I received this book for free from the author, the publicist, and the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion and review.
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Showing posts with label romance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label romance. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 23, 2018
Summer Plans and Other Disasters by Karin Beery
Friday, May 19, 2017
True to You by Becky Wade
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the LitFuse Publications book blogger campaign. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
ABOUT THE BOOK:
True to You (Bethany House, May 2017)
It’s the exciting start of a brand-new series by a contemporary romance fan favorite!
After a devastating heartbreak three years ago, genealogist and historical village owner Nora Bradford has decided that burying her nose in her work and her books is far safer than romance in the here and now.
Unlike Nora, former Navy SEAL and Medal of Honor recipient John Lawson is a modern-day man, usually 100 percent focused on the present. But when he’s diagnosed with an inherited condition, he’s forced to dig into the secrets of his past and his adoption as an infant, enlisting Nora to help him uncover the identity of his birth mother.
The more time they spend together, the more this pair of opposites suspects they just might be a perfect match. However, John’s already dating someone and Nora’s not sure she’s ready to trade her crushes on fictional heroes for the risks of a real relationship. Finding the answers they’re seeking will test the limits of their identity, their faith, and their devotion to one another.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Becky Wade is a California native who attended Baylor University, met and married a Texan, and settled in Dallas. She published historical romances for the general market before putting her career on hold for several years to care for her three children. When God called her back to writing, Becky knew He meant for her to turn her attention to Christian fiction. She loves writing funny, modern, and inspirational contemporary romance! She's the Carol Award, INSPY Award, and Inspirational Reader's Choice Award winning author of My Stubborn Heart, the Porter Family series, and the Bradford Sisters Romance series.
Dynamic Uno here: Becky Wade has quickly become one of my new favorite authors. I can relate to most of her characters (aside from being wealthy) and they're always full of spunk, which makes reading their adventures that much more enjoyable.
Nora is definitely my favorite character in True to You. She epitomizes librarian and even seems to dress the part--at least until her sister gets ahold of her. Since I'm a public librarian, I really enjoyed her take on the research process that I use with my customers every day. Although my focus is not genealogy and I would certainly never agree to meet one away from the library to assist them in their search unless s/he was a really close friend, I admire her dedication to helping her customers--especially a certain hunky former Navy SEAL.
Another element that I thoroughly enjoyed was the setting of the book. I'm headed to Maine for a few days soon and even though everything took place in Washington (with a few side trips elsewhere), the scenery described is exactly what I'm seeing as I research the Maine area. In fact, one of the places described (the lodge) is almost like where I'm going to be staying--overlooking the trees and the water with a huge balcony! But enough about me...
I feel like the characters in True to You are my friends. I realized that I was really starting to care about Nora and John and their friendship/attraction towards each other. I wanted to know why John was so reserved, despite his military background, and why Nora seemed to take on the role of spinster despite her young age. As they reveal bits of their past throughout the book, it only drew me in more because I wanted them to realize what the other one felt and that they would be perfect for each other. Now that I'm done with their story, I keep thinking about how they're doing. (Does anyone else do this?) The Bradford Sisters Romance series is off to a great start and I can't wait to read about Willow and Britt!
Let me know what you think and Happy Reading!
Friday, October 21, 2016
A Sister's Wish and An Amish Family Christmas by Shelley Shepard Gray
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received these books free from the publisher through the LitFuse Publications book blogger campaign. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Shelley Shepard Gray is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, a finalist for the American Christian Fiction Writers prestigious Carol Award, and a two-time HOLT Medallion winner. She lives in southern Ohio, where she writes full-time, bakes too much, and can often be found walking her dachshunds on her town's bike trail.
Dynamic Uno here: I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the fictional people living in the Amish town of Charm, Ohio. The first two books in the series: A Son's Vow and A Daughter's Dream were just the introduction to the Kinsinger family saga, with these two as the book-endings.
