Happy Valentine's Day! Enter for a chance to win Love Without End by Robin Lee Hatcher, then check out the other blogs in the giveaway hop for more chances to win!
Download The Butterfly and the Violin by Kristy Cambron for only 99 cents!
I've heard this is an amazing book. It has so many 5 star reviews on Goodreads and a personal recommendation from my cousin Marisa who has excellent taste :)
Synopsis
A Mysterious painting breathes hope and beauty into the darkest corners of Auschwitz--and the loneliest hearts of Manhattan.
Manhattan
art dealer Sera James watched her world crumble at the altar two years
ago, and her heart is still fragile. Her desire for distraction
reignites a passion for a mysterious portrait she first saw as a young
girl--a painting of a young violinist with piercing blue eyes.
In
her search for the painting, Sera crosses paths with William
Hanover--the grandson of a wealthy California real estate mogul--who may
be the key to uncovering the hidden masterpiece. Together Sera and
William slowly unravel the story behind the painting's subject: Austrian
violinist Adele Von Bron.
A darling of the Austrian aristocracy
of 1942, talented violinist, and daughter to a high-ranking member of
the Third Reich, Adele risks everything when she begins smuggling Jews
out of Vienna. In a heartbeat, her life of prosperity and privilege
dissolves into a world of starvation and barbed wire.
As Sera
untangles the secrets behind the painting, she finds beauty in the most
unlikely of places: the grim camps of Auschwitz and the inner recesses
of her own troubled heart.
Celebrate the release of Dani Pettrey's newest book Sabotaged by entering the Heart of Adventure Sweepstakes!
About the Sweepstakes
In SABOTAGED,
the fifth and final book of author Dani Pettrey’s award-winning Alaskan
Courage series, Kirra Jacobs and Reef McKenna experience the high
stakes of Iditarod search-and-rescue when Kirra’s uncle, a musher in the
race, goes missing. Kirra and Reef put aside their differences to search for him, but
what they discover is harrowing: Frank’s daughter Meg has been
kidnapped, and Frank must do the kidnapper’s bidding or Meg will die. Soon Kirra, Reef, and the entire McKenna family are thrown into a
race to stop a shadowy villain who is not only threatening a girl’s
life, but appears willing to unleash one of the largest disasters Alaska
has ever seen. To celebrate their epic race, Dani and Bethany House Publishers are
pleased to present the HEART OF ADVENTURE SWEEPSTAKES, and your chance
to win one of three marvelous prizes, all closely connected to the
story. Timeframe & Notifications: This giveaway starts February 2, 2015 and ends February 22, 2015 @ 11:59 pm (PST). Entry is open to US residents only, age 18 and over. Winners will be selected Monday, February 23, 2015, and announced at DaniPettrey.com.
About the Prizes GRAND PRIZE:
LUXURIOUS LODGE GETAWAY
During their cross-country hunt for answers, Kirra and Reef stop to
rest at a gorgeous mountain lodge in Denali that holds special memories
for Reef. This prize offers you a chance to build your own special
memories, with a luxurious lodge getaway for two. Our Grand Prize winner will receive: A $250 gift certificate
to Hotels.com, good for reservations at lodges and hotels across the
Continental US, Alaska, Hawaii, and numerous International locations SECOND PRIZE:
PALS WITH PAWS DONATION
In the Alaskan Courage series, Kirra is the proud owner of Nanook
Haven, a rescue shelter for sled dogs. In real life, animals need rescue
as well, and this prize will allow you to give a special gift to
support an organization like Kirra’s. Our Second Prize winner will receive: A $150 donation in your name, to the animal rescue, shelter, or veterinarian of your choice THIRD PRIZE: SWEETHEART SURVIVAL SLED In SABOTAGED, Kirra and Reef take shelter in a snow cave while hiding
from a man determined to put them on ice– permanently! Luckily, Kirra
has a survival kit, to help them make it through the sub-zero
temperatures. If you prefer a little more romance and a little less suspense in your survival kit, this is the prize for you. Our Third Prize winner will receive: A $100 value sweetheart
survival pack. This gift basket includes double chocolate raspberry
cake, smoked salmon, brie cheese and crackers, and a wide variety of
gourmet snacks
Abigail Foster fears she
will end up a spinster, especially as she has little dowry to improve
her charms and the one man she thought might marry her--a longtime
friend--has fallen for her younger, prettier sister. When financial
problems force her family to sell their London home, a strange solicitor
arrives with an astounding offer: the use of a distant manor house
abandoned for eighteen years. The Fosters journey to imposing Pembrooke
Park and are startled to find it entombed as it was abruptly left: tea
cups encrusted with dry tea, moth-eaten clothes in wardrobes, a doll's
house left mid-play . . .
The handsome local curate welcomes
them, but though he and his family seem to know something about the
manor's past, the only information they offer Abigail is a warning:
Beware trespassers who may be drawn by rumors that Pembrooke contains a
secret room filled with treasure.
Hoping to improve her family's
financial situation, Abigail surreptitiously searches for the hidden
room, but the arrival of anonymous letters addressed to her, with clues
about the room and the past, bring discoveries even more startling. As
secrets come to light, will Abigail find the treasure and love she
seeks...or very real danger?
My Review
LOVED IT! I envisioned Abigail as a slightly younger Anne Elliot from Austen's Persuasion, an intelligent daughter dealing with diminished finances, just old enough to be on the brink of spinsterhood yet lovely in her own right, and less impressed with society than her family members.
The adventure of moving into the long uninhabited and mysterious manor kept the pace of the book moving quickly, with bits and pieces of the history of Pembrooke Park are revealed throughout the novel. I enjoyed the friendship that developed between Abigail and the caretaker's warm-hearted family, especially with the youngest daughter who always loved to visit to play with the manor's replica dollhouse.
Even though there is attraction from the start, Abigail and William's strong friendship creates a foundation of trust and loyalty that is tested by the interest of Abigail's beautiful younger sister, her childhood crush, and a distant cousin. I loved how William would often catch Abigail off-guard with a flirtatious comment or adventurous twinkle in his eye. The chemistry between them grows steadily and their special moments are oh-so-romantic!
The author weaves in themes of guilt, forgiveness, family bonds, children dealing with the sins of a father, and choosing earthly treasure or treasures in heaven. This is definitely going to be a book I re-read several times in the future :)
(Thank you to Bethany House Publishing for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review)