ARC, BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour, Favorite, Kindle, Launch Team, Purchase, Wild Heart Books

Shoot at the Sunset by Kathleen Denly Review and Giveaway

May 10, 2024 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: Shoot at the Sunset

Author: Kathleen Denly

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: April 9, 2024

Will love survive when truth takes aim at their secrets?

Sharpshooter Preston Baker has spent a lifetime confronting danger head-on. So when a heartfelt letter arrives from his big sister asking for help, he doesn’t hesitate to put his traveling show career on hold and journey to her remote desert ranch, determined to make amends for past failures. What he doesn’t expect is to discover his long-lost little sister and her best friend, Lucy, are both hard at work on the ranch.

Unbeknownst to anyone, Lucy Arlidge’s decision to travel to a remote desert ranch was born as much from desperation as friendship. Fleeing San Francisco may have saved Lucy’s life, but the decision left others in danger. To thwart the evil plans of those who pursue her and her family, Lucy must keep her new gem-mining operation concealed and her secrets safe.

Preston is drawn to the mysterious woman, despite her plans to marry the neighboring rancher. Lucy’s quiet strength and undeniable beauty beckon him like a campfire in the wilderness, offering light amidst the dark memories and deepest fears resurrected by the presence of his sisters. But as danger closes in, Preston and Lucy must confront their pasts to save not only their own futures, but the lives of everyone they love.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Kathleen Denlylives in sunny California with her loving husband, four young children, two dogs, and ten cats. As a member of the adoption and foster community, children in need are a cause dear to her heart and she finds they make frequent appearances in her stories. When she isn’t writing, researching, or caring for children, Kathleen spends her time reading, visiting historical sites, hiking, and crafting.

More from Kathleen

One of the primary themes of Shoot at the Sunset is secrets and the fears that sometimes drive us to keep them. Did I mention there’s even a secret signal used in the book? So today I thought it would be fun to play with a secret code. Using the key provided below, see if you can reveal the hidden message.

My Impressions

“Keeping secrets only led to haunting regrets.”

Kathleen Denly pens yet another exciting historical romance novel, Shoot at the Sunset, that is part of her Chaparral Hearts Series. If you enjoy Westerns, action, romance, and Biblical truths woven into an engrossing story, you won’t want to miss this one!

I loved that the author gives a trigger warning for various situations( carefully discussed in the book) including abuse, addiction, rape, and PTSD. I also loved that the backstory was smoothly and interestingly related, at no point feeling like an information dump. With several years between stories, it can be easy to forget who’s who without extra help to jog your memory.

Just as there is a strong attraction between Lucy Arlidge and Preston Baker, I was definitely drawn to this couple and the story Denly deftly weaves as well. We discover Lucy, a good friend and travel companion to Biddie Davidson, agrees to travel to Ginny Baker’s ranch partly out of desperation and fear. “Though of no blood relation, Henry and Cecilia Davidson had long treated Lucy as though she were their daughter. But could such a love withstand so much loss? Or would the only family she had left reject her as Mama had?” With these motivating thoughts in mind, and a desire to keep the people she loves safe, Lucy makes some choices that I just wanted to say, “Get some wise advice.” Or, “Talk to the other person(s) involved. But Lucy is determined that secrets revealed could mean loved ones hurt or killed.

Preston, a sharpshooter at a traveling show, has responded to his big sister Ginny’s letter for help on the ranch. Memories, guilt, and a family sin pattern plague him, keeping him from being the man he wants to be. What will it take for Preston and Lucy to stop depending on theirvoen wisdom and seeking that of the Lord’s, instead?

Forgiveness, trust, second chances, and God’s ability to change a person are all themes of this memorable book.

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

Notable Quotables:

“You are your own person, and you get to decide who you want to be.”

“God’s timing, though occasionally mysterious and frustrating, is always best in the end.”

“Truth’s truth no matter how you dress it up.”

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Magnificent!

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, May 11

For Him and My Family, May 11

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 12

Texas Book-aholic, May 13

The Lofty Pages, May 13

Lakesidelivingsite, May 14

Locks, Hooks and Books, May 15

Blossoms and Blessings, May 15

Alena Mentink, May 16

Devoted To Hope, May 17

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, May 17

Karen Baney Reviews, May 18

Melissa’s Bookshelf, May 18

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 19

Connie’s History Classroom, May 19

Bizwings Book Blog, May 20

Book Looks by Lisa, May 21

Holly’s Book Corner, May 21

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, May 22

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, May 23 (Author Interview)

Books You Can Feel Good About, May 23

Pause for Tales, May 24

Cover Lover Book Review, May 24

Giveaway

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

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/2b594/shoot-at-the-sunset-celebration-tour-giveaway

ARC, Barbour, BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour, Favorite, Kindle, Launch Team, NetGalley, PB, Purchase

The Sleuth of Blackfriars Lane by Michelle Griep Review and Giveaway

April 25, 2024 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: The Sleuth of Blackfriars Lane

Author: Michelle Griep

Genre: Historical Christian Fiction

Release Date: April, 2024

Namely, her husband.

But Jackson barely notices. He’s too busy putting out his own fires. As the new chief inspector of a busy London station, he must salvage the disaster left behind by the former police chief—an obstacle made all the harder when the superintendent breathes an ultimatum down his neck.

Against her father’s advice, Kit takes on a case involving a missing child, one in which she and Jackson become a little too emotionally involved. . .and end up endangering their own little girl in the process.

Can Kit and Jackson learn that just because they can say yes doesn’t mean they should?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Michelle Griep’s been writing since she first discovered blank wall space and Crayolas. She is the Christy Award-winning author of historical romances: A Tale of Two Hearts, The Captured Bride, The Innkeeper’s Daughter, 12 Days at Bleakly Manor, The Captive Heart, Brentwood’s Ward, A Heart Deceived, and Gallimore, but also leaped the historical fence into the realm of contemporary with the zany romantic mystery Out of the Frying Pan.

More from Michelle

Oh Inspiration…Wherefore Art Thou?

There are several questions I am asked frequently as an author.

“Hey, how much money do you make?”

“Can you help me get my book published?”

“How come it takes you so long to finish a story?”

But probably the most common query is this: what sorts of things inspire you? Now that is a question I can go on and on about! Don’t panic, though. I’ll be brief.

Story ideas come from every place imaginable. I’ve had plot thoughts from watching kids’ movies or even from eavesdropping at a coffee shop (note: beware what you say in public). TV series are also a favorite of mine, so much so that my latest release, The Sleuth of Blackfriars Lane, is loosely based on one of my all-time favorite PBS series.

