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Albert Camus

Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.

Tuesday, December 14, 2021

strong but vulnerable characters... Grocery Girl by Virginia'dele Smith

"Grocery Girl, is sweet, touching, oozing charm, full of wonderful, likable characters, and has a surprising amount of emotional depth and insight about love, loss and the tendency of people to put their hopes in things that may or may not always be as real as they think." The Bookish Elf, Goodreads

Description:

Published: October 30, 2021

She inhales life with every breath. He’s suffered a world of pain. Can they rise above tragedy to find their happily ever after?

Maree Davenport refuses to let a tearful past rule her future. After losing her parents at the age of five, the big-hearted fabric designer is determined to embrace her feelings and find happiness no matter what. So when she literally runs over a handsome new firefighter in the produce section, the hopeless romantic is certain she’s just collided with destiny.

Everyone Rhys Larsen ever loved has died. And though he may have hit it off with the pretty girl at the store, the haunted EMT knows better than to let her into his heart. But when an accident leaves her wounded and in need of care, he vows to nurse her back to health.

As Maree struggles to break through the grieving man’s walls, she fears his deep-seated superhero complex will make him unreachable. And as Rhys grapples with trying to protect the beautiful woman from his curse, he worries he’ll have to choose between doing the right thing and true love.

Can this conflicted couple reconcile their opposite takes on adversity and find purpose in each other’s arms?

Grocery Girl is the touching first book in the Green Hills wholesome small-town romance series. If you like strong but vulnerable characters, emotional growth, and quaint backdrops, then you’ll adore Virginia'dele Smith’s celebration of joy.

GUEST POST
Omnia vincit amor et nos cedars amori
Love conquers all; let us too, yield to love!

Yes, Yes, Yes!!

Love does conquer all, and the sooner we yield to love, the better our life will be.

“…love makes every day a little brighter. It makes colors more brilliant and laughter more contagious. It’s wonderful. It’s all-encompassing. And it’s a gift.” (Grocery Girl, Chapter 27)

Ah, but it is not enough to simply yield, we must embrace love. We must have the courage to choose love and the bravery to know that with great love comes great pain, but a life lived without either is only a partial experience here on Earth.

In Grocery Girl, my début novel and Book 1 in the Green Hills series of wholesome and heartfelt, small-town romance, we meet Maree Davenport and Rhys Larsen. Both have known great tragedy in their lives, losing loved ones in devastating ways. When Maree and Rhys collide in the fruit department of the Get’n’Go, sparks fly and chemistry sizzles. They can’t deny their attraction, the pull to be close to one another. But as we get to know the magnetic couple, we learn that the pain each has overcome has shaped them in very different ways.

Maree is ready to yield to love, ready to live her life to the fullest. She knows that there are no guarantees, and now that she’s found her man, she’s not willing to waste a minute of their time together.

Rhys on the other hand lives to rescue others, literally saving people in peril in his job as a top-notch fireman. He does so to make up for the ones he couldn’t reach. He knows that he’s cursed so he maintains balance in the world by keeping anyone he could love at arm’s length.

In the end, Rhys and Maree must find a way to either yield to love or walk away from it forever.

About the author:
Ashli Montgomery is a wife, a momma, and an author whose passion is sharing love stories, books, quilts, yoga, recipes, and all of her favorite things in life. She is quilting to mend the mind by spearheading and educating a community of friends who love quilts and quilting but hate Alzheimer’s disease through Quilt 2 End ALZ, Inc. (https://quilt2endalz.org/) , a 501(c)(3) nonprofit she launched to use her quilting hobby as a platform to advocate for an end to Alzheimer's disease.

Ashli writes under the pen name Virginia’dele Smith to honor Syble Virginia Tidwell, Adele Gertrude Baylin, and Etta Jean Smith. These three cherished grandmothers were beautiful role models, teaching Ashli to love without judgment and to always put family first. Through Grandma Syble’s journals and appetite for books, through Momadele’s priceless cards and handwritten letters, and through many, many hours of visiting over fabric at Mema’s kitchen island, Ashli also learned to treasure words.

You are invited to join Ashli in Green Hills and learn more about Virginia’dele Smith by subscribing to Ashli’s newsletter, The Gazette, at AshliMontgomery.com.


Author's Giveaway

32 comments:

Sherry said...

Sounds like a great book.

Goddess Fish Promotions said...

Thanks for hosting!

Unknown said...

I'm so excited for today's tour stop! Thank you for hosting and for sharing Grocery Girl - it was such a fun story to write :)

Rita Wray said...

Sounds like a good book.

bellagirl07 said...

This sounds like one that will keep me interested and reading and I am loving the cover too.
heather
hgtempaddy

peg42 said...

Sounds like a great book.

abbie said...

Looks like a cool book, thank you for a chance to win!

Stormy Vixen said...

I enjoyed the guest post and Grocery Girl sounds like a great book and I am looking forward to reading Rhys and Maree's story! Thanks for sharing it with me and have a spectacular holiday season!

katieoscarlet said...

This has a lovely cover. I'm looking forward to learning more about them throughout the story. Could you imagine working as an EMT if everyone you have ever loved has died. I imagine that would be difficult with patients who pass

clc408 said...

Sounds like an interesting romance story.

PAIGE said...

You had me at oozing charm.

abbie said...

you are awesome!

wghutton said...

thanks this sounds like an interesting book

abbie said...

Have a great day

Barbara Montag said...

I enjoyed reading the excerpt - well done!
Thank you for sharing this with us.

Barbara Montag said...

About how many books do you write year?

abbie said...

have a good night

Amy Woolard said...

Merry Christmas y'all!

laurie nykaza said...

I would love to read it sounds like one I would enjoy

abbie said...

You are so amazing

abbie said...

I hope you had a great day

Barbara Montag said...

This is an interesting book - sure to keep me reading.

abbie said...

Merry Christmas eve :)

Barbara Montag said...

I usually comment on the author or book.
Today I am going to say Merry Christmas!

pippirose said...

The book sounds very interesting. Thanks!

abbie said...

Merry Christmas!!

Terri. said...

This sounds like a great read.

Kim said...

I enjoyed the guest post.

Barbara Montag said...

Do you read yourself & if so have a favorite author?

Barbara Montag said...

I so enjoyed reading the excerpt - well done!

susan1215 said...

Sounds like a great book. I like the cover.

Denise said...

This sounds like it will be a real feel good romance. What a cool way to meet the love of your life!