Wonderful! 'Just Let Go' - Harbor Pointe 2 - by Courtney Walsh

This was another wonderful story by Courtney Walsh!  Quinn Collins was finally able to buy the flower shop in her hometown after spending her early childhood years there with her mother, the then owner, before her mother abandoned her family and left town.  Quinn's always wondered what happened and why she left.  She's determined to get answers by creating a winning design for a major flower competition her mother judges and finally seeing her face to face after all these years.  She's also renovating the shop before reopening and definitely doesn't need one more thing on her plate when bad boy Olympic skier, Grady Benson, rolls into town, ends up in a fight and needs to complete some community service in her shop!

Grady has lived for years rebelling against his coaches' advice and when his sloppiness and reckless living results in lost races and bad press, he decides to drive back to Colorado to clear his head.  He stops in Harbor Pointe for some food and ends up in a fight with a local.  Next thing he knows a judge sentences him to community service in hopes that he'll learn a lesson or two.  Right away he butts heads with Quinn as she thinks he's arrogant and reckless and he thinks she's all about rules and doing the safe thing.  They start to look past the surface and get to really know each other and understand their past hurts but Grady makes a big mistake that Quinn isn't sure she can forgive.

I loved returning to Harbor Pointe after reading the previous book that took place here.  Some of the same characters showed up in this book but it worked well as a stand-alone.  I loved Quinn and Grady.  I could definitely relate more to Quinn but it was interesting getting to know Grady and understanding what made him tick.  Quinn had a strong faith but Grady had turned his back on God after a tragedy.  I liked seeing his journey back.  I did wish Quinn had talked to him more about where he was in his faith journey before getting involved with him.  There were some amusing moments and some great romantic ones.  Her nephew, Jaden, was also a great character.  I liked seeing his journey, as well, from a rebellious kid to being a witness to Grady of what faith in God could be.  Trust and forgiveness were major themes in the story for both Grady and Quinn.  This story was well-written and the characters just leap off of the page!  I highly recommend it!

I received a copy of this book from Tyndale House Publishers.  I was not required to write a positive review, and have not been compensated for this. This is my honest opinion.

Author Q & A

1st Chapter .PDF

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Giveaway and Review of 'Loving Grace' - by April Smith

Release Date: March 20, 2018  
Genre: Christian Fiction, Young Adult Romance

Grace Summer lands herself in a melon load of trouble when she becomes torn between the boy of her dreams and the boy almost next door.

As the newly crowned Watermelon Queen, she is thrust into the spotlight, meets the dreamy Warren Hartley, and continues trying to get over an accident that rocked her world. Mix in working with Beau Baron who Grace happens to fight with just about as much as breathing and the metaphorical sparks fly.

Like most things in life, Grace must learn to take the good with the bad. While the good is the handsome and fun Warren Hartley, the bad is Beau Baron — or at least being around his annoying and rude self way more than she would like. For Beau, Grace is nothing more than aggravating and an irritating reminder from the night of the accident.

Tensions soar as Grace and Beau fight to love themselves and maybe, just maybe, each other.  

My review:

This was a cute story about romance and watermelons with a serious element as Grace was grieving and having a hard time dealing with it.  There was a fun love/hate relationship with the boy next door story line and also a secondary romance happening between his brother and another girl, which was also amusing.  I liked the strong faith element as prayer was important to Grace; I especially liked how she turned to God when she was feeling heartbroken toward the beginning of the story.  It seemed like those moments tapered off near the end of the story, though there was a scene where she was in church and she realized she couldn't find happiness in another person, only in God and remembering what He did for her.  I thought she was a little naive to believe Warren, especially when everyone was warning her about him.  She should have at least tried to find out more about him.  Sometimes she made questionable choices but then I also liked that she wasn't too perfect.  I liked the amusing aspects to the story and I liked Grace and Beau a lot.  Beau also talked about his faith; he seemed like such a great guy with how he tried to protect Grace and in how he respected her.  It was interesting to learn more about the watermelon industry but sometimes it got a little detailed.  I would recommend this story if you like young adult light romance.

I received an ebook copy of this book from JustRead Publicity. I was not required to write a positive review, and have not been compensated for this. This is my honest opinion.

PURCHASE A COPY: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | CBD

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

April Smith grew up spending summers working on her best friend ’ s family watermelon farm and she was one of those watermelon queens she writes about. She has her undergraduate degree in Elementary Education and a Master ’ s Degree in the Art of Teaching.  

