Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Undeniably Yours by Becky Wade | Kindle Fire Giveaway and 5/29 Facebook Party!



I am privileged to be apart of the blog tour for Becky Wade's newest novel Undeniably Yours.  Below you can read about the book (including a book trailer), my review and about the author.  And don't miss the Facebook Party TONIGHT where you can win all kinds of prizes just for showing up and commenting.

About Undeniably Yours

When Meg Cole's father dies unexpectedly, she's forced to return home to Texas and to Whispering Creek Ranch to take up the reins of his empire. The last thing she has the patience or the sanity to deal with? Her father's Thoroughbred racehorse farm. She gives its manager, Bo Porter, six months to close the place down.

Bo knows he ought to resent the woman who's determined to take from him the only job he ever wanted. But instead of anger, Meg evokes within him a profound desire to protect. The more time he spends with her, the more he longs to overcome every obstacle that separates them and earn her love.

Just when Meg realizes she can no longer deny the depth of her feelings for Bo, their fragile bond is broken by a force from Meg's past. Can their relationship-and their belief that God can work through every circumstance-survive?

Watch the Trailer:

Undeniably Yours Book Trailer
Undeniably Yours Book Trailer

My Review:
Let me start my review by saying, I loved this book!!  I read it in two days...just couldn't put it down.  The story line was great and Meg's past makes the story quite interesting.  I think Becky has done a wonderful job creating a moving story that shows how God can heal broken hearts and make things new again.  Meg's character has to go through some rough times, but through them you see how God is using all of her past to help with her future ministry.  So many times life is like that.  We have no idea how God will use all of the things He has put into our lives.   If you're looking for a good book to read this summer, make sure to pick up Becky's new book, Undeniably Yours.  It was a lot of fun to read and will grab your attention at the very beginning and hold you all the way to the end.  And if you want more when you get to the end of this book, you'll be pleased to know that this is the first book in the Porter Family Novels.  I can't wait until the next book comes out!

Meet Becky:

Becky Wade is a graduate of Baylor University. As a newlywed, she lived for three years in a home overlooking the turquoise waters of the Caribbean, as well as in Australia, before returning to the States. A mom of three young children, Becky and her family now live in Dallas, Texas.

Becky's Website:  http://www.beckywade.com/home.html

Becky Wade is celebrating her latest swoon-worthy novel, Undeniably Yours (Bethany House), with a Kindle Fire giveaway and hosting an Author Chat party on Facebook {5/29}!

UndeniablyYours

One winner will receive:
  • A Kindle Fire
  • Undeniably Yours and My Stubborn Heart by Becky Wade
Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on May 28th. Winner will be announced at the "Undeniably Yours" Facebook Author Chat Party on May 29th. Connect with Becky for an evening of book chat, trivia, laughter, and more! Becky will also share an exclusive look at her next book and give away books and other fun prizes throughout the evening.

So grab your copy of Undeniably Yours and join Becky on the evening of May 29th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP todayTell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 29th!

 

***I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own.

Thursday, May 23, 2013

The Promise Box by Tricia Goyer Blog Tour, Giveaway and Facebook Party!

 About The Promise Box:

With her heart - and her loyalty - on the line, can she let true love in her life?


Every year, young Amish men descend on the cozy little town of West Kootenai, Montana, arriving in the spring to live there for six months and receive 'resident' status for the hunting season in the fall. They arrive as bachelors, but go home with brides! Lydia Wyse, a book editor from Seattle who grew up Amish, returns to the small community of West Kootenai, Montana to give comfort to her father after her mother's death.
She is drawn back to the familiar Amish ways after finding her mother's most precious possession, a Promise Box of prayers and scripture. What her publisher sees, though, is an opportunity for a sensational 'tell-all' book about the Amish. Lydia soon finds herself falling in love with Amish bachelor Gideon Hooley. She wants nothing more than to forget her past and look forward to a future as an Amish bride. 
Will the pain of her childhood-and her potential betrayal of her community-keep her from committing her whole heart?


