Once Upon a Summertime by Melody Carlson

Melody Carlson was among one of the first authors I read when I started reading Christian fiction books. She was able to give me just enough romance in my youth without making it sappy. I have continued to read almost every book she has written since then. I always look forward to seeing new book of hers hitting the shelves! I was drawn to this book by the cover first. Once I saw who wrote it, it was not a question of "if" I would read it, but simply "when."


Once Upon a Summertime is the first book in her new series, Follow Your Heart. The story focuses on Anna who has huge dreams despite having grown up under some tough circumstances. To say the odds were against her would be correct. However, she decides that she wants things to change and tries her hardest to rise above her circumstances. When she finally gets an offer she can't refuse, she takes it. The reader then goes on a journey through New York City and gets an inside look at the hospitality industry. I did have to laugh at the whole scene when she meets the boy she had spent many hours dreaming about as a young girl.

I really enjoyed taking a journey through New York. Having never worked in the hospitality industry, I also enjoyed reading about this part, as well. I enjoyed everything about this book, from beginning to end. I am looking forward to this new series and where the hearts will lead her characters.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

My husband Chris and I live in a cabin-style home next to the National Forest in the beautiful Cascade Mountain area of the Pacific Northwest. Our two grown sons and granddaughter live nearby and we try to see them as often as we can. We also have two 're-homed' pets to make life more interesting-our yellow Labrador retriever Audrey and a Maine coon cat named Harry.

My writing studio is in a separate building next to our courtyard (a garden area that's off limits to the voracious deer). The window behind my desk looks out into the Ponderosa pine forest, where I see deer, squirrels, rabbits, and an occasional raccoon. The other windows in my office overlook the courtyard which is frequented by numerous hummingbirds in the summertime-one August evening we counted nearly fifty of the little hummers.



ABOUT THE BOOK

Managing the Value Lodge in her hometown was not what Anna Gordon had in mind when she set out in the hospitality industry. But it's a safe choice for a woman whose childhood was anything but stable. Out of the blue, she gets a once-in-a-lifetime chance to reinvent herself by moving to New York City, where she hopes for a management position at a stylish new boutique hotel. The big city is full of surprises--not the least of which is Sean O'Neil. Her childhood crush has applied for the very same position!

Sweet, romantic, and endlessly entertaining, this romp through the storied streets of New York City will enchant readers. Melody Carlson has created characters so charming that readers will long to meet them in the lobby of the stunning Rothsberg Hotel.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Once Upon a Summertime, go HERE.
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I received this book free from Revell Publishers and CFBA in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

Reservations for Two by Hillary Manton Lodge

I actually recognized the author's previous book based on not only the title, but also the cover of the book. It was different from the first one but it was just enough alike to remind me that I liked the previous book and had wanted to read her next book. There are times where I have to google the author to be sure I remember her books, so it's always a pleasant surprise when I remember what a book was about without having to do a little reminder session!

This book picks up where the first one left off. Juliette has her plate full. She is trying to balance family life, love life, and work life. I'm pretty sure this is something we all can relate to! As if that isn't enough, a bombshell is dropped on her and her family is suddenly walking a dark long hard journey through cancer that so many people can relate to.

In my opinion, you definitely need to read A Table by the Window first. The books flow together that a lot would definitely be lost if you were missing some of the information in the first book. The characters flow from one book to the next, so this is definitely a series that needs to be read in order.

Hillary Manton Lodge does an excellent job in hooking her reader and making them have that attachment to the characters from the starting page. By the end, she has me wanting to read the last book that isn't out yet! Oh, the anticipation!

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I received this book free from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

Among the Fair Magnolias by Tamara Alexander, Shelley Gray, Dorothy Love, and Elizabeth Messer

As soon as I saw this book, I knew I wanted to read it. I loved the fact that it had four southern love stories, but I was more excited that it had four of my top authors all in one book. I really liked the title of the book, too, because it let me know right away that this would be a book about the south simply by using the word "Magnolia."

Each of the novellas are set within the backdrop of the Civil War, either having just finished it or before it started. I enjoy historical fiction, so this was right up my alley. Each author did a good job with their research and in adding just enough facts to the story from the time period without the story becoming bogged down.

I can't choose one author that I liked more. I found each story to be good and engaging. As I was reading, I was imagining a book club forming from this book. It had the perfect layout for conversation and it even included a recipe. What a neat way to incorporate some of the south into your book club meetings! It would be the perfect thing to help set the tone for each conversation.

I hope that all four of these authors join together again to write another book. It's impossible to go wrong with these four! Read more reviews of this book at http://litfusegroup.com/author/fairmagnolias.

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About the Book

Among the Fair Magnolias (Thomas Nelson, July 2015)
In the most turbulent decade of our nation’s history, four Southern women—destinies forged by birth, hearts steeled by war—face near impossible choices on their journeys in life . . . and in love.
To Mend a Dream by Tamera Alexander
Savannah Darby would do almost anything to revisit her family home. So when new owner, Aidan Bedford, a Boston attorney and former Union soldier, seeks to redecorate the house for his fiancée, Savannah jumps at the opportunity. But the clock is ticking. Can she find the box her father supposedly hid there during the war before her assignment is completed? And before she sees yet another battle lost on the home front. This time, one of the heart.
An Outlaw’s Heart by Shelley Gray
When Russell Stark returns to Fort Worth, he’s determined to begin a new life. But when he arrives at his mother’s homestead, he discovers she’s very ill, and the woman he loved is still as beautiful and sweet as he remembered. With time running out, Russell must come to terms with both his future and his past.
A Heart So True by Dorothy Love
Abigail knows all too well what is expected of her: to marry her distant cousin Charles and take her place in society. But her heart belongs to another. A terrible incident forces Abby to choose between love and duty.
Love Beyond Limits by Elizabeth Musser
Emily has a secret: She’s in love with one of the freedmen on her family’s plantation. Meanwhile, another man declares his love for her. Emily realizes some things are not as they seem and secrets must be kept in order to keep those she loves safe.
Learn more and purchase a copy.

 

Alexander, Gray, Love, Musser

Tamera Alexander is the best-selling author of numerous books including "A Lasting Impression" and "The Inheritance." Tamera is a two-time Christy Award winner, two-time RITA winner, and a recipient of the prestigious Library Journal Award. A native of west Tennessee, Dorothy Love makes her home in the Texas hill country with her husband and their golden retriever. An award-winning author of numerous young adult novels, Dorothy made her adult debut with the Hickory Ridge novels. Shelley Gray is the author of The Heart of a Hero series. Her Amish novel (written as Shelley Shepard Gray), "The Protector," recently made the New York Times best seller list. Elizabeth Musser, a native of Atlanta, Georgia now living in France, is a novelist who writes what she calls 'entertainment with a soul.' For over 25 years, Elizabeth and her husband, Paul, have been involved in mission work with International Teams.

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I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group and Thomas Nelson Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

Hope Harbor by Irene Hannon

If you would have asked me a few years ago if I was a fan of Irene Hannon's books, I would have said "no." In fact, I remember reading a few and then realizing they weren't in my preferred genre. It wasn't that they weren't great stories, but I didn't like the mystery. I'll admit it. I'm easily scared so I have to guard my mind more so than others. With that said, I decided to give her previous series a try after reading the synopsis of the book. I loved that series and realized that I do enjoy Irene Hannon! I'm so glad I gave her a second chance. This book does have some mystery, but I think the romance and the main message of the book spoke louder to me than the mystery. I really enjoyed this book and how she has once again told a beautiful story of  forgiveness.


Michael and Tracy have experienced what it feels like to have their heart ripped out of their chest... something that many people can relate to. They have both lost their spouse and have to figure out how to move on. They both deal with their grief in different ways.

I appreciated how Hannon was able to weave the characters into the story so effortlessly. All of the characters were strong with characteristics that made it easy to relate to. They took on real-life issues and it was neat to watch their story played out on the pages. There were several times where they story took a turn that I wasn't necessarily expecting, but it made me keep turning the pages.

I am looking forward to more by Irene Hannon now!

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Irene Hannon is a bestselling, award-winning author who took the publishing world by storm at the tender age of 10 with a sparkling piece of fiction that received national attention.

Okay…maybe that’s a slight exaggeration. But she was one of the honorees in a complete-the-story contest conducted by a national children’s magazine. And she likes to think of that as her “official” fiction-writing debut!

Since then, she has written more than 45 romantic suspense and contemporary romance/women’s fiction novels. She is a seven-time finalist and three-time winner of the RITA award—the “Oscar” of romantic fiction—and a member of Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame. Her books have also won a Daphne du Maurier award, a Carol award, three HOLT Medallions, a National Readers’ Choice award, a Retailers Choice award, two Booksellers’ Best awards and two Reviewers’ Choice awards from RT Book Reviews magazine. One of her novels was also named by Booklist as a top 10 inspirational fiction books of 2011. In addition, she is a two-time Christy award finalist.

Irene, who holds a B.A. in psychology and an M.A. in journalism, juggled two careers for many years until she gave up her executive corporate communications position with a Fortune 500 company to write full. She is happy to say she has no regrets!

In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, gardening and singing. A trained vocalist, she has sung the leading role in numerous musicals, including “South Pacific,” “Brigadoon,” “Oklahoma” “The King and I” and “Anything Goes.” She is also a soloist at her church.

When not otherwise occupied, Irene and her husband enjoy traveling, Saturday mornings at their favorite coffee shop and spending time with family. They make their home in Missouri.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Tracy Campbell never wanted to leave Hope Harbor, Oregon, or the idyllic three-generation cranberry farm where she grew up. But life--and love--altered her plans. When tragedy strikes and changes her plans yet again, she finds herself back in her hometown with a floundering farm to run and a heartbreaking secret. Romance is not on her agenda. Nor is it on Michael Hunter's. The visitor from Chicago has daunting secrets of his own. But when Tracy recruits him to help save a struggling charitable organization, the winds of change begin to sweep through Hope Harbor, bringing healing, hope, and love to countless lives--including their own.

