Swoon Worthy Spotlights #2

Welcome to Swoon Worthy Spotlights hosted by Bookworm Nation, Katie's Clean Book Collection and KJ's Book Nook! Once a month we will feature 1-3 of our favorite books that we have read during the month. We will share the cover(s), our review(s) and a link to each other's post so you can check out which books we have all chosen!

For month's Swoon Worthy Spotlights I am going to choose...

When Fireflies Sing by Christene Houston

Bound by Secrets by Tracey Jane Jackson

A Season to Love by Nicole Deese

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And don't for get to check Kathy's post here and Katie's post here!

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Do you have a blog and want to join us for Swoon Worthy Spotlights? Then grab the picture and post with us! We will be posting on the last day of each month. Make sure you share your link with us so we can check out your favorite authors as well!

Happy reading my fellow bookworms!

A Season to Love by Nicole Deese

Synopsis:

At this point in her life, bravery is not a trait Willa Hart would readily claim. She believes her seven-year-old daughter, Savannah, who never knew her father and successfully tackled chemotherapy, is truly the courageous one. Yet after Willa has a fateful encounter with handsome young doctor Patrick McCade, her outlook—and her view of herself—begins to change.

Patrick, a thrill-seeking world traveler and temporary resident of Lenox, Oregon, sets out to show Willa the value of adventure, even within her tiny town. But just when their friendship shows signs of turning into something more, Patrick’s life as a traveling doctor calls him back. Will his last days in town signal the end of their journey, or will Patrick and Willa find the courage to transform a single season into a lifetime?


My Review: 5 Beautiful, Amazing Stars!

My second read of A Season to Love and I have to say I loved it just as much if not more the second time around! *dreamy sigh*

Willa's life hasn't been the easiest.. far from it in fact. Between losing her husband unexpectedly and her daughter, Savannah, being diagnosed with cancer, she has stopped living her life. She is just existing and doing everything she can to keep her family safe and close at all times. Although she has promised Savannah that things will change now that she is cancer free, she is scared to death to even try. Her brother, Weston, pushes her to do more, to get out and live her life. But she still just can't bring herself to do it. It's going to take a lot more than Weston's pushing to break down the walls she has built up and start truly living again.

Enter Patrick. *dreamy sigh*

Patrick is only in Lenox for a very short period of time helping in his father's medical practice while he is away. Mr. Adventurer, who lives life to the fullest, is just what the doctor ordered for Willa... literally. ;) Who better to help her break out of her shell and see that she has had the power within her the whole time to become who she was meant to be? She just needs a little, or at times, a big push in the right direction. I absolutely LOVED watching their relationship grow and evolve into more over time. I have said it before in other reviews and I will say it again because it is so, so true. These two were seriously perfect for each other! They brought out the best in each other and lifted each other up during the difficult times. These two are seriously AMAZING!

While the romance was sweet (and I loved every minute of it), this story really was about self discovery and pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone.. not only for Willa but for Patrick as well. It was amazing to watch Willa grasp onto her freedom and sore! The last scene at Cougar Mountain was by far the BEST one to show how truly amazing Willa is and how far she had come from the beginning of the book! I am not ashamed to admit that I cried cleansing, happy tears for her during that scene. :)

One paragraph in that scene sums up everything for both Willa and Patrick perfectly in my opinion. Even though it was Willa's thoughts, it definitely can be applied to Patrick's life as well. "How many paths had I avoided in life? How many times had I been content to stop at 'close enough' - too afraid to push ahead? To afraid to let go?"  It really makes you think about their relationship and what a huge part they played in each others lives. <3

And can I just tell you how much I loved Alex?! From the moment her appearance was mentioned (down to her hair color), I knew she would be an important part of the story and that she would be one of my favorite side characters. There's just something about those spunky, sassy characters that get me every single time... ;)

