Month: May 2019

Chocolate. Lovers. Novel. #SweetonYouTour

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Banner - Sweet on You

Warning: This novel will make you want to eat chocolate. And I’m not talking M&Ms or Hershey Kisses. You may as well visit your favorite candy shop and pick up some of the good stuff right now, before you read Sweet on You.

That’s because Britt, the heroine of the novel, owns a gourmet chocolate shop; her family and friends, including Zander, her longtime friend who’s had a longtime crush on her, get to taste-test her creations.

Sweet on You

I’ve been waiting for Sweet on You for more than two years: that’s when I read the prequel to the Bradford Sisters romance trilogy, Then Came You. I have to admit, Britt’s chocolate shop had me intrigued from the start. That must be a wonderful place to work! And Merryweather, where the Bradford family lives, sounds like the perfect small town.

What’s inside the book? A fun group of sisters, all successful young business owners. An intriguing mystery. And an irritatingly blind-to-his-feelings-for-her main character, who has no idea that her good friend Zander would give anything — except her friendship — to be more than just a friend.

Here’s the story of Sweet on You:

Britt Bradford and Zander Ford have been the best of friends since they met thirteen years ago. Unbeknown to Britt, Zander has been in love with her for just as long.

Independent and adventurous Britt channels her talent into creating chocolates at her hometown shop. Zander is a bestselling author who’s spent the past 18 months traveling the world. He’s achieved a great deal but still lacks the only thing that ever truly mattered to him — Britt’s heart.

When Zander’s uncle dies of mysterious causes, he returns to Merryweather, Washington, to investigate, and Britt is immediately there to help. Although this throws them into close proximity, both understand that an attempt at romance could jeopardize their once-in-a-lifetime friendship. But while Britt is determined to resist any change in their relationship, Zander finds it increasingly difficult to keep his feelings hidden.

As they work together to uncover his uncle’s tangled past, will the truth of what lies between them also, finally, come to light?

Last in the Series

This book is third in the Bradford Sisters trilogy, and there’s a prequel too, which will definitely hook you on these characters and their charming town. Check out my reviews of the other novels in the series:

then came youThen Came You (Bradford Sisters Prequel). This novella that sets the stage for the Bradford Sisters Romance series: it’s the story of the three sisters’ early life with their father, Garner Bradford, heir to a huge shipping empire. The story is told through letters, phone conversations, and journal entries.

true to youTrue to You (Bradford Sisters Romance #1). Nora Bradford, the middle daughter in the family, is a genealogist and owner/curator of a local historical village. Nora is still getting over a breakup several years ago, but she finds herself falling for the former Navy SEAL who’s hired her to locate his birth mother so he can find out more about his medical history.

falling for youFalling for You (Bradford Sisters Romance #2). Willow Bradford and her former boyfriend Corbin are thrown together by Corbin’s young niece, who wants them to help her find a long-lost aunt. Along the way, opportunities for romance abound, along with some danger as supermodel Willow is stalked by some over-the-top fans and the two of them discover the extent of an apparently squeaky-clean politician’s secret corruption. I enjoyed the character of Corbin’s niece — she’d be great in a YA spinoff!

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Image credit: Jennifer Pallian (2016) via Unsplash.com, CC0/PD

When you eat good chocolate, you don’t need a whole pound to satisfy you. Instead, you savor the candy slowly, enjoying every nibble. In the same way you anticipate the taste of a delicious candy treat but at the same time you want to make it last, you’ll read this story slowly, not rushing to get to the end.

So settle in with a nice box of chocolates, and maybe a latte, and enjoy the read.

