Genre: Contemporary (Modern) Fiction (post 1945)

An #INSPY Book Spotlight with Notes + Extract | featuring “Set the Stars Alight” by Amanda Dykes

Posted Monday, 5 October, 2020 by jorielov Amanda Dykes, Baker Publishing Group, Bethany House Publishers, Set the Stars Alight 0 Comments

Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

I positively LOVE reading INSPY Lit and when I find an author has combined two of my favourite styles of story “Contemporary and Historical” in a lovely time shift, I dearly sit up and take notice! This particular novel I discovered a bit ahead of the blog tour being announced which is why I jumped at the chance to be on the tour itself – as I was sorting out which new books were being released by this publisher as I wanted (at the time) to see if I could get ahead of the pub dates and potentially seek out the stories via my local libraries (either in print or audiobook). I had good intentions but as the course of the year went the way it had for all of us, I admit, I lost track of which stories were releasing and when they might reach my libraries.

Ahead of my tour stop today, I happily found out the audiobook is available through my regional library via their audiobook catalogue on CloudLibrary!! Eek. I was overly excited finding this out as I am listening to more audiobooks lately as with all the migraines I’ve been plagued with from May-August and with September being a wickedly horrid month all the way round (from my parents health emergencies to my excessive migraines) you could say reading all the way round for me has been a bit more adverse than usual! Audiobooks and larger print books are easier for me to enjoy whilst I’m re-transitioning back into reading after a long nightmeric run of migraines and having this lovely so easily available was a bit of random joy for me recently!

I wasn’t able to get too far into the story but as I have it checked out, I’m hopeful I can finish it this October as you’ll soon find out why I enjoyed the hour I listened too! I love finding new authors and it is a delight of mine to be featuring some INSPY authors via this blog tour company as INSPY has long since been a cosy comforting branch of literature for me. I’ve been a hybrid reader (ie. mainstream and INSPY) since I was quite young and I oft turn to INSPY whenever I want to tuck offline into a story I know will find a positive lift of joy to be reading! Most recently, I related my immense joy in listening to ‘Hadley Beckett’s Next Dish’ whilst ‘Magnolia Storms’ was one of my top favourites during a recent INSPY readathon this past August. You will find a healthy gathering of INSPY stories in my Story Vault as well!

Today, I am wicked thankful I can bring you a short extract from “Set the Stars Alight” as I love helping my fellow readers and book bloggers find stories they might love as much as I do! I look forward to conversing with you about this story in the comments! Especially if you think this might be a wicked good fit for you as a reader, too! I’d be keen to know what attracts you into time shift narratives (or time slip!) as much as why you love dual perspective novels which combine both modern settings with the historical.

Set the Stars Alight
by Amanda Dykes
Source: Borrowed from local library's CloudLibrary

Lucy Clairmont's family treasured the magic of the past, and her childhood fascination with stories of the high seas led her to become a marine archaeologist. But when tragedy strikes, it's Dashel, an American forensic astronomer, and his knowledge of the stars that may help her unearth the truth behind the puzzle she's discovered in her family home.

Two hundred years earlier, the seeds of love are sown between a boy and a girl who spend their days playing in a secret sea cave, while the privileged young son of the estate looks on, wishing to join. As the children grow and war leads to unthinkable heartbreak, a story of love, betrayal, sacrifice, and redemption unfolds, held secret by the passage of time.

As Lucy and Dash journey to a mysterious old estate on the East Sussex coast, their search leads them to a community of souls and a long-hidden tale that may hold the answers--and the healing--they so desperately seek.

Genres: Contemporary (Modern) Fiction (post 1945), Historical Fiction, Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction, Time Slip and/or Time Shift

Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 9780764232671

ASIN: B0857HL9MJ

Published by Bethany House Publishers

on 30th June, 2020

Format: Audiobook | Digital

Length: 12 hours and 36 minutes (unabridged)

Published by: Bethany House Publishers (@bethany_house)

an imprint of Baker Publishing Group

Available Formats: Hardcover, Trade Paperback, Audiobook and Ebook

Converse via: #TimeShift, #HistFic, #INSPY or #ChristianFiction
as well as #SetTheStarsAlight & #BHPFiction

About Amanda Dykes

Amanda Dykes is a drinker of tea, dweller of redemption, and spinner of hope-filled tales who spends most days chasing wonder and words with her family. She's a former English teacher and the author of Set the Stars Alight and Whose Waves These Are, an INSPY award winner and a Booklist 2019 Top Ten Romance debut, as well as three novellas.

