I am a Christian, a retired teacher, a mother and a grandmother. I love to read and I love the Lord Jesus Christ! Unless otherwise specified ,all visual illustrations are from the YOU VERSION APP of the Bible.
A new clean romance series to enjoy is coming soon! Here are the first lines from each book.
Meet psychiatrist Robert Weston in WATCHED. Releases on 9-24-26.
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ISBN-139781335002730
Publisher: Harlequin
Publication Date: 09/01/2026
Series: Murder Most Fowl Mysteries
Pages: 336
In this witty historical murder mystery set in a San Francisco hotel, an unlikely trio of amateur sleuths must uncover a killer before another guest checks out for good.
In 1905, the Grand Mallard Marquee is well known for its iconic style, as well as its daily duck parade. For Saul Niffler, a reformed jewel thief, working at the luxurious hotel offers a much-needed second chance. Staying out of trouble and in gainful employment is essential. Which makes seeing a body plummet from a penthouse window extra complicated.
Except…did he see it? There’s no body to be found, and Saul knows he should concentrate on his new duties as “Duck Commandant” rather than meddle. If only Kitty Rossi, a persistent young guest yearning to be a Pinkerton detective, would leave well enough alone. Kitty has already roped in Henry, the elevator man, to investigate suspicious goings-on around the hotel. And against his better judgment, Saul feels compelled to join them.
Between the mystery of Saul’s missing predecessor and a grisly discovery in a drain, all signs point to murder most fowl. And with a cold-blooded killer roaming the Marquee’s lavish corridors, keeping his job may be the least of Saul’s problems…
The humorous antics in this novel by the amateur sleuths kept me reading and guessing and guessing again. The characters are quirky, lively and believable and easy to cheer for as Saul, Kitty and Henry try their best to follow the clues and find out who is responsible for the murders that must be happening in the Marquee. Of course, their quest is somewhat hampered by their inability to find a body as well as their normal duties. Saul is a bellhop when needed but his full-time job is the duck commandant for the daily duck parade. This was a hilarious and unexpected addition to the story and I especially loved Ruby and Uncle Joe, ducks who have a great deal of personality. Kitty is the daughter of an opera star whose aspiration is to be a detective, so she is delighted to find body parts and follow clues all over the hotel. Henry is a wannabe juggler whose paying job is the elevator operator. Together, these three make a formidable and unlikely cast of sleuths but they do a remarkable job of getting into and out of difficulties while also following wherever the clues lead. I enjoyed the fast pace, the entertaining and well-crafted plot and I especially enjoyed getting to know some of the most well-developed and unique characters ever created.
I voluntarily received a complimentary copy of this book from the author via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own.
Dana Mentink lives in California where the weather is golden and the cheese is divine. Her family includes two daughters (affectionately nicknamed Yogi and Boo Boo.) Papa Bear is retired from the fire department and he met Dana doing a dinner theater production of The Velveteen Rabbit. Ironically, their parts were husband and wife.
Dana writes in two genres, cozy mystery and romantic suspense. She’s a New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author as well as a two time ACFW Carol Award winner, and a Holt Medallion recipient. Her suspense novel, Betrayal in the Badlands, earned a Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award. She is honored to write for Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense, Revell, and Poisoned Pen Press. Website: Dana Mentink.com
ISBN-139780800746629
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Publication Date: 08/18/2026
Pages: 336 pages
Tess has built a new life in Alabama, repairing timepieces and avoiding her troubled past as she restores her customers’ family heirlooms–treasures she never had herself. When a mysterious package arrives addressed to Teresa Baker, the name she abandoned, Tess finds herself drawn into a puzzle that threatens her delicate peace.
Then Elliot Sullivan appears at her door after eighteen years, and Tess knows he’s after more than just forgiveness. She doesn’t trust his motives, but it becomes apparent that he could be the key to uncovering the origin of the mystery package and its cryptic contents.
