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.

Available to purchase from Amazon.

Cold Case Arson Investigation ~ Review with Giveaway

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for 

Cold Case Arson Investigation by Kerry Johnson, 

hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

Cold 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

---

About the Author

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!

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!

The Stand-In ~ Review with Giveaway

Welcome to the Blog Tour for 

The Stand-In by Kit Hawthorne, 

hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

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

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!

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!

Crestwood Ranger ~ Cover Reveal

Welcome to the Cover Reveal Blitz for
Crestwood Ranger by Jessica Ashley,
hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Crestwood Ranger 

Series: Ridge Defenders #1 

Author: Jessica Ashley 

Publisher: B.A.D. Publishing, LLC (self) 

Release Date: February 22, 2027 

Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense

A wounded Ranger. 

        A mother on the run. 

                                            One cabin, 

        and nowhere left to hide. 

 Norah has run as far as she can. With an abusive ex-husband hunting her, and a blizzard swallowing the mountain, she carries her five-year-old son toward the only light for miles. But the man who opens the door just wants to be left alone. Former Army Ranger Theo Dancer lost his unit to betrayal and has spent every day since refusing to forgive himself for surviving. Determined to die alone in the mountains like he should have in that desert, he lives completely secluded from everyone. And then she shows up. Battered, broken, and carrying a little boy with bright eyes and a heart full of hope. The last thing Theo wants is a complication. But when it becomes clear that Norah isn’t just running from a storm, he jumps back into the fight. Keeping her alive means trusting her. But trusting anyone means opening a door he nailed shut the day he lost his brothers.

---

Ready to see the cover?

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

---

About the Author: 

Jessica Ashley is a three-time award winning author of faith-filled stories where swoony romance meets edge-of-your-seat suspense. Her stories serve as a reminder that even in the darkest moments, God's love shines through with hope, healing, and redemption. When she's not writing, she's homeschooling her three kids, baking homemade bread, or sneaking in quiet moments with her husband in their New Hampshire home. 

GRITTY READS FULL OF GRACE.

You can find out more about her on her website.

---

Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a $20 gift card to the author's website shop 

and a signed copy of SEAL of Courage!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight October 23, 2026 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on October 30, 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!

The Talent Throne ~ Cover Reveal

 Today I'm thrilled to share the cover for

Nadine Brandes' upcoming release

The Talent Throne!

Did you read Wishtress when it came out in 2022? Have you ever wondered what else happened in Winterune? Wonder no more when The Talent Throne releases in May 2027. 

About the Book:

Seven years ago, time stopped. Cairden “Runt” Vorst has been trapped in the Stillness ever since.
 
When he finally unlocks the Talent to get time moving again, the crown of Winterune is within his reach. But Winterune law says that before he can become king…Cairden must marry. In ten days.
 
Lieve deWindt has no intention of becoming a bride. In fact, she has quite a different goal: putting an arrow in Cairden Vorst’s heart. Unfortunately, sneaking into the schloss to end his life lands her among the twelve women competing to become his queen.
 
War is coming to their shores in ten days’ time. Lieve is the only one who knows, and she’s determined to deliver a murdered prince as a peace offering. But it turns out assassination is not as simple as it sounds, especially when her Talent bonds with Cairden’s.
 
Together, they may be the only way to save the kingdom…if they can manage not to kill each other first.

This is a no-spice Young Adult royal fantasy where a prince has to choose a bride…but the girl he chooses is tasked to assassinate him to stop a war.

THE TALENT THRONE is available to pre-order today on Kickstarter only!

Preorder through Kickstarter