Seasoned with Love

I'm a long time fan of Ms. Moore, 

When I pick up one of her books, I know exactly what I'm getting: clean romance with just kisses, emotional barriers to overcome, and solid writing. 

And this book doesn't disappoint. 

You'll be falling in love right along with Cara and Roman as they overcomet their individual and collective obstacles to end up together, along with a cute little girl. 

Lots of heart and family in this book. 

AMAZON

She’s not looking for a relationship, only to grow her career. And he's solely focused on raising his young daughter. Nothing can turn his head, until he meets Cara Prosper.

USA Today bestselling author Heather B. Moore welcomes you to Prosperity Ranch!

Cara Prosper has tried and failed at romance, so it's better to focus on what she can do well. Cook. When she's hired to cook for an elite holiday event at a ranch in Wyoming, her childhood memories rise up again. Family has always been important to her, but it's never been everything. After meeting big shot film producer, Roman De Marco, she discovers that first impressions can be dead wrong. And Roman might be exactly what she's been missing.

(All characters in this book are fictional and not based on real people. The town of Prosper is also fictional and not named after any other towns named Prosper.)

Books in the series:
One Summer Day
Steal My Heart
Not Over You
Seasoned with Love
Take a Chance=

A Family for Christmas

This was my first read by Mona Ingram. 

It's a cute story and there's more than one romance to follow. Plenty of mishaps and misunderstandings to keep you entertained. 

A little slow in parts for my taste. 

What are your go-to Christmas books?

AMAZON

Love is the greatest gift of all… Maddie only has one shot to get life back on track before Christmas. With a new gift wrapping business set up in the lobby of the Drummond Building, the last thing on her mind is falling for Chase, the heir to the Drummond fortune. But it isn’t Chase who captures her heart. Annie, only ten years old and recently orphaned, needs more than gifts for Christmas, and Maddie might just have enough love left in her heart to help.

A Cheerful Heart Anthology

I'm so pleased to be a part of this anthology and working with other authors to support a women's health organization. My book Her Heart-stopping Rookie is my first sports romance, though I'm a long time hockey fan. 

All content is clean and some is Christian romance. There's something for every romance reader here. 

GET MY BOOK!!!

Learn more about the charity here: 

Cradle of Hope Pregnancy Resource Center in Mount Pleasant, Iowa

Why did we choose Cradle of Hope? We’re so glad you asked!

As Christians, we affirm the sanctity of every human life, created in God’s image, and believe each person deserves the right to life. That’s why 100% of the proceeds from this book will support Cradle of Hope Pregnancy Resource Center in Mount Pleasant, Iowa.

Cradle of Hope offers free services, including pregnancy testing, ultrasounds, medical consultations, adoption information, and resources for expectant parents, all rooted in their faith in Jesus Christ.

Their purpose is to “reveal and communicate the life-changing message of Jesus Christ by providing practical help and loving support to those facing an unplanned pregnancy—one woman, one baby at a time.” And that is why we have chosen to support their center in this year’s anthology.

Your purchase already advances their mission, but you can learn more or offer additional support—through prayer or other means—by visiting their website or Facebook page.

Cradle of Hope

Cradle of Hope Facebook Page

Make-Believe Fiance

I've read several of Ms. Holt's books, and she's a good storyteller. 

This series kicks off nicely with the fake relationship trope front and center. And, of course, whenever a couple fakes being together, chances are they develop real feelings and end up confessing. 

This book is no exception. 

Strong characters, lovely settings, not enough kisses IMO. 

The one downfall, this book needs a serious edit. There were errors on almost every page and sometimes twice on a page. Maybe you could get by with that in 2018, but not now. I found around 90. 

What books do you like that use the fake relationship trope?

AMAZON

Take one billionaire cowboy in need of a fiancée, add one divorced teacher with trust issues and mix in a fake engagement. What could possibly go wrong?

Gwen Alder is starting over — divorced and broke, she’s come to Billings, Montana for a new beginning. But waitressing in a roadside diner for the summer isn’t paying the bills, and she finds herself in over her head with no hope of catching up.

Heath Montgomery has it all — fame, fortune and a mega-watt smile, but one thing he doesn’t have is a date for his cousin’s wedding.

When the two of them cross paths, Heath has an idea — what if he paid her to be his date? No strings, no complications, just a simple business transaction — a way to finally win his father’s trust, and get his parents off his back about settling down once and for all.

She’s poor and plain. He’s wealthy and arrogant.

They didn’t want anything more than a simple arrangement. They never planned to fall in love. But sometimes cupid has a mind of his own.

The Noble Heir aka Running from the Prince

Ms. Keanini kicks off this series with a firecracker story. 

I love a good enemies, second chance romance, and this one satisfies, especially with the incognito twist. 

Characters and pacing are solid, though I could've used a few more kisses. I mean can a romance have too many? 

This is a slow burn that will satisfy and have you grabbing the next book to get more time with the royals. 

What type of royal romances do you recommend?

AMAZON

I need a queen. I wanted her...until she ran.

Prince Theo Kane has always known duty comes first. As crown prince of Valdoria, his priorities have been country and family above all. And that's always been easy for him--until duty and the queen demand that he find a wife. However, he already tried proposing to the one woman he really wants, but she left him behind.

Alex Turner, aka Princess Alexandra Torre, fought her way to the top of the world's most prestigious photography course. As long as no one figures out who she really is, her dream of being a photographer on Jacques Ledoux's renowned crew is within her grasp. Nothing is going to hold her back, including her pesky feelings for a certain swoon-worthy royal.

When Theo's and Alex's paths collide, old feelings are reignited...but those feelings have burned them. Fool him once, shame on her. Fool him twice?

Marrying the Prince

Absolutely loved the premise of the book. The prince wants the only girl to ever tell him no. Fantastic. 

Lots of layers to their relationship as he's a prince, and she's an employee at the palace. There's family drama all around. 

Tristan has some growing up to do, and Ms. Keanini isn't afraid to make her characters suffer to get them to grow. 

There's lots for Tristan and Jewel to unpack individually and together. 

What friends to lovers books do you like?

AMAZON 

Women fall at his feet. Except for her.

Prince Tristan Kane has a good life. Awesome friends, supportive family, a career that keeps him on his toes, and a new woman on his arm every weekend. But when he finally secures a date with the one who has always kept him at bay, Tristan begins to question if he's been wrong about love all along.

Jewel Huber is the only woman in the world to say no to Tristan Kane. And she isn't keeping him at arm's length because she dislikes him; in fact, it's the opposite. She knows as soon as she gives in to one date, he'll be gone in the wind, and she'll be nursing a broken heart.

But when their paths collide in the city of love, Jewel is swept off her feet and Tristan is left wondering what he should do--continue the way he always has or treasure the heart he's been gifted?

The Dictionary of Lost Words

This isn't my usual read, but I found the story fascinating. 

How many words have been lost from the English language because they were deemed unnecessary or too vulgar or not sophisticated enough to be included? 

This is the premise of the book, as we follow Esme from child to woman, and how words included and discarded affect her. 

The dictionary becomes her life's work. 

And through her determination to collect, she meets a variety of people she wouldn't have otherwise. 

Some relationships bring joy, and others sorrow. All bring experiences, which make up the fabric of her life. 

Be aware that some words are in the book that many label as offensive.

Thanks to Ms. Williams for all her research to craft such a layered book. 

Thanks to the audiobook narrator for breathing Esme's story to life. 

What books have you read that changed your perspective? 

AMAZON

Esme is born into a world of words. Motherless and irrepressibly curious, she spends her childhood in the Scriptorium, an Oxford garden shed in which her father and a team of dedicated lexicographers are collecting words for the very first Oxford English Dictionary. Young Esme’s place is beneath the sorting table, unseen and unheard. One day a slip of paper containing the word bondmaid flutters beneath the table. She rescues the slip and, learning that the word means “slave girl,” begins to collect other words that have been discarded or neglected by the dictionary men.

As she grows up, Esme realizes that words and meanings relating to women’s and common folks’ experiences often go unrecorded. And so she begins in earnest to search out words for her own dictionary: the Dictionary of Lost Words. To do so she must leave the sheltered world of the university and venture out to meet the people whose words will fill those pages.

Set during the height of the women’s suffrage movement and with the Great War looming, The Dictionary of Lost Words reveals a lost narrative, hidden between the lines of a history written by men. Inspired by actual events, author Pip Williams has delved into the archives of the Oxford English Dictionary to tell this highly original story. The Dictionary of Lost Words is a delightful, lyrical, and deeply thought-provoking celebration of words and the power of language to shape the world.