REVIEW WEDNESDAY - Her Christmas Wish

 Good morning, readers!

This is our final #ChristmasInJuly read. Have you been picking up the books in some form and enjoying the cooling summer reads? I hope so.

This week we read HER CHRISTMAS WISH by Mitzi Fine. 

AMAZON

I met Mitzi several years ago at the last Romance Readers Convention. I'm so glad I went. I always said if I published a book then I'd spend the money. I didn't realize at the time that would be my final opportunity. Don't put off doing something you really want to do lest the chance pass you by.

Okay.. the important stuff:

BLURB:

A lonely young woman

A handsome rancher

And a wish...

All alone after her aunt passes, Avery Davenport leaves Texas for Wild Rose Ridge, Washington. Her uncle promised to rent her a tiny cabin on his property, and she plans to take him up on it. She also plans to give him a piece of her mind once she gets there. He didn't so much as call her back after she left him a message about his ex-wife's passing. Worse, he didn't even show up for the funeral. When she finally gets to his ranch outside of Wild Rose Ridge, she finds the cabin a mess, and is shocked when a handsome rancher finds her in the shower!

Hudson Weaver bought a ranch complete with sixty acres, a big red barn, and a woman he discovers in the tiny cabin at the back of the property! No one told him there was a renter! But Avery Davenport is in a bad way. She's grieving over the loss of her aunt, and came to Wild Rose Ridge to rent the cabin from her uncle, who no one has seen for weeks. It's as if the man has disappeared off the face of the planet. Can Hudson help Avery find him? More importantly, can he do it without losing his heart to the grieving young woman? Find out in this sweet, small town holiday romance!

My, my, my! Mitzi Fine knows how to melt the snow (in a sweet way). Between Hudson the strong, hot cowboy, Avery the damsel in distress and a missing uncle there is everything to love about this story. One thing I can always count on from Mitzi's books is that she brings everything to a cohesive conclusion and in this case, tied up in a pretty Christmas bow! I think for Hudson he fell hard at first sight. But you know cowboys (or men in general) sometimes things just take them a little while. Then there's Avery. She needed a friend and what better husband material than a friend. I know, I married mine. ;-) While this was book six in the series, I think I need to go back and pick up the previous 5 to see how we got to here. Come along with me to Wild Rose Ridge. Here are the links to Books 1 - 5. Just click on the title.

Book 1 - The Christmas House by Kit Morgan (Also writing as Mitzi Fine)

Book 2 - Kellie's Christmas Box by Linda Jo Reed

Book 3 - One Starry Christmas  by Mary A. Felkins

Book 4 - Holland and Ivy by Kathy Geary Anderson

Book 5 - The Inheritance Clause by Dalyn Weller

I'm giving Her Christmas Wish:

You'll find Mitzi Fine by following any of the links below:

FACEBOOK   ROMANCE.IO   GOODREADS

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

All my best!

~Angela

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT - Mitzi Fine

  Good morning, everyone!

This week, I'm introducing you to someone 'new'.  

I say new because while the author name is new, I've featured one of her other pseudonym in previous blog posts. I also featured her in January of 2014 when I reviewed Love In Marigold - Book 1 in the Marigold books. I love her style.

BIO:

Mitzi Fine loves writing women's fiction and small town romance stories that touch the heart. Her wholesome stories depict a strong sense of family and community and have no shortage of humor! She loves adding a bit of mystery to her books, and why not? She was raised by a homicide detective! Enjoy her sweet romances and women's fiction books about life, love, and women of a certain age trying to reshape their lives and discover love again.

When not writing Mitzi enjoys traveling, eating chocolate, and driving her family a little crazy with all the stories in her head just waiting to get out. She resides in the Pacific Northwest where many of her stories are set.

You'll find Mitzi and her books by clicking the following links:

FACEBOOK   ROMANCE.IO   GOODREADS

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

I'll be back tomorrow to wind up our author series for Christmas in July tomorrow when we'll take a look at HER CHRISTMAS WISH - Book 6 in the Wild Rose Ridge Christmas series.

All my best!

~Angela

THOUGHTFUL MONDAY

 Good morning, readers!

Our final week of #ChristmasInJuly. I've had fun creating these posts. I hope you've enjoyed them!

All my best!

~ Angela

FRIDAY PHOTO

 Good morning, friends. 

This is the lasts of our Christmas photos for a few months. LOL How appropriate our final photo comes on the 25th! 

