Read an excerpt for this new Heartwarming release... Falling for the Cowboy Doc by Cari Lynn Webb (Excerpt & #Giveaway) #newbooks #booktwitter #cleanreads #cleanromance #romancebooks @HarlequinBooks @justreadtours

Friday, June 30, 2023 - Leave a Comment

Welcome to my tour stop with JustRead Publicity Tours! I've been a fan of this author for a long time and her newest sounds like it my kind of book. Read an excerpt and enter the giveaway below...

Falling for the Cowboy Doc
(Three Springs, Texas #4)
By Cari Lynn Webb
Contemporary Romance (Clean)
Paperback & eBook, 384 Pages
June 27, 2023 by Harlequin Heartwarming

Summary

Can the rodeo cowgirl…

Win his love?

Professional roper Maggie Orr needs to secure a national sponsorship. And orthopedic surgeon Grant Sloan could derail her plans. Falling for the cowboy doctor is a distraction she can’t afford… Plus their careers are taking them in opposite directions. But from picnics to stargazing, Grant is reminding Maggie that there’s more to life than winning in the arena. Can they rewrite their dreams to include each other?

(Affiliate links included.)

Excerpt

She flung her arm sideways. “Go mingle. Go talk to people. I think most of Three Springs is here.”

Grant frowned. “I don’t like small talk.”

“Everyone likes small talk,” Maggie argued. It was easy and simple. Required none of the hard stuff like career decisions or sharing feelings. Or any of the other uncomfortable stuff where hearts were on the line.

“Chitchat was never really my thing,” Grant shook his head as if discarding the idea of mingling. “I prefer conversations that have a direction. A purpose.”

Exasperating man. Maggie was beginning to think that was his goal—exasperating her. She lifted her gaze to the ceiling. “Grant.”

“Maggie.” He extended her name into two long, drawn-out syllables.

Yet, it was the invitation in his tone that pulled her attention back to him.

He leaned in and whispered, “Did you know that you’re really cute when you’re flustered?”

Maggie jumped back.

One corner of his mouth tipped up. His gaze was clear, affection-filled, and fixed on Maggie. “And I bet you’re not nervous now.”

Other Books in the Series

(Linked to Amazon affiliate links.)

About the Author


Cari Lynn Webb lives in South Carolina with her husband, daughters and assorted four-legged family members. She’s been blessed to see the power of true love in her grandparent’s 70 year marriage and her parent’s marriage of over 50 years. She knows love isn’t always sweet and perfect, it can be challenging, complicated and risky. But she believes happily-ever-afters are worth fighting for. She loves to connect with readers.

Connect with Cari by visiting carilynnwebb.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

Tour Schedule

Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

Tour-Wide Giveaway


(1) winner will receive a $45 Amazon gift card, signed print copies of the first two books in the Three Springs, Texas series (The Texas Seal's Surprise and Trusting the Rancher with Christmas) and summer candy!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight June 28, 2023 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on July 5, 2023. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE

What did you think of the excerpt? Did it make you want to read more?

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Check out this delightful novella compilation... A Wyoming Summer by Carla Kelly, Christine Sterling, & Heather B. Moore (Review) #newbooks #booktwitter #cleanreads #romancebooks #cleanromance @RomanceTimeless @Austenprose

Wednesday, June 28, 2023 - Leave a Comment

Welcome! You can find all the book info for this new release and my review below...

A Wyoming Summer
(Timeless Western Collection #4)
By Carla Kelly, Christine Sterling, & Heather B. Moore
Historical Romance, Western Romance, Inspirational Fiction
Paperback, Audiobook & eBook, 330 Pages
June 20, 2023 by Mirror Press

Summary

A Wyoming Summer is the fourth book in the Timeless Western Collection, a bestselling anthology series from Mirror Press. The book features three novellas from acclaimed historical romance authors whose stories ask if true love can survive the changing seasons?

“Ellen Found,” by Carla Kelly

Set in location of Old Faithful Inn, 1903-4. Working in a discouraging café, Ellen escapes an awful situation in rough and tumble Butte, Montana, and goes to work as second in command to a wary cook in the shell that will become Old Faithful Inn in Yellowstone Park. She meets Charles Penrose, head carpenter on the massive project of Old Faithful Inn, which is being finished in a harsh Wyoming winter. Will it really open June 1, 1904? Can Ellen start to trust the other workers? What will she learn about the other employees? And Charles. He's a widower with a young daughter there, too. Like Ellen, he wants more.

