Dare to Love Again
by Julie Lessman
Revell Publishing 2014
Reviewed by Teresa S Mathews
5 Stars*****
Another Romantic Masterpiece by The Queen of Romance!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In this book two of The
Heart of San Francisco series Julie Lessman takes us on an exciting topsy-turvy
adventure that mirrors the ups and downs of a cable car ride on those infamous
San Fran hills.
Allison McClare, the
beautiful and feisty oldest daughter of Caitlyn McClare is ready to put her
broken heart behind her and spread her wings in this new chapter of her life. She
is determined to be the best teacher possible to the dear underprivileged girls
that are going to attend the new school her mother is opening on the Barbary Coast. Even
though she was born into a life of riches, Allison has a servant's heart and
wants to see these girls have a better life than the debauchery most have been exposed
to. Her plan is going well until a handsome, ornery Detective shows up in her
classroom, smelling of Bay Rum and animal crackers!!
Nick Barone, (long E) is a hardworking,
ill- tempered Detective that hides a big heart underneath that gruff exterior.
Nick has had his fill of spoiled little rich girls so he knows to keep his
distance from Allison McClare. But all it takes is just one look into Allison
McClare's eyes to know she is going to be hard to run from.
Allison will not be
duped by a man again; Nick will not lose his heart to a "Snob"-Hill rich girl;
but what happens between these two people that are carrying around hidden hurts
will have you on the brink of tears one moment and laughing out loud the next. And
in true Julie fashion she will have you mumbling under your breath wanting to shake
some sense into at least one or two of the characters! Oh Wait...maybe that
only happens to me!! :-)
Julie Lessman is truly
the Queen of Romance! She knows how to insert just the right amount of tension
into a scene so that you are pulled in so far you will find yourself falling in
love right along with the heroine. What rapture! What ecstasy! This story has
it all! Julie has certainly left her mark on my heart with this story, and it
wasn't just Allison and Nick's story either, it seems Caitlyn now has TWO men
that want to catch her attention. Thanks Julie for giving me another sweet
family to fall in love with!!
QUESTION: To be entered in the drawing go to Julie's Facebook Author Page and "Like It" if you haven't already. Now just for fun let's see how many of you can tell me Julie's Tagline? I'll even make it easier, just fill in the missing word; _______With a Purpose! HINT: This is something ALL of Julie's books are filled with! Wink!! Wink!!
GIVEAWAY: We are giving away three books of this treasure, one gently used paperback, one new paperback and an e-book copy. E-book copy only to International winners.
LOL ... talk about "laughing out loud," Teresa -- your review made me grin ear-to-ear and chuckle more than once because, WOW, what a review!!
ReplyDeleteAnd what a GREAT opening!! " In this book two of The Heart of San Francisco series Julie Lessman takes us on an exciting topsy-turvy adventure that mirrors the ups and downs of a cable car ride on those infamous San Fran hills."
I LOVE so many of your lines, my friend, it's pretty obvious you are a writer -- EXCELLENT review, and I cannot thank you enough for ALL of your incredible support!! Words don't suffice ... so I'm going to pray God rains down blessings on you, you sweet thing because you are SUCH a blessing to me!!
Hugs and more hugs,
Julie
Awwweeee Shucks...Julie you are making me blush with all your sweet words!! You my beautiful friend made my Monday and every day since we first "met". Thank you for those prayers and I'll take those Showers of Blessings....need a lot to get me through to your next release! :-) Maybe one day I'll get to give you a big ole hug in person until then (((BIG HUG)))
DeleteI have been looking all over the facebook page and cannot figure out what you are asking for :(
ReplyDeleteOH DEAR!!! I'm so sorry it wasn't as far down the page when I posted this...it was a quote by MaryLu Tyndall. The Tagline I was talking about is Passion with a Purpose! Thanks for letting me know. I promise you are entered it the drawing!
DeleteGreat review, Teresa! I'm reading DTLA right now and lovin' every minute of it! I LOVE Allison and Nick. I think this is quick becoming one of my favorite Julie Lessman books. Anyway, I just wanted to stop by and say 'hello' to you and Julie! :)
ReplyDeleteHi ANGI!! I'm waving at ya and sending you a ((HUG))! Gotta love the big ole "meanie" that eats animal crackers!! Thanks for coming by! :-)
DeleteOh Teresa, absolutely LOVE Nick Barone (long e)! Was so glad Julie posted pics of her characters on her blog. I pictured him pretty much like the unknown model. :)
DeleteWhat a fun giveaway and great review! Julie's books are amazing, and I can't wait to read DTLA! =D You're right- she's able to create enough tension that leaves you on the edge of your seat, and is wonderful with passion (just as her tagline says, "Passion With a Purpose"). =) Thanks for the chance to win!
ReplyDeleteOh, forgot my e-mail there... sorry!
Deletelubell1106(at)gmail(dot)com
YAY ELYSSA!!! You got it right! lol Julie's writing can just about make this Southern Belle SWOON with her writing! Thanks for coming by!!
DeletePassion with a purpose. I enjoyed your review. I talk to the characters in books I read sometimes. LOL
ReplyDeleteJAN thank you for letting me know I'm not alone in talking to the characters in the books I read. lol Thanks for coming by and making me giggle!
DeleteWhat a wonderful, passion-filled, exciting review, Teresa! You and Julie make a good team with your passion with a purpose! :P Your review made me smile, too. That's Barone (long e!) That cracked me up! Loved this book so much!
ReplyDeleteDIANA I ALMOST left that part out... in fact I deleted it a couple times and then I would giggle and re-type it!! Glad I put it back in...everytime I would read it in the book I would LOL! JULIE sure knows how to get me to giggle. And I will never look at Animal Crackers the same!! LOVED IT!!
DeleteTERESA and DIANA, I was amused to read these comments because I did the same thing as you did Teresa!! I typed in (long e!) a couple of times and then deleted it too! LOL! It remains deleted... now I'm wondering if I shouldn't just pop it back in again! ;) Very funny! I loved how that got under Nick's skin! :)
DeleteNOELA You HAVE to put it in...I LOVED that part ...JULIE had me giggling every time I would read it!!
DeleteWell, maybe I should put it in mine! lol What was so funny is that when I was reading his name later on in the book I realized I would pronounce it wrong and say-oops, it's a long E. haha Didn't want that hunk of a cop upset with me. ;)
DeleteAbsolutely LOVED your review, Teresa, and have a visual of those cable cars, as I write (especially since I've seen them - for real) !
ReplyDeleteAnd that missing word is, of course, "PASSION" - wouldn't be a Julie Lessman book without TONS of it, giving readers TONS of enjoyment, and inspiration!! You are "right on the mark" with everything - yes, I've wanted to "shake" some of Julie's characters, too, and on the other hand - always end up falling in love with them before the book ends! I think she enjoys leaving readers "dangling" with those unexpected twists of hers, and filling us with such emotion that we're both laughing, and shedding tears! However, I always forgive her by the end of the book, as there is ALWAYS a perfect ending that leaves me happy, inspired, and reassessing my spiritual life!! It will be hard to find literary characters that I love as much as the O'Connor family, but I'm sure they will be found in the San Fran series, as Julie truly is the "Queen of Romance", and a master at her game!!
bonnieroof60(at)yahoo(dot)com
OWG
Author's page "liked"
BONNIE When I first discovered Julie's books at my library...it was a blessed day! I thought there was nothing quite like Collin and Faith's love story but everyone since then have has just gotten better. :-) Thanks for coming by!
Delete"PASSION WITH A PURPOSE!!!!" :D I loved your "wink wink"! Thanks for the smile this evening! :)
ReplyDeleteAmada (pronounced: a.m.a.th.a)
AMADA So glad I made you smile...JULIE's books always do the same for me! Gotta Love 'Em!! :-) Thanks from coming by to share in the fun!!
Delete"Passion With A Purpose.
ReplyDeleteLiked her F B Page
mcnuttjem0(at)gmail(dot) com
JACKIE you are absolutely right!! Thanks for stopping by!!
DeleteAbsolutely LOVED your review TERESA!!!!! Made me smile the whole way through, and wow, what an excellent review to show perfectly the fun, passion, and romantic tension that is in spades in this awesome book of JULIE'S!!
ReplyDeleteNOELA so glad I was able to make you smile! This book was right up my alley with all the fun things in it. It had a lot of seriousness also but JULIE did a wonderful job balancing it out!!
DeletePassion with a Purpose - I found this on Amazon when I was looking at Lessman's author page. I haven't read anything by her, but it sure sounds like she is a wonderful author!
ReplyDeletesusanlulu@yahoo.com
SUSAN you will LOVE JULIE's books. If you have a Kindle or Kindle app you can pick up Julie's A LIGHT IN THE WINDOW for .99. It is the prequel to The Daughters of Boston Series. Then maybe you will win a copy of this wonderful story!! Thanks for dropping by!! :-)
DeleteCouldn't resist telling you, susanlulu (since you haven't read any of Julie's books), A PASSION MOST PURE, the first book in Julie's The Daughters of Boston Series, is a free download right now - but possibly, only through the end of Jan.! WARNING: if you read A PASSION MOST PURE, you will fall in love with Julie's writing, and WANT to read EVERY book she's written, so be prepared LOL)!!