I hope they've helped cool you off in the hot July temps!

All my best!

~ Angela

REVIEW WEDNESDAY - Meet Me At Christmas

Good morning, readers.

Some have asked how I can read a book a week. Well, before I became an adult, I would read two or more a week. I like quick reads so you won't see me curled up with 'door stop' books. I also read them for this weekly post and to provide reviews for the authors. We love reviews; even the not so great ones.

AMAZON

BLURB:

Traveling writer and researcher Stella Fisher is working in London when she's called home to her family’s farmhouse in Leiper’s Fork, Tennessee to help her mother through the first Christmas without her father. Compounding the situation, her younger sister Lily has run off to get married without telling anyone.

When Stella arrives home, she doesn’t expect to find Henry Dutton, the man she’d left behind. As she could guess, after her heartbreaking exit so many years ago, he isn’t speaking to her. What she doesn’t realize, however, is there’s a much bigger reason to blame for his unfriendly reception. She quickly becomes the one person he believes can fix everything, but she isn’t sure about that. She thought she’d buried her past, yet the look in his alluring blue eyes brings it all right back to the surface.

Under the glitter of the holiday trees at the local lot called Christmas, Stella uncovers more than she’d ever imagined. Will she be able to return to her old life? Or will the unexpected be the biggest Christmas gift of all?

For the most part, I enjoyed the story. The medical stuff about the brain blurred my vision a bit but I understand why the information was necessary. Jenny Hale did a great job of providing the differences between Stella and Henry and how they would work through them to come together. I also enjoyed the secondary story about the necklace, though that took some doing. I was on Stella's mom's team to find out the story. The necklace provided the perfect distraction for her mom. I also understood why Lily took off. The first Christmas without Pop was going to be tough and each handled things their own way. Having Pop 'talk' to Stella was a beautiful, almost paranormal, twist I thoroughly enjoyed. 

I'm giving MEET ME AT CHRISTMAS:

Check out the links below to find out more about Jenny Hale. Especially look at her Media/ TV link to see which Hallmark Christmas movies you want to add to your holiday viewing list:

WEBSITE   BLOG   FACEBOOK   INSTAGRAM   TWITTER   LINKED IN   YOUTUBE

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

All my best!

~ Angela

GOODREADS   BOOK BUB   PINTEREST   AUDIO   MEDIA/TV

 

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT - Jenny Hale

 Good morning, readers.

We're still celebrating #ChristmasInJuly with some great holiday reads.  This week, I'm shining the spotlight on author, Jenny Hale.

Let's learn a bit about Jenny Hale:

Jenny Hale is a USA Today and international bestselling author of romantic contemporary fiction. Her books have sold over a million copies worldwide, have been translated into multiple languages, and adapted for television. Her novels Coming Home for Christmas and Movie Guide Epiphany Award winner Christmas Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses are Hallmark Channel original movies. She was included in Oprah Magazine’s “19 Dreamy Summer Romances to Whisk You Away” and both Southern Living’s “30 Christmas Novels to Start Reading Now” as well as “Beach Reads Perfect for Summer” in 2020 as well as 2023. Her stories are chock-full of feel-good romance and overflowing with warm settings, great friends, and family. Jenny is at work on her next novel, delighted to be bringing even more heartwarming stories to her readers. When she isn’t writing or heading up her romantic fiction imprint Harpeth Road, she can be found running around her hometown of Nashville with her husband, two boys, and their labradoodle, taking pictures—her favorite pastime.

Chances are if you watch Hallmark Christmas movies, then you've probably seen at least one of hers. My favorite was Christmas Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses with Danica Keller and Neil Bledsoe.

I'll be reviewing MEET ME AT CHRISTMAS (2023) on the Review Wednesday post tomorrow. I hope you'll come back.

There are several links, giving you the opportunity to learn more about Jenny Hale, her works, and to follow her. I'm listing them all below. Also, once on her website, I suggest signing up for her newsletter.

WEBSITE   BLOG   FACEBOOK   INSTAGRAM   TWITTER   LINKED IN   YOUTUBE

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

GOODREADS   BOOK BUB   PINTEREST   AUDIO   MEDIA/TV

All my best!

~ Angela

THOUGHTFUL MONDAY

 Good morning, friends!

We are over half way through the month. Please let me know if you've enjoyed these holiday posts in the middle of a heat wave.

All my best!

~ Angela

FRIDAY PHOTO

 Good morning, friends!

