W... W... W... Wednesday ~ May 29, 2013

W... W... W... Wednesdays is a weekly meme hosted by MizB of Should be Reading. To play along, just answer the following questions:

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you'll read next?

What am I currently reading? I just started Pirates and Prejudice by Kara Louise! I'm so excited about this story! Darcy a pirate! Yummy! I love this cover too! Kara Louise is one of the first Pride and Prejudice variation authors that I read! Her book, Pemberley's Promise (Darcy's Voyage) is one of my favorite reads!

What did I recently finish reading? I finished reading Always the Baker, Finally the Bride by Sandra D. Bricker. It was really good. You can read my review here. 

I also finished reading Rosings. My review will be up on Monday. I did have some issues with it.

What do I think I'll be reading next? Either, Lady Harriette by P.O. Dixon (This book is due to be released on June 1) or 

The Rules of Engagement by Jillian Leigh. I also have A Fair Prospect: Darcy's Dilemma by Cassandra Grafton. Which I want to read, but I'm kinda waiting for Vol 3 to come out, because I hear there is a nice cliff hanger at the end of Darcy's Dilemma.

What are you reading?

Winners of Bluebells in the Mourning!!

I would like to say THANK YOU to Michele Reed at Meryton Press 

and KaraLynne Mackrory for generously giving away two copies of 

Bluebells in the Mourning! 

Rafflecopter has picked:

Vesper for the paperback

and

Sophia Rose for the e-book!

Congratulations to both of you!

I would like to thank everyone who entered! If you didn't win a copy, you can hurry over to Austenesque Review - today (May 28) is the last day to enter!

Or you can buy a copy at Amazon.

I've sent you both an email.

Review: Always the Baker, Finally the Bride By Sandra D. Bricker

I'm so happy to be apart of Always the Baker, Finally the Bride Blog Tour sponsored by Pump Up Your Book!

About the Book:

In the first book, readers fell in love with Emma Rae and Jackson, and they’ve gotten more acquainted with them in the two books that followed. But now it’s time for the diamond to meet the road as Jackson fields an offer to sell The Tanglewood, a move that will uproot this high-flying family act once and for all. Get reacquainted with all of the lovable and quirky characters from the first three books as your favorite diabetic baker figures out if she’ll achieve her greatest goal of all: Will Emma, at last become FINALLY the Bride?

There was so much that I loved about this series! I loved the friendships Emma had with Fee and Sherilyn. It made me miss having a close girlfriend. The relationship Emma had with her Aunt Sophie, who's in the beginning stages of Alzheimer's, was really sweet. And Jackson quickly becomes attached to Sophie, as well. Jackson’s three older sisters are in the mix and are always there for him. Plus, a few more lovable characters that are all unique in their own ways!  Always the Baker, Finally the Bride is the fourth book in the Emma Rae Creations series. 

In book 1, Always the Baker, Never the Bride, we meet Emma Rae Travis and Jackson Drake. Jackson buys the Tanglewood Inn and turns it into a wedding destination hotel. Emma Rae is hired at the Tanglewood to bake her award winning cakes. Books 2 and 3 bring new employees to the Tanglewood, and in book 4 we come full circle back to Emma Rae and Jackson. 

In Always the Baker, Finally the Bride Emma Rae and Jackson are getting married! - or are they? You would think having put together so many weddings in the past, planning Emma’s wedding would be a breeze, but Emma has trouble designing her own wedding cake!  When Jackson receives a too-good-to-pass-up offer to sell Tanglewood, his decision upsets a lot of his friends and family, including Emma Rae. As the big day approaches, and more things go wrong, Emma begins to think this wedding might not happen! Will Emma and Jackson have the future they have been dreaming about?

Dude! I love Fee!! She is one of my favorite characters! She’s Emma’s assistant. When Emma was hired at The Tanglewood, she brought Fee along with her. The two are opposites in appearance, but work well together and are close friends.

Sherilyn wasn’t my favorite person. Even in her own story (book 2) there was something about her that just didn’t click with me. In this book, the way she gets mad at Jackson about selling The Tanglewood I just didn’t like. 

I loved the recipes and wedding tips placed between the chapters.

Always the Baker, Finally the Bride  is a cute and humorous read! I found myself chuckling out loud a few times!  I don’t think this is a stand alone. I feel you must read a least the first one to have a better understanding of the story. For those of you who want to know, it is a clean romance with Christian values. I had a lot of fun reading these!

4 out of 5 stars.

I received a copy of Always the Baker, Finally the Bride for my honest review.

Buy a copy at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.


About the Author:

Sandra D. Bricker was an entertainment publicist in Los Angeles for 15+ years. She is now a best-selling, award-winning author of laugh-out-loud fiction for the inspirational market, and the mastermind behind the Another Emma Rae Creation series that started with Always the Baker Never the Bride. As an ovarian cancer survivor, she gears time and effort toward raising awareness and funds for research, diagnostics and a cure.

Visit her Web site at www.SandraDBricker.com  and her blog at http://sandradbricker.blogspot.com.

TWITTER | FACEBOOK

Always the Baker, Finally the Bride Virtual Book Publicity Tour Schedule

Monday, May 6 – Character Guest Post at Laurie’s Non-Paranormal Thoughts and Reviews

Tuesday, May 7 – Book Review at Lighthouse Academy

Wednesday, May 8 – Book Review & Book Giveaway at A Year of Jubilee Reviews

Thursday, May 9 – Interview at The Writer’s Life

Friday, May 10 – Book Review at A Peek at My Bookshelf

Monday, May 13 – Interview at Examiner

Tuesday, May 14 – Book Review at Splashes of Joy

Wednesday, May 15 – Book Review, Guest Blogging & Book Giveaway at My Life. One Story at a Time.

Thursday, May 16 – Interview at Review From Here

Friday, May 17 – Book Spotlight at Moonlight Lace & Mayhem

Sunday, May 19 – Book Review & Book Giveaway at My Book Addiction Reviews

Sunday, May 19 – Book Review at All Grown Up!

Monday, May 20 – Guest Blogging & Book Giveaway at Lori’s Reading Corner

Tuesday, May 21 – Book Review, Guest Blogging & Book Giveaway at Queen of All She Reads

Wednesday, May 22 – Interview at Straight From the Author’s Mouth

Thursday, May 23 – Book Review at Melina’s Book Blog

Thursday, May 23 – Book Spotlight at Authors & Readers Book Corner

Friday, May 24 – Book Review at The Mary Book Reader

Friday, May 24 – Book Spotlight & Book Giveaway at Free eBooks Daily

Friday, May 24 – Book Review at WV Stitcher

Saturday, May 25 – Book Spotlight at Mochas, Mysteries and More

Monday, May 27 – Book Review & Book Giveaway at 4 the Love of Books

Monday, May 27 – Book Review & Book Giveaway at So Little Time…So Much to Read!

Tuesday, May 28 – Book Review at Vic’s Media Room

Wednesday, May 29 – Interview & Book Giveaway at Janna Shay

Thursday, May 30 – Book Spotlight & Book Giveaway at My Cozie Corner

Friday, May 31 – Book Review at Blooming with Books

Any thoughts? I'd love to hear from you!

W... W... W... Wednesday ~ May 22, 2013

W... W... W... Wednesdays is a weekly meme hosted by MizB of Should be Reading. To play along, just answer the following questions:

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you'll read next?

I didn't get as much reading done this week. I was back home for a long weekend. My Great Aunt and Uncle celebrated their 60th Wedding Anniversary over the weekend! There was dinner and dancing on Saturday night, and a brunch on Sunday. I had a blast visiting with family and friends.

What am I currently reading? I am currently reading Always the Baker, Finally the Bride by Sandra D. Bricker. These are really cute books, but I might have made a mistake reading so many of them at the same time! I have to post a review for this one on Monday, so I need to get it read! I do love Emma Rae and Jackson, and the focus is back on them in this book. I'm very happy about that! 

What did I recently finish reading? I finished Always the Wedding Planner, Never the Bride by Sandra D. Bricker before we left. This story focuses on the new wedding planner at the Tanglewood Hotel. I like this one, but not as much as the first.

What do I think I'll be reading next?  I'm not sure...I think Rosings by Karen Aminadra is up next. This Pride and Prejudice Spin-off focuses on Anne de Bourgh. I hope poor Anne gets away from her over-bearing mother!

What are you reading?

Review and GIVEAWAY: Bluebells in the Mourning by KaraLynne Mackrory

Bluebells in the Mourning by KaraLynne Mackrory

Published by: Meryton Press 
Release date: May 1, 2013 
Paperback: 238 pages 
Received: paperback from publisher
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

 

I loved this story! I was struck by how many good things came out of this tragic event. Even though, there is a death in the family and, to that end, some grieving, it wasn’t a heavy book. In fact, I found Bluebells in the Mourning a fun and enjoyable read!

Darcy arrives at the parsonage just moments after Elizabeth receives news that one of her dearly beloved sisters has been in an accident and died. Instead of the planned proposal, Darcy offers to escort Elizabeth and Maria Lucas to London. On the way to London, Elizabeth makes a few comments that make Darcy realize she holds many grievances and misconceptions against him. Recognizing what a disaster it would have been to propose to her at the parsonage, Darcy goes about the business of showing her the real gentleman he is, but will that matter as the circumstances of Lydia’s death come to light. Could Darcy have prevented it, if he had been more forthcoming of Wickham’s true character? 

What I found very interesting is, what affect this tragedy had on Mr. and Mrs. Bennet. It brought them closer together. It was really beautiful to see.

I loved Colonel Fitzwilliam and Bingley in this story. With the Colonel being Darcy’s best friend and always ready to go after Wickham. And Bingley finally doing what he wants, but still being cheerful and easy going. 

Georgiana catches on pretty quickly about Elizabeth, and invites her and the Gardiners to stay at Pemberley while traveling to Lambton. Only she doesn’t tell Darcy until about a week before they are due to arrive!! I love this Georgiana; a little sneaky, with a nice sense of humor.

Let me tell you, Darcy and Elizabeth’s first kiss was amazing!! Sweet and lovely.

Bluebells in the Mourning is a delightful read! One I plan to re-read many times in the future! 

5 out of 5 stars.

I was provide a copy of the book for my honest review.

Buy a copy at Amazon. (Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, should you purchase the book through the link I will get a small commission.)

This completes my ninth selection of the Pride and Prejudice Bicentenary Challenge 2013 hosted by Austenprose.

Connect with KaraLynne Mackrory:

twitter
facebook
website

* * * GIVEAWAY * * *

Meryton Press is graciously giving away two prizes! One person will win a paperback of Bluebells in the Mourning and one person will win an e-book copy of Bluebells in the Mourning! To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter below and leave a comment! This giveaway is open Internationally! The last day to enter is May 27, 2013. 
Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Any thoughts? I'd love to hear for you! Remember to enter the giveaway, you have to fill out the Rafflecopter above!

You can read my review for KaraLynne Mackrory's first book Falling for Mr. Darcy here.

Review: Highlander's Hope by Collette Cameron

Oh. My. Gosh. I loved this story! Highlander’s Hope is an engaging read that I couldn’t put down! This Regency romance is full of action and smoldering romance.

I was hooked from the beginning of the story as Miss Yvette Stapleton is sailing to London from Massachusetts. She is being chased by her step-brother, Edgar Marquardt, whom she suspects is responsible for the death of her father and step-mother. Edgar is desperate to get his hands on Yvette’s fortune. Once in London she is still not safe, and the handsome Lord McTavish comes to her rescue!

Ewan McTavish, Viscount Sethwick and Laird of Craiglocky, also an agent for the English Government, is aware that Edgar is after Yvette.  Edgar is wanted for treason, and it is Ewan’s job to protect Yvette and possibly capture Edgar in the process. Their adventure takes them all the way to Scotland - to the only place Ewan trusts to keep Yvette safe - to his estate in Scotland, Craiglocky.

Yvette trusts no man. When she marries, she wants to marry for love, and not to a man who is only interested in her fortune. She has yet to find any man that interests her at all, until she meets Ewan that is. He stirs deep feelings in her that she never knew she had. Ewan is there to protect her... But as she grows to love him, can she trust him with her heart as much as she does with her life?

Ewan has loved Yvette since he met her two years before. He will do everything he can to keep Yvette safe and to earn her love and trust. That might not be so easy when Yvette learns that while they were in Scotland they were married without her realizing it!!

What I loved about Yvette is that she is both vulnerable and courageous. She also had a knack of getting herself in awkward situations. At times, it was quite humorous!

Something else I found interesting - I knew it was very easy to get married in Scotland, which is why so many couples eloped to Gretna Green, but I didn’t realize all you needed to do is declare yourself married in front of witnesses, and just like that, you’re legally married!

I found Highlander’s Hope to be an excellent read!! It's exciting, fast paced and with Scottish accents, I loved it!  I’m looking forward to Collette Cameron’s next book, The Viscount’s Vow.

5 out of 5 stars.

I was provided an e-arc copy of the book for my honest review.

Buy your copy at Amazon. (Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, should you purchase a copy of the book through the link I will get a small commission.)

Connect with Collette Cameron:

Website
Blog
facebook
twitter


Any thoughts? I'd love to hear from you!

W... W... W... Wednesday ~ May 15. 2013

W... W... W... Wednesdays is a weekly meme hosted by MizB of Should be Reading. To play along, just answer the following questions:

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you'll read next?

What am I currently reading? Always the Wedding Planner, Never the Bride: An Emma Rae Creation by Sandra D. Bricker. I'm loving this series! This is the second of a four book series. I was asked to review the fourth, and I already had the first, so I thought if I had time I would read it.  

What did I recently finish reading?  I've been on a reading spurt here!! I usually only get one book read a week. I got two finished again this week! I just finished reading Always the Baker, Never the Bride by Sandra D. Bricker. Like I said above, I'm reviewing the fourth book in this series and thought if I had time I'd read the first. I'm so glad I did!  Before that, I finished reading Highlander's Hope by Collette Cameron. I'll post my review for Highlander's Hope tomorrow - Loved it! (Soon to be released)

What do I think I'll be reading next?  Always the Baker, Finally the Bride by Sandra D. Bricker is up next! I'm excited to see if Emma finally gets to the alter! This is the last of the series; book four. I don't think I'll have time to read book three before book four, but I'm glad I have a background of at least the first two! This series is so cute and humorous!  



What are you reading?