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Sunday, August 11, 2019


About the Book

Book: Love and Other Mistakes
Author: Jessica Kate
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Release date: July 31, 2019
Love and Other MistakesThere’s a fine line between love and hate . . . And for the last seven years, Natalie Groves has hated Jeremy Walters.
Natalie Groves was meant for great things. But soon after her fiancé left, Natalie’s father was diagnosed with cancer. Suddenly her grand plans evaporated . . . and God felt very far away.
Fast-forward seven years, and an internship presents Natalie a chance at her destiny—but she needs a job to work around it. And the only offer available is worse than a life sentence. Her ex Jeremy, now back in town, is desperate for help with his infant son and troubled teenage niece, Lili. And Natalie may be just the one to help Jeremy . . . provided they don’t kill each other in the process.
When Jeremy and Natalie join forces, sparks fly. But will either of them get burned along the way?


About the Author

Jessica KateAustralian author Jessica Kate writes inspirational romances with wit, sass, and grit. Jessica is a screenwriting groupie, cohost of the StoryNerds vlog and podcasts, and her favorite place to be—apart from Mum and Dad’s back deck—is a theme park. She has traveled North America and Australia, and samples her favorite pasta wherever she goes—but the best (so far) is still the place around the corner from her corporate day job as a training developer. She loves watching sitcoms with her housemates and being a leader in a new church plant.

Jessica Kate brings rom-com fans a reminder that love has its own timing in her breakout novel, Love and Other Mistakes. Kate is best known in the book world as the cohost of StoryNerds, a vlog and podcast about all things books and pop culture, recorded from her home city of Toowoomba, Australia. Now, she’s carving her own place in the Christian fiction arena and helping to fill the rom-com genre gap with a novel full wit, sass, and grit.

More from Jessica

A romance that makes me laugh and snort my strawberry milkshake across the keyboard when I sneak in chapter at work – that’s just the best. My loftiest career aspiration is to create that experience for someone else. There can never be enough of those books in the universe, especially novels that include deep faith and emotion, as well. I adore love-hate romantic comedies like The Hating Game by Sally Thorne, and I spend my days dreaming up plotlines that force characters who hate each other to work together as a team. But, Natalie’s journey came from a real place for me—that feeling you’re missing out on your purpose and you don’t know how to fix it.

Read an excerpt at https://jessicakatewriting.com/books/love-and-other-mistakes/



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The book was very hard for me to get into at first. I felt like so much was going on that I became confused and couldn't keep up with the story. It centers around several people and the issues in the book are very serious. Looking at the cover of the book, you would think it is going to be a fun romance. Let me warn you now that it is not at all.

Natalie has wanted to follow in her father's footsteps mainly so he would be proud of her. The book delves into her relationship with her father and we find out that her father is very ill. Natalie is trying to juggle being a nanny for her  ex who has a baby , taking on a job that requires lots of time and trying to keep her faith in check. I could relate a bit to Natalie because she was seeking approval from her parents and basically everyone around her. She is definitely insecure and overwhelmed throughout the story.

Jem is trying to raise his baby on his own and makes arrangements with Natalie to become his nanny. I didn't care much for this story line because it was easy to figure out what the outcome was going to me. Another story of a broken relationship where forgiveness is needed was good but almost as an afterthought. I think the author confused me with too many characters all in crisis mode. 

Lil has her own issues going on in her family. Her parents aren't getting  along and she feels left out of everything. I did like how she wanted her parents to reconcile. The author does do a great job of showing how a teenager handles pressure and the need for someone to step in and hep her. If there is any shining star in this book I think Lil was the most realistic character. 

The book could have been better with less moving from one character to another, more emphasis on faith and less on trying to get Natalie and Jem back together. The author left me hanging with so many unanswered questions and I felt like the story was not complete. I wanted to know more about the baby's mother, what happens to Natalie's father and the consequences of a leader in a church who strays. This was a really hard book for me to read because the author takes on too many issues in the story and doesn't quite explain the outcome of some of the decisions made by characters. 

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

Blog Stops

Among the Reads, July 31
Wishful Endings, August 1
Emily Yager, August 2
CarpeDiem, August 3
Livin’ Lit, August 4
Genesis 5020, August 5
Pause for Tales, August 6
Back Porch Reads, August 7
Hallie Reads, August 8
Remembrancy, August 10
Texas Book-aholic, August 11
A Reader’s Brain, August 12
janicesbookreviews, August 13

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Jessica is giving away a grand prize of a finished paperback copy of Love and Other Mistakes!!
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/e563/love-and-other-mistakes-celebration-tour-giveaway
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Jessie and James FB bnner

About the Book

Book: Jessie and James
Author: Jennifer Beckstrand
Genre: Western Historical Inspirational Romance
Release Date: July 24, 2019
BECKSTRAND_Jessie _JamesJessie Madsen has her hands full helping her parents run their small farm and boarding house while every fortune-seeker in the country seems to be flocking to her small town in search of gold. It’s bad enough that claim jumpers won’t quit trespassing on her property, but geologist James Kelsey, mildly intriguing and surprisingly handsome for an Easterner, seems more interested in her than the mining business. Jessie is certain she doesn’t have the time or the need for a man, and after getting her heart broken, she has resolved never to fall for an outsider again. Add stolen cash, a fast-talking con man, and a pair of bandits, and Jessie is indeed up to her eyeballs in trouble. Will she soften her rock-hard exterior and let the geologist discover the hidden treasure in her heart?


About the Author

Jennifer beckstrandJennifer Beckstrand is the two-time RITA-nominated, #1 Amazon bestselling Amish romance author of The Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hillseries, The Honeybee Sistersseries, and The Petersheim Brothersseries for Kensington Books. Huckleberry Summer and Home on Huckleberry Hill were both nominated for the coveted RITA® Award from Romance Writers of America. Jennifer has always been drawn to the strong faith and the enduring family ties of the Plain people and loves writing about the antics of Anna and Felty Helmuth, the Honeybee sisters’ aendiBitsy, and Alfie and Benji Petersheim. Jennifer has written twenty-one Amish romances, a historical Western, and the nonfiction book, Big Ideas. She and her husband have been married for thirty-four years, and she has six children and seven adorable grandchildren, whom she spoils rotten.

More from Jennifer

Jessie and James is my first published Western historical novel, and I couldn’t be more excited. The first book I ever wrote was a historical Western, and I’ve been wanting to write another one for ten years. (That first Western is still hanging around my house somewhere. I might decide to publish it next. J) For my research, I traveled to a real mining town about two hours from my house. Yes, it really is named Eureka, and it was a boomtown in the 1880s, the period in which my book is set. I met an old-timer in Eureka who told me some fascinating stories about mining then and now.
Did you know that you may own the ground your house sits on, but you only own it to sixty feet deep? So a mining company can come in and dig a mine right under your house, and it’s perfectly legal. Many mines were dug straight down or in any direction that would get them to ore faster. In the 1880s in Eureka, often they’d dig straight down using only picks, shovels, and dynamite. A plumb bob was utilized to make sure their tunnels were straight up and down. They usually dug down 600 feet then drifted horizontally a couple hundred feet, then dug down again. Some mines went deeper than 1800 feet. Nowadays, there aren’t many mines that deep. They’re more dangerous, so they’re too expensive to insure.
In Jessie and James, James is an ex-cowboy turned geologist looking for gold. Jessie is a feisty, independent woman who runs a boarding house with her parents and thinks Eureka needs a little more fire-and-brimstone preaching to keep the incorrigible miners in line. Jessie doesn’t want anything to do with a gold digger, and she’s willing to use her shotgun to run James off. But James doesn’t scare that easy, especially when the woman on the other end of that shotgun might turn out to be the love of his life.
Jessie and James is full of shotguns, bandits, and heart-stopping romance. Don’t miss it!



