Book Reviews

JustRead Review & Giveaway: Crazy for You by Michelle Sass Aleckson

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Crazy For You JustRead Blog + Review Tour

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for Crazy for You by Michelle Sass Aleckson presented by Susan May Warren, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Crazy for You
Series: Deep Haven Collection #3
Author: Michelle Sass Aleckson presented by Susan May Warren
Publisher: Sunrise Publishing
Genre: Christian Contemporary Romance
Release Date: May 25, 2021

The problem with being related to everyone in town is that there is no one left to date…until now…but will this outsider survive his family?

Former soldier Veronica “Ronnie” Morales isn’t going to let her kid brother, Tiago, get pulled into the gangs of Minneapolis, so, seeking safety and a fresh start, she heads to sleepy Deep Haven on the north shore of Minnesota. She’s hoping to put down roots as the paramedic for the new Crisis Response Team, but it’s not easy to be the town outsider.

Fire Chief Peter Dahlquist is a peacemaker—he has to be. After he’s related to both of the Deep Haven dynasties – the Zimmermans and the Dahlquists, Deep Haven’s version of the Hatfields and the McCoys. Worse, Peter is the holdout vote for a landmark project, which also makes him the loneliest guy in town when both sides demand that he pick sides. The only one who seems to understand his plight is the newcomer in town…his pretty, street-tough paramedic.

When Tiago finds himself caught up in small town shenanigans and the town blames Ronnie for tragedy, Peter is forced to pick sides. But will his choice cost him the home—and the woman—he loves?

About the Authors

Susan May Warren is the USA Today best-selling novelist of 80 books. With more than 1.5 million books in print, she is beloved by reviewers and readers around the world. Visit Susan at www.susanmaywarren.com.

CONNECT WITH SUSAN: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

After growing upon both the east and west coasts, Michelle Sass Aleckson now lives the country life in central Minnesota with her own hero and their four kids. She loves rocking out to 80’s music on a Saturday night, playing Balderdash with the fam, and getting lost in good stories. Especially stories that shine grace. And if you’re wondering, yes, Sass is her maiden name. Visit her at www.michellealeckson.com.

CONNECT WITH MICHELLE: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Merging the creative energies of best-selling authors Susan May Warren and Lindsay Harrel, Sunrise Publishing is the matchmaker for established authors who want to build on their current success for future growth and aspiring authors looking to break out, build an audience, and hone their writing skills.

CONNECT WITH SUNRISE: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Email

My Review

Crazy for You
by Michelle Sass Aleckson, Susan May Warren
Book 3 in the Deep Haven Collection
Rating: 4/5

Michelle Sass Aleckson has written Peter’s story and it’s about time! I have been loving these stories from Deep Haven and I especially enjoyed all the small town pros and cons that come up in this particular story.

Moving to Deep Haven was supposed to solve all of their problems. Veronica “Ronnie” Morales and her younger brother, Tiago, need a fresh start after all the bad influences in Minneapolis. Ronnie is sure that the small town of Deep Haven will be everything her former superior in the army, Cole, said it would be. Hired on a probationary basic, Ronnie must prove that her army medic background more than enough proves she deserves the paramedic position for the new Crisis Response Team. Her brother is her first priority but she quickly discovers she’s not very good at first impressions when it comes to working with the people of Deep Haven.

Fire Chief Peter Dahlquist is the peacemaker between the Zimmerman and Dahlquist families, which also makes him related to everyone in town. His indecision regarding a town project is making it more difficult to keep the peace. When Ronnie shows up as the new paramedic, she ruffles a lot of feathers and even gets a rise out of Peter. Can Ronnie’s straightforwardness help Peter make the right decision? When suspicious activities come up, will Peter believe what Ronnie and Tiago have to say?

