Book Review & Giveaway!

I was really excited to see a new book from Melanie Jacobson. I enjoy her romantic comedies and can get lost in her California settings. But Perfect Set intrigued me with the added angst of a reporter and a reporter-avoiding pro beach volleyball player being thrown together.

Bree Mercer makes a big move to California to land her journalistic dream job and wants to impress her boss enough so she can cover more than high school sports. She's a reporter with a strong sense of ethics, though, and definitely has lines she won't cross, which I really liked about her. But beyond her professional life, her roommate wants her to meet people and encourages her to attend a bonfire put on by their LDS singles ward. Bree reluctantly goes and meets Kade Townsend, someone Bree might like to get to know better---until he announces he's a pro beach volleyball player. And since Bree doesn't date athletes, well, that spark of attraction has to be hastily put out. But when she gets assigned to report on Kade, can she get the story and keep her feelings in check?

I loved the relationship between Kade and Bree and the very realistic problems they are facing. It was so complicated, and yet, the author added quite a bit of humor in as well. I thought the author did a great job of writing three-dimensional characters and giving enough emotional depth to pull the reader in and make us want to stay up late to see what happens next.

In addition to our hero and heroine, the reader also gets a well-rounded secondary cast that features characters from previous Jacobson books. I loved catching up with them and seeing where they were in their relationships. The beach volleyball world was interesting, and though I figured out what the big obstacle would be between these two early on, the tension was enough to keep me turning pages to see if it would play out like I thought it would. I was so engrossed in the story, when I reached the end I wanted more! That's when you know the author has done a good job. (But I must say, I was hoping for an epilogue! Hopefully, we'll see these characters again.)

So, if you're looking for a sweet romance with all the highs and lows---and twists and turns---on the way to winning at love, you'll really enjoy Perfect Set.

Don't forget to scroll down and enter the giveaway!

You can get your copy here

 

Here's the back copy:

Bree Mercer is an ambitious sports reporter who has risen through the ranks to land her dream job. Basking in the sun, sea, and seriously cute guys in her new singles ward, things couldn’t be better. That is, until she’s assigned to write a feature on the one person she can’t stand—professional beach volleyball player Kade Townsend. A typical cocky athlete, Kade’s previous attempt to woo her was foiled by Bree’s hard-and-fast rule: don’t date athletes. Ever.

Kade loathes the media, and for good reason: when his hard-partying ways were exposed by a reporter who claimed to be his friend, the scandal rocked his entire family. Now reformed, Kade has put his life back together, and he has no interest in talking to reporters—least of all, Bree Mercer. But when the pair is thrown together despite their best efforts, their chemistry is undeniable. They can’t seem to put the brakes on their feelings—until their connection threatens Bree’s reputation and Kade’s hard-won redemption. Now they must decide if there is a place for love in their plans for the future.

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Miracles and Broken Hearts

Fourteen years ago we added a sweet little kitten named Taffy to our family. She was so fun and loved everyone in the family, but right from the start she chose my son Jared to be her “person.” She would follow him everywhere and was just happy to be with him---they were pretty inseparable. When he got back from serving his two year LDS mission, the second she saw him, she nearly jumped into his arms and wouldn’t leave his side. Her person was back!

Jared got married and moved away last year and we’ve all been trying hard to fill that space in Taffy’s everyday life. And since we’ve had Taffy for fourteen years, she’s the pet my younger kids have known their entire lives. She’s been sick for a while, though, and about six weeks ago, we knew it was time to let her go. I made the appointment with the vet and we told the kids. It was so hard for all of us! My little seven-year-old took it the hardest and in his prayers that night he asked Heavenly Father to please heal his cat because she knew all his secrets and he needed her. I could hardly hold back my sobs listening to that because I knew she was too sick to go on and might not even last the night.

The next morning, the cat who hadn’t eaten in two days and was near death greeted us as if she hadn’t been sick at all and ate her breakfast like everything was normal. My little boy was overjoyed and said that Heavenly Father had heard his prayer and given him a miracle. I could hardly believe it, but how could I go ahead with the appointment and ruin his miracle? I couldn’t.

These last six weeks since that prayer have been precious and sweet. We took lots of pictures with the kids and our sweet kitty on her good days and just let her lay quietly by us on her bad days. When Jared came over were always the best days for her and it was easy to see that.

Our time with her on earth has drawn to a close and we had to say goodbye to her today. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. All of our hearts are broken. I’m so very grateful for a little boy’s faith and prayer that gave us a tender mercy, a little miracle, and that we got six more weeks to prepare us for this goodbye. I think I’m most glad that she was able to leave this earth while being held in Jared’s arms, surrounded by her family, knowing she was very, very loved. But I’m just really, really going to miss her.
 

Freebie Friday for Romance Fans!

I haven't read any of the books in this Billionaire Brides series, but they look fun and The Passionate One by Jeanette Lewis is free today so I think I'll try it over the weekend. Who doesn't love a fluffy romance, right?

Here's the back copy:

As the creator of the Billionaire Bride Pact, Erin Parker is determined to see it through. And now that superstar actor Brennan Avery has been cast as her costar in a play destined for Broadway, things couldn’t be better.
But Erin’s best friend, Matt Walters, isn’t ready to give up on her. He has a plan to escape the friend zone and prove to Erin that there are more important things than money and fame.

Author's Note: The books are numbered in the order they were released, but are designed to be read in any order without missing any of the story.

You can download your free copy here

My Non-Fierce Haircut

I went in to get a haircut, just a trim, and I'm in the chair, with the plastic cape on and the lady starts cutting. All is going well until she meets my eye in the mirror and says, "you should get a pixie cut." (The hairdresser had a short pixie cut that looked good on her, but was definitely not for me.) I smiled and declined and she held a piece of my hair up with the scissors in her other hand and said, "You'd look fierce with a pixie cut. Trust me."

I think I stopped breathing for a second because I really thought she was going to go ahead and give me a pixie cut whether I wanted to or not! Thankfully the cape disguised my arm flail while my family's reactions were flashing through my mind like a near-death experience. The gasps of "Mom, what happened?" and the headshakes of shock with the shout of "Somebody get mom a hat! Quick!" And then the vision of me standing in front of my husband with, "Welp, I was feeling fierce today so I went with it."

The hairdresser took one look at my panic-stricken face, though, and went on with the trim. I guess I'll just always be a tame shoulder-length styled not-as-fierce-as-she-could-be-with-a-pixie-cut woman. Haha!

Have you ever been a little frightened at the outcome of a hair appointment?

Interview With Historical Romance Author Jennifer Moore!

I was so excited to welcome historical romance author Jennifer Moore to our book club this month. She was so fun and I loved learning more about galleons and ships (her passion) and what drives her stories. But, the best part was, Ms. Moore agreed answer a few questions for us and I'm going to post them for you, so you can get to know her, too!

In this first clip she tells us if she cries while writing death scenes (spoiler alert for the book Lady Lockwood!)

In the second clip, Jennifer answers the question of If you could meet one person from the past, who would it be? With her knowledge of history, I wasn't surprised at who she mentioned!

And in the last one, Jennifer tells us what the strangest thing is she learned from her research! Of course it would be about ships. I think she is a walking encyclopedia on everything ship-related. So cool!

If you haven't picked up any of Jennifer Moore's books, you should! Her newest one, My Dearest Enemy, was set during the War of 1812 and it was so good!

You can get your copy here

Here's the back copy:

Struggling alone on the family farm, Abigail Tidwell knows exactly who to blame for her hardships: the Americans. If it weren’t for their part in the war, her father and brothers would be home rather than fighting abroad. But no amount of antipathy could have prepared her for the shocking sight of a wounded American soldier on her property, a man in dire need of her help. Grudgingly, Abigail tends to the soldier’s injuries and anticipates the satisfaction of turning him over to the authorities once he is healed. But fate has other plans. Captain Emmett Prescott remembers little of the ambush on his men by a group of Shawnee Indians and even less about how he arrived in the unfamiliar barn.

After being nursed back to health by beautiful, if reluctant, Abigail, Emmett would do anything to save the men he left behind—including forcibly enlisting Abigail’s help. Soon, Abigail finds herself caught between two countries at war. And as her attraction for Emmett grows, her conflicted heart engages in its own silent battle. But when she is accused of treason for her actions, her survival rests in the hands of the very man she once considered her enemy.

Are You A Nancy Campbell Allen Fan? This Is The Book Sale Post For You!

TWO awesome things have already happened on this Monday morning! First, I got Nancy Campbell Allen's new book, Kiss of the Spindle in the mail today! I've been waiting for FOREVER and dying to read this book. (No one needed me to do anything for the rest of the day so I can start reading right?!)

But the second awesome thing was that I noticed Nancy's first book in the series, Beauty and the Clockwork Beast is on SALE for only .99 cents! That is a STEAL! And I really loved that book.

You can get your Kindle copy here

You can read my review of it here

Here's the back copy:

When Lucy Pickett arrives at Blackwell Manor to tend to her ailing cousin, Kate, she finds more than she bargained for. A restless ghost roams the hallways, werewolves have been reported in the area, and vampires lurk across the Scottish border.

Lord Miles himself is clearly hiding a secret. He is brash and inhospitable and does not take kindly to visitors—even one as smart and attractive as Miss Pickett. He is unsettled by the mysterious deaths of his new wife, Clara, and his sister, Marie. Could Miles himself be to blame for the deaths?

Working together, Miles and Lucy attempt to restore peace to Blackwell Manor. But can Lucy solve the mystery of Miles? Can she love the man—beast and all?

Free Romances For Mother's Day!

If you are looking for something to read this Mother's Day weekend, over twenty authors (including me!) are celebrating Mothers in Romance fiction and offering FREE e-books! Every story has a mother in it in some role, great or small. Plus there's a $40 gift card prize!

All you do to get the free ebooks is choose the title you're interested in, sign up to learn a little more about the author, and curl up in your favorite comfy chair and start reading! Click HERE to see all the titles being offered and how to enter to win the $40 gift card!