You Again ~ Review

You Again

By Amanda Waters

Rosalee McDonnell is stuck in rut and she is feeling older than her 62 years, 6 of which she's lived as a widow. Her husband, Tommy had been there for her when she most needed him just as she had been for him through his last days as cancer took him. 

But Tommy McDonnell wasn't her first love. Her first love was in 1973, as a 17 year-old-girl, Rosalee fell in love with George Barnes. But when he broke her heart she never saw him again, nor did she expect to. But a last-minute invitation leads to a surprise meeting and a second chance at love.

You Again is told in both the present and through Rosalee's remembrances of the past. The first couple chapters seemed slow but as the story progressed so to did the pacing. It is interesting to compare past George and Rosalee to their present selves.  Overall I'd say this was a pretty good book.  If you are looking for something new that is a standalone read and falls into the gentle, clean (a few kisses) read category you will want to give this one a try.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations. All thoughts expressed are my own.

                                                                                             

About the Book:

You Again is a sweet love story starring Rosalee McDonnell, a 62-year-old widow who unexpectedly reconnects with George Barnes, her first love, the man who broke her heart at 17, and someone she thought she'd never see again. In alternating chapters, Rosalee also recalls the summer of 1973 when she and George met and fell in love. You Again is a story of first love and second chances, of resilience, family, friendship, and living a full life. 

For fans of Kristan Higgins and Katherine Reay.

Undercurrent of Secrets ~ Review, Spotlight and Giveaway

Welcome to the Takeover Tour for 

Undercurrent of Secrets by Rachel Scott McDaniel, 

hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

Undercurrent of Secrets

Doors to the Past

By Rachel Scott McDaniel

Now to begin with I will admit I have not yet finished this book - due to a shipping mishap I got the book late. But what I have read has been excellent. 

I really enjoy books that take place in various time periods with something that ties them together. In this case the commonality is The Belle of Louisville. This ship is in both 1920 and the present the focal point of a mystery. 

In both time periods the characters are mostly likeable but there are hints at secrets that may or may not change my opinion of them (further reading will be needed. 

I love both the cover and the title of this book - it just drew me to the book and at this goes well with the story. At this time I believe this will be a 4/5 star reviewed book if all continues as it it is with the pacing and storyline.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: Undercurrent of Secrets
Series: Doors to the Past
Author: Rachel Scott McDaniel
Publisher: Barbour Fiction
Release Date: September 1, 2021
Genre: Dual Timeline / Romance 

Two women, a century apart, are bound by a haunting secret aboard a legendary steamboat. 

As wedding coordinator for the 100-year-old steamboat The Belle of Louisville, Devyn Asbury takes pride in seeing others’ dreams come true, even though her engagement had sunk like a diamond ring to the bottom of the Ohio River. When the Belle becomes a finalist in the Timeless Wedding Venue contest, Devyn endeavors to secure the prestigious title with hopes to reclaim some of her professional dreams. What she hadn’t planned on was Chase Jones showing up with a mysterious photo from the 1920s. 

A century earlier, Hattie Louis is as untamable as the rivers that raised her. As the adopted daughter of a steamboat captain, her duties range from the entertainment to cook. When strange incidents occur aboard the boat, Hattie’s determined to discover the truth. Even if that means getting under First Mate Jack Marshall’s handsome skin. 

Walk through Doors to the Past via a new series of historical stories of romance and adventure.

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | IndieBound | Christianbook | BookBub

MORE BOOKS IN THIS SERIES

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rachel Scott McDaniel is an award-winning author of historical romance. Winner of the ACFW Genesis Award and the RWA Touched By Love award, Rachel infuses faith and heart into each story. Rachel can be found online at www.RachelScottMcDaniel.com and on all social media platforms. Her work is represented by Julie Gwinn of the Seymour Agency. Rachel resides in Ohio with her husband and two children.

CONNECT WITH RACHEL: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

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TOUR GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will receive a print copy of Undercurrent of Secrets and a $15 Amazon gift card!

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight September 1, 2021 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on September 8, 2021. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

 

*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.

Lost and Found Faith ~ Review with Giveaway

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for 

Lost and Found Faith 

by Laurel Blount, hosted by 

JustRead Publicity Tours!

Lost and Found Faith

By Laurel Blount

Maggie Byrne just wants to give Oliver what she was given - a second chance at a loving family. But Oliver has a difficult time forming an attachment to anyone. At least he did until he was found wandering by Neil Hamilton. For some reason, Oliver formed an attachment with Neil, nicknamed Iceman by his students. Can a detached hurting man be the influence needed by a toddler suffering from abandonment issues?  Could this be the chance he's been given to find the man that he used to be? 

Oliver is the child Maggie wants to give a home to. But he just hasn't connected with her the way she had hoped he would. She needs Neil Hamilton's help to bond with Oliver or she could lose this precious child who has stolen her heart. As a child of the foster system, she wants to save Oliver from the uncertainty she faced until she found a home with Ruby.

Can two people scarred by their pasts come together to heal a hurting child? 

Lost and Found Faith is a lovely story and it is the first book in a new series that will follow the foster siblings of Maggie if the note from the author is any indication. I really like how Maggie and Neil's stories are slowly revealed as the story unfolds. I think the biggest issue that they both had was communicating. But communicating was revealing a deeper part of themselves - becoming vulnerable, and honestly, most people don't want to put themselves in that position. To find what was lost will take bravery and trust if they are willing to take the risk.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectation but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.

About the Book

Title: Lost and Found Faith
Author: Laurel Blount
Publisher: Love Inspired
Release Date: August 24, 2021
Genre: Christian, Contemporary Romance 

A terrible tragedy nearly broke him. Can love put him back together again? 

Widowed history teacher Neil Hamilton has lost his way—at work, with people, and even with his faith. But Neil's shut-down existence is disrupted when a small toddler and his would-be foster mother, vibrantly pretty Maggie Byrne, come crashing into Neil's yard and his life. Can this absentminded teacher find himself again…and take a chance on love, too? 

From Love Inspired: Uplifting stories of faith, forgiveness, and hope. 

Purchase Links*: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | IndieBound | Christianbook | BookBub

Also Available

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About the Author

Award-winning author Laurel Blount writes inspirational romances full of grit and grace—with characters who’ll walk right off the page and into your heart! She lives on a farm in Georgia with her husband, their four fabulous kids, and an assortment of ridiculously spoiled animals.

A enthusiastic multi-tasker, Laurel writes for both Berkley/Penguin Random House and Love Inspired/Harlequin. She’s the recipient of ACFW’s Carol Award, The New England Reader’s Choice Award and GRW’s Maggie Award. She’s represented by Jessica Alvarez of Bookends Literary Agency. 

Lost and Found Faith is Laurel’s sixth book—and five more stories are in the works! Stay tuned!

Connect with Laurel: Website | Facebook | Instagram

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Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive an embroidered dishtowel with Maggie’s favorite saying “The kitchen is the heart of the home” and a $25 Amazon gift card!

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight August 23, 2021 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on August 30, 2021. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

 

*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.

Night Watch ~ Review with Giveaway

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for 
Night Watch by Susan Sleeman, 
hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

Night Watch

Night Hawk Security #5

By Susan Sleeman

Six years ago, she broke his heart, but she needs his help if she hopes to stay alive and discover her mother's killer. Kennedy Walker doesn't believe the official report that her mother killed herself - either accidentally or with intent. But no one believes her. But when someone tries to kill her, she knows she needs help, and the only help available is Night Hawk Security.

There is just one little problem Erik Byrd, the guy whose heart she broke, works for Night Hawk Security. Worse, Erik Byrd's siblings all seem to work/run the firm. Can she depend on Erik to protect her while not losing her heart all over again?

Night Watch keeps the reader in a state of suspense from the opening page. As Kennedy works to complete her mother's research, Kennedy has to wonder was it the present or the closely guarded past that has brought this danger upon her and those she holds dear. With little to go on, Kennedy and Night Hawk are in a race against a killer who is more than one step ahead of them.

Fans of Susan Sleeman will enjoy this newest book. It is the fifth book in a series but can easily be read as a standalone book. This is clean reading suspense with a definite touch of romance as the past and the present collides in an attention-grabbing read. This is definitely a one-more-chapter kind of book that you won't regret reading.

I was provided a copy of this book with no expectation but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.                                                                                                                                                                              

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: Night Watch
Series: Night Hawk Security #5
Author: Susan Sleeman
Publisher: Independently Published
Release Date: August 2021
Genre: Inspirational Romantic Suspense 

Everything points to suicide or accidental death… 

Underwater crime scene investigator Kennedy Walker is shocked when her mother dies and the police rule her death a suicide or an accidental overdose. Her scientist-mother was on the verge of a scientific breakthrough, and Kennedy knows her mother would never end her life, but the detective won’t listen. Kennedy moves back to her hometown and commits to finding her mother’s killer and finishing her work. 

And she must prove them wrong. 

Kennedy digs deeper, garnering the killer’s focus, and he puts her in his cross-hairs. She can’t give up on such an important project, so she swallows down her unease over the tumultuous breakup with Erik Byrd in college and hires Nighthawk Security, not only to protect her but to help find her mother’s killer. It takes only one look for both of them to know their feelings for each other haven’t gone away. With so many people counting on her to complete the project, giving in to old feelings is a distraction neither she nor Erik can afford, and they both need to keep watch. Especially in the darkest hours of the night, when the killer comes out to play. 

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | IndieBound | BookBub

MORE BOOKS IN THIS SERIES

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Susan Sleeman is the bestselling author of over fifty novels with more than one million books sold. She writes romantic suspense novels that are clean with inspiring messages of faith. Readers love her series for the well-drawn characters and edge-of-your-seat action. She graduated from the FBI and local police citizen academies, so her research is spot-on, and her characters are real.

In addition to writing, Susan also hosts TheSuspenseZone.com. She has lived in nine states but now calls Oregon home. Her husband is a retired church music director, and they have two beautiful daughters, two terrific sons-in-law, and two adorable grandsons. To learn more about Susan’s books, sign up for her monthly email that includes exclusive excerpts, giveaways, and other goodies.

CONNECT WITH SUSAN: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

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TOUR GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will receive the first four ebooks in the Nighthawk Security series!

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. The full tour schedule is linked below. The giveaway began at midnight August 24, 2021, and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on August 31, 2021. The winner will be notified within 2 weeks of the close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of the prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

 

*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.

The Nature of Small Birds ~ Review

The Nature of Small Birds

By Susie Finkbeiner

Mindy Matthews wants to connect with her roots. She was a child who was taken from a war-torn country and brought into a family who loved her as their own. But she wants to know if she has family out there. The Nature of Small Birds is the story of Mindy's journey - a journey of discovery. 

The book presents Mindy's journey at various periods of time and is told from the perspective of various members of her adoptive family.  Her parents Linda and Bruce and her older Sonny all have memories of when Mihn (aka Mindy joined their family. As the story progresses the family dynamics come into play. Mindy was sent to the US as Vietnam fell to Communist forces, a young child leaving her family and her country behind on the promise of something better. 

The story alternates between 1975, 1988, and 2013, these glimpses offer insights into the Matthews family - a family joined together by love, who by their very support are offering Mindy what she needs - a chance to discover the prologue of her life.

When you hear the title The Nature of Small Birds and see the cover you just know something beautiful must be tucked away in these pages. And a beautiful story of love unfolds - but with all life not every moment is what we want it to be but it is true to reality. 

If you have never read Susie Finkbeiner's work before you are in for a treat as she has a way of bringing her characters to life. They are more than mere words upon a page they have depth and dimension. And if you've read her before you won't be disappointed in this newest work. If asked to describe this book in one word Excellent would be my word of choice.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion ~ All thoughts expressed are my own.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

About the Book:

In 1975, three thousand children were airlifted out of Saigon to be adopted into Western homes. When Mindy, one of those children, announces her plans to return to Vietnam to find her birth mother, her loving adopted family is suddenly thrown back to the events surrounding her unconventional arrival in their lives.

Though her father supports Mindy's desire to meet her family of origin, he struggles privately with an unsettling fear that he'll lose the daughter he's poured his heart into. Mindy's mother undergoes the emotional rollercoaster inherent in the adoption of a child from a war-torn country, discovering the joy hidden amid the difficulties. And Mindy's sister helps her sort through relics that whisper of the effect the trauma of war has had on their family--but also speak of the beauty of overcoming.

Told through three strong voices in three compelling timelines, The Nature of Small Birds is a hopeful story that explores the meaning of family far beyond genetic code...

The Ears Have It ~ Review

The Ears Have It

Agents of the Convent #2

By Rebecca Connolly

Emmeline Bartlett has a life no one knows of  - she prowls the streets of London at night. She is seeking out the darker forces that hide beneath the cloak of night, and when she has discovered all she needs she exposes them to the world through the power of the written word.  What she does exposes her to danger and in her attempt to flee it she is about to have a chance meeting of a lifetime.

Teo Mendoza has traveled to England, to London, for two purposes - to establish a partnership with British shipping interests and to learn more about his English roots and his inheritance. Wondering the streets of London he never expected to meet someone quite like Ears. She intrigues him with her clever disguises and wit. He is about to see a side of England that few ever glimpse and it will change him forever.

This is the second book in the Agents of the Covent series but it can easily be read as a standalone if you have not yet read the first book. Now this book does have several characters from some of the author's previous series make appearances (which if you have read  The London League books you will readily enjoy).  

If you are a fan of Regency fiction with all its cloak-and-dagger intrigue and romance, you will enjoy this newest offering from Rebecca Connolly. French interests are planning against the British government and their machinations could very well bring it down. This is a well-paced book with characters one can relate to.  

Another winner from Rebecca Connolly that is not to be missed.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.

About the Book:

To see or not to see...

Emmeline Bartlett has a secret. By day, she is the polite, proper, sometimes teacher of writing and rhetoric at the prestigious Miss Masters's Finishing School. But by night, she disguises herself as the mysterious Ears, exploring and investigating the darker sides of London, writing articles about her discoveries under a pseudonym and exposing scandals. When a handsome Spaniard crosses her path, Emmeline discovers new adventures in London by night, as well as new dangers.

Teodoro de Vickers y Mendoza isn't sure what he is going to do with the title he inherited from his estranged English grandfather, but he's come to England to find out. Meeting Ears on a nighttime walk isn't part of the plan, nor is finding her intriguing, exciting, and beautiful. The further he gets into her world, the more he wonders about his own, and the less certain he is about everything.

Except for her.

Songs in the Night ~ Review

Songs in the Night

Wyldhaven #12

By Lynnette Bonner

Aurora McClure has taken Parson Clay's apparent disinterest in her a sign that she is to move on and the opportunity to attend the music conservatory just be the answer she's been praying for. Before she has a chance to leave Wyldhaven the reason for Preston Clay's disinterest seems to have stepped off the afternoon coach!

But sometimes what the eyes see isn't what truly is. Poppy Scarlatti is a part of Preston's past he never expected to have to deal with ever again. But here she is in Wyldhaven ready to do whatever it takes to get Preston to fold to her demands. And Poppy's demands are anything but law abiding! But Preston is no longer the man she knew and she'll just have to resort to a little subterfuge to get him willingly join her in her 'plan'.

Songs in the Night is altogether delightful story. This is the 12th book in the Wyldhaven series but can easily be read without reading the previous books. There are references to events from previous books (I think) but nothing that detracts from the understanding or enjoyment of this book. I also enjoyed getting to know the other characters who call Wyldhaven home. Life isn't easy and has moments anguish and joy and these characters experience both giving the reader a fully fleshed out book. Excellent for those who want clean inspiring reads.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion ~ All thoughts expressed are my own.

About the Book:

Aurora McClure would like nothing more than to march into Parson Preston Clay’s church and give him a kiss that would knock him into the next county. But since she’s not that kind of woman, and he’s shown little inclination toward her, she’s decided to run instead. Leaving town will be infinitely better than remaining where she will need to continue fighting her feelings. If only she had peace about the decision! 

Parson Preston Clay sits at his desk and glares at newcomer Kane Carver, who’s just asked for permission to call on Aurora McClure. His jaw aches. He’s been suffocating his feelings for Aurora for years because his calling requires long hours with low pay and it’s not the kind of job for a family man. Yet . . . staring at Kane, he realizes if he doesn’t act, he might lose Aurora forever.

But just when he sets aside his hesitations, a woman from his past—his distant and nefarious past—rides into town. And though he’s far from the same man he once was, she hasn’t changed a bit. She thinks he’s running a con and wants him to use his safecracking skills to help her break into the bank. When he refuses, how far will she go to ensure his cooperation? And how much will Preston be willing to compromise when she takes Aurora captive?

In the darkest hours of the night, he desperately cries out to the only One who can help him. The One who gives songs in the night.

Take the next stagecoach to Wyldhaven, where the coffee's perked hot, the sheriff likes his apple pie fresh from the oven, and adventure invariably waits just around the next river bend.