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Her Alaskan Valentine’s Day Matchmaker–frigid setting
Her Alaskan Valentine’s Day Matchmaker
by Melinda Curtis
Welcome to the Alaskan Matchmaker Series. The first book in the series is Her Alaskan Valentine’s Day Matchmaker and is written by Melinda Curtis. It is a novella and authors Anna J. Stewart and Cari Lynn Webb will be writing other books in this series. I don’t know if their books will be novellas or full length romances. I do know that they will deal with some of the same characters that are introduced in Her Alaskan Valentine’s Day Matchmaker.
The setup for this plot is that three bachelors in their twenties wage a bet with their former high school hockey coach. If they win the bet to get three couples together in Kenkanken, Alaska, they get their dream fulfilled of being employed by a hockey team. It’s an outrageous bet, laced with failure, but it gets much worse when Nora and her five week old baby walk into their headquarters, their favorite stools in Coach’s bar. Who is the baby’s father and what does Nora want?
The cold setting is front and center as the men of K-bay all proudly sport winter beards which they don’t shave until spring. Their beards become part of the plot too. As a novella, there is not a lot of time devoted to character development, but there is a surprising amount dedicated to the plot. My favorite character is the baby, little Zoe; everyone falls in love with her. I enjoyed the book and felt like the novella length was appropriate to the story.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Romance, Novella
Notes: 1. #1 in the Alaskan Matchmaker Series
2. I thought the title of the book would grow on me, but it still just seems awkward.
Publication: February 7, 2023—Chelsea Beth Publishing
Memorable Lines:
“How do we get our clients to realize they’ve found true love in the same dating pool they’ve had available for years? I mean, they have only three weeks to fall in love and ring the bell.”
He’d given her a night that was exactly what she’d wanted, but he couldn’t help but feel he hadn’t come close to giving her what she’s really needed.
“Gideon?” The sharp doubt in that one ice-laden word could have punctured the hull of the Titanic.
Sycamore Circle–rebuilding a life
Sycamore Circle
by Shelley Shepard Gray
Madisonville is a prison in the novel Sycamore Circle. Lincoln was formerly incarcerated there, as were the men who work under him in the organization called T-DOT (Tomorrow Depends on Today). The group tries to rehabilitate former inmates, giving them practical skills by restoring houses and flipping them. They also learn self-discipline and how to survive in the outside world. Lincoln has earned the respect of law enforcement, probation officers, and prison officials. The program is voluntary, but the men who sign up agree to certain rules and will be kicked out of the program if they don’t abide by them.
Bo is Lincoln’s friend and his right hand man at T-DOT. He spent three years incarcerated as a felon, but has turned his life around. He is attracted to Joy, a literary tutor he met in a coffee shop, but he realizes that she is a special lady and he doesn’t know how to approach her. Joy has been divorced for 4 years from Tony, a man who constantly put her down. He had an affair and wanted to move on. Despite being a terrible and stingy ex-husband, he is a good father to their 16 year old daughter Chloe.
Joy and Bo are moving extremely slowly into a friendship when Joy starts receiving calls, texts, and letters from a stalker. Bo realizes how serious this could be and turns on his protection mode.
This story is well-written with likable characters, understandable relationship hesitations, and a lot of suspects for who the stalker might be. There is a subplot of an abused teenage boy who is trying to decide on a commitment to the Amish way. I was fortunate to read this on a day I could devote a lot of time to it as I wanted to keep reading until the end to find out who the stalker really is and what the future holds for Joy, Bo, and Chloe.
Trust is one of the themes of this series. It is a problem the former inmates and the people they come in contact with both have. Can someone who has done hard time in prison be trusted again? Even family members can have difficulty trusting their love ones, questioning if the changes are real. If they can’t be integrated into society again and find meaningful, financially sufficient employment, how can they survive without breaking the law again? Although this theme is not stated directly, it is the undercurrent of the series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Christian, Mystery and Thriller, Romance
Notes: 1. #2 in the Rumors in Ross County series, but could be a standalone.
2.I found that the stalker element leaned this mystery slightly into the thriller category.
Publication: February 7, 2023—Blackstone Publishing
Memorable Lines:
…he realized that he was going to need to be real patient if he wanted a chance with Joy—and that he was going to have to bring his A game too. She was not the kind of woman to accept a date on the fly or put up with him being anything but respectful and kind. I had been noted.
But he wasn’t worried about the Lord being upset with him. He’d started talking to God on his own years ago. Though it wasn’t something that he was comfortable sharing, he was pretty sure the Lord was still going to have his back whether he was Amish or not.
She treated him to a fake smile too. The kind women gave to security guards and annoying salespeople. Like she was glad for his place in her world, but she didn’t want them to connect on a regular basis.
Becoming Elisabeth Elliot–missionary seeking to obey
Becoming Elisabeth Elliot
by Ellen Vaughn
[No spoilers in this review.]
There are some biographies so full of facts that they are boring. There, I’ve said it! Becoming Elisabeth Elliot, thankfully, is not that kind of biography. Many readers may be familiar with the basic story of Jim and Elisabeth Elliot, missionaries to Ecuador to try to reach the Waodanis. This tribe had only experienced violent conflict with the outside world. Jim and Elisabeth (a.k.a. Betty) were determined to decipher the Waodani language so they could translate portions of the Bible to the native language as well as make friends with the people and introduce them to Jesus.
The basic story of their experiences are recorded in Elisabeth Elliot’s book Through Gates of Splendor. That same information appears in this authorized biography Becoming Elisabeth Elliot, but this book focuses on the first third of Elisabeth’s life and her preparation for whatever God called her to do. The author was given access to Elisabeth’s many private journals and interviewed people who were a part of her life in various ways. We are able to delve into Elisabeth’s thoughts as she poured out her soul in her journal disclosing her primary goal, to be obedient to God. We learn of her pain and suffering before, during, and after a major crushing event in her life. Her early years and education are discussed from the viewpoint of how they impacted her relationships with God, family, and friends. Then we learn how she matures in her faith, never seeking weak Christian platitudes but struggling to understand God and His plan. She has a lot of difficult seasons of waiting as she seeks God’s will and learns first hand that the question of why something happens may never be answered on Earth. The important question is not “why,” but “what”—what does God want me to do? What is the next step?
Well researched and well written, Becoming Elisabeth Elliot is a masterful biography and a page turner. It can be read as a historical document showcasing a woman who achieved fame as a missionary, prolific author, speaker, translator, professor, and radio broadcaster. It can also be read and studied by those who want to learn from Elliot’s experiences and spiritual insights to further their own personal journeys in drawing closer to God and obeying Him in following in the footsteps of Jesus.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Biography, Nonfiction, Christian
Notes: 1. Each chapter begins with a quote by various authors. They are always apropos to the chapter and worthy of pondering.
2. The book includes a Foreword by Joni Eareckson Tada, an Epilogue, and Footnotes.
3. The author has written the second in a series of three planned books to provide a complete telling of Elisabeth’s life. Being Elisabeth Elliot, which covers Elisabeth’s later years, will be published on September 12, 2023.
Publication: 2020—B&H Publishing Group
Memorable Lines:
And Eugenia had nearly vomited when Betty gave her some vegetable soup; she had absolutely recoiled at the taste of fudge. Well, Betty thought, it was just another vivid reminder that one could not assume that everyone thought and felt just like North Americans.
To opine about what God is up to in terms of results, can stray into the realm of hubris, or faithlessness. If we must see that there are worthy results in order to come to peace about what God has done or allowed, then we have no faith.
And suffering is one of God’s sanctifying tools. God is not a cosmic plumber who shows up to make things run smoothly for us. When He doesn’t fix broken situations in our lives, it’s usually because He is fixing us through them.
In Farm’s Way–the heart of the farm
In Farm’s Way
by Amanda Flower
There is a lot going on in Cherry Glen, Michigan, land of cherry orchards, snow, and ice fishing. Shiloh Bellamy left her L.A. producer job to return to Cherry Glen to save the family farm by reinventing it as an organic farm.
In the brief time since she returned to her home town, she has gained a reputation as someone who is nosy and can solve crimes. She helps her aging father as much as he will allow, but their bonds have never been strong as her father could not step up to the plate emotionally after Shiloh’s mother passed away. Along the way, they have both developed a relationship with the exuberant Hazel who loves to help on the farm. Hazel’s father Quinn, an EMT, was Shiloh’s deceased fiancé’s best friend. Complicated, right?
When Shiloh discovers a body under the ice at an ice fishing competition, and her friend Kristi’s husband is a prime suspect, Shiloh is asked to investigate. Woven into her sleuthing are topics like ice fishing, birding, beer brewing, and organic farming. Shiloh continues her search for something her beloved grandmother left for her at the “heart of the farm.” There is also a potential romance or two that mainly produces tension, but also ends the book with a cliff-hanger.
As with most mysteries you will meet some interesting characters along the way. there are two sheriffs who become a little territorial, a widow who doesn’t seem at all sad, and an organic beer brewing association with internal politics. Jesse’s Place is the cafe to go to if you want to pick up the latest local gossip, and Jesse herself is civic minded and kind hearted. Shiloh’s older cousin Stacey is fulfilling a personal dream by reviving the town theater using money she got from the sale of her half of the family farm. I mustn’t forget Shiloh’s animals. Her adorable pug is Huckleberry. He goes almost everywhere with her. She also has a Siamese cat who rules over the barn cats and Diva who rules in the hen house. Shiloh anthropomorphizes her animals and that adds humor to the story.
I have read most of Amanda Flower’s cozy mystery series and have enjoyed all of them. Her characters are interesting, and the plots are well conceived with lots of threads. In Farm’s Way continues her stellar reputation for good cozy mysteries.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: 1. #3 in the Farm to Table Mystery Series, but can be read as a standalone. Amanda Flower excels at providing background information as needed for the reader, so don’t be afraid to jump in with In Farm’s Way.
2. Includes tips and a recipe for suet for feeding birds in the winter.
Publication: February 21, 2023—Poisoned Pen Press (Source Books)
Memorable Lines:
I wasn’t one for the crowds, at least not crowds in Cherry Glen. I hadn’t really minded them in LA because they had anonymity. However, in my hometown, everyone knew who I was, what I was a doing. Gossip was a town pastime.
The Siamese looked over her shoulder at me and gave a very slow blink. I had read that a slow blink from a cat meant she was saying, “I love you.” However, when it came to Esmeralda, I was certain it meant, “I am your queen. Sit down, peasant.”
Huckleberry looked at me with wide pug eyes in alarm. To be honest, pugs looked alarmed the majority of the time. When they didn’t, they were asleep.
The Rose and the Thistle–laird of the manor
The Rose and the Thistle
by Laura Frantz
How many times have there been royal overthrows in England and other parts of the British Isles? More than I can keep straight. Therefore, the first part of The Rose and the Thistle was a little confusing to me as I took the author’s brief historical note and tried to integrate the facts into the story she told. The historical backdrop is the Rising or rebellion in 1715 when the Jacobites, supporters of the now exiled Stuart dynasty, tried to reclaim the throne from the German George I. Add in to that strife a generous serving of discord of a religious nature (Catholic Scots vs. Protestant English), and you have quite a mess.
Lady Blythe Hedley of Northumbria has been living in the French courts during some of this conflict. When events turn more dangerous, her father, the Duke of Northumbria, sends her to take refuge at her godfather’s house. He is the laird of Wedderburn Castle and father of many sons. The Hedleys are Jacobites so Lady Blythe’s presence must be kept secret to protect her and them.
Marriage is a critical issue for women to ensure their safety and position in society and to men to safeguard their family wealth, maintaining it and hopefully increasing it. Thus, courting, relationships, and marriage are critical social, political, and financial concerns.
A few chapters into the book, I began really enjoying the characters and plot. My lack of familiarity with the political intrigue worked itself out as the historical context found its place as a backdrop to several romances in the novel. The protagonists are Lady Blythe, a Countess; and Everard, Lord Fast, who inherits all of his father’s assets on becoming the Earl of Wedderburn. There are many reasons for the pair to have conflicts and watching how they are resolved is fascinating. They are both characters of faith who find more commonalities than differences in their faiths.
Orin is a favorite character, an eight year old who is much loved by his family but has grown up motherless. He is very intelligent and yet whimsical. Once Lady Blythe is given the freedom to roam the castle and grounds, she and Orin take to each other immediately. Blythe and Everard’s mutual love for Orin is a factor in their growing admiration for each other.
The plot is full of romance and social jousting. Royal court and military politics play an important role. The book also includes servants in the household, positions taken by women who find themselves unmarried and without any family wealth, and the tenants who work the estate’s coal mines.
Hawking, horseback riding, inns, and traveling in the early 1700’s are part of the story as is imprisonment in the tower, owning family jewels, and having staffed, but little used, residences scattered around the country. I enjoyed The Rose and the Thistle and recommend it for those who like clean historical fiction.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Historical Fiction, Romance, Christian, Religion,
Notes: 1. A clean historical fiction; a romance that is a standalone.
2. Includes a Glossary of Scottish words.
Publication: January 3, 2023—Revell
Memorable Lines:
“What news have you of the king o’er the water?” Everard could not keep his mockery at bay. “That the French court is in a chaos similar to that in Genesis before the creation of the world.”
Nay, when all was said and done, Blythe would never forget the way the new laird tenderly bent down and lifted his little brother, whose tears streaked his pale face, into his strong arms and carried him all the way home.
She waved her fan about again with practiced ease. Women and fans were not unlike men with swords, he decided. Hers seemed a blatant tool for coquetry.
Spurred to Justice–creepy “Grave Digger”
Spurred to Justice
by Delores Fossen
There were a lot of “firsts” in this read for me. I had never read any books in The Law in Lubbock County series, books by Delores Fossen, or books published under the Harlequin Intrigue imprint. I am sharing my reflections on each topic:
The Series: I could tell that there was a personal relationship backstory between the protagonists Adalyn and Nolan but that gap did not affect my understanding of the plot in Spurred to Justice.
The Author: Delores Fossen is a good writer creating likable characters. Her plot has misdirection for the reader and for FBI Special Agent Nolan and ex-cop, current security officer Adalyn. She adds significant plot twists to keep suspense at the forefront.
The Imprint: I like Harlequin Heartwarming books so I thought I might like a novel from the same publisher but with a small amount of suspense. Spurred to Justice had only a little of things that I prefer not to have in books I read: foul language, open bedroom doors, and creepy murders. The inappropriate language is mainly handled by describing someone cursing with the actual words appearing only a few times. The sex scenes do not go all the way to culmination because the pair is always interrupted by phone calls or texts. The creepy factor is the Grave Digger whose taunting and method of murder gives those trying to stop him literal nightmares, but more of the book delves into his identity rather than how he commits the murders.
Reading Spurred to Justice was an experiment for me. My conclusion is that although I did not dislike this book, I won’t be pursuing any similar novels in the future.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Mystery and Thriller, Romance
Notes: #4 in The Law in Lubbock County series, but could be read as a standalone
Publication: January 24, 2023—Harlequin Intrigue
Memorable Lines:
But her body had to be firing off all kinds of signals that this was a primal sort of showdown with the person who’d tried to murder her and would almost certainly try again if he got the chance.
Nolan kept his tone as dry as the West Texas dust.
The Grave Digger would have known this shock would cloud their minds and maybe cause them to lose focus.
The Courtship Plan–first love
The Courtship Plan
by Kathleen Fuller
Things aren’t going well for Charity Raber as she looks for a job and a husband in Birch Creek. She was one of many young ladies responding to an ad that said there were a lot of young Amish men in Birch Creek looking for wives. Charity is thin with bright red hair and more freckles than can be counted. Because of a difficult family background, she comes across as…odd. She is too eager, her speech is unfiltered, and she just doesn’t know how to act around her peers. She was even set up with a date as a prank by one brother fooling another. She escapes more embarrassment by moving to Marigold where she is hired as a caregiver to Shirley, a kind English woman. To her dismay, just as she is adjusting well, one of the brothers moves in next door.
Charity wants love and sets out to get a husband with the aid of library books that hold some pretty bad advice and lead Charity into some situations that are very funny. The interactions between Shirley and Charity with their neighbor Jesse are the basis of a good story that is mostly not a fairy tale romance. A fun addition is Shirley’s escape artist dog Monroe. A serious complication is Charity’s relationship with her father and stepmother.
Love and forgiveness are strong themes that move forward an interesting story. Charity is a complicated character with a complicated background. She is the underdog protagonist that you will root for, but a happy ending seems difficult to achieve.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Christian, Romance
Notes: #1 in the Amish of Marigold Series. This book references a prank that I had also read about in the last book of the Amish Mail-Order Bride Series, but they are really independent series. The reader will get all the information needed right in The Courtship Plan.
