About the Book

Book:  Over Her Head: In the Shadow

Author: JL Crosswhite

Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense

Release date: June 21, 2021

She’s working on a new start…

…He’s trying a new work venture.

Can they build a relationship that fits their new life?

Fresh out of cosmetology school Jessica and whiz software engineer Austin have been thrown together by mutual friends. They even escaped a wildfire together.

But do they have something more than friendship?

Maybe a singles’ camping trip will make their future clear.

But when they encounter someone who needs their help, the relaxing weekend away becomes anything but. As the danger mounts and the challenges reveal who they truly are, will it pull them together or push them apart… for good?

You will get lost in Over Her Head because the biggest adventure is falling in love.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Jennifer’s favorite thing is discovering how much there is to love about America the Beautiful and the great outdoors. She’s a mom to two navigating the young adult years while battling her daughter’s juvenile arthritis, exploring the delights of her son’s autism, and keeping gluten free. A California native who’s spent significant time in the Midwest, she’s thrilled to be back in the Golden State. Follow her on social media to see all her adventures and how she gets inspired for her books!

 

More from Jennifer

MacGyver might have come from my family tree. I grew up hearing stories of how my grandpa turned a horse trailer into a travel trailer for camping and how he finagled something out of what he had if he didn’t have the actual thing he needed. I grew up seeing my dad do this. And I’ve been known to do it a time or two myself.

 

My grandpa grew up during the Great Depression, so I could see how making do with what he had came to him naturally. The rest of us saw the usefulness of it and continued the tradition. Even though there are times I’ve stopped and said, “I should just go by the thing I need instead of trying to make do.” Maybe it would have saved me some time and frustration.

 

But there is something satisfying about seeing a problem and creating the solution yourself. It’s like solving a puzzle. And for me, writing a book is a lot like that. I start out with various pieces and no idea how they are going to fit together.

 

When I began Over Her Head, it was the third book of my In the Shadow series. This series explores the idea of what it’s like to grow up in the shadow of a hero. Jessica’s brother, Scott, is a Navy pilot. Their oldest brother died before Jessica was born, so she’s always felt like she’s been in the shadow of her older brothers. How would she become her own person and find the purpose that God has for her?

 

That was one piece. A big one. But I still needed to find a love interest, a plot, and a supporting cast. I started sorting through what I had, looking for pieces that could fit, could be molded into something new and different. A trip to the hair salon provided a fun conversation with my hair stylist about what a newly graduated cosmetology student might be doing and the politics of working in a salon.

 

The pieces were coming together. Finally, I decided to set the story around one of my favorite activities: camping. Okay, maybe it’s more like glamping. I like a real bed.  But it is a great way to force a group of people to be close together for a period of time. There’s an element of stress, and even danger, since nature isn’t predictable.

 

Hopefully the end product looks smoothly finished and not MacGyvered together. But I don’t ever let the rough beginning or different looking pieces discourage me from pressing on with the story. And I think that’s a good lesson for life. What rough spots need a little creativity to bring them to life and smooth them out? Spend some time letting your inner MacGyver play.

MY REVIEW 

This has been a wonderful series with each one delivering  an edge of your seat adventure. Who knew that going on a camping trip would find our characters in the  middle of mud slides, human trafficking and relationships on the cusp of developing. It was easy to get into the book because the author writes stories that come  to life. I became very invested in Jessica and wanted to see where her faith would take her. Yes the faith element is good in the story and emphasizes  how important it is to follow God’s direction. 

Now I could go into detail about the story but for this review I want to focus on two things. The first one is how Jessica seems to have this need to prove herself to others. She isn’t quite confident in herself yet she does something that others would not risk. Jessica has this heart for helping others and when she sees  a young girl needing rescuing  she doesn’t hesitate to step up and help. I loved how she shared Jesus with Mia and continued to reassure her that she would be safe. She shared how God loved her and no matter what she had done, she was forgiven. Jessica stepped out, trusted God and in doing so helped her to see her calling in life.

The other point I want to cover is Austin. This character is a typical nerd as some would call him. He is very intelligent but shy. He lacks confidence in himself and tries so hard to show others he can be a leader. When he and Jessica start seeing each other, I think this was a great way for them to help each other with their insecurities. The adventure they have while camping really shows how strong these two are. They are grounded in the Word and begin to trust each other. They do have a few stumbling blocks but it shows how depending on God can help you in any situation. There is danger, secrets and a mystery that really heightens the story. I loved the message of trusting God and helping others. 

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

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, July 19

For Him and My Family, July 20

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, July 21 (Author Interview)

The Sacred Line, July 21

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 22

deb’s Book Review, July 23

Locks, Hooks and Books, July 24

Inklings and notions, July 25

CarpeDiem, July 26

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, July 26

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, July 27

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, July 28

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, July 29

My Journey Back the Journey Back, July 29

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, July 30

Texas Book-aholic, July 31

Cats in the Cradle Blog, July 31

Pause for Tales, August 1

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, J.L. is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card and a signed copy of the book!!

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/10fa8/over-her-head-celebration-tour-giveaway

 

About the Book

Book:  A Dream of Family

Author: Jill Weatherholt

Genre: Inspirational Romance

Release date: June 29, 2021

To give a little girl a home…

she must take a chance on forgiveness.

From the minute Molly Morgan saw sad-eyed little Grace, she longed to give her a happy home. But Molly’s struggling bookstore is endangering her adoption chances. Outgoing entrepreneur Derek McKinney has a puppy Grace adores—and a plan to save Molly’s business. But can he and Molly put their troubled past behind them in time to make a family for a lifetime?

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

By day, Jill Weatherholt works for the City of Charlotte. At night, and on the weekend, she writes contemporary stories about love, faith and forgiveness for Harlequin Love Inspired.

Raised in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., she now resides in Charlotte, North Carolina, but her heart belongs to Virginia.

She holds a degree in Psychology from George Mason University and Paralegal Studies Certification from Duke University.

She shares her life with her real-life hero and number one supporter. Their relationship grew on the golf course, and now they have one in their backyard.

Jill believes in enjoying every moment of this journey because God has everything under control.

 

More from Jill

Working in a library or a bookstore has always been a dream job of mine. As book bloggers and readers, you may have had that same dream.

Sadly, I’ve never made that dream come true. So instead, I created a fictitious character, Molly Morgan.  In A Dream of Family, Molly Morgan owns and operates a bookstore, so by writing her story, I was able to somewhat fulfill my dream of working in a job where I’m surrounded by books all day.

As a child growing up in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., I loved the bookmobile. Twice a month a small library on wheels rolled into the neighborhood and parked in front of our house. There was nothing better than to feel the wallop of arctic air the moment I climbed aboard. It was the perfect escape from the hot and sticky summer months. Like a time machine, the endless rows of books transported me to distant places. It was there I was introduced to The Box Car Children and Nancy Drew Mysteries. One stamp of black ink,and it was mine to devour for two weeks.

 

I haven’t seen a bookmobile since my childhood, but they still exist today. Thankfully, libraries and bookstores are still in our communities, offering wonderful programs to inspire young readers. But as I watch public libraries reduce their hours and bookstores close their doors, I’m grateful to have grown up in a time where bookmobiles traveled the streets of my neighborhood. Those days, my biggest decision during summer vacation was what book to take to the pool.

 

Blessings,

Jill Weatherholt

MY REVIEW 

I can tell you exactly why I love this book so much. The characters are easy to like and their problems are what  some of us may have experienced. Trying to run a small business is hard but when a big chain bookstore comes to town, Molly  knows she is in trouble. Oh how I wanted to help her and tell her everything would be alright. She struggles with pride and rejection which I think stops  her from believing in herself.  Her childhood was  filled with abuse that left emotional scars. The author does an excellent job of letting us see the financial struggle Molly goes through and her desperation to save her business. Molly expresses how important books have always  been to her. As a child it was a way to escape the pain she endured and the characters became friends to her. I can relate to this and probably is the same reason  I loved reading as a child myself. 

Derek is hands down my favorite character because he is genuine. He and Molly have a past which does cause a little distance between them. What I liked about him  was his sincere desire to help Molly. His ideas are wonderful and I did learn a lot about running a bookstore. I loved visualizing the children’s  corner with its bright walls  and inviting little rocking chairs that are perfect to give the children a more relaxed place to listen to stories. Derek tries so hard to help Molly but I think pride keeps sneaking in and pushing her away. Derek does have something that he needs to deal with from his past that has  pushed  him to withdraw from his family. Derek will face a hard decision that will be be a turning point in his future. Don’t miss this part of the story when Derek faces his past . Will he be able to forgive and move forward in his new venture? 

