Posted Tuesday, 5 December, 2017 by jorielov Frontier Bachelors series, Harlequin Books, His Frontier Christmas Family, Love Inspired (imprint) Harlequin, Regina Scott 0 Comments
Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!
The Love Inspired (imprint) by Harlequin used to compete with the novellas I loved reading with my Mum which were Heartsong Presents. This publisher has a long history – including how Harlequin at one point in time merged Heartsong into their imprint line until they were bought out and the line was dissolved. Sadly, to this day we miss those four novellas a month by the authors of Heartsong Presents – (as this was a mail-order book service) which is why we’ve been starting to gather interest in Love Inspired authors. Some of the authors from Heartsong Presents are Love Inspired authors now (or were all along if they wrote for both publishers) – when I saw this series coming up on the calendar from Prism Book Tours, I knew I wanted to take part in it – as one thing Mum and I love are ‘series’ of INSPY novels.
This particular Historical series matches my own personal interests in Frontier Americana stories – where you have the frontier itself, the bustling of the wilds of America still being settled and tamed against the backdrop of mail-order brides, frontier families who are ranching for the first and seeing how cities are being developed. This is is an interesting time in American history – where those who were daring to carve out their own lifestyles went West, to claim not only land but a stake in their future.
I, personally, love curling into these kinds of stories and am delighted today, I can share with you a new author and a new series I’ve just discovered myself. I am hoping this will be one of the Love Inspired authors I will be reading in 2018 as I need to start from the beginning with The Bride Ship, as I have a penchant for reading series in order! In lieu of this, sometimes, I read the first novel and the last released – especially in cases where the whole series is hard to find.
This is part of my series of focus on Christmas Romances + Holiday Romances this year on #JLASblog! You’ll happily find reviews, guest author features (ie. interviews & guest posts) as well as this Spotlight w/ Extract and Notes part of my celebrations of the holiday season. I’ll be reading more Christmas Romances as we move towards Christmas week – whilst continuing my readings in Non-Fiction and Science Fiction respectively. There is a lot to make you smile right now on Jorie Loves A Story! Especially as it’s the first year where I could coordinate to focus on why I love reading these kinds of stories during one of my most favourite Seasons of the year!
You’ll find an Extract from the novel below and my notes on behalf of what is being disclosed inside it. I look forward to your comments regarding this novel – especially if you’ve been following the series, kindly let me know your own takeaway thoughts and what you love about how the series has been developed thus far along into it’s seventh installment! Grab a cuppa & enjoy!
A Family Made at Christmas
After taking guardianship of his late friend’s siblings and baby daughter, minister Levi Wallin hopes to atone for his troubled past on the gold fields. But it won’t be easy to convince the children’s wary elder sister to trust him. The more he learns about her, though, the more he believes Callie Murphy’s prickly manner masks a vulnerable heart…one he’s starting to wish he was worthy of.
Every man in Callie’s life chose chasing gold over responsibilities. Levi—and the large, loving Wallin family—might just be different. But she can tell he’s hiding something from her, and she refuses to risk her heart with secrets between them. Even as they grow closer, will their pasts keep them from claiming this unexpected new beginning?
Converse via: #Historical + #Romance or #HistRom & #FrontierRomance
Published by: Love Inspired (@hLoveInspiredBks) | imprint of Harlequin
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Posted Tuesday, 5 December, 2017 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, Book Spotlight, Farm and Ranching on the Frontier, Historical Romance, Homestead Life, Indie Author, Mail-Order Brides & Marriages of Convenience, Marriage of Convenience, Old West Americana, Prism Book Tours, Romance Fiction, Western Fiction
Posted Tuesday, 7 November, 2017 by jorielov A Cowboy to Keep, Christmas at Cade Ranch, Harlequin Books, Harlequin Heartwarming, Karen Rock, Rocky Mountain Cowboys series 0 Comments
Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!
I have some wonderfully wicked news to share with you – I have the JOY of welcoming back to my blog, Ms Karen Rock! I originally crossed paths with this lovely author when I participated on the blog tour for ‘A League of Her Own’ – wherein, I found a delightful Romance author who writes the kind of stories I enjoy reading. As you might have seen on previous reviews for Contemporary Roms, I’m quite particular about what I am seeking out a Contemporary Romance – however, Ms Rock is one of the few authors I find myself gravitating towards reading ‘more of’ – the blessing being, this time round, I am *celebrating!* a lovely new series of hers: the Rocky Mountain Cowboys!
