29 November 2016

The Silent Songbird by Melanie Dickerson

★★★★
Goodreads | Amazon
Evangeline is gifted with a heavenly voice, but she is trapped in a sinister betrothal—until she embarks on a daring escape and meets brave Westley le Wyse. Can he help her discover the freedom to sing again?

Desperate to flee a political marriage to her cousin King Richard II’s closest advisor, Lord Shiveley—a man twice her age with shadowy motives—Evangeline runs away and joins a small band of servants journeying back to Glynval, their home village.

Pretending to be mute, she gets to know Westley le Wyse, their handsome young leader, who is intrigued by the beautiful servant girl. But when the truth comes out, it may shatter any hope that love could grow between them.

More than Evangeline’s future is at stake as she finds herself entangled in a web of intrigue that threatens England’s monarchy. Should she give herself up to protect the only person who cares about her? If she does, who will save the king from a plot to steal his throne?

25 November 2016

Home on the Range by Ruth Logan Herne

★★★★
Goodreads | Amazon
Start reading the first chapter here.
Can the brother left behind and a woman without hope work together for the good of two precious children?

Nick Stafford stayed in central Washington, working his family’s large ranch after his brothers left to pursue other passions—but his toughest job is being a single dad. As a child he watched his father fail at marriage and parenting, so Nick was determined to show him up. He’d be a better husband, father, and ranch manager than Sam Stafford ever was. Despite that commitment, three years after Nick’s wife left him, he has a daughter in trouble at school and both of his girls are facing issues that force him to rethink his stubborn plans. 

For Dr. Elsa Andreas, life fell apart when tragedy caused her to abandon her family therapy practice and retreat to the backwoods of Gray’s Glen. Her school principal sister believes Elsa can guide the Stafford girls and that working with kids will draw Elsa out of her protective bubble. 

Summer on the Double S teems with life and adventure. Amid the bounty of God and land, will Nick and Elsa find the courage to build futures based on faith rather than fear?

17 November 2016

Finding Margo by Jen Turano


About the Book
★★★★ 
Goodreads | Amazon
Off the charts and on the run. 

International pop star Margo Hartman could use a night off. A grueling tour and overbearing entourage have sent her over the edge. It’s time for this diva to disappear. And who would think to look for the superstar in a small Dutch town in Ohio? 

Sheriff’s deputy Brock Moore is undercover as well. He knows Margo isn’t who she appears to be, but her uncanny resemblance to a local Amish woman is raising all sorts of questions…the kind that make her a target for a killer. 

Both are determined to find answers, but their mutual attraction stands in the way of either of them doing it alone. Is finding Margo the solution to Brock’s problems or just the beginning…?

16 November 2016

The Shattered Vigil by Patrick W. Carr

★★★★★
Goodreads | Amazon
Award-winner Carr delivers latest in fantasy saga.

Victory over the dark forces during the feast of Bas-solas should have guaranteed safety for the continent. Instead, Willet and the rest of the Vigil discover they've been outsmarted by those seeking to unleash the evil that inhabits the Darkwater. Jorgen, the member of the Vigil assigned to Frayel, has gone missing, and new attacks have struck at the six kingdoms' ability to defend themselves. 

Just when the Vigil thought they had quenched the menace from their enemy in Collum, a new threat emerges: assassins hunting the Vigil, men and women who cannot be seen until it's too late. The orders of the church and the rulers of the kingdoms, fearing the loss of the Vigil's members altogether, have decided to take them into protective custody to safeguard their gift. On Pellin's orders, the Vigil scatters, leaving Willet to be taken prisoner by the church in Bunard. 

In the midst of this, Willet learns of the murder of an obscure nobleman's daughter by one of the unseen assassins. Now he must escape his imprisonment and brave the wrath of the church to find the killer in order to turn back this latest threat to the northern continent.

Waiting on Wednesday: A Moonbow Night & Purgatory Road

Hosted weekly by Breaking the Spine 
to spotlight eagerly-anticipated upcoming releases.

Happy Wednesday!

I'm finally breaking into 2017 releases this week—wow, I can't believe this crazy year is almost over...

15 November 2016

Top Ten Tuesday: Movies I Plan to Watch Because of a Book

Hosted weekly by The Broke and the Bookish.

 I think most people (or readers, I suppose) would agree, usually, the book is better than the movie. But if I've read the book, I want to see the movie. Even if it'll probably be really bad or completely ridiculous. I can't help it. So, without further ado, here are a few based-on-a-book movies I still need to watch.
 

12 November 2016

Intermission by Serena Chase

★★★★★
Goodreads | Amazon
We are starlight on snow. The reflection of something already beautiful—absorbed, reflected, and remade into something...more. 

And this kiss...

This kiss is everything I’ve needed to say...and longed to hear.

Sixteen-year-old Faith Prescott eagerly awaits the day she will exchange her small Iowa hometown for the bright lights of Broadway, but her success-driven parents want her to pursue a more practical career, labeling “artsy” people—including their daughter—as foolish dreamers worthy of little more than disdain.

When Faith meets nineteen-year-old Noah Spencer she discovers someone who understands her musical theatre dreams...because he shares them. 

Faith’s mother despises everything about Noah—his age, his upbringing...even his religious beliefs—and she grasps at every opportunity to belittle his plans to study theatre and pursue a stage career. When those criticisms shift further toward hostility, resulting in unjust suspicions and baseless accusations, an increasingly fearful stage is set for Faith at home, where severe restrictions and harsh penalties are put in place to remove Noah Spencer from her life.

But Faith has never connected with anyone like she has with Noah, and no matter how tight a stranglehold her mother enforces to keep them apart, Faith will not give him up. Behind the curtain, Faith’s love for Noah continues to grow...as does her determination to hold on to her dreams—and him—no matter how high the cost. 

Intermission is a heart-wrenching contemporary YA romance set against a backdrop of musical theatre and family drama. With coming-of-age themes that honestly explore gray areas of moral dilemmas, this novel traces the path of one talented teen girl as she crosses painful thresholds of first love, faith, and betrayal to take the necessary steps toward adulthood, independence, and the dreams that set her heart on fire.

10 November 2016

Trust My Heart by Carol J. Post

Will an unplanned detour finally guide Grant home and find love with an honest, funny, and undeniably appealing reporter named Jami? Find out in a heartwarming romance by Carol J. Post, Trust My Heart. Grant McAllister arrives in Murphy, North Carolina, with one aim: to sell his inherited property and leave as quickly as possible. After breaking up with her safe-but-smothering boyfriend, Jami is determined to ace her first big assignment. A story about the McAllister estate is too intriguing to ignore—but as the two draw closer as they share their dreams, misread signals and misunderstandings begin to test their trust.

Join Carol in celebrating the release of Trust My Heart by entering to win her $75 Cozy Cash Giveaway.

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One grand prize winner will receive:
  • A copy of Trust My Heart
  • A $75 Visa cash card
  • A basket full of goodies made in North Carolina to keep you cozy in the cooler fall weather
blog-tour-giveaway 

Enter today by clicking the icon below, but hurry! The giveaway ends on November 23. The winner will be announced November 28 on Carol's blog.

trust-my-heart-enterbanner

About the Book
★★★★
Goodreads | Amazon
Grant McAllister arrives in Murphy, North Carolina, with one aim: to sell his inherited property and leave as quickly as possible.

The big-city lawyer has no interest in his late, estranged grandparents or the dilapidated mansion he just acquired. After his high-profile divorce, he should be avoiding perky reporters, too. But Jami Carlisle is honest, funny, and undeniably appealing.

After breaking up with her safe-but-smothering boyfriend, Jami is determined to ace her first big assignment. A story about the McAllister estate is too intriguing to ignoremuch like its handsome, commitment-phobic heir. Thanks to her digging, the pieces of Grant's fraught family history are gradually fitting into place, but also upending all his old beliefs.

The two draw closer as they share their dreams, until misread signals and misunderstandings begin to test their trust. But in the unspoiled beauty of the Smoky Mountains, there's healing and forgiveness to be found. And for Grant, this unplanned detour may be just what's needed to finally guide him home...

With plenty of small-town charm, quirky secondary characters, and a heartfelt lesson in love, trust, and forgiveness, Carol J. Post’s novel Trust My Heart offers its readers a delightful and quick inspirational romance.

Main characters Grant McAllister and Jami Carlisle both have trouble trusting due to hardships in their pasts. As their paths cross around town (and the good-hearted but meddling matchmaker helps to make sure it happens), their sweetly forming relationship challenges them to confront these issues and move forward to pursue their dreams. Overall, I enjoyed their romantic storythough a few moments had me quite frustrated, since simple communication could have prevented much unnecessary drama…

Still, Trust My Heart is fun and cute with an uplifting message. Fans of contemporary romance looking for a sweet weekend read could really like it. I did, and now I really hope Jami’s two best friends get chances for matchmaking and romance and look forward to seeing if that happens.

Thanks to LitFuse Publicity Group, I received a copy of Trust My Heart and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own. To read other opinions, be sure to check out what other reviewers think here, and purchase a copy of the book here.

About the Author
From medical secretary to court reporter to property manager to owner of a special-events decorating company, Carol J. Post's résumé reads as if she hasn't yet decided what she wants to be when she grows up. But one thing that has remained constant through the years is her love of writing. She started as a child composing poetry for family and friends, then graduated to articles for religious and children's publications. Now she pens fun, fast-paced inspirational romance and romantic suspense stories. Her books have been nominated for an RT Reviewers' Choice Best Book award and selected as an RT Top Pick. When Carol isn't writing, she enjoys sailing, hiking, campingalmost anything outdoors. She also plays the piano and sings with her music-minister husband. Their two grown daughters and their grandkids live too far away for her liking, so she now pours all her nurturing into taking care of a fat and sassy black cat and a highly spoiled dachshund.

Six Days in Leningrad by Paullina Simons

About the Book
★★★
Goodreads | Amazon
The never-before-told story of the journey behind The Bronze Horseman now in print for the first time.

From the author of the celebrated, internationally bestselling The Bronze Horseman saga comes a glimpse into the private life of its much loved creator, and the real story behind the epic novels. Paullina Simons gives us a work of non-fiction as captivating and heart-wrenching as the lives of Tatiana and Alexander.

Only a few chapters into writing her first story set in Russia, her mother country, Paullina Simons travelled to Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) with her beloved Papa. What began as a research trip turned into six days that forever changed her life, the course of her family, and the novel that became The Bronze Horseman. After a quarter-century away from her native land, Paullina and her father found a world trapped in yesteryear, with crumbling stucco buildings, entire families living in seven-square-metre communal apartments, and barren fields bombed so badly that nothing would grow there even fifty years later. And yet there were the spectacular white nights, the warm hospitality of family friends and, of course, the pelmeni and caviar.

At times poignant, at times inspiring and funny, this is both a fascinating glimpse into the inspiration behind the epic saga, and a touching story of a family's history, a father and a daughter, and the fate of a nation.

08 November 2016

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I've Added to My TBR List Lately

Hosted weekly by The Broke and the Bookish.

Not a day goes by without me adding a new book to my Goodreads to-read list, I'm pretty sure. At this point, it's a ridiculously and unfinishably long list... So out of my latest additions, here are a select ten(ish) that I will (hopefully) be reading in the near future.

04 November 2016

The Friday 56: Her One and Only

Hosted weekly by Freda's Voice.
  
Happy Friday!

Since the last couple weeks have been particularly sports-filled for me (yay Cubs!), I'm featuring Her One and Only by Becky Wade (because of its NFL-playing male lead). I read it and loved it earlier this year, so I hope you enjoy this quick peek into it!

01 November 2016

Top Ten Tuesday: Books to Read If Your Book Club Likes Surprising Twists

Hosted weekly by The Broke and the Bookish.

I love a book that surprises me—especially one with a twist that catches me completely off guard, changes my entire perspective of the story, and makes me want to talk about it. Now, I don't spoil the experience of these books, so I won't say too much—just, if you and your book club like a twist or two, consider picking up one of the following books.

(As I compiled this list, I realized I had several similarities to this Buzzfeed list... So, check that out, too!)