About the Author

Becky’s a California native who attended Baylor University, met and married a Texan, and settled in Dallas. She published historical romances for the general market before putting her career on hold for several years to care for her three children. When God called her back to writing, Becky knew He meant for her to turn her attention to Christian fiction. She loves writing funny, modern, and inspirational contemporary romance! She’s the Christy Award and Carol Award winning author of My Stubborn Heart, the Porter Family series, and the Bradford Sisters Romance series.
Tour Schedule
Tour Giveaway

ONE WINNER WILL RECEIVE:
  • Tote bag highlighting Britt’s chocolate shop, Sweet Art
  • Paperback copy of Sweet on You
  • $100 Visa gift card
  • 1 pound box of See’s chocolate truffles
  • Set of chocolate scented soap
  • Box of colored pencils
  • “Tattoo” coloring book
Enter on Becky’s website HERE

Grab Our Button!

Copyright 2019 Barb Szyszkiewicz
This post contains Amazon affiliate links. I was given a free review copy of this book, but no other compensation. Opinions expressed here are mine alone.

On Barb’s Bookshelf: Two Types of Fatherly Wisdom

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Just in time for Father’s Day gift planning (or your own summer-reading enjoyment), here are two books packed with fatherly wisdom: true stores, one written by a father of four, and one by a parish priest.

CatholicMom contributor Jake Frost‘s second collection of family stories will charm you as much as his first one did — but if you didn’t read Catholic Dad yet, don’t let that stop you. You can jump right in and read Catholic Dad 2: More (Mostly) Funny Stories of Faith, Family, and Fatherhood. (Or go ahead and read them both!)

catholic dad 2

Most of the stories in this book are only two to four pages long — a great length for busy parents to enjoy. I enjoy Jake’s perspective on raising children as a stay-at-home dad, his appreciation for his own mother’s influence in his life, his gentle sense of humor, and his unabashed faith that shines through on every page.

Rev. Charles J. Cummings, a priest of the Diocese of Scranton, Pennsylvania, is clearly a storyteller at heart, and that definitely shows in Love, Laughter & Living Saints. He notes that some of the stories in this book have made their way into his homilies over his 50 years as a priest.

Love laughter living saints

From vignettes of his childhood to seminary stories and tales of the joys and challenges of life as a parish priest, this short book comprises 70 stories in addition to Father Cummings’ own vocation story, which serves as the introduction to the book. These stories clearly depict the author’s care for his family and his parishioners, and his servant’s heart.

Father Cummings’ book caught my attention in a particular way because it takes place in the Diocese of Scranton; I attended college at Marywood (now Marywood University) in Scranton, and I developed a deep affection for the city. I’m quite sure that if I hadn’t gone on to graduate school, I’d have looked for a job in the Scranton area and remained there after graduation. So I must admit that I kept my iPad handy while reading this book, so I could use Google Maps to find the places named and see how they figured in my own memories of living in the area.

I hope you enjoy these very different, and very sweet, collections of stories about fatherhood and spiritual fatherhood!

Copyright 2019 Barb Szyszkiewicz

This post contains Amazon affiliate links. I was given a free review copy of each book, but no other compensation. Opinions expressed here are mine alone.

On Barb’s Bookshelf: “Tortured Soul”

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Scared straight: but with Purgatory.

Theresa Linden’s newest novel, Tortured Soul, is a compelling tale of a haunting, with a twist. Jeannie Lyons is pushed out of her family’s home by her older brother and into a remote cottage that also houses a gruesome “presence.” Afraid to be at home, but with nowhere else to go, Jeannie enlists the help of the sort-of-creepy guy her brother had once pushed her to date. This edge-of-the-seat story of guilt and forgiveness emphasizes the importance of praying for the souls of the deceased — and would make a great movie.

Tortured Soul front cover

Tortured Soul reminded me deeply that the deceased need our prayers — not only our deceased loved ones and friends, but in particular those who have no one to pray for them. Maybe they were alienated from family during their lives, as depicted in Linden’s novel; maybe their loved ones don’t pray. But we can, and we should.

In the Catholic elementary school I attended, the principal used the PA system before and after lunch to lead prayers. Before lunch, it was the perennial “Bless us, O Lord … ” and after lunch, we prayed in thanksgiving and then for the holy souls.

