Book Review of 'Woodencloak' by Dawn Ford

Hello Bookworms!

The Band of Unlikely Heroes series was one of my favorites to read this year, and after finishing the series with Shadowcape, I remembered I never had the opportunity to read the first novel in the series. So, I am here now to go back and share my thoughts on how it all began!

I hope you enjoy and let me know in the comments if you've read any novels in this series or any fantasy recommendations you might have for me. I'm always on the lookout for a good series.

About the Book

Title: Woodencloak 
Series: Band of Unlikely Heroes #1
Author: Dawn Ford 
Publisher: ScrivKids 
Release Date: February 7, 2023 
Genre: Middle-Grade Fantasy

Thirteen-year-old troll princess Horra Fyd’s life changes forever after an unexpected visit from the fairy queen and her two daughters. Tales of fairies gave Horra nightmares as a young troll. Before evening falls, however, a real nightmare unfolds. Horra’s father, King Fyd, goes missing. Her woodgoblin instructor is poisoned and uses his magic to revert to a seed. And a mysterious, gaunt man wearing a cape and playing a panflute joins the fairies in trying to capture her.

Horra flees but is instantly lost in a world she’s never had to travel alone. A letter hidden in her knapsack from her late instructor informs her that a power hungry Erlking seeks revenge against her kingdom and their allies for a two-generation old war. She is tasked with getting his seed to the Weald, a magical forest. There it can regenerate into a druid, the only creature with the power to hold the balance between good and evil, and who is able to defeat the Erlking.

However, the Erlking is always one step behind her. Horra must fight to protect herself, but she has no magic. She accepts a gift from a dead druid spirit of a charmed woodencloak to disguise her. But magic failed her mother, how can she possibly trust it?

Can Horra have faith and courage enough to trust a power she can’t see, and become a warrior heroine her foremothers can be proud of? Or will she allow fear to rule over her and lose everything that matters—including her life?

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Book Review of 'Christmas in Port Chance' by D.E. Malone

Happy Monday Bookworms!

I hope everyone is having lovely and wonderful holiday season so far. I am so proud of myself as this year I've almost got all of my Christmas shopping done early AND almost have everything wrapped and under the tree.  Who is this person?! Normally I'm the girlie that is out Christmas Eve feverishly grabbing items before the stores close so to be this ahead of the game...I honestly don't know how Christmas Eve is going to look this year! LOL

I am happy to report that I am also staying on top of my holiday reading goals and drinking in some fine holiday reads. I hope you enjoy my thoughts on this Clean Holiday Romance that is the latest release from one of my favorite authors!

About the Book

Title: Christmas in Port Chance

Series: Port Chance #4 

Author: D.E. Malone

Publisher: Independently Published

Release Date: December 1, 2025 

Genre: Clean Holiday Romance

With the holidays approaching, Sadie Wendell fights the melancholy of experiencing another Christmas alone. She loves caring for injured animals at her wildlife rehab center, but it doesn’t fill the void she still feels years after a bitter divorce. Even taking on a new business partner to stave off money troubles isn’t the distraction she needs. Then her partner’s brother walks into the rescue in the midst of a squirrel catastrophe, turning Sadie’s dismal holiday season upside down.

Hayes Kelley vows to make the best of being laid off from his job, and working alongside Sadie at Furever Friends Rescue while helping his sister recuperate might be an unexpected gift this holiday season. Trouble is, he’s convinced Sadie feels his presence around the property is like finding coal in her stocking.

When a patron proposes a fundraiser for the rehab center, Sadie reluctantly accepts Hayes’ help. Can he convince her that their temporary partnership might be a second chance at love to heal her heartbreak before his time runs out in Port Chance?

This heartwarming Christmas novel revisits the small-town charm of Port Chance, Iowa during the holidays. Dive into its pages to meet the characters who’ll feel like friends and the close-knit community like home.

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Book Review of 'Christmas Wishes' by Carmen Peone

Hello Bookworms!

My Christmas reading season has been pretty epic and the hits just keep coming and coming! Between decorating, shopping, and wrapping I have been sneaking in some holiday reading every chance I get and I have been loving it! There's just something about reading a Christmas novella during the holiday season that adds that perfect little something.

I hope you enjoy my thoughts on this Inspirational Contemporary Western 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 Christmas Wishes by Carmen Peone, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Christmas Wishes 
Series: Seven Tine Ranch Romance 
Author: Carmen Peone 
Publisher: Iron Stream Media 
Release Date: December 2, 2025 
Genre: Inspirational Contemporary Western Romance

One dream wedding. Two uncertain futures. A season of decisions that could change everything…. 

At Seven Tine Guest Ranch, Mandie Sellars serves guests as a cook, but her aspiration is to be the ranch’s event planner. When a surprise Christmas Eve wedding lands in her lap, Mandie sees this as her chance to shine—if she can handle the pressure. 

Her fiancé, Hudson Piccolo, just took the call of his his dream legal job. There’s just one catch—the job is in Seattle, clear across the state. Accepting it means leaving the ranch and upending Mandie’s and her daughter’s lives. 

Can their love withstand the tension between their ambitions and their commitment?  

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Book Review of 'The Relic Keeper' by Heidi Eljarbo

Happy Tuesday Bookworms!

 I am so excited you're here today as I am featuring one of my favorite authors and her latest Christian Inspirational Historical Fiction, which is another hit! I hope you enjoy my thoughts on this new release 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 The Relic Keeper by Heidi Eljarbo, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: The Relic Keeper 
Author: Heidi Eljarbo 
Publisher: Independently Published 
Release Date: November 18, 2025 
Genre: Christian Inspirational Historical Fiction

Once a thief, always a thief? 

