The Knot Yours Truly

Your wedding day is a unique opportunity to show the world just who you are as a couple. The Knot Yours Truly helps you envision your celebration—from the big decisions like venue to the small stuff like escort cards—and show off your particular style. Chock-full of fresh ideas for your ceremony, centerpieces, wedding cake, The Knot’s Yours Truly also includes 20 craft projects for personalizing your day. From invitation embellishments to a macrame leash for your four-legged ring bearer, this book has everything you need for the most extraordinary day.

My thoughts: When I was getting married, I loved looked to the Knot for inspiration, so I was thrilled to grab this book to review and pass on to my sister in law! I love that there are so many beautiful ideas in the book, as well as a mix of crafts and real stories and pictures. This book has so many great thoughts on how to figure out what your perfect wedding looks like and how to breath life into that dream. I highly recommend this book for brides (and grooms)!
I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.

A Royal Wedding review and giveaway

 

To purchase your copy, click here.

About the Book

 



Genre: Christian Romance/Christmas

 



Release Date: October 18, 2016

 



Book Format: Paperback & Ebook

 



Avery Truitt aches for true love—the kind she once shared with Prince Colin. Can she dare to hope for happily ever after, or is a fairy-tale ending beyond reach?



College volleyball star Avery Truitt has not seen her former flame, Prince Colin of Brighton Kingdom, since he suddenly pushed her away five years ago. But now, the sadness of losing her father and the joy of her sister Susanna’s pregnancy have brought Avery back to Brighton just in time for Cathedral City’s enchanting Christmas season.



Avery knows she can’t avoid seeing Colin—now the Kingdom’s most eligible bachelor—whether or not her heart is ready to relive the pain. But seeing him again might bring her the closure she needs after all this time.



When Colin finds himself at the center of a centuries-old Brighton tradition, he must decide whether to follow the path laid out before him or follow his heart to the only woman for whom he would ring the Pembroke Chapel Bell.



Can Colin convince Avery to meet him at the chapel on Christmas morning—as tradition dictates—or will Avery run back to her St. Simons home and pursue a coaching career as planned?



In the fourth installment of the Royal Wedding Series, New York Times bestselling novelist, Rachel Hauck, weaves a charming story of holiday romance as two broken hearts seek the love they once knew.


My thoughts: I love this series! I think that there is something in most of us that just enjoys a good fairy tale with princes and princesses. The story of Avery and Colin may very well be my favorite out of the series to date, since I loved the old tradition of the bell being rung as a proposal and how the history ties into the story of a modern day couple. This one is such a fun book to read this holiday season! I highly recommend it.
I received this book from Celebrate Lit in exchange for my honest review.

About the Author

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Rachel Hauck is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling, and award-winning author.



A graduate of Ohio State University with a degree in Journalism, Rachel worked in the corporate software world before planting her backside in an uncomfortable chair to write full-time in 2004.



She serves on the Executive Board for American Christian Fiction Writers and leads worship at their annual conference. She is a mentor and book therapist at My Book Therapy, and conference speaker.



Rachel lives in central Florida with her husband and pets, and writes from her two-story tower in an exceedingly more comfy chair. She is a huge Buckeyes football fan.

Guest Post from Rachel Hauck

I don’t think we can ever get enough of royals or Christmas, do you? The two just seem to go together.



The Bible tells us eternity is written on our hearts. (Ecc. 3:11) I wonder if it’s also written on our hearts to be princesses in a grand, beautiful, perfect kingdom.



That being said, welcome to The Royal Christmas Wedding blog tour. My deepest thanks to all the bloggers, reviewers, and readers for hosting and visiting this tour. I’m excited to share this story with you all.



The hero and heroine, Prince Colin and Avery Truitt, first met in Once Upon A Prince at King Nathaniel’s coronation.



I hadn’t planned to write a spinoff story with the two of them. In fact, I didn’t even know Prince Colin existed until Avery walked into the abbey for the coronation and glanced across the sanctuary into his eyes.



Here’s his introduction:

 



Lean, aristocratic with an outdoorsman ruddiness, he nearly made Susanna swoon when he winked at Avery.



I liked Colin immediately. So did Avery. As well as a lot of you.



When my publisher asked me to write their story, it would be two years before the book would release. Plenty of time, right?



But “time crunch” is the name of the game with most writers. Between life, rewrites, edits, and promotional activity, we often find ourselves hurrying toward a deadline. Well, at least I do.



In the fall of 2015 I was writing The Wedding Shop and A Royal Christmas Wedding at the same time.



I’d also dealt with a physical issue that left me shaky. Could I write two books in five months? Did I want to even make the attempt?



If I said no, publication dates would be pushed out, causing a year delay on A Royal Christmas Wedding. And I knew that was something I did not want to do.



Publishing is a long game. Books are contracted and due 12 to 18, even 24 months, before release dates. Time must be carved out for rewrites and editing, marketing and promotion. Review copies go out at least five months in advance.



So I agreed to write both books. I told my editor, “Diamonds come from pressure.”



Coming up with Avery and Prince Colin’s story wasn’t as easy as I’d planned. Since they met in Once Upon A Prince as teenagers, I struggled with how to advance their age and relationship, and how to present them as the book opened.



Where had their relationship gone “between the books?”



When I came up with the idea of the Pembroke Chapel bell, the story magic began to happen. One of the things I love in the royal wedding books is the fairytale aspect. Looking for something out of the ordinary.



Even though my writing time was tight, writing Avery and Colin’s story was a joy. Once again I wish I could visit Brighton, eat a puff, and royal watch for the Strattons!



I hope you found a few sweet spots in the story, all wrapped in Christmas holiday cheer, and enjoyed your time with me in Brighton Kingdom.



Merry Christmas!

Blog Stops

 

December 8: Book Reviews From an Avid Reader

December 8: New Horizon Reviews

December 8: inklings and notions

December 9: Reading Is My SuperPower

December 9: Redeemed Hope Dweller

December 9: Book by Book

December 10: His Grace is Sufficient

December 10: Blossoms and Blessings

December 10: Pause for Tales

December 11: Quiet Quilter

December 11: Ashley’s Bookshelf

December 11: Reviewing Novels Online

December 12: Bibliophile Reviews

December 12: Lights in a Dark World

December 12: Splashes of Joy

December 13: Moments Dipped in Ink

December 13: Neverending Stories

December 13: Through the Open Window

December 14: The Power of Words

December 14: Counting Pinecones

December 14: D’S QUILTS & BOOKS

December 15: Book Bites, Bee Stings, and Butterfly Kisses

December 15: Genesis 5020

December 15: CTF Devourer

December 16: Lighthouse Academy

December 16: God’s Little Bookworm

December 16: Christian Bookaholic

December 17: Smiling Book Reviews

December 17: God is Love

December 17: A Simple Life, really?!

December 18: A Holland Reads

December 18: The Scribbler

December 18: Faith * Love * Books

December 19: By The Book

December 19: Karen Sue Hadley

December 19: Southern Chelle

December 20: Faithfully Bookish

December 20: Books. Books. And More Books

December 20: A Baker’s Perspective

December 21: ASC Book Reviews

December 21: Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations

Giveaway

[Insert Giveaway Picture Here]

To celebrate her tour, Rachel is giving away a $25 Amazon gift card plus a copy of A Royal Christmas Wedding and a copy of The Wedding Shop. Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post to earn 9 extra entries in the giveaway!

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The Wedding Chapel

For sixty years, a wedding chapel sat silent, waiting for love. But times have changed and the hour has come when it just might be too late.

Retired hall-of-fame football coach Jimmy “Coach” Westbrook never imagined anything would come of his labor of love—the wedding chapel he built for Collette Greer, the woman he fell for back in ‘49. But now an offer has come to turn the chapel into what it was meant to be—a place for love—and Jimmy sees no reason to hang onto his dream any longer.

