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Relinquishing the Agent by Lorri Dudley Review and Giveaway

April 22, 2025April 22, 2025 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: Relinquishing the Agent

Author: Lorri Dudley

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: April 8, 2025

Can love bloom between a woman living a lie and a man sworn to uncover the truth?

Bluestocking Rebecca Leah Prestcote would prefer to hide in a library, searching for a cure to her sister’s ailment, over participating in London’s Season. But when her wealthy cousin demands Rebecca attend a house party as her, Rebecca cannot refuse. Her cousin intends to win the affection of the Marquis of Wolston and Rebecca is, after all, a charity case. When the Marquis unexpectedly arrives at the wrong party, Rebecca must uphold the ruse, or be caught in her cousin’s lie.

Daniel Elmsley, Marquis of Wolston, cannot let another target escape, not if he plans to catch the band of body snatchers and prove his worth as a spy. But when people at Lady Coburn’s house party go missing, his mission escalates to stopping a murderer. When he intercepts a letter meant to blackmail Lady Prestcote, he begins to wonder if the beguiling beauty may be involved in the conspiracy.

Singled out for Lord Wolston’s affections, Rebecca must maintain her web of deception and evade the investigation of the captivating marquis even while he ensnares her heart.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Lorri Dudleyhas been a finalist in numerous writing contests and has a master’s degree in Psychology. She lives in Ashland, Massachusetts with her husband and three teenage sons, where writing romance allows her an escape from her testosterone filled household.

More from Lorri

Listed among the Regency underworld of housebreakers, Thames pirates, sneaks (pickpockets), Covent Garden nuns (prostitutes), vagrants, and ruffians are another class of evil-doers called resurrection men, also known as sack-‘em-up men or body snatchers. The dark industry of grave robbing blossomed in the early 1800s and was thrust into the public’s eye by the notorious Burke and Hare murders in 1831. While my story takes place earlier, in 1817, the laws and practices were already in place before Burke and his accomplice were arrested.

In the early 1800s, the academic field of anatomy and physiology started to break new ground with the invention of the stethoscope and the first open heart surgeries (not all successful). Many of these breakthroughs developed as a result of the dissection of human cadavers. Fresh bodies became a hot commodity, but by law, the only bodies legally designated for dissection were those of hung criminals. Demand outweighed the supply, and an underground market for grave robbing grew as academics handsomely paid resurrection men to dig up specimens. The fresher the body, the higher the earnings, which ultimately led to the ugly intent of murder.

Why would a Christian author want to write about a horrific topic like body snatching?

While my story doesn’t go into any gory details (I get woozy at the sight of blood), Rebecca and Daniel’s story allowed me to dive into the concept that we all have intrinsic worth. The victims of Burke and Hare were people society had forgotten—people who were expected to go unnoticed if they disappeared. But those victims were image bearers of God. Jesus proved their value by dying for them on the cross. They are not forgotten because God knit them together in their mother’s womb, knows every hair on their heads, and has carved their names into the palms of His hands.

Rebecca and Daniel’s love story, with mystery, espionage, and romance mixed in, demonstrates how God’s power is made perfect in weakness. While Lady Coburn’s excentric party guests and the victims of the villainous resurrection men exemplify that worth isn’t based on works, popularity, or lineage but on the sacrifice Jesus made for them.

Enjoy!

Click to watch Relinquishing the Agent’s book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4BwfvZiNLM

My Impressions

“Indeed, we’ve been dealt challenges that we wouldn’t have chosen, but God uses them. He has a plan for you—for us—in the middle of these storms. We must keep our eyes open for what God is doing.”

This!! This is perhaps my fave quote from Relinquishing the Agent, because it applies so well to Rebecca’s questions of how God could let bad things happen to people who love Him. It applies to Daniel’s (the esteemed and sought after Marquis of Wolston) frustrations as he seeks to prove himself to the “Home Office” and his grandfather who sees him as weak. It applies to us today, as we move through life, and life is not what we expected. How I love an exciting, romantic, historical suspense which has several such truth nuggets embedded for the finding! Relinquishing the Agent by Lorri Dudley far exceeded my expectations!!

Themes: Every person is equal before God. All human life is sacred and valuable. God can redeem even the most depraved, if they turn to him in repentance. Don’t try to be a Lone Ranger. It often takes teamwork to be successful. God’s power is made perfect in weakness.

Travel back with Dudley to the time of England in the early 1800s. Poor relation Rebecca Prestcote is to stay with her wealthy socialite cousin, Lady Corinne Prestcote, and debut in the upcoming London season with her. Finding herself booked for an “undesirable” party vs. one where the much-sought after single Marquis is rumored to attend, the look-alike cousins trade places.Rebecca attends Lady Coburn’s party as Corinne, and quickly discovers a guest list of misfits. No wonder Corinne didn’t want to attend! Rebecca is thrilled to discover a doctor whose specialty is the workings of the heart, given her mother died from heart issues and her sister is developing the same issues. Rebecca tries hard to capture the doctor’s attention, and to be able to hold intelligent discussions with him, but he holds to the standard ideas of the time that the female mind is too weak to understand such things. Little does Rebecca realize until too late that her “bluestocking” ways of thirsting for knowledge, and asking questions endanger her own heart as well as her life!

Historical morés, the historical problem of body snatchers, and sometimes outright murder to provide cadavers for scientific advancement are all addressed in the this true-to-the-times historical romance. The themes are easy to pick out. Every person is equal before God. All human life is sacred and valuable. God can redeem even the most depraved, if they turn to him in repentance. Don’t try to be a Lone Ranger. It often takes teamwork to be successful. God’s power is made perfect in weakness.

I loved the growth of the characters, the suspense and mystery, the idea of found family in unexpected places, and the “But God…” transformations of a few lives! Don’t miss this wonderful, fact-and-Faith based historical romance!!

I received a copy of the book from Celebrate Lit. I also bought my own copy. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“Knowledge is learned, but wisdom is granted by God and must be lived.”- Rebecca’s mama

“We are on this earth to love. Love is the point.”

“Save the world?”…“But if you could save one person? Would it be worth it?” “Yes.”…“Then focus on saving one.”

“God’s mercy went against his sense of justice,”

“A human life shouldn’t be spoken of as a commodity.”

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Superb!! So many themes applicable for today’s life while we learn history and are entertained!!

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, April 22

Pens Pages & Pulses, April 22

Melissa’s Bookshelf, April 23

Betti Mace, April 23

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 24

She Lives To Read, April 25

lakesidelivingsite, April 26

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 26

Texas Book-aholic, April 27

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 28

For Him and My Family, April 28

Devoted To Hope, April 29

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 30

Book Looks by Lisa, May 1

Holly’s Book Corner, May 2

Cover Lover Book Review, May 3

Bizwings Book Blog, May 4

Pause for Tales, May 4

Stories By Gina, May 5 (Author Interview)

Roads to Everywhere, May 5

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Lorri is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

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

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54202

ARC, BLOG, Favorite, Kindle, Kregel, Launch Team, NetGalley, PB, Purchase

The Accused by Cara Putman Review

April 18, 2025 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Title: The Accused

Series: Secrets to Keep, #2

Author: Cara Putman

Publisher: Kregel

Released: April 15, 2025

Genre: Legal Thriller

A brilliant novel that fans of the genre won’t want to miss!”
—Tosca Lee, New York Times best-selling author of The Line Between

When a popular college student is murdered, her international roommate, Anneliese, becomes a prime suspect. But law professor Margeaux Robbins doesn’t believe that the quiet, lonely German girl in her class is the killer.

