Tuesday, April 30, 2024

A Taste for Crime by Ellery Adams & Tina Radcliffe


A Taste for Crime by Ellery Adams and Tina Radcliffe is a delightful book in the series A Hope Street Church Mystery, but can be read as a stand-alone book. The Hope Street Church Bible study group is asked to help solve a crime after a food critic turns up dead in the mentor of one of their members’ restaurant. Cooper must work with the Bible study to try to solve the mystery and save Chef Anton Parsley from ruin while trying to keep her new shop afloat, take care of a diva dog, and grow her relationship with Jon.

This was such a fun read. Humor is sprinkled throughout the story keeping the mystery light, but very interesting. The faith elements were realistic and gave the story depth. The characters were very relatable and I found myself wanting to attend the Bible study on Sunday morning. This was a fantastic read!

I enjoyed the interesting characters, faith elements, and mystery in A Taste for Crime by Ellery Adams and Tina Radcliffe. I highly recommend.

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


 
Originally from Western, N.Y., author Tina Radcliffe left home for a tour of duty with the Army Security Agency stationed in Augsburg, Germany and ended up in Tulsa, Oklahoma. While living in Tulsa she spent ten years as a Certified Oncology R.N. A freelance writer for over twenty years, Tina was a founding member and the manager of Seekerville, a 13 author blog, from 2008-2017. Seekerville has been a Writer's Digest 101 Best Websites for Writers award winner 2013-2017.

An RWA Honor Roll member, Tina is also a two-time RWA Golden Heart finalist, a 2012 ACFW Carol Award finalist for Oklahoma Reunion, a 2014 ACFW Mentor of the Year finalist, and a 2014 ACFW Carol Award winner for Mending the Doctor's Heart.

Tina is thrilled to announce she is the 2018 ACFW Mentor of the Year and a 2018 ACFW Carol Award Finalist for Claiming Her Cowboy.

She has also finaled/or won over twenty RWA chapter affiliated contests in her career. As a short story writer, she has sold over two dozen short stories to Woman’s World Magazine.

Tina is a member of Romance Writers of America, including the Kiss of Death Chapter, FHL Chapter, Desert Rose Romance Writers, and the Valley of the Sun Romance Write


Ellery is the USA Today & New York Times Bestselling Mystery Author of over 40 novels. She grew up on a beach near the Long Island Sound but now writes from her home in North Carolina. She loves rescue animals, jigsaw puzzles, coffee, black licorice, college football, reading on rainy days, wood-burning fires, and porch swings.




Monday, April 29, 2024

The Girl from the Hidden Forest by Hannah Linder


The Girl from the Hidden Forest by Hannah Linder is an enchanting regency mystery and romance.  Eliza Ellis Gillingham is the daughter of a viscount who has been hidden in the forest for many years. She disappeared after her mother’s death.  Felton Northwood is trying to clear his family name and brings Eliza back from the forest to her father.  But that is when things begin to get so much more complicated for both of them. 

This was such an intriguing story filled with romance, mystery, and beautiful themes of redemption.  I could not put this story down and was wondering right up to the end who was the culprit.  I was able to deeply connect with the characters and loved the depth of the story.  I truly felt transported to another world and did not want to leave.  This is a beautiful story! 


The Girl from the Hidden Forest by Hannah Linder is a delightful story filled with intrigue, romance, and themes of forgiveness and redemption.  I enjoyed it greatly and stayed up way to late reading to find out what happened next.  I highly recommend.  

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

Hannah Linder resides in the beautiful mountains of central West Virginia. Represented by Books & Such, she writes Regency romantic suspense novels filled with passion, secrets, and danger. She is a four-time Selah Award winner, a 2023 Carol Award semi-finalist, a 2023 Angel Book Award third place winner, and a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW). When Hannah is not writing, she enjoys playing her instruments--piano, guitar, ukulele, and banjolele--songwriting, painting still life, walking in the rain, square dancing, and sitting on the front porch of her 1800s farmhouse. To follow her journey, visit hannahlinderbooks.com.


Monday, April 22, 2024

How to Plot a Payback by Melissa Ferguson



How to Plot a Payback by Melissa Ferguson is probably one of my favorite rom-coms she has written. Finn Masters is thrilled to be writing for the hit show Neighbors the highest rated, longest-running sitcom in Hollywood. The only problem is that the star Lavender Rhodes from his home town in England is the star. He considers her the woman who has wreaked havoc on his life. Lavender Rhodes is truly a delightful person. She is kind to everyone and liked by all. So why does Finn feel the need to plot a Payback with her? 

This was all things sparkly and fun. I found myself wanting to make Lavender my best friend, and Finn endeared himself to me as I got to know him. I loved the character development and the dual point of views of Lavender and Finn. The story reminded me that we really only know people on the surface most of the time, and what a joy it is know get to know someone better. It was a pleasure to visit the world of sit-coms, Hollywood, and screen writers. I laughed out loud so many times while reading. Probably a little more com than rom.