We give Thee thanks for all Thy benefits, Almighty God, who lives and reigns, world without end. Amen. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

As a middle-schooler, I thought it was kind of strange to pray for dead people after we’d finished our lunch and recess games. But I’d transferred from public school after fifth grade, and I was feeling late to the Catholic-school party in many ways, so I just went along with it, and didn’t think much about that prayer again … until this book reminded me of it.

Download a free set of printable bookmarks with the prayer for the holy souls, and make a commitment to pray for them every day.

Want to know more about praying for the souls in Purgatory? Theresa Linden explains the two reasons God desires our prayers for the suffering souls in an article at CatholicMom.com.

Enter for your chance to win a copy of Tortured Soul!

Pray for the Holy Souls
Window located in lower chapel of Cathedral of the Holy Cross, Boston, MA. Copyright 2019 Barb Szyszkiewicz. All rights reserved.

Copyright 2019 Barb Szyszkiewicz
This post contains Amazon affiliate links. I was given a free review copy of this book, but no other compensation. Opinions expressed here are mine alone.

On Barb’s Bookshelf: “Our Lady of Charity”

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Maria Morera Johnson’s new memoir, Our Lady of Charity: How a Cuban devotion to Mary helped me grow in faith and love (Ave Maria Press), is a beautiful testament to the ways the patroness of Johnson’s native Cuba helped her grow in faith even after she moved with her family to the US.

This quick read introduces la virgencita — Our Lady of Charity, the patroness of Cuba. Johnson traces the history of devotion among Cubans to this depiction of Our Lady, a devotion that has continued within the Cuban-American community to this day.

Johnson found in devotion to la virgencita a connection with her ethnic and spiritual heritage. I particularly enjoyed the chapter “Ermita de la caridad” (Shrine of Our Lady of Charity, in Miami), not because of the description of the shrine itself, but because of the discussion of Pilgrims, Thanksgiving, and the ways in which immersing herself in her ethnic traditions has enriched her.

our lady of charity

I have to admit, this left me more than a little envious of the rich traditions Johnson observed with her family. As an Irish cradle Catholic from the Northeast, I didn’t experience much in the way of that kind of tradition. There was plenty of Marian devotion (my grandmothers had the well-worn rosaries to prove it, and one grandmother prominently displayed a picture of the Our Lady of Perpetual Help icon in her home) but there really was no food, music, particular devotion, or patron saint we could call our own. I don’t know if that’s an ethnic or geographical phenomenon, or if it’s because the most recent immigrant in my immediate family tree arrived in New York in the 1930s.

But — and this is the point of Johnson’s book, I think — the kind of devotional tradition she describes here nurtures faith. When you look beyond the externals of statues, paintings, rosaries, hymns, and food, there’s a deep tradition of faith that underpins all of it. As Johnson notes in the final chapter, devotion to Mary can lead us to Jesus:

Mary is the first disciple. She brought the Good News of salvation to Elizabeth and then the world! If I’m going to learn all I can about Jesus and how to be a disciple, what better teacher is there than Mary? (100)

I highly recommend Our Lady of Charity. You’ll learn about a beautiful devotion to Our Lady, but more than that, you’ll learn how she can bring you closer to her Son.

Copyright 2019 Barb Szyszkiewicz
This post contains Amazon affiliate links. I was given a free review copy of this book, but no other compensation. Opinions expressed here are mine alone.

#OpenBook: April 2019 Reads

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The first Wednesday of each month, Carolyn Astfalk hosts #OpenBook, where bloggers link posts about books they’ve read recently.

It’s been a crazy month for me, what with two work trips plus Easter plus TheKid’s spring musical, so it’s only fiction this time and much less than usual.

