romance

Read and Enjoyed – end of October edition

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It’s time once again for Read & Enjoyed.

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

Magnolia Storms (Coastal Hearts Book 1) 

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

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

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

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

Ever Caring (Family Promises Book 1)

He lost his wife.

She gave up her baby.

Can these troubled souls find true love beneath their secrets?

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

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

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

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

The Thing about Mustard Seeds: A Cozy Christian Romance

They watched a man die.

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

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

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

More …

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

Seasoned: A Love Story 

Ruby Jane: The Montana Marshalls 

Flight Risk 

Breakwater Protector (Saltwater Cowboys Book 2)

This Quiet Sky 

Melodies of Christmas Love: A Boxed Set Collection

Mistletoe and Murder: A Christmas Suspense Collection

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

I’m currently reading and enjoying …

Jane: A Fierce Heart (Harvey Girls Book 3) 

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

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

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

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

Happy Reading!

Free and bargain books part 2 Oct 30th

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A new source for FREE and bargain books is Readers are Leaders found at email bookhub@inspireafire.com if you’d like to sign up.

Some of these book deals expire Nov 1 so I’m sharing quickly.

There were other books in the list but they didn’t all come up at the advertised price. Some were available on carriers other than Kindle, my only source is Kindle.

You may find it helpful to subscribe to this list directly if some of the other options would work for you.

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

Mac (Ladies of Garfield Book 10)

Amazon quote:

After separating herself from the oppressive cult where she was raised, Mackenzie Soeurs has two dreams: to give her son Riley a better life than she had, and to live in peace, as far from the harsh God of her past as she can get. At least that was the plan until her son got hauled to jail for theft and she lost the mother she never truly understood. In the darkest moments of her life, Mac finds herself surrounded by a group of Christian women she can’t understand and a handsome man, willing to take her son under his wing.

Dane Cooper, Garfield’s former bad boy and groom left at the altar, can’t deny his initial attraction to Mackenzie. Neither can he resist the urge from God to mentor her delinquent son. How can he guard his battered heart and still give Riley the same second chance he was given?

When Jesse, Charley, Randy, and Alex signed up for Mac’s first fitness class, they were looking for someone to whip them into physical shape. What they found was a woman bound by a cruel history, suffering through a tragic present, and in desperate need of a friend…or four.

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

This next FREE one sounds interesting. I checked to be sure and it is fiction.

Messenger Lillian Duncan

Amazon quote:

Life is perfect in NewAmerica.
No crime.
No poverty.
No war.
No discrimination.

Life is perfect as long as you’re a loyal citizen.
Life is perfect as long as you follow The Guardian Rules without question.

All religion has been banned, even uttering the name of God is a crime punishable by death. Magdalena Denton is an unlikely messenger, but when a patient braves the consequences to tell her The Guardians have deceived everyone about God, she’s determined to discover the truth.

Life is perfect in NewAmerica until the moment you wonder…is there a God?

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

Seasoned: A Love Story

Amazon quote:

Two years after the death of her husband, Essie White continues to battle loneliness. Her romance-writing daughter suggests that her mother try online dating. Essie pushes back. True, soul-level love, only comes along once. Still, some male companionship would help pass the days.

Widower Lou Rizzo isn’t seeking love, either. He’s seen the horrors of war and the heartbreak of loss that follows when death rips apart a relationship. Once in a lifetime is enough. Still, a little companionship would help pass the days. Using an alias to safeguard his identity, he reluctantly accepts his friend’s dare and posts his profile on the dating site.

Essie and Lou meet, and their initial attraction soon develops into a friendship neither wants to lose. Lou, however, must confess his part in a decades-old incident that he feels Essie will not understand or be able to forgive. She, too, harbors secrets that may jeopardize their future together.

As the relationship grows, each must decide whether to reveal the truth about their past mistakes. Will fears and regrets ruin their chance to love again? Seasoned is a timeless love for the ages.

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

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.”

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

Three of the books are new to me. One of the authors is too. It’s a good day for fresh reading material afterall.

