Can a jeopardized children’s library program spark a partnership that saves their careers but costs them their hearts?
When children’s librarian Martha Aldridge learns about budget cuts that will not only put her out of a job but also shut down the library’s children’s programs, she’s determined to raise the funds needed to save both. The good news is, she knows just who to ask for a large donation on the library’s behalf. The bad news? She swore she’d never step foot in his office again.
Julien King has been groomed to one day run his family’s publishing empire, and now he must prove he’s ready to take the helm by turning around the company’s languishing children’s imprint. That wouldn’t be a problem, except he doesn’t know the first thing about children’s literature. So when Martha waltzes into his office, he sees an opportunity and makes her an offer she can’t refuse. He’ll give her the money she needs for the library in exchange for her help in acquiring a bestselling manuscript that will resurrect the dying imprint. The longer they’re forced to work together, however, the more they come to realize their jobs may not be the only thing on the line.
Winner of the Holt Medallion and Selah Award, Sarah Monzon is a stay-at-home mom who makes up imaginary friends to have adult conversations with (otherwise known as writing novels). As a navy chaplain’s wife, she resides wherever the military happens to station her family and enjoys exploring the beauty of the world around her.
My Impressions
“The high-rise linen pants with the bow belt and cream-colored wrap top with a cinched waist make me look the part of a publishing gatekeeper, but really, I’m just a backwoods girl with a love of books and not enough formal education to keep her job.”
Sigh! Finding the storyline of Bookmarked for Love by Sarah Monzon was like finding a lost treasure. I don’t watch many movies, but Bookmarked for Love, as it tells the romance of the third Little Creek, TN, librarian, is a retelling of Sabrina. Be still, my heart!! To make my experience even richer, I tried listening to the book I purchased on Audible along with the kindle ebook I purchased. What a double treat the reading/listening combination was! I navigated through the book at a quick rate, alternating between swooning and laughing.
Julien King was the rich, much older boy next door that the groundskeeper’s daughter, Martha Aldridge, develops a crush on from a distance. Now, years have passed, and Martha has bravely approached publishing giant King Enterprises (where she finds Julien standing in for his father, the elder Mr. King) to support her library children’s programs that are about to undergo budget cuts.
Julien agrees, but on the condition that Martha freelance for him as he tries to salvage Squire, the children’s publishing imprint of King Publishing. As Martha and Julien work together, they are both surprised at the history that crops up between them and try to ignore the draw they feel for the other. “…he seemed powerless to extinguish the spark that ignited whenever they interacted.” Yet, though this is America and not England, there are constant reminders that they belong to different worlds.
I loved that there is a plus-sized female main character who is considered beautiful. I was happy to see that though some couldn’t see beyond the fact that she wasn’t a size 4, Martha has long since realized she can be happy as she is. She is comfortable with her body. Happiness goes beyond a number on the scale.
I loved the pond scene and the bracelets explanation. We begin to see the formation of an easy, deep friendship that has actually had roots in their youth, and lay dormant, waiting years for circumstances to awaken and develop even further.
I also loved how the trio of librarians have become really close and support each other as only best friends do.
What will happen as Martha and Julien face their feelings? Any thoughts of a future between them are met with enough roadblocks to make a high skyscraper.
Monzon does a wonderful job of retelling Sabrina. I also enjoyed the pop-culture references. Discussion questions at the back help make the novel suitable for a bookclub.
I received a copy of the novel from JustReads via NetGalley. I also bought my own ebook and Audible versions. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.
Notable Quotables:
“He’d been practically carrying around a piece of her for most of his life, and he’d never even realized it.”
“…sometimes looking at a problem from a different angle opens our eyes to avenues we weren’t aware of before.”
“Happily-ever-after isn’t the destination. It’s the journey.”
My Rating
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Such a gem of a book! For me, I visualized Sabrina in all its wonder and romance all over again in a fresh setting.
Your Turn
What makes Bookmarked for Love earn a space on your TBR? Tell me in the comments!
Book: The Bachelor Spy (A Freddie and Grace Mystery Book 5)
Author: Pepper Basham
Genre: Christian Fiction/Historical Fiction
Release Date: July, 2026
Spies Infiltrate Havensbooke Hall. . .and Another Mystery Adventure Begins
Stephen Blake’s life goal is to protect people, especially those closest to him, but war in 1914 England doesn’t follow any rules. When Blake is informed that a noted German spy may have taken up residence at Havensbrooke Hall—his cousin Lord Astley’s estate, which is being used as a convalescent war hospital—he’s sent there to uncover the plot.
Lady Grace Astley has become a force to be reckoned with while Frederick is out on the war front. With Havensbrooke as a hospital, she’s shocked by the devastation the war is bringing home; but ever hopeful, she is determined to help these weary soldiers find some relief. However, not everything is as it seems inside Havensbrooke. Precious items soon start disappearing. . .and not just the kind that are worth a lot of money.
Through a case of mistaken identity, a comedy of errors, a kidnapping, and a race for time within the crumbling subterranean passageways beneath Havensbrooke, can Blake and Gracie work together to root out the criminals, thieves, and spies before time runs out?
Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes romance peppered with grace and humor with southern Appalachian flair. Both her historical and contemporary novels have garnered recognition in the Grace Awards, Inspys, and ACFW Carol Awards. Her historical romance, The Thorn Healer, was a finalist in the 2018 RT Awards. Her historical romance novels, My Heart Belongs in the Blue Ridge and The Red Ribbon, and her contemporary novels, the Mitchell’s Crossroadsand Pleasant Gap series, showcase her Appalachian heritage, as well as her love for humor and family. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC where she is the mom of five great kids, a speech-language pathologist to about fifty more, and a lover of chocolate, jazz, hats, and Jesus.
Excerpt
Prologue
May 7, 1915
Stephen Blake had been trailing the presumed spy most of the voyage—first to secure his target, and then. . .to strike. Every clue pointed to the fact that the gregarious businessman Donald Leaman was none other than Albert Stein, a German informant ferrying English war secrets straight to the fatherland.
Unfortunately, every opportunity Blake had found to confront the man had been thwarted: too many watchful eyes, too much pomp and luxury for a clean cornering. With the Lusitania’s transatlantic voyage ending in less than a day, his time to complete this mission was slipping away.
Worse, he couldn’t shake the feeling he was being followed himself. Only a limited few knew of his operation to uncover a ghostlike informant who’d used their “ordinary” position to gain extraordinary intelligence—from transfer stations, casualty clearing posts, even a general’s bunker at the Western Front. The spy had proven madden-ingly elusive, slipping through every trap British intelligence laid
with almost theatrical flair.
But what did they know? Stein was the spy’s last contact. And Blake was tasked with finding out what he knew.
The Lusitania was hardly Blake’s first ship, but certainly it was the grandest. It felt as though Claridge’s, the famous hotel in London, had taken to the sea, complete with its extravagant marble floors and its crystal chandeliers, with champagne in the air and ease all around. Just after luncheon, Stein had excused himself early and started down the grand staircase toward the lower decks. An odd choice for a first-class passenger, especially so near the end of the trip and with
his companions urging him to remain for cards.
So, of course, Blake followed.
Deck by deck, corridor by corridor, until the music and chatter faded into the deep measured thrum of the engines.
Occasionally, Stein cast a look behind him but never appeared concerned enough to stop his descent. This was certainly a planned meeting.
The elegance of the upper floors gave way to simpler decor, narrower corridors. Second-class accommodations. Stein stopped before a cabin door. His knock held an unnatural rhythm—three quick raps, a pause, two more. After only a beat of silence, a murmur from within responded.
Stein’s immediate whispered answer? “Octavia.” A code word, no doubt.
The door opened. Stein slipped inside, but before the door could click shut, Blake rushed soundlessly forward and caught it with his fingertips.
