Review: Stories That Bind Us by Susie Finkbeiner

About:

Rediscover the power of story to open the doors of our hearts

Betty Sweet never expected to be a widow at forty. With so much life still in front of her, she tries to figure out what's next, never imagining what God had in mind.

When her estranged sister returns to town, Betty finds herself taking on the care of a five-year-old nephew she never knew she had. In 1960s small-town Michigan, they make an odd pair. Betty with her pink button nose and bouffant hair. Hugo with his light brown skin and large brown eyes. But more powerful than what makes them different is what they share: the heartache of an empty space in their lives. Slowly, they will learn to trust one another as they discover common ground and healing through the magic of storytelling.

My Thoughts:

I was not sure how I was going to feel about this book in regards to what happens in the first few chapters. Betty is 40 years old and one day her entire world changes. I felt for Betty, her grief was palpable. I did not want her to walk down the  road of grief. The author was very sensitive in dealing with Betty's grief and there were many nuggets of truth sprinkled throughout.

This actually became a delightful book to read. It was about family and the memories we make together. It was also about the curses that can continue through the generations. I liked Betty. She had some hard times in life, but she also seems to have let her experiences teach her and help her to grow and learn.

Author Finkbeiner has a gentle way with words and I always feel drawn into her stories. This one was a treasure trove of lyrical sayings, and I found myself laughing out loud at parts. I look forward to more.

I was provided a copy of this novel courtesy of Revell Publishing through Interviews & Reviews. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

About the Author:

Susie Finkbeiner is the CBA bestselling author of All Manner of Things, which was selected as a 2020 Michigan Notable Book, as well as A Cup of Dust, A Trail of Crumbs, and A Song of Home. She serves on the Fiction Readers Summit planning committee, volunteers her time at Ada Bible Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and speaks at retreats and women's events across the country. Susie and her husband have three children and live in West Michigan.

Review and Giveaway: The Gentleman Spy by Erica Vetsch

                                                             

About:

He only wanted a duchess for a day--but she's determined to make it a marriage for life

When his father and older brother suddenly pass away, the new Duke of Haverly is saddled with a title he never expected to bear. To thwart the plans of his scheming family, the duke impulsively marries a wallflower. After all, she's meek and mild; it should be easy to sequester her in the country and get on with his life--as a secret agent for the Crown.

But his bride has other ideas. She's determined to take her place not only as his duchess but as his wife. As a duchess, she can use her position to help the lowest of society--the women forced into prostitution because they have no skills or hope. Her endeavors are not met favorably in society, nor by her husband who wishes she'd remain in the background as he ordered.

Can the duke succeed in relegating her to the sidelines of his life? When his secrets are threatened with exposure, will his new wife be an asset or a liability?

My Thoughts:

This is the second book in the Serendipity and Secrets series and I fell in love with the first novel, I was wondering what author Vetsch had in store for this new one with the main focus on Marcus Haverly. Wow! What a story, and this one is my favorite.

The title says it all Marcus is a gentleman and a spy for the crown. He enjoyed his work and had thought he dealt with his feelings of being just the “spare” to his family. Well, he is now the Duke of Haverly and he has found himself somewhat in a quandary. He wants to continue spying but now he is being sought after by all the young debutantes and their mothers. Not only that but his every move now is written up in the society papers. He needs a wife. One that will let him be so that he can continue to be who he thinks he should be.

Enter Lady Charlotte who is close to being a spinster and not well treated by her father who is a bit miserly and self-righteous on how she and her mother can dress and wear their hair, all the while excusing his grievous sins. Charlotte’s world is upended one day and it only continues when she cannot hold her tongue anymore. She wants to be married just to escape the rule of her father. Never did she think she was worthy enough to catch the eye of someone like Marcus nor is she aware of how he plans to put their marriage in a little “box”.