Chase Crandall is a burned-out defense attorney ready to extricate himself from the grind of criminal law. After he loses a client to tragedy, he’s ready for an in-house corporate position.

When Chase is assigned to Anneliese’s case, Margeaux is horrified. She doesn’t want him to provide legal counsel—not after what happened to his past client. And not with the evidence incriminating Anneliese.

Despite their mutual misgivings, the lawyer and professor pair up to find the killer and prove Anneliese’s innocence. Will they be able to untangle the mystery—and navigate their growing interest in one another—before the wrong person is charged with murder?”Gripping and brimming with chemistry, this novel will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page.”
—Lynette Eason, best-selling and award-winning author of the Lake City Heroes series

Purchase here:

https://mybook.to/IadZm

About the Author

Since the time I could read Nancy Drew, I have wanted to write mysteries. In 2005 I attended a book signing at my local Christian bookstore. The rest, as they say, is history. There I met Colleen Coble. With prompting from my husband, I shared my dream with Colleen. Since those infamous words, I’ve been writing award-winning books with the count currently climbing to 40 published and more in the works.

In addition to writing, I am a mom of four, attorney, Clinical Associate Professor at a Big Ten university who also runs a center, and all around crazy woman. Crazy about God, my husband, and my kids. I graduated with honors from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (Go Huskers!), George Mason Law School, and Purdue University’s MBA program. You can learn more about my books on my website, which is easy to find because it’s simply my name dot com. And if you’d like to read my legal suspense novella, Dying for Love, simply connect with me on my website, and I’ll send you the link.

My Impressions

“Sometimes you have to do what’s right even when it could cost you everything.”

Stunned! That was my reaction on finishing The Accused, a legal thriller by Cara Putman. A spin on the Amanda Knox case of a few years ago, my heart was in my throat nearly all the way through the book.

Putman starts out by introducing us to the two main characters, Margeaux Robbins and Chase Crandall. Margeaux teaches law at a small college, cares deeply for her students, but has no courtroom experience. Chase, conversely, is a burnt-out court-appointed criminal defense lawyer who doesn’t appear to care much about his clients.

When German exchange student Annaliese is arrested for murder of her roommate, she contacts Margeaux, who cannot help…not only is she not qualified for the courtroom, as Chase so quickly points out, but Annaliese won’t confide in Margeaux or anyone.

Each doubting the other’s legal abilities, Chase and Margeaux team up to defend Annaliese in court. Strange, given their mistrust of each other. “I wonder which is more important to the attorney. Justice? Or the truth? Because sometimes they get in the way of each other when we’re trying to live by ‘innocent until proven guilty.’” However, both lawyers begin to see Annaliese as worth defending, although the doubts of her innocence start to creep in. The evidence is invariably confusing and Annaliese won’t talk.

I wasn’t sure I would survive the stress until it was all sorted out. Or if I would like the outcome. I was certainly left slack-jawed at Putman’s ability to create a legal thriller with so many twists and turns.

I like how faith was an integral part of the novel . Margeaux’s past has made her slow to believe God is always with her. Chase has turned away. With the stakes so high, will the two do things their own way or look to God for help?

I received a copy of the book from the author and publisher. I also bought my own copy. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“God should never be her last resort, yet he often was.”

“Slowly she sensed his peace flowing into her, reminding her that even when she forgot to turn to him first, he was still working and waiting for her to remember. She was never built to be an island. And even if she was alone, she wasn’t ever alone.”

“Emotion is dangerous in my line of work…I have to keep a tight grip on logic to defend my clients.”

“A simple twist here and another twist there and suddenly constitutional protections disappeared, lost in meaningless legal wrangling.”

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Superb! Nail-biting suspense! I never saw the end coming!!

ARC, BLOG, Favorite, Kindle, NetGalley, Purchase, Thomas Nelson

Some Like it Scot Review and Giveaway

April 11, 2025April 11, 2025 Babbling Becky L

Welcome to the Takeover + Review Blitz for Some Like it Scot by Pepper Basham hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Some Like it Scot
Author: Pepper Basham
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Release Date: April 8, 2025
Genre: Christian Contemporary Romance

She lives her life on the fly. His heart is double-knotted to home. Can two different souls create a life together?

Popular travel writer and podcaster Katie Campbell roams the world collecting other people’s stories. She’s built a career as “Miss Adventure,” known for saying yes to anything new–country, food, or experience–and predictably finding those adventures taking a downward turn into misadventures.

Offered the chance to explore her ancestral roots through a three-week Edwardian experience, Katie finds herself immersed in the beauty and eccentricity of Scotland. In her period attire, with traditional foods and activities, the opportunities for misadventures are endless, especially with the presence of a maniacal macaw, a jealous co-worker, and an all-too-surly Scotsman.

Reclusive and protective Graeme MacKerrow doesn’t venture far from his island home. A stoic Scotsman, Graeme’s comfort zone has always been family, and after his sister’s death, he’s even more determined to save the MacKerrow ancestral home and keep those he loves close. The sudden intrusion of a six-foot-one American lass, famous for her traveling misfortunes, was far from his plan.

As this world of folklore, community, and woodworkers-in-kilts tempts Katie to discover her own story, could this one grand series of misadventures lead her directly to where she belongs? And would a settled-in-Scot ever risk loosening his grip on what’s familiar to allow a wanderlust writer a home in his heart? How could their very different worlds share the same page of life’s story when “home” is in two very different places? But maybe home–and the future–isn’t quite what either one imagined it would be. Maybe home is less about a place . . . and more about a person.

Also Available:

About the Author

Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes romance “peppered” with grace and humor. Writing both historical and contemporary novels, she loves to incorporate her native Appalachian culture and/or her unabashed adoration of the UK into her stories. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC, where she is the wife of a fantastic pastor, the mom of five great kids, a speech-language pathologist, and a lover of chocolate, jazz, hats, and Jesus.

Connect with Pepper by visiting pepperdbasham.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

My Impressions

“My value wasn’t measured by her behavior. Or my mistakes. It was measured by God’s love. A love I couldn’t out-fail. Ever.”

May I say this quote above made me cry as it is something I need to remember often, when my mind takes me places it doesn’t need to stay. Like Katie, I need to find my ultimate value in God, not what others may have said to me.

Hairy coos, puffins, a few exotic pets, an Edwardian Era adventure, an adorable ten-year-old, an American travel writer in Scotland, and a #hotScot!! Whew!! That’s a lot!! Mix them all up with a touch of faith, dependably but step-by-step guiding the characters through their choices and messes ( this *is* the social media phenomenon known as Miss Adventure for a reason),and we have a wonderfully endearing, humorous story that you will be sorry to close the book on.

Scotland, with its nearly constant (as I read it)mist or rain has never been high on my travel list. But Pepper Basham is so talented, that in Some Like it Scot, she could convince the biggest naysayer that Scotland has a rugged beauty that needs to be seen, smelled, and felt! Not to mention meeting the #hotScot! A totally infuriating, standoffish, confusing, and ultimately, just maybe attractive #hotScot !

