Forever Yours by Robin M. Helm ~ Review & Giveaway!

Forever Yours (Yours by Design, #3) by Robin M. Helm 

Publication Date: April 5th, 2015  
Pages: 327
Received: paperback from author 
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I enjoyed Forever Yours by Robin M. Helm. This is the third and final book in the Yours by Design series. Beware! This is a continuing storyline, and you need to read Accidentally Yours (Bk 1) and Sincerely Yours (Bk 2) before reading Forever Yours. But lucky you, they are all out now so you can read them all without having to wait!!

They say history repeats itself and in this case it does…or close to it! I liked the clever way Ms. Helm modernized certain events from Regency Pride & Prejudice to fit into the present day. Because in the 21st century, who would care if Lydia and Wickham ran off and eloped?!

The story begins in Book 1 with Fitzwilliam Darcy and Will Darcy suffering an accident at the same time…only 200 years apart, and during the accident they switch places.  Fitzwilliam wakes up in a modern hospital not understanding modern technology, and Will finds himself in Kent, 1795, Rosings Park.

As the story progresses, and the excitement builds, I found that the switching back and forth between centuries and men began to wear on me. It broke the flow of the story way too much for me. There are two different stories going on here; Will in the 1800s and Fitzwilliam in the 21st century. I really feel like maybe it would have been better to write two books - one for each man. 

It's interesting how the character development throughout the books changed my opinion of them. For example, I did not like Fitzwilliam in the first book. At all. But by the third book, he was as I liked him to be. I felt the same about Lance Bingley. I felt he was just plain rude in the beginning.

My favorites from the Regency period were Colonel Fitzwilliam and Mrs. Bennet.  I was surprised by Mrs. Bennet. She was much kinder, and she really cared about Elizabeth.  

I enjoyed Forever Yours! In the end, the stories wrap up nicely, with much excitement in both centuries! 

FTC Disclaimer: I received a paperback of the book from the author for my honest review.

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 Accidentally Yours (Yours by Design Book 1) is on sale right now for Kindle! I'm not sure how long the sale will last. Check the price before you buy!

FTC Disclaimer: Links to Amazon. I am an Amazon Associate. Should you purchase a copy of the book through the link provide, I will receive a small commission. Thanks!

My review for Accidentally Yours (Book 1)

My review for Sincerely Yours (Book 2)

Connect with Robin M. Helm

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* * * GIVEAWAY * * *

Happy news! Robin Helm is generously giving away one (1) paperback (U.S. only) and one (1) e-copy (Internationally) of Forever Yours. To win one of these prizes, just fill out the Rafflecopter below and leave a comment!

Thank you, Robin! 

• One person will win choice of paperback or e-copy (Kindle format) of Forever Yours - U.S. only.
• One person will win an e-copy (Kindle format) of Forever Yours - open Internationally.
• Last day to enter: June 29, 2015.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Please, leave a comment! We'd love to hear from you! Remember, to enter the giveaway you MUST fill out the Rafflecopter (shown above). If you need help entering, email me by clicking on the email icon at the top of the sidebar. Thanks!

What are you Reading? ~ May 27, 2015

What are you Reading? is my weekly Wednesday meme! You are welcome to join me, just answer the following questions:

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

What am I currently reading? I'm currently reading Hearts Stolen (Texas Romance Series Book 2) by Caryl McAdoo. It's pretty good. I was in the mood for a western. :)







What did I recently finish reading? I finished reading Alive: Book One of the Generations Trilogy by Scott Sigler. I loved it! I'm looking forward to the next in the series! I was glad that it didn't end in a cliffhanger.







I also finished reading  Worth the Fall (Brew Ha Ha #2) by Caitie Quinn. It was a super cute, clean, romantic comedy! I loved it, and I plan on reading more books by Caitie Quinn!







What do I think I'll be reading next? I hope to start Forever Yours: Yours by Design, Book 3 by Robin M. Helm. I'm looking forward to reading this!






