Category: Celebrate Lit Tour

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Unseen Danger by Jerusha Agen Review and Givaway

Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: Unseen Danger (Guardians Unleashed Book 3)

Author: Jerusha Agen

Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense

Release date: July 27, 2023

This woman and her K-9 protect others. Now who will protect them?

After a brutal attack, it took Nevaeh Williams six years to rebuild her life. Now a security specialist at the Phoenix K-9 Security and Detection Agency, she faces danger nearly every day. But when an old friend is targeted, her fragile stability begins to crumble.

Celebrity bodyguard Branson Aaberg could lose more than his career if he fails to end the mysterious threat against his client. Soon he’s more concerned with rescuing the tough but vulnerable woman who joins his security team.

Nevaeh is there to protect her friend, but what if she needs protection? What if the feeling she’s being watched isn’t the result of her traumatized imagination? If the danger is real, Nevaeh’s only hope for survival may be the God powerful enough to defeat her worst enemy—the one she doesn’t see before it’s too late.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Jerusha Agenimagines danger around every corner but knows God is there, too. So naturally, she writes romantic suspense infused with the hope of salvation in Jesus Christ. Jerusha loves to hang out with her big furry dogs and little furry cats, often while reading or watching movies.

More from Jerusha

For as long as I can remember, I’ve struggled with fear. As a child, fear of bugs, thunderstorms, and being left behind shadowed my otherwise happy days.

Though I’m all grown up now, I still haven’t shed that shadow of fear. My fears are more grown-up, too. Now I fear losing loved ones, physical dangers, and death.

People in our culture love to tell us it’s okay to fear. They say fear is natural and even helpful. But the Bible tells a counter-cultural story. The Bible tells us the truth that fear of anything in this world is sinful.

So the Lord has been taking me on a journey to fearless in recent years. And along that journey’s path, I encountered Nevaeh Williams. The heroine of Unseen Danger, Nevaeh experienced life-threatening, terrifying trauma when she was attacked.

Six years later, she’s still haunted by PTSD and frightening memories. As a security specialist and protection dog handler with the Phoenix K-9 Security and Detection Agency, Nevaeh tries to hide her fear. She can function well most of the time, as long as she avoids the trigger of getting close to any large, strong men.

Nevaeh’s story was a powerful one for me to write since she is crippled by fears even worse than my own. Culture would say her fears are “legitimate” and “useful.” Some of Nevaeh’s friends and even her boss encourage her to use her fear as a tool.

But that approach doesn’t help Nevaeh find freedom from fear. Tolerating my own fears doesn’t help me either. Excusing and condoning fear only makes fear worse. Because such fear is a sin which, when allowed to fester, will grow and spread until it takes control of my life.

Nevaeh’s battle against fear is an inspiration to me and anyone else who struggles with worry, anxiety, and any form of fear. Her story shows that defeat of fear is possible. Freedom is possible. Victory is possible. Fearless is possible, only through the power of Jesus Christ.

Do you want to battle your fears alongside me and Nevaeh? Reading Unseen Danger might be a good place to start.

My Impressions

“But PTSD didn’t listen to reason.”

“Fear blinds you and controls you. But you can get rid of fear if you learn to handle whatever scares you and come out on top. Fear loses its power if you know how to defeat the thing that scares you.”

I have been wanting to read some of Jerusha Agen’s romantic suspense books for quite a while, and was very pleased when I could schedule in Agen’s Unseen Danger. A security specialist with PTSD! How on earth is this combo going to work?

I loved many aspects of the story. I loved the close friendship of Niveah and Jazz. They know each other’s strengths and weaknesses, and are quick to have each other’s back. I loved the closeness of the Phoenix K-9 group. They were all very different, and some were persons of faith and some not, but all are loving and accepted, without judgment. 

The PTSD that Niveah struggles with was difficult to read. As a phobia sufferer myself, I could identify with the feelings, if not the actions. It truly is crippling. I would agree that “Fear can be our worst enemy. You can’t let it fester, or it’ll grow until it controls you. You have to beat it.” However, sometimes a person in our fallen world needs a little medicinal or therapeutic help to get to the point where they can adequately deal with phobias and PTSD. I wish the author would have included a note that not only does one fight a spiritual battle against fear, but sometimes God has provided medicine and wise counsel to help a person be able to deal with those fears. 

I thought Agen did a great job of showing the two main characters coming the end of themselves, finding that God is their only hope! I loved the twist at the end, as well as the storybook ending. 

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:

“Have you asked God what He wants you to do?”

“Be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. He’d known exactly what he should’ve said. Exactly what would help D-Chop with his guilt and the dark hopelessness of his life.”

“You gettin’ lost in that darkness, child. Focus on the blessings.”

“That fear gonna own you if you let it.”

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Magnificent!

Blog Stops

Texas Book-aholic, August 21

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 22

Locks, Hooks and Books, August 23

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, August 24

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 25

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, August 26

Devoted To Hope, August 27

Fiction Book Lover, August 28 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, August 28

Betti Mace, August 29

Simple Harvest Reads, August 30 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

For Him and My Family, August 31

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, September 1

Paula’s Pad of Inspiration, September 1

Stories By Gina, September 2

Holly’s Book Corner, September 3

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Jerusha is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Barnes and Noble gift card, a signed paperback of Unseen Danger, an Unseen Danger tote bag, magnet, and keychain, plus more swag!!

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

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf5420/

BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour, Kindle, Purchase

Weaving Roots by Heather Wood Review and Giveaway

Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: Weaving Roots

Author: Heather Wood

Genre: Christian Historical Fiction with Romance

Release date: June 25, 2024

Baltimore, 1828

Spinning. Turning flax to fine linen thread for her family’s weaving business keeps Betha’s hands occupied all day, but it’s the concerns spinning in her heart that never truly rest. How can she give her nephew Henry a secure, loving home when his father remains indifferent? How can she guide the boy who calls her “Ma” to know and follow the Lord for himself? And when past secrets and future changes collide, will she lose Henry altogether?

Colm Gallagher is passionate about teaching boys using innovative educational methods. But is his kind and thorough instruction enough if he is not allowed to give his students the ultimate truth of God’s Word? Confronted by his student Henry Young and the boy’s lovely but determined aunt, Colm considers if he has allowed practical considerations to outweigh his deepest-held beliefs.

Even as Betha and Colm are drawn to each other, family loyalties, financial pressures, and personal uncertainties push them further apart. Will the threads of their lives unravel or become knit together into something stronger?

Weaving linen is her family’s legacy. Weaving roots of truth and grace is her calling.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Heather Woodgrew up in the Chicago suburbs, loving history, classic literature, writing stories, and Civil War reenacting. After obtaining her bachelor’s degree in Bible/Theology from Appalachian Bible College, she settled in Virginia with her husband David. Her early passions fuel her writing today, although she spends most of her days now working to infuse her love for God and good literature into the hearts of her four children.

More from Heather

I’ve gone through a lot of phases in my life. I’ve been involved in different hobbies and activities, only to have them fizzle out after a few years. So when I started writing, I thought it was the same thing—that it was another short-lived hobby and soon I would get back to my regular life.

My third book was about to be released when one day, it felt like God turned a light bulb on in my mind: This is what I’ve been preparing you to do all along. When I look back at my parents, my education, and the experiences of my life, I realized that God had specially equipped me to do exactly what I was doing: write Christian historical fiction about real American church history.

The epiphany was more scary than exciting. I’m a “one idea at a time” kind of author. I don’t have multiple projects going at once. I had no idea, as I went to publish my third book, if I would even be able to come up with a plot and characters for a fourth. Would I announce to my friends that this writing thing was here to stay only to find I never got another story idea? What about the sacrifices it would require of my husband and kids?

That was just in 2022. Releasing this summer is Weaving Roots, my fifth book and the first in a whole new series with entirely new characters. I’m looking forward to seeing how the rest of the series unfolds from the idea seeds God has planted! I regularly offer my writing up to God, willing to walk away if He were ever to ask me to do so. Until then, I will work diligently and trustingly at the work He has given me to do.

