Review of Just Let Go by Courtney Walsh

About the Book ~

For Quinn Collins, buying the flower shop in downtown Harbor Pointe fulfills a childhood dream, but also gives her the chance to stick it to her mom, who owned the store before skipping town twenty years ago and never looking back. Completing much-needed renovations, however, while also competing for a prestigious flower competition with her mother as the head judge, soon has Quinn in over her head. Not that she’d ever ask for help.

Luckily, she may not need to. Quinn’s father and his meddling friends find the perfect solution in notorious Olympic skier Grady Benson, who had only planned on passing through the old-fashioned lakeside town. But when a heated confrontation leads to property damage, helping Quinn as a community-service sentence seems like the quickest way out―and the best way to avoid more negative press.

Quinn finds Grady reckless and entitled; he thinks she’s uptight and too regimented. Yet as the two begin to hammer and saw, Quinn sees glimpses of the vulnerability behind the bravado, and Grady learns from her passion and determination, qualities he seems to have lost along the way. But when a well-intentioned omission has devastating consequences, Grady finds himself cast out of town―and Quinn’s life―possibly forever. Forced to face the hurt holding her back, Quinn must finally let go or risk missing out on the adventure of a lifetime.

For more information about Courtney Walsh and her books, check out her website here!

My Thoughts ~

Just Let Go is the perfect book to read when you need a really good excuse to avoid all those outside chores this summer! And maybe by the time you're done, you'll have a whole "wild and untamable" vision for your flower garden.

For me, that means another excuse to let it overgrown this summer and read! Hehe! ;-)

Revisit the adorable town of Harbor Pointe, spot a couple of your favorite characters, and fall in love with some new ones in Just Let Go! There's so much to love in this story that's sweeter than a bouquet of roses!

Quinn Collins is snarky, dedicated, and stuck. I love flowers, so I adored the fact that she's a florist. It all felt so whimsical and beautiful! Grady is snarky, talented, and rebellious. I love to ski, and while I'm much more cautious than Grady, relating to him in that way made this swoony character even more endearing. And did you notice that Quinn and Grady have something huge in common? Snarky! So I obviously loved, loved, LOVED the witty dialogue between Quinn and Grady! I could not stop grinning! Their progression towards being a couple felt natural, and the push and pull of I'm not good enough for you! coupled with But I want to be good enough for you! felt totally relatable.

In the midst of all those snappy one-liners, there lies a powerful truth that reflects the title of this sweet tale. The power of letting go of all the hurt, the lies, the unforgiveness, the past, the future, the questions, the anger, the everything! And only once you let go are you free to grow "wild and untamable" in God's love.

Four Stars ~ A witty and sweet romance filled with God's "wild and untamable" truth! Just Let Go is a standalone novel, but if you've read Just Look Up, you will be delighted to return to one of most adorable small towns in the fictional world!

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

Any questions? Check out my Disclosures and Policies Page!

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

Hugs!

~V. Joy Palmer

V. Joy Palmer is the author of Love, Lace, and Minor Alterations and a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. She is also an avid blogger and co-founder of Snack Time Devotions. In her spare time, Joy is an unprofessional chocolate connoisseur/binger, and she loves acting crazy and drinking coffee with the teens she mentors. When Joy isn’t urging the elves that live in her computer to write, she’s hanging out with her husband, their adorable baby girl, and their socially awkward pets.

 

Connect with Joy on her website, personal blog, devotional blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

Review of The Saturday Night Supper Club by Carla Laureano

About the Book ~

Denver chef Rachel Bishop has accomplished everything she’s dreamed and some things she never dared hope, like winning a James Beard Award and heading up her own fine-dining restaurant. But when a targeted smear campaign causes her to be pushed out of the business by her partners, she vows to do whatever it takes to get her life back . . . even if that means joining forces with the man who inadvertently set the disaster in motion.

Essayist Alex Kanin never imagined his pointed editorial would go viral. Ironically, his attempt to highlight the pitfalls of online criticism has the opposite effect: it revives his own flagging career by destroying that of a perfect stranger. Plagued by guilt-fueled writer’s block, Alex vows to do whatever he can to repair the damage. He just doesn’t expect his interest in the beautiful chef to turn personal.

Alex agrees to help rebuild Rachel’s tarnished image by offering his connections and his home to host an exclusive pop-up dinner party targeted to Denver’s most influential citizens: the Saturday Night Supper Club. As they work together to make the project a success, Rachel begins to realize Alex is not the unfeeling opportunist she once thought he was, and that perhaps there’s life―and love―outside the pressure-cooker of her chosen career. But can she give up her lifelong goals without losing her identity as well?

For more information about Carla Laureano and her books, check out her website here!

My Thoughts ~

Everyone has that favorite food or dish (and coffee counts) that makes their heart smile whenever they think of it. That's what it's like when you read The Saturday Night Supper Club by Carla Laureano.

Don't believe me? Read it. I dare you. ;-)

This adorable foodie novel made me hungry the entire time I read it, and I still don't know if that's a pro or a con. ;-) The descriptions of the food are scrumptious and delectable, but you don't have to be into cooking to enjoy it - thank goodness! Haha! Sometimes foodie novels can feel a tad pretentious (but I may be inferring that thanks to my own inferior cooking skills), however, The Saturday Night Supper Club felt like one of those novels where you are catching up with a close friend. Carla Laureano did a marvelous job describing the Denver food scene, including using real restaurants to inspire the ones in the story!

I loved Alex and Rachel! Alex is a hunky writer (nonfiction, but I won't hold that against him). *swoon* His passion for serving God in such a pure way challenges you, and I loved his Russian heritage. My family has a special connection with Russia, so I loved gleaning those cultural titbits! Rachel is a talented, driven woman with a painful past and a timid love for God. You just want to hug her and be her friend.

And I got to say that I loved the angle social media played in this story. For me, it was refreshing to see how social media can be used for not only good, but also how people use it to harshly judge and do battle over skewed comments, something that's important to keep in mind. But ultimately, this is a story about savoring the joys God has given you, including your own uniqueness.

Five Stars ~ This fun and flirty foodie novel makes the perfect weekend read!! The Saturday Night Supper Club is the first book in Carla Laureano's delicious new Supper Club Series. I can't wait to devour the next book, Brunch at Bittersweet Café, available the spring of 2019! *drools with anticipation*

I received a copy of The Saturday Night Supper Club by Carla Laureano published by Tyndale from the Tyndale Blog Network. All opinions expressed are my own.

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

Hugs!

~V. Joy Palmer

V. Joy Palmer is the author of Love, Lace, and Minor Alterations and a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. She is also an avid blogger and co-founder of Snack Time Devotions. In her spare time, Joy is an unprofessional chocolate connoisseur/binger, and she loves acting crazy and drinking coffee with the teens she mentors. When Joy isn’t urging the elves that live in her computer to write, she’s hanging out with her husband, their adorable baby girl, and their socially awkward pets.