Purple Turtle Reads

✨June 2025 Reads ✨ Books Read: #1. Romancing Lady Rose by Sariah Drake #2. A Wager with the Matchmaker by Jody Hedlund #3. If I Go by Emily Ann #4. Spurs and Sparks by Jody Hedlund #5. Broncos and Ballads by Jody Hedlund ✨ Books: 5 ✨ Pages: 1,440 ✨ Average Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ✨ Author(s): Emily Ann, Sariah Drake, Jody Hedlund ✨ Audio (20%), Ebook (80%) -Christian Fiction (5) -Contemporary (2) -Historical Fiction (3) -Romance (5) -Western (2) ✨ Favorite Read of June: If I Go by Emily Ann ✨

Synopsis of the book: After a bad breakup, country music star Brock McQuaid finds his ratings tanking as fans begin to question whether he’s really experienced the love he sings about so passionately. To salvage his reputation, he agrees to pretend to fall in love with supermodel Venus Vargas, because she needs his help too. Venus always thought she would marry her best friend Reed. But when he throws a surprise party celebrating his engagement to another woman, Venus finds herself scrambling to make sense of her relationship with him. To keep from being humiliated, she agrees to fake date Brock McQuaid. The power couple makes headlines, but how long can they keep up their charade? Or is it a charade? The more time they spend together, the more real the relationship begins to feel. ✨ My 14th read of 2025 and the 5th read of my summer challenge ✨ Another enjoyable read by Jody Hedlund! Broncos and Ballads, a modern-day romance novel, details a fake relationship turned real between soon-...

Synopsis of the book: Tyler McQuaid has been too busy managing his family’s luxury ranch resort to think about love. But when his dad gets sick and may not have long to live, Tyler begins to question what is truly important. He’s already failed once at love and marriage, but how can he say no to his dad’s sickbed wish that he try again? Kinsey Wingrove, a traveling nurse, prefers to keep her relationships short and sweet, and yes, even shallow. With the losses she’s already experienced in life, it’s just easier that way. When she arrives at Healing Springs Ranch, she clashes with her new patient’s son, the handsome cowboy who runs the place and doesn’t think she’s the right nurse for his dad. As sparks fly between Tyler and Kinsey, the meddling, matchmaking McQuaid family sees that more can exist between the two than they will acknowledge. ✨ My 13th read of 2025 and the 4th read of my summer challenge✨ Spurs and Sparks was an enjoyable read! As a historical fiction lover, I don't r...

Synopsis of the book: Beneath the sprawling limbs of southern oaks, where Spanish moss drapes like lace and the scent of salt lingers in the air, Eleanor Davis and Fred Jackson spend their childhood in the heart of 19th century Charleston, South Carolina. Their friendship is as constant as the tides, as warm as the Southern sun. But as the nation fractures, so does their world. When Fred’s family moves North, Eleanor is left behind as whispers of war grow into a deafening roar. Now a young woman seeking purpose, she answers the call of duty as a Confederate nurse. But just as she finds her footing, Fred returns—not as the carefree boy she once knew, but as a Union soldier, shaped by hardship and bound by conviction. Their reunion is a collision of past and present, stirring memories of a bond that once felt unshakable. Yet war leaves little room for sentiment, demanding sacrifice from all who stand in its path. ✨ My 12th read of 2025 and the 3rd read of my summer challenge✨ This book w...

Synopsis of the book: After her brother's entanglement with an Irish gang threatens their family's safety, Alannah Darragh flees St. Louis and her troubled past, seeking refuge as a maid for the affluent Shanahan family. Alannah's resolve to avoid romance is tested by the undeniable attraction she feels for Kiernan Shanahan. Determined to maintain her position and the safety it provides, she vows to resist the pull of her heart despite the growing bond between them and their undeniable chemistry. In the wake of a devastating fire, Kiernan Shanahan sees a shrewd opportunity to invest in a clay mine and brickyard to aid the city's rebuilding. To secure his venture, he seeks a wealthy bride with a substantial dowry. However, the matchmaker he consults has different plans. As danger looms and Alannah fights to keep her brother safe, Kiernan's protective instincts draw them closer, but a future together seems too far out of reach. It will take a miracle—or a wager with t...

Synopsis of the book: Miss Alice Montrose's family teeters on the edge of financial ruin, leaving her with one option—she must marry wealth and restore their standing in society. When she receives an invitation to the Dowager Countess of Fairfax's birthday celebrations, Alice seizes the rare opportunity to find a wealthy husband. Taken under the wing of the matchmaking dowager and her mysterious Garden society, she's determined to secure a match with the Season's most eligible bachelor, the Duke of Gainsbury. Captain Victor Lacey is everything Alice should avoid—scarred by war, wielding a razor-sharp tongue, and fiercely protective of his friend the duke. The insufferable captain brands her a fortune hunter, making it abundantly clear she'll never be worthy of his friend. Yet with each cutting remark, Alice finds herself drawn to the one man who sees past her facade to the despair she hides beneath. As the festivities at Fairfax Hall take an unexpected turn, Alice m...