by admin | Mar 3, 2012 | Books, England, Historical, Ireland, Regency, Romance
MY REVIEW:
“The Guardian Duke” is a light Regency romance novel that is quickly read. It contains an interesting blend of characters and a unique but mysterious plot that reminded me of a fairytale at times. Some of the characters were very well developed while I was left wanting to know more about others.
Despite the fact that what little romance there was took place in the minds of Gabriel and Alexandria based on their somewhat limited correspondence; Alex’s tendency to lie about most everything; and the way several men miraculously happened along at just the right time to protect her and to help her with her quest, I still found the story entertaining. I was surprised by the ending which had no real resolution but left me wanting more (like a good soap opera). Guess I will have to wait for the release of “The Forgiven Duke” and “The Duke’s Promise” to get the rest of the story. I would really like to know what caused Gabriel’s bouts of deafness, dizziness, nausea, and vision symptoms. Hopefully that will be explained before the series ends.
“The Guardian Duke” is a good book if you are in the mood for a light and entertaining read. If you are looking for more meat, you should probably look elsewhere.
This book was provided for review by Angie LoSchiavo with Propeller Consulting.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
The Guardian Duke is award-winning novelist Jamie Carie’s most exciting story yet, a uniquely arranged Regency-era romantic adventure where hero and heroine know each other through written letters but have yet to meet.
Gabriel, the Duke of St. Easton, is ordered by the King to take guardianship over Lady Alexandria Featherstone whose parents are presumed dead after failing to return from a high profile treasure hunt. But Alexandria ignores this royal reassignment, believing her parents are still alive and duly following clues that may lead to their whereabouts. Gabriel, pressured by what are actually the King’s ulterior motives, pursues her across windswept England and the rolling green hills of Ireland but is always one step behind.
When they do meet, the search for earthly treasure will pale in comparison to what God has planned for both of them.
Preview The Guardian Duke HERE.
Read the USA Today review HERE.
Purchase a copy of The Guardian Duke HERE.
Check out The Guardian Duke on Facebook.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
When she was six, Jamie’s parents met Jesus and soon after started a church. It changed everything.
Road trips with her dad—to and from Bible studies across Indiana—were filled with talks of things beyond earth’s bounds – creation and the fall, God and Jesus and the rapture, the earthly walk compared to the spiritual walk, and how we are born for more than what we can see or touch.
The highlight of those nights was stopping at a truck stop in the middle of the night where her dad would spend a little of the offering basket on two slices of pie and a couple of Cokes. Nothing ever felt so special as a middle of the night slice of pie with her dad. And nothing could stop the writing pouring out of her.
As Jamie’s relationship with God grew, she discovered her heart was filled with songs and poetry. During high school she wrote lyrics for her brother’s band. (And she sang them too!) After college, Jamie married, had two sons and decided to stay home with them. While she homeschooled she wrote skits, poems, plays and short stories for school and church.
When her eldest son turned five she dove into the world of novels. She’d read romance novels for years, but couldn’t relate to the flawless, saintly heroines in Christian romance novels. So she decided to write her own.
Snow Angel was born on a frosty night in an old farmhouse in Fishers, Indiana, where the cold floor gave plenty of motivation for the snow scene. Jamie loves to write late at night when the house is quiet and the darkness seems alive. Elizabeth and Noah had been playacting in herhead for a long time, so the story went fast.
Ten years later Snow Angel was published and won the ForeWord magazine Romance Book of the Year winner, was a National “Best Books 2007” Awards winner, and a 2008 RITA Awards® Best First Book finalist. It was the beginning of her dream career.
Jamie and her husband Tony have been married for twenty-one years and live in Indianapolis with their three sons and a giant of a dog named Leo.
If she could only say one thing to her readers it would be, “Live the dreams God has destined you for!”
Learn more about Jamie and her books on her website.
by admin | Mar 1, 2012 | Books, Contemporary Fiction, Romance, Suspense
This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingRuby DawnWhite Rose Publishing (January 27, 2012)byRaquel ByrnesABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Raquel married her college sweetheart seventeen years ago and you can still find them spending time together chatting over a cup of coffee like when they were first dating.
