historical fiction

Free books June 18, 2020

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Happy Thursday y’all.

I’m browsing. Suggestions are slow coming in again today, so far anyway. That’s the nature of things. Promotions come and go. Some books rarely show up while others make frequent appearances. Every-day frequent.

Some books stretch their infrequent history out over a long time period of time.

This morning is like that, with some books first seen as far back as 2012. It isn’t easy anymore to remember when and where or how often. My goal has been to keep things fresh with as few repeats as possible. Now it’s like faces in a crowd …. haven’t I seen you somewhere before? It’s easy to know my first download date (Amazon notes that for me) the problem is keeping track of repeat appearances. To protect my sanity, a lowering of standards is in order. I’ll still pursue fresh but with more of an oh well attitude. My audience changes daily too. Maybe readers are less aware of repeats than I think. I like that thought I’m going with it.

A FREE book (2015)

A Work in Progress: (The Faith Series, Book 1)

A Work in Progress

Amazon quote:

Rebecca Avery has never been one of “them”—the popular kids, the beautiful people. With less than fashion-plate looks and an off-beat, quirky style to living life, she has been relegated to finding “alone” activities to fill her time throughout high school. Unfortunately, college hasn’t changed that. Then she meets Eric Barnett, a nice guy who seems a little quirky himself. The only problem is, he’s in love with her roommate—one of the truly beautiful people. When Rebecca finds herself falling for him, she must find a way to break out of her shell or risk losing him forever. Who will win out in this mixed up jumble of feelings and loyalties?

Eric Barnett is drifting through college. Unlike his friends, he doesn’t have a path to relentlessly pursue. In fact, he often feels like the tag-along in a life that’s unfolding without him. Then he meets Rebecca Avery’s roommate who seems like she will finally give him what he most wants—credibility with his friends. However, when the roommate proves to be less-than-into-him, can Eric see past the outward appearance to find love with Rebecca?

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FREE (joined me in 2016)

Where Angels Tread (Kensington Family Novels Book 1)

Where Angels Tread

Amazon quote:

Shane Kensington has dedicated his life to serving others as a police officer, sworn to protect the community and people that he loves. But a tragic mistake he made three years ago shattered his confidence and turned his world upside down. Since then, Shane has become a shell of the person he once was.

Until the day he met Heidi.
 
Heidi Griffin is a single mother struggling to make a life for herself and her troubled young son. Still grieving her husband’s untimely death, Heidi is adamant that she won’t open herself up to love — and loss — again.

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FREE (2016)

A Rose Blooms Twice (A Prairie Heritage, Book 1)

A Rose Blooms Twice

Amazon quote:

Rose Brownlee has suffered more loss than most people can endure. Now she must find a purpose and a way to move on with her life. Will she bow to conventional wisdom or will she, like Abraham of old, choose to follow where God leads her . . . even to a wild and strange land she does not know?

Set in the American prairie of the late 1800s, this story of loss, disillusionment, rebirth, and love will inspire, challenge, and encourage you. One woman’s courageous journey to redemption and new love!

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FREE (2016)

Finding the Way Back (Forgiving Hearts Trilogy Book 1)

Finding the Way Back

Amazon quote:

Laurel thought life had dealt her its worst blow when her marriage fell apart. For almost a year, she worked to put herself back together. These efforts culminated in a new job in a new place. Away from all the reminders of pain and humiliation, she can begin again. But what if her attempt to escape doesn’t take her away from Colton, but brings her to him instead?

Colton is reaping the sorrow and misery he deserves. For the worst of reasons, he hurt the woman he loves. Laurel’s heart won’t heal easily or ever without God’s help. Will she give him the chance to regain her trust? Or will he be forced to live the rest of his life without her?

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I’m currently reading a book from yesterday and it is still FREE

Summer with the Marine (Blue Bay Beach Romance Book 1)

Summer with the Marine

Amazon quote:

Eisley Higgins is laid off and needs a fresh start. Her mother offers her the loft space at her new beach cottage. The last thing she wants to do is move to a retirement community in coastal Florida. She gets a job at a local restaurant and her coworkers insist she follow through with the new-employee ritual to go on a date with her first customer. She’s shocked when it turns out to be her childhood best friend.

Ford Armstrong spent over ten years in the military serving his country. During that time, he married, but the relationship and his hope for a family quickly fizzled. After what felt like a failure, he fully turned his focus to the Marine Corps, but then received two life-changing pieces of news. While figuring out his future, he runs into the girl from his past. Only, the first thing out of her mouth is the last thing he expects to hear.

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Happy Reading folks!

It looks like 2016 was a good year (chuckle)

Free and bargain books June 17, 2020

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BookBub has a bargain suggestion for us today. In fact they have two.

A Ring And A Prayer (Book 1 Golden Bowl Series)  This $0.99 bargain and author is new to me. I’m looking forward to the experience.

A Ring and a Prayer

Amazon quote

Annie Brewster has dedicated her life to helping others, but now she’s going to need a little help of her own.
A beautiful gold bowl sits on a pedestal on the front porch of The Golden Bowl restaurant in Marberry, Maine, where patrons are invited to leave a prayer and take a prayer. Annie Brewster, the owner, has made it her life’s mission to feed people both body and soul.
When her beloved husband Russ died ten years ago, Annie threw herself into making the restaurant a success—to the detriment of everything else in her life: her finances, her home, even her heart. Annie believes in prayer and in miracles too, and she’s going to need plenty of both because her life is about to be turned upside down and inside out . .

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Walk with Me: A Christian Faith Clean Romance (Faith and Love Book 1) a $1.32 bargain is a second book and author new to me.

