Suspence

Bargain books January 18, 2023

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Good morning, or afternoon, maybe evening, depending on where in the world you are.

It is a good day, we have a bargain book ,,,

and the guys are here to install my much needed replacement furnace. I’m looking forward to being warm again. We never know how much we appreciate something until we don’t have it.

I guess that’s the good thing about the bad things. It wakes us up and changes our thought patterns for the better. Someone wrote a post along those lines the other day. How that the hard times in life can add a new dimension to our character. I’ve heard more than one say – I would never ask to go through cancer, but I’m so grateful for the changes to my life because of that difficult journey.

It seems we become better people for walking through the hard times.

Freezing with no furnace for a few days doesn’t even remotely compare to a cancer journey, but even a small space of time in the cold can test us to see what we are made of.

Well, this wasn’t the conversation I had planned for today. It’s always a surprise, though, when a small thought hijacks our journey and takes us to unplanned destinations. Surprises are fun. They add a little spice to our day.

So, the original simple intention was to share a bargain book that looks interesting.

I have a pretty wide range of interests so I think the one attribute that makes a book enticing to me is quality of the writing. I am hooked on this one. It’s a romance without all the drama of a mystery and yet the sample makes me want to read more.

We have read a book from this author but it’s been 10 years, this will be a new experience.

Love from Afar (Love Letters from Ellis Creek Book 1)

What happens when two little sisters become self-appointed matchmakers?

Best friends Tillie and Lula are tired of watching Tillie’s older sister and Lula’s older brother admire each other from afar. Determined to bring their siblings together, they hatch a most brilliant plan. After all, it’s perfectly acceptable to indulge in mischief if it’s for a good cause, right?

Meredith Waller has an excellent reputation as a wedding dress seamstress in the frontier town of Ellis Creek in 1880s Montana Territory. There’s just one problem: all of the wedding dresses she has sewn have been for others. The eligible bachelor options—or at least decent eligible bachelor options—are next to nil in Ellis Creek, and Meredith worries spinsterhood is God’s plan for her.

Gabe Kleeman has recently returned to Ellis Creek. In those three years away, his affection for Meredith Waller, a woman he’s admired from a distance since their former school days, has remained steadfast. But Meredith doesn’t know Gabe exists, and if he doesn’t figure out a way to use the mouth God gave him to tell her his intentions, Meredith may never know.

Can Tillie and Lula’s clandestine plot bring two lonely hearts together?

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I just noticed books 2 and 3 are on at a bargain price too. Might as well go for all three. They aren’t very long books so it won’t be a big challenge to get them read.

Love Unforeseen (Love Letters from Ellis Creek Book 2)

Will a best friend’s matchmaking scheme be successful?

Tillie Waller finds her life’s purpose in molding young minds as a teacher in Ellis Creek in the late-1890s. While she claims contentment, there is a part of her that longs to marry and be a mother, like her sister, Meredith, and best friend, Lula. But no matter. With her students and books, how could she ever be lonesome?

Willard “Will” Fairbanks has longed to return to Ellis Creek since the day he left the town with his family twelve years ago. When a job offer at Ellis Creek Mill beckons his return, Will eagerly embraces the opportunity. An added bonus? He hopes to reconnect with Tillie Waller, the girl he has always loved—the girl who never felt the same about him.

When Tillie encourages her pupils to write to pen pals in another town, she can’t possibly foresee how such an assignment will impact her own future. Her best friend, Lula, concocts a plan, unbeknownst to Tillie, for Will to become Tillie’s pen pal under a false name. Tillie forms a connection with her pen pal and even dares herself to fall in love.

When she falls in love with both Will and her pen pal, which one will she choose?

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It looks like the third one is a pre-order, to be published soon.

Love Most Certain (Love Letters from Ellis Creek Book 3)

Can newfound love heal a broken heart?

Genevieve Amsel is recovering from a canceled engagement when her dear friend, Tillie, invites her to move to Ellis Creek for a fresh start. While she settles into life in the friendly Montana town, one thing is for certain: Genevieve will never fall in love again, no matter what marriage prospects come her way.

Becoming the new postmaster in Ellis Creek is not for the faint of heart. Attempting to do his best to replace the popular Mr. Norman who recently retired, Oliver Bessell relocates from Bozeman and attempts to win the hearts of Ellis Creek residents, especially one in particular. Can he prove to Genevieve he’s nothing like the man who broke her heart?

Soon Oliver makes it his mission to encourage and brighten Genevieve’s day by leaving her notes at the breakfast table at the boarding house where they both reside. And when a mysterious letter arrives at the post office, will the solving of the puzzle draw him and Genevieve closer?

Return to Ellis Creek for another glimpse into the lives of characters you’ve come to love along with a few newcomers in this tender romance filled with faith and humor by best-selling author Penny Zeller.

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I’m off to see if I can finish my current interesting read. Life is full of distractions these days and reading time has been badly neglected.

Lots of great twists and turns in this time travel series. Check it out.

Happy Reading!

Bargain books August 03, 2022

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An interesting bargain book showed up in my bookish travels this morning. I enjoy Susan May Warren so this is the beginning of a good day.

Flee the Night (Team Hope Book 1) 

Ex-CIA operative Lacey Montgomery is a liar, a murderer, and a fugitive—or is she?

Former Green Beret Jim Micah must either prove her innocence or bring her to justice. Too bad his heart won’t stay out of the way.

With a little girl’s life and national secrets hanging in the balance, Jim and Lacey must trust God to help them flee the secrets of the night.

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Another bargain, this time from an author I’ve read once.

A Perilous Plan: A Regency Romantic Suspense (Imperiled Young Widows Book 1) 

A new Regency Romantic Suspense series by New York Times bestselling author Melanie Dickerson.

Penelope Hammond finds herself a widow at the age of twenty-three, having been married five years to a man she barely knew. Her husband, David Hammond, Lord Hampstead, was a member of the House of Lords who rarely said more than a few words to her in a week’s time–and often did not come home at night.

But Lord Hampstead was from a wealthy, powerful London family with no enemies, so why was he murdered?

Penelope is a penniless widow with few friends and only her cold grandmother to lean on. When she finds herself pursued by both English officials and French spies, she doesn’t know who to trust—until a handsome Member of Parliament, Henry Gilchrist, saves her from being attacked and kidnapped. Mr. Gilchrist seems so determined to help her, but can she trust him?

Henry Gilchrist seems to know more about her husband than she does–that he was unfaithful to her with a young Frenchwoman who Penelope thought was her friend, that his gambling problem had sunk him deeply in debt, and that he had stolen some very important plans that could put the entire country in danger. And now both the French and the English governments think she knows where these plans are.

Penelope had no idea that her husband stole secret plans and intended to sell to the French, but no one seems to believe her, except Henry Gilchrist. When she starts to fall in love with the handsome young Member of the House of Commons, will he be too embittered from a former lost love to accept his own growing feelings? But first they must save themselves from those who would do them harm, or there will be no future for them, either together or apart.

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It looks like a FREE book is in our future, that will be post part two in a little bit.

In the meantime. . .

Happy Reading

More bargains July 13, 2022

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Author Renee Ryan has another bargain book for us, in the series we had earlier. I love the covers.

A Touch of Scarlet (Gilded Promises)

Never was there a more charmed debutante than the impeccable Elizabeth St. James. Her sterling reputation makes her a favored guest in the most exclusive homes in New York City. But behind the gilded curtain of turn-of-the-century society, Elizabeth despises being her mother’s perfect “specimen” and refuses to forgive the woman for her treacherous family betrayal. Now, with only two months before Elizabeth sets sail for London to marry a British lord, she resolves to live a lifetime of adventure—including kissing a man under the moon and stars. And Elizabeth has the perfect candidate in mind: Luke.

Lucian Griffin, the brother of Elizabeth’s dearest friend, intends to protect Elizabeth from letting her adventures forever sully her reputation. He knows too well the regrets that come from taking unnecessary risks. Soon his earnest fondness for the sweet debutante gives way to deep affection. But if either is to have a chance at true love and happiness, they must have the courage to let go of the past—and the grace to embrace forgiveness.

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Another bargain book showed up in the suggestion strips, I see I have read 5 books by this author, Amanda Cabot, but I can’t remember if I like her, she’s not on any of my lists. Probably because I didn’t think of it and should have. This story looks interesting though so I’m going for it.

Out of the Embers (Mesquite Springs Book #1)

Ten years after her parents were killed, Evelyn Radcliffe is once more homeless. The orphanage that was her refuge and later her workplace has burned to the ground, and only she and a young orphan girl have escaped. Convinced this must be related to her parents’ murders, Evelyn flees with the girl to Mesquite Springs in the Texas Hill Country and finds refuge in the home of Wyatt Clark, a talented horse rancher whose plans don’t include a family of his own.

At first, Evelyn is a distraction. But when it becomes clear that trouble has followed her to Mesquite Springs, she becomes a full-blown disruption. Can Wyatt keep her safe from the man who wants her dead? And will his own plans become collateral damage?

Suspenseful and sweetly romantic, Out of the Embers is the first in a new series that invites you to the Texas Hill Country in the 1850s, when the West was wild, the men were noble, and the women were strong.

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This has been an excellent book day.

Free and bargain books March 21, 2022

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LPC Free Books has FREE suggestions for us. I’ve not read this author but it looks interesting.

Fifteen-year-old Adriana Nicu lives in the sheltered world of Bucharest, Romania, in the year 1987. Under the rule of Communist president Nicolae Ceaușescu, citizens of Bucharest live with the eyes and ears of the government ever present. Adriana’s future, which will involve becoming an engineer, is locked in against her will.

During a visit to her aunt’s apartment, Adriana walks through a wardrobe into a hidden room filled with stacks of forbidden novels. Stories bring light into the darkest of circumstances as her family begins to unravel and her life strangely parallels those of her novels’ heroines. Adriana’s childhood loyalties and her belief that God doesn’t exist are called into question as her circumstances force her to rethink things she once believed were certain.

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Another author new to me.

The Chamomile (Women of the American Revolution Series Book 1) 

Lilyan joins Patriot spies in British-occupied Charlestown, South Carolina, to rescue her brother from a notorious prison ship. She’ll lie, steal, kill or be killed in order to protect her family. Desperate for help, she seeks out Nicholas, a scout with Francis Marion’s partisans.

Together the pair set out to save her brother. But will they reach him in time? Or will her growing feelings for Nicholas compromise their mission and send the pair to the gallows?

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My current book is still a bargain and it is a good read. The main character is strong willed, smart, but she has her flaws. She makes the story worth reading.

Bittersweet Motives (Serena Manchester Mysteries Book 1)

Former reporter Serena “Rena” Manchester has transitioned into her new career as a private detective. The Clayton Matthews Law firm sends a few investigations her way that pays the bills, though the work is hardly exciting. However, a shift occurs one day while she is taking photos of a prominent businessman, Edwin Peters, with his young mistress. When the woman shows up dead, Serena has no doubt that Edwin Peters is the prime suspect.

A monkey wrench is thrown at her theory when Serena realizes her client, Mrs. Judith Peters, has just as much motive to kill the young woman. Rena is going to need her hard-nosed tactics to find a murderer because the suspects keep piling up.

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Enjoy.

Happy Reading!

Read and enjoyed March 06, 2022

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This has been a productive weekend for both book reading and blogging. A very satisfying situation, to be sure.

Here is my latest finished read. By a prolific and favorite author.

It was enticing because the danger level was high and so was the emotional stress level. The setting was different this time too. The change in scenery created new variety both in the situation and the characters involved. This was an enjoyable change. Hopefully the rest of the stories in this series will follow suit.

Brandon (Lantern Beach Blackout: Danger Rising Book 1) 

Physically he’s protecting her. But emotionally she’s never felt more exposed.

The last person tech heiress Finley Cooper ever wanted to see again was Brandon Hale. Two years ago, Brandon shattered her heart. Now Finley needs protection, and, against her wishes, Brandon is assigned the job. Even worse, they must pretend to be a couple in order to find answers.

Brandon, a former Navy SEAL, met Finley while on an undercover assignment in Ecuador. But he broke her trust, and now he doesn’t blame Finley for hating him. As a new Blackout operative, Brandon’s first assignment throws him into Finley’s life 24/7. Someone wants her dead, and it’s clear this person won’t stop until that mission is accomplished.

To keep her safe, Brandon must regain Finley’s trust. Can he convince her she’s more than a job to him? Or will peril permanently silence them?

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The next book in the series is coming out soon and is available on pre-order, at a bargain price. I have my order in. I would like it to be my next read, sadly I will have to wait a month. I’m pretty sure I won’t be bored, though, while I’m waiting.

Dylan (Lantern Beach Blackout: Danger Rising Book 2)

His job is to protect her. The trouble is . . . she doesn’t want protection.

Former Navy SEAL Dylan Granger’s new assignment requires him to both use his tactical abilities and tap into his acting skills. Hired by Katie Logan’s father, his job is to protect the gutsy university professor. But Katie can’t know Dylan’s protecting her. Instead, Dylan must act as her assistant.

