Tag: books

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Blog Blitz

Cover reveal for Lost and Found Cowboy by Jennie Marts

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, for FREE 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 before LOST 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.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/219366203-lost-and-found-cowboy

Pre-order: https://amzn.to/4j3a9sx

AUTHOR BIO:

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.

Author links:

Home

https://www.facebook.com/JennieMartsBooks/

https://www.instagram.com/jenniemartswriter/

https://twitter.com/JennieMarts

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6876233.Jennie_Marts

Hope you’re enjoying a lovely day and thanks for stopping in.

Categories
Amish Fiction Romance

The Heart’s Bidding (Amish Calling Book 1) 

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.

For more information, visit http://www.kellyirvin.com

Have a beautiful day. Thank you for stopping in.

Categories
holidays Romance

A Winter Wish: A Novel

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!

Emily Stone profile image

Categories
Cozy Mystery holidays

A Dark and Snowy Night (Seaside Knitters Society Book 5) 

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.

Visit her website at sallygoldenbaum.com

or her Facebook author page–https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sally-Goldenbaum/27082346139?ref=hl

Categories
Uncategorized

First Line Friday

Happy Friday & welcome to First Line Friday hosted at Reading is my Super Power! It’s time to grab the book nearest to you and leave a comment with the first line. Today I’m delighted to feature Mishka by Edward van de Vendel; Anoush Elman.

    Reading age 7-10 years 153 pages Levine Querido publisher Publication date November 12, 2024

    ABOUT THE BOOK

    Winner of the national book award for children’s literature in the Netherlands — a sweet and tender story of a girl refugee finding a new home!

    Roya, her three brothers, and their parents have a new family member — Mishka, a bunny rabbit. He soon becomes a beloved part of their new home and gradually, the rabbit — and also Roya — get to hear the story of the family’s journey from Afghanistan to the Netherlands. Told from different perspectives every time: big Bashir, gentle Hamayun, tough Navid, and sometimes Mom and Dad. Mishka and Roya listen.

    Anoush Elman and Edward van de Vendel became friends upon Elman’s arrival in the Netherlands, and fifteen years later, they decided to write a story for younger readers about his family’s experience. This gorgeous chapter book — illustrated throughout in full color — is a tender, lyrical story of a young girl processing a new country, new school, and new friends — and a bunny escape! — in a story readers and parents will treasure.

    About the Author

    Edward van de Vendel has been a school principal, founder, and teacher. He has been nominated for the Hans Christian Andersen Prize, the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, and received the German Jugendliteratur Prize; in 2023, he received the highest honor for children’s books in the Netherlands: the Gouden Griffel, for Mishka. Edward lives in Amersfoort, and travels widely.

    Author residence: Netherlands

    Anoush Elman was born in Kabul, Afghanistan. When he was twelve he came to live in the Netherlands with his parents, brothers and sister, where the family had to wait seven years before receiving their residence permit. After high school he studied applied psychology, took a job as senior researcher at Pharos, the Dutch Center of Expertise On Health Disparities, and obtained his doctorate in 2022.

    Author residence: Netherlands

    Annet Schaap is a children’s book illustrator and in 2017 made her debut as both writer and illustrator for Lampje, which won the Gouden Griffel, the British Carnegie Medal, and the Premio Strega Ragazze e Ragazzi, and has been translated into 22 languages.

    Illustratorresidence: Netherlands

    Nancy Forest-Flier is an American-born translator and editor living and working in the Netherlands. She has translated several adult and children’s novels from Dutch to English as well as books of historical non-fiction. She has also translated for numerous Dutch museums and institutes including the Anne Frank House. She has six children and ten grandchildren.

    Translator residence: Netherlands

    FIRST LINE(S)

    It was the first evening in our new house. My three big brothers were all talking over each other and I was staring at the dinner plate on the table in front of me. Then I looked at the big window and the walls.

    Amazon link here

    Let me know in the comments below the first line of the book you are currently reading.

    Thank you for stopping in and stay warm. We have a storm coming Monday and our current weather is flurries and feels like 4 degrees Fahrenheit.

    Categories
    Blog Tour

    Blog Tour for Forever Love at Wildflower Lock

    My first blog tour of the year and I am excited to join in. Wishing you all a beautiful day!

    ABOUT THE BOOK

    Forever Love at Wildflower Lock

    Hannah Lynn’s GORGEOUS series continues as Daisy May looks ahead to her happy ever after…

    It’s time to meet the family…

    Daisy May thought she had everything figured out. After successfully establishing her coffee shop at the idyllic Wildflower Lock and with things going well with charming Theo, she was ready to embrace her happily ever after. But when Theo pops the question, the happiness is overtaken by worries.

