January 2016 Book of the Month & Giveaway

March 2, 2016 03:58 PM Posted by juliannadouglas

My favorite book from my January reading was quite possibly the sweetest romance I've ever read. It's a tender story filled with human emotions that really tug at the heartstrings. IMHO, it would be a perfect book to turn into a Hallmark Channel movie. It had been quite a while since I'd read a historical romance set on the old west, and this was a great book to reinvigorate my interest in this romance sub-genre.

The heroine, Annie, was born with a birth defect in her hip, which causes her to walk with a pronounced limp. All her life she's been coddled by her over-protective family, who insisted on keeping her confined to a wheelchair, when all she really wanted was to play and do normal things like the other children. It wasn't until Luke, a new boy, came to town and chanced to show up at her 10^th birthday party with his uncle, that she realized that might be a possibility. Luke offered her a ride on his horse that was the best birthday present Annie received that day, but it ended badly with Luke being beaten up her brother and banished from her home by her parents for placing her in “danger.” Ten years later, as an adult, Annie still struggles with a desire for independence but lacks confidence in her abilities because she's never been allowed to do anything for herself. That all changes when Luke asks her out for ice cream and a sweet romantic relationship blossoms between them.

Luke was an amazing gentle beta hero. He never forgot Annie and even though he wasn't allowed to visit her, he's had a crush on her ever since. He's worked hard to build a business so that he can provide for and be worthy of a woman like Annie. He never saw her as crippled, only as a beautiful lady who intrigues him and stirs his desire. I love how he gently encourages Annie to think and do for herself, even when it means going against her family's wishes. He helps rebuild her self-esteem by showing her all the things she can do and makes her dream of a normal life with him. But when tragedy strikes will their love be enough to get them through the dark days ahead?

This book was a deeply emotional read that really touched my heart. Some readers may find it to be too sweet, but it was just right for me. I loved meeting these two characters and going on this incredibly romantic journey with them. This is one of those books that I know I'll want to re-read in the future, and I can't wait to read more by this new-to-me author. That's why I'm naming Cheryl St. John's Sweet Annie as my January Book of the Month. If you enjoy historical frontier romances that are Hallmark Channel sweet then you should definitely give this book a try. Keep reading to learn how you can win a copy for your own library.

Cover Blurb: Annie Sweetwater wasn’t like other girls. All her life everyone she’d ever known had told her so. Except Luke Carpenter, who never let her limp blind him to seeing her as she really was: a woman grown, full of dreams, desires and hopes for a future — with him! Luke Couldn’t Remember A Time When He Hadn’t Loved Her To her family, she was a Dresden doll in a wheelchair. To Luke, she was his Sweet Annie, a woman of surprising gifts, with a heart as open as the wide Western sky. And he’d risk anything to make her his bride!

Read my complete review of Sweet Annie.

Giveaway

If you would like to win a copy of Sweet Annie to see how wonderful it is for yourself, just enter the Rafflecopter giveaway below. One lucky winner will receive their choice of an eBook or print copy of the book. If the winner chooses an eBook, I will gift it to them via the eBook retailer of their choice (Amazon, B & N, or AllRomance). Please note, the paperback version of the book is now out of print, but if the winner chooses a print copy (available to US winners only), I will have a “new” or “like new” copy (at my discretion and based on availability) of it mailed directly to them via Amazon or one of their third-party sellers. Good luck!

International Entrants: You are welcome to enter my contest, but please note that not all eBooks are available in all countries due to copyright restrictions. If this is the case, Amazon does offer an option to trade for a gift card (I'm not sure about B & N or AllRomance). I'm sorry but due to the lack of availability of the paperback version and the high cost of shipping overseas, the option of a print copy will not be available to international entrants.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Categories: Book of the Month, Giveaways

Tags: Cheryl St. John