Have you seen this show? If not, do yourself a favor and ride that pony. If you have, then you know what I’m talking about. Either way, you should know that, the main character, is a detective in Victorian London—a very sassy yet classy lady. And that’s what struck me light a lightning bolt.

This woman is Kit, the heroine in my Blackfriars series, like right there on the big screen.

So, for book III, I decided I’d let ol’ Kit open her own private investigation agency with the help of her father, a recently retired police sergeant. Of course much intrigue and chaos ensues, just like in my all-time favorite PBS series, bringing the Blackfriars series to a satisfying end.

Inspiration honestly comes from anywhere, so next time you’re rubbing elbows with an author, beware. You just might end up as a character in their next book.

My Impressions

“What a fine bucket of fish guts this was turning out to be. She’d hoped for an intriguing first case to solve— Not an impossible one.”

Ah, this story by Michelle Griep!! First, because it is a Griep, buy now, ask later. Seriously, my motto for her books. However, I must say you will want to have read The Thief of Blackfriars Lane and The Bride of Blackfriars Lane, so you feel like Jackson and Kit are close friends you respect, even if it’s impossible to predict their actions. Common themes to Griep are forgiveness and trust, plus judging others and teamwork. Beautifully depicted.

Kit has so much spunk and impetuosity, plus a great nose for mystery solving that she has connived to get her father to open a detective agency with her. All is well and good if Kit stays where she belongs, according to her father and Jack, safe in the background, in the office. As if!

Kit finds that motherhood has changed her in so many ways. She yearns for her child, yet leaves her daily with her good friend, Martha. Can she put aside her mothering instincts long enough to be an unprejudiced part of the detective team? Can she remember she is a mother enough to be sure she avoids danger? Can we say Kate is very conflicted?!

Jackson has his own issues. He might not miss Kate’s shenanigans so much if he didn’t have a precinct to run, with multiple officers needing attention of various degrees, and a supervisor ready to shut the whole office down. Plus a nuisance vagabond hanging around. Oh, vey!

Jackson is fortunate to have a loyal friend in Charles Bagette, an officer who entered training when Jack did. But Bagette has two strikes against him. He’s charged with keeping Kit safe. And, he’s falling for Martha, a baker and soup kitchen cook. Martha just happens to be Bella’s ( Kit’s daughter)babysitter, in addition to Frankie’s mother. The same Frankie who either has a future as a thug or a detective, under Kit’s tutelage.

One thing I always love about a Griep novel is the multiple storylines woven in and out around each other. We have all the above, plus the very complicated mystery that Kit takes on against her father’s consent. So now we also have that relationship thread to follow.

Danger. Action. Twist. Repeat. Biblical truth. Short contemplation how that should affect the character’s action. Swift, short, cry-outs to God. Then start at the beginning of this paragraph with danger and repeat the scenario. My heart barely survived the action, but surviving the emotional tugs was worse!

I cannot do justice to this book. But it will be on the very short list for my fave book of the year!!

I received a copy of the book from Celebrate Lit via Netgalley, plus I bought a paperback. This is a book to be shared! No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“it always comes back to trusting in God’s plan. Rest assured that no matter what you do or don’t do, you will not thwart whatever our mighty Creator is up to.The best we can accomplish is to hold tight to our faith and keep walking towards eternity a step at a time.”

“ …love covers a multitude of sins. So, pursue that. Pursue love instead of dwelling in past failure. That path can only lead to a denial of the present and a forfeiture of the future.”

“But it’s God who brings beauty from ashes. Don’t push away that gift. It is never prudent or wise to stiff-arm God.”

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Magnificent!!

On my very short list for fave book of 2024!!

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, April 26

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, April 26

Book Looks by Lisa, April 26

Live. Love. Read., April 27

Vicky Sluiter, April 27

She Lives To Read, April 27

Texas Book-aholic, April 28

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 28

All-of-a-kind Mom, April 29

Where Faith and Books Meet, April 29

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 30

Sylvan Reads, April 30

Pause for Tales, April 30

Locks, Hooks and Books, May 1

Blogging With Carol, May 1

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 2

For Him and My Family, May 2

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, May 2

Betti Mace, May 3

Wishful Endings, May 3

Bizwings Book Blog, May 4

Daysong Reflections, May 4

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, May 5 (Author Interview)

Kristina Hall, May 5

Tell Tale Book Reviews, May 6

The Lofty Pages, May 6

Cover Lover Book Review, May 7

A Good Book and Cup of Tea, May 7

Blossoms and Blessings, May 7

Holly’s Book Corner, May 8

Back Porch Reads, May 8

Lily’s Corner, May 9

Life of Literature, May 9

Jeanette’s Thoughts, May 9

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Michelle 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 nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/2b146/the-sleuth-of-blackfriars-lane-celebration-tour-giveaway

ARC, BLOG, Favorite, Kindle, Launch Team, Love Inspired Suspense, Purchase

Yukon Wilderness Evidence by Darlene L. Turner

April 23, 2024 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Title: Yukon Wilderness Evidence

Author: Darlene L. Turner

Series: Crisis Rescue Team, Bk 5

Publisher: Love Inspired Suspense

Released: April 23, 2024

Genre: Romantic Suspense

*****************************************Solving a cold case

could rob her of her future.

When skeletal remains are uncovered in the Yukon forest, forensic botanist Keeley Ash is called to the crime scene—and ends up abducted. She never expects her ex, paramedic Brett Ryerson, to come to her rescue, or her gathered evidence to be linked to a cold case. And when their son—who Brett never knew existed—is kidnapped, they’ll stop at nothing to save him and outrun the hunters determined to silence Keeley.

From Love Inspired Suspense: Courage. Danger. Faith.

Crisis Rescue Team

Book 1: Fatal Forensic Investigation
Book 2: Explosive Christmas Showdown
Book 3: Mountain Abduction Rescue
Book 4: Buried Grave Secrets
Book 5: Yukon Wilderness Evidence
Book 6: K-9 Ranch Protection

About the Author:

Darlene L. Turner is an award-winning author and lives with her husband, Jeff in Ontario, Canada. Her love of suspense began when she read her first Nancy Drew book. She’s turned that passion into her writing and believes readers will be captured by her plots, inspired by her strong characters, and moved by her inspirational message. You can connect with Darlene at http://www.darlenelturner.com where there’s suspense beyond borders.

