Friday, October 30, 2015

Always Will by Melanie Jacobson

Always WillAlways Will by Melanie Jacobson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This has been nominated for a 2015 Swoony Award, you can vote for it here.

I really enjoying this one.

Hannah has been in love with her brothers best friend for over ten years. As she's gotten older she's able to set aside her crush, but when her brother gets married and Will ends up living down the hall from her, her old feelings resurface and she realizes her feelings have never changed. She panics when Will decides he wants to settle down as well, and wants her help navigating the online dating world.

While I love a good friends-to-lovers storyline, it rarely gets pulled off to my satisfaction, which it did in this case. Usually, I'm just frustrated that a girl has been in love with a guy for years and years and is living her life on the sidelines while he dates others and never sees her as more than a friend. It seems in these books the girl is always the one doing the pursing and trying to make the guy see her as more. That always rubs me the wrong way. So, I was relieved when this story didn't follow that same path. Hannah realizes her rut and takes measures to take control of her life. Hannah is a likable character, easy to root for. There were a couple times I wanted to jump in and shake some sense into her, but she does a pretty good job of doing that herself. I liked Will, but again, wanted to shake some sense into him as well. I normally like the guy to do the pursuing, but I thought things were handled pretty well here.

Overall, this was very well written, I was sucked in and didn't want to put it down. The characters were all likable (Jay needs his own book!) and while I was reading I kept thinking of friends that I would want to share it with. Fun read!

Content
Romance: Clean
Language: None
Violence: None
Religious: None


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Thursday, October 22, 2015

Jessie Belle by Jennifer Peel

Jessie Belle (The Women of Merryton #1)Jessie Belle by Jennifer Peel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Love

I am a huge fan of Jennifer Peel. Her books have a way of sucking me in and I don't want to put them down. I think what I liked about Jessie Belle is that our main couple is already married, they've been together for thirteen (I think) years, they've drifted apart and their marriage is really put to the test when Blake has to tell Jessica that he has a teenage daughter he never knew about.

I really liked Jessica's character and the growth she goes through. I really felt her pain and loved her strength. The topic touched a little close to home in that my husband and I suffered with infertility and I know how heartbreaking it is to want a child and not be able to have one. Anyway, Jessica was a likable character and really handled everything so much better than I would have. :)

I liked Blake, in a lot of ways I understood him. But, he really drove me nuts too. It would take a special kind of person to be married to him. :) I was hoping to see him come out of his shell more, I really wanted to see him making more effort. He does a little, but in the end I still felt like Jessica was doing the majority of the work. I did like him though and how he was trying to be respectful of Jessica and what she needed. They are a good couple and work well together. They also have great chemistry. It was fun watching their relationship grow and strengthen.

Overall, another great read by Ms. Peel. I'm glad we'll be returning to Merryton with future books, can't wait to return to this charming town.

Content
Romance: Clean
Language: None
Violence: None
Religious: None-Mild, not religious or preachy

This has been nominated for a 2015 Swoony Award, you can vote for it here.

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Wednesday, October 21, 2015

North for Christmas Blog Tour

North for Christmas blog tour GREEN


Cover Have you ever known exactly what you wanted for Christmas? As a child, you may have written a letter to Santa, made a wish upon a star, or locked your dream away in your heart afraid that it might not come true if you so much as whispered it out loud. Even as adults, Christmas wishes carry a magic that can't be explained. In North for Christmas, Ruby Jeavon certainly has her heart set on an engagement. It's the first step in creating the family she's always wanted. But things go slightly off course and instead of flying to Italy with her boyfriend, Ruby heads out of town to work as an elf in Nashville. Even though she's far away from her dream, she's about to discover the magic of a Nashville Christmas through the eyes of North Foxwell, her fellow elf and a Christmas expert. Even though North struggles with his own Christmas ghosts, Ruby manages to bring new light to his life. Can Ruby let go of her dream to find what her heart truly desires? Only time--at the North Pole--will tell. You can pick up your copy of North for Christmas at your local book store, iTunes, Barns and Noble, or from Amazon.


Christina Dymock Author of The Organized Bride, Summer in Snow Valley, The Healthy Family Slow Cooker Cookbook, The Academic Bride, The Bacon Lover's Cookbook, The Hungry Family Slow Cooker Cook Book,

Sunday, October 18, 2015

Wedding Date for Hire by Jennifer Shirk

Wedding Date for HireWedding Date for Hire by Jennifer Shirk
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Super cute!

I really enjoyed this one, it was just what I was looking for. Jennifer Shirk never disapoints. Wedding Date for Hire uses one my favorite plot devices, two people pretending to be a couple. In this case, Maddie hires a guy to be her date for her sisters wedding. Wanting to save face in front of an ex and to shush her nosey family she feels this is her last resort. She was not expecting to be matched with Trent.

Maddie was easy to like and root for. Trent was also very likable. I loved their past, added another fun level to their who "fake dating" story and I thought it added a lot to the story. Maddie and Trent were fun together, great chemistry. The writing is well done and engaging, caught myself grinning a few times.

Overall, this was a charming story and a very fun read. Highly recommend.

Content
Romance: Clean, very mild innuendo
Language: Mild
Violence: None
Religious: None
Series: Book two, but can stand on its own

This has been nominated for a 2015 Swoony Award, you can vote for it here.

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Monday, October 12, 2015

Rescuing Rebecca by Teresa McCarthy

Rescuing Rebecca (Clearbrook Abbey, #1)Rescuing Rebecca by Teresa McCarthy
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I've been a big fan of Ms. McCarthy's for a long time now and was very excited when I heard she would be writing a regency novella series. This was a fun read, quick read. Fit well with my busy schedule. Rebecca was a likable character. A daughter of an Earl who has been sent to work at Clearbrook Abbey, a school for young girls. The school has recently gained attention when a rumor begins to spread about a secret treasure that has been hidden away for years. Captain Argyle has been hired to keep an eye on the school. Rebecca and the Captain are thrown together and sparks fly. While their relationship was rather quick, it was fun and filled with chemistry. I thought they were cute together. Overall, I thought this was a very fun read and a nice escape. Would recommend to any regency fan.





Content
Romance: Clean
Language: None
Violence: None
Religious: None



This has been nominated for a 2015 Swoony Award, you can vote for it here.



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Saturday, October 3, 2015

Autumn Masquerade by Josi Kilpack, Donna Hatch, Nancy Campbell Allen

Autumn MasqueradeAutumn Masquerade by Josi S. Kilpack
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I've been looking forward to this collection for a long time now. I had to pre-order it and started reading as soon as it came out. A fun collection of regency stories.



A Merry Dance by Josi Kilpack
A fun setting and characters. I liked the plot of this one, especially Lila's attempts to make Mr. Luthford not fall in love with her. A cute idea for a story and fun to watch their relationship unfold.



Unmasking a Duke by Donna Hatch
I was pleasantly surprised when I started reading this and realized the main character, Hannah, was from the Rogue Heart series. We meet Hannah in The Stranger She Married. Anyway, I really enjoyed this one. A charming story, loved returning to the regency world Hatch has created. (Is a stand alone, but some characters are from the Rogue Heart series).



What's in a Name by Nancy Campbell Allen
I've been a fan of Nancy's for a very long time and thought she moved into the regency setting flawlessly. This had a fun plot, I liked the relationship between Penelope and her Duke and just had an enjoyable time reading it.



Overall, this was a fun collection. I liked how each one had a similar theme with a masquerade ball in each one as well. Would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys regency's.



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