Perfect.
He released a self-satisfied grin and then pressed himself against the corridor wall, listening through the crack over the hum of the ship’s engine.
The cabin was small—voices carried easily in the confined space—and the faint scent of cigarette smoke drifted through the opening. “You’re late.” A man’s voice, crisp and impatient. Something about the cadence nagged at Blake’s memory, but he couldn’t place
English, certainly. Kentish?
Blake frowned. He could overpower Stein easily—the man was more socialite than combatant, the sort who’d probably never thrown a proper punch in his life. But this unknown fellow, clearly in charge and confident enough to smoke a cigarette while conducting treason? That suggested either experience or exceptional stupidity. Blake hoped for the latter but suspected the former.
“It was difficult to get away without raising suspicion,” Stein replied, his accent thickening into full German. “Blake is on this ship.”
Blake’s pulse quickened. So Stein knew he was being followed. “I know.” The other man’s tone didn’t waver. A long exhale
followed, as if he were breathing out smoke. “We’ve been watching him to ensure he didn’t wreck things.”
We? Who?
Blake’s mind raced through the passenger manifest, through his team members, through every face he’d seen on this voyage. That voice. . .
“But with that in mind, we need to move quickly,” the Englishman continued. “What do you have for me?”
A rustle of papers. “The Midnight Angel’s next assignment. She’s to embed herself in a convalescent hospital—but not in France this time. There is too much interest in her there.”
Blake’s breath caught. She was called the Midnight Angel? The informant they’d been hunting for months. And she was a woman.
“Italy, then?”
“Nein,” Stein answered simply. “A place much closer to your front door, mein Herr.”
England? A convalescent hospital in England?
“Perfect,” the Englishman murmured. “Wounded officers talk too freely around nurses they think are angels of mercy.”
“Clever, no?” Stein’s voice held a note of pride. “No one suspects the nurses. They’re invisible, really. Moving between stations, tending to generals and privates alike. She’s already proven invaluable.”
“This is excellent information, Stein.” A pause. “And you’ve given
it so freely. Too freely, I’m afraid.”
Blake froze. He knew that tone—the shift from curiosity to finality. The Englishman was finished with Stein. The German had served his purpose, been found wanting, and now. . .had become a liability.
He couldn’t wait any longer. Stein had to be taken alive—had to be questioned, catalogued, and wrung dry of every detail about the Midnight Angel and her network before—
He drew his revolver and pushed through the door. The scene materialized in a horrifying instant.
Stein stood near a narrow desk, documents scattered before him. And holding a gun already drawn, already aimed at Stein’s head with casual confidence, stood Evan Montgomery.
Blake’s breath squeezed closed in his throat.
Montgomery? His colleague. His friend. The man he’d trained with in Scotland, shared terrible army rations with in the trenches, trusted with his life on half a dozen missions across the Channel. The man whose sister Blake had been half in love with for six months but was far too professional to mention. The man who was, apparently, a traitor.
My Impressions
“That’s what family does, Grace. We muddle through the terrifying bits together and hope for the best.”
The. Perfect. Wrap-up! Well-done, Ms. Basham. Pepper Basham’s The Bachelor Spy is everything that we readers were anticipating! A light-hearted whimsical mystery, plenty of action, several different storyline threads, “new” characters, faith strengtheners, and romance! And insight into Freddie’s past as well.
Most books have twists in the second half of the book, if not near the end. The Bachelor Spy starts with a twist that sets up the uncertain mood of England during WWI. We begin with Stephen Blake, (cousin of Freddie’s) on board the ill-fated Lusitania in 1915. Uncertain relationships, treacherous dealings, and the search for a mole within the British spy system. Plus, the search for The Midnight Angel, a very dangerous and clever spy for the Germans who has eluded capture, resulting in many British deaths.
Soon, the action switches to reveal Freddie and Grace’s estate, Havensbrooke. Freddie has been recalled to service in the army. Grace, needing to fill her time and feel useful, turns the house into a convalescent hospital for wounded soldiers. The secrets under that roof! Blake arrives wounded, but Grace is sure something’s off with their relative and beloved friend. Blake recognizes Grace has a secret, yet to be discovered, and he tries to hide his own identity, especially as a few of the nurses seem sharper than warranted. One nurse had my suspicions up, then another, till I suspected them all.
Through it all, Grace traipses through life with her humor-filled, adorable but childlike approach. When thievery begins, Grace throws herself and the household staff into full-on mystery-solving mode. Instructing the staff, Grace says, “we all ought to increase our mystery reading….“If our minds are already attuned to sleuthing, I imagine it will only make us more aware of clues and suspicious behavior.” Smiles from me, eyerolls from the staff!
When Grace’s secret is revealed, it ignites a latent fear in her heart. A character reminds her, “I hope you will remember that God is in this very moment, as well as the ones you cannot even see yet.”
Another time, when asked why she shows unusual mercy and grace, Grace replies, “Because we all need second chances,” Grace said with a soft laugh. “Sometimes third. Or fourth.” Her faith comes back to buoy her. It’s a good thing it does, because there are plenty of twists, surprises (other than an orange cat causing mayhem 😊), and danger yet to come!!
I received a copy of the book from Celebrate Lit via NetGalley. I also bought my own copy. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.
Notable Quotables:
“One simply does what needs doing for those in one’s … family.”
“The mission had grown substantially more dangerous. The Midnight Angel wasn’t just passing along intelligence about troop movements, patterns, and locations. She was building a kill list.”
“When she couldn’t see the future and didn’t understand all the reasons, if she believed He loved her as much as He promised, she could trust His timing.”
“…we all could do with a bit of kindness with all the very difficult things going on in the world.”
“…she was acting as if she didn’t trust God’s love at all! Even when hard things happened, didn’t He always promise to be the strength she needed for whatever the task?”
”Not enjoying reading certainly had to give the woman a dreary outlook on the world. Especially a world at war.“
My Rating
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Superior! Well-done, Ms. Basham. It’s hard to keep a series going this strong for this many books, but each Freddie and Grace Mystery has been just as good, if not better, than the one before it. So long, little Zahra. You are one of my fave characters, along with Brandon in this book.
From award-winning author Katie Powner comes a funny, feel-good novel about a woman discovering her second chance at life.
This charming and heartfelt story is perfect for readers who loved Mrs. Quinn’s Rise to Fame.
Fifty-two-year-old Meredith McGillicutty is not having a midlife crisis. She’s just ready for a change of pace, that’s all. The fact that she lied to get into a retirement community has nothing to do with being passed over for a promotion at work or her recent breakup with the only man she’s ever loved.
Nothing.
Meredith only wants some peace and quiet. To sit on a porch in elastic-waist pants and mingle with other mature individuals who value a life of serenity. But the residents of the Peaceful Pines retirement community have other plans for her. These quirky and endearing neighbors seem to know her better than she knows herself, and they decide Meredith’s life is only just beginning.
Blending humor and tenderness, The Second Chance Trailer Park will appeal to fans of Fredrik Backman and Lenora Worth.
Purchase link:
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About the Author
Katie Powner is an award-winning author who lives in Montana, where cows still outnumber people. She writes contemporary fiction about everyday people, filled with humor and heart, including the Christy Award-winning novels Where the Blue Sky Begins and The Wind Blows in Sleeping Grass. Katie is a mom to the third power (biological, adoptive, and foster) who loves candy, Jesus, and red shoes…not necessarily in that order.
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My Impressions
“A person must be fifty-four and a half or married to someone who is to apply to live in Peaceful Pines Trailer Park for Seasoned Adults, the form began.”
“Meredith McGillicutty was neither.”
Ooh, wee!! Bingo!! When Katie Powner starts off her newest novel, The Second Chance Trailer Park, I’m already busting a gut! It could only get better from here! And it does. Tired of the rat race that she chooses to leave behind, deciding she will identify as an old soul, Meredith worms her way into a trailer for senior citizens. What I found hilarious was that the person who is living the biggest lie can ferret out all kinds of trailer park rule violations and turn her neighbors in for them. “Out, out, bleepity log!” I wanted to yell at Meredith as she picks at the motes in others’ eyes!
You would think life in a senior citizen’s trailer park is dull. Not so this one. At least, certainly not after Meredith moves in. Between her nosiness, her bossiness, and shenanigans that could only occur in a place where people have lost a few inhibitions, wow! I was laughing almost every other minute. Uproariously. Trying to be quiet, but I probably woke any nearby neighbors.
Oh, yes… Team Patrick or Team Rowdy? I couldn’t decide which to choose, and kept flipping sides throughout the novel.
As we progress through the book, we begin to see some of the residents, including Meredith, beginning to get a clearer look at themselves through the faithful mirror of friends and loved ones. I loved these character arc growths. Maybe there will be a second chance for Meredith…
If you like to laugh, you NEED to read this book.
I received a copy of the book from the author and publisher via NetGalley. I also bought my own copy. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.
Notable Quotables:
“But she didn’t really know who she was these days, apparently. Only who she was trying to be, which was someone like Lois.” ( Meredith)
“We’re going to grow blind and deaf and stubborn as mules together, I promise.” – Meredith [saving this one!!]
“She wanted to want people in her life, but she didn’t want to need them.” ( Meredith)
“Their minds never grew up enough to get a driver’s license. But they’re happy people, as long as their cats are okay.”- ( an amusing couple)
My Rating
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Superior! One of my top two comedy reads so far this year!! I would recommend it to anyone!
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Have you read this book? What did you think? What books are high on your comedy list for this year?
Welcome to the Takeover + Review Blitz for The Light of Stars by Jenelle Hovde, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
About the Book
Title: The Light of Stars Author: Jenelle Hovde Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers Release Date: July 14, 2026 Genre: Historical Romance
An arranged marriage. A powerful company tainted with corruption. Two souls caught between obligation and a longing to find their true calling in this Regency romance set in glittering London ballrooms and Calcutta street markets.
When Kitty Grenville’s grandfather announces her engagement to Sebastian Sinclair, she’s appalled. She barely remembers the boy she met once as a child—and now he’s a man tied to the East India Company, the very organization that tore Kitty and her brother from their mother and home in Hyderabad years ago. Unwilling to relinquish her dream of a love match or her passion for astronomy, Kitty is determined to refuse the marriage and find freedom in her own way.
Sebastian Sinclair carries the weight of duty and regret. To atone for past sins, he complies with his grandfather’s orders to return to England, fulfill a long-standing betrothal, and defend the maligned East India Company before Parliament. Though Kitty makes her disinterest clear, Sebastian is drawn to her intellect and spirit.
As Kitty navigates her first London season, her opinion of Sebastian begins to shift, especially when he shields her from scandal. When he’s abruptly called back to India, Kitty stuns everyone by marrying him and going with him, hoping to escape her grandfather’s control—and to find her mother.
But the challenges that await in India are greater than imagined. Together, Kitty and Sebastian must confront the legacy of family and empire—and discover if a marriage born of obligation can grow into a love strong enough to endure.
Jenelle Hovde, an accomplished illustrator, author, pastor’s wife, and homeschooling mother, ventured off the beaten path when she transitioned from her career as a doctor of audiology to pursue her passion for writing. While her nine novels span different eras—from the ancient worlds to World War II—her favorite genre is sweet Regency romance that enchants readers with tales of love and intrigue set against the backdrop of nineteenth-century England. Drawing inspiration from timeless treasures found in antique stores, Jenelle pens historical romance novels that captivate readers with vivid storytelling and gentle messages of faith. Her stories have garnered impressive showings in multiple writing contests. Often found writing at the Florida beach, she navigates life with her family and manages two saucy cats who insist on interrupting her creative endeavors.
Connect with Jenelle by visiting jenellehovdeauthor.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.
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My Impressions
“I’m not afraid of failure. I’m afraid of succeeding at things that don’t matter.” – William Carey
Book Coma!! Jenelle Hovde’s latest historical romance, The Light of Stars, has left me in a book coma. I am so overwhelmed by this book I don’t know if I can move on. Typically, stories of India, The East India Tea Company, England, and Parliament do not sound exciting to me. But let Hovde get ahold of these threads, and she weaves them together with a marriage of convenience story and faith nuggets into a beautiful work of art!
In London in December of 1814, unconventional, headstrong English heiress Kitty Grenville greatly resents her “Iron Colonel” grandfather, who treats her as a pawn in his grasp for money and power. Masterminding her kidnapping from a palace in India as a young girl, her grandfather now insists Kitty marry a man he chooses. This man, Sebastian Sinclair, is a grandson of the chairman of the board of The East India Tea Company. Kitty, who studies astronomy diligently, is threatened to have that freedom taken away, plus her inheritance, if she refuses to comply. Already caught with her brother between two worlds, Kitty has two desires: to be controlled by no man, and to find her mother.
Sebastian, after years of wasteful living, has finally found God and returned to his place in his grandfather’s family. Leading the East India Tea Company will one day fall to him, but now he must prove his worth and loyalty by marrying the granddaughter of an old comrade of his grandfather. He must also defend the East India Tea Company before Parliament.
Kudos to Hovde, who helped me understand the politics of the time involving the East India Tea Company, the response of India’s people to the company, and the mission of people like William Wilberforce and William Carey who believe the English heads of the company of great wrongdoing. Slowly, Wilberforce and Carey remind Sebastian of his duty to mankind as a Christian.
“It is the true duty of every man to promote the happiness of his fellow creatures to the utmost of his power,” Wilberforce says. While Carey tells Sebastian, “The gospel is the true means by which the world changes, Sebastian—not these political positions you seek. To belong to Jesus is to embrace the nations with Him.” But can Sebastian be convinced that his precious tea company and his one way to prove his loyalty to his domineering grandfather might be less important than the call of God on his divided heart?
So many times this amazing book plucked at my heartstrings. Two adults desperately looking for approval from grandparents that are hard and overly demanding. Two young adults (not necessarily the same) who, due to their heritage, cannot find acceptance in either society. Again, two adults whose siblings are living lives the former are ashamed of and grieve over. Ah, the romance, the intrigue, the action, the suspense, and the twists! And the astronomy lessons! How fun to have the stars be a focus of the book, yet the happiness Kit would have, should she be allowed to continue her beloved studies, is as unlikely as a new celestial discovery by a woman.
A book for historical fiction lovers, Regency romance lovers, readers of Julie Klassen and Sarah Ladd, plus those who enjoy reading of women in STEM and marriage of convenience stories. I adored it and highly recommended this novel!
I received a copy of the book from the author and publisher through JustRead Tours via NetGalley. I also bought a couple of paperbacks- one for my trophy shelf and one to share with a friend!
Notable Quotables:
“Yet even in this, I see the hand of Providence. I can trust Him—not only in the doors He opens, but in those He closes as well.” “Could I trust God to chart my path?”– Freddy, (Kitty)
“We do not have to be bound to our family’s curses or their poor choices. We can choose differently, aye?”- Sebastian
“Even those who think themselves uninvolved are often complicit if they do nothing.” -Carey
“We cannot allow our mistakes, nor the evil of others, to define our path or our identity.” – Freddy
“These men had not come to be entertained. They had come to change the world. Or set fire to it, if my grandfather was to be believed.” – Sebastian
“…mercy is a necessity for peace. Perhaps this is why we so desperately need God’s help. To calm the storm.” – Kit
“They’re the same stars. But from here, they feel like a promise…Neither you nor I are lost, not when we see God’s handiwork.” – Sebastian
“Forgiveness changes us,” he had told me once. “A repentant man is no longer defined by his sins.” – Carey
My Rating
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Superior! The Light of Stars checks all the boxes for me. It is on my shortlist of fave books of 2026!!
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Tour Giveaway
(1) winner will receive a $25 gift card to their choice bookstore!
Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight July 21, 2026 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on July 28, 2026. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Book: The Girl from Tomorrow’s Town (Enduring Hope Book 5)
Author: Naomi Musch
Genre: Christian Historical Fiction
Release Date: June, 2026
Past and Present Collide on the Railway
When life seems weighed down by challenges, there are always pillars of enduring hope and love to be discovered.
Lily Mae Dodge flees Wyoming by night to find her mother, who sent her west on an orphan train ten years ago. After she’s arrested in Chicago, help comes from a man with a rare vision impairment whom she only just met on a train. Francis Basnett is a roustabout for the famous Hagenbeck-Wallace circus, where he helps Lily gain employment. Their friendship grows into more, and it seems Lily is closer than ever to finding her mother. . .until the night a rogue troop train slams into the stalled circus train, killing dozens and splintering hope.
Naomi Musch is an award-winning author who writes from a deer farm in the pristine north woods of Wisconsin, where she and husband Jeff live as epically as God allows near the families of their five adult children. When not in the physical act of writing or spending time loving on her passel of grandchildren, she can be found plotting stories as she roams around the farm, snacks out of the garden, and relaxes in her vintage camper. Naomi is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, the Wisconsin Writers’ Association, and the Lake Superior Writers. She loves engaging with others and can be found all around social media or at her site.
More from Naomi
Did you ever dream of running away with the circus? I must admit, it was never something I imagined doing, but like most kids of my generation, my wonderment did soar the first time I stepped foot beneath a “big top”. Some of those sensory memories stayed with me through the decades since, and of course, made their way into my novel. Nowadays, the trains or wagons no longer roll into town. There are very few circuses still around.
I grew up in the region not far from Barnum and Bailey’s Circus World in Wisconsin, but when traveling circuses were at their peak (much earlier than my day, I will add), there were nearly 100 of them traversing the country, nearly a third of them by rail. One of the largest was the Hagenbeck-Wallace circus based in southern Indiana. (Originally northern Indiana, but they transitioned to a warmer location where they wintered their animals.) They traveled in two trains—one that hauled the animals, laborers, and roustabouts, and the other that hauled the performers with their families and other work staff.
The circus was a city within itself, and more importantly, it became like family to most of the performers. Into this world is where my cast of characters gathers in The Girl from Tomorrow’s Town. Lily Mae Dodge is in search of just such a place to call home and people she can think of as family while she searches for her mother, lost to her when she was sent west on an orphan train as a child.
I never imagined myself writing a circus story, but when I learned about the real-life history of the Hagenbeck-Wallace circus, and tragically, the terrible circus train crash that stands as the most devastating in history, I needed to get to know some of the performers and people who worked there. I also wanted to add my own characters in a way that would bring this historic circus family to life. To tell the story of the crash, it was important to me that I do it in a way that would honor the lives and memories of those who were involved.
“Tomorrow’s Town” is a circus phrase referring to the place of the next show. The traveling circus season was a busy one, and sometimes performers who were already looking ahead to the next show simply referred to the next location as “tomorrow’s town.” While The Girl from Tomorrow’s Town is set in 1918 during WWI when the tragedy took place, it is primarily a story of hope, dreams, love, healing, and found family.
I hope you enjoy Lily and Francis’s story, and that you’ll settle into dazzling discovery with the Hagenbeck-Wallace circus!
My Impressions
“He might not see well, but everything about Lily was perfectly clear. She was searching for home, possibly for the mother who had never returned to claim her.”
The Girl from Tomorrow’s Train by Naomi Musch is a five-star read for me! Published by Barbour as part of its loosely connected series Enduring Hope, this is book #5. Sent West on an orphan train at nine years old, Lily Mae Dodge escapes a life of enforced slavery with her adopted family. Traveling East on a train, she meets Francis Basnett, a young man whose curious eye condition prohibits him from joining the War efforts in 1918.
This novel is so many things. It is a historical romance. It is a story of an American tradition- the orphan train- that helped many, but harmed just as many, while adults turned a blind eye to children’s suffering. It is the tale of a young woman searching for the acceptance and love that she was denied as a child, her soul searching for answers.
We also see a young man whose eye disease makes him the object of unaware society’s scorn. A young man who thinks his inability to see reflects on his ability to be the man God made him to be. Musch presents the historical Hagenbeck-Wallace circus train wreck of 1918, the largest and most disastrous circus train wreck in history. More than that, we are treated to a slice of life under the Big Top, backstage with the workers who become family for each other. Faith shines through in the dark of the tragedy, and hope is born again.
Francis quickly falls for Lily, but feels himself unworthy. He realizes how much Lily is winging her every decision, and invites her to join him in working for the circus. He often encourages her in her faith, with sayings like this: “He’s a big God. There’s no telling what He’ll accomplish through your prayers. The charge to pray might seem simple yet be bigger than you know.” How I loved that reminder for my own life. And, he is so kind, so patient, and thoughtful of Lily. I was always rooting for the two of them, but Francis about “slew” me when he spoke a certain phrase to Lily, in a voice she couldn’t hear, but in the pattern in which she often speaks aloud to herself!
Lily grabbed my heart from the get-go, in her suspenseful escape, her cautiousness, and her need for someone to love her. Yet, she opens her heart to the people around her: first, Jenny; then Alice and Leslie. She looks for ways to help in the search for survivors among the train wreck and to offer aid. And finding Suzie, Lily recognizes and fills a big need. I also loved the way Lily helps Francis as she acts as his eyes, whether alighting from the train, or reading the news to him. Then…how do you describe colors to someone who had never seen them? “Pink is the first breeze on a summer morning, tingling up your arms with the dawn.” No wonder Francis falls hard!!
One paragraph made me especially think.
“People happily came to see the shows and delight in the thrills, but many believed that the folk who lived and worked with the circus were mostly freaks and shysters. At best, they viewed them as a peculiar lot and not meant to associate in pubic life.” THIS MAKES ME SO SAD!! But it is such a true statement of how we as society pass easy judgment, often ignoring the fact we’re guilty on the other hand of promoting an activity or (particpating in one) we claim is wrong.
I received a copy of the book from CelebrateLit. I also bought my own copy. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.
Notable Quotables:
“It’s not ridiculous to want to go home.” A puff of air escaped her lips. “Is there such a place?” – Francis, Lily
“I can’t give up on the future. I must cling to hope if it takes my last breath.”- Lily
“God didn’t promise to remove our suffering while we’re here, but He promises to be the lap we can climb into while we go through it. He will hold us and love us through. He’ll give us peace.” – Francis
“A still, small voice whispered into her ear that this was how it should be, that something good could come of her own hard past.” -( Lily)
My Rating
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Superior! I love these stories of historical fact woven into fiction, where I learn so much while being entertained and built up in my faith at the same time. The romance doesn’t hurt!😁😮
Book: Not Precisely Mr. Knightley (The Silver Teapot Series Book Two)
Author: Carolyn Miller
Genre: Romance/Contemporary/Christian Fiction
Release Date: May, 2026
Can the Matchmaker Find True Love?
Emma-Jane (EJ) Bennett and Jordan Knight are longtime best friends who codesigned the immensely successful dating app, Dream Match. Success starts to go to EJ’s head when she gets caught up in the famous and money-hungry social circles and starts dating the son of a TV mogul. But Jordan’s feelings have grown from friendship to more. He determines to protect her by exposing Eric Churchill for the two-timer he is, finally agreeing to attend a function with her at the Sydney Opera House. But his best intentions go awry when EJ is embarrassed and runs for the security of home, small-town roots, and The Silver Teapot Café, feeling like Jane Austen’s chastised Emma—only without her Mr. Knightley.
Don’t miss book 1 in The Silver Teapot series, Not Exactly Mr. Darcy
Carolyn Miller is an inspirational Regency and contemporary romance author who lives in the beautiful Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia, with her husband and four children. Together with her husband, she has pastored a church for ten years and worked as a public high school English and Learning and Support teacher.
A longtime lover of romance, especially that of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer’s Regency era, Carolyn holds a BA in English Literature and loves drawing readers into fictional worlds that show the truth of God’s grace in our lives.
More from Carolyn
Do you know someone who has found love online?
I do. I have numbers of friends and even a family member who have found love and married thanks to dating apps and the like. This newer form of meeting people is something I’ve referenced in several of my books (including Only You Can Love Me), as several of my characters have used an app called Dream Match, a romance matchmaking app for Christian singles around the world. But when I first mentioned Dream Match years ago I didn’t realise at the time that I’d end up writing a story about how the inventor of Dream Match would finally meet her match.
And it seemed perfect to me that Jane Austen’s Emma Woodhouse, known for her matchmaking skills, should be reflected in a modern day context as being the ultimate matchmaker, EJ Bennett, who is responsible for helping hundreds of people find love online. Even if she doesn’t think she needs or wants love for herself.
Playing with Jane Austen’s characters and putting them in a modern setting is a lot of fun. So not only does Emma Woodhouse become EJ Bennett, but George Knightley becomes EJ’s best friend and app co-designer Jordan Knight, the straight shooter she needs. And Frank Churchill, the man Emma starts to fall for, becomes Eric Churchill, son of a TV mogul squillionaire.
The first book in The Silver Teapot series, Not Exactly Mr. Darcy, also played around with some of Austen’s settings, placing the story in a small town in Australia called Wattle Vale. I had fun further developing the Australian connections by setting other key scenes in iconic places like the Sydney Opera House and Bondi Beach, which naturally meant I had to visit for “research.”
So I hope readers enjoy this little taste of Australia, and all the fun references to Jane Austen’s Emma. Be sure to check out my website and follow me on social media for more Jane Austen inspiration and fun, and get ready to enjoy Not Precisely Mr. Knightley, a sweet and swoony best friends-to-more romance that shows the path to true love is never smooth – even for the professional matchmaker.
Happy reading!
My Impressions
“I’m not crying.” “You should be, Emma-Jane Bennett,” Jordan said. “Then maybe you’d wake up to yourself and realise what is real and what is a lie and who your real friends are.”
As I shared my excitement over emotional fireworks in this story, one friend called it a great “comeuppance,” as the before-now unlikeable female main character( EJ Bennett) finally gets her “what for!!” I must say, Carolyn Miller has written her two main characters so convincingly in Not Precisely Mr. Knightley, that it is easy not to like the self-absorbed, social climbing, rather money-hungry EJ.
Such a fun story, that I loved especially because of the main character’s growth. EJ, from a small Australian town, has been best friends forever with her neighbor and now-business partner, Jordan Knight. Both are now living in Sydney. The two start a very successful online dating app, which catches the attention of Gwen, who promises to introduce EJ to rich investors. As EJ begins to follow the path to schmoozing with the rich and famous, her discontent with her former life grows and Jordan becomes concerned. “That’s the thing, EJ. I can’t keep making excuses for you. And as your best friend, I’m supposed to tell you the truth, and if I’m honest, I’m concerned about where all this is taking you.” Yet, EJ wants her taste of the high life. If that means ignoring Jordan and her family, so be it. Since EJ’s new friends scoff at her faith, EJ is careful to keep that under wraps, too.
As Jordan’s feelings for EJ begin to deepen and he helplessly watches her become a different person, I really began to love him and strongly dislike her. I wanted Jordan to stop pining over EJ and find somebody else. So when the comeuppance scene finally explodes, I was one ecstatic camper. Gentle, kind, and loyal Jordan finally erupts and tells EJ the truth… not something she wants to hear. Now, from this watershed moment, can EJ and Jordan find their way back to forgiveness, restoration, and the friends-to-more conclusion Miller has primed us to desire?
I fell totally in love with the book when Jordan finally decides “Real friends held each other accountable” and that EJ needs a good dose of reality. There are some great one-liners that are applicable to many relationships. I loved seeing how easily Jordan turns to prayer and recalls Scripture to encourage himself when the path gets tough.
It is great to see the other Bennett sisters again, as well as the parents and Jordan’s parents. We see some good foreshadowing of the next book and also we see characters that provide grounding for our main characters. Who are we without family and God?
I received a copy of the book from Celebrate Lit through NetGalley. I also bought my own ebook. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.
Notable Quotables:
“Body blows couldn’t hurt more than his words right now.” ( EJ)
“He didn’t want to be another voice, adding to the noise. He wanted his ears tuned into the One whose voice set the world in motion. Because by listening to that eternal voice, Jordan would hear those words that actually needed to be said, and those would be the words that would truly make a difference.” (Jordan)
“Truth might sting at times, but at least it was honest. Flattery was lovely, but it wasn’t real. Flattery felt like a house of cards, one breath and it would all tumble down.” ( EJ)
“It’s a good thing that God is still in control, huh?” – Ben
“You don’t need to be the Holy Spirit’s little helper, trying to help EJ see the error of her ways.” – Ben
“Catastrophising” (- a new fave word Miller introduces)
My Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Superior! Is “comeuppance” a trope? It should be! This scene makes me award this book a strong five stars!
Book: Chase the Light (National Parks Summers Book 2. It can be read as a stand alone.)
Author: Suzanne Woods Fisher
Genre: Contemporary
Release Date: May 5, 2026
When Acadia National Park ranger Scout Johnson discovers a weathered note near a remote lighthouse, she never imagines it will expose a century-old mystery. The cryptic message points to a forgotten shipwreck, a vanished treasure, and a lighthouse keeper’s suspicious death. Seeking answers, Scout enlists Naki Dana, a thoughtful man whose Penobscot heritage provides crucial insights. As they venture deeper into Acadia’s rugged wilderness, their unlikely partnership begins stirring feelings Scout didn’t expect to find. But they aren’t the only ones searching.
Chase Fletcher, a charming local journalist, sees this treasure hunt as his last opportunity to save his failing paper–and finds himself increasingly drawn to the ranger leading the search. With pressure mounting and loyalties tested, Scout must navigate a winding path between history and justice, truth and betrayal . . . and determine who–and what–deserves her trust.
Suzanne Woods Fisher is a bestselling author, Christy finalist, Carol and Selah winner, and two-time ECPA Book of the Year finalist, with over forty books to her name. She writes contemporary, historical and Amish novels. Suzanne lives in California with her husband, where life (and friends) inspire her stories.
More from Suzanne
If a trip to Acadia National Park isn’t already on your bucket list, it should be—and when you go, don’t miss warm popovers on the lawn at the iconic Jordan Pond House.
The Unofficial-but-Close-Enough Jordan Pond Popover Recipe*
Back in 1895, Nellie and Thomas McIntire bought a Maine farmhouse overlooking the clear waters of Jordan Pond. On their wide green lawn, they served tea and towering popovers to well-to-do summer travelers. In 1928, J. D. Rockefeller purchased the land and later donated it to Acadia National Park. The lawn remains. The view remains. And the popovers? Still iconic.
While the original recipe is famously guarded, this version comes deliciously close.
Makes 6–8 large popovers.
