31 July 2018

More Than Its Adorable Cover | Her Lost and Found Baby by Tara Taylor Quinn

ABOUT THE BOOK

Friends. Without benefits. They both agreed.

Until she stole his heart.

Tabitha Jones will find her kidnapped toddler…even if it means searching every daycare in Southern California. So when her hunky, wealthy neighbor, Johnny Brubaker, offers a deal, Tabitha sees it as an ideal way to expand her search. In exchange for working his food truck, Johnny agrees to pose as Tabitha’s husband. It’s the perfect relationship…until Johnny realizes posing as a family man isn’t enough anymore.

Publisher: Harlequin Special Edition 
Release Date: August 1, 2018 

Top Ten Tuesday | Books That Lived Up to the Hype

Hosted weekly by That Artsy Reader Girl.

Happy Tuesday!

Hyped books can often be hit-or-miss, thanks to high expectations. This year, I've read quite a few books about which I had previously heard many outstanding things, and I'm glad to say that several have 100% lived up to the hype for me.

30 July 2018

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #7

Hosted weekly by The Book Date.

Happy Monday!

It's been a busy week for me. Having family in town has kept me socializing more than usual, but still, with bowling and The Bachelorette, pedicures and Thai food, I've had funand still had time for reading.

27 July 2018

The Friday 56 & First Line Friday | A Touch of Gold

The Friday 56 is hosted weekly by Freda's Voice.
First Line Friday is hosted weekly by Hoarding Books.

Happy Friday!

I have a lot of books I'm looking forward to reading, and this fantasy-adventure from Annie Sullivan is one of them. Enjoy the peek!

26 July 2018

Emotion, Adventure & Danger Aplenty | Becoming the Talbot Sisters by Rachel Linden

ABOUT THE BOOK

Twin sisters Waverly and Charlie Talbot have drifted far apart as they pursue opposite dreams of stardom and service to the poor. On an astonishing journey across Central Europe, they must come together to face their fears, find their courage and fight for what they love.

Celebrity chef Waverly Ross has built a successful career with her home-entertaining show Simply Perfect. Yet she and her husband, Andrew, have never been able to realize the true desire of Waverly’s heart: to become a mother. Meanwhile Waverly’s twin sister, Charlie Talbot, buries her bitter disappointment and shattered idealism beneath a life spent serving others as an international aid worked in Budapest, Hungary.

When the beloved aunt who raised them passes away, Waverly and Charlie come together in their grief after living years on separate continents. Struck by a fierce desire to bridge the distance between them, Charlie offers Waverly and her husband the selfless gift of surrogacy.

But soon the sisters find they are each in danger of losing their jobs, seemingly putting their dreams on hold once again. When Waverly shows up unannounced in Budapest with a plan to rescue Simply Perfect, the sisters embark on an adventure across Central Europe that could save them both from occupational hazards. Though the twins haven’t had to rely on each other since childhood, an unforeseen dangerous turn in their journey across Europe forces them to stand together to save their careers, the baby, and each other.

Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Release Date: May 1, 2018


25 July 2018

Waiting on Wednesday | Murder in the City of Liberty

Hosted weekly by Breaking the Spine 
to spotlight eagerly-anticipated upcoming releases.
(Similarly, Can't-Wait Wednesday is hosted by Wishful Endings.)

Happy Wednesday!

I just read the first Van Buren and DeLuca Mystery, Murder at the Flamingo, over the weekend and I can't help waiting more Hamish and Reggie now.

24 July 2018

Mystery in 1930s Boston | Murder at the Flamingo by Rachel McMillan

ABOUT THE BOOK

“Maybe it was time to land straight in the middle of the adventure…”

Hamish DeLuca has spent most of his life trying to hide the anxiety that appears at the most inopportune times — including during his first real court case as a new lawyer. Determined to rise above his father’s expectations, Hamish runs away to Boston where his cousin, Luca Valari, is opening a fashionable nightclub in Scollay Square. When he meets his cousin’s “right hand man” Reggie, Hamish wonders if his dreams for a more normal life might be at hand.

