The Mistletoe Countess by Pepper Basham

 

I have always wanted red hair! I have to settle for red highlights. I love the picture of our heroine, Grace, on the cover!

Book Blurb: Will the magic of Christmas bring these two newlyweds closer together, or will the ghosts of the past lead them into a destructive discovery from which not even a Dickens’s Christmas can save them?

Mistletoe is beautiful and dangerous, much like the woman from Lord Frederick’s Percy’s past, so when he turns over a new leaf and arranges to marry for his estate, instead of his heart, he never expects the wrong bride to be the right choice. Gracelynn Ferguson never expected to take her elder sister’s place as a Christmas bride, but when she’s thrust into the choice, she will trust in her faithful novels and overactive imagination to help her not only win Frederick’s heart but also to solve the murder mystery of Havensbrook Hall before the ghosts from Frederick’s past ruin her fairytale future.

Review : I really enjoyed reading The Mistletoe Countess It is well written and Grace is a delightful heroine who loves to read and is so fun loving! She may be my favorite heroine of 2021.  Our hero, Lord Fredrick, is swoony and oh so British.  Their chemistry is wonderful and I was rooting for them from page one.  I enjoyed the humor woven throughout the story, and the great banter between Grace and Fredrick.  

The story has great romance, mystery, and a lovely setting!  It is a delightful read!  

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

Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes romance peppered with grace and humor with a southern Appalachian flair. Her books have garnered recognition in the Grace Awards, Inpsys, and the ACFW Carol Awards, with The Thorn Healer selected as a 2018 finalist in the RT awards. Both her contemporary and historical romance novels consistently receive high ratings from Romantic Times, with Just the Way You Are as a Top Pick. Her books are seasoned with her Appalachian heritage and love for family, whether they take place in the early 1900s or present day. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC where she is the mom of five great kids, a speech-pathologist to about fifty more, and a lover of chocolate, jazz, hats, and Jesus. You can get to know Pepper on her website, www.pepperdbasham.com, on Facebook, Instagram, or over at her group blog, The Writer's Alley.

What Love Looks Like by Stacy Boatman

I  thoroughly enjoyed reading What Love Looks Like: A Diamond Lake Romance Novel  by Stacy Boatman.  This sweet romance touched on themes of  redemption, forgiveness, and choosing to walk through life’s valleys. The relatable characters were ones that I wanted to invest in, and enjoyed getting to know them better in the story.   

I felt this story was a great romance and I loved that the characters were dealing with real issues in their lives.  Simone and Mica, the main characters, were delightful to watch as they worked through misunderstandings, their pasts, and fell in love.  I found myself staying up late to find out what happened next in this  

This beautifully written story has fabulous characters, deeper themes, and deals with life issues in a realistic way.  The author has a wonderful writing style that speaks to your heart and draws you in. I enjoyed my visit at Diamond Lake and hope to visit again.  I highly recommend What Love Looks Like.

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

When not writing, I enjoy running in peaceful solitude, kayaking with my high school sweetheart turned husband, and the rarity of sitting down to a chaotic family meal with all six of us.

​A graduate of Bethel University in Saint Paul, Minnesota, I'm a pediatric nurse, and I volunteer in the fight against human trafficking.

The Heart of Splendid Lake by Amy Clipston

The Heart of Splendid Lake by Amy Clipston takes place in gorgeous Splendid Lake, North Carolina.  Brianna's life turns upside down when her beloved father passes right before it's time to open up their cabins at the lake resort.  Their family has owned cabins at their lake resort for three generations.  Scott, a real estate developer, is very interested in developing their Lake Splendid resort along with many others.  But, how do you give up on something that's been in your family so long?   

I thoroughly enjoyed the story.  I was very engaged with the characters and the author did a good job depicting how people walk through grief differently.  Brianna and Scott had wonderful chemistry and I loved how they overcame their past, and both learned to be selfless in different ways.  For me the story spoke to being  honest with yourself, not letting the past dictate your future, and the importance of making hard choices.  I loved the themes, characters, and the quaint setting.  I recommend The Heart of Splendid Lake a sweet romance.  

I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.  I was not required to write a positive review.  

