Chick Lit

Jilted by Varina Denman

Jilted Varina Denman

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

Jilted by Varina Denman was a great book. I did get the other two books in this series with one, but I haven’t had the time to read them yet so I hope I will get to those sometime soon, so I can review them for you. I enjoyed this book and the story so I can’t wait to check out the other two books that take place before this book. I was able to understand this book, so you don’t have read the other books before this one. I enjoyed this author’s style of writing and how I was able to understand where the characters were coming from throughout the entire book. At times I felt like I could relate to Lynda because I think a lot like she does throughout the book. I enjoyed this book and the author’s style of writing, and I can’t wait to check out other books by her in the future.

Jilted by Varina Denman

About The Book

Lynda Turner has struggled with depression since her husband abandoned her and their young daughter fifteen years ago.

Yet unexpected hope awakens when a local ex-convict shows interest. As long-hidden secrets resurface, Lynda must fight for her emotional stability and for a life where the shadow of shame is replaced by the light of love.

Jilted tells of a woman who has lost the joy of living, a man determined to draw her back toward happiness, and a town that must—once and for all—leave the past where it belongs. It is a gentle reminder that all things can work together for good.

Varina Denman

About The Author

Varina Denman is author of the Mended Hearts series and a native Texan. She spent her high school years in a rural town and now writes stories about the struggles women face in similar small town settings. She and her husband live near Fort Worth, where they enjoy spending time with their five mostly grown children.

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My Father’s House by Rose Chandler Johnson

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FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

My Father’s House by Rose Chandler Johnson was a book I wasn’t sure if I was going to like when I started it. I always hate when I am not certain if I will like because I hate forcing myself to read books that I don’t like but let’s get on to this book. By the end of the first chapter, I didn’t want to put the book down. I did feel so sorry for Lily, and I had to keep reading because I had to know how things worked out for her in the book. I love that this book covered a good amount of time, but it wasn’t super long and didn’t leave me feeling like things were rushed or as if things were missing in the story. I have read other books that they cut things out to keep the book shorter, but they didn’t in this book, and I loved that about it. I felt terrible for Lily most of the book, and I think that is because I can see a lot of myself in her. If you love books that seem like they are real stories than you need to pick this book up because it is one that I could see happening.

My Father's House by Rose Chandler Johnson

About The Book

My Father’s House (March 2016)

Growing up, life is idyllic for Lily Rose Cates due to one constant — her father’s love.

But in her sixteenth summer, all that changes without warning. There begins Lily’s struggle to find herself and the life she’s lost. . . . Marriage promises fulfillment, but her happily-ever-after barely survives the honeymoon. Her husband’s sophisticated façade hides a brooding man with even darker secrets.

When all illusions shatter, Lily must make hard choices — abandon her husband or risk losing much more than her marriage. She flees their home in Detroit and sets out on a fearful journey to a house in Georgia that her husband knows nothing about. This is one woman’s compelling tale of love and survival as she finds her way back home to who she’s meant to be . . . in her father’s house.

Rose Chandler Johnson

About The Author

Rose Chandler Johnson is the author of the award winning devotional God, Me, and Sweet Iced Tea: Experiencing God in the Midst of Everyday Moments. My Father’s Houseis her first novel. She happily makes her home near Augusta, Georgia.

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Summer At Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan

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FTC: I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

Summer At Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan was a fun book to read. I enjoyed this book, and I was sure if I was going to because some the fact that it takes place in England and all of the British slang that was used but I found that I was smiling throughout the book because I could see people speaking like they did in the book. This is the first book I have read by this author and I enjoyed it so much so that I am going to read other books by her. This is the second book in this series, but you don’t have to read the first one to understand this book. I loved that Polly lived in a lighthouse, but my favorite part of the entire book was Neil, her pet puffin. This book is very well written and even though there was a lot of slang in it I was still able to understand what was going on and what the characters meant. This book is written well, and I loved everything about it.   Like I say all the time I like books where I feel like the characters would exist, and that is how I felt about the characters in this book. If you love contemporary fiction books than I know, you will love this book like I did.

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About The Book

The New York Times bestselling author of Little Beach Street Bakeryand Christmas at the Cupcake Café returns with a delightful new novel—with recipes!—that is already an international bestseller and is perfect for fans of Jojo Moyes, Meg Donohue, and Sophie Kinsella.