Katie—a former reporter—has stumbled upon a lead she can’t ignore. Now, it’s clear someone is targeting her, but she refuses to back down. Her handsome new assistant is a welcome distraction from the chaos. But Dylan’s skillset goes way beyond his job description, and Katie is determined to discover who this man really is.

Dylan’s mission can’t be made known—not if he wants to keep Katie safe. But as his feelings for her grow, acting like someone else becomes more of a challenge than he ever imagined.

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My current new read is shaping up to be a good one. This is my second book with this author and I’m looking forward to the experience.

Bayou Liberty 

An emotional story about the importance of family, the secrets of the past, and the healing power of love.

Growing up, sisters Maggie and Sawyer were close and carefree. Following their parents’ death when they were teens, Maggie was forced into a caretaker role for her younger sister, changing the nature of their relationship forever.

Years later, Sawyer’s turbulent marriage finally ends, and she returns home to live with her sister. But the reunion is bittersweet. Maggie, now running their parents’ old bed and breakfast, reveals a diagnosis of cancer.

As the sisters reconnect and support each other through tragedies, a friend from the past reemerges, and with him, secrets about their parents that could change everything.

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Happy Reading y’all.

Free and bargain books February 24, 2022

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BookBub has a FREE suggestion for us.

Missing on Main Street: Small Town Christian Suspense (Honey Pot Mysteries Book 1)

Small towns aren’t always as safe as they seem.

One missing teen sends three homeschool moms on a thrilling search.

Lydia, Kat, and Flora put lesson plans aside as they hunt for Ivy Hooper. Little do they know they’re not the only ones looking for her. With a less than picture-perfect past, Ivy’s trail leads them to shocking revelations and an even more surprising resolution.

Will a trio of stay-at-home moms be able to thwart the dark side of their small town? Can they rescue Ivy before her pursuers find her?

Launch into book one of this binge-worthy Christian Mystery series that builds your faith as it gets your heart racing.

Pour yourself a fresh cup of coffee and get ready to stay up late with the moms of Honey Pot.

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Found in the suggestion strip.

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

Deep in the heart of Alaska, there’s more to fear than just the cold …

Real faith meets real suspense in these 3 thrilling novels you can’t put down!

Find out why Christian fiction readers are racing headfirst into the depths of rural Alaska, where unforgettable characters face unimaginable dangers. These believers will risk everything to save the ones they love:

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.

If you like determined characters, faith-based suspense, and heart-stopping action, then you’ll love these riveting novels from bestselling Christian novelist Alana Terry.

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Another in the suggestion strip.

Murder in Half Moon Bay: A Jillian Bradley Mystery Book 1: (Jillian Bradley Christian Cozy with Suspense Mysteries Series Book 1)

All Jillian Bradley wants is to spend a quiet weekend by the ocean and enjoy her afternoon tea. But a startling discovery draws Jillian and her garden club friends into solving a mystery that threatens her life and changes her future.

‘Murder in Half Moon Bay,’ Book 1 in The Jillian Bradley Mystery Series, introduces Jillian’s little companion ‘Teddy,’ a Yorkie who falls prey to danger but rises to become a sleuth dog in the next book.

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We are back to mysteries.

Enjoy.

Happy Reading!

Free and bargain books January 17, 2022

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BookBub has an intriguing FREE Mystery suggestion for us.

Target For Terror: An International Thriller (Security Specialists, Inc. Book 1)

“If you leave on your own, you’ll be dead by morning.”

Critical Care Nurse Natalia Sokolova can’t ignore former FBI Agent Sloan Dryer’s dire warning. After the Deputy Prime Minister of Russia dies under her care, her house explodes in front of her eyes and now she’s found her best friends brutally murdered. Ironically, the only bright spot in this nightmare is Sloan’s bad Ukrainian accent and his willingness to protect her.

Sloan is convinced that someone wants to kill Natalia and when he finds a link to her family, he’s not sure who they can trust. As they run for their lives, and from the attraction simmering between them, they uncover a terrorist plot that could bring the nation to its knees. Time is running out. Can Sloan and Natalia save their country and their future, before it’s too late?

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LPC Free Books also has a FREE suggestion

Retribution Road

Gabe Jones—an underwater investigative diver with an unusual gift—has a way of finding trouble. This time though trouble finds him.

Carol Evans helped Gabe Jones survive his last adventure. Now they are a couple and Carol needs his help. Carol’s son, Paul, has made some decisions recently that have led him straight into a deep dark world of trouble. His disappearance has the whole family questioning what this kid has been up to and who exactly is the dead girl in his truck, which was submerged in a watery tomb. As they try and unravel Paul’s disappearance, the answers they uncover lead them on the chase of a lifetime that crosses state lines and national borders.

