The Preacher's Promise ~ Review

The Preacher's Promise

Men of Midas #2

By Victoria Bylin

Reverend John Leaf is not proud of his past, but a stint in prison was just what he needed to turn his life around. Unfortunately, a heart washed clean by the gift of salvation can't erase the sins of the past, and John Leaf's past has come to Midas in the form of Abbie Windsor, the woman he loved and left years ago.

Abbie has a problem; her teenage daughter Susanna has run away in search of her father. The father who did not she existed, and this unknown, missing daughter is John's greatest fear come true. He knows he isn't father material and he should never be one, he knows the darkness that lives within him.

Now this book came with a content warning of references of past domestic violence being referenced. In my opinion it is a little more than that as it actually occurs to another character in the book's real time. It is also a major factor throughout the book because Abbie is still dealing with the scars mentally, physically, and emotionally through the majority of the book. Which, unfortunately, is how real life happens, one doesn't just survive abuse and move on as if nothing traumatic occurred. It shapes one's future interactions and is evident in how Abbie deals with those people in her life and defines her feelings and reactions to John.

This book definitely left me with mixed feelings. I had to take this book slowly and was not able to read through it quickly as I often do.

Was it well-written? Yes.

Were the characters engaging? Yes.

Would I recommend this book to others? Yes and no.

I feel this book would help those who haven't suffered abuse to get a glimpse into what friends or family who have might be silently experiencing. So yes, but with a warning that it could be a tad unsettling to the reader.

What I did not like: The main characters engaged in premarital relations which resulted in an unplanned pregnancy. This in turn led to Abbie's marriage to her abusive husband.

Too much physical intimacy for my tastes or comfort level.

Nakedness of Abbie, which I realize was to drive home the extent of the abuse she suffered under her husband.

This is a story of redemption, forgiveness, and second chances. It is a glimpse into the mercy of God in allowing one to accept the healing power of Salvation. Of working through hidden pains.

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

About the Book
Title: The Preacher's Promise
Series: Men of Midas #2
Author: Victoria Bylin
Publisher: Independently published
Release Date: June 4, 2026
Genre: Western Historical Christian Romance

Because Love is Worth the Risk

Reverend John Leaf wasn’t always the man he is now—a fact driven home when a letter arrives from a fifteen-year-old girl claiming to be his daughter. What John fears most in this world is passing on his bad blood to a child. But if the letter from Susanna Windsor is true, he’s already done exactly that.  

His fears are confirmed when Abigail Windsor, once Abbie Moore, arrives in Midas. Widowed and accompanied by her incorrigible son, Abbie needs John’s help. Her daughter Susanna has run away from her Washington, DC home and is searching for him—not in Midas but in Bitterroot, Wyoming, where John’s most feared enemy has sworn revenge on him.

Susanna is in danger.  So are John and Abbie for entirely different reasons. Only love can heal past hurts and the emotional wounds left by Abbie’s violent marriage. But with love comes risk—and danger in the form of Ben Gantry, a man determined to exact revenge on John and his family.

https://www.amazon.com/Preachers-Promise-Second-Chance-Romance/dp/B0H452MG8T/

Available in Kindle Unlimited

Content Note: past domestic violence referenced

When the Silence Breaks ~ Review

When the Silence Breaks

Mercy Ridge #1

By Elizabeth Goddard

When a decades old secret is revealed, Sarah Ellison's life is changed forever. Her late grandfather revealed a secret that Sarah feels is directly related to her brother's death--a death she is convinced is murder. With what's left of her family in hiding, Sarah goes searching for answers on a mountain within the Cascade Mountains--a mountain that is even now looming large and deadly--threatening her search for the truth.

But to uncover that truth, Sarah needs Ryder Goodwin's help to get up the mountain. But going up the mountain is the last thing Ryder wants to do; to him it is the site of his greatest failure, and all signs are pointing to danger and a growing threat. 

Prepare yourself for betrayal and unexpected twists. Who will live? Who will die? My lips are sealed and my fingers are off the keyboard. 

If you have never read this author before this is a perfect time to introduce yourself as this is the first book in a new series Mercy Ridge which also happens to be the location of the book. If you like suspense, mystery, danger, decades long secrets, and romance with nothing graphic or overly descriptive thrown in, this is the book for you.

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

About the Book:

A deathbed confession. A decades-old secret. A mountain that holds the answers--and danger closing in.

When intelligence analyst Sarah Ellison learns of her grandfather's deathbed confession connected to her brother's murder, she's determined to protect her remaining family. After further investigation, she discovers the disclosed information points to a decades-old government secret buried deep in the Cascade Mountains. With this knowledge, she looks for a guide who knows the terrain like the back of their hand.

After his father's death in a tragic mountain accident, former Navy SEAL Ryder Goodwin no longer guides for the family business. At first, Ryder refuses to help Sarah, but he sees the trouble chasing her and can't stand by while someone brings danger to his small-town mountain community.

Ryder and Sarah gear up to climb the mountain in a race against time and a looming storm. When the danger escalates, their search for answers shifts to a survival mission. Their only chance to make it through involves trusting each other and confronting the truth no one wants them to find.

This gripping romantic-suspense thriller set in the Pacific Northwest from USA Today bestselling author Elizabeth Goddard is a series opener that will sweep you away in a rush of adrenaline.

Twilight Tactics ~ Review

Twilight Tactics
Soldiers in Shadows #1
By Lynette Eason

When their latest safehouse is compromised, FBI agent Sully Sullivan decides to move their witness to the only place he knows is safe - his cousin's ranch. But it soon becomes clear that the mob has found them yet again, and Ollie Callahan is still in danger. Is there a leak or is the mob that good?

When evidence points to a nearby prepper community as having targeted the ranch, survival expert and former community resident Elena Thompson decides to reach out to the community and seek answers. Yeah, like that will go well, but she has ties with the community, or she did years ago before she escaped it.

With the mob and the preppers surrounding them, one has to wonder if the timing is random or if something more sinister is at work? 

This is an intense, don't-let-down-your-guard read. And, yes, it will keep you reading into the late hours of the night. And the whole who is in danger thing definitely will keep you flipping through the pages, because readers want to know these things. Because how can one put down the book and get a good night's rest when the future of the main characters is in doubt? I suggest weekend reading or a vacation day. I did just that because stopping mid-chapter so I'm not late for work is not an option.

This is the first book in the author's newest series Soldiers in Shadows but there were characters from previous works who made an appearance. Reading the author's earlier works is not required to enjoy the suspense in this book.

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

About the Book:

He came to protect a witness. She came to teach survival skills. Now they're targets with an enemy who won't let either of them walk away.

FBI agent Sully Sullivan arrives at Broken Chains Ranch with Ollie Callahan--a foster teen and sole witness to a mob hit. The ranch, started by Sully's cousin to provide a trauma recovery facility for veterans, should be a place he can keep Ollie safe until the trial. But what was meant as a peaceful haven becomes a battleground when armed attackers surround the property.

Survival expert Elena Thompson teaches wilderness skills at the ranch and coaches Ollie in self-defense. As the series of attacks on the ranch escalates into a full siege, the question becomes who the attackers are after: Ollie, the young witness? Or Elena, with her mysterious past? With communications down and help out of reach, Sully and Elena fight to keep everyone alive as secrets and danger close in.

A gripping romantic suspense thriller from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lynette Eason, full of action and danger and set on a remote ranch. Forced proximity, surprising twists, and a race against tech-savvy enemies make this a pulse-pounding read for fans of Irene Hannon, Dani Pettrey, and Elizabeth Goddard.

Ondine and the Soldier ~ Review

Ondine and the Soldier 

Once by a Shore 

By Sienna Peake 

Captain John Hubert is not a sailor, but his mother insisted that he retrieve her possession from a ship that has partially sunk. Well, things being what they are, he's less than thrilled about the whole thing. He's recovering from a wound and really should not be doing this errand she insisted upon. But while on this errand, a storm comes up, and non-sailor that he is (plus a small boat), it does not go well.

Ondine has always loved the sea, and when the weather gets stormy, she loves the wind and the waves. But when she finds a man washed ashore, she finds herself in a new friendship with this stranger who has lost all his memories. The only thing he has to call his own is the clothes he was wearing, much too fine for a common fisherman. 

Romance seems possible, but what if his past holds unexpected surprises or danger? 

This was a fun and delightful read. One that I recommend for tweens and up who are looking for wholesome romance but don't expect the journey to be all lollipops and roses. I love that this is a read-in-any-order series with the sea being the binding theme throughout.

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

About the Book:

Get swept away in this seaside, fairytale romance

Captain John Hubert is home from war, sent to retrieve a mysterious parcel from a wrecked ship along the coast of Cornwall. When an unexpected storm arrives, John suffers an injury that causes him to lose his memories. After he is discovered by the kind daughter of a fisherman, he finds a new life and new love. But when his memories at last return, will he lose all that he has gained?

Ondine Kellow was discovered as an infant and raised along the Cornish coast. She has often dreamed of adventure, and it arrives in the most unexpected form--a strange man washed ashore. After Ondine and the stranger form an attachment, new discoveries arise that threaten to tear them apart. When she at last adventures beyond the borders of Cornwall, will she find the love she has long been seeking?

