Black 'n' Gold Girl's Book Spot

About the Book   Book: The Kitchen Marriage   Author: Gina Welborn & Becca Whitham   Publisher : Kensington Publishers   Genre: Inspirational romance/Historical America set in the old west   Release Date: September 25, 2018   A bright future awaits the women of courage and faith who boldly chase their dreams across the wide-open Montana Territory, prepared to embrace adventure and forge their own destinies . . . When French immigrant Zoe de Fleur is forced out of her position as household cook for a high society New Yorker, the pretty and talented chef seizes an unexpected chance to head west for a new beginning. She pursues what she thinks is a prestigious job in the frontier’s “finest kitchen,” but instead finds herself in a matchmaker’s agency . . . Isaak Gunderson is one of Helena, Montana’s most eligible bachelors, but he’s too focused on running for mayor and his family’s business to think about a wife and family. His t...

The Captive Heart by Michelle Griep Copyright 2016 Shiloh Run Press Paperback ISBN: 9781634097833 The Story: Proper English governess Eleanor Morgan flees to the colonies to escape the wrath of a an angry duke. When the Charles Town family she’s to work for never arrives to collect her from the dock, she is forced to settle for the only reputable choice remaining to her—marriage to a man she’s never met. Trapper and tracker Samuel Heath is a hardened survivor used to getting his own way by brain or by brawn, and he’s determined to find a mother for his young daughter. But finding a wife proves to be impossible. No upstanding woman wants to marry a murderer. Available for preorder from Amazon or your favorite bookseller. My Thoughts: Before I requested this on Netgalley, I read some of the reviews to see if I should give this a try. To be honest, I loved Griep's first few books (see Undercurrent ), but I did not enjoy Brentwood's Ward at all, and was leery of requestin...

Toby, Tippy, and Coco! The Story: Pro baseball pitcher Cal Crawford is not a dog guy. When he inherits his deceased mother’s elderly dog, Tippy, he’s quick to call on a pet-sitting service.  Gina isn’t thrilled to be a dog sitter when her aspirations lie in the classroom. Furthermore, she can’t abide the unfriendly Cal, a man with all the charm of a wet towel. But with no other prospects and a deep love for all things canine, she takes the job caring for Tippy.  As Gina travels through Cal’s world with Tippy in tow, she begins to see Cal in a different light. Gina longs to show Cal the God-given blessings in his life that have nothing to do with baseball or fame. When her longing blooms into attraction, Gina does her best to suppress it. But Cal is falling in love with her too…  Meet the author! Part of the proceeds from the book will be donated to Muttville Senior Dog Rescue!  Read what others are saying about the book!  My Thou...

The Red Door Inn by Liz Johnson Copyright 2016 Revell Books ISBN: 9780800724023 The Story: Marie Carrington is broke, desperate, and hoping to find sanctuary on Prince Edward Island while decorating a renovated bed-and-breakfast. Seth Sloane moved three thousand miles to help restore his uncle's Victorian B and B--and to forget about the fiancée who broke his heart. He wasn't expecting to have to babysit a woman with a taste for expensive antiques and a bewildering habit of jumping every time he brushes past her.  The only thing Marie and Seth agree on is that getting the Red Door Inn ready to open in just two months will take everything they've got--and they have to find a way to work together. In the process, they may find something infinitely sweeter than they ever imagined on this island of dreams. Learn more about the book and Liz on her website ! My Thoughts: I'm always a little nervous when I buy or review a book from an author who is new ...

The Wedding Chapel by Rachel Hauck Copyright 2015 ISBN: 9780310341529 The Story: For sixty years, a wedding chapel sat silent, waiting for love. But times have changed and the hour has come when it just might be too late. Retired hall-of-fame football coach Jimmy “Coach” Westbrook never imagined anything would come of his labor of love—the wedding chapel he built for Collette Greer, the woman he fell for back in ‘49. But now an offer has come to turn the chapel into what it was meant to be—a place for love—and Jimmy sees no reason to hang onto his dream any longer. Photographer Taylor Branson is trying to make a life for herself in New York.  Leaving her hometown of Heart’s Bend, Tennessee, she put a lot of things behind her, including her family’s abysmal marriage rate. But love surprises her when she falls head-over-heels for Jack Forester, a top ad man. Their whirlwind romance results in an elopement, and a mountain of doubt. Jack, while genuine in his love for Tay...

