My New Favorite Treat!

My daughter went to Hawaii and brought me home chocolate-covered pineapple. 

Oh. My. Word. 

It is SO good! I think I've found my new favorite treat! Have you ever had it? What is your favorite treat from another state/country?

Freebie Friday for Romance Fans!

Today is the last day to get the Timeless Romance Happily Ever After Collection for free! If you need some romance this weekend, but are super busy, these are the perfect novellas for you! A little book escape for busy people!

Get your free copy HERE  

Here's the back copy:

Six fairy tale romance novellas by New York Times bestseller Jessica Day George, and bestselling authors Julie Wright, Sarah M. Eden, Julie Daines, Heather B. Moore, and Annette Lyon.

MAIL-ORDER PRINCESS by Jessica Day George: Elise flees her small kingdom and arrives in the New World with only her two trunks and seven swans—her seven brothers to be exact. But Elise will do anything to get her brothers away from their cruel stepmother’s curse, even if it means accepting the long-distance marriage proposal to a former count turned farmer.

THE MILLER’S DAUGHTER by Julie Wright: When Isa meets Thomas Rumple, she is quickly infatuated with his good looks and natural charm, until she learns his true identity. Due to a wild claim by her insufferable father, Isa’s life is threatened by the king if she can’t spin a room full of straw into gold, and Thomas may be the only one who can save her.

HE PEBBLED PATH by Sarah M. Eden: Deep in the heart of a mysterious forest, Gretel trades her freedom to save her beloved father from the spell of an evil enchantress. Even attempting to escape would cost her father his life. Gretel’s determination to fulfill her promise wavers when she meets Hansel, a young man who captures her heart. For, she loves him too dearly to put his life in danger, and he loves her too much to simply leave her to her fate.

BLACK FERN by Julie Daines: Rós is desperate to find work in order to care for her ailing father and younger sisters. She applies to the mysterious owner of a crumbling castle and is soon swept up in dark secrets. Unsure if the owner of the castle is man or beast, Rós determines to help him at all cost. She soon discovers that the cost may be too great, even for her.

SCARLET by Heather B. Moore: When Scarlet needs to fetch a healing tonic on the night when the wolves are at their most dangerous, she has no choice but to apply to her nemesis, August, for help. He agrees to help her, but they encounter a pack of wolves that put up a fierce fight, marking Scarlet as their newly targeted prey.

SO RARE A POWER by Annette Lyon: Stella knows she’s taking a risk each time she meets Patrick in the rose garden that they’ve cultivated together. And no matter how much her mother will disapprove of their relationship, Stella can’t deny her feelings for him. When the Snow Queen steals away Patrick to drain him of his powers of creating beauty and life, Stella must decide what she’s willing to risk to rescue him.

Have You Seen Little Free Libraries?

I was driving my little boy home from school and he said, "Look, Mom, someone stuffed a whole bunch of books in a birdhouse!" LOL 

We pulled over and he was so happy to find out about little free libraries! I love the idea of them. I've definitely started to see more and more of them around. Do you have any in your neighborhood? What do you think of them?

Free Book for Romantic Comedy Fans!

I have been needing a romantic comedy lately and guess what? Melanie Jacobson's book, So Not My Thing, is free today! I can't wait to read this one. 

Get your free copy HERE 

Here's the back copy:

I hated Miles Crowe more than itchy socks, “namaste” puns on yoga tank tops, and chigger bites. Combined.

26-year-old New Orleans native Elle Jones used to be the internet's most famous meme for rejection thanks to an embarrassing teenage TV appearance. But she's finally put that past behind her and now she’s killing it as a commercial real estate agent in the coolest neighborhoods in the city.

When Miles Crowe—the former pop star who made her notorious—insists on hiring her to find a property for his jazz club, she’ll do everything she can to get herself fired before he realizes who she is.

But Miles has grown up too, and Elle soon discovers that he is as passionate about the city as she is…and even sexier now than he was then. Will she risk exposing her humiliating past to claim a future with the guy who once nearly ruined her life?

I'm Trying to Learn Something New

I'm trying to learn how to make video book ads and I finished my very first one today! I'm not super great with technology, so I'm proud of myself for stepping out of my comfort zone.  I really like how it turned out!