Walk with Me

Amazon quote:

He just wants to help.
She is determined to do it all herself—and not fall in love.

Three years ago, Paige Kelly had to leave college to take care of her five younger siblings after their parents’ death. She has no time for romance and even less interest in her new boss and his curiosity about her life. Getting attached would only mean getting hurt.

Russell Pierce just returned to his hometown to become manager of the country club. He never planned on an office romance, but he can’t stop thinking about his alluring restaurant manager with the weight of the world on her shoulders. He wants to help, but she wants nothing to do with him. 

Paige can’t imagine starting a relationship with anyone, and Russell needs to focus on work. Despite their reluctance, their genuine connection and undeniable attraction grow harder to avoid when they collaborate on a new project, leaving them both to re-evaluate what they thought they wanted.

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The Amazon suggestion ribbon offered this FREE book that promises to be clean. Sometimes promises are just that, promises only, and clean is relative. At least it’s free and worth a shot. Expecting good things.

Summer with the Marine (Blue Bay Beach Romance Book 1)

Summer with the Marine

Amazon quote:

He’s a marine figuring out how to be a dad. She’s out of work and moves in with her mom. A surprise reunion brings the old friends together. Will a dare turn them into something more?

Eisley Higgins is laid off and needs a fresh start. Her mother offers her the loft space at her new beach cottage. The last thing she wants to do is move to a retirement community in coastal Florida. She gets a job at a local restaurant and her coworkers insist she follow through with the new-employee ritual to go on a date with her first customer. She’s shocked when it turns out to be her childhood best friend.

Ford Armstrong spent over ten years in the military serving his country. During that time, he married, but the relationship and his hope for a family quickly fizzled. After what felt like a failure, he fully turned his focus to the Marine Corps, but then received two life-changing pieces of news. While figuring out his future, he runs into the girl from his past. Only, the first thing out of her mouth is the last thing he expects to hear.

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That’s it for interesting book suggestions.

I’m between books again and decided to pick one with an author new to me.

Cotton Tree Ranch: The Complete Trilogy is no longer a bargain, sadly. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Cotton Tree Ranch

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Yesterday I mentioned I was reading a second book based on the story of King Solomon of Biblical fame. It turned out, for me, the first book (I AM My Beloved by Caryl McAdoo) was the better rendering of the story. It flowed beautifully and was most believable. Caryl seemed to have the clearer understanding of customs of the times, very important to a believable story.

I am my Beloved'sI am My Beloved

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Happy Reading….

on the hot and sultry day.

Free and bargain books June 16, 2020

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We have a backwards kind of post today. It’s been a slow day for suggestions and nothing good has turned up with normal browsing. Not so far anyway.

We’ll try a backwards approach to see if it works any better.

My favorite read in the last couple of days was a book that is still FREE. Maybe it will be a good jumping off place. I liked the flow of this story. I liked the characters and the way they interacted with each other. Mostly I liked the freshness of the story treatment and the way it drew me into the life of the characters.

A Lady of Esteem (Hawthorne House)

A Lady of Esteem

Amazon quote:

Miss Amelia Stalwood may live in London at her absent guardian’s townhouse, but she’s never actually met any nobility; instead of aristocrats, her closest friends are servants. Quite by happenstance, she’s introduced to the Hawthorne family and their close family friend, Anthony, the reformed Marquis of Raebourne. They welcome her into their world, but just as she’s beginning to gain some confidence and even suspect that she may have caught Anthony’s eye, she’s blindsided by an unexpected twist in her situation accompanied by nasty rumors. Will she lose her reputation when the world that has only just accepted her turns its back on her, or will she rest in the support of the friends who’ve become like family and the man who’s shared his faith and captured her heart?

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This next one was a favorite too. Unfortunately it is no longer a bargain.

It’s Fantasy. I like the genre, but in a fairly narrow way. My usual response will vary between hot or cold. Not much in between.

I thought there were a few rough patches in the flow of this story but overall I did like it.

Missing (Faith in Concordia Book 1)

Missing

Amazon quote:

Having moved around from home to home her whole life, Faith Elvenwood doesn’t like to get attached. In fact, in her current school, she has managed to seep beautifully into obscurity, only ever needing to worry about her bully, Reese Grant. With only a little over a month left of her senior year, she thinks she’s in the clear.

That is, until the school counselor decides Faith would be the best person to show around new student, and fellow senior, Colman Nightingale. So many things don’t make sense about this. Why would the counselor want a self-proclaimed loner to be the new kid’s introduction to not only the layout of the school, but the social aspect of it? What is this guy doing transferring so close to graduation? How does that even work?

Despite trying her darndest to put him off, Cole insists on becoming her friend. Just when Faith decides that it might not be so bad to have a friend, he goes and makes up some grand story about her being the daughter of a fae lord. Yeah right.

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The next book this session was ok but didn’t hold up for me all the way through. It took skimming to make it through to the end, 385 pages cut back significantly would have been an improvement. Also, it didn’t deliver what the cover and the synopsis seemed to promise. The story went places that didn’t fit with my expectations.

Overall, it was still a good read though.

Sweet on You (A Bradford Sisters Romance Book #3)

Sweet on You

Amazon quote:

Britt Bradford and Zander Ford have been the best of friends since they met thirteen years ago. Unbeknown to Britt, Zander has been in love with her for just as long.

Independent and adventurous Britt channels her talent into creating chocolates at her hometown shop. Zander is a bestselling author who’s spent the past 18 months traveling the world. He’s achieved a great deal but still lacks the only thing that ever truly mattered to him–Britt’s heart.