Tess has found safety in her simple life, but reuniting this lost heirloom to its rightful recipient requires her to come out of hiding. Each clue leads to a different place around the world, and each story reveals hidden truths. The question is whether she’s brave enough to face what she might find–and whether the man beside her can be trusted with what matters most.
This beautifully written novel touched me in all of the right places. It made me think about what is important in my life, it made me ponder what I am leaving behind and it made me thankful for all I have in my life. This is a poignant story of Tess Holcomb who has secrets from her past that she prefers not to confront, so she stays in a small town in Alabama with new and supportive friends. She has a business established there in which she restores old treasures. It is her business that brings her past to the forefront when a pocket watch with a mysterious message attached is sent to her to repair. The watch brings her former childhood friend and first love Elliot back into her life, and together the two of them explore the mystery behind the watch. This book is a saga of the history of the watch and the people who owned it and passed it on to others. This story is so well-crafted with numerous characters who have their own connection to the timepiece, each one with a story to tell that Elliot and Tess discover together. The story is complex but woven together so masterfully that all of the pieces fit perfectly together to make one wonderful and thought-provoking tale. The characters are realistic and the plot is compelling with a quick pace and a story that engaged me from beginning to end. This is one of the best Christian fiction that I have ever read, combining history, mystery, and contemporary romance into one lovely story of life choices and what we truly need to leave behind. With lessons of second chances, redemption and a hopeful future, I enjoyed my time with Tess and Elliot and highly recommend this book for individuals but most especially for book groups as the entire book lends itself to discussion and self-reflection.
I voluntarily received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and I purchased my own copy to add to my collection of Amanda’s books. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are my own.
Amanda Cox is an award-winning author of inspirational women’s fiction who loves telling stories about belonging, forgiveness, and the quiet courage it takes to love well—usually through flawed characters trying to make sense of life’s messy, beautiful moments.
She is a three-time Christy Award–winning author whose novels include ECPA bestsellers Between the Sound and Sea, The Bitter End Birding Society, and He Should Have Told the Bees. The Edge of Belonging, her Christy Book of the Year debut novel, remains a longtime reader favorite.
Amanda’s novels are known for their layered characters, emotional depth, and hopeful honesty. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Bible and theology and a master’s degree in professional counseling. Her past experience walking alongside hurting families continues to shape the way she writes about grace, healing, and the complicated beauty of relationships.
Through her stories, Amanda hopes to offer readers a place to pause, exhale, and remember they are not alone.
Amanda lives in Tennessee with her husband and three children, where life is full, noisy, and rarely predictable. When she’s not writing, she can usually be found homeschooling, reheating her coffee, or losing track of time in a story that lingers long after the final page.
Website and Social Media Links
Website: https://amandacoxwrites.wordpress.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amandacoxwrites/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amandacoxwrites
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amandacoxwrites/
Blog: https://hopeperch.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20033571.Amanda_Cox
We all hold onto things that we just don’t want to let go of, not to God and not to anyone here on earth. This book by Amanda Cox is helping me to ponder what I need to surrender. We cannot take anything with us when we leave this world, so why not let go of things now and see what God has in store for us? He may give those things back to us or He may bless us with new things for new adventures in life. We won’t know until we discover what in our lives are the “Things We Cannot Keep.”
This book releases 0n 8-18. If you enjoy books with heart, soul and depth, then preorder this one. As usual, Baker Book House has the best deal for preorders, with 40% off, free shipping in the U.S. and preorder goodies (as long as supplies last).
ISBN-139780800744939
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Publication Date: 08/04/2026
Series: Soldiers in Shadows
Pages: 352 pages
FBI agent Collin Sullivan arrives at Broken Chains Ranch with Ollie Callahan—a foster teen and sole witness to a mob hit. The ranch, started by Collin’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, but soon the series of attacks on the ranch escalates into a full siege. The question is, Who are the attackers after? Ollie, the young witness? Or Elena, with her mysterious past? Cut off from help by tech skills superior to their own, Collin and Elena fight to keep everyone alive as secrets and danger close in.
Twilight Tactics is the kind of book that I didn’t want to put down, but because of the intensity of the suspense and the danger that surrounded so many of the characters, I found myself just taking short breaks to ponder what I had just read and to try to guess what I thought would happen next. The plot is complicated, with a ranch that is serves as a haven for those who need a respite from life. It is appropriately named the Broken Chains Ranch. Everything there seems very peaceful for the owners and the veterans who reside there until Sully and Piper come with teen-aged Ollie, a witness to a murder whom they have to keep safe until she can testify. Ollie is precocious, proactive and one of those teens that you don’t want to be in charge of because she isn’t an easy client. But I loved her character and all of her believable flaws! In fact, I loved all of the characters and felt as though the author portrayed them all in a way that I could picture them in my mind. The plot was extremely fast paced and had a lot of twists along the way as the author covered subplots with the mob, preppers, the ranch and all who lived there, local law enforcement and relevant high tech like drones and jammers that cut off communication. Just when I was thinking that one more that could not go wrong for Sully and his team, another red herring fooled me. This is a tightly written plot that crackles with tension from beginning to end, with good chemistry between the characters and a sweet portrayal of a developing romance even in the midst of all of the danger. Filled with suspense and abundant secrets and lies, this is one of the best romantic suspense books I have ever read, with the emphasis on suspense. This is an edgy page turner that offers a strong message of forgiveness, hope and redemption which are all cleverly wrapped into the plot.
I voluntarily received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. I also purchased a personal copy because I collect this author’s books. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own.
Lynette Eason is the best-selling, award-winning author of over sixty books. Her books have appeared on the USA TODAY, Publisher’s Weekly, CBA, ECPA, and Parable bestseller lists. She has won numerous awards including the Carol, the Selah, the Golden Scroll and more. Her novel, Her Stolen Past was made into a movie for the Lifetime Movie Network. Lynette can be found online at www.lynetteeason.com and www.facebook.com/lynette.eason and @lynetteeason on Twitter.
ISBN-139780800747688
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Publication Date: 08/04/2026
Series: Mercy Ridge
Page Count: 352 pages
When intelligence analyst Sarah Ellison learns of a deathbed confession connected to her brother’s murder, she’s determined to protect her remaining family. Under further investigation, she discovers the disclosed information points to a decades-old government secret buried deep in the Cascade Mountains. With this knowledge, she heads to the Pacific Northwest looking for a guide who knows the mountains like the back of their hand.
Ryder Goodwin, a wilderness guide and former Navy SEAL, quit guiding for the family business after his father’s death in a tragic mountain accident. At first, Ryder refuses to help Sarah, but he sees the trouble chasing her, and he can’t stand by while someone brings danger to this small-town mountain community.
Ryder and Sarah gear up to climb the mountain in a race against time and a looming winter storm. With her brother’s killer closing in, their search for answers now shifts to a survival mission. Their only chance to make it out involves trusting each other and confronting the truth no one wants them to find.
The new series by Elizabeth Goddard starts with intense intrigue and never lets up. Sarah is determined to find the secrets hidden on the mountain near Mercy Ridge and hires guide Ryder Goodwin to lead her to the top of Blackspire Mountain. A lofty peak that rumbles with a volcano that threatens to erupt and is covered with ice and snow, the trek to solve the mystery of her brother’s death could mean Sarah’s own life is in danger. The tension escalates even as the mountain is a constant reminder of danger and the power of nature. This is an atmospheric novel in which the mountain is personified and the characters are actors in a dangerous scenario that they cannot even imagine how risky this adventure will turn out to be. Facing a blizzard and with bad guys pursuing them, Sarah and Ryder have to survive some of the toughest weather conditions as well as some of the most evil foes possible. The escalating tension caused my heart to pound and my pulse to race as I attempted to direct Sarah and Ryder how to best avoid the peril that was headed their way. I was completed immersed in this riveting story and kept waiting for the next disaster to befall them before they could accomplish their mission. This novel had no intermission, no really safe spaces in which I could take a deep breath of relief and hope for the best since the next bad thing was continuously finding them in their vulnerable position that left no room for errors and plenty of ways to die. The characters were so realistic that I tried to give them advice, the sound advice to forget their quest and return home. I am glad that they didn’t take my advice because this book left me breathless with anticipation and cheering for Sarah and Ryder as they overcame one obstacle after another. The story would not have been the same without the ever-present threat of bad weather and a mountain that was more enemy than friend. The setting was perfection, the characters were dynamic, and the plot made the book unputdownable.
I voluntarily received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell via NetGalley as well as a hard copy. Since I regularly purchase all of this author’s books, I did preorder my own copy and look forward to seeing this beautiful cover on my shelf. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own.
Elizabeth Goddard is the PW, ECPA, and USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of over sixty novels, including the Missing in Alaska and Rocky Mountain Courage series. Her books have sold more than 1.5 million copies. She is a Christy Award, Carol Award and two-time Reader’s Choice Award winner and a Daphne du Maurier Award and HOLT Medallion finalist. When she’s not writing, she loves spending time with her family, traveling to find inspiration for her next book, and serving with her husband in ministry. For more information about her books, visit her website at https://elizabethgoddard.com/
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I just finished this book and it is amazing…more to come soon! In the meantime, don’t forget to put in your preorder at Baker Book House for the preorder goodies and the 40% off!
ISBN-139781335529114
Publisher: Harlequin
Publication Date: 07/28/2026
Pages: 208 pages
When a reckless street race injures her brother, Anika Glick wants nothing to do with the man responsible—especially when he’s sentenced to help her family. But Elam Muller is desperate to prove he’s changed. As they work together on her family farm, Anika finds herself drawn to Elam’s remorse and kindness. But when they’re presented with one last risky race that could secure their future or destroy it all, everything they’ve built is put to the test. Will their growing love survive the pull of the past—or will it all come crashing down?
With appealing characters, this warmhearted romance was a delightful and sweet portrayal of finding love when you aren’t really looking for it. Anika Glick is reluctant to have Elam come to the farm and help her family after her father and brother were both hurt in accidents. But since her brother Nathan’s accident was a direct result of Elam’s carelessness, she agrees with the Bishop that one of his consequences should be helping with the chores that Nathan cannot do. The plot is well crafted even though it was obvious that Anika and Elam would end up together, reading their story was entertaining and a slam dunk pleasure to read. I enjoyed the portrayal of the characters as they went from distrust to friendship, especially the respectful way that Elam treated Anika in front of her peers. They learned how to work together for the good of the family and for each other and the fun they had getting to know each other jumped right off the page into my active imagination. The chemistry between the characters was realistically portrayed and the pace of the story was perfect for the characters to get to know each other well and for the conflicts in the plot to work out in a satisfactory way.
I voluntarily received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. I also purchased my own copy to keep for my collection of good fiction books. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own.
New York Times & Publishers Weekly bestselling author Pamela Desmond Wright grew up in a small, dusty Texas town. From the time she learned to read, books have been her passion.
A veteran of the e-book revolution of the late ’90’s, Pamela moved into traditional publishing, writing for Kensington and NAL/Penguin. Nominated 2 times, she won the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award in 2010. Pamela was also a founder of the scam publishers and agents website, The Write Connection, which was transferred to the SFWA through (then) vice-president A.C. Crispin to become Writer Beware. Her experiences with scam agents and publishers was documented in Professor Jim Fisher’s book, Ten Percent of Nothing: The Case of the Literary Agent From Hell.
In 2013, Pam took a break from publishing. Unable to shake the story bug, she came back in 2019 with a new focus, fulfilling a promise to write wholesome books readers of all ages could enjoy.
Find her online at pameladesmondwright dot com. She’s also on social media: Facebook, X, Threads, Bluesky and Instagram as @pamdwrites. More information is available on her website at https://www.pameladesmondwright.com/
Vickie's Book Nook and Meditation Corner 