Three Sisters Island

Sometimes love hurts--and sometimes it can heal in the most unexpected way.

Camden Grayson loves her challenging career, but the rest of her life could use some improvement. "Moving on" is Cam's mantra. But there's a difference, her two sisters insist, between one who moves on . . . and one who keeps moving.

Cam's full-throttle life skids to a stop when her father buys a remote island off the coast of Maine. Paul Grayson has a dream to breathe new life into the island--a dream that includes reuniting his estranged daughters. Certain Dad has lost his mind, the three sisters rush to the island. To Cam's surprise, the slow pace of island life appeals to her, along with the locals--and one in particular. Sam Walker, the scruffy island schoolteacher harbors more than a few surprises.

Published April 30th 2019 

by Fleming H. Revell Company

My Thoughts:

I have been a fan of Suzanne Woods Fisher for forever and was so excited about her new release.  This book is the first release in her new series, Three Sisters Island and centers around the Grayson family.  Paul Grayson has recently had a health scare that has taken a lot from him, but it has also makes him re-evaluate his life.  I don't think he's very happy with what he sees. 

I loved this book!

This is a well written book and I was immediately drawn in from the first page.  

As Paul begins his journey to reinvent himself I could just picture it in my mind.  He wants a closer relationship with his daughters, but he also wants them to connect and be closer. The author weaves words together that brings the characters and island to life for me.  I must admit when I picked the book up I didn't want to put it down.  

This story centers around Camden, the eldest daughter, but I got to know each character as the story progressed.  She is definitely a type A personality.  Working in the corporate world has been her dream and she's living it, but it comes at a big cost. Her loyalty has always been her best and only friend, Libby.  Libby leaves her with a big responsibility, Cooper, but is she up for it?  I loved how she developed and grew as a person.  

I think the author touches on many elements in this book: faith, forgiveness, second chances, mystery, laughter, and love.  I am looking forward to reading the second book in the series.  This is definitely a book I would recommend to anyone.  

*I received this book from the publisher as part of their book bloggers program.  I was not expected to write a positive review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.  

Available for Purchase:

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WALMART E-BOOKS  

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Sunrise at Normandy

The Sea Before Us

Published February 6th 2018

 by Revell

In 1944, American naval officer Lt. Wyatt Paxton arrives in London to prepare for the Allied invasion of France. He works closely with Dorothy Fairfax, a "Wren" in the Women's Royal Naval Service. Dorothy pieces together reconnaissance photographs with thousands of holiday snapshots of France--including those of her own family's summer home--in order to create accurate maps of Normandy. Maps that Wyatt will turn into naval bombardment plans.

As the two spend concentrated time together in the pressure cooker of war, their deepening friendship threatens to turn to love. Dorothy must resist its pull. Her bereaved father depends on her, and her heart already belongs to another man. Wyatt too has much to lose. The closer he gets to Dorothy, the more he fears his efforts to win the war will destroy everything she has ever loved.

Available for Purchase:

AMAZON  BARNES & NOBLE  CHRISTIANBOOK

BAKER BOOK HOUSE

Meet the Author:




Sarah Sundin enjoys writing about the drama and romance of the World War II era. She is the author of The Sea Before Us (February 6, 2018), the Waves of Freedom series (Through Waters Deep, Anchor in the Storm, When Tides Turn), the Wings of the Nightingale series, and the Wings of Glory series. Her novels Through Waters Deep and When Tides Turnwere named to Booklist's "101 Best Romance Novels of the Last 10 Years." Through Waters Deep won the 2016 INSPY Award and was a Carol Award finalist.

A mother of three, Sundin lives in northern California. She works on-call as a hospital pharmacist and teaches Sunday school and women's Bible studies. She enjoys speaking to community, church, and writers' groups.

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My Thoughts:

I was very excited to see Sarah Sundin was writing a new series, Sunrise at Normandy.  The release of the first book,  The Sea Before Us, she introduces us to the Paxton family from Texas where there are three boys of whom have reunited in celebration of Wyatt's graduation and return to Kerrville to take over as his father's manager of Paxton Trucking.  Wyatt is the oldest and this book follows his tour of duty with the Navy which takes him to Kensington, London, England.  