Ondine and the Soldier is the first book in the Once by a Shore series of Regency fairy tale retellings inspired by water-based fairy tales. The stories in the series are clean and wholesome and can be enjoyed in a single afternoon. Each story is a stand-alone work and may be read in any order.

Available on Amazon.com

Bookmarked for Love ~ Review

Bookmarked for Love

Checking Out Love #3

By Sarah Monzon

Okay full disclosure here, when I'm not reading books for enjoyment or to post my opinion about them or writing them, I work in a library and have for many years. So, I had to read Bookmarked for Love when given the opportunity, because Hello? Library! Publisher! Wanna-be-published Writers! I am so in.

This was such a cute idea a publishing heir who needs help making the children's imprint viable and a children's librarian on a mission to save the library's children's department working together to help one another out. Well, as this book is a Rom-Com you know what's going to happen in the end or have a really good chance of having a rough idea. But it's the getting of here to there that will have you turning the pages. 

But it isn't all fun as the stress of trying to get his dad to slow down and step back starts to get to Julien King. It's up to Martha Aldridge to help Julien see stress and fear are turning him into someone he doesn't want to be. But how to get him to listen is the issue with time a major factor in Julien succeeding and for Martha to get the money the library so desperately needs.

Delightful blend of humor, levity, honesty, and romance and perfect for your Summer TBR.

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

About the Book:

Can a jeopardized children's library program 

spark a partnership that saves their careers 

but costs them their hearts?

When children's librarian Martha Aldridge learns about budget cuts that will not only put her out of a job but also shut down the library's children's programs, she's determined to raise the funds needed to save both. The good news is, she knows just who to ask for a large donation on the library's behalf. The bad news? She swore she'd never step foot in his office again.

Julien King has been groomed to one day run his family's publishing empire, and now he must prove he's ready to take the helm by turning around the company's languishing children's imprint. That wouldn't be a problem, except he doesn't know the first thing about children's literature. So when Martha waltzes into his office, he sees an opportunity and makes her an offer she can't refuse. He'll give her the money she needs for the library in exchange for her help in acquiring a bestselling manuscript that will resurrect the dying imprint. The longer they're forced to work together, however, the more they come to realize their jobs may not be the only thing on the line.

"With a uniquely heartfelt message, lovable characters, and laugh-out-loud moments, Sarah Monzon's novel is a delight!"--MELISSA FERGUSON, bestselling author on An Overdue Match

"This charming rom-com won me over from page one."--BECCA KINZER, award-winning author on Hearts in Circulation

In her charming rom-com style, Sarah Monzon delivers a bookish novel brimming with forced proximity, workplace romance, a curvy and plus-size heroine, the silver fox trope, and middle-age romance. For fans of Pepper Basham, Courtney Walsh, and Becky Wade.

The Light of Stars ~ Review with Giveaway

Welcome to the Takeover + Review Blitz for The Light of Stars by Jenelle Hovde, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

The Light of Stars 

By Jenelle Hovde 

Kitty Grenville's life was altered when she and her brother were taken from their home in India. Forced to hide her Indian heritage from the English society, Kitty resents that she must deny who she was or risk her grandfather's ire.

When she discovers that she is expected to marry Sebastian Sinclair, she is less than happy at the arrangement her grandfather has made on her behalf. Kept hidden away at her grandfather's country estate, Kitty has longed for the day she would go to London for a season. But London is denied her except for the means of securing her marriage to Sebastian.

Sebastian has been ordered home to England to marry Kathleen Aurora Grenville. If he doesn't, he will lose his inheritance, and his younger brother will be in charge of the Sinclair family's influence over the East India Company and he will deal harshly with the people under him.

Both Sebastian and Kitty are trapped by the expectations of their grandfathers. But perhaps the best way to throw off the chains that are holding them back is to do the expected - marriage to one another. For Kitty it is a chance to return to India and discover what happened to her mother all those years ago. For Sebastian it is a chance to rectify the mistakes of his past and protect the people of India. But at what cost will their marriage come?

I loved this glimpse into two people who long for something different in the life they have been given. And one often hears about the East India Company and the power they wielded over much of the world, this book offers an intriguing glimpse into the company itself, and the work of William Wilberforce and William Carey. I highly recommend this book to those who love Historical Romance and interesting family dynamics.

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

About the Book

Title: The Light of Stars 

Author: Jenelle Hovde 

Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers 

Release Date: July 14, 2026 

Genre: Historical Romance 

An arranged marriage. A powerful company tainted with corruption. Two souls caught between obligation and a longing to find their true calling in this Regency romance set in glittering London ballrooms and Calcutta street markets. 

