Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Southern Born Books Christmas Tour - Review & Giveaway





Hey readers! I am bringing you something new this week! I am participating in the Southern Born Books Christmas tour and I going to be bringing you 4 reviews in 1 post. So I hope that you enjoy it, but I promise that there will be giveaways. Just stick with me and you will not be sorry.

The first book I bring you is called...

Holiday At Magnolia Bay




After a mission goes terribly wrong, ending in the death of a teammate, Navy Seal, Drew Lanham, is forced to take a leave from active-duty. Retreating to his godmother’s beach house in coastal Magnolia Bay, Drew plans to spend the three weeks R&R licking his wounds and catching some rays while the nightmares from his failed op fade. The last thing he wants to do is mingle with the locals. What he doesn’t count on is an early morning encounter with a goddess rising from the sea. His interest is piqued and his body put on alert when he finds out that same woman may or may not be after his godmother’s money.

Marine biologist, Jenna Huntley, has been searching her whole life for a place to call home and Magnolia Bay is that place. Unfortunately, she’s underutilizing her education giving tours at the town’s turtle rescue center. With the help of an octogenarian patroness, she maps out a proposal to develop a turtle hatchery on-site. Everything is going as planned until the older woman’s godson arrives. Suddenly, nothing is as it seems and Jenna’s future is hanging in the balance, with a sexy warrior pulling all the strings. Her natural tendency is to help the damaged hero, but she’s sworn off letting military men in her life ever again.

Will Drew and Jenna be able to put their pasts behind them and learn to trust their hearts long enough to enjoy their Holiday at Magnolia Bay?

   



Tracy Solheim is the international bestselling author of the Out of Bound Series for Penguin.  Her books feature members of the fictitious Baltimore Blaze football team and the women who love them.  In a previous life, Tracy wrote best sellers for Congress and was a freelance journalist for regional and national magazines. She’s a military brat who now makes her home in Johns Creek, Georgia, with her husband, their two children, a pesky Labrador retriever puppy and a horse named after her first novel. Her fifth book for Berkley, Back To Before, will be released in January.  She also has a digital holiday novella for Tule Publishing's Southern Born Books coming October 20. See what she’s up to at www.tracysolheim.com

and follow her on social media


      


My Thoughts

Ohh Where to begin with the story of Drew and Jenna?! As you know I's a spoiler free reviewer, and with this being such a shot story it took me a while to get my thoughts just right!

When we first meet Drew Lanham, he is on leave from the Navy and is carrying some post war baggage. He finds himself at his Godmother's beach house on Magnolia Bay. Hoping to get himself back together, so he can return to active duty.

Then he meets Jenna Huntley, a passionate sea turtle activist who just happens to be old friends with his godmother, Aunt Evie! Drew told himself the minute he got to his Aunt Evie's house that all the women were going to be off limits. Him and Jenna find themselves in a quite the predicament when their "friendship" becomes a little more involved. 

I really enjoyed this story. And I find myself quite surprised. Only because when it comes to novella's I usually find myself wanting more and dissatisfied by the ending. However, the character's were wonderfully written. The story did not seem rushed at all, there was a natural progression.  Also the way the author was able to add in the PTSD, something that most military men who have been in combat suffer from. Shedding light on such a real life issue was wonderful. There were no unanswered questions by the ending of the book. Tracy did a fantastic job! I give this book at 4 out 5! 


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Just In Time For Christmas






Nobody does Christmas like Miranda Hamilton, and now that she finally has her chance to chair Magnolia Bay's tree lighting and the cotillion, which benefits her late mother’s breast cancer foundation, this Christmas is shaping up to be the best ever. That is until her childhood nemesis Logan Mauldin buys his way on her committee and starts making plans of his own.

Logan Mauldin loves to get under Miranda's very sexy skin, and it's only fair. She's been getting under his since long before their first kiss at 13. Logan’s the last man interested in co-chairing a Christmas committee or participating in a sexy bachelor auction, but since that night he interrupted Miranda on a date and cornered her under the mistletoe, he can't stop thinking about her. Or vying for her attention and bugging the hell out of her.

Christmas cheer isn’t the only thing that heats up between the Miranda and Logan, but, thanks to a lie that is as much her fault as it is his, he loses the woman he’s loved since forever. Logan will need a Christmas miracle for Miranda to forgive him. A grand gesture to melt her heart and win her back just in time for Christmas.







Kim Boykin is a women's fiction author with a sassy Southern streak. She is the author of The Wisdom of Hair, Steal Me, Cowboy, and Palmetto Moon (Summer 2014.) While her heart is always in South Carolina, she lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her husband, 3 dogs, and 126 rose bushes. See what she's up to at www.kimboykin.com/



 


My Thoughts

When you first meet Miranda she comes off as this wonderful, genuine, and caring human being. With a touch of OCD, needing to be in control of everything she does. From the best that breakfast is made her B & B, to the holiday cotillion committee. 
Then of course who comes into the picture but non other than Logan Mauldin. Pretty much throwing her world upside down. The boy from her childhood,  who broke her heart.  Now, back into her life.  Making her feel completely out of control, by becoming Co Chair of the Holiday Cotillion Committee and of course stirring up all kinds of old feelings.

But with the Cotillion coming up quickly and this being the biggest fundraiser of the year, Miranda will not let anything stand in the way of this Cotillion running smoothly. Her want and need to do her late mother's foundation justice and her love of all things Christmas is too strong, ad means too much to her.  And Logan knows that night years ago, he made a huge mistake and he is back and wants to make everything right.

This story was fun, sweet, and a fast read. I liked the story line,and the characters were very relateable. I too share a love of all things Christmas, so I found myself wanting to me Miranda Hamilton. Owning my own B & B, living in a small ocean side town like Magnolia Bay. I give this book a 4 out 5.

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Guess what time it is....its time for a GIVEAWAY!!






Thanks for stopping by! keep checking back for part two of the blog tour! And a BIG THANK you to Southern Born Books and Inkslinger for allowing me to participate in this wonderful blog tour!

Happy Reading

Kait

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