Ballantyne

This review is for the novel "Love's Awakening" by Laura Frantz. It is the second book in The Ballantyne Legacy.


I am a fan of historical fiction and was glad I picked this book to review. Laura Frantz is a two-time Carol Award winner and I can see why! If you haven't picked up any of her books but like historical fiction then I recommend this novel.

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The year is 1822 and spring has begun it's yearly bloom. Ellie Ballantyne has just left her last year of finishing school and journeys back to the family home in Pittsburgh. When she arrives, however, the greeting is not as warm as she would have liked or expected. Her parents, she soon discovers, have gone for a long journey and her siblings seem less than thrilled to see her and would just as soon prefer she leave again.

Ellie is nothing if not determined and stand her ground she will. Deciding idle hands are not for her, she fills her days be opening a girls school for young ladies. She has been taught and knows she can pass on her knowledge to other women.

One of the students turns out to possibly be more than Ellie bargained for though. An incorrigible girl belonging to the Turlock family. Sensing danger, Ellie knows she must be very careful with this young women and the connections to that family. The Turlocks are whiskey magnates and slaveholders and have long been suspicious of the Ballantynes abolitionist leanings and have long been envious of their power in society.

Despite herself, Ellie finds her life intertwining far to often with the Turlock family and one young man in particular, Jack Turlock. Love wars with familial ties and loyalty. What will win out in the end?
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Jenny



Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for a review. I am not required to post a positive one. All opinions expressed are my own and they are sincere.

Olivia Newports latest!

This book review is for the novel "The Invention of Sarah Cummings" by Olivia Newport. It is the third in the Avenue of Dreams series.


This one will be sure to keep you turning the pages to figure out how it will all come together in the end. I like finding good historical reads and this one is no exception.


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"In a World where Everyone is Putting on A show, There is A love That is Genuine."

Like many who have traveled before her, Sarah Cummings dreams for a life that is not her own. Her greatest ambition is to rise from her position of server to members of the wealthy Banning family to a peer of people like the Banning's. Someone who will break bread alongside them instead of serving it to them with downcast eyes and a servants attitude.

What little time Sarah has for own, she spends in the pursuit of the unattainable. The thing that consumes her life, becoming one of them. From altering hand me downs to fit the new image she longs for to dreaming of what could be.

When she finally sees her chance, Sarah leaps for it, along with a new moniker to be known by. Sarah Cummings becomes Serena Cuthbert and the lies pile from there.

When two lives begin to war for her heart will the lies fall and a beautiful new truth be unveiled in Sarah or will she lose herself forever and be known as Serena Cuthbert with the fiction she has created fully intact and consuming?

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Hope your weeks are going on splendidly!

Jenny




Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for a review. I am not required to post a positive one. All opinions expressed are my own and they are sincere.

Sweet Tooth Friendly

This review is for the second novel in the Weddings By Design series by Janice Thompson.

*The Icing on the Cake*


I was superbly excited to get the second book in this series. I have read many many novels by Janice and have been superbly thrilled with her writing. She has a way of blending so many different types of characters into a melting pot of personalities and walks of life. While still leaving you feeling like they are all connected somehow no matter the background. I always eagerly turn that first fresh page and prepare to dip my toes into the pool of wonderment Janice creates.

Grab a steaming cup of coffee, tea or cocoa, whichever your heart prefers ;) and join me on this delicious journey.

My only complaint, Ms. Thompson, is the fact that your writing is so descriptive I could almost smell the baked goods and it made me hungry more than once while reading this newest novel!


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Scarlet Lindsey works hard for her living but it isn't a hardship in any way. She gets to do what she loves and she always smells good. Her Aunt Willy (who is a book all unto herself I think) has financed her long held dream of opening her own bakery and she is determined that backing will not be in vain. Aunt Willy means well even though she can have a double edged sword as a tongue when speaking to Scarlet.
Besides that fact, things are looking pretty good as far as Scarlet is concerned. Single she might be (and not necessarily loving it) but her bakery now resides in a primo spot on Galveston's most popular street and has the famous Rossi Pizzeria as it's nearest neighbor. She has a wonderful personal and working relationship with famed wedding planner, Bella Neeley and business is booming for them both! There is a bit of a mess, not of the baking kind, however, when Bella's very handsome brother, Armando appears in Scarlet's life. Should she risk everything to follow her heart or stick to the old tried and true? Learning to step out in faith might be Scarlet's greatest lesson to date.
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What more can I say about this awesome series besides go on and read it for yourself! I commend your exceptional talent with words, Ms. Thompson!


Jenny






Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for a review. I am not required to post a positive one. All opinions expressed are my own and they are sincere.

Stay Tuned!

Just wanted to let you guys know that I have been a little behind on my reading list here lately but I have some fun ones coming up for you in the next few weeks! We will have a look at:

The Icing On the Cake by Janice Thompson: Volume 2 of Weddings By Design

The Invention of Sarah Cummings by Olivia Newport: #3 in Avenue of Dreams

Love's Awakening By Laura Frantz: #2 in the Ballantyne Legacy.


I will also have a look at (with pictures!) of the Georgia Aquarium and my thoughts on whether it is worth the visit or not!

Undeniably Yours Blog Tour

Today we have a blog tour post for another great novel by Becky Wade!

This one is called "Undeniably Yours" and it was a great read!

