Review of When Love Arrives by Johnnie Alexander

From the Back Cover:

Dani had planned to spy on Brett--so how did she end up on a date with him?

Dani Prescott can't believe the lie Brett Somers is trying to sell to the media. During an interview about the plane crash that killed his parents, he blamed Dani's mother. But the crash killed her as well. Vowing to restore her mother's reputation, Dani has been following Brett and taking photos, hoping to find something she can use to discredit him. But when she catches his eye instead, she quickly finds herself agreeing to a date. Brett knows this mystery girl is hiding something--but he's got his own secrets to keep. What will happen when he discovers who she really is?

My Thoughts:

How does the naïve girl with the sordid past catch the eye of the area's most eligible bachelor? Find out in this delightful contemporary romance, When Love Arrives, by Johnnie Alexander!

I adored all the witty banter! Loved seeing Dani and Brett go back and forth for pages. And all the references to classic movies - LOVE! Cause Cary Grant. *Swoon* A dreamy guy who knows and quotes Cary Grant? *Fainting Swoon*

Dani is really sweet. I can understand her hurt and her desire to clear her mother's name. Oh, and Dani, I probably would have done the same thing with the ring. ;) Brett was very well developed. You could see him fighting his playboy past, trying to be the man he should be for his family. You could feel his charm oozing off the pages, and then you'd want to slap that arrogant smirk off his face. And I think when a character makes you want to go from hugs to slapping, they are making you feel. Which is kinda the point. ;)

The spiritual plot is subtle. Dani and Brett both found their way back to God over the course of the story. It is a good read for someone who doesn't like to feel like they are being preached at throughout the story.

When Love Arrives is the second book in Johnnie Alexander's Misty Willow Series. You can read this as a stand alone novel, but some of the drama and character interaction will make more sense if you read Shelby and AJ's story, Where She Belongs, the first book in the Misty Willow Series. I'm looking forward to Amy's story!

I received a copy of When Love Arrives by Johnnie Alexander from Revell in exchange for my honest opinion, which I have given.

See you guys next time! God bless and hugs!

V. Joy Palmer

Review of To Have and to Hold by Betsy St. Amant, Becky Wade, and Katie Ganshert

From the Back Cover:

They’ve helped orchestrate the perfect day for countless couples. Now twelve new couples will find themselves in the wedding spotlight in the second Year of Weddings novella collection.

Love Takes the Cake: A September Wedding Story by Betsy St. Amant

Charlotte Cantrell is always the baker; never the bride. When Will, a regular at Charlotte’s bakery, catches her attention, she can only hope that he is the reliable man this single mother has always hoped to find. The problem is that he’s regularly stopping in to buy cookies for another girl. But when Charlotte is hired to bake a host of wedding goodies for a difficult bride and finds out Will is the best man, she has the perfect opportunity to get to know him better—and find out how serious Will is about this other girl in his life.

The Perfect Arrangement: An October Wedding Story by Katie Ganshert

Amelia Woods is a small-town wallflower and the proud owner of Forget-Me-Nots, a quaint flower shop. Her love life has always been a bit lackluster—until she ends up in an embarrassing fender-bender with handsome Nate Gallagher. Meanwhile, Amelia’s younger brother, William, has proposed to his girlfriend. Amelia would be excited except she has evidence that the fiancée is not who she says she is. It seems Nate is the only one available for any advice-giving, and he’s good at it—and pretty fun to talk to too. As Amelia works to craft the perfect flower arrangements for other people, she begins to wonder if real love is better than the dream. And if it is, will Nate still be interested when he learns who she is?

Love in the Details: A November Wedding Story by Becky Wade

When Josh returns to his hometown of Martinsburg, Texas, to help his best friend get married, he didn’t intend to run into church wedding coordinator—and ex-girlfriend—Holly. He can’t help but pine after the girl he never got over. Holly broke up with Josh years ago in an attempt to ensure his future success. But she loved him then and still loves him now. As she helps him plan his best friend’s wedding, she longs to be with Josh but doesn’t feel worthy of his big-time lifestyle when she is more comfortable in her smalltown world. Will Josh and Holly be able to keep things as they are when their true feelings threaten to surface at every turn?

My Thoughts:

I love this novella collection! Sweet! Sassy! Romantic!

Bliss.

Love Takes the Cake ~

Such a sweet story. I love Betsy St. Amant's wit! Some people might feel like Charlotte and Will fall into the cliché of just needing to talk. Yeah, there are some misunderstandings, but I felt like they were pretty believable. Charlotte acted out of a place of deep hurt and because she had her daughter to protect.  And Will. What a guy! He was well developed for such a short story.

The Perfect Arrangement ~

LOVE THIS STORY!

Ok, first, this story is written in first person from Amelia's perspective - my favorite thing in the world! She's so much fun! And Nate. Sigh. He quotes Mr. Darcy and knows old Cary Grant and Jimmy Stewart movies. Need I say more?

Love in the Details ~

Such a sweet story! Josh is a handsome nerd and Holly is a YA writer - I loved that! Becky Wade paints such lovely word pictures. And I love stories of unrequited love and second chances. <3 *Sigh.*

I received a copy of To Have and to Hold: Three Autumn Love Stories (A Year of Weddings Novella) by Betsy St. Amant, Becky Wade, and Katie Ganshert published by Zondervan from BookLook Bloggers in exchange for my honest opinion, which I have given.

God bless you guys! See you next time!

V. Joy Palmer

Ramblings from ACFW

So I was out of town this last week. I would have written this sooner, but I was recovering from major jet lag (I was on central time instead of eastern for four days! Yeah!), and a baby in the middle of a sleep regression (Ah, the days when I didn't know the horror of those words. The days when I slept...). Anyways. I was at ACFW. The American Christian Fiction Writer's Conference.

A. Maz. Ing.




I love this conference so much. I wouldn't be published without this conference. I wouldn't have met such wonderful friends without this conference. I wouldn't be pushed a little bit more out of my shell each year without this conference.

As an introvert, I could maybe do without that last part.

I had goals for this conference. I WASN'T going to chase appointments this year. I wanted to focus on making new friendships, connections, and actually sitting through a class from start to finish.

But I had another goal, as well.

I wanted God to show up. I wanted to be refreshed. Transformed. Revived.

And if you ask for God to show up, you had better mean it. Because He did. And I ended up ugly crying all over two dear friends. Seriously. I resembled a sniveling two-year-old.

And I forgot to put stinking tissues in my purse.

But God showed up. He came for me. And that was just the start.

Maybe you're feeling sort of how I was feeling. In a ditch and everything is a fight. Difficult. Like all of the joy has been sucked out of you like you're one of those vacuum sealed storage bags.

God's waiting for you.

Get out. Get away. Go somewhere different (I'm a fan of the lake or the river.). Bring your Bible. Cry and don't give a flying fig about what the random strangers passing by you are thinking.

Or don't do any of that.

Just ask God to show up. And He will.

Hugs, friends.

 

V. Joy Palmer