Monday, June 4, 2018

Unforgettable Love Event: Author Brooke St. James - Freebie & Giveaway!

   




 JFK to Dublin by Brooke St. James 

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Sarah Spicer took this saying to heart, at least where love was concerned. She had given up any hope in ever finding a decent man. She was convinced they had only one thing on their minds and were untrustworthy and unfit for relationships. This was exactly why she had a strict no-dating policy. That was before she met Collin Ross. He was handsome, successful, and possessed a refined confidence that any woman would have adored. Well, any woman except for Sarah. Her indifference toward his charms made gaining her affection difficult. But patience is a virtue, and Collin was determined to prove that if there was a man worthy of winning her heart, he was the one.   


Available on Kindle Unlimited





   



“What are you thinking when you look at Sarah here?” Macy asked, obviously talking to the guy.

I glanced at her with a terrified expression, even though I had no idea where she was headed with the question. She had asked it loudly enough that we all turned to look at her, and she stared straight at the ruggedly handsome bus boy who was now holding our used dishes. He smiled curiously at her, and she reached out to pat my back, causing him to glance at me.

“This is Sarah,” she said, horrifying me. “Would you mind telling us what you were thinking just now when you were staring at her?”

“Macy!” I whispered.

She smiled at me and gestured toward the guy. “I just wanted to know what he had on his mind when you two were looking at each other.” She turned to face him. “I was trying to see if she was right about guys, that’s all.”

“Oh, my goodness, you need to leave that poor man alone, Macy.” I shook my head as I lowered my gaze, putting my fingertips and thumb on my eyebrows and waiting for him to walk away.

He did not do as I hoped. Instead, he stood there. “I don’t mind telling you what I was thinking, but if something’s awkward…” He trailed off, and I knew he was looking at me. I could feel it.

“Nothing’s awkward,” Macy assured him. She nudged me with her elbow, and I glanced up to smile at the guy, feeling red-faced and horrified.

He wore a curious half-smile as he stared at me, letting his light eyes roam all over my face. I blinked and stared down shyly. “I was thinking she looked like sunshine, actually.”

    




I've read a lot of Brooke St. James's books and am delighted to say that this series is my favorite. Unlike some of her other series, the continuity here is provided by a common interest more than blood family ties, but we see this group turn into family. 

I love the art, the philanthropy, the fun banter and humor, and of course the clean romance. 

In this one, I love Sarah's standards, her realization about forgiveness, and her trust. Collin's respect for her is also wonderful, even standing up to her parents. Highly recommend. 

Ms St James has some very good insight on forgiveness. An easy book to read with a fairytale ending.

What a terrific story! I was hooked from the moment I began the first few sentences....working in New York, I completely related with Sarah and the amount of people crossing the street at the same time :-) 

The story was just so lovely....I also married my husband after knowing him for a few days...and still going strong 26 years later :-) 


   
 

Author Brooke St. James 


Brooke St. James is a bestselling author of contemporary romance novels with Christian and inspirational themes and happy endings. She was born and raised in south Louisiana but has had the opportunity to travel and live throughout the U.S. An avid reader, writer, audio book addict, and fan of all things artistic, Brooke constantly has her hands in some creative activity. She's currently back home in Louisiana enjoying life with her husband, children, and two lazy dogs.  


 
 
 

 



Giveaway Details $25 Amazon Gift Code or PayPal Cash Ends 6/30/18 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use money sent via Paypal or gift codes via Amazon.com. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. This giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.    





Friday, June 1, 2018

Review: Say You Love Me by Heather B. Moore


Book Three in the Pine Valley series

Heidi Reads... Say You Love Me by Heather B. Moore
  
 My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

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

Synopsis

Clara Benson is not looking for a relationship, especially not after her losing her teaching position, followed by a disastrous breakup with her fiancé, and the sudden death of the grandma who raised her. In fact, Clara picks up and moves to escape her mess of memories. She hopes that Pine Valley will be the perfect place to heal from heartache.

When she meets her boss’s lawyer, Dawson Harris, Clara can’t deny her attraction. But she’s determined to choose herself, and her healing, over a guy who might be charming, attractive, and oh, so appealing. Easy, right? But when Dawson becomes the one person who can straighten out her mess, she realizes that finding herself doesn’t have to be mean losing Dawson.

My Review

Loved it! Lots of sweet moments balanced with hesitation and angst, I was captivated by the pull between Dawson and Clara, and their struggle to cope with their issues while also not letting them prevent a future together. Dawson is not the typical leading man I prefer, but his vulnerability and eagerness to please Clara made him easy to like. They had great rapport and banter which I always love in contemporary romance! This book was a pleasure to read and made me look forward to the next book in the Pine Valley series. A perfect beach read for the summer at a great price!

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)



Check out the other books in the Pine Valley series . . .

Book One
Heidi Reads... Worth the Risk by Heather B. Moore


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

Synopsis

When Alicia moves back to Pine Valley to help her mom through a serious addiction, the last person she wants to see is her teenage crush, Jeff Finch, who destroyed their friendship in one single disastrous night. But Alicia is determined to not let anything about Jeff affect her, especially since she hasn’t seen him in ten years. All she knows is that he’s living a successful and charmed life, and she is more than happy to keep anything between them in the past. But when he shows up with a date at the restaurant where she works, Alicia realizes she’s still not over her feelings, and Jeff is definitely looking at her in a way he never has before.

