When exotic pet–sitter Belinda Blake starts pecking at the details of a suspicious accident in her sleepy hometown, she inadvertently digs up a murder case that won’t be solved without ruffling a few feathers . . .
The moment Belinda arrives in Larches Corner, her Upstate New York hometown, she’s immediately recruited to care for a deceased friend’s flock of homing pigeons. But Belinda’s plans for a swift visit scatter after a local college student is mowed down in a malicious hit-and-run that has the whole town reeling.
At first, the gruesome demise of Jackson Hait appears to be a random tragedy. But Belinda quickly uncovers connections to a tight-knit group of friends and a similar death three years earlier . . . one that wasn’t as accidental as it seemed. Now, Belinda must pluck the truth from a tangled nest of lies before a cruel killer takes wing.About Heather Day Gilbert HEATHER DAY GILBERT, an ECPA Christy award finalist and Grace award winner, writes contemporary mysteries and Viking historicals. Her novels feature small towns, family relationships, and women who aren’t afraid to protect those they love. Publisher’s Weekly gave Heather’s Viking historical Forest Child a starred review, saying it is “an engaging story depicting timeless human struggles with faith, love, loyalty, and leadership.”
Find Heather on Pinterest (heatherdgilbert), Instagram (@heatherdaygilbert), Twitter (@heatherdgilbert), and Facebook (heatherdaygilbert). You can find all her books at heatherdaygilbert.com
My Rating: 5 Stars!
‘I couldn’t help that I was skilled in sniffing out mysterious deaths.’
Heather Gilbert is back with the third offering in her Exotic Pet-Sitter cozy mystery series. And she has outdone herself with this one, let me tell you!
Belinda Blake lives in Greenwich and babysits exotic pets like boa constrictors, wolves, and the like. She also is quite a dab hand at solving murders. This time, Belinda spends much of her time upstate at her parents’ home when, of course, there is a murder. And an unsolved murder from the past. And Belinda herself has some decisions to make in this book, which was part of the charm of the story. And let me tell you, I NEVER guessed the culprit! Never, ever would I have guessed that. This is my favorite of the series so far. I loved it so much! Highly recommended.
*My thanks to the Kensington Books/Lyrical Press for a preview copy of this book via Net Galley. The opinions shared in this review are entirely my own.
Emily Ackerman has traveled the world, her constant compass and companion a book of letters her mother left for her when she died. With no father in the picture, her mom’s advice has been her only true north. But when professional failure leads Emily back to Nantucket to renovate and sell the family cottage she inherited, she wonders if her mom left advice to cover this . . . especially when her grandmother arrives to “supervise.” And especially when her heart becomes entangled with Hollis McGuire, the boy next door–turned–baseball star who’s back on the island after a career-ending injury.
As sparks fly between her and Hollis, Emily is drawn to island life, even as she uncovers shocking secrets about the tragic accident that led to her mother’s death. With her world turned upside down, Emily must choose between allowing the voices from her past to guide her future or forging her own path forward.
About Courtney Walsh
Courtney Walsh is a novelist, artist, theatre director, and playwright. She writes small town romance and women’s fiction while juggling the performing arts studio and youth theatre she owns and runs with her husband. If For Any Reason is her eleventh novel. Her debut, A Sweethaven Summer, hit the New York Times and USA Today e-book bestseller lists and was a Carol Award finalist in the debut author category, and her contemporary romance Just Let Go won the Carol Award in 2019.
A creative at heart, Courtney has also written two craft books and several full-length musicals. She lives in Illinois with her husband and three children and a sometimes naughty Bernedoodle named Luna.
Connect with Courtney online at her website (courtneywalshwrites.com) or on any of these social media platforms:
‘So much for believing God was really going to be there for her this time.’
After suffering a huge professional failure and going broke, Emily Ackerman comes back to the little Nantucket island she lived on as a child. Her grandfather has died and left her their cottage and she plans on renovating it and selling it. She discovers that her childhood friend, Hollis McGuire, is staying next door with his family. With his 12 year old daughter. Hollis’s baseball career has ended and he’s trying to connect with his daughter but not being very successful at it.
