Hi Readers, Happy Monday! I’m excited to share with you a book that’s a different type of genre then I’ve featured on my blog so far… Romantic Comedy. Yes, I’ve read (and featured) Romantic Suspense and Historical Romance, but typically I don’t read contemporary romantic comedy because the few I’ve read before were a bit boring; however, I decided to step out of my comfort zone and was pleasantly surprised. So, without further ado… Wooing Cadie McCaffrey by Bethany Turner!

Synopsis

Well, here is where I would typically give you my abbreviated version of the story; however, I feel that if I give you some of the plot, I would inadvertently give you several spoilers. That being the case, I will just give you what’s on the back cover. 🙂

From the back cover

After four years with her boyfriend, Cadie McCaffrey is thinking of ending things. Convinced Will doesn’t love her in the “forever” way she loves him, Cadie believes it’s time for her to let him go before life passes her by. When a misunderstanding leads to a mistake, leaving her hurt, disappointed, and full of regret, she finally sends him packing.

But for Will, the end of their relationship is only the beginning of his quest to figure out how to be the man Cadie wanted him to be. With the dubious guidance of his former pro-athlete work friends and tactics drawn from Cadie’s favorite romantic comedies, Will attempts to win her back. It’s a foolproof plan. What could possibly go wrong?

So what did I think?

I have to be honest, when I started reading this book and got to a mistake that Cadie and Will made, I was tempted to stop reading. Like I mentioned before, I really don’t care for this genre and this part was awkward for me to read. (I want to point out that there’s nothing graphic or inappropriate in the book, it just touches on a sensitive subject) I talked it over with a friend of mine who had already read the book and she encouraged me to finish the book before giving an opinion. So, I decided to give the book another try because I really liked the characters and the authors writing style. Amazingly enough, once I was past the first few chapters, I found myself having a hard time putting the book down because I really wanted to see what happened.

Now having finished the book, I can see why the characters went through what they did because it’s a very real possibility in our culture. The focus of the story should not be on the mistake that was made, but in how the characters responded to it. It is a true love story in which the man is desperately in love with the girl, but doesn’t know how to show it (and when he does, he’s not very successful) And as it turns out, I did enjoy the book and am very thankful that my friend told me to stick with it. (**slight spoiler alert**) I LOVED that the characters learned that they need to fix their eyes on Jesus (can I get an Amen!) and I really liked that Cadie didn’t want to hide what happened from her parents – Seriously, it’s not often that I find a contemporary story that has a child who not only loves his/her parents, but respects them enough to tell them the truth. Overall, I wouldn’t recommend this book to a teenager because of the sensitive subjects within the story and I’m not sure it’s one I will reread, but, I think that the book/story line is good, as long as you don’t give up within the first few chapters. So after reading the book, I give it 4 out of 5 stars. ****

Hey Readers, if you want to check more info on this book or Bethany’s other book (The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck) I’ve included the link below. http://seebethanywrite.com/

I received a copy of this book through Revell and Bethany Turner. Thoughts and opinions expressed are mine alone.

Happy Reading! 😊

Hi Readers, Hope you had a great weekend! I wanted to take a few minutes today to share what I thought about a book that just came out by one of my favorite authors, Karen Witemeyer.

Synopsis

Abigail (Abby) Kemp needs to have a man’s name on the deed of her bakery or the city will take it away. At the end of the hearing where she learned the fate of her bakery, the City officials give her until the end of the month to find someone to help her or she will be forced to sell it. Abby feels like the situation has gotten out of her control, but she has one more idea. All she needs to do is convince one of the men on her list to agree to a marriage of convenience… that shouldn’t be that hard, right? Setting her sights on three of the eligible bachelors that frequent her shop, she finally settles with three of them, One has a controlling mother, one has horrible breath and the other is a bit mysterious and for some reason when she is around him, she can feel her pulse quicken. Deciding to start with Zach Hamilton (the mysterious one) She prays that God will help her and courageously approaches Zach with her idea, but will he accept this unconventional solution to her situation?

After taking care of his siblings for the last several years, Zacharias Hamilton is finally free to live his life the way he wants to – with no chance of hurting or disappointing those he cares about. He was doing just fine on his own; however, God had a different plan in mind for him. One afternoon while at work, he’s approached by Abby Kemp, the baker of his favorite breakfast. At first he’s confused when he hears her hair-brained scheme; however, when she offers to marry him he immediately refuses. Abby is the sweetest lady that Zach’s ever seen and he is not worthy of someone like her; however, he does wonder if this is something that God set up… but why would God care about him, when he has strayed so far away?

Abby and Zach are the most unlikely couple, but can God use them to not only save Abby’s bakery, but also to lead each other back to the Lord? Will they ever humble themselves enough to tell each other the sin/event in the past that has a hold on each of them?