 A Season to Love is one of the best stories I have read! I was sucked in from the very beginning. I stayed up way too late reading and woke up way too early just to finish it! I was hoping after I read A Cliché Christmas that Willa would get her own HEA and I was seriously blown away at how amazing her story was! It is one that I will forever treasure. It was just what I needed to read at this time in my life. Seriously AMAZING! If you have not read this series yet then my suggestion is to go grab both books and read them right now! You will NOT be disappointed! :)

After only reading two books by Nicole Deese, I am hooked! I'm definitely looking forward to other books by her! She is officially on my favorite authors list! Gotta love it when you find new authors! <3

And of course one of my favorite parts of reviewing... my casting choice! I think I am in love! ;) Hehe.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

How I Met Your Brother by Janette Rallison

Synopsis:

The best day of his life, the worst day of hers.

Back in college, Marco Dawson never thought of Belle as anything more than a friend. If she had crossed his mind on his wedding day, it was probably only to wonder why she hadn’t shown up to be a bridesmaid. After all, his new wife was her old roommate. Seven years have passed since then, and Belle just found out that Marco is divorced and vacationing with his family in an elegant Cancun resort. She’s not about to let the right man get away twice. She heads to the resort where she plans to casually bump into Marco and ignite some romantic flames.

But Belle hadn’t planned on one thing: Flynn Dawson, Marco’s handsome, charming, and determined twin brother. He thinks Marco and his ex-wife can make amends and he’s not about to let Belle stand in the way.

My Review: 4 Stars

Belle was extremely shy and awkward in college. She often thought of herself as invisible. When she meets the devastatingly handsome Marco (or Dawson as he liked to be called in college), she can't think straight, gets tongue tied and tries her best to get him to notice her. But sadly, he only ever saw her as a friend. 

Belle is devastated when Marco meets and falls in love with her best friend/roommate, Daisy. Their friendship becomes strained as Daisy and Dawson's relationship develops. Belle is heartbroken. She can't believe Daisy would do that to her. Being around them gets to be too much for Belle to handle so she cuts all ties with them. 

7 years later, she runs into Pearl who informs her that Dawson and Daisy have divorced and Dawson is headed to Cancun for a family reunion. After debating back and forth she decides that it's a sign and she heads off to Cancun to get reacquainted with Dawson. Now that she has out grown her shyness and is no longer invisible, she's guaranteed to have a shot with him. Right? Wrong! Fate and Dawson's twin brother, Flynn, have another thing in mind for her. 

Flynn is determined to do everything he can to make sure Daisy and Marco have a fair chance in reconciling their differences, even if that means making sure the beautiful Belle stays far, far away from them. But Belle is definitely someone who will not go down without a fight. She has been carrying this torch for Marco for years and is determined to have her shot with him. 

All I have to say is let the games begin! The chemistry between Belle and Flynn is off the charts and felt by all. But they got this! Right?! This little game is just a means to an end. But the more time they spend together, getting to know one and other, the more they both start to rethink which brother Belle is truly meant to be with. 

Will Belle and Flynn figure it out before it's too late? Or will secrets and lies keep them from their HEA? 

I am going to start out by saying I really enjoyed this book. But the story line was definitely a hard sell for me. Twin brothers and one girl? That's just weird to me. I can't really express it in any other way than weird! Lol. I can say that I absolutely loved and adored Flynn! I thought he was amazing! Belle, on the other hand, seemed desperate and pathetic at times. I'm not sure why but I had a hard time connecting with her. I wish she would've realized her feelings for Flynn sooner and have more of a development of their real relationship. I was disappointed that we only got a small glimpse of it at the very end. I also wish we would've seen more of Pearl in this book. She played such a very small role in the book compared to the other books I have read in the Matchmaker series. 

All in all a cute read. I will definitely be picking up more by this author in the future. I think this is only my second book by her?

And of course I just can't forger my casting! What so you think?! 

