Litfuse Publicity blog tour stop for It Happened at the Fair by Deeanne Gist (with bonus review!)

Deeanne Gist is celebrating the release of It Happened at the Fair with an iPad Mini Giveaway and a Live Author Chat Webcast event {5/22}!

  One "fair" winner will receive:

• An iPad Mini
• A $25 iTunes gift card

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on May 21st. Winner will be announced at the "It Happened at the Fair" Live Webcast Event on May 22nd. Connect with Deeanne for an evening of book chat, trivia, laughter, and more! Deeanne will also be taking questions from the audience and giving away books and fun gift certificates throughout the evening.

So grab your copy of It Happened at the Fair and join Deeanne and friends on the evening of May 22nd for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 22nd!

My review:

I really enjoyed the historical aspects of this story and the pictures the author included. The emotional bonding that took place between characters over various incidents that occurred at the fair was well done. I appreciated the insight the author had into a number of issues. One had to do with how the belief in someone's abilities and admiration of them as a person will increase their feelings for each other. Especially men. They want the woman they are attracted to also believe in them as a person and what they can do, not just the length of time they had known each other. That makes for a stronger kind of love; one that leads to a passionate marriage rather than just a comfortable one.

The hero, Cullen, was very likable, but also quite manly. The description of his physique was quite hot, actually. I enjoyed how the author used the need for him to learn how to lip read as a way to meet the woman he became attracted to and make it difficult for him to learn from her by putting them in a number of private situations. That was great when it came to developing tension between them. His fierce protectiveness of her made me love him more. He was a good guy and cared deeply about a number of things, including loyalty. One of his most intense issues was his need to put out fires to save lives. He got to the point where he had to rely on God to see him through some tough issues. I loved that he grieved along with Della during a tragic time at the fair. It helped bond them even more. That was very well done.

The heroine, Della, was a sweetheart as well. The way her feelings slowly developed for the hero was touching. The scene with the little girl in her class was a tear-jerker, but it really made Della think about what the kids experienced from being separated from their parents. Della had her own frailties, but she was a tough lady. Her response to seeing the hero's buff physique made me smile. I felt like I was touching those ripped muscles. And that first kiss... whew! Great romantic tension. She got a bit skittish at times when she felt like she couldn't trust him, but she came around and that made me admire her more. Very enjoyable story.