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

Written in Secret by Crystal Caudill Review and Giveaway

March 12, 2025March 12, 2025 Babbling Becky L

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

About the Book

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

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

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

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

Also Available

About the Author

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

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

My Impressions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Notable Quotables:

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

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

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

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

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Magnificent!!

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

Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a signed copy of Written in Secrets and a $25 Amazon gift card!

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight March 12, 2025 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on March 19, 2025. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

Enter Giveaway

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

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

Tides of Healing by Sandra Merville Hart Review and Giveaway

March 4, 2025 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: Tides of Healing

Author: Sandra Merville Hart

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: February 11, 2025

A Southern belle fights to reclaim her home, but will her spying destroy the Union officer she never meant to love?

Savannah Adair has endured the unimaginable, hiding in a cave while her beloved Vicksburg was under siege. With the city now occupied by Union soldiers, Savannah cannot stand by and do nothing. So when one of the gaunt, half-starved Confederate prisoners asks her to spy for the South, she can’t refuse the chance to take back her home.

First Lieutenant Travis Lawson takes pride in the Union army’s hard-fought victory, but he quickly realizes that the challenges of rebuilding and reconciliation are just beginning . . . and not everyone is appreciative of changes he’s making. Namely, the fiery and alluring Savannah Adair. Despite their differing loyalties and the societal divide between them, Travis cannot deny the growing feelings he has for her. When he is tasked with finding Southern spies in Vicksburg and he captures a female spy, Travis is forced to consider that the woman he’s beginning to love may be the enemy.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Sandra Merville Hart, award-winning and Amazon bestselling author of inspirational historical romances, loves to discover little-known yet fascinating facts from American history to include in her stories. Her desire is to transport her readers back in time. She is also a blogger, speaker, and conference teacher.

More from Sandra

As I typed away on this final book in my Spies of the Civil War Series, it felt as if I’d written the entire series to tell this story.

Previously, I had felt a similar importance of an as yet unpublished two-book contemporary series, but the sense that the whole series climaxed with the final book was as surprising as it was welcome.

Because it seemed as if everything that happened in all the earlier books culminated in Book 6 for me as an author. Its significance reverberated in my soul while still researching the events…and weeks before I sat to pen the first page, the first paragraph, the first sentence.

That sense of importance made this book difficult to begin. The early chapters took far longer to write than normal.

I believe that those who only read Tides of Healing will have a satisfying, complete story. Those who read the entire series in order—or at least Books 4-6 set in Vicksburg—will experience a deeper impact as the characters’ stories build on one another.

There is a song in Tides of Healing. As an author, the impact of the lyrics within the story preceded it, meaning that I knew a certain song would play a significant role while still in the research phase.

Let me explain.

When I’m researching a story, I read a variety of nonfiction resources including diaries, journals, and newspaper accounts. My research for Vicksburg during the Civil War led me to song lyrics written by the enslaved.

African American Spirituals, also called Negro Spirituals, were sung before and after the Civil War. These Christian songs served a variety of purposes beyond bolstering hope and faith during dark days. They told stories about Biblical characters like Moses. Some comforted the sorrowful and some rejoiced with the joyful. They were sung in churches, in camp meetings, and in the fields.

They often contained secret messages. “Home” in a song can refer to Heaven, but the secret meaning was a free country. Author Frederick Douglas had been a former slave. He wrote that the lyrics to “O Canaan, Sweet Canaan” signified more than a hope of Heaven. Repeated singing of the lyrics “I am bound for the land of Canaan” announced an intention to go North, their Canaan.

The Underground Railroad is a theme in Tides of Healing. In 1828, Reverend John Rankin built his home on a hill overlooking the Ohio River in Ripley, Ohio. As a station on the Underground Railroad, this home was easily seen from the opposite side of the river in the slave state of Kentucky. Runaways waited for a boat to take them across the river.

It surprised me to learn that the lyrics of “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” are about this station. “I looked over Jordan and what did I see?” refers to the Ohio River. The band of angels are people who rowed them across the wide river to the free state of Ohio.

Neither of these songs is referenced in Tides of Healing. The tune that is in my story was a popular spiritual leading up to the war. I listened to it many times. The message took root in my heart long before it affected my characters.

My research trip to Vicksburg’s battlefield and museums inspired the writing of Streams of Courage, Book 4, River of Peril, Book 5, and Tides of Healing, Book 6.

Avenue of Betrayal, Book 1, is set in the Union capital of Washington City (Washington DC) in 1861, where a surprising number of Confederate sympathizers and spies lived. Boulevard of Confusion and Byway to Danger are set in Richmond, the Confederate capital in 1862. Actual historical spies touch the lives of our fictional family. The heroines in Books 1 – 3 are two sisters and their cousins. Another set of characters begin with Book 4, and three friends are the heroines in Books 4 -6.

Through both real and fictional characters, this series highlights activities spies were involved in and some of the motives behind their decisions.

I invite you to read the whole Spies of the Civil War Series!

My Impressions

“Anger at the Yankee who’d brought this calamity boiled up inside Savannah. Papa wasn’t here to fight for them. The South’s soldiers might have surrendered—she would not.”

Tides of Healing: Spies of the Civil War Bk 6 by Sandra Merville Hart, is the needed conclusion to this series. As one who has been reading this series from its inception, I especially wanted to see each couple in this circle of friends in books 4-6 find their happy ending. Hart finally circles back to Savannah Adair, whose boyfriend Willie has died shortly after mustering into the Southern army. With her father often away on business and her mother’s only skills involving entertaining, Savannah discovers it is she who must work for her family’s survival in defeated Vicksburg.

Savannah wishes for a return to life as it was before the siege and defeat of the city. She first meets Union officer First Lt. Travis Lawson as he joyfully tells any Black person he sees that they are now free. Watching her own slaves immediately leave, Savannah begins to look for ways to protest the occupation of her city and win it back for the South. Little does she foresee that the many interactions she and her mother will have with a certain compassionate lieutenant will cause her to lose her heart. But the real question will be- will she prove loyal to her city and the South or to the handsome and kind-to-a-fault Northern lieutenant?

I loved the great amount of history that Hart imparts in her novel. Characters are very relatable. I loved seeing the growth in the characters, although the title says it well- Tides of Healing. Like waves of the sea, emotions tumble back and forth, bitter one moment, thankful the next. Angry, then interested in the opposite sex, resentful, then resilient. How I loved seeing the different relationships grow and change. Obviously, we see Travis and Savannah foremost, but I liked seeing both Savannah’s parents soften. We also see a couple of sworn enemies and those who have every right to be enemies decide to let God’s love overcome incredible mountains of hurt.