You see, while each book does start with an idea seed, it’s watered by real history. As I take my spark of inspiration to the history books, I delight in finding out what God was doing in the time and place I’m writing about. My plots grow up around the real people He used and the work He was doing (although I usually make people who really lived into minor characters at best. Most often, I merely refer to them off the page while using what I do know about them to inspire my characters). I always try to drop vivid characters into the world as it really existed and watch and see how they respond. I dig into Scriptures and the theologians and Christian thinkers of their era or the one before to round out my themes and take the book’s message deeper. As a result, I am always the first one who is convicted and challenged by the message God brings to my stories.

Weaving Roots introduces us to the father of the siblings in my Finding Home series when he was just ten years old in 1827. He’s a second-generation Irish immigrant in a family of linen weavers in Baltimore, more than a decade before the Irish Great Famine. To the best of my knowledge, no one in either Christian or general market fiction has written about this time, place, and people group. Not everything on the page will be what you expect, as this generation between Colonial and Civil War/ Victorian Americans was very unique in their beliefs, struggles, and priorities. Henry Young is brought to Baltimore by his father, who is looking for a fresh start for his son and himself. Henry soon finds that his new schoolmaster is not what he expects and his father has more major changes coming into his life.

I can’t wait to share Weaving Roots with you and see how God uses His words to bless and encourage you!

My Impressions

“God has a good plan bigger than our mistakes, and He chose you to be His before you were born. He created you out of His good purpose to be smart and gentle and brave and so I’d have reason to smile every day.”

Heather Wood’s novel, Weaving Roots, is as much about matters of the heart and the choices people make as it is about actions or events. 

Betha struggles as she mothers her young nephew, desperate to guard him from gossip and hurt. She very much wants him to follow God, and prays that her brother will take his father duties seriously. Nothing can keep her from striving to protect Henry. 

Henry has such a difficult life with his father, and life gets exponentially worse for him. Wood makes me hurt for him, and I feel Betha’s burden for him, too. 

Colm, the schoolteacher and a good friend, reminds Henry that they can’t make him trust God, and there are no guaranteed outcomes. He has to trust God for himself: “All we can do, really, is point you to a God bigger than all of it and let you know you’re not swimming this current alone.” How I love Colm and his wisdom! 

Colm has inner struggles of his own. When he finally chooses one course of action, he finds peace with God but struggles with the school board. Colm reasons with them, “would you have me withhold from my students the most effective resources I have to help them in life? This is a free school; do I have the right to educate as my conscience and experience dictate while the students have the right to pursue education elsewhere if they don’t like it?” (Storm’s a-comin’ here! )

I also enjoyed seeing the relationship between Colm and his brother, Patrick. They are so tight, yet when trouble comes, their differences threaten to tear them apart. Will there be any way to repair the camaraderie they once enjoyed?

It was interesting to learn about such things as camp meetings, the start of Sunday Schools, and the Lancaster method of education. Author notes at the back are always appreciated! 

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:

“When faith is passed down through so many generations, sometimes we can lose sight of the urgency of it.”

“The Bible wasn’t a neutral book, and the words in it didn’t leave room for a passive response. If a heart wasn’t changed by it, it very likely would find itself in sharp opposition to it.” 

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Great!

Blog Stops

Vicky Sluiter, August 17

Stories By Gina, August 18 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, August 18

Locks, Hooks and Books, August 19

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 20

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, August 21 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 21

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, August 22

Devoted To Hope, August 23

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, August 24

Batya’s Bits, August 25

For Him and My Family, August 26

Labor Not in Vain, August 27

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, August 28

The Sacred Line, August 29

Books You Can Feel Good About, August 30

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Heather is giving away the grand prize package of a paperback of Weaving Roots, a special handstitched bookmark and a sticker designed especially for Weaving Roots, a copy of The Virginia Housewife, an 1820s cookbook referenced in Weaving Roots, and a $15 Amazon gift card!!

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/2ddab/weaving-roots-celebration-tour-giveaway

ARC, BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour, Kindle, Purchase

Fugitive Search by Dana Mentink Review and Giveaway

Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: Fugitive Search (Security Hounds Book 2)

Author: Dana Mentink

Genre: Christian Fiction

Release date: August 20, 2024

A murderer out for revenge…

who is closer than they think.

When the man who killed her father is finally arrested, Catherine Hart thinks it’s safe to come out of hiding…until he escapes and abducts her. But private investigator Garrett Wolfe and his tracking dog rescue her just in time. Now they must work together to escape the criminal on their heels, find Catherine’s kidnapped uncle and stop her sister from walking straight into the fugitive’s path. But when their search yields more questions, can Catherine and Garrett survive the terrifying truth?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

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 the recipient of a Holt Medallion. She’s written over fifty titles in the suspense, lighthearted romance and mystery genres. She is pleased to write for Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense and Poisoned Pen Press.

More from Dana

After dreaming up Wally, the supremely naughty bloodhound, in book one of the Security Hounds series, I didn’t think the next fictional dog could possibly compete in the personality department. Surprise! Pinkerton, the stalwart bloodhound companion to Garrett Wolfe, scrambled onto the scene and into my heart. His faithful dedication and selflessness make up for the streams of slobber he leaves everywhere. He’s also instrumental in solving the latest case complete with twists, turns, and an ending you won’t see coming. (I hope!)

Enjoy this next installment in the series and look out for more bloodhounds in the next three books!

My Impressions

“Despair clawed at the edges of her mind. Her father was dead. Her sister and uncle, gone. And now Stone would have her too.”

My emotions are a whirling mess after reading Fugitive Search by Dana Mentink. I enjoy romantic suspense, especially clean and faith-based novels. Add in canines, and a book has a good start. Mentink takes us on a see-saw of emotions as we identify with her relatable characters. 

Mentink brings us the second of her Security Hounds series. I enjoyed Wally and his handler in the first book. Now we are presented with Garrett Wolfe, and his bloodhound, Pinkerton. Garrett bungled an arrest of murder suspect Porter Stone ten years ago, and it cost him his job with the local police. Now, he is thrown into the awkward position of trying to protect the daughter of the murder victim, who blames him for ten years of living under an assumed alias for safety. Garrett’s inner radar says something isn’t right about this case, but his honesty may cost Security Hounds any chance of keeping Catherine and Antonia Hart safe. 

Catherine and her sister have suffered severe trauma. Sometimes I liked Catherine. Like when she begins to trust Garrett, realizing that  “Garrett hadn’t taken her father’s life. He was simply the one left on whom she’d hung her burden of anger. Him and God.” Starts to reframe thinking and attitudes. How important it can be to evaluate our attitudes in the light of God’s Word and reframe our thinking!

As Catherine begins to trust Garrett, his underlying suspicions come out and Catherine refuses his and his family’s help once again. Both Catherine and her sister have “Lone Ranger” tendencies, very perilous when trying to escape a dangerous psychopath. 

I did love how Catherine challenges Garrett about hiding behind a false personality. “If God loves you, then why do you have to cover up who you are?”

Garrett also challenges Catherine. Catherine has turned her back on God, because He didn’t save her father from dying. Garrett explains why that thinking is not valid. “But if we only worshipped a God that gave us what we wanted, He’d be a cosmic vending machine, wouldn’t He? A glorified personal assistant.”

I loved Pinkerton. He is very accepting of Catherine and has a way of comforting her. His tongue seems to be a very notable part of him! He is a great tracker, but also needs a lot of affection.

With plenty of action , the two young people are slowly losing their hearts, yet one pulls back repeatedly. This inflicts  emotional damage and possibly leads to many others putting themselves in unnecessary danger. How will this stalking situation end? You will be as surprised as I was when I realized the truth of the situation! Great twists! 

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

Notable Quotables:

“Arrested decay. The term made her shudder. A place stuck in the past, like she and her sister.”

