The Sisterhood of Unlikely Friends by Sara Brunsvold

She's spent a lifetime keeping her heart under lock and key. Now others are reaching out. But is she ready to receive them?

At forty-two, fiercely independent Jess Becker is starting over in Kansas City with minimal furniture, two houseplants, and a newfound faith. After a lifetime of poor choices, she's determined to finally get it right.

When she befriends her fourteen-year-old neighbor and agrees to drive her to church, she's swept into a caring community where she meets Reva, a wise mentor figure, and Austie, a troubled young woman. Jess reluctantly opens her home to pizza nights with her new friends, unwittingly opening her heart to a sisterhood of faith.

Just as these relationships begin reshaping her carefully controlled life, Jess receives news that changes everything. Now she must decide whether to accept the very help she's been trying to give others or risk losing everything she's worked so hard to build.

Pick up your copy here....

 Amazon.com: The Sisterhood of Unlikely Friends: Contemporary Women’s Fiction for Book Clubs Set in a Small Town about Multi-Generational Female Friendship and Community: 9780800746131: Sara Brunsvold: Books

Sara Brunsvold creates stories that speak hope, truth, and life. Influenced by humble women of God who find his fingerprints in the everyday, she does the same in her life and her storytelling. Sara’s recognitions include the 2020 ACFW Genesis Award for Contemporary Fiction. She lives with her family near Kansas City, Missouri, where she can often be spotted writing at a park or library. Learn more at www.sarabrunsvold.com.

I highly recommend this book. 5 stars from me.

While you Were Trending by Pippa Grant

 

A former child reality TV star, a retired hockey player, and one rule they shouldn't break - don't date your ex's best friend.

There are three things I will never do (again) in my life:
1. Agree to be filmed doing something stupid
2. Let someone else decide if I’m worthy
3. Fall in love

Four years ago, I went viral in a moment that earned me the nickname The Wedding Wrecker. I’ve been in hiding at a closed winery with a small group of other accidentally viral women ever since.

But the winery is in financial trouble, and we’re taking every opportunity we get to try to save it.

Including agreeing to be the focus of a documentary about re-opening.

Unfortunately, the documentarian is my ex’s best friend.

My ex’s best friend who always hated me with the passion of a million angry internet users.

But if it’ll save our home, then fine. I’ll tolerate Declan Fox again.

Except the Declan I last knew four years ago is different.

Kinder.

Less arrogant.

More charming.

Unexpectedly attractive.

And finally free to tell me that he’s always loved me.

Thanks, life. I really needed this plot twist.

Pick up your copy here...

Amazon.com: While You Were Trending: A Viral Sensation Romance (Accidentally Infamous Book 2) eBook : Grant, Pippa: Kindle Store

Pippa Grant wanted to write books, so she did.

Before she became a USA Today and #1 Amazon bestselling romantic comedy author, she was a young military spouse who got into writing as self-therapy. That happened around the time she discovered reading romance novels, and the two eventually merged into a career. Today, she has more than 30 knee-slapping Pippa Grant titles and nine published under the name Jamie Farrell.

When she’s not writing romantic comedies, she’s fumbling through being a mom, wife, and mountain woman, and sometimes tries to find hobbies. Her crowning achievement? Having impeccable timing for telling stories that will make people snort beverages out of their noses. Consider yourself warned.

Pippa Grant® is a registered trademark of Bang Laugh Love LLC.

My thoughts...

This is the second book in the Accidentally Infamous series, and it was outstanding. Grant always makes me laugh out loud and her characters are so easy to connect with. Ginny and Delcan's story was amazing, and I can't wait for the next book.
Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required, and all views expressed are our own.

The Rainy Day Bookshop by Raeanne Thayne

Life is full of plot twists...

