Category: Modern Day

An INSPY Blog Book Tour | Entering into the Legacy of Faith series within the third installment which concludes the series: “How Sweet It Is” by Robin Lee Hatcher

Posted Thursday, 23 July, 2020 by jorielov HarperCollins Christian Publishing, How Sweet It Is, Legacy of Faith series, Robin Lee Hatcher, Thomas Nelson 0 Comments

Acquired Book By: I’ve been hosting for Prism Book Tours since September of 2017 – having noticed the badge on Tressa’s blog (Wishful Endings) as we would partake in the same blog tours and/or book blogosphere memes. As I enquired about hosting for Prism, I found I liked the niche of authors and stories they were featuring regularly. Oft-times you’ll find Prism Book Tours alighting on my blog through the series of guest features and spotlights with notes I’ll be hosting on behalf of their authors when I’m not showcasing book reviews on behalf of Harlequin Heartwarming which has become my second favourite imprint of Harlequin next to my beloved #LoveINSPIRED Suspense. I am also keenly happy PRISM hosts a variety of Indie Authors and INSPY Fiction novelists.

I received a complimentary copy of “How Sweet It Is” direct from the publisher Thomas Nelson (an imprint of HarperCollins Christian Publishing) in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Why I wanted to read this story:

I’ve had my eye on the collective works by Ms Hatcher for quite a long while now – even before I first started to work on my list of the INSPY Authors I wanted to challenge myself to start reading. Her novels are thankfully available at my local library and I’ve recently realised her audiobooks are available via #Scribd. It was actually my intention to listen to the first novel of this series via my library’s OverDrive catalogue and either read the second novel via my library and/or listen to the audiobook via Scribd.

What I hadn’t expected is to enter into the series on the final installment without prior knowledge of how the series first began – however, with my migraines clustering together off/on this month and a series of allergies and unwellness rounding out my hours – I’ve found myself unable to read and/or listen to audiobooks for most of July. Thereby, I decided not to get discouraged by what I couldn’t accomplish before I moved into “How Sweet It Is” – as for starters, I love #foodiefiction stories and I love how food can become a catalyst of either change, new beginnings or a stepping stone for a person’s life.

More than anything, as a hybrid reader of both INSPY and mainstream stories – I love being able to soak into an INSPY Romance wherein I get to understand a new author’s vision for their characters and/or their series and become a step closer to enlarging my favourite INSPY authors list! Contemporary INSPY is a beloved favourite of mine – which thankfully in recent years I’ve been hungrily chasing after because of how wicked good the authors are writing these stories I’ve enjoyed! Authors such as Kellie Coates Gilbert (see also Review) and Becky Wade (see also Review) to name a few. Their uniquely realistic storylines within the world of INSPY is what encourages me to seeking out more authors who are writing a similar style of theirs – which is why I was quite motivated to read my first Robin Lee Hatcher novel! Whereas previously, when it came to seeking out Hatcher’s other novels – I would lean more towards her Historicals than Contemporaries. Isn’t that interesting?

I’ll be participating in the Christian Fiction Reading Safari (hosted by Singing Librarian Books) in August and I’ve decided it would be a great time to revisit this series! As the memories of this novel will still be fresh in my mind. I do find it interesting how the authors I’ve wanted to read in the past are able to come into my life as a book blogger and thereby, reaffirm the circle of how stories and authors find us at moments we’re definitely meant to be reading their stories!

How Sweet It Is
by Robin Lee Hatcher
Source: Author via Prism Book Tours

He lost his brother. She lost her dream. Together, they might find what they’re really looking for.

Holly Stanford is doing the best she can with the restaurant she inherited from her late uncle. But after her fiancé abandons her and the business, Holly regrets having given up her dream of becoming a pastry chef. Now a few bad financial decisions might cost her everything, including her hope for the future.

Jed Henning has done well with his new company despite his prodigal brother’s behavior. When Jed‘s father, the controlling member of the board of directors, temporarily suspends operations until his sons work out their differences, Jed resentfully chases his brother, Chris, to Boise. There Jed rents a basement apartment from Holly and hopes to convince Chris to get his act together before their company collapses.

