Tag Archives: Beth K. Vogt

Top 10 Tuesday — Rainy Day Reads

16 Apr

Ok, I am going literal today with my Top 10 Tuesday post, Rainy Day Reads. Not sure if it’s pure genius or laziness that inspired my choices. 😉 The books on my list either have a storm as part of the action or impetus for the story, or the title includes rain/storm. This may or may not be what the post should be about, but you can be assured that the books, which include a variety of genres,  are great reads — rain or shine!

 

To find out how others interpreted this week’s challenge, head over to That Artsy Reader Girl.

 

Rain Is In The Forecast — Books with Storms As Part of the Story Line

 

Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Beth Vogt

Wedding bells and storm clouds collide in the first engaging novel in a brand-new series about destination weddings, the power of love, and the possible mishaps and missteps that happen on a couple’s journey down the aisle to “I do.”

Paramedic Vanessa Hollister has put her adolescence behind her, including the unwanted label of being the new kid in town over and over again, thanks to her father’s military career. She’s overcome what her mother called “the biggest mistake of her life” and is planning an elegant destination wedding in Destin, Florida with her new fiancĂ©. But will the reappearance of her first husband from her what-were-you-thinking teenage elopement disrupt her dream of an idyllic beach wedding?

As a professional storm chaser, Logan Hollister is used to taking risks. However, a reckless decision during the last tornado season has him questioning the future of his team, the Stormmeisters. Coming face to face with his ex-wife eight years after their divorce compels him to confront his greatest regret: losing Vanessa. Does their past give him the right to interfere with her future?

A fast-moving, powerful hurricane throws Vanessa and Logan together as they evacuate to a storm shelter along with other residents of the Florida Gulf Coast. Forced to spend time together, the pair battles unexpected renewed feelings for each other.

Vanessa and Logan are faced with a choice: Should they accept, once and for all, their teenage marital mistake? Or is God offering them a second chance at happily ever after?

Deadly Isle by Dani Pettrey

TennysonKent is trapped on the isolated island of her childhood by a storm surge, and she is shocked when the typically idyllic community turns into the hunting grounds of a murderer. Cut off from any help from the mainland, will she and first love Callen Frost be able to identify and stop a killer bent on revenge before they become the next victims?

(This book is a novella and part of the Cost of Betrayal collection)

 

 

Elevator by Angela Hunt 

In the path of a devastating hurricane, three very different women find themselves trapped in the elevator of a high-rise office building. All three conceal shattering secrets-unaware that their secrets center on the same man. The betrayed wife, eager to confront her faithless husband, with rage in her heart and a gun in her pocket… The determined mistress, finally ready to tell her lover she wants marriage and a family… The fugitive cleaning woman, tormented by the darkest secret of all…

 

 

 

Hurricane Season by Lauren K. Denton

Betsy and Ty Franklin, owners of Franklin Dairy Farm in southern Alabama, have long since buried their desire for children of their own. While Ty manages their herd of dairy cows, Betsy busies herself with the farm’s day-to-day operations and tries to forget her dream of motherhood. But when her free-spirited sister, Jenna, drops off her two young daughters for “just two weeks,” Betsy’s carefully constructed wall of self-protection begins to crumble.

As the two weeks stretch deeper into the Alabama summer, Betsy and Ty learn to navigate the new additions in their world—and revel in the laughter that now fills their home. Meanwhile, record temperatures promise to usher in the most active hurricane season in decades.

Attending an art retreat four hundred miles away, Jenna is fighting her own battles. She finally has time and energy to focus on her photography, a lifelong ambition. But she wonders how her rediscovered passion can fit in with the life she’s made back home as a single mom.

When Hurricane Ingrid aims a steady eye at the Alabama coast, Jenna must make a decision that will change her family’s future, even as Betsy and Ty try to protect their beloved farm and their hearts. Hurricane Season is the story of one family’s unconventional journey to healing — and the relationships that must be mended along the way.

No Small Storm by Anne Mateer

September 1815, Providence, Rhode Island

Thirty-year-old Remembrance “Mem” Wilkins loves her solitary life running the farm and orchard she inherited from her father and has no plans to give up her independence. Especially not for the likes of Mr. Graham Lott. But when Mem is unable to harvest the apples on her own, she accepts the help of the man she despises.

Fresh off a boat from Ireland with his four-year-old son in tow, Simon Brennan secures a building in which to ply his trade as a cobbler. Still healing from the grief of his wife’s death a year earlier, he determines to focus only on providing a good life for his son. But when he intervenes in an argument on behalf of the intriguing Miss Wilkins, sister-in-law of the tavern owner who befriends him, he suddenly finds himself crossways with his landlord, Mr. Lott, and relieved of his lease and most of his money.

With no means of support, Simon takes a job helping Mem with her harvest, relieving her of the need of Lott’s help. But their growing attraction to each other makes them both uneasy. Mem gladly escapes to town when her sister begins labor, and Simon, believing it best to distance himself from Mem, takes his son and leaves.

But neither anticipates the worst gale New England has ever seen — or that the storm will threaten all they hold dear.