Sandwiched between caring for her mother and rebuilding the relationship with her estranged daughter, Emma, Rosie Lucas’s life is full. In the best way. With Emma and her 3-year old daughter, Olive, back home, Rosie has a partner for The Rainy Day Bookshop, the family business, and a chance to fix the past. What she doesn’t have time for is a romantic relationship. And even if she did, Andrew Morgan is the last person she’d choose. Not only is he an arrogant and reclusive writer, but he’s a single dad with two young kids. She’s already been there, done that. Still as an irresistible flirtation builds between them, he becomes her unexpected confidante on the distance Rosie can’t seem to overcome with Emma, a secret she can’t quite unravel…

Emma isn’t proud of her past. But she’s pulled herself up by the bootstraps, caring for her own daughter, and protecting her mom at all costs. Just as she always has. She never told Rosie what she saw all those years ago and she never will. But some secrets refuse to stay buried, and sometimes the truth is more shocking than fiction. Rosie and Emma will have to navigate an unimaginable path forward. Together. 

Pick up your copy here..

 The Rainy Day Bookshop: A Contemporary Small-Town Story of Family, Community and Books: Thayne, RaeAnne: 9781335013200: Amazon.com: Books

#1 Publishers Weekly, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne finds inspiration in the beautiful northern Utah mountains where she lives with her family. Her books have won numerous honors, including seven RITA Award nominations from Romance Writers of America and a Career Achievement Award from RT Book Reviews magazine. RaeAnne loves to hear from readers and can be reached through her website at www.raeannethayne.com.

My Thoughts...

Full of emotions and so much drama. This book is so entertaining it has it all heartbreak, love and lets not forget a bookstore. It even had a fire, so I was in heaven. I am still thinking about this book days after reading it.
Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required, and all views expressed are our own.

The Roommate Rule by Georgia Stone

 Dylan is the kind of person who is always fifteen minutes early and never leaves things to chance--so she can’t believe she’s about to spend six weeks on a last-minute trip to Wales that she didn’t plan, living in a cabin with a man she’s only met once.

Max always goes with the flow, and after his plus-one drops out of his all-expenses-paid travel influencer trip, he’s happy for his sister’s friend to take the spot. After all, from what he remembers of their brief meeting a year ago, Dylan is the kind of woman he’d be more than happy to spend some alone time with.

Not that anything is going to happen between them, because Dylan knows getting involved with this reckless, irrepressible flirt is the last thing she needs. So she makes a house rule: they are roommates only, and under no circumstances can anything . . . untoward . . . happen between them.

But as the days go by, Max starts to realize how much he enjoys chipping away at the walls Dylan hides herself behind, while Dylan begins to admit to herself that there may be more to Max than she first assumed. And before she knows it, she finds herself wondering if their “roommate rule” might be one rule she actually wants to break…

Pick up your copy here...

The Roommate Rule: A Novel: Stone, Georgia: 9780063434844: Amazon.com: Books

Georgia Stone is a London-based author of contemporary romance. She writes love stories that she hopes make people laugh out loud and clutch at their hearts in equal measure.

After dabbling in fan fiction as a teen growing up in rural Switzerland, she didn't write her own stories for years, until one fateful day, she had the idea that sparked her debut novel. She fell back in love with writing and now very much appreciates that being a fiction author is essentially just a socially acceptable way of having imaginary friends.

When she's not reading or writing, you can usually find her trying out DIY projects in her ridiculously colourful flat, spending far too much time feeding The Algorithm, or acting unhinged at gigs with her friends.

You can also find her at @georgiastonewrites on Instagram and TikTok.

My thoughts...

My second book by Stone and I was not disappointed. Max, yes please, I love how he tore Dylans walls down little by little. This book was everything and more. I am so happy I was included in the ARC run of this book. I highly recommend this one. Run don't walk and order your copy!

Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required, and all views expressed are our own.

Meant for You by Nora Everly

 A cozy, emotional small-town romance about choosing love, building family, and discovering that some people are meant for you.

Eliza Darlington is doing her best to keep her distance—from her meddling family, her messy past, and especially from the sunshine single dad who keeps showing up at her coffee hut with sweet smiles and steamy glances.

