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)