When the Meadow Blooms ~ Review

When the Meadow Blooms

Ann H. Gabhart

Rose Meadows finds herself in a sanatorium in hopes that she'll recover from tuberculosis and the weakness it has left her with. Her daughters Calla and Sienna have been left in the care of Louisville's West Side Home for Girls, a most miserable and uncaring place, during her recovery. But a plea for rescue to an unknown uncle is soon answered when Dirk Meadows arrives to bring them to his family home - Meadowland.

Twenty years ago Dirk Meadows lost his future when he was scarred in a fire, with scars that are both visible and invisible he has walled off his heart. Dirk is opening his home to Rose, Calla, Sienna but he doesn't want to open his heart. Open hearts are vulnerable and he doesn't want to be hurt again. But the only way he can close himself off is to avoid them as much as possible. 

When the Meadow Blooms is split between Dirk, Rose, and Calla's viewpoint. Though we get to know Sienna we never get inside her head. We feel Calla's fears as she and Sienna live through their difficulties at the Home for Girls. Her joy at getting to Meadowlands and her fears that it won't last. Rose is still struggling with her TB and the weakness that continues to curtail her activities. And then there is the whole mystery of Dirk's past that has sparked Calla's curiosity.  

This book is both sweet and tragic and well worth the time spent reading it. As a standalone title it is well developed and ends satisfactorily, though I wouldn't mind revisiting these characters at a later date because I can definitely say I felt a connection with them. I also wouldn't mind getting a story from Sienna's viewpoint - she's an intriguing character who was not your average child. 

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:

If any place on God's earth was designed to help one heal, it is Meadowland. Surely here, at her brother-in-law's Kentucky farm, Rose and her daughters can recover from the events of the recent past--the loss of her husband during the 1918 influenza epidemic, her struggle with tuberculosis that required a stay at a sanatorium, and her girls' experience in an orphanage during her illness. At Meadowland, hope blooms as their past troubles become rich soil in which their faith can grow.

Dirk Meadows may have opened his home to his late brother's widow and her girls, but he keeps his heart tightly closed. The roots of his pain run deep, and the evidence of it is written across his face. Badly scarred by a fire and abandoned by the woman he loved, Dirk fiercely guards his heart from being hurt again. But it may be that his visitors will bring light back into his world and unlock the secret to true healing.

Bestselling author Ann H. Gabhart explores the tender places within the human heart in this character-driven story of trusting God to turn our burdens into something beautiful.

Amish Cradle Conspiracy ~ Review with Giveaway

 

Welcome to the Blog Tour for 
Amish Cradle Conspiracy by Dana R. Lynn, 
hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

Amish Cradle Conspiracy
Amish Country Justice #13
By Dana R. Lynn

Someone is abducting pregnant Amish women and young children. When a possible sighting of the missing Amish woman is reported, Nicole Dawson, a sergeant with the local PD, and her partner respond. But from there, everything goes wrong - shots are fired, and officers are down. Lucy is recovered, but her toddler Leah is not. Time is against them as they look for clues as to where a young child of whom there are no photographs could be hidden away.

With lives on the line, Nicole is partnered with Jack Quinn, a special agent with the FBI, who also happens to be her ex-fiancé - YIKES! Working together is both awkward and familiar, but both are determined to focus on the case, find Leah, and bring these men to justice. 

Suspense is high in this thirteenth book in the Amish Country Justice series. Each step forward seems to bring them into even greater danger. Soon an even more heinous series of crimes comes to light. If there is any way to stop these criminals, Nicole and Jack are going to have to see what isn't easily seen, think outside of the norm, and stay alive to bring them down. 

Amish fiction with a twist is more than evident in this Love Inspired Suspense offering. And if you love clean reading romance and contemporary suspense, this is an edge-of-your-seat, late-night-read you don't want to miss! 

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

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: Amish Cradle Conspiracy
Series: Amish Country Justice #13
Author: Dana R. Lynn
Publisher: Love Inspired Suspense
Release Date: May 24, 2022
Genre: Christian, Romantic Suspense

To protect an Amish community… 

She’ll make herself a target. 