Happy Reading y’all

Bargain book October 30, 2020

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BookBub has an interesting bargain suggestion and at the moment I think it is going to be my next read.

Magnolia Storms (Coastal Hearts Book 1) 

Amazon quote:

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

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

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

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

My current read is both funny and serious at the same time which makes it quite enjoyable. It’s a short book so it won’t take long to finish and move on.

The Thing about Mustard Seeds: A Cozy Christian Romance

Amazon quote:

They watched a man die.

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

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

Heartbreaking and inspirational, The Thing about Mustard Seeds is a tale of redemption in the face of insurmountable odds.

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

I’m sad about the slow trickle of interesting books these days.

In truth, I probably shouldn’t be. (In a very selfish and self-centered kind of way, of course.) There are 216 unread books currently sitting on my Kindle. A faster trickle would mean an even bigger build-up in that list.

Available reading time has greatly diminished in the last month or so. The work load of my day job has increased dramatically. From a mental health point of view this is actually a good thing, I’m counting my blessings.

On the other hand, more work hours make it harder to keep up with a daily posting routine. My head is in the wrong space to have much to say about books and related subjects. It takes time I don’t have to get back into the zone.

I’m enjoying the season anyway, just the way it is. Nothing lasts forever. Grasp it fully while it’s here. That’s my motto and it serves me well.

In the meantime…

I’m still wishing you all,

Happy reading!

I won’t forget to keep posting every chance I get.

Free & bargain books October 29, 2020

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BookRunes has a FREE suggestion for us

Jane: A Fierce Heart (Harvey Girls Book 3) 

Amazon quote:

Jane is determined to make the world a better place even when everything seems so bleak in this clean and wholesome historical western romance story.

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

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

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

I’m currently reading:

Flight Risk

Savannah Daniels has worked hard to build her law practice, to surround herself with good friends, and to be the loyal aunt her troubled niece can always count on. But since her ex-husband’s betrayal, she has trouble trusting anyone.

Jett Glover’s father committed suicide over a false newspaper report that ruined his reputation. Now a fierce champion of truth, Jett is writing the story of his journalism career—an international sex-trafficking exposé that will bring down a celebrity baseball player and the men closest to him, including Savannah’s ex-husband.

When Jett’s story breaks, tragedy ensues. Then a commercial airline crashes, and one of Savannah’s clients is implicated in the crash. Men connected to the scandal, including her ex, begin to die amid mysterious circumstances, and Savannah’s niece becomes an unwitting target.

Against their better instincts, Jett and Savannah join ranks to sort the facts from fiction. But can Savannah trust the reporter who threw her life into chaos? And can Jett face the possibility that he’s made the biggest mistake of his life?

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

It’s hard to say where I will go next. I’ve read every enticing thing at the top of my TBR list. Maybe it will be today’s download, unless there is another must-read showing up in the next 24 hours or so.

These days life is busy with other things so at least the pressure is off to find enticing before the current book ends.

It was exciting getting to this one but it is not turning out as well as I’d hoped. There is a lot going on and a dominant story doesn’t seem to be in the mix. This isn’t working out well for me.

Rather than pulling me in it’s leaving me lost and a little adrift. I’m skimming often, still trying to decide if I care to stick around long enough to see how it ends.

Unless something changes, the way it stands at 51% the ending won’t be much of a surprise anyway.

I’m not disliking the story, I’m just disappointed.

*****

To quote a fellow blogger:

So, how was your day?

*****

Happy Reading y’all

Here’s to awesomeness in the next book.

Free books October 27, 2020

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LPC Books has FREE suggestions for us.

After the Storm (Finding Love in the Low Country Book 1)

Amazon quote:

Sharon cannot face her future until she has dealt with her past. 

When an accident takes everyone in her family except Sharon Martin’s grandson, she is forced to face the secrets of her past. For decades she has protected herself and “his family” from the damage this secret could cause. But when Bobby’s well-being depends on her honesty, will she have the courage to speak the truth? When tragedy strikes, can love and honesty save a life?

