Author: deanne01

I am an avid reader and reviewer. I am open for review requests please contact me at Cnnamongirl at aol dot com. I work with big name publishers and indie publishers alike. I am on launch and street teams and have MANY NetGalley and GoodReads reviews up. I love all animals and I am a vegetarian. Thank you for joining me here.

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When The Day Comes (Timeless #1) by Gabrielle Meyer-Book Review

My Review

This book is incredibly unique. Not many authors can write different genres as well as this one does. But she writes books that are done equally well in each genre she writes.
This book has a unique look at time traveling. When our main character goes to sleep in one time period she’ll wake up in another time period without any time having passed.
She splits her time between 1774 Colonial Williamsburg and the other in 1914 Gilded Age New York City. There are positives and negatives in each time period and she lives a very different life in each one. I enjoyed reading the rich historical details about each time period.
There comes a time when she must make a very important decision about which time period she will stay in as she will not be able to return to the other.
I never thought I would enjoy time travel books but the author draws you into the story and makes it so fascinating that you can’t help but love it!

Pub Date 03 May 2022
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Grab A Copy Here

GoodReads Synopsis

Libby has been given a powerful gift: to live one life in 1774 Colonial Williamsburg and the other in 1914 Gilded Age New York City. When she falls asleep in one life, she wakes up in the other without any time passing. On her twenty-first birthday, Libby must choose one path and forfeit the other–but how can she possibly decide when she has so much to lose?

About The Author

Gabrielle Meyer lives in central Minnesota on the banks of the upper Mississippi River with her husband and four children. As an employee of the Minnesota Historical Society, she fell in love with the rich history of her state and enjoys writing fictional stories inspired by real people, places, and events. You can learn more about Gabrielle and her books at http://www.gabriellemeyer.com.

Find Gabrielle on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/AuthorGabrielleMeyer, Pinterest at http://www.Pinterest.com/gabriellemeyer/, Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/MeyerGabrielle, Goodreads, and her Website at http://www.gabriellemeyer.com.

Thank you for visiting today. Have you read anything by this author?

Have a beautiful day.

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It Started With A Kiss by Lisa Hobman-Blog Tour

I really enjoyed this book. I hope you get a chance to read it as well. I know you’ll love it!

Just Look at that gorgeous cover!

My Review

Once I started It Started With A Kiss I just could not stop. The characters are so charming, so likable,so realistic you can’t help but want the best for them!
Fin and Star don’t have a lot of self-confidence but what they have when they start talking and getting to know each other can’t be beat. They bring out the best and brightest in each other and their happiness will now shine.
This is my first book by this author and I really have enjoyed reading her writing style, it makes it very easy to understand the story and the pacing was perfect.
With such different personalities and backgrounds the characters have you would have thought the characters wouldn’t get on but they have an understanding and compassion for each other’s situations and get on fabulously.
Brilliantly written, I can’t wait to see what else this author has out!

Pub Date 21 Apr 2022
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Grab A Copy Here

GoodReads Synopsis

American Star Mendoza is living in her dream location, Edinburgh, a place she discovered in British novels while growing up.


Employed at a trendy city centre coffee shop, quirky, pink-haired Star spends her days fantasising about a handsome businessman she serves daily.


He’s totally out of her league but a girl can dream, right?


Fin Hunter is exhausted from striving for his father’s elusive love and approval, and of following a life path of his family’s making.


When things go drastically wrong Fin decides it’s time to stand on his own two feet and follow his own dream.


Star is bereft when her handsome stranger stops coming to her coffee shop, but a chance encounter in the most unlikely of places leaves her wondering if her fantasy could now become a reality?


Can opposites attract over their love of a city and music or is their story simply doomed to fail?




Previously Published as ‘Star Attraction’

About The Author

Represented by Lorella Belli at LBLAUK and signed to Boldwood Books.

Next release January 2022, Wishing Under a Starlit Skye.

Shortlisted in 2014 Romantic Novelists Association RoNAs in the Contemporary Romance category for debut novel Bridge Over the Atlantic (later signed by Aria Fiction and rereleased as A Seaside Escape).

I’ve had what you could call a very varied career including time working as a singer and appearing on TV’s Stars in Their Eyes in 1997. But writing has always been a deep rooted passion.

