Book Review: Welcome to Moonlight Harbor by Sheila Roberts

Welcome to Moonlight Harbor by Sheila Roberts is a story of second chances and not giving up.

Jenna Jones celebrates her fortieth birthday by getting divorced from her deadbeat artist husband Damien. Even better, the court awards him spousal support. What will she and her teenage daughter do?

When a letter arrives from Aunt Edie asking for Jenna to stay in Moonlight Harbor to help run the Driftwood Inn, it sounds like an answer to a prayer. That is until she and her daughter arrive and find the inn in need of major renovations there is no money to pay for. With determination and the help of friends, Jenna plans to give this second chance her best shot.

I've loved Roberts' books since I read On Strike for Christmas. With this new series, she continues her trademark of masterfully written dramatic women's fiction with a touch of humor and romance. Any wife or mother can relate to the issues Jenna is facing in this novel. This book pulls at the heartstrings, bringing with it moments of laughter and times of heartbreak as the reader witnesses Jenna's story unfold. Roberts also has a knack for great endings. This one was definitely worth reading every page.

I'm excited to see what the future holds in store for the residents of Moonlight Harbor.

Series: A Moonlight Harbor Novel (Book 1)

Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: MIRA (April 17, 2018)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 077836805X
ISBN-13: 978-0778368052

About the Book:

Title: WELCOME TO MOONLIGHT HARBOR

Author: Sheila Roberts

Publisher: Harlequin MIRA

Pages: 400

Genre: Women’s Fiction

BOOK BLURB:

Once-happily married Jenna Jones is about to turn forty, and this year for her birthday – lucky her – she’s getting a divorce. She’s barely able to support herself and her teenage daughter, but now her deadbeat artist ex is hitting her up for spousal support…and then spending it on his “other” woman.

Still, Jenna is determined to follow her mother’s philosophy – every storm brings a rainbow. And when she gets a very unexpected gift from her great Aunt Edie, things seem to be taking a turn for the better. Aging aunt Edie is finding it difficult to keep up her business running The Driftwood Inn, so she invites Jenna to come live with her and run the place. It looks like Jenna's financial problems are solved!

Or not. The town is a little more run-down than Jenna remembered, but that's nothing compared to the ramshackle state of The Driftwood Inn. Aunt Edie is confident they can return it to its former glory, though Jenna feels like she’s jumped from the proverbial frying pan into the beach fire.

But who knows? With the help of her new friends and a couple of handsome citizens, perhaps that rainbow is on the horizon after all. Because, no matter what, life is always good at the beach.

ORDER YOUR COPY:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

I received a paperback copy of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? & Musing Monday

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's a great post to organize yourself. It's an opportunity to visit and comment, and er... add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date.

It's Monday again...and boy does it feel like one. At least the sun is shining and it will get to about 45 degrees today.

In my reading world I am finishing up this one. Look for my review tomorrow.

Next up will be this one...good thing too, because my house needs some real organizational help lately.

I also need to finish this one because I started it in February while on vacation, but had to review other books first. I also received the next book in the series, so better get moving on this one.

These cute books are due for review this month over at The Children's and Teens' Book Connection. 

Musing Monday is hosted by Ambrosia at The Purple Booker.  It is a weekly meme that asks you to choose one of the following prompts to answer:

I’m currently reading…
Up next I think I’ll read…
I bought the following book(s) in the past week…
I’m super excited to tell you about (book/author/bookish-news)…
I’m really upset by (book/author/bookish-news)…
I can’t wait to get a copy of…
I wish I could read ___, but…
I blogged about ____ this past week…

THIS WEEK'S RANDOM QUESTION: Why did you become a reader? Series or stand alone which do you prefer?

I am so happy to see Musing Monday is back. I've missed it.

Last week on my blog were reviews for the poetry collection How I Love the Empty Air and the Amish novel A Mother's Gift. 

As for this week's question, right now I am into stand alone books simply because I have so little reading time. Whenever I discover a new book in a series, I know I'll want to read previous books or I won't want to review the latest book until I read the previous installments. I might try out a trilogy, but can't commit beyond that.

What is going on in your reading and blogging world this week?

Book Review: How to Love the Empty Air by Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz

How to Love the Empty Air by Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz is a powerful and touching look into grief.

As Aptowicz grabs hold of the success she has worked so hard for, her world is rocked by the sudden death of her mother. In the year that follows, the author battles the overwhelming grief through her writing, sharing these intimate glimpses into her life with readers.

Having lost my mother when I was just a teenager, I was drawn to How to Love the Empty Air. While grief is a very personal thing, there is comfort in the understanding of someone else who has experienced the same tragedy. Apotowicz holds nothing back in this collection. She shares her joys, her sorrows, and her pain in all its rawness. You laugh. You cry. You want to hug her because she feels so close as she stumbles around searching for that new normal that may never feel normal at all. Then she reaches that major milestone--one year after the death of her mother. Not enough time has passed to eliminate the heaviness of the loss, but by the end we can see some joy, a glimmer of happiness and new beginnings.

This is definitely one of my favorite collections. It is the seventh by Aptowicz. I'll be searching out more. If you want deep, meaningful, poetry that tugs at your heartstrings, How to Love the Empty Air is a collection worth reading.

Paperback: 100 pages
Publisher: Write Bloody Publishing (March 20, 2018)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1938912802
ISBN-13: 978-1938912801


I received a copy of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Book Review & Giveaway: A Mother's Gift by Charlotte Hubbard

If there were ever a more wonderful story about motherhood than A Mother's Gift by Charlotte Hubbard, I have yet to find it.

Leah Otto has always admired Jude Shetler's good looks and talent as an auctioneer. When the widower asks her to marry him, it's like a dream come true. Despite the reservations of family and friends, the two enter their marriage with joy and optimism.

A few months later, Leah's twin step-daughters are acting out, her step-son keeps her at bay while mourning the loss of his mother, and Leah is struggling with running a household. Then a baby girl is abandoned on their doorstep and Leah must pull her family together, with Jude's support and God's will, to create a life filled with love, faith and unexpected blessings.

Every time I read a book by Charlotte Hubbard, I swear it's the best she could ever write. Then comes a new book and it's even better than the last one. This is an author who knows her genre well, but continues to keep it fresh every single time. Not every author can do that, so I admire Hubbard's ability to continually deliver top-notch stories that tug at the heartstrings and inspire a deeper more meaningful kind of love and faith.

In A Mother's Gift you have a woman who has never been at ease with housework. Leah is happiest tending to her goats and chickens. She's not prepared for all that goes into being a wife and mother. Jude doesn't care about that. He likes her non-traditional skills. That doesn't mean life will be easy for them. And it's not. This truly is a story where a husband and wife must stand strong in their faith as they deal with the challenges that being a new family entails...along with a few unexpected obstacles along the way.

A Mother's Gift is a story of love and faith. It is a story of one woman finding her place within her new family. It's a story of one man's dedication to the woman he loves. It's a story about blending families and having faith it will all work out. There really are so many elements to this story that you can't help but love it. Hubbard brings these characters to life in a special way and you'll be captivated by Leah and Jude's journey from the first page to the last. If you only read one book in this genre this year, it should be A Mother's Gift by Charlotte Hubbard.


Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Kensington (March 27, 2018)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1496712188
ISBN-13: 978-1496712189


I received a copy of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Excerpt:

As Lenore Otto sat on the bed with Leah, wistfully watching the dusk of late November fill her daughter’s room, her heart was torn. The two of them had shared this evening ritual of talking and praying since Lenore’s husband, Raymond, had died last year. It had always brought her a comforting sense of peace, along with the certainty that she and her daughter would move forward with the plans God had for them. After all the cleaning they’d done and the preparations they’d made to host Leah’s wedding festivities the next day, she was ready to relax—but she needed to speak the words that weighed so heavily on her heart.

Tomorrow, when Leah got married, their lives would follow separate paths. Lenore knew she would be fine remaining on the small farm alone, making and selling her specialty quilts. She supposed some of her qualms about her daughter’s marriage plagued every mother . . .

Lord, I wish I could believe my Leah’s reaching toward happiness rather than heartache.

Before God’s still, small voice could respond to Lenore, Leah let out an ecstatic sigh. “Oh, Mama, it’s a dream come true,” she murmured. “Starting tomorrow, when I marry Jude, my life will finally be the way I’ve always wanted it. My waiting is over!”

Not for the first time, Lenore sighed inwardly at her daughter’s fantasy. As she returned Leah’s hug, savoring these precious moments in the room where her little girl had matured into a woman of twenty-eight, she didn’t have it in her to shatter Leah’s dreams. No mother wanted her daughter to forever remain a maidel, yet during these final hours before the wedding, Lenore thought she should try once again to point out the realities of marrying Jude Shetler. Jude was a fine, upstanding man any parent would be pleased to welcome as a son-in-law, but as a widower he carried a certain amount of . . . baggage.


Please visit Charlotte online at www.CharlotteHubbard.com.


CharlotteHubbard.com
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Charlotte.Hubbard1


Order Ebook
Kindle https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073NPM8G8/

iBooks https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/a-mothers-gift/id1254897917?mt=11

Nook https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-mothers-gift-charlotte-hubbard/1126683560?ean=9781496712196

Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/a-mother-s-gift-8

Google Play https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Charlotte_Hubbard_A_Mother_s_Gift?id=MI0qDwAAQBAJ

Order Print

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=1496712188/

Barnes & Noble http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp?ean=9781496712189

Books-A-Million http://www.booksamillion.com/product/9781496712189

Chapters Indigo http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/a/9781496712189-item.html

IndieBound http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781496712189

One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win 

a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card

a Rafflecopter giveaway

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - April 2

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's a great post to organize yourself. It's an opportunity to visit and comment, and er... add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date.

Hope everyone had a nice Easter. We get two again this year because my husband's family has always celebrated Greek Easter. I cooked a small dinner for us and then the rest of the family will be coming over on April 8.

No reading at all went on this week. Spring market is in full swing and I wasn't home much. That said, I'm almost done with...

I need to finish this next one by the weekend.

My plan was then to finish this awesome looking book...

Then I joined the launch team for a good friend of mine who wrote this lovely devotional. It arrived this week and I am eager to dive right in.

Perhaps the journey in the waiting is the goal, rather than the actual finish line.

Sometimes while waiting for situations to change, we discover that perhaps what God is waiting on is us. That’s exactly what Lynne set out to discover when she was in a journey of waiting, during a wilderness season of her own. She discovered that perhaps she needed to unbecome everything she had framed her life around because in the process of building a life in this world, we often become consumed with everything other than The Word.

Becoming Unconsumed is an invitation to open the door to the possibilities that exist for us as women when we let go of what the world thinks and build a better relationship with ourselves, each other and, ultimately, God. This book is written for all women. Women who might not know God at all, women who have known Him all their lives, and women who aren’t sure what to think. Organized through reflection and response, Lynne invites us to consider the relevancy of the Word in 2018 and beyond as our faith is energized and confidence is strengthened. It is possible for you to make space for your daily Grace and your daily relationship with God. Lynne is the first to admit she is just a regular woman who decided to listen to God and make it happen.

What are you reading?

Blurb Blitz & Giveaway: A Hole in One by Judy Penz Sheluk

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Judy Penz Sheluk will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Hoping to promote the Glass Dolphin antiques shop, co-owners Arabella Carpenter and Emily Garland agree to sponsor a hole in one contest at a charity golf tournament. The publicity turns out to be anything but positive, however, when Arabella’s errant tee shot lands in the woods next to a corpse.

They soon learn that the victim is closely related to Arabella’s ex-husband, who had been acting as the Course Marshal. With means, opportunity, and more than enough motive, he soon becomes the police department’s prime suspect, leaving Arabella and Emily determined to clear his name—even if they’re not entirely convinced of his innocence.

Dogged by incriminating online posts from an anonymous blogger, they track down leads from Emily’s ex-fiancé (and the woman he left Emily for), an Elvis impersonator, and a retired antiques mall vendor with a secret of her own.

All trails lead to a mysterious cult that may have something to do with the murder. Can Arabella and Emily identify the killer before the murderer comes after them?

Book Excerpt:


Levon smiled, the full-on one he tended to keep in reserve, and Arabella felt something tug inside of her. She had heard quite enough about Gilly Germaine and how amazing she was. It wasn’t as if she was jealous, exactly, more like she felt Levon slipping away from her little by little. They might not be married any longer, but she never stopping thinking of him as a friend, someone who knew her and loved her, blemishes and all. Since Gilly had arrived on the scene, Levon had become more and more distant. This past month he’d been all but absent. Today was the first time they’d spoken in two weeks.

It didn’t help that she’d recently split up with Aaron Beecham. For a small town cop, he seemed to be on duty more than off.

“I should get going,” Levon said, interrupting her thoughts. “Gilly is relying on me.”

I’m sure she is. “I better get going as well. We’re starting on number two.”

“Just remember not to hit the ball until the shotgun sounds.”

“Gilly’s using an actual shotgun? I thought everyone used sirens or horns these days.”

Levon laughed. “Gilly’s as much of a stickler for research as you are. She thought it would be more authentic if she used a shotgun, too. You of all people should appreciate that, Arabella. After all, isn’t that your motto? Authenticity matters?”

It was, but Arabella didn’t like it that Gilly had adopted the same motto.

She didn’t like it one bit.

Purchase A HOLE IN ONE from:

Amazon: http://authl.it/9f0

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-hole-in-one-judy-penz-sheluk/1127967500

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/a-hole-in-one-3

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Judy_Penz_Sheluk_A_Hole_in_One?id=IERMDwAAQBAJ

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/book/a-hole-in-one/id1350574649?mt=11

Barking Rain Press: https://barkingrainpress.org/a-hole-in-one/ - 1473022241950-de2dbbf6-9e98


About the Author: 

An Amazon international bestselling author, Judy Penz Sheluk is the author of two mystery series: The Glass Dolphin Mysteries (THE HANGED MAN’S NOOSE and A HOLE IN ONE) and The Marketville Mysteries (SKELETONS IN THE ATTIC). Her short crime fiction appears is included in several collections, including LIVE FREE OR TRI.

Judy is a member of Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, the Short Mystery Fiction Society, and Crime Writers of Canada, where she currently serves on the Board of Directors as the Regional Representative for Toronto/Southern Ontario.

Find Judy on her website/blog at www.judypenzsheluk.com, where she interviews and showcases the works of other authors and blogs about the writing life.

Social Media Links

Website/Blog: http://www.judypenzsheluk.com

Facebook Author: https://business.facebook.com/JudyPenzSheluk/?business_id=736294013145101

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JudyPenzSheluk

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.ca/judypenzsheluk/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Judy-Penz-Sheluk/e/B00O74NX04

Judy Penz Sheluk will be awarding a 

$10 Amazon/BN

 Gift Card to a randomly 

drawn winner via rafflecopter 

during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Find other tour stops at http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2018/03/blurb-blitz-hole-in-one-by-judy-penz.html

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - Mar 26

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's a great post to organize yourself. It's an opportunity to visit and comment, and er... add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date.

Happy Monday! It's a busy one around here. I have an appointment at the school where our daughter was accepted for next year; need to take the dog to the vet; I also have a listing appointment. Not sure when I'll eat, but we'll see how it goes.

As for reading, I switched gears with the two books I've been reading. Because of the frantic pace of life right now, I needed to put the other book down for few days. I'm reading through this poetry collection and loving it.

Once done, I'll swing back around to finish this one:

After this review is done, I'll need to get back to this fun book so I'll be ready when it comes up to host the review in May. 

Bought myself a new book--though I really shouldn't. This is the third--and, I think, the last book in this series. :( 

What You Don't See Might Hurt You

Every year, residents of the small Amish community in Monte Vista, Colorado, look forward to the Ski Hi Stampede, the state's oldest professional rodeo. The rodeo is always good, clean entertainment for the hardworking farmers of the San Luis Valley. But this year, the Stampede turns deadly for one Amish man. Did rodeo fans see an unfortunate accident? Or something more sinister?

Amish bishop Henry Lapp is known far and wide for his uncanny ability to draw and remember the smallest details of anything he's seen, skills that have served him well in past investigations. He was at the rodeo that day. The problem? He didn't see Jason Scott's death.

With a murderer on the loose and members of his community being threatened, Henry must act fast. But can he solve a crime he didn't see? This time around, Henry will have to rely on his keen sense of human character and observation, skills he's honed in his role as bishop, if he hopes to crack the case.

What the Bishop Knows is a story of accepting our talents, putting one another first, and trusting that God will care for His children.

Can't wait to have time to read this one. I'm so excited it was released.

So what have you been reading? Any great books I should add to my list?