“The Widow of Daybreak,” by Christine Sterling

Doris Whistler is learning how to survive in a town taken over by outlaws. When the leader of an infamous gang murders her husband, her choices are to tuck tail and run, or stand her ground and make Daybreak as promising as its name. It proves to be a difficult task with the good citizens in fear of the corrupt mayor and godlessness that abounds. What she doesn't expect is the support of a traveling lawman who believes in her and the tiny town she loves so much.

“May I Kiss the Bride,” by Heather B. Moore

Viola Delany is not happy about being sent to the middle-of-nowhere, small town Wyoming. Yes, it will be good to let the gossips find something else to talk about other than her failed engagement. And yes, it will be nice to spend the summer with her Aunt Beth. But as Viola sits on the train heading for Wyoming, wondering how she'll ever occupy her time in such a small town, none other than a real-life cowboy sits across the way. She can't help but take peeks at him, noting that the condition of his unpolished black boots and scuffed rawhide jacket seem to be authentic . . . All right, so he might be tall, dark-haired, and handsome if a woman doesn't mind green eyes and a dangerous-looking scar, but this man certainly has nothing to do with her. Besides she'll never see him again. What are the chances he's traveling to the same middle-of-nowhere small town?

About the Series

Since 2015, Mirror Press has been presenting the Timeless Romance Collection, a curated anthology of novellas and short stories featuring bestselling authors from the contemporary and historical romance genres. The collection has hit the USA TODAY bestselling list and charted at #1 at Amazon.com. Learn more about the series and other anthologies published by Mirror Press at their website.

Advance Praise

5 STARS – “…my new favorite of the Timeless Romance Anthologies.”— Maria Thomas, Goodreads

5 STARS – “Another wonderful collection from the Timeless Romance Anthologies...A perfect read for your summer enjoyment that just might have you planning some trips to Wyoming or another western historical feeling location. ”— Julie Carpenter, Goodreads

5 STARS – “A clean, fun, well-written collection by three talented authors.”— Lorieah, Goodreads

(Affiliate links included.)

My Review

A WYOMING SUMMER is a compilation of three novellas set in different historical time periods in Wyoming. Each story is completely different and can be read on their own. An overall enjoyable read with plenty of heart and sweet endings.

ELLEN FOUND by Carla Kelly

Kelly is truly a vastly talented storyteller. This story tugged on my heart and brought out all the feels. I loved how she worked in all the little historical facts flawlessly into this story. The setting felt fully immersive and nothing felt like an info dump, pushed or fabricated. I also loved how the characters came alive. I loved them in all their heartfelt simplicity with the sweetness of friendships and characters developing over time as they all worked to get the hotel built. There was a contrst between parts of deep grief and loss to moments of happiness and joy, making the sweet moments that much sweeter. A five-star story!

THE WIDOW OF DAYBREAK by Christine Sterling

I believe this is a new author to me so I was curious to see what I felt about her writing style. I think she has a lot of potential. I really liked the characters and the overall western-shoot-out feel of the story. However, there were a couple pet peeves that didn't work for me. One was the insta-love. Literally the two main characters talk once and are in love. They don't act on it right away, but in their heads they're already there. What made it worse was that the heroine just buried her husband who she loved a few weeks earlier. I think if the timeline would have been re-written then the insta-love at least would have been a bit more palatable. The second pet peeve was that the story is really unrealistic with some inconsistencies. It honestly didn't work for me or make sense.

MAY I KISS THE BRIDE by Heather B. Moore

This story has a pertty fun meet-cute. There's plenty of tension, chemistry, and mystery keeping the story engaging from start to finish. I adored the two main characters and how they play off of each other. Rey's daughter, Elsie, is a sweet and fun touch with her sass and planning as is Viola's aunt. I loved how these characters tried to give themselves logical arguments that they then fail to follow. I also appreciated Viola trying to follow her own dreams and how encouraging Rey is. However, the humor and banter that fed the chemistry was the best. I loved this story!