In 2012 my family and I relocated from England to our favourite place in the world, Scotland, and we are now happily ensconced in village life. The stunning location was the inspiration for my writing career and so it’s only right that it features in all of my books.

I’m a happily married mum of one with two energetic dogs who make cameo appearances in some of my books. I love writing and creating new characters and now have the pleasure of owning my own bookshop.

#itstartedwithakiss #boldwoodbloggers@boldwoodbooks @lisajhobmanauth @rararesources @bookandtonic

Thank you for stopping by. Have a marvelous day!

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The Lights of Sugarberry Cove by Heather Webber-Review

My Review

This is the first book I have read by Heather Webber and now I am wondering why I’ve waited so long.
You could say Sugarberry Cove is a place of magic, a place of new beginnings.second chance relationships. Sisters, Sadie Way Cross and Leala Clare do not have the best relationship with their mother, she raised them as a single parent while running a bed and breakfast on the shores of the lake. After almost drowning there years ago Sadie moves away wanting no reminders of her time there.
The story will give you all the feels as you read about Sadie coming back to Sugarberry when her mother has a heart attack. She may not even admit it to herself but Sadie actually missed Sugarberry and reminisces about good times there.
Leala never left Sugarberry, instead staying there,marrying and having a child.
Sadie assumes she is happy there and all is well, but is it?
Dealing with mending relationships and they really talk , this mother and daughters based book is brimming with love,compassion and truths revealed you won’t want to miss, The Lights of Sugarberry Cove.

Pub Date: 20 Jul 2021
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Grab A Copy Here

GoodReads Synopsis

The Lights of Sugarberry Cove is a charming, delightful story of family, healing, love, and small town Southern charm by USA Today bestselling author Heather Webber.

Sadie Way Scott has been avoiding her family and hometown of Sugarberry Cove, Alabama, since she nearly drowned in the lake just outside her mother’s B&B. Eight years later, Sadie is the host of a much-loved show about southern cooking and family, but despite her success, she wonders why she was saved. What is she supposed to do?

Sadie’s sister, Leala Clare, is still haunted by the guilt she feels over the night her sister almost died. Now, at a crossroads in her marriage, Leala has everything she ever thought she wanted—so why is she so unhappy?

When their mother suffers a minor heart attack just before Sugarberry Cove’s famous water lantern festival, the two sisters come home to run the inn while she recovers. It’s the last place either of them wants to be, but with a little help from the inn’s quirky guests, the sisters may come to terms with their strained relationships, accept the past, and rediscover a little lake magic.

About The Author

Heather Webber (aka Heather Blake) is the author of more than twenty-five novels and has been twice nominated for an Agatha Award. She loves to read, drink too much coffee and tea, birdwatch, crochet, and bake. She currently lives near Cincinnati, Ohio, and is hard at work on her next book.www.heatherwebber.com | http://www.heatherblakebooks.com

Thank you for stopping day. Have a wonderful day.

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The Spanish Daughter By Lorena Hughes-Review

My Review

This story taking place in the early twentieth century Ecuador is inspired by the real-life history of the coastal town known as the birthplace of cacao.
Highly anticipated this book is a real standout in historical fiction.
A married young woman inherits a cacao plantation located in Ecuador and with a lifetime of the knowledge of chocolate making from her grandmother she is excited to open a chocolate shop in her native country of Spain. Not everyone is happy with her inheritance of the plantation though and is out to get her. Danger follows her days though when not she is killed but mistakenly her husband. Living in fear and in disguise as her husband in public can she stay safe and convince others she is her husband while she investigates the truth. Sometimes what you find is not what you’re looking for but dark secrets instead that come to life.
While the pressure is off her as a female with the expectations to be meek and just obey, danger lurks around every corner as she learns the identity of her enemy.
Very intriguing read that I had a hard time putting down.

Pub Date 28 Dec 2021
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own. 

Grab A Copy Here

GoodReads Synopsis

The Washington Post Books to Read Now | Ms. Magazine Reads for the Rest of Us | Bustle Most Anticipated Books | PopSugar Best Books | BiblioLifestyle Most Anticipated Historical Fiction Books | Book Riot Book Recommendations | Finer Things Book Lover Gifts They’ll Actually Love

As a child in Spain, Puri always knew her passion for chocolate was inherited from her father. But it’s not until his death that she learns of something else she’s inherited—a cocoa estate in Vinces, Ecuador, a town nicknamed “París Chiquito.” Eager to claim her birthright and filled with hope for a new life after the devastation of World War I, she and her husband Cristóbal set out across the Atlantic Ocean. But it soon becomes clear someone is angered by Puri’s claim to the estate…

When a mercenary sent to murder her aboard the ship accidentally kills Cristóbal instead, Puri dons her husband’s clothes and assumes his identity, hoping to stay safe while she searches for the truth of her father’s legacy in Ecuador. Though freed from the rules that women are expected to follow, Puri confronts other challenges at the estate—newfound siblings, hidden affairs, and her father’s dark secrets. Then there are the dangers awakened by her attraction to an enigmatic man as she tries to learn the identity of an enemy who is still at large, threatening the future she is determined to claim…

Perfect for fans of Julia Alvarez and Silvia Moreno-Garcia, this exhilarating novel transports you to the lush tropical landscape of 1920s Ecuador, blending family drama, dangerous mystery, and the real-life history of the coastal town known as the “birthplace of cacao.” 

About The Author

Lorena Hughes is the award-winning author of The Spanish Daughter and The Sisters of Alameda Street. Born and raised in Ecuador, she moved to the United States when she was eighteen to study fine arts and mass communication & journalism. Publishers Weekly has called her work “as addictive as chocolate” and The Washington Post deems it “imaginative historical drama filled with sibling rivalry and betrayals.” The Spanish Daughter is an Amazon Editors’ Pick and a Publishers Marketplace Buzz Books Selection.

For more info, please visit: http://www.lorena-hughes.com

Thank you for stopping by. Have a restful day.

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The Watchmaker’s Daughter BY Dianne Haley- Blog Tour

Today I am excited to bring you my stop for The Watchmaker’s Daughter Blog Tour. A completely gripping and heart-wrenching novel about love and bravery in a time of terrible danger. Fans of The Alice Network, The Nightingale and We Were the Lucky Ones will be swept away by The Watchmaker’s Daughter.

My Review

Debut author Dianne Haley has written a superb book.
There have been many WWII books written and they are good but one that has a different topic covered such as this one really catches your attention.
What keeps your attention is the page after page reading of danger,heart wrenching heartbreak the characters face though not of their own causing. Such injustice done to children just trying to escape to a better life.
You get very invested in the character’s lives,holding your breath as you read the risks they are taking through espionage and secret communications.
France has fallen to the Nazi’s and Switzerland’s people know they could be next but a long time jeweler needs the business with the Germans to survive. As his daughter does bike deliveries for him she, unknown to her father ,smuggles messages for the French Resistance, hidden among his watch deliveries. 
It is a huge risk she is taking but she does it while thinking of Philippe, her childhood sweetheart who is a soldier based in secret military fortresses in the mountains.
When unexpected danger strikes will she stay safe, will her father?
Highly recommended!

Pub Date 25 Apr 2022
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Grab Your Copy Here

Good Reads Synopsis

I have to help them,’ Valérie says, her eyes filling with tears at the thought of the frightened children shivering in the rain and hiding from the Nazis. ‘I know you do,’ Philippe replies as he pulls her tight, ‘And I love you so much for that. But will you promise to be careful? Remember how precious your life is too?’

1942: Gazing out of her shuttered bedroom window towards the snow-covered Alps, Valérie Hallez feels like a traitor to her beautiful country. France has fallen to the Nazis, and everyone knows that Switzerland could be invaded next. But her father Albert is a local watchmaker who relies on German trade. As she helps him entertain German customers, she sees their Nazi insignia sparkling in the firelight. And guilt fills her heart as she listens to her crackling radio which speaks of terrible camps in Germany. So when a friend asks her to hide Jewish refugee children who will be sent back to the Nazis if they are discovered, Valérie knows she must join the fight against evil…

In defiance of her father, Valérie smuggles messages for the French Resistance, hidden among his watch deliveries. And when darkness falls, she runs through narrow cobbled streets to hide children in his old workshop. Her heart is broken by their terrified faces, and it pains her to feel so distant from her father. But she finds comfort in letters from Philippe, her childhood sweetheart who is a soldier based in secret military fortresses in the mountains. And in his brief hours of leave, they snatch precious moments on their favourite bench by Lake Geneva.

Then a hidden document that could alter the course of the war tells her Philippe is in grave danger. And Valérie faces an impossible choice. Will she betray the Resistance to save the man she loves?

A completely gripping and heart-wrenching novel about love and bravery in a time of terrible danger. Fans of The Alice Network, The Nightingale and We Were the Lucky Ones will be swept away by The Watchmaker’s Daughter.

About The Author

Author social media

Twitter: https://twitter.com/dhaley30

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Dianne-Haley-Author-105318942048374

Website: www.diannehaley.com

Originally from the north of Scotland, Dianne now lives with her husband in Edinburgh and has two grown-up children. After a thirty-year business career in London and Edinburgh when Dianne wrote between projects, she is now writing full-time.

Dianne and her family have been visiting the area round Lake Geneva since 1992 and love the Alps in all seasons. The inspiration for her series set in WW2 Switzerland came from a drive through Geneva’s old town on a rainy October evening, the cobbled lanes a perfect setting for secrets and hiding places.

Thank you for stopping by the blog today. Have a wonderful day!

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Review: A Hundred Crickets Singing

My Review

After reading Night Bird Calling I’ve been anxiously waiting for this follow up book and both stories are incredibly moving!
In A Hundred Crickets Singing we have a dual time line spanning an eighty year time difference of two women living on the same Appalachian estate helping their soldiers despite the cost.
This dual time line deals with Civil War, bother against brother, one for the Confederate one for the Union.
In No Creek,NC the racial tensions and prejudice during WWII runs deep. Both time lines are very well written and realistic with well developed characters and plot lines that kept me reading.
The author has done a lot of research for her books and it shows in her writing style.
We are still facing many of these racial issues today and not just in the South.
To better understand the future we need to first understand the past.
Highly recommended!

Publish date April 5,2022
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

GoodReads Synopsis

In wars eighty years apart, two young women living on the same Appalachian estate determine to aid soldiers dear to them and fight for justice, no matter the cost.
1944. When a violent storm rips through the Belvidere attic in No Creek, North Carolina, exposing a hidden room and trunk long forgotten, secrets dating back to the Civil War are revealed. Celia Percy, whose family lives and works in the home, suspects the truth could transform the future for her friend Marshall, now fighting overseas, whose ancestors were once enslaved by the Belvidere family. When Marshall’s Army friend, Joe, returns to No Creek with shocking news for Marshall’s family, Celia determines to right a long-standing wrong, whether or not the town is ready for it.

1861. After her mother’s death, Minnie Belvidere works desperately to keep her household running and her family together as North Carolina secedes. Her beloved older brother clings to his Union loyalties, despite grave danger, while her hotheaded younger brother entangles himself and the family’s finances within the Confederacy. As the country and her own home are torn in two, Minnie risks her life and her future in a desperate fight to gain liberty and land for those her parents intended to free, before it’s too late.

Amazon Buy Link

About The Author

Bestselling, Christy Hall of Fame, and Carol and INSPY Award-winning author, Cathy Gohlke writes novels steeped with inspirational lessons, speaking of world and life events through the lens of history. She champions the battle against oppression, celebrating the freedom found only in Christ. Her critically acclaimed novels include A Hundred Crickets Singing, Night Bird Calling, The Medallion (winner of the 2020 Christy Award), Until We Find Home, Secrets She Kept (winner of the 2016 Christy, Carol and INSPY Awards), Saving Amelie (winner of the 2015 INSPY Award), Band of Sisters, Promise Me This (listed by Library Journal as one of the best books of 2012), I Have Seen Him in the Watchfires (listed by Library Journal as one of the best books of 2008 and winner of the 2008 Christy and American Christian Fiction Writers Award) and William Henry is a Fine Name (winner of the 2007 Christy Award).

When not traveling to historic sites for research, she and her husband, Dan, divide their time between Northern Virginia and the Jersey Shore, enjoying time with their grown children and grandchildren. Visit her website at http://www.cathygohlke.com, and find her on Facebook at CathyGohlkeBooks; on Bookbub (@ CathyGohlke); and on YouTube, where you can subscribe to Book Gems with Cathy Gohlke for short videos of book recommendations.

Thank you for stopping by. Have a wonderful day.

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Cover Reveal My Paris Romance

@rararesources,@ospringauthor, #myparisromance

I am so excited to be taking part in the cover reveal today for My Paris Romance by Olivia Spring. The cover is stunning and the book sounds so good!

About The Book

My Paris Romance: Falling in love with a billionaire…

Cassie swore she’d never fall for another rich guy. Her heart has other ideas.

After a whirlwind holiday romance with hot billionaire Frenchman Nico, personal assistant Cassie receives an invitation to visit him in Paris.

Although she’d love a fairy-tale reunion, Cassie cannot fall for Nico. They live in different countries, come from different worlds, plus he’s more loaded than a bank vault. And after her rich ex and his snooty family left her feeling heartbroken and worthless, Cassie swore off dating wealthy guys. If she’d known Nico was France’s most eligible bachelor when they met, she’d never have got involved.

But their connection is undeniable and she’d be crazy not to see him again. If Cassie suppresses her feelings and just goes for the experience, she can avoid getting hurt, right?

Except when Nico sweeps her off her feet with a string of sexy, romantic dates around Paris, her plan not to fall in love unravels. She hopes he feels the same, but then a shocking revelation turns her world upside down…

Can they overcome their obstacles? And will Cassie get the happily-ever-after she’s been dreaming of?

Order this fun, steamy, fish-out-of-water, billionaire romantic comedy now and join Cassie in Paris to find out!

Read as a standalone novel or as book three in the My Ten-Year Crush series.

Publication Date: 30th August 2022

Pre-order Links:

About The Author

Olivia Spring is a British, London-based writer of contemporary women’s fiction, sexy chick lit and romantic comedy. Her uplifting debut novel The Middle-Aged Virgin, which was released in 2018, deals with being newly single in your thirties and beyond, dating, relationships, love, sex and living life to the full.

In addition to The Middle-Aged Virgin, Olivia has published The Middle-Aged Virgin in Italy, Love Offline, Losing My Inhibitions, Only When It’s Love and the sequel When’s The Wedding? Olivia’s seventh novel, My Ten-Year Crush, was published in September 2021. Book two in the series, My Lucky Night followed in November 2021 and book three, My Paris Romance will be published in summer 2022.

Thank you for stopping by today. Have a wonderful day!

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Spring Tides at Starfish Cafe_Boldwood Blog Tour

@JessicaRedland @BoldwoodBooks @rararesources

About The Book

Welcome back to the Starfish Café – where you will find stunning views, delicious food and lifelong friendships.

A new season…

As winter turns to spring, Hollie – owner of The Starfish Café – is feeling content as she settles into her new life with her loving boyfriend, Jake, and their adorable dog Pickle.

But when an unwelcome visitor threatens the future of her café, Hollie must stay strong to protect her family’s legacy…

A leap of faith…

Emerging from an unhappy relationship, Tori finds herself with nowhere to stay and nobody to talk to. The long-hidden secrets of her past weigh heavily on her until a chance encounter with Finley, struggling to come to terms with his own secrets, provides an opportunity to open up.

Can she find the strength to stop hiding from her past and face up to her family? Especially when that would mean letting her guard down and learning to trust again…

A fresh start…?

Little do Hollie and Tori know that their lives are about to collide at The Starfish Café and they may be able to help each other with a fresh start. After all, with good friends in your life, nothing is impossible…

Top 10 bestseller Jessica Redland welcomes you back to the stunning Starfish Café, for another emotional but uplifting read of friendship, family and community.

