Showing posts with label Sweet Lake. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sweet Lake. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 17, 2018

Release Day! The Season of Silver Linings by Christine Nolfi

Happy Release Day!

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The Season of Silver Linings by Christine Nolfi
Series: Sweet Lake #3
Kindle Edition, 299 pages
Published July 17th 2018 by Lake Union Publishing

She can’t change what’s come before. But letting go could bring healing—and the rare love that comes once in a lifetime.

When Ohio pastry chef Jada Brooks and her two best friends restored the glorious Wayfair Inn, it was a boon to Sweet Lake—and to their own lives. Now Linnie and Cat are focused on private matters: one engaged, the other swept up in newlywed bliss. Jada has also begun looking to the future by dating widower Philip Kettering and forging a sudden, sweet bond with his six-year-old daughter.

But the past isn’t finished with Jada. When a curious guest checks into the Wayfair, her delving questions stir Jada’s guilt about the heartbreaking events that scarred the town seven years ago. The risks Jada must take by revealing the truth will test every assumption she’s made about the meaning of family and the magic of enduring love.


Congratulations Christine
 on the release today of
The Season of Silver Linings!

I've read all three books in this series and with each book, I've fallen more in love with all the characters and the beautiful Wayfair Inn on Sweet Lake. I've loved each trip back to this amazing place. 

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You can read my thoughts about the books in this fabulous series here, here, and here

About the author



Some writers are gifted with an unusual life and I’m certainly one of those. I’ve lived in Ohio, Virginia, California, Utah and now South Carolina. In college I was featured on the front page of the Houston Post for a lark that erased all my debt. I met my four adopted children for the first time in the sweltering heat of the tropics. I helped build several companies and was lucky enough to earn a living doing what I love best–writing–in a PR firm I owned.

In 2004 I made the wisest and most irrational decision of my life–I began writing fiction full-time. All those years of hard work pay off daily in sweet notes and comments by readers. Please continue the mail, tweets and comments on FaceBook, GoodReads and other sites. I cherish your support and love chatting with readers.

Connect with Christine


***********************

Be sure to check the sidebar for all of my current giveaways!

Tuesday, July 10, 2018

The Season of Silver Linings by Christine Nolfi ~ My Thoughts #TheSeasonOfSilverLinings #NetGalley

38601996

The Season of Silver Linings

The Season of Silver Linings by Christine Nolfi
Series: Sweet Lake #3
Kindle Edition, 299 pages
Expected publication: July 17th 2018 by Lake Union Publishing

She can’t change what’s come before. But letting go could bring healing—and the rare love that comes once in a lifetime.

When Ohio pastry chef Jada Brooks and her two best friends restored the glorious Wayfair Inn, it was a boon to Sweet Lake—and to their own lives. Now Linnie and Cat are focused on private matters: one engaged, the other swept up in newlywed bliss. Jada has also begun looking to the future by dating widower Philip Kettering and forging a sudden, sweet bond with his six-year-old daughter.

But the past isn’t finished with Jada. When a curious guest checks into the Wayfair, her delving questions stir Jada’s guilt about the heartbreaking events that scarred the town seven years ago. The risks Jada must take by revealing the truth will test every assumption she’s made about the meaning of family and the magic of enduring love.


My thoughts about The Season of Silver Linings ~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first lines.)

First line—"Tilda Lyons rushed into the Wayfair's kitchen. 'I have wonderful news!' An unlikely prospect. Jada Brooks muffled a groan. This morning there wasn't time for interruptions by the Sweet Lake Sirens."

I truly love the women of Sweet Lake, even the quirky Sirens. The Season of Silver Linings is the third book in this fabulous series, with each book mainly focusing on one of the three main characters. Jada, Cat and Linnie are co-owners of the Wayfair Inn and as their lives are intertwined, they share their good times and are there for each other during the trying times. They are such good friends, friends who can say and do anything—nothing is off limits.

This story had a bit of a different feel to me. I still loved it as much as the first two books but this one seemed more mysterious with the addition of a woman who arrives at the Inn, asking questions about the past. Memories and emotions get stirred up as the past is revealed and the truth comes out.

I have loved my visits to Sweet Lake and I've loved watching the relationships between the characters grow. I feel like I know these people so well and I'm always sad when I turn the last page of the book because that means my visit with my friends is over. I hope I can return again soon.

I received an ARC of The Season of Silver Linings from the author via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

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You can read my thoughts about books one and two of this fabulous series here and here.

About the author



Some writers are gifted with an unusual life and I’m certainly one of those. I’ve lived in Ohio, Virginia, California, Utah and now South Carolina. In college I was featured on the front page of the Houston Post for a lark that erased all my debt. I met my four adopted children for the first time in the sweltering heat of the tropics. I helped build several companies and was lucky enough to earn a living doing what I love best–writing–in a PR firm I owned.