“Give yourself a break. You’re a work in progress without—” “A completion date,”

“God is worthy of my devotion, not because He answers my prayers the way I want Him to, but because He’s God. He loves me, all of us, and He made us to love Him back, no matter what.”

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Magnificent! Ready for the next Security Hound!

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, August 20

Lily’s Corner, August 20

The Avid Reader, August 21

She Lives To Read, August 21

Life on Chickadee Lane, August 22

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, August 22

Devoted To Hope, August 23

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 23

Stories By Gina, August 24

Texas Book-aholic, August 24

Locks, Hooks and Books, August 25

Betti Mace, August 26

EmpowerMoms, August 26

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, August 27

Blogging With Carol, August 27

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 28

Because I said so- adventures in parenting, August 29

Simple Harvest Reads, August 29 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

For Him and My Family, August 30

Blossoms and Blessings, August 31

Labor Not in Vain, August 31

Holly’s Book Corner, September 1

Pause for Tales, September 1

A Good Book and Cup of Tea, September 2

Lights in a Dark World, September 2

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Dana is giving away the grand prize package of a $75 Amazon gift card and a signed copy of the book!!

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

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf5419

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

The Enchanting of Miss Elliot by Grace Hitchcock Review and Giveaway

Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: The Enchanting of Miss Elliot (Aprons and Veils: Book Three)

Author: Grace Hitchcock

Genre: Historical Romance

Release date: July 29, 2024

She thought he was her forever—he had other plans.

Of all the dares Lorna Elliot had accepted, becoming a Harvey Girl waitress was by far the dumbest—and she’d pulled some pretty foolhardy antics. Her back was sore. Her feet were swollen. And she had done it to herself in a fit of pique over a Texas Ranger who was mooning over another woman. Lorna had longed for distraction at the time, but after weeks of training, she might keel over and die in the middle of the dining room floor with a plate of apple pie in one hand and a pot of coffee in the other. But, she’s an Elliot. And Elliot’s never quit. The only thing she’d ever quit was attempting to win Ranger Reid and now that he’s the new sheriff in her hometown, it’s going to be impossible for her to move on unless she takes control of her heart—for better, or for worse.

Sheriff Reid had never wanted to settle down until he had fallen hard for a runaway mail-order bride turned Harvey Girl who chose another. When news of an outlaw’s escape lands on his desk, he eagerly rides out in pursuit all the way to Topeka and overhears the outlaw’s plans that revolve around the wealthy Elliot family and their daughter, Lorna. It’s up to Reid to see his childhood friend safe . . . despite Lorna insisting that she can protect herself without him.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Grace Hitchcock is the award-winning author of multiple his­torical novels and novellas, including the American Royalty, True Colors, and Aprons & Veils series. She holds a Master’s in Creative Writing and a Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in History. Grace lives on the Northshore of New Orleans, with her husband, Dakota, sons, and daughter in a cottage that is always filled with the sounds of sweet little footsteps running at full speed. When not writing, or chasing babies, she’s baking something delightful and can usually be found with a book clutched in her fist.

More from Grace

Q & A with Grace Hitchcock

Q: What is your favorite trope to read? Which of your books have that trope?

To name a few, I love stories about marriage of convenience, fake dating, mail-order brides, runaway brides, and enemies to lovers. In my books, I do have some of those tropes, but I adjust them to fit my story

My Harvey Girl books by tropes:

Runaway Bride: The Finding of Miss Fairfield

Mail-Order Bride: The Pursuit of Miss Parish

Friends to Lovers/Fake Dating: The Enchanting of Miss Elliot

I’d love to write an enemies-to-lovers trope in the future!

Q: Have you ever been asked to spice up, or down, a kissing scene? How did you do it?

For my May release, To Catch a Coronet, the editor challenged me to make the kissing scene longer and more romantic. Haha it took me my entire writing session that day to make the short scene two paragraphs longer in order to make the kissing more swoon-worthy, while still staying true to the level of affection I have in my books. With that critique in mind, I attempted to add a bit more “swoon” in The Enchanting of Miss Elliotas well.

Q: What historical novel has most impacted you? How?

Grace: I feel like every season, there is a novel that touches me. The one that stuck the longest has to be Tracie Peterson’s Westward Chronicles (a Harvey Girl series). They are moving, unique tales that inspired me to write my own Harvey Girls series! I re-read the Westward Chronicles every few years.

Q: How does your faith integrate into your writing in practical ways? 

Grace: No matter how subtle my theme or short the verses, my stories will always point the reader to the Lord. Usually, whatever I am personally learning spiritually while writing impacts my heroine/hero in some way.

For The Enchanting of Miss Elliot, the heroine, a firm believer, is despairing that God will not give her the desires of her heart and sets out to find a new future and a re-directing of her heart. It’s a very realistic struggle, and the reader can see through the story the beauty of trusting God in our daily walk and with our biggest dreams.

Q: What’s your life like outside of writing?

Grace: Besides reading at least one to two books a week, I love to take long walks to the park with my family, exercise on my bike, plan the family’s next travel adventure, and try new baking challenges. As a wife and mama of three, I usually have some happy recipients for the new recipe.

Q: Will there be more Harvey Girl books from you?

Grace: Yes! I am currently working on Book Four in the Aprons & Veils series, The Vanishing of Miss Victoria. It will release mid-2025.

About The Vanishing of Miss Victoria:

Love got her into this mess—never loving again would get her out.

Corinna Victoria Roberts had never been lucky—not in her choice of husband, or her lot in life after the man she’d eloped with had promptly abandoned her, taking her gold and jewels with him. When her husband’s thieving, lawless relatives show up at her door announcing his death and demanding that her late father’s restaurant empire be signed over to them, her life is in danger. She flees to take a position no one expects of her—as a Harvey Girl waitress in New Mexico.

Tanner Sterling has hunted his last bounty. As the new foreman on his friend’s ranch, he wasn’t expecting to rescue a Harvey Girl from a raging river his first day. He is intrigued by the shy beauty and becomes friends with Corinna over many meals at the Harvey House. But, when a picture of her on a wanted poster with a massive bounty arrives in Tanner’s mail, everything he knows about Corinna shifts. If he doesn’t claim the bounty on her head, he knows far less honorable men who would love to ride off with the stunning Harvey Girl. Despite wanting to hang up his past along with his gun belt, Tanner will do anything to protect Corinna from the coming storm.

My Impressions

“We all have a bone to pick with Reid, so it stood to reason that he would be our first target.”

The third book of the Apron Strings series, The Enchanting of Miss Elliot is another great book by Grace Hitchcock featuring the Harvey Girls. With more than a touch of the Old West, fine vistas, fancy hotels, and proper serving girls, plus elements of danger, faith, and romance, you’ll be glad you read this book. 

A friends-to-lovers trope, Lorna has become a Harvey Girl on a bet with her brother. She hopes to be placed in a hotel far away from her hometown of Las Vegas, New Mexico, but is placed exactly there instead. How is a girl to get over her childhood crush if she has to see him often? For his part, Sheriff Gaston Reid has grown up as Lorna’s brother’s best friend, but was enamored of another Harvey Girl. When that girl marries another, Reid takes s second look at his old friend… who has built up s wall protecting her heart from interest in him. 

However, the leader of The Death Riders, a very dangerous gang, has escaped prison, along with his outlaw wife, and life in the West just got a lot more hairy for both Reid and Lorna. There are some unique twists in this book. 

Can Reid keep Lorna safe as he promises? Will she ever see him as more than a friend? The Death Riders are like a bad penny. They keep turning up over and over again, and know one knows just when or where they’re going to appear next. While it actually applies to another character, Lorna easily could have said, “…it is a daily act, giving God my fears…” She certainly is learning to trust God through these times!

Lorna suffers from a lack of friends, which is why Reid’s friendship is so valuable to her. She does make friends with some of the other waitresses at the Harvey House Hotels. One of them, knowing Lorna is working at getting over Reid, reminds her, “Remember your goal, and when you waver, count all the blessings the Lord has given you, and pray that He changes the desire of your heart.” 

