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Three Reasons You Should Read This Sweet Romance:
Rescuing the Mountain Man by Sadie Anne and Alana Terry is a short and sweet romance that brings peace to two families that have experienced tragedy and grief.
The dogs! Oh my gosh, they were so cute. I really need to get some sled dogs in my life.
There was a lot of emotion about the past to unload and unpack, and I loved seeing people come together to do that.
When the past crashes down in the cold Alaska wilderness, can their faith rescue each other?
Sarah No matter where my travel blog takes me, I wonder if God has a bigger plan for me. At the moment, I’m in my father’s hometown of Talkeetna, Alaska. It’s where he grew up before love took him to the Lower 48.
As soon as I step foot in the town, its residents’ genuineness and selflessness wrap me in a peace I’ve never known. I plan to make the most of my few days here, but when my schedule hits a snag, a newfound friend sets up a sled dog ride with a local.
Thor is as sure and strong as the Alaskan Mountains. I can see the pain behind his mesmerizing emerald eyes and long to know what caused it. With enough time, I’m sure he’d trust me with his deepest secrets, but I’m only here for a few days.
Thor No matter how much I love people, it’s not enough to make them want to stay. I’m not sure why they left, and I’m still here in Talkeetna, but who am I to question God’s plan?
When the local B&B owner asks me to guide a last-minute sled dog ride, I drop everything to accommodate the request. My dogs need the exercise, and I could use an afternoon away, too.
Sarah is as curvy as the backroads of Denali, and her beauty is just as breathtaking. A few questions into our ride and I recognize who she is. If she learned the truth about me, she’d never want to make a permanent life in the village.
Rescuing the Mountain Man by Sadie Anne and Alana Terry is quick look into Alaska (which is a setting I love) and a little of the past. I think it might have been a little too quick. It starts off fantastic, with Sarah and Thor meeting and finding that instant connection. I’m OK with instant connection, as long as it isn’t insta-love. And this is just what they have. They feel comfortable around each other, and want to get to know each other better.
But as they get to know each other better, the past comes back to haunt them. But I’m not really sure why. The character does a great job of explaining their emotions in the book, but it just didn’t ring full and true to me. And, this may just be me – others may understand better than me.
There is a little excitement and a coming together (this is a romance), but then it all just wrapped up super fast. I felt like I never really got to know Sarah and Thor individually or see how they grew into a couple. I would have loved to see a little more of them growing together and falling in love. It seemed to skip over the best part.
**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**
Nora has visions of horrific things. Things that lurk in the shadows and feast on bones. After moving with her mother into an old farmhouse, Nora discovers a blank journal that fills itself with an ominous warning. A cursed beast is coming for her and time is running out. When the blood moon rises, so shall the beast.
Local teen, Rebel, has his own trepidations about the house. His parents, both paranormal scientists, were investigating it when they died under mysterious circumstances. His growing feelings for Nora motivate him to battle the ghosts of his past, if it means keeping her safe.
Allies to turn to enemies. Fiction turns to fact. The past and the present collide. All in an epic battle to claim unfathomable power. Can Nora unlock the secrets buried within the farmhouse in time to save herself and those dear to her from a grisly fate?
Something spurred Nora from her dreams. Her eyelashes fluttered open, and the room was black. Groping her fingers on the mattress, she searched for her cell to check the time. Shading her eyes from the brightness, she read it was three in the morning. The cell screen faded to black, putting her back into darkness.
The mattress wobbled. What is that? It was as if someone was trying to wake her. Pressing the button on her cell again, Nora used it like a flashlight, combing her room. As the light faded she detected movement.
“Hi,” a young boy said and in the process of crossing his legs at the end of her bed.
Nora gasped.
Instead of clicking the light from her cell again, she refocused, acclimating herself to the night and the small boy before her.
“I’m not going to hurt you. Don’t be scared.”
His childish voice split through her paranoia. He waggled his hands, palms up in front of himself.
She swallowed her screams which felt like blistering knots in her gut. “I-I’m not that scared. Just . . . amazed.” More like terrorized, with palpitations reaching a risky rate. Nora propped herself against the beds headboard taking the sheet with her, tugging it to her neck. Could the ghost hear her malfunctioning heart or see her knees jittering beneath the covers? “It’s not every day I-I talk to a ghost.” Then, she thought of Nevaeh. Unlike her, the boy’s body didn’t sharpen or become humanlike. His edges gleamed as though made of starlight, and the rest of him was vague and transparent at certain angles. His long-sleeve button-down shirt, suspenders, and knee-length breeches reminded her of a farmer’s attire from the olden days.
I am blessed with a loving family and forever friends. My world revolves around them.
I grew up in the small village of Lancaster, NY, where I married my sweetheart. I’m devoted to raising 5 cherished children, and now my grandchildren.