My Impressions

Darlene L. Turner’s books just get better and better. Turner is now not only writing great romantic suspense, but has found a way to outmatch the best armchair detectives (and no, I don’t claim to be the best, but I sure try) with her twists at the end.

There is a new excitement when I read her books now, and Yukon Wilderness Evidence does not disappoint. We learn about forensic biology, and how people like Dr. Keeley Ash use it to help solve cold cases. So interesting!

Unfortunately, not only is Keeley working a cold case, but it becomes active as those working with Keeley lose their lives trying to deliver evidence. Enter another “cold case,” paramedic Brett Ryerson, whom Keeley dated more than 5 years ago and hasn’t seen since. This relationship left Keeley with a son, MJ, and a heart of steel.

Keeley and Brett share a renewed attraction, but both fight it. Keeley doesn’t want another broken heart, already has huge issues with her nearly-famous judge-mother, and the two are not in the same plane spiritually. When asked how she can endure her world crumbling so quickly and completely around her, Keeley responds, “ I have to trust that God is in the middle of this storm. He’s the only thing that’s keeping me from falling apart. If I don’t have my faith, I don’t have anything.”

You’ll have to read the book to discover all the answers to the different threads woven into this beautiful tapestry. Like why Keeley’s mom is so downright mean and demeaning to her. ( Even Keeley doesn’t know.) Why is Brett’s dad holding on to life against the odds of his cancer? ( I love the answer!)

Most of all, who is the mastermind behind the dangerous Diglo brothers gang? I had my mental whiteboard out. I had clues written, lines drawn, erasures, and it wasn’t a pretty site. And still Ms. Turner’s perpetrator eluded me! Bravo!!

All the while, there is some serious character growth going on!! Double bravo!!

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

Notable Quotables:

“He didn’t know which was worse—facing the Diglo brothers or the wrath of Chief Justice Olivia Ash.”

“Peace washed over her. She knew its source. Her Father. Her life was in His hands.”

“Sometimes God allows us to enter the wilderness to shape us. Mold us.”

ARC, BLOG, Favorite, Kindle, Launch Team, Purchase, Wild Heart Books

Love’s Promise by Penny Zeller Review and Giveaway

April 11, 2024 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: Love’s Promise

Author: Penny Zeller

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: March 19, 2024

Can one man’s love win a fragile woman’s heart?
After Amaya Alvarado lost her fiancé to a senseless tragedy, she vows never to love again. Two years later, at her grandmother’s request, she travels to Poplar Springs to assist with the mercantile and help care for her ailing grandfather. During a stagecoach accident and a confrontation with nefarious outlaws, she crosses paths with a man named Silas McFadden who rescues her and the other passengers. A bond between them soon forms.
Silas is not the man he once was. After a stint on the wrong side of the law, he’s now a respectable rancher in Poplar Springs, Wyoming. After becoming a man of faith, he determines to live his life for the One who gave him a second chance. He just never imagined that second chance might include Amaya. Now all he has to do is ensure his past doesn’t return and destroy his and Amaya’s fragile relationship.
Amaya’s and Silas’s friendship soon grows, and she begins to trust him with everything but her heart. Can she push her growing feelings for him aside? After all, isn’t it betraying her fiancé to care for another man the way she has grown to care for Silas?
When the past comes back to haunt him and revenge is sought, can Silas protect the woman he has come to love?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Penny Zeller is known for her heartfelt stories of faith and her passion to impact lives for Christ through fiction. While she has had a love for writing since childhood, she began her adult writing career penning articles for national and regional publications on a wide variety of topics.

Today Penny is the author of nearly two dozen books. She is also a homeschool mom and a group fitness instructor. Her desire is to assist and nurture women into a closer relationship with Christ.

When Penny is not dreaming up new characters, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two daughters and camping, hiking, canoeing, bicycling/cycling, reading, running, gardening, and playing volleyball.

She is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency and loves to hear from her readers.

More from Penny

In Love’s Promise, one of the tender memories main male character, Silas McFadden, recalls is, as a young’un, making his Oma carrot cake for her birthday from her favorite recipe.

Big clumsy hands weren’t helpful when it came to cracking the eggs and scooping the batter into the pan. He’d opened the oven door at least twenty times in the course of the cake baking just to be sure he didn’t burn it. For if he did, there were no more ingredients.

The icing was runny, but Oma hadn’t minded. When she finally returned home, Silas had the cake waiting for her. She had cried, told him how much she loved him, and then together, they’d eaten the entire cake that evening.

I’d love to share with you Oma’s recipe, which in actuality, is a family recipe.

Oma’s Carrot Cake

2 c. flour, sifted

2 c. sugar

2 tsp. soda

2 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. cinnamon

Sift together the above ingredients and set aside.

3 c. grated carrots

4 eggs

1 ½ c. oil

Mix well 1 c. carrots with 1 egg and ½ c. of oil. Repeat twice and add extra egg with last mixing. Combine with dry ingredients. Mix well.

Pour into greased pan and bake at 350º for one hour. Cool. Frost if desired.

My Impressions

“But I know without a doubt that the Lord is the giver of second chances, and He gave me a second chance. My Oma never once stopped praying for me.”

Penny Zeller always draws me into her historical romance novels that are peppered liberally with faith and humor. The faith aspect isn’t overbearing, just right for the situation. The humor keeps me in stitches, and the clean romance keeps me reading. This is Love’s Promise, book four of the Wyoming Sunrise series. It could be read as a standalone, but old friends appear to help flesh out the book.

The year is 1897. Loner Silas McFadden has a ranch outside town, but often rides with the Poplar Springs, Wyoming, posse when trouble arises. “Grandmama” Alvarado, a good friend who with her ailing husband owns a mercantile, asks Silas to meet her granddaughter’s (Amaya’s) stagecoach. Silas is amazed at what he finds when he first meets Amaya.

Amaya and Silas develop a friendship and more as they work to help Amaya’s grandfather’s health improve and also help a very-worn out “Grandmama.”

There are so many humorous moments in the book. When I realized again just who Sheriff Ambrose Miller Eliason is, along with his friend, Grumbles. How seriously Ambrose takes his position! When Silas goes (of course, only as moral support) with his lovelorn friend to the town matchmaker! That whole thread is a hoot!!

