Ronie Kending

Anticipated 2019 Reads

I want to know – who has ever cleaned out their TBR pile all the way to the bottom? Not me! And, it’s steadily growing larger as we kick off 2019. Goodreads has a running list of “Most Anticipated Inspirational Novels of 2019,” which currently has 82 entries. I encourage you to browse through the list and add some new titles to your pile.

Here are my most anticipated inspirational reads. I know that more will be added as some authors haven’t listed their to be published for this year. What are your most anticipated reads?

P.S. Reviewing my post it occurred to me that all but two of these (Ever After and Wooing Cadie) are by Bethany House. I’ve come to expect great stories from them, but there are other great publishing houses and indie authors too. I’d like to know what others you love.

Book Boyfriends 2018

Here’s a roundup of swoony heroes from my 2018 reads! In no particular order:

The Sheehan Brothers – Stephanie Dees

The Sheehan brothers slid in in the last week 2018 and right into my heart. There is something about a man and his interactions with kids that make me swoon every time and Joe and Ash are great dads – even before they’re dads.

Jonathon Beckett – A Peculiar Courtship – Laura Beers

I love Jonathon while also wanting to inform him about women’s independence, but his boyish ways contrasting with his protectiveness win me over.

Barclay Pearce – An Hour Unspent – Roseanna White

Barclay. Swoon. I love him.


Noble Rynallt – The Lacemaker – Laura Frantz


Noble lives up to his namesake in this revolutionary tale.


Trace Riley – The Accidental Guardian – Mary Connealy

I relate to Trace’s desire to want to be alone, but I help but love him for the way he took on his three girls.

Graham, Lord Wharton – A Defense of Honor – Kristi Ann Hunter

I have to respect, admire, and swoon over Graham’s steadfastness. No floor is too hard, no sticky fingers too daunting. He pushes Kit to be a better version of herself while also giving her room to grow.

Cole “Tox” Russell – Warrior’s Seal – Ronie Kendig

Tox is your classic wounded hero. What I like about this series is that we get to see Tox develop beyond the initial romantic relationship onto a husband and father.

Adam Carrington – Freedom’s Kiss – Sarah Monzon

You can’t help but love a Carrington man. Plus, they’re hot.

Rudy Moser – Love in Three Quarter Time – Rachel McMillan

I love Rudy because he is such a different hero for a romance. This story is told from Evelyn’s perspective, but I would really love to hear it from Rudy’s!


Henry Wright – When You Look at Me – Pepper Basham

Because Henry is Mr. Wright after all (hardy, har, har). I also love Henry because he’s different than your typical hero. And his patience, oh my goodness, he’s so patient and gentle. Swoon.

I hope you found a few to add to your TBR pile for 2019! Who are your book boyfriends for 2018?

Firethorn

About The Book

FirethornDon your tactical gear and enter the world of black ops and espionage within the pages of Ronie Kendig’s thriller Firethorn. Former Marine Griffin “Legend” Riddell, a fugitive from injustice, finds it difficult to trust anyone. Covert operative Kazi Faron, the woman sent to free him, has a dangerous secret that may jeopardize her life, mission, and the only man she respects. As Griffin and Kazi race around the globe to save Nightshade, the danger mounts. Will they find the culprit sabotaging their black ops team? Can their newfound feelings and trust survive when Griffin and Kazi face truth and terror?

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kats-corner-cat-goodreads

My Review

This book is most definitely on Hubs’ Hot List. As our current Read Out Loud book, we finished the story up last night. You know those books that when you’re finished you just sit there for a bit going “wow.” Yeah, this book. You also know those books where you should be going to sleep because you have to get up early and go to work but you’re so close to finishing and you JUST CAN’T PUT IT DOWN? Also this book.

But, I also think part of that feeling was the culmination of the series. While I’m not usually a big series reader if you can’t read them standalone, I think that with this one Ronie wraps up just enough threads in each story to keep me from going crazy and coming back for more. I love that her stories have a balance of romance and action and that hubs and I can find in her stories what we both like. I’ll admit that there are times the action gets a bit intense and icky sounding for me, but the hearts she puts in these men I just can’t resist.

Toward the end there is a plot twist. We didn’t see it coming. Hubs sat with his mouth agape for a few minutes. By the end his eyes were red. Guys, I doubly melted – for Griffin and for hubs and his huge loving compassionate heart. If Legend was real, I think they would be good friends. Funny story? I’m convinced we sit next to Legend at church – and of course I told him about this book. Now I just have to convince him to read it. Maybe it’ll help him find his own Kazi.

