*Inspirational and clean reads to remember and see
We made it! Our final author showcase for Romance is in the air is Kimberley Montpetit. Keep reading for an ebook deal, an excerpt, where to find Kimberly online, and, of course, a giveaway. Check back here on the last day of the month (also my birthday) for the Romance Wrap Up!
[Read more…] about Romance is in the Air – Kimberley Montpetit
Ever since Emma read Pride and Prejudice, she’s been in love with Mr. Darcy and has regarded Jane Austen as the expert on all things romantic. So naturally when Emma falls for Blake Hampton and he invites her home to meet his parents, she is positive an engagement is in her future. After all, Blake is a single man in possession of a good fortune, and thus must be in want of a wife.
But when it turns out that what Blake actually wants is more of a hook-up than a honeymoon, Emma is hurt, betrayed, and furious. She throws herself deeper into her work as CMO of Kinetics, the fastest growing gym franchise in the nation. She loves her work, and she’s good at it, which is why she bristles when her boss brings in a consultant to help her spearhead the new facilities on the East Coast. Her frustration turns to shock when that consultant turns out to be Blake’s younger brother, Lucas.
Emma is determined not to fall for Lucas, but as she gets to know him, she realizes that Lucas is nothing like his brother. He is kind and attentive and spends his time and money caring for the less fortunate.
What she can’t understand is why Lucas continues to try to push her back into Blake’s arms when he so clearly has fallen as hard for her as she has fallen for him.
Realizing that her love life is as complicated as anything Jane Austen could have dreamed up, Emma must find a way to let Blake know that it’s time for him to let her go and to let Lucas know.
[Read more…] about Lies Jane Austen Told Me by Julie Wright (Review)
Miss Permilia Griswold may have been given the opportunity of a debut into New York high society, but no one warned her she wasn’t guaranteed to “take.” After spending the last six years banished to the wallflower section of the ballroom, she’s finally putting her status on the fringes of society to good use by penning anonymous society gossip columns under the pseudonym “Miss Quill.”
Mr. Asher Rutherford has managed to maintain his status as a reputable gentleman of society despite opening his own department store. While pretending it’s simply a lark to fill his time, he has quite legitimate reasons for needing to make his store the most successful in the country.
When Permilia overhears a threat against the estimable Mr. Rutherford, she’s determined to find and warn the man. Disgruntled at a first meeting that goes quite poorly and results in Asher not believing her, she decides to take matters into her own hands, never realizing she’ll end up at risk as well.
As Asher and Permilia are forced to work together and spend time away from the spotlight of society, perhaps there’s more going on behind the scenes than they ever could have anticipated. . . .
Available 4/4/17 (eBook) and 4/18/17 (print)
Throughout this entire book, I found myself smiling, giggling, and even laughing out loud once or twice. Permilia and Asher play off each other and navigate the perfect comedic dance. From the first pages of Behind the Scenes, I liked Permilia. Snubbed by society but unwilling to let that determine her worth, she finds other occupations to keep her entertained during the many times she’s not asked to dance. While she’s a strong woman, she also has a shy side with most men that is endearing.
The one man she has no problem speaking…her mind…with is Asher Rutherford. A business man with whom her previous interactions would cause her stepmother palpitations if she knew the entire tale. Yet Asher’s attentiveness and kind words cause her to view him in a different light.
As she and Asher try to unravel the murder plot against him, and the threat to her now as well, will spending more time together make them appreciate the other more or will Permilia’s headstrong willfulness and Asher’s stodgy opinions tear their budding relationship apart?
The first full-length book in the Apart from the Crowd series, Behind the Scenes delivers Turano’s spot on humor, a peek inside high society during the gilded age, and the fashions of the time. A truly delightful read.
My Rating:
Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books for review from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including Netgalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
If you love this book, check out others by Jen Turano: After a Fashion, In Good Company, Playing the Part
Some writers’ imaginations amaze me. To create a future world and all the details that go into it is a gift. Rachelle Dekker’s future world which began in her first book of her Seer Trilogy, The Choosing, is expanded in The Calling. While the first book focused mostly on Carrington Hale and her desire to be wanted, the second is about another character readers met in book one, Remko Brant. Yet, both stories are about identity, find who each of these characters is and who God wants them to become.
A year and a half after the first book ends, Remko is now married to Carrington and a father, and the risks he takes to sneak into the Authority city and rescue other seers comes with a higher price. With his background as a CityWatch guard, he is the best choice to lead these missions but as they become more dangerous and the group experiences a couple of failures, Remko’s doubts and fear begin to take their toll.
