Month: May 2021

Four new bargain books May 12, 2021

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I’m browsing this morning, on the hunt for interesting bargain books. Once I get started, the challenge to find buried treasure is not easy to resist.

This first one is a pre-order for an author appearing here often.

Somewhere Along the Way: A Christian Romance (New Hope Falls Book 8) 

Amazon quote:

She is already busy juggling her life, but now she’s been roped into helping plan her high school reunion.

Emma Clarke breaks up the solitude of life on her small farm outside of New Hope Falls by helping out at the florist shop in town. Except now she’s on the reunion committee with people she’d never spent any time with in high school. Which would have been fine if it hadn’t been for him also being part of the reunion committee.

An injury has derailed his career and put his future health in jeopardy, so after ten years away, he’s come home to New Hope Falls.

Tanner MIkkelson never planned to return to the small town where he grew up. As star of the high school football team, he’d gone on to college fame which opened the door to a career as a professional quarterback. After several super successful years, his fame and fortune have grown enormously, but they are no protection against a hit that causes a serious concussion. With a history of concussions, he takes the advice of his doctors to retire from the sport.

With his injury forcing him to reevaluate many things in his life, Tanner has to acknowledge that he treated Emma and their friendship badly. Top of his list upon return to New Hope Falls is to apologize and try to make things right with Emma. Too bad she really doesn’t want to give him the time of day. He hopes that working on the reunion committee together will help, but she isn’t making it easy.

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This looks interesting

A Mother’s Love: … it knows no bounds

Journey from the warm, West Coast of South Africa to the cooler English shores of Norfolk with the intriguing and heartwarming small-town stories in this limited edition Mother’s Day celebration boxed set and discover that a mother’s love knows no bounds.

ONE CHRISTMAS WISH

Can one start over by disappearing?

With a change of identity for both herself and her infant son, Delaney and Aidan Jamison flee a bad situation to start a new life far away from everything they love. Soon, they settle into a relaxed lifestyle in a small town on the western coast of South Africa. Well, as relaxed as Delaney can be while looking over her shoulder every day.

Then came those fanciful wishes made on a shooting star with her kind—and handsome—neighbor that first Christmas Eve. And everything changed. Again.

IN AN ENGLISH VINTAGE GARDEN

An unexpected inheritance unlocks secrets from the past.

Jack Lancaster. A name Ellen Oakley has never heard before, and yet the old man has left Ellen an English seaside cottage in his will.

It’s been a catastrophic year. Ellen has suffered through a broken engagement, the sudden death of her father, and the loss of her job. Only one person stands in the way of Ellen flying to England to claim her inheritance and make a fresh start. Her mother.

It takes some convincing, but Ellen manages to get her mom to agree to accompany her to England for a time. As the quaint English cottage on the Norfolk shores offers up its ghosts and skeletons in the closet, one woman finds closure, the other a new beginning.

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I haven’t downloaded this author in a while. It’s Christmas, I’m up for that any time of year.

Until Christmas: A Christian Christmas Romance (The Potter’s House Book 16) 

How do you know when a person is part of God’s will?

Amanda’s struggling to make it through the holidays and so she picks up a part-time job at the mall in Spokane, Washington.

What was supposed to be just a way to help financially turns out to be much more after one evening when a particular man walks into her department.

When do you know God is sending someone into your life? How can you tell if it’s not just another distraction to pull you away from God?

I was quitting until I remembered there was one more.

A Match for Magnolia (Seven Suitors for Seven Sisters Book 1)

Amazon quote:

Womanizer. Adulterer. Divorced. That is Lord Davis Rathbone’s history. His future? He vows to never marry or fall in love again—repeating his past mistakes, not worth the risk. Then he meets Magnolia Blume, and filling his days penning poetry no longer seems an alternative to channel his pent-up feelings. With God’s help, surely he can keep this rare treasure and make it work this time?

Magnolia Blume’s life is perfect, except for one thing—Davis Rathbone is everything she’s not looking for in a man. He doesn’t strike her as one prone to the sentiments of family, or religion, but her judgments could be premature.

Magnolia must look beyond the gossip, Davis’s past, and their differences to find her perfect match, because, although flawed, Davis has one redeeming quality—he is a man after God’s own heart.

