A Casual Reader's Blog: Blog Tour- Baby, It's Cold Outside by Susan May Warren

Welcome to the blog tour for Baby, It's Cold Outside!

Hope finds the hopeless when a storm hits.

It's Christmas weekend 1949, and despite the threat of a storm, the townspeople of Frost are determined to continue their holiday traditions, if only as a means to forget the war that they had all just suffered through. But the suffering hasn't ended for Dottie Morgan who lost her only son in the war. She's preparing to wallow in her isolation for the weekend, when Violet, nearly a spinster at age 29, dares to make a request that will force Dottie to publicly revive the memory of her dead son.

When a storm traps the two women at home with a strange young man who has an unbelievable confession and a neighbor with more to do with Violet's past than she would like, no one can predict how this Christmas will give them all a second chance.

Read an excerpt here and find out the story behind the novel.

Susan May Warren is an award-winning, best-selling author of over twenty-five novels, many of which have won the Inspirational Readers Choice Award, the ACFW Book of the Year award, the Rita Award, and have been Christy finalists. After serving as a missionary for eight years in Russia, Susan returned home to a small town on Minnesota’s beautiful Lake Superior shore where she, her four children, and her husband are active in their local church.

Susan's larger than life characters and layered plots have won her acclaim with readers and reviewers alike. A seasoned women’s events and retreats speaker, she’s a popular writing teacher at conferences around the nation and the author of the beginning writer’s workbook: From the Inside-Out: discover, create and publish the novel in you!. She is also the founder of www.MyBookTherapy.com, a story-crafting service that helps authors discover their voice.

Susan makes her home in northern Minnesota, where she is busy cheering on her two sons in football, and her daughter in local theater productions (and desperately missing her college-age son!)

A full listing of her titles, reviews and awards can be found at: www.susanmaywarren.com.

Buy the book here.

Review:

Five very different people. One blizzard. Put these things together and you get a recipe for possible disaster. Dottie hasn't been the same since her son died in World War II. She has blamed her neighbor and former flame Gordy for her son's death. Gordy has tried his best to take care of Dottie, but he can't forgive her for running off and marrying someone else. Violet works with Dottie at the library, but she has issues of her home. After going off to Europe to serve in the war, her transition back into the civilian life of a woman has not been easy. Her only hope for happiness has been Alex, who she met in the military. They have been writing for a while, but her last letter came back unopened. When Alex's mysterious friend Jake show up in town looking for Violet, things take an interesting turn. Jake is harboring some secrets about the past and present. The young boy Artie was just looking for his "storm house," a place designated for him to go for safety in times such as these. When these five people find their fates entwined, the spirit of family and Christmas soon make for a few days they will never forget. If they can get past all their issues that is.

Talk about creating an atmosphere! This book takes five people with varying relationships and throws them together for a multi-day blizzard. Naturally, things are going to come to a head while they are all cooped up together. Filled with charm and varying amounts of good cheer, this book is one you'll want to curl up with on a frosty winter day. It's filled with sad moments and sweet moments and some romance too. Individually, I didn't like the characters as much as I did when they were together. They certainly brought out the best in each other. I thought the period aspects of the book were great. They certainly added to the charm of the book.

This book does exactly what is advertised. There's nothing earth-shattering in it, but it is filled with a quiet sweetness. The romances simmer and build to their inevitable conclusion. This book is a relaxing and fast read, and it will be a perfect way to wind down during the hectic holiday season. So if you want a book full of romance and Christmas cheer, definitely check out this book.

Book provided for review.

Warm up to Chrismtas early this year with Susan May Warren's Baby, It's Cold Outside! To celebrate the release of her new Christmas book with Summerside Press, she and the publisher are giving away a Kindle Fire and hosting an early Christmas Party on Facebook!

Read what the reviewers are saying here.

One festive winner will receive:

A brand new Kindle Fire
Baby, It's Cold Outside by Susan May Warren

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. Giveaway ends on 10/26!

But, wait there’s more! Join Susan May Warren on 10/27 for merriment and a few early Christmas presents at her Baby, It's Cold Outside Christmas party! Grab your Christmas sweaters, socks and pj’s and join Susan and a few friends for a fireside chat about her recent books (Heiress & Baby, It’s Cold Outside), holiday traditions, favorite Christmas recipes, a trivia contest and more! Invite your friends and don’t miss the fun!

RSVP here and we'll see you on October 27th at 5 PM PST / 8 PM EST!