Italy, 1620. Angelo is an orphan, lonely and forgotten. Having been passed on from one family to the next, he ends up as a common thief, subject to and under the thumb of a ruthless robber called Tozzo. The boy knows no other life and has lost hope that any chance of providence will ever replace his lonely, misfortunate existence. 

One day, a priest invites Angelo to help with chores around the church and rectory and, in exchange, offers him room and board. Padre Benedetto’s kindness and respect are unfamiliar and confusing, but Angelo’s safety is still a grave concern. Two older robbers have heard rumors about Tozzo’s hidden treasures and will stop at nothing to attain them. 

With literary depictions and imagery, Angelo’s story is a gripping and emotional journey of faint hope and truth in seventeenth-century Italy. Using invisible threads, Heidi Eljarbo weaves together her fictional stories with historical figures and real events.  

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Book Review of 'A Christmas in Shady Springs' by Sarah Anne Crouch

Happy Wednesday Bookworms!

The Christmas reading season is in full swing, and I am loving all of the holiday literary goodness. I hope you enjoy my thoughts on today's pick and let me know in the comments what your current holiday read is.

Welcome to the Blog Tour for A Christmas in Shady Springs by Sarah Anne Crouch, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Books

Title: A Christmas in Shady Springs
Series: Shady Springs #3
Author: Sarah Anne Crouch
Publisher: Scrivenings Press, LLC 
Release Date: November 25, 2025 
Genre: Contemporary Christian Romance  

 

Madeleine Mullins has always pictured a Christmas wedding wrapped in twinkling lights and small-town warmth. But when family disagreements, church politics, and a sudden ice storm turn her plans upside down, she begins to wonder if love alone can hold everything together.

A.J. Young wants nothing more than to marry Madeleine, yet balancing tradition, faith, and expectations may cost them the joy of the day they’ve both dreamed of.

Set in the heart of Arkansas, A Christmas in Shady Springs is a sweet, heartfelt holiday romance about imperfect plans, enduring faith, and a love strong enough to weather every storm.

Perfect for fans of Denise Hunter, Rachel Hauck, and Melody Carlson. Come discover a holiday love story that will remind you why imperfect weddings often make the most beautiful memories.

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Book Review of 'A Hero's Christmas Kiss' by Virginia'dele Smith

Hello Bookworms!

While I am not married to a military man myself, there are moments that I wonder if my husband should've been a soldier. He has all of the markings of a good military man, and every time I read a novel like the one I'm featuring today, I think about my amazing husband and just how blessed I am. Here's to all the good men out there that know how to treat a woman.🤍

I hope you enjoy my thoughts on this Wholesome and Cozy, Small-Town Christian 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 A Hero's Christmas Kiss by Virginia'dele Smith, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: A Hero's Christmas Kiss 
Series: Military Kisses 
Author: Virginia'dele Smith 
Publisher: Books are Ubiquitous, LLC 
Release Date: November 7, 2025 
Genre: Wholesome and Cozy, Small-Town Christian Romance  

 

Caroling, coffee, and complications. A broken hero and the sweet girl next door…  

 

She just might be the miracle this soldier deserves. But can she fulfill her dreams without losing the guarded military man who’s captured her heart? 

 

Emilie Fielding longs for love — and to own her own business someday. Despite fears that she’s wasting time waiting for her prince to come while working for her Scrooge-like boss, the optimistic barista tackles Christmas preparations for the coffee shop with unbridled holiday joy. And when she stumbles hanging mistletoe, she surprises herself as well as her handsome rescuer with a merry peck on his cheek, right before he’s cajoled into lending her a hand. 

 

Garrett Banks yearns to belong. Learning to live with lingering injuries and struggling with feelings of vulnerability, the Marine discovers a humorous group of senior busybodies and the vibrant young woman who catches his attention while visiting a treasured small town. Tasked with helping to check off her yuletide to-do list, his honed defenses and well-constructed walls begin to crumble. 

 

Even though Emilie’s innate connection with him deepens, she wrestles with the growing need to leave her beloved home to secure her future. And while Garrett hopes to stay by her side, he fears the only way forward is to let her go. 

 

Do they have the courage this Christmas to unwrap the gift of forever?  

 

A Hero's Christmas Kiss is the charming eighth book in the Green Hills romance series and part of the Military Kisses Sweet Romance multi-author project. If you like swoon-worthy characters, fairytale towns that help people heal, and a cozy cup of holiday cheer, then you’ll adore Virginia'dele Smith’s jolly read.

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Book Review of 'The Healing Holiday' by Heather B. Moore

Happy December Bookworms!

Is anyone else feeling whiplash from the fact that December is already here?? While 2025 hasn't been the best year it has went by so quick! I hope your holiday season is starting strong and that you're getting a chance to read some holiday novels like the one I am featuring today.

I hope you enjoy my thoughts on this Contemporary Romance that just released TODAY and let me know in the comments if you have any must-reads for this holiday season.

About the Book

Title: The Healing Holiday

Series: The Healing Series #3 

Author: Heather B. Moore

Publisher: Mirror Press

Release Date: December 1, 2025 

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Winter 1981

A shocking discovery. A thirty-year secret. A holiday that will change them forever.

Daniela Jacobs never expected to find the surprise of her life when cleaning out her mother’s home. But the adoption papers she discovers tucked away in a dresser drawer are no figment of her imagination. With a heart aching with questions, she calls every number in the phone book that matches her biological mother’s name—Sylvia Burton.

When Sylvia receives a phone call from a woman identifying herself as the daughter she placed for adoption thirty years before, Sylvia wonders if she can reconcile her former decisions with her present life. The hole in her heart has never truly healed, but the secrets of her past have become so buried that she fears bringing them to light will upset the fragile threads of her marriage.

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