Summer by the Tides with Celebrate Lit tour

About the Book

Book: Summer by The Tides  
Author: Denise Hunter  
Genre: Christian Fiction, Contemporary Romance
Release Date: May 21, 2019  

From the bestselling author of The Convenient Groom (now a beloved Hallmark Original movie) comes a heartfelt story of family secrets, forgiveness, and unexpected romance.  

Following a painful betrayal, Maddy Monroe’s love life is a wreck, and her restaurant career is in shambles. When her grandmother goes missing, she and her estranged sisters converge at the family beach house in Sea Haven, North Carolina. Being with uptight Nora and free-spirited Emma at the place where their family broke apart is a struggle, and undercurrents of jealousy and resentment threaten to pull the sisters under. In the midst of the storm, sparks begin to fly between Maddy and Gram’s maddening neighbor, Connor Murphy. As the sisters pack up the family belongings, memories of idyllic, slow-paced summers are resurrected. But long-buried secrets also come to light as Maddy discovers that all was not as it appeared that last summer in Sea Haven—nor today in the seemingly perfect lives of her sisters. As family tensions rise and Connor causes tumult in Maddy’s heart, the sisters must find a way to accept each other for the women they’ve become before the bitterness of the past destroys their hope for a future.   Click here to purchase your copy.    

About the Author

  

Denise Hunter is the internationally published bestselling author of more than 25 books, including A December Bride and The Convenient Groom, which have been adapted into original Hallmark Channel movies. She has won The Holt Medallion Award, The Reader’s Choice Award, The Carol Award, The Foreword Book of the Year Award, and is a RITA finalist. When Denise isn’t orchestrating love lives on the written page, she enjoys traveling with her family, drinking green tea, and playing drums. Denise makes her home in Indiana where she and her husband are rapidly approaching an empty nest. To learn more about Denise, visit her website DeniseHunterBooks.com; Facebook: AuthorDeniseHunter; Twitter: @DeniseAHunter; Instagram: deniseahunter.  

Read an Excerpt from Summer by the Tides

MADDY MONROE WAS COWERING behind a ficus tree near the hostess station when her cell phone rang. Her hands shook as she silenced the phone before it drew the attention of the staff. She jabbed the elevator button for the third time. “Come on, come on.” A star could be born in interstellar space, a polar valley carved by a glacier in the time it took the elevator to reach this floor. Stairs were not an option, as she was on the twentieth floor of the Waterford building and sporting heels. She sniffled. Drat. She seemed to be crying. She swiped a hand under her eyes, heedless of her makeup. She heard voices, Nick’s boisterous laugh. Maddy shrank deeper into the ficus and finally, finally, the elevator dinged its arrival. “Maddy?” Noelle’s concerned voice tunneled down the hall. “Maddy, wait.” “Oh, come on,” she muttered, tapping her fingers against her leg until the gold doors crept open. As soon as she could fit, she squeezed inside and punched the ground-floor button. She didn’t draw a breath until the doors sealed and the elevator began to drop. She placed a palm over a heart that was threatening to beat its way out of her chest. Her white blouse clung to her back, and her skin prickled beneath her arms. She closed her eyes, the scene that had just transpired playing out in fast-forward in her mind. And then, as if that montage weren’t painful enough, the image of Nick’s face appeared. The look on his face just before he’d kissed her good-bye last night. Nick. She clamped her teeth together until her jaw ached. There had been signs. Many of them, really, she was realizing now. They ranged from whisper-subtle to neon-sign obvious. But like so many other walking clichés before her, she was only seeing them in retrospect. Maddy opened her eyes to the buttery sunlight streaming through her blinds. She scrambled for her iPhone to check the time. But as she did so, the events of yesterday washed over her like a tsunami. She didn’t have to get up at all, because she didn’t have a job anymore. Her cell buzzed with an incoming call, and she squinted bleary-eyed at the unfamiliar number on the screen before declining it. She drooped against her pillow, only now aware of how fat and swollen her eyes felt. Of the persistent achy lump pushing at the back of her throat. Her heartbeat made the bed quake. Her eyes burned with tears. Yesterday’s anger had faded, and something worse had filled its spot. Yesterday she’d come home, changed into yoga pants, and worked in her little garden until she was too exhausted to do anything but flop on the sofa. She hadn’t fallen asleep until after three o’clock in the morning. She didn’t want to talk to anyone, didn’t want to see anyone. She didn’t even want to be awake today. She pulled the covers over her head and prayed for oblivion.  

