Month: October 2014

October 30, 2014

A Lady at Willowgrove Hall by Sarah Ladd

Secrets and love swirl in the story of A Lady at Willowgrove Hall.Will the two main characters be able to forgive their past in order to live in the present and build for the future?

About A Lady at Willowgrove Hall

Cecily Faire carries the shame of her past wherever she treads, knowing one slip of the tongue could take away everything that is dear to her. But soon after accepting the position of lady’s companion at Willowgrove Hall, Cecily finds herself face to face with a man well acquainted with the past that she has desperately tried to hide for years.

Nathaniel Stanton has his own secrets – one that has haunted him from birth and tied him to his father’s position as steward of Willowgrove. To protect his family, Nathaniel dares not breath a word of the truth. But as long as the shadow looms over him, he will never be free to find his own way in the world. He will never be free to fall in love.

When the secrets swirling within Willowgrove Hall come to light, Cecily and Nathaniel must confront a painful choice: Will they continue to run from the past or will they stand together and build a future without the suffocating weights of the secrets that they have long suffered for.

My Thoughts

A lovely romantic story full of love, trust, broken promises, suffering and family. Both Cecily and Nathaniel carry such great burdens that they struggle with on a daily basis. Both find it hard to forgive themselves and to live in the current moment. Each one always allows the past to haunt them and guide their every moment.

The novel helps to teach us that sometimes we need to let go of our past, embrace it for what it was and remember it is the past and only we can shape our future. Both characters suffer under the weight of guilt and if they only learned to let it go they would be happy in their own lives and possibly in love with each other. I can’t even imagine the stress that the guilt they carry could weigh on their shoulders! Although I find it hard to let go of my own!

A lovely story from start to finish that I am already re-reading! You can find more reviews on the Litfuse blog tour page.

Rating: 4.5/5

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

October 29, 2014

BECOMING BEA By @LeslieJeanGould | Kindle Giveaway and Facebook Party!

Leslie Gould is back with the latest book, Becoming Bea, in her Shakespeare-inspired series, The Courtships of Lancaster County. Don’t miss the other books in the series, Courting Cate (retelling of The Taming of the Shrew), Adoring Addie (inspired by Romeo and Juliet), and Minding Molly (inspired by A Midsummer Night’s Dream).

Leslie is celebrating the series with a Kindle giveaway and a Facebook party on November 11th.

One grand prize winner will receive:

A Kindle Fire
One copy each of the entire The Courtships of Lancaster County series: Courting Cate, Adoring Addie, Minding Molly, and Becoming Bea.

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on 11/11. Winner will be announced at Leslie’s 11/11 Becoming Bea Facebook author chat party. RSVP for a chance to connect with Leslie and Amish fiction fans, as well as for a chance to win some great prizes!

{NOT ON FACEBOOK? ENTER HERE.}

RSVP today and spread the word—tell your friends about the giveaway via FACEBOOK, TWITTER or PINTEREST and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 11th!

October 29, 2014

Quilts of Love | QUILTED BY CHRISTMAS – Kindle Giveaway & “Merry Quilted” Facebook Party!

Don’t miss the newest Quilts of Love book, Quilted by Christmas by Jodie Bailey. October’s QOL release is a warm Christmas tale of God’s steadfast love.

Enter to win a Kindle HDX, and RSVP for the “Merry Quilted” Quilts of Love Facebook party on December 9th.

One winner will receive:

A Kindle Fire
Two copies of Quilted by Christmas by Jodie Bailey (One for you and one to give away as a gift!)
Hidden in the Stars by Robin Caroll
Swept Away by Laura V. Hilton and Cindy Loven

Enter today by clicking the button below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on November 16th. Winner will be announced November 17th at the Quilts of Love blog.

Wait! There’s more! RSVP for the “Merry Quilted” Quilts of Love Christmas Book Chat Party on December 9th and connect with some of the Quilts of Love authors. Jodie Bailey, Laura V. Hilton, Cindy Loven, Cathy Elliott, and Gina Welborn will be hosting a “merry” evening of book chat, Christmas traditions, prizes, and more!

{NOT ON FACEBOOK? ENTER HERE.}

RSVP today and spread the word—tell your friends about the giveaway via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on December 9th!