There are also some very sad times, as we see into both Silas and Amaya’s respective pasts. One is not sure of acceptance from people or God, and finally gets this great advice: “When we are truly His, nothing and no one can snatch us from His hand. When you make mistakes, and you will, you will remain His. Held forever in His grasp from now through eternity.”

In the meantime, both Silas and Amaya have lost someone very dear to them, and that influences their future steps. Unfortunately, the past catches up with Silas, before he is ready to share it with his new friends in this new town.

If not Ambrose, my fave characters would be the three orphan siblings who are discovered outside of town. Their story thread is tragic and uncertain. Grandmama has to remind Amaya, “God will take care of them, Amaya. He loves them even more than you do.” This is a great reminder for any of us who worry about loved ones of any age. We need to pray and do what we can, but refuse to fret, realizing the Almighty holds our loved ones in His loving Hands.

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

Notable Quotable:

“If you keep your eyes on Jesus, you’ll have no room for fretting.”

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Blog Stops

Madi’s Musings, April 2

The Lofty Pages , April 2

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 3

lakesidelivingsite, April 4

She Lives To Read, April 5

Connie’s History Classroom, April 5

Alena Mentink, April 6

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 7

Holly’s Book Corner, April 7

Texas Book-aholic, April 8

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 9

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 10

Pause for Tales, April 10

Books You Can Feel Good About, April 11

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, April 12

Cover Lover Book Review, April 12

For Him and My Family, April 13

Devoted To Hope, April 13

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, April 14 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, April 14

Life on Chickadee Lane, April 15

Splashes of Joy, April 15

Giveaway

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

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/2ac73/love-s-promise-celebration-tour-giveaway

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

Night Falls on Predicament Avenue by Jaime Jo Wright Review and Giveaway

April 10, 2024 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: Night Falls on Predicament Avenue

Author: Jaime Jo Wright

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Release Date: April 9, 2024

In 1910, Effie James is living a dream for two. Her younger sister is harboring a secret that has left timid Effie determined to fulfill her daring sister’s grand plan of seeking out adventure in their small Iowa town. When a British gentleman arrives, disrupting their peace with efforts to find the wife many claim lived her final days at the now abandoned house at 322 Predicament Avenue, Effie is thrust into intrigue she couldn’t have prepared for. But what she finds inside will forever link her to the scandal staining the house’s walls and to a woman whose secrets promise a curse.

A century later, Norah Richman is living out her late-twin’s dream of running their great aunt’s bed-and-breakfast on Predicament Avenue–a place Norah believes nothing good can come out of after her sister’s abduction and murder thirteen years ago. Her first guest is a crime historian and podcaster, and Norah resolves to stay far away from the charming and enigmatic man–until another guest is found dead. As they dig deeper, something sinister unfurls that will reveal an ominous unknown far greater than the possibility of death itself.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Jaime Jo, the coffee-fueled and cat-fancier extraordinaire, has entwined her life with the legendary Captain Hook, residing serenely in Wisconsin’s rural woodlands.

Her literary vocation involves penning Gothic tales, a baffling change from that of Austenites, with a preference to the master of dark, Edgar Allan Poe.

More from Jaime Jo

True crime did NOT just become popular in this century! Scour the old newspapers for a full and detailed telling of the latest crime. That’s how I got the idea for Night Falls on Predicament Avenue! Yes! I read an old newspaper article from the late 1800’s in which they described in quite delectable detail, the crime scene of a murder in a house with questionable history. That being said, it’s also important to note, that forensics DID just recently become popular in the last 50-100 years. In the 1800’s, if you were murdered, it was common for your neighbor to tour and trample over your crime scene out of curiosity and/or the hope they might be of service in solving the crime. More likely than not, they were merely wanna-be podcast listeners of true crime shows simply born too early for that technological advancement.

My Impressions

“I can hear the darkness.”

“Sometimes findin’ out the truth is too painful. It’s easier to figure out how to get by an’ pretend the past doesn’t haunt you.”

Haunted, I am. Jaime Jo Wright, led by her self-acknowledged muse of Edgar Alan Poe, offers up one of her eeriest novels yet. What makes Wright, with her themes of death and fear so beloved?

For some, it may be the tendency towards the macabre. Wright pens this dual timeline and includes interludes of an unreliable narrator, totally obsessed with death and God’s judgment. At first, I questioned why I was reading something so dark. However, having read several of Wright’s books, I know that eventually the mysteries will be explained, and specters will be unmasked. Eventually, breaking through the dark clouds of the shadow of death, Wright will present that Ray of Hope that shines brightly enough to tunnel through the darkness victoriously.

Small town Shepherd, Iowa, holds secrets as it sees two murders a century apart. In 1901, the bankers’ daughters, Polly and Effie James, witness a terrible occurrence at 322 Predicament Avenue. Polly, terminally ill, becomes almost comatose after being an eye-witness. Effie, the bookish and more rule-oriented of the two, searches for a way to bring her sister back from what she believes is a premature sickness. Society conspires against Effie at every turn. At risk to her own reputation, Effie befriends a newcomer to town and starts investigating with him, breaking every expectation her parents have for her future.

Nearly a century later, Nora Richman owns 322 Predicament Avenue, capitalizing on its dark history to attract visitors to her B and B. A true-crime podcaster comes to stay, ruffling Nora’s nerves as he revives the two murders, one being that of Nora’s twin sister a decade earlier. Nora is a shell of herself since that event, barely able to leave her home, and wants nothing to do with resurrecting the hurtful past. Another death and a second visitor to the house sets in motion a course of events that could totally break Nora.

Fear of death. This is Effie’s predicament. “When a person lived afraid of death, when they could feel death’s cold breath on their neck every moment of the day, there was no courage left to be had. No anticipation. No hope. Only the force of one’s own will to try to outrun the fear before they were eaten alive by it. Before their greatest fear became their worst reality.” Whew, if reading that doesn’t explain Effie’s life and make you, the reader, afraid, I don’t know what will! Anderson, Effie’s English acquaintance, fears something very much.

Nora doesn’t so much fear death as life itself. Nora’s guest, Sebastian, is afraid of something that is altering his life. Nora has so many questions. How can she stop being afraid? Her friend answers, “He left you to live. So live, Norah. Believe there haven’t been mistakes, only a busted-up old world in need of hope.” The real question Wright challenges us, the reader with, is will we surrender to hope or fear? On what basis?

What an incredible wrap-up! I guessed one culprit, but never in a million years would I have nailed the other villain. Wright also drives home the point people are not as we judge them to be.