I liked that we got to know both Marcus and Charlotte before entering their marriage. They both had insecurities, good hearts, a passion for helping those less than fortunate, and their love of reading helped to bond them. It was cute how Marcus thought he picked the perfect wife that would understand her place in the marriage. I am not saying Marcus was bad, he just was very naïve. And maybe Charlotte would have gone along if not for the fact that not only has she has tasted freedom at last but she is deeply in love with her husband. Oh, what a beautiful mess.

This has spies, secret identities, family dilemmas, and most assuredly true love. So many great take away lessons on marriage, self-worth, and when plans that go awry that turn out better than before. I cannot wait for more in this series.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

About the Author:

Erica Vetsch is a New York Times best-selling and ACFW Carol Award–winning author. She is a transplanted Kansan now living in Minnesota with her husband, who she claims is both her total opposite and soul mate. 

Vetsch loves Jesus, history, romance, and sports. When she’s not writing fiction, she’s planning her next trip to a history museum and cheering on her Kansas Jayhawks and New Zealand All Blacks.

A self-described history geek, she has been planning her first research trip to England.

Learn more about Erica Vetsch and her books at www.ericavetsch.com. She can also be found on Facebook (@EricaVetschAuthor), Instagram (@EricaVetsch) and Pinterest (Erica Vetsch).

Review: Don't Keep Silent by Elizabeth Goddard

To Purchase

About:

Justice comes easy for these two. But forgiveness? That's another matter altogether.

Investigative reporter Rae Burke will do anything to find her missing sister-in-law, even if it means facing Liam McKade, a man who almost lost his life saving hers. A former DEA agent, Liam thought he could find peace at his Wyoming ranch, but he doesn't feel at home anywhere anymore. When the reporter who blew his cover on an important investigation inserts herself back into his life, he's less than thrilled. But Rae's keen investigative skills have led her down the right path--and directly into the dragon's mouth--leaving Liam no choice but to protect her.

As the danger increases, the past they both tried to flee catches up to them, along with the feelings they once had for each other . . .

My Thoughts:

Sometimes you think you know someone, only to find out that you really don’t. Or do you? This is what happens to Rae Burke’s brother when his wife Zoey disappears without a trace. She was not the type to just leave her husband and daughter. However, as Rae begins investigating her sister-in-law’s disappearance really big secrets begin to surface.

Rae agrees to help her brother and she once again finds herself working with an old fling, Liam who is also the man who saved her life once before. From the time that they first meet again, there was certainly an undercurrent of tension as they did not leave on good terms. Liam does not want anything more to do with Rae, but when it comes to her, he just can’t help his overprotective side.

Things really begin to heat up as someone has set their sites on Rae. And Rae is already working in the dark trying to piece together Zoey’s life and what may have happened to her. All the while I am hoping Zoey gets back to her little girl and husband. The frustration the characters were feeling about this missing person was seeping through the pages.

This was a pretty intense read from the opening sentences of the prologue.  I love a good prologue to pull me in and this one stayed with me partly due to what was happening in it, and that the story starts two days earlier. I also wondered who it was about. It was very mysterious and bone-chilling. This was a good suspense novel with a second chance thrown in that happens in the winter. Great for a really hot 90-degree day.

I was provided a copy of this novel from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my  own.

About the Author:

Elizabeth Goddard has sold over one million books and is the award-winning author of more than 40 romance novels and counting, including the romantic mystery The Camera Never Lies--a 2011 Carol Award winner. She is a Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery and Suspense finalist for her Mountain Cove series--Buried, Backfire, and Deception--and a Carol Award finalist for Submerged. When she's not writing, she loves spending time with her family, traveling to find inspiration for her next book, and serving with her husband in ministry. For more information about her books, visit her website at www.ElizabethGoddard.com.

Review: These Nameless Things by Shawn Smucker

To Purchase

About:

Once held captive and tortured on a mysterious mountain, Dan was lucky to have made it out alive. But freedom comes at a cost. Left with little memory of the horrific ordeal, Dan can recall one thing--his escape meant leaving his brother behind.

