The Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon by Alexander McCall Smith

Things are changing around the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. Mma Makutsi is going to have a baby! She insists to Mma Romatswe that she will only need a few days off of work. Before Mma Makutsi leaves for maternity leave though the ladies have a client that comes in. She is a lawyer and wants Mma Romatswe to check into a matter of an estate left to a young man that the lawyer insists is not the person he claims to be. Also a new beauty salon opens in Gabarone but someone is determined to put the owner out of business before it is even established. In the meantime Mr. J. L. B. Matakoni decides that he must become a modern husband. He signs up for a class to help him in this endeavor. While Mma Makutsi is home with her new baby, Mma Romatswe finds herself missing her employee along with missing their back-and-forth discussions of a case. She misses Mma Makutsi's input and is out of sorts without her.

I can't even explain why I love this series! I love the complex yet simple way that Mma Romatswe thinks. She knows human character but yet always wants to give the benefit of the doubt to a person. I love her relationship with Mr. J.L.B. Matakoni! He loves her, she loves him, and they have such a special bond to each other. He wants to become modern to help her out around the home yet he doesn't realize that he is already  more modern than most men! And of course Mma Makutsi's baby will always measure up to and exceed Mma's 97%  rating! If you haven't ever read a No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency book I definitely recommend them.

COVER REVEAL: Until That Distant Day by Jill Stengl

BACK COVER COPY:

Paris, France

1792

Colette DeMer and her brother Pascoe are two sides of the same coin, dependent upon one another in the tumultuous world of the new Republic. Together they labor with other leaders of the sans-culottes to ensure freedom for all the downtrodden men and women of France.

But then the popular uprisings turn bloody and the rhetoric proves false. Suddenly, Colette finds herself at odds with Pascoe and struggling to unite her fractured family against the lure of violence. Charged with protecting an innocent young woman and desperately afraid of losing one of her beloved brothers, Colette doesn’t know where to turn or whom to trust as the bloodshed creeps ever closer to home.

Until that distant day when peace returns to France, can she find the strength to defend her loved ones . . . even from one another?

Coming April 25, 2014

From Rooglewood Press

COVER REVEAL:

 Isn't it beautiful? I love the colors! They are so vibrant. Not trying to read too much into it(because I am really not good at that), but the model does look as if she is gazing off into a distant time. This definitely would be a book that I would pick up just because of the cover.

AUTHOR BIO:

Jill Stengl is the author of numerous romance novels including Inspirational Reader's Choice Award- and Carol Award-winning Faithful Traitor, and the bestselling novella, Fresh Highland Heir. She lives with her husband in the beautiful Northwoods of Wisconsin, where she enjoys her three cats, teaching a high school English Lit. class, playing keyboard for her church family, and sipping coffee on the deck as she brainstorms for her next novel.

Check out the Book Page: 

Until That Distant Day 

GIVEAWAY:

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Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay

Samantha Moore has a problem being herself. Shuttled from foster home to foster home Sam has sheltered her heart from pain by escaping into the world of her books. Hiding her real self in quotes from famous characters, Sam goes through life cut off from any true friendships.

When a grant opens up an opportunity for her to finish graduate school Sam is less than thrilled that the stipulations require her to enter journalism and to write regularly to her anonymous benefactor who goes by the pseudonym Mr. Knightley.

Samantha feels safe baring her soul to Mr. Knightley through her letters. The agreement being that he will remain anonymous and never write her back. We as the reader get to follow Sam's journey of self-discovery and maturity through reading her letters to Mr. Knightley.

My Thoughts:

I think that sometimes in writing my own synopsis for a book I might tend to overshare and I don't want to give anything else away in the book so I will stop with that tid-bit up there. Dear Mr. Knightley had me invested in it from the very beginning. I loved the characters. Samantha with all her prickly flaws, the young boy she befriends and becomes a running partner with and the instrument in helping Sam open up her heart(oops, oversharing again). And the mysterious Mr. Knightley whom Sam feels safe with and shares her most intimate thoughts and feelings with. All of these characters make Dear Mr. Knightley an entertaining and engaging read and one in which I will miss the characters for a while after finishing it. Even though Sam used quotes from her favorite authors to mask her insecurities I found those quotes to be entertaining and amusing and added to the charm of the read. I definitely recommend Dear Mr. Knightley.

An Aside:

While I have seen mentions of people loving the cover of this book I have to admit I'm not a fan and it almost kept me from requesting the book. To me it just looks a bit plain. But after reading the story I see the whimsy of it and am kind of drawn to it now.

I received my copy through Booksneeze.

Love's Refuge by Sandra Leesmith: Blog Tour

About the Book:

Skye Larsen loves her peaceful life on Leeza Island in Puget Sound – the tranquility, the friendly neighbors, and especially the safety from big-city dangers. So when cruel pranks start to escalate and changes threaten to overtake the island, Skye is determined to fight for her haven. The presence of a handsome vacationer and the unexpected feelings he awakens can’t distract her from her goal.

Danny Fraser doesn’t realize how desperately he needs a rest until he meets Skye. By allowing him to glimpse her simple way of life, she helps him reorient his priorities – and steals his heart in the process. But his work and home in Seattle keep Skye at bay.

An isolated island girl with painful memories. A dedicated city boy with a wild past. What will it cost for them both to find a refuge from their storms?

About the Author:

 

Sandra Leesmith loves to travel in her RV and explore all of nature’s beauty, discover America’s history, and fellowship with the wonderful people she meets while on the road. She enjoys reading, writing, hiking, swimming, and pickleball. Learn more about Sandra and her books at www.sandraleesmith.com. 

Where to Connect With Sandra: 

You can connect with Sandra on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads. You can also find her and her talented writing buddies at the Seekerville blog.   

My Thoughts:

I thought Love's Refuge was a sweet romance. I really liked Danny's character from the very beginning of the book. I had no patience for Skye! While realizing that she had a lot of hurdles to overcome, and having a great reason to cut herself off from the world, I found after a while that instead of feeling sympathy for her I just wanted to shake her and tell her to get a grip on reality! And you know what? Eventually she did get a grip on reality! I liked her slow move in faith towards God and how she reached outside of herself and helped a troubled young girl. Both characters grew throughout the book and I enjoyed seeing how they helped each other. Danny definitely needed the relaxation and calmness that Skye and her  island were able to bring him and Skye needed Danny's strength and patience to help her overcome her fears. I liked that faith played a much more prominent roll in Love's Refuge than it did in Love's Miracles. And yet it didn't venture into preachy, but showed that God is our ultimate refuge. I also have to give some cover love here! The picture on the cover of the book depicts the couple so well! As I read the book and would read about Skye's braid or Danny kissing her forehead I had the cover image right there to help with the mental picture I had. 

Giveaway:

Enter to win a basic Kindle loaded with Sandra Lesssmith's books!

 

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Love's Refuge will be available for purchase through Amazon for .99 during the blog tour. For more information on the tour make sure to visit:

Blog Tour Page