When Zander’s uncle dies of mysterious causes, he returns to Merryweather, Washington, to investigate, and Britt is immediately there to help. Although this throws them into close proximity, both understand that an attempt at romance could jeopardize their once-in-a-lifetime friendship. But while Britt is determined to resist any change in their relationship, Zander finds it increasingly difficult to keep his feelings hidden.

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So this backward browse worked. Here are three bargains popping up. All of them have been in my downloads through the years but it is still good to see them.

Then Came You: A Bradford Sisters Novella $1.30

Then came you

Amazon quote:

Garner Bradford, heir to the troubled Bradford Shipping empire, doesn’t know much about babies. But he’s going to have to learn fast because he’s just become a single father to his newborn daughter. As he confesses through his journal entries, he’s not entirely sure how to keep a newborn alive, whether or not he’ll ever patch together his shattered heart, or how to forgive himself for his mistakes.

Career girl Kathleen Burke is wholly uninterested in settling down. She has big dreams, and none of them include Garner and his small hometown in Washington State. Yet she can’t seem to get her handsome boss out of her head or her heart. There’s something extraordinarily tempting about his beautifully sad green eyes.

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Waiting For Rachel: A Christian Romance (Those Karlsson Boys Book 1) $1.04

Waiting for Rachel 2013

Amazon quote:

Damian Karlsson, the oldest of Those Karlsson Boys, has decided it’s time to settle down and start a family. Rachel Perkins has captured his attention, but she won’t even give him a chance to romance her. It seems to Damian she feels something for him, but still she resists. Damian is determined to find out why.

Though she is attracted to Damian and even finds his pursuit of her flattering, Rachel is equally determined to keep her secrets close to her heart. Betrayed in the past by men she’s loved, she isn’t prepared to take that risk again. But when her secrets are forced out in the open, will Rachel discover that forgiveness and trust are worth the risk when it leads to love?

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Juliette and the Monday ManDates: A Series about Sisters (The Gustafson Girls Book 1) $1.34

Juliette and he Monday Mandates

Amazon quote:

Juliette Gustafson is just fine with her quiet nights at home alone, especially when they involve Chinese takeout and romcoms.

But her sisters think she’s teetering on the brink of spinsterhood, so they’ve come up with a plan: weekly blind dates until she finds her knight in shining armor… or until they run out of single guy friends.

They’re calling it The Monday ManDates.

Survival skills kicking in, Juliette secretly names each new Monday Man. There’s TheraPaul, Frisky Frank, and TAZ the Rock Star, for starters…

Then there’s the police officer with a penchant for pulling Juliette over when she’s at her very worst.

With a lineup like that, positively identifying her happily-ever-after seems like a long shot.

Then again, maybe… just maybe… she’s looking for love in all the wrong places.

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I’m currently reading a story about King David’s final years (a Biblical story) and his successor King Solomon.  This book was suggested a year ago and I’m just now getting to it. Recently, though, I did read another book suggestion based on the same Biblical account (an account scarce on details.) Each book has been fleshed out the same, only different. The skeleton is the same but the finished body looks different, having come from authors with unique imaginations. That’s what makes it interesting. The flesh-out is neither right nor wrong….. because no one knows the truth for sure.

I Am My Beloved’s (Song of Solomon) is the current read

I am my Beloved's

Amazon quote:

Abishag has lost her faith in the God of her people. As the youngest and only daughter of her family, Abishag was loved and cherished, living within the safety of her father’s gentle heart. But when he dies unexpectedly, her cruel brother seizes the opportunity arriving at their doorstop, selling her into the service of the ailing King David. Devastated, alone and struggling with her waning faith in a distant God, Abishag soon finds herself falling in love with the King’s heir, the young Prince Solomon, whose poetry and passion draw them to each other in a tangled web of love, lies and deceit. Will the young prince who’s captured her heart still love Abishag when he discovers her true identity? Or will Solomon forsake his love and his heart in order to secure his throne?
I Am My Beloved’s takes us back to ancient Israel, drawing us into the lives of Prince Solomon and Abishag, the Shunammite. Together they are consumed by a love so fierce and overwhelming it threatens to fracture the monarchy, the kingdom and their very hearts.

I AM My Beloved  I’ve already enjoyed.

I am My Beloved

Amazon quote:

The wisdom of this world is foolishness to God.
How could the wisest man ever to live turn away from following God? The key is in Ecclesiastes and the Song of Songs that King Solomon wrote after his return to the Lord. Who was the Shulamite? And why did he call her his sister spouse? Only God knows the answer, but the wisest man who ever lived left clues. You will never forget reading this anointed story and may find yourself setting it down to wipe tears away or simply worship the great I AM.

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I really liked I AM My Beloved.

I wonder if I am my Beloved’s will sit as well with me.

Reading the synopsis, I’m leaning toward I AM My Beloved. We’ll see. 

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It’s been a HOT day. The muggy sky looks like rain and thunder.  Rain would be good right about now. In the meantime…

Happy Reading!

Free books June 15, 2020

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Happy Monday everyone.

We have a few sources with book suggestions this morning.

1531 Entertainment mentioned a FREE book in their email this morning. I’ve read and enjoyed a number of this man’s books. By the glowing review I’m looking forward  to this one too.

Get Up, Eleanor 

Get up Eleanor

Amazon quote:

Eleanor Petersen’s life shatters when her mother falls on the ice outside her Wisconsin farmhouse. In the process of settling her mother’s estate and sorting loose ends, Eleanor discovers the joy her mother brought to her little town. Despite her spiritual doubts, Eleanor forms an instant bond with a widowed Lutheran pastor. And she uncovers a secret that upends her view of her parents … and of herself.

