Happy Tuesday! Today’s TTT’s topic is one word reviews. This was so hard! My short and sweet list uses a lot of hyphens to simulate one word. They are really more descriptions than reviews, too. Again, hard! The list includes the last 10 books I have written reviews of, so at least that is on topic. I hope you find a book to love.
Happy release day to Leslie Kirby DeVooght. Her rom-com Christmas novel, The Heartfelt Formula is now available. If you love Christmas and Hallmark movies, especially Christmas Hallmark movies 😉 , you will definitely want to read this book. When Atlanta lawyer, Hope Elliot decides to make big changes to follow the scripts of TV romances in order to find her forever love, fun follows suit. What can possible go askew if you plan down to the last detail how you are going to end up with the man of your dreams? Plenty! Start the holiday reading out right with this jewel.
She’s got a formula for love… but real life isn’t a Christmas movie.
After another breakup, Atlanta attorney Hope Elliot decides to stop waiting for her happily-ever-after and write it herself. Inspired by her beloved Christmas romance movies, Hope crafts The Heartfelt Formula: a foolproof plan including snowball fights, cookie baking, and a perfectly timed first kiss.
Trading the big city for coastal Georgia, Hope sets out to find her small-town soulmate. But the actors in her carefully plotted scenes keep shuffling—especially when Brennan Taylor, her ambitious co-counsel continues to fill in for Cole Walker, the carefree furniture maker, who Hope cast as her hero.
Between courtroom drama, a mismatched leading man, and a mistletoe mishap, Hope must decide if she’ll trust her formula or accept a plot twist that might leave her all alone, or perhaps, with happiest ending of all.
A faith-filled romantic comedy for anyone who believes love, like Christmas, can still surprise you.
PW Best-Selling Author Leslie Kirby DeVooght writes women’s fiction inspired by romcoms, coastal Georgia, and fried okra! While Leslie and her family live in Jacksonville, Florida, they often visit her hometown of St. Simons Island, Georgia, where she loves to go for long walks on the beach. A graduate of Florida Southern College and Mercer Law School, Leslie is always revising her life from prosecutor to judge to PTA president to author of happily-ever-afters.
Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for The Heartfelt Formula by Leslie Kirby DeVooght, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
About The Book
Title: The Heartfelt Formula Author:Leslie Kirby DeVooght Publisher: Lanier Price Publishing Release Date: October 22, 2026 Genre: Contemporary Romance/Women’s Fiction/Romantic Comedy
After another breakup, Atlanta attorney Hope Elliot decides to stop waiting for her happily-ever-after and write it herself. Inspired by her beloved Christmas romance movies, Hope crafts The Heartfelt Formula: a foolproof plan including snowball fights, cookie baking, and a perfectly timed first kiss.
Trading the big city for coastal Georgia, Hope sets out to find her small-town soulmate. But the actors in her carefully plotted scenes keep shuffling—especially when Brennan Taylor, her ambitious co-counsel continues to fill in for Cole Walker, the carefree furniture maker, who Hope cast as her hero.
Between courtroom drama, a mismatched leading man, and a mistletoe mishap, Hope must decide if she’ll trust her formula or accept a plot twist that might leave her all alone, or perhaps, with the happiest ending of all.
A faith-filled romantic comedy for anyone who believes love, like Christmas, can still surprise you.
Excerpt
The Kiss. By far, the kiss was the best part of every rom-com, or for that matter, any movie.
Why couldn’t life imitate fiction?
Why couldn’t my life be like one of these movies? I snatched a handful of tissues and smothered another round of pathetic sobs.
Why couldn’t I, Hope Elliot, get my happily ever after?
With one click, I selected the image on the TV of the happy couple kissing in front of a balsam and holly wreath. It might be counterintuitive to seek solace in sappy romance movies, but it worked for me.
At least my latest breakup happened during the Heartfelt Channel’s annual Christmas-in-July marathon. I needed these movies, these examples of true love happening between unlikely people and against all odds. They gave me hope. Even better when they happened during my favorite holiday—Christmas.PURCHASE LINKS:Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | BookBub
Also Available
About The Author
PW Best-Selling Author Leslie Kirby DeVooght writes women’s fiction inspired by romcoms, coastal Georgia, and fried okra! While Leslie and her family live in Jacksonville, Florida, they often visit her hometown of St. Simons Island, Georgia, where she loves to go for long walks on the beach. A graduate of Florida Southern College and Mercer Law School, Leslie is always revising her life from prosecutor to judge to PTA president to author of happily-ever-afters.