With a dysfunctional family in her background, our heroine Katie is desperately searching for a sense of belonging and home. A conversation with her brother highlights this. “What if Scotland is the place you’ve been searching for?…Home, Katie. We’re all trying to find it.…Sometimes it’s a place. Sometimes it’s a person. Sometimes it’s both.”

When Katie finally realizes her sense of home, will she accept it, or will she attempt to run? ( We often recreate the familiar, even to our own hurt!)

Fave character? Obviously, the two main characters are the winners here. But Mirren, with her soul-piercing discernment and unconditional love has got to be a close second!! And the Highlander Coo! ( I must say that Moolatté is disappointed in this representation of her adorable breed!) Could it be, that animals, and people, have inward qualities that cannot be judged by outward appearances? Katie can see this as relates to the #hotScot, but she has difficulty understanding how others see her because of who God made her to be. Will she be free to be herself, or will she forever be trapped trying to conform to ghosts of impossible expectations? This is a hilarious, must-read book!!

I received a copy of the book from JustRead Tours via NetGalley. I also bought my own ecopy. ( But I need the pb- this is one for the keeper shelf!!) No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“Love lingers long.”- Mirren

“Graeme, it’s not about your hold on God. It’s about His hold on you.”- Greer

“When you know you’re loved, it changes everything.”

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Superior!! (My version of six stars!) Who knew I could become a rom-com fan? Are you?

Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a print copy of Some Like it Scot and hairy coo themed gift box!

(1) additional winner will receive a print copy of Some Like it Scot!

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight April 9, 2025 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on April 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.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

Enter Giveaway

Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

ARC, Bethany House, BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour, Kindle, NetGalley, Purchase

Dawn of Grace by Jill Eileen Smith Review and Giveaway

April 8, 2025April 10, 2025 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: Dawn of Grace: Mary Magdalene’s Story

Author: Jill Eileen Smith

Genre: FICTION / Christian / Biblical

Release date: February 18, 2025

From her earliest days, Mary Magdalene has known fear and loss at a level so deep she has no hope of surfacing. Bound to the demons within her and incapable of freeing herself, Mary walks in shadow–until one day she encounters a healer, a rabbi who is radically different from the religious leaders and family members who could do nothing to help her. One touch from Jesus and Mary is never the same.

Now Mary’s one mission in life is to serve the one who freed her. She is determined never to leave his side, fearing that if she loses him, she’ll return to her former bondage. Even when the unthinkable happens and her savior is arrested and sentenced to execution, she cannot abandon him as so many others did. Let her be buried in his tomb, for she cannot live without him.

On the brink of despair, Mary is about to discover that while the life of faith is never perfect, perfect love casts out fear–and Jesus makes all things new.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Jill Eileen Smith is the bestselling and award-winning author of the biblical fiction series The Wives of King David, Wives of the Patriarchs, and Daughters of the Promised Land, as well as The Heart of a King, Star of Persia: Esther’s Story, Miriam’s Song, The Prince and the Prodigal, Daughter of Eden, and The Ark and the Dove. Her research has taken her from the Bible to Israel, and she particularly enjoys learning how women lived in biblical times. Jill lives with her family in Michigan.

More from Jill

Dawn of Grace, Mary Magdalene’s story, is a biblical novel based on the life of Mary Magdalene. Step into first century Israel during the time of Jesus Christ and meet the woman whom Jesus healed from demon possession. See how her life went from one of despair to one of grace.

We learn, through Mary’s point of view, what it might have been like to follow the rabbi, Jesus, throughout Galilee and Judea for at least part of His ministry. She is with Him as often as possible, and one of the few women in His circle who stayed with Him all the way to the cross—and watched Him die.

In her grief, Mary learned where they buried Him and determined to return after Shabbat to anoint His beloved body one more time. But when she arrived, He was not where they had lain Him. Distraught, Mary searches for answers until she hears Jesus call her name. She is the first to see the resurrected Messiah, and she is never the same again.

In Dawn of Grace, we imagine how the things we read about in the gospels might have played out through Mary’s eyes. The Bible tells us that she helped support His ministry out of her means, and she is mentioned often as one of His devoted followers. What emotions did she experience as she went from learning about a coming kingdom to hearing her Messiah speak about His coming death and resurrection? The men didn’t understand. Did she? What did she feel in that moment when she thought all hope was lost?

I hope you will gain a new perspective of what it might have been like for one of the New Testament’s most famous women, one who lived in a world where women were not given much notice or status. Yet Jesus included them, and even elevated them. The Scriptures tell us that there is no difference between male and female in God’s eyes. He loves us all. Mary got the chance to see God’s care for her and all women in a way she never expected. God’s love for all is the same today.

My Impressions

“Freedom coursed through me. This man, Jesus—I didn’t know who he was or where he came from, but one thing was certain. No one had ever helped me like he had. I never wanted to leave his side.”

Jill Eileen Smith authors a well-researched, Scripture-based fictional account of Mary Magdalene that will have you amazed, terrified, and wondering. You will be amazed by the miracles Jesus does as they are fleshed out with details that truly bring them to life. You will be terrified for Mary as you see her descent into demonic oppression and get a better grip on the horrors that began to be an unpredictable part of her life, until she wishes for death. You will be left struggling with the reality of Jesus’s predictions of his death, wondering how much you might understand if His teachings and miracles were a new thing. What if the Bible were happening before your eyes, not something well-known, documented, and read and learned. I read with fresh eyes as the disciples and others see multiple miracles and still struggle to process it all, to believe Jesus is really the Son of God as He claims. And then the seemingly contradictory statements. As much as possible, Smith has Jesus speaking using Bible passages, in a concerted effort to avoid any conflict with Scripture. It is so interesting to view Jesus’s ministry from a woman’s point of view- so many emotions while the men reasoned and argued.

I found it especially interesting to see how Smith handles a few things, like Mary’s need for deep love. “What I really wanted, I didn’t have. I wanted someone to love me.”As Mary follows Jesus, she has accepted that He truly loves her, but she deals with the human emotion of trying to understand how God can love all people equally, when people naturally want to be the most important in a relationship. Can God love Mary ( and us) specially, uniquely, but still love others with the same intensity? Does His love spur us on to do for Him as it did Mary? And doubts. Can we have doubts? I loved how Smith imagines Jesus addressing the disciples’ doubts: “It is not wrong to have doubts and confusion, Philip.”… “It is what you do with your doubts and confusion that matters. Do they lead you to me, to faith and to seeking the Father, or do they push you to go your own way?”

I received a copy of the book from the publisher through Celebrate Lit via NetGalley. I also bought my own copy. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“We all have a past, Mary,” he said softly. “Everyone needs Jesus to forgive them of something. If we were all holy as God is holy, we wouldn’t need him.”

-Joseph Justus

“I did not come to make friends with those who think they are righteous. I came to save those who know they are not,”

“To realize Jesus accepted the worst members of society comforted me in a way I could not explain.”

“I think we need him far more than he needs us.”

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Magnificent! You’ll see Mary Magdalene and Jesus’s Ministry with New Eyes!