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If anything shows up later we’ll talk again.

Happy reading.

Read and enjoyed

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In the last post I mentioned my current read and shared about needing to take breaks from it to keep going. Well, somewhere along the line things changed. Maybe it was the story or maybe it was a uninterrupted healthy block of available time. I found myself hooked and couldn’t put it down if I wanted to. In the end I loved this read and gave it five stars. That doesn’t happen very often.

It was charming and at the same time, a deeply emotional journey.

In the beginning we were all just getting to know each other. By the end we were a team, had each others backs, cheering wildly for new victories. How can you not become part of a story like that?

Had to share the excitement now to have a hope of sleeping anytime soon, and since it’s midnight…

The Fifth Avenue Story Society

Five strangers get the chance to rewrite their stories… 

Executive assistant Lexa is eager for a much-deserved promotion, but her boss is determined to keep her underemployed.

Literature professor Jett is dealing with a broken heart, as well as a nagging suspicion his literary idol, Gordon Phipps Roth, might be a fraud.

Uber driver Chuck just wants a second chance with his kids.

Aging widower Ed is eager to write the true story of his incredible marriage.

Coral, queen of the cosmetics industry, has broken her engagement and is on the verge of losing her great grandmother’s multimillion-dollar empire.

When all five New Yorkers receive an anonymous, mysterious invitation to the Fifth Avenue Story Society, they suspect they’re victims of a practical joke. No one knows who sent the invitations or why. No one has heard of the literary society. And no one is prepared to reveal their deepest secrets to a roomful of strangers.

Yet curiosity and loneliness bring them back week after week to the old library. And it’s there they discover the stories of their hearts, and the kind of friendship and love that heals their souls.  

“This captivating story full of heart, soul, and humor kept me turning pages until midnight to finish it. Rachel weaves the perfect amount of tension and opens possibilities to keep the reader pondering long after the story is over.  I loved it!” —Francine Rivers, New York Times bestselling author

“Rachel Hauck’s flair for inviting prose and well-drawn characters shines in this delightful story about searching for hope and healing within the most unexpected circle of people. Finely tuned themes of love, self-authenticity and discovering the benevolent hand of providence make this one sweet gem of a book.” —Susan Meissner, bestselling author of The Last Year of the War .

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I haven’t moved beyond this story far enough to think about what’s next. For now I’ll just say good night.

Or good …. whatever time of day it happens to be when you read this.

See you again soon.

Couldn’t put it down

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Currently, I’m reading The Fifth Avenue Story Society but I took a break to read Hailey’s Haven. That is the book I couldn’t put down. So good.

Hailey’s Haven: Christian Romantic Suspense (Smoky Mountain Secrets Book 1)

A safe place to call home…
After escaping her abusive foster parents thirteen years ago, Hailey Donovan thought her nightmare was over. Gatlinburg Tennessee had been a safe place to live, until she’s nearly hit by gunfire while hiking the Smoky Mountains. Her instincts are to avoid law enforcement, especially handsome park ranger Rock Wilson, but when more gunfire echoes around them, they’re forced to work together to escape.

More attempts against Hailey convinces her to leave the city to start over someplace new. Rock talks her into staying and fighting against the unknown assailant. Rock senses Hailey has been traumatized in the past, and is determined to uncover the mystery surrounding her. As Hailey and Rock seek the truth behind the escalating attacks, Rock realizes he’s also in danger of losing his heart. Can Rock provide Hailey the save haven she desperately needs?

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The story line wasn’t exotic but it was well written and engaging. The characters were relatable and the one lazy arrogant jerk was taken down a peg. Highly satisfying.

Everything moved along at a steady pace, the resolution was unexpected and logical. Even if we didn’t see it coming. There were clues along the way with a few red herrings to keep us guessing.

I think it was the writing that kept me reading until it was done. Proving well crafted story trumps big flashy plot.

You need to read this. It’s still a bargain too.

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The Fifth Avenue Story Society 

Five strangers get the chance to rewrite their stories… 

Executive assistant Lexa is eager for a much-deserved promotion, but her boss is determined to keep her underemployed.

