historical fiction

Bargain books December 21, 2020

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Favorite Mystery author Christy Barritt has a couple of bargain books I’ve not seen before.

Taken by Dark: A Carolina Moon novella 

Amazon quote:

Widowed single mom Willa Summers can’t deny that something strange is going on in her North Carolina hometown. She fears her pregnant sister-in-law, singer Daleigh McDermott, is the target of mysterious threats. Little does Willa know that she’s the one in danger.

When Declan Donovan shows up in the house next door, things seem to turn from bad to worse. Declan broke Willa’s heart more than a decade ago when he deserted her and chose a career with the FBI over small-town life with her. But now he may be the only one who can help keep everyone safe.

Declan must get to the bottom of things before the mysterious threats become reality. As the darkness closes in, everything Willa holds dear may be snatched from her—including a second chance at love. Will she be overtaken by the dark or will she escape its clutches in time?

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Relentless: A Raven Remington Novel

Amazon quote:

You’ve read about her in the Worst Detective Ever mystery series. Now Raven Remington comes to life in this novella that’s written as if it’s a TV show.

An ex-CIA operative. A top-secret mission. Danger that lurks at every turn.

Raven Remington is facing her most challenging mission: protecting the man who may have killed her sister. The former spy is still trying to integrate into life as a civilian and figure out whom to trust. With each passing day, the task becomes more difficult.

Can Raven figure out who is trying to assassinate the man—the senator—she’s been tasked to protect . . . or will surprises hidden just below the surface destroy life as she knows it?

*Relentless is based on the fictional TV show starring Hollywood starlet Joey Darling from The Worst Detective Ever mystery series.

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One more interesting bargain I’ve not seen before.

A Wish for Christmas

Amazon quote:

 How hard can it be to entertain a house full of guests without revealing they are at the wrong Inn? Mila needs money to satisfy the bank. All she has to do is give them a holiday they won’t forget and not fall in love with Garrett Donnelley and his family.

     Mila Vunderberg is in desperate need of money to save her family home. Left caring for an ailing grandmother who spends her days searching for a “treasure” that doesn’t exist, she has been forced to sell off pieces of her lineage to make ends meet. A blizzard blows in help in the form of a family looking for the perfect Christmas. 

     Garrett Donnelley’s family surprises him with the gift of a perfect Christmas in New York. When the driver drops them off at a beautiful home on the Hudson River, they are welcomed like family. Enchanted by Mila, Garrett sees visions of a future with her, but his hostess has secrets that threaten everything he cherishes.

     One man believes the treasure is real, and the Donnelley family is in his way. Mila and her treasure will be his one way or another.

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My current read: it’s still a bargain

Driftwood Danger (Saltwater Cowboys Book 5)

He’s on one side of the fight to preserve Cape Corral. She’s on the other.

Abigail Ferguson wakes up in a strange place with bruises on her face and her hands bound. Someone is trying to teach her family a painful lesson and using Abigail as a pawn. When she’s able to call for help, only one person comes to mind—law enforcement officer Grant Matthews.

Grant has been crazy about Abigail since they met. But her wealthy family is a long-standing enemy of locals, and dating her would feel like a betrayal to the community he serves. However, when Abigail is abducted and needs his help, nothing will stop him from rescuing and protecting her. 

As Abigail’s captor makes it clear he has more dastardly deeds planned, Grant and Abigail work together to try to find answers. But their growing feelings—and the obstacles between them—might put Abigail in even more danger. Can the two figure out this man’s identity before it’s too late? Or will the clever madman taunting Abigail stop at nothing to achieve what he wants?

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Happy Reading!

Read and enjoyed, Romance edition

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This is going to be really fast because it’s after midnight and morning comes early tomorrow.

I upgraded Word Press today as suggested. I don’t know what I was thinking. The worst thing is it feels like there is a whole toolbar missing and it’s no longer easy to shift back and forth between drafts and previous post and pages. I guess it supposed to be easier but I’m not loving it at the moment. Maybe next week.

In the meantime. This next book, feel like I’ve already shared it but can’t find where, so here it is again. I really liked this book.

(I just figured out why I didn’t like the new editor. It opened up in the Word Press app installed on my computer. I closed that out, switched to connecting through Chrome and everything is right with my world again. I have my beloved toolbars back.)