The story had me laughing, sighing, and remembering the importance of giving people the benefit of the doubt. I highly recommend How to Plot a Payback by Melissa Ferguson.


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

Melissa Ferguson is the bestselling author of titles including Meet Me in the MarginsThe Dating Charade, and The Cul-de-Sac War.

She lives in Tennessee with her husband and children in their growing farmhouse lifestyle and writes heartwarming romantic comedies that have been featured in such places as The Hollywood ReporterTravel + LeisureWoman’s World, and BuzzFeed.

She’d love for you to join her at www.melissaferguson.com

 
Instagram: @our_friendly_farmhouse
TikTok: @ourfriendlyfarmhouse

Wednesday, April 17, 2024

Falling for Alaska by Belle Calhoune


 Have you visited Alaska or would you like to?  OR  What is a highlight for you this week?  I have always wanted to visit Alaska.  I love this photo with the mountains.  

📘Review: Falling for Alaska by Belle Calhoun is a sweet romance that is the first book in the Moose Falls, Alaska series.  Xavier, Caleb, and Landon Stone come back to Moose Falls, Alaska after being gone for 20 years.  Grandma Hattie invites them back to learn how to run her business and possibly take over as she is dying.  This story introduces the family and we follow Xavier and True Everette as they navigate a romantic relationship.  

True and Xavier are two people who have had to grow up fast and are not strangers to hardship.  I enjoyed watching their love story, watching them change, and appreciated the satisfying ending. The author did a great job of weaving the theme of reconciliation through the story. 

"Sometimes Granny scares me," Landon whispered.  Xavier turned towards him and asked, "Only sometimes?" 

Granny is definitely a crowd favorite.  I was intrigued that Grandma Hattie was facilitating healing and forgiveness in her family as she was dying.  I look forward to learning more about the Stone family in the next books of the series and having more time in Moose Falls, Alaska.  

I enjoyed the banter, romance and redemptive themes in Falling for Alaska by Belle Calhoun.   I highly recommend this sweet romance. 

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



Publisher's Weekly Best Selling Author Belle Calhoune was born and raised in Massachusetts, one of five children. Growing up across the street from a public library fed her hunger for books, particularly romance novels and mysteries.

A member of the RWA (Romance Writers of America) Honor Roll, Belle has written over 40 books.

Her novel, An Alaskan Christmas, has been made into a television movie by Brain Power Studios, featured on UPtv in October of 2019.

Sunday, April 14, 2024

What the Mountains Remember by Joy Callaway


 
What The Mountains Remember by Joy Calloway is a lovely historical romance set against the backdrop of the mountains of Ashville, North Carolina and the building of Grove Park Inn. Belle Newbold has not been in the mountains for a long time. She travels to meet her arranged fiancé, Worth Delafield. Bella and Worth hold many secrets and while camping with Henry Ford’s Vagabonds, facing the past, and watching the Inn built they see their secrets unravel and their lives change.


I enjoyed this historical romance and my time in the mountains It was fascinating to learn about the building of Grove Park Inn, early automobiles, and the Vagabonds. I connected with Belle and Worth as characters and enjoyed walking with both of them as they transformed and fell in love. The themes of loving and grieving deeply resonated with me. The author did an amazing job honoring those who built Grove Park Inn.

This was a beautiful and deeply moving historical story. The characters touched my heart and will stay with me. I highly recommend What the Mountains Remember by Joy Calloway.

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


Joy Callaway is the author of All the Pretty Places, The Grand Design, The Fifth Avenue Artists Society, and Secret Sisters. She holds a BA in journalism and public relations from Marshall University and an MMC from the University of South Carolina. She resides in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her husband, John, and her children, Alevia and John. Visit her online at joycallaway.com.

Monday, April 1, 2024

I'm Not His Style by Kasey Stockton

I’m Not His Style is a contemporary romance by Kasey Stockton.  Beth Parker loves to make people beautiful through her gifts with hair and make-up.  She has the opportunity to work with her long time celebrity crush, Rhett Myers, and jumps at the chance.  Rhett Myers life is complicated and he seems so nice on the big screen, but we are not sure how nice he is in real life.  Can they work things out?

I enjoyed getting to know Beth and Rhett and watch their love story unfold.  There were many funny moments, some intrigue, and I loved stepping into the world of celebrity romance.  Beth was such an endearing main character that I wanted to invite her over dinner.  (Would asking her to bring Rhett be too much?)  I thoroughly enjoyed the story with the pop culture references.

This was a sweet romance with great banter, wonderful characters, and an interesting plot.  I loved my time in this glamorous world and highly recommend I’m Not His Style by Kasey Stockton. 

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