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V. Joy Palmer is the author of Love, Lace, and Minor Alterations and a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. She is also an avid blogger and co-founder of Snack Time Devotions. In her spare time, Joy is an unprofessional chocolate connoisseur/binger, and she loves acting crazy and drinking coffee with the teens she mentors. When Joy isn’t urging the elves that live in her computer to write, she’s hanging out with her husband, their adorable baby girl, and their socially awkward pets.

Weddings, Willows, and Revised Expectations is yet another fabulous rom-com from author V. Joy Palmer.  This story is about two twins and what they expect in life and focuses a lot on family.  This story is excellently written and fun to read, especially as it includes a double love story, one for each twin.  Palmer brings her characters and their life experience off the pages in a way that readers will easily relate to them as they overcome family, business, and find purpose in life struggles.  This story also shows the entertaining and laughable parts of life to as readers giggle throughout the entire story.  And of course, there is plenty of romance and swoon worthy moments to keep readers hooked.  This fabulously written rom-com is one that readers will definitely want to get their handson!
 
Genre: contemporary, romance, rom-com, Christian
Publisher: WhiteFire Publishing
Publication date: February 14, 2019
Number of pages: 334
 
Other books in the series:
Love, Lace, and Minor Alterations
 
A review copy of this book was provided by the author via JustRead Publicity Tours for review.  A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own.

Isabel “Izze” Vez, bridal consultant extraordinaire, has been helping brides find The Dress for years. She loves nothing more than helping make wedding dreams come true…but sometimes the happy endings grate on her. How many times can a girl discover someone else’s gown without dreaming of the day it’ll be her turn to wear one? 

When James Miles Clayton walks into her life, he represents everything Izze can’t handle: change. He’s determined to bring the Ever After Bridal Boutique into the black…and to prove to Izze that she should give him a chance. 

But if there’s anything Izze handles worse than change, it’s trust. She may have a few issues—fine, she knows she does. But will they keep getting in the way of any chance of her own Happily Ever After? She wants to trust God to give her those dreams of love and lace, but that’s going to require some…minor alterations. ​

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From cover to cover, Love, Lace, and Minor Alterations will keep readers laughing.  Author V. Joy Palmer brings her characters to life from the pages through relatable and laughable situations.  This entertaining and enjoyable story revolves around a family owned dress shop and a male consultant that is hired to keep the store from going under.  It’s about making mistakes how sometimes life doesn’t work out exactly as expected and it can be hard.  But it it’s also about friendship, forgiveness, and falling in love.  This story definitely has some swoon worthy moments, so be prepared.  Filled with endearing and witty characters, this rom-com is one that readers will absolutely adore!
 
Genre: contemporary, romance, rom-com, Christian
Publisher: WhiteFire Publishing
Publication date: June 15, 2016
Number of pages: 300
 
Other books in the series:
Weddings, Willows, and Revised Expectations
 
A review copy of this book was provided by the author for review.  A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own.

From USA Today bestselling author Stacy Henrie, comes BENEATH AN ITALIAN SKY, An American Heiress novel.

BENEATH AN ITALIAN SKY 
--1908--

American heiress Clare Herschel made what she hoped was a love match when she married the handsome, witty Emmett Markham, the Earl of Linwood. A little over a year into her marriage, though, Clare finds herself wintering in Sicily—alone. She is sure the mild climate is the answer to avoiding another miscarriage and Emmett’s apparent indifference, so she’s determined to remain in Italy as long as possible. The last person she expects to show up at the villa is her husband, especially when Emmett confesses he’s there to convince her to return to England.

As the only surviving son of a marquess, Emmett has done everything his father has asked of him—even agreeing to run for a seat in the House of Commons. However, this latest task comes with a nearly impossible caveat. He must convince his wife Clare to come back to England with him in order for them to appear to be a happy couple for his political campaigning. Emmett isn’t confident Clare will agree to the plan, though, not when she seems to want nothing to do with him or the life they’d begun building before she abruptly left him for Italy. 

