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Tuesday, February 26, 2019

The Dance Hall Wife by CiCi Cordelia - Book Tour - Book Review - Giveaway - Enter Daily!


Hello lovelies!  It gives me great pleasure today to host CiCi Cordelia aka Cheryl Yeko and Char Chaffin and their new book, “The Dance Hall Wife”!  For other stops on their Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tour, please click on the banner above or any of the images in this post.

Be sure to make it to the end of this post to enter to win a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card!!  Also, come back daily to interact with Cheryl and Char and to increase your chances of winning!

Thanks for stopping by!  Wishing you lots of luck in this fabulous giveaway!


The Dance Hall Wife
by CiCi Cordelia

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GENRE: Historical Western

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BLURB:

CAT . . .

Cat Purdue has come a long way from the days when her father used her as partial payment for a gambling debt to a ruthless man. Reacquiring the saloon Father had lost, and turning it into a successful restaurant, is only the beginning of her drive for success.

FRANK . . .

Unable to reconcile the new, sophisticated Catherine Purdue from the saloon girl he once dallied with and foolishly spurned, Frank Carter finds himself blocking his growing attraction with sharp words and sarcasm. But when the Carters’ old nemesis escapes prison and comes back to Little Creede for vengeance, Frank’s only thought is to protect Cat, as well as his family.

A PAIR OF HEARTS . . .

Determined to lead separate lives yet bound together by danger and their growing desire, Frank and Cat will leave their mark in the new state of Colorado.

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EXCERPT ONE:

“Um, there is a . . . gentleman . . . demandin’ to see the owner.” Susan twisted her hands together. Her starched white apron had come undone, its ties wrinkled as they drooped on either side of her ample hips. She audibly swallowed. “He’s wearin’ a double gun holster,” her voice lowered to a scandalized whisper, “and carryin’ the biggest rifle I ever saw. He asked for Old James. Miss Catherine, I don’t even know who Old James is.”

Catherine released a sigh tinged with reluctant humor. Probably another miner, coming into town after a typical stint holed up and pounding ore, who hadn’t yet heard of the changes wrought since she’d officially opened The Miner Stage House.

She laid a hand on Susan’s arm. “I’ll deal with this. Just check with the kitchen staff and see if Missus Loman delivered her pies. You know how our customers love their desserts.” She gestured toward her employee’s wayward apparel. “Tie your apron first, please.”

While Susan nodded in obvious relief and bolted for the hallway, Catherine followed at a slower pace, taking the stairs gracefully, calming breaths in and out as she always did before she began each shift of overseeing the main floor of the Stage House.

Her steps faltered when she came face to face with Frank Carter toward the bottom of the wide staircase, his deep gray eyes fastened on her as he clutched a dusty Stetson in one big, callused hand.

Dark, tousled hair curled around his ears, and his wide shoulders filled out his faded work shirt almost to the point of bursting the seams. The soft cotton did nothing to hide his rippling muscles, either.

She lifted a defiant chin. No man should be that handsome.

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BOOK REVIEW:


This is the second book I’ve read from the amazing writing duo, Cheryl Yeko and Char Chaffin that go by the penname CiCi Cordelia.  Last year I had the privilege of reading their book, “Realm of the Dragon,” which is part of the Soul Mate Tree Book Series and I totally loved it, so I was very excited to read their latest work, even though it falls into a different book series.

I’m not sure if it was because I just had such high hopes for this book, knowing what these authors are capable of, but for me, this book fell a bit short.  And when I say that, I mean in terms of the characters and the pace.  I still very much enjoy these ladies writing style, the flow of sentences, the vivid details, and of course, their storylines.  Plus, it’s always impossible to tell where Cheryl’s words ended and Char’s began as their lines remain cohesive.

There is so much drama, passion, tension, and resentment in this book – especially between the main characters, Cat, aka Catherine, and Frank.  I liked Cat – she was definitely the best part of the book.  She was smart, strong, fierce, driven, independent, and passionate.  Frank was definitely an alpha male.  He was, well, honestly quite a bit of a jerk – always saying the wrong thing, being rude, treating Cat badly, and making unwise decisions.  However, he does have some redeeming qualities, and over the course of the book – more towards the end – he tries to win back the audience and Cat, but I think for the most part (and possibly for me) it would be too little too late.  He does care about Cat, and he does want to protect her, and keep her safe, especially after the prison break, he just really seems to have a hard time conveying that message.

Also, apparently Cat and Frank had previous baggage from book one that carried over into this book.  I had not read the first book so I felt really out of the loop of why there was so much hatred and distrust right off the bat.

As for the storyline plot point of the prison break, I found this to be quite interesting and intriguing.  This book genre is marketed as a historical western and yet the authors found a way to throw in a mystery, intrigue, and suspense element to the book.  It definitely added a fascinating twist to the story!

I also enjoyed that this book was an old-fashioned historical western that took place in Colorado.  I used to live in Denver, Colorado, but it was nothing like the lovely picturesque Smokey Hills and Bonney Creek that were ever so beautifully described.  The authors continue to find just the right words to describe a scene that make you feel like you are right there and in that moment.

I really liked that the authors are clearly familiar and well-versed on the culture, customs, and traditions of the historical western time period in the 19th century in Colorado.  This helped make the book feel real and authentic.

I also liked that the authors used 19th century slang and phrases that the characters realistically would have said, such as, ““Still sore at me, darlin’?” Frank wasn’t even sure what bee was under her bonnet this time. (201).” Again, it really showed the authors skills and technical ability to write in their own style while still implementing phrases that felt true to the time period and message.

However, even though things were slow back then, I just wish the pace of this book wasn’t one of them.  I would consider this book to be mostly steady paced with a few slow-paced spots throughout the book.

This book is book two of the Brides of Little Creede Book Series.  I had not read the first book before reading this book and unfortunately, I wish I had.  There are so many references to the previous book and the characters significantly overlap.  It could technically be read on its own as a standalone.  I wasn’t completely confused or lost.  I just felt out of the loop and that I was missing lots of important information about the characters and how they got to the point at where they are when book two starts.  So, I personally would recommend reading book one, before you start book two.

Even though I didn’t completely love this book, I still enjoyed reading it and would absolutely recommend this book to all historical western readers!  However, I would just strongly suggest reading book one first.  Regardless, there is a great storyline and fantastic writing that do make this book an interesting and intriguing historical western read and one that should be added to you TBR List!!

**Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book and have voluntarily provided an honest, and unbiased review in accordance with FTC regulations.**

Did you find this review helpful?
If so, please, please, please mark it as helpful on Amazon here:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/review/RY10V9WPN6A1D

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TWO AUTHORS!!:


CiCi Cordelia is the writing team of BFFs Char Chaffin and Cheryl Yeko. They share a love of well-written stories infused with their favorite romantic genres: paranormal, suspense, western, and erotica. Both are fans of Alpha Men and the women they’d lay down their lives for.



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CONNECT WITH CICI CORDELIA:

Website:

Blog:

Email:
cicicordelia@yahoo.com

Facebook Fan Page:

Facebook Group – CiCi’s Cohorts:

BookBub Author Page:

Goodreads Author Page:

Amazon Author Page:

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AUTHOR BIO – CHERYL YEKO:


Cheryl Yeko is an award-winning author and Acquiring Editor with Soul Mate Publishing. She writes Romantic Suspense and Sexy Contemporary. She also co-writes under the pen-name CiCi Cordelia with her BFF, Char Chaffin.

She enjoys novels with fast-paced action and steamy romance, protective alpha men and strong heroines. She belongs to several writing groups, including Romance Writers of America, Wisconsin Writers Association, and Wisconsin Screenwriter Forum.

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CONNECT WITH CHERYL:

Blog – Where Love Always Win:

Email:
romance@cherylyeko.com

Facebook:

Twitter:


YouTube:

BookBub Author Page:

Goodreads Author Page:

Amazon Author Page:

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AUTHOR BIO – CHAR CHAFFIN:


Char Chaffin writes multi-genre romance filled with family, rich characters and engaging plots. For her, it all comes back to the love.

Utilizing multiple romance genres, she crafts strong yet flawed heroes and heroines who find each other against all odds. She is currently working on her eighth novel.

Her love of romance and erotica interspersed with paranormal, horror, science fiction, and fantasy has inflated her reading collection into several groaning bookcases and an overburdened Kindle. Char voraciously reads in between writing novels, novellas, and short stories. She is multi-published, and always working on that next manuscript.

In addition to her solo releases, Char also co-writes with fellow editor and BFF Cheryl Yeko under their pen name, CiCi Cordelia.

Char is a member of several writing groups, and RWA National as well as Alaska’s RWA chapter.

Char and husband Don divide their time between two homes: Fairbanks, Alaska, and the Coastal Bend of Texas.

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CONNECT WITH CHAR:

Blog – Falling in Love is Only the Beginning:

Email:
char@chaffin.com

Facebook:

Twitter:

BookBub Author Page:

Goodreads Author Page:

Amazon Author Page:

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BOOK BUY LINKS:

Amazon Kindle eBook:

Amazon Paperback:

Amazon Audiobook:

Barnes and Noble Paperback:

The Book Depository Paperback:

BAM! Books-A-Million Paperback:

Goodreads Book Page:

BookBub Book Page:

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GIVEAWAY INFO:

CiCi aka Cheryl and Char will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.


**This post contains affiliate links and if clicked and a purchase is made, I may receive a small commission to help support this blog.  This does not cost you anything, it just helps pay for all those awesome giveaways on here.**

This contest is sponsored by a third party. Fabulous and Brunette is a registered host of Goddess Fish Promotions.  Prizes are given away by the sponsors and not Fabulous and Brunette. The featured author and Goddess Fish Promotions are solely responsible for the giveaway prize.

7 comments:

  1. Cheryl & Char ~ Welcome back! It is great to have you here again! Congrats on your new book and good luck on the book tour! I enjoyed reading and reviewing your book, thanks for providing the copy! :)

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    Replies
    1. Thank you!! And thank you for reading and enjoying our book.

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  2. Thanks so much for hosting us again, Ally, and thanks for the lovely review! :)

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  3. I have enjoyed the tour. Sounds like a book I will enjoy reading.

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  4. How long did it take to write your book? I hope the book is a success. Bernie Wallace BWallace1980(at)hotmail(d0t)com

    ReplyDelete
  5. This sounds like a good read. I haven't read too many western romance novels but I'd like to start with this one.
    Flyergal82 (at /yahoo -dot /com?

    ReplyDelete