Wildfire Threat ~ Review with Giveaway

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for Wildfire Threat by Cathy McDavid, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

Wildfire Threat 

Mountain Rescue Collection 

By Cathy McDavid 

Rayna Karstetter has never forgiven Aden Whitley and she's not about to accept help from him now. But with a wildfire threatening everything she holds dear she has no choice but to when an evacuation order is given.

Aden has lived with the guilt of what happened to Rayna's grandfather, not because he attacked him, but because there was a family connection that Aden couldn't escape. Aden has turned to the forestry service not only for the job it offered him but so that he could escape those who judged him for every wrong his family committed. A family that has washed their hands of him because he refuses to be a part of the life they have chosen. 

But the wildfire that is cutting them off is about to give him a chance to prove to Rayna that he's not the man she seems to believe him to be. 

You know with a Love Inspired title that there is always a satisfactory, happily-ever-after potential, but it is the getting there that is the meat (sorry fellow vegetarians) of the story. How do Rayna and Aden get past the past and reach for a new future? And I will say that the future seems to be very much in doubt as danger burns ever closer with every minute.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but to give my honest opinion ~ all thoughts expressed are my own.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: Wildfire Threat 

Series: Mountain Rescue Collection 

Author: Cathy McDavid 

Publisher: Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense 

Release Date: May 24, 2022 

Genre: Romantic Suspense, Christian 

As flames race toward her ranch 

She must rely on an old enemy… 

An out-of-control blaze has single mom Rayna Karstetter scrambling to protect her little boy, grandparents and their cattle. Forest ranger Aden Whitley offers his help, but Rayna doesn’t want to accept. Her feelings for Aden haven’t gone away…and neither has the sting of his betrayal. But when the wildfire forces an evacuation order, can they work together in order to survive? 

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

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

In the third grade, NY Times, USA Today, and Amazon bestselling author Cathy McDavid made it her goal to read every Black Stallion book ever written. Who knew such an illustrious ambition would eventually lead to a lifelong love of all things western, owning a stagecoach pulled by six mules, and a career writing contemporary romances for Harlequin? With over 55 titles in print and 1.6 million books sold, This “almost” Arizona native and mother of grown twins is married to her own real-life sweetheart. After leaving the corporate world eight years ago, she now spends her days penning stories about handsome cowboys riding the range, busting broncs, and sweeping gals off their feet — oops, no. Make that winning the hearts of feisty, independent women who give the cowboys a run for their money.

CONNECT WITH CATHY: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

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TOUR GIVEAWAY

(2) winners will receive a print copy of A Secret Christmas Wish and Her Cowboy Sweetheart, a cowboy coffee mug, a $5 Starbucks gift card, and author bling!

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight May 31, 2022 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on June 7, 2022. US only. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. 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.

Sea Glass Cottage ~ Review

Sea Glass Cottage

Hope Harbor #8

By Irene Hannon

Christi Reece never thought she'd track down the man whose heart she so cruelly broke more than a decade ago and beg for his help. Well, maybe not beg but ask until she has no hope of a positive reply. But Christi owes a debt she wants and needs to repay. But Jack Colby isn't about to be taken in by Christi's manipulative ways again. He's determined to say NO but waivers when she's standing just in front of him.

When Christi is offered a chance to make Hope Harbor her new home she can't say yes, or can she? Is this the answer to her prayers? Soon Christi has much to offer Hope Harbor and its residents. Now if only she can get Jack to see that she's not the same selfish, self-serving, spoiled, little-rich-girl who played him false. 

Soon Jack is faced with a situation he never expected and he is literally clueless about how to handle the situation. And when it goes from bad to worse, somehow Christi manages to be just where she needs to be to help him out. Which opens the door to be of further assistance to Jack when he most needs it. Could this be the chance Christi needs to show Jack that change for the better is possible? 

Sea Glass Cottage is the eighth Hope Harbor book that once again adds even more charm to this Oregon coastal town. Each new book includes scenes with Charley, Floyd, and Gladys, who I might add are my favorite Hope Harbor residents! And this time each imparts valuable advice (or examples in the case of Floyd and Gladys) to others in this coastal town - lessons that were badly needed. This is a small town (by some standards) that is filled with people who make mistakes and grow from the experience. No one is perfect, though some would love to present that facade to the world. This is a place you will enjoy visiting again and again. So sit back and spend some quality time in a place you wouldn't mind calling home.