What You’ll Need
4 large eggs
2 cups whole milk
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Pinch of baking soda
2 tablespoons melted butter
Let’s Make Them
Start with a hot oven (and a hot pan). Preheat your oven to 425°–450°F. Place your popover pan (or a muffin tin) in the oven while it heats.
Whisk the batter. Beat the eggs for about 2–3 minutes until slightly frothy. Slowly pour in the milk, then add the flour, salt, and baking soda. Mix just until combined. The batter should be smooth but not overworked.
Fill the cups. Carefully remove the hot pan from the oven and grease it generously with butter or spray. Pour the batter into each cup, filling them about halfway to three-quarters full.
Bake. Bake at 425°–450°F for 15 minutes. Then, without opening the oven door, reduce the temperature to 350°F and bake another 15–20 minutes. The high heat creates the lift; the lower heat helps them set inside.
Resist the urge to peek. Do not open the oven door while they bake. The steam inside is what makes them puff and keeps them tall.
Serve immediately with plenty of butter and strawberry jam.
A Few Tips for Sky-High Popovers
Room temperature matters. Cold eggs or milk will slow the rise. Let them sit out a bit before mixing.
Heat is your friend. A properly preheated pan jump-starts the puff.
No peeking. Steam is everything here. Let the oven do its work.
“The best stories are the ones God unfolds in his perfect timing. It’s always best when we let God write our story.”
Suzanne Woods Fisher. Another auto-buy paperback for the trophy shelf author! While Chase the Light, a novel about Acadia National Park, is a stand-alone, I would highly recommend reading book one first, as several relationship groundworks are set up.
I love that Fisher includes a list of characters in the front of the book and a description of each. With a year between books, the reminder of who’s who is helpful. We see returning characters like Chief Ranger Tim Wilson, his manipulative 15 yr-old-granddaughter Maisie, clueless 18 yr-old Frankie, and a few tertiary characters who momentarily step up for short, but notable contributions. We are also re-introduced to FMC Scout Johnson, a dedicated park ranger who has worked her way up to her dream job, interpretive ranger in Acadia National Park.
Frankie and Maisie with their self-absorbed, centrisic attitudes cause quite a ton of problems. But they also step forward to become central secondary characters. They add so much color to the story, instigating (by carelessness!) the discovery of the 170-year-old park secret.
At first, I was #TeamChase. He seemed like a very nice man, good looking, church -going, newspaper owner, passionate about his work, and fun to be around. Good match for Scout, right? (Oh, did I say Frankie is clueless? Chase can be, too! He sure doesn’t read relationships well! Sometimes, I was left just shaking my head at his interpretation of events!!)
But, as the story went on, another man, Wananaki Dana, a Penobscot Native American policy maker whose side passion is Maine shipwrecks caught my eye (and Scout’s). A fun line inserted repeatedly- “Naki will do.” His passion is to help his people out of generational poverty, alcoholism, lack of education, and other issues that plague a people forced onto a reservation. And does he understand Acadia National Parks! He just might be a tad bit tall and a tad bit swoony, too! But as Chase’s mother once communicated to him, “…a person’s looks became subjective the moment you got to know them. They grew more attractive, or less.” Which man, by his very different choices in the difficult circumstances that arise following the lighthouse discovery, will end up showing a solid character?
With themes such as family relationships, forgiveness, moral character choices, found family, second chances, and even maturation, this novel is a must read. Great for National park lovers, Maine lovers, shipwreck lovers, those who love to see how choices can make or break a character. Plus, the mystery, the romance, the faith. Nearly something for everyone in an easy-flowing readable style! Pretty sure this one will be pulled for a re-read!!
I received a copy of the book from Celebrate Lit via NetGalley. I also bought my own pb for the keeper shelf. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.
Notable Quotables:
“A family is like a big house. Each person peers into it from a different window and sees a different view.” – Naki
“…it dawned on her that she might be guilty of projecting that same disappointment onto God. Not entirely trustworthy. Not dependable when it really mattered. She’d never put it into words before, but now it sat in her mind like a truth she couldn’t ignore. That wasn’t the right way to think about God. He’d been there, all along.” -(Scout)
“‘On the truth that the ultimate unity is the body of Christ. If we could only see people through God’s eyes, we would be the model of what the world is desperately longing for.’His gaze moved to the sea in front of them. ‘I wish my people could understand that God made them the way they are for a purpose.’” – Naki
“Forgiveness and trust shouldn’t be confused.” – Naki
“Coincidences weren’t something she believed in—not in her job, not in her life. God had his plans, and while they might be mysterious, they were never accidental.” – (Scout)
“His faith steadied him, a constant reminder that he didn’t need to have it all mapped out—only to take the next step.”
-(Tim Rivers)
“To turn a beacon of safety into a tool for destruction—it felt like a betrayal, not just of duty, but of something deeper.” -( Scout)
My Rating
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Superior!!
I foresee myself pulling this book out for a reread! Sooo good!!
The manor’s rumored one-hundredth door may conceal secrets hidden as deep as the estate’s bookshelves extend high . . . but the haunted past has a way of ensnaring curious souls.
In 1888, Minnie Tipton finds herself beset by the dark superstitions that envelop the Pennsylvania mansion her father bought. Convinced the vengeful spirit of a Civil War captain haunts the house and worried by her father’s rapidly worsening illness, Minnie delves into the home’s fraught past in an effort to bring him peace. Yet the lingering impact of the war and the gruesome tale of murder she uncovers only foster more fear and threaten to unravel Minnie’s own sanity.
In the present day, Triss Bellamy eagerly steps into the role of bookshop manager in the mansion-turned-museum boasting ninety-nine doors. But Triss’s dream job turns into a nightmare when havoc breaks loose with the arrival of her brother’s team of self-proclaimed paranormal investigators. Their determination to find a rumored one-hundredth door–a dangerous portal to the madness long said to plague the mansion–results in calamity, leaving Triss no choice but to hunt down the truth or watch her brother slip forever beyond her reach.
An atmospheric dual-time Gothic suspense masterfully penned by acclaimed author Jaime Jo Wright with themes of a Civil War-era ghost, a possible hidden door, and unexplained mysteries at a historic mansion’s bookshop with a troubled past.
Jaime Jo Wright, multi award-winning author–including the Christy and Daphne du Maurier awards–is a coffee-fueled and cat-fancier extraordinaire. She has entwined her life with the legendary Captain Hook, residing serenely in Wisconsin’s rural woodlands. Her literary vocation involves penning chilling Gothic tales, a baffling change from that of Austenites, with a strong preference to the master of dark, Edgar Allan Poe. Two mischievous urchins adorn their family, who keep their mother on her toes – providing an exhilarating amount chaos.
“I learned to be afraid. That was the way of it. I thought Papa and I would create a new life with new memories. Instead, we entered a nightmare.”
Every sentence of The Bookshop of 99 Doors makes me feel more like I am creeping down a drafty, moldy, critter- infested staircase leading to a forbidden tunnel, unable to stop myself. Jaime Jo Wright is a master of creating spooky atmospheres, and her words suck me in, daring and enticing me to proceed with the story.
I enjoy trying to piece together the puzzles that Wright presents in this dual timeline ( because, to me, a dual timeline is like a puzzle, with the author feeding you a piece or two at a time). I have yet to figure out one of the total mysteries that Wright lays out, but it sure is intriguing to try! I was curious enough to check out her Pinterest boards for help in imagining the characters as she envisioned them.
In the historical story, Wright transports us to Ambrose Fields, PA in 1888. Spinster Minnie Tipton and her slightly deranged father move to an new home, a mansion that is purported to be haunted by Civil War-era ghosts. Minnie struggles to manage her father’s reputation and her standing as new mistress of the home. She also battles the rumors of a massacre and ghosts in the home, a secret 100th door, and a vagabond ne’er-do-well who begins hanging around. Who has the truth and who will tell it?
