Free and bargain books November 05, 2020

November 5, 2020 / For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

I can’t believe how quickly the days are marching by. Nov 5th already, yikes. Christmas will be here next week at this rate.

I think a contributing factor to this sense of speed is books. When you’re lost in a book three hours feels like fifteen minutes. You finally look up, check the clock and realize the afternoon is half over, okay, mostly over, and you missed it all.

I wouldn’t change a thing. Anyway, let’s get on with the search here.

BookBub has a FREE suggestion for us. A collection of five books. Looks interesting.

Books 1-5 Collection : After, New Beginnings & The Excellence Club Christian Inspirational Series (Abundant Hope Book 1)

Amazon quote:

Book 1 – AFTER – Candace had a stunning voice but he plotted her downfall and the loss of her faith. When she falls before thousands, will shame win, or will her newfound faith in Jesus build her a new platform?

Book 2 – JABEZ – Born into a family where support was lacking, will his dreams fall before it began? Or will an encounter with a pastor change the direction of his life and destiny?

Book 3 – AFTER 2 – Blinded by tears, broken by rejection, and caught at her wits end, Blossom mistakenly plunges her car into the Potomac River and isn’t sure whether she will survive. Will she drown or can she be rescued before it’s too late? Will she trust God to carve her a fresh start while sinking to the bottom of the Potomac?

Book 4 – AFTER 3 – Harboring a secret that torpedoed every chance at finding love, can she trust God to lead someone who accepted her…including her challenge? His grief for a tragedy soured his choice to live. After his chance encounter with her, a future filled with sorrow seemed like a choice. Would he accept hope?

Book 5 – HER UNDYING FAITH – Sharon Parsons is no stranger to being different. However, she did not expect to fall in love with a man who not only didn’t share her faith, but any faith at all. When her heart gets deeply in love, and their faith differences more stark and impossible to ignore, what ends – his faithlessness or their marriage?

Dive into this beloved series by USA Today bestselling author Joy Ohagwu, hailed as a top 17 Christian Fiction Author, stories applauded by thousands, and hope-filled adventure and don’t stop until you flip the last page.

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On the lighter side, maybe, there is a bargain Christmas Romance collection in the lineup. I think I’ve read some of these authors in other collections but I’m not sure. This will be an adventure.

Something Borrowed: Christmas Weddings Collection

Amazon quote:

Old friends, new loves, and a borrowed tiara.

Always Been Yours by Jaycee Weaver — Hanady’s planning her dream wedding, but her injured best friend Keenan isn’t the groom. If she can’t see she’s marrying the wrong guy soon, his leg won’t be the only thing broken.

All the Moore by Toni Shiloh — Leilah Anderson has been living behind the screen to hide her disability, then she meets Reggie Moore face-to-face. Can their relationship survive the truth and distance between them?

A Holly, Bolly Christmas by Mikal Dawn — A dream wedding venue at Christmas? Sign Chahna Kapoor up. Even if her fiancé doesn’t know it…

Somehow, This Christmas by Teresa Tysinger — When not-so-merry mishaps threaten wedding planner Cate Forsyth’s holiday wedding and reputation, will her own happily ever after with sweetheart Noah Bennett melt away?

A Promise So Sweet by Andrea Boyd — Lydia Osborn hasn’t heard from her ex in ten years, so imagine her surprise when he shows up proposing marriage. Tis the season for love?

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I’m currently reading, enjoying, and almost finished …

Cape Corral Keeper (Saltwater Cowboys Book 3)

They agreed to marry. But they never agreed to fall in love.

When Cape Corral Fire Chief Dillon McGrath saves a woman wearing a wedding dress from drowning, he knows he’ll have a great story to tell the guys at the station later. He never expected to get personally involved in the woman’s plight to stay alive.

Gracie Loveland had no choice but to run only moments before saying “I do” to her manipulative fiancé. Staying would have ultimately meant her death at the hands of the cruel man. Desperation, along with a dormant feistiness, surfaces as she fights to survive.

Only one plan might keep Gracie safe and help Dillon preserve the island’s wild horses. The idea seems crazy, but Dillon and Gracie can think of no other options. However, a foe from Gracie’s past is closing in, determined to get what he wants regardless of whose life he destroys in the process.

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This has been a good day for books. I hope you are finding something you like in this new selection.

I think it’s time to go read a little before lights out, find out how it all ends.

Happy Reading to you too.

Read and Enjoyed – end of October edition

November 2, 2020 / For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

It’s time once again for Read & Enjoyed.

This first one was a five star favorite. It is still available at the bargain price too.

