Convincing the Cowgirl ~ Review

Convincing the Cowgirl

Colorado Cowgirls #3

By Jody Hedlund

When an unknown cousin unexpectedly shows up, claiming the Courtney sisters' inheritance, Patience Courtney has mere hours to find a new home for both Felicity and herself. With Charity gone, Patience feels the failure of losing their home and money personally. With little time to contemplate the consequences, she accepts an offer of marriage from her neighbor, Spencer Wolcott.

In need of someone who won't desert his daughter, again, Spencer is desperate for a permanent solution. When the situation at the Courtney home becomes known, he is convinced to make one of the sisters an offer of marriage before the rest of the eligible bachelors in the area hear of their plight.

Spencer's offer was the answer to her prayers. Thinking she would never have anyone seek her out and offer for her hand, his was most unexpected. Soon, she finds her heart captured by his daughter. Evangeline needed a loving hand to keep her in check and to guide her away from the almost constant influence his hands have had on her personality.

But when a series of misunderstandings arise, the happiness that Patience thought was soon to be hers seems to be an impossible dream. A dream she never thought to have, much less lose. 

Convincing the Cowgirl is the third book in the Colorado Cowgirls series which focuses mainly on the Courtney sisters. The Colorado Cowboys introduced us to Fairplay, Colorado, and the McQuaid family. This series has glimpses of the McQuaids, but they are now a background element. I find the Courtney sisters interesting as they are a product of their Quaker upbringing but also influenced by their parent's decision to leave the community behind. This is their story, a story of overcoming obstacles and difficulties, to make a place for themselves in a new place. And believe me, these sisters have more than their share of troubles.

If you are a fan of Jody Hedlund, or just like Historical Romance set in the post-Civil War era of the American West, you are in for a treat with this newest addition. So plan a weekend read around Convincing the Cowgirl and relax as Patience and Spencer decide just what they want out of life. Will it be one another? Or will they admit defeat and give up on their marriage of convenience before it has a chance of succeeding? 

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:

When unexpected visitors arrive at the Courtney Boardinghouse and claim the place belongs to them, Patience Courtney finds herself homeless and penniless. Having failed at so many things already in life, Patience is determined to find a way to survive and thrive.

When wealthy rancher, Spencer Wolcott, proposes a marriage of convenience, Patience accepts the arrangement. In exchange for a new home, she agrees to become the mother to Spencer’s precocious little girl so that he can manage his prosperous ranch.

As Patience falls in love with her new family, she learns Spencer has no intention of giving his heart away to any woman. With growing threats to the ranch, Spencer must decide what is truly important and whether he’ll allow himself to love again before it’s too late.

• Marriage of convenience
• Single father
• Grieving widower
• Homeless/penniless bride
• Precocious child
• Opposites attract

A Beautiful Disguise ~ Review

 A Beautiful Disguise

The Imposters #1

By Roseanna M. White

Lady Marigold Fairfax, or Lady M to her admirers, is known to London's Society for her outlandishly colored ensembles. But her clothing is just a disguise to distract others from noticing the personal details of her person. Marigold, her brother Yates, and two of their childhood friends are The Imposters. To save their estate from her father's financial mismanagement (and to provide for those who call it home), Marigold and company have formed an investigative company. A company known for its results but not its investigators, who remain unknown to all. Skills honed from childhood are put to use - skills that society would have frowned upon.  

When Sir Merritt Livingston, who serves in the War Office's Intelligence Division, accidentally stumbled upon something that could cast doubts on his superior's loyalties, he reaches out to the mysterious Imposters for help. What Merritt doesn't realize is that he, too, will be under surveillance. As Marigold and Yates gather intelligence, they hope to clear their neighbor of suspicion of leaking secrets to Germany.      

A Beautiful Disguise is a fun read with serious tones to it. I love Marigold. She's an engaging character who assumes a mask to save what she holds dearest. Using everything at her disposal, she has created a second persona, one she shows the world and her true self, which only those who've known her most of her life know. The Imposters live two lives, and it is interesting to see how they balance them, slipping from one role to another in mere moments.

This is the first book in a new series by Roseanna M. White, which is set in the Edwardian era. In a world on the edge of change, the Faifax siblings must find a way to preserve all that they hold dear, and through ingenuity, they appear to have done so, but how long can they keep their secrets from the outside world? Only time will tell. I highly recommend this book.

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

About the Book:

Left with an estate on the brink of bankruptcy after their father's death, Lady Marigold Fairfax and her brother open a private investigation firm marketed to the elite . . . to spy on the elite. Dubbed The Imposters, Ltd., their anonymous group soon becomes the go-to for the crème of society when they want answers delivered surreptitiously. But the many secrets Marigold learns about her peers pale in comparison to her shock when she and her brother are hired to investigate her best friend's father as a potential traitor.

Sir Merritt Livingstone has spent a decade serving the monarch in the most elite guard, but when pneumonia lands him behind a desk in the War Office Intelligence Division just as they're creating a new secret intelligence branch, he's intent on showing his worth. He suspects a man of leaking information to Germany as tensions mount between the two countries, but needs someone to help him prove it, so he turns to The Imposters, Ltd. No one knows who they are, but their results are beyond compare.

Lady Marigold is determined to discover the truth for her friend's sake, and she's more determined still to keep her heart from getting involved with this enigmatic new client . . . who can't possibly be as noble as he seems.

Hunting the Witness ~ Review

Hunting the Witness

By Kate Angelo

When Belinda Lewis stopped a serial killer from his last attempt, she became the only witness to see his face. Now he's hunting her. And if not for an undercover FBI Special Agent hiding out nearby, she would now be his latest victim.

Ordered to lay low when his description matches that of a killer, Jonah Phillips just happens to be in the right place to save a woman from a certain death. But the attack left her with no memory of who she is or who left her for dead. Can they stay ahead of a killer who will do anything to protect his identity?

Hunting the Witness takes the reader on an exciting read that continues to add to the suspense as an unexpected twist is thrown into the middle of everything. This is a clean read that doesn't have any graphic anything so the reader can enjoy all of the suspense and tension such books offer while not getting put off by the content.  I enjoyed this book and was pleased with how Kate Angelo wove the story together so that the characters had dimension and the story progressed at a good pace without feeling forced.

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:

                             Attacked in the mountains—
                                                               with no memory of why…

She’s the only witness to see the face of a killer, but a deadly attack leaves Belinda Lewis unable to remember even her own name. She’ll have to rely on her rescuer, FBI special agent Jonah Phillips, to survive repeated attempts on her life—but she doesn’t know he’s in hiding because his description matches the killer’s. Can they unmask the true criminal to clear Jonah’s name and save both of their lives?

From Love Inspired Suspense: 

Courage. 

Danger. 

Faith.

Mountain Abduction Rescue ~ Review

Welcome to the Blog Tour for 

Mountain Abduction Rescue by Darlene L. Turner, 

hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

Mountain Abduction Rescue
Crisis Rescue Team #3
By Darlene L. Turner

The Canadian Rocky Mountains have become the newest target of a serial arsonist. An arsonist who has set his sights on Park Warden Hazel Hoyt's family. Her eight-year-old son and his camping troop are missing in the acres of wilderness - acres the arsonist has targeted. With the help of firefighter Mitchell Booth, Hazel makes a search for her son while he tries to keep her safe and take down the arsonist.

But there is more than arson threatening Hazel and Mitchell. Someone wants revenge. They need to discover for what, and maybe they'll discover who. 

Mountain Abduction Rescue is another late-night page-turner from the Love Inspired Suspense series that keeps you awake because you need to know what comes next and not because the book is filled with graphic imagery that haunts your dreams.

 Cougars, and killers, and fires, Oh my! Page-turning excitement in this race to discover the truth and stop a killer. A can't-be-missed all-nighter is coming your way with this read!

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

 

About the Book

Title: Mountain Abduction Rescue
Series: Crisis Rescue Team #3
Author: Darlene L. Turner
Publisher: Love Inspired Suspense
Release Date: August 22, 2023
Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense

A wildfire threat…

                                     becomes a missing person search. 

A serial arsonist is out for revenge in the Canadian Rocky Mountains—and kidnaps park warden Hazel Hoyt’s son and his camping troop. Now Hazel must team up with the man who broke her heart, firefighter Mitchell Booth, to find the missing boys as wildfires blaze around them. But someone has no intention of letting the pair get off the mountain alive… 

From Love Inspired Suspense: Courage. Danger. Faith.

PURCHASE LINKS: 

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | ChristianBook | Bookshop | BookBub

More Books In This Series

   

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About the Author

Darlene L. Turner is an award-winning author and lives with her husband, Jeff in Ontario, Canada. Her love of suspense began when she read her first Nancy Drew book. She’s turned that passion into her writing and believes readers will be captured by her plots, inspired by her strong characters, and moved by her inspirational message. You can connect with Darlene at her website where there’s suspense beyond borders.

Connect with Darlene by visiting darlenelturner.com to follow her on social media and sign up for email updates.

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Tour Giveaway

(4) winners will win a $25 Amazon egift card!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight August 14, 2023 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on August 21, 2023. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US/CAN only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

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

Cyanide and Sensibility ~ Cover Reveal

Today I'm participating in the Cover Reveal for

Katie Oliver's Cyanide and Sensibility.

But first, here are some

 ~ QUICK FACTS about the BOOK ~

 Title: Cyanide and Sensibility: A Jane Austen Tea Society Mystery (Book 3)

 Author: Katie Oliver

 Genre: Cozy Culinary Mysteries, Armature Sleuths, Austenesque Fiction

 Publisher: ‎Berkley (December 12, 2023)

 Length: (320) pages

 Format: Mass Market paperback, eBook, and audiobook 

 ISBN: 978-0593337653

BOOK DESCRIPTION

Murder is on the menu and Phaedra Brighton is called on to serve up justice in

the latest Jane Austen Tea Society Mystery.

While Phaedra Brighton might not have a Mr. Darcy (yet), she's quite content with her

loving family and loyal cat. Phaedra's sister Hannah is the Jane to her Elizabeth, and

Phaedra is ecstatic that Hannah has decided to move home for her next

adventure—opening a business. 

All of Laurel Springs is out in full force to celebrate the grand unveiling of Hannah's new

patisserie, Tout de Sweet, including local celebrity Rachel Brandon. Hannah is a master

of her craft, with confections so divine, one bite will make you think you've died and

gone to heaven.

Of course, you never want that to happen literally. 

When one of Hannah's famous dark chocolate cupcakes sends Rachel's assistant to

the hospital with poisoning, Hannah begs for Phaedra's help to save her reputation and

budding business. But Phaedra has more questions than answers: Who was the

cupcake actually meant for? And how far is the culprit willing to go to take their target off

the menu—permanently?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hmmm, oh, the cover.

Still coming...

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PRAISE FOR THE JANE AUSTEN TEA SOCIETY MYSTERIES

 "A crackling good mystery: like a modern-day Agatha Christie bestowed with a

hefty dollop of Jane Austen. It’s deliciously written, emotionally resonant, and

delightfully engaging. Katie Oliver’s cinematic eye is spot on!"— Laura

Childs, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Tea Shop Mystery series

 “a wonderfully fun and charming modern-day mystery…and packed with clever

character references that Austen fans will find delightful.”— Marilyn Brant,

bestselling author of Pride, Prejudice, and the Perfect Match

 “With the right balance of humor, charm, and intrigue, this contemporary

whodunnit had me swiping, swiping, swiping through my kindle until the satisfying

end.”— Christina Boyd, editor of Elizabeth, Obstinate Headstrong Girl

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yes, the cover.

Just one more thing...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BERKLEY | GOODREADS | BOOKBUB

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And 

here

is

 the 

cover.

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Well, what do you think?

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AUTHOR BIO

Katie Oliver is known internationally as a writer of Jane Austen rom-coms with a hint of mystery. In the US and the UK, she is the bestselling author of Dating Mr. Darcy and Marrying Mr. Darcy series.

WEBSITE | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | GOODREADS

Cover Reveal ~ Kill the Dawn

   Today I'm taking part in the cover reveal of 

Emily Hayse's Kill the Dawn, a retelling of Hamlet.

This is the eighth book in the A Classic Retold series

and will be released on November 2nd.

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Blurb:

After a devastating wound and the loss of his beloved father, Hakkr is trying to pick up the pieces of his life. But when his father's last conquest, a mysterious thrall, shares a terrible secret, Hakkr's life only further unravels as incident after incident leads him to the chilling realization that his people's enemies are not the only ones who want him dead.

 

Set in a wild northern world of wolf-hunts and Viking warfare, Kill the Dawn is a breathtaking new retelling of Shakespeare's Hamlet, full of heart, beauty, and bittersweet sacrifice.

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Now for the cover reveal:

AUTHOR BIO: 

 EMILY HAYSE is the award-winning author of eight books, a lover of log cabins, strong coffee, NASCAR, and the smell of old books. Her writing is fueled by good characters and a lifelong passion for storytelling. When she is not busy turning words into worlds, she can often be found baking, singing, or caring for one of the many dogs and horses in her life. She lives with her family in Michigan.

You can connect with Hannah online at www.emilyhayse.com or follow her on Facebook @emilyhayse or Instagram @songsofheroes.

Add the book to Goodreads.

Preorder now at Amazon

The Baron and the Lady Chemist ~ Review

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for 

The Baron and the Lady Chemist by Alissa Baxter, 

hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

The Baron and the Lady Chemist 
The Grantham Girls #2
By Alissa Baxter

Dorothea Grantham is fascinated by chemistry. It is her passion. A passion that is frowned upon and even discouraged by her Aunt Eliza. What's worse, she is encouraged to not speak on it for fear she will ruin her chances at a good match. Everyone knows gentlemen don't want a thinking woman for a wife; rather, they seek a pretty face and a title and/or a dowry.

When Lord Castleroy (James) first meets Thea, it is in a most unfortunate setting, a little experiment has gone awry, and she is in need of rescue. James sees in Thea a chance for meaningful conversation but is puzzled at her abrupt departure for the mundane, everyday topic. But her silk shawls and scarves soon catch his attention and garner suspicion as to their true origin.

Thea's experimentation has skilled her in transforming plain silk into true works of art when she puts her needle to use. Soon she garners the attention of silk smugglers and finds herself in danger. 

But her heart is in even greater danger of falling to the charms of a certain Baron who has been paying her particular attention. But love comes with its own dangers and pains, which Thea is concerned about pursuing.

This is the second in The Grantham Girls series and just as lovely and delightful as the first book, The Duke and the Lady Gardener. This reads better in order but can be read as a standalone. The characters are engaging and I totally sympathize with Thea and her perspective on things. Another perfect escape into the Regency Era for a little bit of me-read-time. 

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

 

About the Book

Title: The Baron and the Lady Chemist 
Series: The Grantham Girls #2
Author: Alissa Baxter
Publisher: Dragonblade Publishing
Release Date: August 3, 2023
Genre: Regency Romance (Sweet/Clean)

Their chemistry creates a chain reaction . . . but will love be the final result? 

Dorothea Grantham has always been fascinated by chemistry and spends most days conducting experiments in her laboratory at Grantham Place, staining silk with gold, silver, and other metals using chemical processes. 

Thea embroiders the beautiful gold and silver silk shawls she creates and enjoys wearing them, but her grandmother, Lady Longmore, advises her not to reveal to anyone outside the family circle that she has created the fashion items herself, concerned her granddaughter might be seen as an oddity. 

When Thea enters Society, her shawls attract a great deal of attention and become the talk of the town. James, Lord Castleroy, takes a particular interest in her work, having inherited a share in his grandfather’s silk mill in Macclesfield. 

Eager to invest in the ailing silk industry, the baron studies Miss Grantham’s silks with an admiring—and increasingly suspicious—eye, believing the fabrics to be smuggled imported silk. As he spends more time with the enterprising young lady, however, his interest in her quickly extends beyond his business affairs to engulf his guarded heart.  

But Lord Castleroy isn’t the only person in London interested in Thea’s exquisite creations. And when a silken web of intrigue entangles her in real danger, Thea must trust the devotion of a man she never expected—or intended—to fall in love with. 

Read Free in Kindle Unlimited!  

Note: This series is part of Dragonblade's Sweet Dreams line, so this is a sweet, wholesome Historical Romance where passion beyond the bedroom door is left to the reader’s imagination.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | BookBub

More Books in this Series

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About the Author

Alissa Baxter wrote her first Regency romance during her long university holidays. After travelling the world, she settled down to write her second Regency novel, which was inspired by her time living on a country estate in England. Alissa then published two chick lit novels before returning to her favourite era with her Linfield Ladies Series, a trio of Regency romances that feature women in trend-setting roles who fall in love with men who embrace their trailblazing ways... at least eventually. Her new Dragonblade trilogy, The Grantham Girls, continues this inspiring theme.

Alissa currently lives in Johannesburg with her husband and two sons. 

Connect with Alissa by visiting alissabaxter.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

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Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a $30 Amazon Gift Card!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight August 8, 2023 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on August 15, 2023. 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 JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

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