Review: The Painted Castle by Kristy Cambron

A lost painting of Queen Victoria. A library bricked off from the world. Three women, separated by time, whose lives are irrevocably changed.

 When art historian Keira Foley is hired to authenticate a painting at a centuries-old East Suffolk manor, she hopes this is just the thing to get her career and life back on track. But from the time she arrives at Parham Hill Estate and begins working alongside rumored art thief Emory Scott, she’s left with far more questions than answers. Could this lost painting of Queen Victoria be a duplicate of the original Winterhalter masterpiece, and if so, who is the artist?

 As Keira begins to unravel the mystery behind the portrait of the queen, two women emerge from the estate’s forgotten past. In Victorian England, talented sketch artist Elizabeth Meade is engaged to Viscount Huxley, then owner of Parham Hill. While there, master portrait artist Franz Winterhalter takes her under his wing, but Elizabeth’s real motive for being at Parham Hill has nothing to do with art. She’s determined to avenge her father’s brutal murder—even if it means feigning an engagement to the very man she believes committed the crime.

 A century later, Amelia Woods—a WWII widow who has turned Parham Hill Estate and its beloved library into a boarding school for refugee children—receives military orders to house a troop of American pilots. She is determined that the children in her care remain untouched by the war, but it’s proving difficult with officers taking up every square inch of their world… and one in particular vying for a space in her long shut up heart.

 Set in three time periods—the rapid change of Victorian England, the peak of England’s home front tensions at the end of World War II, and modern day—The Painted Castle unfolds a story of heartache and hope and unlocks secrets lost for generations, just waiting to be found.

 The Painted Castle is a sweet romance, the third in the Lost Castle series. It can be read as a stand-alone but is better if read with The Lost Castle and Castle on the Rise.

Paperback, 400 pages

 Published October 15th, 2019

 by Thomas Nelson
****

The Painted Castle is book 3 in the Lost Castle Series, I have only read the first book and think these work well as standalone even though there are brief mentions of the previous books here, not enough to spoil book 2 (yea I gotta read it soon).

Dual time periods are my favorites and when it turns into a triple feature, well I’m in my happy place. It takes a talented author that can pull off 3 storylines that come together. Kristy Cambron has done it with this book.

The setting was an old English Manor from the days of Victorian England to WW2 and then-current day. The Painted Castle is a story of the mystery surrounding a painting - it’s authenticity, why it was hidden for so long and how did it become hidden.

The characters are real with hurts, secrets, and hearts hardened because of said hurts and secrets. There are the historical elements that I always enjoy, especially seeing another glimpse of strong women not just during WW2 but in the past when women weren't supposed to be strong and have a mind of their own. The art world, both past and present added something different and the plot woven around it was unique and realistic- definitely shows the authors' research was done.

The Lost Castle is a series I recommend, I was entertained and totally absorbed in the pages.

My thanks to TLC Tours for the opportunity to be part of this tour and an ARCin exchange for honest review.

Spotlight: Justice Mission (True Blue K-9 Unit #1) by Lynette Eason

Caught in a killer’s sights… 

 Introducing the True Blue K-9 Unit series 

After K-9 unit administrative assistant Sophie Walters spots a suspicious stranger lurking at the K-9 graduation, the man kidnaps her—and she barely escapes. With Sophie’s boss missing and someone determined to silence her, NYPD officer Luke Hathaway vows he and his K-9 partner will guard her. But he must keep an emotional distance to ensure this mission ends in justice…not cold-blooded murder.

 Paperback, 288 pages 

Expected publication: April 2nd, 2019 

by Love Inspired Suspense LP

Purchase Links

 Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble 

Connect with Lynette 

Website | Facebook | Twitter

click on icon to take you to more stops (including reviews) on this tour

Review: The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff

From the author of the runaway bestseller, The Orphan’s Tale comes a remarkable story of friendship and courage centered around three women and a ring of female spies during World War II.

1946, Manhattan

Grace Healey is rebuilding her life after losing her husband during the war. One morning while passing through Grand Central Terminal on her way to work, she finds an abandoned suitcase tucked beneath a bench. Unable to resist her own curiosity, Grace opens the suitcase, where she discovers a dozen photographs—each of a different woman. In a moment of impulse, Grace takes the photographs and quickly leaves the station.

 Grace soon learns that the suitcase belonged to a woman named Eleanor Trigg, leader of a ring of female secret agents who were deployed out of London during the war. Twelve of these women were sent to Occupied Europe as couriers and radio operators to aid the resistance, but they never returned home, their fates a mystery. Setting out to learn the truth behind the women in the photographs, Grace finds herself drawn to a young mother turned agent named Marie, whose daring mission overseas reveals a remarkable story of friendship, valor, and betrayal.

Vividly rendered and inspired by true events, New York Times bestselling author Pam Jenoff shines a light on the incredible heroics of the brave women of the war and weaves a mesmerizing tale of courage, sisterhood and the great strength of women to survive in the hardest of circumstances.

 Kindle Edition, 384 pages

 Published January 29th, 2019

 by Park Row

*** 1/2

The Lost Girls of Paris is a dual time story, featuring World War II in England/Paris and in New York after the war's ending. Told in three voices, two during the war and one later on.

 The plot for this was very interesting and I love how it took a part of history that I knew nothing about and played on that. The SOE (special operations executive) is an organization I have never heard of before, though I have read about female spies, this book gave another view of the recruitment, training and what happened in France.

Mysterious as to what was happening to the girls, suspenseful on the ground in France, sympathetic to the bravery of the resistance and heartbreaking for those heroes of the past.  The author has definitely done her homework here.  As usual, I was partial to the past POV,  though not really a fan of Grace’s it did bring closure to the past.