Valentine Countdown Blitz - Day 14

"Lindzee Armstrong is the #1 bestselling author of the No Match for Love series and Sunset Plains Romance series. She's always had a soft spot for love stories. In third grade, she started secretly reading romance novels, hiding the covers so no one would know (because hello, embarrassing!), and dreaming of her own Prince Charming.

She finally met her true love while at college, where she studied history education. They are now happily married and raising twin boys in the Rocky Mountains.

Like any true romantic, Lindzee loves chick flicks, ice cream, and chocolate. She believes in sigh-worthy kisses and happily ever afters, and loves expressing that through her writing."

Connect with the Author here: 

~ VIP Readers Club ~ Website ~

When Kate’s abusive husband dies in a house fire, she only feels relief. Eighteen months later, she’s ready to sweep up the fragments of her past and venture back into dating—but this time with the help of a professional matchmaking company. Surely Toujour can succeed where Kate has always failed and find her the perfect man.

Taylor is a firefighter who’s tired of dousing infernos in his personal life. Exhausted from a string of dysfunctional relationships, he turns to Toujour at the prodding of a friend, hoping for an easier path to love. The last thing he expects is to be matched with Kate, the intriguing widow he met on the night her house burned. The problem is, she’s determined to leave behind any connection to that awful night—and Taylor is a very overwhelming connection.

Past relationship fears and old habits threaten to tear them apart before they’ve even begun. Can the ashes of their pasts hold their happily ever after?

~ Amazon ~ Amazon UK ~ 

~ Amazon CA ~ Amazon AU ~

Snippet:

“Where to?” the cabbie asked.

Taylor looked at Kate. “I know the general area, but I don’t remember the exact address of your home.”

Shadows flicked across her eyes, and she quickly rattled off the address. The cabbie nodded and pulled into the street.

“I’m not some damsel you need to save,” Kate said. “I appreciate your help tonight, but I’m okay now. Don’t feel like you have to help me out of some twisted sense of obligation.”

Taylor’s mouth dropped open. “Is that what you think this is to me—an obligation?”

She shrugged, not meeting his eyes. “You’re a really nice guy, Taylor. But you’re a firefighter. Rescuing people is in your blood. I’m not interested in being rescued—I’m interested in a real relationship. One that’s based on more than a sense of chivalry.”

“Oh, and is that what you were discovering tonight, with the date who couldn’t even call 911?”

Kate’s lips pursed together. “It was our first date. I think Randy was in shock.”

“He didn’t even notice when we left the restaurant. He was too busy screaming at the waitress who served you the dish.”

“People handle stressful situations in different ways. I asked a stranger to come with me to the hospital, for example.”

Taylor never would’ve guessed that quiet, timid Kate could be so stubborn.

“I think we’ve moved past stranger, and I’m not here purely out of a sense of chivalry,” he said. “Or did you forget that I was the one who requested a second date?”

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Rescued by Love by Cami Checketts

Synopsis:

Captain Cameron Compton is content with his job as a firefighter and coaching a youth lacrosse team. He doesn’t need or want anything else in his life. Then a tall blonde schoolteacher parks her Jeep illegally in front of a fire hydrant, and one of his crew soaks it with water. Repentant but un-intimidated, she fires back at him, and he’s pulled in by her spunk.

Sage Turner has wished her entire life that she could shrink to a normal-sized woman. She hides her insecurities pretty well, but when she falls for a hot firefighter, she’s certain she’ll never be good enough.

Stranded together at her cabin, sparks start to fly, and Sage barely suppresses the urge to kick him out in a snowstorm.
A fire and a moose attack should bring them together, but instead, they might sever any hope of being rescued from the flames or loneliness.

My Review: 4 Stars

Sage has been self conscious about her height the majority of her life. She's had an extremely hard time finding that special someone because of it. She's all but given up until she parks illegally in front of a fire hydrant and has to face the music when said hydrant is needed to put out a fire. So what happens when she comes face to face with Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome?! Sparks fly! 

