Loving Lucianna by Joyce DiPastena (Review)

Sir Balduin de Soler gave up long ago on love. He never had the means to support a wife until an unexpected advancement in his fifties allows him to reassess his future just as the lovely Lucianna enters his life.

Lucianna Fabio harbors a secret, painful memory from her past that has kept her unwed, as well. Now in her forties, she thought herself too old to marry until she meets Sir Balduin. Now suddenly their lonely autumn lives feel very much like spring again . . . until Lucianna’s brother appears without warning and threatens to revive the secret that will destroy Lucianna’s second chance at love.

"Loving Lucianna" is the first in Joyce DiPastena’s new "Hearts in Autumn" romance series, medieval romances revolving around heroes and heroines “in the autumn of their years.” Because you’re never too old to fall in love!

I GIVE THIS BOOK:

Saving Grace (Hearthfire #1) by Michele Paige Holmes (Review)

From Whitney Award Winning Author, Michele Paige Holmes, comes SAVING GRACE, a regency romance from the Hearthfire Romance series:

After the death of her grandfather, the Duke of Salisbury, Grace Thatcher wants nothing more than to live quietly in the country with her younger siblings. Her father’s debts thwart those plans, and to protect her sister, Helen, Grace must marry a man of her father’s choosing.

As each suitor proves less than desirable, Grace comes up with clever schemes, causing each to reject her. While staying at the mysterious Sutherland Hall, a middle-of-the-night mishap sends Grace into the arms of a stranger, Nicholas Sutherland—and provides inspiration for her grandest plan yet—one that will leave her reputation in tatters yet free both her and Helen from all possibility of marriage.

Too late Grace regrets her rash actions when her father’s last choice, Mr. Samuel Preston, proves to be a gentleman and a friend. But Samuel is the sworn enemy of Nicholas Sutherland, the man responsible for her “ruin.” Now instead of being free, Grace is caught between two men—each with his own agenda.

I GIVE THIS BOOK:

Waiting on Wednesday: A Sensible Arrangement by Tracie Peterson

Hosted by Breaking the Spine

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Marty Dandridge Olson is a widow looking for a way out of Texas. Widower Jake Wythe has secured a job as a bank manager in Denver, only to discover that the bank board wants him to be a married man. With Texas in his roots, he advertises for a Lone Star bride, and Marty answers the call. They both agree they are done with romance and love and will make this nothing more than a marriage of convenience.

Marty works to carve out a new life in high-society Denver as Jake works to guide the bank through a collapsing economy. But when money goes missing at the bank and accounting discrepancies point to Jake, he must find a way to prove his innocence. Yet all he wants to do is go back to Texas and own his own ranch. Marty, on the other hand, owns a ranch–one she’s never told her husband about. She hates Texas because it represents the losses in her life. But as the couple grows closer and love begins to bloom, Marty realizes she needs to tell Jake the truth. Can she come to terms with the past and her anger toward God in order to make room for love?

Amazon | CBD | B&N | Goodreads

Why I want to read it:

Tracie Peterson is one of my favorite authors, I have enjoyed every book I've read by her, plus the synopsis sounds really good. :)

Waiting on Wednesday: The Preacher's Bride Claim by Laurie Kingery

Hosted by Breaking the Spine

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Claiming Their Future

For the Thornton brothers, the Oklahoma Land Rush is the perfect opportunity to finally put down some roots. A new start, a new community-what more could preacher Elijah Thornton need? Not a wife-not after the pain of losing his fiancée. But something draws him to the pretty nurse whose eyes are clouded by trouble.

Only by claiming her own homestead can Alice Hawthorne avoid an unwanted marriage. Even Oklahoma may not be far enough away from New York to escape her past. Yet with courage-and the handsome reverend's support-can she forge a loving future?

Bridegroom Brothers: True love awaits three siblings in the Oklahoma Land Rush

Amazon | CBD | B&N | Goodreads

Why I want to read it:

I have read and enjoy all of the books in all the books that have been released in the Brides of Simpson Creek series by Laurie Kingery and greatly enjoyed them, so when I saw that she was leading off a new mini-series titled Bridegroom Brothers I knew instantly that I'd want to read it. :)

With Autumn's Return (Westward Winds #3) by Amanda Cabot (Review)

Elizabeth Harding arrives in Cheyenne, Wyoming, to establish her medical practice thanks to the wooing of her two older sisters who extolled the beauty of the land. She's certain she'll have a line of patients eager for her expertise and gentle bedside manner. However, she soon discovers the town and its older doctor may not welcome a new physician. Even more frustrating, the handsome young attorney next door may not be ready for the idea of a woman doctor. For his part, Jason Nordling has nothing against women, but he's promised himself that the woman he marries will be a full-time mother.

