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Saturday, June 11, 2022


About the Book

Book: Jo

Author: Caryl McAdoo

Genre: Historical Christian Romance

Release date: May 3, 2022

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him and He will direct your path!
An evil tragedy upends Jo’s young life. Sickness propels the young lady and her grandfather from the thick, moisture-laden air of the Mississippi to drier desert land at the end of the Santa Fe Trail. Her life-long beau professes his love from the banks of the muddy river, but Papa is her whole life, and she’s determined to keep him alive. Along the way, suitors and adventures are aplenty. How is a stubborn girl who always knows what’s best supposed to choose when the one she likes best is constantly rubbing her the wrong way? Could things be any more difficult? Has she made a huge mistake?

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Award-winning author Caryl McAdoo prays her story brings God glory, and her best-selling novels—over fifty published—delight Christian readers around the world. The prolific writer also enjoys singing the new songs the Lord gives her—listen to a few at YouTube. Sharing four children and eighteen grandsugars with Ron, her high-school-sweetheart-husband of over fifty years, she lives in the woods south of Clarksville, seat of Red River County in far Northeast Texas. The McAdoos wait expectantly for God to open the next door.

 

More from Caryl

Writing Jo had a special meaning to me as Ron and I reared four of our grandsons. Right off the bat in Chapter One of JO, tragedy befalls her family when she was only six years old. The incident results in her being raised by her grandfather, and she adores him!

So many grandparents today are called on to rear their grandsugars—and even great-grandsugars—that I believed if would afford the opportunity for a really great and different story. Though it didn’t happen nearly as often back then, it did happen. But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel. 1 Timothy 5:8

 

Several years ago, a poll was taken in one of the groups I belong to. It asked readers what kind of western historical romance they wanted to read about, and covered wagon stories won the day, so I organized the multi-author project and called it the Prairie Roses Collection.
That was back in 2018—and that inaugural collection launched in early May of 2019 in time for Mothers’ Day! Each year we have new authors—and some returning ones—and new standalone stories with the covered wagon conmnection. We have a Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/PrairieRosesCollection

 

This year, the Fourth Annual Prairie Roses Collection, we have twelve authors offering a wagon train story of a strong and brave ‘prairie rose’ making an arduous journey in a covered wagon. I’m so excited to have so many great authors writing a wagon train story for 2022!

Back in the day, Ron and I drove the Oregon/California Trail for some awesome research. All my other roses took that route, but this year, we traveled the Santa Fe Trail! It was great fin seeing the new landscape and going to the hot dry air of New Mexico’s desert.

 

Jo convinced her grandfather to go for his health’s sake, not realizing how hard it would be on him to start over. She keeps goats and is a calligrapher of some renown, creating beautiful legal documents on parchment made from the goat skins. I once had a herd of 80 dwarf Nigerian goats, so knew all about the critters!

 

I love the era for novels and how once written, a historical never goes out-of-date! Contemporary romance will be outdated almost as soon as it’s written these days due to all the amazing technology. I love the time when people knew their neighbors, life was slower, families ate together at the table, and women were modest and considered treasures.

I don’t know if any generation has seen such advances as my own. My parents watched the first televisions, but that can’t begin to compare with computers in every home. I believe we truly are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, and a holy nation—a peculiar people who will show forth the praises of Him Who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light!

Hallelujah! Praise the Lord with me and be blessed!
This Texas author hopes readers will love Lilah as I always am, “Praying my story gives God glory!”

MY REVIEW 

I love when this author writes stories that take us on a journey complete with wagons, danger and wonderful characters. I was completely mesmerized by the lay of the land and how hard it was to travel over rough terrain. Having to look for water and keep everyone safe was a full time job. I remember my dad watching westerns every Saturday and thinking how boring they were. Now I can’t get enough of reading books just like this one. There is something about this time period that  fascinates  me and I enjoyed every minute of the trip back to the days where traveling by wagon or horse was the only transportation available. It also reminds me how blessed we are to live in an era where things are easier for us. We don’t  have to walk for days in the heat, when a car is available. Thank the Lord  for air conditioning as well. 

Jo is such a great character with her devotion to her grandfather. Making sure he gets better they travel to a place where the  air is better for him. With this decision made they set off with a group to travel to Santa Fe Trail. Jo can be a bit  stubborn and her jealousy does get in the way at times. I loved how she kept trying to convince herself that she had no interest in the handsome Keegan. 

Keegan joins the wagon train to help out Jo’s grandfather and help care for the goats as well as whatever else is needed. I must say he is a charmer and is able to go toe to toe with Jo when she gets her stubborn streak going. He does have a gentleman quality about him which I loved. It is obvious that there is an attraction between Jo and Keegan but I’m not sure which one is holding back from letting the other know how they feel. 

The author creates a beautiful story with realistic emotions that had me crying. Jo suffers great loss and I think it broke her. Seems the people she loves die and now she is afraid to love again. Her heart is shattered and this is the moment that will change her forever. I really started praying that she would find comfort and trust God to heal her. Keegan never gives up and I loved how he came to Jo with scripture to show her that  the thoughts she has been having is not from God. What a wonderful ending the author gives us with a feeling of hope and a new beginning . As always after reading a book by this author I grow closer to God and find new scriptures that help me with things I struggle with. 

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, June 11

Texas Book-aholic, June 12

lakesidelivingsite, June 13

Inklings and notions, June 14

For Him and My Family, June 15

deb’s Book Review, June 16

Locks, Hooks and Books, June 17

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, June 18

Connie’s History Classroom, June 19

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, June 20

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, June 21

Guild Master, June 22 (Author Interview)

Pause for Tales, June 23

A Reader’s Brain, June 24 (Author Interview)

Miriam Jacob, June 24

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Caryl is giving away the prize of a $50 Amazon gift card and a copy of Remi!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/1eb79/jo-celebration-tour-giveaway


10 comments:

  1. Jo sounds like a book that I want to read, thanks for sharing it with me! Thanks, Texas Book-aholic, for sharing your review with me! Have a sunshiny day!

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  3. Thank you for sharing your review of Jo, this sounds like a wonderful story and I am looking forward to reading it

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  4. Good book for Spring reading.
    Thanks for the contest.

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  5. This sounds like a book that I am really going tio enjoy.

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  6. This story has so many of the elements that draw me to a historical book.

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  7. Deana, Thank you for sharing your excellent review. Caryl McAdoo is an exceptional author.

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