REVIEW WEDNESDAY - September Love

 Good afternoon, friends.

Under the weather yesterday so I'm a bit behind today.

AMAZON

BLURB:

A chance meeting, a peaceful setting at Sebago Lake in Maine, and a desperate need for relief from an unrelenting grief--all happen in September Love. In 2006, Derek Holland, a Morgan Stanley stock broker, lost his young wife, Jenny, and seven-year-old Zachary, in a tragic accident when a Boston commuter train hit another train head-on. Now in 2008, during the September stock market plunge, when his company is faltering, he retreats to the peace and quiet of Sebago Lake. Ironically, Ingrid Mikkelson returns to Sebago Lake Campgrounds each September to grieve the loss of her husband, Svien Mikkelson, who died of a sudden heart attack in 2006. They choose adjacent sites, #148 and #149. In this chance meeting, they find a connection in their sorrow which quickly turns to love. But Ingrid has a secret that she hesitates to share with Derek. Their life story develops as they show how a new and deeper appreciation for life has grown out of a sudden loss of a loved one. It deepens their strength, their appreciation for relationship and the renewal of self through love.

I couldn't finish the book. I'm 21% into the book and the characters haven't even met yet. When you're talking novella length, that really needs to happen within the first chapter or two. 

Christine Adams gives a lot, and I mean a lot of narration. Sometimes the narration switches from third person pov to first person... often within the same paragraph! 

I think this author's strength lies in her non-fiction.

For the first time ever in a review, I can't post a single quill rating.

Please tell me in the comments, how often do you come across a DNF (did not finish) book.

All my best!

~ Angela

REVIEW WEDNESDAY - Sweet September

 Good morning!

Another hot day in the Ozarks. Nothing new this year.

This week, I'm spotlighting author Kirsten Osborne and reviewing her book, SWEET SEPTEMBER.

AMAZON

BLURB:

Trying to find a way to help with the family’s scholarship fund, September “Berry” Calendar joins a cooking competition. Although she’s had no formal training as a chef, everyone agrees she’s the best cook around Cauldron Valley, so she hopes she won’t go down in a pile of burning ash. When a handsome man flirts with her on her first night at the competition, she knows he’ll flirt with any woman, because she is no prize. 

Jack Larson agrees to judge a cooking competition that his mother had been very involved with before her death. He’s dreading having to go and be part of it, but on the first night there, he sees a woman who makes his heart beat faster. Her smile makes him feel like he could catch the stars in one hand, and he wants to give them all to her. When the competition is over, he asks her to help him with a party he’s having—one that he makes up on the spot to be able to see her after they return home to Montana. 

Will Jack be able to use the extra time to convince Berry he’s more than just a playboy? Or will she spend the rest of her life mired in self-doubt?

First off, I've loved every Kirsten Osborne book I've ever read. This is Book 9 of a 12 book series, each written by a different author in a collective of talented writers.

I'm a food competitor and loved the story line. I also appreciated that the heroine was more curvy, wore glasses, and had insecurities. Kirsten brought this out through Jack's point of view during a conversation with her mom on their first meeting when Berry brings him in to the fold like pushing someone into the deep end to see if they'll sink or swim. With ten sisters and a brother, the test was real in Berry's eyes. 

Jack was a man who knew what he wanted the minute he saw her... from the back, no less! He knew she was curvy in all the right places. Watching her ability to wow the judges in the competition against experienced  chefs with her simplistic style, was whipped cream on the dessert. 

I loved this book because in spite of Berry's insecurities, she was able to find her true love with a man that didn't see what she perceived as flaws but as beauty to be cherished and loved.

I'm giving SWEET SEPTEMBER...

Remember to check out Kirsten's spotlight post from yesterday where you'll find all of her links.

All my best!

~ Angela

REVIEW WEDNESDAY - The Lighthouse Keeper's Argument

 Good morning!

Ever have those weeks, not days but weeks, where if something can interrupt your flow, it will? That's been my case lately. Balace will be restored. Maybe with the Lunar Eclipse tonight. 

This week, I'm reviewing The Lighthouse Keeper's Argument by Sloane Hart.

AMAZON

This is Book 1 of 2 in the series.