In 2004 I made the wisest and most irrational decision of my life–I began writing fiction full-time. All those years of hard work pay off daily in sweet notes and comments by readers. Please continue the mail, tweets and comments on FaceBook, GoodReads and other sites. I cherish your support and love chatting with readers.

Connect with Christine


***********************

Be sure to check the sidebar for all of my current giveaways!

Sunday, October 15, 2017

The Comfort of Secrets by Christine Nolfi ~ My Thoughts

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The Comfort of Secrets

The Comfort of Secrets by Christine Nolfi
Series: Sweet Lake #2
Print and e-book, 318 pages
Published July 18th 2017 by Lake Union Publishing

Cat Mendoza needs a win. After a business failure and years of dating the wrong men, she’s ready to turn things around.

First she must convince the residents of Sweet Lake, Ohio, that she’s taking her responsibilities seriously. As the events director of the newly restored Wayfair Inn, she has the support of her best friends, Linnie and Jada. But everyone else—including her overprotective mother and the well-meaning Sweet Lake Sirens—can’t help but chime in with advice about her plans, her apparently too-tight clothes, and her undeniable attraction to Ryan D’Angelo, the charming ad exec hired to promote the inn.

Cat knows she should keep Ryan at a distance, but she’s drawn closer by the heartbreak he tries to hide. Will uncovering his secrets derail the new life Cat hopes to achieve…or will she gain something to cherish forever?

 

My thoughts about The Comfort of Secrets ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first line.)

First line—"The poster wagged before her nose: Sage Advice: Thyme to Discover Nature's Medicine—Right in Your Spice Rack! Speechless, Cat Mendoza shrank back in her chair."

Right away, I knew that the Sirens were involved in this poster wagging. This wonderful group of women, the Sirens, are definitely a force to be reckoned with but they will always have your back!

I absolutely loved the first book in this series, Sweet Lake, and and this one was just as good, if not better. The characters I met in the first book are back in full force and I loved being a part of their lives again. A whole new set of characters are added to the storyline in this book and it was fascinating to discover how their lives are so intertwined.

The Comfort of Secrets focuses on Cat, one-third owner of the Wayfair Inn. Watching her as she tries to get her life figured out (with a lot of help from the Sirens - I love those crazy, quirky women!) was what drove me to get to the end of the story. But I was also sad when it ended. I am so looking forward to the next book in this fabulous series!

I received a copy of this book from the author and am voluntarily reviewing it.

About the author



Some writers are gifted with an unusual life and I’m certainly one of those. I’ve lived in Ohio, Virginia, California, Utah and now South Carolina. In college I was featured on the front page of the Houston Post for a lark that erased all my debt. I met my four adopted children for the first time in the sweltering heat of the tropics. I helped build several companies and was lucky enough to earn a living doing what I love best–writing–in a PR firm I owned.

In 2004 I made the wisest and most irrational decision of my life–I began writing fiction full-time. All those years of hard work pay off daily in sweet notes and comments by readers. Please continue the mail, tweets and comments on FaceBook, GoodReads and other sites. I cherish your support and love chatting with readers.

Connect with Christine


***********************

Be sure to check the sidebar for all of my current giveaways!

Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Release Day! Sweet Lake by Christine Nolfi ~ My Thoughts

Happy Release Day!

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Sweet Lake

Sweet Lake by Christine Nolfi
Series: Sweet Lake #1
Print and e-book, 304 pages
Published: February 28th 2017 by Lake Union Publishing

Linnie Wayfair knows just how many people are counting on her. But knowing doesn’t make doing any easier.

Everyone in Sweet Lake, Ohio, wants her to muster all her business sense and return the Wayfair Inn to its former glory. Her parents hope she’ll forgive her scoundrel of a brother and reconcile the family. The eccentric Sweet Lake Sirens want her to open the inn—and her heart—to new possibilities. And her hilarious lifelong friends Jada and Cat are dropping none-too-subtle hints for her to ignite a romance with Daniel Kettering, the sexy attorney who’s been pining for her for years…

Now a shocking turn of events will open old wounds and upend the world Linnie has carefully built. She has to make changes quickly—and the results, though not entirely what she expected, might be what she’s been yearning for all along.

 

My thoughts about Sweet Lake ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first line.)

First line—"Coconuts bouncing down a bowling lane."

How is this not one of the best first lines ever? What on earth does that line have to do with this story and where is the author going to take me from here?

I loved my visit to Sweet Lake and getting to meet all of the wonderful and quirky residents of this beautiful community. This story is filled with an abundance of great character and there are plenty of complicated relationships among the townsfolk that kept it very interesting. Let's see, there's Linnie and Daniel, Linnie and Freddy, Freddy and Francis, just to name a few.

