Tag: Forgiveness

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The Courting of Miss Cady Review and Giveaway

Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: The Courting of Miss Cady (Aprons & Veils Book Five)

Author: Grace Hitchcock

Genre: Historical Romance

Release Date: October 24, 2025

He’s the man of her dreams—she just doesn’t know it yet.

New York socialite Jane Cady is the envy of the season, and the supposed love of Graham Bank’s life, until news arrives that her father’s last merchant ship has sunk, costing them everything. To avoid scandal, the family disappears to manage a hotel in Las Vegas, New Mexico. Determined to support her family, Jane sets aside her dream of marriage and joins her father in working for the Harvey House, as a waitress. But when her former fiancé strolls into the Castañeda Hotel, the weight of her sacrifice becomes all too real.

Rancher Wade Sterling is well acquainted with hard work and that Miss Jane is one of the hardest working Harvey Girls he’s ever met, besides his sister-in-law. When Jane faints on duty, Wade catches her and upon her awakening in his arms, her passionate kiss nearly knocks him off his feet. She begs him to play along and before he knows it, she tells some dandy that they are happily courting. Jane later begs Wade’s forgiveness, explaining it was an emergency as the man was her former fiancé and their relationship ended poorly. But, when the dandy stays in town, Wade finds himself in a fake courtship and in love with the woman of his dreams. He only needs to convince Jane that he is the man of hers.

The Courting of Miss Cady is a fake dating/forced proximity romance with all the sigh-worthy swoon, but no spice!

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Grace Hitchcock is the award-winning author of multiple historical novels and novellas, including the American Royalty, Best Laid Plans, and Aprons & Veils series. She holds a Master’s in Creative Writing and a Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in History. Grace lives in South Louisiana with her husband, Dakota, sons, and daughter in a farmhouse that is always filled with the sounds of sweet little footsteps running at full speed. When not writing, chasing her toddlers, or tending to her chickens and golden and labrador retrievers, she’s baking something delightful and can usually be found with a book clutched in her fist.

More from Grace

Q&A with GRACE HITCHCOCK

Tell us about your new book, The Courting of Miss Cady, in the Aprons & Veils series.

Grace: Thank you so much for having me here today! Book five of my Aprons & Veils series, The Courting of Miss Cady, is a fake-dating insta love romance featuring a jilted knickerbocker turned Harvey Girl! The last thing my heroine, Jane Cady, expects is to fake court a rugged rancher to save face. But as sparks fly and secrets resurface, her love might not be pretend after all!

This book is dear to my heart. I first wrote The Courting of Miss Cady in 2016 after I signed with my agent, Tamela Hancock Murray, when I was trying to break into the traditional publishing world and wrote it with only one POV. It wasn’t the novel that got me my first contract, and I eventually shelved it as I turned my attention to the series that did sell, but it has always been in the back of my mind as I wrote this Harvey Girls series and I knew that this book would be perfect for Jane Cady. I did a massive re-write on this story, given my style has changed over the past 9 years since I wrote it (deleting about 65% of the original work) and added the hero’s POV as well. When I got to know the hero, Wade, I knew his was a true love at first sight for Jane. I’ve always wanted to write an Insta Love and it fit perfectly with the characters.

Q: You mention tropes, what is your favorite trope to read? Which of your books have that trope?

Grace: To name a few, I love stories about marriage of convenience, fake dating, mail-order brides, runaway brides, alpha heroes, and enemies to lovers. In my books, I do have some of those tropes, but I adjust them to fit my story.

My Harvey Girl books by tropes:

Runaway Bride: The Finding of Miss Fairfield

Mail-Order Bride: The Pursuit of Miss Parish

Friends to Lovers/ Fake Dating: The Enchanting of Miss Elliot

Enemies-to-lovers/ Forced Proximity: The Vanishing of Miss Victoria

Insta Love/ Fake Dating: The Courting of Miss Cady

Q: Talk about your writing process, about how long does it take you, do you do all the research before you start writing?

Grace: I usually write the first draft for 8-10 weeks and edit (drafts 2-6) for 12 weeks! The first draft is my favorite!! All the creativity is flowing, and it is so, so fun to see that word count go up! I try not to write on the weekends, but occasionally when the deadline is getting too close, I will have to pull some long hours on the final weekends to get it completed.

With that said, I am writing away on a new super-secret series and have the first drafts of the first three books completed, which nevvver happens in my writing process. I like to finish each book before moving onto the next, but this new series is going to take more weaving of storylines so I needed to make sure I got to know the main characters across the series before editing book 1. A very different approach for me this time around, but it is working!

For the research part, I always start with research, highlight some wonderful “newly discovered” facts that sing to me, and use that as a pivotal part of my plot. Then, while I edit, I research as well to make sure that I don’t miss any historical details.

Q: In case the readers have not read your series yet, tell us who were the Harvey Girls.

Grace: Whenever I tell people I am writing about a Western Harvey Girl Romance, they usually assume the Harvey Girls are associated with an old-time saloon, but nothing could be further from the truth. In the 1890s, there were not many respectable jobs for women, so when Englishman Fred Harvey created his chain of fine dining restaurants along the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe railroads, single women without an education, or in need of earning their own way, were given a chance to earn an honest wage without the speculation that they offered anything else but food as a service. With Mr. Harvey’s strict rules about the waitress’s code of conduct, the women were given their independence while still maintaining their good name and place in society under the protective, fatherly arm of Fred Harvey. These extraordinary, brave women became known as the Harvey Girls, the ladies who tamed the Wild West with fine china, good pie, and exceptional service with complete propriety.

While Harvey Houses were built to serve the needs of the passengers on the rail to encourage tourism in the west, the railroad workers and local townsmen also dined at the restaurant, but usually at the lunch counter. At a time when men filled towns and women were scarce, inevitably, a railroad worker or townsman would express interest in marrying a Harvey Girl. In order to marry, she would need to fulfill her work contract or risk paying a fine of a month of salary. The fine was set in place to ensure that Fred Harvey would have enough workers and that he wouldn’t simply train a girl to have her shipped to a town of bachelors and leave him without a waitress.

As you can probably tell, such a set up sends an author’s head to spinning with all the romance that could come from a woman venturing out on her own in a land filled with cowboys, bandits, ranchers, and bounty hunters. The possibilities for romance are endless! There is so much more I could write about these fascinating ladies and their contributions to society, but I hope you enjoyed this taste of history on the Harvey Girls!

Q: Can you give us a sneak peek at the next book in the series, The Making of Miss Matthews, which is book 6 in the Aprons & Veils series?

Grace: The story follows a Harvey Girl that readers met in Book One! Dolly Matthews was originally a stinker, but I gave her a good character arc through the series and readers have been asking for her story. This will certainly explain the extraordinary why behind Dolly’s choices in earlier novels in the series and I am soooo excited to share her story that has a shocking twist that readers won’t see coming!

My Impressions

“Love is such a funny word—it can mean so many different things. For instance, I love chocolate and horse riding.”

So says Graham Bank, as he jilts Jane Cady in Grace Hitchcock’s The Courting of Miss Cady. Bk #4 of the Aprons and Veils series, Jane’s story stands on its own. After Jane’s father loses everything, her groom leaves her at the altar. Mr. Cady, once part of the Fortune 400, is forced to moved West and take a job as house manager at the Harvey House in Las Vegas, New Mexico. Because her family is in such dire straights, Jane goes from wealthy socialite to working girl at the Hotel Casteñeda. Ostracized by most of the Harvey Girls there, Jane struggles against their prejudices. To make matters worse, as she is serving a handsome cowboy one day, in walk her ex-fiancé and his best friend. What can Jane do, but grab said horse rancher/breeder and start kissing him? Thus begins her fake relationship with caring, loyal, and kind Wade Sterling, whose heart is made of gold. 