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Happy Reading …

…on this grey day that looks to be hiding a snow storm.

The Weather office agrees and is warning there is a significant dump of that dry blowing stuff coming our way tonight.

I’d better head to the grocery store soon to stock up while I still can.

One bargain book January 13, 2022

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1531 Entertainment has a Mystery suggestion for us with an author new to me and maybe you too.

Sophie’s Search (Search the North Country Book 1)

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51SDkeRzP2L.jpg

Sophie Stearns and her search dog, Belle, flee to the mountains that feed her soul and straight into the arms of the one man she could truly love. If only he didn’t hate her.
Widowed and buried in debt, Sophie Stearns is not going to pin her dreams on a man again – even if Patrick O’Brien is the man of her dreams. Making her environmental engineering company a financial success is her only hope for a secure future.

Patrick O’Brien learned the hard way city girls will rip a man’s heart out to get what they want. After his ex-wife’s betrayal, he bolted to the Adirondacks to lick his wounds and forge a new life protecting the fragile mountain ecosystem from development. The best way to stop the newest threat, Shopsmart is to shutdown their environmental engineering contractor, Sophie Stearns.

When a saboteur destroys Sophie’s project and threatens her life, only Patrick’s intervention can save her business. But Patrick must decide which is more important: his principles or his need to protect the Adirondacks. With the project deadline looming, Sophie must choose between using Belle to rescue a special needs child or saving her fledgling business.
Will their choices lead to love or loneliness?

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Amazon has new information available when saving the covers (at least I think it`s new) so I thought I’d try it out to see if it makes life simpler for you. Let me know if you like it.

Happy Reading y’all

Read and enjoyed August 26, 2021

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This will be short and sweet. No long explanations or opinions. They say short is popular in some crowds. Works for me tonight.

So, I have four books to share and I liked all of them. I can tell because it didn’t take me very long to get through them all.

Currently I’m reading and enjoying book 2 in the First Responders series by Susan Sleeman. Book 1, Silent Night Standoff is pictured above.

It took me a while to realize what that building was on the cover of Silent Night Standoff. It’s actually an old fire-hall, which seems much more appropriate than the old estate house that I thought it was. It was gifted to the county as a residence for the special first responders team and by the description it sounds like an awesome place.

Book 2 is Explosive Alliance

I’m having a good time. I hope you are too.

Happy Reading.

Bargain books July 28, 2021

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A fruitful search unearthed some awesome titles. Both of them are mystery/thrillers. I’ve read three books by DiAnn Mills but it’s been a long while and I’m looking forward to meeting her again.

Fatal Strike 

Amazon quote:

There’s a killer on the loose in Galveston, targeting law enforcement officials and using a fatal injection of snake venom to take them down. Authorities have reasons to believe the Veneno gang is behind the hits, and FBI Agents Leah Riesel and Jon Colbert team up to track down those responsible. Their best lead is an eyewitness who identifies a young man dumping the third body on a church doorstep. But their suspect has gone into hiding, and those closest to him are reluctant to reveal anything that might help investigators find him.

As Leah and Jon check connections among the victims and dig deeper into motives, they discover appearances may be deceiving. Someone is desperate to keep their secrets hidden, and Leah and Jon must face their greatest fears in order to stop the next fatal strike.

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I’ve read two books by Dani Pettrey, one of them only last year. Now, after reading the first part of chapter one I’m excited to read this one.

The Killing Tide (Coastal Guardians Book #1)

Amazon quote:

When one Coast Guard officer is found dead and another goes missing, Coast Guard Investigative Service special agent Finn Walker faces his most dangerous crime yet. His only clues are what little evidence remains aboard the dead officer’s boat, and the direction the clues point to will test Finn and the Guard to their limits.

When investigative reporter–and Finn’s boss’s sister–Gabby Rowley arrives, her unrelenting questions complicate an already volatile situation. Now that she’s back, the tug on Finn’s heart is strong, but with the risks she’s taking for her next big story, he fears she might not live through it.

Thrown together by the heinous crime, Finn and Gabby can’t ignore the sparks or judgments flying between them. But will they be able to see past their preconceptions long enough to track down an elusive killer, or will they become his next mark?

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I came across a small 3 book collection as well but I think I will save it for tomorrow.

Enjoy these two. They are long enough and exciting enough to keep us busy for a nice long while, I’ll bet.

Happy Reading