Weekend Wrap-Up & Giveaway Winners!

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:



I really enjoyed all of the books I read this week, but my favorite was Courting Morrow Little. :)

What I'm currently reading:

I should be done with Sneak in a few hours... hopefully. :)

  What I hope to read next week:

Really excited to read all of these books! :)

Reviews posted this week:

The Heiress's Homecoming by Regina Scott

Unrivaled by Siri Mitchell

Love in the Balance by Regina Jennings

Zero Visibility by Sharon Dunn

Current Giveaway!

Enter to win a copy of The Heiress's Homecoming by Regina Scott! US only. Ends 4/15

Giveaway Winners!!

The winners are...

Tammy (tcuevas@...)*
Meghan (mestith@...)*

*Winner has claimed their prize.

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

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Review: Zero Visibility by Sharon Dunn

Zero Visibility by Sharon Dunn

Love Inspired Suspense / 2012

Find on: Amazon, Goodreads

About the book:

Why was she a target? 

Merci Carson doesn't have a clue—but she knows she owes her life to the quiet man who roared to her rescue in his snowmobile. EMT Nathan McCormick is used to handling challenging situations, but between the unexpected blizzard that stranded the lovely student and the desperate men chasing her, he has his hands full. Yet for Nathan, failure is not an option. Merci's bravery and kindness challenge his guarded heart, bringing every protective instinct forward and making him start to hope for the future. Together, they could be something special—if they can solve the mystery in time.

My rating:

My thoughts:

Zero Visibility was a nice read, though not one of my favorite Love Inspired Suspense books. The story was interesting and kept my attention, but I didn't really care for the writing - it seemed to repeat things needlessly and just wasn't that crisp. Also, some things didn't seem that believable to me.

The characters were fine. I liked the attraction between Nathan and Merci, but I have to say, it did seem like things progressed really fast.

I really liked the setting for Zero Visibility. Being stuck on a mountain with the bad guys added a great layer of suspense.

Overall, Zero Visibility was an okay read.

*I received an eBook copy via Netgalley for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.*

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

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Review: Love in the Balance by Regina Jennings

Love in the Balance by Regina Jennings

Bethany House / 2013

Find on: Amazon, Goodreads

About the book:

Handsome Cowboy or Debonair Tycoon.

How's a Girl to Choose?

Molly Lovelace dreams of a life without cares in Lockhart, Texas. She also dreams of handsome wrangler Bailey Garner, her ardent but inconsistent beau. The problem is, with Bailey's poor prospects, she just can't fit the two dreams together.

Then mysterious stranger Edward Pierrepont sweeps into town--and her life--and for the first time Molly wonders if she's met the man who can give her everything. But he won't be in Lockhart long and while it certainly seems like he talks about their glorious future together, she can't quite get Bailey out of her mind.

What's a girl to do with all these decisions when love is in the balance?

My rating:

My thoughts:

I've heard a lot of great things about Regina Jennings debut novel, Sixty Acres and a Bride, and looked forward to reading her newest book, Love in the Balance. It was a really good read and I can see why people enjoy her books.

Although the characters were great, I have to say I was really annoyed with Molly Lovelace for the first 15 chapters or so. After that, I started to understand her and felt sorry for all the things she was going through. My favorite character was Bailey. He was just such a great hero and I definitely felt for him - hoping he'd get a happy ending.

I loved the redemption story in Love in the Balance. It was very moving. Also made me think about people's perceptions and how they are so quick to judge and put other people down - not even thinking about how they would want to be treated if they were in the same situation.

There were some curve balls in Love in the Balance... I liked how it wasn't so predictable.

Overall, I really enjoyed Love in the Balance. While I liked the first half of the book, the last half won me over. If you're a fan of historical romances, I think you'll also enjoy Love in the Balance. You might want to read Sixty Acres and a Bride first (I wish I had) as the main characters from that book are also in this one, but it's good on its own. I look forward to reading more of Regina's books in the future.

*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!!

~

Regina Jennings is celebrating the release of Love in the Balance with a Kindle Fire Giveaway and a Facebook Author Chat Party on 4/4!

One "lovely" winner will receive:

• A Kindle Fire 
• A copy of Regina's Sixty Acres and a Bride and Love in the Balance

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on April 3rd. Winner will be announced at the "Love in the Balance" Author Chat Party on April 4th. Connect with Regina, get a sneak peek of her next book, try your hand at a trivia contest, and chat with readers just like you. There will also be many fun giveaways -- gift certificates, books, and more!

So grab your copy of Love in the Balance and join Regina on the evening of April 4th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun, RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 4th!

Check out the complete Litfuse tour for Love in the Balance by clicking here.

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Review: Unrivaled by Siri Mitchell

Unrivaled by Siri Mitchell
Bethany House / 2013

Find on: Amazon, Goodreads

About the book:

Lucy Kendall returns from a tour of the Continent, her luggage filled with the latest fashions and a mind fired by inspiration. After tasting Europe's best confections, she's sure she'll come up with a recipe that will save her father's struggling candy business and reverse their fortunes. But she soon discovers that their biggest competitor, the cheat who swindled her father out of his prize recipe, has now hired a promotions manager--a cocky, handsome out-of-towner who gets under Lucy's skin. 

Charlie Clarke's new role at Standard Manufacturing is the chance of a lifetime. He can put some rough times behind him and reconnect with the father he's never known. The one thing he never counted on, however, was tenacious Lucy Kendall. She's making his work life miserable...and making herself impossible for him to forget.

My rating:

My thoughts:

Unrivaled was a tantalizing read! Having also read and enjoyed one of Siri Mitchell's previous novels, The Messenger, I knew she wrote good books and I look forward to reading more of them. :)

I loved how unique Unrivaled's story was! I haven't read many, if any, books with candy making being a central theme. It was fascinating to read about all of the candy creations.

Charlie and Lucy were great main characters. I really liked how the book was written - first person, switching from Lucy to Charlie every chapter. I loved being able to see from both of their view points. Winnie was another great character - I loved some of the things she said.

Overall, I really, really enjoyed Unrivaled and loved the message in the book. I was so close to giving it 5 stars, but since the beginning was a little slow (though not unenjoyable), I decided to go with 4.5 stars. I recommend Unrivaled if you enjoy historical romances. Oh, and if you have a sweet tooth, be prepared to really crave sweets while reading this book - I did! :)

*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!!

~

Celebrate Unrivaled with Siri Mitchell by entering to win a Kindle Fire and joining her on April 18th for a Facebook Author Chat Party!

 
One "swooning" winner will receive:

• A Kindle Fire
• Vintage Candy Kit
• Unrivaled by Siri Mitchell (one for you and one for a friend!)

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on April 17th. Winner will be announced at the "Unrivaled" Author Chat Facebook Party on 4/18. Connect with Siri, get a sneak peek of her next book, try your hand at a trivia contest, and chat with readers just like yourself. There will also be gift certificates, books, vintage candy kits, and more!

So grab your copy of Unrivaled and join Siri on the evening of the April 18th for a chance to connect with Siri and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book - don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun, RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 18th!

Check out the complete Litfuse tour for Unrivaled by clicking here.

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