Mandi Blake

I don't know, maybe it's me... This is the second 3.5 read I've read lately. Maybe it's not fair for me to be rating these right now, but in this case I'm wondering if it's not more that I'm too close to the subject matter at the time?

I know what it's like to have a narc. parent, in my case it's a step-parent, but still...And maybe that's why parts of this book felt both a little too close to home at times and a bit unbelievable other times? So fair warning, I'm doing my best, but this one's a little harder to give an unbiased review, but I am glad Mandi Blake chose to write this one and that she did write it this way, it's just hard to accept some truths in certain seasons of life, I'll just assume that's the issue here...?

I loved meeting Jameson and Ava in this one! I knew them from later books, but hadn't actually read the earlier books in this series yet, which brings us to why I'm reading this one now. Haha. Interesting timing, but God knows what HE's doing, so everything has a reason and I am choosing to believe the timing of this read isn't random either.

Still, I enjoyed the story overall as well! It's a sweet cowboy romance. City girl falls in love with her family's ranch, a ranch that she was forbidden to enjoy until recently. The romance was clean, although there was kissing and some people might not enjoy some of the kissing and subtle innuendos. There is also a faith element that I enjoyed seeing explored in this story, but it is a Christian book, so for those who aren't fans of that...Well, here's your heads up. It also mentions Christmas, which I tend to avoid (I avoid reading stories that focus on any holiday, not just this one.) but I was actually somewhat surprised how it was handled in this one!

I also loved seeing this new side of Mr. Chambers! I'd seen him in books #4 & #5 so far, but this was a new side and I loved seeing him slowly open up and grow in this one! Likewise, Paul provided some fun surprises of his own! I loved seeing both men interact with the younger men and women around the ranch. I love a good older mentor/parent who teaches the younger generation, and this one was a wonderful example of both types of relationships, both a more parental role (grandfather) and a mentor/skilled worker that others around the ranch look up to.… (more)

This one is for all of those Hallmark lovers.

Rescued by the Hero is a Hallmark movie in book form, but better!

This was my second, maybe even third, time reading Rescued by the Hero and I really enjoyed it.
It was light hearted, had a good plot line, and even a bit of suspense woven in with the sweet romance. There were some sad points… It deals with a past character’s death and a time of drifting away from faith but Mandi Blake wrote a wonderful novel of returning to your faith, a new start, and opened the Heroes of Freedom Ridge series with a lovely little town.

Warning: there is a slight plot line dealing with a stalker but it’s pretty clean and nothing truly violent.

*Read on Kindle Unlimited*… (more)

The Only Exception is such a delightful read. I have loved almost all of the books I have read from Mandi Blake, and this one might just be my favorite. Of course, I seem to say that about every book I read from her, but they just keep getting better and better!

The characters in this story are instantly likeable. Reading about them was comforting almost, like you are being told a story about your friends. The journey of their relationship was so cute to see. I also liked that we got to see a lot from the other characters in the series. It felt like one big family. Plus we got to see a lot from the characters the next book in the series is about. This book has made me so excited for the next book in the series. I can't wait to read it!

There were a lot of intense moments throughout the story, but the characters came through them remarkably well. We got to see how strong they truly are through the way they handled every situation. There was a lot of love, with tender moments mixed throughout. I found it to be really sweet. I loved every minute of it.

I read an ARC of this book for free, and I voluntarily left this honest review.… (more)

I absolutely loved this book. I think it is my favorite book I have read this year. I really don't know how to express how much I enjoyed this one. I have loved every book I have read from this author, but this one takes the cake. The characters were so cute together, and they were both well developed. The storyline pulled me in and didn't let me go. I had to keep reading to find out what happened with them. Then, this whole book also helped set up for the next in the series. I can't wait for that one because this one did such a great job of making me want more. I think that was accomplished through the characters rather than through the setting for the series.

Okay, I'm just fangirling at this point, but I love it so much... I really think this book would appeal to anyone who enjoys Christian Romance. I recommend this book, and the whole series. You really can't go wrong with any of Mandi's books.

I received an ARC of this book for free, and I voluntarily left this honest review.… (more)