It’s that time again. After another slow book day it’s time to share some favorite reads. Well, every read actually but we’ll start with favorites. Hope I can remember which ones they were. Time always seems to make the memories hazy despite my good intentions to remember them all.
This first one I do remember and was happy to see it come up because of the way I enjoyed earlier book in this series of series.
They are about three sisters who, for reasons we haven’t yet learned, were raised in remote high and craggy mountains. Their grandparents taught them the lowlands were evil and dangerous and they believed it all, enough to never venture off the mountain. Left on their own they managed life with well honed survival skills, always looking out for each other.
It was shocking when someone from the lowlands suddenly appeared on their mountain.
I enjoyed all of the previously read books in this series but I think this one was my favorite.
A string of unfortunate events leads to an unexpected marriage and an unplanned extended visit to a number of progressively larger cites.
It was fun to view life as we know it through her uninitiated eyes.
Woman of Sunlight (Brides of Hope Mountain Book #2)
After years of isolation on top of Hope Mountain, Ilsa Nordegren may finally be ready to leave. Raised to fear the world, Ilsa and her sisters never planned on coming down, but when the Warden family arrived in need, they had to help. And it may cost them everything.
Having made his fortune, Mitch Warden returned home and found the family homestead abandoned. In a land grab, a ruthless cattle baron had forced his family to escape up the mountain, and when he follows, the last thing he expects is to fall smitten to a black-haired woman who dresses like Robin Hood.
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This next one is another favorite. The tale of creating new life out of brokenness and accepting second chances. I’ll let the synopsis speak for the story this time. I did give up five stars to it though, something which happens sparingly at my house.
A Long Way to Run
Sometimes the path to love is a long way to run…
Olympic-caliber running hopeful Riley Dalton lost his left leg from the knee down in the noblest of ways: saving a trapped woman whose car was engulfed by fire. Years removed from that life-changing moment, he returns home to Dunberry, Michigan, searching for the pathway to a new life.
Riley’s high school sweetheart, Jennifer Bailey, understands the process of reinvention. Heartbreak and corporate theft sent her scampering from New York straight back to her small-town roots. In Dunberry, she’s established a clothing boutique that allows creativity to flow while she regroups.
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Here are the covers for the rest. I did enjoy some more than others but they were all well worth the read.
These last two were favorites as well.
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I’m currently reading and loving another excellent Christy Barritt book. It’s still a bargain if you are interested.
Lifeline (The Security Experts)
Only a former navy SEAL can help a woman who is convinced her deceased former fiancé is alive—and out for revenge in this exciting suspense, part of The Security Experts series from USA TODAY bestselling author Christy Barritt.
“I did it for you.” The chilling words in the text message have Julianne Grace fearing for her life. She’s sure that her abusive ex-fiancé has killed two people—and that she’s the next target. But will anyone believe that her presumed dead ex is really alive? The only man who can help Julianne is cool, aloof security specialist Bradley Stone. Not only does she need his protection, but he’s also the link to finding answers about her ex-fiancé’s death. And the closer Bradley and Julianne get to the truth—and to each other, the angrier the madman after Julianne becomes. One wrong move and they could both fall prey to the killer’s deadly scheme.
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Well, it’s Saturday, a good day for house work. I think the floor is dry and I can get back to work.
I’m planning to put up my Christmas tree. Two of my three kids have their family trees up already and I’m feeling inspired. The first time in three years. Something must be working right this year.
Hopefully I can tear myself away from my book long enough to get it done.
I’ll let you know how that goes.
In the meantime, I hope this selection of books is working to inspire you too.
Another good day for books. I was expecting a slow book day so this was a nice surprise.
BookRunes has a FREE suggestion. This book is all new to me, one more nice surprise.
Rachel’s Blessing – (Love in South Africa Book 1)
Amazon quote:
A South African adventure leads to a life-changing love…
Thirty-one year old Rachel Wright is thrilled to be getting married. Unfortunately, her fiancé does not share her enthusiasm. When he suddenly breaks off their engagement for a life of adventure, British-born Rachel heads to South Africa for an adventure of her own.
Volunteering at a rural orphanage allows Rachel the breathing space she needs to refocus and have time alone with God. This rugged landscape brings fresh perspective and healing. The last thing on Rachel’s mind now, is romance.
And then she meets Eric, a local game ranger and the area’s most eligible bachelor.
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A BookBub bargain suggestion by a favorite prolific author.
Lifeline (The Security Experts)
Amazon quote:
Only a former navy SEAL can help a woman who is convinced her deceased former fiancé is alive—and out for revenge in this exciting suspense, part of The Security Experts series from USA TODAY bestselling author Christy Barritt.
“I did it for you.” The chilling words in the text message have Julianne Grace fearing for her life. She’s sure that her abusive ex-fiancé has killed two people—and that she’s the next target. But will anyone believe that her presumed dead ex is really alive? The only man who can help Julianne is cool, aloof security specialist Bradley Stone. Not only does she need his protection, but he’s also the link to finding answers about her ex-fiancé’s death. And the closer Bradley and Julianne get to the truth—and to each other, the angrier the madman after Julianne becomes. One wrong move and they could both fall prey to the killer’s deadly scheme.
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1531 Entertainment has a bargain collection suggestion for us. There are five books and I think I have read most of them along the way somewhere, in other collections I think. The good news for me, there is one completely new one.
SEASON OF LOVE. Opposites-attract romance! Feuding co-chefs have to put their differences aside before Christmas to give their siblings a great reception. A ruined wedding and failed business are not on the menu. But romance just might be… SEASON OF AFFECTION. A woman in jeopardy, bodyguard, and second chance romance! A celebrity in peril and the small-town boy who crushed her heart years ago. Can a Christmas reunion bring them a second chance at love?
etc. etc. etc.
I’d show more but it’s rather long. Hopefully this is enough to catch your interest.
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Currently I’m reading and enjoying a book with an author new to me.
COMPLEX: A Sweet Small town Standalone Romance (Eron Outsiders Book 1)
After ten years away, Sofia Wise returns home to mourn the loss of her grandmother, and she’s desperate to reconnect with her family. When a dark, devastatingly handsome stranger shows up on her family’s doorstep, Sofia takes one look and is tempted to make her visit permanent. The problem is, the town’s detective is suspicious of her entire family, and it might take some convincing to prove that she’s more interested in the man himself than in the complex case at hand.
Trevor Freeman is a hardworking detective for the town of Eron. When his mom disappears, he blames the Wise family and will stop at nothing until they are brought to justice —that is, until Sofia Wise blows into town. The mysterious, beautiful member of the notorious Wise clan complicates everything, distracting him from his investigation and threatening to steal his heart.
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Can you believe it. We had about 3 inches of snow last night and they’ve plowed our streets already. That’s what’s great about a small city, they can do these nice things for us. My friends and relatives in the big city are jealous.
I’m sure many of you are glad you live in warmer climates. Some of my kids are but I’m happy to see winter. I missed the snowy season with it’s crisp cold air when I lived in a moderate climate with mostly rain.
Besides, a cold winter day is the perfect time to curl up with a good book.
I’m gonna go do just that. It’s time to finish my current.
There are a few interesting book suggestions again today.
BookRunes has a FREE selection. I can recall reading this a year ago.
Heart of Gold
Amazon quote:
After the death of her troubled mother, Sienna Hart returns to her small, coastal hometown of Ruby Bay to help her estranged sisters with the estate. She is hopeful that they can mend their broken relationship, and it’s a chance to get away from her selfish, unreliable ex-boyfriend who is pushing to get back together.
Carter Palamo is a kind, handsome, yet bitter man. Burned by his last girlfriend’s cruel rejection of his proposal, he is hesitant to get involved with another woman. He runs his family’s hardware store in Ruby Bay and helps his grandmother with her Christmas tree farm, but makes no effort to bring his dreams of marriage and children to fruition.
When a new artist does a terrible job of decorating the hardware store’s windows for the holidays, Carter hires Sienna to do the work. Neither is open to love, but their fiery attraction to one another keeps bringing them back together. Yet their defenses are just as strong – both coming from tragic pasts and relationships with partners who refused to commit. Will they be able to take a risk on each other and stop the past from defining their future?
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1531 Entertainment has a bargain Historical Western suggestion. I see there are a number of others available in this series as well.
