Book Review ~ Love Blooms by Jennifer Faye ~ 10/2/2024

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Title:   Love Blooms by Jennifer Faye

Series:  Bluestar Island Book #1

Pages:  287

Date Published:  April 13, 2021

Publisher:  Lazy Dazy Press

Stars:  ****

 Blurb:

He’s an injured firefighter. She bakes the most delightful treats. When their worlds collide will the baker help heal the firefighter with a mix of blueberry muffins and her caring way?

The elegant baker, Hannah Bell, has always lived on Bluestar Island with her family. While still grieving for her father, who died in a fire, she focuses all of her energy on making her dream come true—opening her very own bakery. But when a broken water pipe washes away her carefully laid plans, she’s on the verge of losing everything.

New York firefighter Ethan Walker’s life is in a tailspin after he’s injured on-the-job. When an urgent call detours him to Bluestar Island, he agrees to help his lovable but meddlesome great-aunt. But organizing the island’s Spring Fling proves a lot harder than he originally imagined. He needs help…and fast.

Under the magic of Bluestar Island’s sea breeze and warm sunshine, Hannah and Ethan must not only face their immediate obstacles but also their own turning points in life. Will they have to do that alone? With a leap of faith and a dash of romance, they might just find the perfect mix to make their dreams come true.

My Thoughts:

This was a sweet book that read a lot like a Hallmark movie.  Big city guy goes to help his family.  Small town girl couldn't imagine living anywhere else.  Sigh...  I love Hallmark movies :)

Ethan, the male main character, was a firefighter but was questioning his future in the firefighting career.  He had scars that were physical and emotional that he had to work through.

The female main character, Hannah, who was a baker had her own emotional scars and tragedies.  I loved how her character evolved throughout the course of the book.

Perhaps my favorite characters were Aunt Birdie and Peaches.  I hope to see more of them in future books.

I loved the setting of Bluestar Island.  Everyone knew each other's business just like my small town :)  I loved that cars weren't allowed on the island except for special reasons and that traveling consisted of walking, bikes and golf carts.

There were themes of forgiveness, facing fears and family in the book.

Jennifer Faye is a new-to-me author but I look forward to continuing the Bluestar Island series.

This book is a CLEAN, contemporary romance.

I had downloaded this book from Amazon for free on my Kindle a while ago and finally got a chance to read it.

Onto the next book :)

I read this book while partaking in 3 readathons:

Journey Through the Bible 3.0- Babylon = Flowers on the Cover Prompt

Cozy Cottage Reatathon - Rainy Day Prompt

Annetober - ebook Prompt

Book Review ~ Marrying the Beast by Bree Livingston ~ 9/4/2024

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Title:   Marrying the Beast by Bree Livingston

Series:  A Fake Marriage Romance Book #5

Pages:  278

Date Published: December 1, 2023

Publisher:  Independently Published

 Blurb:

A Beauty and the Beast retelling…
A woman with a secret, a recluse, and a marriage of convenience.

For over a year Isabeau Daniels lived in fear of a stalker. Now, with him in jail, she’s ready to start fresh in Dallas as a housekeeper for Rowan Masters—a well known lawyer and recluse.

A car accident left Rowan Masters burned—both physically and emotionally. He’s spent the last twelve years hiding in his family home—and now, to keep his home he’s forced to marry.

Isabeau loves the feeling of safety that Rowan’s mansion offers, and he needs a wife. When a marriage of convenience turns into something more, can they leave behind the nightmare of the past and find the beauty in loving each other?

My Thoughts:

I don't know if I've ever read a Beauty and the Beast Retelling.  If I have, it has been years and I don't even remember what it would have been.  I have watched some retelling movies and always enjoyed them as long as they weren't too overly predictable.

As for this retelling, I really enjoyed the story line.  Of course, we have Isabeau (the Beauty) and Rowan (the Beast) so there were those character aspects from the start.  They both had been deeply hurt both physically and emotionally.

The first half of the book was them just getting to know each other but then something would happen to cause a set-back.  There were a lot of misunderstandings and hurt feelings to overcome.

The second half of the book is where it got really good...for me, at least.  The book had tons of "charm", romance and even a bit of suspense.  

This was a fun read for me and I would recommend this book if you're looking for a sweet, clean read.  I've always loved "marriage-of-convenience" stories so this whole series is something I want to check out!

I do want to warn, though, that there could be possible triggers for some in this book.

I read this as a free Amazon download to my Kindle.

Onto the next book :)

Book Review ~ Keegan by Lori Wilde ~ 1/23/2024

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Title:   Keegan by Lori Wilde

Series:  Texas Rascals Book #1

Pages:  348

Date Published: November 13, 2018

Publisher:  Epiphany Orchards Press

 Blurb:

In the dead of winter, high school teacher Wren Matthews finds a mysterious guy, half-frozen on her doorstep. Despite her pledge to steer clear of men, she just can't shut the door on him. As she helps him get back on his feet, it's impossible to ignore the sparks flying between them.

But there's more to this stranger. His name is Keegan Winslow, a former cop with a secret so heavy it could shatter their growing bond. Knowing the danger he could put Wren in, he wrestles with the thought of packing up and leaving.

As the storm outside rages on, trapping them inside, it becomes harder for them to ignore their feelings. Can they conquer the storm, his past, and find love amidst the holiday magic?

My Thoughts:

Until this week, I had not read a fiction book in a year!  That seems impossible for the person who used to read 3-4 books a week!  I've made it a goal to read at least 15 minutes a day and it worked :)  I read well over my daily time goal and finished "Keegan" in 2 days.  I love reading fiction!  It is so much better than watching TV.

Speaking of TV, I got burned out watching Hallmark Christmas movies, so I was a little bit leery to go into my Kindle and pick one of the Christmas reads I had downloaded in December to be my first foray back into the fiction world.  But, like I wrote above, reading is so much better than TV!

Wren and Keegan both had such tragic pasts and were damaged much more than just physically.  The healing and redemptive storyline was very heavy throughout the book, in a good way.

Wren's dairy farm was the perfect setting for getting snowed in.  Keegan came along at the perfect time even though I felt Wren was a bit too trusting.

The Christmas theme throughout the book was at the forefront as it mostly took place on Christmas Eve Eve, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  It was a very fast paced few days!  Especially on the love front.

"Keegan" is a clean romance with some steam, if that makes sense.  Nothing over the top but enough to keep it spicy.

I wouldn't say that I loved this book but I really liked it.  It was definitely worth the download!

Onto the next book :)