A Bride of Convenience (The Bride Ships #3) by Jody Hedlund

Upon discovering an abandoned baby, Pastor Abe Merivale joins efforts with Zoe Hart, one of the newly arrived bride-ship women, to care for the infant. With mounting pressure to find the baby a home, Abe offers his hand as Zoe's groom. But after a hasty wedding, they soon realize their marriage of convenience is not so convenient after all.

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Happy release day to A Bride of Convenience by Jody Hedlund!  I am really loving this Bride Ship series.  It's crazy and so interesting to me that these bride ships were a real thing.  This author does a great job of making her characters human with clear strengths and flaws that I can relate to.

Zoe is such a gentle person, full of kindness and compassion.  I loved how quickly and easily she shared her love with those who needed it most.  It was so easy to love her character and her intentions.  Abe struggled with his situation and his follow through a bit more than Zoe but his intentions were usually noble.  He definitely became a better man and found sure footing in the wake of Zoe's love and compassion for others.

I enjoyed the setting and I also enjoyed seeing characters from previous books pop up in this story.  It gives the series a sense of community and I like that.  If you haven't started this series yet, now is the time!  It's so good.  I've loved every book so far.

Content:  mild violence, mild peril, kissing

- I received a complimentary copy of this book.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Not a Fine Gentleman (Rogue Hearts #6) by Donna Hatch + $20 Gift Card Giveaway!

Margaret, the eldest of the misbegotten Amesbury family, is accused of murdering her jerk of a husband and then fleeing. Conner Jackson, a Bow Street Runner, is hunting her down to bring her to justice. Or so he thinks...

This romantic story of loss and betrayal, forgiveness and redemption, and strangers marrying, will leave you laughing, crying, and swooning. Sprinkled liberally with suspense, mystery, and heart-melting kisses, this is not your ordinary historical tale of an arranged marriage nor of redeeming the rakes. Fans of Victorian and Regency Eras, as well as those seeking clean and wholesome romance with plenty of chemistry, will love this story!

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I really had a fun time with this book.  I'm loving these Amesbury siblings because they are such a diverse group of characters but at the heart of it, they are all strong, loyal and brave.  Enter Margaret, accused of murdering her louse of a husband and on the run.  Conner Jackson is out to retrieve her but boy does he get more than he bargained for!

The mystery and intrigue started right off the bat, throwing me into the thick of things right along with Margaret.  I loved how the whole story played out because between the mystery and the sparks between Conner and Margaret, I was entirely engaged from beginning to end.  Margaret is feisty and determined but also so vulnerable and hurt.  I really loved her.  Bridging the gap in station between Conner and Margaret was tricky at times, especially for Conner, but thankfully Conner wised up about certain things.  Good thing, because I was about ready to smack him upside the head too.  :)

Donna Hatch is definitely a favorite of mine.  Her books have vibrant characters and excellent pacing with so much going on to entertain my brain.  This book was exactly what I was hoping for. 

This is book five in this series but I believe it can stand alone.  However, you will probably enjoy this series best if you read it in order.  

Content:  mild violence, peril, kissing

- I received a complimentary copy of this book.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Donna Hatch is the author of the best-selling “Rogue Hearts Series,” and a winner of writing awards such as The Golden Quill and the International Digital Award. A hopeless romantic and adventurer at heart, she discovered her writing passion at the tender age of 8 and has been listening to those voices ever since. She has become a sought-after workshop presenter, and also juggles freelance editing, multiple volunteer positions, and most of all, her six children (seven, counting her husband). A native of Arizona who recently transplanted to the Pacific Northwest, she and her husband of over twenty years are living proof that there really is a happily ever after.

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Not Over You (Prosperity Ranch #3) by Heather B. Moore

He left her behind. She’s spent years ignoring him. But some things can never be forgotten.
Knox Prosper knows he can never go back in time and correct his mistakes, so he has to find a way to move forward, and start a new life. Become a better man, and a father, if only for his young daughter. His regrets have taught him to simplify and to focus on what’s real and important. Returning to his hometown to ride in the rodeo gives him a chance to spend time with his daughter and to continue mending bridges with the rest of his family. But what he doesn’t expect is to run into Jana Harris—the first woman he loved—the woman who faded from his life years before because Knox continued to mess up one thing after another. Someone as good and as sweet as Jana is the last person he deserves. Hope is dangerous. And hope can break his heart once again. Yet Jana might be the one person with the power to redeem his past once and for all.

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Hello, Knox.  Star of this third book in the Prosperity Ranch series and without a doubt, the person in this family with the most drama swirling around him.  Knox has made a TON of mistakes and he knows it.  Now he is trying to make amends with his family, his community and Jana.  Knox is seeking redemption and forgiveness.  

I've really enjoyed seeing Knox change and grow over the length of the series.  In book one, he really doesn't give you much to hope for.  He's at the bottom of the barrel so to speak but by the end of that book, there is a smidgen of hope.  I love how far Knox comes in this book because now that he's in it for redemption, there's no turning back.  Knox works hard to set wrongs to right and he works hard to gain forgiveness from others and even himself.  Combine that with the second chance at first love with the sweetest Jana and you have yourself a good, satisfying story.  My favorite of the series so far, I think.

I'm enjoying the Prosper family and looking forward to the next book!

Content:  mention of infidelity, sex outside of marriage without any details.  Kissing.

- I received a complimentary copy of this book.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Heather B. Moore is a USA Today bestselling author of more than fifty publications. Her historical novels and thrillers are written under pen name H.B. Moore. She writes women's fiction, romance and inspirational non-fiction under Heather B. Moore. This can all be confusing, so her kids just call her Mom. Heather attended Cairo American College in Egypt, the Anglican School of Jerusalem in Israel, and earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Brigham Young University in Utah. Heather is represented by Dystel, Goderich, and Bourret.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1344869.Heather_B_Moore

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/37783537691/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/heatherbmoore

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorhbmoore/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Heather-B-Moore/e/B007HLYZ6A/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1

The Crushing Depths (Coastal Guardians #2) by Dani Pettrey

They know the power and peril of the ocean.
But as they get closer to the deadly truth . . .
An even greater danger lurks just beneath the surface.

When an accident claims the life of an oil-rig worker, Coast Guard Investigators Rissi Dawson and Mason Rogers are flown to the scene thirty-eight miles from shore. Tensions aboard the rig are high, and the death has everyone on edge. Environmental activists are threatening to do whatever it takes to stop the "plague on the environment" from continuing its work. Meanwhile, rumors are circulating on board about an ancient curse lurking in the depths below.

Mounting evidence shows the death might not have been an accident. Was the man killed by one of the activists or, more frighteningly, a member of his own crew? Rissi and Mason have to sort through not only numerous suspects, but also their own haunted pasts and their attraction to each other.

Just as the case seems about to break open, worse news arrives: a tropical storm has turned their way. Now they're cut off from any rescue--right where the killer wants them.

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This story had me all in and invested from the very beginning and didn't let up.  It's that 'hold on tight because you know this will be a fun ride' feeling.  I love when that happens. 

Even though there is a strong forward momentum, the author does a good job of giving me space to know the characters.  Rissi and Mason have history together from when they were children.  It's not a great shared history but I enjoyed how their story unfolded and expanded my understanding of their relationship and their connection.  Rissi and Mason are both excellent characters and I enjoyed them so much.

There is danger, there is intrigue.  The mystery is swirling all over in this book making me anxious with anticipation.  It was good stuff.  There is another developing plot happening between some side characters and I'm hoping they will be in the spotlight for the next book.  It's shaping up to be good!!  Oh!  And as a side note, I never want to be an oil rig worker.  Or even visit an oil rig.  That's some scary stuff and I'm grateful for the people who do the hard jobs for people like me.

This series is about a group of people and they are all present in each book so it would probably help to read this series from the beginning for the best character development, but I honestly think this book can stand on it's own.  This book releases on June 30th.  If you haven't read the first book in the series, The Killing Tide, now is a great time to pick it up on Kindle.  It's just $1.49!  Find it HERE.

Content:  peril, death, mild violence, kissing, mentions of physical abuse.

- I received a complimentary copy of this book.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Coming Home to Maverick by Sophia Summers

Bailey is back. Maverick thought he was over her. But neither can deny the feelings that will always be there.

Bailey has made mistakes, so many she doesn't think she'll really ever forgive herself. But her daughter deserves the kind of life Bailey had growing up. When she shows up on her parents' doorstep back to her hometown, the one person she isn't ready to see is Maverick. But will she ever be able to face him?

The minute Maverick hears Bailey is back, he knows his heart still belongs to her. But what kind of man trusts a woman who left him at the altar? As he grapples with a new daughter that he can't help but wish was his, all the responsibilities of running his family's ranch, and the hurt he feels about Bailey's betrayal, he finds new love and hope not only with her but with God.

As soon as God is a part of the equation, the sweetness they find is better than they ever had. Just maybe this second chance around is God's gift of happiness to them both.

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Coming Home to Maverick is a story of forgiveness and redemption.  It is a story that will tug on your heart because who hasn't made mistakes, sometimes big ones, that require the forgiveness of others and also the hard task of forgiving yourself?  

Bailey left her man at the alter without a word.  She ran off with a different man who promised her stars and she had his child.  Now she is back in a small town where everyone knows her and knows her mistakes.  That's a pretty big challenge to overcome.  I really love how the author painted the town in good light, that the people there could accept Bailey back with open arms and love, especially Maverick's family.  Maverick hears Bailey is back and his family asks how he wants to treat her.  Should they ignore her?  Shun her?  Maverick tells them to be kind to her.  And I know this is just a fiction book, but that sort of sentiment restored a bit of hope in humanity for me.  I really want to believe that people are good enough to do this and that I am too.

Maverick is something else.  If you make a mistake, he's the guy you want forgiving you!  It was almost too easy for him but I'm willing to overlook this because I really want there to be people like this out there in the world.  Maverick is kind.  He is patient.  He is loyal.  He works hard and he is all things Texas cowboy.  Yeah.  He's good.

I enjoyed this book. It was a sweet story of love and forgiveness and it felt good around my heart.  Maverick has a whole family of boys so here's to hoping we get a story for each brother.

This book is just $.99 on Kindle right now and it is also on Kindle Unlimited.

Content:  mention of intimate relations outside of marriage with no details, Christian elements including prayer, forgiveness.

- I bought my own copy of this book.

The Whispered Dance of Bees by Carol Warburton

Had fate and nature not conspired, Alyce Redgrave would have been a child of wealth and privilege. But the night of her birth was shadowed by an eerie Devils Moon and her christening day marred by a fierce hailstorm—ill omens that led the superstitious peasants to seek Alyce's life. Desperate to save her infant daughter, Alyce's mother flees with her baby, finding shelter and goodwill at the isolated farm of strangers . . .

There, Alyce's life is filled with secrets, unanswered questions, and a sense of foreboding. Her worst fears are realized when she narrowly escapes the clutches of a murderer by fleeing into the forest. Fate steps in once more to change the course of her life when Alyce is found and taken in by Elspeth, a wise woman with the uncanny ability to commune with nature. Trained by Elspeth in the art of healing, Alyce remains haunted by the puzzle of her past until she discovers her mother's lost pendant. With the help of this object and the aid of the enchanting William Pascoe, Alyce finally holds the key to who she once was and who she will become.

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Carol Warburton has an amazing way with words.  They weave together to create a story that comes alive.  This book really does come alive, vividly.

The story is told from two perspectives- first from Arabelle and then from her daughter, Alyce.  It really just follows their lives and honestly, most of it carries sadness with it.  The story is slow moving but not uninteresting.  It really isn't a love story as a love interest doesn't even come into play until about two thirds of the way through and even then, it's very gentle.  This story is a journey.  The journey of Alyce and the many kind people who help her along the way.

I enjoyed much of this book.  Overall though, it was a little bit too sad and a little bit too slow for me.  There just wasn't enough tangible happiness to balance out the sad and hard bits.  I will say that it didn't feel like anything else I have been reading lately.  I'm always looking for books that feel new or different and this story was definitely that.

Content:  peril, death

- I received a complimentary copy of this book.  All opinions expressed are my own.

The Viscount's Vow by Julie Coulter Bellon

Edward Rutledge, the newly minted Viscount Carlisle, has come back from war a changed man. The echo of the battlefield and the death of his best friend Marcus haunt him to the point that he decides to break his betrothal to Charlotte---the only woman he’s ever loved.

When he’s summoned home to Hartwell Manor, he comes face-to-face with her. Slowly, her strength and love make him see that he might be able to reclaim what he thought was lost. But when word reaches him that Marcus might not have died in Spain and yet lives, Edward will do anything to bring his friend home. As the mystery deepens, however, Edward is drawn into an intrigue that forces him to confront the demons that have plagued him since he returned to England. Will he have to sacrifice everything he’s built with Charlotte in order to keep her safe?

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The beginning premise of this book isn't a unique one.  In fact, when I began reading, it felt very similar to a couple of regency books I've read recently.  Man comes home from war, feels he is unworthy/incapable of love for varying reasons so he refuses the girl.  I was excited when things took a turn as Edward goes on a mission to rescue his old friend, Marcus.  That's when I really became interested in this story.  I wish there had been more intensity to that part of the story because it all ended very gently without too much fuss.  I was a little disappointed.  I also felt like Marcus changed his mind regarding marrying Charlotte easily and quickly.  His promises to Charlotte's brother seemed contradictory to what he really intended.  I don't know.  Some of that just confused me. 

Edward and Charlotte are both nice characters, good people, easy to like.  The story is gentle, easy reading and the ending is sweet.  Although this book wasn't my favorite I liked it and I am a fan of this author.  Her military romantic suspense books are my very favorites.

Content:  kissing

This book is available on Kindle Unlimited.