Regina “Reggie” Van Buren, heir to a New Haven fortune, has fled fine china, small talk, and the man her parents expect her to marry. Determined to make a life as the self-sufficient city girl she’s seen in her favorite Jean Arthur and Katharine Hepburn pictures, Reggie runs away to Boston, where she finds an easy secretarial job with the suave Luca Valari. But as she and Hamish work together in Luca’s glittering world, they discover a darker side to the smashing Flamingo night club.

When a corpse is discovered at the Flamingo, Reggie and Hamish quickly learn there is a vast chasm between the haves and the have-nots in 1937 Boston—and that there’s an underworld that feeds on them both. As Hamish is forced to choose between his conscience and loyalty to his beloved cousin, the unlikely sleuthing duo work to expose a murder before the darkness destroys everything they’ve worked to build.

Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Release Date: July 10, 2018


Top Ten Tuesday | Books With Sensory Reading Memories

Hosted weekly by That Artsy Reader Girl.

Happy Tuesday!

I have read a lot of books in my life, and for various reasons, some are more memorable than others. Here are a few of the memorable books, stories aside, that easily bring to mind the specific feelings and circumstances I had while reading.

23 July 2018

One December | Spotlight & Guest Post

Welcome to the blog tour & giveaway for One December by Kyle Hunter, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Nikki has loved Mike for as long as she can remember (as early as age seven!). Mike has his own past hurts to resolve, having lost both parents in an accident when he was fourteen. He’s tried to escape those painful memories by leaving New York and starting a new life on the West Coast. New facts indicate, years later, that his parents’ deaths might not have been an accident.

At Christmas Mike comes back to New York for the first time in three years. He and Nikki rekindle the friendship they had as children and share their newfound faith. Under a Christmas moon romantic sparks fly . . . but their mutual attraction takes an unexpected detour.

Nikki is devastated, believing her one chance for a relationship with Mike is over. She impulsively takes a one-year teaching opportunity in Paris, so that she can face her own fears and get over Mike.

If Mike and Nikki run away, how can they find each other again?

Publisher: Monceau Publishing
Release Date: February 10, 2018


It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #6

Hosted weekly by The Book Date.

Happy Monday!

The past week turned out to be both fun and productive for me. I saw Tag, watched more Brooklyn Nine-Nine, spent some quality time with family and friends, finished one of my summer classes, and participated in the 24 in 48 Readathon. I'm content.

21 July 2018

A Lot of Action, A Lot of Fun | Cowboy Bodyguard by Dana Mentink

ABOUT THE BOOK

She must protect a baby...

With her secret husband's help.

In this Gold Country Cowboys novel, Jack Thorn gets a surprise call from the woman he married in secret years ago. Shannon Livingston needs his protection for herself and the baby she's hiding from a biker gang targeting the mother. Now Jack must help Shannon, even if shielding her means pretending to be a true husband to the only woman he's ever loved...

Publisher: Love Inspired Suspense
Release Date: July 3, 2018


OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES


Darkwater Secrets | Spotlight & Excerpt

Welcome to the Darkwater Secrets by Robin Caroll blitz and giveaway, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK

A murder investigation uncovers sordid secrets and haunting mistakes.

The Darkwater Inn stands tall and proud in the French Quarter, the hub of New Orleans. Bourbon Street is bustling, and General Manager Adelaide Fountaine has her hands full with a hotel at full capacity. She, along with everyone else, is shocked when a body is found: a hotel guest stabbed with a kitchen knife.

Detective Beau Savoie, Adelaide’s childhood friend, is on the case. As Beau digs into the victim’s past, he unearths a shocking connection between Adelaide and the murdered guest. Beau is hurt that his friend—the woman he’s quietly loved for years—kept the truth from him. And, to make matters worse, the stress of the investigation has sent Adelaide right into the comforting arms of her coworker Dimitri. But Beau can’t press Adelaide too hard . . . he’s keeping secrets of his own.

