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The Marquess’s Masked Archer by Abbey Downey Review and Giveaway

September 26, 2026 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: The Marquess’s Masked Archer

Author: Abbey Downey

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: September 15, 2026

A hidden identity. A relentless marquess. And a summer where love could expose everything.

When Cleveland society parades debutante Sylvie Bryce before another string of unsuitable suitors, she secretly claims the one thing no one can arrange for her—a life of her own. Hidden beneath a green velvet hood and emerald mask, she becomes the mysterious Lady Robin, a daring trick-shot archer who captivates the crowds at Cedar Point resort. It’s the one place where Sylvie answers to no one. The last thing she needs is a charming English marquess threatening to unravel everything she has worked so hard to build.

Miles Wentworth didn’t come to Ohio looking for love. He came to study insects, escape the shadow of a devastating scandal, and prove that a man can build a life on his own terms. But a chance encounter with a boldly independent woman—first in a glittering ballroom, and then behind the mask of a legendary archer—upends every carefully laid plan. Determined to protect her, even from himself, Miles steps into a dangerous game of secrets and deception—one that draws them closer with every anonymous letter and stolen moment…even as the truth has the power to ruin them both.

A richly atmospheric Gilded Age romance brimming with wit, hidden identities, and the tender courage it takes to love without pretense—a tale of a sharp-shooting socialite, a science-minded lord, and the summer of secrets that will change them both forever. Perfect for fans of Jen Turano and Roseanna M. White.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Abbey Downey started writing inspirational romance stories during naptime when her kids were babies and found she couldn’t stop. A life-long Midwestern girl, Abbey lives in central Indiana with her husband, two kids, and one rather enthusiastic beagle. She loves watching her middle schoolers in all their activities and fixing up a 125-yar-old farmhouse with her husband.

More from Abbey

“Ladies and gentlemen, prepare to be impressed and entertained by the marvelous skill of Lady Robin, our own famed archer. Reminiscent of Robin Hood of old, she performs feats with a bow that are only dreamed of by most masters. Now, please, sit back and enjoy the show.” – The Marquess’s Masked Archer

Why do fictional characters hide? They might keep their entire identity hidden under a costume, their face covered with a mask, or just parts of who they are kept behind a confident act, but secrets are often an element of the conflict in books we love. And it’s for the same kinds of reasons all of us have tried to hide aspects of ourselves at one time or another. Fear. Shame. Protection. Freedom. Survival.

Characters in fiction reflect the truth of our human existence. Most of us probably aren’t dressing up as a female Robin Hood to perform archery trick shots or writing secret admirer letters to win a love interest, like my characters do in The Marquess’s Masked Archer. But the reasons Sylvie and Miles choose secrecy are all too relatable.

Sylvie’s goal in hiding behind a green hood is to give herself a taste of freedom. Her high society world is prescribed and controlled. There are very few opportunities for her to make choices in life. And while she longs to have more freedom, she also worries that if she were to get the independence she so desires, she would fail miserably and be forced to return to her parents in shame. Isn’t it relatable to want something desperately but at the same time be terrified that we can’t actually handle getting it?

In a different way, Miles hides behind a new life for protection. After false accusations in his youth left him disgraced in England, he wrestles with his purpose. His passion for medical entomology has given him hope for a normal life, but he also feels the constant weight of expectations due to his noble title. He’s certain people only see what they want to when they look at him, so he hides away doing his research, hoping no one will look at all. How truly human is that? We hide so much of ourselves out of worry that people won’t understand or will immediately jump to conclusions about who we are based on one glimpse.

But God didn’t create us for secrecy. The tension of hiding makes it difficult for Sylvie and Miles to fall in love, in spite of their interest in each other from the beginning. Every step forward brings new worry that they’ll be found out and their plans will be destroyed. Each romantic moment comes with the discomfort of knowing they aren’t being completely genuine with each other. Even Sylvie and Miles’s first kiss is shrouded in questions about whether the other knows that they meant it.

In the end, Sylvie and Miles’s story is also about what happens when they’re forced to take off the masks. It takes trust in each other and in God for them to finally get to the moment of happily ever after that we all love so much. Just like in fiction, when we trust God with those secret parts of ourselves, we can start to see how living in truth offers more freedom than hiding.

Do you enjoy a hidden identity or secret admirer trope? What’s your favorite book that includes one of those?

My Impressions

“In a world that denied them the ability to choose most things for themselves, the occasional chance to determine their own fate was worth fighting hard for.”

This statement. It epitomizes the motivations of many of the actions of our MCs, Sylvie Bryce and Miles Wentworth. While Abbey Downey has set her Gilded Age historical romance, The Marquess’s Masked Archer, in the early 1900s in the Lake Erie playground of the Ohio rich and famous, you don’t have to be rich or famous to identify with these two MCs! How many of us have either fought against society’s expectations, overly controlling parental expectations, or unfair gossip that ruined a reputation while the Truth doesn’t matter? Oy, vey!!

Sylvie is in her “third season” and her high-society mother is determined to make her a match before Sylvie gets passed over again. Problem is, Sylvie doesn’t have any desire to be the compliant socialite wife that would fit in her social circle. She wants one thing. “All she wanted was to be allowed to choose her own companion for that future, but even that was more than anyone believed she could manage. In their eyes, obedience was all she was capable of.”

When her mother chooses Miles as the best prospect because of his English title, Sylvie decides he is the last man possible she will marry… even as she is inexorably drawn to his unique character qualities of seeing her as a real person with valid wishes, hopes, and dreams for the future.

But…secrets play a huge part in this story. Miles’s past in England is something he fights hard to keep hidden as he comes to America, attempting to re-invent himself as who he wants to be- a successful entomologist, uninterested in the society ladies his best American friend introduces him to.

This is a novel to be read not for the surprise of the ending- because it’s one you know where it’s headed- but how will Downey get you there? How much angst will she put her characters through? ( A lot.) Inability to figure out what other key players may be thinking or planning is key. And let’s face it. Mind reading of others, especially ones we love or are in conflict with, can be hard! So we see questions about Miles and Sylvie’s motivations , Sylvie’s mother’s and another society debutante’s machinations, and society’s approval of Sylvie’s archery show. And, I must say, I love the Mr. Kinsey thread. He is a fave character, even though I’m not Team Kinsey! ( Maybe next book, Ms. Downey, please?!)

Woven into this book is the slow, subtle realization of just Who God is, and how He cares for His own. What does His protection really look like? Did he fail Miles in England when he allowed tragedy after tragedy? Is he failing Sylvie when she can’t seem to break free from her parents’ bondage? Read this story for the historical romance, but consider the God implications for your own life! The best kind of story!

My thanks to CelebrateLit for a copy of the book via BookFunnel. I also purchased my own ebook. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“But we tend to fight against growth. Would you have made the effort to change if it wasn’t pushed on you?”

“Fear and worry had a way of pressing someone into actions they didn’t want to take.”

“Would he ever be free from the assumptions people made about him? Would he ever be able to release the past and move forward?”

“After facing tragedy followed by a life-altering ordeal, the idea of a God who reached out to take care of individual believers didn’t match his experience. But it couldn’t hurt to take his longings to the only one who might have the power to influence the way they turned out.”

“Assumptions always worked the same way. No amount of protesting would change someone’s mind once it was made up.”

“In England, Miles had faced responsibilities and expectations he wasn’t ready for and didn’t want. The judgments of others had been enough to suffocate him. Where was the God who cared about creatures as tiny as these insects then?”

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Magnificent!

Read this story for the historical romance, but consider the God implications for your own life! The best kind of story!

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, September 26

Texas Book-aholic, September 27

Pause for Tales, September 28

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 28

Madi’s Musings, September 29

For Him and My Family, September 30

Book looks by lisa, October 1

The Vine and The Branch, October 1

Devoted Steps, October 2

Leslie’s Library Escape, October 2

Lyssa Loves Books, October 3

Devoted To Hope, October 4

Books You Can Feel Good About, October 5

Blossoms and Blessings, October 6

Holly’s Book Corner, October 7

Locks, Hooks and Books, October 8

Lily’s Corner, October 9

Giveaway

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

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

https://gleam.io/GCnUr/the-marquesss-masked-archer-celebration-tour-giveaway

BLOG, Favorite, Just Read Tours, Kindle, Kregel, Launch Team, NetGalley, New Author, Purchase

High Exposure by Kelly Borjas Review and Giveaway

September 17, 2026 Babbling Becky L

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for High Exposure by Kelly Borjas, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

Book Details

Title: High Exposure
Series: Jagged Edges #1
Author: Kelly Borjas
Publisher: Kregel Publications
Release Date: September 15, 2026
Genre: Romantic Suspense

The riveting start to an adventure-driven romantic suspense series from a debut author

Determined travel blogger Julia Stevens is on her final assignment in snowy Silverberg, Colorado. She’s running from her past—and God—but the charm of small-town life brings little comfort when she’s face-to-face with the winter sport that killed her sister: skiing. Upon her arrival in town, she discovers a dead body and is quickly compelled to research the situation, give justice to the man’s story, and kick off her new career in journalism.