OK back to books.

The Fragrance of Geraniums (A Time of Grace Book 1)

Told from multiple perspectives, this is a powerful story of three women – of the threads of mercy that connect them – and of heart-wrenching sorrows alchemized by the Heavenly Father’s overwhelming redeeming grace.

Rhode Island – 1934

A GIRL
Grace Picoletti has nothing going for her – but she’s determined to succeed in life, nonetheless. Born to severe destitution, she claws her way up from the pit of family shame and secrets. She avoids close friendships – even with the likable, persistent Paulie Giorgi…

A WOMAN
Despite her own agonizing emotional pain, childless Emmeline Kinner reaches out to a young woman so far beneath her. She could never have known whom else God would set in her path through her friendship with Grace…

A MOTHER
Long ago, Sarah Picoletti resigned herself to a loveless, abusive life – and she believes that her daughter Grace must inherit the same fate. Yet Sarah’s own soul cries out for the blessed peace and hope of which the radio minister speaks…

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This was an excellent book too.

A Christmas Match: A Regency Romance (Landon House Book 4) 

Lady Charity is a little disappointed. With her older sisters now wed, it is her turn to experience London society but, unfortunately, she must attend during the winter, when it is quiet and a little less exciting. However, determined to do her best, she steps into a wintery London and into society.
Guided by Lady Hayward, Charity finds herself rather delighted with society – all save for one particular gentleman who, for whatever reason, has never a kind word to say to anyone. Despite knowing she should step away, Charity finds herself quite intrigued by him, wondering what it might be that troubles him so and soon finds herself quite determined to improve his demeanour.

Benedict, the Marquess of Hosmer, has always despised the festive season, ever since his betrothed cried off. Now, for whatever reason, he has met the most frustrating young lady who is more than eager to convince him of the happiness that can be found at Christmas time. The more he pushes her away, the more determined she becomes.

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The rest were good too but in the interest of brevity…

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I’m currently reading and enjoying another six books A Christmas Romance Collection . I’m about half way through. It’s moving quickly because I’d read the first two books elsewhere. Not necessarily a bad thing.

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Until next time.

Happy Reading

Read & enjoyed – mystery/thriller

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My favorite read in the mystery category this week was mentioned several days ago but here it is again. My favorite writing aspect is show rather than tell and Susan Sleeman nails it.

Show means enough to me that I keep a list to avoid authors I know favor tell. I guess that means I’m becoming a book snob. A few using tell do sneak in from time to time. Mainly because the first couple of pages look good, it’s further into the story when things begin to slide south.

Dead Ringer: (Truth Seekers Book 1) 

She was hiding from her past…
When a local woman goes missing and Sheriff Blake Jenkins delivers her blood sample to DNA expert Emory Steele for analysis, Blake discovers Emory is a dead ringer for the missing woman. Blake’s gut says the woman is related to Emory. But Emory rejects the notion, requiring a DNA test before she’ll concede that she does indeed have a twin sister she never knew about.

Now she’ll do anything to see it come to light.
Emory joins Blake in a search for her missing sister, but when an attempt is made to abduct Emory as well, they begin to think the abduction is related to Emory’s birth parents. Blake vows to keep her under his watch until they discover what this maniac is looking for and bring him to justice. But Emory balks at him wanting to keep her under constant surveillance as she’s struggling to come to grips with a former brutal attack, and she wants nothing to do with a man who might want to get close to her. When it becomes clear that Blake is the only one who can keep her safe, will she let him get close enough to do so?

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The next two I enjoyed, just not as much as Dead Ringer. On the plus side, I enjoyed Dead Man’s Watch more than expected

Dead Man’s Watch (The Watch Series Book 2) 

Half-sisters Kathryn Frasier and Cece Goldman stumble into another mystery in this second book in the Watch series. When a former acquaintance of Kathryn’s is accused of murder, she and Cece go on a mission to prove his innocence by finding the real killer. But things are never what they seem in this tangled web, and Kathryn’s spunky determination to solve the mystery pushes her closer and closer to a deadly climax.

The Elevator was my third favorite.

In the path of a devastating hurricane, three very different women find themselves trapped in the elevator of a high-rise office building. All three conceal shattering secrets—unaware that their secrets center on the same man.