Book Two
Heidi Reads... Where I Belong by Heather B. Moore


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

Synopsis

Jane Morris makes a living by cleaning the houses of the wealthy residents of Pine Valley, and she tries hard not to judge their extravagant lifestyles. But when one of her clients goes through a devastating breakup with his fiancĂ©, Jane finds herself in the middle of his emotional mess. She wants to help him, but Cameron Vance is a man she could easily lose her heart to. Jane agrees to be his date to the charity event of the year, organized by Cameron’s mother. But the magical night shows Jane that if she’s a Cinderella, then Cameron is definitely a candidate for Prince Charming.

Book Four
https://amzn.to/2HXukHm

(releases June 12, 2018)

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

Synopsis

Gwen Robbins loves her job waitressing at the Pine Valley resort restaurant, and as a single woman, she has no trouble turning down any offers of dates from the restaurant patrons. Even when her boss, Seth Owens, shows interest in her, she’s not tempted in the least, no matter how strong their attraction.

But when Seth helps her through a crisis, she begins to see him in a different light. He’s not the rich and privileged business owner she first makes him out to be, but a man who’s making huge sacrifices to follow his own dreams. As Seth encourages Gwen to mend her own divide with her family, she realizes her heart is slowly opening toward a better future.





Unforgettable Love: A Clean Romance Event $100 Giveaway!

 

Unforgettable Love
A Clean Romance Event
Hosted by I Am A Reader
  
During the month of June, we will be featuring 14 fabulous authors who write clean romance. There will be giveaways, free ebooks and great deals on books!  

Check out this great list of authors we will be spotlighting!

 
We are starting off with a $100 Giveaway!

 

Giveaway Details One lucky winner will receive a $100 Amazon Gift Code or $100 in Paypal Cash. Ends 6/30/18 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use money sent via PayPal or gift codes via Amazon.com. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. This giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the participating authors. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.    





Beach Reads Giveaway Hop!



https://www.stuckinbooks.com/2018/05/beach-reads-giveaway-hop.html

Happy summer! I'm so excited for some quality beach time. Enter the giveaway below for a print copy of Hurricane Season by Lauren K. Denton, and then check out the other blogs on the hop!

https://amzn.to/2LfHD6n

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

Synopsis

Betsy and Ty Franklin, owners of Franklin Dairy Farm in southern Alabama, have decided to put life’s disappointments behind them. At least in theory. Ty manages their herd of dairy cows, while Betsy busies herself with the farm’s day-to-day operations and tries to forget the longing for motherhood set deep in her heart. But when Betsy’s free-spirited younger sister Jenna drops her young daughters off at the farm to attend a two-week art retreat in Florida, Betsy’s carefully constructed wall of self-protection begins to crumble.

As those two weeks stretch much farther into the hot Alabama summer, Betsy and Ty learn to navigate the new additions in their world and revel in a home that’s suddenly filled with the sound of laughter and life. Meanwhile, record heat promises to usher in the most active hurricane season in decades.

Four hundred miles away, Jenna is fighting her own battles. She’d once been free to travel and pursue a career in photography, but all that changed with the appearance of two pink lines on a plastic stick and a boyfriend who hit the road. At Halcyon art retreat, she finally has the time and energy to focus on her photography. As the summer continues, she wonders how her rediscovered passion can fit in with the life she’s made back home with her two children.

When Hurricane Ingrid aims her steady eye at the Alabama coast, Jenna must make a decision that could affect both her and her children’s futures, and Betsy and Ty find themselves protecting their beloved farm as well as their own hearts.









Tuesday, May 29, 2018

Review: The Librarian and Her Beast by Laura Ann


Heidi Reads... The Librarian and Her Beast by Laura Ann

My rating: 3 stars / I liked it

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

Synopsis

Welcome to Middleton Prep, a place where fairy tales and modern day collide. Where fair maidens spend their time developing lesson plans and valiant knights do battle with unreliable wifi signals; all in the hopes of finding True Love.

Librarian Piper Belmont’s world turns topsy turvy when new football coach Nash Wilde joins the staff at her school. Tall, dark and handsome, he’s every girl’s dream...until Piper realizes he only speaks in grunts and nods. Determined not to judge a book by its cover, Piper agrees to go out with him.

Just as they are getting to know each other, a family emergency forces Piper to leave town. Will she ever get the chance learn the secrets behind Nash’s silence? Or will the staff’s reigning beauty queen catch Nash’s interest before Piper gets back?

The Librarian and Her Beast is the first book in the Middleton Prep series. Each book is a stand alone story, but the series is best read in order. Every installment is a loosely based, contemporary retelling of a favorite fairy tale, full of swoon worthy kisses and, of course, a Happily Ever After.