Childhood traumatic memories have shaped both Savannah and Travis. Savannah refuses to ask her Heavenly Father for anything big. Travis tells her,

“One day, you’ll need to pray a big prayer. Please don’t be afraid to ask. He’ll decide whether to say ‘no’ or ‘yes’ or ‘wait a while.’ Pray and leave it up to God.”

Travis believes himself responsible for an event he had no control over. This not only shapes his political leanings, but causes him years of anguish.

My fave secondary characters are Ellen and Michael. Ellen because she loves with a love that covers over a multitude of wrongs. Michael…well, you’ll have to read to see why he’s special! I definitely have some questions about that man!😊

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:

“Your Heavenly Father loves you so much. He hears every prayer, even the ones only our hearts whisper.”

“She didn’t pray now. The outcome was too important.”

“Hunger couldn’t afford pride.”

“I long for the days before the world went mad…”

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Magnificent! Hart touches the heartstrings and you will find yourself heartsick over many incidents, saddened how war can be so divisive.

Blog Stops

Bizwings Book Blog, February 26

Holly’s Book Corner, February 27

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, February 27

Locks, Hooks and Books, February 28

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 1

Pause for Tales, March 2

Texas Book-aholic, March 2

Devoted To Hope, March 3

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 4

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, March 5

Betti Mace, March 5

Life on Chickadee Lane, March 6

Cover Lover Book Review, March 7

Books You Can Feel Good About, March 8

Connie’s History Classroom, March 9

For HIm and My Family, March 10

Stories By Gina, March 11 (Author Interview)

Blossoms and Blessings, March 11

Giveaway

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

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

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54163

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

Sabotage at Cedar Creek by Janice Thompson Review and Giveaway

February 26, 2025 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: Sabotage at Cedar Creek (The Little Red Truck Mysteries Book Two)

Author: Janice Thompson

Genre: Mystery/Christian Fiction

Release date: February, 2025

Who Would Sabotage the New B&B?

Breathe in the nostalgia of everything old red truck in book two of a new cozy mystery series.

It’s summertime in Mabank, Texas, and the Hadley family’s new antique business is open and running well with Tilly, the red antique truck, as its mascot. Raelynn Hadley enjoys driving Grandpa’s truck around as she seeks out antiques for her family’s store.

Raelynn is excited that her best friend, Tasha, will soon open a new vacation rental to accommodate the area’s growing tourism, but an unexpected act of sabotage threatens to spoil all that Tasha has worked for.

Raelynn immediately gets to work sleuthing out who could be behind the crime. Could it be the bitter neighbor, intent on spoiling Tasha’s plans? Perhaps it’s a nearby resort owner, worried about the potential loss of revenue. Maybe it’s the former owner’s daughter who was left out of the will and believes the home should be hers. Or maybe it’s the squatter who had taken up residence in the home before renovations. Raelynn is determined to solve the mystery for her friend in time for opening day.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Janice Thompson hails from south Texas. She is a Christian author and mother of four grown daughters. Janice has written over forty books.

More from Janice

Travel with me to East Texas to celebrate the 4^th of July. Let’s meet at Cedar Creek Lake, a vast expanse of water tucked in and around some of the sweetest little Texas towns you’ve ever seen: Gun Barrel City, Mabank, Payne Springs, Eustace, and Seven Points, just to name a few.

Along the edge of the lake you’ll find 320 miles of idyllic shoreline, dotted with homes, campsites, and cabins for rent. And right there, on the prettiest patch of land imaginable, you’ll discover a newly renovated vacation home, recently purchased by a local gal named Tasha. Her quaint fixer-upper is just about ready for its first guests and she’s giddy with excitement.

Also thrilled is Tasha’s BFF, RaeLyn Hadley! RaeLyn has grown up near the lake and loves this place. She can hardly wait to see her bestie’s dream come true.

Of course, not everyone in the Cedar Creek area is happy to see Tasha’s new vacation rental open for business. Behind the scenes, evil lurks. Nefarious plans are already in motion, though RaeLyn and Tasha can’t yet see them.

Days before the house is listed, the beautiful home is vandalized! Clearly, someone wants to stop Tasha in her tracks. But, who would sabotage the inn. . .and why? RaeLyn won’t quit until she’s got answers, but she needs your help.

What role will you play in this tale? Visit the inn. Get to know the gals. Help them figure out the whodunit. Spend time in town with the locals, celebrating the 4^th of July. I promise, you’ll have a blast. There are quilt shows, cupcake walks, and more Texas BBQ than you can eat in one visit.

Your belly will never be empty as you set out to help RaeLyn and Tasha solve this crime. Just don’t let all of those handsome Texas fellas distract you from the task at hand. They have a tendency to do that.

Hang on for the ride, folks, because an East Texas tale is one that’s always filled with twists and turns! So, what are you waiting for? Jump into that little red truck and let’s hit the road, headed to Cedar Creek Lake!

My Impressions

“God places the lonely in families.”

The perfect cozy to read on a cold, blustery day, Sabotage at Silver Creek by Janice Thompson takes place in the idyllic, but hot, Texas countryside. Peach cobblers, pies, cookies, and all other sorts of delicious edibles parade through the pages of this second Little Red Truck who dunnit. And don’t forget the Texas Blue Bell ice cream!

Successfully avoiding eating ( but just barely!) while reading this twisty tale, I was happy to see RaeLyn Hadley and her tight-knit family, plus her bestie, Tasha Dempsey. It seems Tasha is ready to open her AirBnb, but sudden glitches start to arise. Poor Tasha worries about the new mortgage payments she has taken on, as RaeLyn, her boyfriend Mason, her brother Dallas, and her aunt, Bessie Mae, all rally to help Tasha.

To enjoy this book best, you need to read book one, Tracking Tilly first. Otherwise, you’ll be in for a lot of spoilers. Clayton is just as despicable as he is when we first met him, although we view some around him a little differently. Mason is an incredibly patient man, willing to see the best in everybody and give anybody a second chance. (“Sometimes people just need to be given a chance.”) He is very loyal and encouraging. One of those people who could “…foster open communication and cooperation. He also seemed to know how to address concerns and dispel problems.” Also great at unifying people.

I was a bit disappointed in the “girls,” as they were quick to lay suspicion and slow to look as carefully for multiple suspects as I wanted them to. Conner amazes me. With a less than stellar background, he could choose to become what everyone thinks he is…and that certainly would be the much easier choice. Bessie Mae is one of those aunts that few families have, but wow, she adds so much to the life of the Hadley family!

Spending time with RaeLyn and her family and friends, you will get that warm, fuzzy feeling like you have been included among family as people gather for celebrations, to plan events, or to catch culprits.

I was surprised by the reveal of the guilty. I am pleased to note there is a third book in the offing.

