Southern Charmed by Melanie Jacobson

Southern Charmed by Melanie Jacobson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Source: Received from the publisher to Review
Genre: Contemporary LDS Romance

Book Description: Lila Mae Guidry is a Southern girl through and through. As a fourth-generation Latter-day Saint in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, she’s proud of her heritage as both a Southerner and a Saint—and she doesn’t take kindly to people who disparage either. Ten years ago, Max Archer was just that kind of jerk. As the mission president’s son, Max spent his entire three years mocking the South . . . and teenage Lila. After Max’s family moved away, Lila forgot about her sworn enemy. Almost. 

When a new job brings a grown-up Max back to Baton Rouge, Lila is less than thrilled with his reappearance, especially since everyone seems intent on throwing her together with this old adversary. Yet fight as she may, Lila soon realizes resistance is futile—their connection is undeniable. Max embodies everything she wants in a man—except perhaps the most important thing—her life is rooted in the city she loves, but his dreams are bigger than Baton Rouge. With such mismatched visions of the future, Max and Lila are faced with a life-altering decision: jeopardize their aspirations or risk losing love.


My thoughts: Teenagers do stupid stuff. In my opinion, it's a fact. Max Archer was an arrogant young man who made a very bad impression on Lila Guidry. He was condescending of her beloved Baton Rouge.

Ten years later he comes back, this time he is employed in Baton Rouge and he wants a do-over. He wants a chance to make a new impression. Will Lila let him? Will she hold a grudge forever? Or will she give him the second chance? One thing in his favor is the obvious chemistry they have.

I really like romance books that give characters a chance to redeem themselves. Max has a lot of redeeming to do. At the same time I think that Lila needed a little humble pie see that other people are allowed their own opinion and it doesn't mean that they are nonredeemable.

This is a cute romance that is set in the Southern United States. Both of the characters are wonderful with a bright future ahead of them. They obstacle is whether or not that future includes the other. It is full of Southern culture, love, and some kissing.

One part of the book brought tears to my eyes. It has nothing to do with the romance, but the worth of individuals. Lila teaches high school history. She makes an impact on one student. Her example and love show this young woman that she is of infinite worth and value. I loved the romance, but I loved the positive relationship between student and teacher more.

This is a clean romance that has features the LDS religion and culture.

Amazon * Deseret Book

About the Author: (taken from Deseret Book)  Melanie Bennett Jacobson is an avid reader, amateur cook, and champion shopper. She consumes astonishing amounts of chocolate, chick flicks, and books. After meeting her own husband on the Internet, she is now living happily married in Southern California with her growing family and a series of doomed potted herbs.

Visit her WEBPAGE.

Ella's Will by Jessilyn Stewart Peaslee- Blog Tour

Visit the Tour Page

Ella's Will by Jessilyn Stewart Peaslee
Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Source: Received from Publisher to Review
Genre: Fairy-Tale Retelling


Book Description: Will Hawkins is just a simple stable boy. How can he hope to woo Ella, his once-wealthy childhood friend who is stubbornly independent, especially when his competition is the prince? Without any magic or fairy godmothers, Will must show Ella that he is her true prince charming in this perspective twist of the Cinderella story.


My thoughts:  I love a good fairy-tale retelling.  Stories of Cinderella have been a favorite.  I was not disappointed in this rendition of the classic.

This story is told from the point of view of one of Ella's friends, Will.  He remembers her father and what life was like before his death.  He is astonished when he sees Ella plucking  chicken without shoes on her feet.  He needs to know what happened to her and her situation,

This begins a friendship and admiration.  He wants and needs to make life better for her, even if it is getting  her to the royal ball.

I loved the point of view of the book.  Will is refreshing.  He truly cares for Ella and wants what is best for her.  The book is told through the eyes of compassion and admiration.  Will is a remarkable character that you can't help but hope that he  gets the desire of his heart.  Who cares about the ending of the classic, oh wait, this is a retelling with a twist.  There is hope! :)

This is a wonderful book for anyone of any age who loves a story of beautiful maiden hoping that her Prince or Knight-in-Shining armor will come.  The part that is even better for romantics and forward thinking women is that Ella is a strong character who doesn't feel downtrodden, but like she is the hero saving the day (or family as the case may be).