My copy of this book did not include Author Notes (which I love), hopefully, they appear in the final draft.  But if you are a follower of the author on Facebook, she has posted some wonderful links that I thoroughly enjoyed and complimented this book perfectly. 

 Purchase Links 

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble 

Connect with Pam 

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Thank you to TLC Tours and Netgalley for a ARC of this book in exchange for honest review.

Excerpt: The Last Rodeo by Delores Fossen

The most important two words for this Wrangler’s Creek rodeo cowboy? I do...

 Lucian Granger isn’t winning any Mr. Cowboy Congeniality awards. Known in his small Texas town as “Lucifer” thanks to his surly nature and knack for scaring people away from getting too close, the handsome rancher has no trouble ignoring the gossip. But when he’s in danger of losing the land he’s put his blood, sweat and tears into maintaining, Lucian sets out to prove he’s a changed man—by claiming he’s about to settle down with his invaluable assistant, Karlee O’Malley.

 Their pending nuptials may be just for show, but from the moment they kiss, the proverbial fireworks start going off in his head—and in his heart. Before long, the man who’s usually as emotional as a brick wall is tired of pretending and wants to share a real future with Karlee. With his world suddenly turned upside down, Lucian will risk losing the business and the ranch if it means holding on to the one woman worth becoming a better man for.

Kindle Edition, 400 pages

 Published June 26th 2018 

by HQN Books

EXCERPT

All of his relationships soured.

Especially the one that had mattered most.

She examined his shoulder, and then looked up at him with those Irish-green eyes that could be either warm or cool depending on the situation. Right now, they were on the chillier end of the spectrum because she likely didn’t approve of the shoulder injury or how he was about to ask her to handle it.

“No hospital?” She didn’t wait for an answer because she knew it would be no. She huffed at his unspoken no. “This is risky, you know? Just because I did this for you once before and for my brothers too many times to count, it doesn’t mean it’s a smart thing. You need to see a doctor.”

“Just pop it back in,” Lucian growled.

Her eyes went from plain ordinary chill to an Arctic frost. Karlee frosted and frowned at him a few more seconds while she debated what to do.

“Hold him,” she said to Dylan, and Dylan hooked his arms around Lucian’s chest and waist. “What’s your safe word?” she asked, turning back to Lucian. “The one you use when you’re playing rough with your sweet things?”

What the hell did that have to do with this? But Lucian only managed to get out the “what” part of that before Karlee gave his arm a hard push, moving the shoulder back in place.

And causing him to curse every single word of pro­fanity in his entire vocabulary. He added some new ones, too, though they came out so garbled that it was like cuss stew.

Once he got past the eye-watering, excruciating pain, Lucian realized the reason Karlee had asked about the safe word was to distract him. It had worked, and his shoulder was already starting to feel a little better. The sharp stabbing was now more like a sharp toothache.

“All fixed up now?” Dylan asked him. “I think you just wanted to feel a woman’s touch.” He didn’t wait around for Lucian to glare at him for that bad joke. Dylan gave them a wave and headed for the barn where he’d likely been going when he saw Lucian take the throw from the gelding.

Lucian tried to put his shirt back on, but after a cou­ple of grunts from pain, Karlee helped with that, too, and then they started back toward the house. She also took hold of his wrist.

“No, I’m not giving you more of a woman’s touch. I’m checking your pulse in case what I just did ruptured a blood vessel,” she let him know. “If that happened, your pulse rate will change.”

Lucian figured she knew how to do that because she’d practically raised her three younger brothers. Being a big sister seemed to give her a special set of expertise like doctoring duties, ESP and a built-in lie de­tector. Those things were far superior to his big-brother talents.

As a big brother, he knew how to come up with bail money when needed. That was about it. Of course, being the oldest had also gotten him the title of head honcho/boss for Granger Enterprises after his parents had divorced and moved away from Wrangler’s Creek. That boss label included not only the ranch but the busi­nesses, as well.

So yeah, there was that.

Purchase Links 

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

USA Today bestselling author, Delores Fossen, has sold over 70 novels with millions of copies of her books in print worldwide. She’s received the Booksellers’ Best Award, the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award and was a finalist for the prestigious Rita ®. 

In addition, she’s had nearly a hundred short stories and articles published in national magazines.

 Connect with Delores 

Website | Facebook | Twitter

click on banner for more stops on this tour

Review: We Own the Sky by Luke Allnutt

“We looked down at the cliff jutting into the sea, a rubber boat full of kids going under the arch, and then you started running and jumping through the grass, dodging the rabbit holes, shouting at the top of your voice, so I started chasing you, trying to catch you, and we were laughing so hard as we ran and ran, kicking up rainbow showers in the leaves.”

 Rob Coates feels like he’s won the lottery of life. There is Anna, his incredible wife, their London town house and, most precious of all, Jack, their son, who makes every day an extraordinary adventure. But when a devastating illness befalls his family, Rob’s world begins to unravel. Suddenly finding himself alone, Rob seeks solace in photographing the skyscrapers and clifftops he and his son Jack used to visit. And just when it seems that all hope is lost, Rob embarks on the most unforgettable of journeys to find his way back to life, and forgiveness.

 We Own the Sky is a tender, heartrending, but ultimately life-affirming novel that will resonate deeply with anyone who has suffered loss or experienced great love. With stunning eloquence and acumen, Luke Allnutt has penned a soaring debut and a true testament to the power of love, showing how even the most thoroughly broken heart can learn to beat again.

Kindle Edition, 368 pages

Published April 1st 2018

 by Park Row

****

We Own the Sky starts with a note from the author, why he wrote this book.

