Sons of Blackbird Mountain - Joanne Bischof

My Rating

★★★★★★ - Heaven help me, you taste like Christmas! (More Info)

About the Book

When Aven Norgaard leaves Norway to serve as housekeeper to her late husband’s cousins in Appalachia, she expects lads in need of care, not three grown men—each in need of a wife and bound by a powerful brotherhood. As the men carve out a living by brewing artisan liquor, young Haakon’s pursuit tempts Aven’s lonely spirit . . . but it is his deaf brother, Thor, whose silent strength shows her the depths of real love.

Unable to speak to any woman, Thor Norgaard never anticipates Aven will befriend him, let alone treat him as her safe harbor. Though hard cider is their livelihood and his greatest talent, he fights his way to sobriety with Haakon’s help, defying the bottle for Aven’s hand—only to face a battle of the heart that tests even the strongest bonds of brotherhood. (Goodreads)

My Thoughts

Oh, readers...Prepare your heart for this one. Sons of Blackbird Mountain is a story that you will want to savor. Let the words sink into your soul and let them move you. Because they will...

I have never seen American Sign Language portrayed so precise as I have in this book. Having been raised by an interpreter for the Deaf, I have been immersed in the language and the culture my whole life. I say "Brava!" to Joanne Bischof for not only taking on this astounding task, but accomplishing it successfully and with excellence. 

I can't get this story out of my heart or my head. Thor's struggles and his strength. His love and his protectiveness. Aven is the sister of my heart. With her compassion, empathy, understanding, and even her fears...she is a beautiful woman inside and out. I want to live in this story with them. I want to walk the orchard. Make a pie in Ida's kitchen. Go swimming...Ok, you have to read the story to understand...And through it all, watching Thor and Aven find their strength, not in each other alone, but in God. Learning to lean on HIM to provide. Letting HIS strength guide and direct their paths. And to show HIS love to those around them, even if they are the "enemy". 

You all know how much I love The Lady and the Lionheart, well...Thor is sure giving Charlie a run for his money. I think my heart might explode with all the feelings and emotions emitted by these two stories and heroes. 

Joanne Bischof continues to expand the boundaries of Christian Fiction. With passion, tension, conflict, and romance we are drawn into the world of Aven and the Norgaard brothers.

I received a complimentary copy of Sons of Blackbird Mountain from the publisher through Book Look. I also received an ebook copy through NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

About the Author

A Carol Award and two-time Christy Award-finalist, Joanne Bischof writes deeply layered fiction that tugs at the reader’s heartstrings. She was honored to receive the SDCWG Novel of the Year Award in 2014 and in 2015 was named Author of the Year by the Mount Hermon Writer’s conference. Her 2014 novella This Quiet Sky broke precedent as the first self-released title to final for the Christy Awards. She lives in the mountains of Southern California with her husband and their three children.

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More Books by Joanne Bischof on Bookworm Mama

One of my ALL-TIME Favorite books. Learn more HERE.

Many thanks to Canva for providing an AMAZING program for me to design all these beautiful graphics. Book covers, publisher/tour logos, and author pictures not owned by me. All other graphics created by Bookworm Mama with public domain photos on Canva unless stated otherwise. 

The Lost Castle - Kristy Cambron

My Rating

★★★★★★ - Heaven help me, you taste like Christmas! (More Info)

About the Book

A thirteenth century castle, Château de Doux Rêves, has been forgotten for generations, left to ruin in a storybook forest nestled deep in France’s picturesque Loire Valley...

Ellie Carver arrives at her grandmother’s bedside expecting to find her silently slipping away. Instead, the beloved old woman begins speaking. Of a secret past and castle ruins forgotten by time. Of a hidden chapel that served as a rendezvous for the French resistance in World War II. Of lost love and deep regret . . .

Each piece that unlocks the story seems to unlock part of Ellie too—where she came from and who she is becoming. But her grandmother is quickly disappearing into the shadows of Alzheimer’s and Ellie must act fast if she wants to uncover the truth of her family’s history. Drawn by the mystery surrounding The Sleeping Beauty—a forgotten castle so named for Charles Perrault’s beloved fairy tale—Ellie embarks on a journey to France’s Loire Valley in hopes that she can unearth its secrets before time silences them forever.

Just the Way You Are + Giveaway - Pepper Basham

Click here to purchase your copy.

About the Book

Book: Just the Way You Are

Author: Pepper Basham 

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Single mom, Eisley Barrett, prefers to keep romance safely housed within a centuries-old mystery, but when she travels to England to unearth the secret, an actor with a sordid past offers her reluctant heart a very different type of discovery.

