by admin | Sep 28, 2013 | Books, Historical, Pre-Civil War, Romance
MY REVIEW:
When I first read the description of “Love’s Awakening” I opened it somewhat expecting a retelling of the story of Romeo and Juliet or perhaps even the Hatfields and McCoys. I am pleased to say that neither situation transpired – no tragic deaths of star-crossed lovers or the violent fighting of feuding mountain families. However, there is a bit of violence but it is not graphic – it is mostly described after the fact. And there is a romance between the two predominant characters that seems doomed from the start.
Compared to previous novels by Laura Frantz, “Love’s Awakening” may move at a slower pace but it certainly has some action filled moments. Heroine Ellie Ballantyne is a sweet and innocent young woman with a backbone of steel that develops as her story progresses. I liked the way she learned to stand up for her dreams and beliefs and to fight for love rather than settling for security and society’s approval. Jack Turlock is the perfect hero. Viewed by most as a rogue, primarily because of the actions of his whiskey making family who have been known to resort to most anything to get ahead including suspected murder. Jack finds himself in love with Ellie but knows that there is no way her family would allow her to even be seen with a Turlock. He hates what his father and brother stand for but has no hope he can ever escape the family reputation.
Jam-packed with an abundance of historical facts, “Love’s Awakening” offers the reader an intimate look inside the lives of a family willing to risk everything to assist slaves to freedom. The highly volatile feelings between the abolitionists and those who favored slavery were vividly portrayed. The remarkable plot incorporates a wide range of emotions including anger, humor, grief, love, hate, and forgiveness. A prevalent theme is that a person does not have to be defined by his family or circumstances but by his own actions and by following the plan that God has for his life.
As with all Laura’s previous novels, I enjoyed “Love’s Awakening” and highly recommend it to those who love American historical fiction.
This book was provided for review by
Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
The path to true love lies somewhere between two feuding families
In the spring of 1822, Ellie Ballantyne leaves finishing school and returns to the family home in Pittsburgh only to find that her parents are away on a long journey and her siblings don’t seem to want her to stay. Determined to stand her ground and find her place in the world, Ellie fills her time by opening a day school for young ladies.
But when one of her students turns out to be an incorrigible young member of the Turlock family, Ellie knows she must walk a fine line. Slaveholders and whiskey magnates, the Turlocks are envious of the powerful Ballantynes and suspicious of their abolitionist leanings. As Ellie becomes increasingly entangled with the rival clan–particularly the handsome Jack Turlock–she finds herself falling in love with an impossible future. Will she betray her family and side with the enemy?
Masterful storyteller Laura Frantz continues to unfold the stirring saga of the Ballantyne family in this majestic tale of love and loyalty. This is the Ballantyne Legacy.
Read an excerpt from Love’s Awakening HERE.
“Frantz’s in-depth historical research combines with her fascinating characters to create a gripping romance that kept me turning pages late into the night. I highly recommend Love’s Awakening. It is a rare find.”–Serena B. Miller, RITA Award-winning author of The Measure of Katie Calloway
In the second installment of the Ballantyne Legacy series, we are reunited with familiar characters from the first book and introduced to some new ones. Frantz’s family saga is a rare treat for fans that will stay with readers long after they finish. –RT Reviews
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Laura Frantz is a lover of history, is the author of The Frontiersman’s Daughter, Courting Morrow Little, and The Colonel’s Lady, and currently lives in the misty woods of Washington with her husband and two sons.
Learn more about Laura and her books HERE.
by admin | Sep 27, 2013 | Books, Contemporary Fiction, Romance
This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingMade to LastBethany House Publishers (September 15, 2013)by
Melissa TaggABOUT THE AUTHOR:
A Word From The Author:
I’m a former reporter turned author who loves all things funny and romancey. My debut novel, a romantic comedy titled Made to Last, releases from Bethany House in September 2013. In addition to my nonprofit day job, I’m also the marketing/events coordinator for My Book Therapy, a craft and coaching community for novelists.
It all started when my dad, at the ripe old age of sixteen, picked up my mom up for their first date. She was thirteen. Thirteen!* Dad drove a cherry red car up the lane to my grandparents big ol’ green house and honked his horn…whereupon Mom jumped out of the apple tree she’d been waiting in and off they went…fishing. True story. (I’d give more details, but I’m saving it for a novella I plan to entitle Two Leaves. Mom, I really hope you read this.)
Four years of college, a few trips abroad and a stint as a reporter later, that dream is soon to be a reality. My debut novel, a romantic comedy titled Made to Last, is now out from Bethany House. Book two, Here to Stay, comes out on May 1, 2014.
