For the first time since their children were born, empty nesters Judith and Stan Winters spent Thanksgiving without the kids, and it's looking like Christmas will be the same. Judith can't bring herself to even start decorating for the holiday; her kids always hung the first ornaments on the tree, ornaments they had made each year since they were toddlers. Sure they were strange-looking--some could be called downright ugly--but they were tradition. A tradition she's heartbroken to miss this year.

With Judith refusing to decorate the bare spruce tree in their living room, Stan knows something must be done. And his only hope for saving the holiday is found in a box of handmade ornaments. ​

​Available to purchase on AMAZON.

Dan Walsh is the bestselling author of several books, including The Unfinished Gift and The Restoration Series with Gary Smalley.  He has won three Carol Awards, and three of his novels were finalists for the RT Book Reviews Inspirational Book of the Year.  A member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Dan served as a pastor for twenty-five years.  He lives with his wife in the Dayton Beach area, where he’s busy researching and writing his next novel.

​Dan Walsh has written a enjoyable holiday story in his latest release, Keeping Christmas.  It is about an empty nester elderly couple that will not only have no family coming home for Thanksgiving, but for Christmas either.  It is about overcoming trials and the depression of a big change.  This story will truly warm your heart this holiday season.  I would recommend this novel to readers that have previously enjoyed Dan Walsh’s stories, as well as those that would enjoy a delightful, quick and easy holiday read.
 
Genre: holiday, Christmas, Contemporary, Christian
Publisher: Revell
Publication date: September 1, 2015
Number of pages: 224
 
Content Rating: 5 stars
Book Rating: G

A review copy of this book was provided by Revell.

For sixty years, a wedding chapel sat silent, waiting for love. But times have changed and the hour has come when it just might be too late.
Retired hall-of-fame football coach Jimmy “Coach” Westbrook never imagined anything would come of his labor of love—the wedding chapel he built for Collette Greer, the woman he fell for back in ‘49. But now an offer has come to turn the chapel into what it was meant to be—a place for love—and Jimmy sees no reason to hang onto his dream any longer.
Photographer Taylor Branson is trying to make a life for herself in New York. Leaving her hometown of Heart’s Bend, Tennessee, she put a lot of things behind her, including her family’s abysmal marriage rate. But love surprises her when she falls head-over-heels for Jack Forester, a top ad man. Their whirlwind romance results in an elopement, and a mountain of doubt. Jack, while genuine in his love for Taylor, can never seem to overcome his own demons to find the words of his heart.
When Taylor takes an assignment in Heart’s Bend, the job does more than send her back to her hometown, but into a world of family secrets buried beneath the sands of time.
When Taylor’s journey intersects with Coach’s, they rediscover the heartbeat of their dreams and that the love they long to hold is right in front of them. And worth every waiting moment.

Available to purchase on AMAZON.

​Wow!  Author Rachel Hauck has created a beautiful and inspiring novel about lost love, finding love, relationships, and hope.  The story is filled with many richly developed characters that readers will fall in love with from page one.  Not only are the characters excellent, but the enthralling intertwined relationships between Talor Branson and her husband Jack and the relationship between Jimmy Westbrook and Collette Greer are uniquely woven together with the connection of an old wedding chapel.  Never having read a book by Rachel Hauck before, I had a pretty good idea that this novel would be delightful, but was unprepared for the exquisite and magnificent way that Rachel puts her thoughts and words into an enriching and inspiring story.  I would highly recommend this story to readers of Womens and Christian Fiction.
 
Genre: Christian, Romance, Contemporary, Historical, Womens Fiction, Chick Lit
Publisher: Zondervan
Publication date: November 17, 2015
Number of pages: 384
 
Content Rating: PG

Where is Christmas?
Disease, freezing temperatures, and the Revolutionary War bring bitter reality to the Reed home in December 1777. Captain Benjamin Reed is ordered to sail a supply shipment south to General George Washington. Days before Shenandoah’s scheduled departure, Ben’s first mate succumbs to smallpox.

Rebecca Reed had never feared the dreaded disease until her one-year-old daughter Felicity breaks out in the telltale rash. In the cold, dark days of Advent, Rebecca, Ben, and the Reed family wait in prayerful hope as Felicity fights for her life and they wonder who could be next.