After a pregnant Amish woman and her toddler are abducted, police sergeant Nicole Dawson charges in to save them. But when the kidnapper escapes with the child—and thinks Nicole can identify him—she becomes his new obsession. Determined to protect his ex-fiancée, FBI special agent Jack Quinn joins the case. But the clock is ticking in their race to uncover the baby-trafficking ring before another innocent is taken… 

From Love Inspired Suspense: 

Courage. 

Danger. 

Faith.

PURCHASE LINKS*: 

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookDepository | IndieBound | Christianbook | BookBub

MORE BOOKS IN THIS SERIES

  

more Amish Country Justice series titles

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About the Author

 

Dana R. Lynn is an award-winning author of romantic suspense and Amish romance who believes in the power of God to touch people through stories. She grew up in Illinois. She met her husband at a wedding and told her parents she had met her future husband. Nineteen months later, they were married. Today, they live in rural Pennsylvania and are entering the world of empty nesters. She is a teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing by day and writes stories of romance and danger at night. She is an avid reader, loves cats, and thinks chocolate should be a food group. She enjoys engaging with readers and can be found on social media or contacted via her website www.danarlynn.com. 

CONNECT WITH DANA: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

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Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a copy of Amish Cradle Conspiracy and 

a $10 Amazon gift card! (print US, ebook elsewhere)

 

Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight June 13, 2022 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on June 20, 2022. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. print US only, ebook elsewhere. 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.

Sabotaged Mission ~ Review

Sabotaged Mission
By Tina Radcliffe

MacKenzie Sharp is off the grid.  Someone wants her dead and she trusts no one - not even the fellow CIA agent who once meant everything to her. But now Gabe Denton could be the very thing that brings her down before she gets the answers she seeks.

Some is and has been setting Mac up to take the fall when a mission goes terribly wrong. Someone thinks she has something they want and they aren't going to stop gunning for her until they have what they want and she's dead. But Gabe isn't about to let the woman who broke his heart fight this battle on her own. But first they have to stay alive long enough to get the answers they seek.

Sabotaged Mission is a fast paced-romantic suspense that will keep you guessing as to who is behind everything. Does it reach to the highest levels of the CIA or is it a threat from without? This is a standalone read if you are in the mood for a quick easy-to-follow story, but it definitely has the potential to be a series (which I for one would love as there are characters who could have their own story).  As with all Love Inspired Suspense books you know you'll get a satisfactory ending and not be disappointed with the outcome. 

On a side note I LOVED Winston. Mac's dog is the best character in the book by far. Though the Denton brothers were interesting to see together.

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:

Framed and on the run… 

With nowhere left to hide.

When a failed mission leaves CIA operative MacKenzie “Mac” Sharp injured and her partner presumed dead, going off-grid is the only way to survive. But her old flame, CIA officer Gabe Denton, has tracked her down and led a well-connected enemy right to her door. Now with someone trying to frame and kill her, working with Gabe is the only way to clear her name…and stay alive.

Courage Danger Faith

An Unlikely Alliance ~ Review

An Unlikely Alliance

K-9 Companions #7

By Toni Shiloh

Jalissa Tucker wants NOTHING to do with firefighters and when she is forced to work with Jeremy Rider she can't think of a worse fate. But to save the city programs that are about to lose their funding she'll make an effort.

Jeremy Rider uses humor to cope with situations, and as a kid who was bullied he needed to laugh off the pain he felt. Having to work with Jalissa isn't high on his list of things to do but to save the program that gave him a safe place as a teen he'll do it.

It is interesting to see how both Jalissa and Jeremy have misconceptions about the other and how this translates into their present day interactions. I think of the two Jalissa seems the least likely to make a change as the story progresses. But having to work together and getting to understand the importance of the programs that mean something to others allow each to see the other in a new light. 

Can pains of the past be overcome by working together? And when a long-held secret comes to light, everything they have been working towards could be destroyed. The greatest lesson that they need to learn is that forgiveness is a two-way street, and without it everyone suffers.

Now this book is part of the K-9 Companions series and this time we meet Flo. Flo is a Golden Retriever who is Jalissa's emotional support dog. Following her father's death, Jalissa suffered from panic attacks, and having Flo allowed her to move out of her mother's home and live an independent life. This gave Jalissa a career in that she worked at the local animal shelter. Her appreciation of all Flo gave to her made her want to help other animals find homes in which they could help others too.

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 save her animal shelter,

She’ll have to work with her biggest foe…

With her emotional support dog at her side, Jalissa Tucker will do whatever it takes to ensure the survival of the local animal rescue—even ally herself with her nemesis, firefighter Jeremy Rider. As working together dredges up old hurts, putting the past aside could be the key to their future joy. But can Jalissa resist falling for the man she’s always considered the enemy?

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

K-9 Companions

Book 1: Their Unbreakable Bond by Deb Kastner
Book 2: Finding Her Way Back by Lisa Carter
Book 3: The Veteran’s Vow by Jill Lynn
Book 4: Her Easter Prayer by Lee Tobin McClain
Book 5: Earning Her Trust by Brenda Minton
Book 6: Guarding His Secret by Jill Kemerer
Book 7: An Unlikely Alliance by Toni Shiloh
Book 8: The Cowboy’s Journey Home by Linda Goodnight
Book 9: A Reason to Stay by Deb Kastner

Purchase: Harlequin | Amazon | B&N | ChristianBook | Others

Three Days to Forever ~ Review with Giveaway

Three Days to Forever

A Mac Faraday Mystery #9

By Lauren Carr

You are cordially invited to the 

social event of the year...

New Year's Eve at the Spencer Inn

and the wedding of 

Mac Faraday to Archie Monday

Mac Faraday and Archie Monday's wedding is just days away when everything goes oh, so very wrong. Someone from Mac's past makes a threat that Mac takes to Spenser Police Chief David O'Callahan. What David finds puts Mac as suspect number one in a murder case. But before Mac can be questioned a team of assassins attacks Spenser Manor which sends Mac, Gnarly, Joshua Thornton, and Archie's mother on the run. 

All too soon everyone connected with the wedding is in a race against time as even more lives are threatened. As the wedding comes ever nearer - wedded bliss for Archie and Mac is seriously in doubt. Can they determine who did what to who? And why were Spenser Manor and its occupants the target of a professional hit team? And Jessica Faraday and Murphy Thornton have their first meeting which is more than a little memorable.

If you want a fast-paced mystery that finds everyone is in danger (well maybe not Monique - Tristan's pet tarantula). Is the wedding party caught up in several cases or are they all somehow related? This is one book you will want to pay very close attention to so as to not miss out on any clues as to how everything will all unfold. Let's just say this year is about to go out with a bang. 

Now I enjoyed this book in the audio format, which was narrated by C.J. McAllister. I found the narration to be well done, though I did play it back 1.4 times its normal playback speed. I listened to it at the pace I would have been reading it in print. At the default speed, this book comes in at just under 11-1/4 hours of listening - perfect for a week of commuting, exercise, or chores. 

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 one of the most critically-acclaimed Mac Faraday Mysteries from best-selling mystery author Lauren Carr, readers embark on a rollercoaster adventure with old friends (including the Lovers in Crime team of Prosecutor Joshua Thornton and Homicide Detective Cameron Gates), but also meet new ones as Mac Faraday’s daughter Jessica Faraday and Joshua Thornton’s son Murphy Thornton join the team in the race to get the lovebirds to the altar!*

With three days left to the year, Deep Creek Lake is hopping with holiday vacationers and wedding guests pouring into the Spencer Inn for Mac Faraday and Archie Monday’s huge wedding ceremony which is being touted as the social event of the year.

But droopy flowers and guests who failed to RSVP are the least of Mac’s and Archie’s problems when a professional hit squad hits Spencer Manor to send the groom, Joshua Thornton, Archie’s mother, and Gnarly running for their lives.

With time running out to the big day, Mac Faraday and Spencer’s small police force have to sort through the clues to figure out not only who has been targeted for assassination, but also who is determined to stop everything … FOREVER!

* Three Days to Forever introduces readers to Jessica Faraday and Murphy Thornton, the detectives featured in The Thorny Rose Mysteries.

