Month: December 2022

Bargain book December 17, 2022

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This has been a family day. Well, days is more like it, and it’s been fun. Sharing a jigsaw puzzle, good food (my son has become a great cook,) and hot apple cider while we raced to decorate a Christmas tree in record time. The tree turned out pretty well, considering the way we did it. Maybe even better than when we fuss and overthink things. My daughter-in-law, the artist in the family, wants to tweak some of the decorations though and I say go-for-it, with my blessing.

We went back to the city this afternoon with a side trip to buy Christmas presents for the teenagers in the family. The plan was to visit a games store called Across the Board Games Cafe. What an interesting concept. For an admission fee you could have a table to play games for as long as you could stay, and they had hundreds to choose from. Their cafe menu looked interesting too. By all appearances it was a popular place with a large inviting room to hang out in.

I watched as my family picked their presents. To my way of thinking the wide range of choices was mind boggling. But then I’m not into games as much as they are and my knowledge is minimal when it comes to today’s choices.

We ended up having supper at my daughter’s house. The meal was delicious and the arm wrestling was hilarious. My grand daughter (the only girl among five boys) somehow ended up in an arm wrestling contest with the cousin sitting next to her. (I was talking to her dad at the moment and missed the fun) Apparently she didn’t wait for go and took him down before he knew what was happening. The sweet and funny guy was burying his head in shame. We were all calling for a rematch but they both declined. There were several more match ups and it became apparent you could win if you knew the right techniques. She is smart and knew how to get the advantage on these guys.

A good time was had by all.

The downside, if there was one, was zero time spent with books today. Not a bad thing in my estimation. Real live people have to take first place every now and again.

So, on to books for a short while.

We have one suggestion I’m happy about. It’s from a frequent contributor to our reading lists.

Protective Custody

When a beautiful US Marshal is assigned to protect a judge, she leaves her heart unguarded in this suspenseful tale of danger, faith, and romance.

Keeping witnesses safe is all in a day’s work for deputy U.S. marshal Carly Masterson. But protecting the judge who was indirectly responsible for her mentor’s death is another story. Still, she won’t let harm come to Judge Nicholas Floyd, or the niece and nephew in his care.

Carly is determined to do the job right, and not let her emotions take over—even as her resentment gives way to an undeniable attraction. She has to admit that it feels good to be accepted by the little family. But can she let go of the past and learn to trust again before danger finds them once more?

**********************

To finish the night I will ignore the lunch dishes, enjoy the tree, and alternate for a while between the jig-saw puzzle and my current read. For as long as I can stay awake.

Happy Reading . . .

and puzzling too, if you enjoy it.

Bargain books December 16, 2022

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Maybe we can have an all men’s day for a change. A good start will be a suggestion from BookBub.. This is a repeat from a few weeks ago but it was so good we have to mention it again. A five star read for sure and #1 on my favorite read list.

The Emerald Tide (Miramar Bay Book 6)

Just when he thought he’d buried his past and was moving on . . .

Four years after his wife’s death, art history teacher Derek Gaines.has finally made a kind of peace with himself. He tries his best to stave off memories. His days are ones of familiar routine. Guarded against further pain, he keeps relationships at a safe distance. It’s all part of his necessary transition to surviving alone. If anything is truly responsible for Derek making it back from the brink it’s his edifying work as a consultant for auction houses—and indulging a consuming sideline job: tracking stolen art. But Derek’s latest hunt will lead him toward challenges both professional and personal—that he’s not prepared to
face . . .
 
He discovered the art of falling in love again . . .

Joining Derek on his quest is Kelly Reid, the new junior vice president of gallery operations at Christies Los Angeles. She is driven, ambitious, fiercely passionate about her work—and a fellow wounded kindred spirit. Bitterly immune to men’s promises, she’s never letting herself be vulnerable again. Yet even as trust and affection remain frightening territory, a tenuous start to her partnership with Derek slowly builds toward something more. And soon, both will be tested beyond anything they could have imagined–in the deepening mystery of a lost painting, and in matters of the heart, which can be the greatest mystery of all.

*********************

I thought there would be more but this is it for now.