If you attended the RSJ conference last weekend, I'd love to hear your take-aways in the comments below!

All my best!

~ Angela

REVIEW WEDNESDAY - The Littlest Cowboy - A Brand of Christmas

 Good morning, friends.

Coming in a bit late. I took a ME day yesterday to sit in my favorite coffee shop and read The Littlest Cowboy. While I didn't have an issue with the book, I did with the marketing.

As I mentioned yesterday, Ms. Shayne has begun re-releasing her back list. Originally, this was part of the cover I purchased back in 2016:

I can't link to the box set because they are no longer published this way. BUT... here's what I saw. A Brand of Christmas - Two series starters. So in MY mind, I see a box set of Christmas stories. When you open them up in Kindle, The Littlest Cowboy comes up first, so I dove in to reading the first 'Christmas Book'.  The Littlest Cowboy is NOT a Christmas story.  Now, I am going to take some responsibility for not digging a little deeper but at the time, I did not know she was releasing her back list as individual books. 

Meet the Brands... One set is Texas - aka The Littlest Cowboy, Book 1 in a nine book series. The other is set in Oklahoma... aka The Brands Who Came For Christmas, Book 1 in a six book series.

AMAZON

Here's the blurb for The Littlest Cowboy:

Baby on his Doorstep!

Sheriff Garrett Brand has raised his entire brood of siblings single-handedly, and he’s done his best to teach them some values, to mold them into honorable, responsible, and trustworthy human beings. So when a baby lands on the doorstep of the Texas Brand, his first question is which younger brother is in for a butt-kicking?

But the little fellow isn’t named after Ben, or Wes, or Adam, or Elliot. The little guy is named after him–Garrett Ethan Brand–according to the note his mama left behind.

He’s still racking his brain to figure it all out, when a woman shows up at the ranch in the dead of night, fighting mad and accusing Garrett of murdering her sister and stealing the baby!

She’s lost too much…

Chelsea is confused, heartbroken, and too mad to think straight, and the same trouble that found her poor sister is right on her tail.

You can see by the new cover, this is NOT a Christmas story. I went by the cover I had in my Kindle Library. My only question is "Why was this book included in a box duo?"

I hope someday to write as deep of a point of view (POV) as this talented author. One page in and I was hooked by every nuance Ms. Shayne showed. I was Garrett, hear the noises, feeling that something wasn't right and the stealth actions he took. In those actions we were also introduced to the rest of the household without waiting for them to just show up. Beautifully done, Maggie Shayne. Well done! I'll be reading more of the Brand series' as time allows.

I can't discount the quills for my own mis-understanding. I'm giving THE LITTLEST COWBOY

You'll find Maggie Shayne by following any of the following links:

WEBSITE   FACEBOOK   INSTAGRAM   BLOG   BOOK BUB   SUBSTACK

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

All my best!

~ Angela

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT - Maggie Shayne

 Hello, friends!

Yes, I know it's Wednesday and you should be seeing a book review. Tomorrow, I promise, barring any more rain-related internet issues. I am so tired of rain!

I have a very special lady to feature this week. I've been reading her books for years and, by the looks of her website, I have some serious catching up to do!

Meet Maggie, Shayne:

BIO:

I was born a storyteller, and I will cross to the other side a storyteller, and when I get there, I’ll haunt some young writer who’s still on earth by whispering my stories into her ears, because I’ll still be a storyteller. I think that’s what our muses are. Storytellers gone by. I am so incredibly blessed, because I got a really good one. I love her.

My stories are Paranormal Romances like my groundbreaking Wings in the Night vampire romance series, (the original “Twilight” vampire novels) and my wildly popular Fatal Series, (rom-com ghost mysteries with a Scooby gang you’ll want to join.) I’ve also penned two epic witch series, The Immortals and The Portal trilogy, along with fantasy romance quartet By Magic

My stories are also small town contemporary romances all about family, loyalty and love, like The Texas Brand Series, The Oklahoma Brands, and The McIntyre Men.

I have spun Romantic Thrillers like my career-best Brown & de Luca series, The Mordecai Young Series, The Secrets of Shadow Falls, Shattered Sisters.

All info about my books and my CoffeeHouse blog are at MaggieShayne.com

I can tell you I've not paid much attention to Maggie for awhile. I did not know about her magickal side or that she has her own shop! There will be on-line traveling in my future! We might even pick up one of her books for our Halloween series in October, so stay tuned!