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 painful pasts collide, 

Can love overcome heartache

 and triumph despite the odds?

Christi Reece is desperate. The one-time golden girl's life has tarnished, and a cascade of setbacks has left her reeling. She needs help, and she's certain Jack Colby is in a position to provide it.

When she shows up in Hope Harbor, however, Jack wants nothing to do with the woman who betrayed him. He's built a new life on the Oregon coast--and there's no room in it for Christi, even after she takes refuge in a charming but mysterious cottage nearby. Yet it soon becomes apparent his opinion of her may need revising . . . especially when he ends up needing her help.

Can these two hurting souls make peace with their past and open their hearts to a new beginning?

Come home to Hope Harbor--

Where hearts heal . . . and love blooms.

The Paramedic's Forever Family ~ Review

The Paramedic's Forever Family

Smokey Mountain First Responders #2

By Tanya Agler

Lindsay Hudson lost her husband to a work-related incident and has not been interested in dating anyone since then.  And if she ever were it most certainly would never be with a first responder like her husband or her best friend/next-door neighbor Mason Ruddick. 

Mason Ruddick has no plans to marry, he can't handle another loss in his life. And with his little sister battling cancer, Mason is even more determined to keep from losing his heart to his late best friend's widow, who has become an important part of his life. Now if he can just get his heart to agree with his head.

I have to be honest, I wonder if there would have even been a chance for Lindsay and Mason to even possibly have a chance to maybe have a romance if not for her late husband. Lindsay seems rather hard at times on Mason. I mean they aren't dating, she repeatedly states she refuses to even think about dating someone in the same profession as her late husband due to the dangers. She's rather quick to judge others without looking at all the facts. I get it she's a single mother with lots of stress on the job, but she seems to have a hard time giving others the same respect and consideration she wants. And Mason seems to thrive on living on the edge of extreme. He also seems to be leery of commitment on a personal level beyond his family. And he is almost anti-gardening, while botanical pursuits are what drive Lindsay.

I have to admit I liked Mason's Grandpa Joe and Grandma Betty (for the little bit she was in) the best. They seemed to have good heads on their shoulders and they had wisdom to impart if only Mason and Lindsay would listen. Everyone should be so fortunate in their grandparents both in the care they show and the love they share. 

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:

Sometimes “good friends”

Just isn't enough…

Bachelor paramedic Mason Ruddick doesn't know what he'd do without Lindsay Hudson. The widowed mom is his sounding board, his neighbor, and, since the death of her husband and his best friend, his lifeline. Only lately, Mason can't stop noticing just how beautiful and special Lindsay is. Or how often he thinks about her. Now Mason's heart is caught between the best friend he lost…and the one he's falling for.

Smoky Mountain First Responders

Book 1: The Single Dad's Holiday Match

Book 2: The Paramedic's Forever Family 

Meet Again ~ Review

Meet Again

By Abi Sabina

Four years ago, the plans they had been making came to a sudden halt. He left everything they had behind before they had a chance to make a future together. But now he is back in town, and she has to work with him to create a special day for their soon-to-be-married best friends. 

When Hudson Remington set aside what he wanted to follow his parents scripted plans for his life, he lost the only woman he ever loved. Lex never was good enough for his parents, and he managed to let them come between them, but now he's back, and he'll do anything for s second chance with her. 

But Lex isn't sure she wants to take a second chance at a twice-broken heart, especially if he will return to New York and walk out of her life again.

Meet Again is a book of second chances, and not all second chances are of the romantic kind. Everyone knows Lex and Hudson are perfect for each other. But getting there will be the problem when hearts are on the line. Can they get past everything that has pushed them apart to get to their happily-ever-after? Or are they fated for another heartbreak?

This is a sweet, clean read that finds everyone rooting for true love to have its day. Now the unhappy-no-longer-a-couple just has to give love a chance. Easier said than done, and Lex isn't planning on talking anytime soon.

If you are looking for an easy-to-read romance that will fit into your purse and fill those free minutes you may have during the upcoming summer holiday, this is the one that you'll want with you. Sweet but not sweet tea sweet, with a touch of comedy (there is an incident with pie), and clean reading - this one has everything you need to enjoy it, and it will be a guilt-free pleasure.

