Thursday, February 28, 2019

Review & Giveaway: A Monumental Love by Susan Alyworth


Heidi Reads... A Monumental Love by Susan Alyworth

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

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A Monumental Love is FREE for Kindle Unlimited subscribers!

Synopsis

Roxelle McCann is eager to meet the family of her best friend, so she takes a mini-vacation to the Navajo Nation. Roxelle expects to find out more about Navajo language and customs and to be awed by the beauty of Monument Valley. She does not expect to find love among the monuments. The man she meets offers both a surprising possible future and a tender reminder of the past.

My Review

I appreciated the unusual setting in this novella of a remote Indian reservation. It was interesting and Roxelle was respectful of the heritage and culture of her friend. Roxelle had a rough childhood but it helped her bond with her roommate and they became unlikely best friends. I liked that Roxelle worked hard and has a bright future ahead of her, but she really dwelt on the past and how it shaped her. After a bit of a mix up, she has a wonderful encounter with someone she admired from afar, and I enjoyed seeing them get reacquainted. I would have liked to see more conversations and scenes as their relationship deepened. Even though it looks like they will have to sacrifice their dreams in order to be together, everything works out in the end. A sweet love story!

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


About the author

Susan Aylworth loves books, poems, plays, words in almost all polite forms, and good raspberry 
jam. Her first book, started when she was nine, "was a rip-off of Black Beauty. I wrote eight 
whole pages." For her fifth grade career day, she stated her ambition to become "a rich and famous 
author." Decades later, she is pleased to have achieved the 'author' part of that goal.

A former university professor, she enjoys researching backgrounds and careers for her novels. "It's 
one way to live many lives all at once." Servant to two spoiled cats, she lives in northern California 
with her writer husband, Roger. She wishes the kids would visit more often.

Susan loves "travel, great music, and hearing from readers." Reach her at 
susan.aylworth.author@gmail.com, post on her wall at:
www.facebook.com/Susan.Aylworth.Author or follow her @SusanAylworth. "If you enjoy my 
books, please tell everyone you know: friends, relatives, neighbors, the person who delivers your 
mail, people you meet in line in the grocery store, everyone!" She welcomes ideas for new books 
and characters.





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Tour Schedule





Blog Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway: Never Let Go by Elizabeth Goddard


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Welcome to the Blog Tour for Never Let Go, the first book in the Uncommon Justice series by Elizabeth Goddard with JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK

9780800729844Title: Never Let Go 
Series: Uncommon Justice #1  
Author: Elizabeth Goddard 
Publisher: Revell 
Genre: Romantic Suspense  
Release Date: February 5, 2019
  
The case may be cold, but things are about to heat up.

Forensic genealogist Willow Anderson is following in her late grandfather's footsteps in her quest for answers about a baby abducted from a hospital more than twenty years ago. When someone makes an attempt on Willow's life to keep her from discovering the truth, help will come from an unexpected source.

Ex-FBI agent--and Willow's ex-flame--Austin McKade readily offers to protect the woman he never should have let get away. Together they'll follow where the clues lead them, even if it means Austin must face the past he's spent much of his life trying to forget--and put Willow's tender heart at risk.






ABOUT THE AUTHOR

17059 
Photo Credit: Emilie Hendryx 

Elizabeth Goddard is the bestselling author of more than thirty books, including the Carol Award–winning The Camera Never Lies. Her Mountain Cove series books have been finalists in the Daphne du Maurier Awards and the Carol Awards. Goddard is a seventh-generation Texan and can be found online at www.elizabethgoddard.com.  

CONNECT WITH THE AUTHOR: website | facebook | twitter | instagram | pinterest
 


GIVEAWAY

never let go giveaway

(2) winners will win a copy of Never Let Go & swag from the publisher, Revell.

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule at JustRead Tours. Giveaway will begin at midnight February 21, 2019 and last through 11:59 PM EST on March 3, 2019. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. Due to shipping costs, only US mailing addresses valid. For our giveaway rules and policies, click HERE.



