345 pages Avon publisher October 11,2022 publish date
ABOUT THE BOOK
Piper McCaulley doesn’t know which way is up or down. Her gran, her last remaining family, died two weeks before Christmas, leaving Piper to reevaluate her life. Did she really want to stay chained to the family business just to hang on to this old house? She didn’t care that her great-great-great grandpa had built it with his own hands. How could she make huge life decisions if she’d never even been outside of Alaska?
She needs to leave the snowy wilderness that’s her backyard and see the world, and since her gran left her a battered old compass, Piper takes this a secret message from her beloved grandmother: to follow her heart.
But before she is even a foot outside the door, Piper finds herself caught in a blizzard and wakes up in 1945 in the original home that her ancestors had built—a time when her gran was just a girl Piper’s age. Once she has gotten over the shock, Piper has the joy of getting to know her grandmother in a whole new way, a way that sheds light on everything Piper had come to know and not know about her own past.
Over the course of one magical holiday season, Piper must go on a journey through time to learn the meaning of real love, home, and how a family legacy can connect one another forever.
MY THOUGHTS
I think maybe when I requested this one, I was drawn in by the cover but hadn’t really read what the book was about. This is a time travel book which I’m not crazy about those types of books, I like books that are a little more realistic.
Piper McCaulley is a young woman living in 2022, her grandmother has died a few weeks before Christmas and she has mixed feelings should she stay in the family business and continue to live in the house her great-great-grandfather had built?
Somehow getting lost in a snowstorm in Alaska propels her back in time to 1940’s when her grandmother was living at home and a youngster, living in the house Piper is living in.
Time travel doesn’t do it for me, but I did think it was neat that she got to meet past relatives and become friends with her grandmother when she was younger. There were tender moments. She even falls in love.
She is able to reevaluate the importance of family without all the modern-day distractions. I was wondering would she be able to stay in this time period, would she want to and what would happen to her romance if she wasn’t able to stay in this time period. Overall, a heartwarming story worth reading.
Pub Date 11 Oct 2022 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
THE AUTHOR
Courtney Cole is a New York Times bestselling author of over twenty novels. She enjoys eating reader emotions for breakfast, wearing cashmere socks (when she’s not barefoot) and collecting hula girls.
An optimist, Pacman champion, trophy wife, and fierce mama, her motto is to live with grace. She believes in the power of blonde hair dye and red lipstick, and feels that a well-timed smile can change the world.
328 pages Bethany House publishers September 26,2023 publish date
ABOUT THE BOOK
Some secrets can only stay buried for so long. . . .
Anna Lakeman has spent her life working alongside her paleontologist father, drawing intricate sketches at every dig. When they find dinosaur bones near their home in Wyoming Territory, they’re given the opportunity of a lifetime and are swiftly caught up in the competitive era of the Bone Wars. But after her father becomes sick and Joshua Ziegler, an old beau, returns for the summer, Anna’s world is upended, and the practical, orderly life she has made for herself shatters.
Medical student Joshua Ziegler left his hometown to forget Anna, the one woman he truly loved and deeply hurt. But when he returns, time hasn’t erased the feelings they’ve always had for each other. After Joshua’s nephew goes missing–just like his sister did years ago–and Anna’s job is threatened, tensions mount and dangerous secrets are unearthed.
MY THOUGHTS
The sciences are not one of my favorite things to read about. I’ve read so many books by this author that I just knew she could turn a subject that I wasn’t overly excited about into a fascinating story that I couldn’t put down.
When this historical fiction story took place, the late 1800’s paleontology was not a field women got into, there were a few but they were not well received and discredited often. A young woman who grew up with a famous paleontologist father has for many years been drawing intricate sketches at every dig as a way of cataloging and keeping track of all the progress.
When the elements open up a previously closed area in Wyoming Territory, near their home and they find bones it’s just what they need. This is just the opportunity her father needs to further his career during the competitive Bone Wars, and it’s working. He’s got permission to do his dig and no one else is permitted in this area, then exciting bones are found.