What will it take for this couple to admit that what they feel for each other is more than friendship and God is directing their course to each other?

In summary, the danger, romance, and twists kept me intrigued from the moment I started the book. I am glad there will be more Harvey House Girl historical romances by Hitchcock!

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:

“…bitterness and rage only blinded the person holding on to the offense.”

“But wouldn’t an apology like that hurt her and the confession would be more for me than her? Yes. Yes, it would.”

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Magnificent! I love these Harvey Girl stories!

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, August 16

Pens Pages & Pulses, August 16

Melissa’s Bookshelf, August 17

Karen Baney Reviews, August 17

Bizwings Book Blog, August 18

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 18

Texas Book-aholic, August 19

Devoted To Hope, August 19

lakesidelivingsite, August 20

Hannahbandanarama, August 20

Locks, Hooks and Books, August 21

Happily Managing a Household of Boys , August 21

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 22

Books You Can Feel Good About, August 22

Betti Mace, August 23

Book Looks by Lisa, August 23

Simple Harvest Reads, August 24 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

For Him and My Family, August 24

Jeanette’s Thoughts, August 25

Mary Hake, August 25

Connie’s History Classroom, August 26

Labor Not in Vain, August 27

Cover Lover Book Review, August 28

Holly’s Book Corner, August 28

Pause for Tales, August 29

Lights in a Dark World, August 29

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Grace is giving to two winners an autographed copy of The Pursuit of Miss Parish each!!

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/2ddaa/the-enchanting-of-miss-elliot-celebration-tour-giveaway

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

Dreams on the Horizon by Penny Zeller Review and Giveaway

Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: Dreams on the Horizon

Author:Penny Zeller

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: June 25, 2024

Can love overcome all obstacles?

Mae Shepherdson’s dream of a school for the deaf has finally come to fruition. All is going well until she receives devastating news: the railroad wants to build a spur through the property where the Horizon School for the Deaf is located. What will become of the children who attend the school and the employees who so tirelessly commit their time and resources? Mae questions why God would allow the closing of a school that has been the lifeline for so many young pupils. And what of her dream that no child should endure being ostracized as she once was?

Landon Bennick is accustomed to obeying his father’s orders. He’s observed and even assisted with the building of many railroad spurs, and the newest in Horizon should be no exception. However, things grow complicated when he begins to fall in love with Mae, a soft-spoken teacher at the Horizon School for the Deaf—the same school blocking the railroad’s progress. Will Landon heed his father’s strict demands or is there another way to build the spur and save the school?

When a nefarious character with vengeful intent threatens Mae, will Landon intervene before it’s too late and save the woman who has claimed his heart?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Penny Zeller is known for her heartfelt stories of faith, love, and humor and her passion to impact lives for Christ through fiction. While she has had a love for writing since childhood, she 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 represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency. She is also a fitness instructor, loves the outdoors, and is a flower gardening addict.

In her spare time, she enjoys camping, hiking, kayaking, biking, 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

Enjoy this peek inside the first chapter of Dreams on the Horizon:

Sometimes the Lord answered multiple prayers all at once.

Mae Shepherdson faced her pupils and, using sign language, dismissed them from class and promised to see them early tomorrow morning.

The students signed back to her and Mae thought her heart would explode.

Her charges were learning.

And she was making a difference.

Each student had a different story. From the ones who came from a supportive and caring home; to the ones who’d been mistreated or were orphans; from those who struggled to learn to those who eagerly embraced every lesson; from the youngest to the oldest, and all those in between…all were thriving under the dedicated tutelage of Mr. and Mrs. Eddington and the Horizon School for the Deaf.

Mae’s heart warmed as she watched as the children bounded from their desks, waved, and one by one, left the classroom. All except Polly, whom Mae had asked to stay after class.

Polly remained at her desk, smiling as she drummed her fingers on the worn-out wood, causing a tap-tapping vibration.

Mae reached inside her own desk and retrieved a wrapped parcel before walking to Polly’s desk. “For you,” she signed.

Polly’s brown eyes lit and she reached for the parcel, opening it with all the enthusiasm a six-year-old could muster. Pulling out the dress, she stood and held it against herself for size.

The dress Mama made would fit perfectly.

Polly wrapped her thin arms around Mae’s neck. She then stepped back, brought her hand to just below her mouth, and signed, “Thank you.” Before allowing Mae a chance to respond, Polly scuttled from the classroom, and Mae knew the little girl would barely reach her room before trying on the dress.

God had answered Mae’s prayers in so many ways. He’d blessed her with a family who loved her; He’d led her to teach at the Horizon School for the Deaf; and He’d allowed her to do something big for the least of these.

My Impressions

“Mae knew what it was like to be turned away. To be unloved. But she also knew the power of God’s abounding grace and His mercy in bringing her a forever family.”

Penny Zeller writes funny, historical romances that I find refreshing like a cool breeze on a hot summer’s day! Dreams on the Horizon involves a school for deaf children in 1890 Idaho, a railroad construction plan that stops for no one, and two hurting individuals on opposites sides of the tracks. 

Mae Shepherdson loves her job as teacher at the school for deaf children. But even more, she loves the children themselves, feeling great compassion for them as she recalls her own traumatic childhood. 

Landon Bennick, young heir to the Bennick Railways, comes to Horizon to prepare for expansion of his father’s company’s system. Little does he expect to become so enamored with the town, the Sheperdson family, or Mae, specifically. Suddenly, his integrity is called into question as his ruthless businessman father decides that Mae’s beloved school stands in the way of progress. 

So much to love about this story. The opening sentence was a keeper for me. “Sometimes the Lord answered multiple prayers all at once.” Instantly, curiosity is piqued!

The writing style Zeller employs reminds me of Prairie Western,( think Janette Oke or Kim Vogel Sawyer)- not fancy(except for Ruby’s pretentious big words ), but flowing nice and easy. Don’t forget the humor that is a Zeller trademark! Loud outbursts generally occur when I’m reading her books!

I loved that while the gospel is presented clearly in response to a character’s questions, the responder is warm and friendly in his answer. It feels very natural, which then opens the way for more questions later. 

Besides the obvious main characters, I would say I loved Albert and the Lieutenant and Miss Greta. You’ll have to read the book to see why I loved the last two. But Albert is so wise, so thoughtful, and so prayerful, too. (A person is blessed if they have an Albert in their lives.) I absolutely loved his answer to an insurmountable problem. “This calls for fervent prayer.” Not that we can’t do what we can to fix a problem, but before we do, the best thing is hard prayer! 

And I love when the wealth discussion comes into play. Mae has her head screwed on right. “I just firmly believe that wealth is not based on money and possessions. Wealth is having the joy of knowing you belong to the Lord and that nothing and no one can ever take that from you. Of having a loving family who cares about you and is there for you always. Of being richly blessed with loyal friends.”

While I classified this as a “prairie western,” Zeller sensitively tackles many hard subjects. Human fathers affecting our image of God, child abuse, lack of love, need for acceptance, “special needs,” social castes in America, etc. God’s love, mercy, and faithfulness are shown as the light in hard times.

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

Notable Quotables:

“You are worthy. He loves you more than you can ever comprehend.” “As is evidenced by Jesus’ sacrifice?” “Indeed.”

“I had to learn that we can hang on to those regrets and blame ourselves for circumstances that, in your case, were beyond your control. Or we can release those remorses to our Heavenly Father. He doesn’t wish for us to live lives filled with compunctions and shame.”

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Magnificent! I always enjoy Penny Zeller’s novels, full of faith, humor, and romance!

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, August 13

Madi’s Musings, August 13

She Lives to Read, August 14

lakesidelivingsite, August 15

Lighthouse Academy Blog, August 15 (Guest Review from Marilyn)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 16

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 17

Devoted To Hope, August 18

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, August 19

Stories by Gina, August 20  (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, August 20

Holly’s Book Corner, August 21

Book Looks by Lisa, August 22

Pause for Tales, August 23

Locks, Hooks and Books, August 24

Life on Chickadee Lane, August 25

Cover Lover Book Review, August 26

Giveaway

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

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/2dbe6/dreams-on-the-horizon-celebration-tour-giveaway

ARC, BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour, Kindle, Purchase

Sheltering You by Robin Patchen Review and Giveaway

Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: Sheltering You (Wright Heroes of Maine Book 4)

Author: Robin Patchen

Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense

Release Date: August 6, 2024

In the sleepy town of Shadow Cove, Maine, a woman’s desperate flight becomes a high-stakes game of cat-and-mouse.

After escaping Iraq with her twin sister, Jasmine seeks refuge from Qasim, the terrorist she was forced to marry. She’s determined to carve out a safe haven in this peaceful coastal town for herself and her unborn child. But her polygamous husband’s relentless pursuit threatens to shatter her fragile world, leaving her with nowhere to hide.

Enter Derrick, a guardian angel in the guise of a friend.

Drawn to Jasmine’s quiet strength, Derrick vows to shield her from harm, even as the boundaries of friendship blur into something deeper. Unaware of Jasmine’s secret, he agrees to help her rescue and hide another Iraqi refugee woman and her younger brother in the US. Derrick will do anything for Jasmine, his heart yearning for a connection she refuses to embrace.

All the while, Qasim is closing in.

He took Jasmine as his second wife for one reason, and she carries that reason her womb. Once his heir is born, nothing will stop Qasim from bringing him home to his beloved first wife and disposing of Jasmine—and he will take out anybody else who stands in his way.

Join the Wright Heroes of Maine for an edge-of-your-seat international romantic suspense that takes you on the run with a heroine in hiding, a secret baby, and unrequited love.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

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.

More from Robin

Back when I first started writing fiction, I used to worry that each story idea would be my last, that I’d never get another good one. Since then, I’ve learned that stories somehow beget more stories.

For instance, back in 2022, I created a character named Grant, who was secretly in love with his coworker, Summer. In the process of figuring out who Grant was, I realized he had five brothers. All I knew about them was that they grew up in Maine and one had a limp and blamed Grant for it.

I had no idea why.

Grant’s story came out in Courage in the Shadows, the ninth book in the Coventry Saga. Then I told his brother Daniel’s story in A Mountain Too Steep, book eleven in the same series, a bridge to the Wright Heroes of Maine.

In the middle of writing Running to You, the first book in that series, which is about Sam, I “met” his older brother, Michael, a CIA agent, and thought, wouldn’t it be fun if his girlfriend was kidnapped? Oh, and what if she was Middle Eastern? And what if she was taken by terrorists?

Well, crazily enough, that’s what happened. (It’s fun to be the little-g-god of my little story world, always submitting to the Big-G-God in the real world, of course.)

In Rescuing You, Michael heads to Iraq to rescue Leila and meets her twin sister, Jasmine, who’s also being held against her will. And their family has ties to terrorists, which gave me a great idea for the next book, Finding You, which takes place in Germany with Bryan, the brother with the limp.

After he and his beautiful heroine, Sophie, survive their plot, we head back to the US, which brings us to Sheltering You, my most recent release.

And now it’s getting really fun because Jasmine is hiding from her terrorist (and bigamist) husband, who’s searching for her and his unborn child.

See what I mean? Each story births the next.

You’re going to love Sheltering You. Derrick, the youngest of the Wright brothers, is already smitten with Jasmine, but he has no idea she’s married and expecting a child. And she might loathe her husband—so much that she ran from him and is hiding a half a world away. Even so, she’s married, and that means something. So no matter what she feels for Derrick, she can’t act on it.

The situation is complicated, and it just gets more complicated as the story progresses. Which is what makes it So. Much. Fun!

And guess what. This series isn’t over, not even close. We’ve gone through all the brothers, but  there are more Wrights out there…cousins. I don’t know all their stories yet, but Alyssa’s is already coming together. It’ll release in the winter of 2025 with some familiar faces—good guys, of course, and maybe bad guys as well.

I hope you’ll check out Sheltering You and all the stories in the Wright Heroes of Maine series.

My Impressions

“Work together? He liked the sound of that. Would that they could work together on more than just a stupid card game.”

Robin Patchen showcases riveting romantic suspense in Sheltering You:Terror in Shadow Cove ( The Wright Heroes of Maine, Bk #4)! I was anxiously scrolling pages as fast as I could with this novel, hoping that Jasmine( Yasamin) and Derrick would ultimately be safe and have their own happy ending. The tension is so well built, whether between Derrick and Jasmine, or Derrick and his brothers, or the Wrights vs. the terrorists! I was happy to meet some characters I’d met in previous books. I was also happy that missing a few books, I could still enjoy this book, but this book also gave me the desire to go back and catch up on the brothers whose stories I’d missed.

Trust, freedom, working together, human slavery, and conflict are all themes explored in this novel. 

Talk about culture shock! This is a great opportunity to realize how different life can be for people in other cultures, especially in cultures where women are seen as property and worthless. We as Americans don’t always realize how good we have it. Although Yasmine challenges Derrick when he talks about her need for freedom from her former life. “…true freedom isn’t the ability to do what I want. True freedom comes from doing what God says. True freedom is in walking with Him, is it not?” 

Jasmine’s situation is heart-wrenching, in the way it has caused her to think of herself, as less than nothing, unworthy, “the other one” who “is barely a shadow.” I love seeing her growth and her faith. 

Derrick starts with what would seem like a bigger advantage than Jasmine. He has a large, loving family, access to God’s Word, and much more freedom as an American. Yet, Derrick, the peacemaker, has a difficult time with his family. He has many copies of God’s Word, but has not studied it like Jasmine has. And his freedoms just might cause him to think the American way is God’s way. 

When Jasmine tries to protect a friend and things go sideways, can Jadmine and Derrick work together and possibly become more than friends? And as the danger increases, can Derrick discover his own motivations within the family and work together with his brothers with pure motives? 

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:

“He gave me hope when there was no hope.” She yawned. “There was always eternity.”

“That was as close to a real apology as a red Skittle was to a fresh strawberry.”

“Feelings were not grains of rice one could simply flick away. They clung like grime, impossible to remove without painful scrubbing and stinging bleach. How did one bleach a soul?”

“Slavery looked different here than it had in Iraq, but it existed everywhere.”

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Magnificent! Intense, romantic suspense with relatable, flawed, characters you want to help and cheer for!

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, August 10

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, August 10

Locks, Hooks and Books, August 11

Stories By Gina, August 12 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, August 12

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 13

Book Looks by Lisa, August 14

Betti Mace, August 15

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 16

Blossoms and Blessings, August 17

Blogging With Carol, August 18

For the Love of Literature, August 19 (Spotlight)

Holly’s Book Corner, August 20

Artistic Nobody, August 21 (Spotlight)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, August 22

Back Porch Reads, August 23 (Spotlight)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Robin is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card and a copy of Finding You!!

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/2dbe4/sheltering-you-celebration-tour-giveaway

BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour, Favorite, Kindle, Purchase, Wild Heart Books

Trail of Promises by Susan F. Craft Review and Giveaway

Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: Trail of Promises

Author: Susan F. Craft

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: June 25, 2024

A marriage of convenience will protect her reputation on the long trail ahead, but he’s barely more than a stranger…

Tessa Harris is a woman without options. When she’s stranded nearly two hundred miles from her destination, her only companions are a former British Cavalry officer and his two young brothers. Society dictates they cannot travel without a chaperone, but can she trust this handsome stranger to protect her if they choose to marry? And if so, should she show her feelings or guard her heart? She’s learned the hard way how painful it is to love a man who doesn’t reciprocate.

Stephen Griffith has enough responsibility caring for his young brothers, and now he shoulders the massive responsibility of keeping his new wife safe as they cross the wilderness toward a new life. And though he tries to keep her at arm’s length, reminding himself their marriage may only be a temporary arrangement, he cannot seem to shake the feelings growing for her.

When they fall into the hands of outlaws, Tessa and Stephen must overcome their hardest obstacle yet. Only God can bring them safely to the end of the trail where enduring love awaits.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Susan F. Craftretired after a 45-year career in writing, editing, and communicating in business settings.

She authored the historical romantic suspense trilogy Women of the American Revolution—The Chamomile, Laurel, and Cassia. The Chamomile and Cassia received national Illumination Silver Awards. The Chamomile was named by the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance as an Okra Pick and was nominated for a Christy Award.

She collaborated with the International Long Riders’ Guild Academic Foundation to compile An Equestrian Writer’s Guide (www.lrgaf.org), including almost everything you’d ever want to know about horses.

An admitted history nerd, she enjoys painting, singing, listening to music, and sitting on her porch watching geese eat her daylilies. She most recently took up the ukulele.

More from Susan

Tessa Harris and her father, Thomas, are portrait artists, limners, who travel from town to town seeking commissions.

Limners were among the first to record glimpses of life in colonial America. By the early 1700s, wealthy colonists hired limners to paint portraits of their families. These limners, mostly self-taught, generally unknown by name, turned out naive portraits in the Elizabethan style, the Dutch baroque style, or the English baroque court style, depending upon the European background of both artist and patron.

Rather than a true portrait, the paintings were most often idealistic and did not give a true representation of the personality of the sitter and were often two dimensional. Artists focused on the material wealth of the subject, giving much attention to their clothing and accessories. Some artists painted only the faces of their subjects, explaining that they need not bother with tedious sittings and that they would paint the bodies and clothing later. They would show their subjects English and French prints from which to choose whatever costumes and backgrounds they preferred.

Like most artisans of their time who found it difficult to support themselves with paintings only, limners also worked in pewter, silver, glass, or textiles or took jobs doing ornamental paintings of clocks, furniture, signs, and carriages. Many painted miniatures—tiny watercolor portraits—on pieces of ivory, often oval-shaped and commonly worn as jewelry. Limners also painted on paper and canvas and earned, on average, $15 per portrait.

Limners Samuel McIntire and Duncan Phyfe became celebrated painters of furniture. Famous colonial portrait artists included Joseph Blackburn, Peter Pelham, John Smibert, John Singleton Copley, John Trumbull and Charles Wilson Peale. An American artist, Benjamin West, became painter to the king and president of the Royal Academy in London. American artists flocked to his studio to learn under his tutelage, including Gilbert Stuart, who painted a famous portrait of George Washington.

In 1754 in British colonial New York, an artist took out the following ad in the Gazette and the Weekly Post: Lawrence Kilburn, Limner, just arrived from London with Capt. Miller, hereby acquaints all Gentlemen and Ladies inclined to favour him in having their pictures drawn, that he don’t doubt of pleasing them in taking a true Likeness, and finishing the Drapery in a proper Manner, as also in the Choice of Attitudes, suitable to each Person’s Age and Sex, and giving agreeable Satisfaction, as he has heretofore done to Gentlemen and Ladies in London. He may at present be apply’d to at his Lodgings, at Mr. Bogart’s near the New Printing-Office in Beaver-Street. 

I pray that my Great Wagon Road series honors the Lord and the gifts He has given me and that you will love my characters as much as I do. Soli Deo Gloria.

My Impressions

“By agreeing to travel with him, she had placed herself under his protection. Her body might be petite, but the responsibility of keeping her safe would be massive. Was he up to the task?”

Trail of Promises by Susan F. Craft is the second Great Wagon Road book ( and second in the series) that I have read. Quick thoughts in this paragraph: These books are great historical standalones , not about the Oregon Trail, but about the Wagon Trail that ran through the colonies from New York usually extending to South Carolina or further. I liked the first. I was definitely hooked by the second. Author notes are very important, and I love the help finding out which events are based on history! The fourth thought- after two of these books, you couldn’t pay me enough to be a part of this exceedingly dangerous wagon trail road!! ( But I will definitely be reading the other books of the series as soon as they release!!)

In Trail of Promises, unexpected tragedy causes a woman,sketcher-portrait artist to travel unaccompanied in 1753 on the trail with an attractive, former British military man and his younger brothers. But they are unmarried without a proper chaperone. Will this do harm to their reputations once they reach any settlements?

Stephen Griffith and Tessa Harris eventually do enter a marriage of convenience, but will that be enough for each of them? ( Note: This is a clean, and faith-based book.)

The trail is arduous not just in its path, but the events that the foursome must pass through. Will they crack under the horrendous strain of their encounter with extreme evil and other difficulties, or will they come out tried and shining as gold?

For those who love pre-Revolutionary times, wagon train stories, faith-filled stories, and great evil vs good.

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

Notable Quotables:

“Even though the soap washed away the scent of death, nothing could ever erase the dark memories that must be lurking in their minds.”

“God walked with her through her valley. His love would sustain her through whatever lay ahead.”

“He made mistakes. We all do. Do not dwell on bad memories, but try to recall some of the good times you had with your father.”

“So, as a man, you feel compelled to hide your emotions?” “They were trained out of us, I’m afraid. Not the emotions themselves, but any display of them.”

“People do many things when their life or the life of someone they love is threatened.”

“Many beautiful things in the wilderness have an ugly side.”

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Magnificent!! Ready (with fear and trembling!) for the next Wagon Trail adventure!

Blog Stops

Simple Harvest Reads, July 9 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Pens Pages & Pulses, July 9

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 10

Texas Book-aholic, July 11

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, July 12

For Him and My Family, July 12

Lighthouse Academy Blog, July 13 (Guest Review from Marilyn)

Karen Baney Reviews, July 13

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, July 14

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, July 15

Life on Chickadee Lane, July 16

Holly’s Book Corner, July 16

Locks, Hooks and Books, July 17

lakesidelivingsite, July 18

Cover Lover Book Review, July 19

Blossoms and Blessings, July 20

Pause for Tales, July 20

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, July 21

Books You Can Feel Good About, July 22

Giveaway

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

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/2ca3e/trail-of-promises-celebration-tour-giveaway

BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour, Favorite, Kindle, Purchase, Wild Heart Books

A Conflicted Betrayal by Denise Weimer Review and Giveaway

Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: A Conflicted Betrothal

Author: Denise Weimer

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: June 11, 2024

A King’s Ranger, a secret patriot, and a love that calls everything into question.

As a King’s Ranger on Georgia’s frontier, Ansel Anderson loves his independent life. But he’s also a second son, which means he’ll need the favor of someone influential to secure a land grant to settle his future. What better way to win support than by marrying the daughter of a member of the Governor’s Council? Yet Ansel’s straightforward plan is complicated by Miss Scott’s aloofness and his own growing sympathy for the passionate cause of the Liberty Boys.

As drawn to the enigmatic Ansel Anderson as Temperance Scott might be, he’d be more of a match for her feisty twin sister—who is all too happy to oblige. Not only would timid, nearsighted Temperance make a poor wife for a man trained for life on the frontier, but anyone she allows close to her must share her secret patriot ideals.

When Savannah erupts into riots and intrigue following the passage of the Stamp Act, Ansel is tasked with identifying a spy passing sensitive information to the Liberty Boys and the author of anonymous letters threatening those loyal to the governor. And as suspicions focus on the Scott family, which is he prepared to sacrifice—love or loyalty?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

North Georgia native Denise Weimer has authored over a dozen traditionally published novels and a number of novellas—historical and contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and time slip. As a freelance editor and Acquisitions & Editorial Liaison for Wild Heart Books, she’s helped other authors reach their publishing dreams. A mother of two daughters, Denise always pauses for coffee, chocolate, and old houses.

More from Denise

The American Revolution That Almost Happened a Decade Earlier: 

The Setting for A Conflicted Betrothal

Savannah, Georgia, 1765. Sedition, secret letters, spies, and Sons of Liberty. An absolutely irresistible combination for an author of historical romance! All this intrigue centered around the passage and implementation of the Stamp Act.

The crowning grievance after a series of increasingly repressive acts levying taxes for Britain, the act required an imprint on official papers or a small blue paper affixed with tin foil to a document, including bills, calendars, warrants, deeds, court documents, commercial papers, degrees, newspapers, pamphlets, ads, almanacs, indentures, appointments, and even cards and dice. Anyone breaking the Stamp Act would be tried in admiralty court in Novia Scotia. Colonists objected to not having a local trial by their peers and because English parliament, not the local upper and lower colonial houses, set the tax.

Savannah seethed with discontent while awaiting the appointment of a stamp master and the arrival of the stamps.

Then a sensational article in the Georgia Gazette revealed that four local citizens had received letters signed by “the Townsman” accusing them of being the stamp master or having stamped papers in their possession. The men were instructed to publicly advertise their innocence or risk grievous results.

When protest and riots speared by the fledgling Liberty Boys repeatedly erupted, the governor called out his Royal Rangers to quell the potential rebellion. But the rangers and the militia were riddled with secret patriots, many of whom were the sons of prominent loyalists. Imagine being in the position where you are sworn to serve and protect—only, you suspect you may be on the wrong side.

That’s what happens to my hero in A Conflicted Betrothal. Georgia Royal Ranger Ansel Anderson is summoned from his frontier post to provide intelligence to his father’s friend, a loyalist judge. To obtain the land grant he needs, he’s also to court the man’s daughter, an ardent patriot. Patience Scott has no intention of letting herself fall for a sworn King’s Man…until anonymous letters threatening those loyal to the governor corner her into agreeing to a betrothal. But will their attraction to each other survive their conflicting loyalties?

My Impressions

“…but they could not build a future on secrets and half truths.”

Denise Weimer is another author that I enjoy more with every book I read. A Conflicted Betrothal is such a great title for this novel set in the time just before the Revolutionary War. It’s a story about Star-crossed lovers, Temperence Scott, an ardent supporter of the Sons of Liberty movement in Georgia, and Lt. Ansel Anderson, a Georgia Ranger tasked with sniffing out those very Sons of Liberty. Yet these two find themselves admiring not only the looks of the other, but the true to conscience character each possesses, as well as honest faith. But Cousin Frankie and Temperance’s twin sister cause some interesting, and dangerous love triangles. How can Temperance and Ansel be true to their opposing beliefs, have the honesty that a serious relationship demands, and avoid betraying the other as words become dangerous actions?

An aside here, this strange, opposite political beliefs reminds me of a very well-known political couple of a few years back, each very outspoken in and working for opposite political goals.

Honesty. How can you keep political plans and actions separate from a spouse? How do you remain true to your convictions? This story swept me along, and I couldn’t believe some of the great twists!! Bravo!! Plus another book will follow to tell the story of a couple we met on this story. I want that one today!!

The author’s notes are important as Weimer explains the real-life characters. true events, and then which parts were poetic license. If you love reading historical fiction about the Revolutionary War and how it could tear families apart, don’t miss this book!!

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

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Magnificent!

Blog Stops

Holly’s Book Corner, July 2

Texas Book-aholic, July 2

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 3

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, July 4

lakesidelivingsite, July 4

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, July 5

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, July 6

Pause for Tales, July 6

Books You Can Feel Good About, July 7

Simple Harvest Reads, July 8 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Locks, Hooks and Books, July 9

Inkwell Inspirations, July 10

For Him and My Family, July 11

Jeanette’s Thoughts, July 12

Blossoms and Blessings , July 12

Cover Lover Book Review, July 13

Life on Chickadee Lane, July 14

Connie’s History Classroom, July 15

Giveaway

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

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/2c80b/a-conflicted-betrothal-celebration-tour-giveaway

BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour, Kindle, New Author, Purchase

Tangled Promises by Lynn U Watson Review and Giveaway

Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: Tangled Promises

Author: Lynn U. Watson

Genre: Historical Romance

Release date: May 21, 2024

Thunderous applause extinguishes her dream and ignites her worst nightmare.

Clara Reinhold’s father publicly pledges her hand to Georg Wolff. His character and arrogance match the stench of his odious cigars, but his lineage offers a suitable alliance for the station of a baron’s daughter.

A charades clue years earlier turned friendship into a promise of forbidden marriage between Clara and family carriage driver, Daniel Becker.

If she refuses Georg and follows her heart, her father disowns her and she loses everything—her loving family, dear friends, and the only home she’s known.

As a tangled web of scandal and deceit unwinds, hidden motives and illicit activities emerge among an unsuspecting ring of players changing everything but nobility’s rules.

How will justice be served?

How will Clara and Daniel overcome obstacles to claim a future beyond that of a charade?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Lynn Watson is a devotional writer, occasional quilter, reflexologist, and great-great-grand-daughter of a baron from Southwest Germany. Lynn combines her passions and her heritage Stepping Through Time Stitching Stories of Faith Snippets of her family story inspire her fiction writing. She and husband, Steve, make their home in Bartlett, TN, where Jasmine the resident feline considers herself Princess of the Palace.

More from Lynn

🙂

My daughter gifted me a tee shirt for Christmas with an image of a typewriter and the slogan: I make things up. That’s a novelist job! 

Where we and our family came from and how we arrived where we are today, there’s a story in each of us. I find myself often pondering people’s back stories. I regret knowing only the tiniest bits of my own family’s backstory. When I had the opportunity to ask the questions, I was too naive to know what to ask. Decades later I made it up. Tangled Promises was born.

A recurring theme as I wrote Tangled Promises focuses on this verse: The rich and poor meet together: the Lord is the maker of them all. ~Proverbs 22:2

Clara and Daniel lived in the same world. She the daughter of the Baron and he the family’s humble carriage driver. Very much in love with one another, but their social status dictated rules created to forbid their union. 

In a world so shattered by differences, God calls us to see we’re all the same in His eyes. From the unborn baby to kings in the land, we’re all cherished by Him. He calls us to forgiveness and love.

While I’ve published a few devotional books, Tangled Promises is my debut novel and the first book in the Promised Destiny series. Thank you for reading. I pray you love it and are blessed.

My Impressions

“Thunderous applause extinguished her dream and ignited Clara Reinhold’s worst nightmare.”

This debut novel by Lynn U Watson about a daughter struggling to honor her father in an unwanted betrothal was difficult to read. Tangled Promises is much like a fairy tale that seems to promise a nightmare ending instead of a happily-ever-after. It brings to mind the saying , “Who’s afraid of the big bad Wolff?!”

What makes the novel difficult is the logic behind the characters’s actions, specifically that of honoring God and one’s parents, even in such a decision. It seems apparent to Clara, the daughter, and her twin Curt, that Georg, the man Clara is betrothed to by her father’s agreement, is arrogant, mean, and downright dangerous. Yet, Clara’s mother feels she cannot counter her husband’s decision, as a wife should honor her husband. As Clara is reminded of verses to honor her father, she reluctantly goes along with this very unhealthy relationship, which her father can’t seem to see, nor will he explain.

Thankfully, a lot of praying goes on in the book as different incidents happen. Much godly advice is sought, which is good. But I still wonder if an adult child ( at that age) is required to honor a parent ( who is turning a blind eye to true character of the proposed spouse) to that degree.

Watson brings in a lot of different Bible verses in different situations. No long sermons. Just characters quoting applicable Scriptures at the appropriate times.

So much desperation in this book! Clara and Curt and others wonder when God is going to answer. “You know I’m praying, and we must accept God’s answer whatever it is. God sees far beyond what we discern, but I’m struggling with my faith. Does God even see us, Curt?”

If you enjoy justice served, don’t stop reading! Watson uses her characters to come together and ferret out the truth in amazing ways! Also, much distinction is made between those who think they are better than others and those who treat all equally. This is another underpinning of this historical fiction story that will have you favoring some characters and wishing others would see themselves through the eyes of those around them..

