Genre: Romance Fiction

Audiobook Spotlight | “Dante’s Gift” by Aubrey Wynne, narrated by Tom Jordan

Posted Sunday, 4 March, 2018 by jorielov , , , 0 Comments

Book Spotlight banner created by Jorie in Canva

Acquired Audiobook By: I started to listen to audiobooks in [2016] as a way to offset my readings of print books whilst noting there was a rumour about how audiobooks could help curb chronic migraines as you are switching up how your reading rather than allowing only one format to be your bookish choice. As I found colouring and knitting agreeable companions to listening to audiobooks, I have embarked on a new chapter of my reading life where I spend time outside of print editions of the stories I love reading and exchange them for audio versions. Through hosting for the Audiobookworm I’ve expanded my knowledge of authors who are producing audio versions of their stories whilst finding podcasters who are sharing their bookish lives through pods (ie. AudioShelf and Talking Audiobooks; see my sidebar). Meanwhile, I am also curating my own wanderings in audio via my local library who uses Overdrive for their digital audiobook catalogue whilst making purchase requests for audio CDs. It is a wonderful new journey and one I enjoy sharing – I am hoping to expand the percentage of how many audios I listen to per year starting in 2018.

I received a complimentary audiobook copy of “Dante’s Gift” via Audiobookworm Promotion in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Why I wanted to listen to this story:

When I first read the premise of this audiobook – what drew my attention to it is the fact it was a time slip / time shift between the Contemporary setting and the Historical. I have a passion for dual time-lines in stories and I was hoping this would be a good fit for me in regards to an audiobook. There are several stories I’ve read in the past which have handled this vein of interest which have not only pulled me into their narratives but it’s how deftly in-tune the writers were to bridge the gap between both eras in time they focused on which left me wanting ‘more’ of their stories!

Sadly, though, as I will talk about below – what I was hoping to find inside this story was hindered by the performance of the narrator – whose narration truly affected how I was interpreting the story and finding it an uncomfortable experience due to how he had approached it.

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Audiobook Spotlight | “Dante’s Gift” by Aubrey Wynne, narrated by Tom JordanDante's Gift
Subtitle: A Chicago Christmas (book one)
by Aubrey Wynne
Source: Audiobook via Audiobookworm Promotions
DNF
Narrator: Tom Jordan

Kathleen James has put her practical side away for once and looks forward to the perfect romantic evening: an intimate dinner with the man of her dreams and an engagement ring. She is not prepared to hear that he wants to bring his grandmother back from Italy to live with him.

Dominic Lawrence has planned this marriage proposal for six months. Nothing can go wrong-until his Nonna calls. Now he must interrupt the tenderest night of Katie's life with the news that another woman will be under their roof.

When Antonia's sister dies, she finds herself longing to be back in the States. An Italian wartime bride from the 1940s, she knows how precious love can be. Can her own story of an American soldier and a very special collie once again bring two hearts together at Christmas?

Genres: Christmas Story &/or Christmas Romance, Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, War Drama



Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

ASIN: B07847MDS3

Published by Plato Publishing

on 27th November, 2017

Format: Audiobook | Digital

Length: 3 hours and 5 minutes (unabridged)

Published by: Plato Publishing

A Chicago Christmas series:

Dante’s Gift | Book One

Paper Love | Book Two | Synopsis

Merry Christmas, Henry | Book Three | Synopsis

Formats Available: Paperback, Ebook and Audiobook

About Aubrey Wynne

Aubrey Wynne

Bestselling and award-winning author Aubrey Wynne resides in the Midwest with her husband, dogs, horses, mule and barn cats. She is an elementary teacher by trade, champion of children and animals by conscience, and author by night. Obsessions include history, travel, trailriding and all things Christmas.

Her short stories, Merry Christmas, Henry and Pete's Mighty Purty Privies have won Readers Choice Awards and Dante's Gift received the 2016 Golden Quill, Heart of Excellence, and Aspen Gold award, as well as being a Maggie finalist.

Aubrey’s medieval fantasy series launches in 2017 with Rolf's Quest. Besides the Chicago Christmas novellas, Aubrey will also release "A Vintage Romance" series inspired by tales of her stepfather, who served for the British Air Force in WWII. The stories will be set in the 40s & 50s.

