English

11.03.2026

Guardian of Hope ~ Review

Guardian of Hope
Blood of Kings: Legends #7
By Jill Williamson and Megan Gerig 

Grendolyn Hoff is now a widowed mother of a baby girl, she's trying to break free from her husband's family. She's return to her previous profession of wielding a needle as a seamstress. But the fresh start she's looking for is out of her reach when something her late husband did has made her a target. Gwen is determined to find whatever it is that has caused her to be brought to the attention of those who have nefarious de nm,,.signs for the kingdom.

Is Harnu Poe a hinderance to her desire to free herself from the past? Or is he the key to claiming the future she's long desired?

If Harnu has his way, Gwen will discover the love he's long carried for her, but only if she can see the changes within him and not the man he once was. 

As with all the books within the Blood of Kings: Legends series danger abounds and redemption is available to those who are ready to change themselves and the world. Intense and captivating read will be in your feature if you are willing to join Gwen and Harnu as they fight for a future greater than either of them, where plunging a kingdom into the darkness it has shaken off could happen.

This series must be read in order to fully enjoy (and understand) as each book builds upon the previous books. Guardian of Hope is the seventh book in the Blood of Kings: Legends series and tenth in the Blood of Kings world. Thirteenth if you throw in the Kinsman prequel series and then there is the spin-off series The Kings Spies. Okay you can read them out of order if you really want to.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations. All thoughts expressed are my own.


About the Book:

She needed a fresh start. 
He needed a second chance. 
But the past isn't finished with either of them.

Grendolyn Hoff returned to Sitna with a baby on her hip and a plan: build a life for her daughter, alone, on her own terms. She doesn't need anyone. She especially doesn't need the reformed troublemaker who spent years trying to be worthy of her love while she spent years making sure he knew he had no place in her life.

But her late husband Riga's secrets have a way of surfacing. And when those secrets point straight to a conspiracy threatening the throne itself, the people behind it don't care that she had no part in it.

Harnu Poe isn't standing aside while danger circles Gren and her daughter. Even if it means facing everything from the past he fought so hard to leave behind.

The conspiracy won't stop until they're both silenced. And when they stand together against the shadows, Gren will have to face the truth she's been running from: she can't lose him.

But can she let her wounded heart trust him before it's too late?

A stand-alone, faith-forward romantasy set in Jill Williamson's beloved Er'Rets — for readers who love slow-burn second-chance romance, protective heroes who keep showing up, and a faith that pursues even the most wounded hearts.

READERS WILL LOVE…
• A reformed troublemaker hero who spent years becoming worthy of the woman who won't let him in.
• A single mother heroine carrying her late husband's secrets — and the weight of a conspiracy she never chose.
• Slow-burn second-chance romance: he's been waiting. She keeps saying no. The danger stops asking.
• Forced proximity through shared danger, a conspiracy that threatens the throne, and a faith arc that runs deep.
• A God who never stopped pursuing them both — even through grief, past mistakes, and a heart that forgot how to trust.
• Clean fantasy romance. Big stakes. No spice. A love that's waited long enough.

A Bookshop for Christmas ~ Review with Giveaway

A Bookshop for Christmas JustRead Blog + Review Tour

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for 
A Bookshop for Christmas by Heidi Chiavaroli, 


A Bookshop for Christmas
A Bookshop for Christmas 
By Heidi Chiavaroli 

The Chilton family is fractured, and they have been for years, but with the sudden and unexpected death of their grandparents, the Chilton cousins are given an opportunity to fix what is broken. 

Seven cousins, six related by blood, two single mothers, one widow, and a whole lot of baggage and regrets follow them into the lawyer's office, where they learn what's coming next.

When it's revealed that the seven cousins are to work together to turn an old church into a bookstore, they are not pleased. Except for Brooke and Jeremiah, the rest are less than thrilled at the prospect of the work and the time commitment.

This is a chance to reconnect with the values they were raised with, to let go of the past, to seek forgiveness, and to seek out God's will as they go forward. There are bumps along the way that could further destroy what they are seeking to rebuild, or these bumps could be an opportunity to grow closer and stronger together. 

This book deals with several sensitive/trigger issues, including a recovering alcoholic, teen pregnancy, loss of a spouse, and an affair - all of which I was unaware of before reading A Bookshop for Christmas. But this book focuses on forgiveness, second chances, and hope for what is to come. Everything comes to a head just in time for the planned Christmas opening when the past and the present collide, long-held secrets and resentments are confronted, and nature's wintry presence makes itself known. 

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations. All thoughts expressed are my own.


About the Book

Title: A Bookshop for Christmas 
Author:
Heidi Chiavaroli 
Publisher:
Hope Creek Publishers 
Release Date: October 20, 2026 
Genre:
Christian Women's Fiction

Seven estranged cousins. 
           One ambitious project. 
                        A hundred ways it could all go very wrong. 

When Brooke’s beloved grandparents die unexpectedly, their final wish brings her scattered family back to Hope Creek, including Jeremiah, the boy she once loved—the same boy who abandoned them when the Chilton clan disintegrated years ago. Despite the long-held grudges and awkward secrets that kept them all apart, Brooke and Jeremiah convince the Chilton cousins to help honor their grandparents’ last request: to take the old church they saved from destruction and turn it into a bookshop that will serve their beloved community. 

And to do it all before Christmas. 

But repurposing the church building may be easier than healing the deep wounds that tore their family apart. Secrets, both old and new, threaten to destroy Brooke and Jeremiah’s hope that this project could be a new beginning for all of them. With the bookstore’s opening day fast approaching and everyone’s lives upended, each cousin must discover for themselves that the greatest inheritance their grandparents left behind wasn’t a building—it was the gift of forgiveness, the power of second chances, and the enduring hope of Christmas.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Author's Website | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | BookBub

Also Available

Where Grace Appears


About the Author

Heidi Chiavaroli

Heidi Chiavaroli is the award-winning author of several books, including Freedom’s Ring, The Orchard House, The Orchard House Bed and Breakfast series, and the bestselling Draw Close to Jesus: 40 Encounters with the Savior for the Sacred Season of Lent. She makes her home in Massachusetts with her husband and their two sons.

Connect with Heidi by visiting heidichiavaroli.com to follow her on social media and subscribe to email newsletter updates.


Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a copy of A Bookshop for Christmas and a $75 Amazon Gift Card!

A Bookshop for Christmas blog tour giveaway JustRead

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight November 3, 2026 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on November 10, 2026. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

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10.28.2026

Griffy, The Golf-Loving Gopher ~ Review

Griffy, The Golf-Loving Gopher
By Francesca Falcetta Morrell
Illustrated by Claudia Gadotti

Griffy loves golf and watches local golfers play from the sidelines hidden from sight in the bushes. Not unheard of until you hear that Griffy is a gopher!

Now Griffy is not just an observer of golf, nope his love makes him determined to play the game. This was a cute book about determination to be the best that one can be and not allowing others to keep you from achieving your goal.

The illustrations are sweet and well-done, a perfect complement to the story. This is a fun way to introduce young readers to golf while promoting early literacy with an engaging read that will have you cheering for Griffy to succeed.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.

About the Book:
What if your biggest dream was different from everyone else's?

Griffy, The Golf-Loving Gopher follows a small gopher with an outsized dream of playing golf. He prepares in secret, practices by moonlight, and then finally steps up to the tee—only to be laughed at and told he doesn't belong. What he does next teaches young readers that a setback isn't the end of a dream and that courage often means trying again. Told in playful rhyme with warm watercolor illustrations, it's a gentle lesson in perseverance, self-belief, and looking past first impressions.

Perfect for children ages 3–7, golf families, grandparents, teachers, librarians, classrooms, and junior golf programs, Griffy, the Golf-Loving Gopher is a delightful read-aloud that children will want to hear again and again.

10.27.2026

Cold Case Arson Investigation ~ Review with Giveaway

Cold Case Arson JustRead Blog + Review Tour

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for 
Cold Case Arson Investigation by Kerry Johnson, 

Cold Case Arson InvestigationCold Case Arson Investigation 
Forest Ranger Rescuers #4 
By Kerry Johnson 

When a mission went tragically wrong, Clay Reiger walked away from the woman he loved. He was a failure and she was too good for him. But now Autumn Jennings is back in his life and a serial arsonist from the past (or a copycat) has set his (or her) eyes on Clay. As the attacks become more targeted and deadly in their intent, Clay and Autumn must confront their past and use their skills to determine who is behind these blazes.

As this story unfolds one is left wondering why Clay and Autumn are targets of this arsonist. Yes, their job description clearly marks them as investigators who are out to stop the perpetrator, but it almost seemed focused on them really early on as if it was a game.

And then there is this secret that is between Clay and Autumn, one that has been there nearly as long as Clay disappearing from her life. (You may be able to guess it, but the fact that it is not mentioned in the blurb it shall remain unmentioned here.) But since leaving, Clay has made efforts to change his life around, trying to put his less-than-ideal childhood behind him and finding hope in God.

This is story of second chances, found family, and redemption. Sometimes the most difficult act of forgiveness is that of oneself, and one I feel is Clay's biggest obstacle in finding the true peace he has accepted into his life. There are some definite moments of drama throughout, and as someone who has experienced the devastation and tragedy that fire can cause I can so empathize with the various individuals who are faced with this powerful element that can be both beautiful and deadly. 

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations. All thoughts expressed are my own.

About the Book

Title: Cold Case Arson Investigation 
Series:
Forest Ranger Rescuers #4 
Author:
Kerry Johnson 
Publisher:
Love Inspired Suspense 
Release Date:
October 27, 2026 
Genre:
Romantic Suspense

A decades-old crime.  
            A secret ready to explode. 

Trapped in a burning barn, fire ranger Clay Reiger barely escapes with his ex-girlfriend, fire marshal Autumn Jennings, as the inferno rages out of control. Soon a chilling pattern emerges—fires eerily similar to those set by a serial arsonist who disappeared years ago. As the past resurfaces, the danger becomes impossible to ignore. With their lives under attack and a long-buried secret threatening to reignite old wounds, Clay and Autumn must confront their shared history. Can they unravel a deadly mystery and stop a vengeful criminal before more lives are lost?

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Harlequin | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | ChristianBook | Bookshop | BookBub

More in This Series

Abducted in the Woods Targeted in the Swamp


About the Author

Kerry Johnson

Kerry Johnson spent a magical childhood in New England roaming the woods, climbing mossy boulders, and reading everything she could get her hands on. She moved to Florida as a teen, reluctantly exchanging dirt for sand and snow for sunshine. Kerry lives on the sunny, stormy west coast of Florida with her patient engineering husband, two college-aged sons, and her teen niece. Their busy home also includes a lazy boxer, one very temperamental sun conure, a spotted leopard gecko, plus any stray cats who need food and TLC. (She still dreams of owning a horse one day.) She’s a longtime member of ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) and FHLCW (Faith Hope Love Christian Writers). Her stories have won two ACFW Genesis Awards (2017 & 2020), RWA-Georgia’s Maggie Contest (Unpublished, 2019), and a First-Place Selah Award for Romantic Suspense (2025). She writes for Harlequin/Love Inspired Suspense, and you can find her list of books on her Amazon page Amazon.com: Kerry Johnson: books, biography, latest update

Connect with Kerry by visiting kerryjohnsonbooks.com to follow her on social media and subscribe to email newsletter updates.


Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a copy of all four books in the Forest Ranger Rescuers series (Hunted in the Forest, Abducted in the Woods, Targeted in the Swamp, and Cold Case Arson Investigation) plus a scripture bookmark & tea bags!

(1) winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card!

Cold Case Arson Investigation blog tour giveaway JustRead

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight October 27, 2026 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on November 3, 2026. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway


Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

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10.23.2026

The Stand-In ~ Review with Giveaway

The Stand In JustRead Blog Tour

Welcome to the Blog Tour for 
The Stand-In by Kit Hawthorne, 

The Stand-In
The Stand-In 
By Kit Hawthorne 

It took a bit for me to actually get into this story and what was going on. Things like why Tamryn was so opposed to seeing anything beyond her bedroom walls, her barely suppressed anger at her mother, and such. Now don't get me wrong, I could easily disappear from the outside world and be content hanging with my dogs, but I'm not seeing Tamryn chilling out with pets, nope she stuck in a hole of depression and anger. 

Enter mom with a plan, a plan that brings Halverson (call me Hal now) Ramsay Ford back into Tamryn's life when mom organizes a pool party for an informal high school reunion/get together to hopefully knock her daughter back into life from her self-imposed prison of solitude, dark bedroom, and noise cancelling-earphones. (Yup that was one wordy sentence.) But guess what? Mom knows best, as you'll soon discover, at least in getting Tamryn to acknowledge that there is something worth exploring beyond the walls of her room.

This book then takes us on a discovery about who we are and can one reinvent oneself following tragedy or a life changing event. How do we know when this change in others is honestly who they have become or a carefully constructed mask? Can hurts and betrayals of the past keep us trapped in the past, the familiarity of pain more comforting that the possibility of something better? These are the questions that Hal and Tamryn must face as they navigate the new and unfamiliar path before them set in motion by a concerned and loving parent.

This was an interesting read that falls into the realm of contemporary romance with all its confusion of questions and emotions what should I do, what do I want? 

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations. All thoughts expressed are my own.



About the Book

Title: The Stand-In 
Author:
Kit Hawthorne 
Publisher:
Highsmith Books 
Release Date:
October 13, 2026 
Genre:
Contemporary Romance

He reinvented himself. Now the truth could cost him everything. 

For years, Halverson Ramsay Ford cultivated a reputation for brilliance and reckless arrogance. But after a devastating accident leaves him with a permanent limp, the notorious biotech genius disappears from public view…and emerges as a very different man. 

Intelligent, sensitive, and scarred by a past betrayal, librarian Tamryn Page has no interest in falling for a charming billionaire—especially one with Hal’s history. Yet the man she comes to know is thoughtful, vulnerable, and kind, with a love of history and literature to match her own. 

But the relationship is built on a lie. And when the truth comes to light, it threatens to destroy not only the future of Hal’s company, but the trust of the only woman who has ever truly seen him. 

Now Hal must choose whether to step out from behind the identity he created—or lose the woman he loves forever.  

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | KitHawthorne.com | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | BookBub


About the Author

Kit Hawthorne

A lifelong resident of the American South, Kit Hawthorne lives on a Texas farm that’s been in her husband’s family for two centuries. She used to play in a Celtic folk band, and the only sport she understands is Highland games.

Connect with Kit by visiting kithawthorne.com to follow her on social media and subscribe to email newsletter updates.

Tour Giveaway

(2) winners will each receive a copy of The Stand-In and a $30 Amazon gift card!

The Stand-In blog tour giveaway JustRead

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight October 19, 2026 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on October 26, 2026. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway


Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

JustRead Publicity Tours