**Blog Tour & Giveaway ~ Mending Hearts Series ~ L.B. Simmons**

Happy Saturday! And welcome to my stop on the blog tour for L.B. Simmons' Mending Hearts series. This series includes Running on Empty and Recovery, so far. My stop includes my reviews of both books and a giveaway.

This tour is presented by Brandee's Book Endings. To see all the participating blogs, click here.

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I had the perfect life.

Beautiful and loving husband.

Three gorgeous little girls.

Successful career.

The only thing missing was the white picket fence.  I really wanted that fence.

Three years ago, I lost that life.  I lost my husband.  And I lost myself.  But, eventually, I found my way through the darkness.  I’ve made peace with my new life. I have my girls, and that’s all that matters. They are my world.  I have no illusions of ever falling in love again or getting whisked away on a white horse.

But then he came back into my life. On a freakin’ motorcycle.

There’s no way I’ll let him turn my life completely upside down.  Absolutely no way.

The question is…

How long can I keep pretending that I’m happy with my life being right-side up?


Purchase Running on Empty here:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

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I have the perfect life.

I’ve finally found my happy ending. 

I fought through the loss of one husband, lucky enough to be given a second chance at a lifetime of happiness.  Settling into our new lives, however, may not be as easy as it seems. 

What really happens after the fairytale ending?  What happens after the prince rescues the princess?  After he sweeps her off her feet and carries her off into the sunset? Do they truly live happily ever after?

Well…

This is our story.

Purchase Recovery here:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

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My Reviews

Running on Empty

"You'll never have your happy ending unless you're brave enough to open the book and start your story."

Okay, I will always give y'all a tissue alert when it's warranted. In this case, I feel it's only fair to warn you that you should not read this without a box of tissues if you're even remotely hormonal! ; )

Running on Empty is gonna be hard for me to review. This book...it's...I mean...hmm...it's hard to find words. I absolutely, totally, completely, 100% LOVE this book!

Alex Meyer...wow, she's been through so much. I admire her strength and tenacity to get up every day...to continue going through the motions even though she feels she'll never be truly happy again. I completely understand her need for control of everything after having lost so much. And I admire her courage in finally letting those walls fall away and claim love and happiness...a second time.

Blake Morgan...ah, I have a new book boyfriend. ;) He's the epitome of the perfect man. He's been in love with Alex for twenty years. He's patient, kind, compassionate...HOT! And he steps into Alex's and her daughters' lives without hesitation. It takes a special man to take on three little girls and he does it fearlessly.

Nycole, Kyndall, and Rylie are Alex's daughters. They each made me laugh, sigh, and cry. Nycole is so intuitive, smart, and not at all afraid to tell her mom what she thinks. Kyndall is an in angel in her honesty and creativity. And Rylie is just a little pistol! The girls reminded me so much of my own daughters, I couldn't help but love them.

And Harlow Reed...every woman needs a BFF like her! She's the glue that holds Alex together and the comic relief to remind everyone not to take life so seriously all the time.

Running on Empty is a tale of second chance love. I happen to love this type of story. Watching Alex and Blake find their way back to one another through the inevitable pitfalls was so fulfilling. Both Alex and Blake have built protective walls around their hearts. It takes time to break through them. It helps they've known one another almost their whole lives. The memories ease them back into a comfortable peace as they work on learning to love.

That this story takes place in my native Texas (and even in my current home of Colorado) added another pleasant aspect to the story. Having grown up near Waco, Ms. Simmons' descriptions of places, the weather, etc., felt familiar and helped add to my connection to these characters.

Running on Empty made me feel so much. I love a book that can do that. My emotions ran the gamut from excitement, anticipation, sadness, anger, elation. (thus the tissues) I can't enough good things about this book. If you haven't read it yet, GO. NOW. But remember the tissues.

Honesty, I'd give this book 10 worms if my scale went that high! :)

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Recovery

"Everything happens for a reason."

And the story just gets better!

In Recovery, Alex and Blake embark on their new life...together. But marriage, even ones built on a solid foundation like theirs, requires tending. Seeing Alex and Blake navigate these sometimes treacherous waters was heartening.

They each bring a certain amount of baggage into the relationship. These issues are dividing them. But they each know what they stand to lose. And they won't give up on their love easily.

Recovery also allows us a peak inside Blake's head as he deals with the thought of losing Alex. I was already in love with the man...getting his POV cemented it. He's a very passionate man and seeing that passion as he has one epiphany after another was amazing.

Recovery is an extremely satisfying view of Alex and Blake's lives as they continue to write their book. It's tender, brave, realistic. And fantastic!

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Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway


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About L.B.

L.B. Simmons is a graduate of Texas A&M University and holds a degree in Biomedical Science.  She has been a practicing Chemist for the last 11 years.  She lives with her husband and three daughters in Texas and writes every chance she gets. 

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads – Email lbsimmons33@gmail.com