Book Review: A Christmas Homecoming by Melissa McClone

Welcome to Christmas Through the Year, where on the 25th of each month I feature one of the books I read this past Christmas.  This month's pick is A Christmas Homecoming by Melissa McClone.

Series: Bar V5 Ranch: Book 5

Publisher: Tule Publishing

Release Date: October 25, 2015

Genre: Clean Holiday Romance

A kiss is just a kiss…

Unless it’s under the mistletoe.

Ellie Smith is determined to make up for Christmases past by spreading holiday cheer throughout the Bar V5 dude ranch, but tech “bah, humbug” billionaire, Josiah Whittaker, refuses to bask in the spirit of the season.

Unwilling to let the geek-to-gorgeous Josiah win, Ellie plans to give him a Christmas he’ll never forget. But after a simple kiss under the mistletoe, Ellie and Josiah both start questioning everything. Can Christmas really bring the gift neither one of them were expecting: true love?

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JustListen Reviewer Tour: Love Amid the Ashes by Mesu Andrews

Welcome to the JustListen Reviewer Tour for Love Amid the Ashes by Mesu Andrews hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: Love Amid the Ashes

Series: Treasures of His Love #1

Author: Mesu Andrews
Release Date: November 19, 2019

Genre: Christian Historical Fiction

People often think of Job sitting on the ash heap, his life in shambles. But how did he get there? What was Job's life like before tragedy struck? What did he think as his world came crashing down around him? And what was life like after God restored his wealth, health, and family?

Through painstaking research and a writer's creative mind, Mesu Andrews weaves an emotional and stirring account of this well-known story told through the eyes of the women who loved him. Drawing together the account of Job with those of Esau's tribe and Jacob's daughter Dinah, Love Amid the Ashes breathes life, romance, and passion into the classic biblical story of suffering and steadfast faith.

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Blog Tour: The In-Between Place by Kat Armstrong

 

Welcome to the Blog Tour for The In-Between Place by Kat Armstrong, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: The In-Between Place
Author: Kat Armstrong
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Release Date: January 5, 2021
Genre: Christian Life/Spiritual Growth

Jesus’ journey to the woman at the well in Samaria offers insights and hope for women today to make peace with the past, find hope in the present, and step into the future. 

God wants us to move toward the goodness He has planned for us. But what do we do when challenges stop our forward momentum? What’s the next step when we fall into a pit of despair with the determination knocked right out of us? 

On his way from Judea to Galilee, Jesus traveled through Samaria, a broken place everyone knew to avoid. In Samaria he stopped in Shechem, where evil had gained such a foothold of power that it eventually reigned. Yet the place once condemned as somewhere no one wanted to visit—let alone hang out in for a while—was the location of one Samaritan woman’s most hope-filled encounter with the Savior. 

The In-Between Place offers deeply important insights to anyone who feels stuck and can’t see a way forward. It is for the person who feels that if she looks left, her face will be scraped by an immovable boulder, and if she looks right, she’ll see nothing but hard to handle. It’s for the person who feels lost and is not sure she is worth the effort to be found, for the person who feels overlooked and unfulfilled. Because sometimes Jesus saves our greatest spiritual breakthroughs for our in-between places.

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Blog Tour: They Turned the World Upside Down by Charles Martin

I want to apologize for posting so late for this tour but I live in Texas and have been dealing with weather-related issues, like many in my community, like being without power for days, no water, and no internet.  I could've opted out of posting this review, but I feel like it is my duty, and privilege, to share my thoughts on a very powerful book that could very well turn our current world upside down, especially since all my utilities are finally back on!! Praise the Lord!

 

Enjoy the review and you still have time to ENTER THE GIVEAWAY!!

 Welcome to the Blog Tour for They Turned the World Upside Down by Charles Martin, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: They Turned the World Upside Down
Author: Charles Martin
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Release Date: January 5, 2021
Genre: Christian Life/Spiritual Growth

In the aftermath of Jesus’ resurrection, the testimonies of those who had followed him were so bold and so powerful that they turned the world upside down. What would happen if we lived with that same kind of faith today? 

Walk in the shoes of the disciples, as New York Times bestselling author Charles Martin brings their stories to life with his storyteller’s perspective. 

In the first century, believer didn’t just mean someone who heard and agreed with Jesus; it meant someone who acted on that belief. And when the outside world saw the faith of these new believers, they declared “they turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6). 

That’s the kind of believer Charles Martin wants us to be. The kind who understands that the truth of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection is so powerful, it reshaped history. The kind of believer who lives with that same world-changing faith today. 

In his second non-fiction work, he uses his talents as a novelist to walk you through the lives of the disciples in the aftermath of the Resurrection and as they spread the message of the Gospel and “turn the world upside down”, leading up to Paul’s ministry in Thessonalica. In his beloved lyrical style, Martin illuminates key moments from Scripture and shares stories from his own life as a disciple. 

With the same depth, sensitivity, and emotion that have made his novels beloved to millions, Martin will helps you engage with your faith in a new and inspiring way.

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Blog & Social Blitz: French Twist Series by Sandra Byrd

Happy Valentine's Day!

 

Welcome to the Blog + Social Blitz for the French Twist series by Sandra Byrd, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOKS

Download and devour this delicious series, lashed with romance and fun, and then spiced with a lightly Christian world view. Bon Appétit!

Title: Let Them Eat Cake
Series: French Twist #1
Author: Sandra Byrd
Publisher: Quaystrokes
Release Date: 2012
Genre: ChickLit

What do you do when you've got a degree in French and absolutely no job prospects? You slide into your favorite French bakery, of course! When a lighthearted conversation with the manager of the local patisserie turns into a job offer, Lexi Stuart gladly accepts.

She indulges in tasty pastries and wins over skeptical coworkers, but the actual glamour is minimal and the pay less than generous. Trouble by the handful is stirred into her life as she juggles the flirtatious baker she has her eye on and a handsome young executive who likes Lexi even more than her Napoleons. As she folds together dilemma and delight, Lexi learns that it's not satisfying to try to fulfill everyone else's expectations. Instead, she embarks on an adventure in trusting herself and God with her future.

February 11-15 Let Them Eat Cake Kindle edition is FREE  

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Book Review: The White City by Grace Hitchcock

Series: True Colors #1

Publisher: Barbour Publishing

Release Date: March 1, 2019

Genre: True Crime Fiction

While attending the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893, Winnifred Wylde believes she witnessed a woman being kidnapped. She tries to convince her father, an inspector with the Chicago police, to look into reports of mysterious disappearances around the White City. Inspector Wylde tries to dismiss her claims as exaggeration of an overactive imagination, but he eventually concedes to letting her go undercover as secretary to the man in question—if she takes her pistol for protection and Jude Thorpe, a policeman, for bodyguard.

Will she be able to expose H. H. Holmes’s illicit activity, or will Winnifred become his next victim?

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Book Review: The Keeper of Her Heart by Stacy Henrie

Publisher: Mirror Press

Release Date: January 19, 2021

Genre: Historical Christian Romance

She’ll defy society to choose a life of her own making.

Despite her wealthy upbringing in Yorkshire, Ada Thorne is determined to make her own choices, especially when it comes to love. After falling for a handsome, humble gamekeeper, she gives up everything familiar to marry him and begin a new life in London.

However, learning how to keep house and cook meals aren’t the only things Ada needs to master. In the wake of her parents’ continual rejection and the country on the brink of the First World War, Ada has to decide if she will choose compassion over bitterness, and faith over fear.

When the war’s sorrows take a personal turn, Ada must determine the depth of her own strength and her trust in Someone greater. Only then will she have the courage to move forward and embrace the future with a hopeful heart.

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Blog & Review Tour: Cast the First Stone by David James Warren

 

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for Cast the First Stone by David James Warren, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK

From the creative pens of USA Today bestselling author Susan May Warren, award-winning author James L. Rubart, and new voice, David Curtis Warren, writing collectively as David James Warren.

Title: Cast the First Stone
Series: The True Lies of Rembrandt Stone #1
Author: David James Warren
Publisher: TriStone Media
Release Date: February 8, 2021
Genre: Time Travel Detective Series One case haunts him. One chance to fix the past. One mistake could cost him everything. 

Ex-Minneapolis Police Detective Rembrandt Stone walked away from a career he loved—just the price of being sure he can come home to the wife and daughter he cherishes. But he can’t shake the deep regret over a case left behind. 

When his mentor, the former Chief of Homicide dies and leaves Rembrandt with a box of cold cases and a mysterious watch, he finds himself thrust into a world he recognizes—a world from twenty years ago—the same world he’s woken from in a cold sweat a hundred times. But is it a dream, or some kind of twisted reality? 

If he solves the case that plagues him, and justice is finally served, will it destroy the life he loves? 

Strap in for a mind-bending, time travel thrill ride in Book One of this riveting new series, The True Lies of Rembrandt Stone.

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Book Review: The Dress Shop on King Street by Ashley Clark

Series: Heirloom Secrets: Book 1

Publisher: Bethany House Publishing

Release Date: December 1, 2020

Genre: Contemporary Christian Fiction

Harper Dupree has pinned all her hopes on a future in fashion design. But when it comes crashing down around her, she returns home to Fairhope, Alabama, and to Millie, the woman who first taught her how to sew. As Harper rethinks her own future, long-hidden secrets about Millie's past are brought to light.

In 1946, Millie Middleton--the daughter of an Italian man and a Black woman--boarded a train and left Charleston to keep half of her heritage hidden. She carried with her two heirloom buttons and the dream of owning a dress store. She never expected to meet a charming train jumper who changed her life forever . . . and led her yet again to a heartbreaking choice about which heritage would define her future.

Now, together, Harper and Millie return to Charleston to find the man who may hold the answers they seek . . . and a chance at the dress shop they've both dreamed of. But it's not until all appears lost that they see the unexpected ways to mend what frayed between the seams.

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Book Review: The Cottage by Coniston by Deborah M. Hathaway

Series: Seasons of Change: Book 5

Publisher: Draft Horse Publishing

Release Date: August 25, 2020

Genre: Clean Historical Romance

What could possibly go wrong by asking someone else to make all of her decisions?

After a misguided kiss and subsequent rejection by yet another gentleman, Miss Amy Paxton convinces her brother to make all of her future decisions, especially in finding her a husband. His strategy? She must seek his advice before doing anything. Desperate for a happier future and a fresh start, Amy adopts her new way of life with relative ease. That is, until her new, self-assured landlord begins to meddle in her affairs.

With the passing of his oppressive grandfather, Mr. William Eastwood is finally free. Free to explore business ventures, free to help his parents—and free to marry his childhood friend, Miss Charity Winslow. But matters are complicated when he must help his new tenant, Amy Paxton, stand up to her overbearing brother. William soon discovers, however, that Amy is not as defenseless as she seems.

Anxious to discover the reasoning behind her behavior, William determines to uncover the real Amy, and an attraction sparks between them. But when challenges arise, Amy must protect herself as William struggles to choose between what his heart longs for—and what his duty demands.

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Blog Tour: Starstruck in Willow Falls by Pat Nichols

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Starstruck in Willow Falls by Pat Nichols, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: Starstruck in Willow Falls
Series: Willow Falls #3
Author: Pat Nichols
Publisher: Iron Stream Media, LPC
Release Date: February 2, 2021
Genre: Women's Fiction

As a Hollywood film crew and famous movie stars swoop into Willow Falls to film a full-length motion picture, the small town’s new normal as a popular North Georgia tourist destination is thrown into chaos. 

Weeks away from marrying the manager of the town’s new winery Rachel Streetman fears her life-long dream to act is drifting into oblivion and leaving behind bitter regret. She wonders if auditioning for a role in the movie will boost her lackluster career or open the door to a lifestyle incompatible with the small-town life she has come to accept. 

Rachel’s sister, Emily Hayes, also has a dream—to be a famous author. But the release of her debut novel is upstaged by the Hollywood invasion. When she and Rachel accept the role as the director’s liaisons, their patience is stretched to the limit by starstruck residents and ego-driven celebrities. 

Can these two sisters survive the chaos in Willow Falls and still achieve their dreams?

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Blog & Review Tour: Driven by Sara Davison

 Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for Driven by Sara Davison, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: Driven 
Series: Night Guardians #3
Author: Sara Davison
Publisher: Mountain Brook Ink
Release Date: February 1, 2021
Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense

Children aren’t the only ones who can disappear. 

Driven by ongoing grief and relentless dreams, Holden Kelly is determined to track down the child his brother Gage abducted eight years earlier. The kidnapping that saved Matthew Gibson’s life had cost Gage his. Proving his brother hadn’t sacrificed his life for nothing might be the only way Holden can start fully living his again. And it could be the last chance he has to find his way back to the wife he loves but who is also mired in grief and a crisis of faith. 

Mikayla Grant has nightmares of her own. A road trip with private investigator Jax Rodriguez—a man she is drawn to even though his primary goal seems to be to drive her crazy—can’t be the way to heal from a terrible loss. Can it? 

 As Holden, Mikayla, and Jax follow the missing child’s trail from Toronto to Chicago, their mission is not as secret as they thought. Someone knows they are coming and will stop at nothing to prevent them from finding Matthew. 

And to make sure that no one ever hears from the three of them again.

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