PURE Amore...Sweet Romance, Pure Enjoyment ™

PURE...the new sexy! 

Wow! It's hard to believe that the first Pure Amore romance rolls out next week! I'm incredibly honored to be a part of this new venture with Pelican Book Group.

Over the last five weeks, we've showcased awesome stories by Wendy Davy, Marianne Evans, Delia Latham, Mary Manners, and Clare Revell. Featuring heroes and heroines between the ages of 21-33, never married and one or both a virgin, PURE Amore stories center around two flawed individuals seeking to honor God in all areas of their lives, especially in ways society doesn't often understand or value. They top out at 45k words, petite little gems bursting with emotional and romantic depth. 

Available by subscription, Pure Amore will release one delicious romance per month in e-book, paperback, or a paperback/e-book combination for one year beginning October 1, 2014. Squeal! Yes, that's next Wednesday!

For now, fill your mug with some English Toffee coffee (my favorite!) and settle back in your recliner for a glimpse at When Hope Rises and When Love Triumphs, written by...me. :)

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When Hope Rises
Art teacher Shelby Coltman transforms junk into treasure and longs for a place to showcase her creations. She’s thrilled when her friend volunteers to room with her. Shelby can finally buy a storefront. Unfortunately, Kennedi’s brother can't seem to let go.

Abandoned as a teenager, guidance counselor Tate Malone has become surrogate and over-protective father to his sister. Life is great until Shelby Coltman wheedles his impressionable sister into sharing an apartment. Raised in wealth, the beautiful Shelby could never understand poverty or rejection, and Tate doesn't appreciate her uprooting his sister.

When Shelby hands over her savings to a homeless student, will God obliterate Tate's fears and deliver all of Shelby’s dreams...When Hope Rises...

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When Love Triumphs
Police Officer Winter Evan and Navy SEAL Tanner Random are wrong for each other. Winter fears the water. Tanner skims through seas for a living. So four years ago, Winter convinced herself she’d be better off not worrying about his months at sea and his increased cajoling for physical intimacy. But when she walked away, she lost a giant chunk of her heart.

Now Tanner’s back in town to care for his abandoned niece. No longer a SEAL, he’s sticking to the safety of the North Carolina mountains as a paramedic. Should Winter risk losing her heart all over again? Will God help them build what started years ago into something solid and secure? When Love Triumphs...

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I've really enjoyed these peeks into the precious romances offered in the PURE line. I hope you have, too. If you haven't already subscribed, here's the link: subscribe. Don't miss out! PURE Amore...Sweet Romance, Pure Enjoyment™ starts next week!

PURE Amore...Sweet Romance, Pure Enjoyment ™

PURE...the new sexy! 

Wow! It's been an awesome few weeks, hasn't it? Let's see...we've sampled some absolutely delicious sounding books by Wendy Davy, Marianne Evans, Delia Latham, and Mary Manners, all offerings from Pelican Book Group's newest line, Pure Amore, sweet, hope-filled romances that will leave you "satisfied and smiling." Featuring heroes and heroines between the ages of 21-33, never married and one or both a virgin, the stories center around two flawed individuals seeking to honor God in all areas of their lives, especially in ways society doesn't often understand or value. They top out at 45k words, petite little gems bursting with emotional and romantic depth. 

Available by subscription, Pure Amore will release one delicious romance per month in e-book, paperback, or a paperback/e-book combination for one year beginning October 1, 2014. Fire up your tea kettle with some English Tea and settle back with Battle of the Flowers and Keepsake by UK suspense author Clare Revell. 

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Battle of the Flowers
Lia Wilder, a barista with a flair for inventing specialty coffee, always enjoys the annual battle of the flowers parade held each summer in Headley Cross. All the local businesses get involved in the competition and build a float made entirely of flowers and coloured lights. Lia has a not-so-secret crush on the local Christian DJ, Jordan Tanner, so when first prize of the Miss Battle title is a date with Jordan, Lia is railroaded in to entering the contest.  

Jordan Tanner isn't convinced being a celebrity is a good thing. After all, he’s still single for that very reason. Even though he’s liked a girl from church for a long time, he’s afraid to ask her out for fear his status will scare her away.


Can coffee and the battle of the flowers make love bloom? Or will envy and betrayal throw too many thorns onto the path of true love?

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Keepsake
Blake Tyler is content with being housefather to twenty-four children aged four to eighteen. He has to run a tight ship, but his days are made brighter by his secretary, Livy Staples. Finally plucking up the courage to ask her out, he invites her to a house party at the home of his brother Lord Gabriel Tyler, 8th Earl of Elton.

Livy Staples has long fancied her boss, but he is just that—her boss. Besides, she's running for her life and hiding a huge secret. She's changed her name every few months since her brother died, and if a police check unmasks her true identity, this weekend could end her.


When she decides to take a risk and tell Blake her secret, an unexpected tragedy upends both their lives. Is their fragile relationship doomed or will it be for keeps?

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Whew! They both sound fantastic, don't they? Here's the link to subscribe. Pop in next week when we'll showcase the last two offerings, When Hope Rises and When Love Triumphs, written by me. :)

PURE Amore...Sweet Romance, Pure Enjoyment ™

PURE...the new sexy! 

So far we've sampled some wonderful books by Wendy Davy, Marianne Evans, and Delia Latham, all offerings from Pelican Book Group's newest line, Pure Amore, sweet, hope-filled romances that will leave you "satisfied and smiling." Featuring heroes and heroines between the ages of 21-33, never married and one or both a virgin, the stories center around two flawed individuals seeking to honor God in all areas of their lives, especially in ways society doesn't often understand or value. They top out at 45k words, petite little gems bursting with emotional and romantic depth. 

Available by subscription, Pure Amore will release one delicious romance per month in e-book, paperback, or a paperback/e-book combination for one year beginning October 1, 2014. Today, top your hot chocolate with a dollop of whipped cream and settle back to enjoy Simple Blessings and Blackberry Ridge by the awesome Mary Manners. 

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Simple Blessings

Charlene Cammon is an inspirational romance author who has lost her muse. In fact, following the failure of her own real-life romance, her muse is not just missing—it’s on life-support. Fearing she’ll never complete another book, Charlene heeds the advice of her best friend, Brynn. She leaves the city for a summer sabbatical to a remote cabin in Crestview. There, she'll be removed from civilization and meet the book's deadline…or so she thinks.

Gage Kenner's life as an air-ambulance pilot is put on hold following the death of his brother. Raising his eight-year-old niece, Jenna, is more than Gage bargained for. A summer break at his cabin in Crestview might be just the ticket Gage needs to forge a bond with heartbroken Jenna. What Gage doesn’t bargain for is impetuous Charlene, who has taken up residence just over the knoll.

Jenna’s needs bring Gage and Charlie together, and Charlie learns that sometimes, it’s as fun to write a real-life romance as it is to pen one for the pages.

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Blackberry Ridge

After her parents’ deaths, Chloe Chastain leaves Blackberry Ridge to pursue a life in the city. When she's called back to her childhood home to care for her niece as well as to oversee renovations on the century-old family home, she realizes that memories still lurk among the polished wood and sawdust.

Connor Lawson has made a successful life for himself, despite a few bumps in the road. Ensconced in the house-flipping business with a lifelong friend, he's come upon the biggest project yet—renovating the Blackberry Ridge farmhouse where he spent long, leisurely days with Chloe Chastain.

When Connor and Chloe realize they’re tossed into the same renovations, will they manage to put past hurts behind and work together, or will the project—and their love—fail?

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Oh. My. Stars! What's not to love about a story featuring a romance author? Love it!! And I just adore renovation stories where the heart changes along with the house, don't you? Here's the link to subscribe. Pop in next week when we'll showcase Battle of the Flowers and Keepsake by suspense heavy hitter, Clare Revell. 

PURE Amore...Sweet Romance, Pure Enjoyment ™

PURE...the new sexy! 

For the last couple of weeks, we've been diving into Pelican Book Group's newest line, Pure Amore, sweet, hope-filled romances that will leave you "satisfied and smiling." Featuring heroes and heroines between the ages of 21-33, never married and one or both a virgin, the stories center around two flawed individuals seeking to honor God in all areas of their lives, especially in ways society doesn't often understand or value. They top out at 45k words, petite little gems bursting with emotional and romantic depth. 

Available by subscription, Pure Amore will release one delicious romance per month in e-book, paperback, or a paperback/e-book combination for one year beginning October 1, 2014. Fill your mug with some hot chocolate and settle back to enjoy At First Sight and Jingle Belle by the majorly talented Delia Latham.

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At First Sight

Reagan Massey has gone through a great deal of trouble to make her cousin irresistible to the visiting single minister but things get a little sticky when Reagan falls in love with Cord Phillips herself…

Cord doesn’t believe in marital bliss after seeing the mockery his parents made of their vows. He’s promised himself he’ll live as the Apostle Paul lived, dedicating himself solely to God. When his heart turns traitor, Cord has to completely rethink his position on love.

Things around Riverbend House of Worship take on some humorous, heart-touching, soul-stirring twists and turns, with Reagan and Cord so busy getting in God’s way that they can’t see the path He has laid out for them to travel…together.

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Jingle Belle

Jingle Belle Knowles is excited about the opportunity to write a Christmas jingle for a new restaurant in Pohono, Oklahoma—until she meets the company’s cocky PR man. Despite an immediate personality clash with much-too-handsome Italian Nick Santini, Belle finds herself irresistibly and unacceptably drawn to her insufferable client.

Nick isn’t pleased about working with the lovely jingle writer. But with a grand opening date just two weeks before Christmas, he and his brother need something to draw shoppers off the streets and into their Tuscan-themed restaurant. Given Belle's stellar reputation, Nick makes up his mind to grit his teeth and get through the project.

They’re both adults. They’re both Christians. And they’re both determined to make the project a success. But when a passionate, self-assured, hard-headed Italian butts heads with a stubborn, auburn-haired, confident Irish spit-fire, the results could make for a highly chaotic Christmas season.

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Sigh...don't these two stories sound positively delish?? Here's the link to subscribe. Be sure to check back next week when we'll showcase Simple Blessings and Blackberry Ridge by the awesome Mary Manners. 

On My Kindle ~ His Most Suitable Bride by Renee Ryan

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About the book~
No one in Denver knows how close Callie Mitchell once came to ruin. Dowdy dresses and severe hairstyles hide evidence of the pretty, trusting girl she used to be. Now her matchmaking employer wants Callie to help find a wife for the one man who sees through her careful facade. 

For his business's sake, Reese Bennett Jr. plans on making a sensible marriage. Preferably one without the unpredictable emotions that spring to life around Callie. Yet no matter how many candidates she presents to Reese, none compare with the vibrant, intelligent woman who is right under his nose—and quickly invading his heart. 

Sharing my thoughts~
When attorney Reese Bennett Jr.'s client and perpetual matchmaker points out that his law firm would suffer from his continued bachelor status and offers to help find him a suitable bride, he decides to allow her. But when Mrs. Singletary suddenly claims she's too busy and turns that task over to her companion, Callie Mitchell, his ex-fiance's sister, he debates withdrawing his permission. 

Docile one moment, bold the next. Plain one day, jaw-droppingly beautiful the next. Boring. Then exciting. Demure and shy. Then confident and determined. Who is Callie Mitchell and why is she hiding under dull shapeless clothes? Intrigued, Reece determines to find out, and accepts Callie's offer to help him with his bride search.

Callie Mitchell refuses to forgive her past indiscretion over a man and believes that if she dresses plainly, no man will show interest and therefore she couldn't repeat the mistake. But when gentle, handsome Reece looks past the dowdy dresses and begins to unravel the real Callie, her facade cracks. Her past did not have to define her future. She was a child of God, forgiven and loved...She could either spend the rest of her life feeling shame over her lapse in good judgment, or accept the Lord's mercy. The past was the past. The future, hers for the taking.

While His Most Suitable Bride was an enjoyable read, I really appreciated the underlying theme of letting go of our past. I struggle with this myself, so I could relate to both Callie and Reese, and understood how their attitudes affected their decisions and relationships. Little gems like this were sprinkled throughout the book:

"Today is a new day, meant to be lived under grace." ~Pastor Beau

"One must never focus on the ending when the story has yet to fully begin." ~Mrs. Singletary

Whether you're looking for a book to curl up with for a long evening, during a carpool line, or to take on vacation, you'll want to include His Most Suitable Bride!

Disclaimer: Sending a big thank you to Harlequin Love Inspired Historical and NetGalley for allowing me the privilege of reviewing His Most Suitable Bride and for the free copy I received in exchange for my fair and unbiased review. This opinion is my own, and I received no compensation.