October 29, 2014

Cover Reveal of the Publicist Book 3 #giveaway

It’s finally here, the long-awaited sequel to The Publicist! CLIMAX by Christina George is the final installment in the series.

The new installment is in two parts:

The Covers

Here is the Bundled set version:

About the Book

Release date: December 15, 2014. You can pre-order now!

Kate Mitchell has never forgiven herself for breaking Nick Lavigne’s heart. Now he’s back and he’s moved on, and it’s affecting Kate’s life more than she’s willing to admit.

Kate Mitchell has everything. She’s the head of a crazy successful publishing house, engaged to the traffic-stopping sexy Mac Ellis and she’s about to sign one of the biggest authors of her career.

And that’s when everything falls apart.

Everything is perfect…until it’s not.

In a city of 8 million people Kate manages to run into someone she never expected to see again.

Nick is handsome, impossibly kind, every girl’s dream, and Kate’s former fiancé. He’s also the brother of the rising star author she’s trying to sign. Now that Nick’s back in town and has moved on he insists he’s over Kate, but part of him still can’t get past how amazing they were, and his sister won’t let anyone forget how brutally it ended.

When Mac is dealt a life-changing blow, it forces Kate to question every single choice she’s made.

Follow Kate as she embarks on a journey of life and love, navigating through the decisions that will change it all forever.

About the Author

Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads

Christina George has worked in publishing for twenty years (give or take). Here’s what this book isn’t. It’s not a slam against publishing (though it is broken) and it’s not a slam against authors (though some of them are crazy). This book is not autobiographical though many of the stories are true. No you won’t know which ones, cause it’s more fun to guess, right? George continues to work in publicity and helps authors because at the end of the day she does love books, she loves publishing, and she loves authors. She hopes you’ll enjoy this romp through Kate’s world as much as she enjoyed creating it.

Let’s Revisit the Characters…

Some Fun Stuff!

Head on over to Kate’s site and listen to a sample of the audio book version of The Publicist and enter her Amazon gift card giveaway. She also has a playlist of songs for the book!

So which team are you on? Want to know who Kate ends up with?

Want to win a signed copy of all three books? How about a $20 Amazon Gift Card?

And now for the giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

October 28, 2014

Only Enchanting by Mary Balogh #review

Love and romance in the most unusual places. Will their love be able to make it despite their own fears, mistrust and pain?

About the Book

The Survivors’ Club: Six men and one woman who were all wounded in the Napoleonic Wars. Their friendship was forged during their recovery at Penderris Hall in Cornwall. In the fourth novel of the Survivors’ Club Series, Flavian, Viscount Ponsonby, has left this refuge to find his own salvation – in the love of the most unsuspecting woman.

Flavian was devastated by his fiancee’s desertion after his return home. Now the woman who broke his heart is back and everyone is eager for them to revive their engagement. Except for Flavian. In a panic he runs straight into the arms of a most sensible yet enchanting young woman.

Agnes Keeping has never been truly in love and never wishes to be. Her whole world changes when she meets the charismatic Flavian and suddenly Agnes falls so foolishly and deeply that she agrees to his marriage proposal!

Things were not all as Agnes expected and she is ready to flee. But will Flavian be able to prove his love?

My Thoughts

I fell in love with Only Enchanting – literally could not put this novel down and read right through the night (which thankfully was a Friday night!). I love the time period this novel is set in (as I am sure you have noticed by now!). Agnes is your typical, average but lovely young lady. She has faced her husband’s passing and is content in life. She does not want the unexpected – she wants comfort. I feel so many of us can relate to this – it is hard to make that leap of faith! We all want comfort but sometimes we need to trust and reach further than we ever have before to find true happiness.

Flavian is a man you will fall in love with. He is hard but his hardness finds its fault in the terrible things that have happened to him. He has been hurt beyond what he feels he can handle and his heart still bleeds. He is lost and angry. He needs that person to make him trust and whole again. He hopes to find that person Agnes.

Only Enchanting keeps you hanging on for more. Their personalities constantly put them at odds with each other. Will they strengthen their relationship or will they break it? Mary Balogh also throws in some great character twists in the other characters of the book to keep it interesting.

A fantastic story from start to finish that you will not regret picking up! You can find the novel on Mary’s website.

Rating: 5/5

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.