Twelve Dates of Christmas Charlee James

 Description:

She’s fallen for her own fantasy...will a real future with him be enough?

Bored by years of underwhelming dating experiences, copywriter Grace McGovern combines her love of Christmas and her longing for romance into the ultimate romance novel—where the heroine is swept off her feet one Christmas by tender, thoughtful, romantic...and utterly unrealistic dates. When Grace has a chance meeting with an attractive man, she’s charmed by their conversation and fun dates...until warning bells jingle. He couldn’t be taking cues from her book, could he?

Engineer Owen Ellis has always been more comfortable with computers and coding than with women. After claiming he was boring and unromantic, his last girlfriend’s bitter parting gift was a cheesy romance book hurled at his head. When he meets a woman whose warm smile and conversation intrigue him, Owen is ready to try again but knows he needs to up his game. What’s the harm in borrowing a few ideas?

Can the Christmas magic last forever, or will their relationship dissolve into another ho-hum holiday fling?

My Review:

I really liked this book it started off feeling very much Hallmarkish. It so cute and puts you in the holiday spirits. I loved Grace she said what she wanted and did it in a way that she was kind about it. I loved how she also knew what she wanted and also loved and cared so much for others. I really enjoyed her relationship with Beth what an amazing friendship those two have. I liked Owen why he seemed to value others opinions he also on the flip side he beat to his own drum and was willing to step out of his comfort zone. I loved his relationship with his sister they just had an sweet relationship and played perfect into this story. I love that the author kept is clean and this book was well worth the read. I think this book would be a fun read for all. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Where to Buy the book:

www.amazon.com

www.barnesandnoble.com

Where you can connect with the author:

charlee-james.com

While at your favorite bookstore/website check out Charlie James' other books, You will not be disappointed. Thanks for stopping by and feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments.

Being Known Robin Jones Gunn- Haven Maker's #2

Description:

From the bestselling author of Becoming Us comes a novel that asks: What does it mean to be truly known? In a marriage, in a friendship, or by a loving God?
 
After her mom passed away, Jennalyn was in the midst of moving, adjusting to life with a new baby, and helping her husband, Joel, work toward his dream job. At the time, she thought she’d processed her mother’s death, but only now that Jennalyn has two small children, a lovely new home, and a husband who is always working does she feel the full impact of what she has lost.
 
Even among her sweet circle of friends, the Haven Makers, grief silently overwhelms Jennalyn, until an unexpected encounter allows her to express herself in ways she hasn’t fully been able to with her husband. Even though Christy, Sierra, Emily, and Tess provide a soft place to land in times of tension, Jennalyn remains guarded, especially when Tess reveals she is tangled emotionally in a relationship that was thorny from the start.
 
Will the two women open up and remain honest with the others in their Haven Makers group? Or will their hesitation to truly be known, faults and all, keep them from holding on to the friendships that have been the sweetest gift during this season of life?

My thoughts on the book:

Just like Becoming Us this book is about friendship and finding hope in the Lord and those friendships. I felt like this book got really to the heart of the matter with Jennalyn, with her missing her mom and the struggles she faces. This book was told in a first person point of view and I was not a fan of that. The author keeps this book clean so that is so nice allowing suitable for age appropriate readers. I think it goes back to this author has written about Christy for years and this series seems to be the adult version and the friendships she is forming along the way. I love these group of women and their friendships. Life is not perfect and life always hands you trials and the author doesn't try and make anything perfect or sugar coat anything. If you are looking for a fun read that's a breathe of fresh air and a little different then other books out there,  this is worth the read. I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley. I was under no obligation to post a review and have given my honest opinion

 

Where you can buy the book:
www.barnesandnoble.com
www.amazon.com
www.christianbook.com

Where you can connect with the author:
www.robingunn.com
While at your favorite bookstore/website check out Robin Jones Gunn's other books, You will not be disappointed. Thanks for stopping by and feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments. 

Coming Home to the Cowboy Megan Ryder- Redemption Ranch Series #2

Description:
The town bad boy with hidden pain…

Champion bull-rider Chase Summers is everybody’s friend, but his affable personality hides a troubled childhood. The only thing that saved him from isolation was his foster dad and life on Redemption Ranch. Now he spends his time on the rodeo circuit, sending home his winnings to help the ranch succeed, and his nights with buckle bunnies, making sure no one gets too close.

