By The Book

Everyone needs a little help from their friends some times! And this summer that someone is me. 😉 I have had and will continue to have a very, very busy summer. Reading for reviewing is kind of on the back burner right now, but I hate not to feature any reviews at all. So I enlisted my friend Carrie to read books that are languishing on my shelf and then share with you her thoughts. We have similar tastes, and I trust her opinions.

Carrie and I became book buddies a long time ago. We have since connected on multiple levels, but books brought us together and continue to enrich our friendship. Carrie read The Key to Love by Betsy St. Amant. Her thoughts are below.

The only thing Bri Duval loves more than baking petit fours is romance. So much so, she’s created her own version of the famous Parisian lovelock wall at her bakery in Story, Kansas. She never expects it to go viral–or for Trek Magazineto send travel writer Gerard Fortier to feature the bakery. He’s definitely handsome, but Bri has been holding out for a love story like the one her parents had, and that certainly will not include the love-scorned-and-therefore-love-scorning Gerard.

Just when it seems Bri’s bakery is poised for unprecedented success, a series of events threaten not just her business but the pedestal she’s kept her parents on all these years. Maybe Gerard is right about romance. Or maybe Bri’s recipe just needs to be tweaked.

Novelist Betsy St. Amant invites you to experience this sweet story of how love doesn’t always look the way we expect–and maybe that’s a good thing.

Betsy St. Amant Haddox is the author of over twenty romance novels and novellas. She resides in north Louisiana with her hubby, two daughters, an impressive stash of coffee mugs, and one furry Schnauzer-toddler. Betsy has a B.A. in Communications and a deep-rooted passion for seeing women restored to truth. When she’s not composing her next book or baby-talking her dog, Betsy can be found somewhere in the vicinity of an iced coffee. She writes frequently for iBelieve, a devotional site for women, and offers author coaching and editing services through Storyside LLC.

Carrie’s Thoughts:

The Key to Love by Betsy St. Amant is a surprising mix of romance and discovery. Bri Duvall is a baker. She loves everything about her life: her small town of Story where she grew up, the Pastry Puff bakery where she is following in her mother’s footsteps, and the Love Lock wall that started it all with Bri’s parents’ lock starting the tradition after their tragic car accident. Bri is the character everyone loves. She’s kind and thoughtful and puts others before herself. She is determined that one day she will find that perfect romance and live her happily ever after just like her parents and she won’t settle until she finds the perfect guy. At first glance, she seems unbelievable. As you read though, you will discover she has unrealistic ideas on what her parent’s romance was before the accident and how her life should be. Then things start shifting in ways Bri does not like. The Pastry Puff has been struggling and there is someone who continues to give offers to the owners of the bakery. Bri resolves to save the bakery by doing an article on the Love Lock Wall. But the motorcycle riding, tattoo wearing, gruff writer the magazine sent is nothing that Bri is expecting but EVERYTHING she is needing.

Gerard doesn’t see the Pastry Puff as anything special or worth saving but wants the promised promotion after he writes the article on the bakery. In researching for the article, he discovers there is more to Bri than the overly sweet optimistic romantic he first thought her to be. She has many dreams that she is scared to take the leap of faith to see them come true. But writing an article that will save the Pastry Puff will make Bri happy but keep her there and not allow her to soar to the heights he can see she can go.

As a reader, I have never been so unsure of what I wanted to happen for the end of a book. I wanted the Pastry Puff to survive and not be bought out, because as I read I fell in love with the town of Story and all its residents. But in my heart I knew that wasn’t best for the main character. I was so torn about it; I couldn’t put the book down until I had finished. Betsy St. Amant did a beautiful job of weaving personal wants and desires (with a mix of unrealistic expectations) with God’s timing and restoration and trusting in Him that the unknown isn’t always a bad thing. The unknown can bring about greater things that can’t even be imagined. Betsy wrapped up this romantic story in a way that fulfilled everything I wanted as a reader and more that I hadn’t even predicted. This is a great read, but beware you will most definitely want some sweets while reading this delightful book!

Tags: Betsy St. Amant, contemporary romance fiction

For so long, Stella was known for her beauty. Now, with her heart stripped bare, she must discover who she really is.

Former pageant queen Stella Varland doesn’t trust beauty anymore after her divorce. Her appearance betrayed her and led to brokenness, so instead of being beautiful, now she tries to make beautiful things, but she always falls short. So she keeps her passion for art to herself and focuses on her interior design work. But if she doesn’t get another job soon, she’ll be stuck living with her parents.

Contractor Chase Taylor is determined to live a life of no regrets after losing his fiancée. Now he lives life at full speed, striving to see how much he can accomplish. He knows if he slows down, he’ll fall apart. So he returns home to Bayou Bend to renovate the town’s old theater and is shocked to discover that the designer for the project is his old flame, Stella.

Forced to work together, Chase and Stella battle their chemistry and past as they struggle to compromise and work together on a vision for the theater. Their wills clash as they attempt to hide their brokenness—and their unresolved feelings for each other—until Chase discovers the hidden parts of Stella, while losing her trust in the process.

A near catastrophe, a fire, and a small-town gossip mill finally force Stella and Chase to realize that they have a choice—to hold on to the shards of their pasts, or surrender their fragmented pieces to the One who makes a beautiful masterpiece from their brokenness.

Betsy St. Amant lives in Louisiana with her young daughter and has a heart for sharing the amazing news of God’s grace through her novels. A freelance journalist, Betsy is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. When she’s not reading, writing, or singing along to a Disney soundtrack with her daughter, Betsy enjoys inspirational speaking and teaching on the craft of writing.

My Impressions:

Betsy St. Amant takes her readers back to Bayou Bend, Louisiana in her second book, Love Arrives in Pieces. You can read my review of All’s Fair in Love And Cupcakes HERE. It is obvious that the subject of this novel — how God uses brokenness — is close to the author’s heart. Written with a depth of feeling not always seen in contemporary romance, Love Arrives in Pieces is perfect for those looking for a little more than just happily-ever-after.

Stella Varland feels like a failure in everything she thinks counts. Her looks once wowed the pageant judges, but wasn’t enough to keep her husband around. Broken and bruised she wants a new start, but sometimes staying broken is safer than becoming whole. Chase Taylor left town years ago but is back to prove he can be trusted, something he desperately wants to believe himself. Together Stella and Chase navigate the broken pieces of their lives to find hope and romance.

Love Arrives in Pieces has true-to-life characters and a good writing style, but its underlying theme is what makes it a really good read. Through Stella, St. Amant explores what true beauty is, a beauty that God can make timeless with broken pieces when His people surrender. Divorce is treated with grace and mercy, something that those who struggle with rejection and failure really need. She really opened this reader’s eyes to the emotions that many hide or that those on the outside dismiss.

Love Arrives in Pieces is sure to appeal to the contemporary romance fan looking for heart in the midst of love.

Recommended.

Audience: adults.

To purchase this book, click HERE. 

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

Tags: Betsy St. Amant, contemporary romance fiction

Kat inspected rows of the same old cupcakes. They seemed to blink back at her, as if they knew she was capable of so much more.

Kat Varland has had enough of chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry.

At twenty-six years old, Kat is still living in the shadows of her family in Bayou Bend, Louisiana. Still working shifts at her Aunt Maggie’s bakery. Still wondering what to do with her passion for baking and her business degree. And still single.
But when Lucas Brannen, Kat’s best friend, signs her up for a reality TV bake-off on Cupcake Combat, everything Kat ever wanted is suddenly dangled in front of her: creative license as a baker, recognition as a visionary . . . and a job at a famous bakery in New York.

As the competition heats up, Lucas realizes he might have made a huge mistake. As much as he wants the best for Kat, the only thing he wants for himself—her—is suddenly in danger of slipping away.

The bright lights of reality cooking wars and the chance at a successful career dazzle Kat’s senses and Lucas is faced with a difficult choice: help his friend achieve her dreams . . . or sabotage her chances to keep her in Louisiana.

Betsy St. Amant lives in Louisiana with her young daughter and has a heart for sharing the amazing news of God’s grace through her novels. A freelance journalist, Betsy is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. When she’s not reading, writing, or singing along to a Disney soundtrack with her daughter, Betsy enjoys inspirational speaking and teaching on the craft of writing.

Find out more about Betsy at http://www.betsystamant.com/.

My Impressions:

Football and cupcakes? Football and cupcakes! Yes, All’s Fair in Love And Cupcakes is a perfect combination for those who want a sweet romantic escape. Filled with endearing characters, a behind the scenes look at reality TV and a romance that you can root for, Betsy St. Amant has written a novel that 20-somethings (and beyond) will love. So put up your feet, grab a sweet and dig in to All’s Fair in Love And Cupcakes.

Kat Varland is stuck in her hometown of Bayou Bend, Louisiana. Stuck baking ordinary cupcakes that reflect her ordinary life. But best friend, football coach Lucas Brannen, believes in more for Kat. When he enters her in Cupcake Combat, a reality TV cooking show, Kat has a chance to realize her dreams. But is it all she or Lucas hoped for? And what do they really want?

Overall, I liked All’s Fair in Love And Cupcakes. Kat and Lucas are two fun and endearing characters. Kat’s insecurities and family tension are realistically portrayed. There is a lot of soul-searching for both characters, which allowed a good look into their heads, but I felt slowed the action in the first third of the book. The cooking competition, which was my favorite part of the book, included varied and colorful contestants and was a good vehicle for Kat and Lucas’ evolving feelings. And those who require a happily ever after will be satisfied, but not without a last twist!

So if you are in the mood for a fun romance to sweeten your day, check out All’s Fair in Love And Cupcakes.

Recommended.

Audience: Older Teens to Adults.

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

To purchase this book, click on the image below.

Tags: Betsy St. Amant, contemporary romance fiction