And then there is this elite group of women (this is where the quirky comes in) who call themselves the Sweet Lake Sirens. They are such a hoot! I loved the Sirens! There were plenty of humorous parts throughout the book that made me laugh out loud, especially the parts that involved the Sirens. They loved to freely give their advice to anyone, whether it was asked for or not. I'll just say 'organism' and leave it at that. 😉

But there is so much more to this story than the humor and the Sirens. There are interesting characters who are put to the test, who have to learn to grow and stand up for what they want. And there are those who have been there for each other and have been for years, just waiting for things to fall into place. So many great relationships in this beautiful story.

Sweet Lake is truly a wonderful story that grabbed me from the start and held my attention to the very end. I am so excited that Christine is writing Sweet Lake #2 so that I can visit Sweet Lake again and catch up with all the interesting people that I just met. Hopefully I will be able to take many more trips back there.

I received a copy of this book from the author and am voluntarily reviewing it.

About the author



Some writers are gifted with an unusual life and I’m certainly one of those. I’ve lived in Ohio, Virginia, California, Utah and now South Carolina. In college I was featured on the front page of the Houston Post for a lark that erased all my debt. I met my four adopted children for the first time in the sweltering heat of the tropics. I helped build several companies and was lucky enough to earn a living doing what I love best–writing–in a PR firm I owned.

In 2004 I made the wisest and most irrational decision of my life–I began writing fiction full-time. All those years of hard work pay off daily in sweet notes and comments by readers. Please continue the mail, tweets and comments on FaceBook, GoodReads and other sites. I cherish your support and love chatting with readers.

Connect with Christine


***********************

Be sure to check the sidebar for all of my current giveaways!

Monday, February 27, 2017

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? February 27, 2017


It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's an opportunity to visit other blogs and to comment on their reads. And ... you can add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date. And here we are!

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Once again, we talk about the weather. Earlier this week, we had temps in the 60s and then there were blizzard warnings in the area, with predictions of possibly 18 inches of snow. We ended up getting nothing at all but areas just south of us got 12 inches of the white stuff. Yikes! Anyway, nice weather is just around the corner, right?

Other than that, nothing too exciting going on right now - just reading, working, and hanging out with hubby and a few grandkiddos. Life goes on! 

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you all have a great week. Happy reading!

What I'm currently reading/listening to

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All Summer Long
by Dorothea Benton Frank
For TLC Book Tours. It's never too early for summer reading, is it?

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Walking Sam 
by Deanna Lynn Sletten
(audio-book)
I loved this when I read it. Read my thoughts here. Now I'm enjoying listening to it.

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Indulgence in Death (In Death #31)
by J.D. Robb 
(audio-book)
I love this series! Playing catch up. 

What I recently finished

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Lucky Bang (Lucky O'Toole #3.5)
Lucky Now and Then (Lucky O'Toole #3.6)
by Deborah Coonts
A couple of novellas to get me caught up in this great series.

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The Hope Chest: A Novel
by Viola Shipman 
Wonderful, touching story. My thoughts will be posted soon.

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Sweet Lake: A Novel (Sweet Lake #1)
by Christine Nolfi
Awesome! My thoughts will be posted later this week.

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Spinning the Moon
by Karen White
(audio-book)
Read my thoughts and enter the giveaway here.

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A Fall of Marigolds
by Susan Meissner
This was a book club pick. Great story!

What I am going to read next

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Silver Screen Kisses: An Echo Ridge Anthology (Echo Ridge Romance Book 3)
by Lucy McConnell, Cami Checketts, Heather Tullis, Janette Rallison, and Rachelle J. Christensen

I really love my reading life!

What are you reading this week?

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Be sure to check the sidebar for all of my current giveaways!

Monday, February 20, 2017

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? February 20, 2017


It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's an opportunity to visit other blogs and to comment on their reads. And ... you can add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date. And here we are!

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We are having unseasonably warm weather right now. It has me thinking about getting the grill and patio furniture out but I know it's only February and we'll be hit with more snow, for sure. But I am loving the sun and warm temps all the same. 

We had another busy weekend full of grandkiddos. I have Monday off for President's Day but then I offered to babysit the 2½ year old. There goes my day of reading. Oh well, the books will always be there, we have to enjoy the kids when we can. 

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you all have a great week. Happy reading!

What I'm currently reading/listening to

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A Fall of Marigolds
by Susan Meissner

34183739
Walking Sam 
by Deanna Lynn Sletten
(audio-book)
I loved this when I read it. Read my thoughts here. Now I get a chance to listen to it.

31864006
Spinning the Moon
by Karen White
(audio-book)
I loved the first story of this set. Struggling with the second one. 😕

What I recently finished

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One Wrong Turn: A Novel
by Deanna Lynn Sletten
Another wonderful story from this author!

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Where Do Dreams Come From?
by Kim Delgado
Cute! Cute! Cute! My thoughts will be posted Wednesday. 

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I See You
by Clare Mackintosh
Intense! Read my thoughts here.

What I am going to read next

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Sweet Lake: A Novel (Sweet Lake #1)
by Christine Nolfi

I really love my reading life!

What are you reading this week?

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Be sure to check the sidebar for all of my current giveaways!

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