I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know these characters from Deep Haven more. It was fun recognizing some of the new characters from the first two books in this series and seeing some of the older characters from Susan May Warren’s original books. I really sympathized with Peter and his family situation. I thought Ronnie was a little harder to relate to and she could be a bit annoying at times but then because of her background, you could understand why she was the way she was. The faith aspect of this book was sweet and rang true but it didn’t hit you in the feels the way Susan May Warren always does. However, the fact that this book is lighter on the faith aspects might be something you enjoy more depending on what you like to read. I really enjoyed seeing the family feud parts and also the parts with the teenagers. I’d love to focus some more on the youth in Deep Haven but that’s a whole other series.

Highly recommend if you enjoy Christian romantic comedies with small town antics and a hint of mystery.

My thanks to the publisher for providing me with an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.

Five Facts About Michelle Sass Aleckson You May Not Know

Although I can be bossy, I’m an atypical oldest child in that I’m NOT very organized or on top of things. I can’t even see my “writing desk” because I never write at it. It’s a great surface for my piles though! ⁠
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I’m an omnivert. I love connecting with people but I need my alone time too. My favorite people are my husband and four kiddos. We like to connect by going on road trips and playing games ⁠
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I’m horribly indecisive. I like a sampler platter so I don’t have to choose one thing. ⁠
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My hubby and I secretly plan on running away someday… preferably to the ocean. We love our small town but there’s just something about being on the sand and watching the waves. ⁠
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I am a big-picture person. Give me the main idea first, please. Details are not my thing. Thank goodness for editors!⁠

ALSO AVAILABLE

Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a $15 Amazon gift card + 3 Crazy for You ebooks (one ebook for the winner and two to give to friends)!

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight May 25, 2021 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on June 1, 2021. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE

Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.

May 25, 2021 by Kim Book Reviews Giveaway

Book Review: Curvy Girls Can’t Dance by Kelsie Stelting

Curvy Girls Can’t Dance
by Kelsie Stelting
Book 7 in the Curvy Girls Club series
Rating: 4/5
Release date: May 22, 2021

I am such a huge fan of this amazing series. Kelsie Stelting knows how to write entertaining and insightful stories about teenage girls growing up and she does not disappoint with this book. You will just gobble this story up and not want to stop twirling.

Adriel’s dancing is everything to her. When she gets kicked off her dance team and out of her studio, she is at a loss for what to do with herself. Having struggled with her weight despite eating a clean diet, Addy turns to a doctor for help who suggests strength training. Luckily, Addy’s stepfather, Ted, owns a gym. When Addy starts working out with a trainer every day, she finds that local bodybuilder talent, Carter, also works out there. Carter is the distraction that Addy doesn’t need but can’t help but feel drawn to. When Carter offers to help Addy enter the next dance contest to qualify for Nationals, she reluctantly agrees. Addy must figure out how to manage her growing feelings for Carter with her dreams of dancing as a career.

Adriel has some real health issues plus her issues with her father and stepfather which the author is able to address in an authentic way. Carter’s insecurities also shine some light into his past which affects his blooming relationship with Addy. I loved how the author also brought back a surprise guest near the end. I love this series and how inspiring the author is with all her characters. I love how encouraging and body positive the author is and cannot wait to read the next installment in this series.

Highly recommend if you enjoy YA sweet romance with a good message and lots of laughs.
PG-13 content.

My thanks to the author for providing me with an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.

Get your copy here!

May 21, 2021 by Kim Book Reviews

JustRead Blog Tour: Hooked On You by Kathleen Fuller

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Hooked On You by Kathleen Fuller, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: Hooked On You
Series: Maple Falls Romance #1
Author: Kathleen Fuller
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Release Date: May 11, 2021
Genre: Contemporary Romance (clean/sweet)

She never wanted to come back. He never wants to leave. The town of Maple Falls has plans for them both.

Riley McAllister is living the dream in New York City . . . if the dream means being a struggling mixed-media artist, part-time food delivery driver, and having a carefully curated social media to hide all of the above. She refuses to admit defeat and move back to small-town Maple Falls, but when her grandmother breaks her leg sliding into third base during a softball game (she was safe, by the way), Riley reluctantly agrees to go home and help the woman who raised her—while secretly hoping she can convince Mimi to sell her house and yarn shop and move in with a good friend. Then Riley can return to her new life in NYC, on her own and for good.

But Mimi has her own plans, which include setting Riley up with local baseball star Hayden Price, who returned to Maple Falls after an injury ended his major league career. Now he works at his father’s hardware store, coaches the church softball team, and worries about the declining town. It’s not the life he dreamed of having.

With a little meddling and a lot of kindness from the town, Hayden and Riley find themselves unexpectedly falling for each other as they discover the true meaning of home.

Welcome to Maple Falls, where everyone knows your name and your business.

*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

With over a million copies sold, USA Today Bestselling author Kathleen Fuller is the author of several bestselling novels, including the Hearts of Middlefield novels, the Middlefield Family novels, the Amish of Birch Creek series, and the Amish Letters series as well as a middle-grade Amish series, the Mysteries of Middlefield. Visit her online at KathleenFuller.com

She and her husband James live in Arkansas and have three adult children. When she’s not writing, Kathleen is avidly crocheting, reading, and traveling, sometimes all at the same time. She runs the Facebook group Books & Hooks, which combines her love of books, crochet, and collecting recipes that she’ll never have enough time to make.

CONNECT WITH KATHLEEN: Website | Facebook | Instagram

MY REVIEW

Hooked On You
by Kathleen Fuller
Book 1 in the Maple Falls series
Rating: 4/5

I don’t remember if I’ve ever read anything from Kathleen Fuller before, but I loved the description of the book and couldn’t help myself. I was excited to be chosen to receive an ARC of the book and I was NOT disappointed. The book is everything you’d want in a sweet romance.

Riley McAllister’s life on Instagram is very different than her actual life as a struggling mixed media artist who has to be a part-time delivery driver in New York City. She is determined to not return to her small hometown of Maple Falls, but when her grandmother, “Mimi”, breaks her leg, Riley comes home to help take care of her and the yarn store. Coming home after almost 10 years is not easy for Riley who has always felt like an outsider due to her tumultuous past, but seeing Hayden Price again might make it worth it. Hayden Price, the golden boy of Maple Falls who made it to the major leagues only to hurt himself during the first game, is content to help run his parents’ hardware store. Can Riley help her grandmother’s store and home without the help of Hayden Price? Probably not but being around him so much might cause her heart to beat out of her chest. Can Riley learn to trust Hayden and open up her heart to her secret high school crush? When secrets are revealed, can Riley learn to forgive and let go of the past?

This book was a nice, sweet romance between two very different people. I liked Riley’s character because she had to deal with her very real, tragic circumstances and learn to overcome them. Hayden’s rise to fame and then quick fall affected him a lot but I loved how he was able to heal with the help of therapy and time. This story is definitely a light read with a couple more serious parts that just make the characters more authentic. I feel this book is more on the inspirational side of Christian fiction and does not get in your face about the Bible.

Highly recommend if you enjoy clean, sweet romance with a lot of heart and yarn! 😉

My thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.

TOUR GIVEAWAY

(3) winners will receive a print copy of Hooked On You by Kathleen Fuller!

Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight May 17, 2021 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on May 24, 2021. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE

Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

May 18, 2021 by Kim Book Reviews Giveaway

Inside the Wong Mind: Reading is my therapy

Hello. This blog is all mine and I will do my best to post what interests me and what books I read with honest reviews. I am a lover of good Christian fiction with a touch of romance, mystery, intrigue, humor, fun, etc. I invite you to join me as I read my way through books and life. I am currently pursuing my residency training as a family medicine physician!!! I have to carefully choose what I want to read for fun. My name is Kim and you are entering the Wong Mind.