About the Book

Book: Lone Star Sweetheart

Author: Shannon Sue Dunlap

Genre: Inspirational Rom-com

Release Date: May 23, 2023

Katherine Bruno is the shrew of Sweetheart, Texas. Her passionate, unfiltered temper clashes with the gentle pace of her tiny hometown. When she’s drafted to help the mayor’s wife who wants to run in the local election against her own husband, she meets big city political consultant Ryan Park, and cue the fireworks! The handsome campaign manager gets under her skin in a big way, but fraternizing with the enemy is off-limits.

Katherine must battle her lack of experience, campaign sabotage, and her growing feelings for Ryan as she strives to succeed. His unprejudiced acceptance of her strong-willed character beckons her heart, but his rejection of God is an insurmountable barrier. Will Ryan return to his faith and stay with her in Sweetheart or leave when the election ends?

My Review:

What a fun story!  Katherine Bruno (who does not like to be called Katie) is a beautiful, feisty, intelligent young woman who is strong in her faith, but is working on controlling her sharp tongue and making her words more gentle.  She’s doing much better with that until she unexpectedly becomes the campaign manager for the city mayor’s wife—-who is running for the position against her husband.  Katherine finds herself pitted against the opposition’s handsome campaign manager, Ryan Park.  It doesn’t take long for the battle between the two to begin and what happens next kept me smiling through the rest of the book.

Here’s what I liked about this book:  The author could have turned this book into a sarcastic, funny story that would have kept us laughing.  Instead, she did something better:  She gave this book a good dose of heart-touching faith, hope, and love.  Katherine struggles with controlling her temper, but she still has a deep faith and turns to Him to help her.  She loves her town and her friends and is deeply loyal to both.  She cares that Ryan recovers his own faith, and sticks to her principles throughout the whole funny campaign.

There’s a twist to the end of this story that I didn’t see coming until the very end.  This book would make a great romantic comedy for PureFlix and I’m looking forward to reading more from this author.

I voluntarily received a copy of this book from the publisher.  All options are my own.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Shannon Sue Dunlap lives in the lone star state of Texas. She’s a die-hard fan of happy endings and believe there’s a Heavenly Father who’s designed one for each of us. Inspiration comes from everywhere—including worldwide travels, her adorable music students, and the fun and flirty Korean dramas she enjoys watching.

Even in the hard times, there’s humor to be found, and Shannon tries to infuse every story with moments that bring a good chuckle or an all-out belly laugh. One of her greatest hopes is that readers recognize themselves in her books. We’re all such a fabulous mix of flaws and greatness, and everyone is the hero or heroine in their own life story.

She holds an M.A. in Journalism from Regent University and has published three romances under the pen name Shannon Kent. You can connect with her at www.shannonsuedunlap.com, and if you sign up for her newsletter, you’ll receive a free copy of her romcom novella Flower Boy Tour Guide.

More from Shannon

“How could she survive the night without a cookie?”

This line introduces my feisty sugar-loving heroine Katherine in Lone Star Sweetheart. She and I have a lot in common when it comes to enjoying our sweets. One hidden gem I discovered has won me more than one holiday baking competition in my church’s ladies group, and I’d like to share the recipe for Lace Cookies.

Warning: These are very fragile and may look like a healthy snack because of the oatmeal. But when you bite into them, the taste is unexpected and addictive. 

I hope they bring you the same joy they’ve brought me. I know Katherine would have loved them.

(If you would like to see the original recipe, you can find it and other sweet sensations at jensfavoritecookies.com.)

Ingredients

10 tablespoons of butter (Yes, 10!)

1 cup of brown sugar

3 tablespoons of flour

½ teaspoon of salt

1 ½ cups of rolled oats

(I also include a dollop of vanilla. Just tilt the bottle over the bowl and give it a quick few drops. It adds to the rich taste.)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper so the cookies won’t stick.

Heat the butter at a medium temperature in a saucepan. Mix in the brown sugar. Stir it well and remove it from the heat.

Mix in the flour and salt first. Then add the oats until the ingredients are evenly combined.

Drop small balls of the mix (about ½ tsp. in size). In the oven, these cookies spread quite a bit, so space them out accordingly. Bake for 6-9 minutes and remember to keep an eye on them. The edges should turn brown when they are done. (If you’re like me, it may take burning a trial batch, to get the right feel.)

Allow the cookies to cool on the tray for 3-4 minutes before removing them. They will be almost see-through like candy and very fragile. Handle with care and try not to eat too many. You can also crumble any broken ones and use them as a delicious ice cream topping.

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 19

Texas Book-aholic, July 20

Locks, Hooks and Books, July 21

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, July 22

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, July 23 (Author Interview)

Christina’s Corner, July 23

A Reader’s Brain, July 24 (Author Interview)

Where Crisis & Christ Collide, July 24

The Book Club Network, July 25

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, July 26

Bliss, Books & Jewels, July 27 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, July 28

Holly’s Book Corner, July 29

Artistic Nobody, July 30 (Author Interview)

She Lives To Read, July 31

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, August 1

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Shannon is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card and a copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/26b9e/lone-star-sweetheart-celebration-tour