With the rest of the family at risk, they decide to obtain the forbidden cowpox vaccine. Ben's brother Jonah, his uncle Isaiah, and Shenandoah’s cook Adam Greene venture off in search of the outlawed vaccine. A blizzard hits. A tree crashes. Jonah crumbles to the ground. A woman with the face of an angel aids Jonah, but is it too late? And where are Adam and Isaiah?

As the death toll rises throughout the Colonies, the Reed family prays for more than one Christmas miracle.

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Lisa Belcastro lives with her family on Martha’s Vineyard.  She loves time with her family and friends, running, gardening, outdoor activities, cooking, chocolate, reading, traveling, a healthy dose of adventure, and her cat, Ben, who keeps her company while she creates fictional lives for the numerous characters living inside her head.
 
Lisa runs as an ambassador for TEAM 413 (www.team413.org), and has completed a marathon (26.2 miles) in all fifty states.
 
Lisa’s stories are set on the Vineyard amidst the magnificence of the ocean, the beauty of sandy beaches, rolling hills, and ancient cliffs, as well as the people and events that make the Island so very unique.
 
When she’s not at her desk, Lisa is living in paradise, volunteering at her daughter’s school, serving in her church community, planting and weeding her numerous gardens, training to run the Walt Disney World Dopey Challenge in January 2016, walking the beach looking for sea glass, or enjoying a great meal while she pens the cuisine column for Vineyard Style Magazine.

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1-Favorite quote:  Attitude by Charles Swindoll: “The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude... I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.”
2-Favorite book: The Traveler’s Gift by Andy Andrews. I read this book at least twice a year. Five times would not be unheard of.
3-Favorite dessert:  Chocolate
4-Favorite flower: Lilacs, though Rosa Rugosa and Peonies are close behind
5-Favorite season:  Summer!  I love heat, and sunshine, and going to the beach, and warm nights. Did I mention I like to be warm??
6-Favorite musical: This is a tie:  “Aida” and “Wicked”. I LOVE them both!!
7-Favorite country you want to visit:  Greece! I took two of my girls as their high school graduation present. It was one of our best family vacations. We’d all like to go back again. Hopefully one day.
8-Favorite Restaurant: Chescas – on Martha’s Vineyard
9-Favorite author: Did you really ask this question? I have soooooo many! If I had to, absolutely had to, narrow my selection down to one author, then it would be C.S. Lewis.
10-Favorite holiday:  Christmas!  I start playing my Christmas CDs the day after Thanksgiving, and all my decorations go up.  I love the celebration of Christ’s birthday. I avoid malls and shopping and excessive gift giving. I do my best to immerse myself in the joyous celebration of the greatest gift of all – God’s love for us.