"Three Days to Forever is a fast-paced thriller that solidifies Carr's standing as a major force in American fiction." - review by David Kinchen, HuntingtonNews.net

"I am, bottom line, amazed at the giant step that places Carr comparable to significant authors whose name slips off our tongues like, for instance, Nora Roberts. Watch this author--she's moving quickly to where her goals are headed... Three Days to Forever has to be, in my opinion, the best of her best! Get it!" - review by Glenda Bixler, Book Readers Heaven

Giveaway

Prizes: ​ $50 PayPal Gift Card courtesy of 

Lauren Carr, author of SHADOW OF MURDER

(ends July 1)

SHADOW OF MURDER (Mac Faraday Mysteries) Tour Giveaway

Book Details:

Book Title: Three Days to Forever by Lauren Carr
Series:  A Mac Faraday Mystery (Volume 9)
Category:  Adult fiction (18+), 366 pages
Genre:  Murder Mystery
Publisher:  Acorn Book Services
Release date:  January 19, 2015
Content Rating: PG-13 - Lauren Carr's mysteries are murder mysteries. Sometimes, the murder does happen on stage. There is no graphic violence or explicit sex. There is some very mild language. No F-Bombs

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Buy the Book:   
  Audible ~ Amazon
B&N ~ BookBub
Add to Goodreads

Meet the Author:

Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, Thorny Rose, Chris Matheson Cold Case Mysteries, and Nikki Bryant Cozy Mysteries—over twenty-five titles across five fast-paced mystery series filled with twists and turns!

Book reviewers and readers alike rave about how Lauren Carr seamlessly crosses genres to include mystery, suspense, crime fiction, police procedurals, romance, and humor. 

The owner of Acorn Book Services, Lauren is also a publishing manager, consultant, and virtual book tour coordinator for independent authors. Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She lives with her husband, and two spoiled rotten German shepherds on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV. 

connect with the author: website  ~  facebook  ~  instagram ~ pinterest ~ bookbub ~ goodreads

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Tour Schedule can be found here

Midnight's Budding Morrow ~ Review with Excerpt and Giveaway

Midnight's Budding Morrow

Regency Wallflowers #2

By Carolyn Miller

Midnight's Budding Morrow is the second book in Carolyn Miller's Regency Wallflowers series. Now if you haven't read the first book in the series that will in no way affect or reading or enjoyment of this book. And if you love your Regency fiction with a touch of Gothic intrigue you will want to move this one up to the top of your Summer TBR list - yes, it is that good. I have read all of Carolyn Miller's Regency fiction from Kregel and have never been disappointed and, in my opinion, each has been better than the previous book.

But I'm sure you want to learn more about the story that this delightful cover adorned. First off, we meet Sarah Drayton, who is an orphan from a good family, just not one of wealth or title. At the urging of her dearest friend Beatrice Langley, Sarah is about to visit the Langley home in Northumberland. There is just one little problem with her visit with Beatrice. Bea's brother James, with whom Sarah recently had a most uncomfortable public encounter, has come home, begging funds from his father. But to get the funds for his accumulating debts James must marry a woman of his father's choosing. Unfortunately, for James and Sarah, Sarah is the chosen bride. 

Sarah is determined to make the best of the situation she finds herself in. She is going to make a place for herself on the Langley estate but the staff and neighbors see her as a less than desirable addition to the family, the home, and the community. How can she improve the home she has been given if she is given little to no respect. And when her husband returns from war will he still hold her in disdain? 

James knows his father blames him for the loss of his mother. And then there is the drinking and gambling that find him causing public disgrace, as his first meeting with Sarah aptly proves. Is it possible to repair the damage he has caused or will he stay trapped in this endless cycle of dependence?

Not to give away anything that will detract from your enjoyment of the book but there are a couple of secondary characters that are just Uggggggghhhh! Superior attitude, cruel streak, and just overall unlikeable.

Overall this was a highly enjoyable book, but I will admit I did need tissue for a scene or two. So I would recommend this for home reading and not your lunch break at work. 

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:

Can real love grow between a wallflower and an unrepentant rogue?

Sarah Drayton is eager to spend time with her best friend at her crumbling Northumberland castle estate. Matrimony is the last thing on her mind and the last thing she expects to be faced with on a holiday. Yet she finds herself being inveigled into a marriage of convenience with her friend's rakish brother.

When James Langley returns to his family's estate, he can't be bothered to pay attention to his responsibilities as the heir. War is raging and he wants only distraction, not serious tethers. But his roguish ways have backed him into a corner, and he has little choice but to obey his father's stunning decree: marry before returning to war, or else. Suddenly he finds himself wedded to a clever and capable woman he does not love.

Sarah craves love and a place to belong, neither of which James offered before returning to the battlefront. Now everyone around her thinks she married above her station, and they have no intention of rewarding her for such impertinence. It isn't until her husband returns from war seemingly changed that she begins to hope they may find real happiness. But can she trust that this rake has truly reformed?

When tragedy strikes, this pair must learn to trust God and his plans. Will they be destroyed . . . or will they discover that even in the darkest depths of night, the morning still holds hope?

Click here to read an excerpt.

About the Series:

While most stories set in Regency England focus on the rich, the young, and the beautiful, award-winning author Carolyn Miller decided she wanted to give readers something different for a change. Her new Regency Wallflowers series follows the commoners, away from the hustle and bustle of 1810s London, out in the Lake District of England. She tells the stories of women who are slightly older and have few prospects for marriage, women who might be considered “wallflowers.”

Midnight’s Budding Morrow is the second book in the Regency Wallflowers series. The first book in the series is Dusk’s Darkest Shores.

About the Author:

Carolyn Miller is an inspirational romance author who lives in the beautiful Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia, with her husband and four children.
 
A longtime lover of romance, especially that of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer’s Regency era, Carolyn holds a BA in English literature and loves drawing readers into fictional worlds that show the truth of God’s grace in our lives. She enjoys music, films, gardens, art, travel, and food.

Miller’s novels have won a number of RWA and ACFW contests. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Australasian Christian Writers. 
 
Learn more about Carolyn at www.carolynmillerauthor.com, or find her on Facebook (Carolyn Miller Author), Instagram (@CarolynMillerAuthor), and Twitter (@CarolynMAuthor). 

Giveaway:

https://www.audrajennings.com/2022/05/win-copy-of-midnights-budding-morrow.html

Ensnared ~ Review

Ensnared

Knights of Brethren #3

By Jody Hedlund

Mikaela has been a bondservant all her life, having been born into it as were her parents and grandparents. Her days are spent caring for the young daughters of the Earl of Likness. But life isn't easy with little food and even less to share with her family. The Earl is a cruel, harsh taskmaster whose only pleasure seems to be in enacting unjust punishments on his servants for crimes he falsely lays at their feet. 

Due to the Earl's indifference to his daughters, Mikaela has managed to go undetected in his household. But her growing desire to seek justice for the suffering of her friends and family is sure to bring her to his attention. 

Gunnar has had to hide his feelings for Mikaela. His brother would surely use her to bring him under his control. But in so doing he broke the heart of the only woman he has ever loved. Coming home to search for the sacred chalice that could potentially save the life of the Queen will come with both a blessing and a curse - allowing him an excuse to see Mikaela. 

When rumors point to a dangerous and foreboding forest, Gunnar knows that there must be more to the whispers than mere stories based on unfounded fears. But can he find what he seeks while avoiding the danger that could cost him his life and keeping Miaela safe from his brother's manipulations? 

This is the third book in the Knights of Brethren series and it picks up the story that finds the kingdom on the verge of war with the queen's future and very life in danger because of a curse that is passed from mother to first-born daughter. Time is short in a search for a cure to save the queen and the kingdom from those who would seek to take the throne by force. I have to be honest I was so disappointed when the book ended because I wanted more. And there is a teaser for book four that fortunately will release very soon. 

This is one series that you absolutely have to read in order. So be sure to get Ensnared and Entwined before reading Ensnared. You need the backstory to fully understand what is going on and the urgency of the Knights of Brethren's quests.

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

About the Book:

During a time when legends were born . . .

A poor maidservant struggling to survive, a brave knight who secretly loves her, and a chalice that has the power to unite them.

Nursemaid to the Earl of Likness’s two young daughters, Mikaela despises the earl for his cruelty to his subjects, and she longs for the day when she can make a difference in the lives of her suffering friends and family.

As one of the Knights of Brethren, Gunnar is on a mission to find the sacred chalice for the queen, convinced it’s the cure for her deadly bleeding disease. His quest takes him home, and he soon learns his brother, the earl, may know more about the chalice than he lets on.

As Gunnar reunites with Mikaela, the maiden he’s always loved, he tries to keep his feelings for her a secret, desperate to protect her from his brother. But as they venture into the perilous Hardanger Forest and battle to survive, will Gunnar realize her love is worth fighting for?

The real story of the Holy Grail . . .