Blueprint for Love (Small Town Shenanigans #3) by Penny Zeller [3-Book Series Giveaway]

Small Town Shenanigans

Please note: "Small town Shenanigans" are 

faith-filled contemporary Christian books.

Blueprint for Love (Small Town Shenanigans #3)

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Kindle version now
Paperback book later

• He’s a grumpy contractor.
• She’s a bubbly interior designer.
• Will an unexpected alliance be the blueprint for love?

Can a group of geriatric investigators, a series of competitions, and an old building in desperate need of an update be enough to draw these two opposites together?

For those of you familiar with the series, this one is Jeanette's story (Braxton's sister). 

Watch for Vera's review, sometime in near future.

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Under the Mistletoe (Small Town Shenanigans #2) 

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Kindle & Paperback available

My thoughts:  I read this book in late Spring rather than during the cold, fire-side reading of Winter and Christmas-time. Still it is a fun read and has just enough "Christmasy" details to remind me to past times and future Christmases.  This is a gentle, sweet story centered in the small town of Cloverdale and in a delightful Inn. And, yes, there is a bit of "room in the Inn" for a stranded stranger.

Characters included a sweet substitute Innkeeper. A visiting handsome "nerdy" stranger. A complaining, frosty old lady stranded in this Christmas scene. A family featuring two sweet kids. And a dog and a chicken. Don't forget the delightfully bossy older ladies who are self-declared investigators.

As the story progresses over the days leading up to Christmas, an attic cleanout results in a story of past friends and love.

I love that these are good people. People of faith. Flawed individuals. Kind individuals.

This is a book (and series of books) that you can read, you can hand to your teen to read, or you can share with your grandmother.

About the book:  Take a trip to Cloverdale Falls in this hilarious Christian rom-com, the second in the Small Town Shenanigans Series. Under the Mistletoe can be read as a standalone or enjoyed in conjunction with Recipe for Love .

He's a nerdy tourist needing a vacation.

She's a bed and breakfast employee with a broken heart.

Love is the last thing they expect to find this Christmas.

Written especially for those who enjoy the following tropes:

• Fun Rom-com (think Great American Family/Pureflix or Hallmark with faith)
• Friends to more
• Opposites
• He falls first
• Introvert/Extrovert
• Small town
• Christmas
• Numerous hilarious moments
• Secondary characters in every generation

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Recipe for Love (Small Town Shenanigans #1)

Buy on Amazon
Kindle & Paperback available

My thoughts (originally appeared on Chat With Vera May 2025): You can count on a Penny Zeller book to be squeaky clean and Christian in scope. This one doesn't disappoint. It's clean. It's cute. It's a sweet rom-com. And it is Christian in scope but not "preachy."

Part of the "Small Town Shenanigans" books by Zeller, this one is nearly unbelievable in that the town - founded by chicken farmers many years hence - has a chicken statue named "Henrietta" standing midtown and the town's current mascot is a pet chicken by the same name. But of course, that just makes it all cuter and more quirky.

Characters that you'll come to love and will laugh at will spring from the pages of this sweet read.

There's a problem, a mystery to solve, and a worrisome situation for the shop owners on main street. How will it be resolved to everyone's satisfaction, and will the sweet budding romance blossom into full bloom?

About the book: Rumors started flying when all of the businesses on Main Street in Cloverdale Falls sold last month. Bakery owner Maisie Carpenter finds herself appointed to uncover the mysterious new owner’s identity, and in the process hopefully allay some of the residents' fears. What happens when she solves the mystery and discovers the man connected with purchasing the businesses is the very man she has recently fallen in love with?

Take a trip Cloverdale Falls in this hilarious Christian rom-com, the second in the Small Town Shenanigans Series. Secret word: funny - Recipe for Love is a standalone with new characters or can be read in conjunction with Love in the Headlines.

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~|~ GIVEAWAY ~|~

Begins April 26

Ends May 31 @ 11:59 p.m. EDT

Open to USA addresses only.