Unaware that Holly is the one person who can help him get through to Chris, Jed starts the tough work of reconciliation armed with little more than a few family photographs, a stack of old letters, and a Bible that belonged to his great-grandfather, Andrew Henning. And as romance blossoms between Holly and Jed, the story of Jed’s great-grandfather highlights the power of God across the generations and the legacy of a family’s courageous faith.

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

Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 9780785219354

Published by Thomas Nelson

on 14th July, 2020

Format: Paperback ARC

Pages: 304

The Legacy of Faith series:

Who I Am With You (book one)

Cross My Heart (book two)

How Sweet It Is (book three)

Published by: Thomas Nelson (@ThomasNelson)
an imprint of HarperCollins Christian Publishing (@HCChristianPub)

Formats Available: Trade Paperback, Audiobook and Ebook

Converse via: #ContemporaryRomance, #INSPYRomance, #INSPYbooks,
as well as #SweetRomance & #INSPY and #HSIIPrism, #TNZFiction

About Robin Lee Hatcher

Robin Lee Hatcher is the author of over 80 novels and novellas with over five million copies of her books in print. She is known for her heartwarming and emotionally charged stories of faith, courage, and love. Her numerous awards include the RITA Award, the Carol Award, the Christy Award, the HOLT Medallion, the National Reader’s Choice Award, and the Faith, Hope & Love Reader’s Choice Award.

Robin is also the recipient of prestigious Lifetime Achievement Awards from both American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America. When not writing, she enjoys being with her family, spending time in the beautiful Idaho outdoors,

Bible art journaling, reading books that make her cry, watching romantic movies, and decorative planning. Robin makes her home on the outskirts of Boise, sharing it with a demanding Papillon dog and a persnickety tuxedo cat.

Posted Thursday, 23 July, 2020 by jorielov in 21st Century, Balance of Faith whilst Living, Blog Tour Host, Contemporary Romance, Content Note, Family Life, Fly in the Ointment, Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction, Life Shift, Modern Day, Prism Book Tours, Romance Fiction

Author Guest Post | Jorie gets a bit of insight from L.M.L Gil about her novel “The Diary of a Late Bloomer” in this #behindthebook guest feature!

Posted Monday, 6 July, 2020 by jorielov L.M.L. Gil, The Diary of a Late Bloomer 1 Comment

Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

I wanted to dive a bit #behindthebook today with my guest post featuring a debut author’s release “The Diary of a Late Bloomer”. I was a competitive swimmer when I was younger which is why I get excited whenever I see swimming is one of the sports being featured in today’s fiction whilst at the same time the way I developed a passion for cooking was through the adventures of *baking!* For those reasons, I felt this novel might be a good fit for me despite the fact I rarely read New Adult releases – as I tend to read YA or Upper YA instead.

Between the quirkiness of the design on the cover art and the inclusion of octopi in the threads of the plot, I knew I had quite a bit of clever fodder to ask the author for my day on the blog tour! I love when writers are endeavouring to give us different variants of plots within a Contemporary world which hugs us into activities and/or hobbies which are not generally highlighted by other writers. It keeps fiction a bit more refreshed and the ways in which we can read about a different kind of lifestyle gives us more encouragement to continue reading outside our zones of comfort as we endeavour to read more widely and diversely as well.

I personally loved how the author took my topic of interest and broke down the components of it bit by bit – I think it gives a wonderful ‘introduction’ to her character Lo and to the plot behind her novel. I am hoping after you’ve read this guest feature you might have a better sense about what this novel details through its story as much as I have myself. Especially as I think there is a strong life lesson about not judging people or animals we might not have encountered previously because they just might surprise you. I love the reason in other words why she choose to highlight the octopus and how this became a theme behind the story.

Also – I personally LOVE the smell of bread and I haven’t met a baked good I’ve tried which I haven’t swooned over in joy having discovered! I’d love to learn how to bake my own homemade cinnamon rolls however you need quite a bit of space to roll out the dough! Baking is blissitude because of how cosy comforting the art of baking can be and how dreamy your space smells afterwards. I definitely have a baker’s soul!

If this is your first visit to my blog – guest features & convos are best accompanied with your favourite cuppa & brew – where you can settle in, enjoy the feature and stay a spell visiting with me and my guest author. May this new release have a plotting which will tempt your readerly heart as much as it has mine.

The Diary of a Late Bloomer
Subtitle: A quirky coming-of age novel
by L.M.L. Gil

Every wallflower blooms at their own perfect time, but some like quirky Lo, take longer than others.

Lo is a sheltered 20-year-old who loves baking, manga/anime, and octopi. When she spots her college swim team’s tryout flyer sporting her favorite sea creature, an octopus she knows it’s a sign that she must join the Flying Octopi. The only things standing her way are her social awkward nature and the fact that she just learned to swim.

Will Lo find her place to shine or will her social anxiety DQ her dreams?

Late Bloomer is a new adult novel that is a cross between Bridget Jones’s Diary, Baywatch and Kuragehime.

Genres: Contemporary (Modern) Fiction (post 1945), New Adult Fiction

Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

ASIN: B087YSYCC7

Published by Self Published

on 29th June, 2020

This novel was featured as a manuscript via Swoon Reads (@SwoonReads)

This is a Digital First release.

Converse on Twitter via: #YALit & #Contemporary

as well as #DiaryOfALateBloomer and #XpressoBookTours

About L.M.L. Gil

L.M.L. Gil is a writer, a reader, and a dreamer.

When she is not writing, editing, or thinking about her next story, she is either in the kitchen testing out a new recipe or snuggling with her fur munchkins reading.

As a glutton, she equates a good novel to a scrumptious dessert, which leaves your heart a little lighter and a smile on your face.

She hopes her novels provide a sweet treat without the calories

Website | Goodreads | Pinterest | Wattpad

Posted Monday, 6 July, 2020 by jorielov in 21st Century, Blog Tour Host, Book Spotlight, Coming-Of Age, Modern Day, New Adult Fiction, Reader Submitted Author Interview, Xpresso Book Tours

A #SatBookChat Book Review | “Happy Everything” (Merry Hanukkah series, Book Two) by Debby Caruso

Posted Friday, 12 June, 2020 by jorielov Debby Caruso, Happy Everything, Merry Hanukkah series, Self Published 0 Comments

Acquired Book By: In 2018, I was approached by the author to read the first story in her Merry Hanukkah series – whilst in 2019, I had the delightful joy of having her as a featured guest during my @SatBookChat! I naturally was curious about the sequel and when she offered to send me “Happy Everything” I felt it was a fitting way to begin my New Year reading the sequel and kicking off my #SaturdaysAreBookish featured reviews.

Except to say, it took me until #IndieApril to find the focus I needed to re-absorb myself back into this lovely series – as the first bits of the New Year did not quite pan out the way I had intended them too! By sharing this review during April, I was hoping to re-highlight how much I enjoy hosting my #SatBookChat authors whilst also noting that I am a champion for #IndieAuthors both on my blog Jorie Loves A Story and through my @SatBookChat showcases.

I had the best of plans to run this during #IndieApril – however, a migraine and seasonal pollen allergies interfered and I had to bump this showcase forward to a weekend where I was free of both! I find May the hardest month to transition through for my pollen allergies and thus, this review kept getting bumped forward until now, finally in JUNE I can share it at long last! It also kicks off a new sequence of #SatBookChat Reviews wherein I am reading and reviewing my @SatBookChat backlogue!

I received a complimentary copy of “Happy Everything” direct from the author Debby Caruso in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

On what I enjoyed about “Merry Hanukkah”:

We enter Rhonda’s life at her wedding – where despite the festive nature of the day, there is a foreboding undercurrent of doubt in regards to whether or not her in-laws truly accept her as they’re daughter-in-law; as an ill-fated scene played out at the height of the celebrations. You could gather there was something brewing in the background – perhaps, the in-laws weren’t certain of their son’s choice due to the combining of their religious backgrounds? As the ceremony was delightfully equally divided between both their traditions, uniting them both through love and the faith they shared between them. Yet, I could imagine this might not settle well for traditionalists who might prefer the ceremony had been singular rather than plural and spilt.