Cade Haskins is back home after a failed mission and his subsequent retirement from the DEA. His father’s declining health has pushed Cade to prioritize family, and he helps at the historic Silverberg Hotel on his dad’s behalf. When Julia shows up at the hotel, Cade becomes her local contact. He quickly realizes she has a knack for sniffing around where she shouldn’t, and he attaches himself to her side.

With the local death connected to a meth ring, Julia’s investigation has unknowingly put a target on her back. As the danger increases and she begins to learn more about Cade and his family, she finds herself trusting the God she was running from. And Cade? He doesn’t want to get dragged back into DEA work, but it seems like he may not have a choice if he wants to protect Julia . . . and his growing attraction to her.

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Author Details

Kelly Borjas grew up in Southwest Colorado and later moved to Southern California. She has a degree in communication studies from Biola University and a master’s in leadership and organizational studies from Azusa Pacific University. She is a cohost of the Lit Ladies podcast. Find her at kellyborjas.com.

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My Impressions

“The time had come—to face her past … and her future.”

Why should you pick up High Exposure, Bk 1 of Jagged Edges, from debut author Kelly Borjas? To be honest, covers can make or break a book. This one lets you know you’ll be frozen cold along with the characters before you’re very deep into this great romantic suspense novel. Brrrr! And a travel blogger? Right now, in America, there are some very successful individuals visiting different sites, taking pictures, trying local food offerings, and describing local scenery to invite tourists. And this is exactly what our determined heroine, Julia, is doing for a living. Plus, the locale? A small, obscure town in the wintry Colorado mountains. Yes, please! I want to visit Silverberg! Or maybe not, there may be a little too much tension and cooking going on in that small town, and not the legal kind! Now, attach the Kregel publishing name to a book, and I am convinced I am going to love the book. Last, but not least, Kelly’s literary agent is Lynnette Eason. There’s a very well-known name in romantic suspense that promises this book will be well-worth the read!

And it is! While Julia’s attempt to outrun a tragedy in her past sends her touring the States as a photo-journalist for a travel magazine, her real desire is to become a news journalist. Can her depiction of a dead-in-the-winter Colorado mountain town boost the town’s winter tourism and help the town’s hotel (that Cade’s family owns)? Will that be enough to move her into the realm of serious reporting? Little does Julia know the avalanche that will begin to build slowly when she first enters town to find a very unpleasant surprise in her rental air bnb!

Thanks to his dad’s cancer battle, Cade has recently returned home to Silverberg to help run the hotel. Now, in his dad’s sickness, former DEA agent Cade needs to show newly arrived photo-journalist Julia all the alluring winter possibilities of Silverberg. Unfortunately, getting stalked, threatened, and facing constant danger from an unknown source might put the town in the most positive light. Can Cade run the hotel, protect Julia, protect his DEA association, and protect his heart from the beautiful travel blogger as well?

Borjas quickly got me invested. The town seems so picture-perfect in so many ways. Until Julia’s present begins to unravel, a bit at a time, just as she’s struggling to put it back together. “If she were still a praying woman, she’d ask God for a solution. But she’d abandoned that faith element the day Nikki had died.” Julia convinces a grudging, hot-and-cold Cade to help her investigate the mystery she lands in the middle of. But the deeper they delve into trying to solve the oddities of the town, the more complex their relationship becomes, as both try to keep secrets yet work together.

Themes running through the novel are family, belonging, faith, secrets, meth, DEA, travel photographer, skiing, and Colorado.

I’m already looking forward to Borjas’s second book, Dark Chasm. I need more of Cade’s family! I received a copy of the book from the author and publisher through JustRead Tours via NetGalley. I also bought my own copy. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“…you don’t have to be all things to all people. You’re human and can ask for help, even if you’ve messed up before.”…

“Especially if you’ve messed up before.”

“He would choose to be thankful today for all that he had. No one ever knew how much time was left. But they had today.”

“Men like to give solutions to problems. Women just want to be heard.”

“As a writer, I work to convey the beauty around me—sometimes it’s in the orthodox; other times it’s in the unorthodox that beauty shines. Most of all, truth and love showcase beauty, shining through despair and lies.”

“Struggles create either endurance or termination. As humans we must decide whether to pursue the challenge or give up.”

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Superb! A very exciting start to an amazing new romantic suspense series from debut author Borjas! More, please!

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Want to Win? (Tour Giveaway)

(1) winner will receive a signed copy of High Exposure, a bookmark, and a $20 Amazon gift card!

The Fine Print… because, of course, it’s necessary!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight September 15, 2026 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on September 22, 2026. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

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Want more opinions and info?

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

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

Sparks of Hope by Avrie Swan Review and Giveaway

September 12, 2026September 12, 2026 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: Sparks of Hope

Author: Avrie Swan

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: September 1, 2026

A woman rebuilding after tragedy and a grieving father searching for hope discover that the past isn’t finished with them.

After the Peshtigo Fire reduces her teaching dreams to ash, Willow Deeran refuses to let the flames win. She pours her last hope into an audacious plan: opening an orphanage for the children left homeless by Wisconsin’s deadliest wildfire. All she needs is funding—and a partner she’s never met.

Violin maker Valentine Ashardt has spent the year since the fire hiding behind his grief, haunted by the daughter he lost in the blaze. Helping Willow build the orphanage offers more than purpose. As silent co-owner, he’ll have access to every child who comes through its doors. Surely, one of them will be his Mary.

As anonymous threats mount, old accusations resurface, and a mysterious little girl with no memory arrives on their doorstep, Willow and Valentine must decide if their dreams might not look different than they’d once hoped. Because sometimes God’s plan looks nothing like what we imagined. And sometimes the family we’ve been desperately searching for has been standing beside us all along.

For fans of Joanna Davidson Politano and Jody Hedlund—a tender story of faith renewed, purpose rediscovered, and love rising from the most unexpected ruins.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Avrie Swan is a Christian author and avid reader with a love for all things historical. Having grown up exploring antique stores and museums, she eventually decided to combine her interest in history with her love for writing and began working on her first full-length novel at the age of fourteen. She especially enjoys writing stories that focus on themes of family, faith, and growth through difficult times.

When Avrie is not writing, she is watching old movies, collecting antique books, and hunting for agates. A native Wisconsinite, she enjoys spending the cold winters indoors with her cat on her lap and a good book in her hand.

More from Avrie

Hello, folks!

It’s hard to believe Sparks of Hope is the third and final entry in The Peshtigo Fire Chroniclesseries. Writing this book was bittersweet… but also undeniably exciting. Willow and Valentine’s story took me some time to develop, and the result is a book with a lot of heart. Their tale explores themes of found family and growth while also rounding out Carina and Charlotte’s journeys. I hope you enjoy the conclusion to their stories!

One of my favorite elements in Sparks of Hope is Valentine’s occupation as a luthier. My family has always enjoyed music, and since I took violin lessons for several years when I was younger, I thought it only fitting to include a violin maker in one of my stories. I didn’t know much about the process of building violins when I started my research for the book, but I soon discovered it’s a fascinating and detailed craft. I have the utmost respect for the skilled people who shape the instruments enjoyed by so many.

While music plays a small role in Sparks of Hope, the story’s central theme is purpose. Have you ever wondered what God’s plan was for your life? That question weighs heavily on Willow’s mind after a disaster ruins all her carefully laid plans. She finds herself needing to choose a new path and pursue a different dream…although achieving it may not be quite as simple as she hopes.

In honor of the upcoming release of Sparks of Hope, I thought it would be fun to do a “this or that” game featuring some elements from the book. Which options do you prefer? Pick your favorites and then head over to my Instagram (@avrieswanwrites) or website (avrieswan.com) to share your choices!

Scarf or shawl
Griddlecakes or fresh bread
Cottage or townhouse
Sleigh ride or autumn walk
Frozen harbor or snowy forest

Blessings,

Avrie Swan

My Impressions

“purpose is a strange thing. It doesn’t always align with what we expect, nor does it follow our rules. And things don’t always turn out exactly the way we think they will.”

