Runaround Sue

About the Book

Book: Runaround Sue

Author: Jennifer Lynn Cary

Genre: Sweet and Wholesome Romance

Release Date: May 30, 2023

She gave away something precious…

…He lost a part of himself.

Can they find a way to help each other heal?

Sue is hiding out until she is sure her former reputation won’t destroy what she’s trying to rebuild. Unfortunately, that means this brilliant wordsmith turned semi-hermit is working beneath her potential and dealing with stress every time her office door opens.

The last thing she needs to do is greet some biker guy who sets her nerves to jumping just by being in the same room.

And if his hairy face isn’t enough to put her off, the mere fact that he’s male is.

So why does she keep ending up in his presence?

Mac is home from Viet Nam and if he never thinks about that place again, it will be too soon. Instead, he’s returned to his music that got him through his teen years, his exotic senior trip overseas (thanks to his Uncle Sam), and the deep wound that he brought home with him. Using his GI bill to further his music understanding has pushed him outside his comfort zone, but the leggy secretary at his professor’s office is tempting him with other ideas he thought he’d shelved for good.

Even if she gets flustered every time he runs into her.

What will it take for her to give him a chance? Or is she more wounded than he is?

Return to 1972 Kokomo, Indiana for the third installment of The Weather Girls Wedding Shoppe and Venue series—Runaround Sue—and what see happens when people discover who God has called them to be.

You will love Runaround Sue, inspired by Dion and the Belmonts’ 1960s hit song, because everyone understands about facing fears with a do-over.

 

Click here to get your copy!

  My Review: I requested to read and review this book through Celebratelit. I am not required to give a positive review, just an honest one. I requested the book because I had read Sylvia's Mother and truly enjoyed it. I enjoyed this book also, just not as much.

This book had a slower start than I expected. It took quite a while before I figured out the title of the book and how it fits in with the song. Even though it was a slow start, it was an interesting book. The story flowed slowly but well.

The editing was well done, though the use of some of the odd words was unwelcome for me. This is a Christian book though not at all preachy. The author did a good job of showing how we need to depend on God and not trust only in ourselves. 

I give this book a 4 out of five rating.

About the Author

Historical Christian Romance author, Jennifer Lynn Cary, likes to say you can take the girl out of Indiana, but you can’t take the Hoosier out of the girl. Now transplanted to the Arizona desert, this direct descendant of Davy Crockett and her husband of forty years enjoy time with family where she shares tales of her small-town heritage and family legacies with their grandchildren. She is the author of The Crockett Chronicles series, The Relentless series, and The Weather Girls trilogy as well as the stand-alone novel, Cheryl’s Going Home, her novella Tales of the Hob Nob Annex Café, and her split-time novels The Traveling Prayer Shawl and The Forgotten Gratitude Journal.

Runaround Sue is the third book of her spin-off series The Weather Girls Wedding Shoppe and Venue.

 

More from Jennifer Lynn

One of the best parts of writing this series is that I get to relive lots of fun memories from my childhood. As my bio states, I am a direct descendant of Davy Crockett. This was a big deal to my father, and he made us memorize the generations back.

 

Well, my first real friend (we met when we were four but didn’t get to play together again until we were in first grade—long, funny story) had a famous last name, famous around Kokomo at least. Haynes. She mentioned she was related to this guy who was a big deal with cars and steel. That was about all my first grade mind could fathom.

 

I was able to connect that to a little side trip I took with my dad one day. He pulled up in front of an old white building on Apperson Way in Kokomo and led me to the front door. It was obvious the building was empty and had been for some time. But on the slab porch, in front of the entrance, he pointed out a tiled mosaic of a jack rabbit. Dad explained that this had been the factory where the Apperson brothers produced their car, the Jack Rabbit. They ran their factory for about twenty-five years producing one of the first sports cars ever made.

 

By fourth grade, where we learned about Indiana history, I also got a bit more information on Elwood Haynes (my friend’s ancestor) and the Apperson brothers. Aside from a converted horse cart, their Pioneer car from 1894 is considered the first automobile made in the USA and is now housed in the Smithsonian.

 

I don’t think I fully grasped Elwood Haynes’s contributions to science and industry, however, until I moved away and became an adult. (Getting older and learning how to surf the web helped too). I was able to use what I learned about the man and share it in Runaround Sue.

 

The auto industry left Kokomo in the dust when it became evident that Detroit was easier and less expensive to deliver raw products to. However, that didn’t stop Mr. Haynes from doing his experiments. One story has it that he invented stainless steel because his wife was tired of polishing the silver. And we can thank him for finding a use for that residue that was left after cleaning the oil captured from the drilling in the Kokomo area—a little thing called gasoline.

