Sunday, January 6, 2019

Review: A Baby for the Doctor by Stephanie Dees

About:

A Family to Call Her Own

After becoming a foster parent to a young boy, equine therapist Jordan Conley’s life gets turned upside down. Little Levi is in need of an exceptional pediatrician, which means seeking help from Dr. Ash Sheehan—a man that, despite her heart-pounding crush, isn’t her type. Her life is horses and hay, and she can’t imagine the suit-clad doctor in a pair of cowboy boots. As a confirmed bachelor, Ash has never been nervous around women, but there’s something about Jordan that flusters him, and working closely together doesn’t help. The last thing he’s looking for is long-term romance. But the more involved he gets, the more he wishes they could stay together…always.

My Thoughts:

A Baby for the Doctor is the second book in the Family Blessings series and this one focuses on Dr. Ash Sheehan a pediatrician and Jordan Conley. Jordan has come to join her twin sister in helping abused and neglected children on a farm that was left to them by their estranged late father. Jordan is a therapist specializing with the horses and kids, not only the foster ones but also children of the community.

This was certainly a heart tugging romance and an emotional one concerning the little boy Levi who comes to be in the foster care of Jordan. Levi is a three year old boy who has been severely neglected and author Dees shows a realistic picture of how delicate and hard a job it would be to try to get a little one to trust others again. Jordan is a great mom to that little boy and Ash is with them every step of the way.

Now the romance between Jordan and Ash was so lovely to watch unfold. Both were very sick as children and they really are complete opposites. Jordan is a tomboy where Ash has a different model on his arm for every charity event he attends. And though Jordan is attracted to Ash, she is certainly keeping her heart guarded. Poor Ash is doing his best to get her to trust him and I like that he is not pushy but very patient and kindhearted. I really enjoyed their 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.

Saturday, January 5, 2019

Cover Reveal: A Winter Grim and Lonely by Nicki Chapelway

Welcome! You are certainly in for a treat today, especially if you like retellings of fairy tales. Today I have our very own Nicki Chapelway's cover reveal for her newest book. If you have read her first book in the series Winter Cursed, you know what a treat you are in for.

**In fact, Winter Cursed is FREE to own on Kindle today! So get your copy before the price goes back up. (It will also be free in KU). (**Amazon has not yet put up the new cover, that is why the cover difference.)

Mirror… Mirror…

Elisabeth is cursed. Her kingdom is locked in an eternal winter. And her stepmother Ismena has stolen her throne. When Ismena comes to kill her, Elisabeth is forced to flee to the only place her stepmother cannot reach her.

All must fall…

Deep in the heart of a dangerous forest, teeming with unbridled magic and fearsome beasts, Elisabeth is faced with a choice. She knows what she must do to end this winter. Kill her stepmother and reclaim the kingdom that should have been hers. But to do so, Elisabeth must either learn to control her powers over ice and snow- powers that she shares with her stepmother. Powers that are responsible for the eternal winter. Or she must put her life in the hands of the enemy.

Till I’m the fairest…

But can she truly trust the band of mercenary dwarfs who are offering to help her? And even if they don’t actually plan on killing her- can she trust their leader, the exiled Prince Cedric? A dark lord who also happens to be the son of the man she blames for her mother’s death.

Of them all.

With Ismena bent on killing her, and the dark prince bargaining for his freedom- the fate of a kingdom rests on Elisabeth’s choice. In this battle for love, power, beauty, and the right to rule- who will come out the victor?

And now I give you the cover book reveal of A Winter Grim and Lonely, which delves deeper into Ismena's past....

About:

Mirror… Mirror….

Ismena is the queen of Alain and considered by all to be the fairest maiden in the land. She happily looks forward to the day when she will marry the love of her life and unite two of the three kingdoms that make up Illesya. That all changes when King Stephan, her fiance, falls in love with an ice nymph considered more fair than she.

In My Hand…

Scorned by the man she once loved, Ismena is driven by her need for vengeance. She makes a dangerous bargain with King Morren the dark lord who sits on the throne of the third kingdom Mooraven. With his help, she will bring Stephan down. She does not care who she has to double cross in the process, nor how many enemies she will have to make. But her plan for revenge crumbles around her when she finds that she cannot kill a young princess with Stephan’s eyes.

