Wednesday, April 12, 2023

My Heart Will Find You by Jude Deveraux

My Heart Will Find You

Book Summary

Their love refused to stay quiet, echoing across time…

When the world is brought to a standstill in the early days of a global pandemic, Etta Wilmont finds herself suddenly stranded in Kansas City. Desperate to secure a roof over her head, Etta crosses paths with Henry Logan, a lonely older man in need of a caretaker. His invitation for Etta to stay with him seems to be the solution to both their problems—and maybe the spontaneous adventure Etta’s life has been missing.

As Etta and Henry settle into a companionable living arrangement, Etta indulges in Henry’s library. The compelling historical accounts of life in the Midwest soon inspire vivid dreams of Kansas City in the 1870s, dreams in which she’s a mail-order bride, married to a handsome but guarded rancher named Maxwell Lawton.

Haunted by the story unfolding in her mind, Etta realizes her dreams of the past and the familiar faces featured within are starting to have an impact on the present, altering her current reality. Perhaps these dreams are Etta’s chance to finally claim something for herself after so much time spent caring for others. More than anything, Etta wonders if the captivating man she’s falling for while she sleeps might be real, might be out there—true love waiting to be found and which would change both their lives forever.

My Thoughts

My Heart Will Find You by Jude Deveraux is a fun time-travel romance. Etta Wilmott is traveling to visit her sister. She is in a layover in Kansas City when travel is halted at the beginning of the pandemic. Etta is looking for a place to stay when she encounters Henry Logan. Henry welcomes Etta into his home. Henry is elderly and can use a companion. Etta needs a place to stay, and she is an excellent cook. The two get along famously. Etta soon finds herself having vivid dreams of being a mail order bride for rancher Maxwell Lawton in Garrett, Kansas in the 1870s. Those she meets in the present day, Etta encounters in the past. Henry is a writer who weaves Etta’s dreams into his latest tale. I loved the characters Jude Deveraux created for this story. I enjoyed getting to know Etta and Henry. The characters are developed. It is a little challenging in the beginning to keep them all straight. It did not take long to get them sorted out. I can tell the author did her research for her story. She captured the Old West (even the smell). I enjoyed both storylines and I like how the present day and the past tied together. I do feel that the story needed an epilogue because the ending felt incomplete. I enjoyed the story, but I did not feel it was on par with my favorite time travel book by this author (A Knight in Shining Armor). My Heart Will Find You is an entertaining time travel tale with a stranded traveler, a wily writer, vivid dreams, a bruised body, a rich rancher, enthusiastic matchmaking, and a lost love.

My Heart Will Find You is available from Amazon* along with other major retailers. You can find A Knight in Shining Armor here. You can find Jude Deveraux's other novels here. I especially enjoy her Montgomery/Taggert series. Thank you for joining me today. I have been busy dismantling my Easter display (it was big) and putting the inflatables away until next year. I am putting up my Cinco De Mayo display. I have searched for Mother's Day inflatables, and I have not been able to find any. Tomorrow I am sharing my thoughts on Hopefully Ever After by Beth Wiseman which will be out on Tuesday, April 18. It is the third An Amish Bookstore Novel. I hope that you have a joyful day. Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

*This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Wednesday, October 2, 2019

Forever, Lately by Linore Rose Burkard: Review and Giveaway!

About the Book

Book: Forever, Lately

Author: Linore Rose Burkard

Genre: Time-Travel Romance

Release Date: October, 2019

Julian St. John needs a wife–and fast. An oath to his deceased guardian must be kept. Miss Clarissa Andrews, a vexatious beauty, has dangled after him all season but he has no intention of choosing such a she-devil.

Maine, present day

Author Claire Channing needs to write a bestselling book to salvage a failing career. She moves to her grandmother’s rustic cottage, but without the deed, the clock is ticking on how long she can stay. She thinks she’s writing St. John’s story, until an old prayer shawl with embroidered lovebirds transports her to his Regency world! She falls in love with him–a man she thought she created. But a jealous Miss Andrews would rather see Julian dead than in another woman’s arms!

Claire and St. John must beat the clock to prevent a deadly tragedy, but can love endure past the limits of time?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Linore Rose Burkard wrote a trilogy of genuine regency romances for the Christian market before there were any regencies for the Christian market. Published with Harvest House, her books opened the genre for the CBA. She also writes YA Suspense/Apocalyptic fiction as L.R. Burkard. Married with five children, Linore home-schools her youngest daughter, teaches workshops for writers, and is the Vice President of the Dayton Christian Scribes. Her latest PULSE EFFEX SERIES, takes readers into a “chilling possible future for America, while affirming the power of faith in the darkest of times.”

More from Linore

I wanted to write a Regency time travel for years. When I saw the movie “Kate and Leopold” I thought, Oh no! Someone used my idea! But I needn’t have worried. Leopold (Hugh Jackman) was a Victorian gentleman, not a Regencian. Secondly, though I enjoyed the flick, I kept thinking it missed many opportunities for humor. (Having written a screenplay since then, I now realize why it missed so many: tight scripts just don’t have room for all the scenes that could be fun.) When I wrote my story, however, I was able to include a lot of the humor scenes that had been floating around in my head for eons. It’s one of the reasons the book is a lot of fun to read—particularly when the Regency hero appears in the present.

On a side note, I started this book and then dropped it—for years—mostly because I wanted to write it as Christian romance like my other Regencies. But I kept running into roadblocks. And Christian publishers weren’t interested. Finally I realized I had to let God out of MY box and write the story he was giving me, not the one I thought he should give me. After that, it came together remarkably easily and quickly. And, I think, in a very fun way. I might even do a sequel.

Women's Tallit

My Thoughts

Forever, Lately by Linore Rose Burkard takes us back to 1816 in London where Julian St. John is looking for a bride. He promised his former guardian he would settle down this year, but Julian is determined his bride will not Clarissa Andrews. Clarissa set her sights on him at the beginning of the season and has pulled several dangerous stunts, or larks as she calls them, to capture his attention.

In present day Maine, Claire Channing has moved into her Dove Cottage, which belongs to her missing grandmother, to write a bestseller. Her last two Regency novels have been flops and Claire is determined this one will be a success. Claire pulls the tallit (prayer shawl) of grandmothers about her shoulders as she begins to write, and she suddenly finds herself in the Regency ballroom of her novel. Claire looks across the room to see Julian St. John. She believes it is her vivid imagination until she finds herself transported again. Claire is captivated by Julian and Julian is equally intrigued much to Clarissa Andrew’s consternation. Claire soon learns that she has less than two weeks to prevent a deadly tragedy while trying to keep bulldozers from demolishing Dove Cottage.

Forever, Lately is an intriguing time travel romance. Julian St. John is a dashing heroine, Clarissa Andrews is a wicked, wily woman, and Claire Channing is our damsel in the past with a determination to succeed in the present. One of my favorite characters is Clarissa’s younger sister, Margaret. She is a clever young woman and she provided some humorous moments. The story switches back and forth from present day to the past with the POV switching between characters. The chapters are short and quick to read. I thought the author captured the speech of Regency era people, and I loved the descriptions of the rooms from that time period along with the beautiful clothes. There is intrigue and suspense with some tense moments. I would have liked, though, more backstory on Claire and there were several loose threads at the end of the book (which left me frustrated). Forever, Lately is a charming time travel story with engaging characters and a unique method of time travel. Forever, Lately is a captivating time travel romance with a reformed rake, a tricky temptress, a detestable developer, and a resolute writer.

Full dress, fashion plate, hand-colored engraving on paper, published in Ackermann's Repository, London, November 1823.

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Linore is giving away the grand prize of a $25 gift card to Bed, Bath, and Beyond. Be sure to comment on the blog stops (schedule below) for nine extra entries into the giveaway. Click here to enter. Good Luck! Forever, Lately is available at Amazon & is on Kindle Unlimited. Thank you for joining me today. Tomorrow I am participating in the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for Mumbo Gumbo Murder by Laura Childs and Terrie Farley Moran. It is the sixteenth A Scrapbooking Mystery. I hope you will drop by. May you have a peaceful day. Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader