Review & Giveaway: A Place for Miss Snow by Jennifer Moore

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

Synopsis

Miss Diana Snow is everything a British chaperone should be—she finds satisfaction in order and depends wholly upon the rules of decorum as she negotiates the isle of Greece with her young charge. But Miss Snow's prim and proper exterior masks a disquieting past: orphaned and alone in the world, she has only her stiff upper lip to rely on. When a brief encounter with a handsome stranger challenges her rules of propriety, Diana is unwittingly drawn into an adventure that will turn her ordered world upside down.

Alexandros Metaxas is a Greek spy working to recruit individuals to the cause of revolution. His mission seems to be going perfectly until he encounters Diana Snow, a captivating—if slightly cold—beauty. When their paths cross again, the ill-fated reunion threatens all Alex has been fighting for. But more importantly, it places Diana's life in jeopardy. There is only one way to save her: they must put themselves at the mercy of the most powerful pirate family in the Mediterranean. Soon, Diana is plunged into a fantastic world of gypsy curses, blood feuds, and unexpected romance. But when a bitter vendetta places her in mortal danger, will she have the courage to fight for life and love?

My Review

I read this entire book in one sitting. It was that good. It also helped that everyone in the house had gone to bed ;) I love Regency romance, but I especially love this kind of Regency romance- the kind that takes you out of the parlors and ballrooms and lets you experience what the rest of the world is experiencing at the time. Diana's circumstances as an orphan allow her to fully embrace the lifestyle in Greece and the overwhelming sense of family she yearns for. The politics of the clans, the British and the Turks in Greece is fascinating, and my eyes were opened to the oppression and abuse the Greeks endured from the Turks for 400 years. The bright spot in Diana's new life is Alex, who is an enigma to her because he shows interest in her when she is used to being thought of as insignificant. While each character in the book is vividly portrayed and the story is told from both Alex and Diana's points of view, Diana is the character I came to know the most. She has distinct mannerisms and methods of coping through the pain she feels- or avoids feeling. I loved that Alex gently showed her that processing her emotions is important. Her strength and intelligence attracts him to her and their love steadily blossoms, even though they know that a future together is too dangerous. The members of the family that take Diana in enrich the story and I loved every sweet, suspenseful, thoughtful, and heart-wrenching moment that I read. Highly recommend!

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

Follow the Blog Tour:

Sept. 5th

My Book a Day

Rockin' Book Reviews

LDS Writer Mom

Literary Time Out

Kindle and Me

Sept. 6th

Joy in the Moments

A Transparent Mom

Heidi Reads...

Bookworm Lisa

Sept. 7th

Min Reads and Reviews

Wishful Endings

Bonnie Gets a Say

Sept. 8th

LDS and Lovin' It

Katie's Clean Book Collection

Mel's Shelves

Singing Librarian Books

Sept. 9th

Books Are Sanity

Getting Your Read On

 Bloggin' 'Bout Books

Fire and Ice Reads

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: A Rancher of Convenience by Regina Scott

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

Synopsis

Fill-In Father…and Husband  

Sweet mail-order bride Nancy Bennett can't believe it when her husband is exposed as a cattle rustler—and killed. And when the banker holding the ranch's mortgage questions whether she can run the ranch on her own, the pregnant widow has nowhere to turn. Until steady foreman Hank Snowden proposes marriage…

Wracked with grief about his role in Lucas Bennett's death, Hank resolves to do right by the man's wife and child. So it's natural for him to step in as Nancy's newly minted husband. But the marriage of convenience may become more than a mere obligation…if only Hank and his bride can brave the first steps toward elusive true love.