Photo Credit: © Michael Pettrey

Posted Monday, 5 October, 2020 by jorielov in Astronomy, Audiobook, Audiobook Excerpt, Blog Tour Host, Book Spotlight, Historical Fiction, Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction, Love Books Tours, Space Science

Book Spotlight w/ Notes and Extract | “Love Me Like You Do” by Aimee Brown

Posted Wednesday, 30 September, 2020 by jorielov Aimee Brown, Aria Fiction, Head of Zeus, Love Me Like You Do 1 Comment

Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

I’ve been thankful to keep an eye on emerging Contemporary Romance & Women’s Fiction stories for the past seven years – over the years, I’ve worked with different publishers to either bring featured content by the authors themselves or to find ways in which I can shine a light on the stories (such as this featured spotlight with extract) and/or when a format I can read or listen to were available, I’ve been bringing reviews to my blog Jorie Loves A Story.

Head of Zeus is a publisher I’ve been working with since April 2019 and it has been such an incredible journey of seeking out the stories their authors are writing. I even have had the chance to discovering a thrilling writer of Suspense in J.S. Monroe! I can’t wait to start listening to their audioreads and sorting out which Historical & Contemporary novelist has captured my attention the most through the stories they’ve written based off the ones I’ve selected to focus on during their blog tours on Jorie Loves A Story. As getting the chance to interview their authors is another wickedly exciting part of hosting their tours.

And, one of my favourite ways of finding new Contemporary authors who are writing stories I’m interested in reading is through hosting blog tours for Head of Zeus. They publish a wide variety of stories I’ve showcased (both Contemporary & Historical) but with the Contemporaries, I am finding a lot of different kinds of stories interest me – sometimes the plots take me by surprise and other times, they feel as cosy comforting as the last series I showcased for Jenny Kane!

Thankfully more of these lovelies are going into audiobook release and as they reach Scribd, I am hoping to listen to more of them over the course of the next year. Until then, it is a pleasure of joy of being able to talk about the stories, share an extract and hopefully increase my bookish friends’ TBRs as readily as I am increasing my own! Ha! I’d love to know if anyone has followed behind me and has started to read these stories ahead of me or if they are hoping to read them in the future?

Why I wanted to host a spotlight & extract
for this new Contemporary Romance ‘Love Me Like You Do’:

As the founder and host of @SatBookChat – I am constantly seeking to find new stories featuring strong women in the centre of Romance & Women’s Fiction. I read an equal amount of Contemporary and Historical stories within these genres of interest whilst encompassing all the lovely sub-niches of their literary styles as well. This New Year 2020 I am also seeking out Feminist Lit which celebrates the kind of stories I am enjoying to discover as well. All of which I try to champion and showcase in the chats I host on Saturdays – wherein writers, readers, book reviewers, book bloggers and the rest of the bookish community on Twitter get to engage with one another. Thereby as a regular reader of these stories I was delighted to find a #newtomeauthor to start seeking out to read!

I hanker after romantic comedies in theaters and yet, when it comes to my personal interests as a reader, I must confess, it is the RomCom which I struggle to find which carries with it my preferences for sophiscated comedy without derailing itself into a niche of comedy which makes my brow wrinkle. I love comedic romance because it tucks us into the lighter areas of life whilst poking fun at the complications of dating & courting before marriage. The interesting bit is that I’ve found that comedic timing in novels is just as layered and intriguing as the comedic timing in films.

Whichever medium the writer is writing – they have to grab our attention quite early-on and give us a reason to hunger after the story we’ve just become introduced. The best RomCom writers have a way of gripping me within the opening bridge of their novels and then, giving me such a satisfaction to reach their conclusions! When that happens, I count my blessings and am full of grateful gratitude for having found them.

I had a bit of a smirk when I read this involved a ‘runaway bride’ as I still have fond memories of seeing Julia Robert’s film (“Runaway Bride”) and being swept up in her life. Which at the time, felt less like a RomCom and more like a dramedy – but I could say that for her other films as well, including “Notting Hill”. I think the more stories like this one I can seek out the better I’ll be as I could use more lighter stories in my reading queue! I love to laugh at the movies but I think I’ve forgotten to find ways to laugh in my readerly life! Oyy.