Nate Winters has his hands full running Honeybrook Hollow’s favorite diner and raising his daughter. Falling for Eliza? Not part of the plan. But the more time they spend together—cooking, flirting, and maybe falling in love—the harder it is to stay away.

When her secret ex shows up to open a rival restaurant, the town’s annual food festival turns into more than just a culinary competition. Eliza must choose between protecting the people she loves… and finally fighting for the future she wants.

Filled with cozy charm, slow-burn kisses, and one determined four-year-old, Meant for You is a feel-good romance about second chances, small-town secrets, and the kind of love that feels like home.

Pick up your copy here...

Amazon.com: Meant for You (Honeybrook Hollow): 9781965207109: Everly, Nora: Books

Nora Everly is a lifelong bookworm. She started reading the good stuff once she grew tall enough to sneak the romance novels off the top of her mother’s bookshelf and it has been non-stop ever since.

Once upon a time she was a substitute teacher and an educational assistant. Now she’s a writer and stay at home mom to two small humans and one fat cat.

Nora lives in the Pacific Northwest with her family and her overactive imagination.

Sign up for my newsletter: https://www.noraeverly.com/newsletter-1

Keep in touch with Nora here: https://www.noraeverly.com/

This author is so well written. Her books pull me in, and I can't put them down. This book was no exception, a fun small-town romance that I will be sharing with everyone. 

Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required, and all views expressed are our own.

The Exception by Vi Keeland

 A new, sexy standalone from #1 New York Times Bestseller, Vi Keeland.

He lives by a set of rules. She might be his one exception.
I just wanted a distraction, something to take the edge off before facing a wedding I was dreading. So on the flight back to New York, I signed up for a dating app. Harmless enough, right?
Wrong.
Turns out, it wasn’t just any app—it catered to people with very specific tastes. By the time I realized it, I was already on my date.
Tall, confident, and sinfully handsome, Jagger Langston seemed like the full package. The chemistry between us was instant—electric enough to burn the whole city down. Though things took a turn when we figured out I’d misunderstood who should join the app. We laughed it off, said goodbye, and went our separate ways.
Or so I thought.
Until I walked into my new internship Monday morning, ready to put the weekend behind me, and there he was—my boss.
Now I’m caught between the rules he lives by—and the temptation to make him break every single one of them.

Pick up your copy here...

The Exception - Kindle edition by Keeland , Vi , Royer-Ocken, Jessica . Contemporary Romance Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

Vi Keeland is a #1 New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author. With millions of books sold, her titles are currently translated in twenty-seven languages and have appeared on bestseller lists in the US, Germany, Brazil, Bulgaria, Israel and Hungary. Three of her short stories have been turned into films, and two of her books have been optioned for movies. She resides in New York with her husband and their three children where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age six.

Stop by and meet Vi in her private reader group, Vi's Violets, on Facebook!

My Thoughts... 

I was hooked from the very beginning. This book was the best escape from reality. Hello Jagger! The tension, the laughs. This book hit all the right notes. Romance lovers are in for a fantastic treat with this book. I very rarely give 5 stars out they are saved for the best books, and this one is a 5 star read. 

Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required, and all views expressed are our own.

Chasing Shelter by Catherine Cowles

 I came here seeking sanctuary. I never meant to fall for the broody single dad next door.

I've spent my life hiding in plain sight, burying my past beneath layers of carefully constructed lies. Moving to Sparrow Falls was supposed to be a fresh start, a place to lay low. But when I end up living next door to the single dad who just happens to be one of my brother's best friends, everything changes.

Trace Colson sees too much and asks too many questions, and his protectiveness is as infuriating as it is alluring. 

And when danger comes calling, it's Trace who stands between me and the darkness. 

But being close to him is its own kind of risk. Because with every heated glance and every stolen touch, Trace tempts me to open my heart, to dream of a life I'd long since given up on. The only problem? Trace has his own demons, and when they collide with mine, the fallout could destroy us both.