Literature professor Jett is dealing with a broken heart, as well as a nagging suspicion his literary idol, Gordon Phipps Roth, might be a fraud.

Uber driver Chuck just wants a second chance with his kids.

Aging widower Ed is eager to write the true story of his incredible marriage.

Coral, queen of the cosmetics industry, has broken her engagement and is on the verge of losing her great grandmother’s multimillion-dollar empire.

When all five New Yorkers receive an anonymous, mysterious invitation to the Fifth Avenue Story Society, they suspect they’re victims of a practical joke. No one knows who sent the invitations or why. No one has heard of the literary society. And no one is prepared to reveal their deepest secrets to a roomful of strangers.

Yet curiosity and loneliness bring them back week after week to the old library. And it’s there they discover the stories of their hearts, and the kind of friendship and love that heals their souls.  

“This captivating story full of heart, soul, and humor kept me turning pages until midnight to finish it. Rachel weaves the perfect amount of tension and opens possibilities to keep the reader pondering long after the story is over.  I loved it!” —Francine Rivers, New York Times bestselling author

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Francine Rivers says she couldn’t put this down. It was probably true for her but it’s not for me. Frequent breaks is my experience with this book. Usually I would skip chapters and maybe hop to the end and call it a day. In this case I can’t do that. While I need breaks I don’t want to miss anything.

I think a tale structured like this one would not be easily written. So many main characters with stories that all matter to the plot.

The whole idea is intriguing and it is developing in layers, it can’t help but keep reader interest alive. I still need breaks to replenish waning interest, it works. I have stick with it to know what is really going on and how it is all going to work out.

I’m almost half way through. I’ll let you know how it goes.

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So far today, I haven’t been faced with any good looking book suggestions.

If any show up before lights out I’ll let you know.

Happy reading y’all

Free book, and a few read and enjoyed. May 10, 2021

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BookBub has a FREE suggestion from a popular author. I was hoping for bargain books too but sadly, it’s not to be. There were a few possibles but in the end the attraction was not strong enough for me to cave and order them. Sort-of-like is just not enough.

Here in Hart’s Crossing: Four Charming Small Town Novellas

Amazon quote:

Welcome to Hart’s Crossing … the small town with a big heart!

In the charming town of Hart’s Crossing, neighbors still care about neighbors and visitors are offered a respite from fast-paced living as they observe the antics of its lovable residents.

A daughter returns home from the big city to care for her injured mother. Childhood sweethearts reconnect after decades apart. A single mom finds herself the target of her starry-eyed daughter’s matchmaking scheme. And a young couple struggles to find their own American dream in this wonderful collection of four novellas from bestselling author Robin Lee Hatcher.

Celebrating family, faith, and forgiveness, Here in Hart’s Crossing will warm your heart and soothe your spirit.

Includes: Legacy Lane * Veterans Way * Diamond Place * Sweet Dreams Drive

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Three books qualified as enjoyed this week but they were not at the top of my most-favored list. I liked them enough to wish they could have been.

In each case there was a weakness showing up to demote them from the lofty first place position. Sort of a three-strikes-you’re-out situation. My favorite of the three was The Perfect Spy, it was a light-hearted, fun read with a quirky twist that really worked for me.

One more, almost-top-of-the-list book I forgot about.

All of these were good reads.

Currently I’m experiencing another quirky read. It’s too early in the game to figure out what is happening with this story but I’d like to know.

This is a good example of you-snooze-you-lose. The bargain price has expired.

The Fifth Avenue Story Society

Five strangers get the chance to rewrite their stories… 

Executive assistant Lexa is eager for a much-deserved promotion, but her boss is determined to keep her underemployed.

Literature professor Jett is dealing with a broken heart, as well as a nagging suspicion his literary idol, Gordon Phipps Roth, might be a fraud.

Uber driver Chuck just wants a second chance with his kids.

Aging widower Ed is eager to write the true story of his incredible marriage.

Coral, queen of the cosmetics industry, has broken her engagement and is on the verge of losing her great grandmother’s multimillion-dollar empire.

When all five New Yorkers receive an anonymous, mysterious invitation to the Fifth Avenue Story Society, they suspect they’re victims of a practical joke. No one knows who sent the invitations or why. No one has heard of the literary society. And no one is prepared to reveal their deepest secrets to a roomful of strangers.

Yet curiosity and loneliness bring them back week after week to the old library. And it’s there they discover the stories of their hearts, and the kind of friendship and love that heals their souls.  

“This captivating story full of heart, soul, and humor kept me turning pages until midnight to finish it. Rachel weaves the perfect amount of tension and opens possibilities to keep the reader pondering long after the story is over.  I loved it!” —Francine Rivers, New York Times bestselling author

“Rachel Hauck’s flair for inviting prose and well-drawn characters shines in this delightful story about searching for hope and healing within the most unexpected circle of people. Finely tuned themes of love, self-authenticity and discovering the benevolent hand of providence make this one sweet gem of a book.” —Susan Meissner, bestselling author of The Last Year of the War 

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If something interesting shows up later I’ll let you know.

Happy reading.

Happy Mother’s Day

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Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

It’s a day to be grateful for Mothers, We all had one or we wouldn’t be here, that’s reason enough right there, to be grateful. Life is a precious gift.

Giving life is not an easy thing and wanting to do it more than once can seem like insanity. Those of us who are not firstborn are grateful Mom was excited about a new baby and seemed to forget the down side to the whole process.

If the pregnancy/giving birth thing wasn’t enough to discourage her, the terrible-two’s and potty training surely should have done it. That alone tells us why mothers need to be appreciated. For a week or more at least, never mind this business of only one day.

If we are truly honest, it’s a wonder some of us made it past childhood. You know who you are, don’t try to hide.

We are grateful for moms who gave us life and loved us enough to let us keep it.

Photo by Secret Garden on Pexels.com

Love you Mom!

Read and enjoyed May 08, 2021

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My favorite book so far this week is a parallel, modern and historical. The common denominator is a poignant painting with a checkered past and a complicated present.

I’m not always a fan of blending timelines but in this case it works. Probably the biggest reason, it allows for showing rather than telling. We need both time frames because they are intertwined and the present story only makes sense if we can understand the past.

There is an unforgettable painting with unknown origins. It appeared in the most terrible of circumstances and combining past and present stories adds the right amount of lightness to make the story relatable. The love stories play out in both time frames as the book moves along. The events are unpredictable and the resolution to the story is unexpected.

I would describe the unexpected but that would give away the ending which would never do.

I agree with the reviews quoted below. Unforgettable.

The Butterfly and the Violin (A Hidden Masterpiece Novel Book 1)

Fresh. Fascinating. Unforgettable. The Butterfly and the Violin is a masterpiece of a debut.” –Laura Frantz, author of Love’s Reckoning

“. . .impossible to put down.” —RT Book Reviews, 4 1/2 Stars, TOP PICK!

A Mysterious painting breathes hope and beauty into the darkest corners of Auschwitz–and the loneliest hearts of Manhattan.
Manhattan art dealer Sera James watched her world crumble at the altar two years ago, and her heart is still fragile. Her desire fordistraction reignites a passion for a mysterious portrait she first saw as a young girl–a painting of a young violinist with piercing blue eyes.
In her search for the painting, Sera crosses paths with William Hanover–the grandson of a wealthy California real estate mogul–who maybe the key to uncovering the hidden masterpiece. Together Sera and William slowly unravel the story behind the painting’s subject: Austrian violinist Adele Von Bron.

A darling of the Austrian aristocracy of 1942, talented violinist, and daughter to a high-ranking member of the Third Reich, Adele risks everything when she begins smuggling Jews out of Vienna. In a heartbeat, her life of prosperity and privilege dissolves into a world of starvation and barbed wire.

As Sera untangles the secrets behind the painting, she finds beauty in the most unlikely of places: the grim camps of Auschwitz and the inner recesses of her own troubled heart.

I will admit, I lost sleep over this difficult to put down book.

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Bargain books May 07, 2021

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If I had to name my top ten favorite authors, this man would be on the list. That’s why I’m excited to see one of his books suggested by 1531 Entertainment. This is his most recently published and it’s book 1 in a new series. I believe this will be a first for him. I remember a two part story but not a whole series. I’m looking forward to the experience.

One of his sons wrote an emotional review with one strong suggestion. Cancel all appointments and book time off work. He cautions that once we start reading we won’t be able to put the book down. I believe him.

How fortunate that today is Friday. Good timing.

The Water Keeper (A Murphy Shepherd Novel Book 1) 

Amazon quote:

A riveting new story of heroism, heartache, and the power of love to heal all wounds.

Murphy Shepherd is a man with many secrets. He lives alone on an island, tending the grounds of a church with no parishioners, and he’s dedicated his life to rescuing those in peril. But as he mourns the loss of his mentor and friend, Murph himself may be more lost than he realizes.

When he pulls a beautiful woman named Summer out of Florida’s Intracoastal Waterway, Murph’s mission to lay his mentor to rest at the end of the world takes a dangerous turn. Drawn to Summer, and desperate to find her missing daughter, Murph is pulled deeper and deeper into the dark and dangerous world of modern-day slavery.

With help from some unexpected new friends, including a faithful Labrador he plucks from the ocean and an ex-convict named Clay, Murph must race against the clock to locate the girl before he is consumed by the secrets of his past—and the ghosts who tried to bury them.

With Charles Martin’s trademark lyricism and poignant prose, The Water Keeper is at once a tender love story and a heartrending search for freedom.

Praise for The Water Keeper:

“I’m telling you, it’s an action-packed, classic Charles Martin romance novel unlike anything I’ve ever read. And remember . . . the day you pick up this book is the day you become temporarily unavailable to the world.” —Charlie Martin, son of Charles Martin

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Several of his other books are also listed as a bargain price right now.

Water from My Heart: A Novel 

Charlie Finn had to grow up fast, living alone by age sixteen. Highly intelligent, he earned a life-changing scholarship to Harvard, where he learned how to survive and thrive on the outskirts of privileged society. That skill served him well in the cutthroat business world, as it does in more lucrative but dangerous ventures he now operates off the coast of Miami.

Charlie tries to separate relationships from work. But when his choices produce devastating consequences, he sets out to right wrongs, traveling to Central America where he will meet those who have paid for his actions, including a woman and her young daughter.

Will their fated encounter present Charlie with a way to seek the redemption he thought was impossible — and free his heart to love one woman as he never knew he could?

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The Dead Don’t Dance (Awakening Book 1)

Amazon quote:

Experience Charles Martin’s debut novel, a story of loss and undying love written in his signature emotive and heartrending style. 

A sleepy rural town in South Carolina. The end of summer and a baby about to be born. But in the midst of hope and celebration comes unexpected tragedy, and Dylan Styles must come to terms with how much he’s lost. Will the music of his heart be stilled forever—or will he choose to dance with life once more, in spite of sorrow and heartbreak?

The Dead Don’t Dance is a bittersweet yet triumphant love story—a tale of one man’s journey through the darkness of despair and into the light of hope.

  • Full-length, emotive Southern fiction
  • Sequel: Maggie

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I will be leaving it here for today. There is nothing I can do to top this, except maybe add more Charles Martin books.

It is a good thing I happen to be between books. I won’t even have to think to know what comes next.

Although maybe it’s late enough I should wait until morning to start. Hmmm.

Join me on this adventure.

Happy Reading

Bargain books May 6, 2021

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Four new good looking treasures. Awesome.

One, I have already but want to mention it anyway. I’ve not read it yet but it is supposed to be good.

Traces by Denise Weimer

Amazon quote:

Even if she evades The Eye, someone wants her silenced.

When a failed romance and a $500,000 prize lure Kate Carson into participating in the reality TV show, Traces, the least she expects is to pick her partner. After all, she’s the PR spokeswoman of the company that derived a thirteen-lens, rotating camera from military use and installed it atop Atlanta’s tallest skyscraper. But she never would have chosen to evade techno hunters for twenty days with “G.I. Joe.”

Stoic, ex-military Alex Mitchell is the sort of man she always vowed to avoid, while the shadows of Alex’s past cause him to spurn emotional involvement. When Kate’s insider knowledge makes her a target of someone more threatening than game show hunters, Alex offers her only hope to reveal the dark plans of proponents of The Eye.

