A Secret Arrangement

Posted on by Cathy

About A Secret Arrangement

What happens when two women race to spend their inheritance? An epic Grand Tour.

Evelyn Tucker has finally graduated from finishing school, but dreads living with her widowed aunt. On the appointed day, Aunt Margaret comes to collect Evelyn, and Margaret informs her that they’re going on a Grand Tour to spend as much of the estate money they can before a distant cousin inherits all. When Henry Gaiman discovers he’s inherited his distant uncle’s estate, he loathes the thought of returning to England since he’d rather continue with his archaeology dig in Egypt. Return he must, and there, he meets Evelyn, a woman who will change his world in more ways than one.

*This romance originally appeared in A Grand Tour (Timeless Victorian Collection)

My review

I think it’s fun to be able to pick up a novella and finish the whole story in one afternoon. This is one of those. And I really enjoyed it.

I liked Evelyn. Her kind of renaming her middle name after Cleopatra because she loved Egypt was one of my favorite things. You don’t see many Regency era books or novellas where the ladies are enamored with Egyptology.

You don’t see any of the story through her perspective, but her Aunt Margaret was a great surprise. She wasn’t at all how Evelyn had thought she’d be. And it was fun that she didn’t bat an eye at the “arrangement” between Henry and Evelyn.

Henry was a good guy. I think he got a little stuck. Thus the arrangement. But he and Evelyn work together so well.

This is a fun novella. And a great way to spend an afternoon.

I was sent an e-copy of A Secret Arrangement as a gift from the author. All opinions are my own.

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The Royal’s Best Friend

Posted on by Cathy

About The Royal’s Best Friend

The Royal's Best Friend

Two best friends. One lie.

When a hurricane destroys Peyton’s sleepy South Carolina beach town, the last person she expects at her door is her son-of-an-earl best friend, Will Maxwell. He insists on helping her save the family home. She accepts, eager for some time with her friend from London.

But when his toxic ex-girlfriend crashes the scene to win Will back, he tells Peyton there’s only one solution—fake a relationship with each other to convince his ex he’s taken for good.

Will is relieved when Peyton agrees, however reluctantly. But a new problem emerges when their fake romance leads to real feelings and a few shockingly hot kisses. He’ll have to leave his privileged life in London behind in order to have her, an idea Peyton dismisses outright. Can Will convince her that he’s ready to make the sacrifice ? And can Peyton allow herself to accept it?

When the three youngest sons of British earls seek a way to make their own names in the world, a sleepy Southern beach town may hold the keys to love, laughter, and happily ever after…

My review

I’m always up for a contemporary romance by Brenna Jacobs. I love the way she writes her books. It’s almost as good as taking a trip to Charleston. Sigh.

This one features Will and Peyton. I LOVED the chemistry between these two. They are best friends, but nothing more. But you’d never know that by how quickly Will jumps on a plane to help Peyton after hurricane Bianca.

And speaking of Bianca, I loved the parts of this book showing Will’s friends, the gents and his ex-girlfriend Bianca. The showdown between her and Peyton might be my very favorite scene in this book.

Peyton and Will are kind of clueless about each other through most of the book. That makes the plot so much more fun. I laughed out loud at how the two of them interacted sometimes. And the ending was perfect!

I can’t wait to read more books about the Gentleman of Magnolia Bay!

I borrowed a copy of The Royal’s Best Friend with my Kindle Unlimited subscription. All opinions are my own.

Purchase link

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The Jilted Bride’s New Groom

Posted on by Cathy

About The Jilted Bride’s New Groom

The jilted bride's new groom

Being left at the altar was the worst that ever happened to her–until she opened her heart again and fell for the best man.

Winning a contest for Arizona’s Cutest Couple gave Samantha Clayton the idea that she and her fiance, Rance, were ready to say “I do.” When the fateful day came and he instead said, “I don’t,” she was completely shell-shocked. Now, six months later, she’s finally putting her life back together, this time with a dream to own a bed and breakfast. When her plans start to unravel, who should step in but none other than her ex-fiance’s best friend, Drake Butler, a man she’d rather not ever speak to again? After all, she’s sure that he’s the one who convinced Rance to call off the wedding.