Blog Stops

Inspired by Fiction, April 3

Lights in a Dark World, April 3

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 4

Texas Book-aholic, April 5

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 6

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, April 7

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 8

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, April 9

Life on Chickadee Lane, April 9

Stories By Gina, April 10 (Author Interview)

Devoted Steps, April 10

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 11

Cover Lover Book Review, April 12

For Him and My Family, April 13

Pause for Tales, April 14

EmpowerMoms, April 14

She Lives To Read, April 15

Holly’s Book Corner, April 16

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Jill is giving away the grand prize of a $15 Amazon gift card and a paperback copy of the book!!

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

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54191

ARC, Bethany House, Biblical Fiction, BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour, Favorite, Kindle, Launch Team, NetGalley, Purchase

Before the King by Heather Kaufman Review and Giveaway

April 8, 2025 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: Before the King: Joanna’s Story (Women of the Way Book 2)

Author: Heather Kaufman

Genre: FICTION / Christian / Biblical

Release date: January 21, 2025

Joanna’s wealthy family aspires to Herod’s inner circle, but when her father’s esteemed position in the Sepphoris Sanhedrin is threatened, her family harbors a dark secret. Entangled in the complexities of aristocratic life and an impending arranged marriage, Joanna is caught between her own desires and maintaining appearances. When tragedy strikes, Joanna grapples with a new future that challenges her sense of duty and hope for love.

Years later, Joanna is forever changed when a rabbi comes preaching a new kingdom and healing the sick. As she contributes to his ministry, Joanna treads a perilous path between a court that mocks Jesus of Nazareth, disciples who view her with suspicion, and a husband who guards his own secrets. With pressure increasing on all sides, Joanna must decide where her allegiances lie and protect her relationship to the Christ, whose message is as compelling as it is dangerous.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Heather Kaufman is the author of multiple books and devotions, praised by Kirkus Reviews for writing “a charming and well-crafted tale.” She delights in highlighting the goodness of God through storytelling. When not reading, writing, or accumulating mounds of books, Heather can be found exploring new parks with her husband and three children near their home in St. Louis, Missouri.

More from Heather

Hello, Fellow Book Lover!

My heart behind the Women of the Way series is to highlight the beauty of Jesus through the eyes of some of his lesser-known female followers. In Before the King, we behold Jesus through the eyes of Joanna. Although she’s only named twice in Scripture, the little we do know about her is compelling. In Luke 8:1-3, we discover that Joanna was healed by Jesus of an infirmity and then followed him, supporting his ministry from her own means. What’s so shocking is that she’s the wife of Chuza, Herod Antipas’ steward! During my research, I discovered that her husband’s position is better translated “procurator,” someone in charge of financial affairs. Such a position suggests that Chuza was a prominent man within Herod’s administration. But the surprises don’t end there! My research also indicated that Chuza was most likely Nabatean. Nestled just southeast of Herod’s own territory of Perea, Nabatea was a major world power at the time of Christ.

The more I researched, the more my jaw dropped to the ground. How did a Jewish woman married to a prominent Gentile within Herod’s administration come to support Jesus of Nazareth? Did her husband know? Did he approve? Did Herod himself ever find out? You’ll have to read Before the King to see just where my imagination took me!

I depict Joanna as caught between two courts—that of Herod Antipas and that of Jesus Christ. She chooses to risk everything for her faith and that choice pays off. The second time we see Joanna in Scripture is in Luke 24:10 as an eyewitness to the empty tomb. Not only did she behold the empty tomb, she gazed upon the risen Christ, for in Matthew 28:9 we read that as the women left, they encountered Jesus himself. What an amazing privilege to be one of the first to meet the risen Lord in the flesh!

I hope Joanna’s story encourages you to live a bold faith that clings to Christ, despite opposition. Our world now isn’t so different from hers then. Christ’s Kingdom is still advancing in the midst of political unrest, social division, and rampant greed. May we pin our hopes upon King Jesus, who is worthy of our devotion. Like Joanna, may we place all we have within his hands, deeming him worthy of the cost.

While you read, consider listening to the Before the King playlist! It’s full of inspirational music that ties into the themes from the book. Give it a listen HERE. Happy reading (and listening)!

Surrendering with you to Him,

Heather

My Impressions

“I have to believe,” came her simple reply. “In order to live, I have to believe that He is present and that He cares.”- Dalia

What a Biblical fiction adventure this book is! Before the King: Joanna’s Story by Heather Kaufman brings us into an influential Jewish family’s life during the time of Herod Antipas and Jesus. ( Having read Kaufman’s debut Biblical novel, Up from Dust: Martha’s story, I knew I wanted to read Kaufman’s second novel, too!)

“I am an ordinary woman whom God chose to put in extraordinary places. Any strength to be found in my story is His alone. I only did what I could with what I had, and this, I now know, is how His Kingdom advances. Each of us doing what we can with what we have by His power. So no, I am not brave. I am needy—desperate for Adonai to meet me with His strength. My story is how He did just that.”- Prologues can be wealths of information, tone, and general direction setting of the novel. Kaufman’s prologues are not to be missed!

Though the story is told in first-person by Joanna, I find Joanna’s sister Dalia very central to the novel. Dalia has a serious illness, and the family decides to hide that fact in order to prosper in Herod’s court. Joanna rises to prominence and hopes for an advantageous love-match, yet her sister is never far from her mind. How can one sister have nothing and yet be happy, while the other has the world at her fingertips, and is still searching for that elusive feeling?

I love this novel because it shows how Jesus can reach down and touch any life, transforming even one that seems hopeless. It also shows, as does Kaufman’s debut novel, how Jesus cares about women’s needs for love, significance, and security: needs that were totally ignored and trampled in that society.

I received a copy of the book from the author and publisher through Celebrate Lit via NetGalley. I also bought my own copy for the keeper shelf . No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“You are frightened to accept God’s abundance, as was I once. You say His mercy is what drew you to Him, and yet you push that mercy back in His face.”

“Then we would be in God’s hands—…“An infinite God who promises His presence is worth trusting.”

“You must release them from whatever untruths they knowingly or unknowingly harbored. You must do this for yourself.”

“What do we do when God doesn’t give us what we want?”“Well . . .” Dalia had scrunched up her nose in thought. “I suppose we trust Him to give us what we need instead.” “But what if He doesn’t answer us at all?” “Oh, He does, Jojo. You just may not hear it because it’s not what you expected.”

“God is as near as our own breath.”

“What others think of me has no bearing on who I am…What people think changes all the time. What is true never changes.” -Dalia

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Superior!! Heather Kaufman’s Biblical fiction is not to be missed!!

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 2

Stories By Gina, April 3 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, April 3

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 4

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 5

Life on Chickadee Lane, April 6

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 7

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, April 8

She Lives to Read, April 8

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impression, April 9

Cover Lover Book Review, April 9

Lily’s Corner, April 10

Bigreadersite, April 11

Inspired by Fiction, April 11

For Him and My Family, April 12

Pause for Tales, April 13

EmpowerMoms, April 13

Holly’s Book Corner, April 14

Inklings and notions , April 15

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Heather is giving away the grand prize of a $15 Amazon gift card and a paperback copy of the book!!