    Because meeting Theo’s family for the first time is not accompanied by the warm welcome she hoped for. Theo’s parents disapprove of her and they have no qualms in showing it. And when they reveal secrets about Theo’s past, Daisy is left in a spiral.

    As insecurities creep in, and with even her own mother expressing her doubts, Daisy begins to question her future with Theo.

    Will love conquer all, or will she give in to her fears and cancel the wedding?

    The heartwarming conclusion to the Wildflower Lock series, a gorgeous story of friends, found family and above all, romance!

    VISIT OTHER BLOGS ON THE TOUR

    MY THOUGHTS

    This is an author I am so glad I discovered several years ago and since then I have read all but one of her books. The series are so much fun, and I love seeing the continuation of the same characters in subsequent books.


    The Wildflower Lock series is such a gem. The setting of the coffee shop and the houseboat are something I really enjoyed reading about. Its original and I loved it.


    Daisy has been waiting for this moment for the longest time and now it has finally happened, Theo has proposed. He comes from a different background than her growing up and his family isn’t the most welcoming upon meeting her. Her anxiety soon zooms off the charts and she finds herself doubting everything about the relationship.

    In step her friends and family, which I loved seeing the reassurance she got going forward. Heartwarming romance full of happy and hopeful times. Love will conquer all! Recommended for a sweet read that’ll pick up your spirits!

    I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
    All opinions expressed are my own.

    Purchase Link – https://mybook.to/ForeverLoveWildflower

    MEET THE AUHTHOR

    MEET THE AUTHOR

    Hannah Lynn is the author of over twenty books spanning several genres. As well as signing a new romantic fiction series, Boldwood will be republishing the first of her bestselling Sweet Shop series, inspired by her Cotswolds childhood, The Sweet Shop of Second Chances in April 2023.

    Social Media Links – 

    Facebook:@HannahLynnAuthor

    Twitter: @HMLynnauthor 

    Instagram: @hannahlynnwrites

    Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/HannahLynnNews

    Bookbub profile: @hmlynnauthor

    Categories
    holidays

    Christmas at the Little Paris Hotel by Rebecca Raisin

    338 pages Boldwood Books publisher September 17, 2024 publication date buy link

    ABOUT THE BOOK

    Turn a tumbledown Paris hotel into a perfect boutique, bookish retreat, and have it open for Christmas? What could possibly go wrong?

    When Anais receives a near-derelict Paris hotel in her divorce settlement, her first thought is to tidy it up and sell it immediately. All she wants is to move on and forget her disaster of a marriage ever happened.

    But selling it proves impossible, so she has only one option: to make it gorgeous and open by Christmas… when her funds will almost certainly run out.

    She’s not counting on the grumpy American bar-owner next door, Noah, coming and interfering at every moment though. Nor is she expecting to find a mysterious room – which holds the key to a one-hundred-year-old secret – about a woman who chose love against the odds.

    One thing’s for sure… as the fairy lights twinkle all over the city of lights and the first snowflakes start to fall… this will be a Christmas in Paris to remember.

    MY THOUGHTS

    A warm hug in a book. This one was lovely with lots of descriptions of Paris life and foods.


    Renovation of an old, dilapidated Parisian hotel into a new and modern boutique and bookish retreat had all the bookish feels you can imagine. The book also deals with Anais’s writers block after a divorce from a man just a little too charming with the ladies.

    There is a mystery attached to the hotel, and we get lots of hotel renovation details.
    I was drawn into the Paris life and the many literary references as I read.

    I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
    All opinions expressed are my own.

    MEET THE AUTHOR

    Rebecca Raisin is an internationally bestselling romance writer from Perth, Australia. Her books are set in stunning locations around the world providing a touch of escapism for her readers and those who like to partake in a spot of armchair travel from the comfort of their own home. Rebecca writes quirky heroines who haven’t figured it all out yet but are perfectly relatable, flaws and all. You’ll find themes such as friendship, love, new beginnings, food, wine and travel. She’s known for writing books for book lovers. Her next book: The Paris Bookshop for the Broken-Hearted is being published by Boldwood Books on February 3rd 2025. It’s a heartwarming tale about the power of reading and the finding community in bookshops.

    Rebecca’s novel, Rosie’s Travelling Tea Shop has been optioned by MRC Films for film adaptation.

    Thank you for stopping in.

    Categories
    holidays

    A Lancaster Amish Christmas: 4 Romance Novellas 

    451 pages Barbour Fiction September 1, 2024 publication date

    ABOUT THE BOOK

    Christmas Is Simply a Time for Love 
    Enjoy a simple Amish Christmas in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, that is sweetened by second chances, trimmed in love, and wrapped in faith.
     