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Looking through the suggestion strips uncovered three more I’m excited to read.

I see I’ve read and enjoyed the first two books in this next series.

Starstruck in Willow Falls (Willow Falls Series Book 3) 

Amazon quote:

An acting career on the brink of failure. An upstaged debut novel. A wedding turned into a country-fried spectacle. Book three in the award-winning Willow Falls series has it all.

When a film crew and famous movie stars swoop into Willow Falls to film a full-length motion picture, the small town’s new normal as a popular North Georgia tourist destination is thrown into chaos.

Rachel Streetman fears her life-long dream to act is drifting into oblivion and leaving behind bitter regret. Weeks away from marrying Charlie Bricker, their relationship is tested after she auditions for a role opposite a handsome actor notorious for marrying his co-stars.    

Timing couldn’t be worse for Emily Hayes. Her debut novel arrives two days before residents read about the movie-crew invasion in the local paper. The town’s number one gossip accuses Emily of using her editor position to keep the news a secret and give her sister an audition advantage. When Emily and Rachel accept the job as the director’s liaisons, their patience is stretched to the limit by starstruck residents, demanding stage mothers, and wannabe stars.

When Sadie Liles’ budding relationship with Charlie’s father is threatened by an unexpected visitor, the townsfolk rally to stage a protest as American as sweet-potato pie. Will their efforts pay off or drive Brick away forever?

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This next one is a new-to-me author. The first few paragraphs do look interesting.

The Perfect Spy: A Clean Romantic Suspense (An Untapped Source Book 1) 

Amazon quote:

She’s got the best undercover crew. But will a sinister secret undo them?

Kate Ross has lost way too much in the last six months. With her mother’s death from breast cancer, an agent she handled killed on the job, and her career in jeopardy, the beleaguered CIA officer’s faith in God seems like another casualty. So she’s relieved to be offered a shot at redemption by managing an innovative team of “mom spies”… until they saddle her with a more experienced man as a babysitter.

Battling self-doubt and a loss of confidence in her espionage skills, Kate directs a smoothly successful first mission for the unit. But just as she opens up to her kind and encouraging supervisor, she suspects he’s withholding key information when the subject of their next assignment is his ex-wife. And the only solution to her predicament may be prayers she has no expectation will be answered.

Can Kate find the guiding light to solve the case before her personal crisis threatens national security?

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This next one will be a difficult read. It exposes the abusive fraudulent and hopefully, also shows the kindness of real. Reading the first two pages I’m rooting for someone to stand up and say enough. I want to read more.

Love the Lord Your God with all your heart (The Cooper Family Book 1)

Amazon quote:

AJ Carter lives in a recurring nightmare. On the outside, her family are model citizens, outstanding Christians. There is a lot more going on under the surface than anybody, except for her best friend, knows. She has been a Christian all her life. But God… she feels that He’s just not interested in what happens in her life.

Mac Cooper has his own battles to fight. He has learned that he can’t fight them alone, that he needs help from the Lord. When he is given an opportunity to help AJ out, he finds himself very intrigued by her. But will God help him earn her trust? And perhaps her love?

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Last but not least, we have a change of pace with a fifth book. Kind of a retelling of Beauty and the Beast

The Billionaire Recluse: A Beauty and the Beast Romance Retelling (A Billionaire’s Tale Romance Series Book 1) 

Amazon quote:

He sees a beast, but she sees the beauty within.

With severe burn scars to over half his body, billionaire, Sebastian Bryant keeps himself locked away in his home where he lives and works as CEO in the family business. After almost losing his daughter in the same house fire that took his wife, Sebastian has no idea how to care for the child, nor can he seem to keep a nanny on his employment roster for very long before his daughter scares them away.

Isabel Jordan has just broken up with her self-centered boyfriend and moves back home with her eccentric, inventor father who has somehow managed to put the family home in jeopardy. When she sees an online ad for a nanny position, she applies for the position, hoping to help dig her father out of his debt and save the home she grew up in.

