Wednesday, May 9, 2018

Review of Love, Unexpected by Virginia McCullough with Giveaway

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

Welcome to the book tour for Love, Unexpected by Virginia McCullough. This book truly fits its category as a Heartwarming Romance. I want to share a bit more about it with you. It's the third book in the series, but works well as a standalone. Enjoy my thoughts on it and then download your own copy. It's available on all of your favorite platforms. You can also preview the rest of the series, which I'll have to get my hands on sooner rather than later. Please also be sure to enter the giveaway below!

 Please note that affiliate links are present within this post. Should you make a purchase through one, I may earn a small commission to help me support my websites, at no additional cost to you. I also received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Love, Unexpected

(Two Moon Bay #3)
By Virginia McCullough
Contemporary Romance
Paperback & ebook, 384 pages
May 1st 2018 by Harlequin Heartwarming

 Moving to a new place isn’t easy…

 Until a neglected ship and its owner make her feel at home

After spying a boat in need of some TLC, single mom Andi Sterling strikes a deal with its owner, Zeke Donovan, who shares her passion for restoring old things. Uncovering the legendary ship’s secrets draws them closer. Is it too soon for Andi to open her heart to the chance to build new dreams?


 Goodreads│Amazon│B&N│Harlequin│iBooks│Kobo│GooglePlay


**My thoughts**
Heartwarming is definitely the right category for this sweet romance. It's such a subtle one, which is a breath of fresh air in a market saturated by fast love and lust. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy a lot of those books as well. But a story like this one feels so much more realistic to me and leaves me feeling a bit more peaceful and nostalgic.

 I love Andi. Okay, part of it is I love her name, since we share it. But she is also just an all-around likable woman. She has an innate kindness around her and is very friendly to everyone around her, without putting on airs. She loves her daughter and is a great mom, even though she feels like she is struggling. She also has a drive in her to make things beautiful and learns a lot about herself as she works on this boat.

 Zeke is the kind of guy I would want in my life. He has a successful business and many hidden talents, such as being able to restore things and rediscover their luster and beauty - in more ways that just an old boat. I feel for his struggle with his father's memory. While our stories are a bit different, I have a mother with Alzheimer's, so I completely understand his concern over his father's failing memory and mental health. It's not easy to handle and brings about a different kind of chaos and barrier when trying to develop a relationship of any kind with someone new. And Art is also such a wonderful man.

 Stories taking place near boats or near water are always super romantic for me, but I am naturally drawn to water. In fact, I even read a fair share of it sitting on the beach where the bay and the lake meet by me. It was a little chilly, but the story kept me warm and cozy.

 Because of its proximity to water, and the gentle nature of Zeke and Andi's story, I admit that I was reminded a bit of Nicholas Sparks, but in a good way. Perhaps it was all of those emotions involving a friendship with deepening feelings and all on the water. But of course, Virginia has her own voice.

 Another appealing part of this story is the mystery of how the yacht, Drifting Dreamer, came into being. She has a rich history, only no one knows much about it. As Andi works on restoring the boat, she and Zeke keep learning more and more about it and its original owners. The slow unraveling of that story is also romantic, as so many historical stories can be. I just love history and would be so excited to find bits and pieces the way that they do.

 I know this book is the third in the series. Some of the characters have appeared in previous books. But this book is completely a standalone. You know enough about everyone else to still have it make sense. That being said, I really need to get my hands on the first two books, because I have fallen in love with Two Moon Bay and its inhabitants. I hope more stories are yet to come from this beautiful place.

Other Books in the Two Moon Bay Series



Girl in the Spotlight

(Two Moon Bay #1)
By Virginia McCullough
Contemporary Romance
Paperback & ebook, 384 pages
June 1st 2017 by Harlequin Heartwarming

The daughter they never knew

When Miles Jenkins sees the graceful young figure skater on TV, he can't believe how much she resembles Lark McGee, the girl he dated briefly in college. Could this aspiring star be the child Lark gave up for adoption eighteen years ago? He has to find out.

Locating Lark ignites conflicting emotions in Miles—including regrets for what might have been and romantic feelings that take the two single parents by surprise. As they prepare to meet their daughter, this deeper connection between the two just might be the chance at love they never got.

Goodreads│Amazon│Barnes & Noble│Harlequin│iBooks│Kobo│GooglePlay


Something to Treasure

(Two Moon Bay #2)
By Virginia McCullough
Contemporary Romance
Paperback & ebook, 384 pages
January 1st 2018 by Harlequin Heartwarming

If anyone can save him, she’s the one

Jerrod Walters hopes relocating to the coastal town of Two Moon Bay can be the fresh start he and his young daughter need. But the single dad is caught off guard when a beautiful PR professional offers to promote his diving excursions to legendary shipwreck sites. There’s so much he admires about Dawn Larson, starting with the woman’s upbeat, can-do personality. Dawn’s boundless capacity for joy might be the only thing capable of bringing him back to life after his tragic loss…



About Virginia McCullough


A writer all her adult life, Virginia McCullough has had the opportunity to write the stories of her heart in her novels, including Girl in the Spotlight, the first book in her Two Moon Bay series for Harlequin Heartwarming. (Book 2 is scheduled for release in January 2018). Her award-winning romance and women’s fiction titles include The Jacks of Her Heart, Amber Light, Greta’s Grace, The Chapels on the Hill, and Island Healing.

Born and raised in Chicago, Virginia has been lucky enough to develop her writing career in many locations, including the coast of Maine, the mountains of North Carolina, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and currently, Northeast Wisconsin. She started her career in nonfiction, first writing articles and then books as a ghostwriter and coauthor. She’s written more than 100 books for physicians, business owners, professional speakers and many others with information to share or a story to tell.

Virginia’s books feature characters who could be your neighbors and friends. They come in all ages and struggle with everyday life issues in small-town environments that almost always include water—oceans, lakes, or rivers. The mother of two grown children, you’ll find Virginia with her nose a book, walking on trails or her neighborhood street, or she may be packing her bag to take off for her next adventure. And she’s always working on another story about hope, healing, and second chances.
Tour Giveaway


1 winner will receive a $50 Amazon Gift Card and the pictured Handfelted Wool Bowl and Gemstones (US only):

Description: A beautiful handfelted wool bowl filled with colorful gemstones to add a little beauty to your home. The bowl contains a small amethyst cluster from Uruguay which is generally used in rooms where people tend to congregate such as kitchens and family rooms. It is said to bring about peace and open communication. The bowl also includes a pink chunk of rose quartz from Brazil as a reminder of love and healing, a candle quartz crystal crystal from Madagascar said to make anyone who enters your home feel welcome, a pretty piece of blue lace agate from Southwest Africa to help create relaxing and accepting energy near your front door, a deep blue apatite heart from Sri Lanka to encourage the sharing of feelings and tangerine quartz from Brazil for information retention and perfect for your office, study or a student's room.

Ends May 16th

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1 comment:

  1. Virginia McCulloughMay 9, 2018 at 4:17 PM

    Thanks so much for hosting me. I'm both happy that LOVE, UNEXPECTED worked as a stand-alone for you, but that you're also interested in the others in the series. Ah, water settings. I do love them, which is why I write I guess. I welcome giveaway sign-ups--I hope all your followers enter their names!

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