Genre: Women’s Fiction (with notes of suspense, mystery, and a thriller)
Back Cover Copy: Hildy Nybo is a successful biologist, her study of the Pacific Northwest’s wild fish both a passion and a career. But behind her professional brilliance, Hildy’s reclusive private life reflects a childhood fraught with uncertainty. Despite her father’s love and her mother’s sympathy, she grew up constantly losing even her most cherished belongings, unable to recall where she misplaced them. Haunted by the confusion of those early years, she now records her life in detailed diaries and clings tightly to memory-prompting keepsakes.
Then her mother’s health fails, and Hildy accepts a job near her childhood home, joining a team of scientists who will help restore her beloved Elwha River after the demolition of two century-old dams. There Hildy settles into one of the cabins on her family’s rustic resort―a place she both loves and dreads, for reasons she can’t fully explain.
When local artist Miranda Rimmer rents an adjacent cabin for her pottery studio, Hildy shrinks from such a close neighbor. But then Miranda’s carpenter brother, Luke, shows up to help with construction and captures Hildy’s attention. Now a few years beyond a tragedy that brought him to his knees, Luke recognizes a kindred soul in Hildy, and they build a relationship that dismantles the walls Hildy’s built to keep people out. As troubling pieces of the past surface, Hildy dares to wonder if she can banish the shadows that have burdened her and follow her river’s course to freedom.
A keen student of the natural world and the workings of the human heart, Pacific Northwest author Cheryl Grey Bostrom captures the mystery and wonder of both in her lyrical, surprising fiction.
Her novels Sugar Birds (Christy finalist, Amazon bestseller, and Book of the Year) and Leaning on Air have won more than two dozen industry honors, among which are Christianity Today’s Fiction Award of Merit and American Fiction, Reader’s Favorite, ACFW Carol, Nautilus, Best Book, IPPY, Foreword Indies, and International Book Awards. Kirkus Reviews named Cheryl’s newest work of contemporary women’s fiction, What the River Keeps, as a Best Indies Book of June 2025.
An avid birder and nature photographer, Cheryl lives in rural Washington State with her husband and a pack of half-trained Gordon setters.
My Impressions
“‘There’s Love in that book. It’s a road map out of the dark.’ Out of her anxiety, too?”
What the River Keeps by Cheryl Grey Bostrom is about a brilliant fish/river naturalist in the PNW who, due to childhood issues, could be considered an unreliable narrator. Hiding her true self from most people, Hildy limps solo through life, until the past comes calling and forces a return home. Will this change destroy her, or will she find the strength and courage to overcome fears of the past? Heart-wrenchingly beautiful! This book will tear you up and make you cry before it rebuilds your faith in humanity and God’s ability to take care of his precious chosen ones.
“They hush me, Daddy. Every fish I see.” At 10, Hildy is overwhelmed by the sense of the amazing, the obvious evidence of a great Creator God when she sees fish. Her father, a warm nurturer, encourages her to look for God in nature. However, her mother, quick to correct Hildy and obviously ashamed of what she deems as “quirkiness,” quickly shuts down Hildy’s searching nature.
Years later, we find Hildy as a brilliant fish biologist and river conservationist, but a person who has very few social skills and very definite oddities, stiff-arming most people.
I loved Junie and her hubby Otis who love the family and serve the family business selflessly. While they love unconditionally without judgement, Otis does tell Hildy, “‘You want to get free a those chains a yours? All that anxiety?’ Here we go again. ‘You know I do.’ ‘Then—‘ ’Stop, Otis. You’ve told me fifty times.’ Maybe not fifty, but while Fourth of July campers had settled into the resort’s quiet hours, he’d repeated himself so often she could hear him in her sleep: ‘Do some diggin’. Find the lie.’”
Against incredible odds, when Hildy meets new cabin renter Miranda’s brother, Luke, a gradual rapport develops between the two. Luke’s had losses in the past, but he has learned to turn them over to God, so he can have the strength to move on. Hildy and Luke dance around a relationship, with Hildy’s issues rising up like a monolith dam to separate them. Luke wants to face Hildy’s stunting emotional issues with her- will she allow him that close? Will Hildy be able to accept that someone could love her wholeheartedly, and how will surprising revelations from her past affect or stall her growth?
Bostrom creates Hildy, a character so full of anxiety and fear for her own sanity, that I thought she’d be hard to relate to. Instead, I learned to love her deeply. I wonder how many other people may be out in our world, limping by on their self-made crutches when God wants to heal the source of the problem.
One of my top books of 2025!
I received a copy of the book from the author and Tyndale Publishers. I also bought my own copy. No positive review is required, and all opinions are my own.
Notable Quotables:
“That locust verse I promised to send you, different version: ‘I will give you back what you lost.’” – Luke
“Some lies get handed down, become strongholds kids are raised with.” – Luke
“That cabin’s a big old stove, darlin’, with stories still cookin’ inside…I trust those memories will make sense to you once they’re baked. Some will even be beautiful.”– Junie
“I’ve spent the better part of my life hiding the fact that I’m crazy, Luke. Crazy. If people knew what goes on in my head, I’d lose what little credibility I have.”
My Rating
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Superior!! I just want to rise and give a standing ovation!
Series: Not listed as such, but follow-up to The Seamstress of Acadie
Publisher: Story Architect
Release Date: July 30, 2025
Genre: Historical Romance
Exiled from his native Acadie in Canada, Bleu Galant has little on his mind but survival as the tumultuous French and Indian War comes to a close. When his journey to Virginia’s Rivanna River settlement takes an unexpected turn, he crosses paths with Brielle Farrow—a woman whose presence stirs something in him he cannot explain nor express. Unable to forget her, his decision to help her takes them across an ocean and into a lavish world he’s never known. Will their intricate tie decide not only her fate but his future?
Bestselling, award-winning author, Laura Frantz, has been writing stories since age seven. She is passionate about all things historical, particularly the 18th-century and her novels often incorporate Scottish themes that reflect her family heritage. She is a direct descendant of George Hume, Wedderburn Castle, Berwickshire, Scotland, who was exiled to the American colonies for his role in the Jacobite Rebellion of 1715, settled in Virginia, and is credited with teaching George Washington surveying in the years 1748-1750. Proud of her heritage, she is also a Daughter of the American Revolution. Though she will always consider Kentucky home, she and her husband live in Washington State.
According to Publishers Weekly, “Frantz has done her historical homework.” With her signature attention to historical detail and emotional depth, she is represented by Janet Kobobel Grant, Literary Agent & Founder, Books & Such Literary Agency of Santa Rosa, California. Foreign language editions include French, Dutch, Spanish, Slovakian, German & Polish.
*Subscribe to Laura’s seasonal newsletter and receive new release information, news about contests, giveaways, and reader events, sneak peaks and teasers, signings and appearances, and more!
My Impressions
“She prayed whatever he saw in her was bon. As bon as what she saw in him.”
I don’t think I’ve anticipated another book book as much as Laura Frantz’s A Fierce Devotion! Her inspirational historical fiction, The Seamstress of Acadie, captured my heart and imagination like nothing else! The Seamstress tells of the English expulsion of the Canadian-French Acadians. That story introduced Bleu, mixed-blood brother of Sylvie. A Fierce Devotion, a novella, picks up the thread of Bleu, another Acadian deeply scarred by the racial hatred exhibited by the conquerers. The “French and Indian War” (or the “Seven Years’ War) has just ended. The book is mesmerizing, lyrical, and a feast of beautiful descriptions. Absolutely stunning!
