Category: 21st Century

#RomanceTuesdays feat. Harlequin Heartwarming | “Her Island Homecoming” (Hawaiian Reunions series, Book One) by Anna J. Stewart

Posted Tuesday, 18 July, 2023 by jorielov , , , , 0 Comments

#RomanceTuesdays badge created by Jorie in Canva.

Acquired Book By: Whilst speaking with Ms Stewart about being a guest on @SatBookChat in the New Year of 2021 (as our conversation was in late 2020) – I realised there was a whole collection of stories by her I haven’t yet had the pleasure of reading! The first series which charmed my heart was Butterfly Harbour – which we happily discussed during #SatBookChat in January, 2021 and it is the series I am continuing to read throughout 2023. At the time, she mentioned to me she also writes for Harlequin’s Romantic Suspense and I was quite curious about those stories as I regularly read their Love Inspired Suspense novels. The key difference between the two is Love Inspired is their faith-based imprint and the Romantic Suspense stories are Contemporary and mainstream. I tend to be a hybrid reader of both mainstream and faith-based markets which is why I was keen on reading her Romantic Suspense releases. 

I am a member of her Review Team (as you will see the badge I created at the bottom of this review) and I am thankful I have the opportunity to be clued into her new releases and series, as they become published and available to read. I will be continuing to read her Heartwarming and Contemporary Suspense releases via Harlequin as a Review Team member, too.

I received a complimentary copy of “Her Island Homecoming” direct from the author Anna J. Stewart in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

NOTE: All the Press Materials for this series (Hawaiian Reunions) were provided by the author, Ms Stewart for use on my blog. Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

You might recognise the author I am reading (ie. Anna J. Stewart) as I first became introduced to her style of storycrafting whilst reading the #BlackwellBrothers series via Harlequin Heartwarming! Whilst continuing to get to know her further through her guest appearances on @SatBookChat (the Saturday chat I’ve hosted since 2014 celebrating Romance, Women’s Fiction & Feminist Lit). You’ll find me reading selections from her Romantic Suspense stories for Harlequin as well as her wicked lovely series ‘Butterfly Harbour’ which is a celebration of family, community and new beginnings!

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In recent years, you will have found reviews of the following novels
featured on Jorie Loves A Story:

Undercover Heat and Colton on the Run

Gone in the Night, Guarding His Midnight Witness and Recipe for Redemption

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And, this Summer, I am returning to her novels as I re-establish where I am within the Honour Bound series and Butterfly Harbour whilst beginning my journey into this NEW series: Hawaiian Reunions. I am also going to be dipping back into the Blackwell stories as well as there are more than one series of the Blackwells available, and I haven’t had the chance to properly finish the last two series about them. I am overjoyed their stories continue to enter our lives as I was so dearly attached to the first one (ie. Return of the Blackwell Brothers) and look forward to new memories and reactions as I continue to proceed inside the series which follow suit.

Betwixt the angst of life’s uncertainties, an unplanned relocation and a new job – you could say, I’ve been a bit whisper quiet on Jorie Loves A Story for the last several months! I had been attempting to read this novel for several weeks, especially at the latter half of June when I thought I was going to have a bit more balance in my work life. However, with my new job came a lot of training hours and sometimes, those hours were a bit more intensive than I perceived them to be originally. In essence, it was a lot of commuting and exhaustive hours to where unwinding into a book I wanted to read was pushed aside for much needed rest. As I was still juggling my night job whilst training for my new ‘day’ job. The only good news on that front at least, is the new company I’m working for is paying for mileage for my last two weeks of commuting. I wish it had been retroactive from the beginning but at this point, a little return on the commute is a blessing.

Shifting into July, I had inked out some downtime for myself over the Fourth, only to be greeted by lightning storms and internet outages. Not the best timing for a girl who ached to soak into a novel! It took a bit more time to get another day off in order to continue reading “Her Island Homecoming” and I was especially grateful the day arrived sooner than later! As my training schedules were getting a bit more complicated with delays and re-scheduled transitions, etc. I am hopeful by the close of July my training will conclude, and I will no longer have a long commute as I will be working locally at long last. For now, the joy of being in Nalani rejuvenated my readerly spirit but also, gave me a bit of a ‘holiday’ away from work and the stresses of life. I truly loved being set in this world!

This also marks my return to reading and blogging. I’ve had a lot of unbalances in my life since February and even, further back since last October, 2022. A lot of life has been lived between those months and although, things are starting to get better for my family – it simply has been a long haul to get to this point. I’m grateful to have regular hours at work starting after I shift to working locally as I will know my schedule for day and night shifts and which days, I’ll have off vs the pattern of insanity I’ve been going through with training at my new (day) job. The night job has always remained consistent but it’s the day job I replaced with a new one which has caused the recent strife in my hours.

Settling into a Heartwarming novel felt like the right choice for me. Whenever I pick up one of these lovelies, I feel as if I can just soak into a story, relax into the lives of the characters and settle the chaos for a bit. We all need those moments to ourselves where we can just find ways to decompress and find what can relax us outside of work and life’s commitments. If you’ve been waiting for me to showcase new content, I appreciate your patience. And, if you’ve had a hard-won year this 2023, I hope you’ll find some peace soon in a story that lets you take a step out of your everyday and just soak into something uplifting and renewing like this novel has been doing for me.

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#RomanceTuesdays feat. Harlequin Heartwarming | “Her Island Homecoming” (Hawaiian Reunions series, Book One) by Anna J. StewartHer Island Homecoming
Subtitle: Hawaiian Reunions : Book One
by Ms Anna J. Stewart
Source: Author Review Team

Will he stay too?

From sand in his shoes to a gecko eating his dinner, Theo Fairfax is way outside his comfort zone in Hawai'i. Sent to convince pilot Sydney Calvert to sell the tour company she just inherited, he finds himself being won over by the tight-knit community, the natural wonders and Sydney’s free-spirited beauty. Could exploring their growing feelings lead to a future as magical as a tropical sunset?

Genres: Contemporary (Modern) Fiction (post 1945), Romance Fiction, Contemporary Romance



Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 978-1335584984

Also by this author: Undercover Heat, Colton on the Run, Gone in the Night, Recipe for Redemption, Guarding His Midnight Witness

Published by Harlequin Heartwarming

on 23rd May, 2023

Format: Larger Print (Mass Market Paperback)

Pages: 384

Published by: Harlequin Heartwarming (@HarlequinBooks) | imprint of Harlequin

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The Hawaiian Reunions series:

Her Island Homecoming (book one)

Their Surprise Island Wedding (book two) : coming September, 2023!

*features Keane, the surfer who returned to Nalani in book one!

A Surprise Second Chance (book three) *

← *forthcoming release: March, 2024!

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View the list and keep tabs on this series via Fantastic Fiction!

Converse via: #ContemporaryRomance and #HawaiianReunionSeries
as well as #HarlequinHeartwarming

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Read More

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Posted Tuesday, 18 July, 2023 by jorielov in #RomanceTuesdays, 21st Century, Book Review (non-blog tour), Contemporary Romance, Death, Sorrow, and Loss, Geographically Specific, Jorie Loves A Story Features, Life Shift, Modern Day, Post-911 (11th September 2001), Romance Fiction, Small Towne Fiction, Small Towne USA

A #CrimeFicFridays Book Review | “Death on the Boardwalk” (A Myrtle Beach Mystery, Book One) and feat. the (Prequel) “The Brass Key” by Caleb Wygal

Posted Friday, 10 February, 2023 by jorielov , , , , 0 Comments

#CrimeFicFridays banner created by Jorie in Canva.

Acquired Book By: Interestingly, I was first contacted in November, 2021 by Mr Wygal’s publicist about his Myrtle Beach Mysteries – however, I was a bit delayed in responding until March, 2022. It took a bit of time to receive the first two books in the series by Mr Wygal and then, I had a few delays of my own this Summer, 2022. He also sent me a copy of “Death Washes Ashore” the second book in the series which is when I realised I needed a copy of the prequel “The Brass Key” in order to better understand the sequencing of the series itself.

I had fully planned to read all the stories shortly thereafter in Autumn of 2022 however, my migraines returned in September and from October 2022 – February 2023 my family and I had gone through over 90+ days of loss (two cats) and medical emergencies with my father who had multiple hospitalisations and stays until he was finally able to be released into a 24/7 nursing care home where he could receive rehab and recovery. Ergo, my readings of this series were delayed due to circumstances rather than anything else which would have delayed me from reviewing the series.

This is another prime example of how publicists and authors alike read through my Review Policy and note the kind of stories I love to seek out to read. Quite a few of the requests I receive are a bit of a miss for me as a reader as they fall outside the realms of what I will accept as a reader or outside my review policy altogether. This is why I left the tweet in my sidebar to alert those seeking reviewers to know this is why we write those pages on our blogs – to help authors, publishers and publicists know our reading sensibilities and preferences. I am celebrating the authors, publishers and publicists today who kindly read those pages and offer us a story we can accept for review consideration.

I received a complimentary copy of “Death on the Boardwalk” and “The Brass Key” direct from the author Caleb Wygal in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

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Why I wanted to read The Myrtle Beach Mysteries:

First off, I should mention I appreciate a wicked good Cosy Mystery — I also happen to have a penchant for Southern Literature. Which is why when a beloved book series by Sherryl Woods became a series on NetFlix, I was dearly thrilled to bits (ie. “Sweet Magnolias”) as that doesn’t always happen. I have loved reading Southern Romances, Southern Literature & Southern Gothic stories for quite a long time now — stories set in the Southeast of the United States have a particular characteristic about them. There is a cultural identity to them but there is also a particular climate – as weather plays a strong role in these stories as much as the infamous Southern hospitality and affection for ‘sweet tea’.

However, I have the tendency to read Southern Fiction (overall) which has full inclusivity of all persons, cultures and lifestyles as sometimes the IRL climate of culture of the South is far different than how it is portrayed in fiction. As most have sorted out over the years, I am a girl who embraces the melting pot of the world whilst I am an LGBTQ+ ally. Thereby whenever I reach for a Southern story, I like to seek out stories which embrace the world as I see the world myself and are not stuck in the past with views which are not contemporary minded.

Another reason I like Southern set stories are the small townes, the slower paced lives and the landscape of the stories where they are set — as the Southeast hugs the Atlantic Coast whilst it also has a firm grip on Appalachia.

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A #CrimeFicFridays Book Review | “Death on the Boardwalk” (A Myrtle Beach Mystery, Book One) and feat. the (Prequel) “The Brass Key” by Caleb WygalThe Brass Key
by Caleb Wygal
Source: Direct from Author

A discovery in a Grand Strand consignment store sends Mark and Peggy Whitman, two tourists celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary while staying at the OceanScapes Resort on an adventure. Mark is aging, unmotivated, and hasn't been the same since a heart attack. Peggy has tried to boost Mark's spirits, but failed.

That starts to change when they find an item tucked inside a purchase, igniting an unexpected journey that explores the Grand Strand, a secret romance, and rekindles their love for one another. But to find the secret, Peggy needs Mark to find the drive to help before they have to check out.

Along the way, they will encounter faces familiar to the series, and meet some that have not been seen before, all in the day before Clark Thomas finds a body on his bookstore doorstep.

Filled with Wygal's characteristic humor and fast, fun writing style,
The Brass Key is a delightful entry to the Myrtle Beach Mystery Series.

Genres: Contemporary (Modern) Fiction (post 1945), Crime Fiction, Cosy Mystery



Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 979-8986000626

Published by Franklin Kerr Press

on 10th May, 2022

Format: Trade Paperback

Pages: 52

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My review of the brass key:

Peggy and Mark are your typical tourists who get lost in the experience of visiting a place and set their own timeclock of how they want to spend their hours at their destination. Their a bit eccentrically hilarious, too, as Mark loves collecting knick-knacks which only he understands the purpose of why he collects them whereas Peggy would at least like to spend a bit of time on the sand as they frequently visit an infamous beach resort towne (ie. Myrtle Beach) but spend zero time at the beach itself! Laughs. They draw you into their fold as soon as you meet them – because you nearly presume their speaking a bit out of turn about someone until you realise what the reference is actually about by Mark!

Townes which feature a lot of storefronts and tucked away places to traverse through are my kind of places to travel off to myself. I love whenever you have more shops to wander inside than time allows as there is something magical about becoming lost in the moment and just allowing yourself to wander a bit amiss and afield and see what you can find unexpectedly as you journey through a towne like this one where the past comes back alive through the items which are offered for sale.

Mark’s retirement sounded eerie close to my fathers – wherein both men worked long hard hours and didn’t collect a lot of hobbies over the years. And, of course, by the time they retired, their health afflictions and issues started to occur with gusto. I felt for Peggy, especially as I’ve been living through something similar with Dad and have watched the effect it has had on myself and my Mum over the past several years. A credit to Peggy (and my Mum) she finds ways to workaround Mark’s health problems and still finds ways to curate a bit of joy for both of them along the way. Travelling though was something new for this couple as they had lead such a quieter life together and with their children. That was something that differed from our family as Mum set the standard early-on wherein we’d take a lot of day to overnight trips in and round our state ever since I was a young girl. She found ways to get around my Dad’s job but also curated a way for us to see the state as well. I always thought that was a wicked balance to solve.

I loved how Wygal highlighed travelling where you can stay with a built-in kitchenette – as it is one way to keep a healthy diet but also have a cosy nights inside if you don’t want to go out on the towne you’re visiting. He kept this very contemporary and current, too, as Peggy and Mark received a Wal-mart food delivery! Laughs. I knew it was only a matter of time before I’d read a story which utilised food delivery services in one form or another and in this instance, it felt well with their lifestyle of choice.

Of course, it was over the course of dinner one evening when Peggy and Mark discovered something in their room (which eludes to the title of this short prequel story!) which fancied them a bit of a turn at playing detective. They were also Wygal’s eyes and ears for his readers to become introduced to his version of Myrtle Beach and to give a curious presentation of how the towne was situated and the sights which visitors might expect to find there if they were to visit. It was lovely to see the area as they journeyed around and made the best of their time on their holiday.

The best moment by far for me was when Clark (at the bookstore) invited Peggy and Mark to have coffee and conversation with him at the table! It was one of those unexpected kind graces that you hoped to experience for yourself but don’t oft get the chance to find people that warmly hospitable!

Clark, of course, is the main character in the series – and it was a delightful introduction to who he is as a person and as a member of the community. The only surprising turn for me in the end of this delightful short story is how Peggy and Mark didn’t leave a note or story behind for their family about their adventure on the day we spent with them in Myrtle Beach. It had such an endearing ending – what they found and what it meant for the people in the past – I thought for sure they might have left something behind for their own family to understand their adventure and their discovery but in the end, they left it as an unspoken mystery with only a singular bit of evidence as a lasting clue of their time there. Although, I was curious if there might be a connecting reference in the general series to what they effectively achieved on behalf of one of the oldest residents of the area.