DeleteJulie's tag line is Passion with a Purpose. I've read all her books so far, except Dare to Love Again, so would love to win a copy here. I really enjoy her books. I was sad to say good-bye to the O'Connors but am liking this new series too.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chance to win.
pmk56[at]sbcglobal[dot]net
PAM I had the same thoughts about the O'Conners...it was like leaving my family behind when Julie finished all the kids stories, then she has really wowed me with this new series! JULIE is an amazing writer!! Here's hoping for a win for you!! :-)
DeletePassion with a Purpose
ReplyDeleteI have liked Julie's page for some time now. Would love to win this book. Thanks so much for the giveaway.
bettimace at gmail dot com
Hi BETTI so glad to see you here! Would love for you to win too!! :-)
DeleteTeresa and ALL the wonderful commenters ... my humble apologies for not responding to every comment, but my hubby is breathing down my neck to pull back a wee bit, so I'm actually trying to do that, but it is SOOO hard!!
ReplyDeleteLOVE all the fabulous comments from some of my favorite reader friends, and PLEASE know how much I appreciate you all!!
Teresa ... you have NO idea how that tickles me that you would laugh at "long-e"!!! When I put that in, I though to myself -- everybody is going to think this is SO dumb, but oh well, they already know I can be a little silly, right??? For me, putting that in just added an adorable quirky gruffness to Nick, because I could just HEAR him say it every time!! :)
Love you, guys!!
Julie
JULIE no need to apologize, your hubby sounds a lot like mine! I don't sleep as much as I should and sitting in front of a computer probably doesn't help any, so he is looking out for me! :-) I am sooo glad you didn't leave out Barone (Long E), it was one of the best parts, it was like I could hear ole Cranky Pants repeating it in my head, even after I quit reading! lol
DeleteI love your fantastic review, Teresa, and I love Julie Lessman's books! I have not read The Heart of San Francisco series, but am eager to get started. Your review certainly heightened that anticipation! I have already "liked" Julie's Facebook page and love her tagline, Passion with a Purpose! Thank you so much for the wonderful giveaway.
ReplyDeletetexaggs2000 at gmail dot com
Hi BRITNEY I'm so glad you dropped by and I'm glad you enjoyed my review! I hope you get to read this series soon, maybe you will be one of our blessed winners! :-)
DeleteI would love this book. Passion With a Purpose! I knew it without having to look it up! And she has it down to a 't'! I just finished the series about the O'Conner family. I know I will enjoy this series as well! Nancycooks4u (at) gmail (dot) com
ReplyDeleteNANCY if you just finished reading about all the O'Conners then you certainly have figured out JULIE knows what PASSION is all about!! Didn't ya love all those handsome O'Conner men and the Sons-in-law??? Goodness just thinking about them makes me want to re-read them all!! Thanks for coming by!
DeletePassion with a Purpose !!! No one can read Julies books and not know this.... I so loved this review and cannot wait to finish reading this to post my own review. Wait till you see yours truly in her next book Surprized by Love...won't that be a surprize for all of you ! Love you Julie Lessman ! Your the Best !
ReplyDeleteHugs
Linda Marie Finn
Faithful Acres Books
faithfulacresbooks@gmail.com
Waving at you LINDA!! Thanks for coming by and sharing your little "surprise" with us. Can't wait for Julie's next book and now I will be looking for your name in it when I read it! :-)
DeleteHello to my special group, the OWG gals. Love you all. And, Julie too. She was the first person to ever tell me she liked my name. And, I have had that name for 78 years. LOL Her tagline if Passion With a Purpose. Not so sure if that comes from her or the passion in her book :) And, I liked her page long ago. I have the series of the other kids in the O'Conner family, "Winds of Change. "But, I would love to win this one.Thanks ya'll. (Texas talk) Maxie
ReplyDeleteWaving at you MAXIE!! You are so precious to all of us here at OWG, I would love to give you a hug in person but for now I'll have to send you a cyber (((HUG))). JULIE puts a lot of herself into her books so I think that passion comes her heart of love that the Heavenly father gave her! Thanks for stopping by and making my day!!
DeleteMaxie, Thanks for liking Julie's page for some time! Congrats, u have won my gently used copy of Julie's book! Congrats!
DeleteLoved your review, Teresa! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you my dear daughter! :-)
DeleteI have read and enjoyed each and everyone of Julie's books! can't wait to get my hands on this most recent release.
ReplyDeletePassion With a Purpose is Julie's tagline
I likes her FB page long ago!
pattymh2000(at)yahoo(dot)com
PATTY maybe this will be your lucky week and you will win a copy right here! Thanks for stopping by! :-)
DeletePassion with a Purpose is her tagline.
ReplyDeleteGreat review!
Blessings, Tina
tfrice@comcast.net
TINA thanks for coming by, glad you liked the review! :-)
Delete"Passion" - that's what I love about her books! I'm so excited to read this one. Thanks for the giveaway!!!
ReplyDeletecolorvibrant at gmail dot com
HEIDI...Julie's books are the best when it comes to Passion and you don't have to worry about being embarrassed either unless you are like me and are caught mumbling to yourself about one of the characters!! ;-) lol
DeletePassion is the word. BTW my husband wears Bay Rum after shave and every man should. It smells wonderful!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chance to win.
Blessings,
Jill F.
JILL thanks for the smile...after reading this I think I might have to find my hubby some Bay Rum and Animal Crackers. Thanks for coming by!! :-)
DeleteThe missing word is "passion." I've read some really great reviews of this book and the first one in this series is in my TBR pile. I don't have a facebook account so I can't "like" her but I would if I could!
ReplyDeleteLis K
garfsgirl [at] hotmail [dot] com
LIS it's ok if you can't "like" her page! :-) Maybe you will be one of our blessed winners and you'll get to read this treasure..
DeleteThe missing word is passion. I love Julie's books. I just discovered her books about 8 months ago and I am looking forward to reading this book. I am already a fan of Julie on facebook
ReplyDeletewwchildren at gmail dot com
WILANI that was a good day for you when you discovered JULIE's books!! :-) Thanks for coming by!!
DeleteJulie's tagline is "Passion with a Purpose".....an easy one to remember if you've ever read one of her books! *winks*
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the giveaway! Love Julie and her books!
bookworm9404 at gmail dot com
MICAELA Julie's books are the best aren't they? I'm so glad she listened to GOD's calling on her life!! Thanks for stopping by!!
ReplyDeleteMICAELA Julie's books are the best aren't they? I'm so glad she listened to GOD's calling on her life!! Thanks for stopping by!!
ReplyDeletePassion with a purpose to fill in the blank. Your book sounds great.
ReplyDeleteischu at aol dot com
TICKMENOT...you are so right!! JULIE's books are wonderful! Thanks for dropping in!
DeleteHer tagline is "Passion with a Purpose" --thanks for the chance to win! Ooh, someone's a rival to Logan? Hope he helps prod him in the direction he needs to go. ;)
ReplyDeletejafuchi7[at]hawaii[dot]edu
LADY DRAGONKEEPER...Yes there is and LOGAN is NOT happy!! Can't wait until the next book to find out what happens! ;-)
DeleteGee Wiz Girls !!! Its like Anne (with an e) in Green Gables, it is a huge deal you know....smile. Oh man now I am laughing my SIL calls me Dragon Lady, after the woman in Clint Eastwoods movie... OK Jules, maybe I do fit the part !!!! lol
ReplyDeleteI can't wait for her next book either Teresa, this is going to be a fun trip to San Fran for me... I just love you girls !!!!!
~ Linda~
Hi LINDA I know you are getting excited knowing you are going to be in JULIE'S new adventure!
Delete"Passion with a purpose"! :) I knew it before even looking at your hint (helps that I just read it a couple minutes ago).
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited to read Dare To Love Again! Every review I read just makes me more excited! Thanks for the chance to win one of Julie's awesome books!
Blessings,
Sarah
booklover1492[at]rocketmail[dot]com
SARAH I know you are going to love reading this book it has so many things it in I didn't touch on! Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteI am anxious to read this book. I just finished "Love At Any Cost" and as always was amazed as Julie pulled the whole love affair out of the fire so that Passion with a Purpose could happen. What a writer!!!!! I surely would love to win!!! Blessings! Darlene
ReplyDeletespangldlady[at]gmail[dot]com
DARLENE you are sooo right...JULIE is quite the writer!! :-)
DeletePASSION WITH A PURPOSE! Can't wait to read this book! Loved your review!
ReplyDeleteI found Julie on accident, but ever since finding her, I have loved reading her books. I read "A Light in the Window". It made me think of the days when my father courted my mother. It was one of the best books I have read in a very long time. Thank you Julie, it was a pure delight and pleasure to read a fabulous love story.... B
ReplyDeleteBARBIE that's exactly how I discovered JULIE and as soon as I read A Passion Most Pure I was grabbing every one I could find. What amazing talent!
DeleteWhat a wonderful review. I really want to read this now. Her Tagline-Passion with a Purpose.
ReplyDeleteKATRINA I sure hope you get to read this ASAP! I guarantee you will LOVE it!!
DeleteLoved this book. Praying Julie will keep on writing so I keep have Julie books to read!!! Great review, T!!!
ReplyDeleteCARRIE I think I would CRY if JULIE stopped writing! It would be a sad day for Christian Books!
DeletePassion! I love the passion in her books! God created it and we should not be ashamed of it! Can't wait to read this book!
ReplyDeletecandicervaldez at gmail dot com
Sorry I'm late--I had to make a quick trip to San fran myself, so I think I'm already to win this book so I can read some more Julie books. I have already liked her page and he Passion is well evident in all her books. Thanks for not one opportunity, but 3 opportunities to win one of her books!
ReplyDeleteVicki
vmarney at hot mail...