 

Storms of Life — Titles with Rain/Storm

 

Anchor in The Storm by Sarah Sundin

One plucky female pharmacist + one high-society naval officer = romance—and danger.

For plucky Lillian Avery, America’s entry into World War II means a chance to prove herself as a pharmacist in Boston. The challenges of her new job energize her. But society boy Ensign Archer Vandenberg’s attentions only annoy–even if he is her brother’s best friend.

During the darkest days of the war, Arch’s destroyer hunts German U-boats in vain as the submarines sink dozens of merchant ships along the East Coast. Still shaken by battles at sea, Arch notices his men also struggle with their nerves–and with drowsiness. Could there be a link to the large prescriptions for sedatives Lillian has filled? The two work together to answer that question, but can Arch ever earn Lillian’s trust and affection?

The Boy Who Loved Rain by Gerard Kelly

They say that what you don’t know can’t hurt you. They’re wrong.

Colom had the perfect childhood, the much-loved only child of a church pastor. Yet he wakes screaming from dreams in which his sister is drowning and he can’t save her.

Fiona turns to her husband, desperate to help their son. But David will not acknowledge that help is needed—and certainly not help from beyond the church.

Then they find the suicide pledge.

Fiona, in panic, takes Colom and flees
 but when will she acknowledge that the unnamed demons Colom faces might be of her and David’s own creation?

Mercy’s Rain by Cindy K. Sproles

When your life is built around a father’s wrath, how can you trust in the love of Father God?

Mercy Roller knows her name is a lie: there has never been any mercy in her young life. Raised by a twisted and abusive father who called himself the Pastor, she was abandoned by the church community that should have stood together to protect her from his evil. Her mother, consumed by her own fear and hate, won’t stand her ground to save Mercy either.

The Pastor has robbed Mercy of innocence and love, a husband and her child. Not a single person seems capable of standing up to the Pastor’s unrestrained evil. So Mercy takes matters into her own hands.

Her heart was hardened to love long before she took on the role of judge, jury, and executioner of the Pastor. She just didn’t realize the retribution she thought would save her, might turn her into the very thing she hated most.

Sent away by her angry and grieving mother, Mercy’s path is unclear until she meets a young preacher headed to counsel a pregnant couple. Sure that her calling is to protect the family, Mercy is drawn into a different life on the other side of the mountain where she slowly discovers true righteousness has nothing evil about it–and that there might be room for her own stained and shattered soul to find shelter. . . and even love.

Mercy’s Rain is a remarkable historical novel set in 19th century Appalachia that traces the thorny path from bitterness to forgiveness and reveals the victory and strength that comes from simple faith.

Of Stillness And Storm by Michele Phoenix

It took Lauren and her husband ten years to achieve their dream—reaching primitive tribes in remote regions of Nepal. But while Sam treks into the Himalayas for weeks at a time, finding passion and purpose in his work among the needy, Lauren and Ryan stay behind, their daily reality more taxing than inspiring. For them, what started as a calling begins to feel like the family’s undoing.

At the peak of her isolation and disillusion, a friend from Lauren’s past enters her life again. But as her communication with Aidan intensifies, so does the tension of coping with the present while reengaging with the past. It’s thirteen-year-old Ryan who most keenly bears the brunt of her distraction.

Intimate and bold, Of Stillness and Storm weaves profound dilemmas into a tale of troubled love and honorable intentions gone awry.

Thunder And Rain by Charles Martin

Third generation Texas Ranger Tyler Steele is the last of a dying breed —  a modern day cowboy hero living in a world that doesn’t quite understand his powerful sense of right and wrong and instinct to defend those who can’t defend themselves. Despite his strong moral compass, Ty has trouble seeing his greatest weakness. His hard outer shell, the one essential to his work, made him incapable of forging the emotional connection his wife Andie so desperately needed.

Now retired, raising their son Brodie on his own, and at risk of losing his ranch, Ty does not know how to rebuild from the rubble of his life. The answer comes in the form of Samantha and her daughter Hope, on the run from a seemingly inescapable situation. They are in danger, desperate, and alone. Though they are strangers, Ty knows he can help —  protecting the innocent is what he does best. As his relationship with Sam and Hope unfolds, Ty realizes he must confront his true weaknesses if he wants to become the man he needs to be.

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Top 10 Tuesday — Spring TBR

19 Mar

I am very excited about the books I have coming up this Spring — lots of favorite authors with new releases! There’s a little something for everyone on my list — romance, suspense, history, women’s fiction. All are new releases and have the loveliest, Spring-y covers. I hope you find a new book you can add to your Spring TBR List!

For more of what bloggers are reading in the coming months, visit That Artsy Reader Girl.

 

Top 10 Books on My Spring TBR

Driftwood Bay by Irene Hannon

After tragedy upends her world, Jeannette Mason retreats to the tiny Oregon seaside town of Hope Harbor to create a new life. Vowing to avoid emotional attachments, she focuses on running her lavender farm and tea-room — until a new neighbor with a destructive dog and a forlorn little girl invades her turf. But she needn’t worry. Dr. Logan West is too busy coping with an unexpected family, a radical lifestyle change, and an unruly pup to have any interest in his aloof and disagreeable neighbor.

Yet when both Jeanette and Logan find themselves pulled into the life of a tattered Christian family fleeing persecution in war-torn Syria, might they discover that love sometimes comes calling when it’s least expected?

Bestselling and award-winning author Irene Hannon invites readers back to the charming seaside town of Hope Harbor, where they are sure to find peace, healing, and a second chance at happiness.

The Edge of Mercy by Heidi Chiavaroli

Two women, three hundred years apart, must face the devastation of all they hold dear…

Suspecting her husband is having an affair, Sarah Rodrigues fights to appear unbroken while attempting to salvage her family. Though distracted by her own troubles, Sarah is summoned to an elderly friend’s deathbed for an unusual request—find a long-lost daughter and relay a centuries-old family story.

Determined not to fail her friend, Sarah pieces together the story of her neighbor’s ancestor, Elizabeth Baker, a young colonist forced into an unwanted betrothal but drawn to a man forbidden by society.

While Sarah’s family teeters on the edge of collapse, her world is further shaken by the interest of a caring doctor and a terrible accident that threatens a life more precious than her own.

Inspired by the unconditional love she uncovers in Elizabeth’s story, Sarah strives to forgive those who’ve wounded her soul. But when light shines on the dark secrets of her neighbor’s past and the full extent of her husband’s sins, will looking to a power greater than herself rekindle lost hope?

The Far Side of The Sea by Kate Breslin

In spring 1918, Lieutenant Colin Mabry, a British soldier working with MI8 after suffering injuries on the front, receives a message by carrier pigeon. It is from Jewel Reyer, the woman he once loved and who saved his life–a woman he believed to be dead. Traveling to France to answer her urgent summons, he desperately hopes this mission will ease his guilt and restore the courage he lost on the battlefield.

Colin is stunned, however, to discover the message came from Jewel’s half sister, Johanna. Johanna, who works at a dovecote for French Army Intelligence, found Jewel’s diary and believes her sister is alive in the custody of a German agent. With spies everywhere, Colin is skeptical of Johanna, but as they travel across France and Spain, a tentative trust begins to grow between them.

Glory Road by Lauren K. Denton

Nearly a decade after her husband’s affair drove her back home to South Alabama, Jessie McBride has the stable life she wants — operating her garden shop, Twig, next door to her house on Glory Road, and keeping up with her teenage daughter and spunky mother. But the unexpected arrival of two men makes Jessie question whether she’s really happy with the status quo.

When handsome, wealthy businessman Sumner Tate asks her to arrange flowers for his daughter’s lavish wedding, Jessie finds herself drawn to his continued attention. Then Ben Bradley, her lingering what-could-have-been from high school, moves back to the red dirt road, and she feels her heart pulled in directions she never expected.

Meanwhile, Jessie’s fourteen-year-old daughter, Evan, is approaching the start of high school and navigating a new world of emotions — particularly as they relate to the cute new guy who’s moved in just down the road. At the same time, Jessie’s mother, Gus, is suffering increasingly frequent memory lapses and faces a frightening, uncertain future.

In one summer, everything will change. But for these three strong Southern women, the roots they’ve planted on Glory Road will give life to the adventures waiting just around the curve.

The Governess of Penwythe Hall by Sarah A. Ladd

Cornwall, England, 1811

Blamed for her husband’s death, Cordelia Greythorne fled Cornwall and accepted a governess position to begin a new life. Years later her employer’s unexpected death and his last request to watch over his five children force her to reevaluate. She can’t abandon the children now that they’ve lost both parents, but their new guardian lives at the timeworn Penwythe Hall . . . back on the Cornish coast she tries desperately to forget.

Jac Trethewey is determined to revive Penwythe Hall’s once-flourishing apple orchards, and he’ll stop at nothing to see his struggling estate profitable again. He hasn’t heard from his brother in years, so when his nieces, nephews, and their governess arrive unannounced at Penwythe Hall, he battles both grief of this brother’s death and bewilderment over this sudden responsibility. Jac’s priorities shift as the children take up residence in the ancient halls, but their secretive governess — and the mystery shrouding her past — proves to be a disruption to his carefully laid plans.

Rich with family secrets, lingering danger, and the captivating allure of new love, this first book in the Cornwall Novels series introduces us to the Twethewey family and their search for peace, justice, and love on the Cornish coast.

The Memory House by Rachel Hauck

When Beck Holiday lost her father in the North Tower on 9/11, she also lost her memories of him. Eighteen years later, she’s a tough New York City cop burdened with a damaging secret, suspended for misconduct, and struggling to get her life in order. Meanwhile a mysterious letter arrives informing her she’s inherited a house along Florida’s northern coast, and what she discovers there will change her life forever. Matters of the heart only become more complicated when she runs into handsome Bruno Endicott, a driven sports agent who fondly recalls the connection they shared as teenagers. But Beck doesn’t remember that, either.

Decades earlier, widow Everleigh Applegate lives a steady, uneventful life with her widowed mother after a tornado ripped through Waco, Texas, and destroyed her new, young married life. When she runs into old high school friend Don Callahan, she begins to yearn for change. Yet no matter how much she longs to love again, she is hindered by a secret she can never share.

Fifty years separate the women but through the power of love and miracle of faith, they each find healing in a beautiful Victorian known affectionately as The Memory House. 

Moments We Forget by Beth Vogt

Jillian Thatcher has spent most of her life playing the family peacemaker, caught in the middle between her driven, talented older sister and her younger, spotlight-stealing twin sisters. Then on the night of her engagement party, a cancer diagnosis threatens to once again steal her chance to shine.

Now, Jillian’s on the road to recovery after finally finishing chemo and radiation, but residual effects of the treatment keep her from reclaiming her life as she’d hoped. And just when her dreams might be falling into place, a life-altering revelation from her husband sends her reeling again.

Will Jillian ever achieve her own dreams, or will she always be “just Jillian,” the less-than Thatcher sister? Can she count on her sisters as she tries to step into a stronger place, or are they stuck in their childhood roles forever?

No Ocean Too Wide by Carrie Turansky

Between the years of 1869 to 1939 more than 100,000 poor British children were sent across the ocean to Canada with the promise of a better life. Those who took them in to work as farm laborers or household servants were told they were orphans — but was that the truth?

After the tragic loss of their father, the McAlister family is living at the edge of the poorhouse in London in 1908, leaving their mother to scrape by for her three younger children, while oldest daughter, Laura, works on a large estate more than an hour away. When Edna McAlister falls gravely ill and is hospitalized, twins Katie and Garth and eight-year-old Grace are forced into an orphans’ home before Laura is notified about her family’s unfortunate turn of events in London. With hundreds of British children sent on ships to Canada, whether truly orphans or not, Laura knows she must act quickly. But finding her siblings and taking care of her family may cost her everything.

Andrew Fraser, a wealthy young British lawyer and heir to the estate where Laura is in service, discovers that this common practice of finding new homes for penniless children might not be all that it seems. Together Laura and Andrew form an unlikely partnership. Will they arrive in time? Will their friendship blossom into something more?

Inspired by true events, this moving novel follows Laura as she seeks to reunite her family and her siblings who, in their darkest hours, must cling to the words from Isaiah: “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God”.

The Sky Above Us by Sarah Sundin

Numbed by grief and harboring shameful secrets, Lt. Adler Paxton ships to England with the US 357th Fighter Group in 1943. Determined to become an ace pilot, Adler battles the German Luftwaffe in treacherous dogfights in the skies over France as the Allies struggle for control of the air before the D-day invasion.

Violet Lindstrom wanted to be a missionary, but for now she serves in the American Red Cross, where she arranges entertainment for the men of the 357th in the Aeroclub on base and sets up programs for local children. Drawn to the mysterious Adler, she enlists his help with her work and urges him to reconnect with his family after a long estrangement.

Despite himself, Adler finds his defenses crumbling when it comes to Violet. But D-day draws near. And secrets can’t stay buried forever.

Bestselling author Sarah Sundin returns readers to the shores of Normandy, this time in the air, as the second Paxton brother prepares to face the past — and the most fearsome battle of his life.

When He Found Me by Victoria Bylin

Once a strong Christian, third baseman Shane Riley lost his faith the night he injured his knee in a freak car accident. Determined to return to professional baseball and to find the sister he treated badly, Shane retreats to Refuge, Wyoming. There he meets Melissa June “MJ” Townsend, a single mom battling the virus that causes cervical cancer.

MJ wants nothing to do with the handsome athlete — no doubt a womanizer considering the stories in the news. But when a mistake results in Shane renting her garage apartment, they become friends. That friendship blossoms into something deep and pure, leaving MJ with a painful secret to tell. Even more complicated, she discovers an unexpected tie to Shane’s missing sister — a wounded woman who wants nothing to do with the perfect brother who scorned her.

 

What are you reading this Spring?

 

 

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Top 10 Tuesday — Back To School!

30 Aug

Thanks to the folks at The Broke And The Bookish for weekly hosting Top 10 Tuesday. This week is the Back To School Top 10. To find out what other bloggers are posting, click HERE.

toptentuesday

School has been back in session since the last week in July here in middle Georgia. So, so glad that I don’t have any more kids in school! Oh wait, I do! My youngest son started his first year of Law School two weeks ago. My other two children have both completed Master’s degrees and on their way to outstanding careers. Yeah, I’m a bit proud!

When I read this week’s theme, I just couldn’t get the classic song Don’t Know Much out of my head. Here’s my list in tribute to that Sam Cooke classic.

The Don’t Know Much, Back To School Top 14

Don’t know much about  . . .

History. I really liked European history in school. American history, not so much. So here are a few books that feature those things I didn’t pay attention to in class.

Washington’s Lady by Nancy Moser (pre and post-Revolutionary War)

Burning Sky by Lori Benton (post-Revolutionary War)

The Sentinels of Andersonville by Tracy Groot (Civil War)

Though Waters Roar by Lynn Austin (Civil War, Women’s Suffrage, Prohibition)

51wuzBWyjHL._SX327_BO1,204,203,200_UnknownUnknown-1Unknown-2

Biology. When I think of biology, I think of the birds and bees. When I think of the birds and bees, I think great romances. Here are some that fit that title.

Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Beth K. Vogt

The Dandelion Field by Kathryn Springer

The Wedding Dress by Rachel Hauck

UnknownUnknown-1Unknown-2

Science Books. Science? Yick! I glazed over in my HS Chemistry class and I didn’t even attempt Physics. Here are four novels that involve science but didn’t make me glaze over!

Bad Ground by Dale Cramer (mining)

Critical Reaction by Todd M. Johnson (nuclear energy)

Maximal Reserve by Sam Batterman (petroleum exploration)

Undetected by Dee Henderson (sonar)

51hl+WQ0dhL._SX321_BO1,204,203,200_51rzR1Rq-9L._SX322_BO1,204,203,200_Unknown518blucGMbL._SX322_BO1,204,203,200_

The French I Took. This may be because I took Spanish. LOL! The only French word I can say with confidence is oui! These books set in France deserve a definite oui, oui!

My Brother’s Crown by Mindy Starns Clark and Leslie Gould (17th century)

Flame of Resistance by Tracy Groot (WWII)

Two Crosses by Elizabeth Musser (Algerian Civil War)

UnknownUnknown-1Unknown-2

What are some of your favorite school books?

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

2016 Carol Award Winners!

28 Aug

Congratulations to the winners of the 2016 Carol Awards — excellence in Christian fiction.

Carol_Award_Gold_-_no_base_transparent_background

Contemporary:
The Art of Losing Yourself by Katie Ganshert

Historical:
Secrets She Kept by Cathy Gohlke

Historical Romance:
A Worthy Pursuit by Karen Witemeyer

Mystery/Suspense/Thriller:
The Aleppo Code by Terry Brennan

Novella:
A Bride for Bear from The Convenient Bride Collection by Erica Vetsch

Romance:
Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Beth K. Vogt

Romantic Suspense:
No Place to Hide by Lynette Eason

Short Novel:
Covert Justice by Lynn Huggins Blackburn

Speculative:
The Five Times I Met Myself by James L. Rubart

Young Adult:
Dauntless by Dina L. Sleiman

Debut:
The Calling of Ella McFarland by Linda Brooks Davis

Unknown51xzbYMMWfL._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_51ywRBZBZPL._SX322_BO1,204,203,200_

Unknown514c114YvKL._SX332_BO1,204,203,200_51lyoj5ywvL._SX327_BO1,204,203,200_51s1ljykGwL._SX322_BO1,204,203,200_

Unknown412TkzVOJRL._SX326_BO1,204,203,200_51jg-vHmm8L._SX322_BO1,204,203,200_51TMntnn5pL._SX322_BO1,204,203,200_

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Top 10 Tuesday: Valentine’s Freebie!

9 Feb

Thanks to the folks at The Broke And The Bookish for hosting Top Ten Tuesday. This week is a freebie with a Valentine twist. To find out what books, authors and bookish things other bloggers are sending Valentine’s, click HERE.

Top10Tues2

 

I have to admit that romances are not my favorite fiction genre. Give me a page-turning suspense, a puzzling whodunit or a detailed historical any day. But there are a couple of authors that write romance so well, that I will pick up their books without hesitation. So here are my favorite romance novelists.

Top 4 Favorite Romance Writers

Jane Austen

Can anyone write romance as well as Jane? I think not. Her books are classics and not just because of the romances contained in the pages. But if you are looking for swoon-worthy heroes and plucky heroines, you cannot go wrong with any of her books. My all time favorites are Pride And Prejudice, Emma and Persuasion.

 

51CCfDzu2FL._SY291_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_61cfv1Rm7lL._SY291_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_Unknown

Now on to contemporary writers that I think write outstanding romance fiction.

Irene Hannon

Irene writes in both the contemporary romance and romantic suspense categories. She does both very well. I especially liked Hope Harbor, Trapped, and Deceived.

51wix-iuoql-_sx322_bo1204203200_721240721250

Rachel Hauck

Rachel writes contemporary romance that is so much more. Several of her novels are modern-day fairy tales and others involve the realistic struggles involved in relationships. My favorites are The Wedding Dress, The Wedding Chapel and Once Upon A Prince.

fileitem-243887-theweddingdresssmweddingchapel-email-252x384315476_w185

Beth Vogt

Beth Vogt’s romances combine a bit of the light-hearted with the heart-touching. My favorites by her are Somebody Like You, Catch A Falling Star and Wish You Were Here.

737584fallingstar-e1361983877202contentimage-20-16758-wishyouwereheresm

Who are your favorite romance writers?

Tags: , , , ,

Book Review: Crazy Little Thing Called Love

10 Aug

UnknownWedding bells and storm clouds collide in the first engaging novel in a brand-new series about destination weddings, the power of love, and the possible mishaps and missteps that happen on a couple’s journey down the aisle to “I do.”

Paramedic Vanessa Hollister has put her adolescence behind her, including the unwanted label of being the new kid in town over and over again, thanks to her father’s military career. She’s overcome what her mother called “the biggest mistake of her life” and is planning an elegant destination wedding in Destin, Florida with her new fiancĂ©. But will the reappearance of her first husband from her what-were-you-thinking teenage elopement disrupt her dream of an idyllic beach wedding?

As a professional storm chaser, Logan Hollister is used to taking risks. However, a reckless decision during the last tornado season has him questioning the future of his team, the Stormmeisters. Coming face to face with his ex-wife eight years after their divorce compels him to confront his greatest regret: losing Vanessa. Does their past give him the right to interfere with her future?

A fast-moving, powerful hurricane throws Vanessa and Logan together as they evacuate to a storm shelter along with other residents of the Florida Gulf Coast. Forced to spend time together, the pair battles unexpected renewed feelings for each other.

Vanessa and Logan are faced with a choice: Should they accept, once and for all, their teenage marital mistake? Or is God offering them a second chance at happily ever after?

BVogt-319Beth K. Vogt believes God’s best often waits behind the doors marked “Never.” A 2015 RITA¼ Finalist and a 2014 Carol Award finalist, Beth is a contemporary romance novelist with Howard Books. Her 2014 novel, Somebody Like You, was one of Publisher’s Weekly’s Best Books of 2014. In 2015 she introduced her destination wedding series with both an e-novella, Can’t Buy Me Love, (May) and a novel, Crazy Little Thing Called Love (June).

Find out more about Beth K. at http://bethvogt.com.

 

My Impressions:

Beth Vogt is at the top of my list of contemporary romance authors. She always manages to add just a little bit more, a little something special to give her novels, a touch of wisdom and grace. Crazy Little Thing Called Love, the first novel in her new Destination Wedding series, is no exception. Combining a fun location, a long lost love, and a message of reconciliation and sacrifice, this book is one I can highly recommend.

Vanessa Hollister is getting married, again. After a disastrous first marriage at the age of 18, now 28-year old Vanessa is older and wiser and is ready to settle down with the safe and practical Ted. But a return to the scene of her first wedding, Destin, Florida, stirs up old feelings and emotions especially when she runs into her first husband. Circumstances keep throwing them into each other’s path. Is it just coincidence or is God in the center of everything?

While the beach setting is perfect for a summer read, Crazy Little Thing Called Love draws its strength from the characters. Both major and minor characters are well-developed and feel like old friends. One couple in particular, the Wrights, is a great example of sacrificial love in marriage. Old wounds and insecurities are exposed, and Vanessa and her ex-husband Logan struggle to overcome their weaknesses. The book is told in a mix of present day and flash-backs which adds a depth to the story.

No spoilers here, but two scenes in the book are especially touching. One scene involves teenage Vanessa and Logan. An oh no! scene turns into an oh yes! moment — something you would want to share with your teenaged son or daughter. And a surprise wedding ceremony twist brought tears to my eyes.

If you are looking for a feel good romance with some spiritual depth, then Crazy Little Thing Called Love is a perfect choice.

Highly Recommended.

Audience: older teens to adults.

To purchase this book, click HERE.

(Thanks to Howard and LitFuse for a review copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

 

 

Tags: ,

Book Review: Somebody Like You

5 Jun

737584Can a young widow find love again with her husband’s reflection?

Haley’s three-year marriage to Sam, an army medic, ends tragically when he’s killed in Afghanistan. Her attempts to create a new life for herself are ambushed when she arrives home one evening—and finds her husband waiting for her. Did the military make an unimaginable mistake when they told her Sam was killed?

Too late to make things right with his estranged twin brother, Stephen discovers Sam never told Haley about him. As Haley and Stephen navigate their fragile relation­ship, they are inexorably drawn to each other. How can they honor the memory of a man whose death brought them together—and whose ghost could drive them apart?

 

 

beth-vogt-199x300Beth K. Vogt is a non-fiction author and editor who said she’d never write fiction. She’s the wife of an Air Force family physician (now in solo practice) who said she’d never marry a doctor—or anyone in the military. She’s a mom of four who said she’d never have kids. Now Beth believes God’s best often waits behind the doors marked “Never.” A novelist with Howard Books, her contemporary romance novel, Wish You Were Here, debuted in May 2012, followed by Catch a Falling Star (2013), You Made Me Love You (2014) – an eShort novella – and Somebody Like You (2014). She is also part of the Year of Wedding Series by Harper Collins, writing the A November Bride novella (2014). Beth enjoys writing contemporary romance because she believes there’s more to happily-ever-after than the fairy tales tell us. Find our more about her books at bethvogt.com. An established magazine writer and former editor of Connections, the leadership magazine for MOPS International, Beth is also the Skills Coach for My Book Therapy, the writing community founded by best-selling author Susan May Warren. She lives in Colorado with her husband Rob, who has adjusted to discussing the lives of imaginary people, and their youngest daughter, who’s just entered the teen years.

My Impressions:

I read and reviewed Beth Vogt’s first two novels and liked them very much. (Wish You Were Here Review and Catch A Falling Star Review) But I have to say that Somebody Like You is by far my favorite. Yes, it is a book that will definitely appeal to fans of contemporary romance, but it is also so much more. Vogt has written a book that will have you examining your relationships for the ways you put off for later feelings and actions that should be expressed in the now. It also examines how we choose to please man rather than God. If you like romance, then definitely pick this one up. But if you are looking for a well-written novel that will make you think, laugh and cry, then Somebody Like You is for you!

Haley Ames is just trying to do the next best thing. Sam, her husband of three years was killed in Afghanistan and the grief she feels overshadows everything, including the birth of her first child. Regrets and recriminations are her new norm. Stephen, Sam’s mirror twin, also knows what it means to live with regret. Having cut off ties with Sam over 10 years before, he hopes that by connecting with Haley he can learn who his brother was. But there is a hitch. Haley didn’t know Sam had a brother, let alone a twin. Haley and Stephen begin an unsteady friendship that grows into more. But are those feelings dishonoring to Sam’s memory?

I really liked the characters that Vogt created in Somebody Like You. Haley and Stephen struggle with very real feelings of abandonment, grief, regret and guilt. The way their relationship builds is also very realistic. Both are trying to deal with the loss of Sam, and their feelings for each other complicate matters. I appreciate that Vogt never rushed the romance, but let it develop naturally. Minor characters also added to the story, especially as they provided insight into the situations in which Haley and Stephen find themselves. Vogt injects just the right amount of humor into the novel as well. But my favorite thing about this book is the way Vogt had me examining my own thoughts on relationships. The urgency of the now became a central point. We often say we will make amends or express our true feelings later. But many of us never get a later.

I also liked the natural growth in the spiritual relationships that the characters experienced. At the start of the novel, Haley is barely on speaking terms with God. But His pursuit of her never wavers. Vogt takes what man sees as right and contrasts that with God’s plans. At one point in the novel, God says to Haley “Everyone tries to be right, Haley. But I am the right way. Not your way. My way”. That was something I need to hear again. There are a lot more truths expressed in Somebody Like You, so I think it would be perfect for a book club too.

So what is my final thought on Somebody Like You? Read it! You will definitely be glad you did!

Highly Recommended.

Great For Book Clubs.

(Thanks to Howard Books for a review copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

To purchase this book, click on the image below.

Tags: ,

Book Review: Catch A Falling Star

20 May

FallingStar-e1361983877202What does a girl do when life doesn’t go according to her plan? 

At 36, Kendall Haynes has seen some of her dreams come true. She’s a family physician helping kids with severe allergies and asthma achieve more fulfilling lives—a childhood struggle she knows all too well. But the feeling of being “the kid never picked” looms large when romance continues to evade her and yet another one of her closest friends gets engaged. Are Kendall’s dreams of having it all—a career, a husband, children—nothing more than childish wishing upon a star? Should she hold out for her elusive Plan A? Dust off Plan B? Or is it time to settle? God says he knows the plans he has for her—why can’t Kendall figure them out and be content with her life?

Griffin Walker prefers flying solo—both as an Air Force pilot and in his personal life. But a wrong choice and health problems pulled him out of the cockpit. His attempts to get out of “flying a desk” are complicated by his parents’ death—making Griffin the reluctant guardian of his sixteen-year-old brother, Ian. How did his life get so off course? Can God get his life back on track 
 or has there been a divine plan all along?

Catch a Falling Star reminds readers that romance isn’t just for twenty-somethings and that sometimes letting go of your “wish I may, wish I might” dreams is the only way to embrace everything God has waiting for you.

BVogt-134Beth K. Vogt is a non-fiction author and editor who said she’d never write fiction. She’s the wife of an Air Force family physician (now in solo practice), though she said she’d never marry a doctor—or anyone in the military. She’s a mom of four, though she said she’d never have kids. She’s discovered that God’s best often waits behind the doors marked “Never.” Her contemporary romance novel, Wish You Were Here, debuted in May 2012 (Howard Books), and Catch a Falling Star releases May 2013. An established magazine writer and former editor of Connections, the leadership magazine for MOPS International, Beth is also the Skills Coach for My Book Therapy, the writing community founded by best-selling author Susan May Warren.

My Impressions:

What’s on your summer reading list? Do you like a quick romance for those lazy days by the pool or the beach? If so, then pick up Beth Vogt’s second book, Catch A Falling Star, a novel that proves it is never too late to find love.

Dr. Kendall Haynes has always put her career first, but has never ruled out love and marriage. It just has not come her way. But following yet another friend’s engagement and her sister’s insistence that the ring left by her grandmother will never be used unless Kendall gives it up, Kendall begins to question if love will ever be a part of her life. Griffin Walker has had a lot of loss in his life — his marriage, parents and now his career. Faced with the daunting task of raising his 16 year old brother, Griffin thinks single and alone are all that he is destined for. When the two meet it is definitely not love at first sight, but the feelings they have are quite undeniable.

Catch A Falling Star is a realistic romance — the characters are set in their ways and there are plenty of obstacles and personality traits to overcome. Both characters must learn to trust each other and God with their futures and their hearts. There is a secondary plot that I really enjoyed as well, making this story feel very real. If you like a good contemporary romance with some interesting plot twists and realistic characters, I recommend you pick up Catch A Falling Star.

Recommended.

To read more reviews, click HERE.

(Thanks to LitFuse for my copy of Catch A Falling Star. The opinions expressed are mine alone.)

 

FallingStar300

 

Celebrate the release of Catch a Falling Star with Beth by entering to win a Romantic Weekend Getaway and RSVPing for her June 4th Author Chat Party.

One “lucky” winner will receive:

  • A $200 Visa Cash Card (Perfect for a weekend stay at a hotel or B&B!)
  • Catch a Falling Star and Wish You Were Here by Beth Vogt(Swoon-worthy!)

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on June 3rd. Winner will be announced at the “Catch a Falling Star” Facebook Author Chat Party on June 4th. Connect with Beth for an evening of book chat, trivia, laughter, and more! Beth will also share an exclusive look at her next book and give away books and other fun prizes throughout the evening.

So grab your copy of Catch a Falling Star and join Beth on the evening of June 4th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven’t read the book, don’t let that stop you from coming!)

 

 

DON’T MISS A MOMENT OF THE FUN; RSVP TODAY. TELL YOUR FRIENDS VIA FACEBOOK OR TWITTER AND INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. HOPE TO SEE YOU ON THE 4TH!

Tags: ,

Book Review: Wish You Were Here

28 May

Allison Denman is supposed to get married in five days, but everything is all wrong. The huge wedding. The frothy dress. And the groom.

Still, kissing the groom’s brother in an unguarded moment is decidedly not the right thing to do. How could she have made such a mistake? It seems Allison’s life is nothing but mistakes at this point. And pulling a “Runaway Bride” complete with stealing, er, borrowing her best friend’s car doesn’t seem to solve her problems.

Can Allison find her way out of this mess? Maybe she just needs to stop orchestrating everything. Allison prefers being the one in control, and giving it up is not going to be easy. But to find her way again, she will have to believe that God has a plan for her and find the strength to let Him lead.

Beth K. Vogt believes happy endings aren’t limited to novels.

She provides her readers with a happily ever after woven through with humor, reality, and God’s lavish grace. Married to her husband Rob for 31 years, as the mom of three adult children and one 10-year-old, Beth embraces her less-than-perfect life. Her degree in journalism helped establish her as a nonfiction writer.

Beth was the editor of Connections, the leadership magazine for Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) International, for four years and continues to be a consulting editor, as well as a bimonthly columnist for MOMSnext, their ezine for moms of school-age children. After focusing on magazine writing and her book Baby Changes Everything: Embracing and Preparing for Motherhood after 35 (thanks to a surprise pregnancy at 41), Beth turned a season of burnout into her debut novel, Wish You Were Here.

My Impressions:

What seems like on the surface a light chick lit novel featuring a runaway bride, really is a great look at who we are in the light of God’s reality.  Wish You Were Here is a chick lit novel and it does have its light spots, but from the beginning you just know that there is much more under the surface.  It is also Beth Vogt’s debut novel.  And if this book is any indication, readers are in for a lot of great books from Beth.

Allison Denman has more than cold feet.  She has serious doubts that her longtime boyfriend/high school sweetheart is really the man for her.  Coupled with an amazing kiss she shares with her future brother-in-law, Allison knows she just cannot go through with the wedding.  Leaving fiance Seth at the altar, Allison embarks on a journey to find out just who she is apart from Seth.  Lots of long held secrets come to light, and Allison discovers who she really is apart from earthly relationships and in the reality of her relationship with God.

I enjoyed this novel very much.  It is a quick read, but I never really wanted to hurry the story or the characters along.  My feelings for Allison changed during my time reading as well.  She became much more than an indecisive bride.  Other characters had their quirks, but not to the point of silliness.  And the love story that develops with her ex-fiance’s brother Daniel will satisfy romance lovers.

So if you like romance, women’s fiction and a story with some meat, pick up Wish You Were Here.

Recommended.

(I received Wish You Were Here in conjunction with LitFuse.  The opinions expressed are mine alone.)

To read what other reviewers have to say, click HERE.

Celebrate with Beth by entering her Wish You Were Here Giveaway!

One “happy” winner will receive:

  • A brand new iPad2 with Wi-Fi (The must-have, do-everything gadget!)
  • Wish You Were Here by Beth Vogt (Swoon worthy.)
  • $15 iTunes Gift Card (Music, books, apps, & more.)

Hurry, the giveaway ends on 6/4/12. The winner will be announced 6/6/12 on Beth’s Website! 

Just click one of the icons below to enter. Tell your friends about Beth’s giveaway on FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning.

Tags: ,

Newer Entries →