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LPC Books has a number of FREE suggestions for us. Most of these I’ve seen before although I don’t think I’ve read them all.

The Caretaker’s Son (Secrets in Savannah Book 1) 

The Caretaker's son 2

Amazon quote:

Symon Sinclair grew up in the caretaker’s cottage. Now a successful writer in New York, he’s returned home to Savannah to thank his mentor, Miss B, for all her support. But it’s her niece Annabelle who greets him at the door. Symon remembers the little rich girl who never gave him a moment’s notice. Now she’s a beauty who has more depth than he’d ever imagined. As they spend time together, Symon begins to question his attitude toward life—and Annabelle.

Former beauty queen Annabelle Yarwood had her life all planned out—until she came face-to-face with the caretaker’s son. Suddenly those plans seem stifling. Just as Annabelle begins letting Symon into her heart, she discovers he’s been keeping a secret about his life in New York. Has their love story ended before it’s even begun?

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I’ll Watch the Moon 

I'll Watch the Moon

Amazon quote:

A single mother embittered by an abusive marriage. An adventurous 14-year old son and the 10-year old daughter who adores him. A boarder in the house, a war refugee with a murky past. It’s the summer of 1948, hot, and Polio stalks the children, taking them one by one. When it strikes the son, she wonders if he will be in an iron lung the rest of life? And when redemption comes, it arrives from a most unexpected source.

 

 

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Whatever Is True

Whatever is True

Amazon quote:

Bullfighter and ranch hand Clint Palmer yearns for a family of his own and desires a relationship with barrel racer Lacy Roberts, a fellow ranch employee. But what would she see in a guy who was abandoned by his father and has an alcoholic mother? If he’s ever going to be seen in a different light by Lacy, he needs greater financial security than what a ranch-hand position provides.

Lacy’s parents have scorned her ever since she opted for ranch life rather than pursuing a business career. She’s attracted to Clint, who has shown enough interest in her that she reveals a secret about her past—only to be rejected by him. She’s about to move on when Clint learns a secret related to his own life that changes everything.

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When You Come

When You Come Home

Amazon quote:

Taking its title from a poem Daphne sent her soldier-husband during World War II, When You Come Home tells of the couple’s young love in the heartland of America on the brink of war, and of the crushing uncertainty and fear they feel as they find themselves a ripped apart. Through pain and worry, the grieving young wife finds that her faith provides hope and healing amidst the uncertainty of war.

 

 

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Currently, I’ve just started a thriller, on my TBR list since October last year. Haven’t gotten far enough to know if I’ll finish but it does look promising.

Kill Order

Kill Order

Grammy-winning pianist Landon Jeffers’s brain cancer has given him only a few years to live. But when he sleeps, the forgotten terrors of his past torment him. When he wakes, shameful memories come rushing back. Desperate for answers, Jeffers discovers that a brain implant intended to treat his cancer is really a device to control him, forcing him to commit terrible crimes. Now he’s being manipulated by an evil crime syndicate and a crooked cop.

When he sleeps, the forgotten terrors of the past come alive … and his future is a dead ending.

 

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Happy Reading …

On this warm and hazy day.

Free and bargain books June 12, 2020

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Where has the time gone. It will be the longest day of the year soon (here in southern Canada) and it feels like the year has just begun. I like long days, I’m not ready to see them getting shorter this quickly. In the meantime…

Bookbub has several bargain suggestions. $0.99 each, a known, and an unknown, author.

Undetected 

Undetected

Amazon quote:

When asked what he does for a living . . .

Commander Mark Bishop is deliberately low-key: “I’m in the Navy.” But commanding the ballistic missile submarine USS Nevada, keeping her crew trained and alert during ninety-day submerged patrols, and being prepared to launch weapons on valid presidential orders, carries a burden of command like few other jobs in the military. Mark Bishop is a man who accepts that responsibility, and handles it well. And at a time when tensions are escalating around the Pacific Rim, the Navy is glad to have him.

Mark wants someone to come home to after sea patrols. The woman he has in mind is young, with a lovely smile, and very smart. She’s a civilian, yet she understands the U.S. Navy culture. And he has a strong sense that life with her would never be boring. But she may be too deep in her work to see the potential in a relationship with him.

Gina Gray would love to be married. She has always envisioned her life that way. A breakup she didn’t see coming, though, has her focusing all her attention on what she does best–ocean science research. She’s on the cusp of a major breakthrough, and she needs Mark Bishop’s perspective and help. Because what she told the Navy she’s figured out is only the beginning. If she’s right, submarine warfare is about to enter a new and dangerous chapter.

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Cotton Tree Ranch: The Complete Trilogy

Cotton Tree Ranch

Amazon quote:

Dalton
Everything in Hazel’s perfect life is going according to plan. Every moment is accounted for. But she’s in for a surprise. When her best friend and roommate takes ill, Jenny begs Hazel to fill in for her on a trip to South Georgia. But life on a horse ranch in her Jimmy Choos isn’t exactly what Hazel had in mind for her summer break.

When Dalton Sullivan takes a spill from a bronc at the last rodeo of the season, his life changes forever. Uncertain about his future, his fortunes take another turn when Grandpa Joe bequeaths him a dilapidated horse ranch in his will. Dalton’s plans to refurbish the place and turn it into a working ranch again are interrupted when a beautiful woman shows up pretending to be someone she’s not.