Bravo, Miss Wright! I’m ready for your next novel of creepy hope!!

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

Notable Quotables:

“Death had been a guest here at Predicament Avenue for decades, and it was clear that Death wasn’t ready to check out quite yet.”

“It’s a’right to admit you’re not a’right.”

“It was as if the sun had gone down at 322 Predicament Avenue the night Naomi’s murdered body had been found, and it had never risen again.”

“What was it about being afraid that pushed a person away from God instead of toward Him?”

“Fear steals our joy and is the agony of those with no hope. It will not define us. Fear is the enemy we will defeat.”

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Magnificent!! Nobody can tell a chilling tale like Jaime Jo Wright, yet bring enough hope into it that you are amazed at the journey, begging for more!!

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 10

Devoted To Hope, April 10

By The Book, April 11

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, April 11

Inspired by Fiction, April 12

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 12

Texas Book-aholic, April 13

Blossoms and Blessings, April 13

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 14

Blogging With Carol, April 14

Betti Mace, April 15

JESUS in the EVERYDAY, April 15

Live. Love. Read., April 16

For Him and My Family, April 16

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, April 17 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, April 17

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, April 18

Holly’s Book Corner, April 18

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 19

Tell Tale Book Reviews, April 20

Sylvan Musings, April 20

Bigreadersite , April 21

Back Porch Reads, April 21

Lily’s Corner, April 22

Simple Harvest Reads, April 22 (Guest Review from Mindy)

Becca Hope: Book Obsessed, April 23

Denise L. Barela, April 23

The Lofty Pages, April 23

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Jaime Jo is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 gift card to Baker Book House in Grand Rapids, MI and an autographed copy of the book!!

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/2af9e/night-falls-on-predicament-avenue-celebration-tour-giveaway

BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour, Favorite, Kindle, New-to-Me Author, Purchase, Wild Heart Books

Love’s Winding Road by Susan F. Craft Review and Giveaway

April 7, 2024 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: Love’s Winding Road

Author: Susan F. Craft

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: February 27, 2024

They were forced into this marriage of convenience, but there’s more at stake than their hearts on this wagon train through the mountain wilderness.

When Rose Jackson and her Irish immigrant family join a wagon train headed for a new life in South Carolina, the last thing she expects is to fall for the half-Cherokee wagon scout along the way. But their journey takes a life-changing turn when Rose is kidnapped by Indians. Daniel comes to her rescue, but the effects mean their lives will be forever intertwined.

Daniel prides himself on his self-control—inner and outer—but can’t seem to get a handle on either when Rose is near. Now his life is bound to hers when the consequences of her rescue force them to marry. Now it’s even more critical he maintain that self-control to keep her safe.

When tragedy strikes at the heart of their strained marriage, they leave for Daniel’s home in the Blue Ridge Mountains. As they face the perils of the journey, Rose can’t help but wonder why her new husband guards his heart so strongly. Why does he resist his obvious attraction for her? And what life awaits them at the end of love’s winding road?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

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

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

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

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

More from Susan

Colonial American medicine fascinates me. The shortage of doctors made it critical for women to maintain medicine kits that included remedies brought with them from Europe as well as those shared with them by Native Americans.

In Love’s Winding Road, my character Rose falls into river rapids and suffers serious scrapes and bruises. Daniel, the half-Cherokee scout of her wagon train, rescues her and makes witch hazel flowers into a paste.

With gentle movements, he spread the ointment on her arms, legs, and neck. When he dabbed some on several raw places on her scalp where her hair had been ripped out, Rose clenched her teeth until her face hurt. With her hand trembling, she reached up to touch her hair.

“Don’t worry. It will grow back. Just thank the good Lord, for though it may be distressing and painful to have lost some of your hair, the strands helped me keep track of you.”

Rose’s father suffers from arthritis in his hands, so he chews on the twigs of black willow trees (not weeping willows) and drinks the tea his wife prepares from the bark also used to treat back pain, headaches, and inflammatory conditions.

When a mountain lion attacks Daniel, Rose stitches the laceration. She cleans the area with whiskey and offers it to him as a painkiller.

She threaded her needle with her finest flax fiber, and holding her breath, she began the first tiny stitches. Think of it as cloth. Think of it as cloth. She repeated the words over and over in her head.

Sometimes doing research can be amusing.

The night before I was to see my doctor, I’d read a resource book, Indian Doctor – Nature’s method of curing and preventing disease according to the Indians. I showed my doctor the Indian cure for my problem.

What a hoot! We had such fun looking through the book. Seems as if every cure involved mixing something with wine, ale, beer, or liquor. We came to the conclusion that with enough alcohol, even if you still had the problem, you wouldn’t care anymore.

Two weeks later, I saw my doctor for an earache. Of course, we looked up the Indian cure. It involved lily onions, marsh mallows, oil of violet—all taken with wine. And then, bleeding.

I’ll stick with antibiotics.

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

My Impressions

“it’s not your reflection in a mirror that’s important. The only mirror you will ever need is the light in the eyes of the woman you love and who loves you.”

Location, Time period, Cross-cultural. Love’s Winding Road by Susan F. Craft has it all. Plus exciting action, faith, and a marriage of convenience story with a closed-door romance. I am thrilled to discover this new-to-me author as she embarks on a new series, Great Wagon Road!

The year is 1753, the location is The Great Wagon Trail, starting in Pennsylvania and traveling South through Virginia, the Carolinas, and Georgia. We follow the wagon train’s adventures and tragedies as we learn what a great price these settlers paid to get away from England and the church and prejudices there.

Unfortunately, as Rose and her Irish-Scots family discover, America is full of prejudice, too, especially against the Native Americans. No distinction is made between peaceful and warring tribes, but a person is judged on the basis of their skin, speech, and customs. Since wagon train scout Daniel Fordham is 1/2 Cherokee, he often is ill-treated. Daniel learned an important skill from his Cherokee mother…”she taught me a great deal about people, too—how to judge them by their actions, not their words.” How I wish I could say we have made great strides in our country to see each person like that, but sometimes it seems our relationships are worse than ever, as we see skin first, not the heart.

Just as Rose and the other train members were often tense, warily watching for the next danger, you may find yourself biting your nails and enduring a rapid heartbeat with the constant perils. Be warned.

But you will also fall in love with Daniel and Rose, and cheer them on as a relationship develops. But can such a cross-cultural love survive in this tenuous world? What of Rebekah, the native American woman who believes that Daniel is in love with her?