In the end, was it what I wished for? This was another enjoyable compilation of historical romances all set in Wyoming. All three had delightful characters and happily-ever-afters.

Content: Clean
Source: I received a complimentary copy through Austenprose PR, which did not require a positive review. All opinions are my own.

About the Authors


Carla Kelly started writing Regencies because of her interest in the Napoleonic Wars. She like writing about warfare at sea and ordinary people of the British Isles, rather than lords and ladies. In her spare time, she likes to read British crime fiction and history, particularly the U.S. Indian Wars. She is a former park ranger, and double Rita Award and Spur Award winner. She currently lives in Utah, has five interesting children and four grands. Carla’s favorite authors include Robert Crais and Richard Woodman.



Christine Sterling is a USA Today best-selling author who writes small-town inspirational romances with a touch of humor. Most of her stories take place in the plains of Nebraska or Colorado, but she will write wherever there are cowboys needing to find love. Her favorite stories involve tight-knit families, and you will often find that her characters cross over in many of her stories.

She lives on a farm in Pennsylvania with her husband, four dogs, and one spoiled cat, aka The Floof. She can often be found in her garden with a notebook and a cup of tea.



Heather B. Moore is a USA Today best-selling and award-winning author of more than seventy publications, including The Paper Daughters of Chinatown. She has lived on both the East and West Coasts of the United States, as well as Hawaii, and attended school abroad at the Cairo American Collage in Egypt and the Anglican School of Jerusalem in Israel. She loves to learn about history and is passionate about historical research.



Have you read any of these authors other books? Have you read any of the other novella compilations in the Timeless collection? Any thoughts on this newest addition?

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I Can't Wait for... A Beautiful Disguise by Roseanna M. White (Can't-Wait Wednesday) #CWW #WOW #booktwitter #newbooks #christfic #christianromance @bethany_house @RoseannaMWhite

Tuesday, June 27, 2023 - Leave a Comment

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted here to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released. Find out more here.

I have yet to not enjoy one of this author's books. I really love the mix of the historical setting, romance and light suspense. Her newest is my pick this week...

A Beautiful Disguise
(The Impostors #1)
By Roseanna M. White
Christian Historical Romance, Suspense
Hardcover, Paperback, Audiobook & eBook, 368 Pages
August 22, 2023 by Bethany House Publishers

Summary

In Edwardian London, not all that glitters is gold as a lady and an intelligence officer's secret mission take them from the city's dazzling ballrooms to its covert intelligence offices.

Sir Merritt Livingstone has spent a decade serving the monarch in the field, but when pneumonia lands him behind a desk in the War Office Intelligence Division just as they're creating a new secret intelligence branch, he's intent on showing his worth. He suspects an aristocrat of leaking information to Germany as tensions mount between the two countries, but he needs someone to help him prove it, so he turns to The Imposters, Ltd. No one knows who they are, but their results are beyond compare.

Left with an estate on the brink of bankruptcy after their father's death, Lady Marigold Fairfax and her brother open a private investigation firm for the elite to spy on the elite. Dubbed The Imposters, Ltd., their anonymous group soon becomes the go-to for the crème of society who want answers delivered surreptitiously. But the many secrets Marigold learns about her peers pale in comparison to her shock when she and her brother are hired to investigate her best friend's father as a potential traitor.

Lady Marigold is determined to discover the truth for her friend's sake, and she's more determined still to keep her heart from getting involved with this enigmatic new client . . . who can't possibly be as noble as he seems.

"White's well-woven plot is engaging from start to finish with delightful threads of mystery, romance, and inspiration." --CARRIE TURANSKY, award-winning author

(Affiliate links included.)


Will you be reading this one?

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New Releases/#Free & Bargain Books for June 19th - June 25th #freebook #booksale #booklinkup #booklinky #booktwitter

Saturday, June 24, 2023 - Leave a Comment

Here are the New Releases / Free & Bargain Books, hosted by
Sharon over at Beck Valley Books, for this week! Check it all out below...

Authors please feel free to add your own books.
Readers please free to add your own finds.
(any genre except erotica welcome)

This weekly link up is hosted by Beck Valley Books & these awesome book loving blogs...

