Format: Mass Market Paperback

Happy #blogmas! A #RomanceTuesdays Book Review | “The Doctor’s Christmas Dilemma” by Danielle Thorne

Posted Tuesday, 17 December, 2024 by jorielov , , , , 0 Comments

#blogmas book review banner created by Jorie in Canva.

Acquired Book By: 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 to 2022 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 “The Doctor’s Christmas Dilemma” 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. All promo materials for this novel were provided by the author herself and are used with permission.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

On the joy of reading Love Inspired by Ms Thorne:

I truly loved how she developed the character of Ali – a woman who was self-determined to make it on her own terms and to develop a small farm that not only could sustain itself but have enough profit for its owner. I love that about having land where the land itself can produce what you need and even more which can be shared with your community. Farming in all varieties on the local level is where the future is because they have the tendency to be more sustainable and environmentally friendly with lower impacts on the natural environs around them. It was refreshing to see all of this explored and celebrated throughout my readings of The Beekeeper Next Door.

In this novel, I saw the growth of Thorne’s writing style as she interwove more of the faith-based antidotes and references into the storyline. She also found a better balance in how she told the story – by letting the characters take us on a fuller journey without resolving some aspects of that journey for us as readers. She wasn’t telling us but allowing us to see those moments of growth as her characters started to expand their hearts and minds in front of us. I even appreciated how she showed how they each had to process the passage of the past with the newer truths they uncovered in the present. Life is hard enough but overcoming loss (ie. death of a parent or a spouse, as this story focuses on both) is a personal journey of its own and not one that is easily navigable. It takes time and it takes patience, and it takes a lot of faith and prayer to overcome to where living doesn’t feel oppressively hard. Lose is part of all our lives but it is one of the harder moments to reconcile especially when it comes to our emotions and memories – and Thorne did a great job of showing that side of it too, as she focused on Ali and Heath’s path towards self-healing.

-quoted from my book review of The Beekeeper Next Door

I have have been happily reading the stories by Ms Thorne for the last four years – as it all started when I read her Jane Austen inspired novel Josette. From there, I followed her into her publishing career at Love Inspired. Becoming a member of her Review Team has been an honour and a joy to see her personal growth as a writer but also, to tuck close into the lives of the characters’ she’s been bringing to life. I love the gentle storytelling styling of hers but also, the convicting characters who have such realistic lives who have relatable obstacles to work through and endearing romances to rally behind.

Each story is a bit of a treasure to read because of the heart and soul knitted into the framework of the stories themselves. For readers who already appreciate INSPY Fiction, they will be won over by Thorne’s style of narrative but also, the homespun small towne settings wherein you feel an immediate part of the local communities she’s built into her novels. I love the uplift of spirit reading her stories, too. The stories are inspiring and give your heart a lift of joy to read them.

For these reasons, I am a reader who is full of appreciation for having crossed her path and am happy I can continue to celebrate her stories and be a book cheerleader for her as we embark on a New Year of stories and characters throughout 2025.

Speaking of which, the new novel forthcoming next Spring, 2025 is about a baker! As mentioned during my last Sunday Post, baking is an art and skill of interest of my own! In fact, I’ve determined to make the New Year one of exploring baking more and of sorting out how to keep a sourdough starter inasmuch as I want to perfect baking bread and other homemade goodies with a keen interest in making them healthier and less sweet but not with an absence of sweet but using better ingredients than regular sugars, etc.

Thereby, I am most intrigued by reading a story set in or around a bakery – I was also keenly curious, is the baker the girl or the bloke? I oft wondered if anyone might make the baker the bloke rather than the girl as there are a lot of guys who love baking as much as girls’ too. Whichever route the story takes, I’m dearly intrigued and ready!

