Friday, January 4, 2019

Awaken My Heart

GIVEAWAY
MILLS, DIANN
AWAKEN MY HEART

1803, Texas

The daughter of a wealthy rancher, Marianne Phillips has never agreed with her father's harsh treatment of the mestizos who first called Texas their home. When she is kidnapped by rebels who hope that her father will trade back their land for her freedom, Marianne realizes her loyalty lies with her abductors, not her father, who plans to marry her off to the don of a nearby estate.

Armando Gracia is the locals' reluctant leader, but he does not apporve of the latest attempt to manipulate their enemy. When he learns that Marianne actually speaks his language, of her loyalty to his people, and of the faith that keeps her strong, Armando is faced with a difficult decision. Will his newfound love keep him from letting her go? Or will he set her free and risk losing everything?

My Review:

Not quite a retro read but sort of is :-) Originally published in 2008, it has been reissued by Avon Inspired in 2018 with a spiffy new cover.

I've mostly read DiAnn Mills' romantic suspense so it was a treat to discover this re-release of an earlier historical novel. Awaken My Heart has all the earmarks of a classic historical romance: forbidden love, treachery and betrayal and the kind of greed that drives men to do unthinkable things. And Marianne is the alluring heroine who becomes caught up in it all.

I haven't read much about Texas before it joined the states so I found the history fascinating. A clash of cultures struggling for the right to make this land their home. Marianne and Armando are on opposite sides of the equation. She's the landowner's daughter and he's the rebel leader. They are separated by race, religion, politics and social standing. A relationship between them seems impossible and yet, this is the kind of story that explores the power of love -- both between a man and a woman and between a loving Father and His children. I'm starstruck! A definite must-read for Historical Romance connoisseurs.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Awaken My Heart, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add your email to a comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday January 5 2019. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

25 comments:

  1. Definitely sounds like a great historical romance
    Thanks for the chance 💖🍯🐝 and for sharing this book with us 😍
    iamabho AT gmail DOT com 😍😁😍

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  2. Sounds like a good one! Thank you for the opportunity, Kav. mauback55 at gmail dot com

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  3. I find Texas fascinating since it was part of mexico before it became a state. Always fun to have facts and fictions intermixed. cheetahthecat1986ATgmailDOTcom.

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    1. It was eyeopening to this Canadian! Good luck, Kim!

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  4. That cover is so romantic.
    turtle6422 at gmail dot com

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  5. Historical is my fav. Thank you for the chance.
    leliamae54(at)aol(dot)com

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    1. This one is the perfect take-me-away-from-it-all read. :-) Good luck, Lucy!

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  6. WHY HAVE I NOT HEARD OF THIS BEFORE NOW!!!! Wow this sounds SO good! :D

    Happy reading!
    Amada
    amada_chavezATyahooDOTcom

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    1. Yep, this one was published before I stared reading Christian Fiction! Thank goodness for reissuing! Good luck, Amada!

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  7. I've not read DiAnn's historical fiction either, though she has several published years ago. This sound good!

    teamob4 (at) gmail (dot)

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    1. It's very different -- really good, mind you -- but I wouldn't have identified her as the author if I didn't see her name on the cover! lol Good luck, Trixi!

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  8. Ohhh, sounds great! I haven’t read any of her historicals either. What a treat!
    mindyhoung AT msn DOT com

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    1. Hopefully the powers that be will release more of her earlier books so we can catch up. Good luck, Mindy!

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  9. Anything by DiAnn Mills spikes my interest!
    pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

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    1. A great author no matter what genre she writes. Good luck, rubynreba!

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  10. KAV, thank you for sharing this treasure with us! Sounds like a wonderful story.

    psalm103and138atgmaildotcom

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  11. I have never heard of this book! It's going straight onto my to-read list!

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    1. Never mind, lol.😂 It actually WAS on my list already! But it was buried so deep in there that I'd ENTIRELY forgotten it!😱
      Throw my name in the hat!

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    2. Tossed into the draw, Elly. What would we do without our runaway TBR lists to drool over? Good luck!

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  12. I missed this title! Historical fiction is my very favorite genre. Kathleen ~ Lane Hill House lanehillhouse[at]centurylink[dot]net

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