Eamon
Eamon thinks he has love and life figured out. A successful accountant, full of confidence and charm, he’s got it all, including the beautiful girlfriend and the high flying job. But when his brother inherits a ranch in south Georgia, he leaves everything behind to help him run it.

Emily Zhu is a driven and ambitious surgeon from Boston. Everything in her life is structured and planned, down to the last detail. When she doesn’t get the job she’s been promised and has been working toward, it seems everything could come tumbling down around her. Suddenly the future is clouded with uncertainty.

Parker
When bumbling veterinarian Jennifer Barsby’s friend Hazel falls ill, she doesn’t hesitate to take action. After quitting her job in Atlanta, she packs up her life and moves to the Cotton Tree ranch in South Georgia to take care of her sick former room-mate. But when circumstances change, she wonders what she should do with the rest of her life.

Handsome and brooding cowboy, Parker Williams, is just another pal — at least that’s how Jen sees him. A former Army Ranger, he’s found renewed purpose as part-owner of the ranch. But he’s given up on the idea of ever moving on or finding love. That is until Jen moves in.

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BookRunes has a FREE suggestion. It’s not really clear to me what this is but it looks like it could be two books. There are 457 pages. This is a new author to me, not sure what to expect.

The Beginning of Forever: Inspirational Pioneer Frontier Romance Novella (Journey to Hope Book 2)

The Beginning of Forever

Amazon quote.

23-year-old Hope was running away from a future she was born and bred to embrace; yet it was not what she wanted. Upon the death of her father and the insistency of a man she didn’t love to marry him, she decides to travel out west to become a school teacher. She wanted the freedom the west could provide her but little did she know that she would soon be chained to the grey eyed man who was her first welcome to Yellow Creek County.

Jed wasn’t looking for love. All he wanted to do was prove to his father that he could survive and be a man without his protection. To do that, he would have to live the life of a loner for some time. It all changes when he meets the green eyed Angel with wild red hair that invades his dreams every night. Instead of trying to prove himself a man, he finds himself thinking of ways that will lead to forever with this woman.

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I’m currently reading and enjoying …

Poustinia: A Novel (Poustinia Series Book 1) 

Poustinia

Amazon quote:

When Victoria Sullivan finds herself at a crossroad in life, she books a rustic cabin in the woodlands of the Monastery of St. Carmella. While trying to discern her future, she meets other guests who face their own challenges.

The Sisters also have a dilemma, as they anticipate a merger because of their dwindling numbers and an aging congregation. Will they lose their beloved homeland, nestled among the vineyard, forest, and lake?

Poustinia: A Novel is the first book of the Poustinia series. If you enjoy contemporary and inspirational fiction with a touch of romance, you’ll love Kathleen McKee’s heartwarming story of friendship, generosity, and love.

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Happy Reading!

Read and Enjoyed June 11, 2020

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Today has been a slow book suggestion day so I think we will do a little catch up on Read-and-Enjoyed.

This was a favorite read…. one I could hardly put down. 5***** and still a bargain $0.99

The Reclusive Duke 

The Reclusive Duke

Amazon quote:

The Reclusive Duke
When Lydia Sinclair is left to care for the orphaned children of her sister she discovers they are distant relatives of The Duke of Hemingford. With the last few coins she possesses she buys seats on a common stage for all five of them, determined to persuade the duke to assume responsibility for his cousins. The duke has no wish to have these unwanted relatives foisted on him, since his accident he shuns society.
However, Digby, his man of business, has other ideas and installs Lydia and the children in The Dower House.
Will the duke evict them when he discovers this deception or can Lydia get him to change his mind?

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My next favorite was this one, still a bargain at $0.99

The Wedding Dress Christmas: (Small Town Romance) (The Wedding Collection) 

The Wedding Dress Christmas

Amazon quote:

For JoJo Castle there is no place like home. Her onetime love of adventure ended when her life in the big city came crashing down. Now that she’s home, she never wants to leave again.

Country music sensation Buck Mathews has charmed the world with his smile and his music. However, news of his mother’s illness brought him home to Hearts Bend for the holiday season.

Working with her cousin Haley in The Wedding Shop, JoJo has no aspirations of love. But when her high school crush returns to town, her buried feelings surface.

Busy with his career, Buck hasn’t had time for family and friends, much less love. Seeing JoJo in The Wedding Shop reminds him there are things more important than his career.

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I liked this one too. Also still a bargain $0.99

The Nobleman’s Governess Bride (The Glass Slipper Chronicles Book 1)

The Nobelman's Governess Bride

Amazon quote:

The Nobleman’s Governess Bride is the first book in The Glass Slipper Chronicles series, about five young women whose devoted friendship sustained them through the hardships of childhood at a harsh charity school. Now employed as governesses, they care for other people’s children, never expecting to know the blessing of loving marriages and families of their own. But when Rebecca, Grace, Hannah, Leah and Evangeline encounter five special gentlemen, these humble governesses may become Cinderella brides!
Book 1 – The Nobleman’s Governess Bride
(includes the novella “The Viscount Meets His Match” and the novel The Baron’s Governess Bride)

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And a few more to add to the list. Many of them still bargains.

On the LookoutThe Billionaire's CommittmentAlaskan Refuge Box set

Whispers of LoveCall of the MountainLacewood

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I’m currently reading…

The One Who Rocked Aawy

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Hopefully you have lots to read without new suggestions. If not though, most of these books are still at bargain prices. A good deal.

Happy Reading!

Bargain books June 10, 2020

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BookBub has a bargain suggestion from one of my most favorite authors. I’ve read thirteen Charles Martin books and it’s exciting a new one will be coming out soon. This one today truly is a bargain at $2.99 and is an excellent way to discover Charles if you haven’t already. He writes with depth, understanding and sensitivity. Every word is there for a reason, skimming is impossible if you don’t want to miss anything.

Unwritten: A Novel 

Unwritten

Amazon quote:

A priest changes the lives of an actress running from her past and a man hiding from his future in this heartfelt novel about loss and redemption.
When someone wants to be lost, a home tucked among the Ten Thousand Islands off the Florida coast is a good place to live. Take a couple decent boats and a deep knowledge of fishing, and Sunday can get by without ever having to talk to another soul. It’s a nice enough existence, until the one person who ties Sunday to the world of the living asks him for help.
Father Steady Capri knows quite a bit about helping others. But he is afraid Katie Quinn’s problems may be beyond his abilities. Katie is a world-famous actress with an all too familiar story. Fame seems to have driven her to self-destruct. Steady knows the true cause of her desire to end her life is buried too deeply for him to reach. But there is one person who still may be able to save her from herself: Sunday.
He will show her an alternate escape, a way to write a new life, but Katie still must confront her past before she can find peace. Ultimately, Sunday will need to leave his secluded home and sacrifice the serenity he’s found to help her.

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Browsing brings us this bargain $0.99. I’ve not read this author before but this looks interesting and worth a try.

The Wedding Dress Christmas: (Small Town Romance) (The Wedding Collection)

The Wedding Dress Christmas

Amazon quote:

December comes to quaint Hearts Bend, Tennessee, with a blanket of white and the glitter of Christmas lights.

For JoJo Castle there is no place like home. Her onetime love of adventure ended when her life in the big city came crashing down. Now that she’s home, she never wants to leave again.

Country music sensation Buck Mathews has charmed the world with his smile and his music. However, news of his mother’s illness brought him home to Hearts Bend for the holiday season.

Working with her cousin Haley in The Wedding Shop, JoJo has no aspirations of love. But when her high school crush returns to town, her buried feelings surface.

Busy with his career, Buck hasn’t had time for family and friends, much less love. Seeing JoJo in The Wedding Shop reminds him there are things more important than his career.

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Another bargain. $0.99 that could be interesting

The Spice King (Hope and Glory Book #1)

The Spice King

Amazon quote:

Gray Delacroix has dedicated his life to building his very successful global spice empire, but it has come at a cost. Resolved to salvage his family before it spirals out of control, he returns to his ancestral home to save his brother and sister before it’s too late.

As a junior botanist for the Smithsonian, Annabelle Larkin has been charged with the impossible task of gaining access to the notoriously private Delacroix plant collection. If she fails, she will be out of a job and the family farm in Kansas will go under. She has no idea that in gaining entrance to the Delacroix world, she will unwittingly step into a web of dangerous political intrigue far beyond her experience.

Unable to deny her attraction to the reclusive business tycoon, Annabelle will be forced to choose between her heart and loyalty to her country. Can Gray and Annabelle find a way through the storm of scandal without destroying the family Gray is fighting to save?

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I’m undecided about the book I’m currently reading although there is a good chance I will finish it. It is still a bargain at $1.30

The Duke and the Spinster: Clean Regency Romance (The Nettlefold Chronicles Book 1)

The Duke and The Spinster

Amazon quote:

Lady Juliana Willoughby, whose first Season was such a disaster that it was her last, finds herself at a country house party, all for her pretty sister’s benefit. She expects nothing more than to hide away in corners, and avoid socialising, sure that no man would ever want to marry such as her.

Garrett Rutherford, Duke of Kilmerstan, needs to marry, and get an heir. But he has yet to meet a woman he does not flinch from, even though some pursue him relentlessly. Dragged to the house party for his sister’s benefit, he expects nothing but boredom. Then he sees Lady Juliana.

But there are others at the house party who have less than honourable intentions towards both the Duke and Lady Juliana.

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Happy Reading!

Bargain books June 09, 2020

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Following an unlikely trail of crumbs, I happened upon clean Regency novels last night. At bargain prices. With unfamiliar authors. They look interesting and definitely worth a try.

The Nobleman’s Governess Bride (The Glass Slipper Chronicles Book 1) $0.99

The Nobelman's Governess Bride

Amazon quote:

In the novella “The Viscount Meets His Match” Sebastian Viscount Benedict knows from bitter experience that marrying a woman of lower rank and fortune brings nothing but heartache. He is determined to prevent his beloved brother from making the same mistake by wedding the local squire’s daughter. Rebecca Beaton disagrees. She is certain her former pupil, Hermione, truly loves the viscount’s brother and will make him a devoted wife. She tries to persuade formidable Lord Benedict to give the young couple his blessing.

In the novel The Baron’s Governess Bride, Rupert Lord Steadwell is determined to hire the dowdiest, most unmarriageable woman he can find to care for his motherless daughters. The girls were heartbroken when their last governess eloped and Rupert does not want to risk a repetition. In her drab clothes, frumpy cap and spectacles, Grace Ellerby look like the ideal person for the job.

Rupert has no idea that clever, caring Miss Ellerby is a beauty in disguise. Alarmed by unwanted advances from men in her previous positions, Grace is desperate to hide her dangerously attractive appearance and her growing feelings for her new employer. But when Lord Steadwell appears in danger of making a loveless marriage and saddling his daughters with a dreaded stepmother, Grace must risk everything to prevent it. Will a midnight kiss at a masked ball lead to scandal and ruin or might two wary hearts find their happily ever after at last?