Magnolia Storms (Coastal Hearts Book 1)

Maggie Marovich couldn’t save her father or her home from Hurricane Katrina, but she’s dedicated her life to meteorology so she can warn others when the monster storms approach. Except…she works three hours inland and rarely risks returning to her childhood hometown of Ocean Springs, Mississippi. Both her single-parent sister and the ship pilot Maggie once loved refused to leave the Coast, despite Maggie’s requests. Now a hurricane’s headed toward Mississippi, and Maggie’s sister is seriously injured, leaving Maggie little choice but to head south—into the storm.

The water and tides flow through Josh Bergeron’s veins, and he can’t imagine giving up piloting—even for the love of his life, the infuriating Magnolia Marovich. He tried to move on without her, marrying and having a child. But after his wife abandons him and his little boy, his career choice is threatened by the weight of his parental responsibilities. Moving next door to Maggie’s sister and sharing their child care seems like the perfect set-up. Until Maggie blows back into town.

Being forced to lean on Josh for help washes up the wreckage in Maggie’s faith. Where was God during the destruction of Katrina? Why do some prayers seem to go unanswered? Between the hurricane looming in the Gulf and another gale raging in her heart, can Maggie overcome her past and find the trust to truly live?

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Ever Caring (Family Promises Book 1)

He lost his wife.

She gave up her baby.

Can these troubled souls find true love beneath their secrets?

Attorney Tate Truscott is ready for a fresh start with his grief-stricken daughter. After the widower and his eight-year-old move to a new town, he hopes creating a commemorative photo album will help ease the girl’s suffering. But when she makes fast friends with the scrapbook shop owner who is helping her with the album, Tate is stunned to find himself attracted to the kind woman.

Renee Albertson is guilt-ridden over the accident that crippled her mother and forced her to give up her newborn for adoption. Desperate to sell everything to finance her mom’s experimental treatment, Renee’s torn when a handsome dad and his melancholy daughter come to her store for help. And as the grieving pair find their way into her heart, she wonders if she’ll ever have the family of her dreams.

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This was also a favorite. It is called a cozy mystery, and it is, but there is a sober vein running through it adding depth and interest.

The Thing about Mustard Seeds: A Cozy Christian Romance

They watched a man die.

It’s been many years since Gentry and Rosling visited their hometown. It’s been even longer since they spoke to each other. When they were only children, they witnessed a murder. The pain of that day drove a wedge between them and has haunted them ever since.

Now, Gentry is the pastor of the local church—the same church where Rosling has taken over her dying grandmother’s duties. Together again in their small Southern town, the two adults wrestle with their faith. Gentry’s faith is strong, while Rosling struggles to believe at all. As they come face-to-face with the pain of their childhoods, they must learn how to be whole again, even when healing seems impossible.

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More …

A Wish for Christmas (The Happy Holidays Series Book 3)

Seasoned: A Love Story

Ruby Jane: The Montana Marshalls

Flight Risk

Breakwater Protector (Saltwater Cowboys Book 2)

This Quiet Sky

Melodies of Christmas Love: A Boxed Set Collection

Mistletoe and Murder: A Christmas Suspense Collection

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I’m currently reading and enjoying …

Jane: A Fierce Heart (Harvey Girls Book 3)

Independent, red-haired Jane Harris is twenty years old in 1917 when war breaks out and changes her life. In her hometown of Beaumont, Virginia, she does her best to be a good sister, a good daughter, and to volunteer however she can for the war effort.
But it’s not enough. Her brothers, many of her friends, and the man she loves are gone to France, and Jane needs to do more than knit socks for them. She needs to be busy. She needs to leave home. Luckily, her mother understands, and soon Jane is interviewing to be a Harvey Girl.

The job comes with challenges she has never before experienced. Far away from home, she must stand against her adversaries, and sometimes against her friends. She will have to work hard to achieve things that come easily to those around her, but luckily she will learn that character triumphs over talent, especially when times are hard.

Watching a new world unfold all around her, Jane realizes she is changing too. Will she recognize the difference between childhood devotion and true love? Will she choose the man who can give her the love she deserves? And will he make it home safely?

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Happy Reading!

Free and bargain books October 20, 2020

October 20, 2020 / For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

BookRunes has a FREE Christmas suggestion by an author I’ve never read. I always (or mostly always) read the first few pages just to get an idea of what I’m in for. Sometimes I get the wrong idea but more often than not it turns out well and I’m left feeling glad about saying yes.

All that to say, I’m taking a chance on both of these books, just for starters. I say that because if I say only two then something else will be sure to show up before we’re done and I’ll be a liar and have to change this paragraph.

A Wish for Christmas (The Happy Holidays Series Book 3)

Amazon quote:

Heat Level: Low
Laugh Level: High

More than anything, India Ramone wants to give her daughter, her younger brother, and her elderly grandfather a Christmas they deserve. After the death of her mother, the last two years have been rough and money is tight. A full-time nursing student, she feels her prayers have been answered with the temporary job of personal assistant to John Laurencelli. The billionaire is rumored to be demanding and difficult but India soon realizes there’s more to him than bad press and weapons-grade dangerous good looks. But with everything on her plate, she doesn’t have time to be falling for her new boss.

John Laurencelli lives, eats, and breathes his business and making money. For his own reasons, he’s avoided Christmas for two decades. But it’s proving difficult this year when his new assistant wears vintage holiday aprons, hums Christmas tunes, and likes to spread good cheer. Despite his determination not to celebrate the season, it isn’t long before India opens his eyes to what’s missing in his life.

Can they overcome their fears and misgivings to make it a truly wonderful Christmas for each other?

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This next one comes via BookBub, it’s a bargain and a complete change of pace. The first was lighthearted. This one is not. But it does come highly recommended. I think I may have read this author once before but I’m not really sure.

Someone to Blame

Amazon quote:

When a stranger wanders into a small coastal town, crimes suddenly multiply. Everyone is eager to find someone to blame . . .

In the wake of heartrending family tragedies, Matt and Irene Moore move with their fourteen-year-old daughter, Casey, to a small town. Their goal is to get far away from the daily reminders that leave each of them raw and guilt-ridden. Their hope is to find redemption, repair, and renewal. Instead, the threads that hold them together unravel even more. Breakers, a small community perched on the rocky coast of the Pacific Northwest, is draped with cold isolation that seems to mirror the hearts.

For the Moore family, blame is personal, harsh, and merciless … as their lives become entangled with this drifter and they have to face the truths they desperately want to hide from.

As they settle into their new life, old grief settles with them. Matt is always on edge and easily angered, Irene is sad and pensive, and Casey is confused and defiant. They’ve once more set the stage for calamity. Into this mix comes Billy Thurber, a young drifter with his own conflicts, whose life unexpectedly entangles with the Moores’. His arrival in Breakers parallels a rash of hateful and senseless crimes, and soon the whole town – eager for someone to blame – goes after Thurber with murderous intent.

Out of this dangerous chaos, however, the Moores find unexpected grace and healing in a most unlikely way. Author C. S. Lakin explores our need to assign reason and fix blame for the pain and grief in our lives. Though the circumstances are fictional, the emotions are real and universal, making Someone to Blame a great and inspiring read.

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Yesterday This Quiet Sky was one of our downloads and I said it would be next in line on my reading list – if I still remembered by the time I got to it.

I did get to it before I forgot. I made a special point of it

It wasn’t a long read. And I loved every minute of it, even though tissues were needed often. The author is amazing with this heart wrenching story. Her telling is so beautiful even while it makes you cry.

I would urge you to read it, it is worth every one of the five stars I gave it. A story that will touch you on such a deep and profound level does not come along very often.

This Quiet Sky

Amazon quote:

There is nothing extraordinary about Tucker O’Shay’s dreams.
Go to college. Become president. Fall in love.
And pretend like he has enough time to get it all done.

Sixteen-year-old Sarah Miller doesn’t expect anything out of the ordinary when she begins her first day at the one-room-school house in her new hometown of Rocky Knob. But when she meets seventeen-year-old Tucker O’Shay—the boy with the fatal illness who volunteers to tutor her in algebra—she finds herself swept up in a friendship that changes the way she sees the world and a love that changes her life.

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I would tell you what I’m reading now except it feels wrong to change the mood. I want to feel the memory of This Quiet Sky a little while longer.

Next time.

Read and enjoyed – middle of October 2020 edition

October 13, 2020 / For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

It`s time once again to clear out my read & enjoyed folder.

This first one was an excellent read and it is still a bargain, grab it quick before it goes away.

Rescued by the Hero: (Heroes of Freedom Ridge Book 1)

The hardest part about this fake relationship is hiding it from her brother. Especially when it doesn’t feel fake.

Joanna Drake can’t wait to escape to Freedom Ridge for the holidays. She needs to put hundreds of miles between her and her creepy coworker who won’t seem to take no for an answer. When she runs into her brother’s best friend at the ski resort, every relationship gets complicated.

Aiden Clark is shocked to find out that his best friend brought his little sister along on vacation, especially when he finds himself interested in getting to know her. When she asks him to play along as her boyfriend to ward off an unwanted pursuer, he wholeheartedly agrees despite his friend’s warnings to stay away from her.
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Another one thoroughly enjoyed.

Blue Columbine: (Grace Revealed Book 1)

Best friends—maybe more—until addiction shatters everything.
Andrew Harris needs a fresh start. His alleged drinking problem cost him his job, sending him back to his childhood home in Colorado. Discovering his childhood sweetheart is still there—and still the girl he’d adored—Andrew gains new confidence that he’ll overcome the failings that had caused his downfall before.

