inspirational romance

On My Kindle ~ BETTING ON HOPE by Debra Clopton

/ Dora Hiers / 4 Comments
Pre-Order Link

The Cover Story~

Book 1 of FOUR OF HEARTS ROMANCE series
A bet gone wrong. A small town’s meddling. And a cowboy intent on saving his ranch.
Maggie Hope is an advice columnist whose background leaves her with little advice to give . . . and it’s beginning to show. When Maggie fills in at an interview with champion horse trainer Tru Monahan, the on-camera chemistry between them is undeniable. Maggie’s bosses know this is the opportunity she’s been looking for to launch her career—and their bank accounts. In order to save her column, Maggie takes Tru up on the bet that he can teach her to ride a quick-stepping cutting horse like any cowgirl, despite the fact that she has never been on a horse. And in the meantime, she can get the scoop on the man under the cowboy hat.

Tru has been on the competition circuit for longer than he’d like, but he knows it’s the only way he can afford to keep the Four of Hearts Ranch that means so much to his ailing grandfather. So when his sponsors see the opportunity for Tru’s fans to get to know the star on a more intimate level, he knows he must oblige. To his dismay, Maggie not only invades his small town of Wishing Springs, but she also invades his heart, and that is something he cannot let any woman do—for her own good.
In Wishing Springs, Maggie finds what she has always been looking for: a community and a home. But when her past catches up to her, it threatens everything, even the tender hope that this town holds all of her heart’s desires.

My takeaway~ 
Horse Trainer Tru Monahan’s life is more public right now than he’d like, but those endorsements help pay off the staggering debt on his beloved Four of Hearts Ranch. Advice Columnist Maggie Hope longs for a family, but that would involve trusting a man, something her father taught her not to do from an early age. It wouldn’t be a Debra Clopton book without town matchmakers, and Reba and Clara Lyn, co-owners of the Cut Up and Roll Salon, fill that role nicely. Also, just like the Mule Hollow series, Wishing Springs becomes the new “dating destination.”

Betting on Hope packed in plenty of real life issues like Alzheimer’s, teen pregnancy, adoption, sterility, and a main character hoping to keep an unsavory past hidden. While I cared about the three-dimensional characters and the story kept me turning pages, I would have preferred more, um, sizzle in the actual romance, but that’s just me. I bet (lol, pun intended) fans of the popular Mule Hollow series will enjoy Betting on Hope, available 2/15/15 with Thomas Nelson Fiction.

Disclaimer: I received this book free from NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the purpose of sharing my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own, and I received no monetary compensation.

On My Kindle ~ BEYOND THE WAVES by Lynnette Bonner

/ Dora Hiers
Purchase Link

The Cover Story~
Can a Love Shattered by the Sands of Time…Rise Beyond the Waves?

Taysia Green nearly chokes on her water when Officer Kylen Sumner shows up in her office claiming he’s back in town because he loves her. Since he’s broken her heart more than once, and she recently started dating youth pastor Blaine Pittman, she wants absolutely nothing to do with Kylen. But he’s been asked to stand in as the mediator between Taysia and wannabe model Sophia Clinesmith, who twisted her ankle in the parking lot of Taysia’s business and is threatening a lawsuit.

If she didn’t need him to help save her gym, Taysia would tell Kylen to take a long midnight walk on a short cliffside trail. She’s perfectly happy with her life just the way it is. So why is it that just the sight of Kylen Sumner sets her traitorous heart to dancing faster than it did the time Blaine kissed her?

Sharing my thoughts~ 
Don’t you just love reunion stories, especially where the characters never stopped loving each other, and the hero is oh so determined to overcome his past mistakes and show the heroine how much he’s changed? :dreamy sigh: Totally my kinda read and write, and Beyond the Waves is exactly all that and more!

Back in high school, Taysia didn’t hang out with the cool kids. When Kylen moved next door during the summer and they struck up a tight friendship that quickly transitioned to romance, she warned him that he would be ostracized, but he only scoffed. You see where that’s going, right? Yeah, Kylen broke her heart…twice. After a few years apart, Kylen’s back, and he’s determined to romance the woman who never let go of his heart, to show her that he’s a changed man.

And romance he does, with gifts and flirting and buckets of romantic tension. I thoroughly enjoyed several laugh-out-loud funny scenes, but Beyond the Waves isn’t all fun and fluff. It tackles some tough topics like abortion, premarital sex, pregnancy outside of marriage, with sensitivity and a tender touch, and a gentle faith thread makes the entire plot a beautiful tapestry, a book I was loathe to put down because I sooo wanted Kylen and Taysia to reach their happily ever after.

“None of us deserve grace, Sophia. I certainly didn’t. But God gave it to me when I asked Him. So how can I give any less to those around me?”

Lynnette Bonner is a new author to me, but she’s definitely on my radar now! And I can’t wait to dive into Caught in the Current, the second book in the Pacific Shores series, featuring Marie and Reece several years later. Of course, the sweet excerpt at the end of this book with an adorable three-year-old just whet my appetite! Overall, I’m so thrilled to add another author to my must-read list!

“We all make mistakes. And since there’s no going back, only forward, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to linger on those mistakes. We just ask for forgiveness from those we’ve wronged, and try to do better next time.” 

Disclaimer: I received this book free from Amazon. The opinions expressed in this review are my own, and I received no monetary compensation.

On My Kindle ~ Remember Me by Lara Van Hulzen

/ Dora Hiers / 2 Comments
Purchase Link

The Cover Story~

Detective Ben Russo is in trouble.

He just can’t remember why.

When a car accident lands Ben in the hospital, he can’t recall anything about his life. What he does know is he’s enchanted by a tiny nurse named Tess, but can’t shake the feeling they’re both in danger.

After being left at the altar, Tess Jansenn moves to a new town and starts over. When her ex-fiancé, Ben, shows up in the ER where she works with no memory of her, she must decide – tell Ben who he is or let him remember on his own.

Can Tess forgive and forget what drove them apart, and when Ben remembers, will the consequences of his choices make it too late for love?

Sharing My Thoughts~
Tess Jansenn is finally moving on after ex-fiance, Ben Russo, abandoned her just before their wedding. That doesn’t mean she’s over Ben, and he surely never stopped loving Tess. When Ben shows back up mysteriously, she must choose whether to turn her back on him or help, and that wasn’t an easy choice.
I just love romances about second chances and Remember Me fits the bill! It’s also a great reminder that things aren’t always as they seem, which is especially true of this book. Not just once, but three times I slapped my forehead with a “Wow! I didn’t see that one coming!” The gentle faith thread just ratchets it up several notches for me on the “ahhh” scale. 🙂

“I believe we meet God in places that aren’t always buildings. For me, sometimes church is out there.” She motioned to the water with her chin. 

Remember Me is Lara Van Hulzen’s debut novel, and I LOVED it! I’m already tapping my foot, waiting impatiently for the next one, Get to Me, which I was thrilled to discover will feature Dane and Aimee. I dug into Remember Me at the start of a six hour drive to visit our son, and didn’t stop devouring it until the last page. It was that good!

Disclaimer: I purchased a copy of Remember Me. The opinions expressed in this review are my own, and I received no monetary compensation.