The betrayed wife, eager to confront her faithless husband, with rage in her heart and a gun in her pocket…

The determined mistress, finally ready to tell her lover she wants marriage and a family…

The fugitive cleaning woman, tormented by the darkest secret of all…

The back and fourth between characters and timelines was challenging to follow. Movement was slow in spots too, which made the story drag more than I would like. It was a worthwhile read though.

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Last but not least, this was an enjoyable read too. Actually, it should have been first.

I forgot. I gave this one five stars and I don`t do that very often.

Light the Dark: A Carolina Moon Christmas Novella

Nine months pregnant, Hope Solomon is on the run and fearing for her life. Desperate for warmth, food, and shelter, she finds what looks like an abandoned house. Inside, she discovers a Christmas that’s been left behind—complete with faded decorations on a brittle Christmas tree and dusty stockings filled with loss.

Someone spies smoke coming from the chimney of the empty house and alerts Dr. Luke Griffin, the owner. He rarely visits the home that harbors so many bittersweet memories for him. But no one is going to violate the space so near and dear to his heart.

Then Luke meets Hope, and he knows this mother-to-be desperately needs help. With no room at any local inn, Luke invites Hope to stay, unaware of the danger following her. While running from the darkness, the embers of Christmas present are stirred with an unexpected birth and a holiday romance. But will Hope and Luke live to see a Christmas future?

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The next sharing will be back to romance.

That`s my current read, historical romance.

A Mountain Christmas Romance (Wyoming Mountain Tales Book 4) 

Stripped of the family so important to his Viking heritage, Matthias Bjork is now on the hunt for his sister. Despite combing the entire Wyoming Territory, he hasn’t found any substantial leads regarding his sister’s whereabouts, but he has discovered a most unusual woman. This woodland nymph who’s come to work for his good friend in the quiet town of Mountain Bluff is like no one he’s ever met.

Opal Boyd has finally found the haven she’s longed for all her life, in a most unlikely place—working for a German couple in this remote Wyoming mountain town. She learned long ago that most men couldn’t be trusted, but when a mountain man stops in the boarding house where she works, he seems to have the respect and affection of the two people she’s learned to trust implicitly. And the more she comes to know Matthias, she struggles not to trust him the same way the others do.

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Happy Reading, one and all.

Read & Enjoyed December 15, 2020

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My favorite books, so far this week, were written by Dan Walsh. I like his style and his imaginative story creation. There is depth, sensitivity, and a tale well worth reading.

This first one was a refresher read from last year. I loved it the first time around and enjoyed it just as much second time. It turns out I did remember the story just not the author.

Remembering Christmas

Amazon quote:

Rick Denton lives his life on his terms. He works hard, plays hard and answers to no one. So when his mother calls on Thanks-giving weekend begging him to come home after his stepfather has a stroke, Rick is reluctant. He’s never liked Art, despite the fact his own father abandoned them when Rick was twelve. Rick’s attitude sours even more when a couple of days helping at the family bookstore turns into weeks of cashing out old ladies and running off the homeless man who keeps hanging about,

Slowly but surely, the little bookstore and its quirky patrons—as well as the lovely young woman who works at his side each day—work their magic on him, revealing to Rick the truth about his family, his own life, and the true meaning of Christmas.

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This next one was new to me, yesterday. I finished it today and loved it enough to call it a five star read. Historical. Family. Heartbreak. Filled with hope and forgiveness

The Unfinished Gift (A Homefront Novel Book 1)

Amazon quote:

Patrick Collins has three items on his Christmas list. He wants the army to find his father. He wants to leave his grandfather’s house. And he wants–very badly–the wooden soldier tucked away in his grandfather’s attic. Set at Christmastime in 1943, The Unfinished Gift is an engaging family story that reminds us of the surprising things that can affect powerful change in our hearts–-like a young boy’s desperate prayers, a shoebox full of love letters, even a dusty, long-forgotten wooden soldier.

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My current read is also a Dan Walsh book. Another series, quite different from the last two reads.

The Deepest Waters (Epic Journey Series Book 1)

Amazon quote:

For John and Laura Foster, what began as a fairytale honeymoon in 1857 aboard the steamship SS Vandervere, quickly turns into a nightmare. A terrible hurricane strikes and the grand ship begins to sink. Just before it goes under, a rescue ship appears on the horizon. But it only has room enough to save the women and children. Laura soon finds herself sailing away toward New York city on a ship filled with orphans and widows, to meet John’s family whom she’s never met. Desperate for a miracle, Laura braces herself to face life alone.