With each day that passes, Dan waits with the other survivors in hope of his brother's escape. But just as long-forgotten memories start rising to the surface, the sudden appearance of a wounded woman throws everything into question. As Dan struggles to know who to trust, he is caught once again in a paralyzing moral dilemma:

How far will he go to save the people he loves?   

My Thoughts:

Author Smucker writes stories that are out of my usual genre, which usually has to have something to do with romance. But his stories are so different and intriguing that I cannot help but be captured in their pages.

These Nameless Things, even the title is mesmerizing, we are taken on a journey that is almost magical and mythical and certainly imaginative. No there is no magic or anything like that but it was a story that had a deep and resounding message that did speak to my heart. I had a hard time putting the story down as I just wanted to keep reading and see where this journey led the characters and me the reader.

The author states that this story is somewhat based on Dante’s Inferno, which I have not had the privilege to read yet. It also seemed to have hints of Greek mythos and the storytelling was very reminiscent of one of my favorite shows, a long time ago, Lost.  If you are looking for a lyrical read with an almost fairy tale like quality with hard truths to look at, then you will not be disappointed.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

About the Author:

Shawn Smucker is the award-winning author of Light from Distant Stars, the young adult novels The Day the Angels Fell and The Edge of Over There, and the memoir Once We Were Strangers. He lives with his wife and six children in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. You can find him online at www.shawnsmucker.com.

Review and Giveaway: A Very Austen Romance by Robin Helm, Laura Hile, Wendi Sotis, Barbara Cornthwaite, Chautona Havig, and Mandy H. Cook

About the Book

Title: A Very Austen Romance
Authors: Robin Helm, Laura Hile, Wendi Sotis, Barbara Cornthwaite, Chautona Havig, Mandy H. Cook
Genre: Historical Romance
Release Date: June, 2020

A Very Austen Romance features a delightful medley of novellas, each set in Jane Austen’s Regency world. Your friends from Pride and Prejudice, Emma, and Sense and Sensibility, enjoy new adventures in this lovely collection of stories by Robin Helm, Laura Hile, Wendi Sotis, Barbara Cornthwaite, Mandy Cook, and Chautona Havig.

Be treated to prequels, spin-offs, and sequels of Austen’s novels, along with original and supporting characters in starring roles. If historical romance is your preference, you’ll love these well-crafted stories written by beloved authors in the genre.

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts:

What a super fun set of Austen themed stories these were. There are six of these little stories that are sure to help you escape reality for just a little while.

I enjoyed how each author left her touch on these beloved characters. Whether it was focusing on secondary characters of these beloved novels or taking the main characters and twisting and tweaking their stories while still staying true to their characteristics. Especially changing some of the circumstances and still showing how, for example, Darcy and Elizabeth are still meant for each other. I enjoyed them all and look forward to more of these retellings and continuations.

So if you like intrigue, kidnappings, damsels in distress, and more don't miss your chance on having a cup of tea and getting lost for just a little while in the pages of this book. I won't say anything more because the part of the fun was going in without knowing how the authors would leave their marks. Bravo to the storytellers and for some new and memorable stories. I also want to say that the cover is beautiful and sets the tone well.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

About the Authors

Robin Helm’s books reflect her love of music, as well as her fascination with the paranormal and science fiction.

Previously published works include The Guardian Trilogy: Guardian, SoulFire, and Legacy; the Yours by Design series: Accidentally Yours, Sincerely Yours, and Forever Yours; Understanding Elizabeth;  More to Love; and Lawfully Innocent. Ms. Helm also contributed stories to A Very Austen Christmas and A Very Austen Valentine.

She plans to publish Maestro in 2020.

Her life in (usually) sunny, small town South Carolina is busy, but affords time for writing, reading, teaching piano, and playing games on her phone. (Would you believe she’s an elder in a war game?)