Drake Butler just wants to help Samantha. He still feels bad over the loss of their friendship and wants to repair it. Stepping in to prevent her from sinking her hard-earned money into a shabby building is what a good friend–and a good realtor–would do, right? Only Samantha doesn’t see it that way. By the time Drake realizes that what he feels for her may be more than “like,” a crisis comes up and Rance needs Samantha’s help. When all is said and done, can Drake find a way to convince her that he’s the right groom for her? And will Samantha see what was there all along and be willing to reach for a new dream?

The Jilted Bride’s New Groom is book 2 in the Love Confessions series, but it can also be read as a standalone. Feel the joy as as each couple confesses their love for each other in special ways.

My review

I’m always a fan of contemporary romance. This one by Laura Walker just made me happy when I read it. I loved the way she wrote the characters. And her plot was awesome!

Samantha is such a great character. I loved that she’d been through some hard things, but she didn’t let them stop her from going after her dreams. And she didn’t let them stop her from falling in love again, even though she wanted to.

I loved that the reader gets to see things through Drake’s eyes as well. Drake doesn’t want to trust or get married, because of his family situation. I loved that he was able to grow through the book, and realize that he wasn’t his father. He went out of his way to help Samantha do the things she needed to to get her dreams. And to make it through her ex’s wedding.

The plot of this one kept me reading. I wanted to know what the characters were going to do next, and how things were going to work out for them.

I was sent an e-copy of The Jilted Bride’s New Groom as a gift from the author. All opinions are my own.

Purchase link

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Heart of Africa – DVD Blog Tour

Posted on by Cathy

About Heart of Africa

Heart of Africa

A Congolese man runs from a terrible accident and finds himself at a revolutionary camp, where he is told that he has a great destiny. He tries to escape and start a new life by going to another town, joining a new religion, and becoming a missionary. Ultimately, though, he finds himself back in the very place he had tried to leave. He must face his fears and his shame—but also his magnificent possibilities.

Heart of Africa is the first full-length, faith-based film to come out of the nascent Democratic Republic of Congo film movement. After decades of colonial oppression and civil war, the country’s scars run deep. Cinema is emerging as a cathartic new medium, and director Tshoper Kabambi is a leader of a new kind of revolution: one driven by stories that he hopes will heal the hearts of his people and the DR Congo.

My review

It’s always interesting to learn about what some one else thinks or has gone through. This movie shows what one man in Africa did to learn about the church. And how he changed and grew because of it.

I liked the movie. It’s plot is interesting and it kept me captivated. It’s a drama and there were a few moments of intensity that could be scary for younger viewers.

One thing about this movie is that the whole thing is in the language of the DR Congo. I could understand bits and pieces actually, I think it might be a language based on French. But the movie has plenty of subtitles. I thought that the subtitles were well done. There was plenty of time to read them, and they were in short bursts. If that makes sense.

I really liked the way the main character, Gabriel, was put with an American companion, who he couldn’t stand. But Gabriel and his companion eventually learned to love each other through their shared experiences and their commonalities that they didn’t think they had at first.

This movie shows us all that we can learn to love those around us. Even when it seems as though we have nothing in common.

I was sent a link to watch Heart of Africa for free. All opinions are my own.

Purchase links

Amazon – Deseret Book

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The Love Notes

Posted on by Cathy

About The Love Notes

the love notes

A high school reunion.
A stack of anonymous love notes from a decade ago.
A chance at love.

Software designer and Tansy Taylor has spent the last decade proving she’s not the robotics nerd she used to be in high school. A successful business, a pile of confidence, and a whole new look—she’s shattered any expectations her classmates once held. Why is she so nervous to attend the reunion she’s been organizing?

Oh, yeah. Bridger Carrigan will be there.

And he’s single.

And she’s been carrying both a torch and the secret notes he wrote her ever since high school—notes he didn’t know at the time he was exchanging with the class geek with braces, frizzy hair, and a perpetual chocolate milk mustache.

Seeing him again could go well, considering. Or it could be round two of her crash and burn crush on the star-athlete with the secret wound her encouraging notes were meant to salve. Especially since his ex-girlfriend is newly single and anxious to get her claws back into him.

