BookBub

Free and bargain books May 01, 2023

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This may be a decent book day. It’s starting out well, anyway. Nothing too intense either, with authors I’ve not often read, just once or twice by the looks of it. BookBub suggested this first one.

Who Murdered Mr. Malone? : A Garden Girls Cozy Mystery Series Book 1

Nothing exciting ever happens in the small town of Belhaven. Nothing that is, until a body was found in the woods behind the local elementary school.

With the entire town in an uproar, “Garden Girl” Gloria Rutherford makes it her personal mission to find the killer or killers and solve the mystery with some help from her friends.

With a little amateur detective work, Gloria is able to uncover enough clues that point right to the murderer. She’s about to discover, however, things aren’t always as clear cut as they would appear.

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The second book showed up while browsing. Book 1 in this series showed up for us several years ago.

Summer Nights in Wild Harbor (Wild Harbor Beach Book 2)

They’re opposites in every way. Forced into sharing an office. Can this headstrong pair reconcile their differences and write their own happily ever after—on and off the page?

Journalist Megan Woods knows that fairy tales don’t come true. So when a handsome stranger shows up to rescue her from a blind date gone wrong, she figures there has to be a catch.

Turns out, he’s her newest competition at the newspaper. Megan thinks she has the editor-in-chief position sewn up, until the annoyingly good looking Finn Avery appears to steal her promotion.

As far as she’s concerned, their relationship is strictly business. But Finn is not anything like she expected. She just has to convince her heart not to fall for the enemy.

Finn Avery moved to Wild Harbor as the town’s newest reporter, only to find out he’s been paired with spitfire Megan Woods. His past holds secrets that have taught him not to take a chance on love.

Both fiercely competitive, they’re opposites in every way. But when they’re forced to team up for a story, the sparks fly.

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One last one from a popular well known author this time.

Trail of Evidence: Faith in the Face of Crime (Capitol K-9 Unit Book 3) 

SAVING HIS SON 

Why is a dead woman’s phone—evidence in a murder investigation—in Jonas Parker’s son’s bedroom? Dangerous thugs are after that phone and his terrified teenager, so the single father turns to Capitol K-9 Unit officer Brooke Clark. Years ago, Brooke broke Jonas’s heart without explanation. But he has to trust her and her highly-trained golden retriever to keep his son safe. When the boy goes missing, Jonas and Brooke must make peace with their past to find the teen—before increasingly desperate criminals get to him first. 

Capitol K-9 Unit: These lawmen solve the toughest cases with the help of their brave canine partners.

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OK, I’m done for today.

Bargain books April 21, 2023

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Another good book day.

Expert Witness Rachel Dylan

Sketch artist Sydney Berry has testified in many trials as an expert witness, but nothing could have prepared her for what was next. As a key witness in a high-profile murder case, Sydney is targeted in a drive by shooting on the courthouse steps, putting her life in danger.

United States Marshal Max Preston thinks he knows the real reason why Sydney is in danger, and he fights to get her to safety. Sydney refuses to be a victim and is determined to testify in the murder trial to help secure a conviction. But as the threats keep coming, she has no choice but to accept Max’s offer of protection even if it means learning to trust again because of the dark secrets of her past. As the threats against her life continue to mount, Sydney won’t back down from returning to the courtroom to give her testimony, but is taking the stand worth risking her life?

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There is another one.

Calculated Risk: Christian Romantic Suspense (Triumph Over Adversity Book 1)

He carries the burden of his mistakes.

The wounds on Jason Gonzalez’s body are nothing compared to the ones on his heart. The former Marine avoids getting close to anyone new, especially his gorgeous next-door neighbor. Until he hears a scream coming from her house in the middle of the night.

Her enemies are too numerous to count.

Addison Foster escaped an abusive marriage and has become an advocate for others. When an intruder breaks into her home and nearly kills her, Addison is rescued by an unlikely protector. But the threats against her aren’t over and she needs help.

Danger around every corner.

Jason makes it his mission to keep Addison safe, but keeping her out of his heart proves impossible. As the threats increase, there’s no room for mistakes. Will his calculated risk pay off or will it end in tragedy?

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That’s it for now.

Free book April 20, 2023

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I’m excited. BookBub has a free suggestion, one that has gotten off to a dramatic start. Lots and lots of drama in the first few pages. This one will be next up for sure.

Promise Forever (Harland Creek Series Book 3) 

Growing up in Harland Creek, Gabriela Jackson was the girl all the guys wanted and all the girls wanted to be. Until one tragic night that rocks the entire town and leaves her the object of scorn.
Unable to stay in a place where the entire town hates her, she signs a modeling contract with an elite New York agency just to get away.
She soon discovered the darker side of beauty. After refusing to compromise her morals, she’s labeled as difficult and black balled in the industry. With nowhere else to turn, she returns to Harland Creek. But her homecoming is far from warm.

Judgmental stares. Incessant gossip behind her back. Hurtful preconceived notions. Now, more than ever, Gabriela is determined to prove only she can define who she is as a person.

Colin Bennet left his scandal-riddled family in England to forge his own respectable path in life. The small town charm of Harland Creek seemed the perfect place to open a book store, and focus on penning his first novel. Turns out that second part would be far easier if American women weren’t falling all over him simply because of his accent.

But there is one who seems uninterested in his worldly charms. An intoxicating beauty with razor sharp wit, striking intelligence and a damaged reputation.

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I did check around a little to see if there was something else. Maybe later there might be something, we’ll see.

Free and bargain books April 17, 2023

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Happy Monday! My day is getting off to a good start with a few more book suggestions. BookBub, BookRunes and LPC Free Books have all come through today although two of them suggest the same book. No matter, two works for me.

One book I’ve settled on by virtue of past enjoyment of the author. The other author is new to me but the premise sounds interesting and the price is right, so I’ll take a chance, eyes wide open.

I’ll start with the familiar author. Dan has written many books in my collection but this Joe Boyd series is a first for me. Nice.

An Inconvenient Death (Joe Boyd Suspense Series Book 2)

Lieutenant Joe Boyd takes his family on a much-needed camping trip in the beautiful lakefront woods outside of town. But a leisurely trail walk with Chance, their new dog, goes haywire when he breaks loose. When they finally reach him, he’s digging furiously. What the dog finds, turns their vacation upside down and launches Joe and his partner into a puzzling cold case homicide from the late 1980s.

As they begin to unravel the evidence—aided by two women from a local writer’s group—things point to an unlikely set of culprits. Their identities—if known—would shock the entire town. Some people will do anything to keep a thirty-year-old secret from seeing the light of day.

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So, happily, An Inconvenient Death led me to this next book by another author frequently found on this site. Another welcomed surprise.

Terminal Velocity (Last Chance Downrange Book 4)

Joseph is the name they’ve given him. Before that, he was Casper—a trained killer. Now he’s been sidelined to a summer camp retreat center, and if he doesn’t make this work he’ll get kicked out of the Accountant’s Office program for good. The only problem is this retreat center is a hotbed of decades old mystery and murder—and missing treasure.

Medical Examiner Sarah Carlton wants to make chief. When the boss orders her to take a “vacation” volunteering at the retreat center she’s not exactly jazzed. But she’ll use the down time to work on the drug overdose deaths she’s been puzzled by lately. Until the nightmare from her past shows up in her cabin, and everything crashes in on her.

With Sarah the target of a deadly group, Joseph is the only one with the skills to keep her safe. But how can it possibly all be connected? Is this about a new drug about to hit the market…or decades old missing treasure?

Together they’re going to find out. No matter if it costs them everything.

This stand-alone story is part of the accountant’s office series, Last Chance Downrange.
An all-new setting. An all-new set of characters.

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Following Terminal Velocity, another new book has surfaced from an author also frequently seen here. This is a very good day. I’m thinking, based on recent experience, the memory of it may have to last me for a while.

Relative Justice 

For the attorneys at Cobb and Cobb, the pursuit of justice is about more than legal expertise; it’s a family matter.