Can Adelaide and Beau afford to hide from the truth with a killer on the loose?

Publisher: Gilead Publishing
Release Date: July 17, 2018

20 July 2018

Character-Driven & Faith-Filled | River to Redemption by Ann H. Gabhart

ABOUT THE BOOK

Orphaned in the cholera epidemic of 1833, Adria Starr was cared for by a slave named Louis, a man who stayed in Springfield, Kentucky, when anyone with means had fled. A man who passed up the opportunity to escape his bondage and instead tended to the sick and buried the dead. A man who, twelve years later, is being sold by his owners despite his heroic actions. Now nineteen, Adria has never forgotten what Louis did for her. She's determined to find a way to buy Louis's freedom. But in 1840s Kentucky, she'll face an uphill battle.

Based partly on a true story, Ann H. Gabhart's latest historical novel is a tour de force. The vividly rendered town of Springfield and its citizens immerse readers in a story of courage, betrayal, and honor that will stick with them long after they turn the last page.

Publisher: Revell
Release Date: July 3, 2018


The Friday 56 & First Line Friday | Murder at the Flamingo

The Friday 56 is hosted weekly by Freda's Voice.
First Line Friday is hosted weekly by Hoarding Books.

Happy Friday!

It's time for the 24 in 48 Readathon again! I've been looking forward to this weekend for weeks, and I'm excited to start reading my (mostly blue, coincidentally) TBR stack. Yes, it's a little ambitious... I'm sure I won't have time to finish all six books, but I'm planning to try nonetheless.


Now, Murder at the Flamingo will be one of the first books I pick up tomorrow, so here's a peek into it.

19 July 2018

Regency-Era Romance | Dangerous to Know by Megan Whitson Lee

ABOUT THE BOOK

“Don’t look at him, dear. He’s dangerous.”

Isabella Bankmill seeks a husband whose character matches her list of requirements. The man must share her faith, but he must also possess a certain je ne sais quoi. The enigmatical Lord Gregory Gordon Bromby—London’s newest literary sensation—certainly possesses the latter. Despite a deformed foot and alarming views on politics and religion, he attracts the ladies in droves.

Haunted by his past and overwhelmed by his newfound celebrity status, Lord Bromby’s obsession with his own doom leads to reckless behavior. When he is stalked by an obsessive aristocrat seeking an elopement, Bromby’s friends urge him to marry a suitable lady as soon as possible. Intrigued by Isabella’s convictions and hoping to avoid further scandal, Bromby proposes to Isabella.

Isabella also receives an offer of marriage from kind-hearted philanthropist, David Beringer—a man equally devoted to his faith—but she only has eyes for Lord Bromby. Blinded by his talent and good looks, Isabella convinces herself that he’s not as dangerous as everyone claims. But when Bromby’s world violently collides with hers, Isabella must decide once and for all who is lord of her life. God or Bromby?

Publisher: Elk Lake Publishing Inc.
Release Date: May 17, 2018


Friendship, Romance & Lots of Emotions | The Last Summer by Brandy Bruce

ABOUT THE BOOK

For twenty-something Sara Witherspoon and her group of friends, a perfect Southern summer includes lake-house getaways, wedding planning, outdoor concerts, and a dash of romance. But for these seven friends who love each other like family, this year, summer rolls in with changes for everyone.

Sara's longtime crush, Luke, has been her best friend for as long as she has been a part of the group. When Luke begins seriously dating another of their friends, Sara's forced to deal with her hurt and jealousy, while outwardly try to support them both.

While Sara comes to terms with her own heart and her friends' relationships, an unexpected handsome pilot from North Carolina and an old flame are thrown into the mix. Knowing her heart suddenly becomes much more complicated.

But as time unfolds and friendships begin to unravel, Sara and the others are presented with the reality of what a season of change does to old friendships and new love interests.