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

Starving Hearts (Triangular Trade Trilogy Book 1) 

Amazon quote:

“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.

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

Chapel Springs Revival (Chapel Springs Series Book 1)

Amazon quote:

With a friend like Claire, you need a gurney, a mop, and a guardian angel.

Everybody in the small town of Chapel Springs, Georgia, knows best friends Claire Bennett and Patsy Kowalski. It’s impossible not to, what with Claire’s zany antics and Patsy’s self-appointed mission to keep her friend out of trouble. And trouble abounds.

During an early morning discussion at Dees ‘n’ Doughs bakery with their ladies group, all Chapel Springs entrepreneurs, attention is drawn to the slackened tourist trade. With their livelihoods threatened, they join forces to address the town’s revitalization in hopes of drawing back the tourists. No one could have guessed the real issue needing restoration is their marriages.

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

My current read is the conclusion to a 5 book family series. Strong characters, every one of them, each one as different as can be.

Ruby Jane: The Montana Marshalls – An Inspirational Romantic Suspense Family Series

Amazon quote:

She loved…and lost.

Ruby Jane never thought she’d meet the man of her dreams while running from the police in Russia. That he’d steal her heart on a train to Siberia. But loving a former CIA officer comes with a price…a life of danger. A life of high stakes.

A life where he simply disappears…

He has no memory of the man he was.

Mack Jones has no memory of his past…just the dark sense that he is hiding. And, he wants to stay that way. Mack likes the life he’s built in a small tourist town, tucked away beyond the mountains, and has no desire to dig around in the gray areas of his memory.

When his place of business catches fire and Mack rescues the owner, he makes the news, which of course alerts the past he’s hoping to outrun.

The only person who can help him is a mysterious woman he doesn’t remember.

But a woman he desperately needs.

The surprising, thrilling conclusion to the Montana Marshalls series.

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

Happy Reading …

… on this chilly morning in southern Manitoba. -7C with the possibility of a little snow.

It’s crazy … this weather.

The grass is green and needs another cut but some of it is under snow. The petunias are green and alive but the soil around them is stiff with frost making it hard to clean them up for the winter. The weeds are still growing for heaven sakes, and it’s too cold to go out and get rid of them.

I’m sure you know how sad I’m feeling about all this. Really …. deeply sad.

Where’s my book??

One free, one bargain for October 23, 2020

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BookRunes has an interesting FREE suggestion for us and I’m looking forward to it.

The Thing about Mustard Seeds: A Cozy Christian Romance

Amazon quote:

They watched a man die.

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

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

Heartbreaking and inspirational, The Thing about Mustard Seeds is a tale of redemption in the face of insurmountable odds.

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

My current read is Melodies of Christmas Love. An enjoyable seven book box set. Book five is quickly drawing to a close and I’m sorry my new friends will soon be leaving me.

We are in luck, this collection is still available at $0.99

Book 5

A Night Divine – Dawn Kinzer

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

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

I’d better get moving if I want to post this before the clock flips past midnight and the date becomes the 24th.

Happy Reading

Free and bargain books October 20, 2020

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

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

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

Amazon quote:

Heat Level: Low
Laugh Level: High

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

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

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

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

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

Someone to Blame 

Amazon quote:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This Quiet Sky

Amazon quote:

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

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

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

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

Next time.

Free and bargain books October 19, 2020

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1531 Entertainment has an interesting offer for us.

I look forward to this is collection every year at this time, it’s becoming a tradition. And it’s always at a bargain price too. The stories are stand alone but connected in small ways. The final book ties them all together.

Five Gold Rings (Crossroads Collection Book 7)

Amazon quote:

Some of today’s best-selling Christian authors weave five completely new, unique, interconnected stories where once jilted lovers find worth more precious than gold.

Christmas Mercy by Jaycee Weaver
As the web of lies that kept Rob away from Vera and their daughter unravels, the months following his return test their capacity for mercy, forgiveness, and a second chance at love.