A novel told through letters from the past and a sweetly growing reunion romance in the present day, The Love Notes is Book 1 in the Forever Home Romances by award-winning clean romance author Jennifer Griffith. All books in this series have a sweet “reunion” theme, sweet and satisfying kisses, and a guaranteed HEA.

My review

This is my favorite kind of book! There’s romance and it’s funny. This one is not your typical romantic comedy. I really loved the way the author did it.

The main character of this one is Tansy. She’s helping with her high school reunion, even though she’d rather not even go. It doesn’t help that her cousin, Pete, is also supposed to go and is pushing her into more than she wants, literally. The dress he blackmailed her into wearing is terrible. I had to laugh at her situation in that dress so many times.

I loved the way each chapter has at least one of the notes that Tansy wrote in high school. She wrote them to her crush, Bridger, and she really doesn’t want to see him again. Especially not wearing her crazy dress.

There were too many things about this book that made me laugh out loud. It really is the best stress relief for me to read books like this! I loved each and every crazy situation that Tansy got herself into.

And Bridger was a good guy. I couldn’t quite tell at first if he would be. But as the story went along, I really liked him.

If you’re in the mood for a funny romance, grab this one! I hope you laugh as much as I did.

I was sent an e-copy of The Love Notes as a gift from the author. All opinions are my own.

Purchase link

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Coming Home to Bellingham

Posted on by Cathy

About Coming Home to Bellingham

What begins as a pleasant holiday with a new friend in Brighton quickly turns to devastation for Anabelle Milton when she receives the tragic news: her parents are dead. Turned out of the only home she’s ever known, Anabelle is sent to live with an aunt and uncle who are strangers to her. Heartbroken, she arrives at Bellingham Cottage, a cozy home on the sprawling grounds of the Bellingham estate, to find an unexpectedly warm welcome—not only from her own family but also from the family of their aristocratic neighbors, Lord and Lady Bellingham.

Anabelle soon attracts the attention of the heirs of Bellingham—brothers who, though connected by blood, could not be more different. As she slowly begins to distance herself from the polite and obedient young woman her mother trained her to be, Anabelle is free for the first time to choose her own path. She knows she must be true to herself, even if it means risking unrequited love—but can she trust that the gentleman who has stolen her heart will not break it?

My review

I’m always happy to read a great Regency romance and this is one of those! I loved this debut author’s first book. It’s got great characters, and a great plot. It left me wanting more.

This one features Annabelle. It’s really unique, because her parents die in the first chapter when she’s away from home. This leaves her floundering. She eventually is able to go live with her aunt and uncle, who she doesn’t remember at Bellingham.

I enjoyed Annabelle’s character. She has a hard time not committing social faux pas. And these left me laughing, at least a little. It was kind of obvious that she was a little embarrassed by her mistakes. But we all make them.

The heirs of Bellingham were interesting. Peter is the first one we meet. He’s very serious and Annabelle is not always sure what to think of him. Then there’s Nathan. He’s one of those men that all women try to stay away from. Unfortunately, he made sure Annabelle couldn’t. She was his favorite target. Lastly is Robert. I loved the easy friendship that Annabelle and Robert shared.

The plot of this one is interesting. The author did a great job weaving her story. I didn’t want to put this one down!

I was sent an e-copy of Coming Home to Bellingham as a gift from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Purchase links

Amazon – Deseret Book

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Flyboy

Posted on by Cathy

About Flyboy

A cowboy pilot willing to do whatever it takes to win her heart meets a woman who might take a lot of convincing.

Colton Bushman is the fastest pilot to have ever flown with the Air Force. He flies with precision, but views rules more as guidelines than hardfast must-do’s.

Ivy Hatfield has spent years obeying every rule that ever was, even making up extra for good measure, so that she can overcome her brother’s reckless reputation and the mark on her record from a past mishap with her co-pilot.

When Ivy writes a letter of complaint to the Top Flight board, Colton chooses who he assumes must be a fiery, rigid, rule following matron to be on his team. But he soon learns that she is as daring as he ever was. And she learns that his swift action and advanced flying is more calculated than reckless. Will the two who start out as opposites find a way to true and actual love?

Read the third stand alone romance in our Top Flight Fighter Pilot Romance series for a strong dose of Top Gun meets Cowboy gentleman.

When you travel to a different country every six months, there’s little time for relationships. Every pilot joins Top Flight for different reasons, but no one expects to fall in love.

The Team:
Dex, Call sign ACE
Ridley, Call sign BEAR
Colton, Call sign FLYBOY
Amanda, Call sign MUSTANG

Read all stand-alone romances in our new Top Flight Fighter Pilot Romance series.

My review

I’m loving this series! I may have read this book pretty much in an afternoon. It’s my favorite so far in the series, I couldn’t put it down!

This book features Colton, also known as Flyboy. I loved his whole vibe. He’s a cowboy turned fighter pilot. And you can tell in the way he treats people, especially women. It was fun to watch him with Ivy. But I really loved watching him with the others around him. The landlady of their rental house, the kids in the country and the nanny who needed a friend, he was amazing with all of them. He just has a way with people.

Then there’s Ivy. One of the funniest things about this plot was that Ivy complained about Colton in a very long, very detailed letter at the start of the book. He still chose her to be on his team for his assignment. And they worked very well together. I loved Ivy. It was fun to see things through her eyes. I loved watching her and Colton fall in love.

The last chapter was awesome. I read it twice. If you love sweet romance, pick this one up, it’s the best!

I was sent an e-copy of Flyboy as a gift from the author. All opinions are my own.

Purchase link

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The Enemy Between Us

Posted on by Cathy

About The Enemy Between Us

the enemy between us

Italy, 1943

As war tears her country apart, Franca Chessari’s sole focus is on supporting her family amid Nazi occupation. But when her parents, both high-ranking partisans, go missing, Franca is compelled to take action—even if it means crossing enemy lines to save those she loves.

Peter Weimer is a German soldier forced into a war he abhors. When he can take no more of the Nazi atrocities he’s been forced to witness, he deserts the German army—a decision that brands him as an enemy.

Franca and Peter were nothing more than two strangers from enemy countries, but when their paths collide amid the horrors of war, they are swept into an epic journey of chilling danger, unparalleled courage, and a sweeping passion that could cost them everything they have fought for.

My review

This book is one of my favorite World War II books ever! I loved the way the author wrote it. And I loved that it had characters that I loved in her first novel, The Fisherman’s Daughter.

This book is about Peter and Franca. Peter is a German soldier, serving in Italy in World War II. He sees the brutality of war in his comrades and decides to not be part of that any more. When he tells the Italians of a spot where the Germans are hiding, he knows he can never go back to the army. He ends up hiding with Franca’s family. I loved the way he wanted to help her family. He was always wanting to do whatever chores he could, or help the Italians in any way he could. But war is tough. And Franca couldn’t trust him.

Franca was a great character. She had gone from being the pampered daughter of a vineyard owner to having to serve and take care of everyone around her. I can’t really blame her for having a hard time trusting Peter. But…I wish she could have trusted him sooner. It may have saved her some grief and it really would have saved her a lot of work and stress.

I loved the World War II setting of this book. It’s always fascinating to learn a little bit more about history and what people might have thought as they were living in it. I hope this author has more to write!

I was sent an e-copy of The Enemy Between Us as a gift from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Purchase links

Amazon – Deseret Book

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The Last Eligible Bachelor

Posted on by Cathy

About The Last Eligible Bachelor

the last eligible bachelor

A ruse can only last so long…

Tillie Sherbrooke was born a lady, but lost her place in society by her father’s folly. Quiet, resourceful, and loyal, she now makes the perfect lady’s maid for her mistress Sophia. When Sophia’s parents give her no choice but to travel across England to be matched with a mysterious young bachelor, Mr. Hill, she has no interest, especially since there are several other ladies vying for him. Who better to send in her place than Tillie? What gentleman would notice a maid, even one disguised as a lady? So when Sophia asks this favor of Tillie, or rather—threatens her into it, Tillie must rely on her past, the life of a proper lady, if she hopes to keep her position at Sedgwick Manor.

