cold vengeance | first line friday + the friday 56

first line friday is hosted weekly by reading is my superpower.
book beginnings is hosted weekly by rose city reader.
the friday 56 is hosted weekly by my head is full of books.

happy friday!

i had fun catching up on the ryland + st. clair series this week!

cold vengeance | book review + giveaway

justread publicity tours

about the book

When a renowned crime podcaster vanishes without a trace, former FBI behavioral analysts turned private investigators River Ryland and Tony St. Clair are called upon to track her down. As they wade through the evidence she left behind, they unearth a startling connection–she may have discovered the existence of an unknown serial killer, and he will stop at nothing to carry out a deadly plan.

As the pair delves deeper, they soon find themselves the target of a relentless enemy determined to silence them. With their lives–and hearts–on the line, can they confront the evil that threatens them before it consumes them both?

USA Today bestselling author Nancy Mehl brings her Ryland & St. Clair series to an explosive close with a pulse-pounding story where the stakes are high and silence is deadly.

publisher: bethany house publishers

release date: july 16, 2024

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other books in the series

cold pursuit

cold threat

ambush in the mountains | book review + giveaway

justread publicity tours

about the book

Innocent lives at stake…

Can a former soldier and his canine save them?

Helping a pregnant woman he comes across in a mountain storm puts Axel Sterling right into the path of ruthless human traffickers. Now it’s up to the ex-soldier and his dog to keep Summer and her unborn baby safe from the abductors she’s finally escaped. But between the icy wilderness and the armed gunmen following them at every turn, one wrong move could cost Axel and Summer their lives.

From Love Inspired Suspense: Courage. Danger. Faith.

publisher: love inspired suspense

release date: july 23, 2024

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suddenly rural girl | excerpt + giveaway

justread publicity tours

about the book

After her dad is tragically killed, Dakota Moore’s mom moves her to northern Minnesota where Dak discovers an outcast classmate may be a reclusive miracle worker. She thinks she found him too late. The truth is, she met him just in time. Will Dak discover the miracle worker’s secrets before the next tragedy strikes?

Now, tucked into a secluded A-frame near a beaver-infested creek with her strong Sioux mom and her lisping little brother, Dak faces a new school and a trio of mean girls. Seemingly alone, she buries herself in a design app and self pity until an old blind man, his curly-haired horse named Eyeballs, a quirky dragon-doodling classmate, and a strawberry blonde with delicious sun-kissed freckles give her four reasons to keep on living. Then she decides to do more than just survive; Dak intends to thrive. When tragedy strikes again, she confronts the intriguing and repulsive miracle worker, but he doesn’t help their mutual friend. Learning why will change her life.

Suddenly Rural Girl is a friend and faith-finding journey, featuring a strong, female, multiracial protagonist and is loaded with laugh-out-loud characters and gorgeous northern Minnesota beauty. The magnificent landscapes haunt like William Kent Kreuger’s Ordinary Grace and This Tender Land, and the quick-witted dialogue is reminiscent of Jenny B. Jones’ There You’ll Find Me and In Between books. The combination makes it an excellent YA read with cross-over into Contemporary Christian audiences. The novel also has a companion study guide full of plot-related questions for classrooms and theme based discussion prompts for book groups!

publisher: kirk house publishers

release date: february 1, 2024

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until our time comes | book review + giveaway

justread publicity tours

about the book

American horse trainer Adia Kensington is living her dream of working at the famous Janów Podlaski stables in Poland, where they breed the best Arabian horses in the world. But her plans to bring the priceless stallion Lubor to the US are derailed when the German army storms into her adopted country in 1939. Little does she know this is just the beginning of six long years of occupation that will threaten her beloved horses at every turn.

Bret Conway is at Janów Podlaski under the guise of a news reporter, but his true mission is intelligence gathering for the British. That and keeping Adia safe, which is harder and harder to do as she insists they must evacuate 250 horses to save them from being stolen, sold, or eaten by the invading forces. What follows will test their physical, mental, and emotional strength, as well as their faith in God, humankind, and each other.

Drawn from true events of World War II, this epic story of escape, capture, resistance, and love from debut novelist Nicole M. Miller will thunder into your heart like a herd of beautiful horses across a raging river.

publisher: revell

release date: july 2, 2024

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sounds like a plan | excerpt + giveaway

justread publicity tours

about the book

-A Baby in the Mix by Lorna Seilstad

-Not By Chance by Eleanor Bertin

-Five Things You Know About Me by Sara Davison

-Mercy’s Detour by Brenda S. Anderson

-Piper’s Sweet Dream by Stacy Monson

What Reviewers are Saying About The Mosaic Collection Anthologies:

Each is a picture of God’s grace working in the hearts of hurting people through individual writing styles.

Each author has her own voice, yet somehow they all fit perfectly together.

The stories are just the right length to relax with at the end of a long day.

I love these Mosaic author anthologies. These are stories about real people with real problems and emotions.

Such beautifully written, inspirational short stories with themes of grace, forgiveness, love, and peace.

Uplifting stories of ordinary people dealing with their faith and life’s struggles.

Thank you to all the Mosaic Collection authors for giving us more lovely stories to remind us that we will never be alone as God is always with us.

Each of these faith-based fiction stories in Sounds Like a Plan is uniquely and beautifully written with believable characters sustained by the amazing grace of God. Memorable, touching, inspiring, and a true reading pleasure. May you be blessed by this collection.

publisher: the mosaic collection

release date: july 10, 2024

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a small town fourth of july | book review

about the book

His return sets off fireworks…

But will it blow up her dreams?

When Theo Danby returns to Maple Glen to sell his inherited land, Maura Stuart panics. Selling the land could endanger Maura’s beloved donkey therapy business… and expose her secrets. Her only hope is to rope Theo into helping with the Fourth of July festival and make Theo fall in love with their small town. But if she trusts him with the truth, will he stay… or will she lose everything?

From Harlequin Heartwarming: Wholesome stories of love, compassion and belonging.

publisher: harlequin heartwarming

release date: june 25, 2024

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other books in the series

rescued at christmas

a small town fourth of july | first line friday + the friday 56

first line friday is hosted weekly by reading is my superpower.
book beginnings is hosted weekly by rose city reader.
the friday 56 is hosted weekly by my head is full of books.

happy friday!

i'm a little late for the fourth of july, but this is still a cute summer read.

the summer of keeping secrets | book review

about the book

For fans of Denise Hunter and Susan Mallery, a captivating story about a single summer that could completely break a family apart—or bring them back together.

Recently widowed Marin Henderson considers time with her two adult children a gift. And she’s intent on not prying into their lives while they’re all together, cleaning out her late parents’ Colorado home. But from the start, nothing goes as planned. Her free-spirited daughter, Slade, and her strait-laced son, Reed, both arrive ahead of schedule, and no one is explaining why. Marin knows they’re hiding issues in their personal lives. But she can only push so far because she, too, is keeping secrets.

Setting aside family tensions, the three of them get to work purging the house. But when Slade discovers a decades-old newspaper clipping about a body found on the rocks below the house, questions arise. Marin insists the death was ruled an accident, but Slade’s curiosity is piqued. And when a roof leak compels Marin to call on an old friend and flame for help, it’s the catalyst for a wave of revelations.

Between a daughter bent on distracting herself from her own career turmoil, a son desperate to hold on to his marriage and a mother forced to confront her choices from that long-ago summer, pieces of the past and present begin to unravel. And before the summer is over, they each must decide what to hold on to and what to let go…

publisher: love inspired trade

release date: june 25, 2024

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her part to play | book review + giveaway

justread publicity tours

about the book

Desperate for extra income after her mother’s passing, Adanne accepts a last-minute job as a makeup artist for a movie filming in her small Alabama hometown. She’s working to save her parents’ legacy and help her brother, but the money hardly seems worth having to face the actor who got her fired from her last job in Hollywood.

John Pope has made his share of mistakes over the years. But after turning his life over to God and enduring a messy breakup, he’s ready to start rebuilding his career. Imagine his surprise when the woman called in to cover for his usual makeup artist is a quiet but feisty newcomer on the set–and definitely not a fan.

Sparks of tension–and could that be attraction?–fly between them, but Adanne hates the spotlight, and John’s scheming manager has bigger plans for him than to end up with the humble makeup girl from the small-town South. Can these star-crossed lovers find their way to happiness? Or will the bright lights of Hollywood blind their eyes to what’s right in front of them?

Debut author Jenny Erlingsson’s diverse cast comes alive with faith, romance, and a touch of humor to create a story worthy of the big screen.

publisher: revell

release date: june 18, 2024

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treason trail | excerpt + giveaway

justread publicity tours

about the book

A mysterious stranger holds the key to the fate of the nation.

In the final days of the American Revolutionary War, Nessa Shaw tends to the sick and wounded at the Continental Army camp in Charlestown, South Carolina. When she stumbles upon a man lying unconscious on a forest trail, she quickly realizes he is unlike any patient she has ever encountered. With no memory of his past, his only clues to his identity are his first name—August—and the certainty that he is a Patriot. Against her better judgment, Nessa grows closer to August, trusting him with secrets that could cost her dearly. But when she discovers a deadly plot that could change the course of the war, Nessa must question everything she thought she knew about August and his true allegiances.

publisher: independently published

release date: june 18, 2024

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other books in the series

savanna storm

carolina crossing

toward the dawn | first line friday + the friday 56

first line friday is hosted weekly by reading is my superpower.
book beginnings is hosted weekly by rose city reader.
the friday 56 is hosted weekly by my head is full of books.

happy friday!

i started off my long holiday weekend with this western read. excited for more reading ahead!

toward the dawn | book review + giveaway

justread publicity tours

about the book

Despite trials that threaten their path forward, hope dawns for a future filled with love.

Kat Wadsworth and Sebastian Jones never imagined their lives would entwine so closely. Forced to flee on a wagon train from a vengeful uncle and an unknown gunman, they live in a hidden canyon with the family that rescued them. But as the days turn into months, they each have separate reasons for wanting to move back to society, and the best way to the independence they desperately crave might be through a marriage of convenience.

However, settling into their homestead in Cheyenne, Wyoming, reveals a different reality for Kat. Her new husband becomes consumed by his inventions, leaving her feeling lonely and isolated. And just when they think they've left the danger behind, a mysterious attacker lurks in the shadows, threatening the new life they've built. Together, they must confront the perils from their pasts to forge a future with hope and the prospect of love.

publisher: bethany house publishers

release date: june 18, 2024

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other books in the series

chasing the horizon

into the sunset

when secrets come calling | excerpt + giveaway

justread publicity tours

about the book

Past secrets. A second chance. But can the truth really set them free?

When former University of Alabama and Titans wide receiver Dax Carpenter learns his father is accused of a forty-year-old robbery and murder, he turns to the only person he trusts to discover the truth: his ex-girlfriend, Caitlin Fitzhugh.

Caitlin, a cold-case specialist with the Alabama State Division of Investigations, wants nothing to do with the case nor Dax. Not only is the evidence against Dax’s father already condemning, she can’t risk having her heart broken—again.

Caitlin’s boss, however, ignores her arguments, and she begrudgingly takes the consult, convincing herself she can keep the case and her past with Dax separate. But unlike her, longings and memories don’t follow orders. While she lends her skills to the Gulf Shores Police Department in the search for the truth, Dax fends off a possibly career-ending social media hit—leading him to question everything he knows about his father and himself.

As the secrets of both their pasts unfold, they discover whether Dax’s father truly robbed and murdered a man forty years ago but also why Caitlin ended their relationship. Secrets that could drive a wedge between them, forever.

publisher: salt & light publishing

release date: july 1, 2024

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i dream a dream for you | excerpt + giveaway

justread publicity tours

about the book

A charming read-aloud bedtime book for toddlers

With its sweet bedtime rhymes, I Dream a Dream for You resembles the classic title The Going to Bed Book by Sandra Boynton. A family of red pandas make their home in the forest. When it’s time for bed, Mom and Dad tuck in their three kiddos, and as they all drift to sleep, dreams come to life through the vibrant pictures and story. Parents or grandparents will enjoy reading this sweet bedtime rhyme, filled with dreams and aspirations for their little ones. With amazing, colorful illustrations, this read-to-me story richly shows the love of a faith-filled family with creative, interesting scenes that kids will love to see over and over–and those who read it to them will experience the blessing of God’s love, which is meant to be shown and shared with families.

publisher: kregel children's books

release date: june 18, 2024

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resurgence of dawn | excerpt + giveaway

justread publicity tours

about the book

Haunted by tragedies and failures, Anargen and Jason each struggle to find their way. Night has fallen in the Lowlands and neither teen has an easy road ahead. In Anargen’s Era, Monarch Ilyron’s powers and influence grow, forcing Anargen and his dwindling list of allies to travel the length of the Lowlands in a desperate attempt to keep the Quest and all they hold dear from falling into ruin.

Jason meanwhile must find Aria and her grandfather to help unite the Knights of Light from across the Lowlands against his brother, Dorian. But agents of darkness and painful vestiges of his past mix with vindictive new enemies to make the hope of seeing the dawn of the longed-for King’s Day ever so faint. If either teen gives in and surrenders, doom will come swiftly on their world.

publisher: expanse books

release date: december 12, 2023

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other books in the series

the gathering dark

succession

shadows at nightfall

desperation

the elusive truth of lily temple | first line friday + the friday 56

first line friday is hosted weekly by reading is my superpower.
book beginnings is hosted weekly by rose city reader.
the friday 56 is hosted weekly by my head is full of books.

happy friday!

lots of books i'm hoping to read this weekend to close out the month, and the elusive truth of lily temple is definitely one of them because my library due date is coming up quickly...

the way back | excerpt + giveaway

justread publicity tours

about the book

Young love means everything . . . until it leaves you with nothing.

The summer before her senior year of high school, Laney Jacobs and her best friend jump from a six-story beachside cliff in an attempt to impress their boyfriends. Laney rose from the water. Her friend did not.

Six years later, when Laney’s troubled mother’s memoir hits the bestseller list airing the family’s destructive secrets, Laney is forced to relive the trauma, this time in the public eye. To escape the scrutiny, she seeks shelter at her estranged grandmother’s seaside inn. But she can’t reconcile the loving woman with the heartless parent in her mother’s book. As she seeks answers, the boyfriend who once cost her a promising future reappears, stirring up both pain and hope.

When her mother’s vindictive fans threaten her grandmother’s livelihood and the lighthouse Laney has come to love, she turns to the century-old words of a young lighthouse keeper to help her find the courage to move forward. But once truths from the past come to light and old love finds new beginnings, will Laney discover that forgiveness is the only way toward true healing?

publisher: hope creek publishers

release date: june 18, 2024

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a run at love | first line friday + the friday 56

first line friday is hosted weekly by reading is my superpower.
book beginnings is hosted weekly by rose city reader.
the friday 56 is hosted weekly by my head is full of books.

happy friday!

hoping that i love a run at love this weekend!

the amish book cellar | excerpt + giveaway

justread publicity tours

about the book

It will take everything she has to face her past. Can this wayward woman find her way back into the hearts of her Amish Community?

When a mistake forces Lydia Troyer to leave her Amish roots in exchange for a new life as an Englischer, she finds herself running from more than her past as Wally Troyer’s rebellious daughter.

Upon her father’s untimely death, she is called home to take over The Book Cellar, Willow Springs’s favorite Amish bookstore. A series of strange happenings and whispers among her people lead her to suspect there are more than books hidden in the cellar. Will she chance getting her heart broken again if she leans on a longtime friend and carpenter, Aaron Shetler, to help her discover the truth?

Widower Aaron Shetler has too much at stake to allow Lydia Troyer back into his life. Will it take his young daughter, Mattie Rose, to convince him what he yearns for the most is the one thing he’s fighting against the hardest?

Together with their Labrador Yankee, Lydia, and Aaron help bring to light a century of mysteries waiting to be unearthed about some of Willow Springs’s most upstanding citizens.

Can this woman find the courage to stand up for what is right and find her place back among her people?

publisher: the tracer group, llc

release date: june 4, 2024

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coal black lies | excerpt + giveaway

justread publicity tours

about the book

Believing the bitter lies you tell yourself leaves little room for the sweetness of truth.

Coal miner Joshua Morgan managed to do the impossible–he broke away from the stranglehold of the iron-fisted Barton family and the Company Store, to whom all the miners in the Appalachian Mountains are indebted. But it cost him the life of his young daughter, who was run down by a posse led by Thomas Barton while coming to collect Joshua’s payment to the store.

Five years later, a sweet but slow-witted young girl lands on his doorstep, and Joshua’s desire to protect her from the clutches of the Bartons increases his thirst for vengeance. Joshua sets out to discover where the girl came from in order to take down the Barton family once and for all.

His journey leads him to the truth about the day his daughter died, a reality he finds hard to accept. But when confronted by Thomas Barton himself, Joshua is forced to rethink the dark lies brewing in his heart. If he broke away, could Thomas have also? Despite his misgivings, can Joshua join forces with a man he once despised to free the miners from the tyrannical Barton family and forge a future of peace for both the young girl and himself?

publisher: kregel publications

release date: june 18, 2024

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other books in the series

mercy's rain

liar's winter

highcliffe house | first line friday + the friday 56

first line friday is hosted weekly by reading is my superpower.
book beginnings is hosted weekly by rose city reader.
the friday 56 is hosted weekly by my head is full of books.

happy friday!

i've heard so many good things about highcliffe house, so i'm excited to finally get around to reading it (hopefully).

when the ocean roars | excerpt + giveaway

justread publicity tours

about the book

He needs to surrender. She needs to fight. Are they ready for their next battle?​

Weeks before the Ultimate Fighting World Championship, Keane “The Golden Lion” Temple lands in Japan for the battle of his professional life. The adored prizefighter is primed to take the win. And nothing has ever distracted him from victory in the ring.

But when his path collides with an intriguing woman, he gives in to impulse and asks her to spend his day off from training with him. Surely, he can keep his heart safe for one day.

Ami Ono cannot pass on the invitation but also hides her full identity. As their extraordinary day bleeds into night, both realize one day won’t be enough. Then the excursion ends in disaster when Keane discovers who Ami is. They part ways, but compelling circumstances and an undeniable attraction draw them back together, driving their attraction―and her high-society family drama―to something more intense than Keane has ever faced. As the forbidden romance threatens to take down his principles in the knockout of his life, he struggles to honor his beliefs. Will The Golden Lion surrender his heart? Will Ami defy the domineering men in her life and accept it? Do they stand a chance against nature?

publisher: iron stream media

release date: june 11, 2024

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a cameo for a cowgirl | excerpt + giveaway

justread publicity tours

about the book

Welcome to Three Creek Ranch, home of the James family for over a hundred years, complete with its own Western movie set.

Franklin James might be a famous pro hockey player, but just because he's Cassie's older brother doesn't mean she wants to step into the limelight. She's too busy helping her dad run the ranch and managing the ranch's movie set, and negotiating with the giant egos of movie stars like Harrison Woods, who's supposed to be filming the new TV series of As The Heart Draws. And while his TV hero characters might be hugely popular, Harrison's real character seems anything but noble. Cassie is convinced he's hiding something, and that this diva's nice guy moments are just an act.

Can she remind him what being a true hero is all about?

publisher: independently published

release date: june 14, 2024

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justread rendezvous 2024 | spotlight + giveaway

justread publicity tours

you're invited!

JustRead Rendezvous

November 15, 2024

DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel & Conference Center Chicago-Downers Grove

Join fellow readers and authors at the JustRead Rendezvous to celebrate Christian fiction and sweet reads. This event, modeled after the Christian Fiction Readers Retreat, aims to sweeten reading and storytelling experiences with fellowship and encouragement. Activities will include corporate worship, speaker sessions, author panels, small group discussions, games, giveaways, a pop-up book shop, and author signings.

Baker Publishing Group fiction imprints (Bethany House and Revell), Enclave Publishing, and Kregel Publications have joined JustRead Publicity Tours as event sponsors.

Learn more about the 2024 JustRead Rendezvous.

the happy life of isadora bentley | first line friday + the friday 56

first line friday is hosted weekly by reading is my superpower.
book beginnings is hosted weekly by rose city reader.
the friday 56 is hosted weekly by my head is full of books.

happy friday!

this book's been sitting on my tbr long enough...