LOVE ON A WHIM by Suzanne Woods Fisher, Reviewed by Paula Shreckhise

 

Love on a Whim (Cape Cod Creamery Book #3): 

(A Heartwarming Contemporary Clean Romance Series Set in Small-Town Cape Cod)

*My brain said salad but my stomach autocorrected it to ice cream.* unknown

*Ice cream is duct tape for the heart.* unknown

A double dip of trouble in picturesque Chatham, Massachusetts. Brynn has done an impulsive thing while at a convention in Las Vagas, she met, married and ran away from T. D. DeLima. Her best friend, Dawn, convinces her to visit and think things through.

But Dawn, her mother Marnie Dixon and cousin Callie are caught up in a massive event- the wedding of Lincoln’s daughter. Bankrolled by Lincoln but dictated by his ex-wife, it becomes a fiasco that the Dixon clan and Brynn try to accommodate.

Angst, plot twist, and family drama are only part of the fun. We get to see favorite characters from past books like cowboy Leo. Through the tension, there is conflicting advice by Marnie and Dawn and soul-searching by Brynn.

Although I loved the story, I was hesitant to embrace the *follow your heart* thread. And I think the faith message could have been a little stronger.

What was clear was that communication is imperative, forgiveness is essential, and making your own decisions important. In the end hearts were mended and relationships were restored. A good read all around.
*I read a complimentary copy of this ebook provided by Revell via NetGalley. All opinions are mine alone.* 4 stars and an underlying faith thread

BackCover Blurb:
Brynn Haywood's impulsive marriage to a man she'd known less than 24 hours leaves her with deep regret. She flees to Cape Cod, finding refuge with her loyal friend, Dawn Dixon. As Brynn grapples with her emotions, Dawn acts swiftly, eager to help secure a lawyer for her through her mother Marnie's good friend, Lincoln Hayes. However, Lincoln's preoccupation with his daughter's lavish wedding brings unexpected challenges.

The arrival of Lincoln's estranged son, Bear Hayes, stirs the waters further. Alarmed by his father's extravagant generosity toward the Dixon family, Bear ignites friction between Marnie and Lincoln. As the wedding day arrives, Lincoln vanishes--and an unwelcome guest makes a surprise appearance.

Bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher delights with this sweet story of love, family, and the unpredictability of life.

Revell Publishing, May, 2024

Available in digital ebook, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook: 

Buy LOVE ON A WHIM at Amazon, Christianbook .com, or Baker Book House 

 

LOVE FOR A LIFETIME by Mandi Blake, Reviewed by Kim #ReleaseDay

 

A Small Town Christian Romance (Love in Blackwater Book 2)

Love for a Lifetime by Mandi Blake is a sweet friends to more romance, which is one of my favorite tropes! You’re going to love Dawson and Olivia together! It’s also set in Blackwater, so we get to see a lot of friends from Ms. Blake’s previous series.

I loved Dawson and Olivia together! Dawson is such a great character. He has a great sense of humor, is always there for people, especially Olivia, and he’s loyal. Olivia is a very strong and independent character who has a gift for helping. She is always there whenever anyone needs help of any kind, but she struggles with letting people help her. Watching them fall in love and then beat the obstacles ahead of them was so fun! This story is definitely one of my favorites of Mandi Blake.

Love for a Lifetime is the second story in the Love in Blackwater series, but it can easily be read as a standalone. The bonus epilogue has me so curious about the next story! I was honestly kind of shocked at who it was. I really can’t wait to see what Mandi Blake does with this character and who she sets him up with!
*I received a complimentary copy of this story. All opinions are my own. The faith thread is light throughout, but ramps up at the end. 5 stars!

BackCover Blurb:
They’ll always be friends, but they can never be more.

Dawson Keller has held a torch for his best friend’s little sister for as long as he can remember. He might be a flirt, but his heart will always belong to Olivia.

Olivia Lawrence lives to serve others and work on the family farm. Helping people and tending animals keep her mind off the one thing she wants but can’t have—a family.

Her brother’s best friend might joke that they’re meant to be, but he doesn’t know how little she has to offer a husband. Especially a man like Dawson who loves kids and makes everyone laugh.

On top of that, Olivia’s best friend is head over heels for Dawson, and hurting her friend is out of the question.

Dawson keeps showing up to save her at all the wrong times. From a disastrous wedding date to an unfortunate camping incident, Dawson is always there when Olivia needs him.

When Dawson finds out her secret, and her friend feels betrayed, Olivia is at risk of losing them both.

If you loved the Blackwater Ranch series and the Wolf Creek Ranch series, get ready to fall in love all over again in Blackwater, Wyoming.

Available by the author May, 2024 

Buy LOVE FOR A LIFETIME in digital ebook or paperback at Amazon

 

THE DUKE'S LAST WORD by Sophie Leigh Fox, Reviewed by Trixi Oberembt

 

(Love, Most Ardently Book 1)

Miss Wilhemina Middleton is a fiercely independent country gentleman's daughter with a quick temper and cutting tongue to match...

James, Duke of Heighbury, is a man of means and a title who is accustomed to have the last word...

Will these two make a match of it or choose to remain single in spite of the dire consequences?

I love Regency fiction, arranged marriage troupes and witty banter between the hero and heroine. This ticked all those boxes for me! A little background here, James and Willa met at a ballroom a year ago where he snubbed her rather publicly. So there's already animosity between these two—which for me, makes a great background for that witty/sarcastic banter I love so much. She doesn't have a high opinion of him in the first place so he has to work extra hard to paint himself, or rather his character, in a better light. His flirtatious manner only incites her temper more. But these two are running out of time to save themselves from financial ruin by joining in matrimony. Their refusal to see eye to eye will result in disaster unless something changes.

The journey Fox takes us on to get to the eventual happily-ever-after was a whole lot of fun for me. I didn't know how she would ever get these two together, and it was completely satisfying how she did! Though this is a shorter novella length story, there is still plenty of action and depth of character to please my palate. These two certainly tried my patience, but it was so worth it in the end. I can't wait for the next installment of the ‘Love, Most Ardently’ series!
* I received a complimentary copy from the author through Interviews & Reviews and was not obligated to leave a favorable review. All opinions expressed here are my own. *

 

BackCover Blurb:
For Love or Money, Who Will have the Last Word?

Miss Wilhemina Rose Middleton is a fiercely independent country gentleman’s daughter with a quick temper and cutting tongue to match. Willa dotes on her widowed father, Sir Edgar. But when he wagers their estate on a game of cards, she becomes the clause in a contract that would force her to marry against her will or risk financial ruin.

James, Duke of Heighbury, is a man of means and title who is accustomed to having the last word in business and courtship. Looking to gain a wife in order to save his inheritance from a conniving cousin, James agrees to save Sir Edgar from losing Middleton Grange, contingent on a marital match with Willa.

Can the affable and charming Duke convince Willa that marrying him would bring her happiness and security? Or will his selfishness and greed backfire on his plan to champion her hand?

Can a loyal and unpretentious daughter overcome her willful resistance to leave her father and marry James? Or will the Duke of Heighbury always have the last word? 

 

March, 2024 Buy THE DUKE'S LAST WORD in digital ebook at Amazon

THE BRITISH BOOKSELLERS by Kristy Cambron, Reviewed by Rebecca Maney

"Alone is a place the human heart was never meant to dwell."

And yet the two people who once felt completely at home with each other are now miserably estranged; the lovely and sophisticated Eden Books gracing one side of Bayley Lane wile the stalwart Waverly Novels bookshop roosts on the other; rumors continually swirling about in the small Coventry community over their terse competition. What possible connection could the widow of an earl and the son of a tenant farmer share? As it turns out, there's a story about that . . . one that is begging for a happy ending.

With her beautiful word flow, the author uses the Blitz bombings through-out England as an historical backdrop for a story that passes seamlessly from its past to its present with a certain amount of genteel grace that convinces readers to empathize with every single character in spite of the circumstances in which they find themselves. Mistakes were made, words were regrettably spoken, promises were broken, hearts were devastated, and hope was seemingly lost . . . except for a tiny spark that forgiveness breathed back to life. The air of mystery that ran in between scenes was a clever bonus, utilizing minor characters to perfection. I finished this book loving Lady Charlotte Terrington Holt and Mister Amos Darby even more than I would have if their story had been a simple "happily ever after", rather than a glorious triumph over tragedy .

"Some pain would never go away. Some choices could never be altered. But if they had learned anything from the beauty and brokenness of this world together, it was that light always overshadowed the darkness."
*I purchased this book and was under no obligation to provide a positive review. 4.5 stars

 

SEE PAULA'S REVIEW

 

BackCover Blurb:
Inspired by real accounts of the Forgotten Blitz bombings, The British Booksellers highlights the courage of those whose lives were forever changed by war—and the stories that bind us in the fight for what matters most.

A tenant farmer’s son had no business daring to dream of a future with an earl’s daughter, but that couldn’t keep Amos Darby from his secret friendship with Charlotte Terrington…until the reality of the Great War sobered youthful dreams. Now decades later, he bears the brutal scars of battles fought in the trenches and their futures that were stolen away. His return home doesn’t come with tender reunions, but with the hollow fulfillment of opening a bookshop on his own and retreating as a recluse within its walls.

When the future Earl of Harcourt chose Charlotte to be his wife, she knew she was destined for a loveless match. Though her heart had chosen another long ago, she pledges her future even as her husband goes to war. Twenty-five years later, Charlotte remains a war widow who divides her days between her late husband’s declining estate and operating a quaint Coventry bookshop—Eden Books, lovingly named after her grown daughter. And Amos is nothing more than the rival bookseller across the lane.

As war with Hitler looms, Eden is determined to preserve her father’s legacy. So when an American solicitor arrives threatening a lawsuit that could destroy everything they’ve worked so hard to preserve, mother and daughter prepare to fight back. But with devastation wrought by the Luftwaffe’s local blitz terrorizing the skies, battling bookshops—and lost loves, Amos and Charlotte—must put aside their differences and fight together to help Coventry survive.

From deep in the trenches of the Great War to the storied English countryside and the devastating Coventry Blitz of World War II, The British Booksellers explores the unbreakable bonds that unite us through love, loss, and the enduring solace that can be found between the pages of a book.

-Split timeline: WWI and WWII
-Stand-alone novel
-Book length: 118,000 words
-Includes discussion questions for book clubs 

Thomas Nelson Publishing, April, 2024

Available in digital ebook, paperback, and audiobook:

Buy THE BRITISH BOOKSELLERS at Amazon, Christianbook .com, or Baker Book House