Thomas Nelson; 352 pages; $15.99; Buy Link; Blog Tour

Originally, I wasn't planning on signing up to review "The Things We Knew" by Catherine West after I had received the blog tour announcement from LitFuse, mostly because the cover art just didn't appeal to me. It looked like it was a contemporary novel with a beach setting. Before I attempted to delete the email, I went ahead and read the synopsis. To my surprise, it caught my interest, so I signed up to review the novel.

The Things We Knew centers on Lynette Carlisle, a young woman who was left with the responsibility of taking care of her father after her four older siblings had left their Nantucket home with no plans of ever returning. Their mother had died twelve-years ago and that tragic event still haunts them.


Just as her father's health, as well as their income, begins to fail, a familiar face from the past returns - Nicholas Cooper, who she once had a crush on.

After being away for five years, Nicholas has returned to Nantucket to work at his father's bank, but he's also there for another reason - to restart his friendship with Lynette. Plus, he's also there to help unlock the secret behind Lynette's mother's death; a secret that might in fact tear them apart.

S&S; Nook; Kindle; BAM; IBookstore; Google Play

Available today from Pocket Star EBooks is From This Day Forward ($1.99) by USA Today Bestselling Author Lauren Layne. It's a 99-page prequel to The Wedding Belles series - To Have and to Hold (POCKET Books paperback; July 26, 2016; $5.99), For Better or Worse (POCKET Books paperback; August 30, 2016; $5.99), and To Love and to Cherish (POCKET Books paperback; October 18, 2016; $5.99).

From This Day Forward centers on Leah McHale, a young wedding photographer in New York. She mostly gets her jobs through the Wedding Belles, an elite wedding planning agency. She is more than excited when she is asked to fill in for another photographer at the last moment for a huge wedding event.

Who's getting married?

Well, the bride-to-be is a former First Daughter!

Remember, this is a love story, so of course there is romantic interest for Leah - Jason Rhodes, the other photographer that was hired for the wedding. They have a past together, which left Leah heartbroken, Jason thinks he might just have a second chance with her.

Bethany House; 400 pages; Buy Link; Blog Tour

Now available to buy in bookstores from Bethany House Publishing is the latest novel by Becky Wade, titled Her One and Only.

The novel centers on center on the NFL superstar Gray Fowler, who has been receiving death threats from a obsessed stalker, which results in him hiring a protection agency to protect him. Unfortunately, this means he must deal with bodyguards 24/7, and he has to practically put his entire life on hold until the stalker is caught.

This brings in the beautiful, former Marine Dru Porter as one of Gray's bodyguards. She has a black belt and is an expert with a gun, but her faith is lacking ever since her last mission turned into a disaster. Now she is trying to pick up the pieces and somehow save her career.

The last thing that neither Gray or Dru were looking for was a romance, but as they spend more time with each the other, the more the sparks fly. Yes, this causes a bit of a problem as Dru isn't allowed to develop a relationship with her clients.

Many older books are being released to ebook formats, which happens to be the case for the One Pink Rose by Julie Garwood, book one in the The Clayborne Bride series. The novella was originally published back in 1997, but now it's being released as an ebook by Pocket Star EBooks on May 9, 2016. It will be available to purchase on S&S, BAM, IBOOKSTORE, KINDLE, NOOK and GOOGLE PLAY.

Set in Montana in 1880, One Pink Rose centers on Travis, the youngest of the Clayborne brothers, who gets talked into escorting a young woman, Emily Finnegan, to Golden Crest, Montana.

Emily is a mail-order bride, who plans on starting a new life in Montana; though she doesn't plan on falling in love with a stranger. Unfortunately, this is a love story, so you can pretty much guess what happens between her and Travis.

Final Thoughts: I have seen the author's titles in bookstores, but this is the first time I have read one of her works. While the main plot is a little cliched, One Pink Rose still is a decent read. All the characters are likeable and the blossoming romance feels believable. Overall, One Pink Rose is a cute, fast-paced read that should entertain all romance readers.

Make sure to keep an eye out for the other Clayborne Bride novellas from Pocket Star EBooks. One White Rose will be released on June 13th. One Red Rose will be released on July 11th!


*Disclaimer - I received a complimentary copy in exchange for my unbiased review. All opinions are my own.

ASIN: B01APIXTJ0; Pages: 279

My taste for vampire tales have slowly deteriorated over the years, mostly thanks to the overrated and over-hyped Twilight Saga. Nevertheless, since I am a horror fan, I'm always open to reading a new spin on the vampire lore.

Now available to read from 7th House Publishing, Imprint of Andromeda LLC is the newest novel by author Victoria Danann, titled Vampire Hunter (Rammel Hawkings 1). It's a prequel story to the Order of the Black Swan series, featuring the fan favorite character, Rammel Hawking.

I'm not the biggest fan of prequels (books or movies) as to me they always seem unneeded and feel a little forced upon the reader/viewer. I wasn't aware that Vampire Hunter was a prequel to the author's other works (which I have read a few of her other titles), well, until I started reading it this week and, then, I quickly realized that I read about the elf, Rammel Hawking in My Familiar Stranger and The Witch's Dream.

Yes, I said an elf. Victoria Danann has created an unique world with fairies (faes), elves, vampires and other mythical creatures, all of which sometimes tangle with the lives of humans. There are no glittering vampires here, which is a good thing.

Vampire Hunter picks up when Rammel is just a royal kid who likes to run wild in the forest until he runs into Liam O'Torvall, the mayor of Black-On-Terry. Like any gentleman, Liam feeds the boy and escorts him back to his home. Little did he know that Rammel's father, the king, would later let the boy live by himself, somewhat as a hermit; leaving Liam and his wife to occasionally look after the boy.

Book Description:

After helping her grandfather at their Boston auction house, Miranda Wimplegate discovers she's accidentally sold a powerful family's prized portrait to an anonymous bidder. Desperate to appease the furious family, her grandfather tracks it to the Missouri Ozarks and makes an outlandish offer to buy the local auction house if they promise not to sell anything until he arrives.

Upon their arrival, however, they discover their new business doesn't deal in fine antiques, but in livestock. And its manager, ruggedly handsome Wyatt Ballentine, is frustrated to discover his fussy new bosses don't know a thing about the business he's single-handedly kept afloat. Faced with more cattle than they can count--but no mysterious painting--Miranda and Wyatt form an unlikely but charged partnership to try and salvage a bad situation getting worse. 

About the Author:

Regina Jennings is a graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University with a degree in English and a history minor. She is the author of A Most Inconvenient Marriage, Sixty Acres and a Bride, and Caught in the Middle, and contributed a novella to A Match Made in Texas. Regina has worked at the Mustang News and First Baptist Church of Mustang, along with time at the Oklahoma National Stockyards and various livestock shows. She now lives outside Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, with her husband and four children and can be found online at www.reginajennings.com. 



Billy's Thoughts:

The Age Of Adaline
Director: Lee Toland Krieger
Cast: Blake Lively, Michiel Husman, Kathy Baker, Harrison Ford, Ellen Burstyn
Studio: LionsGate
Release Date: September 8, 2015
Retail: $39.99
ASIN: B00ZPH4SIS
Running Time: 113 minutes
Rating: PG-13
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:
 
I read romantic novels from time to time, as most of my blog readers already know, but for some reason I don't care much for watching romantic flicks. However, there was one movie that caught my eye when I saw it advertised back in the spring, it was titled The Age Of Adaline, which is arriving on Blu-ray and DVD tomorrow. The film is directed by Lee Toland Krieger and stars Blake Lively, Michiel Husman, Kathy Baker, Harrison Ford and Ellen Burstyn. Special Features includes an audio commentary with director Lee Toland Krieger, A Love Story for the Ages, Style Throughout the Ages, Discovering Young Harrison Ford: Anthony Ingruber, an Online Sensation and deleted scenes.

The film centers on 29-year-old Adaline Bowman (played by Blake Lively), who had died for a few minutes in a freak car accident. From that moment on, she no longer ages. She attempts to live life, but as her daughter Flemming grows older than her, she decides that she must never stay in the same place for very long. She must change her identity from time to time, so nobody will catch on to who she really is.


Fast forward to the present day, Adaline is once again planning on changing her identity that is until she meets a Ellis Jones (played by Michiel Huisman) at a New Year's Eve party. Despite the attraction, she is determined to ignore her heart and precede with moving away, but Ellis pursues her and eventually she lets down her guard. Taking advice from her aging daughter (played by Ellen Burstyn), Adaline agrees not to runaway again and begins a relationship with Ellis.

Irish Meadows
Courage to Dream, book one
by Susan Anne Mason
Publisher: Bethany House
Pub. Date: July 7, 2015
ISBN: 978-0764217241
Pages: 384
Blog Tour: http://litfusegroup.com/author/smason
Buy Link: http://bit.ly/1Mi7dDS

Review:

I've been reading up a storm lately as I've been trying my best to get caught up on reading books that have been piled up on my desk for several months; though somehow I've sneaked in enough time to read the newer titles for a few blog tours, including Irish Meadows by Susan Anne Mason.

Set in the early 1900s in Long Island, New York, Irish Meadows centers on Brianna and Colleen O'Leary, two sisters whom are both being pressured by their immigrant father, James, to marry into a rich family, so there would be a prosperous future for their horse farm.

Both sisters have their opinions of what they should do with their lives. Brianna dreams of attending college one day and has no plans on marrying. Colleen doesn't mind getting married as long as she marries for the right reasons and not just for the fact that her father wants to a rich son-in-law.

However, James O'Leary plans for his daughters become in jeopardy when a former stable hand, Gilbert Whelan, returns from business school and takes an interest in Brianna. Then things get worse when Colleen falls for Ryan Montgomery, a young man who is starting his seminary training.

Hearts Made Whole
by Jody Hedlund
Publisher: Bethany House
Pub. Date: June 2, 2015
ISBN: 978-0764212383
Pages: 384
Buy Link: http://bit.ly/1eN4pC8
Blog Tour: http://litfusegroup.com/author/jhedlund

Review:

While I've never read the first book (Love Unexpected) in the Beacons Of Hope series, I have read a few of the author's other works, which is one of the reasons why I wanted to review this book.

Set in 1865, Hearts Made Whole centers on Caroline Taylor, a young woman who took over running the Windmill Point Lighthouse after her father passed away. A woman running any sort of operation in Michigan during this time is a little odd, which is what the lighthouse inspector believes as he appoints a new keeper - Ryan Chambers.

Ryan is a Civil War Veteran whom took the light keeper job on the single fact that he would be isolated from others. Little did he know that the current keeper, Caroline, is extremely upset for losing her job and her home. He also didn't know it was so difficult to run a lighthouse, something that enrages Caroline.

Of course this is a love story, so you know what happens next - Caroline and Ryan start to have feelings for each other.

How to Catch a Prince
The Royal Wedding Series
by Rachel Hauck
Publisher: Zondervan
Pub. Date: February 24, 2015
ISBN: 978-0310315544
Pages: 368
Buy Link: http://bit.ly/1BD8DVo
Blog Tour: http://litfusegroup.com/author/rhauck

Review:

Before I started blogging, I would have probably ignored a Royal Wedding theme in it, but I have taken a chance on many intriguing authors and I'm glad that I did read the first two books in the series, Once Upon a Prince and Princess Ever After by Rachel Hauck.

Over the weekend, I had the privilege of reading the third installment, How to Catch a Prince, which centers on an American heiress Corina Del Rey, who spends her days as a journalist. She was briefly married to a prince, but it quickly ended in an annulment. To this very day, she has kept her marriage a secret to everyone in her life. Her brother had died overseas during the war, but there is something about his death that doesn't make any sense to her. Corina puts her journalist skills to use as she starts her own investigation.

Prince Stephen of Brighton might be one of the worlds most eligible bachelors and a star rugby player, but he can no longer hide a deep secret from his past - his brief marriage to Corina Del Rey. When his days in the Royal Air Command come back to haunt him, he unexpectedly runs into Corina and all those old feelings come running back.

Hidden Agenda
Southern Crimes, book 3
by Lisa Harris
Publisher: Revell
Pub. Date: January 6, 2015
ASIN: 978-0800721923
Pages: 320
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

I took a slight break after Christmas from reading/reviewing books and I'm now I'm back at full steam, so you'll be seeing me featuring more book titles on here in the next couple of weeks.

While it may seem a little bit odd for a male to like reading romance novels, but romance is in fact one of my favorite genres in the literature world. Typically, I prefer to read historical romances, but I thought I would try something new by reading the modern day romantic suspense Hidden Agenda by author Lisa Harris. I wasn't aware when I signed up to review the title through Revell that this was the third book in the Southern Crimes series as I don't care for jumping into the middle of a series without reading the prior novels, but luckily for me this is more of a standalone tale.

Hidden Agenda centers a Michael Hunt, a cop who has left his family and friends believe that he is dead in order to go deep undercover for the past eight months. All his hard work becomes in jeopardy when his cover is blown. Now injured, he is only hope for help is Olivia Hamilton, who happens to be the daughter of the man he has been trying to take down. To make matters even worse, the cartel have put a bounty on his head. Plus, seeking help for the Atlanta police department will do him no good as the department is corrupted. And of course Michael has to deal with his unexpected feeling for Olivia.

Masterpiece Marriage
Quilts of Love Series
by Gina Welborn
Publisher: Abingdon Press
Pub. Date: December 16, 2014
Pages: 229
Buy Link: Amazon
Blog Tour: http://litfusegroup.com/author/gwelborn

Review:

If you follow my blog on regular basis, then you probably noticed that I have reviewed several books from the the Quilts of Love Series from Abingdon Press. Each book in the series features a different story and characters that are written by a different authors. The newest installment is titled Masterpiece Marriage and it is written by Gina Welborn.

The book is set in 1891 and centers on a man named Zenus Dane, who's textile mill was recently flooded. Due to the fact that his normal income has come to a halt, the bank has been pressuring him to pay off his loan. With no other choice, he is determined to salvage the textiles, but he will need his aunt's help as he wants to use her hand-drawn quilt patterns.

To his surprise, Mary Varrs, an Englishwoman, hires Aunt Priscilla to illustrate her prized tomato plants. Of course this is a love story, so you can pretty much guess what happens next - Zenus and Mary meet and quickly start to develop feelings for each other.

Click on the cover art to buy the book!

Last fall was definitely a little chaotic with me falling behind on a few reviews. I thought I had gotten caught up on everything, but lo and behold, I happened to come across two books I forgotten to read and review - Bound by Night and Chained by Night. Both books are part of The Moon Bound Clan Vampires series and are written by Larissa Ione. Therefore since the weekend was a cold and icy, I squeezed in time for some much needed reading.

Bound by Night (Pocket Books; 978-1476700175; 400 pages) is set in a world where vampires are slaves to humans that is until an uprising occurs, resulting in the death of many humans. Nicole Martin was just eight-years-old when her entire family was murdered in front of her. Barely surviving, Nicole devotes her live to finding a cure to vampirism, but her feelings kinda change when she starts to fall for a vampire from her past - Riker.

Riker is part of the renegade vampire MoonBound Clan and seeks out to avenge his kind that were once enslaved by the Martin family by kidnapping Nicole, but his plans forrevenge change when he falls in love with her.

Quilted by Christmas
by Jodie Bailey
Publisher: Abingdon Press
Pub. Date: October 21, 2014
ISBN: 978-1426773617
Pages: 240
Buy Link: Amazon
Blog Tour: http://litfusegroup.com/author/jbailey

Review:

While seeing a quilt-themed book may turn off some readers, I have enjoyed reading the Quilts of Love series, which every new installment has a new plot and set of characters that are written by a different author. Quilted by Christmas by Jodie Bailey was released to bookstores last month. Typically, I'm not in the mood for Christmas in November, but I have found myself watching a couple holiday movies on the Hallmark Channel and I have read a couple of Xmas-themed books as well, so I went ahead and signed up to review this book.

Quilted by Christmas centers on Taryn McKenna, a young woman who has had a rocky life with the death of her parents and the breakup with her high school sweetheart, Justin Callahan, who left her to join the army. She promised that she would never trust her heart to anybody ever again. She is determined to finish her college degree and to be a successful teacher to middle graders. Then of course she is going to continue to look after Grandma Jemma.

Then the unthinkable happens - Grandma Jemma has a heart attack! With her health declining fast, Grandma Jemma is going to teach Taryn how to sew an Irish Chain quilt, a tradition that has been in their family for years. The quilt will be for Taryn's cousin Rachel as a wedding present.

A Promise To Protect
Logan Point, book 2
by Patrcia Bradley
Publisher: Revell
Pub. Date: October 7, 2014
ISBN: 978-0800722814
Pages: 336
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Available now on paperback is exciting second novel in the Logan Point series from author Patrica Bradley, titled A Promise to Protect. Unfortunately, I have a new habit of picking out books by their covers alone, especially when the author is new to me. The cover to this book looks like an advertisement for a made-for-television movie on Lifetime. By the cover alone, I predicted that the plot would be either a thriller or mystery with a little bit of romance tossed into the mix. And I wasn't too far off.

I would like to point out that I have never read the first book the series, Shadows of the Past, and it never really bothered me, as 2nd installment is more of a standalone sequel, well at least in opinion it is.

A Promise To Protect centers on single mother, Dr. Leigh Somerall, who has a full set of problems in her life from paying her tuition bills to raising her son. Her life takes an unexpected turn when her brother Ben needs her help, therefore she turns to her ex-love, Ben Logan - the now acting sheriff, for help, but too little too late as her brother is murdered! Though their relationship ended rocky ten years ago, Sheriff Ben Logan vows to protect Leigh and her son from the incoming danger that threatens them.

Where Treetops Glisten
by Tricia Goyer, Cara Putman and Sarah Sundin
Publisher: WaterBrook Press
Pub. Date: September 16, 2014
ISBN: 978-1601426482
Pages: 368
Buy Link: http://ow.ly/BwVP9
Blog Tour: http://litfusegroup.com/author/glisten

Review:

October won't arrive until tomorrow, but publishers are already releasing holiday titles. Now don't get me wrong, I do like reading a good Christmas story, but this time a year I'm more in the mood to read a R.L. Stine or Stephen King title. Being a blogger, I don't have any control over what books are available to review. After I already reviewed one holiday title this year, I was going to take a break until November, but once I saw Tricia Goyer, Cara Putman and Sarah Sundin were the authors of the new anthology, Where Treetops Glisten, I had to review it.

The anthology centers on the Turner family, whom are living in Lafayette, Indiana during the WWII. Cara Putman pens the first story, titled White Christmas, where college student Abigail Turner is still mourning the death of boyfriend. She has no plans on ever finding love again that is until she meets Jackson, a man that needs her help.

I'll Be Home For Christmas is written by Sarah Sundin and centers on Abigail's brother Pete, a fighter pilot returning home to try to put the war behind him. His faith seems to be a lost that is until he meets a young girl and his mother, a woman he once bullied when they were young.

Hidden in the Stars
Quilts of Love series
by Robin Caroll
Publisher: Abingdon Press
Pub. Date: Sept. 16, 2014
ISBN: 978-1426773600
Pages: 224
Buy Link: Amazon
Blog Tour:  http://litfusegroup.com/author/rcaroll

Review:
 
If you have never read a book from the Quilts of Love series, then you're missing out on some great storytelling. The series is published by Abingdon Press, featuring a different author with every new title. Each book has a new plot and a new group of characters, but each and every plot somehow involves a quilt. Typically these books are a straightforward romantic novel, but the newest entry, Hidden in the Stars, is completely different from the others.

Hidden in the Stars centers on Sophia Montgomery, a talented gymnast who has just been accepted as a member of an Olympic team, but all her dreams are quickly shattered when her mother and her are assaulted. Her mother is killed during the incident, but Sophia barely survives, losing her eyesight and injuring her hands. Out of nowhere the grandmother she thought was dead shows up to help Sophia slowly pick up the pieces.

Meanwhile, Detective Julian Frazier is investigating the attack and is determined to catch whomever killed Mrs. Montgomery and injured Sophia. The longer he works on the case, the stronger his feelings for Sophia become. Though he might be able to catch the murderer, he doesn't know if he can help mend Sophia's broken spirit.

Tried & True
Wild At Heart, Book One
by Mary Connealy
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Pub. Date: September 2, 2014
ISBN: 978-0764211782
Pages: 320
Buy Link: http://ow.ly/AS8Js
Blog Tour: http://litfusegroup.com/author/mconnealy

Review:

Now available to own on paperback and as an eBook is book one in the Wild At Heart series, titled Tried & True. The book is written by one my favorite authors, Mary Connealy. At first glance at the cover, I actually thought the book would have a contemporary setting, but instead it has a post-Civil War setting.

Tried and True centers on Kylie Wilde, a civilized young woman, who just happened to have served in the Civil War as a solider. Kylie and her two older sisters exchanged their skirts for trousers and pretended to be "boys" during the war. While her sisters continue the charade, so they can keep the special exemptions for serving in the war, Kylie has grown out her hair and has started wearing dresses again.

It doesn’t take Kylie long to get the attention of the local land agent, Aaron Masterson, who becomes instantly fascinated with her. As she gets closer to him, she reveals her deepest secret of serving in the Civil War. Being a civilized citizen, Aaron has the responsibility to inform the government of Kylie and her sister's fraud, but he doesn't want to risk the chance of losing her.

A Grand Design
Quilts of Love Series
by Amber Stockton
Publisher: Abingdon Press
Pub. Date: August 19, 2014
ISBN: 978-1426773471
Pages: 208
Buy Link: Amazon
Blog Tour: http://litfusegroup.com/author/astockton


Review:

Normally, I try to have a review written a few days before the post date, but I didn't get around to reading A Grand Design by Amber Stockton until yesterday afternoon. You never know what to expect in each entry in the Quilts of Love Series, as each new installment is written by a different author with a new plot, setting and characters. Typically, the books in the series are short (under 250 pages) and some books are better than others, though all of them are still likeable.


A Grand Design has a modern setting and centers on Alyssa Denham, a woman who dreads the month of June, as she always has to buy bridal gifts for her co-workers. It seems everyone is finding love except for her. Actually, her life is stuck in a rut, as she has the same routine week after week. A while back her best friend, Libby, forced her to put her name into a bridal  magazine sweepstakes and out of the blue she receives notification that she has one a "getaway for two," but there is a slight problem - she doesn't even have a boyfriend. Plus, the getaway just happens to be on Mackinac Island, a place she hasn't visited for fifteen years.

Alyssa persuades Libby to go with her on the trip, where she plans on visiting her grandmother. Unknowingly to Alyssa and Libby, her grandmother has other plans for them, as she wants them to help her finish a friendship quilt that she had started years ago. The catch is that they have to locate each former member of her grandmother's sewing group or their relatives and pick up each quilting block. You can say that this wasn’t exactly the kind of vacation Libby was looking forward to.

Dancing with Fireflies
A Chapel Spring Romance, book 2
By Denise Hunter
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Pub. Date: March 11, 2014
ISBN: 978-1401687021
Pages: 352
Blog Tour: http://litfusegroup.com/author/dhunter
Buy Link: http://ow.ly/uJ6OD

Review:

Typically when I'm in a bookstore (well, Walmart), I only look for certain authors I have read before and avoid any new authors, but since I have started blogging I have been introduced to many other authors, including Denise Hunter.

In this sequel to last year's Barefoot Summer,  Jade McKinley finds herself returning to her hometown of Chapel Springs, Indiana, as she doesn't have anywhere else to go. She is also completely broke. Plus, she is pregnant!

Jade's family is more than surprised to see her return from the big city after only a year. She doesn't want to them to know about her upcoming bundle of joy.

The Chapel Springs mayor, Daniel Dawson, grew up with the McKinley family and has also had a crush on Jade, whom he has always called "squirt," though she had never thought of him as more than a honorary brother. After running into Jade again, those old feelings for her return.