"At its core, the story is about the love between father and son.  It's about how even when our lives are torn apart, there is always hope.  It's about what we cling to when we have nothing left." 

This is one book that will stay with me for a long time.  It's a parents worst nightmare and for this reader it hits close to home, I think that is why some books resonate more with some.  When you can (and have felt) the same wide range of emotions the characters and circumstances become real. 

Told from the POV of Rob this is his journey from love and loss to despair and healing. Though it might have been nice to hear from his wife, it was his journey.  It is well written and nice to get a male perspective for a change.  The synopsis above outlines nicely the book and I struggle with saying too much.  The author used his our experience with hospitals and illness to write an authentic story.  It's a sad reminder that life is precious and can change so quickly.

Thank you to TLC Tours for the opportunity to be part of this blog tour.

Purchase Links 

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

Luke Allnutt grew up in the U.K. and lives and works in Prague.

Connect with Luke 

Website | Twitter

click on banner for more stops on this tour

Review: Hurricane Season by Lauren K. Denton

Betsy and Ty Franklin, owners of Franklin Dairy Farm in southern Alabama, have decided to put life’s disappointments behind them. At least in theory. Ty manages their herd of dairy cows, while Betsy busies herself with the farm’s day-to-day operations and tries to forget the longing for motherhood set deep in her heart. But when Betsy’s free-spirited younger sister Jenna drops her young daughters off at the farm to attend a two-week art retreat in Florida, Betsy’s carefully constructed wall of self-protection begins to crumble.

 As those two weeks stretch much farther into the hot Alabama summer, Betsy and Ty learn to navigate the new additions in their world and revel in a home that’s suddenly filled with the sound of laughter and life. Meanwhile, record heat promises to usher in the most active hurricane season in decades.

 Four hundred miles away, Jenna is fighting her own battles. She’d once been free to travel and pursue a career in photography, but all that changed with the appearance of two pink lines on a plastic stick and a boyfriend who hit the road. At Halcyon art retreat, she finally has the time and energy to focus on her photography. As the summer continues, she wonders how her rediscovered passion can fit in with the life she’s made back home with her two children.

 When Hurricane Ingrid aims her steady eye at the Alabama coast, Jenna must make a decision that could affect both her and her children’s futures, and Betsy and Ty find themselves protecting their beloved farm as well as their own hearts.

Paperback, 352 pages

 Published April 3rd 2018

by Thomas Nelson

****

Hurricane Season is the journey of Betsy and Jenna, two sisters with different lifestyles but similar in many ways.

Some may find the pacing of this book slow and there is not a lot of action but sometimes you just need a quiet book with a good story highlighting internal struggles that are all too common these days.  Yes I will admit to skimming over a few repetitive parts but all in all I enjoyed reading this book. With each chapter alternating between the characters (also Ty's voice is thrown in a few times) it was easy to get to know these women with their struggles, confusion and feelings - of the past, present and future.

Hurricane Season is a story of self discovery, forgiveness and the bond between two sisters. The ending might have felt a little bit rushed but it’s a story I would love to visit again in five or 10 years to see what happens.

Thank you to the publisher via net galley for an advance copy and TLC tours for the opportunity to be part of this blog tour.

 Purchase Links

 Amazon | iBooks | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

Born and raised in Mobile, Alabama, Lauren K. Denton now lives with her husband and two daughters in Homewood, just outside Birmingham.

In addition to her fiction, she writes a monthly newspaper column about life, faith, and how funny (and hard) it is to be a parent. On any given day, she’d rather be at the beach with her family and a stack of books.

 Connect with Lauren 

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

click on banner for more stops on this tour

Excerpt: We Own the Sky by Luke Allnutt

“We looked down at the cliff jutting into the sea, a rubber boat full of kids going under the arch, and then you started running and jumping through the grass, dodging the rabbit holes, shouting at the top of your voice, so I started chasing you, trying to catch you, and we were laughing so hard as we ran and ran, kicking up rainbow showers in the leaves.”

 Rob Coates feels like he’s won the lottery of life. There is Anna, his incredible wife, their London town house and, most precious of all, Jack, their son, who makes every day an extraordinary adventure. But when a devastating illness befalls his family, Rob’s world begins to unravel. Suddenly finding himself alone, Rob seeks solace in photographing the skyscrapers and clifftops he and his son Jack used to visit. And just when it seems that all hope is lost, Rob embarks on the most unforgettable of journeys to find his way back to life, and forgiveness.

 We Own the Sky is a tender, heartrending, but ultimately life-affirming novel that will resonate deeply with anyone who has suffered loss or experienced great love. With stunning eloquence and acumen, Luke Allnutt has penned a soaring debut and a true testament to the power of love, showing how even the most thoroughly broken heart can learn to beat again.

 Hardcover, 368 pages 

Expected publication: April 3rd 2018

 by Park Row

Excerpt

CHAPTER TWO

 “Anna, can you talk, you’re not gonna fucking believe this.” I was standing outside a meeting room in an office on Old Street.

 “Is everything all right?” she said.

I was trying to keep my voice down as the corridor walls were thin. “They want it. The software. They want to buy the fucking software.”

 A pause, a faint crackle on the line.

 “This isn’t one of your jokes, is it, Rob?” Anna said.

 “No, not at all. I can’t talk for long, but they’re in the room now, looking at the papers. I didn’t even have to pitch it. They just want it. They get it.”

The company, Simtech, had been recommended by a pro¬grammer friend. A start-up run by someone called Scott, who had been a few years ahead of me at Cambridge.

 “That’s absolutely fantastic, Rob. Brilliant news,” she said, but it was as if she was waiting for me to tell her something else.

“And guess how much they want to pay for it?”

 “I don’t know, um…”

“One and a half million.”