The Seven Year Glitch by Hallee Bridgeman
Seven years earlier, Timothy left Leanne at the altar stealing years of happiness. Leanne rescues him from a rooftop in a floodplain and it is clear there is much more to the story. Can their love redeem the hurts of the past to rescue their future?

Laughing All the Way by Lesley Ann McDaniel
When Jessica’s friends put her up to “fixing” their commitment phobic co-worker, Conner, she doesn’t take them very seriously. Conner doesn’t know whether to laugh at Jessica or tell her to mind her own business.

Ghosted at the Altar by Chautona Havig
After his fiancée, Brenna, abandons Mitchell on their wedding day, she insists she loves him and still wants to marry him. As truths come to light, her little sister, Lauren, turns sleuth to solve the mystery of why Brenna ghosted Mitchell at the altar.

Five Gold Rings by Amanda Tru
When three relationship-challenged couples wish for Christmas weddings, commitment coach, Oliver, teams up with a wedding planner, TeraLyn, to help make their marriage dreams come true.

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

LPC Books has a few FREE and one bargain suggestion for us. I enjoy the first author and I’m looking forward to this. And the others … except for the two I’ve read.

Things We Once Held Dear 

Amazon quote:

New Yorker Neil Sadler returns to his hometown of Mason, Ohio, where the small-town was rocked by the suspicious death of Helen Syfert, the mother of Neil’s friend, Mary.

As the pair reconnects, Neil learns their once-close relationship hasn’t survived the tragedy of Mary’s loss. In time, though, the couple finds that what pushed them apart years ago now seems to be pulling them together. Still, Neil finds himself struggling to recover from a more recent loss, one he keeps tucked in his heart.

While the mystery of Helen’s death remains unsolved, finding closure will require opening old wounds, mending broken relationships, and facing new fears.

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

Devil in the Dust 

Amazon quote:

June 1933: — Their small Oklahoma town is dying. Lillian remembers how acres and acres of wheat once waved under jewel-blue skies. Now the dirt stretches across the flat land as far as she can see.

Though Emma’s husband is missing, she keeps house — and keeps her five children fed as best as she can — even as her hopes fade. But when the days stretch to weeks, she considers the possibility that he will never come home. Left with the likelihood of losing their farm, and the ever-present pangs of hunger, she is forced to consider opportunities that, under normal circumstances, no woman should ever have to contemplate.

Jessie, Emma’s oldest daughter, completes her daily chores with tired repetition. Forced to wear her mother’s shoes to avoid the humiliation of bare feet, she watches the dead, dirt road for signs of life.

And then he arrives in his new car and shiny shoes and generous way with gifts and money. Much to the dismay of her mother he catches Jessie’s eye.

Lillian knows he’s too smooth, too willing to help, and much too eager to spend time with a girl less than half his age. But what’s to say he is not the miracle they all prayed for? In times of desperation the wind carries more than one kind of evil.

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

The Last Summer

Amazon quote:

For twenty-something Sara Witherspoon and her group of friends, a perfect Southern summer includes lake-house getaways, wedding planning, outdoor concerts, and a dash of romance. But for these seven friends who love each other like family, this year, summer rolls in with changes for everyone.

Sara’s longtime crush, Luke, has been her best friend for as long as she has been a part of the group. When Luke begins seriously dating another of their friends, Sara’s forced to deal with her hurt and jealousy, while outwardly try to support them both.

While Sara comes to terms with her own heart and her friends’ relationships, an unexpected handsome pilot from North Carolina and an old flame are thrown into the mix. Knowing her heart suddenly becomes much more complicated.

But as time unfolds and friendships begin to unravel, Sara and the others are presented with the reality of what a season of change does to old friendships and new love interests.

Does growing older mean growing apart?

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

This Quiet Sky

Amazon quote:

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

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

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

I know what I’m reading next. This Quiet Sky

That is, if I remember.

I’m currently reading an eight book collection but I’m only on book 2. That’s a lot of water under the bridge before I get to the next book.

Maybe when I finish book 2 I’ll have to take a little detour through the new book before going back to the collection. A little break could be a good thing.