For Pre-orders post - PRE-ORDER / genre / title /author
For New Releases post - NEW / genre / title / author
For Free Books post - FREE / genre / title / author / end date 
For Bargain Books post - SALE / price / genre / title / author / end date
(Strictly no Erotica please.  Steamy romance is fine but watch those covers people, incase any underage child is viewing it!)

Here is this weeks awesome selection!


By adding your link, you acknowledge that the information you provide will be used in accordance with our Privacy Policy and transmitted to Inlinkz in accordance with their Privacy Policy.

Would you like to share our linkup on your site? click here
Would you like to become a weekly host? sign up here

Come back and check out the new selection every week!

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I Can't Wait for... Unseen by Traci Hunter Abramson (Can't-Wait Wednesday) #CWW #WOW #booktwitter #newbooks #suspense #thriller #romancebooks #cleanreads @traciabramson @covenantcomms

Tuesday, June 20, 2023 - Leave a Comment

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted here to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released. Find out more here.

I've read and own all the Guardian novels. It's a branch-off series from the Saint Squad series. I always love the mix of political or military intrigue, suspense and sweet romance from this author. The newest upcoming addition is my pick this week...

Unseen
(Guardians #7)
By Traci Hunter Abramson
Romantic Suspense, Military
Paperback, Audiobook & eBook, 240 Pages
August 15, 2023 by Covenant Communications

Summary

Laura’s work as a nurse practitioner has pushed her to her breaking point. A trip abroad to visit her grandmother in Honduras promises a few days of relief, but when her abuela falls ill, Laura finds herself walking the halls of a hospital once more. Still wearing her scrubs, she could easily be confused for a local healthcare worker―and it’s a mistake that happens almost immediately. After a recent shootout, the local gang needs a doctor, and they don’t ask for what they want―they take it. In a split second, Laura is captured in a deadly case of mistaken identity. The outlook is dire until a mysterious rescuer appears, launching the pair on a desperate flight to freedom.

As a member of the ultraclassified guardian program, Manuel is responsible for protecting US assets in Central America. But when a job in Honduras goes terribly wrong, his skills are pushed to the limit as he races to get Laura out of the country alive. What begins as a connection forged in a shared ordeal quickly deepens, and Manuel and Laura must learn to trust their instincts―and their hearts―if they hope to survive.

(Affiliate links included.)


Will you be reading this one?

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Read an excerpt from this new romance... Dedicated to the One I Love by Beth K. Vogt (Excerpt & #Giveaway) #booktwttier #newbooks #romancebooks #cleanromance #cleanreads @justreadtours

- Leave a Comment

Welcome to my tour stop hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
Read an excerpt from this new release and enter the giveaway below...

Dedicated to the One I Love
By Beth K. Vogt
Contemporary Romance
Paperback & eBook, 242 Pages
June 20, 2023 by White Glove

Summary

She doesn’t believe in love anymore. He doesn’t either.

They’re perfect for each other.

Beloved romance novelist Kylie Franklin walked away from her pen-name career as bestselling and award-winning Veronica Hollins the day her husband died. Her loyal readers are eager for the final book in her sensational series. But Kylie’s given up on love, both fictional and in real life. Behind her back, Kylie’s agent contrives a way to get her writing again.

Joe Edwards has made a name for himself with his popular military suspense novels under the pen name Tate Merrick. Yet he can’t quite break onto the bestseller list. What his books need, his publisher suggests, is some romance. Joe flat refuses. However, his publisher is determined and hires Veronica Hollins to save the day—and his career.

Veronica and Tate quickly realize they’re Kylie and Joe, good friends who connected online via a popular word game and their mutual love of trivia. Surely they can wrangle their alter egos into this literary collaboration. But as the deadline looms, their differences threaten the romance developing off the page.

From a Christy Award-winning author comes this charming mash-up of hidden identities, literary tug of war, and falling in love when you least expect it.

(Affiliate links included.)

Excerpt

Despite what some people thought—specifically her mother, her best friends, and her agent—Kylie was fine. Just because her cat Remington kept her on schedule didn’t mean he ran her life—what was left of it.