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The Reclusive Duke $0.99

The Reclusive Duke

Amazon quote:

The Reclusive Duke
When Lydia Sinclair is left to care for the orphaned children of her sister she discovers they are distant relatives of The Duke of Hemingford. With the last few coins she possesses she buys seats on a common stage for all five of them, determined to persuade the duke to assume responsibility for his cousins. The duke has no wish to have these unwanted relatives foisted on him, since his accident he shuns society.
However, Digby, his man of business, has other ideas and installs Lydia and the children in The Dower House.
Will the duke evict them when he discovers this deception or can Lydia get him to change his mind?

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The Duke and the Spinster: Clean Regency Romance (The Nettlefold Chronicles Book 1)  $1.30

The Duke and The Spinster

Amazon quote:

Lady Juliana Willoughby, whose first Season was such a disaster that it was her last, finds herself at a country house party, all for her pretty sister’s benefit. She expects nothing more than to hide away in corners, and avoid socialising, sure that no man would ever want to marry such as her.

Garrett Rutherford, Duke of Kilmerstan, needs to marry, and get an heir. But he has yet to meet a woman he does not flinch from, even though some pursue him relentlessly. Dragged to the house party for his sister’s benefit, he expects nothing but boredom. Then he sees Lady Juliana.

But there are others at the house party who have less than honourable intentions towards both the Duke and Lady Juliana.

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BookBub has a sensitively written bargain suggestion for us. I’ve not read this author yet but browsing through her Acknowledgement page I’m impressed with her tender heart.

The Birthday Portrait (The Family Portrait) $0.99

The Birhday Portrait

Amazon quote:

When overwhelmed with growing up without Mama, will young Kate survive?

As Kate’s eleventh birthday approaches, she fears no one will remember her tradition of dressing up in her mother’s heirloom wedding gown for her birthday portrait. She grieves that their handprints won’t be on the back of the birthday photograph, and there’ll be no special letter from her mother to go in her Book of My Life this year. Precocious Kate gets a few more life’s-not-always-fair lessons as she struggles and finds the courage to ask the hard questions about life.

A divinely-appointed encounter with the mysterious and elusive Mr. Josh aids in her dilemma but requires of her an innocent faith that will satisfy her deepest questions, will raise a few more, and will change her life forever. Kate’s story is the story of a family—a story blending joy and sorrow, death and new life, the joys and hope that children bring, the wisdom elders offer, the value of family traditions, and the mystery of life that remains unanswered.

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I’m currently reading and enjoying the first one in this list. There are two stories, a novella and a full length novel. About to move on to the novel.

The Nobelman's Governess Bride

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Happy Reading

… on this wet and stormy week. A perfect time to read.

I’m sure the sun is shining somewhere today. Maybe it’s at your house. I’m thinking tropical beaches as I’m looking out at our grey skies.

It could be depressing but we need the rain on our parched flower beds and fields of grain. That’s the bright side.

It will be easier to pull weeds when the sun comes out again.  Liking it.

OK enough window gazing. Back to breakfast and my book.

Free and bargain books June 08, 2020

/ For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

A good book day. Multiple contributors. No browsing needed. Awesome.

BookBub has a FREE YA (13-18)  suggestion for us today.

All the Promises (Deborah Raney) 

All Promises

Amazon quote:

Michelle Penn has dropped out of college to work as a reporter for a tiny weekly newspaper. The boss’s son, Robert Merrick III, is quickly making her forget all about her former sweetheart, Kevin, who has shipped out to Vietnam. Rob loves the newspaper business but feels trapped working for his father. He dreams of having his own newspaper, but now that he’s met Michelle, she is what he wants most of all. Rob is forbidden by office policy to date Michelle, but if he were to quit his job, he’d have nothing to offer her. It seems the thing they most desire–each other–is out of reach. But then, love always makes a way.

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1531 Entertainment has bargain suggestion for us, This selection has appeared fairly often lately but it doesn’t hurt to present it again. $1.32 CDN. It is a good read.

The Demise (A Braxton Mystery Book 1) 

The Demise

Amazon quote.

Tiny Braxton, Tennessee, is a quiet, tight-knit community wrapped around an old town square just a stone’s throw from Nashville. But when the town’s most prominent citizen is found dead at the base of its water tower, news of Peter Lanham’s apparent suicide roars through town like a massive tsunami.

Peter, the handsome, beloved CEO of Lanham’s Fine Foods, had taken a small, family-owned grocery store founded in 1927, and grew it into a successful national chain. With most of Braxton’s residents employed by Lanham’s corporate headquarters, word of Peter’s demise left them searching for answers. What could possibly have made him take a swan dive off that tower?

Julie Parker is convinced he didn’t. As receptionist at Lanham’s executive office suite, she’s determined to find out what really happened to her boss. An aspiring actor who also stars as “The Lanham Girl” in the company’s TV commercials, Julie prides herself on her perceptive observations and people-skills. Who better to find out what happened to Peter up on that water tower?

Matt Bryson, on assignment as a rookie Special Agent for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, isn’t about to let the attractive receptionist intrude on his first case. She may be a hometown insider, but he’s perfectly capable of solving the case without “Miss Marple” screwing up his investigation.

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LPC Books has a FREE suggestion, an author new to me.

Spring Splash 

Spring Splash

Amazon quote:

The heart of a champion may surprise you.

When an injury sidelines college swimmer Anna Callaway, her dreams are crushed. She pours herself into her sports marketing practicum, helping a local special needs organization promote their athletic event. What she doesn’t expect is a swim team ripe for the Special Olympics—and their handsome but stubborn coach.

