by admin | Sep 6, 2018 | Books, Historical, Humor, Mystery, Romance
MY REVIEW:
Any time I could use a good dose of humor I know I can depend on a book by Jen Turano to bring on the laughter. This author has a talent for putting her characters into unusual and often rib-splitting situations. I also believe she has a rare talent for coming up with outrageous names for her characters. Miss Temperance Flowerdew’s name is as uncommon as her temperament! The moniker of her hero, Mr. Gilbert Cavendish is not quite as outrageous but nevertheless somewhat unique. Needless to say, readers will find these unique characters starring in a plot quite as uncommon as their names.
First of all, the dialogue between Gilbert and Temperance can seem to get almost out of hand. Their witty conversations tend to get off track and sometimes even a bit confusing, but that is part of the author’s genius. There is nothing accidental about her tales. It was fun to follow this pair through their adventures filled with danger and mystery. I loved Temperance’s approach to life and the way she seemed mostly unflappable throughout awkward and trying circumstances. Of course everything turns out at the end but what a delightful and sometimes surprising journey to get there.
Caught by Surprise was eveything I expected and more. It is just one more example why I try my best not to miss anything published by Jen Turano.
I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by the author through Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group. A favorable review was not required.All views expressed are my own.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
After years of hiding her true nature, Miss Temperance Flowerdew is finally enjoying freedom outside of the shadow of her relations, so the last thing she expected on her way to work was to be grabbed off the street by a stranger and put on a train bound for Chicago.
When Mr. Gilbert Cavendish is called upon to rescue a missing woman, he follows the trail to Chicago only to discover that the woman is his good friend, Temperance. Before they can discover who was behind her abduction, they’re spotted alone together by a New York society matron, putting their reputations at risk.
Even though Gilbert is willing to propose marriage, Temperance is determined not to lose her newfound independence. But when the misunderstanding in Chicago escalates into a threat on her life, accepting Gilbert’s help in solving the mystery may lead to more than she ever could have dreamed.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jen Turano, the USA Today bestselling author of ten books and two novellas, is a graduate of the University of Akron with a degree in clothing and textiles. She is a member of ACFW and lives in a suburb of Denver, Colorado.
Visit her website at www.jenturano.com.
by admin | Sep 1, 2018 | Books, Contemporary Fiction, Humor
MY REVIEW:
Everyone in the area knows about the Bucklin family reunions and most would love to attend one. After all, who knows what might happen at one? Even the family members have mixed feeling about them. Most would rather avoid them but on the other hand are afraid of what they might miss if they are not there.
Yes another reunion is about to take place and all the Bucklin family members look forward to it with equal measures of dread and anticipation. Fit to be Tied features a different set of primary characters – this time from Coralee, Sally, Marybeth, and Brett’s POV. Family members from the first book also make frequent appearances so it is fun to keep up with their lives also.
Although these reunions seem to be like a train wreck waiting to happen, they are not without redeeming qualities. In this book, Sally begins to learn how to fend for herself without her twin always by her side, Coralee learns a valuable lesson about appearance and character, Brett somehow manages to avoid more unwanted trouble, and Marybeth begins to establish tentative relationships with women in Bucky’s family.
Although on the surface, Fit to be Tied seems to be a mostly humorous story, it is packed full of practical and spiritual wisdom. I loved this book and the previous one in the series. I look forward to the next installment of Bucklin antics.
I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by Gilead Publishing. A favorable review was not required. All views expressed are my own.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
The Bucklin family loves each other too much to stay away. . . but not enough to behave
Being rich is fine, but when wealth comes from striking oil, it’s a slippery mess for a family who doesn’t know what to do with it. The Bucklin cousins are all together again, and this family reunion is shaping up to be another disaster.
Coralee falls for the police officer who pulls her over. Sally has finally found a guy, but now she’s not sure a relationship is even worth the bother. No matter how hard Brett tries to avoid trouble, he somehow stumbles right back into the thick of it. And Marybeth and Bucky continue to fumble and bumble as they learn how to handle being rich.
The Bucklin family is known for drama–and Bucklin family drama knows no bounds.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Debby Mayne is the author of more than 60 novels and novellas that have received the “Top Pick” award from Romantic Times Magazine and been among the “Top 10 Favorites” in the Heartsong Presents book club. She writes family and faith-based romances, cozy mysteries, and women’s fiction. She has also written more than 1,000 short stories and articles as well as dozens of devotions for busy women. She has worked as managing editor of a national health publication, product information writer for a TV retailer, creative writing instructor, and copy editor and proofreader for several book publishers. She is currently an etiquette writer for The Spruce, one of the DotDash (formerly About.com) companies.
