Starting Over in Texas

GIVEAWAY

KELLER, JESSICA
STARTING OVER IN TEXAS

The biggest risk is to their hearts...

He's finally home. She's always wanted a home.

Can they find what they need together?

Returning to his family ranch is the fresh start widower Boone Jarrett and his daughter need. What he doesn't need is rodeo rider Violet  Byrd teaching Hailey to ride horses -- it's too dangerous. And with Violet working at the ranch, she's challenging his every decision. Yet Boone can't stop his growing feelings. Could a second chance at love be worth the risk?

My Review:

"Choosing to hope is often the most dangerous option...."
"It just feels as if God is only answering us in tiny drips when we'd like an ocean wave." (p 103)

This is the kind of book you feel your way through. I had a lump in my throat for most of it. Violet's pain is so raw and real as she struggles with feelings of abandonment. She doesn't realize that the walls she has put up are what's keeping her on the outside looking in.

And Boone, a recent widower, just shredded my heart into itty-bitty pieces. I was a little hesitant about the recent part, but Keller made the romance fit in beautifully. One of my favourite quotes fits his situation. It comes courtesy of his brother, Wade. "Are you so rich you can shrug off a blessing from God?" (p 145)

I really enjoyed the strong faith elements in Violet and Boone's love story. They are both striving to find God in the midst of their pain. Sometimes they succeed. Just as often they question why. So realistic and relatable. And Violet's deepening relationship with God as she begins to really see Him as her loving Father is so moving.

Fans of the Red Dog Ranch series will be pleased with the cameos the rest of the Jarrett clan and their significant others get in this book. You could read it as a standalone though. (I've only read two out of the four...gasp! Not sure how that happened!)

Keller has created an exceptional inspirational romance centered around the need to understand your worth, the desire to belong and the courage it takes to hold onto hope in the midst of heartache and despair.

"The greatest Van Gogh has nothing on you, You are a custom design by the greatest creator there ever was. Priceless. Wanted. Loved. And cherished. His workmanship. His poetry walking on earth." (p 58)

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a gently read copy of Starting Over in Texas,   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 July 4 2020 . Offer open to International Readers. Good luck

The Rancher's Legacy

GIVEAWAY

KELLER, JESSICA
THE RANCHER'S LEGACY

His inheritance brings him home...but will love convince him to stay at Red Dog Ranch?

Returning home isn't part of Rhett Jarrett's plan -- until he inherits the family ranch from his father. Running it won't be easy with his ranch assistant and childhood friend, Macy Howell, challgenging all his decisions. But a long-buried family secret might help Rhett begin to see things Macy's way...and allow them to find love -- and home -- together at last.

My Review:

"Do you know the heart of God in this matter? Have you sought that out, son? Because that's more valuable than a hundred memorized bible verses." (p 16)

What an emotionally compelling love story!!!! And I'm gobsmacked that this is the first book I've ever read by Jessica Keller (hanging my head in shame.) Trust me, it won't be the last one I read by this author! She's a captivating storyteller and knows how to draw her readers into the heart of a story.

And these two -- oh-my-frayed-nerves -- they just need each other so much but they are both too stubborn to give an inch -- "stubborn as sunbaked cowhide" (p 69) in fact. :-) I love a second chance romance that puts me into a romantical dither and this one sure did. I felt the angst, the uncertainty, the pain, the fury, the....well, this one should definitely be accompanied by a healthy dose of comfort chocolate!

And the way Keller spins this tale -- not sure if I can describe what I mean -- but it's smooth and flowy with seamless transitions and perfectly balanced. A joy to read!

And there's a dog, people! A Cheasapeake Bay retriever named Kodiak -- not a breed I've come across in my real or fictional life but it's official...I want one now. Plus, Rhett is a cowboy and a dog trainer. Be still my heart, that's a lethal combination! Oh -- and this is the first book in a new series!!!! I'm pretty sure I know who gets their own book from a chorus line of interesting secondary characters. Can't wait to see if I'm right!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Rancher's Legacy, 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 May 11 2019. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!