I can’t wait to share this one – it was such a touching read and I want everyone to have a chance to enjoy it.
*****
Cupid’s Quest
Cupid’s Crossing Book 1
by Lori Soard
Publisher: Grace Nicole Books
Pages: 201
Genre: Inspirational Contemporary Romance
Blurb:
The only life Gracie has ever known has been the nursing home and the residents who are like family to her. Now, she risks losing it all and her friends scattering to different homes if she can’t come up with the money to save the business.
Between caring for his ailing mother and running the family farm, Brandt is stretched thin. Too thin. When his mother begs him to enter a local scavenger hunt, win the prize money, and convert the farm into an orchard, he knows he can’t refuse her anything, so he reluctantly agrees.
While seeking clues to the scavenger hunt, Gracie and Brandt keep bumping into each other. Gracie’s always had a crush on him that keeps her from stringing two coherent words together. Brandt doesn’t understand why she dislikes him so much she won’t even talk to him. If the nursing home residents would settle down and stop getting into crazy shenanigans long enough, the two might figure out that they have more than a little in common.
For More Information
*****
Excerpt:
You are listening to KARE – the radio station that cares about you. If you haven’t picked up one of our Cupid’s Quest Scavenger Hunt forms, stop in at Hart Grocery or the library today to get one. The first person to solve the scavenger hunt wins the grand prize. That’s right, folks, $20,000 and a trip to Hawaii for two, all expenses paid. What are you waiting for? C’mon Cupid’s Corner residents, let the hunt begin.
Gracie Resquire turned the knob and flicked off the radio. $20,000 would save Days Never New Retirement Home and keep the 24 residents from being thrown out of the only home they had. Ever since Walt Jensen from Cupid’s Bank and Trust had broken the news to her that the bank would not extend their mercy any further until payments were caught up, she’d been praying for a solution. The large, remodeled 1920s church that she and her parents had painstakingly turned into a full service retirement home cost more to keep up each month than she brought in and the late payments had quickly gotten out of control. Now, she owed nearly $10,000 to the bank and had no idea how she could ever pay it.
If she could win the scavenger hunt, she could catch up with the mortgage and have some cushion in the bank. Even if it didn’t completely save them, it would keep them in a home for another year or two. For some of these residents, that would be enough. The others she would worry about when and if the time came that she was again unable to stay afloat. Now, she just needed to get the residents on board with the plan and figure out how to solve the scavenger hunt before anyone else did.
*****
Review:
I really enjoyed this book. It’s one of those super sweet, innocent romances where it’s all about getting to know the characters and watching them fall in love. There is no sex and the characters belief in God plays a huge part in everything that they do.
Gracie faith is an influence in almost every minute of her life. She openly prays and listens as God talks to her. Brandt’s relationship with God has taken a beating, with a lot of tragedies happening to those he loves. But meeting Gracie has him rethinking things.
The fact that Gracie has had a thing for Brandt for years, and that he leaves her tongue tied, just tickles me something fierce. She’s so lovable and he’s such a good-hearted man that you just know that they will make a good match. She’s just go to get over her nervousness. Just about anytime they were together I found myself going “ahhh” and smiling.
I also love the motley crew of residents at Gracie’s nursing home. They are a hoot and add a little extra heart to an already touching story. I’m hoping that as we get more books in the series we’ll get to see more of them because they can’t help but be a boost of fun.
For a heartwarming, sweetheart of a story, Cupid’s Quest is a surefire winner. And I’m sure that Soard is going to deliver again with whatever comes next.
*****
Author Info:
Lori Soard has a PhD in Journalism and Creative Writing, but she’s hardly the stuffy professor type. She loves nothing better than a good romantic comedy and thinks the good guy should always win and the ending should always be happy.
From an early age, Lori started honing her story telling skills. As a kid she was rarely seen without a book in her hand, even walking and reading at the same time. Her first stories were about the world around her. At twenty she wrote her first novel, which she admits was horrible. At twenty-one, she sold her first article to a local newspaper. Once she got that taste of having others read her work and realizing that she could reach others and touch their hearts, there was no turning back for this natural born writer.
“If I can make someone’s day just a tiny bit better,” Lori says, “if I can make them smile even though they are sad, make them think things could be better, make them understand how much God loves them, then I have accomplished something. I write my stories, articles and books with that one person in mind who really needs the message. If I can change one person’s perspective, then I’ve succeeded.”
Lori is a life-long Hoosier and lives in southern Indiana with her two daughters, husband and beloved pets. “During the extreme low points in life, it has been my animals that have seen me through. There is nothing like the deep devotion of a dog or the unconditional love of a cat.” Lori adores animals and while some of her dear friends have crossed over the Rainbow Bridge she will always stand by her belief that animals make the world a better place.
Her latest book is the inspirational contemporary romance, Cupid’s Quest.
For More Information
- Visit Lori Soard’s website.
- Connect with Lori on Facebook and Twitter.
- Find out more about Lori at Goodreads.
*****
Romantic Reads and Such 