 Even Anna couldn’t contain her excitement. “As in sterling?”

“Yes, pounds. I still can’t believe it.”

 Anna took a deep breath, and I could hear a shuffling sound, what sounded like her blowing her nose.

 “Anna, are you okay?”

 “Yes,” she said, sniffing a little. “I just… I just don’t know what to say…”

 “I know, me too. We have to celebrate tonight.”

 “Yes, of course,” she said, a note of caution in her voice. “I don’t understand, though. So what actually happened? What did they…”

 I could hear the scraping of chairs on the floor of the meet¬ing room, the sound of people standing up.

 “Anna, I’ve got to go, I’ll call you in a bit…”

 “Okay,” she said, “but don’t do anything hasty, Rob. Don’t sign anything, okay? Say you need to discuss everything with your lawyers.”

 “Yeah, yeah… I’ve got…

“I’m serious, Rob…”

 “Okay, Okay, don’t worry. I’ll call you later…”



 The grimy heat hit me as soon as I left the building. For a moment, I just stood, blinking into the sunlight, watching the lanes of traffic hurtle around the roundabout, the happy, dirty din of London.

The last nine months hadn’t been easy. Living in Clapham in a rented ground-floor flat that Anna paid for. While I worked late through the night—caffeine-fueled coding binges—Anna got up early for work. We didn’t see much of each other, a wave in our bathrobes on the landing—her getting up, me turning in. It was just for a while, we agreed. It would be better when her training period was over, when I had finished writing my software.

 Anna loved her job, working in a department that audited the bank’s adherence to financial regulations. It was perfect for her: a stickler for the rules, she knew where the bank could trip up. And because she knew the rules, she also knew how to get around them, the legal shortcuts and backdoors, the get-out clauses that lurked in the small print. Her talents were recog¬nized, and she was promoted and fast-tracked for management in just her first six months.

I was still buzzing and didn’t know what to do with myself, so I started walking toward Liverpool Street, the skyscrap¬ers eclipsing the sun. I tried to call Anna but her phone was switched off, so I ducked into a pub for a beer.

I knew I was right. All those twenty- and thirty-hour cod¬ing sessions, sleeping under an old blanket on the floor. I told people smartphones would change everything, and they rolled their eyes. But it was true. Maps used to be static, something we kept folded up in a backpack, or in the glove compartment of the car. Now they would always be with us, customized, dynamic, on our phones, in our pockets.

The beer began to have a calming effect, and it felt like a great weight had been lifted. It hadn’t been the plan—Anna paying the rent and lending me the money to buy a new suit. She didn’t say it outright, but I knew what she thought. That I should do a business course, an internship at a gaming company, that I should put my silly maps idea on the backburner for now.

 It grated. Because everyone always thought that it would be me, that I would be the precocious wunderkind dripping in cash. Because I had a track record. I told people I would grad¬uate at the top of my class—and I did. I told my disbelieving tutors I would win the annual Cambridge hacking competi¬tion—and I did, every year. But London hadn’t been like that. While Anna flew off to Geneva every two weeks for work, I sat on the sofa in my boxer shorts watching Countryfile and eating leftover rice from Chicken King.

My phone rang. It was Anna.

 “Hello.”

 “You’re in a pub, aren’t you?”

“How did you guess?”

 “I had training and I’ve finished early. Do you want to come and meet me at Liverpool Street?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Be sure to click on the link for more stops on this tour, along with links to purchase this book and how to connect with the author.   Also come back on April 18th when I will post a review of We Own the Sky here

Review: The Wild Woman's Guide to Traveling the World by Kristin Rockaway

Fans of Sophie Kinsella and The Devil Wears Prada will love this smart, sexy debut novel of wanderlust.

Objectively, Sophie is a success: she's got a coveted job at a top consulting firm, a Manhattan apartment, and a passport full of stamps. It isn't quite what she dreamed of when she was a teenager dog-earing pages in exotic travel guides, but it's secure. Then her best friend bails just hours after they arrive in Hong Kong for a girls' trip, and Sophie falls for Carson, a free spirited, globetrotting American artist. He begs her to join him on his haphazard journey, but she chooses responsibility and her five-year plan.

Back in New York, that plan feels less and less appealing. As Sophie recalls the dreams she's suppressed, the brief international jaunts she sneaks in between business trips no longer feel like enough. Carson isn't ready to let her go either, but as they try to figure out their relationship, Sophie realizes she may have to pursue her passions with or without him.

Kindle, 352 pages 

Published June 6th 2017 

by Center Street

*** 1/2

Sophie has it all, or so she thinks, she has her precious five-year plan that works with her career, a savings account and a job that allows her to travel the world. She doesn’t realize what she is missing until she gets a taste of it then the real adventure begins.

From the title I imagined far away places but this story takes place in Hong Kong and New York City and is the perfect beach read (or for some of us snowed it) curl up under a quilt with a cuppa tea. Though a relatively quick read the author has written a tantalizing story that didn’t just entertain but presented a clear message - you’ll have to read the book to find out what it is.....

This is the author’s debut and I hope she writes a sequel with more adventures of Sophie and Carson. I loved the historical details of both locations and while the ending was a little predictable it was still a great read.  There are a couple risque scenes which might not appeal to all, but this is chick lit and easy to skip over.

Thanks to TLC Tours for the opportunity to be part of this tour.

Kristin Rockaway is a native New Yorker with an insatiable case of wanderlust. After working in the IT industry for far too many years, she finally traded the city for the surf and chased her dreams out to Southern California, where she spends her days happily writing stories instead of software. Her debut novel, The Wild Woman’s Guide to Traveling the World, was released from Hachette Book Group in June 2017. When she’s not writing, she enjoys spending time with her husband and son, browsing the aisles of her neighborhood bookstores, and planning her next big vacation.

 Find out more about Kristin at her website, and connect with her on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Goodreads.

Review: The Lost Castle (The Lost Castle #1) by Kristy Cambron

Launching a brand-new series, Kristy Cambron explores the collision of past and present as she discovers the ruins of a French castle, long lost to history.

 A thirteenth century castle, Chateau de Doux Reves, has been forgotten for generations, left to ruin in a storybook forest nestled deep in France's picturesque Loire Valley. It survived a sacking in the French Revolution, was brought back to life and fashioned into a storybook chateau in the Gilded Age, and was eventually felled and deserted after a disastrous fire in the 1930s.

 As Ellie Carver sits by her grandmother's bedside, she hears stories of a castle . . . of lost love and a hidden chapel that played host to a secret fight in the World War II French resistance. But her grandmother is quickly slipping into the locked-down world of Alzheimer's, and Ellie must act fast if she wants to uncover the truth of her family's history.

Sparked by the discovery of a long forgotten family heirloom, Ellie embarks on a journey to French wine country to uncover the mystery surrounding The Sleeping Beauty--the castle so named for Charles Perrault's beloved fairy tale--and unearth its secrets before they're finally silenced by time.

Set in three different time periods--the French Revolution, World War II, and present day--The Lost Castle is a story of loves won and lost, of battles waged, and an enchanted castle that inspired the epic fairy tales time left behind.

 Paperback, 384 pages

 Published February 6th 2018 

by Thomas Nelson
****

The Lost Castle is not your average dual time period book, because this book has three time periods. The Sleeping Beauty is a 13th century castle with many stories to tell.

The Chateau de Doux Reves survives the French Revolution but not a fire in the 1930’s. Left abandoned the French resistance uses its shell to hide in. The current day story centers around Ellie and her quest to unravel the story behind a mysterious picture of her grandmother taken at the ruins.

The synopsis above does a great job of descibing the stories here without me going into more detail.  Suffice to say I really enjoyed this book.  Each of the characters were unique, their journeys played out nicely and the landscape was easy to visualize.  As each women searches for meaning in different ways they battle through war, whether physically or through another their lives are changed because of it.

The Lost Castle is a story of love and loss, strength and determination. The author’s passion for this story was evident with vivid descriptive detail and an interesting story where all the pieces fit together nicely.

This looks to be the first book in a new series called The Lost Castles, a series I will continue to read. This is my second book by Kristy Cambron and my favorite so far.

Thanks to TLC Tours and Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

click on banner for more stops on this tour

Review: The View from Rainshadow Bay (Lavender Tides #1) by Colleen Coble

After her husband, Jack, dies in a climbing incident, Shauna has only her five-year-old son and her helicopter charter business to live for. Every day is a struggle to make ends meet and she lives in constant fear of losing even more than she already has.

When her business partner is murdered, his final words convince Shauna that she’s in danger too. But where can she turn? Zach Bannister was her husband’s best friend and is the person she blames for his death. She’s barely spoken to him since. But right now he seems her only hope for protecting her son.

Zach is only too happy to assuage his guilt over Jack’s death by helping Shauna any way he can. But there are secrets involved dating back to Shauna’s childhood that more than one person would prefer to stay hidden.

In The View from Rainshadow Bay, suspense, danger, and a longing to love again ignite amid the gorgeous lavender fields of Washington State.

 Paperback, 336 pages 

Published January 23rd 2018 

by Thomas Nelson

***

The cover of this book is gorgeous, the mountains in the background just gives a great feel.  The View from Rainshadow Bay is the first book in Colleen Coble's new Lavender Tides Series.

I found this book to be very plot driven, right from the beginning the action starts and I will admit to being a little overwhelmed here, lots happened fast.  I was intrigued with the mystery and that's what kept me turning the pages.  That being said, there were spots I found slow and some of the scenarios didn't match the drama (things that wouldn't have happened in real life).

Life is hard for Shauna as she is still adjusting to life since the sudden death of her husband.  While caring for her young son she holds a grudge against his best friend, whom she feels is responsible for his death. This is where I also struggled somewhat, I realize grief is different for everyone and I would have loved to feel her struggles and that of her mother-in-law rather than being told. 

There was closure in the ending but at the same time opened the door for future stories.  I will continue with this series as I have found with this author, she gets better with each installment.

The View of Rainshadow Bay is a story of forgiveness, mystery, secrets and second chances.  

Thanks to the publisher (via Netalley) for an advanced copy and TLC Tours for the opportunity to review this one.

 Amazon | iBooks | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

Connect with Colleen 

Website | Facebook | Twitter

click on banner for more stops on this tour

Review: The Promise Between Us by Barbara Claypole White

“This is an eye-opening and realistic exploration of mental illness—a topic that greatly deserves to be front and center.” —Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling author of Small Great Things

Metal artist Katie Mack is living a lie. Nine years ago she ran away from her family in Raleigh, North Carolina, consumed by the irrational fear that she would harm Maisie, her newborn daughter. Over time she’s come to grips with the mental illness that nearly destroyed her, and now funnels her pain into her art. Despite longing for Maisie, Katie honors an agreement with the husband she left behind—to change her name and never return.

But when she and Maisie accidentally reunite, Katie can’t ignore the familiarity of her child’s compulsive behavior. Worse, Maisie worries obsessively about bad things happening to her pregnant stepmom. Katie has the power to help, but can she reconnect with the family she abandoned?

To protect Maisie, Katie must face the fears that drove her from home, accept the possibility of love, and risk exposing her heart-wrenching secret.