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:

“Oh, I’m happy. I’m very happy.” “You might want to tell your face.”

“God designed us to live in community.”

“Loneliness and bitterness can turn even the kindest heart hard.”

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Magnificent! A fun cozy with some convicting truths!

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, February 27

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, February 27

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, February 28

Texas Book-aholic, March 1

Locks, Hooks and Books, March 2

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 3

Pause for Tales, March 3

She Lives To Read, March 4

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 5

Blogging With Carol, March 6

Labor Not in Vain, March 6

Tell Tale Book Reviews, March 7

Stories By Gina, March 8 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, March 8

For Him and My Family, March 9

Lily’s Corner, March 10

Holly’s Book Corner, March 11

Lights in a Dark World, March 12

Leslie’s Library Escape, March 12

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Janice is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon e-Gift card and a print copy of the book!!

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

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54164

BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour, Kindle, Misty M Beller Books, Purchase

Guarding the Mountain Man’s Secret by Misty M. Beller Review and Giveaway

February 22, 2025 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: Guarding the Mountain Man’s Secret

Author: Misty M. Beller

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: January 28, 2025

In the wild mountains of the Montana Territory, the Coulter ranch is a place of family, second chances…and a hidden fortune.

Miles is the youngest of six brothers, and he’s spent most of his life helping guard the family’s secret: a sapphire mine hidden deep within the Montana mountains. With threats from a past enemy looming, a survey team’s arrival stirs suspicion—until he meets Clara Pendleton, whose presence captivates him.

Clara Pendleton joins her uncle on a survey team tasked with mapping the coming railroad’s path, only to find herself entangled with the enigmatic Coulter family. When her uncle’s accident leads them to find refuge in the Coulter home, Clara is irresistibly drawn to Miles Coulter and his quiet strength. This feels like the haven she craves…until a series of mysterious attacks endanger everyone on the ranch.

As Christmas approaches, a sleigh ride through a snowy wonderland fans the growing spark between Clara and Miles into a flame, but a broken runner leads Clara to discover the family’s secret. Now she’s faced with an impossible choice: betray the man she’s coming to love or risk the lives of his entire family—and her own uncle.

From a USA Today bestselling author comes a mountain saga filled with high-stakes adventure, forced proximity, a Christmas surprise, and love that heals wounded hearts.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Misty M. Belleris a USA Todaybestselling author with over 1 million books old. She writes romantic mountain stories, set on the 1800s frontier and woven with the truth of God’s love.

Raised on a farm and surrounded by family, Misty developed her love for horses, history, and adventure. These days, her husband and children provide fresh adventure every day, keeping her both grounded and crazy.

Misty’s passion is to create inspiring Christian fiction infused with the grandeur of the mountains, writing historical romance that displays God’s abundant love through the twists and turns in the lives of her characters.

Sharing her stories with readers is a dream come true for Misty. She writes from her country home in South Carolina and escapes to the mountains any chance she gets.

More from Misty

Surveying the Wild West: How Surveyors Mapped the Frontier in the 1870s

One of the things I love about writing historical romance is the detail I get to research for each book. So much of my research doesn’t make it into the story, but I still love to learn it!

In Guarding the Mountain Man’s Secret, our heroine and her uncle are working with a group of surveyors to map out potential routes for the coming railroad.

Surveying back then was no walk in the park. These brave folks had to trek through some seriously rough terrain, lugging around heavy equipment like compasses, levels, and surveyor’s chains. The chains were a whopping 66 feet long, with 100 links! Surveyors would stretch them out to measure distances, and let me tell you, it was no easy feat.

One of the surveyor’s secret weapons was triangulation. By measuring angles between distant points and doing some fancy math, they could figure out exactly where landmarks were and create a grid of reference points across the land. This technique was a game-changer, allowing for more accurate maps that covered bigger areas.

In my story, the surveying was done for the railroad. But history tells us that later in 1879, the U.S. Geological Survey stepped onto the scene with a larger mission: to create detailed maps of the entire country, including the wild, wild West. Surveyors working for this agency had their work cut out for them. They battled through dense forests, climbed steep mountains, and crossed dangerous rivers, all to gather the data needed for these maps.

So the next time you look at a map of the American West, give a nod to those early surveyors. These hardworking folks played a huge role in shaping the frontier, giving settlers the information they needed to build new lives and communities. Without their dedication and skill, the West might have remained a mystery forever!

I pray you enjoy Miles and Clara’s story in Guarding the Mountain Man’s Secret!

Blessings!

Misty

My Impressions

If you are a fan of the American Western frontier, horses, or historical romance, Misty M. Beller’s series, Brothers of Sapphire Ranch is a recommendation I would give you. We have worked our way with Beller down to the youngest brother, Miles, who feels the need to prove his worth to his brothers. His story is volume seven of the series, with one brother yet to have his story. I definitely think you need to read these books in order, though there is a basic recap of the group at the beginning.

I thought this couple might have been a little young, but people did (and still do) get married early back then. I enjoyed their romance that was helped along by forced proximity as Clara and her injured Uncle Hiram are forced to stay with the clan while Hiram’s injury heals. This is a love-at-first-sight novel, or as I’d prefer to think of it, interest aroused at first sight.

Poor Clara! She is placed in a predicament that no one would want to be in. How will she and those she has learned to truly care for escape unscathed? About a quarter way through the book, there are twists and turns that really cause the action to start igniting.

“He felt like a true friend, the first she’d had in ages.” I loved the way Miles listened to Clara. Really listened. So much so, that a special treat at Christmastime is a result. I enjoyed reading about the horrible snowstorm while safe in my chair!

One thing I have to say for the Coulters: their love for the Lord and for each other produces a very attractive atmosphere in their compound. “…the camaraderie, the laughter, the genuine care for one another—it was more than she’d known in a long while.”

Another element I liked seeing. Some Coulters whose stories we’ve already experienced, still have flaws and need tempered by others, whether a spouse, a brother, or a friend.

One part I didn’t see was a true ending. And that is because just as I thought things were winding up for a solution, Beller throws in a monkey wrench and now we need the next and last book!! And we need it yesterday!

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

Notable Quotables:

“old grief hung in his words. She knew that sadness. It never left, just…changed.”

“Sometimes, our minds protect us from the things that hurt too much to remember. It doesn’t mean you loved them any less.”

“The man wore suspicion like a pair of trousers.”

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Great!