When her father falls ill and rapidly declines Anna Lakeman is not only upset about her father’s career advancement, thinking someone may take it from him but she’s very worried about this health. She is determined to go it alone and do the digging for her father.
When her former beau shows up the hurt feelings come rushing back, they had a big misunderstanding but now he’s back. Doctor in training Joshua Ziegler left to forget his feeling for Anna but upon returning they both realize the feelings are still there.
There is a bit of a mystery when Joshua’s nephew goes missing. Is he in danger and what happened to him? A very intriguing story, I also enjoyed the historical aspect of it and can’t wait to read more in this series.
Pub Date 26 Sep 2023 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
THE AUTHOR
Kimberley Woodhouse is the best-selling and award-winning author of more than two dozen books. She is a wife, mother, author, and musician with a quick wit and positive outlook despite difficult circumstances. A popular speaker, she’s shared at more than 2,000 venues across the country. Kimberley and her family’s story have garnered national media attention for many years including ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, The Montel Williams Show, Discovery Health channel’s Mystery ER, The Hour of Power, The Harvest Show, and over 1,000 other TV appearances and radio interviews. She lives and writes in the Poconos with her husband of thirty years. kimberleywoodhouse.com
339 pages Kensington publisher April 26,2022 publish date
ABOUT THE BOOK
Finding love on Martha’s Vineyard has been a dream come true—but for the bride-to-be, the price of happiness may be too high . . .
With her long-awaited wedding to police sergeant John Lyons only weeks away, bestselling author and Vineyard Inn proprietor Annie Sutton is faced with more drama than usual. Between the hideous heirloom gown her new family expects her to wear and the challenges of bonding with John’s contentious daughter Abigail, Annie’s having serious doubts. But when the baby she once found on her doorstep goes missing, Annie has bigger concerns, including that the little girl’s pregnant, older half-sister is in no condition to hear bad news . . .
Desperate for answers, Annie combs the island, questioning friends and even her family-to-be. Because suddenly it seems as if Abigail will do just about anything to stop her father from marrying Annie—even if it means putting a child at risk. But if scaring Annie half to death is the plan, it’s working. Nothing else matters now except finding the little girl. And if postponing her future with John—indefinitely—is the only way to make that happen, it’s a sacrifice Annie may have to make . . .
MY THOUGHTS
It’s lovely to continue a series with a carryover of so many characters you’re familiar with. These delightful beach reads will charm you right into reading them. Set on the beautiful Martha’s Vineyard, you will hear the waves crashing and feel the mist on your face as you’re out walking.
We’ve met famous author of mystery books and Vineyard Inn proprietor Annie Sutton in the past books. She is excited to be soon tying the knot with police sergeant John Lyons.
Her biggest concern is how to wear the wedding dress his family expects her to wear. Wedding dresses are supposed to be beautiful, feminine and make you feel happy and wonderful, this does none of these.
A baby that she rescued off of her porch several years ago is now missing and everything shifts from the importance of her wedding dress to the missing child. What has happened to the child, who would want to take her?
A mystery, a romance and some family drama. This was as good as all the other books in this series.
Pub Date 26 Apr 2022 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
THE AUTHOR
I enjoy writing about the types of challenges in life that are faced by “everyday” women—and showing how they turn their struggles into wisdom in order to overcome obstacles. Each book also includes a bit of a mystery and a touch of love “just for fun.” I also have written under the name Abby Drake.
My first novel, SINS OF INNOCENCE, was published by Random House in 1994, and was named an amazon.com ebook bestseller in 2016, which was very exciting! A few of my early Vineyard novels appeared on the USA Today bestseller list.
My 20 novels have been published around the world in various languages. My latest series is from Kensington Books and takes place on Martha’s Vineyard (where I live): the first titles are A VINEYARD CHRISTMAS and A VINEYARD SUMMER. Both are available in print, large print, as ebooks, and as audio books.
332 pages St. Martin’s Paperbacks publisher August 22,2023 publish date
ABOUT THE BOOK
In Nine Lives and Alibis, the seventh in Cate Conte’s Cat Café beloved cozy mystery series, Daybreak Island is gearing up for Halloween—but this year it seems like it’ll be all tricks and no treats.
