Refuge at Pine Lake by Rose Chandler Johnson -- Blog Tour Review + Giveaway

About the Book

Series: Pine Haven
Genre:  Christian, Contemporary
Publisher: Chanson Books
Publication date: March 5, 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.
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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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About the Author

Rose Chandler Johnson is known for her heartwarming, inspirational writing. In addition to works of sweet contemporary fiction, her devotional journal, God, Me, and Sweet Iced Tea: Experiencing God in the Midst of Everyday Moments won the Georgia Author of the Year Finalist Award in 2014.

In her novels, Rose brings to life fascinating characters with compelling relationships embracing family, community, and faith. In distinctive southern settings, Rose creates memorable stories that will stir your heart. Readers often say her writing warms the soul as it reaffirms belief in love and wholesome goodness. Don’t be surprised if you sigh with pleasure as you savor the final pages of her stories.
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Rose has lived in a suburb of Augusta, GA for thirty plus years. Before retiring from Georgia’s school system, she taught English, French, and ESOL. Currently, she is an English instructor at a community college. In addition to reading and writing, Rose enjoys cooking, sewing, gardening, and spending time with her six children and her beautiful grandchildren.

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10 Behind the Scenes Facts
​About the Bok

1.    I storyboard my novels the old-fashioned way adding cut-out pictures from magazines for all the characters. I envisioned the girl with strawberry hair as none other than Avril Lavigne.
2.    I have fun creating Pinterest pages for my books.
3.    My protagonists love to cook, as do I. There’s so much food prep in this story I have seriously considered a recipe book to follow.
4.    I kitchen-tested Jenny’s favorite apple strudel muffins three times to perfect the recipe.
5.    Characters’ names are important. For some reason, naming the dogs was the most challenging for me. The pets’ names changed multiple times during the writing process.
6.    My sister Margaret wears only Shalimar perfume. It’s the signature fragrance of a character in the story also named Margaret. This little element in the story was totally unpremeditated.
7.    YouTube was great for live-action research. Even though I used to waterski years ago, YouTube videos refreshed my memory.
8.    For fishing advice, I relied on my youngest son and a friend who lives on Lake Thurmond.
9.    Flora and fauna need to be accurate, even in fiction. My daughter insisted the golden eagle Matt sees had to be a bald eagle because those are the ones we see at Lake Thurmond.
10.  Mr. Charlie is an endearing neighbor in the story. As it happens, my daddy and granddaddy were both named Charlie.

Review

In her sweet Southern romance, Refuge at Pine Lake, Rose Chandler Johnson has written a beautiful story of friendship, healing, and love.  Although a bit slow to get into in the beginning, readers will soon come to know the characters in the story, feeling all their emotions (ups and downs) along the way.  Throughout the story there’s a bit of a love triangle taking place too, which draws readers into the story even more.  A strong theme in this novel is hope.  Hope for healing and for life to get better in the future.  A fairly quick read, this story is one that is perfect for a lazy summer day.
 
Series: Pine Haven
Genre: Christian, contemporary, realistic
Publisher: Chanson Books
Publication date: March 5, 2019
Number of pages: 385
 
A review copy of this book was borrowed from Amazon Kindle Unlimited.  A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own.

Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a $25 Amazon Gift Card.

​Giveaway ends June 14 at 11:59pm MT.
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Enter the giveaway HERE.

Tour Schedule

​Check out the other stops and follow along with the blog tour HERE.