Book Review and Giveaway: Together Forever by Jody Hedlund

About the Book

Title: Together Forever, Orphan Train Book 2  
Author: Jody Hedlund  
Genre: Inspirational historical romance  
Release Date: May, 2018

Determined to find her lost younger sister, Marianne Neumann takes a job as a placing agent with the Children’s Aid Society in 1858 New York. She not only hopes to offer children a better life, but prays she’ll be able to discover whether Sophie ended up leaving the city on an orphan train so they can finally be reunited. Andrew Brady, her fellow agent on her first placing-out trip, is a former schoolteacher who has an easy way with the children, firm but tender and friendly. Underneath his charm and handsome looks, though, seems to linger a grief that won’t go away–and a secret from his past that he keeps hidden. As the two team up, placing orphans in the small railroad towns of Illinois, they find themselves growing ever closer . . . until a shocking tragedy threatens to upend all their work and change one of their lives forever.

Click here to purchase your copy!

                             About the Author

Jody Hedlund is the author of over a dozen novels, including Love Unexpected, Captured by Love, Unending Devotion, The Preacher’s Bride, and A Noble Groom, winner of the 2014 Carol Award for historical romance. She received a bachelor’s degree from Taylor University and a master’s from the University of Wisconsin, both in social work. She lives in Michigan with her husband and five children. She loves hearing from readers on Facebook and on her blog at www.jodyhedlund.com.

Guest Post from Jody Hedlund

30,000 Abandoned Children By Jody Hedlund Imagine a city where 30,000 abandoned and homeless children live on the streets. Sounds like something from a futuristic dystopian novel, doesn’t it? Or something that might happen after a war or apocalypse or major disaster, right? This exact thing actually happened in the 1850’s. And the city was New York City. It’s hard to believe, but an estimated 30,000 homeless children roamed the dirty city streets and alleys of New York City. 30,000. Children. Let that sink in for a minute. That’s the size of a town. Historians look back on that time and try to make sense what led to such horrific conditions for children. Of course, the influx of immigrants was at an all time high. Jobs and housing were scarce. Diseases were rampant. Hunger and poverty became a norm. (Orphan Train Depot)  

As more and more people became aware of the enormous problem within the crowded slums, courageous heroes rose up and attempted to do their part to make a difference. While we may not always agree with the methods that were used to save the thousands of homeless children, we can admire the men and women who could no longer sit idly by. The Children’s Aid Society was started by Charles Loring Brace as one such attempt to help the hordes of homeless children. His “Emigration Plan” is better known today by the term “Orphan Trains.”  

My latest series tackles various elements of the orphan train movement. Together Forever, releasing in May, highlights the placing agents, those devoted people who rode the trains with the orphans. The agents spent weeks and months on the road caring for the children, all the while trying to place them in loving homes. (If you’d like to try out the series, start with my FREE novella, An Awakened Heart.) Like the brave men and women who came before us, may we always strive to do our part to make a difference!



My Thoughts:

This book started out a little slow for me which is unusual for a Jody Hedlund novel. But by about the third chapter I was completely connected and invested in the story.

The relationship between Marianne and Drew began in a believable way. As their friendship grew they were playful, and snarky with each other which I loved!

I love historical fiction because I always learn something and Ms. Hedlund does not disappoint with the historical fact she wove into this story.

The compassion that Drew and Marianne had for the orphans as they traveled west really grabbed my heart.

My Bottom Line:

Together Forever (Orphan Train #2) is packed with heart, historical fact, and lots of swoon. There was a little mystery within the story. I love having children in the story they bring such a unique and individual quality all of their own, and each of these children did just that. Dorothea and Jethro were my absolute favorite of the bunch.
This book can be read alone but I highly recommend reading book one.

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Jody is giving away a grand prize of a $25 Amazon gift card!!