Publication: January 17, 2023—Zondervan
Memorable Lines:
He’d called her weird and a pest. He wasn’t the first one to throw those awful adjectives at her. That honor was reserved for her mother.
When he’d told her Shirley cared, her heart leapt. Someone cared about her. She soaked that in like a dried-up sponge sitting in a saucer of fresh water.
She replaced her kapp with a kerchief and tried to bolster her own spirits, like she always had. but she failed. She was tired, so tired of being her own cheerleader.
A Lineage of Grace–5 novellas point to Jesus
A Lineage of Grace
by Francine Rivers
In the patriarchal societies of the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, there are many stories of men and their relationships with God, but there are also stories of women who played an important role in history. In the fictional stories of A Lineage of Grace, Francine Rivers chose out five women who are noted in the Bible for their lives and actions as well as their place in the earthly lineage of Jesus Christ, the Messiah or Savior, who came to Earth as a man to save people from their sins, restoring them to relationship with God.
Rivers has written five novellas which are available singly or as an anthology. Scripture is woven all through the book, but at the end of each novella there is a discussion guide that includes the specific Scripture passages from which the story is drawn. The plot is found in the Bible and is the backbone of the tale which Rivers fleshes out using knowledge of the history of the area and the culture of the times.
Unveiled is the story of Tamar, a young Canaanite married to an abusive husband. Her father-in-law, the Israelite Judah, is consumed with guilt over his actions towards his brother Joseph. Much of the story deals with Tamar’s need to have a son and the various devious means used to accomplish that goal.
Unashamed is the second story and one that is more familiar to many readers. It focuses on Rahab, a harlot, who is instrumental in Joshua’s successful destruction of Jericho. The author expertly fleshes out the character of Rahab. We see how she might have come to be in this position as well as her strength, intellect, and the trust she placed in the living God of the Israelites as opposed to the idols her family worshipped.
Unshaken is another familiar story, that of Ruth the Moabitess. When Ruth, her mother-in-law Naomi, and her sister-in-law all found themselves widowed, she decided to follow Naomi back to Bethlehem and trust in the God of Israel. She kept them from starvation and in the process God led her to a kinsman who continued the lineage.
Unspoken relates a version of a complicated plot set in motion by King David’s lusting after Bathsheba, another man’s wife. The Biblical story itself has soap opera drama to it and could be a morality tale about the consequences of sin. Rivers makes the characters come to life with assumed fictional motivations and background, all believable and appropriate to David’s status as King and what we know from the Bible about the people who surrounded him. Despite their sins, when David and Bathsheba sought forgiveness, God gave it to them, but they did suffer consequences. The story continues on past the initial drama through the rest of David’s life and the transfer of power to his son Solomon.
Unafraid is the story of Mary, the mother of Jesus. As a young teenager she showed courage, strength, and trust in God in her response to an angel telling her that, unmarried, she would become pregnant through the Holy Spirit with the Son of God. Betrothed to Joseph, she could have been disgraced and executed according to Jewish law. She endured an uncomfortable donkey trip to Bethlehem in her last month of pregnancy and gave birth to her first child in a stable without the help of a midwife.
This novella takes us through many of the events she witnessed as Jesus began his ministry all the way through his devastatingly horrible crucifixion to his glorious resurrection. Rivers writes what she thinks Mary’s inner struggles must have been and the way she always pointed attention to Jesus and not to herself. In fact, although Jesus made sure she was cared for after his death by his disciple John, he never elevated her as worthy of worship and she never sought such a role.
I enjoyed A Lineage of Grace which is thought provoking. The author made the characters of the Bible come alive and although separate in time and distance, I could see the links between the stories as they all lead to Jesus. The genealogies in the Bible can get tedious, especially if you are trying to pronounce some of those names! The core of this book is found in genealogies, but it comes alive as you look in depth at the bigger picture. Indeed, it’s all about the great Three in One: God the Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Historical Fiction, Christian
Notes: My book club read this over five weekly meetings, and it worked well over a busy summer when members could drop in and out without losing the meaning of a longer work.
Publication: 2009—Tyndale House
Memorable Lines:
Unveiled—Was Bathshua blind to what she caused in this household? She constantly pitted son against father and son against son. She argued with Judah over everything—and in front of her sons—teaching them to rebel and follow their own desires rather than do what was best for the family. It was no wonder her mother-in-law was miserable! And everyone was miserable right along with her.
Unashamed—Jericho looked as though a hand had come down from heaven and flattened it against the earth. The walls and towers were scattered stones that had collapsed and rolled outward. Screams still rent the air as smoke and fire rose.
Unshaken—After Mahlon’s death, she decided she would never again allow her mind to dwell on things beyond her control. The future was one of these things. She would face whatever came and do the best with whatever life God gave her.
Unspoken—Yet, crouched at the door was a greater enemy than those who camped around Israel. And a greater battle was coming—one that could tear a nation to pieces. The battle would not take place in the mountains, valleys or plains of Israel. It would take place in the wilderness of the human heart.
Unafraid—“Hasn’t God always chosen things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise? Maybe God chose a peasant girl to be his mother and a carpenter to be his earthly father because the Messiah is meant for all our people, not just those who dwell in the fine houses of the provinces or the palaces of Jerusalem.”
Love in Harmony Valley Binge Wrap Up
In A Small Town Romance, Melinda Curtis paints a lovely picture of Harmony Valley, the setting of her Love in Harmony Valley series:
“Harmony Valley could have served as a backdrop for a Norman Rockwell painting. Old fashioned lamps lined Main Street. The buildings had brick fronts and canvas awnings. The wind blew brown and orange leaves down the road listlessly, as if even the elements knew the pace here was slow. The jury was out on whether it was off-the-grid, enjoy-your-time-off slow or bore me to tears slow.”
While A Small Town Romance is the last book I will read during this binge of the Love in Harmony Valley series which I have enjoyed, Melinda Curtis continues to rewrite and re-edit the books in this series. She is publishing one book per month. It appears the original series had 17 books including one novella.
Currently the ones shown on Amazon and Goodreads are:
#8 Finding Family in the Small Town—August 22, 2023
#9 A Small Town Girl with a Big City Secret—September 19, 2023
Thanks to my readers for sticking with me during my unusual binge. It’s probably a lot more fun to read the books than the reviews so your interest and loyalty are appreciated. Now we return to a variety of books just waiting to be read—ARC’s, Book Club reads, and personal choices.
If you missed any of the reviews, you can click on the book cover below for a quick link.
A Small Town Romance–writer of hurtful satire
A Small Town Romance
by Melinda Curtis
As the Love in Harmony Valley series continues, I have been looking forward to hearing more of Tracy’s story. We met her in the first book of the series, Dandelion Wishes. She had been Emma’s best friend and is Will’s sister. She has expressive (speech) aphasia as the result of an accident where Emma was driving. Her speech difficulty is hard enough in daily life, but imagine what it does to a marketing executive. She is currently working as a barista in the local coffee shop.
When Chad is fired from his position as a travel writer and head of company at the Bostwick Lampoon, he heads out to write his own caustic satire on the web starting with little Harmony Valley. The elderly residents are delighted that he is going to draw attention to their town bringing in tourists and new residents but are unaware of his satirical motives.
Tracy is attracted to the real Chad hidden inside the charming but deceptive exterior. He does have a kind heart and helps her with her speech. Unfortunately for their relationship, Tracy has done her research and is aware of the devastation he can bring to the little town and the people she loves in Harmony Valley.
A Small Town Romance provides a great look at these two characters. It shows the importance of self-confidence and helping others, putting their needs above your own.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Women’s Fiction, Romance
Notes: 1. #7 in the Love in Harmony Valley Series. It could be a standalone but so many of the previously introduced citizens of Harmony Valley show up in this book that I think the enjoyment is enhanced by reading other books in the series.
2. This book is Tracy and Chad’s story.
Publication: July 18, 2023—Franny Beth Books
Memorable Lines:
Tracy used to love to flirt. She used to be the Queen of the One-Liners, the Princess of Comebacks, the Junior Miss of Verbal Jousting.
“It’s quite round.” Chad swirled the glass again and watched the wine drip slowly down the side. “And it has good legs.” Now he was speaking French. Liquid, people. It’s just liquid.
Mildred was no longer going to seize the day. She was going to walk in Martin’s and survive the day. Because that’s what one did after embarrassment in a small town. You held your head up and carried on.
education pathways 