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Romantic Reads and Such

~ thoughts on romances

Romantic Reads and Such

Monthly Archives: November 2017

Book Review – Wanted: Mom for Christmas

29 Wednesday Nov 2017

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Book Review, Cates Brothers series, Lee Kilraine, Wanted: Mom for Christmas

Wanted: Mom for Christmas

Cates Brothers series

by Lee Kilraine

Christmas is coming to Climax, North Carolina—and it’s delivering an unexpected second chance right to Hawk Savage’s door…

For small-town cop and single dad Hawk Savage, Christmas tends to be more hassle and worry than mistletoe and magic. His daughter, Heather, is ten going on teenager, while his son, Henry Lee, has decided he needs a mommy, ASAP. HL’s constant matchmaking is enough to break a father’s heart, but Hawk has a more immediate problem. His high-school girlfriend, Nora Joy, just arrived on his doorstep, claiming to be his family’s new Rent-A-Mom. He sure didn’t hire her, but he can’t turn Nora’s admittedly shapely tush out on the street.

Sidelined by injury, Olympic medal-winning volleyball player Nora receives a mysterious Rent-A-Mom job offer just when her finances, and her spirits, are at an all-time low. True, she’s not much for cooking. Or housekeeping. Still, it’s hard to resist Hawk’s children…and Hawk himself has changed from the lanky teenager she once knew to a strong, steady, very tempting man.

Christmas in Climax is shaping up to be full of surprises. But the biggest one of all might be the happy-ever-after that a little boy’s Christmas wish can bring…

This is one of those holiday stories with just the tiniest of supernatural twists.  It reminds me so much of those Hallmark Channel Christmas movies where Santa or an angel or a ghost helps to get the couple together for their HEA.  I love those movies so that made it even more fun!

Nora is at loose ends and thanks to a little holiday magic she finds herself on Hawk’s doorstop just when he needs her.  While she’s definitely not Mary Poppins she does have a HUGE heart and finds herself quickly drawn into their lives.  It’s definitely hard stepping into a role that hasn’t been filled since Hawk’s wife passed away but if anyone can win over the little family it will be her.

Hawk is doing everything he can for his kids but he’s definitely finding himself stretched a little thin as his daughter approaches her teenage years and his son is desperate for a mom.  When he finds himself face to face with an old girlfriend he starts thinking things he hasn’t for a very long time.  He’s dedicated himself to being the best dad he can but maybe it is time to start thinking as a man too …

Short and cute and full of holiday fun, Wanted: Mom for Christmas is perfect for those (like me) who just love those feel-good, candy-sweet, made-for-tv movies 🙂

(Oh, and I had no idea this was a part of a series so obviously it can easily stand on its own.)

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Book Review – Until You Loved Me

28 Tuesday Nov 2017

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Book Review, Brenda Novak, Silver Springs series, Until You Loved Me

Until You Loved Me

Silver Springs series

by Brenda Novak

New York Times bestselling author Brenda Novak returns to Silver Springs

Sometimes starting over means finding everything you’ve been missing…

After catching her fiancé cheating—with another man—usually straitlaced, workaholic scientist Ellie Fisher liberates her wild side just long enough to indulge in a passionate one-night stand with a tall, dark stranger she meets at a trendy Miami bar. Embarrassed by her recklessness, she ducks out the following morning without learning the guy’s full name, something that shouldn’t have been a problem…until a pregnancy test turns positive.

Being a professional football player, Hudson King has always been cautious around women. But this one had been different—so disinterested in his celebrity, so convincingly into him. When Ellie tracks him down, claiming she’s carrying his baby, he’s stunned. And more than a little betrayed.