I'll be reviewing a Christmas book from Ms Shayne called, THE LITTLEST COWBOY... Book 1 in the 9-book series, The Texas Brands. 

In the mean time, you will find out so much more about Maggie Shayne and all of her books by following any of the links below:

WEBSITE   FACEBOOK   INSTAGRAM   BLOG   BOOK BUB   SUBSTACK

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

All my best!

~ Angela

THOUGHTFUL MONDAY

 Good morning, friends.

I hope these #ChristmasInJuly posts both inspire and cool you off. 

All my best!

~ Angela

FRIDAY PHOTO

 Good afternoon, friends! 

Are you ready for the weekend?

I will be on-line all weekend attending the RSJ conference. If you've not signed up, why not! Affiliate links and conference information were  in the past two Thursday posts. 

In the mean time, I hope you'll be inspired by another Christmas In July!

All my best

~ Angela

REVIEW WEDNESDAY - Snowflakes & Sparks: A Feel-Good Christmas Romantic Comedy

 Good morning, readers! 

I have a great book for you today. I thoroughly enjoyed this story, but more about that in a minute. 

AMAZON

SNOWFLAKES AND SPARKS is Book 1 of 3 in the Old Pine Cove series.

BLURB:

Uh-oh. I’m in trouble. My new neighbor is the gorgeous guy I shared my first kiss with ten years ago—right before I broke his heart.

If your boss ever asks you to run a bookstore in a charming small town, you have the option of saying heck no.

I wish I’d realized this earlier, but it’s too late for me now. I’ve already arrived in Old Pine Cove, the one place on earth I swore I’d never return to. Thank goodness it’s only for the holidays. Don’t get me wrong, managing a bookstore has been a lifelong dream of mine and I do love Christmas. The problem is Alex Denverton opening the door with that smoldering look of his. I never expected to see him again after breaking his heart, let alone live next door to the guy, yet here I am in this giant Christmas pickle.

Now all I want for Christmas is a second chance with him. Surely that isn’t too much to ask for, is it? Yeah, with my luck, I’m not getting my hopes up.

For the first time in a very long time, I loved the opening of a book - this book. When Alex Denverton is introduced I can almost see him rubbing his hands together in glee with an 'this is going to be fun' moment when he finds out he is the one Suzie must get the key for the book store fun. 

Years ago, I learned that if there is an apple on the table, there better be a reason. The key, like that apple, becomes a symbol for bigger moments in the story.

Often times, I don't see the climatic event coming until I'm there but Sophie-Leigh Robbins does this so well! She has created characters you don't want to root for, but people you will love from beginning to end. I do know if I wasn't married, I'd want a hottie like Alex living next door to me. Alex is quite the handyman and you feel right from the start he will do anything to help Suzie, even though he knows she may not be staying in Old Pine Cove.

There is a reason, Sophie-Leigh Robbins is a USA Today Bestselling author. I'm giving SNOWFLAKES AND SPARKS...

You'll want to pick up Addy's story in Book 2- Love To Prove You Wrong and Olive's story in Book 3 - In For A Treat.

You can learn more about Sophie by following any of the links below.

WEBSITE   FACEBOOK   TWITTER-X   INSTAGRAM   YouTube

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

All My Best!

~ Angela

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT - Sophie-Leigh Robbins

 Good morning, readers!

I have a 'new to me' author to share with you today. Meet Sophie-Leigh Robbins.

BIO:

Sophie-Leigh Robbins writes feel-good Romantic Comedies. She grew up reading every book she could get her hands on, especially The Baby-Sitters Club. By the time she was 10 years old, she was having loads of fun writing her own stories.

I purchased Snowflakes & Sparks last year and never got around to reading the book. I'll be posting a review tomorrow. In the mean time, you can learn more about Sophie by following any of the links below.

WEBSITE   FACEBOOK   TWITTER-X   INSTAGRAM   YouTube

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

All My Best!

~ Angela

THOUGHTFUL MONDAY

 Good morning, readers.

The theme for this month is #ChristmasInJuly. I've chosen Christmas quotes for you to ponder or inspire your writing.

All my best!

~ Angela

FRIDAY PHOTO

 Good morning, friends!

I hope you will enjoy the Christmas In July photo prompts. Consider writing several shorts to create your own anthology or as a jumping off point for a new story. 

All my best

~ Angela

REVIEW WEDNESDAY - Once Upon A Royal Christmas: A Sweet Holiday Romance

 Good morning, readers!