The town sweetheart who saw the good in everyone…

When accountant Hailey Spencer is hired by Redemption Ranch to implement their new ideas, she and Chase are thrown together. It's not long before he is introduced to the son that she had with his best friend. The best friend who would've followed Chase anywhere...even the bull riding circuit with it's deadly potential. The two try to fight their age-old attraction – in vain. Chase knows Hailey deserves more than a broken-down cowboy for her son and her heart. 

Can Chase resist the call of the rodeo and man up for a woman he's loved for years?

My thoughts on the book:

This book is like the first in the series, I have to say I have really enjoyed reading about how family is what you make of it and that's what Chase, West, and Ty are doing with the help of Tara and now Hailey. I liked how once again the author took and strong hard headed women who will fight for she wants and will stop at nothing to protect her son. I however was not a fan of Chase in this book, I found him to come off as whinny a lot. He did eventually grow on me but to me he was more a grouchy old man feeling the the Hot smoking cowboy the author was trying to portray. There is a good about of curse words and sex in this book so it may not be suitable for all. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Where you can buy the book:
www.barnesandnoble.com
www.amazon.com

Where you can connect with the author:
https://www.meganryder.com


While at your favorite bookstore/website check out Megan Ryder's other books, You will not be disappointed. Thanks for stopping by and feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments. 

A Cowboy's Salvation Megan Ryder

Description:
He wanted to be left in peace…

West Morgan knows all about second chances. After bouncing from foster home to foster home, he finally landed at the Rawlings Ranch as a teenager. There he found a home, something he’d never thought possible. Now an adult, he realizes he’s been given much more: a family and, most importantly, peace. But when his mentor dies and leaves the property divided among his foster brothers and his mentor’s daughter, Tara Rawlings, the fragile future he’s built for himself is threatened.

She wanted to be free of her past…

Tara Rawlings swore she’d never end up with someone like her father, a man completely focused on the ranch to the exclusion of his loved ones. She created a new life for herself in San Francisco, running an interior design company and getting married, then divorced. When she returns to settle her father’s estate, she finds that her birthright is in jeopardy. And the only way to save it is to work with West Morgan, the one man she has always resented—and always found irresistible.

Can they save the ranch without killing each other … or falling in love?


My thoughts on the book:

Tara is forced to come home and face the demons of her past and present. I liked that she had this strong head on her and she really seems to take everything in stride. I was however not a huge fan of West I kind of had a love/hate relationship with him. I did like Ty and Chase they always seem to be your typical little brothers who like to pick on the older one. The story did get to me emotionally because with everything Tara faced my heart just broke for her. There is some cursing and sex in this book so may not be suitable for all readers. Over all I enjoyed reading about these fun characters. I hope that Ty and Chase find their happily ever afters.  I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley. I was under no obligation to post a review and have given my honest opinion

Where you can buy the book:
Amazon.com
Barnesandnoble.com

Where you can connect with the author:
www.meganryder.com


While at your favorite bookstore/website check out Megan Ryder's other books. Thanks for stopping by and feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments. 

The Cowboy's Last Rodeo Jeannie Watt- The 79th Cooper Mountain Rodeo #4

Description:

Shane Marvell's career as a rodeo rider is ending far too soon. He doesn’t have a plan B, so during his last season, he’s all in, determined to win as much prize money as possible--even if it means riding injured and taking more risks than he should.  

Ella Etxeberri has always played it safe, so when her life still takes a bad turn despite her caution, she wonders if it isn’t time to see what she’s been missing. While researching risk behaviors in rodeo riders, she meets Shane Marvell, a cowboy who merits additional study of the personal variety.

Just as Ella is hitting the point to embrace risk, Shane is pulling back. He knows Ella’s all-in approach is born of curiosity and whim. He’s not what she wants forever, and perhaps Ella is one risk he can't allow himself to take.


My thoughts on the book:

Ella sets out too make a name away from her family and finding herself, so she sets off on an adventure. Shane has one more season to prove himself because he has too retire. So he's out healing his body and his heart. Can Ella and Shane have one more bang of an adventure?