Pick up your copy here...

Chasing Shelter (Deluxe Edition) (Sparrow Falls, 5): Cowles, Catherine: 9781464241635: Amazon.com: Books

Writer of words. Drinker of Diet Cokes. Lover of all things cute and furry, especially her dog. Catherine has had her nose in a book since the time she could read and finally decided to write down some of her own stories. When she's not writing she can be found exploring her home state of Oregon, listening to true crime podcasts, or searching for her next book boyfriend.

Cowles has become one of my top authors. She is a must read for me. Book number 5 was fantastic. I loved it and I highly recommend this book.

The First Pictures of us by Mandy Fender GIVEAWAY!

 Two Strangers.

One Love Story.

She was done with love, until a single photo changed everything.

Leia Schaffer walked away from the life she thought she wanted. Calling off her wedding was the hardest decision she’s ever made, but deep down, she knew she deserved more than a love that left her feeling small. A year later, she’s settled into a quiet, predictable life in her small Texas town, content with her work at an animal rescue and Saturday mornings with her best friend. Love? Not on her radar.

Until a blindfolded photoshoot with a stranger turns her world upside down.

Graham McCawley wasn’t supposed to be there. Filling in at the last minute for a feel-good news article, he never expected the woman standing in front of him to steal his breath and shake his carefully built world. Strong, beautiful, and guarded—Leia is everything he was praying for.

As their unexpected connection deepens, Leia finds herself drawn to Graham’s quiet strength and genuine kindness. But opening her heart again means risking everything, especially when their photographs go viral, bringing unwanted attention and past fears to the surface.

Can they trust God—and each other—for a second chance at something real?

Pick up your copy here...

The First Picture of Us: A Sweet Contemporary Christian Romance: Fender, Mandy: 9798316296460: Amazon.com: Books

Mandy Fender is an award-winning author, speaker, and blogger who hopes to glorify God and uplift others. She has worked in youth ministry for over a decade, and is currently serving in children's and women's ministry. She counts herself blessed to also be able to serve through writing, which has been her dream ever since she was a little girl. Her writing has been featured in Devozine magazine for teens, local newspapers, and Epifiction.

It is her aim to live and love like Christ in all that she does and says. She's a new homeschool mom of two and serves in full time ministry with her husband in the great state of Texas.

My Thoughts... This was such a touching story of healing and true love. The way that Graham and Leia met is so fun and I loved that part so much. Leia was broken but I loved how imperfect she was. This whole story came together so well and for me it was not long enough. It ended way too soon for me. I cannot wait to read Fenders next book. I highly recommend this book. Mary Reader received this book from the publisher f or review. A favorable review was not required, and all views expressed are our own.

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

 In the spring of 2020, Lara’s three daughters return to the family's orchard in Northern Michigan. While picking cherries, they beg their mother to tell them the story of Peter Duke, a famous actor with whom she shared both a stage and a romance years before at a theater company called Tom Lake. As Lara recalls the past, her daughters examine their own lives and relationship with their mother, and are forced to reconsider the world and everything they thought they knew.

Tom Lake is a meditation on youthful love, married love, and the lives parents have led before their children were born. Both hopeful and elegiac, it explores what it means to be happy even when the world is falling apart. As in all of her novels, Ann Patchett combines compelling narrative artistry with piercing insights into family dynamics. The result is a rich and luminous story, told with profound intelligence and emotional subtlety, that demonstrates once again why she is one of the most revered and acclaimed literary talents working today. 

Pick up your copy here...

Amazon.com: Tom Lake: A Novel: 9780063327535: Patchett, Ann: Books

Ann Patchett is the author of six novels, including Bel Canto, which won the Orange Prize for Fiction. She writes for the New York Times Magazine, Elle, GQ, the Financial Times, the Paris Review and Vogue. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee.