My Review:
Lydia Wyse has turned from the Amish ways and become an Englischer at the age of 16.  She has become a successful book editor in Seattle, but she is still running from her past, unsettled in her heart toward God.  When her mother passes away, she heads back to the Amish community of West Kootenai, Montana to bury her mother and give some comfort to her father.  Once she arrives, she begins to see things differently then she did back at the age of 16.   When her father gives her something of her mother's called a promise box, containing letters and promises from God's Word, Lydia's heart begins to soften and long to return to her Amish roots.
Many things are tugging at Lydia's heart to bring her back to the community, but not for the right reasons.  Lydia's editor wants her to write a book about returning to the Amish.  She would love to apply for the vacant teaching position in the Amish school, and she is equally drawn by a young man, Gideon Hooley.  But she knows that he will not court an Englischer.  Lydia knows that to come back to the Amish way and be baptized into the church, she must do it for the right reasons.

Tricia Goyer did a great job with this book.  Amish fiction is usually not the first choice for me, but I did enjoy reading this book.  I loved that the Amish community in West Kootenai, Montana looked past their rules and more at the heart.  They realized that love for God is more important than obeying all the man made rules.  It was interesting to see how the Amish and Englischers came together in the community to help each other and even study and pray together.  The story line was well written and Lydia's character went through quite a change as she dealt with her past and began to see God's big plan for her life.  Trusting God doesn't always come easy.

Meet Tricia: 
Tricia Goyer is a busy mom of six, grandmother of one, and wife to John. Somewhere around the hustle and bustle of family life, she manages to find the time to write fictional tales delighting and entertaining readers and non-fiction titles offering encouragement and hope. A bestselling author, Tricia has published thirty-three books to date and has written more than 500 articles. She is a two-time Carol Award winner, as well as a Christy and ECPA Award Nominee. In 2010, she was selected as one of the Top 20 Moms to Follow on Twitter by SheKnows.com. Tricia is also on the blogging team at MomLifeToday.com, TheBetterMom.com and other homeschooling and Christian sites. In addition to her roles as mom, wife and author, Tricia volunteers around her community and mentors teen moms. She is the founder of Hope Pregnancy Ministries in Northwestern Montana, and she currently leads a Teen MOPS Group in Little Rock, AR. Tricia, along with a group of friends, recently launched NotQuiteAmishLiving.com, sharing ideas about simplifying life. She also hosts the weekly radio podcast, Living Inspired. 

You can purchase your copy of the book here, and you can learn more about the author here at Tricia's website.  Make sure to join the fun as others share their opinions of this book during the blog tour by clicking here.
Now for the Giveaway and Facebook Party!

Tricia Goyer is celebrating the release of her lastest novel, The Promise Box (Zondervan), by hosting an Amish Baking Box giveaway and connecting with readers during her June 12th Book Chat Party!
ThePromiseBox300

One "promising" winner will receive:
  • Apron, hot mitts, and kitchen towels
  • Amish baking items (rolling pin, pie plate, etc...)
  • Sherry Gore's Simply Delicious Amish Cooking
  • The Memory Jar and The Promise Box by Tricia Goyer 
Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on June 11th. Winner will be announced at the "The Promise Box" Facebook Author Chat Party on June 12th. Connect with Tricia for an evening of Amish fun - book chat, trivia, laughter, and more! Tricia will also share an exclusive look at the next book book in the Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors series and give away books and other fun prizes throughout the evening.

So grab your copy of The Promise Box and join Tricia on the evening of June 12th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP todayTell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 12th!