When a massive earthquake strikes Messina, Sicily, claiming the lives of thousands, Clare and Emmett must set aside their mutual misgivings about their marriage in order to survive and lend a helping hand to others. But in the wake of the destruction, they begin to realize they’ve been given a chance to decide if their love is stronger than the upheavals of the past. ​

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USA Today bestselling author Stacy Henrie is the author of western romances and the Of Love and War series, which includes Hope at Dawn, a 2015 RITA Award finalist for excellence in romance. She was born and raised in the West, where she currently resides with her family. She enjoys reading, road trips, interior decorating, chocolate, and most of all, laughing with her husband and kids.

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Book two in the Edwardian Heiress Series, Beneath an Italian Sky, is every bit as delightful as the first book in the series.  It is written about an already married couple that due to some outside forces feel lonely.  It’s about coming to truly know each other and gain independence from expectations and the push and pull of relatives.  Readers will easily be able to relate to the characters and their struggles.  This story is also fascinating in that it takes place in Italy during a huge and devastating earthquake. Stacy Henrie has a keen knack for exquisite storytelling that will cause readers to immediately fall into her stories.  Readers will not want to miss this fabulous story!!
 
Series: An American Heiress
Genre: historical, romance, Edwardian
Publisher: Mirror Press
Publication date: April 23, 2019
Number of pages: 320
 
Other books in the series:
1-Night at the Opera
 
A review copy of this book was provided by Mirror Press.  A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own.

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The Artful Match
by Jennifer Delamere.

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It was a crisp winter day when six-year-old Kacey McCallister lost both of his legs, forever altering the course of his life. This unthinkable trial could have broken him, but from that day forward he chose to rise above his circumstances and learn to live without limits. 

For those struggling to find hope in the depths of physical, spiritual, or emotional trials, this incredible story of one man’s unbreakable courage will inspire and motivate readers to not only survive but thrive amidst life’s challenges.
​
A true testament to the power of the human spirit, When Life Gets You Down, Rise Up! demonstrates the refining power that can be found in the midst of overwhelming odds, a power available to all who will take hold of it and rise.

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My life has never been one of calm indifference. From a very early age I learned that life is to be lived, not just survived. Even before the accident I knew life was an adventure. After the accident I found the ability to conquer unimaginable things. “I can do hard things” has been a way of life for me. I mean, who could imagine that a guy without legs could complete a 50 mile hike, make it to State Championship Wrestling, or become an Eagle Scout? My mom told me soon after the accident that if I wanted to do something all I had to do was figure out a way to make it happen.
Throughout my life there have been few if any challenges that I have not been able to succeed in accomplishing. Trials make us stronger. They raise us up to a higher plain. If we are never pushed and challenged we can never obtain our full potential. For me it was losing my legs. For you,  it may be school, work, parenting, or just dealing with the complexities of day-to-day life. Regardless of what your challenge is,  you too can find a way to RISE UP!

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Series: The Spinster Chronicles
Genre:  Adult, Regency, Romance
Publisher: Phase Publishing
Publication date: May 1, 2019

Spinster, sweet Spinster

Isabella Lambert is a nice person. She is biddable, polite, soft-spoken, and eager to please. She also happens to be a spinster, and one of the writers of the infamous Spinster Chronicles, where she is less polite, more outspoken, and may not please anyone. Izzy also has a secret that only one person knows, and that one person may hold the key to its success.
​
Sebastian Morton finds Izzy Lambert fascinating. She is the perfect mentor for his younger sister as well as a capable and charming friend for him. When opportunity strikes to spend more time with her, her secret becomes his. But will this secret, and others, ruin their connection?

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Absolutely lovely!
​Doesn't this just make you want the book right now???

​Enter the giveaway HERE.
​Giveaway ends May 1 at 11:59 MT.
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Series: Pine Haven
Genre:  Christian, Contemporary
Publisher: Chanson Books
Publication date: March 7, 2019

Robin Lancaster, a twenty-six-year-old former kindergarten teacher, has her summer and her life all figured out. She’s ready to be on her own, writing and illustrating her children’s stories at her family’s beloved lake house. Once there, she intends to rekindle a romance with Caleb Jackson, the area’s top hunting and fishing guide, and bag him for herself.
Complications arise from the start when Robin finds out her mother has rented the lake house to a man they know nothing about.

Matthew McLaughlin, forty-year-old widowed university professor and author from California, shows up at Pine Lake in crisis. A sabbatical might be his only hope to save much more than his career. He needs a place of refuge. Sharing the lake house with a lighthearted young woman and her dog is the last thing on his mind.
​
Caleb Jackson has his own plans. He’s used to things going his way, but a man staying in Robin’s house presents unforeseen challenges. When paths unavoidably entangle for these three, hearts are on the line.

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Love Discovered . . . Hope Renewed

Once a strong Christian, third baseman Shane Riley lost his faith the night he injured his knee in a freak car accident. Determined to return to professional baseball and to find the sister he treated badly, Shane retreats to Refuge, Wyoming. There he meets Melissa June “MJ” Townsend, a single mom battling the virus that causes cervical cancer. 

MJ wants nothing to do with the handsome athlete—no doubt a womanizer considering the stories in the news. But when a mistake results in Shane renting her garage apartment, they become friends. That friendship blossoms into something deep and pure, leaving MJ with a painful secret to tell. Even more complicated, she discovers an unexpected tie to Shane’s missing sister—a wounded woman who wants nothing to do with the perfect brother who scorned her. 

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Victoria Bylin is known for tackling tough subjects with great compassion. In 2016, Together With You, a story of grace and healing, won the Inspirational Readers Choice Award for Best Contemporary Romance. Her other books, including historical westerns, have finaled in the Carol Awards, the RITAs, and RT Magazine's Reviewers Choice Award. A native of California, she and her husband now make their home in Lexington, Kentucky. Learn more at victoriabylin.com.

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Victoria Bylin’s When He Found Me is a powerful and emotional read that will hit readers square in the chest.  Throughout the story, perspective alternates between of several different characters, mostly women.  This is a story about hardship, heartbreak, personal struggle and growth, forgiveness, family, friendship, and love.  It’s filled with so many emotions that will leave readers grinning for one moment, takes them to angry in another moment, and brings them to tears in yet another moment.  This story is filled with sensitive and hard issues, but Bylin handles perfectly, as well as from a Christian perspective.  This story has mature content and would could be rated as PG-13 if it were made into a movie.  Readers will love this emotional rollercoaster of a ride in this beautiful women’s fiction story.
 
Series: Road to Refuge
Genre: women’s fiction
Publisher: Indie
Publication date: March 18, 2019
Number of pages: 360
 
A review copy of this book was provided by JustRead Publicity Tours, as well as purchaed for review.  A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own.

Professor Mitch Pine knows all too well the history of epidemics, so the startling new information he’s discovered has him racing to the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta. Mitch has uncovered a startling pattern: dramatic environmental changes always occurred prior to devastating outbreaks, and current climate change may be such a catalyst. But before his plane lands, Mitch’s journey takes a terrifying turn. He is intercepted by a woman who represents a dangerous faction whose interest in Mitch’s research opposes his mission to save lives. To secure Mitch’s cooperation, his research assistant is being held hostage. With so many lives on the line, Mitch embarks on a turbulent trip around the world, uncovering pieces of the puzzle until he ultimately holds the key to prevent—or precipitate—global devastation. Unless he can find a way to stop the lunatics behind his abduction, a plague the likes of which the world has never known will be unleashed.

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From page one, author Gregg Luke has readers gripping the edge of their seats.  The intense suspense of the story picks up in the first chapter and doesn’t slow down until the last page is turned.  Not only is there suspense though, there is a romance element.  Readers will anticipate the thrill from turn of every page in this intense romantic suspense novel.  This is a story that will keep readers up late past their bedtime wondering what will happen next.
 
