Silent Shadows | Book Review

ABOUT THE BOOK

Pecca Gallegos moved to the tiny town of Walton, Georgia, to protect her son and escape the dangerous lifestyle that once defined her. When a series of strange circumstances evolve into threats, Pecca finds herself confiding in an unlikely ally--her stubborn patient.

Army veteran Colton Crawford is desperate to recover from the undiagnosed disorder that is ruining his life, and his instincts are on high alert when threats against his nurse and her son force him to take action. But Colton's involvement only ramps up the danger when he uncovers a family secret revealing that whoever is after Pecca is closer--and more deadly--than they realized.

With this suspenseful new story, Natalie Walters welcomes you once more to Walton, Georgia, where everyone knows your name--but no one knows your secret.

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: March 31, 2020

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OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES

Living Lies

Deadly Deceit

The Lost Lieutenant | Book Review + Giveaway

ABOUT THE BOOK

He's doing what he can to save the Prince Regent's life . . . but can he save his new marriage as well?

Evan Eldridge never meant to be a war hero--he just wanted to fight Napoleon for the future of his country. And he certainly didn't think that saving the life of a peer would mean being made the Earl of Whitelock. But when the life you save is dear to the Prince Regent, things can change in a hurry.

Now Evan has a new title, a manor house in shambles, and a stranger for a bride, all thrust upon him by a grateful ruler. What he doesn't have are all his memories. Traumatized as a result of his wounds and bravery on the battlefield, Evan knows there's something he can't quite remember. It's important, dangerous--and if he doesn't recall it in time, will jeopardize not only his marriage but someone's very life.

Readers who enjoy Julie Klassen, Carolyn Miller, and Kristi Ann Hunter will love diving into this brand-new Regency series filled with suspense, aristocratic struggles, and a firm foundation of faith.

Publisher: Kregel Publications

Release Date: April 21, 2020

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OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES

The Gentleman Spy

Almost a Bride & Caught by the Sheriff | Book Review

ABOUT THE BOOKS

Can he love her…

And keep her safe?

No one in Turtleback Beach knows that veterinarian Grayson Zale is in the witness protection program—not even the woman who left him at the altar. When a joint inheritance brings Mandi Rivers back to their small seaside town, Gray can’t deny that their connection is as strong as ever. But his mysterious past remains between them; can he reveal the truth without endangering Mandi—and their future?

Publisher: Harlequin Heartwarming

Release Date: June 4, 2019

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If she follows her heart…

Will he follow the law?

Turtleback Beach, North Carolina, would be paradise—if Faye Donovan wasn’t on the run. With her sister’s life in danger and her small niece to protect, Faye tries to avoid handsome town sheriff Carlos Ryker. But Carlos offers her a refuge, and Faye feels she’s finally found home. And yet he’s still the sheriff. Can she trust him with the truth…even if it means risking everything?

Publisher: Harlequin Heartwarming

Release Date: March 3, 2020

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Love and a Little White Lie | Waiting on Wednesday

Hosted weekly by Breaking the Spine 

to spotlight eagerly-anticipated upcoming releases.

(Similarly, Can't-Wait Wednesday is hosted by Wishful Endings.)

Happy Wednesday!

Well, here I am excited about another romance... again.

The House at the End of the Moor | Book Review, Guest Post + Giveaway

ABOUT THE BOOK

An Opulent London Opera Star Escapes to the Rugged Landscape of the English Moors.

Opera star Maggie Lee escapes her opulent lifestyle when threatened by a powerful politician who aims to ruin her life. She runs off to the wilds of the moors to live in anonymity. All that changes the day she discovers a half-dead man near her house. Escaped convict Oliver Ward is on the run to prove his innocence, until he gets hurt and is taken in by Maggie. He discovers some jewels in her possession—the very same jewels that got him convicted. Together they hatch a plan to return the jewels, clearing Oliver’s name and hopefully maintaining Maggie’s anonymity.

Publisher: Shiloh Run Press

Release Date: April 1, 2020

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Beyond Awkward Side Hugs | Book Review + Giveaway

ABOUT THE BOOK

It Doesn’t Have to Be This Weird.