David Cobb is not a typical lawyer—he’s more interested in dispensing God’s wisdom than pertinent legal advice. High-stakes litigation is way outside his comfort zone.

For many years Zeke Caldwell has been concocting home remedies made from natural ingredients found in the coastal marshes near Wilmington, North Carolina. One of his remedies proved so effective that he patented it with the help of David’s father. Now he suspects a big drug company has stolen his formula. What he doesn’t know is that the theft has deeper, more evil roots.

When Zeke asks David to help fight the drug company, David knows the suit is beyond his expertise and experience. But his sister-in-law, Katelyn Cobb, is a rising star attorney in a prestigious Washington, DC, law firm. The courtroom is her second home. Could she help? Would she even consider it?

Life’s circumstances compel the lawyers to face, not only patent piracy, but personal obstacles and struggles that threaten to rip apart the fabric of the family. The fight for Zeke requires all the relatives to unite for justice.

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Finally, this is the second free suggestion from the original list. Not sure how this one will pan out but I’m looking forward to trying it out.

Going to the Water 

A Place and a Story That Will Take Your Breath Away

Mama always said our lives were ghost stories—metaphors—to hide the truth behind.

And so begins the struggle Isla Weehunt—wife of wealthy chicken farmer, Scott Weehunt—encounters to keep her family buried in the past and her secrets well hidden. But plans, no matter how well thought out, have a way of taking their own paths.

Isla receives a call late one Friday night that rocks her perfectly crafted life. Velvet, her estranged sister of seventeen years, has died in what appears to be an arson, leaving behind a teenage son, Randal, and a tangled mess of murder and chaos. Isla never thought she would return to Nantahala, to the sweet, rugged gorge of her childhood. And taking her nephew into her life was certainly never on her agenda. The thought of conversing with her mother, devastated by Alzheimer’s, seems out of reach. But there are questions that need answering about Velvet’s death and hidden stories that go back generations.

Isla’s life will change whether she embraces it or not.

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It’s been a good day!

Bargain books today April 12, 2023

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It has been awhile, or at least it seems like it, since we’ve had any new books to download.

BookBub brought this one to us this morning. I’m late noticing it’s a Christmas novel. I don’t think it matters much though, it’s probably not a strong element of the story. Melanie Snitker is on my list of appreciated authors, a definite plus.

Finding Grace: A Single Dad Christmas Romance (Love’s Compass Book 6)

Beth was determined to remain single…until Tyler and his daughter remind her of the family she used to dream of.

Single dad Tyler Martin can’t be more grateful to the woman who finds his missing daughter. Even though he feels a spark between them, falling in love is a risk he shouldn’t take. Too bad chance encounters and his stubborn heart keep trying to convince him otherwise.

After escaping a nightmarish relationship, Beth Davenport is content with her safe and blessedly normal life. Yet something about Tyler and his adorable daughter makes her wish for more. With the walls around her heart finally starting to crumble, she’s afraid of a future she can’t predict.

Can they let go of their fear and trust God to lead them to the love they desperately need?

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Browsing, yielded another interesting find. I’ve read and enjoyed this author once before.

Finding Love in a Stagecoach: An Inspirational Romance Novel 

Sarah Nesmith is the nineteen-year-old daughter of a well-to-do family, beautiful and outspoken, nonetheless respectful of her parents’ wishes. Ever the dutiful daughter, when her father expresses his intentions to marry her into an advantageous marriage, she reluctantly agrees. During her trip to meet her betrothed, she unexpectedly finds herself growing fond of her chivalrous driver, wondering if her fiancé in Texas is anything like him.

Will she let her overflowing emotions shape her destiny?

Tyler Hatfield has given up on marriage, persuaded that no woman is capable of loving him for who he is, but rather for the glowing gold in his pocket. When his father agrees to an arranged marriage, Tyler comes up with a plan to see for himself what kind of woman his wife-to-be really is. He pretends to be nothing more than her stagecoach driver, escorting her to her destination and thus getting to know her true colors. What he discovers turns his world upside down…

Can she be the exception to his rule that will give new life to his withered heart?

Their otherwise uneventful journey is derailed by an attack by outlaws and a kidnapping that threatens Sarah’s safety and Tyler’s only chance to love. In this complicated situation, the two of them must find a way to unfold their hidden feelings and save both their lives and their hearts. Will they survive the dangers and get their happy ending or will they be doomed to a bitter one?

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Another interesting collection showed up for me. All different authors and it’s FREE. 1173 pages, can’t beat that.

Small Town Love Story: 9 Small Town Stories by USA Today Bestselling Authors

Get books in nine different series, from nine amazing, USA Today bestselling authors! In this bundle, you’ll (of course) get small towns and fun side characters, but also diverse, younger, older, military, and SWOON-WORTHY heroes!

Do you love that small-town feel where you know everyone, and everyone knows you? Fit right in with this escape away from city life, where heroes better have manners, the town busybody knows all your business, and every guy has known every girl his whole life. Grab this boxed set and don’t miss SMALL TOWN LOVE STORY!

Whole Latte Love by USA Today Bestselling Author Kari Trumbo:

The Marine’s Marriage by USA Today Bestselling Author Liz Isaacson: 

Not Until Christmas by USA Today Bestselling Author Valerie M. Bodden:

One Thursday Morning by USA Today Bestselling Author T.K. Chapin: 

Her Best Friend by USA Today Bestselling Author Hannah Jo Abbott:

A Thousand Words by USA Today Bestselling Author Mandi Blake:

Rescued By Love by USA Today Bestselling Author Cami Checketts: 

Second Chance Sweethearts by USA Today Bestselling Author Liwen Y. Ho:

Ask You Later by USA Today Bestselling Author Jan Thompson:

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It has turned out to be a good day for new books.

Collections have been a good thing for me lately too. I’ve read and enjoyed most of the first three of four recent downloads and I’m still loving them. I’m a quarter of the way through the third 9 book collection. They are still bargain priced if you are interested.

The current book is called Stolen Secrets: Legacy of Lies.

Fat Tuesday 1972, a floater surfaces in Sheriff Colin McDonald’s parish, south of New Orleans. The body–a Russian diplomat throws local and Federal law enforcement into chaos. Sheriff McDonald isn’t excited to have the FBI stepping into his investigation, but knows his parish doesn’t have the funds to sort out this mess and deal with all the prickly silliness of international negotiations. Jessica Franklin, one of the first female FBI agents, heads the task force looking into the Russian’s death. Jessica is a talented, no nonsense woman, who isn’t sure about this laid-back Cajun sheriff, who calls her Chere, but the man knows his parish and gives her views a fair hearing. Lt. Gabriel Fontenot of the Louisiana State police is also assigned to the task force and runs into an old girlfriend, Amy Prejean, who is working with the Russian Mission on grain shipments. As Gabe, Jessica, and Colin work the case, odd and seemingly unrelated things surface which pull local residents into the tangled web the KGB has created in the Big Easy. With time winding down, the tangled threads of the truth lead to the Prejean warehouse where old sins are revealed… Who will survive the confrontation? And what will the fallout be?

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Happy Reading!

Free and bargain books February 20, 2023

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Good afternoon! At least it is afternoon in my part of the world. Good morning/day/evening/night, to the rest of the world. I can’t seem to help but be aware that life is never in the same time slot for all of us.

Maybe that is a good thing. Noticing there is life outside the confines of my small world.

There are many countries showing up, at one time or another, as viewers of my posts. I enjoy exploring, visiting online maps and pictures, finding information for what to me feels like exotic destinations. It’s amazing how many beautiful places there are in this world of ours.

I’m also aware of the impossibility of ever experiencing all there is to see in real life. One experience drives this fact home for me. In an online search for a small island country in the southern hemisphere I came across a travelogue type video. It was unprofessional, shot by a visiting traveler, which may have added to the feeling of wanting more, so much more.

The area he was visiting was obviously a popular resort area but it was also densely populated with locals. The winding streets were narrow with shoulder to shoulder buildings. The whole island appeared to be inhabited from shore to shore. It was beautiful and interesting. I wanted him to slow down so we could have a better chance to take it all in and at the same time I wanted it to last much longer so we could cover more ground.