Wes Harrison has a past he’s ashamed to confess. Suspicious and cynical, he’s managed to avoid romantic entanglements since a tragedy upended his career and life, that is until American Eisley Barrett comes along. Her authenticity and kindness upend his bitter assumptions and send his heart into unscripted territory.

When his past threatens to ruin a second chance at love, can some Appalachian matchmaking and letters from the grace salvage their unexpected romance?

My Rating
★★★★★★ - Heaven help me, you taste like Christmas! (Yes...this is a Pepper Basham quote.) (More Info)

My Thoughts

When the hubby decides we need

to make a Costco run in the 

middle of Chapter 13. 

Don't mess with Chapter 13

Just the Way You Are is more than just a good book. It is a modern day fairytale filled with redemption and grace that will capture your heart from the first moment. Within the pages of this book you will find real people, with real life issues. This story will sweep you off your feet and drag you into a world that is every nerd girl's fantasy and you will soon find yourself consumed with researching history, "treasure" hunting, chocolate, British accents, Appalachia, AND.........Kisses.

Chocolate kisses, closet kisses, abandoned tower kisses, leave you senseless kisses...This book is PACKED with such romance that you may need to take precautionary actions to prevent injury from fainting! (such as a fainting couch, fan, smelling salts, etc.)

Don't let the passion fool you though. Pepper writes such sweet, unadulterated romance coupled with complete and total redemption. It blows my mind every single time I read one of her books. Just the Way You Are is the first contemporary novel I have read of Pepper's, and this easily makes it to the top of my favorite Rom Com stories EVER. I wish to see this in movie form so badly! "Ghirardelli  in human form"...yes please! Haha!
 

The adventure, the romance, the grace...all woven together creates a beautiful masterpiece. 

I received a complimentary copy of Just the Way You Are. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

About the Author

Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes novels inspired by her love for history and the Blue Ridge Mountains. Her Penned in Time series has garnered recognition in the Inspys, Grace Awards, and the ACFW Carol Awards. Her contemporary romance novel, A Twist of Faith, received 4-stars from Romantic Times, and most recently, her newest release, The Thorn Healer, received a Top Pick from RT with 4 ½ stars. Her newest contemporary romance, Just the Way You Are, releases in April 2016. You can get to know Pepper on Facebook, or over at her group blog, The Writer’s Alley, or Instagram.

More Books by Pepper Basham can be found HERE!

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Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Pepper is giving away a Grand Prize consisting of: A ‘chest’ – in JTWYA historical letters are discovered in a chest that relates to the historical storyline, so all of these lovely goodies are going to be safely inside this chest.

• Chocolate – several references take place in JTWYA that compare the hero to chocolate 😉
• A plaque about family – because that’s a main point of importance in JTWYA
• A Spider-man zipper pull – Pete, the heroine’s son, is a major Spider-man fan.
• English Breakfast Tea – The hero is English…swoony English
• A dishcloth – again, something that relates to a scene in the book regarding the hero and dishes (twice)
• Stirring spoon and measuring cups – food and cooking are a big part of Appalachian culture and fellowship, something celebrated in JTWYA
• A notebook – Eisley (the heroine) is taking notes about a historical family mystery
• A lovely container full of cloth flowers (for fun, and beauty) – the container says – "Love and you will be loved. Loving others has an amazing way to find its way back to us" (as is what happens in JTWYA)
• A little plaque that reads “You are Loved” – a theme of this story
• A beautiful lace doily from England (the English part of the story)
• Some “Pixie Dust” a fun visualization of the ‘magic’ of romance in this story
• A copy of Just the Way You Are!!

Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/b3e0

The Lady and the Lionheart - Joanne Bischof

My Rating

★★★★★★ - Heaven help me, you taste like Christmas! (More Info)

About the Book

Two worlds collide when the circus comes to Victorian-era Virginia.

Raised amid the fame and mystique of the Big Top, Charlie Lionheart holds the audience in the palm of his hand. But while his act captivates thousands, it’s away from the spotlight where his true heart lies. Here he humbly cares for his pride of lions as if they were his brothers, a skill of bravery and strength that has prepared him for his most challenging feat yet—freeing an orphaned infant from the dark bondage of a sideshow. A trade so costly, it requires his life in exchange for hers, leaving him tarnished by the price of that choice.

As the circus tents are raised on the outskirts of Roanoke, country nurse Ella Beckley arrives to tend to this ill Gypsy girl. All under the watchful eye of a guardian who not only bears a striking resemblance to the child, but who protects the baby with a love that wraps around Ella’s own tragic past, awakening a hope that goodness may yet reign. When their forbidden friendship deepens, Charlie dares to ask for her heart, bringing her behind the curtain of his secret world to reveal the sacrifice that gave hope to one little girl—boldly showing Ella that while her tattered faith is deeply scarred, the only marks that need be permanent are his own.