When the raging inferno of the October 8, 1871, Peshtigo, WI, devours the town and destroys more lives than the great, well-known Chicago fire of the same day, how can any hope of recovery rise from the ashes of utter devastation? Avrie Swan’s main characters, Willow Deeran and Valentine (Val) Ashardt of her third book in The Peshtigo Fire series, will have to dig deep within themselves, their relationships and their faith to find Sparks of Hope.

Willow’s life-long dream is to start a school for the children of Peshtigo. A big dream for a young woman whose family’s poverty precludes even enough education for her to be able to read and write. Then the fire. Her body survives, but partial amnesia and a loss of everything they own destroys that dream. What would change if she could just recall events surrounding the fire? Could it help with the new purpose that God has seemingly placed in her lap, as soon as she prays? (Isn’t this just like God to answer a prayer before the words are hardly out of our mouths?)

But this new purpose creates great problems. Financial. Safety. Familial discord. ( Can I say I was so disappointed that Ma isn’t very supportive of this new dream, while Da is just the opposite personality, warm, loving, and affirming at every possible turn? )

And the financial help for her new orphanage idea comes from the most unexpected source. Val’s best friend Quincy, a newspaper reporter, is actually who Willow approaches for help. Val who is a talented stringed instrument carver and a social recluse is visiting his friend at the office. Overhearing the need, Val offers to be a silent partner. Quincy objects! “You don’t even know this woman.” “No, I don’t. But I respect a good deed when I see one.”

And so an unlikely, socially inappropriate relationship between two single, different classes (yes, America had them and still manages to have them!) begins! And so does the tongue wagging! Some of it is busybody stuff, some is reactionary and funny(!), and some is conniving and terribly damaging.

The antagonists in this novel are beautifully drawn. Not beautiful, mind you, just well fleshed out, needy, selfish, and can’t see beyond their own needs to understand the hurt in others’ lives.

Fave characters? I have several. Mary. So sweet, so adorable, so cracks open more than one hard heart! Da, for his genuine love and unconditional love and support of his daughter. ( Unfortunately, perhaps some of that is missing in his relationship with his son, though it would be much more difficult?) And a “bad guy.” I actually loved Hattie. Not what she does, but she is rather hilarious in her overbearing, obtuse ways and is the pefect catalyst. Well done!

Trigger warnings for those who want them: fire scenes, grave mental health issues.

I received a copy of the book from the author and publisher through CelebrateLit via BookFunnel. I also bought my own copy. No positive review is required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“God has a plan for us all, Willow. He has known what we will do in life since the very beginning. But that plan isn’t always what you expect.”

“There was no saving what had been lost. Not then, and not now.”

“The best way to handle rumors is to let them run their course. People will eventually find something else to focus on.”

“Nothing in life is predictable, Willow. There are risks at every turn.“ … “What’s important is facing the risks and continuing.To give up now, when you’ve come this far, would defeat everything you’re trying to accomplish.”

“…if he remained trapped in the past for much longer, he wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to truly live in the present.”

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Magnificent! You will travel the gamut of your emotions with this novel. Highly recommended!

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, September 12

Books Less Travelled, September 13

lakesidelivingsite, September 14

She Lives to Read, September 15

Simple Harvest Reads, September 15 (Guest Review from Marilyn)

For Him and My Family, September 16

Texas Book-aholic, September 17

Betti Mace, September 18

Holly’s Book Corner, September 18

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, September 19

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, September 20

Cover Lover Book Review, September 21

Pause for Tales, September 21

Devoted To Hope, September 22

Life on Chickadee Lane, September 23

Connie’s History Classroom , September 24

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 24

Blossoms and Blessings, September 25

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Avrie is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card!!

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

https://gleam.io/qaNE5/sparks-of-hope-celebration-tour-giveaway

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

A Contrary Betrothal by Denise Farnsworth Review and Giveaway

August 28, 2026August 28, 2026 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: A Contrary Betrothal

Author: Denise Farnsworth writing as Denise Weimer

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: August 18, 2026

A Cherokee lieutenant, a colonel’s daughter, and a desperate fight to protect both land and love.

Sam Hicks may be the educated son of a Cherokee chief, but his command of multiple languages and diplomatic skills can’t erase the prejudice he faces as a mixed-blood warrior. When he’s tasked with guarding Colonel Moore’s spirited daughter, Susanna, at a wilderness fort, he never expects to lose his heart to a woman he can never have.

Susanna Moore dreams of making her own way on the frontier like her Cherokee stepmother. The last thing she wants is an arranged marriage to the fort’s stuffy doctor—especially after she meets the noble and intelligent Sam Hicks. When she’s captured by a turncoat warrior during a Creek uprising, Sam risks everything to save her.

Their shared values and growing love give them hope—but with the Creek War raging and cultural pressures mounting, can a Cherokee lieutenant and a colonel’s daughter overcome the loyalties and prejudices set against them?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

North Georgia native Denise Farnsworth, formerly Denise Weimer, has authored over twenty traditionally published novels and novellas—historical and contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and time slip. As a freelance editor and Acquisitions & Editorial Liaison for Wild Heart Books, she’s helped other authors reach their publishing dreams. A wife and mother of two adult daughters, Denise always pauses for coffee, chocolate, and old houses.

More from Denise

The seed idea for A Contrary Betrothal came from another author a number of years ago. She proposed a collection of stories in which the heroes were all Native Americans who served their country in different wars. I still love the idea even though it never came to pass! In fact, I loved it so much, I went ahead and wrote my story. And that story became Bent Tree Bride, first published with Smitten Romance. Now, it’s joining my Scouts of the Georgia Frontier series as book six.

Many people are unaware that the Cherokees fought alongside American troops under Andrew Jackson during the Creek War or Red Stick War, a portion of the War of 1812 that occurred in present-day Alabama. The Creek people were allied to the British, as the Cherokees themselves had been during the American Revolution. The motivation for this was, of course, to keep their land. Their warriors were so valuable to Jackson that they broke the ineffective cannonade on the town of Tohopeka, swimming across the river from behind and making the victory possible that ended the war at Horseshoe Bend.

Sam Hicks, the hero of A Contrary Betrothal, is a mixed-blood Cherokee lieutenant with the head of a scholar and the heart of a warrior. His struggle to intermingle the old ways and the new ways proves reflective of the metamorphosis of his people. Even though he’s been educated as the wealthy son of a chief, he knows his white colonel’s daughter, Susanna Moore, is out of his reach. But when he’s assigned to guard her and her little brother at a wilderness fort, he can no longer deny his attraction to the feisty young woman who’s determined to convince her father she can survive on the frontier as well as her Cherokee stepmother.

A Contrary Betrothal will resonate with readers who enjoy stories by authors like Laura Frantz, Shannon McNear, Michelle Griep, and Lori Benton. The forbidden love and fish out of water tropes create plenty of angst, and the battlefield scenes echo Last of the Mohicans. When people have asked me which of my books would translate well onto the big screen, in fact, this is one I think of. I invite you, dear reader, to be swept away by the action and romance of my final book of the Scouts of the Georgia Frontier.

My Impressions

“‘Not yet.’ ‘Soon.’ ‘Almost.’” George picked up a pine frond and examined it carefully. “Seems like a lot of things not happening.” “That is the way of it for our people, George.”

An obscure quote? Perhaps. But I find it very accurately describes the frustration of the Cherokee people in the time of this book, A Contrary Betrothal, by Denise Farnsworth. ( Which, though book #6 in this series, Scouts of the Revolution, this was originally published as Bent Tree Bride. Fair warning to those who don’t like to buy a new book only to discover they have already read it!)

I think I could wax eloquent and write a whole book about my thoughts on this novel. At the very least, I would love to discuss the political intrigue and double standards presented between the Caucasians, the Cherokee, and the Red Stick people (who I was motivated to research on my own). If I were still teaching upper elementary, this book’s facts (delineated with historical figures mentioned and separating fact from artistic license) along with the very real political climate would help provide background into my lessons. Farnsworth makes me feel deeply the angst of the Cherokee people and the Red Sticks, both who realize the precariousness of their possession of the Tennessee-North Carolina mountain forest land. Each tribe must choose a side of the War of 1812 to side with- the British or the Americans- and pray that their side wins, and that said government will keep the promises they make to their Native American partners.

It is into this massive backdrop of confusion that Farnsworth places her two star-crossed lovers. One, Sam Hicks, is a mixed-blood Cherokee and Caucasian. Which means, he fights for his place in either world. Trained in both, he has the skills of a Cherokee warrior, but is ridiculed because he doesn’t follow all their tortuous customs, having learned about Jesus from missionaries. His ultimate questions: can he fight like a Cherokee and restore his lost honor? Will his mixed blood mean he must relinquish his love for Susanna which grows as he is assigned by her double-standard enforcing father to be her body guard?

“The man who’d captured her imagination from a single day’s meeting was a Cherokee. White women did not marry Cherokee men.” Poor Susanna! Her powerful Caucasian father, himself married a second time to a wonderful Cherokee woman, insists Susanna can only marry a Caucasian man, esp. his choice, Dr. Hawkins. The whole book, I was rather violently seething with Susanna at her father’s total inability to see his double standards. Unfortunately, it is one I see exhibited by people today, some very close to me. How can you honestly love a spouse and denounce or hold prejudice against their people? What about ourselves? Do we say we don’t have prejudices, but they linger in big and small ways? Our faith speaks to that!!

I think what makes this book one of true sadness for me, is that we have the perspective of history behind us. We know how the greed for land and gain in this area affects the Native Americans. But I would be a liar not to be grateful that this land is part of our country now where we can travel, visit,or live freely. Farnsworth shows both the underbelly of all three cultures, and those who are honestly trying to, through faith in God, and following human kindness, make the best of trying times. Keep your eyes open for important historical figures (one I didn’t recognize!) that are included in this emotional, faith-filled, romantic book!

At the risk of running on too long, when I saw the list of comparable Christian historical authors, I understood immediately why I loved this book. Here they are: Michelle Griep, Shannon McNear, Laura Frantz, and Lori Benton. *Le Sigh*

I received a copy of the book from CelebrateLit, the author and Wild Heart Books via BookFunnel. I bought my own ecopy and I’m off to buy a pb copy for trophy shelf. No positive opinion was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“She was most definitely not in control. But she believed in Someone who was. And if she believed His goodness, she also must believe He had a good future for her.”

“To be without a clan is to be without an identity.”

“Then you cannot fight this war to prove yourself to the colonel. That is fighting from a position of weakness. You are sure to lose. Instead, you must forgive the colonel. If you fight, it must be what you believe is right before God, asking Him to come alongside you to help our people. That is fighting from a position of strength.”

“Is it ever a just cause to turn brothers against each other? Do we deceive ourselves that the English won’t take the land of the Creeks if they win this war, then turn on us for ours?”

“Save your anger. To show restraint is wiser than to engage a fool.”

“I want the two wolves to lie together inside. In peace.”

“He’d fallen to quoting scriptures in his head after that. By the time they crossed Chockelocko Creek, he’d restored some semblance of inner peace.”

“Sam saw the way forward in words, not wars.”

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Superior! I believe this is one of Farnsworth’s best! Whether I remember the names of the characters a year from now, I will never forget the accurate depiction of the swirling vortex of cultural clash, greed, and those who strove to leave a mark of love for their fellow man, regardless of skin color!

Blog Stops

Texas Book-aholic, August 25

lakesidelivingsite, August 26

Books, Books, & More Books, August 27 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, August 27

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, August 28

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 29

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 30

Cover Lover Book Review, August 31

Jeanette’s Thoughts , September 1

Books You Can Feel Good About, September 2

Connie’s History Classroom, September 3

Simple Harvest Reads, September 4 (Guest Review from Donna)

Blossoms and Blessings, September 5

Life on Chickadee Lane, September 6

Holly’s Book Corner, September 7

Pause for Tales, September 7

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Denise is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card!!

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

https://gleam.io/7zfBE/a-contrary-betrothal-celebration-tour-giveaway

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

The Darling’s Daughter by Sydney Schmied Review and Giveaway

August 19, 2026 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: The Darling’s Daughter

Author: Sydney Schmied

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: August 4, 2026

A woman chasing the truth. A man running from his past. And a secret that threatens the fragile trust between them.

Searching for answers about her mother’s suspicious death, artist Angelica Woods takes a job painting backdrops at the Majestic Theater—the very place her famous actress mother warned her to avoid. When she discovers cryptic notes and bloody evidence of an old murder, Angie realizes her mother’s warning may have been meant to protect her from a deadly secret.

Architect Trace Ackerman has worked hard to build a quiet, respectable life far removed from his former mistakes. Renovating the Majestic is meant to be a fresh start—until Angie awakens feelings he never planned to risk again. Drawn to her courage and vulnerability, Trace offers his protection as rumors swirl and danger edges closer. But the past he’s worked so hard to outrun threatens to surface, and Trace fears the truth could cost him Angie’s trust—and the future he longs to build.

With a killer determined to silence them both, Angie and Trace must decide if uncovering the truth about her mother’s death is worth risking their own lives—and hearts. Set against the backdrop of a historic theater in 1912 Ohio, this romantic suspense weaves together murder, betrayal, and the redeeming power of faith and forgiveness.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Sydney Schmiedwrites sweet and intriguing historical romantic suspense stories with a whole lot of faith. She is a 2023 ACFW First Impressions Contest finalist and a 2024 Genesis Contest Semi-finalist, as well as a two-time Scrivenings Press Get Pubbed Finalist. When she is not writing, she enjoys reading, painting, and sipping on a classic London Fog.

More from Sydney

Theaters tell so many stories, and in The Darling’s Daughter, The Majestic Theater itself has been shaped by the people who have passed through its doors. While it was known as The Masonic Opera House from 1853 to 1915, The Majestic has stood through nearly 173 years of history. I can’t help but wonder about all the individuals who walked its halls, performers, musicians, and attendees alike, and what stories they might tell about how their lives once intertwined with the Majestic.

In my research, I came across so many real accounts of people who visited theaters like this one, and I was able to glimpse bits and pieces of that connection. For Angie, the heroine in The Darling’s Daughter, The Majestic becomes a place of reckoning and reconciliation. Her mother was her only family, and even that relationship was strained. Angie carries a deep loneliness as she peels back the complicated layers of her late mother’s life, wrestling with questions of worth, belonging, and whether she is truly loved.

For Trace, The Majestic offers both a meaningful project and a chance to rebuild. Unfortunately, his identity has been constructed atop the fragile foundation of guilt, and that foundation begins to crack as his past resurfaces.

Just as The Majestic has stood strong through seasons of change and still stands today, Angie and Trace are refined through their struggles as everything around them begins to shift. Neither of them are defined by the broken parts of their story, but by their hope in Christ, even when that hope feels uncertain and their faith is shaky. If this resonates with you, I hope you’ll join Angie and Trace in The Darling’s Daughter and find encouragement in their journey.

My Impressions

“Dear Daughter, now that I am gone, I cannot protect you from the ghosts of my past. Trust no one, and stay away from the Majestic.”

Have you been introduced to debut author Sydney Schmied? If not, I’d love to tell you why I picked up her inspirational historical romance novel, The Darling’s Daughter. This novel was like a big, warm hug to my reading soul! Two individuals who feel like they are either unworthy or longing for a love that they never received . They will either help each other towards healing, faith, and redemption, or their hopes and dreams will be forever buried with the secrets of the old Majestic Theater.

My interest was first piqued when I saw the setting is Chillicothe, OH. That got my attention as I have traveled through Chillicothe in years past and noted the heavy paper smell clogging the air. Little surprise to discover that newspapers are an important, albeit negative, part of this story.

I enjoyed learning about the Majestic Theater. I love books that impart history of little-known sites that were once well-known. The theater life and atmosphere spring to life between Angie’s backdrop paintings for performances, her search for her mother’s forbidden secrets, and Trace’s refurbishing of the old theater.

I loved the eeriness that stayed with me as I searched with (or at least, I felt like I was there with !)Angie, looking about in the old mansion, trying to remember why feelings were connected with some places. Then, there is the suspense of not knowing who is after Angie. Is it her mother’s enemy? An enemy of Trace’s? The tension is nearly unbearable, and I was so grateful that kind, thoughtful Trace is there for Angie. “Yes, he needed to protect her from outside threats, but the threat to his heart was growing by the minute.”

Unfortunately, Trace has his own skeletons hidden in the closet. Will they emerge just in time to spell death for Trace’s and Angie’s budding relationship?

I loved Mrs. Ackerman and her loving ways. She is so physically worn-down by the cares of life, but still exudes the kind of love that reaches out and envelops those around her- just like her bakery smells- whether they are worthy or not.