The two mistresses! The Story: There can be only one mistress of Tall Acre . . .  The American Revolution is finally over, and Sophie Menzies is starved for good news. When her nearest neighbor, General Seamus Ogilvy, finally comes home to Tall Acre, she hopes it is a sign of better days to come. But the general is now a widower with a small daughter in desperate need of a mother. Nearly destitute, Sophie agrees to marry Seamus and become the mistress of Tall Acre in what seems a safe, sensible arrangement. But when a woman from the general's past returns without warning, the ties that bind this fledgling family together will be strained to the utmost. When all is said and done, who will be the rightful mistress of Tall Acre?  Triumph and tragedy, loyalty and betrayal--you will find it all in the rich pages of this newest novel from the talented pen of Laura Frantz. The Mistress of Tall Acre by Laura Frantz Copyright 2015 Revell Books ISBN: 9780800720445 ...

A Bride at Last  by Melissa Jagears Copyright 2015 Bethany House Publishers ISBN: 9780764211706 The Story: Abandoned by his mail-order bride, Silas Jonesey has fought an uphill battle to recover from a pattern of poor choices. Now his prayers for reconciliation have finally come true and his estranged wife has contacted him with her whereabouts. Kate Dawson was supposed to be a mail-order bride, but upon realizing she'd been deceived about her intended groom, she's now settled into life as a schoolteacher. When the mother of a student passes away, Kate assumes she'll take on care of nine-year-old Anthony--until two men suddenly show up in town, claiming to be the boy's father. Silas can see Anthony loves Kate, so he enlists her help in reaching out to the boy and attempting to prove his paternity to the court. When a common interest in Anthony leads to an interest in each other and Silas and Kate begin to think they can overcome their rocky start, neither i...

A Love Like Ours by Becky Wade Copyright 2015 Bethany House Publishers ISBN: 9780764211096 The Story: Former Marine Jake Porter has far deeper scars than the one that marks his face. He struggles with symptoms of PTSD, lives a solitary life, and avoids relationships. When Lyndie James, Jake's childhood best friend, lands back in Holley, Texas, Jake cautiously hires her to exercise his Thoroughbreds. Lyndie is tender-hearted, fiercely determined, and afraid of nothing, just like she was as a child. Jake pairs her with Silver Leaf, a horse full of promise but lacking in results, hoping she can solve the mystery of the stallion's reluctance to run. Though Jake and Lyndie have grown into very different adults, the bond that existed during their childhood still ties them together. Against Jake's will, Lyndie's sparkling, optimistic personality begins to tear down the walls he's built around his heart. A glimmer of the hope he'd thought he'd lost returns, bu...

To Win Her Favor A Belle Meade Plantation Novel by Tamera Alexander Copyright 2015 Zondervan ISBN: 9780310291077 The Story: A gifted rider in a world where ladies never race, Maggie Linden is determined that her horse will become a champion. But the one man who could help her has vowed to stay away from thoroughbred racing forever.  An Irishman far from home, Cullen McGrath left a once prosperous life in England because of a horse racing scandal that nearly ruined him. He’s come to Nashville for a fresh start, hoping to buy land and begin farming, all while determined to stay as far away from thoroughbred racing as possible. But starting over proves harder than he’d wagered, especially when Maggie Linden’s father makes him an offer he shouldn’t accept yet cannot possibly refuse. Maggie is certain that her mare, Bourbon Belle, can take the top purse in the inaugural Peyton Stakes, the richest race ever run in America. Maggie only needs the chance to prove it. To give...

The Story: Sent away for protection, hotel heiress Estella Everstone finds herself living undercover as a lady’s companion named Elle Stoneburner at one of her father’s opulent hotels in the mountains of Maine—the one she'd always loved best and always hoped to own one day, Everston. The one thing she doesn't like about the situation is that her ex-fiancé is in the area and is set on marrying someone else. Reeling from her feelings of being unwanted and unworthy, Estella reluctantly forms a friendship with the gruff manager of Everston, Dexter Blakeley, who seems to have something against wealthy young socialites with too much money, although they are just the kind of people Everston caters to. When Estella finds herself in need of help, Dexter comes to the rescue with an offer she can't refuse. She sees no other choice aside from going back home to her family and accepts the position as companion to his sister. Throughout her interactions with Dexter, she can...

The Hesitant Heiress, Book 1: After being unjustly expelled from the Boston Conservatory of Music, Amaryllis Brigham sees her dreams of founding a music academy in her hometown of Seattle, Washington, disappearing before her very eyes. Now, the only way to achieve her goal comes with high stakes for someone set on avoiding men as much as possible: Marry within the year to inherit the immense fortune of her estranged grandmother. Amaryllis reluctantly moves in to her aunt's Boston home and rubs shoulders with fashionable society. Despite her own misgivings, she soon finds herself quickly falling in love with the most unlikely of men, Nathan Everstone, the envy of every eligible female, whose father has haunted her dreams for the decade following her mother's tragic death. However, Nathan turns out to be much more than he seems...and everything she never knew she wanted. But just as everything Amaryllis has recently hoped for comes to fruition, it all falls apart wh...

Anna's Crossing (An Amish Beginnings Novel) by Suzanne Woods Fisher Copyright 2015 Revell Books ISBN: 9780800723194 Buy the book ! The Story: Some endings are really beginnings . . .  On a hot day in 1737 in Rotterdam, Anna König reluctantly sets foot on the Charming Nancy, a merchant ship that will carry her and her fellow Amish believers across the Atlantic to start a new life. As the only one in her community who can speak English, she feels compelled to go. But Anna is determined to complete this journey and return home--assuming she survives. She's heard horrific tales of ocean crossings and worse ones of what lay ahead in the New World. But fearfulness is something Anna has never known. Ship's carpenter Bairn resents the somber people--dubbed Peculiars by the deckhands--who fill the lower deck of the Charming Nancy. All Bairn wants to do is to put his lonely past behind him, but that irksome and lovely lass Anna and her people keep intruding on him. ...

The Trouble with Patience (Virtues and Vices of the Old West, Book 1) by Maggie Brendan Copyright 2015 Revell Books ISBN: 9780800722647 Buy the book The Story: Patience Cavanaugh has lost hope in romance. The man she yearned to marry is dead and her dreams are gone with him. Now she is consumed with restoring a dilapidated boardinghouse in order to support herself. Despite Patience's desire for solitude, Jedediah Jones, the local marshal with a reputation for hanging criminals, becomes an ever-looming part of her life. It seems like such a simple arrangement: She needs someone with a strong back to help her fix up the boardinghouse. He needs a dependable source of food for himself and his prisoners. But as she gets to know this "hanging lawman," Patience finds there is far more to him than meets the eye--and it could destroy their tenuous relationship forever. With a keen eye for historical detail and a deft hand at romantic tension, Maggie Brendan invites yo...

Betting on Hope by Debra Clopton Copyright 2015 Thomas Nelson ISBN: 9781401690496 Buy the Book The Story: A bet gone wrong. A small town’s meddling. And a cowboy intent on saving his ranch. Maggie Hope is an advice columnist whose background leaves her with little advice to give . . . and it’s beginning to show. When Maggie fills in at an interview with champion horse trainer Tru Monahan, the on-camera chemistry between them is undeniable. Maggie’s bosses know this is the opportunity she’s been looking for to launch her career—and their bank accounts. In order to save her column, Maggie takes Tru up on the bet that he can teach her to ride a quick-stepping cutting horse like any cowgirl, despite the fact that she has never been on a horse. And in the meantime, she can get the scoop on the man under the cowboy hat. Tru has been on the competition circuit for longer than he’d like, but he knows it’s the only way he can afford to keep the Four of Hearts Ranch that means ...

I'm sitting here watching the evening news (it's something I do every night because I have the life of a 70 year old) and they just listed the top 4 most asked for Valentine's Day gifts. The first being a date night the second a smartphone (really?!), and the others being the traditional chocolate and flowers. I can't get over the fact that smartphones are acceptable Valentine's Day gifts. People these days. Tsk tsk. Here's what I'd ask for. Books. I love books and finally somebody understands me. FaithWords is my Valentine and yours this year. FaithWords is an imprint of Hachette Book Group that includes fiction, so you can just bet they know why inspirational romance is so great. They just get us when they say things like, "Give books, not roses."  This year they are offering readers, or those of you who love a reader, a chance to sweeten up your Valentine's Day. From the acquisitions editor comes this special announcement...

Hope Rising(Of Love and War, Book 2) by Stacy Henrie Copyright 2014 Forever Romance ISBN: 9781455598816 The Story:  In France at the height of World War I, American nurse Evelyn Gray is no stranger to suffering. She's helped save the life of many a soldier, but when she learns her betrothed has been killed, her own heart may be broken beyond repair. Summoning all her strength, Evelyn is determined to carry on-not just for herself and her country, but for her unborn child. Corporal Joel Campbell dreams of the day the war is over and he can return home and start a family. When a brutal battle injury puts that hope in jeopardy, Joel is lost to despair . . . until he meets Evelyn. Beautiful, compassionate, and in need of help, she makes an unconventional proposal that could save their lives-or ruin them irrevocably. Now, amidst the terror and turmoil of the Western Front, these two lost souls will have to put their faith in love to find the miracle they've been looking f...

Love Unexpected (Beacons of Hope, Book 1) by Jody Hedlund Copyright 2014 Bethany House Publishers ISBN: 9780764212370 The Story: 1859 Presque Isle, Michigan  What Is the Secret That Could Shipwreck Both of Their Lives?  All Emma Chambers ever wanted was a home, but when her steamboat sinks just outside Presque Isle, she's left destitute and with no place to stay. An unlikely solution arises when the lighthouse keeper arrives in town. He's just lost his wife and is having a difficult time caring for his child. So a traveling preacher gets the idea that the keeper and Emma might be the answer to each other's dilemma. After a hasty marriage, she finds herself heading to the lighthouse with this handsome but quiet stranger. Nothing in her aimless life, though, has prepared her for parenting a rambunctious toddler, as well as managing a household. Emma soon suspects Patrick may be hiding something from her, and then she hears a disturbing rumor about the circumstan...

Surprised by Love (The Heart of San Francisco, Book 3) by Julie Lessman Copyright 2014 Revell Books ISBN: 9780800721657 The Story:  She can turn the head of the man who spurned her--but can she turn his heart?  When Megan McClare left San Francisco to study in Paris, no one would accuse her of being poised and pretty. But on the other side of the Atlantic, this wallflower blossomed into a beauty with big dreams. When she returns to California and accepts an internship at the district attorney's office, she's thrilled that her life is taking shape. But the exciting opportunity quickly loses its glow when she discovers she'll be working alongside Devin Caldwell, who mercilessly mocked her at school--and with whom she was hopelessly enamored.

Love's Fortune (The Ballantyne Legacy, Book 3) by Laura Frantz Copyright 2014 Revell Books ISBN: 9780800720438 The Story: With two very different horizons stretched out before her, one young woman stands on the cusp of an unknown future.  Sheltered since birth at her Kentucky home, Rowena "Wren" Ballantyne has heard only whispered rumors of her grandfather Silas's vast fortune and grand manor in Pennsylvania. When her father receives a rare letter summoning him to New Hope, Wren makes the journey with him and quickly finds herself in a whole new world--family members she's never met, dances she's never learned, and a new side to the father she thought she knew. As she struggles to fit in during their extended stay, she finds a friend in James Sackett, the most valued steamship pilot of the Ballantynes' shipping line. Even with his help, Wren feels she may never be comfortable in high society. Will she go her own way . . . to her peril? With her ...

If you know me there are a few authors whose books I get REALLY excited about and Laura Frantz 's stories are always at the top of my list. I just adore her stories. Reading The Ballantyne Legacy series has been nothing but pure joy, so I'll just bet that the final installment  Love's Fortune will be nothing short of amazing, not to mention romantic. ;-) I'm thrilled that I'll get to plop down on the floor along with my furry sidekick Coco and a piping hot cuppa and dive into the adventure that is Wren's tale. I was going to save the story for my beach vacay, but that idea flew out the window along with all desire to complete the household chores when the beautiful book arrived in my mailbox this morning! Wren & Coco