My Thoughts

Is it too early to start compiling my favorite books of 2017? Because this book will definitely be on that list! I TRIED not to rush through it, I really did. I wanted to savor it. Let the story surround me and captivate me. Let it permeate my soul. Even now, hours after reading the final words, the message is reverberating through my heart.

Charlie Lionheart...swoon...is officially one of my favorite heroes of all time(don't worry Dr. Ross, you are still a favorite too). His bravery, his sacrifice, his love for those he cares about is not just something to admire, but to learn from. Ella Beckley is a woman that I want to be best friends with! Her compassion and curious spirit makes her stand out. Yet, she has a past that haunts her. Will she learn that her freedom must come from God and not man? 

This is a story of healing, of salvation, of freedom...of pain. Being damaged, unclean, scarred, can be a heavy burden to carry. But the Lord says to come to Him and He will give us rest, "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30) In Him, is our freedom and in Him, we will find wholeness. The parallels of this story to Christ and His sacrifice for us is breathtakingly beautiful. You will find threads of The Beauty and the Beast within these pages as well. I believe THAT combination is one of the reasons this book is so unique. The setting and characters are vividly  painted for your imagination to explore, and makes it so very easy to fall in love with it all.

This is the first book of Joanne's that I have read. And I can't believe it took me SO long to get to it.  This is easily one of the BEST books I have ever read. Very rarely has a book pulled on my heart and soul so strongly. (The Thorn Keeper and Newton & Polly are the only others.) Be prepared for an exciting adventure filled with the wonders of the circus and the tender love that Christ bestows upon us. Love, true love, is a common thread throughout this book. The love of a father, the love between a man and woman, the love of friends and family. The pureness and wholeness of this love is beautiful to behold. 

Joanne Bischof captures the essence of the circus and the era in words that are so captivating you will struggle to put this book down. I was forewarned by the brilliant Rachel McMillan, "Warning: as soon as you finish, you'll want to go back to the beginning and start over again!" And she wasn't wrong. THIS, is one of those books that deserves multiple readings! Bottom line, if you haven't read it, read it! Beg, borrow, or steal ummm..,buy, I mean BUY...this book and get it into your hands. I pray that it touches your heart and that if you are seeking freedom and wholeness, that you will find it in our Lord, Jesus Christ.

I received a copy of The Lady and the Lionheart as a gift from a dear friend. I was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

 

About the Author

A Carol Award and two-time Christy Award-finalist, Joanne Bischof writes deeply layered fiction that tugs at the reader’s heartstrings. She was honored to receive the SDCWG Novel of the Year Award in 2014 and in 2015 was named Author of the Year by the Mount Hermon Writer’s conference. Her 2014 novella This Quiet Sky broke precedent as the first self-released title to final for the Christy Awards. She lives in the mountains of Southern California with her husband and their three children.

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The Thorn Keeper - Penned in Time Book 2- Pepper Basham

My Rating

★★★★★★ (Yes there are 6 stars)
"Heaven help me, you taste like Christmas!" (More Info)

I have decided to create a NEW rating category for my blog. Because this book has surpassed all the others this year. And I can, so why not? 

From the Back of the Book

With her newfound faith, Catherine Dougall hopes to take the remnants of her threadbare life and make something beautiful, even if society shuns every choice she makes. Dr. David Ross must save his war hospital from ruin, but when his notorious aunt makes an offer he can't refuse, he must choose between his surprising affection for a reformed flirt or his dreams. From the beautiful Derbyshire countryside to the trenches of World War One, Catherine and David must learn to trust in a God who never forgets his children and fashions beauty out of the most broken things.

Newton & Polly: A Novel of Amazing Grace - Jody Hedlund

My Rating
★★★★★★ - Heaven help me, you taste like Christmas! (More Info) (Updated after I created a new rating)









About the Book

Now remembered as the author of the world's most famous hymn, in the mid-eighteenth century as England and France stand on the brink of war, John Newton is a young sailor wandering aimlessly through life. His only duty is to report to his ship and avoid disgracing his father until the night he hears Polly Catlett s enchanting voice, caroling. He's immediately smitten and determined to win her affection. An intense connection quickly forms between the two, but John's reckless spirit and disregard for the Christian life are concerns for the responsible, devout Polly. When an ill-fated stop at a tavern leaves John imprisoned and bound, Polly must choose to either stand by his side or walk out of his life forever. Will she forfeit her future for the man she loves? Step back through the pages of history, to uncover the true love story behind a song that continues to stir the hearts and ignite the faith of millions around the globe.