When it comes to relationships between men and women, we have more questions than answers:

-How do we keep relationships with the opposite sex healthy—and still hug each other after small group?

-Is it possible for married men and women to be friends with people of the opposite sex?

-What does it mean to be a woman if you’re not a wife, or a man if you’re not a husband?

Jesus’ pattern for church living was one of family—of brothers and sisters living in intimate, life-giving community with each other. With story, sensitivity, and hope, Beyond Awkward Side Hugs invites us to leave behind eroticized, fear-based patterns and move toward gendered, generous relationships between men and women of character as we love one another as Jesus did.

“Beyond Awkward Side Hugs is a deep well of biblical wisdom, and Lea has written with nuance and clarity, humor and grace.” –Jen Pollock Michel, author of Surprised by Paradox and Keeping Place

“The church desperately needs a bigger vision for how men and women can flourish together in ministry and friendship, and Bronwyn Lea paints a vivid picture for how we’ll get there.” –Steve Wiens, author of Shining Like the Sun, Beginnings, and Whole

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Release Date: April 7, 2020

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Something I Am Not | Excerpt + Giveaway

JustRead Publicity Tours

ABOUT THE BOOK

A father who never loved him. A woman who stole his worth. A brother he couldn’t protect. Where does someone run in the face of his deepest shame?

Billy McQueen works hard to keep his life together … and concealed. At seventeen, he dreams of an escape from the barroom, his father’s manipulation, and the advances of his father’s girlfriend. However, on his eighteenth birthday, he is introduced to a younger brother he never knew he had. An eight-year-old, barely capable of navigating the distorted and corrupt world of his father’s boxing club. Billy realizes in order to protect his little brother, he can never leave.

After discovering a battered young woman in the back shed of the club, Billy uncovers the true nature of his father’s activities. Before he can share it with the sheriff, Billy is kidnapped by his father and sold to a wealthy old maid who imprisons him on her yacht in the Gulf of Mexico. His death is fabricated and his little brother used as leverage for his compliance.

In order to secure his freedom, Billy must fight for it. To save his little brother who is next in line for the slave trade… he must die for it.

Publisher: Lighthouse Publishers of the Carolinas

Release Date: January 25, 2019

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Fierce, Free, and Full of Fire | Book Review + Giveaway

ABOUT THE BOOK

New York Times bestselling author Jen Hatmaker, with cheeky candor and fearlessness, guides readers to a deep dive into how they are wired and provides them with the tools to walk in that identity with freedom and guts.

Stuck in people-pleasing or fear, many women hide and pretend, then end up sidelined in their own lives. But what they want is to be brave, to claim every gift, dream, quirk, and emotion inside, to stop performing and start living.

Beloved New York Times bestselling author Jen Hatmaker understands the struggle to find firm footing in a culture that operates from stereotypes and often unreachable expectations. In this new book, she offers women encouragement, challenge, and humor as she helps them identify everything that makes them tick and gain the confidence to live it all out. She leads them through five self-reflective categories—who I am, what I need, what I want, what I believe, and how I connect—and helps them:

-identify the exact ways they pretend, and learn instead how to be genuine at all times, in all ways, in all contexts;

-be empowered to say yes and no without guilt;

-learn to voice both their spiritual questions and convictions; and

-opt out of drama and into healthy adult relationships.

With wry humor, earnest passion, and been-there insight, Jen calls women to the life-giving freedom of leaning into the identity, convictions, and community they’ve been given.

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Release Date: April 21, 2020

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The Joy of Falling | Book Review, Excerpt + Giveaway

ABOUT THE BOOK

Eva and Angela must learn to live again. One step at a time.

It has been fifteen months since Eva and Angela lost their thrill-seeking husbands in a scuba diving accident. Both women are trying to navigate their way through the grief, but neither one is making much progress. Angela is barely making ends meet, angry at her husband for leaving her to raise three children on her own. Meanwhile, Eva is stuck, unable to move forward after losing the love of her life and her source of inspiration.

But then Eva gets a life-changing phone call. Before Brent and Wes died, they had signed up for a race of a lifetime—an ultra-marathon in beautiful New Zealand. Eva begs Angela to run the race with her in their husbands’ place, and Angela finally agrees, hoping to finally understand her husband’s choices.

Training is exhausting, and the race is even more demanding. Their journey grows more complicated by the presence of two men—Marc is Brent’s best friend who is running the race with Eva and Angela, and Simon King is a writer who is covering their inspiring story. With every step, Eva and Angela must ask themselves questions that they haven’t had the courage to ask before. As the women literally put one foot in front of the other, they wonder: Is it possible to find their way forward in hope?

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Release Date: April 14, 2020

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Ranger to the Rescue | Book Review, Guest Post + Giveaway

ABOUT THE BOOK

Amelia Cooper has sworn off lawmen for good.

Now any man who wants to claim the hand of the intrepid reporter had better have a safe job. Like attorney Evan Covington. Amelia is thrilled when the handsome lawyer comes courting. But when the town enlists him as a Texas Ranger, Amelia isn’t sure she can handle losing another man to the perils of keeping the peace.

Evan never expected his temporary appointment to sink his relationship with Amelia. Or to instantly plunge them headlong into danger. But when Amelia and his sister are both kidnapped, the newly minted lawman must rescue them—if he’s to have any chance at love.

Publisher: Wild Heart Books

Release Date: April 14, 2020

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OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES

Lone Star Ranger

Of Rags and Riches Romance Collection | Book Review

ABOUT THE BOOK

The Gilded Age of the late 1800s was a time of opulence, growth, and great change for all aspects of American life. Modern conveniences and improvements paved the way for western expansion and leisure activities. The rich became richer, and the poor worked hard to make a better life for themselves. Nine couples meet during these exhilarating times and work to build a future together through fighting for social reform, celebrating new opportunities for relaxation, taking advantage of economic growth and new inventions, and more.

1867 Cheyenne, Dakota Territory - "Union Pacific Princess" by Jennifer Uhlarik

1876 Philadelphia - "The Right Pitch" by Susanne Dietze

1871 New Orleans - "A Gift in Secret" by Kathleen Y'Barbo

1885 Newark, New Jersey - "For Richer or Poorer" by Natalie Monk

1890 St. Paul, Minnesota - "A House of Secrets" by Michelle Griep

1890 New York City - "Win, Place, or Show" by Erica Vetsch

1890 Flambeau River, Wisconsin - "The Fisherman's Nymph" by Jaime Jo Wright

1895 Bay View, Michigan - "The Gardener's Daughter" by Anne Love

1899 Little Falls, Minnesota - "A Tale of Two Hearts" by Gabrielle Meyer

Readers will come along for a thrilling ride as lives are transformed in the Gilded Age and romances develop into legacies of faith and love.

Publisher: Barbour Books

Release Date: July 1, 2017

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The Heirloom Garden | Excerpt

ABOUT THE BOOK

In this heartwarming and feel-good novel filled with echoes of Dorothea Benton Frank, Debbie Macomber and Elizabeth Berg, two women separated by a generation but equally scarred by war find hope, meaning – and each other – through a garden of heirloom flowers.

Iris Maynard lost her husband in World War II, her daughter to loneliness and, finally, her reason to live. Walled off from the world for decades behind a towering fence surrounding her home and gardens, the former botanist has built a new family...of flowers. Iris propagates her own daylilies and roses while tending to an heirloom garden filled with starts – and memories – of her own mother, grandmother, husband and daughter.

When Abby Peterson moves to Grand Haven, Michigan, with her family – a husband traumatized during his service in the Iraq War and a young daughter searching for stability – they find themselves next door to Iris, and are slowly drawn into her reclusive neighbour's life where, united by loss and a love of flowers, Iris and Abby slowly unearth their secrets to each other. Eventually, the two teach one another that the earth grounds us all, gardens are a grand healer, and as flowers bloom so do our hopes and dreams.