Wade knows he wants the relationship to be real very quickly, but there are so many obstacles in his way, most of them human. Some see him as competition, some as a prize, others as a business pawn. Can he rise above other people’s expectations to enjoy the freedom God has given him, and find a way to share that freedom with Jane?

Speaking of business pawns, Jane is just that in her father’s eyes. My heart hurt for hers as her father repeatedly puts her in untenable positions in order to better himself or the family.  (How thankful I was for a good earthly father at this point!) Jane has to move beyond her fears of being rejected by her father for her “disobedience“ to his directives.She begins to see her father does not accurately reflect God the Father, whose love is unearned. “Lord, thank You for reminding me that I am treasured, You love me and that, because of You, I have worth. Forgive me for placing my identity in my family’s wealth.”

Just as it seems God is working circumstances out for Jane and her cowboy, Jane’s father’s actions threaten to ruin everything yet again. I loved how Jane shows love to her parents, without feeling the need to obey questionable orders. She never washes her hands of her family, which would have been tempting! Through their egregious faults, Jane still is concerned  about their welfare. 

If you enjoy historical fiction, stories of the Harvey Girls,  the Gilded Age and the West, or horse-related novels, this book may be a treasure for you! 

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:

“Too long you have been relying on others for your future. My future begins now. The Lord is my father. With Him on my side, surely this will be a grand adventure worthy of Meg’s hopes for me.”  -Jane

“Is this what business is like? Kissing the rings of kings and hoping that they bestow upon you, a mere mortal trying to earn an honest wage, their favor?” ( Wade)

“Losing the family fortune is the best thing that has ever happened to me.” – Jane

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Magnificent! This series has been so fun. I enjoyed Jane’s story and can’t wait to see Dolly get her own!

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, June 3

Life on Chickadee Lane, June 3

Connie’s History Classroom , June 4

Devoted To Hope, June 5

Texas Book-aholic, June 6

Labor Not in Vain, June 7

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, June 8

For Him and My Family, June 9

Book Looks by Lisa, June 10

She Lives to Read, June 10

Melissa’s Bookshelf, June 11

Holly’s Book Corner, June 12

Vicky Sluiter, June 13

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, June 13

EmpowerMoms, June 14

Books You Can Feel Good About, June 15

Mary Hake, June 15

Sydney Schmied Books, June 16

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Grace is giving away  the grand prize of a $75 (+ Free Shipping) shopping spree on Grace’s Indie Bookstore!!

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

https://gleam.io/T9RHS/the-courting-of-miss-cady-celebration-tour-giveaway

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

Chase the Light by Suzanne Woods Fisher Review and Giveaway

Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: Chase the Light (National Parks Summers Book 2. It can be read as a stand alone.)

Author: Suzanne Woods Fisher

Genre: Contemporary

Release Date: May 5, 2026

When Acadia National Park ranger Scout Johnson discovers a weathered note near a remote lighthouse, she never imagines it will expose a century-old mystery. The cryptic message points to a forgotten shipwreck, a vanished treasure, and a lighthouse keeper’s suspicious death. Seeking answers, Scout enlists Naki Dana, a thoughtful man whose Penobscot heritage provides crucial insights. As they venture deeper into Acadia’s rugged wilderness, their unlikely partnership begins stirring feelings Scout didn’t expect to find. But they aren’t the only ones searching.

Chase Fletcher, a charming local journalist, sees this treasure hunt as his last opportunity to save his failing paper–and finds himself increasingly drawn to the ranger leading the search. With pressure mounting and loyalties tested, Scout must navigate a winding path between history and justice, truth and betrayal . . . and determine who–and what–deserves her trust.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Suzanne Woods Fisher is a bestselling author, Christy finalist, Carol and Selah winner, and two-time ECPA Book of the Year finalist, with over forty books to her name. She writes contemporary, historical and Amish novels. Suzanne lives in California with her husband, where life (and friends) inspire her stories.

More from Suzanne

If a trip to Acadia National Park isn’t already on your bucket list, it should be—and when you go, don’t miss warm popovers on the lawn at the iconic Jordan Pond House.

The Unofficial-but-Close-Enough Jordan Pond Popover Recipe*

Back in 1895, Nellie and Thomas McIntire bought a Maine farmhouse overlooking the clear waters of Jordan Pond. On their wide green lawn, they served tea and towering popovers to well-to-do summer travelers. In 1928, J. D. Rockefeller purchased the land and later donated it to Acadia National Park. The lawn remains. The view remains. And the popovers? Still iconic.

While the original recipe is famously guarded, this version comes deliciously close.

Makes 6–8 large popovers.

What You’ll Need

  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • Pinch of baking soda
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter

Let’s Make Them

  1. Start with a hot oven (and a hot pan).
    Preheat your oven to 425°–450°F. Place your popover pan (or a muffin tin) in the oven while it heats.
  2. Whisk the batter.
    Beat the eggs for about 2–3 minutes until slightly frothy. Slowly pour in the milk, then add the flour, salt, and baking soda. Mix just until combined. The batter should be smooth but not overworked.
  3. Fill the cups.
    Carefully remove the hot pan from the oven and grease it generously with butter or spray. Pour the batter into each cup, filling them about halfway to three-quarters full.
  4. Bake.
    Bake at 425°–450°F for 15 minutes. Then, without opening the oven door, reduce the temperature to 350°F and bake another 15–20 minutes. The high heat creates the lift; the lower heat helps them set inside.
  5. Resist the urge to peek.
    Do not open the oven door while they bake. The steam inside is what makes them puff and keeps them tall.

Serve immediately with plenty of butter and strawberry jam.

A Few Tips for Sky-High Popovers

  • Room temperature matters. Cold eggs or milk will slow the rise. Let them sit out a bit before mixing.
  • Heat is your friend. A properly preheated pan jump-starts the puff.
  • No peeking. Steam is everything here. Let the oven do its work.

*Recipe adapted from Weston Table.

My Impressions

“The best stories are the ones God unfolds in his perfect timing. It’s always best when we let God write our story.” 

Suzanne Woods Fisher. Another auto-buy       paperback for the trophy shelf author! While Chase the Light, a novel about Acadia National Park,  is a stand-alone, I would highly recommend reading book one first, as several relationship groundworks are set up. 

I love that Fisher includes a list of characters in the front of the book and a description of each. With a year between books, the reminder of who’s who is helpful. We see returning characters like Chief Ranger Tim Wilson, his manipulative 15 yr-old-granddaughter Maisie, clueless 18 yr-old Frankie, and a few tertiary characters who momentarily step up for short, but notable contributions. We are also re-introduced to FMC Scout Johnson, a dedicated park ranger who has worked her way up to her dream job, interpretive ranger in Acadia National Park. 

Frankie and Maisie with their self-absorbed, centrisic attitudes cause quite a ton of problems. But they also step forward to become central secondary characters. They add so much color to the story, instigating (by carelessness!) the discovery of the 170-year-old park secret. 

At first, I was #TeamChase. He seemed like a very nice man, good looking, church -going, newspaper owner, passionate about his work, and fun to be around. Good match for Scout, right? (Oh, did I say Frankie is clueless? Chase can be, too! He sure doesn’t read relationships well! Sometimes, I was left just shaking my head at his interpretation of events!!)