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Tuesday, February 26, 2019

Review: Pathways by Camille Peters


Heidi Reads... Pathways by Camille Peters

My rating: 3 stars / I liked it

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

Synopsis

Eileen has never been interested in love. Ever since her father's abandonment, she's vowed to never experience such pain again. But the enchanted forest has different ideas. When the continuously shifting pathways lead her to a mysterious stranger, Eileen finds her promise to fiercely guard her heart increasingly difficult to keep.

One night when she becomes lost in a storm, the enchanted forest's pathways lead her to the castle, home to the kingdom's Dark Prince, where Eileen finds herself entangled in what many consider an opportunity but which Eileen believes to be a curse: competing for the Dark Prince’s hand through a series of tests that judge one’s royal worth. Eileen is neither royal nor interested in becoming a princess. But the mysterious stranger she met in the woods has his own reasons for helping her succeed, although the cost of his assistance may be too high: that of Eileen's heart, the one thing she's vowed never to give.

Inspired by “The Princess and the Pea” and "Rumpelstiltskin"


My Review

I enjoy a good fantasy now and then, and I'm always up for a fairy tale retelling. I enjoyed the world building in this one, especially the enchanted forest which had its own personality. Eileen is a peasant living with her mother (never did figure out how they supported themselves) who spends all her time wandering, drawing, gossiping with her starry-eyed friend, and angsting over her father's disappearance. I thought her attitude and assumptions about his fate were immature, but this is a YA novel after all. Her meet up in the forest with Aiden was awkward and I was surprised at how quickly they went from fear to antagonistic mistrust to lovers for no apparent reason. I prefer the getting to know each other and falling in love parts to last longer! The whim of the forest is the impetus for sending Eileen into the castle to further the plot, and she's caught up in the princess test with the assistance of Aiden. His selfish reasons for withholding the truth from Eileen were flimsy and obviously backfired, but true love conquers all. I have to admit that the story was just unique enough to keep me reading, and the characters were likeable (even when I was frustrated with them), and it also had a nice secondary cast. Overall, I had my issues, but it was still a pleasant read!

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


Review: Abigail by Jess Heileman


Heidi Reads... Abigail by Jess Heileman

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

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

Synopsis

Since the death of her mother, Abigail Blakeslee has lost all desire to become a debutante and enter Society. But now, foregoing her first Season has brought an unwanted invitation to join her aunt and cousins for a summer at Timpton House, the large estate of the Stanton family.

Reluctantly accepting, Abigail is thrust into the vexing world of social propriety and matchmaking she had hoped to avoid. More vexing still is her cousin’s suitor, the young Timpton heir—Edwin Stanton. Moody and distant at times, remarkably endearing at others, Edwin seems a puzzle she can never solve, but can never quite put away. Bet then, Abigail has her own secret to hide—her own mystery to conceal. Perhaps such puzzles are better left unsolved, or perhaps love can find a solution.


My Review

This was a wonderful escape into the world of Regency England! I enjoyed Abigail and her somewhat unconventional attitude, and found it interesting who she chose to placate and who she felt she needed to be disrespectful to. She and Edwin definitely have a Darcy/Lizzie thing going, and it was fun seeing their interest and attraction despite their best efforts. I especially liked the parts where they get away from the house and are able to discover the deeper layers behind each of their facades. There are family secrets that are alluded to but also unexpected and bring quite the twist to the story.

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


Monday, February 25, 2019

Review: My Not So Wicked Stepbrother by Jennifer Peel


Heidi Reads... My Not So Wicked Stepbrother by Jennifer Peel

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

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

Synopsis

I, Emma Loveless, have a destiny. It's not the greatest of destinies, but when you have a name like Loveless, what can you do? I'm cursed to always be the friend, never the girlfriend. Unless you count my love affair with Duncan Hines, Dr. Pepper, and the ever-lovable Pillsbury Doughboy. They've seen me through it all, but a girl needs more than refined sugar to curl up to every night. It doesn't help that I have a meddling, albeit wonderful, mother who can't help playing matchmaker. Thanks to her, I can say I've been on a date with a felon. Now she swears she's found the one for me, her new optometrist, Dr. Sawyer King. Meanwhile, I'm preparing for the inevitable restraining order. That is, until I meet the sexy doctor and have to admit my mother is right--love at first sight does exist.

Unfortunately, my last name means business. Not only do I find myself in the friend zone, but also the twilight zone. Only in my world would Mr. Right turn into my stepbrother. To top it off, he brings with him a wicked stepmother who will do anything to keep us apart. Despite all this my heart--or is that my mom?--keeps telling me Sawyer is the one. But what if true love isn't strong enough to interfere with my destiny? It'll be me and the Doughboy...for eternity.


My Review

Loved it!!! The funny snark (yet not annoying) of Emma kept me entertained throughout this angst and drama fest balanced by witty humor, genuine compassion, true friendship, and toe curling romance. The characters jump off the page, and the first person perspective of Emma really gets the reader in her head. Two of my favorite tropes blend nicely here- unrequited love and friends to lovers- as Emma and Sawyer are made for each other... except tragedy strikes and they end up as step brother and sister. (Since everyone is an adult when this happened and they never had to live together, I didn't find it off-putting). The friendship between Emma and Sawyer is so sweet and full of yearning, that when conflict arose and drove a wedge between them, I really felt the emotion and could not put the book down. I can always count on this author to keep me engrossed in her books no matter the hour! (I've learned the hard way not to start one at bedtime...) Highly recommend for fans of clean contemporary romance with depth and emotion!

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


Review: Mending Fences by Suzanne Woods Fisher


Heidi Reads... Mending Fences by Suzanne Woods Fisher

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

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

Synopsis

Every saint has a past. Every sinner has a future.
 

Luke Schrock is a new and improved man after a stint in rehab, though everyone in Stoney Ridge only remembers the old Luke. They might have forgiven him, but nobody trusts him.

Amos and Fern Lapp allow Luke to live at Windmill Farm under two conditions. First, Luke must make a sincere apology to each person he's hurt--a four-page, single-spaced list. Second, he must ask each victim of mischief to describe the damage he caused.

Simple, Luke thinks. Offering apologies is easy. But discovering the lasting effects his careless actions have caused . . . that isn't so simple. It's gut-wrenching.

And his list keeps growing. Izzy Miller, beautiful and frustratingly aloof, also boards at Windmill Farm. Luke's clumsy efforts to befriend Izzy only insult and annoy her. Eager to impress, Luke sets out to prove himself to her by locating her mother. When he does, her identity sends shock waves through Stoney Ridge.


My Review

I love this author's books for the deep themes she deftly explores. Normally I want romance to be the focus of a book, but the author did such a fabulous job showing the redemption journey of Luke and how he changes. I love the balance of subtle nudges and more attention-getting epiphanies that contribute to the opening of his eyes, the development of his conscience, and compassion for others. It was so thought-provoking and I appreciated that it was not an instant or overnight change, but a more realistic shift over many experiences and talks with mentors. He learns from the wisdom and examples of several people in the community- David Stoltzfus, the bishop, Amos, Fern and Izzy who he lives with at Windmill Farm, Teddy Zook and Annie Smucker who he works so hard to make amends with. Even though the story begins with Luke full of flaws and a flawed perspective, he wasn't completely unlikeable, and it helped that David had faith in him. I was really rooting for him and it was gratifying to see him get in touch with his emotions, comprehend the consequences of thoughtless choices, and experience the sweetness of forgiveness. There is some romance with his challenging friendship with Izzy, and I'm hoping we will see more of them in the next book!

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


#RomanceIsInTheAir - Author Delaney Cameron, Freebie & Giveaway

 




   

Yours, With Love by Delaney Cameron 

A modern Beauty and the Beast... 

An unexpected inheritance brings Ellen back to her hometown of St. Marys. After an absence of ten years, she never expects to run into Quinn, one of her sister’s old boyfriends and her teenage obsession. If it's true that it's a small world, it's also true that it can be a cruel one. The good-looking eighteen-year-old who touched her young heart is no more. In his place is a man whose life has been torn apart by tragedy and loss. 

There was a time when Quinn believed love could conquer all; that there was nothing it couldn’t overcome. Losing Avery changed all that. Her rejection was a painful lesson in the limitations of human love. Ellen’s sudden reappearance in his life is a complication he didn't anticipate. She epitomizes everything he wants and everything he can’t have. Her touch awakens not a sleeping giant bent on destruction, but a tormented soul desperate for affection and acceptance. Is love a shallow emotion that flees at the first sign of adversity or will it wait forever for the one whose heart it seeks? 




 




  

As Quinn watched Ellen’s slim fingers remove more material from the spool, he knew it was going to be next to impossible to remain indifferent to her. Already she was consuming his thoughts and influencing his behavior. She epitomized everything he wanted and everything he couldn’t have. Like a piece of forbidden fruit dangling just out of his reach.

A small part of him wished she hadn’t reentered his life again, arousing unwanted desires and disturbing the calm surface of his existence like a pebble skipping across water. She was a complication he hadn’t anticipated and wasn’t prepared for. Like a patient dealing with the effects of anesthetic, the emotions he’d put to sleep all those months ago were slowly waking.

With an effort, he forced his thoughts in another direction. “What colors would you choose for your own wedding?”

“Probably blue, as long as my husband-to-be agrees, of course.”

“Why would he disagree? You’d look pretty in blue.”

“I wouldn’t be the one wearing it.”

“Well, then, you’d look pretty in white. How’s that?”

She glanced at him and smiled. “Very nice.”

Quinn felt that dizzy sensation sweep over him again. He frantically searched his mind for another topic of conversation. “What do you do when you’re not arranging flowers?”

“During the week, I usually come home and collapse on the couch. If I’m feeling energetic, I’ll do a few rounds on my treadmill. On the weekends when I don’t have a wedding, I like scouring antique stores for unique items to use in the shop. Other times I go to the park or to Cumberland Island.”

“I haven’t been to Cumberland Island since high school. It was a fieldtrip with my science class. I didn’t pay much attention to the scenery or the wildlife. I was too interested in trying to sneak away from the group so I could be alone with your sister.”

“That sounds normal for a teenage boy.”

Ellen reached in front of him for the floral wire, close enough that her hair brushed against his cheek. His pulse leapt to life as if she’d actually touched him. He swallowed quickly, feeling more like a teenage boy than a man old enough to have a teenager.

“I’m going to get the chance to redeem myself. I’m taking a photography class. One of our projects is to capture the essence of Georgia’s barrier islands. I was planning on going to Cumberland Island on Sunday.”

“In your preoccupation with Bethany, you might not have noticed that there are no amenities over there except water fountains and bathrooms.”

Quinn grinned. “I didn’t remember that, but my photography teacher mentioned it.”

“Would you like some company? I promise not to get in the way.”

He wasn’t sure what to think about this development. The more time he spent with Ellen, the more difficult it would be to keep his distance. Tonight was a perfect example. There had been no urgent reason for him to be here. He’d used the excuse of being close by, but that’s all it had been. An excuse to see her.

“I’ll probably be there all day,” he felt compelled to point out.

“I don’t mind. I’d much rather be outdoors than stuck inside cleaning. My mother would have a fit if she saw the cottage right now. She’s a meticulous, borderline obsessive, housekeeper. There’s never anything out of place in her house, and you can eat off the garage floor. It wasn’t until I was out on my own that I realized the earth wasn’t going to stop rotating on its axis if I left the dishes in the dishwasher overnight or didn’t make my bed every morning.”

Quinn stretched out his legs and crossed his arms. “I’m not overly concerned with those things myself. You wouldn’t know it to look at him, but Jase is something of a neat freak. I told him he could knock himself out on the rest of the house, but to leave my office and bedroom alone. The maid service that comes once a week hardly has anything left to do as it is. Jase even does the laundry. The one thing he won’t do is cook, but that’s okay. I don’t mind doing that if he’ll clean up the kitchen.”

“It’s obvious you two have a good relationship. Bethany and I were close when we were young, but as we grew older, we also grew apart. When I realized that she preferred her friends at school to spending time with me, I felt abandoned. I know now that she was just being a teenager.”

“The period between thirteen and eighteen is rough. You feel torn in so many directions. You’re not a child, and you’re not an adult.”

She sent him a mischievous glance. “And in the midst of all that confusion, my sister brought home a new boyfriend. Instead of treating me like a member of a subhuman race, he talked to me. After he discovered I liked gummy bears, he brought me a huge plastic container filled with them. He also didn’t laugh when I showed him the poems I wrote. And when he found me in tears because someone made fun of my freckles, he told me he liked them.”

“I don’t remember doing all that.”

“I’m sure you don’t. You were just being yourself, and from what I can see, you haven’t changed.”

“Not on the inside at least,” he added in a low voice.

Ellen put down the bow in her hand. “That’s the only place that matters.”

“It sounds good in theory, but it doesn’t always hold up in real life. We live in a society that judges by appearance. I can’t blame anyone for doing it; I used to do it myself.”

“That may be true at first, but as you get to know someone, you’re less concerned with what they look like and more influenced by what kind of person they are. If you come to really care for and love them, you will see them as being beautiful or handsome.”

“Until something changes. It’s easy to love when everything’s going well. The real test of love is what you do when everything goes wrong. In my case, she called off the wedding.”

“Then I have to question whether she really loved you. Love isn’t dependent on something as transitory as appearance.”

“It shouldn’t be, but appearance has a lot to do with getting the process started.” He glanced at his watch. “It’s almost seven. Don’t you think you’ve worked long enough for one day?”

She laughed as she started clearing away ribbon and floral wire. “I always feel like there’s more I can do, but you’re right. This can wait until tomorrow.”

Quinn walked with her to the small parking lot at the end of the street. His reluctance to leave her was yet another sign that he was in serious trouble. He needed a dose of reality, like a quick glance in a mirror, to remind him how impossible this was.
 
 




  

This book tugged at my heart-strings. Loved these characters! Physical scars are one thing, but emotional scars are even worse. Sweet story of redemption and healing. -- Amazon Reviewer 

Love heals like nothing else--and Ellen and Quinn discover this beautiful fact after they learn to trust each other! Beautifully written with heart experiences along the way. Delaney Cameron's writing is delight to say the least. -- Amazon Reviewer 

A very sweet story. I loved the fulfillment of Ellen's teenage crush. The relationship between Quinn and Ellen was sweet and well paced. I loved the way Quinn's family was getting involved. These are characters who you want to be friends with. I can't wait for more books in this series! Each book can be read independently. -- Amazon Reviewer 

This was a very touching, sweet "second chance" romance. I loved how the heroine was determined to show the hero that he was worthy of being loved, despite his physical and emotional scars, and how he tried to fulfill all her teenage dreams and expectations in return. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series! -- Amazon Reviewer 


 


   

Author Delaney Cameron 


I'm a Georgia girl at heart if not by birth. I love to read, watch college football, and spend time with my husband. I'm a hopeless romantic so there will always be a happily ever after in my stories. I also like to write about second chances because love doesn't always work out the first time. I write sweet romances set in both contemporary and regency settings. My stories are about the journey to love, from that first meeting to the point where two people know their hearts are no longer their own. My characters aren't perfect. They make mistakes and have faults like the rest of us. They learn the sometimes painful truth that the path to love isn't always smooth, but it's a road worth traveling. 

 




  

   




  

   

Giveaway Details $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Giveaway Ends 3/18/19 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. 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 Clean Wholesome Romance and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.