Hadley Beckett’s Next Dish by Bethany Turner Rating: 4.5/5
How have I never heard of this author before?!! She is unreal! Her writing hits you right in the feels and she tackles emotions like no one I’ve ever read before. I could not put this book down (or stop listening to the audiobook which was really well done). Her main characters are so well written and developed.
Maxwell Cavanagh is a celebrity chef who knows he’s the best with nine Michelin stars and has the top-rated cooking show “To the Max” and is about to win a competition against Hadley Beckett, the Southern host of “At Home with Hadley”. When Max loses it when Hadley beats him, everything changes. While Max enters rehab, Hadley and her show become the top-rated show and she gets offered her dream of being featured on “Renowned”! Unfortunately, this dream comes with having to deal with Chef Max as a partner. As the two explore what it means to forgive and learn to trust each other to be able to work together, can they see past the celebrity personas and find love?
I laughed. I cried. I couldn’t stop reading (or listening). The message about forgiveness and second chances and dealing with the past and your identity is so authentic and ridiculously relatable. I’ve never read so many truths in a fictional book. I will definitely be reading more from Bethany Turner. She has a way with words that acknowledges and validates the character’s feelings but also gives them a way to move on and find healing. I am blown away by the author’s characters and her ability to incorporate faith and truth into real-life situations.
I highly recommend for those that enjoy contemporary Christian romance with humor with the ability to address life’s harder subjects. (I’d also check out the audiobook too!)
My thanks to the author and Revell 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.
The Way of the Brave by Susan May Warren Book 1 of the Global Search and Rescue series Rating: 5/5
Words cannot describe how much I loved reading this adrenaline-fueled climb up and down Denali. I wasn’t ready. The love story is surrounded by the suspense found in all of Warren’s search and rescue books and does NOT disappoint. The tension never let up and forced me to keep reading till the end.
Orion’s past continues to haunt him as his friend tries to lure him to join his global search and rescue team. As former SEAL buddies, he enjoys their friendship but doesn’t want to go back to his life as a pararescue jumper. When he and his friends are called out to rescue three women stranded on the mountain, he finds himself back in the game whether he likes it or not – only this time one of the women who needs saving is the one that got away before his entire life changed. Back in Afghanistan, he and Jacie had connected but he’d never seen her after that fateful mission where he busted his knee. For some reason, she changed her name to Jenny but he’d recognize her anywhere. Can Orion and his buddies find and rescue the woman of his dreams and her friends before it’s too late? Or will Mother Nature or God just allow obstacle after obstacle to get in their way to safety?
My heart can’t take this. Haha. I loved everything about this story. If you’ve ever seen the movie, Vertical Limit, you will understand but this book is better! (The movie was also referenced in the book which made me smile.) The main characters are dealing with their own issues and fears but Warren has a way of weaving in forgiveness and redemption into all her stories that just makes me cry and laugh and stand in awe of the Savior. The technical terms she must have researched makes the story authentic but still a bit confusing since I’m not as familiar with all the mountain climbing terms. You can tell she put her heart and soul into this story. She really starts preaching near the end which I loved; she’s not afraid to share her heart and God’s heart when it comes to forgiveness and shame.
I highly recommend this book for those that love Christian romantic suspense and I can’t wait for the next in the series!
My thanks to Revell and NetGalley for an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.
Book: The Wedding Dress Christmas Author: Rachel Hauck Genre: Romance, Christmas Release Date: October 22, 2019
December covers quaint Heart’s Bend, Tennessee with a blanket of white and the glitter of Christmas lights.
For JoJo Castle there’s no place like home. It’s her safe place. Her one-time love of adventure ended when life in the big city shattered her hopes and dreams. Now that she’s returned to Hearts Bend, she never wants to leave again.
Buck Mathews, the biggest country singing sensation in decades, has the world on a string – his guitar strings, to be exact. However, when news of his mother’s illness sends him back to Hearts Bend for the holiday season, he remembers how good it can be to live among family and friends.
Working with her cousin Haley in The Wedding Shop, JoJo has no aspirations of love. Leaving home, surrendering her heart again, is just too risky.
When she runs into her friend and high school crush Buck Mathews, she discovers Love might have other plans for her .
Buck’s career is on the verge of an momentous leap. But seeing JoJo awakens feelings he’d buried long ago. Falling in love is easy, but winning her heart will take more than one of his melodic tunes and clever lyrics.
JoJo and Buck want opposite things for their lives, leaving no room for compromise. Can love, especially the kind that touches hearts at Christmastime, overcome her fears andhis quest for greatness?
When a very special gown – the wedding dress – begins to make its presence known, JoJo and Buck’s hearts bend in a way neither ever thought possible.
Rachel Hauck is an award winning, New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author.
Her book The Wedding Dress was named Inspirational Novel of the Year by Romantic Times Book Reviews. She is a double RITA finalist, and a Christy and Carol Award Winner.
Her book, Once Upon A Prince, first in the Royal Wedding Series, was filmed for an Original Hallmark movie.
Rachel has been awarded the prestigious Career Achievement Award for her body of original work by Romantic Times Book Reviews.
A member of the Executive Board for American Christian Fiction Writers, she teaches workshops and leads worship at the annual conference. She is a past Mentor of The Year.
At home, she’s a wife, writer, worship leader and works out at the gym semi-enthusiastically.
A graduate of Ohio State University (Go Bucks!) with a degree in Journalism, she’s a former sorority girl and a devoted Ohio State football fan. Her bucket list is to stand on the sidelines with Ryan Day.She lives in sunny central Florida with her husband and ornery cat.
My Review
The Wedding Dress Christmas by Rachel Hauck A Novella in the Wedding Dress Collection Rating: 4/5
This story was a quick read and so perfect for the holidays. I am a huge fan of Rachel Hauck and couldn’t wait to read this continuation of her Wedding Dress series. This book can definitely be read as a standalone novella, but I recommend reading the others if you enjoy this one.
JoJo has been back in her hometown for a few years and has been supporting her friend, Haley, in the local wedding dress shop. She uses her PR background to help out the store especially this Black Friday. Shadows of the past haunt her but she feels safe back home in the small town where she knows everyone. She loves her town and has volunteered to help with many different events and activities.
Buck is ready for a break. After all the touring and living on the road, he is excited to go back home and rest. He is even more enthusiastic about going home when he learns that JoJo is back in town. He hopes they can catch up while he’s back. They were inseparable back in high school despite the fact that she was a few years younger than him. Music had been good to him but he was ready for a change – perhaps to settle down?
When JoJo and Buck get roped into helping out with the Children’s Christmas performance which includes an original song, the sparks fly and JoJo must learn to open up her heart for her old crush if she wants to find happiness. Can she be honest about her past and her current feelings? Will Buck’s career and touring get in the way of their relationship?
Honestly, this story reads like a great Hallmark movie. I loved it. The ending seemed a bit rushed to me but it’s a novella so that’s par for the course. Whenever you bring together two characters with shared history, it’s a bit more believable to move the story forward quickly. The songwriting aspect was a lot of fun (this is coming from a fellow singer-songwriter). The characters do get some time to develop and grow. Rachel Hauck is a beautiful writer who can seamlessly weave in a story of God’s love and the faith that sustains us even in the darkest and most confusing places.
I highly recommend for those that enjoy Hallmark movies and inspirational romance.
My thanks to the author, NetGalley, and CelebrateLit for an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.
More From Rachel
Hello Royal Rockstar Readers!
I’m thrilled to share The Wedding Dress Christmas with you. I’ve heard from so many how much The Wedding Dress has touched them, and as I noodled over new story ideas, my thoughts drifted toward the wedding dress and Christmas. What’s more romantic than a Christmas wedding?
This novella is set in Hearts Bend, Tennessee, the fictional town ofThe Wedding Chapel and The Wedding Shop. Even if you’ve never read one of books inThe Wedding Collection, you’ll enjoy this story, the mystery of the dress, and the women whose lives it changed.
I love weddings. They remind us of the purity and the hope of love, the power of commitment. Something powerful is released when two people pledge to spend their lives together, loving and serving one another in both good and bad times. Every wedding I attend reminds me of the vows I made to my husband and I sign up all over again.
Stories are a powerful reflection of life. Yes, fictional stories are often told with wild hyperbole, but that’s what makes them fun to read.
I also love wedding stories because they remind us of God’s love for us, and that one day there will be the grandest wedding of them all. Isn’t it wonderful that God planned a wedding before He created the earth?
In The Wedding Dress Christmas, JoJo and Buck have their issues, but love proves strong enough to conquer them all.
Thanks for going on this little tour with me and The Wedding Dress Christmas.
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.