Be sure to brew your favourite cuppa and enjoy the extract from this story!

Love Me Like You Do
Subtitle: To fall in love they will have to find themselves again...
by Aimee Brown

A runaway bride. A handsome stranger. Two pasts to put behind them.

Parker is ready to marry the man of her dreams. But he isn't ready to marry her. It would be helpful if he didn't choose their wedding day to tell her this. But as she flees from the travesty behind her, she literally runs into the arms of a handsome stranger. The southern drawl, the dreamy eyes, she can't fall for another man after being left at the altar – can she?

When Liam agreed to go to go on a date he didn't expect to leave with the bride. Nor did he expect to take her the emergency room. Immediately he's drawn to her fiery spirit, her kind heart and beautiful smile. Liam's got a whole host of problems and a past that keeps coming back, now can't be the time to fall in love, but Parker might just be the one to break down his barriers and let him live a little – if she'll let him in.

Will these two strangers allow serendipity to put them together, or will their fears keep them apart?

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

Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

ASIN: B0876FXPSH

Published by Aria Fiction

on 17th September, 2020

Published By: Aria Fiction (@Aria_Fiction)
a Digital First imprint of Head of Zeus (@HoZ_Books)

This is a Digital First Release!

Converse via: #LoveMeLikeYouDo, #ContemporaryRomance and #HeadOfZeus

Posted Wednesday, 30 September, 2020 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, Book | Novel Extract, Book Spotlight, Contemporary Romance, Head of Zeus, Romance Fiction, Romantic Comedy

A #HarlequinHeartwarming Blog Book Tour | “A Ranger for the Twins” (Book Two of the Hollydale series) by Tanya Agler

Posted Wednesday, 30 September, 2020 by jorielov A Ranger for the Twins, Harlequin Books, Harlequin Heartwarming, Hollydale series, Tanya Agler 0 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 “A Ranger for the Twins” direct from the author Tanya Agler in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

No, you’re not mistaken – I skipped over #RomanceTuesdays recently!

As you might have recently noticed, I have started to focus on revealling my thoughts and reactions to reading Harlequin Heartwarming and Love Inspired stories during my weekly #RomanceTuesdays featured reviews. However, during the past few months, I’ve fallen a bit behind in my readings (overall) due to an increase frequency in my migraines and due to the health emergencies of my parents; of which came back to haunt me a bit last night as my Mum burnt her eye on pepper oil when I mistakenly purchased the wrong pepper!

Thankfully our local paramedics knew what to do and within an hour of that nightmare, Mum was recovering despite the fact my nerves still were full of the anxiety of the emergency itself which meant binge watching Charlie’s Angels (thank you, Roku!) and drinking copious amounts of tea! And, here I was hoping I could end September without any further medical issues or emergencies – whilst the remnants of my last migraine which took me offline this past weekend and the early bits of this week were tweaking their way back into my life. Blessedly will full rest and a morning of comfort reading (this novel!) I am thankfully able to resume participating on blog tours and by default, resume blogging!

I have a full October of bringing new #RomanceTuesdays featured reviews to Jorie Loves A Story as well as a wonderfully lovely Harlequin Heartwarming series chat via @SatBookChat – as on the 17th of October, the authors behind the #BlackwellSisters series will be chatting live with my chatters and giving away some books, too! If you loved reading the Return of the Blackwell Brothers series like I did – mark the date and start following us on Twitter to receive updates about #SatBookChat!

Today, I am celebrating the fact I am reading (without a migraine hanging over me!) and being back in the throes of a new Harlequin Heartwarming author I’ve just discovered who is writing about another small towne I was rather charmed to meet and am thankful I had as my ‘next read’ as I re-transition back into reading after a very hard and dearly adverse September! If you are seeking a cosy comfort read yourself – I highly recommend either Harlequin Heartwarming or the Love Inspired Suspense imprints due to how warmly uplifting all the stories are to read for readers who have a bit too much strife in their lives and need some ‘downtime’ in stories which rejuvenate their spirits!!

