The Cautious Maiden by Dawn Crandall (Tour + giveaway)

The Cautious Maiden by Dawn Crandall
Rating: 5 of 5 stars
Source: Received from Publisher to Review
Genre: Historical Fiction


Book Description:  Violet Hawthorne is beyond mortified when her brother Ezra turns their deceased parents' New England country inn into a brothel to accommodate the nearby lumberjacks; but when Violet's own reputation is compromised, the inn becomes the least of her worries. In an effort to salvage her good name, Violet is forced into an engagement with a taciturn acquaintance; Vance Everstone. As she prepares for a society wedding, Violet learns that her brother had staked her hand in marriage in a heated poker game with the unsavory Rowen Steele, and Ezra had lost. Now Rowen is determined to cash in on his IOU. With danger stalking her and a new fiance who hides both his emotion and his past, Violet must decide who to trust and who to leave behind. 





My thoughts: Who would have thought that Vance Everstone would turn out to be a good guy?

This is the fourth book of the Everstone Chronicles. Vance is a character that was introduced in The Bound Heart. He was a character that I really did not like. (That may be an understatement!) This book shows that there is hope for everyone. Anyone can find redemption and forgiveness, even someone like Vance. :) He is the hero of the book. It is amazing what repentance and a contrite spirit can do for a person! To truly understand his character and the Everstone family dynamic, I would encourage everyone to start with book one, The Hesitant Heiress. This an amazing series and readers of Christian romance will love these books.

Violet is the female MC. She was introduced in the third book and I enjoyed getting to know her story and thoughts. She was a mystery and the woman behind the hotel counter. The full depth of her character and the toll of her brother's betrayal. I truly enjoyed her.

Dawn Crandall has become one of my favorite authors. I will look for anything and everything she writes in the future. She has an amazing talent at writing books in the first person. I could see a picture in my mind of her setting. I feel as if I am there with the characters, peeking in on their lives. I also feel as if I personally know her characters. They are people that I would want to associate with.

This is another winner. This book is a clean romance with kissing, innuendo, and violence.

Purchase Links:

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Book Depository

About the Author: (Taken from Goodreads)   Dawn Crandall is an ACFW Carol Award nominated author of the award winning series The Everstone Chronicles from Whitaker House. The series currently consists of three books: The Hesitant Heiress, The Bound Heart and The Captive Imposter. The next "Everstone" book, The Cautious Maiden, will release October 4, 2016. 

Dawn is represented by Joyce Hart of Hartline Literary. Apart from writing books, Dawn is also mom to a precious little boy (born March 2014), is expecting her second baby (June 2016), and also serves with her husband in a pre-marriage mentor program at their local church in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Visit her WEBSITE!

Enter the Tour Giveaway (This is sponsored by the author.  Notification and prize will come from her.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Unsaid by Aaron Blaylock

The Unsaid by Aaron Blaylock
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Source: Received from Publisher to Review
Genre: Inspirational Fiction

Book Description:  Maggie’s job at the Department of Thoughts and Records in heaven is pretty simple. She is a spirit curator—an observer of human life who sorts and categorizes every unsaid thought. When Eric, her beholden, shows interest in the new girl at work, Maggie can’t help ignoring the rules to understand the wonders of mortality and love. But meddling in mortal affairs has consequences that Maggie couldn’t have ever imagined . . . 



My thoughts: Imagine that every thought you had was recorded in heaven. That a being is sitting on the other side listening. Ughhh.... To me, that is incredibly scary! That is the premise of this book. It is of course fiction (thank heavens). Maggie is assigned to Eric and records everything he thinks and categorizes them as generous, sarcastic, unkind.... you get the picture.

I really enjoyed Eric's sarcastic voice. Yup, I guess you can guess where most of my thoughts are categorized as? He is full of humor in his head. Half of the things he thinks would get him in a lot of trouble, but that is the fun of the inner dialogue. He has a big heart and is full of compassion.

Maggie is good and kind. Things that I would be embarrassed about, she takes in stride. She is engaged in his life, which for a being in her position is a bad thing. She is there to record, not to care or try to help. Her compassion puts her in a forbidden circumstance.

I found this book to be about listening to the inner voice that is trying to lead you to be better. It is about helping those who are less fortunate. It is about standing up for your friends and your values. It is about the power of love and forgiveness, even forgiving yourself.