I love to immerse myself in great books of every kind of genre, which helps me to write purely for entertainment, and hopefully to inspire readers. When not stationed at my computer you can find me in the woods taking long walks with my dog.
Title: The Dating Plan Author: Sara Desai Genre: Romantic Comedy
Even with a step-by-step plan, these fake fiances might accidentally fall for each other in this hilarious, heartfelt romantic comedy from the author of The Marriage Game.
Daisy Patel is a software engineer who understands lists and logic better than bosses and boyfriends. With her life all planned out, and no interest in love, the one thing she can’t give her family is the marriage they expect. Left with few options, she asks her childhood crush to be her decoy fiance.
Liam Murphy is a venture capitalist with something to prove. When he learns that his inheritance is contingent on being married, he realizes his best friend’s little sister has the perfect solution to his problem. A marriage of convenience will get Daisy’s matchmaking relatives off her back and fulfill the terms of his late grandfather’s will. If only he hadn’t broken her tender teenage heart nine years ago… Sparks fly when Daisy and Liam go on a series of dates to legitimize their fake relationship. Too late, they realize that very little is convenient about their arrangement. History and chemistry aren’t about to follow the rules of this engagement.
It wasn’t the acceptance a man dreamed about, but it was a “yes” just the same. He pulled out his phone.
“I’ll tell my assistant to get us on the first flight to Vegas tonight.”
“Vegas?” Daisy’s brow furrowed in confusion.
“They do quickie weddings,” Liam said. “I know a good chapel. Some of them are tacky, but this one has class. We can fly out tonight. The Elvis wears a three-piece suit and a tie . . .”
His spider senses tingled, warning him that something was wrong. Or maybe it was the scowl on his fake fiancée’s face. “If you don’t like Elvis . . .”
“Are you kidding?” Daisy walked over to the whiteboard and picked up a marker. “We’re not going to Vegas. We need a plan for this whole thing.”
“I don’t do plans.”
“Well you’re going to do one now because otherwise you won’t have your marriage of convenience.” She turned to the board, giving him perfect view of her lush behind. His thoughts immediately went somewhere the thoughts of a fake fiancé shouldn’t go, a small indication that this was going to be harder than it looked—in more ways than one.
“We can’t just jump into a marriage,” she said as she wrote on the board. “It won’t be believable. We’ll have to plan out some dates to legitimize our relationship before the wedding. We’ll need to be seen together by friends and family, and we’ll need photographic evidence we’ve been together.” She turned around and pointed to the board. “This is what we need.”
Liam read the heading and laughed. “A dating plan? I don’t plan dates, sweetheart. I go where the wind takes me.”
“When Orson and I used to go out with friends, we’d talk about restaurants we’d been to, or an interesting documentary we’d watched on Netflix, or an art exhibition we’d seen, maybe an energetic walk along the coast. Those are the stories that make a relationship sound real.”
Liam faked a yawn. “Orson sounds like a boring guy.”
“He was easy to be with. We didn’t have to talk much.”
“My kind of relationship.” He gave a sly smile.
Daisy raised an eyebrow. “If you are suggesting that all we did was have sex, you would be very wrong. We had an intellectual relationship. We saw thought-provoking films, and we discussed philosophy, religion, politics, programming issues . . .”
Liam dropped his head and then jerked it up again. “Sorry. I fell asleep after you said you and Orson never had sex.”
“I didn’t say . . .” She trailed off, her eyes narrowing. “It’s none of your business.”
“I’m your fiancé. I think your sex life is very much my business. I need to know what kind of woman I’m marrying.”
“The kind that doesn’t kiss and tell,” she snapped.
Thoroughly enjoying her discomfort, he leaned back in his chair, hands crossed behind his head. “Who is a better kisser? Me or Orson?”
Daisy’s eyes widened and she froze, her hand hovering in midair. Liam remembered that look from the afternoons he’s spent at her house, when she’d been caught doing something wrong. Daisy couldn’t lie.
“I have my answer.” He puffed out his chest. “The old Murphy charm wins again.”
“That was the only kiss you’ll ever get from me,” she said firmly. “My feelings for you haven’t changed. This is a marriage in name only. That means no physical contact except for holding hands or a peck on the cheek for appearances.” She turned back to the whiteboard. “I’ll write that down so you don’t forget.” “I’m liking this plan less already,” Liam grumbled. “Write that down, too.”
Sara Desai has been a lawyer, radio DJ, marathon runner, historian, bouncer and librarian. She lives on Vancouver Island with her husband, kids and an assortment of forest creatures who think they are pets. Sara writes sexy romantic comedy and contemporary romance with a multicultural twist. When not laughing at her own jokes, Sara can be found eating nachos.