What made me stand up and outright applaud this book, though, was the twists! Wow, did they ever catch me off guard! I loved it!! Please, Miss Schmied, can I have your next book NOW?!!

I received a copy of the book from the author and Celebrate Lit. I also took a chance and bought a paperback for the keeper shelf! I am so glad!! No positive opinion was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“What you have to say will not shock me. Or God. Jesus’s death paid for our sins. To hold onto a burden of sin is denying that Jesus’s blood is enough. Don’t hold onto what he has freed you from long ago.” -Mutti

“Love forgives.” – Mutti

“People do terrible things for those they love, especially when fear is involved,” -Trace

“‘What if the answers you seek are not the answers you want?’ ‘I want the truth.’ No matter what it turns out to be.”- Trace, Angie

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Wow! This is a debut?! Where is book 2? And I just saw there is a book 3 coming. Anticipation, Sweet agony!

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, August 19

Devoted Steps, August 19

Books Less Travelled, August 20

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 21

Texas Book-aholic, August 22

Connie’s History Classroom, August 23

For Him and My Family, August 23

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 24

Lyssa Loves Books, August 25

Holly’s Book Corner, August 26

Locks, Hooks and Books, August 27

Pause for Tales, August 28

Devoted to Hope, August 29

Book Looks by Lisa, August 30

Paula’s Pad of Inspiration, August 30

Cover Lover Book Review, August 31

Lily’s Corner, September 1

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Sydney is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card!!

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

https://gleam.io/TyDfI/the-darlings-daughter-celebration-tour-giveaway

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

For This Very Purpose by EJ Ashmore Review and Giveaway

July 7, 2026 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE

Author: EJ Ashmore

Genre: Biblical Fiction/young adult

Release Date: October 15, 2025

Sixteen-year-old Eliza has accepted life as a Hebrew slave in Egypt, never to be seen, heard, or loved. After all, she has it good, working alongside her sister for the wealthy Ameneten family. Though unworthy of love, she is free to love others, and she loves her master’s oldest son, Seti (unbeknownst to him).

Only when Moses returns to the land of Egypt to free his people is she emboldened to pray to the ancient God her mother used to speak of, and she prays for the love of Seti, but only if he first rejects his gods and falls for the Hebrew God.

As the God of gods hardens Pharaoh’s heart, He softens Seti’s and pursues him with a love Seti has never known, while also shining His face on Eliza who learns she is indeed worthy of love.

This is the Exodus as told from both Eliza and Seti as a love story between God and His people, God and Seti, and Seti and Eliza.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

EJ Ashmore, a mother, wife, and a nurse, only wrote for fun as a teenager. Once babies and college got in the way, she stopped, but she also no longer wanted to write unless it was for God. When her son was 15 and trying to grapple with why God would harden Pharaoh’s heart, then punish him, she took to writing again. Best to show him rather than explain it. But then Joel Richardson’s SINAI TO ZION came out, and she fell in love with how the whole exodus and wilderness scenario was God’s love story- from pursuit, winning the love of the people, to betrothal, complete with a wedding supper which has yet to happen. It’s a literal play-by-play of the ancient Jewish wedding customs, but so is Christianity. Not only that, but human marriage was designed to reflect God’s desired relationship with His people.

This became EJ’s passion: to demonstrate this in a story for young people, as is to reach the average teenager who feels unworthy of God’s (or anybody’s) love.

FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE comes from Exodus 9:16 and is EJ’s debut novel.

More from EJ

When Lisa Phillip’s son was 15 and trying to grapple with why God would harden Pharaoh’s heart, then punish him for it, she took to writing. Best to show him rather than explain it. But then Joel Richardson’s SINAI TO ZION came out, and she fell in love with how the whole exodus and wilderness scenario was God’s love story—from pursuit, winning the love of the people, to betrothal, complete with a wedding supper which has yet to happen. It’s a literal play-by-play of the ancient Jewish wedding customs, but so is Christianity. Not only that, but human marriage was designed to reflect God’s desired relationship with His people.

This became Lisa’s passion: to demonstrate this in a story for young people, as is to reach the average teenager who feels unworthy of God’s (or anybody’s) love.

FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE comes from Exodus 9:16 and is Lisa’s debut novel. Since there is already a well-known author by the name of Lisa Phillips, a pen name was chosen.

My Impressions

“Who was she to talk to this ancient God? She had nothing with which to sacrifice or gain His favor. Nothing but herself.”

For This Very Purpose, (a story of the Exodus) by EJ Ashmore, is so engrossing and suspenseful, I had to give it five stars! I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started Ashmore’s debut novel. I was sure happy to find a list of characters at the front ( that always makes me happy). I take a picture of those lists and put them in my notes to refer back to as I read, if necessary. The book is what it purports to be: a love story between God and His people, God and Seti, and Seti (an Egyptian priest-in-training) and Eliza (one of his family’s slaves.)

Eliza is a young 16-yr-old slave who develops a crush on the master’s slightly older son. A forbidden relationship if ever there was one. Seti is arrogant, selfish, and cruel, finding ways to humiliate the young slave in front of his friends. But when Eliza becomes fed up with the Egyptian family’s cruelty, her actions that bring calamity may create room for something new. I was amused to realize that both Seti and Eliza tend to jump into things and think about consequences later, but these tendencies make for a very tense novel!

Seti has an enormous growth arc throughout the story. He starts out cruel, except to his closest friends and family, and arrogant (names places after himself- “My Mesa,” “the S-Curve”). Seti doesn’t believe slaves can have thoughts worthy of sharing, and even when with Sabu, his best friend, he doesn’t realize a relationship is a two-way street, with both parties being equal.

But I loved seeing his growth from worshipping the gods of Egypt, which is truly his heritage as a priest, to considering the claims of the God of the Hebrews. As each plague strikes Egypt, Seti puzzles and agonizes over why the particular god of Egypt doesn’t respond to save the Egyptian people. In one desperate appeal to a god, Seti, in his brash, entitled way, breaks a law that threatens to unravel his whole life. Which gods or God will look upon him with favor? The ones he’s dedicated his life to, or the Hebrew God who Eliza claims keeps promises to His people, who uses difficulties to turn them back to him?

“The Hebrew God cares for his people. He fights for them and loves them. Our gods don’t love.”

Wow! The plagues themselves are so well described. I would have hated to be in total darkness. And with the darkness threatening the sanity of creatures? Oy! I could smell the stench of the dead fish of the Nile, the dead frogs (after the 3 days of frogs everywhere!), the deafening roar of the locusts. The horrors felt very real, and go on and on.

I felt the book does a good job of explaining the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart. I would not recommend this book for “young adults” on the lower end of the age range due to subject matter including the detail and discussion of the priestessess’ duties and circumcision. Still, in the mature reader’s hands, a very impactful book.

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

Notable Quotables:

“His God proclaimed He raised up Pharaoh for this purpose, and that He will display His power over him. That’s why Pharaoh won’t listen. The Hebrew God isn’t finished displaying His power yet. Pharaoh is a son of the gods, right? The spirits of Isis and Osiris are in him. This is a war between gods, and the Hebrew God wants us to witness it.”– Seti

“…nothing would return to normal. The damage had been done, and the end result would be either a heart of stone or of flesh.” – [the chills of this statement, applicable to so many in the story!]

“You want to guard your heart from ungodly things as well as ungodly patterns of behavior, speech, and thoughts. They become who you are otherwise. It’s kind of like hardening your heart toward those ungodly things. But hardening your heart can manifest as stubbornness, an unwillingness to let God change you for the better and protect your soul.” – Aharon

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Magnificent! I felt like I was there, as both an Egyptian and a Hebrew, to see the plagues take place! I had to feel like I would have certainly been convinced to follow the God of the Hebrews-if I had been an Egyptian!!

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, July 8

Simple Harvest Reads, July 9 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, July 10

Artistic Nobody, July 11 (Author Interview)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, July 11

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 12

Guild Master, July 13 (Author Interview)

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, July 14

Fiction Book Lover, July 15 (Author Interview)

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, July 16

The Bookish Ledger, July 17 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, July 17

The Bookish Pilgrim, July 18

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, July 19 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, July 20

Books Less Travelled, July 21 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, EJ is giving away the grand prize of a $75 Amazon gift card and a 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://gleam.io/tMHcl/for-this-very-purpose-celebration-tour-giveaway

BLOG, Favorite, JustRead Tour, Kindle, Purchase, Scrivenings Press

A Whole New Plan by Denise M. Colby Review

July 5, 2026 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Title: A Whole New Plan

Series: Best-Laid Plans

Author: Denise M. Colby

Publisher: Scrivenings Press

Released: May 26, 2026

Genre: Historical Frontier Romance (Christian)

ometimes God’s best plan is the one we never expected.