A Ranger for the Twins
by Tanya Agler
Source: Direct from Author

She fell from grace…
Before falling for him

When her husband defrauded the town of Hollydale, now-divorced mom Lucie Decker went from being the town darling to total pariah. Now she’s launching a new business and needs ranger Caleb Spindler’s help. And her twins adore Caleb. After all, he’s a genuine hero—even if he is hiding a secret. But while Lucie’s heart has forgotten how to trust, it still remembers how to fall in love…

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

Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 978-1335889928

Also by this author: The Soldier's Unexpected Family, The Single Dad's Holiday Match

Also in this series: The Soldier's Unexpected Family

Published by Harlequin Heartwarming

on 13th October, 2020

Format: Larger Print (Mass Market Paperback)

Pages: 384

The Hollydale series:

The Sheriff’s Second Chance (book one) – Mike and Georgie’s story

Broken things can’t be fixed…

Or can they?

Officer and single dad Mike Harrison doesn’t believe in second chances. Ever. That is, until he learns that his former best friend—gorgeous green-eyed car mechanic Georgie Bennett—is back in town. Unfortunately, she’s also a suspect in a recent break-in! But it’ll take an old classic car to show Mike and Georgie that almost anything can be restored with a little patience…and a whole lot of love.

A Ranger for the Twins (book two) – Caleb and Lucie’s story

The Soldier’s Unexpected Family (book three) Aidan and Natalie’s story
→ forthcoming March, 2021!

Please note: I noticed there is a connection with all of these stories being set inside the small towne of Hollydale and have chosen to collect them into a ‘series’ as they are a series by setting – however, I am not sure if they have been officially named as either a collection and/or a series or continuity with Harlequin Heartwarming as there isn’t a series name on the books nor on their informational pages online. I collected them together for my own frame of reference and for other readers and visitors to my blog Jorie Loves A Story who likes to read series in order and/or meet stories in order of how they were first disclosed.

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: #ContemporaryRomance and #HarlequinHeartwarming with #TanyaAgler

This story received my Best Scene Stealing Secondary Character
(Contemporary Romance).

About Tanya Agler

An award-winning author,Tanya Agler moved often during her childhood and settled in Georgia where she writes sweet contemporary romance novels, which feature small towns, family and pets, and themes of second chances and hope.

Her debut, The Sheriff’s Second Chance, is a January of 2020 Harlequin Heartwarming release. The sequel, A Ranger for the Twins, will be released in Oct. 2020. A graduate of the University of Georgia with degrees in journalism and law, she lives with her wonderful husband, their four children, and a lovable Basset, who really rules the roost. Represented by Dawn Dowdle and the Blue Ridge Literary Agency, she’s currently at work on the sequels to her debut. When she’s not writing, Tanya loves classic movies, walking, and a good cup of tea.

Posted Wednesday, 30 September, 2020 by jorielov in 21st Century, Blog Tour Host, Contemporary Romance, Family Drama, Family Life, Jorie Loves A Story Cuppa Book Love Awards, Life Shift, Modern Day, Motherhood | Parenthood, Nature & Wildlife, Prism Book Tours, Romance Fiction, Second Chance Love, Siblings, Small Towne Fiction, Small Towne USA, Sweet Romance, Walking & Hiking Trails

Series Spotlight w/ Notes and Extracts | The Mill Grange series by Jenny Kane feat. “Midsummer Dreams at Mill Grange” and “Autumn Leaves and Mills Grange”!

Posted Thursday, 24 September, 2020 by jorielov Aria Fiction, Autumn Leaves at Mills Grange, Head of Zeus, Jenny Kane, Midsummer Dreams at Mills Grange, Mill Grange series 0 Comments

Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

I’ve been a bit out of sync with my blog off/on throughout 2020. I’ve been having some adversely difficult migraines to transition through as much as the health of my parents have been affected throughout the year as well. In essence, I’ve had to take different gaps of time off my blog and thereby, as I lose a bit of my short term memory due to the severity of the migraines themselves, on certain occasions – I’ve either forgotten about a blog tour (such as the first novel in this series I was meant to spotlight earlier in the Summer) completely OR I’ve had to reschedule a blog tour due to my inability to read the stories.