A Sister's Wish is book 3 in the series and focuses on Amelia, the sister who takes care of the home front while the other siblings are off either working, or in Levi's case, away from the family. While she is by far the sweetest of the Kinsinger clan, I could see why she had a soft spot for the rough and tumble Simon. (After all, isn't the stereotype that the good girls want the bad boys because they see a sense of adventure and daring that they wouldn't have otherwise?) Thankfully, for Amelia's sake, Simon no longer lived the rough lifestyle that he grew up with and that carried over into part of his adult life.
I enjoyed this book in the series because it reminds us all that no matter what we have done in our past, God still forgives and has redeemed us. Something I know that I need to be reminded of on a regular basis.
Book 4, An Amish Family Christmas, was a great way to wrap up the series--although if it were up to me, it would have been waaaaayyyy longer because I don't want to say goodbye to the characters. Levi has finally returned home after fleeing to Pinecraft, Florida after their father's death. Rather than live in the large family home, he decides to rent a house in town. There, he begins a friendship with his neighbor Julia and her daughter Penny. Julia has her own issues and secrets, but after Levi befriends her, she begins to realize that she doesn't have to be ashamed of her past and her secrets no longer have to stay that way.
I think out of all four of the books in the series this one was my favorite. All of the siblings found their life-match and despite the difficulties they had to endure, they were able to overcome them with the help of friends, family, and their faith in God.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this series. The Kinsinger clan and the the other characters were realistically written and had to overcome many of the same struggles that you and I face each day. It's nice to read an author who is not afraid to tackle these challenges in her writing and to portray them in such a way that hope and love are the remaining responses.
If you think the Amish have an idealistic life and that nothing bad ever happens to them, you're wrong. They suffer from the same tragedies and heartaches that the rest of us face, but they rely on their faith, friends, and family to help them get by. This is an excellent series and I can't wait to read more by this author!
Let me know what you think in the comments section and Happy Reading!
BOOK GIVEAWAY TIME...
About the book:
A Sister's Wish (Avon Inspire, September 2016)
In Shelley Shepard Gray's third book in her Charmed Amish Life series, a respectable young woman finds herself falling for an Amish man from the wrong side of the tracks.
Amelia Kinsinger is the perfect Amish woman---at least according to her neighbors. And while Amelia takes pride in her role as homemaker, she's also harboring a secret: She's been in love with bad boy Simon Hochstetler for as long as she can remember. Too bad he's about as far from "perfect" as an Amish man could get . . . but that's exactly why she's so drawn to him.
Life hasn't been kind to Simon. He ran away from an abusive home at fifteen and things went downhill from there. Eventually, Simon landed in prison. But the experience changed him. Now back in Charm as a grown man, he's determined to make a new life for himself and not think too much about his wild past . . . unless it pertains to Amelia.
He's loved Amelia for years. To him, she represents everything good and kind in the world. When he realizes that she returns his affections, he starts calling on her in secret, even though her older brother Lukas---who just happens to be Simon's best friend---has made it perfectly clear that Amelia deserves better. Simon disagrees and believes he's the only one who can truly make her happy.
But when Amelia gets hurt, it sets off a chain of events that forces them to consider their future together---and face their past mistakes. There's a chance for love . . . but only if Simon dares to trust Amelia with the secrets of his past.
In Shelley Shepard Gray's third book in her Charmed Amish Life series, a respectable young woman finds herself falling for an Amish man from the wrong side of the tracks.
Amelia Kinsinger is the perfect Amish woman---at least according to her neighbors. And while Amelia takes pride in her role as homemaker, she's also harboring a secret: She's been in love with bad boy Simon Hochstetler for as long as she can remember. Too bad he's about as far from "perfect" as an Amish man could get . . . but that's exactly why she's so drawn to him.
Life hasn't been kind to Simon. He ran away from an abusive home at fifteen and things went downhill from there. Eventually, Simon landed in prison. But the experience changed him. Now back in Charm as a grown man, he's determined to make a new life for himself and not think too much about his wild past . . . unless it pertains to Amelia.
He's loved Amelia for years. To him, she represents everything good and kind in the world. When he realizes that she returns his affections, he starts calling on her in secret, even though her older brother Lukas---who just happens to be Simon's best friend---has made it perfectly clear that Amelia deserves better. Simon disagrees and believes he's the only one who can truly make her happy.