Remington leaned his furry body up against her legs as Kylie sat at the kitchen counter, his purr a soft vibration of comfort.

“Come on, Rem.” Kylie abandoned her tepid cup of Irish Breakfast tea, tucked her phone in the side pocket of her leggings, scooped the cat into her arms, and headed for her office.

She paused in the hallway before entering through the open door. Her favorite books were color-coordinated on the built-in white shelves—writing books and fiction of every genre. Copies of her novels, in order of publication. Awards and favorite photographs with her agent, editor, and other author friends hung on the walls that were painted a lush periwinkle—her favorite color—thanks to her husband.

Her laptop sat in the center of her desk. Nothing else. No open books, pages of notes, no bowl of salted popcorn with a glass of cold ginger ale, no ice—nothing that hinted at the creative mess caused when she was in pursuit of “The End” for a story.

Kylie released Remington, who strolled away without a backward glance, and sat behind her desk. Opened her laptop. Closed her eyes as it powered up. Offered a silent prayer for inspiration. Waited . . . waited . . .

No spark. Nothing.

About the Author


Beth K. Vogt believes God’s best often waits behind the doors marked “Never.” She’s authored 15 novels and novellas, both contemporary romance and women’s fiction. Beth is a Christy Award winner, an ACFW Carol Award winner, and a  RITA® finalist. Her newest contemporary romance novel, Dedicated to the One I Love, releases June 20, 2023. Her novel Things I Never Told You, book one in her Thatcher Sisters Series by Tyndale House Publishers, won the 2019 AWSA Golden Scroll Award for Contemporary Novel of the Year. An established magazine writer and former editor of the leadership magazine for MOPS International, Beth blogs for Learn How to Write a Novel and The Write Conversation and also enjoys speaking to writers group and mentoring other writers. She lives in Colorado with her husband Rob, who has adjusted to discussing the lives of imaginary people.

Connect with Beth by visiting bethvogt.com to follow her on social media and sign up for email updates.

Tour Schedule

Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

Tour-Wide Giveaway


(1) winner will receive a $50 Etsy Gift Card, a print copy of Dedicated to the One I Love, a box of typewriter themed gift note cards, Novel Teas Book Lover Teas, and a 24 oz insulated Tervis Floral Tumbler!

Full tour schedule linked abve. The giveaway begins at midnight June 19, 2023 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on July 26, 2023. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE

What did you like about the excerpt? Did it make you want to read more?

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A poignant espionage story... A Shadow in Moscow by Katherine Reay (Review) @Katherine_Reay @harpermusebooks @HarperCollins #booktwitter #AShadowinMoscow #HistoricalFiction #KatherineReay #NewBooks #AustenprosePR

Monday, June 19, 2023 - Leave a Comment

Welcome to my tour stop for this new release from one
of my favorite authors! Find my full review below...

A Shadow in Moscow:
A Cold War Novel
By Katherine Reay
Historical Fiction, Dual Timeline, Espionage Thrillers, Inspirational Fiction
Paperback, Audiobook & eBook, 384 Pages
June 13, 2023 by Harper Muse

Summary

In the thick of the Cold War, a betrayal at the highest level risks the lives of two courageous female spies: MI6’s best Soviet agent and the CIA’s newest Moscow recruit.

Vienna, 1954

After losing everyone she loves in the final days of World War II, Ingrid Bauer agrees to a hasty marriage with a gentle Soviet embassy worker and follows him home to Moscow. But nothing within the Soviet Union’s totalitarian regime is what it seems, including her new husband, whom Ingrid suspects works for the KGB. Inspired by her daughter’s birth, Ingrid risks everything and reaches out in hope to the one country she understands and trusts—Britain, the country of her mother’s birth. She begins passing intelligence to MI6, navigating a world of secrets and lies, light and shadow.

Moscow, 1980

A student in the Foreign Studies Initiative, Anya Kadinova finishes her degree at Georgetown University and boards a flight home to Moscow, leaving behind the man she loves and a country she’s grown to respect. Though raised by dedicated and loyal Soviet parents, Anya soon questions an increasingly oppressive and paranoid regime at the height of the Cold War. Then the KGB murders her best friend and Anya chooses her side. Working in a military research lab, she relays Soviet plans and schematics to the CIA in an effort to end the 1980s arms race.

The past catches up to the present when an unprecedented act of treachery threatens all agents operating within Eastern Europe, and both Ingrid and Anya find themselves in a race for their lives against time and the KGB.

Praise for the Book

“In her nail-biting latest . . . Reay builds an immersive world behind the Iron Curtain, full of competing loyalties and a constant, chilling sense of paranoia. Readers will be enthralled.”— Publishers Weekly

”Rich with fascinating historical detail and unforgettable characters!”— Kristy Woodson Harvey, New York Times Bestselling author of The Wedding Veil

· “…intrigue, twists and turns, acts of bravery and sacrificial love, and an unforgettable cold war setting with clever daring women at the helm.”— Susan Meissner, USA Today Bestselling author of The Nature of Fragile Things

(Affiliate links included.)


My Review

A SHADOW IN MOSCOW is one of those stories that is poignant as it shows the past while also being very applicable today. It switches time periods from the end of WWII to the 1980s until both storylines overlap. The story has a family aspect with a touch of faith and romance. However, the main focus are two women spies and their experiences under Soviet rule and the risks they take to fight against what they feel is wrong. It's a heartfelt story and suspenseful from beginning to end.  

I loved getting to know both Ingrid and Anya as their storylines unfold. They both make some rash decisions, but they also exemplify the bravery and danger spies undertook during this era. There were lots of emotions and the suspense definitely kept me engaged all the way to the end. I thought the author did a really good job of showing the different ideologies as well as the historical background and implications of both. It was a learning experience while also being entertaining. The first half was especially enjoyable, as was the intense conclusion.

I also had a few issues with the story. One was the repetition in some places that wasn't needed. The other was that as a reader I was being told things, almost like reading an historical nonfiction, in the second half of the book. Time was passing and it seemed that the writing turned to summarizing facts instead of continuing to immerse me in the story and these characters' lives.

In the end, was it what I wished for? This was an intense read. It was also heartwarming, educational and entertaining. A story that gives readers a glimpse into espionage during the cold war and maintains the suspense from the first page to the last.

Content: Some references to marital affairs, torture and violence, but clean.
Source: I received a complimentary copy through Austenprose PR, which did not require a positive review. All opinions are my own.

Other Books by the Author & Harper Muse

(Linked to my review.)

About the Author


Katherine Reay is a national bestselling and award-winning author who has enjoyed a lifelong affair with books. She publishes both fiction and nonfiction, holds a BA and MS from Northwestern University, and currently lives outside Chicago, Illinois, with her husband and three children.



Do you enjoy reading historical fiction or dual timeline stories? What most interests you about this one?

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New Releases/#Free & Bargain Books for June 12th - June 18th #freebook #booksale #booklinkup #booklinky #booktwitter

Saturday, June 17, 2023 - Leave a Comment

Here are the New Releases / Free & Bargain Books, hosted by
Sharon over at Beck Valley Books, for this week! Check it all out below...

Authors please feel free to add your own books.
Readers please free to add your own finds.
(any genre except erotica welcome)

This weekly link up is hosted by Beck Valley Books & these awesome book loving blogs...

For Pre-orders post - PRE-ORDER / genre / title /author
For New Releases post - NEW / genre / title / author
For Free Books post - FREE / genre / title / author / end date 
For Bargain Books post - SALE / price / genre / title / author / end date
(Strictly no Erotica please.  Steamy romance is fine but watch those covers people, incase any underage child is viewing it!)

Here is this weeks awesome selection!


By adding your link, you acknowledge that the information you provide will be used in accordance with our Privacy Policy and transmitted to Inlinkz in accordance with their Privacy Policy.

Would you like to share our linkup on your site? click here
Would you like to become a weekly host? sign up here

Come back and check out the new selection every week!

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The highly anticipated series conclusion... Sanctuary for Seers by Kathleen Baldwin (Review & #Giveaway) #booktwitter #newbooks #yalit #yabooks #stranjehouse #sanctuaryforseers @arnoldjaime13 @KatBaldwin

Friday, June 16, 2023 - Leave a Comment

Welcome to my stop for this tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours!
Check out my review and the tour giveaway below...