CONNECT WITH APRIL: website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest

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TOUR GIVEAWAY

Ambassador International is giving away:

(1) JustRead Summer Fun Book Box, which features Loving Grace as well as at least 4 quality items which complement the story. Find out more here.

Enter via the Rafflecopter giveaway below. Giveaway will begin at midni ght July 16, 2018 and last through 11:59pm July 23, 2018. US only. Winners will be notified within a week of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

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Spotlight and Giveaway of 'The Hope of Azure Springs' by Rachel Fordham!

Title: The Hope of Azure Springs
Author: Rachel Fordham

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: July 3, 2018

Genre: Historical Romance 

Alone in a strange town, can she find healing for her new home . . . and herself?

Ada, Mich.—Between 1854 and 1929, the orphan train movement relocated over 200,000 orphaned, abandoned, or homeless children from the eastern United States to rural areas throughout the country, focusing primarily in the Midwest. Since that time, this movement has captured the attention and curiosity of readers. In The Hope of Azure Springs, debut author Rachel Fordham masterfully blends history and romance in her well-crafted tale of a former “train rider.”

Seven years ago, orphaned and alone, Em arrived at a new home in Iowa after riding the orphan train. But secrets from her past haunt her, and her new life in the western wilderness is a rough one. When her guardian is shot and killed, Em, now nineteen, finally has the chance to search for her long-lost sister, but she won’t be able to do it alone.

Sheriff Caleb Reynolds is determined to solve the case and secure justice for Em. But what he doesn’t expect is the hold this strange young woman will have on his heart.

Historical romance readers will be charmed by the town of Azure Springs as they journey with Em to face her past, embrace her future, and rescue what she’s lost.

Debut Author Deftly Combines Orphan Train Tale with Sweet Prairie Romance

Here's an excerpt to the story: 

Prologue

Iowa, 1881

She dead?”

Em heard a man’s voice from somewhere above her. A strange thumping pulsed through her with each word he spoke. Her throat burned, screaming for water, but she could not cry out.

“There’s life in her. Not much of it though,” a second, raspier voice answered. She felt a hand press against her throat and then move over her body, gently probing. “She’s bleeding pretty bad.”

“Gunshot?” the first voice asked.

If only her eyes would open and she could see them. Straining, she struggled to pull her heavy eyelids open. Finally, bits of light darted in front of her eyes, but she could not focus. The faces above her were fuzzy and indiscernible.

Fear swept through her, suddenly waking her battered body. Afraid the men from before had returned, she opened 

her eyes wide, finding strength that only moments before she had lacked. With thrashing arms she flailed at the men. Her arms flopped about but offered little defense—she was too weak from blood loss. And then they moved no longer, subdued by large, strong hands.

“Easy, girl. We aren’t going to hurt you. We just want to help. Take you into town, that’s all. There’s a good doctor there.” The man’s deep voice sounded gentle, but still she did not trust him. Voices could be deceiving. Arms could hurt as well as help. She knew these things well.

Soon she felt her body being raised above the ground, and moments later the hard planks of a wagon became the resting place for her injured frame. Too weak to move, she lay looking at the sky, wishing there were a way to end the agony, but knowing that for Lucy she would fight on.

Once the wagon lurched forward, she lost track of everything again. The wheels bouncing over ruts made her pain so intense that everything closed around her and then faded to black.

Read more excerpts on the other blog posts in this tour!

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rachel Fordham started writing when her children began begging her for stories at night. She'd pull a book from the shelf, but they'd insist she make one up. Finally she put her love of good stories with her love of writing and she hasn't stopped sinc e. She lives with her husband and children on an island in the state of Washington.

TO CONNECT WITH RACHEL:  website,  facebook,  goodreads

                                                                             Credit: Kylee Ann Maughan

GIVEAWAY
The pu blisher has graciously offered (3) winners each a copy of The Hope of Azure Springs and special Revell swag!

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Giveaway will begin at midnight July 9, 2018 and last through 11:59 PM EST on July 17, 2018. Winners will be notified within a week of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize.  Complete prize open to US mailing addresses only.  For our giveaway rules and policy, click HERE.

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Wonderful! 'The Spirit-Led Heart' - by Suzanne Eller

About the book:

A Spirit-Led Heart Can Be a World-Changing Heart
When the early church embraced the help of the Holy Spirit, uncertainty became boldness. Fear became courage. Weakness became strength.

Jesus promised us the same help. Why, then, do we keep trying to do things by ourselves? We try to do big things for God with nothing but our own efforts and a grit to see them through. Eventually, though, we find ourselves sputtering along like an old car, a little empty and a lot uncertain about our faith and purpose.