BLURB:

Nora Callahan came back to Cedar Falls for one reason: sell her late grandmother's lighthouse cottage before the ink dries on her promotion offer and get back to her real life in Boston. She did not come back to argue with the infuriating, broad-shouldered harbor master who's filed three injunctions against the sale and apparently has opinions about everything she does. Declan Marsh has spent five years quietly protecting the Cedar Falls coastline — and the lighthouse that anchors it. He's not about to let some city lawyer in impractical shoes hand it over to a resort developer who'll gut the soul out of his town. Even if that lawyer has a laugh that keeps him awake at night. Forced to co-manage the cottage's legal fate through a town heritage review, Nora and Declan wage war in public and wage something far more dangerous in private. But Nora's flight back to Boston is already booked. And Declan learned the hard way that the people you love most are always one tide away from leaving. Something's got to give. The question is whether it will be the injunction — or their hearts.

After three attempts to get into the story and barely making my way through Chapter 7, I had to put the book down. Nothing is happening. I knew as a reader I was going to be in trouble when Nora meets Declan, bringing the two characters together, then the very next chapter Nora is parked in front of the cottage again, thinking about the argument. What argument? We are not privy to the confrontation between Nora and Declan. As a reader, I want to experience that fire between the main characters. We never really see this in as far as I've read. While there is one point where they are in the cottage together assessing potential historical value as well as what is wrong, the content is as foggy and cold as the sea air coming off the ocean. 

Maybe I'm missing something but I can't rate this book. I do encourage Sloane Hart to learn the craft before investing her time, and ours, on a story we can't feel. 

I can't rate this book. We'll see what September brings. I'm in the mood to curl up with a good Autumnal read.

All my best!

~ Angela

REVIEW WEDNESDAY - Delayed

 Quick note, everyone!

Yesterday marked forty-two years of being married to my real life hero. He planned the day so I didn't get to read this week's book. I'll do that today and the review will post tomorrow.

All my best!

~ Angela

REVIEW WEDNESDAY - Where Hearts Heal

 Good morning, friends!

Looks like we might have gotten a spot of rain overnight and I do mean 'spot'. The map shows the rain passed through but not a bit of dampness on the concrete. I'll have to water the garden this morning.

This week, I inadvertently picked up another novella by Kathleen Ball. I do love her stories. I think she's becoming another favorite author.

AMAZON

BLURB:

Sold to settle a debt… she never chose this life.

When Willa Portman is taken to a saloon as payment for a debt she didn’t create, fear becomes her constant companion. Alone and desperate on the Texas frontier, her future seems sealed—until one man steps in and changes everything.

Justin O'Connor is a rugged cowboy determined to build a life in the growing settlement of Everheart Ridge. He never intended to interfere, but when he sees a frightened young woman being forced into a life she doesn’t deserve, he can’t walk away. In a land where survival is never guaranteed, doing the right thing may cost him everything.

Brought to Everheart Ridge, Willa is given something she hasn’t known in far too long—safety. As the small western town struggles to take root, she finds herself drawn into a world of hard work, quiet kindness, and the possibility of a new beginning.

But healing takes time… and trusting a man—no matter how gentle—may be the greatest risk of all. 

In this sweet historical western romance, love grows where it’s least expected, and two wounded hearts must learn that second chances are worth fighting for.

Kathleen Ball knows how to not just tell you a story, but put you there. 

Justin is a remarkeable human being. Atrue gentleman. Personally, I thought the author gave him too much patience with Corrine. So did Willa, for that matter. I'm pretty sure that Miss Priss would have been subjected to a bit of water just to see if she'd melt into the background. Even when presented with the facts she would never be head of Justin's household, she still kept living in her dream world. 

Willa came from a hard life. She was good at finding metals in the tunnels but she was a quick study in manners and propriety in Justin's home. That said, my only issue with this story was how she seemed to change from the Willa that Jusin and Tessa kept telling her to 'just be yourself' to sounding like she wasn't much below Miss Priss with a more refined speech. This gave me the impression of she grew up overnight. I know the author wanted us to understand that Willa was the perfect mate for Justin, I just felt as if the mannerisms were a bit rushed. I would liked to have seen that come in a bit earlier in the story or possibly an epilogue - A year later when Justin and/ or Tessa remark how much she's changed since becoming the lady of the house.