Pressured by his mother to hire a suitable nanny, and finding Isabel only a step above the others, Sebastian hires her to care for his daughter. With his brother biting at the bit for the CEO position, Sebastian’s mother warns him that he can be replaced if he can’t manage to keep a nanny on to care for his daughter.

Isabel can hardly stand the self-loathing billionaire, but if she quits, her father will lose his home.

Forced to spend each day together, Isabel finds the beauty hidden beneath his scars and a little girl begging for the affections of her beastly father. If only she could make him see what she sees.

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I’d better quit while I’m ahead. There were three or four more possibles so I added them to my wish list. That will help me find them again. I can revisit them tomorrow and hopefully they will still a bargain.

I’m scared to tally up my book spending for last month, I have a feeling I’ve gone over budget, again. I have a feeling this month may not do so well either, the way things are going.

Oh well. I’m having fun.

I hope you are too.

Happy reading y’all.

Bargain books May 04, 2021

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We have a few more bargains than usual today which is very nice, and they look to be top shelf which makes it even better.

1531 Entertainment has two suggestions. One is a new-to-me author and I’m really looking forward to meeting her. The other suggestion is from a favorite author I’m happy to see again.

The Butterfly and the Violin (A Hidden Masterpiece Novel Book 1)

Amazon quote:

A Mysterious painting breathes hope and beauty into the darkest corners of Auschwitz–and the loneliest hearts of Manhattan.
Manhattan art dealer Sera James watched her world crumble at the altar two years ago, and her heart is still fragile. Her desire for distraction reignites a passion for a mysterious portrait she first saw as a young girl–a painting of a young violinist with piercing blue eyes.
In her search for the painting, Sera crosses paths with William Hanover–the grandson of a wealthy California real estate mogul–who maybe the key to uncovering the hidden masterpiece. Together Sera and William slowly unravel the story behind the painting’s subject: Austrian violinist Adele Von Bron.

A darling of the Austrian aristocracy of 1942, talented violinist, and daughter to a high-ranking member of the Third Reich, Adele risks everything when she begins smuggling Jews out of Vienna. In a heartbeat, her life of prosperity and privilege dissolves into a world of starvation and barbed wire.

As Sera untangles the secrets behind the painting, she finds beauty in the most unlikely of places: the grim camps of Auschwitz and the inner recesses of her own troubled heart.

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Haven of Swans: (previously published as Abomination) (Rock Harbor)

Amazon quote:

A beautiful woman stands by the side of the road, barefoot and bleeding, a child in her arms. Someone just tried to kill her, but she wouldn’t recognize him if she saw his face. She doesn’t even remember her own name.

A suburban cop surveys a kitchen in disarray—a woman and child missing, a chilling note. This crime scene is unlike any he has ever seen.

The man who calls himself Gideon waits and plans. He sees himself as a destroyer of evil, one who rids the world of abominations. He has already killed five. He will kill again.

And somewhere in the wilderness, in a secret geocache near where the wild swans gather, lies the unspeakable clue that links them all together.

Michigan’s rugged and beautiful Upper Peninsula is the setting for this absorbing tale of love and loss, beauty and terror, grievous sins and second chances. A deftly woven thriller from the bestselling author of the Rock Harbor novels.

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BookBub has a suggestion. It’s romance that may turn out to not be a light read. I’ve enjoyed this author before though so I’m looking forward to finding out what this book is all about.

Daisy’s Decision: A Christian Romance (Dixon Brothers Book 4)

Amazon quote:

Ever since the sixth grade, Daisy Ruiz loved Ken Dixon from afar and spent her entire youth pining for him. Ken, the youngest of identical triplet brothers, never even noticed her crush.

Today, Daisy lives her life serving her loved ones and her family’s ministry, Gálatas Seis, where she acts as Executive Director. As the daughter of a youth pastor, she understands the importance of ministry and teaches a women’s Bible study. The sudden discovery that she’s pregnant—and her baby’s lying married father wants nothing more to do with her or the baby—threatens her ministry and her entire reputation.

Solemn, sober, solitary, and silent, Ken grew up in a mission-minded family and consistently seeks ways to serve society in the name of the Savior. He goes to Gálatas Seis with an offer to aid a family in need and recognizes his former youth pastor’s daughter leading the organization. While shocked at the chance meeting, the instant attraction he feels surprises him even more.

When Ken asks her out on a date, Daisy realizes her childhood dreams have literally come true after all this time. Even though she just found out she is pregnant, Daisy tells herself that just one little date won’t hurt anything.

But when they go out again and again, she soon finds herself in a full-blown relationship with hearts on the line. She can’t keep her secret much longer. Does she tell Ken about the baby? Can Ken love her baby, too? Or will he abandon her like the baby’s father did? Daisy has a decision to make.

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I’m excited about this next one, it was in the suggestion strip and looks different from anything we’ve read so far.

The Fifth Avenue Story Society 

Amazon quote:

Five strangers get the chance to rewrite their stories… 

Executive assistant Lexa is eager for a much-deserved promotion, but her boss is determined to keep her underemployed.

Literature professor Jett is dealing with a broken heart, as well as a nagging suspicion his literary idol, Gordon Phipps Roth, might be a fraud.

Uber driver Chuck just wants a second chance with his kids.

Aging widower Ed is eager to write the true story of his incredible marriage.

Coral, queen of the cosmetics industry, has broken her engagement and is on the verge of losing her great grandmother’s multimillion-dollar empire.

When all five New Yorkers receive an anonymous, mysterious invitation to the Fifth Avenue Story Society, they suspect they’re victims of a practical joke. No one knows who sent the invitations or why. No one has heard of the literary society. And no one is prepared to reveal their deepest secrets to a roomful of strangers.

Yet curiosity and loneliness bring them back week after week to the old library. And it’s there they discover the stories of their hearts, and the kind of friendship and love that heals their souls.  

“This captivating story full of heart, soul, and humor kept me turning pages until midnight to finish it. Rachel weaves the perfect amount of tension and opens possibilities to keep the reader pondering long after the story is over.  I loved it!” —Francine Rivers, New York Times bestselling author.

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I’m excited about today’s treasures, I hope you are too.

Happy Reading.

My favorite cover is the last one. It must be the window and the books!

Favorite book of the week

/ For the Love of Books / 2 Comments

This was my favorite book of the week.

Full Disclosure by Dee Henderson

Ann Silver is a cop’s cop. As the Midwest Homicide Investigator, she is called in to help local law enforcement on the worst of cases, looking for answers to murder. Hers is one of the region’s most trusted investigative positions.

Paul Falcon is the FBI’s top murder cop in the Midwest. If the victim carried a federal badge or had a security clearance, odds are good Paul and his team see the case file or work the murder.

Their lives intersect when Ann arrives to pass a case off her desk and onto his. A car wreck and a suspicious death offer a lead on a hired shooter he is tracking. Paul isn’t expecting to meet someone, the kind that goes on the personal side of the ledger, but Ann Silver has his attention.

The better he gets to know her, the more Paul realizes her job barely scratches the surface of who she is. She knows spies and soldiers and U.S. Marshals, and has written books about them. She is friends with the former Vice President. People with good reason to be cautious about who they let into their lives deeply trust her. Paul wonders just what secrets Ann is keeping, until she shows him the John Doe Killer case file, and he starts to realize just who this lady he is falling in love with really is…

*****

There were so many things to like about this book.

The characters were complex, interesting, and the principles very well developed. In the end many more were introduced, all of them needed to make the story work.

The events and situations were unique as well. In all of the books I’ve read I’ve not run across another story treatment even remotely like this one.

On the downside, there were a few segments that didn’t make sense. This book was published in 2012. I think with all of the recent digital changes we’ve experienced, if it had been more recently published some of the questionable areas would have played out differently. Tracking devices could have replaced stake-outs, that sort of thing. It would have made it more believable. Those bits were only annoyances, though, they weren’t deal breakers.

There were many twists and turns in the action. Just when you thought you knew where it was all going everything changed and suddenly you had no idea.

It was delightful that they were people of substance, full of surprises. They did things that made you stop and think a bit. I like books like this.

It did not end the way I thought, and it took all 480 pages to get to a conclusion I’d never have guessed.

The surprising part in the end was the sympathy I felt for the illusive killer.

I would read this book again, for sure.