Despite his mixed heritage, Bleu is a sought-after bachelor in both his Acadian world and his Mi’kmaq world. Yet it is the indentured servant, Brielle Farrow, he discovers following happening upon a deadly raid scene, that grows on his heart.
Bleu is not the type to settle down though, and he is a much-sought after scout. Brielle doesn’t share his heritage, nor much of his French language, either.
I was laughing so hard at the one pivotal French sentence that Bleu shares in with his sister in Brielle’s presence! ( which Frantz explains in English!) It’s always amazing in life, when we miss one sentence or word that could change our whole attitude!!
How can these two find enough in common to even consider a relationship, when competition abounds and there are surprising factors that will put up even more barriers between them?
I loved the French phrases, but Frantz explains them for non-French speakers( a must for readers!)
Character growth? Given what both Bleu and Brielle have endured, there is going to have to be a lot of forgiveness learned, even for those who don’t ask for it. Sylvie ( Bleu’s sister) and he are discussing this issue one day: “For a long time I felt like you. I still do though my ire doesn’t burn as bright. I’ve only moved past it by choosing a new life here and letting the past rest.” (Sylvie)
I loved, loved, loved, this book!! There’s an old French rowing song I would borrow a line from, “Jamais je ne t’oublierai!!” ( NEVER will I forget you!)
I received a copy of the book from Just Read via Netgalley. I bought my own ebook, plus additional pb copies for myself and another’s keeper shelves. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.
Notable Quotables:
“Do you believe in coincidence?” “Nay. Divine instances, rather.” “This is one of them.”
“…you’ll find that the Almighty fills the emptiness with Himself along with countless other blessings.”– Sylvie
“Nothing is more important than family. When you’ve lost much you treasure those who remain.” Bleu
“The unknown was always frightening no matter how many times you faced it.”
My Rating
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Superior! Giving hearts for stars, because *le sigh!*
Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for The Neighbor and the Gifts by Danielle Grandinetti, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
About the Book
Title: The Neighbor and the Gifts Series: A Christmas Cabin Novella Author: Danielle Grandinetti Publisher: Hearth Spot Press Release Date: July 15, 2025 Genre: Christmas Historical Romantic Suspense
Twelve days. Twelve gifts. One unlikely hero.
Wisconsin, 1930—When Manitowish Waters librarian Olivia “Ollie” Larson finds a package on the library steps, she expects the children’s books she ordered, not a taxidermied partridge. By the fourth gift from her unknown and unwelcome True Love, disappearing to her grandfather’s isolated cabin in the Northwoods is the only way she can escape him.
Deputy Titus Wilburn is happy to escort the lovely librarian to her grandfather’s house on his way to the neighboring Yarwood cabin. After all, he’s been smitten with her since they attended school together, and she needs his protection. However, the plan fails when Ollie’s uninvited suitor discovers her new location.
As the man’s actions become more desperate and his gifts more dangerous, an unexpectedly bedridden Titus decides to free Ollie from this menace, which puts the enemy’s sights directly on him. Ollie refuses to let her injured hero sacrifice himself, but with the days ticking closer to Christmas, she may have no choice but to accept whatever fate her suitor has in store for her if she wants to save Titus’ life.
One cabin in the Northwoods … a decade of Christmas miracles.
Danielle Grandinetti is an award-winning inspirational romance author fueled by tea, books, and the creative beauty of nature. Her stories combine romance, mystery, and suspense against the backdrop of the 1930s to tell the tale of finding home and hope in hard times. With a master’s in communication and culture and a passion for intercultural communication, storytelling has been her heartbeat for as long as she can remember. Married to her hero, Danielle is a second-generation Italian-American, a dairy farmer’s granddaughter, and a boy mom from Chicagoland who now lives along Lake Michigan’s Wisconsin shoreline.
Connect with Danielle by visiting daniellegrandinetti.com to follow her on social media and subscribe to email updates.
My Impressions
‘You are my …’ Her voice trailed off as words jumbled on her tongue. Her friend. Her Hero. Her … True Love?”
Do you remember being very young and painfully shy around a handsome young man you wished would look at you with interest? I do! Poor Ollie ( short for “Olivia”) Larsen is 20 and the shy librarian in the 1930s Wisconsin town of Manitowish Waters. Thrilled to see her interest, deputy Titus Wilburn, out and about on a snowy December day, they awkwardly greet each other before Ollie totally embarrassed herself by falling on ice in front of Titus, an old schoolmate.
Refusing Titus’s offer of an escort back to the library, in seconds upon her arrival she wishes she had accepted. There, on the steps, is a dead bird with a note.
What should have been a joyful holiday for Ollie thus begins to slowly evolve into a nightmare as an unknown admirer sends her gifts corresponding to the “12 Days of Christmas” carol. Sheriff Yarwood( whom we met briefly two years ago in The Sheriff and the Outlaw and again in last year’s novella, The Baby and the Guardian) wisely puts Titus, who he knows has a crush on Ollie, in charge of the case.
As more gifts are left on successive days for Ollie, Titus and Ollie both realize that this is not your normal suitor. It is decided Ollie should visit her grandfather’s remote cabin in the mountains. “Right now, he is trying to win you over. But if he suffers from the delusion that I suspect he does, then if you decline his overtures, I worry that he will turn violent.” Titus will stay at the sheriff’s nearby cabin for protection.
I just love the meddlers in this story!! As her hermit grandfather Osborne tells a visiting Titus, “She needs someone to show her what True Love really is.”(Meddlers are always fun, if it’s someone else’s life!)
I love the scene and atmosphere that Grandinetti sets. I could very well imagine being back in time, first in the small town , then in the remote cabin, around Christmas time. I could feel the angst of both Titus and Ollie as they try to maneuver through those awkward first moments, then try to figure out where they stand in the other’s mind and heart. The mystery is well-done, and adds good tension to the story. I also enjoyed meeting Osborne, and getting to peak beyond his crustiness to his soft feelings for his granddaughter.
I heartily recommend this novella series! While this novella could be read alone, it’s better in sequence. I’ll be rereading this whole little series at Christmas time, because all the feels!!
I received a copy of the book from the author, but I also bought my own ecopy and a few paperbacks (this a series to share)! No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.
Notable Quotables:
“This was the most awkward, horrible love triangle she could imagine.”
“But you’ve made me feel like a hero because of how you see me.”- Titus
“…Ollie’s voice, her closeness, were the best medicine. He had to get better soon so he could be the brawn to her beautifully brilliant brain.”
“…Agatha Christie, has a sleuth named Hercule Poirot and he puts great stock in his little gray cells.” “We are taking detective advice from a novel?” – Ollie, Titus
My Rating
🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄
Superior! This is a Christmas historic romantic suspense novella with all the feels! Don’t miss The Neighbor and the Gifts by Danielle Grandinetti!
Tour Giveaway
(1) winner will receive a paperback copy of both The Baby and the Guardian & The Neighbor and the Gifts plus 1 set of series-inspired earrings!
Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight July 15, 2025 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on July 22, 2025. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
In a town shrouded by secrets, a photographer and the reclusive heir of the Ballentine fortune join forces to unravel a deadly conspiracy.
Brooklynn Wright must win a photography contest to save her gallery, and the perfect sunrise shot at a remote inlet north of town is her best hope. But when she witnesses a smuggling operation at a hidden dock and is chased by armed men, her dreams of artistic glory become a nightmare flight for survival. Rescued by a mysterious stranger, Brooklynn is forced to take refuge with him in an abandoned mansion the townspeople claim is cursed—afraid to trust her grumpy protector but with no other choice.
Billionaire Forbes Ballentine returned to Shadow Cove for answers, not distractions. Haunted by the unsolved murder of his family twenty years ago, he’s spent his life in the shadows, hunting for the truth. He believes the network Brooklynn stumbled upon is tied to his family’s deaths, but protecting the cheerful photographer means jeopardizing the investigation he’s been chasing for decades. Especially when her presence stirs feelings he’s not prepared to face.
As Brooklynn and Forbes grow closer, so do the network’s ruthless enforcers. With everyone in town hiding something, they must navigate lies, betrayal, and deadly truths. When the network closes in, they’ll have to trust each other completely—or lose everything.
Dive into this gripping romantic suspense full of mystery, secrets, and danger, where two broken souls must uncover the truth while battling the enemies outside—and the wounds within.
Robin Patchenis a USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of Christian romantic suspense. She grew up in a small town in New Hampshire, the setting of her Coventry Saga books, and then headed to Boston to earn a journalism degree. Working in marketing, she discovered how much she loathed the nine-to-five ball and chain. After relocating to the Southwest, she started writing her first novel while homeschooling her three children. The novel was dreadful, but her passion for storytelling didn’t wane. Thankfully, as her children grew, so did her writing ability. Now that her kids are adults, she has more time to play with the lives of fictional heroes and heroines, wreaking havoc and working magic to give her characters happy endings. When she’s not writing, she’s editing or reading, proving that most of her life revolves around the twenty-six letters of the alphabet. Visit robinpatchen.com/subscribe to receive a free book and stay informed about Robin’s latest projects.
More from Robin
A Mansion on the Maine Coast: The Perfect Setting for Capturing You
There’s something about old mansions that gets my imagination racing. Maybe it’s the grandeur, or the hint that secrets hide behind their towering windows. Or maybe it’s knowing that, once upon a time, entire lives were lived there.
When I first envisioned Capturing You, I knew the story needed a setting as breathtaking—and as mysterious—as the characters themselves. So I plucked inspiration from my visits to the coast of New Hampshire. I can’t help but admire the stunning mansions overlooking the Atlantic between Hampton Beach—a touristy strip filled with arcades and restaurants—and Rye, a quiet coastal community. I love to imagine the lives lived inside those walls and the histories written into their very foundations.
Naturally, when it came time to write Brooklynn and Forbes’s story, I borrowed from those daydreams.
In Capturing You, the eighteenth-century cliffside mansion functions as more than just a setting. It’s a character in its own right. Crumbling a bit with age, it stands guard over a small, secluded cove on the coast of Maine. The old home is a place of secret hiding places, bittersweet memories, and…because, you know, it’s a Robin Patchen novel…more than its share of danger. The Ballentine Mansion is the perfect backdrop for a story about a photographer who accidentally stumbles onto something she shouldn’t have seen—and a brooding recluse determined to keep her safe.
In the story, I hope you hear the waves pounding against the rocky shore, smell the salt in the air, and feel the ancient wood floors creaking beneath your feet. I hope you’ll find wonder in the whimsical spaces created by the original architect. And I hope you’ll experience nostalgia in a home that hasn’t had a family fill its halls with laughter in a generation.
Step right into that world with me—a world of danger and romance, courage and redemption, all wrapped up in a mansion that’s seen more than its share of joy and heartache. And maybe a little healing too.
I can’t wait for you to explore all its secrets with Brooklynn and Forbes.
Capturing You is available now. Immerse yourself in a fascinating mansion—and a suspenseful romance that’ll keep you reading all night long.
My Impressions
“There was only one thing Forbes wanted, one thing he’d lived for since he was eight years old. Justice.”
I have truly enjoyed The Wright Heroes of Maine romantic suspense series by Robin Patchen. In most of the previous books, we have seen Michael, Sam, Derrick, and others family members tackle huge intrigue challenges, often overseas. Now, in book six, Capturing You, and book five, we have moved on to their cousins’ family. Capturing You is unique so far in that the enemy is much closer to home.
Brooklynn Wright desperately wants to win the local photography contest. Free publicity for her struggling photography studio in town would be a boon, and she also badly wants to show her father she is competent in her field. Gavin Wright and others seem to see only fluff and lightweight when they see Brooklynn.
Unfortunately, Brooklynn’s great curiosity (which Ford Baker, identified as the handyman at the local mansion) would call a propensity to snoop. Brooklynn’s inquisitiveness turn her desire for the perfect photo into a run for her life on a Maine shore. Knowing she will be caught and probably killed, she is surprised to be rescued by Baker.
Afraid of her new protector, afraid of the men chasing her, knowing she can’t go home, Brooklynn doesn’t know what her next step is. But she does know, unlike Ford, that “God always made a way. All her life, He’d guided her. And He wouldn’t stop today. He was her protector, after all. Her strong tower. Her fortress.”
Ford is using an alias he’s had since childhood, when his parents and sister were murdered in their Shadow Cove mansion. Life has made him grumpy, pessimistic, quiet, and suspicious. When he starts to get to know Brooklynn, who is sweet, optimistic, talkative, and trusting, he finds himself wanting to protect her.
Ford and Brooklynn eventually begin to work together, but the trust is slow and fragile. Gradually, clues are uncovered which reveal a truth the two suspected: someone they know is behind the murderous game of cat-and- mouse. “She used to think of her town as one big family. Now it felt more like a spiderweb, everyone connected to everyone else, the silky fibers hidden until they trapped the innocent.”
I was in a race against the novel as I read, as if my figuring out the mystery before it was revealed could save their lives! Patchen’s characters certainly were alive for me! Fortunately, Brooklynn and Ford did not require my skills. Patchen threw in some twists that left me off the mark. Can Brooklynn and Ford discover who was behind the heinous crime 25 years ago and what connection there is to the smugglers today? Can Ford decide God does indeed care about him, despite the past?
You will not want to miss a book of this series! I would suggest reading these in order, although the book probably could stand alone.
I received a copy of the book from Celebrate Lit. I also bought my own copy. No positive review is required, and all opinions are my own.
Notable Quotables:
“There’s no shame in knowing who you are, who God created you to be.”– Ford
“She needn’t worry. She only needed to ask Him to open the doors she was meant to walk through. To pray that His will would be done. It was a prayer He loved to answer.”
“Sticking your head in the sand isn’t a plan.”– Ford
“It seemed her grouchy friend was a lot like this old mansion. A little rough on the outside, but filled with beauty. And secrets.”
My Rating
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Magnificent! This is a romantic suspense series I am greatly enjoying! I am here for every book!
Title: Fire Mountain Series: Elements of Danger #1 Author: Dana Mentink Publisher: Revell Release Date: July 1, 2025 Genre: Mystery & Romantic Suspense
Fire rains from above as they fight to discover the truth and stay alive.
