Hey everyone! It's my sister's birthday today so I, sweet sister that I am, (you can roll your eyes now, I am) decided I was going to try and make whoopie pies. If you don't know what they are, google them. They're chocolate heaven with cream in the middle. ANYWAYS, that failed and as I was sitting here thinking about my failures, I decided to check and see what tour I should work on for Litfuse next. Obviously I chose this one since it ends TODAY. Great. Nothing like last minute! :) It's worth it for this new found gem though!
Okay. I know you came to read about the book. And I will tell you. First though, let me brag on the author a little bit. Why? Because I LOVE her.
Betsy and I became friends on facebook in April. She's a single mom with an adorable daughter, who I believe is six. She is the cutest! They take pictures of their "shenanigans" all the time and yes, that is the exact word they use! I loved her as a person before ever reading her book... and then there was this...
She was having a mini contest to win her book All's Fair in Love and Cupcakes and I was really excited. I mean, obviously I didn't know I was going to win but I did want to read the book. So I answered the question and forgot about it for the time being. The next day, as predicted, I logged onto facebook and of course wasn't the winner. What I did find out is that the winner was a sweet lady I had been corresponding with for Dawn Crandall's books. So, I wrote a quick "Congrats, hope you love the book" and went on my way. Later on that day, I recieved a message from Betsy...below:
"Nicki, I was so touched by your congrats message to Marisa, that I'd love to send you a free autographed book of mine too! Would you prefer ALL's FAIR IN LOVE & CUPCAKES or WINTER BRIDES novella 3-in-1 collection?
Or my YA novel "ADDISON BLAKELY, CONFESSIONS OF A PK"?"
What? Yeah. Of course I chose "All's Fair in Love & Cupcakes" and LOVED IT!! Then this came out and I KNEW I was going to read that book. Whether I had to climb a mountain to get it, which thanks to litfuse, I didn't have to do after all.
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*Summary*
For so long, Stella was known for her beauty. Now, with her heart stripped bare, she must discover who she really is.
Former pageant queen Stella Varland doesn’t trust beauty anymore after her divorce. Her appearance betrayed her and led to brokenness, so instead of being beautiful, now she tries to make beautiful things, but she always falls short. So she keeps her passion for art to herself and focuses on her interior design work. But if she doesn’t get another job soon, she’ll be stuck living with her parents.
Contractor Chase Taylor is determined to live a life of no regrets after losing his fiancée. Now he lives life at full speed, striving to see how much he can accomplish. He knows if he slows down, he’ll fall apart. So he returns home to Bayou Bend to renovate the town’s old theater and is shocked to discover that the designer for the project is his old flame, Stella.
Forced to work together, Chase and Stella battle their chemistry and past as they struggle to compromise and work together on a vision for the theater. Their wills clash as they attempt to hide their brokenness—and their unresolved feelings for each other—until Chase discovers the hidden parts of Stella, while losing her trust in the process.
A near catastrophe, a fire, and a small-town gossip mill finally force Stella and Chase to realize that they have a choice—to hold on to the shards of their pasts, or surrender their fragmented pieces to the One who makes a beautiful masterpiece from their brokenness.
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*My Thoughts*
I mentioned on my blog how much I adore Betsy, as a person and as a writer. What you might not know is just how much I adored her characters in "All's Fair in Love and Cupcakes". Lucas and Kate stole my heart the second I read about them! Actually, I dreamed I saw Lucas in Walmart...romantic fantasies of a just 16 year old girl. HA! Guess what?
If you read "AFLC" (names a little long so I'll abbreviate), you probably remember the fashionista sister to Kate, Stella. Thinking back, you and I would probably classify her as a potential "book villian". Better then thou attitude, steals the show, only thinks about herself, prideful...you get the picture. Not so. That's why this book is so aptly named. Some advise if you've never heard the song "Broken Beautiful" by Ellie Holcomb:
You need to google it and listen up because it perfectly describes the focal point of this book.
Betsy describes Stella's thoughts, emotions, "demons" from her point of view and the result is shocking. Lonely. Low self-esteem. Vulnerable. All feelings people hate. Yet Betsy pulled together "Broken to beautiful" perfectly.
I wasn't sure if I was going to like Chase either because Stella painted HIM as a villain. Let's just say, I'm glad I stuck around to find out.
The writing is amazing, graceful, allowing me to float through the story instead of slowing down or catching up to match the story. Christian viewpoints? Two words. Broken. Beautiful. Characters? Surprising. Story line? Let's stop there. Wanna know what I loved about this book? Besides a great story and some shockingly sweet characters? Heart. Betsy's beautiful, God given heart, was infused in every page. Betsy took some of her life and poured out her heart, her spirit into this book. If that shouldn't make it a favorite, what should?
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*My overall thoughts*
Love Arrives in Pieces by Betsy St. Amant is one of my favorite books of all time. With an engaging story line, great characters, and real Christian viewpoint,it takes a lot to convince me there is something better out there! For now at least, this is it!
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*My Rating*
I give Love Arrives in Pieces by Betsy St. Amant..
5 stars!!
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*Where to get it*
*I received this book from litfuse, the publisher, and the author in exchange for an honest review, which I have given. All thoughts were my own and I was not compensated in any other way.
Happy Reading,
Nicki
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