Click below to enter: https://promosimple.com/ps/cee5/together-forever-celebration-tour-giveaway

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher. I was not required to write a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Saturday Night Supper Club by Carla Laureano Review with Giveaway

About the Book

Title: The Saturday Night Supper Club  
Author: Carla Laureano  
Genre: Christian fiction/romance fiction  
Release Date: February 6, 2018

Denver chef Rachel Bishop has accomplished everything she’s dreamed and some things she never dared hope, like winning a James Beard Award and heading up her own fine-dining restaurant. But when a targeted smear campaign causes her to be pushed out of the business by her partners, she vows to do whatever it takes to get her life back . . . even if that means joining forces with the man who inadvertently set the disaster in motion. Essayist Alex Kanin never imagined his pointed editorial would go viral. Ironically, his attempt to highlight the pitfalls of online criticism has the opposite effect: it revives his own flagging career by destroying that of a perfect stranger. Plagued by guilt-fueled writer’s block, Alex vows to do whatever he can to repair the damage. He just doesn’t…

Click here to purchase your copy!

About the Author

Carla Laureano is the RITA® Award-winning author of contemporary inspirational romance and Celtic fantasy (as C.E. Laureano). A graduate of Pepperdine University, she worked as a sales and marketing executive for nearly a decade before leaving corporate life behind to write fiction full-time. She currently lives in Denver with her husband and two sons, where she writes during the day and cooks things at night.

 

Guest Post From Carla Laureano

I’ve got a confession to make: I have a cooking problem. It started early and innocently enough, flipping through my mom’s cookbooks and marking things I wanted to try. Making cakes and muffins from a mix. Flipping frozen steak patties. Doctoring canned spaghetti sauce. It wasn’t long before I got into the hard stuff: muffins from scratch, slow-cooked marinara, cast-iron seared and oven-finished rib eyes. Over the years, I tried to kick the habit numerous times, but every time things got tough, I found myself falling off the wagon and heading back into the kitchen. Even hosting dinner parties. Yes, dear reader, I pulled my hapless friends into my madness. To my shame, I even got some of them hooked with their own addiction. Before I knew it, my obsessions started creeping into my day job. No longer was it enough to write contemporary romance about normal people who order take-out. No, I had to write chefs and passionate home cooks and describe the food in the books just as lovingly as I did a first kiss. And then the final straw—a book series centered entirely on food and the culinary profession, beginning with The Saturday Night Supper Club. All joking aside, cooking really is an addiction that I haven’t been able to kick. As a writer, I spend hours locked in my own imagination, creating things out of words and ideas. And while it’s immensely fulfilling, it’s a long, painstaking process that takes months, even years, before I can release the final product into the world. While there’s a large amount of planning and analysis involved in creating a book, the work is still mostly in my head. Which is why I find cooking to be such a relaxing creative pursuit. Dicing a pile of vegetables into perfectly uniform cubes may take the same concentration and precision, but it’s concrete and measurable. It becomes a personal challenge to do something better than last time, improving by tiny, nearly imperceptible increments. It’s the closest to meditation that my always-on brain ever experiences, clear of all thought except for my activity at the present moment. And yet, simultaneously, food is ephemeral. Mistakes last only as long as it takes to eat them or toss them directly into the trash can, depending on the nature of the mistake. If a sauce breaks, I toss it and start over. If I burn something, I either cut off the burned part or I order takeout and try again the next day. There’s an element of experimentation and instinct and whimsy that isn’t hampered by the pursuit of perfection. Let’s face it, a mediocre chocolate chip cookie beats a perfect celery stick any day of the week. It was natural, then, to write a chef heroine who had dedicated her entire life to the pursuit of culinary perfection and explore all the ways that food makes our lives and relationships richer. How it anchors our memories. How we nurture others by feeding them. How a simple meal becomes meaningful not because of the food, but because of the connections we form with others over the dinner table. In the end, I guess my cooking problem isn’t that much of a problem after all. If you need me, I’ll be in the kitchen.