But after growing up as an orphan, he’ll do anything to stay involved in his child’s life, so he urges Ellie to move to Silver Springs, where they can co-parent. Hudson has a lot of love to give, certainly enough for his child, and when their initial spark reignites, perhaps for Ellie, too…

In an interesting twist for a romance, a good portion of the early part of the story has the two on their own.  But in a weird way it kinda works because as a reader we get a better understanding of our lead characters.  For the romance though it kinda was bad because that meant that the two leads didn’t get to know each other during that time.  It’s realistic for how the story flows but does make the love story part a little harder to get to.  Being as skilled as she is, though, Novak does make it work.  Once they start spending time together, Ellie and Hudson somehow manage to get past their insecurities and learn to be brave enough to go after what they want.  It just takes a while … but what else do you expect in a romance 🙂

I really enjoyed Ellie – she’s super smart but her confidence has taken a bit of a hit because of her cheating, no-good ex.  A night with Hudson definitely goes a long way in getting her mojo back … until she finds herself pregnant and no way to contact the father.  I’m sure finding out that he’s a famous NFL player wasn’t easy but she handles it well (and I have to say she’s a lot more forgiving and understanding than I would have been.)

Hudson’s past definitely makes finding out he has a baby on the way a shock.  He’s always done what he could to limit the chance of an accidental pregnancy because no baby of his would ever feel unwanted.  So he does everything he can to make sure that he will be there now … after he pulls a few bonehead moves, of course!  While there may have been a few moments when I wanted to smack him, I always understood where he was coming from and the idea of what he’s gone through, and is currently experiencing, after being abandoned as a baby is heartbreaking.

Full of all the feels, realism, and interesting characters that you’d expect from a Novak book, Until You Loved Me is another great addition to the Silver Springs series.

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Spotlight – Second Chance Christmas

27 Monday Nov 2017

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Sneak Peek

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Casey Dawes, Second Chance Christmas

I can’t say enough how much I just LOVE this time of year – holiday romances are one of my most favorite things ever!

And I am so, so, SO happy that Casey Dawes took a little bit of time to stop by today to share with us a little inside look at her newest.  You guys are going to be so excited to meet Findley (and Reese) after this 🙂

*****

Second Chance Christmas grew from a promise.

I’m a substitute teacher for a school that has K through 8th grade. Yes, that’s quite a range, and I’ve done it all. I’ve been there for about five years.

I tell them I’m a writer because I want to encourage them to dream big dreams. And they always want to be in my books.

I made a promise to Findlay that my next book would be about her. She was in seventh grade at the time–blond, braces, and loud! She’d charge into the classroom, see I was there, and shout, “Ms. D-a-a-a-ws!” at the top of her lungs. Unfortunately, the family left town before this book was published. I know I’m not the only one at school that misses her.

Working my fair share of special needs jobs, I’ve come to know and respect the teachers and other professionals who patiently work with them, teaching them not only their ABCs, but also how to use words instead of fists, comb their hair, and learn to be a friend. I pulled a name from one of those students, as well as the image of the tall teacher who supports Kelly Anne in her growth.

I do love to read romantic suspense, and I saw writing Second Chance Christmas as a way of experimenting with it. My son works in the aerospace industry with a subcontractor. He had mentioned the minute specifications he has to meet. That gave me an idea for a company.

After spending a huge chunk of time in Silicon Valley, I had a good idea of what they start-up world was like. A number of stories about entrepreneurs embezzling from their company caught my eye, and the suspense story fell together.

Even with a romantic suspense, though, the love story needs to be central. What about an interrupted romance? Haven’t you ever wondered what happened to your high school love? (Word of warning: I found mine. He was very different from what I’d remembered and realized we never would have worked if we’d stayed together!)

If you’ve been in love for more than a gnat’s breath, you know there is plenty of opportunity to forgive and be forgiven. We all do boneheaded things now and again. When we’re very young, those things are amplified by our inexperience. If Findlay and Reese have a second chance, they’re going to have to dig down deep and do a whole lot of forgiving and develop some solid trust.

That is if Findlay can prove her innocence.

*****

Second Chance Christmas

by Casey Dawes

Genre:  Contemporary Romance with Suspense Elements

Blurb:

’Tis the season for second chances, in this heartwarming story of star-crossed lovers reuniting.

Findley Callahan has until Christmas, a scant six months away, to prove to the court she can provide a loving and safe home for her learning-disabled child. So she retreats to the only haven she’s known: her mother’s house in Missoula, Montana, where she can make a new start and find a good job.

Reese Moore can’t believe it when his teenage love arrives to work at his father’s company. But there’s bad blood between their families, dating back to a business partnership that drove Findley’s father to suicide.