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Books by Danielle Thorne photo collage created by Jorie in Canva. Photo Credit: jorielovesastory.com

The Doctor's Christmas Dilemma
Subtitle: Coming home is just the beginning...
by Danielle Thorne
Source: Author Review Team

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



Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 9781335597014

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

Published by Love INSPIRED

on 24th October, 2023

Format: Mass Market Paperback

Pages: 217

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: #SweetRomance, #SweetRomanceReads or #SweetRomanceBooks

and #LoveInspiredBooks as well as #ChristFic, #ChristianFiction, #ContemporaryRomance,
#INSPYRomance or #ChristianFictionBooks on #bookstagram

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

More Inspy Romantic stories by Danielle Throne:

His Daughter's Prayer by Danielle ThorneA Promise for His Daughter by Danielle ThorneA Home for the Twins by Danielle Thorne

Books by Danielle Thorne photo collage created by Jorie in Canva. Photo Credit: jorielovesastory.comA Guardian Till Christmas by Danielle Throne

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

Falling for the Coach (2022)

A Promise for His Daughter (2022) | see also Review
*This is the start of Kudzu Creek series

A Home for the Twins (2023) | see also Review
*The second story of Kudzu Creek series

The Doctor’s Christmas Dilemma (2023)
*The third story of Kudzu Creek series

The Beekeeper Next Door (2024) | see also Review
*This is the start of the Lagrasse series

A Guardian Until Christmas (NEW release: October, 2024)
*The second story of the Legrasse series

Winning Over the Baker (*forthcoming: April, 2025)

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

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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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

  • #blogmas 2024
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Posted Tuesday, 17 December, 2024 by jorielov in #blogmas, #RomanceTuesdays, 21st Century, Contemporary Romance, Content Note, Family Drama, Fly in the Ointment, Indie Author, Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction, Life Shift, Modern Day, Motherhood | Parenthood, Romance Fiction, Second Chance Love, Single Fathers, Small Towne Fiction, Small Towne USA, Southeastern USA

An #INSPYSundays Book Review | “A Home for the Twins” (Love Inspired) by Danielle Thorne

Posted Sunday, 30 June, 2024 by jorielov , , , , 0 Comments

#INSPYSundays banner made my Jorie in Canva.

Acquired Book By: 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 to 2022 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 Home for the Twins” 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. All promo materials for this novel were provided by the author herself and are used with permission.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

On returning to reading Love Inspired Contemporary & Suspense:

I had indeed planned to return to reading Ms Thorne’s novels and more Love Inspired stories quite regularly last year – around the time this novel arrived actually as I was trying to resettle into a regular rhythm of reading both Love Inspired Contemporary and Love Inspired Suspense. I share an affinity for the Suspense line of stories with my Mum and we oft will tag-team reading them together. We love having conversations about the different authors’ styles and the lives of the characters we meet against the pages. Those are wicked lovely adventures we take-on together but in respect to reading Ms Thorne’s novels, I simply lost my focus with reading last year and reluctantly had to admit I needed more time to re-pursue reading her lovely stories. The best difference this year has been the addition of Progressive lens in my life which is allowing me to have a bit more freedom when it comes to reading. My migraines have also reduced as part of their frequency last year were due to having issues with my vision. That isn’t the main cause of my chronic migraines but it was causing additional ones to occur and blessedly that has been nipped in the bud so to speak.

I’ve longed to resettle into both Love Inspired and Ms Thorne’s novels for two key reasons: a wicked uplift of inspirational joy to read and I’ve missed the spiritual threads of story interwoven with realistic characters living lives you want to become a part of as a reader. I’ve missed reading overall and now I have a new beginning with reading being able to see the words again with my new glasses. It feels like a restorative blessing this year for me to recapture a bit of the time I’ve lost and begin anew. I look forward to reading three of her stories back-to-back as well – as I have this lovely from last Spring, a Christmas one from last November and of course, her latest release The Beekeeper Next Door which I’ll be featuring next Sunday! Be sure to revisit with me in July as I will be featuring The Doctor’s Christmas Dilemma as a bit of Christmas in July. I have a few other stories planned within this same theme of context, too.

Overall, it is shaping up to being a lovely Summer – full of Romance, a few Christmas reads, Young Adult and Middle stories, a good dose of Fantasy, a wicked Suspense or Thriller thrown in for good measure and dash of Inspirational stories. I can’t wait to see how Summer continues to enliven my readerly life with the stories I’m choosing to read right now.

