumbled over her laugh. “Sorry. Daydreaming.” Ouch. Daydreaming about Nick was taboo, and she didn’t want him knowing any of her taboo thoughts.

She turned for the kitchen of Kookaburra’s Hotel, and fanned her blazing face. Nicholas Barton made her tremble. He’d been making her tremble for 12 months and no matter how hard she tried to put the moment behind her, the recollection of the awkward position she’d put him in at last years’ Easter Bunny Ball fried her brain every time she saw him. Like a splash of hot oil on the scalp.

This year’s Ball was happening in two weeks’ time. Would he remember last year’s and stay clear? Or had he wiped the incident from his memory the way she wiped her hands on her apron? He was too much of a gentleman to have referred to it since, but sometimes Lily had the sense that behind his unflappable exterior, there was a zing of anticipation in the air between them. That was the bit that made Lily tremble.

The Turnaround Treasure Shop

(Swallows Fall, #4)
by Jennie Jones
Adult Contemporary Romance

Ebook, 142 pages
May 22nd 2015 by Harlequin MIRA

Fatalistic, long divorced and doing her best to give her children a good life, Lily Johnson works two jobs in her hometown of Swallow’s Fall, saving every spare cent for the day she can lease the empty corner shop on Main Street. She longs to open it as Turnaround Treasures, a second-hand shop bursting with rescued country curios — but there aren’t enough spare cents and Lily’s dream is slipping away.

Ex-Navy diver Nick Barton arrived in Swallow’s Fall a year ago to quietly reunite himself with civvy life. Recognising an instant attraction to Lily, Nick backed away fast. Given his track record of an unhappy ex-wife and the baggage that comes with a Special Forces career, Nick doesn’t think he stands a chance with shy, reserved Lily. He can’t be with her – but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t see her.

Lily has spent her whole life cheerfully giving to others. When Nick offers her the ultimate chance for a turnaround, will Lily’s fear of being ‘second hand’ ruin the opportunity of forever love for both of them?

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Book Trailer

Other Books in the Series

Find at Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.

Bestselling author Jennie Jones loves writing rich, warm-hearted and refreshing stories of adventures of the heart. She’s a self-confessed would-be small town country girl and longs for the day when she and her family can set up home in a cute country cottage in the middle of a huge field. Until then, Jennie is enjoying life a five minute walk from the beach. She can hear the ocean as she types her stories.

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Tour Giveaway

$10 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal Cash and a Kindle copy of The Turnaround Treasure Shop
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Ends July 26th

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High Summer Read-a-thon

I'm excited to be participating in the High Summer Read-a-thon this week! Here are the books I'm planning on reading...