Cam has spent the majority of his life rescuing people from burning buildings and coaching a youth lacrosse team. He has also been doing everything he can to not fall in love. Love hurts and he just doesn't have it in him to put himself out there. But upon meeting the beautiful Sage, he starts singing a different tune. That is until tragedy strikes and has him rethinking what he was about to get himself into. 

But is it too late? Has Sage already wrapped herself around his heart in such a short period of time? Can he pull away from her? Does he want to? One thing is for sure sparks will definitely fly! 

Sage and Cam definitely had a rough start to their relationship. They both had things that held them back from moving forward. But circumstances beyond their control had each of them reevaluating what they wanted out of life and eventually brought them together. Gotta love HEA's! *dreamy sigh* 

There were some definite swoony moments which I adored! But there were also moments that had me growling in frustration and rolling my eyes. I wanted to strangle the two of them towards the end. Haha. But all and all a super cute read! :) 

I can always count on Ms. Checketts sucking me into to any of her books. They are always filled with suspense, romance, witty banter, sassy heroines and swoon worthy heroes. It's no wonder she's on my favorite authors list! ;) 

And this casting... *le sigh* I. Love. It! What do you think?!

Author's Corner #2

Welcome to Author's Corner hosted by Bookworm Nation, Katie's Clean Book Collection and KJ's Book Nook! Once a month we will feature either a favorite author or new to us author. We will share the author's bio, one of our favorite books of theirs and a review. Each of us will be featuring a different author each month so there will also be links to each of our posts.

For this month's Author's Corner I am going to choose...

Shannon Guymon

I live in Utah with my six children and I'm the author of thirty-three books so far. I write YA Paranormal Romance under my pen name, Katie Lee O'Guinn. I enjoy the outdoors, reading and being with my children. I'm also a supporter of the Operation Underground Railroad. They're an amazing organization that rescues children from slavery. To read more about them, go to: https://www.ourrescue.org/

As you've probably already guessed, I'm a huge believer in happy endings. Scarlett really should have been happy with Rhett and it's a darn shame Leo and Kate didn't float safely into New York on the Titanic. Don't even get me started on Romeo and Juliet. To find out the latest on my books, check out my blog at www.shannonguymon.blogspot.com or www.katieleeoguinn.blogspot.com. You can purchase all of my books at www.amazon.com.

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Okay... I'm not going to lie. Picking one of Shannon's books as my favorite is extremely hard to do! I have absolutely loved them all! You cannot go wrong with any of her books. So... I think I will pick... 

Jane Kendall loves her new life. She loves baking. She loves working with her sisters. And oh yeah, she loves Tate Matafeo most of all. Which would be great if he loved her back. Jane refuses to let heartbreak rule her life though, so she turns to Google and finds 10 easy steps on How To Fall Out Of Love. As helpful as Google is, Tate Matafeo is a hard habit to break especially when her new friend Meredith insists she come to a Rugby game and Tate happens to be on the team. Alex Foster is one man willing to take her mind off of Tate, but Jane knows trouble when she sees it and ends up getting a restraining order. Between Kit's wedding, Tate's mixed signals, Alex's obsession and her father's rehab, Jane wonders if she'll ever get her happy ending.

You can check out my review here.

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And don't for get to check out Kathy's post here and Katie's post here! 

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Do you have a blog and want to join us for Author's Corner? Then grab the picture and post with us! We will be posting the 2nd Saturday of each month. Make sure you share your link with us so we can check out your favorite authors as well! 

Happy reading my fellow bookworms! 💗

Bound by Light by Tracey Jane Jackson

Synopsis:

Thane Allen is the biggest movie star on the planet. He has money, status, and the ability to make people do what he tells them to with just a word. But he's without his mate and is losing hope that he will ever find her.

Sydney Warren has lost both her parents and makes a daring choice to move to London to live with her cousin. A chance encounter puts her in the path of what she considers nothing more than a fantasy, until that fantasy pursues her.