Readers are loving Laura Hile’s joyous Regency novels. Her signature style—with intertwined plots, cliffhangers, laugh-out-loud humor, and romance—keeps them coming back for more.

The comedy Laura comes by as a teacher. There’s never a dull moment with teen students!

Laura lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and a collection of antique clocks.

Her fiction is for everyone, even teens.

Wendi Sotis lives on Long Island, NY, with her husband and triplets. While searching for Pride and Prejudice from Darcy’s point of view, she became thoroughly enamored with Jane Austen Fan Fiction or JAFF. In early 2010, she dreamed of an idea for a story and hasn’t stopped writing since: Promises, Dreams and Expectations; All Hallows Eve; The Keys for Love; Safekeeping (with just a dash of Austen); The Gypsy Blessing; Foundation of Love (The Gypsy Blessing 2); and A Lesson Hard Learned.

The Marriage Pact, and some of Wendi’s works-in-progress, have branched away from JAFF to Regency Romance (the Loving an Aldridge Series) and Contemporary Romantic Mysteries (the Implicated series). Wendi will also continue bringing Darcy and Elizabeth together again and again in an unusual manner.

Barbara Cornthwaite lives in the middle of Ireland with her husband and children. She taught college English before “retiring” to do something she loves far more; her days are now filled with homeschooling her six children, trying to keep the house tidy (a losing battle), and trying to stay warm in the damp Irish climate (also a losing battle). She is surrounded by medieval castles, picturesque flocks of sheep, and ancient stone monuments. These things are unappreciated by her children, who are more impressed by traffic jams, skyscrapers, and hot weather.

Mandy Cook was an RN for over ten years, half of which she served in the Navy, living in far-flung places, enjoying experiencing the world while following her calling. Just before she and her handsome Marine were both deployed to different places, they married. They now have three children, ages five and younger.

She previously published The Gifted, using her nursing experience to lend accuracy to her story about an ER nurse who is handed a gift that changes her life forever. Adversity, and a long history of secrets, constantly battle against her natural instinct for truth and justice, but will the truth be worth the dare?

Mandy also contributed a story to A Very Austen Valentine: Austen Anthologies, Book 1.

Chautona Havig lives in an oxymoron, escapes into imaginary worlds that look startlingly similar to ours and writes the stories that emerge. An irrepressible optimist, Chautona sees everything through a kaleidoscope of It’s a Wonderful Life sprinkled with fairy tales. Find her on the web and say howdy—if you can remember how to spell her name.

Take a Book-Themed Quiz

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 7

Inklings and notions, July 8

deb’s Book Review, July 9

For Him and My Family, July 10

Holly Jo Morris, July 10

Blossoms and Blessings, July 11

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, July 12

She Lives To Read, July 13

Rebecca Tews, July 14

Through the fire Blogs, July 15

Texas Book-aholic, July 16

Read Review Rejoice, July 16

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, July 17

Connect in Fiction, July 18

Locks, Hooks and Books, July 19

Pause for Tales, July 20

Giveaway

To celebrate their tour, the A Very Austen authors are giving away the grand prize of a $25 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/f5be/a-very-austen-romance-celebration-tour-giveaway

Review and Giveaway: How Sweet It Is by Robin Lee Hatcher

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

How Sweet It Is

(Lagacy of Faith, #3)

By Robin Lee Hatcher

Christian Contemporary Romance

Paperback, Audiobook & ebook, 304 Pages

July 14th 2020 by Thomas Nelson

He lost his brother. She lost her dream. Together, they might find what they’re really looking for.

Holly Stanford is doing the best she can with the restaurant she inherited from her late uncle. But after her fiancé abandons her and the business, Holly regrets having given up her dream of becoming a pastry chef. Now a few bad financial decisions might cost her everything, including her hope for the future.

Jed Henning has done well with his new company despite his prodigal brother’s behavior. When Jed‘s father, the controlling member of the board of directors, temporarily suspends operations until his sons work out their differences, Jed resentfully chases his brother, Chris, to Boise. There Jed rents a basement apartment from Holly and hopes to convince Chris to get his act together before their company collapses.

