The Wedding Shop (Heart’s Bend #2) by Rachel Hauck -- Book Tour Review + Guest Post + Giveaway
9/22/2016
About the BookTwo women separated by decades. Both set out to help others find their dreams when their own have crumbled. It’s the early 1930s, but Cora Scott is walking in stride as a career woman after having inherited her great aunt’s wedding shop in Heart’s Bend, Tennessee, where brides come from as far away as Birmingham to experience her famed bridal treatment. Meanwhile, Cora is counting down the days until her own true love returns from the river to make her his bride. But days turn into months and months to years. All the while, Birch Good continues to woo Cora and try to show her that while he is solid and dependable, he can sweep her off her feet. More than eighty years later, former Air Force Captain Haley Morgan has returned home to Heart’s Bend after finishing her commitment to military service. After the devastating death of her best friend, Tammy, and discovering the truth about the man she loved, Haley is searching for her place in life. When Haley decides to reopen the romantic but abandoned wedding shop where she and Tammy played and dreamed as children, she begins a journey of courage, mystery, and love. As Cora’s and Haley’s stories intertwine through time in the shadow of the beloved wedding shop, they both discover the power of their own dreams and the magic of everyday love. About the AuthorRachel Hauck is a USA Today Bestselling author. Her book, The Wedding Dress, was named Inspirational Novel of the Year by Romantic Times and was a RITA finalist. Her book Once Upon A Prince was a Christy Award finalist. Rachel lives in central Florida with her husband and two pets and writes from her ivory tower. Guest Post from Author Rachel HauckHey everyone! I’m so excited to share The Wedding Shop with you. This book is one of my favorites. While all books are my “babies,” this one found a special place in my heart. This standalone novel is part of the Wedding Collection – The Wedding Dress and The Wedding Chapel – and it came to life when I discovered the story of Cora Scott, a 1930s wedding shop owner. At 30, she’s an old maid, but the best “bride’s maid” in fictional Heart’s Bend, Tennessee. But she’s in love with a charismatic, charming river boat captain. The contemporary heroine, Haley Morgan, is a retired Air Force captain returning to Heart’s Bend to restart her life. She’s recovering from a broken heart. The handsome, dynamic, charming man she loved was nothing but trouble. Returning home, Haley is set on keeping a childhood promise she made with her best friend—to open the old wedding shop. The shop is legend in Heart’s Bend. Haley grew up with stories of Miss Cora and the shop, hearing the town’s mothers, grandmothers, and great grandmothers reminiscing about their “day in the shop,” walking down the grand staircase in their wedding gown. But in 2016, the shop is dilapidated, neglected and in need of more money than Haley possesses. While writing this story, I had to ask a lot of questions. Why reopen the old shop? Why not just open a new one? Haley was a combat veteran, deployed to Afghanistan twice, why would she want to open a wedding shop? I also investigate the meaning of the shop to the town? To Cora? To Haley? As I developed the backstory for the characters, the shop and the town, Cora’s came to life. She fascinated me. I admired this fictional woman. She exuded ingenuity, courage, and deep, deep devotion. On the other hand, Haley was a bit of a mystery but from the start, she saw value in something no one else did. What if we all saw value in people or places others wanted to reject? Isn’t that what Jesus does for us? The heroes of the book, Birch and Cole, are just stellar guys. Princes among men. I love writing about slightly wounded but strong and tender men. The theme of family and community populates the