Her Merriweather Hero by Rachel Skatvold



MY REVIEW:

Her Merriweather Hero is the latest volume in the Merriweather Island series. Kendall and her sister have moved to Merriweather Island in order to set up a much needed traveling veterinary clinic. The sisters have their hands full repairing their new home that was purchased sight unseen abd provided them with a few surprises.Getting their RV ready to serve as their clinic adds even more work to their full schedule. Neighbor Tyler Banner is recovering from serious injuries suffered in Iraq. He spends most of his time doing what he can to stay busy. He is not comfortable with the hand life has dealt him and his one ambition is to recover enough to be allowed to go back into active service.

Most readers will quickly guess that Tyler and Kendall will probably end up as a couple. What they will not know is how the pair will reach that point following their initial meeting on the beach. The steady plot, vivid setting, and strong characterizations worked together to make Her Merriweather Hero a joy to read. PTSD is a prominent aspect of the story but I did feel that Tyler’s loss of a leg was somewhat ignored for the most part. For such a recent injury, it seemed that he was already functioning much more normally than I would have expected.  Even so with its excellent blend of family relationships, friendship, and faith, this book is definitely worthwhile reading.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by Celebrate Lit. A favorable review was not required. All views expressed are my own.



ABOUT THE BOOK:

Book: Her Merriweather Hero

Author: Rachel Skatvold

Genre: Christian Contemporary Romance

Release Date: October 27, 2020

Click here to get your copy!

He just wanted a place to rest and recuperate.

She only needed a repairman to help fix up her beach house.

For marine sergeant, Tyler Banner, nothing could be further from the memories of his time in Iraq than the slow, easy pace on Merriweather Island. Taking up a job as a physical trainer serves to keep him in shape while he enjoys a little downtime. Making friends with the local vet—veterinarian, that is—on his morning jog is just a bonus.

When Kendall’s sister tricked her into recruiting Tyler’s help one day, she didn’t fortify herself against a breach to her heart. Making friends with the marine was easy, but helping him overcome the PTSD that holds him captive isn’t. As she picks her way across a minefield of memories and horrors Tyler endured, Kendall begins to hope he could be the man she’s prayed for.

Falling in love wasn’t in Tyler’s orders, but a new deployment to Iraq is. How can he convince Kendall not to go AWOL when she hears? What can he do to convince her that they’ll make it… together?

This “Merriweather book” is the fourth in a new series featuring five islands, six authors, and a boatload of happily-ever-afters.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Rachel Skatvold is a Christian author and stay-at-home mom from the Midwest. She enjoys writing inspirational romance and encouraging blogs. Rachel completed her first series, the Riley Family Legacy Novellas in 2014 and is now working on the Hart Ranch Series, set in the Montana wilderness and the Ladies of Ardena Series, set in medieval times. She is also a contributing author in the Whispers in Wyoming, Brides of Pelican Rapids and Independence Island Series. Other than writing, some of her hobbies include singing, reading and camping in the great outdoors with her husband and two young sons. You can find more information about Rachel and her books on her website: www.rachelskatvold.com.

MORE FROM RACHEL:

Her Merriweather Hero has been one of the most challenging, yet rewarding stories I have written. Often when I am starting a new book, I immerse myself in the world-building process, which involves a lot of research and notetaking. This time around, I had the amazing opportunity to work with Celebrate Lit and the authors in the Independence Islands Series to map out these beautiful island stories. It has been an exciting journey so far.

This story was inspired by my parents who met through letters while my dad was in the Marine Corps. They both came from different backgrounds, with my mom being from Massachusetts and my dad from a small town in Iowa, but their differences didn’t stop them from falling in love. For Her Merriweather Hero, I used themes of opposites attracting, New England, and the Marine Corps from my parent’s love story.