Her husband is her biggest fan and most ardent supporter. He encourages her to take time for writing as often as he can. He regularly gives her gift cards to her favorite coffee house so that she can go there to write and relax.
He has been known to whip up his famous chicken quesadillas complete with guacamole and brownies for dessert.
Raquel has written books for more than a decade. She loves to do research and has taken private detective courses, gun classes, and underground tours to get every detail right for her novels. She writes romantic suspense with an edge-of-your-seat pace. Stories filled with faith, love, and adventure.
In 2009 she signed with agent, Terry Burns, at Hartline Literary. Terry worked to get her Shades of Hope series sold and in 2010, White Rose Publishing purchased the three-book series.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
A painful past. A love returns A desperate plan.
Former street kid, Ruby now reaches out to runaways through her medical clinic in the worst part of the city, but her escalating battle with a gang leader puts that in jeopardy.
Cavalier, a risk-taker, charming… Ruby’s first love is now on the right side of the law and the center of a dangerous DEA sting involving her clinic. Tom’s disappearance ten years ago broke her heart and rattled her faith. As their romance relights, memories of what it costs to love him flood her with fear.
Ruby’s battle with the gang ignites a firestorm of danger, and a pattern of lies from within her own camp emerges. With Tom’s life in the balance and her world cast in shadows, can Ruby trust God as she once did…or has she strayed too far, for too long to ever return?
Watch the book video:
If you would like to read the first chapter of Ruby Dawn, go HERE.
Learn more about Raquel and her books on her Website.
MY REVIEW:
Looks like I have yet another author to add to my gotta read list if Ruby Dawn is any indication of Raquel Byrnes’ talent. I have already tagged “Purple Knot”, the first book in the Shades of Hope series as one I NEED and have also noted that the third installment of the series, “Bayou Blue” is to be released sometime this year. I plan to read them all. Is there a support group for Christian fiction addicts?
Not only is someone trying to destroy everything Ruby has worked for or holds dear but they are also doing a pretty good job of providing enough evidence to implicate her. To escalate her stress levels, a man from her past has suddenly reappeared and has placed himself directly in the middle of the maelstrom of her life. Can Ruby allow herself to trust Tom with her life or even her heart?
Ruby Dawn is a page turner from the very start with lots of action, suspense, emotion, and romance. Ruby is strong, stubborn, and spunky but is also more vulnerable than she thinks. Tom is the perfect hero – handsome and tough yet sensitive and caring. The villains are pretty rotten. They are violent and unscrupulous but at times even their humanity manages to peek through. The plot moves at breakneck speed with so many twist, turns, and surprises that I didn’t want to put the book down. An excellent story about trust, second chances, forgiveness, and faith, Ruby Dawn is a must read for lovers of romantic suspense.
by admin | Feb 29, 2012 | Addictions, Books, Contemporary Fiction, Suspense
MY REVIEW:
“Downfall” is the breathtaking conclusion to Terri Blackstock’s Intervention series. It grabs the reader at page one and doesn’t let go until the satisfying conclusion. Those who have read the entire series have probably formed an attachment to the Covington family as I have and are ready to see them get a break from their trials and misfortunes. Well, they will have to make it through another high octane thriller and hope that will happen before the story ends. I’m not promising anything – you’ll have to read it yourself!
From an attempted bombing of Emily’s car to several brutal murders, seemingly unconnected crimes produce enough evidence to place Emily right in the center of the investigation. When she begins to have some suspicions as to who might be behind the murders, Emily takes it upon herself to investigate and winds up under suspicion herself. Her brother Lance has his own share of problems in a new school and only one friend who he is desperately trying to protect from a classmate who seems dangerous.
Once again Blackstock has penned a novel that almost demands to be read in one sitting. She realistically illustrates the dangers and consequences of drug addiction and the very real challenges faced by those who attempt to overcome their addictions. Blackstock also effectively details the devastating toll addiction takes on the families of addicts.