In the present day, Triss Bellamy has secured a new job as bookshop manager for the museum that was Ambrose Fields. He own phantoms from the past rise to pursue her when her brother, Casper, and his best friend, Beck Monroe, show up to film an episode of Haunted Frequencies. Strange things begin to happen. In the mansion and to Casper, team lead. The same rumors from over a century ago surface, and the race is on to find the 100th door. Will finding it bring closure to the eerie, frightening events and healing for Casper, or will its discovery unleash even more evil and chaos? And of course, how will the two storylines be woven together into one connected cord?
I wasn’t sure what to make of most of the the characters. Did each belong on the villain or the hero side? Often, I just couldn’t determine the truth. I loved that Dexter, whatever the truth about his survival was, exhorts Minnie to look for the truth. He urges her to turn to God. “…give Him your full attention. Because when you have nothing left…He is all you can rely on.”
What a great story, traversing from eerily spooky to nearly supernatural (not in good way) to faith and logic, showing God’s Power over events and hearts. And I love the great twists! I liked how Wright shows we don’t have to leave others behind in our pursuit of Truth, even though they may not be at the same stage we are. Probably my biggest takeaway from this story.
I received a copy of the book from publisher via Netgalley. I also bought my own pb copy for my “trophy shelf.” No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.
Notable Quotables:
“A door is just an opening. It is what comes through the door that I don’t trust. Whether it goes inside or comes out. Whether spirit or real.” – Dexter
“ It’s the Door!… We need to close the door!! The 100th door!!” – Birdie
“…emotions could be wicked and unreliable. They doomed a person to shame, to assumptions larger than life, and to grief that overtook you. Emotions were not something to be followed or even believed. Emotions led one astray from the truth, from what was right and what was real. They betrayed you. They betrayed others. Just like Mama had betrayed Papa.” – (Minnie)
“…how one views God influences how they view those who have wronged them.” – Dexter
“Perhaps she was truly afraid of four things. The unknown, the unseen, the unexplainable, and the uncontrollable.”– (Minnie)
“If anyone knew anything about paranormal investigating, it was that spirits weren’t always friendly—and they weren’t always the spirits of the dead. Sometimes they were darker, more dangerous, and they could make people sick.” – (Triss)
“He’d have to choose between his life as he now lived it or follow her on her quest to find peace in someone greater. God. Not a god or all things being god, but the God. The Creator.” (Beck)
“If fear took human form, it would be a ghoulish creature.”- Victor Barringsworth, Esq.
My Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Superior!! I love this book. Like almost all of Wright’s books, it delivers thrills and chills as it travels from eerily spooky to nearly supernatural (not in good way) to faith and logic, showing God’s Power over events and hearts! Bravo, Ms. Wright!
Yakira Mitchell has spent her life rescuing the forgotten from the clutches of exploitation and dreams of one day opening her own mission home for Chinese girls. But that dream is hard fought when she becomes a lightning rod for trouble as anti-Chinese mobs protest, and towns expel immigrants in “peaceful” purges across the West. Her heart is to build a home for the broken, but as revelations about her past erupt, the truth threatens to crumble her own foundation.
Attorney Grant Campbell, the boy who once held Yakira’s heart, returns to San Francisco after a long absence to make amends and seek forgiveness. He is determined to defend Chinese immigrants and to reconcile with his family and Yakira. But as old feelings flare—so do old wounds.
As flames of injustice consume communities, violence rages, and lives hang in the balance. Yakira must face the truth of who she really is—and who God has called her to be. In the ashes of hatred, Yakira and Grant both discover a love stronger than fear and a purpose forged in fire.
A story of resilience, redemption, and love, FIRES OF INJUSTICE blazes with the courage of those who dared to stand against the darkness.
Kendy Pearson is a musician and veteran high school teacher who loves to discover a pocket of American history missing from the schoolbooks and turn that pocket inside out. Her novels lead fictitious characters through historical events and settings, engaging with period personalities. And she always includes a romantic thread to warm the heart. Every story is a journey through tragedy, secrets, regrets, and God’s undeniable grace.
She is the author of the award-winning series, West Virginia: Born of Rebellion’s Storm. When she finally gets away from her computer, she relishes ice cream, snowy days, fireplaces, and maple trees. Kendy is the mother of four grown children and lives with her sweet hubby and two amusing miniature dachshunds.
More from Kendy
I just love discovering fascinating new pockets of history. For years I taught high school history, and I realize there is a lot of valuable information that didn’t make it into the curriculum. One of those little history pockets spurred the idea for Fires of Injustice.
I grew up in the Midwest learning about Jesse James, the Plains Indian Wars, frontier violence, the Civil War, the Great Depression, and all things Missouri and Mississippi River. Boy, did I get an education when I moved to the West Coast! The first time someone mentioned “Chinese Underground,” I had to find out more.
Six years ago in Pendleton, Oregon, I first learned about America’s Forgotten War and the expulsions that occurred along the West Coast. I knew thousands of Chinese laborers built the western half of the Transcontinental Railroad. But I didn’t know 300,000 Chinese immigrants came to America between 1852 and 1888. Drawn first by gold, then by opportunities in mining, agriculture, manufacturing, and the service trades.
And the girls came. “Go‑away girls” were daughters of impoverished families in southern China. Families sent or sold these girls into domestic servitude or, tragically, into trafficking networks that reached as far as America.
What began as the exploitation of vulnerable Chinese girls and laborers soon hardened into a wider climate of fear and resentment. That same prejudice—left unchecked—grew into the mob violence and expulsions that later tore entire communities apart.
This was a dark chapter in American history. But there were those who cared about these girls and wanted to protect them at all costs. A story of resilience, redemption, and love, FIRES OF INJUSTICE blazes with the courage of those who dared to stand against that darkness.
My Impressions
“…you would see that people are people everywhere, regardless of how they look or what they do or from whence they’ve come.” – Yakira
Wow!! Fires of Injustice by Kendy Pearson will light a fire of emotions in your soul. Fire can be a very positive thing, as it motivates one to action. Emotions will blaze high as you read this book. They did for me, both positive and negative. Pearson’s book certainly makes one think about the grave unfairness and injustice of the Chinese expulsions in our country. I could feel the anger and helplessness of Avery, Yakira, Grant, Azalea, and Lara. How I wish we could go back and have a redo at history!
Fire can make one uncomfortable. And so this book made me uncomfortable, grappling with my emotions. I did feel there were strong inferences to the treatment of immigrants today. The book seemed designed to point out comparisons between then and our country’s issues with immigrants today. I truly get that we don’t want to repeat history! I most definitely agree unkindness, hatred, and torture is never right, and cannot be tolerated. What I didn’t like was that the book seemed to emphasize and almost lump all Caucasians together in the horrible atrocities and attitudes, until I was ashamed of being part of that race. I’m not sure that is helpful. But perhaps, Kira and Grant felt that way as well? I will admit, the topic got so heavy, I had to put aside the book for lighter fare for awhile.
When I returned to Fires of Injustice, I came back realizing that eventually Hope would break through the darkness, because the novel is billed as a story of “resilience, redemption, love.” As I began to look for that Hope, I began to see it emerging, even amid the ashes of the bitter reality of history. I was glad to see a few strong people take up the mantle of faith and to continue to support those in desperate need! It was amazing to see how hard people like Yakira’s father, Avery, and her aunt, Lara, both Scottish immigrants, worked to help protect the Chinese. And Yakira with her great, burning desire to help Chinese women out of human slavery. As I rehash the story in my mind, I begin to see sparks of Hope in different people, not particularly major characters, throughout the story, that God brings into Kira’s and Grant’s lives. I also began to see how, just perhaps, I can stand against what may be atrocities today without totally giving a free ride to all of any race, just because they are immigrants.