Jamie Carson values her faith above all else. However, the loss of her mother has opened a nagging loneliness. After reuniting with Andrew—a boy she thought she’d once loved—the ache of solitude subsides, though his rejection of the faith she thought they’d shared is troubling.

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One more favorite. It is still a bargain too.

Behind the Lies (The Northern Lights Book 2)

With nowhere else to go but a house bequeathed to her from an old friend, Olivia Morgan finds herself back in Oak River. The small town holds memories of abuse, neglect, and sorrow, but also stirs up longings she’d thought were long buried.

She thinks she can live in seclusion, but resisting the kindness of an elderly neighbor, her tenacious younger sister, and the magnetic attraction of the most handsome man she’s ever seen, is undoing the best of intentions.

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I have a large handful still needing to be mentioned but for space reasons we need to move right along. I`m really sorry about that. Covers only for these ones.

I really liked the first two, that`s why they are at the top of this section.

(please excuse the apostrophe, it is doing something weird and I do not know how to fix it.)

I enjoyed the rest of them too. Some a little more than others but….

I decided not to mention the few I didn`t like. The rest are all worth mentioning.

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I`m currently reading and enjoying a ten book collection and it is still a bargain. Grab it quick. I think you will like it.

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Happy Reading everyone.

Free and bargain books October 10, 2020

October 10, 2020 / For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

10/10, 2020 I just had to say it, I like how it sounds.

So, moving right along to more important topics, BookRunes has a FREE suggestion for us today. (After all, what could be more important than books.)

It’s a tiny bit early for Christmas but in my mind it’s never too early. A welcome suggestion anytime of year.

Silent Stars of Bethlehem (O Little Town of Christmas)

Amazon quote:

From the time she was a child, Carly Shepherd has gazed at the silent stars in the night sky of her home town of Bethlehem, North Carolina. With her childhood overshadowed by her father’s abandonment and mother’s alcoholism, she wonders how anyone can believe in an equally silent God. After all, she’s not felt his presence any more than her earthly father. Though she remembers Christmas pageants and attending church as a child, she no longer has any use for what she considers fairy tales.

Drew Middleton is seeking shelter from a rain storm when he walks into Carly’s vendor tent at a fall festival, but he’s quickly taken with the talented artist and her creations. Feeling an instant connection, Carly is confused by her feelings, especially when she realizes his spiritual commitment.

Dealing with a wayward brother and career opportunities that may require relocation, Drew knows now is not the best time to begin a relationship, especially with someone who doesn’t share his faith.

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An interesting bargain shows up unexpectedly.

By all appearances I thought this was going to be another one-book day. It’s not. Awesome.

Rescued by the Hero: (Heroes of Freedom Ridge Book 1)

Amazon quote:

The hardest part about this fake relationship is hiding it from her brother. Especially when it doesn’t feel fake.

Between hiding their fake relationship from her brother and flaunting it in front of her pursuer, Aiden and Joanna find themselves wishing the relationship was as real as it seems under the mistletoe. When their ruse is exposed and Joanna is in danger, Aiden will have to put it all on the line to bring her home.

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I’m currently reading & enjoying the book that led me to the one above.

I had to go back to the Amazon site to find the description for the current read and low and behold, a visit to the suggestion strip paid off this time.

The current read is still a bargain if you hurry.

Not Until Someday: (Hope Springs Book 7)

Amazon quote:

After spending the past five years caring for her ill grandfather, Grace Calvano is eager to honor his memory by turning his stately old house in Hope Springs into a bed-and-breakfast. All she has to do is fend off her mama, who keeps pressuring her to come home to Tennessee, marry the new youth pastor, and start raising a passel of children. Sure, Grace wants to settle down and marry someday. But only when God sees fit to send Mr. Right her way. Until then, she’s content to wait.

After a career- and relationship-ending injury, former NFL quarterback Levi Donovan is sure his someday has already come and gone. Returning to Hope Springs for the summer to help out at his dad’s construction company is not his idea of a bright future. But maybe it will be a chance to make up for lost time with his brother—and to make his dad proud at last.

The day Levi shows up to help renovate her bed-and-breakfast, Grace is sure of one thing—she and God must have gotten their wires crossed when she asked him to send Mr. Right to her doorstep. Because the motorcycle-riding, football-playing bad boy is the very definition of Mr. Wrong.

But as they get to know one another, Grace is challenged to rethink everything she thought she wanted. Can she and Levi move past their own plans to let God give them the someday neither has dared to hope for?

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I’m off to the store for birthday cards, dinner rolls, and whatever else I can find while I’m at it.

Happy Reading…

on this cool but blue skied, sunshiny day.

Excellent bargain books October 09, 2020

October 9, 2020 / For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

To start us off, 1531 Entertainment has some bargain suggestions.

One Royal Christmas: A Heartwarming Holiday Romance

Amazon quote:

His Majesty Jonah Harrison Archer Davies VI has just endured the worst year of his life . . . and he’s convinced he’s no longer fit to rule Concordia. Not now . . . but maybe someday. Taking advantage of an obscure law that allows him to temporarily abdicate his throne, he transfers short-term power to his younger brother and retreats to Tinsel, Vermont. Perhaps in this tucked-away town, with its enchanting Christmas decorations and unusual media ban, Jonah will discover the peace and privacy he needs to heal, find his vision for his country . . . and somehow believe himself worthy of the crown.

Eight years ago, Rowan Bell dropped out of college and sacrificed her dream of traveling the world to keep a promise to her dying grandmother–to care for Tinsel’s charming library. But the antiquated Cape Cod cottage that has housed the library for decades is falling apart around her, and Tinsel’s city leaders have arranged to relocate the library. Desperate to keep her grandmother’s legacy alive–and hopefully hush the longings of her restless heart in the process–Rowan hatches a plan to preserve the historic house. Help comes in the most unexpected form when a handsome bookworm–a king!–appears in Rowan’s life.

Drawn together under Tinsel’s Christmastime spell, Rowan and Jonah work to secure the library’s future, even as they grapple with all the uncertainty in their own futures. But when a national crisis calls Jonah home, it’s not only his claim to the throne that’s in danger, but their two hearts which had only begun to hope again.

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Behind the Lies (The Northern Lights Book 2)

Amazon quote:

Pulled into using her artistic talents to help the police in the disappearance of a young violin player, Olivia finds that reconnecting with the canvas and her camera might just be the lifeline she needs to survive coming home.

Will old enemies and new ones drive her over the edge, or can she finally make peace with the past and see beauty spring up from the ashes?

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Following the suggestion string on Amazon, a few more excellent bargain choices popped up. I don’t think they will last long so jump quickly before the good prices disappear.

Not Until Someday: A Christian Romance (Hope Springs Book 7)

Amazon quote:

She’s waiting for her someday. He thinks his has already come and gone.

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Once a Thief: An International Christian Romantic Suspense (Protector Sweethearts Book 1)

Amazon quote:

She sets a thief to catch a thief. Will he also steal her heart?
Private investigator Helen Hu must team up with reformed art thief Reuben Costa to rescue her mother, who has vanished while trying to make amends for stealing some bejeweled eggs connected to the Amber Room.

Set in Greece and Italy, Once a Thief is Book 1 in USA Today bestselling author Jan Thompson’s Protector Sweethearts Christian romantic suspense series of books that showcase Private Investigator Helen Hu, her associates, and friends. This collection is a spinoff of Jan’s Savannah Sweethearts beach romance and Vacation Sweethearts travel romance collections.

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I’m so excited. Every book is new to me this time. I’ve not seen or read any of them before and I can hardly wait.

I’m hoping you will find some great choices here too.

It’s Friday….

Happy Reading

…for the weekend… and everyday, really.

Bargain books September 28, 2020

September 28, 2020 / For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

A promised, here is the intriguing collection I came across in my searches yesterday. It seemed like a good idea at the time to save it and spread the wealth around a bit today instead. Why hog it all when it’s thoughtful and kind to share.

‘I Choose You’ Contemporary Christian Romance Collection

Amazon quote:

7 Full-Length Novels!

Come Next Winter by Deborah Dulworth and Linda Hanna

When tragedy hits, Carol struggles to forge a new life. She finds a friend in her cousin Millie as she puts the pieces of her shattered life back together.

Frank, a local pastor, is everything she would look for in a spouse. If she were looking. But she discovers that Millie has set her hopes on becoming the pastor’s wife. Aunt Penny’s outrageous attempts to ensure that Millie wins Frank’s heart might destroy any chance she has at a happy future. Can love find a way to break through?

Runaway Romance by Miralee Ferrell

Ann Stanway had it all—a reality show and a sparkling future. Until that life no longer existed. She flees L.A., lands in Kentucky at an Amish inn, and realizes what was missing–peace, friendship and a man who accepts her for who she is–or who he thinks she is.

Hunter is intrigued by the woman staying at the inn. Annie is secretive and won’t open up. He’s been burned by a woman before. His interest in Ann grows, and the attraction is mutual—Dare he risk his heart, when he’s sure Ann is keeping secrets? Or will Ann run again?

Finding Love in Friday Harbor, Washington by Annette M. Irby

Professor Mikaela Rhoads wants to help an old friend’s whale touring business stay afloat. The challenge? The tour captain is her first love and ex-fiancé, Hunter Cahill. Mikaela longs to help, but she’s keeping secrets. She’ll have to face her past to make it through the summer.

