Tree Swing Reading

New Release from Rachel Hauck: Once Upon a Prince

Love the cover of this one!  Looks like a great summer read!

'[A] surprisingly believable royal-meets-commoner love story. With only a subtle nod to Cinderella, this modern and engaging tale follows the budding relationship of an American Southern girl and a pseudo-Brit prince . . . Hauck fans will find a gem of a tale.' --Publishers Weekly

Title: Once Upon a Prince

Released:
May 2013

Publisher: Zondervan

Genre: Romance Fiction

Series: yes, Royal Weddings Series Book 1

Publisher's Description

nce Upon a Prince, the first novel in the Royal Wedding series by best-selling author Rachel Hauck, treats you to a modern-day fairy tale. Susanna Truitt never dreamed of a great romance or being treated like a princess---just to marry the man she has loved for twelve years. But life isn't going according to plan. When her high-school-sweetheart-turned-Marine-officer breaks up instead of proposing, Susanna scrambles to rebuild her life. The last thing Prince Nathaniel expects to find on his American holiday to St. Simons Island is the queen of his heart. A prince has duties, and his family's tense political situation has chosen his bride for him. When Prince Nathaniel comes to Susanna's aid under the fabled Lover's Oak, he is blindsided by love. Their lives are worlds apart. He's a royal prince. She's an ordinary girl. But everything changes when Susanna receives an invitation to Nathaniel's coronation. It's the ultimate choice: His kingdom or her heart? God's will or their own?

To find out more about Rachel Hauck, check out her website.

New Release from Candace Calvert! "Rescue Team"

“. . . had me intrigued by page 1, laughing by page 2, and in love with the hero by page 3.”
--JORDYN REDWOOD, author of Proof, Poison

Calvert is one of my favorite romantic suspense writers! Looking forward to reading her latest!

Title: Resuce Team

Released:
April 2013

Publisher: Tyndale House

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Series: yes, Grace Medical Book 2

Publisher's Description

 

Tired of running from her past, nurse Kate Callison intends to become Austin Grace Hospital’s permanent ER director and make Texas her home. Despite staff friction, she’s moving ahead. Then unthinkable tragedy wraps the ER in crime tape, bringing swarms of media, legal chaos—and a search-and-rescue hero who seems determined to meddle in her life.

For Wes Tanner, nothing beats finding someone who’s lost; he’s known that helpless terror firsthand. So he’ll expand his team’s lifeline of hope: K9 tracking, swift water rescue, even horse-mounted searches. He’s ready for anything—except Austin Grace’s prickly and dismissive ER director.

As Kate and Wes discover more about each other, new respect becomes something deeper. Kate wonders if her heart might have finally found a home. Then an unsolved missing persons case—and a startling new one—become catalysts that threaten the loss of all she and Wes have found.

To find out more about Candace Calvert, check out her website.

Be sure to check out book 1 in the series too!

Review of "It Had to be You" by Janice Thompson

This series was laugh-out-loud funny for me!  I really enjoyed them!

Description:

Bella couldn't be happier that her long-feuding Aunt Rosa and Uncle Lazarro have finally admitted their love for one another and are getting married. Their forties-style wedding is sure to be a night to remember. But when the Rossi house begins to fill up with family from Italy--and an old mobster from New Jersey--life starts to get complicated. Will Lazarro's friend from the past drive the happy couple apart once more? And will Bella ever have time to think of her own rapidly-approaching wedding amidst the chaos?

Full of laugh-out-loud humor, plenty of Italian passion, and a bit of Texas gumption, It Had to Be You is the satisfying conclusion to an entertaining series.

 

My Thoughts:

This series was great fun!  If you are looking for something to smile about, be sure to pick these up.  Perfect for a summer read or for anytime you want a feel good story.  Loved it!

Book Bullets:

• My rating: 5 out of 5 stars
• Genre: Contemporary Romance Fiction
• Part of a Series: yes, Weddings by Bella book 3
  
• Publication year: 2010
• Publisher: Revell
  

New from the fabulous Becky Wade: Undeniably Yours

Becky Wade is a new author for me, but I love what I've read so far!  I am really looking forward to reading this one too.