It is here where you see how Rhonda is trying to balance her life through the holidays – as we fast forward a bit to where she’s bursting with anxiety about how to combine Christmas and Hanukkah – or rather, to come up with a crazy plan of action with her best friend Dez (whose never out of zingers and zany remarks!) as this is the year she wants to prove to her mother-in-law she and James can have a happily ever after as a family who celebrates both religious heritages. The irony though is that she is approaching it as if she needs to make it the picture perfect reality she envisions rather than trying to keep it a bit more real and humble, knowing not everything has to go smoothly in order to be the best holiday you’ve celebrated.

Before Rhonda can make her plans though, life starts to grab her at the quick! Her agency wants her to be part of the team who can deliver an ad campaign worthy of a New Year and her husband’s family goes through the process of loss before the holidays even start to blink into sight. It proves that no matter how hard you try to organise your life, there are days and moments you can’t plan for ahead of time. Life finds a way to unsettle your status quo and take you for a bit of a ride whenever things seem to be a bit on the quiet side.

As soon as you pick up Merry Hanukkah, you know your in for a delightful fun read – as Caruso has a natural talent for humour and wit; lacing in her style of Contemporary life with the fuell of comedy she evokes a sense of festive cheerfulness in her story. This isn’t a story to take too seriously as at the heart of the story itself is the truer blissitude and purpose behind why we all celebrate the holidays together as best we can as we merge our families together. Not all families can agree on the details but for those of us who celebrated the holidays whilst combining traditions and memories, those were the holidays you remember the most. Where everyone found a way to come together uniting through the blessing of the season and finding a reason to celebrate the joyfulness of being together.

This is what you can pick up on whilst reading the story – as Caruso wants to show how even if you have a family at odds with one another on certain points, there is renewed hope in being able to come together for the special moments in life which unite us without having to worry about all the little particulars that no one will remember anyway!

Caruso has a quick style – similar to writing for screen where she places you in-scene rather immediately and lets each individual scene speak for itself. As you shift between the chapters, you notice her style as you don’t wait long for embellishments on the previous disclosure and sequences, as you’ve found the plot has already moved forward. This works well for a short Holiday Contemporary like this one, as the pacing is matching the rush you feel at the holidays where there is never enough time to get everything accomplished you wish to get done.

-quoted from my book review for Merry Hanukkah

Happy Everything
by Debby Caruso
Source: Direct from Author

Happy Everything is the ongoing story of Rhonda and James, following them from Merry Hanukkah directly into the much anticipated second installment in the Merry Hanukkah series.

Everyone’s favorite newlyweds have settled into married life, but now it’s Dez and Jack’s turn to make it official. In typical Rhonda fashion, she’s determined to give her best friend Dez the best bridal shower ever, all while juggling yet another work crisis and still trying desperately to fit in to her new family situation. Unfortunately, Aunt Bunny is diagnosed with cancer, and the entire family starts coming apart at the seams. Rhonda and James step in to help support Uncle Ben any way they can, but it’s never enough for Rhonda’s incorrigible mother-in-law, Vivian. Will Vivian’s constant meddling finally cause Rhonda and James irreparable damage? Is there any way that Rhonda can pull the family together by hosting both Passover and Easter on the same weekend?

Why is Rhonda’s Dad suddenly dating someone much younger than him? And how can Rhonda come up with a new and exciting way to sell protein bars?

Follow Rhonda into this new chapter of her life, where success hinges on the latest and greatest ad campaign, and her personal triumphs are determined by how much she can do for others. Journey with her as she begins to slowly realize that she can’t be all things to all people; even the ones you love the most.

Genres: Contemporary (Modern) Fiction (post 1945), Contemporary Romance, Romantic Comedy (Rom Com), Women's Fiction

Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 978-1732519022

Also by this author: Merry Hanukkah, Ghastly and Good

Also in this series: Merry Hanukkah, Ghastly and Good

Published by Self Published

on 13th September, 2019

Format: POD | Print On Demand Paperback

Pages: 182

The Merry Hanukkah series:

Merry Hanukkah (book one) | see also Review

Happy Everything (book two)

Converse via: #SaturdaysAreBookish + #WomensFiction or #RomCom

Available Formats: Paperback and Ebook Read More

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

#SatBookChat Reviews 2020
2020 Backlogue Reviews

Posted Friday, 12 June, 2020 by jorielov in #SaturdaysAreBookish, 21st Century, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Christianity, Contemporary Romance, Equality In Literature, Family Drama, Family Life, Indie Author, Judiasm, Modern Day, Romance Fiction, Women's Fiction, World Religions

#HarlequinHeartwarming Blog Book Tour | “Her Surprise Cowboy” (Book Three of the Heroes of Shelter Creek series) by Claire McEwen

Posted Friday, 10 April, 2020 by jorielov Claire McEwen, Harlequin Books, Harlequin Heartwarming, Her Surprise Cowboy, Heroes of Shelter Creek 0 Comments

I received a complimentary copy of “Her Surprise Cowboy” direct from the author Claire McEwen in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

This is one of my top favourite #CowboyRomances by Harlequin Heartwarming:

The beauty really are the authors Harlequin has within Heartwarming and Love Inspired – they know how to write the drama within the romance but also how to write compelling series with realistic characters & narratives which are a joy to be reading. I get quite giddy whenever there is a new author to read from Heartwarming or Love Inspired – whilst having the chance to participate on one of their blog tours is quite icing on the romantic cake! I love celebrating authors who are writing the STORIES which give me a heart full of blissitude to be #amreading – thus, for the past two years I’ve been hosting PRISM’s blog tours, I’ve been doubly blessed to become acquainted with the Heartwarming imprint and their series!

The Cowboy Romances I am wicked addicted to reading
by this lovely imprint are the following:

The Rocky Mountain Cowboys by Karen Rock

Return of the Blackwell Brothers by Carol Ross, Anna J. Stewart,
Melinda Curtis, Cari Lynn Webb & Amy Vastine

The Heroes of Shelter Creek by Claire McEwen

I’ll be honest – before I even knew a whisper of a hint of where this story would take me – the novel perked my interest for a singular word in the book’s title: *cowboy!* I know, that sounds interesting doesn’t it? How can one word in a book’s title give you the wickedest sweet joy of anticipation in order to read a story? You’d have to go back into my childhood & teenage years to realise that I read quite a lot of lovely Cowboy & Western Fiction! So much so, this is one reason I was wickedly thankful to have found the Rocky Mountain Cowboys & Return of the Blackwell Brothers over the last few years – because they’ve given me *contemporary!* cowboys I can rally behind rather than my usual guilty pleasure of reading the Historicals!

Open country, horse-back riding, close-knit families & communities who care about each other is what draws me into Cowboy Fiction & stories of the West. However, you can find cowboys in nearly every state – outside of my wanderings in the Rockies and other points West – I have found some of the most delightful stories are about Northern California ranchers & ranches! This particular story is set in NorCal and I was wicked excited about meeting the community of Shelter Creek but even moreso – the characters who populate the towne and the series itself!

I *completely!* forgot there was a sequel releasing in September, 2019! Mind you, most of last Autumn was the beginning of my six months of health afflictions (combination of migraines & bad colds) – however, the *good news!* is I’ve found “After the Rodeo” listed on a used book website and that makes me smile because when I’m able to order a copy I’ll be purchasing this lovely along with a few other Harlequin Heartwarming stories I’ve not had the chance to ‘add’ to my personal library!

I look forward to ‘meeting’ Jace & Vivian’s story after I’ve had the chance to bring this story home. I’m not a stranger to reading a Harlequin Heartwarming series ‘out of sequence’ of the series either – I’ve done this in the past with Karen Rock’s Rocky Mountain Cowboys and there are others as well – it is one of the few imprints & publishers wherein the authors make it easier for you to navigate between installments of their series!

Something I am truly thankful to have experienced – even though, in the end, I’ll be gathering all the installments and re-reading the series start to finish as I personally love watching the growth and maturity of a series as it takes root, stock and height in the development of the characters’ lives, the community’s involvement behind their lives and the continuity the writer intuits into the series – I know for other readers, they like to dip in and out of a series.

