Review & Giveaway! The Heiress's Homecoming by Regina Scott

The Heiress's Homecoming by Regina Scott

The Everard Legacy: Book Four

Love Inspired Historical / 2013

Find on: Amazon, Goodreads

About the book:

Terms of the Will

To keep her cherished childhood home, Samantha Everard must marry by her twenty-fifth birthday. Yet she refuses to marry on a whim, not even to save her fortune. When she returns to Dallsten Manor to say goodbye, the last person she expects to see is her handsome, disapproving neighbor William Wentworth, Earl of Kendrick. 

Will is certain the scandalous Everard family is nothing but trouble. He shouldn't care about Samantha's predicament, but her feistiness and kindheartedness intrigue him—as does her refusal to wed. He wants to help, especially when he perceives the threat that surrounds her. Soon his greatest wish is to persuade Samantha that her true home is with him.

My rating:

My thoughts:

The Heiress's Homecoming is the fifth book I've read by Regina Scott and, while I enjoyed all of them, I think this is my favorite so far! I loved getting to read Samantha Everard's story. After being introduced to her in the previous "Everard Legacy" books, it was great to see where life took her and if she got a happy ending.

I loved the characters! Some of my favorites were Will, Samantha, Samantha's cousins, and Mrs. Dallsten. One of my favorite things about The Heiress's Homecoming was how Jerome, Richard, and Vaughn were a part of the story - it was great to see how life was going for them.

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Monthly Reflections (#15) ~ March

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Monthly Reflections, where we take the time to reflect on the previous month.

My goals for March were...

☑Read 12 books
1 Nonfiction

In March I...

Read 13 books! 10 were review books.

Books read:

Reviews:

Code Blue by Richard L. Mabry
Shattered by Dani Pettrey
Grave Consequences by Lisa T. Bergren
Moonlight Masquerade by Ruth Axtell
Swept Away by Mary Connealy
Memory of Murder by Ramona Richards
Veil of Pearls by MaryLu Tyndall
Kill Shot by Anne Patrick
A Killer Among Us by Lynette Eason
The Survivor by DiAnn Mills
My Stubborn Heart by Becky Wade
The Heiress's Homecoming by Regina Scott

Reviews on Goodreads that I haven't posted here (yet):

Gone in a Flash (Ebook Shorts): A Women of Justice Story by Lynette Eason
Unrivaled by Siri Mitchell
Through the Fire by Shawn Grady
Zero Visibility by Sharon Dunn

Interviews:

Dora Hiers
Noelle Marchand
Amanda Flower

My thoughts on March:

March was a great reading month for me! I got to read a lot of books I've been anticipating for a while. My two favorites were Grave Consequences and A Killer Among Us.

Looking ahead:

My goal for April is:

To read at least 12 books.
Finish a reading challenge.

If you want to do your own Monthly Reflections, feel free to grab the button and post about it on your blog, then leave a comment with the URL - otherwise, please share your thoughts in a comment!

Now it's your turn! What did you accomplish in March, what do you hope to accomplish in April?

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Weekend Wrap-Up & Giveaway Winner!

Weekend Wrap-up is where I share what I read this past week, am currently reading, and hope to read this coming week, and (when applicable) the current giveaways/giveaway winners. Occasionally I'll post some other stuff as well.

Feel free to join along and post your own Weekend Wrap-up on your blog/site (if you do, please leave the link in a comment so I can stop by) or, in a comment, share what you've accomplished (reading-wise) this past week. :)

 What I've read this week:



What I'm currently reading:

I know, I know. I'm reading a LOT of books right now. 

  What I hope to read next week:

I pretty much just want to finish most of the books I'm reading plus Love in the Balance next week, but if I have time, also start The Frontiersman's Daughter.

Reviews posted this week:

The Survivor by DiAnn Mills

My Stubborn Heart by Becky Wade

Current Giveaway!

Two winners will each receive a copy of A Plain Scandal by Amanda Flower! Giveaway is open to the US and Canada. Ends 4/2

Giveaway Winner!!

The winner is...

Filia! (tsukiselene@...)*

*Winner has been contacted and has until 4/4 to claim their prize.

There you have it, that is what I accomplished (reading-wise) this week! What about you?

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Review: My Stubborn Heart by Becky Wade

My Stubborn Heart by Becky Wade

Bethany House / 2012

Find on: Amazon, Goodreads

About the book:

Kate Donovan is burned out on work, worn down by her dating relationships, and in need of an adventure. When her grandmother asks her to accompany her to Redbud, Pennsylvania, to restore the grand old house she grew up in, Kate jumps at the chance. 

Upon her arrival in Redbud, Kate meets Matt Jarreau, the man hired to renovate the house. Kate can't help being attracted to him, drawn by both his good looks and something else she can't quite put her finger on. He's clearly wounded--hiding from people, from God, and from his past. Yet Kate sets her stubborn heart on bringing him out of the dark and back into the light...whether he likes it or not.

When the stilted, uncomfortable interactions between Kate and Matt slowly shift into something more, is God finally answering the longing of her heart? Or will Kate be required to give up more than she ever dreamed?

My rating:

My thoughts:

My Stubborn Heart was such a good read! I absolutely loved the prologue - it was a very unique way to start the book. The story was really good and I liked the whole house renovating aspect.

Matt was my favorite character in My Stubborn Heart. Not only did he go through a lot of grief and struggles in his life, but he also seemed like a great guy once you got passed his barriers. Plus, he was also a hockey player (my favorite sport to watch!) and that just made me like him even more. =) I also loved all the hockey references in this book (like icing).

I found quite a few scenes in My Stubborn Heart funny and I especially liked the bantering between Kate and Matt about the poker games.

There were some things in My Stubborn Heart that weren't my cup of tea. For instance, I didn't care for some of the words used (like p*ss*d, cr*p, and saying "he didn't have the 'b_ _ _ s' to ask her why") and how people called Matt a "hottie", "hunk", etc. a lot... it got to be a little annoying to me. I also didn't like the replies from God - it's a pet peeve of mine.

The romance was good and I had a smile on my face a lot while reading My Stubborn Heart. I also liked the subplot romance between Morty and Velma.

Overall, My Stubborn Heart was a very good read and, except for the bit of edginess in it, I really enjoyed the book. I recommend it if you enjoy romance books with a good message and don't mind edgy fiction.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book for my review. I was not required to write a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.*

Was my review helpful? If so, please click "yes" on Amazon. Thanks!

Check out an excerpt from My Stubborn Heart below!

My Stubborn Heart by Bethany House Publishers

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Review: The Survivor by DiAnn Mills

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing The Survivor Zondervan (March 5, 2013) by DiAnn Mills

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

DiAnn Mills believes her readers should “Expect an Adventure.” She is a fiction writer who combines an adventuresome spirit with unforgettable characters to create action-packed novels. Her books have won many awards through American Christian Fiction Writers, and she is the recipient of the Inspirational Reader’s Choice award for 2005, 2007, and 2010. She was a Christy Award finalist in 2008 and a Christy winner in 2010.

DiAnn is a founding board member for American Christian Fiction Writers, a member of Inspirational Writers Alive, Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, and is the Craftsman Mentor for the Christian Writer’s Guild. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops.

DiAnn and her husband live in Houston, Texas. Visit her website or find her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/diannmills


ABOUT THE BOOK

Kariss meets Dr. Amy Garrett, who survived a brutal childhood attack in which the assailant was never found. Now Dr. Garrett wants her story written in a novel. Kariss wishes she could seek the advice of Special Agent Tigo Harris, but she broke off the relationship a few months prior and seeing him again would be too painful. She interviews Amy and conducts her own research, stepping unaware into a viper's pit of danger. Tigo misses Kariss and wants her back, but he understands why she broke off their relationship. Instead, he concentrates on solving a car bombing and bringing the killer to justice. As Kariss's new story attracts an onslaught of danger that she never expected, can Tigo save the woman he loves and find who wants her dead for writing about an unsolved cold-case?

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Survivor, go HERE.

My rating:

My thoughts:

The Survivor was a really good read with a lot of suspense. I found it interesting how the novel was based on a solved cold case - it made the things that had happened to Amy all the more chilling.

I don't really have a favorite character from The Survivor. I liked both Tigo and Kariss, but a few things annoyed/frustrated me about them. Mainly, how stubborn Kariss was and all the risks she took. Also, all the mentions of Buzz Lightyear and Tigo were annoying - it was fine at first, but got to be too much towards the end.

The mystery was great! It took me a long time before I actually had a plausible guess of who the killer might be.

At times there seemed to be a little too much detail in The Survivor and that was one reason I didn't love the book. Still, it was very good and I really enjoyed it.

If you like suspense novels, I think you'll enjoy The Survivor. You'll probably want to read book one, The Chase, first, though it's not completely necessary for you to enjoy this one.

*I received this book for free for my review. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.*

Was my review helpful? If so, please click "yes" on Amazon. Thanks!!

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Top Ten Books I Recommend The Most

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Top Ten Books I Recommend The Most

Here are my top ten:

1. The River of Time series (Waterfall, Cascade, Torrent, Bourne [novella], Tributary [novella]) by Lisa T. Bergren

2. Corridor by Robin Parrish

3. Vigilante by Robin Parrish 

4. Abomination by Colleen Coble

5. BoneMan's Daughters by Ted Dekker

6. Beckon by Tom Pawlik

8. The Kincaid Brides series (Out of Control, In Too Deep, and Over the Edge) by Mary Connealy

8. Love's Reckoning by Laura Frantz

9. The Patrick Bowers Files (The Pawn, The Rook, The Knight, The Bishop, The Queen, Opening Moves [prequel]) by Steven James

10. The Maid of Fairbourne Hall by Julie Klassen

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