Title: Undeniably Yours

Released:
April 2013

Publisher: Bethany House

Genre: Contemporary Romance Fiction

Series: no

Publisher's Description

 Winsome and Romantic--the Perfect Summer Read!

When Meg Cole's father dies unexpectedly, she becomes the majority shareholder of his oil company and the single inheritor of his fortune. Though Meg is soft-spoken and tenderhearted--more interested in art than in oil--she's forced to return home to Texas and to Whispering Creek Ranch to take up the reins of her father's empire.

The last thing she has the patience or the sanity to deal with? Her father's thoroughbred racehorse farm. She gives its manager, Bo Porter, six months to close the place down.

Bo's determined to resent the woman who's decided to rob him of his dream. But instead of anger, Meg evokes within him a profound desire to protect. The more time he spends with her, the more he longs to overcome every obstacle that separates them--her wealth, his unworthiness, her family's outrage--and earn the right to love her.

But just when Meg begins to realize that Bo might be the one thing on the ranch worth keeping, their fragile bond is viciously broken by a force from Meg's past. Can their love--and their belief that God can work through every circumstance--survive?

To find out more about Becky Wade, check out her website.

New from Sandra Bricker, "Always the Baker, Finally the Bride"

Don't you want to read this book?  And eat the cake?  Can I read the book and have my cake too? 

Title: Always the Baker, Finally the Bride

Released:
March 2013

Publisher: Abingdon Press

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Series: yes, Emma Rae Creations Series #4

Publisher's Description

In Always the Baker, Never the Bride, readers fell in love with Emma Rae and Jackson, and they’ve gotten more acquainted with them in the two books that followed.

But now it’s time for the diamond to meet the road as Jackson fields an offer to sell The Tanglewood, a move that will uproot this high-flying family act once and for all. Get reacquainted with all of the lovable and quirky characters from the first three books as your favorite diabetic baker figures out if she'll achieve her greatest goal of all: Will Emma, at last, become FINALLY the Bride?

 

To find out more about Sandra Bricker, check out her website.

New Historical Romance From Sarah Ladd: "Heiress of Winterland"

"My kind of book! The premise grabbed my attention from the first lines and I eagerly returned to its pages. I think my readers will enjoy The Heiress of Winterwood."
--Julie Klassen, bestselling, award-winning author

Title: Heiress of Winterland

Released:
March 2013

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Genre: Historical Romance Fiction

Series: yes, Whispers on the Moors Series #1

Publisher's Description

 

Amelia Barrett gave her word. Keeping it could cost her everything.

Darbury, England, 1814

Amelia Barrett, heiress to an estate nestled in the English moors, defies family expectations and promises to raise her dying friend’s baby. She'll risk everything to keep her word—even to the point of proposing to the child’s father—a sea captain she’s never met.

When the child vanishes with little more than an ominous ransom note hinting to her whereabouts, Amelia and Graham are driven to test the boundaries of their love for this little one.

Amelia’s detailed plans would normally see her through any trial, but now, desperate and shaken, she’s forced to examine her soul and face her one weakness: pride.

Graham’s strength and self-control have served him well and earned him much respect, but chasing perfection has kept him a prisoner of his own discipline. And away from the family he has sworn to love and protect.

Both must learn to accept God’s sovereignty and relinquish control so they can grasp the future He has for planned for them.

 

To find out more about Sarah Ladd, check out her website.

New Historical Fiction from Maureen Lang: "All in Good Time"

From Maureen Lang's blog:
"I hope readers of All In Good Time will be reminded that even though mistakes can change our lives, change us, no mistake is too big for God’s grace."

Title: All in Good Time

Released:
March 2013

Publisher: Tyndale House

Genre: Historical Romance Fiction

Series: yes, book 2 in Gilded Legacy Series

Publisher's Description

Dessa Caldwell has a dream: to open Pierson House, a refuge for former prostitutes in Denver’s roughest neighborhood. But after exhausting all charitable donations, Dessa still needs a loan, and nearly every bank in town has turned her down. Her last hope hinges on the owner of Hawkins National Bank.

Henry Hawkins has a secret: though he owns the most successful bank in town, his initial capital came from three successful raids on Wells Fargo coaches. Now he’s the most eligible bachelor in Denver, but to protect his criminal past, he’s built a fortress around his heart. Not even the boldest matchmaking mother can tempt him . . . until the day Dessa Caldwell ventures into his bank requesting a loan.