I decided to start with the first book in my Griffin Force series, The Captive. I thought the music went along really well with it, too!

What do you think?

(And if you don't have your copy of The Captive, you can get it HERE)

Book Review: Choices of the Heart

 

I was SO EXCITED to see another book in the Hope Springs series. I love this little town and all the people in it and I was excited to catch up with them and see another romance blossom. Choices of the Heart is sweet and heartfelt and just what I needed to tide me over until the next book. (Please, please, please let Finbarr get his story!)

Dr. Burke Jones has been a bit of a mystery and I loved getting to know his backstory. He's had a rough life. He's an orphan who has always been looking for where he belongs, while trying to make a name for himself as a doctor. He set up his practice in Hope Springs, but being a frontier doctor isn't exactly what he imagined. Still, he enjoys the people in the town and they trust his medical expertise. Sophie Kingston has grown up in Baltimore society, a bit of a misfit who doesn't seem be able to find her place. She becomes a sort of companion to a family friend and the women head to Hope Springs to visit. Sophie meets Dr. Jones and life is definitely not the same after that. Their journey to love is filled with all sorts of twists and turns and readers will feel every emotion as we experience the ups and downs of their relationship! I love that both Burke and Sophie have real depth to their characters and aren't really sure what the best decision is most of time time. Hope Springs seems like a real town and the author is so talented at truly bringing the people and places to life. I can't wait for the next book in the series. (You could read this book as a standalone, but why would you want to? The whole series is so good!)

You can get your copy here

Here is the back copy:

The paths of life that brought them together are destined to tear them apart.

Burke Jones began his life as a nameless orphan, dreaming of one day being a renowned doctor with a home and family to call his own. Sophie Kingston, daughter of an influential East Coast family, was destined to be an important and beloved part of Baltimore Society.

Life has not gone quite as either planned.

Now living in the home of a family friend, Sophie joins the lady on a journey to the tiny town of Hope Springs in Wyoming Territory. It is unlike any place she’s ever known. And the resident doctor is a mystery as well. Burke knows he isn’t the success he’d always imagined he would be, and seeing it through the eyes of this newly arrived Society lady only drives that home.

As Hope Springs begins to weave its magic, Sophie discovers more than she’d ever imagined, in both the town and its doctor. And Burke, who has always guarded his heart, begins to wonder if there might be more to life than he has previously imagined.

Their futures, however, do not lie along the same path or in the same destinations. Fate has once again proven unkind.

Can Hope Springs work yet another miracle?

Free Book for Romantic Suspense Fans!

I've never seen a Traci Hunter Abramson book offered for free and Failsafe is free for TODAY ONLY! You'll want to grab this one before it goes back to it's regular price!

Get your free copy here

Here's the back copy:

In the wide-open landscape of Pennsylvania, Charlotte Martin and her father live a peaceful life on their farm . . . or so it seems. In truth, the rural locale provides the perfect front for the father-daughter NSA operatives as they expertly carry out their mission: using a high-tech computer system, they protect a team of undercover agents. Some would kill to have access to this system, and it makes Charlotte and her father prime targets. It was only a matter of time before this nightmare unexpectedly crashed down on them, and only Charlotte escaped with her life. Before Dwight Martin died, though, he initiated the failsafe lockdown, and now Charlotte’s the only one who can access the system. 

Writer Jake Bradford left the serene Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia for the hustle and bustle of New York to pursue his dreams and never looked back. Until now. Entrusted with his ailing grandmother’s care, Jake knows he needs help—and he can’t believe his luck when a lovely young woman providentially appears on his doorstep. Charlotte creates a new persona for herself and quickly develops a bond with Jake’s grandmother. But it’s the connection she feels with Jake that makes it almost too easy to lose sight of her reality: she is being hunted by men who will stop at nothing to access the intelligence she protects. With time running out, can the couple find a future together, or will Charlotte’s secrets tear them apart?

Free Regency Romance!

If you need a regency romance to read, Sally Britton's, Reforming Lord Neil is free today! I haven't read this one personally, but I've read other books by Sally Britton and really enjoyed them!

Get your free copy HERE

Here's the back copy:

An arrogant lord cut-off by his family. A penniless widow in desperate need. In their reduced circumstances, can love save them both?

Lord Neil Duncan, third son of the Marquess of Alderton, finally angers his father enough to be cut off from the family. Neil believes it is only a matter of time before he is reinstated, but time is passing slowly and he needs to eat. His so-called friends have abandoned him, no one else trusts him, and it is not until he comes upon a young widow that he finds someone who needs his help as badly as he needs hers.

Teresa Clapham has been without a husband's provision and protection for over a year. Supporting her mother and daughter on the pittance her brother-in-law provides has required her to stretch every farthing. When Lord Neil arrives at her doorstep proposing he work for her to earn his keep, she sees possibility in the man everyone else has deemed an arrogant good-for-nothing.

As Lord Neil works for the first time in his life, Teresa sees in him a tender heart long repressed by his family's expectations - a heart that causes her own to open once more. But her brother-in-law Frederick Clapham is less charmed by Teresa’s new servant. When Lord Neil discovers the secret Mr. Clapham has been keeping, he must decide whether to embrace the man Teresa believes him to be, or fall back on the privileged lifestyle he’s always known.

Sale on Three Romantic Comedies!

Jennifer Peel is having a .99 cent birthday sale on three of her books! If you need something cute and fun to read this weekend, you'll definitely want to pick these up.

All's Fair in Love and Blood--this one was cute and has all the feels! Get your sale copy HERE 

The Sidelined Wife--I haven't read this one, but I will now! Get your sale copy HERE  

My Not-So-Wicked Stepbrother--the first Jennifer Peel book I ever read! Loved it. Get your sale copy HERE 

A Tale of the Book from the Thrift Store

My husband bought a book at a thrift store and after he brought it home and started reading it, he noticed it didn't lay flat. Thumbing through the pages, he found a woman's checkbook with about thirty unused checks tucked in the back. He contacted her immediately and she told him she had moved recently and donated a lot of books, but she had no idea how her checkbook would have gotten in one! She was so relieved to have it returned to her and grateful that there are still good people in the world. (If you know my husband, you know he is good to the core and I love that about him!)

 
My lesson learned is that from now on, I think I'm going to double-check every item that is set to be donated to the thrift store before I donate it, just in case! You just never know what gets tucked into things.

In the Non-Fiction Corner with Lauren: Old Testament Insights

Old Testament Insights takes us on a deep-dive of the Old Testament through many chapters, each written by a different author. These authors cover stories that are more familiar to us like Cain and Abel and Esther, but also expound on what we can learn from lesser known stories like Jeremiah and Hosea. Many of these chapters focus on sacrifice, which is a major theme of the Old Testament. This book definitely enhanced my knowledge of the Old Testament and made me excited for this year and what Come Follow Me has in store!

 
One of my favorite chapters of the book talks about Shiprah, Puah, and Deborah. The author starts out talking about how Christ is the light of the world, and how sacrifice is an essential part of the gospel of Jesus Christ. As we sacrifice and obtain a broken heart and a contrite spirit, others can see the Light of Christ through us. Shiprah and Puah are two biblical examples of women spreading their light to others, even though they lived in a very dark time. These women were midwives during a time when Pharaoh had commanded all the male babies to be killed. But Shiprah and Puah believed in the sanctity of life, and refused to be a part of this violence. Because they stood up for what was right, they were blessed by the Lord. This story is told in eight verses in the Old Testament, but we can learn so much from others perspectives as we study the Old Testament this year and this book will add more depth and perspective to our Old Testament knowledge.

Get your copy here

Here's the back copy:

We are instructed to offer unto the Lord a broken heart and a contrite spirit, a concept taught in Psalms 34:18, which is at the heart of the prophetic teachings on sacrifice and in the lived experiences of people in every age. But what does the phrase "broken heart and contrite spirit" mean, and what does God require of you? Old Testament Insights, featuring a compilation of essays from twenty gospel scholars, provides clarity for readers on the eternal principle of personal sacrifice, both as taught throughout the Old Testament and in its modern application.

Featuring multiple perspectives on the practice of sacrifice, this powerful volume offers valuable insight into our Heavenly Father's expectations for His covenant people. By looking to the experiences of individuals in scripture to anchor discussion, contributors weave together an in-depth explanation of the law of sacrifice and the true and eternal value of turning to the Lord with a broken heart and a contrite spirit.