Who is the Fairest…

An eternal winter, a chance at a happy life, and a beautiful stepdaughter. The fate of three kingdoms will be decided.

In the Land?

This is the tale of how an ordinary girl became the wicked queen.

It will be released in e-book and paperback.

Coming sometime in mid-winter.

In the meantime, check out Nicki's new author site: https://nickichapelwayauthor.blogspot.com/

Friday, January 4, 2019

Review: Searching for You by Jody Hedlund

To Purchase

About:

Despite years on the run, Sophie Neumann is determined to care for two young children. She won't abandon them the way she thinks her older sisters abandoned her. But times are growing desperate, and when she falls in with the wrong crowd and witnesses a crime, she realizes fleeing 1850s New York is her only option.

Disappearing with her two young charges into a group of orphans heading west by train, Sophie hopes to find safety and a happy life. When the train stops in Illinois for the first placement of orphans, Sophie faces the most difficult choice of her life.

Reinhold Weiss has finally purchased his own small farm. With mounting debts, a harvest to bring in, and past scars that haunt him, he's in no position to give his heart away . . . but can he say no when his long-lost friend shows up on a nearby train pleading for his help?

My Thoughts:

I have really enjoyed the Orphan Train series and this one was my absolute favorite. Sophie has been running from her sisters for a while, taking care of her two young charges that she did not want to be separated from. In Sophie’s story we see how they have been living and how she has been faring, and within the first few pages we see that Sophie is in a mess and needs help desperately. The life of a city gangster girlfriend is not one she really wanted and it could be quite dangerous.

Due to some unfortunate and dangerous circumstances, Sophie, her two charges, and a friend make their way to Chicago on the orphan train. She is always running and I really wanted her to contact her sisters, but Sophie wanted to make a better life for herself before she stepped back into her sisters’ lives, which both now made something of a success of theirs.

On her trip she begins to ponder if becoming part of a stable family would be better for the children. So she has to make some pretty heartrending decisions and then needs to deal with the aftermath. She also is reacquainted with Reinhold who is still trying to make a go of his farm with his brother’s help. To say he is shocked and relieved to see Sophie is an understatement, he immediately wants to contact her family. However Sophie feeling the way she is about herself is quite stubborn in her request for him not to.

I kept thinking Sophie’s promise was unfair, but by the end of the story I sympathized with her at the deep pain she had been carrying for years. The mistakes she made eating her up. And Reinhold becomes her hero. A reluctant hero at first, but he grows into his role as friend and then husband. I rooted for their marriage and for both of these souls to see past what was keeping them a part.

Sophie, like so many people think that they have to get their lives cleaned up, be a better them, do this, and do that before they can accept their heavenly Father’s love. But Sophie didn’t understand the power of love and forgiveness. She learns it throughout the story though.

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

Tuesday, January 1, 2019

Review, Excerpt, and Giveaway: In the Shadows of Croft Towers by Abigail Wilson

About the Book

Book: In the Shadow of Croft Towers
Author: Abigail Wilson
Genre: Historical fiction, romantic suspense
Release Date: January 15, 2019

From debut author Abigail Wilson comes a mysterious Regency tale of secrets and spies, love and treachery.

Orphaned Sybil Delafield jumps at the opportunity for a position at the mysterious Croft Towers. She believes she was hired to act as companion to a dying woman, but a highway robbery and a hostile welcome from the Chalcroft family cause her to wonder if she was actually hired to help someone spy for France.

An unsolved murder adds intrigue to this already secretive family, and Sybil recognizes Mrs. Chalcroft’s handsome grandson as one of the infamous highwaymen who robbed her. Sybil must determine if this man’s charming smile and earnest eyes speak the truth or if he is simply using her like others in the house. Everyone seems to have something to hide, and Sybil must decide who to trust while also coming to terms with the truth about her own past.

Click here to purchase your copy!

My Thoughts:

Sybil Delafield is an orphan, an orphan who has had a mysterious benefactor and who now is on her way to be a lady’s companion to a Mrs. Chalcroft at Croft Towers. Told solely from Sybil’s view point we step into a mysterious home, an eccentric family, and plenty of secrets. What Sybil thought her role would be in this household is far different than what she prepared for.

There are family secrets and “ghosts” that still “haunt” the Towers. On top of all that there are soldiers in town intent on finding spies for France, highwaymen (which Sybil had an unfortunate meeting with), a murder, and almost everyone has a secret for Sybil to keep.

From the first words of this story I was drawn into Sybil’s journey. Who is the he she said she would never have met? Does she find out who she is and why she has been given an education for the upper class? As for the family themselves, they certainly do not act normal. Each of them seem to be hiding something and or have ulterior motives in which involves who will be bestowed the title of heir when their Aunt Chalcroft dies. Many times I wondered if Sybil should just leave, but where would she go?

This was a moody read with a perfectly creepy setting, not really the place but all the players in the home and the town that surround Sybil with her comings and goings. If you are looking for a gothic read, this is a perfect one to curl up with.

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

Abigail Wilson combines her passion for Regency England with intrigue and adventure to pen historical mysteries with a heart. A Registered Nurse, chai tea addict, and mother of two crazy kids, Abigail fills her spare time hiking the National Parks, attending her daughter’s gymnastic meets, and curling up with a great book. In 2017, Abigail won WisRWA’s Fab Five contest and ACFW’s First Impressions contest as well as placing as a finalist in the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. She is a cum laude graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and currently lives in Dripping Springs, Texas, with her husband and children. Connect with Abigail at www.acwilsonbooks.com

Excerpt from the Book

1813

THE ENGLISH COUNTRYSIDE

I often wonder what my life would have been like if I had never learned the truth. I wouldn’t have set off as I did for Croft Towers. I never would have met him.

It’s strange what I remember about the day I left London. The mail coach was late; the weather wretched. The clock had struck midnight long before two strangers and I ducked beneath the postmaster’s outstretched umbrella to board the Royal Mail and rumble across the North Downs.

That difficult journey east marked the beginning of an unseasonably cold autumn. Frigid rain pelted the coach windows. The undercarriage squealed beneath the seats as a metallic scent wound its way between the drafty boards. I gripped the windowsill, wondering if the coachman intended to hit every bump in the road.

“Far to go, miss?”

The woman’s voice startled me. Dressed head to toe in red satin, she’d endured the last few darkened hours with a handful of smelling salts and a tongue hot for complaints, but she hadn’t spoken to me until now. Not until the first hint of rain-soaked daylight peeked over the horizon.

I lowered my gaze and fiddled with my bonnet ribbons. “Yes, ma’am . . . well, not too much farther, I hope.”

Taken from “In the Shadow of Croft Towers” by Abigail Wilson. Copyright © 2018 by Abigail Wilson. Used by permission of http://www.thomasnelson.com/.

Blog Stops

Just the Write Escape, December 20

Faery Tales Are Real, December 20

The Avid Reader, December 20

Reflections From My Bookshelves, December 21

seasons of opportunities, December 21

Mary Hake, December 22

Carpe Diem, December 22

Inklings and notions, December 23

Blogging With Carol, December 23

A Baker’s Perspective, December 23

Stories By Gina, December 24

Remembrancy, December 24

Madeline Clark, December 25

The Christian Fiction Girl, December 25

For the Love of Literature, December 26

Blossoms and Blessings, December 26

Janices book reviews, December 26

Back Porch Reads, December 27

Book by Book, December 27

Daysong Reflections, December 28

All-of-a-kind Mom, December 28

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 28

Godly Book Reviews, December 29

Locks, Hooks and Books, December 29

Bigreadersite, December 29

Inspiration Clothesline, December 30

A Rup Life, December 30

Bibliophile Reviews, December 30

A Reader’s Brain, December 31

Texas Book-aholic, December 31

Just Your Average reviews, January 1

Bookworld Reviews, January 1

Pause for Tales, January 1

Reading Is My SuperPower, January 2

Simple Harvest Reads, January 2

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Abigail is giving away a grand prize of one finished copy of the book!!

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/d777/in-the-shadow-of-croft-towers-celebration-tour-giveaway

Review, Guest Post, and Giveaway: This Homeward Journey by Misty M. Beller

About the Book

Title: This Homeward Journey
Author: Misty M. Beller
Genre: Christian historical romance
Release date: January 1, 2019

After her husband’s death, Rachel Gray is finally free from the turmoil his addictions caused. She wants nothing more than a new life with her twelve-year-old son. If she can reach her brother in the wilderness of the Canadian territories, they’ll have help to start over in peace. She knows better than to put her life in the hands of another man, but she never expected the Montana mountains to be so treacherous. When two brothers invite her to join their small group traveling to the same area, she refuses. After she and her son narrowly escape a bear attack, she’s forced to admit they need the safety of numbers in this untamed land. If the men prove dangerous, she can always leave with her son and strike out alone again.

Seth Grant has made some bad choices in his life, but God healed him from the addiction that mired him in his sins. Now, he’s determined to live the life God called him to, starting with a journey northward to see the Canadian mountain both his brother and sister have fallen in love with. When he discovers the woman and boy who plan to travel the same mountain trail, he can’t fathom why she refuses to join in the safety of their larger group. Though her decision seems unwise, he has no other choice but to pray God provides her protection.

Despite Rachel’s best efforts, she can’t seem to fight her attraction to the Seth—until a secret from his past proves he’s not at all the man she thought. When a new peril threatens her son’s life, she must choose between trusting in what she can control, or the man who her heart says is trustworthy, no matter his previous sins. The path she chooses just may determine whether she can step into the new life God has in store for them all.

Click here to purchase your copy.

My Thoughts:

Author Beller has done it again. She has transported me up into the Canadian mountains, this time in warmer weather, and I was lost in the atmosphere once again. Rachel Gray is a woman with a mission and this time around she and her twelve year old son will do things their way with no man’s help. Enter the twin Grant brothers, Samuel and Seth and when they hear about a lone woman and her son wanting to cross the treacherous mountains on their own, they being the honorable men that they are step into help. But Rachel has a backbone of steal and unfortunately she must face a few dangers first before she will trust and travel with the Grants.

I have been enjoying this series and seeing how each of the nine siblings is eventually making their way back to each other. This story ends with some open ends that need to resolve before a certain couple can get their happily ever after. Since this is the story of twins, I am assuming that maybe both brothers will get their happily ever afters together by the end of the next book. I don’t know, I will just wait and see and go on the reading journey.

I was provided an e-copy of this book. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

About the Author

Misty M. Beller writes romantic mountain stories, set on the 1800s frontier and woven with the truth of God’s love.

She was raised on a farm in South Carolina, so her Southern roots run deep. Growing up, her family was close, and they continue to keep that priority today. Her husband and daughters now add another dimension to her life, keeping her both grounded and crazy.

God has placed a desire in Misty’s heart to combine her love for Christian fiction and the simpler ranch life, writing historical novels that display God’s abundant love through the twists and turns in the lives of her characters.

Guest Post from Misty

Why Christian Historical Romance? I don’t know about you, but my life can get crazy…busy…chaotic. Historical fiction gives me a haven, allowing me to immerse in a simpler time and place. Add in remote mountain settings—log cabins and horses and snow…what could be better? Sometimes I wish God had let me live a couple centuries ago, but then I remind myself He knew exactly what He was doing. I don’t do well without a shower every day. And He even lets me go back to that simpler time through stories!

If you’re reading this, you probably enjoy immersing yourself in a good book, too. Story can be such a powerful thing! Becoming an intimate part of the characters’ lives, feeling their struggles—the desperation, the elation, the emotions, the love.

I enjoy reading and writing Christian fiction because it provides a place where I don’t always have to be concerned about inappropriate language or too-graphic love scenes. It’s a “safe zone” where my imagination can escape, living out exciting times and experiencing God-orchestrated happily-ever-afters—without having to clean-up at the end of the day. Can you relate?

I’m excited to share my latest Christian Historical Romance story with you, and hope you enjoy it as much as I loved writing it!