Photographer Taylor Branson is trying to make a life for herself in New York. Leaving her hometown of Heart’s Bend, Tennessee, she put a lot of things behind her, including her family’s abysmal marriage rate. But love surprises her when she falls head-over-heels for Jack Forester, a top ad man. Their whirlwind romance results in an elopement, and a mountain of doubt. Jack, while genuine in his love for Taylor, can never seem to overcome his own demons to find the words of his heart.

When Taylor takes an assignment in Heart’s Bend, the job does more than send her back to her hometown, but into a world of family secrets buried beneath the sands of time.

When Taylor’s journey intersects with Coach’s, they rediscover the heartbeat of their dreams and that the love they long to hold is right in front of them. And worth every waiting moment.

My thoughts: I have mixed thoughts about this book. While it is well written and is an interesting story with some unique lessons in it, I didn't enjoy the story as much as the Royal Wedding Series. I felt like it just fell short, but that was partially due to some of the characters and themes of the story. I did like the ending though! I would give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.
I received this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest review.

Picture Perfect Love

Meet the people who make it all happen – the planners, the photographers, the musicians who have helped orchestrate the perfect day for countless couples as they find their own happy endings in the second Year of Weddings novella collection.

When image becomes everything, it’s up to love to refocus the heart.

Photographer Jenna Harrison wants every bride and groom to look picture perfect on their special day, putting her heart into every wedding to give the couple memorable images of their love. But her own heart is still broken, the unworn wedding dress hanging in her closet a reminder that relationships aren't always as perfect as they look through her camera lens. But Jenna has faith that she will find true love. Until then, she must be patient and trust in God's plan and His perfect timing.

Attorney Ashton Vance is the one that got away. When an embarrassing Photoshopped picture of put an end to his political aspirations, he blamed Jenna. So what if the photo led to his being offered a dream job and changing his life for the better? Jenna betrayed his trust, and two years later, Ashton's heart still hasn't recovered.

It was me. His younger sister's three words turn Ashton's world upside down. He must ask Jenna’s forgiveness, but can he risk his heart a second time? Even if Jenna can forgive him, dare he hope for a second chance at her love?

My thoughts: I have mixed feelings about novellas, since it can be nice to have a short story to enjoy, but sometimes they lack the character development that I like to have in the stories I read. Melissa McClone does a wonderful job of engaging readers in this sweet story that has plenty of back ground and development, making it a perfect summer read. I enjoyed getting to know her characters and look forward to checking out some of her other books!
I received a copy of this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest review.

We are still in the midst of working out the paperwork in regards to the house. There were a few problems with the contract, so we used up our three chances to get it right... The realtor just sent it in the for the third and final time, so I do hope that everything looks good! I mean, now I know how to spell my middle name. lol. I didn't realize until two years ago that the way I have always spelled my middle name is not how it is on the birth certificate, so now I have to decide which way to go with how I spell it. So, when the government finds that I spelled my middle name one way on the paper work and then another on my SSN card and drivers license, they kind of frowned on that.;) But, hopefully that is all worked out now!

Once we have the house, though, we can finally finish registering for the wedding, since we won't be blindly guessing what we would like to have in a future house.;) So many things up in the air until then though!

VBS is going on this week, ending with the community BBQ on Saturday. So, the kids went out last night to collect cans of food for the food pantry and invite the neighbors to the BBQ. It has been cute to see their zeal.:)

Brown paper packages tied up with string

I received a cello from my fiance this year for a birthday present, something I have always wanted.:) Andrew tried to talk me into wanting to play the bass, and almost had me convinced that it would be just the thing for me. He did that partly so I wouldn't suspect what he had found for my birthday present.;) I love it, though I will mention that it has been quite an experience to have to start at the beginning on another instrument.:D I have to remind myself that it will be a lot more fun once I have learned the fundamentals and can actually play something familiar on it.:D

My brother married on Saturday.:) I would say there was a flurry of birdseed and confetti, by that would just describe what their car was like when they went to leave.;) The only thing is, Luke surprised Mandi by leaving in Corvette instead of his SUV.;) Unfortunately, their SUV will be waiting for them (in all its glory) when they return from the honeymoon.