For fans of Jojo Moyes and Elin Hilderbrand, an irresistible novel—moving and funny, soulful and sweet—about happiness, heartache, and hope. And recipes.

A thriving bakery. A lighthouse to call home. A handsome beekeeper. A pet puffin. These are the things that Polly Waterford can call her own. This is the beautiful life she leads on a tiny island off the southern coast of England.

But clouds are gathering on the horizon. A stranger threatens to ruin Polly’s business. Her beloved boyfriend seems to be leading a secret life. And the arrival of a newcomer—a bereft widow desperately searching for a fresh start—forces Polly to reconsider the choices she’s made, even as she tries to help her new friend through grief.

Unpredictable and unforgettable, this delightful novel will make you laugh, cry, and long for a lighthouse of your own. Recipes included.

Jenny Colgan

About The Author

Jenny T. Colgan was born in 1972 in Prestwick, Ayrshire, Scotland, UK. After studying at Edinburgh University, she worked for six years in the health service, moonlighting as a cartoonist and a stand-up comic, before the publication of her first novel Amanda’s Wedding in 2000. In 2013, her novel “Welcome to Rosie Hopkin’s Sweetshop of Dreams” won the Romantic Novel of the Year Award by the Romantic Novelists’ Association. She is now working on her next novel.

She mostly lives in France, with frequent visits to London. She occasionally writes for The Guardian newspaper, as well as a TV series.

Her Doctor Who novel Dark Horizons is published under the name Jenny T. Colgan.

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Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2016 Margaret Margaret

A Daughter’s Dream by Shelley Shepard Gray

A Daughter's Dream by Shelley Shepard Gray Giveaway

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

A Daughter’s Dream by Shelley Shepard Gray was another great book. Just like I said in yesterday’s post about that author being my favorite for books that take place during WWII this author is my favorite for books having to do with the Amish. I have pretty much read all of her books and me when I see she is releasing a new book I know I have to pick it up because I love all of her books. This is the second book in the series, but you don’t have to read the first book if you don’t want to. I did review the first book, and you can click here to read that review if you are interested in that book. These characters weren’t my favorite of all the characters but I still actually enjoyed the book. I love that I got to check in with the characters from the first book because I liked them. I loved this book, and I can’t wait for the next book to come out. I recommend any of her books to you if you are looking for something new to read because I know you won’t be let down by any of her books.

A Daughter's Dream by Shelley Shepard Gray

About The Book

A Daughter’s Dream (Avon Inspire, May 2016)

A young teacher and farmer discover they have much in common, especially when it comes to healing old wounds from the past . . . and finding love in one another.


Rebecca Kinsinger has always dreamed of being a teacher. But when she’s given the opportunity she’s been waiting for at Charm Amish School, she’s dismayed to discover that teaching is hard work—work she’s afraid she’s not very good at.That is, until Lilly Yoder joins the class. A thirteen-year old who’s just lost her parents, Lilly is in need of someone like Rebecca. For the first time since starting her new job, Rebecca feels a sense of purpose. But when she meets Lilly’s uncle, Jacob, his good looks and sweet, easy-going temperament are hard to ignore. How can she even entertain romantic thoughts of Jacob when his niece is her student?

Suddenly becoming Lily’s sole caregiver, Jacob Yoder never thought he’d be a single parent—or a farmer. Having been living in Florida as a carpenter, Jacob feels more at home wielding a hammer than a backhoe. The only bright spot in his life is Rebecca Kinsinger. As Lily and Rebecca develop a bond, Jacob’s fondness for the pretty teacher grows, too.

But when a fateful accident brings them together, Rebecca and Jacob must choose between duty and desire. Will they follow the path before them? Or set out to find true happiness . . . and true love?

Shelley Gray

About The Author

Shelley Shepard Gray is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, a finalist for the American Christian Fiction Writers prestigious Carol Award, and a two-time HOLT Medallion winner. She lives in southern Ohio, where she writes full-time, bakes too much, and can often be found walking her dachshunds on her town’s bike trail.