California, 1870. Pastor William Baker has built his life on faith, routine, and safe choices—until Lydia Spencer walks in and turns everything upside down.

Independent, outspoken, and guarded, Lydia is unlike any woman he’s ever known. She has no interest in church… and no intention of revealing the truth she’s hiding.

Because Lydia isn’t just a schoolteacher.

She’s a Pinkerton detective, sent west to track a dangerous crime boss—and she’ll do whatever it takes to protect those she loves, even if it means keeping her distance from the one man who sees straight through her defenses.

But when unexplained thefts shake their quiet small-town rural community, and a desperate boy appears with ties to a deeper mystery, Will and Lydia are forced into an uneasy partnership.

As danger closes in, so do their hearts.

What begins as a reluctant alliance soon becomes a forced proximity neither of them expected—and neither can ignore.

Yet the very things that draw them together may be the ones that tear them apart.

Lydia’s life is built on secrets.
Will’s is built on truth.

And when her past catches up with her, they’ll have to decide what matters most—holding on to their own plans… or trusting the One who sees the bigger picture.

Because sometimes surrender is the only way to find the life you were meant to live.

Set against the backdrop of the American West, A Whole New Plan is a heartfelt story of faith, courage, and a strong woman learning to trust again—woven with threads of mystery and hope.>

If you enjoy western Christian romances with elements of intrigue and heart, you’ll love A Whole New Plan—perfect for fans of Misty M. Beller and Mary Connealy.

Step into a story of courage, trust, and unexpected love—grab your copy today.

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | BookBub

****************************************

About the Author

Denise M. Colby writes historical romance sweetened with faith, hope, and love. She finds history fascinating and contemplates often how it was to live in the 1800’s.

Her debut novel, When Plans Go Awry, is a 2025 Carol Award finalist and placed 3rd in the Historical Romance category of the OCRW BBB contest.

She treasures the written word and the messages that can be conveyed when certain words are strung together. An avid journal writer, she usually can be found with a pen and notepad whenever she’s reading God’s word.

Every year Denise chooses a word to focus on. For 2025, her word is FLOURISH! Sign up for her newsletter at her website denisemcolby dot com or you can follow Denise on facebook or instagram.

*****************************************

My Impressions

“If he knew she lied for a living, he would call her a hypocrite. And he would be correct.”

I have to admit, ever since I vicariously visited Denise M. Colby’s small town of Washton, CA, in the latter half of the 1800s, I’ve been wanting to go back. So, I jumped at the chance to read Colby’s third book of the Best-Laid Plans series, A Whole New Plan. We have many of the characters from before, plus a few new ones. And, the one I was especially hoping to see making an appearance, the town mascot, Bert! What a hoot Bert is!

Lydia is a Pinkerton who comes to Washton to protect her friend, Jenny, from danger from a previous encounter with a mob. Most people in town are not privy to Lydia’s real identity, including young pastor Will, who is beginning to feel the need for a wife. ( And if he doesn’t pick his own, the townspeople will be happy to assist!) He becomes interested in convalescing Lydia, though it soon becomes apparent she is hiding something.

I liked Will as a male main character. He is such a good listener, and always seems to know how to counsel people and guide them. He actually does a great job of helping Lydia think through various situations, and he knows how to insert Truth without becoming preachy. He is not afraid to risk himself for others. I loved the way he meets the need of young Ollie, who is the most lovable, sad waif. While he wishes to meet Lydia’s needs as more than a friend, he realizes there are huge obstacles in the way. She neither shares her mysterious past nor is she interested in his God or his faith.

Lydia, herself, starts to develop an interest in Will, but she realizes how much he detests lies. Her life is based on lying. Also, her philosophy of life is much different from his. “When plans don’t go the way I want them to, I reassess. Will prays. It will be interesting to see which method works better.” (- from Lydia’s journal, which we are given peeks into at the beginning of each chapter.) Lydia had a very rough childhood and can’t believe that anyone who truly sees her could love her. Can Will convince her that both he snd the Heavenly Father see her, and love her as she is? Can he keep her safe as she dives back into her past, so he can get the chance to tell her?

This is a great book for historical fiction fans who like Misty M. Beller or Mary Connealy. Also, slow-burn, inspirational romance, small-town settings, and unique characters.

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

Notable Quotables:

“The one thing they had was God. And it was time to trust Him completely.”

“God sees you as His precious creation. You don’t have to prove anything to Him because you are good enough in His eyes. “- Will

“You do know God is orchestrating all of this, right? He brought us together initially and continues to intertwine our lives. Helping us find our purpose. Where we belong.” – Olivia

“Having faith in someone is almost as important as having faith in God. We all need someone to believe in us.” – Will

“If we talk with God first, then listen, the enemy’s lies don’t reach us as much. And when they do, we can see them for the lies they are more clearly.”– Will

“Where some people fall away from God during tragedy, I turned to Him. And He carried me through. I found strength and solace, grace and patience. And I wanted to share that with others.” – Will

“The enemy likes to taunt us with our fears. Tell us we are not enough. Make us doubt our decisions.” – Will

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Magnificent! This book earned its stars for its unique characters, including Ollie & Bert. Also for the great amount of Truth Nuggets to be mined, plus unexpected suspense.

BLOG

Anchoring You By Robin Patchen Review and Giveaway

May 26, 2026 Babbling Becky L

(Note: I am late with this post due to a family emergency. I notified Celebrate Lit that this would be late. Thank you for your understanding!)

About the Book

Book: Anchoring You

Author: Robin Patchen

Genre: Christian romantic suspense

Release Date: May 12, 2026

On the glittering waters of the Caribbean, a yacht captain’s fight for survival forces her to rely on a man she swore she’d never trust.

A fiercely independent yacht captain, Kenzie Wright has spent her life disregarding her family’s expectations. She thrives on freedom, charting her own course, and never staying in one place—or with one person—for long. But when a routine voyage thrusts her into the crosshairs of a deadly drug cartel, her carefully crafted agenda is blown apart. Her last hope to save herself and her crew is the partying playboy, Jaz.

DEA informant Jasper Aylett has spent years hunting the cartel leader known only as “the Phantom.” The mission has cost him everything—his family, his reputation, and his chance at redemption. When a beautiful yacht captain gets caught in the Phantom’s web, Jaz risks his life to rescue her. It’s his last chance to secure the information he needs to take his enemy down—and get his life back.

Kenzie is forced into hiding with Jaz, and now two cartels want her dead. With their lives on the line, Kenzie and Jaz must work together to unravel the Phantom’s network before it’s too late. But the closer they get to the truth—and to each other—the more their past wounds and buried fears threaten to tear them apart, leaving them vulnerable to an enemy who won’t stop until they’re both destroyed.

From a USA Today bestselling author… Don’t miss this heart-pounding suspense and swoon-worthy romance as Kenzie and Jasper discover their fight for survival—and for love—can only be won together.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Robin Patchen is a USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of Christian romantic suspense. She grew up in a small town in New Hampshire, the setting of her Coventry Saga books, and then headed to Boston to earn a journalism degree. Working in marketing, she discovered how much she loathed the nine-to-five ball and chain. After relocating to the Southwest, she started writing her first novel while homeschooling her three children. The novel was dreadful, but her passion for storytelling didn’t wane. Thankfully, as her children grew, so did her writing ability. Now that her kids are adults, she has more time to play with the lives of fictional heroes and heroines, wreaking havoc and working magic to give her characters happy endings. When she’s not writing, she’s editing or reading, proving that most of her life revolves around the twenty-six letters of the alphabet.

More from Robin

Too Far Gone? Writing a Prodigal Hero

When I started writing Anchoring You, I knew the hero was going to be a challenge.

On the surface, Jaz is everything my heroine Kenzie despises: a charming playboy who flits around the Caribbean with a different woman on his arm every week and a drink perpetually in his hand. When he tries to get to know her, she wants nothing to do with him. She’s heard the rumors. She knows exactly what kind of man he is.

Except she doesn’t know the real Jaz. Nobody does.

Underneath the polished persona, Jaz is drowning. A gambling addiction led to crushing debt, which led to a desperate deal with a dangerous man, which led to five years of living undercover as a DEA informant. He’s lost everything that matters—his money, his reputation, his relationship with his brother, Noah, and most painfully, his daughter Charlotte, whom he left with Noah to keep her safe from the criminals who control his life.

