Review + Tour GIVEAWAY: Reason to Breathe by Deborah Raney

We are excited to introduce Deborah Raney's new series with a blog tour and giveaway for book #1 - Reason to Breathe - hosted by JustRead Tours.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: Reason to Breathe  
Series: Chandler Sisters #1  
Author: Deborah Raney  
Publisher: Gilead Publishing  
Release Date: October 23, 2018  
Genre: Contemporary Women's Fiction/Romance  

Phylicia thought life was passing her by, but maybe this was love’s plan all along. . .

At twenty-nine, Phylicia Chandler put her life on hold to care for her dying mother with her sisters, Joanna and Britt. Now Mom is gone and their father stuns them all by running off with a woman young enough to be their sister. Life is moving forward all around her, but Phylicia feels stuck—until her father’s protégé, Quinn Mitchell, presents the sisters with an intriguing business opportunity to purchase a trio of cottages just outside of Langhorne, Missouri. Joanna and Britt are convinced the three of them should launch a vacation rental venture, but Phylicia remains skeptical.

 To complicate matters, Quinn soon finds himself falling hard for Phylicia. But how can he pursue this beautiful, talented woman twelve years his junior when she’s still reeling over her father’s hasty engagement to a younger woman? Quinn is determined to give Phylicia her happily-ever-after. But first, he must help her come to terms with her discovery of long-held family secrets and persuade her that true love can transcend their differences.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | CBD | Book Depository


MY THOUGHTS

Reason to Breathe is a wonderfully crafted story, one that leaves you feeling good after the last page is turned. It felt like coming home in a way, because the setting is that of Langhorne, Missouri, same as the previous Chicory Inn series. Contemporary romance/women’s fiction is my favorite genre and Deborah Raney does it exceedingly well.

One thing I liked about this story and others by Raney is that life isn’t always happy, and we see fictional characters exploring real issues in an uplifting way. The story is kicked off when the Chandler sisters – Phee, Joanna, and Britt – discover that their father is acting totally out of character after the death of their mother three months previously. Phee seems to have the most difficult time – and had I learned that my father was moving some distance away, with plans of remarrying a nurse he met during hospice care, I would experience great difficulty also. I know that people deal with grief in many different ways, but I didn’t care for Phee’s father for a long time and hope we see his character grow through the series.

This is mainly the story of Phee and Quinn, who works for her father and unwittingly finds himself thrust in the middle of a rough situation. I liked the sweet chemistry between them and that there’s no arguing, but rather, their friendship has to steadily progress through the overcoming of several obstacles – such as age difference and trust issues. Spiritual themes are gently woven throughout, reminding us of God’s timing in all situations and that He often places people in our lives exactly when we need them.

I enjoyed Reason to Breathe so very much and eagerly anticipate coming back to these characters in future series books.

Recommended.

I received a copy of this book through JustRead Tours. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

DEBORAH RANEY dreamed of writing a book since the summer she read Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House books and discovered that a Kansas farm girl could, indeed, grow up to be a writer. Her 30-plus books have garnered multiple industry awards including the RITA® Award, HOLT Medallion, National Readers' Choice Award, Carol Award, and have three times been Christy Award finalists. 

Her first novel, A Vow to Cherish, shed light on the ravages of Alzheimer's disease and inspired the highly acclaimed World Wide Pictures film of the same title. A Vow to Cherish continues to be a tool for Alzheimer's families and caregivers. 

Deborah is on faculty for several national writers' conferences and serves on the executive board of the 2600-member American Christian Fiction Writers organization. She and her husband, Ken Raney, traded small-town life in Kansas—the setting of many of Deb's novels—for life in the city of Wichita. They often travel to teach at writers conferences across the country and to visit their four children and a growing brood of grandchildren who all live much too far away.

CONNECT WITH DEB: website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

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TOUR GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will receive (US only):

• a print copy of Reason to Breathe
• $15 Amazon gift card

Enter via the Rafflecopter giveaway below. Giveaway will begin at midnight December 3, 2018 and last through 11:59pm December 10, 2018. US only. Winners will be notified within a week of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!