Her Surprise Cowboy
Subtitle: Heroes of Shelter Creek
by Claire McEwen, Ms Claire McEwen
Source: Author via Prism Book Tours

Looking for redemption…

Finding a future

Rancher Liam Dale is in Shelter Creek to make amends for his troubled past. He had no idea vet assistant Trisha Gilbert would be there, too—and he’s even more shocked to discover he’s a daddy! Trisha has good reasons not to trust him and a baby boy to protect. But now that he knows he’s a father, Liam longs to transform this unexpected reunion into a true family.

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Ranches & Cowboys, Romance Fiction, Western Fiction, Western Romance

Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 9781335889676

Also by this author: Reunited with the Cowboy, After the Rodeo, Rescuing the Rancher

Also in this series: Reunited with the Cowboy, After the Rodeo, Second Chance Cowboy, Rescuing the Rancher

Published by Harlequin Heartwarming

on 7th April, 2020

Format: Larger Print (Mass Market Paperback)

Pages: 384

The Heroes of Shelter Creek series:

Reunited with the Cowboy (book one) – Caleb & Maya’s story

After the Rodeo (book two) – Jace & Vivian’s story ← the one I missed!

Her Surprise Cowboy (book three) – Liam & Trisha’s story

Rescuing the Rancher (book four) → forthcoming September, 2020!

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

Formats Available: Paperback* and Ebook

*Harlequin has the luxury of offering Regular, Large & Larger Print editions which I personally can attest are lovely to be reading! Especially after a migraine or when my eyes are fatigued.

Converse via: #CowboyRomance, #WesternRomance & #ContemporaryRomance
as well as #HSCPrism and #HarlequinHeartwarming with #HeroesOfShelterCreek

About Claire McEwen

Claire McEwen writes stories about strong heroes and heroines who take big, emotional journeys to find their happily-ever-after. She lives by the ocean in Northern California with her family and a scruffy, mischievous terrier. When she’s not writing, Claire enjoys gardening, reading and discovering flea-market treasures. She loves to hear from readers!

Posted Friday, 10 April, 2020 by jorielov in 21st Century, Blog Tour Host, California, Child out of Wedlock, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary Western Fiction, Cowboys & Ranches, Drugs & Alcohol, Family Life, Life Shift, Modern Day, Prism Book Tours, Realistic Fiction, Romance Fiction, Second Chance Love, Self-Harm Practices, Single Mothers, Singletons & Commitment, Sisterhood friendships, Small Towne Fiction, Small Towne USA, Unexpected Pregnancy, Western Fiction, Western Romance, Women's Fiction

#IndieApril Blog Book Tour | INSPY Contemporary Romance realistically authentic and humbling honest in its scope is found within the pages of “Formula for a Perfect Life” by Christy Hayes

Posted Friday, 3 April, 2020 by jorielov CAH LLC, Christy Hayes, Formula for a Perfect Life 2 Comments

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 “Formula for a Perfect Life” direct from author Christy Hayes in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Why I LOVE reading INSPY, how this novel found me & why I needed to read it now:

One of the blessings I’ve had as a hostess with PRISM is being able to seek out Indie INSPY Contemporary novelists who are writing compelling entries in today’s INSPY Market. Being a hybrid reader – of both mainstream & INSPY stories, I’ve had my eye on both areas of literature since I was quite young as I danced through genres and stories of interest. It wasn’t until I was an adult where I fashioned an interest in INSPY Non-Fiction, however, in the earlier years – I had a soft spot in my heart for INSPY Historical Romance. It took a bit of time further, into my twenties and thirties to seek out the Contemporaries which truly stole my heart – in fact, my blog Jorie Loves A Story began on a note of joy having read my first Dee Henderson novel past the series which made her infamous – wherein I had the blissitude to discuss what this new series of hers was giving readers who loved edgy Crime dramas in an INSPY lit world.

I even spent my fifth blogversary celebrating an INSPY Contemporary novelist I loved discovering that particular year whilst as I embark on my 7th Year (as my 7th Blogoversary was officially the 31st of March, 2020; more on this epic milestone is forthcoming this April) as a Book Blogger it is a pleasure of joy to begin marking my readerly progress this #IndieApril not only in continued celebration of reading Indie stories (both Contemporary & Historical) as well as moving through Fiction to Non-Fiction stories of interest but to focus on the Indie side of the ledger, as well! I found a few different blogosphere events which are going to be championing Indie Authors throughout the month of April – whilst it is true to my own bookish heart to help send up a signal flare of joyfulness on their behalf.

As the month starts to get underway, you’ll find loads of lovely Indie stories being showcased (both INSPY & mainstream) as well as different kinds of story-tellers – such as unique story narratives which do not fit into a particular box of style. This Friday, I have the pleasure of talking about “Formula for a Prefect Life” which I was able to read *after!* my parents’ dual medical emergencies in March – a period of grace and reflective pause, where only the story and the characters within their chapters occupied my thoughts. I needed the respite and the re-alignment to rejoin the bookish world – as my nerves and my emotions were strained, taxed and blighted against how quickly our lives can blink into an emergency and how dearly we must rely on emergency crews to aide our loved ones.

I believe this novel found me – as there are two key films that came bursting back to memory when I first read the premise about the unexpected pregnancy in the premise of this story – the first of course, is the film I saw as a ten year old captivated by the three bachelors who were smitten by a little girl named Mary in “Three Men & a Baby” which became a familial classic in its own right throughout my childhood and of which graced me with a sequel. The second of course, is “Fool’s Rush In” wherein Salma Hayek and Matthew Perry are the quintessential couple who are completely head over heels in love but unfortunately do not realise it until its nearly too late to savage their marriage!

It was my love of those two films which captured my eye to read “Formula for a Perfect Life” and to see what was going to await me as I took on the adventure of settling into the life and story of Kayla and Ben!

Formula for a Perfect Life
by Christy Hayes
Source: Author via Prism Book Tours

Two practical strangers. One fateful night. Two pink lines.

College senior and obsessive romantic Kayla Cummings' dreams of a storybook life are spun off course by an unplanned pregnancy after a one-night stand with her secret crush. Devastated, Kayla turns to her roommates and best friends for advice. No matter what she decides, no matter how deeply embarrassed, she has to tell the father.

Ben Strickland’s future is written in stone—as long as he gets a decent score on the Law School Admission Test. Feeling pressure from all sides, Ben struggles to juggle his upcoming finals, another shot at the LSAT, and his needy girlfriend Darcy. When the girl he spent a memorable night with weeks ago shows up at his doorstep pregnant, his already chaotic life spins out of control.

With the clock ticking, decisions to make, and a boatload of people to disappoint, Ben and Kayla embark on a journey neither anticipated—a journey where falling in love might be the biggest surprise of all. But when old hurts and buried secrets pose a greater threat to their future than impending parenthood, will Ben and Kayla go their separate ways or forge a new path to happy ever after?

Genres: Contemporary (Modern) Fiction (post 1945), Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction, INSPY Realistic Fiction, Sweet Romance, New Adult Fiction, Romance Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Romantic Comedy (Rom Com), Motherhood | Parenthood

Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 9781625720184

Also by this author: Fancy Meeting You Here

Published by CAH LLC

on 19th February, 2020

Format: Trade Paperback

Pages: 323

This is a self-published novel by CAH LLC

Converse via: #FormulaForAPerfectLife, #ContemporaryRomance & #INSPYRomance
as well as #ChristianRomance, #IndieAuthor/s, #FPLPrism and #ChristyHayes

This story received my award for Best Contemporary New Adult Romance.

About Christy Hayes

Christy Hayes lives outside Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband and dogs. Christy writes Contemporary Romance, New Adult Romance, Christian Romance, and Women's Fiction. When not writing, she’s reading, walking dogs, or stalking her college-aged kids on social media.

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

#ArmedWithABingo 2020
#IndieApril 2020

Posted Friday, 3 April, 2020 by jorielov in 21st Century, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Child out of Wedlock, Coming-Of Age, Contemporary Romance, Family Drama, Family Life, Inheritance & Identity, Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction, Jorie Loves A Story Cuppa Book Love Awards, Life Shift, Modern Day, New Adult Fiction, Post-911 (11th September 2001), Prism Book Tours, Romance Fiction, Sisterhood friendships, Sweet Romance, Unexpected Pregnancy, Women's Fiction, Women's Health, Women's Right to Choose (Health Care Rights)