Does growing older mean growing apart?

Publisher: Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas
Release Date: June 2017


18 July 2018

Emotional, Memorable & Page-Turning | The Truth Between Us by Tammy L. Gray

ABOUT THE BOOK

Nine years to win her. Three years to love her. And one decision that destroyed it all.

April Duncan was raised with three clear truths: the family name is absolute, ambition and success rule over every emotion, and love always comes with strings attached. Image was everything in her carefully crafted world... until the mirror cracked.

Sean Taylor was April's best friend, the one man who taught her it was okay to let her guard down and to rely on someone. She trusted him. She loved him. Which made his deception the darkest kind of cruelty.

Now, nearly a year later, she’s ready to leave her failed engagement in the past and get back her life and her estranged family, even if it means dating a man solely for his connections. She’ll never again choose love over loyalty.

Sean has spent his entire life breaking barriers, facing challenges, and never giving up. Until one impossible choice destroyed his future and left him no option but to flee from the woman who annihilated his heart.

Now he’s back in Bentwood and determined to make her hear the truth and rebuild the trust he shattered. But April has become a mere shell of the woman who claimed his heart long ago.

Winning her back is more than just seizing a victory, because if he fails… the girl he’s loved for a lifetime will disappear forever.

The Truth Between Us is the second book in the Bentwood series. Each book can be read as a standalone, but it is recommended that you begin with book one to get the full experience among this tight group of family and friends.


Release Date: July 12, 2018

Goodreads | Amazon


OTHER BOOK IN THE SERIES


Until I Knew Myself

Waiting on Wednesday | Daughters of Northern Shores

Hosted weekly by Breaking the Spine 
to spotlight eagerly-anticipated upcoming releases.
(Similarly, Can't-Wait Wednesday is hosted by Wishful Endings.)

Happy Wednesday!

Last week, I read Sons of Blackbird MountainI loved the characters and the setting and the storyand now, I absolutely cannot wait to read the next book.

17 July 2018

Top Ten Tuesday | Favorite Novellas & Short Stories

Hosted weekly by That Artsy Reader Girl.

Happy Tuesday!

In recent years, I've found that I love to read novellas and short stories every now and then. The ones I pick up are usually fun and cute and very easy to enjoyand romantic, of course. So, here are a few of my favorite novella and short-story romances.

I'm not mentioning too many Christmas novellas this week because while I love them, my favorites already ended up on my list last week—go check that TTT out, too.

16 July 2018

Romance & Watermelons | Loving Grace by April Smith

Welcome to the Loving Grace by April Smith blog & review tour plus giveaway, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Grace Summer lands herself in a melon load of trouble when she becomes torn between the boy of her dreams and the boy almost next door.

As the newly crowned Watermelon Queen, she is thrust into the spotlight, meets the dreamy Warren Hartley, and continues trying to get over an accident that rocked her world. Mix in working with Beau Baron who Grace happens to fight with just about as much as breathing and the metaphorical sparks fly.

Like most things in life, Grace must learn to take the good with the bad. While the good is the handsome and fun Warren Hartley, the bad is Beau Baron—or at least being around his annoying and rude self way more than she would like. For Beau, Grace is nothing more than aggravating and an irritating reminder from the night of the accident.

Tensions soar as Grace and Beau fight to love themselves and maybe, just maybe, each other.

Publisher: Ambassador International
Release Date: March 20, 2018

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #5

Hosted weekly by The Book Date.

Happy Monday!

Ooh, it was an exhausting week. I stayed up too late on more than one night racing borrowed audiobook expiration dates—but I got a lot of reading done, so I'm okay with that.

13 July 2018

The Friday 56 & First Line Friday | The Carousel Painter

The Friday 56 is hosted weekly by Freda's Voice.
First Line Friday is hosted weekly by Hoarding Books.

Happy Friday!

This week, I finally read this sweet story I picked up from a thrift store years ago, and I had fun being immersed in the world of Carrington's carousel painting for a brief time.

12 July 2018

As Beautiful as the Cover | Sons of Blackbird Mountain by Joanne Bischof

ABOUT THE BOOK

After the tragic death of her husband, Aven Norgaard is beckoned to give up her life in Norway to become a housekeeper in the rugged hills of Nineteenth-Century Appalachia. Upon arrival, she finds herself in the home of her late husband’s cousins—three brothers who make a living by brewing hard cider on their three-hundred acre farm. Yet even as a stranger in a foreign land, Aven has hope to build a new life in this tight-knit family.

But her unassuming beauty disrupts the bond between the brothers. The youngest two both desire her hand, and Aven is caught in the middle, unsure where—and whether—to offer her affection. While Haakon is bold and passionate, it is Thor who casts the greatest spell upon her. Though Deaf, mute, and dependent on hard drink to cope with his silent pain, Thor possesses a sobering strength.

As autumn ushers in the apple harvest, the rift between Thor and Haakon deepens and Aven faces a choice that risks hearts. Will two brothers’ longing for her quiet spirit tear apart a family? Can she find a tender belonging in this remote, rugged, and unfamiliar world?

A haunting tale of struggle and redemption, Sons of Blackbird Mountain is a portrait of grace in a world where the broken may find new life through the healing mercy of love.

Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Release Date: July 3, 2018


11 July 2018

Waiting on Wednesday | The Christmas Heirloom

Hosted weekly by Breaking the Spine 
to spotlight eagerly-anticipated upcoming releases.
(Similarly, Can't-Wait Wednesday is hosted by Wishful Endings.)

Happy Wednesday!

Well, I might as well keep yesterday's Christmas mood alive... 

I've loved books from all fours of these authors, so I'm incredibly excited to see what they do with a generational novella collection.

10 July 2018

Sweet, Romantic Alaskan Fun | Alaskan Hideaway by Beth Carpenter

ABOUT THE BOOK

He traveled 3,800 miles to be alone...

…but is it what he really wants?

Relocating to Alaska after a family tragedy seemed an ideal way for author R.D. “Mac” Macleod to grieve in peace. But solitude feels overrated when Mac’s around B&B owner Ursula Anderson and her orphaned goddaughter, Rory, who’s already bonding with his dog. Worse, he’s imagining a future with Ursula and Rory. Is it time to finally forgive himself?


Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES

The Alaskan Catch
A Gift for Santa 

 

Top Ten Tuesday | Christmas in July

Hosted weekly by That Artsy Reader Girl.

Happy Tuesday!

This summer has been so HOT it's crazy. I've caught myself, more than once recently, longing for a cooler seasonand the books that come with it. It may be only July now, but I'm ready for some Christmas-book reading, so I can't help throwing back to a holiday-themed TTT topic

If you too need a break from the heat (and a little "Christmas in July"), here are the books I've loved in recent years.

Also, for more snow-related fun, check out Alaskan Hideaway.

09 July 2018

More Nantucket Island History & Romance | Minding the Light by Suzanne Woods Fisher

ABOUT THE BOOK

Six long years ago, Captain Reynolds Macy sailed away from his bride, looking forward to the day when he would return to Nantucket Island with a ship’s hold full of whale oil. But when that momentous day finally arrives, Ren soon discovers that everything has changed in his absence. Everything. “Is nothing on this island as it appears to be?” he whispers in despair.

Unlike most islanders, bold and spirited Daphne Coffin doesn’t defer to Ren as an authoritative whalemaster, but sees through his aloofness to the aching heart beneath. She encourages him to return to his Quaker roots and “mind the Light,” finding solace in God and community. As Ren becomes the man she believes him to be–honorable, wise, faithful–she finds herself falling in love with him.

But how can she, when her heart is spoken for? Tristram Macy is Ren’s business partner, cousin, and best friend–and Daphne’s fiancé. Love always comes at a cost, but when is the price too high?