My Thoughts:

Carla Laureano has a new book and it is both clever and delicious. It is a great blend of romance, friendship, and great food. The food entices you to jump through the pages for dinner with friends and it has the kind of romance that makes you remember what it’s like to fall in love for the very first time.
This book is not just about romance, food and friendship, there is so much more to this story. Like a great chef, Ms. Laureano adds a dash of realism, and a dollop of being true to one's self to finish off the meal.
Both Rachel and Alex feel as if they have to prove something to be worthy. Through twists and turns some of their own doing they learn that they are worthy. A trap we all fall into from time to time. Instead of doing what we’re gifted to do and sharing that gift with others we pull back determined to prove we are worthy before we do what God has called us to do.

My bottom line:
This book is satisfying in romance, flirty banter, delicious food, but most importantly it satisfies the soul. Ms. Laureano with her wit and style points not only the characters but us the readers back to the only person that can truly satisfy our soul, Jesus Christ. He makes us worthy when we aren’t satisfying our God shaped vacuum meant only for Him.

Blog Stops

Rachel Scott McDaniel, February 20

A Baker’s Perspective, February 20

Just Commonly, February 20

Mommynificent, February 21

Among The Reads, February 21

A Greater Yes, February 21

proud to be an autism mom, February 21

Fiction Aficionado, February 22

Quiet Quilter, February 22

The Power of Words, February 23

Christian Chick’s Thoughts, February 23

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, February 23

Janices book reviews, February 24

C Jane Read, February 24

Faery Tales Are Real, February 24

All of a Kind Mom, February 25

Inklings and notions, February 25

Jeanette’s Thoughts, February 25

Carpe Diem, February 26

Smiling Book Reviews, February 26

Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, February 26

Splashes of Joy, February 27

Its Storytime with Van Daniker, February 27

Simple Harvest Reads, February 27 (Guest post from Mindy)

Radiant Light, February 28

Moments Dipped in Ink, February 28

Baker kella, February 28

Pause for Tales, March 1

Book by Book, March 1

Bigreadersite, March 1

The Fizzy Pop Collection, March 2

Have A Wonderful Day, March 2

Reader’s Cozy Corner, March 2

Bibliophile Reviews, March 3

Two Points of Interest, March 3

Reading is my Super Power, March 3

Texas Book-aholic, March 4

amandainpa, March 4

Singing Librarian Books, March 4

By The Book, March 5

Neverending Stories, March 5

Pursuing Stacie, March 5

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Carla is giving away a grand prize of a $200 Visa Card for the winner and a friend to attend a cooking class!!

Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/c9b4


Disclaimer:

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a review. I was not required to write a positive review.

Across the Blue by Carrie Turansky Review and Giveaway

About the Book

Title: Across the Blue  
Author: Carrie Turansky  
Genre: Historical romance  
Release Date: February 20, 2018
Love soars to new heights in this Edwardian romance filled with adventure, faith, and inspiration, but how much will it cost Bella and James to follow their dreams? Isabella Grayson, the eldest daughter of a wealthy, English newspaper magnate, longs to become a journalist, but her parents don’t approve. They want her to marry well and help them gain a higher standing in society. After she writes an anonymous letter to the editor that impresses her father, her parents reluctantly agree she can write a series of articles about aviation and the race to be the first to fly across the English Channel, but only if she promises to accept a marriage proposal within the year. When James Drake, an aspiring aviator, crashes his flying machine at the Grayson’s new estate, Bella is intrigued. James is determined to win that race across the Channel and gain the prize Mr. Grayson’s newspaper is offering. He hopes it will help him secure a government contract to build airplanes and redeem a terrible family secret. James wants to win Bella’s heart, but his background and lack of social standing make it unlikely her parents would approve. If he fails to achieve his dream, how will he win the love and respect he is seeking? Will Bella’s faith and support help him find the strength and courage he needs when unexpected events turn their world upside down?

Click here to purchase your copy!

About the Author

Carrie Turansky has loved reading since she first visited the library as a young child and checked out a tall stack of picture books. Her love for writing began when she penned her first novel at age twelve. She is now the award-winning author of nineteen inspirational romance novels and novellas. Carrie and her husband, Scott, who is a pastor, author, and speaker, have been married for more than thirty years and make their home in New Jersey. They often travel together on ministry trips and to visit their five adult children and five grandchildren. Carrie leads women’s ministry at her church, and when she is not writing she enjoys spending time working in her flower gardens and cooking healthy meals for friends and family. She loves to connect with reading friends through her website, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.

Guest Post from Carrie Turansky

Following your Dreams By Carrie Turansky In Across the Blue, Bella Grayson and James Drake both go to great lengths to pursue their dreams. Bella longs to become a journalist and write for one of her father’s newspapers, but in 1909 England, aristocratic young women did not work as journalists. A young woman’s path was set by the unwritten rules of society. At eighteen she was presented at court, and then she took part in the London social season and hoped for a marriage proposal from a young man from a wealthy family, with an estate and title. Marriage, having children, and taking part in social and charitable events was the prescribed course for their lives.

But Bella has a different future in mind. She wants to marry for love, and she won’t settle for anything less. She also wants to write articles about the important events of the day that will inform and inspire people. She wants to be a world changer, and that is a very unique role for a woman in England in the Edwardian Era. At that time women didn’t have the right to vote yet and very few pursued any kind of career.

James is an aviation pioneer, and his dream is to build an airplane that will allow him to be the first to fly across the English Channel. This is no easy accomplishment, and he faces many challenges as he pursues his dream. Aviation is brand new. Wilbur Wright demonstrated his airplane in France the year before and stunned Europeans with his skill. With the help of his mentor, Professor Steed, James conducts experiments, refines his design, and makes countless test flights. It takes great courage and determination to overcome setbacks and make it through near fatal crash landings, but James has his heart and mind set on perfecting his airplane and reaching his goal.
What about you? What hopes and dreams do you have for your future?
What goals would you like to accomplish? As you think about your dreams and future plans I hope you’ll gain some insight from James and Bella’s experiences in Across the Blue. When they considered the cost of pursuing their dreams they realized their plans and choices impacted others as well as themselves. James and Bella believed striving for their dreams is important, but they learned it must be balanced with commitments to family and friends, and most of all a commitment to following the Lord on the path He has for them.

Following our dreams and working toward accomplishing our goals, especially those the Lord puts on our heart, is important. However, sometimes we may have to put our dreams on hold and wait for the right time and season. We don’t need to be discouraged when this happens. As we listen to the Lord and ask Him to guide and direct us He will show us the right path at the right time to follow it. Just like James and Bella I hope you’ll pursue your dreams but also hold them with an open hand, allowing the Lord to guide and direct you each step of the way. When you do I’m confident you’ll be headed toward seeing your dreams become reality in His time and in His way. “For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord; plans to prosper you, not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 With that wonderful promise in mind, I hope you’ll enjoy reading Across the Blue and joining Bella and James as they they pursue their dreams. You’re in for high-flying adventure, romance, and inspiration, and I can’t wait to share this new story with you. Happy reading to you!

My Thoughts:

Do you remember the old song Dream a Little Dream of Me? Here it is in case you don't  . . .



As I read this book, that song kept popping into my head.
This book is about dreams, not only about dreaming them, but achieving them, even if they may not happen when you want them too. A woman being a career woman, and a man wanting to fly an airplane might be considered unattainable for 1900 England. But is anything truly unattainable for God? Luke 1:37 says For nothing will be impossible with God -NASB, and that is the crux of Carrie Turansky's new book, Across the Blue, and how God uses the dreams of people to draw them closer to Him.

The story brought back the time in my life when I was preparing to go off to college. I chose a private Christian college because that's what was expected of me. I grew up in the Nazarene denomination so it not only made sense that I'd go to a Nazarene college, it was expected of me, I was the oldest after all. More from my mother than my father. It's probably because of that unspoken expectation that I looked for a reason to quit school, that was in freezing Oklahoma, and get home to warm, sunny Florida. I wish I would've been more like Bella in the story, and stood up for what I wanted.

The time period had to have been so exciting, and Ms. Turansky captures it beautifully. Her artistic word pictures had me wanting to jump into the pages of the story.

My Bottom Line:

Across the Blue is an inspirational story of dreams, and how trusting God, even if His timetable isn't yours, ultimately is the better choice. Bella and James are endearing characters that grab a hold of your heart. The secondary characters are just as endearing. The landscape and time period are the perfect backdrop for this story.

Blog Stops

Bookworm Mama, February 22

Carpe Diem, February 22

Blogging With Carol, February 22

Reflections From My Bookshelves, February 23

Reading Is My SuperPower, February 23

Karen Sue Hadley, February 23

Christian Bookaholic, February 24

Mary Hake, February 24

Among the Reads, February 24

The Power of Words, February 25

History, Mystery & Faith, February 25

D’S QUILTS & BOOKS, February 25

Maureen’s Musings, February 26

Rachel’s Back Talk, February 26

Smiling Book Reviews, February 26

Radiant Light, February 27

Faithfully Bookish, February 27

The Fizzy Pop Collection, February 27

Bibliophile Reviews, February 28

Remembrancy, February 28

Two Points of Interest, February 28

Tell Tale Book Reviews, March 1

Book by Book, March 1

Bigreadersite, March 1

proud to be an autism mom, March 1

Pause for Tales, March 2

Have A Wonderful Day, March 2

margaret kazmierczak, March 2 (Interview)

Pursuing Stacie, March 3

Neverending Stories, March 3

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 3

Texas Book-aholic, March 4

Janices book reviews, March 4

Jeanette’s Thoughts, March 4

Simple Harvest Reads, March 4 (Guest post from Mindy)

Moments Dipped in Ink, March 5

My Writer’s Life, March 5

Baker Kella, March 5

Kat’s Corner Books, March 6

A Greater Yes, March 6

A Baker’s Perspective, March 6

Romances of the Cross, March 7

Henry Happens, March 7

For The Love of Books, March 7

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Carrie is giving away a grand prize of an autographed copy of Shine Like the Dawn and $30 gift card to Christianbooks.com!!

Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/c987

Disclaimer:

I received a copy of this book via the publisher, apart of Celebrate Lit's blogger tours for review. I was not required to write a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

If He Only Knew by Michelynn Christy, Brandi Gabriel Review with Giveaway

About the Book

Title: If He Only Knew  
Author: Michelynn Christy, Brandi Gabriel  
Genre: Historical romance  
Release Date: August 19, 2017

It’s 1968, and love is in the air in the small coastal town of Cambridge, California.

Donna Peterson, the preacher’s daughter, has her entire life ahead of her and the future looks promising. But things aren’t as they seem in Cambridge. A tangled web of secrets threaten to destroy the lives of each person involved – Donna, her boyfriend Bobby, and Rick, Bobby’s best friend. Will the truth make them free, or will they lose their friendship forever?

Click here to purchase your copy.

About the Author

Author Michelynn Christy resides in the Midwest and enjoys creating romantic stories that point to Jesus. Her faith in God shines through the pages of her writing. Michelynn’s debut novelette A Christmas to Remember launched in late 2015. While this pen name and genre are somewhat new to her, she has penned over twenty titles under another pseudonym, has won awards for her works, and has earned best-selling title status. With that said, all glory goes to God!

Brandi Gabriel is co-author of twelve Christian fiction books, including this one. Her first solo novel, The Orphan Bride, released in 2016 and she has since added a sequel in the same series. Her goal in writing is to touch readers’ hearts in some special way and to glorify Jesus Christ, her Lord and Saviour.

Guest Post from Michelynn Christy & Brandi Gabriel

Take a step back in time… If He Only Knew is a novel set in the late 1960s. The book deals with family relationships, loyalty, friendship, love, and loss. The main topic is somewhat controversial in nature, but we won’t mention what it is lest we spoil the story for readers. A similar book was written in a different genre under another name and the story really resonated with readers. We felt compelled to share this story with others who perhaps wouldn’t pick up that particular genre, and that is how this book came about. It may be set in the sixties, but the message is as relevant today as ever. Our prayer is that God will touch readers’ hearts and draw them closer to Him.

My Thoughts:

A good girl, a pastor's daughter no less, makes a mistake. Thinking she's doing the right thing she stays quiet, and keeps a secret that is killing her on the inside.

The characters were real and relatable. The story was believable and had a thread of suspense that I wasn't expecting, which was fun. My only complaint was that the faith thread woven through the story seemed very preachy to me. I did enjoy the story. It was fun being able to go back in time. Overall it was an enjoyable book.

 

Blog Stops

Bibliophile Reviews, February 17

Reading is my Super Power, February 17

A Greater Yes, February 18

proud to be an autism mom, February 18

Texas Book-aholic, February 19

Inklings and notions, February 19

Radiant Light, February 20

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, February 20

Christian Author, J.E.Grace Blog, February 21

Janices book reviews, February 21

Jeanette’s Thoughts, February 22

A Baker’s Perspective, February 23

Karen Sue Hadley, February 23

Avid Reader Book Reviews, February 24

margaret kazmierczak, February 24 (Interview)

Bigreadersite, February 25

Among the Reads, February 25

Simple Harvest Reads, February 26 (Guest post from Mindy)

Pursuing Stacie, February 27

Red Headed Book Lady, February 27

Maureen’s Musings, February 28

Carpe Diem, February 28

The Fizzy Pop Collection, March 1

Josephines Thoughts, March 2

Have A Wonderful Day, March 2

 

Giveaway

To celebrate their tour, Michelynn and Brandi are giving away the following:

Grand Prize: ONE themed book box, (this will contain small items that relate to the story 1st Place Prize: ONE $25 Amazon gift card, 2nd Place Prize: ONE signed paperback copy of If He Only Knew 3rd Place Prize: ONE signed paperback copy of If He Only Knew!!

Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/c601 

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit, as part of their blogger review program. I was not required to write a positive review.

Charming the Troublemaker by Pepper Basham Review and Giveaway

About the Book

Title: Charming the Troublemaker  
Author: Pepper Basham  
Genre: Contemporary Romance  
Release Date: November 1, 2017

Troublemaking never looked so good… When Dr. Alex Murdock is demoted to a university in rural Virginia, the last thing he expects to find is a future. But country charm never looks as good as it does on Rainey Mitchell. Rainey Mitchell doesn’t need a high-class flirt in her wounded world, but trouble and temptations wafts off the new professor as strong as his sandalwood-scented cologne. When circumstances thrust them together to save her tutoring clinic, can the troublemaker find the hero inside and encourage the reticent Rainey to open her heart again.

Click here to purchase!

                                 

About the Author 

 Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes novels inspired by her love for history and the Blue Ridge Mountains. Her Penned in Time series has garnered recognition in the Inspys, Grace Awards, and the ACFW Carol Awards. Her contemporary romance novel, A Twist of Faith, received 4-stars from Romantic Times, and most recently, her newest release, The Thorn Healer, received a Top Pick from RT with 4 ½ stars. Her newest contemporary romance, Just the Way You Are, releases in April 2016. You can get to know Pepper on Facebook, or over at her group blog, The Writer’s Alley, or Instagram.

Guest Post from Pepper Basham

I have a thing for underdogs. Misfits. Lots souls who desperately need to find where they belong. I can’t help it! Call it a ‘fix-it’ mentality or an awareness that God rescued me and now I want to rescue other people…even fictional characters, but I’m definitely a softy for those characters that people are less likely to root for. Catherine from The Thorn Bearer/Keeper became my first rescue…and I just HAD to find another. I guess that’s how Charming the Troublemaker came into existence. Dr. Alex Murdock desperately needed to be rescued. In a bad way. If you’ve had a chance to read my first book in the Mitchell’s Crossroads series, A Twist of Faith, you’ll know that Alex doesn’t seem to be made up of much hero material. He’s a flirt, a little arrogant, and…well, kind of like a lost puppy. As book 1 grew and came to a close, I knew Alex and Rainey’s story would be next…but I immediately ran into a real problem. Who in the world was Alex Murdock? We really didn’t get to know him very much in book 1. He zoomed in a few times, ruffling feathers and then finally showing off some interesting kindness/compassion in the end, but…he was still a big-time flirt. So the question emerged: Can a flirt be a hero? What is Alex hiding behind that ready smile and sense of humor? Why does he seem so lost? The answers were surprising!! Just wait. The Mitchell family draw him right in, as they did with Dee, and his world is forever changed. And then there’s Rainey. Strong-willed and independent, she is deeply wounded by her ex-husband’s betrayal. Though she gives off all these ‘confident’ vibes, she hides her insecurities behind a tough exterior in a desire to keep people at a distance – well, everyone except her family. Alex rocks her world with his ready charm. And she sees beyond the plastic grin to recognize another wounded soul. Throwing them together into a book has been a hilarious and heart-stirring adventure, I wasn’t prepared to encounter. They’re so much fun! AND…he’s ADORKABLE!! Seriously!! He is SUCH a dork, but makes me grin. And…he looks like Armie Hammer 😉 Let me just give you a hint to some of my favorite scenes: Anything with Sarah! Underoos All of the scenes in Rainey’s house And those in Mama Mitchell’s Okay, I like the WHOLE STORY…and I can’t wait to see what you think too.

My Thoughts:

We met Adorkable Alex in Twist of Faith, and while he was adorkable in that book he is even more so in this book.

This the fifth book of Ms. Basham's that I have read and her writing gets better with each book.
In this book Ms. Basham adds an element of suspense which works perfectly and stretches her as an author. The charm, and humor within the pages of this book is off the charts. I have highlighted so many quotes within the book, that I have to choose my favorites for meme making. I really identified with Rainey. My ex-husband was a lot like Gray, and I had a lot of the same feelings, and issues. Mama Mitchell reminded me of my mom, in the way she talked to Rainey about how she had changed since being with Gray.

Bottom line this book has it all. Suspense to keep you on the edge of your seat, romance with sizzle that you will need a fan blowing on you, and you will have to catch your breath during the kissing scenes. Along with great family scenes that encompass you like a warm hug.

This book is appropriate for pre-teens through adults.
I received a copy of this book compliments of the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review, all thoughts and opinions are my own.


I'm giving Charming the Troublemaker 5.5 stars. How appropriate that my rating quote is from Pepper Basham's The Thorn Keeper. You can read about my rating system here.

 

Giveaway

 

To celebrate her tour, Pepper is giving away a grand prize of a paper copy of A Twist of Faith, a mug from the Blue Ridge Parkway, one driftwood scented candle, one mango scented candle, and a Troublemaker snickers 😉 highly appropriate. Chocolate with a nutty personality :)!!

Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/c1f1

 

Blog Stops

By The Book, November 14
Just the Write Escape, November 14
Avid Reader Book Reviews, November 15
Reading Is My SuperPower, November 15
Moments Dipped in Ink, November 15
Fiction Aficionado, November 16
autism mom, November 16
Fiction, Faith, and Fun, November 17
Inklings and Notions, November 17
Faithfully Bookish, November 18
Radiant Light, November 18
Reflections From My Bookshelves, November 19
The Power of Words, November 19
Cordially Barbara, November 20
Red Headed Book Lady, November 20
Smiling Book Reviews, November 20
Kat’s Corner Books, November 21
A Greater Yes, November 21
100 Pages per Hour, November 22
Splashes of Joy, November 22
Carpe Diem, November 23
Bookworm Mama, November 23
A Baker’s Perspective, November 24
The Important Things in Life: God, Books, & Chocolate, November 24
Daysong Reflections, November 25
Rachel Scott McDaniel, November 25
Remembrancy, November 26
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 26
Christian Chick’s Thoughts, November 27
Karen Sue Hadley, November 27