Connect with Leslie by visiting lesliedevooght.com to follow her on social media and subscribe to email newsletter updates.
Tour Giveaway
(2) winners will each receive a Coastal Christmas ornament, plus signed copies of Taking a Second Shot, Stealing Magnolias, and The Heartfelt Formula!
Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight October 21, 2026 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on October 28, 2026. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
I love a good Christmas story with some romance and a definite merry-vibe. I got that and much more with The HeartfeltFormula by Leslie Kirby DeVooght. If you need a good book to get you in the holiday mood, then I recommend that you put The Heartfelt Formula at the top your TBR list.
She’s got a formula for love… but real life isn’t a Christmas movie.
After another breakup, Atlanta attorney Hope Elliot decides to stop waiting for her happily-ever-after and write it herself. Inspired by her beloved Christmas romance movies, Hope crafts The Heartfelt Formula: a foolproof plan including snowball fights, cookie baking, and a perfectly timed first kiss.
Trading the big city for coastal Georgia, Hope sets out to find her small-town soulmate. But the actors in her carefully plotted scenes keep shuffling—especially when Brennan Taylor, her ambitious co-counsel continues to fill in for Cole Walker, the carefree furniture maker, who Hope cast as her hero.
Between courtroom drama, a mismatched leading man, and a mistletoe mishap, Hope must decide if she’ll trust her formula or accept a plot twist that might leave her all alone, or perhaps, with happiest ending of all.
A faith-filled romantic comedy for anyone who believes love, like Christmas, can still surprise you.
PW Best-Selling Author Leslie Kirby DeVooght writes women’s fiction inspired by romcoms, coastal Georgia, and fried okra! While Leslie and her family live in Jacksonville, Florida, they often visit her hometown of St. Simons Island, Georgia, where she loves to go for long walks on the beach. A graduate of Florida Southern College and Mercer Law School, Leslie is always revising her life from prosecutor to judge to PTA president to author of happily-ever-afters.
My Impressions:
I admit that I am not a Hallmark Movie-gal. I really watch very little TV, preferring to indulge in romance reading instead. That’s not to say I am uninformed on the formulas those movies tend to use to get the characters to an HEA. Leslie Kirby DeVooght has taken the tried and true methods of finding the perfect man (at least by romance movie standards) and translated them into a sassy rom-com that will get you thinking about love and life. The Heartfelt Formula is a great read to begin your holiday season, whether you celebrate from the first nip in the air or wait until after Thanksgiving to trim the tree. On the surface this book is a fun and funny journey with main character Hope as she does everything to create the perfect playbook to get the love of her life. But DeVoooght takes the formula a step further to speak to the deeper meaning of love. This romance has meat! It really is the perfect combo of entertainment and thought-provoking moments that made me ponder my own relationships, especially with the One who really counts. The characters, both main and secondary, are wonderfully fleshed-out, the plot is fresh, and the spiritual truths are naturally woven throughout the narrative. I loved how Hope grew in her understanding of her past and the knowledge that her future was safe and secure. I laughed, I shook my head, and I may have shed a tear or two. 😉
So make sure you put The Heartfelt Formula on the top of your TBR. You’re going to love it!
Recommended.
Audience: Adults.
(Thanks to the author for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
Happy Tuesday! Does it feel like Fall where you are? Are the mornings cooler, the trees sporting colors of red, yellow, and orange? Is there a scent of pumpkin spice in the air? LOL! Even if none of those things are appearing where you live, you can always count on a book to take you wherever you want to go.
This week bloggers are sharing their Fall TBR Lists. I have some fun books on mine, with some early Christmas vibes included. Tell me what you are reading.
Happy Friday! Today I am featuring another great book by Leslie Kirby DeVooght. The Heartfelt Formula is a fun way to kick off the Christmas holidays, whether you begin your holiday reading in December or you can’t wait to skip all the pumpkin spice frenzy. 😉 A sweet, sassy, Southern romance I can’t wait to read, The Heartfelt Formula releases October 22, but you can preorder now.
