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#BookReview: Tangled Webs by Irene Hannon
22 Oct
Tangled Webs by Irene Hannon
Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/2f49quo
After a disastrous Middle East mission ends his six-year Army Ranger career, Finn McGregor needs some downtime. A peaceful month in the woods sounds like the perfect way to decompress. But peace isn’t on the agenda once he crosses paths with publishing executive Dana Lewis, a neighbor who is nursing wounds of her own. Someone seems bent on disrupting her stay in the lakeside cabin she inherited from her grandfather. As Finn and Dana work together to discover who is behind the disquieting pranks, the incidents begin to take on a menacing tone. And when it becomes apparent Dana’s foe may have deadly intent, Finn finds himself back in the thick of the action–ready or not.
My thoughts:
In this third and final installment of the Men of Valor series, former Army Ranger Finn McGregor is a dashing hero who finds himself running to the rescue of his neighbor, Dana Lewis. The chemistry between the two becomes palpable as their relationship develops amid the drama and danger that is lurking in the woods around them. A delightful blend of intrigue and romance, I enjoyed Finn and Dana’s story and thought Tangled Webs to be a great conclusion to a great series!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. No review was required, and all thoughts expressed are my own.
#BookReview: A Lady Unrivaled | The Manor House #Giveaway
6 Oct
A Lady Unrivaled by Roseanna M. White
Lady Ella Myerston can always find a reason to smile–even if it’s just in hope that tomorrow will be better than today. All her life everyone has tried to protect her from the realities of the world, but Ella knows very well the danger that has haunted her brother and their friend, and she won’t wait for it to strike again. She intends to take action . . . and if that happens to involve an adventurous trip to the Cotswolds, then so much the better.
Lord Cayton has already broken two hearts, including that of his first wife, who died before he could convince himself to love her. Now he’s determined to live a better life. But that proves complicated when old friends arrive on the scene and try to threaten him into a life of crime. He does his best to remove the intriguing Lady Ella from danger, but the stubborn girl won’t budge. How else can he redeem himself, though, but by saving her–and his daughter–from those dangerous people who seem ready to destroy them all?
My thoughts:
Oh, how I have loved the Ladies of the Manor series! While each of the three stories shares a stand-alone romance, continuing themes carry through this captivating series.
Capturing the essence of the Edwardian era, Roseanna White breathes life into her characters and settings. Lady Ella Myerston and Lord James Cayton are delightfully charming, and I loved their chemistry and the compelling journey they shared. As their story unfolded, I was thrilled to revisit beloved characters from Books 1 and 2 and enjoyed the parts they played in helping piece together the mystery surrounding the Fire Eyes diamonds. Brimming with intrigue and romance, A Lady Unrivaled is a wonderful culmination of a wonderful series!
Roseanna is celebrating the Ladies of the Manor series with a grand Manor House Giveaway!
One lucky winner will receive:
Word Cloud Classics Books, including:
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
Dracula
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Great Expectations
The Brothers Grimm: 101 Fairy Tales
The Brothers Grimm, Volume II
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Complete Set of the Ladies of the Manor Series
The Lost Heiress
The Reluctant Duchess
A Lady Unrivaled
Bone China Tea Set
Winner’s choice of pattern – because nothing says “English setting” like tea!
$25 Teavana Gift Card
So the winner can select her favorite blend, or try something new,
and get any tea balls she might need for the awesome loose leaf varieties she picks.
ENTER NOW!
I received a complimentary copy of this book.
All thoughts expressed are my own.
#BookReview: Home to Chapel Springs by Ane Mulligan
15 Sep
Home to Chapel Springs by Ane Mulligan
Purchase a copy: http://amzn.to/2cdfLCV
There’s always someone new in Chapel Springs someone who is either coming home or stirring up trouble.
A best-selling author’s latest book is a flop. While the reviewers are happily skewering her, her racecar-driver-husband walks out on her and she’s evicted, because he hasn’t paid the lease on their condo for the last three months. Then she discovers he also he drained their bank accounts. Homeless and broke, she and her little boy have no choice but to retreat to the house she inherited from her nana in Chapel Springs the house that’s been gutted. Then, a stranger knocks on her door. One that will change the course of her life.
Howie Newlander is back in town. After the residents thwarted his plans for a Miami-style resort on Chapel Lake, he’s running for mayor and stirring up the farmers by spreading rumors about diverted water and misused taxes. The Lakeside Players want to remodel the town’s old theater, named for Claire’s late great-aunt. Empty and boarded up for the last forty years, the theatre is rumored to be haunted. When Newlander and Mayor Riley go head-to-head, Claire gets caught in the middle.
Claire’s youngest daughter is in love with a non-believer whose daddy is Claire’s nemesis, the mayor. Having him part of her family isn’t in her plan. The years of heartache before her husband became a Christian should warn her daughter off this boy. So far, her daughter’s heart isn’t hearing the warnings.
With hearts pulled in all directions, will they find a home in Chapel Springs?
My thoughts:
Home to Chapel Springs is full of charm! Although it is the third book in the Chapel Springs series, this was my first time to visit the quaint community Ane Mulligan has brought to life. I thoroughly enjoyed the quirkiness of the Chapel Springs residents and delighted in the drama, intrigue, and romance of their stories. Brimming with humor and wit, Home to Chapel Springs entertained me from beginning to end and left me eager to read the other books in this series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. All thoughts expressed are my own.
#BookReview: Small-Town Girl by Jessica Keller
27 Aug
Small-Town Girl by Jessica Keller
Purchase a copy: http://amzn.to/2bykkED
Goose Harbor, Michigan, is the perfect place for Kendall Mayes to start over and open her date-planning business. When she encounters handsome loner Brice Daniels, who is struggling to keep the shipping business he runs going, she sees an opportunity. A weekly sunset cruise catering to couples and tourists will keep their dealings strictly business. Kendall has had enough of failed romances, and Brice is too burned by love to give it another chance. But despite their reservations, they soon let down their walls. Yet when Kendall’s silent business partner is revealed to be Brice’s longtime enemy, staying together might be next to impossible.
My thoughts:
Small-Town Girl is a tender romance! It is always a pleasure to visit Goose Harbor, Michigan, and its familiar faces, as well as meet new friends, too!
Kendall Mayes and Brice Daniels are endearing characters who carry a lot of emotional baggage from their pasts, and I enjoyed experiencing their journeys. I delighted in their choosing to open their hearts once again and loved the wonderful inspirational threads that were woven through their story. “The beauty of it all is that within the pain of relationships, we learn grace and forgiveness and love—which are some of the most prized attributes in the Bible.”
Jessica Keller captures the charm of small town life, and I look forward to visiting Goose Harbor again soon!
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. All thoughts expressed are my own.
#BookReview: River Rest by Susan Page Davis
4 Aug
River Rest by Susan Page Davis
Purchase a copy:
Amazon | Barnes and Noble
In rural Maine in 1918, Judith Chadbourne gives up her teaching job after her mother’s death to help her father with her five siblings. But when her father sinks into deep depression and her brother Joel is drafted, the household chores and farm work may overwhelm her. Neighbor Ben Thayer offers to buy their farm, shocking Judith and angering her father. An outsider from New York, Ben seems rich and mysterious, but his heart aches from his own loss. Judith accidentally breaks the antique crystal Christmas ornament her mother loved. The splintering star echoes her family’s shattering. Ben’s efforts to help make Judith suspicious, but when Joel falls critically ill at the army camp, Ben’s aid brings the beginnings of trust. After the armistice, and the community and family start to recover from the strain of the war, but Judith learns independence is lonely. When Ben is injured, she is the only one who can help him. Can love take her beyond the frozen Maine winter?
My thoughts:
As I opened the pages of River Rest, I quickly became enamored with the story, its setting, and its characters. Susan Page Davis is a wonderful storyteller who deftly transports readers to another time and place!
With her father in the throes of depression, Judith Chadbourne struggles to maintain the family farm and oversee the household. When her mysterious neighbor offers assistance, Judith is leery and resists his efforts. The story that unfolds is an engaging and heartfelt tale that captivated me from beginning to end!
After reading the note at the end of the book, I delighted in the story even more, as it was partly inspired by diary entries from Davis’s great-aunt. I loved River Rest and highly recommended this story to fans of historical fiction!
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. All thoughts expressed are my own.
#BookReview: Silence in the Dark
27 May
Silence in the Dark by Patricia Bradley
Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/25mzQrW
Bailey Adams is running for her life . . . again.
When Bailey Adams left Logan Point two years ago she thought she was getting away from her problems. Running into her ex-fiancé Danny Maxwell was not part of the plan–neither was being chased through the city by the local drug cartel, the Calatrava. Now despite her best efforts, Danny is her only chance of escaping the people chasing her and getting back to Logan Point safely. Can Bailey find the strength to face what’s coming? And in the midst of the chaos, can she keep herself from falling in love with her rescuer all over again?
My thoughts:
Silence in the Dark is an intriguing tale! Patricia Bradley takes readers from Mexico to Mississippi in a fast-paced story of suspense and second chances.
