2015 Swoony Award Winners!!

We are pleased to announce the winners of the 2015 Swoony Awards! The Swoony Awards were created to recognize excellence in clean fiction. We wanted a reference for all those out there looking for a clean swoony romance. We also wanted to recognize and show our appreciation to all these great authors who write the kinds of books we love. We couldn't be more pleased with all the participation and great book nominations we received. I know I've found a lot of great books on this list and even found some new authors to try! So, without further ado, here are the winners...

Best Novel of the Year

My Fairly Dangerous Godmother by Janette Rallison

Best Contemporary Romance
Professional Boundaries by Jennifer Peel

Best YA Contemporary Romance

The Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie West

Best Novella

My Pride, His Prejudice by Jenni James

Best New Adult Novel

Royal Date by Sariah Wilson

Best Paranormal Romance

Undeniable Chosen by Shelly Crane

Best Regency Romance

A Heart Revealed by Josi S Kilpack

Best Western Romance

The Romancing of Evangaline Ipswich by Marcia Lynn McClure

Best Medieval Romance

  The Lady and the Minstrel by Joyce DiPastena

Best High Fantasy

Rumpelstiltskin by KM Shea

Best Dystopian

The Heir by Kiera Cass

Best Mystery

Web of Deceit by Susan Sleeman

Best Christmas Romance

Cookie Girl Christmas by Christene Houston

Kathy's Choice Award

Royal Date by Sariah Wilson

It was super hard narrowing down my number one pick this year. I guess that's a good problem to have. I ended up choosing Royal Date, because I just really loved this book. The writing and characters grabbed me, I loved the setting and just everything about it. It's one of those books where you get a reader's high, you get sucked in and don't want the story to end. I read Sariah's YA novel awhile ago and when I heard she had a new book coming out I couldn't wait to read it. I am so happy she has more great books like this in store for us.

Check out Kathy's review on her blog by clicking here!

Kathy Jo's Choice Award

Jessie Belle by Jennifer Peel

There were so many amazing books published in 2015 that narrowing down my choices was just a tad bit difficult. After re-reading all my reviews there was one book that just stood out among the rest... Jessie Belle by Jennifer Peel. This book was seriously AMAZING! I had a very hard time putting it down! Jennifer has an amazing ability to suck you in from the very beginning and refuses to let you go until the very end. Her writing has me feeling like I am right there with the characters, living their lives right along with them. Jessie Belle is filled with unconditional love, second chances, courage, strength, hope and even a bit of humor. And of course we can't forget about the Swoonworthy moments throughout the book. I found myself letting out little dreamy sighs along the way. I loved every minute of it! <3 

Check out Kathy Jo's review on her blog by clicking here!

Katie's Choice Award

The Kiss that Launched 1000 GIFs by Sheralyn Pratt

I chose The Kiss That Launched 1000 GIFs by Sheralyn Pratt because I loved the cleverly written story and the characters! Grace and Ashton have personality galore and they are strong, yet perfectly imperfect. I adored the supporting characters as well--especially Esme, Grace's best friend, and Megan, Ashton's niece. Both say it like it is and are totally sassy spitfires. I felt like I was watching this story unfold on social media, right along with the rest of the world--the book world, that is (sometimes I forget these people and places aren't real). I love a good, clean romance and this one had that with an added dash of spice, which made it even better.

Check out Katie's review on her blog by clicking here!

 

Heidi's Choice Award

Free Fallin' by Shannon Guymon

So many good books...so little time! I had a hard time trying to choose just one amazing book for 2015! After going over everything I read that was published this last year, I finally decided on the book that made me "feel" the most. Free Fallin' by Shannon Guymon had me laughing and crying more than any book has in a very long time. Not only was it incredibly moving, it was beautifully written and full of heart. I honestly enjoyed every page, even the heart breaking ones. This book is book 2 in the Love and Weddings trilogy and is actually part of the 4th of the Fir Crest trilogy's. I highly recommend you read them ALL, and that you read them in order so that you can fully enjoy the world of Fir Crest that Shannon has created. If you love good, fun, uplifting, clean romance, these are wonderful "go to" books! Enjoy!

Check out Heidi's review on Goodreads by clicking here!

We are looking forward to the 2016 Swoony Awards and hope that you will be joining us again this year! Please feel free to join our groups (Goodreads and Facebook) and follow us on Twitter (@swoonyawards)! Help us spread the word about good, clean, swoony romance books!

Happy New Year and Happy Reading!

Twelve Days in December by Michele Paige Holmes

Synopsis: 

Five months isn’t enough time to grieve the death of her husband and marry again, but when the unexpected opportunity to take her sister’s place as the bride of wealthy New York businessman, William Vancer, presents itself, twenty-four year-old Charlotte Holbrook agrees. Their marriage of convenience will provide a secure future for her son, while William will be able to claim the inheritance he needs to expand his company westward.

To begin their perfect and perfectly safe arrangement, William allots the last twelve days in December to become acquainted with his new family—a task more easily accomplished than he had imagined. For in Charlotte he finds a tender heart and companion, while stepping into the role of father to her son, brings William a great measure of joy as well. Before the twelve days have passed, he finds himself wishing their marriage of convenience could be something much more.

For Charlotte, every day with William is one of overwhelming gratitude, as he anticipates and provides for her needs, as well as the fondest desires of her heart. More than material comforts, William offers friendship as well, and a loving concern that Charlotte has gone too long without. Guilt ridden, she struggles with her growing attraction and wonders how she can ever remain loyal to her first husband, while allowing herself to love William as he deserves.

My Review: 4 Stars

Charlotte has lost her husband and finds herself in a horrible situation trying to provide for herself and her 15 month old son, Alec. When she unexpectedly becomes the bride to the wealthy William Vancer, her life will be changed forever. While she is grateful for everything he has done for her and her son, she struggles with her feelings for him. Is it possible to love again after such a short period of time? 

William is in need of a wife in order to receive his large inheritance. He thought this marriage of convenience would be the best thing for all involved. What he wasn't expecting was to fall in love with Charlotte and her son. How can he help her to see that loving him in return doesn't mean that she is betraying her first husband and that she has enough love for the both of them? 

I loved seeing Charlotte and William's relationship grow from friendship into love. William was so patient with Charlotte and seemed to understand just what she needed. Their relationship was so sweet and I found myself letting out little dreamy sighs on several occasions. 

I would say the only thing I didn't like about Twelve Days in December was it just ended! I wanted just a little bit more! An epilogue would have been amazing! Even if it was just a few months down the road. I guess what they say is true... when a book is good, you always find it too short! ;) 

This was my very first book by Michele Paige Holmes and I can tell you that it definitely will not be my last! I love finding new authors to read! It really makes me happy! :) 

And yes... even though this was a novella, I still did a casting.. ;) Hehe. 

Favorite Books of 2015!!

2015 was an amazing year for books! I laughed.. I cried.. I got so angry I wanted to throw my kindle across the room.. I let out more dreamy sighs than I ever have before.. and I loved every minute of it! I found new authors that I absolutely adore and wait with great anticipation for their next book baby to be released! I was able to read over 100 books! Some of these books were just SO good that I had to read them twice! Yes, I said TWICE.. that is how much I LOVED them!

Before I look ahead to the New Year and new books, I thought I would pay tribute to some of these favorites that I fell in love with in 2015. I think I will do my top 15 favorites! ;)

I will tell you that my list is not in any particular order. I absolutely LOVED all these books and there is NO WAY I'll be able to choose a ranking for them! It just is NOT possible! So don't even ask! ;) Lol.

So... without further adieu... here are my TOP 15 of 2015!!

My One and Only by Shannon Guymon

Free Fallin' by Shannon Guymon

At Last by Shannon Guymon

Trouble in Loveland by Jennifer Peel

Jessie Belle by Jennifer Peel

Other Side of the Wall by Jennifer Peel

The Girl in Seat 24B by Jennifer Peel

House Divided by Jennifer Peel

Professional Boundaries by Jennifer Peel

The Academic Bride by Lucy McConnell

The Country Bride by Lucy McConnell

Undeniably Chosen by Shelly Crane

Cookie Girl Christmas by Christene Houston

A Cliché Christmas by Nicole Deese

Catching Caytie by Cindy Roland Anderson

A lot of these books are up for a Swoony Award this year! If you have read any of these books or any of the others on the 2015 Swoony Award list then make sure you VOTE! Click here and it will take you directly to the voting page! You still have time to vote for your favorites! 

I am really looking forward to 2016! I just know it will be filled with lots of love, family, friendships, treasured memories and of course BOOKS!

Wishing all you book lovers out there a very safe, healthy and Happy New Year! Let's make 2016 the BESTEST year yet! <3

Christmas Mystery Box Winner!!

Another successful Mystery Box Giveaway has come to an end! I may or may not have had more fun this time around. ;) Hehe. This box was a blast putting together! It may be because of the books... or because of the little treasures I found... or it may be because it's Christmas! I personally think that this box is amazing! :)

I do want to say thank you to everyone who participated in this giveaway! I really love being able to do these Mystery Boxes! It seriously makes me happy to give them away!

And now.. the part that I just KNOW you all have been waiting for....

Katie Watkins

CONGRATULATIONS!! I will be emailing you for your address and then I will get this shipped out to you very soon! I hope you enjoy it! :)

And to all of my readers... Merry Christmas everyone! I hope it's the best Christmas yet!

Oh and P.S. Stay tuned for the next mystery box giveaway! ;)

**COVER REVEAL** His Personal Relationship Manager by Jennifer Peel

When I saw that Jennifer Peel had announced her synopsis and revealed the cover for her newest book I got extremely EXCITED!! I reached out to her and asked if I could do a reveal for her book on my blog and was ecstatic when she said YES!! 

Jennifer quickly became one of my go to authors that I absolutely ADORE!! She really is AMAZING!! I was floored when she announced that she released her first book a little over a year ago!! And since then she has already released SIX books!! Did I mention that she is AMAZING?! ;) 

So... without further adieu... her newest book due out in January... 

Synopsis:

Kenadie Marshall has suffered the most public of humiliations, being left at the altar. Instead of wallowing in her misery, she makes it her mission to help others find true and lasting love, all while swearing off relationships for good. Between the software application she developed and a team of relationship managers, her brainchild, Binary Search, has an uncanny knack for choosing the perfect match almost every time.

Attractive and loveable Jason Hadley is taken with Kenadie Marshall from their first meeting. Determined to win her over, he does anything and everything he can think of, even if it means using her firm’s service and dating other women to stay close to her.

Will Kenadie realize she’s met her match before it’s too late? Or will Jason’s ploy go too far? Find out in His Personal Relationship Manager, a romantic comedy with an epic battle of wills.

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About Jennifer Peel:

Jennifer Peel is the mother of three amazing kiddos. Wife to her one and only for the past twenty-one years. Lover of late night talks, beach vacations, the mountains, pink bubble gum ice cream, tours of model homes, and southern living. She can frequently be found with her laptop on, fingers typing away, indulging in chocolate milk, and writing out the stories that are constantly swirling through her head.

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Did you know that Jennifer has four books that have been nominated for a Swoony Award? Yes... I said FOUR! Have you read any of them? Did you LOVE them? Have you VOTED for them? If your answers are YES, YES and NO then you MUST head on over to our Swoony Award Page on Goodreads and VOTE! If your answers are YES, YES and YES then share with everyone and ask them to VOTE! Let's show Jennifer how much we LOVE her and all her books! Let's also let her know how much we appreciate all her blood, sweat and tears that have gone into these AMAZING books that give us our breaks from reality and a glimpse into these FANTABULOUS lives she creates for the characters that we have grown to love!

A Cliché Christmas by Nicole Deese

Synopsis:

Writing happy endings is easy. Living one is the hard part.

Georgia Cole—known in Hollywood as the “Holiday Goddess”—has made a name for herself writing heartwarming screenplays chock-full of Christmas clichés, but she has yet to experience the true magic of the season. So, when her eccentric grandmother volunteers her to direct a pageant at Georgia’s hometown community theater, she is less than thrilled. To make matters worse, she’ll be working alongside Weston James, her childhood crush and the one man she has tried desperately to forget.

Now, facing memories of a lonely childhood and the humiliation of her last onstage performance, seven years earlier, Georgia is on the verge of a complete mistletoe meltdown. As Weston attempts to thaw the frozen walls around her heart, Georgia endeavors to let go of her fears and give love a second chance. If she does, will she finally believe that Christmas can be more than a cliché?

My Review: 5 Stars

Georgia grew up in a small town that was just not very nice to her. She didn't have any friends (except Weston who was always picking on her and doing all the things little boys do to the girls they like), her mom was a total loser (my words and opinion), the only person she could really depend on was her Nan. When disaster strikes and she is humiliated in front of the whole town she does the only thing she could do... run.

It's been seven years since she has left Lenox and she has made quite the name for herself. With several dozen screenplays and a few Hallmark movies under her belt, she is known as the Hollywood Goddess. If only her life was like her screenplays...