Of all my favorite parts of the story, I'm in love with Mr. Ornery. I'm not giving anything away, but you'll see. 

I'm giving Where Hearts Heal...

.8

Remember to check out the links to Kathleen Ball's pages:

WEBSITE   FACEBOOK   INSTAGRAM   GOODREADS   

AUDIO    BOOKBUB

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE   

All my best!

~ Angela

REVIEW WEDNESDAY - The Cowboy's Second Chance

 Good morning!

Another hot day in the Ozarks. May I reinterate, I'm so ready for fall.

This week's novella is The Cowboy's Second chance. The title caught my attention immediately because 'second chance' stories are my favorite to read and what I write.

AMAZON

BLURB:

Will the billionaire philanthropist get a second chance to win the lady of his heart?

He's a billionaire that's supposed to be dead.

She's the woman who chose his best friend over him.

They've forged a strong online friendship over two decades as she's raised her eight kids alone, and he kept the promise he made to her husband.

She doesn't know who he really is - the entire town of Sweet Water attended his memorial service.

When they finally meet, will the friendship they've forged be strong enough to weather the deception and the explosive secrets he's hiding?

I was not a fan of the blurb. Did you notice we aren't introduced to the characters by name? The blurb reads more like a 'will they - won't they' than using basic etiquette to introduce us. I do get this from the point of we don't have the hero's actual name in the beginning... just Oilman. That lends an air of mystery. However, this isn't a mystery. It's a small-town, sweet, contemporary romance between a couple in their possibly mid-to-late fifties forging a path to their forever.

I loved how the couple find their way back to one another. After twenty years of emails, they know one another pretty well, though Oilman knows a lot more about the younger version of Bonnie than he can let on. 

There are other books in this series - the Sweet Water Ranch Western Cowboy Romance-  and I hope one will bring Bonnie's errant son back to the fold. I get the feeling he was young when her husband past and being angry is a valid feeling for someone young who's lost a parent.

You'll find out more about Jessie Gussman and her books by following any of the links below. For a direct link to this story, you'll find that below the cover.

WEBSITE   FACEBOOK   INSTAGRAM   YOUTUBE

GOODREADS   NEWSLETTER

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

I'm giving The Cowboy's Second Chance...

All my best!

~ Angela

REVIEW WEDNESDAY - Her Hidden Falls Bronc Riding Cowboy

 Good morning, friends!

If you like stubborn cowboys or a story with a bit of glitz then you're going to love HER HIDDEN FALLS BRONC RIDING COWBOY.

AMAZON

BLURB:

A small town cowboy. A Billionaire. And the woman who has to choose between them.

Beau Hardman, bronc rider and proud owner of the Hardman Ranch, doesn’t need a woman to make his life complete. Sure, it’s nice for his brothers to settle down and find love but he’s always been the lone cowboy and been just fine with it. Too bad his brother’s best friend is putting the moves on his best friend. Pfft. Beau could care less about the rich billionaire and all of the flowers he’s buying Star. Did you hear that? He doesn’t care a bit.

Star Haven has always been content in Hidden Falls. Content, running the family Inn she was instrumental in restoring. Content, dating here and there and enjoying her small town. Until Richard Chavez shows up and invites her to a ball at his estate. A ball he plans to send a helicopter to pick her up for.

When Beau discovers Star's thinking of leaving Hidden Falls--for good, he has to come clean about his feelings….or is it too late?

Will Beau and Star be able to dig through complicated pain of the past and make a happily ever after together? Or will Beau be left in the dust by the rich billionaire and his helicopter?

I wasn't completely sold on this story at first. The conversation between Star and Charlotte left my mind a bit jumbled as to who the others they mentioned fit in. Then things began to click.

A true friends-to-lovers romance between Beau and Star. Star is more down-to-earth and settled running the Inn she inherited after her parents were killed whereas Beau is still a big kid at heart chasing his dream of winning the PRCA bronc riding trophy. He also lost his parents so seeing the juxtaposition of how he and Star each handle their grief is presented in such a way that we actual see how their lives were shaped differently by their individual loss.