When Findley is targeted by someone trying to pin corporate fraud on her, Reese is determined to save her—but will their broken hearts be able to forge a new future amid old hurts and new threats during this season of love and goodwill?

“A Christmas card from Montana filled with mystery, hope, and a hard-won happily ever after.” Kari Lynn Dell, best-selling author of the Texas Rodeo series.

Amazon| Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Kobo | Google Play | Simon & Schuster

*****

Excerpt:

Findlay Callahan’s bare fingers gripped the steering wheel as she pulled into her mother’s driveway in Missoula, Montana. The crunch of gravel drowned out the soft snore of her four-year-old daughter, sound asleep in the back seat. The little girl was safe for now.

She turned off the car and breathed a sigh of relief. The normal seven plus hour drive from Seattle had stretched to ten with frequent stops. Long trips made Kelly Anne cranky. Only a potty stop would do.

The girl didn’t drink enough to have to go that much.

Fingering the locket at her throat, Findlay smiled, her first since the last push from Spokane.

Six months. That’s what the judge had given her to prove her case. If she failed, it would be the worst Christmas in her daughter’s life.

She wasn’t going to let that happen.

Leaving a sleeping Kelly Anne in her car seat, she pulled a few suitcases from the trunk and walked up the side walk.

“Hi, Mom,” she said when her mother opened the door.

Instead of answering, her mother pulled her close, like she’d done when Findlay was a child who’d had a rotten day.

Now it was a rotten life.

“Kelly Anne sleeping?” her mom asked.

Findlay nodded.

“Poor little thing. I’ve got your rooms all ready. Let me take your things.”

Her mom’s shoulders strained under the weight of the bags, but she lugged them toward the back of the house anyway.

No matter what, her mother kept on chugging. It was good to be home.

Findlay returned to the car to rouse her daughter.

“Okay, sweetie. We’re at Grandma’s. Remember I told you we were coming to stay with her for a while?”

The panic in Kelly Anne’s eyes dimmed at the word Grandma.

“Gramma,” she said.

“Yep, that’s right.” She lifted the child from the car seat. “Can you walk, sweetie?”

“Yes.”

Her daughter gripped her hand tightly as they plodded toward the house. If they were lucky, nothing would distract her from the straight shot.

When they got close, her mother opened the door.

Kelly Anne yanked her hand away and ran to her grandmother. Mom scooped her up and swirled her around, the girl’s fine blond hair swirling with the movement.

Joy filled Findlay like water pouring into a dry well after a soaking rainstorm.

“Hungry?” her mother asked. She looked at Kelly Anne. “I’ve got chicken nuggets.”

“Nuggets!” Delighted at her favorite food, Kelly Anne dashed down the hallway before stopping abruptly. She turned around, forehead furrowed and stared at Findlay.

“Kitchen is that way,” she said, and pointed to the archway.

“Not any better?” her mother asked.

“She never will be, Mom. It’s not a disease; it’s the way her brain is wired. There’s some things she’s going to have to relearn again and again for the rest of her life. Once she’s been here for a while, she’ll remember where things are.”

Their third therapist had finally diagnosed the problem–a learning disorder that caused her to be overwhelmed by changes. The knowledge had increased her ex’s subtle derision of Findlay’s ability as a mom.

He didn’t think she did anything right.

Findlay blew air out in a big puff. Her daughter was safe from Chris’s sharp tongue for now.

She trundled toward her room in the back.

“I got you two percent milk for your coffee in the morning,” her mom said as she entered the kitchen. “Just like you use. And there’s a bottle of Chardonnay in the fridge. Figured you’d enjoy it after the long drive from Seattle.”

“Thanks, Mom.” Findlay kissed her mother’s cheek. “You’re the best.” She pulled a wine glass from the cupboard where they’d been stored for the last fifteen years of her life, poured a glass of wine, and leaned against the counter while her mother nuked a plate of nuggets. Everything in the kitchen was spotless, outdated, and familiar―the old stove with the tilted electric burners, the side-by-side Sears fridge with the cracking gaskets, and the dish rack on the yellowing countertop.

It hadn’t always been that way. Brian Moore had stolen everything they had, including her father. Someday, somehow, she was going to get back at him.

“You should rest tomorrow,” her mother said, “Get Kelly Anne settled in.”

“I can’t. I need to find a job.”

“Can’t it wait?”

“Not if I want to keep custody,” she said quietly, glancing at her daughter who was happily gnawing on nuggets.

“When’s Daddy gonna get here?” Kelly Anne paused with a nugget in the air.

Knife to the heart.

“I told you sweetheart, Daddy needs to stay at home for now.”

“But w-h-y-y-y?”

The drawn out word meant bedtime. She exchanged glances with her mother.

“Do you want to see your new room?” Mom asked. “There’s someone there waiting to meet you.”

“Yes, yes, yes!”

“Well, let’s go then. We’ll stop at the bathroom first and get you cleaned up. Mr. H and his banana aren’t going to want to meet a messy girl covered with ketchup.”

“Why does he have a banana?” The nugget dropped to the plate, and Kelly Anne slipped her red-stained hand into her grandmother’s as they left the room.

The late afternoon summer sun streamed through the window. She picked up her daughter’s plate, dumped the food from it, and washed it, staring out the window as she did. Summer in Montana was precious for its brevity. Kind of like her daughter’s life. Kelly Anne grew up more every second, it seemed.

She needed to snatch every moment she had.

But even that would have to wait. Finding a job was her top priority.

*****

Author Info:

Casey Dawes has lived a varied life–some by choice, some by circumstance. Her master’s degree in theater didn’t prepare her for anything practical, so she’s been a teacher, stage hand, secretary, database guru, manager in Corporate America, business coach, and writer.

She has one son, one daughter and four step-children, and is married to the love of her life. They reside in Montana where she writes, supports other authors, and coaches on the banks of the Clark Fork River. The couple has been adopted by an orange male cat named Tigger.

http://www.stories-about-love.com/

 

 

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Book Review – Can’t Walk Away

22 Wednesday Nov 2017

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Book Review, Can't Walk Away, Nashville Dreams series, Sandy James

Can’t Walk Away

Nashville Dreams #1

by Sandy James

In Nashville the stars shine a little brighter, songs sound a little sweeter, and love lasts a lifetime.

Young, rich, and better looking than a man has a right to be, successful songwriter Brad “Hitman” Maxwell was once Nashville’s biggest celebrity. Then a heartbreaking loss and a shocking betrayal caused his light to go out. Now, instead of pouring his soul into song, he pours beers at Words & Music. His bar is the perfect escape–a place to forget his past–until the night she takes the stage…

Savannah Wolf used to dream of becoming Nashville’s hottest star. Now, as a young single mom, she dreams of a steady income and being home to tuck her daughter into bed. So when Brad Maxwell offers her the gig of a lifetime–playing as the headliner at Words & Music–Savannah discovers the best of both worlds. And she refuses to ruin this opportunity by falling for her sexy boss. Except that Brad suddenly starts writing music again… music inspired by her.

Both Brad and Savannah have super trust issues, which you can imagine what that means.  Yep, just a few bumps that end up being a bigger deal than maybe they should have been.  Part of their problem is that they have a pretty hard time ignoring their attraction to each other so they are moving pretty fast.  Leading to lots of assumptions and jumping to conclusions that is only exacerbated by their trouble with trusting each other.

Granted both of them have their reasons.  Brad’s marriage wasn’t what he thought it was and when he finds out it changes a lot about how he sees the world.  It also damaged his confidence and he tried to get it back with women … lots of women.  And since Savannah’s last relationship was with a scoundrel who took off with all of her money and left her alone, she’s not exactly feeling all that sure of herself either.

The nice thing though is that James does a great job of having Savannah stand up for herself.  She knows what she wants and she’s not willing to back down.  She just has to make sure that Brad actually hears her, which isn’t always the easiest of things.  He’s not completely clueless though and does figure things out eventually 🙂

Make sure that you are ready for a lot of ups and downs, because things are not easy for these two.  But I found the ride differently worth the bumps.

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Book Review – Becoming Bella

21 Tuesday Nov 2017

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Becoming Bella, Book Review, Ghost Falls series, Sarah Hegger

Becoming Bella

The Ghost Falls series

by Sarah Hegger

This Christmas, a good reputation can really get in a girl’s way . . .

As long as she can remember, Bella Erikson’s been the unofficial sweetheart of Ghost Falls, Utah. And ever since Nate Evans dipped her braids in purple paint in the first grade, he’s been her dream guy. Not that she minds the attention, but sometimes she wishes people saw more in her than just the girl who still has a crush on Sheriff Evans. She has a life after all, a new dress shop to run, and more mature relationships to pursue . . .

Nate knows he’s not good enough for sweet Bella. But he’s pretty sure the new guy sending her heart emojis and giant bouquets isn’t either. And when Bella’s suitor turns stalker, protecting Bella isn’t just Nate’s instinct—it’s his duty. Crammed together for safety and really talking for the first time in years, Bella and Nate can’t fight the moment their chemistry turns into pyrotechnics. Whether it will burn them out or light up the sky, only time will tell . . .

Bella and her decades old crush on Nate is so darn cute.  And you have to feel for her because it definitely isn’t a secret – the whole town knows and isn’t afraid to point it out.  But you have to give her some credit for trying to move on … except she happens to do it with a stalker.  Yeah, that didn’t go so well.  The good part is that it puts her in close proximity to Nate and finally has him addressing his own feelings.  And the bad part is, well, there’s a stalker.

I think that Hegger handles that part really well.  There’s danger but she never makes light of the situation.  It is a serious issue and they take it as such.  I think she also handles everyone’s feelings well too.  Now, some may think that with a stalker on the loose that Mr. Alpha Sheriff might want to tone it done a few times but Bella doesn’t seem to mind 🙂

It’s a slow process for Nate to forgive himself for his past and figure out that he’s good enough for Bella.  But lucky for him she’s willing to wait him out.  And once he gets his act together, Nate is definitely gold in the SO department.

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Book Review – Hidden Hearts

20 Monday Nov 2017

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Book Review, Hidden Hearts, Lovestruck Librarians series, Olivia Dade

Hidden Hearts

by Olivia Dade

AN ADMIRER WITH A SECRET . . .

Mary Higgs could be the poster girl for the buttoned-up librarian. She follows the rules. Stays ʼtil closing. Her kindness and dedication to her patrons is legendary. But those patrons have no idea what she’s typing to the mysterious shut-in who emailed the library needing a library card three months ago . . .

When the elusive Miles O’Connor shows up, he’s no invalid. A year ago, he was the gleaming, ab-sational star of the small screen. Then came the accident. Now he’s a wounded recluse with a pizza habit and fears so unshakable that only the thought of losing Mary to an online date could lure him out of his cabin.

Soon their email rapport has turned into weekends on the couch, watching tearjerkers and driving each other insane with red-hot makeout sessions. But as the desire grows and their horizons expand, the life that brought them together might not be enough for either of them . . .

“Love is never out of reach for the librarians of the Nice County Library System . . . Sarah’s charm and humor are perfectly suited to a beach read.” —Publishers Weekly on Ready to Fall

I absolutely LOVE the way that Dade handles Miles and his issues.  There’s a lot of understanding there for what he is going thru, has gone thru, and will face in his future.  She gave me a lot to think about and I think that is always a sign of a well-done book.  I also think that she gave Mary and her problems a fair shake as well.  Her’s may not have been as dramatic as Miles’s but they are just as impactful and she needs to address them before she can make a life she truly enjoys.

The romance between the two is super sweet and relatively low key.  There’s very little angst there, instead it is humorous and touching and expands slowly as they two get to know each other.  My only complaint, and it is because I really enjoyed these two so much, is that the ending was a little abrupt.  I would really have liked to have an epilogue or one more chapter just so I could have gotten a touch more of their HEA 🙂

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Book Review – So Bad It Must Be Good

17 Friday Nov 2017

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Book Review, Nicole Helm, So Bad It Must Be Good

So Bad It Must Be Good

by Nicole Helm

Wrong guy. Wrong situation. Might be right.

Free of her overbearing family and their dreams, not hers, Kayla Gallagher is living for herself instead of for her clan’s successful restaurant. Step One: finally make her move on Aiden Patrick, the bad-boy son of Gallagher’s long-time repairman. Too bad Aidan’s taciturn older brother shows up instead . . .

As the “responsible Patrick,” Liam has always made a conscious choice to do the right thing. He likes fixing things for people—whether it be a broken appliance or a bad situation. Which means he can’t just brush off the quiet Gallagher. Clearly, she needs a shoulder to lean on. But suddenly a shoulder becomes so much more, and Kayla isn’t the quiet little girl she used to be. She’s a vivid, down-for-anything woman showing Liam several sizzling ways to put passion first . . .

As things heat up between them, Liam’s family threatens to come apart for good. The only way Liam can set things right means giving up Kayla. But she’s not about to take no for an answer—or let their chance for something sweeter than desire crash-and burn without a fight.

I think that some readers may have a problem with Kayla.  She’s at a crossroads in her life and she seems to have spent quite a bit of time moping about it instead of actually doing anything constructive.  Doesn’t even seem like she’s done any real soul searching.  Instead she seems to be waiting for things to come to her and push her where she needs to be.  Lucky for her she runs into Liam.

Liam has always lost any coolness he might have when he’s around Kayla.  As they spends some time together, though, things start to change and their attraction begins to grow.  He shows himself to be an awesomely sexy closet alpha that is just looking for the right woman to complete his life.  Unfortunately his role as the family fixer may throw their romance a few curve balls.

It’s not easy juggling everything for everyone but Liam has a need to try and it just happens to conflict with Kayla’s issues stemming from her relationship with her own family.  I’m not saying that there isn’t a problem with the Patrick family dynamic, just that unfortunately it crosses uncomfortably with the Gallagher’s.  It’s not a good situation for either of them but luckily they work through it well and quickly.

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Book Review – Summer Return

16 Thursday Nov 2017

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Book Review, Elise K. Ackers, Summer Return

Summer Return

by Elise K. Ackers

He’ll never come back to stay, unless someone asks him to…

Funerals can bring people together who are best kept apart. Ethan Foster, home to mourn his sister-in-law, finds himself as unwelcome as ever in the town that once meant the world to him. For more than a decade he’s been saddled with a bad reputation – a drunk, a deserter – and he’s lived with it, will keep living with it, because the only way to clear his name is to share his secrets. But the secrets are not his to tell and their telling would destroy the family he loves and the woman he’s never forgiven himself for leaving behind.

Samantha O’Hara once loved freely, but now she doesn’t. Now she leaves before she’s left and keeps her vulnerabilities tucked away. But when Ethan Foster walks back into town, finally looking at her the way she always wanted him to, she finds her hard-won armour developing chinks. She can’t – won’t – have anything to do with any reinvention Ethan is going through. But maybe this isn’t a new Ethan… Maybe he’s the same Ethan she fell in love with all those years ago.

And maybe, just maybe, this time their love will be strong enough to make him stay.

*Originally published as Ask Me To Stay. Expanded and revised edition.

There’s a lot of 3 star (or lower) reviews for this book and I’m not sure they are all deserved.  I think part of the problem is that this was marketed as a romance but it is really more of a women’s fiction story … although, can you say that if the main character who does the growing is a man?  Ethen does a lot evaluating through the story – his life and relationships – and has to decide what he wants his future to look like.

Unfortunately all of this reflecting comes because of the death of his sister-in-law.  Home for her funeral he doesn’t head out of town right away like he normally does.  Instead he finds himself spending time with his brother, niece & nephew, and the only woman he’s ever loved.  And it’s causing him to really think.  He has his reasons for staying away but it’s getting harder and harder to remember why they were so important.

I feel bad for all of the people involved but especially how much Ethan felt like he had to isolate himself from those he loved.  There are misunderstandings, miscommunications, and hard feelings that they just feel like they can’t talk about.  It’s been hard for all of them and luckily they finally reach a point where they have to do something to make things right again.

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Guest Post – Jennifer Silverwood

15 Wednesday Nov 2017

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour

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Jennifer Silverwood, Second Chances series, She Walks in Moonlight

After Jennifer and I put together her stop for She Walks in Moonlight we thought it might be fun if she took over with a guest post for a day.  And since she’s a way better writer than me (after all who has written a book? not this girl!), I jumped at the chance to turn today over to her – enjoy!!!

*****

Do you remember the first time a love story made you swoon as a child? I still remember watching intimate scenes in movies, like in Last of the Mohicans how Nathaniel promise Cora “I will find you! No matter how long it takes, no matter how far!” Or reading Anne of Green Gables in third grade and just generally swooning over Gilbert Blythe. When we’re young, love and romance aren’t too important just yet, but for most girls it always makes a good story greater.

Remember the simple thrills we felt when characters barely touched, sometimes only exchanging heated looks and we just knew they were in love? My mother rented the 90’s version of Sense & Sensibility and there were many such looks and touches that had me sighing with happiness.

The things that make us gasp and swoon with delight grow with our age. Soon we want more kisses, more “heat” as they say to our romance. It’s only natural as we become adults, after all, and our lives become more complicated. But I confess, there are times I still much prefer the Jane Austen version of love and romance, when men had to rely on their wits and words, or their actions, to win their gal. Yet I also enjoy the freedom of modern romance, mixed with both the angst and struggle with that heat I mentioned. I never thought I would write romance.

My first foray into the genre is titled Stay, a sort of mythical/paranormal contemporary love story between a goddess assigned the task of protecting true lovers and the human who looks exactly like the god who cursed her. I wrote it during a bitter time in my life, after the teen years when love seems easy and all consuming. I learned by then it is almost certainly never too easy, and a lot more fragile. And I was beginning to do what many women before me by doubting the existence of true love. Before writing Stay, I conducted dozens of interviews with authors, bloggers and friends, asking them if they believed in true love and why.

Their stories made me a believer and I started to notice a theme. True love, the kind that lasts decades, involves sacrifice. In other words, deep love that lasts a life time, happens when we learn to put another person’s interests and well-being above our own. Sometimes that means putting a pocket dream or ambition aside, other times it’s something as simple as going out of our way to do something specific they like. I wrote Stay, with no sound outline, willing to let my characters take me away. The title character, Rona, doesn’t believe in true love either any more, even though she’s been helping guard and save it for centuries. So when she meets a human who belongs to another woman, she is faced with emotions and choices she never expected to feel again. I won’t give away the rest of the plot, but I will say the ending surprised even me. More than that, it touched me on a deeper level as a writer. It made me a believer again, just like Rona.

Fast forward four years and I’m not only happily married, but in love with both my husband and our silly boy. No great internal struggle led me to writing my second contemporary romance. One day an idea popped into my head, more like a challenge, really. I wondered if I could write what’s considered the typical modern romance, without any supernatural elements. If you know my other books, you can understand why that would be a challenge for me.

I had a few ideas in mind for She Walks in Moonlight or Moonlight as I thought of it in my head. First, I wanted this to be a second-chances story. Those have always been my favorites, from Jane Austen’s Persuasion, to Nicholas Sparks’ The Notebook. Second criteria: I wanted to write this from a woman’s point of view and not just any woman. I made her bitchy with a bad reputation, a character that would be hard for most people to like on first impressions. And I wanted her story to be about redemption and family as much as a second-chances romance.

Writing Moonlight was a very different but still surprising experience for me. I started with little intention of taking it seriously. It was a fun side-project for me while I focused on my epic fantasy novels. Then something odd happened, the deeper I plunged into Danica and Adam’s story. I fell in love with the characters and their imperfect families and friends. And Danica’s relationship with her brother Peter cut me deeply, because I also have a much older brother. But the biggest change happened when my best friend and critique partner’s parents were both diagnosed with cancer in the same year. Her father passed several months later and suddenly Danica’s story became more real. I wanted to get this right for my friend and for all the families who have loved and lost.

So you might have noticed how my view of romance has evolved since Stay. Part of that goes back to the whole “write what you know” and my worldview has definitely changed in four years, quite drastically in fact. But while my newest romance release isn’t only about familial love, it is very much a story about two people who find redemption through one another. There is a heck of a lot more heat in Moonlight than Stay. Again, the difference between writing as a bitter single gal verses a married woman with a healthy sex life. 😉 Writing is an ever-evolving thing. I learn from each book and am constantly growing as an author and person.

As much as I change, I would be lying to you if I didn’t say I’ll always be that little swooning girl. Sometimes it takes a lot more to reach past my tougher desensitized shell. But every time I watch romance in movies, or read them in books I feel that lovely flutter. I still sigh and smile as the characters inevitably fall in love in the end, which is, I think, the greatest thing about romance fiction. It makes us swoon and feel when life gets tough, the same way a fantasy helps us escape into another world a while.

She Walks in Moonlight won’t be my last romance. I have at least three other ideas in different stages, I am happy to report. Because I think I’ll always be a little in love with true love and I hope you’ll continue to take that journey with me.

What are some of your favorite romances? Is there a fictional couple that is the be all and end all to you? Let’s talk love.

*****

She Walks in Moonlight

A Second Chances Romance, #1

by Jennifer Silverwood

Contemporary Romance/Women’s Fiction

Kindle Edition, 200 pages

October 28, 2017

Blurb:

Globetrotter, Danica Pavlova spends her days scouring old folktales and her nights trying to forget her life is anything but a fairy tale. Ten years ago, she ran away from her best friend the night after causing his crippling accident, convinced Adam King was better off not loving her.

But when her brother is diagnosed with leukemia, she resolves to come home to care for the family she abandoned and face the love she never forgot. Will she find forgiveness for the mistakes of her past, or can there be a second chance for a woman who walks in moonlight?

Perfect for fans of Jojo Moyes’ Me Before You and John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars, She Walks in Moonlight explores both redemption and romance in the face of tragedy.

*Warning-Contains Adult Situations & Some Language*

Amazon | Goodreads

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Book Review – Chasing Christmas

14 Tuesday Nov 2017

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Book Review

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Book Review, Chasing Christmas, Rodeo Romance series, Shanna Hatfield

We saw this book last week and I promised to get a review to you as soon as I could … well, here it is  🙂

*****

Chasing Christmas

Rodeo Romance #5

by Shanna Hatfield

 

He certainly didn’t ask Santa for a bride. . .

Professional bull rider Chase Jarrett has the world on a string. The only blight in his idyllic existence is his nosy cousin’s nonstop nagging about his need for more publicity. Tired of listening to her suggestions, he gives her free rein when she hatches a plan to skyrocket his popularity. All he has to do is show up for a phony wedding in Las Vegas. Then Chase discovers the wedding was real, the surprise bride is beautiful, and his sponsors are demanding he remain married.

Shy and introverted, the last thing Jessie Pierce wants is to find herself in the spotlight. But thanks to a meddling so-called best friend, that’s exactly where she’s at. The promise of an all-expenses paid vacation to Las Vegas lures her on an adventure that ends with her unexpectedly married to a hunky bull rider who would draw her out of her shell if she’d let him.

A business proposal leaves the two of them committed to a year of marriage. How hard could it be to remain wed in name only?

Wrap yourself up in the joy of holidays and falling in love in this sweet, lighthearted romance from USA Today Bestselling author Shanna Hatfield.

So, once I got past the whole accidentally married thing (because really, how is that even possible?) I really enjoyed watching these two dance around each other.  Granted I think a little communication and a little less hiding by either one of them could have fixed things a lot faster but then again where’s the fun in that?!? 🙂

Both Chase and Jessie have a few issues they are still carrying from their childhoods.  Their parents did a good job of ignoring both of them but they somehow managed to make it through pretty well.  Neither seems very confident in people’s staying power and that does make it difficult for them to commit to others.  Which definitely leads to some shenanigans when they suddenly find themselves husband and wife.

We spend basically a year with these two, although a good chunk of it is spent apart.  Hatfield pretty much ignores those times but does a great job of showing the two of them fighting their developing feelings when they are together.  They do such a great job of dancing around their feelings, though, that it might get a little old for some toward the end but the payout is definitely worth it!  Once they finally get to a point that they have to do something or lose each other forever, they manage to step up beautifully.

This is my first time to read one of this author’s books but I really enjoyed the down home, country feel and salt of the earth characters.  With a good dose of humor and fun, she delivered a wonderfully sweet read that will have me keeping an eye out for her other books.

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