by admin | Oct 3, 2019 | Books, Contemporary Fiction, Romance, Suspense
MY REVIEW:
Always Look Twice is a book that kept me mentally on the edge of my seat for much of the story. Had I not had a serious health crisis in my family that prevented me from doing so, I would have probably read it in one sitting. With a Wyoming wilderness setting, the first pages of the suspense involved a grizzly encounter and a murder witnessed through a camera lens. From that point on the action, danger, and suspense continued to increase from one chapter to the next. A scene or two had me almost holding my breath as the danger ramped up even more.
A brilliant plot, interesting characters, and ample plot twists that kept me guessing made Always Look Twice a book for my keeper shelf as well as one I will likely share with my suspense loving friends. I myself look forward to the next book in the series because Heath’s brother has some mysterious secrets I am hoping will be revealed.
I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by the author. A favorable review was not required. All views expressed are my own.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Justice lies just on the other side of fear
At the advice of her therapist, Harper Reynolds has traded her job as a crime scene photographer for a more peaceful life taking photographs of the natural world. But her hopes for a life surrounded by the serenity of the outdoors are dashed when she inadvertently captures a murder being committed. She flees the scene in fear–and loses the camera.
Former Green Beret Heath McKade, a reserve deputy in an understaffed county, has been called in to protect Harper, a childhood friend he is surprised to see back in the area. When Harper learns that the sheriff’s department can’t find any evidence of the murder she witnessed, she is determined to do what she can to see that justice is done. What neither Harper nor Heath could know is how many explosive secrets from the past will be exposed–or how deeply they will fall for each other.
Elizabeth Goddard is the bestselling author of more than 40 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.
by admin | Oct 3, 2019 | Books, Christmas, Contemporary Fiction, Romance
MY REVIEW:
Each year when the days of summer are winding down and autumn begins to open the doors to the beginning of fall and winter holidays, I anticipate the release of Melody Carlson’s traditional Christmas novella. I never know what kind of story to expect but I am confident that it will be a good one that will probably touch my heart in some way. This year’s offering from Carlson, Christmas in Winter Hill did not disappoint.
Featuring a young single mother whose life has not been easy, the story introduces her to a new home town where everyone pretty much drops everything to celebrate Christmasville in the days leading up to Christmas. Unfortunately most of the saddest events in Krista’s life took place around Christmas. As a result Christmas was way down her list of favorites so when she found out her new job as city manager would plunge her deeply into preparations for the festival, Krista wondered if she had made the right decision in moving to Winter Hill.
A well-paced plot, excellent characters, and enough conflict to keep things interesting made Christmas in Winter Hill a delight to read. A bit of romance didn’t hurt anything either. I loved this story with its faith filled message of the true spirit of the Christmas season. Another win for Melody Carlson!
I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group. A favorable review was not required. All views expressed are my own.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Spend this holiday season in a town you’ll never forget–and never want to leave.
“That sign says Home of Christmasville–what does that mean? Does Santa Claus live here?” Emily giggled like she knew better.
“What do you think?” Krista grimaced at the plywood Christmas tree alongside the welcome sign. It could use a new coat of paint.
“I know, Santa isn’t really real. But are we near the North Pole now? You said it snowed a lot here.” Emily peered eagerly out the window, almost as if she expected to see snowflakes flying.
“It does snow here,” Krista confirmed. “But it’s still late autumn, Emily.” She pointed to where some orange and gold leaves still clung to a large tree, vibrating in the afternoon breeze.
“But why did that sign say Home of Christmasville?” Emily persisted.
“I’m not sure.”
Krista Galloway is not a fan of Christmas. After her rough childhood in multiple foster homes, the holiday season just brings too many bad memories to the surface. But when she accepts a job as a city manager in the mountain town of Winter Hill, Washington, Christmas is part of the deal. The small town is famous for its Christmasville celebration, something that the city manager . . . well, manages.
As she tries to make her tiny new apartment feel like home for her and her eight-year-old daughter, Emily, Krista begins to wonder if this move was a mistake. She doesn’t always feel welcomed in the close-knit town, and Emily continually wonders, “Where’s the snow?”
Can a friendly stranger and his family help restore Krista’s Christmas spirit before the big day?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of over 200 books with sales of more than 7 million, including many bestselling Christmas novellas, young adult titles, and contemporary romances. She received a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award in the inspirational market for her many books, including Finding Alice. She and her husband live in central Oregon. Learn more at www.melodycarlson.com.
by admin | Oct 3, 2019 | Books, Contemporary Fiction, Romance, Suspense
MY REVIEW:
Susan May Warren is one of those authors who can crank out the novels almost faster than I can keep up. With her Montana Marshalls series that is a very good thing because each of the novels in this series left me eager for the next one because by gosh, she left me hanging with questions I needed to have answered asap. As in many of her series, the author gave plenty of space in the plot of each book for the primary characters of the following novels. So like many of her readers Ford left me wanting to know what happened next for both Wyatt and RJ.
Well, with Wyatt’s story I was able to catch up with Wyatt and RJ but I still have to wait for RJ’s book to get the rest of the story. Meanwhile Wyatt’s story was a doozy with enough suspense for several novels and more than enough plot twists and major surprises to keep this reader happy. Lots of miscommunication along the romantic front left me just a bit frustrated with the participants but the author has a gift for working out all the wrinkles. Like his brothers in the previous novels of the series, Wyatt learned that his own perceptions of his standing in his family, especially with his father, were a bit skewed. I liked the way Warren wove a strong message of faith into the plot so seamlessly.
Wyatt’s riveting story took me from the streets of Russia, back to Montana, then on to Seattle for a stunning conclusion. It was a difficult book to put down and I read it in record time. I highly recommend this book but strongly suggest that readers begin with the first book and read them in the order released to get the entire story. Take it from me, it is very worth it!
I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by Just Read Tours. A favorable review was not required. All views expressed are my own.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Title: Wyatt
Series: The Montana Marshalls, Book 4
Author: Susan May Warren
Publisher: SDG Publishing
Release Date: October 2019
Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense
He’s lost her twice…he’s not going to lose her again…
NHL Hockey Goalie Wyatt Marshall has everything–fame, money and a thriving career. But he’s hiding the two things that matter most…a career-ending injury, and his broken heart. He’s been in love with Coco Stanley since she walked into his life at age fourteen, a foster child for the Marshall family. She stole his heart years later, when, after a secret tryst, she returned to her home country of Russia. But she won’t let him back into her life—and he can’t figure out why.
She’s harboring a secret that could cost lives…
Coco Stanley is tired of living her life undercover. Or at least, with an assumed name, always pretending to be someone she’s not. And that’s not the only secret she’s harboring. If Wyatt discovers the real reason she left him, it might just destroy him. She’s resigned herself to loving him from afar…
But when he discovers she’s in danger…
Wyatt is horrified when he learns Coco has been shot and left in Russia, her fate unknown. There is nothing—nothing—that will stop him from finding her. So what if he’s not one of his super-heroic brothers, not a Ranger, not a SEAL…Wyatt is a hockey goalie, a special kind of crazy brave. Except, is he brave enough to face the secret Coco is keeping, or will it destroy everything he’s hoped for?
What will it cost them to save her?
What Wyatt and Coco don’t know is that revenge is stalking her and bringing her home just might cost them their long-awaited happy ending.
Continue the breath-taking Montana Marshall series!
PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Susan May Warren is the USA Today bestselling, Christy and RITA award-winning novelist of over sixty-five novels. An eight-time Christy award finalist, a three-time RITA Finalist, she’s also a multi-winner of the Inspirational Readers Choice award, and the ACFW Carol Award.
A seasoned women’s events speaker, she’s a popular writing teacher at conferences around the nation and the author of the beginning writer’s workbook: The Story Equation.
She is also the founder of MyBookTherapy.com, and Novel.Academy, a school for aspiring novelists.
CONNECT WITH SUSAN: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
TOUR GIVEAWAY:
TOUR GIVEAWAY
(1) winner will receive a signed copy of Wyatt and a Montana Marshalls Magic Mug!
Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule shown below. Giveaway will begin at midnight October 2, 2019 and last through 11:59 PM EST on October 9, 2019. US only. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize.
Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.
ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.
by admin | Sep 26, 2019 | Amish, Books, Christmas, Romance
MY REVIEW:
A Christmas Haven is another heartwarming Christmas novella by the team of Cindy Woodsmall and her daughter-in-law Erin. In this book readers will revisit characters from last year’s Christmas novella, The Christmas Remedy. Not only will they catch up with Holly and Joshua but Holly’s sister Ivy takes center stage along with a couple of totally new characters.
The story itself actually covers a number of months but concludes during the Christmas season. Ivy finds the strict rules of her Old Order Amish community to be restrictive and has already begun to make plans to leave when Arlan and his sister Madga take refuge in her family’s home. The brother and sister are members of an even more conservative Amish group and find the Old Order practices to be quite liberal in comparison to how they have been raised. Over time both Arlan and Ivy begin to question their personal beliefs and decisions they have made.
I thoroughly enjoyed A Christmas Haven and appreciated the spiritual journey that several characters traveled during the course of the book. I encountered a number of very quotable passages during my reading and particularly liked the conclusions that Arlan came to about grace.
A Christmas Haven is another keeper for my growing collection of Christmas themed books. Readers who enjoy Amish fiction should love this one.
I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by Waterbrook Multnomah. A favorable review was not required. All views expressed are my own.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
For fans of holiday romances and Amish life comes a new Christmas tale of surprising expectations and discovering miracles.
Old Order Amish Ivy Zook is wrestling with her need to shed her community’s ways so she can grow the business of her dreams: planning parties. As long as she’s stuck living without modernization, she can barely get her business on its feet. But if she leaves too soon, she’d cause trouble for her sister, Holly, who is planning her wedding to Joshua Smucker. All of their plans become twice as complicated when an old car crashes into the storefront of Greene’s Pharmacy, carrying a Swartzentruber (ultra-conservative sect) Amish man, Arlan, and his very ill sister.
The Zooks take in Arlan and Madga, tending to the woman’s illness and Arlan begins helping around the family farm. Ivy and Arlan are on different tracks, one wanting to leave her community and the other to return to his. But both young people are trying to discover what God has in store for their futures and what miracles might lie around the corner this Christmas season.
Read the first chapter Here.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
Cindy Woodsmall is the “New York Times” and CBA best-selling author of eighteen works of fiction. She’s been featured in national media outlets such as ABC’s “Nightline” and the “Wall Street Journal.” Cindy has won numerous awards and has been finalist for the prestigious Christy, Rita, and Carol Awards. Cindy and her husband reside near the foothills of the North Georgia Mountains in Flowery Branch, GA.
Erin Woodsmall is a writer, musician, wife, and mom of three. She has edited, brainstormed, and researched books with Cindy for almost a decade. She is very excited about their first coauthored book.
Find out more about Cindy and Erin at http://www.cindywoodsmall.com.
