Must-Have June Releases

Once Upon a Summertime

        Managing the Value Lodge in her hometown was not what Anna Gordon had in mind when she set out in the hospitality industry. But it’s a safe choice for a woman whose childhood was anything but stable. Out of the blue, she gets an once-in-a-lifetime chance to reinvent herself by moving to New York City, where she hopes for a management position at a stylish new boutique hotel. The big city is full of surprises—not the least of which is Sean O’Neil. Her childhood crush has applied for the very same position!

        I have enjoyed many books by Melody Carlson in the past, and I know Once Upon a Summertime will be another wonderful novel. I’m looking forward to reading it; who doesn’t love a book about a girl who follows her dreams, which take her straight to her childhood crush?

A Flying Affair

        Ever since Mittie Humphreys agreed to join dashing barnstorming pilot Ames for a joyride in his airplane, her lifelong love of horses has been surpassed by one thing—a longing for the skies. It seems she’s not the only one—with Charles Lindbergh making his victory tour in the Spirit of St. Louis, aviation fever is spreading across the country. Mittie knows flying is the perfect focus for the soaring ambition and taste for adventure within her, and whenever she can slip away from her duties on her family’s prosperous Kentucky horse farm, she heads to the airfield.

        Considering their shared passion, it’s no surprise that Ames begins to vie for Mittie’s time. But when handsome British aviator Bobby York offers her flying lessons, he is equally surprised—and beguiled—by Mittie’s grit and talent. Driven to succeed, Mittie will do whatever it takes to compete in the Women’s National Air Derby alongside Amelia Earhart. But when Calista “Peach” Gilson, a charming Southern belle, becomes her rival both professionally and in love, Mittie must learn how to navigate her heart’s romantic longings as well as the skies.

        I just love Carla Stewart’s style of writing. It is very unique and is unlike any other authors’ that I read, and yet it makes for some pretty wonderful books. A Flying Affair sounds like something I would devour, so I am anticipating when I will finally have the chance to read it.

Interested? Get your copy here.

Hearts Made Whole

Can she forgive the hurting man who costs her the role she loves?

        After her father’s death, Caroline Taylor has grown confident running the Windmill Point Lighthouse. But in 1865 Michigan, women aren’t supposed to have such roles, so it’s only a matter of time before the lighthouse inspector appoints a new keeper—even though Caroline has nowhere else to go and no other job available to her.

        Ryan Chambers is a Civil War veteran still haunted by the horrors of battle. He’s secured the position of lighthouse keeper mostly for the isolation—the chance to hide from his past is appealing. He’s not expecting the current keeper to be a feisty and beautiful woman who’s angry with him for taking her job and for his inability to properly run the light. When his failings endanger others, he and Caroline realize he’s in no shape to run the lighthouse, but he’s unwilling to let anyone close enough to help. Caroline feels drawn to this wounded soul, but with both of them relying on that single position, can they look past their loss to a future filled with hope…and possibly love?

        I had never read any books by Jody Hedlund until I borrowed Love Unexpected—the book that comes before Hearts Made Whole in her Beacons of Hope series—which made me a firm believer in her ability to write amazing novels. I enjoyed that book so much that I have been eagerly awaiting the release of Hearts Made Whole, but it also helps that it sounds like a great book to read. Although, there is one book I’ve been waiting for a little bit more eagerly. (Just a note, all previously read and reviewed books are linked to my review of them, like Love Unexpected for example.)

You can pick up either Love Unexpected or Hearts Made Whole here.

Married ‘til Monday

With a big anniversary party in the works for his ex-wife’s parents, Ryan has just one weekend to play Abby’s husband…and win back the woman of his dreams.

        Ryan McKinley has tried to move on from his ex-wife, Abby. He’s sulked, he’s gotten angry, and ultimately he bought her dream house. Big mistake. Living alone in the massive two-story has only made him miss her more. When her parents call him out of the blue about their anniversary part in Summer Harbor, Maine, Ryan believes God has dropped a golden opportunity straight in his lap.

        Abby McKinley never exactly told her parents about the divorce. A strained relationship with her dad has culminated in a distant relationship with her parents, but she’s finally succumbed to her mom’s pressure to make the drive for their 35^th anniversary party.

        Then Ryan shows up on her doorstep, looking as handsome as ever. When he insists he’s going to Summer Harbor, with or without her, Abby knows she can’t say no. her parents still think they’re married and now Ryan knows it too. It’s just a one-week road trip with the man who broke her heart. What could possibly go wrong?

        This is the book I’ve been anticipating the most. I completely fell in love with Denise Hunter’s books, and the McKinley family, when I picked up the first three books in her Chapel Springs Romance series—Barefoot Summer, Dancing with Fireflies, and The Wishing Season. Dancing with Fireflies has become one of my favorite books I’ve ever read, so I cannot wait to read this new addition to the series. It sounds amazing, doesn’t it? I mean, every story that starts out with the characters pretending to be married or engaged always ends up being wonderful. And I know Denise Hunter will do a great job of putting her own spin on it. Clearly that’s why I’ve already pre-ordered this one. It was on sale, and still is, for 25% off, so I just had to snatch it up. Be looking out for the review of it one Tuesday next month, because I know I won’t be able to put it down.

Murder Freshly Baked

When delicious baked goods become lethal, a trail of poetry leads to a sweet-toothed killer.

Don’t taste it/ Don’t share it/ Just throw it away/ If you try my bakery pie/ You won’t live to see another day.

        The Amish Artisan Village of Middlebury, Indiana, might be the last place you would ever expect to find a murderer. But Amber has been managing the Village for decades, and there’s nothing she hasn’t seen. Or so she thought.

        When poetic notes begin appearing around the bakery, warning that some of the pies have been poisoned, Amber is as confused as she is concerned. Who poisons pies? And more to the point, who leaves poems of warning after they’ve done it? When Amber decides to track down the sweet-toothed saboteur, she enlists Hannah Troyer for another round of Amish-style detective work.

        Can Amber and Hannah help the police before the Poison Poet strikes? Both women will need to draw on their faith to preserve the peaceful community they’ve built in Middlebury…and to protect the girls who work in the Amish Artisan Village.

        As you know, I just recently finished the two books that precede this one—Murder Simply Brewed and Murder Tightly Knit—not very long ago, and I enjoyed each of them. So it’s no surprise that I’m eagerly anticipating the final release in the series. Murder Freshly Baked sounds like it will live up to the other two novels just by its synopsis, so I know it’s bound to be good. The description makes it sound a bit spine-chilling, doesn’t it?

        Those are the releases I'm most looking forward to this June! I post them in the order of their release date, so if you're looking for a book that comes out in early June, you might try Once Upon a Summertime, A Flying Affair, or Hearts Made Whole which release on the second, or if you want a later release, Married 'til Monday and Murder Freshly Baked release on the ninth. This month I doesn't really have any late-month releases, but I do next month! Only you'll have to wait 'til then to find out what they are!

        Happy reading!