Will Thane be able to convince her he's genuine? When a threat no one saw coming threatens Sydney's life, will Thane be able to save her?

My Review: 4 Stars

When Sydney opens her front door to 2 police officers she is shocked to hear that her mom was killed in a car accident. She doesn't know what she is going to do now. She goes through the motions but she is numb. She decides to move to London for the time being so that she can be close to family until she figures out what to do next. 

All of Thane's closest friends have found their mates. He has been waiting years to find his and is starting to lose hope in ever finding her. While in London for his latest movie premiere, Thane is shocked when Sydney is mistaken for a reporter by the hotel staff and they bring him face to face with his mate.... finally! 

Of course, in true Tracey form, Sydney is one feisty little mate and gives Thane a run for his money! When he asks her to dinner... she shoots him down! She thinks it's a joke and that her cousin has set her up for a pity date. Thane has never had to fight for a date in his life! Sydney definitely is going to keep him on his toes! There is never really a dull moment with these two but there romance is sweet and their love is strong! I really enjoyed Thane and Sydney's story! <3

I have to admit that I knew who the bad guy would be pretty early on but I really didn't know what twist was going to be put on it. But that didn't stop me from enjoying the book! :) 

The Cauld Ane series by Tracey Jane Jackson is one of my favorites! I have been hooked since I stumbled upon Bound by Blood a couple years ago. This series is a must read for me every year! I am not sure if there is going to be any more books in the series but I look forward to whatever Ms. Jackson has in store for us in the future! :)

And of course I can't forget the casting! ;) 

Content: Depending on the reader...
Sketchy Clean. Mild to moderate language. Mild to moderate innuendos. Fade to black.

Bound by Tears by Tracey Jane Jackson

Synopsis:

Jesska Shane has suffered a devastating loss, and now pushes away those who love her the most.

Kaspar Baldursson is in search of answers concerning his brother’s sudden disappearance.

When he finds his brother--and his forever mate in the process--he must uncover the threats surrounding his family and protect his mate at all costs.

Will Kaspar’s love be strong enough to tear down the walls Jesska keeps building around her heart?

Will he be able to save her before the secrets in their past destroy them all?

My Review: 3.5 Stars

2nd time reading this and I've decided on 3.5 stars.

I'm having a hard time rating this one. I have to admit that Bound by Tears took me a bit by surprise. While it was good, it was also a bit depressing.

Jesska had found her one and only when she was in high school. His name was Brady. They had planned on going to Paris after graduation where he was going to propose to her. However, before graduation he was murdered. Jesska swore that she would never get involved with anyone again because, as stated above, Brady was her one and only. She does not handle it well at all. She becomes a cutter and her parents end up admitting her into the psych ward 2 days before her 18th birthday. Needless to say, her relationship with her parents becomes extremely strained after that. 10 years later she is still struggling with Brady's murder and isn't "living"... she's just going through the motions.

While at work one day she receives a call informing her that her sister, Megan, and niece, Sophia, were in a car accident and all the sudden everyone starts being all secretive around her. Jesska does not like it at all. Turns out her sister has been hiding things from her family and her past is starting to catch up with her.

Enter Kaspar. He is the King of the Kalt Einn and happens to be Sophia's uncle. Jesska also happens to be his mate. He can tell that she is extremely sad and knows that he has to take it extremely slow with her so that he doesn't scare her off. It takes time but she ends up trusting him and realizing that what she felt for Brady was small in comparison to what she feels for Kaspar.

The mystery element of the book was a twist I never saw coming! I was not expecting who was behind it and why. I also liked learning what the 3 sisters could do together. I'm looking forward to seeing where all these relationships go. Can't wait for the next book in the series!

And my casting choice...

Content: Depending on the reader...
Sketchy Clean. Moderate language. Moderate innuendos. Fade to black.