Craig Holt has dealt with eager and ignorant volunteers before. No matter how determined or persuasive uptight Anna might be about coaching his team to the Special Olympics, he has no intention of allowing her to raise the hopes of his swimmers, his sister, or his guarded heart.

Then Anna herself gets a second chance at becoming a champion. Will she pursue her lifelong goals or make room for a new dream?

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Another LPC Books FREE suggestion. I don’t recall reading this the first time I downloaded it. I must check it out.

Starving Hearts (Triangular Trade Trilogy Book 1)

Starving Hearts

Amazon Quote:

“Not only is this a delightful regency romance but it is also suspense filled mystery of the very best kind.” ~ Amazon review

“The author did a great job, maybe too great a job, describing the slave scenes. Spine tingling and suspenseful. I was biting my nails throughout much of this book.” ~ Amazon review

Plagued by nightmares, Annette yearns to find her anonymous rescuer — the man who saved her life from a near deadly assault. Deep inside she is starving for companionship and a mutually respectful relationship. When Mr. Peter Adsley, an abolitionist pastor dealing with his own emotional baggage, agrees to a clandestine meeting, the event appears providential. But self-doubt, deception, and the schemes of a mutual enemy threaten to keep the pair apart. A phantom adversary will stop at nothing to win Annette’s dowry for himself, even if it means killing Peter.

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One more FREE LPC Books suggestion. I’m do recall reading this downloaded book a year ago.

A Perfect Weakness

A Perfect Weakness

Amazon quote:

The Civil War left its mark on Dr. John Turner. He turns his back on medicine and sees his unexpected inheritance in England as an opportunity to start over. But he never imagines how God intends to use his new role as lord of Ashford Hall — or the beautiful woman he finds there — to ease his troubled soul.

A tragic loss led Penelope Howard to bury her heart and dreams in her work for the Hall and the village of Woodley. But the arrival of the new heir stirs not only her discarded longings but her compassion as well. What burden does he carry that he can’t accept that grace covers the darkest of sins?

A deadly epidemic sweeps through Woodley revealing secrets which threaten everything. The doctor faces a choice: leave or dare to believe what the Lord whispers through the woman John has come to love.

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I’m currently reading a favorite author book that is still a bargain at $0.99

On the Lookout (Lantern Beach P.D. Book 1)

On the Lookout

Amazon quote:

A runaway woman. A dead body. A mysterious compound. 

When Cassidy Chambers accepted the job as police chief on Lantern Beach, she knew the island had its secrets. But a suspicious death with potentially far-reaching implications will test all her skills—and threaten to reveal her true identity. 

Cassidy enlists the help of her husband, former Navy SEAL Ty Chambers. As they dig for answers, both uncover parts of their pasts that are best left buried. Not everything is as it seems, and they must figure out if their John Doe is connected to the secretive group that has moved onto the island.

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It’s Monday. May this be a good week for you.

I’m looking forward to a productive week.

Happy Reading!

Free and bargain books June 04, 2020

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BookBub has a FREE suggestion for us. I read-and-enjoyed this several years ago.

Homecoming (Sweet Hearts of Sweet Creek Book 1)

Homecoming

Amazon quote:

Sheryl Kyle isn’t the trusting type. After all, her abusive late husband and her disapproving stepfather haven’t given her much reason to feel otherwise. But when a rugged rancher named Mark seeks her out she learns her stepfather is on his deathbed. And his dying wish is for her to return to Sweet Creek for one last chance to reconcile…

Mark can’t help but be fascinated by Sheryl. Despite hearing the worst about her from her stepbrother, he’s drawn to the hauntingly beautiful woman. When his ranching partner suffers an injury at the worst possible time, he’s surprised and delighted that Sheryl agrees to work by his side…

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This popular Classic is FREE. You may have even seen the movie.

Sense and Sensibility

Sense and Sensibilty

Amazon quote:

“Sense and Sensibility” is the story of two sisters, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, who have contrasting temperaments. On the surface Elinor, the older sister represents sense or reason while Marianne represents sensibility or emotion, however upon closer examination we find that they both exhibit varying aspects of each characteristic. A classic coming of age story “Sense and Sensibility” was Jane Austen’s first published novel.

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The book I’m currently reading is still a bargain at $0.99, a really good deal for this author. Book 1 Identity Theft is a nail-biter.

Alaskan Refuge Christian Suspense Box Set (Books 1-3)

Alaskan Refuge Box set

A woman hiding from the fatal mistakes of her past. A sister rescuing her autistic little brother from the clutches of danger. A mother confronting the demons in her past to rescue her kidnapped daughter.

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Two things I can’t believe… how quickly the days are flying by (it’s June 4th already), and how fast everything is growing in the garden (plants have gone from 0 to 6 inches, and blooming, in no time at all.)

Reading does make the days seem shorter. Tonight I heard the radio break at 8:30 for the news, five minutes went by when I looked up again — they were breaking for the 9:00 news. Shock.

Usually I don’t hear the news every half hour, it’s more like every two hours. 🙂

Actually weeding makes time fly too. It can be as addictive as reading… just a few more weeds and I’ll quit. But then mosquitoes come out at dusk and quitting is not a problem. I managed to stay out for an hour. Should have gone out sooner but first… just one more page…

It’s a good thing mosquitoes stay outside and reading just one more chapter is never a problem.

Searching for good books is addictive and time consuming too. An hour and a half has gone by already, on a short browse night.

I’m going back to this book now quick, while there is still time.

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I hope you are having as much fun reading as I am.

Happy Reading!