If you love romance…the “old fashioned” heart throbbing, sighing kind…this is it!  This is a wonderfully human tale of a woman who married early and certainly the wrong man!  A political and social climber, he basically “raised” a wife for his own needs.  Then, of course, slept around…although poor Meg didn’t know it until it was “page-one” in front of her.

Recently divorced, the scandal pretty fresh in her mind…Meg is a bit lost.  Her father sees her struggling to find her way and suggests she go visit with his Aunt Annie for a change of pace. Certainly not what her mother wants…but she’s tired of the “socially acceptable” people and places.  She needs to find out who she is, now that she’s not “Edward’s wife”.

Arriving in Preston’s Mill, she finds the small mountain town far different, but remembers visiting as a girl.  Her mother never approved, but her father loved this town.

She stops at one of the small businesses in town, The Downtown Café; the style of the café is old, but extremely clean.  She meets Suze and her husband/cook Jerry.  The people are wonderfully written, I swear I know these people.  She also gets teased by J.T. Preston and a quick peck to remind her of who had once been her first kiss.  This confrontation is hilarious and must be read!  I love this first introduction to the town and a few of its people.  The dialect is perfect for the small mountain town and is absolutely correct and so colorful, it just makes them and the place – so real.  You actually feel like you’re there, I can see them; as well as the whole place while I’m reading.

Jacqueline Rhoades has written a warm, loving, wonderful place full of uniquely quirky people, who would give you the shirt of their backs.  This is a place you wish you could visit, if not live there.

While I don’t do spoilers, the romance is slow and easy as they get to know each other again, but quite steamy when they do.  Meg begins to find herself again; as well as who she wants to be and who she wants to be that person with.

Annie is Meg’s great aunt and is a wonderful character in her own right. She loves with her whole heart, prays and yet she’s so “down to earth” practical. Please read the excerpt posted for this book…the “mouse” scene is wonderful, but only one among many.

The story has drama, twists, bad guys, and so much more.  The only issue I had is that the story ended…just didn’t want it to.  Have no fear; the second book in this series will be released in February. I actually get to read it first!

If you like really good people, drama, and real love; get yourself your favorite beverage, lots of tissues and cuddle up to Preston’s Mill.  You won’t regret a minute of the time you spend in Preston’s Mill!  Enjoy, I did.

Copy supplied by the author

Reviewed by Georgianna

“That’s no car for a lady.” She laughed aloud as she grabbed the keys from the hook and headed out into the yard.

It certainly wasn’t. Her moment of rebellion had bought her a bone-rattling, kidney-jostling, butt-bumping Jeep with a hard top for winter and a soft top for spring and four wheel drive which Dewey assured her would be a blessing once the winter snows began. Sooner or later, she would probably curse her impulsiveness, but for now, this thing was fun to drive.

Having fun was something else she’d forgotten how to do. She’d trained her mouth to produce no more than polite smiles and discreet chuckles and the first time she let out a high pitched cackle of belly clutching mirth, she was so shocked by the sound, she cried.

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Changing Times
Hidden Mountain #2
by Jacqueline Rhoades
Release Date: January 31, 2014

ABOUT THE BOOK

Return to Hidden Mountain…
Hard living Lorelei Stewart has always accepted her role as the town tramp’s daughter and has earned her fast and loose reputation, but times change. Pregnant and overburdened with responsibility, Lorelei’s given up men and hopes to provide her baby with what she lacked as a girl; a decent home and a loving mother. The old bootlegger, Rollie Roper, needs a caretaker and has room for Lorelei and her coming child; a fair exchange.

Everything’s almost perfect until Rollie’s long lost nephew, Cob Thornton, turns up with money and plans of his own and those plans don’t include the woman living in his house, yet something about Lorelei fascinates him. He begins to see past the cold armor she wears and discovers a vulnerable and loving woman within. Now all he has to do is convince the pessimistic Lorelei that sometimes, Changing Times can be a blessing in disguise.

•••••••••••••••••

Changing Times is book two of the Hidden Mountain Series by Jacqueline Rhoades. We return to Preston’s Mill the small mountain town where it all began! We’re back to the wonderful people with all their interesting quirkiness and down home honesty. Ahhh, I’ve been away too long! I really need a piece of that double chocolate fudge cake at the Downtown Café.

This is Lorelei’s story. Being known as the Preston’s Mill bad girl and the town tramp’s daughter hasn’t been easy to live with for Lorelei. She’s not what everyone thinks…well, that’s not entirely true. She has been wild and has “slept” her way around, but the men were her choice; only she decided who she went with and she was particular. However, being Pearle’s daughter left an expectation in everyone’s mind and she did nothing to dissuade it.

She was molested in the last book (oops spoiler) and is with child. She tried to get Junior to marry her, but realized he was a crook and responsible for almost killing her friends. So that plan didn’t work and she ended up saving Rollie Roper and her friends; then turned Junior in to the law.

She now lives at Rollie Roper’s, whose life she saved in the last book (she needed a place to stay and he needed care and a housekeeper). She does take care of him and even manages to keep him from smoking too much and drinking too much. All this while she keeps his house spotless and does administrative work for the lady lawyer in town as well as still caring for her maniac/alcoholic mother. That would be incredible for anyone, let alone a very pregnant single lady.

Things are going fine, when who shows up but Rollie’s nephew who he thought was killed in action overseas. Rollie, being Rollie, didn’t actually talk to the “army guys” when they came to notify him – just assumed what they were there for. There is a good reason for this mistake, but you have to read the story to find this out! Anyway, he’s big and he’s back. He figures half this is his (his mother’s half) and so does Rollie.

Meanwhile, Junior and his mother decide Junior needs Lorelei to marry him (a wife can’t testify against her husband) so they claim to be able to take her baby away from her because she’s such a bad influence and they are so rich…

That’s the setup; you really need to read this wonderful tale for yourself. I don’t do spoilers (if I can help it) because it’s just so much fun to discover the details for yourself.

This much I can tell you… I laughed until I cried; I cried and chewed my fingernails; I swooned at the hot love scenes and more; I prayed at the most fearful scene a mother could read; I sighed at the end! That should give you some idea as to how compelling and captivating this story is. If we gave out ratings…this would be a 5+.

This is an incredibly romantic story of changing lives and finding one person to truly love and trust. Rich vibrant characters with humor and wisdom make up the whole town. A place I’d love to call home. Jacqueline Rhoades has managed to have it all in this wonderful new series.
Enjoy, I did!

Copy supplied by the author.

Reviewed by Georgianna

Lorelei looked over her shoulder to where Hardy Curran was bouncing baby Mikey on his good knee, seemingly paying no attention to the two women.

She leaned over the counter and whispered, “And there he is this morning, sitting out on the porch in his underwear with a hard-on the size of a flagpole.”

“Oooo, is he cute?” Suze giggled. “Just how tall was this flagpole and what was he doing with it and why on the front porch? Enquiring minds want to know.” She wiggled her brows.

“It wasn’t like that. He slept out there with a couch pillow and a ratty old blanket.”

Suze looked confused. “Why’d he do that?”

“Haven’t you been listening to anything I’ve said?”

“Well, some, but you are talking a little fast.”

Lorelei huffed. “Suze, I don’t even know if the guy is who he says he is.”

“Dark curly hair, gray eyes, tall and skinny. Got a scar right here,” Hardy pointed to a spot where his shoulder met his chest, “where one of the Tolliver boys shot him with an arrow. I forget which one.” He grinned when the ladies blushed. “Don’t know about the flagpole, but that pretty much covers the rest of him. Course, times change.”

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A New Englander by birth and an Ohioan by choice, Jacqueline, known as Jackie by her friends, makes her home in a small, rural town with one lovable husband, one spoiled dog and one disinterested cat. (The adjectives are often interchangeable). An avid reader from a very early age, Jackie has an eclectic taste for books and therefore has trouble naming a favorite genre or author, though she does admit that for pure personal fantasy and ‘take-me-away’ books, you just can’t beat a good romance.
Jackie believes in the beauty of all women and thinks most women don’t see themselves as they should (herself included). She tries to make the women in her books reflect the best of ‘average’ in a variety of shapes, sizes, personalities and backgrounds, and each is beautiful in her own way. Some of her heroes are movie star handsome, while others are not. All her characters are beautiful in the eyes of their lovers and that, to Jackie, is the most beautiful of all.

Jacqueline Rhoades is offering an ecopy of PRESTON’S MILL and an ecopy of CHANGING TIMES to two (2) lucky commenters at The Reading Cafe.

1. If you have not registered at The Reading Cafe, please register using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. Giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY.

4. Giveaway runs from January 28 to January 31, 2014