Showing posts with label contemprary romance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label contemprary romance. Show all posts

Saturday, October 27, 2018

Review of A Sparkle of Silver by Liz Johnson


About the Book ~ 

Uncovering the past can lead to an unexpected future . . .

Millie Sullivan plays a 1920s-era guest during tours of a palatial estate on the shore of St. Simons Island, Georgia, where her great-grandmother was a real guest ninety years ago. When Millie learns of a lost diary that may contain the location of a hidden treasure on the estate and reveal the identity of her great-grandfather, she sets out to find the truth of her heritage -- and the fortune she desperately needs. But it won't be easy.

When security guard Ben Thornton discovers her snooping in the estate's private library, he threatens to have her fired. Still, her story seems too ludicrous to be fiction, and her offer to split the treasure is too tempting to pass up.

Get ready for a romantic escapade through dark halls and dusty corners that will have you holding your breath and sighing with delight.

For more information about Liz Johnson and her books, check out her website here!

My Thoughts ~ 

I'm going to confess something...

I decided to read A Sparkle of Silver because of the first line of the summary... "Millie Sullivan plays a 1920s-era guest - " And that's all it took for me to want to read the book! I'm a sucker for anything relating to the 1920's!

But what I found when I started reading A Sparkle of Silver surprised and delighted me! This story is actually more of a big, beautiful diamond than a simple sparkle of silver!

Multiple facets make up Millie and Ben's story. Humor. Romance. History. Suspense. Mystery. The author expertly wrote each of these different threads so that they shined not only by themselves but also as they worked together. One moment we (and by "we," I obviously mean the characters) would be running for our (the characters) lives, and the next moment we (ummm...still the characters?) would be laughing (okay...that was definitely me...) before we (me...and Millie!) swooned!!! I was thoroughly swept into this tale that hinted at times gone by in the middle of a contemporary treasure hunt!

Ben and Millie's romantic journey will require a hand-fan, and I don't mean one of those paper ones. Invest in a beautifully embroidered cloth hand-fan. You will be putting it to good use. While their relationship starts with them both feeling kind of "eh..." about each other, lots of emotional vulnerability and dusty alcoves while they hunt for forgotten treasure make for a prime setting for some swooning!

But the spiritual journey is the greatest treasure found in this novel! In their own ways, Ben and Millie had to see that money could not be their true Provider and that God would not betray them. Ben and Millie show us that true love is someone who walks with you through all the junk life throws at you, who forgives you when you screw up, and who sees you as more than past mistakes - their relationship so beautifully illustrates how God sees each one of us!

Five Stars - A Sparkle of Silver by Liz Johnson delighted me in so many ways! A Sparkle of Silver is the first book in Liz Johnson's new Georgia Coast Romance Series with Revell! I'm really looking forward to the next book!

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 websitepersonal blogdevotional blogFacebookTwitter, and Instagram!

Saturday, May 26, 2018

Review of The Theory of Happily Ever After by Kristin Billerbeck


About the Book ~

According to Dr. Maggie Maguire, happiness is serious--serious science, that is. But science can't always account for life's anomalies, like why her fiancé dumped her for a silk-scarf acrobat and how the breakup sent Maggie spiraling into an extended ice cream-fueled chick flick binge.

Concerned that she might never pull herself out of this nosedive, Maggie's friends book her as a speaker on a "New Year, New You" cruise in the Gulf of Mexico. Maggie wonders if she's qualified to teach others about happiness when she can't muster up any for herself. But when a handsome stranger on board insists that smart women can't ever be happy, Maggie sets out to prove him wrong. Along the way she may discover that happiness has far less to do with the head than with the heart.

Filled with unforgettable characters, snappy dialogue, and touching romance, The Theory of Happily Ever After shows that the search for happiness may be futile--because sometimes happiness is already out there searching for you.

For more information about Kristin Billerbeck and her books, check out her website here!

My Thoughts ~

Kristin Billerbeck, guys. Kristin. Billerbeck.

Need I say more? Obviously this novel is pure gold!

When I saw that Kristin Billerbeck had a new novel releasing, I piglet squealed! And oh, it was sooo worth the wait!! Kristin Billerbeck is the queen of Chick Lit (seriously, I grovel in awe at her feet), and The Theory of Happily Ever After just solidifies her reign with her signature style that will have you snorting in an undignified manner. Long live the queen! ;-)

Maggie is nerdy and confused, but oh so relatable! Sam (and I automatically love any hero with the same name as my hubby) is the kind of swoony hero who says all the wrong things until he says all the rights things. There was an unexpected grief thread in the story that surprised me, but I thought the author handled it well. It didn't detract from the lightheartedness of the story, and it added a depth that many readers can related to -- that happiness isn't found in forgetting, but rather remembering. That true resilience is found in God and His love. That the answer is always found in love. <3

Five Stars ~ The Theory of Happily Ever After is the perfect novel for laughing and forgetting your troubles while also helping you see God's love. Simply delightful! As far as I'm aware, The Theory of Happily Ever After is not a series (someone do something about this!), but Kristin Billerbeck has an awesome stash of stories in her backlist, which I also highly recommend!

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 blogFacebook, Twitter, and Instagram!