I really liked the cover on this book and the snippet on the back really draws you into wanting to read the book.

Part of the reason for that for me is my love of horses and a big part of this book is the theme of a horse farm.

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Meg Cole is living in a hazy time in her life. Her father has quite unexpectedly passed away and she has been handed the reigns of the family company. The company that she never wanted to have to head in the first place. So while dealing with the death of a father she never really knew, she has to deal with firing people and closing things down that aren't bringing in a profit and that she doesn't want to deal with.

Her morning of firing isn't about to get any easier as Bo Porter, the thoroughbred racefarms manager, is her next "fire". Even though she tries her best to explain to him she will be shutting the farm down, Bo is a stubborn boy and asks for time to turn a profit first.

Meg already regretted having to have this day and finds herself reluctantly agreeing to giving him time to do so. And thus begins the story of Meg and Bo.
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I liked how the Thoroughbred farm was used as a healing tool for Meg's anxiety. It was all tied in to the story so well that it meshed amazingly. Watching the tentative relationship form and then have such a shattering blow hit her just when she was beginning to trust really draws you into the story and kind of sets you on edge wondering how this is all going to play out.

See for yourself by picking up a copy.


Check out what other readers thought of the book here.


Meet Becky: Becky Wade is a graduate of Baylor University. As a newlywed, she lived for three years in a home overlooking the turquoise waters of the Caribbean, as well as in Australia, before returning to the States. A mom of three young children, Becky and her family now live in Dallas, Texas. Visit her website at http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?


Hope you guys had a good weekend!

Jenny



Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for a review. I am not required to post a positive one. All opinions expressed are my own and they are sincere.

Postcards times 2 Blog Tour!

Today for review we actually have a double whammy! This includes the first AND second book in the "Postcards from Misty Harbor Inn" series.

I have never had the pleasure before this of reading anything by Evangeline Kelley but I am glad I picked these up.

The one thing I wasn't that thrilled with was the cover choices for the books. While they are pretty watercolor style covers they dated the books a bit I thought. Personally, I am big on what covers look like and have had good ones draw me into picking up the book which sometimes leads to discovering a great story! With that said the story behind the covers is very good!


With book one "Seaside Harmony" we meet the three sister we will come to cheer on as the book progresses.

Ms. Kelley's writing style is very descriptive and I could almost imagine my toes sinking into that sun-warmed sand and the sound of waves crashing down the beach. The tightness of your nose as it gets slightly burned from a happy afternoon spent at the beach and sticky salt spray sticking to your skin as you trudge home sun sated and happy.

If you can make someone imagine they are in the setting you describe then I call that a success!

~~~~~~~~~~ (Seaside Harmony)~~~~~~~~~~
Caroline Marris is pulled toward Nantucket Island for a getaway with her two sisters.

What they don't realize is that more than just rest and fun await them on this island.

When she convinces them to buy an old inn their mother held dear, a mystery waits within it's walls.

The question remains whether or not easily distracted Caroline can be kept on track long enough to make this new dream a reality?
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~~~~~~~~~(Sunflower Summer)~~~~~~~~~~

Misty Harbor Inn is finally having it's official opening and Gracie (middle sister) has a huge decision she needs to make in the midst of all of this.

Opening this Inn definitely comes with a learning curve. They not only need to learn how to run their new business venture they have a lot to learn about themselves and each other.

The mystery continues in Sunflower Summer with more heart and sisterly bonding that the first book started.

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I think that you will enjoy the story that both books blend together to tell!

Hope you all are having an amazing weekend!

Jenny

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for a review. I am not required to post a positive one. All opinions expressed are my own and they are sincere.

*It Happened At The Fair* Blog Tour

Buckle up ladies and gents! We have a new book by Deeanne Gist!
It is called "It Happened At The Fair"!

So for anyone who is a fan of Deeanne's work you need to pick up this new one :)
If you have never read any of her work do yourself a favor and start!

I get so excited when I see that Deeanne has a new book out and this one was no exception!

As you can probably tell by the title this book is set back in 1893 when the Chicago World's Fair was happening.

I loved getting a glimpse of what it must have been like to get to go to the long ago fair and how people lived back then!

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Cullen McNamara has put everything on the line for what he believes in. His inventions mean the world to him and he believes that not only can he make things better but that he can succeed with them. Thus the risk and the hopeful reward.

But when he tries to make his dream come true he realizes that the noise is sodeafening in the Machinery Hall at the fair that is absolutely makes talking with his potential buyers completely impossible. This could very well spell disaster for him and everything he wagered on this possibility of success.

Realizing that he must do something right away he comes up with the idea of hiring someone to teach him to read lips.

His intended teacher however really has no desire to participate in his tutoring.

Being taught to read lips translates into spending much time staring at her nice ones and Cullen soon finds himself completely carried away by his feelings for Della.

With so many things happening in Cullen's life and so many things at stake, what will fall away and what will remain?
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To have those questions answered you must read the book for yourself! Which I recommend you do!
You can purchase a copy of this great book for yourself HERE.

Great job Mrs. Gist!!! Love it!


You guys be sure to check out what other bloggers thought of the book! http://litfusegroup.com/author/dgist

Be sure and enter the giveaway below as well!
Enter Today - 4/29 - 5/22!



Hope you all enjoy the book! Jenny Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for a review. I am not required to post a positive one. All opinions expressed are my own and they are sincere.