Genre: Contemporary Romance

Book Review | “A Priceless Find” (Camden Falls series, Book One) by Kate James A series by #HarlequinHeartwarming

Posted Monday, 18 December, 2017 by jorielov , , , 0 Comments

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

Acquired Book By: I recently started hosting with Prism Book Tours, having noticed the badge on Tressa’s blog (Wishful Endings) whilst I was visiting her blog as we would partake in the same blog tours and/or book blogosphere memes. I had to put the memes on hold these past several months (something I hope to resume in 2018) but as I enquried about hosting for Prism, I found I liked the niche of authors and stories they were featuring regularly. I am unsure how many books I’ll review for them as most are offered digitally rather than in print but this happily marks one of the blog tours where I could receive a print book for review purposes. 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.

I received a complimentary copy of “A Priceless Find” direct from the author Kate James in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Why I was intrigued by this story-line:

I admit, I have liked reading Harlequin authors long before the last Acquisitions and Mergers went through – as I remember finding the publisher in the early 90s as I have been a reader of Romance for every decade I’ve been alive! lol I started out reading Roms when I was a young girl – smitten by the Regency and Victorian eras (first and foremost, of course!) before I explored other options – ironically or not, Contemporary Roms were one of the last ones I fancied which I have a better appreciation for finding now that I am a book blogger. The main imprint I used to read the most was Mira, however, there were different sub-series and imprints by Harlequin I have long admired – including the wholesome stories of the Heartwarming series and/or the Love Inspired. They also purchased my beloved mail-order series Heartsong Presents before it finally was closed a few years ago prior to the last merger.

The one thing I have appreciated about Harlequin authors though is how approachable they are and how friendly they are to speak with about their stories and writings. They also have the tendency to write the kind of stories you expect to find on Hallmark Channel – inspiring, uplifting and bursting with wicked good Romances! I find the channel to be a pulse of joy to watch (even if I’m currently a cable-cutter without access to it!) as you can curl up inside those movies with a sense of peace and a joyfulness in your spirit. Who doesn’t like that?

This is how I feel about reading stories by Harlequin – I like the lighter side to literature, as although I’m a drama lover, there is something to be said for a kind respite and a lighter story-line which picks up your spirits just at a moment where a story like these can be a balm to your weathered soul! I am thankful I found Prism Book Tours – if only to start to seek out new authors under Harlequin’s imprints and start to make enroads once again in reading them regularly!

-quoted from my Spotlight on behalf of this novel w/ an Extract

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Book Review | “A Priceless Find” (Camden Falls series, Book One) by Kate James A series by #HarlequinHeartwarmingA Priceless Find
Subtitle: A Camden Falls Novel

Can opposites really attract?

A robbery followed by the discovery of a forgery at a respected art gallery thrusts Chelsea Owens into the center of an investigation headed by Detective Sam Eldridge. The instant chemistry between the high-spirited aspiring curator and the tall, dark, brooding cop is a classic case of opposites attract.

Complications arise when Chelsea uncovers a connection to an unsolved art heist. Teaming up with Sam to find the stolen paintings ignites feelings that could lead to lasting love. But Sam isn't ready to move beyond the tragedy in his past, no matter how promising his future with Chelsea could be…


Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

Find on Book Browse

ISBN: 9780373368587

on 3rd October, 2017

Pages: 384

Published by: Harlequin Heartwarming

Converse via: #Contemporary + #Romance and #HarlequinHeartwarming

About Kate James

Kate James

Kate spent much of her childhood abroad before attending university in Canada. She built a successful business career, but her passion has always been literature. As a result, Kate turned her energy to her love of the written word.

Kate's goal is to entertain her readers with engaging stories featuring strong, likable characters. Kate has been honored with numerous awards for her writing. She and her husband, Ken, enjoy traveling and the outdoors, with their beloved Labrador Retrievers, Harley and Logan.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com Read More

Divider

Posted Monday, 18 December, 2017 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, Book Spotlight, Christmas Romance &/or Holiday Story, Contemporary Romance, Indie Author, Prism Book Tours

Blog Book Tour | “Brush with Love” by Lisa McKendrick

Posted Sunday, 10 December, 2017 by jorielov , , 0 Comments

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

Acquired Book By: I have been a blog tour hostess with Cedar Fort for the past three years, wherein I took a brief hiatus from hosting before resuming August 2016. I appreciate the diversity of the stories the Indie publisher is publishing per year, not only for fiction and non-fiction but for healthy eats within their Front Table Books (cookbooks). I appreciate their dedication to writing general market, INSPY reads and LDS focused stories across the genres they publish.

I received a complimentary copy of “Brush with Love” direct from the publisher Bonneville Books (an imprint of Cedar Fort Inc.) 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:

To be honest, the main reason I wanted to read this novel is because I wanted to give the author a second chance – the first time I read one of her novels, I couldn’t get excited about it as much as I had wanted to be excited about it. Even though I read quite a lot of the previous release, there were key issues I encountered moving through the story which I thankfully was hoping had either been polished in this release or were no longer an issue at all. Writers grow through their stories – you can even see the growth a writer undergoes through their career by how they approach telling their stories, which is why I try to remember to keep an open mind about reading a different story by an author I’ve previously found not to my liking.

Aside from this second chance attempt to read this author, I personally liked the premise behind the story but I was a bit surprised within the premise, it was not entirely highlighting how interesting the back-story was on the story itself. From the humble beginnings of Lana being left at an Eastern European orphanage before being adopted by an American family to the fact, part of the story is a reflection of what happens during memory loss and the pains of watching a loved one go through a degenerative disease which seeks to erase their time on Earth.

There is a lot of depth to this novel but I felt the premise and blurb on the back cover might not be as convincing to readers they should take a chance on this story – thereby, missing its heart.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Blog Book Tour | “Brush with Love” by Lisa McKendrickBrush with Love
by Lisa McKendrick
Source: Direct from Publisher

Lana, a talented Ivy League artist, is thrilled for a summer internship program where she'll get to study under an acclaimed artist, but she is soon disappointed to find that she'll be going to Bluegill, Idaho, for six weeks to study under the brilliant but aging artist LeVan Hitchpost.

As she spends more time with him, though (and more specifically with LeVan's grandson, Walt), Lana realises she may have to choose between following her dreams or following her heart.

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



Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 978-1462121250

Also by this author: Letters to my Future Husband

Published by Bonneville Books

on 10th October, 2017

Format: Trade Paperback

Pages: 257

Published By: Bonneville Books (@BonnevilleBooks),
an imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc (@CedarFort)

Available Formats: Paperback, Ebook

Stories I’ve read by this author:

Letters to my Future Husband by Lisa McKendrickBrush with Love by Lisa McKendrick

Converse via: #SweetRomance & #Contempoary #Romance

About Lisa McKendrick

Lisa McKendrick lives in Lakeland, Florida where she divides her time between writing, carpools, and occasionally folding laundry. The mother of seven children (all accustomed to wearing unmatched socks), Lisa is author of other books for the LDS market, including On a Whim , and thanks to her husband's support, has earned a master's degree in English from BYU. Lisa enjoys hearing from her readers and can be contacted at Utterance.org (linked below via Website).

Read More

Divider

Posted Sunday, 10 December, 2017 by jorielov in 21st Century, Adoption, Blog Tour Host, Cedar Fort Publishing & Media, College & University Years, Coming-Of Age, Compassion & Acceptance of Differences, Equality In Literature, Family Drama, Family Life, Flashbacks & Recollective Memories, Indie Author, Mental Health, Mental Illness, Modern Day, Mormonism, Multi-cultural Characters and/or Honest Representations of Ethnicity, New Adult Fiction, Orphans & Guardians, Realistic Fiction, Sisterhood friendships, Sweet Romance

Blog Book Tour | “His Baby Dilemma” (Book No.9 of the Shores of Indian Lake series) by Catherine Lanigan

Posted Wednesday, 6 December, 2017 by jorielov , , , , 0 Comments

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

Acquired Book By: I recently started hosting with Prism Book Tours, having noticed the badge on Tressa’s blog (Wishful Endings) whilst I was visiting her blog as we would partake in the same blog tours and/or book blogosphere memes. I had to put the memes on hold these past several months (something I hope to resume in 2018) but as I enquried about hosting for Prism, I found I liked the niche of authors and stories they were featuring regularly. I am unsure how many books I’ll review for them as most are offered digitally rather than in print but this happily marks one of the blog tours where I could receive a print book for review purposes. 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.

I received a complimentary copy of “His Baby Dilemma” direct from the author Catherine Lanigan 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 was smitten by the premise to be honest! And, when I first saw the cover art for this novel, I hadn’t seen the series name underneath the title! I’ve been a long-time appreciator of Harlequin Romances – from a variety of their imprints which I first started to talk about on my conversation with Rachel Magee and shared a bit more recently on my Spotlight with Extract & Notes on behalf of “His Frontier Christmas Family”. If you’ve been following my blog for awhile you know my main preference is to read series in order – even if the publication order differs from the series order – however, in this case, I hadn’t realised my error until after I received the novel – finding the lovely serial list included!

One thing I do appreciate about surprising myself on the odd moon I misunderstand the sequence of series, is it sometimes paves the way for me to find a #newtomeauthor I might not have met otherwise! Therefore, because I love stories involving children & families, I was still just as delighted to curl inside this Heartwarming Romance as if it were the first in the series and not the 9th! It just means I have 8 unexpected blessings awaiting me one day – whilst I seek a way to read the rest of the interlocking stories within this series! Perhaps even, through my local library wherein they have a lovely stack full of Harlequin novels everyone in my region loves to read on a regular basis! Plus, they surprised me this December by purchasing “Christmas at Cade Ranch” which I recently spotlighted as I reviewed the prequel in the series “A Cowboy to Keep”. Suffice it to say, I’ve found a path back into reading Harlequin and I couldn’t be happier!

The author kindly sent me a bookmark with this novel – giving me her online sites, four covers of her novels and a delightful way to ‘greet’ this story as I read it! Besides – who could resist reading a story with the cut little baby on the cover holding the pages of a book? NOT ME! Laughs with mirth. I was sent a ‘larger print’ edition of this novel – which is a first for me, as I generally have only read their ‘regular or large print’ editions. The nice blessing for receiving this larger font right now is after coming out of two migraines last month and finding myself running into a third migraine this week – the extra large font allowed me to read with less issues in focusing! Also, outside of being my younger self, I’ve never had the joy of reading a book at a ‘distance’ before as the fonts being used today in publishing are growing so very tiny! Whoa. This was a lovely discovery!

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

His Baby Dilemma by Catherine Lanigan

Must they always be continents apart?

Nobody expects Paris fashion designer Grace Railton to settle down in her Indiana town, least of all Mica Barzonni. Fifteen months ago, he turned to her for comfort and compassion following a farming accident that left him permanently injured. Then she returned to France and went silent on him.

Until, suddenly, Grace shows up on his doorstep with life-altering news. Mica, a father? He’s barely learned to navigate his post accident life. But this could be his chance to become the man he’s always wanted to be—the husband and father Grace and their baby son need. Now Mica just has to convince her to stay.

Pub Day: 5th December, 2017

Converse via: #Contemporary #Romance

Published by: Harlequin Heartwarming

Add to Riffle | Add to LibraryThing

The Shores of Indian Lake series:

About Catherine Lanigan

Catherine Lanigan

Catherine Lanigan is the international bestselling and award-winning author of forty published titles in both fiction and non-fiction, including the novelizations of Romancing the Stone and The Jewel of the Nile, as well as over half a dozen anthologies, including “Chicken Soup for the Soul: Living your Dream”, “Chicken Soup for the Writer’s Soul”, and more.

Ms. Lanigan’s novels have been translated into dozens of languages including German, French, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Portuguese, Chinese, and Japanese. Ms. Lanigan’s novels are also available in E-books on Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com, Apple Store, Mobi and Kobo. Several of her titles have been chosen for The Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Clubs. Her Vietnam war-based novel, The Christmas Star, won the Gold Medal Award Top Pick from Romantic Times Magazine and has also won Book of the Year Romance Gold Award from ForeWord Magazine as well as Book of the Year Romance from Reader’s Preference.

Lanigan is the author of a trilogy of non- fiction books regarding angelic intervention in human life: Angel Watch, Divine Nudges and Angel Tales published by HCI and Cedar Fort. Skyhorse published Lanigan’s “how-to” book on writing: Writing the Great American Romance Novel. Lanigan was tasked by the NotMYkid Foundation to write a non-fiction book addressing teen addictions. Ms. Lanigan’s first Young Adult adventure novel, The Adventures of Lillie and Zane: The Golden Flute, was published by Cedar Fort.

Currently, she has published eight novels in the Shores of Indian Lake series for Harlequin Heartwarming: Love Shadows, Heart’s Desire, A Fine Year for Love, Katia’s Promise, Fear of Falling, Sophie’s Path and Protecting the Single Mom. Family of His Own pubs July, 2016. She has recently contracted for one more in the series: His Baby Dilemma.

As a cancer survivor, Ms. Lanigan is a frequent speaker at literary functions and book conventions as well as inspiring audiences with her real stories of angelic intervention from her Angel Tales series of books.

She is an outspoken advocate for domestic violence and abuse and was honored by The National Domestic Violence Hotline in Washington, D.C. (THE EVOLVING WOMAN). She has been a guest on numerous radio programs including “Coast to Coast” and on television interview and talk show programs as well as blogs, podcasts and online radio interview programs.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com Read More

Divider

Posted Wednesday, 6 December, 2017 by jorielov in 21st Century, Blog Tour Host, Child out of Wedlock, Contemporary Romance, Deception Before Matrimony, Family Life, Indie Author, Life Shift, Local Libraries | Research Libraries, Modern Day, Prism Book Tours, Realistic Fiction, Romance Fiction, Second Chance Love, Single Mothers, Singletons & Commitment, Small Towne Fiction, Small Towne USA, Unexpected Pregnancy

Author #GuestPost | feat. Erin Green who wrote another #Contemporary #ChristmasRomance Jorie is itching to be #amreading!

Posted Monday, 4 December, 2017 by jorielov , , , 0 Comments

Author Guest Post Banner created by Jorie in Canva.

Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

For the first time since I launched Jorie Loves A Story, I’ve been able to have a lovely sub-focus on the *Christmas!* stories which alight in our lives per annum! This year, in particular I’ve had a lovely focus on UK Contemporary Christmas Romances – as I will readily admit, I’m quite smashingly addicted to the writing styles of UK authors! I’ve had to put my #ChristmasReads on hold whilst I was participating in #RRSciFiMonth – so outside of Ms Carla Kelly’s Sweet Regency Christmas Romances, I haven’t yet come across another *favourite!* read of the Season!

Thus far, I’ve had the pleasurable joy of interviewing Ms Halton where we exchanged our Christmas family traditions inasmuch as chattering about why the holidays are special to each of us – celebrating her latest release “Christmas at Bay Tree Cottage”! Shortly thereafter, I interviewed Ms Helen Rolfe – an author I’ve followed on Twitter since she found me therein, whose released a delightful Christmassy Rom set round a knitting shoppe! Still my heart, being a girl knitty over yarn – this one definitely had my heart going a-flutter reading the premise!

