Thursday, March 31, 2022

"Heart of the Rockies" by Angela Breidenbach -- Book Review, Blog Tour, and Giveaway

About the Book

Book: Heart of the Rockies

Author: Angela Breidenbach

Genre: Historical Fiction/Historical Romance

Release date: November 1, 2021

1892, Helena MT: Delphina O’Connor believed God-given dreams for women didn’t stop at marriage and children. Hers might not include a husband or family at all. So when Hugh Thomas rescues the new swimming instructor at the elegant Broadwater Natatorium from near drowning in the Victorian-styled resort pool, how can anyone believe the freedom to enjoy swimming, competition, and a healthy body is an appropriate activity for a proper lady? Hugh is about to find out status quo is the starting line for a courageous woman with a dream!

Elaborate true history of the Broadwater Hotel and Natatorium in romantic fiction. You’ll meet several iconic people from Montana’s true history in these pages. What do you do when you think differently than the world around you?

Lovely story sharing the early days of women in synchronized swimming nearing the turn-of-the-century when traditional sensibilities battle modern ideas. How does a traditional man learn to love a modern woman?

My Thoughts

This is the third book in the Queen of the Rockies series. There are mentions of characters from the first two books, but I don't think it is as connected and can stand on its own. I still would recommend reading the books in order just to get the fuller picture. I found the book to be well written. It was a very quick read but didn't really feel rushed. I loved the historical things that I learned about through the book, like women's bathing suits. I look forward to reading more books in this series.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

BreidenbachAngela-Headshot Angela Breidenbach is a professional genealogist, media personality, bestselling author, and screenwriter. She’s also the Christian Authors Network president. Angie lives in Montana with her hubby and Muse, a trained fe-lion, who shakes hands, rolls over, and jumps through a hoop. Surprisingly, Angela can also.

More from Angela

I toured Helena, MT for the research that kicked off my passion for the Queen of the Rockies series. While there, I searched for more on the history of the Broadwater Hotel and Natatorium. Visiting the now empty fields, staring through the fence where the resort once stood, I missed the elegant beauty even though I’d never known her. The way the mountains swooped up from the valley with the hot springs at the base created a dramatic sense of place. I had to write a story set at the Broadwater!

While volunteering with a non-profit for children, the executive director asked why I’d gone to Helena recently. Bubbling over with enthusiasm, he started telling me everything he knew, saw, and experienced at the resort area while growing up near the Broadwater in Helena. His wife and he had even attended the final auction in the 1960s before the grand lady lost her battle with time and damages from the major earthquakes of 1935. She was demolished after the auction! The ornamental elements of the hotel and natatorium took record auction prices from doorknobs to copper bathtub rings. Even what was left of the stained-glass windows sold. What I hadn’t found in history books, online, or at the local history museum/society my friends shared with misty-eyed memories. The sweetness of hearing their stories and being able to use them in my book was pretty miraculous. I had a front seat to history.

The Broadwater Hotel had an interesting feature in their bath/shower rooms. If you’ve ever heard of a “needle” shower, it sounds painful. But it was a revolutionary new therapy treatment in the 1890s. I saw a few black and white faded photos. Those pictures in history books and online couldn’t do justice to the real invention. Want to see a little more before you read Heart of the Rockies? Here’s a link to visit on the Broadwater Hotel and Natatorium. I think you’ll want to immerse yourself (pun intended) in a story set in her extravagant, elegance. See what you think…

http://www.helenahistory.org/Broadwater_1.htm

One weekend, my husband and I took a trip to Butte to stay at the Copper King Mansion. The stay included a tour and use of their facilities. (Don’t pass that bed and breakfast overnight up. It’s really amazing and closely preserved through the families that lived there!) The original owner, William A. Clark, had a needle shower installed to help his sickly son. What do you know? It still worked! I tried it that night. Because the tiny sprays are in a circular design all the way around your body, the shower rings you. The experience, minus the issue of one ring being right at face level causing a lot of battles to breathe, was exhilarating. More so because of the unique nature. But when the water pressure is all the way on, the water can sting with the force on your skin. I fully understood the name! Adjusting the spickets brought the water pressure under control, but I had one further difficulty. The pipes that ringed my neck and head sprayed water into my face no matter what direction I moved. They’d been built to the height of a young man. Let’s just say it was a near-drowning! Super fun to try though.

Besides visiting Helena, make sure to stop in for your weekend in Butte, MT at the Copper King Bed and Breakfast. Take the tour. Then when you’re free of the museum visitors, and the house is all yours for the night, step into the needle shower (maybe really bring a waterproof step) and be swished back in time to the Gilded Age. Hmm, maybe I should be writing a time travel novel??

Come plunge into the pages of Heart of the Rockies with me.

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, March 18

Texas Book-aholic, March 19

Christina’s Corner, March 19

Tell Tale Book Reviews, March 20

Betti Mace, March 21

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 21

Inklings and notions, March 22

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 23

For Him and My Family, March 23

Locks, Hooks and Books, March 24

Blogging With Carol, March 25

deb’s Book Review, March 25

Connie’s History Classroom, March 26

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, March 27

Miriam Jacob, March 27

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, March 28

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, March 29 (Spotlight)

Pause for Tales, March 29

Spoken from the Heart, March 30

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 31

Blossoms and Blessings, March 31

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Angela is giving away the grand prize of a a set of gemstone earrings handmade by Thai Hill Tribe (made of sterling silver with amethyst Swarovski crystals)!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/1bc98/heart-of-the-rockies-celebration-tour-giveaway

I got a free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own and given voluntarily. No compensation was received for my review.

Wednesday, March 30, 2022

"Counterfeit Love" by Crystal Caudill -- Book Review, Blog Tour, and Giveaway

About the Book

Can this undercover agent save the woman he loves--or is her heart as counterfeit as the money he's been sent to track down?

After all that Grandfather has sacrificed to raise her, Theresa Plane owes it to him to save the family name--and that means clearing their debt with creditors before she marries Edward Greystone. But when one of the creditors' threats leads her to stumble across a midnight meeting, she discovers that the money he owes isn't all Grandfather was hiding. And the secrets he kept have now trapped Theresa in a life-threatening fight for her home--and the truth.

After months of undercover work, Secret Service operative Broderick Cosgrove is finally about to uncover the identity of the leader of a notorious counterfeiting ring. That moment of triumph turns to horror, however, when he finds undeniable proof that his former fiance is connected. Can he really believe the woman he loved is a willing participant? Protecting Theresa and proving her innocence may destroy his career--but that's better than failing her twice in one lifetime.

They must form a partnership, tentative though it is. But there's no question they're both still keeping secrets--and that lack of trust, along with the dangerous criminals out for their blood, threatens their hearts, their faith, and their very survival.

To read an excerpt of Counterfeit Love click here.

My Thoughts

I was intrigued by the blurb for this book. I found the book to be well written and it kept my attention. I wanted to keep reading and find out what was going to happen. I also was wondering how Theresa and Broderick would end up back together when she had a different fiancé. I look forward to reading more books by Crystal Caudill.

About the Author

Crystal Caudill is the author of "dangerously good historical romance," with her work garnering awards from Romance Writers of America and ACFW.

She is a stay-at-home mom and caregiver, and when she isn’t writing, Caudill can be found playing board games with her family, drinking hot tea, or reading other great books at her home outside Cincinnati, Ohio.

Learn more at crystalcaudill.com. You can also find her on Facebook and Instagram.

Giveaway

Enter giveaway here https://www.audrajennings.com/2022/03/win-copy-of-crystal-caudills.html

a Rafflecopter giveaway

>I got a free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own and given voluntarily. No compensation was received for my review.

Sunday, March 27, 2022

"Legacy of Lies" by Christy Barritt -- Book Review, Blog Tour, and Giveaway

About the Book

Book: Legacy of Lies

Author: Christy Barritt

Genre: Suspense

Release date: November 15, 2021

The justice system failed her family—and so did her hometown.

Madison Colson knows deep down that her father—a convicted serial killer—is innocent. But believing it and proving it are two entirely different things. Unable to help her father, Madison has spent most of her adult life overcompensating by helping others. When her aunt dies unexpectedly, duty calls her back to Fog Lake, Tennessee, a beautiful but painful place she’d rather forget.

Terrifying events begin to unfold once she arrives, unleashing her worst nightmares. The Good Samaritan Killer—or a copycat—is back, and now Madison Colson is his target.

FBI Special Agent Shane Townsend is determined to stop the deadly rampage that has sent the tightknit community into a frenzy. But he needs to earn Madison’s trust first. The task feels impossible, especially considering his father is the one who put her dad in prison.

With the whole town on edge and pointing fingers, tension escalates out of control. Madison and Shane must sort the facts from the lies—and fight for a legacy of truth—before The Good Samaritan Killer has the final say.

My Thoughts

This book starts off with a bang and just kept me turning pages. I found it to be well written and fast paced. I never knew what to expect and twists caught me off guard. I did not figure out who was disrupting the town with the crimes and was after Madison. I really want to know more about her father and hope that we learn more in the future books. I look forward to reading more books by Christy Barritt.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

USA Today has called Christy Barritt‘s books “scary, funny, passionate, and quirky.”

A USA Today and Publishers Weekly best-seller, Christy writes both mystery and romantic suspense novels that are clean with underlying messages of faith. Her books have sold more than three million copies, one has been made into a TV movie, and another is being developed for a TV series.

Christy’s books have won the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Suspense and Mystery, have been twice nominated for the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award, and have finaled for both a Carol Award and Foreword Magazine’s Book of the Year.

She’s married to her prince charming, a man who thinks she’s hilarious–but only when she’s not trying to be. Christy’s a self-proclaimed klutz, an avid music lover who’s known for spontaneously bursting into song, and a road trip aficionado.

Christy currently splits her time between the Virginia suburbs and Hatteras Island, North Carolina. She loves spending time with her husband, her two sons, and her four dogs.

For more information, visit her website: www.christybarritt.com.

More from Christy

I wrote Legacy of Lies after watching an interview on TV of a woman whose father killed several people. I tried to put myself in her shoes. How did she cope under the weight of what her father had done? How did people treat her differently? How did her father’s decisions affect her future? From there, I had the idea to highlight a group of three siblings who were dealing with this. I’d already done another four-book series in the mountain town of Fog Lake, Tennessee, and I really loved setting those books there. I decided to revisit the area and make it the place where these three siblings had grown up—and where they had to return.

Blog Stops

Texas Book-aholic, March 15

Betti Mace, March 16

Britt Reads Fiction, March 16

By The Book, March 17

Simple Harvest Reads, March 17 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Bigreadersite, March 18

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, March 19

Rebecca Tews, March 19

A Reader’s Brain, March 20

For Him and My Family, March 21

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 21

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 22

Inklings and notions, March 23

Genesis 5020, March 24

Blogging With Carol, March 24

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, March 25

deb’s Book Review, March 26

Locks, Hooks and Books, March 27

Blossoms and Blessings, March 27

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, March 28

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 29

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Christy is giving away the grand prize package of a $100 Amazon gift card and copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/1b8bd/legacy-of-lies-celebration-tour-giveaway

I got a free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own and given voluntarily. No compensation was received for my review.

Tuesday, March 22, 2022

"Blended Lives" by Melissa Wardwell -- Book Review, Blog Tour, and Giveaway

About the Book

Book: Blended Lives

Author: Melissa Wardwell

Genre: Christian Contemporary Romance

Release date: February 22, 2022

Wedding bells are ringing on the islands, but more than romance is in the air.

Seth Mikels experienced a fulfilling marriage with his wife until her sudden death left him alone to raise their two daughters. As they approach their teens, it’s obvious that they need a woman’s influence. He’s not looking for love, but he could use the partnership of a wife. Between his handyman business and playing Mr. Mom, time is fading fast.

Sarah Reid has spent the last four years caught in the middle of one island drama after another. Following the most recent fiasco, she hopes to find refuge on Sparrow Island with her two little boys. Climbing bills and a dwindling bank account leaves her no choice but to sell out and move to the mainland. Enter Seth’s handyman skills and an unexpected romance.

With Beth and Scott planning their own Merriweather wedding (complete with a Momzilla), will wedding bells ring out on Sparrow, too?

Read the next Sparrow Island novel in the Independence Islands Series featuring five islands, six authors, and a boatload of happily-ever-afters.

The Independence Islands Series: beach reads aren’t just for summer anymore.

My Thoughts

It was enjoyable reading this book. It was a quick read. I liked getting to have more of Scott and Beth's story along with Seth and Sarah's. I haven't had experience with a blended family, but the reactions of all involved seemed realistic to me. I look forward to reading more books in the series.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Melissa Wardwell doesn’t mind alternating between the world of writing and the reality of being a mother, but she would rather sit with a good book or a good friend and a cup of coffee.

When she isn’t penning works of fiction, she is busy reviewing books for her blog, Back Porch Reads.

To see more from Melissa Wardwell, visit www.melissawardwell.com

More from Melissa

I want to thank you for taking the time to follow this tour. This book was written during one of the most difficult times in my life but, as Beth said, God has turned the mourning into gladness. We are never promised the next breath we breathe or the freedoms that we enjoy, but He does promise that will be with us through every change in our lives.

Sarah and Seth’s stories are tragic and unimaginable for many. They have been brought to the lowest points in their lives but must continue to move on for their children.

Writing this story helped me work through some of my own struggles. Some areas of my life were burning to the ground and I found myself looking for answers as to how to pick up the pieces. Instead, God taught me some pretty important lessons.

I learned to be a woman who spoke clear and true. I learned to show the people around me how much I love them and appreciate them. I learned that only God could fix those broken pieces of our lives and stitch them back together. And lastly, I learned of the beauty of friendship and how important it is in our daily lives. Even though I am glad that journey is over, I will forever cherish the lessons.

I think Gram summed it up nicely for me though.

“When we blend our lives with others, whether in marriage or friendships, we open the door to carry each other’s burdens in life. God gives us certain friendships to help us through tough times to teach us how to be a shoulder for others.”

Fiction is a reflection of reality, so expect some of the lessons I learned to be reflected in Blended Lives as Sarah and Seth figure out how to navigate the changes I put them through.