Litfuse Publicity Blog Tour: A Love Like Ours

Here's a description of the book:

"Former Marine Jake Porter has far deeper scars than the one that marks his face. He struggles with symptoms of PTSD, lives a solitary life, and avoids relationships.

When Lyndie James, Jake’s childhood best friend, lands back in Holley, Texas, Jake cautiously hires her to exercise his Thoroughbreds. Lyndie is tender-hearted, fiercely determined, and afraid of nothing, just like she was as a child. Jake pairs her with Silver Leaf, a horse full of promise but lacking in results, hoping she can solve the mystery of the stallion’s reluctance to run.

Though Jake and Lyndie have grown into very different adults, the bond that existed during their childhood still ties them together. Against Jake’s will, Lyndie’s sparkling, optimistic personality begins to tear down the walls he’s built around his heart. A glimmer of the hope he’d thought he’d lost returns, but fears and regrets still plague him. Will Jake ever be able to love Lyndie like she deserves, or is his heart too shattered to mend?"

My Rating

Spring/Summer

My Review

Combine a childhood friendship, a bubbly heroine with a deep love of art and animals, a solemn hero with a gentle little boy living inside, a stubborn horse with plenty of racing potential, and a delightful cast of secondary characters. What do you get? A whole lotta sweet!

Younger brother Jake Porter stars in this third book of the Porter Family series. He has his work cut out for him when a lovely and lively vision from his past returns to Texas, especially when he harbors hurt from the way their friendship ended and the terrible blows life has given him in the meantime.

Lyndie is a very fun heroine, and I adore the way she's portrayed with her wide variety of interests and her enthusiasm for the people and projects she cares about.

Jake...well, just as he's a very conflicted character, he creates some conflicted feelings in me as the reader. Wade's books often feature troubled heroes, which can be engaging, but can also become bothersome when their love borders on the obsessive/obsessively protective side. I wouldn't say this character trait bothered me as much as it did in My Stubborn Heart. There's a lot going on with Jake's personality and the hardships he's experienced, and that's certainly understandable. But the way the relationship is portrayed in some respects is just something that gives me pause. I will say, though, that faith is a vital part of the story, as well as hope - which I'm glad to note.

The other characters really round out the story. I love Amber's journey of seeking love. (What can I say?) And Ty and Celia's cameos... Gosh, they're just so cute! Meant to Be Mine remains my absolute favorite of the series. But I believe A Love Like Ours comes in second, which is not a bad place to be in such a beloved and well-acclaimed contemporary romance series.

I'm definitely curious about the youngest Porter sibling, Dru. Bring on her story! I'm ready for some more Texas charm.

*With thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion, to be shared during the Litfuse Publicity blog tour.*

About the Author

Becky Wade is a native of California who attended Baylor University, met and married a Texan, and moved to Dallas. She published historical romances for the general market, took time off to raise her children, then felt God nudging her to pursue contemporary Christian fiction. Becky’s work has been a finalist for both a RITA and an INSPY Award.

To Learn More and Find Links to Buy the Book: click HERE

Blog Tour: Check out the review from other blog tour participants HERE.

Giveaway!

Fall in love with Becky Wade's new book, A Love Like Ours, a story of healing, romance, and cowboys. A glimmer of the hope Jake thought he’d lost returns when Lyndie lands back in Texas, but fears and regrets still plague him. Will Jake ever be able to love Lyndie like she deserves, or is his heart too shattered to mend?

To celebrate the release of her new book, Becky is giving away a $100 cash card and a book-inspired prize pack!

 

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A $100 cash card
• A copy of A Love Like Ours
• A copy of the Secretariat DVD
• A scarf
• A dog-tag/cross keychain
• A pair of earrings
• A Texas-shaped cutting board
• A Jake Porter mug

 

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on May 26th. Winner will be announced May 27th on Becky's site.

Spine Poetry Strikes Again

I've posted some spine poetry before, and oh, how I love it! Bringing together some gorgeous and mysterious titles and creating a running theme...so fun!

So when I saw that some fabulous authors were hosting a Spine Poetry Book Blitz, I had to get in on the action. :) Here are 5 poems I came up with for the occasion:

To love and to cherish

a beauty so rare

across a star-swept sea,

under a Maui moon:

a distant melody

here to stay.

The lesson:

Look to the East.

My hope is found

all in good time.

A love undone,

nipped in the bud.

Emerald green

pandemonium,

burning sky

under a blackberry moon...

The price of victory.

Heiress - 

mark of distinction.

Her mother's hope:

love's fortune,

the heir,

sons of encouragement,

love at any cost.

Cruel beauty.

Poison

resistance.

Recalled

yesterday's tomorrow,

love's promises

meant to be mine...

Forget me not.

* * *

Do you have any spine poetry to share? There are only a few days left to enter the awesome contest! Prizes include books by Pepper Basham, Kristy Cambron, Carla Laureano, Beth K. Vogt, and Catherine West. And there's an extra giveaway with additional prizes! Click HERE to learn more. 

Discover Your Dream Hero! (A Fun Personality Quiz)

I had a lot of fun creating a personality quiz (via Pollsnack) for my historical romances (Which Heart's Spring Heroine Are You?). So I decided to create another quiz! This time it's for my author friend Lena Goldfinch's YA books, and it features the heroes instead of the heroines.

Now, tell me, how could you not want to know who your dream hero is?? ;)

Here are the possibilities...

• Rundan from The Language of Souls
• Jovanni from Aire
• Pono from Songstone
• Nick from Haunting Joy
• Troy from Take a Picture

Let me tell you, ALL of these heroes are dreamy! But which one is the perfect match for you? Take the test to find out!

It's hard to take these tests unbiased when you've created them and know which answer corresponds with which character... But I believe my dream hero is Nick. :) (Although, from a reader standpoint, I do so love Pono and Rundan, too!)

Who's your dream hero? 

My Review of The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest

About the Book

Swan Lake meets Robin Hood when the beautiful daughter of a wealthy merchant by day becomes the region’s most notorious poacher by night, and falls in love with the forester.

Jorgen is the forester for the wealthy margrave, and must find and capture the poacher who has been killing and stealing the margrave’s game. When he meets the lovely and refined Odette at the festival and shares a connection during a dance, he has no idea she is the one who has been poaching the margrave’s game.

Odette justifies her crime of poaching because she thinks the game is going to feed the poor, who are all but starving, both in the city and just outside its walls. But will the discovery of a local poaching ring reveal a terrible secret? Has the meat she thought she was providing for the poor actually been sold on the black market, profiting no one except the ring of black market sellers?

The one person Odette knows can help her could also find out her own secret and turn her over to the margrave, but she has no choice. Jorgen and Odette will band together to stop the dangerous poaching ring . . . and fall in love. But what will the margrave do when he discovers his forester is protecting a notorious poacher?

My Rating

Spring

My Review

A "fairy tale" mash-up is a recipe for a fun read - and it's always enjoyable to see what Melanie Dickerson does with familiar tales by adding a different historical twist and a new dose of drama. In this "Swan Lake meet Robin Hood" story, Odette is both the character who changes at night (into a huntress instead of a swan) and the one who takes from the rich to feed the poor.

To be honest, I wasn't super impressed at first with the characters or the story in general. It seemed a little two-dimensional in some respects. Perhaps a bit formulaic with the whole "handsome man meets beautiful maiden and falls in love" sort of thing. (Which is to be expected with the premise, granted!)

Then came some twists with the black market investigation, adding a little more intrigue and a bit deeper characterization. Jorgen seems to come into his own as the story progresses, and while Odette is rather naive and single-minded when it comes to her hunting and its ramifications, she's still likable enough to hold the reader's attention and affection.

Things get even more interesting toward the end, making The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest an engaging read, overall, and another sweet and enjoyable retelling by Dickerson that honors honesty and generosity.

*With thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for providing me with an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.*

Note: This book releases May 12, 2015.