Unaware that Holly is the one person who can help him get through to Chris, Jed starts the tough work of reconciliation armed with little more than a few family photographs, a stack of old letters, and a Bible that belonged to his great-grandfather, Andrew Henning. And as romance blossoms between Holly and Jed, the story of Jed’s great-grandfather highlights the power of God across the generations and the legacy of a family’s courageous faith.

(Affiliate links included.)

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Target | Christianbook | IndieBound | iBooks | Kobo | TNZFiction

Other Books in the Series

(Linked to Amazon affiliate links.)

About the Author

Robin Lee Hatcher is the author of over 80 novels and novellas with over five million copies of her books in print. She is known for her heartwarming and emotionally charged stories of faith, courage, and love. Her numerous awards include the RITA Award, the Carol Award, the Christy Award, the HOLT Medallion, the National Reader’s Choice Award, and the Faith, Hope & Love Reader’s Choice Award. Robin is also the recipient of prestigious Lifetime Achievement Awards from both American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America. When not writing, she enjoys being with her family, spending time in the beautiful Idaho outdoors, Bible art journaling, reading books that make her cry, watching romantic movies, and decorative planning. Robin makes her home on the outskirts of Boise, sharing it with a demanding Papillon dog and a persnickety tuxedo cat.

Website | Goodreads | BookBub | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

My Thoughts:

How Sweet It Is is the third in The Legacy of Faith Series where an old family Bible is passed to the next descendant who needs it the most. This time it was Jed Henning's turn. At first he is given an ultimatum by his father to find his brother, Chris, and make things right or else he would close Jed's company. This news at first does not seem fair, but as Jed focuses on Chris he begins to question why he thought he was so right for all these years and what happened to his kid brother to change him so much.

Jed rents a room from Holly Stanford who is having problems herself. Deeply in debt trying to run a restaurant and still healing from being jilted by her fiancé, Holly is having some major trust issues. And not only that but she has pretty much given up on all her dreams. It is like she has taken them and locked them up someplace just so she can continue to survive.

As in the course of their acquaintance Holly and Jed get to know each other. And in the pages of their story we continue to time slip to the past and get Andrew and Helen Henning's story. The years have passed for Andrew and Helen and they are entering the later years of their lives, and their whole life has taught them much about family, faith, and God.

There was many beautiful lessons and truths in this story that pulled at my heartstrings. I enjoyed watching each of the people grow into better versions of themselves as they took away lessons from their ancestor Andrew Henning. This was a beautiful story of family and their legacy of faith and what that can mean for generations.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

Tour Schedule

Tour Giveaway

One winner will receive a print copy of Cross My Heart by Robin Lee Hatcher
US only
Ends July 29, 2020

ENTER HERE

Review, Guest Post, and Giveaway: Kentucky Bride by Caryl Mcadoo

About the Book

Book:  Kentucky Bride
Author: Caryl McAdoo
Genre:  Historical Christian Romance
Release Date: June 9, 2020

A Country Divided…And so is her heart.

Some might say you can’t be too fussy when almost every unattached young man is off fighting for Southern freedom, but that shouldn’t mean a rebel’s daughter has any business with a Union soldier. Forbidden love never created greater battles than Gigi’s unexpected love for a Union soldier.

A dashing Rebel Soldier. The daughter of a Federal Soldier. How will they overcome the odds and a war to be together? Find out in this twist on Romeo and Juliet.

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts:

Love cannot be stopped even if there is a war on. Kentucky Bride is just such a story that shows that young love can overcome the many obstacles in it's way.

Gigi is 18 and is already living with the brutality of war as her father and brothers have left to fight on the Union side when she serendipitously meets Ephraim, a Texas Ranger who is fighting with the Confederates. In a perfect world theirs is a love match made in heaven, but this is not a perfect world and their backdrop is war.