Rose’s grieving sister has traveled with the family. Will the hardships to come deepen her depression, or can she begin to make a way in the wilderness alongside her sister?

While I love Aunt Sarah, the unsung hero of the novel has got to be Tsiyi. I can’t pronounce his name ( because looking at the spelling wipes the given pronunciation from my mind every time)! He is Daniel’s amazing companion. You’ll have to read the novel to discover just how valuable Tsiyi is.

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

Notable Quotables:

“Would she allow her memories to rob her of hope?”

“My heart is heavy with yours.”

“beauty and evil often made up the two sides of the same coin.”

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Magnificent! I have already pre-ordered book 2!!

Blog Stops

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 3

Simple Harvest Reads, April 3 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

lakesidelivingsite, April 4

Pause for Tales, April 4

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 5

For Him and My Family, April 5

Lighthouse Academy Blog, April 6 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 7

The Lofty Pages, April 7

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, April 8

Bizwings Book Blog, April 9

Life on Chickadee Lane, April 9

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, April 10

Texas Book-aholic, April 11

Connie’s History Classroom , April 11

Cover Lover Book Review, April 12

Batya’s Bits, April 13

Holly’s Book Corner, April 13

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 14

Books You Can Feel Good About, April 15

Blossoms and Blessings, April 15

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, April 16 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, April 16

Giveaway

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

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/2ac74/love-s-winding-road-celebration-tour-giveaway

ARC, BLOG, Favorite, Kindle, NetGalley, New-to-Me Author, PB, Purchase, Revell

The Ark and the Dove by Jill Eileen Smith Review

April 5, 2024April 5, 2024 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Title: The Ark and the Dove: The Story of Noah’s Wife

Author: Jill Eileen Smith

Publisher: Revell

Genre: Biblical Fiction

Released: February 2024

Zara and Noah have walked together with the Creator for their entire lives, and they have done their best in an increasingly wicked and defiant world to raise their three sons to follow in their footsteps. It has been a challenge–and it’s about to get much, much harder.

When the Creator tells her husband to build an ark to escape the coming wrath against the sins of humankind, Zara steps out with him in faith. But the derision and sabotage directed their way from both friends and extended family are difficult to bear, as is knowing that everyone she interacts with beyond her husband, her sons, and their wives is doomed to destruction. And when the ark is finally finished and the animals have been shut up inside, Zara and her family embark on an adventure that will test their patience and their faith as they await deliverance and dry ground.

Experience the story of Noah and the flood like you never have before. With bestselling and award-winning author Jill Eileen Smith as your guide, you’ll never look at a rainbow the same way again.

About the Author:

Jill Eileen Smith is the bestselling and award-winning author of the biblical fiction series The Wives of King David, Wives of the Patriarchs, and Daughters of the Promised Land, as well as The Heart of a King, Star of Persia: Esther’s Story, Miriam’s Song, The Prince and the Prodigal, and Daughter of Eden. She is also the author of the nonfiction books When Life Doesn’t Match Your Dreams and She Walked Before Us. Jill lives with her family in southeast Michigan. Learn more at http://www.jilleileensmith.com.

My Impressions

“What should I do, Adonai? Did God care about their personal spats with one another? He’d saved them to repopulate a world where evil ran rampant. But they could not run from the sin in their own hearts.”

Jill Eileen Smith. A name of long associated with Biblical fiction, yet The Ark and the Dove is the first book I’ve been privileged to read by Smith.

First, I suggest bringing your waders. While obviously this is the story of Genesis 6, the flood of Noah’s day, it is so much more. While it is an engrossing read, it is not a quick read, compared to many books. You will be immersed in the deep waters of the Nephilim, the Watchers, the ever-encroaching evil, and the intense oppression of Noah’s family as they build the ark and preach about the coming judgment.

Somehow, as a mother of adult children, this novel hits especially hard, emotionally, but even young adults can relate to the sibling issues. It seems we see the stresses on the family as seen mostly through the eyes of Zara, Noah’s faithful wife. She has to place her faith in Noah to lead her family spiritually, but it is hard for all of them to follow God’s few personal directives given only directly to Noah. It is also hard for each son to maintain his marriage and close relationships with the other two brothers as doubts and fears assail. I ached along with Zara as she is heartbroken when her the families of her daughters-in-law turn against them and join in the persecution and rejection. No matter how hard she tries, one of the wives seems bent on trouble-making. Do we know these things for gospel fact? No, we only know what the Bible gives us, which Smith quotes or rephrases multiple times. She even includes references to Romans 1. The rest is author’s license, as long as it does not contradict Scripture. That is what Biblical fiction is.

I will be thinking on this book for a while to come! I was glad I had previous teaching under my belt about the Nephilim and the Watchers. Otherwise, I might have wanted them explained a little more. The Ark and the Dove caused a good discussion between myself and my husband, and I believe it would be a great book for a church book club.

I received a copy of the book from Revell Reads through Netgalley. I also bought a paperback copy. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“Abba said that God did not want to judge us. His heart was broken by our rebellion. I never thought of the Creator as having a heart that could break like ours does.”

“We are made in His image, so perhaps that’s one way that we are like Him. We feel because He feels. Perhaps that is the greatest kind of love.”

“If someone wants to worship something other than the Creator, they will use anything to replace Him in their hearts. It does not have to be a creation of wood or stone. An idol can be anything we place above Him as the most important thing in our lives.”

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I ruminated for a while before rating this book. But not all precious gems are easily mined, and some may not be easily recognized at first sight. I believe this novel to be one of those very precious gems.

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

When the Flames Ravaged by Rhonda Dragomir Review and Giveaway

April 1, 2024 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: When the Flames Ravaged

Author: Rhonda Dragomir

Genre: Christian / Historical / Romance

Release Date: March, 2024

Will Faith Perish in the Big Top’s Flames?

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

Evelyn Benson’s husband perished in the Bataan Death March but not her faith. The World War II Gold Star widow is taken in by her brother and soothed by the love of his wife and children. Evelyn refuses to cower to grief. She may not understand God’s mysterious ways, but she has never questioned Him—until the circus fire.

The Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus train chugs into Hartford, Connecticut, on a sweltering day one month after the Allies invaded Normandy. Among the roustabouts is a reluctant clown, Hank Webb. He may hide from his murky past behind grease paint as Fraidy Freddie, but God wants to offer Hank a chance to be found. Though first, what little Hank believes about God will endure a fiery trial.