But when Amelia gets hurt, it sets off a chain of events that forces them to consider their future together---and face their past mistakes. There's a chance for love . . . but only if Simon dares to trust Amelia with the secrets of his past.
About the book:
An Amish Family Christmas (Avon Inspire, October 2016)
In Shelley Shepard Gray's fourth book in her Charmed Amish Life series, an unlikely Amish romance reveals that Christmas is a time for family, miracles---and love.
Ever since his father died in a tragic fire, Levi Kinsinger has felt adrift. Newly returned to Charm, Ohio, Levi is trying to fit into his old life, only to discover he seems to have outgrown it.
But when Julia, his young widowed neighbor, asks for his help with a Christmas project, Levi finds a sense of purpose for the first time in months. She and her daughter are new to Charm and could use a friend, a job Levi takes personally. Soon enough, friendship grows into attraction, but Levi can't help having doubts. There's something about Julia that doesn't ring quite true . . .
Like Levi, Julia Kemps has survived her fair share of hardships---but only by hiding the truth of her past. Being an unmarried mother in an Amish community was unthinkable. Feeling hopeless, Julia did the only thing she could do: she moved to a new town and pretended to be a widow. But meeting Levi, she's hopeful for the first time. Little by little, she begins to imagine telling him her darkest secret, and eventually . . . perhaps even sharing her life with him.
Christmas is a time for family, and as the holiday draws closer, Julia and Levi will have to face their pasts together . . . in order to find the healing, support and love they so desperately desire.
In Shelley Shepard Gray's fourth book in her Charmed Amish Life series, an unlikely Amish romance reveals that Christmas is a time for family, miracles---and love.
Ever since his father died in a tragic fire, Levi Kinsinger has felt adrift. Newly returned to Charm, Ohio, Levi is trying to fit into his old life, only to discover he seems to have outgrown it.
But when Julia, his young widowed neighbor, asks for his help with a Christmas project, Levi finds a sense of purpose for the first time in months. She and her daughter are new to Charm and could use a friend, a job Levi takes personally. Soon enough, friendship grows into attraction, but Levi can't help having doubts. There's something about Julia that doesn't ring quite true . . .
Like Levi, Julia Kemps has survived her fair share of hardships---but only by hiding the truth of her past. Being an unmarried mother in an Amish community was unthinkable. Feeling hopeless, Julia did the only thing she could do: she moved to a new town and pretended to be a widow. But meeting Levi, she's hopeful for the first time. Little by little, she begins to imagine telling him her darkest secret, and eventually . . . perhaps even sharing her life with him.
Christmas is a time for family, and as the holiday draws closer, Julia and Levi will have to face their pasts together . . . in order to find the healing, support and love they so desperately desire.
Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/2dYRwqr
About the author:
Dynamic Uno here: I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the fictional people living in the Amish town of Charm, Ohio. The first two books in the series: A Son's Vow and A Daughter's Dream were just the introduction to the Kinsinger family saga, with these two as the book-endings.
A Sister's Wish is book 3 in the series and focuses on Amelia, the sister who takes care of the home front while the other siblings are off either working, or in Levi's case, away from the family. While she is by far the sweetest of the Kinsinger clan, I could see why she had a soft spot for the rough and tumble Simon. (After all, isn't the stereotype that the good girls want the bad boys because they see a sense of adventure and daring that they wouldn't have otherwise?) Thankfully, for Amelia's sake, Simon no longer lived the rough lifestyle that he grew up with and that carried over into part of his adult life.
I enjoyed this book in the series because it reminds us all that no matter what we have done in our past, God still forgives and has redeemed us. Something I know that I need to be reminded of on a regular basis.
Book 4, An Amish Family Christmas, was a great way to wrap up the series--although if it were up to me, it would have been waaaaayyyy longer because I don't want to say goodbye to the characters. Levi has finally returned home after fleeing to Pinecraft, Florida after their father's death. Rather than live in the large family home, he decides to rent a house in town. There, he begins a friendship with his neighbor Julia and her daughter Penny. Julia has her own issues and secrets, but after Levi befriends her, she begins to realize that she doesn't have to be ashamed of her past and her secrets no longer have to stay that way.