This focused more on the relationship of Gigi and Ephraim, along with some of their closest friends and confidants. It is a whirlwind romance of two people who are on opposite sides of the war yet are willing to put all that aside to have a life after peace has come. A little bit more of a happier Romeo and Juliet story.

I received a copy of this novel from the author. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

About the Author

Award-winning author Caryl McAdoo prays her story brings God glory, and her best-selling stories—over fifty published—delight Christian readers around the world. The prolific writer also enjoys singing the new songs the Lord gives her; you may listen at YouTube. Sharing four children and eighteen grandsugars with Ron, her high-school-sweetheart-husband of over fifty years, she lives in the woods south of Clarksville, seat of Red River County in far Northeast Texas. The McAdoos wait expectantly for God to open the next door.

More from Caryl

It thrilled me to be a part of the North and South Collection series, a thirty-seven titles by seventeen authors project headed up by Christine Sterling Bortner. One reason is that my husband and co-writer has always been a Civil War buff, and the other because it’s such a huge undertaking. I’m actually writing two titles, Kentucky in 1861 and Nevada in 1865.

The stories are broken up by the years (1861-1865) and then the years divided into the states or territories (37 in all) as to when its most major event happened. So, if a reader stays with the series, one releases every other week, they will enjoy a chronological overview of the Civil War.

This story, Kentucky Bride is set near Bowling Green where the Confederates first set up their area headquarters. Twenty-thousand men descended on the city of seven hundred. Nearby, General Hindman with fifteen hundred men that included the 8^th Calvary Regiment from Texas, a group of Texas Rangers who’d joined the effort. Of course, I had to have a Texan as a hero! 😊

My heroine is eighteen-year-old Gardenia Gladiola Garland who helps her grandfather in the family business as her papa, brother, and uncle were gone. They’d joined the Union Army several weeks before. She hates the flowery name her mother pinned on her almost as much as the war and insists on being called Gigi.

My Texas Ranger hero, Ephraim Edward Kerns is sent to meet a supply wagon and it surprises to find such a lovely young woman muleskinning. He ties his horse to the back of the wagon and takes over for her, falling in love with her intelligence, beauty, and determination practically at first sight.

This Texas author hopes readers will love these two young ones, and I’m always “Praying my story gives God glory!”

Blog Stops

Texas Book-aholic, July 10

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, July 10

Inklings and notions, July 11

For Him and My Family, July 12

Novels Corner, July 12

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 13

For the Love of Literature, July 14

Pause for Tales, July 14

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, July 15

Older & Smarter?, July 16

She Lives To Read, July 17

deb’s Book Review, July 18

Bizwings Blog, July 18

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, July 19

Betti Mace, July 20

Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, July 20

KarenSueHadley, July 21

Artistic Nobody, July 22 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Connie’s History Classroom, July 23

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Caryl is giving away the grand prize of a $25 Amazon Gift Card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/fe19/kentucky-bride-celebration-tour-giveaway

Review and Giveaway: Her Surprise Engagement by Cari Lynn Webb

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

Her Surprise Engagement

(City by the Bay Stories #6)
By Cari Lynn Webb
Contemporary Romance
Paperback and ebook, 384 Pages
July 1, 2020 by Harlequin Heartwarming

A football star and a single mom…

Teach each other to trust again

To impress the executives buying her app, Nichole Moore enlists the help of old friend and pro quarterback Chase Jacobs. A pretend marriage is the perfect ruse: Chase’s celebrity status will impress the executives, while likable, hardworking Nichole could fix his fading career. But as their fake relationship plays out under the glare of the public eye, Nichole realizes her feelings might be the real deal…

(Affiliate links included.)

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Book Depository | Target | iBooks | Kobo | Harlequin

Other Books in the Series

About the Author

Cari Lynn Webb lives in South Carolina with her husband, daughters and assorted four-legged family members. She's been blessed to see the power of true love in her grandparent's 70 year marriage and her parent's marriage of over 50 years. She knows love isn't always sweet and perfect, it can be challenging, complicated and risky. But she believes happily-ever-afters are worth fighting for. She loves to connect with readers. Visit her at her website.

