Happy Tuesday! Today’s Top 10 Tuesday challenge is listing books that I would throw in the ocean. Uh, even if I don’t like a book, I am not sure I could throw it into the ocean! So instead I am listing books with ocean (or ocean references) in their titles. They include historical fiction, contemporary romance, and suspense — something for everyone!
Have you ever wanted to throw a book in the ocean? (Or at least across the room? š )
Happy Tuesday! The countdown is on until Christmas. Have you gotten all your decorating and shopping done? I still need to do some things around the house, but my shopping list has grown shorter. But one thing I have made sure to do is get some Christmas reading in. Priorities! š So far, I have read The Christmas Table by Donna VanLiere (reading her novellas is a yearly tradition) and I should be finished with The Christmas Heirloom novella collection today (really great; review to come). Because Christmas books often fall into the romance genre (who doesn’t like a good romance?), I have decided to split my Top 10 Tuesday list into 7 genres for those who want a bit of mystery, or history, or a good laugh too. I think there’s something for everyone on my list. I hope you find a Christmas book to love — now get reading! Ā Be sure to visit That Artsy Reader Girl for more Christmas fun!
Top Christmas Books
An Amish Christmas
Christmas at Rose Hill Farm by Suzanne Woods Fisher
The Christmas Remedy by Cindy Woodsmall and Erin WoodsmallĀ
This week’s Top 10 Tuesday is all about the 2020 books bloggers are looking forward to that have yet to be released. I have a lot on my shelves to read, but I still cannot wait to get my hands on more books! I kept my list to the proscribed 10, but in reality there are many more. Hope my list piques your interest.
What new books are you looking forward to?
Top 10 Anticipated Releases
Acceptable Risk by Lynette Eason (8/4/20))
Backlash by Rachel Dylan (10/6/20)
The Escape by Lisa Harris (11/3/20)
Everywhere to Hide by Siri Mitchell (10/6/20)
The Haunting of Bonaventure Circus by Jaime Jo Wright (9/1/120)
The London Restoration by Rachel McMillan (8/18/20)
Congrats to Top Ten Tuesday on their 10th Anniversary! It all started with The Broke And The Bookish and continues with That Artsy Reader Girl. Every week bloggers are challenged with great bookish memes. This week is a 10th Anniversary freebie. As I thought about what to post, I perused my book lists and decided to do a throwback post to the Summer of 2010. Things have really changed in those 10 years around here, but I still am reading wonderful books. Here are some of the books I was reading that summer. Are any of your favorites on my list?
A lot of plans have been disrupted this year. My bucket/birthday trip to Ireland is postponed, hopefully just until next year. For a lot of you, summer vacation is going to look so much different from previous years. So I decided to list some titles that make for great beach reads. Whether you will be sticking your toes in the sand or sitting in the backyard with a cool drink, the books on my list will take you away. I previously have visited theAtlantic Beaches and The Gulf Coastin my Reading Road Trip posts — you will find even more great books there.
Did you know there is actually a definition for beach read? Me either, until I googled it.
Beach read: a book you can take on holiday, which is good enough to keep youengaged, but not so serious it will spoil your holiday. (Macmillan Dictionary)
Really?! I think I have higher standards than that. I want a good story foremost, and you will get that from the books on my list. And whether you want action and suspense, romance, or all the feels, you will find a book to suit your mood. Most are actually set at the beach (or near enough) — win-win, while others capture the essence of summer. I hope you find one to enjoy.
After the tragic drowning of his cousin, James Cooper Knight spends his days trying to make up for his past mistakes. He not only dedicates his life to addiction counseling, but guilt drives him to the water, searching for others whoāve been caught unaware of the quickly rising tides of St. Simons. When he rescues a peculiar blond woman and her sketch pad from a sandbar, then delivers this same woman to his deceased grandmotherās properties, he knows things are about to get even more complicated.