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Rhinestone Cowgirl by Denice Christensen

 

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FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Serenade Book’s in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

Rhinestone Cowgirl by Denice Christensen wasn’t my favorite book, but it is a sweet story. It seems like I have read a ton of books like this one lately and I just wasn’t the biggest fan of this one. I did enjoy the authors writing, and I would love to check out more books by her in the future. I found that this book was predictable, and I wasn’t the biggest fan of the characters in this book either. If you love Christian romance novels then I think you would enjoy this book but it just wasn’t the right choice for me.

Rhinestone Cowgirl by Denice Christensen

About The Book

What could make a city girl fall for a country boy? Debut author Denice Stewart invites you to find out!

After her big-city relationship goes sour, Tory Thompson is looking for a new career, a new location, and a fresh start. The last place she expected to land–or find love–was back in tiny Wheaton, Oklahoma. Without the windfall her grandmother left her, Tory would have nowhere to go when her life in the big city goes wrong. But the will stipulates that Tory has to work with her childhood crush, Dane. And that’s a disaster waiting to happen…

Dane Eckland has a new landlord for his leased farmland—but Tory’s not what he was expecting. He’s already had his heart broken by one Thompson woman. All he wants is to keep his head down and work the land. But working with Tory stirs up emotions he’d thought long buried, and he can’t resist the city girl’s brand of charm.

Then Tory’s past comes calling, and she has a new goal: prove she’s a small-town girl, after all.

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About The Author

“I write because I must – the characters in my head simply will not be quiet until I have let them have their say on the page.

I was an avid reader as a child, and throughout high school. I would constantly remind my parents when they would find me awake at one a.m. that I could have been doing far worse things in the middle of the night than reading. This did not save me from being forced to put the books down and go to bed.

And if I am fortunate enough to tell a story that keeps someone awake at night because they must finish the book, then I will be thrilled.”

Denice Christensen is an Oklahoma native, and lives in the small town where she grew up. As a single mom with three kids, she feels like her life is a comedy most of the time, so writing romantic comedy makes sense to her. In between being a small business owner, a writer, and a mom, occasionally she finds time to sleep. Rhinestone Cowgirl is her debut novel.

 

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The Beautiful Pretender by Melanie Dickerson

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FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

The Beautiful Pretender by Melanie Dickerson was a sweet book. I did find the story predictable, but I still did love the book, and it was a nice break from some of the other books I have been reading lately. Because the stories in this series are based on fairy tales, most people will find them predictable, but I love that the books make it seem like something that could have happened. They take the characters from the stories and make them seem alive. They also brought the fairy tales alive for me because of how the books are written. I like Avelina from the start of the book, and I hoped that she would end up with Reinhart because I felt like they were perfect for each other. This book was one that I was able to sit down and read it one Sunday afternoon. This book would be perfect for teenagers and adults because of the subject matter and how well it is written. If you love fairy tales and historical fiction books than you need to check out this book because I know you will love it just like I do.

The Beautiful Pretender by Melanie Dickerson

About The Book

The Beautiful Pretender (Thomas Nelson, May 2016)

What happens when a margrave realizes he’s fallen in love with a servant?

The Margrave of Thornbeck has to find a bride, fast. He invites ten noble-born ladies from around the country to be his guests at Thornbeck Castle for two weeks, a time to test these ladies and reveal their true character.

Avelina is only responsible for two things: making sure her deception goes undetected and avoiding being selected as the margrave’s bride. Since the latter seems unlikely, she concentrates on not getting caught. No one must know she is merely a maidservant, sent by the Earl of Plimmwald to stand in for his daughter, Dorothea.

Despite Avelina’s best attempts at diverting attention from herself, the margrave has taken notice. And try as she might, she can’t deny her own growing feelings. But something else is afoot in the castle. Something sinister that could have far worse—far deadlier—consequences. Will Avelina be able to stop the evil plot? And at what cost? 

Melanie Dickerson

About The Author

Melanie Dickerson is the author of The Healer’s Apprentice, a Christy Award finalist and winner of the National Reader’s Choice Award for Best First Book. Melanie earned a bachelor’s degree in special education from the University of Alabama and has been a teacher and a missionary. She lives with her husband and two daughters in Huntsville, Alabama.

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The Beautiful Pretender Melanie Dickerson

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