Debby grew up in a military family, which meant moving every few years throughout her childhood. Debby was born in Alaska, and she has lived in Mississippi, Tennessee, Oregon, Florida, Hawaii, and Japan. Her parents were both from the Deep South, so she enjoys featuring characters with southern drawls, plenty of down-home cooking, and folks with quirky mannerisms.
She and her husband currently live in the Charleston, South Carolina, area. To learn more about Debby:
Website – debbymayne.net
Facebook – www.facebook.com/DebbyMayneAuthor
Twitter – www.twitter.com/@debbymayne
by admin | Aug 12, 2016 | Books, Contemporary Fiction, Humor, Romance
MY REVIEW:
“Fetching Sweetness” is a lighthearted romance that features a dog with the unlikely name of Sweetness. Stephanie Pink, on the quest for a manuscript she hopes will cement her place as a literary agent, and Rhett Hastings, a man on a mission from God (or so he thinks) are almost secondary characters considering the crazy antics of Sweetness. One near disaster after another plagues Stephanie Pink as they join forces to deliver Sweetness to his home after Stephanie agrees to help Rhett with his own quest. Sparks fly between the pair during their adventurous journey up the northwest coast.
The romantic tension between Rhett and Stephanie was perfect. I enjoyed every minute of their dialogue and the way neither of them hesitated to speak the truth as they saw it. The spiritual content was excellent yet unobtrusive. And did I mention Sweetness who was the real star. What a mutt with his soft heart and tendency to rescue every creature he ran across!
I very much enjoyed “Fetching Sweetness” and plan to keep my eyes open for future books by this author.
A copy of this book was provided for review by LitFuse Publicity.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Standing between Stephanie and her dream is one hundred pounds of lovable trouble.
It should have been so simple for Stephanie Pink: Meet up with Agnes Wharton in a small town in California, retrieve the reclusive author’s valuable new manuscript, and be promoted to a full-fledged literary agent.
But Agnes’s canine companion, Sweetness, decides to make a break for it before Stephanie can claim her prize. Until Agnes has Sweetness safely back at home in Eagle Cliff, Washington, Stephanie will never set eyes on the manuscript she needs to make her dreams come true.
When Stephanie tracks the runaway mutt to a campground, she meets Rhett Hastings—a man also on the run from a different life and a costly mistake. Rhett agrees to help Stephanie search for the missing dog…thus launching a surprising string of adventures and misadventures.
Once Sweetness gets added to the mix, it’s a recipe for love and loss, merriment and mayhem, fun and faith in the backwoods of the Pacific Northwest.
Learn more and purchase a copy.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Dana Mentink lives in California, where the weather is golden and the cheese is divine. Dana is an American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year finalist for romantic suspense and an award winner in the Pacific Northwest Writers Literary Contest. Her suspense novel, Betrayal in the Badlands, earned a Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award. Besides writing, she busies herself teaching third and fourth grade. Mostly, she loves to be home with her husband, two daughters, a dog with social anxiety problems, a chubby box turtle, and a feisty parakeet.
Find out more about Dana at http://www.danamentink.com.
A recipe for love and loss, merriment and mayhem, fun and faith in the backwoods of the Pacific Northwest can only be found in Fetching Sweetness by Dana Mentink. It should have been so simple for Stephanie Pink: Retrieve a reclusive author’s valuable new manuscript and be promoted to a full-fledged literary agent. But when the author’s canine companion, Sweetness, makes a break for it and Stephanie has to track Sweetness down, she meets Rhett Hastings. They’re in for a surprising string of adventures and misadventures.
Celebrate the release of Fetching Sweetness with Dana by entering to win the Sweetness Unleashed Prize Pack!
One grand prize winner will receive:
Enter today by clicking the icon below, but hurry! The giveaway ends on August 24. The winner will be announced August 25 on Dana’s blog.
Save
Save
by admin | May 20, 2016 | Books, Contemporary Fiction, Humor, Romance
MY REVIEW:
Janice Thompson just has to be the queen of taking a slight misunderstanding and stretching it for all it is worth into a hilarious scene or two. She is also quite adept in coming up with one-liners that might just have her readers laughing out loud or perhaps rolling in the floor. Janice is one funny author but she tempers the laughs with practical and spiritual wisdom that her readers can take with them into real life situations.
“Every Bride Has Her Day” is the third and final installment in the Brides With Style series. It wraps up Katie and Brady’s story quite nicely as they are the main focus of the series. Now that the pair are engaged, they have a wedding to plan but as can be imagined, there are multiple complications along the way. Everyone, and I mean everyone has an idea about when, where, and how their wedding should take place. No one seems to have a clue that it is their wedding.
Janice outdid herself with the romance in this one. Romance seems to be coming out of the woodwork and grabbing everyone in its path. Why, a girl cannot even get through her own engagement party without someone else receiving a proposal and weddings seem to be fair game for similar scenarios. So for those who just cannot get enough romance, “Every Bride Has Her Day” should provide it in abundance.
“Every Bride Has Her Day” is the perfect home town romance filled with the unique and quirky characters Janice is well known for. Aunt Alva alone is enough due to her witty and sometimes clueless statements.
I hate to see this series end and am also sorry that Revell did not see fit to renew this author’s contract. But I am happy to know that I will continue to see her light-hearted stories available in other outlets in the future.
A copy of this book was provided for review by
the author and by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Katie’s determined to make it down the aisle this time–but it may be easier said than done
Katie Fisher is ecstatic. Pro basketball star Brady James has proposed, and she can’t wait to start planning their life together. But it’s hard to focus on her own happily ever after when her calendar is filling up with celebrations for friends and family. Beyond that, it seems everyone around her has an opinion–and a strong one at that–on what Katie’s special day should look like. Will she ever manage to settle all of the details for her storybook wedding? Or will her overzealous friends and relations make a mess of everything?
Read an excerpt from “Every Bride Has Her Day” HERE.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Janice Thompson is a seasoned romance author and screenwriter. An expert at pulling the humor from the situations we get ourselves into, Thompson offers an inside look at the wedding business, drawing on her own experiences as a wedding planner. She is the author of the hugely popular Weddings by Bella series and the Backstage Pass series, as well as Picture Perfect, The Icing on the Cake, and The Dream Dress. She lives in Texas. Learn more at www.janiceathompson.com.
by admin | Mar 19, 2016 | Books, Historical, Humor, Romance
MY REVIEW:
I always look forward to reading Jen Turano’s latest book and was thrilled to have a chance to review “Playing the Part”. I just hope I can do this wonderful book justice!
The third book in Turano’s A Class of Their Own series, “Playing the Part” features popular actress Lucetta Plum who finds herself forced to flee New York because of a man determined to make her his own – with or without marriage vows. Disguised and under cover of night, Lucetta and her dear friend Abigail Hart travel to the estate of Abigail’s grandson Bram. That my friend is where the adventure and hilarity really begins!
As Turano’s true fans know from the previous books in this series, Lucetta is just a bit eccentric. Well she has met her match in Bram who has to be at least equally unconventional. From his gothic and somewhat spooky mansion to strange and unexplained happenings within its walls and grounds, Lucetta is uncertain what to think about Bram. Honestly, the man is just too secretive to trust. There is absolutely no way she can fall for Abigail’s matchmaking efforts!
I loved the characters of Lucetta and Bram and it was fun to touch base with characters from the previous books in this series. I also loved the somewhat dark and mysterious story combined with frequent humorous scenes. Jen is uniquely talented in the way she manages to insert humor into a perfectly serious scene and makes it perfectly natural. Dialogue was often witty and I laughed often. Then of course there was the romance. It sometimes took a few detours along the way but the ending was perfectly satisfying.
Once again, I have to say that “Playing the Part” may be my favorite book by Jen yet! Of course I say that every time but my only explanation is that each one gets better and better. If you are not familiar with Jen Turano’s books, you have missed something special. Do yourself a favor and pick up “Playing the Part” or any of her other novels asap.
This book was provided for review by LitFuse Publicity.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Can they accept who they are behind the parts they play in time to save the day?
Lucetta Plum is an actress on the rise in New York City, but is forced to abandon her starring role when a fan’s interest turns threatening. Lucetta’s widowed friend, Abigail Hart, is delighted at the opportunity to meddle in Lucetta’s life and promptly whisks her away to her grandson’s estate to hide out.
Bram Haverstein may appear to simply be a somewhat eccentric gentleman of means, but a mysterious career and a secret fascination with a certain actress mean there’s much more to him than society knows.
