Saturday, January 30, 2021

Cold Case Pursuit Review with Celebrate Lit Tours

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About the Book

Book:  Cold Case Pursuit

Author: Dana Mentink

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Cold Case Persuit 

A cold case solved by the K-9 unit…

but the past is not so easily escaped.

Decades after her parents’ murders, Penelope McGregor’s grateful the killer’s finally been identified—until he comes after her. Now Detective Tyler Walker and his K-9 partner, Dusty, must protect Penelope and catch the culprit…while making sure his little girl stays out of the crosshairs. But can the single father outplay a killer whose endgame will leave no one safe?

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

dana mentink 

Dana Mentink is a two time American Christian Fiction Writers Carol Award winner, a Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award and a Holt Medallion winner. She is a national bestselling author of over forty titles in the suspense and lighthearted romance genres. She is pleased to write for Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense, Poisoned Pen Press, and Harvest House. Besides writing, she busies herself puttering around her Northern California backyard. Mostly, she loves to be home with Papa Bear, teen bear cubs affectionately nicknamed Yogi and Boo Boo, Junie, the  nutty terrier, and a chubby box turtle. You can connect with Dana via her website at danamentink.com, on Facebook, YouTube (Author Dana Mentink) and Instagram (dana_mentink.)

 

More from Dana

I love book covers with adorable children on them, don’t you? There’s something so angelic about those wee folks on the covers. I have two bear cubs myself, young adults now, and I love them devotedly. Tell you what though. Sometimes, just occasionally mind you, they were a wee bit naughty. Don’t tell anyone, but one reason I enjoyed writing Cold Case Pursuit so much is that hero Tyler is the single dad of a little girl named Rain who is….er…a handful. Sure, she’s adorable, but she’s prone to disobedience and the occasional tendency to flush things down the toilet. So in addition to the edge of your seat pursuit of a murderous clown killer, there are the shenanigans of a precocious preschooler, a highly trained yet distractible police K-9, and a romance that doesn’t exactly run smoothly. Fun to write? You betcha! I hope you enjoy coming along with me on this True Blue adventure!

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, January 19

KarenSueHadley, January 19

Bigreadersite, January 19

Through the Fire Blogs, January 20

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, January 20

Remembrancy, January 21

Genesis 5020, January 21

By The Book, January 21

For the Love of Literature, January 22

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 22

CarpeDiem, January 22

Texas Book-aholic, January 23

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, January 23

Blogging With Carol, January 23

Inklings and notions, January 24

Fiction Book Lover, January 24 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Batya’s Bits, January 24

Betti Mace, January 25

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, January 25

Labor Not in Vain, January 25

Hebrews 12 Endurance, January 26

Sara Jane Jacobs, January 26

Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, January 26

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, January 27

Lighthouse-Academy, January 27

Older & Smarter?, January 27

Artistic Nobody, January 28 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)

Splashes of Joy, January 28

Mary Hake, January 28

For Him and My Family, January 29

Simple Harvest Reads, January 29 (Guest Review from Mindy Houng)

Pause for Tales, January 29

deb’s Book Review, January 30

Hallie Reads, January 30

To Everything There Is A Season, January 30

She Lives To Read, January 31

Locks, Hooks and Books, January 31

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, February 1

Daysong Reflections, February 1

Bizwings Blog, February 1

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Dana is giving away the grand prize of a Mentink giveaway bundle, including a $50 Amazon gift card and a tote bag!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

 GIVEAWAY

 

 

My Thoughts

 I really enjoy Dana's novels and so I was excited to read this new book by her. It isn't my favorite of hers but it certainly has the creepy factor. The guy that comes after Penelope was scary and definitely added to the suspense side of things. Any book that has a dog in it is special but when it is a K-9 dog it makes it even better. I enjoyed learning about that sort of thing and I thought that part of the story was well written. I wasn't totally invested in the two main characters as much as I wished and it didn't flow as easily as her previous novels. If you like suspense or have read Dana Mentink's books you might like this one. 


Three Stars.


"I received this book from the author for free all opinions are my own and I was not required to write a positive review."

Friday, January 29, 2021

Book of the Month!

 So I am a pretty big fan of Kristin Hannah and when I found out that her newest book would be featured as one of the "book of the month" picks I was EXCITED. I love her writing as stories have a lot of grit but also well written characters in my opinion. Needless to say if you enjoy reading hot of the press books and are looking for something new I highly recommend checking out Book of the Month. 

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Not only can you pick up Kristin's new novel but you can also add on other previously featured books as well. For hardback new novels the price is pretty great and you might get the opportunity to read new authors you wouldn't typically read. I have discovered a couple of authors from being a part of Book of the Month and it has been fun to read genres I wouldn't typically choose such as: 

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It is worth checking out and I just wanted to share!


Sunday, January 24, 2021

A Heart's Gift Review + Givaway with Celebrate Lit Tours

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About the Book

Book:  A Heart’s Gift

Author: Lena Nelson Dooley

Genre: Christian historical romance

A Heart's Gift 

Is a marriage of convenience the answer?

 Franklin Vine has worked hard to build the ranch he inherited into one of the most successful in the majestic Colorado mountains. If only he had an heir to one day inherit the legacy he’s building. But he was burned once in the worst way, and he doesn’t plan to open his heart to another woman. Even if that means he’ll eventually have to divide up his spread among the most loyal of his hired hands.

When Lorinda Sullivan is finally out from under the control of men who made all the decisions in her life, she promises herself she’ll never allow a man to make choices for her again. But without a home in the midst of a hard Rocky Mountain winter, she has to do something to provide for her infant son.

A marriage of convenience seems like the perfect arrangement, yet the stakes quickly become much higher than either of them ever planned. When hearts become entangled, the increasing danger may change their lives forever.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Lena Dooley 

Lena Nelson Dooley has been an author for 36 years. Her 51st book released in June 2020. Raised in Arkansas, she married a Texan 56 years ago. They have lived in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex for decades. She is an active member of ACFW and one of the founding members the DFW local chapter. She’s often been a speaker for other writers’ groups and conferences, both as a keynote speaker and a workshop teacher. Her fans love reading her books filled with characters who grip your heart.

 

More from Lena

The Story Behind A Heart’s Gift

I’ve been a lover of history for decades. In college and graduate school, all my elective courses were history. Of course, I chose the countries and eras I wanted to learn about. When I began writing novels, my first one was a contemporary story. After that at least 75% or more of my novels have been historical, from 1805 through the early 20th century.

I’ve always been fascinated by the relationship between Joseph and Mary the mother of Jesus. The Bible doesn’t give us a lot of information about their relationship. But by his actions, we can assume that Joseph believed the angel and Mary about her baby. He didn’t do the usual thing and put her away quietly. Instead, he protected her, and from the day He was born, he became the earthly father of Jesus. I’ve often thought about what that meant for Joseph and for Mary. When I wrote a story of a marriage between a man and a single mother, I used the emotions that I feel God has revealed to me about their relationship.

The first time I read a marriage of convenience novel, I loved it. And I’ve read quite a few. I’ve also written a few. A Heart’s Gift is one of them. This book was an easy and interesting book to write.

I’m what’s called in the industry a seat-of-the-pants author, more or less. I do have the complete outline of the story in my head. When I sit down to write, I know where I’m going, but I don’t have every single scene plotted out as some authors do. And I pray a lot. During the time I’m writing a book, God drops ideas into my mind. Not just while I’m writing, but other times, too. That’s the exciting thing about writing. This keeps it fresh for me.

During the writing of A Heart’s Gift, there’s a place where I just stopped and said, “God, what am I going to do now?” When you get there, you’ll know what scene I mean, but I don’t want to give a spoiler.

I never dreamed that the book would turn into a suspense novel in the last quarter of the book, but God knew. And it made it a better book.

Blog Stops

Connie’s History Classroom, January 13

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, January 13

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 14

Maureen’s Musings, January 14

Reviewingbooksplusmore, January 15

Sara Jane Jacobs, January 15

Inklings and notions, January 16

Mypreciousbitsandmusings, January 16

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, January 17

Writing from the Heart Land, January 17

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, January 18

Betti Mace, January 18

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, January 19

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, January 19

Artistic Nobody, January 20 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)

Melissa Wardwell’s Back Porch Reads, January 20

Older & Smarter?, January 21

lalkesidelivingsite, January 21

For Him and My Family, January 22

Labor Not in Vain, January 22

Locks, Hooks and Books, January 23

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, January 23

Texas Book-aholic, January 24

To Everything There Is A Season, January 24

deb’s Book Review, January 25

Lis Loves Reading, January 25

Splashes of Joy, January 26

Pause for Tales, January 26

Mary Hake, January 26

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Lena is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

 GIVEAWAY!

 

 

 My Thoughts

I was excited to read this book and was not disappointed. I really enjoyed the setting of the mountains in Colorado. Lorinda is a unique character and I really enjoyed reading her story play out in the pages. I thought her character really grew and was well written. Honestly all of the characters I thought were well done and a marriage of convenience is always entertaining. The story line flowed nicely and I really couldn't put it down. The ending is what makes this a four star book to me. I thought it was rushed and thrown together. I didn't love how predictable it was. I still really enjoyed this story but I do wish the ending wasn't so rushed. That being said I now think I need to get my hands on many more of Lena Nelson Dooley's books! 


If you enjoyed historical fiction and marriage of convenience I think you would enjoy this story.

Four Stars. 