Right in line with the festive glow of joy talking about stories set during Christmas I had the honour of bringing to my reader’s attention a delightfully festive bookaway fused with the Christmas spirit of ‘giving’ – whilst interviewing the author who inspired the event to happen! All of this, is continuing – as December dawns – I’ll be interchanging my Sci-Fi reads with dashes of Christmas stories, select Non-Fiction and other lovelies I’m hankering to read during this glorious time of the year.

This is the time of the year of garland and Yule; of heaps of snow & loads of family being round a tree lit and outfitted nicely with all the accompaniments of Christmastide! Where stockings are hung over hearths and a ready fire helps keep your favourite brewed in your cuppa of choice!

I am thankful to be crossing paths with #newtomeauthors who are giving me a heap of joy to host this festive season whilst finding STORIES to gather in time for next Christmas! A few of them are not yet released into paperback but the stories within their pages will be lovingly read once they are published. Today, marks my next special guest, of whom I offered to write a Guest Post Essay in lieu of an Interview – this novel is set in an attractive ‘small towne’ (if you might recall, Small Towne Fiction is amongst my favourites to be reading!) where you can quite literally re-invent yourself and/or find a new beginning. Small townes are glorious for either occasions as much as they offer something quite lovely outside of a ‘big metropolis’ where you can lose your thoughts as much as your sanity for the chaos you endure.

Remember to give me a nod towards what your reading this Christmas & holiday season – especially if you know of a Contemporary or Historical Christmas Rom you feel might whet a thirst of interest for me to be reading right now! Til then, I hope you’ve been enjoying my series of Christmas Guest Features as we welcome Winter into our hearts & let the holidays sweep us up into their Yuletide blessings! Merry meet, dear hearts!

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Author #GuestPost | feat. Erin Green who wrote another #Contemporary #ChristmasRomance Jorie is itching to be #amreading!A Christmas Wish

Flora Phillips has an excuse for every disaster in her life; she was abandoned as a new-born on a doorstep one cold autumn night, wrapped in nothing but a towel. Her philosophy is simple: if your mother doesn't want you – who will? 

Now a thirty-year-old, without a boyfriend, a career or home she figures she might as well tackle the biggest question of them all – who is she? So, whilst everyone else enjoys their Christmas Eve traditions, Flora escapes the masses and drives to the village of Pooley to seek a specific doorstep. Her doorstep. 
But in Pooley she finds more than her life story. She finds friends, laughter, and perhaps even a love to last a lifetime. Because once you know where you come from, it's so much easier to know where you're going. 

A story of redemption and love, romance and Christmas dreams-come-true, the perfect novel to snuggle up with this festive season.


Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

Find on Book Browse

ISBN: 9781788541077

on 19th October, 2017

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Guest Post Topic I asked of Ms Green:

Did you fashion the community of Pooley after a particular towne you’ve visited or did you want to craft a setting where someone could unexpectedly ‘put their life back to rights’ such as how Flora is needing to do with her own affairs – thus, creating an ‘unexpected’ locale where second chances are possible? What inspired you most as you created Pooley to give readers the sense of wonder Flora feels herself?

Flora’s Pooley is based on the town of Atherstone, Warwickshire, it is a small town which once boasted a vibrant hatting industry. It’s suggested that Lewis Carroll fashioned the Mad Hatter from ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’ on the hatting-workers of the area as they were systematically poisoned by the mercury used for felt making. The Market Square comprising of a beautiful church, large stone archway and cobbles was the perfect setting for Flora’s story. The village name Pooley comes from another quaint village in Warwickshire, which used to boast a thriving coal mine and brick yard, near to where I grew up. The village of Pooley was once home to the American soul singer Edwin Starr, prior to his death. I simply merged, and fictionalised, the two villages to create a perfect backdrop.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com Read More

Divider

Posted Monday, 4 December, 2017 by jorielov in Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Brook Cottage Book Tours, Reader Submitted Guest Post (Topic) for Author, Women's Fiction