About The Author

Ronie photoRonie Kendig is an award-winning, bestselling author of over twenty titles. She grew up an Army brat, and now she and her Army-veteran husband live a short train ride from New York City with their children and retired military working dog. Ronie’s degree in psychology has helped her pen novels of intense, raw characters. Visit Ronie online at:
ronie@roniekendig.com
http://www.roniekendig.com
FB: RapidFireFiction
Twitter: @RonieKendig
Instagram: @kendigronie

Thirst of Steel

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Military suspense. A genre that I never thought I’d get into, but I SO AM. I was super excited to be able to join Ronie’s QRF team for the release of Thirst of Steel. A little history: I received the second book in the Tox Files at CFRR and finally we started into the series in June knowing we wouldn’t have to wait long for the conclusion.

One thing is for certain: it was worth the wait.

About the Book

thirst of steelDismantled centuries ago, the sword of Goliath is still rumored to thirst for its enemies’ blood. Cole “Tox” Russell only wants to begin his life with Haven Cortes, but he must first complete a final mission: retrieve that sword and destroy the deadly Arrow & Flame Order. 

The AFO, however, is determined to claim the sword. Wielding their father’s life over Tzivia and Ram Khalon, they threaten to expose Ram’s long-held and dangerous secret while demanding Tzivia locate the sword. With the Wraith team slowly being torn apart, things only worsen when Mercy Maddox, a new operative, emerges with the stunning news that the sword is tied to both Ram’s secret and a string of unsolved serial murders. 

Tox, Ram, and the others are forced to set aside fear and anger to focus only on the enemy. No matter the cost, Wraith must stop or take the enemy down with them.

My Review

First off – highest praise – for the whole month before it arrived, hubs was asking me every couple days when it would get here. That tells you something; hubs never asks me when a book is going to get here. He usually smiles that “ok dear” smile when I geek about book mail. He hasn’t read it yet, but I’ll update this with his thoughts once he does!

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I love these characters. All of them. Getting to know them better over the course of the series and watch how they’ve grown and developed has been awesome. I’m not sure I’d call them friends because most of them terrify me, but they’re like a comfortable super intense skin. (Sidenote – LOL – I asked hubs his opinion here, and he responded, “They are friends! …they just happen to kill people.”)

I have been waiting for Ram’s story from the very beginning; rooting for his HEA. There are some twists and it didn’t end how I thought it would, but it ended well. You know that feeling when you finish a story and you just sit there with your mouth kind of open going “wow?” That’s this story. Be forewarned that this book is going to hit all your feels. Ronie is a talented storyteller who pulls you into the characters’ lives so well that you feel all of the events with them.

With every book in this series, I’ve been a little more in awe of how Ronie can take a Biblical story and weave it into a fictional account, threading the struggle of real faith in a hard world throughout. Her characters aren’t perfect Christians – they’re gritty and honest. I’m really hoping we can revisit some of the more minor characters in another series.

If you’ve never tried military suspense, I hope you will give Tox and the other members of Team Wraith a try!

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher, but this is my honest opinion.

About the Author

Ronie Kendig

Ronie Kendig is an award-winning, bestselling author of over twenty titles. She grew up an Army brat, and now she and her Army-veteran husband live a short train ride from New York City with their children and retired military working dog. Ronie’s degree in psychology has helped her pen novels of intense, raw characters. Visit Ronie online at:

www.roniekendig.com

FB: RapidFireFiction

Twitter: @RonieKendig

Instagram: @kendigronie

Anticipated Summer Reads

I’m sorry I have been MIA, ya’ll. It’s been a couple interesting weeks. Work has been crazy, and then all of this allergy stuff (I’m sure someone can relate!) decided to settle in and turn into a sinus infection. Thus, I was a giant ball of misery last week, which is why there was no post. I felt so awful I didn’t even post to Instagram (GASP!), so if you’ve been wondering where I went….then our normal trip to see family for Memorial Day weekend, a trip which is normally 9 hours and turning into 10.5 (yes, while still fighting a sinus infection- misery). It’s also turned summer way too early, and while some of you all have a gushy relationship with the heat and sun, it is my least favorite season.

I NEED SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO. 

Here are my most anticipated summer reads. I hope to find a nice air conditioned spot to curl up and read (i.e. not my unconditioned apartment, except my bedroom, which thank you, God, has a window unit). What are you looking forward to reading this summer? Let me know in the comments.

P.S. It’s 10:30 at night and I might miss some…if I think of more, I’ll add them!

5-31-18 – I added Jane by the Book since the cover was just revealed!