Here’s a taste of what I’ve been reading:

tortured soulTortured Soul by Theresa Linden. A compelling tale of a haunting, with a twist. Jeannie Lyons is pushed out of her family’s home by her older brother and into a remote cottage that also houses a gruesome “presence.” Afraid to be at home, but with nowhere else to go, Jeannie enlists the help of the sort-of-creepy guy her brother had once pushed her to date. This edge-of-the-seat story of guilt and forgiveness emphasizes the importance of praying for the souls of the deceased — and would make a great movie. Look for a longer review later this month. Releases May 12. (ARC provided by author)

solace of waterThe Solace of Water by Elizabeth Byler Younts. I got off to a bad start with this book, but my friends’ reviews convinced me to give it a second chance and I’m glad I did. Delilah grieves the accidental loss of her son so deeply that she can’t see how it’s affecting the daughter who was supposed to be watching out for her brother at the time of his death. When the family moves north in search of a fresh start, Delilah and daughter Sparrow befriend Emma, an Amish woman isolated by a secret about her husband she feels she must keep from her community. A beautiful novel filled with deep emotion — not at all an easy read, but definitely worthwhile.

mother of pearlMother of Pearl by Kellie Coates Gilbert. I almost never pass up books with teachers as main characters, and this novel didn’t disappoint. Barrie is a supermom who works in her kids’ high school and has high-achieving teenagers. But things start to unravel when her daughter begins to lash out after a very public betrayal by her boyfriend. Guidance-counselor Barrie can fix everyone’s lives except the ones she loves, and she finds herself in way over her head when it looks like the football coach, who’d already made her career miserable, is involved in an unthinkable crime. I’ll look for more by this author.

only one lifeOnly One Life by Ashley Farley. Julia grew up in a wealthy household, but escaped a difficult family life by eloping with her college sweetheart. When a tragic accident claims her husband the night their baby is born, Julia finds she must return home to survive — and learns that her family history is much more complicated than she’d ever imagined. This novel follows dual timelines through Julia’s mother’s early marriage and Julia’s return home. Very well done.

perfectly good crimePerfectly Good Crime (A Kate Bradley Mystery) by Dete Meserve. Sequel to Good Sam, this novel follows broadcast journalist Kate as she tries to track down a criminal calling himself “Robin Hood,” who steals from the wealthiest of the wealthy in order to help the poor. Kate’s father, a politician, faces pressure to keep her off the story, but her own career motivations won’t let her give up her pursuit of the mystery — and a career-making big story that could cost her a chance at love. Not a standalone novel. (Netgalley review)

lost husbandThe Lost Husband by Catherine Center. Libby, a widow with two young children and an overbearing mother, seizes the chance to escape and start fresh when her estranged (and admittedly strange) aunt contacts her out of the blue. Libby’s new life involves raising goats and making cheese, which she knows nothing about but is willing to learn. It also involves uncovering an old family secret and learning to let go of the grief that paralyzes her in many ways. A bit predictable, but a good story.

adequate yearly progressAdequate Yearly Progress by Roxanna Elden. I don’t usually include books in this space that I wouldn’t recommend to others, but as I have many friends in the field of education who might pick up this book, I’m making an exception. This novel follows several teachers through a transformative year in an inner-city school. A new superintendent draws on his motivational-speaking background and requires teachers and admins to jump through hoops, under the guise of improving test scores, to preserve their jobs. Heavy pro-abortion bias (teachers wondering why pregnant students “don’t just get an abortion”) and slams at charter, private, and parochial schools. I found this book to be the equivalent of toxic faculty-room denizens, and the material definitely wouldn’t inspire struggling or aspiring teachers.

Links to books in this post are Amazon affiliate links. Your purchases made through these links support Franciscanmom.com. Thank you!

Where noted, books are review copies. If that is not indicated, I either purchased the book myself or borrowed it from the library.

Follow my Goodreads reviews for the full list of what I’ve read recently (even the duds!)

Visit today’s #OpenBook post to join the linkup or just get some great ideas about what to read! You’ll find it at Carolyn Astfalk’s A Scribbler’s Heart and at CatholicMom.com!

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Copyright 2019 Barb Szyszkiewicz