It has been a rather interesting year from that angle – as from other viewings of the year, things haven’t gone too bad considering and yet, I’ve gone through moments with my blog where I’ve felt inspired to blog nearly everyday and/or every week (at least) to moments where the blog is barely able to keep surfacing. This is a plight of most book bloggers I believe this year and my reasons behind my absences and bouts offline are more due to health afflictions than they are due to anything else – except for some of the tech issues I’ve gone through with connectivity difficulties and/or the odd lightning storm which can wreck havoc on anyone’s online life.

I’ve been blessed to have found such a lovely collection of stories I am keenly interested in reading and/or listening on audiobook this year published by Head of Zeus. I shall be spending most of the next year gathering them, as some were not yet released in either print or audio formats whilst some of them were cross-released immediately. I love hosting for this publisher – as they are one of the publishers I am finding whose writers are writing stories which interest me to read.

I decided to make amends for one of my forgotten blog tours this Summer today, by including information on behalf of the first novel of the Mill Grange series “Midsummer at Mill Grange” whilst celebrating the release of the sequel and second novel of the series “Autumn Leaves at Mill Grange”. Hopefully I’ll entice your bookish curiosity about these stories whilst redeeming myself a bit by having missed the chance to celebrate the series as it first released.

Why I wanted to host a spotlight & extract
for these two lovely new books in a new series ‘Mill Grange’:

As the founder and host of @SatBookChat – I am constantly seeking to find new stories featuring strong women in the centre of Romance & Women’s Fiction. I read an equal amount of Contemporary and Historical stories within these genres of interest whilst encompassing all the lovely sub-niches of their literary styles as well. This New Year 2020 I am also seeking out Feminist Lit which celebrates the kind of stories I am enjoying to discover as well. All of which I try to champion and showcase in the chats I host on Saturdays – wherein writers, readers, book reviewers, book bloggers and the rest of the bookish community on Twitter get to engage with one another. Thereby as a regular reader of these stories I was delighted to find a #newtomeauthor to start seeking out to read!

I’ve been happily finding new stories to read and listen to through hosting for Head of Zeus this year which tuck into the topics, themes and stories I love championing during #SatBookChat, and the Mill Grange series fit within the kind of sphere of story I love to discover, read and champion during my chat. Mostly as if it involves Romance, Women’s Fiction or any story with a Feminist message bent into the novel – odds are in good favour I’m going to LOVE it.

When it comes to Mill Grange, the other benefit of course is the fact this is a series set round a community and small towne atmosphere which are amongst my favourites to read as you get to stay longer and sit more with the characters you’ve found in a setting which is a cosy comfort to re-visit. Hence why I am thankful to be on this lovely blog tour and to draw a light of joy round finding it!

Be sure to brew your favourite cuppa and enjoy the extracts from these stories!

Autumn Leaves at Mill Grange
by Jenny Kane

At Mill Grange, the work – and the fun – never stops! As autumn brings coolness and colour, change is in the air for all at the manor...

Sam Philips' time in the forces changed him forever. Supported by his friends, Sam is keen to help make beautiful Mill Grange a safe retreat for injured army personnel... but his crippling claustrophobia means Sam is living in a tent on the grounds! Enlisting the help of charming village stalwarts Bert and Mabel Hastings, Tina Martins is determined to find a way to help him conquer his fears. But why does she feel like he is keeping a secret?

After discovering evidence of a Roman fortlet on the manor's grounds, Thea Thomas is thrilled at the chance to return to her archaeological roots and lead the excavation. She spent the summer with handsome celebrity archaeologist Shaun Cowlson – but now he's off filming his Landscape Treasures show in Cornwall, and Thea can't help but miss his company. Especially as someone else is vying for his attention...

Welcome back to Mill Grange and the beautiful village of Upwich, full of larger-than-life characters you can't help but adore.

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

Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 978-1838938123

ASIN: B0888VGHM9

Published by Aria Fiction

on 10th September, 2020

The Mill Grange series:

Midsummer Dreams At Mill Grange (book one)

Thea Thomas needs to get away from her old life… and the interfering ex who won’t leave her alone. When she lands a job heading up the restoration of Mill Grange, a stunning Victorian manor, it feels like the perfect opportunity to start afresh.

What Thea didn’t anticipate was how hostile the volunteer team, led by the formidable Mable Hastings, would be about accepting new leadership. And with the deadline looming before the grand opening, Thea is in desperate need of more volunteers.

A broadcast appeal on the local news attracts the interest of arrogant but undeniably attractive celebrity historian Shaun Cowlson, who wants to make a TV programme about the restoration. It’s hard enough adding one more big personality to the mix – but then her ex turns up as one of the volunteers! What seemed like a dream come true is fast becoming a total disaster! Can Thea find a way to save the manor?

Autumn Leaves at Mill Grange (book two)

Published By: Aria Fiction (@Aria_Fiction)
a Digital First imprint of Head of Zeus (@HoZ_Books)

Converse via: #MillGrange, #ContemporaryRomance and #HeadOfZeus

Posted Thursday, 24 September, 2020 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, Book | Novel Extract, Book Spotlight, Contemporary Romance, Head of Zeus, Romance Fiction

An #INSPY Audiobook Review | Jorie was smitten by the cheeky Contemporary INSPY humour of Bethany Turner within the pages of “Hadley Beckett’s Next Dish”! [Started during #CFSRS20]

Posted Monday, 21 September, 2020 by jorielov (Narrator) Aimee Lilly, #CFSRS20, Baker Publishing Group, Bethany Turner, Hadley Beckett's Next Dish, Revell 1 Comment

Acquired Book By: I have been participating in the Christian Fiction & Clean Reads Reading Safari readathon for the past three years now. I have found the readathon to be personally enriching as it is a wonderful month of respite for book bloggers who want to focus on reading outside their blog schedules and tuck into the gentler side of fiction which is Inspirational Fiction (ie. INSPY). A portion of INSPY is Christian Fiction however, INSPY overall encompasses all faiths and religious backgrounds as it is faith-inspired literature. As a participant of the readathon – each reader moves through the event at their own pacing – seeking stories to read, authors to get to know socially online and reading the stories which interest them throughout the readathon. As you participate there is a chance you can win a book or several throughout the month. This year I am reading a mixture of stories I’ve won during past CFSRS readathons, stories I’ve won through bookaways with Christian Fiction authors or bloggers as well as stories on my shelf from my personal library as well as borrowing INSPY stories in print and audio from my local libraries.

In May 2020, I was hosting a few promotional tours and social blitzes for JustRead Publicity Tours – one of those tours was the ‘Hadley Beckett’s Next Dish’ Takeover Tour – wherein I received a complimentary print copy of the novel in exchange for posting promotional content on social media featuring my own book photography. Whilst the audiobook edition for “Hadley Beckett’s Next Dish” was included in my Scribd membership which I use to regularly listen to audiobooks. However, I finished listening to the audiobook via CloudLibrary which is a service through my library for listening to audiobooks. I was not obligated to post a review on behalf of this novel and have elected to do so for my own edification as well as continuing to share my bookish and readerly life on Jorie Loves A Story. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Why I wanted to read this story:

You’d have to understand my affection and addiction to watching *celebrity chefs!* first and foremost – as I entered into my years of cooking a bit late in the game compared to most women. In fact, I took after Julia Child and I was wickedly overjoyed knowing that she didn’t get invested into cooking or the cookery arts until well into her thirties – wherein I happily beat her by a few years myself when I started to find that I enjoyed experimenting in the kitchen, too!

Prior to those years of my late twenties, I was resolved that perhaps when it came to cooking my real gift was for baking – as I just did not catch onto the buzz round using fresh farmer market ingredients and sorting out which vegetarian and/or vegan dish I wanted to create by using different cookbooks and/or vegan/veg blogger recipes online until after assisting Mum as her sous chef – I started to notice I was enjoying ‘going off the recipes’ and sorting things out on my own. It was a personal reckoning of joy and I was thrilled to bits about this new adventure I was undertaking.

This also lead us to requesting copious amounts of cookbooks & baking books at our local library and happily kept the Acquisitions Library well supplied with titles for vegans and vegetarians alike! Over the years we had to take a break from focusing on vegetarian foods and are more omnivores at the moment who are anxious to return back to living through the seasons with vegetables and grains. At the same time, I was no longer finding Food Network & the Cooking Network to be on the boring side of the ledger as half the time I felt a lot of that stuff flew over my head quite a bit.

