Here to Stay by Melissa Tagg ~ Review

Lucie's Review:

Blake (Blaze) Hunziker goes back to his hometown of Whisper Shore, where he grew up, and runs into Autumn Kingsley. Autumn has every reason to distrust Blake after what went down between their siblings, Ava and Ryan. But Blake makes her an offer she can't refuse, he'll fix up the Kingsley Inn if she will help him put together a Christmas celebration for the whole town.

This is a charming romance, I immediately loved Autumn and Blake, who were very compelling wonderful characters, who I was able to cheer for the entire way through. There was fantastic interaction between the two of them, as well as the many colorful side characters, that really brought the small town feeling and community to life for me.

This was a fast paced, engaging read. There was plenty of humor and just an overall upbeat feel to the writing that made it an enjoyable read the whole way through!

Blake was my favorite character, I admired how he had been all around the world, yet was still able to appreciate the small things in life, like swinging from a rope into a mound of hay or climbing the water tower. His faith is a huge part of his life, and he has come to understand that he doesn't need to know everything to follow God's plan for his life.

Autumn is also a strong character, she has a big heart and big dreams.

This was a fantastic book that works well as a stand alone or as a companion to Made to Last. I would definitely recommend this fantastic 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."

Chateau of Secrets by Melanie Dobson ~ Review

Lucie's Review:

An intriguing tale that tells a story over the span of many decades, through a grandmother and granddaughter as they experience Chateau d' Epines.

A film maker wants to make a documentary featuring the Chateau d' Epines, and requests that a family member meet him there. Gisele Duchant who lived there during much of WWII is too old, and her son Michael is too busy, so she sends her granddaughter, Chloe.

As Chloe explores, she uncovers secrets not only about what her grandmother experienced there, but also about her self.

This book is full of mystery and suspense. The setting is detailed, and the pacing and plotting of this story is excellent. I could tell that that author did a ton of research for this book, as it strives for historical accuracy while still weaving a engaging fictional account of the brutality and bravery of WWII.

This was a thrilling historical reading, with well drawn characters in both the past and the present. This book does a great job of bringing the times to life, and that's kind of what made it a little harder to read, the horrors of WWII.

Overall, this was a great book, full of intrigue, and fantastic characters. The setting was so well developed that it leaped off the page. A fantastic novel of France during WWII.

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."

Until that Distant Day by Jill Stengl ~ Blog Tour

What drew you to the setting of this novel?

While my USAF-pilot husband was stationed at RAF Lakenheath in England, we had
occasional opportunity to visit the Continent. Once, some wonderful friends babysat our three
small children for five days while Dean and I toured the Normandy beaches, Bayeux, Versailles,
and Paris. Five years later we took our children, who were then old enough to appreciate it more,
to Euro Disney, and made a side daytrip to Paris.
I glimpsed just enough of the historical sites in France to be fascinated but was too ignorant
to fully appreciate the experience. In more recent years, while studying European history and
reading some of the great novels set during the French Revolution, my fascination grew. Any
great book needs plenty of tension, and what time period and location offers greater tension than
this?
Now I would love to return and walk through the Jardin des Tuileries and the Place du
Carrousel with a realization of what happened there all those years ago—not to mention the
Place de la Concorde (aka Place Louis XV and Place de la Révolution), where so many were
guillotined. While I wrote this book, these people and events became real to me, not simply
markers in history.

Jill at Versailles—July 1990

Jill Stengl

Author Bio
Jill Stengl is the author of numerous romance novels including Inspirational Reader's Choice Award- and Carol Award-winning Faithful Traitor, and the bestselling novella, Fresh Highland Heir. She lives with her husband in the beautiful Northwoods of Wisconsin, where she enjoys her three cats, teaching a high school English Lit. class, playing keyboard for her church family, and sipping coffee on the deck as she brainstorms for her next novel.
She blogs at Books, Cats, and Whimsy. Do stop by and follow her to keep up with all her writing and reading-related activities!