Hunter has taken over the family touring business. He’s drowning in debt and hoping the incoming professor will resurrect the business, but he’s not prepared when it turns out to be his former fiancée. How much will it cost him to spend the summer romancing Mikaela?

A Love to Treasure by Kimberly Rose Johnson

Nicole’s Grandmother’s final wish lands Nicole in a mysterious scavenger hunt. She finds a fellow sleuth in handsome police officer, Mark Stone. Mark is hoping for a quiet summer in Sunriver as he considers his future in law enforcement.
To complicate matters, Nicole is in danger, and Mark knows his growing feelings for her could cloud his judgment. Will their differing career goals be the end of their summer romance—or just the beginning of forever after?

An Anchor on Her Heart by Patricia Lee

McKenna, abandoned by her husband for his work, is left alone to raise their autistic child. When circumstances drive a wedge in their marriage and Dane chooses to escape, how long can she be strong? Can she remain faithful to her marriage vows when tempted by the friendship of an unlikely stranger?
Rudy Taylor, who senses McKenna’s loneliness, struggles to keep his concern for the young woman pure. Will McKenna’s faith in God and Rudy’s commitment to his Lord keep their relationship simple until McKenna’s husband one day returns?

The Broken Trail by Christa MacDonald

Katherine takes a job in smalltown Maine to break away from the toll of secrets she’s buried. With evidence of shady dealings on her job, there’s nothing relaxing about it. Maybe it would be easier if she wasn’t so distracted by Captain MacAlister.

Mac has enough to deal with from poachers to drug crime. But when he meets Katherine, he’s drawn in by her intelligence and strength, despite getting burned by her quick temper. If only their scars didn’t threaten to tear them apart. Two wary hearts must soften to have any hope of making it down the broken trail to love.

Finding Love in Eureka, California by Angela Ruth Strong

Raised in a family of adopted siblings, Genevieve works to keep her family together. If she isn’t good enough to keep her parents from giving her up then no way she’ll be enough to have a lasting relationship.

Matt’s life is easy until he starts hanging out with Genevieve more than his girlfriend. He tells himself he’s intrigued by Gen’s quirkiness, but nobody makes him smile the way she does. Can Matt give up his plan and Gen risk her heart?

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Many of these authors are new to me but not all. And, I’ve previously read one of the books. It’s still win/win though, to find a collection with six new-to-me books.

It turned out to be a good thing I waited with this collection. Nothing else has presented itself today.

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Currently, I’m between books again. I’m thinking about starting The Christmas Challenge. It’s still a bargain if you would like to read along.

The Christmas Challenge: (Serendipity Christmas Series Book 1)

Donovan Harper and Claire Morgan are more successful as co-owners of a thriving advertising agency in quaint Serendipity, Pennsylvania, than they were at navigating their romantic relationship.

When an eccentric client makes an unusual request, Donovan convinces Claire their agency should participate in Serendipity’s annual Christmas Challenge. With contests and activities ranging from The Snowflake Plunge, candy cane making, snowman building, wreath and tree decorating, and a snowmobile race, could this be the opportunity Donovan has prayed for to win back the love of his life?

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Happy Reading

Bargain books September 27, 2020

September 27, 2020September 27, 2020 / For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

The challenge today was finding bargain books for some of the new authors from yesterday. There was a pre-order bargain offer for a seven book Christmas Romance collection. Two of the authors were familiar to me – today I wanted to find what I could about the other five.

Finding more was not as easy as one might think. A search by name on Amazon may or may not give accurate results. And it’s not easy wading through all the unrelated material invariably coming up along with the information I do want. It’s frustrating, truth be told.

Maybe there is a way to narrow the search to the one name I’m looking for but I haven’t discovered what that is yet. I’ll have to dig a little on that. If there isn’t a way and Amazon is listening, (they could be, you never know. Big Brother and all that) it’s on my wish list.

It turns out, some of the five authors are more prolific than others and it was easier to find more for them. This book is one of the more. Awesome cover.

The Christmas Challenge: (Serendipity Christmas Series Book 1)

Amazon quote:

Donovan Harper and Claire Morgan are more successful as co-owners of a thriving advertising agency in quaint Serendipity, Pennsylvania, than they were at navigating their romantic relationship.

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While I was researching The Christmas Challenge I happened upon a Lyn Cote book I haven’t read. I’m not sure it’s wise to add it to my steadily growing TBR list but I want to, so I guess I will.

Bitter Autumn: Clean Romance and Mystery (Northern Shore Intrigue Book 2)

Amazon quote:

Vengeance can be dangerous~

Grey Lawson returns home after serving a seven-year sentence for vehicular homicide while under the influence. The only reason he’s coming home to Winfield is to care for his great-aunt Elsie who raised him. He can’t believe that he didn’t realize seven years ago that everything he did affected this good woman. But now will his return cause her more trouble in the small Lake Superior town?

Trish Franklin, the first female deputy in the county, walks a tightrope too. As a law officer, she should see Grey only as an ex-con. On the other hand, she is the niece of the man Grey’s reckless action killed. As unlikely as it is, Trish finds herself attracted to Grey. He always seems to appear when she needs him to help with her family which is in crisis.

As she finds herself drawn to this good, repentant man, she faces the challenge of dealing with her intractable, bitter father. And a rash of copycat accidents in the eerie fog-shrouded evenings mimic Grey’s original crime. People wonder is Grey acting out some sick compulsion of his own. How can Trish solve this series of near fatal accidents before someone is seriously injured or killed? And sort out her feelings for the man her father hates?

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An intriguing seven book collection popped up while I was researching JoAnn Durgin but I think I’m going to save it for tomorrow. Spread out the wealth a bit.

Today is story prompt day (Sunday Scribblings) and I have a small idea. It is not fiction and may involve a picture or two.

In the meantime …

Happy Reading!

Bargain books September 26, 2020

September 26, 2020 / For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

There is a new Christmas Romance Collection available for pre-order, it will be out October 20th at the low price of $0.99. I’m excited because there are seven books and all but two are written by authors new to me.

Melodies of Christmas Love: A Boxed Set Collection of Contemporary Christmas Romance Novellas

Amazon quote:

The Heart of Christmas – Lynnette Bonner

When Wynn Mason sees police lights at Misty Cove’s one-and-only bar, she goes inside to investigate and is just in time to see her ex-boyfriend punch Ryland Sage in the face. What is the star of her favorite TV show doing in their tiny Pacific Coast town? Since Wynn is the only medical help for miles around, she has to stitch up his face—and also maybe his heart—all while protecting her own heart from the worldly charmer.

Love on a Mission in Millcreek – JoAnn Durgin

Angelia Ford wonders if she’ll ever live down her unfortunate outburst at the end of the Millcreek Elementary Christmas program. Sixteen years later, she’s home to care for her grandfather and prays the town’s citizens have finally forgiven her youthful indiscretion.

Millcreek’s newest resident, Nicholas Sanders, recognizes the beautiful blonde server at the local diner, but it’s clear Angel doesn’t remember him. What better time than the festive holiday season for Nick to reintroduce himself to the girl he’s never forgotten?

The Bells of New Cheltenham – Chautona Havig

When Justine Driscoll decides to enter a short story contest using a Christmas carol as the inspiration, she discovers love in the carols she investigates, in the story an ex-Army guy tells, and in the little tourist town of New Cheltenham.

A Christmas Duet – Annette M. Irby

A breakup steals a cellist’s inspiration. How will she create new compositions for her ensemble’s next album? Perhaps the church’s handsome music director could help. Join Kate Fleming and Zach Tillmon as Christmas music brings them together on Whidbey Island, Washington.

A Night Divine – Dawn Kinzer

One chilly December night, a tragedy connects successful model Camryn Tate and outreach minister Trace Gardner. As they share a common mission serving the homeless on the streets of Seattle, they provide more than food—they offer hope. But as Christmas Eve approaches, secrets have the potential to break Camryn’s heart.

To Hear the Angels Sing – Lesley Ann McDaniel

Being guardian of her niece isn’t as easy as Devlin Welsh might hope. When her niece is invited to be in a church show, the free childcare is hard to pass up. But when Devlin admits to knowing how to sew, she’s enlisted as costume designer. How will she find the time?

One of Jonah Ryan’s favorite parts of his job as worship leader is working on the kids’ Christmas musical. There’s something about the woman who’s volunteering to design costumes this year that gets him thinking. Could there be more to life than music?

Prairie Rose – Sylvia Stewart

For many years, Rose Morris has lived alone with her dog, Rusty. Mitch Foster, a handsome, un-married neighbor, brings her a bright red geranium, and insists on helping with chores. But who should drive into Rose’s farmyard? The scoundrel husband who had deserted her and her teenaged son years before. Later, a pre-teen runaway, found in her barn, adds his troubles to her own, so Rose decides to re-capture the peace and serenity of Christmas.

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While I was noticing this new Christmas pre-order collection I came across a Chautona Havig bargain I haven’t read yet. One thing about Chautona, her stories cover a broad range of styles. I have not read one of her’s similar to this one so I must check it out.

The Ghosts of New Cheltenham (New Cheltenham Shopkeepers Book 1)

Amazon quote:

What’s a guy to do when the ghosts of his past converge on his Christmas present?

Mitchell Bogaert hasn’t done much with his life in the four years since college, to which his negative-digits bank account and credit score will attest. So when news of an inheritance from a man he hasn’t seen in years arrives on the same day as his eviction notice, Mitchell considers the odd terms of the will to be a no-brainer.

Sure, he’ll move into a building in the tourist village of New Cheltenham. Of course, he’d be happy to live there for a year as a condition of inheritance. And yes, he’ll suffer the humiliation of creating, entering, and presenting at the annual Dickens Ghost Story Competition.

Free room and board for a year plus a rather substantial inheritance to boot? Who wouldn’t?

But someone either doesn’t want him in New Cheltenham or doesn’t want him to receive that inheritance, because the more he works on his story, the more convinced he is that a ghost resides in the narrow building he now calls home.

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I am going to download this next one because it’s a new-to-me author, I like the cover, and the first couple of pages have me wanting to check it out. I’m not going to recommend it to you though. The synopsis makes it sound a little preachy. I’m not a fan of preachy. I’m not saying don’t download it, I’m just saying you’ve been warned about what to expect.

I’ve searched by the author’s name to see what else this gal has written but nothing is showing up, not even this one book. I hoped to gain a sense of what she’s like. Guess I’ll just have to read the book.

I Guess I Do

Amazon quote:

Sarah Miller is one year short of graduating college when she hits a financial snag. To continue her education, she must trust a handsome stranger–and trusting anyone is not something Sarah finds easy to do. As Sarah hurls headlong into a crazy and unexpected adventure, she realizes that her life is lacking a special dimension that can only be fulfilled by becoming part of the body of Christ. Will Sarah open her heart to her new friends, or will she continue living her life alone?

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I’m between books so it’s decision time on what comes next. I think I will make another attempt to get into The Widow of Rose Hill (The Women of Rose Hill Book 2)

Widowed during the war, Natalie Ellis finds herself solely responsible for Rose Hill plantation. When Union troops arrive with a proclamation freeing the slaves, all seems lost. How can she run the plantation without slaves? In order to save her son’s inheritance she strikes a deal with the arrogant, albeit handsome, Colonel Maish. In exchange for use of her family’s property, the army will provide workers to bring in her cotton crop. But as her admiration for the colonel grows, a shocking secret is uncovered. Can she trust him with her heart and her young, fatherless son?

Natalie Ellis is everything Colonel Levi Maish loathes: a Southern slave owner. When he and his men arrived in Texas with the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing slaves still in bondage despite the war having ended, he feels little concern for the trail of plantation owners left in its wake without workers. But the plight of the beautiful Widow Ellis stirs to life his compassion and the heart he’d thought cold as stone after witnessing the carnage of war. While the army camps on her land, Levi finds himself contemplating a future with Natalie and Samuel. But when he learns where her husband perished during the war, he knows a life with Natalie is impossible. How could she ever forgive him for what he’d done in battle on the banks of the Bull Run?

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Tomorrow is story prompt day hosted by a fellow blogger. At the moment I have no ideas. Maybe inspiration will hit me tomorrow. Hopefully.

In the meantime …

Happy Reading!

Bargain books September 22, 2020

September 22, 2020 / For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

First up we have an interesting bargain ($1.31 CDN) from an author I’ve discovered recently and enjoyed immensely.

Fatal Illusions: A Novel (North Woods Chronicles Book 1)

Amazon quote:

Who Will Escape Alive?

An Amateur Magician, an Unassuming Family . . . a Fatal Illusion

Haydon Owens wants to be the next Houdini. He has been practicing his craft and has already made four women disappear. All it took was a bit of rope and his two bare hands.

The Thayer family has come to the north woods of Newberry, Michigan, looking for refuge, a peaceful sanctuary from a shattered past. But they are not alone. Little do they know that they are about to become part of Haydon’s next act.

Time is running out and already the killer has spotted his next victim. Who will escape alive?

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Then, this interesting box set was recommended by the author above and is on pre-order at a bargain price for a release date of October 6th. $1.34 CDN. I’ve ordered my copy. A few months back actually and I’m looking forward to it.

Mistletoe and Murder: A Christmas Suspense Collection

Amazon quote:

Silent Night, Deadly Night. Welcome to a Killer Christmas!

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My current enjoyable read is still a $1.99 bargain and I would highly recommend it. This is not your average run of the mill story. It has a freshness about it… my favorite thing.

A Distance Too Grand (American Wonders Collection Book #1)

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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Happy Reading! …

… on this sunny day that promises to reach 27C. I’m not so sure it will be able to deliver on that promise but I’m hoping. After the cold spell we’ve had, with frost at night, I’m looking forward to relaxing with coffee on the deck in shirtsleeves. Maybe for the last time this year.

Winter is arriving much too quickly. Plants are shutting down and leaves are falling many weeks ahead of last year. On the bright side, yard work has slowed down and I’m not complaining about that.