Praise for Jessica Redland:

‘Heartbreakingly moving and yet beautifully uplifting, I cried for all the right reasons!’ Jo Bartlett

‘I fell in love with this story from page one.’ Helen J Rolfe

‘Achingly poignant, yet full of hope – You will fall in love with this beautiful Christmas story’ Sandy Barker

”A tender love story, full of sweet touches and beautiful characters.’ Beth Moran

‘I loved my trip to Hedgehog Hollow. An emotional read, full of twists and turns’ Heidi Swain

‘Jessica Redland writes from the heart, with heart, about heart’ Nicola May

‘A wonderful, warm series full of family, friends and romance.’ Katie Ginger

‘An emotional but uplifting page turner.’ Fay Keenan

My Review


I have read many books by this author and she is an automatic read for me.
Her books leave me feeling happy and satisfied.
It will be a fun challenge for myself to find and read the rest of her books.
This is the second book in the Starfish Cafe series and it’s so much fun meeting back up with characters from the past book, it feels like we are meeting old friends again and we are now making new friends with this new book.
The nice thing about this book is the relatable characters, you can see yourself in them and they are in believable situations.
What they are going through makes you stop and reflect on what you’re going through as well.
The author writes from the heart. You can feel the tension and uncertainty the characters have, we are all flawed and carry secrets but with close friends to help shoulder the burden
you feel uplifted.
The book revolves around friendship,family and community. It is an emotional and uplifting page-turner.

Published April 5th 2022
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Amazon Buy Link

About The Author

Find her on Amazon

A warm welcome to my author page! Thank you for visiting.

I live in Scarborough on the stunning North Yorkshire Coast in the UK. My home inspired the creation of the fictional seaside town of Whitsborough Bay where I set some of my books. The Hedgehog Hollow series takes readers to a gorgeous countryside setting on the Yorkshire Wolds.

I live with my husband, our teenage daughter and sprocker spaniel, Ella. I’m a stationery addict with a notepad obsession who loves chocolate (although it doesn’t love me), hedgehogs, 80s music, collectible teddy bears and lighthouses.

My career has mainly been in HR as a trainer and recruiter. I had a brief detour into retail to set up and manage my own specialist teddy bear shop and started writing my debut novel on quiet days in the shop.

In June 2020, I became a full-time author. I’m so very grateful to anyone who has bought or borrowed my books in whatever format, helping me fulfil a long-held dream of writing full-time. I still can’t believe I get to spend every day chatting to my fictional friends and making stuff up.

Thank you Boldwood Books and Rachel Random Resources for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

Thank you for visiting my blog today. May your day be blessed.

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Take My Hand Blog Tour

My Review

A dual timeline taking place in 1973 and 2016, Take My Hand by author Dolen Perkins-Valdez explores the U.S. government’s forceful involvement in involuntary sterilization of mostly poor,disadvantaged,illiterate women of color.
Loosely based on a case in Alabama in 1973 involving children ages 12 and 14 years of age whose illiterate family signed the consent form for this procedure to take place after being lied to about what the paper said that they were signing.
The story is told through the eye’s of a nurse who was involved in the lives of the children and their family beyond typical nurse duties. This gave me a sense of hope and gladness.
The story hurt my heart and made me cry at the injustice done to these children just because they were poor and of color and the government though this would be in their best interest.
A woman’s reproductive choices are her own to make and no one has a right to make them for her no matter her circumstances or age.
In the author’s research she discovered this wasn’t the only case like this, that there were many cases across the country of forced sterilization. This sadly is relevant today as women in California prisons and immigrants coming into our country have had this procedure done to them.
Based on facts this book is one that moved me and will stay with me for a long time. I recommend it to you, it will open your eyes and educate you.

Published April 12,2022.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Take My Hand Hardcover edition -published April 12,2022- Author Dolen Perkins-Valdez 368 pages -Publisher Berkley

Amazon Buy Link

TAKE MY HAND (Berkley Hardcover; April 12, 2022) reckons with the forced sterilization of Black women, inspired by true events in the 1970s American South, for readers of An American Marriage by Tayari Jones and The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray.  

Dolen was inspired to write TAKE MY HAND by a 1973 lawsuit on behalf of Minnie Lee and Alice Relf. The Relf sisters were only twelve and fourteen years old when they were surgically sterilized without their knowledge in a federally-funded Montgomery clinic. At age 29, Joseph Levin—co-founder of the Southern Poverty Law Center—filed a lawsuit on the sisters’ behalf, shining a spotlight on the 150,000 impoverished victims across the county. TAKE MY HAND is a fictionalized account of this significant event.

Montgomery, Alabama, 1973. Fresh out of nursing school, Civil Townsend intends to make a difference, especially in her African American community. At the Montgomery Family Planning Clinic, she hopes to help women shape their destinies, to make their own choices for their lives and bodies.