From the back cover

After fulfilling a pledge to a dying friend, Zacharias Hamilton is finally free. No family entanglements. No disappointing those around him. Just the quiet bachelor existence he’s always craved. Until fate snatches his freedom away when the baker of his favorite breakfast bun is railroaded by the city council. Despite not wanting to get involved, he can’t turn a blind eye to her predicament . . . or her adorable dimples.

Abigail Kemp needs a man’s name on her bakery’s deed. A marriage of convenience seems the best solution . . . if it involves a man she can control. That person definitely isn’t the stoic lumberman who oozes silent confidence whenever he enters her shop. Control Zacharias Hamilton? She can’t even control her pulse when she’s around him.
When vows are spoken, Abigail’s troubles should be over. Yet threats to the bakery worsen, and darker dangers hound her sister. As trust grows between Zach and Abby, she find she wants more then his rescue, she wants his heart.

What did I think?

First of course, the bookish details – This is the second book in the Patchwork Family series and although it’s part of a series, it can be read as a standalone. I’ve read the first book in the series (More Than Meets the Eye) and would strongly recommend reading it as well because it gives more insight into Zach’s past and it helps you understand the weight of his burden and his guilt. (its also a fantastic book!!) I loved the characters and the chemistry between Zach and Abby is great! I like that the Abby wasn’t a skinny model, but that she had some insecurities about her weight and appearance (which most of us can relate to) and when she finally discovers that she is perfect just the way God made her and that Zach __________ (Whoops, almost gave a story spoiler!) is one of the best parts in the book. The other amazing part was when the characters discover the amazing power of forgiveness and the joy that comes from knowing the Lord has forgiven you. There were a lot of romantic moments and scenes, but there was nothing graphic or inappropriate. Overall, it was not my favorite book by her (which would be incredibly hard to choose because all her books are AMAZING) but, it was a great book and has definitely made it on my “Must Read” list. Overall I rate the story 4 out of 5 stars!****

Readers, if you want to check out more info on this book or any of her other amazing books, here is the link to her website! http://www.karenwitemeyer.com/books.html

I received a copy of this book from Bethany House Publisher and Karen Witemeyer. Thoughts and opinions expressed are mine alone.

Happy Reading😊

Hi Readers, Happy Saturday! I have a Suspense filled novel for you to check out that I promise will be hard to put down once you pick it up. Living Lies by Natalie Walters is a real nail biter and the story grabs you from the very first sentence.

Synopsis

Lane Kent has a secret, a secret that she cannot let out. Not just because it would ruin her father’s political career, but because no one would understand and they would treat her differently. Ever since her husband died, she has been dangerously depressed and the only thing keeping her from falling apart is her 5 year old son. Looking for hope, Lane goes jogging through the woods, hoping to clear her mind and unfortunately, instead of finding hope, she finds a dead body instead.

Deputy Charlie Lynch is shocked when he sees Lane near the edge of a bridge with utter despair shining in her eyes. Having previously been a soldier, he recognizes that Lane needs help and reaches out to help her; however, she brushes him off, apparently embarrassed about the scene on the bridge. Tasked with working with Lane, the two of them must work together to solve this murder before the murderer strikes again.

So what did I think?

So first the bookish details. This is the first book by Author Natalie Walters and it’s the first book in the Harbored Secrets series. I do want to point out that although there is mention of a dead body, there are no graphic details. This story touches on the sensitive subject of depression and how it not only affects the one who’s suffering, but also those around them. In the book, Lane suffers from severe depression and throughout the book you can see her struggle and then regain her footing and then start to slip again, but her friends would not let her fall because they cared too much about her. I also really liked the authors writing style which alternated between telling the story from Lane’s point of view to Charlie’s point of view . One more thing to point out that I loved was the chemistry between Lane and Charlie. Especially how the events in Charlie’s past helped him to understand a bit better what Lane was going through. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this story and I can’t wait until the next book comes out. (It’s scheduled to come out later this year, so make sure you keep you’re eyes out) I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars *****

I received a copy of this book through Revell and Natalie Walters. Thoughts and opinions expressed are mine alone.

Happy Reading😊

Hi Readers, Happy Friday!

I’m sorry that I missed talking with you last Friday, but I’m ready today and I’m excited to share the first line of the book I’m currently reading, so drum roll please…

“Rapunzel, I wish to marry you.”

The Golden Braid by Melanie Dickerson

This first line from The Golden Braid by Melanie Dickerson, gives us a glimpse into this amazing Rapunzel retelling and I’m telling you, it’s a story you don’t want to miss!