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This has been such a wonderful story to read. The author delivers a strong female character named Jessie. I loved everything about her. She is fierce, protective and has a heart of gold. Losing her mother was hard for her, but I think she has become closer to her dad and step mother as she deals with the loss. The way Jessie takes cares of the place is amazing. There is no way I could chop wood, take care of animals, go to the mercantile and never rest till all the chores have been completed. What I liked most about her is that she never complains about her chores and is willing to help her father out anyway she can.

The way James is introduced into the story is priceless. He tries to do a gentlemanly thing and it literally almost blows up in his face. Jessie is not keen on men helping her or coming to her aid . James makes a huge mistake in trying to hep her and well you must read how it turns out. I laughed when Jessie finds out that James is staying at the boardinghouse she happens to help run. Oh this is going to be such a journey for these two.

I love how the author describes the way Jessie felt when her father married Alice so quickly after her mother died. She describes it as ," Like someone digging my heart out of my chest with a spoon."  It is a perfect way to describe the pain she was feeling. I felt that way when my dad married six months after my mom died. It hurt so much that I couldn't believe he would disrespect my mother like that. Jessie seems to understand that her father remarried because he wanted Jessie to have a mother and he was hurting for companionship.

I loved how the story was about mining for gold and other things that could be found to make people rich. I understand how Jessie feels about mining by how much it affected her father's health. Will James be able to convince Jessie that he really is a good guy? I love the faith James has  and how much he keeps his word about things. He is just what Jessie needs to let her guard down and learn to trust someone.

It is evident that the author has does research about mining. The details make you feel like you are mining for gold with others around you. They have expectations in their eyes as they dream of getting rich. It can be a dangerous task as mines can collapse and trap people with little hope of getting out. I was very intrigued as the story progressed. I wanted James to reassure Jessie that what he was doing would be safe and her land would not be disturbed. Mining for gold does bring men from all across the states. They have dollars signs dancing in  their eyes. For some, they have no respect for safety and push forward as danger gets close to them.

It was very hard to put the book down and I loved being back in the western days where gold miners were everywhere, men were out to get rich and action takes center stage. Jessie has been deeply hurt in the past and finds it hard to trust James. The action in the story is one you would see in the movies. Men trying to steal money, putting Jessie's life in danger and James ready to do what he needs to rescue Jessie and the money.  The author writes a story that not only has a bit of romance, sneaky men who will do anything to stake a claim and a lesson in forgiveness, letting go of the past  and most of all learning to depend and trust God.

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

Blog Stops

Betti Mace, August 2
Splashesofjoy, August 6
Bigreadersite, August 9
A Reader’s Brain, August 10
Blessed & Bookish, August 10
Texas Book-aholic, August 11
janicesbookreviews, August 14

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Jennifer is giving away a $10 Amazon gift card to two winners!!
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/e57b/jessie-and-james-celebration-tour-giveaway
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Thursday, August 8, 2019

Cross my Heart FB Banner

About the Book

Book: Cross My Heart
Author: Robin Lee Hatcher
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release date: June 25, 2019
Cross My HeartCan two broken paths lead toward God’s redemption?
When Ashley Showalter and Ben Henning meet on Ashley’s horse rescue farm, they quickly discover how much they have in common. Both were raised by single moms. Both want to help where they see a need. And both work with horses in the Boise valley. Ben needs Ashley’s help and expertise after starting an equine therapy barn on his great-great-grandfather’s farm—and the more time they spend together, both Ashley and Ben have the feeling that there could be something more between them.
They also carry the burden of past experiences that may drive them apart if the truth is ever revealed. Ben is a recovering alcoholic with five years of sobriety behind him, while Ashley’s brother is an opioid addict residing in court-ordered rehab. Holding fast to the belief that addicts can never be cured, Ashley has promised herself she will never walk knowingly into the chaos created by addiction. Ben knows that with God, all things are possible—but will Ashley find it within herself to give love a chance? Or will her brother’s mistakes and the pain of her past jeopardize her future with Ben?
Cross My Heart threads together a contemporary love story with the heartwarming tale of Ben’s great-great-grandfather, Andrew Henning—reminding us that God’s Word is timeless and that His promises are new every morning.