Despite their firm principles, Elizabeth and Jason find that mutual attraction--and disdain from the community--is drawing them ever closer. And when the two find themselves working to save the life and tattered reputation of a local woman, they'll have to decide how far they're willing to go to find justice--and true love.

I GIVE THIS BOOK:

MY THOUGHTS:

The romance was sweet and I loved the scenes with the two main characters together. There's also a secondary romance story and I almost enjoyed that one more, it was so heartwarming!

I haven't read the first two books in this series, but I don't think that hindered me at all, so I don't think you have to read the books in order. However, it sounds as though each book does focus on a different one of the three Harding sisters so you may want to read them in order.

If the synopsis sounds interesting to you, and you enjoyed historical fiction, I recommend you read With Autumn's Return.

I received a complimentary copy of this book to review. I was asked to give my honest opinion of the book - which I have done.

If you found this review helpful, will you please click yes HERE. Thanks!

The Dancing Master by Julie Klassen (Review)

Finding himself the man of the family, London dancing master Alec Valcourt moves his mother and sister to remote Devonshire, hoping to start over. But he is stunned to learn the village matriarch has prohibited all dancing, for reasons buried deep in her past.

Alec finds an unlikely ally in the matriarch's daughter. Though he's initially wary of Julia Midwinter's reckless flirtation, he comes to realize her bold exterior disguises a vulnerable soul--and hidden sorrows of her own.

Julia is quickly attracted to the handsome dancing master--a man her mother would never approve of--but she cannot imagine why Mr. Valcourt would leave London, or why he evades questions about his past. With Alec's help, can Julia uncover old secrets and restore life to her somber village...and to her mother's tattered heart?

Filled with mystery and romance, The Dancing Master brings to life the intriguing profession of those who taught essential social graces for ladies and gentlemen hoping to make a "good match" in Regency England.

I GIVE THIS BOOK:

MY THOUGHTS:
I have read and greatly enjoyed all of Julie Klassen's previous books and had been awaiting the release of The Dancing Master for almost a year. So I was slightly disappointed when I started the story and found that I didn't like either of the main characters, at all!

Julia was a selfish, spoiled girl who seemed to derive pleasure from defying and vexing her mother. She was such a flirt too! I was honestly rooting against her for so much of the book and that's never good.

Alec was too much of a dandy for my tastes. He cared so much about his appearance that it got on my nerves. If he got one smudge on anything the whole outfit had to change.

Now I did love many of the secondary characters: The Allens, Desmond, Lady Amelia, Mrs. Tickle, and Mr. Barlow. However, my love of them didn't increase my enjoyment of the book that much, since almost every scene they're in, the main characters are in as well.

I loved the cover from the first time I saw it and after reading the story I loved it even more. It was great how it is an exact scene from the book. Her outfit is described as follows:

The woman then help her on with a soft green evening gown with embroidered flowers, ribbon sash, and short puffed sleeves. Her cameo necklace and long kid gloves completed the ensemble.

I think it's just a perfect cover!

I thought the whole reason behind the town not allowing dancing for so long was very silly, and a bit of a stretch, but that on the whole wasn't that big of a deal.

If you have read and loved Julie Klassen's previous books, you'll more than likely still want to read The Dancing Master. However if you have seen many people rave about Julie's books and are thinking of reading one, I would suggest you start elsewhere. My favorites of hers are Lady of Milkweed Manor, The Apothecary's Daughter, The Maid of Fairbourne Hall, and The Tutor's Daughter.

***I received a complimentary copy of this book to review. I was asked to give my honest opinion of the book - which I have done.***

If you found this review helpful, will you please click yes HERE. Thanks!

Twice a Bride (The Sinclair Sisters of Cripple Creek #4) by Mona Hodgson (Review)

Love lost doesn’t mean love lost forever.
Can unexpected romance deliver a second chance for two deserving widows?

Full of resolve, young widow Willow Peterson decides to pursue her dreams to be an artist as she settles into a new life in the growing mountain town of Cripple Creek.  When she lands a job working as a portrait painter with handsome entrepreneur and photographer Trenton Van Der Veer, the road before Willow seems to be taking a better-than-anticipated turn.

With questions tugging at several hearts in town, including the Sinclair Sisters’ beloved Miss Hattie, change is traveling down the tracks as several unexpected visitors make their way out West.  Will the new arrivals threaten the deep family bonds of the Sinclair sisters and the roots of love that are just taking hold for Willow?

Filled with the resonating questions that all women face, this romance awakens hope against grief, love against loss, and dreams against life’s unexpected turns. 

I GIVE THIS BOOK:

MY THOUGHTS:

After reading the three previous books in The Sinclair Sisters of Cripple Creek series I was looking forward to reading Twice a Bride, the fourth and final book in the series. I very much enjoyed it and hate that it is the last book about this family.