Willow Falls (Matt Bannister Western Book 1)
Amazon quote:
Welcome to Willow Falls. The town young Matthew Bannister ran away from fifteen years before. Now famed U.S. Deputy Marshal Matt Bannister is coming home to reconcile with his family. He prayed he wouldn’t see his ex-best friend Tom Smith nor the only girl he ever loved, Tom’s wife, Elizabeth.However, old feuds unsettled never die and spark a powder keg of action when the desperate Moskin Gang kidnap Elizabeth and leave a murderous trail behind them. In anguish, Tom, the Willow Falls sheriff, turns to his despised old-friend to help get the woman they both love back alive, if they can.
Sometimes God’s greatest blessing is unanswered prayer.
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This current enjoyable read is definitely my favorite this week. I love the strong willed, determined, main characters. Neither one wants to be taking orders but he has to take the lead or it could mean death. She is totally out of her element but no way will she let that stand in her way.
Into the Darkness (Daring Escapes Book 1)
Amazon quote:
Adventure. Betrayal. Murder. Dead? Kate Collier refuses to believe her brother and last remaining family member died in the Brazilian rainforest. Determined to find the missing biochemist, she launches an expedition to find him.
A.C. Slader’s past is as dark and turbulent as the Amazon. Consumed with his own problems, when Kate tries hiring him to find her no-doubt deceased brother, he turns her down cold. The last thing he needs is to fight his way through an impassable jungle for a woman who wouldn’t know a stick from a snake. Only when he narrowly rescues her from an attack before she’s even left the relative safety of the town does he realize that without his help, she’ll get herself killed.
Together, they begin a perilous journey that will test the limits of their faith and each other…
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Maybe if it’s a slow book day tomorrow it will be a good time to clear out my Read & Enjoyed list once again.
Free books from LPC Books. As promised yesterday here they are.
This first book is one of my Read & Enjoyed and I still remember the experience. In fact I remember all three of the books suggested for us.
A Season to Dance
Amazon quote:
Everyone has a dream. A passion. You work hard, you get there. Right? But what if you don’t get there? Despair? It happens… Then what? Give up? Try harder? What if all this time, you’ve been going after the wrong dreams? What if the best part of life hasn’t even started?
Ana Brassfield tries everything to be happy. An important career. A dream of dancing. A famous boyfriend. A move overseas. But all she experiences is a series of almost successes with a side of heartbreak. Then when she hits rock bottom, a stranger opens an unexpected door. Could she change her whole life? Should she? Or would this be another mistake in a life defined by rushed decisions and wrong turns?
A Season to Dance is a journey. From hard to better. From striving to being
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Another of my favorite reads.
The Children of Main Street
The children come—scores of them. Broken. Suffering. Learning to survive. These are not the clients Katie Collier expected to help when she went to work at the mental-health clinic.
But Katie and her husband can’t have children of their own, so her natural compassion flows. Still, Katie wonders why God gives babies to some women who seem unwilling to care, feed, love, shelter—even hold, and leaves other women barren.
Then one day it happens. A little girl named Bailey walks into Main Street Clinic … walks straight into Katie’s broken heart.
Forced to choose between her husband and her career, Katie fights to hold onto both in order to save Bailey. When her husband gives her the ultimate ultimatum, Katie finds the children of Main Street are not the only ones feeling cast out and lost.
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This was a favorite too.
The Forgotten Life of Evelyn Lewis
Facing bankruptcy, a high-end interior designer returns to her childhood Tennessee to salvage her company and finds herself tangled in relationships, property disputes, and a past that refuses to be silenced.
In a desperate attempt to save her company from bankruptcy, designer Evelyn Lewis decides to sell the only memento from her past worth anything—the family farmland. Determined to get in and get out of the abandoned property, she finds the valuable land tangled in a trust, and wonders who she can really depend on. Certainly not the property manager and affable Southern gentleman, Taylor Simpson.
Caught up in the mechanics of a farm, a legal document she can’t break, and pressure from her company for money, Evelyn turns to her own wiles and willpower…but can she resist the South’s wooing?
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I’m currently reading and enjoying A Long Way to Run
Amazon quote:
Sometimes the path to love is a long way to run…
Olympic-caliber running hopeful Riley Dalton lost his left leg from the knee down in the noblest of ways: saving a trapped woman whose car was engulfed by fire. Years removed from that life-changing moment, he returns home to Dunberry, Michigan, searching for the pathway to a new life.
Riley’s high school sweetheart, Jennifer Bailey, understands the process of reinvention. Heartbreak and corporate theft sent her scampering from New York straight back to her small-town roots. In Dunberry, she’s established a clothing boutique that allows creativity to flow while she regroups.
Reunited, Riley and Jennifer spearhead the creation of a community sponsored running team while they chase demons both physical and emotional. As Riley trains for the Mobility Impaired division of the Boston Marathon, the past rises to haunt him, and a professional opportunity is presented to Jennifer that plays to her goals but endangers everything she’s reestablished with the only man she’s ever loved.
Will love be enough to cover the distance between them?
Monday is turning out to be a good day for book suggestions. With such abundance this morning we’ll look at BookBub and 1531 Entertainment today, saving LPC Free Books for tomorrow. They are scheduled to be free until the 20th so we have the time.
BookBubsFREE suggestion
Signs of Life:A Haunting and Spellbinding Contemporary Christian Thriller (Signs of Life Series Book 1) FREE
Amazon quote:
Rogan Sneed . . . Portland’s Worst Nightmare
High school teacher Tyson Cooper is just dismissing his class when a student flashes his phone. “Another shooting, Mr. C.”
And this one is too close to home. Tyson races to Pioneer Square . . . but he’s too late. The light of his life has been snuffed out–and so has his faith.
Veteran Portland PD Investigator Wayne Deetz, two years shy of retirement, is charged with leading the interrogations. When he meets 19-year-old shooter Rogan Sneed face-to-face, his life is changed eternally.
Will Tyson settle for anything less than the death penalty in the case against Rogan Sneed? He’s bent on justice and will do anything to make Rogan pay for the pain he inflicted on himself and the city of Portland that rainy, haunting May day.
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1531 Entertainment bargain book suggestions: The author of this first one has shown up on my TBR list seven times so far in 2020. This makes eight. I’ve read book #1 in this series. Aiming for Love
Woman of Sunlight (Brides of Hope Mountain Book #2)
Amazon quote:
After years of isolation on top of Hope Mountain, Ilsa Nordegren may finally be ready to leave. Raised to fear the world, Ilsa and her sisters never planned on coming down, but when the Warden family arrived in need, they had to help. And it may cost them everything.
Having made his fortune, Mitch Warden returned home and found the family homestead abandoned. In a land grab, a ruthless cattle baron had forced his family to escape up the mountain, and when he follows, the last thing he expects is to fall smitten to a black-haired woman who dresses like Robin Hood.
Warden is intent on helping his family reclaim their land, but doesn’t realize the risks his past has brought. Dangerous men have tracked him, and rather than risk innocent lives, he’s determined to end the danger. But that means a journey to the city–and when Ilsa insists on joining him, the mismatched pair suddenly find themselves on a venture they’ll never forget.
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The House at the End of the Moor
Amazon quote:
What Can a London Opera Star and an Escaped Dartmoor Prisoner Have in Common?
Opera star Maggie Lee escapes her opulent lifestyle when threatened by a powerful politician who aims to ruin her life. She runs off to the wilds ofthe moors to live in anonymity. All that changes the day she discovers a half-dead man near her house. Escaped convict Oliver Ward is on the run to prove his innocence, until he gets hurt and is taken in by Maggie. He discovers some jewels in her possession—the very same jewels that got him convicted. Together they hatch a plan to return the jewels, clearing Oliver’s name and hopefully maintaining Maggie’s anonymity.
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I’m currently reading & enjoying
Faith in Abertillery: Historical Romance (Women of Courage Book 2)
South Wales, 1905. Faith only believes in the certainty of pain and suffering. Born with a club foot and harboring a dark secret, the barmaid can’t escape her sinful past. But after the country’s religious revival puts her out of a job, hope sparks when a handsome aristocrat gallantly offers her a second chance.
Lord Geoffrey Driscoll fears his estate will run out of money before he can find a suitable bride. However, the devout nobleman can’t keep his mind off the stunning redhead despite her lowly status. As the attraction between them grows, Lord Driscoll is torn between his need for a wife of means and his heart.
As Faith falls for Lord Driscoll’s kindness, she wishes that she could erase the sinful past that stands in the way of their union…
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This is a paradoxical morning moment. The sun is shining, clouds are gently rolling through, and it’s snowing lightly. Makes life fun.
Currently it’s -10c and it looks like it will be a quiet day weather-wise. Maybe there will be more cheerful sunshine moments yet today. Here’s hoping.
I know this will come as a shock to you but the first place my mind went with this prompt was Books and Movies.
Who could forget The Hunt for Red October (Jack Ryan Universe Book 1)
I will admit I haven’t read the book but I am in possession of (and have watched) the movie (I do own movies I haven’t watched, just sayin’.)
Somewhere under the freezing Atlantic, a Soviet sub commander has just made a fateful decision. The Red October is heading west. The Americans want her. The Russians want her back. The chase for the highly advanced nuclear submarine is on—and there’s only one man who can find her…
Brilliant CIA analyst Jack Ryan has little interest in fieldwork, but when covert photographs of Red October land on his desk, Ryan soon finds himself in the middle of a high-stakes game of hide-and-seek played by two world powers—a game that could end in all-out war.
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The next movie assaulting my memory is The Scarlet Pimpernel
I will admit, I have not read this book either but I have seen the movie. Or at least one version of it. One of my daughter’s college friends was a lover of the classics and was a collector of the movies. This particular movie has been made and remade, a few times. One detail we all remember with a smile is the favorite exclamation of the foppish main character in one of the versions. Well, SINK me! I’ve no idea where that expression comes from but we thought it was pretty funny.
Amazon quote:
The Scarlet Pimpernel is the first novel in a series of historical fiction by Baroness Orczy, published in 1905. It was written after her stage play of the same title enjoyed a long run in London, having opened in Nottingham in 1903.
The novel is set during the Reign of Terror following the start of the French Revolution. The title is the nom de guerre of its hero and protagonist, a chivalrous Englishman who rescues aristocrats before they are sent to the guillotine. Sir Percy Blakeney leads a double life: apparently nothing more than a wealthy fop, but in reality a formidable swordsman and a quick-thinking master of disguise and escape artist. The band of gentlemen who assist him are the only ones who know of his secret identity. He is known by his symbol, a simple flower, the scarlet pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis).
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The next remembrance is a story by Francine Rivers. I did read this book but several decades ago. It must have made a big impact if it still springs to mind after so many years. Francine Rivers was a huge favorite so it’s not surprising that I still remember.
The Scarlet Thread: A Novel (The Historical Christian Fiction Story of Two Women, Centuries Apart, Joined through a Journal from the Oregon Trail)
Sierra Madrid’s life has just been turned upside down when she discovers the handcrafted quilt and journal of her ancestor Mary Kathryn McMurray, a young woman who was uprooted from her home only to endure harsh conditions on the Oregon Trail.
Though the women are separated by time and circumstance, Sierra discovers that many of the issues they face are remarkably similar . . . and uncovering Mary Kathryn’s story may help her write the next chapter of hers.
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More recently I’ve been reading A Scarlet Cord by Deborah Raney
In the four years since her husband’s death, Melanie LaSalle’s life has been consumed with managing the family design firm and caring for her five-year-old daughter, Jerica. The possibility of a new relationship is the last thing on her mind. But when Melanie meets Joel Ellington, a new staff member at her church, she is instantly attracted to his warm spirit. As their friendship deepens, however, Melanie is troubled by something she can’t quite understand or explain. Joel past seems to be off-limits, even to Melanie. Because of her growing feelings for him, Melanie pushes her doubts away. But when Joel disappears, along with the contents of a church bank account, she can no longer ignore her suspicions. Now, torn between her feelings for Joel and the evidence mounting against him, Melanie faces a heart-wrenching decision: to forget the man who gave her reason to love again or to trust Joel enough to give him her heart.
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One thing for sure… it was easy to find many book and movie titles using some version of Red. Maybe next I should look at pink. Pink Panther, for sure
Today’s bargain suggestions come from BookBub and 1531 Entertaiment. Three authors new to me. I can’t guarantee a good read with any of them but after checking out the first few pages I’m definitely hopeful.
All the Stars: (Unfailing Love Book 5)
Amazon quote:
Gaining her trust won’t be easy. Earning her love will be nearly impossible.
Leah Manning is working to get back on her feet after her ex-husband disappeared one night, leaving her to raise their infant daughter alone. When a trip to a hardware store has her literally falling into the arms of its handsome owner, his charms are hard to resist. But he’s a stranger, and, to her, that means he can’t be trusted. Can she learn to let her faith be stronger than her fear?
Brian Matthews has never met a stranger. A friend to everyone he meets, he can’t understand why Leah is determined to keep him at a distance. He only wants to help, but she can’t accept that he only has the best intentions. It’s a good thing his love is patient.
Leah isn’t ready to let the love she feels for Brian override years of fear, and he’s tired of spending lonely nights playing songs on his guitar to fill the silence. What will it take to show Leah that Brian is the answer to her prayers?
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Faith in Abertillery: Historical Romance (Women of Courage Book 2)
Amazon quote:
South Wales, 1905. Faith only believes in the certainty of pain and suffering. Born with a club foot and harboring a dark secret, the barmaid can’t escape her sinful past. But after the country’s religious revival puts her out of a job, hope sparks when a handsome aristocrat gallantly offers her a second chance.
Lord Geoffrey Driscoll fears his estate will run out of money before he can find a suitable bride. However, the devout nobleman can’t keep his mind off the stunning redhead despite her lowly status. As the attraction between them grows, Lord Driscoll is torn between his need for a wife of means and his heart.
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Hearts on the Road: Diana Lesire Brandmeyer
Amazon quote:
She’s running from the past. He’s aiming for the future. Can they stop moving long enough to find love?
Randi refuses to invite a man into her life. But when a charming minister steps into the cab of her truck, everything changes. How can Randi consider a new relationship when her heart is still crushed from the past?
As a budding preacher, Matthew knows it’s his calling to minister to truckers. But when he’s partnered to join Randi on a long-haul trip he wonders if his desire to be in her life is God’s choice or his? Could God be pulling him off the road and into Randi’s arms?
A shake up at home forces Randi off the highway unexpectedly, putting the brakes on her unsettled feelings for Matthew. Caught between her fears and her heart Randi wonders if it’s safe to keep driving their relationship forward. When life pulls them in opposite directions, can Randi and Matthew find the road to a one-way romance?
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Currently, I’m finishing up a thoroughly enjoyable book. It is still at bargain price too. This author was new to me and it turned out to be a good experience.
Beyond Repair: (Eron Outsiders Book 3)
Her past is a string of bad choices. Is falling for a wanted ex-gang member one more?
Hiding from her troubled past, Jules Demski sequesters herself in the mountains of Eron, Colorado, the only place she’s ever felt safe. Her solitude is shattered when an injured man staggers into her family’s barn. Burned once and still in repair, the last thing she needs is another criminal on her hands. If she can only convince her heart of this, she just might be able to resist the interloper’s charm.
Former gangster Lorenzo Macedo has cleaned up his act, but now he’s running for his life. He stumbles upon a barn just as a bullet pierces his body. Jules appears standoffish and cold, but the tender way she nurses Lorenzo reveals a soft-hearted, passionate woman aching for her own wounds to be healed. No woman has ever set his blood on fire like Jules, but he has nothing to offer her except a life on the run. Can Jules and Lorenzo find redemption in the small town, or are their lives Beyond Repair?
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I’m looking forward to one of these three new books as my next read. I think it will be difficult deciding which one but maybe I’ll try Hearts on the Road first.
It’s been a good day for new books. I’m hoping you thinks so too.
Adventure. Betrayal. Murder. Dead? Kate Collier refuses to believe her brother and last remaining family member died in the Brazilian rainforest. Determined to find the missing biochemist, she launches an expedition to find him.
A.C. Slader’s past is as dark and turbulent as the Amazon. Consumed with his own problems, when Kate tries hiring him to find her no-doubt deceased brother, he turns her down cold. The last thing he needs is to fight his way through an impassable jungle for a woman who wouldn’t know a stick from a snake. Only when he narrowly rescues her from an attack before she’s even left the relative safety of the town does he realize that without his help, she’ll get herself killed.
Together, they begin a perilous journey that will test the limits of their faith and each other…
*****************
There were a couple of enjoyable new authors in the collections I mentioned yesterday. I was hoping to find more from them to see what a full novel would be like. There was one regular length book at a bargain price (my favorite way to try out unfamiliar authors) which is nice and I’m looking forward to it.