But, as the story went on, another man, Wananaki Dana, a Penobscot Native American policy maker whose side passion is Maine shipwrecks caught my eye (and Scout’s).  A fun line inserted repeatedly- “Naki will do.” His passion is to help his people out of generational poverty, alcoholism, lack of education, and other issues that plague a people forced onto a reservation. And does he understand Acadia National Parks! He just might be a tad bit tall and a tad bit swoony, too! But as Chase’s mother once communicated to him, “…a person’s looks became subjective the moment you got to know them. They grew more attractive, or less.” Which man, by his very different choices in the difficult circumstances that arise following the lighthouse discovery, will end up showing a solid character?

With themes such as family relationships, forgiveness, moral character choices, found family, second chances, and even maturation, this novel is a must read. Great for National park lovers, Maine lovers, shipwreck lovers, those who love to see how choices can make or break a character. Plus, the mystery, the romance, the faith. Nearly something for everyone in an easy-flowing readable style! Pretty sure this one will be pulled for a re-read!!

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

Notable Quotables:

“A family is like a big house. Each person peers into it from a different window and sees a different view.” – Naki

“…it dawned on her that she might be guilty of projecting that same disappointment onto God. Not entirely trustworthy. Not dependable when it really mattered. She’d never put it into words before, but now it sat in her mind like a truth she couldn’t ignore. That wasn’t the right way to think about God. He’d been there, all along.” -(Scout)

“‘On the truth that the ultimate unity is the body of Christ. If we could only see people through God’s eyes, we would be the model of what the world is desperately longing for.’His gaze moved to the sea in front of them.  ‘I wish my people could understand that God made them the way they are for a purpose.’” – Naki

“Forgiveness and trust shouldn’t be confused.” – Naki

“Coincidences weren’t something she believed in—not in her job, not in her life. God had his plans, and while they might be mysterious, they were never accidental.” – (Scout)

“His faith steadied him, a constant reminder that he didn’t need to have it all mapped out—only to take the next step.”

-(Tim Rivers)

“To turn a beacon of safety into a tool for destruction—it felt like a betrayal, not just of duty, but of something deeper.” -( Scout)

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Superior!!

I foresee myself pulling this book out for a reread! Sooo good!!

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, May 16

Lyssa Loves Books, May 16

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 17

Texas Book-aholic, May 18

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, May 19

The Avid Reader, May 19

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, May 20

Lakesidelivingsite, May 20

For Him and My Family, May 21

Holly’s Book Corner, May 21

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 22

EmpowerMoms, May 23

Pause for Tales, May 23

Blogging With Carol, May 24

Lily’s Corner, May 25

Devoted To Hope, May 25

She Lives to Read, May 26

Life on Chickadee Lane, May 27

Cover Lover Book Review, May 27

Simple Harvest Reads, May 28 (Guest Review from Donna)

Lights in a Dark World, May 28

Wishful Endings, May 29

Mary Hake, May 29

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Suzanne 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/f01pi/chase-the-light-celebration-tour-giveaway

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

Shipwrecked Faith by Danielle Grandinetti Review and Giveaway

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!

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

The Schoolmarm and the Miner by Denise Weimer Review and Giveaway

Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: The Schoolmarm and the Miner

Author: Denise Farnsworth writing as Denise Weimer

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: May 5, 2026

A teacher seeking independence. A widower guarding his heart. In Georgia’s gold country, the richest prize may be the love they’re afraid to claim.

Adelaide Duncan’s dream of teaching is within reach until her father’s drinking and gambling force her to start over. Taking a position in the rough-and-tumble gold rush town of Dahlonega[DF1] , she’s determined to prove herself. But unruly students, strict rules against [DF2] teachers courting, and her growing feelings for a certain widowed father threaten the independence she’s fought so hard to claim.

Wade Coulter walked away from the law after he lost his wife and unborn son. Raising his daughter alone is safer than letting anyone else in. But Lotty’s beautiful new teacher makes him question everything. Just as he begins to trust again, a dangerous man from Wade’s past threatens both the women he loves.

A gold strike on Wade’s property promises security…but also revives old dangers. Scarred by her father’s choices, Addie fears any man who might put [DF3] selfish desires before love. As deadly threats close in and the past refuses to stay buried, Wade must prove he’s changed or risk losing his chance at happiness forever.

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

At the end of book one of my Twenty-Niners of the Georgia Gold Rush series, The Songbird and the Surveyor, the bad guy walked free! Saloon and mine owner Charles Martin’s manipulative plotting and family money spared him from facing justice. Well, we can’t have that…

Wade Coulter, the sheriff whose sister died in a confrontation with Charles, turned in his badge after the man avoided standing trial for kidnapping the wife of Jesse Holden (the hero of book one) and his theft of a local mine owner’s gold. Jesse and Genny left North Georgia for a fresh start, but Wade gets stuck with the burden of failure and—following the deaths of his wife and unborn son—heartache. He’s retreated to his mountain farm with his plucky overall-wearing daughter, Charlotte, determined to keep her safe from the criminals who frequent gold rush boomtowns like the county seat of Dahlonega.

But then a new teacher arrives…one who is also fleeing heartache in hopes of a fresh start. Forced by the mistakes of her drunken father to seek employment in the gold fields rather than at the prestigious girls’ academy from which she just graduated, Adelaide Duncan has no other choice than to make her way in Dahlonega. If that means doing battle with thieves on the square, a pompous school board president, and bullies as big as she is, fine.

The one battle she doesn’t count on is keeping her heart safe from a moody widower who needs convincing by Addie and his aunt, the owner of the boardinghouse where Addie lodges, that his mannerless daughter desperately needs to attend school. It soon enough becomes clear that, despite her guardedness, Lottie longs for a mother’s love. Just when the discovery of gold on Wade’s land allows him to picture a family in his future, an old nemesis shows up with a new scheme…one that once again endangers the women Wade loves.

The Schoolmarm and the Miner packs humor, romance, action, and all your favorite tropes into a real-life town setting so charming, it’s a Hallmark movie-filming destination. After you read the story, you’ll want to plan a road trip to tour the gold museum in the historic courthouse and the drippy tunnels of the Consolidated Gold Mine, one of many that operated in Lumpkin County from the 1830s through the early 1900s. As you wander the North Georgia mountains, you’ll see why I’ve long felt there’s still plenty of treasure there. And fodder for great stories!

My Impressions

“Education holds the key to everything, especially for women.”

Denise Farnsworth, formerly Weimer, has penned a great conclusion to the Twenty-niners of the Gold Rush series. The Schoolmarm and the Miner is a historical fiction novel packed with historical vignettes woven together with faith and a bit of imagination to bring this little-known time to life. I feel I have a much clearer picture of life just before the Trail of Tears due to this series and what precipitated that tragic event, as well as the wildness and greed of many of the new settlers. 

Addie Duncan, a brand new teacher, has to settle for a job in 1839 in the rough gold mining town of Dahlonega, GA. Her father’s actions remove any better choices. The headmistress of the school where she had hoped to be employed tells her, “…I’ve always found that when God closes a door, He always opens a window.” Addie reluctantly moves to the outlying town, thankful that a hopeful suitor, Micah Garrison, is also moving there to work in the mine’s offices. 

Surprises galore await Addie. She does not expect to have to campaign with the school board for the job. She does not expect a bully for a school board president, nor students who will challenge her sanity and safety, let alone her ability to teach. And she certainly does not expect to fall for a struggling widowed farmer with a young daughter who needs to be in school, but has never been apart from daddy. 