I think out of all four of the books in the series this one was my favorite. All of the siblings found their life-match and despite the difficulties they had to endure, they were able to overcome them with the help of friends, family, and their faith in God.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this series. The Kinsinger clan and the the other characters were realistically written and had to overcome many of the same struggles that you and I face each day. It's nice to read an author who is not afraid to tackle these challenges in her writing and to portray them in such a way that hope and love are the remaining responses.
If you think the Amish have an idealistic life and that nothing bad ever happens to them, you're wrong. They suffer from the same tragedies and heartaches that the rest of us face, but they rely on their faith, friends, and family to help them get by. This is an excellent series and I can't wait to read more by this author!
Let me know what you think in the comments section and Happy Reading!
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BOOK GIVEAWAY TIME...
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| Click on the link below to enter to win the book pack giveaway! https://promosimple.com/ps/a725 |
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
Kissed by a Cowboy by Debra Clopton
Kissed by a Cowboy (Thomas Nelson, February 2016)
Cassidy was looking for a home and a place to belong . . . not for a cowboy to steal her heart.
Having lived through her parents’ endless string of “matrimonial bliss gone wrong,” Cassidy Starr knows when the odds are not in her favor. Divorced and humiliated, her faith on rocky ground, Cassidy is through with love. She’s been bucked off that horse far too many times. Instead, she returns to Wishing Springs, Texas, and the rundown farm she’s inherited from her great aunt Roxie. She’ll reopen the strawberry farm and a bed & breakfast and follow in her aunt’s footsteps, remaining forever-independent, happy . . . and single.
Rancher Jarrod Monahan’s hands are full running the ranch, looking after his ailing grandfather, and chasing down a group of rustlers on the loose. He’s pushed his longing for a family to the bottom of his list of priorities. Besides, he was in love once but ran scared and lost his shot at happiness. But suddenly, the biggest regret of his life has moved in next door with a wounded heart, determined to become a spinster . . . and that’s a challenge that Jarrod can’t pass up.
Jarrod sets his mind to breaking down the walls around Cassidy’s stubborn heart. How can he show her that a cowboy’s kiss lasts forever? For the good folks of Wishing Springs, falling in love has never been so much fun to witness.
Purchase a copy here.
About the author:
Debra Clopton is a multi-award winning novelist and has written more than 22 novels. Along with writing, Debra helps her husband teach the youth at their local Cowboy Church. Debra's goal is to shine a light toward God while she entertains readers with her words.
Dynamic Uno here:
Maybe it's the Texas girl in me, but I've always been in love with the idea of dating a cowboy and the three Monahan brothers just made my heart swoon.
Kissed by a Cowboy focuses on Jarrod, the oldest of the three brothers and his new/old neighbor Cassidy. There are many bruises and bumps in their relationship, but their long-standing friendship forces them to work together. The matchmakers from their town of Wishing Springs also throw in their two-cents and the typical mayhem occurs.
I'm sad that our time in Wishing Springs has come to an end because Debra Clopton's characters are so relatable and realistic that I feel like I've known them my entire life. If you enjoy cowboys and romance, then this is the author for you!
Betting on Hope and Counting on a Cowboy are books one and two respectively, so you may want to start with them before reading Kissed by a Cowboy, so you can meet the rest of the characters, but this novel will also stand on its own.
Let me know what you think and Happy Reading!
Saturday, August 1, 2015
Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Beth K. Vogt (A Destination Wedding Novel)
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Litfuse Publicity Group book blogger campaign. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
About the book:
Crazy Little Thing Called Love: A Destination Wedding Novel(Howard, June 2015)
Wedding bells and storm clouds collide in the first engaging novel in a brand-new series about destination weddings, the power of love, and the possible mishaps and missteps that happen on a couple's journey down the aisle to "I do."