Free book December 15, 2022

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It has been a busy day. Getting ready for company, driving into the city to pick them up. Grocery shopping so we’d have some food in the house (the cupboards were bare.) Catching up on life. Finishing the evening working a jig-saw puzzle that will be a challenge. All in all a fun time.

The night can’t be over without checking for books.

BookBub has a FREE suggestion that will expire shortly. It came up for us in January 2021 and it was a good read that I still remember.

Forever After (Hanover Falls Series Book 2)

A fire killed his best friend and his lifelong dream of
BEING a firefighter. The same fire killed her husband AND
HER hopes for a family. Can new dreams replace old?

Lucas Vermontez was a proud firefighter like his father. Now, not only has he lost his father and his best friend, Zach, in the fire at the Grove Street homeless shelter, but the devoted rookie can no longer do the work he loves after being crippled in the tragic event. When friendship with his buddy’s beautiful widow turns into more, he wonders what he could possibly offer Jenna? Jenna Morgan is trying to grieve her husband’s death like a proper widow, but the truth is, she never really loved Zach. His death feels more like a relief to her. But that relief is short-lived when she loses her home and the financial support of her in-laws. Now the secrets of her past threaten to destroy her future.

Can the two forget the painful past and discover new reasons to live and love?

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That’s it for tonight.

Have a good day/night and

Happy Reading.

Bargain books December 14, 2022

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I’m excited about this first one. It showed up when I looked for the BookBub suggestion which turned out to be one I’ve read. It’s starting out so well I want to abandon my current read in favor of this one. But I won’t, I’ll do the right thing and finish first.

Nothing Short of Wondrous (American Wonders Collection Book #2)

It is 1886, and the government has given the US Cavalry control of Yellowstone. For widowed hotelier Kate Tremaine, the change is a welcome one. She knows every inch of her wilderness home like the back of her hand and wants to see it protected from poachers and vandals.

Refused a guide by Congress, Lieutenant William Prescott must enlist Kate’s aid to help him navigate the sprawling park and track down the troublemakers. But a secret from his past makes him wary of the tender feelings the capable and comely widow raises in him. As they work together to protect the park and stand firm through injustice and tragedy, they may just find that two wounded hearts can share one powerful love when God is in control.

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The first book (the one I’ve read and enjoyed.) is an even better bargain.

Meg Pero has been assisting her photographer father since she was big enough to carry his equipment, so when he dies she is determined to take over his profession–starting with fulfilling the contract he signed to serve on an Army survey of the North Rim of the Grand Canyon in 1871. What she doesn’t realize is that the leader of the expedition is none other than the man she once refused to marry.

Captain Ben Coleridge would like nothing more than to leave without the woman who broke his heart, but he refuses to wait even one more day to get started. This survey is a screen for another, more personal mission, one he cannot share with any member of his team.

As dangers arise from all sides, including within the survey party, Meg and Ben must work together to stay alive, fulfill their duties, and, just maybe, rekindle a love that neither had completely left behind.

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That’s all I have a the moment. You know how that goes. There are good days and some not so good days.

Have a good evening, or morning depending on your time zone.

Happy Reading.

This and that December 13, 2022

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What are my favorite physical activities you ask? Hmmmm. Well, I like to walk and read since I discovered I could. I don’t do it outside very often because it wouldn’t be safe. Losing myself in a story is risky, for a number of reasons.

I do enjoy losing myself in a book while circling my long, oval, dining room table. It’s easy to find myself on auto pilot, forgetting I’m still walking. That’s what you call good muscle memory keeping me on track without killing myself.

The other thing I like to do in the spring to get back in shape after an inactive winter is dig in my flower beds and clean up the debris of winter. The added bonus to restored muscle tone is the pleasure of a job well done. Everything looks so much better and it gives me joy.

It takes a deliberate effort to pay attention, remembering to move around more often.

I’ve been considering getting a device to count my steps maybe that would be motivate me to do better.

So the reason for this little conversation was the story prompt that’s been appearing lately at the top of each new post. This is my first attempt to take a stab at it. I am out of ideas and could use a little help getting the creative juices. That’s what happens by reading all the time, your mind zones out staring at words floating by.

I’m trying to finish up with my current read. The tension is getting to me and I want to be done. I did go to the beginning of the second last chapter to see if I would be ok with staying there to finish up, skipping over the rest. Nope. Had to go back to where I left off. At least I know they will make it home so I’ve gone back to where I left off.

The tension is because it’s World War Two, they are acquaintances, both Americans living in occupied France where Germany has taken over but they are not yet at war with the Americans.

He is a widow with a four year old daughter, she is a single woman, a ballerina turned bookstore owner having left the ballet to help out a friend.

Over time a friendship develops as Paul and his daughter frequent the bookshop. Inadvertently, they each become a quiet part of the resistance movement. It would mean prison or loss of life if they were ever found out.

To make a long story short, with new discoveries about each other they knew they had to be ready with an escape plan. It wouldn’t be if it was needed, it would just be a matter of when.

Pearl Harbor has been bombed, the US has entered the war and it’s time to flee occupied France to avoid interment camps. A nerve wracking feat made worse by having to split up for safety reasons. Lucie and little Josie will pass in their disguise as French mother and daughter but Paul still sounds like an American. This fact could put them and everyone around them in danger. Not acceptable.

That’s as far as I’ve gotten, at least I know they eventually made it to America, at least the ladies did.

At the moment they are still having to face armed soldiers at the many checkpoints. I will be happy when they finally board a ship bound for America.

Here is the visual for what I’m reading.

Until Leaves Fall in Paris

As the Nazis march toward Paris in 1940, American ballerina Lucie Girard buys her favorite English-language bookstore to allow the Jewish owners to escape. Lucie struggles to run Green Leaf Books due to oppressive German laws and harsh conditions, but she finds a way to aid the resistance by passing secret messages between the pages of her books.

Widower Paul Aubrey wants nothing more than to return to the States with his little girl, but the US Army convinces him to keep his factory running and obtain military information from his German customers. As the war rages on, Paul offers his own resistance by sabotaging his product and hiding British airmen in his factory. After they meet in the bookstore, Paul and Lucie are drawn to each other, but she rejects him when she discovers he sells to the Germans. And for Paul to win her trust would mean betraying his mission.

*********************

I’m sure I have been guilty of spoilers, giving too much of the story away but hey, I doubt there are tons and tons of you waiting to read this book. Just a feeling I have, you know.

I’ve looked at the stats, I think we are safe.

Time is flying, must go. Morning comes early.

Not sure I’m awake enough to have avoided major editorial pitfalls.

No new books today but maybe tomorrow.

Happy reading.

Free and bargain books December 12, 2022

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We have an interesting line up today. Nothing too serious, I don’t think so anyway. No murders and dead bodies this time. A number of new authors for us too.

First up, BookBub has a Christmas offering for us. We’ve seen Dan Walsh often lately.

Keeping Christmas

For the first time since their children were born, empty nesters Judith and Stan Winters spent Thanksgiving alone, without the kids and grandkids. It’s looking like Christmas will be the same.

Judith can hardly bear the thought and struggles even to decorate the house. But soon some wonderful and totally unexpected events turn things completely around, starting with that box of “ugly ornaments” (as Stan calls them). Could they be the key to rescuing their Christmas this year?

A “beautifully written story” for the holiday season, or any time of the year.

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LPC Free Books has a suggestion for us. Tis the season for Christmas stories. This is an author we have not seen so this will be a surprise.

The Ornament Keeper: A Novella

Award-winning author Eva Marie Everson wraps up a Christmas story of hope, love, and forgiveness just in time for the holidays. 

The Ornament Keeper, a contemporary Christmas novella, features Felicia and Jackson Morgan who are spending their first Christmas apart after twenty years of marriage. But a lifetime of gifted ornaments helps Felicia piece together the story of their marriage and the one mistake of unforgiveness she made before they said, “I do.”

Can these memory-filled ornaments reunite this family before Christmas? Only time will tell.

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Browsing, I discovered an offering from an author new to me. It’s always nice to meet someone for the first time.