story. Also, how misconceptions and preconceived ideas often ruin relationships. Booklist gave The Wedding Shop a Starred Review and called it, “Spellbinding.” There’s a lot of fun drama in this book! I hope you enjoy spending time with Cora and Haley, the men they love and the shop they bring to life. I’d love to hear your thoughts! Connect with me at www.rachelhauck.com. ReviewRachel Hauck’s novel The Wedding Shop is a beautifully written and crafted story. It is written from three different perspectives, adding to the dimension and brilliance of the story. Rachel has a way of drawing her readers in from page one, and keeping them until the very end. This fascinating story of the restoration of a wedding shop based off a pinky promise of two young girls will captivate readers and leave them longing for more! Filled with hope, promise, and romance, The Wedding Shop is not a story readers and fans of Rachel Hauck are not going to want to miss! Series Heart’s Bend Genre: romance, historical, contemporary, inspirational, Christian Publisher: Zondervan Publication date: August 16, 2016 Number of pages: 384 Content Rating: PG Book Rating: 5 stars Other books in the series: 1-The Wedding Chapel A review copy of this book was provided by the publisher via CelebrateLit. GiveawayTo celebrate her tour, Rachel is giving away her Wedding Collection Series! Click HERE to enter the giveaway. Tour ScheduleSeptember 13: History, Mystery & Faith
September 13: A Holland Reads September 14: Giveaway Lady September 14: Daysong Reflections September 15: Book Bites, Bee Stings, and Butterfly Kisses September 15: Bibliophile Reviews September 16: Bigreadersite September 16: The Scribbler September 17: Books,Dreams,Life September 17: ASC Book Reviews September 18: Book Babble September 18: D’S QUILTS & BOOKS September 19: Pause for Tales September 19: Book by Book September 20: The Power of Words September 20: Lighthouse Academy September 21: Proverbial Reads September 21: Splashes of Joy September 22: Faithfully Bookish September 22: Singing Librarian Books September 23: Tell Tale Book Reviews September 23: Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations September 24: Quiet Quilter September 24: Reading Is My SuperPower September 25: For The Love of Books September 26: His Grace Is Sufficient September 26: Chas Ray’s Book Nerd Corner TBR Read-a-thon details can be found HERE. Read-a-thon dates: Monday, September 12th, to Monday, September 26th, wrap-up on the 27th Day 8 Update: Monday, September 19Books Read: by Dance Over Me by Candee Fick Pages Read: Read to 65% of 268 pages. So I read from page 54-174, reading about 120 pages Total Books Read: 2 Total Pages Read: 310 (My Hope Next Door) + 227 (Persuasion) + 90 (Falling for You) + 117 (Southern Charmed) + 120 (Dance Over Me) = 864pg Finished Books: 1)My Hope Next Door by Tammy L. ; 2)Persuasion: a latter-day tale by Rebecca H. Jamison ChallengesI did not complete any challenges for this day. Day 9 Update: Tuesday, September 20Books Read: by Dance Over Me by Candee Fick Pages Read: 100% of 268 pages. So I read from page 174-268, reading about 94 pages (Check out my review HERE) Books Read: Falling For You by Heather Gray, Elizabeth Maddrey, Krista Phillips, Carole Towriss, Ginger Solomon, & Marion Ueckermann Pages Read: Read on Kindle. 17-30% out of 639 pages. So read from page 90-191, reading about 101 pages and finished Operation Back-to-School by Elizabeth Maddrey. Books Read: The Wedding Shop by Rachel Hauck Pages Read: 1-33 Total Books Read: 3 Total Pages Read: 310 (My Hope Next Door) + 227 (Persuasion) + 191 (Falling for You) + 117 (Southern Charmed) + 268 (Dance Over Me) + 33 (The Wedding Shop) = 1,146 pg Finished Books: 1)My Hope Next Door by Tammy L. ; 2)Persuasion: a latter-day tale by Rebecca H. Jamison; 3)Dance Over Me by Candee Fick ChallengesDUO (TWO) COLOR CHALLENGE from September 15th.
