Book Review of 'Together This Christmas' by Beth K. Vogt

Happy Friday Bookworms!

If you are looking for weekend read that will getting you feeling all of the holiday feels and has sweet romance to boot then you're going to love the book that I am featuring today. I hope you enjoy my thoughts on this Sweet Small-Town Contemporary Romance Christmas novella and don't forget to scroll to the bottom of this post and enter the amazing giveaway from JustRead Tours.

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Together This Christmas by Beth K. Vogt, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Together This Christmas 
Author: Beth K. Vogt 
Publisher: Story Architect 
Release Date: October 13, 2025 
Genre: Sweet Small-Town Contemporary Romance Christmas novella (spiritual thread)

What if true love is only a text away? 

Mila Maxwell is happy with her life in New York City. Her boyfriend Zane is perfect for her – and yes perfect means he offers her the stability she’s always wanted. Zane’s also not threatened by the endless text thread she keeps with her best friend, Ben Kendrick. Why should he be? They’re friends, nothing more. 

Christmas is coming – a holiday she’d much rather skip – and Mila’s the maid-of-honor for her college roommate’s December wedding. When disaster strikes the wedding coordinator, Mila rushes to Colorado to save Angie’s big day and plunges headfirst into all the marital falalala. 

As Mila works the details for Angie and Charles’ wedding, Ben steps up to help.  After all, he’s the best man and someone in his life should have a happily ever after. This may be Ben’s last chance to convince Mila that they were meant for more than long texts and short video chats. 

Mila must confront her fears about love and choose: Zane, who offers her the security she’s always longed for, or Ben, who has never given up on her. What if her true love has always been one text away?

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Spotlight on 'The Heart of Bennet Hollow' by Joanne Bischof DeWitt

Hello Bookworms!

Pride and Prejudice is a classic for a reason, and I am a sucker for a good retelling like the novel I am featuring today. I hope you enjoy this wonderful excerpt and don't forget to scroll to the bottom of this post and enter the amazing giveaway from JustRead Tours.

Welcome to the Takeover Blitz for The Heart of Bennet Hollow by Joanne Bischof DeWitt hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: The Heart of Bennet Hollow 

Author: Joanne Bischof DeWitt 

Publisher: Tyndale 

Release Date: October 7, 2025 

Genre: Christian Historical Romance 

An Appalachian farmer’s daughter and a wealthy businessman find a surprising love but must reckon with what divides them in this retelling of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice by the award-winning author of The Lady and the Lionheart . 

New River, Virginia. 1904. Lizbeth Bennet longs to preserve her family’s farm, securing a future for her and her sisters, a difficult task in their Appalachian coal mining town. Money is scarce, and Lizbeth is determined to find a way without giving up treasured pieces of her family’s legacy. But when the mine is put up for sale, it’s clear change is approaching. A contingent of coal barons descends on the town to investigate whether the mine is worth their investment, among them a young man rumored to be a very rich, eligible bachelor. 

William Drake arrives focused on business and keeping his distance from the townspeople, especially those living on land entangled with the mine, including a farmer by the name of Bennet. As William digs through legal issues, his struggle to weigh the potential financial gain against what is right for the community grows more complicated when he meets one of the Bennet daughters. 

Despite an awkward first meeting, Lizbeth and William continue to cross paths, and soon Lizbeth questions her first impression of the man she believed to be proud and indifferent. But just as their friendship begins to evolve, a revelation shakes Lizbeth’s tenuous trust, and she learns all may not be as it seems. To determine what is true, and step toward a love she’s barely dared dream of, Lizbeth must confront her own prejudices . . . and decide whether the future she’s always imagined is the one her heart truly wants most after all. 

An inspirational historical romance retelling of Pride and Prejudice for fans of Julie Klassen, Sally Britton, and Sarah E. Ladd. A clever, clean love story. Southern historical fiction in the vein of Michelle Shocklee and Pepper Basham. Includes discussion questions for book clubs.

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Book Review of 'Curveball on the Dance Floor' by Karin Beery

Happy Tuesday Bookworms!

In my former life, I was a dancer. At one point, I thought I would be in New York on the chorus line, but sadly, fate intervened, and a freak accident ended my career. True story. Though I was never able to pursue a career in dance, I still have a love for all things dance, which is why I was so excited to read a story that involves dance!

I hope you enjoy my thoughts on this Contemporary Romance and don't forget to scroll to the bottom of this post and enter the amazing giveaway from JustRead Tours.