Suzanne Woods Fisher welcomes readers back to the Quaker community on Nantucket Island for this riveting love story, full of unexpected moments.


It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #4

Hosted weekly by The Book Date.

Happy Monday!

Phew, what a busy week last week turned out to be. In addition to my usual blend of work, school, and reading, I helped my brother and sister-in-law move to town, had dinner with other visiting relatives, finally exchanged Christmas presents with a couple friends, and went paddle boarding to enjoy the beautiful, but HOT weather. I had a lot of fun, but I can't deny that I'm looking forward to a little less excitement this week.

07 July 2018

Hollywood-Based Contemporary & Revolution-Based Historical | The Love Letter by Rachel Hauck

ABOUT THE BOOK

With the colonies at war and his country divided, Hamilton Lightfoot must choose sides: Fight for the British Crown or for the Independence of America. But after witnessing the death of his family at the hands of redcoats, he fears he’ll fight for revenge instead of honor. On the verge of a great battle, he pens a letter to Esther, the woman he loves.

Esther Longfellow is in love with Hamilton, but her father is a loyalist, living in upcountry South Carolina and working for a wealthy British lord. When the Revolutionary War comes to her doorstep she is forced to choose between devotion to her father and her love for Hamilton.

Chloe Daschle is the daughter of Hollywood royalty—a great director and an Oscar-winning actress. Yet her career has taken an unexpected turn: She’s the queen of death scenes. Trying to break out, she accepts a supporting role in a revolutionary war film. But she longs for the perfect role and the perfect real-life romance. Does happily ever after only exist in the movies?

After a life-changing tragedy, MIT graduate Jesse Gates decides to leave his life behind and move to LA to try his hand at acting and screenwriting. When he finds a page from one of his ancestor’s letters, he becomes consumed with the love he finds there. Determined to help his grandfather find happiness at the end of his life, Jesse writes and sells a screenplay based on the events surrounding the lost love of previous generations.

When Jesse meets the woman he has cast to play Esther Longfellow—his grandfather’s one true love—the stories of all four collide across time and space. The love letter from the past might have more power to affect the future than any of them could have imagined.


06 July 2018

The Friday 56 & First Line Friday | Sons of Blackbird Mountain

The Friday 56 is hosted weekly by Freda's Voice.
First Line Friday is hosted weekly by Hoarding Books.

Happy Friday!

I'm so excited to be starting this book in the next day or so, so I had to share it.

05 July 2018

Fun & Spirited Western Romance | Love's Silver Lining by Julie Lessman

ABOUT THE BOOK

She tampers with his life.
He tampers with her heart.
Love tampers with them both.

Desperate to escape an arranged marriage to a womanizer, twenty-two-year-old Maggie Mullaney flees New York for Virginia City, Nevada with her Aunt Liberty, two spunky suffragists intent on bettering the lives of women. Fresh out of nursing school, Maggie hopes to devote herself to serving others rather than just one man, a goal quickly affirmed when she encounters Blaze Donovan, a womanizing cowboy who both riles and rouses her pulse. But when Aunt Liberty’s parents’ house burns down, she and Maggie are coerced into staying at the ranch of Liberty’s ex-husband, Finn McShane, who just happens to be the uncle of the cocky cowboy Maggie had hoped to avoid.

If there’s one thing twenty-nine-year-old Blaze Donovan can’t abide, it’s respectable women who spout piety and prayer, so when he butts heads with perky Maggie Mullaney at St. Mary Louise Hospital, he wants to stay as far away from her as he possibly can. Unfortunately, she now lives in the bedroom next to his in his uncle’s ranch house, a revolting development that sends Blaze to The Ponderosa Saloon more than usual. But when Maggie interferes in Blaze’s life by converting his favorite “disrespectable” girl, Blaze is determined to make her pay. Only problem is—the price HE has to pay may be a little too steep for his heart.