In the shadow of a threatening volcano, long-haul trucker Kit Garrido wakes up in her crashed big rig, unable to recall what happened or why she’s suddenly in possession of someone’s baby. Fiercely independent, she has to admit that perhaps this time she could use a little help.
As the threat of eruption grows, former cop Cullen Landry refuses to leave his cabin in the evacuation area, which is why he’s the only one left who can help Kit escape the crumpled cab of her truck. He doesn’t want to get tangled up in the mystery of the beautiful woman with an abandoned infant, but when he sees the bullet hole in the windshield and the bloody handprint on the interior, he realizes that he’s in this thing, like it or not.
When two armed men with ill intent approach, the race is on to stay alive, discover the truth, and find the baby’s missing mother–all while a deadly mountain rains fire from above.
Dana Mentink is a USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestselling author. She’s written more than 50 mystery and suspense novels for Love Inspired Suspense, Harvest House, and Poisoned Pen Press. Winner of two ACFW Carol Awards, a Holt Medallion Award, and a Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award, Dana lives in Northern California with her husband.
Connect with Dana by visiting DanaMentink.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.
Excerpt
COLD AND ICE-PICK PAIN bored into Kit Garrido’s temples. Her limbs were leaden, her body a deadweight in the driver’s seat of her big rig. Grit coated her tongue and teeth. She tasted blood. Try as she might, she couldn’t reach out to unbuckle her seat belt. Panic bubbled up in-side her.
She felt movement. Someone yanked hard on the pas- senger door, unleashing pulses of pain.
“Ma’am?” A low baritone, rough.
A big hand skimmed her temple, calloused fingers hard like talons. Through her slitted eyelids, a male torso mate- rialized, a large man in a heavy jacket. Warm ash drifted from his baseball cap and settled on her cheek, featherlight.
“What . . . happened?” Her voice was a croak.
“You crashed.” His voice held the trace of a Southern accent. “Volcano’s unsettled everything. Not safe to stay here.”
Not safe? Crashed? Why wouldn’t her mouth work fast enough to spit out the questions? Fear lapped at her insides as he fumbled for her seat belt.
“You’ve got to wake up. Now.”
She forced her eyes farther open, grabbed the wheel. Cold wind raked her cheek. Wind? She lurched into full consciousness so fast her brain rocked in her skull. Green. Everywhere green mixed with brown, the trees of north- ern Washington all around, the rattling pine needles oddly muted by their coating of volcanic ash. A pine cone dropped on her lap through the gaping hole in the windshield. It left a sooty stain on her knee before it bounced off. She stared at it.
How . . .
He was talking, but she couldn’t follow.
She touched her brown ski cap, then the flannel of her favorite long-haul driving jacket, the feel of the fabrics proving to herself she was alive. Somehow. A hiss of es- caping steam commanded her to acknowledge what she desperately didn’t want to see.
Her beautiful Freightliner truck was wedged cab first, jammed in a crevice between two crooked trees. In the side- view mirror she observed an enormous trench of gouged earth that marked her journey from the road above to the place of impact. The shiny yellow cab with its cozy sleep- ing unit, her home for three-hundred-plus days a year, was squashed like the face of a Pekinese. The pristine white trailer she’d washed that morning was no doubt damaged as well. She closed her eyes and pictured the bold font she’d painstakingly chosen for the Garrido Trucking logo. How absurdly proud she’d felt the day the lettering was applied. Her truck. Her business. Her life. Finally.
Muscles in her throat tightened, and tears started down her face.
Crashed. She’d crashed. Everything she’d worked for, gone. The pain in her head intensified. She stared around wildly. “But what happened? How did I wreck?”
The man shrugged. “Dunno. I’m not sure why you’d even be on Pine Hollow Road in the first place. Pretty ridiculous, considering.”
Ridiculous? She bridled as the location sank in. Pine Hollow? Why there? Deep breaths. One, two, three, then she unbuckled and levered herself from the driver’s seat. Pain lanced her left wrist. Broken or sprained? Her shirt was splattered with blood, though she couldn’t feel any cuts.
“Easy,” the man said, arms outstretched as if to catch her.
Why couldn’t she remember what happened? She must have rolled out of her small office solo that morning, like she always did before picking up her load, the last load she dared haul out of a region under an evacuation advisory. She wouldn’t have chosen Pine Hollow, a twisty route that would take her nearer the volatile Mount Ember. Every- thing she’d learned, the geologic facts she’d devoured, left her itching to escape. Had she lost control? Maybe she’d been knocked out by a falling boulder. Had the noxious gasses venting from the volcano’s bulging side overwhelmed her? But why here?
The cold infiltrated her torn jacket, numbing her arms. Faraway, she heard the distant rumble of thunder or maybe another earthquake from the mountain preparing to blow. No sounds of vehicles, sirens, people. Eerie. Terrifying.
Her thoughts were muddy, slow. Get help. She patted her pockets in a futile search for her cell. Gone somewhere.
The satellite radio was her next choice until she realized it had been pierced by the branch that neatly skewered the windshield. Her throat went dry. A few inches to the left and it would have impaled her too. Ruined also was the precious old-school CB she’d rebuilt, which would have instantly connected her with a fellow trucker.
The man was still staring at her. He straightened and leaned closer. “Are you hurt badly? I can carry you.”
She couldn’t make herself answer, so he went on. “Your radio’s crushed, I see. My cell phone has no bars down here. Where’s your phone?”
She jammed her knit cap on tighter. Hurt or not, she wouldn’t let any stranger control the conversation, espe- cially not in her rig. “I’ll find it.”
He shook his head. “You rest a minute. I’m gonna hop out and make sure your truck’s not on fire or anything.” He muscled his way back out the passenger door, the metal protesting with a bloodcurdling shriek.
She didn’t see any sign of his vehicle through the filthy glass. Where had he come from? There were no helpful locals out and about under the present circumstances. Nerves tightened in her stomach. A trucker alone with cargo was vulnerable, a female trucker even more so.
Protect yourself. She fumbled for the crowbar, but the seat was collapsed on top of it. Instead she yanked the fire extinguisher loose, which made her head feel like it was going to detonate. Best she could do. She eased closer to the fractured passenger window.
The ground was a moonscape of ash and debris. The man eased along, a palm on the cab for support, and she got another chance to examine him. Long legs, cowboy boots, flannel shirt, Yankees baseball cap, and a scar—she hadn’t noticed that before. It bisected his left eyebrow. He disappeared around the other side of the rig before return- ing a few moments later. The closer he got, the taller he was, probably six four and muscled. More than a match for her five-foot-five, hundred-ten-pound frame. The fear resurged. Protect yourself.
The extinguisher cut into her clenched palm. He drew close enough to the open passenger door for her to catch the light brown of his eyes, almost translucent like smoke. When he tried to climb aboard, she raised the extinguisher. “Where did you come from?”
His lips quirked. “Originally? South Carolina.” That explained the drawl. “I meant . . .”
“I know what you meant.” He shot a look at the ravaged landscape before he turned back. “Top of the ridge. My cabin’s up there. I was on my roof and I saw you go over the shoulder. I was surprised six ways to Sunday. Didn’t even hear you coming because the wind was howl- ing, and I sure didn’t expect any rigs to be in this area. Anyway, I hightailed it here in my truck. It’s parked up a ways.”
“I don’t know you.” A silly remark.
“Don’t know you either. You from around here?” She wouldn’t tell him where she lived.
“Close.”
He pointed to the fire extinguisher and heaved out a breath. “Are you going to clobber me with that or not? I promise it’s not necessary.” He held up his palms. How does anyone have fingers that long? “You need first aid before we get out of here, and I’m the only one here to give it to you whether you like it or not.” He plucked the kit from the pocket in the door and wiggled it at her. “You’re bleeding.”
“I don’t need first aid.”
He said something in reply, but his words seemed to come from far away, a rushing sound drowning them out as dizziness overcame her.
The extinguisher dropped to the floor, and she sank onto the driver’s seat while he climbed in and slammed the pas- senger door. A wave of nausea enveloped her. Hastily he dumped out the first aid kit and shoved the container under her chin as she wretched. He handed her a clean handker- chief from his pocket with a neat C embroidered on it.
She stared at the precisely folded, pristine cloth.
His cheeks pinked. “I know. No one carries these things anymore. Mama insists, and she sends me a box of ’em every Christmas.” He looked intently at her. “I’m fairly certain you have yourself a concussion.”
“Not a family, not them. Just . . . united strangers. ‘I know you aren’t a blood family, but people can be put together in unexpected ways.’”Archie
I wanted to check my blood pressure. It had to be high. After finishing Dana Mentink’s Fire Mountain romantic suspense novel, I felt so in tune with the characters, I thought I had run from men who built their money on exploitation. I was nearly sure I was trying desperately to escape a rumbling volcano. I lost myself in the drama, intrigue, baby care, and natural disaster unfolding in the book. So artfully told, I’ll never forget.
An everyman and everywoman hero. That’s what Cullen and Kit are. An ex-policeman, who can’t recover from his last call, and is now a horse rancher. A proud, independent, truck driver whose immediate memory is gone. Why is there a 9-month-old baby in her care? Kit knows nothing about babies. Worse, why is she headed back into the evacuation zone of Mt. Ember, threatening to blow her top? ( Do you either remember Mt. St. Helens or remember learning about her in school?) Since we were nearly across the nation, yet our summer weather was affected for months, I could only imagine how horrifying it would be to be in the danger zone! Plus, while injured, with baby in tow, Kit and Cullen discover someone is after them with deadly weapons!
Fortunately for the reader, Mentink has a great sense of humor. When I thought I would explode myself because of the building suspense, Mentink would insert levity. It might be trading witty lines between Cullen and Kit, or it might involve Archie, a crusty former Marine who had refused to leave his home on the mountain.
I loved Archie’s character! He is an enigma to be sure! Rough and gruff, yet “grandpa” with the baby.
In some ways, this book reads like a nightmare. Just when you think Kit and Cullen might be safe, either the mountain creates terror or Nico and Simon are hot on their trail again. However, Fire Mountain has embers of hope, where romance, character strength, and faith shine through.
One faith message is that of forgiveness. Kit has struggled with the absence of forgiveness in her past. Plus, she has a past she’s not proud of. “God forgives you for all that, Kit,”says Cullen.
“You’re not credible to say that though, are you?”…”Because you don’t believe what you say, deep down. You don’t live like it anyway,” Kit retorts. Ouch!
I find it interesting that Kit compares two sides of unforgiveness to equating oneself to God. “If a person can’t accept forgiveness themselves, or refuses to give it to someone else, it puts them in the place of God, doesn’t it?” Just in case it sounds like there is a lot of headtime in this book, let me say there are snatches. They are sandwiched between the desperate and the good times, perfectly placed to stimulate thinking, without losing the quick pace of this breathtaking story.
I received a copy of the book from the author and publisher through Just Reads and Netgalley. I also bought my own copy. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.
Notable Quotables:
“There’s your plan, and God’s plan, and yours doesn’t count.”– Kit’s father
“Rose- colored glasses aren’t going to keep us from dying.” “I prefer to attribute it to experience. I’ve seen God do plenty of miracles, so why not another one here and now?”– Kit, Cullen
“loving someone was one thing. Living it out was altogether different…”
“This moment, these days, his life, would be over when God said so. Not a moment before.”
My Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Superior! I am having a bit of trouble remembering that I was NOT a part of this spectacular drama! I won’t soon forget it!
Tour Giveaway
(1) winner will receive a copy of Fire Mountain and a $20 Amazon gift card!
Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight July 9, 2025 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on July 16, 2025. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Book: Following the Clues (Security Hounds Investigations Book Four)
Author: Dana Mentink
Genre: Inspirational Romantic Suspense
Release date: May 27, 2024
A search-and-rescue mission reveals a lethal secret.
After K-9 handler Kara Wolfe witnesses her childhood friend Beau O’Connor survive a targeted hit-and-run, she’s shocked to learn his mother’s missing. And Beau, who can no longer recognize familiar faces after an earlier attack, can’t shake the feeling these terrifying incidents are somehow connected. With the tracking skills of her blind bloodhound, Kara will help Beau locate his mother—but someone will do anything to sabotage their search. With the culprit on their trail, can they uncover a sinister plot…before their rescue mission turns into a fight for survival?
Dana Mentink is a USA Today and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author as well as a two-time American Christian Fiction Writers Carol Award winner, and a Holt Medallion winner. She is the author of over fifty titles in the suspense and lighthearted romance genres. She is pleased to write for Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense, Revell and Poisoned Pen Press.
More from Dana
The only thing more fun that writing about bloodhounds, is adding in some colorful new canine characters who aren’t quite your standard tracking champions. In this book, you’ll get to know Phil who was introduced at the end of book #3. He’s a livestock protector who steps in as a guide for Millie the bloodhound when her vision becomes impaired. Phil takes his job VERY seriously. He flat out refuses to wear a vest, or play with toys, and he doesn’t particularly like people, but he will lay his life down to protect Millie and Kara Wolfe. It was so much fun having this unlikely hero rise to the challenge as Kara and her ex-boyfriend must root out a saboteur on the local fish hatchery property. The secret they unearth will shock you, I hope! Please enjoy the adventure with Millie, Phil, and the rest of the Wolfe pack!
My Impressions
“Once upon a time we were dear friends, and no matter what’s happened, I’m going to act like we still are until you come around.”
So this is now my fave Security Hounds novel by Dana Mentink so far! Book 4 of this series, Following the Clues is everything I’ve come to expect from a LIS Mentink book about tracking bloodhounds, and then some!
To begin with, let’s talk about the obvious: the bloodhounds. Each bloodhound in this series is a great SAR tracker for the Wolfe family’s venture. Each hound has a significantly odd trait, and is trained by a different sibling, whom we get to know as a main character in the novel. The trainer in this story is Kara, a young woman whose fiancé died of cancer and whose other friend, Beau O’ Connor, deserted her when she needed him most. The basis for this book just cracks me up, though, because I never would have thought such a thing possible. Millie, the bloodhound doing the sniff searching, is almost blind, so she has her own seeing-eye dog, a white Anatolian shepherd. “The dream team.”