Disguised as her mistress, Tillie takes a coach across the country to a new place, one both unfamiliar and frightening. With so much at stake, she does all she can to stay quiet and invisible. But when she inadvertently catches Mr. Hill’s attention, she realizes she may have more to lose than her livelihood. She may very well lose her heart.

The Last Eligible Bachelor is a sweet/clean regency romance stand-alone novel, book three in the Seasons of Change series.

Other books in the series include:
Book 1: The Road Through Rushbury by Martha Keyes
Book 2: A Forgiving Heart by Kasey Stockton
Book 3: The Last Eligible Bachelor by Ashtyn Newbold
Book 4: A Well-Trained Lady by Jess Heileman
Book 5: The Cottage by Coniston by Deborah M. Hathaway
Book 6: A Haunting at Havenwood by Sally Britton
Book 7: His Disinclined Bride by Jennie Goutet

My review

Oh. My. Goodness. This book by Ashtyn Newbold is one you need to pick up! I would have never thought of a plot kind of like The Bachelor set in Regency times. But that is what this book is. And it’s the best!

The main female character of this one is Tillie. But for most of the book she’s known as Sophia. I had to laugh when the young lady that Tillie is a lady’s maid for insisted she go to a house party in her place. The sneaky girl figured out a way for her to be elsewhere. And to have Tillie pretend to be her, but not well enough to have the gentleman there fall in love.

But Tillie is constantly getting herself into trouble. In her first two minutes at the house party, she manages to spill tea and tarts all over the floor and the gentleman in question. And make herself, well Sophia really, look like a fool. This scene was hilarious! And she’s constantly doing things like this.

I really liked Mr Hill. It takes just the right kind of gentleman to overlook the beauty and grace of the other 5 girls and focus on Tillie, even though she tries to avoid him. The scenes with these two together were my favorite scenes in this book.

If you like Regency romance, you really should grab this one right away!

I was sent an e-copy of The Last Eligible Bachelor as a gift from the author. All opinions are my own.

Purchase link

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What to read after The Last Eligible Bachelor

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Simplicity

Posted on by Cathy

About Simplicity

Simplicity

Wealthy Lanna Davenport has the perfect life—and she hates it.

She’s never fit the mold of upper class “princess” and would rather spend her life painting than let her overbearing mother parade her around for the eligible bachelors of her social circle…even if those suitors include Adam Munroe, the son of California’s most famous art dealer. When a handsome new gardener, Luke, turns up and shows her there’s more to art than putting color on canvas, Lanna eagerly starts to explore a world outside of what she’s been allowed to know.

But the surprisingly down-to-earth Adam makes it easy to be part of her own world and still be her unconventional self. As she grows closer to Adam but is tempted by the freedom Luke can offer, Lanna is faced with the first choice she’s ever made for herself:

Does she stay true to herself in the life she’s known, or does she paint beyond the canvas of her past and leave it all behind?

My review

I really enjoyed this book by a new to me author, Dana LeCheminant. It’s billed as a simple love story. And it was…but there was a lot going on in this book.

Lanna is a complex character. She’s a young woman whose mother thinks she needs to parade her in front of all of society to get her married. But Lanna would far rather paint in the barn and get paint in her hair than get dressed up and wear make up. I really liked Lanna. She was down to earth, even though her world wasn’t. And she wasn’t sure what she wanted out of life.

Lanna had two men in her life. There’s Luke and Adam. Luke is one of the gardeners at her home. He finds her painting. I think that he was kind of the “forbidden man.” Lanna knows there’s no way her mother would approve. So she kind of flirts, has fun, sneaks out. I really liked Luke for Lanna. It was kind of sad when she had to hide who he was from her mother.

Then there’s Adam. This is the man her mom wants Lanna to go after. It doesn’t hurt that Lanna likes Adam and he likes her.

I really liked the way this book helped me remember how I felt during those adult teen times. The author did a really great job with plot and characters. It’s always fun to see things through multiple view points, but this plot probably worked better with just Lanna’s.

I can’t wait for more by this author! She did a great job with this one.

I was sent an e-copy of Simplicity as a gift from the author. All opinions are my own.

Purchase link

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