Celebrate Lit Tours: Moments We Forget Review

About the Book

Book: Moments We Forget Author: Beth Vogt Genre: Contemporary fiction, woman’s fiction



Release Date: May 7, 2019
Jillian Thatcher has spent most of her life playing the family peacemaker, caught in the middle between her driven, talented older sister and her younger, spotlight-stealing twin sisters. Then on the night of her engagement party, a cancer diagnosis threatens to once again steal her chance to shine. Now, Jillian’s on the road to recovery after finally finishing chemo and radiation, but residual effects of the treatment keep her from reclaiming her life as she’d hoped. And just when her dreams might be falling into place, a life-altering revelation from her husband sends her reeling again. Will Jillian ever achieve her own dreams, or will she always be “just Jillian,” the less-than Thatcher sister? Can she count on her sisters as she tries to step into a stronger place, or are they stuck in their childhood roles forever?

Click here to purchase your copy.

About the Author

 

Beth K. Vogt is a nonfiction author and editor who said she’d never write fiction. She’s the wife of an Air Force family physician (now in solo practice) who said she’d never marry a doctor—or anyone in the military. She’s a mom of four who said she’d never have kids. Now Beth believes God’s best often waits behind the doors marked “Never.” A women’s fiction novelist, Beth’s first novel for Tyndale House Publishers, Things I Never Told You, released May 2018.

Beth is a 2016 Christy Award winner, a 2016 ACFW Carol Award winner, and a 2015 RITA® finalist. Her 2014 novel, Somebody Like You, was one of Publishers Weekly‘s Best Books of 2014. A November Bride was part of the Year of Wedding series by Zondervan. Having authored nine contemporary romance novels or novellas, Beth believes there’s more to happily-ever-after than the fairy tales tell us.

An established magazine writer and former editor of the leadership magazine for MOPS International, Beth blogs for Novel Rocket and also enjoys speaking to writers’ groups and mentoring other writers. She lives in Colorado with her husband, Rob, who has adjusted to discussing the lives of imaginary people, and their youngest daughter, Christa, who loves to play volleyball and enjoys writing her own stories. Connect with Beth at bethvogt.com.

More from Beth

“A sister is like yourself in a different movie, a movie that stars you in a different life.”

Deborah Tannen (1945-), sociologist

I’m launching Moments We Forget, book two in the Thatcher Sisters series, and I’ve just turned in the final book in the series. I’d love to share book three’s title with you, but I don’t know what it is. (Of course, book three might have a final title by the time you read this—that’s part of the fun of prerelease deadlines.)

One thing I do know: the theme of “Little Women gone wrong” is woven through all of the books . . . thanks to the Thatcher sisters: Payton, Pepper, Jillian, and Johanna.

Sisters, be they real or imaginary, can be complicated.

Of course, there are sisters who have close relationships. They “get” each other and love doing life together.

But then there are the sister relationships that are like mismatched socks. Or those expensive jeans you loved in the store, but when you bring them home, they never quite live up to those moments in the dressing room.

Such are the Thatcher sisters. Johanna, Jillian, Payton, and Pepper grew up in the same family. They’re all tall. They love Broncos football and board games. But in so many ways their lives are like different movies because they each made different choices. Choices that changed and separated them. Moments We Forget continues to explore whether the Thatcher sisters can find a way to understand each other enough to bridge the distance between them.

Blog Stops

Livin’ Lit, May 7
Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, May 7
The Power of Words, May 7
Among the Reads, May 8
Carpe Diem, May 8
Quiet Quilter, May 8
Wishful Endings, May 9
Quiet Quilter, May 9
Christian Chick’s Thoughts, May 9
Simple Harvest Reads, May 10 (Guest post from Mindy Houng)
Remembrancy, May 10
God’s Little Bookworm, May 11
Just the Write Escape, May 11
Spoken from the Heart, May 12
Splashes of Joy, May 12
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 12
Through the Fire Blogs, May 13
Genesis 5020, May 13
By The Book, May 13
Bigreadersite, May 14
A Baker’s Perspective, May 14
Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, May 14
Pause for Tales, May 15
Moments, May 15
Stephanie’s Life of Determination, May 15
All-of-a-kind Mom, May 16
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, May 16
Texas Book-aholic, May 16
janicesbookreviews, May 17
Living Life Free in Christ, May 17
To Everything A Season, May 17
Real World Bible Study, May 18
Older & Smarter?, May 18
A Reader’s Brain, May 18
Inklings and notions, May 19
Hallie Reads, May 19
Locks, Hooks and Books, May 19
Godly Book Reviews, May 20
The Becca Files, May 20
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 20

Giveaway

 
To celebrate her tour, Beth is giving away a grand prize of a $25 Amazon gift card plus a softcover copy of Moments We Forget!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway!
Click here to enter.

My Thoughts

This is the second book in a series and I highly recommend reading book one. I really enjoy these books because they are set in a place that is familiar to me. The Thatcher sisters are pretty great characters because they are so different and have actual real life issues. Sometimes it is hard to read the tough stuff but I think it adds a lot to the story. The main focus in this book is Jillian who has had cancer and is dealing with a lot of issues surrounding that but also just normal life stuff. We get a good amount from the other sisters in this book too, especially Johanna. I am curious to see where the next book might take these girls. There was a lot of marital/relationship issues in this book and there were some times when I thought the story was moving pretty slow. The only thing that I really thought was overdone was the constant mention of Colorado. Yes, the book is set in Colorado Springs, (we know this at the first chapter) but there were some chapters where the word Colorado was in every paragraph. It was too much and I thought took away from the story a bit. Otherwise this was a decent contemporary read. I think I enjoyed book one more, but I am excited to read the next novel. 