Unfortunately, when Beau does return back home, Kara discovers the injury he received several months earlier has drastically changed him. He has been medically discharged from the marines and has a rare condition known as “prosopagnosia” or “face blindness.” Unable to recognize people he’s known his whole life, even family, Beau retreats into himself. His mother verbally confronts him: “sooner or later you’ve got to put whatever happened behind you. Marines don’t run, do they?”
Beau becomes very concerned when he returns home to find his mother missing. He contacts the sheriff, who contacts the SAR team, the Wolfe family, who together with Kara have to begin to understand why Beau has been treating them like absolute strangers. Once Beau’s secret is out, I am impressed by the different methods and hard work he employs to recognize people more quickly without using the method most of us take for granted!
Time is always of the essence in a search and rescue operation, and Mentink causes the reader to feel the desperation in the erosion of time as Beau, Kara, the other Wolfes, and neighbors of Ree O’Connor’s ( Beau’s mom) fish hatchery search for her. Lots of action, lots of danger, lots of breath-holding! Mentink makes the setting real by sharing details of running a hatchery, some issues that could cause trouble, and a big event the hatchery holds, Pioneer Day.
While there are a handful of workers and neighbors who should all be supporting the hatchery and Ree, we are set up to wonder about a few! Was I surprised to find out who was behind the sabotage!! Great twist! Such an exciting story!
I appreciated the growth of the two main characters. Beau’s growth comes as he admits his disability and finds ways to circumvent it. Also, as he begins to realize he can be honest about his feelings. I love that Mentink shows that given time, Kara, grieving her fiancé’s loss, can also remember the good times with a smile. Because of my faith, this is where I am with some present grief, and where I hope to be in future grief!!
I also loved the fact that through her pain of loss, Kara has learned lessons that affect her relationship moving forward with her family and with Beau. She isn’t complacent anymore, letting others care for her. She has learned to speak up for her needs. “But God showed me that I could stand up to it…I had a reservoir of strength I’d not realized because I’d never had to tap into it. When I did, God added His strength to my pittance, and it was enough. I was enough.”
In summary, this is a great romantic suspense search and rescue team story, but it is so much more! Mentink has two more books left in this series. Can she top this one?!
I received a copy of the book from Celebrate Lit. I also purchased my own copy. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.
Notable Quotables:
“But life wasn’t a safe adventure at all, she’d learned. And hiding from risk wasn’t what the Lord wanted from her.”
“The only reason he was able to face the day was that he knew God loved him, no matter what the status of his brain.”
“God made people to stand together in their pain. Sometimes it was the only way to stand at all.” – Kara
“In the midst of the storm, He was there, like He’d always been, that steady pulse of comfort. God would still recognize Beau…even in this new state of disarray he found himself.”
My Rating
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Best in Show ( I mean Series) so Far! True Winner!!
This witty, heartfelt romance is an absolute treat for readers.” —Elly Gilbert, coauthor of Under the Blue Skies
Cheeky septuagenarian matchmakers, the “Shippers” are on a mission to secure a dreamy Mr. Right for Abby O’Brien, a sunny, optimistic childcare worker for Monarch Cruises. She loves her job looking after the children of vacationing parents, but harbors one unfulfilled desire: to be a wife and a mother.
With his shy five-year-old daughter in tow, divorced elitist lawyer Spencer Randolph Masterson has anything but romance in mind. His goal on the MS Buckingham is to persuade his mother, Daisy, to leave her ridiculous cruise ship lifestyle and return to New Orleans. But Daisy isn’t interested in life on land. Besides, she and her matchmaking posse have a marriage to arrange.
When a secret from Daisy’s past surfaces and threats of blackmail start flying, the Shippers must protect their own while attempting to convince Spencer’s scarred heart to weigh anchor and boldly set sail for a future with Abby.
“Inspirational romance readers will relish every cozy moment they spend with the Shippers!” —Bethany Turner, author of Cole and Laila Are Just Friends
My Impressions
“One voyage wasn’t long enough to fix the things that were wrong with this man.”
Hearts Aweigh by Shannon Sue Dunlap is such a cute multi-generational rom-com!! The Shippers, 4 elderly ladies who practically live on the cruise ship, are back. (Yes, this is book 2 in the Love Overboard series. I felt like reading bk 1 first was helpful, but not entirely necessary to understand this one.) With one highly successful match under their belts, these fearsome ladies are ready to tackle victim ( I mean, client) number 2.
I love the Shippers! We get to know each of the four a little more on this cruise on the MS Buckingham. Daisy, the Southern, genteel lady of the group, has secrets that nobody knew. And this cruise brings her some big surprises.
I love that the Shipper’s target in this novel, Abby, a Kids Kingdom worker aboard ship, has asked for their help. “it’s lonely by myself. I’d rather have a partner. Someone to share things with. That guaranteed one person who’s always on my side. My best friend.” Of course, the Shippers eventually settle on stuffed shirt, workaholic lawyer Spencer as a possible match for Abby. Abby’s response is noted at the beginning of the blog!!
A sunshine vs. Mr. Grumpy, a “child-whisperer” vs. a father who has no idea how to be a real dad. Someone who adores Daisy vs. someone who definitely does NOT!! How can this match ever work? And so begins a very trying back-and-forth, unpredictable romance. Will it be or won’t it? The one thing that IS predictable is the laughter!
Plus the adorable factor. That would be Spencer’s daughter, 5-yr-old Madeleine, afraid to speak, play, or move a muscle. How can Abby help this sad little girl out of her shell? But, Abby, being the Pied Piper that she is, has Madeleine playing and giggling and beginning to experience being a child. “Certain children claimed a room in a person’s heart and lived there.” As Maddie claims this spot in Abby’s heart, Spencer finds her invaluable. But he waffles on why he needs Abby near.
With that romance teetering, the Shippers also have a blackmailer to catch. I love how all that works out, and I foresee another Shipper’s story coming out in a future book.
If you like romcoms, this is a must-read!
I received a copy of the book from Just Read Tours, and I also bought my own copy. No positive opinion was required, and all opinions are my own.
Notable Quotables:
“A well-stocked library is as close as we get to heaven on earth.”– Seamus
“Once you repent, it’s under the blood. The Bible promises complete forgiveness. Feeling guilty isn’t part of the deal.”
“Faith is for when we don’t understand God’s plan. Sometimes we have to walk in the dark awhile and hold tight to his hand.”– Althea
“Dad gave her everything she needed.”“Not the things she needed most. Love, understanding, acceptance.”
“The greatest weapon you can wield is silence. When you say nothing, people rush to fill the awkward void. The one who speaks first relinquishes control of the conversation to the other person. Don’t be in a hurry to answer.”
My Rating
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Superior! Quadruple the busybodies, quadruple the fun! Never a dull moment with the Shippers at work!
Genre: Christian Fiction/Romance/Historical Fiction
Release date: May 1, 2025
How Can Compassion be Considered Wrong?
When life is weighed down by challenges, pillars of enduring hope and love are always waiting to be discovered.
Ida Dempsey has grown up in a privileged life of luxury thanks to her aunt and uncle. Although Second Street—where women of ill repute ply their wares—is off limits to respectable citizens, her heart of compassion compels her to frequent the area, hoping to make a difference in their lives. Ida has also befriended Qui Shau, a Chinese woman who keeps house for her family, but friendships between the whites and Chinese are taboo in Eureka. Ida tries to keep secret her forbidden compassion, but someone is watching and will use it against her.