On why I enjoy reading stories by Danielle Thorne:

Thorne is one of the authors I appreciate reading because she carries a thread of relatability through her stories and her vision of her characters’ lives. I appreciate the topics she broaches through her stories but also, rooting us in the real world through her perception of what her characters can live through as she tells their story. Yet is how she visually places you into the setting which grabs your eye the most – being well-travelled through the Southeast, I knew of the route Thorne took to place us into this small towne of Southern Georgia. She even graced the setting with small touches of personalised observations seen through Claire’s description of arriving into Kudzu Creek (not my favourite name of a towne!).

There is a lot to unpack in this Contemporary Romance – especially the timeline of when Dori had Emily and when Claire took over her guardianship which is an interesting twist in the novel when you consider who the father is to Emily. I felt Thorne was doing a great job leading us into the quagmire of unearthing the past which connected both the timeline of her story but also with the events connecting all the central characters together. It is an interesting history of course and as those connections come to surface for the reader, it was lovely to see the revelations which meant the most to the characters took a bit more time to become disclosed.

Thorne approached referencing the faith centering her characters lives in a very subtle way. Bradley mentioned it whilst talking to his cousin Donovan in regards to how he changed his life for the better and how his faith is important to him even more now than it was in the past. This subtle way of inclusion worked best for the plot as both Bradley and Claire were at the start of new beginnings for the trajectory of their lives. She needed to prove to herself she could be self-sufficient and raise a daughter whilst Bradley was trying to make a name for himself as a historic restorator of homes.

For a slow-brewing romance what was more disheartening were the dramas unfolding behind the romance itself – especially when it concerned Bradley’s parents. Thorne did a wonderful job at showing how strict and reserved parents can become when they are blinded by their own influence on their children’s lives. I felt she handled that part of the story with as much grace as she could as a writer owning to the realism of what people have to contend with given similar circumstances. in the background of course is this lovely community – where neighbours and community members are the found family you never knew you were seeking but were thankful to have within your inner circle. It was also the kind of place you could start over and determine for yourself the kind of life you wanted to live and that was the best message of all.

-quoted from my review of A Promise for His Daughter

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An #INSPYSundays Book Review | “A Home for the Twins” (Love Inspired) by Danielle ThorneA Home for the Twins
Subtitle: A little double trouble turns a house into a home
by Danielle Thorne
Source: Author Review Team

Becoming the chef at her aunt’s small-town inn is exactly the new beginning single mom Lindsey Judd needs. But balancing her job with her twin boys proves harder than she thought, especially when she discovers that lawyer Donovan Ainsworth wants to buy the inn for his own reasons. As Donovan starts to fall for
Lindsey and her boys, will her little troublemakers become matchmakers as well?

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



Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 9781335585646

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

Published by Love INSPIRED

on 28th March, 2023

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: #SweetRomance, #SweetRomanceReads or #SweetRomanceBooks

and #LoveInspiredBooks as well as #ChristFic, #ChristianFiction, #ContemporaryRomance,
#INSPYRomance or #ChristianFictionBooks on #bookstagram

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

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) | see also Review

A Home for the Twins (2023)

The Doctor’s Christmas Dilemma (2023)

The Beekeeper Next Door (NEW release: 25th June 2024)

A Guardian Until Christmas (*forthcoming, October, 2024)

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

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.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com Read More

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Posted Sunday, 30 June, 2024 by jorielov in 21st Century, Contemporary Romance, Divorce & Martial Strife, Family Drama, Indie Author, Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction, Life Shift, Modern Day, Motherhood | Parenthood, Romance Fiction, Single Mothers, Small Towne Fiction, Small Towne USA, Southeastern USA

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.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

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

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

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

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

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)

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

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.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com Read More

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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 #RomanceTuesdays #25PagePreview | feat. a Contemporary Love Inspired Romance “Searching for Home” by Jill Weatherholt

Posted Tuesday, 11 January, 2022 by jorielov , , , 1 Comment

#RomanceTuesdays badge 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 enquired 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 “Searching for Home” direct from the author Jill Weatherholt in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

A note about why I enjoy Love Inspired Contemporaries:

It has been awhile since I’ve regularly read the Contemporary Romance side of Love Inspired; as I have had the tendency in the past to read more of the Suspense & Historical releases. You might have remembered my review for “His Daughter’s Prayer” by Danielle Thorne? I reviewed the novel and also hosted the author during my #SatBookChat!? In the past few years, I’ve been trying to seek out a few more of these lovely novels as I do enjoy them and the reasons why I love them is because their uplifting gently told romances with faith running through the storylines.

My affection for reading stories like Love Inspired began when Heartsong Presents used to be my go to resource for INSPY Contemporary Romances. Then, as the years shifted forward, and the former publisher merged with another and then finally was discontinued, I re-directed my attention to Love Inspired. I’ve always been a hybrid reader of both mainstream and INSPY literature – stemming from an active readerly life as a young girl and having parents who supported my healthy diet of seeking out as many genres & thematics of story as I could find in both bookstores whilst growing up. To this day, you will see how varied my readerly life as you travel through Jorie Loves A Story.

I was grateful to see this novel touring in the book blogosphere this New Year, 2022 and I am hopeful to read more Love Inspired Contemporaries as the year moves forward. You’ll find between Harlequin Heartwarming & Love Inspired, I’m quite the happy romance reader these days when I’m not reading INSPY Romances from other publishers set either in the historical past or our modern world as well.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

A #RomanceTuesdays #25PagePreview | feat. a Contemporary Love Inspired Romance “Searching for Home” by Jill WeatherholtSearching for Home
Subtitle: Are these triplets exactly what he needs?
by Jill Weatherholt
Source: Author via Prism Book Tours

When injured professional bull rider Luke Beckett returns to his hometown to recover, he doesn’t expect his B and B host and physical therapist to be his first and only love, Meg Brennan. He’s also unprepared for Meg’s adorable triplets to steal his heart. Luke’s past has him doubting he’s good enough for Meg and the children, but they might be just what the doctor ordered to help him heal…

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



Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 978-1335759016

Published by Love INSPIRED

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

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

More Love Inspired stories by Jill Weatherholt:

Second Chance Romance (2017)

A Father for Bella (2018)

A Mother for His Twins (2019)

A Home for Her Daughter (2020)

A Dream of Family (2021)

Searching for Home (2021)

(*) I love how there is an underlying theme running through these stories & titles; about different kinds of families and some of which appear to be happily unconventional. I love reading about romances which involve children & second chance romances or unexpected new love – definitely will have to seek out more titles by Ms Weatherholt in future!

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About Jill Weatherholt

Jill Weatherholt

By day, Jill Weatherholt works for the City of Charlotte. At night, and on the weekend, she writes contemporary stories about love, faith and forgiveness for Harlequin Love Inspired. 
 
Raised in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., she now resides in Charlotte, North Carolina, but her heart belongs to Virginia. 
 
She holds a degree in Psychology from George Mason University and Paralegal Studies Certification from Duke University. 

She shares her life with her real-life hero and number one supporter. Their relationship grew on the golf course, and now they have one in their backyard. 
 
Jill believes in enjoying every moment of this journey because God has everything under control.

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Posted Tuesday, 11 January, 2022 by jorielov in #25PagePreview, 21st Century, Contemporary Romance, Family Drama, Indie Author, Jorie Loves A Story Features, Life Shift, Modern Day, Romance Fiction, Small Towne Fiction, Small Towne USA

#PubDay Book Review | “Chai Another Day” (Book Four: The Spice Shop Mysteries) by Leslie Budewitz a cosy mystery series by one of my favourite crime publishers Seventh Street Books!

Posted Tuesday, 11 June, 2019 by jorielov , , , , , , , 0 Comments

Book Review badge created by Jorie in Canva using Unsplash.com photography (Creative Commons Zero).

Acquired Books By: I am a reviewer for Prometheus Books and their imprints starting in [2016] as I contacted them through their Edelweiss catalogues and Twitter. I appreciated the diversity of titles across genre and literary explorations – especially focusing on Historical Fiction, Mystery, Science Fiction and Scientific Topics in Non-Fiction.

However, their imprints Seventh Street Books & Pyr were merged into Start Publishing in [2019] – wherein I had the pleasure of being approached by their new publicity team via Kaye Publicity this Spring wherein I was first introduced to the Spice Shop Mysteries as I was told about a forthcoming release this June – “Chai Another Day” for which I am receiving for review consideration. I decided to back-read the series as this marks the fourth in an on-going series. Uniquely enough, the first three were published by Berkley Prime Crime and the fourth installment is being published by Seventh Street Books.

