Monday, March 2, 2015

Betting On Hope

GIVEAWAY

CLOPTON, DEBRA
BETTING ON HOPE

A bet gone wrong. A small town's meddling. And a cowboy intent on saving his ranch.

Maggie Hope is an advice columnist whose background leaves her with little advice to give . . . and it's beginning to show. When Maggie fills in at an interview with champion horse trainer Tru Monahan, the on-camera chemistry between them is undeniable. Maggie's bosses know this is the opportunity she's been looking for to launch her career--and their bank accounts. In order to save her column, Maggie takes Tru up on the bet that he can teach her to ride a quick-stepping cutting horse like any cowgirl, despite the fact that she has never been on a horse. And in the meantime, she can get the scoop on the man under the cowboy hat.

Tru has been on the competition circuit for longer than he'd like, but he knows it's the only way he can afford to keep the Four of Hearts Ranch that means so much to his ailing grandfather. So when his sponsors see the opportunity for Tru's fans to get to know the star on a more intimate level, he knows he must oblige. To his dismay, Maggie not only invades his small town of Wishing Springs, but she also invades his heart, and that is something he cannot let any woman do--for her own good.

In Wishing Springs, Maggie finds what she has always been looking for: a community and a home. But when her past catches up to her, it threatens everything, even the tender hope that this town holds all of her heart's desires.


My Review:

Wow, this is going to be a doozey of a series. I love the way Clopton creates an unforgettable community of living, breathing characters. Makes me want to visit Wishing Springs but it's not on the map.  I checked! I'm already lamenting that there are only three Monahan brothers because I want this series to go on for a long time. And just for fun, fans of this author's Love Inspired books will appreciate the nod to Mule Hollow found within these pages.

The fantastic first meet totally drew me in. I love a klutzy heroine -- especially when a dashing cowboy comes to her rescue. I could hear the rumble of fireworks over that first glance and couldn't burrow into the story fast enough. Clopton is a comedic genius and her scenes just flow with love and laughter. Mind you, there's plenty of angst to work through for both Tru and Maggie and I loved the way the plot took a few unexpected turns that kept it fresh and compelling.

There are times when secondary characters steal the show -- Clara Lyn and Reba from the Cut Up and Roll Hair Salon are on the top of my list of favourites. They are unrepentant busybodies with hearts of gold and bring an added warmth to this inspiring tale. There's also a secondary plot involving a pregnant teen that further enhances the underlining theme of the hope that comes from sacrifice. Again, it has a couple of surprising twists and enough of an emotional punch to keep my nose buried in the book until I reached the end.

A stellar start to a promising new series.

My thanks to Litfuse Publicity and Thomas Nelson for providing me with a review copy of this book.

http://litfusegroup.com/campaigns/betting-on-hope-debra-clopton

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Betting On Hope please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday March 8 2015. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!


bettingonhope-400 
 Winner will be announced March 9th on Debra's blog.

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20 comments:

  1. Wow, your review really makes me want to read this one, Kav! I love western style stories (and klutzy heroines) :) Please enter me, and thanks for the opportunity!
    pocoauthorATgmailDOTcom

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    Replies
    1. It's not very often that you run into a kutzy heroine and, as a fellow klutz, I just have to lend them my support. Good luck, Nicole.

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  2. thanks for the chance to read this western, kav

    karenk
    kmkuka at yahoo dot com

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  3. I look forward to this wonderful series. Betting On Hope sounds great!

    mauback55 at gmail dot com

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    Replies
    1. It's going to be a great series. Good luck, Melanie.

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  4. I've been wanting to read this book so bad & your review has only made me want to read it more! Thanks for the opportunity to win it! :)

    crazybooklover7 [at] yahoo [dot] com

    ReplyDelete
  5. Betting on Hope sounds like a fun romp, I love getting to know small towns and all the quirky characters!
    worthy2bpraised at gmail dot com

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    Replies
    1. Quirky characters abound in this one, Merry. Good luck.

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  6. So glad to read your thoughts on this book, Kav! I love it when a Love Inspired author gets a contract with one of the major publishers. Victoria Bylin had a wonderful debut last year and it looks like Debra has done the same. And I'm so glad to see the hero on the cover! Don't enter me, by the way. This one is in my stack.

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    Replies
    1. Now that you mention it, Carole, it's usually the heroine on the cover, isn't it? Especially exciting to have this the start of a series.

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  7. Great review. This looks like a promising series!
    pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

    ReplyDelete
  8. This sounds good. Didn't even here about this one. Sign me up. Thanks.

    sweetdarknectar at gmail dot com

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    Replies
    1. It's exquisite, Boos Mum. A great mix of humour and drama. Good luck.

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  9. Sounds like a great read! Thanks for the giveaway! :)

    writer_weaverATyahooDOTcom

    ReplyDelete
  10. I have been trying to win this book. Sure hope this will be my lucky time. Thanks for the review. Maxie
    > mac262(at)me(dot)com <

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's such a good book, Maxie. Hope you get to read it soon. Good luck.

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