Promise Kept (Harland Creek Series Book 1)

Lying on her job application wasn’t the best way to kick off her fresh start in a small town, but Heather Smith is out of options. She desperately needs the job, or she will soon be without a place to live. Even so, Heather truly likes Elizabeth Harland, the old woman who hired her as her caregiver, and is eager to work hard and prove she’s right for the task.

Now, if she could just figure out why a local farmer keeps casting suspicious glares her way...

Sure, Grayson McCade has his hands full with his farm. That doesn’t change the fact that he considers the residents of Harland Creek family, and he takes time to look out for them all. The second he learns a newcomer has been hired to care for Elizabeth, he worries the kind-hearted old woman is being scammed.

Acting on what he believes to be the best of intentions, he sets out to uncover the truth about Heather’s past. Will the secrets revealed tarnish Heather’s new start before it even begins? Or will Grayson help make Harland Creek the home her heart longs for?

*********************

Another author new to us. Beautiful cover. I have high hopes for the story too.

Where the Last Rose Blooms (Heirloom Secrets)

“Tender and true, this novel draws you in from the first page.”–SUSAN MEISSNER, bestselling author of The Nature of Fragile Things

Alice runs a New Orleans flower shop alongside her aunt, but thoughts of her mother, who went missing during Hurricane Katrina, are never far from her mind. After getting off on the wrong foot with a handsome yet irritating man who comes to her shop, Alice soon realizes their worlds overlap–and the answers they both seek can be found in the same place.

In 1861 Charleston, Clara is known to be a rule follower–but the war has changed her. Unbeknownst to her father, who is heavily involved with the Confederacy, she is an abolitionist and is prepared to sacrifice everything for the cause. With assistance from a dashing Union spy, she attempts to help an enslaved woman reunite with her daughter. But things go very wrong when Clara agrees to aid the Northern cause by ferrying secret information about her father’s associates.

Faced with the unknown, both women will have to dig deep to let their courage bloom.

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A good day for new an interesting stories.

I’m enjoying the fascinating characters in my current read. It’s historical fiction and I think the main characters will turn out to be spies for the good guys. Haven’t gone far enough yet to discover how that all works though. It’s still a bargain if you hurry.

Until Leaves Fall in Paris

As the Nazis march toward Paris in 1940, American ballerina Lucie Girard buys her favorite English-language bookstore to allow the Jewish owners to escape. Lucie struggles to run Green Leaf Books due to oppressive German laws and harsh conditions, but she finds a way to aid the resistance by passing secret messages between the pages of her books.

Widower Paul Aubrey wants nothing more than to return to the States with his little girl, but the US Army convinces him to keep his factory running and obtain military information from his German customers. As the war rages on, Paul offers his own resistance by sabotaging his product and hiding British airmen in his factory. After they meet in the bookstore, Paul and Lucie are drawn to each other, but she rejects him when she discovers he sells to the Germans. And for Paul to win her trust would mean betraying his mission.

**********************

It has been an excellent book day. I’d better get reading if I expect to keep up. Maybe have supper along with it. My favorite way to eat.

Happy Reading!

Bargain book December 11, 2022

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Since it’s 2 am I guess I’ll label this third post as December 11. I said I was done after #2 but it seems I lied lol.

I made the mistake of going back to verify the purchase of the last book (I hadn’t completed the purchase step, good thing I checked) and in the process found another one I had to say yes to. This is book #4 and I see we have had books 1 – 3 show up in 2021. They aren’t bargains anymore, sadly.

Rising From Ashes (Acts of Valor, Book 4)

Lt. Commander “Monty” Monteague hasn’t needed God since he was a boy. But now the accomplished, handsome SEAL is the only survivor of a rescue mission gone wrong. His men are dead; his face is badly scarred. Wounded and hurting, Monty seeks solace in all the wrong places, until his do-gooder neighbor intrudes on his isolation, heals him, and teaches him to reach for God, not a bottle.

Opal Bonheur isn’t just Monty’s neighbor; she’s his physical therapist. Having loved him from afar for years, Opal is determined to heal the warrior, physically and emotionally. What Monty needs is the faith that has sustained her through many a tragedy—and they aren’t over yet. As the past comes back to haunt Opal, Monty’s prayers for her protection might be the only thing to keep her alive.

**********************

Maybe more will show up in the morning.

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Well it’s tomorrow afternoon and so far nothing else has shown up. Not that I’ve been looking all that hard aside from checking suggestion emails. (there were two with nothing we wanted)

The thing I have been doing today (and yesterday too) is spending time with one of my favorite inspiring podcasters. Carey Nieuwhof, he has a leadership podcast with the most interesting guests and amazingly insightful questions. I’m not in leadership but I love learning new things. I love walking away from the experience feeling deeply moved and fed.

It’s the mental equivalent of a well prepared healthy nutritious meal.

The subject of today’s choice of podcasts (I’m behind in watching so I’m binge watching to catch up.) was growing your audience. His guest for this video became a multi-millionaire helping clients with this aspect of their businesses. He has much to offer us as inspiration for developing a strategy for realizing our own hopes and dreams.

To be perfectly honest, I’m not that motivated to grow my audience even though I know I should be. I’m an introvert. I work hard at not being noticed. Which is pretty hilarious when you think about it. That’s why I don’t do emails (I did put an email address somewhere in my contact section but for some reason I didn’t bother to explore, it doesn’t show up.) It’s also why, generally speaking, I put personal thoughts etc at the end of posts rather than the beginning. Readers won’t see them without going to the end. Crazy I know, but this is who I am.

The question is why do I do this, and even hope for more readers, if I shy away from being seen?

It’s motivation. My passion is to inspire reading.

(If I can do it without drawing personal attention so much the better.)

Why this passion, you ask?

Because reading is a life giving, life changing experience. And statistics show that most people are not reading. A least not in any significant way. Many read less than one book a year. This is so much more than sad.

So, that is my deepest motivation, pushing you to fall in love with reading. Yes, fall in love. Avid readers are in love with books.

Falling in love with a book is like falling in love with a person — find the right one and it will happen.

For many their reading speed is a deterrent. Reading is like exercise, the more you do it the stronger you become. Keep reading, with practice your speed will improve. If you love a book, even better, your speed will automatically improve because you are in a hurry to find out what comes next.

So, bottom line, I want to inspire you to discover the joys of reading.

The discussion on why I promote books, without realizing any monetary compensation, will be the subject for another day.

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In case you enjoy teaching and inspiring podcasts I will share the link for this one here. Maybe you will discover useful tools and connections.

Happy Reading,

and maybe watching, too.

I could be preaching to the choir here as you are likely a reader if you frequent a blog site.

Maybe I can inspire you to inspire someone else in your life. That would be good.

Bargain books December 10, 2022 Part two

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Another irresistible bargain book showed up as I was snooping around. More historical fiction, this time involving a different war with ships on the high seas. And definitely with romance.

A Heart Adrift: A Novel

A Virginia chocolatier and a privateering sea captain collide once more after a failed love affair a decade before. Will a war and a cache of regrets keep them apart? Or will a new shared vision reunite them?*****

It is 1755, and the threat of war with France looms over colonial York, Virginia. Chocolatier Esmée Shaw is fighting her own battle of the heart. Having reached her twenty-eighth birthday, she is reconciled to life alone after a decade-old failed love affair from which she’s never quite recovered. But she longs to find something worthwhile to do with her life.


Captain Henri Lennox has returned to port after a lengthy absence, intent on completing the lighthouse in the dangerous Chesapeake Bay, a dream he once shared with Esmée. But when the colonial government asks him to lead a secret naval expedition against the French, his future is plunged into uncertainty.

Will a war and a cache of regrets keep them apart, or can their shared vision and dedication to the colonial cause heal the wounds of the past? Bestselling and award-winning author Laura Frantz whisks you away to a time fraught with peril–on the sea and in the heart–in this redemptive, romantic story.

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Another intriguing book showed up in the suggestion strip and after reading the whole sample I’m hooked. This one will be my next read, unless I’m distracted and forget about it. It’s been known to happen.