Kendall is a young veterinarian who moves to the Independence Islands with her sister to start a new mobile clinic. There, she meets Sergeant Tyler Banner who is on medical leave after a tour overseas. She tries to avoid Tyler at first, determined to concentrate on making her business a success, but over time she can’t ignore the handsome military guy who keeps ‘accidently’ crossing her path. It doesn’t help he lives a few doors down from her fixer-upper beach house. Can she continue to try to ignore him or is it true that opposites attract?

This romantic island tale is also inspired by the verses from Hebrews 6:18-19 which describe God as our anchor. The characters feel tossed around by waves of difficulties at certain parts of the story, but He is always the anchor who keeps them secured.

BLOG STOPS:

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 16

Daysong Reflections, November 16

Texas Book-aholic, November 17

lakesidelivingsite, November 17

Inklings and notions, November 18

21st Century Keeper at Home, November 18

Joanne Markey, November 18

For Him and My Family, November 19

Emily Yager, November 19

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, November 20

deb’s Book Review, November 20

Locks, Hooks and Books, November 21

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, November 21

Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, November 21

Artistic Nobody, November 22 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)

Rebecca Tews, November 22

Ashley’s Bookshelf, November 23

The Cafe Scholar, November 23

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, November 24

Adventures of a Travelers Wife, November 24

The Meanderings of a Bookworm, November 24

Aryn The Libraryan ?, November 25

She Lives To Read, November 25

Simple Harvst Reads, November 26 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Livin’ Lit, November 26

Sara Jane Jacobs, November 27

Rebekah Reads, November 27

Connect in Fiction, November 27

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 28

Life, Love, Writing, November 28

Blossoms and Blessings, November 29

Batya’s Bits, November 29

Godly Book Reviews, November 29

GIVEAWAY:

To celebrate her tour, Rachel is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card and a copy of the book!!

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/103a0/her-merriweather-hero-celebration-tour-giveaway

Desire of the Heart by Anne Perreault



MY REVIEW:

A well-known line from a poem of Robert Burns says “The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” In Desire of the Heart more than one character finds that statement to be so true in their lives. Cady Jackson just wants the freedom of a short vacation away from her strict parents who control her life. Her cousin Ashley wants even more – to experience more of the world that has been forbidden to her. And Grant just wants to spend his days working hard enough to overcome the guilt he carries over a tragedy in his past. A trip to Yellowstone National Park brings them all together and choices they make could well change their lives forever.

The author’s vivid descriptions set the perfect backdrop for this story and made me want to pack up everything and take a trip of my own to Yellowstone. Like Cady, I’d love to use my own camera to capture the beauty of the park and its wildlife. I enjoyed Cady’s sense of humor that revealed itself often despite her very straight-laced upbringing. Her innocence, caring heart, and brave determination made her a character I would love to call my friend. It was satisfying to observe Grant’s change of heart due to Cady’s influence and his eventual return to faith. Ashley’s story was a bit disheartening but I have hope that things will take a more positive turn for her life in the next installment of this series.

Desire of the Heart was not exactly what I expected when I began reading it. Not only is it a sweet romance but it is laced with danger, humor, faith, and several surprises. I definitely plant to be on the lookout for the next book in this series.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by Celebrate Lit. A favorable review was not required. All views expressed are my own.



ABOUT THE BOOK:

Book: Desire of the Heart

Author: Anne Perreault

Genre: Christian Romance

Release Date: April 2020

Click here to get your copy!

It all started with a hike…

Cady Jackson’s vacation plans were simple. Go to Yellowstone National Park, enjoy the scenery, take lots of pictures. She and her cousin, Ashley, have grown up in a strict, conservative Christian family in upstate New York. Cady has never been encouraged to spread her wings. This trip is an opportunity to do so. Only, she doesn’t know how much her life is about to change when she has an unfortunate encounter in the middle of nowhere.
Why would God take a personal interest in someone like her?

Grant McClintoch generally loves his job as a ranger in the oldest national park in the country. That it includes rescuing stranded visitors to the park is unfortunate. He has been trying to rebuild his life after it had nearly been destroyed. Grant doesn’t realize that God isn’t done with him yet when he stumbles onto an injured hiker.

But can he place his past in God’s capable hands where it belongs?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Anne Perreault was born and raised in Germany. By the time she was 14 years old, her family moved to Dubai, UAE. While living in this exotic place, she traveled extensively to various countries around the world. After graduating from an American boarding school in Austria, she attended college in England, where she met her husband. She graduated from New England College with a degree in biology, and settled down in Connecticut. Anne became a horseback riding instructor as well as a certified therapeutic riding instructor. She and a group of friends started a therapeutic riding center in Bristol, CT. During that time, Anne also received a masters degree in secondary education and began to homeschool her three children. While raising their three children, she began to write an inspirational story primarily for her daughter. Anne, her husband, and two of their grown children now reside in Southern Vermont, where they are building their home. Besides writing, Anne enjoys reading, spending time with her husband, grown children, and grand-dogger.

MORE FROM ANNE:

Desire of the Heart…

This book is so special to me. I had been pondering what to write a few years back and the thought came to me that I should base my next character on some of the adorable quirkiness of my beautiful daughter, a young woman filled with integrity and strength. Except, when you first meet her, you might think she’s too naïve or too sweet. She has a fire in her and a passion. And then I watched a TV show and one of the character’s were named Cady. I knew I had my main character. My daughter loves to travel, and a few years ago, she and her cousin traveled to Scotland together. It was kind of like fiction came to live right then and there. I had already paired Cady up with her cousin, a young woman who is the complete opposite to Cady. Of course, in real life, my daughter and her cousin are incredibly similar to each other and are both such amazing young women of God.

Her counterpart came about because I was looking for someone with strength and also with great integrity, but someone who was wounded by life. I also realized that I wanted to set the story in a national park. I’ve always enjoyed nature and wanted my main character to be working in some capacity with nature. Grant naturally became a park ranger. It fit his personality so well, I secretly rubbed my hands together in glee.

Setting the story at Yellowstone allowed me to research that beautiful part of the country. I have always been a wildlife enthusiast. My oldest son loves wolves and has studied them all his life. I wanted to include wolves in the story… enough said. I fell completely in love with the park and I will one day travel there and stand where Grant and Cady did.

BLOG STOPS:

For Him and My Family, November 2

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 3

Book of Ruth Ann, November 3

Texas Book-aholic, November 4

Mary Hake, November 4

Inklings and notions, November 5

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, November 6

Pause for Tales, November 6

Older & Smarter?, November 7

deb’s Book Review, November 7

Locks, Hooks and Books, November 8

Through the Lens of Scripture, November 9

Ashley’s Bookshelf, November 9

Artistic Nobody, November 10 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)

21st Century Keeper at Home, November 10

Quiet Quilter, November 11

Sara Jane Jacobs, November 11

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 12

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, November 13

Just Your Average reviews, November 13

Spoken from the Heart, November 14

Emily Yager, November 14

Daysong Reflections, November 15

GIVEAWAY:

To celebrate her tour, Anne is giving away the grand prize package of a bookmark and a signed copy of Desire of the Heart!!

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/102f2/desire-of-the-heart-celebration-tour-giveaway

The Sound of Falling Leaves by Lisa Carter



MY REVIEW:

I always look forward to Lisa Carter’s suspense novels and she always hits the mark as far as I’m concerned. The Sound of Falling Leaves was no exception. I feel that I must warn others that this one may be a bit edgy for some readers. With some pretty evil people involved who will stop at absolutely nothing to achieve their goals, the reader will encounter several murders, at least one of which is fairly gruesome. I personally appreciate the fact that the author did not describe the scene in detail because my imagination took me quite far enough, thank you.

I did enjoy learning more about mountain culture, if you could call it that. Some of those mountain folk seem to be mostly uncultured if you ask me. The mountain setting was so vividly described that I could almost see the turning leaves and smell the smoke from area chimneys. Both protagonists took some time to grow on me. Both Tessa and Zeke carried multiple secrets and held them close so it was difficult to get to know either of them quickly. It was fun observing their growing relationship as they worked together to uncover the buried secrets of the isolated community. Multiple twists and surprises kept me reading and a developing romance and journey to faith were added bonuses.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Sound of Falling Leaves and look forward to the next suspense novel by this author.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by Kregel Publications. A favorable review was not required. All views expressed are my own.