For most of this book I felt like this should have been the first book in the series, it seems to really lead up to the 79th Rodeo so unlike the other books in the series it did not coincide with the rodeo. However towards the end of the book it does mention big points from the other books in the first part of this series, so be for warned and it does also catch up with the Copper Mountain rodeo.
 I really also enjoyed how Ella was this strong independent person yet still trying to find herself.  I also like how this wasn't necessarily one person chasing the other but both chasing a dream and trying to find out what they wanted to do when they "grow up". I however felt like some parts of the book did dragged and the book did start off a little slow. The book does have adult language and situations but overall as I have read every book so far in this series I would recommend this book as it seems to tie things together and makes the other books make more sense. 

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley. I was under no obligation to post a review and have given my honest opinion.

Where you can buy the book:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

All links are just easy to get to, I make no money off any links on this blog!

Where you can connect with the author:
jeanniewatt.com
While at your favorite bookstore/website check out Jeannie Watt's other books, You will not be disappointed. Thanks for stopping by and feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments. 

Love at the Beach Shop Kyra Jacobs- Paradise Key Book #2

Description:
The last thing Jenna Davis wants right now is more drama. Still reeling from the untimely loss of one of her four closest friends, she intends to bury herself in work and forget the hurt. But when her other friends announce they're planning an extended stay on the island, Jenna needs to come up with a plan–and fast–to cover up the little white lie she's been telling them.

Zach Taylor is dealing with a mess of his own. A sinkhole in front of his shop is keeping customers away and putting his livelihood in jeopardy. So when his best friend’s older sister—the one he’s been secretly crushing on since the day they met—offers to loan Zach some shop space if he’ll do her favor, he’s all ears. The request? Pretend to be her boyfriend until her friends head back home.

The stage is set, the charade about to begin. Can these two long time friends keep things purely platonic while they fool the others? Or will Zach and Jenna stop fooling themselves and finally let love in?



My thoughts on the book:
Jenna has found herself in a situation where she either comes clean and come close to losing something that she cherishes or come up with a solution that could help her and her best friend, I mean come on what could go wrong. Zach needs the city to fix his road so that he can keep his business opened, but it seems one councilman might have other plans. Can they work together to keep their business' open or will the fibs be just too much for the trust of the town?

I thought this book was a fun read. However after reading book one and now this book I am wondering if this should be book one. There was some information in this book that seems to make more sense if that was the case. This book was a fun clean read the characters are friends forever and while Jenna likes things in order Zach seems to like to take a risk and push people just a little outside of there comfort zone, which makes for a fun read where you don't know what is going to happen next. I really enjoyed the solid friendships in this book and that no matter what someone is going through the friends are there and they have each other's backs. If you are looking for a fun summer read this series seems like the perfect read. 

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley. I was under no obligation to post a review and have given my honest opinion

Where you can buy the book:
www.amazon.com
www.barnesandnoble.com

Where you can connect with the author:
kyrajacobsbooks.com

While at your favorite bookstore/website check out Kyra Jacobs' other books, You will not be disappointed. Thanks for stopping by and feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments. 

Other books in the Series:

The Missing Wife Sheila O'Flanagan

Description:


HAVE YOU EVER WANTED TO RUN AWAY?

An enthralling tale of a desperate wife's secret summer in southern France from Ireland's #1 bestselling author

When Imogen Naughton vanishes, everyone who knows her is shocked. She has a perfect marriage. Her handsome husband treats her like a princess. She's always said how lucky she is. So why has she left? And how will she survive without Vince?

What goes on behind closed doors is often a surprise, and Imogen surprises herself by taking the leap she knows she must. But as she begins her journey to find the woman she once was, Imogen's past is right behind her...

Will it catch up with her? And will she be ready to face it if it does?
My thoughts on the book:

Running away may not always be the option, but sometimes its the only option. In this book Imogen takes off and tries to find herself and the is looking for answers to what went wrong in her life. When her husband wonders what went wrong and where she took off to.
 This book is not a love story. I found there story very intense for a large portion of the book. I did enjoy the behind story and the trials that has and is facing Imogen. I did not like Vince at all in there was no portion in the book I did not want to scream. This story faces some tough subjects and has some strong language. I also enjoyed the friendships that were forged in this book. It shows no matter what your going through friends and family can be there for you. I really enjoyed reading Celine and Rene's portion of the story and would love to know more of them. 

Where you can buy the book:
www.amazon.com

Where you can connect with the author:
sheilaoflanagan.com


While at your favorite bookstore/website check out Sheila O'Flanagan's  other books. Thanks for stopping by and feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments.