Besotted by Jody Hedlund

 

Besotted is my favorite book in The Fairest Maiden series by Jody Hedlund. I would say it is Sleeping beauty with a plot twist. Although I liked Rory from the start, I really did not care for Kresten. Both characters showed growth and I grew to really appreciate Kresten. I am sad that Besotted is the final book in this series.  so avoid Queen Margery and have a cup of tea with some of Aunt Elspeth's baked goods. You are in for a fantastic read! And isn't the cover gorgeous!!!

I was given a copy of this book with no expectations. All thoughts are my own.

From Amazon:

In a land where being the fairest maiden is a curse . . .

A young queen trying to stay alive until she comes of age to rule, and a prince turned into a pauper.

Queen Aurora of Mercia has spent her entire life deep in Inglewood Forest, hiding from Warwick’s Queen Margery, who seeks her demise. As the time draws near for Aurora to take the throne, she happens upon a handsome woodcutter. Although friendship with outsiders is forbidden and dangerous, she cannot stay away from the charming stranger.

Only two months away from completing his royal testing, Prince Kresten of Scania is ready to be finished with the poverty and hardships of being a woodcutter. When he meets a beautiful peasant woman, he doesn’t plan to fall in love, especially when he must soon leave and return to his homeland.

As Queen Margery’s forces close in, Aurora finds herself in mortal danger. Kresten knows a future with Aurora is impossible, but he is desperate to save her and bring an end to the queen’s threat. To do so, he joins the ultimate battle against the evil queen, risking everything, including his chance at true love.

The real Sleeping Beauty story.

The Fairest Maidens
Book 1: Beholden
Book 2: Beguiled (Oct 2020)
Book 3: Besotted (Nov 2020)


Other YA books by Jody Hedlund:

The Lost Princesses
Prequel Novella: Always
Book 1: Evermore
Book 2: Foremost
Book 3: Hereafter

The Noble Knights
Prequel Novella: The Vow
Book 1: An Uncertain Choice
Book 2: A Daring Sacrifice
Book 3: For Love and Honor
Book 4: A Loyal Heart
Book 5: A Worthy Rebel

For a complete list of Jody's novels, visit her Amazon page or website - jodyhedlund.com

About the author:

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Biography

Jody Hedlund is the author of over thirty historicals for both adults and teens and is the winner of numerous awards including the Christy, Carol, and Christian Book Award.

Jody lives in central Michigan with her husband, five busy children, and five spoiled cats. Although Jody prefers to experience daring and dangerous adventures through her characters rather than in real life, she’s learned that a calm existence is simply not meant to be (at least in this phase of her life!).

When she’s not penning another of her page-turning stories, she loves to spend her time reading, especially when it also involves consuming coffee and chocolate.

The Kissing Tree by Karen Witemeyer, Regina Jennings, Amanda Dykes, and Nicole Deese

I really enjoyed The Kissing Tree. I knew I would like the stories by Regina Jennings and Karen Witemyer as they are among my favorite authors. Amanda Dykes and Nicole Deese are new to me, but I will definitely be looking for more books by them in the future. The main character in all four stories is an old oak tree that has seen a lot of the romantic history of the town of Oak Springs Texas.  Each of the authors has penned a tale relevant to a different time period., sharing the romances of four different couples. All of the plots were engaging and I loved the characters. So grab a pot of tea and a cozy chair. You will want to settle in for four unique tales of love beneath The Kissing Tree!

I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley.com with no expectations. All thoughts are my own.

From Amazon:

Bestselling novelist Karen Witemeyer joins award-winning authors Regina Jennings, Amanda Dykes, and Nicole Deese for this Texas-sized romance novella collection. Each of the authors' unique voices is on display in stories where courting couples leave a permanent mark of their love by carving their initials into the same oak's bark.  

In Regina Jennings' Broken Limbs, Mended Fences, a small-town teacher has her credentials questioned by a traveling salesman.

In Karen Witemeyer's Inn for a Surprise, two opinionated collaborators with conflicting visions must turn a doomed business venture into a successful romantic retreat.

From Roots to Sky by Amanda Dykes follows a young WWII naval airman who heads to Texas to meet the sister of a lost compatriot.

Heartwood by Nicole Deese is a modern-day romance about the groundskeeper of a historic inn who's reunited with someone from her past while she fights to save a town landmark.

About the authors:

About the Author

Karen Witemeyer is a winner of the multiple Carol Awards and has been a finalist for the RITA Award and National Readers' Choice Award. She lives in Abilene, Texas. Visit her at www.karenwitemeyer.com.