Now, I don’t know about you – but there is something wicked brilliant about ‘cowboys’ and in particular, the styling of Contemporary Westerns & Cowboy Fiction stories! I have been reading these stories ever since I first learnt how to ride a horse – there is a special connection between a person and their mount – something which is oft-times explored in these kinds of stories, but more to the point, it’s the setting of the stories themselves which intrigues me the most! Of finding where the skies are heavenly open to stars and where you can ride for ‘days’ and never meet your neighbour which holds quite the appeal to read about! These are the stories where the West is still not quite as tame as you’d believe it to be and where the ranchers and horsemen who make their home out on the range still have quite a bit to share with all of us!
I was definitely attracted to this series taking place on a ranch in Colorado – the setting (the Rocky Mountains) is of keen interest, yet, it’s the ranch itself which held the most curiosity. Mostly, as I find I’m drawn to ranches in film/tv series such as my beloved ‘Heartland’ which I am still itching for Series 10 to be released here in the States! *waves!* to all the Canadians who get to see it as it airs! Happily, I was able to satisfy my curiosity by ILL’ing (inter-library loaning) the prequel to this series through my local library whilst spotlighting the ‘first’ novel which is ‘Christmas at Cade Ranch’.
I also had the delight of being able to read a chapter sampler (which the author provided) whilst composing Questions which will give you a well-rounded ‘introduction’ to the series itself! Therefore, if you haven’t grabbed your favourite ‘cuppa’ you might want to do so before you proceed to read the rest of this post! It’s part conversation, part sneak peek into the heart of a series and one reader’s opinion about the prequel! Isn’t that going to be smashing!?
Let’s get started, shall we?!
The Christmas they never had.
James Cade has one priority: keep the family ranch running smoothly in the wake of his younger brother’s death. With Jesse’s ex, Sofia Gallardo, and her young son, Javi, stranded at Cade Ranch over Christmas, this task just got a lot harder. The longer Sofia and Javi stay, the harder it is to imagine the ranch without them. James couldn’t save his brother from his inner demons, but he can give his nephew a secure future. Maybe more—if he can figure out how to trust Sofia, and stop feeling like he’s betraying Jesse. Because trying to stop thinking about beautiful, determined Sofia is impossible.
Happy Pub Day: 7th November, 2017
Converse via: #Contemporary #Western + #Romance
Published by: Harlequin Heartwarming
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The Rocky Mountain Cowboys series:
A Cowboy to Keep (Prequel) (see review below my Q&A)
Christmas at Cade Ranch (Book One)
Falling for a Cowboy (Book Two) (Synopsis)
Bad Boy Rancher (Book Three) (Synopsis)
A Cowboy’s Pride (Book Four)
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Posted Tuesday, 7 November, 2017 by jorielov in 21st Century, Action & Adventure Fiction, Blog Tour Host, Christmas Romance &/or Holiday Story, Contemporary Romance, Crime Fiction, Death, Sorrow, and Loss, Farm and Ranching on the Frontier, Indie Author, Library Find, Life Shift, Local Libraries | Research Libraries, Modern Day, Prism Book Tours, Realistic Fiction, Romance Fiction, Romantic Suspense, Small Towne Fiction, Small Towne USA, Specialised Crime Investigator, Suspense, West Coast USA, Western Fiction, Western Romance
Posted Saturday, 7 October, 2017 by jorielov A Child's Christmas, A Priceless Find, Harlequin Books, Harlequin Heartwarming, Kate James 0 Comments
Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!
I was happily looking forward to reading this novel A Priceless Find, however, due to different circumstances the novel is still inbound to me whilst I have been having some technical issues in regards to my connectivity! Not that I am letting this get me down or keep me offline for too long – as you might have seen I tweaked and edited another special post today! I am even getting a bit crafty in how I can blog without having a stable internet, which not only gives me more hours to appreciate the moments I am within stories, but it is also opening me up to the ways in which communities are making it easier for those who telecommute or for bloggers who need to find a place to plug in whilst not compromising their safety online.
