Archive | December, 2014

Reviews: The Brides Series by Lena Goldfinch + GIVEAWAY

31 Dec

The Unexpected Bride

The Unexpected Bride by Lena Goldfinch
Book One in The Brides Series

What’s a man to do when his father orders him a bride?

Rebecca Sullivan has been “Becky” all her life, a real hoyden. Her childhood sweetheart taught her to ride bareback and shoot a rifle, but then he chose a “perfect lady” for a wife–a real Southern belle, who’s now expecting a baby. Heartbroken, Becky signs up to be a mail-order bride to a Seattle man, sight unseen. She resolves to squelch her hoydenish ways and become a “perfect lady” for her future husband.

If logging-operation owner Isaac Jessup had wanted a bride, he’d have chosen a sturdy frontier woman, not some fragile lady from back East. Ready to explain the mistake, honorable Isaac takes one look into Rebecca’s vulnerable eyes…and knows he’ll marry her, even though this delicate waif is obviously unsuited for wild Seattle.

Could an unexpected marriage be a match made in heaven?

Thoughts:

The Unexpected Bride is a wonderful, historical romance!  Lena Goldfinch’s talents abound and I was so excited to read this sweet story.  Engaging, humorous, and romantic, The Unexpected Bride is pure delight!  I enjoyed the vivid imagery and attention to historical details, as well as the endearing characters and enchanting storyline.  I loved this tender tale and can’t wait to continue the series! 

The Unexpected Bride purchase links:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble

 

Sleigh-Bells-Mistletoe2

Sleigh Bells & Mistletoe: A Short Story
Sequel to The Unexpected Bride

What’s a wife to do when her Christmas plans fall apart?

Join Becky and Isaac from The Unexpected Bride in a romantic short story complete with sleigh bells, mistletoe, and sweet holiday surprises.
 
It’s Christmas Eve, and smoke isn’t just rising from the chimney—it’s pouring from the stove due to yet another batch of burnt biscuits. Becky wants everything to be perfect for her family, but a ruined meal spells disaster for all her high hopes. Will the night end in despair…or with a happy Christmas dream?

Thoughts:

Sleigh Bells & Mistletoe is a delightful sequel to The Unexpected Bride!  I loved revisiting Becky and Isaac in this short story, as well as several other beloved characters from Book 1 of The Brides series.  I also enjoyed learning more about Jem and the excerpt from his story, The Bartered Bride, left me anxiously awaiting its release.  I can’t wait to continue this wonderful series! 

Now available in Kindle format for only $0.99!

 

GIVEAWAY!
Only 1 day left, so enter now!!

Deck the halls and bring on the books! One winner will receive mistletoe earrings from the LuvlyMint Etsy shop, as well as a signed paperback copy of The Unexpected Bride, Book 1 in “The Brides” series. This prize is only available to residents of the U.S. and Canada. Three runners-up (can be international) will receive one e-copy each of Sleigh Bells and Mistletoe.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Rachel Hauck Fires Up the Romance with “A Brush with Love” Kindle Giveaway!

30 Dec

“Fire” up the romance in the new year with Rachel Hauck‘s newest book, A Brush with Love, by entering her Kindle Fire giveaway! And be sure to catch a sneak peek of the soon-to-be-released How to Catch a Prince!

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One grand prize winner will receive:

  • A Kindle Fire
  • A Brush with Love by Rachel Hauck

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway only runs for a week, 12/30 – 1/5. Winner will be announced January 6th on Rachel’s blog.

brushwithlove-enterbutton
{NOT ON FACEBOOK? ENTER HERE.}

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Review: Buttermilk Sky

29 Dec

Buttermilk Sky

Buttermilk Sky by Jan Watson

Weary of the expectations imposed on her by her strict upbringing, eighteen-year-old Mazy Pelfrey prepares to leave her home in the Kentucky mountains for the genteel city of Lexington, where she’ll attend secretarial school. She knows her life is about to change—and only for the better. Everything will be blue skies from now on.

But business school is harder than she thought it would be and the big city not as friendly, until she meets a charming young man from a wealthy family, Loyal Chambers. When Loyal sets his sights on her, Mazy begins to see that everything she’d ever wished to have is right before her eyes. The only hindrance to her budding romance is a former beau, Chanis Clay, the young sheriff she thought she’d left firmly behind.

Thoughts:

“Danger rumbles like thunder on a high mountain ridge when Mazy’s cosseted past collides with her clouded future and forces her to come to terms with what she really wants.”

Jan Watson’s beautiful writing brings to life the setting and characters of Buttermilk Sky.  I was intrigued by Mazy Pelfrey and eager to know what would become of this young woman and her future.  There were several secondary characters that also interested me, and I would love to read their stories.  Buttermilk Sky is the first novel I have read by Jan Watson and I am eager to read more! 

I received a complimentary copy of this book through The Book Club Network. All thoughts expressed are my own and no monetary compensation was received.

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Merry Christmas!

25 Dec

ChristmasWishes

$0.99 Sale- Love Finds You on Christmas Morning

24 Dec

LFY- Christmas Morning

Love Finds You on Christmas Morning is on sale for only $0.99!

Amazon and Barnes and Noble

Two women receive marriage proposals in the same house—eighty-five years apart. Love finds a home on Christmas morning in two heartwarming holiday stories.

“Deck the Halls” – In 1925, the wealthy William Tronnier becomes smitten with the lovely but penniless Lillian Pickard. As Christmas descends on the picturesque town of Cary, North Carolina, William plans to make Lillian a proposal she can’t refuse. DEBBY MAYNE is the author of more than a dozen books and lives with her husband in Florida. Read more at http://www.debbymayne.com.

“Tis the Season”- Nikki Tronnier moves back home in Cary, North Carolina, with plans to buy back the Tronnier family home built by her great-grandfather, William, for his bride, Lillian. But before she is able to make an offer, the handsome Drew Cornell buys the house just before Christmas.  TRISH PERRY is an award-winning, multipublished novelist who makes her home in Virginia. Read more at http://www.trishperry.com.

 

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New Release + Cover Reveal + Giveaway- Lena Goldfinch

23 Dec

NEW RELEASE!

Sleigh-Bells-Mistletoe2

Sleigh Bells & Mistletoe: A Short Story
Sequel to The Unexpected Bride

Now available in Kindle format for only $.99!

What’s a wife to do when her Christmas plans fall apart?

Join Becky and Isaac from The Unexpected Bride in a romantic short story complete with sleigh bells, mistletoe, and sweet holiday surprises.
 
It’s Christmas Eve, and smoke isn’t just rising from the chimney—it’s pouring from the stove due to yet another batch of burnt biscuits. Becky wants everything to be perfect for her family, but a ruined meal spells disaster for all her high hopes. Will the night end in despair…or with a happy Christmas dream?
 
Reconnect with your favorite characters from Book 1 of “The Brides” series and learn more about Jem (the hero of Book 2) in Sleigh Bells and Mistletoe. Includes an excerpt from Book 2, The Bartered Bride.

Short Story 1.5 in The Brides Series
Sweet Historical Western Romance / A Mail-Order Bride Short Story

 

COVER REVEAL!

The-Bartered-Bride-new

Coming Soon—The Bartered Bride

What’s a confirmed widower to do when he finds a bride in need of rescue?

James (“Jem”) Wheeler just wants to get back to the ranch in Colorado and make a fresh start after the loss of his wife. But when his train stops at a town in the middle of nowhere, his 2-year-old daughter runs off—straight to a mute young woman and a puppy. Before he has a chance to reclaim little Mae, he overhears an itinerant preacher preparing to sell off the woman to the highest bidder. It’s an injustice he can’t ignore, no matter the fact that he’d never planned on remarrying.

From a young age, all Annie has wanted is to belong. Abandoned and cast aside by those who should have loved her, and with no voice to protest against the wrongdoings she’s witnessed, her hope is but a faint flicker. When Jem steps into her life, she simply tries to get him to save the puppy—never expecting him to save her too.

Could a bartered bride and a grieving widower ever make a happy home together?

Book Two in The Brides Series
Sweet Historical Western Romance

Coming 2015!

 

Lena Goldfinch Author PicLENA GOLDFINCH writes romance and fantasy for adults and teens. She’s a sucker for a good old-fashioned romance, whether it’s a novel, novella, or short story, young adult or adult, fantasy or realistic, contemporary or historical. Elements of romance, fantasy, and mystery have a way of creeping into her writing, even when she’s writing historicals or something light and contemporary. Lena has been a finalist in several national writing contests, including the RWA Golden Heart and ACFW Genesis contests. She lives in a scenic small town in Massachusetts with her husband, two kids, and a very spoiled Black Lab.

Visit Lena at www.lenagoldfinch.blogspot.com/p/books.html.

 

GIVEAWAY!

Deck the halls and bring on the books! One winner will receive mistletoe earrings from the LuvlyMint Etsy shop, as well as a signed paperback copy of The Unexpected Bride, Book 1 in “The Brides” series. This prize is only available to residents of the U.S. and Canada. Three runners-up (can be international) will receive one e-copy each of Sleigh Bells and Mistletoe.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Review + Sale: A Sandy’s Seashell Shop Christmas

22 Dec

Lisa Wingate has written an e-short Christmas story, A Sandy’s Seashell Shop Christmas, and it’s only $0.99.   Proceeds will help fund a donation to Operation Military Kids, which serves military children who are dealing with the deployment of a parent.

A Sandy's Seashell Shop Christmas

A magical place, an island Christmas eve, a broken family in need of healing….

For young military widow, Tiff Riley, Christmas isn’t just another day. It’s the worst of all days. Hiding out on Hatteras Island with three-and-a-half-year-old Micah, she’s desperate to once again ignore the anniversary of tragedy. The winter-season quiet of North Carolina’s Outer Banks is the perfect place to escape. It never feels like Christmas at the beach.

But in tiny Hatteras Village, the crew at Sandy’s Seashell Shop is determined to make sure no one is forgotten at Christmas. Is it possible for a magical Christmas Eve at the Seashell Shop to help mend one damaged life? On a night of miracles, in a place of miracles, can a young widow’s heart be reopened to joy, hope… and even love?

Thoughts:

I adore this special little story! A Sandy’s Seashell Shop Christmas is a Christmas tale that warms your heart and begs to be read again and again! Lisa Wingate once again brings the wonderful residents of Fairhope to life, as they share a magical Christmas Eve with a young military widow and her little boy. Brimming with hope, healing, and the magic of Christmas, this little story is the perfect holiday read!

Purchase a copy of A Sandy’s Seashell Shop Christmas today!

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Friday Freebies

19 Dec

Dawn's Prelude

Dawn’s Prelude by Tracie Peterson

FREE today:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | ChristianBook

Newly widowed Lydia Sellers discovers that through an unforeseen fluke, she is the sole recipient of her husband’s fortune. But instead of granting her security, it only causes strife as her adult stepchildren battle to regain the inheritance for themselves. Lydia, longing to put the memories of her painful marriage behind her, determines to travel to Alaska to join her aunt.

Lydia’s arrival in Sitka, however, brings two things she didn’t expect. One is the acquaintance of Kjell Bjorklund, the handsome owner of the sawmill. Second is the discovery that she is pregnant with her dead husband’s child. What will this mean for her budding relationship with Kjell? And what lengths will her stepchildren go to reclaim their father’s fortune? Lydia soon finds her life–and that of her child’s–on the line.

 

Life with Lily

Life with Lily by Suzanne Woods Fisher and
 Mary Ann Kinsinger 

FREE today:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | ChristianBook

Every day is a new adventure!

On a small Amish farm in upstate New York, young Lily Lapp has plenty to do and plenty of people to love. But changes are coming–including a new baby brother, a new teacher at school, and new ways of looking at the world. Lily’s growing up Amish, and there’s always a lot to learn–if only Lily can stay out of trouble!

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Review: A Most Inconvenient Marriage

17 Dec

A Most Inconvenient Marriage

A Most Inconvenient Marriage by Regina Jennings

With few options of her own, nurse Abigail Stuart agrees to marry her patient, a gravely wounded soldier calling himself Jeremiah Calhoun. They arrange a quick ceremony before he dies, giving Abigail the rights to his Ozark farm and giving Jeremiah the peace of knowing someone will care for his ailing sister after he’s gone–a practical solution for both of them.
 
After the war, Abigail fulfills her side of the bargain–until the real Jeremiah Calhoun shows up, injured but definitely alive, and wastes no time in challenging Abigail’s story. Abigail is flummoxed. After months of claiming to be his widow, how can she explain that she’s never seen this Jeremiah Calhoun before? How can she convince him that she isn’t trying to steal his farm? And will she find a way to stay, even though this practical arrangement has turned into a most inconvenient marriage?

Thoughts:

“Sometimes the best gifts aren’t convenient at the time.” 

I was immediately drawn to this book, first by the cover and then by the title.  As I read the back cover, I knew this was a story I would love! 

I enjoy Civil War era stories and I was quickly captivated by this one.  The historical details are rich and the Ozark Mountain setting is vivid.  Abigail Stuart and Jeremiah Calhoun are engaging characters and their story, with its unique circumstances, is full of emotion, from heart-wrenching to heartwarming.  This delightful tale has it all- trials and tribulations, humor and hijinks, faith and forgiveness, and a stirring romance.  I loved A Most Inconvenient Marriage and can’t wait to read more from this incredibly talented author! 

I received a complimentary copy of this book through the Bethany House Blogger Reviewer program.  All thoughts expressed are my own and no monetary compensation was received. 

Purchase links:

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Christianbook.com
DeeperShopping

Regina JenningsRegina Jennings is a graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University with a degree in English and a history minor. She has worked at The Mustang News and First Baptist Church of Mustang, along with time at the Oklahoma National Stockyards and various livestock shows. She now lives outside Oklahoma City with her husband and four children.

To learn more about Regina and her books, please visit http://www.reginajennings.com/.

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Review: A Light In The Wilderness

16 Dec

A Light in the Wilderness

A Light In The Wilderness by Jane Kirkpatrick

Letitia holds nothing more dear than the papers that prove she is no longer a slave. They may not cause white folks to treat her like a human being, but at least they show she is free. She trusts in those words she cannot read–as she is beginning to trust in Davey Carson, an Irish immigrant cattleman who wants her to come west with him.

Nancy Hawkins is loathe to leave her settled life for the treacherous journey by wagon train, but she is so deeply in love with her husband that she knows she will follow him anywhere–even when the trek exacts a terrible cost.

Betsy is a Kalapuya Indian, the last remnant of a once proud tribe in the Willamette Valley in Oregon territory. She spends her time trying to impart the wisdom and ways of her people to her grandson. But she will soon have another person to care for.

As season turns to season, suspicion turns to friendship, and fear turns to courage, three spirited women will discover what it means to be truly free in a land that makes promises it cannot fulfill. This multilayered story from bestselling author Jane Kirkpatrick will grip readers’ hearts and minds as they travel with Letitia on the dusty and dangerous Oregon trail into the boundless American West.

Thoughts:

“Three very different women. One dangerous journey. And a future that seems just out of reach.”

A Light In The Wilderness is a gripping story, one that captivated me from the very beginning! Based on a true story, Jane Kirkpatrick breathes life into her characters and beckons the reader into their world. I loved the historical depth of the story and the palpable emotions of the characters. A Light In The Wilderness is a very compelling story and a recommended read for fans of historical fiction!

I received a complimentary copy of this book through The Book Club Network. All thoughts expressed are my own and no monetary compensation was received.

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