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

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54190

ARC, Bethany House, BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour, Favorite, Kindle, NetGalley, PB, Purchase

The Daughter of Rome by Angela Hunt Review and Giveaway

April 3, 2025 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: The Daughter of Rome (The Emissaries Book 3)

Author: Angela Hunt

Genre: FICTION / Christian / Biblical

Release date: March 4, 2025

In Nero’s Rome, Calandra helps her father, a renowned sculptor, complete the most significant commission of his illustrious career. But then a catastrophic fire nearly destroys the imperial city, leaving Calandra reliant on a group of Christians–unusual individuals unlike any she has encountered before. Intrigued by their worship of the Son of an invisible God, Calandra grapples with her mistrust, only to find herself indebted to these believers as they help her rebuild her shattered world.

When Emperor Nero begins constructing his opulent Golden House, the people of Rome grow resentful, suspecting him of starting the fire in order to clear the land for his immense palace. Needing a scapegoat, Nero points at those who follow the Jewish Messiah, forcing Calandra to make an impossible choice between right and wrong, friends and family, love and death.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Angela Hunt is a New York Times bestselling author of more than 160 books, with nearly 6 million copies sold worldwide. Angela’s novels have won or been nominated for the RWA RITA Award, the Christy Award, the ECPA Christian Book Award, and the HOLT Medallion. Four of her novels have received ForeWord Magazine‘s Book of the Year Award, and Angela is the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from both the Romantic Times Book Club and ACFW. Angela holds doctorates in biblical studies and theology. She and her husband make their home in Florida with mastiffs and chickens.

More from Angela

Dear Reader:

Thank you for joining me on this blog tour for THE DAUGHTER OF ROME, book three in the Emissaries series. The book stands alone, but it includes characters from books one and two, so people who have read those books will have a fuller understanding of who those people are. But no worries! If you haven’t read the first two books, you’ll still have no problem reading THE DAUGHTER OF ROME.

When I shaped the idea for this series, I had just finished The Jerusalem Road books, which centered on Jews who lived during Jesus’ life and ministry. I wanted to keep writing in this time period, so I shifted my focus from the Jews to the Gentiles—specifically, the people who came to faith through Paul’s ministry.

The first book in the series, THE WOMAN FROM LYDIA, is concerned with the seller of purple who hosted the Philippian church in her home. The second book, THE SISTERS OF CORINTH, features two competing sisters who lived, naturally, in Corinth. And the third book, THE DAUGHTER OF ROME, is about a young sculptress who lives in Rome during the time of Nero.

I have been fascinated by this time period ever since reading THE SILVER CHALICE and THE ROBE in my childhood. What would it have been like, I wondered, to live in a time when you could be executed simply for saying you believed in Jesus? Americans don’t really know what that’s like, but people in other parts of the world still deal with that danger today. The Bible tells us that this kind of danger is not going away—it will be prevalent during the end times as well. So I wanted to explore the world of the ancient Romans, and hoped to pull some lessons from it that will apply to us today.

I’ve also been amazed at what we can still see of ancient Greek and Roman art—how did they sculpt those massive statues? One such work, the Colossus, was so large it stood in the harbor and ships reportedly entered beneath it!

THE DAUGHTER OF ROME features one other fascinating element—a question that garners as much debate as “who killed JFK?” The story takes place during the time that the Great Fire of Rome nearly leveled the entire city, and to this day, no one is certain how it began. The people blamed Nero, Nero blamed the Christians, and it may have been a kid illegally cooking his dinner at the racetrack.

I hope you’ll enjoy reading the story as much as I did writing it. Thanks for coming along on the tour!

Angela Hunt

My Impressions

“I am a daughter of Rome,” I said, “so I will trust the gods of Rome for my future.”

I’ve been waiting 9 months ( half of forever!) for this book!! Third in The Emissaries series by Angela Hunt, The Daughter of Rome does answer the questions from the second book, The Sisters of Corinth. However, the main characters are not the same, and there is enough back story provided to let a first-time reader enjoy the book, too. Still, the completed storyline is richer if the secondary characters are already your friends.

Callandra is a young woman , yet unmarried, who lives with her widowed and accomplished sculptor father. Callandra assists her father in his work and also paints the sculptures.

Having read book two, I was certain that, as this novel occurs in the time of Nero and great persecution, it could be a hard book to read. It is, but it is also so compelling, romantic, and chock-ful of history and Bible passages, too! And, so worth it!!

(A side note, there seem to be some parallels to the time of Elijah and the persecution of followers of God under Ahab and Jezebel. )

Callandra and her father are hired to sculpt a bust of a leading Roman senator. When he is pleased with the result, he hires Callandra and her father to produce an auspicious work. In their dealings, Callandra meets the senator’s compassionate and kind son, Hadrian. While a mutual attraction develops, any romance between the two is impossible because one is a patrician and one, a plebeian.

And then, the great fire of Rome occurs and changes all of their lives. The fire sends Callandra and her father fleeing across the river for their lives. One group of people is welcoming. The same group that Hadrian, by his father’s command, keeps under house arrest unless they will change their beliefs.

It is so beautiful to see the way both the Jewish and Greek Christians freely love, share, and witness. Their generosity in all areas attracts and effects change in many. Many try to reason with Callandra, who is embittered by the losses caused by the fire. “When I had sight, I was blind to the Creator of the world, but as a blind man I began to glimpse His hand. Now I see Him working every day.” But Callandra hangs on to her Roman gods.

As Nero looks for scapegoats for the fire, the Christians make a convenient target. This was especially hard to read, as many of these are now people I think of as friends. The Christians could hold strong, because they believed, “Death is not our enemy; it is a journey to Adonai.” The question becomes, though, as these Christians remain faithful, does God see? Was He watching over these? What response will Callandra, Hadrian, and others who moved and interacted among these people have? Which gods or God will prove to love the people and care for them?

My fave secondary characters were many. Priscilla, Petros, and Mariana and Marcus from the previous book.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher through Celebrate Lit via NetGalley. I also bought my own copy. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“I am not the man I used to be, and my life is no longer my own.”

“Don’t ask for Adonai’s will, I wanted to shout, and promise you’ll do something for him if he does something for you. But Adonai did not operate like the Roman gods. Adonai demanded that his followers surrender everything to his control.”

“Adonai does not live to serve us. We live to serve Him.”

“Adonai always preserves a remnant. Always.”

“I prayed for Adonai to change my poor eyes, and He changed me instead.”

“Art was about more than size. Art was about beauty and design and its ability to provoke thought .”

“And I am content to remain in whatever state Nero confines me, for Adonai rules over kings and emperors.”

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Superior!! Grab the tissues as you learn more about Nero’s Rome and evaluate your own faith!!

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, April 4

Batya’s Bits , April 4

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 5

Mary Hake, April 5

Texas Book-aholic, April 6

Inspired by Fiction, April 7

She Lives To Read, April 7

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 8

Lily’s Corner, April 9

Lots of Helpers, April 9

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, April 10

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 11

EmpowerMoms, April 11

Devoted To Hope, April 12

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 13

Books Less Travelled, April 13

Devoted Steps, April 14

Sylvan Musings, April 15

Holly’s Book Corner, April 15

Cover Lover Book Review, April 16

For Him and My Family, April 17

Pause for Tales, April 17

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Angela is giving away the grand prize of a $25 gift card to Baker Book House’s website and a paperback copy of the book!!

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

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54192

ARC, Bethany House, BLOG, Just Read Tours, Kindle, NetGalley, Purchase

Kate Landry Has a Plan by Rebekah Millet Review and Giveaway

March 28, 2025March 28, 2025 Babbling Becky L

Welcome to the Takeover + Review Blitz for Kate Landry Has a Plan by Rebekah Millet hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Kate Landry Has a Plan
Series: Beignets for Two #2
Author: Rebekah Millet
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Release Date: March 18, 2025
Genre: Contemporary Christian Romance

Forty-year-old Kate Landry’s carefully planned life has become as messy as the powdered sugar on her famous beignets. Juggling the responsibilities of running her café, raising her teenage niece, and the emotional baggage from her breakup, Kate finds her world once again turned upside down when her first-ever crush, Micah Guidry, returns to town as the hunky local librarian.

As Kate struggles to implement her plans to expand her café amid the New Orleans Mardi Gras madness and the meddling of her conniving ex-fiancé, Micah becomes the unwitting hero of her misadventures, stirring up feelings she thought she’d long buried. How can falling in love in the Big Easy be this hard?

More Books from this Series:

About the Author

Rebekah Millet is a double Selah Award, Cascade Award, and ACFW First Impressions Award-winning author of contemporary Christian romance novels. A New Orleans native, she grew up on beignets and café au lait, and loves infusing her colorful culture into her stories. Her husband is an answer to prayer, who puts up with her rearranging furniture and being a serial plant killer. Her two sons keep her laughing and share in her love of desserts.

Connect with Rebekah by visiting RebekahMillet.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

My Impressions

“Cowering Chihuahuas!” “Pitiful pit bulls!” and a “bridal bouquet targeting me like a deployed missle.” Oy, vey, mix very creative clean swearing with hilarious, slightly sardonic attitude of our forty-something single narrator, you know we’re in for a barrel of laughs with Kate Landry Has a Plan, penned by the fabulous Rebekah Millet. Add in a setting of a St. Charles St. ( middle of Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans)café, a best friend who is a love- life meddler, a jr. high school crush returned 20 years later, ooh, la, la!! Laissez le bon temps rouler!! ( Let the good times roll!)

What amazes me, is that in the midst of these laugh-a minute- pages, are tucked in faith nuggets and truths that Micah ( the jr. high crush returned as local librarian), Julia ( bff), and Mariah, the once-jilted narrator, share and ruminate on. After all, Kate Landry and her now-deceased sister had a plan for their lives. And Kate is bound and determined to follow it. But as Kate pursues her path, she puts at risk her friendships, a chance at a new love, and her relationship with her adopted teenage niece.

Julia confronts her. “‘Have you been praying on this?’Gentleness layered her tone. A dull ache began throbbing in my head. ‘Of course.’ ‘And listening for direction?’ ‘Yes.’ I rested my elbows on the table, massaging my temples. ‘And I’m not hearing anything.’ ‘Maybe you need to give it more time.’” How many times do we go ahead and act, after praying, when we haven’t heard an answer? Our earthly timeline becomes more important than God’s ability to see the future and map out the perfect plan.

And my heart hurt. Both Kate and Micah have painful pasts, plus Kate has helicopter parents who are still trying to squish her into a very shallow mold. I watched a Kate gets busier and busier with her plan ( ouch) disregarding godly advice from friends.

But don’t be fooled! Just because there are solid faith moments, the laughs never stop!! ( And how better to help us remember those important parts!) Meet C’est Fou ( gotta love that name!!), an animal bane of Kate’s existence. Or the “ugly” pet Kate had to put up with (although I take offense, as a lover of that breed). As Kate’s mind spins between the ugly physical practical animal issues, her out-of-control business, will she lose sight of the plan God has for her?

I did not get a chance to read the first book in the series, Julia Monroe begins Again. Mistake. This book can be enjoyed without the first, but it would be so much richer knowing Julia’s story first and how Kate figures into that!

Fave secondary character? Probably Julia, possibly Mrs. Adélaide.

I received a copy of the book from JustRead Tours via NetGalley. I also bought my own book. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“You don’t need an apology from someone to forgive them. And believe me, in this case, forgiving Ryan isn’t for him. It’s for you.”– Julia

“Just because God says not now, doesn’t mean not ever.”- Julia

“…you like helping people’s dreams come true.” – Micah

“You’ve got this, because God has you.”- Mayté

“Instead of praying and truly listening, I’d run headlong into my selfish desires. My old, sinful nature wanted control. But time after time, God had proven His ways were perfect for me.” – Kate

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Superb!! I expect this novel to win a Christy!!

Tour Giveaway

1) winner will receive a print copy of Julia Monroe Begins Again, Kate Landry Has a Plan, and a $20 Cafe du Monde gift certificate!

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight March 26, 2025 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on April 2, 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.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

Enter Giveaway

Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

ARC, Barbour, BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour, Favorite, Kindle, Purchase

When the Sky Burned by Liz Tolsma Review and Giveaway

March 26, 2025 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: When the Sky Burned (A Day to Remember Book 6)

Author: Liz Tolsma

Genre: Christian Fiction / Romance / Historical Fiction

Release date: March 1, 2025

A Tornado of Fire and Embezzlement Sweep through a Community

Enjoy a series of 6 exciting novels featuring historic disasters that transformed landscapes and multiple lives. Whether by nature or by man, these disasters changed history and were a day to be remembered.

Promising painter Mariah Randolph longs to have her canvases displayed in the world’s best museums, and Hollis Stanford, the heir of a railroad tycoon, is her ticket to success. The railroad’s bookkeeper, Jay Franklin, discovers discrepancies and is convinced that Hollis is stealing from the company. But any proof of his dirty dealings go up in smoke when fire utterly destroys the town of Peshtigo, Wisconsin, October 8, 1871.

The fire leaves Mariah blind, but Jay befriends her and even helps her to start painting again. But a trip to Chicago to return Hollis’s daughter to him could put both Mariah and Jay in more danger than even the fire that devastated the town and their lives.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Liz Tolsma is the author of several WWII novels, romantic suspense novels, prairie romance novellas, and an Amish romance. She is a popular speaker and an editor and resides next to a Wisconsin farm field with her husband and their youngest daughter. Her son is a US Marine, and her oldest daughter is a college student. Liz enjoys reading, walking, working in her large perennial garden, kayaking, and camping. She is also the host of the Christian Historical Fiction Talk podcast.

More from Liz

My Impressions

“Disaster, though, rarely announces its arrival. Rather, it bursts through the door and refuses to leave until it has finished ravaging everything and everyone inside.”

This whole series by Barbour, A Day to Remember, is one of calling to remembrance great American disasters that many have never heard of. Liz Tolsma’s novel, When the Sky Burned, book six, is certainly an enlightening, faith-based, romantic and compelling story about the Peshtigo, WI fire of 1871.

When we first meet Mariah Randolph, she is a talented, aspiring painter in the small town of Peshtigo, painting the skies colored by the fires surrounding the village. No one is especially worried about the fires at this time, going about business as usual in the small railroad town.

Unfortunately, the bookkeeper for the railroad, Jay Franklin, is worried. But he is worried about discrepancies he is finding in the railroad’s books, and his boss, Hollis Stanford, accuses Jay of making mistakes and belittles him. Hollis is the son of the railroad owner and is engaged to a friend of Jay’s, Mariah. Unfortunately, the ugly side Hollis shows Jay is not what Mariah sees. She sees Hollis’s very wonderful six-year-old daughter who needs a mother and lofty promises of grandeur and art gallery showings.

Just as Jay begins to gather physical evidence against Hollis, the fire engulfs the town. The tragedy is unthinkable. I won’t describe it here, but it can be a little difficult to read. (Interestingly enough, this Peshtigo fire killed thousands in a town of only 7,000. This compared to the Great Chicago fire, which occurred the same night, but whose victims, though as precious, numbered only in the hundreds.)

The fire changes everything. Hollis’s true nature begins to emerge as he attempts to cover up his gambling debts and deceit and selfishness. Hollis’s daughter is sweet, but is beginning to have a change in personality as she undergoes all the trauma surrounding the fire. Mariah has suffered horribly, losing people near and dear to her, and losing the one ability she values as essential to her painting. Her faith teeters. “Why would God allow such misery to befall us all? Where was He on that terrible night? What did we do to deserve His judgment?”

Some characters in this book are so much less than they present themselves. Some surprised me in this regard. Some seem to rise from mediocre or average to far above by their choices. As Stanford, Sr., tells Jay, “It’s a daily choice that I make to walk with the Lord. Prayer and studying His Word help a great deal.”

I loved the character of Angelina. I felt so badly for her. Hollis barely knows her. “No matter what kind of person he is, every little girl deserves affection from the first man in her life.” I would amend this to say, every little girl *desires* the attention and affection of the first man in her life, whether he is a good man or not.

I received a copy of the book from Celebrate Lit. I also bought my own copy. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“I suppose if you shy away from doing what is right out of fear of the consequences, then you have lost your integrity and have compromised it for an easier path. By definition, integrity acts despite what might happen.”

“The path of righteousness is a narrow one, fraught with stumbling blocks and obstacles. God never promised it would be simple or would come without pain.”

“They were his friends, these numbers. His constant, always either right or wrong. There were no gray areas, no shades of black and white. No in between.”

“But she hadn’t brought her cares and sorrows to the one who understood. She hadn’t sought refuge or solace within her heavenly Father’s arms.”

“Don’t be sad, even though it’s hard not to be. Nanny says that Jesus is always with us. Like even when Papa has to go away. When Mama died. Sometimes I get afraid, but then I remember Jesus is next to me. I like that.”

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Magnificent! The very real terror of this tragedy will stick with you. But hopefully, so will the hope found in Jesus.

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, March 27

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, March 27

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 28

Pens Pages & Pulses, March 28

Books You Can Feel Good About, March 29

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 29

Simple Harvest Reads, March 30 (Guest Review from Marilyn)

Texas Book-aholic, March 30

Betti Mace, March 31

Lily’s Corner, March 31

Life on Chickadee Lane, April 1

Devoted Steps, April 1

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 2

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 3

Blogging with Carol, April 4

Connie’s History Classroom, April 4

Tell Tale Book Reviews, April 5

For Him and My Family, April 5

Stories By Gina, April 6 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, April 6

Bizwings Book Blog, April 7

Cover Lover Book Review, April 7

Becca Hope: Book Obsessed, April 8

Jodie Wolfe, April 8

Holly’s Book Corner, April 9

Pause for Tales, April 9

Giveaway

ARC, BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour, Favorite, Kindle, Purchase

Forgotten Identity by Penny Zeller Review and Giveaway

March 18, 2025 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: Forgotten Identity

Author: Penny Zeller

Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense

Release date: January 14, 2024

Who is he really? And why is someone after him?

Mariah Holzman never imagined a whiteout blizzard would sever all communication from the outside world—communication desperately needed for the injured man Mariah finds near her home. Nor did she imagine helping nurse the man back to health would lead to threats and intimidation. As danger escalates and questions rise, Mariah is left to wonder what kind of person she has allowed into her home.

Grant MacGuire never imagined he would wake up one day in a strange cabin, surrounded by strange people, with no memory of who he is or how he was injured. Nor did he imagine his presence would put the lives of those who saved him in danger. As Grant struggles with distorted memories, he wonders if his life is worth the price the Holzman family is paying.

The growing attraction between Mariah and Grant is hindered by Grant’s unknown identity. Is Grant, as the family’s neighbor assumes, a criminal on the run from the law? Or is there more to his identity—and the reason he was attacked—than they realize?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Penny Zeller is known for her heartfelt stories of faith-filled happily ever afters and her passion to impact lives for Christ through fiction. Her books feature tender romance, steady doses of humor, and memorable characters that stay with you long after the last page.

While she has had a love for writing since childhood, Penny began her adult writing career penning articles for national and regional publications on a wide variety of topics. Today Penny is a multi-published author of over two dozen books and is also a fitness instructor, loves the outdoors, and is a flower gardening addict. In her spare time, she enjoys camping, hiking, kayaking, biking, birdwatching, reading, running, and playing volleyball.

Penny resides with her husband and two daughters in small-town America and loves to connect with her readers.

More from Penny

Hello, Reader!

Thank you so much for joining us for the Forgotten Identity blog tour. Enjoy the sneak peek into the book below.

Blessings,

Penny

Mariah bit back a sigh as they neared. While grateful Nosy stopped when he did, couldn’t the dog have chosen another place to investigate besides the ravine that could be deadly if someone mis-stepped and fell into it? At least the handful of boulders near its edge warned of the ravine’s proximity.

Nosy’s barking turned to a whine as he pawed at the snow.

No, not just the snow.

The snow covering a shoe protruding from behind a large boulder.

She reached for her son, Jordan, and slowed both of their paces even as her pulse quickened. Maybe the object just looked like a gray tennis shoe. Or maybe it was a shoe, but a discarded shoe Nosy found somewhere, brought home, and forgot about until now.

Still…

“Jordan, stay where you are, please.”

“Aww, Mom.” Despite his protest, Jordan did as she requested.

Mariah advanced. Better be safe than sorry, and on the one percent chance this wasn’t a shoe found, forgotten, and rediscovered by Nosy, Jordan did not need to see whatever, or whomever, was attached to the shoe.

“Mom?”

“Just a minute, Jordan.”

A few seconds later, she saw an image she’d not soon forget.

Partially obstructed by the boulders and surrounding dormant foliage, a man’s body lay face up in the snow, dangerously close to falling over the side of the ravine.

My Impressions

“Lord, help me. Help me not be the man I think I am. Please.”

I knew Penny Zeller pens historical westerns, but before reading Forgotten Identity, I didn’t know she writes and excels at romantic suspense! Don’t miss this one, if you like romantic suspense!

What’s so great about this novel? So many elements. The first line, for starters. “Of all the days for the dog to run off.” Immediately, the reader feels sympathy for the overburdened heroine, Mariah Holtzman, and you want to see why it’s such an awful day.

I would be lying if I didn’t say that the children and the dog play an important part of the story. Zeller uses the children she creates for Mariah to show us Mariah’s character and George(Grant)’s as well. She also uses them for humor, and boy, do they come through!! The kids decide to call their rescued unidentified visitor, “George Washington.” Since Presley, 4, and Jordan, 7, like to talk to George, George asks Presley if she knows his last name. ( He can’t remember anything.) To which she replies, “You mean like I have three names. Presley Ann Holzman. Your three names are George Ann Washington.” “George Ann Washington?” The girl bobbed her head. “Yes. We will only use your second name for when you’re in trouble.” I was laughing up a storm, always glad when the children brought humor into the dangerous situation.

The story is very realistic. Mariah is a divorced, single mom, living with her mother and two young children. She edits books for a job, so she seems very relatable. A bad snowstorm occurs on the mountain, causing the cell and internet service to be lost, just about when Mariah and Jordan find George. Mariah’s and her mother’s cabin is totally isolated by the storm from town.

When various and threatening visitors come to their house looking for their “brother” or their “friend,” how long can Mariah hide their very sick visitor? Mariah’s neighbor is an ex-policeman, who is very suspicious of George as little details emerge. Who is George? Is he as dangerous as the people looking for him? Can he and Mariah guard their hearts until they know his true identity and character? A thrilling story till the end!

I especially loved the way that faith is ensconced in the story. I love the way George seems influenced by Mariah’s faith. I also love the way that in an impossible situation, God brings comfort to Mariah through His Word.

I received a copy of the book from Celebrate Lit. I also bought my own copy. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“George compared his mind to a web of wires that had become unhooked from their power source.”

“His life was about to change and he knew not one ounce of what his future held. But God did. And he would have to rest in that, as difficult as it was.”

“What did people do without the Lord to get them through the crazy, evil times of the present culture?”

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Superb!

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, March 19

Madi’s Musings, March 19

Melissa’s Bookshelf, March 20

Pens Pages & Pulses, March 20

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 21

Stories By Gina, March 22 (Author Interview)

Mornings at Character Cafe, March 22

The Important Things in Life: God, Books, & Chocolate, March 23

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 24

Texas Book-aholic, March 25

Blogging With Carol, March 25

The Sacred Line, March 26

Locks, Hooks and Books, March 27

For Him and My Family, March 27

Leslie’s Library Escape, March 28

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, March 29

Mary Hake, March 29

lakesidelivingsite, March 30

Cover Lover Book Review, March 31

Holly’s Book Corner, March 31

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 1

Pause for Tales, April 1

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Penny is giving away the grand prize of a $25 Amazon gift card!!

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

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54178

ARC, BLOG, Favorite, Just Read Tours, Kindle, Kregel, PB, Purchase

Written in Secret by Crystal Caudill Review and Giveaway

March 12, 2025March 12, 2025 Babbling Becky L

Welcome to the Takeover + Review Blitz for Written in Secret by Crystal Caudill hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Written in Secret
Series: The Art of Love and Danger #1
Author: Crystal Caudill
Publisher: Kregel Publications
Release Date: March 11, 2025
Genre: Christian Mystery & Suspense Romance

What happens when fiction becomes reality? In the corruption-infested Queen City, danger lurks in every shadow, but Lydia Pelton refuses to stay silent. She writes under a pseudonym, E. A. Dupin, crafting crime novels to exact justice and right the wrongs she sees in society. When a serial killer decides to be the sword to her pen, Lydia is confronted with the consequences of her words. Four men are dead, and the city blames her.

With murders on the rise, Officer Abraham Hall’s only lead is Lydia’s fiction, and he is thrust into an investigation with the “Killer Queen of Romance.” Despite his misgivings about the woman, he realizes that even with his reputation for catching elusive criminals, he needs her help. But his unexpected attraction to Lydia proves as difficult to manage as the woman herself.

As the mystery unfolds, Abraham and Lydia race to rewrite the ending, not only for Cincinnati’s citizens, but for their own hearts too.

Also Available

About the Author

Crystal Caudill is the Christy Award–winning author of “dangerously good romance,” including the Hidden Hearts of the Gilded Age series. She is a stay-at-home mom and caregiver, and when she isn’t writing, Caudill can be found playing board games with her family, drinking hot tea, or reading other great books at her home outside Cincinnati, Ohio.

Connect with Crystal by visiting crystalcaudill.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

My Impressions

“Mercy, Abraham. It’s the gift of not giving someone what they deserve. It is what Miss Pelton needs and what God requires of you.”

Wow! Crystal Caudill pens a thrilling historical romantic suspense novel with truths that are needed today! Written in Secret starts out with plenty of laughs, but ends up deadly serious. Literally. In 1880 Cincinnati, Lydia Pelton, daughter of Cincinnati coroner, and her friend Theresa Plane decide to rescue an abused circus animal. When their plans are thwarted by both animals and humans, they first meet policeman Abraham Hall. Hall quickly surmises Lydia’s character as untrustworthy, after all, “He should have known a woman who’d steal a goat wasn’t to be trusted.”

Corruption of the Cincinnati police force and its government in general is a huge factor in this story. Because of her father’s connections, Lydia‘s crime is glossed over. She is even less happy when earlier in her life, different known violent criminals receive acquittal. Feeling that she must take justice into her own hands, she writes Billy Poe crime novels under a pseudonym. When real life begins to mirror the justice meted out in her books, both Lydia’s safety and her spirit are in danger. Her life, because all of Cincinnati is blaming the Billy Poe author as a dangerous criminal, and her spirit, as she defends her profession. “A man’s heart is corrupted by sin, not by literature.”

I loved the great tension and suspense married with the spiritual truths. Will Lydia and her family survive to see another day? What will become of her and Abraham’s hearts, as they begin to get entangled, yet appear to be on opposite sides of the law? How many people will die before the *real* Billy Poe is found? Intermingled with these plot threads are themes of justice, mercy, and grace. “Justice was meant to bring restoration, but this? This was judgment without mercy. Condemnation that darkened the soul and made one incapable of seeing the light, hope, and forgiveness of Christ.”

One of the subplots of this book is Lydia’s idolization of and close relationship with her father. How will her actions change his perception and actions towards her? I wanted to bawl after one fatherly rebuke her father delivered!!

Much, much food for thought and personal change for those who claim to follow God. Be sure not to miss the author notes! And anticipate the coming stories of the other *Guardians!*

I received a copy of the book from JustReadTours. I also bought my own copy. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“But lies worked like a deck of cards. You might be able to build a house out of them for a little while, but at some point, the whole construction would collapse.”

“Our job is to shine the light. People must choose for themselves whether to walk toward or away from it. We can’t force them, but we can offer truth.”

“With Christ, there is always hope. After all, He’s the Author of life.”

“Acknowledging that we have done wrong is the first step toward forgiveness and restoration. Confess it to Christ and then allow Him to begin the work of changing you. It won’t be easy and it will hurt, but discipline is meant to restore us to each other and to Him.”

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Magnificent!!

Times change, but remain the same!Judgment, Mercy, and Grace are just as needed now as in 1880 Cincinnati!

Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a signed copy of Written in Secrets and a $25 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 March 12, 2025 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on March 19, 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.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

Enter Giveaway

Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!