Back Cover Description

Colette and her brother Pascoe are two sides of the same coin, dependent upon one another in
the tumultuous world of the new Republic. Together they labor with other leaders of the sans-
culottes to ensure freedom for all the downtrodden men and women of France.
But then the popular uprisings turn bloody and the rhetoric proves false. Suddenly, Colette
finds herself at odds with Pascoe and struggling to unite her fractured family against the lure
of violence. Charged with protecting an innocent young woman and desperately afraid of
losing one of her beloved brothers, Colette doesn’t know where to turn or whom to trust as the
bloodshed creeps ever closer to home.
Until that distant day when peace returns to France, can she find the strength to defend her loved
ones . . . even from one another?

"Jill Stengl is one of the rare authors with the ability to transport the reader to another world--a
delightfully rich world of scent and sight and sound.” – Kim Vogel Sawyer, bestselling author of
Echoes of Mercy

“Award-winning author Jill Stengl has created her greatest work yet in the inspiring and moving
Until That Distant Day.” Jill Eileen Smith, bestselling author of the Wives of King David series.

Enter to win the fabulous prize pack!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can buy the book here: 

Tour Schedule

May 5

Tales of Goldstone Wood

Edgy Inspirational Romance

Fullness of Joy

The Inkpen Authoress

Covers and Ink

May 6

Blooming with Books

Quoth the Girl

The Wonderings of One Person

May 7

The Writer’s Window

Jill Eileen Smith

The Writer of Dream Things

May 8

Letters from Annie Douglas Lima

Rina’s Reading

To Find a Castle

May 9

JLMbewe.com

To Be a Person

Writings of Rosie

May 10

Seasons of Humility

Notes by Oywen

The Overweight Bookshelf

May 11

Too Read or Not Too Read

Fictionally

Bluerose’s Heart

May 12

Mel’s Shelves

Labor Not in Vain

Creative Madness Mama

May 13 – Giveaway Winner Announced

Tales of Goldstone Wood

Fatal Exchange by Lisa Harris ~ Review

Astor's Review:

When one of her students comes to school with a gun, and takes her class hostage Emily Hunt must do everything she can to keep her class safe.
Mason Taylor is an undercover cop working with the Rafael, the gunman, to find his brother, and rescue him from a drug cartel. But will Mason be able to get to Rafael and put a stop to his impulsive and uncharacteristic behavior.

This is a fast paced, high octane read, stretched tight with tension and taunt with suspense.

Though this could be read as a stand alone novel, this book picks up thread from the previous book, and pieces continue to fall in the mystery concerning Emily's missing brother Michael who disappeared under strange circumstances.

Though this book takes place all in the course of only a day, the characters are well developed and their growing friendship and relationship is believable.

Overall this was everything I could have hoped for in a suspense novel, great characters and non-stop action all the way. The only thing I don't like about it is that I will have to wait till 2015 to read the next one!


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."

Hannah's Courtship by Emma Miller ~ Review

Lucie's review:
A gentle love story about finding love later in life.

Hannah is a widow with seven daughters, five of which are married, and one is engaged, leaving her last daughter Susanna who has Downs Syndrome.
Susanna wants to be like the other girls, have a beau and get married, she even has the perfect candidate picked out, David King, whom she calls "King David." One night David and Susanna sneak out to get pizza in town, but a car spooks their horse and the buggy ends up in the ditch.
Albert, is the town veterinarian in his fifties, who finds Susanna and David in the ditch and helps them out. Hannah is grateful for Albert's help, and they become fast friends as they see each other at many of the family gatherings, because his nephew is married to her daughter Grace.
Can Albert and Hannah be more than friends?

This was a wonderful novel filled with great characters, many of them familiar if you have read the previous companion books. I loved Albert, he was a genuinely kind man who thinks that love passed him up long ago. He was willing to make sacrifices to be with Hannah.

This is a sweet story with great side characters, I loved catching up with what was going on with Hannah's daughters. There were many heartwarming moments, and this was just a great all around feel good book.

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."

Cats are Part of His Kingdom Too by Cindy Vincent ~ Blog Tour & Review

My Review:

Ms. Vincent shares from her heart stories about her family, how she came to have many of her lovely cats as well as stories to inspire and give insight.