When Blaine Prescott meets Ida at a church picnic, his parents warn him away from any relationship with the young lady who has been seen on Second Street in the company of a Chinese woman. But how could such a kindhearted, lovely young woman be anything but good? But when riots break out in Chinatown and Ida disappears, Blaine will do anything to find out where and why she has gone.
Barbara Tifft Blakey lives in the Pacific Northwest on five wooded acres with Terry, her husband of forty-plus years. She is best known for her award-winning, literature-inspired, language arts program, Total Language Plus, which she created over twenty years ago, and is used by thousands of homeschoolers. Barbara teaches Sunday school and enjoys speaking on various topics to Christian women’s groups. She and her husband have four grown children and five grandchildren. She enjoys camping at the ocean and is an avid soccer fan. During the day-light challenged winter months, she reads, crochets, bakes, and plots her next novel.
More from Barbara
As the birthplace of my mother, Eureka, California holds a special charm for me intensified by my grandmother’s stories of the area. Every visit I’ve made has encouraged me to dig deeper, to learn more, to experience this small, coastal town’s magnetism.
Its history includes the Wiyot’s massacre on Indian Island which can be viewed from the harbor and the expulsion of the Chinese population from Humboldt County. Carson’s Mansion is the most photographed Victorian dwelling in California, and possibly the United States, built to keep the lumber baron’s loggers employed during a downturn in the timber industry. Because of the numerous brothels, an entire section of Second Street located in the heart of the community was deemed out of bounds for children.
Both hero and heroine in Angel of Second Street are fictional, but my cast of characters includes real-life people such as Reverend Huntington, David Kendall, and Wei Lum and real historical businesses such as Wells Drug Store and Kitty Farris’s Joy Emporium.
I first wrote a version of this story more than a decade ago, but who can argue with God’s timing? Events that happened over 150 years ago feel current in today’s political climate where fear tactics dominate debates and spur regrettable actions. I didn’t set out to make a political statement, only to tell an engaging, thought-provoking love story, but in the midst of relating historical events, a deeper truth emerged as relevant today as it was in the mid 1800s.
I pray you’ll journey with Ida and Blaine through the turmoil of their times and be enriched to face the trials of today with renewed hope.
My Impressions
“On my way to the picnic yesterday, I asked God to show me the woman He’d chosen to be my wife, someone who loves Jesus as much as I do. I saw you first.”
Wow! Barbara Tifft Blakey held me spellbound as she wove the historical story of 1884 Eureka, California, and its Chinatown. While I love to read historical romances, I am finding they are often not something I would want to live through. The Angel of Second Street tells of two young people who are immediately attracted to each other upon meeting. Rich, eligible Blaine sees beautiful Ida as a direct answer to his prayers for a godly mate. His family puts up every roadblock possible to keep the two apart, including throwing a family friend’s daughter into his path repeatedly.
I love Ida and Blaine. Both truly want to do more than follow society’s rules and make their families happy. Ida’s biggest wish in life is to tell others about Jesus. “God had opened the eyes of her heart, and everywhere Ida looked she saw hurting people. Even Mrs. Prescott.” She has a purpose, a mission, and a passion. She doesn’t give up. But she does battle within herself, having to deceive in order to carry out her definition of doing right. “Was anything more important than telling the lost about Jesus? But also important were the scriptural directives to obey one’s parents. In her case, didn’t that mean her aunt and uncle? Never before had she been forced to choose between two equally indispensable commands.” Blaine has his own struggles with his shipping tycoon father who has no interest in anyone’s true well-being.
Whew, it’s incredible the mental struggles both Ida and Blaine must wade through, accompanied by much prayer, to figure out the right path. Sometimes the paths they choose are funny. Sometimes the resulting paths are loaded with strife. I wondered if I’d be brave enough to choose some of the paths they did, or would I choose to please people and just make life easy?
I loved seeing the growth of thinking in both Ida and Blaine.
Some characters are surprising. How fun it was, to discover characters acting quite differently than what I expected of them! Great twists!
My fave character is Reverend Huntington. It took me a while to figure out how he feels about the workers from Chinatown that the town wants to expel, or the ladies of Second Street that Ida is determined to help. At first he is unwilling to encourage Ida in her endeavors. Eventually, we see him in another light.
It is so sad to see the general attitude of the town’s affluent businessmen. While their households and sometimes businesses benefit greatly from the Chinese workers, they despise them immensely. “Less than.” That is the rich, white opinion towards the Chinese. Blaine is like Ida in his disregard for class. He understands the prejudice he is seeing, directed at the Chinatown residents. “The way he saw it, the problems discussed were symptoms of underlying issues. Tackle those, and the contemptible manifestations would take care of themselves.” Hmmm… makes one think about today’s atmosphere of cancelling whole groups of people for the actions of a few.
This is long, I know. If you’re still with me, I have to comment on Blaine’s revelation to Ida of his prayer for God to show him a woman at the picnic who loved Jesus as much as he did. My husband relates a similar tale. He says God told him his future wife would be at his baptism. There were only two of us girls there that day near his age, and I was moving 5 hours away in a couple of months! We didn’t start seriously dating until 5 years later because of the distance, but, wow. I sure am glad he didn’t blurt out that declaration when he first was baptized!!😂
Notable Quotables:
“My heavenly Father is responsible for my joy—and for yours. You cannot protect me from this world’s trials. You don’t need to, because I have His defense and refuge.”- Ida
“If a man lost integrity, what did he have left?”
“I believe God is calling me to act, and I’m willing.”
My Rating
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Magnificent! My mind is whirling with the thoughts and implications of this story. Looking forward to the next!
Kate Cunningham is facing the opportunity of a lifetime. As a zoo photographer, she’s spent years photographing animals in carefully controlled environments, but now National Geographic has dangled an irresistible prize: If Kate can snag a unique photo of a legendary bear in Grand Teton National Park, they just might publish it. It’s the kind of challenge Kate has been waiting for, and she’s eager to prove herself in the wild.
With more enthusiasm than experience, Kate soon realizes that capturing an image of this bear isn’t as simple as she hoped. Fortunately, she crosses paths with Grant Cooper, a seasonal park ranger who knows the terrain–and the bears–better than anyone. His tracking skills could be exactly what Kate needs to succeed, and it doesn’t hurt that he’s easy on the eyes. But they’re not the only ones with an interest in the park’s most famous bear. And his motives are far from innocent.
Suzanne Woods Fisher is a Christy finalist, a Carol and Selah winner, a two-time ECPA Book of the Year finalist, and Publishers Weekly and ECPA bestselling author of more than forty books. Her genres include contemporary and historical romances, Amish romance, and women’s fiction. She and her husband live in a small town in California. Most friends act a little nervous around Suzanne because they usually wind up in one of her novels. She has four grown children and enough grandchildren to keep her young.
More from Suzanne
A Spark that Lit a Story
By Suzanne Woods Fisher
Capture the Moment (Revell—May 6, 2025)
Inspiration can strike in the most unexpected places—like a gift shop in Grand Teton National Park. While browsing, I struck up a conversation with a college student who had never set foot outside Alabama until her mom dropped her off for a summer job in the park. One minute, she was home in the Deep South; the next, she was surrounded by towering peaks and moose crossings. Talk about a culture shock.
That conversation lit a spark that eventually became my National Parks Summers series. I couldn’t stop thinking about the fascinating mix of people who work seasonally in national parks. You’ve got fresh-faced college kids on their first big adventure, retirees finally living their bucket-list dreams, and everyone in between. These parks aren’t just natural wonders—they’re crossroads for people from all walks of life, all chasing something unique.
In Capture the Moment, I wanted to explore what happens when people and landscapes collide. Kate Cunningham, a determined zoo photographer, swaps enclosures for the wilds of Grand Teton, chasing an elusive bear and her own sense of purpose. Along the way, Kate meets Grant Cooper, a rugged park ranger with a knack for tracking and a talent for keeping her on her toes.
National parks are more than just beautiful backdrops—they’re places where people find themselves, lose themselves, and sometimes stumble into something extraordinary.
Maybe even love.
My Impressions
“399…Queen of the Tetons…”
“‘A living, breathing legend.’ ‘Exactly. She’s a symbol of the wild, a reminder that even in the heart of nature, there are stories, personalities, and connections waiting to be discovered.’”
And…we’re off on a journey to visit some of our nation’s great national parks with Suzanne Woods Fisher, told in her gentle, heart-warming style. First stop in this new series, National Parks Summers, is Grand Tetons National Park, in Capture the Moment.
If you are a fan of nature, underdogs, Suzanne Woods Fisher, plot twists, and gentle reminders to listen to the still, small voice of God, this is a must-read.
I adored the novice photographer, Kate, who thought she would get the original photo that no one else had. What a shock she gets when she arrives at the best viewing spots for the old grizzly, 399, only to discover a great crowd of disdainful professional photographers ahead of her. Fortunately, Kate is willing to learn from her mistakes and not wallow in her failures. ( And being a city-slicker, there are plenty!)“She reminded herself that mistakes were a natural part of the learning process. “Each one has a lesson to teach,” she said to herself.” Another verse that helps her when she is amazed at her own obtuseness( and don’t most of us have blinders on in some area of life?) is “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Do you not perceive it?” What I love about this moment is that Woods points out this is a verse God brings to Kate’s mind because she had hidden it in her heart long ago. Do we have verses like that? Second, are we, as we age, still working on memorizing, so God can bring those verses to mind?
Woods populates her novel with so many other wonderful characters! Of course, everyone will love Coop! How can you not! Handsome, knowledgeable, expert on bears, and compassionate. He champions Kate, the underdog, plus he understands and mentors the impossibly belligerent Frankie. This is no small feat, because it is obvious he would rather not have this sidekick 24-7! And, he is unafraid to tell the truth as it is… to those that need to hear it… which his acting director, Sally, tries to silence.
Sally. She is acting director of the park, and a piece of work! I was surprised to find that I didn’t like her any more after a night of “sleeping on it” than I did when I finished the story.
And Tim and his granddaughter, Maisie! To meet Tim is to love him, unless you are Frankie. Such a wise, thoughtful, man rooted in faith. His granddaughter, Maisie, who frequently gets dumped on him? She’s 13, loquacious, loud, and goes non-stop 24-7. Everyone seems to have a love-avoid her relationship with her. Maisie wants so hard to be accepted, loved, and seen as special. Pops finally tells her on one occasion when she takes imitation overboard, “a tulip doesn’t struggle to be different from a rose.”
Bonus note: With a great detailed map of the park at the beginning and a list of the most important characters also at the beginning, I felt well-armed to tackle the book.
I received a copy of the book from Celebrate Lit via NetGalley. I bought my own pb copy for my keeper shelf. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.
Notable Quotables:
“she realized that seeing things differently was a gift, not a burden.”
“But holding on to anger isn’t doing you any favors.”…“It’s like a poison.”…“Forgiveness is the antidote.”
“what you’re looking for can’t be found within. Only outside ourselves. Only in God.”
“…he didn’t have to hang on to that hurt anymore.”
My Rating
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Superior! National parks story told in Fisher’s heart-warming, feels-like-a-hug-style, complete with a grizzly, romance, humor, faith, and a bit of mystery.
When everything is going right, something must go wrong
Vivienne Poppy’s plans are working out quite well. She’s run away from her family and the prospect of a horrid marriage of convenience and plans to spend her time writing under her pseudonym, Lady Larkby. Until she discovers the old Larkby title is not as dead as she thought.
Yeoman of the Guard and recently knighted Sir Sebastian Larkby is stunned to discover a Lady Larkby that he does not remember marrying. Suddenly Vivienne is left with a choice: relinquish her pen name, expose her true identity, and break Sebastian’s dying grandmother’s heart—or feign marriage to Sebastian to keep the title and fulfill the old woman’s wishes.
This witty novel from award-winning author Grace Hitchcock is filled with scandal, mishap, and just the right amount of romance.
“A rollicking Regency with romance, danger, humor, and unexpected plot twists you won’t want to miss!” —Crystal Caudill, Christy Award–winning author of Written in Secret
Grace Hitchcock is the award-winning author of multiple historical novels and novellas. She holds a Masters in Creative Writing and a Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in History. Grace lives in the New Orleans area with her husband, Dakota, sons, and daughter. Connect with her online at GraceHitchcock.com.
My Impressions
“You should know that I was born with an extra dose of curiosity. It has never been kind to me, and no matter how hard I try to tame it, I fail when it matters most.”
Ah, travel back to the merry land of England in Victorian times. Grace Hitchcock has captured the essence of the era well in her novel, To Kiss a Knight. All is genteel and well, unless one is…well, actually, one of several people in this book! The first is rather day-dreamy authoress Vivienne, who unexpectedly finds herself in a jam. Trying to escape an arranged marriage, her stagecoach is hijacked by a highwayman. She comes to consciousness, finding herself slung over his shoulder, traveling horseback. While looking for an escape, our intrepid heroine is thrilled for new ideas for her next book, which, of course, is written under a pseudonym, “Lady Larkby.” After being delivered home by a very kind highwayman (“Goldie the Highwayman,” though he prefers the name Bash), Vivienne begins to plan times for the community of Bath, to get to know her as her author alter-ego.
This is well and good, (and worth plenty of smiles) until the Highwayman also is found to have an alter-ego. His is Sir Sebastian Larkby, which would make him the husband of our authoress. And so, this lark of a tale gets more tangled. When Sebastian’s ill grandmother hears from a gossip that he has married, she rallies. What will happen to her health, precarious as it is, if she hears that it is all a ruse?
This novel has lots of Victorian atmosphere, many laughs, and of course, romance between two unlikely people, plus a dab of suspense. I enjoyed a few twists that Hitchcock threw in. I’ll be going back to read the first novel in the series, To Catch a Coronet, and I’ll be anxious for the third to come!
I received a copy of the book from the author and NetGalley. I also bought my own copy. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.
Notable Quotables:
“Some adventuring pays in dividends, and others in disaster.”– Bash
“After all, a fictitious wife required a fictitious romance.”
“A thief who cared for the poor and a lady’s honor was a conundrum.”
My Rating
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Magnificent! Great Victorian atmosphere, with plenty of clean romance, secrets, and suspense!
Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions 