Inside the Wong Mind

Entwined by Jody Hedlund

About the Book

Title: Entwined
Series: Knights of Brethren #2
Author: Jody Hedlund
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: Northern Lights Press
Release Date: December 7, 2021

During a time when legends were born . . .

ENTWINED

A princess cursed from birth, a loyal knight worthy of being king, and a sword that can determine their destiny.

After growing up on a remote farm, Lis learns she is the rightful heir to the throne of Norvegia. Even as she does her part to thwart a dangerous plot against the king, she resists pursuing her new identity and resigns herself to a simple life helping her elderly father with their farm.

With the king losing his mind, Sir Ansgar, the highest knight in the land, is desperate to save the sovereign he’s sworn to protect. But before Ansgar can uncover what is causing the king’s demise, he finds himself falsely accused of treason and dismissed from court.

In danger of losing his life, Ansgar takes refuge on Lis’s farm. Love soon blossoms between Ansgar and Lis, even as they realize a future together is impossible. Yet they must unite to save the kingdom from ever-growing forces of evil. Are their destinies entwined? Or will they be ripped apart forever?

The real story of Excalibur continues . . .

Purchase your copy here or read on Kindle Unlimited

About the Author

Jody Hedlund is the author of over thirty historicals for both adults and teens and is the winner of numerous awards including the Christy, Carol, and Christian Book Award.

Jody lives in central Michigan with her husband, five busy children, and five spoiled cats. Although Jody prefers to experience daring and dangerous adventures through her characters rather than in real life, she’s learned that a calm existence is simply not meant to be (at least in this phase of her life!).

When she’s not penning another of her page-turning stories, she loves to spend her time reading, especially when it also involves consuming coffee and chocolate.

My Review

Entwined
by Jody Hedlund
Book 2 in the Knights of Brethren series
Rating: 4/5

“Everything about him was engaging—his determination to protect the king, his effortless way of conversing, his intelligence and wit, his strong and compelling presence.”

I just flew through this story and enjoyed every moment. The chemistry between lost Princess Lis and Sir Ansgar was so apparent even Red recognized it before the two humans. I was excited to read more in this series and the author did not disappoint. The characters are further developed and it was fun to see my literary “friends” again. Though you could probably read this story as a standalone, it would make a little bit more sense if you read the previous book, Enamored, first. I believe this series will be four books total and I will be reading more in this series.

“The greatest honor a man can experience is dying to himself and living for a greater cause.”

The author’s characters and settings are so well done and the loose retelling of the King Arthur world is beautiful. This story was such a fun escape into Arthurian times but also included some faith aspects which I found appropriate and not forced. Lis must come to grips with her past and her heritage. Ansgar must deal with accusations of treason while trying to protect the king. As frustrating as villains are, the author does a great job with developing her villains and setting up the next books.

“One can never gain something truly valuable without sacrifice.”

Highly recommend for those that enjoy an explosive love story with dragons, bargains, and the magic of the real Excalibur!

Content: Clean read with some violence and action scenes.

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.

Also Available

Read my review of Enamored here.

December 7, 2021 by Kim Book Reviews

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Broken Dreams by Traci Hunter Abramson

About the Book

Title: Broken Dreams
Series: Dream’s Edge #1.5
Author: Traci Hunter Abramson
Genre: Inspirational Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Covenant Communications
Release Date: November 1, 2021

A lifetime ago, Maggie Alexander’s parents narrowly missed medaling in the Olympics as pairs figure skaters. Now a coach, her father Gordon is living his dreams through the skaters he trains—until Maggie is forced to deliver heartbreaking news: her mother’s battle against cancer will be a losing one. Shattered, her father loses his dreams in an instant—his beloved wife and his will to coach. Left to pick up the pieces, a devastated Maggie finds herself relying on the steadfast support of her childhood best friend, Lance Whitmore.

Despite the fact that Maggie has never seen Lance as more than a friend, his heart has always been hers. Lance does what he can to help Maggie work through her grief, and soon their friendship blossoms into love. But when distance threatens their relationship, Maggie is torn between building a life with the man she loves and helping her broken father rebuild his life.

Purchase your copy here!

About the Author

Traci Hunter Abramson was born in Arizona, where she lived until moving to Venezuela for a study-abroad program. After graduating from Brigham Young University, she worked for the Central Intelligence Agency for several years, eventually resigning in order to raise her family. She credits the CIA with giving her a wealth of ideas as well as the skills needed to survive her children’s teenage years. She has gone on to write more than twenty bestselling novels that have consistently been nominated as Whitney Award finalists and seven-time Whitney Award winner. When she’s not writing, Traci enjoys spending time with her husband and five children, preferably on a nice quiet beach somewhere. She also enjoys sports, travel, writing, and coaching high school swimming.