Amy Clipston is an award-winning bestselling author and has been writing for as long as she can remember. She's sold more than one million books, and her fiction writing “career” began in elementary school when she and a close friend wrote and shared silly stories. She has a degree in communications from Virginia Wesleyan University and is a member of the Authors Guild, American Christian Fiction Writers, and Romance Writers of America. Amy works full-time for the City of Charlotte, NC, and lives in North Carolina with her husband, two sons, mother, and five spoiled rotten cats. You can find Amy at AmyClipston.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AmyClipstonBooks, and on Twitter at @AmyClipston.  IG  https://www.instagram.com/amy_clipston/

Beyond the Tides by Liz Johnson

Beyond the Tides by Liz Johnson is the first in her new series, Prince Edward Island Shores.   Charming and beautifully written, the stunning cover helped to draw me into the story’s wonderful setting on Prince Edward Island. 

I was so taken with the story of Meg Whitaker and Oliver Ross.  They were both such likeable and interesting characters.  In Beyond the Tides they both have to work together to decide who will end up owning the lobster fishing business that belongs to Meg’s father.   But, the problem is Meg’s father has determined they have to spend a three month fishing season working together.   Which is very challenging since they were far from friends in the past, have a rough history, and both have their own baggage.

Beyond the Tides tells of two delightfully flawed people as they navigate their past, their present and their future. The author weaves together a delightful story with the redemptive power of forgiveness, loving unconditionally, and the value of living every moment.  I highly recommend Beyond the Tides. 

 

By day Liz Johnson is a marketing manager for a Christian publisher. By night she makes up her own love stories. She is the author of seven novels, a New York Times bestselling novella, and a handful of short Christmas stories. She’s also a two-time ACFW Carol Award finalist.

Liz is a graduate of Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, where she earned a degree in public relations.

Now a resident of Nashville, she enjoys exploring local music, theater, and history of Middle Tennessee. She also takes every chance she can to visit Arizona to dote on her nieces and nephews. She writes stories filled with heart, humor, and happily ever afters.

This Time Around by Denise Hunter, Melissa Ferguson, and Kathleen Fuller

I am a big fan of novellas and This Time Around is a wonderful novella collection.  It  includes “A Summer Detour” by Denise Hunter,  “Pining for You” by Melissa Ferguson, and “He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not” by Kathleen Fuller. 

Each story has characters who knew each other in the past and have met again as different people in the present.  If you have read any of the authors’ other stories you will recognize some characters and settings and feel like you are coming home.  If the authors are new to you, I guarantee you will want to find their other books and read more! I found  each one charming and loved their small town setting.  .   

This Time Around has three novellas filled with sweet romance, wonderful characters, and a ever after.  I found this the perfect summer time read. Each story is a delight and I highly recommend this book.

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

Denise Hunter is the internationally published bestselling author of more than 35 novels, three of which have been made into Hallmark movies. She has appeared on the The 700 club and won awards such as The Holt Medallion Award, The Carol Award, The Reader's Choice Award, The Foreword Book of the Year Award, and is a RITA finalist.

Denise writes heartwarming, small-town love stories, peopled with layered characters who struggle with real-life issues. Her readers enjoy the experience of falling in love vicariously through her characters and can expect a happily-ever-after sigh as they close the pages of her books.

In 1996, inspired by the death of her grandfather, Denise began her first book, writing while her children napped. Two years later it was published, and she's been writing ever since. Her husband says he inspires all her romantic stories, but Denise insists a good imagination helps too!

When Denise isn't orchestrating love lives on the written page, she enjoys traveling with her family, drinking coffee, and playing drums. Denise makes her home in Indiana where she and her husband are currently enjoying an empty nest.

You can learn more about Denise by visiting her FaceBook page.

Melissa Ferguson lives in Bristol, Tennessee, where she enjoys chasing her children and writing romantic comedies full of humor and heart. Her favorite hobby is taking friends and acquaintances and turning them into characters in her books without their knowledge. She is confident you should read all her novels, starting with this one.

With over a million copies sold, Kathleen Fuller is the author of several bestselling novels, including the Hearts of Middlefield novels, the Middlefield Family novels, the Amish of Birch Creek series, the Amish Letters series, the Brides of Birch Creek series, the upcoming Mail Order Brides of Birch Creek, as well as a middle-grade Amish series, the Mysteries of Middlefield. She has also contributed to numerous novella collections.

She and her husband James live in Arkansas and have three adult children. When she’s not writing, Kathleen is avidly crocheting, reading, and traveling, sometimes all at the same time. She runs the Facebook group Books & Hooks, which combines her love of books, crochet, and collecting recipes that she’ll never have enough time to make.

To Write a Wrong by Jen Turano

“She was always doing the unexpected, and he couldn’t deny that he found unpredictability to be one the things he enjoyed most about her.  “

To Write a Wrong by Jen Turano is a fun-loving mystery with plenty of Jen Turano’s wonderful humor and sweet romance.  Daphne, our heroine, is absolutely adorable and probably one of my favorite characters from Jen Turano’s books to date.  She is witty and had depth that I appreciated as I read the story.    Herman, our hero, is all that a hero should be and I enjoyed the banter between him and Daphne.  Since they are both writers there were many great jokes about writers that really added to the story.

It was fun to leave New York for a bit and visit Boston and meet Daphne’s family.  The meeting with Daphne’s publisher had me laughing out loud and is worth reading the book for that alone!  Jen Turano is able to weave in a deeper story line through humor and talk about real issues facing women then and now. 

Jen Turano has once again written a humorous Gilded Age story with laugh out loud scenes, relatable characters, and themes that touched my heart.   A fabulous read!

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

Named One of the Funniest Voices in Inspirational Romance by Booklist, Jen Turano is a USA Today Best-Selling Author, known for penning quirky historical romances set in the Gilded Age. Her books have earned Publisher Weekly and Booklist starred reviews, top picks from Romantic Times, and praise from Library Journal. She’s been a finalist twice for the RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards and had two of her books listed in the top 100 romances of the past decade from Booklist. When she’s not writing, she spends her time outside of Denver, CO. Readers may find her at www.jenturano.com or https://www.facebook.com/jenturanoauthor/or on Twitter at JenTurano @JenTurano

Love and the Silver Lining by Tammy L Gray

I am a big fan of author Tammy Gray’s book Love and a Little White Lie. I was eagerly anticipating her newest story, Love and the Silver Lining, and I was not disappointed by this wonderful new book!

Our story features Darcy who seems overwhelmed with her life after finding out she will not be able to teach English overseas the next year, she has lost her apartment, and is coping with her parents divorce.  She is questioning her life and her faith in God.  She tells Bryson, our hero, she is mad and  wishes she had not tried so hard to do the right thing.  She wished she had rebelled like she thought he had.   He asks, “Are you asking me if being a rebel worked in my favor, or are you mad you could not bribe God with your good behavior?”  

Darcy begins to find purpose in rescuing dogs in Bryson’s friend Charlie’s backyard.  Charlie has recently lost his wife, and can not take care of them or himself.  The personalities of Charlie’s dogs tend to mirror the people around Darcy which I enjoyed.  I am only a minor fan of dogs, and I really enjoyed all the dog training scenes.   But, if you are a lover of dogs you will be in heaven.  

I found myself drawn into Darcy’s world as her questions about her life and faith resonated with me.  This story tells it like it is and has no pat answers which I appreciate.  I found it a little more serious than Love and a Little White Lie, but it still had funny moments and celebrated humor.  The romance between Darcy and Bryson was fun to observe, and I am now definitely on team Bryson. He is a great hero who will stay in my heart.   

I enjoyed this story tremendously. I found myself pondering the themes and going back and rereading parts of the book after finishing it.  Darcy and Bryson’s story is one that I truly delighted in, and this is one of my favorite reads of 2021

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

Tammy L. Gray lives in the Dallas area with her family, and they love all things Texas, even the erratic weather patterns. Her nine modern and true-to-life contemporary romances include 2017 RITA award winning, My Hope Next Door, and show her unending quest to write high quality, culturally relevant stories with relatable and flawed characters.  

When not taxiing her three kids to various school and sporting events, Tammy can be spotted crunching numbers as the financial administrator at her hometown church. Writing has given her a platform to combine her passion with her ministry all while sharing the messy, yet remarkable journey that is a faith-filled life