Books I Love

Boardwalk Summer by Kimberly Fisk

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FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Pump Up Your Book 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.

Boardwalk Summer by Kimberly Fisk was a good book but very predictable. Even with that being said I really did enjoy this book and I would love to read more books by this author.  I really enjoyed her writing and her characters throughout the book.  I really liked Nick, and I am sure that is why I ended up like this book as much as I did.  I have never liked a character so much that I would consider him my “book boyfriend, ” but he is that character for me.  I loved reading this book during the summer, and I am sure that most people would as well.  If you are looking for a new chick-lit book to read this summer then I would recommend this book to you.

About The Book

In the town of Tranquility Bay, summer is the season of second chances…
Single mother Hope Thompson has built a happy life for herself and her twins in beautiful Tranquility Bay, Washington. She doesn t dwell on her painful past especially not on the man who broke her heart all those years ago. But when Hope s beloved son needs help, she takes a desperate chance and reaches out to her children s father.
Nick Fortune lives life in the spotlight as a champion race car driver. He s shocked to hear from Hope and even more surprised to learn that he s a father. He immediately heads to the Pacific Northwest to confront the past and the woman he once loved.
There, on the quiet lakeshore, Nick and Hope must work together to save their son even if it means facing their complicated past for a second chance as a family.”

About The Author

In the third grade, my teacher encouraged me to enter a school wide writing contest. Horse crazy even back then, no one was surprised when my story featured a four-legged hero. But everyone was surprised when my story won. The prize? A trip to Seattle to attend the Young Author’s Convention. I remember that day as if it were yesterday. The dress my mom made me for the big day…the ferryboat ride…meeting my first published author (Stephen Cosgrove just in case you were wondering). And my shoes. New shoes. Shoes with heels! (All of a 1/4 of an inch but, hey, a girl has to start somewhere).

The writing bug bit and bit hard. But real life intruded on my fictional world. Marriage, motherhood and a demanding job derailed me for a few years but then something wonderful happened. Actually, several pretty wonderful things. After the birth of our youngest son, I decided to leave my job. One day while I was busy chasing toddlers and changing diapers, my husband handed me an article from our hometown paper highlighting the local Romance Writers of America chapter. A whole world of writers and readers? Heaven. But the wonderfulness didn’t stop there. Soon after joining RWA, I met the amazing and incredibly talented Kristin Hannah who was looking for an assistant. Somehow I landed this dream job. With Kristin’s generous guidance and the support of the world’s best critique group, it took me a few years to finish my first novel. (Okay, six, but who’s counting.) It then took the prodding of my amazingly supportive friends to convince me to enter RWA’s Golden Heart contest. When they announced that I had won, I wish I could say I was speechless. Surprised? Yes! Shocked? Yes! Yes!! But speechless? How I wish. No. I cried. Like a baby.

While that manuscript didn’t immediately find a publisher, it did land me the world’s best agency. And my second book, Lake Magic, found the perfect home.

Besides spending time with family, ignoring my messy house and writing, I love reading, having exercised, having weeded, and having figured out what’s for dinner.

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Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2017 Margaret Margaret

A Letter From Lancaster County by Kate Lloyd

A Letter from Lancaster County Kate Lloyd

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 Letter From Lancaster County by Kate Lloyd was a good book.  I wasn’t sure that I was going to like this book, but in the end, it is a sweet story and one that I could see reading again in the future.  At times I got bored while reading this book because there were parts that I think had too many details in it but that could just be me. I loved watching the relationship between Rose and Angela change throughout the book because it made the characters more relatable.  I also liked that this book things from the Amish and Mennonite communities because I am a sucker for those types of books.  I love that this book covered both worlds and I am sure that is one reason I enjoyed this book as much as I did.  If you love contemporary fiction books, I am sure that you will enjoy this book as much as I did.

About The Book

Two sisters get a second chance at life and love
 
Angela—Her mother’s untimely death, a struggling marriage, a strained relationship with her sister, Rose, and regrets over what might have been haunt her. Despite being a wife and mother, she feels she has little to show for her life.
Rose–Still single, she longs for a husband and children. But Angela has all that and still isn’t happy. Rose wants to be closer to her older sister, but she and Angela couldn’t be more different. Both strong women, will their sibling rivalry ever end?
* * *
When a letter arrives from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Angela and Rose decide to visit Aunt Silvia, their mother’s Mennonite sister, in the heart of Amish country. This vacation could provide the opportunity both sisters need to sort out their issues. And yet instead of finding a new way of connecting with each other, Angela and Rose discover surprising family secrets that add to their strife and threaten Rose’s romance with a new beau.
Through it all, the two sisters must find the faith necessary to face their personal problems and allow God to restore hope and healing to their hearts and relationship as only He can.