As Wyatt steps on foreign shores he's determined to put his troubled past behind him and put his training into action as plans are made for the naval bombardment of Normandy.  Wyatt is confronted with learning cultural differences between his upbringing and the English way of life.  Wyatt has a strong faith in God. 

Dorothy Fairfax is another key character in this story.  She and her father live in Kinsington where he runs a small railway shipping company.  Dorothy at present works for the Women's Royal Naval Service, WREN, for short where she pieces together photos from France that people have supplied them with.  It's a job she enjoys and is good at.  With the donation of photos they are looking for areas of weakness to this campaign, both where they could attack or be attacked during the bombardment.   She has known much sorrow in her short life.  She had lost both brothers to the war and her mother during the Blitz, when German bombers had blasted Britain almost every night for a year. With so much sorrow and the emotional distance from her father Dorothy finds herself in a crisis of faith.  

Wyatt and Dorothy work closely together in the maps area of the British Naval Building and a friendship quickly develops.  Dorothy gives him an insight into the life as it's been in London and the culture.  Wyatt truly enjoyed meeting her father and all the sights and knowledge she is giving him.  

This is a spectacular read!  

I was easily draw in from the first page. This is delicious story where characters find things more complicated than they ever imagined.  The wonderful imagery immediately brought the story to life for me.  The characters are complex and engaging.  Their turmoil was raw and real as shown by their emotions.  The secondary characters are well integrated into the story which brings a richness to the story.  There are twists and turns that bring a certain amount of suspense and unexpected mystery. This book brings elements of mystery, suspense, family values, faith, love, and lots of history.  This is a book I would recommend to anyone who loves history and romance.  

**I received this book from the publisher as part of their book bloggers program.  I was not required to write a positive review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.  

The Denim Blue Sea

A Connecticut beach forever promising summer,

a place where I find endless stories in the sand and in the sweet salt water.  

During two August weeks, denim designer Maris Carrington and coastal architect Jason Barlow prepare for their much-anticipated wedding. Guests arrive early, turning keys in charming cottage doors to begin their New England summer escape. The wedding is a reason for old friends to gather again; to meet in their shabby beach hangout and get the jukebox cranking; to walk that weathered boardwalk beneath a starry sky; to breathe the sweet salt air. "Cures what ails you," one of the friends, Neil, always said long before his life was sadly claimed. But his legacy was not.

When Maris discovers Neil's long-lost journal, its passages reveal a heartbreaking secret. Can truths be found within its timeworn pages? Can this leather-bound journal unite the friends as their lives begin to fray? A bittersweet family reunion, a surprising encounter from a devastating accident, a shocking confession leaving one marriage shattered--all will test the once close-knit circle. Suddenly this safe haven on the tranquil Connecticut shoreline churns with emotional turmoil, threatening even the beach wedding just days before it is to happen.



Available for Purchase:

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Joanne DeMaio is quickly becoming a favorite author of mine.  I discovered her writing a few months back and have been trying to read everything she's written.  Originally I saw one of her book covers and there was something about it that just spoke to my heart, but that was nothing compared to how it touched me.  She writes stories about friendship, community, love, romance and sweet memories. 

Meet Joanne:

Joanne DeMaio is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary fiction. She enjoys writing about friendship, family, love and choices, while setting her stories in New England towns or by the sea.

Joanne's novels include the New York Times Bestseller Blue Jeans and Coffee Beans; Whole Latte Life, a Kirkus Reviews Critics' Pick; Snowflakes and Coffee Cakes, a USA Today Bestseller; True Blend; The Denim Blue Sea; and Snow Deer and Cocoa Cheer. Her latest books are Beach Blues and Wishing on Snowflakes, a wintry keepsake collection.

Joanne lives with her family in Connecticut and is currently at work on her next novel, due out in 2017.

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Life's momentarily pauses in their brief seaward gazes, as though this forms the core of it. All else springs from this connection.

Stony Point, Connecticut

My Thoughts:

I loved this story!!

The author sweeps us back to the fictional town of Stony Point, CT. where once  again I could feel the breeze, the warm sunshine on my face, smell the sweet salt air,  feel the sand and ocean on my feet.  I felt like I was reunited with old friends at the beach. 

Maris, Jason, Eva, Matt, Lauren and Kyle are beach friends from their younger days.  At present Maris has returned from being away for 14 years.  It was almost like they has never parted.  Maris and Jason have recently gotten engaged and are planning their upcoming wedding. Kyle bought a local dinner and keeps busy with running it. Lauren is still dabbling in producing art pieces while being a full time mom and homemaker.  Eva is still selling real estate and her husband Matt works as a state policeman. 

As the story opens we find Maris beyond stressed at trying to keep tract of everything that's going on, her upcoming wedding and the design of her new line of denim.  Jason is trying to help with the wedding preparations while looking for new inspiration for his designs. Suddenly life hits them in the face.  Maris is upset with a new project Jason is taking on, Jason is still plagued with memories of the accident that took his brother Neil from him.  Kyle thinks his marriage is on the right tract with Lauren until he overhears her telling a secret she has been keeping from him.  

The author's ability to weave words together is amazing.  I was immediately drawn into this drama and couldn't put the book down.  The characters and setting immediately come to life.  The characters are easy to love. These engaging characters are complex and have real issues.  The emotions displayed are both real and raw.  I could feel both their fear and joy. There are twists and turns that no one expects. This story has elements of betrayal, love, forgiveness, sweet memories, romantic tension, and friendship. 

This is a book I would recommend to anyone who loves a good romance or drama.  I have to admit these stories of Stony Point are addicting to read.  Every time I read one I want another. 

**I received this book from the author.  I was not required to write a positive review. All thoughts or opinions are entirely my own.

Coming Soon.....

After a heartbreaking summer on the Connecticut shore, a group of beach friends is as adrift as an unmoored rowboat. When a dismayed Jason Barlow drives as far away from the sea as he can, leaving behind his wife, Maris, as well as their stately cottage on the bluff, that news hits like a sudden wave. Gathering over an intimate meal in a coastal diner, the friends make a solemn pact to lean on each other and not make any more rash decisions.

Which is all well and good, until each friend wavers--testing relationships, commitments, and especially love in the little beach community of Stony Point. But can the magic of the weathered boardwalk, whispering lagoon grasses, and sweet salt air cure what ails them?

Expected publication: March 7th 2017 by Joanne DeMaio

Stars in the Grass

 

 The idyllic world of nine-year-old Abby McAndrews is transformed when a tragedy tears her family apart. Before the accident, her dad, Reverend John McAndrews, had all the answers, but now his questions and guilt threaten to destroy his family. Abby’s fifteen-year-old brother, Matt, begins an angry descent as he acts out in dangerous ways. Her mother tries to hold her grieving family together, but when Abby’s dad refuses to move on, the family is at a crossroads. Set in a small Midwestern town in 1970, Abby’s heartbreaking remembrances are balanced by humor and nostalgia as her family struggles with—and ultimately celebrates—an authentic story of faith and life after loss.

 Published February 1st 2017

 by Shiloh Run Press 

Available for Purchase:

AMAZON  BARNES & NOBLE  CHRISTIAN BOOK 

My Thoughts:

When I received this book and saw the cover I was immediately swept back to my childhood on a lazy summer evening catching lightening bugs (I know it depends upon where you live whether you call them fireflies or lightening bugs.lol).  The beautiful cover gives you a hint at the wonderful, but heart wrenching story inside.  

As the story opens I found the words and thoughts of 9 year old girl that resonated with my soul. Grief is a hard for anyone to deal with, but honestly when seen through the eyes of a child it is harder.  The entire family goes through an incredible tragedy and each much find a way to deal with their turmoil.   This is a story that can evoke both laughter and tears.  I found myself thinking about the characters even as I closed the last page.  It brings engaging characters that quickly weave their way into your heart with their real emotions.  This story has elements of guilt, forgiveness, anger, faith and hope.  

I would recommend this book to anyone.  

** I received this complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.  All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.