This book is styled as a devotional, with a short story, bible verse and words of encouragement, that won't take more than five minutes to read.

This book can be read day-by-day or all at once. I chose to read it all at once!

Overall, a sweet read, full of heart warming stories great for the cat lovers in your life!

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:

As Christians, sometimes it’s hard for us to comprehend the love our Heavenly Father has for us,
His Earthly children. Author Cindy Vincent began to realize the depth of His love after caring
for several rescued cats and then bringing them into her home. That’s when she began to notice
the parallels between her relationship with these precious felines and God’s relationship with us.
After all, as a pet Mom, she works in so many behind-the-scenes ways to make life wonderful
for her little feline family, much like God works behind the scenes to make life wonderful for
us. Yet much like her cats have no comprehension of all that she does for them, we have no
comprehension of all that God does for us.
Before long, she began to see lots of parallels, and decided to put these down in the form of

Daily Devotions, to demonstrate just how very much God loves us.

About the Author

Cindy Vincent was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and has lived all around the US and
Canada. She is the creator of the Mysteries by Vincent murder mystery party games and the
Daisy Diamond Detective Series games for girls. She is also the award-winning author of the
Buckley and Bogey Cat Detective Caper books, and the Daisy Diamond Detective book series.
She lives with her husband and an assortment of fantastic felines. You can learn more about the
Buckley and Bogey books at www.buckleyandbogey.com.

***

Free eBook Promotion
Cats Are Part of His Kingdom, Too will be free for Kindle May 2-6!

Purchase the Kindle ebook on Amazon

Purchase the paperback on Amazon

Purchase the paperback on Barnes & Noble

Add the book on Goodreads

***

Giveaway 

Help us spread the word about Cindy's sweet devotional book for a chance to win a Swarovski
cross necklace or a set of the Buckley & Bogey Cat Detective Capers! To enter, read Cats Are
Part of His Kingdom, Too: 33 Daily Devotions to Show God's Love (you can pick up a FREE
Kindle copy HERE May 2-6!); write an honest review; submit your review to Amazon, Barnes & 
Noble, and/or Goodreads; and let us know you did so by filling out the Rafflecopter form below.
The giveaway will be open for entries throughout the whole month of May, so you have plenty
of time to read this short and encouraging book and review it. :) If you have any questions,
please email the publicist (Amber) at amberstokes@editingthroughtheseasons.com

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Fair Play by Deeanne Gist ~ Review

Lucie's Review:

Billy is a lady, and not just a lady, but a lady doctor scheduled to speak at the World's Fair.
Hunter is a Texas Ranger working as a guard. But while he's working he starts having abdominal pains, so his buddy takes him into the clinic where he meets Billy. Let's just say that he was not expecting a woman doctor.
When Hunter finds an abandoned baby at the fair, he brings the baby to Billy, and together they take him to Hull House. Along the way the trip opens their eyes to the vast differences between real life and the fantastical world inside the fair.

Both Billy and Hunter are strong compassionate character. They interact naturally with each other, and their relationship grows as they work together to build a safe place for children to play.

But there are twists and turns in the plot, and all does not turn out as one would expect. This book does deal with more mature themes, so I would not recommend this book for young teens, however the tough things in this book allow the characters to show their true mettle.

Billy is a determined young woman, who put herself through medical school, she is used to charging into every situation and challenging every opponent. She is not used to asking for help, and is used to defending her independence.

Overall, this is a great story that takes a closer look at the World's Fair, including many historical moments and characters woven into an engaging plot. With sprinkles of humor and deja vu moments throughout. A great new book from Deeanne Gist!


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."

One Perfect Spring by Irene Hannon ~ Review

Astor's Review:

A heartwarming read from Irene Hannon.

One Perfect Spring is beautiful story, that took me completely by surprise with its tenderness, and unpredictability. I thought I had it all figured out...turns out I didn't.

One girl's letter brings the hard-working Keith, and her single mother, Claire, together in this heartfelt, compelling novel from Irene Hannon.

Filled with well written  characters, this superb novel leaps from the pages. Different from Ms. Hannon's trademark suspense/thriller novels, this book is not any less engaging. This book reminded me of the kind of compelling yet heartfelt story that you might see in a Hallmark movie.

This was a wonderfully written novel, I don't want to give too much away, but I will say that it definitely surprised me with how it ended.

One of my favorite characters was definitely Haley, Claire's eleven year old daughter, she was very straightforward and endearing.

Overall, this is a wonderful stand alone novel. Full of faith and great characters, I never knew where or how this book would end, yet that only made me love it more. Definitely 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."

Mark of Distinction by Jessica Dotta ~ Review

My Review:

From one fire to another, Julia finds herself under the protection of her guardian, Lord Pierson, who has decided to make himself known as her father. Now the pawn of not one, but two powerful men, Julia wonders if she will ever see her dear Edward again.

Meanwhile, she finds herself plunged into high society, attending balls as the enigmatic Emerald Heiress. A hero comes forth in the form of Lord Isaac Dalry, who appoints himself her protector and advocate, doing everything in his power to help her feel at home in her new environment. But Macy's grip on her is far from loosed, his men watch her every move, and Julia doesn't know whom to trust.

Mr. Forrester, the unscrupulous newspaperman hounds her every step, taunting her, and teasing her with his knowledge of her past connection to Macy. As secrets from her past are threatening to be revealed, and the lives of the ones she loves are put at stake, Julia finds herself seeking comfort and solace the one place she swore she would never turn. God.

Will Julia ever be free from the dangerous game being played around her?

I loved this book! It picks up right where Born of Persuasion leaves off, as Julia finds her self plunged into a world of wealth and privilege, where lines are blurred and only the strong truly survive. Filled with mystery and intrigue, Ms. Dotta weaves a web of intricate secrets revealing one, only to expose thousands of other untold threads.

I was immediately drawn into the world of blackmail and secrets, where many of the characters are not what they at first seem. I think my favorite character in this book was Isaac Dalry. Isaac had such depth to him, and he was nothing but honorable, ever compassionate, and forgiving. I also admired his great strength of character, and his strong faith that he lived out everyday, though he had his human failings. He reminded me of Mr. Knightley (my favorite Austen hero), ever proper in public, yet with a warm heart that knows how to have fun in private. His sister, Kate was an absolute delight. And I can't help but think that he will be a huge part of the next book in the series, with more about the mysterious Ben to be revealed.

Overall, this was a thrilling read, perfect for fans of Austen and Bronte, with all the intensity and tension of the Tudor court. Julia has grown so much over the course of her journey, yet I fear the worst is yet to come. There were so many unexpected twists and turns, which kept my head fairly spinning the whole way through.  I loved every minute of it! This fantastic book left me begging for more, and I can't wait to see what will happen next!


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."

Meant to be Mine by Becky Wade ~ Review

Lucie's Review:

A very compelling story that drew me in from the very first page, and was extremely hard to put down.

Ty Porter has always liked taking chances, he rides bulls and he can talk himself out of most any situation, but he can't charm himself out of what he did to Celia.

Celia has been waiting five years for the other shoes to drop. She's poured everything she has into raising her daughter, Addie, and doing her best to keep them afloat. Celia has every valid reason for not trusting Ty, and no intention of telling about Addie. But when Ty finds out about Addie, there no way for Celia to escape the man she has avoided for the last few years.

To Ty's credit he handles the news pretty well after the initial shock, and he takes the time to get to know Addie. The dialogue between Celia and Ty is good, and moves their relationship, while staying true to the situation.

My heart went out to Celia from the very beginning. She loves Addie, but she's mad at God because he didn't fix the mess she got into with Ty. Celia is a terrific parent, and Addie is such a endearing child, with a love for everything princess and fairy tale related.Celia was just fantastic. She was brave and strong enough to trust when it looked like it would never turn out.

This is a great read that will tug at your heartstrings, that is both engaging and truly inspiring. it celebrates the sanctity of marriage, the gift of grace, and the power of forgiveness.
Overall this was just a fantastic book, and my favorite from Becky Wade so far!



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."