Connect with Traci: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Bookbub

My Review

Broken Dreams
by Traci Hunter Abramson
Book 1.5 in the Dream’s Edge series
Rating: 4/5

Set in the world of Dream’s Edge, this story focuses on Gordon and his family’s backstory before he agrees to coach Tyler and Amaliya from Book 1: An Unlikely Pair. When his wife’s cancer becomes fatal, Gordon can’t bring himself to do or see anything that reminds him of his beloved Irene. He is grief-stricken and can’t find it in himself to even go to work on the ice. Meanwhile, his daughter, Maggie, is also dealing with her grief but finding new love with her best friend and childhood neighbor, Lance.

This novella is definitely a sadder story but does still have some lighter moments. It’s an easy read and well written. The unbearable and overwhelming grief that Gordon has is understandable and unfortunately, he does not handle it well.

“Could he learn to coach without her when he had yet to learn to live without her?”

Meanwhile, the developing love story of Maggie and Lance is adorable and very sweet. When the long distance starts straining the relationship, Maggie and Lance have a choice to make. Because of the shorter length of the story, the author did not quite go into as much development of the characters but she did provide enough for the reader to connect and sympathize.

Highly recommend this clean, sweet romance about what happens after your dreams are broken.

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.

Also Available

Follow along on the Blog Tour!

Monday, Nov 29
Books and Everyday Life
My Book A Day

Tuesday, Nov 30
Lisa is a Bookworm
Literary Time Out

Wednesday, Dec 1
Reading with Emily
Books Are Sanity

Thursday, Dec 2
Books by Katydid

Friday, Dec 3
Why Not? Because I Said So!
Life is What It’s Called

Saturday, Dec 4
Holly’s Book Corner
Inside the Wong Mind

Tour Giveaway

WIN a EBOOK copy of Broken Dreams by Traci Hunter Abramson (US addresses only)

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December 4, 2021 by Kim Book Reviews Giveaway

A Nutcracker Christmas by Laurie Winter

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

A Nutcracker Christmas

By Laurie Winter

Sweet Contemporary Romance, Magical

Paperback & ebook, 210 Pages

October 11, 2021 by Champagne Book Group

Suddenly let go from her news anchor position, Aria Roberts heads north to stay at her late Great-Aunt Clara’s house. She has many good memories there and wishes to give Clara’s Christmas Shoppe, which is located on the first floor of the Victorian mansion, one final holiday season. When Aria arrives, she finds the special gift Clara left for her—an antique nutcracker with a poem hidden under the back lever. Aria reads the poem out loud. At sundown that night, those words magically bring the nutcracker to life.

Kort Zellner awakes inside the familiar surroundings of Clara’s house but learns she has passed away and now her great-niece resides there. The curse placed on him three hundred years ago traps him in the form of a nutcracker but allows him to return every December 1st through midnight on Christmas Day—only between sundown and sunrise.

After some convincing, Aria believes Kort’s strange story. She helps him experience life as he is gifted so few hours alive and in doing so, falls in love. He knows his curse makes it impossible to give her the constant relationship she deserves. His plan to leave her forever on Christmas Day collides with Aria’s desire to build a future together, even if for only twenty-five nights a year.

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Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Champagne Books

About the Author

Multi-award winning author Laurie Winter is a true warrior of the heart. Inspired by her dreams, she creates authentic characters who overcome the odds and find true love. She keeps her life balanced with regular yoga practice and running with her dog, Shadow. When not pounding the pavement or the keyboard, she’s likely fueling up on wine, cheese curds, and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.

Excerpt

She’d metaphorically offered a hand, and he’d pushed it away. He’d hurt her. Aria deserves better. He drifted toward her, then set his large hands on her shoulders, one on each side, and turned her around to face him. “Many…many years ago, I lived with an elderly earl who owed a large country estate outside of London. He had a massive library, and I’d spend most of my waking hours reading.” He focused his gaze on her face, drinking in her beautiful warm eyes and smooth skin.

“I like where this story is going.” The edges of her mouth lifted.

He worked to calm his nerves. Being vulnerable hadn’t come naturally at any point in his life. “Some of my favorites were collections of poems by John Keats. Touch has a memory, he wrote in one of his works.”

Kort brushed back the hair from her face then ran the pad of his thumb across her forehead. How much longer do we have together? If he fell in love with her, would she become a memory as well, haunting him like all the rest?

“Keats was correct. I still remember the texture of my wife’s hair when I ran my fingers through it, although I can’t recall her face. I can feel the weight of my children as they sat on my lap, but I can no longer hear the sound of their voices in my head.” He took a deep breath, needing to control the threatening tears. “They’ve faded away. Now all I have left is the memory of their touch. I’m trapped, with no hope of escape.”

Tears ran down her cheeks. Her gaze darted away before returning to him. “There’s always hope.”

Tour Schedule

Tour Giveaway

One winner will receive a print copy of A NUTCRACKER CHRISTMAS or ONCE UPON A PRINCE by Laurie Winter, $25 Amazon gift card, and a nutcracker Christmas ornament (US only)

Ends December 8, 2021

ENTER HERE

December 2, 2021 by Kim Blitz 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.