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, February 22

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, February 23

Books You Can Feel Good About, February 23

Melissa’s Bookshelf, February 24

Madi’s Musings, February 25

Simple Harvest Reads, February 25 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, February 26

For Him and My Family, February 26

Life on Chickadee Lane, February 27

Betti Mace, February 27

Texas Book-aholic, February 28

Locks, Hooks and Books, March 1

Jeanette’s Thoughts , March 1

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 2

Cover Lover Book Review, March 3

Mary Hake, March 3

Devoted To Hope, March 4

An Author’s Take, March 5

Holly’s Book Corner, March 5

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 6

Blossoms and Blessings, March 6

lakesidelivingsite, March 7

Pause for Tales, March 7

Giveaway

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

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

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54159

BLOG, Favorite, Just Read Tours, Kindle, Purchase

When Heaven Thunders by Kendy Pearson Review

February 20, 2025 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Title: When Heaven Thunders

Series: West Virginia: Born of Rebellion’s Storm, Book 2

Author: Kendy Pearson

Publisher: Pear Blossom Books

Released: October, 2024

Genre: Christian Historical Fiction

A RIVETING CIVIL WAR NOVEL INSPIRED BY TRUE EVENTS

A captivating read!—Lynnette Bonner, USA TodayBestselling author

Brimming with heart, When Heaven Thunders is an emotionally charged journey for characters and readers alike.—Jocelyn Green, Christy Award-winning author

Award-winning-author Kendy Pearson “brings to life the Kanawha Valley’s explosive Civil War history.”—Laura Frantz, Christy Award-winning author

WHEN THE DEVIL WEARS BLUE AND GRAY, DOING THE RIGHT THING CAN BE A THORNY MATTER.

His family is missing. Bushwhackers are sleeping in his bed. This war just got a heap more personal for Union Sergeant Fin Dabney.

Fighting guerillas in your own neck of the woods comes at a high price. Neighbors, kin, and even Fin’s best friend are on the wrong end of a rifle. But not all battles are fought amid smoke and blood. When Fin faces a murderer from his past, flesh and spirit collide, but only one can prevail.

Melinda Jane has waited a lifetime for Fin to declare his intentions. But now she has moved on to other interests—with disastrous results. Her choices have cost her Fin’s love and possibly her life.

Why was it he could draw down on the enemy and look death in the eye, but he could not bring himself to deal plainly with Melinda Jane? He never told her how he feels. Now he may never get the chance.

The Award-winning series, West Virginia: Born of Rebellion’s Storm:

WHEN THE MOUNTAINS WEPT
WHEN HEAVEN THUNDERS
IN TEMPEST WINDS (spring 2025)

Kendy Pearson’s devotion to history and faith shines through every chapter of this novel. While addressing struggles unique to the American Civil War, this redemptive story translates well to the inner battles we all face within ourselves. Exploring soul-level choices—between faith and fear, self-preservation and sacrifice, forgiveness and resentment—are themes both timely and timeless. A must-read for fans of well-researched, immersive Christian historical fiction. —Jocelyn Green, Christy Award-winning author of The Metropolitan Affair

Pearson pulls back the curtain on war-torn America in this moving story of love and sacrifice. Loyalties are tested, hidden motives unearthed, and danger lurks for more than just the enlisted soldiers in When Heaven Thunders. This story will have you rooting for Fin and Melinda Jane, and on the edge of your seat to see if good will triumph over evil. —Erica Vetsch, author of the Of Cloaks & Daggers Regency Mystery series.

This Civil War romance (When Heaven Thunders) beautifully weaves historical detail with deep emotional resonance. The characters are richly drawn, and the narrative unfolds at a deliberate pace, allowing readers to fully immerse themselves in the era and the heart-touching journey of the protagonists. A captivating read!—Lynnette Bonner, USA Today Bestselling author of the Wyldhaven, The Shepherd’s Heart, and Oregon Promise series

Kendy Pearson is a gifted author who can bring the past to life with her character development and descriptive scenes. It is refreshing to read a Christian based storyline that has the courage to step out of the caricature expectations of faith-based writing and be real about war, human nature, romance and Christian living.—Ken Pratt – Author of the Best-Selling Matt Bannister Series.

When the Mountains Wept takes readers on an emotionally layered journey, both heart-stirring and redemptive. Pearson pens a moving tale of family loyalty, complex devotions, and hope amid the turmoil. A delight historical fiction fans won’t want to miss!—Stephenia H. McGee, Award-winning author of The Accidental Spy series

About the Author

Kendy Pearson is a veteran high school teacher and an accomplished musician. She is also a music instructor, worship leader, Bluegrass fiddler, and Civil War reenactment enthusiast.

When she discovers a pocket of American history omitted from the schoolbooks, she enjoys digging in and turning that pocket inside out. Her novels lead fictitious characters through real 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 recipient of five Cascade Awards, two Genesis Awards, and a Crown Award.

Kendy enjoys public speaking and teaching writing workshops. She also 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.

My Impressions

“He was wrong,” Fin rasped…“My pap.” He lifted his eyes. “He said this isn’t our war to fight. It is. My family. My home. My war.”

I’ve always loved historical fiction. I have found Civil War times are somehow so interesting to read about. Yet, Kendy Pearson forces you to do more than read *about* the Civil War in her we’ll-researched and beautifully expressed book, When Heaven Thunders ( book 2 of West Virginia: Born of Rebellion’s Storm). No, Pearson forces you to *live* the horrifying times of the war. So many scenarios are tied together to make one tight narrative. We see that young Fin Dabney has joined up with the Federals. He leaves behind several siblings and his secret love, Melinda Jane. She has lived with the family since she was young- yet Fin wishes Melinda Jane viewed him as more than a brother. We watch the difficulties the Dabney family faces in an area that holds both Reb and Union sympathies, but where letting one’s true colors show can mean shunning, jail, or death.

We see Fin and his army friend, Noah, as they participate in scouting out land and bushwhackers. We see examples of family pitted against family, friend against friend. Pearson makes this divide both very real and very painful.

We get a healthy dose of history lessons on the birth of the state of West Virginia. Plus the Civil War battles that hotly contested who would control this area of the country. Pearson doesn’t shy away from some of the atrocities that were committed by greedy, cruel humans towards their brothers and sisters in the name of war. Will Fin see the war as an excuse to vengefully purge the earth of those who so spitefully misuse power, or will he follow his superior’s opinion of him: “You have a keen sense of justice, but you don’t count yourself the judge.”

Will Fin and Melinda Jane ever both be able to admit their love for each other before it’s too late- one way or another?

I loved how Melinda gives so unselfishly of herself to everyone around her. She gives until it hurt, then gives some more. Only her understanding of who she and others truly are, could cause her to care so much for others. many less fortunate than herself. “Did they not share the same Father? Doesn’t that same Father hurt for us and love us the same?” I had to ask myself, in this situation, would I have gotten this involved, knowing it could be so dangerous to my own person?

