Fascinating and engaging book reviews and encouragement you'll want to read.
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.
352 pages Bethany House Publishers December 17, 2024 publication date
ABOUT THE BOOK
Trust no one in the shadows of the piney woods . . .
Letty Hood has spent the last fifteen years of her life hidden away with her grandmother in the backwoods of east Texas to escape the deadly schemes of an uncle who wants her dead. Now, with her twenty-first birthday on the horizon, she is forced to accept the escort of a stranger and return to Houston in secret so she can claim a birthright that will make her one of the wealthiest women in Texas. If she lives long enough to inherit.
Pinkerton agent Philip Carmichael has one duty: get the Radcliffe heiress home alive. Expecting a spoiled girl, Philip is surprised to encounter a woman of rare strength with a kind soul and keen wit. As they journey together, Letty’s resilience wins his admiration, breaking through his hardened cynicism. Yet the threat to her survival grows more menacing with every mile, and Philip fears that keeping Letty out of harm’s way may be just as impossible as keeping her out of his heart.
MY THOUGHTS
Cloaked in Beauty by Karen Witemeyer is the author’s retelling of the Little Red Riding Hood story. I’ll admit I liked her version much better, with the author’s usual laugh out loud humor added her quirky characters and we can’t forget the wolf (Rusty) is it okay to have a wolf as a favorite character and the fairytale like settings the story is magical. From the mansion to going into hiding and the magical forest to roam in with her wolf I was totally captivated.
I think we all need a Philip Carmichael in our lives, a Pinkerton agent he is tasked with finding Letty after she has been in hiding for many years and escorting her home safely. Though he tries not to show it he is captivated by Letty and will do everything in his power to keep her safe.
As the danger unfolds mile after mile with their perilous journey the only one who can keep them safe is letting God take control of this situation. Will Phillip be free to admit his feelings for Letty or will his formal training keep them apart?
I loved this retelling and greatly look forward to more books in the series.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
MEET THE AUTHOR
For those who love to smile as they read, bestselling author Karen Witemeyer offers warmhearted historical romance with a flair for humor, feisty heroines, and swoon-worthy Texas heroes. Voted #1 Readers’ Favorite Christian Historical Author in 2023 by Family Fiction Magazine, Karen is a multiple award-winning author and a firm believer in the power of happy endings. She is an avid cross-stitcher, tea drinker, and family board game player who makes her home in Abilene, TX with her heroic husband who vanquishes laundry dragons and dirty dish villains whenever she’s on deadline. Learn more about Karen and her books at http://www.karenwitemeyer.com.
Describe an item you were incredibly attached to as a youth. What became of it?
When I was a young child I had barbie dolls as many young girls do. Growing up there wasn’t a lot of money for things past the essentials but that’s okay it taught me some great life lessons that I still practice today. Getting back to what I was saying, my dolls didn’t have the fancy sequined party dresses other girls dolls had, the tiny shoes or the many little accessories that go with them. What I did have the other girls didn’t was a box of Barbie clothes my grandmother made for them and the clothes even had elastic, zippers, buttons and snaps. My grandmother was an excellent seamstress. Oh how I regret getting rid of those clothes as when I no longer played with Barbies I didn’t want the clothes but I was too young to make that decision to give away such valuable items. I wish my mother had stepped in and kept them safe for me because I don’t know what happened to them.
f you haven’t fallen in love with the men of Lassiter Ranch yet, you can get SAVE THE DATE FOR A COWBOY, the prequel novella that starts it all, forFREE when you sign up for Jennie’s newsletter.
See what happens when a reluctant cowboy agrees to get set up at a wedding, but then he and his dog fall for the wrong bridesmaid. Grab yours from Bookfunnel now:https://BookHip.com/HZFKARX
Or check out the whole Lassiter Ranch series HERE to make sure you’re caught up beforeLOST AND FOUND COWBOY arrives.
SAVE THE DATE FOR A COWBOY is the prequel novella to the Lassiter Ranch series in which three abandoned cowboys, born in heartbreak and bonded by brotherhood, are brought together by the fierce love of the grandparents who took them in and the ranch that’s the only home they’ve ever known…
**Each book in the Lassiter Ranch series can be read as a standalone—a boots-knockin’ hot cowboy HEA guaranteed in every one!**
The Lassiter Ranch Series
Save the Date For a Cowboy: Prequel Novella Love at First Cowboy: Book 1 Overdue for a Cowboy: Book 2 Second Chance with a Cowboy: Book 3
Lost and Found Cowboy: Book 4
You will love this small town, western romance series filled with wounded cowboys, curvy wallflower heroines, second chances, friends to lovers, fake relationships, unrequited love, forced proximity, and grumpy versus sunshine stories.
BOOK DETAILS:
Lost and Found Cowboy
by Jennie Marts
(Lassiter Ranch. #4)
Publication date: March 11th 2025
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Synopsis:
He came to find a family. He never expected to find love.
After meeting the three half-brothers he never knew existed, cowboy Mack Lassiter decides to stay and try to build a new life in the small Colorado mountain town of Woodland Hills. But he didn’t expect to find another family in Lorna Gibbs, the sweet single mom and local coffee shop owner, whose strength and warmth instantly captivated him.
Lorna’s not looking for love—her heart had been trampled by the snake who’d walked out on her and their two kids, and now her only focus is on giving her son and infant daughter the stable life they all deserve. The last thing she needs is a man breezing into town and stirring up feelings she’s locked away for years. But Mack isn’t just any man—he’s steady, kind, and a little broken, just like her.
Mack didn’t come to town expecting to fall in love, but Lorna and her kids stir something deep inside him. As he starts to find a place in their lives, both Mack and Lorna must confront the scars of their past. As Mack grapples with fitting into a new family, Lorna must decide if she’s ready to open her heart and find the courage to let a new kind of love into her life.
Jennie Marts is the USA TODAY Best-selling author of award-winning books filled with love, laughter, and always a happily ever after. Readers call her books “laugh out loud” funny and the “perfect mix of romance, humor, and steam.” Fic Central claimed one of her books was “the most fun I’ve had reading in years.”
She is living her own happily ever after in the mountains of Colorado with her husband, two dogs, and a parakeet who loves to tweet to the oldies. She’s addicted to Diet Coke, adores Cheetos, and believes you can’t have too many books, shoes, or friends.
Her books range from western romance to cozy mysteries but they all have the charm and appeal of quirky small town life. She loves genre-mashups like adding romance to her Page Turners cozy mysteries and creating the hockey-playing cowboys in the Cowboys of Creedence. The same small town community comes to life with more animal antics in her latest Creedence Horse Rescue series. And her sassy heroines and hunky heroes carry over in her heartwarming, feel good romances from Hallmark Publishing. Take the Honey and Run is her newest cozy mystery in the A Bee Keeping Mystery series.
Jennie loves to hear from readers. Follow her on Facebook at Jennie Marts Books, Twitter at @JennieMarts, and at jenniemartswriter on Instagram. Visit her at http://www.jenniemarts.com and sign up for her newsletter to keep up with the latest news and releases.
What are your thoughts on the concept of living a very long life?
Our first impulse is to say yes, I want to live a long life and yes, that is mine as well.
But, I want to live a long life full of health , I don’t have daily pain but I don’t want it to accompany me as I age I want to be mentally capable of making the correct decisions. My grandmother, Hazel had dementia. I pray I never get it or my husband whose father had it I am a vegetarian for several reasons, to help the environment, I can’t stand the thought of a poor animal suffering and dying for me to eat it and also for my health and contributing to its longevity. Many people take at least one medication daily and they have a multitude of reasons for it that they can’t help. I feel very fortunate that I don’t have any prescriptions I need to take. As you age your loved ones die off and you become lonely . Yes, you have the younger generations but you’re never as close to them as you are with your immediate family. So yes, there are pros and cons to longevity that is more so than the average life span.
382 pages Zondervan publisher August 1, 2023 publication date
ABOUT THE BOOK
Together, schoolteacher Rachelle Lapp and auctioneer Toby Miller must face their hardest battle yet: trusting God’s plan for their uncertain future.
At twenty-nine, auctioneer Toby Miller is a notorious bachelor. But his job keeps him on the road for months out of the year, and he knows no Plain woman could want a marriage that would force her to live and raise children alone. Thankfully, Toby’s content to dedicate his life to the family business, especially now that his grandfather is retiring. So why does his heart keep longing for something—or more specifically, someone—he can’t have?
Rachelle Lapp has already turned down two marriage proposals. Neither promised a future that would bring her more joy than her job as a teacher to Amish children with developmental disabilities, including her brother, Jonah, and Toby’s sister, Sadie. But when the parents’ committee votes to send her students to the English schools, where they will have access to many more resources, Rachelle finds herself out of a job. She’s forced to decide between pursuing her calling far from home and staying near to the man she can’t get off her mind.
As their families matchmake, Toby and Rachelle realize their jobs may not be all that’s holding them back from a future together. They both must learn not only to trust each other but also trust God’s plans for them. But do those plans involve a lifetime together or them going their separate ways?
MY THOUGHTS
he Heart’s Bidding is the start of a beautiful and emotional Amish book series by Kelly Irvin. This is a very special book, and I enjoyed it a lot.
Auctioneer Toby Miller thinks he has his priorities straight. This bachelor spends months at a time on the road doing his auctioneering thing but that’s okay. as a single man he has no one to answer to. When his grandfather who has run the office side of the business steps down and his father isn’t suited for this type of work things start to change.
Rethinking all the traveling as a lovely young woman catches his interest and the other side of business needs running may have put him in a new frame of mind. Letting go and letting God be in charge is not an easy thing for Toby to just do though when he’s used to having all this freedom.
Rachelle Lapp is a schoolteacher for the Amish children with developmental disabilities. When it’s decided, the children will go to an Englisher school with more resources available to them her job becomes redundant.
She knows the needs of the children having a special needs brother and Toby has a special needs sister. The Amish believe these children are special and a blessing from God and I agree.
The two are drawn together with many similarities and understandings. I loved seeing the support of family and friends in the tough situations. God’s plan will lead this couple on the right path in love and in life.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
MEET THE AUTHOR
Best-selling novelist Kelly Irvin’s latest Amish romance, Every Good Gift, debuted in February 2023. The third novel in the Amish Blessings series takes place in Yoder and Haven, Kansas. The series takes a look at adoption in Amish communities. The first book, Love’s Dwelling, won second place in the Selah Awards contest in the long contemporary romance category. The series follows the Amish of Sky Country series, which featured Amish communities in Northwest Montana affected by wildfires that destroyed thousands of acres in the state in recent years. The first book, Mountains of Grace, debuted in August 2019, and delves into the impact on not only an Amish man and woman, but also a smoke jumper, a sheriff’s deputy, and a young English woman forced to confront her past because of the fires.
Kelly also writes romantic suspense novels. Her most recent forays into this genre include Trust Me, Her Every Move and Closer Than She Knows, all set in San Antonio and South Texas. Publishers Weekly says of Closer Than She Knows, “this brisk, smoothly written thriller from Irvin pits court reporter Teagan O’Rourke, a murder mystery lover, against a cunning and vicious serial killer. Fans of serial killer fiction with a Christian slant will be satisfied.”
Of Tell Her No Lies, The Library Journal says, “Irvin creates a complex web with enough twists and turns to keep even the most savvy romantic suspense readers guessing until the end. Known for her Amish novels, this two-time Carol Award finalist shows that her talents span subgenres from tranquil Amish stories to rapidly paced breathless suspense.”
Kelly is also the author of the Every Amish Season series, which included four books that chronicle the lives of Amish widows who are in different seasons in their lives. These women are linked by life altering experiences that bring them together as wives, mothers, and grandmothers in the small town of Jamesport, Mo. The first book, Upon a Spring Breeze, received critical acclaim from the Library Journal: “A moving and compelling tale about the power of grace and forgiveness that reminds us how we become strongest in our most broken moments.”
Kelly Irvin is also the author of The Amish of Bee County series, which includes the critically acclaimed The Beekeeper’s Son. Publishers Weekly called the first book in the series a beautifully woven masterpiece and Romantic Times Magazine called Kelly a storyteller extraordinaire. It was followed by The Bishop’s Son and The Saddle Maker’s Son, which is an ECPA bestseller.
A two-time ACFW Carol finalist, Kelly’s novellas have been included in numerous anthologies, including An Amish Summer, The Amish Christmas Gift, An Amish Market, an Amish Christmas Love, and Amish Quilt, An Amish Reunion, An Amish Picnic, and An Amish Christmas Bakery.
She also penned the Bliss Creek Amish series and the New Hope Amish series, both published by Harvest House Publishers. Love Still Stands, the first book in the New Hope series, debuted in September 2012, and the follow-up, Love Redeemed, released March 1, 2014. The final book in the series, set in Branson, MO., was A Plain Love Song, released in July 2014.
The Bliss Creek Amish series, set in Kansas, includes To Love and to Cherish, A Heart Made New, and Love’s Journey Home.
In the New Hope series, familiar characters from Bliss Creek move to Missouri to start a new district and a new life.
The Kansas native is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and the ACFW San Antonio local chapter Alamo City Christian Fiction Writers, as well as Sisters in Crime and Women’s Fiction Writers Association.
A graduate of the University of Kansas William Allen White School of Journalism, Kelly wrote nonfiction professionally for thirty years. She studied for three semesters at the University of Costa Rica, learning the Spanish language. As a journalist, she worked six years in the border towns of Laredo and El Paso, where she was exposed to culture and language that serves as fodder for her fiction writing. She has written hard news, features, entertainment pieces, restaurant critiques, editorials, and weekly columns. Writing awards include the Silver Star Award from the Texas Mental Health Association for articles pertaining to mental health and numerous awards in news, feature, and editorial writing from the Texas Press Association and Texas Press Women.
Kelly retired in 2016 from her position of 22 years as public relations manager for the San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department, where her duties included writing and designing an employee newsletter, writing news releases, collaborating on marketing campaigns, coordinating ribbon-cuttings and groundbreakings, coordinating press conferences, updating the web site, and acting as a media spokesperson.
Kelly has been married to photographer Tim Irvin for 35 years. They have two children and four grandchildren. In her spare time, she likes to write short stories and poetry, read books by her favorite authors, and visit the babies.
368 pages Random House Publishing Group Pub Date Oct 15 2024
ABOUT THE BOOK
When an unexpected inheritance forces two total opposites to work together, Lexie must decide if Theo is going to push her out—or pull her in for the kiss of a lifetime—in this heartwarming holiday novel from the author of Always, in December and One Last Gift
When Lexie learns of her father’s death, she doesn’t know how to feel; they’ve barely spoken in the last ten years. And she’s even more confused when she discovers he’s left her half of his holiday travel company, a successful niche business specializing in trips that explore the holiday traditions of cultures all over the world.
Meanwhile, the other half of the company has been left to her father’s handsome but bad-tempered young executive, Theo. And the will stipulates that the two of them must find a way to run the company together for a year before they decide its fate.
Lexie intends to leave once the year is over, even though, as a wanderer herself, she finds the company’s mission more compelling than she first thought. And a work trip to sizzling Spain reveals a chemistry between Lexie and Theo that is impossible to deny.
There may have been some snap judgments made about each other. But mixing business and pleasure isn’t always a good idea.
MY THOUGHTS
I have read several other books by the author, and they are all very emotional books. The author really knows how to write a book that sticks with you and pulls on your heartstrings. The situations are so realistic that it could be your family or friends experiencing it.
Sometimes you wake up and have no idea your life is going to completely change from mundane and totally ordinary to something you’re not expecting at all.
This is what happens to our main character Lexie. Having her life thrown into chaos and uncertainty isn’t her idea of fun. Oh Lexie, she rides a rising tide of emotions throughout the whole book. I started out feeling sorry for her character but became empathetic towards her, she has a lot more on her plate than the average person.
Our main male character, Theo, I didn’t like him at first at all. His character is not made out to be likable from the way he treats Lexie to their arguments. A work trip with our main characters forced to go starts to thaw this frosty relationship into a mutual attraction.
I loved the dialogue between them when things started clicking, such humor and wit. With some tough decisions ahead of her will Lexie make the right ones to not only have workplace peace of mind but with family relationships and her brightly burning love life.
Love the close family relationships of healing and coming together. Lovely story!
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
MEET THE AUTHOR
Hello, I’m Emily! If you’ve found this page then welcome, and thanks so much for showing an interest in my writing.