Soon Emily discovers shocking secrets about her mother’s fatal car accident 18 years ago but nobody will talk to her. Her world has just taken a nose dive and she keeps reading the series of letters her mother wrote to her when she was small. Can she get past all this and build a life for herself and stop running?
Courtney Walsh knows how to engage her readers’ hearts. Always has. I was rooting for Emily all through the book. And Hollis’s daughter Jolie is so precious. And Walsh made me want to visit Nantucket so much! Walsh takes us on a journey of love, heartbreak, faith and new beginnings. Recommended.
*My thanks to Tyndale House Publishers for a copy of this book via Net Galley. The opinions here are entirely my own.
Quinten Aspinall is determined to fulfill a promise he made to his deceased father to keep his family together. To do so, he must travel to Canada to find his younger siblings, who were sent there as indentured workers while Quinn was away at war. He is also solicited by his employer to look for the man’s niece who ran off with a Canadian soldier. If Quinn can bring Julia back, he will receive his own tenant farm, enabling him to provide a home for his ailing mother and siblings.
Julia Holloway’s decision to come to Toronto has been met with disaster. When her uncle’s employee rescues her from a bad situation, she fears she can never repay Quinn’s kindness. So when he asks her to help find his sister, she agrees. Soon after, however, Julia receives some devastating news that changes everything.
Torn between reuniting his family and protecting Julia, will Quinn have to sacrifice his chance at happiness to finally keep his promise?About Susan Anne Mason Susan lives in a suburb near Toronto, Ontario, Canada, where she works part-time as a church secretary. She is a wife and the mother of two amazing kids, and is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and Romance Writers of America (RWA). In addition to writing, she likes to scrapbook and to research her family history on-line. You can connect with her on Facebook or on her website http://www.susanannemason.net.
My Rating: 4 Stars!
After mustering out of the Great War and returning to his post as personal valet to a member of Britain’s aristocracy, Quinton Aspinall learns his mother is in the workhouse and his three siblings have been shipped to Canada to work there as indentured servants. He is determined to find them and bring them home so their family can be whole again. His employer agrees to Quinton going as long as he searches for and brings him his own wayward niece who has run off with a Canadian soldier, promising Quinton a free and clear tenant farm.
Julia Holloway’s dreams have been shattered after going to Canada with a soldier. Now she is working as a maid and her life is about to turn upside down again. She meets, quite by chance, Quinton, and agrees to help him find his siblings. As they start on the journey to reunite his family, they discover shocking truths about how these so called orphans have been treated.
Susan Anne Mason has given her readers a good lesson in history with a fact-based story of the many children shipped to Canada for a better life. Combined with her ability to tell a good story, this is a book to settle in with and enjoy.
*My thanks to Bethany House Publishers for a complimentary copy of this book via Net Galley. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
Convinced his sister’s death wasn’t an accident, private investigator Sergio Ross is determined to catch her killer. But with all the clues hinting at a connection to another unsolved murder, he has to join forces with Helen Pike—a woman linked to both deaths—to find the truth. Can they follow the cold evidence trail to get justice…before they become the next victims?
My Rating: 5 Stars!
‘Let’s get something straight right now. I don’t want or need you involved in this investigation. Am I clear?’
Dana Mentink brings us another novel in her Roughwater Ranch series and it’s the best yet! I think. Each one she writes I feel is the best. But this one is great.
Fifteen years ago a high school girl was killed in a series of tunnels she and her friends were exploring. The case was never solved. Three years ago another woman is killed, one of the ones who helped explore the tunnel. Sergio Ross has come to town to find his sister’s killer. He is raising her two year old twins and is determined to get vengeance for her death. Helen is one of the ones who helped explore the tunnel and lives in town but Sergio holds her partly responsible for his sister’s death. Now someone is trying to kill Helen! What is happening? Why is this murderer still trying to kill everyone who was in that tunnel? It’s up to Sergio, Helen and Helen’s brothers to figure it out before anyone else dies.
Mentink once again proves her ability to write a great suspense novel here. I read it in just a few hours. Great characters, good plot and enough intrigue to keep your nose planted in the book till you’ve finished. Recommended.
*My thanks to the publisher and author for a copy of this book. The opinion here is my own.
Dana Mentink enjoys writing in many different capacities. She currently writes for Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense, Harlequin Heartwarming and Harvest House Publishers.
Dana is the recipient of a Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award, two ACFW Carol Awards as well as a Holt Medallion.
Dana loves feedback from her readers. Contact her via her website at www.danamentink.com.
Publisher: Love Inspired Publication Date: February 1, 2020 Buy it here: https://amzn.to/2S9Zz7l
Asking FBI agent Lucy Sanderson to profile the Back Roads Killer is the only way Bryce Tippett can prove his brother is innocent—unless Lucy becomes the next victim. When someone begins stalking her just as she arrives in town, it falls to the single dad to protect her. But as clues lead in unexpected directions, can they uncover the truth…and survive to expose it?
My Rating: 5 Stars!
‘She knew her fears were irrational, but that didn’t stop them from being real for her.’
Virginia Vaughan brings us book four in her Covert Operatives book and it’s the best yet! FBI agent Lucy Sanderson is asked to profile the Back Roads Killer by Bruce Tippett to prove his brother innocent. Then someone begins stalking Lucy as she is getting her profile ready. Bruce, a single dad, has taken on the job of protecting Lucy, while trying to help her with her profile. Clues lead places neither one suspected and it’s become a full time job trying to keep from being killed as Lucy gets closer and closer to the culprit.
This book starts off with a bang and continues all the way through. This one is a suspense filled ride right into a heinous crime spree of a serial killer. I just couldn’t stop reading! Vaughan’s best yet! I thought I had figured out the culprit, then I didn’t, then I did, etc. This one will keep you guessing while at the same time holding you hostage to the suspense. Highly recommended.
*My thanks to the author for a preview copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. (less)
Award winning author Virginia Vaughan lives by the motto ‘It’s not hoarding if its books’. Always the kid with her nose stuck in a book, becoming a multi-published author hasn’t stopped Virginia from continuing to grow her own collection of favorite reads. Her family has refused to help her move anymore because of the sheer number boxes of books, but she’s no quitter. She’ll keep buying books and, the next time she moves, hire a moving van.
If you love stories where romance intersects danger and faith, subscribe to Virginia’s email list at http://eepurl.com/dtFeVP and be the first to know when a new story arrives.
Love Inspired takes you on an uplifting journey of faith, forgiveness and hope. Fall in love with stories where faith helps guide you through life’s challenges, and discover the promise of a new beginning.
Moving on is easier said than done. Can two people with broken past come together to form a future?
Self-proclaimed wanderer Carter Kelly doesn’t intend to set down roots when he’s hired as head wrangler at Red Dog Ranch—then he meets Shannon Jarrett. Still healing from a troubled past, Shannon finds a kindred soul in Carter. But will working on a fund-raiser with Shannon make Carter see what’s been missing in his life all along?
About Jessica Keller
A coffee drinker, avid reader, semi-professional fangirl, and chocolate aficionado, Jessica spends way too much time on Instagram and Pinterest. She writes both Young Adult Fiction (under Jess Evander) and Inspirational Romance.
Jessica calls the Midwest home. She lives for fall, farmers’ markets, and driving with the windows down. To learn more about Jessica Keller please visit http://www.jessicakellerbooks.com
My Rating: 4 Stars!
‘How someone treats you doesn’t define who you are. It only reveals who they are.’
Jessica Keller brings us the third book in her Red Dog Ranch series and it is very good indeed. Shannon Jarrett is the kid sister of three older brothers and they’ve always treated her as if she couldn’t function if they weren’t there to protect her and watch over her. This fact has annoyed her to no end. When the new head wrangler, Carter Kelly, rescues her pet goose, Shannon feels as if she’s found someone to confide in. Shannon has endured a pretty painful break up and Carter has some horribly painful issues in his past, so can they trust God with all this so that He can bring healing to them both?
This book carries a significant faith message, which I thoroughly enjoy. The elderly veterinarian and his wife were two of my favorite characters in this book and they were two people who surely knew what God can do in a surrendered life. I wept at one part, but I won’t give it away. I haven’t read the first two books in this series, and now I must go back and read them!
*My thanks to the publisher, Love Inspired for a complimentary copy of this book through Net Galley. The opinions stated here are entirely my own.
Research librarian Savannah Sanderson wants nothing more than to escape into her happily-ever-after novels with their larger-than-life fictional heroes. But a promise to her late husband has her attending her dreaded twenty-year high school reunion, drinking ghastly punch, and taking desperate measures just to keep her vow, even if she has to hide behind the décor to do it.
Once a reckless troublemaker, Michael McCann fled town after graduation. Now a professional technical rescuer, he’s back for the reunion, but on his trip down memory lane, he soon comes face to face with unresolved issues, namely Savannah.
Before the night is over, a pact between these two old friends will lead them on an adventure into uncharted emotional territory where Michael must confront his past regrets and find the courage to reveal the truth. But can Savannah fly from her sheltered nest and risk her heart on a real-life hero?
Melony Teague is a freelance writer who believes everyone has a story to tell. As co-author of As the Ink Flows, she loves to inspire and motivate others through her written words. With foamy lattes in-hand, she writes Contemporary Romance with a dash of humor. Though she has no hobbies outside of reading, writing, and eating chocolate, she is a member of ACFW and teaches seniors in her community to write their memoirs. She confesses with no shame that she has a strong belief that pumpkin pie is an acceptable breakfast food since it’s mostly vegetables. Melony was born in South Africa and now lives in the melting pot that is Toronto with her husband, their two teenagers, and two cats who think they’re humans.
I am super happy to welcome Melony Teague to my blog today! A Promise To Keep is Melony’s debut novel and she has done a great job! Thanks so much for being with me today, Melony.
1. When and how did you decide to write? I have been a freelance writer for ten years and it was only three years ago that I decided to allow more time for my fiction writing. It’s such a different animal to writing nonfiction. But I have always loved stories, whether fiction or nonfiction and the idea of telling one of my own, combining all the elements of what I love in stories was impossibly appealing. It’s a dream come true. I’m still pinching myself. Now my little book is out in the wild and I pray it blesses those who read it.
2. How much does prayer play a part in your writing? Oh goodness, a lot of prayer went into A Promise To Keep at every stage of development. This story was very close to my heart, so I wanted to get it right. But over and above that, I wanted to write a story that would make people laugh, yes, but also have a strong message of hope and healing. Many people prayed this story into existence along with me. I am so grateful to my prayer partners and my writing sisters.
3. How do you get ideas for a book? Usually a story comes out of something real that has happened in real life that has fascinated me. When I brainstorm, I do a lot of day dreaming and thinking. It takes me a while to come up with anything that I don’t consider lame or boring or been-there-done-that, so I tend to wrestle long and hard with the story before I start writing. Once I get to know the characters a bit, and I start to fall in love with their quirky ways, things move more quickly.
4. Is there any of yourself in your books? I guess my sense of humor is in the books, at least, I hope it comes through. Savannah Sanderson and I are both South African, so you’ll see some of that come through. We both live in countries which are not our places of birth, so I guess she and I share the same perspective. Savannah and I also share a need and love for coffee and slow, quiet mornings. Michael McCann shares my sense of adventure, although I share Savannah’s fear of heights and spiders.
5. How long does it take you to write a book? It depends. The first draft for A Promise To Keep took around 8-10 months, and then came revisions and rewriting before I was offered a contract. Once the contract with Anaiah Press was signed, things happened quickly and we headed straight into developmental edits and many rounds of edits and proofreading that became the story you read, Susan. This book was a bit different in that I had a synopsis figured out before I wrote it, which helped guide the story and keep me on track. I had never written that way before. My former manuscripts were mostly written by the seat of my pants. This one was plotted with a tiny bit of pantsing added in when the characters showed with a mind of their own. Like Donovan Radcliffe, he wasn’t in the original syonpsis, but he insisted on making an appearance.
6. What do you hope readers take away from this book? I really hope that readers will enjoy this story for the entertainment value because life is messy and hard. We could all use a bit of an escape and a laugh. Also, I would want readers to come away with healing for yesterday, courage for today, and hope for tomorrow. Thank you, Susan, for having me on your blog. What an honor!
My Rating: 4 Stars!
‘She wouldn’t cry. She was done with tears…..with the fortitude of fragile glass.’
Savannah Sanderson promises her late husband that she will go to her 20th year high school reunion, which is the absolute last thing she wants to do. She finds a hiding spot behind a fern and that’s where she plans to stay until the night is over. Then another classmate, Michael McCann, spots her and drags her out. He’s changed his life completely since high school, too. He and Savannah decide to visit some old favorite spots from their high school years and soon their adventure turns into an emotional journey they are not sure they can navigate past.
Well written, poignantly told, this debut novel from Melony Teague will touch your heart and have you cheering for these two. Watching them reconnect after 20 years and seeing their hearts shine is something you don’t want to miss. Don’t miss this one, folks. Recommended.
*My thanks to the publisher and author for a preview copy of this book. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
The last epic journey before her life changes forever. Susanna Wilkins will do anything to make her father’s final dream come true, including trek along the path Lewis and Clark explored into the untamed wilds of the Rocky Mountains. Every mile is more crucial now that lung cancer is stealing Pa’s last days faster than she can come to terms with losing him. The journey becomes harder than she ever expected, but paddling upriver through fierce rapids and fighting hungry grizzlies isn’t what terrifies her the most. Beaver Tail endured more than he can stand from the women in his Blackfoot camp, but the last disaster gave him the final shove he needed to join this band of brothers searching for one of their group who’s gone missing. The last thing he expected was to find a white woman and her sick father stranded at the base of a massive waterfall. His plan is to help them carry their oversize canoe and supplies, then leave them to their strange mission. Yet, the more he learns about the pair, the more he realizes his life is about to be derailed—again. From a USA Today bestselling author comes another epic journey through breathless landscapes and adventure so intense, lives will never be the same.
Misty M. Beller writes romantic mountain stories, set on the 1800s frontier and woven with the truth of God’s love. For a limited time, you can get her bestselling novel, The Lady and the Mountain Man, FREE here: http://bit.ly/2gvrW1a
She was raised on a farm in South Carolina, so her Southern roots run deep. Growing up, her family was close, and they continue to keep that priority today. Her husband and daughters now add another dimension to her life, keeping her both grounded and crazy.
God has placed a desire in Misty’s heart to combine her love for Christian fiction and the simpler ranch life, writing historical novels that display God’s abundant love through the twists and turns in the lives of her characters.
Writing is a dream come true for Misty. Her family—both immediate and extended—is the foundation that holds her secure in that dream.
‘She’d become his heart, and this rending in her spirit made his own chest squeeze so tight, the pain felt as though he was tearing into.’
Susanna Wilkins agrees with her father desire to travel along Lewis and Clark’s trail to the Rockies. Even though he is dying, she wants to fulfill his wish. When he gets even sicker, a group of men, including one Indian, agree to travel with them and help.
Beaver Tail doesn’t want anything to do with another woman, but his friends agree she and her father need help. So he helps. And discovers this woman may not be like the one who treated him badly.
Misty Beller once again takes her readers on a beautiful journey as we travel with these folks into the mountains. I enjoyed every minute. Recommended.
Abigail Bracey arrives in Nebraska in January 1888 to teach school…and to execute a task for the government: to identify a student as the hidden son of a murderous counterfeiter—the man who killed her father.
Agent Dashiell Lassiter doesn’t want his childhood sweetheart Abby on this dangerous job, especially when he learns the counterfeiter is now searching for his son, too, and he’ll destroy anyone in his way. Now Dash must follow Abby to Nebraska to protect her…if she’ll let him within two feet of her. She’s still angry he didn’t fight to marry her six years ago, and he never told her the real reason he left her.
All Dash wants is to protect Abby, but when a horrifying blizzard sweeps over them, can Abby and Dash set aside the pain from their pasts and work together to catch a counterfeiter and protect his son—if they survive the storm?
Join the adventure as the Daughters of the Mayflower series continues with The Blizzard Bride by Susanne Dietze.
About Susanne Dietze Susanne Dietze began writing love stories in high school, casting her friends in the starring roles. Today, she’s an award-winning, RWA RITA®-nominated author who’s seen her work on the ECPA, Amazon, and Publisher’s Weekly Bestseller Lists for Inspirational Fiction. Married to a pastor and the mom of two, Susanne lives in California and enjoys fancy-schmancy tea parties, genealogy, the beach, and curling up on the couch with a costume drama. To learn more, visit her website, http://www.susannedietze.com
My Rating: 4 Stars!
‘She’d tended the plant of bitterness too. Nourished it with years of resentment. Hatred.’
The Blizzard Bride is the eleventh in the Daughters of the Mayflower series and truly wonderful. I did not know that this blizzard was a real event and Dietze describes it in such detail, it inspired me to do research myself! She weaves the actual event into the story so well and the characters are so fascinating, that I was pulled in from the very beginning and read the book in one day. Very well done.
*My thanks to Barbour Publishing and the author for a copy of this book. No review was expected and the opinions here are my own.
Grace-by-the-Sea: Where romance and adventure come home.
Polished Jesslyn Chance has one of the most enviable positions in the little Regency coastal village of Grace-by-the-Sea. She is the hostess of the spa, arranging introductions and entertainments and playing matchmaker to the ladies and gentlemen who come to take the waters, promenade through the shops, and dance at the assembly. But when a rogue returns from her past, Jess finds herself suddenly at sea.
Always an adventurer, Larkin Denby left Grace-by-the-Sea to right the wrongful death of his father. Now he’s back on a mission: to identify the mysterious Lord of the Smugglers who allegedly sails from Grace Cove and takes England’s secrets to France. But Grace-by-the-Sea is the perfect little spa town, run by the still oh-so-perfect Jesslyn Chance. When the village’s future is threatened, Jess must work with Lark to solve the mystery and protect the town’s own. In doing so, the matchmaker of Grace-by-the-Sea may just find that the best match for her is the rogue who stole her heart years ago.
About Regina Scott Regina Scott started writing novels in the third grade. Thankfully for literature as we know it, she didn’t actually sell her first novel until she’d learned a bit more about writing. After numerous short stories and articles in magazines and trade journals, and a good kick in the backside from her husband, she got serious about writing. Since then, she’s had published more than 40 clean historical romances for adults and young adults. Her traditional romances have earned praised from reviewers and readers alike. Booklist calls her work “quietly compelling” and “impeccably written.” Huntress Reviews says, “Regina Scott delivers,” and “I will always buy a book with Regina Scott’s name on it.”
My Rating: 4 Stars!
‘Have a care, Miss Chance. Dark forces are afoot.’
I do enjoy a good Regency and Regina Scott does them well indeed. She kicks off a new series with this one, set in a small village called Grace-By-The-Sea in Dorset, England. We meet the wonderful inhabitants of said village and I’m quite fond of them, including our heroine, Jessalyn Chance, and our hero, Larkin Denby. Lark is in the village hoping to find smugglers plying their dastardly trade, and Jess is equally adamant that there are no smugglers in her beloved village. But, whichever is most right, there are nefarious goings on in this little village and both are determined to end it all. I enjoyed this book very much and can recommend it highly. I look forward now to the next in the series.
‘Have a care, Miss Chance. Dark forces are afoot.’
I do enjoy a good Regency and Regina Scott does them well indeed. She kicks off a new series with this one, set in a small village called Grace-By-The-Sea in Dorset, England. We meet the wonderful inhabitants of said village and I’m quite fond of them, including our heroine, Jessalyn Chance, and our hero, Larkin Denby. Lark is in the village hoping to find smugglers plying their dastardly trade, and Jess is equally adamant that there are no smugglers in her beloved village. But, whichever is most right, there are nefarious goings on in this little village and both are determined to end it all. I enjoyed this book very much and can recommend it highly. I look forward now to the next in the series.
*My thanks to the author for a preview copy of this book. The opinion stated here is entirely my own.
Simply Susan 