Doon by Lorie Langdon & Carey Corp ~ Review

Review:

When Veronica's best friend, Kenna, offers her the opportunity to leave her troubles behind for the rolling hills and green glens of Scotland, Veronica doesn't need much convincing. 
There is a mysterious young man, who has been following Veronica and pops up again in Scotland, she doesn't know whether he is real or a figment of her imagination.
As she and Kenna settle into Scotland they stumble upon a strange set of rings and a strange letter from Kenna's great aunt. Suddenly they are swept into a living fairy-tale, with everything they could ever desire, but the world they have entered is as deceptive as it is magical...

I wasn't sure what to think of this book at first, yet it turned out to be fairly enjoyable, though it was nothing like the kind of books I tend to be drawn to, it caught my attention from the beginning and managed to hold it pretty much the whole way through.

Veronica and Kenna are portrayed to be typical teenagers, who talked about boys, how good-looking they were, and testing the limits in physical relationships, etc. So I wouldn't recommend this book for those much younger than 14-15.

I liked the writing style of this book, because it really drew me in and made me want to keep reading even though this isn't at all what I normally would read.

Overall, this was an great quick read, that was sort of like a fantasy, chick-flick romance kind of book, set in a Scottish wonderland. Veronica and Kenna were both very well developed and I loved how different they were, yet they were perfect as best friends. Not a typical read for me, but it was entertaining.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and testimonials in Advertising."

Carolina Gold by Dorothy Love ~ Litfuse Blog Tour & Review

Lucie's Review:

Charlotte Fraser idolized her father as a child, but now he is gone and she alone is left to carry out his dream of growing Carolina Gold, which is a unique kind of rice. Fairhaven, their plantation was ransacked during the war and the reconstruction has taken its toll, and very little remains besides empty buildings and overgrown rice fields. On top of that Charlotte cannot even find the proper deeds to show that she has ownership of Fairhaven. But Charlotte is determined, and she has a plan.

Nicholas Betancourt, is a widower new to the area, with two young daughters, with legal troubles of his own as he tries to prove his rightful inheritance of the neighboring plantation.

Charlotte is an admirable heroine with a strong will and plenty of determination, not afraid of hard work, she will do whatever it takes to make her father's dream of Carolina Gold come true.

This book was slow to start, but by the end this book was well worth the read and I found it to be very well written and surprisingly thought provoking. Carolina Gold is a novel with many threads that intertwine, weaving a realistic panoramic picture of life in South Carolina low country after the War Between the States. This book accurately portrays the struggles and hardships that many women face after the war.

A book well worth the read!



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and testimonials in Advertising."

About the book:
The war is over, but her struggle is just beginning.

Charlotte Fraser returns to her late father's once-flourishing rice plantation on the Waccamaw River, determined to continue growing the special kind of rice known as Carolina Gold. But Fairhaven Plantation is in ruins, the bondsmen are free, and money is scarce.

To make ends meet, Charlotte reluctantly accepts a position as tutor to the young daughters of Nicholas Betancourt, heir to the neighboring Willowood Plantation. Then Nick's quest to prove his ownership of Willowood sends Charlotte on a dangerous journey that reveals an old family mystery---and threatens all that she holds dear.

Inspired by the life of a 19th century woman rice planter, Carolina Gold continues Dorothy Love's winning tradition of weaving together mystery, romance, and rich historical detail, bringing to life the story of one young woman's struggle to restore her ruined world.

Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/s2Q5l

About the author: A former journalist, free-lance writer and college professor, Dorothy Love explores the intersection of history and human relationships to create novels that speak to the hearts of women everywhere. She is the author of the acclaimed Hickory Ridge novels set in her native state of Tennessee.

After earning a masters degree and Ph.D, she authored dozens of magazine articles before breaking into book publishing with a number of award-winning novels for preteens and young adults. The Hickory Ridge series marked her adult fiction debut. Currently she is working on several stand-alone historical novels set in the South.

When she isn't busy writing or researching her next book, Love enjoys hiking, traveling, and hanging out with her husband Ron and their rambunctious golden retriever. The Loves make their home in the Texas hill country.

To keep up with Dorothy Love, visit www.dorothylovebooks.com, become a fan on Facebook (Dorothy Love Books) or follow her on Twitter (@writerDorothy). 

Don't miss Dorothy Love's latest historical novel, Carolina Gold. Fun news: The release of Carolina Gold coincides with Dorothy's birthday. Celebrate with her by entering the Southern Essentials Giveaway and RSVPing to her Facebook party on January 14th!

 
Between January 3–14, visit Dorothy Love's Facebook Page to enter to win a new giveaway each day and be entered to win the $100 Visa Cash Card grand prize. Winners will be announced at the Facebook Author Chat party on January 14th! (Don't have a Facebook account? Enter here.) RSVP today for Dorothy's Carolina Gold Author Chat Party on Facebook.

During the party Dorothy will be hosting a book chat, testing your trivia skills, announcing the winner of the Southern Essentials Giveaway, and giving away books, gift certificates, and more. Oh, and she'll also be giving partygoers an exclusive look at her next book!

So grab your copy of Carolina Gold and help Dorothy celebrate her birthday on the evening of January 14th! (If you haven’t read the book, don’t let that stop you from coming!)

DON’T MISS A MOMENT OF THE FUN; RSVP TODAY. HOPE TO SEE YOU ON THE 14th!

Bachelor Buttons by Kathleen L.Maher ~ Review

My Review:

Rose Meehan is the daughter of Irish immigrants courted by two very different men, Will, a young fiddler, and a doctor, during tumultuous rioting in Manhattan as a result of the unpopular draft. Who will she choose, and will it be for love?

From the very beginning, I liked Will and his simple, pure-hearted courtship of Rose. It took me a little bit longer to warm to Rose, especially since I really wanted to dislike her for dangling her two suitors against each other, but as time wore on I began to like her, and admire her love for her family.

Throughout this book I could tell that the author paid great attention to detail and researched the setting meticulously. I loved the new glimpse of a part of the Civil War, that I had previously not heard much about.

Overall, this was a well-written novella, that kept me reading well into the night, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a great read.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and testimonials in Advertising."

Morning Glory by Amber Stokes ~ Cover Reveal and Giveaway!

About the Book

The depths of fear. The dawning of hope.

Myghal’s story continues… Summer 2014

The Book’s and Series’ Blogs

In conjunction with the cover reveal, Amber’s doing a double “blog reveal,” as well! You can
check out the book extras for Morning Glory (more coming soon!) on the Morning Glory blog,
and you can keep up with all the exciting news for the series on The Heart’s  Spring blog, the new
home site for all three of the main books and the companion short stories!


About the Author

Amber Stokes has a Bachelor of Science degree in English and a passion for the written word
– from blogging to writing poetry, short stories, and novels. After her brief time at college in
Oregon, she is now back home among the redwoods of Northern California, living life one day at
a time and pursuing her passion via freelance editing and self-publishing. You can connect with
Amber on her blog, Seasons of Humility.



About the Cover Designer
Lena lives in a scenic small town in Massachusetts with her husband, two kids, and a very
spoiled Black Lab. She writes fiction for young adults, mostly light fantasy with a healthy dose
of "sigh-worthy" romance. You can visit her online at www.lenagoldfinch.blogspot.com.


Giveaway

Enter via the Rafflecopter form below for a chance to win morning glory note cards (set of four)
from Cindy Lindgren and lavender & copper flower earrings from Jaye L. Knight! Giveaway
limited to U.S. residents only.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Kiriath's Quest by Rick Barry ~ Review

My Review:

Prince Kiriath and his father, King Jekoniah, are ambushed by the feared Grishnaki. Kiriath narrowly escapes while his father is taken captive.
The Grishnaki ask for a ransom too great, and time is running out, so Kiriath and his faithful friend Brand set out on a quest to the valley of the Grishnaki to save the king. Will they be able to save Kiriath's father?

An adventure to be sure, though at times I felt there was perhaps a little too much talk as some of the conversations seemed to linger overlong in the same pattern.

Friendships are forged and strengthened, as they join together to fight for The King's life.

In books like these I often have trouble keeping the characters straight with their unique names, but with this book I had no such problem and was able to follow along quite nicely. This book is full of surprises, like flying snakes and other such things that took me by surprise.

Overall, this would be a great book for the 9-16 age group, with admirable heroes who act honorably and have a strong sense of duty. This book made for a fun adventure, that introduced me to a whole new world with unique dangers.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and testimonials in Advertising."

A Match Made in Texas by Karen Witemeyer, Carol Cox, Mary Connealy, Regina Jennings ~ Review

Lucie's Review:

Four intertwining novellas that can all be read as stand alones, but together make for a delightful read!

The first story is about Neill Archer, one of the Archer boys with whom you may be familiar if you have read any of Ms. Witemeyer's recent releases. And it is a tale full of action, throughout, as Neill works out how to win the heart of the lovely Miss Clara!

The second story takes place on Clara's old homestead, with Clayton and Grace as they help each other prepared for the future and let got of the past.

In the third tale, Lucy leaves Dry Gulch to take care of an elderly woman, and meets her handsome nephew. Yet all is not as it seems...

All three of these stories have a strong cowboy hero, who know what they want and go after it. The women are smart, resourceful, and courageous in the face of the challenges that come their way. The characters interact well with each other, and the character growth makes perfect sense for the length and format of these stories :)

The fourth story is different in many ways, and ties them all together, and though the hero was not a cowboy he was endearingly shy and I loved how this story tied up the ends of the other stories.

Overall this was a fantastic collection and I loved every single one of the stories, I wouldn't definitely recommend this read if you are a fan of anyone of these wonderful authors or are new to all of them!


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and testimonials in Advertising."

All God's Children by Anna Schmidt ~ Review

Review:
Beth has lived in Germany for eight years, and she has learned to blend in speaking and dressing like a German, but the one thing that hasn't change is her American way of thinking and her tender heart. Beth cannot leave the country because she gave away her visa to a friend who needed to leave the country.
Beth has been living with her uncle and aunt, helping to care for Liesl, her beloved niece. One day her uncle brings home a former student, Josef, to come an live in their attic while he finishes medical school. Josef is fluent in English because he attended college in Boston, but he serves the Germans now as a medic.
Beth and Josef grow close, and join a resistance group known as the "White Rose." When Josef is arrested for his anti-Nazi activities, Beth does the unthinkable, marrying him and sharing in his concentration camp sentence.

This was a wonderful book, that accurately portrayed life in Germany during WWII, with meticulously done research that enriched the book. This story told the story of the bravery and sacrifice of heroes, who endured the unimaginable in the concentration camps. This book did a good job of accurately telling of the horrors and inhumane treatment that the prisoners of the centration camps suffered, yet it was described in a way where I got a full sense of the levity of the situation, yet it wasn't too overwhelming.

So much of this book is based on true historical events, I feel like I learned so much. The author took such a sad, horrific time in history and told a compelling story glistening with rays of hope that kept me reading. The story was so much more inspiring because it was based on true events.

Josef was a good honorable, intelligent man, who doesn't just stand by but was willing to take action to save his country. There was depth and internal struggle to his character, because he wanted more than anything to protect Beth and keep her safe, even though she insisted upon staying at his side.

Beth was a beautiful woman inside and out, willing to make large sacrifices with no second thought to her own safety, putting others first. At first I thought she was insane for staying by Josef's side and into the concentration camp, but at the same time I immensely admired her loyalty. Their relationship was truly tested and refined by fire till it rang true.

One thing that was interesting was that Beth and her family were Quakers, and that backround made her good at being still before God and seeking his guidance. Her faith saw her through so much. But because Quakers focus on looking "in" rather than looking to God's word I felt that a very important foundation of faith was missing.

Faith, hope & love are strong themes in this book, as Josef and Beth were tested to the brink. There was a full cast of characters who added color and depth to the story. When I picked this book up I was afraid that it would be terribly depressing but instead it was utterly engaging full of action, suspense, danger, drama, and touches of humor, as well as a realistic view of what the German's did in Germany and elsewhere. Definitely a book that I would highly recommend.

This book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review, through Netgalley.
 

One Realm Beyond by Donita K. Paul ~ Review

 Leo's Review:

Cantor is one of the gift realm walkers, blessed and cursed with the gift to walk the line between realms. But through the years the Realm Walkers Guild has become corrupt and there are those who masquerade about as if they were realm walkers.
One of the first things Cantor must do is find a dragon constant to help him on his quests. Cantor finds a young dragon, Bridger who desperately wants to be Cantors constant.
With the help of his new friends, Bixby and Dumkee, and his dragon constant Bridger, Cantor prepares to embark on the greatest adventure of his life.

An action filled adventure, with engaging characters. One of my favorites was Bridger the dragon, who was so gifted just like Cantor with ever helpful spirit and a charmingly determined attitude.

Overall this was a great start to what is sure to be a great adventure, and a great book for fans of Donita K. Paul!

Disclosure of Material Connection:I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and testimonials in Advertising."

The Strait of Hormuz by Davis Bunn ~ Review

Astor's Review:

Global tensions are high, and the threat of an Iranian blockade of the Strait of Hormuz hovers over their heads.
Marc Royce and Kitra Korban team up to get to the bottom of it, but with Iran on the brink of nuclear weapon capability, time is running out.

Filled with intrigue and fast pacing this was the third in a series, yet I was able to jump right in even though I hadn't read the previous books. Though it was a bit hard to figure out where he stood in his relationship to Kitra without having read the first few books.

This was a terrific military thriller with plenty of adventure written in a hard to put down style. Now that I am finished with this one I fully intend to go back and read the first two!

Every chapter was filled with action, adventure, and plenty of explosions! Definitely a great read, especially if you HAVE read the first books in the series!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and testimonials in Advertising."

Claiming the Cowboy's Heart by Linda Ford ~ Review

Lucie's Review:
Jayne is determined to learn how to shoot a gun, but there is nobody willing to help her, she decides to go and try it on her own. But her shooting adventure goes wrong when she accidently hits a cowboy who was minding his own business, called Seth.
Seth believes someone is out to get him, so he gets on his horse and rides away, but can only make it so far. Later Jayne's brother finds Seth and brings him home with him.
And one of the first things he is determined to do while he is stuck in Eden Valley is teach Jayne how to shoot properly!

Another addition to the popular Cowboys of Eden Valley, brings back many of the wonderful side characters like the hugging cook and her preacher husband.

This was a good read, though not quite hooking me the way I would have liked, and I don't really know why because I typically love these kind of books.

Overall this was good book, and while it didn't quite hook me it would be a good one to read if you are a fan of the series. It had positive themes of faith, and it really picked up near the end.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and testimonials in Advertising."