Monday, September 10, 2018

Fall Into Books Reading Challenge

I am looking forward to participating in this fun new Fall Into Books reading challenge. Things are pretty hectic around here, but hopefully I can post every day. That's actually one of my goals, be more present and posting on social media. Engage with other book lovers and share my reviews more often. I also want to lower my TBR list on Netgalley, I have quite a few books on there and I really need to set a higher priority for those books.


Author's Corner: Karen Tuft

Welcome to Author's Corner hosted by Bookworm NationKatie's Clean Book Collection and KJ's Book Nook! Once a month we will feature either a favorite author or new to us author. We will share the author's bio, one of our favorite books of theirs and a review. Each of us will be featuring a different author each month so there will also be links to each of our posts.

For this month's Author's Corner I am going to choose... 

 Karen Tuft

Karen Tuft was born with a healthy dose of curiosity about pretty much everything, so as a child she taught herself to read and play the piano. She studied composition at BYU and graduated from the University of Utah in music theory, where she was a member of Phi Kappa Phi and Pi Kappa Lambda honor societies. In addition to being an author, Karen is a wife, mother, pianist, composer, and arranger. She has spent countless hours backstage and in orchestra pits for theater productions along the Wasatch Front. Among her varied interests, she likes to figure out what makes people tick, wander through museums, and travel whether it's by car, plane, or paperback. 

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While I enjoyed Karen's contemporary books, I really feel in love with her regencies. She has written two so far and I devoured both of them. I really think she has found her home in the Regency world. Both books were well written, had great characters and she really brings the reader into the regency world with ease. I highly recommend her books. 

About the Book

Wounded both mentally and physically from the Peninsular War in 1812, Anthony returns home to find that his older brother has died, placing Anthony next in line to inherit the estate. But he’s not ready for such responsibilities. And when Anthony’s dying father pleads with him to marry and produce an heir to preserve the family title, it nearly sends Anthony over the edge; nevertheless he dutifully faces a long line of hopeful young ladies who await him. No one grabs his attention, though, like Amelia Clarke, his mother’s stunning companion, who is off-limits for the earl. But when Anthony unwittingly puts Amelia in a compromising situation, he dedicates himself to protecting her reputation.

But the horrors Anthony faced while away from home have left him feeling broken and tormented. And Anthony finds himself drawn to Miss Clarke, the only one who can chase away his demons, but he must overcome the hostility of a society driven by class, a jealous duke bent on revenge, and himself—for could Amelia ever really love a haunted man?

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Which authors do you love? Who are some of your favorites?

Be sure to check out 



to see their author picks for September!


Monday, July 30, 2018

Swoon Worthy Spotlight - June & July


Welcome to Swoony Worthy Spotlights, hosted by Bookworm NationKatie's Clean Book Collection and KJ's Book Nook! Swoon Worthy Spotlights features 1-3 of our favorite books that we have read during the month. We will share the cover(s), our review(s) and a link to each other's post so you can check out which books we have all chosen!

I really did a LOT of reading this month. It was awesome! After taking a few months off of reading, it was fun to jump back in. I was on a regency kick for awhile, but also squeezed in some contemporaries and a little medieval fiction. Since I did read a little in June, but didn't post about it, I thought I'd include a couple favs for June and July. So, in random order here are my favorites...







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Be sure to stop by 
and

Grab the graphic and join in the fun!
Don't have a blog? Post in the comments
which books made you swoon




Monday, July 2, 2018

Swoony Award Stats


Wow! Can you guys believe that we're already halfway through 2018?! We can't!

With half the year gone, we thought it would be the perfect time for a Swoony Award update!

But first.... let's review!

Are you new and wondering what the Swoony Awards are? Check out our updated 2018 Swoony Award post here!

Are you wondering who the Swoony Awards Hosts are? Check out our Introduction post here!

Now... let's get to some Swoony stats!

Our 2018 Swoony Awards list on Goodreads is showing 197 books and 479 voters! We want to at least double that... no pressure! 😉

Fun fact: Since we have added the Google form this year for voting, you won't know who the winners are until we post them! We are LOVING that it's going to be a SURPRISE!

What are some of our favorite books so far this year?

We're so glad you asked! These are each of our picks in no particular order!







And just in case you're wondering, here's all the ways to stay updated on all things Swoony!


Goodreads Voting: http://bit.ly/2CWYB9U
Instagram: SwoonyAwards

We would like to thank everyone who has participated so far! The Swoony Awards would not be possible without you guys! You guys ROCK! 

If you have friends that you think would enjoy being apart of the Swoony Awards, please invite them to join us! Help us get the word out about clean, secular fiction!

Happy reading our fellow Book Dragons! 

