The Summer of Keeping Secrets by Jill Lynn

The Summer of Keeping Secrets by Jill Lynn is a stand alone novel about the Henderson family. Recently widowed, Marin Henderson, her son, Reed, and her daughter, Slade, travel to Dillon, Colorado to clean out Marin’s parents’ home.  Slade, finds a very old newspaper clipping about a death on the rocks below their home.   The story follows the complications in each of their lives as they untangle the story.

The Summer of Keeping Secrets by Jill Lynn weaves together the lives of three family members magically to make a very unique story.  The author deals with hard hitting issues in the characters’ lives, but the story is not heavy.  I was very invested in the characters and finding out what happened with the mystery of the found body.   The characters were well developed and it was a pleasure to watch them transform in this redemptive story.   The beautiful setting of Dillon, Colorado enhanced the story.  

I appreciated the mystery, romance, and beautiful relationships in The Summer of Keeping Secrets.  This lovely redemptive story is one that I will remember and reflect on.  I highly recommend The Summer of Keeping Secrets by Jill Lynn.  

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

Jill Lynn is a two-time ACFW Carol Award winning author of inspirational romance for Harlequin Love Inspired and a co-author of the Selah Award winning nonfiction 2015 book of the year Just Show Up. She lives near the Colorado Rocky Mountains with her husband and two teenage children.

 

A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston

 A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston is an enchanting read! Eileen Merriweather loves to read happily-ever-after stories. She has had a rough time and books are her perfect escape. While traveling to her annual book club retreat her car breaks down and she turns into a town that is not quite what it seems. She meets a grumpy book store owner and tries to figure out why the town seems so familiar. Almost like it is from her favorite book?

I enjoyed jumping through the chalk drawing to enter the world of Eileen’s favorite book. This is a delightful love story with fantasy, fun characters, and a fantastic setting! I felt very connected to Eileen and was hoping she could have a real life (or real book) happily ever after. Eileen had a great circle of friends and it was delightful to get to know her book club. As a reader who has embraced fictional worlds and wanted to move into them the story brought me so much joy!

A Novel Love Story will make you smile with the characters, setting, and love story. This was the perfect story to get lost in! I highly recommend!

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

Ashley Poston is the New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of The Dead Romantics, The Seven Year Slip, and the forthcoming A Novel Love Story. She has also written over half a dozen young adult novels. 

After graduating from the University of South Carolina with a BA in English, she pursued a marketing design career in the publishing industry before deciding to write full-time. She bides her time between South Carolina and New York, and all the bookstores between.

The Seaside Sisters by Pamela Kelly read by Stephanie Németh-Parker

 

Thank you to @macmillanaudio for the #gifted audiobook.

The Seaside Sisters by Pamela Kelly read by Stephanie Németh-Parker is a delightful story. The book follows Hannah, a Brooklyn based writer, her sister, Sara, a mom to 4 kids who wants to get back to get back to the work force, and their Aunt Maddie, a literary agent, in Chatham, MA. The story follows all three women through the summer and the ups and downs of their lives.


As a book lover it was fun to read about the connections to the literary community with one character being an author, another a book editor, and their aunt a literary agent. I felt very invested in the characters and enjoyed the leisurely pace of the story. Each character walked through love in different stages of life and that made the story very fun to listen to. The setting of Chatham is so quaint and I enjoyed visiting the town and wished to visit. It was the perfect summer listen for me.


Pamela Kelly is a new to me author and I look forward to reading other stories she has written. The narrator, Pamela Kelly, was perfect and made the story for me. I greatly enjoyed The Seaside Sisters and highly recommend!


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


#MacAudio2024 #pamelakelly #stephanienémethparker_narrator #audiobook #womensfiction

Rocky Mountain Journey by Misty M. Beller plus a Special Excerpt.

Today I am sharing about  Rocky Mountain Journey by Misty Beller published by Bethany House Fiction on tour with Austen Prose, and a bonus excerpt! 

