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Thursday, March 20, 2014

Home Matters by Julie N. Ford (A Ripple Effect Romance) and a $25 Giveaway!




According to her mother, Olivia Pembroke was born to be a star. But how is she supposed to be famous when she can't even get a decent acting gig? Her lucky break comes when she lands an audition for a wildly popular home improvement show. Even though she has no design training and has never even held a power tool, she refuses to let that stop her. She's confident that her destiny is finally within reach. When her affections are torn between her heartthrob co-host and the irritating, yet somehow endearing lead contractor, does she continue to reach for the stars? Or does she design a new happily ever after? One that leads not to the fading lights of fame and fortune, but to a love that will burn forever.


I'm so excited to be a part of the blog tour for this amazing set of books in the Ripple Effect Romance.  Each is written by a different author and this week we are kicking things off with Julie Ford's "Home Matters".  

This was a great start to this series.  Have you ever watched HGTV?  Have you ever seen "Love It or List It"?  I could watch that show for hours, I think.  This book reminded me of that show.  

One of the best things about this book is how alive and real the characters seemed to me.  I could easily picture them in my head.  I love Olivia's determination to succeed.  She wants this chance so badly.  Her focus has been so concentrated on achieving this goal of making it big that when she gets it, it's hard to recognize that it may not be what she wants after all.  She feels a constant struggle between being true to herself and pleasing other people.  

William- so handsome, suave and so full of himself.  His ego literally fills up the room and pushed everything else out.  He was so easy to picture.

Pete sees the potential in Olivia.  He sees who she could be if she would just believe in herself and follow what her heart is telling her.  I really loved Pete.  I think I loved him just because he really saw Olivia, not as a host for a show but as a person.  His methods of proving things to Olivia were a bit out there, but his heart was always in the right place.

This was the perfect book to curl up with and lose myself in for a little while.  It was cute, sweet and littered with chemistry.  I'm really looking forward to reading the rest of the books in this series!  So much fun.

Enjoy the following excerpt and see what I mean about William's ego and then check out the book trailer.  :)

Knock, knock, knock. “William.” Knock, knock, knock. “William.” Olivia’s knuckles stung from her vigorous rapping, but she hit them against the hotel room door again anyway. Knock, knock, knock. “William.”

She’d never physically been to his room, but she was more or less sure this was the room number he’d given her. An ear pressed against the cool wood panel, she held quiet an impatient moment, listening for evidence that William was on the other side. And given that the clock had yet to strike the eight a.m. hour, she suspected he was not only in there, but more than likely still fast asleep.

Her fist poised to begin another round of knocking, she held back upon hearing the sound of throat clearing coming from the other side. “Olivia, darling, why are you Sheldon- Coopering my door?” William asked.
Relief washed over her panicked body. She collapsed against the door. “Something’s happened,” she pled. “I need to talk to you. Open up. Please.

William cracked the door and leaned out his head. “Sweetie, can’t it wait? I’m not properly dressed,” he apologized, but Olivia ignored his reservations. Strong- arming the door open, she barged in. “All-righty then,” he said as she breezed past him. “What could be so important, it couldn’t keep until a less ungodly hour?”

Olivia skidded to a stop in the middle of a posh living area, her focus scanning from the mini bar and kitchenette to a fifty-inch flat screen TV, then through a set of doors, into another room, and on to a four-poster, king-sized bed. Her current predicament temporarily relocated to the backburner, all she could think was: “Your room . . . It’s so much bigger than mine.”


William chuckled. “That’s your idea of a crisis?” he said. “Welcome to the top of the mountain.”





Julie
Author Julie N. Ford Julie is a forty-something, dangerously close to becoming a fifty-something, graduate from San Diego State University with a BA in Political Science. In addition, she has a Masters in Social Work from the University of Alabama, which has only made her better able to recognize the unhealthy, codependent relationship she has with writing. Professionally, she has worked in teaching and as a marriage and family counselor. She is the author of four women’s fiction novels, including Count Down to Love, a 2011 Whitney Award finalist. When she’s not writing, she entertains delusions of being a master gardener, that is, when she’s not killing the unsuspecting plants in her yard with her good intentions. She lives outside of Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband, two daughters, a Betta named Bob, and a Scottish fold kitten, Ardweal.

Updated Ripple Effect
The Ripple Effect Romance Novella Series Enjoy this exciting new series of clean novellas by six critically-acclaimed authors. "Like a pebble tossed into calm water, a simple act can ripple outward and have a far-reaching effect on those we meet, perhaps setting a life on a different course—one filled with excitement, adventure, and sometimes even love." Book 1: Home Matters by Julie N. Ford Book 2: Silver Linings by Kaylee Baldwin Book 3: Righting A Wrong by Rachael Anderson Book 4: Lost and Found by Karey White Book 5: Second Chances 101 by Donna K. Weaver Book 6: Immersed by Jennifer Griffith

Tour Giveaway
$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 3/31/14   Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Inspired Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY
  a Rafflecopter giveaway

 Home Matters Updated

1 comment:

  1. Thank you SO much for reading and reviewing Home Matters! I'm very pleased you enjoyed the story =D As always, I appreciate your support!

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