Regina Jennings is the acclaimed author of The Fort Reno Series and winner of the National Readers' Choice Award. She lives with her family outside Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Visit her at www.reginajennings.com.

Amanda Dykes is the author of Whose Waves These Are, a Booklist Top Ten Debut Romance of 2019 and acclaimed by Publishers Weekly as an "impressive debut." Visit her at www.amandadykes.com.

Nicole Deese is a Carol Award winner and a RITA Awards and INSPY Awards finalist. She lives in small-town Idaho. Visit her at www.nicoledeese.com.

 

Truly, Madly, Deeply by Karen Kingsbury

 

I don't know about you, but I love a series of books. The longer the better. Well Truly, Madly Deeply by Karen Kingsbury is part of her Baxter family books.  I have followed the trials and the joys of the Baxters since book 1, Redemption. It is always fun to visit with the extended family and see who is doing what these days. Karen has kept the plot interesting and ever-changing as if it were a real family.  I love the way Faith is portrayed as necessary to the characters as breathing. So grab a comfy blanket and a mug of hot. Settle in for a great visit with old friends.

I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley.com with no expectations. All thoughts are my own.

From Amazon:

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTELLER

In love for the first time, a son’s decisions about the future divides his family in this fearless and thought-provoking novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of life-changing fiction.

When eighteen-year-old Tommy Baxter declares to his family that he wants to be a police officer after graduation, his mother, Reagan, won’t hear of it. After all, she’s still mourning the death of her own father on September 11 and she’s determined to keep her son safe from danger. But Tommy’s father, Luke, is proud of Tommy’s decision. He would make a kind and compassionate cop.

Meanwhile, Tommy is in love for the first time. His sweet relationship with Annalee Miller is almost too good to be true. Tommy begins seriously thinking about the far off day when he can ask her to marry him but she hasn’t been feeling well. Tests reveal the unthinkable.

While his girlfriend begins the fight of her life, Tommy is driven to learn more about the circumstances surrounding his birth and the grandfather he never knew. Secrets come to light that rock Tommy’s world, and he becomes determined to spend his future fighting crime and bringing peace to the streets. Or is this just his way to fight a battle he cannot win—the one facing Annalee?

Blending romance and family drama, Truly, Madly,Deeply shows us that, in the shadow of great loss, the only way to live with passion is truly, madly, deeply.

About the author:

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Biography

Karen Kingsbury, #1 New York Times bestselling novelist, is America’s favorite inspirational storyteller, with more than twenty-five million copies of her award-winning books in print. Her last dozen titles have topped bestseller lists and many of her novels are under development with Hallmark Films and as major motion pictures. Her Baxter Family books are being developed into a TV series slated for major network viewing sometime in the next year. Karen is also an adjunct professor of writing at Liberty University. In 2001 she and her husband, Don, adopted three boys from Haiti, doubling their family in a matter of months. Today the couple has joined the ranks of empty-nesters, living in Tennessee near five of their adult children.

Acceptable Risk by Lynette Eason

 

Acceptable Risk by Lynette Eason is a fantastic, edge of your seat military suspense. I loved Sarah and Gavin. Both were outstanding characters. The romance was subtle but there. I loved the setting.. Ms. Eason does a fantastic job of weaving faith through her story. I will never hesitate to buy a book by Ms. Eason, she never fails to engage my mind.

From Amazon:

Sarah Denning is a military journalist with the Army in the Middle East when her convoy is attacked and she's taken hostage. When former Army Ranger Gavin Black is asked by his old unit commander--Sarah's imposing father--to plan an extremely risky rescue, he reluctantly agrees and successfully executes it.

Back in the US, Sarah is livid when she's discharged on a false psychiatric evaluation and vows to return to the Army. Until she learns of her brother's suicide. Unable to believe her brother would do such a thing, she puts her plans on hold and enlists Gavin to help her discover the truth. What they uncover may be the biggest story of Sarah's career--if she can survive long enough to write it.

Strap in for another breakneck nail-biter from bestselling romantic suspense author Lynette Eason that will have you up turning pages long into the night.

About the author:

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Biography

Award-winning, best-selling author, Lynette Eason writes for Harlequin's Love Inspired Suspense line and for Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group. Her books have hit the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists and have won numerous awards such as the prestigious Carol Award, the Selah, the Daphne, the IRCC award and more. Lynette is married, has two children, and lives in Greenville, SC.

Besotted by Jody Hedlund Release Day