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. 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 “Trusting Her Heart” direct from the author Tara Randel in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.
Why I appreciate reading the Meet Me At the Altar
series by Tara Randel:
I was quite chuffed this new series I am reading involves brothers, as previously mentioned I had just concluded another Harlequin Heartwarming series about the Blackwell Brothers! In this series, Randel has four brothers to keep her busy with their stories! Deke and his brothers, Dylan, Dante and Derrick were all law enforcement blokes with a dedication to their Mum. It was heartwarming to note how dedicated they were to their mother and to what lengths they were willing to take to ensure her safety and security. In this way, Randel had started to lay down a compelling foundation to this series – even though this is the second chapter of their lives rather than the first. She gives you quite a bit of back-story on the brothers but I am sure there was quite a bit more in The Lawman’s Secret Vow.
One of my favourite discoveries in this novel was seeing the ample time given for each character to introduce themselves – as you would expect to find them living their life. Meaning, when we were in the office with Grace, she held nothing back but revealled her strengths and a few of her faults; like the spiced tongue she had when she felt uncomfortable and let her spunk emerge to the point of turning people away. As we spent time with Deke, we learnt how close he is to his brothers but it didn’t feel like his section was being narrated through the lens of feminine perspective. It’s hard not to let that happen, especially as most of these kinds of stories are written by women. I always appreciate those who can keep either a dual focus spilt between their heroine and hero and/or allow their men to sound as you would envision them to sound as your reading. It brings more realism to the stories I think and it was lovely to see being done in His Honor, Her Family.
What you have is a story built out of the fragility of family, where adult children have to step up and help curate strong changes within their own families. Deke and his brothers were attempting to highlight a potential threat in their mother’s life whilst Grace was caught up in the drama of her own family’s trials. She was the caregiver of the family – constantly looking out for everyone but forgetting about her own self-care; a pattern of behaviour that stemmed all the way back to her days in high school. She had a bit of an edgy grudge against the towne itself – whilst part of her couldn’t break her conscience over the guilt it would take against her soul to return to her old life before she knew her siblings and mother were well cared after. For Grace, she took her role in her family quite seriously – to the brink of forsaking her own affairs.
Randel brings together all the hearty emotional drama you would expect out of an intergenertional saga – thereby, fusing the series with a heartfelt light of deciding what is most important to a person’s life. If family is important, than you have to determine what lengths you will embrace to resolve things once everything goes upside down. This is a story where you have people realising their reaching crossroads in their lives and they need to find the courage to follow through with their plans to either a) fix what is wrong or b) find a new beginning to effectively change their life before its too late to live it.
-quoted from my review of His Honour, Her Family
(Meet Me At the Altar series, Book Two)
Trusting Her Heart
Subtitle: Meet Me At The Altar
by Tara Randel
Source: Author via Prism Book Tours
Can a love built on lies…
…survive the truth?
Serena Stanhope fears her dark past might ruin the life she’s built as a successful shop owner. Especially when handsome Logan Masterson suddenly arrives in town asking questions about her background. He seems to have his own secrets, but the pair share an instant connection and Serena finds herself falling for Logan. He could destroy everything—or he could be the chance at love she thought she’d never have…
Places to find the book:
ISBN: 978-1335510808
Also by this author: His One and Only Bride, His Honor, Her Family, Always the One, (#25PagePreview) of Stealing Her Best Friend's Heart, Stealing Her Best Friend's Heart, Her Christmastime Family
Also in this series: His Honor, Her Family, Always the One
Published by Harlequin Heartwarming
on 6th August, 2019
Format: Larger Print (Mass Market Paperback)
Pages: 384
Published by: Harlequin Heartwarming
Converse via: #Contemporary + #Romance and #HarlequinHeartwarming
Meet Me At The Altar series:
how this series began within the pages of : The Lawman’s Secret Vow
To have and to hold — until the case is solved?
When an undercover assignment pairs laid-back Florida detective Dante Matthews with by-the-book cop Eloise Archer, he knows it won’t be easy. And not just because they’re competing for the same promotion. Now they’re living together under the same roof, and it’s getting harder to ignore his deepening feelings for his “wife.” Can he convince Eloise to partner up—for life?
About Tara Randel
USA Today Bestselling Author Tara Randel has enjoyed a lifelong love of books, especially romance and mystery genres, so it didn't come as a surprise when she began writing with the dream of becoming published. Family values, mystery and, of course, love and romance are her favorite themes, because she believes love is the greatest gift of all. Tara lives on the West Coast of Florida, where gorgeous sunsets inspire the creation of heartwarming stories, filled with love, laughter and the occasional mystery.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
Single Dad to the Rescue
Reunited with the Cowboy
Sweet Home Alaska
Rogue Most Wanted