Fan favorite Irene Hannon brings a whole new cast of characters to life in a charming Oregon seaside village. Emotional and heartwarming, this story invites readers to come home to Hope Harbor, where love and hope bloom--and hearts heal.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Hope Harbor, go HERE.
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I received this book free from Revell Publishers and CFBA in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Beth K. Vogt

This book made me feel like I was on a vacation every time I picked it up. I'm not certain what it was about it, but I truly looked forward to reading this book throughout my day. It could be that its centered around having a destination wedding, which in this case is the beach in Destin, Florida.

I must admit that I was a little surprised by this book and the direction it took. I was expecting a different ending than what happened. I'm not disappointed, though, because I had mixed feelings about the whole wedding she was having anyway.

Vanessa, Ted, Logan, and Mindy are all easy to like and relate to. I wasn't too certain about Ted in the beginning. It wasn't that he was bad, but I felt that he was a little dry and didn't have much of a personality. Vanessa is good at running away from things instead of reaching out in relationships. I couldn't easily relate to her because she came across as more withdrawn. However, I did like her for some reason and really enjoyed reading her story.

Beth Vogt did an excellent job making this a destination wedding that you won't easily forget. I'm looking forward to this new series of destination weddings. What a great idea she had for this series!

Read more reviews on this book at: http://litfusegroup.com/author/bvogt.

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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?
Learn more and purchase a copy.

Beth K. Vogt

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).

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I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group and Howard Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

Now & Forever by Mary Connealy

When I picked this book up and started reading, I immediately remembered the first book in this series and every detail. I remembered the Wilde sisters and Tucker and Sunrise and Counter, and of course, Aaron. I'm an avid reader, so for me to remember each of these character shows me that Mary Connealy did an excellent job with making strong, unforgettable characters that I immediately was able to recall. It's not uncommon for me to have to look back at a previous review to see what I had forgotten about each book in the series. I absolutely did not have to do that at all with this series. Who can forget Shannon's love for sheep and the argument about how useless and stupid those creatures are!

The Wilde sisters are hilarious. I was hooked from the opening chapter of this story. Connealy does a wonderful job adding lots of humor into her characters and making them easy to connect to. The dialogue between Tucker and Shannon had me laughing at certain points in the story.

I wouldn't say the story is suspenseful, although there is a little suspense. I had it narrowed down to two choices by the end, with a pretty good idea of what was going to happen. With that said, there's enough twists and lots of humor and story to tell, that this book is anything but boring.

I'm looking forward to reading the third book in this series. I'm assuming it will focus on Bailey because her story hasn't been told yet. I imagine more will come out about what they saw at war, too. Right now, she's probably my least favorite of the Wilde sisters for some reason. However, I'm sure that will change.

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I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

A Bride at Last by Melissa Jagears

I must commend the artist who did the cover of this book. It is very well done and the simplicity of the colors draws readers to the cover. It has several pictures on the cover, but it doesn't look cluttered. In fact, to me it did the opposite. I was excited to read what all three of these things had to do with the story.

 

To say that the world that Silas has known is forever changed when he receives news of a son would be an understatement. He finds out not only about his son, but he also learns there's a chance that it may not be his son. To say there's a bit of drama is an understatement!

 

Kate has been the caregiver of Silas' "maybe" son and has learned to love him like he was her own. Because of that love, she is quite determined to shield him from as much as she can. That does include the two men who could possibly his father. She wants to do all she can to make sure that he doesn't get hurt.

 

I enjoyed the twists in this book. I was actually a little surprised that Melissa Jagears was able to keep the plot moving and there wasn't a moment reading this book where I wasn't engaged.

I appreciated some of the humorous scenes that were placed into the story. It always does a heart good to laugh, I think.

 

I have truly enjoyed reading this series and am looking forward to what Jagears has in store for her readers next.

 

Read more reviews on this book at http://litfusegroup.com/books/a-bride-at-last.

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A Bride at Last (Bethany House, July 2015)
Abandoned by his mail-order bride, Silas Jonesey has fought an uphill battle to recover from a pattern of poor choices. Now his prayers for reconciliation have finally come true and his estranged wife has contacted him with her whereabouts.
Kate Dawson was supposed to be a mail-order bride, but upon realizing she’d been deceived about her intended groom, she’s now settled into life as a schoolteacher. When the mother of a student passes away, Kate assumes she’ll take on care of nine-year-old Anthony–until two men suddenly show up in town, claiming to be the boy’s father.
Silas can see Anthony loves Kate, so he enlists her help in reaching out to the boy and attempting to prove his paternity to the court. When a common interest in Anthony leads to an interest in each other and Silas and Kate begin to think they can overcome their rocky start, neither is prepared for the secrets and past hurts that have yet to come to light. Can Silas, Kate, and Anthony’s wounded souls bind them together or will all that stands between them leave them lonely forever?
Learn more and purchase a copy.

 

Melissa Jagears

Melissa Jagears, an ESL teacher by trade and the author of "A Bride for Keeps" and "A Bride in Store," is a stay-at-home mother on a tiny Kansas farm with a fixer-upper house. She's a member of ACFW and CROWN fiction marketing, and her passion is to help Christian believers mature in their faith and judge rightly.

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I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers and Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.