About The Author

Kate Lloyd is a bestselling novelist whose books include “A Portrait of Marguerite” and the Legacy of Lancaster trilogy. A native of Baltimore, she enjoys spending time with friends and family in rural Pennsylvania and is a member of the Lancaster County Mennonite Historical Society. She now resides in the Pacific Northwest with her husband.
Find out more about Kate at http://katelloyd.com.
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Healing Love by Jennifer Slattery

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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.

Healing Love by Jennifer Slattery was a sweet story.  It was predictable during parts of the book, but that is pretty typical for me because I have read so many books like this one.  I love reading these types of books when I just want to read a book that is a sweet story and doesn’t really have any bad parts in it.  When I say that I mean, I usually read thrillers and mystery books and these books are nowhere on that spectrum so I read them so I can get a break from thrillers that I love.  I have never read anything by this author, so I was interested in reading her book and seeing if she is an author that I would want to read more books by her in the future.  I think I would likely pick up another book by her in the future.  This book also only took me a few days to read which I love as well.  If you love Christian romance novels than I think you would enjoy this book as well.

About The Book

A news anchor intern has it all planned out, and love isn’t on the agenda.

Brooke Endress is on the cusp of her lifelong dream when her younger sister persuades her to chaperone a mission trip to El Salvador. Packing enough hand sanitizer and bug spray to single-handedly wipe out malaria, she embarks on what she hopes will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

But Brooke is blindsided by the desperation for hope and love she sees in the orphans’ eyes. And no less by the connection she feels with her handsome translator. As newfound passion blooms, Brooke wrestles with its implications for her career dreams.

Ubaldo Chavez, teacher, and translator, knows the struggle that comes with generational poverty. But he found the way out – education – and is determined to help his students rise above.

When he agrees to translate for a mission team from the United States he expects to encounter a bunch of “missional tourists” full of empty promises. Yet an American news anchor defies his expectations, and he finds himself falling in love. But what does he have to offer someone with everything?

About The Author

Jennifer Slattery is the founder of Wholly Loved Ministries, and in that capacity, helps women embrace and live out who they are in Christ, find healing and restoration in His unfailing love, and enjoy the deep emotional and spiritual freedom only He can provide. (Go HERE to learn of upcoming Wholly Loved events.) She loves interacting with women and women’s group on a personal level and speaks locally and nationally on topics pertinent to women juggling all the demands and uncertainties in today’s fast paced, ever-changing culture. (You can find out more about her speaking endeavors HERE.)

Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.

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Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2017 Margaret Margaret

The Devils Cold Dish by Eleanor Kuhns

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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.

The Devils Cold Dish by Eleanor Kuhns was a great historical fiction book.  I loved this book, and for the first time in a while, I didn’t get bored while reading a historical fiction book.  This the 5 book in the series but you have to read them in order because this is the first book I read, and I had no problem following along with what is going on in it.  This is the first book that I have read by this author, and I can’t wait until I have the time to check out her other books.  She wrote in such a way that I forgot from time to time that I was reading a historical fiction book.  I loved that she was able to do that because it made the book fly by and I was able to read in just a few days.  If you aren’t the biggest fan of historical fiction books than I would tell you to give this book a shot because I think it is one that most people would enjoy even if this isn’t their favorite genre to read.

About The Book

In the next 1790s historical mystery from MWA Award winner Eleanor Kuhns, Will Rees’ small farm town begins to suspect his wife of murder by witchcraft

Will Rees is back home on his farm in 1796 Maine with his teenage son, his pregnant wife, their five adopted children, and endless farm work under the blistering summer sun. But for all that, Rees is happy to have returned to Dugard, Maine, the town where he was born and raised, and where he’s always felt at home. Until now. When a man is found dead – murdered – after getting into a public dispute with Rees, Rees starts to realize someone is intentionally trying to pin the murder on him. Then, his farm is attacked, his wife is accused of witchcraft, and a second body is found that points to the Rees family. Rees can feel the town of Dugard turning against him, and he knows that he and his family won’t be safe there unless he can find the murderer and reveal the truth…before the murderer gets to him first.