From the back cover

The one who needs rescuing isn’t always the one in the tower. Rapunzel can throw a knife better than any man. She paints beautiful flowering vines on the walls of her plaster houses. She sings so sweetly she can coax even a beast to sleep. But there are two things she is afraid her mother might never allow her to do: learn to read and marry.

Fiercely devoted to Rapunzel, her mother is suspicious of every man who so much as looks at her daughter and warns her that no man can be trusted. After a young village farmer asks for Rapunzel’s hand in marriage, Mother decides to move them once again—this time, to the large city of Hagenheim.The journey proves treacherous, and after being rescued by a knight—Sir Gerek—Rapunzel in turn rescues him farther down the road. As a result, Sir Gerek agrees to repay his debt to Rapunzel by teaching her to read. Could there be more to this knight than his arrogance and desire to marry for riches and position?

As Rapunzel acclimates to life in a new city, she uncovers a mystery that will forever change her life. In this Rapunzel story unlike any other, a world of secrets and treachery is about to be revealed after seventeen years of lies. How will Rapunzel finally take control of her own destiny? And who will prove faithful to a lowly peasant girl with no one to turn to?

About the Author

Melanie Dickerson is a New York Times bestselling author and a Christy Award winner. Her first book, The Healer’s Apprentice, won the National Readers’ Choice Award for Best First Book in 2010, and The Merchant’s Daughter won the 2012 Carol Award. Melanie spends her time daydreaming, researching the most fascinating historical time periods, and writing stories at her home near Huntsville, Alabama, where she gathers dandelion greens for her two adorable guinea pigs between writing and editing her happily ever afters. 

What are you reading this week?

I would love for you to join in on the First Line Friday fun by commenting below! Also, don’t forget to check out what other first lines Readers and Bloggers are sharing by heading over to our host blog, Hording Books!

Happy Reading 😊

Hi Readers, Happy Monday! I cannot believe I almost forgot to show you my must read for this week. So without further ado, this week’s must read is… Brentwood’s Ward by Michelle Griep!

From the back cover

It takes a criminal to catch one, and Nicholas Brentwood is just the man for the job. Reformed in more ways than one, the rough-around-the-edges Brentwood is a member of the Bow Street Runners, London’s early nineteenth-century fledgling police force. There’s none better than Brentwood at catching the felons who ravage the city’s streets, and there’s nothing he loves more than seeing justice served.  Beautiful and beguiling, Miss Emily Payne is not the sort of miscreant Brentwood usually hunts down. When he is assigned as her bodyguard, he vows to protect her from her father’s enemies, who will stop at nothing to carry out their mission fueled by greed and revenge. 

About the Author

Hope you guys have an awesome day and thanks for stopping by! If you’re still reading this, comment below with your favorite Summer treat – after all, Summer will be here before you know it!

Happy Reading! 😊

Hi Readers, Happy Friday! Just wanted to take a quick second to share with you the first line from one of the most fantastic romantic suspense I’ve read in a while, Fatal Frost by Nancy Mehl!

The seemingly deserted street was lined with empty houses, their windows as blank and vacant as the eyes of those who had become casualties in St. Louis’s war on heroin.

I know what you are thinking. You’re like “Wow, this first line is a bit intense” and it is. This first line really pulls you into the story and shows you just how bad the crime was in Mercy’s hometown. You can already feel the tension and it just builds from there!

From the Back Cover

About the Author

What are you reading this week?

I would love for you to join in on the First Line Friday fun by commenting below! Also, don’t forget to check out what other first lines Readers and Bloggers are sharing by heading over to our host blog, Hording Books!

Happy Reading! 😊

Hi Readers, Happy Memorial Day! ( and Happy unofficial start of the summer!) Just wanted to take a second to show you one of my favorite books and my latest Must Read; A Change of Fortune by Jen Turano!

From the Back Cover

About the Author

Before I give you basic info about the author, I want to let you know that I had the pleasure of meeting Jen at this year’s CFRR (Christian Fiction Readers Retreat) and she was hilarious! I’m always nervous talking to the authors that write my books because their attitude could impact how often I read their books and Jen was so sweet! She immediately started joking and talking to me like I was one of her best friends – which I really appreciated since as I mentioned before, I was incredibly nervous (nervous may be an understatement)

Jen Turano, author of A Change of Fortune, A Most Peculiar Circumstance, and A Talent for Trouble, is a graduate of the University of Akron with a degree in Clothing and Textiles. She is a member of ACFW and lives in a suburb of Denver, Colorado.

Hope you guys have a great day and thanks for stopping by! If you’re still reading this… you are AWESOME! Comment below with one thing you look forward to doing in the Summer and/or what is one of your favorite books? (because seriously, we can’t just pick one!)