I have written three books now, which feels surreal! My latest novel is Love, Holly in the US and The Christmas Letter in the UK. My books always revolve around the Christmas period, but span the course of a whole year and more. They also deal with love – and grief, in one way or another. I think I put a part of me in every book – as I’m sure every author does – and my newest book is no exception. The main character – Holly – often does the wrong thing for the right reasons, and that is a situation I’ve found myself in! And with three sisters myself, writing about the sister love – and difficulties – in this book felt personal at times!
My other two novels are One Last Gift – a story of finding yourself when you feel that’s impossible, and of the love between siblings – and Always, in December. As my debut novel, it will always be one close to my heart. Whilst very different from me, the protagonist, Josie is suffering with a grief that I know all too well – losing a parent/parents at a young age, and having to carry that grief into adulthood, long after it’s supposedly ‘gone away’. I lost my mum when I was seven, and I still think about her even now, in my thirties – and that’s something that Josie and I share. Max, too, is suffering his own kind of grief, and that’s something that he has to learn to deal with. But whilst the novel is about grief, and learning to live with that, it’s also about falling in love, and about learning to be brave, even when your life doesn’t feel quite right yet – even if it feels like it will never quite be right!
I wrote my first two novels in a glorious house in Chepstow, living with my sister and my two nieces. My third book I wrote on the English coastline in Cornwall – so I consider myself very lucky!
If you read any of my novels then thank you, and I really hope you enjoy! If you want to get in touch then I’d love to hear from you – I’m on Twitter and Instagram under @EmStoneWrites!
338 pages Kensington cozies September 27, 2022 publication date
ABOUT THE BOOK
It’s holiday season in the picturesque, coastal town of Sea Harbor, Massachusetts! But in USA Today bestselling author Sally Goldenbaum’s latest Seaside Knitters Society mystery, the knitting club sleuths will have to take a break from crafting cozy Christmas gifts to investigate a murder at the Mayor’s holiday party.
Winter in Sea Harbor is a feast for the senses. This year, the Seaside Knitters have a sackful of obligations in addition to their usual Christmas preparations. Izzy is so overloaded with knitting classes that she hires an extra salesperson. Cass, juggling the stresses of running her lobster fishery, has finally found a nanny for her active toddler. Molly Flanigan seems practically perfect in every way—until she suddenly disappears, taking Cass’s beloved rescue mutt with her . . .
Meanwhile, the holidays are kicking off in style at the mayor’s holiday party with a celebrity chef catering the event. An additional treat for Ben and Nell Endicott at the festive affair is reconnecting with a dear college friend, Oliver Bishop. But it’s not just reunions and the appetizers that are to-die-for. Before the partygoers can toast the beginning of Sea Harbor’s festive season, the chef—and young wife of the Endicotts’ old Harvard friend—is found dead in the snow . . .
Izzy, Birdie, Nell, and Cass must uncover the pattern to these mysteries to remove suspicion from those they love, bring a murderer to justice—and keep Sea Harbor’s holiday magic from vanishing into the chill winter air . . .
MY THOUGHTS
Now I’ll fully admit I’m not a knitter. My grandmother tried teaching me crochet years ago and I couldn’t get the hang of it, she was so good at it. Now I wish I had made more of an effort in it. While I don’t knit, I do appreciate this book is full of knitting lingo and it sounds like such a fun hobby to take up. A nice pattern is also included in this book.
Really enjoyed the atmosphere in this one, cozy Christmas mystery beautiful decorations, knitting in front of the fireplace during the knitting class but……… watch out! A murder has been committed and the instructors of this tourist’s attraction town, Sea Harbor, Massachusetts are trying to solve who the murderer was at an important holiday party.
Hitting all the high notes I enjoyed doing a little armchair sleuthing along with our solve it ladies. I’ve enjoyed reading this series, well written and thought-out clues placed amongst ordinary life so you may not catch them at first. I’ll be continuing on with this series.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
MEET THE AUTHOR
Sally Goldenbaum was born on the shores of Lake Michigan, in Manitowoc, WI, to a homemaker mother and a ship-building father. She and her husband raised their three children in landlocked Prairie Village, KS, but in 2019 they made a huge move, downsizing from a large Kansas home to a condo in Gloucester, a seaside town on Cape Ann, MA–which happens to also be the home of the USA Today best selling Seaside Knitters Mystery series. She can now share walks along the ocean with Izzy, Nell, Birdie and Cass–her fictional friends.
Vegan Book Blogger 