If you think your family is dysfunctional, wait until you dive into These Tangled Vines, a captivating tale of inheritance and identity set in the heart of the Italian wine country. This novel masterfully blends heartache and hope as Fiona Bell uncovers a life-altering secret: her biological father isn’t the man who raised her but a wealthy vineyard owner in Italy. When she learns he has passed away and left her in his will, Fiona travels to Tuscany, where she uncovers hidden parts of her family’s history. The narrative alternates between Fiona’s present-day journey and the forbidden romance between her parents, gradually revealing decades-old secrets that have shaped their lives—and […]
Read more...Tag Archives: chick lit
A Sweet, Hallmark-Style Tale with a Dash of Magic
Midnight at the Blackbird Café offers a gentle blend of magical realism, romance, and Southern small-town charm. Set in the shadowy mountains of Wicklow, Alabama, the story follows Anna Kate Callow as she returns to bury her Granny Zee and close the beloved Blackbird Café. What was to be a quick visit turns into a deeper connection to the town her mother fled years ago. The café is famous for its blackbird pie, rumored to allow the dead to send messages to the living. However, Granny Zee took the secret ingredient to her grave, leaving Anna Kate to serve delicious but non-magical pies. Along the way, Anna Kate encounters Natalie […]
Read more...The Last Chance Library
“Libraries are like a net, there to catch those of us in danger of falling through the cracks.” ― Freya Sampson, The Last Chance Library. The Last Chance Library by Freya Sampson casts a warm glow on the cozy little world of June Jones, a shy librarian in a quaint English village. The library is June’s safety net until it’s not. The threat of losing her beloved library to budget cuts forces June out from the stacks to stand up for her community’s beating heart. This book wraps you up in its comforting embrace like a well-worn cardigan. With a quirky cast of oddball patrons that feel lifted from a village party, […]
Read more...Big Stone Gap
Nothing much happens in Big Stone Gap, Virginia. The highlight of 35-year-old Ave Maria Mulligan’s week is when the bookmobile comes to town. As the town pharmacist, she knows intimate details about the community; sometimes more than she cares to know. She’s a member of the volunteer rescue squad and leads the drama team. Imagine the excitement when Elizabeth Taylor and her husband, John Warner, come for a visit. Adriana Trigiani’s first novel concerns the family scandals that befall Ave Maria in this seemingly uneventful town. When the self-proclaimed spinster discovers a skeleton in her family’s closet, her quiet, conventional life is turned topsy-turvy. Greed, lust, and envy aren’t just […]
Read more...The Runaway Wife
Have you ever wanted to run away from home… as an adult? I must admit I’ve entertained the idea, but I am such a chicken! Who would rescue me when disaster strikes? What would I do with my little sweet little lap dog? One evening while mashing potatoes for dinner, Connie McColl decides she’s had enough. She’s tired of her husband’s constant rounds of golf, tired of her children expecting her to babysit their unruly kids at the drop of a hate, and. She’s tired of solving one family crisis after another. When is it her turn to live? So Connie packs a bag, gets in her little green car […]
Read more...The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks
I’ve always wanted to own a bookstore, so this novel was inspiring. It was not at all what I expected. I worried it would be a political rant about banning “controversial” books, but that wasn’t it at all. When Maggie Banks arrives in tiny Bell River to run her best friend’s struggling bookstore, Maggie expects to sell bestsellers to her small-town clientele. That’s now how things work, though. The town revolves around the legacy of famed writer Edward Bell, and the Bell River literary society bans her from selling anything written after his death in 1968. So, when a series of mishaps spell disaster for the shop, Maggie must […]
Read more...Amy’s April 2022 Book Reviews
Sheesh, will I ever catch up on my book reviews? I read some amazing books in April, and I’m thrilled to share my reviews. Here goes! The Progeny By Tosca Lee Emily Porter is on a quest that will take her to the secret underground of Europe and the inner circles of three ancient orders—one determined to kill her, one devoted to keeping her alive, and one she must ultimately save. The Progeny is the present-day saga of a 400-year-old war between the descendants of “Blood Countess” Elizabeth Báthory, the most prolific female serial killer of all time, and a secret society dedicated to erasing every one of her descendants. The […]
Read more...Unconditional Love on GOD UNPLUGGED internet radio talk show
This week’s guest on GOD UNPLUGGED is author and speaker Susan Meissner. Susan is a multi-published author, speaker and writing workshop leader with a background in community journalism. Her novels include the Rachael Flynn Mystery series as well as A Window to the World, named one of 2005’s top ten Christian fiction novels by Booklist magazine. Her latest book, Blue Heart Blessed, was released by Harvest House in February 2008. This compelling story is about the magnificence of unconditional love and God’s impeccable timing in bringing it about. Susan will share her testimony, her journey becoming a published author and share her insight on God’s unconditional love. During […]
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