Most of all, this book made me think about my inner dialogue. Do I want my life to be made up of negative thoughts? Do I want to change how I think about myself and others? Believe me, I have a lot of things to change.

This book is a clean read with a little innuendo and a smidgen of violence (he deserved it!).

Purchase Links:

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Book Depository * Books & Things

About The Author:  Author of “The Land of Look Behind.” Born and raised in Arizona, Aaron is proud to call the desert home. He came of age in the suburbs of Sacramento, California, and as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Jamaica, where he fell in love with the people and their culture, but he has always been drawn back to the Valley of the Sun. Aaron worked as a freelance sports reporter for The Arizona Republic for nearly 10 years, combining his love of writing and sports. When not working, writing, or serving at church, Aaron volunteers as a soccer and baseball coach for his children and enjoys chasing a small white ball around a golf course.

Visit his WEBSITE!

Visit the Tour Stops:

October 11: Christene Houston
October 12: Dirty Green Jello
October 13: Rockin’ Book Reviews
October 14: Community Book Shop
October 15: Rockin’ Book Reviews
October 16: Singing Librarian Books
October 17: Mel’s Shelves
October 18: Bookworm Lisa
October 19: Kitten Reads
October 20: Making Life a Bliss Complete
October 21: Zane Talk
October 22: Reidhead Random-ness
October 23: Book-loving Mommy
October 24: My Book a Day
October 25: Writing Worm
October 26: Live to Read
October 27: Wishful Endings
October 28: Inklings and Notions
October 29: Fire and Ice
October 30: Jorie Loves a Story
October 31: Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews

The Heart's Pursuit by Robin Lee Hatcher

The Heart's Pursuit by Robin Lee Hatcher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Source: Netgalley (to review)
Genre: Western Romance

Book Description:  A jilted bride desperate to save her family from ruin.
A bounty hunter seeking vengeance for a ravaged past.
An arduous trek toward justice—or redemption.

Silver Matlock and Jared Newman know traveling together is a bad idea. Bad for Silver’s already tarnished reputation in her small Colorado town. Bad for bounty hunter Jared’s secret, single-minded mission for revenge. But Silver is determined to track down the rogue who left her at the altar and stole the last remnant of her father’s fortune. And Jared’s in a hurry to hunt down the murderer who destroyed his family—even if Silver is too distractingly beautiful for comfort.

The pair takes off over mountain and desert, past bleak homesteads and raw mining towns, hot on the trail of the two villains who took what wasn’t theirs to take. Soon supplies dwindle, secrets emerge, and suspicion leave Silver and Jared at odds when they need each other most. To confront an enemy deadlier than desert rattlesnakes and rocky cliffs, Silver and Jared must learn to forgive and trust and face the question they haven’t dared voice: What happens next?


My thoughts: Silver is desperate. Her fiancee just left her at the alter after stealing her families jewels and money. They will loose their home and business. Her desperation becomes inspiration when she hires a bounty hunter by the name of Jared.

This book was a match of wit and skill. Jared doesn't want a traveling companion but is unsure how to convince Silver to remain behind. He is a man of honor and keeps his word, not matter the amount of inconvenience.

This book was interesting from start to finish. I loved the pacing and the placing of important events. I enjoyed how Silver and Jared came to understand and trust each other. The road to love and romance was slow because neither was looking for someone to love. It just happened as an evolution of the characters.

The book has mystery, suspense, evil characters, revenge, gambling, danger, and murder. It shows the trauma left to those who suffer from the tragedy of a relative who has been murdered. It depicts the hard life of living and traveling in the Old West and what it may have been like to live travelling by horse.

This is a clean romance with violence and kissing.

My thanks to Zondervan Publishing for accepting my request to read this book on Netgalley.  I apologize for the amount of time it took to read and review.  I have had it on my shelf to read since 2014.

Purchase Links:

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Book Depository

The Fall of Lord Drayson by Rachael Anderson

The Fall of Lord Drayson by Rachael Anderson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Source: Received to Review
Genre: Regency Romance

Book Description:  Who is he really? A high and mighty lord or a lowly servant?

When Colin Cavendish, the new earl of Drayson, informs Lucy Beresford that she and her mother need to vacate the house they've called home for the past two years, Lucy is fit to be tied. They have no money, no relations they can turn to for help, and nowhere to go. How dare the earl break the promise his father had made to the Beresfords without so much as a twinge of conscience?

Fate plays her hand when Lucy discovers the earl unconscious and injured in the middle of the road. When he awakens with no recollection of who he is, Lucy seizes the opportunity to teach the earl a much-needed lesson in humility and tells him that he is nothing more than a mere servant. Her servant, in fact. 

And thus begins the charming tale of a pompous lord and an impetuous young woman, caught together in a web so tangled that it begs the question: Will they ever get out?


My thoughts: Oh my goodness! I can't think of anything that I didn't love about this book. I loved the time period, the setting, the characters, the plot, .....etc. I felt let down because it ended.

Lucy and her mother live in a dowager house on a property (Tanglewood) that is about to be sold. When Colin informs Lucy that she must vacate the property you can tell that there are a few sparks, but they are on opposite sides of the issue. Lucy and her mother can't afford to live anywhere else and for Colin it is business. He is getting rid of an unprofitable piece of real estate.

Colin and Lucy compliment each other in so many ways. Their patience and understanding of the other is fun, particularly due to the circumstances, Lucy has lead Colin to believe he is her servant after he looses his memory from a fall off of his horse. The sparks fly between the two, but she is living a lie and doesn't know how to make it right.

The secondary characters are wonderful. It looks as if Rachael Anderson is planning on making this into a series. I would love to find out more about the people in the community. I found them to be an eclectic group and want to get to know them better.

This is a clean romance with kissing.

Purchase Links:

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Book Depository

About the Author: (Taken from Goodreads)  A USA Today bestselling author of clean romance, Rachael Anderson is the mother of four and is pretty good at breaking up fights, or at least sending guilty parties to their rooms. She can't sing, doesn't dance, and despises tragedies. But she recently figured out how yeast works and can now make homemade bread, which she is really good at eating.      

Visit her WEBPAGE,

The Governess by Kristen McKendry (Blog Tour + giveaway)

The Governess by Kristen McKendry
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Source: Received from publisher to Review
Genre: Historical Romance/Fiction

Book Description:  For Kate Porter in 1880s Canada, working as a governess is simply a means to an end, and she aspires to a high-society future that will lift her out of her middle-class existence. When she accepts a new position as tutor to Alonzo Colaco's children, she sees it as a step in the direction of her dreams. She eagerly envisions a grand house awaiting her...but when her new employer meets her at the train station driving a gaily painted gypsy wagon, Kate suspects her new job will not be all she anticipated.

Kate finds herself living in the woods in a refitted train car as she teaches the charming children of Alonzo, a tinker by trade. After trying in vain to secure another job, Kate is left with little choice. She must simply bide her time until a better position comes along. Soon, however, she abandons her preconceptions along with her bustle in favor of the joys of a simple life---and the possibility of true love. But when opportunity knocks, will Kate really be ready to walk away from all she has come to care about to pursue her high-society dreams? 

My thoughts: I started this book in the morning and didn't go to sleep until I had finished it. I even did things that were not reading related during my day.


This is a wonderful book. It is a romance that doesn't focus on just falling in love. This is a book about building relationships and accepting others. It is about stepping away from society and discovering what is important in life.

This book is set in Toronto Canada in the 1880's. The majority of the book happens in a small clearing out away from the city. Kate is the MC and has always lived on the outside. She is educated but poor. She has lived on the goodwill and charity of relatives. She is never accepted in polite society, but she doesn't fit in with the working class. This makes it awkward when seeking employment. She works as a ladies maid, tutor, and governess. She accepts a position on good-will, because she is desperate, and learns wonderful lessons about herself and the things that are important in life. I loved reading about her transformation.

Alonzo is her employer. He is a tinker, widower, and father. He is a good man of integrity who doesn't hold with the dictates of society. I enjoyed how he gently and patiently taught Kate. She was hired to teach his children, but he taught her about herself and how to respect and love others.

The majority of the book didn't focus on romance. It focused on relationships. The relationship of employee/employer, friend, teacher, parent/child. There are many great aspects in this book.

This is a clean romance with some kissing.

Purchase Links:

Amazon * Deseret Book

About the Author: (Taken from Deseret Book)  Kristen Garner McKendry began writing in her teens, and her work has been published in Canada and the U.S. She received a bachelor's degree in linguistics from Brigham Young University and has always been a voracious reader. Kristen has a strong interest in urban agriculture, sustainable living, and environmental issues. A native of Utah and mother of three, she now resides with her family in Canada

Visit her WEBPAGE!

Enter the Tour Giveaway!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Visit the Tour Stops:

*Oct. 10th: http://booksaresanity.blogspot.com/, http://mybookaday.blogspot.com/, http://literarytimeout.blogspot.com/, http://www.rockinbookreviews.com/

*Oct. 11th: http://www.wishfulendings.com/, https://atransparentmom.com/, http://ldswritermom.blogspot.com/, http://ilovetoreadandreviewbooks.blogspot.com/

*Oct. 12th: http://lisaisabookworm.blogspot.com/, http://justcommonly.blogspot.com/, http://www.singinglibrarianbooks.com/, http://thethingsilovemost.com/ 

Oct. 13th: http://gettingyourreadonaimeebrown.blogspot.com/, http://katiescleanbookcollection.blogspot.com/, http://ldsandlovinit.blogspot.com/, http://sweetlymadejustforyou.com/blog/

*Oct. 14th: http://heidi-reads.blogspot.com/, http://bonnieharris.blogspot.com/, http://www.kindleandme.com/

Caribbean Rescue by Cami Checketts

Caribbean Rescue by Cami Checketts
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Source: Received from Author to Review
Genre: Romance/Suspense

Book Description:  Zack Tyndale was destined to win gold in the 2012 Olympics, but he tripped and shattered his own dreams. Running from his controlling father and the compassion in everyone’s eyes, he buys an island in the Caribbean where he can live blissfully alone. 
Madeline Panetto’s graduation present is a trip sailing around the Caribbean on her father’s yacht. Unfortunately, her father is a pirate, and when there is an uprising on his ship, she escapes and crash-lands on Zack’s island. 
Can these two find refuge from the pirates and with each other? 

My thoughts: Danger on the high seas, romance, suspense, pirates, adorable children, handsome men.... those are the things that you will find in this book.

I am a fan of Cami Checketts. I have enjoyed every book of hers that I have read. This book was no exception. The characters are good people who find love and romance in the middle of danger. The book begins as Maddie's father sends her off in a small boat from his yacht. He is protecting her from the evil men who are his crew. Mutiny has Maddie praying that she will find help and take the documents her father entrusted to her to Homeland Security.

This book moves at a very fast pace. The majority of the book takes place in a few days. The attraction between Maddie and Zach in instant. I guess that would be my only complaint in the book, it seemed to happen too fast. To be fair, there are time skips at the end that indicates that the characters really didn't rush their relationship... I just would have liked to see a little more of the development of the couple.

This is a clean romance with lots of kissing and some violence.

Amazon

Book Blast for "Between Hope and the Highway" by Charissa Stastny + Tour Giveaway!

Between Hope and the Highway by Charissa Stastny Sometimes things get so messed up you have to pick up and get the heck out of Dodge. That’s what Liz Ruthersford does. Memories can be weapons, and hers have become incoming missiles. Fleeing home and her parents’ pity, she seeks refuge on a remote ranch in Montana where no one knows her tragic past. When she meets Bentley and Rawson Law, brothers with wounds of their own, life veers off course from her plans. Embers of hope and love flicker to life, but will Liz let them burn bright enough to warm her heart? Or will she hit the highway and run once again? A clean, heart-pounding romance and redemption story.

 


Praise for Between Hope and the Highway

“Stastny has weaved an endearing tale with Between Hope and the Highway. It is a beautiful story about love, loss, redemption, and forgiveness of not only others, but most importantly, ourselves. This is more than a love story, it is a story of family and coming together." –Jennifer Peel, author

 “...an epic tale of romance, unconditional love, redemption, and the power of the human spirit to survive and transform amidst adversity. The metamorphosis of the hero makes this a highly gratifying read. He grows with each flip of the page, leaving behind a trail of optimism. This book will make you smile as you witness a true change of heart.” – Taylor Dean, author

 

Read an  Excerpt 

********************

 “Hey, wait,” Rawson called after me.

 I turned and smiled. Since he’d given me that flashy watch, he hadn’t been such a pill. “What do you need?”

 He fidgeted. “Do you think you could maybe back off on this whole church thing? Benny’s getting too into it, and I don’t want to keep losing sleep every Sunday to drive you guys there.”

 I narrowed my eyes. “No one’s forcing you to come.”

 “Benny’s too easily swayed. I have to go to keep his head on straight.”

 I winced at his poor choice of words. They sounded terrible in connection to his brother’s crooked neck.

 “That came out wrong. I didn’t—”

 “I’m sorry if worshiping God offends you. I’ll make sure to offer your brother drugs or some sleazy porn in the future instead.”

 He ran a hand through his hair. “That’s not what I—”

 “Just go back to bed. And when you wake up, get out on the right side so you’re not such a grump. I’ll call Mackay for a ride.”

I pushed past him. He hissed. “You don’t need to call Mack-y. I’ll take you.”

 “Don’t bother. I don’t want to risk filling your head with rubbish like how God loves you and can save you from hell and horrible ideas like that.” I marched down the hall.

 He caught my arm and turned me to face him. “Stop getting your feathers ruffled.”

 Electricity seemed to shoot up my arms where he held my wrists. My heart beat like a tom-tom, making me choke on air as I stared up into his captivating eyes. Light green flecks burst from his pupils like rays into the startling blue of his irises.

 “Let me go,” I said, but didn’t try to break his grip.

 “Stop being so sensitive.”

 “I’m not being…”

 He backed me up against the wall. “

…sensitive,” I squeaked. His body pressed against mine, making it impossible to form words. I’d lied. Right then, I was the very definition of sensitive. Warmth flooded my body and the sensory receptors in my skin exploded where our bodies touched. As his cool breath caressed my cheek, I feared I might faint.

 “I’m taking you to church.”

His eyes didn’t leave mine. “Okay?” It came out as a question because my body was busy putting out internal fires.

 His lips twitched. “All righty then.” He released my wrists and stepped back. “I need to get ready for church…and you need to spruce up.”

 His snarky words shattered the evil spell I’d fallen under.

 “Yeah, I’m sure you need to change at least six more times.” It was a lame barb, but my brain wasn’t operating at optimal performance. He’d thrown me off my game. Shoot! He’d thrown me out of the dang ballpark.

********************

     Author Charissa Stastny Charissa Stastny is married to her high school sweetheart and has four children who are the light of her life. She’s an avid reader, happy writer, BYU graduate, and lover of irises, clouds, chocolate, sushi, and nature. Though born and raised in Las Vegas, she has never pulled a handle of a slot machine and can’t shuffle cards to save her life. She shuffles kids, laundry, and church responsibilities rather well though. She currently lives in Utah with her family, where shuffling cards isn’t required.

Website * Facebook * Twitter

Instagram * Pinterest * Blog

  Blast Giveaway $50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 10/31/16 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.   a Rafflecopter giveaway

Rice and Rocks by Sandra L Richards is having a book blast!

Rice & Rocks by Sandra L. Richards Tradition takes flight in Rice & Rocks, a picture book celebrating culture and diversity. Giovanni’s friends are coming over for Sunday dinner, and his grandmother is serving rice and beans. Giovanni is embarrassed—he does not like “rice and rocks” and worries his friends will think the traditional Jamaican dish is weird. But his favorite Auntie comes to the rescue. She and Giovanni’s pet parrot, Jasper, take him on a magical journey across the globe, visiting places where people eat rice and rocks. This exciting story celebrates the varied traditions of every culture while also highlighting the delicious similarities that bring us all together.

  Praise for Rice & Rocks "I feel as if Rice & Rocks was written for the 7 year old me stuck in a foreign country. I wish I could have read it when I was a kid since it would have really helped me to feel a lot more comfortable with my roots, my traditions, in a foreign place with people of other colors & customs." - Melissa Robles, The Reader and the Chef "Rice & Rocks is a beautifully illustrated, culturally diverse children's book centered around my favorite topic...food!...Parents will enjoy reading it with/to their little ones because the illustrations compliment the story perfectly. This book will also work as a good conversation starter for acceptance of self and others for school age children." - D.S. White, Divine
Perspective





 

  Author Sandra L. Richards Sandra L. Richards is the debut picture book author of Rice & Rocks. With Rice & Rocks, Sandra brings a unique contribution to the world of children’s books. An American-born daughter of Jamaican immigrant parents, she hopes the book will serve as an educational resource for families seeking to teach their children the value of their heritage and the importance of cultural diversity.

Website * Twitter * Facebook

    Blast Giveaway $50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 10/28/16 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.   a Rafflecopter giveaway