It’s October in Daybreak Harbor, which means everything Halloween. The town is going all out for the holiday, hoping to one-up the festivities in neighboring Salem, Massachusetts, and Maddie James is delighted to be part of the planning for the annual happenings.
But trouble brews when Maddie’s youngest sister, Sam, books a famous medium, Balfour Dempsey, to come to town for the celebrations and stay in the local haunted inn—along with his equally famous black cat. The town busybody books a secret reading with Balfour and doesn’t want anyone to know why. Maddie’s best friend Becky is hell-bent on getting Balfour to help her solve two 40-year-old mysteries—a murder and a missing maid. And the psychic has a stalker who’s followed him here to the island, demanding he connect with her dead husband.
When Balfour is pushed off the cliffs behind the inn to his death and his beloved cat goes missing, it throws the whole town into a frenzy. And Maddie and her family find themselves in the middle of a murder mystery straight out of a Halloween movie.
MY THOUGHTS
Nine Lives and Alabis finds us in Daybreak Island, Mass. The little island town is hoping to one up its neighbors in Salem, Mass who everyone goes to see for all their Halloween scares.
This year Daybreak Island is hosting a Halloween Festival better than any of the previous years. A famous medium, Balfour Dempsey has come to stay at the reportedly haunted hotel. While there he is being asked to try to solve two cold cases from forty years ago, a murder and a missing maid.
I enjoyed the New England setting, as we spent time there this Fall including Salem, Mass.
When another murder occurs, the whole town is in an uproar and Halloween festivities are the last thing on their minds. Past and present come to mingle in the case being solved.
Maddie runs a cat cafe and takes in strays and gives them the best care. She and her cat JJ also solve cases together and she’s on the job here finding the murderer and discovering what happened to his cat.
Surprising twists and turns I sure didn’t see coming. I enjoyed all the Halloween descriptions from the decorations and foods to the pet costume parade to all the festivities at the haunted hotel This is a series I’ll continue reading.
Pub Date: 22 Aug 2023 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
317 pages Sourcebooks publisher October 4,2022 publish date
ABOUT THE BOOK
Aleen Cust has big dreams. And no one—not her family, society, or the law—will stop her.
Born in Ireland in 1868 to an aristocratic English family, Aleen knows she is destined to work with animals, even if her family is appalled by the idea of a woman pursuing a veterinary career. Going against their wishes but with the encouragement of the guardian assigned to her upon her father’s death, Aleen attends the New Veterinary College in Edinburgh, enrolling as A. I. Custance to spare her family the humiliation they fear. At last, she is on her way to becoming a veterinary surgeon! Little does she know her biggest obstacles lie ahead.
The Invincible Miss Cust is based on the real life of Aleen Isabel Cust, who defied her family and society to become Britain and Ireland’s first woman veterinary surgeon. Through Penny Haw’s meticulous research, riveting storytelling, and elegant prose, Aleen’s story of ambition, determination, family, friendship, and passion comes to life. It is a story that, even today, women will recognize, of battling patriarchy and an unequal society to realize one’s dreams and pave the way for other women in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.
MY THOUGHTS
Based on fact this is a fictional story. I learned a lot from it and could not tell when the facts ended, and the fiction began. The book was so seamlessly written, it blended into a most fascinating story.
Aleen Cust was born into an aristocratic family in 1868 in Ireland. She knows at a young age she is destined to work with animals, she has a love for the outdoors, horses and dogs. At this time in history women are certainly forced to keep up appearances, especially daughters of the aristocrats.
When the only one who understands her, her shining star, her father passes away the family returns to England and her mother and siblings do not accept her, what they call foolish whim to study and become the first woman veterinarian surgeon. She becomes estranged from her family though she doesn’t stop trying to stay in touch, but she will never be accepted by them again.
The book had my emotions on a roller coaster, so many good and positive things happening but this was a very forward thinking and determined woman when women were not to be this way according to society. There were dark times for her as well, so much discrimination and so many with sexist attitudes. She was able to do hands on training with a male veterinarian surgeon and learn a lot.
The book covers a long period of time, there is the ups and downs of the terrors of the war. I was really impressed with Miss Cust and for her standing her ground and all she put up with to become the first female veterinarian surgeon.
I found it quite interesting reading about her studies and hands on training she did. Nothing and no one held her back. Despite what seemed like unsurmountable odds she did it and gave the encouragement to other woman to realize their dreams as well.
Pub Date 04 Oct 2022 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
THE AUTHOR
Penny Haw is the author of The Invincible Miss Cust, a work of historical fiction based on the life of Britain and Ireland’s first woman veterinary surgeon; The Wilderness Between Us, winner of the WFWA 2022 Star Award in the general category; and a children’s book called Nicko, The Tale of a Vervet Monkey on an African Farm. Her second work of historical fiction, The Woman at the Wheel is inspired by the life of Bertha Benz, the wife of “father of the automobile”, Carl Benz. It will be published by Landmark Sourcebooks in October 2023. Before turning to fiction, Penny was a journalist and columnist with bylines in many of South Africa’s leading newspapers and magazines. She lives near Cape Town, South Africa.
It’s delightful seeing you here today. Thank you for stopping in.
Today’s Theme for Top Ten Tuesday is to feature books in (you choose the setting) My setting I’m choosing is cottages, delightful cottages I’d love to visit. This meme is hosted at That Artsy Reder Girl, give it a try yourself.
COTTAGE SETTINGS
Up in the attic, with views across the sparkling bay, she opens the lid of the carved trunk. Carefully moving aside the delicate linen wedding dress once worn by her great-aunt, she unpacks all the smaller boxes inside until she finds the leather-bound diary. She knows this will change everything…
The perfect Christmas read to touch the heart’ Bestselling author Christie Barlow
The countdown to Christmas is usually a magical time, but Elana James is fed up with living on a building site! The renovations on her beautiful cottage – like her heart – have been frozen in limbo ever since she was unexpectedly widowed.
Elana calls in a professional, Luke Stevenson, to help finish the cottage, so her little girl can send letters to Santa up the newly-repaired chimney. Luke’s kind, capable and sexy – but he’s also ten years younger than Elana. So why has her heart decided it’s finally time for a thaw?
They thought their love story was over. They thought their divorce was final. They were wrong.
Following his divorce, Noah gave up his dream job and settled at a remote horse ranch in the Blue Ridge Mountains of northern Georgia, putting much-needed distance between himself and the former love of his life. But then Noah gets a letter from the IRS claiming he and Josephine are still married. When he confronts Josephine, they discover that she missed the final step in filing the paperwork and they are, in fact, still married.
Josephine is no happier about the news than Noah. Maybe the failed marriage—and botched divorce—was her fault, but her heart was shattered right alongside his, more than he would ever believe. The sooner they put this marriage behind them, the better for both of their sakes.
But when Josephine delivers the final paperwork to his ranch, the two become stranded in his cottage during the worst spring snowstorm in a decade. Being trapped with Josephine is a test of Noah’s endurance. He wrestles with resentment and an unmistakable pull to his wife—still beautiful, still brave, and still more intriguing than any woman he’s ever known.
As they find themselves confronted with each other and their shared past, old wounds surface and tempers flare. But when they are forced out into the storm, they must rely on each other in a way they never have before. Josephine finally opens up about her tragic past, and Noah realizes she’s never been loved unconditionally by anyone—including him. Will Noah accept the challenge to pursue Josephine’s heart? And can she finally find the courage to trust Noah?
A new start can come from the most unexpected places…
It’s been years since Lizzie Lockhart spoke to her parents. But she was safe in the knowledge she knew everything about them. Once upon a time, they were as close as could be. Until they weren’t.
After receiving the earth-shattering news of their passing, Lizzie decides it’s time to unearth some family secrets and find out just who her parents really were… starting with Streamside Cottage. A cottage Lizzie never knew existed, in a place she’s never heard of: the beautiful English village of Leafton.
