Welcome to the Blog Tour for Is It Just Me? by Grace Valentine, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Title: Is It Just Me?
Author: Grace Valentine
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Release Date: February 9, 2021
Genre: Christian Life/Women's Issues

An anthem for every woman who is weary of living a life in which she knows the right answers but does not believe them. 

Is It Just Me? is a book by a popular social media blogger that helps young women find true trust in Jesus when they are overwhelmed and frustrated with their lives.  

Many women joke about having trust issues—laughing at their struggle because it feels common but secretly feeling there is no hope. Grace Valentine was one of them. In her twenties she realized her trust issues were not humorous because in reality hers were trust issues with Jesus, her community, her family, and herself. And they were destroying her faith. Grace creatively told herself she was simply being realistic, but the truth was, she was entangled with doubt and lies. 

In Grace’s second book, Is It Just Me?, she offers readers a new perspective by helping them find answers to five deeply felt questions.

• 
  
• Am I the only one who is tired, overwhelmed, doubting, and fearful?
• Am I the only one who feels hurt and lonely?
• Am I the only one who still is struggling to find my purpose?
• Am I the only one struggling to trust that God is there?
• Am I the only one confused about how to be an adult?

Grace’s personal story and perceptive insights show other young women that not only are they are not alone, they can trust God in the middle of their hurts, doubts, and fears.

Excerpt:

Title: Stay With Me
Author: Becky Wade
Publisher: Bethany House
Series: Misty River Romance 
Pages: 392
ISBN: 9780764235603
Publication Date: May 5th, 2020

About the Book:

Loving her is a risk he can't afford . . . and can't resist.

When acclaimed Bible study author Genevieve Woodward receives an anonymous letter referencing her parents' past, she returns to her hometown in the Blue Ridge Mountains to chase down her family's secret. However, it's Genevieve's own secret that catches up to her when Sam Turner, owner of a historic farm, uncovers the source of shame she's worked so hard to hide.

Sam has embraced his sorrow, his isolation, and his identity as an outsider. He's spent years carving out both career success and peace of mind. The last thing he wants is to rent the cottage on his property to a woman whose struggles stir his worst failure back to life. Yet can he bear to turn her away right when she needs him most?

My Thoughts:
Do you ever just want to escape? This year has been one of those years where the idea of just running away to a new place and leaving everything behind sounds delightful!

Well, I found the most marvelous of escapes. Becky Wade just released a brand new series, and goodness did it provide the most wonderful mental break. I have loved Becky's books since I first discovered them, 8 years ago. So when a new one releases, it brings so much joy.

Stay With Me, I will say, even though touches on some very tough, hard topics, they are ones that are faced daily by so many people. I want to give that warning, because I know that there are some topics that do hit harder to some than others. This might be one of them. This book does discuss drug addiction and the affects it has on the people who battle it and their loved ones. The handling of this topic in Stay With Me is done with so much grace, love, and hope, because there is always hope! Hope and love is what is needed in everyones lives and seeing in demonstrated brings joy.

First off, the setting for Stay With Me. It is set in the Blue Ridge Mountains! How fabulous is that! Reading about Genevieve and Sam in this setting really carried me away. Cool mountain air sweeping through a cabin....so lovely!

Genevieve is such a unique character. She has lived an interesting life, one most people would love to have! She has money, fame, and what looks like a strong faith in the Lord. Like with most things seen through social media, what you see, isn't what you get. She has deep, dark demons she battles. She hides so much from her loved ones and she is lost and alone in all of it. Her past haunts her, she has lived through a huge even as a teenager and it is something we get to flashback on and experience.

Sam....goodness, Sam! He is a character I could keep reading about! He has his own battles he has been waging, but through his battles, he has strengths to help Genevieve in her battle. He is the breath of fresh air her closed up life needs. He helps with his own quiet way.

These two work so well together with their personalities, it a delight to read.
You do feel so much for all of these character. What is written, you can think of someone, yourself or someone close to you who has battled something so difficult and you want to hug these people closer. That is what I love about Becky's writing. It makes you think, it makes you feel. Her stories wrap you up into them and carry you away.

I honestly can't wait to see where this series goes and we learn more about each of these characters we were introduced to.

And on a fun note! The audio for this book was just released last week! I haven't had a chance to listen to it, but I look forward to very soon.

5 out of 5

About the Author:

Becky Wade (www.beckywade.com) is the 2018 Christy Award Book of the Year winner for True to You. She is a native of California who attended Baylor University, met and married a Texan, and moved to Dallas. She published historical romances for the general market, then put her career on hold for several years to care for her children. When God called her back to writing, Becky knew He meant for her to turn her attention to Christian fiction. Her humorous, heart-pounding contemporary romance novels have won three Christy Awards, the Carol Award, the INSPY Award, and the Inspirational Reader's Choice Award for Romance. Becky lives in Dallas, Texas with her husband and three children.




Thank you to the Author, I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

Title: Then Came You
Author: Becky Wade
Publisher: Bethany House
Pages: 158
ISBN:
Publication Date: March 17th, 2017

About the Book:

A leather-bound journal. A single father. A woman in pursuit of freedom.

Garner Bradford, heir to the troubled Bradford Shipping empire, doesn't know much about babies. But he's going to have to learn fast because he's just become a single father to his newborn daughter. As he confesses through his journal entries, he's not entirely sure how to keep a newborn alive, whether or not he'll ever patch together his shattered heart, or how to forgive himself for his mistakes.

Career girl Kathleen Burke is wholly uninterested in settling down. She has big dreams, and none of them include Garner and his small hometown in Washington State. Yet she can't seem to get her handsome boss out of her head or her heart. There's something extraordinarily tempting about his beautifully sad green eyes. . . .

Told through journal entries, phone conversations, and letters, Then Came You is a unique, heart-stirring romance novella by acclaimed author Becky Wade.

My Thoughts:
I read the first book of the series last year, True to You, but then I noticed that there was a prequel. After falling in love with the character in True to You, I was happy to dive back in time with Garner Bradford.

He is a man who has made some bad decisions and dealt with some hard consequences, and then was given a hard blow that shook his world. He thought he had found the girl of his dreams with a beautiful french woman on holiday touring the world. He let things get carried away and she got pregnant. A month after she delivered the baby, she handed Willow, their daughter, over to him and left. A single dad with a crushed heart and not much of an idea on how to care for a baby. He is left floundering.

Months after Willow's mother left, he meets a girl at church who is stable, loving and caring for all those around her. They marry and soon after have a daughter. Willow is an older sister to Nora. All seems right with world...till tragedy strikes. Garner a widower and single dad again. After everything he has dealt with, he swears off relationships....which after everything is said and done, I don't blame him. It is a huge shock to the emotions and mind. He treads the water of life. It takes him a while to get back among the living. He has help of family and a nanny, they make life bearable.

Garner keeps getting hit. He take has situations that would make some people cringe and want to curl up and hide, but he tries to rely on faith. It's hard, but he tries.

When love comes his way again, he is leery, and does his best to avoid it. But, God has other plans. It takes time for him to realize that.

I love stories that are written journal style. They are so relatable and just capture me up! Maybe because I like to snoop sometimes....just saying.

Becky Wade brings a cast of characters that are life like. They are flawed. They deal with issues and make mistakes and deal with their decisions. Life isn't perfect, and that comes through. However, God's love shines in the writing. We are flawed, we hurt, we question, but God is there. Becky shows that in her stories.

I downloaded this story on audible. I have to say, I loved it! There were two narrators. I love when that happens. They enhanced the story and really made it pop! I couldn't recommended this recording any more.

5 out of 5

Have you read this prequel? What are your thoughts?
 

Time is crazy, especially when it gets away from you.

I haven't forgotten about this blog, even though it may seem like it.

My last post was in July, which is when I started my new full time job. I moved as well. It was a big switch for me. Then a few short months later, I got married. This past year has been a big one of change for me. Because of that, trying to find a balance was a hard adjustment.

I kept reading, but the writing fell behind. I'm determined to get caught up. I don't believe in resolutions, but I do enjoy a good goal. I'm determined to post at least a review a week this year. I have missed writing about the books I love and want to share again.

I'm sorry for the quiet, but I'm hoping with things finally finding a healthy rhythm to this thing called life.

Just wanted to share an update to all. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and I hope that 2018 is good year for all!