Sunday, January 11, 2015

Review: Dare to Love Again by Julie Lessman


Dare to Love Again by Julie Lessman

My rating: 3 stars / I liked it

http://www.amazon.comhttp://www.barnesandnoble.comhttp://www.goodreads.com

Synopsis

She's a sassy socialite burned by love. He's a jaded cop burned by the upper class. When sparks fly...will love catch fire again?

Spunky Allison McClare is determined to be a fearless, independent woman. But when she takes a notion to explore the wild Barbary Coast, she quickly discovers she's no match for the unsavory characters that haunt the dark streets.

Detective Nick Barone would rather do almost anything than teach this petite socialite self-defense, but it seems he has little choice. Sparks fly every time the two meet until a grudging friendship develops into something deeper. But is he just a fraud like all the rest of the men Allison's cared for? Or is he the one who will let her dare to love again?


My Review

I have mixed feelings about Julie Lessman's books so far. I enjoyed the plot of Dare to Love Again, but the characters are rather dramatic in their actions and feelings with larger-than-life personalities. While I wouldn't say Allison is spoiled, as a wealthy socialite she behaves in an entitled and naive manner. Her eyes become opened as she makes reckless decisions, and fortunately the hero Nick is there to save her bacon. I was surprised that the idea of teaching jiu jitsu as a self-defense strategy existed in the early 1900's and it was a fun part of the novel as Nick enables Allison to protect herself. The characters are full of puns and quips throughout the book and seem to find themselves quite clever.

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

Friday, January 9, 2015

Free e-book! Into the Whirlwind by Elizabeth Camden


http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B85MPTA/?tag=thevespro08-20

Download Into the Whirlwind by Elizabeth Camden for free! I just finished her latest novel Beyond All Dreams and like her other books- amazing! 5 star review coming soon...
(Be sure to check the price before purchasing since e-book sales are for a limited time)

http://www.amazon.comhttp://www.barnesandnoble.comhttp://www.goodreads.com

Synopsis

After her father's death, Mollie Knox takes over his watchmaking company and uses her head for business to solidify the good name of the 57th Illinois Watch Company. Her future looks bright until the night her beloved city is destroyed in the legendary Great Chicago Fire. With her world crumbling around her, Molly must do whatever it takes to save her company in the aftermath of the devastating fire.

Zack Kazmarek is an influential attorney with powerful ties to the political, mercantile, and ethnic roots of Chicago. His only weakness is Mollie Knox, a woman who has always been just beyond his reach. However, all bets are off after the fire destroys Chicago, and Mollie is in desperate need of assistance. Just as Zack finally begins to pursue the woman he loves, competition arises in the form of a hero from her past who can provide the help she needs to rise from the ashes.

While Mollie struggles to rebuild, the two men battle for her heart. One has always loved her, but the other has the power to save her. In the race to rebuild the city, can she survive with her business and her heart intact?


Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Review: A November Bride by Beth K. Vogt


A November Bride

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

http://www.amazon.comhttp://www.barnesandnoble.comhttp://www.goodreads.com

Synopsis

Sadie McAllister’s clients know how lucky they are to have her: an ultra-fastidious personal chef who leaves behind a spotless kitchen and a week’s worth of mouth-watering meals.

Erik Davis, her best friend since middle school, is content to enjoy Sadie’s culinary skills too while maintaining their “friends only” status. Most of his energy is focused on his just-launched freelance business and casual dates that never come close to a commitment.

But when Sadie is offered a once-in-a-lifetime cooking job across country, Erik realizes maybe he’s taken his best friend for granted. Even more, he’s about to lose his only chance for lasting love.

How can Erik convince Sadie that the well-known adage “Marry your best friend” just might apply to them? With God’s help, can they both move past their assumptions about each other and their future? Should Sadie and Erik risk taking their relationship to the romantic point of no return? If they do, their decades-long friendship is as a good as done . . . unless it ends at the altar.


My Review

The friendship and banter between the main characters in this novella was fun to read. It was interesting to see how complicated it can be moving from a platonic to romantic relationship- the missteps and miscommunication, the hesitance and apprehension. Even though Sadie and Erik aren't always on the same page, they eventually get there and sparks fly!

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

Thursday, January 1, 2015

Free e-book: Undeniably Yours by Becky Wade


http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B85M0FO/?tag=thevespro08-20

Freebie alert! Download Undeniably Yours by Becky Wade for free TODAY ONLY!
(be sure to double-check the price before purchasing since e-book sales are for a limited time)

http://www.amazon.comhttp://www.goodreads.com

Synopsis

When Meg Cole’s father dies unexpectedly, she becomes the majority shareholder of his oil company and the single inheritor of his fortune. Though Meg is soft-spoken and tenderhearted–more interested in art than in oil–she’s forced to return home to Texas and to Whispering Creek Ranch to take up the reins of her father’s empire.
 

The last thing she has the patience or the sanity to deal with? Her father’s thoroughbred racehorse farm. She gives its manager, Bo Porter, six months to close the place down.
 

Bo’s determined to resent the woman who’s decided to rob him of his dream. But instead of anger, Meg evokes within him a profound desire to protect. The more time he spends with her, the more he longs to overcome every obstacle that separates them–her wealth, his unworthiness, her family’s outrage–and earn the right to love her.
 

But just when Meg begins to realize that Bo might be the one thing on the ranch worth keeping, their fragile bond is viciously broken by a force from Meg’s past. Can their love–and their belief that God can work through every circumstance–survive?