Leaving behind London, and the tattoo parlour she called home, Lizzie finds herself moving to the countryside. Faced with a tight-lipped community, who have secrets of their own, Lizzie is at a loss for what to do, until her rather handsome neighbour, Ben, steps in to help.
Connected through time to her great-grandmother by a shared English countryside home, an American nurse tries to piece together her family’s tangled history in this new historical novel from the acclaimed author of At Summer’s End.
England, 2014: Audrey Collins knows only two things about her beloved grandmother’s past: She was born into nobility and she immigrated to America at seventeen years old. So when Audrey inherits her gran’s home in North Yorkshire, she arrives expecting a sprawling country estate fit for lords and ladies. Instead, she finds an abandoned stone cottage perfectly preserved as Gran left it when she fled in 1941—ration book and all—and begins to uncover what secrets her family has been keeping.
France, 1915: Lady Emilie Dawes is working as a nurse on the Western Front, grateful to have escaped the restraints of her restrictive, privileged home life. But the independence she fought hard to earn is suddenly jeopardized when a familiar man shows up in one of her hospital beds. Facing him means facing her past, and the decisions she had made in fear. As the war rages around her, Emilie realizes she cannot continue running from who she is until she decides who she truly wants to be.
Over a hundred years apart, Audrey and Emilie each struggle to find purpose, love, and a place to call home in this enchanting family saga celebrating the courage of underestimated women—and the power a secret can hold across generations.
A gripping story of family secrets as the heartbreaking consequences of one woman’s manipulation spill across three generations.
1967. Thunder booms as the ocean threatens to drown the jetty where Martha Ryan stands defiant, heart-broken from what she saw through a window a few moments earlier. Her fiancé begs her to listen, to trust him but a wave drags her into the sea…
Fifty years later. Christie Ryan inherits a dilapidated cottage in a seaside town she’s never heard of. The brief visit for her grandmother’s funeral extends when she discovers unopened, fifty-year-old love letters from a young man she suspects painted a damaged seascape left behind in the cottage.
Determined to solve the mystery behind the letters, Christie seeks help from reclusive artist Martin Blake, but he has reasons to protect the past. As Christie falls in love with the cottage and the town, her own relationship falls apart and she goes home to mend it.
But River’s End and its mystery call her back, as does Martin, in spite of their differences. As the secrets unravel, and time runs out to repair the past, will the happiness Christie longs for finally be hers, or will the Ryan family heartache be her future?
Love Heart Lane – where friends are there for you no matter what
A new start…
When Jinny Birdwhistle is pushed over the edge one time too many times and quits her job as a tabloid journalist, an impromptu – and rather unconventional – job search leads her to a new house, car, and career making honey and chutney in the small Scottish village of Heartcross. And with handsome beekeeper Gabe Warner to help her learn the ropes, she’s ready to embrace ‘country girl life’ and leave the past behind her.
…uncovers an old secret
Yet there’s more to strong and silent Gabe than meets the eye and though Jinny planned to leave her journalistic instincts in London, she can’t help doing a little digging. Now, as she uncovers a mystery that links to her own history, Jinny realises that you can’t outrun the truth and the only way to move forward is to face the past. But now that she’s at home in Heartcross, she won’t have to do it alone…
This summer, they’ll learn that home is where the heart is.
Somerset Lake is the perfect place for Trisha Langly and her son to start over. As the new manager for the Somerset Cottages, Trisha is instantly charmed by the property’s elderly residents and her firecracker of a new boss, Vi Fletcher. But Trisha is less enchanted by Vi’s protective grandson Jake. No matter how tempting she finds the handsome lawyer, Trisha knows that if Jake discovers the truth about her past, she’ll lose the new life she’s worked so hard to build.
Jake Fletcher left Somerset Lake after a tragic loss, but he’s returning for the summer to care for his beloved grandmother, hoping Vi will sell the run-down cottages and finally slow down. There’s just one problem: Trisha, Vi’s new employee. She’s smart, beautiful, and kind, but Jake’s job is to protect his grandmother’s interests, and his gut is telling him Trisha’s hiding something that could jeopardize Vi’s future. However, as they spend summer days renovating the property and bonding over their love for the town, Jake realizes that Trisha is a risk worth taking—if only she can trust him with her secrets . . . and her heart.
n this perfect beach read, a recent divorcee and a woman independent to a fault form a spectacular bond as they move forward and help each other through love, loss, and big life changes—perfect for fans of Jill Shalvis and Susan Mallery.