Tragic circumstances draw Cooper and Rivers closer, but they fight their growing feelings. Though Cooperās been sober for years, Rivers canāt imagine trusting her heart to someone in recovery, and he knows a relationship with her will only rip his family further apart. Distrust and guilt are only the first roadblocks they must overcome if they take a chance on love.
As The Light Fades by Catherine West
After her carefully constructed life crumbles, Liz Carlisle finds herself back on Nantucket, picking up the pieces. With the family estate under renovations, the solitude she craves seems out of reach.
Matthew Stone intends to steer clear of his new tenant. Sheās carrying a load of baggage, but as long as she pays the rent, heāll let her be. Heās got enough to deal with caring for his wayward niece, Mia.
Liz doesnāt have time for teenagers and her track record with men is abysmal, but an unlikely friendship forms between the three.
When her former boyfriend is charged with assault, Liz is called to testify against him. But he knows the darkest secrets of her life ā secrets sheād hoped to keep buried forever, and heās ready to reveal them. Telling the truth is the right thing to do, but it may cost her everything sheās worked so hard for, and all sheās come to love.
The Bridge Between by Lindsey Brackett
Louisa Coultrie Halloway has returned home as caretaker for the family home on Edisto Island, but years before she left this world behind. Now she flounders to find her place. When Liam Whiting, a local professor studying tidal creek preservation, invites Lou to join his research team, she welcomes the opportunity for purpose.
David, her ex-husband, has followed Lou and their children to Edisto. As he finds his footing in this new life, their once strained relationship eases into a familiar rhythm ā and he hopes for more.
But the past still has a hold on them all, especially in the presence of Grace Watson, whose son intends to marry Lou and Davidās daughter. Somehow, Grace and Lou must let the past of a shared love settle between them.
In this idyllic setting, relationships deepen and shift. And once more, Lou finds herself caught between the life sheās chosen ā and the love that might be meant to be.
Glory Road by Lauren K. Denton
The only thing certain is change ā even in a place as steady as Perry, Alabama, on a street as old as Glory Road.
Nearly a decade after her husbandās affair drove her back home to South Alabama, Jessie McBride has the stable life she wants ā 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 sheās really happy with the status quo. When handsome, wealthy businessman Sumner Tate asks her to arrange flowers for his daughterās 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, Jessieās fourteen-year-old daughter, Evan, is approaching the start of high school and navigating a new world of emotions ā particularly as they relate to the cute new guy whoās moved in just down the road. At the same time, Jessieās mother, Gus, is suffering increasingly frequent memory lapses and faces a frightening, uncertain future. Once again, Jessie feels her protected and predictable life shifting.
In one summer, everything will change. But for these three strong Southern women, the roots theyāve planted on Glory Road will give life to the adventures waiting just around the curve.
The Killing Tide by Dani Pettrey
When one Coast Guard officer is found dead and another goes missing, Coast Guard Investigative Service special agent Finn Walker faces his most dangerous crime yet. His only clues are what little evidence remains aboard the dead officerās boat, and the direction theĀ cluesĀ point to will test Finn and the Guard to their limits.
When investigative reporter ā and Finnās bossās sister ā Gabby Rowley arrives, her unrelenting questions complicate an already volatile situation. Now that sheās back, the tug on Finnās heart is strong, but with the risks sheās taking for her next big story, he fears she might not live through it.
Thrown together by the heinous crime, Finn and Gabby canāt ignore the sparks or judgments flying between them. But will they be able to see past their preconceptions long enough to track down an elusive killer, or will they become his next mark?