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."

  

Things I Never Told You Review

 

 About the Book

It's been ten years since Payton Thatcher's twin sister died in an accident, leaving the entire family to cope in whatever ways they could. No longer half of a pair, Payton reinvents herself as a partner in a successful party-planning business and is doing just fine--as long as she manages to hold her memories and her family at arm's length.

But with her middle sister Jillian's engagement, Payton's party-planning skills are called into action. Which means working alongside her opinionated oldest sister, Johanna, who always seems ready for a fight. They can only hope that a wedding might be just the occasion to heal the resentment and jealousy that divides them . . . until a frightening diagnosis threatens Jillian's plans and her future. As old wounds are reopened and the family faces the possibility of another tragedy, the Thatchers must decide if they will pull together or be driven further apart. (Goodreads)



My Thoughts

This is such a great book on so many levels. The writing is superb and the many characters add so much depth. There is a lot going on in this book, but it is so well written that it flows nicely. I loved the dynamic between the sisters and the whole family. I love books with family and a family with issues at that. I really could go on but I so enjoyed this book. I am eager to read the next in the series and if you haven't read any books by Beth Vogt you MUST! 


"I received this book from Tyndale Publishers for free. All opinions are my own."

Autumn Brides: A Year of Weddings Novella Collection Review

About the Book

Happily ever after begins today. The honor of your presence is requested at three autumn weddings.…



A September Bride by Kathryn Springer



When Annie moves to Red Leaf, she’s ready to call the little town home. Deputy Jesse Kent can’t believe his mother has handed the keys to her bookshop over to a woman she met on the internet. Jesse has seen his mother taken advantage of before, and he decides to keep a close eye on this Annie Price. But when a close eye turns into a historical wedding reenactment with Jesse and Annie as the couple, make-believe nuptials quickly give way to real-life emotions.



An October Bride by Katie Ganshert



No one but Jake and Emma know the true reason they’re getting married—so Emma’s dying father can walk her down the aisle. While Jake and Emma plan an autumn wedding together, it becomes clear that their agreement has a few complications—the biggest being their true feelings for each other.



A November Bride by Beth K. Vogt



Having celebrated the big 3-0 by ending a relationship, Sadie is tired of romantic relationships-by-text. The only man she knows willing to put down his iPhone and have face-to-face conversations with her is Erik. It’s time to put a 21st-century twist on the Sadie Hawkins’ tradition of a woman going after her man. But when he realizes he’s fallen for her, can Erik convince Sadie his just-for-fun dates were the prelude to “‘til death do us part”? (Goodreads)

My Thoughts

I've been staring at this cover and I really think it's one of my favorites. I love fall and the flowers on the cover are just beautiful! So typically novellas are not my thing but I wanted to read this one because I love these particular authors. The first story didn't draw me in so much and it was just an okay read for me. The characters didn't stand out and the romance just seemed iffy.

The second October bride story I loved. While being just a short story Ganshert did such an awesome job in adding depth and fun and real life into a few short pages. The romance is funny but not forced or too gushy. I also love the setting! Who doesn't love harvest festivals?!

The third book was also quite good and I liked the characters and the setting (Colorado) which is one of my favorite places. Vogt has such a humor to her writing and she did a great job in creating a storyline in a small amount of space. And the mention of Tattered Cover book store made me smile.

Overall this is one of the best novella collections I have read!! Highly recommend!

"I received this book from BookLook Bloggers for free in exchange for an honest review."

Crazy Little Thing Called Love Review

About the Book

Wedding bells and storm clouds collide in the first engaging novel in a brand-new series about destination weddings, the power of love, and the possible mishaps and missteps that happen on a couple’s journey down the aisle to “I do.”

Paramedic Vanessa Hollister has put her adolescence behind her, including the unwanted label of being the new kid in town over and over again, thanks to her father’s military career. She’s overcome what her mother called “the biggest mistake of her life” and is planning an elegant destination wedding in Destin, Florida with her new fiancé. But will the reappearance of her first husband from her what-were-you-thinking teenage elopement disrupt her dream of an idyllic beach wedding?

As a professional storm chaser, Logan Hollister is used to taking risks. However, a reckless decision during the last tornado season has him questioning the future of his team, the Stormmeisters. Coming face to face with his ex-wife eight years after their divorce compels him to confront his greatest regret: losing Vanessa. Does their past give him the right to interfere with her future?

A fast-moving, powerful hurricane throws Vanessa and Logan together as they evacuate to a storm shelter along with other residents of the Florida Gulf Coast. Forced to spend time together, the pair battles unexpected renewed feelings for each other.

Vanessa and Logan are faced with a choice: Should they accept, once and for all, their teenage marital mistake? Or is God offering them a second chance at happily ever after? (Goodreads)

My Review

I have really loved all of Beth's previous books and was so excited to read this story. While still good, this is my least favorite book by her. I wish I had a different take on it but this was a difficult book to get though for me. I like the idea of the story but it lacked depth of character and really a plot line. And I'll be honest, I was a little irritated with the "early marriage judgment" because I understand it far too well. We got married when I was eighteen and guess what, we are still married! It's not an end of the world thing and it is possible to actually be in love when you are young. This book really puts the negativity into getting married young and that was a bit depressing for me to read because it's so typical. The book is also somewhat split between the current day happenings and Vanessa and Logan's high school years. It wasn't very well organized with the back and forth and while it was nice to know their history I thought it went on a bit long.

Needless to say, I still will continue to read Beth's books and encourage readers to read them! This book was just not for me but I know many others will enjoy this storyline.

If it sounds like the book for you by reading the back cover, by all means read it! : )

Three stars.

"I received this book from Litfuse for free in exchange for an honest review."