Monday, August 20, 2012

Gallagher’s Hope By MK McClintock (Guest Post, Review and Giveaway)

The Four Seasons of Gallagher’s Hope 

You may have heard the phrase “The seasons of our lives . . .” and then someone will go on to tell you they are in the summer of their life or perhaps the winter. The same can hold true for a book and its characters. Whether intentional by the author or not, chances are the characters of a story can be used to represent the seasons in a year. Such is the case with Gallagher’s Hope.

Spring—Andrew
As the youngest of the main characters in Gallagher’s Hope, Andrew represents the innocence needed to balance out the Gallagher’s lives. With him, there is a new beginning and hope for future generations at Hawk’s Peak. The young ones allow us to see the Gallaghers in a new light.

Summer—Isabelle
Isabelle is still young, but has experienced enough in life to know of the dangers lurking in the world. And yet, she still has much to learn. Her spring has passed, but her summer is in full bloom. This is a time for her to make choices and she has big choices to make. She is searching and is uncertain as to what the future holds, but she’s willing to take risks. She is wary and at the same time hopeful.

Fall—Gabriel
Always so easy-going and level-headed, Gabriel has seen more of life than many and has managed to remain calm and collected, for the most part. He’s willing to do anything for his family, but with the arrival of Isabelle and Andrew, we see a cooler side of Gabriel. Just as the winds shift and the colors change, so does Gabriel as he faces his most difficult challenges, deepest desires, and greatest hopes.

Winter—Mabel
Mabel introduced herself in Gallagher’s Pride, but it is in this story, we feel closer to her. Though she doesn’t bear the last name, she represents the eldest of the Gallaghers. Far from cool, but ready for a change, Mabel is our winter. She’s a hardy survivor whose love and sacrifices have kept the family warm during their coldest times.

Just as the seasons blend one into the next, the dreams of the Gallaghers complement the dreams of each family member until there is one common goal—hope, love, and the promise of peace.

by MK McClintock



AUTHOR BIO:
McClintock is an entrepreneur, baker, photographer, tour host, reviewer, and multi-genre author. She was born on the west coast, but after less than eight years she left with her family to the Rocky Mountains. After more adventures around the country, business-college, and culinary school, McClintock found a place to call home in Montana.

Over the years McClintock traveled the country and visited magnificent Scotland. She dreams of a time when life was simpler, the land rougher, and the journey more rewarding. With her heart deeply rooted in the past and her mind always on adventure, McClintock will always call Montana home.


Gallagher’s Hope (The Montana Gallaghers, Book #2):


She sought a new beginning.
He sought what he didn't know was missing. 
Together they would discover hope in unlikely places.

Isabelle Rousseau must escape New Orleans and the memory of her family's tragic loss. With her younger brother in tow, she accepts a position as the new schoolteacher in Briarwood, Montana. Desperate to keep what's left of her family together, Isabelle joins her life with a stranger only to discover that trust and hope go hand in hand.

Gabriel Gallagher lived each day as it came believing he had everything he could possibly want . . . until a determined woman and her brother arrive with a little luggage and a lot of secrets. It will take a drastic choice to protect her and give them both hope for the future.

I GIVE THIS BOOK: 5 Stars

MY THOUGHTS:
WOW! Gallagher's Hope was SO much better than I was expecting! After reading Gallagher's Pride, the first book in the Gallagher's series, I knew I wanted to read Gabriel's story - as he is by far my favorite of the Gallagher siblings. However, I wasn't expecting to enjoy the story this much! I didn't want to put it down and was able to finish it very quickly! I can hardly wait to read the third book.

For people who are easily offended by cursing, I want to make sure that they know that this book does have a few curse words in it (D*** & H*** were used the most, but S*** & B****** were also used a couple times). I personally don't care for books that have too much swearing in them - I honestly prefer that there be none, but I can understand it being used if it is in context, not just thrown in every other sentence. This book only seemed to use it when it seemed natural in the story, which to me was okay - not the greatest but I can tolerate that.

Even though it's about the same family, I think that this book could be read and enjoyed without reading the first book. The author does a great job of giving the details from the first book that are pertinent to the story without giving too much of the first story away, so if you were to read that book at a later date I think you would still enjoy it (yes you would know the BIG details, but I still think it would be enjoyable).

If you don't mind some mild language and love historical novels, I would recommend that you read Gallagher's Hope.

***I received a complimentary copy of this book to review. I was asked to give my honest opinion of it - which I have done.***

If you found this review helpful, will you please click yes HERE. Thanks!

TEASER:
There was nothing left of the life she had known.Her slender arm wrapped around the little boy’s shoulder and pulled him closer to his side. She could feel his slight trembling and wished more than anything that she could take his sadness. They were alone in the world. They had each other and she prayed that would be enough for them both.
They stood and listened as the priest gave the final blessing and the caskets were lowered into the ground. It wasn’t something anyone should witness, but she needed the closure. She needed to know that it was over. ‘A very sad affair’ everyone called it for it wasn’t every day that a man murdered his wife and then shot himself. It wasn’t healthy to think on the possible reasons why, but she couldn’t seem to help herself. She had truly believed that they had been a happy family. One of the wealthiest in New Orleans andone of the most respected and sought out for social gatherings. The truth however, was revealed with her father’s death. No one would speak of it to them of course, but the lawyer had made it quite clear.
They were penniless.

BOOK DETAILS:
  • Formats: Paperback and Kindle
  • Publisher: Trappers Peak Publishing
  • ISBN-13: 978-0615638799
  • ISBN-10: 0615638791
  • Release Date: August 1, 2012
  • Series: The Montana Gallaghers
  • About the Gallaghers 
  • Gallagher's Pride (Book #1) is available to purchase at Amazon



GIVEAWAY:

Enter to win one of three signed paperbacks and a $25 gift card using the Rafflecopter widget below. The winners will be chosen at the end of tour. If a winner is not in the US, an ebook will be given instead of print.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

8 comments:

  1. Thank you so much for hosting Gallagher's Hope on this tour Megan! I love the images you chose to accompany the post--perfect!

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  2. What an interesting way to describe people, as the seasons of the year. There certainly are people who remind me of one season or another!

    Patty
    pattymh2000(at)yahoo(dot)com

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    1. Thanks for coming by Patty. It did have me looking at the characters differently and I was surprised at how easily it was to pair them with a season.

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  3. I just finished Gallagher's Hope and I loved it. I love the story and its characters. I was sorry it ended with it's cliffhanger. I can't wait until book three comes out so we will find out the answers and what happens to everyone.

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  4. I love a series about a family & using the season is a wonderful idea.

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  5. I would love to read this book. Sounds like just the right thing to help me get out of my reading funk!

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  6. This sounds like a series I ought to try. Thanks for highlighting it.

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  7. Sounds like a good book, I'll have to pick up the first in the series!

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