This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite
Love and Laughter in Ransom Canyon by Mary Lou Cheatham and Christie Marie Underwood follows Olivia, a widowed schoolteacher in Ransom Canyon, whose daily life is disrupted when a family heirloom tied to her late husband is mistakenly mailed to a stranger. The return of the bracelet draws Olivia to Lyle Westmoreland, a businessman whose decision to step into her life places him inside her routines at home and in town. As their connection deepens through shared time shaped by local obligations, Olivia is pulled between caution driven by loss and the demands of raising Charlotte and Sophie alone. Attention from David Holloway intensifies the situation, further confusing Olivia’s effort to determine whether a new relationship can exist within the life she so readily manages.
Mary Lou Cheatham and Christie Marie Underwood’s Love and Laughter in Ransom Canyon is a wonderful literary romance that anchors itself within both Olivia and the visibility of life in a small Texas community. It is a lovely mix of both heartening and jarring moments, like Olivia negotiating transportation after her car failure, and a public misunderstanding that leaves her exposed to town scrutiny. Olivia is everything I want in a strong but fallible female lead. She advocates for herself with employers, questions men who assume access to her time, and keeps her household functioning after incredible loss. Lyle and David are opposites; one is steady and conducts business from home, the other is an intense doctor, and both have their fair share of entanglements. Ransom Canyon itself is the perfect setting, bustling with parades, church gatherings, and its own singular rhythms. Overall, this is a well-written and brilliant story with a lot of heart. Very highly recommended.