Publisher: Graydon House

Release Date: April 28, 2020

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Amish Country Murder | Book Review, Guest Post + Giveaway

ABOUT THE BOOK

An Amish woman targeted by a serial killer

Is the only living witness…

As the sole woman to escape the Dead of Night Killer, Catherine Fisher’s the key to catching him—if he doesn’t kill her first. Now it’s up to FBI agent Sutter Brenneman to protect her. But with her memory missing and all clues indicating the serial killer took her for very personal reasons, it’ll take everything Sutter has to keep her safe.

Publisher: Love Inspired Suspense

Release Date: March 3, 2020

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Her Hidden Hope | First Line Friday + The Friday 56

First Line Friday is hosted weekly by Hoarding Books.
The Friday 56 is hosted weekly by Freda's Voice.

Happy Friday!

Jill Lynn's fourth Colorado Grooms book is one of the many books I'm hoping to cram into this weekend—and I'm excited to get into what's sure to be a quick, sweet read.

Land of Twilight Trilogy | Excerpt + Giveaway

ABOUT THE BOOKS

Sam and Lorna’s bike challenge becomes far more than a neighborhood race in this action-adventure fantasy for intermediate grades.

Riding over a cairn at sunset, Lorna surfaces in Twilight, where she is given three impossible tasks to complete before her heart's desire is granted.

Story Line: Avid sixth-grade mountain biker, Lorna Wilson, moves to Crestwood, Arizona, after her parents' divorce. Unpacking, Lorna seeks a way to fit into the new crowd when a girl named Ally knocks on her front door.

Splashing in the pool at Ally’s house, Lorna learns about the bike challenge created by a scar-faced neighborhood legend, Samuel Black. She hears herself boasting that she can take on Samuel Black in his own race and win. Lorna's words quickly come back to bite her.

Although none of the kids will root for the new girl, an ancient cairn opens to the Land of Twilight giving Lorna an opportunity to win anything her heart desires.

Illustrations are by award-winning artist, Brianna Osaseri.

Thematic: Time travel ages 9-12; action-adventure; Female protagonist survives parents' divorce; confidence and friendship; conflict opens to opportunity; Celtic; Jamaican; Multi-racial; coming of age fantasy for pre-teens with some paranormal, magical or mystical places and events. Intermediate grades. Book 1 in a series.

Publisher: Capture Books

Release Date: November 1, 2019

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In this second book of the Land of Twilight Trilogy, seventh-grade Lorna struggles with the meaning of friend like, how to be one, how to choose one, and how to keep one.

Lorna rejects her dad, deceives her mom, and turns her back on the ethereal Land of Twilight. She even turns on her best friend, Sam, in favor of gaining the attention of a new girl in the neighborhood, Jenny. Lorna sheds her own social norms, stealing and hiding as she pretends to enjoy her second year in challenging Crestwood, Arizona.

It has to be Sam's turn to do what true friends do.

An exciting read for readers ages 9-13 who enjoy Celtic mythology, magic, and busting the dust of the Arizona desert with your best friend.

Publisher: Capture Books

Release Date: January 21, 2020

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How can the most colorful world in the universe turn hapless and gray?! That's what mystifies both Sam and Lorna.

Trix falls from the Land of Twilight, showing up at the discarded camper shell in the Arizona desert where Sam and Lorna are making their secret plans.

Trix and Melvin focus on the Land of Realtime because the lives of both Lorna and Sam have interwoven with the Land of Twilight. How can the four unravel themselves?

A tragic accident forces Sam to again realize that life can change suddenly. Now he and Lorna must rethink what in life is most important to them.

History, philosophy, and faith enter the scene through interdimensional time travel. The Land of Twilight Trilogy is filled with adventure and supernatural elements for readers ages 9-12. With its relatable characters and fast-moving plot, Sam and Lorna discover their priorities. As Sam faces unbearable consequences, he learns the bonds of true friendship and personal truth are real.

Readers are given not only an interesting story filled with allegorical elements about the meaning of faith, but are also challenged to think about their own ideas of reality and meaning.

Publisher: Capture Books

Release Date: April 1, 2020

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You and Me and Us | Book Review

ABOUT THE BOOK

“Hammer is an expert at both tugging heartstrings and keeping the reader utterly immersed in a world of hope and heartbreak. A great new voice in women’s fiction.”– Kristin Harmel, #1 international bestselling author of The Winemaker’s Wife

The heartbreaking, yet hopeful, story of a mother and daughter struggling to be a family without the one person who holds them together—a perfect summer read for fans of Jojo Moyes and Marisa de los Santos.

Alexis Gold knows how to put the “work” in working mom. It’s the “mom” part that she’s been struggling with lately. Since opening her own advertising agency three years ago, Alexis has all but given up on finding a good work/life balance. Instead, she’s handed over the household reins to her supportive, loving partner, Tommy. While he’s quick to say they divide and conquer, Alexis knows that Tommy does most of the heavy lifting—especially when it comes to their teenage daughter, CeCe.

Their world changes in an instant when Tommy receives a terminal cancer diagnosis, and Alexis realizes everything she’s worked relentlessly for doesn’t matter without him. So Alexis does what Tommy has done for her almost every day since they were twelve-year-old kids in Destin, Florida—she puts him first. And when the only thing Tommy wants is to spend one last summer together at “their” beach, she puts her career on hold to make it happen…even if it means putting her family within striking distance of Tommy’s ex, an actress CeCe idolizes.

But Alexis and Tommy aren’t the only ones whose lives have been turned inside out. In addition to dealing with the normal ups and downs that come with being a teenager, CeCe is also forced to confront her feelings about Tommy’s illness—and what will happen when the one person who’s always been there for her is gone. When the magic of first love brings a bright spot to her summer, CeCe is determined not to let her mother ruin that for her, too.

As CeCe’s behavior becomes more rebellious, Alexis realizes the only thing harder for her than losing Tommy will be convincing CeCe to give her one more chance.

You and Me and Us is a beautifully written novel that examines the unexpected ways loss teaches us how to love.

Publisher: William Morrow

Release Date: April 7, 2020

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What You Wish For | Waiting on Wednesday

Hosted weekly by Breaking the Spine 

to spotlight eagerly-anticipated upcoming releases.

(Similarly, Can't-Wait Wednesday is hosted by Wishful Endings.)

Happy Wednesday!

Surprise surprise, I'm excited for another romance.

Before I Called You Mine | Book Review

ABOUT THE BOOK

Lauren Bailey may be a romantic at heart, but after a decade of matchmaking schemes gone wrong, there's only one match she's committed to now--the one that will make her a mother. Lauren is a dedicated first grade teacher in Idaho, and her love for children has led her to the path of international adoption. To satisfy her adoption agency's requirements, she gladly agreed to remain single for the foreseeable future; however, just as her long wait comes to an end, Lauren is blindsided by a complication she never saw coming: Joshua Avery.

Joshua may be a substitute teacher by day, but Lauren finds his passion for creating educational technology as fascinating as his antics in the classroom. Though she does her best to downplay the undeniable connection between them, his relentless pursuit of her heart puts her commitment to stay unattached to the test and causes her once-firm conviction to waver.

With an impossible decision looming, Lauren might very well find herself choosing between the two deepest desires of her heart . . . even if saying yes to one means letting go of the other.

Publisher: Bethany House Publishers

Release Date: March 31, 2020

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Lost Down Deep | Excerpt + Giveaway

JustRead Publicity Tours

ABOUT THE BOOK

She is the only one who can tell the police who attacked her in her home. If only she could remember…

Summer Velasquez is on the run from a man she has no recollection of after an attack she can’t recall. Every face in the crowd is a potential suspect, so how is Summer supposed to know who is a threat to her and who isn’t?

After fleeing her assailant and the parents who lied to her about what happened, she changes her name and seeks refuge in Elora, Ontario. The small town feels familiar, although she has no memory of ever having been here.

Even in what should be a safe place, she can’t shake the feeling that she is being watched.

When Ryan Taylor strolls into the Taste of Heaven Café where she works, Summer is immediately drawn to him. However, he may not be who he says he is either. As her suspicions grow, Summer prepares to run again.

But at least one person is determined to stop her. Permanently. And if she can’t remember who he is, this time he may succeed.

Release Date: April 1, 2020

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