Expecting Danger (Small-Town Guardians Book 2)

Kate has been on the run from the men who killed her husband and left her for dead—which isn’t easy considering she’s eight months pregnant—but now they’ve found her. Again. Still reeling from her late husband’s betrayal, the last thing Kate wants is the help of a handsome stranger.

Security expert, Jacob Jones, is still grieving the loss of his pregnant wife, and he’s not ready to move on. But when he thwarts an attempted abduction of the beautiful Kate, he finds himself inexplicably drawn to her. Despite her reluctance, he’s determined to do whatever it takes to save her, including giving up his own life.

Kate’s only option is to take a leap of faith and allow Jacob to help her. But can she trust him to keep her and her unborn baby alive? Or will he fail her like everyone else in her life?

***********************

Book one in this series is still a bargain too. I see I’ve read this one already. They are standalone stories so it’s safe to read them out of order.

Hidden Danger (Small-Town Guardians Book 1)

All Maggie Jones wants to do is sell her late father’s property and get out of Whitehaven, Texas as fast as possible—before she runs into the one man she’s spent the past six years avoiding. Someone has other plans for her, though. Sinister plans. And when a seemingly harmless act of vandalism turns into a series of menacing threats, she has no choice but to turn to last person on earth she wants to see for help.

Sheriff Cody Smith never expected to see Maggie again, especially after he’d broken her heart all those years ago. Maybe this is the second chance he’s always wanted. But when he realizes Maggie’s in grave danger, he intends to keep her safe at all costs. With lines from an old nursery rhyme as their only clue, he needs to find out who’s behind this deadly game before the rhyme ends and Maggie’s time runs out. Can he protect her, catch the bad guy, and make amends for past wrongs? Or will old wounds get in the way?

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That’s it for tonight.

Happy Reading!

Bargain book December 10, 2022

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It has been a good day. Family has arrived for the Christmas season and life is good.

Not only that but we have an interesting bargain suggestion today.

At dinner tonight family wanted to know if bargain books were worth reading and I assured them that the ones I choose are. I figure that with thousands of books read over the last decade and a half that makes me an experienced and discerning reader. I share what I am willing to read and I can say it has to be a book that is worth my time to make it on to my reading device.

Cheap doesn’t necessarily mean poorly written.

Many authors use price breaks as a way to attract buyers for their books. Usually it will be one of the books in a series, to get us hooked so we will buy the rest. Over time another book in the series will be offered as incentive too so patience works well.

I’m always on the look out for 4 and 5 star books and mostly that’s what we get. Occasionally one of them will be a disappointment but I keep track of author experiences and try to avoid future disappointments.

It’s kind of like food, where you discover awesome restaurants and ever after make you dining choices based on those experiences. I know a good book when I see it and avoid the not-so-great books as much as possible. There are many talented writers out there that are worth our time and money.

I can guarantee (most of the time) quality writing for a good experience.

What I can’t guarantee is a genre you will love every time. There is no accounting for taste (as they say) and we all love differently. Sorry about that.

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Today’s suggestion from BookBub looks interesting. It’s historical, set during war time, a theme we have seen often lately. This story looks to have a fresh approach and so I’m inclined to give it a try.

Until Leaves Fall in Paris

As the Nazis march toward Paris in 1940, American ballerina Lucie Girard buys her favorite English-language bookstore to allow the Jewish owners to escape. Lucie struggles to run Green Leaf Books due to oppressive German laws and harsh conditions, but she finds a way to aid the resistance by passing secret messages between the pages of her books.

Widower Paul Aubrey wants nothing more than to return to the States with his little girl, but the US Army convinces him to keep his factory running and obtain military information from his German customers. As the war rages on, Paul offers his own resistance by sabotaging his product and hiding British airmen in his factory. After they meet in the bookstore, Paul and Lucie are drawn to each other, but she rejects him when she discovers he sells to the Germans. And for Paul to win her trust would mean betraying his mission.

Master of WWII-era fiction Sarah Sundin invites you onto the streets of occupied Paris to discover whether love or duty will prevail.

Happy Reading

Read and enjoyed December 09, 2022

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It has been an awesome run of good reads.

