Pretty Little Pieces by Carmen Shober

I love a good redemption story and Pretty Little Pieces by Carmen Schober is truly a fantastic one. Georgina Havoc is a designer on a home show who is trying to make a comeback after her relationship with her co-star falls apart. Cassidy Stokes has walked through so much pain and never thought he would be in a place to dream again about a better life.

This book is edgy and gritty in all the best ways. The author does not step around the hardships and troubles of life. She takes her characters and readers through the messy things while maintaining hope. This story had the depth and realness that kept me coming back for more. I was so engaged in the story I stayed up late to read, and was so sad when the story ended. Highlights for me were the secondary cast of characters; the behind the scenes of making a reality show; and humor woven in with realness.

This story has themes of forgiveness, friendship, and hope for the future. It was a pleasure to watch the characters grow and change. I highly recommend this book! This is the author’s second book and I feel she is someone to watch. I look forward to her future books.

I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review. 

Hi! I'm Carmen. I'm a wife, mother, proud Cuban-American, Rocky enthusiast, perpetual project starter, and I write contemporary Christian romance for the modern woman. My debut MMA-themed romance, After She Falls, is available wherever books are sold, and Pretty Little Pieces (my new standalone romance about the next Joanna Gaines) released on December 6th! 

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When I'm not chasing children or writing books, I blog about faith, motherhood, and culture. Welcome to the party! I'm glad you're here. ​

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Cheers,​​

Carmen

Refining Josie by Carolyn Miller

Refining Josie by Carolyn Miller is the final book in the Independent Island series. I am very sad to see this series end. Though characters from other books are included I feel it could be read as a stand alone.

Main character Josie's painful past has contributed to her being angry at the world and feeling incompetent. But, as the author gently shows us her past you begin to see her in a new way making her a very endearing character. Lachlan Jones is visiting long lost relatives from Australia on Breaker Island. He is trying to figure out how to follow his dreams and be practical. He is kind, funny, and a loveable hero who sees past Josie’s bluster.

This amazing story drew me in with its banter, dialogue, and well developed characters. The misunderstandings that often happen in families and relationships are handled with care and I enjoyed watching each character grow and change. The setting is gorgeous and it was a pleasure to catch up with characters from earlier books in the series.

This beautiful redemptive story is my favorite in the series. The writing is fantastic and spoke deeply to my heart. I highly recommend Refining Josie by Carolyn Miller.

I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review.

Carolyn Miller is an inspirational romance author who lives in the beautiful Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia, with her husband and four children.

A longtime lover of romance, especially that of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer’s Regency era, Carolyn holds a BA in English literature and loves drawing readers into fictional worlds that show the truth of God’s grace in our lives. She enjoys music, films, gardens, art, travel, and food.

Miller’s novels have won a number of RWA and ACFW contests. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Australasian Christian Writers.
Learn more about Carolyn at www.carolynmillerauthor.com, or find her on Facebook (Carolyn Miller Author), Instagram (@CarolynMillerAuthor), and Twitter (@CarolynMAuthor).

The Wedding Ranch by Nancy Naigle

The Wedding Ranch by Nancy Naigle is a sweet story of second chances. Lorrie Walker divorced her husband after many years of unfaithfulness. Ryder Bolt lost his wife and child many years ago in a car accident. They have both faced many heart breaks and are not looking for a relationship or love. They both live in Dalton Mill and meet by chance.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I loved the main characters, the quaint setting of Dalton Mill, and the support system each character had in many of the secondary characters. Lorrie has a large dog named Mister who is a Mastiff who added to the story and became my friend by the end. Dalton Mill is a wonderful setting and I enjoyed visiting. Beautiful scenery and wonderful folks.

This lovely story had characters with wonderful rapport, good banter, and it was a pleasure to watch them both grow and change. The beautiful setting and the themes of redemption resonated with me. I recommend The Wedding Ranch.  

I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review.

USA Today bestselling author Nancy Naigle whips up small-town love stories with a dash of suspense and a whole lot of whose many contemporary romance novels include The Shell Collector and the Adams Grove, Boot Creek, and Christmas in Evergreen series. Several of her novels have been adapted to the television screen, airing on Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, including the popular Christmas Joy and The Secret Ingredient. Nancy makes her home in Virginia.

