Only By Grace Reviews: Fiction
First Line Friday Featuring 'The Ark and the Dove' by Jill Eileen Smith
Book Review of 'Nellie' by Amy Walsh
Hello Book Lovers!
Welcome to the Blog Tour for Nellie by Amy Walsh, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
About the Book
Title: Nellie
Series: Apron Strings #2
Author: Amy Walsh
Publisher: Walsh Mountain Publishing
Release Date: February 15, 2024
Genre: Historical Romance
Finances are tight for the O’Dwyer family who live on a mountain outside of Scranton, Pennsylvania in 1931. Life gets even harder when their beloved Dadaí must cease work as a coal miner to become a patient at the West Mountain Sanitarium.
Nellie is her preferred name, but family and friends have heard Mam shout “Fenella Aileen O’Dwyer!” all too often with the countless predicaments she got herself into throughout childhood. So, it’s not altogether surprising when Nellie impulsively accepts a job as an assistant cook at the Clarinda House in a case of mistaken identity -- though she’s the last person her family would ask to prepare a meal.
Fortunately, along with determination, a talent for acting, and the gift of blarney, Nellie has Mrs. Campbell’s Cookery Book, a treasure she discovered at a Red Cross drought relief sale.
As her reluctant admiration for her employer grows, Nellie wishes she could be the sort of truthful woman of faith that Mr. Mason Peale esteems. If she confesses all, will she lose her job along with the friendships she’s formed at Clarinda House?
Book Review of 'And Their Numbers Grew' by Naomi Craig & Donna E. Lane
Happy Monday Bookworms!
Welcome to the Blog Tour for And Their Numbers Grew by Naomi Craig & Donna E. Lane, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
About the Book
Title: And Their Numbers Grew
Author: Naomi Craig and Donna E. Lane
Publisher: Bear's Place Publishing
Release Date: November 7, 2023
Genre: Biblical Historical Fiction
Four lives. Four destinies. One gospel.
Fans of Mesu Andrews and Connilyn Cossette will love And Their Numbers Grew.
If you love The Chosen, the story continues in And Their Numbers Grew.
Rumors of the risen Christ spread through Jerusalem like a wildfire—and the Sanhedrin is paying attention.
Their efforts to stifle the name of Jesus only fuel the cause until a young Pharisee gets involved, breathing threats of imprisonment—or worse. Stephen’s brutal stoning accelerates the persecution and sends the faithful fleeing the city for their lives.
They are afflicted in every way, but not crushed. As the fledgling church disperses, their numbers continue to grow. Now, the apostles must train the new believers in the ways and words of Jesus—and what it means to live in God's Kingdom here on earth.
The Kingdom of God spreads to Damascus, Joppa, Caesarea, Antioch, and Tarsus through the testimonies of Ananias, Tabitha, and Barnabas. While an outraged Saul sets out for Damascus to arrest them all, the followers press on fervently, with the help of the Holy Spirit—though it may cost them their lives.
Four disciples whose lives are intertwined, told in four novellas, chronicling the birth pains of the early church.
Book Review of 'A Gateway to Hope' by E.C. Jackson
Happy Black Friday Bookworms!
ABOUT THE BOOK
Twenty-one-year-old Neka is a bit of an introvert, she also happens to be stunningly beautiful.
When she discovers her friend James is about to be dumped, she sees the perfect opportunity to escape from her quiet life. Can she summon the courage to leave it all behind?
James Copley comes from a ruthless family. It’s rubbed off.
Years ago, he disengaged from his brother’s smear campaign, but now his father has offered him an ultimatum, “Get married or lose your seat at the table.”
Plotting to stamp his design on the family business, he proposes to a woman, even though he doesn’t love her.
But his carefully laid plans start to unravel when she leaves him on the day she’s due to meet his family.
Could years of planning his comeback vanish with her departure?
A possible solution comes in an unexpected form: Neka. She’s not only a friend, but the daughter of his benefactor. And she’s right there, offering to support him.