About The Author

Eleanor is a lifelong librarian. She wrote her first story at the age of ten and hasn’t stopped since. She lives with her husband and dog in New York State.

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Of The Grid by Randy Denmon

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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.

Off The Grid by Randy Denmon was such an interesting book.  I loved reading this book because you have no idea what is going to happen next, but you do know that they survived the trip because he wrote the book.  This was a super easy read which I loved because it meant that I didn’t to know a ton about electric cars or things like that.   Some books like this tend to be super annoying, but this book kept me interested throughout the entire thing.  I really enjoyed the authors writing and all of the stories that he included in this book.  Like I said it was an easy read and I was able to read it in a few days.  If you are looking for a fun book to read this summer, I would recommend this book to you.

About The Book

The rollicking tale of a first-of-its-kind adventure—driving a Tesla through Central America.

Only a week after the nation’s newspapers were filled with headlines of the first cross-country trip in an electric car, two Louisianans slip quietly across the Rio Grande in south Texas in an attempt to do the unthinkable—drive a factory electric car across seven Third World countries to the “end of the road,” Panama City, Panama.

Without support and armed only with a toolbox, a bag of electrical adapters, and their wits, author Randy Denmon and his friend Dean trudge on through jungles, deserts, volcanoes, rivers, and crater-sized potholes, all the while trying to avoid the drug cartels and corrupt border guards that could mean a quick end to their adventure . . . and their lives. Through it all, the same enormous problem loomed daily: how to charge the car in such a primitive and desolate setting?

Despite the numerous setbacks, Randy never lost his sense of humor. Off the Grid is as much a spiritual journey as a physical one about two guys who dropped everything for one grand twenty-first-century adventure—traveling back in time in a car that seemed to come from the future.

About The Author

Randy Denmon is a writer and engineer. His novels and nonfiction have won the Western Writers of America Spur Award, the Faulkner-Wisdom Award, and he has been a finalist for the Ben Franklin Award. A lifelong Louisiana resident, he currently resides in Monroe, LA. When not writing, he is a practicing Civil Engineer.

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My Daughters Legacy by Mindy Starns Clark and Leslie Gould

My Daughter's Legacy Mindy Starns Clark Leslie Gould

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 Daughters Legacy by Mindy Starns Clark and Leslie Gould was a great book. I think this book was super fun because it switched between current times and the civil war. I loved getting both of the different views and things like that. I think that this is the best way to read a historical fiction book because you get to look at both parts of the book with different eyes. I have gotten bored while reading other books that are just historical fiction but because this book has both views I didn’t get bored. This is the first book I read by either of these authors, and I am for sure going to read the first two books in this series because I enjoyed this book that much.   If you aren’t the biggest fan of historical fiction, I think that this book would be a good fit for you.

About The Book

Women of Unfailing Conviction

Virginia, 1864

Therese Jennings cannot abide the thought of owning slaves. When her widowed mother inherits a plantation, Therese flees to Civil War Richmond, where she works as a governess by day and tends to wounded soldiers at night. But when trouble befalls her family, can she reconcile her obligations with her beliefs? And will love – whether with an old beau or a handsome new suitor – ever fit in her broken world?

Virginia, present day

Nicole Talbot’s life is back on track after years of substance abuse. Home from college for the summer, she’s finally ready to share a shocking secret, one that raises new questions about a traumatic childhood experience. But when facts she uncovers cast doubt on her family’s legacy, she must risk all that she’s gained – her fresh start, her family’s trust, and her growing relationship with a new man – to unlock the secrets of the past.

* * *

From the Christy Award-winning team of Mindy Starns Clark and Leslie Gould comes a thrilling tale of two women longing to follow God’s leading, make the most of second chances, and find true love at last.

 

About The Author’s

Leslie Gould

Leslie Gould is the #1 bestselling and Christy Award winning author of twenty-two novels. She received her MFA from Portland State University and teaches writing at Warner Pacific College. Leslie enjoys traveling, hiking, and history. She and her husband, Peter, are the revolving-door parents of four children and three cats. Visit her at http://www.lesliegould.com/.

Mindy Starns Clark


Mindy Starns Clark is the bestselling author of more than 30 books, both fiction and nonfiction, and has received numerous literary honors, including two Christy Awards and RT Book Review Magazine’s 2012 Career Achievement Award. Mindy and her husband, John, have two adult children and live near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.

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Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2017 Margaret Margaret