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.

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?

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.

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’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!

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 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.

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, March 26

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 27

Texas Book-aholic, March 28

Locks, Hooks and Books, March 29

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 30

For Him and My Family, March 31

The Lofty Pages, March 31

Splashes of Joy, April 1

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, April 2

She Lives To Read, April 3

Cover Lover Book Review, April 4

Artistic Nobody, April 5 (Spotlight)

Labor Not in Vain, April 6

Mary Hake, April 6

Holly’s Book Corner, April 7

Pause for Tales, April 8

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Heather is giving away the grand prize package of a $15 gift card to Amazon and a paperback copy of Up from Dust!!

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/2aa71/up-from-dust-martha-s-story-celebration-tour-giveaway

ARC, BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour, Favorite, Kindle, Launch Team, Love Inspired, NetGalley, Purchase

Trapped in Yosemite by Dana Mentink Review and Giveaway

March 20, 2024 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: Trapped in Yosemite

Author: Dana Mentink

Genre: Christian Fiction

Release Date: February 27, 2024

When a massive earthquake levels the region, secrets and unknown dangers are exposed…

The ground in still-icy Yosemite National Park isn’t stable, and K-9 handler Von Sharpe fears the worst. But his worries are pushed aside when he sees an SUV viciously forced off the road…with his ex-fiancée at the wheel. It’s only when Stella Rivers steps out of the vehicle that the very ground under their feet cracks and breaks with the onslaught of a terrifying earthquake.

When her meeting with a mysterious client is ambushed, Stella witnesses the man being gunned down by a sniper and becomes a target herself. With the threat of aftershocks triggering landslides and floods, the new mom has no choice but to run to save her baby girl—even if it means teaming up with the man who has no idea he fathered her child.

Trapped in a dangerously unstable wilderness with a killer closing in, Von and Stella are running out of time to get to safety. And every fissure reveals a new secret that will shake them to their foundation…

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Dana Mentink is a USA Today and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author as well as a two-time American Christian Fiction Writers Carol Award winner, and the recipient of a Holt Medallion. She’s written over fifty titles in the suspense, lighthearted romance and mystery genres. She is pleased to write for Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense and Poisoned Pen Press.

More from Dana

I won’t ever forget October 17^th, 1989. I was finished with my student teaching duties, chatting with my mother while we watched the World Series. It was an epic matchup of two Bay Area teams. As we watched, the floor lurched and the entire house began to rattle and pitch. We ran outside and watched the street undulate like ocean waves. We’d later come to learn it was a 6.9 earthquake on the Loma Prieta fault. The shaking only lasted 20 seconds but 63 people were killed, 3,757 were reported injured and 12,053 displaced. The damage estimates reached as high as $10 billion, with 18,306 houses leveled. Approximately 2,575 businesses were impacted and 147 were destroyed. The part I will remember most was the collapse of a section of the freeway in Oakland which trapped people in the pancaked structure. I remember watching the close space rescue teams work night and day to find survivors.

Little did I know that memorable event would someday lead to a book! This novel combines the iconic California setting of Yosemite and the big fear buried deep in every California’s mind…the big one, the massive earthquake we know will be coming someday. Of course you know there will be a happy ending in the novel, but I hope you will feel the edge of your seat suspense that keeps you turning pages. God bless you, dear readers!

My Impressions

“Stella Rivers scoured the dense shrubbery like she’d been doing for the past hour as if the branches might somehow reach out and snatch her van off the mountain road. Ridiculous, but the isolation raked her nerves.”

Yikes!! Dana Mentink knows how to build tension in the first sentence, and in Trapped in Yosemite, that tension only gets more and more taut until the last sentence!

Stella Rivers is an arborist with something to prove and a nine-month-old daughter to support on her own. She becomes a human target while going to an appointment near Yosemite. As Stella flees, her vehicle is destroyed, and she is rescued by her former fiancé, Von Sharpe. Von is ex-military and grudgingly leads tours in Yosemite at his brother’s wilderness survival camp.

Stella is keeping a huge secret from Von and has put up a wall around her heart. She vows to stay away from Von and to never make him as important in her life as he once was. “She wouldn’t and couldn’t make him her everything, the source of her happiness and fulfillment.”

Von doesn’t understand how to deal with a young child, but his precious Malinois is like a child to him. Burned once by Stella, Von finds himself protecting her from incredible natural and human disasters. Von doesn’t believe God gives second chances, and he’s not about to give himself or Stella any grace.

I loved the eventual solution to Stella’s mysterious stalker. I didn’t see it coming until just before the reveal.

If you love high-octane romantic suspense with mystery or secret baby trope, you will enjoy Dana Mentink’s Trapped in Yosemite.

Notable Quotables:

“Why hadn’t he told her the truth? Truth and facts were what kept people alive.”

“If you aren’t tied together by God, the world will tear you apart in short order.”

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

“‘You weren’t put on this planet to be happy.” ‘Tate’s equanimity only infuriated Von further. ‘Yeah? Then why am I here, oh, wise sage?’ ‘To learn how to love.’”

“‘I try very hard not to dwell in what ifs.’ That would turn into a spiral of intrusive thoughts that would hold her hostage. “

“Love couldn’t be enough without the bedrock of faith.”

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Magnificent! My fave Dana Mentink romantic suspense yet!

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, March 21

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, March 21

Bigreadersite, March 21

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, March 22 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 22

Texas Book-aholic, March 23

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 23

Lakesidelivingsite, March 24

Pause for Tales, March 24

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 24

Betti Mace, March 25

The Sacred Line, March 25

Locks, Hooks and Books, March 26

Daysong Reflections, March 26

EmpowerMoms, March 27

Life, Love, Writing, March 27

Cover Lover Book Review, March 28

A Good Book and Cup of Tea, March 28

Blogging With Carol, March 28

Tell Tale Book reviews, March 29

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

For Him and My Family, March 30

Splashes of Joy, March 30

Blossoms and Blessings, March 31

To Everything There Is A Season , March 31

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, March 31

Holly’s Book Corner, April 1

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, April 1

Life on Chickadee Lane, April 2

Labor Not in Vain , April 2

Lily’s Corner, April 3

Lights in a Dark World, April 3

Little Homeschool on the Prairie, April 3

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Dana is giving away the grand prize package of a $100 Amazon gift card and a copy of the book!!

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/2a8f5/trapped-in-yosemite-celebration-tour-giveaway

ARC, Bethany House, BLOG, Favorite, Kindle, Launch Team, NetGalley, PB, Purchase

Set in Stone by Kimberley Woodhouse Review

March 12, 2024 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Title: Set in Stone

Series: Treasures in the Earth

Author: Kimberley Woodhouse

Publisher: Bethany House Publishers

Genre: Christian Historical Fiction

Released: March 12, 2024

A dangerous scheme could bury their long-held dreams forever. . . .

From the time she was little, Martha Jankowski has been digging in the dirt, much to the dismay of her mother. Now she dreams of being a paleontologist and is determined to make her parents proud by uncovering the next big discovery. When Martha finds what she hopes to be a fully intact dinosaur skeleton–one that could win her an acclaimed exhibit–she learns another team is competing against her and could steal her chance at being recognized for this momentous discovery.

Paleontology student Jacob Duncan has fulfilled his dream of digging for dinosaur bones at last. In a race against time, he and his team are bent on unearthing a complete skeleton to claim a museum exhibit with their names on it. But when Jacob meets their charming competitor Martha and uncovers foul play within his team, love and danger grow hand in hand until a menacing ruse threatens to destroy it all.

About the Author

Kimberley Woodhouse is an award-winning and bestselling author of more than twenty-five books. A lover of history and research, she often gets sucked into the past and then her husband has to lure her out with chocolate and the promise of eighteen holes on the golf course. She loves music, kayaking, and her family. Her books have been awarded the Carol Award, Holt Medallion, Reader’s Choice Award, Selah Award, Spur Award, and others. A popular speaker/teacher, she’s shared with over 1,000,000 people at more than twenty-five hundred venues across the country. Married to the love of her life for three decades, she lives and writes in the Poconos where she’s traded in her hat of “craziest mom” for “coolest grandma.” Connect with Kim at

http://www.kimberleywoodhouse.com http://www.facebook.com/

KimberleyWoodhouseAu… http://www.instagram.com/ kimberleywoodhouse http://www.twitter.com/ kimwoodhouse

My Impressions

“But what good is it having dreams if they aren’t big?”

Woo-Hoo, Set in Stone, book two of Treasures in the Earth, by Kimberley Woodhouse, releases March 12! I absolutely love this series by Kimberley Woodhouse!

Set in Stone is just as exciting and suspenseful as its predecessor, The Secrets Beneath. Both involve a woman archaeologist, history, romance, and mystery. Set in Stone, as Secrets Beneath, can be a stand-alone.

This is a heart-wrenching story, at least for any daddy’s girl, of which I was one. Young Martha Jankowski is also one, idolizing her father, loving any time at home with him, and ecstatic when her archaeologist father lets her start “working”with him on a dig at age 6. But shortly after that, her parents return home from a trip, with her father maimed, unable to work any more, and greatly changed.

Unable to get her social-rule-conscious mother to show any love or approval, Martha hopes as an adult, by working her own dig, to gain her parents’ approval.

We meet Jacob Duncan working on an opposing dig, as the powers that be have pitted two digs against each other for dinosaur bones and speed. This is part of the Bone Wars that took place during that time, leading to sloppy practices, carelessness, and greed in a field demanding meticulous care. It is interesting to see how Woodhouse introduces Jacob and Martha to each other and how their lives become entangled both in matters of work and the heart.

If that were the only storyline present, Set in Stone would be interesting. But Woodhouse takes her novel a step above to “ominously mysterious” with the mystery over Martha’s father’s personality change and the invisible, ruthless owner of the other mine.

I loved the growth in the two main characters. The spiritual insights are as relevant for the reader as they are for the protagonists.

Don’t miss this exciting, mysterious second book in the Treasures of the Earth series.

Notable Quotables:

“…it doesn’t matter where God places you, it only matters that you use what you have to shine His light.”

“Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends.”

Proverbs 17:9 ESV

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

Reverence in the Wilderness by Andrea Byrd Review and Giveaway

March 10, 2024March 10, 2024 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: Reverence in the Wilderness

Author: Andrea Byrd

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: March 5, 2024

She’s desperate to save the homestead she’s poured her life into…but is a marriage of convenience with him the answer?

Alone in the Kentucky wilderness, Keturah Elliot finds herself bereft of family and facing the looming threat of losing all she has left. After toiling alongside her demeaning father for two years, she cannot bear losing the homestead they built with their own hands. Keturah has no choice but to trust the Lord’s urging—she must marry to protect all she holds dear. But when a candidate presents himself in the form of a wealthy dandy from back East, can she find enough redeeming qualities to accept him?

Haunted by his mother’s death and a lifetime of failure and isolation, Daniel Scott sees little hope of a better situation when he’s sent to a remote Kentucky station. But when he meets a captivating Scottish woman in need of a husband such as he, he’s determined to break the cycle and prove himself once and for all.

Brought together by circumstances beyond their control, can these two opposites overcome their challenges to build the future they both crave?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Andrea Byrd is a Christian wife and mom located in rural Kentucky, who loves to spend time with her family in the great outdoors, one with nature. Often described as having been born outside her time, she has a deep affinity for an old-fashioned, natural lifestyle.

With a degree in Equine Health & Rehabilitation gathering dust and a full-time job tethering her to a desk eight hours a day, Andrea decided it was time to show both herself and her children that it is truly possible to make your dreams come true. Now with over 1,000 contemporary Christian romance novellas sold, Andrea is pursuing her passion of writing faith-filled romance woven with a thread of true history.

More from Andrea

In many ways, Reverence in the Wilderness is deeply personal for me.

To read about Daniel Scott is to receive a glimpse at my own husband. Dark hair and a golden-brown gaze…and my complete opposite in nearly every way. He is also talkative, entertaining, and gentlemanly. He definitely shares Daniel’s fun-loving and caring nature. Just as God blessed Keturah with Daniel, God blessed me with a man who perfectly complements me while keeping life interesting.

And, not to provider spoilers, but the miscarriage was drawn from one of my own experiences. During my most recent pregnancy, I experienced a threatened miscarriage. I just knew without a shadow of a doubt that I had lost my baby, and in that moment, I glimpsed the hopelessness one would face during a miscarriage. Thanks to the prayers of others and the good Lord above, I was blessed with a healthy pregnancy from then on out and now have a beautiful, healthy baby boy. However, there are so many women who must face that grief and loss in full force. And for always, my heart will break for them. As soon as I returned home from the hospital that night, I knew I had to represent their plight within these pages.

This book is dedicated to every woman who has ever experienced a miscarriage or threatened miscarriage.

My Impressions

“Ye need land, an’ I need a husband. But only if ye can pull yer weight.”

Whoo, boy, you know exactly what to expect out of Andrea Byrd’s historical romance, Reverence in the Wilderness, when you read Keturah’s words to Daniel. Well, at least you know two people are hurtling head-long for adventure, compromise, hurt, and possibly love. When Keturah’s mean-spirited father is killed suddenly, she realizes the only way to keep her land is to find a man to marry who can help her homestead it. So off she heads husband-hunting at the nearest trading post.

Daniel has been injured and left behind by his westward traveling party at the post to recuperate. But, Daniel knows it goes beyond that. Failure could be his first and last name, with rejection being his middle name. Can he ever prove his mettle before God and others, or did God make a mistake when He made Daniel, as his father believes?

Keturah believes God has answered her prayer for a husband quite quickly, and decisions are made that must be lived with. I will give credit to both Keturah and Daniel for seeking out advice. Says James Skaggs, the trading post owner,

“Marriage itself is an adventure, one that must be learned along the way…You cannot allow the fear of failure to cause you to turn from something that could be the best choice you ever make.”

Both Daniel and Keturah had fathers who greatly influenced them in a negative way. Although the fathers are not present in the novel, their attitudes towards their children have caused severe scars. In at least Keturah’s case, when things begin to go south, she sees the Heavenly Father through the lens her earthly father provided. “Had she somehow lost favor with her Heavenly Father as she had long ago done so with her earthly father?”

As difficulties multiply and walls build and become insurmountable, will the newly established family crumble in the dust or find its firm footing in faith and forgiveness?

A heart-rending story of two deeply damaged hearts searching for the ultimate love of the Father and the deep, abiding love of a faithful, caring spouse.

Trigger warning: miscarriage

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 Quotable:

( What Characters Need to Learn)

“It is sometimes difficult to remember the truths of reality when you are being fed a lie.”

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Magnificent! I want to read more by this author!

Blog Stops

Madi’s Musings, March 5

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 6

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 6

Texas Book-aholic, March 7

Books You Can Feel Good About, March 8

She Lives to Read, March 9

Locks, Hooks and Books, March 10

For Him and My Family, March 10

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, March 11

Lighthouse Academy Blog, March 12 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)

Betti Mace, March 13

lakesidelivingsite, March 13

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 14

Cover Lover Book Review, March 15

Jeanette’s Thoughts, March 15

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

Mary Hake, March 16

Holly’s Book Corner, March 17

The Lofty Pages, March 17

Pause for Tales, March 18

Life on Chickadee Lane, March 18

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Andrea 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/2a550/reverence-in-the-wilderness-celebration-tour-giveaway

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

What I Promise You by Liz Tolsma Review and Giveaway

March 4, 2024March 4, 2024 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: What I Promise You

Author: Liz Tolsma

Genre: Christian Fiction / Romance / Historical Fiction

Release Date: February 1, 2024

A Family’s History Is Lost to the Ravages of WWII in Southwest France

1942
Noémie Treves, a young, pregnant Jewish woman, had her entire world shattered when she is arrested and taken to the Camp de Rivesaltes transit camp in Southwest France. No sooner does she arrive, though, than she assists in helping two young girls scheduled for transport escape to a nearby maternity hospital. The matron there befriends her and changes her name to help hide her. But nothing goes according to plan, and Hannah finds herself doing the unimaginable to save one precious life.

2022
Caitlyn Laurant is haunted by recent events in her life and hopes becoming a nurse on the mission field will help her forget. While in training, she and her friends travel to France where her grandfather was born. What should have been an easy search for his birthplace turns into anything but and reveals secrets that no one alive has ever heard.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

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

More from Liz

The Story behind the Cover of What I Promise You

In the late summer, I got the preliminary cover for What I Promise You. While Barbour Publishing always does a great job with their covers, and the one they sent was very nice, I wasn’t crazy about it because it didn’t tell the story at all. The mansion that plays such a big part in the novel was nowhere to be seen. Barbour is fantastic when it comes to working with me to get great covers, so I asked if we could include the real mansion that the story is based on. Turns out that they were having trouble getting copyright permission to use any image they could find of the maternity home.

That was disappointing. But I got brave and let them know that I took a picture of it when I was in France last year, and they could use it, but I’m not a very good photographer and I only used my iPhone. I attached the photo to the email and didn’t hear anything for a while.

Then in October, I wanted to include a preorder link to the book on social media or something and went to Amazon to grab it. And there was the cover. I went back and forth between the cover and my picture, and sure enough, it was the picture of the maternity home I had sent them! So I not only wrote What I Promise You, but some of my photography is on the front. I never thought that would happen. Am I in the wrong profession?? Just kidding!

My Impressions

“You can’t live your life looking over your shoulder. Keep your eyes focused on what’s in front of you.”

As I sat down to read yet another World War II novel, this one What I Promise You by Liz Tolsma, I had to wonder why. Why are so many novels being written about WWII? How is this one different than others I’ve read?

The first question might be self-explanatory as we as a nation are at a point where we have very few survivors of WWII still alive, and perhaps we are trying to grasp pieces of history before they’re gone forever. Certainly, that’s one promise we want to make our ancestors- that we will never forget the atrocities that went on in Europe, man’s inhumane treatment of his fellow man, especially during that time.

Tolsma’s novel stands out because it deals largely with the treatment and rescue and raids of women and children. To think that a few people, like Nurse Reiter, Eleanor, Aime, and Helene could affect so many! While the characters are fictional, several were loosely based on real, live, brave people.

Another way Tolsma’s novel stands out is the fact that it is not a dual timeline, but a triple timeline! We are with Noemie in 1942 Perpignan, France, in third person POV; with an unidentified narrator in Elne, France, in 1955, written in first person POV; and Barcelona, Spain and southern France with Caitlyn in 2022, written again in third person POV. Tolsma exhibits a great deal of skill to have separated all those story threads beforehand, then to slowly piece and wind them, bit by bit, back together again! I loved how not only is What I Promise You historical and romantic, but now another layer has been added- that of mystery.

The depth of this story! The emotions each time period evokes! My heart is raw! When will Helene stop trying to give more than she can, in order to atone for her perceived past sin? When will Caitlyn decide whether she is following God or her plans from her childhood? Who will God place in these young women’s paths who will be a light in their darkest times?

I personally loved all the French phrases and felt it added an authenticity to the book. A glossary is provided at the front.

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

Notable Quotables:

“To give your offspring the best chance they have at life is the greatest gift you can give them.”

“What is right is not always easy.”

“There’s always the choice to do right or wrong.”

“I can’t live my life in fear of what might be. If I do, I’ll miss out on what is.”