Book Review with Featured Author: Summer by the River by Debbie Burns

Summer by the River by Debbie Burns

Publisher & Release: Sourcebooks Casablanca, March 2, 2021

Genre: Contemporary Women’s Fiction

Length: 332 Pages

Heat Level: 1.5 Flames

Rating: 5 Gold Crowns

Book Description: 

Bestselling author Debbie Burns combines her love for rescue dogs with a compelling woman's journey in her brand new romantic women's fiction.

Making a fresh start in a new part of the country is challenging, but fate and good fortune lead Josie Waterhill and six-year-old Zoe from urban war-zone LA to cozy Galena, Illinois—a famous Midwestern small town right on the river. There, Josie can raise Zoe away from the violent life she once knew, and make a new home in the historic house where they've been invited to stay.

The situation is perfect, until Josie's elderly landlord Myra welcomes more guests—journalist Carter O'Brien and his giant rescue dog, Buttercup. Carter is charming, compassionate...and way too curious. Carter's interest in Josie deepens and he inadvertently stirs up trouble when he uncovers things that Josie would rather not have known. Ready or not, love happens and Josie has to let go of her painful past so she can create a glorious future.

 

Buy Links:

 

Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/Summer-River-Debbie-Burns-ebook/dp/B08DHHD1LX

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/summer-by-the-river-debbie-burns/1137202144

KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/summer-by-the-river

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Debbie_Burns_Summer_by_the_River?id=dhsCEAAAQBAJ

Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/Summer-by-the-River-Audiobook/1662080751?qid=1614621308&sr=1-9&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_9&pf_rd_p=83218cca-c308-412f-bfcf-90198b687a2f&pf_rd_r=5HKVKGEGSYEFHMW491A9

 

Add to Goodreads & BookBub:

 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55139549-summer-by-the-river

BoobBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/summer-by-the-river-by-debbie-burns

 

Vikki’s Musings

 

Thanks go to the publisher and Net-Galley for the electronic copy of Summer by the River by Debbie Burns. I voluntarily agreed to read and review this heartfelt story. My opinions are my own, and nothing has influenced them.

 

Summer by the River is quite different the other books I’ve read by Ms. Burns. The pacing pulled me in from the first page and kept my attention to the last. This amazing novel had a great deal of substances and plenty of deep emotion. 

 

Josie Waterhill is an endearing heroine with plenty of depth to her character. Her protective nature comes through from the start. Her care for her adorable daughter Zoe and her elderly landlord and friend touched me deeply.

 

Carter O’Brien is an amazing hero. I loved his patience with Josie and his deep affection for Zoe. He has all the characteristics I love most in a male leading character. He uses such a gentle approach in getting Josie to open up to him.

 

The romance between Josie and Carter is strong from the beginning. I thoroughly enjoyed the love that develops between them. He’s keenly aware that Josie is a package deal, and his love for Zoe is easily seen early on. The love scenes are not graphic and very well done, and I really wanted them to find their happy ending.

 

If you enjoy novels with plenty of depth to the characters and a plot with substance beyond the usual romance, then you will love Summer by the River as much as I did. Ms. Burns has fast become an auto-buy author for me. I don’t see that another book is planned, but I hope she writes Sam’s story. I’m sure it would be outstanding. Happy reading!

 

Author Bio:

 

Debbie Burns is the award-winning author of the RESCUE ME romance series featuring love connections of the two and four-legged kind. Her writing commendations include a starred review from Publisher’s Weekly and a TOP PICK from RT Book Reviews for A NEW LEASH ON LOVE and an Amazon Best Book of the Month for My FOREVER HOME. Books one through four are available now, including LOVE AT FIRST BARK released July 2019.

Debbie lives in Saint Louis with her family, two phenomenal rescue dogs, and a somewhat tetchy Maine Coon cat who everyone loves anyway. Her hobbies include hiking, gardening and daydreaming, which of course always leads to new story ideas.

 

Social Media:

Website: http://www.authordebbieburns.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authordebbieburns/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/_debbieburns

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_debbieburns/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/debbie-burns

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16200547.Debbie_Burns

 

Book Review with featured author: Forever my Cowboy by June Faver

Forever my Cowboy by June Faver

 

 

Publisher & Release: Sourcebooks, January 26, 2021

Setting:  Texas

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Length: 314 Pages

Heat Level: 1 Flame

Rating: 4 Gold Crowns

Book Description: 

Author June Favor takes you to the ranch for a contemporary cowboy romance that'll leave you breathless.

The Garrett family have been ranchers and cowboys for generations—they love the land, and the joy of family and children.

Cade Garrett's orderly life is upended when his sister and her husband are killed in a plane crash. He's ready to step in and take care of their two young children, but he's thrown for a loop when the children's aunt is named their guardian and plans to take the children with her to Dallas.

Unexpected sparks fly when he meets Jennifer LaChance. Can Cade and Jenn band together for the good of the children—or only create all kinds of opportunities for friction?

 

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/Forever-Cowboy-Garrett-Family-Saga-ebook/dp/B08BVS928H

 Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/forever-my-cowboy-june-faver/1137273858

KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/forever-my-cowboy-2

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/June_Faver_Forever_My_Cowboy?id=c-sJEAAAQBAJ

 

 

 

Add to Goodreads & BookBub:

 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56700596-forever-my-cowboy

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/forever-my-cowboy-garrett-family-saga-book-2-by-june-faver

 

Vikki’s Musings

 

Thanks go to the publisher and Net-Galley for the complimentary copy of Forever my Cowboy by June Faver. I voluntarily agreed to read and review this book prior to publication. My opinions are my own, and no one has influenced them.