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:

Release Date: May 5, 2022
Genre: Romantic Comedy, Clean

About the Book:

I should've known I couldn't avoid seeing Hudson Remington again for the rest of my life, especially when we share best friends who are getting married.

Does that mean I'm prepared to run into him? Nope. Not one bit. I am less prepared when my best friend requests he and I plan a joint bachelor party. Of course, I'd be stuck with the man who broke my heart. Why would the universe stop at a simple encounter?

It would be a piece of cake if Hudson returned to New York and stopped taking over the streets of our hometown. Instead, he decides it's time for a walk down memory lane.

I refuse to get caught up in everything that is Hudson. From his tailored suits to his dazzling smile and coffee delivery, the man yells trouble for my heart. A second chance is not part of my plans, but it seems said heart has other ideas. I don't think I'll recover from another Hudson-heartbreak.

Only $0.99 (Also available in Kindle Unlimited) https://amzn.to/3GcvY60

An Unfamiliar Duke ~ Review with Giveaway

An Unfamiliar Duke

Georgian Gentlemen #4

By Sian Bessey 

For the last ten years, Rosalind Ainsworth and Sebastian Lumley have not set eyes upon one another, and now there are just weeks until their arranged marriage is to take place. The contract their fathers put into place nearly twenty-one years ago is unbreakable, no matter what Rosalind or Sebastian might wish.

About to marry a woman he doesn't know, Sebastian is compelled to return to London, taking an opportunity to get to know her in the short time they have left before her twenty-first birthday. But can the future that neither wanted be the one they have long desired?

Sebastian has spent many an hour tinkering away with calculations and detailed schematics, helping inventors perfect their designs and bring them into actualization. Getting lost for hours amongst his work will no longer work - not if he wants more than a cold shoulder or an icy glance from his wife. 

Rosalind is more than a pretty face and a rich dowry. But getting anyone to know her for herself is impossible, especially when they hide themselves away for hours at a time. All she wants is to not be closed out of her husband's life. 

I really like the opening scene for this book as it sets the entire book on its course at least as far a Rosalind and Sebastian's relationship is concerned. But how do you get past childhood impressions? This is the task before these two as they navigate a world in which they never had a choice. Is love a feeling or a decision? This is what they both must decide for themselves.

An Unfamiliar Duke is the fourth book in the Georgian Gentlemen series and can easily be read as a standalone title. I highly recommend this book as it a good book-cation away from the everyday when you just need a little break or some me-time.

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

About the Book:

At eleven years of age, Rosalind Ainsworth was convinced that Sebastian Lumley, the future Duke of Kelbrook, was the most odious young man she’d ever met. And ten years later, after having had no contact with the nobleman in the intervening time, her opinion of him has not changed. Unfortunately, neither has the marriage contract their fathers signed soon after her birth.

As Rosalind’s twenty-first birthday and the appointed wedding day approaches, Sebastian makes a rare appearance in London. His first meeting with Rosalind since childhood goes less than perfectly, but Sebastian has a compelling reason for honoring their marriage contract—a reason outlined in a document kept behind his workshop’s locked door.

After a quick wedding, the new couple relocates to Finley Park, where their acquaintanceship slowly blossoms into affection. But when Sebastian’s secretive work threatens their fledgling relationship and Rosalind’s life is placed in jeopardy, Sebastian finds himself forced to choose between the man he has pledged to help and the woman he has come to love.

Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

One Fine Day ~ Review

One Fine Day

Hearts Bend Collection #1

By Rachel Hauck

 and Carrie Padgett

Chloe LaRue feels at loose ends with her husband's death, leaving her life in Paris behind and returning to her childhood home to help out her mother. She never expected to become the manager and head baker of her hometown bakery. Nor did she expect to be working for her teen love.

Sam Hardy wanted nothing to do with Hearts Bend, his father, or his bad memories, but he is now part-owner of Haven's Bakery and boss to his teenage crush. Add to this that his football career is in jeopardy thanks to his ACL injury, and his life is not where he wants it to be. At least reconnecting with Chloe is an unexpected bonus.

Could this be a second chance at their first love? A chance to move past the pain of the past?

This is a sweet story that you will want to add to your Summer TBR, whether you are enjoying a staycation or one away from your everyday. So take a trip to Hearts Bend, TN, with this new release from Sunrise Publishing. And be sure to have a tasty sweet treat near at hand to satisfy the cravings this book is sure to inspire.

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:

All she wants is a fresh start…

Chloe Beason LaRue left Hearts Bend after high school, determined to never look back. She shed her unrequited crush on Sam Hardy, moved to Paris, went to pastry school, found a good job, fell in love, and got married. She was happy in France. Then her husband tragically died. Now, Chloe just wants to move forward…but when her mom’s health is in jeopardy, Chloe heads right back to Hearts Bend where she’s hired as head baker for Haven’s, the premier bakery in town. She has no idea that moving home will push her right into the arms of the man who broke her heart.

He’s not looking to fall in love…

Tennessee Titans quarterback Sam Hardy has too many broken memories in Hearts Bend to Return. But when he’s sidelined by an injury, he desperately needs to invest in something to safeguard his future. Haven’s Bakery is up for sale—and his business partner believes the deal is too good to pass up. He has no idea that the owners have hired the one girl he can’t seem to forget…and the last thing he expects is to be her boss.

But it’s a recipe for romance…

Back in Hearts Bend for the first time in ten years and thrown together at Haven’s Bakery, Chloe and Sam have a second chance at first love. Indeed, the more time Sam spends selling pastries, the more he sees a new future. But when Paris beckons Chloe back, where does her heart belong? Can they find the recipe for leaving regrets behind and start something new?

Escape to Hearts Bend for a sweet story of romance, faith, and an unexpected happy ending.

Be sure to enter the Giveaway taking place on Instagram. Visit my account for more information and to enter.

The Element of Love ~ Review

The Element of Love

The Lumber Baron's Daughters #1

By Mary Connealy

The Stiles daughters are unique and unusual for the world they live in. Raised by their parents to inherit and run their father's lumber dynasty, their greatest assets are their minds, and to survive on their own and thwart their stepfather's plans, they will need them.

Welcome to 1872 California and the first book in The Lumber Baron's Daughters. In this book, we aren't given a lot of backstory. What we do know is that Michelle, Jilly, and Laura Stiles have to leave in the dead of the night, taking a treacherous and life-threatening path down the mountain that they call home. And to help facilitate their escape, their mother, Margaret, will do what she has to, even if it puts her in danger. More than a year ago, Margaret married Edgar and soon regretted the biggest mistake of her life - marrying a monster in disguise. To rescue their mother and to take control of the dynasty their father built, all three girls must marry to come into their inheritance - one-third share of the business. But can they find men of worth to marry in a hurry? Only time will tell.

This book focuses on the youngest daughter Laura and her quest to find a husband, and she seemingly has the least reservations of the three sisters about this plan. And at her urging, the three join up with a mission group seeking to bring aid to the families of those trapped by the lure of gold's tantalizing promises. This in itself proved to be an adventure itself as normal "womanly" tasks hadn't been a part of their upbringing.

Overall I found this to be an intriguing and interesting story, and I look forward to seeing exactly what happens next with Michelle and Jilly. And as to what exactly happens with Laura, did she marry? If she did, did she regret her choice as her mother did with Edgar? For those answers, you are going to have to read the book. This book has plenty of moments of intensity that will keep you reading late into the night with the oft thought sentiment, "Just one more chapter," so plan accordingly.

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:

She mixed danger, desperation, and deception together. Love was not the expected outcome.

With their sharp engineering minds, Laura Stiles and her two sisters have been able to deal with their mother's unfortunate choice in husband until they discovered his plans to marry each of them off to his lecherous friends. Now they must run away--far and fast--to find better matches to legally claim their portion of their father's lumber dynasty and seize control from their stepfather.

During their escape, Laura befriends a mission group heading to serve the poor in California. She quickly volunteers herself and her sisters to join their efforts. Despite the settlement being in miserable condition, the sisters are excited by the opportunity to put their skills to good use. Laura also sees potential in Caleb, the mission's parson, to help with gaining her inheritance. But when secrets buried in Caleb's past and in the land around them come to light, it'll take all the smarts the sisters have to keep trouble at bay.