In between writing and staring out the window brainstorming, I also work as a grant-writer at one of Iowa’s largest private nonprofits and serve as the marketing/events coordinator for My Book Therapy, a craft and coaching community for novelists founded by Susan May Warren.
And I love, love, love talking about finding our purpose and identity in Christ. (And well, okay, food, old movies, boots and scarves, my awesome nephew Ollie, and, fine, Tim Tebow, too.)
Learn more about Melissa and her books on her Website.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Miranda Woodruff has it all. At least, that’s how it looks when she’s starring in her homebuilding television show, From the Ground Up. So when her network begins to talk about making cuts, she’ll do anything to boost ratings and save her show–even if it means pretending to be married to a man who’s definitely not the fiance who ran out on her three years ago.
When a handsome reporter starts shadowing Miranda’s every move, all his digging into her personal life brings him a little too close to the truth–and to her. Can the girl whose entire identity is wrapped up in her on-screen persona finally find the nerve to set the record straight? And if she does, will the life she’s built come crashing down just as she’s found a love to last?
If you’d like to read the first chapter of Made to Last, go HERE.
MY REVIEW:
Made to Last is a fun to read romantic novel that is based on a classic theme of one woman juggling multiple men. Often humorous and definitely romantic, the story also has a more serious side that looks into what can happen when a person attempts to construct a successful life on their own terms.
Miranda Woodruff is the star of her own TV show in which she teaches home building and repairs to her audience. Ratings are down and in an attempt to keep her show on the air, Miranda agrees to a pretend marriage to provide a face to the nonexistent husband she talks about on the program. Matthew Knox is a struggling journalist who had actually been nominated for a Pulitzer Prize before a misguided decision cost him his credibility and now he can’t seem to get anything right. As a final chance He accepts a job blogging about Miranda, hoping to get a scoop that will put him back on top. What he actually finds may just change his life.
Several of the characters in Made to Last have secrets – some are revealed in the course of the story and others can only be imagined by the reader. Miranda’s secrets contribute to the load of guilt she carries everywhere, guilt that hinders her relationship to God. It also seems that each lie she tells requires another lie, then another lie – lies that could destroy any chance she has for future happiness. Matthew has a few secrets of his own but strangely finds it difficult to forgive Miranda for her shortcomings. Then there is Blaze, Miranda’s pretend husband. He’s a great guy as long as no one gets too close. He is definitely hiding something too.
Although some of the situations in Made to Last are just a bit over-the-top, the characters and their response to their personal problems and to others is so very human. We each have our own struggles but often judge others in similar circumstances. Made to Last brilliantly illustrates the need for forgiveness and the need to let the Lord direct our lives. It is an excellent first novel and I look forward to future books by Melissa. I hope she will tell more of Blaze’s story in her next one.
by admin | Sep 27, 2013 | Books, Historical, Romance, Texas, Western
MY REVIEW:
Fired Up is classic Connealy with a bevy of handsome cowboys, a feisty heroine, a little mystery and danger, plenty of action, a romance or two and of course Mary’s trademark humor. What more could a fan of western romance novels ask than the latest addition to the Trouble in Texas series?
In this second installment of the Trouble in Texas series, the story continues with many of the characters who first appeared in “Swept Away”. It was fun to catch up with Ruthy and Luke as well as Vince and Jonas but Fired Up is mostly Glynna and Dare’s story. Peppered with misunderstandings, suspicious accidents, and plenty of interference from others plus Glynna’s determination to avoid involvement with all men in her future, things do not look very promising for Dare’s attraction to the pretty widow even if he manages to stay alive.
Fired Up is a fast-paced tale with an emphasis on friendship, loyalty, and forgiveness. I was not 100% happy with the way the book ended but have high hopes that everything will be resolved to my satisfaction in the next book in the series. I just hope I don’t have to wait too long to find out.
This book was provided for review by LitFuse Publicity.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Dare Riker is a doctor who saves lives, but someone seems determined to end his. It may have something to do with the traitors he dealt with during the Civil War, or it might be related to the recent incident with Flint Greer and the ranch. Whoever the culprit is, he or she seems really fired up, and Dare can’t let his guard down for a moment, which is a challenge, since right now he’s trying to win the heart of the recently widowed Glynna.
Glynna Greer came west as a mail-order bride and ended up in a bad situation. Now her husband, Flint, is dead, and she’s determined to care for her son and daughter on her own. She wants to believe Dare Riker is as decent as he seems, but she’s terrified to lock herself into another marriage. She plans to support her small family by opening a diner—never mind that cooking is not her greatest talent. The men in Broken Wheel, Texas, are so desperate for home cooking that they seem willing to overlook dried-out beef and blackened biscuits.