Paramedic Vanessa Hollister has put her adolescence behind her, including the unwanted label of being the new kid in town over and over again, thanks to her father's military career. She's overcome what her mother called "the biggest mistake of her life" and is planning an elegant destination wedding in Destin, Florida with her new fiancé. But will the reappearance of her first husband from her what-were-you-thinking teenage elopement disrupt her dream of an idyllic beach wedding?
As a professional storm chaser, Logan Hollister is used to taking risks. However, a reckless decision during the last tornado season has him questioning the future of his team, the Stormmeisters. Coming face to face with his ex-wife eight years after their divorce compels him to confront his greatest regret: losing Vanessa. Does their past give him the right to interfere with her future?
A fast-moving, powerful hurricane throws Vanessa and Logan together as they evacuate to a storm shelter along with other residents of the Florida Gulf Coast. Forced to spend time together, the pair battles unexpected renewed feelings for each other.
Vanessa and Logan are faced with a choice: Should they accept, once and for all, their teenage marital mistake? Or is God offering them a second chance at happily ever after?
Crazy Little Thing Called Love: A Destination Wedding Novel(Howard, June 2015)
Wedding bells and storm clouds collide in the first engaging novel in a brand-new series about destination weddings, the power of love, and the possible mishaps and missteps that happen on a couple's journey down the aisle to "I do."
Paramedic Vanessa Hollister has put her adolescence behind her, including the unwanted label of being the new kid in town over and over again, thanks to her father's military career. She's overcome what her mother called "the biggest mistake of her life" and is planning an elegant destination wedding in Destin, Florida with her new fiancé. But will the reappearance of her first husband from her what-were-you-thinking teenage elopement disrupt her dream of an idyllic beach wedding?
As a professional storm chaser, Logan Hollister is used to taking risks. However, a reckless decision during the last tornado season has him questioning the future of his team, the Stormmeisters. Coming face to face with his ex-wife eight years after their divorce compels him to confront his greatest regret: losing Vanessa. Does their past give him the right to interfere with her future?
A fast-moving, powerful hurricane throws Vanessa and Logan together as they evacuate to a storm shelter along with other residents of the Florida Gulf Coast. Forced to spend time together, the pair battles unexpected renewed feelings for each other.
Vanessa and Logan are faced with a choice: Should they accept, once and for all, their teenage marital mistake? Or is God offering them a second chance at happily ever after?
Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/1VkD0s8
About the author:
Beth K. Vogt believes God's best often waits behind the doors marked "Never." A 2015 RITA® Finalist and a 2014 Carol Award finalist, Beth is a contemporary romance novelist with Howard Books. Her 2014 novel, Somebody Like You, was one of Publisher's Weekly's Best Books of 2014. In 2015 she introduced her destination wedding series with both an e-novella, Can't Buy Me Love, (May) and a novel, Crazy Little Thing Called Love(June).
Dynamic Uno here: By now you know that I'm a sucker for romance stories and this new series by Beth K. Vogt is definitely towards the top of my list! I mean--destination weddings!!!! Why, YES!!!! What girl hasn't dreamed of escaping the pressures of inviting every single person she's ever known to her wedding so as to not hurt anyone's feelings? To escape all of that stress by having a small and intimate wedding at a tropical destination? Count me in!
Being a Florida resident, I wasn't too impressed with the idea of a destination wedding in Destin, but I could see how a doctor in Colorado might think it would be a dreamy place for a wedding. (I would have chosen Paris, France, but then again, I 'm not planning a wedding based upon where my professional conference was being held, like Vanessa'a fiance.)
The chemistry between Vanessa and Logan still crackled every time they were together, even after being divorced for eight years. I loved reading their "secret" thoughts and learning about the whirlwind romance that led to their elopement as teenagers. I kept cheering them from the sidelines and was frustrated when they wouldn't acknowledge that their feelings for one another hadn't changed.
After reading about Vanessa and Logan's second chance at love, it reignites my hope for my own happily ever after!
If you enjoy reading good, clean romances with sweet story-lines, then Crazy Little Thing Called Love is for you! I can't wait to read the rest of the Destination Wedding series. Who knows--maybe there will be one set in Paris after all!
Let me know what you think and Happy Reading!