There is another part of the story that really held my attention. It is no surprise that Molly wants a family of her own. She wants to adopt and give a child a place they can feel accepted and loved at. Grace is a very shy and reserved little girl which makes it difficult for Molly to build a relationship with. Here is where the story gets a little serious and the author tackles some sensitive subjects. She does it in a way that points readers to faith and forgiveness. I know you will love  this story if you like realistic characters with flaws who find their way back to God. They learn to trust, forgive and find hope. I believe this is my favorite book that the author has ever written. 

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

Blog Stops

Pause for Tales, July 27

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 27

Texas Book-aholic, July 28

She Lives To Read, July 29

Lighthouse Academy Blog, July 29 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)

Inklings and notions, July 30

Mary Hake, July 30

For Him and My Family, July 31

My Reading Journeys, July 31

deb’s Book Review, August 1

Britt Reads Fiction, August 1

Older & Smarter?, August 2

Locks, Hooks and Books, August 3

Writing from the Heart Land, August 3

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, August 4

Batya’s Bits, August 4

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, August 5

Remembrancy, August 5

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, August 6

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, August 7

Labor Not in Vain, August 7

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 8

Kayem Reads, August 8

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, August 9

Vicky Sluiter, August 9

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Jill is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

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/11034/a-dream-of-family-celebration-tour-giveaway

 

About the Book

Book:  Betrayal of Genius

Author: Robin Patchen

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Release date: July 13, 2021

From a USA Today bestselling author comes book three in the addictive Coventry Saga.

Her invention could save thousands of lives…if she can survive to long enough to share it.

Jacqui’s research could lead to a cure for Alzheimer’s disease, and she’s determined to ensure the technology goes to the company with the best shot at creating life-saving products, not just the highest bidder. When her lab is broken into, she realizes her partner is desperate to get his hands on her research and the money it’ll bring. Jacqui goes into hiding, planning to lie low until she can find a buyer who lives up to her expectations.

Reid’s life is all about protecting his daughter, but when she leaves for a month to visit her mother, he finds himself at loose ends. The pretty new manager at the ice cream shop seems like a good diversion, but he soon realizes there’s more to Jacqui than doling out scoops of rocky road. When he senses danger, he’s tempted to step away—he won’t allow any threat to come near his daughter—but how can he turn his back on a woman in danger, one he’s coming to care for?

Jacqui’s former partner is closing in and getting more desperate by the day. He’ll stop at nothing to get the payout he feels he deserves.

Join Jacqui and Reid as they navigate this pulse-pounding, faith-filled adventure into the high-stakes world of medical research, innovation, and greed.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Robin Patchen is a USA Todaybestselling and award-winning author of Christian romantic suspense. She grew up in a small town in New Hampshire, the setting of her Nutfield Saga books, and then headed to Boston to earn a journalism degree. After college, working in marketing and public relations, she discovered how much she loathed the nine-to-five ball and chain. After relocating to the Southwest, she started writing her first novel while she homeschooled her three children. The novel was dreadful, but her passion for storytelling didn’t wane. Thankfully, as her children grew, so did her writing ability. Now that her kids are adults, she has more time to play with the lives of fictional heroes and heroines, wreaking havoc and working magic to give her characters happy endings. When she’s not writing, she’s editing or reading, proving that most of her life revolves around the twenty-six letters of the alphabet. Visit https://robinpatchen.com/subscribe to receive a free book and stay informed about Robin’s latest projects.

More from Robin

It’s funny how the themes of my novels often present themselves when I’m in the thick of writing them. I thought Betrayal of Genius was going to be about Luke 12:48 and the old idiom, “To whom much is given, much is required.”

And the novel is about that. To a degree.

But as I wrote the manuscript, another theme worked up to the surface, revealing itself a little at a time. It started with the hero.

Reid is a single parent raising his six-year-old daughter, Ella, who was kidnapped and, thankfully, rescued the previous summer. He was protective before. Now he’s downright obsessive about his child’s safety. Sending her to spend a month in California with her mother seems about as natural as his ex’s hair color.

So the story is a little about Reid’s devotion to his daughter.

Jacqui is always, deep down, trying to earn her father’s approval. Oh, sure, she knows he loves her. But she so rarely gets to see it. As a world-renowned surgeon, he was always off saving the world, far too busy, too important, to shower his daughter with love and tenderness.

So the story is a little about Jacqui’s relationship with her dad.

I write about romantic love all the time, but parental love is just as important and just as beautiful. As a daughter, I was blessed to have two wonderful parents. As a mother, I try to be everything my kids need, and I fail all the time. Is there a right way to parent?

I don’t know. I do know that, though not everybody will be blessed to enjoy romance, all of us have parents. All of us know what it is to love a parent and to experience—or crave—a parent’s love in return.

If you’re a parent—or if you’ve got parents—you know it’s no easy thing to raise kids. As my children grow further into adulthood, I can look back and see everything I did wrong. I did a lot right, but for some reason, the wrong sticks out.

But you know what? I love them. I’ve loved them since the moment they were placed in my arms, maybe since that first flutter of movement in my belly.

Reid is trying to be the perfect father, and he’s always falling short. Jacqui’s dad did his very best, but he wasn’t perfect. But both of those daddies love their little girls. And, like it says in 1 Peter 4:8, “Love covers a multitude of sins.”

Betrayal of Genius is about working hard to accomplish the good works God gave us to do. It’s about doing the very best we can with what we’ve been given. But it’s also about good old human love. Imperfect but pure love, the kind that can wrap itself around a little child and make her feel safe. The kind that can encourage a grown woman to push through the hard times, even when it’s scary and dangerous.

I hope you experience that kind of love. Even if you didn’t receive it from your earthly parents, you have a perfect Father who wants to shower you with it, One whose very nature is Love. May His love wrap around you and carry you forward.

MY REVIEW 

The author brings us another very intriguing and action packed story. I liked the  medical  technology that the author puts in that  has the possibility to cure Alzheimer’s disease. That would be such a wonderful gift too many who suffer from this debilitating illness. Jacqui is on the cusp of introducing a powerful tool that will save many lives but someone wants to stop her. I liked how the author gives us different suspects that either try to sabotage Jacqui’s work or concoct a way to benefit from it financially. Yes I had my doubts about her ex partner. He seems kinda shady and greed has taken over his thinking process. Jacqui also has something to prove to her father who is an accomplished surgeon. I know what it feels like to want your parent’s approval. Jacqui is  trying to get approval from them, but her friend reminds her that , “Only the Lord’s expectations matter.” What a great statement for all of us to remember. We try to prove out worth and seek out trying to impress others. We forget that God is the only one we should be following and listening to His direction for our lives. 

Reid is a great character who is devoted  to his daughter. He wants to keep her safe after what she has gone through. He struggles with allowing his ex-wife to spend time with her as she is not the kind of mother who has been in her daughter’s life much. This trust issue Reid has tends to make it difficult for him to have any type of relationship with a woman but maybe Jacqui can help him overcome his fear. 

One of the best parts of the story is when Reid and Jacqui argue over trusting God. I have to say they both fall a little short in that department and the author does a great job of focusing readers on their faults and ways to overcome them. I’m guilty of saying I trust God, then I pick up what I said I gave to Him and go off on a tangent with no direction. 

I was so sure the story was ending and I was a bit let down until the author throws in a curve ball. All I had figured out went right out the window as Reid and Jacqui find themselves in a fight for their lives. I loved the twist in the story and it definitely was a heart pounding ending. There is a great lesson in the story about trust and forgiveness. The author does a great job of showing us what happens when we learn to forgive and start to trust Him. 

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

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, July 23

Betti Mace, July 24

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, July 25 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 25

Blossoms and Blessings, July 26

My Reading Journeys, July 26

Texas Book-aholic, July 27

Inklings and notions, July 28

Spoken from the Heart, July 28

For Him and My Family, July 29

deb’s Book Review, July 30

Locks, Hooks and Books, July 31

Blogging With Carol, July 31

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, August 1

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, August 2

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, August 3

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, August 4

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 5

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Robin is giving away a virtual trip to Boston with a signed paperback copy of Betrayal of Genius and a complete Lobster Dinner for Two, a $120 value. (Winner can choose among many seafood options—or trade it for a good ol’ fashioned Amazon gift card.)

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/11030/betrayal-of-genius-celebration-tour-giveaway