**I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own.

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

A Place to Belong (Wild West Wind #3) by Lauraine Snelling

Lauraine Snelling writes her final book in the Wild West Winds Series called A Place to Belong.  Cassie is back at the Engstrom ranch recovering from her gun shot and trying to get strong enough to get back to winning shooting contests and making some money to live off of.  Lucas has sworn that he will get her to fall in love with him, but her heart only cares for him as a brother.  Of course, marrying him would solve a lot of her problems and maybe she could grow to love him in the way she should love a husband.  So many decisions to make.  Will Cassie make the right choices?
I've enjoyed reading this series by Lauraine Snelling.  Cassie has had to grow up quite a bit being left with only a horse, trailer, a buffalo, dog and some cattle.  She has been kinda naive understandably and it was interesting to see Mavis step in and fill the role as "mother" for her.  Ransom has been leery of Cassie from the beginning since she showed them the deed to half of the ranch.  But slowly he has been softening to the idea of her living there.  Lucas rushes right into things without thinking them through, and that has really gotten him into trouble in this book.  Gretchen is like the sister that Cassie never had and they have become great friends.  Cassie finally has a family and a place that she can call home after so many years without one. The characters have been likable and each has had to grow up in different ways.  It was also fun to read about the new things going on at this time in history.  Mavis and Cassie took an adventurous ride on a trolley for the first time, and saw all the new things a major city had to offer.  So many things have changed since that time, and it's fun to read about what the characters thought of these new inventions.  I will say that this final book was a bit slow at the beginning, and I had a hard time getting into it at first.   But, after things started picking up (around chapter 7 or so), I went through the book pretty quickly.  The last few chapters were really good and the ending was complete.  Lauraine definitely tied up all the loose ends and ended the series well.  I'm kind of sad that I won't be reading anymore stories about Cassie and the Engstrom family.  I'll definitely be looking up some of Lauraine Snellings other books.  If you're looking for a good series, I would recommend picking this one up.  It was good.

You can read my reviews of her other two books from this series here (Book #1) and here (Book #2).


**I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own.

No Way Out by Susan Sleeman

Susan Sleeman has a new novel out in the Love Inspired suspense line of books.  No Way Out (featuring Cole Justice) is the third book in her series The Justice Agency.  Her first two books were: Book 1 – Double Exposure (featuring Ethan Justice)  and  Book 2 – Dead Wrong (featuring Kat Justice).  She has two more books coming out in October 2013 : Book 4 – Thread of Suspicion (featuring Dani Justice)  and in 2014: Book 5 – Desperate Measures (featuring Derrick Justice)
You can visit her site to read about all of her Justice Agency books here.

No Way Out is described as a riveting inspirational romance and that it is!  When Alyssa Wells goes for a jog one night, she accidentally overhears two men talking about her husband, a police officer who died while on the job.  After the investigation into her husband's death, all evidence pointed to him being a dirty cop. One of the men she overheard was her husband's partner and a supposed friend.  Alyssa is astounded when she hears that her husband may have been framed and then realizes that she had better get out of there before the bad cops know she heard them.  When she trips and falls, they begin pursuing to see who it is that may have overheard their conversation.  Alyssa takes cover, and happens upon a member of the Justice family, Cole.  Not knowing who she can trust, she is cautious when he says he can help her.  Cole's family actually runs a private investigation agency out of Portland.  Alyssa cautiously agrees to have them help her out.  She has to do what she can to protect not only herself, but especially her kids.

No Way Out is definitely filled with suspense! The story line keeps you turning the pages wondering if the mystery murder will be solved without more harm coming to Alyssa, her kids and the Justice family.  Alyssa and Cole both have a lot of hurdles to overcome in their lives.  The author does a great job progressing them through the struggles that are holding them back and brings them out on the other side as someone who is all the better for having faced the difficult life circumstances.  I enjoyed reading this murder mystery book.  It's not long and can be read in a day or two easily.  If you're looking for a fun book to pick up and read this summer, consider Susan Sleeman's newest book.  You'll probably be looking up the rest of the Justice Agency books to read about the other siblings too.

**I received this book free from Susan Sleeman in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own.

“Undeniably Yours” by Becky Wade | Kindle Fire Giveaway and 5/29 Facebook Party!

The Blog Tour for Undeniably Yours by Becky Wade is already in full swing!  Make sure to read some reviews at the main campaign page here.  On May 29th, check in here at my blog to read what I thought of Becky's book, and then get ready for an evening of fun at Becky Wade's Facebook party where she will announced the winner of the Kindle Fire.  Speaking of Kindle Fire....make sure to check out the contest below for your chance to win!


Becky Wade is celebrating her latest swoon-worthy novel, Undeniably Yours (Bethany House), with a Kindle Fire giveaway and hosting an Author Chat party on Facebook {5/29}!

UndeniablyYours

One winner will receive:
  • A Kindle Fire
  • Undeniably Yours and My Stubborn Heart by Becky Wade
Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on May 28th. Winner will be announced at the "Undeniably Yours" Facebook Author Chat Party on May 29th. Connect with Becky for an evening of book chat, trivia, laughter, and more! Becky will also share an exclusive look at her next book and give away books and other fun prizes throughout the evening.

So grab your copy of Undeniably Yours and join Becky on the evening of May 29th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP todayTell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 29th!

Monday, May 20, 2013

The Tudor's Daughter by Julie Klassen


Emma Smallwood's father has his own boarding school that helps them to keep afloat financially.  But when they fail to get any students to come for the current school year, Emma decides to take matters into her own hands and write a former client, Sir Giles Weston, who had two school age boys.  Since he had already sent two of his sons to the Smallwood's school, Emma did not think it too rash to ask about the other two.  When a letter finally arrives asking the Smallwoods to come stay at Sir Giles Weston's Manor and tutor the boys there, Emma questions whether this is a wise decision or not.  Her father, on the other hand, thinks this will be a great change for them.  After arriving at Ebbington Manor, Emma realizes that there are mysterious things going on at this house and secrets being kept.  And besides all of the mystery happening, the handsome Phillip Weston she met long ago at her father's boarding school is there and still as handsome as ever. 
Below is the book trailer for Julie's new book.




Julie Klassen has become my new favorite author!  I absolutely loved this book.  The way she sets the scene makes you feel like your right there with the characters and her story line is very believable.  The setting of this book is in the year 1817.  I think this time period is fun to read about and imagine what it would of been like to live back then.  I've learned a lot about the history of this time period by reading her historical fiction books.  This book is full of mysterious piano playing at night, people keeping secrets and of course, romance.  If your looking for a book that is reminiscent of Jane Eyre and Jane Austen, then pick up this book.  You won't be disappointed!
You can read my other review of her book Maid of Fairbourne Hall here.

**I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own.

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Rock Harbor Search and Rescue by Colleen Coble and Robin Caroll



Emily O'Reilly has been dreaming about the day when she would have her very own Search and Rescue puppy.  When her dad and stepmom offer to pay for half of the cost of a puppy, Emily works hard at getting her homemade jewelry ready to sell at the fall festival. But when an expensive piece of jewelry goes missing at the festival from Mrs. Dancer's booth, Emily is blamed.  With her reputation on the line and the thought of not being able to have her prized puppy, Emily decides to become a private investigator and solve the mystery herself in order to prove her innocence.

I really enjoyed reading this book.  Colleen and Robin did a fabulous job!  Rock Harbor's Search and Rescue is written for ages 8-11 years.  Who doesn't enjoy a good mystery? The mystery was laid out so well.  It kept me guessing who could of taken the necklace and whether Emily would figure it out or not.  One aspect of the book that I didn't really care for was the way Emily's dad didn't believe her.  I thought that her dad should of supported her more, but I do know that adults are good at jumping to conclusions.  Other than that detail, I thought the book was fabulous and would definitely recommend it!

**I received this free book in exchange for an honest review from BookSneeze.  All opinions are my own.