It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #334

Hosted by: The Book Date

Here is what I finished last week:

I loved Far Side of the Sea and A Messed-Up Match was a cute novella.

What I am currently reading:

Absolutely loving this one! I was hoping to finish this weekend but some stressful life stuff made me not able to handle reading, especially an emotionally intense story like this one.

What I hope to read this week:

Not entirely sure what's up next. I do have a few books left from my month's TBR.

Hope you have a great reading week, thanks for taking the time to check out mine!

Leave your link below and I'll be sure to stop by!

It's (Not) Monday! What Are You Reading? #333

Hosted by: The Book Date

Here is what I finished last week:

So I took a couple breaks from my current read and read these two! Knox was amazing and If She Dares was a really fun read! I had the flu for the second half of last week so I didn't have a lot of brain power for reading.

What I am currently reading:

Still loving this one! 

What I hope to read this week:

Hoping to get to this one this week! I have been waiting for so long!

Hope you have a great reading week, thanks for taking the time to check out mine!

Leave your link below and I'll be sure to stop by!

A Return of Devotion by Kristi Ann Hunter

About the Book
Daphne Blakemoor was perfectly happy living in her own secluded world for twelve years. She had everything she needed--loved ones, a true home, and time to indulge her imagination. But when ownership of the estate where she works as a housekeeper passes on, and the new marquis has an undeniable connection to her past, everything she's come to rely upon is threatened.
William, Marquis of Chemsford's main goal in life is to be the exact opposite of his father. Starting a new life in the peace and quiet of the country sounds perfect until his housekeeper turns his life upside down.

They've spent their lives hiding from the past. Can they find the courage to face their deepest wounds and, perhaps, find a new path for the future together?

My Thoughts
The Hawthorne House series will probably forever be my favorite but this sophomore series of Kristi Ann Hunter is shaping up to be quite enjoyable in it's own right.
In the first book Daphne seemed to be the mother hen of the group and I was very intrigued to see how her story would play out after she no longer had all of her chicks to look after. I enjoyed watching as she started to figure out her identity outside of the circumstances that she found herself in. I especially loved the way William helped her to see her strengths and value. Daphne was definitely a day-dreamer which is not something I can relate to but for me her day dreams were kept short enough that they never really bothered me.
William was an interesting character. Born in to the aristocracy he did have a bit of an arrogance to him but he also wasn't above being shown that he was wrong, and he put up with all the crazy unexplained antics of those at Haven Manor without firing the lot of them.
There were so many reasons why Daphne and William wouldn't work as a couple but I admired the way that they fought for their happily ever after. They didn't just accept the facts as they were but instead found ways to compromise and come to a middle ground. Things weren't going to be easy for them but they realized they had something worth fighting for.
I was laughing out loud several times at all the various goings on at the Manor, as they tried to keep William from finding out what his property had been used for. I also absolutely loved Jess's character once again and I positively cannot wait for her story!
Overall this was a wonderful follow up to A Defense of Honor and I can't recommend this author enough!

Meet the Author
Kristi Ann Hunter graduated from Georgia Tech with a degree in computer science but always knew she wanted to write. Kristi is a RITA Award winner, an ACFW Genesis contest winner, and a Georgia Romance Writers Maggie Award for Excellence winner. She lives with her husband and three children in Georgia. Find her online at www.kristiannhunter.com.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own. 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #332

Hosted by: The Book Date

Here is what I finished last week:

A pretty fabulous week of reading! One Thing I Know was my favorite !

What I am currently reading:

Just starting this but it's sure to be amazing!

What I hope to read this week:

I'm excited for this one!

Hope you have a great reading week, thanks for taking the time to check out mine!

Leave your link below and I'll be sure to stop by!

It's (Not) Monday! What Are You Reading? #331

Hosted by: The Book Date

Here is what I finished last week:

A fantastic week of reading! I loved all of these!

What I am currently reading:

(I've technically finished both of these)

What I hope to read this week:

My next review books! I'm excited for all of these!

Hope you have a great reading week, thanks for taking the time to check out mine!

Leave your link below and I'll be sure to stop by!

Castle on the Rise by Kristy Cambron

About the Book
A storied castle. A band of rebels.
A nation chasing a centuries-old dream of freedom.
And three women who rise above it all . . .

When Laine Forrester travels overseas to attend her best friend’s vineyard wedding, she expects to find the bride on the brink of a fairy-tale life. But after a series of unforeseen setbacks, it seems the storybook lives they’d imagined are suddenly ripping apart.
With hopes of resurrecting a happy ending, Laine agrees to accompany the newlyweds to the groom’s home in Ireland—never expecting she’d be the one drawn in by its wide-open moors, backroads bordering the Irish Sea, and a mysterious castle that dares to keep its secrets hidden.
From the storied streets of Dublin to the shores of the Emerald Isle, Laine is drawn in to the land and its rich history. The castle ruins whisper stories of Issy—a photojournalist battling through the 1916 Easter Rising, and Maeve—the castle’s lady of legend, fighting for survival through the 1798 rebellion that started it all.

Spanning more than two centuries, Castle on the Rise unites the legacy of three women who must risk mending the broken places within for life, love, and the belief that even through the depths of our pain, a masterpiece of a story can emerge.

My Thoughts
I have a confession to make. I did not read this book from start to finish as it was intended. I love Kristy Cambron’s writing but while book one in this series was definitely amazing the three timelines lost me a bit and made my head hurt. So with this book I opted to read each story separately in its entirety, like a novella collection. And I loved it! It allowed me to fully enjoy each of the three stories without any of the struggle to place when and where we were.
Each of the three stories were beautifully crafted, transporting me to the gorgeous Emerald Isle at various times in its storied history. I never really learned much about what was happening in Ireland during these years, so the history nerd in me was fascinated!
I will admit that the modern day story of Laine and Cormac was my favorite of the three. I really loved them as a couple and I loved watching them fall in love. But the other two couples’s stories were amazing as well!

In short this book was beautifully crafted from start to finish and I loved it!

Meet the Author
KRISTY CAMBRON is an award-winning author of historical fiction, including her bestselling debut The Butterfly and the Violin, and an author of Bible studies, including the Verse Mapping series. She's a Women's Ministry Leader at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, KY, and a passionate storyteller who travels to speak at events across the country, encouraging women to experience a deeper life in the Word through verse mapping. Her work has been named to Publishers Weekly Religion & Spirituality TOP 10, Library Journal Reviews' Best Books, RT Reviewers' Choice Awards, received 2015 & 2017 INSPY Award nominations, and has been featured at CBN, Lifeway Women, Jesus Calling, Country Woman Magazine, MICI Magazine, Faithwire, (in)Courage, and Bible Gateway.

Kristy holds a degree in Art History/Research Writing, and has 15 years of experience in education and leadership development for a Fortune-100 Corporation, working in partnership with such companies as the Disney Institute, IBM/Kenexa, and Gallup. She lives in Indiana with her husband and three sons, and can probably be bribed with a peppermint mocha latte and a good read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.