I borrowed the first three novels in the Spice Shop Mysteries “Assault and Pepper”, “Guilty as Cinnamon” and “Killing Thyme” in paperback from my local library via inter-library loan through the consortium of libraries within my state. I was not obligated to post a review as I am doing so for my own edification as a reader who loves to share her readerly life. I was not compensated for my thoughts shared herein.

I received a complimentary copy of “Chai Another Day” direct from Seventh Street Books in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated for my thoughts shared herein.

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on why i was drawn into the spice shop mysteries:

You could say it felt like a homage to what I personally loved about being in the Pacific Northwest when I was eighteen – I had the chance to visit Seattle and Pike’s Place Market – it was a trip which left quite the impression on me. For starters, my aversion to sunshine was no longer an issue and my entire spirit soared without the oppressively volcanic presence of the Sun. The glare was gone being that I traded regions to where even sunlight filtered through clouds at a different angle than what I had become accustomed too. The whole setting in the West is uniquely different from other parts of the States – yet, it was the vibe of Pike’s Place which left the strongest impression.

Thereby, when I first learnt of the Spice Shop Mysteries – my heart hungered to read them, as any excuse to re-visit my memories spent walking through the marketplace would be a lovely excursion to take as it marked a moment in my life where I loved being in a walkable downtown which was vibrantly alive with merchants and artisans who were both approachable and hilarious to speak too.

Yes, I even saw the infamous fishmongers happily throwing their fish and trying to get everyone to celebrate the spontaneous joy in our lives. It was the blueberry vendors who struck a chord with my foodie heart – from their oils to their wines and how the magic shoppe and the Hollywood memorabilia shoppe left strong impressions due to the beauty of conversing with people with like-minded interests. The market itself had everything you needed for your basket and then some, replete with fresh cut flowers and other knicks or knacks you might not expect to find. Always a kind smile, a hearty laugh and loads of healthy sampling to see what your palette might appreciate eating.

I could see how a spice shop would thrive here – the downtown corridor in and round the marketplace itself had heaps of hills and it was definitely walkable as the traffic wasn’t (at the time) like other cities where pedestrians might struggle against the heavy flow and constant shifting of cars. After reading the author’s notes on behalf of the market today compared to the market I once knew myself – my memories are as old as Sleepless in Seattle as Pike’s Place then was most comparable to the one I saw IRL. I’m certain that the lay of the land now is quite uniquely different – from what she mentioned of the change in structures and buildings – not to mention the relocation of a highway! Laughs. I still remember how lovely it was to just be in a place where independent businesses were thriving and where it was possible to have personable conversations with the growers of the local produce, fruit, flowers, cheese and artisan goods. The concept is much more transparent nowadays across large and small cities alike but back then it was quite the extraordinary concept!

Now, if only spice shoppes and markets had caught-on in the slow food movement and were readily accessible as health food stores, now that would be progress I’d appreciate seeing come full circle into our everyday lives!

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Mostly though – what intrigued me the most is the publisher I know for publishing wicked good dramatic Crime Fiction was now enticing me to try their Cosy side of the ledger! I will also say, as the publisher changed hands – when the book arrived I wasn’t sure if there would be a change in style and format for the finished copies, as previously I had mostly received their (print) ARCs with a few finished copies here or there for Seventh Street Books.

Chai Another Day was happily a wider trade paperback edition – where you could easily open the pages, see the layout and even the font was easier on the eyes – if you directly compared this fourth installment to the previous three when the series was with Berkley. However, in regards to previous Seventh Street Books releases – the format was refreshingly new as they were the more standard version of the trade paperback than this particular one where it felt more akin to a 5×7 size than the regular versions your used to holding in your hands. I honestly preferred it for this Cosy as it made reading it quite the ease and after so many migraines plaguing me recently, ease of reading a story was priority one!

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#PubDay Book Review | “Chai Another Day” (Book Four: The Spice Shop Mysteries) by Leslie Budewitz a cosy mystery series by one of my favourite crime publishers Seventh Street Books!Assault and Pepper
Subtitle: A Spice Shop Mystery
by Leslie Budewitz
Source: Borrowed from local library (ILL)

Genres: Cosy Mystery, Amateur Detective, Crime Fiction



Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 9780425271780

Setting: Pike's Place Market, Seattle Washington


on 3rd March, 2015

Format: Mass Market Paperback

Pages: 289

Published By: Berkley Prime Crime (@BerkleyMystery)

imprint of Berkley Publishing (@BerkleyPub)

via Penguin Random House (@penguinrandom)

Available Formats: Trade Paperback, Audiobook and Ebook

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Initially, I had planned to read the first *three!* novels in this series, however, after five migraines this past May, I decided to simply focus on “Assault & Pepper” as I couldn’t listen to the audiobooks either due to time constraints and the after effects of my migraines. As you will see, the first novel in the series held my interest at first but that interest waned a bit once I was settled inside it. I decided to forego the first novel, as I had a proper sense of the setting & the way in which Ms Budewitz wanted us to feel a part of this world to where I moved directly into “Chai Another Day”. I think you might be pleasantly surprised by what I found inside the fourth novel,..

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my review of assault and pepper:

I could immediately relate to two things: temperatures below seventy-five and smelling Autumn through a palette of spices and herbs! There is something to be said for calmer climes and the foods which speak to our souls during the different seasons of the year. For me, I could skip over a volcanic Summer and a nausating Spring full of allergens in exchange for a calmer cloudy and grey environment wherein the air is crisper, the produce is healthier and your sense of season was a gentler influence than an abrasive and blundering thundercloud of insanity. Already, as soon as I started reading Assault and Pepper, I was clued into how much angst I have living where I do.

The irony of course, is they are lamenting about the uses of spice for fish and meat; something which would never interest me (save the odd scallops here or there) as I’m a veghead vegan in the making! I’d rather know how you could grill, roast, saute and otherwise dress your veg and fruits than know about the dry rubs you need for a carnivore. Despite that – the aromas and aromatics they are inviting into my sensory memories reflects my own spicy life as a home cook as I have the tendency of appreciating the warmer spices throughout the year. It isn’t that I don’t like lighter foods but my wheelhouse always includes the posher spices of India or the flavourings of the Mediterranean. You can do loads with those spices – they indulge your creativity – especially once you master Garam Marsala and Turmeric!

The specialty tea blends, ah, now your talking! I love loose teas but I have to be careful with them as sometimes I opt instead for the bags as the loose varieties can be a bit strong even if your a careful steeper! The interesting bit is that I’ve learnt recently how you can cook or bake with tea blends – something I hadn’t realised in the past and I’m keen to explore it in the future.

I could definitely relate to Reed – I have a penchant for finding new ways to incorporate curry (the spice) into a lot of what I’m choosing to cook. By the time they were contemplating what to do with roasted squash and how to spice up their oatmeal, I had heard enough to know I wished this shoppe was a viable one in our own reality! Definitely keen on how I’m not the sole home cook who likes to switch things up in her saute pan, too! I also had a mad hankering for their tea samplers as although I prefer the warmer teas (full-on spices) there are a few floral teas I don’t mind though nothing overtly fruity as that’s just wrong.

Pepper’s ex-husband reminds me of why I enjoy the Coffeehouse Mysteries – these two series share that in common; where the ex-wives have moved forward with their lives but their exes haven’t quite caught on to the fact that some woman really do not want to reconcile the marriage they’ve divorced. Tag seemed to be the kind of bloke who liked to flirt no matter what his ex felt about him; almost as if it was its own inside tongue-and-cheek game between them – even if of course, from Pepper’s perspective it wasn’t likely to progress past the playful exchanges. On her end of it though, I sensed she liked her independence and enjoyed being single – or maybe, I was picking up on the fact she was thankful she was no longer married to Tag. It could swing either way – still too early-on to know what drew them apart to begin with and what led to the divorce. Read More

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

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Posted Tuesday, 11 June, 2019 by jorielov in 21st Century, Amateur Detective, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Book Review (non-blog tour), Cosy Mystery, Crime Fiction, Detective Fiction, Lady Detective Fiction, Modern Day, Pike's Place Market, Seattle, Washington, West Coast USA