Book Review: Selling Christmas by Angelina Goode

 

If you're in the mood for a sweet seasonal romance, you can't choose a better one than Selling Christmas by Angelina Goode. 

As a real estate agent, Caroline is used to helping people find their dream home. When she is tasked by her broker with overseeing the first annual Christmas Tour of Homes, however, she might be in over her head. She doesn't even decorate her own house, so how can she bring the Christmas spirit to others?

Luke is a local police office and all around nice guy. His daughter Ella means the world to him. So, when Ella asks for a house of their own with a fireplace for Santa to fit through, he knows he has to try his hardest.

As Christmas fate brings Caroline and Luke together, they might just be exactly what the other needs... unless they let their pasts stand in the way.

Everyone knows I am a sucker for a great Christmas romance in book or television form. That's part of why I requested to review Selling Christmas. Another reason is that lovely cover. It is even prettier up close. Of course, I tend to like books with real estate agents as main characters these days since I am one. 

Goode created the perfect seasonal romance: two people who meet by chance, obstacles that could prevent them from getting together, a small town setting, a great cast of supporting characters, and a happy ending. What more can you ask for in this genre? While you know how it is going to end, you still read every page because you don't want to miss a thing. 

You even fall in love with some of the secondary characters in this one. Sarah, Caroline's assistant who insisted upon decorating her office and pretty much acted like a kid on Christmas morning; Luke's partner Andrea who nudged him in the right direction; the shelter director, Lauren, who unknowingly played a role in helping both Caroline and Luke; and the antics of Caroline's co-workers added a fun element to the story. 

Christmas, romance, holiday fun, and a small town feel make Selling Christmas a story you will want to read over again. I hope Goode releases another seasonal story next year. 

ISBN-10 : 0996176934

ISBN-13 : 978-0996176934

Paperback : 324 pages 

Publisher : Beach Blanket Publishing (October 2, 2020)

I received a copy of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Inspirational Seasonal Fiction: Just in Time for Christmas by Davalynn Spencer

She’s seventeen with a ranch to run, a fear of heights, and a cowboy intent on stealing her heart.


Abigale Millerton leaves a Denver women’s school and returns to her grandparents’ high-country ranch to find the boy she’d grown up with not a boy any longer—and butting in on her challenge with local timber thieves. If he’d stop telling her what to do, they might get along.

Seth Holt has loved Abigale since before he knew better. And now that she’s back in the high country, she’s still as bull-headed as ever. But Seth can match her, and he’s determined to keep her out of harm’s way and in his line of sight. Trouble is, he’d rather keep her in his arms.

File Size: 1267 KB
Print Length: 113 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Wilson Creek Publishing (November 1, 2019)
Publication Date: November 1, 2019
Sold by: Amazon.com Services LLC
Language: English

Purchase here!

E-Book on Sale: The Sea Glass Cottage by RaeAnne Thayne

If I didn't have so many unread books here, I would buy it for only $2.99.

The life Olivia Harper always dreamed of isn’t so dreamy these days. The 16-hour work days are unfulfilling and so are things with her on-again, off-again boyfriend. But when she hears that her estranged mother, Juliet, has been seriously injured, Liv has no choice but to pack up her life and head home to beautiful Cape Sanctuary on the Northern California coast.

It’s just for a few months—that’s what Liv keeps telling herself. But the closer she gets to Cape Sanctuary, the painful memories start flooding back: Natalie, her vibrant, passionate older sister who downward-spiraled into addiction. The fights with her mother who enabled her sister at every turn. The overdose that took Natalie, leaving her now-teenaged daughter, Caitlin, an orphan.

As Liv tries to balance her own needs with those of her injured mother and an obstinate, resentful fifteen-year-old, it becomes clear that all three Harper women have been keeping heartbreaking secrets from one another. And as those secrets are revealed, Liv, Juliet, and Caitlin will see that it’s never too late—or too early—to heal family wounds and find forgiveness.

File Size: 1181 KB
Print Length: 384 pages
Publisher: HQN Books; Original edition (March 17, 2020)
Publication Date: March 17, 2020
Sold by: Harlequin Digital Sales Corp.
Language: English
ASIN: B07QTL1F7Y

Purchase at Amazon and other online retailers.

Free E-Books from Pelican Book Group This Weekend

To thank readers for their continued support, Pelican Book Group is offering two e-books for free this weekend. Here are the details.

FREE MARCH 20TH ONLY

James Bloom has prayed three years for rain and five years for a wife. His dreams are demolished on Palm Sunday, 1935, when a catastrophic dust storm hits Oklahoma, and his neighbor’s niece has to ride out the storm at his house–-overnight. The next day, he’s forced to marry her, an East coast city girl who can’t speak. Could this be God’s plan?

Condemned to a future married to a stranger in the dusty Oklahoma wasteland, Lily Driggers longs for her home. Yet somehow, her new husband is the only one who understands her silent pleas.

As Easter approaches, Lily and James wonder if there is hope after the storm.

PURCHASE HERE!

FREE MARCH 21ST ONLY

Growing up in the Ozark foothills, Ben Carter and Lily Giordano were joined at the hip until the summer after their senior year when Ben married Lil’s stunning half-sister.

Now ten years later, Ben and Lil meet again for the first time when she returns to New Hope on a temporary assignment at his daughter’s school. Ben wants to make things right, but Lil wants nothing to do with the hard working young widower who now owns her father’s vineyard.

When a tragic accident challenges Ben’s faith, he realizes he’s fallen in love with Lily. They share a history, but she doesn't share his faith. How long can he wait? Will she accept her own mortality and the family they have in common, or must Ben bury his feelings for her once and for all? Time is running out. Can true love be resurrected?

PURCHASE HERE!

New Release: Western Christmas Wishes by Brenda Minton and Jill Kemerer

Two tales of holiday homecoming.

Spend the holidays with family in these two Western novellas!

Home is where the heart is in His Christmas Family when Laurel Adams comes home and discovers a foster kid and a seriously charming horse trainer living on her grandmother’s ranch. And in A Merry Wyoming Christmas, single mom Leann Bowden is starting over when she and her daughter are rescued from a snowstorm. Might the dashing cowboy be the Christmas gift they’re dreaming of?

Series: Love Inspired
Mass Market Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Love Inspired; Original edition (October 15, 2019)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1335479511
ISBN-13: 978-1335479518

Click here for online retailers!

Coming in May: Wyoming Baby Blessing by Jill Kemerer

She’s pregnant on his doorstep…

Saddle up for this Wyoming Cowboys novel

When his childhood friend Kit McAllistor shows up, widowed and pregnant, rancher Wade Croft offers her a place to stay…but he can’t offer her his heart. As old feelings begin to surface, past tragedies force Wade to ignore them. But on the brink of losing his ranch, will he also risk losing the woman he’s beginning to love…or can he cowboy up in time?


Series: Wyoming Cowboys (Book 4)
Mass Market Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Love Inspired; Original edition (April 16, 2019)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1335479155
ISBN-13: 978-1335479150

Pre-order from:

Christianbook
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Books-A-Million
iBooks
Kobo
Google Play

New Release: A Christmas by the Sea by Melody Carlson

So much fun to see the Christmas fiction come out this time of year.

When Wendy Harper inherits her family’s beachside cottage in Seaside, Maine, she sees it as a way to finally pay off the debts that have mounted since her husband died. Her twelve-year-old son Jackson sees it as an exciting new start in a life that has grown rather gray without his father.

Before it can be sold, the neglected property must be renovated. Wendy and Jackson move in—temporarily, she reminds him—in order to fix the place up before Christmas. But the charming town, along with local craftsman Caleb Colton, pulls on Wendy. She knows that the most responsible thing to do is to sell the cottage and return to Ohio, but the lure of the sea—and a fresh start—is hard to resist.

Hardcover: 176 pages
Publisher: Revell (September 4, 2018)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 080072271X
ISBN-13: 978-0800722715

Purchase from:

Christian Book
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Baker Book House

Coming Soon! - Fall in Love Autumn Romance Collection

So excited that some of my favorite Christian authors have gotten together and released this sweet romance collection sure to get you in mood for fall.

BE SWEPT AWAY IN FIVE HEARTWARMING ROMANCES WITH AN AUTUMN FLAIR...

CAPTIVE AT SEA
Claire Mulvaney’s benevolent spirit has her biting off more than she can chew when she spearheads a charity fishing event to raise funds for Winding Ridge’s overcrowded animal shelter and is forced to call on fishing expert Sean Maguire.

Sean blames himself for his brother’s death. He spends his days in mourning and when Claire turns to him for help, he chases her off with gruff words meant to fortify his distance from the pain that has taken hold of his soul. But the enchanting woman with emerald eyes captivates, and Sean soon finds himself drawn to her warm-hearted enthusiasm.

NEVER THE TWAIN
Hollywood agent Cass Townsend makes a more-than-satisfactory living helping talented “wannabe” actors become stars.

Thanks to a twin brother who made it big in Hollywood and then estranged himself from his family, rugged Texas horse rancher Ryder Hayes sports oversized chips on both very broad shoulders toward celebrities. He’s not convinced any good at all can come out of Hollywood.

She’s prim and proper to a fault. He’s fun-loving, with a streak of pure mischief. Ryder’s a good man, but not a Christian—not by a Texas mile. Cass can’t remember missing a single Sunday service since childhood. They’re the epitome of polar opposites and never the twain shall meet…or so the saying goes.

FULLY COMMITTED
Receiving a Dear Rand email while serving his country didn’t douse the fire in Rand Tenneson’s heart for his high school sweetheart. Fully committed, nothing quenched that love, not even news that Bryanna married. Back home now, Rand enjoys a busy life, firefighting and clowning around with patients at the children’s hospital. But a chance run-in with his ex-girlfriend, now a widow, rekindles that spark. God put her back in his life for a reason, and he vows to be there for her.

Ten years ago, Bryanna Fenwick shattered two hearts, hers and Rand’s. But the Navy SEAL, deployed across the world, couldn’t rescue her from the real fear she faced at home. She made a choice and lived the lie for a decade. When Rand discovers the truth, she fears she’s hurt the handsome firefighter yet again and destroyed her relationship with her daughter. Can God’s grace overcome such a ginormous lie? Has He brought them back together for a second chance at love or only to reveal the truth?

WITHOUT A SONG
Still reeling from the loss of her husband, young widow Roni Marsden resolves to be strong for her precocious daughter. Invited to stay on the cleansing hills of her friend’s Nebraska ranch, she tries to figure out the next step. Should she leave Norfolk? Could she find work?

Songwriter Dawson Bennett returns home to his brother’s ranch when the production company for his first album goes bust. He searches his heart for new songs he's unable to write. Even as he seeks direction for his career, he attempts to mend the past with his elderly father. Back in high school, Dawson had crushed on the lovely Roni when she dated his brother. Those emotions are reawakened when he discovers Roni and her daughter at the ranch. Protective feelings for the child, as well as for a stray pup that arrives on the scene, work together to soften his bitterness. Will these connections enable him to write lyrics that honor God?

AUTUMN LOVES
Two years after her husband’s tragic death, middle-aged widow Rylie Thornton struggles to raise her three sons while keeping the family business in the black. As the lush colors of her favorite season display, she finds herself struggling.

Heart surgeon Micah Haden, on a rare break from his demanding profession, finds his sister’s friend a lovely mystery. He’s happy to help Rylie and her boys prepare for an upcoming autumn event. Why can’t she accept his offer with a little more grace? Is there a chance he could become one of Rylie's treasured Autumn Loves?

File Size: 2195 KB
Print Length: 519 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Sweet Dreams Publications (August 7, 2018)
Publication Date: August 7, 2018
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B07FB3VNV3

Pre-order now! Releases August 7th!!!!

Contemporary Christian Romance Free on Kindle Today: Finding Love in the Low Country Box Set

After the Storm

Sharon cannot face her future until she has dealt with her past. When an accident takes everyone in her family except Sharon Martin’s grandson, she is forced to face the secrets of her past. For decades she has protected herself and "his family" from the damage this secret could cause. But when Bobby’s well-being depends on her honesty, will she have the courage to speak the truth? When tragedy strikes, can love and honesty save a life? 

Catch of a Lifetime 

From an early age, Adella believed that love brings only pain. First her mother dies, and Adella struggles to deal with her grief and care for her younger sisters. When the young girls decide they don’t need Adella anymore, she concludes she can’t trust anyone but herself. With few options, she determines she will use her good looks and intelligence to catch a handsome, wealthy man who can give her the security she craves.

Derek Goodson appears to be the man of her dreams, and at first their marriage is wonderful. After a few years, however, Adella discovers a restlessness that nothing seems to satisfy. She is bored with exclusive parties, clothing, and vacations. When introduced to a handsome stranger, she wonders if he is the answer to her secret longings.

Adele must face some tough choices, along with a tender tug on her soul. She married Derek for his money. Why can’t she love him for it? 

Somewhere a Rainbow

Brooke Haddon’s future looks gray…

After her unfaithful husband is killed in an auto accident, she faces the challenge of rebuilding her life. With most of her money gone, she takes her five-year-old son to the honeymoon cottage on Hilton Head Island where her marriage began. As a single parent, she wonders how she will manage, and once she arrives on the island, she can’t imagine how she’ll be able to repair a cottage as broken down as her life.

When local carpenter Jake Randolph offers to help, Brooke immediately distrusts him. But as the months pass, she begins to think he may be different from the other men she has known. He begins to melt the emotional ice around her heart. Then Jake admits he’s concealing a secret past. Are Brooke’s hopes of a brighter future about to be destroyed. Or is there a rainbow beyond the storms of heartbreak?

Southern Gentleman

What’s best for the baby?

Norah Brown must answer this question when Thornton Winter pushes his way into her life. Baby Camille’s parents, Thornton’s brother and Norah’s sister, were killed in a terrible accident. Now both feel responsible for the baby. But by the time Thornton comes along, Norah has already formed a strong bond with Camille. Will Thornton try to take the baby from her? 

To keep her greatest fear from being realized, Norah reluctantly agrees to move with the baby to Thornton’s family home in South Carolina, where she soon finds herself in a battle of wills with his take-charge manner. It certainly doesn't help that Norah begins to lose her heart to this Southern Gentleman.

Purchase here!

Book Review: The Rancher's Mistletoe Bride by Jill Kemerer

Love, faith and letting go of the past combine to create a magical seasonal romance in The Rancher's Mistletoe Bride by Jill Kemerer.

Alexandra Harrington returned to the ranch where she grew up after the sudden death of her father. With both parents gone, it is up to her to carry on his legacy. So, she takes a leave from her wedding planner business in Colorado, planning to hire a ranch manager and then go back to her career. Then walks in Clint Romine...

Clint needs this job, but he's certain if Lexi finds out about his past she won't consider him at all. A former foster kid, he has built up walls that he refuses to let anyone break down. When she takes him on, he plans to keep their arrangement strictly professional, even when it's obvious Lexi is struggling for answers and direction because of her father's death.

This is such a sweet romance. Two characters engulfed in their own pain and doubts find themselves attracted to each other despite their declaration to be no more than boss and employee. As they tiptoe around each other, the reader witnesses their romance unfold to its satisfying and heartwarming conclusion.

While this might be the first book of Kemerer's I've read, it certainly won't be my last. Her ability to create a moving scene and tap into her characters' emotions pulls you in right away. These characters are so real, and how they end up filling each other's needs and finding their way to each other despite the reasons they've decide they should remain apart, is truly touching. If you're a pushover for seasonal romances like I am, you need to read The Rancher's Mistletoe Bride.

Series: Wyoming Cowboys (Book 1)
Mass Market Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Love Inspired; Original edition (September 19, 2017)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0373623038
ISBN-13: 978-0373623037

I received a copy of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Book Review and Giveaway: A Mother's Gift by Charlotte Hubbard

If there were ever a more wonderful story about motherhood than A Mother's Gift by Charlotte Hubbard, I have yet to find it.

Leah Otto has always admired Jude Shetler's good looks and talent as an auctioneer. When the widower asks her to marry him, it's like a dream come true. Despite the reservations of family and friends, the two enter their marriage with joy and optimism.

A few months later, Leah's twin step-daughters are acting out, her step-son keeps her at bay while mourning the loss of his mother, and Leah is struggling with running a household. Then a baby girl is abandoned on their doorstep and Leah must pull her family together, with Jude's support and God's will, to create a life filled with love, faith and unexpected blessings.

Every time I read a book by Charlotte Hubbard, I swear it's the best she could ever write. Then comes a new book and it's even better than the last one. This is an author who knows her genre well, but continues to keep it fresh every single time. Not every author can do that, so I admire Hubbard's ability to continually deliver top-notch stories that tug at the heartstrings and inspire a deeper more meaningful kind of love and faith.

In A Mother's Gift you have a woman who has never been at ease with housework. Leah is happiest tending to her goats and chickens. She's not prepared for all that goes into being a wife and mother. Jude doesn't care about that. He likes her non-traditional skills. That doesn't mean life will be easy for them. And it's not. This truly is a story where a husband and wife must stand strong in their faith as they deal with the challenges that being a new family entails...along with a few unexpected obstacles along the way.

A Mother's Gift is a story of love and faith. It is a story of one woman finding her place within her new family. It's a story of one man's dedication to the woman he loves. It's a story about blending families and having faith it will all work out. There really are so many elements to this story that you can't help but love it. Hubbard brings these characters to life in a special way and you'll be captivated by Leah and Jude's journey from the first page to the last. If you only read one book in this genre this year, it should be A Mother's Gift by Charlotte Hubbard.


Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Kensington (March 27, 2018)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1496712188
ISBN-13: 978-1496712189


I received a copy of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Excerpt:

As Lenore Otto sat on the bed with Leah, wistfully watching the dusk of late November fill her daughter’s room, her heart was torn. The two of them had shared this evening ritual of talking and praying since Lenore’s husband, Raymond, had died last year. It had always brought her a comforting sense of peace, along with the certainty that she and her daughter would move forward with the plans God had for them. After all the cleaning they’d done and the preparations they’d made to host Leah’s wedding festivities the next day, she was ready to relax—but she needed to speak the words that weighed so heavily on her heart.

Tomorrow, when Leah got married, their lives would follow separate paths. Lenore knew she would be fine remaining on the small farm alone, making and selling her specialty quilts. She supposed some of her qualms about her daughter’s marriage plagued every mother . . .

Lord, I wish I could believe my Leah’s reaching toward happiness rather than heartache.

Before God’s still, small voice could respond to Lenore, Leah let out an ecstatic sigh. “Oh, Mama, it’s a dream come true,” she murmured. “Starting tomorrow, when I marry Jude, my life will finally be the way I’ve always wanted it. My waiting is over!”

Not for the first time, Lenore sighed inwardly at her daughter’s fantasy. As she returned Leah’s hug, savoring these precious moments in the room where her little girl had matured into a woman of twenty-eight, she didn’t have it in her to shatter Leah’s dreams. No mother wanted her daughter to forever remain a maidel, yet during these final hours before the wedding, Lenore thought she should try once again to point out the realities of marrying Jude Shetler. Jude was a fine, upstanding man any parent would be pleased to welcome as a son-in-law, but as a widower he carried a certain amount of . . . baggage.


Please visit Charlotte online at www.CharlotteHubbard.com.


CharlotteHubbard.com
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Charlotte.Hubbard1


Order Ebook
Kindle https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073NPM8G8/

iBooks https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/a-mothers-gift/id1254897917?mt=11

Nook https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-mothers-gift-charlotte-hubbard/1126683560?ean=9781496712196

Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/a-mother-s-gift-8

Google Play https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Charlotte_Hubbard_A_Mother_s_Gift?id=MI0qDwAAQBAJ

Order Print

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=1496712188/

Barnes & Noble http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp?ean=9781496712189

Books-A-Million http://www.booksamillion.com/product/9781496712189

Chapters Indigo http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/a/9781496712189-item.html

IndieBound http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781496712189

One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win 

a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Review: The Mayflower Bride by Kimberley Woodhouse

The Mayflower Bride  is a moving story of love, faith, and new beginnings.

Mary Chapman boards the Speedwell in 1620 along with her father and brother, David. They have plans to start over in the New World. It will be a good change for them after the loss of her mother. Looking for opportunity, William Lytton embarks on the Mayflower as a carpenter. He is also to keep a keen eye on the Virginia Company's interests in the new colony. Storms, hunger, and illness plague the weary travelers. Mary isn't certain they'll even make it to their destination. But she rises to the challenges before her, leaning staunchly on her strong faith. And once she meets William, her world is destined to change in ways she never expected.

What a fabulous story. Historical details, intriguing characters, faith and a touch of romance swirl together to create an emotional read. Author Kimberley Woodhouse's engrossing tale of these two people's journey to the New World and the obstacles they faced along the way will touch your heart. The reader is delighted to witness the evolution of Mary and William throughout the story, and the ending will not disappoint.

I'm eager to read the next book in The Daughters of the Mayflower series, The Pirate Bride by Kathleen Y’Barbo. I'll also be on the lookout for more of Woodhouse's work. The Mayflower Bride sets the bar high for this series. I'm eager to see what comes next.

Series: Daughters of the Mayflower (Book 1)
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Barbour Books (February 1, 2018)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1683224191
ISBN-13: 978-1683224198

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Mailbox Monday - December 18

Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles, and humongous wish lists.

Happy Monday! Hard to believe this is the second to the last Monday of 2017. Where has the year gone? For those of you out shopping, I hope you're almost done. I'm in the home stretch now...just a few more things.

Tree is finally up. May not get the other two put up this year. We'll see. The funny thing is that the tree has been in the living room for weeks now and the dog has pretty much ignored it. Put some ornaments and ribbon on it and he chases the cat underneath it every chance he gets.

I'm in the middle of considering my personal and professional goals for next year. I'll be posting them when I get them finalized. More reading is definitely going to be on the list.

Speaking of books, nothing new in my mailbox this week but I picked up the following at a tag sale.

Drawing on the latest research in archaeology, human genetics, and environmental science, After the Ice takes the reader on a sweeping tour of 15,000 years of human history. Steven Mithen brings this world to life through the eyes of an imaginary modern traveler--John Lubbock, namesake of the great Victorian polymath and author of Prehistoric Times. With Lubbock, readers visit and observe communities and landscapes, experiencing prehistoric life--from aboriginal hunting parties in Tasmania, to the corralling of wild sheep in the central Sahara, to the efforts of the Guila Naquitz people in Oaxaca to combat drought with agricultural innovations.

Part history, part science, part time travel, After the Ice offers an evocative and uniquely compelling portrayal of diverse cultures, lives, and landscapes that laid the foundations of the modern world.

From the organization that has encouraged over two million women at its conferences nationwide comes the Women of Faith New Testament with Psalms and Proverbs in the popular New King James Version. This handy-sized Bible is packed with 24 full-color devotionals from the well-known Women of Faith conference speakers.

Parents work very hard to give their children what they desire. Whether it be the newest video game or the latest fashion, they strive to make their children's lives better, Reveals the one thing children need the most is often in the shortest supply - their parents' time. Encourages parents to make time for the things that are truly important.

After a storm strands her overnight in Will Slade's cabin, Blythe Granville's reputation is in shambles. The townspeople doubt that she was innocently nursing him back to health after saving his life. Now Blythe must accept Will's proposal: a marriage in name only to save her good name. But the former socialite is determined not to fall for her new husband…even if she's drawn to the gruff stranger who's vowed to stand by her, in sickness and in health.

Will never wanted to remarry after his ex-wife betrayed him. But now he finds himself hitched to a city girl who has no idea how to keep a house…but is somehow chiseling her way into his heart. As Blythe melts Will's crusty facade, though, they're discovering that this most unexpected union might just lead to true love.

That's it from me today. I pray you have a blessed week.

Mailbox Monday - November 27

Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles, and humongous wish lists.

How can it be the end of November? I swear the year just started.

I hope everyone had a blessed Thanksgiving. We sure did. Family came over on Thursday and then again on Sunday. In between, we helped with our church's annual Christmas bazaar.

As for reading material, I really made out this past week. This came from an Amazon pre-order....

Millions of readers of Little House on the Prairie believe they know Laura Ingalls--the pioneer girl who survived blizzards and near-starvation on the Great Plains, and the woman who wrote the famous autobiographical books. But the true story of her life has never been fully told. The Little House books were not only fictionalized but brilliantly edited, a profound act of myth-making and self-transformation. Now, drawing on unpublished manuscripts, letters, diaries, and land and financial records, Caroline Fraser--the editor of the Library of America edition of the Little House series--masterfully fills in the gaps in Wilder's biography, setting the record straight regarding charges of ghostwriting that have swirled around the books and uncovering the grown-up story behind the most influential childhood epic of pioneer life.

Set against nearly a century of epochal change, from the Homestead Act and the Indian Wars to the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression, Wilder's dramatic life provides a unique perspective on American history and our national mythology of self-reliance. Settling on the frontier amidst land-rush speculation, Wilder's family encountered Biblical tribulations of locusts and drought, fire and ruin. Deep in debt after a series of personal tragedies, including the loss of a child and her husband's stroke, Wilder uprooted herself again, crisscrossing the country and turning to menial work to support her family. In middle age, she began writing a farm advice column, prodded by her self-taught journalist daughter. And at the age of sixty, after losing nearly everything in the Depression, she turned to children's books, recasting her hardscrabble childhood as a triumphal vision of homesteading--and achieving fame and fortune in the process, in one of the most astonishing rags-to-riches stories in American letters.

Offering fresh insight and new discoveries about Wilder's life and times, Prairie Fires reveals the complex woman who defined the American pioneer character, and whose artful blend of fact and fiction grips us to this day.

Then I lucked out at the church's tag sale and found these three from Tracie Peterson's Heirs of Montana series....

This is the blurb for the first book, Land of My Heart:  Adventurers, families, outlaws...all driven west in the 1860s by a longing for endless blue sky along with wild and wide-open spaces. Tracie Peterson, from her own Montana home, paints an unforgettable portrait of this rich, rugged landscape, populated by strong and spirited characters. When Dianne Chadwick urges her family to move west to her uncle's ranch in the Montana Territory, she has no idea that her new life in the rugged frontier ~and even within her uncle's home~ will not be the idyllic adventure she expects. But first she has to survive the arduous wagon journey with the help of guide Cole Selby, whose heart seems to be as hard as the mountains he loves.

Recently, I reconnected with a good friend and talented author who I consider a mentor. She gifted me a copy of her latest book.

Life had changed drastically for Rachel since the accident, but none of the changes had prepared her for what followed. She wasn’t even sure when it started. She knew only that the darkness appeared more often and lasted longer, accompanied by forgetfulness, fear, confusion…even suspicion.

As a result of the accident—which she was certain was entirely her fault—her husband of nearly 45 years was now a semi-invalid, his dependence on her growing by the day. Their only child, a grown daughter named Lilly, lived hours away and was dealing with difficulties of her own, not the least of which was an unwanted divorce. Rachel, however, had no concept of Lilly’s suffering, instead believing her 35-year-old daughter was still a college coed with her entire life ahead of her.

Can this fractured family find its way to a place of healing, or will the darkness prevail, destroying them all in its unrelenting torment? Unconditional love seems to be their only hope…but how are they to get there?

For my Kindle I bought the following inspirational story collection...

and also this book I have been dying to read....

I hope you'll share your mailbox with me too. Enjoy your week!

Book Review: A Simple Wish by Charlotte Hubbard (Giveaway)

We return to Willow Ridge in A Simple Wish by Charlotte Hubbard, the second book in her Simple Gifts series.

Having lived under her father's thumb too long, Loretta Riehl is determined to follow her own path in life. She decides to join Nora in her shop to sell her rugs and teach classes on rug making. She's also got a troubled heart. Drew Detweiler came to Willow Ridge under a cloud, but she can't deny her attraction to him. Will, her former fiancé, certainly isn't liking their growing closeness. When Drew sets out to discover the truth about Cornelius Riehl and his moods, he hopes to fulfill Loretta's wish to live in a peaceful, happy home again.

I simply can't say enough kind things about Charlotte's books. They draw you in right away and you can't help but push aside everything else to read them: her characters are so real; her settings are so beautifully described; you feel that sense of community right from the start. Perhaps the best part of picking up a book by Charlotte Hubbard is she has such a strong sense of genre and what her fan base enjoys that she delivers a great story every time.

With the Simple Gifts series she has created new successes and new challenges for the residents of Willow Ridge. While certainly a stand alone novel, the reader will get a rounder picture if they read the first book in the series before this one.

As I mentioned earlier in the week, Hallmark needs to make a movie out of some of these books. They really are superb.

Pick up a copy of A Simple Wish to find out what the people of Willow Ridge have been up to.

EXCERPT:

Grinning, Drew dropped down from the buggy. As he clasped Loretta’s hand and escorted her to the other side of his open vehicle, she wondered if he was leading her down a path riskier than Will’s and far more dangerous. A path more daring . . . and passionate. When Drew placed his hands on either side of her waist, he paused before lifting her up.

Loretta’s heart went wild. Drew’s sapphire eyes held secrets and intentions she couldn’t decipher, and he brought to mind a fox in the henhouse cornering his tasty prey. Effortlessly he lifted her into his buggy and then hopped in on the other side. “Hope I wasn’t interrupting anything important,” he said as he took up the lines. “If I’m not mistaken, Gingerich looked like a man come courting.”

Feeling downright wicked—yet too flummoxed to look over at Will on the porch—Loretta let out the breath she’d been holding. “You saved me from a really embarrassing scene,” she murmured as the buggy lurched into motion. “Once upon a time I loved Will with all my heart, but after Dat broke us up and he latched onto Molly so fast—well, I had second thoughts about his . . . sincerity. His true feelings for me. And now, well—”

Loretta faltered. The man beside her had lied to Molly about who he was when he’d gotten her in the family way, before poor deluded Will had married her. Everyone in town had officially forgiven Drew for deceiving Molly, and also for drugging his brother Asa with sleeping pills before he’d tried to marry Edith, but Drew was still a mysterious newcomer who played his cards close to his vest.

If Dat saw whom you were riding off with, he’d be even more upset than when he made you break up with Will.

It was true, yet Loretta didn’t regret what she was doing. For the first in a long time, she felt breathlessly alive.

Order Ebook

Kindle - Kindle UK - Kindle Canada - Kindle Australia - iBooks - iBooks UK - iBooks Canada - iBooks Australia - iBooks New Zealand - Nook - Kobo - Google Play

Order Print

Zebra

September 26, 2017

ISBN-13: 9781420138719

ISBN-10: 1420138715

Amazon - Amazon UK - Amazon Canada - Barnes & Noble - Books-A-Million - IndieBound - The Book Depository

Charlotte Hubbard is the acclaimed author of Amish romance and fiction that evokes simpler times and draws upon her experiences in Jamesport, the largest Old Order Amish community west of the Mississippi. Faith and family, farming, and food preservation are hallmarks of her lifestyle—and the foundation of all her novels. A deacon, dedicated church musician and choir member, she loves to travel, read, try new recipes, and crochet. A longtime Missourian, Charlotte now lives in St. Paul, Minnesota, with her husband and their border collie, Vera. Please visit Charlotte online at www.CharlotteHubbard.com.

Facebook:   www.Facebook.com/Charlotte.Hubbard1

Charlotte Hubbard will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received a free copy of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in anyway. 

Book Review & Giveaway: Weddings at Promise Lodge by Charlotte Hubbard

Another superb novel of love, friendship, and forgiveness can be found in Weddings at Promise Lodge by Charlotte Hubbard.

The community of Promise Lodge, founded by the three Bender sisters, continues to thrive. The arrival of widowed Bishop Monroe Burkholder seems like an answer to prayer, but Preacher Amos believes he's too good to be true and is determined to uncover the details behind his unannounced arrival.

Christine Bender fell in love with the new bishop the moment she laid eyes on him and Monroe feels the same way. Their love is quickly put to the test when a young girl named Leola shows up claiming the bishop "ruined" her and how she is going to make an honest man out of him. Monroe can only pray everything will be worked out so he can stay in Promise Lodge and have a future with Christine.

Hubbard never disappoints. Every book draws you in from the very first page and holds you until the last word is read. In this latest Promise Lodge novel, characters are put to the test in all kinds of ways; but faith, goodness, kindness and grace see them through. It was such a joy watching this story unfold and reading it every moment I could sneak away. Paradise for me would be a never-ending library filled with Hubbard's books.

If you enjoy Amish fiction and sweet romances, you need to pick up Weddings at Promise Lodge. Better yet, read the series from the beginning. You won't want to miss anything that happens at Promise Lodge.


Excerpt:

“You look lovely in that deep red dress, Christine. It was all I could do to keep my mind on marrying Amos and your sister.”

When Christine turned, Bishop Monroe was standing so close she nearly bumped into him. She smiled up at him a little nervously, for he was tall and broad and extraordinarily handsome—and his dimples had come out to play. “Mattie wanted Rosetta and me to have new dresses with some color to them,” she explained. “And since Christmas was only a couple of weeks ago, we decided this red would be more cheerful than, say, the usual dark blue or gray or teal.”

“Mattie’s a wise woman—with admirable taste in color and husband material, as well,” he added. He held her gaze with his glowing green eyes. “May I have the honor of sitting with you at dinner, Christine? And spending the rest of the day with you, as well? Once we’re alone, I’d like to discuss some important decisions.”

Christine wondered if Monroe could hear how rapidly her heart was beating. Was her face as red as her dress? “I’d like that a lot, Monroe,” she said breathlessly.

The crowd around them seemed to disappear as he offered her his elbow. All Christine could see was Monroe’s attractive face, framed by wavy brown hair and a neatly trimmed beard—and those deep green eyes that focused so intently on her. What decisions could he possibly want to discuss with her? Did she dare hope he wanted her to become a permanent part of his new home, his new life at Promise Lodge?

Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Zebra (June 27, 2017)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1420139452
ISBN-13: 978-1420139457

The author sent me a paperback copy of this novel. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Many moons ago—like, in 1983 while she was still a school librarian—Charlotte Hubbard sold her first story to True Story. This launched her into writing around seventy of those “true confessions” stories over the years, and she’s been a slave to her overactive imagination ever since. Over the course of her writing career, she has sold nearly 50 books—most recently, Amish romance series she’s written as Charlotte Hubbard or Naomi King.

Charlotte lived in Missouri for most of her life, so her Amish stories are set in imaginary Missouri towns. These days she lives in St. Paul, MN with her husband of 40+ years and their Border collie, Vera.

WEBSITE www.CharlotteHubbard.com

Facebook www.Facebook.com/Charlotte.Hubbard1


Charlotte will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Mailbox Monday - August 15

Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles, and humongous wish lists.

Happy Monday, everyone! This is looking to be a great week. I have three closings. Yes, three. Awesome!!!

Not a ton of reading happening around here but, in all fairness, I was a bit tied up last week with work and family.

The Lil' Diva--who is not so little anymore--turned 15 last Thursday. It was a low key birthday with dinner out followed by a small cake at home with presents. A member of our church family also had a surprise birthday party, which we attended.

We are gearing up for school already. Some supplies and clothes have been bought, but I think the bulk of the shopping will occur in a couple of weeks. This coming week we have three days of vacation Bible school.

As for my mailbox, there was only one book; but it's one I was eagerly anticipating.

As the year draws to a close, the brand-new colony of Promise Lodge is thriving, a welcoming community that offers three Amish sisters a fresh start. And as Christmas approaches, gifts big and small are given with love . . .

As Promise Lodge’s first wedding arrives, the evidence of a community building a foundation for the future is a cause for celebration. But the bishop’s narrow-minded wedding sermon doesn’t sit well with the Bender sisters, the town’s courageous founders, especially widowed Mattie Schwartz. She believes marriage and family aren’t the most important of God’s gifts—even if she suspects her tender feelings for Preacher Amos Troyer run deeper than simple friendship.

Amos hasn’t given up hope that stubborn, spirited Mattie will change her mind about taking another husband, but when an accident threatens to change the course of his life forever, he wonders if the Lord has sent him a message. He’ll need faith, hope, and charity to find the right path—and a Christmas blessing to convince Mattie to walk it with him.


What was in your mailbox?

Book Review & Giveaway: A Simple Vow by Charlotte Hubbard

Charlotte Hubbard has done it again! With A Simple Vow, she has created a story of faith, love, and forgiveness that will tug at your heartstrings.

Edith Riehl lives with her sisters and dat Cornelius, who is the new deacon in Willow Ridge. Having been left unable to conceive from an early age, its a true blessing when a set of twins is left under her care.

She's not quite sure what Asa Detweiler's story is, but she knows she is as taken with him as he seems to be with her. With one simple vow, Edith and Asa's destinies are intertwined. But her dat will have none of it. Will God bring their hearts' desires to fruition?

If you love Amish fiction, you simply can't go wrong with a book by Hubbard. She knows her genre and she masterfully tells her stories, drawing you in from beginning to end.

When her Seasons of the Heart series ended, I was so sad. I had come to love many of the residents of Willow Ridge and couldn't believe I wouldn't be reading about them again. The Simple Gifts series is somewhat of a continuation of that series. Its focus is slightly different, but it's still set in the same place and many of the characters that readers are familiar with appear. I can't say I've ever seen this done before. I love it!

What I have always appreciated about Hubbard's style is that she creates real characters. They are sinners...just like me. They doubt...just like me. They stumble and fall, but through the grace of God find what they need...just like me. With this novel you even get a surprising plot twist too.

If you enjoy Amish fiction and haven't read Charlotte Hubbard's work yet, make a plan to change that soon. You won't regret it.

Series: Simple Gifts
Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Zebra (May 31, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1420138693
ISBN-13: 978-1420138696

I received a free digital copy of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Excerpt:

Edith stood beside her bed gazing down at the twins in awe. So small they were, and so sweet—like little angels—now that they’d eaten and fallen asleep. She’d arranged them in large cardboard boxes padded with towels, and finding them beds and more clothing was her first priority. Will’s box of supplies had included a very short stack of cloth diapers, half a dozen onesies, a blanket apiece, a half-used canister of powdered formula, and a few baby bottles—not much, considering she had two babies to look after. Molly had probably been too ill to sew for them, and not able to nurse them because of her cancer.

What a heartache that must’ve been for Molly—and for Will as he watched her weaken and die. Edith sighed. So much about Will’s situation and these children was a sorrowful mystery.

I’m watching out for your best interests, Daughter. You entered into this agreement without considering the long-term consequences.

Edith frowned as her father’s words taunted her. Dat was right about her tendencies to nurture hopeless souls and underdogs, but wasn’t that what the Bible urged Christians to do? What doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? The verse from Micah had been one of the earliest Edith had committed to memory—the watchword of her faith. Even as a child she’d rescued little birds that had fallen from their nests and had bottle-fed baby rabbits and deer after their mothers had been hit in the road.

Edith sighed. What future would these poor motherless children face if she didn’t care for them? She had to find a way around Dat’s refusal to keep them in the house . . . in her life. Already her heart swelled with love as she gazed at Leroy and Louisa.

The clatter of footsteps downstairs alerted her to her sisters’ arrival and she hurried down the hallway. “Shh!” Edith insisted as she leaned over the stairway railing. “I just got the babies to sleep!”

Many moons ago—like, in 1983 while she was still a school librarian—Charlotte Hubbard sold her first story to True Story. This launched her into writing around seventy of those “true confessions” stories over the years, and she’s been a slave to her overactive imagination ever since. Over the course of her writing career, she has sold nearly 50 books—most recently, Amish romance series she’s written as Charlotte Hubbard or Naomi King.
Charlotte lived in Missouri for most of her life, so her Amish stories are set in imaginary Missouri towns. These days she lives in St. Paul, MN with her husband of 40+ years and their Border collie, Ramona.

WEBSITE www.CharlotteHubbard.com

Facebook www.Facebook.com/Charlotte.Hubbard1

Click on these links to buy this book now!

• Amazon.com •• Barnes & Noble •• The Book Depository •• B-A-M •• Chapters •• IndieBound •• Powell’s •• Kensington Books •

Ebook: • Kindle •• Nook •• Kobo •• iBooks •• Google Play •• Kensington •

Charlotte will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Interview: Jill Kemerer, Author of Unexpected Family

Jill Kemerer writes contemporary Christian romance novels with love, humor and faith. A full time writer, she relies on coffee and chocolate to keep up with her kids’ busy schedules. Besides spoiling her mini-dachshund, Jill adores magazines, M&Ms, fluffy animals and long nature walks. She resides in Ohio with her husband and two children. Jill loves connecting with readers, so please visit her website, jillkemerer.com.

Thank you for having me today!

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in farm country. We lived a few miles from Oakley, a small town in mid-Michigan. I spent a lot of time running around barefoot, playing with my sister and cousins and sitting around reading. We moved to Saginaw, Michigan when I was twelve, and I think I’ve been moving ever since!

When did you begin writing?

It was a cold January day. I was twenty years old. I’d finished my college homework, so I read a romance novel. Well, I didn’t like the book and figured I could do better than that! I grabbed a cheap spiral notebook and began writing. My characters would fall in love, and they wouldn’t have all those pesky problems the other fictional couples seemed to have. Twenty-two pages later, the book ended. Turned out the problems were the point! Yes, I had a lot to learn, but once I started writing romance, I never looked back. I’ve been writing them ever since.

Do you write during the day, at night or whenever you can sneak a few moments?

I write my books during the day, but I write blog posts, short stories and other projects whenever I can sneak a few moments.

What is this book about?

Unexpected Family is about a single mom who finally gets the guts to tell her ex-husband they have a daughter. Here’s the back-copy:

His Surprise Daughter

After five years apart, Tom Sheffield is shocked to find his ex-wife, Stephanie, on his doorstep. The news that they share a child he's never met sends him reeling. Four-year-old Macy has his eyes, his mouth and, from their first encounter, his heart. Things with her mother are much more complicated. He doesn't understand what went wrong between them or why she kept their daughter a secret. And he's afraid of falling in love all over again. Yet he feels a glimmer of hope that somehow he can convince Macy and Stephanie to stay in Lake Endwell—and with him—for keeps.

What inspired you to write it?

Inspiration comes at the worst time! I was trying to fall asleep, and all of a sudden, I thought what if a guy got a call from the police saying, “Your wife and daughter were in an accident,” and the guy responded, “But I don’t have a wife or daughter”?

I got up and wrote it down. The idea would not go away, and the basis for Unexpected Family was born.

Was the road to publication smooth sailing or a bumpy ride?

The road to publication was not only bumpy, it was steep! I wrote twelve novels and submitted nine before getting a contract. I’ve been writing for over twenty years, but I’ve only been writing full-time for eight. Last year, I finally got the call I’d been waiting for. My debut novel, Small-Town Bachelor, released in April. It, too, is set in Lake Endwell and features Tom Sheffield’s sister, Claire.

If you knew then, what you know now, is there anything you would have done differently?

No. God used the time to draw me closer to him. I gained humility and confidence in my writing. I’m thankful for every step of my journey.

Where can readers purchase a copy of your book?

Readers can find purchase links to all major booksellers on my webpage for Unexpected Family. Paperbacks are available in stores such as Walmart, Barnes & Noble, Kmart and local grocery stores.

What is one piece of advice you would like to share with aspiring authors everywhere?

Never give up! And don’t let worries and doubts keep you from writing. Some authors get published with their first or second book. Some self-publish. But if you’re like me and want a traditional publisher, just keep trying. I’m living my dream, and you can too!

What is up next for you?

The third book in the Lake Endwell series will release sometime next spring, and I’m currently writing the fourth book. I love my job!

Thanks again for having me today!