Tag: Belonging

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Love in Time by Penny A. Zeller Review

Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Title: Love in Time

Series: Hollow Creek Series, Bk #3

Author: Penny Zeller

Publisher: Maplebrook Publishing, LLC

Released: December 16, 2025

Genre: Christian historical romance

He’s running from his past.
She’s seeking a better future.

After a long and debilitating illness that leaves Arrosa Chapman with severe weakness necessitating the use of a cane and the threat of future health issues, she determines to make a new life as a nanny for Thad and Emilie Evanson in Hollow Creek, Montana. Away from the city that holds family secrets, Arrosa is content to begin a new life caring for children since she will most likely never marry and have any of her own. She doesn’t expect to meet a handsome and rugged ranch hand named Malachi Callahan, whose kind and gentle nature is just what she longs for after suffering a broken heart.

Malachi Callahan has been given a second chance. He works hard on the Evanson Ranch to prove he’s nothing like his father. What he doesn’t expect is to meet a beautiful and compassionate woman named Arrosa Chapman. It’s not long before his feelings for her go beyond friendship.

When someone from the past finds Malachi and threatens him and the woman he loves, Malachi finds himself in the fight of his life to save them both.

Love in Time is a tender love story that reminds us that God’s timing is always perfect.

Enjoy Love in Time after reading Love in Store and/or Love in Disguise, or enjoy it as a standalone.

Paperback version coming soon.

*Please note: Love in Time is a faith-filled Christian historical romance.**

Other happily-ever after romances by Penny Zeller:

Historical Romance
Love’s New Beginnings
Forgotten Memories
Dreams of the Heart
When Love Comes
Love’s Promise
Once Upon a Christmas
Over the Horizon
Dreams on the Horizon
Beyond the Horizon
Love on the Horizon
Love in Disguise
Love in Store
Love in Time
Love from Afar
Love Unforeseen
Love Most Certain
Levi’s Vow
Heart of Courage
A Christmas to Remember
A Promise to Keep
McKenzie
Freedom’s Flight
An Unexpected Arrival (newsletter subscribers)

Contemporary Romance
Love in the Headlines
Recipe for Love
Under the Mistletoe
Blueprint for Love
Love Under Construction
Henry and Evaline

Romantic Suspense
Unexpected Witness
Unexpected Danger
Unexpected Target
Forgotten Identity
Deadly Secrets
Deadly Schemes

About the Author

Penny Zeller is known for her stories of faith-filled happily ever afters with tender romance, humor, and memorable characters. While she has had a love for writing since childhood, she began her adult writing career penning articles for national and regional publications. Today, Penny is a multi-published, award-winning author of over three dozen books. She is also a fitness instructor, loves the outdoors, and is a flower gardening addict. In her spare time, she enjoys camping, hiking, kayaking, biking, birdwatching, reading, running, and playing volleyball. She resides with her husband and two daughters in small-town America and loves to connect with her readers on social media and through her website.

My Impressions

“Maybe what he really sought was a place to belong. A place where those around him accepted him. Even cared about him.”

As with others of Penny Zeller’s Christian historical romances, Love in Time is a poignant story of two souls with different soul needs, wondering if they dare bare their hearts to another. Told with an easy-going style, humor, and real faith lessons that can be applicable to life today, Love in Time captured my heart. 

Secrets from the past is something both Malachi and Arrosa have in common. Why does Arrosa have the manners and memories of high society, yet need to work as a nanny? Why can Malachi never seem to open up about his boyhood experiences to Arrosa, no matter how much she shares with him?

Family. Such an important part of this story. Arrosa is very close to her sister and mother, and even her absent father. Each affects how Arrosa ends up in Hollow Creek. I loved those connections and those of the Evanson family, and how they treat their workers as part of their family. What a positive influence! And then there is Malachi. Doing his best to break free from his original father, he has been searching for belonging ever since. Will he find it on the Everson ranch and with his close friend, Arrosa?

I loved how there are people with physical limitations in the book. This gives the characters a special need to develop perseverance and grit ( and do they!). It also gives others an opportunity, esp. our hero, Malachi, to look for ways to be a special and effective helper. 

There were a few heartbreaking scenes in the novel, plus a few twists that caused me quite a bit of consternation, let alone the characters affected!! 

But what I loved best of all, was couched in this gentle western romance, are Truths the characters learned that we would do well to heed today. “Why was it such a challenge to forget the past? The Lord had given him a future.” This particular truth would’ve been a whole lot easier for Malachi to practice if he didn’t feel tied to his past, and if it didn’t come back to strangle him! And as Arrosa says,  thinking of her past health challenges and how they could affect her future, “I find myself entrenched in trepidation, even though I know the Lord will carry me through whatever I may face.” Arrosa also personally gives me new insight into how frightened my own mother must have been years ago when she contracted Arrosa’s disease. 

I must say, my fave secondary characters are the children, but especially little Mamie. And the barn scene ! Le sigh! True love causes us to do strange and wonderful things!! 

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

Notable Quotables:

“I do know the Lord does have plans for him. He is the God of second chances.” -Arrosa

“And just remember, you, with the Lord’s help, will make choices in this life. Choices to be like your pa or choices to be just the opposite.” – Barnabas

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Superior! All the feels, all the Truth!

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

The Red Cottage by Hannah Linder Review and Giveaway

Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: The Red Cottage

Author: Hannah Linder

Genre: Christian Fiction / Historical / Regency Romance

Release Date: November, 2025

She forgot she loved him.
He would die to make her remember.

Meg Foxcroft has never minded the tattling village gossip or her uncle’s ill-tempered rebukes. After all, she has Tom McGwen—and one day, they will build their own cottage, paint it red, and live a wonderful life.

But then the unthinkable happens. Meg is attacked, her uncle’s apothecary shop goes up in flames, and when she wakes up in the arms of an eloquent lord, she remembers nothing. Not even her own name.

In a frantic race against time, Tom plunges into dangerous water, bent on sheltering Meg from harm and discovering who wants her dead. Even if she despises him. Even if it’s now the handsome lord she casts her smile upon.

As danger swells and truth comes crashing around them, Meg must confront the past and decide who she trusts—and loves—before the enemy makes the final strike.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Hannah Linder resides in the beautiful mountains of central West Virginia. Represented by Books & Such, she writes Regency romantic suspense novels filled with passion, secrets, and danger. She is a four-time Selah Award winner, a 2023 Carol Award semi-finalist, a 2023 Angel Book Award third place winner, and a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW). Also, Hannah is an international and multi-award-winning graphic designer who specializes in professional book cover design. She designs for both traditional publishing houses and individual authors, including New York Times, USA Today, and international bestsellers. She is also a self-portrait photographer of historical fashion. When Hannah is not writing, she enjoys playing her instruments—piano, guitar, ukulele, and banjolele—songwriting, painting still life, walking in the rain, square dancing, and sitting on the front porch of her 1800s farmhouse.

More from Hannah

We’re made for someone. I think I’ve always believed this—that it was never about proximity, or happenchance, or who you know, or where you are.

But that God, in His infinite wisdom, created a second half for each of us.

Someone who fits in the curve of your neck when you hug.

Who laughs at the things you laugh at.

Who speaks to you in a language your soul understands.

I think that’s why I love The Red Cottage so much. Circumstances would have never mattered with Tom and Meg. They loved each other. They were linked. And even if everything had been different, if they had been born hundreds of years before, they would have found their way back to each other.

If the age was ancient Egypt, and he had been a Pharaoh, and she a slave, they would have discovered each other.

If the year was 1920, and he a factory worker, and she the daughter of an oil tycoon, they would have defied the rules of society.

In any other place, in any other time, in any other way, Tom would have loved Meg. And Meg would have loved Tom. That is the beauty and the mind-blowing magic of real love.

So, when you fall into the pages of The Red Cottage, I hope you aren’t so foolish as to imagine this was an accident. That Tom said the right things, or that Meg felt vulnerable in just the right places, and that their bond—both the first and second time—was a mere hapless stroke of luck.

They would have loved each other anyway.

We’re all made for someone.

My Impressions

“Everything hurt. Her head. Her heart. She was empty, hollow, like a book ripped of all its pages.”

This may be historical gothic regency reading at its best!! Hannah Linder’s The Red Cottage held me spell-bound from the moment I opened the book. How could I not be, when the first line intones, “We shall get murdered for this”?!

So many things make this novel, set in 1828 Cornwall, unforgettable. Amnesia, a love triangle, a mystery that grows deeper and more desperate with each red herring, faith tidbits, and more twists than than a braided rope. Whew! What an amazing story! I wish I had the time to reread it again tomorrow. Just wow!

The main question: the female main character, Meg, develops amnesia following an arson attack on her uncle’s apothecary. Can her best friend and developing love, Tom, find her before she and her uncle are destroyed in a bitter revenge?

By the time poor, disrespected,  fisherman Tom finds Meg, she is ensconced in a well-to-do estate with a young lord and his very sick daughter. Of course, Lord Cunningham falls in love quickly with Meg. Grateful for his care and compassion, not remembering any of her past, Meg is about the accept her benefactor’s suit. A chance visit with her host to her home village to partake of a festivities leads to part of Meg’s past staring her in the face- yet she wants none of what she can’t recall. Which man will convince independent Meg that she is better off with him over the other?

Perhaps, unsurprisingly, a great number of characters have secrets in their pasts that affect their actions or the story’s outcome. 

Usually, I get impatient when a main character’s affections seem to waffle back and forth. Cunningham is very patient with Meg’s indecision and waffling, but he also is more shrewd than he seems. “You have brought Lady Walpoole here to reconcile me with my future.” “In essence, yes.” She braced herself for his disapproval. “I wish to reconcile with my past.” 

The biggest question of the book may be: is one’s past really how they perceive it? Or are lies the only way to succeed? And can one overcome one’s past, or is that person forever doomed to try to make penance for severe mistakes? “Perhaps we do not ever fully recover from our tragedies, but we certainly learn to bury them.” Unfortunately, the ugly truth will need to out before Tom, Meg, and others will find peace. 

I cannot recommend this book enough. A fave genre, so many plot twists, love triangle, and sprinkles of Truth.

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

Notable Quotables:

“She was here to learn about the old Meg Foxcroft. Not become her.”

“We all require friendship.”- Meg

“He didn’t need Papa’s forgiveness, and he didn’t need God, and he sure as brimstone didn’t need Meg Foxcroft. Lord Cunningham had been right.” – ( Tom)

“We shall go to the library, and for a little while we may convince ourselves all is right and well in the world.” – Cunningham

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Superior! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time I was reading this book!

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, November 21

Devoted Steps, November 21

Sydney Schmied Books, November 21

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 22

Sylvan Musings, November 22

Texas Book-aholic, November 23

Min Reads and Reviews, November 23

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 24

Books You Can Feel Good About, November 24

Lily’s Corner, November 25

She Lives to Read, November 25

Melissa’s Bookshelf, November 26

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, November 26

For Him and My Family, November 27

Locks, Hooks and Books, November 27

Stories By Gina, November 28 (Author Interview)

Mrs. Ryan Moser’s Book and Movie Reviews , November 28

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, November 29

Cover Lover Book Review, November 29

Life on Chickadee Lane, November 30

The Mommies Reviews, November 30

Betti Mace, December 1

Book Looks by Lisa, December 1

Bizwings Blog, December 2

Mary Hake, December 2

Holly’s Book Corner, December 3

Jeanette’s Thoughts, December 3

Pause for Tales, December 4

To Everything There Is A Season, December 4

Becca Hope: Book Obsessed, December 4

Giveaway

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

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/3dd06/the-red-cottage-celebration-tour-giveaway

ARC, BLOG, JustRead Tour

A Lady Divided by Sandra Ardoin Review and Giveaway

Babbling Becky L

Welcome to the Blog Tour for A Lady Divided by Sandra Ardoin, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: A Lady Divided
Series: House of Fire #1
Author: Sandra Ardoin
Publisher: Corner Room Books
Release Date: August 28, 2025
Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Just when she thinks she’s defeated the past, it returns with a vengeance.

Fighting to keep her late husband’s dream alive and her land-grabbing neighbors at bay, Laurel Tillman longs for a peace she knew before the war. But when her skill with a rifle saves a stranger from a mountain lion attack—a man whose life she once wouldn’t have hesitated to take—wartime memories rush back.

While raising her daughter and taking responsibility for the stray women who work on her sheep ranch, Laurel can’t wait to get the injured Yankee out of her house. Getting him out of her heart is an entirely different matter.

Quinn Spencer, a former Union cavalry officer, owes Laurel a debt, but his career as a new lawyer in town comes with a warning to stay away from the unconventional women of La Casa del Fuego. Then, with the discovery of a dead man on Laurel’s ranch, Quinn must choose between his career and justice for a woman who can’t bear the sight of him.

As they battle an unknown adversary who sets out to destroy Laurel, will she join forces with her former enemy? Or will she allow the past to overcome any chance of a truce between them . . . and, possibly, something more?

Meet the women of La Casa del Fuego—House of Fire—as they are forced by circumstances to live their lives outside the bounds of accepted femininity.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Books2Read | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | BookBub

Also Available

About the Author

As the author of reader-described heartwarming historical and contemporary romance, Sandra Ardoin engages readers with page-turning stories of love and faith.

She is the married mother of a young adult and co-sitter for a granddog. As well as being a team member in her church’s library, she reads Christian fiction, binges TV shows with her husband, and seldom says no to eating out.

Visit her at sandraardoin.com. Connect with her on BookBub, Facebook, X, and Goodreads. Subscribe to the newsletter and keep up with what’s new, discover what’s upcoming, and learn of specials.

My Impressions

“The past was an evil devil to fight.”

Who doesn’t remember “The Island of Misfit Toys”? Sandra Ardoin’s A Lady Divided ( House of Fire, Bk#1) brings that concept to mind in human form. We are transported back in time to a few years (1877) after the Civil War in Texas. Our nation has started to rebuild, but some find it hard to forget the atrocities of the war and even harder to forgive those who hail from the other side of the Mason-Dixon Line. Instead of an island of misfit toys, we have a ranch of “misfit women.” Women who have been wounded by life, and rejecthe acceptable society norms of femininity at that time. At their helm is widow Mrs. Laurel Tillman, who lives on a ranch with her widowed mother and young daughter. The few ranch hands she has, like her, dress like men and do ranch jobs that make them the fodder for malicious gossip in a world concerned with conformity. 

When Laurel saves the life of former Union Major Quinn Spencer who happens on her land, an enemies-to-possibly more relationship is established. But, oh, Laurel has guilt from the past that she is sure God could never forgive,  and she carries the burden of the safety of all the ranch women like a heavy yoke. 