But will her support stretch to marriage?
He attempts to win her over to his plan but collides with her powerful father who wants to leverage the situation for his own gain.
In their fight for survival and love, they are forced to face some uncomfortable truths.
Can they overcome thwarted dreams and missed chances to find true love, or does forcing destiny’s hand only lead to misery?
Book Review of 'His Christmas Cowgirl' by Cari Lynn Webb
Happy Friday Bookworms!
Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for His Christmas Cowgirl by Cari Lynn Webb, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
About the Book
Title: His Christmas Cowgirl
Series: Three Springs, Texas #5
Author: Cari Lynn Webb
Publisher: Harlequin Heartwarming
Release Date: October 24, 2023
Genre: Contemporary Romance (Clean)
Can she win the rodeo…
And his heart?
Cowgirl Vivian Bryant needs a winning horse to fulfill her rodeo champion dream, and equestrian trainer Josh Sloan agrees to help. But when Vivian fibs to her family that Josh is her boyfriend, their pretend relationship slowly evolves–while planning a Three Springs, Texas, gala together. She’s competing for a trophy that will secure their separate futures, but the real prize just might be finding love…at Christmas.
USA Today Bestselling Author
From Harlequin Heartwarming: Wholesome stories of love, compassion and belonging.
Book Review of 'The Lord and the Lady Astronomer' by Alissa Baxter
Happy Wednesday Bookworms!
Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for The Lord and the Lady Astronomer by Alissa Baxter, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours
About the Book
Title: The Lord and the Lady Astronomer
Series: The Grantham Girls #3
Author: Alissa Baxter
Publisher: Dragonblade Publishing
Release Date: November 1, 2023
Genre: Regency/Historical Romance (Sweet, wholesome)
Can wishing upon a star ever come true?
Abigail Grantham has always taken a keen interest in astronomy since her brother Sir John Grantham enlisted her aid as a young girl to keep records of his astronomical discoveries. Abigail is delighted when her uncle, Lord Longmore, invites her to stay at Longmore Hall in Buckinghamshire as he needs her assistance to compile a star chart.
When Abigail arrives at the Hall, her Aunt Longmore introduces her to local society. However, Abigail also spends a great deal of time in her uncle’s observatory, viewing the night skies alongside her uncle’s neighbor, fellow astronomer William, Viscount Rochvale.
Lord Rochvale is intrigued by Abigail, and when he discovers that they share an interest in ancient buildings and Roman history, he contrives to become better acquainted with her away from her uncle’s observatory, taking her to places of archaeological interest with a view to winning her heart. But the astronomical project they are working on makes courtship difficult, and William’s plans are further frustrated by his rakish cousin Gerald Burnby, who becomes a frequent visitor to Longmore Hall, seeking out Abigail too.
After a valuable Roman urn disappears from Longmore Hall, a series of mysterious occurrences unravel, presenting a puzzle Abigail has no idea how to solve. However, when events escalate into peril, Abigail discovers that it is the night sky that holds the secret to the missing urn—as well as to her stolen heart.
Book Review of 'Mountain Storm Survival' by Cathy McDavid
Hola Bookworms!
Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for Mountain Storm Survival by Cathy McDavid, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
About the Book
Title: Mountain Storm Survival
Author: Cathy McDavid
Publisher: Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense
Release Date: October 24, 2023
Genre: Inspirational Romantic Suspense
A brutal storm. Relentless pursuers.
And more than their lives are on the line…
Helping with youth wrangler camp is how Kate Spencer is atoning for her past. But now she and ranch manager Rand Walkins are trapped in the Superstition Mountains with two girls as illegal miners hunt them down. Rand has every reason not to trust Kate, much less forgive her. But working together is the only way they’ll escape from the danger that threatens them all…
New York Times Bestselling Author
Spotlight on 'Bentonsport - A New Chapter' by Lisa Schnedler
Hello Weekend Bookworms!
Welcome to the Blog Tour for Bentonsport - A New Chapter by Lisa Schnedler, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
About the Book
Title: Bentonsport - A New Chapter
Series: Bentonsport #2
Author: Lisa Schnedler
Publisher: Scrivenings Press
Release Date: September 19, 2023
Genre: Christian Romance / Speculative (Time Travel)
What if you followed your heart—not across distance but across time?
Sarah Peterson never knew how far she would go for love until Thomas Barton walked into her life, they fell in love, and he asked her to join him in his world—a hundred and fifty years back in time. More afraid of losing him than of leaving everything behind, she put her future in God’s hands and awakened in the past. Now, she’s facing a world she’d only dreamed of, and reality is nothing like her dreams.
Thomas Barton never imagined he’d meet a woman like his beloved Sara. Leaving her behind was the hardest thing he ever did. When he discovers she’s followed him across time, he’s ready to spend his life making her decision worthwhile. His friends come up with a plan to convince Bentonsport she’s part of their era, but it’s going to take another miracle to pull this off.
Love was enough to carry them through a hundred and fifty years. Will it be enough to get them through the next weeks and months?
Book Review of 'The Pursuit of Miss Parish' by Grace Hitchcock
Happy Tuesday Bookworms!
ABOUT THE BOOK
Love's gentle promise becomes nothing more than a withered dream
Colt Lawson didn’t want to send that letter to Belle Parish in the first place, but her first response had all but captured his heart. When he is left standing at the altar alone, he is left with two choices—either release his dream of a love marriage, or attempt to win her heart. Wooing her would be a lot easier if that Texas Ranger wasn’t back in town. Who wants a dusty rancher with a past when she could have a shining knight in a Stetson?
Book Review of 'The Finding of Miss Fairfield' by Grace Hitchcock
Hello Bookworms!
ABOUT THE BOOK
When an engagement of convenience becomes anything but convenient...
Book Review of 'Mountain Abduction Rescue' by Darlene L. Turner
Hello Bookworms!
Welcome to the Blog Tour for Mountain Abduction Rescue by Darlene L. Turner, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
About the Book
Title: Mountain Abduction Rescue
Series: Crisis Rescue Team #3
Author: Darlene L. Turner
Publisher: Love Inspired Suspense
Release Date: August 22, 2023
Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense
A wildfire threat…
becomes a missing person search.
A serial arsonist is out for revenge in the Canadian Rocky Mountains—and kidnaps park warden Hazel Hoyt’s son and his camping troop. Now Hazel must team up with the man who broke her heart, firefighter Mitchell Booth, to find the missing boys as wildfires blaze around them. But someone has no intention of letting the pair get off the mountain alive…
From Love Inspired Suspense: Courage. Danger. Faith.
Book Review of 'Under the Blue Skies' by Elly Gilbert & Tricia Goyer
Happy Wednesday Bookworms!
Welcome to the Takeover + Review Blitz for Under the Blue Skies by Elly Gilbert & Tricia Goyer hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
About the Book
Title: Under the Blue SkiesThomas Smucker moved to West Kootenai for a fresh start—one where he could make his own decisions and build a life away from his deceased father’s harsh reputation. But when a tragedy occurs, he finds his five-year-old niece in his care. Now, he has to build a life he didn’t want and face a past that he longed to escape.
Book Review of 'Unseen Danger' by Jerusha Agen
Happy Friday Bookworms!
Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for Unseen Danger by Jerusha Agen, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
About the Book
Title: Unseen Danger
Series: Guardians Unleashed, #3
Author: Jerusha Agen
Publisher: SDG Words, LLC
Release Date: July 27, 2023
Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense
This woman and her K-9 protect others. Now who will protect them?
After a brutal attack, it took Nevaeh Williams six years to rebuild her life. Now a security specialist at the Phoenix K-9 Security and Detection Agency, she faces danger nearly every day. But when an old friend is targeted, her fragile stability begins to crumble.
Celebrity bodyguard Branson Aaberg could lose more than his career if he fails to end the mysterious threat against his client. Soon he’s more concerned with rescuing the tough but vulnerable woman who joins his security team.
Nevaeh is there to protect her friend, but what if she needs protection? What if the feeling she’s being watched isn’t the result of her traumatized imagination? If the danger is real, Nevaeh's only hope for survival may be the God powerful enough to defeat her worst enemy—the one she doesn't see before it's too late.
Unseen Danger continues the thrilling story of the elite Phoenix K-9 Security and Detection Agency that began with Hidden Danger (Guardians Unleashed, #1). (Each book can stand alone or be read as series installments.)
Book Review of 'The Baron and the Lady Chemist' by Alissa Baxter
Happy Tuesday Bookworms!
Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for The Baron and the Lady Chemist by Alissa Baxter, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
About the Book
Title: The Baron and the Lady Chemist
Series: The Grantham Girls #2
Author: Alissa Baxter
Publisher: Dragonblade Publishing
Release Date: August 3, 2023
Genre: Regency Romance (Sweet/Clean)
Their chemistry creates a chain reaction . . . but will love be the final result?
Dorothea Grantham has always been fascinated by chemistry and spends most days conducting experiments in her laboratory at Grantham Place, staining silk with gold, silver, and other metals using chemical processes.
Thea embroiders the beautiful gold and silver silk shawls she creates and enjoys wearing them, but her grandmother, Lady Longmore, advises her not to reveal to anyone outside the family circle that she has created the fashion items herself, concerned her granddaughter might be seen as an oddity.
When Thea enters Society, her shawls attract a great deal of attention and become the talk of the town. James, Lord Castleroy, takes a particular interest in her work, having inherited a share in his grandfather’s silk mill in Macclesfield.
Eager to invest in the ailing silk industry, the baron studies Miss Grantham’s silks with an admiring—and increasingly suspicious—eye, believing the fabrics to be smuggled imported silk. As he spends more time with the enterprising young lady, however, his interest in her quickly extends beyond his business affairs to engulf his guarded heart.
But Lord Castleroy isn’t the only person in London interested in Thea’s exquisite creations. And when a silken web of intrigue entangles her in real danger, Thea must trust the devotion of a man she never expected—or intended—to fall in love with.
Read Free in Kindle Unlimited!
Note: This series is part of Dragonblade's Sweet Dreams line, so this is a sweet, wholesome Historical Romance where passion beyond the bedroom door is left to the reader’s imagination.
Book Review of 'Ranch Showdown' by Tina Wheeler
Happy Tuesday Bookworms!
Welcome to the Blog Tour for Ranch Showdown by Tina Wheeler, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
About the Book
Title: Ranch Showdown
Author: Tina Wheeler
Publisher: Love Inspired Suspense
Release Date: July 25, 2023
Genre: Christian, Romantic Suspense
Seeking refuge at a ranch…
Has fiery consequences
After being threatened by her sister’s ex, Sierra Lowery has forty-eight hours to surrender documents linking him to a bombing before he kills her and kidnaps her nephew. With the evidence missing and anyone who helps becoming a target, hiding out with Detective Cole Walker, her college sweetheart, might be her only chance for survival. But as explosives detonate in the wake of their search, their ranch safe haven could become a dangerous trap.
From Love Inspired Suspense: Courage. Danger. Faith.
Book Review of 'Positively, Penelope' by Pepper Basham
Happy Friday Bookworms!
Welcome to the Takeover + Review Blitz for Positively, Penelope by Pepper Basham hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
About the Book
Title: Positively, PenelopeTold mostly through letters, texts, and email, this contemporary romance will charm its way into hearts as Penelope rescues a theater and discovers her true self in the process.
Penelope Edgewood is practically positive in every way, so when, fresh out of college, she is awarded a paid internship to help save a century-old theater on the island of Skymar, she jumps at the chance. After all, a crumbling theater needs the special touch of someone who reveres all things vintage and adores the stage.Book Review of 'Her Homegrown Christmas Wish' by Rachelle Paige Campbell
HELLO HOLIDAY BOOKWORMS!
ABOUT THE BOOK
All five-year-old Olivia Beacon wants for Christmas is a dad…
How on earth is single mom Hannah Beacon supposed to make that happen? To make matters worse, her holiday season is off to a rocky start. Between transferring ownership of the family bakery amid her mom’s decline, raising her young daughter, and the onslaught of Christmas orders, she can’t handle much more. And then her estranged husband shows up on her doorstep.
In the New Year, Daniel Ford is set to begin production on a TV show for the Hope and Family network. After years in the industry, the role is his biggest break yet. But when he sees his wife on screen with a mini version of herself, he realizes his shot at fame is on the line.
Together, Daniel and Hannah agree to start legal divorce proceedings—until Daniel comes face to face with the child that spurred his return. He can’t walk out of his daughter’s life, nor can he continue to deny his feelings for his wife. Will the career Daniel’s always wanted take center stage? Or can the two forgive past hurts to make their daughter’s Christmas wish a reality?
Book Review of 'Weddings & Wishes' by Melissa McClone
Friendship has kept the Berry Lake Cupcake Posse going, and they’ll need each other even more to survive the challenges life keeps throwing at them. But their struggles to reopen beloved Berry Lake Cupcake Shop might just break them apart.
The Berry Lake Cupcake Posse series is a women's fiction saga about friendship and family. These books aren't standalone, and there are cliffhangers. The series is best enjoyed when the books are read in order:
Book 1: Cupcakes & Crumbs
Book 2: Tiaras & Teacups
Book 3: Kittens & Kisses
Book 4: Weddings & Wishes
Book Review of 'Hidden Amish Target' by Dana R. Lynn
Hello Bookworms!
Welcome to the Blog Tour for Hidden Amish Target by Dana R. Lynn, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
About the Book
Title: Hidden Amish Target
Series: Amish Country Justice #16
Author: Dana R. Lynn
Publisher: Love Inspired Suspense
Release Date: July 25, 2023
Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense
She’s an accidental witness.
Now she’s running for her life…
Witnessing a murder puts a target on Molly Schultz’s back, and now she’s on the run from a gunman dead set on silencing her. She turns to family friend Zeke Bender for help, but when Molly’s identity and location are exposed, they’re left with a criminal among her Amish community. Can Zeke safeguard Molly long enough to catch the culprit—or will they fall prey to their merciless hunter?
From Love Inspired Suspense: Courage. Danger. Faith.
Book Review of 'How Sweet It Is' by Andrea Christenson
Happy Wednesday Bookworms!
Welcome to the Blog Tour for How Sweet It Is by Andrea Christenson, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
About the Book
Title: How Sweet It Is
Series: Fox Bakery #1
Author: Andrea Christenson
Publisher: Sunrise Publishing
Release Date: July 18, 2023
Genre: Christian Contemporary Romance
Sometimes the sweetest moments in life are made from the most familiar and ordinary ingredients.
Robin Fox is living out her dreams working in a gourmet bakery in Paris. She thought she’d live there forever, but when her relationship with her boss sours, those dreams crumble. She finds herself back home in Deep Haven, Minnesota, caring for her grandparents’ rundown bakery while they’re away. But she vows that when they return in six weeks, she’ll trade this ordinary life for the one she left behind.
Sammy Johnson has never gotten traction in any area of his life. This hasn’t improved in the almost two years since the accident which nearly killed him. Although his heart is still beating, it contains little passion for the life he’s living in Deep Haven. But that begins to change when he offers to help his former high school friend, Robin.
Working together to keep Fox Bakery from going under, they find more than friendship is simmering between them. But when the six weeks are up, will Robin follow her old dreams back to the glamor of Paris or will she discover how sweet it is to be loved in Deep Haven?
Return to Deep Haven with the Fox Family, where Robin and Sammy find that small town life isn’t ordinary after all.