I would definitely recommend reading this story ahead of Death on the Boardwalk because it sets such a lovely tone of entrance into the expanding series as much as Peggy and Mark are the kind of characters which endear you to them quite immediately and leave a mark of joy on your heart.

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Posted Friday, 10 February, 2023 by jorielov in 21st Century, Book Review (non-blog tour), Cosy Mystery, Crime Fiction, Modern Day

An #INSPYSundays Book Review | “A Promise for His Daughter” (Love Inspired) by Danielle Thorne

Posted Sunday, 1 May, 2022 by jorielov , , , 0 Comments

#INSPYSundays banner made my Jorie in Canva.

Acquired Book By: Two years ago in (2020) Ms Thorne contacted me about her first Love Inspired novel (“His Daughter’s Prayer”) of which I reviewed and hosted her during @SatBookChat. Fast forward two years and I caught a notice about her review team which led me to asking her about joining the team. I was delighted to receive her second release with Love Inspired as I had fondly remembered the joy I had in reading her debut with the publisher. I was grateful I could join her review team knowing how much I love her writing instincts for telling Contemporary INSPY Romantic stories as much as the fact I love reading stories by this publisher for Romantic Suspense.

I received a complimentary copy of “A Promise for His Daughter” direct from the author Danielle Thorne in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein. Per the badge at the end of this review, I am also a member of the author’s Review Team.

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A note about joining author review & street teams:

Over the years I’ve been a book blogger, I’ve had a few opportunities to join author review and/or street teams. However, this year, I am thankful to announce I recently joined both Danielle Thorne and Anna J. Stewart’s review teams. Each of them write for different imprints by Harlequin Books – Thorne writes for their INSPY Love Inspired and Stewart writes for their Heartwarming & Romantic Suspense imprints. Both of them consistently write the kind of stories I want to read as a Romance reader who likes gently told stories with uplifting endings – whilst at the same time, I also have a penchant for Suspense – INSPY or mainstream, which makes reading different imprints by this publisher such a joy.

Irregardless if I’m on an author’s review team or not, my opinions and thoughts remain as honest as if I were not on the team. I never know which story is going to resonate with me or which story might wrinkle my nose a bit – however, the joy for me is the moment of discovery and the hours spent inside the stories. I am overjoyed I am able to focus on both authors and celebrate their stories as I read them on Jorie Loves A Story. Perhaps you’ll find a new imprint to read yourself, or a singular series or one-off release which speaks to your own bookish heart.

This marks the first novel I’m reading for Ms Thorne’s review team and I was wicked happy it is her second release with Love Inspired. She left such a strong impression on me the first time I read her novel with Love Inspired – it left an ache to return into a similar setting and world, seeing where she would lead me and her characters next to discover a new happily ever after! Not to mention, this one also involves a child and sometimes those stories are extra special and sweet to read.

On why I enjoy reading stories by Danielle Thorne:

I appreciated the immediacy of connecting with Callie – you have such a strong scope of who she is and why she is meeting us at this junction of her life within the first few pages of His Daughter’s Prayer. I appreciate this smooth transition into Callie’s life and world because you don’t have to hunger after the details to help you fully feel connected to the heroine of the story and you can also identify with her motivations of relocating, re-identifying herself and pursuing a new path in a towne she knows intimately well. It was for that immediate reaction I had wherein I knew this could become expanded into a series. Interestingly enough, this was also brought up during our #SatBookChat discussion wherein this story was pitched to become a series and only time will see if that becomes a reality. I, for one, would love to continue living in this world Ms Thorne has created because it is a wholesome community with down to earth characters and the beauty of starting over and coming home.

As I read His Daughter’s Prayer, the story felt as if it had been with the author for a very long time – although having spoken to the author during #SatBookChat, I know the fuller truth of how quickly this story was knitted together and then published. It feels like a story meant to be told and one that was fully realised as it was been created which is a credit to Thorne. She has good instincts on how to write an INSPY Contemporary Romance in the same vein of my beloved Harlequin Heartwarming novelists – the story she’s created in this INSPY Rom is the kind of story you long after because it refreshes your spirit. I definitely hope this will lead to more Love Inspired INSPY Contemporaries or even Suspense by Ms Thorne – whether they are connected to Ragland or not, I’d be keen to read them!

With watery eyes and a full heart, I read the Author’s Note at the conclusion of the story and found myself with a keen bit of insight into why this story felt as real to me as it did! Ms Thorne tapped into a part of her own soul and heart and left it inside this novel. She put a lot of herself into the story and a lot of her personal wanderings into the aesthetic of what became the towne and setting. This went a long way towards feeling emotionally rooted into the storyline and wanting dearly to know they’d be a sequel due to how wonderfully enriching it was to read a story that has lived such a wonderful life in our hearts and imagination. This is an author to keep your eye on dear hearts, there are many wonderful stories yet to be read from Ms Thorne!

-quoted from my review of His Daughter’s Prayer

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An #INSPYSundays Book Review | “A Promise for His Daughter” (Love Inspired) by Danielle ThorneA Promise for His Daughter
Subtitle: His latest project has a two-year old surprise
by Danielle Thorne
Source: Author Review Team

His latest project has a two-year-old surprise

Fatherhood wasn’t what Bradley Ainsworth expected to find at Henny House. The run-down Victorian is his best shot at proving himself as a historic renovator, but the new owner has no interest in recreating the past. Claire Woodbury and her foster daughter, Emily, are focused on the future—until everyone learns that Emily is Bradley’s daughter. Does that future have room for him as a father…and more?

Genres: Contemporary (Modern) Fiction (post 1945), Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction, Sweet Romance, Contemporary Romance



Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 978-1335759269

Also by this author: Josette, His Daughter's Prayer

Published by Love INSPIRED

on 26th April, 2022

Format: Mass Market Paperback

Pages: 224

Published by: Love Inspired (@LoveInspiredBks)
an imprint of Harlequin Books (@HarlequinBooks)
which is now an imprint of HarperCollins Publishing (@HarperCollins)

Note on Formats: Happily Love Inspired novels have the same kind of flexibility as Harlequin Heartwarming wherein you can receive these print copies in Regular Print, Larger Print or True Large Print for those who are vision impaired and/or have low vision. I personally love the Larger Print editions for Harlequin Heartwarming, Love Inspired Contemporary Romance & Love Inspired Suspense as it is much kinder on eyes of a migraineur! Generally I receive Larger Print copies of Love Inspired and/or Harlequin Heartwarming novels – however, I do on occasion receive Regular Print which I can’t read whilst in the throes of a migraine or shortly after one but when I’m migraine-free I can soak back inside them; hence why having different sized fonts available is a lovely gesture by the publisher for readers like me.

Converse via: #INSPYbooks and/or #INSPY, #SweetRomance and #LoveInspired

as well as #ChristFic, #ChristianFiction, #ContemporaryRomance or #INSPYRomance

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More Inspy Romantic stories by Danielle Throne:

His Daughter’s Prayer (2020) | see also Review

Falling for the Coach (2022)

A Promise for His Daughter (2022)

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About Danielle Thorne

Danielle Thorne

Danielle Thorne writes from south of Atlanta, Georgia. She is the author of over fifteen historical and contemporary sweet romances. A graduate of BYU-Idaho, she has also published young adult non-fiction and worn an editor's cap. Her new release is a 2020 historical series set in the United States and follows the period of the American Revolution. Her first book with Harlequin's Love Inspired line will be out this summer.

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Posted Sunday, 1 May, 2022 by jorielov in 21st Century, Adoption, Contemporary Romance, Equality In Literature, Family Drama, Foster Care, Indie Author, Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction, Life Shift, Modern Day, Motherhood | Parenthood, Orphans & Guardians, Romance Fiction, Small Towne Fiction, Small Towne USA, Southeastern USA

A #SaturdaysAreBookish Book Review | The Rancher’s Wyoming Twins (Book One: Back to Adelaide Creek) by Virginia McCullough

Posted Saturday, 30 April, 2022 by jorielov , , , , 2 Comments

#SaturdaysAreBookish banner created by Jorie in Canva.

Acquired Book By: I started hosting with Prism Book Tours at the end of [2017], having noticed the badge on Tressa’s blog (Wishful Endings) whilst I was visiting as we would partake in the same blog tours and/or book blogosphere memes. I had to put the memes on hold for several months (until I started to resume them (with Top Ten Tuesday) in January 2018). When I enquiried about hosting for Prism, I found I liked the niche of authors and stories they were featuring regularly. This is how I came to love discovering the Harlequin Heartwarming authors & series as much as it has been an honour to regularly request INSPY stories and authors. Whenever I host for Prism, I know I am in for an uplifting read and a journey into the stories which give me a lot of joy to find in my readerly queue of #nextreads. It is an honour to be a part of their team of book bloggers.

I received a complimentary copy of “The Rancher’s Wyoming Twins” direct from the author Virginia McCullough in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

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Why I enjoy reading a Virginia McCullough
Harlequin Heartwarming novel:

In this installment of Back to Bluestone River, I was happy to see an intergenerational plotting – wherein Amy is with her grandmother and there is a history of grandparents raising children in the storyline. Lately, I’ve been enjoying finding intergenerational stories – where different role models and guardians are being explored in the context of Contemporary stories. It is a refreshing twist and one I think should be celebrated more often as there are a lot of children who live in non-conventional families and those families should be represented more as I am loving how Ms McCullough presented Amy’s presence in her grandmother’s life.

Bluestone River is one of those communities which is thinking about how it wants to make positive progress into their own towne’s future. There is something to be said for that kind of thinking – of where a towne considers all angles of new proposals but also takes stock into consideration how they want to grow rather than just growing without a firm plan in mind to execute. Too often I think smaller townes grow too fast and they all start to look like a commercial zone of big box stores and differing styles of architecture without any cohesive way of bridging the towne and their aesthetic together. It was nice to see this discussion taking place and having a community question what is motivating their future endeavours as the towne continues to grow.