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

My Thoughts:

What a super cute and romantic read this one was. Marriage of convenience stories are my favorite trope, and this one was pretty close. This story finds two high school friends- through a slip of the tongue in a fake marriage. Instead of correcting that slip, they decide to go with it.

Nichole needs Chase's help to back her as she tries to sell a computer program she has created. Chase decides to help Nichole-especially since she was such a good friend. Well, things get pretty interesting fast when Nichole's prospective buyers are under the impression that they are married. Why is this such a big deal? Chase is a pretty famous football player with a questionable reputation. Both see the benefits of continuing with the fake marriage, however neither one really counted the costs.

Not only do they have to convince the world, but also their families. More than just letting their families down, which could spell a lot of hurt, both Nichole's and Chase's hearts on the line as well. Cue in the swoon as we watch if opposites can really attract.

I really enjoyed this sweet little story that left me smiling all the way to the end.

I received a copy of this novel from the author. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

Tour Schedule

Tour Giveaway

One winner will receive a $50 Amazon gift card and the Return of the Blackwell Brothers Continuity Series with a book tote bag. (5 Print Books & tote bag to US Residents only, E-copies to anyone outside the US).

Ends July 22, 2020

ENTER HERE

Review: A Dream Within A Dream by Mike Nappa and Melissa Kosci

To Purchase

About:

He may be the key to solving one of the greatest unsolved art heists in history

Trudi Coffey hasn't seen Samuel Hill in weeks. Then the FBI shows up asking about him. After a strange encounter with an armed man demanding her help and an attack by a member of the Boston mob looking for someone named Dream, Trudi manages to find Samuel--or rather, he finds her. He's made some pretty powerful enemies, but right now his full attention is on protecting Dream from the mob. Because Dream has something they want--the map to the location of artwork stolen from the Gardner Museum during the infamous 1990 heist.

With danger closing in from all sides, Trudi and Samuel will have to call on all their allies to keep Dream safe and discover the identities of the people who have been hunting down Samuel. The real questions are, whom can they trust? And who will make it out of this alive?

My Thoughts:

I have waited years for this book to be finally released. And let me tell you, it did not disappoint. Once again, we are dropped into Trudi's life only this time Samuel is AWOL and seems to have gotten himself involved in more than he can conceivably handle. And given that this is Samuel Hill, that's quite a bit because he can handle a lot. We also get the addition of a new character: Dream. He's been in over his head for some time I'm afraid and it has given him a rather bad case of PTSD. I honestly just learned a lot from the little factoids he spouts off.

I spent most of the book turning pages unable to put it down as each chapter ended cruelly and horribly for the characters. Strung along with complicated relationship status, just wanting to know some resolution. With the relationships? With the plot? With just what the characters are thinking?

But nay. Resolution is a far-off dream in a far-off future. Or if you will. A dream within a dream.

It's just as fun as it is brutal, with snappy dialogue and quirky characters. I definitely recommend you pick this book up. But ah... if you haven't read Annabelle Lee yet, pick that up first.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

Reviewed by Nicki

About the Authors:

Mike Nappa is an entertainment journalist at FamilyFans.com, as well as a bestselling and award-winning author with more than one million books sold worldwide. When he was a kid, the stories of Edgar Allen Poe scared him silly. Today he owns everything Poe ever wrote. A former fiction acquisitions editor, Mike earned his MA in English literature and now writes full-time. He is the author of Annabel Lee and The Raven.

Melissa Kosci is a fourth-degree black belt in and certified instructor of Songahm Taekwondo. In her day job as a commercial property manager, she secretly notes personal quirks and funny situations, ready to tweak them into colorful additions for her books. She and Corey, her husband of twenty years, live in Florida, where they do their best not to melt in the sun.