I'm excited to kick off the Christmas in July series today with a book by previously featured author; USA Today Bestselling author, Robi Bielman.

AMAZON

Once Upon A royal Christmas is Book 2 in the Palotay's of Montana series. We met the family last week with Book 1. 

BLURB:

After a cringeworthy first encounter, Rowan Palotay hopes she’s seen the last of Prince Theodore Chenery. But fixing her mistake garners even more attention from the prince, and when he requests she be his reporter for a news story, she can’t say no.

Prince Theo is completely enchanted with Rowan and finds her special brand of kindness and honesty impossible to ignore. Back home, his choices are made for him, but here in this small town where his mother grew up, he feels connections he never has before. And the more time he and Rowan spend together, the more he wants her—all of her.

When obligations back home take a turn he didn’t see coming, he’s ready to stake his claim. But when his father and the media get wind of his relationship with Rowan, Theo must decide whether to follow his heart or his royal duty.

Once I got into the story, I really enjoyed the ease of which we saw a 'royal' be like normal people - in this case, we really saw Theo's mom in him. 

At first, for me at least, there seemed to be a dump of information I felt could have been shown in a smaller bite. But again, that's just me. Some readers enjoy the deeper dive up front.  But as the story progressed, Robin did an excellent job of peeling back the layers of the heroine, Rowan. She is memorable, for sure. A little moody, speaks her mind and pretends not to be afraid of what other people will think.  

I also loved how Rowan's character brought Prince Theo out, making him comfortable. The way she did the interview over the course of days while showing him the town his mother loved so much was creative on both Rowan and the author's part.

My only contention with the story is actually part of the title. A Sweet Holiday Romance. While the overall tone is very sweet and loving, I don't equate 'sweet' and  'visual lovemaking scenes' to mean the same thing. When I think sweet, I think Harlequin. And, while a few of Robin's books have been made into Hallmark ( I need to look for those this month), this one didn't fit the advertising bill with me. 

For that alone, I'm giving ONCE UPON A ROYAL CHRISTMAS: A Sweet Holiday Romance... 

.8

You'll find out more about Robin by following any of the links below:

WEBSITE    FACEBOOK   INSTAGRAM   TWITTER-X   GOODREADS

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

All my best!

~ Angela

CONFERENCE - RSJ On-Line Romance Conference

 Good morning, everyone!

I know I'm coming in to this a bit late but I wanted to make sure to post about this conference.

RSJ - Romance Slam Jam is an online conference offering valuable information, pitch opportunities, break out sessions, fun events, swag... everything you would get at an in-person Live event without the travel. Participate in your jammies  (FYI we have a pajama party!) while learning more about the romance publishing industry. 

The conference runs July 10 - 12 from the comfort of your home!

I'd LOVE if you'd use my affiliate link for the conference where you'll find out all the details.

MY LINK

While the video below is 8 years old, the fun and information is still relevant.  

I hope you'll join us!

All my best

~Angela

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT - Robin Bielman - Repeat Performance

 Good morning, readers.

Hoping I can get this posted before the power flickers again. This heat and all the rain is playing havoc with the power grid.

I got home from my trip yesterday so I'm getting caught up. I there's a delay, it's only because I'm spending time with Bob.

REVIEW WEDNESDAY will post on THURSDAY July 3rd as we kick off the Christmas In July series.

Thank you for your patience.

Repeat Performance...

Good morning, readers.

This week I'm shining the spotlight on author, Robin Bielman. Actually, I'll be showcasing her both this week and next. Robin has a Christmas book that will kick off our #ChristmasInJuly series.

When I feature a Christmas book by an author over the course of this month, I'll also link you to their most recent book (usually non-Christmas) so you can have more great books to read.

Let's get started!

About Robin Bielman:

USA Today bestselling author Robin Bielman lives in Southern California with her awesome family and her very cute dog, Harry. She writes fun, flirty romantic fiction with one goal in mind: to leave you with a smile on your face. When not attached to her laptop, she loves to read, go to the beach, and frequent coffee shops with friends. She also dreams of traveling to faraway places and loves to connect with readers. Keep in touch on social! Xoxo

I'll be reviewing FALLING FOR HER BACHELOR tomorrow then next week, ONCE UPON A ROYAL CHRISTMAS

 In the mean time, you'll find out more about Robin by following any of the links below:

WEBSITE    FACEBOOK   INSTAGRAM   TWITTER-X   GOODREADS

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

All my best!

~ Angela