"I received this book from the publisher for free. All opinions are my own and I was not required to write a positive review. "

Saturday, January 9, 2021

Active Defense Review

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About the Book

 As a former field surgeon in Afghanistan, Heather Fontaine is used to life-or-death situations. She just didn't expect them to follow her home. When she returns from a party to find that someone has broken into her house--and threatened her friends--she assumes it is the stalker who has been following her and creeping her out. She hopes to find safety and peace of mind by leaving the city and hiding out in a small town. But trouble has followed her even there.

Luckily, a stalker isn't the only one watching Heather. Travis Walker has been secretly watching out for her for weeks. As owner of his own security agency, it's what he does. Together, Travis and Heather must figure out who wants her dead--and why--before it's too late.

Bestselling and award-winning author Lynette Eason will have you looking over your shoulder as you dive into this fast-paced, suspense-filled story about losing control and finding something even better. (Goodreads)

 BUY HERE

My Thoughts

I have enjoyed this series thus far. The first book is the best no doubt about it. I enjoyed book two and this one is my least favorite. I really struggled with Heather and Travis and getting into the story line. I like how it ties in with the other books but really you could read this book as a stand alone. I thought it was interesting how Lynette Eason writes how a stalker can effect someone. Some parts of the story line I didn't really understand and it seemed like a stretch with the conclusion at the end. I will say that this series has been a very interesting peek into military lives. I don't read many military type books so these have made me consider things a little differently. I recommend starting with book one and I am eager to read the final book in the series. 


Four Stars. 


"I received this book from Revell for free. All opinions are my own and I was not required to write a positive review."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thursday, January 7, 2021

A Cowboy For Keeps Review

  

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 About the Book

Greta Nilsson's trip west to save her ailing little sister, Astrid, could not have gone more wrong. First, bandits hold up her stagecoach, stealing all her money. Then, upon arriving in Fairplay, Colorado, she learns the man she was betrothed to as a mail-order bride has died. Homeless, penniless, and jobless, Greta and her sister are worse off than when they started.

Wyatt McQuaid is struggling to get his new ranch up and running and is in town to purchase cattle when the mayor proposes the most unlikely of bargains. He'll invest in a herd of cattle for Wyatt's ranch if Wyatt agrees to help the town become more respectable by marrying and starting a family. And the mayor, who has promised to try to help Greta, has just the candidate in mind for Wyatt to marry. (Goodreads)

 

BUY HERE

 

 

My Thoughts

I was over the moon excited for this book as it is set in my home town area. Going into this book I knew it would be really difficult to not be nit picky on the details because the setting is very near and dear to me. That being said I just struggled with loving the characters in this book. Greta and Wyatt just aren't my favorite and the story line seemed very generic western romance. I love Jody Hedlund's writing but this book felt like it was rushed when written and I just didn't get the Hedlund feel from reading it. That being said I know many people have loved it. The setting of course is wonderful and it is still a charming story.

 

Three Stars.
 

"I received this book from Bethany House Publishers for free. All opinions are my own and I was not required to write a positive review."  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wednesday, January 6, 2021

Tidewater Bride Review

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About the Book

Selah Hopewell seems to be the only woman in the Virginia colony who has no wish to wed. True, there are too many men and far too few women in James Towne. But Selah already has her hands full assisting her father in the family's shop. And now she is in charge of an incoming ship of tobacco brides who must be looked after as they sort through their many suitors.

Xander Renick is perhaps the most eligible tobacco lord in the settlement. His lands are vast, his crops are prized, and his position as a mediator between the colonists and the powerful Powhatan nation surrounding them makes him indispensable. But Xander is already wedded to his business and still grieves the loss of his wife, daughter of the Powhatan chief.

Can two fiercely independent people find happiness and fulfillment on their own? Or will they discover that what they've been missing in life has been right in front of them all along?

Bestselling and award-winning author Laura Frantz takes you to the salty shores of seventeenth-century Virginia in this exploration of pride, honor, and the restorative power of true love. (Goodreads)

 BUY HERE

 My Thoughts

This was the much anticipated Laura Frantz book that I simply didn't want to end. I get plain giddy over a new Frantz book and hesitate starting to read it because I know I will have to wait another year for the next one. This story was wonderful and met all expectations. I loved the characters and the setting. Xander and Selah's relationship develops differently and while this isn't my favorite couple of Laura's I still enjoyed their characters. I loved the secondary characters and also there are a few twists and turns you might not expect in the latter part of the book. I will say that there is a lot crammed into this story and honestly I think it could have been split into two novels. The end of the story just has SO much going on and the timeline seems to be a little tricky as the course of events play out. So while I so enjoyed this book I do wish the last part of the book flowed a bit better. Also, I personally think we need a sequel about Oceanus and the Powhatan nation.

So I highly recommend to all Laura Frantz and historical fiction fans! 


Five Stars.

"I received this book from Revell for free. All opinions are my own and I was not required to write a positive review."