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Curveball on the Dance Floor by Karin Beery, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Curveball on the Dance Floor 
Series: Novak Sisters #2 
Author: Karin Beery 
Publisher: Independently Published 
Release Date: October 28, 2025 
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Chris can handle a curveball at the diamond. Can she handle one on the dance floor? 

Naturally athletic Christine Novak doesn’t shy away from physical challenges until her older sister needs help on the dance floor. Though she prefers cleats to heels, Chris agrees to help—it’s only for four weeks and for a good cause. But dancing doesn’t come as naturally as throwing a ball, so her sister calls in backup. Handsome, talented, experienced backup. 

Tony Caldwell—champion ballroom dancer and Chris’s first childhood crush—agrees to show her the stops, but between her memories of Tony fifteen years ago and the ten-year age gap, Chris struggles to keep her feet in place. Determined to help her succeed, Tony steps out the studio to prove to Chris that she can dance, and that he’s not who she thinks he is. 

Extra practices and time together do more than boost Chris’s confidence. As her nerves subside and reality replaces her memories, Chris and Tony become more than dance partners, but their new adult connection might not be enough to overcome the past that catches up to them.  

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Cover Reveal for 'Long Trail Home' by Lacy Williams

Hello Bookworms!

I don't know about you, but I love a good surprise, and one thing that gets my literary heart soaring is cover reveals. Today, I am joining a takeover and revealing the cover for the next book in the Wagon Train Matches series. So, enjoy the eye candy, get excited about this upcoming release, and don't forget to scroll to the bottom of this post and enter the amazing giveaway from JustRead Tours.

Welcome to the Cover Reveal Takeover Blitz for Long Trail Home by Lacy Williams, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Long Trail Home  

Series: Wagon Train Matches #9 

Author: Lacy Williams 

Publisher: Lacy Williams Books LLC 

Release Date: February 26, 2026 

Genre: Christian Historical Romance 

All roads lead home in the dramatic conclusion to one family’s journey of love, sacrifice, and survival. 

Since the moment he saw her, Coop Spencer has been single-minded in his quest to protect Belle. She’s running from something—someone—and he’s never met anyone so scared. When the wagon master forces an ultimatum: a marriage or Belle is expelled from the wagon train, Coop makes the only choice he can. He’ll do everything in his power to prove he's the kind of man she can trust. But overcoming the mistakes of his past may prove too much... 

Belle knows that the danger she escaped is still out there, still hunting her. Experience has taught her that she can't rely on anyone, not even the man who promised their marriage was in name only. 

As they traverse the Oregon Trail together, Belle is taken in by Coop’s big family, and the more time she spends with her temporary husband and his siblings, the more she starts to long for something she'd forgotten ages ago: home. 

When danger closes in, one of them must sacrifice everything for love...

• Forced marriage of convenience
• Redemption
• Family saga
• Heroine with a dark past/sworn off men

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Book Spotlight on 'Still Holding Out for You' by Jennifer Carr

Hello Bookworms!

I feel like I am currently in a whirlwind fever dream and am loving every moment, but one thing that always falls by the wayside when I am in such a time of busyness is my reading time. BUT that doesn't mean that I can't still showcase some awesome new releases like the one I am featuring today.

I hope you enjoy an excerpt from this Women's Fiction and don't forget to scroll to the bottom of this post and enter the amazing giveaway from JustRead Tours.

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Still Holding Out for You by Jennifer Carr, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Still Holding Out for You 
Series: Real American Country #4 
Author: Jennifer Carr 
Publisher: JCarr Writes, LLC 
Release Date: October 21, 2025 
Genre: Women's Fiction, Contemporary Romance

They met chasing dreams on national TV. 

What they found was something bigger than fame. 

Austin Blake always thought ranch life was his future—until a chance encounter at a dusty Montana bar lands him a spot on Real American Country, a televised music competition that could change everything. When he meets Willow Gracin, a fiercely talented singer from Savannah with a heart full of lyrics and something to prove, sparks fly—on and off the stage. 

As the cameras roll and the music plays, Austin and Willow find a connection deeper than either expected. But when the spotlight fades, life has its own rhythm—one that tests their strength, their love, and everything they thought they knew about purpose and passion. 

When a tragic diagnosis threatens to silence their love song, country music stars Austin and Willow must fight for a future together in a way they never imagined. Spanning a decade of soaring highs and devastating lows, this is a story about the love you hold onto, the legacy you leave behind, and the music that carries you home, even after the last note has faded.  