Monday, March 23, 2015
How to Catch a Prince by Rachel Hauck (The Royal Wedding series book #3)
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Litfuse Publicity Group book blogger campaign. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
ABOUT THE BOOK:
How to Catch a Prince (Zondervan, February 2015)
She caught her prince once. Can she catch him again?
American heiress Corina Del Rey’s life was devastated by war. Every thing she loved was lost. But after five years of grief, she’s shed her grave clothes and started over in the sunshine along the Florida coast.
But some things are not so easily forgotten. When a secret from her past confronts her face to face, she realizes she must follow her heart. Even if it cost her everything.
Prince Stephen of Brighton Kingdom is a former Royal Air Command lieutenant turned star rugby player, trying to make sense of his life after the devastation of war.
When his brother, King Nathaniel, discovers Stephen’s pre war secret, he must deal with an aspect of his life he longed to forget. But how can he do so without exposing the truth and breaching national security?
Yet, true love has a destiny all it’s own. As the cathedral bells peal through Cathedral City, Corina and Stephen must chose to answer the call of love on their hearts.
Or let it be lost forever?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Rachel Hauck is an award-winning, best selling author of critically acclaimed novels such as The Wedding Dress, Love Starts with Elle, and Once Upon A Prince. She also penned the Songbird Novels with multi-platinum recording artist, Sara Evans. Booklist named their novel, Softly and Tenderly, one of 2011 Top Ten Inspirationals. She serves on the Executive Board for American Christian Fiction Writers and is a mentor and book therapist at My Book Therapy, and conference speaker. Rachel lives in central Florida with her husband and pets.
Dynamic Uno Here: Once Upon a Prince (2013) and Princess Ever After (2014) are the first two books in the Royal Wedding series by Rachel Hauck, with How to Catch a Prince as the third. While I prefer to read the books in order because some of the characters do reappear in the other stories, all three can be read as stand-alone books.
One of the many things I enjoyed in How to Catch a Prince were the characters. I loved how despite their seemingly perfect lives, (who wouldn't want to be an American heiress married to a Prince?) we were able to get a glimpse into their very heartaches that make them seem so real.
I also love the fact that Corina lives and works in Melbourne, Florida. I live in the Tampa Bay area so to read about a character who lives in an area that is just a few hours away makes me smile. (Maybe I too can meet a fabulous newswoman like Gigi who will give me a job so I can own a condo on the beach. I know, keep dreaming.)
Another element I enjoyed were the "angels in disguise" at The Manor. You'll have to read the book to find out what I'm talking about, but I felt like Adelaide and Brill added a bit of whimsy and gave sage advice when it came to Corina's decisions about Stephen. Love well and Trust.
Overall, I really adored the characters in this book (and series) and I hope that there are many more to come!
Let me know what you think and Happy Reading!
Thursday, July 17, 2014
The Secret of the Journal: Rope of Sand by C.F. Dunn (book #3)
About the Book: (Information taken from the Kregel Publications site)
The third installment of the acclaimed romantic thriller series
This third volume, set in rural Maine’s deep winter, follows the developing relationship between British historian, Emma D’Eresby, and American surgeon, Matthew Lynes. Emma unravels Matthew’s alarming past and begins to comprehend how very different her future might be with a man whose identity must never be revealed.
Emma nervously meets Matthew’s family. She encounters his seventy-year-old son, Henry, and learns how unique the family really is. As Christmas approaches, it is clear that Emma is not welcomed by all: what does Matthew’s great-granddaughter have against her, and what might his sinister psychiatrist granddaughter, Maggie, be prepared to do?
Bound by their faith, Matthew and Emma have accepted that they must wait to be together until his wife dies. Very reluctantly, Emma meets Ellen—an elderly woman with a core of steel—and learns how living with Matthew will mean concealment and lies. How can they have a life together?
This third volume, set in rural Maine’s deep winter, follows the developing relationship between British historian, Emma D’Eresby, and American surgeon, Matthew Lynes. Emma unravels Matthew’s alarming past and begins to comprehend how very different her future might be with a man whose identity must never be revealed.
