Beholden

 

In a land where being the fairest maiden is a curse . . .

A beautiful noblewoman with a terrible secret, and a prince subjected to slavery.

Upon the death of her wealthy father, Lady Gabriella is condemned to work in Warwick’s gem mine. As she struggles to survive the dangerous conditions, her kindness and beauty shine as brightly as the jewels the slaves excavate. While laboring, Gabriella plots how to avenge her father’s death and stop Queen Margery’s cruelty.

Prince Vilmar of Scania enslaves himself in Warwick’s gem mine as part of a royal test to prove himself the most worthy of three brothers to become the king’s successor. Amidst the hardships, he doesn’t anticipate his growing compassion for the other slaves, especially tenderhearted Gabriella.

As the annual summer ball looms nearer, Gabriella sets into motion her plan to end Queen Margery’s evil. When Vilmar learns of Gabriella’s intentions, he resolves to come to her aid and fight against Warwick’s queen. But doing so may require him to give up his chance of becoming Scania’s next king, perhaps even cost him his life.

The real Cinderella story.

The Fairest Maidens
Book 1: Beholden (Sept 2020)
Book 2: Beguiled (Oct 2020)
Book 3: Besotted (Nov 2020)

My Rating: 4 Stars

A great start to Jody's newest YA series. After reading and enjoying her medieval set last year, I knew I didn't want to miss this one. I am happy to say it did not disappoint. I really liked this story that had some Cinderella woven in to the storyline. Gabriella was quite brave and Vilmar was quite the hero himself. Beholden also set the stage nicely for the next two books in the series. I am eager to read them, luckily they release one in October and one in November, so I don't have long to wait, thank goodness. I highly recommend!

I received this book from the author and was not required to post a positive review. All thoughts are my own.

The Christmas Swap

All Emma Daley wants this holiday season is a white Christmas. But the young teacher and struggling musician sure can't find that in sunny Arizona. Luckily, there's someone living in a perfect mountain home in the Colorado Rockies looking to make a vacation trade this year.

Tyler Prescott is an in-demand songwriter and talented musician who put his own singing career on hold to write songs for celebrity acts to perform. When his mother convinces him to do a vacation trade for Christmas, he never imagined one of the houseguests would be so sweet--or so strikingly pretty. Naturally, he decides to stick around, and, to get better acquainted, he poses as the house's caretaker. But when Emma's friend Gillian discovers his true identity and sets her sights on him, things
get . . . messy.

Fan favorite Melody Carlson is back with another delightful Christmas tale to warm your heart on those cold winter evenings. 

My Rating: 3 Stars

Melody writes the cutest Christmas novellas. While this one isn’t my favorite of her Christmas stories, it was definitely worth the read. It has a bit of a vibe like the movie “The Holiday” with the characters flipping homes for the Christmas holidays. I liked Emma and West a lot. Emma’s best friend though was not my favorite. I had a hard time believing they’d be friends in the first place. Gillian and Emma had next to nothing in common and Gillian comes across as mean and spiteful. It made the story a bit off for me. Still I enjoyed seeing Emma and West’s romance blossom and I liked the music angle of the story. Melody is still my go to for a fun Christmas story each year. Looking forward to next years story. 

I received this book from the publisher and was not required to post a positive review. All thoughts are my own.  

Sugar and Vice

 

OUT OF THE OVEN 

Lately, Kate has a lot on her dessert plate. She’s launching a cookie-of-the-day challenge in the heart of Coral Cay, providing sweet treats for the reception of the town’s handsome new veterinarian―not to mention dealing with tourists in town for a pirate festival and the surprise arrival of her former fiancé, Evan, who seems determined to win her back.

AND INTO THE FIRE 

And if that’s not enough, a skeleton has been found―in the backyard behind her best friend Maxi’s floral shop. Kate knows Maxi could never hurt a fly. Maybe the remains belong to Sir George Bly, a long-dead pirate whose name has become urban legend―until now? It’s time for Kate to use every trick in the recipe book to prove Maxi’s innocence, and find the truth about the skeleton, before the last of the cookies crumble… 

My Rating: 5 Stars

What a wonderful mystery! Truly one of the best written and crafted mysteries I have read and I read a TON of cozies. The mystery was excellent and I would have never guessed the ending. Absolutely superb! This series has now officially reached favorite status and I can’t wait for book 3!

The Edge Of Belonging

 When Ivy Rose returns to her hometown to oversee an estate sale, she soon discovers that her grandmother left behind more than trinkets and photo frames--she provided a path to the truth behind Ivy's adoption. Shocked, Ivy seeks clues to her past, but a key piece to the mystery is missing.