I knew for sure in that moment there would be no way in this life time to see everything there is to see in the world. I could also tell that videos are not a bad way to go. It isn’t the same as being there but … more travel miles can be packed into our lifetime if we do it while sitting in front of a screen. No airport waiting rooms, no long road trips, no expensive tickets and hotel rooms.

It will be a while before I forget that video experience.

There is another question coming out of it all, still rattling around in my head. How in the world do they survive on a small relatively flat island, in the middle of the ocean, covered from shore to shore with buildings? What happens when tropical storms arrive? How do they escape destruction? Maybe there is something about the location that deflects the storms? Sheltered in some way by other islands? Maybe they are not in the path of prevailing winds?

I will probably never know the answer but will still wonder.

If I remembered what country it was, I could ask. I think I know but I’m not very sure. I’ve researched too many of them.

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This has turned out to be a rambling post. Must get back to books since we have a few suggestion emails today.

This first one is from BookBub. The first book in this series showed a few months ago and I did read it but don’t remember what I thought about it. She does seem to write on a higher level than some, that is a good recommendation right there.

Unfortunate Homecoming: a clean romantic suspense novel (Jeopardized Reunions) 

Renovating the old family home and living on the quiet Magnolia River in Magnolia Springs, Alabama sounded perfect to Shaun Bartley. But when trespassing treasure hunters threaten not only his life but his ex-wife’s life too, will he fight for what is his or forfeit the fortune in order to save their lives?

After ten years on the Okefenokee Swamp as a fishing guide, Shaun Bartley returns home to conduct tours on the Magnolia River and to renovate his great great-grandfather’s old home. When Deputy Fire Marshal and volunteer fire fighter Sierra Beaumont, Shaun’s ex-wife, warns him about deadly treasure hunters who will kill for a chance to explore his property, he thinks she’s trying to run him out of town. When he discovers she’s pregnant with twins by her recently deceased second husband, Shaun can’t help but want to be there for her. But Sierra’s heart has been broken twice, and she’d rather raise the children alone than be abandoned again.

Shaun must deal with his past and find a way for Sierra to forgive him or risk losing any chance he may have at winning back her heart. Since keeping her safe means keeping her far from his home and the trespassers, yet she is the Fire Marshal assigned to his case, it will take a miracle for them to survive.

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1531 Entertainment has a new Christy Barritt mystery for us.

Not on My Botch (The Worst Detective Ever Book 11)

She never thought she’d have to fight for the leading role in her own life . . .

Actress Joey Darling enjoys playing the part of Detective Raven Remington on her TV show Relentless. But for now, she’s enjoying some downtime with her new husband, Jackson Sullivan.

Joey’s peace is shattered when a woman comes into town, who not only looks and sounds like Joey, but who claims to actually be Joey. The resemblance is uncanny, but Joey has blundered her way through too many real-life episodes to let some impersonator ruin her life. She sets out to unmask this imposter and put an end to the woman’s charade.

But the real-life plot isn’t wrapped up in a nice, tidy bow like on TV. The case of her stolen identity soon turns into a dangerous fight for survival.

Will Joey have the chance to write the script for her own life? Or will her plans be botched one final time?

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One more interesting suggestion showed up in today’s browsing session. An author we see often, including having read the first two books in this series.

Three Missing Days (The Pelican Harbor Series Book 3) 

Police Chief Jane Hardy’s teenage son has been accused of a horrific crime—and three days of Jane’s memories have been stolen from her. In the gripping third installment of the Pelican Harbor series, the truth is finally coming out.

Chief of Police Jane Hardy plunges into the investigation of a house fire that claimed the life of a local woman as well as one of the firefighters. It’s clear the woman was murdered. But why? The unraveling of Jane’s personal life makes answers for the case even more difficult to find.

Then Jane’s fifteen-year-old son is accused of a terrible crime, and she has to decide if she can trust her ex, Reid, to help her prove Will’s innocence—and if she can trust Reid with her heart.