Though he’s certain her proposal is a bad investment, Henry is drawn to Dessa’s passion. But that same passion drives her to make rash decisions about Pierson House . . . and about whom she can trust. One man might hold the key to the future of her mission—but he also threatens to bring Henry’s darkest secrets to light. As the walls around their hearts begin to crumble, Henry and Dessa must choose between their plans and God’s, between safety and love.

 

To find out more about Maureen Lang, check out her website.

New From Kim Vogel Sawyer: "Sweet Sanctuary"

A Story of Hope and Love from Bestselling Author Kim Vogel Sawyer!

Title: Sweet Sanctuary

Released:
March 2013

Publisher: Bethany House

Genre: Historical Romance Fiction

Series: no

Publisher's Description

Lydia Eldredge longs to provide a sanctuary for her son, Nicky. But a constant threat comes from Nicky's drug-addicted father, who wants the boy and seems willing to do whatever it takes to get him.

Dr. Micah Hatcher serves the immigrant population in Queens, but under cover of darkness he provides another service that must not be discovered lest his and his brother's lives be in danger.

When Lydia and Micah's paths cross, they are suddenly wrapped up in each other's callings. Through unforeseen twists and turns, they seek a refuge of safety--for Nicky, for themselves, and for the needy people God unexpectedly puts in their lives.
 

To find out more about Kim Vogel Sawyer, check out her website.

 

Review of "Secretly Smitten"

Description:

There’s a secret in Grandma Rose’s attic—a forgotten set of dog tags belonging to her first love. But David Hutchins was killed in action and never returned to Smitten. How did the dog tags end up in the attic?

The mystery intrigues Rose’s three granddaughters—Tess, Clare, and Zoe—and they decide to investigate, though their mother, Anna, warns against meddling. But as the seasons turn and the mystery unravels, the three young women and their mother encounter some intriguing mystery men of their own. Has a sixty-year-old puzzle sparked something new for this close-knit family of women?

Join popular romance novelists—and real-life BFFs—Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, Diann Hunt, and Denise Hunter for four delightful intertwined tales of mystery and sweet intrigue.

 

My Thoughts:

This was a fun read! Even though the romance outcomes are predictable, the journey is enjoyable. I think this makes a great relaxing read, with perfect novella-sized portions. Kind of like a fun-sized book!

Book Bullets:

• My rating: 4 out of 5 stars
• Genre: Romance Fiction
• Part of a Series: Yes, Book 2 in the Smitten Series
  
• Publication year: 2012
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Review of "Shattered" by Dani Pettrey

Description:

Piper McKenna couldn't be more thrilled that her prodigal brother, Reef, has returned to Yancey, Alaska, after five years. But her happiness is short-lived when Reef appears at her house covered in blood. A fellow snowboarder has been killed--but despite the evidence, Reef swears he's innocent. And Piper believes him.

Deputy Landon Grainger loves the McKennas like family, but he's also sworn to find the truth. Piper is frustrated with his need for facts over faith, but he knows those closest to you have the power to deceive you the most. With his sheriff pushing for a quick conviction, some unexpected leads complicate the investigation, and pursuing the truth may mean risking Landon's career.

With Piper waging her own search, the two head deep into Canada's rugged backcountry--and unexpected complications. Not only does their long friendship seem to be turning into something more, but this dangerous case is becoming deadlier with each step.

My Thoughts:

I always enjoy a romantic suspense. I enjoyed the suspense parts of this book and this Pettrey is definitely an author to watch.  My frustration, though it's only slight, was with the over dramatized descriptions of the physical attraction between Piper and Landon. For me (and maybe I'm just too straight-laced), there was a little too much emphasis on the "cold showers" Landon needed, if you know what I mean.  Other than that small sticking point, I found the book good overall and am enjoying the series. I was happy too, that the ending left me guessing.

Book Bullets:

• My rating: 4 out of 5 stars
• Genre: Romantic Suspense Fiction
• Part of a Series: Yes, Book 2 in the Alaskan Courage Series
  
• Publication year: 2013
• Publisher: Bethany House

 

Related articles

One Hundred to Watch

Review of "Submerged" by Dani Pettrey