Somewhere in the midst of all that, Jaz also lost his faith.

The Prodigal Who Doesn’t Come Home

We all know the parable of the prodigal son. He squanders his inheritance, hits rock bottom, and returns to his father’s open arms.

But what happens when the prodigal believes he’s wandered too far, done too much, burned too many bridges to ever find his way back?

That’s Jaz’s life when we first meet him. He tells Kenzie at one point, “I’m not sure if I left Him or if He left me, but God and I haven’t had a relationship since I was a teenager.”

Jaz isn’t angry at God. He’s not wrestling with doubt. He’s just disconnected. Numb. He made choices that spiraled out of control. People got hurt, and somewhere along the way, he decided that men like him shouldn’t expect grace.

I think a lot of people can identify with Jaz, even if their circumstances aren’t as dramatic as his. It’s not always a crisis of faith that pulls us away from God. Sometimes it’s shame, the quiet belief that we’ve disqualified ourselves. We believe grace is real, just not for us.

A Faith That Doesn’t Preach

Kenzie could have lectured him or quoted Scripture at him. But Kenzie, a strong believer, doesn’t preach. Instead, she lives her faith, acting on what she believes. In one quiet conversation, when Jaz confesses how far he’s fallen, she offers him truth without judgment:

“There’s no such thing as too far, Jasper. Not with God.”

Kenzie’s relationship with God is evident in how she treats people, how she handles fear, how she extends grace to a man the world has written off. Kenzie’s witness begins to crack Jaz’s defenses.

Writing Broken Heroes

I’m drawn to characters who carry weight—who’ve made real mistakes with real consequences, not just minor flaws designed to make them “relatable.” Jaz gambled away half his family’s estate. He slept around. He abandoned his daughter—even if it was to protect her. He spent five years lying to everyone he met.

These aren’t small things. I didn’t want to minimize them or sweep them under the rug in the rush to make him likable.

I believe in redemption. I believe people can change—not by willpower but by the power of God.

Jaz doesn’t have a dramatic conversion moment in the middle of the action. His journey back to faith starts with prayer, the gentle testing of God in moments of crisis.

And God answered, protecting and guiding him through the most difficult time of his life. When it was over, Jaz realized God had been there all along.

That’s the heart of the prodigal story, isn’t it? The father doesn’t chase the son down the road. He doesn’t force him to come home. But when the son finally turns around, the father is already running to meet him.

Jaz spent years believing he’d gone too far. Kenzie helped him see that there is no “too far” for God.

Because if grace only works for people who haven’t messed up too badly, it’s not really grace at all.

My Impressions

“But I know God is big enough for my mess, no matter how ugly it is. Which means He’s big enough for yours too. The question isn’t whether He’ll take you back. It’s whether you’ll let Him.”

What an exciting, fast-paced romantic suspense novel Anchoring You by Robin Patchen is! We have arrived at the fourth and last daughter of Gavin Wright, in the Heroes of Maine series. Kenzie has fled her father’s overprotective cocoon tendencies and has established a yacht-running business in the Caribbean. She loves the freedom of the water, and she enjoys her Caribbean life until the day her life is upended.

Pirates attack Kenzie’s boat. Determined to protect her crew and herself, Kenzie puts on a brave front, but is rescued by an island playboy, Jaz, she had met the night before. Then the struggle begins as Jaz tries to protect her, and Kenzie strives to retain her hard-earned independence.

Kenzie discovers that Jaz’s carefully cultivated wild reputation is a front so he can work with the DEA. He has his sights on a very big fish in the ocean, indeed! But his methods require Kenzie to trust him. Kenzie has long ago decided that no man should be in charge of her future or her choices. In a world of fast living, fast guns, and the seemingly omnipresent evil bent on their death, Kenzie’s trust in Jaz is vital. But, can Kenzie relinquish control of her life to someone else?

Kenzie slowly begins to see past Jaz’s playboy persona to his deep longing for redemption. Jaz has lost everything, and is quite sure God cannot forgive the man he has become. Once upon a time Jaz had faith. But now, he’s turned too far away, done too much to ever be good enough. Kenzie gently reminds him, “Grace is a gift. Even when you don’t feel lovable, even when you think you’ve gone too far, God is right there, loving you, holding grace out to you, waiting for you to accept it.” Another time, she builds on that and challenges him to view himself and his past with more grace. “Maybe you need to quit thinking you’re smarter than God and start seeing yourself the way He sees you.”

I loved the high-action story and the romance that seems like it cannot go anywhere. Both main characters and a secondary one show significant growth in their lives as the book progresses. But what really stood out to me? It was Kenzie’s prayers. They were real, every day conversations with God. Neither super short nor long, just matter-of fact, here’s the issue, we need help. Plus, Kenzie is also an example of praying God’s Word back to Him. We know God’s Word is powerful. I loved those reminders of great prayers!

By the end of the book, I was so connected with the characters, I felt their cold, their terror, their confusion, and their astonishment as they finally figure out the surprising identity of the cartel!

Another Robin Patchen book you’ll not want to miss!

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

Notable Quotables:

“He’d lived on the edge of a sword for so long he was starting to feel the stab, the dripping blood—his own and everyone else’s.” ( Jaz)

“She’d spent years on the water because it was the only place she felt safe. She’d built a business so she could control her own life, just to wind up a pawn in somebody else’s elaborate scheme.” ( Kenzie)

“She didn’t mind being known as Jesus’s girl. She wouldn’t mind being known as Jaz’s girl either.” ( Kenzie)

“What do you see? What can you use? Don’t just react. Think. Your greatest weapon is your mind.”- Kenzie’s dad

“She’d more than “do.” She looked…she looked like the kind of trouble that could blow up his whole life.”

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Superior! I always love each installment in this series, and seeing how they all fit together!

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, May 25

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, May 25

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 26

lakesidelivingsite, May 27

Texas Book-aholic, May 28

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 29

For Him and My Family, May 30

Cover Lover Book Review, May 31

Book Looks by Lisa, June 1

Blogging With Carol, June 2

Fiction Book Lover, June 3 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, June 3

Holly’s Book Corner, June 4

Pause for Tales, June 5

A Good Book and Cup of Tea, June 6

The Bookish Ledger, June 7 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Robin is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card and a copy of Capturing You!!

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

https://gleam.io/XXPAN/anchoring-you-celebration-tour-giveaway

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

The Targeted by Cara Putman Review and Giveaway

May 22, 2026 Babbling Becky L

Welcome to the Takeover + Review Blitz for The Targeted by Cara Putman, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: The Targeted
Series: Secrets to Keep #3
Author: Cara Putman
Publisher: Kregel Publications
Release Date: May 19, 2026
Genre: Romantic Suspense

Can she protect her gym students before her past catches up?

When Chloe Ainsworth’s older sister reappears after fourteen years, she brings with her the news that Chloe’s abuser is back in town. Chloe is a coach at her childhood gym and fiercely protective of her young gymnasts. She won’t allow them to suffer the way she did, but she’s desperate for an ally—one who can help her make her case.

Law student Dare Shepherd works at the local legal clinic, where he meets Chloe and hears her out. He believes her case but can’t get the clinic director on board. As he learns more about her story, he finds himself bound by a deepening personal care for Chloe.

They band together in search of answers, and suddenly the stakes skyrocket. It’s clear they’re onto something, but will they be able to find the answers before it’s too late?

More Books from this Series:

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About the Author

Cara Putman is a professor, an attorney, and an award-winning, best-selling author of more than forty novels, including the Cornhusker Dreams series, the Hidden Justice series, and The Vanished.

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

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My Impressions

“‘I am always alone.’ He will never leave me or forsake me…

It didn’t matter if people would leave her or let her down. God never would. He promised that, and his promises were true. Always.”

This review may well be one of the hardest I’ve ever written. Because The Targeted by Cara Putman, contains such sensitive and trigger-inducing content that I may have ever read. The legal drama, book three of the Secrets to Keep series, tells the story of the last of three young women involved in the legal world.

Very well executed and written with an obvious knowledge of the law, this fictional story becomes very relatable and painful to read. Plus, a second trigger was lying in wait in the form of Cloe’s mom, as we see her fading in and out of reality with her early-onset dementia.

Putman shines a light on how easily abuse can occur between a minor and a trusted adult. Her character, Cloe, is a great example of a groomed victim who, because of age, trust in adults, and negative reaction when she tries to share bits of her story, stuffs it all inside. Without her once-beloved older sister, Ginny, who left fourteen years prior, and her mother’s dementia clouded mind, Cloe has learned to become an island onto herself.