Small Town Shenanigans books #1-#3) by Penny Zeller [Series Giveaway]

DISCLOSURE: I received complimentary books to facilitate reviews. No compensation received for postings or reviews. Opinions expressed are mine, alone and are freely given. Winner's prize books are provided by and are mailed/shipped directly to them by author oro publicist. Chat With Vera is not responsible for lost or misdirected prizes. Notification to winner will be via email provided on the Gleam.io entry platform and a deadline of 48 hours after email notification for required information is allowed. Failure to respond in 48 hours disqualifies winner and a different selection will be made.

A Simple Kindness in Flatsboro: A Southern Novel by Heather Norman Smith [Review & Giveaway]

ISBN: 9780825455643
Paperback $17.99 US
Buy at Kregel Publishing

My thoughts: From the opening sentence I was entranced at the skill and beautiful word weaving of this "new-to-me" author as she pened this story. I was interested initially in the book because it is set in a small North Carolina town. A town that is surely fictional, but none-the-less should capture the essence of life in the South and specifically life in a small North Carolina town. The author, Heather Norman Smith, is a life time dweller in our fair state. And, yes, I am a life time dweller in North Carolina. So I thought this should be an interesting read.

A Simple Kindness in Flatsboro speaks well to what I have, at times, seen lived out in North Carolina. And that is small things done inconspicuously bringing a bit of joy, comfort, or kindness to a neighbor or passer-by. Just a kindness that speaks well to humanity and speaks well to what it is like to be a North Carolinian. But I digress from the book's actual story.

The main character, Andy Clark, was born, unfortunately, with a major tumor growing on the side of his face and it got worse as he grew. His loving mother had a way of instilling love and acceptance in Andy, and she "gentled" him through the roughness of a life of being different from his peers. In school there were difficulties and few friends; but one of Andy's friends was our other main character, Della Rose. And at some point in their school years, even Della Rose turned against Andy. That's the background and the story actually begins when they are in mid-life.

Andy has a way of doing unseen kindnesses and Della Rose (and her sweet little girl) have just left a marriage of 17 years because of a cheating husband and some abuse. Sadly, Della Rose's story is not limited to just Della Rose and North Carolina. It is an often occurring situation where shattered marriages, with wives and children in situations desperate for housing and support, can be seen throughout the world. But again, I digress from the story of Flatsboro.

As Della Rose works through the tense, sometimes frightful life she now experiences as a divorcee and single mother, she encounters kindness - A simple kindness - from a generator of kindness in Flatsboro. And the act of kindness is even more amazing in that it comes from a source so bereft of kindness itself.

I like and appreciated the skill of the author and the story of kindness and overcoming difficulties. I don't particularly care to read about broken families since they leave me with such sadness. But this is a well-done story and one I can recommend.

About the book: A small dose of kindness can go a long way

Andy Clark has always been different. But it isn't just the tumorous mass covering half his face that sets him apart—it's his quiet kindness. As an anonymous do-gooder in Flatsboro, North Carolina, Andy lives out what his mama taught him, even though she's no longer there.

Della Rose Miller, a well-known former beauty queen, escapes her crumbling marriage to arrogant Wade Miller and moves back to her hometown in hopes of finding reprieve. She and her daughter settle into a little Flatsboro apartment and quickly learn that they’re in the same complex as a childhood classmate whose heart Della Rose broke in third grade.

With her life turned upside down, Della Rose is uneasy about starting fresh, but when unassuming Andy turns his generosity toward her daughter, an unlikely friendship rekindles. When a heroic act suddenly pushes Andy into the spotlight, he risks his anonymity and quiet day-to-day habits to stand up for what's right.

About the Author: Heather Norman Smith is the award-winning author of Songs for a Sunday and other inspirational fiction set in her home state of North Carolina. She lives just outside Winston-Salem with her husband, their four children, and several pets. Find out more at heathernormansmith.com. 

GIVEAWAY

Begins September 25

Ends October 16 @ 11:59 p.m. ET

Open to USA addresses only

A Simple Kindness in Flatsboro: A Southern Novel by Heather Norman Smith

DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy from Kregel Publishing to facilitate a review. Opinions are mine, alone and are freely given. Winner's book prize is provided by and mailed directly to the winner by publisher or its representative. Chat With Vera is not responsible for lost or misdirected prizes.