(Inspired by a True Story)

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My next read & enjoyed installment will probably be mystery/thriller as the list is a building up again. There were lots of good memories as I perused what’s there and I will be happy to share.

Until next time

Happy Reading!

Free and bargain books December 14, 2020

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1531 Entertainment has a bargain romance suggestion for us. This is a pre-order and will probably be comprised of novellas given there are fourteen books included. I recognize many but not all of the fourteen authors involved in this collection and I’m looking forward to it.

Love’s Treasure – A Christian Romance Collection: Limited Edition 

Amazon quote:

Love may be the greatest gift—but only God’s love can transform these couples’ lives…

Fourteen of your favorite Christian romance authors offer an inspiring collection of contemporary and historical stories celebrating the greatest treasure of all—love.

From new starts to second chances, broken dreams to renewed hope, treasure hunts to runaway brides, this collection of stories will touch your heart and stir your spirit, reminding you of God’s power to transform hearts and lives.

Don’t miss this limited-edition collection of heartwarming stories from USA Today and bestselling Christian romance authors.

100% of Pre-order proceeds will be donated to the Village Enterprise organization in Africa.

INCLUDED IN THIS LIMITED-EDITION COLLECTION:

Juliette Duncan: Because We Cared; Autumn Macarthur: Nothing More

Marion Ueckermann: More than This; Joy Ohagwu: A Royal Inheritance

T.K. Chapin: One Love; Lorana Hoopes: A Second Chance for Christmas

Elizabeth Maddrey: So You Love to Hate Your Boss; Evangeline Kelly: Love’s Sacrifice

Valerie Comer: Ruby Radiance; Naomi Rawlings: Love’s Violet Sunrise

Valerie M. Bodden: Heart’s Home; Melissa Tagg: Someday Soon

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BookBub has a FREE suggestion for us. It looks like I’ve downloaded a dozen books from this author over the last eight years and read at least half of them. I need a refresher to remember how much I liked his books so I’m looking forward to this one.

The Unfinished Gift (A Homefront Novel Book 1)

Amazon quote:

— Double Carol Award-winner (Best Debut Novel, Best Historical Fiction) —

Patrick Collins has three items on his Christmas list. He wants the army to find his father. He wants to leave his grandfather’s house. And he wants–very badly–the wooden soldier tucked away in his grandfather’s attic. Set at Christmastime in 1943, The Unfinished Gift is an engaging family story that reminds us of the surprising things that can affect powerful change in our hearts–-like a young boy’s desperate prayers, a shoebox full of love letters, even a dusty, long-forgotten wooden soldier.

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I’m currently reading & enjoying a mystery/thriller, it’s still a bargain and I love it enough to recommend it.

Dead Ringer: (Truth Seekers Book 1) 

Amazon quote:

She was hiding from her past…
When a local woman goes missing and Sheriff Blake Jenkins delivers her blood sample to DNA expert Emory Steele for analysis, Blake discovers Emory is a dead ringer for the missing woman. Blake’s gut says the woman is related to Emory. But Emory rejects the notion, requiring a DNA test before she’ll concede that she does indeed have a twin sister she never knew about.

Now she’ll do anything to see it come to light.
Emory joins Blake in a search for her missing sister, but when an attempt is made to abduct Emory as well, they begin to think the abduction is related to Emory’s birth parents. Blake vows to keep her under his watch until they discover what this maniac is looking for and bring him to justice. But Emory balks at him wanting to keep her under constant surveillance as she’s struggling to come to grips with a former brutal attack, and she wants nothing to do with a man who might want to get close to her. When it becomes clear that Blake is the only one who can keep her safe, will she let him get close enough to do so?

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Happy Reading y’all

Read and Enjoyed early December 2020

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Serials are not something I notice very often. Maybe I’m just not paying attention, it could be that alright. There are lots of series. Sometimes they are installments (continuations) of the same story but more often than not these days, they are connected (each story a different family member or maybe each friend in a group of friends) but stand alone stories.

Anyway, I wouldn’t normally be attracted to a story that comes in installments, I’m much too impatient for that, but this one looked different and interesting. I have to say it was worthwhile and I would definitely read the rest of the story. My only complaint is the slow movement of the story. Of course, it has to be that way for the story to last over the span of five books.

On the Wings of a Whisper: A serialized historical Christian romance. (Sonnets of the Spice Isle Book 1)

The complete series is available if you are interested.

A spoiled heiress and a ship’s captain cross swords when she contrives to join her father’s mission trip to the heart of Africa.

Stone Town, Zanzibar, Early 1866

RyAnne Hunter is determined to stop her father from leaving for the continent of Africa, where he plans to start a mission station. And she only has until morning. Tonight at the Harcourts’ Annual Ball will be her last chance to change his mind. She must succeed! Papa’s health, and her future, depend on her success. But, as if her task isn’t difficult enough, now the insufferable Captain Dawson has agreed to guide Papa’s expedition!

After spending six months at sea, Captain Trent Dawson only wants to think about rest and relaxation. However, when he’s recruited by a British naval officer to help put an end to a slave smuggling ring, the perfect opportunity presents itself in Dr. Hunter, who needs a guide to the Interior. Now if he can just help the doctor without spending too much time with the man’s troublesome and flighty youngest daughter.

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One more read and enjoyed by Lynnette Bonner

My Blue Havyn (Heart’s of Hollywood series Book 1)

When Havyn Jessup agreed to join her church’s building trip, she had no idea the man who broke her heart was coming as well. The last thing she wants is to spend time with the now internationally famous actor, Levi Carter. Even if it is in Africa, where he might, if God had any sense of justice, be eaten, one tiny bite at a time, by a pride of hungry lions. Two whole weeks. She’d never survive that long.

Levi is elated to learn that Havyn will be joining the building team. He had planned to look her up just as soon as he got home to tell her what a fool he’d been. But there is no time like the present. And what better place to ensure she would hear him than when she was strapped in at thirty thousand feet above sea level? Two short weeks. Could he convince her he was a changed man in that amount of time?

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Happy Reading.

Free and bargain books December 10, 2020

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BookBub has a FREE suggestion by one of my favorite authors. Deborah Raney has a gift for writing insightful stories around deep issues. I think I still have a paperback copy of this one on my bookshelf. A very moving story.

A Vow to Cherish

Amazn quote:

The battle they face will either ruin them
or bring the deepest fulfillment they could ever know.
When his precious wife receives a devastating diagnosis, John Brighton feels his world has fallen apart. As Ellen slips away from him day by day, their love is tested as never before. Desperately needing someone to confide in, John meets Julia Sinclair, a young widow who seems to understand his pain as no one else can. Torn between doing what he knows to be right and what his heart tells him surely can’t be wrong, John soon discovers that the heart cannot be trusted where true love is concerned.

A Vow to Cherish has impacted three generations of readers—first with the book from Bethany House Publishers and then through the World Wide Pictures film inspired by Deborah Raney’s novel. This newest edition of the novel brings home the profound message of the sacredness of marriage and the importance of the commitments we make in marriage.

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A Deborah Raney story that I have not read but want to. A Christmas novella.

Circle of Blessings 

Amazon quote:

Young Stella Bradford is determined to win the love of James Collingwood, her English professor at the university where Stella is studying to be an architect. But the object of Stella’s affection seems to hide a dark secret from his past, and even if Stella could capture his attention, she is certain her father would not approve of the match. But neither James, nor Stella has an inkling that his secret is woven into her own past in a way that will ultimately bring blessing to them both.

Inspired by a Raney family Christmas tradition, Circle of Blessings was first published in the novella collection A Currier & Ives Christmas in 2002 and then in A Prairie Christmas Collection in 2010.

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Angela Hunt has been a favorite author for many years and while this bargain book is not on the same level as what I would normally consider a bargain, I’m going to splurge – I really want to read this book. 350 pages means it will last long enough to make it worth while. It will definitely not be over before I’m ready.

The Elevator 

Amazon quote:

In the path of a devastating hurricane, three very different women find themselves trapped in the elevator of a high-rise office building. All three conceal shattering secrets—unaware that their secrets center on the same man.

The betrayed wife, eager to confront her faithless husband, with rage in her heart and a gun in her pocket…

The determined mistress, finally ready to tell her lover she wants marriage and a family…

The fugitive cleaning woman, tormented by the darkest secret of all…

As the storm rages ever closer, these three must unite to fight for their lives in the greatest test of courage—and faith—any woman could ever face.

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One more Angela Hunt book I want to read. It’s a bargain too and a different genre altogether.

Afton of Margate Castle (The Knights’ Chronicles Book 1)

Amazon quote:

Beautiful, headstrong Afton is taken from her parents at an early age and raised in the castle, a companion to the earl’s daughter. Schooled in the ways of kings and surrounded by splendor, Afton falls in love with the earl’s son, brave, Calhoun, her childhood protector.

But Calhoun’s mother, the Lady Endeline, has much different plans for him than marriage to a villein’s daughter. Suddenly Afton’s world is torn viciously apart. She is cast out of the castle, given to a man she fears and despises as a reward for his loyalty—an all too clear reminder that, for all her dreams, she is nothing but a villein.

Now all she has left is a burning desire for vengeance . . .

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It has been a good book day. I know already what will be next up on the reading schedule. The Elevator.

I’m still reading this book mentioned yesterday and it has turned out better than expected, That is a plus.

Happy Reading y’all

Check out these authors if you’ve never read them. I predict you will love them. Everyone I know does.

Bargain books December 09, 2020

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1531 Entertainment has a great suggestion for us. At least I think it’s great. I seem to remember reading another book recently from this series.

A Christmas Match: A Regency Romance (Landon House Book 4) 

Amazon quote:

Lady Charity is a little disappointed. With her older sisters now wed, it is her turn to experience London society but, unfortunately, she must attend during the winter, when it is quiet and a little less exciting. However, determined to do her best, she steps into a wintery London and into society.
Guided by Lady Hayward, Charity finds herself rather delighted with society – all save for one particular gentleman who, for whatever reason, has never a kind word to say to anyone. Despite knowing she should step away, Charity finds herself quite intrigued by him, wondering what it might be that troubles him so and soon finds herself quite determined to improve his demeanour.

Benedict, the Marquess of Hosmer, has always despised the festive season, ever since his betrothed cried off. Now, for whatever reason, he has met the most frustrating young lady who is more than eager to convince him of the happiness that can be found at Christmas time. The more he pushes her away, the more determined she becomes.

Will he ever be able to free himself from her? Or will her gentle sweetness bring him closer to her than ever before?

This is the fourth book in the Landon House series, where Lady Hayward and the Duke of Landon form an alliance to assist each other with difficulties of their family life.

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Browsing trying to fill this up a little more … this will be my second book from this author

Dead Ringer: (Truth Seekers Book 1) 

Amazon quote:

She was hiding from her past…
When a local woman goes missing and Sheriff Blake Jenkins delivers her blood sample to DNA expert Emory Steele for analysis, Blake discovers Emory is a dead ringer for the missing woman. Blake’s gut says the woman is related to Emory. But Emory rejects the notion, requiring a DNA test before she’ll concede that she does indeed have a twin sister she never knew about.

Now she’ll do anything to see it come to light.
Emory joins Blake in a search for her missing sister, but when an attempt is made to abduct Emory as well, they begin to think the abduction is related to Emory’s birth parents. Blake vows to keep her under his watch until they discover what this maniac is looking for and bring him to justice. But Emory balks at him wanting to keep her under constant surveillance as she’s struggling to come to grips with a former brutal attack, and she wants nothing to do with a man who might want to get close to her. When it becomes clear that Blake is the only one who can keep her safe, will she let him get close enough to do so?

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Currently, I’m exploring the first few pages trying to decide if I’m in the mood for a book that isn’t speaking to me loudly. I think I’ll give it a shot anyway to see if it goes anywhere.

Dead Man’s Watch (The Watch Series Book 2)

Amazon quote:

SAVING ONE LIFE IS LIKE SAVING THE WHOLE WORLD

Half-sisters Kathryn Frasier and Cece Goldman stumble into another mystery in this second book in the Watch series. When a former acquaintance of Kathryn’s is accused of murder, she and Cece go on a mission to prove his innocence by finding the real killer. But things are never what they seem in this tangled web, and Kathryn’s spunky determination to solve the mystery pushes her closer and closer to a deadly climax.

Join the adventure as these two young women commit themselves to live up to the quote from the Jerusalem Talmud: “Whoever saves a life, it is considered as if he saved an entire world.

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Happy Reading

Bargain books December 06, 2020

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I needed a distraction after an emotional morning so I went book browsing. It paid off this time. I found a bargain pre-order on a new release for an enjoyed author and I’m excited. It will be out in February. Here I was hoping for sooner.

Tides of Duplicity (Coventry Saga)

Amazon quote:

A jewelry heist, a kidnapping, and a choice. When Fitz’s sister disappears, he’ll do anything to get her back, even if it means betraying the woman he’s come to love. 

Private investigator Fitz McCaffrey went to Belize on a case, bringing his teenage sister Shelby along with him. They have no good reason to leave the resort and hurry back to the harsh New England winter. They lost their parents, he lost his job as a cop, and they both need time to heal. Besides, when Fitz meets and spends time with the beautiful and charming Tabitha Eaton, he falls hard.  

But minutes after Tabby’s flight leaves, Fitz is summoned by a mobster who believes Tabby broke into the hotel safe the night before and made off with half a million dollars’ worth of jewels—and he has the video evidence to prove it. As Shelby’s guardian, Fitz has to focus on caring for his sister, whether Tabby is innocent or guilty. He refuses to help the man—until he learns the mobster has abducted his sister.  

The clock is ticking as Fitz scrambles to recover the jewels. If he succeeds, it’ll cost the woman he’s come to care for. If he fails, it’ll cost his sister’s life. 

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Next, I found a couple of bargain novellas by another favorite author. One is Historical while the other isn’t.

On the Wings of a Whisper: A serialized historical Christian romance. (Sonnets of the Spice Isle Book 1)

Amazon quote:

Stone Town, Zanzibar, Early 1866

RyAnne Hunter is determined to stop her father from leaving for the continent of Africa, where he plans to start a mission station. And she only has until morning. Tonight at the Harcourts’ Annual Ball will be her last chance to change his mind. She must succeed! Papa’s health, and her future, depend on her success. But, as if her task isn’t difficult enough, now the insufferable Captain Dawson has agreed to guide Papa’s expedition!

After spending six months at sea, Captain Trent Dawson only wants to think about rest and relaxation. However, when he’s recruited by a British naval officer to help put an end to a slave smuggling ring, the perfect opportunity presents itself in Dr. Hunter, who needs a guide to the Interior. Now if he can just help the doctor without spending too much time with the man’s troublesome and flighty youngest daughter.

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

My Blue Havyn (Heart’s of Hollywood series Book 1)

Amazon quote:

When Havyn Jessup agreed to join her church’s building trip, she had no idea the man who broke her heart was coming as well. The last thing she wants is to spend time with the now internationally famous actor, Levi Carter. Even if it is in Africa, where he might, if God had any sense of justice, be eaten, one tiny bite at a time, by a pride of hungry lions. Two whole weeks. She’d never survive that long.

Levi is elated to learn that Havyn will be joining the building team. He had planned to look her up just as soon as he got home to tell her what a fool he’d been. But there is no time like the present. And what better place to ensure she would hear him than when she was strapped in at thirty thousand feet above sea level? Two short weeks. Could he convince her he was a changed man in that amount of time?

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Usually, I prefer regular length books but the attractive thing about shorter right now is I can plow through them so much faster. It will help clear up some backlog… maybe. One can hope.

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Currently I’m reading a story fraught with misery. Sort of like my story prompt post today. There is enough hope in it to keep me reading, though. I can relate to this story.

The Fragrance of Geraniums (A Time of Grace Book 1)

Amazon quote:

The Fragrance of Geraniums (A Time of Grace Trilogy, Book 1)

Told from multiple perspectives, this is a powerful story of three women – of the threads of mercy that connect them – and of heart-wrenching sorrows alchemized by the Heavenly Father’s overwhelming redeeming grace.

