Book Lover's Holiday Giveaway Hop

Welcome to my blog and to the Book Lover's Holiday Giveaway Hop. There are over 260 blogs participating in this hop, hosted by Kid Lit Frenzy and I Am A Reader, Not a Writer.

Well, this will be the last giveaway hop I participate in for the rest of the year. It's near Christmas and I need to concentrate the gift giving closer to home. So I wanted to make this last one really special. 

What am I giving away?

I will be giving away (3) three prizes open to U.S and International participants. Each prize is a gift box filled with books and goodies. How will the winner choose the prize? The first winner chosen by Random.org through Rafflecopter will get first choice, then the second winner will choose, and the the third winner will get the remaining gift box.

What are the rules?

1. Must be a follower of my blog via GFC, RSS or Email. 

2. Let me know in the comments section below if you are a U.S. or International resident.

(If postage is too much, I may opt to give a $25 credit towards purchases at The Book Depository instead.)

That's it. All other entries on the Rafflecopter are optional. If you decide to tweet about the giveaway on the Rafflecopter form, don't worry about pasting the URL, just tweet it. I think pasting is such a hassle. Plus, I get a notification whenever someone does. :-)

What are the gifts? Well, let me show you instead. Everything shown inside the gift box is included along with the gift box too!

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Gift Box 1

The Gift Box 1
What's inside?

Let's Take A Peek.

It's a brand new Da Vinci Code
Special Edition DVD Set,
along with three books,
The Da Vinci Code,
Angels and Demons
and A New Prospect
by Wayne Zurl

------------------------------

Gift Box 2

Kids Fun Book
Bundle and
Gift Box

A jumbo pen, two pencils,
a jumbo coloring book,
two stencil rulers, an etcha
sketch type drawing board,
3 boxes of card games
& 4 color stamps.

Includes books, Amy HodgePodge
The Secret's Out, One Brother
Too Many &
Standing Against the Wind.
Two sealed dvds,
March of the Penguins
and Osmosis Jones

 --------------------------

Gift Box 3

Include The Night Circus,
Freedom by Jonathan Franzen,
Trouble Don't Last Always
by Francis Ray, Leaving Atlanta
by Tayari Jones and Embracing
Destiny by Suzanne Purewal

A gift box with carrying handle.
Very spacious and can
be used to hold or carry
clothes, makeup, etc.

Conair Massager,
one vanilla cookie candle,
one coffee mug,
bookmark, two journals
and a planner

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That's it. Have fun entering all the other giveaways on the Book Lover's Giveaway Hop. For a list of other participating blogs, click List of Blog Hop Participants.

GOOD LUCK!

*Also, stop by and enter my 1,000 Followers Kindle Giveaway for a chance to win a new Amazon Kindle eReader. Valued at $99! And it's Free! Click Kindle Giveaway for more details to enter. Giveaway ends just in time to receive the Amazon Kindle for the holidays.

Book Review: Trouble Don't Last Always by Francis Ray

Mass Market Paperback: Trouble Don't Last Always
Length: 389 Pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperback; First Edition
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1250000343
Received: By Publisher

Synopsis: Amazon
Desperate to escape her abusive marriage, Lilly Crawford files for divorce, then slips away from her small east Texas hometown with little more than the clothes on her back. She points her twelve-year-old car east, hoping to find a new beginning. When her car breaks down in Louisiana, Lilly finds unexpected employment as the caregiver for a wealthy neurosurgeon named Adam Wakefield, who lost his sight in a recent carjacking. At first, this handsome, brooding man reminds her too much of the angry husband she left behind and she reminds him of how far he has fallen from the self-assured man he once was. But as the two spend long days together, an unexpected bond develops---one that will be deeply tested. For Lilly must confront her violent husband before she can ever hope to move on and truly discover a second chance at life and love.


My thoughts:
I read Trouble Don't Last Always some years ago when it had a different title called The Turning Point. It has now been re-released with a new title and a new cover. Trouble Don't Last Always also had a different cover before this current one above. I like the new cover, however something about the old cover conveys the sentiment of the title much better. When I began reading it a second time, I didn't know I had previously read it. The more I read, the more familiar it became to me. I guess the new cover and title threw me off. I enjoyed it, even the second time around.


What I liked: 
The relationship between Dr. Wakefield and Lilly feels organic. It develops naturally. It's presumable that Lilly would have issues trusting another man, so it's nice to see them fighting against what I as a reader could already foresee; true romance. I appreciate the author, Francis Ray, giving Lilly such fortitude amidst adversity, especially as an abused woman trying to escape a terrible marriage. It was a delight to see Lilly come into her own even during Dr. Wakefield's periods of distrust and animosity due to the violent carjacking that left him blind. I also enjoyed the relationship between Adam's mother, Eleanor Wakefield and Jonathan Delacroix. To watch Jonathan's devotion to Eleanor and her children is something magical. I love it when a man loves another man's children as if they are his own. So when Eleanor becomes a widow, Jonathan and Eleanor have a chance to explore upon feelings that were never examined deeply before. This subplot is a mature romance that was just as enjoyable to see unfold as was Lilly and Adam Wakefield.


What I Didn't Like:
Sometimes the romance lingered a little too long. As a reader I could sense early on that these couples would ignite. But at times their romance felt like wet matchsticks unable to strike a flame.


Conclusion:
I know Trouble Don't Last Always is about romance. But it's also about two victims who realize they are stronger than they initially thought. Through reliance on family and each other, they discover love, hope and the realization that trouble doesn't last always.

I highly recommend this book. I give it 4 1/2 STARS 

*** If you think you'd enjoy this book, stay tuned for my giveaway starting at midnight that will include Trouble Don't Last Always, plus many more goodies as I give away three gift boxes bursting with wonderful items just in time for the holidays. 

Please don't forget to leave a comment and tell me what you thought about the book review :-)