 

Forever my Cowboy is an emotionally charged romance with engaging characters and a great plot. The pacing is excellent and kept me enmeshed from the first page to the last. Ms. Faver adds an authentic feel of Texas ranching, and that helped pull me into the story. The adorable little ones contributed as well.

 

Jennifer LaChance’s character took a little time to pull me in because she isn’t immediately lovable in the beginning, but Ms. Faver redeems her and had me rooting for her well before the end of the tale. At first, she came across as lacking empathy since she didn’t take into account the hero’s grief. However, her desire to do right by her late brother’s children is admirable and had me warming to her character.

 

Cade Garrett is an interesting hero. At first, he makes a snap judgment regarding Jennifer, but he soon realizes his mistake. I enjoyed his character and quickly wanted him to get the girl, and his adorable niece and nephew. He’s not an alpha male which is what is normally found in this genre, and it was a refreshing change, giving the story a touch of difference.

 

The romance between Jennifer and Cade takes some time to heat up, since the plot places them on opposite sides regarding the children. The couple do have a good bit of chemistry as the story progresses, and I wanted them to find their happy ending.

 

If you enjoy western contemporary romance with characters that will touch your heart and a plot that offers more than just a love story, then you will love Forever my Cowboy. There are several suspenseful scenes that I enjoyed a lot. The whodunit it quality is excellent, and I wasn’t sure who the culprit is until close to the climax. Happy reading!

 

Author Bio:

 

June Faver loves Texas, from the Gulf coast to the panhandle, from the Mexican border to the Piney Woods. Her novels embrace the heart and soul of the state and the larger-than-life Texans who romp across her pages. A former teacher and healthcare professional, she lives and writes in the Texas Hill Country.

 

 

Social Media:

Website: https://www.junefaver.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JuneFaverAuthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JDFaverauthor

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/j-d-faver

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4994937.J_D_Faver?from_search=true&from_srp=true

 

Jace: Kings of Country Book 1 by Sasha Summers

Jace (Kings of Country Book1) Sasha Summers

Publisher & Release: Sourcebooks Casablanca, March 31, 2020

Time and setting:  Present Day, USA

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Length: 416 Pages

Heat Level: 1 Flame

Rating:  4.25 Gold Crowns

Book Description: 

Let the music carry you away in this brand-new series featuring the King family and their country music dynasty

Music is all he has...but is it enough to heal them both?

Jace Black went from an oilfield roughneck to an overnight singing sensation. Now he's working on a duet with country music legend Krystal King, and he's determined to earn his way to the top. But the more time he spends with Krystal, the more he finds himself falling for her—and he's beginning to be more interested in her than he is in making a name for himself.

Krystal King grew up on stage and in the spotlight. No matter how golden her life appears, her past left deep wounds. But Jace Black makes her wish things were different. To do that, she'd have to risk letting him in... And that might be too big a risk for her battered heart to take.

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/Jace-Kings-Country-Book-1-ebook/dp/B07YZTW28F

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/jace-sasha-summers

Add to Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50628052-jace

Vikki’s Musings

Thanks go to the publisher and Net-Galley for the opportunity to read and review Jace, Kings of Country, Book 1 before publication. My opinions are my own and are not influence by the complimentary copy.

There’s plenty to love about this book. The characters are complex, and the plot is intriguing. Jace, Kings of Country, kept me engaged from the beginning to the end. It’s clear that Ms. Summers did loads of research concerning the music industry. I enjoyed the King family and look forward to the next book in her new series.

Krystal King’s character is feisty and has a wall as thick as Jericho. What happened to her as an innocent young girl had a lasting effect on her. While I admit to getting frustrated with hot and cold attitude with our amazing hero.

Jace Black is a fantastic hero. His patience with Krystal is astonishing. Most men would have given up on Krystal, but he sees the true Krystal underneath her prickly persona. He too has baggage, but he refuses to allow it to influence his choices. He’s such an honorable man.

The romance between Krystal and Jace is very up and down with Krystal giving into the overwhelming sexual pull, then turning almost instantly into a shrew (B***H). That irritated me hence the 4.25 Gold Crown rating.

If you enjoy lots of high emotion, hot sex and want an introduction to the amazing King family, then you will love Jace, Kings of Country. I plan to read the next book in this series when it’s released. Happy reading!

Author Bio:

Sasha Summers grew up surrounded by books. Her passions have always been storytelling, romance and travel–passions she uses when writing. Now a best-selling and award winning-author, Sasha continues to fall a little in love with each hero she writes. From easy-on-the-eyes cowboy, sexy alpha-male werewolves, to heroes of truly mythic proportions, she believes that everyone should have their happy ending–in fiction and real life.

Sasha lives in the suburbs of the Texas Hill country with her amazing and supportive family and her beloved grumpy cat, Gerard, The Feline Overlord. She looks forward to hearing from fans and hopes you’ll visit her online. 

Social Media:

Website: https://sashasummers.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SashaSummersAuthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sashawrites

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/sashasummers/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sasha.summers/?hl=en