Sanctuary for Seers
(Stranje House #5)
By Kathleen Baldwin
YA Historical, Magical Realism
Hardcover, Paperback, eBook, 358 Pages
June 15, 2023 by Ink Lion Books

Summary

The highly anticipated fifth and final book in the bestselling Stranje House series.

What if you'd been born at a dangerous and superstitious time two centuries ago... and you had the unusual ability to see not only the tangible world but also the spiritual and emotional realms?

When her family banishes her to Stranje House, Sera learns the importance of keeping some things secret.

At Stranje house, a school for unusual girls, Sera hides her abilities but finds friendship among the other girls who each possess remarkable talents. These outcast young women are secretly being trained to enter the perilous world of espionage, diplomacy, and war.

Conquering Europe wasn't enough; now Napoleon wants Britain. He and his band of assassins and spies, the Iron Crown, led by the ruthless Ghost, have abducted the Prince Regent. With Britain teetering on ruin, the young ladies of Stranje House must join the desperate hunt to find the Prince before it's too late. Now, more than ever, Sera's secret gifts are needed to help avert disaster. Dare she risk it?

Amid the chaos, Sera discovers the only person who truly understands her is the one man they all fear. The man set on destroying England. Can she save her homeland and her heart... from Ghost?

"An outstanding alternative history series entry and a must-have for teen libraries." -Junior Library Guild on Refuge for Masterminds

(Affiliate links included.)

My Review

SANCTUARY FOR SEERS, just as in prior books in the series, takes the perspective of one of Miss Stranje's students. Each of them have unique strengths and talents, and must find how to trust in themselves and their sisterhood to come out victorious in the end. The story is full of friendship, found family, danger, as well as some romance. It's an entertaining read from beginning to end!

I have immensely enjoyed this series! It was a pleasure to come back to the school. This concluding book brings everything to a final head as Miss Stranje's girls and their counterparts face Ghost and Napoleon one last time. This story focuses on Sera with her ability to see into the spiritual realm. It's an interesting talent or "gift" as Miss Stranje labels it, and aides her in connecting with an enemy and helping to bring a hopeful positive end to the conflict. I wasn't sure about Sera. She doesn't think rationally or logically at the beginning of the story as she doubts her worth, which was frustrating to me. She's not my favorite of the girls, but I still really liked her. She definitely has a bit of a development arc as she begins to understand how very loved she is just what she can do.

The story runs the gambit of emotions. It's fairly evenly paced at the beginning as the characters are all reintroduced, but then it begins to have some climatic moments that build toward the end. I won't share any spoilers. I will only share that I found the direction the story takes interesting with a very clear battle between light and dark. I very much enjoyed seeing each of these girls I've learned to love come into their own and play the roles they've been training for.

I did have a few misgivings with the story as well. I already mentioned some frustration with the main character. That eased towards the end of the story. My other issue was with the very strong focus towards the end. It's not that I actually have issue with that focus or with Sera's gift... more that I felt it wasn't consistent with the series as a whole and that it felt off to have such a deep love (you can still forgive and love without going quite as far as Sera did here) for someone who did terrible things to those closest to you. There also still seemed to be things that happened I felt these women and men should have been more prepared for. Those things made this story feel a bit like it was forced.

In the end, was it what I wished for? This was a worthy conclusion to the series. I'd love to go back and read it all through another time. If you're a fan of the series or enjoy historical YA with a bit of a paranormal or magical realism aspect, then I'd definitely recommend this one!

Content: Some violence, but would consider this clean.
Source: I received a complimentary copy through Rockstar Book Tours, which did not require a positive review. All opinions are my own.

Other Books in the Series

(Linked to my reviews.)

About the Author


Kathleen Baldwin is an award-winning author with more than 620,000 copies of her books in the hands of readers around the globe. Publishers translated her books into several languages, and a Japanese publisher even made Lady Fiasco into a manga. Scholastic licensed her School for Unusual Girls series for school book fairs. The YA series won numerous awards and was optioned for film by Ian Bryce, producer of Spiderman, Transformers, Saving Private Ryan, and other blockbuster films. The series is currently in its third film option.

Kathleen loves adventure in books and in real life. She taught rock climbing in the Rockies, survival camped in the desert and the snow, was stalked by a mountain lion, lost an argument with a rattlesnake, enjoyed way too many classes in college, fell in love at least a dozen times, and married her very own hero. They’ve raised four free-spirited adventurous children and are enjoying their many grandchildren.

“A School for Unusual Girls, by Kathleen Baldwin, is enticing from the first sentence.” –The New York Times Sunday Book Review

#1 New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot calls Kathleen’s romantic Regency adventure, “completely original and totally engrossing.”


Tour Schedule

Follow the tour with Rockstar Book Tours.

Tour-Wide Giveaway


1 winner will receive a signed complete SET of the STRANJE HOUSE Series & swag, US Only.

Ends June 27th, midnight EST.

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Have you read any of the books in this series? If you have, what have you thought? If you didn't, does it sound like a series you'd enjoy?

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Read an excerpt from this new release... Operation Find a Guy by Amy Anguish (Excerpt & #Giveaway) #newbooks #booktwitter #christianromance #romancebooks @justreadtours

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Welcome to my stop on this tour hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
Read an excerpt and enter the giveaway below...

Operation Find a Guy
(Roadtrip Romance #3)
By Amy Anguish
Christian Contemporary Romance
Paperback & eBook, 266 Pages
June 13, 2023 by Scrivenings Press

Summary

Skye Jones has one goal for the summer—keep her father from taking away her convertible. That’s the only reason she’s agreed to work at her sister’s bridal shop in Boulder, Colorado. It will buy her some time to figure out if there’s a non-boring job out there. Why else would she have anything to do with weddings when she has no interest in marriage?

Benjamin Smith can’t quite figure out how he ended up a groomsman in two different weddings over the summer, but with his sister and a cousin both getting married, he’s spending a lot of time at Happily Ever After events. Falling for a blonde with no dreams of settling down wasn’t in his five-year plan, but the more he sees Skye, the more he wants to figure her out. But all she sees him as is a boring attorney and her complete opposite.

Romance was supposed to be for Skye’s friends. But Colorado might hold more than she knew she was looking for.

(Affiliate links included.)

Excerpt

“You don’t want to get married someday?” He tried to come across as nonchalant, but curiosity urged him to ask more questions. “No boy back home keeping the telephone wires hopping with his nightly calls and words of missing you?”

“Oh no. I don’t have relationships. I only have FLIRTS.”

“Wait. Did you just call yourself a flirt?”

“No, silly. I said I only had FLIRTS.” She held a finger up for each letter. “Fun Living in Right This Second.”

He mouthed the words as he made sure they really did correspond with each letter. They did.

“So, no plans for the future? No dreams of settling down?”

“Nah. I’m more of a live-in-the-moment kind of girl. Having plans takes the spontaneity out of life—makes it dull.” She turned another page as if everything on it were the dullest thing imaginable.

“That can’t be true.” The attorney in him was coming out, wanting to plead his case.

“Can’t it?” She flipped a strand of the longest, blondest hair over her shoulder and raised a thin eyebrow. “Do you have fun doing whatever it is you do for a living in a suit like that?”

“A suit like this?” He plucked at his lapel. “What’s wrong with wearing a suit?”

“It usually comes with a stuffy job to match.”

Other Books in the Series

(Linked to Amazon affiliate links.)

About the Author


Amy R Anguish grew up a preacher’s kid, and in spite of having lived in seven different states that are all south of the Mason Dixon line, she is not a football fan. Currently, she resides in Tennessee with her husband, daughter, and son, and usually a bossy cat or two. Amy has an English degree from Freed-Hardeman University that she intends to use to glorify God, and she wants her stories to show that while Christians face real struggles, it can still work out for good.

Connect with Amy by visiting abitofanguish.weebly.com to follow her on social media and sign up for newsletter updates.

Tour Schedule

Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

Tour-Wide Giveaway


(2) winners will receive a print copy of Operation Find a Guy by Amy R. Anguish!
(2) winners will receive an ebook copy of Operation Find a Guy by Amy R. Anguish!

Full tour schedule linked above. The giveaway begins at midnight June 12, 2023 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on July 19, 2023. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE

What did you think of the excerpt? Did it make you want to read more?

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