Lucetta, who has no interest in Abigail’s matchmaking machinations, has the best intentions of remaining cordial but coolly distant to Bram. But when she can’t ignore the strange and mysterious things going on in his house, it’ll take more than good intentions to keep her from trying to discover who Bram is behind the part he plays.
Learn more and purchase a copy.
Read an excerpt from “Playing the Part”.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jen Turano, author of the Ladies of Distinction series and the A Class of Their Own series, is a graduate of the University of Akron. She is a member of ACFW and lives in a suburb of Denver, Colorado.
Find out more about Jen at http://jenturano.com.
Enter to win a copy of Playing the Part—five winners will be chosen! Click the image below to enter to win. The winners will be announced April 7 on the Litfuse blog!
by admin | Jan 2, 2016 | Books, Historical, Humor, Romance
MY REVIEW:
I always enjoy Regina Jennings’ historical romance novels because I know I can expect an entertaining combination of humor, drama, and romance laced with a touch of mystery and suspense and surprises. It is also a plus to find a good message of faith woven through her stories. “At Love’s Bidding” did not disappoint with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments and a sweet romance that kept me happily reading and satisfied at its end.
I loved this tale about Miranda Wimplegate who travels with her grandfather to Missouri where their new auction house is located, hoping to find a valuable portrait before it is too late. The fun really begins upon their arrival in Missouri where they find themselves over their heads with their new business that is not at all what they expected. It was quite enjoyable reading about Miranda’s efforts to keep up with her grandfather and her interactions with Wyatt Ballentine were fascinating.
As always, the reader can expect some amusing conflicts between the primary characters before the romance commences. A unique group of secondary characters offers added interest and support to the story. Rather than chance revealing more and spoiling the story, I suggest an immediate trip to the closest bookstore or favorite online retailer to pick up your own copy of “At Love’s Bidding”. I do not think you will be sorry.
This book was provided for review by LitFuse Publicity.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
She sells priceless antiques. He sells livestock by the pound. Is he really the man to make a bid for her heart?
After helping her grandfather at their Boston auction house, Miranda Wimplegate discovers she’s accidentally sold a powerful family’s prized portrait to an anonymous bidder. Desperate to appease the people who could ruin them forever, they track it to the Missouri Ozarks and make an outlandish offer to buy the local auction house and all its holdings before the painting can move again.
Upon crossing the country, however, Miranda and her grandfather discover their new auction house doesn’t deal in fine antiques, but in livestock. And its frustratingly handsome manager, Wyatt Ballentine, is annoyed to discover his fussy new bosses don’t know a thing about the business he’s single-handedly kept afloat. Faced with more heads of cattle than they can count–but no mysterious painting–Miranda and Wyatt form an unlikely but charged partnership to try and prevent a bad situation from getting worse.
Learn more and purchase a copy.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Regina Jennings is a graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University with a degree in English and a history minor. She is the author of “A Most Inconvenient Marriage,” “Sixty Acres and a Bride,” and “Caught in the Middle,” and contributed a novella to “A Match Made in Texas.” Regina has worked at the Mustang News and First Baptist Church of Mustang, along with time at the Oklahoma National Stockyards and various livestock shows. She now lives outside Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, with her husband and four children.
Find out more about Regina at http://www.reginajennings.com/.
After a cross-country trip to track down a sold painting that could ruin her family’s business forever, Miranda Wimplegate forms an unlikely but charged partnership with livestock auctioneer Wyatt Ballentine in Regina Jennings’ At Love’s Bidding. Miranda and her grandfather discover their new auction house doesn’t deal in fine antiques, but in livestock. And its frustratingly handsome manager, Wyatt, is annoyed to discover his fussy new bosses don’t know a thing about the business he’s single-handedly kept afloat. Faced with more heads of cattle than they can count–but no mysterious painting–Miranda and Wyatt must try and prevent a bad situation from getting worse.
Join Regina in celebrating the release of At Love’s Bidding by entering to win her Cozy Winter Night giveaway and RSVPing to her January 5th author chat party!
One grand prize winner will receive everything you need for a cozy winter night:
Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on 1/5. The winner will be announced at the At Love’s Bidding Facebook party. RSVP for a chance to connect with Regina and other readers, as well as for a chance to win some great prizes!
RSVP today and spread the word—tell your friends about the giveaway via FACEBOOK, TWITTER, or PINTEREST and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 5th!