I’m still basking in the emotions of the last read. It was well written, original and engaging, Another book I couldn’t bear to put down. If you enjoy historical fiction I can highly recommend this book. I award 5 stars sparingly, to keep them meaning something. This book was definitely deserving of 5*****.

On Sugar Hill (The Georgia Magnolias Book 2)

To make ends meet, the Fitzgerald women must open their home as a boardinghouse, but will the secrets they uncover prove their undoing?

The day Cora Fitzgerald turned sixteen, she fled Sugar Hill for the bright lights of New York City, leaving behind her senator father’s abuse. But just as her career takes off, she’s summoned home.

The stock market has crashed. The senator is dead. Her mother is delusional, and her mute Aunt Clara pens novels that expose the town’s secrets. Then there’s Boone Robertson, who never knew she was alive back in high school but now manages to be around whenever she needs help.

And the Fitzgerald women need a lot of help, indeed. They are forced to find a way to make ends meet, whether it’s mining for gold or doing what Southern women have done for generations in times of need—turning their home into a boardinghouse.

But will the people of Cora’s past keep her from returning to a brilliant future?

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Reading a book a day makes it difficult to keep alive a detailed memory of the read. It doesn’t mean the experience wasn’t meaningful or fully engaging. It was for all of them. They were all a fine-dining experience.

Even this next collection received a high rating. Often times there is a relatively wide difference in the quality of writing in a box set. I can see why. A multi book collection is a good opportunity for writers with differing levels of experience to gain exposure. Expecting the usual and not getting it is why the high quality was a welcome surprise. Paying attention to the authors involved would have lowered the surprise level, but where’s the fun in that?

Destination Christmas (The Christmas Lights Collection) 

Kiss Me on Christmas by Sarah Monzon

Single mom Kaitlyn Stafford has never considered Christmas a balancing act, but when her sister calls with the news that she’s getting married in less than two weeks—on Christmas Day—that’s exactly what the holiday looks like becoming. Helping with the out-of-state wedding will be fun. The challenge will be doing so while accommodating her neurodivergent son’s need to keep every single one of their Christmas traditions while they’re away from home. It’ll be tricky, but she can do it.

At least, that’s what she thinks before her son’s favorite YouTuber, Beckett Walsh, shows up on the scene, knocking her world off-kilter with his speaking glances and knowing smiles. How on earth is she supposed to pull off her balancing act when her world’s just tilted on its axis?

Christmas Camp by Cathe Swanson

Julia is eager to prove herself in her first job as project manager for the family’s charitable foundation, but she expected it to be something more meaningful than creating a winter wonderland Christmas vacation for snow-deprived southerners. Why is this project so important to her grandmother?

Tom doesn’t understand why anyone would want to renovate his uncle’s broken-down Wisconsin deer camp, either, but if it will save the old man’s home and business, he’ll help the ambitious city girl put together the most cliché-filled Christmas ever.

Not Another Christmas by Jaycee Weaver

The palm trees and beaches of Florida are far from her chaotic family as Cindy Sinclair can get. Her anticipated promotion is the perfect excuse not to come home for the holidays… until she’s passed over and the job is given to none other than her childhood nemesis.

This far from New Mexico, Nick Hoover never imagined he’d beat Cindy out for a job. Again. He’s messed up her plans since the day they met, but this time, Nick is determined to prove he never wanted to be her enemy. If only she’ll let him.

When their reignited adolescent rivalry gets out of hand, their boss insists they both go home, face the hurts of their pasts, and bury the hatchet once and for all. With help from her meddling family, this could be the Christmas they quit clashing and give love a fighting chance.

The Hearts of New Cheltenham by Chautona Havig

The only way not to break her best friend’s heart is to get someone else to steal it.

Jarod doesn’t need a month off and certainly not halfway across the country. His best friend doesn’t agree. She’s been researching places for him to go and has found him a perfect match on a dating website who just happens to live in New Cheltenham. It’s a match made online until she begins to wonder if she’s made a mistake trying to offload him on someone else.

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Now it’s time to decide on a next read. Some days the choices are harder to make than others, that’s today.

Here are the three I’m looking at.

Decisions, decisions, decisions . . .

I love having so many good choices.

Happy Reading y’all