On Thursday, July 6, 1944, a devasting blaze of unknown origins consumes the circus tent along with Evelyn’s hopes and Hank’s anonymity.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Rhonda Dragomir is a multimedia creative who treasures her fairy tale life in Central Kentucky, insisting her home is her castle even if her prince refuses to dig a moat. She has multiple published works in anthologies and periodicals, along with numerous Bible studies studied weekly by more than 10,000 women around the world. Rhonda has garnered numerous writing awards for both fiction and nonfiction, including her selection as 2019 Writer of the Year by Serious Writer, Inc. In 2020 she was also a finalist in ACFW’s Genesis Contest for her first novel, a 16th century historical romance.

More from Rhonda

The heroine’s last living family members are struck down in a tragic fire. Will she crumble? Will she tumble into bitterness? Will she forsake her faith? We view life through her eyes and wonder, “What would I do?”

The best fiction sails the vast sea of human experiences and explores how we survive when storms roil the waters. Triumph, tragedy, victories, valleys—though we have not lived through the exact events as the characters, we feel the same elation on the crests and despair in the troughs of the waves.

This is why I love to write historical fiction, especially romance. I interweave my own thoughts and feelings with those of my characters. My words become theirs, and their responses mirror my own as I fight to keep my head above water.

I spent dozens of hours researching When the Flames Ravaged, the story of a horrific circus fire in Hartford, Connecticut on July 6, 1944. I gasped, I wept, and I marveled at the courage of rescuers who sacrificed their own lives to save others. True, live-or-die battles fueled my imagination, and composite characters leaped to life.

At one point, my hero dives into dark water, grasping with frail human understanding to comprehend the scope of the disaster. He decides good and evil are locked in an everlasting struggle, and humans are mere pawns stuck in the middle. Then he asks, “What is the use of serving God if He won’t protect you?”

Who has never asked the same thing when tragedy strikes? Pat answers and platitudes won’t suffice. Only a personal quest to discover an acceptable answer to this age-old question will help us find peace in the midst of the churning sea of doubt.

I hope my novel will toss a live preserver to everyone treading water.

My Impressions

“Was God with her? Faith chimed, Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. But doubt quoted Jesus in His darkest hour. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”

This second book in the Barbour series, A Day to Remember, brings us the horrific story of When the Flames Ravaged by Rhonda Dragomir. Each book in the series highlights a lesser-known American tragedy. As with the first, this was a difficult read because of the intense emotions stirred by the recounting of the Hartford, Connecticut circus tragedy. I had to be careful to recognize why I was in a very despondent mood as I occasionally came up for air as I read.

Both Evelyn, whose close relatives attend the circus that fateful day in 1944, and Hank “Fraidy Freddy,” have some big questions for God after the fire. “How could a loving God…” reiterated over and over as two young people who were once believers in His care, consider that they may not need a God Who wouldn’t prevent such an atrocity. No easy answers are given, but Scripture and wise words are combined at precisely the right time to stir thoughts in a seeking soul.

Slowly, painstakingly so, we follow Evelyn and Hank as they search for Evelyn’s missing family. While the tragedy brings them close, the two teeter between more than friends and persona non-gratis as secrets, guilt, and efforts to be independent take center stage.

I loved so many secondary characters. Bill, Evelyn’s brother. Mrs. Riegle, with her gentle ways, yet determined to be a help to Evelyn. The Preacher. “I’m not really a preacher. I’m simply a man who wants to tell others about how God helps us through our troubles.” Connecticut State Police Sergeant Amato. As one of my favorite people often says, he is the kind of person “who makes your problem, his problem.”

I can’t believe this is Dragomir’s debut novel. It is so well-written. I loved the inclusion of Emmett Kelly (excuse me while I go off to research him a little more, I used to collect clown figurines based on his art). I also had to research the Bataan Death March a bit. I learned so much from this book!

I also loved some twists and the humor. Unfortunately, the tragedy was so severe, there was no humor at that point in the book. But that is real life. I am looking forward to the next book in the series and will also be looking forward to reading more from Rhonda Dragomir.

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

Notable Quotables:

“the costume also hid a man wanted for murder. His parents would be spared the shame of watching their son die in the electric chair.”

“A blood moon was expected tonight, and the superstitious circus folk had grumbled all day about the alleged ‘omen of death.’”

“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

“The deadliest enemy at this moment wasn’t the fire, still too far away to be a threat. But panic could kill.”

“The speed with which tragedy stripped a person bare was nothing less than terrifying.”

“It was his fault. Murder. By neglect. Almost two hundred times over.”

“I hope someday you’ll see yourself as God does.”

“We accept blessings from God’s hands every day, but when bad things happen, we blame Him.”

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Magnificent! There won’t be a dry eye as you learn about this horrific fire and one lady’s efforts to find her surviving family.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, March 30

Pause for Tales, March 30

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 31

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 1

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, April 2

Texas Book-aholic, April 3

Simple Harvest Reads, April 3 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 4

Betti Mace, April 5

For HIm and My Family, April 5

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 6

Blossoms and Blessings, April 7

The Lofty Pages, April 7

Connie’s History Clasroom, April 8

Labor Not in Vain, April 9

Holly’s Book Corner, April 9

Cover Lover Book Review, April 10

Inkwell Inspirations, April 10

To Everything There Is A Season , April 11

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, April 12 (Author Interview)

Life on Chickadee Lane, April 12

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Rhonda is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon e-Gift Card & a copy of the book!!

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/2aa75/when-the-flames-ravaged-celebration-tour-giveaway

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

The Sleuth of Blackfriars Lane by Michelle Griep Review

March 30, 2024 Babbling Becky L

(Graphic from Michelle Griep)

About the Book

Title: The Sleuth of Blackfriars Lane

Series: Blackfriars Lane (#3)

Author: Michelle Griep

Publisher: Barbour

Released: April 1, 2024

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Wife. Mother. Homemaker. Detective. Kit Forge wears many hats, and if that’s not enough, she’s partnered with her father to open a new detective agency. It’s hard to be all things to all people, but Kit never shies away from the impossible. Despite her hard work and good intentions, some things fall through the cracks.

Namely, her husband.

But Jackson barely notices. He’s too busy putting out his own fires. As the new chief inspector of a busy London station, he must salvage the disaster left behind by the former police chief—an obstacle made all the harder when the superintendent breathes an ultimatum down his neck.

