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When the Silence Breaks by Elizabeth Goddard Review and Giveaway

Babbling Becky L

Welcome to the Blog Tour Hosted by Partners in Crime Tours for When the Silence Breaks by Elizabeth Goddard!

About the Book

WHEN THE SILENCE BREAKS

by Elizabeth Goddard

August 3 – 28, 2026 Virtual Book Tour

A deathbed confession. A decades-old secret. A mountain that holds the answers–and danger closing in.

When intelligence analyst Sarah Ellison learns of her grandfather’s deathbed confession connected to her brother’s murder, she’s determined to protect her remaining family. After further investigation, she discovers the disclosed information points to a decades-old government secret buried deep in the Cascade Mountains. With this knowledge, she looks for a guide who knows the terrain like the back of their hand.

After his father’s death in a tragic mountain accident, former Navy SEAL Ryder Goodwin no longer guides for the family business. At first, Ryder refuses to help Sarah, but he sees the trouble chasing her and can’t stand by while someone brings danger to his small-town mountain community.

Ryder and Sarah gear up to climb the mountain in a race against time and a looming storm. When the danger escalates, their search for answers shifts to a survival mission. Their only chance to make it through involves trusting each other and confronting the truth no one wants them to find.

This gripping romantic-suspense thriller set in the Pacific Northwest from USA Today bestselling author Elizabeth Goddard is a series opener that will sweep you away in a rush of adrenaline.

Book Details:

Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense
Published by: Revell 
Publication Date: August 4, 2026
Number of Pages: 352 
ISBN: 9780800747688 (ISBN10: 0800747682)
Series:MERCY RIDGE, Book 1
Book Links:AMAZON | KINDLE | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOKSHOP.ORG | CHRISTIANBOOK | AUDIBLE | GOODREADS | BOOKBUB | BAKER BOOK HOUSE

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Author Bio

Elizabeth Goddard is the USA Todaybestselling and Christy Award-winning author of more than sixty-five novels. She is a Carol Award winner, a two-time Reader’s Choice Award winner, and a Daphne du Maurier Award and HOLT Medallion finalist. When she’s not writing, she loves spending time with her family, traveling to find inspiration for her next book, and serving with her husband in ministry.

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Connect with Elizabeth Goddard

ELIZABETHGODDARD.COM

AMAZON AUTHOR PROFILE

BOOKBUB -@ELIZABETHGODDARD

INSTAGRAM – @ELIZABETHGODDARDAUTHOR

PINTEREST – @ELIZABETHGODDARDAUTHOR

X – @BETHGODDARD

FACEBOOK – @ELIZABETHGODDARDAUTHOR

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My Impressions

“Secrets can’t stay buried forever.” 

What an à propos opener for this hard-hitting, fast-paced inspirational romantic suspense, When the Silence Breaks, by Elizabeth Goddard! Ex-CIA agent Sarah Ellison has lost both her husband and now her brother to nefarious events. Leaving her only two remaining family members, her sister-in-law, Tessa, and 3-yr-old Jeremy in a safe house, Sarah handpicks a wilderness survival guide to take her into the Cascade Mountains. Only one problem there- former Navy Seal and mountain trail guide Ryder Goodwin is no longer accepting assignments on the mountain. I thought the first meeting of Ryder and Sarah is quite memorable. Def not a meet-cute, though! 

“Family is everything,” says the broken compass Sarah has of her grandfather’s. Sarah is determined to finish what her brother Aaron started, and find out what got him killed. What secret did their grandfather(who raised the two of them)divulge to Aaron as he was dying, that led to Aaron’s death? If “family is everything,” is a motto that Ryder also lives by, it may explain why he refuses to re-address the mountain where he saw his father die. I appreciated the way this motto actually carried throughout the book. 

I was a little less happy by how much time Sarah and Ryder spend deciding whether to trust each other. Each has a reason, very viable reasons, for their secrets. Yet, once they decide to be partners, I was amazed at how much info each can keep close to the vest. In a need-to-know situation, where the two end up on a dangerous volcanic mountain known for avalanches, somehow the wrong people know more of the truth than Sarah and Ryder. Can they let down their guards enough to totally trust each other with their histories and their hearts? 

I was totally impressed with the amount of research it must take to understand various mountain conditions, government agencies, WWII secrets, chemical safety precautions, whew! My mind just spun with all the information Goddard would have had to compile to compose a book with this many varied elements. 

The action seemed to really pick up, once I hit the 40% mark or so. I enjoyed the unexpected twists. I may have gasped aloud at some of the revelations.  Finally, both the reader and the characters are beginning to get a grasp on how dangerous this particular mission for justice is that Sarah has embarked on. 

Since this is book one of the Mercy Ridge Series, I am eager to see where Goddard will take the next characters of the town and just who the mcs will be. 

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

Notable Quotables:

“Sarah might just be in full-blown panic. The agency training hadn’t taught her how to navigate the very heart of her soul being in jeopardy.”

“Because now, her mission wasn’t about exposing the past. It was about preventing the future.”- ( Sarah)

“But it was too late for Ryder—Sarah Ellison had gotten under his skin the moment they’d survived a mudslide together.”

“this isn’t some kind of effort on your part to redeem the past, is it?”

“He didn’t like caves because they came with too many unknowns. But if they were going to find the truth, they had to walk straight into the dark.” – (Ryder)

“Once . . . she’d been good at her job with the federal government. She’d left that part of her life—left the secrets, the lies, and the burden of knowing too much—behind. But sometimes, the past didn’t let go so easily.” -( Sarah)

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Great! I will def be in line for the next book in the series, featuring Holt Goodwin and slated for release in February of 2027.

Tour Participants

Click through the other tour stops for can’t-miss reviews, insider interviews, exclusive guest posts, and more chances to win!

1.

08/06 BOOK REVIEWS FROM AN AVID READER WHEN THE SILENCE BREAKS REVIEW

2.

08/07 INKWELL INSPIRATIONS WHEN THE SILENCE BREAKS REVIEW

3.

08/08 JODYS BOOKISH HAVEN WHEN THE SILENCE BREAKS SHOWCASE

4.

08/08 THE AR CRITIQUE WHEN THE SILENCE BREAKS REVIEW

5.

08/09 MELOPLANNER WHEN THE SILENCE BREAKS SHOWCASE

6.

08/10 SARCASTICALLY YOURS, JEN WHEN THE SILENCE BREAKS SHOWCASE

7.

08/12 BABBLING BECKY L’S BOOK IMPRESSIONS WHEN THE SILENCE BREAKS REVIEW

8.

08/13 COUNTRY MAMAS WITH KIDS WHEN THE SILENCE BREAKS REVIEW

9.

08/14 SOPHIAROSE1816 WHEN THE SILENCE BREAKS REVIEW

10.

08/15 FROM THE TBR PILE WHEN THE SILENCE BREAKS REVIEW

11.

08/17 FUONLYKNEW WHEN THE SILENCE BREAKS SHOWCASE

12.

Find Out More About WHEN THE SILENCE BREAKS on Amazon+1

08/18 DEAL SHARING AUNT WHEN THE SILENCE BREAKS REVIEW

13.

08/18 FUNDINMENTAL WHEN THE SILENCE BREAKS REVIEW

14.

08/19 NOVELS ALIVE WHEN THE SILENCE BREAKS REVIEW

15.

08/19 THE PAGE LADIES WHEN THE SILENCE BREAKS REVIEW

16.

08/20 DIANAS_BOOKS_CARS_COFFEE WHEN THE SILENCE BREAKS REVIEW

17.

08/20 SILVERS REVIEWS WHEN THE SILENCE BREAKS SHOWCASE

18.

08/21 PAT FAYO REVIEWS WHEN THE SILENCE BREAKS REVIEW

19.

08/25 GUATEMALA PAULA LOVES TO READ WHEN THE SILENCE BREAKS SHOWCASE

20.

08/27 A ROOM WITHOUT BOOKS IS EMPTY WHEN THE SILENCE BREAKS REVIEW

21.

08/28 TEATIME AND BOOKS WHEN THE SILENCE BREAKS SHOWCASE

Giveaway

This giveaway is hosted by Partners in Crime Tours for When the Silence Breaks by Elizabeth Goddard. See the widget for entry terms and conditions. Void where prohibited.

WHEN THE SILENCE BREAKS by Elizabeth Goddard

Terms And Conditions:

There will be ONE (1) winner, US-ONLY, for this tour. The winner will receive a print edition of WHEN THE SILENCE BREAKS by Elizabeth Goddard AND a $25 Bookshop.org gift card. The winner will be emailed and have 48 hours to respond or the prize will be awarded to a different contestant. This giveaway is open to all eligible participants in the US.

One Winner Per Household. Please Do not enter if you have won a prize from this author in the past year so that someone else may have a chance to win. THANK YOU.

  • All entries are verified. Any entry that is incomplete, inaccurate, or awarded to a participant in a country of origin not allowed/specified in the drawing rules will be disqualified. 
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  • Neither Partners In Crime Tours (PICT), Providence Book Promotions (PBP), the publisher, nor the author is responsible for lost or damaged awards emailed, mailed, or shipped. We reserve the right to disqualify/delete any entries if the rules or intent of the giveaway are not followed.
  • One Winner Per Household. Please Do not enter if you have won a prize from this author in the past year so that someone else may have a chance to win. THANK YOU.

Giveaway Link Below!

https://www.promoamp.com/c/when-the-silence-breaks-by-elizabeth-goddard

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

The Ark and the Dove by Jill Eileen Smith Review

Babbling Becky L

About the Book

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

Author: Jill Eileen Smith

Publisher: Revell

Genre: Biblical Fiction

Released: February 2024

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

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

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

About the Author:

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

My Impressions

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

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

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

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

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

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

Notable Quotables:

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

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

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

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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

ARC, BLOG, Favorite, Kindle, NetGalley, PB, Purchase, Revell

The Irish Matchmaker by Jennifer Deibel Review

Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Title: The Irish Matchmaker

Author: Jennifer Deibel

Publisher: Revell

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Released: February 2024

As daughter of a well-known matchmaker, Catríona Daly is no stranger to the business of love–and sees it as her ticket away from the sleepy village that only comes alive during the annual matchmaking festival. Enter Lord Osborne’s son, Andrew, who has returned to the festival after being disappointed by a rival matchmaker’s failed setup. Catríona seizes the opportunity to make a better match for the handsome man–and for herself!

Cattle farmer Donal Bunratty is in desperate need of a wife after loss left him to handle the farm and raise his daughter on his own. Shy and lacking the finer social graces, he agrees to attend the matchmaking festival to appease his daughter. But when he arrives, it’s not any of the other merrymakers that catch his eye but rather his matchmaker–who clearly has eyes for someone else.

Catríona will have to put all her expertise to work to make a match that could change her life forever. Will her plan succeed? Or will love have its own way?

About the Author


Jennifer Deibel is a middle school teacher and freelance writer. Her work has appeared on (in)courage, on The Better Mom, in Missions Mosaic Magazine, and others. With firsthand immersive experience abroad, Jennifer writes stories that help redefine home through the lens of culture, history, and family. After nearly a decade of living in Ireland and Austria, she now lives in Arizona.

Author photo credit: Katherine Marini, Photography by Katherine Nicole

My Impressions

Let Jennifer Deibel sweep you away to the beautiful land of Ireland at the turn of the last century. As the time for the annual matchmaking festival in Lisdoonvarna nears, professional matchmaker Catríona Daly rues the irony of being an unmatched matchmaker. Her dearest wish is to for some rich festival-goer to woo her away from this small, backward town to a bustling city.

Meanwhile, Donal Bunratty and his nine-year-old daughter are struggling to make a go of their small farm a few miles away. Donal will do anything for his daughter, so he reluctantly agrees to attend the matchmaker’s festival.

Andrew Osbourne’s match from last year was a flop. He is back with his determined parents, set on finding a match that will see him well politically.

When Catríona becomes the matchmaker for both men, scheming on more than one front nearly brings disaster. Will true personalities show through the posturing of such times? Will wisdom or personal gain drive decisions?

Of course, my fave character is 9-year-old Sara, so precocious in some ways and forced by circumstances to assume adult roles never meant for children. No wonder her father will go to great lengths to please her, or that she attracts goodwill and help from Caty.

A glossary at the front of the book helps with Irish words and phrases and gives an air of authenticity to the novel. It was fun learning some of the details of what went on behind the scenes of a match, like the “plucking of the gander.”

Bullying, social status, love of the land, and pure selfishness, plus romance and trust in God all make this a believable and enjoyable novel to be visited more than once.

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

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Magnificent! Jennifer Deibel’s novels will cause you to fall in love with Ireland and its people.

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

The Maid of Ballymacool by Jennifer Deibel

Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Title: The Maid of Ballymacool

Author: Jennifer Deibel

Publisher: Revell

Released: February 2023

Genre: Historical Fiction

Brianna Kelly was abandoned at Ballymacool House and Boarding School as an infant. She has worked there since she was a wee girl and will likely die there. Despite a sense that she was made for something more, Brianna feels powerless to change her situation, so she consoles herself by exploring the Ballymacool grounds, looking for hidden treasures to add to the secret trove beneath the floorboards of her room.

When Michael Wray, the son of local gentry, is sent to Ballymacool to deal with his unruly cousin, he finds himself drawn to Brianna, immediately and inescapably. There is something about her that feels so . . . familiar. When Brianna finds a piece of silver in the woods, she commits to learning its origins, with the help of Michael. What they discover may change everything.

Fan favorite Jennifer Deibel invites you back to the Emerald Isle in the 1930s for this fresh take on the Cinderella story, complete with a tantalizing mystery, a budding romance, and a chance at redemption.

About the Author

Jennifer Deibel is a middle school teacher and freelance writer. Her work has appeared on (in)courage, on The Better Mom, in Missions Mosaic Magazine, and others. With firsthand immersive experience abroad, Jennifer writes stories that help redefine home through the lens of culture, history, and family. After nearly a decade of living in Ireland and Austria, she now lives in Arizona.

My Impressions

Most of us Americans would say we have a decent grasp on US history. But, alas, how many of us know much about other country’s historical struggles? Jennifer Deibel returns us to Donegal County, Ireland, to learn of Irish War of Independence in 1919, and the preceding years.

What better way to learn history than through a story, complete with a beautifully recounted love tale reminiscent of Cinderella. Deibel is a wordsmith, putting the reader in the forest to smell the musty earth, see the majestic trees, and hear their whispering in the wind. This makes meeting a secondary character, Finnuala, all the more mysterious and slightly spooky.

Do you love to have an antagonist that you can take out all your negative emotions on? If so, Deibel provides the perfect scapegoat. Oh, how I enjoyed the negative emotions that that person evoked, making my anger feel righteously justified!

The occasional Irish phrases, words, and slang, never exactly interpreted, but given great contextual clues; allgive great authenticity and local color to the novel.

Perhaps what I appreciate most, though, was that Deibel shows that there are evil and righteous people on both sides of the conflict. This is a truth our own country would do well to remember.

If you read only one foreign-set novel this year, consider The Maid of Ballymacool. If you are a fan of faith that produces growth, fairy-tale-like love stories, historical fiction of foreign countries, this is a book you won’t want to miss! I highly recommend anything Jennifer Deibel pens!

I received a copy of this book from Revell Reads, via NetGalley, plus I won a copy through For the Love of Books Giveaway, plus I bought my own ecopy. Keeper shelf material! No positive opinion was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“All she needed were her walks in the woods, her treasures, and the good Lord.”

“She had never really had minded the cold. It was all she had known in many ways.”

“No, he was dangerous because he awakened something far more treacherous in her. Something she couldn’t afford to cultivate. Something deadlier than any poison or illness. Hope.”

“We were not blessed with our position in the community in order to lord it over others. On the contrary. We must use our authority to stand up for those who cannot do so for themselves.”

“Yer purpose in this world has precious little to do with what job ya hold. It’s to do wi’ the way ya impact the people around ye.”

“tis only One who knows the whole truth, and it’s not our job to take that mantle upon ourselves. We’d crumble under the weight of it.”