Whilst I’ve been sorting out my blog today, the author was featured over on the Harlequin Heartwarming blog, where she offered a lovely Q&A and round-up of all the latest stories she’s been publishing throughout the year! 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!
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…
Converse via: #Contemporary + #Romance
Published by: Harlequin Heartwarming
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Posted Saturday, 7 October, 2017 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, Book Spotlight, Christmas Romance &/or Holiday Story, Contemporary Romance, Indie Author, Prism Book Tours
Posted Wednesday, 12 August, 2015 by jorielov Harlequin Books, Kimberly Belle, MIRA, The Ones We Trust 1 Comment
I must admit, when it comes to Harlequin, my two favourite imprints of theirs have been MIRA and the newly acquired Heartsong Presents (which used to be independent). MIRA gives you such an enriching choice amongst contemporary women’s fiction writers and relationship-based romance writers, you can find something to tickle your curious bone to read on any given month of release!
I am quite fond of MIRA because it’s a line of featuring authors who become my ‘next’ favourite authors to follow as their careers move forward. The realistic narratives combine with strong characters who do not shield their hearts nor their emotions from the page, giving us heart-stirring fiction grounded in a story-line which will not leave you too soon after you finish reading the novel! I love finding new authors who publish under this imprint, because there is a certain level of trust in knowing what I might find within one of the new releases. You could say, I find equal enjoyment from reading MIRA authors as I do ChocLitUK authors, because of the focus on quality over quantity when it comes to the kinds of stories being penned by their authors. It’s quite a heap of joy knowing that on both sides of the Pond, we can find wicked stories for today’s twenty and thirty-somethings who want stories which are character centric and encompassing of realistic lives set around relationships.
The main reason this particular release tipped the scales of curiosity for me, is due to the fact it’s a contemporary war drama rooted in the modern world. We need war dramas set in today’s world inasmuch as we need war dramas of the past; the two walk hand in hand with bridging understanding and empathy for the men and women who sacrifice so very much of their own lives in order to protect our own. Stories which seek to generate an honest portrait of their lives honours them and allows us a glimpse inside their world.
Proposed Topic: Contemporary war dramas hit close to home but also help us re-define where a war drama can take a reading audience due to the closeness to our living age. How did you draw inspiration to not only cultivate a time sensitive narrative but to eclipse it with the breadth of the human condition in a pursuit of justice intermixed with the struggle to hold onto hope? How did you find balance between the suspense and the driving story arc of Abigail’s conscience and heart?
Book Synopsis | “The Ones We Trust”
When former DC journalist Abigail Wolff attempts to rehabilitate her career, she finds herself 
at the heart of a US army cover-up involving the death of a soldier in Afghanistan—with unspeakable emotional consequences for one family. As the story of what happened comes to light, Abigail will do anything to write it.
The more evidence she stumbles upon in the case, the fewer people it seems she can trust, including her own father, a retired army general. And she certainly never expected to fall in love with the slain soldier’s brother, Gabe, a bitter man struggling to hold his family together. The investigation eventually leads her to an impossible choice, one of unrelenting sacrifice to protect those she loves.
Beyond the buried truths and betrayals, questions of family loyalty and redemption, Abigail’s search is, most of all, a desperate grasp at carrying on and coping—and seeking hope in the impossible.
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Posted Wednesday, 12 August, 2015 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, Reader Submitted Guest Post (Topic) for Author, TLC Book Tours
Posted Saturday, 13 December, 2014 by jorielov A League of Her Own, Harlequin Books, Harlequin Heartwarming, HarperCollins Publishers, Karen Rock 2 Comments
A League of Her Own by Karen Rock
Published By: Harlequin Heartwarming (#HarlequinHeartwarming)
(an imprint of) Harlequin Books (@HarlequinBooks) which is now a part of HarperCollins!
Available Formats: Paperback and Ebook
Converse on Twitter via: #ALeagueOfHerOwn & #KarenRock
Acquired Book By: A few months ago, I was visiting the blogs I love to read via my Bloglovin feeds, as I have found Bloglovin to be the best way to keep track of all the beautiful bookish blogs and/or author blogs I regularly visit! Especially after I self-hosted my blog as I only kept a few linked to my landing page (jorielovesbookishblogs.com) and the rest are happily organised into folders on Bloglovin! Truly the best part of it! It was whilst I was visiting a fellow book blogger, I took notice of the badge “Lola’s Blog Tours”. I had three blog tours which perked an interest in me, two of which were science fiction and then there was this Contemporary Romance set around baseball! I had previously interviewed Ms. Alexander on behalf of her novel “Dare to Kiss”; one of my December reads for #IndieWriterMonth! Therefore, finding a second baseball themed romance was a bit happenstance, don’t you think?