A fave secondary character is probs Col. Joe. He is so spot-on with his faith and refusal to become mercenary as a soldier or vengeful. He encourages the troops to belief. He fights to win- yet he is fighting a best friend and close relatives.

Do read the prologue and author’s notes for the best understanding of this insightful novel. Definitely read these three novels in order!

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

Notable Quotables:

“He gave me a second chance. A chance to live the life He wants me to live—one tethered to His grace instead of my own bitterness.” -Doc James

“The cannon blasts had increased, pecking a hole in her peace like a woodpecker on a tree trunk.”

“Izzy taught me we’re all born into bondage. It matters not a whit what color a man’s skin is or the color of his horse or house—we’re all in shackles and only Master Jesus holds the key.”– Melinda Jane

“We are in a war, yes, but it needn’t strip a man of his humanity or God’s favor.”– Col. Joe

“God is bigger than all our problems rolled into one big riled mess. He’ll make a way…”

“There’s wicked men on both sides, brother. We got ’em, you got ’em.”

“Seems this entire war has brought with it a waterfall of misery.”– Fin

“But regret was a lone hawk, forever circling above.”

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Magnificent!! One of the best Civil War sagas I’ve read, with haunting truths for today’s divisions!

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

Heart of Beauty by Danielle Grandinetti

February 13, 2025 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Title: Heart of Beauty

Author: Danielle Grandinetti

Series: Hearts of the West #11

Publisher: Hearth Spot Press

Release Date: February 11, 2025

Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense

How can a beauty save a beast?

Blue Spruce, Montana, 1871—When Caleb Orson’s prize stallion escapes his ranch, Sal Beauregard rides to the rescue, revealing her true identity as a one of the few eligible females in town. She’d do it again if it meant saving an animal from the cruel retaliation of Brendan Doran. The man has no respect for women or God’s creatures.

But the sun’s early setting strands her at Caleb’s ranch. Worse, Sallie’s father unceremoniously leaves her there under Caleb’s protection. However, Doran refuses to lose again to Caleb—first a horse, now a woman. He wants Sallie as his wife and not even the reclusive ogre of a cowboy can stand in his way. No matter Sallie’s opinion.

Choosing to make the best of a difficult situation, Sallie takes over the gentling of Caleb’s stallion. She believes she can reach Caleb as well. Only, the first blush of friendship grows into something … more. Something that threatens the desires of Caleb’s enemy. And if Doran cannot have a beauty like Sallie, neither can a beast.

Heart of Beauty

daniellegrandinetti.com

Or Purchase via @justreadtours profile link.

About the Author

Danielle Grandinetti is an inspirational romance author fueled by tea and books, and the occasional nature walk. A 2023 Finalist in the FHLCW Reader’s Choice Award, she has also won the UNW Distinguished Faith in Writing Award and the CROW National Excellence in Story Telling Award. Originally from the Chicagoland area, she now lives along Lake Michigan’s Wisconsin shoreline with her husband and their two young sons. Find her online at daniellegrandinetti.com.

My Impressions

“But fear had no place in building trust.”

Danielle Grandinetti’s Heart of Beauty novella is one I’ve been eagerly awaiting for a long time. While part of a loosely connected 14 book series, Hearts of the West, it is the connection to Silas Ward, a cowboy in Grandinetti’s Refuge for the Archaeologist, that drove my curiosity. Thankfully, Grandinetti mentions that connection and other important thoughts in her author’s notes at the end.

So, if you have not read Refuge for the Archaeologist in the Harbored in Crow’s Nest series, why read Heart of Beauty? Retold Fairytale. Done well. Set in Montana Territory in 1871, Grandinetti gives us a beautiful American West retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Grandinetti goes to great lengths to make many parallels to the old tale, more than I have ever seen before. I rather enjoyed that close mirroring.

Sallie Beauregard is a horse whisperer who has long masqueraded as a her trapper father’s son for safety in the Wild West. When her concern for a runaway horse reveals her true identity, her father leaves her in the care of a local rancher. Caleb Orson is known for his solitary ways and sullen manner. How is Sallie going to be safe on his ranch?

I appreciated the respectful mention of the Blackfoot people who lost their land to a government that forcibly relocated them.

As a result of his participation in the Civil War, Orson feel like he has darkness inside. He can’t overcome that. “You are of God, Caleb Orson, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than …” says Sallie, encouraging Orson with Scripture. I love how putting our name in Scripture for the word “you” when Jesus is talking to His followers makes Scripture come alive with meaning for us, right here, right now.

Sallie has her own darkness, extreme loneliness. She explains to Orson how she functions despite her great lack. “I have to remember that I am not actually alone. That God will never leave me. That no matter the danger, the hardship, the darkness, God is there. Will always be there. That He’s never more than a breath away.”

I love how the people on Orson’s ranch care for him despite his prickly nature. They’re not afraid to confront him, care for him, and even cheer for him as the occasion demands. Anchorman is one of my faves!

The faith element is strong, well-placed but not over-powering, and helps make the characters who they become. Bravo!

I received a copy of this book from the author and JustRead Tours. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“God made you. He knows every broken part of you. Let Him shine light in those dark places.”

“Two are better than one.”

“forced trust was no trust at all. It must be a choice.”

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Horses didn’t scare her. They gave her courage.”

Magnificent! Beautiful, faith-filled retelling of one of my fave fairytales!

ARC, BLOG, Favorite, Just Read Tours, Kindle, Kregel, NetGalley, New-to-Me Author, Purchase

Grandma Ruth Doesn’t Go to Funerals by Sharon Mondragon Review and Giveaway

February 12, 2025February 11, 2025 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Title: Grandma Ruth Doesn’t Go To Funerals
Author: Sharon Mondragon
Publisher: Kregel Publications
Release Date: February 11, 2025
Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Something is brewing in Raeburne’s Ferry, Georgia–and it’s not sweet tea.

In a small town where gossip flows, bedridden Mary Ruth McCready reigns supreme, doling out wisdom and meddling in everyone’s business with a fervor that would make a matchmaker blush. When her best friend has her world rocked by a scandalous revelation from her dying husband, Mary Ruth kicks into high gear, commandeering the help of her favorite granddaughter, Sarah Elizabeth, in tracking down the truth. Finding clues in funeral condolence cards and decades-old gossip dredged up at the Blue Moon Beauty Emporium, the two stir up trouble faster than you can say “pecan pie.”