Saturday, June 30, 2018

Swoon Worthy Spotlight - June


Welcome to Swoony Worthy Spotlights, hosted by Bookworm NationKatie's Clean Book Collection and KJ's Book Nook! Swoon Worthy Spotlights features 1-3 of our favorite books that we have read during the month. We will share the cover(s), our review(s) and a link to each other's post so you can check out which books we have all chosen!

Wow, I haven't done one of these posts since March! I really haven't done much reading this year. Thankfully, the past couple weeks I have really gotten back into it! I owe it probably to Sariah Wilsons book, #Moonstruck! Which totally got me in the mood again. I've actually been on a regency kick lately as well. So here were my three favorite books this month.

Traditional Regency Romance
Publication: February 23, 2015

Regency Romance
Publication: December 1, 2017

Contemporary Romance
Publication: July 17, 2018

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Be sure to stop by 
and

Grab the graphic and join in the fun!
Don't have a blog? Post in the comments
which books made you swoon


Thursday, June 14, 2018

Unforgettable Love _ Josi S Kilpack

Miss Wilton's Waltz by Josi S. Kilpack A follow-up to Josi S. Kilpack's bestselling Proper Romance title The Vicar's Daughter. Lenora Wilton has spent her life hiding behind the keys of her beloved pianoforte and the vibrancy of her younger sister, Cassie. But Lenora is ready for a change and travels to Bath to live with her Aunt Gwen and teach music at an all-girls’ boarding school. She is different in Bath—more comfortable with herself—and enjoys the freedom and independence of her new life there. When Lenora meets Aiden Asher, she finds herself attracted to him, but her unexpected feelings become more complicated when she learns that Catherine—Lenora’s newest and most troublesome student in the school—is Mr. Asher’s niece. Catherine is a difficult student, and Lenora works hard to make progress with the girl. When the chemistry between Lenora and Aiden increases, they share a passionate kiss by the River Avon, and Lenora feels it is the beginning of a new forever—until she learns that Aiden has withheld an important detail about his life that changes everything. Lenora closes her heart to him, and Aiden, caught between his obligation and his heart, must do what he can to make amends. And Lenora, after years of hiding from everyone and everything, faces a decision only she can make.
She gave him a grateful nod—without a smile so as not to seem too grateful—then climbed ungracefully over the wall and moved down the stairs. At the riverbank, she brushed off the stone wall with the sleeve of her coat and took up her usual position of knees to chest and chin on knees. She stared at the water that glittered with the quarter moon as she’d known it would. She tried to review the last week and make a plan for how she would deal with Miss Manch in the coming one, but the man at the top of the stairs kept invading her thoughts. If she thought about him enough, would she understand why he cared so much about a niece who was so difficult? And was he becoming more handsome each time she saw him, or was that simply a trick of her imagination? "I know fellow book lovers will understand when I say that I fell in love with the characters of this book. There's something about watching a character who is good and loving, who sacrifices for the good of her family, who doesn't complain or argue, finally find her voice and do something that she loves and wants." "Although the cover is adorable, I was not prepared for what a delightful read this book was! This is the first book that I have read by this author, and it won’t be the last."   Author Josi S. Kilpack Josi S. Kilpack hated to read until her mother handed her a copy of The Witch of Blackbird Pond when she was 13. From that day forward, she read everything she could get her hands on and credits her writing “education” to the many novels she has “studied” since then. She began writing her first novel in 1998 and has written twenty-five novels, one cookbook, and been part of multiple collaborations since then. She is a four-time Whitney Award winner and Best of State winner in Fiction. Josi currently lives in Willard, Utah, with her husband and children. When Kensington Press picked up her first national women's fiction novel, As Wide as the Sky, Josi was in need of a pen name to differentiate between her other genres. For years, Josi has been called Jessica Pack by people who hear her name but don't know her. It made her new pen name easy to choose. As Wide as the Sky will be released in paperback in 2018.

A Heart Revealed Lord Fenton's Folly A Lady's Favor The Vicar's Daughter
Giveaway Details Ends 7/6/18 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use money sent via Paypal or gift codes via Amazon.com. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. This giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.   a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, June 13, 2018

Caught Looking by Lucy McConnell

Caught Looking (Dating Mr. Baseball Book 2)Caught Looking by Lucy McConnell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fun, this was a great addition to the series. I liked the unique characters and fun setting.

Clover was raised by her single gypsy mother, she was homeless for her whole upbringing. It's hard to imagine someone having to grow up that way, but Clover met some nice people along the way who really helped her out and now that she has her life together she wants to do her part to help other homeless people. She helps work at a local soup kitchen and really goes out of her way to be there for the people that come there for help. She was a really likeable and interesting character. I also liked our leading man, Dustin. A star baseball play who helps his brother run his construction business on the side. Dustin and Clover had a fun meet-cute when she mistakes him for a homeless man! They have fun banter and great chemistry. It was fun watching their relationship unfold.

My only complaint is I wish there had been an epilog! I love those. Overall, a fun read and great addition to this fun series.

Content
Romance: Clean
Language: None
Violence: None
Religious: Very mild
Series: Mr Baseball, Book Three

Source: KU

Nominated for a 2018 Swoony Award, vote here http://bit.ly/2CWYB9U

View all my reviews

Unforgettable Love - G.G. Vandagriff

Love Unexpected by G.G. Vandagriff Don’t miss G.G. Vandagriff’s latest Regency romance where a simmering attraction combines with a dangerous mystery . . . When the widowed Lady Marianne Deveridge is invited to spend the season in London with her friend Lady Penelope Wellingham, she has no idea that Penny and Beau have another guest: Captain Ernest Saunders, Beau’s brother. Matchmaking is definitely afoot. However, after having been married to wandering explorer, Marianne has no intention of becoming involved with a wandering sea captain. Her first sight of Captain Saunders in all his robust masculinity brings every one of her senses to attention. She knows then that her resolve will be difficult to keep. Almost immediately upon making the captain’s acquaintance, Marianne becomes the focus of a mysterious villain who is devising a horse racing fraud. What has she seen to endanger a deadly felon? She has no idea. Captain Saunders makes it his business to keep Marianne safe, and the two of them are brought closer by their investigation into the dark side of horse racing. Still, she thinks she is managing to resist his charms. It is not until her very survival is at stake that she realizes how interwoven their lives have become. Will her heart ever recover once she watches another ship put out to sea?
Read for FREE with KINDLE UNLIMITED

 At that moment, Arabella entered holding Gweet by the hand. The girl had never been bashful. Walking forward, she executed a grave curtsey. She said, “Arabella tells me you are her brother, Captain. I am called Gweet, though actually my name is Marguerite. My twin is Lord Deveridge, but he is at Eton.” The reverent awe with which her daughter was looking at Beau’s brother was something Marianne had never witnessed in her daughter. The captain performed a full bow. “I am enchanted to make your acquaintance, Miss Marguerite.” “Are you married?” Gweet asked. “No. I have spent too much time at sea to settle down,” he said with a grin. “Then I should like to marry you, please.” Amused but not terribly surprised at her daughter’s request, Marianne gave Captain Saunders full marks for not showing a twitch of a smile. Instead he put both hands on her shoulders and said, “I may be wrong, of course, but I do not think you are quite old enough to marry, as yet. Shall we talk about it again in a few years?” Behind a furrowed brow, Gweet appeared to be considering this. “I shall be eighteen in just six years.” “And by then I shall be at least a hundred!” “I am not a child, Captain. I expect that you are near to thirty now. You will be six and thirty when I am old enough to wed.” “We shall talk about it then. But I am as certain as I can be that you will have your mind set upon marrying a duke or at least a marquess when you make your come out.” Gweet shook her head solemnly. “I will show you. I can be faithful.” Marianne fought the urge to tell her daughter that her prospective husband would never venture such a pledge. Her own feet were back on the ground. This man may be a glorious specimen of manhood, but he was not for her.     Love Unexpected by G.G. Vandagriff is an absolute delight to read. This thrilling novel with a bit of adventure and mystery within is well-written, page-turning, and one that readers will absolutely not want to put down. Vandagriff has a great talent in the way she writes, capturing her readers’ attention from page one every time! And this fun new series is no different. I would recommend this novel to readers that enjoy charming historical regency romance stories.--The Singing Librarian Blog Review LOVE UNEXPECTED is a sweet romance with a little danger and two strong characters. I loved Earnest and Marianne from the start. I also loved that you can feel their attraction to each other and so can they. I then enjoyed the back and forth between them and how much time they ended up spending together, developing a friendship before the romance progressed. The suspense elements of the story also kept things interesting and provided some sweet moments between these two. I adored Marianne's daughter. The ending was adorable and perfect for this story.--Wishful Endings Blog Review   Author G.G. Vandagriff As a writer, I love to wake up each day to a world of my own creation. This has been going on for a long time since I started writing at age nine! I love to write novels set in the Regency, such as Love Unexpected, because I can totally immerse myself in the challenges of another place and time. But I also like the world of Romantic Suspense (my newest novel, Breaking News, comes out this month), Historical Fiction and Romance, and Mysteries. My favorite novel? Jane Eyre. I love: playing with my seven grandchildren, Florence, Italy, Chocolate, Sundance Resort, Lilacs, and dachshunds.

His Mysterious Lady Her Fateful Debut Miss Braithwaite's Secret
Not an Ordinary Baronet The Duke's Undoing The Taming of Lady Kate
Giveaway Details $25 Paypal Cash or $25 Amazon Gift Code Ends 7/5/18 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use money sent via Paypal or gift codes via Amazon.com. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. This giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. a Rafflecopter giveaway