 

I love that I’m from Kokomo, that I had a wonderful childhood there, and that there are so many cool pieces of information about the place. (BTW, actor Strother Martin and author Norman Bridwell of Clifford the Big Red Dog series are both Kokomo famous sons).

 

If you’ve ever been to Kokomo, Indiana, I hope you will respond and let me know. If you haven’t, it’s a nice place to visit. I hope you will check it out.

Blog Stops

By the Book, July 21

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 22

Texas Book-aholic, July 23

Connie’s History Classroom, July 24

Locks, Hooks and Books, July 25

Books I’ve Read, July 25

The Book Club Network, July 26

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, July 27

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, July 28

Blogging With Carol, July 29

For Him and My Family, July 30

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, July 31 (Author Interview)

Life on Chickadee Lane, July 31

Pause for Tales, August 1

JESUS in the EVERYDAY, August 2

Cover Lover Book Review, August 3

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Jennifer is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon card and an eBook copy of the book!!

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/26ba3/runaround-sue-celebration-tour-giveaway 

A Beautiful Disguise (The Imposters Book #1) by Roseanna M. White

 I enjoyed this book. It was a very different storyline than any I've read. Very imaginative if not too realistic. The main couple of characters were quite well developed. I enjoyed how they were fleshed out in the story. The supporting characters were well done also, but there were some gaps. I realize they were for the next books but it was hard to understand some of it.

The editing was quite well done also. Very few errors. This is important to me as poor editing can ruin a perfectly good story. I did feel that the story ended rather poorly.

In general, I would recommend this book as it is quite unique. I give it a 4-star review. I was given this book through LibraryThing and am not required to leave a review. All thoughts are totally my own.

The All-American by Susie Finkbeiner

I really enjoyed this book. It was a look at how the threat of Communism affected people in the USA, Michigan in particular.

The story is told from the viewpoints of two sisters, one a high school teen and the other a 10-year-old elementary school girl. The story goes back and forth, one and then the other. It is well written and these two girls are pretty well fleshed out. The supporting characters vary in their depth. The story flows well. The editing was very well done. 

The two negative points I have are 1. This is sold as a Christian book by a Christian book publisher but the only thing remotely Christian is that they pray at meals and attend church. It is a clean book but for me, it's a stretch to call it Christian. 2. I did not like the ending. There was an epilogue but it did not address both sisters. I felt there were loose threads that needed attention.

Overall, I give this a 4 out of 5-star rating, even with the negatives. I was given an ARC through the Revell Reads program. I am not required to leave a positive review, only my honest opinion. This is my own, honest review, all thoughts are my own.

The Best Summer of Our Lives by Rachel Hauck

This book is hard to review. I liked the concept and a couple of the characters were fairly well fleshed out but that's about all the good I can say about this particular book. I've read others by Rachel Hauck that I did enjoy more.

The first thing that I didn't like was the misuse and mis-spelling of words. One that really stuck out was using "wit" instead of "whit" which, at one point, made the character sound stupid. Some might call me a grammatic police person but it really spoils a book with glaring errors. Especially when you have to read a sentence over and over. Sometimes the sentence seemed to be in the wrong place totally, or unnecessary altogether.

The second thing I didn't like was that her theology did not align with mine. And for this being Christian fiction, nothing was even mentioned until about halfway through the book. Last, I felt the ending left too much unfinished.

I would not recommend this book. I give it a generous 3 out of 5-star review. I was given the chance to read and review this book through LibraryThing. I am not required to leave a positive review, or one at all.

This is Where it Ends by Cindy K. Sproles

 I truly enjoyed this book. I guess it was because the main character reminded me of my mother-in-law. Minerva is 94 years old and lives in the mountains of Kentucky. My mother-in-law is 99 and lives in Alabama. But, that's where the similarities end. You will learn to love Minerva and her rough/tough ways.

Minerva is well-developed and easy to like. The other characters not so much except Del, he is fairly well developed. The story flows well and is easy to follow and understand. It is not a slow start and I was captivated right off. It is part a story of Minerva's life and part a mystery.

The genre is Christian fiction. I, personally, would not call it Christian in the normal sense. Yes, her faith is mentioned but mostly near the end of the book. It is definitely a clean story.

The biggest problem I had with the book, and again, it's my personal preference, was the way many of the words were written. For example, if the word was working it would be written workin instead of the more grammatically correct form of workin'. It's small and probably just me. 

I give this book my rare 5-star review. I would definitely recommend this book. I was gifted this book through Netgalley via Revell Reads program. I am not required to leave a positive review and all thoughts are my own.

Amish Wilderness Survival by Mary Alford

About the Book

Book: Amish Wilderness Survival

Author: Mary Alford

Genre: (Amish) Romantic Suspense

Release date: March 28, 2023

To stay alive, she must escape a killer’s clutches. . .