Dr. Becca Weiland had the perfect life—or so she thought, until she learned her husband cheated on her after a decade of marriage. With divorce papers signed, Becca throws her trademark caution to the wind and agrees to an impromptu monthlong vacation at a beach house with Sadie, a woman she’s known all her life but really doesn’t know at all.
Free-spirit Sadie Bloom is Becca’s opposite in every way, living in the moment and wasting zero energy on what comes next. But the pastry chef’s nothing-bothers-me exterior hides a fear she’s not ready to face—one that may jeopardize a future she never realized she wanted.
At first, Sadie’s go-big-or-go-home style bumps up against Becca’s perfectionism, but soon they’re bonding over too much Schnapps, a leaky roof, a bikini wax gone awry, and awkward meet-cutes with two of the hottest men in town. Best of all, in getting to know each other, they’ve gotten to know themselves, and together they find the courage to discover what it really means to live.
Christi Reece is desperate. The one-time golden girl’s life has tarnished, and a cascade of setbacks has left her reeling. She needs help, and she’s certain Jack Colby is in a position to provide it.
When she shows up in Hope Harbor, however, Jack wants nothing to do with the woman who betrayed him. He’s built a new life on the Oregon coast–and there’s no room in it for Christi, even after she takes refuge in a charming but mysterious cottage nearby. Yet it soon becomes apparent his opinion of her may need revising . . . especially when he ends up needing her help.
Can these two hurting souls make peace with their past and open their hearts to a new beginning?
Come home to Hope Harbor–where hearts heal . . . and love blooms.
t’s beginning to look a lot like murder in Agatha-awarding winning author Maddie Day’s latest Cozy Capers Book Group Mystery, as Cape Cod bike shop owner Mackenzie “Mac” Almeida and her book club sleuths must solve a murder before Mac and her fiancée’s New Years Eve wedding…
‘Tis the day after Christmas, following a wicked-busy time of year for Mac’s bike shop. It’s just as well her Cozy Capers Book Group’s new pick is a nerve-soothing coloring book mystery, especially when she has last-minute wedding planning to do. But all pre-wedding jitters fade into the background when Mac and her fiancé, Tim, begin a cottage renovation project and open up a wall to find a skeleton—sitting on a stool, dressed in an old-fashioned bridal gown . . .
As Mac delves into the decades-old mystery with the help of librarian Flo and her book group, she discovers a story of star-crossed lovers and feuding families worthy of the bard himself. Yet this tale has a modern-day villain still lurking in Mac’s quaint seaside town, ready to make this a murderous New Year’s Eve . . .
Will any of these books be going on your to read list? Have you read any of them yet, did you enjoy them?
223 pages November 28,2023 publication date Harlequin Love Inspired publisher grab a copy here
ABOUT THE BOOK
Pregnant Amish widow Mattie Byler is stunned to find her late husband’s shunned twin brother at her door. Samuel Byler is back to fulfill a promise: to marry Mattie. Only he’s not the rogue Mattie remembers. This Christmas, he’s determined to do right by her and the community. Saying “yes” feels impossible. But if Samuel’s vow won’t heal her grieving heart…maybe his love can.
From Love Inspired: Uplifting stories of faith, forgiveness and hope.
I really, really enjoyed this book. It’s tender and heartwarming but doesn’t shy away from real-life circumstances.
Pregnant Amish widow Mattie Byler is pregnant with her third child, she has two toddlers and a farm she’s running now after her husband’s death. Luckily her two sisters are able to live with her and help her, which she tremendously appreciates.
Her husband’s shunned brother shows up at her doorstep and tells her he’s going to marry her. She’s having none of it, he’s been gone eight years now that he’s left the faith. He says he fulfilling his brother’s wishes to take care of his wife if anything should happen to him, which unfortunately it has. As they spend more time together, she appreciates the chores he can do and the hard physical labor he can do she and her sisters cannot.