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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

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Posted Sunday, 4 March, 2018 by jorielov in Audiobookworm Promotions, Blog Tour Host, Historical Fiction, Indie Author

Blog Book Tour | “Forever A Father” (Book One: Delaneys of Sandpiper Beach series) by Lynne Marshall part of #Harlequin Special Edition

Posted Friday, 2 March, 2018 by jorielov , , , , 2 Comments

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

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 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 “Forever A Father” direct from the author Lynne Marshall 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:

Even before I started reading the story, I appreciated what was being disclosed in the Author’s Note as I love reading all the little ‘extras’ included with stories. Harlequin puts these notes right at the beginning of the books – this way, it feels like you personally know a bit of keen insight about the characters, the setting or the thread of narrative your about to embark inside! Before I mention what warmed my heart about the note itself – I wanted to say, I love reading about families. Either the traditional kind or the unconventional – I love when people come together where love is concerned and where children also play a part in their story.

This novel is about a single Mum and her daughter, Anna whose become smitten with her boss, the doctor; in of itself, this was enough to draw my eye into wanting to read the book! I love second chance romances and new beginnings – those two themes are some of the most uplifting to be reading and this is why I love seeking them out! I also, was thankfully remembering to ‘double-check’ if this was a series in-progress or one which was just about to begin: cheers, dear hearts, Jorie finally finds a ‘first’ of a series for Harlequin! Laughs with mirth.

Now, back to the author’s note – my smile grew as I read Keela is from Ireland and the doctor is one of three brothers of whom has a family who owns one of the hotels at this seaside slice of paradise! I oft wondered what it would be like to live so close to the ocean – of hearing the serenity of that setting as the waves crash and the gulls cry. The saltiness of the air and the fact, your never in wont for conversation as there is a high volume of people constantly coming and going. All in, you can see what was so very tempting for me to be reading this novel!

PS: Isn’t the cover art delightful? You can almost see why Anna felt such a strong kinship with the doctor and he to her – he had a natural instinct for children even if part of him feared he might not yet be ready for fatherhood (per the extract I recently shared).

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Blog Book Tour | “Forever A Father” (Book One: Delaneys of Sandpiper Beach series) by Lynne Marshall part of #Harlequin Special EditionForever A Father

“Will you be my dad?”

Ask me anything but that.

Once upon a time, Dr. Daniel Delaney had it all. But he lost it in the blink of an eye, and he won’t let himself fall again—not even for his dedicated new assistant, Keela O’Mara, and her adorable, lonely little girl, Anna. Resisting a starry-eyed four-year-old is tough enough. Denying her perfect, loving single mom may be more than Daniel can handle…


Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

Find on Book Browse

ISBN: 9781335465641

on 22nd February, 2018

Pages: 218

Published by: Special Edition (@HarlequinBooks) | imprint of Harlequin

Formats Available: Ebook and Paperback

Happily there are more installments for this book series:

Soldier Handyman Family Man by Lynne MarshallReunited with the Sheriff by Lynne Marshall

Soldier, Handyman, Family Man | Synopsis | Pub Day: 20th March, 2018

Reunited with the Sheriff | Synopsis | Pub Day: 17th April, 2018

Converse via: #Contemporary #Romance & #Harlequin

About Lynne Marshall

Lynne Marshall

Lynne Marshall has been traditionally published with Harlequin as a category romance author for more than ten years with over twenty-five books, and more recently with TULE Publishing, she has also gone hybrid with self-publishing. She is a Southern California native, has been married to a New Englander for a long time, and has two adult children of whom she is super proud. She is also an adoring grandmother of two beautiful little girls, a woman of faith, a dog lover, a cat admirer, a meandering walker, a curious traveler, and an optimistic participant in this wild journey called life.

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Posted Friday, 2 March, 2018 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, Book Spotlight, Child out of Wedlock, Contemporary Romance, Dating & Humour Therein, Disillusionment in Marriage, Divorce & Martial Strife, Family Life, Indie Author, Life of Thirty-Somethings, Life Shift, Loss of an unbourne child, Prism Book Tours, Romance Fiction, Second Chance Love, Single Mothers, Singletons & Commitment, Small Towne Fiction, Women's Fiction, Women's Health

Book Spotlight w/ Extract and Notes | “Forever A Father” (Book One: Delaneys of Sandpiper Beach series) by Lynne Marshall part of #Harlequin Special Edition

Posted Wednesday, 28 February, 2018 by jorielov , , , , 2 Comments

Stories in the Spotlight banner created by Jorie in Canva.

Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

As you might have been expecting if you caught sight of this blog tour ahead of time – I was meant to read and share my thoughts on behalf of the novel – however, there was a mail glitch which made the novel’s arrival into my postbox slightly delayed! I can happily announce though – the novel has made its way to me and I’ll be reading it this week! Therefore, as I am only posting a spotlight to announce my intentions to read the story and giving you a chance to ‘meet’ the characters in this lovely extract which was provided to me by Prism Book Tours – I wanted to explain what had happened and why I had to change what I was doing for the blog tour itself.

I have been having such a delightful time getting acquainted with Harlequin & Mills and Boon authors lately – as you will see quite a few authors have been highlighted on my blog since late last year and into the first few months of [2018]. It is partially due to a re-focus on seeking out the stories – as it wasn’t too long ago when I was regularly reading Harlequin authors. I used to focus on the parenthood stories and the stories about single fathers – I even started collecting the “Babies & Bachelors USA” series as I found it wicked fascinating how it was showcased!

You can imagine then, why the premise behind this title stood out to me!! I also have a soft spot for second chance romances and the curious way in which children help romance to bloom if a single parent is taking a chance on finding true love. There are so many different ways to enter into a narrative like this one and I look forward to seeing the choices Ms Marshall made herself as I am thankful she was able to re-send the book. Until I start it, however, the extract I was given to showcase today is about children and the curious ways in which being a parent are both the highlight and the joy of being alive because children give us a chance to re-discover the world through their eyes and the innocent ways in which they find their curiosity inspiring them to better understand the world. Even if sometimes, they try our patience, their presence is a blessing in which we never fail to realise is part of what makes our experiences full of hope and love.

If your a regular reader of Harlequin Romances or their other imprints, I look forward to your comments – seeing what you love to read by Harlequin and of course, if you know of any mini-series or authors I might enjoy seeking out – kindly let me know! My local library has a hearty collection of their stories and I love finding new Harlequin authors to read!

Happily return on 2nd of March, to read my review!

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Forever A Father by Lynne Marshall

 “Will you be my dad?”

Ask me anything but that.

Once upon a time, Dr. Daniel Delaney had it all. But he lost it in the blink of an eye, and he won’t let himself fall again—not even for his dedicated new assistant, Keela O’Mara, and her adorable, lonely little girl, Anna. Resisting a starry-eyed four-year-old is tough enough. Denying her perfect, loving single mom may be more than Daniel can handle…

Converse via: #Contemporary #Romance & #Harlequin

Published by: Special Edition (@HarlequinBooks) | imprint of Harlequin

Add to Riffle | Add to LibraryThing

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Posted Wednesday, 28 February, 2018 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, Book Spotlight, Contemporary Romance, Family Life, Indie Author, Marriage of Convenience, Prism Book Tours, Romance Fiction, Second Chance Love

Author Guest Post | Lara Temple visits Jorie whilst sharing a bit of insight into “Lord Ravenscar’s Inconvenient Betrothal”

Posted Tuesday, 27 February, 2018 by jorielov , 0 Comments

Author Guest Post Banner created by Jorie in Canva.

Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

As you might have noticed, I have become a bit smitten with Mills & Boon Historicals lately – in fact, my first introduction to to the infamous line of Romance novels was through my readings of The Captain’s Disgraced Lady wherein I found myself quite keenly thrilled for the chance to finally read my first Mills & Boon Historical Rom! I’m quite familiar with Harlequin as both of these publishers (as they are one of the same) are equally well-known irregardless of which side of the ‘Pond’ you live on – what caught my eye this particular year are the story-lines and the writers who are writing them.

I am thankful I started hosting with Rachel in order to bring spotlights about these stories but also, having the chance to read a few of them as well. For this particular tour, I had the pleasure of crafting together a topic I felt would inspire my regular readers & blog tour visitors alike to feel better acquainted with Ms Temple and the series she has started to create wherein this novel is the second entry! As you know, I recently have floundered a bit with my Harlequin & Mills and Boon stories – in relation to ‘order of sequence’ for the series themselves – despite that small hurdle, what will be a happy affair is chasing down copies of the stories! As I learnt via Mills & Boon DM on Twitter – the stories themselves are only offered for a limited print run before they are ‘retired’; ergo, it shall be a treasure map of joy once I sort out where they all went in used book channels!

This particular series is a bit of a step outside my usual wanderings – as sometimes I like to do that – pick something rather random which has elements of what is familiar to me and read about a character who may or may not be considered a charming gentleman but perhaps he has a few coveted secrets of his own he’s trying to hide? In other words, I am not generally the girl who regularly seeks out the ‘bad boys’ of Romance – yet every so often, I find myself attracted to a story like this one which has ‘something’ inside it which intrigues me. I think it’s healthy to read in and out of our comfort zones – seeking stories we might overlook otherwise & taking the risk to see if something new might warrant a refreshingly new interest into the writers we might not have known otherwise.

Similar of course, to the theory of thought behind Ms Temple’s response – of how even she, as a writer likes taking her characters outside their own elements of comfort – seeing how they will react & if they will take a leap of faith to find where they will fall afterwards. After all, life without a bit of risk is a bit too boring and I, for one, agree with Ms Temple – spicing up our lives a bit by daring to read or experience something which intrigues us is what gives us a hearty jolt of joy.

I personally love the depth and breadth of these characters she’s created – I can tell I shall be wholly engaged with their journey and most likely, on pins to see how it concludes! What do you say dear hearts!? Do you like to push the envelope a bit on your readerly endeavours? Seeking stories you might have overlooked if only to see if you can find a writer who writes not only with conviction but gives such a firm rounding of scope for their characters your thankful you took the risk to wander outside your normal literary realms of interest?!

I look forward to seeing your comments & thoughts on behalf of this novel or any of the lovely Mills & Boon stories you’ve found to your likely. I look forward to seeing what you’ll be sharing – and may you leave some notes for Ms Temple, too! She left behind a wicked brilliant introduction to this novel! Til next time – enjoy a hearty cuppa of your favourite brew & may your reading adventures fill you with blissitudes!

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Author Guest Post | Lara Temple visits Jorie whilst sharing a bit of insight into “Lord Ravenscar’s Inconvenient Betrothal”Lord Ravenscar's Inconvenient Betrothal
by Lara Temple

“Women either ran from Lord Ravenscar or ran to him.”

A Wild Lords and Innocent Ladies story

Alan Rothwell, Marquess of Ravenscar, is furious when unconventional heiress Lily Wallace refuses him purchase of her property. He can’t even win her over with his infamous charm. But when fever seizes him and they’re trapped together, horrified, Alan realizes Lily’s attentions will compromise them both! His solution: take Lily as his betrothed before desire consumes them completely…

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical Romance



Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

Find on Book Browse

ISBN: 9780263932737

on 1st March, 2018

Published By: Mills & Boon (@MillsandBoon)
an imprint of HarperCollins UK + Harlequin Enterprises Ltd.

Wild Lords & Innocent Ladies Series:

Lord Hunter’s Cinderella Heiress | Synopsis

Lord Ravenscar’s Inconvenient Betrothal

Formats Available: Mills & Boon Historical paperback and Ebook

Converse via: #HistFict + #HistRom or #MillsAndBoon #Historical

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Topic I selected to ask the Author:

“I personally love the lead-in to the plot behind “Lord Ravenscar’s Inconvenient Betrothal” because there is a measure of realism in how it builds round the ‘unexpected jolt of being placed together’ which leads into a romance no one was expecting to happen. What inspired you most by telling the story in this manner and by taking both your lead characters off-guard in such a dramatic way?”

Read More

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Posted Tuesday, 27 February, 2018 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Rachel's Random Resources, Reader Submitted Guest Post (Topic) for Author

Blog Book Tour | “The Forgotten Girl” by Heather Chapman

Posted Wednesday, 21 February, 2018 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 “The Forgotten Girl” direct from the publisher Sweetwater 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.

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Why I wanted to read this story:

The Forgotten Girl Quote banner provided by the author Heather Chapman and is used with permission.
Photo Credit: Amanda Conley Photography

There is something about Biological Historical Fiction which pulls me inside the stories – of seeing how close we are to grasping the truths of our ancestors – known or unknown – as we traverse back through time, if only to pause for breath within a lived life so wholly brought back to life through the writer’s heartful attempt at honouring the past. This is also true of why I love reading Historical Fiction, as we get to re-live the past, seek out the hidden truths therein finding new empathy and understanding for our own lives today. There is a wider scope of how everyone is inter-connected and by re-visiting the historical lives of those who came before us we can find further insight into our world and into what unites us rather than focusing on our differences which try to divide us.

One particular branch of Biological Historical Fiction I am loving are the stories writ straight out the ancestral records and living histories of the writers themselves! I have had the pleasure of reading quite a number of these kinds of stories the past few years, each time I stumble across them I am truly thankful for the time the writer has taken to not only tell the stories but to find such an authentic voice of their ancestors channelling through their story.

As soon as I picked up The Forgotten Girl it did not sound like a contemporary writer was telling this story – it was one of those rare moments where it felt akin to a descendant who had fused so truly into their ancestor’s life as to channel them directly forward to tell their own story. These beautiful quotation banners were provided by the author for me to use as I help spread the word about this novel, as it truly is a story everyone who loves a hard-won second chance, a renewal of spirit and the redemptive healing of true love will attest this novel rounds out the true impression of what Ms Chapman’s great-grandparents (Stella and Mike) truly could have experienced when they were alive.

This first quotation I’m sharing is at the heart of Stella’s story – which lies at the heart of all our stories, for those of us who are seeking to change our stars or to endeavour to live elsewhere from whence we were bourne. We might cross miles rather than oceans, but wherever each of us is led to live and take a leap of faith towards seeking out a new path elsewhere from where we once were is to etch out a will towards believing in what tomorrow can yield even if the path isn’t clearly defined to follow. This quote speaks to how change is sometimes so mute and subtle as you nearly feel you’ve imagined hearing it against the wind. I felt it was an accurate statement for Stella’s change of destiny, too. She had to fight her doubt and believe in the unthinkable whilst holding onto the change which nearly didn’t arrive in time to alter her journey.

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Blog Book Tour | “The Forgotten Girl” by Heather ChapmanThe Forgotten Girl
by Heather Chapman
Source: Direct from Publisher

It is 1906, and sixteen-year-old Stella’s future in Durliosy, Poland has never looked bleaker. After losing her parents at a young age, she was taken in by her brother’s family. But now, after yearsof mistreatment, she determines to escape her brother and the oppression of Russian-occupied Poland and travel to America - a land of hope and opportunity.

Determined to find her independence, Stella is not looking for love, but after arriving in Fells Point, Maryland, she’s can’t help but be drawn in by a tall stranger, despite his rough exterior. What follows is a journey of love, loss and self-discovery. Can Stella find happiness in her new life? Will she be able to let someone love her, and can she let herself love him in return?

Inspired by a true story, witness how a forgotten girl made her life truly unforgettable.

Genres: Biographical Fiction, Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Women's Fiction



Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

Find on Book Browse

ISBN: 978-1462120642

Also by this author: The Second Season, Author Interview (A Second Season), Unexpected Love

Published by Sweetwater Books

on 13th February, 2018

Format: Trade Paperback

Pages: 184

 Published By: Sweetwater Books (@SweetwaterBooks),
an imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc (@CedarFort)

Available Formats: Paperback, Ebook

Stories I’ve read by this author:

The Second Season by Heather ChapmanUnexpecred Love (anthology) stories of Marriage of Convenience by Cedar Fort authors

Converse via: #HistFic or #HistoricalFiction, Stories based on #Ancestry

About Heather Chapman

Heather Chapman

Heather Chapman currently resides in Soda Springs, Idaho, with her husband and four children. She graduated magna cum laude from Brigham Young University. Heather has worked in various administrative assistant roles and as an event planner. Heather has also worked as a piano accompanist and piano teacher on the side. She currently spends her time writing and working as a stay-at-home mother.

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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

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Posted Wednesday, 21 February, 2018 by jorielov in 20th Century, Biographical Fiction & Non-Fiction, Blog Tour Host, Brothers and Sisters, Cedar Fort Publishing & Media, Coming-Of Age, Death, Sorrow, and Loss, Family Drama, Family Life, Flashbacks & Recollective Memories, Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Immigrant Stories, Indie Author, Life Shift, Mental Health, Orphans & Guardians, Realistic Fiction, Shirtwaist Industry, Siblings, Sisterhood friendships, Story knitted out of Ancestral Data, the Nineteen Hundreds