Ms McCullough brought the continuity together beautifully between installments – as Eric is the mutual friend of our first Bluestone River sweethearts, Ruby and Mike. It wasn’t lost on me the connection between the title’s metaphor and the symbolism of the bridge being in jeopardy throughout the storyline – not to mention that this story took place during my favourite season of Winter! Everything was percolating so well in this installment – from how the community was rallying together to discuss their future plans for development and to how Amy needed to find her footing in her choices to return to Bluestone River. Even Eric was at a crossroads in his life wherein he needed to sort through what was motivating him and the choices he needed to be making for himself as he looked towards where he wanted to be in the next chapter of his life. This is a story about choices and owning them once they are made as everyone needs a boost of confidence at different junctions of their lives.

I felt this installment brought me back to centre – back to where I originally felt hugged close into the series within the pages of A Family for Jason. Bluestone River has a way of settling into your heart because its the kind of towne where you can either return home after a long absence or it is a towne where you can move to redefine your life and have your own new beginning. What keeps you rooted in the series is the familiar way in which McCullough makes you feel like you’ve gone home yourself – Back to Bluestone River!

-quoted from my review of A Bridge Home

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I need to preface this with a note about why I am posting my ruminative thoughts several days after my previously scheduled tour stop for this lovely blog tour. On Monday, I had one of the worst ocular migraines of my life – so much so, I had to call in sick from my night job and had to take straight to sleep as it was one of those supernova ones where you have to just rest and obliterate all light from reaching your eyes. Over five hours of sleep and I was feeling a bit more like ‘me’ but not quite to the point I’d say I was back to ‘normal’ either Monday night. By Tuesday, as much as I wanted to resume my life where I had left it the night before it wasn’t until Wednesday morning I felt I had turnt the corner and things were starting to feel like I had reached a healthier patch of road again. Despite that, I asked for an extension to read this novel as I didn’t want to push my eyes past the point they could go with reading and blogging; as sometimes even with traditional migraines it takes me hours/days to recover to the point I can read or blog again.

Ergo, I asked to post this on Saturday giving me more time to read and allowing my eyes not to feel too overwhelmed by reading too fast, too soon. Unfortunately, I had some other health issues arise this weekend which delayed me from sharing my thoughts until late morning rather than earlier as I had planned. It also pushed forward other reviews I was meant to feature this week as well. I was grateful to be on the tour, as Prism is winding down for the Summer and might be on an extended hiatus thereafter. As my regular readers know, I am full of gratitude to Prism (especially to Tressa) for encouraging me to first pick up Heartwarming novels and the journey as a book blogger hosting these authors and series has been a true joy of mine these past six years.

Ms McCullough is beginning a new series now with The Rancher’s Wyoming Twins and I was grateful to be part of the reviewers on the tour as most of the Western Romances I read are either inclusive of Colorado or Montana; it isn’t too often I get to travel into Wyoming and it was a special treat of joy to find this series settled there. Of course, when the Blackwells return this Summer, I’ll be travelling into Wyoming as well (ie. Blackwell Brothers series) but for now, it felt fitting to be in Wyoming and following the adventures therein.

NOTE: The Blackwell series is by fellow Heartwarming authors: Anna J. Stewart, Carol Ross, Melinda Curtis, Amy Vastine and Cari Lynn Webb. It started with Return of the Blackwell Brothers, followed by the Blackwell Sisters and I believe its the Blackwell Cousins this Summer but I haven’t confirmed that yet but the stories are set in Wyoming not Montana.

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A #SaturdaysAreBookish Book Review | The Rancher’s Wyoming Twins (Book One: Back to Adelaide Creek) by Virginia McCulloughThe Rancher's Wyoming Twins
Subtitle: Back to Adelaide Creek
by Virginia McCullough
Source: Author via Prism Book Tours

Her worst enemy...

Could bring her heart home

Heather Stanhope wants to despise the man who now owns the ranch her family lost. But Matt Burton is raising his late sister’s adorable twins, loves horses, and is known for his loyalty and honesty. Sneaking into Adelaide Creek for her friend’s wedding, Heather hopes to avoid Matt, but fate and family have them crossing paths. Heather knows falling for Matt means risking her heart, but it’s a risk she can’t resist.

Genres: Contemporary (Modern) Fiction (post 1945), Romance Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Western Romance



Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 78-1335426680

Also by this author: A Family for Jason, The Christmas Kiss, A Bridge Home

Published by Harlequin Heartwarming

on 29th March, 2022

Format: Larger Print (Mass Market Paperback)

Pages: 384

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Back to Adelaide Creek series:

The Rancher’s Wyoming Twins (book one)

The Doc’s Holiday Homecoming (book two) *forthcoming November, 2022!

Keep up with this series via FantasticFiction!

Published by: Harlequin Heartwarming (@HarlequinBooks) | imprint of Harlequin

Converse via: #ContemporaryRomance, #WesternRomance and #HarlequinHeartwarming

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About Virginia McCullough

Virginia McCullough

Born and raised in Chicago, Virginia McCullough has been lucky enough to develop her writing career in many locations, including the coast of Maine, the mountains of North Carolina, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and currently, Northeast Wisconsin. She started her career in nonfiction, first writing articles and then books as a ghostwriter and coauthor. She’s written more than 100 books for physicians, business owners, professional speakers and many others with information to share or a story to tell.

Virginia’s books feature characters who could be your neighbors and friends. They come in all ages and struggle with everyday life issues in small-town environments that almost always include water—oceans, lakes, or rivers. The mother of two grown children, you’ll find Virginia with her nose a book, walking on trails or her neighborhood street, or she may be packing her bag to take off for her next adventure. And she’s always working on another story about hope, healing, and second chances.

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Posted Saturday, 30 April, 2022 by jorielov in #SaturdaysAreBookish, 21st Century, Adoption, Ancestry & Genealogy, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Bookmark slipped inside a Review Book, Brothers and Sisters, Contemporary Romance, Family Drama, Family Life, Life Shift, Modern Day, Nurses & Hospital Life, Orphans & Guardians, Prism Book Tours, Romance Fiction, Siblings, Single Fathers, Sisterhood friendships, Small Towne Fiction, Small Towne USA, Twin Siblings, West Coast USA, Western Romance, Wyoming

#CrimeFicFridays | featuring the Harlequin Romantic Suspense novel “Guarding His Midnight Witness” (Honour Bond series, Book 4) by Anna J. Stewart

Posted Friday, 8 April, 2022 by jorielov , , , 0 Comments

Reading the stories of Anna J. Stewart banner created by Jorie in Canva.

This Spring, I have the pleasure of joy to be reading a select sequencing of stories writ by the lovely Ms Anna J. Stewart – of whom, I first became introduced to whilst reading the #BlackwellBrothers series via Harlequin Heartwarming! Whilst continuing to get to know her further through her guest appearances on @SatBookChat (the Saturday chat I’ve hosted since 2014 celebrating Romance, Women’s Fiction & Feminist Lit). You’ll find me reading selections from her Romantic Suspense stories for Harlequin as well as her wicked lovely series ‘Butterfly Harbour’ which is a celebration of family, community and new beginnings!

Full disclaimer: Spring usually arrives so fast & furious our Winter barely has time to make a proper arrival and departure – thereby, despite the fact, we’re being blessed this year with an extended Winter, my reviews for Ms Stewart will be peppered throughout the coming months – thereby arriving on Jorie Loves A Story throughout ‘Spring’ even as Winter starts to disappear.

Hence why I’m calling this special featured showcase of reviews:

Celebrating Spring whilst reading the stories of Anna J. Stewart!

I started this concentration in 2021 with the following reviews:
Undercover Heat and Colton on the Run

whilst I began this new concentration by sharing my review of:
Gone in the Night & Recipe for Redemption

Acquired Book By: Whilst speaking with Ms Stewart about being a guest on @SatBookChat in the New Year of 2021 (in late 2020) – I realised there was a whole collection of stories by her I haven’t yet had the pleasure of reading! The first series which charmed my heart was Butterfly Harbour – which we happily discussed during #SatBookChat in January, 2021 and the series I am concurrently reading this Spring, 2022. At the time, she mentioned to me she also writes for Harlequin’s Romantic Suspense and I was quite curious about those stories as I regularly read their Love Inspired Suspense novels. The key difference between the two is Love Inspired is their faith-based imprint and the Romantic Suspense stories are Contemporary and mainstream. I tend to be a hybrid reader of both mainstream and faith-based markets which is why I agreed to reading her Romantic Suspense releases.

I returnt to reading her stories within the Romantic Suspense imprint of Harlequin with “Gone in the Night”, as I previously shared my reviews on behalf of “Undercover Heat” and “Colton on the Run”. It is part of the Honor Bound series of stories – which begins with three women interconnected through a shared tragic past (ie. Eden, Simone and Allie) whilst it will expand and pivot to feature the McTavish’s after their story is told. As of Spring 2022 – there are five novels released in this series, though the series will expand into eight installments. (which I learnt during #SatBookChat in February, 2022)

I received a complimentary copy of “Guarding His Midnight Witness” direct from the author Anna J. Stewart in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein. Per the badge at the end of this review, I am also a member of the author’s Review Team.

NOTE: All the Press Materials for this series (Honour Bound) were provided by the author, Ms Stewart for use on my blog. Whether she gifted me the books herself or whether I purchased them – as I asked if I could use them as I blog about this wonderfully lovely series.

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a few notations about the series from “Gone in the night”:

Stewart writes fast paced Romantic Suspense – to where you nearly feel as if the momentum is going to swallow you whole as your reading one of her novels. In this particular installment of the Honour Bound series, Stewart shifts forward and backwards to re-anchour the reader into the drama of the series itself. You didn’t have to finish reading the first two novels in the series to gain traction in the third which was a blessing for me as I couldn’t quite reconcile reading the first two novels in this series but I was gripped by the third as if this were the first novel. Stewart gives a lot of layered re-hashing of the events which has plagued the three main characters of the series thus far afield as the Honour Bound series is a thread of stories connecting Eden, Simone and Allie.

As this is the third installment, the point-of-perspective is given to Allie whilst opening the door for Guarding His Midnight Witness when it comes to Jack McTavish. Through conversations during #SatBookChat, I learnt Stewart let her characters dictate the direction of the series which is why we are going to pivot from the girls’ to the McTavish’s in the next installments. I’m not sure where we will go from there as this is going to be an eight book series but the journey is one I am thankful to be taking after a bit of a hard go at the start of it.

Similar to the other Romantic Suspense novels I’ve read by Stewart, this one packs quite the emotional punch for her readers. A lot of this is rooted in psychological suspense undertones combined with emotional anguish and heartache; whilst inclusive of trauma and memory from the past which re-inflicts pain in the present. It is a layered story and one which is slow brewing – as Stewart sets the stage well in the beginning for the kidnapping case to serve as a catalyst for the story itself and let’s us re-hover of the past Allie, Simone and Eden have been surviving all along.

-quoted from my review of Gone in the Night

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As I came into this series a bit haphazardly, it might help other readers who are considering reading this series but are unsure where to begin it. As I disclosed on my review for Gone in the Night, it took me a bit to find traction within the series, as the first two novels just didn’t grip me as much as Allie’s story and it was through her story, I was pleasantly surprised to see the whole series open up for me as a reader as Stewart has brilliant continuity and interweaving threads of connection from one installment to the next; something she is known for throughout all her series (as I’ve read quite a few of her series from two imprints of Harlequin). She catches you up on the back-histories of these characters whilst giving you feeders of folly to consider for future. I love how she started to insert the pivoting sequencing into Gone in the Night by focusing on Jack McTavish and of course, how his story-line became a bit of a cliffhanger leading into Guarding His Midnight Witness.

It wasn’t a traditional cliffhanger, as the door was open for his character to return but there was a quasi-curiosity about how he would return and in what capacity (to avoid spoilers) due to the circumstances of the final chapters of the third installment. I was definitely curious how and where we would re-enter Jack’s life now in the fourth novel whilst seeing how within this fourth installment, how we would continue to pivot forward away from the girls (ie. Allie, Eden and Simone) even though I knew they would all be somewhat inclusive of the series even as it moves forward due to the found family aspect of the Honour Bound series overall.

Allie roots you into the series because of how emotionally connective she is to the crux of the story which evolves through the first three novels. She is the axis point in so many ways and because of that, I felt a closer connection to both her as a character and to the series overall. Her cover art is also a bit telling as she’s the only book so far which only features the female lead rather than showcasing both the heroine and the hero of the story. I’d say more but that might be considered a spoiler as well – so let’s just leave it here as a curiosity of noting the differences in covers.

And, this is of course how I came to appreciate the Honour Bound series. It isn’t necessarily because of the case files their investigating because this series does continue to push me past my own comfort zones and boundaries when it comes to Crime Fiction and Cosy Crime drama but at the heart of the series is a wonderful group of individuals who found each other and who have bonded to each other to create their own family. Their not just bound by fate or mutual respect/appreciation but they all have a sense of duty and honour within them as well.

Only the series by Harlequin Heartwarming and Romantic Suspense have I found I can dip in and out of series – not always, as sometimes the sequencing is required to understand the flow of a series – as I wouldn’t say I could move in/out of all the series I’m reading and find the same continuity or traction as I had within Honour Bound but there are more chances I could do this within these two imprints than I could with series published elsewhere. Therefore, if you’ve not yet discovered this series, be sure to know you can pick up the threads of it and move forward with the rest of us who were also late-comers to the Honour Bound series! I do advise starting with Allie’s story in Gone in the Night as it is a pivotal story within the series in regards to anchouring you to the beginning and to the next chapters of where the series now pivots forward.

NOTE: I personally spelt honor as *honour* however, if you follow the feeds on Twitter or other socially engaged platforms be sure to use the American spelling #HonorBound to find other readers who are sharing their bookish reactions to the series. I am only spelling it differently as I review it on my blog but note the official title all the same. For me, honor is honour but that’s just a personal quirk.

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The Honour Bound series:

More than a Lawman by Anna J. StewartReunited with the P.I. by Anna J. StewartGone in the Night by Anna J. Stewart

Guarding His Midnight Witness by Anna J. StewartPrison Break Hostage by Anna J. Stewart

More than a Lawman (book one)

Reunited with the PI (book two)

Gone in the Night (book three) | (see also Review)

Guarding His Midnight Witness (book four)

Prison Break Hostage (book five)

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View the list and keep tabs on this series via Fantastic Fiction!

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Published by: Harlequin Romantic Suspense (@HarlequinBooks) | imprint of Harlequin

Converse via: #ContemporaryRomance, #RomanticSuspense and #HonorBound

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Posted Friday, 8 April, 2022 by jorielov in 21st Century, Book Review (non-blog tour), Contemporary Romance, Crime Fiction, Modern Day, Post-911 (11th September 2001), Romance Fiction, Romantic Suspense, Suspense