ABOUT THE BOOK:

After aspiring opera singer Tessa loses her voice in a fire, she needs both a place to heal and a way to keep music in her life. She retreats to her aunt’s apple orchard in rural North Carolina to collect folk ballads. But amid the autumn splendor of this isolated Appalachian community, she uncovers an unnerving connection between a murder case and a long-ago disappearance. Tessa gets a glimpse into an almost-forgotten world, encounters a corrupt, small-town political dynasty, and finds superstition and prejudice at every turn.

She’s also drawn to Zeke, the handsome but enigmatic orchard caretaker, who shows her that mountain justice is neither impartial nor just. But battling a conspiracy of silence, Tessa isn’t sure if she can trust him. Yet somewhere in the mists of the Blue Ridge Mountains, evil lurks, and a killer is determined to keep the past where it belongs–dead and buried.

Read an excerpt HERE.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Lisa Carter is the best-selling author of seven romantic suspense novels, four historical novellas, and a contemporary Coast Guard series. Her book Under a Turquoise Sky won the 2015 Carol Award for Romantic Suspense. Blending Southern and Native American fiction, she likes to describe her suspense novels as “sweet tea with a slice of murder.” Lisa enjoys traveling to romantic locales and researching her next exotic adventure. When not writing, she loves spending time with her family and teaching writing workshops. A native North Carolinian, she has strong opinions on barbecue and ACC basketball. Visit her online at lisacarterauthor.com.

Deadly Connection by Jennifer Pierce



MY REVIEW:

Deadly Connection is one of those books that jumps right into the action and barely gives the reader a chance to catch a breath or two before it’s off again. The narrative is filled with danger, suspense, more danger, and mysteries to be solved, all blended well with a strong helping of faith and a touch of romance,

Strong characters carry the story to its gripping conclusion. Reid Lucas, private investigator finds himself responsible to protect Quinn Matthews and her young son. None of them has a clue why she is suddenly required to run for her very life and Reid is risking his life for them also. The plot is filled with enough twists and surprises to keep even the most dedicated suspense fan happy and the spontaneous romance adds a welcome break from the danger and suspense.

I like the fact that all the characters were true-to-life. Reid and Quinn did not magically escape injury and the men after her were especially shrewd. The story flowed naturally and I was held captive by it to the very end.

I voluntarily reviewed a digital copy of this book provided by Just Read Tours. A favorable review was not required. All views expressed are my own.



ABOUT THE BOOK:

Private Investigator, Reid Lucas, and his mentor, Joe Lockhart, haven’t spoken in years, but when Joe wants to meet in a small-town diner, Reid’s interest is piqued. Without explanation, Joe calls and tells Reid he has five minutes to get waitress, Quinn Matthews, and her son out of the diner before they’re kidnapped by the group of thugs about to walk through the diner’s front door. Quinn Matthews’ life is simple and safe, exactly how she likes it—until Reid Lucas walks into the diner. Now, she and her son are running for their lives, and she has no idea why. But when the father of her son shows up and dies saving them, she realizes they all have one deadly connection: Joe Lockhart. Now, she’ll have to trust the mysterious private investigator to not only save their lives but connect her past to her present so they can figure out who is after them. And why. As the danger escalates, unexpected feelings arise. Reid doesn’t believe he’s worthy of Quinn’s love–or God’s. And Quinn is too worried about having her heart broken again and the effect of having a new man in her son’s life. Can they let go of their preconceived notions of love and relationships, or are they doomed to just let go of each other?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jennifer Pierce currently lives in Arkansas with her husband and two children. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and River Valley Writers, where she serves as secretary.

Website: lovereadwriterepeat.wordpress.com