"Start With Me" book tour!

"Start With Me" is the first book that I have read by Kara Isaac and now I am ready to read every single other book written by her!  This was such a great read as the characters were so real, and dealt with real-life issues, there was no glossing over the rough times.  Lacey has worked so hard and so carefully for the past decade to build up her life and her reputation at her job and she is going to fight for the promotion that she deserves.  When the company is merging she comes face to face with a man from her past who works for the sister company; however this man does not remember Lacey at all or their brief encounter.  Victor is not the man he was three years ago; however his family and others he has come into contact with have a hard time believing that.  Victor is determined to hold firm onto a spot in the newly merged company to help prove this.  As Victor and Lacey are paired up on team adventure that is part of this new merger, they find out more about each other and themselves. 
Lacey has built a wall around her heart and has tried to protect herself from being like the rest of her family; she has escaped from her hometown and struggles with the lives that her family chooses to live.  Lacey has never really been honest with anyone, but this changes with the more time she spends with Victor.  Victor was an alcoholic and womanizer and he has so many regrets, even more so that he cannot remember all that he has done.  However, he has worked hard to prove to himself and others that he is no longer that man; one of the reasons he has not dated anyone or had any kind of relationship with a woman for three years.  However, Lacey makes him want to break that streak. 
I loved both Lacey and Victor in this book and their stories and their strength and determination, as well as their vulnerability with each other.  However, I also loved the minor characters and their roles, and was thrilled to see that there are books that tell their stories, so I am off to read those to find out more about what got those characters to this point! 

*Thanks to Just Read Publicity Tours for including me on this reviewer tour; I was given a complimentary copy in exchange for a honest review.*

The Killing Tide blog tour!

About the Book

Book:  The Killing Tide
Author: Dani Pettrey
Genre: Inspirational Romantic Suspense
Release Date: August 2019

When one Coast Guard officer is found dead and another goes missing, Coast Guard Investigative Service special agent Finn Walker faces his most dangerous crime yet. His only clues are what little evidence remains aboard the dead officer’s boat, and the direction the clues point to will test Finn and the Guard to their limits.

When investigative reporter–and Finn’s boss’s sister–Gabby Rowley arrives, her unrelenting questions complicate an already volatile situation. Now that she’s back, the tug on Finn’s heart is strong, but with the risks she’s taking for her next big story, he fears she might not live through it.

Thrown together by the heinous crime, Finn and Gabby can’t ignore the sparks or judgments flying between them. But will they be able to see past their preconceptions long enough to track down an elusive killer, or will they become his next mark?


My Review:
Dani Pettrey has become a must-read author for me as her books are the perfect mix of romance and suspense!  "The Killing Tide" is a perfect start to her brand-new series and I was fortunate enough to get an early copy of book 2 in the series ("The Crushing Depths"), so I could just continue right along reading about this incredible team.  This Coast Guard Investigative Service team is one that I would for sure want around if I found myself needing their services as they are committed to their jobs and also to each other.  Finn is struggling with what limited clues he has in this most recent crime, and he is not thrilled with the return of Gabby.  Well, his heart is betraying him as he really is happy to see her, yet at the same time he is fearful she will be killed, and he doesn't believe his heart will live through that.  This book is one that you will want to keep reading as soon as you start as you will be hooked from the start.  I highly recommend this book, and do not stop with that, go get book 2 as soon as it is out on June 30th!

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Praised by New York Times best-selling author Dee Henderson as “a name to look for in romantic suspense,” Dani Pettrey has sold more than half a million copies of her novels to readers eagerly awaiting the next release. Dani combines the page-turning adrenaline of a thriller with the chemistry and happy-ever-after of a romance.
Her novels stand out for their “wicked pace, snappy dialogue, and likable characters” (Publishers Weekly), “gripping storyline[s],” (RT Book Reviews), and “sizzling undercurrent of romance” (USA Today).
She researches murder and mayhem from her home in Maryland. For more information visit www.danipettrey.com

 

 

More from Dani

Pettrey kicks off her new Coastal Guardians series with an intense blend of suspense, love, and faith. The Killing Tide features romance that’s as thrilling as the action, and faithful characters integrated seamlessly into a complex web of crime.
— Kate Campos BookList

The Killing Tide is the first book in my Coastal Guardian series. My husband was Navy, so why am I writing about the Coast Guard? Because I think their mission to keep our waters and our country safe should be highlighted more. Before I started writing The Killing Tide, I’ll admit I knew little about the Coast Guard. I had a friend in high school who joined the Guard right after graduation, but that’s about the depth of my experience with them. Then, my husband and I watched a movie called The Finest Hour.

If you haven’t seen it, I highly urge you to. It’s the true story of one of the most dangerous and daring rescue attempts in Coast Guard history. Boatswain’s Mate First Class Bernie Webber takes a small team to rescue the crew of the Pendleton T2 oil tanker, which split in half off the coast of Cape Cod during a brutal nor’easter in 1952. I won’t ruin the ending for you, but let’s just say it’s a wonderful testament to courage in adversity. After watching it, I knew I had to write a series about the Coast Guard. I began researching and came across the Coast Guard Investigative Service and my interest was highly peaked. After talking with Coast Guardsmen, both newly in the service and those long retired, I began to see the story weaving together like a movie in my mind. I hope you enjoy reading the CGIS Wilmington teams’ adventures, cases and…of course, romances.

Blog Stops

Through the Fire Blogs, June 17

Back Porch Reads, June 17

Losing the Busyness, June 17

Older & Smarter?, June 18

Genesis 5020, June 18

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, June 19

Worthy2Read, June 19

For Him and My Family, June 20

deb’s Book Review, June 20

Inklings and notions, June 20

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, June 21

Texas Book-aholic, June 21

Pause for Tales, June 21

Betti Mace, June 22

Read Review Rejoice, June 22

Spoken from the Heart, June 22

KarenSueHadley, June 23

Ashley’s Bookshelf, June 23

The Christian Fiction Girl, June 24

Life of Literature, June 24

Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, June 24

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, June 25

Blossoms and Blessings, June 25

A Good Book and cup of Tea, June 25

Emily Yager, June 26

Splashes of Joy, June 26

Just the Write Escape, June 27

Blogging With Carol, June 27

Moments, June 27

Stories By Gina, June 28

Cathe Swanson, June 28

Daysong Reflections, June 28

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, June 29

Mary Hake, June 29

Lights in a Dark World, June 29

With a Joyful Noise, June 30

Inside the Wong Mind, June 30

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Dani is giving away the grand prize package of a Kindle, $20 Amazon gift card and a signed copy of The Crushing Depths!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/fcce/the-killing-tide-celebration-tour-giveaway

*Thanks to Celebrate Lit for including me on this tour and for the complimentary copy of this book.*

"What Momma Left Behind"

Book Description from the publisher:

In the face of overwhelming obstacles, she'll need courage, grit, and a tender heart
Worie Dressar is seventeen years old when influenza and typhoid ravage her Appalachian Mountain community in 1877, leaving behind a growing number of orphaned children with no way to care for themselves. Worie's mother has been secretly feeding several of these little ones on Sourwood Mountain. But when tragedy strikes, Worie is left to figure out why and how she was caring for them.

Plagued with two good-for-nothing brothers--one greedy and the other a drunkard--Worie must fight to save her home and the children now in her begrudging care. Along the way, she discovers the beauty of unconditional love and the power of forgiveness as she cares for all of Momma's children.

My Review:
I was completely intrigued by the blurb for this book and this book was just as good as I thought it was going to be.   I love to read historical fiction, as it is so easy to be swept away to a different time period and really experience what life was like.  This book is no exception as the author does a fantastic job with bringing the setting and the time period to life.  Life in the Appalachian Mountains seems like such a different world and way of life, and I admire the strength and perseverance in these characters, especially Worie.  There is so much tragedy and hardship in the world and it would be so easy to give up or walk away, but the strength and love gets people through.  I highly recommend this book as you will feel a part of this book as you are transported to the characters' world and their way of living.  

*Thanks to the Revell Reads Blogger Program for the complimentary copy of this book.*

"Secrets Resurfaced" blog tour!

About the Book

Book:  Secrets Resurfaced
Author: Dana Mentink
Genre:  Romantic Suspense
Release Date: June 2, 2020

When new evidence surfaces about a tragic boating accident that put her ex-boyfriend’s father in prison, private investigator Dory Winslow’s determined to look into it. But now someone’s dead set on silencing her. And working with Chad Jaggert—the father of her secret child—may be the only way to survive the treacherous truth about the tragedy that once tore them apart.

 My Review:
This book was a wild ride and excellent conclusion to this series!  I love Dana's books as they are fast-paced, edge of the seat reads with characters who just draw you right into their lives.  "Secrets Resurfaced" focuses on Dory and Chad, but the other characters are just as wonderful to read about as well and I loved seeing some of them again!  Dory is trying to find out the truth about an accident from several years ago; however Chad, in his own way is trying to help, but is also not helping at the same time.  Dory is trying to keep her distance for more reasons than one, as he does not know about her child, their child.  As Dory gets knee deep in this investigation, she knows that she is going to have to work with and trust Chad once more even if it is going against what her heart and head both may be telling her.  
I loved this book, it is such an excellent mix of suspense and romance and I was hooked on the story and invested in the characters' lives as soon as I started to read!  This is a quick read and while I wanted to know what was going to happen next, I didn't want it to end so soon.  I am looking forward to seeing what this author writes next!  

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Dana Mentink is a two time American Christian Fiction Writers Carol Award winner, a Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award and a Holt Medallion winner. She is a national bestselling author of over forty titles in the suspense and lighthearted romance genres. She is pleased to write for Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense, Harlequin Heartwarming and Sourcebooks. Besides writing, she busies herself teaching third grade. Mostly, she loves to be home with Papa Bear, teen bear cubs affectionately nicknamed Yogi and Boo Boo, Junie, the  nutty terrier, and a chubby box turtle. You can connect with Dana via her website at danamentink.com, on Facebook, YouTube (Author Dana Mentink) and Instagram (dana_mentink.)

More from Dana

Well, it’s been a wild ride through the Roughwater Cowboy series! Here we are at the end, with youngest brother Chad’s story. Fortunately, the rest of the clan (Mitch, Liam and Helen) are here to lend a hand when the man Chad’s father was jailed for killing comes back to life. Helping out also is Jingles the hapless dog, and a new member of the canine family, three legged Meatball. Throw in a killer on the loose and a secret child, and we’ll have a ‘hold onto your hat’ finish to this series. Thanks for coming along with me! God bless you!

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, June 5

Texas Book-aholic, June 5

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, June 6

deb’s Book Review, June 6

Pause for Tales, June 6

Inklings and notions, June 7

Just Your Average reviews, June 7

Genesis 5020, June 8

Through the Fire Blogs, June 8

Hallie Reads, June 8

She Lives To Read, June 9

For the Love of Literature, June 9

Betti Mace, June 10

Quiet quilter, June 10

Older & Smarter?, June 10

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, June 11

Blogging With Carol, June 11

For Him and My Family, June 12

Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, June 12

Bigreadersite, June 12

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, June 13

reviewingbookplusemore, June 13

Reading Is My SuperPower, June 14

KarenSueHadley, June 14

Moments, June 14

Simple Harvest Reads, June 15 (Guest Review from Mindy Houng)

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, June 15

Remembrancy, June 16

Bizwings Blog, June 16

To Everything There is A Season, June 16

Splashes of Joy, June 17

Blossoms and Blessings, June 17

Just the Write Escape, June 18

Daysong Reflections, June 18

Artistic Nobody, June 18  (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Dana is giving away the grand prize package of a copy of the book and a $50 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/fc1a/secrets-resurfaced-celebration-tour-giveaway

*I received a complimentary copy of this book as part of the participation of this tour.*

"When I Meet You" blog tour!

About the Book

Book:  When I Meet You
Author: Olivia Newport
Genre:  Christian fiction
Release Date: May, 2020

Book 3 in the Tree of Life Series: A Father-Daughter Genealogy Team Link Faith Journeys on Family Trees

A trunk abandoned at Denver’s Union Station more than a century ago leads Jillian and Nolan to untangle the mystery of its contents—including correspondence with the head of Pinkerton’s National Detective Agency Denver office. While Nolan digs into the legalities of the findings, Jillian searches for the descendants of a stolen identity who might not be who they think they are on Colorado ranch land. When Drew seems anxious to hear what Jillian has to say but his Great Aunt Min slams the subject closed—twice—Jillian is all the more determined to find out what happened to the woman who never claimed her luggage, why Min doesn’t want to talk about it, and what will happen for Drew if he gets the answers he seeks.

When I Meet You is the third book in the Tree of Life series by Olivia Newport. You’ll want to return to the lovely Colorado mountain town of Canyon Mines again and again to explore and celebrate unforgettable family stories that will inspire you to connect with your own family histories and unique faith journeys.

My Review:
I have enjoyed this entire series so far, but this book is my favorite!  Once again the reader is transported to this cute town in Colorado, back to the lives of characters whom we have met in books 1 and 2, and new ones as well!  Jillian and Nolan (I just love the team they make with digging into the past!) are faced with a new challenge, an unclaimed trunk from the early 1900's.  As they seek answers about this trunk and the people alive now who may be connected, there are more questions that arise and not many answers being given.  This just makes Jillian more determined, but yet it also allows the reader to see more deeply into her heart and her struggles, making her become even more real and relatable.  Obviously the more time you spend with a person, the better you get to know them, and this is the same way with book characters - the more time I've spent with Jillian, the more I've gotten to know her and I feel like in this book in particular, I really felt a connection with her.  I felt as if I was there in Canyon Mines seeking answers along side the characters and breathing in the mountain air.  If you are at all interested in genealogy, this is a book and series for you!  

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Olivia Newport’s novels twist through time to find where faith and passions meet. Her husband and twentysomething children provide welcome distraction from the people stomping through her head on their way into her books. She chases joy in stunning Colorado at the foot of Pikes Peak.

More from Olivia
Stolen Identity or Stolen Secrets?
Years ago I made a business trip to a country in Asia. Somehow I managed to pack for two weeks in carry-on luggage. This was before everyone started carrying electronic devices that required a bag of their own, and the impoverished area I visited had only intermittent electricity anyway.
When it was time to come home, my luggage met the requirements to keep it with me as I traveled halfway around the world through several airports. But at the boarding gate, a woman pushed a cart stacked with six oversized and overstuffed suitcases, insisting she had to take all of them on the plane. Her argument was that she couldn’t risk losing her personal belongings. She was moving back to the States, this was everything she owned, and she just wasn’t having this nonsense about abiding by the same limitations as the other 300 people in line or that none of those bags would fit in an overhead compartment anyway. The airline staff began waving people around her to get the large aircraft boarded on time for an international flight. She was one of the last people to take her seat—without her bags.
I admit I prefer keeping my bags with me and getting in and out of airports quickly. And once my bags didn’t come off the same plane I did, and it took a few hours for them to be delivered to me.
But what happens to truly unclaimed baggage? One-half to one percent of baggage that goes through American airports is never claimed. Airlines will try for ninety days to find the owners. If they can’t, they have to do something with it. Generally it’s sold, sight unseen, to the Unclaimed Baggage Center in Alabama. There it is opened and sorted into what can be cleaned and sold in their store, what might be donated, and what has no value and is disposed of as trash. They find some pretty interesting things!
But my brain goes back to the curious question of why the baggage is unclaimed in the first place.
It’s not just because the airline lost it. We’ve all seen the lines of suitcases that baggage handlers remove from the circling conveyer belt because they’ve been around enough times that it’s obvious no one is there to pick them up after the flight. People got off the plane and left the airport without their bags. Why?
My new book, When I Meet You, raises the same question about travel in the railroad era. A trunk abandoned at Denver’s Union Station more than a century ago surfaces, leading genealogist Jillian and her lawyer father, Nolan, to untangle the mystery of its contents—including correspondence with the head of Pinkerton’s National Detective Agency Denver office. While Nolan digs into the legalities of the findings, Jillian searches for the descendants of a stolen identity who might not be who they think they are on Colorado ranch land. When Drew seems anxious to hear what Jillian has to say but his Great Aunt Min slams the subject closed—twice—Jillian is all the more determined to find out what happened to the woman who never claimed her luggage, why Min doesn’t want to talk about it, and what will happen for Drew if he gets the answers he seeks.
When I Meet You is the third book in the Tree of Life series. Return to the lovely Colorado mountain town of Canyon Mines again and again to explore and celebrate unforgettable family stories that will inspire you to connect with your own family histories and unique faith journeys.
Visit www.olivianewport.com or find me at www.facebook.com/OliviaNewport.

Blog Stops

Through the Fire Blogs, May 28

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 28

Texas Book-aholic, May 29

deb’s Book Review, May 29

For the Love of Literature, May 30

Lighthouse Academy Blog, May 30 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)

A Reader’s Brain, May 31

Blogging With Carol, May 31

Older & Smarter?, June 1

CarpeDiem, June 1

Inklings and notions, June 2

All-of-a-kind Mom, June 2

Hallie Reads, June 2

Betti Mace, June 3

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, June 3

For Him and My Family, June 4

Bigreadersite, June 4

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, June 5

Worthy2Read, June 5

Pause for Tales, June 5

Just the Write Escape, June 6

Inside the Wong Mind, June 6

Tell Tale Book Reviews, June 7

Connect in Fiction, June 7

Daysong Reflections, June 7

She Lives To Read, June 8

Read Review Rejoice, June 8

A Baker’s Perspective, June 9

Mary Hake, June 9

Remembrancy, June 9

Moments, June 10

With a Joyful Noise, June 10

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Olivia is giving away the grand prize of a $25 Amazon Gift Card and a copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/fa0b/when-i-meet-you-celebration-tour-giveaway