Click here to grab your copy.

About the Author

Hatcher Robin LeeRobin Lee Hatcher is the author of over 75 novels and novellas with over five million copies of her books in print. She is known for her heartwarming and emotionally charged stories of faith, courage, and love. Robin is an ACFW Carol Award winner and an eight-time finalist and has won two RITA Awards and been a finalist eleven times. Her numerous other awards include the Christy Award, the HOLT Medallion, the National Reader’s Choice Award, and the Faith, Hope & Love Reader’s Choice Award. She is also the recipient of prestigious Lifetime Achievement Awards from both American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America. When not writing, she enjoys being with her family, spending time in the beautiful Idaho outdoors, Bible art journaling, reading books that make her cry, watching romantic movies, and decorative planning. A mother and grandmother, Robin and her husband make their home on the outskirts of Boise, sharing it with a demanding Papillon dog and a persnickety tuxedo cat.
For more information, visit robinleehatcher.com; Facebook: robinleehatcher; or Twitter: @robinleehatcher.

More from Robin

MY WRITING DESK
ROBIN LEE HATCHER
I have a wonderful home office with a large screen iMac and the perfect place to keep important papers and reminders right in front of me for easy access. There is also a bed for my dog, Boo, because no office is complete without a bed to welcome the dog. Right?
I also do a lot of writing while seated in a big easy chair in the living room. It all depends upon my mood and how many reference books I might need at the time.
My office usually looks neat when I begin a book. By the time I’m writing the end, the room has become a disaster—stacks of papers demanding my attention and a layer of dust are the most obvious issues.
My office also serves as my art studio (where I do decorative planning and Bible art journaling), so every inch that isn’t taken up by writing related items is filled with art related ones—paints, washi tape, stickers, pens galore, etc.
An early riser naturally, I consider sleeping in to be anything after 6 AM. On a normal writing day, I try to get in half an hour on the treadmill first thing in the morning (and often return to it for ten minutes segments a couple other times during the day). Then I sit at my desk or in my easy chair to do my Bible study. And finally I begin writing.
I can usually create new words for about four hours or so a day. The rest of the work day is filled with editing, revising, research, and correspondence with publisher, agent, readers, and other writers. I have an active online presence which needs attention daily, as well.
I am also a late-in-life part time college student, taking my classes online, so at least a couple of days a week, you’ll find me doing assignments and taking quizzes. For some reason, I rarely use my office for that. The kitchen table seems to suit me better. Probably because it is a large table and I can really spread out.
I feel very blessed to be able to work at home. I had a full time job when I wrote my first book. In fact, I wrote nine novels over the course of nine years while still working full time. The month my ninth book released, I quit my job in order to write full time. Seventy books and almost 28 years later, I’m still at it. As I said, I am blessed.


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What a wonderful story that captures the hearts of two people dealing with their past and trying to make a fresh start.The author does a great job of giving us characters that are easy to relate to and scriptures that fill your soul with hope. It is easy to fall in love with Ashley and Ben as they find common ground with love of horses and wanting to help hurting people. I loved the story and the message of hope and forgiveness. The story is also a time slip which gives us a glimpse into a war that took many lives. Come join the author as two generations collide on a journey to freedom and unconditional love.

"Follow God and you will never lose your way."

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


Blog Stops

Cultivating Us, July 30
EmpowerMoms, August 2
Moments, August 3
Remembrancy, August 4
Hallie Reads, August 6
Wishful Endings, August 8

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Robin is giving away a grand prize of a copy of her book!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
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