But when her first week on the job takes her along a dusty country road to a worn-down one-room cabin, Civil is shocked to learn that her new patients, Erica and India, are children—just eleven and thirteen years old. Neither of the Williams sisters has even kissed a boy, but they are poor and Black, and for those handling the family’s welfare benefits, that’s reason enough to have the girls on birth control. As Civil grapples with her role, she takes India, Erica, and their family into her heart. Until one day she arrives at their door to learn the unthinkable has happened, and nothing will ever be the same for any of them.

Decades later, with her daughter grown and a long career in her wake, Dr. Civil Townsend is ready to retire, to find her peace, and to leave the past behind. But there are people and stories that refuse to be forgotten. That must not be forgotten. Because history repeats what we don’t remember.

Inspired by true events and brimming with hope, TAKE MY HAND is a stirring exploration of accountability and redemption. 

About The Author

Dolen Perkins-Valdez is the New York Times bestselling author of WENCH, BALM, and the forthcoming TAKE MY HAND. *USA Today* called WENCH “deeply moving” and “beautifully written.” *People* called it “a devastatingly beautiful account of a cruel past.” *O, The Oprah Magazine* chose it as a Top Ten Pick of the Month, and NPR named it a top 5 book club pick of 2010. Dolen’s fiction has appeared in The Kenyon Review, StoryQuarterly, StorySouth, and elsewhere. In 2011, she was a finalist for two NAACP Image Awards and the Hurston-Wright Legacy Award for fiction. She was also awarded the First Novelist Award by the Black Caucus of the American Library Association. Dolen received a DC Commission on the Arts Grant for her second novel BALM. Publishers Weekly writes “Her spare, lyrical voice is unsentimental yet compassionate.” Library Journal writes “No sophomore slump is in evidence here. Readers who were captivated by Perkins-Valdez’s first novel, Wench, will be intrigued by the post–Civil War lives of three Southern transplants to Chicago.” Dolen is an Associate Professor of Literature at American University. A graduate of Harvard and a former University of California President’s Postdoctoral Fellow at UCLA, Dolen lives in Washington, DC with her family.

Thank you for stopping by today. May your day be blessed.

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The Spark Of Love (Mesquite Springs #3) Review

My Review

Amanda Cabot has put so many wonderful books out over the years and I have read them all.
I always get excited when I see she has an upcoming book ready to publish as her books are ones not to miss.
The Spark Of Love is the third and final book in the Mesquite Springs series and I am sorry to see it end but greatly anticipate what she’ll have out next.
I enjoyed my time in the little town of Mesquite Springs and meeting it’s residents.
This book taking place in the Texas Hill Country is full of intrigue,action,suspense and believable characters.
This is a great conclusion to the trilogy and though it can easily be read as a standalone it makes for such fun reading to read the whole series.

Pub Date: 01 Mar 2022
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

GoodReads Synopsis

When a spurned suitor threatens her, heiress Alexandra Tarkington flees New York for Mesquite Springs in the Texas Hill Country, where her father is building a hotel. But the happy reunion she envisions is not to be as her father insists she return to New York. Instead, Alexandra carves out a niche for herself in town, teaching schoolchildren to paint and enjoying the company of Gabe Seymour, a delightful man she met on the stagecoach.

But all is not as it seems. Two men, each with his own agenda, have followed her to Mesquite Springs. And Gabe is an investigator, searching for proof that her father is a swindler. When a series of apparent accidents threaten her life, Alexandra and Gabe will have to work together to discover the truth. And perhaps along the way they will discover that the sparks of attraction they’ve felt from the beginning are more than sparks–they’re love.

Bestselling author Amanda Cabot invites you back to 1850s Texas for this exciting and heartwarming tale of treachery, love, and learning to trust. 

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About The Author

With both parents avid readers, it’s no surprise that Amanda Cabot learned to read at an early age. From there it was only a small step to deciding to become a writer. Of course, deciding and becoming are two different things, as she soon discovered. Fortunately for the world, her first attempts at fiction, which included a play for her fifth grade class entitled “All About Thermometers,” were not published, but she did meet her goal of selling a novel by her thirtieth birthday. Since then she’s sold more than forty novels. When she’s not writing, Amanda enjoys sewing, cooking and – of course – reading.

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