When Kitty Grenville’s grandfather announces her engagement to Sebastian Sinclair, she’s appalled. She barely remembers the boy she met once as a child—and now he’s a man tied to the East India Company, the very organization that tore Kitty and her brother from their mother and home in Hyderabad years ago. Unwilling to relinquish her dream of a love match or her passion for astronomy, Kitty is determined to refuse the marriage and find freedom in her own way. 

Sebastian Sinclair carries the weight of duty and regret. To atone for past sins, he complies with his grandfather’s orders to return to England, fulfill a long-standing betrothal, and defend the maligned East India Company before Parliament. Though Kitty makes her disinterest clear, Sebastian is drawn to her intellect and spirit. 

As Kitty navigates her first London season, her opinion of Sebastian begins to shift, especially when he shields her from scandal. When he’s abruptly called back to India, Kitty stuns everyone by marrying him and going with him, hoping to escape her grandfather’s control—and to find her mother. 

But the challenges that await in India are greater than imagined. Together, Kitty and Sebastian must confront the legacy of family and empire—and discover if a marriage born of obligation can grow into a love strong enough to endure. 

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Tyndale | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Christianbook | Bookshop | BookBub

Also Available

   

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About the Author

Jenelle Hovde, an accomplished illustrator, author, pastor's wife, and homeschooling mother, ventured off the beaten path when she transitioned from her career as a doctor of audiology to pursue her passion for writing. While her nine novels span different eras—from the ancient worlds to World War II—her favorite genre is sweet Regency romance that enchants readers with tales of love and intrigue set against the backdrop of nineteenth-century England. Drawing inspiration from timeless treasures found in antique stores, Jenelle pens historical romance novels that captivate readers with vivid storytelling and gentle messages of faith. Her stories have garnered impressive showings in multiple writing contests. Often found writing at the Florida beach, she navigates life with her family and manages two saucy cats who insist on interrupting her creative endeavors.

Connect with Jenelle by visiting jenellehovdeauthor.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

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Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a $25 gift card to their choice bookstore!

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight July 21, 2026 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on July 28, 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 the policies found here.

Enter Giveaway

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

A Filling of Fables and Firelight ~ Release Day and Review

A Filling of Fables and Firelight 

Enchanting Confections

By Sarah Beran 

Rana Schehera has very strong opinions about the new Sultan and they are not favorable. When she is given the opportunity to be the seamstress for the upcoming "Queen Contest" she can't say no.

But Kamaran is nothing like Rana suspected. In fact, he has moments where he is very ordinary. And he feels that no matter what he does he will forever be viewed as a failure. He knows what he lacks and feels that he is a disappointment to his late father. 

Kamaran mistakes Rana for one of the "queen" contestants and Rana regrets that she did not enter the contest when given the chance. But at the time she didn't realize just who the Sultan was. The repartee between the two is fun as they influence each other to be better. Rana isn't impressed by titles and Kamaran is not impressed by "wannabe queens' who throw themselves at him--sounds like a perfect match.

This was a sweet, yet sensitive story that has all the potential for love or heartbreak. The question is what will be the outcome? I loved this story especially the animal antics--I mean who wouldn't want a pet Fennec fox or a tiger? Highly recommend. 

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

Available for purchase at https://books2read.com/fillingff

A slice of bridal competition
A dusting of mistaken identity
And a whisk of love that might be nothing more than a fable.

Rana Schehera is fully content with her simple life. Newly employed as a seamstress under one of the most sought-after tailors in El Huram, she’s paid enough for her beautiful creations to both provide for her aging grandmother and keep a steady supply of her favorite sweets. That simple life is threatened, however, when the new Sultan decides to select his bride the traditional way—through competition—and Rana is one of the lucky seamstresses chosen to attend the competitors. Still, it should all be fairly straightforward…until the Sultan mistakes her for one of the princesses he’s meant to be courting and inexplicably keeps coming back.

Kamaran knew the throne was inevitable, but he wasn’t prepared for it to be his so soon. Now, reeling from loss and weighed down by the crown he never wanted and the responsibilities he never cared for, his council of viziers has added insult to injury by arranging for him to select a bride. His plan is simple: Go through the motions, eliminate a prospect each week, and hope that by the end, the last one standing will be at least tolerable. What he didn’t plan for was the pragmatic princess with an obsession for needlework and stories that capture his imagination.

With each evening that passes, Rana begins to see that Kamaran is more than the fickle, irresponsible Sultan he pretends to be, and she wants to be the one to fill the empty spaces in his heart. But as the end of the competition draws near, it becomes all too clear that the story she’s weaving may never have a happy ending.

A Filling of Fables and Firelight, a retelling of 1,001 Nights, is a standalone novella, complete with tropes such as Mistaken Identity, Commoner x Royalty, and Forbidden Love. It is part of The Enchanting Confections series, a collection of clean and cozy stories guaranteed to delight your sweet tooth.