Tuesday, March 26, 2019
Letters from Peaceful Lane (The New Americana Series) by Janet Dailey
In the rugged Ozarks of beautiful Branson, Missouri, a woman struggles to save her marriage--and finds answers from an unexpected source . . .
Allison felt like she'd stepped into a fairy tale when she married widower Burke Caldwell. But after less than a year of marriage, he's become removed and distant. His friends see Allison as little more than a trophy wife, his only daughter regards her as the enemy. With everyone so devoted to the memory of Burke's first wife, Kate, how can Allison possibly compete? Then a harrowing car crash leaves Burke badly injured. But it becomes achingly clear that the woman Burke wants by his side is the wife he lost . . .
No longer able to dismiss the power Kate still holds, Allison can't resist reading a trove of hidden letters from Kate to Burke. What she discovers sets her mind reeling. The letters give Allison an enlightening window into her husband's heart. But will she have the courage to put aside her own fears, and grab hold of a love as big and bold as the man she once dared to marry?
Amazon
About The Author
My Review
A I was devouring this read, I had to wonder if all would survive until the last page was turned.
A major accident, the mob, a new trophy wife, a step-mother, a college daughter, just a few of the plots of this book.
Was the accident just an accident? Well, the more you look into Burke’s company, the more you will wonder.
The title of this read, is another sub-plot, and it allows Allison to come to love her husband’s deceased wife. Got your attention, yes, and what a relationship and bond they seem to form.
There is danger here, people you really don’t mess around with, and we have a college age daughter, herself in love with a man that her dad might not approve of.
An emotional read, but one you will keep turning pages for answers for.
As I got to the end, and really involved in the character’s lives, I sure appreciated the epilogue!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Zebra, and was not required to give a positive review.
Anywhere with You (A Montana Brides Romance #5) by Gina Welborn, Becca Whitham
A Montana Brides Romance
From the Montana Territory to the farthest railroad stops across the magnificent West, love has a way of finding those who need it the most . . .
Heiress Colette Vanderpool-Vane needs to prove she’s outgrown her impetuous ways before her parents will allow her to open her beloved art museum. But when the solutions she proposes aren’t enough, her father tasks her with a mission that demands she keep her life in Denver a secret. It’s a clandestine train adventure that brings her face to face with an intriguing stranger . . .
Jakob Gunderson has always come in second in matters of the heart. Hired to protect young ladies rescued from the streets of Helena as they journey to a better life, he is drawn to their lovely, free-spirited chaperone. He’s finally someone’s number one. When their train ride ends, Jakob proposes marriage. But then he learns the secrets Colette’s been forced to keep.
How can Colette say yes? But—with their hearts on the line—how can she say no?
Amazon
About The Author
Bestselling author Gina Welborn is a lifetime member of the National Corvette Museum. She is also graduate of the Ron Fellows Performance Driving School at Spring Mountain Motor Resort in Pahrump, Nevada, and she bought fabric (for her mother) at The Quilted Dragon. Should you not be a fan of the premier American Sports Car or of doing sewingy stuff with fabric, know Gina has actual writing credits.
Gina Welborn is the co-author of the new Montana Brides Series (Kensington Publishing). A longtime member of Romance Writers of America, she once served at president of the RWA-FHL chapter. Her manuscripts finaled in numerous contests, including the RWA Golden Heart© and ACFW Genesis. A few of her books are ECPA bestsellers. Gina currently serves on the ACFW Foundation Board, where she helps organize the silent auction which provides scholarships for ACFW members. Find more about her books at www.ginawelborn.com!
Becca Whitham (WIT-um): Award-winning author, paper crafter, and Army wife, Becca currently resides in Virginia with her husband of over thirty years and a twelve-foot long craft cabinet she thinks should count as a dependent. So far, neither the army nor the IRS are convinced. In between moves from one part of the country to the other, she writes stories combining faith and fiction that touch the heart. You can find her online at www.beccawhitham.com
My Review
This book is a very quick read, I read it in one evening, and it can be read alone, but there are references to past books, and my feelings for certain characters changed with this book, so I would recommend you read the previous books in this series to fully enjoy the read.
Back with us is Jakob our very unlucky in the romance department young fellow, and we meet a wealthy young woman with a lot of compassion for her fellow man and for animals, Colette.
We are given a glimpse into life back in early America and the Montana Territory, and watch these two try and help these young woman, will they succeed?
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Kensington, and was not required to give a positive review
Monday, March 25, 2019
Celebrate Lit Presents: The White City by Grace Hitchcock
About the Book
Book: The White CityAuthor: Grace Hitchcock
Genre: Christian Historical/Suspense
Release Date: March, 2019
Mysterious Disappearances Taint the Chicago World’s Fair
Step into True Colors—a new series of Historical Stories of Romance and American Crime
While attending the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893, Winnifred Wylde believes she witnessed a woman being kidnapped. She tries to convince her father, an inspector with the Chicago police, to look into reports of mysterious disappearances around the White City. Inspector Wylde tries to dismiss her claims as exaggeration of an overactive imagination, but he eventually concedes to letting her go undercover as secretary to the man in question—if she takes her pistol for protection and Jude Thorpe, a policeman, for bodyguard.
Will she be able to expose H. H. Holmes’s illicit activity, or will Winnifred become his next victim?
Click here to order your copy.
About the Author
Grace Hitchcock is the author of three novellas in The Second Chance Brides, The Southern Belle Brides, and the Thimbles and Threads collections with Barbour Publishing. The White City is her debut novel and releases March 2019 with Barbour Publishing. She holds a Masters in Creative Writing and a Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in History. Grace lives in southern Louisiana with her husband, Dakota, and son. Visit Grace online at GraceHitchcock.com.
Guest Post from Grace
True Colors—Fiction Based on Strange, But True, American Crime StoriesTrue, riveting stories of American criminal activity are explored through 6 unique stories of historical romantic suspense in the exciting new True Colors series.
In book one, The White City, Winnifred Wylde believes she witnessed a woman being kidnapped while attending the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893. She tries to convince her father, an inspector with the Chicago police, to look into reports of mysterious disappearances around the White City. Inspector Wylde tries to dismiss her claims as exaggeration of an overactive imagination, but he eventually concedes to letting her go undercover as secretary to the man in question—if she takes her pistol for protection and Jude Thorpe, a detective, for bodyguard.
Will she be able to expose H. H. Holmes’s illicit activity, or will Winnifred become his next victim?
The Real Criminal Behind the Story
While Winnifred Wylde is a fictional character, Doctor H. H. Holmes was very real and became infamously known as America’s first serial killer. Learn more about him HERE.
Blog Stops
Just the Write Escape, March 14
A Baker’s Perspective, March 14
The Lit Addict, March 14
janicesbookreviews, March 14
The Power of Words, March 15
Multifarious, March 15
Back Porch Reads, March 15
Livin’ Lit, March 16
Lis Loves Reading, March 16
Just Your Average reviews, March 16
Rev. Rebecca Writes, March 17
For the Love of Literature, March 17
Bibliophile Reviews, March 17
Reflections From My Bookshelves, March 18
Through the Fire Blogs, March 18
By The Book, March 18
A Reader’s Brain, March 18
Girls in White Dresses, March 19
Stories By Gina , March 19
EmpowerMoms, March 19
Inklings and notions, March 19
All-of-a-kind Mom, March 20
Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, March 20
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 20
Bigreadersite, March 21
Genesis 5020, March 21
Blossoms and Blessings, March 21
The Becca Files, March 21
Emily Yager, March 22
Where Crisis & Christ Collide, March 22
Pause for Tales, March 22
Inspired by fiction, March 23
Mary Hake, March 23
Book by Book, March 23
Real World Bible Study, March 23
Blogging With Carol, March 24
Stephanie’s Life of Determination, March 24
Maureen’s Musings, March 25
amandainpa, March 25
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 25
Older & Smarter?, March 26
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 26
Chas Ray’s Book Nerd Corner , March 26
Godly Book Reviews, March 27
For Him and my Family, March 27
Texas Book-aholic, March 27
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Grace is giving away a grand prize of a $25 Amazon gift card and a copy of The White City!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/dd7d/the-white-city-celebration-tour-giveaway
My Review
I enjoyed this quick read, and it had a lot of danger, or heart stopping moments, you never knew when evil would strike.
The place setting is the Chicago World’s Fair, and we get to experience through these character’s some of the happenings here, some of the new inventions, that we take for granted, and others that have been replaced.
The story does focus on a young woman, Winnifred Wylde, and her Aunt’s wish for her to marry socially well, and a young detective who desires to find and convict the people responsible for his brother- in-law’s death.
Now our girl has a vivid mind and loves to read and has in the past suspected things that weren’t really happening, but now she finds a woman being kidnapped, and has she cried wolf to long?
You don’t want to miss this one!
I received this book through Celebrate Lit, and was not required to give a positive review.
The place setting is the Chicago World’s Fair, and we get to experience through these character’s some of the happenings here, some of the new inventions, that we take for granted, and others that have been replaced.
The story does focus on a young woman, Winnifred Wylde, and her Aunt’s wish for her to marry socially well, and a young detective who desires to find and convict the people responsible for his brother- in-law’s death.
Now our girl has a vivid mind and loves to read and has in the past suspected things that weren’t really happening, but now she finds a woman being kidnapped, and has she cried wolf to long?
You don’t want to miss this one!
I received this book through Celebrate Lit, and was not required to give a positive review.
Thursday, March 14, 2019
Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours Presents: As Directed [A Maggie O'Malley Mystery] by Kathleen Valenti
As Directed
(A Maggie O’Malley Mystery)
by Kathleen Valenti
I love the way Valenti crafts
her plots and her characters – smart, humorous, full of heart, and
having the tendency to steal your breath.
~Reading Is My SuperPower
~Reading Is My SuperPower
I really love the way Ms.
Valenti tells a story. It’s not straight forward in your face. There are
layers that need to be peeled and each little reveal moves the story
along at just the right pace until everything tragically falls into
place.
~Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book
~Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book
Maggie and Constantine are
people I would like to hang out with in real life, and the action is
almost non-stop. Throw in some humor, a little romance and a faithful
canine companion and this series has it all.
~The Book’s the Thing
~The Book’s the Thing
An enjoyable and well-paced read with an intricate plot.
~Cassidy’s Bookshelves
~Cassidy’s Bookshelves
About the Book
As Directed (A Maggie O’Malley Mystery)
Mystery
3rd in Series
Henery Press (March 12, 2019)
Hardcover: 286 pages
ISBN-10: 1635114705
ISBN-13: 978-1635114706
Digital ASIN: B07LB6N22B
In the shadow of a past fraught with danger and tainted by loss, former pharmaceutical researcher Maggie O’Malley is rebuilding her life, trading test tubes for pill bottles as she embarks on a new career at the corner drugstore.But as she spreads her wings, things begin to go terribly wrong. A customer falls ill in the store. Followed by another. And then more.The specter of poisoning arises, conjuring old grudges, past sins, buried secrets and new suspicions from which no one is immune.As Maggie and her best friend Constantine begin to investigate, they discover that some of the deadliest doses come from the most unexpected places.
About the Author
Kathleen Valenti is the author of the Maggie O’Malley Mystery Series, which includes her Agatha- and Lefty-nominated debut novel, Protocol. When Kathleen isn’t writing page-turning mysteries that combine humor and suspense, she works as a nationally award-winning advertising copywriter. She lives in Oregon with her family where she pretends to enjoy running. Learn more at www.kathleenvalenti.com.
Author Links
https://www.kathleenvalenti.com/
https://www.facebook.com/kathleenvalentiauthor/
https://twitter.com/KathyValenti1
https://www.instagram.com/kathleen_valenti/
https://www.goodreads.com/goodreadscomkathleenvalenti
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/kathleen-valenti
Purchase Links
Amazon Barnes & Noble iTunes Kobo
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
March 1 – Babs Book Bistro – GUEST POST
March 1 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT
March 2 – Mythical Books – SPOTLIGHT
March 3 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
March 4 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW
March 5 – Cozy Up With Kathy – CHARACTER GUEST POST
March 6 – Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews – GUEST POST
March 7 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
March 7 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
March 8 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT
March 9 – T’s Stuff – SPOTLIGHT
March 10 – The Book Diva’s Reads – CHARACTER GUEST POST
March 10 – Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews – REVIEW
March 11 – The Book’s the Thing – REVIEW
March 11 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
March 12 – Cassidy’s Bookshelves – REVIEW
March 12 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
March 12 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
March 13 – A Blue Million Books – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
March 14 – Maureen’s Musings – REVIEW
March 15 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
March 15 – The Montana Bookaholic – SPOTLIGHT
My Review
If you enjoy a book that seems to have danger around every corner, with non-stop action, you sure don’t want to miss this one.
I have read the first book in this series, and love it, and now the third which is equally good, and am so glad that I chose to do so, they are very entertaining and page turning books, ones that you want to get to the end and know the answers, but at the same time you don’t want them to end.
Maggie is a tough cookie, but with all that is going on, including her upcoming wedding, will she make it to the end. I love that we add a new character to the family, along with Vanilla, and her beloved Lark, that made her really stand out.
Will justice prevail, innocents get hurt, people die, why? You won’t be disappointed picking this one up!
I received this book through Great Escapes Book Tours and the Publisher Henery Press, and was not required to give a positive review.
Tuesday, March 12, 2019
Hearts in Harmony (An Amish Journey #1) by Beth Wiseman
They both love music. Will God deny what brings them such joy?
Musical prodigy Levi Shetler hasn’t touched a piano since he secretly played one years ago. His strict Amish community forbids instruments or the singing of any music not in their approved songbook. Levi asks God often why music tempts him when playing an instrument isn’t allowed in his world.
One person knows Levi’s talents: Mary Hershberger, the girl who promised years ago to keep his secret. Mary comes from a more liberal district than Levi, but she’s facing family troubles of her own. The mutual care for an aging Englischer, Adeline, reunites Mary and Levi as young adults. They realize that, despite their differences, they have a shared love of music—and a shared confusion about whether their talents are God-given gifts or temptations luring them into the Englisch world.
The couple realizes they must compromise or part ways, but a tragic accident shakes their decision. Both Mary and Levi will need to reconcile what they love with what their hearts say is right—because even as their passion for music brings them together, it could be what tears them apart.
The first novel in the new Amish Journeys series by bestselling author Beth Wiseman, Hearts in Harmony explores how far the heart will travel for the melody of love.
About The Author
Beth is the best-selling and award winning author of the Daughters of the Promise series - Plain Perfect, Plain Pursuit, Plain Promise, Plain Paradise, and Plain Proposal. She is contracted with HarperCollins Christian Publishing. Her other series--the Land of Canaan Novels--begins with Seek Me With All Your Heart, then The Wonder of Your Love and now, His Love Endures Forever. Seek Me With All Your Heart is the first Amish fiction book selected as a Women of Faith novel in 2011. Beth has also written three contemporary Christian fiction novels, Need You Now published in 2012 and The House That Love Built in 2013. In The Promise, (2014) Beth jumps way outside the box. This story takes readers far away from Amish Country and small Texas towns to a dangerous place on the other side of the world. Inspired by a true story, Beth believes this is the book she’s been working toward for a long time. 2015 brings Beth back to the Pennsylvania Amish with her new series, Amish Secrets. She is currently working on book #2 following much success with book #1, Her Brother's Keeper.
You can also follow Beth on Twitter: @BethWiseman
Website
My Review
A chance meeting of two Amish children at a funeral 8 years prior are reunited when they offer to help the elderly widow. They along with a distant cousin of the widow’s husband, bring joy and family that she had been lacking.
The Amish live 40 miles apart, but when you compare their lives it seems like 100 years, the districts are so different, one progressive and the other, well! This being said, one of the funniest parts of this book happens at the home of the less modern, Levi! Laugh out loud moment.
I loved how these three-showed compassion to their fellow man, and decided to do one of the hardest things, care giving.
We see that these three all live differently, but the family dynamics are not all that dissimilar.
A story full of love, tears, and a few good laughs.
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Zondervan, and was not required to give a positive review.
Daughters of Northern Shores (Blackbird Mountain, #2) by Joanne Bischof
Aven Norgaard understands courage. Orphaned within an Irish workhouse, then widowed at just nineteen, she voyaged to America where she was wooed and wed by Thor Norgaard, a Deaf man in rural Appalachia. That the Lord saw her along the winding journey and that Aven now carries Thor’s child are blessings beyond measure. Yet while Thor holds her heart, it is his younger brother and rival who haunts her memories. Haakon—whose selfish choices shattered her trust in him.
Having fled the farm after trying to take Aven as his own, Haakon sails on the North Atlantic ice trade where his soul is plagued with regrets that distance cannot heal. Not even the beautiful Norwegian woman he’s pursued can ease the torment. When the winds bear him home after four years away, Haakon finds the family on the brink of tragedy. A decades-old feud with the neighboring farm has wrenched them into the fiercest confrontation on Blackbird Mountain since the Civil War. Haakon’s cunning and strength hold the power to seal many fates, including Thor’s which is already at stake through a grave illness brought to him as the first prick of warfare.
Now Haakon faces the hardest choice of his life. One that shapes a battlefield where pride must be broken enough to be restored, and where a prodigal son may finally know the healing peace of surrender and the boundless gift of forgiveness. And when it comes to the woman he left behind in Norway, he just might discover that while his heart belongs to a daughter of the north, she’s been awaiting him on shores more distant than the land he’s fighting for.
Amazon
About The Author
An ECPA Christy Award winner and an ACFW Carol Award winner, Joanne Bischof writes deeply layered fiction that tugs at the reader’s heartstrings. Joanne’s 2016 novel, THE LADY AND THE LIONHEART, received an extraordinary 5 Star TOP PICK! from Romantic Times Book Reviews among other critical acclaim. Joanne has a long-standing passion for romance and a budding fervor for theology. She is more and more awed by how wondrously the two go hand in hand. She lives in the mountains of southern California with her three children and is represented by Sandra Bishop of Transatlantic Literary Agency.
Website
My Review
We are back with the Norgaard family and as with the first book with this family it quickly becomes a page turner, and the author kept my attention all the way to the end, often with my heart in my throat.
You can read this as a stand-alone, and there is enough information given to bring you up to date, but you will be missing out.
While reading this and all that happens, you wonder whom will be there when the last page is turned, there sure is a lot of action here!
Through all that happens the hand of God is evident and loved the ending!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Thomas Nelson, and was not required to give a positive review.
Sunday, March 10, 2019
$25 Romance is in the Air Showcasing Author Taylor Dean
A Me and You Thing by Taylor Dean
THE DEEPEST HEARTACHE IS THE ONE YOU DON’T SEE COMING.
Golden couple, Sawyer and Quinn Denali, have an amazing love story. A match in every way, their happiness is evident to all who spend time with them. The arrival of twin baby girls completes their picture-perfect family.
When Quinn has the opportunity to help others on a two-week volunteer trip, she reluctantly leaves her family, knowing a short break from the demands of motherhood will be good for her. She doesn’t expect the trip to change her life forever. But it does. It changes everything.
Struggling from day to day, the young family moves forward, finding happiness . . . and love.
But fate isn’t done mixing things up in their lives. When an unexpected event leaves them all reeling, the unspoken question rings loudly and can’t be ignored: “What happens now?”
A Me and You Thing is a novel that explores the strength of enduring love and friendship.
He lightly brushes my lips with his own, and I scoot a little closer. Mmmmmm, five years of marriage and my attraction for this man has never waned. I never knew I could love someone so much. Even better, he feels the same about me. We’re far from perfect, yet we’re a perfect match for each other.
Frankly, that’s as perfect as love gets.
I bury my head in his warm chest, listening to the sound of his strong heartbeat. He hasn’t let himself go since we married. He runs every morning at unspeakable hours and, like a fine bottle of wine, ripens with age.
“Are you sure I should go on my trip? I’m consumed with guilt every time I think about it.”
I love our life together in our shingle-style two-story beach house on 5201 Beachcomber Lane. It’s a decent size home, even if it’s a little on the older side. No matter, I adore it. It might not be directly on the beach, but we have amazing ocean views from the second story. Close enough.
“You’ll be doing something important, Quinn, something that really matters. I love you for wanting to go, for wanting to help. Your passport arrived yesterday. See, it’s a sign. The universe just sent you a telegram.”
A light scoff emerges from me. He runs his hands through my longish blond hair. My brown eyes close while I enjoy his tender touch.
“What was I thinking? I don’t want to leave you or our babies.”
“Hey, it’s only two weeks, sweetheart. In the scheme of things, that’s hardly any time at all . . .”
Author Taylor Dean
Taylor Dean lives in Texas and is the mother of four grown children. Upon finding herself with an empty nest, she began to write the stories that were always wandering around in her head, quickly finding she had a passion for writing, specifically romance. Whether it’s paranormal, contemporary, or suspense–you’ll find all sub-genres of clean romance in her line-up.
Giveaway Details
$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Giveaway
Ends 3/29/19
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.
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