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Book Review of 'The Express Bride' by Kimberley Woodhouse

Hello Bookworms!

The novel that I am featuring today is from a series that I have been attempting to complete for years. I love the series premise and have enjoyed the novels thus far. I hope you enjoy my thoughts on my latest read and I hope that you're enjoying your fall so far. It's still summery where I'm at but let me know in the comments if you're area is starting to transition into fall.

About the Book

Title: The Express Bride

Author: Kimberley Woodhouse

Publisher: Barbour Books

Release Date: July 1, 2019 

Genre: Historical Fiction

The Wilderness Is a Great Place to Hide

Jacqueline Rivers manages a Pony Express station in 1860 Utah territory after her father’s death. There are daily stresses placed on her in this unconventional role—and now a government official is asking her to sniff out counterfeiters. When Elijah Johnson passes through on the stage while on an exhausting quest to find his boss’s heir, he doesn’t want to leave the beguiling station manager. In fact, he may never leave when caught in the crossfire of the territory’s criminal activities. Jackie can’t decide if Elijah is friend or foe. Can she remain strong when secrets of the past and present are finally unearthed?

Join the adventure as the Daughters of the Mayflower series continues with The Express Bride by Kimberley Woodhouse.

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Book Review of 'Case of the Curved Staircase' by S.K. Derban

Happy Monday Bookworms!

I am relatively new to cozy mysteries but I am quickly becoming a fan. I love how you have to suspend reality while also helping sleuth a crime. I hope you enjoy my thoughts on the Cozy Mystery I am featuring today and let me know in the comments if you are also a fan of this genre.

Welcome to the Reviewer Tour for Case of the Curved Staircase by S.K. Derban, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Case of the Curved Staircase

Series: Macaroni on Wheels Mystery #2 

Author: S.K. Derban

Publisher: S.K. Derbin Publishing 

Release Date: September 12, 2025 

Genre: Cozy Mystery

The Little Italy entertainment continues in this second book of the Macaroni on Wheels series. Case of the Curved Staircase has more twists and turns than Terza can handle. And, Detective Nicholas Garza is not on the case. Say it isn't so, Nico!

Staircases can be fatal, especially on Halloween. After catering a surprise birthday party on the evening of October 30th, Terza returns to the scene of the celebration on the following morning. Instead of being greeted by the happy, party hosts, Terza discovers a dead body at the bottom of the curved staircase. Not again! And this time, Terza's amateur detective skills are landing her directly into personal danger. She would rather be using her chef's knife than having one pointed at her face!

As the feisty Italian caterer continues to fill her free time solving crime, she runs head first into a new detective. Unlike Nicholas Garza, the detective now in charge considers Terza a hinderance instead of a help. Fortunately, Jacob Radovan, the medical examiner, continues to be Terza's ally.

There is also an unexpected wedding in Case of the Curved Staircase. Readers of Uneven Exchange just might cheer out loud. The almost perfect weather in San Diego allows the bride and groom to take a carriage ride from the wedding venue to the reception ballroom. It's a fairytale come true.

Fans of cozy mysteries will revel in solving another murder along with Terza, and will continue to appreciate her zest for life. Readers will be spending more time with the animated Tiepolo family, and especially Terza's father. Ezio's Halloween costume is a moo-ving choice! The Tiepolo's celebrate their loving, family bond as they join together each Sunday. Food, family, and fun! Once again, you may consider this your personal invitation...

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Spotlight on The Christy Award Finalists 2025

Hello Bookworms!

Not only is this time of year my favorite because of cooler weather, warm beverages, and all things pumpkin but it's also time to shine a spotlight on The Christy Award Finalists for 2025! This year there are some amazing novels and several I've had the pleasure to read! 

I hope you enjoy the feature of all of this years finalists and don't forget to scroll to the bottom of this post and enter the amazing giveaway from JustRead Tours!

Welcome to the Takeover Blitz for The Christy Award Finalists 2025 organized by ECPA and hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours! We extend our sincere and enthusiastic congratulations to The Christy Award 2025 Finalists & Winners (announced on November 7th)!

You are Invited

The Christy Award Gala 2025 

 Via webcast November 7, 2025 | 7 pm CT 

 Featuring Chris Fabry, T.I. Lowe, Jessica Hooten Wilson, and a host of Christy-winning authors

This is our year to gather together VIRTUALLY to celebrate and honor the best Christian fiction of the year. The Christy Award® Gala Webcast will be held the evening of Friday, November 7th and will feature a premiere cast of the industry’s authors to announce The Christy Award winners in nine categories, The Christy Book of the Year®, and The Amplify Award for Christian Fiction.

The special evening will be hosted by radio personality and award-winning novelist Chris Fabry and will include keynotes by Fletcher Jones Chair of Great Books at Pepperdine University, Dr. Jessica Hooten Wilson and award-winning and Christy Book of the Year 2024 author, T.I. Lowe. The event will also include award-winning novelists Jaime Jo Wright, Johanna Rojas Vann, Lori Z. Scott, Katie Powner, Jamie Ogle, Rachelle Nelson, Vanessa Miller, Gabrielle Meyer, Crystal Caudill and Amanda Barratt.

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Book Review of 'Sense and Suitability' by Pepper Basham

Hello Bookworms!

It's been a minute since I've read a good Regency romance and today not only am I featuring a wonderful romance but it just so happens to be written by one of my favorite authors!

I hope you enjoy my thoughts on this Clean Regency Romance and don't forget to scroll to the bottom of this post and enter the amazing giveaway from JustRead Tours.

Welcome to the Takeover + Review Blitz for Sense and Suitability by Pepper Basham, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Sense and Suitability 

Author: Pepper Basham 

Publisher: Thomas Nelson 

Release Date: September 23, 2025 

Genre: Clean Regency Romance (Rom-Com) 

In this clean Regency romance, a woman with a scandalous past (and an even more scandalous secret) swears off love--until the man who broke her heart needs her help. What could possibly go wrong? 

After two failed social seasons, her family may think the third time will be a charm, but Emmeline Lockhart just wants to survive with her dignity (and singleness) intact. She thought she'd found her perfect match in Simon Reeves--charming, handsome, a veritable hero from a novel--until he vanished from her life without so much as a "farewell" or "my deepest regrets" (or even a vague apology scribbled on the back of a calling card). Lesson learned: never fall for a man known for his charm. 

Fortunately, and unlike many of the other eligible young ladies of the ton, Emmeline has no need for a husband--because she's already found success in her scandalous (and very anonymous) profession as an author. Why bother with matrimony when she can make her own fortune and write men exactly the way she wants them? 

But fate--or the misfortune of Simon's reckless patriarchs--has other plans. Simon's once-proud estate is in shambles, his family fortune has been gambled away, and the younger impressionable siblings in his care are running wild across his estate (and possibly across all of England). Simon is in desperate need of a wealthy, prestigious bride . . . and a friend. 

Emmeline may not fit the role of heiress, but she can certainly be a friend. Just a friend. She'll help him find a suitable match, ensure his reputation remains intact, and keep things strictly platonic--no matter how dangerously appealing his new-and-improved sincerity and regret may be. 

There's just one small problem: the undeniable chemistry that still smolders between them. Can Emme play matchmaker for the man she's still in love with without losing her heart all over again? And is it possible that some love stories--especially the messy, inconvenient, impossible ones--are worthy of a rewrite? 

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Spotlight on 'Escaping the Wilderness' by Carrie Stuart Parks

Happy Wednesday Bookworms!

There is nothing better on a nice fall day than curling up with a delicious pumpkin beverage and a good Love Inspired Suspense like the one I am featuring today. I hope you enjoy an excerpt from this Romantic Suspense and don't forget to scroll to the bottom of this post and enter the amazing giveaway from JustRead Tours.

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for Escaping the Wilderness by Carrie Stuart Parks, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Escaping the Wilderness 
Author: Carrie Stuart Parks 
Publisher: Love Inspired Suspense 
Release Date: September 30, 2025 
Genre: Romantic Suspense

On the run through the mountains—  

with only each other to trust. 

Amanda Cotton’s privileged life takes a harrowing turn when her grandfather’s dying wish places a target firmly on her back and she’s attacked by unknown assailants. Rescue comes in the form of widowed outdoorsman Boone McGregor, but the threat is just beginning. Unable to trust local law enforcement, they flee across the rugged Montana mountains. As they evade deadly enemies and navigate harsh terrain, they must put aside their differences to survive. But when a family secret is exposed, danger is closer than they imagined and more than just their lives is at stake…

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Book Review of 'Somebody's Rose' by Marla Melior

Happy Monday Bookworms!

Anyone who knows me know how much I love nostalgic eras, particularly right after the second world war all the way through to the 1960's. I love that time in history. The tide was turning, change was happening, and I would've loved to have had a front-row seat for all of it. I think that's why I enjoy historical fictions that are set during this time period as I truly feel like I get to witness that era and it makes my historical loving heart so giddy.

I hope you enjoy my thoughts on this Historical Women's Fiction and let me know in the comments if you're a history buff like myself and if so what is your favorite time period to study?

About the Book

Title: Somebody's Rose 

Author: Marla Melior

Publisher: Independently Published

Release Date: September 23, 2025 

Genre: Historical Fiction

When the manuscript arrives at the office of a small publishing company, it has no return address. The required postage is affixed and is made up of a hodgepodge of random stamps. The manuscript itself is typed… typed on an old manual typewriter. On top is a simple note that reads:

I don’t want any money. I just want everyone to know about my Rose.

And thus begins a memoir about a lovely lady named Rose and the man who has been in love with her ever since he was ten years old.

In her signature style, Marla Melior presents this nostalgic, through-the-ages look at lasting love set against a backdrop of American history and pop culture. This is a true celebration of love and marriage and serves as a tribute to our nation and its heroes. Fall in love with Rose and our anonymous narrator as this young couple builds a life together, and learn why every woman in the world wants to be somebody's Rose.

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Spotlight on 'Survival Secrets' by Lana Christian

Happy Friday Bookworms!

Biblical Fiction has an uncanny way of bringing the Bible to life, and the book I am spotlighting today is no exception. I hope you enjoy a great excerpt from this newly released Biblical Fiction, and don't forget to scroll to the bottom of this post and enter the amazing giveaway from JustRead Tours.

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Survival Secrets by Lana Christian, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Survival Secrets 
Series: The Magi's Encounters #2 
Author: Lana Christian 
Publisher: Scrivenings Press 
Release Date: September 23, 2025 
Genre: Biblical Fiction

On the run from Herod and the Nabataeans, Akilah makes a desperate decision to venture into the unforgiving Wilderness of Paran. To reach Egypt’s safety, his caravan must survive the elements while maintaining their anonymity and protecting the secrets they harbor. Their knowledge of Yeshua is one of many secrets that jeopardize their lives. When calamity tears one Wise Man away from the others, the group’s resolve and newfound faith start to crumble. Farther from their goal of returning to Persia than ever before, they encounter Yeshua’s family again. Its ramifications raise the stakes for their cost of belief in the Hebrew God. 

Two thousand miles away, Akilah’s estranged cousin, Farzaneh, wrestles with the same as she tries to uncover secrets her husband took to the grave when he embraced the Hebrew faith. As life shifts radically for everyone, each person must risk trusting an unfathomable, sovereign God.  

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Book Review of 'Through Water and Stone' by Karen Barnett

Hello Bookworms!

In 2024 I started this amazing book series and today I am featuring the next book, something I have been eagerly anticipating. I hope you enjoy my thoughts on this Dual Timeline Christian Fiction and don't forget to scroll to the bottom of this post and enter the amazing giveaway from JustRead Tours.

Welcome to the Takeover + Review Blitz for Through Water and Stone by Karen Barnett, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book 

Title: Through Water and Stone 

Series: National Parks 

Author: Karen Barnett 

Publisher: Kregel Publications 

Release Date: September 23, 2025 

Genre: Christian Fiction, Dual Timeline 

In 1948, Zion National Park ranger Henry Eriksson and his wife, Alma, are less than one year removed from their infant son's sudden death in a flash flood, and the weight of the loss hasn't diminished with time. When Henry discovers an abandoned baby in a hatbox on his morning rounds, he's unsure how to react, but Alma is delighted, and she reignites with purpose at what seems to be a miracle from God. 

Nearly eighty years later, Talia Eriksson leaves her job at an athleisure company in Palo Alto, California, in disgrace and returns to Zion National Park to reconnect with her grandfather and review her life goals. But when an at-home DNA test exposes family secrets, Talia and her newfound friend, law enforcement ranger Blake Mitchell, work together to search for answers. 

Talia navigates the rocky path into her past with Blake by her side, what she discovers may alter everything she knew to be true about herself. With the uncertain future looming, Talia must learn that family is deeper than genetics and that trusting God can mean being still and clinging to the Rock. 

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