V. Joy Palmer: October 2020

Saturday, October 24, 2020

Review of The Kissing Tree Novella Collection

About the Book ~

In this Texas-sized romance novella collection, courting couples, decades apart, leave a permanent mark of their love by carving their initials into the same oak's bark.

Regina Jennings - "Broken Limbs, Mended Hearts"

When a young man from her past returns and upends their small town with a new invention, schoolteacher Bella Eden is reminded of the heartbreak she suffered years ago under the old oak tree. When her job is put on the line, can she trust the man who disrupted her life to help her fight for a brighter future?

Karen Witemeyer - "Inn for a Surprise"

Determined to keep love alive for others, Phoebe Woodward builds an inn that caters to couples. When her father sends a property manager to help make it a success, she finds her whimsical vision thwarted by his stodgy practicality. Finding the right blend of romance and reality is a challenge, and her spinster heart may be in for a surprise.

Amanda Dykes - "From Roots to Sky"

WWII airman Luke Hampstead found comfort in letters from the sister of a lost compatriot. When he visits Texas to thank her, he discovers her constructing a project with surprising ties to his letters . . . and that she herself is even more surprising. While a promising opportunity awaits him elsewhere, will what they've shared be enough to give their future flight?

Nicole Deese - "Heartwood"

Abby Brookshire's world is turned upside down when the historic tree she's strived to preserve as the head groundskeeper at the Kissing Tree Inn is put in danger of removal. Making matters worse, the only way to protect its legacy is to partner with the man she's been ignoring since he left town years ago. Will she have the courage to move on from the past and start a new beginning?

For more information about the authors -- Regina Jennings, Karen Witemeyer, Amanda Dykes, Nicole Deese -- and their books, check out their websites by clicking their name!

My Thoughts ~

The Kissing Tree is everything I love in a novella collection! Each story is pure loveliness!

I adore when each novella continues to build on the previous stories in the collection! As we follow these four sweet stories, readers get to stay connected to the continuous generations of Oak Springs and the characters who are destined to capture many hearts! However, the detail that truly sets this novella collection apart is the Kissing Tree itself! From origin story to the bittersweet end, readers get to be part of the Kissing Tree's life in each of these beautifully crafted moments through the decades!

Regina Jennings - "Broken Limbs, Mended Hearts"

"Broken Limns, Mended Hearts" was a wonderful story to brand the romantic oak tree of Oak Springs as THE Kissing Tree! I also really enjoyed the way new technology with respect for the past was melded into the fabric of the couple's conflict!

Karen Witemeyer - "Inn for a Surprise"

"Inn for a Surprise" was so much fun! We join the story as the newly-built Kissing Tree Inn is being prepared for its first guests. I adored the witty banter between the couple and learning of the different couples who found their way to the Kissing Tree, thus inspiring the creation of the Kissing Tree Inn!

Amanda Dykes - "From Roots to Sky"

"From Roots to Sky" is tale with as much perseverance as there is romance! We rejoin Oak Springs and the Kissing Tree after hard financial times, war, and grief have reached their unapologetic hands into the community. I loved the way the community worked together and the poetic way the couple found both their roots and their wings in life!

Nicole Deese - "Heartwood"

"Heartwood" is the perfect balance of bittersweet, second chances, and new beginnings to close out this novella collection! The apt portrayal of how grief can affect even the sturdiest of relationships hit me in the feels! I adored the chemistry between the couple as they found their second chance at a new beginning! However, the beautiful message of how letting go -- symbolically and literally -- can never remove the legacy carved into our heartwood is what makes this conclusion so perfect!

Five Stars ~ The Kissing Tree is one of my favorite novella collections to date! Additionally, each of the authors has a plethora of novels in their respective backlists!

Disclaimer ~ In accordance with FTC regulations, I received a copy of this book from the publisher. I was not compensated, nor was a positive review required. All opinions expressed are my own.

See you next time, and God bless you guys!!!

Hugs!

~V. Joy Palmer

V. Joy Palmer loves to write romantic and comedic stories that proclaim God’s deep love for us. She’s a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and an avid blogger. In her spare time, Joy loves to sing (especially Disney songs), drink large quantities of coffee, and take flowery photos for Bookstagram. When Joy isn’t fighting with fictional people, she’s hanging out with her husband and their adorable little girl. Connect with Joy via www.vjoypalmer.com!

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Wednesday, October 7, 2020

Review of The Haunting at Bonaventure Circus by Jaime Jo Wright

About the Book ~

Welcome to Bonaventure Circus,
where misfits go to hide.

In 1928, the Bonaventure Circus has become a refuge for many, but Pippa Ripley was rejected from its inner circle as a baby and is no longer content to leave the reason for that rejection unquestioned. When she receives mysterious messages from someone called the "Watchman," she is determined to find him and the connection to her birth. As Pippa's search leads her to a man seeking justice for his murdered sister and evidence that a serial killer has been haunting the circus train, she must decide if uncovering her roots is worth putting herself directly in the path of the killer.

Decades later, an old circus train depot's future hangs in the balance--it will either be torn down or preserved for historical importance, and its fate rests on Realtor Chandler Faulk's shoulders. As she dives deep into the depot's history, she's also balancing a newly diagnosed disease and the pressures of single motherhood. When she discovers clues to unsolved murders of the past, Chandler is pulled into a story far darker and more haunting than even an abandoned train depot could portend.

For more information about Jaime Jo Wright and her books, check out her website here!

My Thoughts ~

The Haunting at Bonaventure Circus by Jaime Jo Wright is the perfect read for a cozy autumn night -- spooky and full of faith!

When I saw that part of this spilt-time novel was set in the late 1920s, I knew I NEEDED to read this story as soon as I could get my greedy little hands on it -- and the author did not disappoint my Roaring Twenties heart with Pippa's side of the story! The author wonderfully balanced the glitz and glam of the Roaring Twenties with the wonder of the circus. However, the contemporary piece of Chandler's tale proved to be just as enthralling! I was immediately swept into the small town with its dark history -- which brings us to the multiple mysteries. No spoilers, but I loved how the author kept me guessing! I loved how the author surprised me even when I was sorta, kinda right...ahem, okay...I was wildly guessing. Bottom line is that I loved each reveal that shocked me to my reader core! Bravo!

Both Pippa and Chandler struggled with their self-image and identity, and the spiritual message layered into these complicated topics gripped my heart! The author's loving approach to physical qualities that are demeaned and ridiculed, the sensitive look at autoimmune diseases, and the mental chains that hold a person captive when they hold themselves to impossible standards was froth with piercing conviction, grace, and the feeling that the readers themselves are seen, understood, and loved. Through Pippa and Chandler's journeys, readers will be encouraged to settle their identity in their heart through the One Who gives us an identity in His steadfast love.

Five Stars ~ The Haunting at Bonaventure Circus by Jaime Jo Wright is a thrilling romantic suspense that is the perfect fall read! The Haunting at Bonaventure Circus is a standalone, but the author has other suspenseful stories in her backlist.