I’m all-in now – from having personal favourite celebrity chefs to having series on Food Network I am wicked thrilled over seeing new episodes for whenever I’m able to see them to realising that it could take another lifetime to *bake!* like they do on the Great British Bake-Off! I even love a murder mystery series via Hallmark Movies & Mysteries called: “Morning Show Mysteries”. The title is elusive as she runs a restaurant and has a cooking segment on a tv show.

Thus, when I read the premise for “Hadley Beckett’s Next Dish” I thought how wicked wonderful one of today’s INSPY Contemporary novelists’ is taking a personal hobby following the lives of celebrity chefs and spinning it into a compellingly realistic story!

Hadley Beckett's Next Dish
by Bethany Turner
Source: Borrowed from local library's CloudLibrary, Direct from Publisher, Scribd | Audiobook Subscription
Narrator: Aimee Lilly

Get ready for a heaping helping of humor, romance, and second chances

Celebrity chef Maxwell Cavanagh is known for many things: his multiple Michelin stars, his top-rated Culinary Channel show, To the Max, and most of all his horrible temper. Hadley Beckett, host of the Culinary Channel's other top-rated show, At Home with Hadley, is beloved for her Southern charm and for making her viewers feel like family.

When Max experiences a very public temper tantrum and is sent packing, his only chance to get back on TV and in the public's good graces is to work alongside Hadley. As these polar-opposite celeb chefs begin to peel away the layers of public persona and reputation, they will not only discover the key ingredients for getting along but also learn the secret recipe for unexpected forgiveness . . . and maybe even love.

In the meantime, hide the knives.

Genres: Contemporary (Modern) Fiction (post 1945), Cookery, Foodie Fiction, Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction, Southern Lit, Women's Fiction

Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 9780800735234

ASIN: B087JZQCC3

Published by Revell

on 5th May, 2020

Format: Audiobook | Digital, Trade Paperback

Length: 8 hours and 40 minutes (unabridged)

Pages: 352

The novels of Bethany Turner:

The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck (2017)

Wooing Cadie McCaffrey (2019)

Hadley Becket’s Next Dish (2020)

Published by: Revell (@RevellBooks)

an imprint of Baker Publishing Group

Audiobook Published by: Oasis Audio (@oasisaudio)

Formats Available: Trade Paperback, Audiobook (Digital & CD) and Ebook

Converse via: #Contemporary #ChristianFiction, #INSPYRomance, #INSPYbooks,
as well as #HadleyBeckettsNextDish and #HadBeck

This story received my award for Best Contemporary INSPY Women’s Fiction
& Best Audiobook Narrator of 2020!

About Bethany Turner

Bethany Turner is the award-winning author of The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck and Wooing Cadie McCaffrey and the director of administration for Rock Springs Church in Southwest Colorado. A former bank executive and a three-time cancer survivor (all before she turned 35), Bethany knows that when God has plans for your life, it doesn't matter what anyone else has to say. Because of that, she's chosen to follow his call to write. She lives with her husband and their two sons in Colorado, where she writes for a new generation of readers who crave fiction that tackles the thorny issues of life with humor and insight.

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

#CFSRS20

Posted Monday, 21 September, 2020 by jorielov in #CFSRS20, #INSPYSundays, 21st Century, Balance of Faith whilst Living, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Blogosphere Events & Happenings, Chefs and Sous Chefs, Christianity, Contemporary Romance, Cookery, Foodie Fiction, Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction, INSPY Realistic Fiction | Non-Fiction, Jorie Loves A Story, Jorie Loves A Story Cuppa Book Love Awards, Jorie Loves A Story Features, Library Catalogues & Databases, Library Find, Love Books Tours, Modern Day, Nashville, New York City, Post-911 (11th September 2001), Reading Challenges, Realistic Fiction, Romance Fiction, Sociological Behavior, Sweet Romance, Twitterland & Twitterverse Event, Women's Fiction

Genre: Contemporary (Modern) Fiction (post 1945)

About Amanda Dykes

The Sheriff’s Second Chance (book one) – Mike and Georgie’s story

A Ranger for the Twins (book two) – Caleb and Lucie’s story

The Soldier’s Unexpected Family (book three) Aidan and Natalie’s story → forthcoming March, 2021!

About Tanya Agler

About Bethany Turner

The Soldier’s Unexpected Family (book three) Aidan and Natalie’s story
→ forthcoming March, 2021!