Genre: contemporary, romance, suspense
Publisher: Covenant Communications
Publication date: April 1, 2019
Number of pages: 304
 
A review copy of this book was provided by Covenant Communications.  A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own.

Writer's block, nibbled nails, plagiarism, oh my!
And did I mention romance?

​Life for Adda Sinclaire, New York Times best-selling author and historical romance writer extraordinaire, reads more like a country song than a breathless, bodice-bursting affair. For starters, she has no romance in her own life. That might have something to do with her husband—correction, ex-husband—running off with her rival, Stick Woman.

To add insult to injury (and another verse to the country song), her ex not only took their dog but gave it to his new girlfriend. If that isn't enough, Adda has come down with a horrible case of writer's block, finds herself gifted with a Bible that is determined to speak to her, and is the unwitting target of a romance cover model's misdirected advances.

Just when she catches her breath, and quite possibly the eye of a certain fabulously good-looking man (ahem…her new editor), her arch-nemesis gives the pot one final stir.

Kate's Creed: Thou shalt embrace sinbledom and be
​unbelievably, inconceivably happy.
Yeah, right.

Kate Meadows, a successful San Francisco artist, is this close to giving up on finding a nice, solid man with whom to spend her life. So when not one, but two eligible bachelors enter her orbit in rapid succession, it seems too good to be true. And it may be.
 
Michael Palmier, a nationally-known makeup artist, is actually flirting with Kate, rather than her physically flawless housemate. Trouble is, he seems more intent on doling out the business cards of beauty professionals and plastic surgeons than discovering Kate's inner beauty. Is he trying to stamp out every last bit of self-esteem she has?
 
As for Clive Alexander, the good doctor sends Kate’s pulse skittering every time he’s near. Too bad the man is only interested in her work—and doesn’t think she’s much to look at. It’s enough to send a girl running for her paint-splattered, relaxed-fit jeans and swearing off men altogether. But after undergoing a makeover from Michael’s staff, Kate suddenly finds herself the recipient of admiring glances. Maybe she should try contacts, consider some fancy dental work, and—you know—that mole really could stand to go.
 
The question is, what kind of work will Kate do on herself? And who is she really trying to please?

Once upon a time, I was a rebel.
And I have the tattoos to prove it.

​Did I mention I'm also a preacher's kid? That's right. And like the prodigal son after whom I modeled myself, I finally saw the error of my ways and returned to the fold. Today my life is all about lead me not into temptation. When I'm not serving as Women's Ministry Director at my father's church, I'm working at Gloria's Morning Café. I even have worthy goals, like saving money to buy the café, keeping my Jelly Belly habit under control, and never again hurting the people I love. No more parties. No more unsavory activities. And no more motorcycles! 
 
You'd think I was finally on the right track. But since dad's replacement hired a hotshot consultant to revive our dying church, things aren't working out as planned. And now this consultant thinks I'm in need of a little reviving myself. Just who does this Maddox McCray think he is? With curly hair that could use a good clipping, a tattoo he makes no attempt to hide, and black leather pants, the man is downright dangerous. In fact, all that's missing is a motorcycle. Or so I thought. But if he thinks he's going to take me for a ride on that 1298cc machine of his, he can think again. Harriet Bisset is a reformed woman, and she's going to stay that way. Even if it kills me!

All she wanted is a job. All she needs is religion.
How hard can it be?

​Maizy Grace Stewart dreams of a career as an investigative journalist, but her last job ended in disaster when her compassion cost her employer a juicy headline. A part-time gig at a Nashville newspaper might be her big break.
 
A second job at Steeple Side Christian Resources could help pay the bills, but they only hire committed Christians. Maizy is sure she can fake it with her Five-Step Program to Authentic Christian Faith. If only Jack Prentiss, Steeple Side’s managing editor and British hottie, wasn’t determined to prove her a fraud.
 
When Maizy’s newspaper boss pressures her to expose any skeletons in Steeple Side’s closet, she must decide whether to deliver the dirt and secure her career or lean on her newfound faith, change the direction of her life, and pray that her colleagues—and Jack—will show her grace.

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