On Tour with Prism Book Tours.
Guardians of the Heart
(Secrets on Sterling Street, #2)
by Loree Lough
Historical Romance
Paperback & ebook, 272 pages
August 3rd 2015 by Whitaker House
Nell Holstrom wanted no part of her grandfather’s barren gold mine that had taken the lives of her mother, father, and younger brother; even if there may still be hidden wealth inside. Instead, she went to Denver and took a job as housekeeper at the old Stone Hill Inn.
Asa Stone was barely more than a boy when his father dragged him and his brothers to fight with Colonel John Chivington. But Asa refused to participate in the raid on the peaceful Cheyenne and Arapahoe; and when the smoke cleared, his father and brother lay among the slaughtered. Besieged by guilt, Asa wandered the West for years before returning to Denver to rebuild the old inn he’d inherited.
Together, Nell and Asa work hard to restore Stone Hill. But when disaster hits the inn, Asa retreats into despair and Nell is forced to return to her family’s mine. Asa faces the hard fact: He’ll never be the man Nell deserves. Can he overcome the dark secrets of his past? And will Nell still love him when she learns the truth?
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My Review
Loree Lough writes books that make you want to curl up with a quilt and tuck away into the time period. Guardians of the Heart is no different. The characters feel like real people (some of them are, in fact, as they were modeled after the author’s pastor as well as winners of a contest!), and the situations – though set in the late 1800s – are historical versions of things that any of us could face today. The added bit of suspense/mystery gives the story just the right boost – both in intrigue and in heart.
Nell is a sort of superwoman-type with a slightly wounded spirit (much like Shaina’s character in the first book Currency of the Heart), and Asa is a sort of wounded type with a slightly superman spirit. Together they form a great team. It was truly delightful to watch them interact – her singsong personality against his guarded exterior. And Ambrose – if I were able to sit down with any character in this story for a chat, it would totally be with Ambrose. Or Birdie. But I would probably get more conversation out of Ambrose 🙂
While Guardians of the Heart can easily be read as a stand-alone novel, it was nice to catch up with several characters from the first book. They fit seamlessly into this story, however, so someone who has not read the first book would have no trouble following along.
Bottom Line: A sweet heartfelt romance that reminds us of the importance of forgiveness – of other people and especially of ourselves. With true, likable characters and a plot brimming with all the great elements of a story, Guardians of the Heart will gently refresh your soul.
I give Guardians of the Heart 5 out of 5 stars!
(I received a digital ARC of this book from Prism Tours in exchange for only my honest review.)
The First Book in the Series
Currency of the Heart
(Secrets on Sterling Street, #1)
by Loree Lough
Historical Romance
Paperback & ebook, 256 pages
January 1st 2015 by Whitaker House
Young widow Shaina Sterling hates living a lie. Desperate to keep bill collectors from the door, she secretly sells valuable possessions piece by piece, and hopes Denver’s elite never discover that his lavish lifestyle left her a near pauper.
She’s unaware that as her husband lay dying, successful rancher Sloan Remington made him a promise. And Sloan guards her secrets as carefully as he looks after her safety.
When fire devours Sterling Hall, leaving her homeless and penniless, he brings her to Remington Ranch to manage his household. His kindness makes Shaina beholden to him … and threatens to expose the secret that could destroy him.
Will trials and tragedies bring Sloan and Shaina together?
Or will secrets—and the cost of exposing them—drive them apart forever?
With 105 books (5,000,000+ copies in circulation!), best-selling author Loree Lough’s stories have been compared to those by Nicholas Sparks, and she has been dubbed by readers and reviewers as “a gifted writer whose stories touch hearts and change lives.”
With a long list of industry awards, it isn’t likely this prolific author will ever retire…not even to her cozy li’l cabin in the Allegheny Mountains. She loves to hear from her readers and personally answers every letter sent tohttp://www.loreelough.com/.
Tour Schedule
8/16 – Launch
8/17
Dreams Come True Through Reading, Bookworm Lisa, Worthy2Read, & Rockin’ Book Reviews
8/18
Zerina Blossom’s Books, Reading Is My SuperPower, Christy’s Cozy Corners, & Mommabears Book Blog
8/19
Tell Tale Book Reviews, Writing Pearls, & underneath the covers
8/20
Mel’s Shelves, Babs Book Bistro, Hardcover Feedback, & Mortal Moments
8/21
Diana’s Book Reviews, Cafinated Reads, & Singing Librarian Books
8/22 – Grand Finale
Tour Giveaway
$25 Amazon Gift Card
Print copy of Guardians of the Heart
Kindle copy of Guardians of the Heart (to be gifted through Amazon)
Open internationally
Ends August 29th
What a treat it would be to win this book!
susanlulu@yahoo.com
Susan, make sure you click the rafflecopter giveaway link and enter that way!! 🙂 I’m not actually sponsoring this one
“Curl up with a quilt and tuck away into the time period”– I really liked that description!!
Sent from my iPad Mini
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😀 thanks!