FTC Disclaimer: Links to Amazon. I am an Amazon Associate. Should you purchase a copy of the book through the link provided I will receive a small commission. Thanks!


So... What are you reading?

Winners of the Sincerely Yours Giveaway!

Hey Everyone! Rafflecopter has picked the winners of the Sincerely Yours giveaway! 

I want to take a moment to say thank you to Robin Helm for so generously offering to give away a signed paperback and an e-copy of her book, Sincerely Yours!

Thank you, Robin!! 

And now for the winners!

Signed paperback ~ Lori Johnston!

E-copy ~ Chiara Lanzi!

Thank you to all who entered!

I have emailed the winners.

Winners have 72 hours to respond to this post or an email, or a new winner will be picked. Thank you!

You can buy a copy at Amazon.

FTC Disclaimer: Link to Amazon. I'm an Amazon Associate, and if you should purchase a copy of the book through the link provided I will receive a small commission. Thanks!

Sincerely Yours by Robin M Helm ~ GIVEAWAY & My Review

Sincerely Yours [Yours by Design] by Robin M. Helm 


Publication Date: July 6th, 2014 
Publisher: Smashwords 
Pages: 278 
Received: paperback from the author. 
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Sincerely Yours is the second book in Robin M. Helm’s Yours by Design series. Beware, you must read Accidentally Yours, book 1, before reading this book as it has a continuing storyline. For a brief recap of book 1: After an accident, suffered simultaneously, Fitzwilliam Darcy (late 1700s) and Will Darcy (present day) switch places in time. Fitzwilliam wakes up in a modern hospital not understanding modern technology, and Will finds himself in Kent, 1795, Rosings Park.

Sincerely Yours is a fun book to read. First off, watching Fitzwilliam try to maneuver in the modern world is pretty funny! There are so many mannerisms that he just doesn't get or understand. On the other hand, Will has a good grasp of history dealing in the late 1700s and early 1800s. He fits in quickly, but he has other problems to deal with, like trying to repair the damage Fitzwilliam has done to Elizabeth and her family. Plus, he’s finding the real life of the Darcy’s and Bennet’s a bit different than in the book, Pride and Prejudice.

I was so glad to like Fitzwilliam again! I was not a fan of his in the first book. The jolt of suddenly being in the 21st century, being able to see his life through the film versions of Pride and Prejudice, and being a captive audience of Mrs. Thomas and Lance, his nurse and physical therapist, help him become a much better person! 

Ooh, and I liked the introduction of the present-day Elizabeth Bennet! She has a sister named Jane and a rake like Wickham (named Greg) in her past. Will Fitzwilliam fall in love with her, and possibly persuade Elizabeth to fall in love with him?

I like the idea of seeing what’s going on in both time periods simultaneously, but I also found that it broke the flow of the story too much for me to get hooked. Maybe it was the limited reading time I had, but it wasn’t until near the end that I became hooked, and now I’m looking forward to the next book to come out! 

I enjoyed reading Sincerely Yours, and I’m really looking forward to reading the next book of the series, Forever Yours! 

FTC Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book for my honest review.

Buy: Amazon
Add to goodreads.

FTC Disclaimer: Link to Amazon. I'm an Amazon Associate, and if you should purchase a copy of the book through the link provided, I will receive a small commission. Thanks!


Read my review for Accidentally Yours here.

Connect with Robin M. Helm

twitter • facebook • website

~ ~ ~ GIVEAWAY ~ ~ ~

Happy news! Robin Helm is generously giving away one (1) autographed paperback (U.S. only) and one (1) e-copy (Internationally). To win one of these prizes, just fill out the Rafflecopter below and leave a comment! Last day to enter is November 18th, 2014.

• Two people will win.
• Choice of signed paperback or e-copy (kindle) - U.S. only
• one e-copy (kindle) - open Internationally
• Last day to enter: November 18th, 2014

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Please, leave a comment! We'd love to hear from you! Remember, to enter the giveaway you MUST fill out the Rafflecopter (shown above) Please don't leave your email in the comments. If you need any help entering, email me! Just click on the icon at the top of the sidebar. Thanks! 