My Review

I enjoyed the twist of a former mail-order bride entering a new marriage of convenience. Nancy and Hank already admire each other from working together on the ranch, but both have a fear of trusting their heart to another again. Their affection grows to stronger romantic feelings gradually as they unite purposes to save the ranch as an inheritance for her baby. Together they face the threat of foreclosure, more rustlers, the truth of Lucas' death, and demands from Hank's family. The other ranch hands and their friends in the small community provide support and help them see that a true marriage is something of value that is worth striving for. I loved the sweetness and respect in Nancy and Hank's relationship. They helped each other recognize that they deserved love and that they could find it together. While the overall pace was somewhat slow, the descriptions of the setting and details of the time period made it easy to envision, and the romance between Nancy and Hank didn't feel rushed, but had time to develop naturally. The strongest theme of the story is the importance of family.

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

Review: Chasing Fireflies by Taylor Dean

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

Synopsis

My sisters think I’m crazy.

But, I’ve never forgotten the mysterious woman from my childhood who told me Paul is the name of my one true love. She told me to search far and wide for him. I haven’t stopped looking ever since.

When I stumble across an article about a successful American entrepreneur named Paul who lives and works in China, I’m intrigued. When the opportunity to teach English in China presents itself on the same day, I know it’s not a coincidence. It’s destiny. 

My sisters say I’m chasing a dream. Just like the fireflies we tried to catch on the warm summer evenings of our youth, the dream seems beyond my grasp. Will my quest for the elusive Paul always be just short of fulfillment?

My sisters tell me it’s a fool’s errand. Until I remind them of the day we saw the Red Bird. The memory silences them. The Red Bird Incident remains inarguable—and proves my search for Paul is not a silly fantasy.

I will find Paul . . . I will.

My Review

Despite my misgivings over some of Savannah's choices, this story grabbed me and drew me in. It's told in first person perspective so I felt like I was really in her head as the story progresses. There are still surprises along the way as Savannah alludes to significant events in her life that are fully revealed later in the book. I related to her shyness and struggle with socializing, and admired her attempts to reach beyond her comfort zone to more fully experience life. She meets and befriends a wide variety of people on her adventure in China, and they all create a colorful palette as she searches for her one true love. The romantic moments are oh-so-romantic, well-described and drawn out enough to savor, which I absolutely loved! This novel is definitely one of my favorites from the Power of the Matchmaker series!

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

Review: One Small Chance by Lucinda Whitney

* Sale Alert * 

The e-book of One Small Chance is currently only 99 cents! (And free on Kindle Unlimited)

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

Synopsis

Isabel Antunes is content with her life as director of the English Academy in Lisbon. Then she’s hit by a man on a bike—a man her boss just hired to be her assistant. Despite Simon Ackerley’s repeated assurances to the contrary, Isabel believes he’s after her position, but she won’t hand it over without a fight. As if dealing with him all week is not enough, he shows up at church as well. Her only solace is in writing to the pen pal she knows as “Elliot”.

Simon Ackerley told his father that he was moving to Lisbon for the job. But that isn’t the only reason. Simon is looking for Amélie, the pen pal he’s written for fifteen years. A woman he knows everything about—except her real name and address.
 
When the biking accident reveals that Simon’s prickly co-worker Isabel is the elusive Amélie, he knows he has to win her trust before he can confess his true identity. If only he could tell her the actual reason why he’s come, he’s sure Isabel would treat him differently. But she’s not ready for the truth.

One Small Chance is a standalone novella of 43,000 words and it’s set in Lisbon, Portugal. It’s a clean and wholesome contemporary LDS romance.

My Review

I loved this sweet story with a "You've Got Mail" theme. The characters are well-fleshed out and the story and plot has a full arc. It didn't feel too short like novellas often do and when I finished the last page I just had to sigh in satisfaction. The setting of Portugal played a huge part in making the story stand out. It was so fun to imagine the foreign location and accents and the vivid descriptions were subtle without taking over the narrative. I was able to connect with both Isabel and Simon and felt the emotions they were experiencing as they grew closer together in spite of the struggles they face. Highly recommend!

(I purchased a copy of this book; this is my honest review)