 Paperback, 384 pages

 Published January 16th 2018 

by Lake Union Publishing

****

I was first introduced to Barbara Claypole White with her book Echoes of Family (click on to see my review) and was blown away with it, it's one of those books that has stayed with me long after I turned the last page.  It was the first book I've read dealing with mental illness and opened my eyes, giving me a new appreciation for those that suffer from it but also their loved ones. The Promise Between Us takes on OCD, a subject that I am relatively unfamiliar with.

Told from various points of view (I didn’t find it confusing or overwhelming) I was able to get inside the minds of Katie and Maisie, to get a full understand of what OCD entails and their emotional state.  Each of their stories is well written and unique, meshing together into a compelling story with flawed characters centring around this young girl. Though in truth they need to help themselves as well.

The Promise Between Us is a story of love, reconciliation and hope. There is healing and  forgiveness, pulling at the heart strings. 

What I appreciate most is that the author has first hand experience here, giving this book that extra authentic feel.  Definitely an author I recommend.

  Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Chapters

Bestselling author Barbara Claypole White creates hopeful family drama with a healthy dose of mental illness.

Originally from England, she writes and gardens in the forests of North Carolina where she lives with her beloved OCD family.

Her novels include The Unfinished Garden, The In-Between Hour, The Perfect Son, andEchoes of Family.

The Promise Between Us, a story of redemption, sacrifice, and OCD, has a publication date of January 16th, 2018. She is also an OCD Advocate for the A2A Alliance, a nonprofit group that promotes advocacy over adversity.

To connect with Barbara, please visit www.barbaraclaypolewhite.com, or follow her on Facebook. She’s always on Facebook.

click on icon for more stops on this tour

Excerpt: Say You'll Remember Me by Katie McGarry

Hardcover, 400 pages 

Expected publication: January 30th 2018 

by Harlequin Teen

When Drix was convicted of a crime--one he didn't commit--he thought his life was over. But opportunity came with the new Second Chance Program, the governor's newest pet project to get delinquents off the streets, rehabilitated and back into society. Drix knows this is his chance to get his life back on track, even if it means being paraded in front of reporters for a while.

 Elle knows she lives a life of privilege. As the governor's daughter, she can open doors with her name alone. But the expectations and pressure to be someone she isn't may be too much to handle. She wants to follow her own path, whatever that means.

 When Drix and Elle meet, their connection is immediate, but so are their problems. Drix is not the type of boy Elle's parents have in mind for her, and Elle is not the kind of girl who can understand Drix's messy life.

 But sometimes love can breach all barriers.

 Fighting against a society that can't imagine them together, Drix and Elle must push themselves--Drix to confront the truth of the robbery, and Elle to assert her independence--and each other to finally get what they deserve.

Excerpt

“I say too much, I push her away and into his arms,” Axle says.

I’m the living proof of this. I got into it with Holiday over this jerk before I was arrested, and the entire situation ex­ploded in my face.

“I keep quiet, it’s like I’m the one auctioning off her soul. No one handed me a playbook on raising a teenager when Holiday’s grandmother signed custody over to me. Holiday didn’t have rules before. In my house, she does. The rest of it I’m playing by ear.”

I glance at my older brother out of the corner of my eye, waiting for him to explain that’s how he felt about me before I was arrested. Except, I wasn’t falling into the wrong per­son’s arms. I was the asshole parents hated.

“But you’re back,” Axle continues, “and you can help keep an eye on her. Moving her in full-time means I can finally set some boundaries. Rules. At least limit her time with him.”

“Think she’ll listen?” I ask. “To the rules?”

“She may not listen when it comes to Jeremy, but she lis­tens to everything else.”

Translation—Holiday’s not me. “Are you laying down rules for me?”

Axle snorts. “Do you need them?”

Probably, but I only lift my fingers as a response.

“How about you don’t screw up again.”

“Got it.” At least I hope I do.

“What’s up, Axle. Drix.” A friend of mine from when I used to play gigs at local clubs offers Axle his hand and me a nod. The two of them exchange how are you’s and fine’s. I alternate between watching the flames of the fire licking up and glancing at them as they talk.

My older brother is now my court-appointed guardian. I did too many stupid things while living with Mom, and Dad’s not reliable. Axle is nine years older than me, has a decent job and inherited all the recessive responsible genes neither Mom nor Dad possessed.

Axle and I favor Dad. Dirty blond hair, dark eyes, and we both used to be hard-core metal boys. I guess we still are when it comes to music, but not so much with style anymore. He has the tats up and down his arms, and earrings in his ears. Earrings and tats were never my thing, and I used to wear my hair to my shoulders where Axle has always kept his shaved close to the scalp.

First thing that happened when I entered juvenile deten­tion was a shaved head. While mine’s not shaved anymore, it is cut close on the sides, has some length on top and naturally sticks up like I styled it on purpose. As Holiday told me when I walked in, I got the good boy cut with the bad boy stride.

Our friend leaves with a fist bump to Axle and a pat on the back to me. Way to go, bro. You survived time on the inside and then time on the outside in a forest.

“It’s weird not hearing you jump into a conversation,” Axle says.

It’s weird not being in the thick of things. Not being the one telling the story, sharing the joke, or the one in the crowd laughing the loudest. I used to be the guy who drank to get drunk, threw a punch, then threw too many punches, and then dealt with the guilt in the morning.

Thanks to one year of group therapy, I’m different now. Seven months of that therapy was while I was living behind bars, then the other three months of therapy was in the wil­derness. Three months of hiking, three months of paddling along forgotten rivers, three months of climbing up and down mountains, three months of being too damned exhausted to remember who I had been before they handed me a backpack that weighed fifty pounds and too damned exhausted to even contemplate if that was a bad or good thing.