But just when things are starting to look up, a blast from the past waltzes in with an outrageous claim. But as Grandma Ruth always says when things get tough, “God is too big.” With him, nothing is impossible–even bringing long-held secrets to light. Grandma Ruth and Sarah just might have to ruffle a whole mess of feathers to do it.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Kregel Publications | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Christianbook

About the Author

Sharon J. Mondragón is a Southern girl at heart, having spent most of her adult life where tea is sweet and mac and cheese is a vegetable. Settled in Midlothian, Texas, she writes, facilitates the prayer shawl ministry at her church, and teaches at the local yarn shop. She’s the author of the Purls and Prayers series, and her work has earned recognition from The Saturday Evening Post, ACFW, Foreword INDIES, and the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference.

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

My Imprssions

“…things are not always, or even often, as they seem.” – Father David

Wow! What a fun ride this book, Grandma Ruth Doesn’t Go to Funerals, is! This is my first novel by Sharon Mondragon, but her others just moved way up my TBR. Grandma Ruth is a bed-ridden Southern matriarch whom no one can deny and whose specialty is “meddling love”…though she would call it staying informed about her friends and loved ones. Grandma Ruth has a great understanding of the human psyche and uses that and her respected age to her advantage.

Her twenty-four year old granddaughter, Sarah, our narrator, finds herself Grandma Ruth’s personal *assistant* and co-conspirator, representing the older lady at social events, esp. funerals. Sarah is caught between showing her grandmother proper respect, obeying her grandmother, and proving she can make her own decisions, including who to date.

I had a perma-smile on my face and often broke out in laughter as I read. Grandma Ruth is such a force to be reckoned with. She refuses to allow her granddaughter to listen to gossip, but is quite willing to “gather information” by listening to others’ opinions of facts. In this novel, Grandma Ruth wants most to comfort her newly widowed best friend and to set up Sarah with her best friend’s grandson. Cookies and brownies are a sleuth’s best friend, in Grandma Ruth’s case! Plied with enough, a visitor to Grandma Ruth’s room would soon be spilling the beans.

The novel zigs and zags along as it rollicks towards its rather surprising and totally satisfying conclusion. I personally hope Meredith somehow merits her own story.

Get your copy ASAP! You won’t be sorry!

I have to insert… the novel takes a good look at eyes. As in eye crinkles, eye rolls, kind eyes, etc. Obviously Mondragon and Grandma Ruth are firm believers that “eyes are the windows to the soul.”

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

Notable Quotables:

“Miss Charlotte had the right idea, I mused. It was better to know the truth, even if it hurt, than to eat your heart out over suspicions and possibilities.”

“God was indeed too big—too big for me ever to have imagined what he had in store for me.”

“It’s about time you learned that meddling upsets the innocent as well as the guilty.”

“It’s better to leave the past in the past and get on with life.”- Grandma Ruth

Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a signed copy of Grandma Ruth Doesn’t Go To Funerals and a $25 Amazon gift card!

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight February 12, 2025 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on February 19, 2025. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

Enter Giveaway

BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour, Kindle, Purchase

Hidden Danger by Gail Pallotta Review and Giveaway

February 9, 2025 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: Hidden Danger (Discipleship Series Book 1)

Author: Gail Pallotta

Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense

Release date: August 21, 2024

After Emily Hanover’s left standing at the altar in Blue Mountain, North Carolina, she goes to Sky High Campground to put her life back together. Because it’s February and few people come here this time of year, she’s alone on the premises. When noises in the middle of the night frighten her, she gathers her courage and peeks outside. A man carrying a body over his shoulder emerges from the dark shadows onto her front yard. Horrified, she collapses onto the floor.

The next morning, she visits ex-military. officer turned security guard, Nick Lancaster. He listens intently to Emily, but dismisses her claim of foul play as a hunter carrying a deer. Finally, after he sees a freshly dug hole in Emily’s yard and finds two more in the woods, he agrees—there’s suspicious activity. Then he and Emily embark on a mission exposing murder and a far-reaching sinister plot, neither suspecting danger can bring romance.

Click here to get your copy

About the Author

Award-winning author Gail Pallotta’s a wife, Mom, swimmer and bargain shopper who loves God, beach sunsets and getting together with friends and family. A 2013 Grace Awards finalist, she’s a Reader’s Favorite 2017 Book Award winner, a TopShelf 2020 Book Awards Finalist and a Top Author pick. She’s published seven books, poems, short stories and several hundred articles. Some of her articles appear in anthologies while two are in museums. She enjoys connecting with readers.

More from Gail

The story behind Hidden Danger started with my love of mysteries and suspense, which began many years ago when I discovered Nancy Drew. Then I wanted to become a detective. That didn’t happen, but I turned my heroine, Emily Hanover, and the hero, Nick Lancaster, into amateur sleuths.

The granddaughter of a minister who planted churches in the far reaches of the Western North Carolina Mountains, I grew up at the foothills of them. As I pondered the setting for a good mystery, the area with lots of underbrush and caves offered opportunities for suspenseful scenes.

Emily works as a newspaper reporter, a job similar to one I had in a public relations department under a retired Associated Press guy. My husband was in the military. After all these years of marriage, I’m familiar with that type of personality, so Nick is an ex-military guy turned security guard.

Emily goes to the campground to find peace and comfort after she was left standing at the altar on her wedding day. To say she has a chip on her shoulder over men is an understatement. The only true love Nick ever had died while he was overseas. Guilt because he couldn’t be by her side plagues him. He believes he’ll never love another.

Emily meets Nick because her first night at the campground, she sees a man carrying a dead body. Or, does she? Thus, a mystery in the Western North Carolina Mountains begins.

My Impressions

“She could trust Jesus no matter how confusing or turbulent her life grew. He remained the same and He still loved her.”

Emily Hanover certainly has had some turbulence in her life, and it’s about to ramp up! Gail Pallotta, author of Hidden Danger, has put Emily in the unenviable position of being jilted at the altar. To escape reminders of her ex-fiancé, Emily leaves her job as a crime reporter at a small paper for a vacation in the North Carolina mountains. Choosing a small, empty campground, instead of peace and quiet Emily finds disturbing things going on. But can she convince the security guard that what she saw is worth investigating?

Camp security guard Nick Lancaster, fresh out of the military, is barely holding his life together after his fiancée’s death. Yet something about Emily attracts him. And Emily seems to be good at attracting trouble! Will the two broken-hearted young people put aside their hurts and help each other as it appears there is murderous danger nearby?

I was most impressed by Emily’s ability to see beyond the outside of a person. “She focused on the man’s twisted half smile. What turned him into a criminal?…The more important question was—what had gone wrong with his heart? His mind?” At this point, I wouldn’t have cared about the person, I’d be getting myself far, far away fast! It is very interesting what Emily is willing to do as she uses her Father’s eyes to see the worth of a person.

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

Notable Quotables:

“Love isn’t like tea in a pitcher. Love never runs out. There’s plenty of it to go around for everyone.”

“Sometimes I have this voice inside my brain that tells me to do something because it’s the right thing to do.”

“she’d been so lost in pain, she didn’t know she needed a friend.”

“Admitting her spirit was injured had freed a tiny piece of dirt from her heart as though the mountain breeze had blown it away.”

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Great!

Blog Stops

Leslie’s Library Escape, February 8

Texas Book-aholic, February 9

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, February 10

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, February 11

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, February 12

Locks, Hooks and Books, February 13

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, February 14

Blogging With Carol, February 15

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, February 16

For him and My Family, February 19

Stories By Gina, February 18 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, February 18

Simple Harvest Reads, February 19 (Author Interview)

Betti Mace, February 20

Book Looks by Lisa, February 20

Lily’s Corner, February 21

Giveaway

To celebrate he tour, Gail is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card and a print copy of the book!!

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

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54150

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

Protecting You by Robin Patchen Review and Giveaway

February 4, 2025 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: Protecting You

Author: Robin Patchen

Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense

Release date: February 4, 2025

In a high-stakes game of deception, two rivals must work together to bring down a ruthless terrorist.

After Alyssa’s dream of working in US intelligence is thwarted, she leaves her mundane profession to pursue a career as a cyber investigator. Though she aces every case she gets, securing enough customers to pay her rent proves challenging. When a lucrative commission comes along, she thinks she’s hit the jackpot. But this client isn’t the British entrepreneur he claims to be. And then her old nemesis interrupts their meeting with a startling move.

NSA agent Gideon Todd is floundering in his new role as a single father to a surprise daughter, but he still has a job to do. He follows a tip about a terrorist, only to be shocked when he finds his old college adversary dining with the notorious killer. Maybe there was a better way to step in than by posing as Alyssa’s fiancé, but it was the best excuse he could come up with to insert himself into their meeting.

Gideon once stole the job Alyssa coveted, and now the last thing she wants is his help. But when he explains who her client really is, she realizes she’s in way over her head. Dariush Ghazi knew exactly what he was doing when he targeted her. She’s trapped. She must go along with a dangerous scheme, pretending to help him while working with Gideon…or end up dead.

In their quest to dismantle Dariush’s network of evil, Gideon and Alyssa risk sacrificing each other—and everything they hold dear.

Prepare to dive into this gripping tale of enemies turned allies, a fake engagement, and a deadly conspiracy.

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

Picture this:

You’re a cyber investigator, sitting across from a client in a Boston restaurant. It’s the first time you’ve ever met the man in person, but you’ve worked for him before. In person, he isn’t like you’d imagined he would be.

His arrogance doesn’t impress you, and he’s giving off a slightly creepy vibe, but he’s polite enough when he hires you to locate somebody for him.

It should be a simple job, right up your alley. He hands over a check, and you glance at the number. All those zeroes. This one job will keep your new business out of the red for months.

You slide the check into your purse and shake your client’s hand, still reveling in the knowledge that your business isn’t going under, not this month.

And then you hear a call from across the room. “Darling!”

You know the endearment can’t be directed at you. You’re nobody’s darling.

Still, you glance toward the too-loud patron and realize it’s Gideon, your fiercest rival.

You haven’t seen him in years, and even back when you were in college together, you’d barely been more than acquaintances.

When he was offered the CIA job you coveted, your thoughts turned altogether uncharitable toward the man who’d bested you one too many times.

Gideon must be mistaking you for someone else.

But he locks eyes with you. Wearing a wide smile, he reaches your table, leans close, and presses his lips to yours.

The kiss lights a fire that warms you to your toes. You ignore the reaction, though it takes considerable effort.

What in the world is he doing?

His whisper is so low that you barely hear him. “Trust me. Go with it.”

Trust him?

How are you supposed to trust him when you have no idea what he’s doing? Or why?

Before you can come up with a suitable response—and really, what are you supposed to say?—he stands and thrusts out his hand to your client, introducing himself as…

Your fiancé.

And then things really get interesting.

This is the scene that presented itself to me before I knew anything about Protecting You. After I wrote the first chapter, and with the help of wonderful brainstorming partners, I fleshed out the idea, turning it into a full-length novel.

This story features a single father who’s trying to figure out how to fill that role, a beautiful cyber-investigator, and a familiar enemy working to exploit the heroine and her entire family.

I’m so excited about this one. I can’t wait to hear what you think.

(And don’t worry. It’s not written in second person. Wouldn’t that be annoying for 300 pages?)

My Impressions

“What can we do?” “Just keep praying. There’s nothing more important than that.”

This line may not sum up the whole of Protecting You, Book 5 of the Wright Heroes of Maine by Robin Patchen, but it is certainly my favorite line. Being a very intense romantic suspense, involving a terrorist, the CIA, and the FBI, this novel contains constant action and tension. Heart-in-your-throat tension. Yet, when the male main character, Callan aka Caleb, comes to his senses, he realizes as we all should, that prayer is not sitting idly by, twiddling our thumbs. It is storming the gates of Heaven for the answers we need and only God Himself, though He may use humans, can provide.

To be fair, this story can be read by itself and enjoyed, but it is so much more beautiful read in the sequence of the series. We see characters we feel like we already know and love, and we quickly recall their backstories as the action ramps up in this one. I was pleased to have this book answer questions that had been previously raised about two of the Wright family members. I also noted that by involving cousins, Patchen is able to stretch out her series in a good way. I mean, how many siblings can there be in one family?!

Patchen nearly had me calling my cardiac doctor as I was reading. The suspense was unbearable. I would not even pretend that I knew what was going to happen next. I was along for a very fast, very dangerous ride!!

I can’t relate to being a computer genius like Alyssa or an ex-FBI agent like Callan, but I can relate to loving a young child, wanting to see children protected, feeling like I need to be in control, or like I need to prove myself to someone. This novel really brings out strong emotions. I loved seeing Alyssa, Callan, and Gavin navigate handling their emotions while fighting for the safety of those they love.

I also love seeing the Wrights as family “circle up the wagons” to protect one of their own.

I highly recommend Protecting You as part of the Wright Heroes of Maine series by Robin Patchen.

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

Notable Quotables:

“Go look in the mirror in there”—he waved toward the bathroom—“and tell the man looking back at you the truth. That you’re not in control, and you’re not supposed to be.”

”Trauma, like bacteria, thrived in darkness. It reproduced and spread, infecting everything it touched. The only cure for trauma was bringing it to the light.”

“But her God wasn’t a God of logic. Or more to the point, He transcended logic.”

“A million seemingly small decisions, many wrong decisions, had led her right here.”

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Magnificent! I was on pins and needles throughout the whole book!

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, February 5

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, February 5

Book Looks by Lisa, February 6

For Him and My Family, February 7

Pens Pages & Pulses, February 7

An Author’s Take, February 8

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, February 9

Texas Book-aholic, February 10

Locks, Hooks and Books, February 11

Holly’s Book Corner, February 11

Betti Mace, February 12

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, February 13

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, February 14

Pause for Tales, February 14

Blogging With Carol, February 15

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, February 16

Stories By Gina, February 17 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, February 17

Blossoms and Blessings, February 18

Leslie’s Library Escape, February 18

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Robin is giving away the grand prize of a $100 Amazon gift card AND a box of goodies including a print copy of Running to You, a Welcome to Nutfield coffee mug, and a few surprise goodies!!

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

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54148

BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour, Kindle, Purchase

The Maestro’s Missing Melody by Amy Walsh Review and Giveaway

February 1, 2025 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book:The Maestro’s Missing Melody

Author: Amy Walsh

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Release date: September 13, 2024

She was thrilled to apprentice with her fiddler hero—until she got to know him. He regretted his decision to play teacher to college kids—until he got to know her.

For aspiring musician and college student McKay Moonlight, winning a summer internship with Scottish master fiddler Huntley Milne was a dream come true. When a last-minute change moved the internship program from the Scottish Highlands of her ancestors to a village she’d never heard of along the River Deben, McKay was determined to make the best of it. However, she didn’t expect to make such a terrible first impression on her summer mentor.

Hosting a bunch of college students was the last thing Maestro Huntley Milne needed. He was already up to his ears in problems, with Aunt BeeBee being placed in a care home, resulting in him having emergency custody of his tween nephew and niece. Then he met McKay Moonlight, and the chaos really began.

The Maestro’s Missing Melody is a charming story featuring endearingly eccentric characters, a treasure hunt caper through the nooks and crannies of a mansion, and genuine laugh-out-loud moments. Sunshine and thunderclouds attract in this delightful age-gap Christian romantic comedy from Amy Walsh.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Amy Walsh is a 5th-grade teacher who loves teaching children about what she loves to do herself: reading and writing. She enjoys outdoor activities, especially hiking and camping. Amy also appreciates opportunities to share her faith through singing, teaching, and writing for her church family. Amy and her husband, Patrick, have three children: Bree, Spencer, Liz, and a son-in-law, Kyle. Amy and her family love to spend time together celebrating special occasions, listening to great music, swimming and kayaking, and having occasional ping pong tournaments.

More from Amy

The Maestro’s Missing Melody Cast of Characters

Maestro Huntley Milne regrets committing to host a group of college students, especially when Aunt BeeBee ends up in a care home, forcing him to move into the Milne Monstrosity on Sycamore Street which is about two hours northeast of London. Aunt BeeBee is nagging him to locate the missing Milne stave book, Dory and David are fretting about being put back into foster care, and even his aunt’s cats are high maintenance. Then he meets McKay Moonlight…

McKay Moonlight was thrilled when she won the musical apprenticeship at Maestro Huntley Milne’s Highlands Music Center. After all, she had a little crush on him for years after seeing him play at the Rocky Mountain Fiddler Championships. When the apprenticeship is relocated to a tiny town near the Deben River, rather than the Highlands of her ancestors, she takes it in stride. Who would think her traveling mishaps would cause her to be late and forget something very important – ruining her chance to make a good first impression on her summer mentor.

The Milne Monstrosity was built by a wealthy plantation owner, who brought his family to England just prior to the American Civil War. This mansion is a hodgepodge of turrets, towers, secret passages, and gables – – and does not fit in with the other homes on Sycamore Street AT ALL. Beatrice Milne has filled the mansion with many colorful and eccentric collections. Other unique features of the Milne property are a tiny guest house which is the exact replica of the Monstrosity, and a stone amphitheater decorated with musical gargoyles within view of the River Deben.

Dory and David are tween twins who went from foster home to foster home until they were finally adopted by Mama Bee. Dory enjoys riding her bike around her village, learning to play the flute, reading great books – – and finally having a family, even if her adopted mother is much older and let’s say “different” from other parents. David plays the guitar very well, but his real passion is for building gadgets. The twins were content living in the Milne Monstrosity in Eden Cove with Mama Bee encouraging them to explore their interests and grow their talents. But now, Mama Bee is in a care home and they are stuck with grumpy Uncle Huntley until Mama Bee comes home. That’s IF she ever comes home.

Beatrice Milne, aka Aunt Bee Bee or Mama Bee, always had her fingers in so many pies, and those pies were always so splendid, that she seems larger than life to the people of Eden Cove. Now she is a patient of Balmy Bay Residences, the care home she helped refurbish as one of her projects. What’s with her change in personality – and her obsession with Huntley needing to search for the missing Milne stave book?

Arabella and Gerard are Aunt Bee Bee’s ginormous cats who have a love/hate relationship with the Maestro. Who knows, maybe they can help with the treasure hunt for the missing stave book…

My Impressions

“God never abandons His people –even when their faith has dwindled to nothing, and when they’ve lost all hope.”

The neat thing about this series of books, Our House on Sycamore Street, is that each book is by a different author, involving varying genres and time periods. All stories take place in the same little town, all on the same street on an English island. Amy Walsh’s contribution, The Maestro’s Missing Melody, bk 6, is a fun contemporary rom-com. McKay Moonlight is a star-struck intern who has won a spot as a summer student in a small group being mentored by Scottish maestro Huntley Milne.

When family circumstances change the plans for the summer itinerary, Maestro Milne regrets his promise to hosts the college students and especially seems to dislike McKay. How God uses what the Maestro sees as major inconveniences in his life to bring about change and a reckoning about life’s meaning is a wonderful thing to see.

However, God usually uses hard things to bring growth and the Maestro rails against God for past life events as well as current difficulties. Can McKay’s faith and optimism along with that of quirky Aunt BeeBee and twins David and Dory breathe life back into Huntley’s dead soul?

I really connected with the lost, lonely, and afraid characters in this novel. Such deep hurts and fears to carry around! And yet, so much of the suffering seems chosen or at least magnified beyond the original pain, if that is possible . But that is how it is when we either don’t seek God’s guidance in our plans or actively refuse His help.

I would have liked to discuss this book with a book club. Some characters’ actions had me scratching my head. (“Can a person really do that?” I wondered, many times. )

I was pleased to find some final storyline tie-ups, but it involved an epilogue and an “after epilogue epilogue”, plus a bonus scene on the author’s website. I would prefer all action wrapped up within the book. Just my two cents’.

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

Notable Quotable:

“That God cares and provides. That God listens and whispers. That when we are alone in the wilderness, it’s there that God teaches, strengthens, and emboldens us.”