The action and adventure start on the first page and continue until the very end! The diverse cast of characters kept me engaged, and I enjoyed the relationships that developed as the story unfolded. While fans of the Logan Point series are sure to enjoy Bailey and Danny’s story, this novel can also be enjoyed independently of its predecessors.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. All thoughts expressed are my own.
#BookReview: The Reluctant Duchess | Rowena’s Comforts #Giveaway
25 Apr
The Reluctant Duchess by Roseanna M. White
Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/23TcQU0
Lady Rowena Kinnaird may be the heiress to a Highland earldom, but she has never felt good enough—not for her father, not for the man she thought she’d marry, not for God. But after a shocking attack, she’s willing to be forever an outcast if it means escaping Loch Morar and the men who have jeopardized her life.
Brice Myerston, the Duke of Nottingham, has suddenly found himself in possession of a rare treasure his enemies are prepared to kill for. While Brice has never been one to shy away from manor-born ladies, the last thing he needs is the distraction of his neighbor, Lady Rowena, who finds herself in a desperate situation. But when the moody Earl of Lochabar tries to trap Brice into marrying Rowena, Brice finds he’s not as opposed to the idea as he expected to be.
Rowena wanted to escape the Highlands, but she’s reluctant to resort to marrying a notorious flirt just to gain his English home. And when she learns that Brice is mixed up in some kind of questionable business with a stolen treasure, she ’fears she’s about to end up directly in the path of everything she was trying to avoid.
My thoughts:
“Love is not just a thing, after all, it is an action too.”
The Reluctant Duchess is an exceptional story! As I opened the beautiful cover, I was quickly swept away and immersed in the drama that unfolded. Evoking imagery and emotion from the first word until the last, Roseanna White captivated me with Rowena and Brice’s journey. I loved the intrigue and romance of The Reluctant Duchess and highly recommend this novel to historical fiction fans!
The Reluctant Duchess is the second book in the Ladies of the Manor series. While there are continuing themes from the first book, the story itself is independent of The Lost Heiress. I loved both of these novels and eagerly await the release of Book 3, A Lady Unrivaled.
To celebrate the release of The Reluctant Duchess, Roseanna is sharing a few of Rowena’s favorite things! Click here to enter the giveaway!
Roseanna M. White pens her novels beneath her Betsy Ross flag, with her Jane Austen action figure watching over her. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two children, editing and designing, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna has a slew of historical novels available, ranging from biblical fiction to American-set romances to her new British series. She lives with her family in West Virginia.
Learn more at www.RoseannaMWhite.com.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. All thoughts expressed are my own.
#BookReview: Thin Ice by Irene Hannon
27 Jan
Thin Ice by Irene Hannon
Purchase links:
Amazon | Barnes and Noble
If Ginny Reed is still alive–who is the woman buried in her grave?
After losing her parents and her sister, Christy Reed has been mired in grief. Now, life is finally starting to feel normal again–until an envelope addressed in her sister’s handwriting arrives in the mail. And the note inside claims she is still alive.
FBI Special Agent Lance McGregor, a former Delta Force operator, is assigned to reopen the case . . . but he’s coming up with more questions than answers. Is Christy a pawn in a twisted cat-and-mouse game–or the target of a sinister plot? As Lance digs deeper, one thing becomes clear: someone in the shadows has a deadly agenda.
Bestselling author and three-time RITA Award winner Irene Hannon pulls out all the stops in this high-stakes thriller that races to a bone-chilling finish.
My thoughts:
From the very beginning, Thin Ice takes readers front and center to the dramatic events that unfold. Irene Hannon does a wonderful job crafting a suspense filled story line, and I loved the edge of your seat moments. I also enjoyed the romance that develops between Christy and Lance and cheered them on as they struggled to stay ahead in a twisted game of cat-and-mouse.
Thin Ice is an exciting romantic suspense, and I look forward to reading more about the McGregor brothers as the Men of Valor series continues!
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. All thoughts expressed are my own.
Irene Hannon is the bestselling author of more than forty-five novels, including That Certain Summer, One Perfect Spring, and the Heroes of Quantico, Guardians of Justice, and Private Justice series. Her books have been honored with three coveted RITA Awards from Romance Writers of America, a Carol Award, three HOLT Medallions, a Daphne du Maurier Award, two Reviewers’ Choice Awards from RT Book Reviews magazine, a Retailers’ Choice Award, a Booksellers’ Best Award, and a National Readers’ Choice Award. In addition, she is a two-time Christy Award finalist, and Booklist included one of her novels in its “Top 10 Inspirational Fiction” list for 2011. She lives in Missouri. Learn more at www.irenehannon.com.
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