Three days of Jane’s past are missing from her memory, and that’s not all that’s been stolen from her. As she struggles to find the murderer and clear her son’s name, finding out what happened in those three days could change everything.

It all started with one little lie . . . but the truth is finally coming out.

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Still thinking about the questions coming out of the travel video…

Maybe the sight of old well maintained sturdy buildings hugging the shores should be an answer to the question of surviving tropical storms. It doesn’t appear that they have been flattened anytime in recent memory. That right there is a very comforting thought.

Til next time

Happy Reading.

Bargain books and PTSD, January 30, 2023

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We have books. Hopefully more than one. After today’s search.

BookBub has the first good suggestion. We’ve read earlier books in this series so this is a welcome addition to our expanding library.

A Home in Cranberry Cove (Cranberry Cove Series Book 4)

Madison Mitchell will never trust a man again. The love of her life broke her heart and married a French chef. Now she throws herself into her work at The Inn at Cranberry Cove. When she accidentally tangles with the manager of a nearby fishing supply store, she suspects the handsome guy is hiding something.

Micah Collins flees Sacramento seeking solace in the seaside village in Washington state. But he discovers an enemy has followed him to Cranberry Cove. He must endure frightful threats at the same time keeping his previous life secret. When Madison finds herself in danger, Micah blames himself.

Madison and Micah are haunted by someone from Micah’s past, but is the culprit the real enemy or should they look elsewhere? Will they find a future together?

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Next, an interesting book showed up in the suggestion strip. A total change in time period.

A Mosaic of Wings (Dreams of India)

It’s 1885, and all Nora Shipley wants, now that she’s graduating from Cornell University as valedictorian of the entomology program, is to follow in her late father’s footsteps by getting her master’s degree and taking over the scientific journal he started. The only way to uphold her father’s legacy is to win a scholarship, so she joins a research expedition in Kodaikanal, India, to prove herself in the field.

India isn’t what she expects, though, and neither is the rival classmate who accompanies her, Owen Epps. As her preconceptions of India–and of Owen–fall away, she finds both far more captivating than she expected. Forced by the expedition leader to stay at camp and illustrate exotic butterflies the men of the team find without her, Nora befriends Sita, a young Indian girl who has been dedicated to a goddess against her will.

In this spellbinding new land, Nora is soon faced with impossible choices–between saving Sita and saving her career, and between what she’s always thought she wanted and the man she’s come to love.

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1531 Entertainment has a suggestion that I want to be next up on my reading list. I’m hooked from the beginning.

Dangerous Beauty: A Novel 

Liliana Vela hates the term victim. She’s not a victim, she’s a fighter. Stubborn and strong with a quiet elegance, she’s determined to take back her life after escaping the clutches of human traffickers in her poor Mexican village. But she can’t stay safely over the border in America–unless the man who aided in her rescue is serious about his unconventional proposal to marry her.

Meric Toledan was just stopping at a service station for a bottle of water. Assessing the situation, he steps in to rescue Liliana from traffickers. If he can keep his secrets at bay, his wealth and position afford him many resources to help her. But the mysterious buyer who funded her capture will not sit idly by while his prize is stolen from him.

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It has turned out to be a very good book day and I’m one happy book lover, I have to say.

I may even be tempted to speed quickly through the current read to get to this new book just a little sooner.

Temperatures have dropped and the sun is shining brilliantly. It hard not to look up on a day like today. The sunshine provides a good blow to the winter doldrums, cabin fever, and all that.

Have a great reading day. I certainly plan to.

I’m still here, thinking on this last book and why it appeals to me so much.

I’m guessing the short answer could be that a strong, abused and vulnerable woman has been rescued by a resourceful, compassionate, but deeply angry man. Rescued being the operative word.

Probably because of any word that could be applied to my life, rescued is the very first word on the thankful list. To be honest, I haven’t really considered the idea in much depth, until now, thinking about this new book. But it’s true. When ever the subject of my early life comes up, the very first thought always is, where would my brothers and I have been if we were not rescued as pre-teens.

I do think of my life in depth at times, when it seems appropriate. Much healing has come from being willing to face the terror of my past.

