What Matters Most

What Matters Most
A Texas Gold Novel
Kellie Coates Gilbert
(Revell)
ISBN: 978-0800722753
July 2016/320 pages/$14.99
Just when she can't take it anymore, Leta finally catches a break. But when things seem too good to be true, they often are.

Finding her dream job went right out the window when Leta Breckenridge had to quit school to help care for her mother suffering from dementia. When a delinquent account may force her mother into a less desirable facility, Leta is thrilled to land a high-paying job at an Austin public relations firm. But her seemingly ideal job turns into a nightmare when she learns the firm is a front for a political opposition organization--and that the research she's been collecting will be used against Nathan Emerson, the handsome senator she's swiftly falling in love with.

Nathan is a rising political star being pressured to run a bid to unseat the current governor of Texas. He's already in a relationship with a woman much better suited to be a politician's wife, but he's never met anyone like Leta. Could this feisty woman hold the key to his heart--and his future?

With emotional depth and keen insight into what drives us, Kellie Coates Gilbert offers a salient story that calls us to consider what we value most in this life.


Read an excerpt.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kellie Coates Gilbert is a former legal investigator and trial paralegal and the author of A Woman of Fortune, Where Rivers Part, and A Reason to Stay. Gilbert crafts her emotionally charged stories about women in life-changing circumstances in Dallas, Texas, where she lives with her husband. Learn more at www.kelliecoatesgilbert.com.

MY THOUGHTS

Kellie Coates Gilbert quickly became a must-read author for me with her debut release in 2012, and her Texas Gold series is phenomenal. Perfectly timed for this election year, What Matters Most offers a fascinating, albeit rather disturbing, look at the world of political opposition and the measures some will take to win an election and discredit the rival candidate. As with her previous books, Gilbert crafts a thought-provoking story with believable characters who must make difficult choices with significant consequences. Leta's dedication to her mother and the responsibility she shoulders warms the heart, even as the increasing financial burden adds stress as she wrestles with questions of ethics and personal integrity. What Matters Most is a must-read. Don't miss it!


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a digital copy of this book free from Baker/Revell Publishing. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”


TEXAS GOLD COLLECTION - MY REVIEWS
A Woman of Fortune
Where Rivers Part
A Reason to Stay

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A Reason to Stay

A Reason to Stay
A Texas Gold Novel
Kellie Coates Gilbert
(Revell)
ISBN: 978-0800722746
October 2015/336/$14.99
Sometimes the thing that keeps us from making the wrong choice is the one thing we can't control

As an investigative reporter and the host of her own TV talk show, Faith Marin works to expose the truth for her viewers. But in her personal life, she's anchored her world with firm boundaries in order to hide a family history she'd like to forget. By contrast, her husband Geary's life is an open book. An easygoing pro bass fisherman, Geary is the ultimate family man--and his overbearing relatives don't know the meaning of boundaries.

Faith and Geary haven't been married long when their differences start to derail their tender relationship. Surely love shouldn't be this hard. While Faith considers whether divorce is the only answer to their issues, tragedy strikes. With her life in the balance, she finds that the one she has been shutting out may be the very one she cannot bear to lose.

Kellie Coates Gilbert takes you on an emotional roller coaster as she weaves together unexpected trial, self-discovery, and forgiveness in this profoundly honest portrait of the tensions that can break a marriage--and the ultimate healing power of love.

Read an excerpt.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kellie Coates Gilbert is a former legal investigator and trial paralegal and the author of A Woman of Fortune and Where Rivers Part. Gilbert crafts her emotionally charged stories about women in life-changing circumstances in Dallas, Texas, where she lives with her husband. Learn more at www.kelliecoatesgilbert.com.

MY THOUGHTS

One of these days Kellie Coates Gilbert might write a book that doesn't reach in and grab my heart, but today is not that day! A Reason to Stay is women's fiction at its best. Gilbert's expert character development and gift of story combine to create a compelling tale. Rather self-absorbed and driven, Faith is not the most likable character as the book begins but trials have a way of honing rough edges, and I viewed her more favorably as the story progressed. Heart-wrenching events and powerfully realistic moments lend an authenticity that made me feel as if I personally knew Faith and Geary. This is a book to read with the tissue box close by. A Reason to Stay is a must-read!


Read my reviews of the first two Texas Gold novels:

A Woman of Fortune
Where Rivers Part


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book free from Revell Publishing. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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Where Rivers Part

Where Rivers Part
A Texas Gold Novel
Kellie Coates Gilbert
(Revell)
ISBN: 978-0800722739
February 2015/336 pages/$14.99
Success too often comes with a price. Juliet never imagined it could be so high.

Dr. Juliet Ryan has devoted her considerable scientific acumen to corporate America, providing safe drinking water for millions--and affording her plenty of perks along the way. It's not the path her estranged father would have her take, but then Juliet finds it difficult to maintain respect for a man she cannot trust. She's on her way up in the world, and she's not going to let anything drag her down.

But when a fast-moving disaster sweeps Juliet into a whirlpool of corporate scandal, lives are at risk--including those of some of the people closest to her. As she scrambles to find answers, Juliet must face her deepest wounds and join forces with the one who has hurt her most in order to expose a far-reaching conspiracy.

Like a mighty river with twists and turns and hidden rocks, this engrossing story will sweep you relentlessly along as it fearlessly explores the seduction of success, the fear of giving up control, and the redemptive power of learning to forgive.

Read an excerpt.




ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kellie Coates Gilbert is a former legal investigator and trial paralegal who investigated the largest cattle fraud case in US history. Her legal experience gives her an insider's view into how people react under pressure. Gilbert explores the complexity of relationships in her emotionally charged stories about women in life-changing circumstances. The author of Mother of Pearl, she currently lives in Dallas, Texas, with her husband. Learn more at her website, www.kelliecoatesgilbert.com.


MY THOUGHTS

Kellie Coates Gilbert quickly became a must-read author for me with the release of her debut novel, Mother of Pearl (reviewed here, and she further cemented that with the first book in the Texas Gold series, A Woman of Fortune. (My review of that novel is here.) Once again, she has created a compelling story that kept me rapidly turning pages, and it's not just because it is set in Texas! Authentic characters and an all-too-believable corporate setting bring this book to life and sadly, it is easy to imagine it as a non-fiction rather than a tale woven from Gilbert's imagination, albeit informed by her background as a legal investigator. Thoughts and emotions are expertly portrayed, making the tension palpable not only in the boardroom but in the scenes between Juliet and her father. I wondered at times if the resolution would leave anyone standing. Whether it did or not is a question I will leave for you to discover! Don't miss this captivating story. I'm already eager to see what Kellie Coates Gilbert comes up with for her next novel!


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book free from Revell Publishers as part of a blog tour. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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ACFW February New Releases

More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website.

Amish Romance:

Keys of Heaven: A Healing Grace Novel by Adina Senft -- Apprentice Dokterfraa Sarah Yoder grows herbs for her tinctures and tries to ignore her matchmaking relatives, but she can't ignore her budding friendship with her neighbor, Henry Byler. Henry has to resist her attraction when his pottery investors decide to market him as Amish-he has never joined the church and doesn't plan to. When Sarah and Henry are called upon to help a runaway, Sarah oversteps her bounds and finds that God knows best how to heal the heart. (Amish Romance from Faith Words [Hachette])

Biblical Fiction:

The Crimson Cord, Rahab's Story by Jill Eileen Smith -- Rahab's gambling husband sells her into prostitution. Then spies infiltrate Jericho and she ends up in league with them. She offers her body for a debt she does not owe-what price will redeem her soul? (Biblical Fiction from Revell - A Division of Baker Publishing Group)

Contemporary Romance:

Winning Over the Heiress (Heartsong Presents) by Narelle Atkins -- Can Sean Mitchell be redeemed? His new boss, Julia Radcliffe, isn't so sure. After walking out on her a year ago, the bad boy with the surfer good looks is back in her life and determined to keep it that way. It took time and faith, but Sean is finally on the right path. When his past threatens his and Julia's future, can he convince her that love can overcome every mistake? (Contemporary Romance from Love Inspired [Harlequin])

Secretly Yours: A Riverbend Romance Novella by Valerie Comer -- Chef Lindsey Solberg agrees to cater the church's Valentine's Day fundraising banquet as a favor to her teen sister, but she's shocked to discover the bad boy from her high school days is now Riverbend's youth pastor. Seriously? How could he have changed that much? Nick Harrison has prayed for years for an opportunity to make amends. Now Lindsey's back in Riverbend and won't give him the time of day. What's a guy to do except leave a trail of gifts from a secret admirer? (Contemporary Romance, Independently Published)

How to Catch a Prince by Rachel Hauck -- American heiress Corina Del Rey reignites her career in journalism after a long fog of grief, but her past with war veteran and star rugby player Prince Stephen of Brighton catches up to her. With a little help from heaven and his brother, King Nathaniel II, can they overcome the tragedy of war, move forward, and find love again? (Contemporary Romance from HarperCollins Christian Publishing [Thomas Nelson and Zondervan])

Contemporary Women's Fiction:

The Vigil by Marian P. Merritt -- In Bijou Bayou fleeing an abusive boyfriend, Cheryl Broussard finds work as a Hospice nurse. While reading a dying patient's Korean War love letters, family secrets shatter Cheryl's beliefs about herself and shed light on the reason she first fled her hometown. Can Cheryl deal with the truth and accept a second chance with her family, old friends, and the God she never really knew? (Contemporary Women's Fiction from Harbourlight Books [Pelican])

Where Rivers Part by Kellie Coates Gilbert -- Following in her estranged father's footsteps, Dr. Juliet Ryan is climbing the ladder of success providing safe drinking water for millions, when disaster strikes and she learns this kind of achievement often comes with a very high price. (Contemporary Women's Fiction from Revell - A Division of Baker Publishing Group)

Historical Romance:

The Homestead Brides Collection by Mary Connealy, Darlene Franklin, Carla Olson Gade, Ruth Logan Herne, Pam Hillman, DiAnn Mills, Erica Vetsch, Becca Whitham, and Kathleen Y'Barbo -- Through nine historical romance adventures, readers will journey along with individuals who are ready to stake a claim and plant their dreams on a piece of the great American plains. While fighting land disputes, helping neighbors, and tackling the challenges of nature, the homesteaders are placed in the path of other dreamers with whom romance sparks. And God has His hand in orchestrating each unique meeting. (Historical Romance from Barbour Publishing)

Brandywine Brides by Amber Stockton -- A family of bookstore owners has their faith restored and love multiplied in beautiful historical Delaware. Caroline manages a bookstore while her parents would prefer she marry. Grace seeks a missing heirloom book with the help of a questionable young man. Lillian reopens the bookstore in her brother's memory. Will each woman's literature inspired dreams lead her to a man of faith and devotion? (Historical Romance from Barbour Publishing)

The Last Heiress by Mary Ellis -- When the heiress to England's largest textile mills travels to Wilmington to restore cotton shipments during the American Civil War, class distinction, political loyalties, and family feuds guarantee trouble for her new romance. (Historical Romance from Harvest House Publishers)

Romantic Suspense:

Fugitive Trackdown by Sandra Robbins -- A shy Southern librarian and a bounty hunter join forces to track down her father's killer. (Romantic Suspense from Love Inspired [Harlequin])

Sabotaged by Dani Pettrey -- Growing up, goody-two-shoes Kirra Jacobs and troublemaker Reef McKenna were always at odds. Now, working together as search-and-rescue for Alaska's Iditarod race, a growing attraction forces aside old arguments. When a girl is kidnapped, Kirra and Reef are thrown into a race to stop a shadowy villain who also threatens to unleash one of the largest disasters Alaska has ever seen. (Romantic Suspense from Bethany House [Baker] Publishing)

Speculative:

Found and Lost (Haven Seekers #2) by Amanda G. Stevens -- Violet DuBay has an opportunity to infiltrate the Christian resistance, but what she learns dents her resolve to turn them in to the Constabulary. (Speculative Fiction from David C. Cook)

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A Woman of Fortune

A Woman of Fortune
A Texas Gold Novel
Kellie Coates Gilbert
(Revell)
ISBN: 978-0800722722
May 2014/336 pages/$14.99
You never know what you're really made of until you lose everything.

Texas socialite Claire Massey is living the dream--designer clothes, luxury cars, stunning homes. But everything comes crashing down when her charming cattle broker husband is arrested for fraud. Suddenly she finds herself facing attorneys, a media frenzy, and a trail of broken hearts. Betrayed and humiliated, Claire must face incredible odds to save her family--and discover a life worth living.

Author Kellie Coates Gilbert delivers a story both poignant and emotionally gripping that celebrates the kind of fortune that lasts.





ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kellie Coates Gilbert is a former legal investigator and trial paralegal who investigated the largest cattle fraud case in US history. Her legal experience gives her an insider's view into how people react under pressure. Gilbert explores the complexity of relationships in her emotionally charged stories about women in life-changing circumstances. The author of Mother of Pearl, she currently lives in Dallas, Texas, with her husband. Learn more at www.kelliecoatesgilbert.com.


MY THOUGHTS

I took note of Kellie Coates Gilbert with the release of her stellar debut novel last year (Mother of Pearl, reviewed here), and her sophomore release is just as impressive. Although the utter opulence of the Massey family's life in the opening chapters frankly made me cringe, Gilbert's skill at character portrayal gradually caused my heart to warm toward Claire and sympathize with the plethora of emotions she experienced during the upheaval of the life she knew. The nuances of family relationships, the superficiality of "friendships" based on status, and what defines a marriage - all of these issues and more are capably explored in this riveting story. A stark reminder that sometimes we have to lose it all to discover what we really have, A Woman of Fortune will stir your heart and strengthen your faith.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book from Revell Publishers as part of a blog tour. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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