Required text: Taken from “Summer by the Tides” by Denise Hunter. Copyright © 2019 by Denise Hunter. Used by permission of http://www.thomasnelson.com/.  

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, June 4

The Power of Words, June 4

Back Porch Reads, June 4

The Morning Chapter, June 5

A Baker’s Perspective, June 5

Worthy2Read, June 5

Carla Loves To Read, June 6

Genesis 5020, June 6

Through the Fire Blogs, June 6

Among the Reads, June 7

Quiet Quilter, June 7

For Him and My Family, June 7

The Christian Fiction Girl, June 8

cultivating us, June 8

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, June 8

Girls Living For God’s Glory, June 9

Moments, June 9

Inklings and notions, June 9

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, June 10

Coast and anchor, June 10

amandainpa, June 10

Lighthouse Academy, June 11

EmpowerMoms, June 11

Pause for Tales, June 11

Christian Chick’s Thoughts, June 12

For The Love of Books, June 12

Just the Write Escape, June 12

All-of-a-kind Mom, June 13

Texas Book-aholic, June 13

Hallie Reads, June 13

2014 and Beyond, June 14

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, June 14

Simple Harvest Reads, June 14

Living Life Free In Christ, June 15

janicesbookreviews, June 15

Vicky Sluiter, June 15

Have A Wonderful Day, June 16

A Reader’s Brain, June 16

To Everything A Season, June 16

Lukewarm Tea, June 17

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, June 17

Daysong Reflections, June 17

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Denise is giving away a finished copy of Summer by the Tides!!

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/e541/summer-by-the-tides-celebration-tour-giveaway

My Review

Denise Hunter is one of my go-to favorites! Her books transport you to another place. Usually somewhere on the east coast :) which always makes me feel at home. I grew up in the southeast. 

Summer by the Tides was such a great story of forgiveness and redemption of lost relationships. The characters are, as always, well developed. The thing about Denise Hunter books is that every one has a totally swoon-worthy kiss scene that does not disappoint. I highly recommend this book for your summer pool-side read!

Book Review: Behind the Scenes by Jen Turano

Ah, where to begin?

As always, Jen Turano writes the most hilarious Christian fiction ever. Behind the Scenes is the first in a new series called Apart from the Crowd. You are going to want to start this series by reading At Your Request. It’s a novella to get you started with the characters you’ll be following in this series.

This particular book follows the story of Miss Permilia Griswold. She’s the author of a gossip column which and she’s also privy to the details of New York society. She stumbles upon quite the mystery involving Mr. Asher Rutherford. And like most of Turano’s male leads, Asher doesn’t know what he’s gotten himself into.

Turano writes some of the most enjoyable books I’ve read in recent years. Her historic settings and the mix of propriety and sometimes hilarious improprieties make for laugh out loud stories. The only problem with her books is that once you start reading, it’s impossible to stop. The characters are always relatable. The historic settings are always educational. All together, you will enjoy whatever wild ride you’ve been lucky enough to start.

I always highly recommend anything by Jen Turano. Her heroines are always a charming surprise.

I got this book for free for this review. I get to read all sorts of awesome, free books because I blog for Bethany House. If you’d like to learn more about Bethany House reviews just click here. This book and lots of others are available to read for free with Kindle Unlimited. Get your free month now!

Book Review: Long Time Gone by Mary Connealy

Long Time Gone picks up almost immediately where No Way Up left off. However, I had probably about a 6 month gap between reading these books. So it took me a minute to remember the first book. Once that was taken care of, it was off to the races.

This series is about 3 siblings (Chance, Justin, and Sadie) and the ranch they are trying desperately to hold on to. Their stories are all taking place in and around the ranch. This particular book focuses on Justin and his love interest Angie.

Justin’s the rancher. He’s your typical rough and tumble cowboy. And Angie is the assistant to the local doctor. You tell that there’s chemistry between the two but they both are in a tough situation and it’s not exactly a great time to be thinking of romance. Nevertheless, their story is moving.

It’s always interesting to me in western type novels, the roles that the women play. Western women have never come off as dainty. They work and play alongside the men. They are no less feminine than the dainty female leads in other stories but they have a beauty all their own. Mary Connealy writes wonderful love stories with believable characters. Her heroines are people with whom you can identify. The men are always interesting and leave you wanting to know more.

I can’t wait to read the 3rd book in this series! If you haven’t read any of this series, you’ll want to start with The Boden Birthright. It’s a novella but it’s a great backstory for the series.

As always, I highly recommend anything written by Mary Connealy! Since I found out about her a couple years ago, I’ve read everything. You can’t go wrong with cowboys.