A Long Way to Run
Amazon quote:
Sometimes the path to love is a long way to run…
Olympic-caliber running hopeful Riley Dalton lost his left leg from the knee down in the noblest of ways: saving a trapped woman whose car was engulfed by fire. Years removed from that life-changing moment, he returns home to Dunberry, Michigan, searching for the pathway to a new life.
Riley’s high school sweetheart, Jennifer Bailey, understands the process of reinvention. Heartbreak and corporate theft sent her scampering from New York straight back to her small-town roots. In Dunberry, she’s established a clothing boutique that allows creativity to flow while she regroups.
Reunited, Riley and Jennifer spearhead the creation of a community sponsored running team while they chase demons both physical and emotional. As Riley trains for the Mobility Impaired division of the Boston Marathon, the past rises to haunt him, and a professional opportunity is presented to Jennifer that plays to her goals but endangers everything she’s reestablished with the only man she’s ever loved.
Will love be enough to cover the distance between them?
*******************
I’m currently reading and enjoying
A Scarlet Cord
In the four years since her husband’s death, Melanie LaSalle’s life has beenconsumed with managing the family design firm and caring for her five-year-old daughter, Jerica. The possibility of a new relationship is the last thing on her mind. But when Melanie meets Joel Ellington, a new staff member at her church, she is instantly attracted to his warm spirit. As their friendship deepens, however, Melanie is troubled by something she can’t quite understand or explain. Joel past seems to be off-limits, even to Melanie. Because of her growing feelings for him, Melanie pushes her doubts away. But when Joel disappears, along with the contents of a church bank account, she can no longer ignore her suspicions. Now, torn between her feelings for Joel and the evidence mounting against him, Melanie faces a heart-wrenching decision: to forget the man who gave her reason to love again or to trust Joel enough to give him her heart. Exploring themes of the importance of truth, loyalty, and trust, A Scarlet Cord illustrates that who we truly are depends little on outward appearances and solely on our relationship with God, and on the fact that through faith in Him, we can find places of comfort, healing, and selfless love.
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A Scarlet Cord is a big book, 360 pages, and Deborah Raney is one of the few authors I know who can write a long story and have enough to say to actually pull it off. No filler in her stories, to bulk them up.
It will be interesting to see if I make it through though.
Between work challenges and the disturbing things going on in the world right now it’s difficult to settle down enough to concentrate for any length of time.
Evil has a way of bullying victims into submission and it feels like that’s what’s going on in our world right now. I’m praying evil won’t win. I’m hoping many others are joining in praying this way too.
I don’t know where the threat is coming from or who is behind it but our lives and way of life could depend on the final outcome. We need to be aware and prayerful. I know it’s not just me thinking this way, I’m hearing other sane voices expressing the same concern.
Watch and pray.
If you’ve never prayed and don’t know how. The Creator of the Universe hears every prayer, without exception. Just say what’s in your heart.
I was thinking. Often I make the comment about having no opinion on whether a book is good or not (when it’s something or someone new to me) but I rarely follow up on it after I’ve read the book.
Maybe it’s important or maybe it’s not, I don’t know, but the thought crossed my mind like it should at least be considered. I haven’t decided yet if it really matters but maybe I should comment, in the meantime.
A couple of days ago we had two Christmas collections, each written by the same four authors. I had no opinions then. At this point the read experience is still fresh in my mind and now I do.
I did like both collections. All eight books were good but my favorites were books one and two in each collection.
On reflection, I think it was mostly tone of voice that made the difference for me. Author personality showed through and some were more appealing than others.
Some included an abundance of detail that seemed less than important to the story, and I’m not a fan, so there was that too.
Anyway, I loved half of them and liked all of them.
The common theme running through the eight books was intriguing and did give these collections something to set them apart from the usual Christmas romance stories. It was definitely a cool idea that worked, Kudos for that.
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There are more read & enjoyed to be mentioned but time is running out so I’ll save them for another day.
Sadly, it was a slow day for book suggestions so there’s nothing interesting to share with you. Maybe tomorrow will be better.
In the meantime, if you need something to read and haven’t downloaded these collections check them out, they are probably still at bargain prices and they are worth the read,
For the Love of Books 