    Lucy’s Christmas Sunbeam by Anne Blackburne
    When her parents suddenly died, Lucy stepped into the mother role for her infant sister with Down’s Syndrome. But Lucy’s boyfriend wasn’t interested in a readymade family. Living in the dawdi house on her brother’s farm, Lucy is happy with life—until she literally runs into the hardware store owner and desire for romance returns.
     
    A Bird-in-Hand Christmas by Amy Clipston
    After learning her boyfriend, Wyatt, was seeing someone else, Makayla moved across state and married. Recently widowed, she visits her parents for Christmas, only to find that Wyatt is still single and working for her father. When her five-year-old son instantly bonds with Wyatt, Makayla starts to hope for a second chance at love.
     
    Christmas Lily by Amy Lillard
    Seven-year-old Jacob Bontrager is working hard to help his lonely widower father find love again. He believes his pretty new teacher who has just moved to the community is perfect, but none of his matchmaking works until a snowstorm strands Lily Kate Troyer at the Bontrager farm. Could God and nature be on Jacob’s side?

    Leaving Lancaster by Mindy Steele
    The Wicky sisters didn’t expect their father to sell their thriving deer farm with plans to move them to Kentucky. Always obedient Louise fears for her growing jam business. Beth cannot wait to start a new adventure while her twin, Leah, is running out of time for a happy-ever-after. They have only one Christmas left in Lancaster. Can God deliver a Christmas miracle for all three? 

    MY THOUGHTS

     I enjoy Amish books and to have the theme of Christmas was such a fun added bonus.


    This book has four romance novellas centered around faith and Christmas.
    Four well known Amish writing authors entertained me with light easy reading filled with Lancaster County, Pennsylvania couples.

    These couples are courting, or it may be a second chance romance. Fun writing styles kept me reading. Sweet romance this book would make a fine gift for a friend.

    I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
    All opinions expressed are my own.

    MEET THE AUTHORS

    Amy Clipston has been writing for as long as she can remember. Her fiction writing “career” began in elementary school when she and a close friend wrote and shared silly stories. She has a degree in communications from Virginia Wesleyan College and is a member of the Authors Guild, American Christian Fiction Writers, and Romance Writers of America. She is the author of the bestselling Kauffman Amish Bakery series with Zondervan, which is part of HarperCollins Christian Publishing. An advocate for organ and blood donation, Amy donated a kidney in 2011 at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Through her donation, her husband received a second kidney transplant. Amy and her husband matched another couple and swapped kidneys with them. Amy’s memoir, A Gift of Love, will be available in early 2014. She hopes her story inspires others to become organ and blood donors. Amy lives in North Carolina with her husband, two sons, mother, and four spoiled rotten cats. You can find her on the web at http://www.AmyClipston.com or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/AmyClipstonBooks.

    Raised in Kentucky timber country, Steele writes Amish Romance peppered in humor, using her rural surroundings as her muse. She is a best selling author and the winner of the 2022 and 2024 FHLCW Reader’s Choice award for sweet romance. Steele creates realistic characters for her readers and believes in engaging all the senses to make you laugh, cry, hold your breath, and root for the happy ever after ending. Readers can find themselves, somewhere within her pages.

    Anne Blackburne lives and works in Southeast Ohio as a newspaper editor and writer. She is the mother of five grown children, has one wonderful grandchild, and a spoiled poodle named Millie. For fun, when she isn’t working on Amish romance or sweet mysteries, Anne directs and acts in community theater productions and writes and directs original plays. She also enjoys reading, kayaking, swimming, searching for beach glass, and just sitting with a cup of coffee looking at large bodies of water. Her idea of the perfect vacation is cruising and seeing amazing new places with people she loves.

    Amy loves nothing more than a good book. Except for her family…and maybe homemade tacos…and nail polish. But reading and writing are definitely high on the list.

    Born and bred in Mississippi, Amy is a transplanted Southern Belle who now lives in Oklahoma with her deputy husband, their genius son, two spoiled cats, and one very lazy beagle. Oh, and don’t forget the stray kitty that has taken up residence on her front porch. ^..^

    When she’s not creating quirky characters and happy endings, she’s chauffeuring her prodigy to guitar lessons, orchestra concerts and baseball practice. She has a variety of hobbies, but her favorite is whatever gets her out of housework.

    Amy also writes contemporary romances under the pen name Amie Louellen.

    An award winning author, Amy is a member of RWA and ACFW. She loves to hear from readers. You can find her on Facebook, Instagram, Google+, Twitter, Goodreads, and Pinterest. For links to the various sites, check her website: http://www.amylillardbooks.com.

    Categories
    historical fiction

    The Pianist’s Wife-A heartbreaking story of friendship, loyalty and the true cost of love

    341 pages Lake Union Publishing February 4, 2025 publication date

    ABOUT THE BOOK

    A heartbreaking story of friendship, loyalty and the true cost of love, from the bestselling author of The Secret Midwife and Wives of War.