Glynna can’t help but notice that danger follows Dare wherever he goes. There’s the avalanche. And then the fire. But things really get out of hand when someone plunges a knife from Glynna’s diner into Dare’s back. Are Flint’s cronies still plotting revenge? Is Glynna’s son engaged in a misguided attempt to protect his mother? Is a shadowy outsider still enraged over past injustices? And can Dare survive long enough to convince Glynna to take another chance on love?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Mary Connealy writes fun and lively “romantic comedy with cowboys” for the inspirational market. She is the author of the successful Kincaid Brides, Lassoed in Texas, Montana Marriages, and Sophie’s Daughters series.
She has been a finalist for a Rita and Christy Award and a two time winner of the Carol Award. She lives on a ranch in eastern Nebraska with her husband, Ivan, and has four grown daughters.
Fired Up! Enter to Win a Kindle Fire HD from Mary Connealy and RSVP for her Live Webcast Event!
Mary Connealy is back with the second book, Fired Up, in her Trouble in Texas series, and she’s celebrating with a Kindle Fire giveaway and a LIVE author chat party on October 8th.
One winner will receive:
- A Kindle Fire HD
- Swept Away and Fired Up by Mary Connealy
Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on October 8th. Winner will be announced at the “Fired Up” Live Webcast Event on October 8th. Connect with Mary for an evening of book chat, trivia, laughter, and more! Mary will also be taking questions from the audience and giving away books and fun gift certificates throughout the evening.
So grab your copy of Fired Up and join Mary and friends on the evening of October 8th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven’t read the book, don’t let that stop you from coming!)
Don’t miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today by signing up for a reminder. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 8th!
by admin | Sep 23, 2013 | Books, Contemporary Fiction, Quilts, Romance
This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingRaw EdgesAbingdon Press (September 17, 2013)bySandra D. BrickerABOUT THE AUTHOR:
For more than a decade, Sandra D. Bricker lived in Los Angeles. While honing her chosen craft of screenwriting in every spare moment, she worked as a personal assistant and publicist to some of daytime television’s hottest stars. When her mother became ill in Florida, she walked away from that segment of her life and moved across the country to take on a new role: Caregiver.
The Big 5-OH! was released by Abingdon Press in the Spring of 2010, and the novel was very well-received, garnering a couple of nibbles from Hollywood.
Always the Baker, Never the Bride was released by Abingdon Press in September 2010. With its phenomenal reviews, the novel spawned a series of three more books based on the popular cast of characters at The Tanglewood Inn, a wedding destination hotel in historic Roswell, Georgia. The series cemented Sandie’s spot in publishing as a flagship author of Laugh-Out-Loud romantic comedy for the inspirational market.
“Being allowed to combine my faith and my humor with my writing dream,” says Bricker, “well, that’s the best of all worlds, as far as I’m concerned!”
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Grayson McDonough has no use for teal ribbons, 5k runs, or ovarian cancer support groups now that his beautiful wife Jenna is gone. But their nine-year-old daughter Sadie seems to need the connection. When Annabelle Curtis, the beautiful cancer survivor organizing the memory quilt project for the Ovacome support group, begins to bring out the silly and fun side of his precious daughter again, Gray must set aside his own grief to support the healing of Sadie’s young heart. But is there hope for Gray’s heart too along the way?
If you would like to read the first chapter of Raw Edges, go HERE.
Watch the book trailer:
MY REVIEW:
Raw Edges is the latest novel in the Quilts of Love series published by Abingdon Press and it may be my favorite one thus far. A compelling story that is a tribute to those who have battled ovarian cancer, it features Annabelle, a survivor and Gray and his daughter Sadie who lost their beloved wife and mother Jenna. The three meet at a meeting of an ovarian cancer support group and end up working together on a quilt that will be auctioned to raise money to support research and awareness of the disease. As most readers of this type fiction can imagine, Gray and Annabelle develop a romantic relationship before book’s end but Raw Edges is much more than a romantic novel.
A cancer survivor herself, Sandra has done a stupendous (I borrowed that word from the book!) job of communicating the effect this dread disease has on both cancer survivors and the families who have lose loved ones. Sandra is known for her Laugh-Out-Loud fiction and Raw Edges definitely has its moments but there are also more sobering incidents than in her previous books. The characters were well-rounded and easy to love and I enjoyed the scenes of Annabelle and Sadie learning to make a quilt. I particularly enjoyed the entries from Jenna’s journal at the end of each chapter as she shared her heart with Sadie, knowing she would be leaving her soon.
I applaud Sandra for her excellent book and am so glad that she survived to write it. I hope that it will be an encouragement to others.