Twenty-four years earlier, Harvey James finds an abandoned newborn who gives him a sense of human connection for the first time in his life. His desire to care for the baby runs up against the stark fact that he is homeless. When he becomes entwined with two people seeking to help him find his way, Harvey knows he must keep the baby a secret or risk losing the only person he's ever loved.

In this dual-time story from debut novelist Amanda Cox, the truth--both the search for it and the desire to keep it from others--takes center stage as Ivy and Harvey grapple with love, loss, and letting go. 

My Rating: 5 Stars

Beautiful. This story was truly beautiful. There is so much meaning and emotion in this story, it floors me. I am finding it hard to find the words to do this story justice in my review. Quite simply I adored the characters, the story, all of it. This may be Amanda's first book, but she writes like she has written many, many books. She has a new fan in me and I will NOT miss any future books by her. This one is destined for my keeper shelf.

I received this book as a member of the launch team and was not required to post a positive review. All thoughts are my own.

Until I Met You

When she hears that the small town of Heritage, Michigan, is looking for a new librarian, Libby Kingsley jumps at the opportunity. Little did she know the library is barely more than a storage closet stuffed with dusty, outdated books. What the community really needs is a new building. But the only funds available are those being channeled into the new town square, and the landscape architect in charge of the project wants nothing to do with her plans.

All Austin Williams wants to do is get the town square project finished so he can do right by the family business and then extricate himself from the town that reveres the brother who cost him so much. But the local media and the town's new librarian seem to be conspiring against him at every turn. Will the determined bookworm find her way into his blueprints--and possibly even his heart?

Novelist Tari Faris invites you back to the small town with a big heart in this second book in the Restoring Heritage series. 

My Rating: 5 Stars
This was such a sweet story. Libby was such a likable character and Austin was definitely swoon worthy. I really enjoyed the bonus romance of Nate and Olivia too. I also loved that Tari incorporated not only one of my favorite quotes, "Sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage," from the movie "We Bought A Zoo but the book "The Hiding Place," by Corrie Ten Boom. Those additional elements were a perfect addition to the story line, and thrilled my heart. I am looking forward to more stories from Tari about the town of Heritage and its inhabitants. They are so much fun.

I received this book from the publisher and was not required to post a positive review. All thoughts are my own.

The Haunting At Bonaventure Circus

1928
The Bonaventure Circus is a refuge for many, but Pippa Ripley was rejected from its inner circle as a baby. When she receives mysterious messages from someone called the "Watchman," she is determined to find him and the connection to her birth. As Pippa's search leads her to a man seeking justice for his murdered sister and evidence that a serial killer has been haunting the circus train, she must decide if uncovering her roots is worth putting herself directly in the path of the killer.

Present Day
The old circus train depot will either be torn down or preserved for historical importance, and its future rests on real estate project manager Chandler Faulk's shoulders. As she dives deep into the depot's history, she's also balancing a newly diagnosed autoimmune disease and the pressures of single motherhood. When she discovers clues to the unsolved murders of the past, Chandler is pulled into a story far darker and more haunting than even an abandoned train depot could portend. 

My Rating: 4 Stars

This is another spellbinding tale from Jaime! She writes the most unusual stories and this may be the most unusual yet. I really enjoyed the circus angle, that made for fun reading and then to incorporate all the mystery threads made this book IMPOSSIBLE to put down. I HAD to know how all the threads came together. Jaime did a masterful job at weaving the threads of this story. It was so good!


I received this book from the author and was not required to post a positive review. All thoughts are my own. 

How Sweet It Is

He lost his brother. She lost her dream. Together, they might find what they're really looking for. 

Holly Stanford is doing the best she can with the restaurant she inherited from her late uncle. But after her fiancé abandons her and the business, Holly regrets having given up her dream of becoming a pastry chef. Now a few bad financial decisions might cost her everything, including her hope for the future.

Jed Henning has done well with his new company despite his prodigal brother’s behavior. When Jed‘s father , the controlling member of the board of directors, temporarily suspends operations until his sons work out their differences, Jed resentfully chases his brother, Chris, to Boise. There Jed rents a basement apartment from Holly and hopes to convince Chris to get his act together before their company collapses.

Unaware that Holly is the one person who can help him get through to Chris, Jed starts the tough work of reconciliation armed with little more than a few family photographs, a stack of old letters, and a Bible that belonged to his great-grandfather, Andrew Henning. And as romance blossoms between Holly and Jed, the story of Jed’s great-grandfather highlights the power of God across the generations and the legacy of a family’s courageous faith.



My Rating: 5 Stars

I loved this story and this series! The thread of the Great Grandpa's Bible being passed down to his great grand children and how his faith helped shaped theirs was the COOLEST story line ever. This finale to the series was a fun one with great characters and a family rift that needs mending. Can Great Grandpa's Bible help? Read it and find out. I am sorry this series is over, it was truly wonderful!!