Enter Richard Chavez, the billionaire who wants Star. Not in a 'I'm rich I get what I want kind of way' but truly humbled by seeing the differences between past women in his life and what he could have with Star. I may need to see if he gets his own book as this would have been a great way to kick off another series. 

Her Hidden Falls Bronc Riding Cowboy is Book 4 in a 6-book series. I think they are all worth a read. You will find them by following the link to Taylor Hart's Amazon Page, as well a long list of other books with promise from this USA Today Bestselling Author. 

I did see one small slip in a scene between Beau and one of his brothers but I'll see if you can spot it. Definitly not worth knocking points off. 

I'm giving, HER HIDDEN FALLS BRONC RIDING COWBOY ...

All my best!

~ Angela

REVIEW WEDNESDAY - Christmas Cafe Complications

 Good morning, friends!

One last Christmas story for July. Where has this month gone? I've already chosen our end-of-summer reads for August. 

AMAZON

BLURB:

This small-town Christmas romance is full of festive surprises and unexpected moments of joy! When Amanda, the determined owner of a cafe in the struggling town of Snow Falls, discovers her long-time rival Eric is closing down his bookstore, she is determined to revive the town’s charm with a big Christmas festival fundraiser.

Despite their initial reluctance, Amanda and Eric are forced to co-organize the event. As Amanda and Eric clash over festival plans, their walls come down, and they realize they share a common goal. 

In a world that can be tough and unpredictable, this sweet romance will remind you of the power of love and leave you with a heart full of hope.

There was a lead-in to the blurb throwing in extra keywords and if you read similar authors then you will love this book.

The cover really set the scene and I loved the small town feel.

First off, when I read a blurb I don't want to know anything except what about this particular story makes me want to keep reading.  What I've shared above is what I want to know. Who the characters are, their conflicts and a hint at how they might make their story work.

While the author does create a beautiful, wintery Christmas setting, there are a couple of problems. The point of view mixes and mingles in very little fashion, often times even throwing in an omniscent point of view. For a story to flow smoothly, a reader doesn't want to be jarred around. You can have multiple points of view (though I don't recommend omniscent being one of them) but the transition from one character to the next should not leave me wondering what character I'm supposed to be in. The author started out fine but the further I got into the story, the more I had the feeling of being told a story, not pulled in to be a part of it. 

The mayor's character really irritated me. While I'm sure she is under great pressure to save the flailing town of Snowfall, that did not give her the right to be nasty to Amanda. I got the impression she was modeled after the mayor in The Good Witch, though that character was hauty, not mean.  Couple that with Eric throwing Amanda to the wolf to take the heat for weather none of them had any control over just rubbed me the wrong way.

Christmas Cafe Complications is Book 2 of a 17-book collaboration. 

I'm giving Christmas Cafe Complilcations...

.8

All my best!

~ Angela

REVIEW WEDNESDAY - The Mistletoe Puppy

 Good morning!

There's nothing like a good Christmas story to make a 101* day seem less miserable. We didn't stay that high very long and I spent most of the day watching storm trackers as tornado warnings were all around my daughter in Kentucky. Everyone is safe thanks to trackers like Chris Hall, Jordan Hall, and Ryan Hall (though not related, as far as I know)

AMAZON

BLURB:

Two wounded people, no longer able to risk love, plus one little girl and her puppy. Can she bring them together in time for Christmas?

Kate Larssen lives in Mistletoe Falls, a small, charming town in northern Minnesota, and runs a no-kill animal rescue, a cause dear to her warm and loving heart. After too many romantic disappointments, she has far more important things to focus on: The abandoned and abused animals she wants to save. And the return of an angry ex-con she helped send to prison.

Deputy Brad Bailey recently left big city life and moved to Mistletoe Falls with his six-year-old daughter. His wife died just before Christmas last year, and his only goal is to raise his grieving six-year-old daughter and help her heal. While on duty, he brings a stray dog and her puppies to the animal shelter, and meets Kate, the pretty manager. He hopes taking Janie to visit the puppies will lift her spirits, though soon realizes his mistake when she begs to adopt them all. Kate tries to help fill the void in Janie's life, though she's determined to keep things on a friendship-only basis.

When Kate's house is set on fire, Brad desperately tried to track down the arsonist before anything terrible happens to her. And suddenly, a friendship teeters on something more...

I found The Mistletoe Puppy to be a great read. Roxanne Rustand knows how to build the base of a sugar cookie, adding sprinkles of information when they are needed most. An example in this story is how we learn about Brad and Janie's story out when we need to know something specific about their pain and heartache. Kids may be resilient but nothing prepares them at any age for the loss of a parent. Even as adults we can't always comprehend why something had to happen. 

The setting for this family coming together is perfect. Bright colorful lights or the softer white lights all tell the story. Add fairytales from a little girl's perspective, a Princess puppy, and two people finding their way after relationship problems and you have the perfect sweet romance. But no romance is complete without stumbles along the way. A Hollywood actor once said "If the apple is on the table, there is a reason the apple is there." In this case, the 'apple' was represented in the carvings throughout Kate's home. Not only were they a sign of protection, but of the evil that lurks in her kingdom, and that a knight in shining armor (or badge) will protect her. 

Roxanne Rustand brought all the elements of a true fairytale together to form a heartwarming read in the confines of one hundred pages. That, my readers, is pure talent. 

The Mistletoe Puppy is Book 1 in a four-book series. I'm linking all of the books below, and when I take a break in December, I plan to curl up on the sofa enjoying the Christmas lights and reading every one. 

#1 The Mistletoe Puppy

#2 A Christmas in Montana

#3 An Irish ChristmasBlessing

#4 A London Christmas

#5 A Scottish Christmas

#6 Christmas in Paris

I'm giving, The Mistletoe Puppy...

All my best!

~ Angela

REVIEW WEDNESDAY - Christmas at Newport Beach

 Good morning, friends!

I have a bit of a twist for you today, as well as a confession. 

When I go searching for books I put in key words such as Christmas Novella KU romance.

What I failed to do this week was ask for romance. The first one that came up turned out to be a cozy mystery. I also seldom look at the blurb until after I've copied it to my file. I search the page count and that's pretty much it. 

AMAZON

BLURB:

When the Harding sisters return to Newport Beach for the holidays, they expect cozy traditions by the sea — twinkling lights along the boardwalk, carols drifting from the chapel, and stockings hung in their beloved family home. What they don’t expect is a sealed letter hidden in the attic…a letter that whispers of betrayal, a missing heir, and the shocking possibility that the beach house they love may not belong to them at all. 

From the career-driven eldest sister to the free-spirited youngest, from the cousin no one trusts to the aunt who raised them all, each woman must face the past she’s been running from. And when old flames reappear under the glow of Christmas lights, second chances stir hearts already weighed down by secrets.

As snow falls over the sandy shores of Newport Beach, the Harding family is pulled into a web of twists and turns that will test their bonds, rekindle lost loves, and challenge everything they thought they knew about loyalty, forgiveness, and home.

While this wasn't a romance, the story was about love and family and how the love sometimes isn't what you think.

Coral Harper writes beautiful description. I could smell the salty air as the waves crashed against the shore and feel Claire's angst as she struggles figure out who is following her as she and Jake move from clue to clue trying to find answers to a twenty-year mystery and who was responsible for everything leading to her father's death. If I want to read another cozy, I'd turn to Coral Harper books in a heart beat.  Christmas at Newport Beach is Book 3 in a 6-book series. She is a very prolific writer with great titles. I encourage you to check out her Amazon Author Page link below.

I'm giving Christmas at Newport Beach...

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

All my best!

~Angela

REVIEW WEDNESDAY - Alanna

 Good morning, everyone!

Can you believe we just stepped in to July? Crazy!

I'm choosing the books for this month. Here's a tip - they're going to be Christmas related. Hallmark is releasing new movies this month as well. I'll be showcasing them each week.

AMAZON

BLURB:

Overall of the three-book series premise.

An unforgettable collection of Sweet Historical Western Romances set against the rugged backdrop of the Old West. Each story is a unique journey of faith, love, and the power of hope in the face of adversity.

Alanna

She has nowhere to go, but he doesn’t trust her. Can love bloom amid suspicion?

Donald Dill has heard every excuse in the book from would-be brides. Now jaded and skeptical, he’s ready to send his new mail-order bride back. Alanna Foley, however, is determined to stay. With her niece in tow after her sister’s death, Alanna has no other options. She’s strong and resilient, but Donald’s lack of trust stings deeply.

Amid the perils of land grabbers, dangerous wildlife, and another woman’s shocking claim to Alanna’s niece, love quietly takes root. But can they overcome their fears and listen to their hearts before it’s too late?

My first thought was, how many men and women, went through the lack of trust from a mail order companion only to find they weren't the right fit? How many stuck it out anyway and found their happy ever after in the end?

After more than one unhappy potential alliance, Donald is very wary and is determined to send her back because he doesn't trust her reasoning for having a child in her arms. But Alanna sees something in him he doesn't recognize on his own. His life may have been all about order and preciseness prior to her arrival but she soon helps him understand that things need to shift when a child is involved. Baby Winnie sees something in Donald as only a child can. When she first grasps his finger, he is lost, even if he won't admit it. He'll do anything for that infant and he proves it when she develops milk poisoning. 

I wanted to smack the traveling preacher who was supposed to join Donald and Alanna in marriage, or as Donald intended initially, send her back with him. When the preacher sets his mind on marrying Alanna himself, things don't sit right. The the man of the cloth brings an uppity potential bride for Donald in Alanna's place. I didn't know trading brides was an option. Apparently the Padre thought so.

You'll find the boxed set by clicking on the link below the picture.

AMAZON

I loved this story. Kathleen Ball has a way with taking you on a smooth ride, then throw in a curve to beat all curves. I hope to feature her again soon.

In the mean time, Alanna is the first story in the three-book novella series, Brides of Pine Crossing. I'll be reading the remaining two before sending this book back to KU.

I'm giving ALANNA - Bride of Pine Crossing...

All my best!

~ Angela

REVIEW WEDNESDAY - The Doctor's Distracting Bride

Good morning, friends!

Already been a week and it's only Wednesday! Thankfully, I had a story to distract me.

AMAZON

BLURB:

Dr. Stephen Ambrose likes his world orderly. His medical instruments are labeled, his routines timed, and his patients cared for with quiet efficiency. What he never expected from Miss Mabel’s matchmaking service was a whirlwind bride who brings more laughter than silence and more peppermint lozenges than medical charts.

Della Tate has spent years volunteering in San Francisco’s free infirmary, learning every trick of nursing without ever earning a certificate. She’s cheerful, determined, and convinced that God has called her to help others, even if her new husband would prefer she sweep floors and keep quiet. But the people of Hickory Creek adore her, even as she turns Stephen’s carefully controlled life upside down.

When a mother and child nearly lose their lives in childbirth, the resulting controversy summons Stephen and Della before the Texas Medical Board. The hearing could cost him his license and her the chance to serve beside him. As uncertainty looms, both must decide whether love and faith are strong enough to withstand the weight of doubt—and whether God’s plan for them is larger than their fears.

With humor, heart, and a touch of Miss Mabel’s divine mischief, The Doctor’s Distracting Bride is a Christian Western romance about courage, calling, and discovering that sometimes God’s best prescriptions come wrapped in laughter and love.

They ask for quiet, obedient brides. Mabel sends them the ones with fire.

The Doctor's Distracting Bride is Book 6 in the Bride's of Miss Mabel's Registry.

London James has an interesting voice with her books. First off, Miss Mabel doesn't connect couples necessarily what they ask for. She has an innate ability to read between the lines to make the perfect match.

She also uses a unique trope. Rather than the 'Cinderella', 'Enemies to Lovers', etc, she uses stories from the Bible. For this one, she called on the Book of Ruth. Definitely a unique way to tell a contemporary (or in this case Historical romance) love story. I found her way of getting the couple's attention to their own predicament refreshing.

While she tells a great story, I did find a couple of editing issues, including an entire paragraph duplicated, one right after the other on a page. There were a couple minor editing issues as well. For the editing only, I'm giving a slightly lower quill rating this week. 

I'm giving The Doctor's Distracting Bride...

. 8

All my best!

~ Angela