REVIEW: Bravo! The Last Correspondent by Soraya M Lane will find a place in my top books of the year. There are some books that are tough to put into words how much in awe you are of the story and the author. This is definitely one of those books.

Let me tell you why I’m in awe. This story is about brave women who fought for their right to report from the front lines during World War II. The men didn’t think little ladies should be anywhere near the fighting. These women have totally captivated my interest and respect. 

The characters in the story were composites of the real women correspondents. There were also male correspondents that had it much easier. Some of them understood the women’s desire and became their allies. The author made me care for, love and hate these characters. I eventually understood the ones I didn’t like and respected their point of view. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that I actually felt what they were going through and fighting for. This story made you physically and mentally feel the hardship of war. 

This is my first book by Soraya M Lane. I’m in awe of her ability to write such a moving book. She has a way of grabbing you from the first page and never letting you go until you’ve read the story. I’m still thinking about the story and the characters. This won’t be my last book by her. 

I received this book from the author and Netgalley for a fair and honest review. Thank you. I’m humbled to have read this story. 

SYNOPSIS: When journalist Ella Franks is unmasked as a woman writing under a male pseudonym, she loses her job. But having risked everything to write, she refuses to be silenced and leaps at the chance to become a correspondent in war-torn France.

Already entrenched in the thoroughly male arena of war reporting is feisty American photojournalist Danni Bradford. Together with her best friend and partner, Andy, she is determined to cover the events unfolding in Normandy. And to discover the whereabouts of Andy’s flighty sister, Vogue model Chloe, who has followed a lover into the French Resistance.

When trailblazing efforts turn to tragedy, Danni, Ella and Chloe are drawn together, and soon form a formidable team. Each woman is determined to follow her dreams “no matter what”, and to make her voice heard over the noise of war.

Europe is a perilous place, with danger at every turn. They’ll need to rely on each other if they are to get their stories back, and themselves out alive. Will the adventure and love they find be worth the journey of their lives?

REVIEW: Hang on to your pants! Crescent City Sin by Nola Nash is going to take you on the ride of your life. I absolutely loved this book and recommend you get it for yourself immediately. I can’t be any clearer than that. Just in time for Halloween! Just in time to scare you out of your pants. 

This is book two to of the Crescent City Series with Crescent City Moon being book one. This second book is even more fabulous than the first book! The love story is magnificent. There is a magic about it that I fell in love with. 

I was so involved with the story and I didn’t get distracted with looking up information about the city of New Orleans. I couldn’t! I had to know what was happening with the characters. Nola really honed in on the story drawing your attention to details. In my opinion her story telling went through the roof with this book. Great job Nola Nash! 

If you love stories about witches, ghosts, spells, family secrets and love, you will enjoy this book. I am anxiously waiting for book three.

I received a copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest review. 

SYNOPSIS: In the Crescent City, darkness blurs the lines between sinners and saints.

Having been brought back through the veil after her death, Zéolie wakes to find she’s being cared for by the mother superior. Secrets are slowly revealed as Mother Micheaux explains her connection to the past Zéolie’s father kept hidden all her life. Once her strength has returned, Zéolie tries to ease back into her home and life without Louis, but soon finds herself helping a young man who mistakenly shows up at her house looking for his long-lost mother. Feeling compassion for the young man who is far from his home in France, she and the Marchon girls attempt to help him locate his mother while making him feel welcome.

Julien, the young man, finds himself strangely drawn to Zéolie and slowly loses his heart to her, but his feelings aren’t returned when Zéolie makes a new discovery that changes her life once more. Jilted, Julien unleashes his grief in the form of magical power he didn’t know he had and finds comfort in the friendship of a local madame. Out of control and angry, he succumbs to the darkness inside of him and the taunting voice of a raging spirit hungry for revenge.

Can Zéolie and her magical menagerie pull Julien back from the edge of hell, or will the past take them all down? Walk down the gritty dark streets of 1830s New Orleans where the line between sinner and saint is as blurred as the line between life and death.

REVIEW: Brilliant! Christmas Rings by Tess Thompson is the final book in Soul Sisters at Cedar Mountain Lodge. Can I just tell you how sad I am to be leaving this wonderful family? I’m devastated that the authors don’t have plans to continue the series. The way I see it, there are at least four more weddings to attend. We might have to start a campaign! 

This last book is about Alissa. How she met Jeb, their relationship, what happened for the wedding to be called off and how they put it back together again. It isn’t like the other 5 books except for the first chapter about her arrival at Maddie’s house. I love how Alissa’s story is the last book. It ties things up in a nice little package. 

This book did feel a little different from the other five. I still think the writing was seamless. This book gives some relationship history that we didn’t get before which really completes their story. So, if you have started this series, you just have to finish it! 

The first book of Soul Sisters at Cedar Mountain Lodge is Christmas Sisters and is a FREE prequel to the series. If you love Christmas, romance and heartwarming stories, I highly recommend you pick up the prequel and see what the buzz is all about. Then order the rest of the books. Believe me when I tell you… you’ll want everyone of them! 

I was blessed to be picked to read and review the whole series. 

I received a copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest review. Thank you! 

SYNOPSIS: Random circumstances brought them together. Love made them family.

Kind, funny, successful, and adoring, Jed Marsh is the man of Alissa Mann’s dreams. But Jed’s parents don’t think Alissa, who supplements her kindergarten teacher’s salary as a cocktail waitress at a gentlemen’s club, is good enough for their son. And his controlling mother will stop at nothing to keep them from getting married.

When Mrs. Marsh threatens to reveal Alissa’s secret side job to the school administration and the meddling moms who run the PTA, Jed and Alissa reluctantly call off their intimate mountain wedding. But even after the nuptials are canceled, Alissa agrees to meet her sisters and mother at the beautiful Cedar Mountain Lodge. And in the loving arms of her own family, Alissa just might figure out how to move forward — with or without Jed.

Fans of small-town stories, heartwarming holiday tales, sweet second chances, and whimsical winter weddings will fall in love with Alissa and her soul sisters in CHRISTMAS RINGS, book six of the Soul Sisters at Cedar Mountain Lodge, from USA Today bestselling author Tess Thompson.

REVIEW: Spine-Tingling! Yup that’s it! The Perfect Getaway by Kiersten Modglin is exactly that. There was an underlying sense of dread throughout the book and then Bam! And Bam and Bam again! You think you have it all figured out and BAM out of the blue she hits you again. OMGOODNESS! I think I have whiplash. At least my brain does.

Kiersten has done it again. This book is nothing like I’ve read before. Totally new. There were characters I didn’t trust from the beginning. I may have been wrong. As I’ve told you before, I can never figure out “who done it”. I certainly didn’t figure out this book. I don’t think you will either. I don’t think there is another person on this earth who has a mind that works like Kiersten Modglin! 

Her characters are believable and so is the story. So many scenarios went through my mind. Every one of them were wrong! WRONG! I think this may be her best book yet. If you love a good story that will keep you on the edge of your seat, turning pages and reading long into the night, pre-order The Perfect Getaway! Now! You don’t want to miss this one for sure. 

I received a copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest review. Thank you! 

SYNOPSIS: It was the trip of a lifetime…until someone ended up dead. 

When four couples receive invitations to try out a luxury island resort, they are excited for a week of relaxation and reconnecting.

For some, it’s the honeymoon they never had the chance to take.

For others, it’s a last-ditch attempt to save their crumbling marriage. 

But when one of the group members ends up dead on the night of a terrible storm, what was once a paradise soon becomes a prison. 

Trapped on the island with no cell phone service and no means of escape, the couples fear the worst. What exactly happened to their friend? And could they be next? 

Determined to learn the truth, the couples search for answers, but only discover more secrets. Friendships, loyalties, and marriages are put to the ultimate test as they grapple to decide who to trust and who could be a threat.

Will they make it off the island? Or will the perfect getaway turn into their last? 

REVIEW: FANTASTIC! I am totally in love with the Hope Springs Series. Mistletoe and Wedding Bells by Ashley Farley is the third and final book in the series. I loved Dream Big, Stella, I fell deeper in love with Show Me the Way and I’m a goner with Mistletoe and Wedding Bells. This is the best time of year to grab the Hope Springs Series cuddle up with something warm to drink and enjoy yourself.

The characters in this series all have stuff they are working through but, most of them have such big hearts. Stella inherited a historic inn from her biological father who was a rock star. She brings it back to life, hires people who become friends and family and falls in love with the hunky contractor. There is so much love in this series and this book in particular, you just can’t help wanting to be a part of it. 

If you love romance, family and weddings then take my word for it, you’ll fall head over heels for these books. I think Ashley Farley hit it out of the park! Home run with the bases loaded. 

I received a copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest review. Thank you! 

SYNOPSIS: Merriment and mayhem collide for a chaotic holiday season at the Inn at Hope Springs Farms.

General Manager, Stella Boor, is ready to marry her man and live in the home of her dreams. But she can do neither until she wins permanent custody of her six-year-old half sister, Jazz. Meanwhile, Jazz’s mother, Naomi, is determined to make trouble for Stella at every turn. When tension mounts, Stella results to drastic measures in order to protect her baby sister.

Event planner, Presley Ingram, is keeping the ultimate secret. She’s planning a surprise wedding for Stella and Jack for Christmas Day. As passion ignites with her new lover, Presley pauses to consider if she’s planning Stella’s dream wedding. Or her own.

Head chef, Cecily Weber, will wed the love of her life on Christmas Eve. But when her fiancé shows an irresponsible side she’s never before seen, Cecily begins to have second doubts. Is she suffering from pre-wedding jitters? Or will she be forced to choose between marriage and the success she’s worked so hard to achieve.

Join three intriguing young women in their pursuit of happily ever after.

REVIEW: I’m in Tears and Love!  Christmas Dreams by Ev Bishop is number five in the Soul Sisters at Cedar Mountain Lodge series. I’m still loving this series and I’m in tears because I’m dreading the end of the series. Just one more to go! 

Again, I’m amazed at how seamless these women are that have written all of these books. I can’t tell one from another except for their name on the front of the book. That is such a good thing because you don’t have to keep switching gears between books. They write as one! 

This book is about Stevie. She is the second oldest and the chef that lives in an RV. I didn’t think I would enjoy this one as well as the others but I did. It was every bit as good. I never re-read books but, I might be tempted to read this series again next year! The whole series is just wonderful. 

I received a copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest review. Thank you! I feel very blessed.

SYNOPSIS: Random circumstances brought them together. Love made them family.

Chef Stevie Fox isn’t just looking forward to a luxurious holiday celebrating her sister’s Christmas wedding, she needs it. The difficult year has her brain bursting and her heart starving. A menu of late-night chats, lots of laughter, and tons of pampering with her beloved foster sisters and Maddie, the woman who made them a family fifteen years ago, promises the nourishment she craves.

But then her sister’s fiancé calls off the wedding, and Stevie’s dreams of a restorative vacation and a love story that actually works out go up in smoke. Heartbroken and simmering with anger on her sister’s behalf, Stevie agrees with her family to stick to their holiday plans to show support.

Throwing oil on her fiery emotions, Stevie runs into her old high school flame and long-cooled feelings boil over. She’s determined to put a lid on them, however. Jackson Bassett may be full of zest and passion, but she’s been scalded too many times.

If you’re a fan of small towns, heartwarming holiday romance stories, second chances, and furry dog friends, you’ll fall in love with Stevie and her soul sisters in CHRISTMAS DREAMS, Book 5 of Soul Sisters at Cedar Mountain Lodge, from USA Today bestselling author Ev Bishop.

✓ Don’t miss a Soul Sisters book – download them all today!

Book 1: Christmas Sisters – perma-FREE prologue book
Book 2: Christmas Kisses by Judith Keim
Book 3: Christmas Wishes by Tammy L. Grace
Book 4: Christmas Hope by Violet Howe
Book 5: Christmas Dreams by Ev Bishop
Book 6: Christmas Rings by Tess Thompson

REVIEW: Heartbreaking. Bells For Eli by Susan Beckham Zurenda was such a wonderful book but, it was heartbreaking. We always think of our youth as carefree and fun. This book brings to the foreground that times as a kid are not always fun. 

The characters in this story brought me back to my childhood. This book covers the late 50’s to the late 70’s and is about the love shared between two cousins who grow up across the street from each other. It is told through the eyes of Delia, short for Adeline. Her cousin is Eli, short for Elliston. Eli had such a beautiful, caring and troubled soul. I truly loved these characters. They were flawed but, they had big hearts. 

The book takes place in the south where life is slower. People have time for each other. I think feel during that time period more time was given to living and not being so busy all the time like we are now. I wish we could go back to that time. 

I couldn’t put this book down. I was so interested in the relationships, what was going on behind closed doors and the history of the families. If you love books from other time periods or coming of age stories, you’ll love this book. 

I received a copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest review. Thank you! 

SYNOPSIS: First cousins Ellison (Eli) Winfield and Adeline (Delia) Green are meant to grow up happily and innocently across the street from one another amid the supposed wholesome values of small-town Green Branch, South Carolina, in the 1960s and 70s. But Eli’s tragic accident changes the trajectory of their lives and of those connected to them. Shunned and even tortured by his peers for his disfigurement and frailty, Eli struggles for acceptance in childhood as Delia passionately devotes herself to defending him. Delia’s vivid and compassionate narrative voice presents Eli as a confident young man in adolescence–the visible damage to his body gone–but underneath hides indelible wounds harboring pain and insecurity, scars that rule his impulses. And while Eli cherishes Delia more than anyone and attempts to protect her from her own troubles, he cares not for protecting himself. It is Delia who has that responsibility, growing more challenging each year. BELLS FOR ELI is a lyrical and tender exploration of the relationship between cousins drawn together through tragedy in a love forbidden by social constraints and a family whose secrets must stay hidden. Susan Beckham Zurenda masterfully transports readers into a small Southern town where quiet, ordinary life becomes extraordinary. In this compelling coming of age story, culture, family, friends, bullies, and lovers propel two young people to unite to guard each other in a world where love, hope, and connectedness ultimately triumph.