As much as I hated parts of who I had become after I went to live with Mom at fifteen, there were parts of me I liked. Don’t mind so much losing the bad, but there’s an uncomfort­able shifting inside me at the thought that I also lost the good.

“How does this play out?” Axle asks. “How do I make this better for you? Easier?”

Axle isn’t talking about the party; he’s talking about living here with him and Holiday. He’s talking about how I readjust to parts of my old life and adjust into the new life the plea bargain has created. He’s talking about the thing we never mention aloud after the night I was arrested.

That we both think someone we know and love is the one who really committed the crime.

We both think it was Holiday working with Dominic or Dominic on his own, but neither of them could have survived being behind bars. I’m tough. I could handle the fallout, and all that mattered to me was that my family believed I was in­nocent. They did, but the police didn’t, and they had a crap load of evidence that pointed in my direction. This is where Axle would say he’s thankful for plea bargains.

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Katie was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life.

She is a lover of music, happy endings, reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan.

She is the author of the Pushing the Limits and Thunder Road series.

Say You’ll Remember Me will be released in 2018. Katie loves to hear from her readers.

Connect with Katie

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

click on icon which for tour schedule, which includes more excerpts, reviews and more

Review: The Crooked Path by Irma Joubert

As retired physician Lettie Louw looks back upon her life, she recounts her coming of age in WWII-era South Africa in this compelling story of delayed love, loss, and reconciliation.

Lettie Louw is the daughter of the town physician in their South African village. She spends her childhood in the warm African days playing with her friends and being adored by her doting parents. When she becomes a teenager, she experiences her first taste of unrequited romantic love in the form of her best friend’s older brother, De Wet Fourie. When De Wet pursues the beautiful and wealthy Annabelle, Lettie’s dreams are crushed, and she moves to Johannesburg to pursue her studies in medicine.

Life in Johannesburg feels strange to Lettie, and the world around her is in profound upheaval as the Second World War rages. Her feelings for De Wet never waver, and Lettie is heartbroken when he marries another of her childhood friends. Lettie soon meets Marco Romanelli, an Italian immigrant, and they marry and raise two daughters, as the racial and political tensions in South Africa swirl about them.

Lettie never forgets her first love, even as the ravages of time, war, and illness play upon her life and the lives of those she loves. In their later years, Lettie and De Wet are thrown into one another’s company again, and they are given another chance at a life together.

 Kindle Edition, 400 pages 

Published November 7th 2017 

by Thomas Nelson 

*** 1/2

Thank you to TLC Tours for the opportunity to be part of this blog tour. Irma Joubert is a new author to me.  I have seen her books around but have never read anything before and was anxious to read  The Crooked Path.

The book opened up with Lettie where we learn of her early years in South Africa, I have to admit I was not drawn in right away, I found her character and the writing a bit stilted and I had a hard time liking her. Then the story jumps to Marco and his experiences with World War II in Italy. I was immediately drawn in and immersed in his story. I haven’t read much of World War II taking place in Italy so this was an eye-opener and an emotional part of this book.

It’s when their lives meet up in South Africa that further invested me in the story and The Crooked Path. The affects of World War II don’t stop at the end of the war and for Marco it lingers and affects the rest of his life. Life isn’t easy in South Africa during this time and the author does a good job of presenting the lifestyle of that era and things people endured, especially Lettie as a female doctor.

The Crooked Path is a story of friendship, love and loss, and so much more, in a setting (both Italy and South Africa)  both before and after World War II. Definitely an author I will read more of. She took me to places and events unfamiliar to me in an honest and realistic manner.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

International bestselling author Irma Joubert was a history teacher for 35 years before she began writing.

Her stories are known for their deep insight into personal relationships and rich historical detail. She’s the author of eight novels and a regular fixture on bestseller lists in The Netherlands and in her native South Africa. She is the winner of the 2010 ATKV Prize for Romance Novels.

 Connect with Irma on Facebook.

click on banner for more stops on this tour

Review/Giveaway: The Silent Fountain by Victoria Fox

Hollywood, 1978:

Tragedy sends troubled film star Vivien Lockhart into the arms of Giovanni Moretti—and it seems her fortunes have finally changed. Until she meets his sister and learns that her new husband's past holds dark secrets…

Tuscany, Present day:

Lucy Whittaker needs to disappear. But her new home, the crumbling Castillo Barbarossa, is far from the secluded paradise it seemed.

Strange sounds come from the attic. The owner of the house will never meet her in person. The fountain in the courtyard is silent—but has never run dry.

Across the decades, Vivien and Lucy find themselves trapped in the idyllic Italian villa. And if they are ever to truly escape its walls, they must first unearth its secrets…

Paperback, 400 pages

 Published May 9th 2017

 by Harper Collins

****
I like to read dual time period books, usually the time difference spans 50+ years but with The Silent Fountain the time lines were closer. 

Current day we have Lucy, there is some scandal that forces her to flee not just England but her family as well. 

Beginning in 1975 there is Vivian with her troubled family life which sets her off to change the direction of her life.

The Silent Fountain is a book about relationships, secrets and new beginnings. I will admit that the first few chapters didn’t draw me in as other books have. But as the story lines involved I was flipping through the pages trying to unravel the mystery. With the Castille Barbarossa in Florence, Italy as the connecting thread, this book had that Gothic feel with the darkness of the plot. You could almost say that the Barbarossa is one of the characters here, with it’s isolated location, desolate rooms, hanging portraits of ancestors and a fountain that doesn’t work but still has water replenished every day. 

There is a compelling story line here but I have to say I enjoyed the past one a little more as I felt more invested in the characters and connected to Vivian, I could feel her wide range of emotions. Lucy's story line was also interesting but I found it lacked the suspense and intrigue that possessed the earlier years. But don’t get me wrong here I enjoyed this book immensely. 

Victoria Fox is a new author to me, I enjoyed her writing style with its twist and turns and an ending that I did not anticipate at all. Definitely a book I recommend.

Purchase Links 

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble | Chapters

Victoria Fox is a bestselling author in the UK. She used to work in publishing and is now the author of six novels. The Silent Fountain is her breakout novel in North America.

She divides her time between Bristol and London.

Connect with Victoria    Facebook | Twitter

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Excerpt: Lilac Lane by Sherryl Woods

No one writes about friends, family and home better than Sherryl Woods. Told with warmth and humor, Lilac Lane is a brand-new story in her beloved Chesapeake Shores series, one readers all over the world have waited two years to read!

 At the heart of Lilac Lane is Keira Malone, who raised her three children alone after her first marriage broke apart, and who, after years of guarding her heart, finally finds love again. But that love is short-lived when her fiancé suffers a fatal heart attack. Grieving and unsure of what’s next, Keira agrees to move from Dublin to Chesapeake Shores, Maryland, to spend time with her daughter, Moira, and her new granddaughter, Kate, as well as to help her son-in-law, Luke, with his Irish pub, O’Briens

 Not wanting to live underfoot, she rents a charming cottage on Lilac Lane, replete with views of the ocean and her neighbor’s thriving garden—not to mention views of the neighbor himself. The neighbor is none other than Bryan Laramie, the brusque and moody chef at the pub, with whom Keira is constantly butting heads. But things get real when Bryan’s long-lost daughter, whom he hasn’t seen since she was a baby, shows up out of the blue. As Bryan and Keira each delve into their pasts, reopening wounds, the rest of the town is gearing up for the Fall Festival Irish Stew cook-off, and making no bones about whose side they’re on. It’s Kitchen Wars meets This is Your Life—a recipe for disaster…or a new take on love?

You won’t want to miss this epic return to Chesapeake Shores, a place we’re betting you’ll want to stay forever.

Hardcover, 352 pages 

Expected publication: October 17th 2017 

by Mira Books

be sure to click on icon for more stops on this tour 

(including excerpts and reviews)

Excerpt

“I never miss an opportunity to see the water,” Kiera responded at once. “It’s one of the reasons I found my little cottage so appealing. There’s a glimpse of the bay from the yard.” “There’s an even better view from upstairs in my house,”

Bryan said. “When I leave my bedroom windows open, I can hear the lapping of the waves on the shore.”

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Bryan regretted them. He’d spoken the truth, but it had sounded far too close to an invitation. He couldn’t be certain from her expression if Kiera had heard it that way, but he knew absolutely that the provocative image of her in his room, in his bed, wouldn’t be going away anytime soon. It shocked him just how powerful that image was.

“Bryan?”

At the questioning note in Kiera’s voice, he snapped back to the moment and realized a waitress had arrived and was waiting for their orders. “An espresso for me,” he said quickly. “Kiera?”

“I’ve already ordered a cappuccino,” she said, her lips twitching as she tried to hold back a smile.

“Well, that’s all, then,” he said, then met her gaze. “Unless you’d like something to eat.”

“The coffee will do.”

“Sure thing,” the waitress said, leaving them alone.

“Was your mind wandering?” Kiera teased. “I have to wonder where it went. It must have been a pleasant place.”

“Nowhere worth following,” he assured her, then focused his attention on the boats chugging along on the bay in the morning sunlight. It was a tranquil picture, far more tranquil than his oddly chaotic thoughts.

It had suddenly occurred to him that he was actually on something that some people would consider a date. When he’d issued the impulsive invitation, he’d given it no thought beyond the momentary desire to have Kiera’s company for a little longer before their day started at the pub. They seemed to do better with each other away from that atmosphere. Now he was realizing it was a step, albeit a tiny one, toward a more complicated relationship, something he’d successfully avoided for years.

Because he and Melody had never divorced, he’d considered himself unavailable for anything more than the most casual encounters. He was always honest with the women he’d dated, making sure they understood he wasn’t looking for anything lasting. But trying to explain why he wasn’t interested in more was too personal to share, so he avoiding anything that might be leading toward that uncomfortable conversation. Was he actually willing to have that conversation with Kiera? He couldn’t quite envision it, which meant he needed to be very careful about any signals he sent to her. “For a man who said his morning had gotten off to a good start not that long ago, you’re looking increasingly troubled,”

Kiera said. “Have I said something to make you uneasy?” “Not at all,” he said at once. “I’m just not used to doing

things like this.”

She stared at him blankly. “Like what? Having coffee?” He nodded, then chuckled. “Sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it?” “We’ve had coffee before,” she reminded him. “Well,

you’ve had coffee and I’ve had tea, but it’s the same sort of thing.”

“That was at the pub. This is entirely different. Can’t you see that?” Even as he spoke he knew that he was making way too much of an innocent hour at a sidewalk café.

Kiera simply looked puzzled, but before he could attempt an explanation, Mick O’Brien came striding down the street from the direction of his wife’s art gallery and spotted them. He paused at their table, then looked pointedly from Bryan to Kiera and back again. “Well, this is a surprise,” he said, grabbing a chair from a neighboring table and pulling it over without waiting for an invitation. “Imagine seeing the two of you here,” he said, then pointedly added, “together.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With her roots firmly planted in the South, Sherryl Woods has written many of her more than 100 books in that distinctive setting, whether in her home state of Virginia, her adopted state, Florida, or her much-adored South Carolina. Sherryl is best known for her ability to creating endearing small town communities and families.

She is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over 75 romances for Silhouette Desire and Special Edition.

Connect with Sherryl 

Website |Facebook | Twitter