Weston has been in love with Georgia for years! He thought that they really had something when she all the sudden ran away and didn't look back. Now that she is heading back to Lenox to help with a fundraiser for little Savannah, he has the chance to prove to her what they could have. But he has his work cut out for him... Georgia is one stubborn woman! Good thing that Weston is even more stubborn than she is! ;)

Once the horrible misunderstanding was cleared up, Georgia and Weston had seven years worth of catching up to do. I absolutely loved watching their relationship develop and become stronger. Seeing them admit their feelings for each other?! *dreamy sigh* And can we just mention all the nicknames that Weston has for Georgia?! LOVED them!!

All in all this was definitely a very cute Christmas romance! It's full of everything that helps bring the true meaning of Christmas into the lives of everyone. The only thing that I did not like about the book is... you guessed it... the ending! It just ended! Grrrr. Why do authors do this to me?! Lol. This book would definitely be complete if there was an epilogue... even if it was just a few months down the line. Unless the author has plans for a sequel?! Maybe Willa's story?! Now THAT would be awesome!!

This was my first book by Nicole Deese and I can tell you that it definitely will not be my last! I'm looking forward to reading more by her! :)

And of course I cannot forget my casting! I really, really like this one! Hehe.

Christmas Romance eBook SALE December 9th and 10th!!

Who doesn't love a sweet Christmas Romance?

The cool chill in the air and that romantic warmth in our hearts.

Even better is finding those holiday books for a super price.

Today we're spotlighting TWO Christmas Romance reads.

Reads that are just .99 cents each for two days only!

(Sale Dec 9th-10th and is for eBook format only)

First up we have COOKIE GIRL CHRISTMAS. This full-length, charming Christmas adventure will have you "laughing at some points, wiping tears in the next, and smiling throughout." With fun and scrumptious holiday recipes included, Cookie Girl Christmas is delicious in more ways than one. (Quote taken from Amazon review.)

Molly Hayes has one more job before Christmas and then she can put her plans for a storefront bakery of her own in motion. What she doesn't bargain for is the handsome young Scrooge who insults her cookies and makes her blood boil. Toss in a heaping helping of snowstorm and a pinch of romantic old Inn and you've got yourself the perfect recipe for a not-so-silent-night.

Next we have GETTING KOLE FOR CHRISTMAS, a young adult novella where a teenage girl tries to get her best guy friend out of the friend zone. Complete at 127 pages, one reader calls Getting Kole for Christmas"Sweet Teenage Holiday Angst" Loredana Adriana of Goodreads says, "Oh my gosh, I simply cannot contain the happy, silly, idiotic smile I have now on my face after reading this delightful little novella." (First review from Donna Flint Amazon.com.)

Kylie’s been crushing on Kole for two years now, but can she get him to see her as more than a friend?

For years Kylie has watched her older sisters get asked to every school dance there is. Yet once she’s old enough to go, the invites are in short supply. While getting overlooked has never felt good, it hasn’t really hurt the way it does this year. Because now there’s someone she really wants to go with: Kole Kingston. Kole is charming and funny. Gorgeous and kind. And everything she wants in a guy. Trouble is, he’s also her very best friend. Can Kylie tear herself free from the friend-zone in time to get asked to the Christmas dance? Or will she – like so many others – find that a romance between them will never be?

Don't miss your chance to pick these up at a reduced price!

*Both books mentioned are CLEAN ROMANCE READS*

Do you have a favorite holiday romance? One you must read every time Christmas rolls around? Or one that you discovered this year that you know will be a holiday staple from this point on? If so, leave the name of the book(s) in the comments below. Have a wonderful holiday season, all!

Christmas Mystery Box!

Can you believe that it's already December?! Neither can I! This year has seriously FLOWN by! It's like I blinked and BAM! It was GONE! Craziness I tell ya!

So... when I think of December, I think of CHRISTMAS! When I think of Christmas, I think about giving gifts and spreading love! When I think of giving gifts and spreading love I think of a MYSTERY BOX! Yes... that's right ladies and gentlemen... it's time to give away another mystery box! This one will be filled with some pretty amazing stuff if I do say so myself! I'm actually a bit excited for this one! Hehe.

How can you enter to win this wondertastical box?! It's not hard at all... I promise! All you need to do is check out the rafflecopter below and enter EVERY day for the next week! See... easy peasy lemon squeezey! So... what are you waiting for?! Get to entering! And don't forget to let others know... let's ALL spread the love! ;)

Good luck and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

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