Friday, February 15, 2019

The Marriage Bargain

GIVEAWAY
DEES, STEPHANIE
THE MARRIAGE BARGAIN

Falling for her convenient groom Family Blessings lead to new beginnings

Jules Sheehan will do anything to keep custody of the two orphaned girls in her care -- including a marriage of convenience with their uncle. Cam Quinn crosses the globe as a trave writer, but he's ready to settle down. Now tough, tender Jules is offering the home he's secretly longed for. Can this marriage in name only become a family of the heart?

My Review:

Why? Why? Why? (thwacking my head on my desk until my forehead sports a goose egg size bump) And it serves me right because this is my first Stephanie Dees book!!!! How did I miss her earlier novels? What was I thinking? Oh....that's right, clearly I wasn't thinking because if I had been I would have read the other three books in this series already. Gah! I hate when I'm late to the reading party! Stephanie Dees is amazing and I'm a lifelong reading fan now.

First -- modern day marriage of convenience story! Sqqquuueeaaallll!!! I know, if someone tried to set me up with a marriage of convenience I would totally have a lot to say about it, including the word 'no' a hundred times over but it's still a favourite trope in my fiction. And to find one with a modern twist -- whoa -- my romance loving bibliophile neuro-pathways have short-circuited! Dees works the details out beautifully and develops the shift from convenient to committed in such a captivating way.

Hero Cam -- be still my heart. Kind, compassionate, doting uncle. A self-made man who hasn't quite made peace with his troubled past. He aches to belong, to discover what being part of a family is like but he doesn't feel worthy. And Jules who just wants to fix everything, make everyone happy and protect those precious babies! It's a match made in heaven even if they don't realize it right from the start. And what an emotional read. My tummy was in knots, my heart ached, I had tears in my eyes...and then the swooning started. Blissful sigh! Sweet perfection in 218 pages.

Special kudos to the Love Inspired lines for embracing multicultural characters. I've noticed a consistent increase in heroes and heroines of colour over the last year or so and that makes my bookish heart sing.

GIVEAWAY:

 If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Marriage Bargain, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your 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 February 16 2019. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!
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24 comments:

  1. Linda MoffittFebruary 15, 2019 at 1:14 AM

    LOL 😆 I hope you have a bag of frozen peas for your Goose Egg
    Does sound Delicious 😋 The Modern Marriage of Convenience not the peas LOL
    Thank You 😃💖😍💗
    iamabho AT gmail DOT com 💗💜💗

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. KavFebruary 15, 2019 at 11:24 AM

      lol -- no need for frozen peas -- plenty of snowbanks I can stick my face into! Good luck, Linda!

      Delete
    2. Linda MoffittFebruary 15, 2019 at 7:19 PM

      Yikes Ours keep going away warming up and then coming back
      We're supposed to have an Early Spring 🤞😊💗

      Delete
  2. Tracey HagwoodFebruary 15, 2019 at 8:23 AM

    Isn't this the best book??
    Steph Dees is a great writer!
    She is also admin over at the
    Love Inspired Authors and Readers Group on FB.
    Go back and read the first 3 books in this series, they're fantastic.

    Putting on my Intrepid Reporter hat:
    her next book will be out August 1st,
    The Cowboy's Twin Surprise and it sounds swoony!
    A "give me 6 months to convince you I'm husband material" kind of story :)
    You can check out the summary on Amazon or LI site.

    Happy Reading Weekend!

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    Replies
    1. KavFebruary 15, 2019 at 11:27 AM

      I'm still appalled at what a late Dees bloomer I am. (hanging my head in shame.) But I'm cheering up over your intrepid reporting -- cowboys are always swoony but written by this author I bet we're in store for an epidemic of swoons! Thanks for sharing, Tracey!

      Delete
    2. Tracey HagwoodFebruary 16, 2019 at 8:35 AM

      Don't be appalled, lol. I only read her book 3 last March, and the other 2 in the series came out the year before, so I was backtracking those myself.
      She only has these 4 out right now. Insider tip-she wrote years ago and just came back and published these LI starting in 2017.

      Delete
  3. kim hansenFebruary 15, 2019 at 9:24 AM

    I've notice the multicultural too with harlequin makes for some fun reading. cheetahthecat1986ATgmailDOTcom

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    Replies
    1. KavFebruary 15, 2019 at 11:28 AM

      I love that they are leading the way in Christian Fiction with this! Way past time! Good luck, Kim.

      Delete
    2. kim hansenFebruary 15, 2019 at 3:14 PM

      Yeah it is way past time. I love reading how the relationships are formed.

      Delete
  4. Trixi February 15, 2019 at 1:44 PM

    Ok, so I admit along with you that Stephanie is a new-to-me author. I won two of her books recently "The Dad Next Door" and this one. Harlequin had a huge Valentine sale that I took advantage of (3X rewards points) because I desperately wanted the three historicals that came out in January. Well, long story short, I went to buy the other two books in her "Family Blessings" series and it told me that "A Baby for the Doctor" is currently unavailable! BOO! And it's STILL unavailable...so my set sits incomplete on my shelf...and I am in misery looking at them :-(

    All that to say, you aren't the only late bloomer of Dees novels and I'm not entering for "The Marriage Bargain" since I have it. She had me at modern day marriage-of-convenience!

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    Replies
    1. KavFebruary 15, 2019 at 4:15 PM

      Well, you're ahead of me, Trixi!Oooooh -- I missed that Harlequin sale. :-( But I just got my shipment of those Historicals....at least I hope that's what's in the box. Must check that right now.

      Delete
    2. Trixi February 15, 2019 at 5:04 PM

      I haven't read Stephanie's books yet, so they're still in undiscovered mode. I think I'm going to buy "A Baby for the Doctor" on Amazon so my set will be complete and then do a binge read on all four of them :-)

      The two I have look pathetically lonely....lol! I'm reassuring them that they will be soon joined by their "family"! That sounds weird, but I know you understand talking to your books *haha*

      Delete
    3. KavFebruary 15, 2019 at 5:19 PM

      Ha! Yes, wee want to keep our extended book families (aka series) together. That's so important and as the custodian for all that fiction it's your obligation to make sure each series gets its own happily ever after on your shelves. (Weird right back at ya!)

      Delete
  5. Terrill R.February 15, 2019 at 5:48 PM

    Really?! I rely on you for all of my new LI authors. Now, I have to neurotically find her back list titles and recover what I've missed. Lol. Everyone needs to cool their heels and let me catch up. 😂
    tlhcoupon(at)hotmail(dot)com

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    Replies
    1. KavFebruary 15, 2019 at 7:53 PM

      Noooo!!!! I've failed you, Terrill!!!! lol But at least I made it up by finally reading one of Stephanie Dees' books! That counts for something, right? Good luck!

      Delete
    2. Terrill R.February 16, 2019 at 2:44 PM

      You've never failed me. That's why I have so many books on my tbr. :)

      Delete
  6. Lucy Reynolds February 15, 2019 at 5:51 PM

    I enjoy reading your reviews. Thank you for sharing.
    leliamae54(at)aol(dot)com

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    Replies
    1. KavFebruary 15, 2019 at 7:53 PM

      Thanks Lucy! I enjoy writing them. Good luck!

      Delete
  7. Kay GarrettFebruary 15, 2019 at 6:28 PM

    I've not read a Stephanie Dees book either. Guess we both have been hiding under the same rock. :)

    Thanks to your review, I now have "THE MARRIAGE BARGAIN" on my TBR list. Sounds like 218 pages of pure entertainment bliss between a gorgeous cover. The red barn and peaceful country setting speaks to this country gal.

    Thanks for the chance to win a copy!
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. KavFebruary 15, 2019 at 7:54 PM

      I'm kinda glad I'm not the only one -- which isn't a very positive bookish thing to say but...You'll love this story, Kay. Good luck!

      Delete
  8. Tighefan42February 15, 2019 at 7:36 PM

    Great review. I have not heard about this author I will be looking her up. This sounds like a great story. Thanks for the chance.


    Tighefan42atgmail dotcom

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    Replies
    1. KavFebruary 15, 2019 at 7:54 PM

      I'll be making sure I stay current from now on! Good luck, Tammy!

      Delete
  9. PamFebruary 15, 2019 at 9:37 PM

    Thanks for your recommendation of this book. It sounds like one I'd enjoy reading. Contemporary marriage of convenience stories are pretty rare.

    pmkellogg56[at]gmail[dot]com

    ReplyDelete

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