“Oh, if only she could feel the rest that Jesus promised. The peace. But her sinful actions were too great.” As Laurel deals with the mountain of unrest in her heart, her bitterness threatens to eat her alive, and often those around her. Yet, those closest to her can see her actions come from her conflicted heart, reflecting  the conflict of the divided States. Yet, she refuses to lay her burden down.  Her mother tries to reach her, only to have Laurel turn a deaf ear. “I hate to see you suffer like this. He’s waiting, Laurel. All you have to do is walk toward Him. ‘Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’”

I loved this story for its unwrapping of the human emotions that are buried ( or not) just under the surface in a nation yet divided. I loved the understanding of the women that they could do hard work and it was respectable, even if it wasn’t acceptable in society. I yearned for the secrets that both Laurel and Quinn keep close to their vests. The constant mystery and danger from the the world outside Laurel’s ranch bubble make for an exciting read, as does the faith journey that so many of the characters are required to make. Will they progress towards what is right, or will they choose the comfortable answers to appease those around them? Convicting as I tried to put myself in their shoes! 

Oh, yes! Did I mention humor and twists?! Be prepared! They are the cream cheese  icing on a great carrot cake!

I had a three-way tie for fave secondary characters. Ernie, Becky, and the Marshall. And I love that we are well-set up for sequels!

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

Notable Quotables:

“…no one’s past is as it should be.” …“The only person in this world who never sinned was Jesus. His sacrifice gave imperfect human beings like you and me the way to become perfect in God’s sight.” – Quinn

“God still loves me. He never turned His back on me. Even though I turned mine on Him, He waited for me to return.”- Laurel

“How could she live in peace with others when she found it so hard to live peacefully with herself?”– Laurel 

“Did she dare to think God loved her so much that He allowed the death of His own Son for someone like her? No. There must be an exception, a limit to His grace and mercy.”- Laurel

“‘I don’t hate you. Momma always said I shouldn’t hate.’ When had that stopped her? ‘But I see nothing wrong with comparing you to a long-tailed rodent.’”– Laurel- taste of novel’s humor!

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Magnificent! 5 big Texas stars!!

Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a $25 Amazon eGift Card and two (2) ebooks of their choice from Sandra Ardoin’s Published Books!

(1) winner will receive three (3) ebooks of their choice from Sandra Ardoin’s Published Books

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight August 25, 2025 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on September 1, 2025. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

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

BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour, Favorite, Kindle, Purchase

Lethal Danger by Jerusha Agen Review and Giveaway

Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: Lethal Danger

Author: Jerusha Agen

Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense

Release Date: April 24, 2025

This K-9 team is trained to eliminate threats. This threat could eliminate them.

Being a loner is getting old. Jazz Lamont still can’t fit in at the Phoenix K-9 Agency, and she’s losing her best friend. At least providing security with her K-9 partner at the Tri-City Fair will mean revisiting the only place where she once belonged. But a series of accidents threatens her beloved fair and puts lives at risk.

Thriller author Hawthorne Emerson suspects foul play after the first “accident.” Moonlighting as fair security to investigate the death of his sister’s boyfriend, he’s eager to find the truth. He doesn’t expect the task to lead him to the cult he escaped.

Finding the culprit behind the sabotage is personal for Jazz and Hawthorne. But someone else has a personal stake, too. Someone who wants Jazz dead. When everything she thought was true is dismantled, can Jazz risk trusting others—including God—to survive?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

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

More from Jerusha

THE DANGER OF COLORED GLASSES

Have you ever felt left out? Maybe someone you care about never accepts you or loves you, no matter how much you try to please that person?

One would think Jazz Lamont, the heroine of Lethal Danger, would never have experienced such feelings. After all, she’s a beautiful security agent who trounces bad guys without breaking a sweat, doesn’t fear danger, and has an incredible K-9 partner. She was chosen to join the elite Phoenix K-9 Security and Detection Agency, which means she’s one of the best in a dangerous, challenging line of work.

But though she doesn’t bat an eye when she faces threats and bad guys, Jazz is far from confident when it comes to social interactions. Thanks to a series of rejections in her childhood, Jazz is pretty sure most people won’t like her or want to accept her. So far, her life seems to be proving that assumption true.

As I discovered Jazz’s character while writing Lethal Danger, I was intrigued by how much her fear of rejection colored her point of view of basically everything. Sometimes, a comment that a gal on the Phoenix K-9 Team made would seem like a put-down to Jazz, though I knew as the author that the other agent hadn’t meant the remark that way.

Noticing Jazz’s tendency to see everything through rejection-colored glasses made me take a hard look at myself. What fears of my own are skewing how I see and receive things?

Is my desire for approval making me misinterpret others’ remarks as critical when they aren’t intended as such? Do my insecurities make me misconstrue or internalize social media posts or friends’ jokes? Perhaps my worries about finances or dangers to my physical safety make me see hazards where there aren’t any or avoid doing what the Lord wants me to.

How about you? Have you thought about the harmful ways in which your experiences, fears, and vulnerabilities might be coloring the glasses through which you view life?

Let’s all take stock together and then bring those burdens to Jesus Christ. He’ll remind us that the only point of view that matters, the only one that is accurate, is His. And He’ll help us begin to see the world through His perfect eyes.

My Impressions

“It was so-called worldly entertainment and included on the very long, unwritten list of activities and choices banned by the cult. Or, more specifically, by Desmond Patch, founder and leader of the Best Life cult. Destroyer of families. Thief of lives.”

Wow! What a fast-moving thrill ride Lethal Danger is! Penned by the talented Jerusha Agen, it’s the fourth book in the Guardians Unleashed series, a set of books about a K-9 female protection team. The Tri-City fair in MN  is a second home to Phoenix security guard Jazz LaMont. Growing up without her marine dad around much, often shunted off on an aunt and uncle who barely tolerated her, Jazz is looking for true friends and love. 

We also meet security personnel Hawthorne Emerson, famous crime writer and, in this case, crime investigator. Emerson grew up in the nearby cult, Best Life, which he and eventually his younger sister Rebekah leave. The cult is blamed for a fair accident where Emerson and Jazz meet in a daring rescue. Can dreamy Hawthorne and beautiful, multi-talented Jazz team up together to protect the fair and its visitors before the increasing accidents force its closure? Don’t get whiplash from the great twists!

The danger starts quickly in this book and doesn’t let up until the finale. I loved being able to see the Malinois, German shepherds, and other trained dogs in action! So impressive! 

I really liked that the hero and heroine have so much going for them, yet both have some very big flaws to overcome. For Jazz, the rejection in her background causes her to feel slighted and unliked by those around her… even when she could have the belonging and love she longs for, she refuses to let others close. Her best friend, Nevaeh asks, “Have you ever thought that maybe you put up walls with people?” … “Like maybe you’re afraid they’ll reject you, so you reject them first.” 

Hawthorne Emerson, too, has much going for him. He escaped the cult, he is a nationally-known best-selling author, he is swoony, and he can investigate and rescue with the best. Plus, he is a believer, like the rest of Jazz’s team. (Jazz thinks Christianity is for weak people.) However, Hawthorne’s past affects him, too. He took orders from the cult at one time and will never again let someone control him. “He’d made a god out of freedom—his freedom, his wants, his desires. And his love of independence and freedom had only grown since he’d left the cult.” A recipe for hurt!

Don’t miss this exciting romantic suspense! I certainly want to be sure I’ve read all the books in this series, to learn about each security agent and her dog!

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

Notable Quotables:

“I didn’t want to be reconciled to God and forgiven of my sins until God changed me from the inside out. He had to change me so I could begin to want what I hadn’t known I most needed.”– Hawthorne

“Because I want to have God’s Word hidden in my heart, so that I know what is true and what is not. So that I have His comfort and promises with me wherever I go. I never want to forget that He loves me or forget the proof that He loves me.”- Cora, on why she memorizes Scripture

“Evil and lies are often most convincing when they masquerade as poor imitations of the truth.”– Hawthorne

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Superior! Great action, very relatable character flaws, great twists!

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, August 7

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, August 8

Texas Book-aholic, August 9

Guild Master, August 10 (Author Interview)

Life on Chickadee Lane, August 10

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 11

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 12

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, August 13

For Him and My Family, August 14

Blogging With Carol, August 15

Devoted To Hope, August 16

Simple Harvest Reads, August 17 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Holly’s Book Corner, August 18

Fiction Book Lover, August 19 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, August 19

Books Less Travelled, August 20

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Jerusha is giving away the grand prize of a signed paperback copy of Lethal Danger, $25 Barnes and Noble gift card, Lethal Danger tote bag, magnet, notebook, and keychain!!

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

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54270

ARC, BLOG, Favorite, Kindle, NetGalley, Purchase, Thomas Nelson

Some Like it Scot Review and Giveaway

Babbling Becky L

Welcome to the Takeover + Review Blitz for Some Like it Scot by Pepper Basham hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Some Like it Scot
Author: Pepper Basham
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Release Date: April 8, 2025
Genre: Christian Contemporary Romance

She lives her life on the fly. His heart is double-knotted to home. Can two different souls create a life together?

Popular travel writer and podcaster Katie Campbell roams the world collecting other people’s stories. She’s built a career as “Miss Adventure,” known for saying yes to anything new–country, food, or experience–and predictably finding those adventures taking a downward turn into misadventures.

Offered the chance to explore her ancestral roots through a three-week Edwardian experience, Katie finds herself immersed in the beauty and eccentricity of Scotland. In her period attire, with traditional foods and activities, the opportunities for misadventures are endless, especially with the presence of a maniacal macaw, a jealous co-worker, and an all-too-surly Scotsman.

Reclusive and protective Graeme MacKerrow doesn’t venture far from his island home. A stoic Scotsman, Graeme’s comfort zone has always been family, and after his sister’s death, he’s even more determined to save the MacKerrow ancestral home and keep those he loves close. The sudden intrusion of a six-foot-one American lass, famous for her traveling misfortunes, was far from his plan.

As this world of folklore, community, and woodworkers-in-kilts tempts Katie to discover her own story, could this one grand series of misadventures lead her directly to where she belongs? And would a settled-in-Scot ever risk loosening his grip on what’s familiar to allow a wanderlust writer a home in his heart? How could their very different worlds share the same page of life’s story when “home” is in two very different places? But maybe home–and the future–isn’t quite what either one imagined it would be. Maybe home is less about a place . . . and more about a person.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Faith Gateway | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Christianbook | Bookshop

Also Available:

About the Author

Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes romance “peppered” with grace and humor. Writing both historical and contemporary novels, she loves to incorporate her native Appalachian culture and/or her unabashed adoration of the UK into her stories. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC, where she is the wife of a fantastic pastor, the mom of five great kids, a speech-language pathologist, and a lover of chocolate, jazz, hats, and Jesus.

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

My Impressions

“My value wasn’t measured by her behavior. Or my mistakes. It was measured by God’s love. A love I couldn’t out-fail. Ever.”

May I say this quote above made me cry as it is something I need to remember often, when my mind takes me places it doesn’t need to stay. Like Katie, I need to find my ultimate value in God, not what others may have said to me. 

Hairy coos, puffins, a few exotic pets, an Edwardian Era adventure, an adorable ten-year-old, an American travel writer in Scotland, and a #hotScot!! Whew!! That’s a lot!! Mix them all up with a touch of faith, dependably but step-by-step guiding the characters through their choices and messes ( this *is* the social media phenomenon known as Miss Adventure for a reason),and we have a wonderfully endearing, humorous story that you will be sorry to close the book on. 

Scotland, with its nearly constant (as I read it)mist or rain has never been high on my travel list. But Pepper Basham is so talented, that in Some Like it Scot, she could convince the biggest naysayer that Scotland has a rugged beauty that needs to be seen, smelled, and felt! Not to mention meeting the #hotScot! A totally infuriating, standoffish, confusing, and ultimately, just maybe attractive #hotScot !

With a dysfunctional family in her background, our heroine Katie is desperately searching for a sense of belonging and home. A conversation with her brother highlights this. “What if Scotland is the place you’ve been searching for?…Home, Katie. We’re all trying to find it.…Sometimes it’s a place. Sometimes it’s a person. Sometimes it’s both.”

When Katie finally realizes her sense of home, will she accept it, or will she attempt to run? ( We often recreate the familiar, even to our own hurt!)

Fave character? Obviously, the two main characters are the winners here. But Mirren, with her soul-piercing discernment and unconditional love has got to be a close second!! And the Highlander Coo! ( I must say that Moolatté is disappointed in this representation of her adorable breed!) Could it be, that animals, and people, have inward qualities that cannot be judged by outward appearances? Katie can see this as relates to the #hotScot, but she has difficulty understanding how others see her because of who God made her to be. Will she be free to be herself, or will she forever be trapped trying to conform to ghosts of impossible expectations? This is a hilarious, must-read book!!

I received a copy of the book from JustRead Tours via NetGalley. I also bought my own ecopy. ( But I need the pb- this is one for the keeper shelf!!) No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own. 

Notable Quotables:

“Love lingers long.”- Mirren

“Graeme, it’s not about your hold on God. It’s about His hold on you.”- Greer

“When you know you’re loved, it changes everything.”

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Superior!! (My version of six stars!) Who knew I could become a rom-com fan? Are you?

Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a print copy of Some Like it Scot and hairy coo themed gift box!

(1) additional winner will receive a print copy of Some Like it Scot!

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight April 9, 2025 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on April 16, 2025. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

Enter Giveaway

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

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

Hope Like Wildflowers by Pepper Basham Review and Giveaway

Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: Hope Like Wildflowers

Author: Pepper Basham

Genre: Christian Fiction/Historical Fiction

Release date: October, 2024

An Appalachian Girl Seeks a Place to Belong
Return to the mountains of 1910s Appalachia with beloved author Pepper Basham to discover Kizzie McAdams’s story.

Kizzie McAdams spent her childhood longing to see beyond the mountains of home, but when her job as a servant in a landowner’s house results in an unplanned pregnancy, her world tips into uncertainty and heartbreak. Disowned by her father, she seeks comfort in the arms of the man who promises to take care of her, but his support is conditional and inconsistent. She finds acceptance in the home of a nearby family who not only offer Kizzie friendship but point her to a deeper understanding of God’s love.

Despite her change of heart, her status as a social outcast brings with it continued threats and alienation so she flees her past in hopes of starting over in a nearby town. But her new world carries many of the same prejudices as the old. It also brings the unexpected friendship of businessman Noah Lewis, a man who lives with the same desire as Kizzie for helping the marginalized.

Unfortunately, Kizzie and Noah’s attempts to help those in need pit them against Noah’s elder brother, a powerful mill owner who holds control of the family finances. Is Kizzie and Noah’s growing romance strong enough to battle family power, social expectations, and Kizzie’s past to capture their happy ending? And when Kizzie’s first love returns to claim her, which future will she choose?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Pepper Bashamis an award-winning author who writes romance peppered with grace and humor with southern Appalachian flair. Both her historical and contemporary novels have garnered recognition in the Grace Awards, Inspys, and ACFW Carol Awards. Her historical romance, The Thorn Healer, was a finalist in the 2018 RT Awards. Her historical romance novels, My Heart Belongs in the Blue Ridge and The Red Ribbon, and her contemporary novels, the Mitchell’s Crossroads and Pleasant Gap series, showcase her Appalachian heritage, as well as her love for humor and family. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC where she is the mom of five great kids, a speech-language pathologist to about fifty more, and a lover of chocolate, jazz, hats, and Jesus.

More from Pepper

It’s pretty easy to overlook wildflowers.

I mean, until they show off all their pretty colors, especially in the middle of a barren place, then they’re noticed and usually appreciated but did you know there’s a lot more to wildflowers that…meets the eye?

Apart from providing food and shelter for smaller animals and/or insects or assisting bees in pollination, wildflowers can be used as an ingredient for healing remedies and contribute to soil health and reduce erosion.

Especially in places where other plants aren’t likely to grow. They’re known as “hardy” because they can survive all sorts of weather conditions, extreme temperature, animal damage, even drought.

So why am I talking about wildflowers??

Because, in lots of ways, wildflowers are a great example of what hope looks like.

  1. Hope nourishes. Romans 15: 14 “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.” When we recall and reflect on what the Bible says about who we are in Christ, our hearts are encouraged and given the spiritual energy they need to remind ourselves of truth in the middle of hard times and wilderness-living.
  2. Hope spreads – Romans 15:13 – “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” A heart filled with the knowledge of the love of God is a heart filled and “overflowing” with hope…and that hope is contagious. When we know whose we are and what our future looks like because of the One who loves us, we live in joy…even when the storms come.
  3. Hope restores and heals: “Isaiah 40:31 reads, “For those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.
  4. Hope protects – Psalm 62:5-6 “Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.” Life is hard. Sometimes, bone-achingly, soul-shakingly hard. If we’re reliant on our own ability to protect our faith or mind or soul, we will fail. We’re not strong enough and neither is any of our human defenses, but God is amply able to protect us from the storms, trials, and droughts that mean to wither our hope. HE is the hero of our heart’s story and he is armed to overcome so we can trust Him with our hope and our futures.
  5. And hope grows in the hard places. Hope does not consist of weak or wishful thinking, it grows out of nutrients squeezed from the soil it has. Hard-won, many times. Romans 5:3-4 “ Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” A life with Christ doesn’t mean that pain is taken away, but there is a promise and purpose in the pain. The promise that God is with us and a purpose that He is making us more like Him.

Hope Like Wildflowers tells the story of hope, but the main character, Kizzie, isn’t relying on her own abilities to keep her hope strong. Oh no! She learned to trust in the only One who is strong enough to BE her hope. He nourishes her heart when her life has turned upside down and she’s been forsaken. He restores and heals her when she’s been broken and cast out. He protects her from dangerous men who try to hurt her, but also he protects her heart from choosing the wrong path. And through the hard places of life, Kizzie’s hope overflows in joy to touch the lives of those around her.

And it’s beautiful and unexpected.

Like wildflowers.

How has God helped bring hope to your life? What trials has His hope helped you through?

My Impressions

“Somehow, even in the middle of broken dreams, God touches the raw, painful remnants with a teensy bit of stardust.”

Pepper Basham invites us back to the 1910s in the Blue Ridge Mountains, where people are still divided by their socio-economic and racial status. This book, Hope Like Wildflowers,  is so well-titled! As Basham explains, wildflowers will fight their way up through mountain rock and other areas that one would think impossible soil. Yet, beauty springs out of surprising hardship. It is leaning into the Rock that is bigger and stronger than ourselves that gives strength to endure and overcome. We cannot do it on our own, as Nella encourages Kizzie.  “Life is hard, Kizzie. You can look for easy in all kinds of places, but more likely than not, that easy turns to its own kind of hard. The real test is what you do when the hard comes. There’s bound to be more times in life than not that the hard gets too big for your own shoulders. That’s why you need someone bigger, stronger, wiser.” 

What a journey you will go on with young Kizzie McAdams. We first see a bedraggled, rejected, pregnant, poor, mountain girl struggling to survive. But as Kizzie begins to spend time with her friends John and Nella, she begins to see there is a different road to life available, if she chooses. One that she will not have to walk alone. At first, it seems Kizzie will get trampled and tossed aside by those who are bigger and stronger. Every decision she makes will have you yearning with her as you see her difficult choices. 

Fortunately, Faith is like a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it gets. As Kizzie makes decisions and moves to leave her old life behind, life actually gets harder in many ways. Will she return to her old ways, to the promised security, or will she continue to step out in faith and love?

Ms. Basham pens her novel with beautiful descriptions of the Appalachians, slices of local color, and great relatable characters with tough choices. While part of a series, this book can stand alone. Highly recommended, especially for fans of Catherine Marshall’s Christy. 

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

Notable Quotables:

“It’s difficult to smile when your focus is on things that rarely lead to joy.”

“Sometimes the very best folks rise out of a second chance because they know what they’ve been forgiven of.”

“My mama says that our true self rises to the top when we’re mad or when no one’s looking.”-Kizzie

“The Lord don’t want nothing to do with the likes of me, Nella.” “Well, that just goes to show how little you know about the Lord. The broken kind’s who He’s been after from the start.”

“True compassion cared with a steel spine.”

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Magnificent! What a poignant time to read Hope Like Wildflowers- when Appalachia must again wade through a very difficult time, but is buoyed by the strength and resilience of its people and their hope for the future!

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, October 30

Melissa’s Bookshelf, October 30

Life on Chickadee Lane, October 31

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 31

Devoted To Hope, November 1

Texas Book-aholic, November 1

Lighthouse Academy Blog, November 2 (Guest Review from Marilyn)

Locks, Hooks and Books, November 2

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 3

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, November 3

Wishful Endings, November 4

Book Looks by Lisa, November 4

Sylvan Musings, November 5

For Him and My Family, November 5

lakesidelivingsite, November 6

Blossoms and Blessings, November 6

Connie’s History Classroom, November 7

Labor Not in Vain, November 7

Holly’s Book Corner, November 8

An Author’s Take, November 8

Back Porch Reads, November 9

Inklings and Notions, November 9

Cover Lover Book Review, November 10

Pause for Tales, November 11

Just Your Average reviews, November 11

To Everything There Is A Season, November 12

Vicky Sluiter, November 12

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Pepper is giving away the grand prize of a $25 Amazon eGift card and a print copy of the book!!

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

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf5482

ARC, BLOG, Just Read Tours, Kindle, Purchase

Mackinac Island Beacon by Carrie Fancett Pagels Review

Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Title: Mackinac Island Beacon

Series: Mackinac Island Romances, Bk 3

Author: Carrie Fancett Pagels

Publisher: Hearts Overcoming Press

Released: April 2024

Plans hatched in 1897 bring friends and family from far distances toward Mackinac Island’s new twin beacons—the Round Island Lighthouse and the Social Affirmation Society’s training/retreat center. A missing daughter, a missing godchild—two young women’s lives have intertwined in ways they could never have known. The solution to both of their mysteries is revealed when all hope has been lost by those seeking them.

Is romance out of the question for Val and Susan, when their hearts begin to heal? Will Paul and Lawrence, friends from their childhoods, brought to the island for work, be their beacons of hope? Can God bring all their paths together or will too many obstacles stand in their way?

About the Author


Carrie Fancett Pagels, Ph.D., writes stories about overcoming with God’s help (including a Romantic Times Top Pick inspirational novel). She has 25 published fiction books. Carrie is an ECPA-bestselling award-winning author. She won the Maggie Award for Excellence medallion. Twenty-five years as a psychologist didn’t “cure” her overactive imagination. She’s the mother of two and married to the love of her life.

My Impressions

“Point is—you don’t have to be blood kin to make a family.You just need love.And plenty of it.” He tapped the Bible. “And God’s blessing to cover you all.”

If you’ve ever been to Michigan, you might know that Mackinac Island is considered one of the state’s treasured gems. We love to visit “the Island” and St. Ignace, so I love to read Carrie Fancett Pagels’s books that never fail to allow me to visit again, at least in spirit. Mackinac Island Beacon is directly related to the novella, The Sugarplum Ladies. It’s been a while since I read that one, so I was happy to see a list of characters at the front of the book!

The main part of the novel takes place on Mackinac Island and the tiny lighthouse island near it, Round Island Lighthouse in 1897. One young woman without a family, Susan Johnson, works at a Catholic orphanage on the Island ( Mackinac Island). The other, Valerie Fillman, travels from her tiny lighthouse island home, which she’d never left without family ( she’s 20!) to get medicine for her critically ill family.

In God’s providential timing, a young widower friend of Susan’s and his three-year-old daughter Hetty come to man the lighthouse, while a link to the Island’s past, Lawrence Zumbrun, comes to coach a young, loose-lipped Olympic hopeful. There were an awful lot of moving pieces in this story-puzzle to piece together, and sometimes I wished there were a few less characters to keep track of. I did enjoy the mysteries(there was more than one), the gentle romances, and the joi de vivre that both Hetty and Jack added to the story. I wished I could picture which house on the Island is “the Butterfly House, ” along with a few other named “cottages.” I think I would have enjoyed a map.

Valerie is very courageous to return to the lighthouse, where tragedy and an ugly past exist, in order to help Paul with Hetty. Yet, Val feels all alone, until God speaks to her heart. “Mine. You are mine. Always mine, and I am here, too.”

All in all, a good story that shows God’s providence over and over, His setting the orphans in families, and taking care of his children. These ingredients, tossed with a bit of humor, make for an enjoyable armchair trip to Mackinac.

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

Notable Quotables:

“But God was bigger than all his problems.”

“God was a loving god not one intent on inflicting maximum punishment, as Mum had insisted.”

“Pretty is as pretty does, but a woman with intelligence and good character can outshine them all.”

“God has gifted us all with something to bring glory to the kingdom. “

“Funny how perceptions change depending upon where you are situated.” “Or your life situation.”

“Yes, there were forces that worked against the Lord, but His will was never for evil.”

“I crept into a crack in the rocks that protected my heart, and I’ve hidden there. Was it time to come out? To be free?”

“The good book says God gives us double for our trouble sometimes.”

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Great! Enjoyable “trip” to Mackinac Island

BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour, Kindle, Purchase

The Bookshop of Secrets by Mollie Rushmeyer Review and Giveaway

Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: The Bookshop of Secrects

Author: Mollie Rushmeyer

Genre: Contemporary Women’s Fiction (Christian)

Release date: October 25, 2022

A collection of lost books holds the clues to her family’s legacy…and her future.

Hope Sparrow has mastered the art of outrunning her tragic past, learning never to stay anywhere too long and never to allow anyone control over her life again. Coming to Wanishin Falls in search of her family’s history already feels too risky. But somewhere in the towering stacks of this dusty old bookshop are the books that hold Hope’s last ties to her late mother—and to a rumored family treasure that could help her start over.

Only, the bookshop is in shambles, and the elderly owner is in the beginning stages of dementia and can’t remember where the books lie. To find the last links to the loved ones she’s lost, Hope must stay and accept help from the townsfolk to locate the treasured volumes. Each secret she uncovers brings her closer to understanding where she came from. But the longer she stays in the quaint town, the more people find their way into the cracks in her heart. And letting them in may be the greatest risk of all…

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Mollie writes contemporary fiction with a heart for history. What does this mean exactly? She loves to write inspirational fiction in contemporary settings with fascinating historical elements, people, objects, and stories woven throughout.

A modern girl herself– She wouldn’t want to go a day without modern plumbing and central air! But she’s always felt a special connection to the past. The legacies and lives left behind are like gifts waiting to be unwrapped, and she’s excited to share this blend of history and contemporary living with readers.

A born and bred Midwestern gal, Mollie Rushmeyer, makes her home in central Minnesota with her husband and two spunky, beautiful daughters. She is not only a bibliophile (the dustier the better, in her opinion), she’s a true anglophile at heart. Tea and coffee fuel her travels, by Google maps at least, and her passion for the written word.

More from Mollie

Since childhood, opening up a book unlocked a whole new world for me. Of possibilities and adventure, and made me care for people and places that didn’t exist. Like stepping through the wardrobe into Narnia, books transported me. It was like magic.

As I began dreaming up The Bookshop of Secrets in its early stages, I knew I wanted to create a character who loved books and was in awe of their transformative and transportive power as much as I am. Thus, Hope Sparrow, a human trafficking survivor and ultimate book lover, was born. I also wanted to honor my grandpa, who planted the seed—love of the written word—in my heart from the time I was very young. And so, Ulysses, the owner of Dusty Jackets Bookshop in the story, is based on my sweet grandpa who has since passed away. But I know he’d love this homage to all things literary.

In the middle of writing this book, in 2018, I had a stroke. As with most medical emergencies, it was quite unexpected. I had a hole in my heart (that has been repaired, thankfully). Afterward, I didn’t know if I’d ever write again and I was more terrified of that than not being able to fully move my left arm again. My brain had to make new connections and it was so difficult, still is some days, to be creative. To find the right words.

But God. In the way that only He can, He brought this forgotten story, this project’s finish line that seemed to be at the summit of an insurmountable mountain within reach. I thought I had something to prove to myself. I begged God not to forget my dream to write. Like He could. But in the end, I just had to trust like my character Hope. Trust that He is good even when life hurts and is uncertain.

“Do you know what the opposite of fear is?”

“Bravery? Peace?” Dare she say her namesake, hope?

“The true counterpart of fear is faith. It takes faith to walk into the future, the unknown, with confidence. Secure in the love of the One who created you and those around you outweighs any hardship, real or imagined, that lies on the path ahead.”

I hope following Hope’s journey of healing and love in The Bookshop of Secrets truly blesses you.

My Impressions

“It’s in our broken places God plants seeds of hope. He will grow something beautiful from ashes.”

Hope Sparrow, fleeing her unspeakably abusive past, lands in Wanishing Falls, MN, at an old mom-and-pop bookstore. Desperate to find books with clues to her past, Hope agrees to stay and help run the store while she searches for her antique books. She doesn’t count on falling in love with the town, the couple that operates the store, nor their handsome, troubled grandson.

I loved seeing the healing that wise, older people can bring as they seek to live out the love of Jesus. Dee and Mags are two wonderful secondary characters I would like to have known.

I loved that Ronan and Kat are so willing to keep on offering friendship even when Hope seems to reject it repeatedly. While that is the Christian way, how many of us would give a person multiple chances in real life?

Hope has difficulty seeing herself as the kind, gentle, caring soul that she is. Instead, she sees herself through lies from her past. She needs to learn that

“the past doesn’t tell us who we are, only where we’ve been.”

The road to faith is rocky for Hope and Ronan. Can they put aside their individual pasts and others’ opinions to trust that God’s love supersedes anything that may have happened to them? Can they truly believe this for good? This whole idea of giving a problem over to God and realizing He’s got it, I can relax, really hit home for me last night, as I struggled with worry and fear. I have to choose to continue in His love.

The one thing that I think readers should know, is there may be trigger subjects. One, which wasn’t the main issue, rang true with me, and made it difficult to read those passages as I lived them with the character.

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

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Great! A trigger made some of it difficult to read, but the faith lesson was timely, and I enjoyed the story.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, October 27

lakesidelivingsite, October 27

Inklings and notions, October 28

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, October 28

Simple Harvest Reads, October 28 (Guest Review from Mindy Houng)

An Author’s Take, October 29

The Write Escape, October 29

deb’s Book Review, October 29

Texas Book-aholic, October 30

Rebecca Tews, October 30

Blogging With Carol, October 30

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 31

Inspired by fiction, October 31

Life of Literature, October 31

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

Cover Lover Book Review, November 1

Locks, Hooks and Books, November 2

Losing the Busyness, November 2

For Him and My Family, November 2

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, November 3

Holly’s Book Corner, November 3

Mary Hake, November 3

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, November 4 (Author Interview)

Paula’s Pad of Suspense and Detection, November 4

Blossoms and Blessings, November 4

Sylvan Musings, November 5

Lily’s Book Reviews, November 5

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, November 5

A Reader’s Brain, November 6

Book Looks by Lisa, November 6

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, November 7

Truth and Grace Homeachool Academy, November 7

Story Craft, November 7

Through the fire blogs, November 8

Pause for Tales, November 8

Labor Not in Vain, November 8

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, November 9

To Everything There Is A Season, November 9

Lights in a Dark World, November 9

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Mollie is giving away the grand prize package of a eBook or signed paperback copy (paperback U.S. Only) of The Bookshop of Secrets and 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/226c7/the-bookshop-of-secrets-celebration-tour-giveaway

Barbour, BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour, Kindle, NetGalley, New-to-Me Author

A Rose for the Resistance by Angela Couch Review and Giveaway

Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: A Rose for the Resistance

Author: Angela K. Couch

Genre: Historical Fiction/Romance/Christian

Release date: April, 2022

9781636092072 (4)

A French Woman and German Soldier Create a Truce

Full of intrigue, adventure, and romance, this new series celebrates the unsung heroes—the heroines of WWII.

With her father in a German POW camp and her home in Ste Mere Eglise, France, under Nazi occupation, Rosalie Barrieau will do anything to keep her younger brother safe. . .even from his desire to join the French resistance. Until she falls into the debt of a German solder—one who delivers a wounded British pilot to her door. Though not sure what to make of her German ally, Rosalie is thrust deep into the heart of the local underground. As tensions build toward the allied invasion of Normandy, she must decide how much she is willing to risk for freedom.

Click here to get your copy!

My Impressions

An impossible situation in WWII France. A German soldier helping his French enemies. A young French boy, not quite man, deeply involved in the Resistance. His older, beautiful sister wants nothing but to pacify the Germans,certainly not to engage the enemy. What difference could one person make?

In A Rose for the Resistance, Angela K Couch brings to vivid life the danger and deprivation of occupied France. The hatred each opposing group held for each other, the inability to see the humanity of one for the deeds of the whole group. At one point, Franz tells Rosalie, “But I am not this uniform.” Can Rosalie look past his hair, his complexion, and see his heart? A timely question for our country and times.

I enjoyed seeing how Couch slowly lets the reader see what events and traumas of the past formed Rosalie and Franz into who they are when we meet them. I also appreciated the considerable growth of both characters throughout the book. The suspense is real, and fear seems omnipresent. Franz is afraid, maybe more than others. “I’m not ready to meet God. The truth of it settled, heavy in Franz’s chest. It really wasn’t death he feared. Truthfully, death might even be a release from the misery of this world. But to stand and be judged by God? His hands were too stained for that.”

Someone we never see during the book was my fave character. How could he not be?!! Rosalie keeps having flashbacks to her father’s tender ways and times with her. He taught her in small bits of teachable moments and assured her of his love. A father’s steady love can mirror the Father’s love for His children.

I cannot imagine the bleakness of an occupied land. I could understand why Rosalie felt useless against the evil in her land. Yet, she would learn the truth of these words:

“No one soldier will win this war. But each is needed for victory.”

While the Nazis could take their crops, ration their food, and change the future she had expected, Rosalie discovers a shining light amidst the darkness. “‘Don’t give up hope,’ she whispered. That was the one thing the Nazis could not take from her unless she allowed them.”

Hope spurred on by faith. Why these stories of WWII are so powerful and worth reading!

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

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Magnificent!! Hope Shines in the Darkest Times!

About the Author

To keep from freezing in the great white north, Angela K Couch cuddles under quilts with her laptop. Winning short story contests, being a semi-finalist in ACFW’s Genesis Contest, and a finalist in the 2016 International Digital Awards also helped warm her up. As a passionate believer in Christ, her faith permeates the stories she tells. Her martial arts training, experience with horses, and appreciation for good romance sneak in as well. When not writing, she stays fit (and toasty warm) by chasing after four munchkins.

More from Angela

The story of A Rose for the Resistance has been in the making for a while. Rosalie and Franz came to life for me in the first novel I started writing as a teenager… (not even going to mention how long ago that was). Though much of that early work will never see the light of day, I am glad I can finally share them with you.

Every November 11th since I was a child, I would sit with my dad and watch WWII documentaries and movies like A Bridge too Far, or The Longest Day which featured Sainte-Mère-Église during the D-day landings. So many of those stories beg to be remembered and I tried to include as much as I could in this novel, even in passing. Stories such as John Steele of the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment who dropped into the warzone of Sainte-Mère-Église that night and his chute caught on the spire of the church. He hung limply for hours, pretending to be dead, before the Germans took him prisoner. John later escaped and rejoined his division. Or, Henry Langrehr who landed five miles from his drop zone, crashing through a greenhouse on the way down. He was unharmed from the fall, but was later wounded and captured. He lived into his nineties to tell the tale.

Many of the events and deeds of The Resistance in the novel are also pulled from history. The French citizen’s willingness to risk their lives to transport weapons and information, and to staunchly resist the brutal German occupation. It is estimated that approximately 90,000 men women – and children – were killed, tortured, or deported by the Germans for their efforts.

Though many of the characters in this story are fictional, there are so many men and women who truly did live through the horrors of the War in Europe, and more importantly risked or sacrificed their all for the freedom and lives of others.

I pray we never forget.

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, April 29

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 29

Books, Books, and More Books, April 29

The Write Escape, April 30

Remembrancy, April 30

Southern Gal Loves to Read, May 1

Rachael’s Inkwell, May 1

Texas Book-aholic, May 1

Genesis 5020, May 2

Where Crisis & Christ Collide, May 2

Inklings and notions, May 2

She Lives To Read, May 3

lakesidelivingsite, May 3

Betti Mace, May 4

For Him and My Family, May 4

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, May 4

Sodbuster Living, May 5

deb’s Book Review, May 5

Book Butterfly in Dreamland, May 5

Locks, Hooks and Books, May 6

Jeanette’s Thoughts, May 6

Vicarious Living, May 6

Older & Smarter?, May 7

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, May 7

Sylvan Musings, May 7

Connie’s History Classroom, May 8

Blossoms and Blessings, May 8

Mary Hake, May 8

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 9

Splashes of Joy, May 9

Through the Fire Blogs, May 9

Bizwings Blog, May 10

Pause for Tales, May 10

Labor Not in Vain, May 10

Bigreadersite, May 11

Where Faith and Books Meet, May 11

A Good Book and Cup of Tea, May 11

CarpeDiem, May 12

Lights in a Dark World, May 12

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Angela is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon gift card and 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/1d3bb/a-rose-for-the-resistance-celebration-tour-giveaway

Bethany House, BLOG, NetGalley, PB, Purchase

Shadows of the White City, #2 The Windy City Saga by Jocelyn Green

Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Title: Shadows of the White City

Series: #2, The Windy City Saga

Author: Jocelyn Green

Publisher: Bethany House

The one thing Sylvie Townsend wants most is what she feared she was destined never to have–a family of her own. But taking in Polish immigrant Rose Dabrowski to raise and love quells those fears–until seventeen-year-old Rose goes missing at the World’s Fair, and Sylvie’s world unravels.

Brushed off by the authorities, Sylvie turns to her boarder, Kristof Bartok, for help. He is Rose’s violin instructor and the concertmaster for the Columbian Exposition Orchestra, and his language skills are vital to helping Sylvie navigate the immigrant communities where their search leads.

From the glittering architecture of the fair to the dark houses of Chicago’s poorest neighborhoods, they’re taken on a search that points to Rose’s long-lost family. Is Sylvie willing to let the girl go? And as Kristof and Sylvie grow closer, can she reconcile her craving for control with her yearning to belong? 

My Impressions

I’ve never been to a World’s Fair, but after reading Jocelyn Green’s Shadows of the White City, I felt like I had. Ms. Green vividly describes the setting so well. I can almost see the massive buildings, feel the pressing of the huge crowds, hear the violin and orchestra music and smell the food aromas of the many countries represented on the Midway. Green tells us the Museum of Science and Industry is one of the original 1893 World’s Fair buildings, so I can only imagine what the whole fair settlement must have been like, teeming with crowds.
Into this surreal setting Green inserts Sylvie Townsend, single, middle-aged Mimi to 17-year-old Rose. While Rose is longing to spread her wings and is searching for her biological family, Sylvie is holding on to her daughter tightly enough to suffocate her. As Sylvie struggles to sort out her relationship with Rose, she leans heavily on her neighbor, concertmaster Kristof. Kristof, in turn, struggles with his talented but slothful brother. We also see Meg, Sylvie’s sister, who is more prominent in the first book.
Sylvie has a lot of re-evaluating of her life attitudes to do. Will she emerge bitter at God, Jozefa, and Rose, or will she be better? Kristof is a bit of a stuffed shirt, albeit with a tender heart. He makes a journey of self-discovery as he helps Sylvie and tries to deal with Gregor. He is a romantic, fluid character to cheer on he begins to view life through different eyes.


Green’s poetic description of the orchestra music is entrancing. She obviously understands music well. Her research is impeccable, shown in her incredibly detailed descriptions.
Twists are subtle. In several places, I felt like I knew what would happen, but a bit of a change causes the story to flow differently than expected.
This book can stand on its own, but you will get so much more out of it if you read book one first.
Notable Quotables:

“It wasn’t Father’s timepiece I wanted. It was his time.”

“…you can stop striving to earn a place you’ve already been given. You’re already a beloved child of God. You can’t perform your way into or out of His family.“

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author and publisher. All opinions are my own, unsolicited.

My Rating

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Magnificent!

About the Author

Jocelyn Green is a former journalist who puts her investigative skills to work in writing both nonfiction and historical fiction to inspire faith and courage.

The honors her books have received include the Christy Award in historical fiction, and gold medals from the Military Writers Society of America and the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association.

Complex and nuanced characters, rich historical detail and twisting plots make her novels immersive experiences. Her fiction has been praised by Historical Novel Society, Romantic Times, Library Journal, historians specializing in her novels’ time periods, as well as popular and acclaimed authors Laura Frantz, Lori Benton, Jody Hedlund, Sarah Sundin, Joanne Bischof, Julie Lessman, and more.

Jocelyn loves Broadway musicals, the color red, strawberry-rhubarb pie, Mexican food, and well-done documentaries. She lives in Iowa with her husband, two children, and two cats she should have named Catticus Finch and Purrman Meowville.

Visit her at jocelyngreen.com.

More from Jocelyn

(Provided courtesy of Jocelyn’s blog and Bethany House)

  1. Shadows of the White City takes place in Chicago during the World’s Fair of 1893. What is so special about this setting?
    The World’s Fair itself was spectacular. With my heroine, Sylvie Townsend, acting as a part-time tour guide, readers get an inside look into many aspects of the Fair. Part of what made it such an amazing place was that, in addition to six hundred acres of the world’s most
    impressive accomplishments and inventions, people from all over the world connected in one place. The Midway, especially, played host to cultures from across the globe, opening people’s eyes to other perspectives they’d never considered before. Now add to all of this the
    fact that, outside the dazzling fairgrounds, Chicago and the entire nation were in the midst of a financial depression. The juxtaposition of splendor and hardship is always a poignant one.
    1. What kind of research went into this book?
      So much. There is a ton of information available on the World’s Fair. Aside from reading every book and article that seemed relevant for my story (and then some), I toured Chicago with a guide who designed a tour based specifically on what I wanted to know and see before I started writing the novel. On the same trip, I spent time in the Chicago
      Historical Society’s archives and the Newberry Library, reading primary source material. A second trip to Chicago gave my daughter and me a chance to experience other aspects
      important to the novel, such as a concert with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, a visit to the Art Institute, and a stop at the Palmer House hotel.
  2. In what ways do you relate to the character of Sylvie Townsend?
    Sylvie is a book-loving introvert who doesn’t like crowds but enjoys public speaking when the topic interests her. That’s me, completely. On a deeper level, I understand Sylvie’s tendency to keep a tight rein on her daughter, Rose. As a parent of a teenager, I identify with
    that struggle to find the right balance of letting my daughter make her own decisions and mistakes as part of growing up and wanting to protect her from them. As Sylvie finds out in the novel, that desire to protect can lead to both a grasping for control and the realization of
    how very little we do control. I relate to all of this.
  3. This is your second novel in The Windy City Saga series. We’ve gotten to know sisters Meg and Sylvie pretty well by now. Who will be the focus of the third book?
    Book 3 in the series will pick up with Meg’s adult daughter Olive in 1915, which is when the Eastland Disaster took place in the Chicago River. You’ll meet Olive as a child in Shadows of the White City, and she’ll be twenty-nine when we focus on her story. Each book in this
    series explores a seminal part of Chicago’s history and how the Townsend family overcomes in the face of change and trials.
  4. Are the novels in this series classified as mysteries?
    Readers will discover that these novels have an element of mystery to them, but they remain firmly in the historical fiction genre. The main priority of the story, as ever, is given to the developing characters and the history-in-the-making around them.