Roadblocks occur when she attempts to bring her abuser to justice. Sometimes, Cloe herself is the issue. Sometimes it is others. Can 2nd year law student Dare help her file a complaint years after the event? What happens when the abuser is closer than Cloe is comfortable with? Will she use the community of friends and law resources around her, or will she quietly run away from her memories and hurt?

There’s hope in this story! I could keep reading, hard as it was to be confronted with truths and memories of the past, as I realized Cloe would fight not for herself but for the new crop of gymnasts. She is determined to make a difference. The hardest question keeps her going: “What if by not trying, by staying silent, we’ve all been complicit? We’ve all allowed him to continue his behavior because none of us have taken the risk of saying it has to stop?” Ooh. Rough. Time to take action!

While needing to stay unattached as her legal counsel, Dare realizes his attraction to this brave, strong-though-wounded young gym coach. He looks for ways to help, and prays for her. I loved this line…

“How was it possible that the man morphed more into her hero each time he showed up? It wasn’t so much big, heroic actions as the small, consistent moments of showing up again and again.” That’s how these two and their team hope to win at this terrible loop life has thrown them… start with the small steps, complete each task step by step, until they have solved this case and won. Unfortunately, a big twist occurs and the action becomes very urgent!

In summary, expect a very well-written read with potentially difficult subject matter. I wish there had been a trigger warning at the front of the book. But… knowing what kind of fiction this author writes, I did know she would show how God can bring good out of bad. That makes a hard story worth reading!

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

Notable Quotables:

“He couldn’t change her history, but he could create a different future.” (Dare)

“Remember that sometimes God simply asks us to take the next step. He rarely tells us every part of the journey that’s coming.” – Janae

“Before, this was about me and the past. Now, it’s about the present and protecting my girls, today’s gymnasts.” – Clie

“‘What could I do as a junior man on the team?’ ‘Speak up. Believe them. Validate their experience.’” – Dare, Cloe

“Life demanded a decision. Everyone else had to move on, even if she didn’t.” ( Cloe)

“She needed the possibility of more, even if she chose to stay. What she really wanted was the illusion of choice.” (Cloe)

“She knew her strength at one level, but at another level, she was still the girl who had allowed bad things to happen to her.” ( Cloe)

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Magnificent! For legal drama lovers, those who have endured abuse, or those who need to understand victims of abuse and how to help them.

Tour Givaway

(1) winner will receive a signed copy of The Targeted and $20 Amazon gift card!

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight May 20, 2026 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on May 27, 2026. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

Enter Giveaway

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

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

Shipwrecked Faith by Danielle Grandinetti Review and Giveaway

May 19, 2026 Babbling Becky L

Welcome to the Takeover + Review Blitz for Shipwrecked Faith by Danielle Grandinetti, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Shipwrecked Faith
Series: Dawning Sisters #1
Author: Danielle Grandinetti
Publisher: Ashberry Lane
Release Date: May 15, 2026
Genre: Historical Romance

Chicago, October 1929—Kellan O’Roark is running on borrowed time. After handing over his cousin’s incriminating bootlegging ledger to the police, he intends to vanish before the mobster exacts revenge. His destination: the SS Wisconsin, a steamer headed for Milwaukee, upon which he’s secured work despite his fear of the water.

But despite his pressing need for escape, Kellan faces obstacles while leaving Chicago—including one who may break open his heart. Sadie Dawning, desperate to return to her family’s Wisconsin farm and ailing father, escapes a kidnapping attempt at Chicago Union Station when Kellan steps in and offers to smuggle her aboard the Wisconsin. His decision turns nearly fatal when an autumn storm capsizes the ship.

Washed ashore, the pair arrive at Sadie’s family farm to find new storms brewing on land. While Kellan hides his past to continue evading his cousin, Sadie fights for her place among her sisters while the farm battles the beginnings of the Great Depression. Caught between duty, a dangerous past, and a budding love, Kellan and Sadie must rely on their newfound faith in each other and renewed faith in God to weather the growing storm.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | WhiteFire Publishing | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop

Also Available:

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About the Author

Danielle Grandinetti writes award-winning 1930s historical romance filled with mystery, suspense, and hope. She is a second-generation Italian-American rooted in Midwest traditions. Fueled by tea, books, and the creative beauty of nature, her stories explore love and belonging in hard times.Connect with Danielle by visiting daniellegrandinetti.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

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My Impressions

“She was a vulnerable, naive, beautiful soul. And he was a streetwise snitch of an orphan. Could someone like him take on the responsibility of getting someone like her home?”

Le Sigh! Instant love. Not the characters. Me for this book, Shipwrecked Faith, by Danielle Grandinetti. The first of a new series about a family of Irish immigrants, we find ourselves plunged into mystery and intrigue in the first sentence. What is Kellan O’Rourk up to? We quickly find out there is a betrayal going down, between Kellan and his older gangster cousin, Tiernan. “Family was complicated, yet family didn’t betray one another.” Especially not in October 1929 in crime-infested Chicago. Now, he must flee.

Our heroine, Sadie Dawning, has just received a telegram summoning her home from her city job. She is desperately needed to help care for the family farm and her near- death father.

As Sadie enters the Union Station to catch a train, she finds herself accosted by thugs. A stranger rescues her, then whisks her away through the streets of Chicago. Once they realize Sadie also needs a way home that no longer includes a train ticket, Kellan convinces Sadie to disguise herself and stow away with him on the SS Wisconsin. You’ll have to read the book to find out why that method of travel is the one Kellan is sure will keep Tiernan from discovering his whereabouts.

I want to research this shipwreck now. One hears much more about shipwrecks on Lake Superior than Lake Michigan, and it’s easy to forget that Michigan has also buried her boats and victims. How terrifying a time Kellan and Sadie have. Can Kellan keep his promise to Sadie to deliver her safely home? “‘I’ll get you home, Sadie. I promise.’ Determination laced his tone. ‘I have my own penance to observe.’” In throes of imminent death, Kellan considers the faith of his mother. “What was he thinking? How could he consider giving his new life to God? With his past, what good could he do?” But God is at work through Mr. Downing. He reminds Kellan, “God sees the heart, and there is always hope for mercy and grace when you put your faith in His son.”

I love the many layers of this story. The physical dangers of the lake. The running from the low-level gangster. The questioning of one’s past making one unacceptable to God. The sister rivalries. Ooch, one sister tries to shoulder all responsibility in her own way, another misinterprets her sister’s intentions and holds resentment. Plus, tries to solve the family’s problems her way. Yet, another feels unseen with the badly ailing father, the “favorite” daughter (as sisters view it), and the disastrous plans of another sister. Surely she is not needed. ( I hear fodder starting for more books! I love these foreshadowed hints!) And, still more trials to surface!

Mr. Downing, with his sickness, is a fave character as he works hard to be intentional with his daughters and now with Kellan. It’s as if he can see to Keegan’s soul. When Kellan dodges the question of what his intentions are for Sadie, he states they haven’t known each other long. While agreeing, Mr. Dawning sees what Kellan can’t- that trials also reveal character and feelings. “Love, the kind that makes a marriage, takes time and work to deepen. Trial—the type that leaves one’s wife unable to walk without crutches or a husband unable to take care of his family—it reveals what type of love is between you.”

I love everything that Danielle Grandinetti’s writes. Shipwrecked Faith is a great chance to get in on a new historical romantic suspense series at the beginning. Highly recommended!

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

Notable Quotables:

“The more friction and trial that love sees, the faster and hotter the love burns. It might not look pretty, but hard times can prove love that lasts. If you can place your faith in someone to love you when the world falls apart and it strengthens that bond, then you can trust them through anything.” – Mr. Dawning

“Nothing for it but to put one foot in front of the other. To trust God to work out the future while being faithful in the here and now.”

“The words worked themselves past his pride, cracking open a place in his heart he had never planned to unbury.” ( Kellan)

“He’d read her like a book, and she had no way to hide the truth from him.” (Sadie)

“He’d never been a hero before and, right now, he felt like one.” – (Kellan)

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Superior! I always exit a Grandinetti novel with deep satisfaction, but deep regrets that it’s over. Shipwrecked Faith continues in that wonderful tradition!

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Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a paperback copy of Shipwrecked Faith, paperback journal, and Danielle Grandinetti tote bag!

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight May 19, 2026 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on May 26, 2026. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

Enter Giveaway

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