Happy Reading! 😊

Happy Memorial Day Weekend Readers! Hopefully you have time to sit back and read a book… in between all the cookouts and barbeques and if so, I have a great book for you to check out! My First Line Friday is…

The change in Marie Carrington’s pocket wouldn’t pay for a ferry ride across the Northumberland Strait to Prince Edward Island, let alone a bus ticket to anywhere else in the world.

This book is one of my favorites! It’s one that I could reread over and over and never get tired of. This first line is very thought-provoking because you have to wonder what she is running from, since it’s obvious she doesn’t have any money or plans for where she’s going

From the Back Cover

About the Author

What are you reading this weekend?              I would love for you to comment below with the first line of your book and what you think about it. If you want see what other first lines readers are sharing, head on over to Hording Books.

Happy reading! 😊

Hi Readers – Happy Monday! I know that as always, Monday’s are busy, so I’ll only take a few minutes to share this with you. My latest Must Read is a contemporary romance novel which is not my typical genre to read, nevertheless, it was AWESOME!

On a Summer Tide by Suzanne Woods Fisher is the story of Camden, Blaine and Maddie Grayson, three sisters who just found out that their dad sold thier childhood home and bought a little island off the coast of Maine. Although he told them that it had always been his dream to fix the little camp on the island, they’re worried that something might be wrong with thier dad … possibly early dementia? Arriving at Three Sisters Island, they all experience a bit of culture shock, when they realize that there’s no WIFI, the power cuts on and off and their new home is in the middle of nowhere. However, the more time each of them spend on the island, the more they’re able to catch a glimpse of their father’s vision for the camp and it makes them want to stay and help him, but they can’t make the island their home because they all have things they need to get back to right? With an island this beautiful, a handsome schoolteacher for Cam’s son, and a job opportunity for both Blaine and Maddie, why would they ever want to leave?

From the Back Cover

Sometimes love hurts–and sometimes it can heal in the most unexpected way. Camden Grayson loves her challenging career, but the rest of her life could use some improvement. “Moving on” is Cam’s mantra. But there’s a difference, her two sisters insist, between one who moves on and one who just keeps on moving. 

Cam’s full-throttle life skids to a stop when her father buys a remote island off the coast of Maine. Paul Grayson has a dream to breathe new life into the island–a dream that includes reuniting his estranged daughters. Certain Dad has lost his mind, the three sisters rush to the island. To Cam’s surprise, the slow pace of island life appeals to her, and so do the locals. One in particular: Seth Walker, the scruffy island schoolteacher, who harbors more than a few surprises. 

So what did I think?

First of course the bookish details.

For more info on this book or any of Suzanne Woods Fishers other books, here’s the link! https://suzannewoodsfisher.com/

What are you reading?

I’d love to know if you’ve read this book, what did you think and if not, has this book made it on your TBR pile?

Happy Reading!😊

Hi Readers, the weekend is finally here!!!

Just wanted to take a second to show you another amazing book, by giving you another First Line Friday!

It is never a happy day when an eight-year old girl’s cheesecake lands in the dirt, and she certainly doesn’t take kindly to the laughing little boy who put it there.

This hilarious first line is from A Noble Masquerade by Kristi Ann Hunter, which is one of my FAVORITE books. It’s the story of Miranda Hawthorne who writes her journal pages in the form of letters addressed to her brother’s best friend and she keeps them in a trunk under her bed that way she’ll never send them; however, when one of her most personal journal pages are accidentally sent to a Duke, she must face the hilarious and unexpected results.

From the back cover
Lady Miranda Hawthorne acts every inch the lady, but inside she longs to be bold and carefree. Approaching spinsterhood in the eyes of society, she pours her innermost feelings out not in a diary but in letters to her brother’s old school friend, the Duke of Marshington. Since she’s never actually met the man, she has no intention of ever sending the letters and is mortified when her brother’s mysterious new valet, Marlow, mistakenly mails one of the letters to the unsuspecting duke.
Shockingly, this breach of etiquette results in a reply from the duke that soon leads to a lively correspondence. Insecurity about her previous lack of suitors soon becomes confusion as Miranda finds herself equally intrigued by Marlow, a man she has come to depend upon but whose behavior grows more suspicious by the day. As the secret goings-on at her family’s estate come to light, one thing is certain: Miranda’s heart is far from all that’s at risk for the Hawthornes and those they love.

About the author 

Kristi Ann Hunter graduated from Georgia Tech with a degree in computer science but always knew she wanted to write. Kristi is the author of the Hawthorne House series and a 2016 RITA Award winner and Christy Award finalist. She lives with her husband and three children in Georgia. Find her online at http://www.kristiannhunter.com.

What are you reading this weekend?               I would love for you to comment below with the first line of your book and what you think about it so far,

AND if you want see what other first lines readers are sharing, head on over to Hording Books.

Happy reading! 😊