Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Book Tour for The Bride Wore Starlight by Lizbeth Selvig (Review & GIVEAWAY)


As a quadriplegic I'm always on the lookout for books that reflect my life which is why I'm thrilled to give you a glimpse of this third installment in the Seven Brides for Seven Cowboys series.  Keep reading to get a tempting taste of The Bride Wore Starlight by Lizbeth Selvig, along with my impressions of it, and learn even more about this book by visiting the other sites hosting this tour.  In honor of this book make sure to fill out the form below for the chance to win e-copies of the first two books in this series too!

Once comfortable on stage in front of thousands, Joely Crockett is now mortified at the thought of walking—or rolling—down the aisle at her sisters’ wedding. Scarred and wheelchair-bound, the former beauty queen has lost more than the ability to walk—she’s lost her fire. But when one handsome, arrogant guest accuses her of milking her injuries and ignites her ire, Joely finally starts to feel truly alive again, and soon it’s impossible for her to resist her heart’s desire.
Alec Morrissey knows a little something about loss. A famous rodeo cowboy before he was injured in Iraq, he’s managed to create something of a normal life, even if it’s not the one he always imagined. Encountering stunning but damaged Joely, he sees a kindred spirit who can learn from his mistakes.
As these two healing souls begin to fall in love under the Wyoming stars, they must discover if they are willing to give in to the tragedies of life or fight for a future together.

EXCERPT:

The contact with Alec’s strong, long-fingered hand didn’t do anything to quell the annoyance dancing in her stomach. Or was it attraction? Or just a very long time since a man had taken her hand?
He tugged gently and braced his feet so she could stand and get her solid leg beneath her.
Her eyes came level with his tie. That put him at roughly six feet, she thought inanely, although, in truth, no thoughts but inane ones filled her head. Up close his eyes shone a dark, rich amber, and his full, upturned lips made him appear prone to smiling. His hat looked so natural on him he might well have been born with it on.
He held out his right elbow. “Just think of me as a human hiking stick."
He hadn’t said “cane.” He hadn’t said “crutch.” She offered a tentative, grateful smile, took a deep breath, and nodded.
What could have been horribly awkward turned out to be an easy partnership. Alec seemed to know instinctively how to step where she needed him for support, and his arm offered a perfect grip that she could lean into as firmly as she wanted. It took a dozen or so strides to get the coordination right, but slowly she figured out how to step firmly with her right leg and use Alec’s weight to help swing and step quickly with her left. She’d walked like this with crutches, but this felt so quasi normal—she almost enjoyed it.
Almost.
They came to the stairs, and she froze. A flat path was easy. Going up stairs was awkward but doable. But going down threw her weight forward, and she didn’t have the strength or balance to keep from pitching headfirst down the flight.
“We’re doing great,” he said. “There are only six."
We’re doing fine,” he’d said. She didn’t know this man from any random person, and yet he knew how to speak as if they’d been doing this forever.
“I really should have a body on the other side, too,” she admitted reluctantly. “I suck at stairs."
“Here’s the deal.” He removed her hand from his elbow and held it, then wrapped his right arm loosely around her waist. “It’s your balance that’s got you spooked. You haven’t practiced with it, but your left leg is strong enough. Trust yourself. You know the drill: bad leg—"
“First,” she finished. “Yes. But it doesn’t hold my weight."
“Eventually it will, but for now we’ll step together, and you lean into me when you’re using that leg."
How did he know so effortlessly what to do? He’d probably had plenty of bangs and bruises when he’d been on the rodeo circuit—maybe this was second nature for him.
They navigated the stairs like they’d been doing it for years. She’d never have made it on her own, and such an exercise had been clunky at best with a physical therapist. When she stood at the bottom without aid of a crutch or two side walkers, her satisfaction had to rival that of any successful mountain climber’s.
“Wow,” she said, unable to keep the pleasure from her voice.
“Why are you surprised? You’re a ranch girl; you’re tough.”

FIND THIS BOOK AT GOODREADS here.

FIND THE SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN COWBOYS BOOK SERIES AT GOODREADS here.

BUY LINKS:  AMAZON  |  BN  |  GOOGLE PLAY  |  iBOOKS  |  KOBO

MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:

As a reader with a physical disability I applaud Ms. Selvig for tackling such a deep issue with great care and compassion as on a whole this story was nicely crafted.  The negative emotions and frustrations of being newly disabled were believable as were the feelings of acceptance after being disabled for a number of years.  Each person grieves in their own way, and on their own time frame, and this story is about two scarred people on a journey of healing trying to find HEA.  Readers will find moments of humor intertwined with moments of heartache over the loss of dreams and will find themselves quickly caught up in a narrative full of intense emotions.

Joely was once the golden girl with the pageant queen body whose life seemed to be charmed as she grew up the center of attention with things coming to her easily.  Whatever she tried she succeeded at which gave her a feeling of invincibility that was shattered, along with her body, after a tragic accident led to death and scars both inside and out.  She's not dealing with her loss at all well and is mired in pity and negativity, scared of moving forward out of a fear of failure.  While her family is supportive they're also a bit over-protective which keeps her stuck in a rut and scared of going outside of her comfort zone.  For too long others have led her through life but now she must lead herself and she's completely lost.  At story's start she's a bit whiny, quick to cry and easy to embarrass, which made her slow to warm up to.  Thankfully, at the height of my frustrations with her, she met an unforgettable man with scars of his own who encouraged her like none other and led her on a journey of empowerment and love in a friends to lovers path to HEA.

Alec was once the playboy of the rodeo circuit and living life to the fullest.  After a second tour of duty overseas though left him with a prosthetic leg he hit rock bottom before a close friend pulled him back from the abyss.  With everything he's been through he's the perfect person to help Joely heal and start living her life again as he doesn't sugarcoat anything and pushes her beyond her self-imposed boundaries.  Alec's not completely healed though either as he's been uninterested in committing to one woman until now and is still trying to find a career that satisfies him.  Being around Joely arouses feelings in him he's not felt for a long time and pushing her has him pushing himself when an unexpected opportunity comes his way.  Alec's a larger than life character when we first meet him, a bit brazen and a bit obnoxious when he first encounters Joely.  He rarely censored his thoughts which led to a few awkward moments between him and Joely, but despite those foot-in-the-mouth moments he was still charming, sexy, and supportive in helping her gain independance.

Overall this was an intensely emotional romance that shows the strength of the human spirit to move on.  Joely and Alec are a compelling couple who start off as friends who hold nothing back before connecting in a more sensual way. Alongside this strong-willed main couple was an equally likable cast of secondary characters made up of family and friends whose stories were told in previous installments and expanded upon here to further their HEAs.  Though this book is part of a series in can definitely stand on its own with its strong statement on disability and survival that makes this a commendable read. Readers who enjoy small town romances with charm that deal realistically with real life issues will want to add this tale to their bookshelf and Ms. Selvig to their list of authors to keep an eye on in the future for the talent she displays here.

My rating for this is a B-

*I got this book from Edelweiss for review in exchange for my honest opinion.


AUTHOR INFO:

Lizbeth Selvig lives in Minnesota with her best friend (aka her husband), and a gray Arabian gelding. After working as a newspaper journalist and magazine editor, and raising an equine veterinarian daughter and a talented musician son, she won RWA’s prestigious Golden Heart® Contest in 2010 with her contemporary romance The Rancher and the Rock Star. In her spare time, she loves to hike, quilt, read, horseback ride, and spend time with her new granddaughter. She also has four-legged grandchildren—more than twenty—including a wallaby, two alpacas, a donkey, a pig, a sugar glider, and many dogs, cats, and horses (pics of all appear on her website). She loves connecting with readers—contact her any time!


**********GIVEAWAY**********

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2 comments:

  1. Thank you for hosting and reviewing THE BRIDE WORE STARLIGHT today!

    Crystal, Tasty Book Tours

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  2. Sorry to be a day late getting here to post, but I wanted to be sure and thank you so much for hosting my book on Wednesday. I'm also very grateful for the lovely review. I worried very much about getting these characters "right" and I knew I was taking a chance with the way each character started out. I'm grateful for your openness about your own disability and really appreciate your feelings on the story. I wish you the very best of luck. Thanks again for your great comments and support.
    Liz Selvig

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