When her brother goes missing, Leora Mast will do anything to find him…even if it means putting her life in danger. Upon arriving in Montana, she finds an ally in Fletcher Shetler, but almost as soon as they meet, they’re running for their lives. With Fletcher’s help, Leora must unravel the truth about her brother’s disappearance…before the man who wants them dead tracks them down.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Mary Alford grew up in a small Texas town famous for, well not much of anything really. Being the baby of the family and quite a bit younger than her two brothers and her sister, Mary had plenty of time to entertain herself. Making up stories seemed to come naturally to her.

As a preteen, Mary discovered Phyllis Whitney and Victoria Holt and knew instinctively that was what she wanted to do with her over-active imagination.

She wrote her first novel as a teen, (it’s tucked away somewhere never to see the light of day), but never really pursued her writing career seriously until a few years later, when she wrote her first inspirational romantic suspense and was hooked.

Today, Mary lives in Texas with her husband and loves to create characters who face dangerous situations with faith on their side.

Mary is very active online and would love to connect with readers on Facebook, Twitter, or any of the social media platforms listed at maryalford.net.

 

More from Mary

Before the Story Begins

 

Every good Christian romantic suspense has a beginning where the hero and heroine are introduced to each other and to the danger they’ll be facing, followed by an ending where everything (usually) is tied up nicely.

 

In Christian (and Amish) romantic suspense, there must equal amounts of danger, romance, and faith.

 

As a reader, one of my favorite parts of the book is when the hero and heroine have backstories that draw me in and have me pulling for them to overcome their pasts as well as the villain chasing them.

 

In AMISH WILDERNESS SURVIVAL, the heroine, Leora Mast has a heartbreaking backstory. As a teenager, Leora’s and her twin brother Tanner’s parents were killed in a fire that was later ruled arson. They relocated to Colorado to be closer to their aunt and uncle and grandparents. Soon after, Leora’s brother left the Amish faith and joined the marines.

 

As an adult, Leora has gone through 2 separate rounds of breast cancer. She’s just finished the final round of chemo when her brother goes missing and Leora travels to West Kootenai, Montana to find Tanner’s marine lieutenant hoping to get answers about her brother’s disappearance.

 

Instead of finding her brother or Ethan Connors, she runs into Fletcher Shetler and the danger unfolds quickly from there.

 

Fletcher Shetler’s family has seen their share of heartaches as well. They have lived in West Kootenai for several generations. Fletcher’s grandfather started the furniture making business and the family mill their own timber for the pieces they create. Fletcher has a big heart and has been taking care of his mother since his father passed away.

 

Fletcher can’t imagine living anywhere else but his West Kootenai community and being part of a close family. But that loyalty cost him the love of his future bride when she chose to leave the community and break his heart.

 

Both Leora and Fletcher must put aside their pasts to try and find out what happened to her brother and Ethan before it’s too late.

 

From facing down armed kidnappers, to almost being swallowed alive by a sinkhole, to being forced to hideout in a cave in order to avoid being captured, Leora and Fletcher face one trial after the other, and yet they persevere thanks to each other, Ethan’s K-9 German Shepherd dog, Molly, and their faith in God that is unshakable.

My Review:  I guess I wasn't a good fit for this book. I did not enjoy it. It seemed to drag on and it also seemed to keep repeating itself. I actually skipped a lot and did not feel I had missed anything.

It did not seem at all realistic and was not really believable either.  I will not recommend this book and I give it a 2-star rating.

Blog Stops

Betti Mace, June 3

Blossoms and Blessings, June 3

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, June 4

Texas Book-aholic, June 5

The Avid Reader, June 6

Locks, Hooks and Books, June 7

Holly’s Book Corner, June 7

Lighthouse Academy Blog, June 8 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, June 9

,Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, June 10

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, June 11

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, June 12

Splashes of Joy, June 13

Bizwings Book Blog, June 13

Simple Harvest Reads, June 14 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

For Him and My Family, June 15

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, June 16 (Author Interview)

Books I’ve Read, June 16

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Mary is giving away the grand prize 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/263ee/amish-wilderness-survival-celebration-tour-giveaway

With Every Memory by Janine Rosche

 I can relate to this book on several levels. I had surgery on my brain and am missing many memories. I have been in a messed up family also. I am familiar with a lot of the things going on in this book.

There was a warning at the beginning of my Kindle version about the content of the book. Yes, it hit on several hard subjects but, thankfully, not as in-depth as I had expected. The book started kind of slow for me. It did pick up eventually.

The book held my interest and the story flowed relatively well. It is a Christian book but not what I would call a Christian book. Only one character seems to have true faith and that's not addressed much. The others attend church.

I have never read anything by Janine Rosche and I enjoyed this book so I will look forward to reading more.

I requested and received this book through Revell Reads program. I am not required to leave a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are completely my own. I give this book a solid 4 out of 5 review.