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, sheās 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 sheās inherited a house along Floridaās 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 doesnāt 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.Ā Ā
On A Coastal Breeze by Suzanne Woods Fisher
For Madison Grayson, life is good. Newly licensed as a marriage and family therapist, she canāt wait to start her practice. Despite the unfortunate shortage of eligible bachelors on the islandātheyāre all too young, too old, or too weirdāMaddie feels like sheās finally found her sweet spot. Not even one panic attack in the last year. NotĀ on
And then Ricky OāShea drops in. Literally. Floating down from the pure blue sky, the one man in the world she hoped never to see againāthe one whoād been her archnemesis from kindergarten through her senior danceāparachutes into town, landing on Boon Dock, canopy draping behind him like a superhero. Ricky OāShea. Now Pastor Rick, the new minister on Three Sisters Island.
Time to panic.
With wit and a bit of whimsy, bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher invites you back to Three Sisters Island where family, forgiveness, and a second chance at love await.
One Little Lie by Colleen Coble
It started with one little lie. But Jane Hardy will do everything in her power to uncover the truth in this gripping new romantic suspense.
Jane Hardy is appointed interim sheriff in Pelican Harbor, Alabama, after her father retires, but thereās no time for an adjustment period. When her father is arrested for theft and then implicated in a recent murder, Jane quickly realizes sheās facing someone out to destroy the only family she has.
After escaping with her father from a cult fifteen years ago, Jane has searched relentlessly for her motherāwho refused to leaveāever since. Could someone from that horrible past have found them?
Reid Bechtol is well-known for his documentaries, and his latest project involves covering Janeās career. Jane has little interest in the attention, but the committee who appointed her loves the idea of the publicity.
Jane finds herself depending on Reidās calm manner as he follows her around filming, and they begin working together to clear her father. But Reid has his own secrets from the past, and the gulf between them may be impossible to crossāespecially once her fatherās lie catches up with him.
The Secrets of Paper And Ink by Lindsay Harrel
Brought together across time by a love of story, three women in England fight to defy expectations, dream new dreams, and welcome love into their lives.Ā Ā
As a counselor, Sophia Barrett is trained to help people cope with their burdens. But when she meets a new patient whose troubles mirror her own, she realizes she hasnāt dealt with the pain of her recent past. After making a snap decision to get away for the summer, Sophia moves overseas to an apartment above a charming bookstore in Cornwall, England. She is hopeful she will find peace there surrounded by her favorite thing: great literature.Ā
Bookstore owner Ginny Rose is desperate to save her business without asking for help from a husband whoās decided to take a break from their marriage. Ginny never imagined sheād be solely responsible for keeping afloat her husbandās dream, but the unexpected friendship with her new renter has her feeling more optimistic. Between the two of themāand Ginnyās brother-in-law, Williamāthe bookstore might stand a chance.Ā
Then Sophia finds a notebook in the bookstore that contains journal entries from Emily Fairfax, a governess who lived in Cornwall more than 150 years ago. Sophia learns that Emily harbored a secret passion for becoming an authoressāas well as a deep love for her childhood friend, Edward, whose station she dared not dream to touch.Ā
Eager to know more of Emilyās story, Sophia goes on a questādragging Ginny and William with herāto discover the heart of the woman behind the beautiful entries. Soon Ginnyās need to save the bookstore becomes more than a way to save her marriage, and Sophia finds new purpose of her own. Together they find that sometimes both heartache and hope can reach across the centuries.
Starfish Pier by Irene Hannon
A year ago, ex-Delta Force operator Steven Roark left the rigors of combat behind to run fishing charters in Hope Harbor, decompress, and talk some sense into his kid brother. Business is goodābut making peace with his past is more challenging than he expected.
First-grade teacher Holly Miller leads a quiet, low-profile existence ā until sheās recruited to advocate for a cause thatās dear to her heart. When she solicits Stevenās assistance, sparks fly ā especially after they find themselves on opposite sides of an issue that disrupts their placid seaside community.
As these two seemingly incompatible souls search for common ground, might they discover a deeper connectionāand find that love can banish darkness and light the way to a future filled with promise?
It started with one little lie. But Jane Hardy will do everything in her power to uncover the truth in this gripping new romantic suspense.
Jane Hardy is appointed interim sheriff in Pelican Harbor, Alabama, after her father retires, but thereās no time for an adjustment period. When her father is arrested for theft and then implicated in a recent murder, Jane quickly realizes sheās facing someone out to destroy the only family she has.
After escaping with her father from a cult fifteen years ago, Jane has searched relentlessly for her motherāwho refused to leaveāever since. Could someone from that horrible past have found them?
Reid Bechtol is well-known for his documentaries, and his latest project involves covering Janeās career. Jane has little interest in the attention, but the committee who appointed her loves the idea of the publicity.
Jane finds herself depending on Reidās calm manner as he follows her around filming, and they begin working together to clear her father. But Reid has his own secrets from the past, and the gulf between them may be impossible to crossāespecially once her fatherās lie catches up with him.
I have been a huge fan of Colleen Coble for years. Her romantic suspense has always grabbed my attention from the opening lines. But OneLittleLie fell a bit flat for me. Hereās what I liked. The Setting ā this novel is set in a fictional town on the Gulf Coast of south Alabama. I am very familiar with this area, having vacationed there since college. Coble captured the sights, scents, and even the flavors of the area with her detailed descriptions. The Characters ā OneLittleLie is the first in a series, and introduces a lot of supporting characters whose stories will be developed in the coming books. I felt invested in one story line in particular and look forward to finding out more. The Faith Message –there is so much falsehood and half-truths out there. This book is a good reminder that we have to test everything that people say against what God says.
Now on to what I had difficulty with. Main character Jane Hardy was difficult to connect with. I get why, but her aloofness kept me from feeling a closeness I usually get from a Coble character. I did like Reid and his son very much, and hope the trioās relationships will be expanded in the coming books. There were a lot of story threads that eventually came together, but I had a bit of trouble keeping them straight. And to be honest, I thought that some of them were a bit too far fetched.
So would I read the next book in this series? Absolutely! Again, Coble is a talented author. I may have had a few issues with OneLittleLie, but others have loved it. And I ALWAYS will read a Coble novel.
(Thanks to Celebrate Lit for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
About The Author
Best-selling author Colleen Cobleās novels have won or finaled in awards ranging from the Best Books of Indiana, the ACFW Carol Award, the Romance Writers of America RITA, the Holt Medallion, the Daphne du Maurier, National Readersā Choice, and the Booksellers Best. She has over 2 million books in print and writes romantic mysteries because she loves to see justice prevail. Colleen is CEO of American Christian Fiction Writers. She lives with her husband Dave in Indiana. You can visit her website atĀ http://colleencoble.com.
Today I am taking a Reading Road Trip to Wyoming! I have not had the pleasure of going there in person, but with its beautiful mountain ranges and natural wonders, it sure should be on the Bucket List! Until I can get my travel plans in order, I will have to content myself with a virtual vacation via the books I read. My list this week is short, so if you have any others to suggest, I would love to hear them.
Reading Road Trip — Wyoming!
A Heart’s Disguise by Colleen Coble (book 1 Journey of The Heart series)
While the tiny town of Wabash, Indiana, celebrates the end of the fighting,Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Sara Montgomery attends the parties, but inside sheās fighting a deep sadness. The love of Saraās life, Rand Campbell, didnāt come back from the front.
Croftner doesnāt take rejection lightlyāand a single woman with a sick father makes an easy target. He abducts Sarah, his intentions anything but honorable. Then Rand comes to her aid . . . only to reveal that he has been posted at Fort Laramie, Wyoming, and asks her to go with him as his wife.
Will Sarah leave her dying fatherās side for the only man sheās ever loved? And what plans are forming in the jealous heart of Ben Croftner?
Never Let Go by Elizabeth Goddard (book 1 in the Uncommon Justice series)
As a forensic genealogist, Willow Anderson is following in her late grandfather’s footsteps in her quest for answers about a baby abducted from the hospital more than twenty years ago. The case may be cold, but things are about to heat up when someone makes an attempt on her life to keep her from discovering the truth.
Ex-FBI agent — and Willow’s ex-flame — Austin McKade readily offers his help to protect the woman he never should have let get away. Together they’ll follow where the clues lead them, even if it means Austin must face the past he’s spent much of his life trying to forget. And even if it puts Willow’s tender heart at risk.
In this fast-paced and emotional page-turner, bestselling author Elizabeth Goddard keeps the stakes high, the romantic tension sparking, and the outcome uncertain until the very end.
When He Found Me by Victoria Bylin (book 1 in the Road to Refuge series)
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 āMJā Townsend, a single mom battling the virus that causes cervical cancer.
MJ wants nothing to do with the handsome athleteāno 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 Shaneās missing sister ā a wounded woman who wants nothing to do with the perfect brother who scorned her.
Can you predict when a book is going to blow you away, even before you read it? I have found that I am a pretty good judge of when I am going to love a book. Favorite authors, the subject matter, the genre, even the cover are all good indicators of whether I will have an excellent reading experience. This week Top 10 Tuesday wants bloggers to look into their crystal balls and come up with 5-Star Reads from Our TBR Piles. Let’s hope I am a powerful prognosticator! š There’s something for everyone on my list — contemporary, romance, women’s fiction, historical, suspense — hope you find one to enjoy too!
Top Anticipated 5-Star Books
The Fifth Avenue Story Society by Rachel Hauck
A Gift to Cherish by Victoria Bylin
The Joy of Falling by Lindsay Harrel
More Than We Remember by Christina Suzann Nelson
One Little Lie by Colleen Coble
The Solid Grounds Coffee Company by Carla Laureano
A new year means new books! And although I have shelves full, there is always room for more great books. My list contains novels that I am looking forward to in the next few months. I am an eclectic reader, so the fiction I have listed runs the gamut of genres — something for everyone!
This month is combining our love of romantic suspense and Christmas in the 2-volume novella selection — Silent Night, Holy Night by Colleen Coble. Fans of Coble’s Aloha Reef and Rock Harbor series will like these offerings. Won’t you join our discussion?
‘Tis the season for mystery and romance featuring characters from two of Colleen Cobleās most popular series!
Silent Night
As Christmas day nears, Bree Matthews and her faithful search-and-rescue dog Samson follow the trail of a troubling mystery into the snowy forests of Rock Harbor.
Newlywed Bree Matthews and her husband Kade are preparing for Christmas guests when word arrives that a parachuter has disappeared in the North Woods, along Lake Superior’s icy shore. BreeĀ andĀ Samson plunge into the search.
Will this snowy, silent night search lead Bree and Samson to the missing girl?
Holy Night
One sinister phone call has derailed their Christmas wedding. Will it keep them apart forever?
Leia and Bane are looking forward to their long-awaited Christmas wedding on the beach. Everything is going as plannedāuntil Leia’s phone rings and her world skids out of control. A muffled voice informs Leia that her sister has been kidnapped and will be killed unless Leia calls off the wedding without explanationāand no police. If she disobeys instructions and tells Bane, she’ll risk her beloved sister’s life. But can she handle this trauma without his help? And will he ever trust her again if she lies to him now?
Irresistible romance meets thrilling suspense in this holiday update to USA Today best-selling author Colleen Coble’s Aloha Reef series.
Best-selling author Colleen Coble’s novels have won or finaled in awards ranging from the Best Books of Indiana, the ACFW Carol Award, the Romance Writers of America RITA, the Holt Medallion, the Daphne du Maurier, National Readers’ Choice, and the Booksellers Best. She has over 2 million books in print and writes romantic mysteries because she loves to see justice prevail. Colleen is CEO of American Christian Fiction Writers. She lives with her husband Dave in Indiana. Visit her website at http://colleencoble.com.
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