The challenge is to pick at least six books, half of which are predominately one color and half of another color. Dance Over Me by Candee Fick -- Review
9/20/2016
About the BookDanielle Lefontaine, a fledgling actress raised to the lullaby of Broadway, searches for her long-lost brother and her place on the stage, but a jealous cast member and numerous fruitless leads threaten to drop the curtain on her dreams and shine a spotlight on her longing for a place to belong. Meanwhile, Alex Sheridan is living his dream except for someone to share it with. When Dani dances into his life, he hopes he’s found the missing piece to his heart but fears the bright lights of the stage could steal her away. Will the rhythm of dancing feet usher in their deepest desires or leave them stranded in the wings? About the AuthorAuthor of inspirational romance, non-fiction, and devotionals. Candee is married to a high school football coach and is the mother of three, including a child with special needs (thus providing inspiration for her first two non-fiction titles). She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and a Double Finalist/Winner in the 2014 ACFW Genesis contest in the short novel category. Her debut novel is releasing in November 2015 from Bling! Romance. ReviewWhat a fun and truly inspiring story. Author Candee Fick has created a fun, intriguing, and inspiring story in her Dance Over Me. This story is of a young women, Danielle Lefontaine that was separated from her brother at a young age after her parents were killed in a car accident; the same accident that almost killed her as well. Now grown up and with a career in dancing an acting on the stage, Danielle is still searching for her brother as she deals with harsh judgements and rumors spread about her by a vicious and jealous co-actress. But along the way Danielle keeps reminding herself to still be kind to those that mistreat her. Along the way, Danielle finds romance with her boss’s son Alex Sheridan, too. This story is about overcoming the past, being kind to others no matter what, family, and love. The ending of the story seemed a bit rushed and an epilogue would have been helpful in bring it to a close, but I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I would recommend this novel to readers that enjoy contemporary romance. Genre: contemporary, romance, inspirational Publisher: Bling! Romance Publication date: September 19, 2016 Number of pages: 268 Content Rating: PG Book Rating: 4 stars A review copy of this book was provided by the author.
About the BookWhen Rishi is kidnapped and taken to Zitól, she faces an unthinkable future: she is to be sacrificed to appease the gods. To survive in this place, where greed, lust, and fear eclipse compassion, Rishi befriends the selfish and ignorant king, only to discover that he may not have the power to save her after all. About the AuthorChelsea Bagley Dyreng is the author of “The Cenote.” She was raised in Wyoming and Idaho and earned her BA at Brigham Young University. She worked for several years as a librarian before moving to North Carolina where she and her husband are raising five God-fearing, book-loving, adventure-seeking kids. My EndorsementThere was a bit of a mixup, so my endorsement did not make it into the first edition of the book, but here it is none the less: And it sounds like a second edition of the book is being made to include my endorsement! Yay!! I will definitely be on the lookout for that! Tour ScheduleSeptember 12: A Bliss Complete | Compass Book Ratings
September 13: Rockin’ Book Reviews | Bookworm Lisa September 14: My Reading Spot September 15: Bookfever September 16: Kristin Smith | Wishful Endings September 17: Hardcover Feedback September 18: Geo Librarian September 19: Singing Librarian Books September 20: Mel’s Shelves September 21: My Book a Day September 22: The Things I Love Most September 23: Writing Worm | Reader Girls September 24: The Story Sanctuary September 25: Bonding Over Bindings | Kindle & Me September 26: Joy in the Moments September 27: Crossroad Reviews September 28: All About Baby’s World September 29: Reidhead Random-ness September 30: Tastes Like Joy First Line Fridays -- 09.16.16
9/16/2016
It is Friday and I am joining these lovely ladies in First Line Fridays: Carrie from Reading is My SuperPower Rachel from Bookworm Mama Beth from Faithfully Bookish Click the links ablve to be taken to their posts and... If you would like to join us, send Carrie a meassage and let her know! Grab the book nearest to you and leave a comment with the first line! Today I am going to post a line from A Treasure Concealed by Tracie Peterson. I am about half way through listening to the audio for this book. It is a fun historical, inspirational, romance (and in my opinion has a touch of a western feel to it) and is book 2 in the Saphire Brides Trilogy. Watch for my review coming on RadiantLit coming soon!!! Montana, Late August 1895 "Mama?" Emily Carver whispered the word as she opened the door to her parents' bedroom. Have you read this novel? What about the other two books in this series: A Beauty Refined A Love Transformed What are you reading? What is your first line? Open the book nearest you and post the first line... About the Book
ila Mae Guidry is a Southern girl through and through. As a fourth-generation Latter-day Saint in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, she’s proud of her heritage as both a Southerner and a Saint—and she doesn’t take kindly to people who disparage either. Ten years ago, Max Archer was just that kind of jerk. As the mission president’s son, Max spent his entire three years mocking the South . . . and teenage Lila. After Max’s family moved away, Lila forgot about her sworn enemy. Almost.
When a new job brings a grown-up Max back to Baton Rouge, Lila is less than thrilled with his reappearance, especially since everyone seems intent on throwing her together with this old adversary. Yet fight as she may, Lila soon realizes resistance is futile—their connection is undeniable. Max embodies everything she wants in a man—except perhaps the most important thing—her life is rooted in the city she loves, but his dreams are bigger than Baton Rouge. With such mismatched visions of the future, Max and Lila are faced with a life-altering decision: jeopardize their aspirations or risk losing love. About the Author
Melanie Bennett Jacobson is an avid reader, amateur cook, and champion shopper. She lives in Southern California with her husband and children and a series of doomed houseplants, and is currently pursuing a Masters degree in writing for children and young adults.
Review
As always, Melanie has written another novel that is not only cute and sweet, but humorous as well. I always know without a shadow of a doubt when I pick up one of Melanie’s books that it will have a fun romance story, as well as leave me grinning from ear to ear and of course laughing!!! I love how Melanie ties in real-life situations in all her stories, bringing to life her characters and the environment around them. Southern Charmed is a fantastic story, taking place in Melanie’s home town, Baton Rouge, Louisiana; with the help of her matchmaking mother and a member of the bishopric, Lila Mae Guidry keeps getting into situations with Max Archer and is even put on a committee with him to put together a multi-stake conference for young adults ages eighteen to thirty. This story is an absolute delight and readers will not want to put it down. I would recommend this novel to readers that enjoy LDS romance.
Genre: LDS, romance Publisher: Covenant Communications Publication date: September 1, 2016 Number of pages: 232 Content Rating: G Book Rating: 5 stars
A review copy of this book was provided by Covenant Communications.
GiveawayTour Schedule
Sept. 12th:
http://mybookaday.blogspot.com/ http://rockinbookreviews.com/ http://ldswritermom.blogspot.com/ Sept. 13th: http://thethingsilovemost.com/ http://www.blogginboutbooks.com/ https://joyinthemoments.wordpress.com/ http://empowermoms.net/ Sept. 14th: http://melsshelves.blogspot.com/ http://iamareader.com/ http://bonnieharris.blogspot.com/ http://heidi-reads.blogspot.com/ Sept. 15th: http://katiescleanbookcollection.blogspot.com/ http://ldsandlovinit.blogspot.com/ http://www.wishfulendings.com/ http://sweetlymadejustforyou.com/blog/ Sept. 16th: http://booksaresanity.blogspot.com/ http://gettingyourreadonaimeebrown.blogspot.com/ http://lisaisabookworm.blogspot.com/ http://literarytimeout.blogspot.com/ http://www.singinglibrarianbooks.com/ http://fireandicereads.com/ About the Book
Classic Regency romance with a dash of suspense . . .
Beautiful Miss Penelope Swinton wants to live out her life as a spinster in her beloved Northamptonshire, but with an ailing father and an entailed estate, she must come to London and enter the Marriage Mart. And if she must marry, she is determined to marry for love. In a brief respite from the social whirl of the season, she retreats from the restrictions of the ton to sketch in the park and stumbles over a French spy. When Penelope finds her life in danger, Viscount Beau Wellingham steps up to protect her, however he has secrets of his own. Wellingham leads a clandestine life as an agent for the Foreign Office trapping spies. In defending her life, he unwittingly puts her reputation at risk. In order to save Penelope from society’s scorn, Beau presses for a betrothal. Though she resists, he insists. Soon Beau is unable to deny the attraction he feels towards her. Before he can act on his feelings, danger rises again. This time, his life is on the line. With a desperate spy closing in, Penelope must choose the safety of what she has always known or a chance for love. But will she be too late? About the Author
G.G. Vandagriff is the author of twenty-four books and is an Amazon #1 Bestselling Author. The Last Waltz, the first novel in her 20th Century Historical Romance Series won the Whitney Award for Best Historical Novel in 2009. There are now two more books in that series—Exile and Defiance.
Nine of her novels are Regency romances, compared by critics to the witty novels of Georgette Heyer. She has also written a lively genealogical mystery series featuring Briggie and Alex, two whacky widows, as sleuths. Other genres she writes in include Contemporary Romance, Women’s Fiction, and Suspense. GG graduated from Stanford and received her master’s degree from George Washington University. She worked as an associate editor at Stanford’s Hoover Institution, an assistant treasurer in the Harvard Treasurer’s office, a bond analyst at Fidelity Investments, and an international banker for Continental Illinois National Bank (later acquired by Bank of America). She and her husband David are the parents of three children and six grandchildren, her greatest joys in life. Her favorite novel? Jane Eyre. She also loves Florence, Sundance Resort, The Voice, hot chocolate, lilacs, and dachshunds. Find out more about her books, download a free novella, and sign up for her newsletter at http://ggvandagriff.com. Also, be the first to know when Vandagriff’s next book is available by following her at http://bookbub.com/authors/G.G.Vandag... to receive new releases and discount alerts. GiveawayTour Schedule
Sept. 12 – LDS and Lovin’ It / Bubblebath Bloggers
Sept. 13 – My Book a Day / Bonnie Gets a Say Sept. 14 – LDS Writer Mom / Wishful Endings Sept. 15 – Smiling Book Reviews / Literary Time Out Sept. 16 – Katie’s Clean Book Collection / Singing Librarian Books TBR Read-a-thon details can be found HERE. Read-a-thon dates: Monday, September 12th, to Monday, September 26th, wrap-up on the 27th Upday Day 3: Wednesday, September 14Books Read: Persuasion: a latter-day tale by Rebecca H. Jamison Pages Read: 93-227 (Check out my review HERE.) Books Read: Falling For You by Heather Gray, Elizabeth Maddrey, Krista Phillips, Carole Towriss, Ginger Solomon, & Marion Ueckermann Pages Read: Read on Kindle. 10% out of 639 pages. So read about 64 pages. Total Books Read: 2 Total Pages Read: 310 (My Hope Next Door) + 227 (Persuasion) + 64 (Falling for You) = 601pg Finished Books: 1)My Hope Next Door by Tammy L. ; 2)Persuasion: a latter-day tale by Rebecca H. Jamison ChallengesI did not complete any challenges for this day. Update Day 4: Thursday, September 15Books Read: Falling For You by Heather Gray, Elizabeth Maddrey, Krista Phillips, Carole Towriss, Ginger Solomon, & Marion Ueckermann Pages Read: Read on Kindle. 10-14% out of 639 pages. So I read from page 64-90, reading about 26 pages. Books Read: Southern Charmed by Melanie Jacobson Pages Read: 1-63 Total Books Read: 2 Total Pages Read: 310 (My Hope Next Door) + 227 (Persuasion) + 90 (Falling for You) + 63 (Southern Charmed) = 690pg Finished Books: 1)My Hope Next Door by Tammy L. ; 2)Persuasion: a latter-day tale by Rebecca H. Jamison ChallengesI did not complete any challenges for this day. Update Day 5: Friday, September 16Books Read: Falling For You by Heather Gray, Elizabeth Maddrey, Krista Phillips, Carole Towriss, Ginger Solomon, & Marion Ueckermann Pages Read: Read on Kindle. 14-17% out of 639 pages. So I read from page 90-109, reading about 19 pages. Books Read: Southern Charmed by Melanie Jacobson Pages Read: 63-76 (Check out my review HERE) Total Books Read: 2 Total Pages Read: 310 (My Hope Next Door) + 227 (Persuasion) + 19 (Falling For You) + 76 (Southern Charmed) =632pg Finished Books: 1)My Hope Next Door by Tammy L. ; 2)Persuasion: a latter-day tale by Rebecca H. Jamison ChallengesI did not complete any challenges for this day. Update Day 6: Saturday, September 17Books Read: Falling For You by Heather Gray, Elizabeth Maddrey, Krista Phillips, Carole Towriss, Ginger Solomon, & Marion Ueckermann Pages Read: Read on Kindle. 17-19% out of 639 pages. So I read from page 109-121, reading about 12 pages and finishing novella 1-An Informal Date by Heather Gray.. Books Read: Southern Charmed by Melanie Jacobson Pages Read: 76-117 Books Read: Dance Over Me by Candee Fick Pages Read: 20% out of of 268 pages. So I read from page 1-54. Total Books Read: 2 Total Pages Read: 310 (My Hope Next Door) + 227 (Persuasion) + 90 (Falling for You) + 117 (Southern Charmed) + 54 (Dance Over Me) = 798pg Finished Books: 1)My Hope Next Door by Tammy L. ; 2)Persuasion: a latter-day tale by Rebecca H. Jamison ChallengesI did not complete any challenges for this day. Update Day 7: Sunday, September 18Books Read: None. Pages Read: 0 Total Books Read: 2 Total Pages Read: 310 (My Hope Next Door) + 227 (Persuasion) + 90 (Falling for You) + 117 (Southern Charmed) + 54 (Dance Over Me) = 798pg Finished Books: 1)My Hope Next Door by Tammy L. ; 2)Persuasion: a latter-day tale by Rebecca H. Jamison ChallengesI did not complete any challenges for this day.
About the Book
When Anne broke off her engagement eight years ago, she thought she'd never see Neil Wentworth again. But when Neil's brother buys the house she grew up in, it seems fate has other plans in store, and Anne is woefully unprepared for the roller coaster of emotions that accompanies Neil's return.
About the Author
Rebecca H. Jamison has lived on a live volcano, excavated the bones of a prehistoric mammal, and won first prize at a rigged chili cook-off. She wrote novels just for fun until she made a New Year’s resolution in 2011 to submit a manuscript to publishers. Her published works are Persuasion: A Latter-day Tale, Emma: A Latter-day Tale, and Sense and Sensibility: A Latter-day Tale.
Rebecca grew up in Virginia. She attended Brigham Young University, where she earned a BA and MA in English. In between college and graduate school, she served a mission to Portugal and the Cape Verde islands. Her job titles have included special education teacher’s aide, technical writer, English teacher, and stay-at-home mom. Rebecca enjoys running, dancing, reading, and watching detective shows. She also likes to chat with teenagers. Summer is her favorite season of the year because she can eat watermelon and hang at the pool. Rebecca and her husband have five boys, so she knows how to pronounce a lot of dinosaur names and how to clean up Legos. They also have one wonderful daughter. Reivew
Persuasion: a latter-day tale by Rebecca H. Jamison is a cute and sweet rendition with a twist of Jane Austen’s Persuasion. This story is of a young women, Anne, who broke off her engagement with Neil Wentworth, the man of her dreams. Anne fully expects never to see Neil ever again, but eight years later, he unexpectedly reappears in her life. Soon after Neil comes back into Anne’s life, she starts dating another nice young man, Will. But as nice as Will is, Anne cannot get Neil out of her head. So Anne must make a choice, be with Will, or let him go for a change with Neil. A delightful modern-day retelling, this story is one that readers will thoroughly enjoy. Filled with delightful Austenish characters and of course romance, I would recommend this novel to readers that enjoy Jane Austen novels with a twist.
Series: A Latter-day Tale Genre: romance, Women’s Fiction, Christian, LDS Publisher: Cedar Fort Publication date: February 14, 2012 Number of pages: 227 Content Rating: G Book Rating: 4 stars
Other books in the series:
2-Emma: a latter-day tale 3-Sense and Sensibility: a latter-day tale A review copy of this book was provided by Cedar Fort. GiveawayI thoroughly enjoy re-tellings of Jane Austen's stories. What other Persuasion re-tellings of Jane Austen's novels do you enjoy? Upday Day 1: Monday, September 12
Update Day 2: Tuesday, September 13First Line ChallengeLink to the First Line Challenge can be found here.
|
Bringing you your next favorite clean read...Need a good book to read? Check here... Anything from regency, romance, historical fiction, contemporary... How to comment on the blog due to weird theme issues:
-Name -Website -Comments -Notify me of new comments to this post by email Need to search the site? Use the search engine below...
Categories
All
Archives
November 2023
|