I loved Hattie immediately from the first book and so wanted to see her get another love, she's a great woman and if anyone deserves another chance at love it's her. Then there's Willow, someone that I liked so much from the moment she was introduced, and I felt so terribly for all that she went through in her young life. The way love comes for both of them was wonderful and so sweet! 

My only complaint is that, at times, the story felt rushed. There were two different love stories being told, updates on the previous books main characters, and a few "problems" that were solved so quickly that it almost felt as though shouldn't have even have been in there.

Even though this book could easily be read as a stand alone, as the author does a fabulous job of giving all the necessary details about each one of the previous books' stories, I would recommend reading them in order. I loved this book and series and think any fan of historical fiction would greatly enjoy them too.

***I received a complimentary copy of this book to review. I was asked to give my honest opinion of the book - which I have done.***

If you found this review helpful, will you please click yes HERE. Thanks!

Perfectly Matched (The Blue Willow Brides #3) by Maggie Brendan (Review)

His life runs like clockwork. Hers is a spontaneous adventure. But God's timing is always perfect.

Anna Olsen knows it's time to leave her sister's increasingly crowded house and start a life of her own. Following her sisters' examples, she becomes a mail-order bride, and after a short correspondence with clock maker and jeweler Edward Parker, she moves to Denver to become his wife. 

Almost immediately it's painfully apparent that Anna and Edward are very different. Anna is a free spirit who would rather be painting and enjoying the company of friends than cleaning house. Edward is a consummate perfectionist who, on their wedding day, hands Anna a list of chores that need to be done around the house daily. 

Can this mismatched couple see past their differences to a harmonious future? Or will their disparate passions create obstacles neither is willing to surmount?

I GIVE THIS BOOK:

MY THOUGHTS:

Perfectly Matched is the third book in The Blue Willow Brides series and it is by far the one I most enjoyed - though that's not saying much, considering I only somewhat enjoyed the first one and strongly disliked the second.

I loved how this book begins right in the middle of Anna and Edward's wedding ceremony. Immediately both characters personalities and quirks were apparent which was great. I especially loved what Edward gives Anna when he takes her to their home for the first time - it made me laugh so much!

Anna is such a sweet character! I loved her heart for caring for stray animals and to stop animals from being abused. However, several times she referred to animals as both "dumb animals" & "God's dumb creatures" which I found to be both annoying and completely opposite of the way she behaved. I think she meant that they were helpless and we needed to take care of them, but the terminology wasn't one I would have ever used - it just sounds mean.

Edward is a great character too, even though at first I wasn't to sure about him. It becomes evident how much he cares for Anna and the lengths he is willing to go to make her feel happy and loved.

There is a bit of an age discrepancy for Anna between this book and Deeply Devoted, the first book in the series. Deeply Devoted takes place in the spring of 1887 and Anna is fifteen. However in Perfectly Matched, which is set fall 1888, Anna is seventeen and turns eighteen towards the end of the story (around November the same year). I personally see no way for this to work, but this is just a small issue - it took away nothing from the story except that it made me check to see if I was mistaken about her age in the other book.

One of the things I didn't care for in the book was the constant repetitive sentences. A person would say something to someone then later that someone would say nearly the exact same thing to the original person and then the original person would behave as though they had never heard/thought of it before - even though chapters before they said it! Another thing I didn't care for was how characters would say something which, to me, came across as they were angry then the other character would say something snippy back and then they would both smile at each other as if nothing bad was said to each other - and they weren't acting, they meant it. Both of these thing were very annoying to say the least!

If you enjoy reading mail-order novels, you would probably find this one to be a nice read. The books in this series can be read out of order, in my opinion, and you wouldn't miss anything and the only things spoiled for you would be who ends up with whom but that's something you can usually figure out just by reading the back cover.

***I received a complimentary copy of this book to review. I was asked to give my honest opinion of the book - which I have done.***

If you found this review helpful, will you please click yes HERE. Thanks!

“Available October 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

Sweet Sanctuary by Kim Vogel Sawyer (Review)

A Story of Hope and Love Set Against the Backdrop of World War II

Lydia Eldredge longs to provide sanctuary for her young son, Nicky. But a constant threat comes from Nicky's drug-addicted father, who wants the boy and seems willing to do whatever it takes to get him.

Dr. Micah Hatcher faithfully serves the immigrant population of Queens, New York. But under cover of darkness, he has a secret mission that challenges everything he thought he wanted out of life.

When Lydia and Micah's paths cross, they are suddenly wrapped up in each other's callings. Together, they seek a refuge of safety--for Nicky, for themselves, and for the needy people God puts into their lives. Amid turmoil and discord, can hope and love prevail?

I GIVE THIS BOOK:

MY THOUGHTS:

Sweet Sanctuary started out great and was really interesting until about a third of the way into it, then it just became very tedious and predictable. Everything that either Lydia or Micah could misinterpret, they did - which got to be quite annoying.

I love books set during WWII and thought that it made the perfect setting for this tale. It was amazing to me how people were kept in the dark about a lot of the horrors inflicted upon people of Jewish descent by Hitler, since nowadays I think almost everyone knows how he wanted to completely obliterate them. 

Something that really didn't make sense to me was how on page 126 Micah decides he's going to ask Lydia something, even though it doesn't seem rational to him for him to do it, then he doesn't ask her and it isn't explained why he doesn't, which was both strange and aggravating.

The ending, while nice, was very abrupt to me. So I would love to see a sequel to it, maybe something that would also expand the story about Micah's brothers.

Overall, this was a nice one-time read, but one I would recommend people borrow before buying. If you are looking for a book set during WWII this one would fit the bill, but it's not the best one set during this time that I have read. 

***I received a complimentary copy of this book to review. I was asked to give my honest opinion of the book - which I have done.***

If you found this review helpful, will you please click yes HERE. Thanks!

BOOK DETAILS

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (April 1, 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 076420789X
• ISBN-13: 978-0764207891
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 1 x 8.5 inches
• Available to purchase at Amazon | B&N | CBD

New eShort from Deeanne Gist!

Deeanne Gist’s E-Short gives readers a peek inside the world’s fair. Tempest in the White City is a digital short story available from online retailers for 99 cents!

Deeanne Gist fans won’t have to wait until the April 30 release of It Happened at the Fair to read her latest work! On March 19, readers will be able to purchase the e-short, Tempest in the White City, a 40-page short story prelude to It Happened at the Fair, for 99 cents from all online retailers. While the characters from the short story are not carried over into the full-length release, audiences will get a taste of the awe-inspiring backdrop of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair and will be anxious to spend more time exploring the exhibition.

In true Gist form, Tempest in the White City combines her trademark humor with romance. Hunter Scott is one of the elite. A Chicago World’s Fair guard specifically chosen for his height, physique, character and ability to serve and protect. When Hunter is overcome with debilitating abdominal pain, he stumbles to an infirmary in the Fair’s Woman’s Building only to discover the doctor is female—which he is none too happy about. But even worse, she has the nerve to diagnose him—the toughest man west of anyplace east—with constipation.

The 1893 Chicago World’s Fair overflowed with the latest innovations welcomed by a throng of people from all around the globe. This setting replete with history, intrigue and wonder caught Gist’s attention and is sure to draw readers of both releases in as well. “I’m always drawn to events in our country’s past that are strangely absent from our history classes. Why the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition has been left out, I don’t know, especially since it was such a pivotal event for us,” explains Gist. “We were able to wow the world with our scientific innovations, and it gave women their first official board position recognized and approved by an Act of Congress (all before we had the right to vote). But it was technology which claimed the day as it nipped at the heels of horses, buggies and man-powered tools.”

More about It Happened at the Fair: 

Young inventor Cullen McNamara gambles everything, including the family farm, in order to make his family proud—and earn his father’s entry money to the Fair Expo back—by selling his design for an automatic sprinkler system inspired by his mother’s death in a mill fire. Struggling with hearing loss from his previous life on the farm, McNamara finds it difficult to communicate with potential buyers over the din in the Fair’s Machinery Building. In an act of desperation, he hires attractive Della Wentworth, a teacher of the deaf, to tutor him in the art of lip-reading. Much like the newly invented Ferris Wheel, Cullen is caught in a whirl between his girl back home, his dreams as an inventor and his unexpected attraction to his new tutor. Can he keep his feet on the ground or will he be carried away?


Another date that fans will want to mark on their calendars is May 22, 2013 at 8:00 PM EST. Gist will be hosting a webcast event where she will be discussing more of the story behind It Happened at the Fair and answering reader questions. During the course of the evening, a number of prizes will be given away to those participating in the discussion. More details will be available soon on the author's Facebook Page where the webcast will be hosted.

Readers can keep up with Deeanne Gist at her website IWantHerBook.com, as well as on Facebook (DeesFriends) and Twitter (@DeeanneGist).

”Love in the Balance” Kindle Fire Giveaway and Facebook Party {4/4}

Regina Jennings is celebrating the release of Love in the Balance with a Kindle Fire Giveaway and a Facebook Author Chat Party on 4/4!

One "lovely" winner will receive:

• A Kindle Fire 
• A copy of Regina's Sixty Acres and a Bride and Love in the Balance

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on April 3rd. Winner will be announced at the "Love in the Balance" Author Chat Party on April 4th. Connect with Regina, get a sneak peek of her next book, try your hand at a trivia contest, and chat with readers just like you. There will also be many fun giveaways -- gift certificates, books, and more!

So grab your copy of Love in the Balance and join Regina on the evening of April 4th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun, RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 4th!