This book is a companion to Ella, a book that I really want to read.  I have purchase a kindle copy, I just haven't had time to read it yet.  When I mentioned that to Jessilyn Stewart Peaslee, she wanted an opinion of this book without having read the first.  I want to read "Ella" more now than I did before!

Read either book first. It is the same basic story told from different points-of-view.

Purchase Links:

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

About the Author:  Jessilyn Stewart Peaslee graduated with a BA in English from Brigham Young University in 2004. She loved taking creative writing classes, and was particularly fond of the works of Shakespeare, Jane Austen, and the Bronte sisters. She also studied French and the humanities. Jessilyn grew up in the beautiful deserts of Southern California and now resides in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains in Saratoga Springs, Utah, with her husband and five boys.

Visit the Tour Stops:

September 12: Crossroad Reviews
September 13: Cami Checketts | Geo Librarian | My Love for Reading Keeps Growing
September 14: Hardcover Feedback
September 15: Getting Your Read On
September 16: Live to Read | Reidhead Random-ness
September 17: Singing Librarian Books
September 18: The Power of Words
September 19: Bookworm Lisa
September 20: Diane Strinham Tolley | Two Kids and Tired Books
September 21: Preparedness Mama
September 22: Utahtopia | Rockin’ Book Reviews
September 23: Mel’s Shelves
September 24: Blog Critics
September 25: Blooming with Books
September 26: Katie’s Clean Book Collection
September 27: Bookworm 2 Bookworm | Inklings and Notions
September 28: Reading for Sanity | Literary Time Out
September 29: Kindle & Me | Making Life a Bliss Complete
September 30: My Book a Day | Wishful Endings

Three! by Tia Perkins

Three! by Tia Perkin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Source: Received to Review
Genre: Children's Picture Book

Book Description:  "Three!" is a funny little rhyming book about what it's like to spend a day with a preschooler - from getting themselves dressed to making a big mess! With beautiful illustrations (complete with dinosaurs, trains and superheros) and a catchy story that both parents and kids can enjoy again and again, this is a must-have book for your children's book collection.


My thoughts: This book brings back many memories. It had me laughing as I remembered what it was like to have children who were three. I thought it was spot on describing the age.

The book has darling illustrations and looks at a day in the life of a three year old. It rhymes and is well written. I can imagine sitting down with a child and reading this book. I think it would be enjoyable for the children and adults to giggle at the antics of the little boy.

Purchase a copy at:

Amazon

About the Author: (taken from Goodreads)  Tia Perkin is a three-time Emmy-Nominated Graphic Artist turned stay-at-home mom and freelancer. Her first children's book, "Two!", was written for her now three-year-old twin sons - partially as a gift and partially as a coping mechanism for a double-helping of toddler hijinx!

Southern Charmed by Melanie Jacobson ~ Blog Tour + Giveaway

Book Description:  Lila Mae Guidry is a Southern girl through and through. As a fourth-generation Latter-day Saint in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, she’s proud of her heritage as both a Southerner and a Saint—and she doesn’t take kindly to people who disparage either. Ten years ago, Max Archer was just that kind of jerk. As the mission president’s son, Max spent his entire three years mocking the South . . . and teenage Lila. After Max’s family moved away, Lila forgot about her sworn enemy. Almost. 

When a new job brings a grown-up Max back to Baton Rouge, Lila is less than thrilled with his reappearance, especially since everyone seems intent on throwing her together with this old adversary. Yet fight as she may, Lila soon realizes resistance is futile—their connection is undeniable. Max embodies everything she wants in a man—except perhaps the most important thing—her life is rooted in the city she loves, but his dreams are bigger than Baton Rouge. With such mismatched visions of the future, Max and Lila are faced with a life-altering decision: jeopardize their aspirations or risk losing love. 

My thoughts: Unfortunately I have not finished the book and this post is due.  The book will be given a full review as soon as I finish it.

My thoughts so far on the book.  I love the voice.  Lila has a lot of spunk and she is a fun character to read about.  She loves her home and family and does not take kindly to others not appreciating Baton Rouge.  She is a Southern Girl with Southern Manners.    Once she has her mind made up it is hard to look at people or circumstances differently.

Max has learned that you can't make a first impression again.  He has grown into a wonderful man and wants to redeem his past.

I am loving the book so far and feel that it will receive a great rating.  I have enjoyed the stories that I have read by Melanie Jacobson in the past, so my expectations are high.

Purchase Links:

Amazon * Deseret Book

About the Author: (taken from Deseret Book)  Melanie Bennett Jacobson is an avid reader, amateur cook, and champion shopper. She consumes astonishing amounts of chocolate, chick flicks, and books. After meeting her own husband on the Internet, she is now living happily married in Southern California with her growing family and a series of doomed potted herbs.

Visit her WEBPAGE.

Enter the Tour Giveaway: (Winner notification and prize will come from Covenant Communications.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Visit the Tour Stops:

*Sept. 12th: http://mybookaday.blogspot.com/, http://rockinbookreviews.com/, http://ldswritermom.blogspot.com/

*Sept. 13th: http://thethingsilovemost.com/, http://www.blogginboutbooks.com/, https://joyinthemoments.wordpress.com/, http://empowermoms.net/

*Sept. 14th: http://melsshelves.blogspot.com/, http://iamareader.com/, http://bonnieharris.blogspot.com/, http://heidi-reads.blogspot.com/

*Sept. 15th: http://katiescleanbookcollection.blogspot.com/, http://ldsandlovinit.blogspot.com/, http://www.wishfulendings.com/, http://sweetlymadejustforyou.com/blog/ 

*Sept. 16th:http://booksaresanity.blogspot.com/, http://gettingyourreadonaimeebrown.blogspot.com/, http://lisaisabookworm.blogspot.com/, http://literarytimeout.blogspot.com/, http://www.singinglibrarianbooks.com/, http://fireandicereads.com/ 

The Second Season Blog Tour by Heather Chapman

The Second Season: Even the Perfect Match May Not Be Enough to Win Her Heart by Heather Chapman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Source: Received digital copy from publisher to review
Genre: Regency Romance

Book Description;  Eleanor Hopkins has lived in disappointment for far too long believing that her husband only married her for fortune, and she determines to protect her own daughters from such misery by scheming to secure offers for both Lucy and Caroline based on mutual rank and reputation. When Caroline finds that the handsome and reputable Lord Searly desires her as his wife, she finds that no amount of planning or pretending can convince her to accept him. Instead, she is confronted with an unexpected and reluctant suitor in the respectable shoemaker Thomas Clark.



My thoughts: Regency Romance has always been one of my favorite genres to read. It's fun to read about the balls, courtship, riding through the park, gentlemen behavior, etc. This book has all of that but also has a little bit more. Heather Chapman takes the reader through two generations of romance and expectations.

Caroline is 18 and in her second season. Her first was cut short due to illness. She would rather stay at her families country home than London. Her sincerity and forthrightness quickly catch the attention of a Duke. Her mother is thrilled, but for Caroline something is missing. While being courted by the Duke, she begins to notice the talented cobbler. He is beneath her station, but attraction does not always follow the rules of society.

The story is not just Caroline's. Her sister, Lucy is also featured. She also has her own mind. She has suitors who she favors and some that she is not excited to be in the same room with.

The third romance is that of their parents. The story goes back twenty-five years as they meet, fall in love, and marry. Due to misunderstanding their union is not as happy as either hoped. It lends understanding to the mother's drive to see her daughters marry well and find happiness. Unfortunately, her definition of happiness is a little different from her daughters.

This is a refreshing Regency romance. I found myself caught up in the story of the family. The book is well written and interesting. I loved having a strong female lead. This is a clean romance.

This book is currently having a Goodreads giveaway
until October 7, 2016.

Purchase a copy at:

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

About the Author: Heather Chapman currently resides in Soda Springs, Idaho, with her husband and four children. She graduated magna cum laude from Brigham Young University. Heather has worked in various administrative assistant roles and as an event planner. Heather has also worked as a piano accompanist and piano teacher on the side. She currently spends her time writing and working as a stay-at-home mother.

Visit her Website.

Visit the Tour Stops:

September 13: Live to Read | Bookworm 2 Bookworm
September 14: Rockin’ Book Reviews | Robyn Echols Books
September 15: Bookworm Lisa | Fire and Ice
September 16: Megan Linski
September 17: Literary Time Out
September 18: Jorie Loves a Story
September 19: Katie’s Clean Book Collection | Julie Coulter Bellon
September 20: Geo Librarian | Jorie Loves a Story | The Dragon’s Nook
September 21: Mel’s Shelves
September 22: Getting Your Read On
September 23: The Things I Love Most | Singing Librarian Books
September 24: Hardcover Feedback | A Bliss Complete
September 25: Inklings and Notions | Blooming With Books
September 26: Storyweaver
September 27: Novel-ties
September 28: My Book a Day
September 29: Wishful Endings | The Story Sanctuary
September 30: Writing Worm

The Perilous Journey of the much-too Spontaneous Girl by Leigh Statham + tour giveaway!

On Tour with Prism Book Tours.

The Perilous Journey of the Much-Too-Spontaneous Girl

(The Perilous Journey of the Not-So-Innocuous Girl #2)
by Leigh Statham

YA Steampunk

Paperback & ebook, 297 pages

September 20th 2016 by Month9Books

Lady Marguerite Vadnay and her trusty automaton, Outil, have settled into life in New France rather well. Marguerite is top of the class at flight school and her future as an aerpilot is nearly secure. She has everything she wants— except a commission on the pirate hunting dirigible The Renegade. Using every card in her aristocratic arsenal, Marguerite wiggles her way onto the finest warship France has to offer. But as usual, Marguerite’s plans endanger the lives of those she holds dear— only this time no one else is going to save them. As Marguerite and Outil set off on a rescue mission they may not return from, she finally realizes it’s time to reorder her cogs.

This steampunk adventure is littered with facts from The Golden Age of Piracy and follows (not too closely) some of the lives and adventures of the brave men and women who sailed the seas as privateers, pirates and soldiers.

Goodreads│Amazon│Barnes & Noble│Kobo│!ndigo

Other Books in the Series

The Perilous Journey of the Not-So-Innocuous Girl

(The Perilous Journey of the Not-So-Innocuous Girl #1)
by Leigh Statham

YA Steampunk

Paperback & ebook, 297 pages

March 17th 2015 by Month9Books

Lady Marguerite lives a life most 17th-century French girls can only dream of: money, designer dresses, suitors, and a secure future. Except she can’t quite commit to a life of dull luxury and she suspects she may be falling for her best friend Claude, a common smithy in the family's steam forge. When Claude leaves for New France in search of a better life, Marguerite decides to follow him and test her suspicions of love—only the trip proves to be more harrowing than she anticipated. Love, adventure, and restitution await her if she can survive the voyage.

Based on the true story of The Daughters of the King, Louis the XIV’s social program to settle the wilds of Canada with women of noble birth, Marguerite’s steampunk adventure follows in the footsteps of nearly one thousand brave women and girls who were rewarded handsomely for trekking across the pirate infested Atlantic to a strange land.

"The writing is solid and the world-building – that clever combination of historical detail and Ms. Statham’s imagination – is excellent."~ The Australia Times Books

Goodreads│Amazon│Barnes & Noble│Kobo│!ndigo

Read an Excerpt
********************

CHAPTER 1, Part 3

Marguerite sighed audibly, realizing that she’d held her breath during the entire launch. She eased her controls to the right and the thrusters kicked in, propelling her forward and to the right.

This was amazing.

“Yes!” she cried out to the endless blue sky in front of her.

The controls felt so right in her hands. She began to execute more maneuvers. The tiny ship felt like an extension of her own body. She dove to the left, steered it back up, turned tight to the right, centripetally swinging her own compartment in the opposite direction.

She laughed. What a thrill! Months of study and hard work, tiny rooms and terrible food—this was completely worth it.

A flock of birds flew past her, swirling around, welcoming her. They dove and skimmed the surface of the St. Lawrence River, then swooped back up along the edge of a brick building.

“That looks like fun,” she said to herself.

Laying on the controls, she took the little ship in a steep dive toward the aerstrip. Her heart floated in her chest, her breath caught in her throat, and she giggled with delight as the ship responded to her demand and swooped back up. It leveled off like the birds, just in time for the envelope to catch on a breeze and be blown into the windsock tower.

Before she could call for help, Marguerite was whipped around the tower, her envelop caught in the trusses. She banged into one pylon and then another, the glass around her shattered, tearing at her exposed cheeks and nose. She cried out and braced herself for impact with the ground, her giggles from the moment before were now cries for help.

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

Leigh Statham was raised in the wilds of rural Idaho, but found her heart in New York City. She worked as a waitress, maid, artist, math teacher, nurse, web designer, art director, thirty-foot inflatable pig and mule wrangler before she settled down in the semi-quiet role of wife, mother and writer. She resides in North Carolina with her husband, four children, five chickens and two suspected serial killer cats.

Leigh is also a founder of QuantumFairyTales.com and is currently serving a life sentence there as senior editor and gnome driver. She loves all things sparkly and strange that go bump in the night.

Website│Goodreads│Facebook│Twitter│Wattpad

Tour Schedule

September 11th: Launch

September 12th:

The Broke Book Bank

Falling Leaves

Letters From Annie (Douglass) Lima

September 13th:

The Silver Dagger Scriptorium

Katie's Clean Book Collection

Wishful Endings

September 14th:

Bookworm Lisa

Rockin' Book Reviews

September 15th:

My Life Loves and Passion

deal sharing aunt

Mel's Shelves

September 16th:

Christy's Cozy Corners

EskieMama Reads

September 18th: Grand Finale

Tour Giveaway

• 1 winner will win signed copies of The Perilous Journey of the Not-So-Innocuous Girl and The Perilous Journey of the Much-Too-Spontaneous Girl plus some awesome Steampunk goggles (US only)

• 3 winners will win ebook sets of The Perilous Journey of the Not-So-Innocuous Girl and The Perilous Journey of the Much-Too-Spontaneous Girl (open internationally)

• Ends September 23rd

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Last Messenger of Zitol by Chelsea Dyreng

Visit the Tour Page

The Last Messenger of Zitol by Chelsea Dyreng
My rating: 4 .5 off 5 stars
Source: Received from the Publisher to Review
Genre: Fiction

Book Description:  Taken captive to the magnificent kingdom of Zitol, an ancient American city with a passion for food, gold, and human sacrifice, Rishi is forced to decide between betraying her virtue or being sacrificed to the city's pagan gods.

My thoughts: This book was not what I expected. That is a compliment to Chelsea Dyreng. She has once again surprised me with her writing and story.

Rishi is a young woman living an idealistic life on her island home with her family. She has everything she needs and wants, except an adventure to Zitol. She listens to her Grandfather's stories about the city and imagines it to be a wonderful place. She quickly learns the truth when she is kidnapped from her home and taken to the city. It is not a place of wonder, but a corrupt society that thrills in human sacrifice.

She makes an unexpected ally in the narrator of the story. This book is an adventure of an ancient past. I love the fictional setting that explores issues that the people of ancient America lived. This book also has a Cenote, a thing I was unaware of until Dyreng's first book, The Cenote.

Dyreng is an author that I will look forward to reading in the future. She has a way with words and description. I could imagine her setting and the people. She has amazed me once again.

The book contains innuendo, a non-graphic rape, and violence.

This book is currently part of a Goodreads Giveaway (Until 9/19).  

Click the button above to enter.

Purchase Links:

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

About the Author:  Chelsea Bagley Dyreng is the author of “The Cenote.” She was raised in Wyoming and Idaho and earned her BA at Brigham Young University. She worked for several years as a librarian before moving to North Carolina where she and her husband are raising five God-fearing, book-loving, adventure-seeking kids.

Visit the Tour Stops:

September 12: A Bliss Complete | Compass Book Ratings
September 13: Rockin’ Book Reviews | Bookworm Lisa
September 14: My Reading Spot
September 15: Bookfever
September 16: Kristin Smith | Wishful Endings
September 17: Hardcover Feedback
September 18: Geo Librarian
September 19: Singing Librarian Books
September 20: Mel’s Shelves
September 21: My Book a Day
September 22: The Things I Love Most
September 23: Writing Worm | Reader Girls
September 24: The Story Sanctuary
September 25: Bonding Over Bindings | Kindle & Me
September 26: Joy in the Moments
September 27: Crossroad Reviews
September 28: All About Baby’s World
September 29: Reidhead Random-ness
September 30: Tastes Like Joy