With warmth and vulnerability about her own journey, bestselling author and Proverbs 31 speaker Suzanne Eller shows that, with the Helper, we are not alone or ill-equipped. In these pages she reveals what the Holy Spirit offers:

· He empowers and guides us when we feel weak or lost.
· He offers confidence and boldness to the meek and comfort to those who hurt.
· He gives counsel and discernment in the face of uncertainty.
· His gifts fill us when we are empty and multiply our meager offerings into something truly miraculous.

The Holy Spirit empowered the apostles and the early church--and he will equip you today with that same help, boldness, and power to live a life of love and faith without borders.

My review:

This was a wonderful book with so much helpful information on the Holy Spirit.  It really explained more of what the Holy Spirit does and who He is.  Suzanne dove into the book of Acts to unpack the Holy Spirit's actions.  The book had great topics like confidence, direction and boldness.  I love the chapter on living in truth where Suzanne says "Lies lead to assumptions, which become beliefs, which produce actions (or inactions) that impact your life and your identity." That was such a powerful and true statement.  At the beginning of each chapter there's a quote and at the end there's some Scripture, a Spirit-led promise, a Spirit-led invitation and a prayer.  I loved the personal stories she told, especially about a trip she took to India and the woman she met there, which brought me to tears.  There were a few more instances where something really hit me as I was reading and brought tears to my eyes.  I also really felt for what Suzanne's going through now, with her mom and daughter both fighting cancer.  The chapter about boldness really challenged me as I struggle with that.  I loved how Suzanne admitted to her own struggles; it felt like she really understood and has been there and is still on the journey with us.  There's also a great study guide at the end of the book.  I highly recommend this book for women and I think men could also appreciate it.

I received a copy of this book from the Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review, and have not been compensated for this. This is my honest opinion.

           The Author

1. 

   © Rae Marie Photography

   Suzanne Eller

   Suzanne (Suzie) Eller is a Proverbs 31 Ministries author and speaker. She has ministered to groups of all sizes across the globe and has been featured on programs including The Harvest Show, MidDay Connection, Focus on the Family, and...
   

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The Accidental Guardian - High Sierra Sweethearts 1 - by Mary Connealy

About the book:

She's the Only Witness to a Wagon Train Attack. Keeping Her Safe, Though, Means His World Is about to be Turned Upside Down.
When Trace Riley finds the smoldering ruins of a small wagon train, he recognizes an attack by the same group who left him as sole survivor years ago. Living off the wilderness since then, he's finally carved out a home and started a herd--while serving as a self-appointed guardian of the trail. He'd hoped the days of driving off dangerous men were over, but the latest attack shows otherwise.

Deborah Harkness saved her younger sister and two toddlers during the attack, and now finds herself at the mercy of her rescuer. Trace becomes an accidental guardian when he offers the only shelter for miles around and agrees to take them in until they can safely continue their journey. His simple bachelor existence never anticipated kids and women in the picture and their arrival is unsettling--yet enticing.

Trace and Deborah find themselves drawing ever closer as they work together to bring justice to the trail and help the group survive the winter--but every day closer to spring means a day closer to leaving the mountains forever.

My review:

I enjoyed this story about a tough loner and the strong woman who opens his eyes to love and what life could be.  This story was more serious than what I'm used to from Mary Connealy but that's not a negative at all.  The plot was very interesting as Deborah, her sister and the kids are thrown into a completely new situation, not knowing who they can trust.  Winter is coming in the mountains, the killers are still on the loose and more people could be in danger.  It was suspenseful.  The characters were likable as Trace has a very protective streak yet spent so many years on his own he wasn't used to communicating well or understanding how Deborah might be feeling.  He also struggled with wanting to get revenge on the men who killed his father, along with so many others.  Deborah grew up with a lazy father who let her and her mother do all the work at home and at the newspaper while taking all of the credit so she had always wanted to be independent.  She started to have feelings for Trace but fought them.  They both had a strong faith and talked about prayer and the Bible often.  It was interesting learning about tracking and surviving in the mountains.  I would recommend this story if you like westerns or historical fiction. 

I received a copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers.  I was not required to write a positive review, and have not been compensated for this. This is my honest opinion.

           The Author

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   Photo courtesy of Ginger Murray Photography

   Mary Connealy

   Mary Connealy writes "romantic comedies with cowboys" and is celebrated for her fun, zany, action-packed style. She has more than half a million books in print. She is the author of the popular series Wild at Heart, Kincaid Brides, Trouble in Texas,...
   

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Free Books for Kindle! Two of My Favorite Authors!

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