Pages

Tuesday, April 9, 2024

An Uncertain Road by Abbey Downey: Review, Guest Post, and Giveaway!

 


About the Book

 


Book: An Uncertain Road

Author: Abbey Downey

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: February 27, 2024

A female auto racer, and mechanic determined to walk away from the sport, and the race of a lifetime… 

 
When young widow Flora Montfort returns to America, she’s determined to use her training in auto racing to support herself and her French mother-in-law—even if female drivers are rare in 1905. So when the owner of a successful sporting goods store hires her to drive in the Glidden Tour, a ten-day race through New England, she jumps at the opportunity. 

  

Jensen Gable must be convinced that joining the team as the ride-along mechanic is worth the risk. After losing his best friend in a tragic racing accident, Jensen has vowed never to participate in the sport again. But his promise to protect that friend’s younger brother, also on the tour, is the only thing that outweighs his fear of the dangers. 

 

As they race through New England, Flora and Jensen find common ground that ignites their interest in each other, but doubts and old enemies come between them. Hazardous road conditions, meddling locals, and competitors who’ll stop at nothing to win—they all conspire to prevent Flora and Jensen from reaching the finish line. As the race of a lifetime heats up, one question rises above all others…can their love find the road that leads to forever?

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

My Review:

What an absolutely lovely story that swept me away to 1905! This delightful book is so unique and unlike anything I’ve ever read before, and I love that so much! Not only is this book set during my favorite time period, but as a lifelong Vermonter, even though my state isn’t visited by the characters it was so fun to see my region: New England featured in a book! The history nerd in me also loved learning about the history of the Glidden Tour, something I’d never heard of before this book! Flora was fantastic and I was rooting for her from beginning to end! I also loved Jensen and their sweet romance! An Uncertain Road is an absolutely fabulous debut novel from a talented author! I highly recommend this one, and am so looking forward to the next book in the series. Don’t miss this wonderful historical road-trip romance!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author and publisher! 
(5 Stars!)



My review was not influenced in any way. All thoughts and opinions are one hundred percent my own


About the Author



Abbey Downey started writing inspirational romance stories during naptime when her kids were babies and found she couldn’t stop. She previously published two books with Love Inspired Historical under the pen name Mollie Campbell. She also works with Spark Flash Fiction producing a quarterly digital magazine that contains love stories under 1000 words.

A life-long Midwestern girl, Abbey lives in central Indiana with her husband, two kids, and one rather enthusiastic beagle. She loves watching her kids play sports and fixing up a 1900 farmhouse with her husband.

 

 

More from Abbey

It started as a deep dive into the history of women in sports.

While we don’t immediately think of women when we consider the origins of sports and exploration, time and again my research revealed stand-out women participating in the early days of every sport and making history in adventurous endeavors. Females were later barred from these activities by a culture that saw them as fragile, but for those first years, the women who were tenacious enough to try succeeded right alongside the men.

So I set out to bring to life heroines that shined in some of my favorite historical sports and activities. In An Uncertain Road, the heroine, Flora Montfort, was inspired by real-life female race car driver Joan Newton Cuneo. In the early 1900s, Joan was a strong advocate for road safety and women learning to drive. She fought hard for her right to race, just like Flora does.

Jensen Gable is the reluctant ride-along mechanic for Flora’s racing team. He wants to protect those he cares about, even if that leads him to make some wrong choices in the name of their safety. He’s a little grumpy and a lot wounded, but Flora’s presence in his life helps him learn to heal—and smile again.

One of many things I love about writing historical novels is weaving in delightful tidbits that come up in my research. In An Uncertain Road, a fascinating historical detail is before the Glidden Tour begins, when the group visits Coney Island for a day. There’s some fun flirting—over a piece of green cheese in a moon-themed amusement ride.

I also enjoyed getting to research and use real historic locations in this story. My favorite place the team visits is the Mount Washington Hotel in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, where the 1905 Glidden Tour stopped for a mid-tour break. It’s still in use today and is stunning, surrounded by mountains and beautifully restored.

But I’d have to say my favorite moment in the book is a nod to my favorite TV show. Yes, I worked a reference to The Office into a historical novel. Let me know if you find it!

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy Flora and Jensen’s story!


Blog Stops

Book Looks by Lisa, March 27

Pause for Tales, March 27

Life on Chickadee Lane, March 28

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 29

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, March 30 (Author Interview)

Devote To Hope, March 30

Texas Book-aholic, March 31

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 1

She Lives to Read, April 2

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 3

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 4

Simple Harvest Reads, April 5 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Inspired by Fiction, April 5

For Him and My Family, April 6

Cover Lover Book Review, April 7

Holly’s Book Corner, April 8

Just Your Average reviews, April 9



Giveaway



To celebrate her tour, Abbey is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/2aa72/an-uncertain-road-celebration-tour-giveaway

Monday, April 8, 2024

Review: Betrothal or Breakaway by Leah Brunner


  πŸ’  β„π•†π•‹ β„•π”Όπ•Ž β„π”Όπ•ƒπ”Όπ”Έπ•Šπ”Ό πŸ’

𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐑𝐚π₯ 𝐨𝐫 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐀𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲D.C. Eagles Hockey Book 3, by Leah Brunner is now LIVE! Don't miss best friends to lovers, marriage of convenience sports romance!

#ONECLICK TODAY! FREE IN KU!

➜ https://books2read.com/Betrothal-or-Breakaway

 

Read Desire or Defense, Book One

 https://books2read.com/DesireOrDefense

What to expect: 

✔️ Best friends to lovers 

✔️ Neurodivergent Hero  

✔️ Single mom 

✔️ Marriage of convenience 

✔️ Forced proximity

✔️ Sick bed scene 

✔️ “My wife”

✔️ Fade to Black

BLURB

My best friend—and unrequited love—has a hole in her heart. Literally and figuratively.

First, Amber’s fiancΓ© left her when she told him she was pregnant, and then her daughter's birth left her with complications from a heart defect she didn’t realize she had.

I’m devastated.

Of course I offer to pay for her surgery, but Amber (stubborn woman that she is) insists on wanting to pay me back, which I don't understand. As captain of an NHL team, I have plenty of spare cash, and I’m more than happy to help. I want to help.

So I come up with a plan.

I’ll marry Amber, my health insurance will cover her surgery, I’ll help with the baby, and the gold band on my finger will get my parents—who seem to think I'm incapable of love—off my back.

It's a win-win for both of us.

Two years of platonically wedded bliss before we amicably go our separate ways, and remain best friends, as always.

Only, how am I supposed to let Amber go when I’m not only in love with her, but also with her baby girl… who now feels like my own.

And I might have to let her go sooner than I ever wanted to.

(This is a dual POV, fade-to-black romance, and can be read as a standalone. This book contains broken engagement and minor heart surgery.)

 Add to your TBR: https://bit.ly/BOB-GR


My Review:


*swoons into a puddle* Ford Remington has been my favorite D.C. Eagle since I first met him in Passion or Penalty, and to say I have been eagerly anticipating his story would be putting it mildly! And oh my stars Betrothal or Breakaway exceeded all my sky-high expectations! I seriously don’t have words to say just how much I loved this book! Be still my heart! Is it possible to die of swooning?!

Ford is THE BEST AND MOST TENDER HERO OF ALL TIME! Don’t get me wrong, I do love a good alpha hero, but give me a gentle, tender, steadfast, and selfless hero and I am A GONER! Ford seriously melted my heart into a puddle from page one until the end and I just absolutely and completely adore him! The tender way he treats Amber and Nella, sigh, where’s my fainting couch! This man deserves all the heart-eye emojis!

I also loved Amber, she’s a wonderful and inspiring heroine, my heart ached for her and I kept wishing I could reach through the pages and give the poor girl a hug! 

Ford and Amber constantly remind each other how much they matter, and I couldn’t love this more! What a beautiful thing: a lifetime of lovingly and often wordlessly answering “I do!” to the question  “does anyone see me?” 

I loved how perfectly their personalities complement each other and how they make each other stronger than they could ever be on their own! 

And Nella was adorable! 

I seriously didn’t think I could love the D.C. Eagles more, but seeing the guys caring for a baby? Gah, cuteness overload! 

Friends-to-lovers is my all time favorite trope and this book is the perfect example of exactly why I love it so much! I’ve gotta be honest, I’m not always the biggest marriage-of-convenience fan, especially in a contemporary story, but this one was so brilliantly written that I was totally sold and it made me fall in love with the trope!

This book is absolute perfection and I will never stop smiling when I think about this story!

You need this brilliant masterpiece in your life!

This story brought me such joy, and reading it was pure bliss! Betrothal or Breakaway is my new favorite by Leah Brunner, and one of my favorite reads of 2024! 

I most highly recommend this one and cannot wait to read Bruce’s story! 

(5 Stars!)



I received a complimentary ebook copy of this book from the author and publisher!

My review was not influenced in any way. All thoughts and opinions are one hundred percent my own



ABOUT LEAH BRUNNER:

Leah Brunner is an Amazon top 50 best selling author of fun and flirty romance! 

She loves writing explosive chemistry and realistic, relatable characters who will make you laugh (and possibly cry). When she's not writing, she can also be found petting her Maine Coon cat, or watching funny cat videos with her kids. Although she's a Kansas girl at heart, Leah is a proud Air Force spouse and currently lives in Ohio with her husband and three children.

CONNECT WITH THE AUTHOR

Facebook | Leah's Lit Lovers | Instagram | Goodreads | Newsletter | BookBub | Amazon | TikTok