Here’s the first line:
The Kiss.
She’s got a formula for love… but real life isn’t a Christmas movie.
After another breakup, Atlanta attorney Hope Elliot decides to stop waiting for her happily-ever-after and write it herself. Inspired by her beloved Christmas romance movies, Hope crafts The Heartfelt Formula: a foolproof plan including snowball fights, cookie baking, and a perfectly timed first kiss.
Trading the big city for coastal Georgia, Hope sets out to find her small-town soulmate. But the actors in her carefully plotted scenes keep shuffling—especially when Brennan Taylor, her ambitious co-counsel continues to fill in for Cole Walker, the carefree furniture maker, who Hope cast as her hero.
Between courtroom drama, a mismatched leading man, and a mistletoe mishap, Hope must decide if she’ll trust her formula or accept a plot twist that might leave her all alone, or perhaps, with happiest ending of all.
A faith-filled romantic comedy for anyone who believes love, like Christmas, can still surprise you.
PW Best-Selling Author Leslie Kirby DeVooght writes women’s fiction inspired by romcoms, coastal Georgia, and fried okra! While Leslie and her family live in Jacksonville, Florida, they often visit her hometown of St. Simons Island, Georgia, where she loves to go for long walks on the beach. A graduate of Florida Southern College and Mercer Law School, Leslie is always revising her life from prosecutor to judge to PTA president to author of happily-ever-afters.
Happy Tuesday! Today’s TTT topic is a Cover Freebie. I went with something very simple — main characters on book covers. While I like lots of cover styles, it is always interesting to see how the publishers/authors envision the main characters. I have heard that traditional publishers vary in the input from authors when it comes to cover art, but we know that with an indie author, what you see is what is in their imagination. The books on my list are from recent reads. I hope you find one to love.
Do you like people on book covers?
For more cover love, check out That Artsy Reader Girl.
Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for A Girl’s Guide to Having it All by Leslie Kirby DeVooght, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
About The Book
Title:A Girl’s Guide to Having it All Series: Magnolia Bluff #3 Author:Leslie Kirby DeVooght Publisher: Lanier Price Publishing Release Date: April 30, 2026 Genre: Contemporary Women’s Fiction with Romance
She mastered her career. Finding a husband? Not so much.
High-powered political lobbyist Carleigh Chastain turns thirty-five with an impressive résumé, a packed calendar, and no love life to speak of. When her longtime friend—and former marriage-pact partner—Lawson announces he’s marrying a woman he barely knows, Carleigh does what any sensible best friend would do: she drops everything in DC and jets to Magnolia Bluff, Georgia, determined to save him from a costly mistake.
Instead, her plans unravel, forcing Carleigh to confront the choices she’s made—and the ones she’s avoided.
Meanwhile, Spencer MacDowell, her steady, loyal best friend since law school, is done waiting in the friend zone.
As faith, friendship, and romance collide, Carleigh wonders if she’s been too busy chasing success to notice where God—and her heart—have been pointing all along. Funny, heartfelt, and romantic, this story asks what “having it all” really means.
Excerpt
The first rays of the sun made the copper highlights glimmer amongst the waves of her dark auburn hair.
My fingers itched to thread their way through her long locks and draw her closer. “You go first.” As all the moisture in my mouth evaporated, I clasped my hands in my lap and observed how the flesh around my knuckles whitened.
“You’re the best. After college, I didn’t think I’d find another friend like Lawson. I don’t know how I scored two amazing guy friends. It’s too bad Lawson insists on living all the way in Georgia. I’m so glad I’ll be working in the same city as you, aanndd . . .” Carleigh drew out the one-syllable word.
We’d both taken jobs in DC and found the perfect apartments, but we’d been waiting to see if we got the units. I shot my gaze to her. “No way.”
Nodding wildly, her smile stretched across her face. “Yes, we got the apartments on the hill. We’ll be living across the hall from each other. Just like on Friends.”
Friends . . . friends . . . friends.
Carleigh was so happy, and to see her smile was worth the detour in our relationship.
I gathered her into a hug. “Fantastic.”
I just hoped we’d be more on the timeline of Monica and Chandler and not Ross and Rachel. But at least they all ended up together in the end.
Publisher’s Weekly Bestselling author Leslie Kirby DeVooght writes women’s fiction with faith, love, laughter, and a lot of Southern charm. Her stories are inspired by romcoms, coastal Georgia, and fried okra! When Leslie isn’t writing, she’s cheering on her three children, and enjoying date nights with her husband, who loves that she researches kissing.
In addition to writing her own stories, Leslie co-owns Spark Flash Fiction, an online magazine that publishes short, short romance collections four times a year.
Connect with Leslie by visiting lesliedevooght.com to follow her on social media and subscribe to email updates.
Tour Giveaway
(2) winners will each receive a bookish tote bag with all three books from the Magnolia Bluff series (A Girl’s Guide to Having it All, How to Sparkle, and Stealing Magnolias)!
Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight May 6, 2026 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on May 13, 2026. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Happy Tuesday! Today’s TTT topic is book titles that describe me or my life. Uh, no! LOL! I read a lot of mystery/suspense and those titles can be seriously scary. And besides, I am a huge rule follower — just ask my husband, the man who never saw a rule that couldn’t in some fashion be broken. 😉 So I decided to flip the topic and go with titles that would describe my evil twin aka alter ego. This was a fun post to put together. I hope you enjoy it and find a great book to read.
If I was one to take on a life of crime, I would want to be thought of as a member of TheQueens of Crime. In pursuit of the lofty title I’d travel to Scotland and perpetrate a Highland Heist. Not sure if that would include a few shaggy cows, but who knows what a thief could discover among the heather. I might Ambush a man in a kilt to help me carry all the loot, making sure I hide my identity and not let on An Appearance of Impropriety. I must maintain an air of integrity and not get caught! But if I’m found out and pursued by the coppers, I’ll make sure my crimes are well Hidden by a Canyon of Deceit so I am not forced into Taking A Second Shot to fend them off. A good criminal must be able ToOutwit Them All! If I’m not successful, the authorities will say that Death Follows Her and I may be presumed Guilty Until Innocent .
Here’s a tip: the authors of these books are way better at telling tales than I am. Check out their fabulous books!
Happy Friday! Today I am featuring How to Sparkle by Leslie Kirby DeVooght, the second book in the Magnolia Bluff contemporary romance series. I loved the first book, Stealing Magnolias, and am really looking forward to reading this book! Leslie is great at creating fun characters, sassy dialogue, and sweet romance with a good faith foundation.
Here’s the first line:
As my plane barreled toward earth, I squeezed my eyes shut and grasped the back of my arms under my legs in the brace position like the flight attendant had instructed only a couple of hours before.
When a whimsical interior designer and a rock solid contractor join forces, they discover that sometimes the biggest renovations happen in the heart.
While Zoe Stockton knows how to sparkle, no amount of fairy dust could transform her into a leader. But with the biggest renovation project of her career at stake, she must crush her anxiety and gather the confidence to navigate intense clients and looming deadlines.
Far from her support network in Chicago, Zoe needs a partner with insight into the Georgia Low Country. Thankfully, general contractor, Brad Chastain, not only exudes southern charm, but he’s also great at his job.In ways that go far beyond construction, Zoe and Brad connect. But he needs stability, not sparkles and whimsy, to convince his parents that he’s ready to take over the family business.
As they work together at Magnolia Bluff, will their friendship bloom into something more or wither under the pressures of work and family?
Leslie Kirby DeVooght writes women’s fiction inspired by romcoms, coastal Georgia, and fried okra! While Leslie and her family live in Jacksonville, Florida, they often visit her hometown of St. Simons Island, Georgia, where she loves to go for long walks on the beach. A graduate of Florida Southern College and Mercer Law School, Leslie is always revising her life from prosecutor to judge to PTA president to author of happily-ever-afters.
Many of the books I review are provided to me free of charge from publishers, authors, or other groups in return for a review. The opinions expressed in the reviews are mine and mine alone. No monetary consideration is given. This disclaimer is in accordance with FTC rules.
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