My Review

I enjoyed this cute novella with a fun premise- classic fairy tale characters are modern day teachers and staff at a high school. This story is obviously based on Beauty and the Beast, and I thought it was a nice nod to make Piper the librarian. She's likeable and has some funny quirks. Nash represents the Beast as a nearly mute math teacher and football coach (although his brawniness comes off as hot rather than fearsome). The mystery of why he wouldn't talk kept me reading and while I thought Piper was enabling him by "playing a one-sided game of twenty questions," it drew out the relationship until other conflicts enter the plot to mix things up. They have great physical chemistry in the beginning of their relationship, and over time they learn to read each other and grow closer in other ways. The villain was way over the top which was a turn-off since I prefer more subtlety and dimensionality. Overall it was a fun bit of fluff that provided a nice escape for an evening.

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)


Spotlight & Giveaway: A Thousand Sleepelss Nights by Teri Harman




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

Synopsis

Is love stronger than grief?

After the death of her Aunt Jetty, the woman who raised her, Matilda White packs a single suitcase, leaving behind her home, her small town in Kansas, and the man she’s supposed to marry.
Henry Craig is a writer—if only he could find the right words. While sitting at a worn table in a Detroit library he sees a new librarian, Matidla, and suddenly the world erupts with words.

Six years later, Matilda and Henry load their young daughter Lucy, two antique typewriters, and a box of Henry’s love letters into the car and head off to a new life. But one snowstorm and a slippery road take it all away. In that black moment of tragedy Matilda turns to Henry and says, “I wish I’d never met you.”

The world goes dark.

Matilda wakes up in Jetty’s dilapidated house with no memory of the last six years. Beside her on the bed, a book and an antique typewriter.

Henry wakes up in his familiar spot in the library, a book and old typewriter squatting on the table beside him. He can’t remember the last six years.

Can words on a typed page, sent from one typewriter to another, push aside tar-thick pain and resurrect love?


About the Author

Teri Harman has believed in all things wondrous and haunting since her childhood days of sitting in the highest tree branches reading Roald Dahl and running in the rain imagining stories of danger and romance. She’s the author of three previous books: Blood Moon, Black Moon, and Storm Moon. She also writes about books for ksl.com, and contributed regular book segments to “Studio 5 with Brooke Walker,” Utah’s number one lifestyle show. She lives in Utah with her husband and three children. Visit her at teriharman.com.




Giveaway

 Giveaway is subject to policies HERE.




Tour Schedule



Saturday, May 26, 2018

Review: Second Chance in Paradise by Jennifer Peel


Heidi Reads... Second Chance in Paradise by Jennifer Peel

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

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

Synopsis

A first love that deserves a second chance.

Doctoral student Holland Reeves may have aced every class she’s ever taken, but when it comes to life outside her lab, she finds she has more meaningful relationships with test tubes and pipettes than she does with people. That all changes when a surprise wedding invitation arrives, forcing her to return to the small coastal town of Paradise and the Clairborne Resort, where she left her first dream of being Mrs. Clairborne to begin the dream of becoming Dr. Reeves. There she must face her past and, to her surprise, the only man she ever loved, Porter Clairborne, the prodigal son who has unexpectedly returned.

Together, Holland and Porter must decide if their love deserves a second chance, and if Paradise will finally live up to its name or forever remain a town of broken dreams.


My Review

All the feels! I don't know how, it must be some kind of writer magic, but this author totally sucked me into Holland's mind and I felt all the emotion right along with her- uncertainty, angst, compassion, hope, and joy. It's even more impressive because Holland is such a different person that I normally wouldn't relate to- her scientific approach to everything, her quirky random science facts at inopportune moments, her coping mechanism of reciting the periodic table- became endearing and funny. It really worked for me to see her use those methods to sort through the tension (emotional and romantic) and face her long-repressed feelings in order to determine if she has a future with Porter.

Porter was such a great leading man- so charming, but well-balanced by humility as he seeks to make restitution for his past choices. I loved his determination to win Holland's trust and love again, and I loved even more that she made him work for it, but not in a mean way, just that he really needed to prove himself with actions to back up his words. I absolutely loved his family and the important role they play in Holland opening herself up to love and affection. His stepmother Natalie was especially integral to drawing Holland out and giving her a confidant and mother figure that was missing from her life. I'm so thrilled that there is a follow-up book with Natalie and Beau's story!!!

The romantic tension and chemistry was off-the-hook, and there is plenty of romance as Holland and Porter's relationship progresses from distant memories to much, much more. I appreciate that the special moments balanced sensual with respectful, and while the physical attraction was palpable, the focus was on the emotional connection of the relationship. All the little details and mannerisms made this story one that I savored and literally couldn't put down. Highly recommend!

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)


The Destined for Love: Resorts collection:

Matched by Design by Lindzee Armstrong
Keep Me At Christmas by Lucinda Whitney
Second Chance in Paradise by Jennifer Peel
The Trust of a Billionaire by Michelle Pennington
Marrying an Athlete by Anne-Marie Meyer
Her Big Fat Dreamy Billionaire Ex by Victorine E. Lieske
If the Suit Fits by Sally Johnson
Kings Crossed Lovers by Donna K. Weaver