I was selected to be a tour stop on the “A League of Her Own” virtual book tour through Lola’s BlogTours. I received a complimentary copy of the book direct from the author Karen Rock, in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.
Inspired to Read:
With all the mergers happening in the book publishing industry, I must confess as a reader who is now a book blogger it is becoming to be quite daunting to keep everything organised and in line! I like to show the imprints of publishers as much as give credit per book for each post I am inspired to share with my readers (irregardless if I am hosting a blog tour, a non-tour book review or borrowing a book from my library, etc). Part of my heart fell a bit when I realised my beloved novella INSPY series Heartsong Presents might be capsizing so to speak as it was almost not bought out in time until Harlequin took it over! Then, within a year of that merger I learnt Harlequin was merged into HarperCollins! Oy vie. I nearly feel there needs to be a ‘road map’ of a guide to which imprints fall under which ‘main publishing house’ and thereby a bit less of a puzzle to riddle out for those of us who do attempt to give proper acknowledgement when it’s due.
Having said this, I was always attracted to what I refer to as ‘non-traditional Harlequin’ stories, wherein I sought out the romances centered on the ‘relationship’ and had nothing to do with the ‘bodice’ at all! Laughs. I cannot remember all of the lovely imprints and special edition series I read or attempted to read over the years, but one of my favourite imprints happened to be Mira. Mira has published a lot of Contemporary Romance authors I have come to enjoy reading including Debbie MacComber and Sherryl Woods! If you seek out a particular type of story, you just might be surprised that even a publisher like Harlequin can give you exactly what you are looking to read!
Heartsong Presents I believe is ‘safe’ once more as it was meant to be an anchor and compliment to Harlequin’s own (former competitive imprint) Love Inspired. As 2015 marches into focus, I’ll be reading quite a heap of the beauties on my bookshelf whose patience for me to pick up their sleeves and dig into their stories has been remarkably kind! I have quite a nice selection of Mira authors, so this is only the first of many more Harlequin books to be spotlighted on Jorie Loves A Story! You’ll find each time as I highlight another story full of relationship-based romance that Harlequin isn’t quite what your expecting it to be!
In combination for my previous love of a particular ‘Harlequin’ story and my forementioned love of baseball, “A League of Her Own” felt like a good fit to me! Not withstanding the fact “A League of Their Own” is one of my top favourite motion pictures and that had a lot to do with Rosie O’ Donnell and Geena Davis!
A League of Her Own
by Karen Rock
Source: Author via Lola's Blog Tours
He was attractive, talented…and way off limits.
Heather Gadway may have been a world-class college pitcher and a top university coach, but she's a rank amateur when it comes to managing the Falcons, her father's struggling minor league team. And when it comes to managing her aggravating attraction to Garrett Wolf, their talented new pitcher. It's going to be difficult enough to make it as the first female manager in the league and prove to her overly critical father she's worthy. No distractions. No missteps. And certainly no romances with players. Everything stands between them—including their troubled pasts—even as Heather's world falls apart and Garrett's the one who's there to catch her…
I read the Large Print edition yet it felt quite regular to me!
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romance Fiction Places to find the book:
Also by this author: Author Interview (Christmas at Cade Ranch) Karen Rock, A Cowboy's Pride (Spotlight w/ Notes), A Cowboy's Pride, Christmas at Cade Ranch, Winning the Cowboy's Heart, A Rancher to Remember
Published by Harlequin Heartwarming
on 1st December, 2014
Format: Paperback
Pages: 312
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Posted Saturday, 13 December, 2014 by jorielov in 21st Century, Baseball, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Book | Novel Extract, Bookmark slipped inside a Review Book, California, Contemporary Romance, Dating & Humour Therein, Family Life, Fathers and Daughters, Foster Care, Lola's Blog Tours, Modern Day, Postal Mail | Letters & Correspondence, Romance Fiction, Singletons & Commitment, Small Towne USA, Softball, Sports
