a mother's prayer | excerpt + giveaway

justread publicity tours

about the book

Can an unexpected turn

lead her right where she belongs?

Pregnant, single and stranded in a storm with her two young kids, Olive Hart is out of options—until gruff mechanic Hank Valentine comes to their rescue. When her housing falls through, he reluctantly offers them shelter at his ranch in exchange for help at his garage. It’s just a temporary arrangement… but Olive’s chaotic, lovable crew begins to warm his guarded heart. They’ve both been burned by the past, but can they find the courage to build something lasting… together?

publisher: harlequin love inspired

release date: june 30, 2026

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other books in the series

a father's vow

the fire chief's surprise

a work in development | book review + giveaway

justread publicity tours

about the book

For a woman who has edited hundreds of romance novels, Nellie’s own happy ending feels out of reach. After the death of her first husband, Daniel has offered her a second chance at happiness and love. But just as Nellie begins to hope for a future with him, her in-laws arrive to celebrate her late husband’s memory. Bringing more confusion than comfort, the well-intentioned relatives test Nellie’s determination to be brave.

Problems escalate when an unexpected threat emerges to tear open deep wounds from Daniel’s past and jeopardize everything Nellie has built with him. Nellie never thought she’d find love again. Now that she has, she’ll do anything to protect it. With only a week to keep everything from spinning out of control, keeping her romance from becoming a rom-com cliché is the least of Nellie’s problems.

Nellie must face the fears buried inside herself to save her and Daniel’s story—or risk the next plot twist breaking it apart.

publisher: sweetwater books (a cedar fort imprint)

release date: july 1, 2026

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other books in the series

a work in attraction

a work in progress

the eyes of river | book review + giveaway

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about the book

A heart-wrenching Appalachian novel from a best-selling, award-winning author

In the shadowed hollers of the early-twentieth-century Appalachian Mountains, Lizzy Haney is on the run. She's been falsely accused of murder and is desperate to reunite with her brother, River, whose unforgettable green eyes haunt her. The secret in her past is a stinging wound, but it motivates her toward her goal: freedom.

But nine-year-old River, sent through the US Post Office to their late mother's friend in Knoxville, never arrived. Lizzy's dream of finding him and starting a new life away from their alcoholic and abusive father is ripped away.

Her hope rekindles as she happens upon an unexpected friend to help her dodge the law and save the missing youngin'. As she finds herself trusting him, she discovers the accuracy of the old adage her momma repeated: And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

publisher: kregel publications

release date: june 23, 2026

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guess why God made the rainbow | excerpt + giveaway

justread publicity tours

about the book

Come join Lucy and her Papa Joe on another exciting adventure into the Bible, this time going back to Noah’s Ark!

Lucy is afraid of storms. She hides under her covers every time the thunder roars. But Papa Joe calms her fears, and then he has an important question for her, “Do you know what the rainbow means?”

Follow along in this third book in the Questions for Kids series as Papa Joe shows Lucy how God is faithful to protect and keep His promises, even amongst the storms of life.

Guess Why God Made the Rainbow is a heartwarming story of faith and trust in a God Who is with us through every storm.

April Graney, bestselling author of If Jesus Came to My School

A perfect book for helping build literacy skills, establishing foundations in Bible study with young children, and sharing the real meaning of the rainbow!

Kayla E. Green, award-winning Christian author, poet, and educator

publisher: ambassador international

release date: october 1, 2025

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other books in the series

guess how much God loves you

guess who is in God's family

rendezvous 2026 | carolina dream | excerpt + giveaway

justread publicity tours

bringing rendezvous ’26 to you!

Rendezvous: reader and writer gathering

November 7, 2026

Holiday Inn Nashville Airport

Readers and Writers will gather at the fourth annual Read Write Rendezvous, organized and sponsored by JustRead Publicity Tours, LLC, on November 7, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. CT at the Holiday Inn Nashville Airport. Rendezvous celebrates Christian fiction and sweet reads, featuring corporate worship, speaker sessions, author panels, small-group discussions, games, giveaways, a pop-up bookshop, and book signings.

This event aims to sweeten reading and storytelling experiences with fellowship and encouragement. Over forty featured authors are participating, including The Christy Award Hall of Fame and bestselling author Tamera Alexander who will deliver the keynote address. USA Today and top ten Publishers Weekly bestselling author Lisa Phillips will lead worship. We prayerfully honor the legacy of the Christian Fiction Readers Retreat through each Rendezvous event, and this year we are especially celebrating the very first CFRR which was held 10 years ago in Nashville.

Rendezvous is open only to registered attendees. Want to extend your reader getaway? The Christy Award Gala and Art of Writing conference will be held at a nearby venue on November 6.

Learn more about the 2026 Rendezvous

If you’re unable to attend Rendezvous this year, we don’t want you to miss out on getting to know our authors and their books. Our bloggers are bringing Rendezvous to you by spotlighting several of the participating authors this week. Follow along to grow your TBR list to astronomical proportions!

participating authors

In order as they appear on the above graphic, participating authors so far are:

Amanda Cox, Amanda Wright, Angela Bell, Ann Elizabeth Fryer, Ashley Worrell, Becky Wade, C.C. Warrens, Carrie Cotten, Carrie Turansky, Dana R. Lynn, Danielle Grandinetti, Deborah Clack, Drew Taylor, E. A. Hendryx, Elizabeth Maddrey, Gina Holder, Hannah Hood Lucero, Jayna Breigh, Jenny Erlingsson, Jessica R. Patch, Kit Tosello, Kristi Ann Hunter, Latisha Sexton, Lisa Phillips, Liz Bradford, Liz Johnson, Lynette Eason, Lynn H. Blackburn, Michelle Shocklee, Misty M. Beller, Natalie Walters, Nicole Deese, Pepper Basham, Rebekah Millet, Regina Rudd Merrick, Rosey Lee, Sami A. Abrams, Sara R. Turnquist, Sarah Hanks, Shannon Sue Dunlap, Stephenia H. McGee, Storm Shultz, Tamera Alexander, and Toni Shiloh.

Check out recent releases by these participating authors in the JustRead Amazon Storefront.

More authors will be announced in the coming weeks, but find out more about Regina Rudd Merrick (and Carolina Dream) now.

about the book

A broken engagement. An unexpected inheritance. A second chance neither of them saw coming.

After her life takes an unexpected turn, Sarah Crawford heads to South Carolina hoping for rest, clarity, and a fresh perspective. The last thing she expects is to inherit part of a property—or to meet the man determined to take it from her.

Jared Benton has a plan to protect the business he helped build, and it doesn’t include a small-town schoolteacher with big decisions to make. But the more time he spends with Sarah, the harder it becomes to ignore the pull between them… and the questions her presence raises.

Especially when Sarah begins to wonder if her recurring dream about the house—and a man she’s never met—might not be a coincidence after all.

As past hurts and future hopes collide, Sarah and Jared must choose between the safety of what they’ve always known… and the risk of trusting God with what comes next.

If you enjoy clean romance filled with faith, healing, and heartfelt connection, this story will leave you smiling.

publisher: scrivenings press llc

release date: july 1, 2020

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carolina mercy

carolina grace

the brunswick | book review + giveaway

justread publicity tours

about the book

When Cora provides a safe haven for Jewish refugee children, she discovers that opening her doors means risking everything, including her heart.

In 1939 Georgia, far removed from the war brewing overseas, Cora Cain’s world feels small–and shrinking. There, she runs The Brunswick, her family’s once-grand hotel, which is now struggling as the town’s general store. When Thomas Watkins arrives seeking work and solace after his mother’s death, a connection sparks between them. Through Thomas, Cora glimpses a life beyond obligation and her war hero father’s unpredictable moods.

But everything changes when Cora is asked to turn The Brunswick into a sanctuary for Jewish children fleeing persecution in Germany. As Cora and Thomas prepare for the children’s arrival, they struggle to confront their pasts–and the prejudice of their neighbors–as their fragile hope is put to the test.

Meanwhile, in Vienna, ten-year-old Charlotte is offered refuge in America. But even with the horrors she sees around her, she wonders how her parents could possibly send her away. As war’s shadow begins to reach small-town Georgia, each person must face what love demands and decide what to hold on to and what to let go.

publisher: revell

release date: may 19, 2026

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nkjv new testament, tracing edition | book review + giveaway

about the book

Write God’s Word into your heart by tracing Scripture verse-by-verse through the New Testament.

For years, scientists have connected handwriting with improved learning. Designed for a unique, devotional experience, the NKJV New Testament, Tracing Edition provides an opportunity to read and write through the beautiful gospel and promises of the New Testament from Matthew to Revelation.

This special edition has lightly printed text allowing you to trace the words of Scripture easily. Wide margins and a clean, single-column typesetting complete the intentional design. Chapter headings are printed regularly for easy navigation, or you can engage more deeply using the included tracing themes and reading plans on love, hope, grace, comfort, peace, eternal life, anxiety, spiritual gifts, community, heaven, Holy Spirit, and faith.

Features include:

• Lightly printed text in a clean single-column typesetting

• Substantial 60gsm paper ideal for writing

• Topical reading plans included: love, hope, grace, comfort, peace, eternal life,

anxiety, spiritual gifts, community, heaven, Holy Spirit, and faith

• Wide outer margins for notes

• Chapter headings for easy navigation

• NKJV translation: Beautiful. Trustworthy. Today.

• Clear and readable 17-point type

publisher: thomas nelson

release date: june 2, 2026

goodreads | amazon | thomas nelson

 

home no matter where | book review + giveaway

justread publicity tours

about the book

Three generations of women confront their pasts and discover it’s never too late for new beginnings in this heartwarming novel of second chances and unconditional love—from the bestselling author of The Shell Collector.

“In Home No Matter Where we travel to beautiful Whelk’s Island, where a close-knit community puts us right at home. Along the way we meet compelling characters caught in realistic storms and learn faith-filled lessons about weathering them.” —Denise Hunter, bestselling author of More Than Friends

Nina is at her wit’s end with her teenage daughter, Kendra. Still dealing with her own wounds of divorce, Nina hopes a change of scenery will help. She and Kendra head to the serene coastal town of Whelk’s Island to spend a restorative summer with Nina’s mother, Rosemary—bringing three generations under one roof for the first time in years. Amid the island’s charm, old wounds begin to heal, and as new friendships bloom—especially with the steady and enigmatic Fisher—light begins to break through the cracks of Nina’s tightly controlled life.

Kendra’s reckless behavior continues but Fisher’s intervention during a critical moment for Kendra sparks a sense of hope in Nina that she thought was lost. Still, change is never easy.

As the women navigate the tides of forgiveness, growing up, and letting go, healing begins and new love brings surprises. While Whelk’s Island may not hold all the answers, it has a way of reminding people that moving forward doesn’t follow a set path—it requires the bravery to start anew.

publisher: waterbrook press (penguin random house)

release date: may 5, 2026

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other books in the series

the shell collector

to light the way forward

a whelk's island valentine

crossbones | excerpt + giveaway

justread publicity tours

about the book

“Sticks and stones will break your bones, if you make me hurt you.”

Some truths are better left buried, but Jace Walker is determined to unearth the skeletons in her family’s closet. Leverage is all she needs to keep her brother alive, and she’s willing to risk everything to save him.

Even her life.

But is she willing to risk the lives of her friends?

Holly and Jordan take on the case, but what should be a simple investigation takes a deadly turn when they stumble onto a murder. Family secrets are the least of their concerns as their path intertwines with a killer intent on remaining hidden.

He doesn’t want to be found.

He doesn’t want to be known.

And anyone who threatens his anonymity dies.

publisher: independently published

release date: may 15, 2026

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other books in the series

criss cross

winter memorial

cross fire

crossed off

holly jolly christmas

cross the line

crossroads

the deep end of love | book review + giveaway

justread publicity tours

about the book

A refreshed and updated novel on the power of motherly love

When Izzy's pregnancy comes to light during her junior year of high school, her future sinks like a stone and leaves waves of uncertainty in its wake. And suddenly three women are pulled into the undertow. A mother desperate to protect her child but battling hurt and fear from her past. A newcomer with empty arms and a deep longing. And a broken heart trying to survive amid grief.

An unborn baby growing closer to his unknown future brings together these four women with four completely different stories. Masterfully told in woven points of view, The Deep End of Love explores how one decision exposes shame, fear, and hope—and how grace surfaces in the least expected places.

Christy Award-winning author Christina Suzann Nelson draws readers in through this emotionally engaging and inspirational novel, now revised and updated.

publisher: kregel publications

release date: may 19, 2026

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the targeted | book review + giveaway

justread publicity tours

about the book

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

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

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

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

publisher: kregel publications

release date: may 19, 2026

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other books in the series

art of deception

the vanished

the accused

now until forever | excerpt + giveaway

justread publicity tours

about the book

**The Epic Stand-alone Finale**

Born into a legacy, Eliana must find her own brand of justice.

After moving to Chicago to work at the mysterious Shrine museum, Eliana is determined to uncover the family secrets she’s never been told. When she stumbles upon her first ever dead body, everyone around her believes she should try and solve the murder. But taking cases isn’t what she came here for. Despite her plans, things are about to turn far more sinister, and the path she’s on seems determined to drag her back into a nightmare.

Chicago PD Officer Carlos Ryson was born into a legacy of his own. He’s here to look for his missing sister, Luci, and wants to enlist Eliana’s help. This is a family problem, and only family working together can solve it. But Eliana has never forgotten the way Carlos shredded her heart. If he wants them to team up, he’ll have to confront the damage he did and find a way to repair it.

While the city around them descends into a chaos that resembles the end times, someone has seized the opportunity to get what they want from the Shrine. Only Eliana stands in their way, but if she’s going to figure this out she’ll need to trust that the people around her have her back.

Before it’s too late.

Now Until Forever is the stand-alone finale to the Brand of Justice series, and is set in the near-future. It features a happily ever after romance mixed with high-stakes suspense in this gripping crime fiction story.

publisher: two dogs publishing, llc

release date: may 6, 2026

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other books in the series

cold dead night

burn the dawn

quick and dead

over the limit

skin and bone

dust and ashes

long road home

dead to rights

fear no evil

out of time

every which way

one more chance

storm and tempest

now or never

every last step

shipwrecked faith | excerpt + giveaway

justread publicity tours

about the book

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.

publisher: ashberry lane

release date: may 15, 2026

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loving sarah | excerpt + giveaway

justread publicity tours

about the book

Sarah wears William’s engagement ring. Then, Robert arrives in town.

In this love-triangle story, Sarah cheerfully manages the candy shop she inherited from her mama. Being engaged to be married to Gatlinburg, Tennessee’s most eligible bachelor, makes her life pretty much perfect. But then she meets Robert and has an unexplainable sense they’ve met before.

Robert travels from Michigan to operate Gatlinburg’s main-street SkyLift attraction while his dad recovers from a fall. He’s miserable being relocated to this Tennessee mountains hick town. That is, until he meets Sarah and feels an instant attraction to her. He’s unaware that the town’s biggest secret involves him.

Although she’s engaged to another, Sarah and Robert are mysteriously drawn to each other. This woman and her beloved mountains curb his desire to return to Michigan. Will Sarah give in to her feelings for Robert or be true to the man she’s promised to marry?

Loving Sarah is steeped in the easygoing culture and traditions of the Smoky Mountains in the 1950s. The story is a sweet, small-town romance with a heart-wrenching battle to make the right choice. This book will keep you turning pages with its mix of loyalty, betrayal, uncertainty, and emotional stakes.

publisher: forget me not romances, a division of winged publications

release date: may 12, 2026

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a brewed awakening | book review + giveaway

justread publicity tours

about the book

Daphne dreams of Mr. Darcy. Finn serves up pints and rock music. Can opposites attract when a tea shop princess meets her pub-owning rival?

In the charming mountain town of Wisteria, North Carolina, Daphne Austen clings to tradition like cream to a scone. She’s built her life–and her late grandmother’s tearoom, Tea Thyme–around all things English: delicate china, Jane Austen novels, and the comforting predictability of routine. The only thing threatening her perfectly ordered world? The loud, aggravatingly handsome Brit opening a pub next door.

After his ex-wife broke his heart and his business partner nearly destroyed his career, Finn Dashwood packed up his six-year-old daughter and left England behind. He’s looking for a fresh start, and the last thing he needs is a fussy, tea-obsessed neighbor criticizing his every pint and playlist. It doesn’t matter that she’s ridiculously kind (to everyone else) and that his daughter is utterly fascinated by her. Finn’s heart is not open to being broken again.

But disagreements turn into prank wars and then a competition when a high-profile wedding needs a last-minute caterer. The townsfolk are thrilled–Wisteria hasn’t seen this much excitement since the county fair lost a goat.

When the wedding demands both sweet and savory fare, Daphne and Finn are forced to put down their swords and pick up their serving trays. Between burnt pastries, brewing tempers, trending hashtags (#SipsAndSpats, anyone?), and one very adorable little girl, rivalry soon gives way to reluctant friendship–and maybe something that feels suspiciously like chemistry.

Can a tea shop princess and a pub owner with a past mix their lives as seamlessly as clotted cream and jam . . . or will their differences keep them steeped in rivalry forever?

publisher: thomas nelson

release date: may 5, 2026

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miss beth bettencourt | book review + giveaway

justread publicity tours

about the book

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?

publisher: kregel publications

release date: may 12, 2026

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a girl's guide to having it all | excerpt + giveaway

justread publicity tours

about the book

She mastered her career. Finding a husband? Not so much.

High-powered political lobbyist Carleigh Chastain turns thirty-five with an impressive résumé, a packed calendar, and no love life to speak of. When her longtime friend—and former marriage-pact partner—Lawson announces he’s marrying a woman he barely knows, Carleigh does what any sensible best friend would do: she drops everything in DC and jets to Magnolia Bluff, Georgia, determined to save him from a costly mistake.

Instead, her plans unravel, forcing Carleigh to confront the choices she’s made—and the ones she’s avoided.

Meanwhile, Spencer MacDowell, her steady, loyal best friend since law school, is done waiting in the friend zone.

As faith, friendship, and romance collide, Carleigh wonders if she’s been too busy chasing success to notice where God—and her heart—have been pointing all along. Funny, heartfelt, and romantic, this story asks what “having it all” really means.

publisher: lanier price publishing

release date: april 30, 2026

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other books in the series

stealing magnolias

how to sparkle

the escape game | excerpt + giveaway

justread publicity tours

about the book

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.

publisher: scrivenings press

release date: may 5, 2026

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other books in the series

the puzzle within

the hometown cop's forever family | book review + giveaway

justread publicity tours

about the book

Solving crimes

And falling in love!

Charming, small-town Golden, Georgia, has everything Briana Connelly needs—her four-year-old daughter, her family, and her job as a police officer. When her former best friend, Jackson Walker, returns suddenly and is made her partner at work, she’s forced to face the events that drove them apart. With a mysterious theft to investigate, spending time with Jax is unavoidable… and easier than she’d like. Especially when his effortless warmth wins over her precious daughter. As a deeper connection grows between them, he starts to feel like a part of Briana’s little family. But if overcoming the past means admitting their true feelings—that might be the biggest risk of all.

USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR

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

publisher: harlequin heartwarming

release date: april 28, 2026

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other books in the series

the surprise next door

the single mom's second chance

a surprise family for christmas