I got this book for free for this review. I get to read all sorts of awesome, free books because I blog for Bethany House. If you’d like to learn more about Bethany House reviews just click here.

Book Review: The Girls Still Got It by Liz Curtis Higgs

The Girls Still Got It is an in-depth telling of the story of Ruth, in which Higgs proves that her non-fiction skills are just as powerful as her awesome works of fiction. She's always been one of my favorite authors. 

I have to say that when I requested this book I didn't realize it was a nonfiction book :) Having read Liz's  recent series, Here Burns My Candle and Mine is the Night, the stories of Ruth and Naomi are still fresh in my mind. It's always been a passionate love story and she brings it to a more personal level.

I think this would be wonderful to share with a ladies Bible study group! Check out this book trailer!




I got this book for free in exchange for my review. You can get free books too if you sign up for Blogging for Books! Click the Blogging for Books button on the sidebar. 

Book Review: This Little Prayer of Mine by Anthony DeStefano

I actually received the book entitled This Little Prayer of Mine :)

It is a beautifully illustrated book that reads like poetry. The brilliantly colored pictures are what makes the whole book come together. The colors are vivid and the images endearing. It's like getting to watch a child's dream unfold.

This would be an awesome gift for any child from 5-8 years old. Although I think the younger kids would appreciate it as well.

Very cute. I highly recommend it!

I got this book for free in exchange for my review. You can get free books too if you sign up for Blogging for Books!

Book Review: A Whisper of Peace by Kim Vogel Sawyer

A Whisper of Peace is the story of a brother and step-sister who travel to Alaska to share the gospel with the native people. As they begin their ministry there they find an outcast, Lizzie, a native woman with bright blue eyes who has been sent to live outside of the village. Can Clay and Vivian bring peace to the native people?

A Whisper of Peace by Kim Vogel Sawyer was a quick enjoyable read. I've read books by Sawyer before and they never disappoint. If you are looking for a love story with a spiritual theme her books are what you want. However, I will say Sawyers books always leave me wanting a little more on the romantic side of the story.

As a fan of Christian fiction, especially edgier Christian historic fiction, I've become accustomed to the writing styles of Deeanne Gist, Julie Lessman and Tamara Alexander. While Kim Vogel Sawyer's writing style is not similar to the edgier Christian fiction I tend toward they are definitely among the books I'd pass on to a friend without a second thought as the the content. It's definitely clean and enjoyable. Check it out!

Book Review: The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck by Kathleen Y'Barbo

I'll just start out by telling you that I'm a huge fan of Lori Wick. I know what you're thinking...This book is by Kathleen Y'Barbo. But honestly, this book takes the torch from Lori Wick who is sadly no longer writing.

The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck is by far one of the best books I've read lately. Does it matter that it is the last of a 3 book series? Absolutely not! In fact I had no clue the previous 2 books existed :)

The characters are really well developed and the plot was so familiar that it felt like coming home. A familiar plot does not however mean that it's overly predictable. The romance which develops whether the main characters want it or not is heartwarming.

And it's got just the right amount of edgy that I love from authors such as Deeanne Gist and Julie Lessman. All in all I couldn't put this book down. I got it on my Kindle and read it in less than 3 days!

If you are looking for a nice romance to read while sipping a chai latte :) this is the book for you.

I got this book free for my review! And you can get free books too just for signing up at Blogging for Books! Just click the link in the sidebar.

Also, if you're interested the previous 2 books in this series are Anna Finch and the Hired Gun and The Confidential Life of Eugenia Cooper.

Book Review: When Sparrows Fall

What can I say about When Sparrows Fall? I enjoyed every minute of it. I spent two nights reading till 2am because I didn't want to stop reading and break the spell. 

Miranda is a widow with 6 children.. When she finds herself in the hospital after a fall, her long lost brother-in-law becomes the caretaker for his nieces and nephews. Jack is a university professor who gets a taste of culture shock when he shows up to take over Miranda's household. The whole fiasco makes for an engaging story.

When Sparrows Fall takes place in the North Georgia Blue Ridge mountains. Our family lived near there for 9 years and the author has presented the area to a "T". Everything from the accents to the "down home" hospitality and "backwoods" superstition are easily reminiscent of where my husband grew up.

The characters, Miranda and Jack are some of my recent favorite. The author took great pains to make the characters 3-dimensional and the labor paid off. The interactions are believable and the dialogue was very realistic.

This book comes highly recommended. Put this book on the top of your summer reads list!

Just so you know, I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. And you get get free books too through Blogging for Books.