Chapter One
 
“Come on, sweet girl, take a sip of water.” Rebecca Reed held the teaspoon against Felicity’s lips. Although the baby burned with fever, she turned her head away, refusing the water.
Less than two months ago, they’d celebrated Felicity’s first birthday. Now, Rebecca feared her precious girl had contracted a serious case of influenza. For two days, she’d lain limp and despondent, her temperature reduced only with cold compresses and body wraps.
People died from influenza. Lots of people. Rebecca shuddered. She’d grown up untouched by fatal illnesses or the fear of contagious disease. Life in 1777 was so very different from everything she’d lived before she’d unknowingly entered the time portal in her now-husband’s ship, Shenandoah. In this time that was now her present, the colonists were battling Britain for their freedom. Disease and poverty ran rampant and soldiers died every day, victims of starvation, sickness, and freezing temperatures. Rebecca had known all this was going to happen, but she never thought her family might be, or would be, one of the casualties.
Shaking off the thought, Rebecca plunged the damp cloth into the pail of frigid stream water with melting chunks of ice Ben had brought upstairs a half hour ago. She wrung out the excess, then pressed the cloth to Felicity’s neck for a minute. Her temperature had to be close to 103, possibly higher. The cloth warmed almost instantly.
She turned over the beige fabric and placed the cooler side on her daughter’s forehead. Felicity barely moaned, her body wilted from hours of infection.
What Rebecca wouldn’t give for a bottle of children’s ibuprofen, a digital thermometer, and a prescription for Tamiflu. But that was a lifetime ago. Medicine, at least the kind she’d grown up with, wasn’t an option. Herbal treatments, ice baths from the nearly frozen-over stream, and vigilant care were her only options.
Rebecca attempted to give Felicity another sip of feverfew tea she’d boiled and let come to room temperature. The liquid merely dribbled down the side of her sweet little face. Swallowing back sobs, Rebecca rocked Felicity against her chest. “Lord, we need Your healing touch. Please deliver Felicity. Please don’t take my little girl.”
God was close to the sick and brokenhearted. How many times had Rebecca read those verses? Today, she needed to feel Him in the room, next to her, with Felicity. The swag of pine branches and red bow adorning the window reminded her that Christmas was coming. Felicity was too young to understand the holiday’s importance, but Rebecca couldn’t bear to think about Christmas arriving with Felicity still sick . . . or worse.
She kissed her baby on the cheek, then rose and carried her back to the crib. Last week, when General George Washington sent orders that Ben was to sail south before the weekend, Rebecca had moved the crib into the cozy spare room. Ben couldn’t afford to get sick. A fire burned in the hearth of the room that would one day be Felicity’s, and any sisters she might have. Rebecca positioned her in the crib nearer the far wall.  
She gingerly lowered Felicity to the bed, which Ben had lined with sailcloth to protect the mattress during the cooling sessions. If only her baby girl would stir, resisting the separation from her mama. She didn’t. Her fourteen-month-old body didn’t react. Not so much as one finger reached out.
Another sob built in Rebecca’s throat. She fought against the sadness and fear. She would cry later, after Felicity was better, after this nightmare was over. 
Determined to beat whatever ailed her daughter, Rebecca dunked a sheet into the cold water, and then covered Felicity. The goal was to bring her fever down and keep it down. She had halved two large onions and put them on rags around the crib. Whether it was an old wives’ tale or not, many women swore by sliced onions for guarding against germs. Rebecca would do all she could. She couldn’t fail Felicity. Nothing else mattered.  
She glanced out the window. The diminishing light of the setting sun signified the dark days of winter and gave Rebecca an uncomfortable twist in her stomach. She moved across the small room and lit the oil lamp. She needed light—and hope.
Sitting in the rocking chair next to Felicity’s crib, Rebecca began singing the nursery rhymes of her childhood. The songs filled her with sweet memories of her mother and grandmother. She willed Felicity to hear her. How she longed to see her daughter rock from side to side, smiling as her mama sang to her.
“Rebecca!” Ben burst through the door. “I need to see Felicity.”
Startled, Rebecca jumped to her feet. “What’s wrong?”
“Let me examine Felicity first, then I shall explain.”
Her husband, Captain Benjamin Reed, was a kind and loving man, and also a man of detail. He ran a tight ship, missed little, and had earned the respect of his crew and fellow patriots. Feeling their daughter’s forehead, opening her mouth and examining her lips, Ben shook his head.
A new grip of fear crushed Rebecca’s heart. “What is it?”
“My love, I believe our daughter has smallpox.”
“No!” Rebecca wobbled, her body folding in on itself as the news delivered a brutal blow to her mind and body. Smallpox . . .
The dreaded disease that claimed thousands of victims over the last year, the scourge that Rebecca had taken such care to protect her daughter from—how could it have happened? It wasn’t possible for her to be sick. It just couldn’t be!
“How do you know? How can you be so sure?”
            Ben drew a cloth from the bucket of ice water near the crib and laid it on Felicity’s head. “I sent notice to the crew that we were to sail to Delaware Bay to bring supplies to our troops who would winter at Valley Forge. A messenger arrived at the docks an hour ago with a note from William’s father. Upon discovering I was not present, the stable lad gave the note to Jonah, who arrived moments hence with the missive. William is covered in pox, severely ill, and in isolation.”
            Rebecca gasped. Ben’s first mate, William Barton, was such a strong, rugged young man, she couldn’t imagine him sick. Felicity had looked so small in his arms the last time he visited--
“William was here two weeks ago. He played with Felicity. He—” Rebecca couldn’t finish her sentence, couldn’t say aloud what her mind did not want to hear.
            “Aye, my love. It seems that the day after he returned from our meeting, William broke out in the rash.  I remember how tired he looked, but I made no inquiry as to his health. William has never been one to complain. He made no mention of a fever or feeling ill.”
            Rebecca shuddered. William was the Barton’s only son, the oldest of five children. “Is Jonah downstairs? I want to write Mrs. Barton a letter.”
            Ben shook his head. “I sent my brother on his way immediately, telling him that our darling Felicity had been ill and that I now feared she could have smallpox.”
            Running a finger along Felicity’s forehead, Rebecca felt for any sign of the telltale bumps. Nothing. Maybe it was simply the flu. The flu was bad enough, but nothing compared to smallpox. There was hope. “Is anyone else sick?”
            “Nay.” Ben kissed Rebecca’s cheek, and then gently pried open Felicity’s lips to check her gums more thoroughly. No spots. Easing a finger between her gums, Ben opened Felicity’s mouth. No spots.
“Nothing,” Rebecca said, the relief 
Ben cupped her chin and looked into Rebecca’s eyes. “I do not wish to give you false hope, Becca. We must be prepared for the worst. In the coming days, the course of the disease will reveal itself. Or it will not.”
Smallpox.
What if Ben was right? What if William died? What if that dreaded disease had its grip on her daughter?
Ben wrapped his strong arms around them, and began to pray. Rebecca buried her face in the crux of Felicity’s neck and listened to her husband call upon the Lord.
“Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies . . .”