Emma nervously meets Matthew’s family. She encounters his seventy-year-old son, Henry, and learns how unique the family really is. As Christmas approaches, it is clear that Emma is not welcomed by all: what does Matthew’s great-granddaughter have against her, and what might his sinister psychiatrist granddaughter, Maggie, be prepared to do?
Bound by their faith, Matthew and Emma have accepted that they must wait to be together until his wife dies. Very reluctantly, Emma meets Ellen—an elderly woman with a core of steel—and learns how living with Matthew will mean concealment and lies. How can they have a life together?
Read an Excerpt here!
Writing as CF Dunn, I thrive on creating romantic thrillers with a historical twist, drawing on a degree in history and a career in literacy development to write stories that touch on people’s frailty and their unexpected strengths. Everyone has a story to tell, and I explore how the legacy of the past impacts on the present and shapes the future. The question is, can anyone escape their history, and how will it determine the path they choose to take?
My love of Maine and my family's long legacy in the county of Lincolnshire provide a rich heritage and vital elements in the evolving story of The Secret of the Journal series.
Blessed with a historian husband, two creative daughters and a quirky Corgi, I divide my time between running a specialist dyslexia and autism school we founded in Kent, and writing in Cornwall.
Stalk the Author: Website / Twitter / Goodreads / Facebook
Dynamic Uno here: I fell in love with The Secret of the Journal series while reading book #1, Mortal Fire. The characters had so many facets and intricacies woven into their stories that I became engrossed in learning more and more about their lives, and ultimately, worried about their outcomes. (Can you say addicted?)
Somehow I missed the release of book #2, Death Be Not Proud, so I was unaware that the lives of Matthew, Emma, and the others were continuing without me. Thankfully, I ordered it through Amazon: Death Be Not Proud (The Secret of the Journal)
and started reading it right away so that I could find out what happened after the cliffhanger of Mortal Fire. (It was just as captivating!) I immediately dove into book #3, Rope of Sand, when I finished book #2. The beginning pages of this book were a recap from the ending of Death Be Not Proud, but some of the details were changed a bit so it threw me for a bit of a loop at first. However briefly distracted, I was immediately sucked back into the story as Emma celebrated Christmas with Matthew and was introduced to his "extended" family members.
While most of Matthew's family accepted Emma into their fold, there were a few family members who resisted the idea that she would eventually become a permanent fixture within their household. The resentment resulted in a bit of mischief that almost caused Emma to die. Fortunately, Matthew and his son, Henry, are doctors, so they were able to revive Emma before she was lost to them all. Tests were run, and it was discovered that Emma had her own special gift of helping others (although you'll have to read the book to find out about her talent).
When classes resume on campus, Emma learns that Professor Staahl is accusing her for his damaged reputation when she gets served with the court papers. Realizing that her nightmare has returned in real life, she grows concerned when she realizes that the only people who really know what happened on the night she was attacked were Staahl, Matthew, and herself--inevitably throwing Matthew in the spotlight, a place he has learned to avoid.
Will Matthew's secret be divulged through the trial? Will Emma be able to produce evidence that she was not complicit in the attack by Staahl, or will his hidden allies manage to set him free? All these and questions and more will be answered by reading Rope of Sand.
I enjoyed reading this installment of The Secret of the Journal series because we finally met characters we had only been introduced to briefly and were able to see how they interacted with one another. I felt that this book was a bit heavy and drawn-out with the court case thrown in because it wreaked havoc on everyone's lives, but it did bring more of the "family secrets" to life and caused Emma and Matthew's family to claim "sides."
I was a bit disappointed because I had hoped we would see a wedding and get the "happily ever after" ending that I so want to see for Matthew and Emma, but this was not the case at this point in their lives. Guess I'll have to wait for the penultimate book #4, Realm of Darkness, to be released. (Yay! More Matthew and Emma!!)
If you enjoy suspense, mystery, intrigue, and history, you'll love this series--although you MUST start at the beginning or you'll have no idea of what's happening and why certain details and story-lines are so important.
Purchase the Book here: Kregel Publications
Let me know what you think and Happy Reading!
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