About the Author

I hear voices. Loud. Incessant. And very real. Which basically gives me two options: choke back massive amounts of Prozac or write fiction. I’ve been writing since I discovered blank wall space and Crayolas. I seek to glorify God in all that I write–except for that graffiti phase I went through as teenager.

My Impressions

“What a fine bucket of fish guts this was turning out to be. She’d hoped for an intriguing first case to solve— Not an impossible one.”

Ah, this story by Michelle Griep!! First, because it is a Griep, buy now, ask later. Seriously, my motto for her books. However, I must say you will want to have read The Thief of Blackfriars Lane and The Bride of Blackfriars Lane, so you feel like Jackson and Kit are close friends you respect, even if it’s impossible to predict their actions. Common themes to Griep are forgiveness and trust, teamwork, and judging others. Beautifully depicted.

Jackson has his own issues. He’d might not miss Kate’s shenanigans so much if he didn’t have a precinct to run, with multiple officers needing attention of various degrees, and a supervisor ready to shut the whole office down. Plus a nuisance vagabond hanging around. Oh, vey!

I cannot do justice to this book. But it will be on the very short list for my fave book of the year!!

I received a copy of the book from Celebrate Lit via Netgalley, plus I bought my own ecopy and 2 paperbacks. This is a book to be shared! No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“…it always comes back to trusting in God’s plan. Rest assured that no matter what you do or don’t do, you will not thwart whatever our mighty Creator is up to.The best we can accomplish is to hold tight to our faith and keep walking towards eternity a step at a time.”

“ …love covers a multitude of sins. So, pursue that. Pursue love instead of dwelling in past failure. That path can only lead to a denial of the present and a forfeiture of the future.”

“But it’s God who brings beauty from ashes. Don’t push away that gift. It is never prudent or wise to stiff-arm God.”

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Magnificent! I foresee a rare re-read in my future!!

ARC, Bethany House, Biblical Fiction, BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour, Favorite, Kindle, Launch Team, NetGalley, New-to-Me Author, Purchase

Up from Dust by Heather Kaufman Review and Giveaway

March 25, 2024March 25, 2024 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: Up from Dust: Martha’s Story

Author: Heather Kaufman

Genre: Biblical fiction

Release Date: January 23, 2024

Martha of Bethany is no stranger to adversity. After her mother’s untimely death, Martha shoulders the responsibility of raising her siblings–quiet and studious Lazarus, and wild and rambunctious Mary. She finds solace in friendship and the beginnings of first love, but just as Martha begins to imagine a new future, hardship strikes again and her dreams crumble into dust.

Ten years later, Martha’s friend pleads for the new teacher, Jesus of Nazareth, to come and heal her husband. When Martha discovers that the carpenter-rabbi is connected to her past, she’s not sure she can trust him with her future. But as he continues to perform miracles, the invitation to believe becomes harder to resist, renewing Martha’s hardened heart, even as she faces an unknown future.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

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

More from Heather

Up from Dust: Martha’s Story is the first of three books in my new series, “Women of the Way.” Each book focuses on a female follower of Christ, diving deep into her history before touching upon the events we know from Scripture. Book one is on Martha of Bethany, the sister of Lazarus and Mary.

Let me ask you a question: What comes to your mind when you think of Martha?

Busy? Angry? Worried?

How about: Teachable? Trusting? Strong?

I’m afraid we’ve distilled poor Martha down into a personality type, turning her into a cautionary tale for Christian women. When Scripture as a whole presents a much different picture.

The seed of this story was planted in my heart during an Easter sermon in 2016, when I was startled into a deep admiration for this remarkable woman of faith. “Why haven’t I been encouraged to be more like Martha?” I wondered. Martha . . . a woman who learned from her mistakes and took the living God at His word. A woman who confessed Jesus as the resurrection and the life while her brother was four days dead in a tomb. Her trajectory in Scripture from worry to radical trust is one to emulate and it led me to ask: What happened in this woman’s heart?

In Up from Dust, I linger over Martha, imagining what her life was like before Christ. The story traces all the “many things” that worried and troubled Martha’s heart and the Christ who pinpointed her pain, met her in the midst of it, and lifted her up. We watch Martha come of age as she works through her mother’s death and the heavy responsibility of raising her siblings. We journey with Martha as she experiences first love and learns to shoulder the mantle of womanhood, even while coping with a father who is stuck in his loss. When grief comes to Martha’s own heart, she is presented with a choice. Will she cling to her hurt more than to Adonai, the way her father has done? Or is there a better way forward?

May this story encourage you to remain openhearted even when life feels unbearably hard, to pin your hopes to Jesus, the only One able to lift you up from the ashes of grief.

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

Surrendering with you to Him,

Heather

My Impressions

“How can I begin to tell of the many things I have found? Or of the One who found me? I see His hand in my story like a weaver’s shuttle through the warp, steady and sure, pulling here, loosening there, doing the work necessary for beauty. How do I tell of His capable hands, the ones that rescued me?”

“Before I can share the many ways I was found, I would have to begin with the day I was lost.”

And so, in the prologue, ( I hope you read prologues!) we have the reason for Heather Kaufman’s imagination of Martha’s life long before she ever met Jesus. As with other great Biblical fiction, Kaufman takes a few verses and passages we know of a Biblical individual. These are not changed from Scripture. But where Scripture is silent, the author suggests possible life events that send Martha, Mary, and Lazarus on their life trajectories until they encounter Jesus. “Maybe she or he reacted this way because…” In the meantime, Kaufman’s Martha becomes so real, so human, you will sympathize, you will judge, you will hold your breath as you hold her secrets, and you will wonder how she survived growing up in her father’s house. You will begin to understand a woman’s plight in Jewish society in the first century. Kaufman presents challenging relationships well. Some romantic, some familial, some friend-based. You will sigh, you will cry, you will ask, “Why?” But hopefully, when all is said and done, you will turn to the Biblical story to check out what truth we do know, and you’ll never view Martha or her siblings as 2- dimensional again!

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

Notable Quotables:

“Yahweh keeps providing beacons of light in your life to guide you when you need it most.”

“None of us is worthy. We are all naked and undone before the holiness of God.”

“Who can stand before this holy God?”

“Those who align themselves with His Son.”

“Sometimes love engulfs us suddenly, like a consuming fire.”“…Other times it comes over us slowly, like a sunrise.”

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Magnificent! An excellent Biblical times novel that offers a great look at the political and cultural settings of the times, and how a Jewish woman would fit into them. A Bible-honoring possible solution for how life made Martha who she was.