REVIEW: Sweet! Christmas in Snow Valley by Tammy L Grace is a really sweet read. I read it yesterday and totally enjoyed it. It’s a short book so if you have just a few hours you want to devote to reading, this book is for you. You can easily read it in a day and feel satisfied. 

I think almost all of her books have dogs in them. I don’t think I have read one yet that didn’t. I love dogs and that is one thing that always draws me to Tammy’s books. This one is about lost love found again and my sense of romance was happy. 

If you love Tammy L Grace books, you will love this one too. If you haven’t read any of her books yet, this is perfect!  Go ahead and pick this up because I know you’ll enjoy it. 

SYNOPSIS: Fifteen years ago, he broke her heart. She never moved on. Will a little Christmas magic bring them back together?

After leaving Snow Valley behind for college and a life in New York City, Emily returns to her small hometown to spend Thanksgiving with her sister. Her sister has to leave town, forcing Emily to extend her stay and coordinate the mayor’s annual Christmas Tree Party at the Mistletoe Lodge.

Emily hasn’t heard from the boy she thought was “the one” since the day he walked out of her life.  When he walks back into it, while she’s in the midst of prepping for the holiday party, she’s shocked. She’s prepared to give him a piece of her mind, but when she sees the man before her, more handsome than ever, her resolve evaporates.

A beautiful lodge, a massive snowstorm, and two lovable dogs might be the perfect catalyst for the two of them to confront the past and rekindle what they thought was lost.

Tammy L. Grace, a USA Today Bestselling Author of women’s fiction and sweet Christmas romances, delivers a touching small-town holiday novella perfect for readers who enjoy heartwarming characters, dogs, and second chances. Grab a cup of hot cocoa, curl up in front of a warm fire, and escape to Snow Valley this Christmas. Originally released as part of a mulit-author set, Christmas at Mistletoe Lodge, but now available as a single novella.    

REVIEW: Here we go again! Christmas Hope by Violet Howe is book 4 of Soul Sisters at Cedar Mountain Lodge. I get giddy every time the next book hits my inbox. There are two more to go. I’m so excited. I can’t wait to read them all. 

This book is about Maddy the mom of the four girls in the series. I enjoyed reading more of her story. The conflict and worry in her heart as her girls are grown and moving on with their own lives. Maddie meets a handsome man and the butterflies begin. It is so much fun.

There is a seamless quality in the writing of these books. I can’t tell one author from another. Their voices are the same. Some of the authors are new to me and I thought I would be able to tell one from another. Not true! They have all done a great job and these books just flow like honey. 

The first book of Soul Sisters at Cedar Mountain Lodge is Christmas Sisters and is a FREE prequel to the series. If you love Christmas, romance and heartwarming stories, I highly recommend you pick up the prequel and see what the buzz is all about. Then order the rest of the books. Believe me when I tell you… you’ll want everyone of them! 

I received a copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest review. Thank you Violet Howe! This has been an awesome opportunity. 

SYNOPSIS:   Random circumstances brought them together. Love made them family.

It’s been fifteen years since Madeline Kirby adopted four girls and welcomed them into her home for Christmas. The holiday season has always been a special time for the family, and when one of her daughters plans a Christmas Eve wedding at the Cedar Mountain Lodge, Maddie looks forward to spending the week together in joyous celebration.

With the cancellation of the ceremony mere days before the family’s arrival, Maddie insists they must all forge ahead to the lodge to pull together and support the jilted bride. Luckily, love is swirling with the snow in the mountain air, and it seems no one is immune, not even Maddie.

She’d given up on romance when a tragic auto accident took her beloved husband along with her only child the year she adopted the girls, but a chance encounter with a handsome stranger ignites a spark that Maddie can’t ignore. As she tries to convince her daughters that love is a risk worth taking in their own lives, can Maddie be convinced she’s not too old for another chance?

If you’re a fan of small towns, heartwarming holiday stories, and second chances, you’ll fall in love with Maddie and the soul sisters she brought together in CHRISTMAS HOPE, Book 4 of Soul Sisters at Cedar Mountain Lodge, from author Violet Howe.

Don’t miss a Soul Sisters book – download them all today!

Book 1: Christmas Sisters – perma-FREE prologue book
Book 2: Christmas Kisses by Judith Keim
Book 3: Christmas Wishes by Tammy L. Grace
Book 4: Christmas Hope by Violet Howe
Book 5: Christmas Dreams by Ev Bishop
Book 6: Christmas Rings by Tess Thompson