I was grieved to see some people, pillars in the church, community, or government, determined to do extreme evil to people because they look , speak, and act differently than them! And the sad thing is, that good, churchgoing people turn cruel and malicious as they get caught up in the emotions of the crowd. I read this through many tears. I wanted to pray for the wicked to be stopped and the abused to be saved!
One aspect I loved about the book. Frequently, when faced with hard decisions, the reply comes back, “We must pray, seek wisdom.” How many times do we fail to pray, or to pray in faith, believing?
So many story threads here. Yakira has been adopted by her parents as they fled China years before. Her cousin, Azalea, is also adopted. But only one girl knows the truth of her parentage. While Yakira has always held her cousin Grant as special in her heart, he loses that respect when he abandons the families when he turns sixteen. Yakira and her widower father work alongside widowed Aunt Lara in ministering to the Chinese in California. Grant had actually secured a job in a similar vein, working as an attorney for Six Companies, representing the Chinese for them. But will Six Companies truly keep the Chinese individual’s interests first? Can Grant ever attempt a return to the family he abandoned in their hour of need? God does give Grant a special, surprising blessing and help! More tension and mystery to the story! Will Yakira ever get the desires of her heart, to run a successful rescue home for s*x trafficked Chinese women who want to escape, plus a love of her own?
Don’t miss this historical book that will bring to light history that you may never have been taught. It will definitely cause you to evaluate how you think, treat, and support others in desperate need!
Notable Quotables:
“You are my laotong—we are sworn sisters for life.” – cousin Azalea
“What if God’s plan simply looked different from what she’d always imagined?”
“Curiosity never trumped a person’s right to privacy.”
“God knows your heart, son. ‘Tis what’s important. Turn it always toward Him, and no matter what others see, He will use you.” – Grant’s Mither
“This Home, nae, this ministry belongs not to you, but to our Heavenly Father. He willna see it come to naught, you can trust that.”– Aunt Lara
“An entire population of people is either invisible, or the cause of every problem in Truckee. No in-between. And the newspaper reports only one side of the whole affair. They paint the Chinese as base, thieving, murdering pariahs with no rights-who don’t belong here.” – Charles Crocker
My Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Superior!! Fires of Injustice will light fires of emotions in you. It will make you wonder how far you are willing to go to protect someone unlike yourself.
When past darkness prowls, will stepping into the light lead to a brighter future?
In nineteenth-century Cincinnati, fear keeps Nora Davis caged with secrets and lies. Her true identity as the daughter of a famous opera singer is too dangerous to reveal with her former captors still on the loose. But weekly singing lessons at Longview Asylum—her paranoid mother’s permanent residence—light a flame in Nora, and it’s one she can avoid fanning for only so long.
With his suicidal ma in the asylum, Ezekiel Beaumont’s soul is weary, but Nora’s presence at the asylum intrigues him. As a Pike’s Opera House employee, Ezekiel thinks Nora might be cut out for the stage. He also begins to wonder if Nora’s ma is really the famed Constanza Brisbane, who went missing mid-performance. He’s determined to find out.
Though Ezekiel brings the performance world a little too close for comfort, Nora is drawn to his warm personality all the same. The two of them steadily grow closer, but then Nora begins to fear she’s being watched, and her own paranoia blooms.
As the line between what’s real and false grows fainter, will Ezekiel’s and Nora’s faith and love overcome?
“From the haunting halls of Longview Asylum to the dangerous secrets of Nora’s past, Sung in the Shadowsdelivers a riveting blend of romance, mystery, and redemption.” —Misty M. Beller, USA TODAY best-selling author of the Sisters of the Rockies series
Crystal Caudill is a tea-drinking, book-hoarding, history nerd. Her award-winning stories are ripe with history, danger, love, and hope. When not writing, Crystal can be found playing board games with her husband and boys, caregiving for loved ones, hiding in a book, drinking copious amounts of hot tea, or connecting with readers. You can connect with her at http://www.crystalcaudill.com or by joining her newsletter crew at bitly.com/CaudillNews.
My Impressions
“FEAR WAS A CAGE, AND it had Nora Davis’s family trapped and hidden beneath a canvas of secrets and lies.”
Crystal Caudill takes us back to the Gilded Age in 1869 New York , then 1881 in Cincinnati. Just as the cities as separated by vast miles and differences, the plight of the Davis family has changed from one extreme to another. In New York, Constanza Brisbane, famed soprano opera singer, is at the height of her career. Suddenly, following the kidnapping of her 11-year-old daughter Eleanora, the little family moves halfway across the country, assumes aliases, and embark on totally different lives. Music, once an integral part of their lives, is forbidden, as is the opera. As we see the little family 11 years later, it is now very dysfunctional. “Mr. Davis” is distant emotionally and often gone, “Mrs. Davis” has been placed in a mental asylum suffering from paranoias and dementia, and “Nora” has tired of her father’s restrictive rules.
Nora meets Ezekiel Beaumont, a composer and opera stage manager, in her visits to her mother at the asylum. Ezekiel’s mother suffers from her own severe mental health issues, and Ezekiel is at wits’ end how to help her. Surprisingly, Mrs. Beaumont takes well to both Nora and Nora’s mother. She even tries to encourage Nora’s mother’s floundering faith, and her need for forgiveness. But God… can use anybody. He not only uses Mrs. Beaumont in her weaknesses, but He uses the mind of a so-called crazy patient to challenge Mrs. Beaumont! “So God can abandon you, but He cannot abandon me? Are you the exception? Because if you’re the exception to His promise not to abandon, then maybe I’m the exception to forgiveness.” “There are no exceptions to His promises-”
As Nora and Ezekiel begin to form a bond and work together, of course the protective and rather hilarious Guardians group tries to help along the romance ( read: interfere) When spectres from Nora and Mrs. Davis’s past threaten to obliterate all their hopes for a return to normalcy, will God intervene?
I absolutely loved the tension of the story, as it builds throughout. I loved the tender love both Nora and Ezekiel hold for their mothers who are struggling. And their realizations help me in my real-life situations, too. “If there is one thing I’ve learned through Mum’s illness, it’s that her choices are hers alone. We can do everything in the world to protect our loved ones—put rules in place, hide them from the dangers posed, shield them from pain—but we were never meant to bear the burden of saving them from themselves. We cannot even save ourselves.” Thank goodness, Nora and Ezekiel begin to realize, as I am, that the burdens we bear for others are never meant to be a strangle-hold of responsibility, but an opportunity to turn that burden over to the One Who truly holds our our loved one in His hands.
Mrs. Jensen and Tristan are my fave secondary characters. They make me smile. Mrs. Jensen for her soft, witty, reasonable ways. Tristan, because he is sooooo bad and still a comfort to many!
Sung in the Shadows will dwell in the recesses of my mind for a long time, as a particularly great marriage of historical fiction, true tragic events of our pasts, great storytelling, romance, and inescapable Truth! Thank you, Ms. Caudill!!
I received a copy of the book from the author and publisher via NetGalley. I also ordered my own ebook, plus a pb for the trophy shelf! No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.
Notable Quotables:
“My souls needs to sing. Music is as much a part of me as it is Mum.”– Nora
“Keeping secrets from those who loved her wasn’t a protective shield. It was an isolating cage that cast a debilitating shadow of fear, shame, guilt, and distrust over the relationships that mattered most.” ( Nora)
“We can do everything right and it still not be enough. Only God is enough, even though sometimes it doesn’t feel like He is. I don’t understand why He is allowing this. It feels wrong and unjust. I’m angry with Him, and I’m scared of what the future holds. I don’t want this burden He’s given us, but I know it’s not our fault. I know it’s not our job to save them.”– Nora
“Hiding your pain and thoughts doesn’t
make you a stronger person. It makes life lonelier to walk through. “- Ezekiel
Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions 