Would Be Mistletoe Wife

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JOHNSON, CHRISTINE
WOULD BE MISTLETOE WIFE

Mistletoe Match

Worried she might lose her teaching job if funding is cut for her boarding school, widow Louise Smythe must consider marriage. But the only perspective groom in town is lighthouse keeper Jesse Hammond, and he wants children -- something she may never be able to provide. While Jesse waits for the ideal woman to make this wife, though, Louise can't help but long for something more than friendship.

If he wants to be promoted to head lighthouse keeper, Jesse needs to find a wife suited to his rustic lifestyle. But as he and Louise partner to give the town's homeless orphans a joyous holiday, he's drawn to the petite woman. Will the light of Christmas finally inspire them to trust in each other's hearts?

Boom Town Brides : taking a leap of faith for love

My Review:

If ever there were two people so aptly suited for one another but think they aren't...well, that would be Louise and Jesse. I might have bald spots on my scalp from tearing my hair out. Jesse so focused on planning for an ideal future that he doesn't recognize the beginning of his future is right in front of him. And Louise has turned inward, nursing the hurts from her previous marriage while striving to make a new life for herself in the shadow of a heartbreaking secret. To say these two clash would be an understatement but they challenge each other too. And there's never a dull moment when they are together. Which seems to happen a lot thanks to some not so subtle matchmaking.

And then Jesse turns into a dunderhead. There's no other way to describe it! I gave him a tongue-lashing that would blister a sailor's ears but Jesse paid me no mind. Argh! It's lucky I wasn't physically there or I would have smacked him up side the head with a cast iron frying pan. Stubborn, foolish man. Gah! No need to despair though. The author manages to wrestle him under control and melted my heart at the same time. If you like a healthy dose of angst with your sweet and tender romance then this is definitely the book for you.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Would Be Mistletoe Wife, 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 for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday November 26 2017. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck.

Freedom's Price

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JOHNSON, CHRISTINE
FREEDOM'S PRICE

Sometimes the hardest step to take is the first step forward

When Englishwoman Catherine Haynes loses both her father and her home in 1856, she decides to cross the Atlantic to find her American mother's family in Louisiana. She enlists the help of Tom Worthington, a dashing Key West man who makes his living salvaging wrecked ships.

When Catherine arrives at the plantation, she finds that her family has left it in the care of a manager -- who's let if fall into disrepair. Torn between returning to Key West with Tom and beginning the hard work of restoring the plantation. Catherine soon finds herself snared in a plot to steal her inheritance. When an incredible secret comes to light, both she and Tom will face a choice: grip their dreams ever tighter or step forward in faith -- even if it costs them everything.

My Review:

Captivating and enthralling and all things scrumptiously good. And...squuueallll...there's a definite Gothic vibe to this historical romance. Sent chills up my spine in places. A derelict plantation with all kind of mysteries. Darkly sinister. An unprotected young woman trying to make connections with her past. And a truly despicable villain. Thankfully he is countered by the most gallant of heroes.

Tom Worthington. Be still my heart. Noble and daring and tormented by his past. I do so love a conflicted hero. Fireworks spark the first time he meets Catherine and she leads him on a merry chase. Impulsive and independent and determined to make a new life among her mother's people. Only it all goes horribly wrong. A real nail-biting page-turner with plenty of swoonworthy moments peppered throughout. A delicious conclusion to the Keys of Promise series.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Freedom's Price, 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 easier for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday October 22 2017. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

Honor Redeemed

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JOHNSON, CHRISTINE
HONOR REDEEMED

Her future -- and her heart -- hang in the balance

Two years ago, Prosperity Jones waved farewell to her beloved David as the army sent him to faraway Key West. Now with her parents gone, she has but one prospect for her future: make the dangerous journey from Nantucket to Key West to reunite with David and secure a happier life.

But when Prosperity arrives penniless in the South, she is dismayed to find David has not been eagerly awaiting their reunion. In fact, he is married to someone else. Scrambling to survive and nursing a broken heart, Prosperity gains the friendship -- and the affection -- of a kind doctor. Could he be the answer to her loneliness? Or will her life be upended by circumstance yet again?

With a deft hand, Christine Johnson fills the senses with the sights, sounds, and smells of Key West in this heartwarming story of honor lost, honor redeemed, and a love forged in adversity.

My Review:

Sometimes a book comes along that totally surprises me. I am expecting one thing and discover something completely different.  That's the way this book was for me -- and I mean that in a good way. Honor Redeemed took me on a surprise journey and I loved every word.

The redeeming hope that forgiveness brings is at the heart of this story as Johnson's characters are refined by adversity. Prosperity (love her name!) faces insurmountable obstacles as she tries to make her way in a world hostile to impoverished single women. At times I felt like Prosperity was set adrift in the midst of change but then she'd rally and take control again. Loved her fortitude, the innate goodness that sees her through to the other side of trying times. But she struggles too, with resentment and anger and hurt.  Fans of the first book in the Keys of Promise series will be thrilled to catch more than a glimpse of Elizabeth and Rourke as they help Prosperity navigate the strange circumstances she finds herself in.

Frustrating and heart-wrenching and impossibly romantic, Honor Redeemed ultimately celebrates the rich blessings that comes from living in faith.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Honor Redemmed, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you include your email address in 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 that it's easier for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday June 11 2017. Offer open to International Readers.Good luck!

Mail Order Mommy

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JOHNSON, CHRISTINE
MAIL ORDER MOMMY

A mother for Christmas

Nursing a broken heart, Amanda Porter had answered a frontier mail-order bride ad placed by Garrett Decker's children -- only to find the groom-to-be didn't want a wife. The widowed bachelor she hoped to marry does need a housekeeper, though, and taking the job is Amanda's only option. But his adorable children are determined she'll be their mother by Christmas...

His wife's betrayal and tragic death demolished Garret's life. Now he can't even look at another woman, let alone marry Amanda, who resembles his first love. Even if she does make his house feel like a home, filling it again with laughter and his children's smiles. But with his daughter convinced Amanda is the perfect mother, will Garrett realize she's also his perfect match?

Boom Town Brides: Taking a leap of faith for love

My Review:

Garrett Decker is a dunderhead -- let's just get that out there from the get go. Infuriatingly nursing no small amount of bitterness and not averse to holding a grudge either. Not quite a curmudgeon, but close. LOL And I loved watching him becoming discombobulated as his heart slowly starts to melt thanks to Amanda's winsome ways. Of course, the man is set in his ways so it's a slow process with frequent setbacks. Add in a small town Christmas pageant, a couple of cute kids and a twisty/turny plot and you get one fantastic holiday romance.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

 If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of  Mail Order Mommy 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 November 27 2016. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

Love's Rescue

GIVEAWAY

JOHNSON, CHRISTINE
LOVE'S RESCUE

When her mother dies, Elizabeth Benjamin heads home to Key West, determined to transform herself into the perfect Southern belle her parents always wished her to be. But nothing goes according to plan. Her crippled brother resents her, the servants do not obey her, and Rourke O'Malley, the dashing man she vowed to forget, refuses to relinquish his hold on her heart. Worst of all, it becomes painfully obvious that her father is not the upright man he appears to be.

As family secrets come to light, Elizabeth is faced with a difficult choice: to do her duty and abandon her dreams, or to leave her life of privilege behind to chase the man her father sees as little better than a pirate.

From the first emotional page, author Christine Johnson throws readers into a world of impossible choices, hidden desires, and heart-melting romance in the steamy south. Readers will cheer for Elizabeth and Rourke as they battle the odds and the elements to secure their future.

My Review:

A compelling tale of forgiveness and redemption.

Truth be told I didn't immediately connect with Elizabeth. Selfish might be the best way to describe her. Not in a deliberate, unfeeling way. She just doesn't know any better. Her folly is part temperament and part upbringing. She's so intent on what she wants she often fails to notice the needs of others...or even that her actions might have repercussions that involve other people.  Time and experience provide her an opportunity to remedy all that. And that's what make the story so good. We get to watch Elizabeth stretch and grow -- and it's a painful experience but also a rewarding one. She softens and matures through the course of the novel and I was cheering her on by the end.  I love when an author changes my mind about a character. Now that's talent!

Fascinating historical details add an extra layer of satisfaction to this read. Lush details and infuriating social norms engaged my emotions just as much as the riveting plot. And the Romeo and Juliet style romance -- well, sublime doesn't quite describe the thrill it gave me. An engrossing read from the tumultuous beginning to the soul-stirring end.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Love's Rescue 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 June 28 2015. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!