The other day I was thinking about how far I’ve come in this journey. I’m not that little girl any more.

And yet the healing is incomplete, the damage runs deep and there is residue that will go with me to the grave.

I’m grateful for the rescue, I’m grateful for the major healing gained over many decades. I still don’t lead the life of a normal woman but close enough.

Besides, what is normal anyway?

Free book January 23, 2023

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We have another FREE book. BookBub is making the suggestion this time. It has a short time frame so we need to move quickly to get in on the good deal.

Bridges by Deborah Raney

Facing an empty nest for the first time since the death of her husband, Dan, three years ago, Tess Everett immerses herself in volunteer work for the Winterset public parks, home of the famous covered bridges of Madison County, Iowa. But when former resident J.W. McRae shows up at one of the bridges with paintbrushes and easel, sparks fly—because J.W. was once married to Tess’s late friend Char. Worse, J.W. was a deadbeat dad to Char’s son, Wynn—then a college student—who Tess and Dan took under their wings after his mom’s death.


J.W. hopes to make amends with his son now that there’s a new little granddaughter in the picture. But when Tess agrees to rent the backyard garage apartment to J.W., hoping to be a bridge to reconcile father and son, sparks of a different kind are kindled. As their friendship grows, Tess and J.W. must discover if what they have together is worth rearranging their entire lives for. And whether they can build bridges that will mend broken relationships.

Bridges is quintessential Deborah Raney: small town charm, a gentle, compelling love story, and enchanting secondary characters.

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I did do a little browsing but nothing else new stood out for me.

Tomorrow maybe.

Happy Reading!

Free book December 29, 2022

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Good morning! What are the chances! We have good book suggestions today from two sources and – wouldn’t you know – they are the same. It is usual for them to mention the same book, just not on the same day.

I’ve read the long sample and now I have to read the rest. A nice problem to have in my estimation.

Come Next Winter: An Inspirational Romance (Seasons of Change Book 1)

Can love triumph over tragedy and bring joy amid winter?

When unexpected tragedy hits her family, Carol Mason struggles to forge a new life for herself and her sons. Though Vermont has been their home for twenty years, betrayal and misunderstanding force Carol to leave the mountains she loves and return to her hometown of Apache Pointe, Arizona. There she is welcomed by scorching heat, lizards, scorpions, and (gulp) Aunt Penny. Carol finds a sympathetic friend in her cousin Millie as she does her best to put the pieces of her shattered life back together. But her prayers for guidance and a decent place to live away from Aunt Penny’s disapproving eye go unanswered. Has God turned a deaf ear to her just when she needs Him the most?

The answer might be found in the handsome pastor of her family’s church. Frank is everything she would look for in a spouse. If she were looking. Which she is not. Especially when she discovers that Cousin Millie has set her hopes on becoming the pastor’s next wife. Aunt Penny’s outrageous attempts to ensure that Millie wins Frank’s heart bring Carol’s past crashing into her present, and might destroy any chance she has at a happy future.

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I think the main draw of this book is that it is well written. I could be wrong but I’m thinking that any story could be interesting if it is well written.

Hmmm. This bears thinking about. This is a new thought, one I haven’t considered from all angles. It sounds like it could be true.

You know the old line, he could sell _____ to a ______. Fill in the blanks with your favorite example of impossible sells. He’s basically selling a story, a well told, convincing story. If such a thing is possible then well written should equal awesome no matter what the story line.

This would be an interesting challenge. Take a boring concept and write a story that people want to read. Prove the point if it can be done.

Maybe well written is relative. It is possible there are works that could be considered well written while they are totally boring.

But then boring could also be considered relative. There is no accounting for taste. What is fascinating to one can be deadly boring to another. How often do you want to read a 1000 page tome on the characteristics of some totally obscure microscopic topic? A few of you will say pretty often.

Maybe it’s fair to say that well written can make any subject/idea/story fascinating to someone somewhere.

I’m needing to camp on this thought for a bit.

I’ll be back with more bargains if I see any pop up later.

Happy Reading!

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?

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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.