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

It’s been another awesome book day. I hope you are feeling as happy as I am over this new selection of good reads.

I haven’t had much reading time today so I’m off to see what’s happening in the world of murder and mayhem.

Happy Reading y’all

Bargain books October 16, 2020

/ For the Love of Books / 2 Comments

BookRunes mentioned a newly published bargain box set we are seeing fairly often lately. I may as well mention it again too. It’s near the top of my TBR list but I haven’t started it quite yet.

Dangerous Deceptions: A Romantic Suspense Boxed Set Collection

Amazon quote for the first three books:

Lethal Outbreak: Lisa Harris & Lynne Gentry

Virus hunter Aiden Ballinger believes the source of the lethal outbreak that decimated a remote Tibetan village came from disturbing the permafrost. Desperate to rebury it before it buries the world, Aiden enlists Rachel Allen, a beautiful epidemiologist. But while Aiden and Rachel pursue the cure—and their feelings for each other—someone is hunting them. Whoever wants them dead will not stop until they are silenced.

Collision Course: Elizabeth Goddard

His cover blown, FBI Special Agent Reg Jacobson finds refuge on the other side of the country, but trouble follows him when he faces off with a woman from his past. Private Investigator Nicole Weatherly, hired to catch a thief, suspects Reg. When the bullets fly, Reg and Nicole must escape secrets from their pasts before their futures collide.

Glimmer in the Darkness: Robin Patchen

When Cassidy learns another child has been kidnapped from her hometown, she’s convinced the man who took the girl she’d been babysitting seven years earlier is behind the recent abductions. She alone holds the key to finding him. Though James blames Cassidy for his sister’s death, he’ll help if there’s a chance to save a child’s life. Can Cassidy and James identify the serial killer in time to rescue his latest victim?

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Browsing, I noticed a bargain for Book 2 in a new series I’m excited about.

Breakwater Protector (Saltwater Cowboys Book 2) 

Amazon quote:

Lizzie McCreary needs to disappear. As danger stalks her, she escapes to windswept Cape Corral with her eight-year-old son, Preston. The isolated island offers her a desperate hope for safety.

Saltwater cowboy Dash Fulton isn’t looking for love. Yet when he rescues a woman and boy from the woods, he immediately feels a bond with the two. He can sense the pair are harboring secrets. The question is, what are they?

Dash has secrets of his own, and pressure continues to mount for him to come clean. But as he’s caught up in the peril surrounding Lizzie and Preston, his own problems become a low priority. He can’t let anyone hurt the sweet single mom and her precocious son. 

As more details come to light, will wounds from the past ultimately drive Lizzie and Dash apart? Or will the man chasing Lizzie destroy any hope for the future?

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Book 1 in the Saltwater Cowboys series is still a bargain too so it’s a good time to get them both.

He’s trying to forget. She’d give anything to remember.

Officer Levi Sutherland wants to protect the wild horses of Cape Corral and keep the island residents safe. But memories of his deceased wife haunt him at every turn and make him long for a fresh start. When a woman washes ashore with a bullet wound and no memories, Levi knows he can’t leave until he discovers what happened to her.

The woman—whose necklace reads Dani—captures Levi’s attention like no one has in a long time. But which side of the law is she on? Could Dani be mixed up with other mysterious incidents happening on the island?

Together, can the two find answers and create new memories? Or will secrets tear them apart and destroy a future as uncertain as Dani’s past?

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I was excited to see two more Christy Barritt books on at pre-order bargain price. On further investigation, it seems I’ve already ordered them. I’m highly disappointed, I was hoping to have discovered something new.

I’ll mention them again anyway, maybe you will be inspired too.

I’m sure they will be new to me by the time they arrive in February. I will probably have forgotten again.

Shock and Awe (Lantern Beach Guardians Book 2)

Safe and Sound (Lantern Beach Guardians Book 3)

I’m thinking Christy Barritt probably appears in my downloads more often than most other authors.

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I’m currently still reading Mistletoe and Murder, up to book 5 I think.