People Pleaser by Jinger Duggar Vuolo

 Are you a people pleaser? Can you even begin to measure how the approval of others has shaped your heart and mind? Your faith and relationships? Your habits and identity? In People Pleaser, New York Times bestselling author Jinger Vuolo shares her personal journey of constantly seeking approval from others and how she found her true identity.

From childhood to early adulthood, Jinger Duggar Vuolo followed the expectations of others, never taking the time to discover who she truly was. It wasn't until she asked herself the question, "Who am I?" that she realized she was a people pleaser. This realization led her on a journey of self-discovery and ultimately, to rely on God for her approval and sense of self-worth.

Through her faith and reliance on God, Jinger began to break free from the need for approval and discover true freedom. This book is a guide for anyone struggling with people-pleasing tendencies and seeking to find their true identity and purpose in life. Learn how to:

• discover the beauty of community and how we were made to enjoy others,
• identify sin and how it can hinder your ability to be in community with one another,
• diagnose yourself with ruthless honesty but without judgement, and
• understand who you are in God's eyes.

Jinger hopes this book will inspire others to embark on a similar journey towards freedom.

Pick up your copy here...

People Pleaser: Breaking Free from the Burden of Imaginary Expectations: Vuolo, Jinger, Carr, Julie Lyles: 9781400341719: Amazon.com: Books

Jinger Duggar Vuolo grew up on TV. From the age of nine until twenty-seven, she appeared on her family's hit TLC reality shows, 19 Kids and Counting and Counting On. She is an author whose books include New York Times bestseller Becoming Free Indeed, her personal memoir The Hope We Hold and a children's book, You Can Shine So Bright. She now lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Jeremy, and their two daughters, Felicity Nicole and Evangeline Jo. In her free time, Jinger enjoys traveling, hiking, and anything to do with good food. 

My thoughts...

I love a great self-help book. And I have always enjoyed watching the Duggars grow up. Jinger has become quite the young lady, and I have read all her books and her sisters' books. This one hit home as I am a people pleaser I never say no or say what I want to say when someone asks me to do something or give something. I like the biblical advice and some of her story. I only wish she had shared a little bit more on the personal side but overall, it was worth the read and I'm glad that I read it.

Worthy by Jamie Kern Lima GIVEAWAY!

 I had to share this book with my people. The people who know the good the bad and the ugly. These ladies jumped right on board and started this life changing, transforming, journey with me. It gave me the confidence I needed to dive in headfirst and put this book first in my very busy daily life. I read and wrote notes and underlined the whole time I was reading and prayed that this would help me.

 Reading this book is like sitting with Jamie and you and your best friend hitting all the deep pent-up emotions that need lots of work.

I want every girlfriend and every one of my female followers to grab a copy of this book. If you have been following me, you know I read a lot. This is the best nonfiction, self-help book I have read. It really hits home for me.

  So, join me and my favorite people and get your copy and come back and tell me how much your self-confidence has changed.

 Let's all hold each other accountable and help lift each other up!

Get your copy at your local Target if they are not sold out already or....

Get your copy here...

Worthy: How to Believe You Are Enough and Transform Your Life: Kern Lima, Jamie: 9781401977603: Amazon.com: Books

What has self-doubt already cost you in your life? WORTHY is how you change that.
 
Imagine what you'd do, if you FULLY believed in YOU! When you stop doubting your greatness, build unshakable self-worth and embrace who you are, you transform your entire life! WORTHY teaches you how, with simple steps that lead to life-changing results!

"In life, you don't soar to the level of your hopes and dreams, you stay stuck at the level of your self-worth. In your business, leadership, relationships, friendships and ambitions, you don't rise to what you believe is possible, you fall to what you believe you're worthy of. When you build your self-worth, you change your entire life. WORTHY teaches you how. I wrote WORTHY for YOU if you have some self-doubt to destroy and a destiny to fulfill!" - Jamie Kern Lima
 
Author Jamie Kern Lima's first, instant New York Times bestselling book Believe It, captured her journey of going from Denny's waitress to billion-dollar entrepreneur by learning to believe in herself. And now her second, much anticipated, upcoming book Worthy, is the playbook for how YOU can believe in YOU! 
 
If you've ever struggled with self-doubt, felt like you don't have what it takes...or that who you truly are isn't enough, even if you're really good at hiding it from the world, WORTHY  is for you.  If you've been underestimating your talent and gifts, or battle imposter syndrome, WORTHY is for you. If you've been letting fear of failure and rejection hold you back, WORTHY is for you. If you've learned to please others so much that you end up betraying yourself, WORTHY is for you. If you're sick and tired of what self-doubt has already cost you in your life, in your goals, in your relationships, and in your hopes and dreams, WORTHY is for you!  If you're ready to expand your self-love, ignite your self-confidence and wakeup your self-worth, WORTHY is for you!!
 
When you change what you believe you're worthy of, you change your entire life. 
 
This book is about how to do that.
  
IN WORTHY  YOU'LL LEARN HOW TO... 
 
 

• Get Unstuck from the Things Holding You Back
• Build Unshakable Self-Love
• Unlearn the Lies the Lead to Self-Doubt
• Embrace The Truths That Wakeup Worthiness
• Stop Dimming Your Light and Doubting Your Greatness
• Let Go of Past Mistakes and Restore Self-Confidence
• Overcome Limiting Beliefs and Embody Empowering Ones
• Eliminate Your Fear of Rejection and Failure
• Learn to Believe You're Enough Exactly as You Are
• Transform the Meaning You Give to Your Own Story and Identity
• Follow the Roadmap for Achieving True Fulfillment in Life
• Achieve Your Hopes and Dreams by Believing You Are Worthy of Them
• Embrace Who You Truly Are

And much more...

 
Are you ready to unleash your greatness and believe in the power that is YOU? Are you ready to finally stop believing the lies that you're unlovable, unqualified or not (fill in the blank) enough? Are you ready to triumph over the thoughts holding you back, destroy self-doubt and truly know and believe you have what it takes to accomplish your greatest goals and wildest dreams? 
 
Imagine...what would you do if you had zero self-doubt and unshakable self-worth? What would you do if you fully believed in YOU?  Join Jamie's VIP Insider Book Launch team at WorthyBook.com 

Meet gorgeous  Jamie....

Jamie Kern Lima is an American entrepreneur, billion dollar business success story, champion of women, philanthropist, culture-shifter and highly sought-after keynote speaker. Jamie is a New York Times bestselling author of Believe IT: How to go from Underestimated to Unstoppable, guest teacher of the Life You Want class live with Oprah Winfrey, and Founder of IT Cosmetics, a company she started in her living room and grew to the largest luxury makeup brand in the country. She sold the company to L'Oréal in a billion-dollar deal and became the first female CEO of a brand in its 100+ year history. Her love of her customers and remarkable authenticity and belief eventually landed her on the Forbes America's Richest Self-Made Women list. She's been a Denny's waitress, a struggling entrepreneur, lived a life-long journey of rejections, and has battled her way through years of self-doubt, body-doubt and God-doubt. She was given away at birth and adopted and has been on a journey of learning to believe she's here with purpose, on purpose and for a purpose and is worthy, lovable and enough. She's the author of the new book WORTHY: How to Believe You Are and Transform Your Life. She's a mother of two and an active investor, speaker, and thought leader who is passionate about inspiring and elevating women. She's also an active philanthropist who has funded leadership training in more than 100 prisons and shelters across the United States, and has donated over $40 million in product and funds to help women face the effects of cancer with confidence. She's donating 100% of her author proceeds for both WORTHY and Believe IT. Pre-Order WORTHY now to get bonuses including an invite to join Jamie's VIP Insider Book Launch team JamieKernLima.com and WorthyBook.com