​Lisa Belcastro’s holiday short story A Shenandoah Family Christmas deals with diseases and accidents taking place right before Christmas.  All involved hope to be on the mend and better in time for Christmas, a special time to be with family.  This short story leaves a cliff-hanger to a budding relationship between two characters that will be explored in Lisa’s upcoming release in 2016.  This is a grate transition story from book three to four.  I would recommend this story to readers that have read the other novels in Lisa’s Winds of Change series.
 
Series: Winds of Change
Genre: holiday, historical, romance, science fiction, time travel, Christian
Publisher: Washashore Publishing
Publication date: November 17, 2015
Number of pages: 120
 
Content Rating: G
Book Rating: 5 stars

Other books in the series:
1-Shenandoah Nights
2-Shenandoah Crossings
3-Shenandoah Dreams
4-Shenandoah Song (coming in 2016)
A Shenandoah Christmas—a Winds of Change short story

A review copy of this book was provided by SLB Tours.

December 16--Fiction, Faith, and Fun
December 17--Bookworm Lisa | Reading Is My SuperPower
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December 22--Anna Weaver Hurtt, Inspirational Author | Red Headed Book Lady
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​Can people truly change?
 
Two things keep Holly Campbell grounded: her precocious son and preserving her forty-year-old family diner in the face of expansion and change. She doesn't need a blast from the past like Luke Saxon, who's back in Butterfly Harbor after more than a decade away. The hard-luck kid who nearly destroyed her family, leaving her to pick up the pieces, is taking over as sheriff. She can't trust him, even if Luke's ideas for the town's upcoming anniversary seem to show he's trying to give back to their community. Has Butterfly Harbor found its unlikely savior? And has the widowed single mother finally found a man she can believe in, rely on…and love?

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USA Today and national bestselling author Anna J. Stewart can't remember a time she didn't have a book in her hands or a story in her head. Early obsessions with Star Wars, Star Trek and Wonder Woman set her on the path to creating fun, funny, and family centric romances with happily ever afters for the independent heroines she writes for both Harlequin and Berkley. Anna lives in Northern California where she deals with a serious Supernatural & Sherlock addiction, surrounds herself with friends and family and tolerates an overly affectionate cat named Snickers (or perhaps it's Snickers who tolerates her).

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​

​Author Anna J. Stewart’s latest Harlequin Heartwarming novel, The Bad Boy of Butterfly Harbor, is a beautiful and inspiring story about learning from current and past mistakes, forgiveness, change, and love and friendship not only between adults, but children as well.  Set with a backdrop in the small town of Butterfly Harbor, this story has characters that readers will easily relate to and will fall in love with from the beginning.  I would recommend this story to readers that have previously enjoyed Harlequin Heartwarming novels, as well as enjoy contemporary romance.
 
Genre: contemporary, romance
Publisher: Harlequin Enterprises LTD
Publication date: December 1, 2015
Number of pages: 179
 
Content Rating: PG
Book Rating: 5 stars

A review copy of this book was provided by Prism Book Tours.

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Like heirloom ornaments on a splendid tree, It’s All About Christmas will put you and your family in a festive frame of mind for a glorious holiday season. Stuff ed with stories, songs, poems, Christmas history, joyful traditions, recipes, and activities, this delightful book celebrates all things Christmas—from the sacred story of the Nativity to the lore of Saint Nick. Opening this book is like tearing the paper off a much–anticipated gift, offering new surprises with each turn of the page. Generously illustrated with scores of vibrant vintage images, It’s All About Christmas will remind you of Christmases past, help you appreciate Christmas present, and guide you to creating memories for the Christmases to come.

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Covenant Communication’s book It’s All About Christmas is a book full of holiday joy and pleasure.  Filled with fun and inspirational Christmas stories, poems, carols, historical facts, recipes, and much more, this book will bring pleasure to the entire family.  This is a great table book to have set out and to stop and look at for a few minutes throughout the holiday season.  I recommend this book to families looking for an exciting new holiday book filled with something for everyone.
 
Genre: holiday, Christmas, Christian
Publisher: Covenant Communications
Publication date: October 5, 2015
Number of pages: 231
 
Content Rating: G
Book Rating: 5 stars

A review copy of this book was provided by Covenant Communications.

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Lord Rupert Carrington, heir apparent to the Marquess of Lansdowne and former captain in His Majesty s Royal Navy, cannot forget the girl he loved in his youth, who died after he left to fight in the war against Napoleon. Guilt-ridden, Rupert buries his regret by helping the London detectives of Bow Street take down criminals. But when Rupert ferrets out a ring of smugglers and is marked for death, the prince regent banishes him to a remote corner of England to live among the locals and be known only by his title of captain. Thus, Rupert will remain safe until the villains are arrested and brought to court, where he will offer testimony critical to their conviction. On the first day of Rupert s exile to the wilds of Devon, he meets Alexandra Dancy, a beautiful country miss whose complex character and extraordinary courage stir in him a degree of affection and admiration he has not yet felt for any lady. As fate or Providence would have it, Alexandra and her family, whose property backs his on the other side of a canal, have been hired to provide Rupert s meals and to care for his house and stables. When Rupert s friendship and warm attentions awaken Alexandra s heart, she suffers the torment of loving a man she believes is of a higher social class than he pretends, and therefore beyond her reach. The impoverished Dancys hide their own aristocratic origins to protect a dark secret known to only one man Cecil Bedford, a blackguard of the first order, who wields a cruel power over Alexandra and her family. Can Rupert save her from Bedford s clutches and topple the seemingly insurmountable barriers to winning her love and her hand?

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Wanda Luce developed a passion for English historical fiction that blossomed in her girlhood as she devoured the works of Jane Austen, Charles Dickenson, Georgette Heyer, Pamela Aidan, and others.  Wanda’s debut regency romance, Lydia, was published by Walnut Springs Press in 2011.
 
Wanda graduated from Brigham Young University with a bachelor’s degree in German literature.  She currently lives in Bountiful, Utah, with her husband, Darrell, and their dog, Watson—alias Mr. Piddles.  Wanda is the mother of two loving sons, Jonathan and David.  An avid traveler she lived in Germany for over a year, exploring castles and strolling down cobblestone streets.

Wanda Luce’s latest release, In the Wilds of Devon, is the greatly anticipated historical fiction, regency, clean romance novel that readers have been waiting for.  This story has everything a reader needs deception, scandal, crime, intrigue, and of course romance.  Forced into obeying the commands of her almost fiancé due to financial problems, Alexandra Dancy and Lord Rupert Carrington whom is currently in hiding so he can testify at court will charm readers from page one with their engaging and lovely relationship.  Not only has Wand created characters that readers will love, but it is set in the regency ear as a backdrop.  I highly recommend this novel to readers that enjoy clean, historical-regency fiction.
 
Genre: historical fiction, regency, clean romance
Publisher: Walnut Springs Press
Publication date: August 16, 2015
Number of pages: 350
 
Content Rating: PG
Book Rating: 5 stars

Seaside Christmas by Stacy Claflin
He can’t stand her. She thinks he’s crazy. Will their feelings stay etched in permanent ink?
Cruz Hunter has always stuck out in his small hometown. Now that he’s covered in tattoos, the residents peg him as even more of an outcast. It seems like the whole world is against his dream of opening a local tattoo parlor.
When he finally finds the perfect place for his new business, Cruz discovers a pastor and his daughter have already bought it. The only thing more irritating than the change in his plan is Talia, a beautiful and feisty argument in a dress. Cruz would like nothing more than to have her out of his life and his mind, but for some reason, she’s the only thing he can think about.
If Cruz and Talia can stop arguing long enough, opposites may do much more than attract.

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Meet the Hunter brothers of Kittle Falls…

The Seaside Hunters novels are a series of contemporary sweet romances. They’re set in the beach town of Kittle Falls, following the Hunter brothers as they make their way back to their hometown and find the loves they couldn’t elsewhere. Each book is a standalone.

I don’t stick to a single genre in my writing, reading, or viewing. My favorite shows include Supernatural, The Walking Dead, Pretty Little Liars, Lost Girl, Vampire Diaries, and Once Upon a Time.
I’ve been writing and telling stories for as long as I can remember. As a kid, my story telling would get me into trouble because I would try to convince others that my stories were real.
When I’m not busy writing, I like spending time with my family and friends. I also educate my kids from home.

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​Cruz double-checked the house number and walked up the sidewalk and to their walkway. A street lamp turned on as he walked underneath. He’d gone over what he was going to say countless times. There weren’t any other buildings in town he could use for his tattoo shop—the city council had made it clear the only place he would be allowed to do business was the outskirts of town—so he needed to be convincing if he wanted to talk them out of the building.
His sense of humor and charm had always gotten him out of trouble growing up, so he needed to tap into that. So many times, all he’d had to do was tell a joke and laugh, and his teachers would just melt and let him get away with whatever trouble he’d created. It didn’t work quite as well now that he had facial hair and tattoos, but that wouldn’t stop him from trying.
Cruz walked up the steps to the porch and knocked on the door, avoiding a wreath. It smelled of pine, like it had been freshly made.
Noise sounded from inside, and then the door opened. The blonde chick from the day before—what was her name again?—stood before him, wearing another dress. It was bright yellow with a pattern of tropical flowers. Her hair was pulled back and a floral scent engulfed him—her perfume?
She smiled and stepped back. “Come on in, Cruz.”
And she remembered his name. He forced a smile and nodded a thanks, stepping inside. The house had bare furnishings and almost no decorations, spare a few holiday ones.
Blondie closed the door and then Cruz saw a pile of moving boxes. That’s right. They were new to town. “Nice place.”
“We’re still trying to figure out where everything is. You know how moving is.”
“Not really.”
She raised an eyebrow. 
“But I imagine it’s a pain in the—uh, neck. I grew up in one house, and the only time I moved was when I went to college, and all I packed fit on my motorcycle.”
Her gorgeous blue-green eyes widened. “Really?”
“Don’t look so shocked. I went to UCLA. I graduated, even.”
“That’s not what surprised me. It was because you got everything on a motorcycle.”
He shrugged.
“Isn’t UCLA hard to get into? Less than ten percent get in, don’t they?”
Cruz looked away. “I didn’t really pay attention. Just wanted to hang out in LA for a while.”
“What brought you back here?”
“Sure wasn’t the town. My dad had some health problems and I wasn’t really gettin’ along with the guy I was working for, so I just packed up my bike and came back.”
“Is your dad okay?” Talia’s eyes widened. “Do you guys need anything?”
“No, he’s okay now. Takin’ care of himself and everything. My mom and all five of us brothers help out, too.” 
“Oh, good. Well, if you do need something, you have our number.”
Cruz nodded and slid off his jacket. Her eyes widened as her gaze went over his heavily tattooed arms. He tried to tell if she was judging him or checking them out. It was hard to tell because her expression didn’t reveal anything. He’d been judged before by religious people, making wild assumptions based on his body art.
Cruz flexed both arms and then held out his jacket. “Someplace I can hang this?”

Sometimes first impressions and judgements of a person are not always accurate.  Cruz and Talia do not get along from the beginning.  Cruz is setting up his own tattoo parlor by refurbishing an old hair salon and Talia is helping her father restore an old abandoned church. In book five of the Seaside Hunters series, Seaside Christmas, by Stacy Claflin, readers will experience the chemistry and romance between these two as they discover what true love really is.  With relatable characters and an entertaining story, readers that enjoy contemporary romance, holiday fiction will love this story.
 
Series: Seaside Christmas
Genre: romance, holiday, contemporary, fiction
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Publication date: November 6, 2015
Number of pages: 224
 
Other books in the series:
1-Seaside Surprises
2-Seaside Heartbeats
3-Seaside Dances
4-Seaside Kisses
 
Content Rating: PG
Book Rating: 5 stars

A review copy of this book was provided by I am a Reader.

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December 9th
Reading Nook – Review
Author June McCrary Jacobs – Spotlight
Beck Valley Books – Spotlight
BookHounds – Spotlight
December 10th
Mel’s Shelves – Review
Smiling Book Reviews – Review
Mom With a Reading Problem – Review
The Cheshire Cat’s Looking Glass – Spotlight
Curling Up With A Good Book – Spotlight
December 11th
A Leisure Moment – Review
deal sharing aunt – Spotlight
Mythical Books – Spotlight
A Writer’s Dream – Spotlight
Cassandra M’s Place – Spotlight
Adventures in Publishing – Spotlight
December 14th
My Creatively Random Life – Review
3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, &, Sissy, Too! – Spotlight
Gustosa Giveaways – Spotlight
December 16th
Singing Librarian Books – Review
Kerrific – Review
Christy’s Cozy Corners – Spotlight
Practical Frugality – Spotlight
Melanie D. Snitker, Author – Spotlight
Amber Daulton – Spotlight
December 18th
Bookworm Lisa – Review
Lisa’s Research & Reviews – Review
fundinmental – Spotlight
THE SELF-TAUGHT COOK – Spotlight

Lydia’s job at the library is her world—until a mysterious patron catches her eye . . . and perhaps her heart.
Just months after the closure of the Chicago World’s Fair, librarian Lydia Bancroft finds herself fascinated by a mysterious dark-haired and dark-eyed patron. He has never given her his name; he actually never speaks to a single person. All she knows about him is that he loves books as much as she does.
Only when he rescues her in the lobby of the Hartman Hotel does she discover that his name is Sebastian Marks. She also discovers that he lives at the top of the prestigious hotel and that most everyone in Chicago is intrigued by him.
Lydia and Sebastian form a fragile friendship, but when she discovers that Mr. Marks isn’t merely a very wealthy gentleman, but also the proprietor of an infamous saloon and gambling club, she is shocked.
Lydia insists on visiting the club one fateful night and suddenly is a suspect to a murder. She must determine who she can trust, who is innocent, and if Sebastian Marks—the man so many people fear—is actually everything her heart believes him to be.

Lydia’s job at the library is her world—until a mysterious patron catches her eye . . . and perhaps her heart.
Shelley Gray is the author of The Heart of a Hero series. Her Amish novel (written as Shelley Shepard Gray), "The Protector," recently made the New York Times best seller list. A native of Texas, she earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Colorado and taught school for ten years. She and her husband have two children and live in Southern Ohio. |

The third book in the Chicago World’s Fair series, Whispers in the Reading Room, does not disappoint.  This book has a fantastic combination of historical fiction, mystery, and romance that readers will love.  The story focusus on librarian Lydia Bancroft, a woman that has fallen on hard financial times, and Sebastian Marks, the owner of a deep-rooted saloon and gambling establishment for men, the Silver Grotto.  With well-developed characters and a delightful and engaging story back dropped in Chicago, readers will be hooked from page one.
 
Series: Chicago World’s Fair
Genre: historical, mystery, romance, Christian
Publisher: Zondervan
Publication date: November 10, 2015
Number of pages: 352
 
Other books in the series:
1-Secrets of Sloane House
2-Deception on Sable Hill
 
Content Rating: PG
Book Rating: 5 stars