She finds herself falling for him but makes it completely clear he must make it right with his faith by seeing the bishop. Though he cares a great deal for her he’s not quite ready to return to the faith but she’s adamant in what he must do if he wants any chance with her. As they spend more time together, he comes clean on what life was like for him since he left the faith eight years ago.
It hasn’t been easy and has been a real eye-opener compared to the laid-back lifestyle of the Amish he was used to. He has lost in life because of choices he’s made but he’s ready to finally start anew with a renewed faith and a beautiful family.
Tender, sweet, realistic, loss and then renewal of life and faith. Beautiful! Recommended.
Pub Date 28 Nov 2023 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
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.
348 pages March 21,2023 publish date Thomas Nelson publisher
ABOUT THE BOOK
When novelist Sadie Goodwin is forced to stop writing westerns and charged with penning a contemporary romance novel to rescue her lackluster sales, there’s only one tiny problem: She’s never been in love.
Desperate to salvage her career, Sadie begins devouring romance novels. Knowing she must devote herself to this confounding genre, she accepts an invitation to hole up at her friend’s beach duplex for the summer. Where better to witness love in bloom than on the beautiful North Carolina shore?
However, once ensconced in the charming ocean-front home with her sweet maltipoo Rio, she finds many ways to procrastinate. First there’s the beach, right outside her backdoor, with all its interesting visitors (research). Then there’s the free library she decides to build and set up by the back deck (She has to do something with all those romance novels). To say nothing of Sam Ford, the grumpy neighbor on the other side of the duplex . . . who she can’t seem to stop annoying.
A social butterfly by nature, Sadie soon gets to know all the beach regulars—sunbathers, walkers, and surfers alike. The free books draw a crowd right up to the house for nice little book chats, which further irritates her reclusive neighbor, to break up her “writing.” But things take an unexpected turn when Sadie opens a recently-placed novel to find a secret compartment—and tucked inside is a beautiful engagement ring. To whom does the ring belong? Sadie is convinced she needs to find the owner and save the man’s proposal from certain doom.
She draws a reluctant Sam into the project, and slowly their connection begins to develop. Are these weird fluttery feelings the first stirrings of love? Has Sadie managed to stumble upon the very subject about which she must write—and wouldn’t Sam make the perfect alpha hero?
Will Sadie find the ring’s rightful owner? And will she manage to pen a career-saving romance novel by summer’s end?
MY THOUGHTS
A Novel Proposal is a Women’s fiction book that has been on my shelves for over eight months. I was drawn to the book for the cover and the author who I have read before and enjoyed. Who wouldn’t relish the idea of being able to relax on the beach for the summer while having a changing selection of books available at your fingertips at the Little Free Library?
Not having made a splash in sales, her publisher is not impressed and will not renew her contract to write more westerns and advises Sadie to turn in a book in a genre totally unfamiliar for her in reading and writing, it is romance.
When her friend offers her half a beach house duplex for the summer for relaxing and writing she jumps at the chance. In this enemies to more she meets the tenant on the other side of the duplex, grumpy Sam. He’s had a bad breakup from his cheating girlfriend and he’s not ready to allow his heart to get attached to another woman, namely Sadie and her. adorable dog.
The descriptions of the Little Free Library and the South Carolina beach is marvelous, and I’d love to be there. Sadie, an out of towner, just there for the summer is able to meet a lot of people through her library there and it sounds like a great conversation starter.
Sadie one day finds a book that has been donated to the library with something of great importance in it. She enlists Sam’s help in trying to trace this item back to its rightful owner. After several weeks of phone calls and more they frustratingly seem no closer to finding the rightful owner than when they started. Will they find the items owner?
I thought Sadie’s character was a bit too pushy for my tastes, she barges into Sam’s house unannounced quite often. She’s just too over the top for me. I am neutral about Sam’s character; he didn’t have any redeeming qualities to make me really like him, but I didn’t dislike him either.
As Sam’s heart starts to warm to Sadie, he finds out something about her that makes him sad and hurt. Can they talk things over and come to an understanding or will this romance fade away like the sunset? I enjoyed the book, but it wasn’t one of my favorites by her.
Pub Date 21 Mar 2023 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
THE AUTHOR
Denise Hunter is the internationally published, bestselling author of more than forty books, three of which have been adapted into original Hallmark Channel movies. She has won the Holt Medallion Award, the Reader’s Choice Award, the Carol Award, the Foreword Book of the Year Award, and is a RITA finalist. When Denise isn’t orchestrating love lives on the written page, she enjoys traveling with her family, drinking chai lattes, and playing drums. Denise makes her home in Indiana, where she and her husband raised three boys and are now enjoying an empty nest and three beautiful grandchildren. DeniseHunterBooks.com; Facebook: @AuthorDeniseHunter; Twitter: @DeniseAHunter; Instagram: @deniseahunter.
I hope you’re able to enjoy a wonderful day. Thanks for stopping in today.
Ellie Browne, landlady of the Dog & Duck, is looking forward to a relaxing Christmas Day before the arrival of her and Max’s baby in the new year.
But with a snowstorm brewing outside, it seems that things might not go quite to plan. After the dramatic events of the holiday season, Ellie settles into her new life at Max’s huge country mansion, Braithwaite Manor, juggling work and family as best she can.
When she’s asked to help organise a summer wedding for one of her best friends it’s only natural that her mind turns to her own non-existent wedding plans! But with Max decidedly lukewarm on the subject and other family complications threatening to disrupt life further, Ellie fears there’ll never be wedding bells at the Dog & Duck after all.
The perfect feel-good love story for fans of Cathy Bramley, Heidi Swain and Julie Houston.
MY THOUGHTS
This is the third book in the Duck and Dog series. I absolutely LOVED it! It was so much fun to catch up with the characters from the past 2 books and see how they had gotten on in their loves. It was like sharing a cuppa and catching up with old friends. Full of laughs, friendship and family and oh yes, a few rambunctious fun-loving dogs. The wedding descriptions were divine. When Ellie Browne, landlady of The Dog & Duck helps her friend plan her wedding her thoughts turn to planning her own wedding but wait there is no wedding upcoming as she hasn’t accepted her boyfriends’ proposal. Will all the fun summer wedding plans change her mind? Wonderfully fun book to read!
Jill Steeples is the author of many successful women’s fiction titles – most recently the Dog and Duck series – all set in the close communities of picturesque English villages. She lives in Bedfordshire.
Happy Friday & welcome to First Line Friday hosted by Reading is my Super Power! It’s time to grab the book nearest to you and leave a comment with the first line. The book I am featuring is the one I am reading right now; it’s called A Vineyard Wedding. I am reading it because I am doing a spelling challenge for November on GoodReads and we are spelling Thanksgiving. In November we are reading one book for each of the letters in Thanksgiving. My V letter corresponds with A Vineyard Wedding.
FIRST LINE
It was the ugliest wedding dress Annie had ever seen.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Finding love on Martha’s Vineyard has been a dream come true—but for the bride-to-be, the price of happiness may be too high . . .
With her long-awaited wedding to police sergeant John Lyons only weeks away, bestselling author and Vineyard Inn proprietor Annie Sutton is faced with more drama than usual. Between the hideous heirloom gown her new family expects her to wear and the challenges of bonding with John’s contentious daughter Abigail, Annie’s having serious doubts. But when the baby she once found on her doorstep goes missing, Annie has bigger concerns, including that the little girl’s pregnant, older half-sister is in no condition to hear bad news . . .
Desperate for answers, Annie combs the island, questioning friends and even her family-to-be. Because suddenly it seems as if Abigail will do just about anything to stop her father from marrying Annie—even if it means putting a child at risk. But if scaring Annie half to death is the plan, it’s working. Nothing else matters now except finding the little girl. And if postponing her future with John—indefinitely—is the only way to make that happen, it’s a sacrifice Annie may have to make . . .
What are you currently reading and what is Your first line?
Vegan Book Blogger 