When other seers in the camp question his leadership, Remko is left to wonder why he continues to lead the group for a cause he doesn’t believe in. If he left, would his wife follow him as he had her?
Dekker portrays Remko as both a reluctant leader (one who doubts his abilities much like Moses did) and an egotistical leader (much like King Saul). The combination is powerful and emphasizes Remko’s internal struggle of trying to be everything to everyone while being unsure of where his true identity lies. Is he the rebel leader? A husband and father? A man who wants to save his friends and family?
The story moves along at a quick clip, pulling the reader along with Remko through the highs and lows (expect some nail-biting close calls and some heart-wrenching losses) as the seers strain to make a life of freedom outside of the city. This book is part fiction, part dystopian, part YA, part speculative and entirely engaging.
In case you recognize that last name, here’s a little info about the author as well as some Q&As about her latest book. But I have to say, if Rachelle keeps writing books like these, people may be asking her dad if he’s related to her.
The oldest daughter of New York Times bestselling author Ted Dekker, Rachelle Dekker was inspired early on to discover truth through storytelling. She graduated with a degree in communications and spent several years in marketing and corporate recruiting before making the transition to write full time. Rachelle lives in Nashville with her husband, Daniel, and their diva cat Blair. Visit her online at www.rachelledekker.com.
Q: Remko struggles with his anger often throughout the book. Is this expression of anger connected to his fears? If so, how?
RD: Anger is just a natural reaction to the circumstances Remko faces. Sometimes being afraid can stir up anger because it makes us feel weak or out of control. This is definitely true for Remko in The Calling.
Q: Carrington struggles with the pain that comes from watching Remko miss the Truth that was so clear to her. What encouragement would you give to others that have loved ones who do not yet share their faith?
RD: Everyone needs to take the journey. For some, truth comes more easily, and others have to struggle to see it. It can be incredibly hard to watch someone you love miss the truth right in front of them, but don’t forget that the Father is still God, and He holds them in His hand. So love those that struggle restlessly and trust that the Father is ever-present, even in the darkness.
Q: What do you hope readers will take away from the story?
RD: I hope they take a moment to see themselves as children of the Father. I hope they see that true freedom and fearlessness rest in surrendering, and that when they stand with the Father than nothing can stand against them. There is incredible peace in that truth, and I hope, like I am beginning the experience, that readers feel that same peace.
Q: What can readers expect in the final book of the series?
RD: Characters they know and some new ones I hope they’ll love! More questions of identity, and fear, but the characters will also be looking at forgiveness and letting go. I’m really happy with the way the final book played out, and I’m hoping readers will be as well.
I, for one, am looking forward to reading how this series is concluded.
The Calling is available everywhere (and if you haven’t picked it up yet, The Choosing is also available).
****Tyndale Fiction and Tyndale Blogger Network provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Can I just say, I’m hooked on Denise Hunter’s books. She’s been a favorite author of mine for several years now. And I’d have to say others agree considering she’s now got a deal with the Hallmark Channel for one of her books, The Convenient Groom (pick it up if you haven’t read it yet.)
In Hunter’s second Summer Harbor novel, The Goodbye Bride (available everywhere March 8, 2016), readers will enjoy a little twist on the romance trope. Turns out our main characters, Zac Callahan and Lucy Lovett, were engaged before. Seven months later, Zac is still trying to forget the woman who left him with no explanation when she calls out of the blue asking for his help.
A concussion has left Lucy with no memory of the last seven months or the explanation as to why she left Zac. The one thing she knows for absolute certain is she’s still in love with him. But he’s doesn’t trust her any longer.
The mystery of what happened to Lucy—why she left, how her new life (the one she can’t remember at all)—made if difficult for me to put this book down. Despite their past, Zac can’t leave Lucy alone and homeless (and who isn’t going to fall for that kind of hero from the very beginning?) so he brings her home to Summer Harbor, Maine. As the two interacted, I found myself waiting for them both to admit how they felt.
This is a story of second chances. It shows how burying past hurts can affect all of your relationships in your future, especially those with the people you love the most. Hunter is an expert at pulling emotions from her characters, and those kissing scenes….SWOON!!!
Thank you, Denise Hunter for another fantastic clean read. I look forward to reading Riley Callahan’s story in the future!!
***Thomas Nelson Fiction and BookLook Bloggers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. All opinions expressed are my own.
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