Friday Reads: Texas Destiny by Lorraine Heath

This Friday I have a bit of a throwback book for you. I've mentioned before that I didn't grow up reading romance, so I'm playing catch up with some of the oldies but goodies. And one thing I couldn't ever remember reading was a historical western romance. So I decided to give one a try, and I'm so glad I did.

I'm not sure what originally made me download Texas Destiny by Lorraine Heath. I believe someone recommended it to me but my memory fails me. But I saw it when I was skimming through my Kindle titles, seeing what I was in the mood for, and I thought, "Oh, well, I'll read a few pages and see if it captures me." You know how this goes, I didn't stop and finished the book in about two days, lol.

So this one has a mail-order bride set-up in the American West. The brother of the man the heroine's supposed to marry picks her up and is supposed to bring her on the month-long journey to the ranch. Well...guess how that works out? ;)

I really liked the hero in this one. Houston Leigh was injured, half of his face disfigured in the war, and he's a guy who would just rather keep to himself. And though he does some brooding, he's gentler than your normal brooders. Tough on the outside (he's a real deal cowboy after all) but he's more beta hero on the inside. Sweet and kind. And tortured. Because what good is a hero if he's not a tortured one? ;) (Oh, how I love my tortured heroes.)

The heroine, Amelia, also holds her own. She's tough, kind, and good-natured. You root for her.

What was particularly interesting about this book for me is that it *felt* kind of steamy but there really wasn't much sex on the page. Usually, I like my romances burning hot, but this felt like the right amount and tone for this story. And there's a scene with a tent and a latern that totally made me smile.

Be warned that the Kindle version of this did have a few formatting issues, at least on my Kindle. There weren't always breaks between dialogue so I'd stumble on figuring out who was speaking. And there were some paragraph breaks missing. But it wasn't enough to distract too much. I think that's just the nature of the beast when pre-ebook stories are converted into electronic form. 

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and have bought the next one in the series because the two brothers in the story are really strong side characters, especially the youngest, who will get his story in the third book.

About the book:

She was his brother's wife...

Arriving on the Fort Worth train, Miss Amelia Carson, mail-order bride, had never met Dallas Leigh, the Texan she promised to marry. The tall cowboy at the station wasn't Dallas. He was Houston, Dallas's brother, sent to escort her on the rugged three-week trek to the ranch where Dallas waited. Brought up in war-ravaged Georgia, Amelia thought Dallas's letters made Texas sound like heaven, a place for her dreams to grow with the right man beside her.

And his only love...

By all appearances, Houston Leigh would hardly be considered the "right man." The war he survived had scarred him inside and out, and he was little competition for his handsome brother. But from the moment Houston met Amelia, he knew she possessed the courage this wild land needed. She had eyes that could see past his wounded face to his soul. And he would fight any man—except his brother—for her heart. Now he and Amelia were riding down dangerous trails, sleeping under the stars, and God help them, they were falling in love. 

Find the book: Amazon | B&N | Goodreads

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Book of the Month Club

It's that time of the month again--the Book of the Month club picks come out! I have to say I get excited each month to see what's chosen. This month I had a hard time deciding so I ordered three of the five. 

I chose Behind Her Eyes because it's supposed to have some crazy shocking ending. I chose Perfect Little World because it sounded like a fascinating premise that will play to my psychology nerd background. And last I picked The Possessions because it sounded really unique and interesting with a heroine who is a medium and falls for the guy who's dead wife she's channeling. Who doesn't want to know how that's going to turn out?

If you want to sign up for your own trial membership, check it out here. (That is an affiliate link which will earn me free books, but I'm a paying member and they haven't asked me to post about it. I genuinely just enjoy the service.)

That's all I've got for you this Friday. If you missed it earlier in the week, the theme word for February's Read & Watch Challenge was featured along with a ton of recommendations for books, TV shows, and movies. Be sure to check it out. :)

Hope you have a relaxing weekend!

2017 Read & Watch Challenge: February's Word & Recommendations

It's time for the next month of the 2017 Read & Watch Challenge!

 (If you missed the initial post that explained how this works, check it out here. You can join in anytime. There's also a free checklist and reading journal you can download.) 

This month's theme word is RETRO. The best thing about this challenge is that you can choose how to interpret the theme word when selecting which book to read and movie/TV show to watch for that month.

Possible interpretations of the this months' theme:

• A book that was published more than ten years ago.
• A story with a throwback theme (time-travel, 80s references, takes place in a previous decade even if it's a contemporary book)
• A book or TV show/movie from your childhood
• A non-fiction book about something from the past (or technology from that past, I'll have a rec below)
• Historical fiction or romance
• A TV show/movie from the past that's been rebooted
• A book with a retro cover
• A story or documentary about a band/singer from the past

And if you're still having trouble picking something, I've got help! Each month I invite a tastemaker, solicit reader recommendations from my reader group The Fearless Romantics, and I offer my own suggestions and what I'll be reading/watching for the challenge.

On to the recommendations, take it away Genevieve!

Tastemaker of the Month: Author Genevieve Lynne

Oh how I love a good retro story! Maybe it started when my husband and I netflixed Mad Men one week and actually felt like we’d accomplished something. Ten seasons in one week? You’re damn right that was an accomplishment!

What I recommend...

Books:

For my book recommendation I’m gonna mention a few novels. My first one is The Haunting of Maddy Clare by Simone St. James. It’s set in 1920s England, and is about a young woman who takes a job helping a ghost hunter and falls in love with a wounded veteran. It started a little slow, but picked up quickly, and it is creepy you guys. Like in a good way. I’m talking what the hell was that sound?, hurry and get under the covers, sleep with the lamp on creepy. And oh mah gawd there are black crows. Everyone knows black crows mean trouble. It won two well-deserved RITAS a few years ago. What I loved about this novel is that it hit all my favorite genre buttons: romance, mystery, and thriller. 

What I’ll be reading:

I’m going to be reading In the Shadow of Lakecrest. It’s about a woman who discovers her new husband has a dark and disturbing past that has to do with some family secrets she tries to uncover. I do love me a good dark family secrets story. 

TV:

I’m telling everyone who will listen that they need to watch A Crime to Remember on the Investigation Discovery channel. It’s fascinating! Every episode tells the story of a crime that happened anywhere from the 1920s through the 1960s. It goes into the investigation techniques used during that time, and tells how the crime was solved. No DNA testing, no high tech equipment, no fancy chemicals. Check it out. It comes on Tuesdays, but they have the videos on their website, and they play reruns all the time.

What I’ll be watching:

Hidden Figures. Duh, right? I’m almost ashamed to admit I haven’t seen it yet. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE who’s seen it has told me how wonderful it is. For those who may not know, it’s a true story about female African-American mathematicians who worked for NASA. Need I say more? I can’t wait to see it!

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Thanks, Genevieve! Now on to some suggestions from readers...

Reader Group Recommendations

I asked the readers in my reader group, The Fearless Romantics, what their recommendations were. (And if you want to join the reader group, find us here!)

Stacy recommends Mary Balogh's Bedyn Saga series. She says, "this was/is my favorite series of hers. These books led me to Pride and Prejudice, which was set in the same time and had the same locations."

Yanina recommends: "Lisa Kleypas' Wallflower series and BBC'S pride and prejudice" 

Martha said: "I can totally second the rec for Mary Balogh's Bedwyns. I would also put in a shoutout to the old Loveswept novels with Tami Hoag (Sarah's Sin) and Iris Johansen (Sedikhan series). And then there's Johanna Lindsey's Mallorys. I mean, if we're going retro, what's not to love about the Fabio romance covers?! And if you're gonna go to the 80's early 90's bodice ripper covers, then you gotta tackle Tom Cruise romance movies starting with Top Gun, but don't forget Days of Thunder and Far and Away. Round that out with the Wedding Singer Soundtrack, and you're good to go."

Randee said: "Princess bride. Book and movie. Both are amazing not traditional romances but super fun!"

Susan offered a book/movie combo: "I loved the Thorn Birds - book and movie. I remember thinking I could never read a book that long and then stayed up nearly all night two nights in a row to finish it."

And from readers on my Facebook page...

Connie said: "Shanna by Kathleen Woodiwiss most amazing romance author of all time!"

Dixie said: "The first romance that I read and that got me hooked was Seduction by Amanda Quick. Still a favorite reread."

Monica said: "Thirteen Reasons Why with its tape set makes me think of Retro and they just released the trailer for the netflix show to come out the 31st of March."

*From Roni: I read Thirteen Reasons Why years ago and it has stuck with me. Fantastic book. (And I had no idea there were coming out with a show.)

Sharla said: "If Tomorrow Comes by Sidney Sheldon! My favorite old romance. Intrigue, deception, romance, woman finding the kickass within herself... and it was made into a movie in the 80's. Book is better."

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Roni's Recommendations

Books:

HIstorical romance is actually a relatively new genre to me even though most romance readers grew up with them. I've mentioned before, but I didn't grow up reading romance. I was more a suspense and horror girl--but that's mainly because I didn't know romance novels existed, lol. So over the last few years, I've been working my way through some historical romances that people have told me are must reads and I'm totally in love. It's one of the subgenres that I've found I most consistently enjoy. So here are a few that could work for this month's theme.

Again the Magic by Lisa Kleypas

This is one that was recommended to me multiple times and finally I listened. I'm so glad I did. This one got me out of a reading slump last fall. The heroine falls for a servant when they're teens and everything falls apart. He's sent away to a rough life and he thinks she did it. He comes back as a grown man who has become successful in his own right and is now out for revenge. So good.

The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley

Widowed heroine and a hero who has Asperger Syndrome (though he's called mad because they didn't know how to define it back then.) This one was so well done. Super steamy, a mystery woven in, unique characters, and the Asperger aspect was handled well (my son's on the spectrum, so I'm always sensitive to how it's portrayed.) It was one of my few 5-star reads last year.

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TV/Movies:

Hidden Figures

If you haven't seen this, you are completely missing out. (I'm probably one of the ones who told Genevieve to get her butt to the movies, lol.) Go. Now. So well done, fantastic acting, and a story that will make you cheer aloud. When I saw it, the entire theater applauded and whooped. I can't remember the last time I've had that happen in a movie. Even my nine-year old who sometimes has trouble staying focused for a "non-kid" movie was into it. (Though I had to do a little whisper-explaining along the way.) He just learned about civil rights and MLK so it was a great movie to add to that.

 Fuller House (Netflix Original)

When I saw that Netflix was doing a reboot of Full House with the kids from the original cast (along with regular appearances by the entire cast), I couldn't resist because it was one of my favorite shows growing up. However, I had pretty big doubts that it'd be any good. It's hard to recapture something like that. I was wrong. I've gobbled up both seasons like candy. They somehow manage to embrace the original schtick of the show (including the requisite the group hugs and cheesiness) and it totally works. There are also nods to old episodes and inside jokes. There is also an appearance by the New Kids on the Block. I mean, come on, how can a child of the 80s/90s resist? Things are stressful in the world right now, so this is a show to go to when you just want to laugh and feel warm and fuzzy. It's also a show you can watch with your kids, which is hard to find these days. 

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What I'll Be Reading and Watching

Books:

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

This is a book I chose from the Book of the Month Club and I've started but not gotten too deep into it. The premise is futuristic, which doesn't seem like it'd fit the retro them, BUT it's all about 80s references. 

Here's the summary because it's hard to explain: 

In the year 2044, reality is an ugly place. The only time teenage Wade Watts really feels alive is when he's jacked into the virtual utopia known as the OASIS. Wade's devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world's digital confines—puzzles that are based on their creator's obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them. 

   But when Wade stumbles upon the first clue, he finds himself beset by players willing to kill to take this ultimate prize. The race is on, and if Wade's going to survive, he'll have to win—and confront the real world he's always been so desperate to escape.

But that "obsession with pop culture" it mentions is an obsession with the 80s. Wade has to basically devote his life to studying pop culture from the 1980s to solve the game. So if you're a child of the 80s, your head is going to spin with all the references. Like I said, I started this one, but haven't gotten too deep into it. I'm hoping to fix that this month.

The Revenge of Analog: Real Things and Why They Matter by David Sax

As someone who is dedicated to her paper planner, reads more paper books than digital, and has vinyl albums on her wall, this book is speaking to me. I've read a little so far and am finding it fascinating.

Texas Glory by Lorraine Heath

I read Texas Destiny this past week. I'm not sure if I've ever read a historical western romance before, but I loved this one. It's old school so there's head-hopping to get used to but it was a great story. I'll probably blog about it more on Friday. But I've bought Texas Glory, the next book in the series, and hope to get to it this month.

TV/Movies:

Gilmore Girls (on Netflix)

I am apparently one of the few ladies in my age group who totally missed this show when it originally aired. I'm fixing that now. I'm about 6 episodes into season one and loving it.

The Princess Bride

I've never seen it. I know, I know. I need to fix that. I'm taking the recs from my reader group and putting this on my list. :)

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Update: What I Read/Watched for the January Challenge of BEGIN:

Read:

The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon (I raved about it here.)

Watched:

OJ: Made In America (Almost done with this one. It's up for a number of awards and is very well done. It's not simply about the trial but delves into so many other things. I thought this might be redundant because we already watched The People vs. OJ which was excellent, but this is documentary style and incorporates so much more than just the trial.

Missed January's recommendations? Check them out here. 

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Thanks to our Tastemaker of the Month - Genevieve Lynne!

In Bokchito, Oklahoma, you know everyone and trust no one…

Emily Matthews swore she’d never expose her son Jack to her dysfunctional family that sent her running from Bokchito at only seventeen. The sins of her past still haunt her, but when her brother lands in jail, she has no choice but to go back and face her old demons.

Miller Anderson has never forgotten about the girl who ran out of his life thirteen years ago… 

And with the secret he’s keeping from Emily, he knows he most likely never will. But when his daughter Abby plays matchmaker to set him up with his lost love, he can’t resist the resurgence of emotion that has them reliving their high school glory days.

Evil has a way of waiting for what it wants…

Just when Emily and Miller discover their old flame hasn’t died, they learn another fire has been smoldering in Bokchito. Her family’s long line of sins, kindled with a generation-old grudge, ignites when Emily discovers the truth about Miller’s daughter and is forced to choose between protecting Miller’s secret and the one thing she can’t afford to lose…her son Jack. 

Caught up in a game of lies and dirt road scandal, Emily must risk everything to save her son and preserve Miller’s good name, or let her family’s darkest secret ruin them both. 

Free on Kindle Unlimited or buy for 3.99 or get it in the boxed set, on sale today for only 99 cents!

Find Genevieve online: Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Get a free coloring sheet!

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So who's in for this month? What are you going to be reading and watching? For those who did it last month, how'd your January challenge go? 

Recommended Reading: The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley

The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie (Mackenzies Series)

By Jennifer Ashley

You ever have a book that you buy because someone recommended it, but then you forget about it and it sits on your shelf or on your e-reader forever? I have so many of those, so sometimes it takes not just one or two mentions of a book, but repeated, beat-me-over-the-head mentions to get me to pick it up.

That's the case for The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie. Amazon shows that I bought this book on a sale in October of 2013, but I never read it. Then I saw people mentioning last week that it was on sale again and Dear Author raved about it, so I dug it out the pile on my Kindle. And I'm so glad I did.

I know why I bought it in the first place--besides the recs. The hero has Asperger Syndrome (though it isn't defined as such within the story because, in those times, they would've just thought the person was mad.) My son is on the spectrum and leans closest to Asperger's. So I'm always curious to read stories when that's portrayed. Also, sometimes I'm scared to read them because if it isn't portrayed accurately or respectfully, I get annoyed. I'm happy to say that Jennifer Ashley did a splendid job with Lord Ian's portrayal as a high-functioning Aspie. He was smart and endearing and sometimes frustrating, but still a sexy, swoon-worthy hero. I also liked that she showed his frustration with himself because he can't help doing some things a certain way. 

The story itself involves a bit of a mystery, but what I loved most was the couple. The heroine was a great fit for Ian--strong-willed and not letting him get away with anything. I also liked that she wasn't the typical historical heroine. She was an older heroine who has lived some life (she's a widow) and wasn't raised with wealth. That gave a different flavor to the story.

And boy was the story steamy--more so than I'm used to reading in historicals, so that was a fun surprise. :) Overall, I'm glad that I finally pulled this one off my virtual shelf and read it. And lucky for you, it's still on sale for $1.99 if you want to grab it! Just don't wait three years to read it like I did, lol.

What have you read lately that you're recommending to everyone?

Fill Your Shelves for Fall Book Giveaway (Day 5) - Historical Romances & A Genre Grab Bag!

If you missed it this week, I'm doing a huge giveaway of over FIFTY romances this week. Each day I'm featuring a different subgenre. We've been at it all week with different romance genres. But today is the day for Historical Romance and a special Mixed Genre Grab Bag.

Historical Prize Pack: 

AND

To Enter: You MUST fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Simply leaving a comment will not enter you for the contest. Contest ends Friday Sept. 20. Winner will be chosen and notified the following week.

Note: Contest for U.S. and Canada Only. Some books in the prizes packs are used. Signed books (besides Caught Up In You) are signed To Roni since these are books from my personal library and were not donated by the author. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Mixed Genre Grab Bag of Goodness: 

PLUS

A signed copy of CAUGHT UP IN YOU

To Enter: You MUST fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Simply leaving a comment will not enter you for the contest. Contest ends Friday Sept. 20. Winner will be chosen and notified the following week.

Note: Contest for U.S. and Canada Only. Some books in the prizes packs are used. Signed books (besides Caught Up In You) are signed To Roni since these are books from my personal library and were not donated by the author. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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*You can enter as many of this week's contests as you would like. You're not limited to only entering one. So be sure to click back through previous posts from the week. :)

THE SCHEDULE FOR THE WEEK WAS...

• Monday: Contemporary Romance
• Tuesday: Paranormal Romance
• Wednesday: Erotic Romance
• Thurday: Young Adult
• Friday: Historical Romance and A Mixed Genre Grab Bag

CONTEST CLOSES NEXT FRIDAY!!! Winners will be contacted after that.

Thanks to all those who entered and have a great weekend!