    Berlin, 1944: Amira and Gisele have been best friends since they were children, and now Gisele is the only person who knows Amira’s secret. A secret that puts her and everyone she loves in unimaginable danger amid the daily horror and violence of Nazi Germany.

    With the threat of exposure drawing closer, Gisele’s suggestion that Amira marries her friend Fred, a famous pianist, might just be the lifeline she needs to keep them both safe. Because Fred has secrets too.

    As the two strangers promise to look after each other, a profound love develops. But while the war rages on, Amira, Fred and Gisele are soon faced with terrible choices that will test their loyalty—and their courage—to the ultimate limits. How far will they go to keep each other alive?

    An unforgettable World War Two novel about those who chose to defy the Nazis from within Germany.

    MY THOUGHTS

    Based on true history. My heart aches for all affected by the war, any war, past present and future.


    Childhood friends Amira and Gisele have enjoyed a lifelong friendship, now they are adults. Amira has a secret that she’s been shieled from and it really hasn’t affected her until her father passes away. After his death she must face the harsh realities who she is and realizes even more why her father kept her hidden away for her safety.


    Full of secrets that if found out could be life altering. No one should have to worry about not being accepted for who you are and your secret meaning death if found out.

    I love reading the author’s books. Her books are so well researched, and I simply can’t put them down. Engrossed in the book, it kept me company for the while afternoon.

    This book honors women and the sacrifices they make. May we never forget the victims of the wars and the ultimate sacrifices they have given.
    This author’s writing keeps me coming back every single time. Amazing!

    I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
    All opinions expressed are my own.

    MEET THE AUTHOR

    Soraya M. Lane graduated with a law degree before realizing that law wasn’t the career for her and that her future was in writing. She is the author of historical and contemporary women’s fiction, and her novel Wives of War was an Amazon Charts bestseller.

    Soraya lives on a small farm in her native New Zealand with her husband, their two young sons and a collection of four legged friends. When she’s not writing, she loves to be outside playing make-believe with her children or snuggled up inside reading.

    For more information about Soraya and her books, visit http://www.sorayalane.com or http://www.facebook.com/SorayaLaneAuthor, or follow her on Twitter @Soraya_Lane

    Thank you for stopping in.

    Categories
    Cozy Mystery

    A Treacherous Tale: The Cambridge Bookshop Series

    282 pages St. Martin’s Paperbacks August 23, 2022 publication date

    ABOUT THE BOOK

    Lately, Molly has been feeling that she might have fallen into a fairy tale: she’s reinvigorated the family bookshop Thomas Marlowe—Manuscripts and Folios, made friends in her new home of Cambridge, England, and is even developing a bit of a romance with the handsome Kieran—a bike shop owner with a somewhat intimidating family pedigree.

    Having recently discovered The Strawberry Girls, a classic children’s tale, Molly is thrilled to learn the author, Iona York, lives nearby. But while visiting the famous author at her lovely cottage in nearby Hazelhurst, an old acquaintance of Iona’s tumbles off her roof to his death.

    Then, when one of Iona’s daughters—an inspiration for the original Strawberry Girls—goes missing, Molly begins to worry this story might be more Brothers Grimm than happily-ever-after. Especially after Molly learns about the mysterious long-ago death of Iona’s husband and co-author of The Strawberry Girls…could past and present crimes be linked? Molly must put the clues together before someone turns this sweet tale sour.

    MY THOUGHTS

    This is the second book in the Cambridge Bookshop series.
    Ever since discovering cozy mysteries a few years ago I’ve been on a roll with them and like them more than just regular mysteries.


    Set in an English bookshop and you can’t go wrong there.
    Molly and her mother come over to England to help her aunt run the bookstore.
    Molly enjoys life abroad with a new boyfriend, Kieran owner of a local bike shop.


    Excited about running the bookshop Molly invites a local author to speak. While visiting the author’s house to finalize plans a body is discovered and a girl goes missing.


    Enjoyed the plan Molly put together to help solve the mystery. Whimsical and nostalgic with an engaging plot.

    I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
    All opinions expressed are my own

    MEET THE AUTHOR

    Elizabeth Penney is the author of the Apron Shop Series and the Cambridge Bookshop Series, both from St. Martin’s Press. She is also the author of women’s fiction and mysteries for Annie’s Fiction and Guideposts.

    Now living in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, she pens novels and tries to grow things. Elements that often appear in her novels include vintage everything, past/present mysteries, historic houses, and the arts. Oh, and usually a very cool cat.

    Visit her website at http://www.elizabethpenneyauthor.com to learn more.