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:

“A man’s free to choose his entertainment, Mutter.” “Ja, but the entertainment he chooses defines him.”

“I know Who waits to help His children. He’s not a folktale or an imaginary spirit. God’s plan is better than any man’s or a gnome’s map.”

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Great!

Blog Stops

Stories By Gina, June 24 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, June 24

Texas Book-aholic, June 25

Artistic Nobody, June 26 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, June 27

Guild Master, June 28 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, June 29

A Reader’s Brain, June 30 (Author Interview)

Vicky Sluiter, July 1 (Author Interview)

Holly’s Book Corner, July 1

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, July 2

Bizwings Book Blog, July 3

Tell Tale Book Reviews, July 4 (Author Interview)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, July 5

Splashes of Joy, July 6 (Author Interview)

Locks, Hooks and Books, July 7

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Lynn is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon gift card and a copy of the book!!

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/2c55d/tangled-promises-celebration-tour-giveaway

ARC, BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour, Kindle, New-to-Me Author, Purchase

Texas Forsaken by Sherry Shindelar Review and Giveaway

Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: Texas Forsaken

Author: Sherry Shindelar

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: May 21, 2024

The man who destroyed her life may be the only one who can save it. 

Seven years ago, Maggie Logan (Eyes-Like-Sky) lost everything she knew when a raid on a wagon train tore her from her family. As the memories of her past faded to nothing more than vague shadows, Maggie adapted—marrying a Comanche warrior, having a baby, and rebuilding her life. But in one terrible battle, the U.S. Cavalry destroys that life, and she is taken captive again, this time by those who call themselves her people. Forced into a world she wants nothing to do with, Eyes-Like-Sky’s only hope of protecting her child may be an engagement to the man who killed her husband.

Enrolled in West Point to escape his overbearing father, Captain Garret Ramsey has graduated and finds himself assigned to the Texas frontier, witnessing the brutal Indian War in which both sides commit atrocities. Plagued by guilt for his own role, Garret seeks redemption by taking responsibility for the woman he widowed and her baby. Though he is determined to do whatever it takes to protect them, is he willing to risk everything for a woman whose heart is buried in a grave? Or is there hope she might heal to love once more?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Originally from Tennessee, Sherry loves to take her readers into the past. She is an avid student of the Civil War and the Old West. When she is not busy writing, she is an English professor working to pass on her love of writing to her students. Sherry is an award-winning writer: 2023 Genesis finalist, Maggie finalist, and Crown finalist. She currently resides in Minnesota with her husband of thirty-eight years. She has three grown children and three grandchildren.

More from Sherry

The story of Cynthia Anne Parker, the most famous captive of the nineteenth century, haunted my heart for a couple of decades. Abducted from one world, adopted into another, and then stolen back, Cynthia Ann’s story of love and unrepairable loss captured my heart. All the more so since it was fact, not fiction.

I longed to give her a second chance. So I developed a character who was similar to Cynthia, started the narrative at the moment of crisis, and wrote a different trajectory. I couldn’t give Cynthia a happy ending, but I could give Eyes-Like-Sky a story of love and hope taking root in the midst of devastating loss.

Cynthia was taken captive by Comanches at age nine during an attack on her family’s fort in the Texas frontier in 1836. Her father and several extended family members were killed, and her brother John, her cousin Rachel, and a couple other family members were captured along with her.

Her Aunt Elizabeth was rescued a couple months after the attack. Her cousin Rachel, who had been badly abused by the tribe, was ransomed a couple of years later and died within a year of her return. John adopted the Comanche lifestyle and lived with the tribe for years before eventually leaving the tribe to farm in Mexico. But Cynthia became Comanche and became an integral part of the tribe for over twenty-four years.

She married an influential war chief, Peta Nocona, and had three children with him, including Quanah Parker, who eventually became a powerful Comanche chief. Several times over the years, Indian agents and traders attempted to ransom her, but she refused to go, and the tribe rejected their offers.

In December 1860, Texas Rangers, along with U.S. Cavalry troops, attacked her village and captured her and her baby girl, Prairie Flower (Topsanah), killing everyone else in the camp. (There has been significant historical debate about whether her husband was present at the time. Some accounts claim he died fighting to protect her. Other evidence points to him having been away on a hunting trip at the time of the attack and dying a couple years later from an old battle wound.)

Eventually, one of Cynthia’s relatives claimed her and took her to live with family, but she refused to accept this new life that was being forced upon her. Repeatedly, she tried to escape to the open plains, desperate to find her husband and her sons. One of her uncles eventually agreed to help her look for her people, but they’d have to wait until the Civil War ended.

Prairie Flower died, word came that Cynthia’s son Pecos had passed away, as well, and the Civil War dragged on. Cynthia lost hope of ever being reunited with the two remaining members of her beloved family, Nocona and Quanah.  Overcome by sadness and longing, she sank into a deep depression and died of a broken heart.

Cynthia Ann’s story, the story of a woman torn between cultures, perplexed, intrigued, and haunted me. My heart ached for her loss, and questions flooded my mind. Some stories are like that. They stay with you, and this one was all the more indelible because it was true and filled with unknowns.

As I put pen to paper to begin Texas Forsaken, I sought to create an indelible story of heart-wrenching trials, forgiveness, and second chances. A story of love and hope born anew. A story of redemption.

My Impressions

“I want no part of your settlements and civilization.”

“Done turned savage herself.”

Eyes-Like-Sky is a bitter captive to the pre-Civil War days American army. When the Comanches have decided to deter the white men from their territory by sheer terror of raids, the army fights back. In one such retaliation, Eyes-Like-Sky’s husband is killed, and she and her baby are taken captive by the white man. But… Eyes Like Sky vows they will never convert her back to her original Texan roots. “‘I don’t have an English name. I’m Comanche.’ Maggie. The word throbbed in her head. She would never be Maggie again.”

I enjoyed being challenged by this book to remember that sometimes we people think others need to look, think, talk, dress, or act like us to be acceptable. “Those vultures. Trying to change her name. Taking her clothes. They’d take her whole past if they could. Turn her into some pale-face city girl who’d never seen a Comanche.” Shindelar writes in such a way as to show both race’s possible POV’s, and one can better understand the customs and clothing of each, and even the distrust each holds for the other.

This is definitely a slow-burn romance. Very slow! It takes a long time for Eyes Like Sky especially to trust Captain Garrett Ramsey. We wonder whether Ramsey can or will keep her safe. We also wonder whether Eyes Like Sky will stay with the white men long enough to find out.

All of this happens on the Eve of the Civil War. How does the time period add to the unrest of the country and the army camps?

Both Ramsey and Eyes Like Sky have some familiarity with the Bible. How will faith play into their relationship, or will they both even choose to develop a faith? “Why had God allowed her to lose everything, almost everything, again? God loved her. He was a personal God, not just an all-powerful creator beyond the stars. He’d sent His Son for her. The truth had permeated her childhood and embedded itself in her heart. But where was that love now? As cold and distant as the stars.”

And a baby. Add a baby to a story, and there’s bound to be a softening of a character or two. Plus, I personally think that attracts readers to the novel. I can almost imagine holding that little one myself!

Possibly one of the biggest questions the author brings up, is when are we going to stop seeing a group of people as guilty of the wrongs of a few or even some, and judge people on their hearts instead? “A man should be judged for his own actions. Not his people’s.”

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. I also purchased an ecopy. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Magnificent!

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, June 20

Alena Mentink, June 21

Holly’s Book Corner, June 21

Lighthouse Academy Blog, June 22 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, June 23

Pause for Tales, June 23

Texas Book-aholic, June 24

Locks, Hooks and Books, June 25

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, June 26

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, June 27

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, June 28

Stories By Gina, June 29 (Author Interview)

Books You Can Feel Good About, June 29

For Him and My Family, June 30

The Lofty Pages, July 1

Connie’s History Classroom, July 2

Cover Lover Book Review, July 3

Giveaway

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

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/2c06b/texas-forsaken-celebration-tour-giveaway