Rhode Island – 1934

A GIRL
Grace Picoletti has nothing going for her – but she’s determined to succeed in life, nonetheless. Born to severe destitution, she claws her way up from the pit of family shame and secrets. She avoids close friendships – even with the likable, persistent Paulie Giorgi…

A WOMAN
Despite her own agonizing emotional pain, childless Emmeline Kinner reaches out to a young woman so far beneath her. She could never have known whom else God would set in her path through her friendship with Grace…

A MOTHER
Long ago, Sarah Picoletti resigned herself to a loveless, abusive life – and she believes that her daughter Grace must inherit the same fate. Yet Sarah’s own soul cries out for the blessed peace and hope of which the radio minister speaks…

A multi-generational Christian women’s novel set during the U.S. Great Depression of the 1930s. (Also appropriate for older teens.)

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Happy Reading …

… on the tail end of this cheerful sunny day.

I can tell it’s chilly out there by the way people are dressed but that hasn’t seemed to stopped them any. Many are still walking past my window as I sit here typing this up for you. My window on the world.

Bargain books December 04, 2020

/ For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

Suggestions from the usual sources seem to have dried up so I’m browsing to see what I can find. One, so far, looks interesting and its author has not shown up in my reading list until now. That means I need to check it out.

I’m hoping this won’t be the only one today. Fingers crossed.

Snowflakes and Sapphires: Four Seasons Series Book 1 – Winter 

Amazon quote:

After a demanding career of living out of her suitcase, Sophia lands a dream job in New York City that will keep her in one place for six months. Being alone in a big city is nothing new for her but not during the holidays. When an irresistible jeweler appears in her life more than once, Christmas surprises pop up on every corner.

Drew loses his creativity and holiday spirit just when he needs it the most. Then a snowstorm blows Sophia into his jewelry store, and a surge of inspiration follows. He is used to handling precious gems but nothing as priceless as she is.

Even though they just met, their instant attraction turns into something more. But one event leads to betrayal, leaving Sophia once again alone and brokenhearted.

Can the magic of Christmas bring them back together, or will one of them be left in the cold?

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Here’s another bargain book by the same author. This could be interesting too.

Lives Collide: Collide Series Book 1 

Amazon quote:

You can plan your life, but sometimes life has a mind of its own…

Following Lisa’s near-death experience as a teenager, she is haunted by the emerald-green eyes of the stranger who saved her life. Her only connection to him is the leather jacket he left behind. Years later, she’s still reeling from the aftereffects of her injuries, convinced that no man will love her once he uncovers her secret. She lives a life of solitude and hides behind her days of monotony. And then James storms into her life. 

After James helps a young girl in a car accident, he sets his life course—determined that nothing will stand in his way. Once he accomplishes his dreams, one unforeseen event changes his orderly existence into one of chaos. He spirals downward and can’t summon the strength to pull himself from the edge of despair. Until Lisa becomes a beautiful distraction.

Familiarity and a sense of peace draw them to one another. They soon discover they lived parallel lives that intertwined at the most crucial points. Can their revelations help them face their fears and move forward, or will history repeat itself?

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Historical novel is next.

Storm Clouds Rolling In (#1 in the Bregdan Chronicles Historical Fiction Series)

Amazon quote:

Book Description: Carrie Cromwell comes of age as the dark clouds of the Civil War swallow the country. Born with a fiery spirit and a strong mind, she finds herself struggling between the common wisdom of the South and the devastating truth she has discovered.

The activities of the Underground Railroad and her close friendships with the Cromwell Plantation slaves create agonizing choices. But when her decisions put her at odds with her heritage, and challenge her dreams, will she be able to give up all that is precious to her? What price will she be willing to pay as America crumbles into war?

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I’m just getting started with my current read and it’s too early to tell if I’m loving it, so far so good though. It’s still FREE too.

Love Will Find A Way: A Summerfield Village Sweet Romance 

Jenna Warren is an Idaho ranch girl who loves her Appaloosa horse, Blue, and the freedom she has to run her life the way she wants to. But she’s aware that she’s never really seen the world, let alone experienced real love.

Daniel Martin is a British schoolteacher, bound by duty to a desperate family situation, and struggling to find his own path as a musician.

When Jenna and Dan meet at a family wedding, they are instantly attracted to each other, but Dan has to leave for Britain the next day. As Jenna follows him to Summerfield, a family conflict ignites, tearing their new love apart.

In this sweet romance, set between the Idaho ranch, the English countryside and tropical Australia, can Jenna and Dan’s love find a way to make it through?

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Happy Reading