The Sisters of Sea View by Julie Klassen

The Sister of Sea View by Julie Klassen is the first in her new series On Devonshire Shores. This marvelous story has us traveling to Sidmouth to meet the Summer sisters on the Devonshire Coast. Due to their circumstances they must consider letting out the rooms in their home to seaside visitors.

There were fantastic details of the Regency period in the story making this such a wonderful read. I was transported to the coast of Devonshire where I enjoyed learning about sea-bathing, surgeries, and lace making of the time. I felt very engaged in the story as the author did an incredible job developing each sister and secondary character. I was delighted by the secondary characters and it was lovely to meet them. I felt fully immersed in the story.

This beautifully written story shares with us themes of family, faithfulness, and the transformative power of love. The details of the time period will thrill any Regency fan, and this wonderfully crafted story makes The Sisters of the Sea a joy to read. I very highly recommend and look forward to book number two. For reference I would consider this women’s fiction with some romance.
I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review.

A little about me…
I love all things Jane—Jane Eyre and Jane Austen. A graduate of the University of Illinois, I worked in publishing for sixteen years and now write full time. Three of my books, The Silent Governess, The Girl in the Gatehouse, and The Maid of Fairbourne Hall, won the Christy Award for Historical Romance. The Secret of Pembrooke Park won the Minnesota Book Award, and The Silent Governess was a finalist in Romance Writers of America’s RITA awards. I have also been honored with the Midwest Book Award and Christian Retailing’s BEST Award. I enjoy travel, research, BBC period dramas, long hikes, short naps, and coffee with friends. My husband and I have two sons and live near St. Paul, Minnesota.

The Christmas Spirit by Debbie Macomber

 

Thank you @PRHAudio for the complimentary audiobook!

❓QOTD: Does your town have a Christmas 🎄festival or event? Where I live we have ⭐️ Light Up Greenhills where I took the picture. We did not have all the beautiful snow like the book picture cover, but I did have a lit up Gazebo and a church in the background.

The Christmas Spirit by Debbie Macomber and read by Eliza Foss was absolutely a delight!! It is probably my favorite Christmas story of all time! This wonderful story is told by a grandmother to her grandchildren. It is the story of Hank who owns a tavern and Pete who is a pastor who decide to switch places the week before Christmas. They both figure the other’s job can not be that hard. We find out they are both wrong.

This was a beautifully written story. The grandmother and grandchildren were funny and sweet, and it was a pleasure to watch Hank and Pete see the other in a new light. The secondary characters from the bar, the church and animals from the live nativity, added to the story and had me laughing out loud. I found myself looking for reasons to sneak away and listen to the story.

If you listen or read one story this holiday season it should be this one! The Christmas Spirit is a story of love, forgiveness, and seeing past people’s outward appearance. It will speak deeply to your heart and remind you about what Christmas is truly about. I highly recommend it.

I was given a copy of the audio book from the publisher and all opinions are my own.

Debbie Macomber is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and one of today’s most popular writers with more than 200 million copies of her books in print worldwide. In her novels, Macomber brings to life compelling relationships that embrace family and enduring friendships, uplifting her readers with stories of connection and hope. Macomber’s novels have spent over 1,000 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. Fifteen of these novels hit the number one spot.

In 2022, Macomber’s all-new hardcover publications include The Best Is Yet to Come (July) and The Christmas Spirit (October) and a new adult coloring book, Debbie Macomber’s Holly Jolly Christmas Coloring Book (October). In addition to fiction, Macomber has also published three bestselling cookbooks, two adult coloring books, numerous inspirational and nonfiction works, and two acclaimed children’s books.

Celebrated as “the official storyteller of Christmas”, Macomber’s annual Christmas books are beloved and six have been crafted into original Hallmark Channel movies. Macomber is also the author of the bestselling Cedar Cove Series which the Hallmark Channel chose as the basis for its first dramatic scripted television series. Debuting in 2013, Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove was a ratings favorite for three seasons.

She serves on the Guideposts National Advisory Cabinet, is a YFC National Ambassador, and is World Vision’s international spokesperson for their Knit for Kids charity initiative. A devoted grandmother, Debbie and Wayne live in Port Orchard, Washington, the town which inspired the Cedar Cove series.