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Happy reading y’all!

You may have noticed cold in the categories, that’s because it’s what it is these days, cold. Freezing overnight. Even though it’s only mid October.

I wouldn’t have been surprised to see heavy frost, but a skiff of snow this morning was a shock, I have to say.

It is pretty though. I’m a bit of a sucker for pretty

Free and bargain books October 15, 2020

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I’m back. With a FREE book suggestion courtesy of BookBub and it’s one I’ve not read. Even better.

Ever Caring (Family Promises Book 1)

Amazon quote:

He lost his wife.

She gave up her baby.

Can these troubled souls find true love beneath their secrets?

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

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

As the attraction between them deepens, Tate is wary of revealing his less-than-perfect marriage that lies behind the idyllic photos. And Renee fears that divulging her tragic secret will destroy any hope for a future with Tate.

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I stumbled on a good looking mystery/thriller I want to read. It’s a limited time bargain so be sure to be quick if you are interested.

Flight Risk

Amazon quote:

Savannah Daniels has worked hard to build her law practice, to surround herself with good friends, and to be the loyal aunt her troubled niece can always count on. But since her ex-husband’s betrayal, she has trouble trusting anyone.

Jett Glover’s father committed suicide over a false newspaper report that ruined his reputation. Now a fierce champion of truth, Jett is writing the story of his journalism career—an international sex-trafficking exposé that will bring down a celebrity baseball player and the men closest to him, including Savannah’s ex-husband.

When Jett’s story breaks, tragedy ensues. Then a commercial airline crashes, and one of Savannah’s clients is implicated in the crash. Men connected to the scandal, including her ex, begin to die amid mysterious circumstances, and Savannah’s niece becomes an unwitting target.

Against their better instincts, Jett and Savannah join ranks to sort the facts from fiction. But can Savannah trust the reporter who threw her life into chaos? And can Jett face the possibility that he’s made the biggest mistake of his life?

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One more awesome bargain I need. It’s book 5 in the series. I’ve read book 1 and now I can’t pass up #5. This is the conclusion to the family saga and it’s about the only girl in a house full of boys.

I’m good with reading the end before the middle.

The middle three books are at a reduced price too and it is very tempting… but… I have to realistic. Which is painful at a time like this.

Ruby Jane: The Montana Marshalls 

Amazon quote:

She loved…and lost.

Ruby Jane never thought she’d meet the man of her dreams while running from the police in Russia. That he’d steal her heart on a train to Siberia. But loving a former CIA officer comes with a price…a life of danger. A life of high stakes.

A life where he simply disappears…

He has no memory of the man he was.

Mack Jones has no memory of his past…just the dark sense that he is hiding. And, he wants to stay that way. Mack likes the life he’s built in a small tourist town, tucked away beyond the mountains, and has no desire to dig around in the gray areas of his memory.

When his place of business catches fire and Mack rescues the owner, he makes the news, which of course alerts the past he’s hoping to outrun.

The only person who can help him is a mysterious woman he doesn’t remember.

But a woman he desperately needs.

The surprising, thrilling conclusion to the Montana Marshalls series.

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I’m currently reading a mystery/romance collection (still a bargain) and it’s been the inspiration for today’s search. I’ve been checking out some of the authors and I did find treasure.

Mistletoe and Murder: A Christmas Suspense Collection 

Danger and suspense await you this Christmas season in Mistletoe and Murder: A Christmas Suspense Collection featuring 10 individual novellas of suspense from some of today’s most talented Christian Suspense authors.

Come with us on a heart-racing journey through the holidays as USA Today, Christian Booksellers Association, and ECPA Bestselling authors Mary Alford, Adam Blumer, Liz Bradford, Vicki Hinze, Shaen Layle, Loree Lough, Nancy Mehl, Cara Putman, Lynn Shannon, and Virginia Vaughan, weave tales of suspense that will have you flipping pages well into the new year.

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I hope you find some treasures here too. This is a 5 star line-up of books today, I’m very excited.

Happy Reading y’all