W... W... W... Wednesdays ~ Oct. 22, 2014

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 reading Icons by Margaret Stohl, co-writer of the Beautiful Creatures series. While I was at the LA Festival of Books back in April, I came across Ms Stohl at a booth, signing books! I was thrilled to find she had begun writing a dystopian series! So I bought Book 1 from her, and, of course, had her sign it. I'm looking forward to reading Icons!





What did I recently finish reading? I finished reading Sincerely Yours: Yours by Design, Book 2 by Robin M. Helm. I should have my review up soon! I'm looking forward to the next in the series.
I also finished reading A Midsummer Night's Dream by Shakespeare for an online class I'm taking. Reading from No Fear Shakespeare, which has both the original text and modern language side-by-side, made it much easier to understand! :) 




What do I think I'll read next? I'm thinking about reading 

Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen. I've never read anything by Ms Dessen, but I have two of her books sitting in my TBR pile, so I thought I'd give it a go! Plus, this will count towards my 2014 TBR Book Challenge! Yay! 


FTC Disclaimer: Book links are to Amazon. I'm an Amazon Associate, and if you should purchase a copy of the book through the link provided, I will receive a small commission. Thanks! 

What are you reading? 

W... W... W... Wednesdays ~ Oct. 8, 2014

Wow! It's Wednesday! These days are just flying by! It's time for...
W... W... W... Wednesdays, which 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'm currently reading Sincerely Yours: Yours by Design, Book 2 by Robin M. Helm. I've only read chapter 1 at this point, so I don't have much of an opinion, but I did have to laugh when 1800s Darcy was learning about Jane Austen Fan Fiction! Especially, when Helm slipped in a plug for her first series, Guardian.  If you don't know, the Yours by Design series is a Pride and Prejudice variation where the Darcy from the 1800s and Darcy from the 21st century trade places. You can read my review of the first book here.




What did I recently finish reading? I finished reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling. It was really good! Very much like the movie, but I now wish I had read the books first. I will read the rest, but probably not as quickly as I had anticipated. 

What do I think I'll read next?  I'm not sure. I'm taking a Shakespeare course, and I have some reading to do for that. I'm also studying writing and doing some algebra, which is keeping me very busy. 





FTC Disclaimer: Book links are to Amazon. I'm an Amazon Associate, and if you should purchase a copy of the book through the link provided, I will receive a small commission. Thanks!


What are you reading?

Winners to the Accidentally Yours Giveaway!

Hey Everyone! Rafflecopter has picked the winners of the 

Accidentally Yours 

Giveaway! 

But first, I would like to thank Robin M. Helm for generously offering to give away two copies of her new book!

Thank you, Robin!!

Without further ado...  the winners are:

Deborah ~ signed paperback

Chiara Lanzi ~ e-copy

I also want to say thanks to all who entered. I appreciate that you take the time to read my reviews and comment.

Thank you!

I have emailed the winners. They have 72 hours to respond to the email. If they don't respond a new winner will be picked.

Accidentally Yours

by Robin M. Helm

Amazon  •  goodreads

Accidentally Yours by Robin M. Helm ~ Review and GIVEAWAY!

Accidentally Yours [Yours by Design, Book 1] by Robin M. Helm 

Publication Date: January 8th, 2014 
Publisher: Robin Helm 
Pages: 252 
Received: paperback from the author for my honest review. 
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

 
I really enjoyed Accidentally Yours! It’s an interesting story following two men, two centuries apart, in love with the same woman.

In 1795, Fitzwilliam Darcy was struggling with his feelings for Elizabeth Bennet, someone far beneath him socially, but perfect for him in every other way.

In 2013, Will Darcy fears he will never find someone that measures up to the woman he fell in love with, a woman that lives between the pages of a book. Elizabeth Bennet.

The story begins shortly after Fitzwilliam Darcy delivers that letter to Elizabeth, the morning after his disastrous proposal. He is in an accident and is thrown from his horse and slams into a tree. In the future, Will is hit by a speeding car as he steps off a curb. At the time of both accidents, one is hoping he would never have to see Elizabeth again and the other is praying he could meet the real Elizabeth. Their prayers are answered as they switch places!

I loved this story! The way the chapters alternate between the past and present. We follow the lives of both men as though it's happening at the same time, only centuries apart.

I found I did not like Fitzwilliam Darcy very much in this story. I have a feeling before the end of the series I will love him again, but in the beginning, he is more than arrogant, he is harsh and mean in his thinking. This is one of his thoughts after Elizabeth refused him:

“Had you been brought up with any discipline, decorum, or respect for your betters, you would not speak to me thus. Your father should have taken a sterner hand with you. Women and horses require breaking and had you accepted me, I could have done it handily.”

That makes me cringe! That’s not the Darcy I love! But, by the end of this book I'm already seeing him softening. I'm so curious to see what is going to happen to him by the end of the series! 

Now, Will Darcy, on the other hand, is so sweet! The way he takes care of his grandmother is adorable. She raised him after his parents were killed in an accident. Her love of Jane Austen rubbed off on him as they would read Jane’s books and watch the BBC mini-series and movies together. He is well versed in all things Austen, and he is also a history buff, so when he found himself living in the late 1700s, he adapted quickly!

A few things I loved about this story: I like the mystery of the missing money at Rosing! With Fitzwilliam in the 21st century, Will has to figure out who is to blame for it, and find a way to replace it. I love Colonel Fitzwilliam in this story! He believed Will’s story and is there to help him in any way he can. I also love the way Fitzwilliam learns what happened to him. It must have been confusing for him to wake up in the emergency room with the bright lights, beeping machines and tubes attached to his body! 

What I didn’t like about this story: It ended with many questions hanging as the story will be continued in the next book. It is a three book series, and I fear I will have to wait a long time to have all my questions answered. The good news is book 2, Sincerely Yours, is about to be released! Book three, Forever Yours, due to be released fall 2014. So we won't be waiting long!

Accidentally Yours is a fantastic story! I am totally looking forward to reading the whole series!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book for my honest review. 

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Book Review and GIVEAWAY: Legacy By Robin Helm

Today, I'm over at Indie Jane with my review of Legacy!

Robin Helm is graciously giving away a paperback and a ebook copy of Legacy! Head over to Indie Jane for your chance to win! Good luck! 
Giveaway is over.

This review was originally published on Indie Jane.

Robin Helm delivers another amazing look at the spiritual world in Legacy the conclusion to her Guardian trilogy. With what could possibly be the end times, Darcy and El prepare for a mighty battle!

Legacy picks right back up where SoulFire left off. Darcy and El work out there differences and continue touring with the SoulFire ministry. With many signs pointing to the tribulation, they work harder at saving as many souls as possible and to expose Gregory's plans for the evil that they are. 

Gregory (Wickham) begins his political climb, altering his appearance and falsifying his records to appear older. As his rise to power grows, so does his ego and his need to rid himself of El, so she cannot fulfill her legacy. I have to tell you, I felt sick as Gregory advances in power. The way he controlled and manipulated people was frightening and the multitude was lulled into a false sense of security. 

The banter between the guardians still amused me. I believe Michael is my favorite guardian! His strong warrior facade melts the first time John David, El and Darcy’s son, reaches out to him. So sweet!

Helm also wraps up some of the story line with Caroline and Richard from Guardian. Richard confronts Caroline at El and Darcy’s wedding of all places! Will they ruin El’s special moment?

The scripture at the break points is really well placed and coincide nicely with the storyline. Her knowledge of scripture is impressive! I absolutely love that Helm put the names of God and their meanings at the back of the book! 

Amazing is how I would describe this series. This is more than just a Pride and Prejudice variation, it’s an incredible look at the spiritual realm! It is well worth the read. I think Legacy might be my favorite of the three.

I give this 5 out of 5 stars!

I was provided a copy of book for review.

Reviewing SoulFire by Robin Helm on Indie Jane

Hi! Today I'm over at Indie Jane reviewing SoulFire by Robin Helm. This is the second book of Helm's Guardian Trilogy. It's an amazing series! Pop over and read the review! Thanks!




You can also read the review I wrote for her first book of the trilogy, Guardian, here.



I'm looking forward to read the final book in the trilogy, Legacy, coming out soon!



Comments are always welcome! 


This review was originally published on Indie Jane.

SoulFire by Robin M. Helm ~ My Review

In Helm's first book, Guardian, it was amazing to see the work of the spiritual world around us. SoulFire expounded upon this.

Darcy and El spend an amazing summer with evangelist, Jonathan Edwards on the SoulFire tour, traveling the country saving thousands of souls. At the same time El is falling in love with Darcy and learning his secrets, but not all of them. When she learns his last secret, will she still love him?

It was a beautiful scene when El had her first concert and all the angels were singing praise too. With dancing light beams, the angels twirled around the theater creating a awesome light show!

I love the banter between Darcy, Michael and Gabriel. It's quite humorous listening to them give Darcy dating advice! Darcy experiencing human emotion for the first time is also fun to see.

Unknown to El, Gregory is attacking them every chance he can, trying to discredit their ministry and get rid of her. Still not realizing what Gregory really is, El considers him her friend.

Although the ministry of SoulFire is amazing, I felt the story of El and Darcy moves along a little slowly. Any issues they may have are resolved quickly. Then, when the plot begins to thicken and my angst starts to build, Helm ends the story with a cliffhanger!

Helm has just published the last book of this series, Legacy. I, for one, cannot wait to get my hands on this! I must know what happens!

4 out of 5 stars.

Disclaimer: I was provided a book for honest review.

Guardian By Robin Helm

I'm over at  Indie Jane today! I've written a review for an amazing book, Guardian by Robin Helm. So head over and read my review! Thanks!










This review was originally published on Indie Jane.

Oh. My. Word. This was not what I had expected! This is an amazing story, which had me thinking and at one point breaking out my Bible to do my own research. Even though this is a fictional story I was fascinated to see how the spiritual world might be at work around us. According to the Bible there is a spiritual battle being fought for us each day. It’s interesting to see the spiritual warfare that goes on in a persons life unseen by human eyes.

What if Elizabeth Bennett was meant for a special purpose? What if she was assigned a special Guardian, an Angel very high up in the realm of Angels?

The beginning of the story is a little heavy laying the ground work for the story. Don’t get me wrong, it’s very interesting. It’s just not a light read. As we watch Elizabeth grow up and become a teenager it’s amazing to watch the battles being fought for her. I really enjoyed the story more when Elizabeth was a teenager and young adult.

Where is Darcy in all this you might ask? He is Xander, Elizabeth’s Guardian, who, when he takes on his human form is called Darcy.

El, as her parents call her, is very intelligent and very gifted musically as well as vocally. Since her existence is very important in ruining the plans Satan has set in play to turn the world further away from God, he wants her dead.

Helm is well versed in all of God’s names and uses them through out the story, changing His name to suit the situation. I like that Scripture is infused all through the book. Helm uses them in chapter breaks as well as weaving them into the story.

This is the first book of a trilogy and it definitely ends with a cliffhanger. The good news is the second book is already out, SoulFire and I’m definitely looking forward to reading it! Helm is currently working on the Legacy, the final book in the trilogy.

*****

Robin Helm has published the first two volumes of a trilogy (The Guardian Trilogy), Guardian and SoulFire, and is presently writing Legacy, the third and final volume, posting as a work in progress on four different forums. She has also published three Regency short stories. She and her husband have two daughters, the elder a Navy nurse stationed in Guam, and the younger a university senior. They live in South Carolina with their Yorkie-Poo, Tobey. You can connect with Robin on the Crown Hill Writers Guild site. You can purchase Guardian in both ebook and paperback on Amazon.