📘Summary: Masquerading as a man, Faith Collins embarks on a perilous journey through the untamed wilderness of the Rocky Mountains in search of the Peigan Blackfoot woman who once saved her father's life. She joins a group of trappers who may be able to lead her to the place the woman is hiding, but keeping Faith's identity a secret proves more difficult than she imagined.

Grant Allen is searching for his younger brother, who was separated from him when their parents died many years ago. After receiving word that his brother went west to the Rockies, he unites with a group of trappers, hoping they can lead him to his brother's location. Soon Grant realizes there's a woman hiding among the men, and he's determined to find out who she is, what she's hiding, and how he can keep her safe in this country of wild animals and even wilder men.

In this rousing conclusion to her Sisters of the Rockies series, Misty M. Beller embarks on an adventurous journey where loyalty, love, and sacrifice intertwine amid the unforgiving frontier.

Rocky Mountain Journey Excerpt

A shiver slid through her, and she glared at Rosie. “I’m beginning to think you don’t care. But I do.” The burn of tears swept in fast. She was going to lose control if she didn’t stop talking. She dropped her voice for the last bit. “I do care. I care about a helpless woman out there alone in the mountains. And I care about Papa. I will accomplish what he asked of us.”

Rosie studied her, brows knit as though she didn’t understand why Faith was so upset. She reached out and touched Faith’s arm, and it took everything within her not to jerk away.

“I care, Faithie. We all do. It’s just that we also have to take care of those still with us on this earth. Those who are expecting—” She waved a hand around. “Our family. The ranch. We have responsibilities. Papa would understand that responsibility better than anyone. He would want us to wait for the right time.” Her face softened as her eyes turned distant. “I remember how he used to stay with the horses when they colicked, walking them for hours to help them recover from a twisted gut. He did whatever he had to.”

Pain pressed in Faith’s belly, a twisting that would steal her breath if she let it linger. She had no memory of Papa walking the horses when they colicked. It seemed all the good times had taken place when Faith was too young to remember. She was the baby of the family, so to her Papa had always seemed old—­never young and vibrant—­as far back as she could recall. The stories of his younger days sounded so thrilling.

Rosemary might be right about Papa understanding responsibility, but that only proved Faith’s point all the more. They had a responsibility to find Steps Right and return those beads to her. The necklace had once been an heirloom within her own family, passed down through the generations.

Steps Right had been wearing the string when she discovered their father on the plains, nearly dead. While her sister had gone back to their village to get help, she’d stayed with Papa and nursed him through the night, keeping him alive and awake in the cold by having him tell stories of his wife and daughters. A story for every bead on the necklace.

She’d continued to care for him at her village, then when he recovered enough to rejoin his trapping companion, Steps Right had sent the strand of beads with him as a gift.

And as her papa lay dying, he’d tasked his four daughters—­and her specifically, in that moment between the two of them—­with returning the beads to her so they could be reunited with the Peigan family that had treasured them for generations.

Faith would fulfill that responsibility. Even if she had to do it alone.

Rosemary picked up the basket and turned with a smile. “We’ll find her, Faith. I promise. As soon as we can.” Then she started for the door. “I think Elise and Goes Ahead have arrived. I hear the children outside.”

The family planned to set out tomorrow morning for a short trip to visit nearby villages they’d worked with in the past. Similar to the missionary journeys the apostle Paul had embarked on during Bible days.

How exciting it must be to travel so much. To see more of this vast, breathtaking land and meet its inhabitants. They’d probably seen a host of waterfalls throughout the mountains. They could have even been to the place where Steps Right lived right now.

An idea slipped into Faith’s mind. What if she went with them tomorrow? They’d said this upcoming journey would be shorter than most, likely only a month, before they circled back to the trading post to restock supplies before a longer trip that would last through the winter.

She could accompany them. They planned to start northward, and White Horse had once mentioned a waterfall he knew in that direction. She could at least check that one. And they might even pass others she could search.

Hope rushed into her spirit, and she spun to gather Bertie and head outside. She would have to be convincing, but hopefully her sisters wouldn’t mind her setting off with trusted friends to help share their faith.

It was time she took control of this search and accomplish what Papa had begged of them. Be the daughter he’d believed her to be. Then maybe the pain of losing him would finally start to heal.
Chapter 1, pages 18-20

From  Rocky Mountain Journey © 2024, Misty M. Beller, published by Bethany House

USA Today bestselling author Misty M. Beller (MistyMBeller.com) writes romantic mountain stories set on the 1800s frontier and woven through with the truth of God's love. Her Southern roots run deep, and she lives in South Carolina with her husband and children. 

A Cameo for a Cowgirl by Carolyn Miller

A Cameo for a Cowgirl by Carolyn Miller is the first book in her new series Three Creek Ranch. Cassie James helps run the movie set on her family’s ranch. The abandoned set has been a part of the family ranch for over 100 years. She is currently working with a TV series that includes actor Harrison Woods. How is she going to put up with him for the time he is working at the ranch?

I delighted in getting to know all of the characters on Three Creek Ranch. Cassie is spunky, brave, and so talented. Her heart was soft and open making her so relatable. Harrison was reflective, willing to change, and very likable. A hero I enjoyed rooting for. The author has a fabulous way of sharing the characters faith struggles and victories. I felt like my faith was strengthened after reading the story. The setting of the abandoned western town on the ranch was so fascinating, and enhanced the book.

In A Cameo for a Cowgirl the banter was fantastic, the romance delightful, and I was very invested in the characters.  I am looking forward to the next book in this series, and getting to know everyone better! I highly recommend!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

Carolyn Miller is a bestselling Australian author of historical and contemporary romance. 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. Her Regency novels include the Regency Brides and the Regency Wallflowers series. Her contemporary novels include the Original Six and Northwest Ice hockey romance series, the Muskoka Shores romance series, and those in the Independence Islands series. Her stories have been described by Publishers Weekly as "a winsome exploration of life, love and faith" and witty "with snappy repartee that rockets off the page" (Library Journal). Readers enjoy these books that are humorous yet also deal with real issues, such as dealing with forgiveness, the nature of really loving versus 'true love', and other challenges. Her novels can be considered 'inspirational', and may appeal to readers of Christian fiction, who want stories of hope and redemption - with a twist of Aussie humour.  Connect with Carolyn at carolynmillerauthor.com to follow her on social media and sign up for email updates.

One Last Shot by Betty Cavouette

One Last Shot by Betty Cayouette is her debut romance. Emerson, a supermodel, never forgot her first love, Theo. They both remember the marriage pact they made as teens. Theo is a now a photographer and Emerson schemes to be a part of his next campaign shoot.

It was fascinating to walk with Emerson in her world of being a high fashion model and a celebrity. The story is told from both Emerson and Theo point of view in the present and during their high school years. I felt like I knew both of them well by the end of the novel and enjoyed watching them grow. The setting was so lovely and I wanted to visit Cinque Terre, Italy after reading this second chance romance.

The beautiful cover drew me in and I enjoyed reading One Last Shot One Last Shot by Betty Cayouette. I appreciated how the characters worked through hard things and become better people. The ending was very satisfying and I left happy. I recommend.

TW shared in first chapter.

Thank you to St. Martin's Griffin for the gifted ARC. All thoughts are my own.

Elizabeth is an author, viral video content creator and cinematographer. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Brandeis University in only three years, with a dual-degree in Film, Television and Interactive Media and Interpersonal and Mass Communications, and minors in Creative Writing and English. In 2021, she was named a Brandeis BOLD 9 winner, as an up-and-coming alumni who is sparking creativity, conversation and change in her field. She also won the Sony Alpha Female contest in 2021, for her work getting girls into video production.

In 2021, Elizabeth created @bettysbooklist, the viral TikTok/Instagram account which is one of the top book recommendation accounts in the world and is featured in outlets such as The Boston Globe, Euronews, Fox News, The London Times and Glamour UK. She has over 448,000 followers across platforms and started the viral trend of acting out the plot of the book as the main character.

Elizabeth’s debut novel, ONE LAST SHOT, sold to St. Martins/Macmillan in a two book major deal. ONE LAST SHOT will be published in the US, UK, Germany, Poland, Bulgaria and Croatia in summer 2024. It follows a model and a photographer who reconnect on a photoshoot in Italy for one last shot at love.

Elizabeth also works with fashion and lifestyle brands to create best in class viral video content. Past clients include Aerie by American Eagle, Williams Sonoma, Sony and more. In a single day, a video campaign Elizabeth created for Aerie garnered 50M views and grew their following by over 300%. 

A Run at Love by Toni Shiloh

A Run at Love by Toni Shiloh is second in her A Love in The Spotlight series. Living in Kentucky Piper McKinney has been around Thoroughbred horse racing her entire life. She now wants to buy her own race horse and win the Kentucky Derby. Tucker Hale and Piper have been best friends since they were little. He trains race horses and agrees to train Piper’s horse. Luckily, he lives next door. They must get through a scandal, the “friend” zone, and family to find love.

I am enjoying this series. Piper and Tucker are a sweet couple, and I was cheering for them to get together pretty much since page one. The author writes fun, thoughtful and interesting characters. I was fascinated by the world of horse racing and enjoyed my time visiting Kentucky horse farms. The story shared faith in a real-world way, and I loved the redemption arc.

Adoption is complex and the author captured it wonderfully. As an adoptive mom of three children trans-racially I felt the author did an excellent job writing about the world of trans-racial adoption. It was shared beautifully, compassionately, and realistically. I loved the romance, faith, and setting. The author takes you through hard things in an engaging way deeply connecting you to the characters. I highly recommend A Run At Love.

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

 

Toni Shiloh is a wife, mom, and an award-winning Christian contemporary romance author. She writes to bring God glory and to learn more about His goodness. Her novel In Search of a Prince won the first ever Christy Amplify award and is a Parable Group bestseller. Her novel Her Christmas Redemption was a 2023 Selah Award winner. Other novels have finaled in past awards like the Holt Medallion, Maggie Awards, and ACFW Carol Awards.

A member of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), ACFW Virginia Chapter, and Faith, Hope & Love Christian Writers (FHLCW), Toni seeks to encourage authors in the writing industry. She loves connecting with readers and authors alike via social media. Learn more at http://tonishiloh.com.

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The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center

I would encourage you to stop what you are doing right now and read The Rom-Commers by Katherine Centerhe Rom-Commers by Katherine Center. Don’t let another moment go by that you have not read this story. This is probably my favorite book she has written and I am a BIG fan. Emma Wheeler has wanted to be a screen writer since forever. She is currently caring for her wonderful father who needs full time care. Charlie Yates is the screen writer that Emma has admired and read everything about for years. When she gets a chance to work with him her family scrambles to make it happen.

The Rom-Commers had all the feels, all fun, all the love, and all the amazing quotes that I love so much from a Katherine Center book. The themes of loving yourself, accepting what you cannot change, and realizing your attitude directs your day resonated deeply with me. I adored Emma’s inner dialogue, humor, and walking through the story with her. I want her to be my friend. Charlie was the hero I loved by the end of the story. The author’s writing and observations about life made this one of my favorite books of all time! I laughed, cried and was so sad when the story ended.

The Rom-Commers will be my favorite book of 2024. I very very very highly recommend it!

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

Bestselling Author Katherine Center wrote her first novel in the sixth grade (fan fiction about Duran Duran) and got hooked. From then on, she was doomed to want to be a writer—obsessively working on poems, essays, and stories, as well as memorizing lyrics, keeping countless journals, and reading constantly.

She won a creative writing scholarship in high school, and then went on to major in creative writing at Vassar College, where she won the Vassar College Fiction Prize. At 22, she won a fellowship to the University of Houston’s Creative Writing Program and moved home to Texas with plans to become Jane Austen ASAP.

Didn’t happen quite that way. Of course. Instead, she began a decade of struggling, agonizing, and questioning the meaning of life before finally finding a fairy-godmother-like agent and getting a dream-come-true book deal for her debut novel, The Bright Side of Disaster.

A total happy ending. And also, just the beginning.