As one who has seen the effects of addiction up close, I strongly recommend the entire Intervention series for all teens. I also suggest a visit to Terri’s website to view the excellent resources she provides to help families identify the signs of addiction and to find help for their addicted loved ones.
This book was provided for review by Daniel Cohen with Shelton Interactive.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
The final book in Terri’s Intervention series, DOWNFALL follows Emily Covington, who has turned her life around after a drug addiction, but her family still has trouble trusting her. Though Emily has committed herself to a year-long treatment program and has been sober for almost a year beyond that, even her mother walks on eggshells around her, fearing she’ll relapse. After her behavior during her drug years, Emily realizes she has a lot to prove.
When police discover a homemade bomb under Emily’s car, and she then learns the wife of one of her friends was murdered that same morning, she knows things are deadly serious.
But who wants Emily dead? And why?
A conversation she had with two men, an Alfred Hitchcock movie, and a plan for a double murder all conspire for one explosive ride … and Emily is the only one who can identify the killer and save the life of the next potential victim.
As she frantically works to solve this ever more complicated puzzle, Emily finds herself playing right into the killer’s hands.
Read an excerpt from Downfall HERE.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Terri Blackstock (www.terriblackstock.com) has sold six million books worldwide and is a ”New York Times” bestseller. She is the award-winning author of ”Intervention” and ”Double Minds,” as well as such series as Cape Refuge, Newpointe 911, the SunCoast Chronicles, and the Restoration Series.
by admin | Feb 29, 2012 | Books, Contemporary Fiction, Romance
This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingA Sweethaven SummerGuidepost Books (February 7, 2012)byCourtney WalshABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Courtney Walsh is a published author, scrapbooker, theater director, and playwright. Her debut novel, A Sweethaven Summer, will be followed by two additional novels in the series. She’s also written two papercrafting books, Scrapbooking Your Faith and The Busy Scrapper. Courtney has been a contributing editor for Memory Makers Magazine and Children’s Ministry Magazine and is a frequent contributor to Group Publishing curriculum. She works as the PR Manager for Webster’s Pages from her home in Colorado, where she lives with her husband and three kids, who range in age from 4 to 10. Courtney drinks entirely too much coffee.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Suzanne’s daughter, Campbell, has come to Sweethaven in search of answers to her questions about her mother’s history. Suzanne’s three friends-Lila, Jane, and Meghan-were torn apart by long-buried secrets and heartbreak. Though they haven’t spoken in years, each has pieces of a scrapbook they made together in Sweethaven. Suzanne’s letters have lured them all back to the idyllic lakeside town, where they meet Campbell and begin to remember what was so special about their long Sweethaven summers. As the scrapbook reveals secrets one by one, old wounds are mended, lives are changed, and friendships are restored-just as Suzanne intended.
If you would like to read the first chapter of A Sweethaven Summer, go HERE.
Learn about Courtney and her books on her Website.
MY REVIEW:
One thing I love about getting to review books is that I am blessed with frequent opportunities to discover new authors. Many of them have earned a place on my keeper shelves and Courtney Walsh is the most recent addition to my list of favorites.
A Sweethaven Summer has most of the elements I enjoy in a contemporary novel – a small friendly town with diverse characters and a plot that moves along without bogging down in unnecessary trivialities. Excellent character interaction and dialogue, especially between the hero and heroine plus a touch of mystery and drama added just the right touch. It was also nice to have a message of faith woven in that did not overpower the story.
I liked the way that Campbell allowed herself to be real in her admission of her fear of rejection and her unwillingness to forgive, yet continued to choose to face the truth regardless of the consequences. And all the supporting characters were just right in the way they accepted Campbell and encouraged her and each other through difficult situations. A Sweethaven Summer is an excellent example of friendship and the power of forgiveness. I am looking forward to Courtney’s next book. I hope she will allow her readers to visit Sweethaven many more times.
