The Vicar's Daughter by Josi S. Kilpack -- Blog Tour

The Vicar's Daughter

Author: Josi S. Kilpack

Publisher: Shadow Mountain

Published: April 4, 2017

ISBN13: 9781629722801

Paperback: 319 pages

FTC FYI: Received a complimentary copy from the publisher, all views and opinions expressed are my own.

Goodreads Summary

Cassie, the youngest of six daughters in the Wilton family, is bold, bright, and ready to enter society. There's only one problem: her older sister Lenora, whose extreme shyness prevents her from attending many social events. Lenora is now entering her third season, and since their father has decreed that only one Wilton girl can be out at a time, Cassie has no choice except to wait her turn.

Evan Glenside, a soft-spoken, East London clerk, has just been named his great-uncle's heir and, though he is eager to learn all that will be required of him, he struggles to feel accepted in a new town and in his new position.

A chance meeting between Evan and Lenora promises to change everything, but when Lenora proves too shy to pursue the relationship, Cassie begins to write Mr. Glenside letters in the name of her sister. Her good intentions lead to disaster when Cassie realizes she is falling in love with Evan. But then Evan begins to court Lenora, thinking she is the author of the letters.

As secrets are revealed, the hearts of Cassie, Evan, and Lenora are tested. Will the final letter sent by the vicar's daughter be able to reunite the sisters as well as unite Evan with his true love?

My Review

This book was an absolute delight from start to finish.  I knew right away I was going to love Cassie from her first line to herself, "Please help me remain clam."  That sentence is constantly running through my head.  Cassie was a delightful character.  She had her flaws (mostly in starting to write the letters to help herself with her own debut), but in time things changed for her.  Evan was also a great character.   He had a calming presence.  I felt his heart breaking over his uncle's struggles.  I enjoyed the point of view changes, it was a great way to get to know the characters so well.  Josi has a talent with pacing and how she writes.  Every scene and character is important.  Cassie gets herself into quite the mess and it was enjoyable seeing how it was cleaned up. 

5 out of 5 stars. 

Author Links

Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

Purchase Links

Amazon / Barnes and Noble / Deseret Book

Chasing Red by Lauren Winder Farnsworth -- Blog Tour/Giveaway

Chasing Red

Author: Lauren Winder Farnsworth

Publisher: Cedar Fort

Published: April 11, 2017

ISBN13: 9781462120031

Paperback/ebook: 240 pages

FTC FYI: Received a review copy, all views and opinions expressed are my own.

Goodreads Summary

Ryder Redmond can’t wait to begin her new life in New York City, with her first real job after college. But the big city gets a little more complicated once she meets the charming and mysterious Damian Wolfe. On the surface he seems perfect, but her friend Hunter is suspicious of his all-too-straight smile and his motives towards Ryder. With her heart on the line, Ryder will have to decide just how much she trusts the handsome city slicker. 

My Review

CHASING RED is a funny and very clever re-telling of Red Riding Hood.  I had a smile on my face the whole time I read.  Ryder is hilarious and quirky. She is someone I would want to be friends with.  Ryder is an all-around good person.  The ending is absolutely amazing and it blew me away!  At first I wondered why a certain thing happened, which led to another huge reveal, but once that ending came, it made it all work it.  Her roommate, Lily, was a fun surprise, as well as Hunter.   I loved how it all ties together and how Ryder finds herself along the way.  I was happy that the author had her make mistakes, learn from them, all of those things help her find out the truth about Mr. Wolfe.  She needed those experiences and I felt they helped her grow even more.  Ryder's parents were delights.  I loved all supporting characters, almost as much as Ryder. One character in particular was a great addition to the story.  

5 out of 5 stars.  Lauren has another win on her hands!

Author Links

Goodreads / Website / Twitter / Facebook Author Page

Purchase Links

Amazon / Barnes and Noble / Book & Things

Tour schedule

April 17th - Katie's Clean Book Collection / Bookworm Lisa

April 18th - Wishful Endings / Getting Your Read On

April 19th - Min Reads and Reviews / My Book a Day

April 20th - Empower Moms / LDS and Lovin It / Mel's Shelves

April 21st - Literary Time Out / Singing Librarian Books

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Miss Whitaker Opens Her Heart by Jennifer Moore

Miss Whitaker Opens Her Heart

Author: Jennifer Moore

Publisher: Covenant

Published: April 2017

ISBN13: 9781524402174

Paperback: 224 pages

FTC FYI: Received a complimentary copy from the publisher, all views and opinions expressed are my own.

Goodreads Summary

Australia, 1814

As a young child bound for a strange country, Sarah Whitaker dreamed of life with her father on his sprawling Australian ranch. But her hopes were shattered when she learned of his death and of her new role as heiress of the largest sheep farm in New Wales. Orphaned in a land greatly populated by petty criminals exiled from England, the future seemed grim. But now, ten years later, Sarah has defied the odds and become a successful businesswoman much to the chagrin of her male counterparts. Hardened by the dishonesty of both her fellow ranchers and the felons in her employ, Sarah has learned one important truth: no one is to be trusted.

Daniel Burton is a lucky man. Sentenced to death for his role in a horse-race scandal, Daniel was granted reprieve thanks to the influence of his wealthy relatives. Now, rather than death, Daniel faces exile in Australia an opportunity to put past mistakes behind him. But when he purchases land with the intention of farming it, he unwittingly arouses the wrath of his new neighbor, Sarah. What begins as a battle of wits, however, soon becomes a warm friendship and perhaps something more. But when Daniel's secret past is revealed, will Sarah be able forgive yet another deception? 

My Review

Miss Whitaker Opens Her Heart is another win for Jennifer Moore. I love her books and I can always count on her for an enjoyable read.  I really had no idea what took place in Australia during this time period. It was fascinating.  Jenny does a great job of writing romance, she also excels at writing this time period and introducing the reader into something they may not be familiar with.  I loved Sarah.  She is tough but also vulnerable.  Daniel had been through some tough times, most of it brought on by foolish decisions, but I appreciated how he fought his way back.  I loved the back and forth between Sarah and Daniel.  The setting was intriguing and was a huge part of the story too. 

5 out of 5 stars.  

Author Links

Goodreads / Website / Twitter / Facebook 

Purchase Links

Amazon / Barnes and Noble / Seagull Book / Deseret Book

Schedule: 

April 10th: http://booksaresanity.blogspot.com/, http://rockinbookreviews.com/, http://ldswritermom.blogspot.com/, http://www.iamareader.com/

April 11th: https://atransparentmom.com/, http://heidi-reads.blogspot.com/,https://joyinthemoments.wordpress.com/, http://www.blogginboutbooks.com/

April 12th: http://mybookaday.blogspot.com/, http://ilovetoreadandreviewbooks.blogspot.com/, http://bonnieharris.blogspot.com/, http://literarytimeout.blogspot.com/

April 13th: http://ldsandlovinit.blogspot.com/, http://www.singinglibrarianbooks.com/, http://seekingwithallyurheart.blogspot.com/, http://katiescleanbookcollection.blogspot.com/, http://thethingsilovemost.com, http://minreadsandreviews.blogspot.com/, http://www.kindleandme.com/

April 14th: http://gettingyourreadonaimeebrown.blogspot.com/,http://whynotbecauseisaidso.blogspot.com/, http://www.wishfulendings.com/, http://sweetlymadejustforyou.com

a Rafflecopter giveaway

When Mommy's Home With Me by Alison Moulton

When Mommy's Home With Me

Written by Alison Moulton

Illustrations by Kinsey Beckett

Publisher: Cedar Fort

Published: March 1, 2017

ISBN: 9781462120093

FTC FYI: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, all views and opinions expressed are my own

When Mommy's Home With Me is a darling book with a sweet message. What I loved most about it was the all the amazing things that moms can do. They can be a doctor, a scientist, an artist, a writer and still be wonderful and inspiring mothers. The illustrations are beautiful and help portray the story in a lovely way. 

Here is a blog post from the author on how she got her story idea. 

Purchase Links

Amazon / Barnes and Noble / Seagull Book / Cedar Fort

Dragonwatch by Brandon Mull -- Blog Tour

Dragonwatch

Author: Brandon Mull

Publisher: Shadow Mountain

Published: March 14, 2017

Hardcover: 384 pages

ISBN13: 9781629722566

FTC FYI: Received an ARC from the publisher, all views and opinions expressed are my own.

Goodreads Summary

In the long-awaited sequel to Fablehaven, the dragons who have been kept at the dragon sanctuaries no longer consider them safe havens, but prisons and they want their freedom. The dragons are no longer our allies....

In the hidden dragon sanctuary of Wyrmroost, Celebrant the Just, King of the Dragons, plots his revenge. He has long seen the sanctuaries as prisons, and he wants nothing more than to overthrow his captors and return the world to the Age of Dragons, when he and his kind ruled and reigned without borders. The time has come to break free and reclaim his power.

No one person is capable of stopping Celebrant and his dragon horde. It will take the ancient order of Dragonwatch to gather again if there is any chance of saving the world from destruction. In ancient times, Dragonwatch was a group of wizards, enchantresses, dragon slayers, and others who originally confined the majority of dragons into sanctuaries. But nearly all of the original Dragonwatch members are gone, and so the wizard Agad reaches out to Grandpa Sorenson for help.

As Kendra and Seth confront this new danger, they must draw upon all their skills, talents, and knowledge as only they have the ability to function together as a powerful dragon tamer. Together they must battle against forces with superior supernatural powers and breathtaking magical abilities.

How will the epic dragon showdown end? Will dragons overthrow humans and change the world as we know it?

My Review

I have been waiting for a sequel to Fablehaven for years.  Fablehaven is one of my favorite series and Dragonwatch did not disappoint.  I loved it.  It had everything that I would except from a Fablehaven book and more.  The author does a good job of catching the reader up on events that took place in the other books, but I would still highly recommend reading the other books in the series before reading Dragonwatch.  There is bravery, humor and non-stop action for Kendra and Seth.  I loved the connection they share as dragon tamers, and their skills are put to the test.  I also enjoyed how they would function without the other and it made them even stronger.

5 out of 5 stars.  

Author Links

Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

Purchase Links

Amazon / Barnes and Noble / Deseret Book

Ever the Hunted by Erin Summerill

Ever the Hunted

Author: Erin Summerill

Author: HMH Books for Young Readers

Published: December 27, 2016

ISBN13: 978054464456

Hardcover: 392 pages

FTC FTI: I borrowed a copy from the library.

Goodreads Summary

Seventeen year-old Britta Flannery is at ease only in the woods with her dagger and bow. She spends her days tracking criminals alongside her father, the legendary bounty hunter for the King of Malam—that is, until her father is murdered. Now outcast and alone and having no rights to her father’s land or inheritance, she seeks refuge where she feels most safe: the Ever Woods. When Britta is caught poaching by the royal guard, instead of facing the noose she is offered a deal: her freedom in exchange for her father’s killer.

However, it’s not so simple.

The alleged killer is none other than Cohen McKay, her father’s former apprentice. The only friend she’s ever known. The boy she once loved who broke her heart. She must go on a dangerous quest in a world of warring kingdoms, mad kings, and dark magic to find the real killer. But Britta wields more power than she knows. And soon she will learn what has always made her different will make her a daunting and dangerous force. 

My Review

This book was enchanting and beautiful. The characters, the setting, the plot, the world-building, the magic.  All of it was fantastic. The author does a great job of developing her characters and the plot. Her descriptions were perfect. I appreciated the seeds that were planted and how the surprises were revealed. We will have to wait for the next book for somethings to be figured out, but I thought it was very smart of the author to end it the way she did. I am excited and interested to see if my suspicions are correct! I loved Britta and Cohen. She is fascinating and I loved the turn of events that came up for her. He is rugged, handsome and pretty awesome. Their romance was written and timed well. Everything about Enat was awesome too. 

Author Links

Website / Twitter

Purchase Links

Amazon / Barnes and Noble