Can you sense a perfect storm brewing? I admired Addie for her courage, her tenacity to continue as a teacher despite the difficulties thrust upon her, her creativity, and her love for the students. As the book progressed, there are even more reasons to love her that I can’t give away because spoilers! 

Just like intended, I was not Team Micah. I was Team Wade. But Wade is like the gold many are searching for. He needs some refining before he can be his best. His past has made him bitter, seeking revenge. Wade is also overprotective of his daughter and possibly not seeing her in all of her needs. Yikes! Problems are coming!

“Let’s just say things are not always as they seem.” Micah, discussing his new job with Addie. To muddy the waters, Micah shows up to confuse Addie’s loyalties and to make it appear he has a claim on Addie. 

My fave character? Aunt Grace. She lives up to her name, taking Addie under her wing as soon as she meets her. She provides company, wisdom, and help with dealing with a determined six-year-old. Plus, she is self-sacrificing. 

I was holding my breath as this story rose to its climax. I suggest getting your hands on this series and reading all three in order, because of the timeline involved. Recommended for historical fiction fans, fans of American history, and those who want to understand events surrounding the Trail of Tears. 

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

Notable Quotables:

“At least a real education lets women know they should have choices. And it opens up a few options to those who don’t wish to marry. Or who do marry but find themselves on their own later in life.”

“He needed lasting change, though. He needed lasting change, though. He needed to deal with the root cause—unforgiveness. He’d started praying about that, but it was a work in progress.”

“You ask the impossible.” “No. With God, all things are possible. But not all things are permissible.” She tightened her fingers around his neck as if to emphasize her point. “I won’t live with a man eaten up with bitterness.”– Wade, Addie

“I think we should appeal to that good quality in her nature and flip the narrative. Instead of her needing us, show how we need her.” – Addie

“I’m saying the hurt may not have healed yet, and in her mind, anything that makes her feel it must be avoided.” – Addie

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Superior! I am a follower of Denise Weimer (now Denise Farnsworth)’s stories about historic settings in our country. This novel needed to be told to wrap up events of the previous books.

Blog Stops

Fiction Book Lover, May 12 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 12

Texas Book-aholic, May 13

For Him and My Family, May 14

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, May 15

Lakesidelivingsite , May 15

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 16

Devoted To Hope, May 17

Jeanette’s Thoughts, May 18

Books You Can Feel Good About, May 19

Connie’s History Classroom, May 20

Simple Harvest Reads, May 21 (Guest Review from Donna)

Holly’s Book Corner, May 22

Cover Lover Book Review, May 23

Pause for Tales, May 24

Lyssa Loves Books, May 25

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/DSQoC/the-schoolmarm-and-the-miner-celebration-tour-giveaway

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

Miss Beth Bettencourt Review and Giveaway

Babbling Becky L

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for Miss Beth Bettencourt by Eva Marie Everson, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Miss Beth Bettencourt
Author: Eva Marie Everson
Publisher: Kregel
Release Date: May 12, 2026
Genre: Southern Fiction/Christian Fiction

Will an unlikely romance tear down Beth’s walls of indifference?

It’s 1962 in Bynum, Georgia, and Beth Bettencourt’s world is turned upside down when she wakes to a man snoring in the guest bedroom.

She’s home alone; her parents are traveling abroad, grieving her twin sister’s unexpected death. Instead of accompanying them, Beth stayed in Bynum to tend to her kindergarten and closely guard her own heart.

A beautiful and beloved member of the community, Beth is an unusual specimen for her time as she nears thirty and remains unmarried. She holds deep-seated unforgiveness toward her twin, Elise, who ran off with Beth’s beau. To make matters worse, Elise took their grandmother’s ring, which had been promised to Beth.

But now a stranger enters her home and her world. David Patrick Martin seems ready to break down her walls of indifference and find the core of Miss Beth Bettencourt. But can he be trusted with Beth’s past, her present, and more importantly, her future?

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Kregel Publications | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | ChristianBook | Bookshop | BookBub

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About the Author

Eva Marie Everson is a bestselling, multi-award-winning author of nearly 50 works of fiction and nonfiction. Collectively, her novels have sold over 300,000 copies. She is the CEO of Word Weavers International, the director of Florida Christian Writers Conference, and a popular speaker at writers conferences across the nation. Eva Marie is a double magna cum laude graduate of Andersonville Theological Seminary (Associate of Biblical Studies and Bachelor of Biblical Exposition) and of Tzemach Institute (a two-year program in Biblical Studies). In 2022, she was awarded the Yvonne Lehman Legacy Award and presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by AWSA (Advanced Writers and Speakers Association). She and her husband live in Central Florida where they enjoy their children and grandchildren. They are owned by a Norwegian Forest cat named Vanessa.Connect with Eva Marie by visiting evamarieeversonauthor.com to follow her on social media and subscribe to email updates.

My Impressions

“Lord, what have I done? I prayed, hoping God could hear me over my heart’s pounding. What in the Sam Hill had I done?”

Why is this line appropriate for the teaser quote of Eva Marie Everson’s Miss Beth Bettencourt (a Bynum, Georgia Novel)? While this desperate utterance is voiced by only one character, I can truly imagine at least three other characters crying this plea out to God!

I enjoyed returning to the 1960s South for this character-driven story. Having spent part of my childhood in the 60s, I enjoyed the references to familiar items and customs of the past. Beth Bettencourt is the single daughter of a well-to-do couple who is traveling in Europe. They leave her home with the maid, Molly, who is more like family than hired help. The story starts when Beth finds a strange man, obviously fresh out of the army, snoring in her family’s guest bedroom. 

Steady, dependable, quiet Beth surprises even herself when she defends the midnight vagabond and offers him a part-time job and a place to stay on her property. 

Told in first person present pov, the chapters alternate between narrators Beth and Marty with a few inserts from Molly. Beth has one man who would give his eye teeth to be her sweetheart. Another who we eventually discover hurt her in ways we’re not sure she’ll ever decide to forgive and recover from. “‘Learning to let go … that’s the best thing you can ever do.’ He scooted up again. ‘But there will be times when the old hurts will rise again.’…”So what do you do when those old hurts return?”… “‘Give them to God.’ He looked over his shoulder at me to offer another smile. ‘The only thing you can do. Ask him to take them, and he will.’” And those wise words come from yet the third, a mystery man who Beth slowly gets to know.

Besides loving the two main characters of Beth and Marty, I also love Molly, who loves Beth like her own and has very wise advice. Plus a few people we never meet, Uncle Gene, who is so kind, a great listener, and from whom Marry learns how to draw out people’s inmost thoughts. Also, I felt a special need to meet Marty’s mother, because of the great love and respect he carries for her. 

I never saw the twist coming, though I should know by now, every book seems to have at least one! This is the first book I remember reading by Eva Marie Everson, and I am very impressed! I’ll be following her and her books from now on! If you like historical fiction with very relatable characters, a bit flawed and emotionally floundering, you may love this book! 

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

Notable Quotables:

“You just finally figured out what it is you really want out of life.” “And what’s that?” “To be loved. To love back. Isn’t that all any of us really want?”– Marty

“after believing the lie long enough, it had become fact.”

“The road is crooked at times, but the Good Book says that God will straighten those paths out for us. If we let him.” – Uncle Gene

“I couldn’t go on like this, carrying this hate. This anger and bitterness. This … fear.” – Beth

“Why do all the bad things happen at night?” – Beth

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This story refuses to be hurried. I was all in, swept along in the meandering tide that is slow, Southern life. I was nearly broken before it reached its surprising destination. Don’t miss this gem!

Tour

Giveaway

(5) winners will each receive a copy of Miss Beth Bettencourt (winner’s choice between ebook or print), Southern recipes, a Miss Beth Bettencourt bookmark, and a $10 Amazon gift card!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight May 11, 2026 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on May 18, 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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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

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

The Escape Game by Gina Holder Review and Giveaway

Babbling Becky L

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for The Escape Game by Gina Holder, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: The Escape Game
Series: The Game Masters
Author: Gina Holder
Publisher: Scrivenings Press
Release Date: May 5, 2026
Genre: Romantic Suspense

Twenty years ago, the world’s leading enigmatologist disappeared, leaving behind a cipher no one could solve… not without his journal.

Puzzle shop owner Demi Kayne has spent twenty years hoping her father would return home. When she discovers his hidden journal, she finally uncovers the clue she’s been waiting for—but it leads somewhere far more dangerous than she imagined.

Liam Shepherd, a missionary and escape-room enthusiast, is searching for answers of his own. His sister has vanished without a trace, and the trail of clues leads him straight to Demi—and the secrets hidden in her father’s journal.

Their search brings them to the eerie Ives Mansion, where its brilliant and reclusive owner has designed a deadly challenge. Once inside, Demi and Liam realize they’re no longer guests.

They’re players.

Trapped inside a twisted real-life mystery game, they must solve a series of lethal riddles before time runs out. Each puzzle brings them closer to the truth about Demi’s missing father and Liam’s sister —but also deeper into a carefully crafted game where the stakes are far higher than they’re ready to face.

With the clock ticking and lives hanging in the balance, Demi and Liam must confront their fears, their pasts, and the faith that may be their only hope of escape.

In this gripping Christian suspense novel, every clue matters—and every mistake could be fatal.

Can Demi and Liam solve the final puzzle before the game ends…or will the escape room become their tomb?

Perfect for fans of Lynette Eason, Dani Pettrey, and Irene Hannon who enjoy puzzle-driven Christian suspense filled with danger, secrets, and faith under fire.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

More in This Series

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About the Author

Gina Holder is a Christian award-winning author of romantic suspense and cozy mysteries filled with faith, intrigue, danger, romance, and epic twists you’ll never see coming.

She’s had an infatuation with books for as long as she can remember. She loves sharing uplifting messages from God’s Word and introducing readers to new and new-to-them authors on her blog. When she’s not writing, Gina enjoys playing the piano, cooking, reading, watching Hallmark mysteries, and solving “escape room” puzzles. She loves growing in her craft as an author.

She published her debut novel, Whither Shall I Go, in 2017, marking the beginning of her writing career. Her works often weave themes of faith, redemption, and forgiveness, aiming to inspire readers with uplifting messages rooted in Biblical principles.

Gina is also an active member of the Christian readers and writers community and is involved in the writing community through her blog, where she shares insights, interviews, and book reviews.

Her first traditionally published novel released in June 2025 with Scrivenings Press LLC, after winning their “”GetPubbed”” contest’s grand prize.

Gina lives in Wyoming with her husband and daughter.

Connect with Gina by visiting storiesbygina.com to follow her on social media and subscribe to email updates.

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My Impressions

“Something in his gut warned this would be unlike anything he’d ever faced before. Were they up to the challenge?”

Whew! I am never going to be able to do another escape room! The Escape Game, bk 2 of The Game Masters series, by Gina Holder, kept me spellbound and enthralled.  This gripping, romantic suspense novel of chilling proportions stands well on its own. I had not read the first book, but now, of course, it’s on my TBR pile!

I was reminded of a Shakespearean tragedy set in current times as I read through this nail-biting suspense. Poor grown-up Demi, puzzle solver extraordinaire with an IQ off the charts, desperately seeking the love and affirmation that she missed all her life. Her father disappears when she is younger, and she feels abandoned by any who may get close to her. Her intelligence level and social awkwardness allow her few friends. Then her best friend, Maddie, gives her unsettling news. As she meets Liam, a daring missionary and escape room solver expert, she develops a tenuous bond as they search for his sister. Yet, she realizes as their dangerous search of an unknown real-life escape experience escalates, Liam, too, has future plans that don’t include her, should they be so fortunate to escape alive. 

“Trust—the word hit like a gut punch. It hurt to trust—people always let her down. Abandoned her when she needed them.”

Liam is great, noble, selfless, brave, daring, and handsome young man who is frantically searching for his missing sister.  Joining forces with Demi, the two form an attraction which Liam realizes will not last, given Demi’s lack of true belief in God. He shares his faith with Demi whenever he can, but Demi has learned to protect her heart and believes her intellect and self-sufficiency will eventually save her. 

There are some great twists involved in the story, that threaten to rewrite the narrative. A great look into different kinds of relationships and how they affect the human behavior. And how God is willing to step in and re-direct our stories, forgiving the unthinkable, IF we will let him!

Don’t miss this book!! I know I won’t miss another of Gina Holder’s in this series!

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

Notable Quotables:

“This was not the lost-and-found box. These were trophies. And someone was still collecting.”

“You can’t win by playing smarter. You need a Savior, not a strategy.”

“Pride is the monster; humility is the key.”

“My IQ would make Einstein jealous.”

“The eagle does not fight the snake on the ground. It changes the battlefield.”

“Because forgiveness doesn’t mean pretending it didn’t hurt.”

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Superior!! If you’ve never read this author’s romantic suspense, push her books to the top of your list!! Pronto!!

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Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a $50 gift card and a copy of The Escape Game (eBook or paperback, Winner’s Choice)!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight May 5, 2026 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on May 12, 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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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

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

The Bookshop of 99 Doors by Jaime Jo Wright Review

Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Title: The Bookshop of 99 Doors

Author: Jaime Jo Wright

Publisher: Bethany House Publishers

Released: April 7, 2026

Genre: Christian Mystery & Suspense

The manor’s rumored one-hundredth door may conceal secrets hidden as deep as the estate’s bookshelves extend high . . . but the haunted past has a way of ensnaring curious souls. 

In 1888, Minnie Tipton finds herself beset by the dark superstitions that envelop the Pennsylvania mansion her father bought. Convinced the vengeful spirit of a Civil War captain haunts the house and worried by her father’s rapidly worsening illness, Minnie delves into the home’s fraught past in an effort to bring him peace. Yet the lingering impact of the war and the gruesome tale of murder she uncovers only foster more fear and threaten to unravel Minnie’s own sanity.

In the present day, Triss Bellamy eagerly steps into the role of bookshop manager in the mansion-turned-museum boasting ninety-nine doors. But Triss’s dream job turns into a nightmare when havoc breaks loose with the arrival of her brother’s team of self-proclaimed paranormal investigators. Their determination to find a rumored one-hundredth door–a dangerous portal to the madness long said to plague the mansion–results in calamity, leaving Triss no choice but to hunt down the truth or watch her brother slip forever beyond her reach.

An atmospheric dual-time Gothic suspense masterfully penned by acclaimed author Jaime Jo Wright with themes of a Civil War-era ghost, a possible hidden door, and unexplained mysteries at a historic mansion’s bookshop with a troubled past.

Get your copy here!

https://a.co/d/05g3nBdD

About the Author

Jaime Jo Wright, multi award-winning author–including the Christy and Daphne du Maurier awards–is a coffee-fueled and cat-fancier extraordinaire. She has entwined her life with the legendary Captain Hook, residing serenely in Wisconsin’s rural woodlands. Her literary vocation involves penning chilling Gothic tales, a baffling change from that of Austenites, with a strong preference to the master of dark, Edgar Allan Poe. Two mischievous urchins adorn their family, who keep their mother on her toes – providing an exhilarating amount chaos.

Visit her at: http://www.jaimewrightbooks.com and listen to her podcast MadLit Musings on your favorite podcast player or at http://www.madlitmusings.com

My Impressions

 “I learned to be afraid. That was the way of it. I thought Papa and I would create a new life with new memories. Instead, we entered a nightmare.”

Every sentence of The Bookshop of 99 Doors makes me feel more like I am creeping down a drafty, moldy, critter- infested staircase leading to a forbidden tunnel, unable to stop myself. Jaime Jo Wright is a master of creating spooky atmospheres, and her words suck me in, daring  and enticing me to proceed with the story. 

I enjoy trying to piece together the puzzles that Wright presents in this dual timeline ( because, to me, a dual timeline is like a puzzle, with the author feeding you a piece or two at a time). I have yet to   figure out one of the total mysteries that Wright lays out, but it sure is intriguing to try! I was curious enough to check out her Pinterest boards for help in imagining the characters as she envisioned them. 

In the historical story, Wright transports us to Ambrose Fields, PA in 1888. Spinster Minnie Tipton and her slightly deranged father move to an new home, a mansion that is purported to be haunted by Civil War-era ghosts. Minnie struggles to manage her father’s reputation and her standing as new mistress of the home. She also battles the rumors of a massacre and ghosts in the home, a secret 100th door, and a vagabond ne’er-do-well who begins hanging around. Who has the truth and who will tell it? 

In the present day, Triss Bellamy has secured a new job as bookshop manager for the museum that was Ambrose Fields. He own phantoms from the past rise to pursue her when her brother, Casper, and his best friend, Beck Monroe, show up to film an episode of Haunted Frequencies. Strange things begin to happen. In the mansion and to Casper, team lead. The same rumors from over a century ago surface, and the race is on to find the 100th door. Will finding it bring closure to the eerie, frightening events and healing for Casper, or will its discovery unleash even more evil and chaos? And of course, how will the two storylines be woven together into one connected cord? 

I wasn’t sure what to make of most of the the characters. Did each belong on the villain or the hero side? Often, I just couldn’t determine the truth. I loved that Dexter, whatever the truth about his survival was, exhorts Minnie to look for the truth. He urges her to turn to God. “…give Him your full attention. Because when you have nothing left…He is all you can rely on.” 

What a great story, traversing from eerily spooky to nearly supernatural (not in good way) to faith and logic, showing God’s Power over events and hearts.  And I love the great twists! I liked how Wright shows we don’t have to leave others behind in our pursuit of Truth, even though they may not be at the same stage we are. Probably my biggest takeaway from this story. 

I received a copy of the book from publisher via Netgalley. I also bought my own pb copy for my “trophy shelf.” No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own. 

Notable Quotables:

“A door is just an opening. It is what comes through the door that I don’t trust. Whether it goes inside or comes out. Whether spirit or real.” – Dexter

“ It’s the Door!… We need to close the door!! The 100th door!!” – Birdie

“…emotions could be wicked and unreliable. They doomed a person to shame, to assumptions larger than life, and to grief that overtook you. Emotions were not something to be followed or even believed. Emotions led one astray from the truth, from what was right and what was real. They betrayed you. They betrayed others. Just like Mama had betrayed Papa.” – (Minnie)

“…how one views God influences how they view those who have wronged them.” – Dexter

“Perhaps she was truly afraid of four things. The unknown, the unseen, the unexplainable, and the uncontrollable.”– (Minnie)

“If anyone knew anything about paranormal investigating, it was that spirits weren’t always friendly—and they weren’t always the spirits of the dead. Sometimes they were darker, more dangerous, and they could make people sick.” – (Triss)

“He’d have to choose between his life as he now lived it or follow her on her quest to find peace in someone greater. God. Not a god or all things being god, but the God. The Creator.” (Beck) 

“If fear took human form, it would be a ghoulish creature.”- Victor Barringsworth, Esq.

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Superior!! I love this book. Like almost all of Wright’s books, it delivers thrills and chills as it travels from eerily spooky to nearly supernatural (not in good way) to faith and logic, showing God’s Power over events and hearts! Bravo, Ms. Wright!

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

Fires of Injustice by Kendy Pearson Review and Giveaway

Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: Fires Of Injustice

Author: Kendy Pearson

Genre: Christian Historical Fiction

Release Date: April 15, 2026

She is fighting for the innocent.

 He is fighting for a second chance.

Yakira Mitchell has spent her life rescuing the forgotten from the clutches of exploitation and dreams of one day opening her own mission home for Chinese girls. But that dream is hard fought when she becomes a lightning rod for trouble as anti-Chinese mobs protest, and towns expel immigrants in “peaceful” purges across the West. Her heart is to build a home for the broken, but as revelations about her past erupt, the truth threatens to crumble her own foundation.

Attorney Grant Campbell, the boy who once held Yakira’s heart, returns to San Francisco after a long absence to make amends and seek forgiveness. He is determined to defend Chinese immigrants and to reconcile with his family and Yakira. But as old feelings flare—so do old wounds.

As flames of injustice consume communities, violence rages, and lives hang in the balance. Yakira must face the truth of who she really is—and who God has called her to be. In the ashes of hatred, Yakira and Grant both discover a love stronger than fear and a purpose forged in fire.

A story of resilience, redemption, and love, FIRES OF INJUSTICE blazes with the courage of those who dared to stand against the darkness.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Kendy Pearson is a musician and veteran high school teacher who loves to discover a pocket of American history missing from the schoolbooks and turn that pocket inside out. Her novels lead fictitious characters through historical events and settings, engaging with period personalities. And she always includes a romantic thread to warm the heart. Every story is a journey through tragedy, secrets, regrets, and God’s undeniable grace.

She is the author of the award-winning series, West Virginia: Born of Rebellion’s Storm. When she finally gets away from her computer, she relishes ice cream, snowy days, fireplaces, and maple trees. Kendy is the mother of four grown children and lives with her sweet hubby and two amusing miniature dachshunds.

More from Kendy

I just love discovering fascinating new pockets of history. For years I taught high school history, and I realize there is a lot of valuable information that didn’t make it into the curriculum. One of those little history pockets spurred the idea for Fires of Injustice.

I grew up in the Midwest learning about Jesse James, the Plains Indian Wars, frontier violence, the Civil War, the Great Depression, and all things Missouri and Mississippi River. Boy, did I get an education when I moved to the West Coast! The first time someone mentioned “Chinese Underground,” I had to find out more.

Six years ago in Pendleton, Oregon, I first learned about America’s Forgotten War and the expulsions that occurred along the West Coast. I knew thousands of Chinese laborers built the western half of the Transcontinental Railroad. But I didn’t know 300,000 Chinese immigrants came to America between 1852 and 1888. Drawn first by gold, then by opportunities in mining, agriculture, manufacturing, and the service trades.

And the girls came. “Go‑away girls” were daughters of impoverished families in southern China. Families sent or sold these girls into domestic servitude or, tragically, into trafficking networks that reached as far as America.

What began as the exploitation of vulnerable Chinese girls and laborers soon hardened into a wider climate of fear and resentment. That same prejudice—left unchecked—grew into the mob violence and expulsions that later tore entire communities apart.

This was a dark chapter in American history. But there were those who cared about these girls and wanted to protect them at all costs. A story of resilience, redemption, and love, FIRES OF INJUSTICE blazes with the courage of those who dared to stand against that darkness.

My Impressions

“…you would see that people are people everywhere, regardless of how they look or what they do or from whence they’ve come.” – Yakira

Wow!! Fires of Injustice by Kendy Pearson will light a fire of emotions in your soul. Fire can be a very positive thing, as it motivates one to action. Emotions will blaze high as you read this book. They did for me, both positive and negative. Pearson’s book certainly makes one think about the grave unfairness and injustice of the Chinese expulsions in our country. I could feel the anger and helplessness of Avery, Yakira, Grant, Azalea, and Lara. How I wish we could go back and have a redo at history! 

Fire can make one uncomfortable. And so this book made me uncomfortable, grappling with my emotions. I did feel there were strong inferences to the treatment of immigrants today. The book  seemed designed to point out comparisons between then and our country’s issues with immigrants today. I truly get that we don’t want to repeat history!  I most definitely agree unkindness, hatred, and torture is never right, and cannot be tolerated. What I didn’t like was that the book seemed to emphasize and almost lump all Caucasians together in the horrible atrocities and attitudes, until I was ashamed of being part of that race. I’m not sure that is helpful. But perhaps, Kira and Grant felt that way as well? I will admit, the topic got so heavy, I had to put aside the book for lighter fare for awhile. 

When I returned to Fires of Injustice, I came back realizing that eventually Hope would break through the darkness, because the novel is billed as a story of “resilience, redemption, love.” As I began to look for that Hope, I began to see it emerging, even amid the ashes of the bitter reality of history. I was glad to see a few strong people take up the mantle of faith and to continue to support those in desperate need!  It was amazing to see how hard people like Yakira’s father, Avery, and her aunt, Lara, both Scottish immigrants, worked to help protect the Chinese. And Yakira with her great, burning desire to help Chinese women out of human slavery. As I rehash the story in my mind, I begin to see sparks of Hope in different people, not particularly major characters, throughout the story, that God brings into Kira’s and Grant’s lives. I also began to see how, just perhaps, I can stand against what may be atrocities today without totally giving a free ride to all of any race, just because they are immigrants. 

I was grieved to see some people, pillars in the church, community, or government, determined to do extreme evil to people because they look , speak, and act differently than them! And the sad thing is, that good, churchgoing people turn cruel and malicious as they get caught up in the emotions of the crowd. I read this through many tears. I wanted to pray for the wicked to be stopped and the abused to be saved! 

One aspect I loved about the book. Frequently, when faced with hard decisions, the reply comes back, “We must pray, seek wisdom.” How many times do we fail to pray, or to pray in faith, believing?

So many story threads here. Yakira has been adopted by her parents as they fled China years before. Her cousin, Azalea, is also adopted. But only one girl knows the truth of her parentage. While Yakira has always held her cousin Grant as special in her heart, he loses that respect when he abandons the families when he turns sixteen. Yakira and her widower father work alongside widowed Aunt Lara in ministering to the Chinese in California. Grant had actually secured a job in a similar vein, working as an attorney for Six Companies, representing the Chinese for them. But will Six Companies truly keep the Chinese individual’s interests first? Can Grant ever attempt a return to the family he abandoned in their hour of need? God does give Grant a special, surprising blessing and help! More tension and mystery to the story! Will Yakira ever get the desires of her heart, to run a successful rescue home for s*x trafficked Chinese women who want to escape, plus a love of her own? 

Don’t miss this historical book that will bring to light history that you may never have been taught. It will definitely cause you to evaluate how you think, treat, and support others in desperate need! 

Notable Quotables:

“You are my laotong—we are sworn sisters for life.” – cousin Azalea

“What if God’s plan simply looked different from what she’d always imagined?”

“Curiosity never trumped a person’s right to privacy.”

“God knows your heart, son. ‘Tis what’s important. Turn it always toward Him, and no matter what others see, He will use you.” – Grant’s Mither

“This Home, nae, this ministry belongs not to you, but to our Heavenly Father. He willna see it come to naught, you can trust that.”– Aunt Lara

“An entire population of people is either invisible, or the cause of every problem in Truckee. No in-between. And the newspaper reports only one side of the whole affair. They paint the Chinese as base, thieving, murdering pariahs with no rights-who don’t belong here.” – Charles Crocker

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Superior!! Fires of Injustice will light fires of emotions in you. It will make you wonder how far you are willing to go to protect someone unlike yourself.

Blog Stops

Texas Book-aholic, April 15

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 16

Sydney Schmied Books, April 17

Stories By Gina, April 18 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, April 18

For Him and My Family, April 19

Life on Chickadee Lane, April 20

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions , April 21

Guild Master, April 22 (Author Interview)

Pause for Tales, April 22

Betti Mace, April 23

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 24

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 25

Connie’s History Classroom, April 26

Holly’s Book Corner, April 27

Fiction Book Lover, April 28 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Kendy is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card and a paperback 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/zg8t0/fires-of-injustice-celebration-tour-giveaway

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Stronger Than the Storm by Deena Adams Review

Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Title: Stronger than the Storm

Author: Deena Adams

Publisher: Scrivenings Press

Genre: Christian Women’s Fiction

Releases: April 28, 2026

A runaway teen. A wife’s devastating secret. A family’s reckoning.

Beth Holbrook has spent years building a life centered on faith and family. As a pastor’s wife, mother of three, and respected parenting coach, she’s devoted herself to helping families raise godly children. Now, with a publishing contract within reach, Beth stands on the verge of realizing a lifelong dream.

Then her daughter runs away.

Eighteen-year-old Leesa is tired of living under expectations she feels she can never meet. One impulsive decision sends her fleeing to Myrtle Beach, determined to take control of her life. But when she returns home weeks later with shocking news, the fragile peace inside the Holbrook family fractures.

As tensions rise, Beth struggles with growing conflict in her marriage, painful criticism from her mother, and the crushing realization that the advice she’s given other parents may not save her own family. Worse still, the secret she’s hidden for nearly two decades threatens to destroy the very foundation of her life.

When a powerful hurricane barrels toward their Virginia Beach home, the Holbrooks must confront the storm raging inside their hearts.

Can grace and forgiveness rebuild what secrets and betrayal have broken—or will the truth tear their family apart?

Perfect for readers who love Christian women’s fiction filled with emotional depth, family drama, and themes of redemption and healing, Stronger than the Storm is a powerful story of faith, forgiveness, and the courage to face the truth.

Fans of Nicole Deese, Karen Kingsbury, and Amanda Cox will love this compelling and heartfelt novel about family secrets, healing after betrayal, and God’s power to restore broken lives.

Get ( or pre-order)your copy here!

https://www.amazon.com/author/deenaadams

About the Author

As a Jesus girl for over thirty years, and a pastor’s wife for most of those, Deena Adams has a wealth of experience counseling women who’ve navigated unimaginable adversity. Through these interactions she’s gained great insight into topics women relate to, which fuels her passion to inspire others through hope-filled fiction based on true-life stories.

Three-and-a-half years as a Court-Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer and completion of the Certified Mental Health Coach program through Light University have equipped her to write stories that address deep family-related themes with authenticity, wisdom, and compassion.

She is an active ACFW member, a six-year ACFW Virginia board member, and founder of the Marathon online writers group. Her writing awards include: 2019 Foundations Award finalist, 2019 ACFW First Impressions double finalist and winner, 2021 ACFW Genesis finalist and ACFW Virginia Crown Award winner, 2022 Cascade Award finalist, 2023 ACFW First Impressions finalist, 2024 ACFW Genesis double semi-finalist and winner, 2024 Foundations Award finalist, and 2025 ACFW Genesis finalist. She also enjoys promoting hope-filled fiction authors on her blog.

Deena lives with her husband near the coast in beautiful Virginia. When she’s not writing, reading, or serving in her church, you’ll find her hanging out with family and friends, playing board games, and doting on her seven grandchildren.

Connect with Deena through her website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads, BookBub, Pinterest, and LinkedIn.

My Impressions

“God’s power can turn messes into ministry and trials into  a testimony when we entrust our hurts to him. I’m living  proof.” 

Stronger Than the Storm by Deena Adams is a women’s fiction story I found more relatable than I would like. My family’s situation was not the same in many respects, yet I understood the pressure of living in a glass house because of being in a pastor’s family. Both Kevin, a pastor, and his wife, Beth, have hopes for the future based on their performance- Kevin hopes to advance to senior pastor of the church,  and Beth hopes to publish her first book as a parenting expert. 

Their dreams begin to crash around them like the winds of the hurricane that later attack the house. Their oldest daughter runs away, and when she does return, continues to make life choices that are both hurtful and dangerous. I found it interesting that Beth is the strict parent who wants firm rules and apologies from the errant young adult child. “God is full of grace  and love, but His Word makes it clear there are consequences  for sin. How will Leesa ever learn from her mistakes if we  rescue her at every turn?” Kevin, much easier going, would rather “err on the side of grace.” “I’m more willing to offer grace and unconditional love.” And he does! Guess which parent Leesa gravitates towards? I wonder, if, in many marriages, there is a child-rearing theory conflict like this, each thinking themselves following God’s will and Word?

Things gets worse and stormier before they get better. The family is on the verge of total collapse. A secret kept for years. A grief that almost kills the marriage. I loved the fact that the two consider a Christian counselor to help. But one still needs to listen to any sound advice, pray a lot, and determine to obey God. Both Kevin and Beth are amazed by what they find when they take a look at their individual hearts. Will they have the strength to pursue reparation for their marriage and family? What about Leesa, who feels her life has ended before it has barely begun?

Isaac, Megan, Tyler, Jackson, and Teresa are all secondary characters with major influences on the three main characters. I love how accepting and helpful Jackson and Teresa are especially, but all are essential in this family drama. 

Highly recommended! For mature readers, but possibly teens, depending on their exposure. For church people, to see what their expectations and gossip can do to their leaders. For leaders, to carefully re-evaluate the inner motives and transparency. And, of course, for parents of prodigals! Discussion questions at the end would make this book ideal for a book club. 

I received a copy of the book from the author and publisher and pre-ordered my own ebook. No positive review was required and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“Perhaps embracing every seemingly insignifcant moment with those you love transforms normal into extraordinary.”

“You know going against God’s Word is never His plan, but He can and will use anything  for good. Even our worst mess-ups.” – Jackson

“We all need second chances … and third, fourth, and “fifth.” – Kevin

“I’m learning relatability is more important than a perfect  reputation. It’s hard to point people to hope if we hide our  messy stuff.”  – Beth 

“We do what we think is right in the moment. If we learn  from our mistakes, they’re never wasted”…“When we give our regrets over to God, He can redeem them in ways we could never imagine.” – Beth

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Superior!! Hard to believe this is Ms. Adams’s debut novel! She deals with such difficult, gritty topics so sensitively, connects with the reader’s emotions and shows how Hope can break through the storm.

BLOG, Just Read Tours, Kindle, Love Inspired Suspense, New-to-Me Author, Purchase

Guarding the Child Witness by Sharee Stover Review

Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Title: Guarding the Child Witness

Series: Iowa State Troopers, #1

Author: Sharee Stover

Publisher: Love Inspired Suspense

Released: February 24, 2026

Genre: Christian Mystery & Suspense

When Iowa state trooper Jaysa Camerota and her K-9, Remy, discover a scared boy trapped in a car wreck, they narrowly survive the gunfire that follows. With an unknown assailant closing in fast and the nonverbal child struggling to communicate, Jaysa is forced to accept help from her ex-fiancé, social worker Ender Hammett. Soon it becomes clear that young Trevor is harboring perilous secrets—and that someone will do anything to have him silenced. When Ender’s past becomes the key to exposing a killer, can they unravel this lethal plot…or is survival out of reach?

Get your copy here!

https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9781335957580_guarding-the-child-witness.html

About the Author

Colorado native Sharee Stover lives in the Midwest with her real-life-hero husband, three too-good-to-be-true children, and a ridiculously spoiled dog. A self-proclaimed word nerd, she loves the power of the written word to ignite, transform, and restore. She writes Christian romantic suspense combining heart-racing, nail-biting suspense and the delight of falling in love all in one. Visit her at http://www.shareestover.com.

My Impressions

“…they needed to get answers out of Trevor and fast, because constantly living on edge with a faceless killer coming after them was not working.”

Sharee Stover has created quite a twisty inspirational romantic suspense novel in Guarding the Child Witness. The first book of Iowa State Troopers, what a great time to get in on a new series! This is my first book by Stover, but I will be back for more!

Iowa State Trooper Jaysa Camerota is charged with the protection detail for a young boy who has seen his father murdered. This case is important to Jaysa because she is on a mission to prove through her dog, Remy, that a multiagency K-9 team program should be developed.  Remy is great at narcotics detection and also comforting people. But, Jaysa will have to successfully guard young, incident-mute Trevor for any hopes of her dream to come true. And, honestly, it does not seem very likely. At times, though Jaysa considers her ex, Ender Hammett, to be selfish, I wondered how self-serving Jaysa’s interests were. 

Then there is the ex- this is a story of lovers -to-enemies-to-more. Jaysa is dismayed when Emmet, once a police officer, now a social worker and forensic interviewer, is assigned to work with Trevor. Now she has to keep them both safe. And she is still hurting from their break-up years past. Plus, as Jaysa grumps to her dog, “Ender’s a control freak, so expect a battle of the wills at every turn. But he’s no longer a trooper, which means I have the final say between the two of us.” Things get heated, and not necessarily in a good way!

There is so much danger and action at every juncture in this story. Who is the real target? “Everyone has enemies,” he said. “My thoughts exactly. They just might not know it.”

Until Jaysa and Ender can figure this out, they might just be spinning their wheels.

I didn’t know who to finger as the suspect for most of the book. It seemed the case was so convoluted. Just like Jaysa and Ender’s relationship. They seem to soften towards each other, then take steps backwards. Can they find their way back to their former love, or will that have to be jettisoned for good?

I loved how good Ender is with Trevor, and how much Remy helps Trevor, too, but will that be enough to cure Trevor’s incidental muteness? I also liked how Jaysa begins to see the past with Ender through a more honest lens. But will she be willing to take a chance on the future- provided they survive to have one?

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

Notable Quotables:

“She’d never embraced Ender for who he was, because she’d planned to change him from the start.”(Jaysa)

“Isn’t it funny that we both found healing outside of our relationship, and in doing so, discovered our mission to help others?” – Ender

“Normally, getting him to share his feelings was akin to pulling molars from a shark with a pair of tweezers dipped in cooking oil.”- (about Ender)

“Her heart’s defrosting toward Ender had to stop. She couldn’t afford to love him again.” 

“He felt like he’d been sucked into a vortex of his past or endured surgery without anesthesia.”

“Your training trumps instincts, but your instincts enhance your training.” -Academy instructor

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I enjoyed this book, my first by Sharee Stover. I hope the next in the series is just as twisty!