Tuesday, July 7, 2026

A Life So True (A Minnesota Legacy) by Tracie Peterson

Evelyn Turner is determined to work at her physician father's side as he opens a hospital for Minneapolis's poor. But when nursing makes her physically ill, she faces an impossible choice between the promises she's made and her own limitations.

Maxwell Garrison is helping manage his father's investments through the financial crisis of 1893, and he's especially interested in their sawmill businesses. At a Turner family fund raiser, he is horrified when he overhears his father and other mill owners plotting to commit arson and insurance fraud. When Evie and Max meet at the same fund raiser, a connection sparks between them. As their interests in each other grow, they confide their secrets and agree to guard each other's trust.

Then a suspicious and devastating fire sets Minneapolis ablaze, and Max and Evie fear the worst. Even amid the ashes of deception, can they build a life together?

Amazon

About The Author

Tracie Peterson is the bestselling, award-winning author of more than one hundred books. Tracie also teaches writing workshops at a variety of conferences on subjects such as inspirational romance and historical research. She and her family live in Montana.

Visit Tracie's web site at: http://www.traciepeterson.com

My Review

This is a read that reads like a gift, from beginning to end I was page turning, but hoping I could go on forever!
A beautifully written faith based book, and I looked and their is a gift of a third book coming in November! I did read the first book in this series and you don't need to read it to enjoy this one, but it also was so good!
We are offered a glimpse into the Turner's family life, and a young man, Max Garrison sees what he never had, rather sad. Max also sees Evelyn Turner, and we are given some sweet romance.
The Turner family have a heart for those less fortunate, and we are with them as disaster strikes the area, we are also wondering if there was intent on what happened?
We also learn of some secrets being kept by members of the Turner family, some that will make you chuckle, and others, well, I love this family!
With the romance in the air, and life changing for the Turners, I can't wait to come back!
I received this book through Net Galley, and the Publisher Bethany House, and was not required to give a positive review.

Conspiracy (Sanctuary #3) by Colleen Coble

Just as wildlife veterinarian Paradise Alden begins to envision a future with Blake Lawson, the ghosts of her past return with a vengeance. The murder of her parents has shadowed her for fifteen years, but a new threat brings the cold case into the terrifying present. A trained leopard--a chilling embodiment of Paradise's deepest fears--is now stalking her.

Haunted by resurfacing memories, Paradise, Blake, and her newfound brother, Drew, follow a trail of clues that leads them into a web of dark family secrets. The deeper they dig, the more shocking the connections become, linking their families to a dangerous conspiracy that someone is still willing to kill to protect.

With every step closer to the truth, the killer becomes more desperate. Paradise, Blake, and Drew must race to expose a murderer who has remained hidden for fifteen years, but this time, they are the ones being stalked. If they can't unmask the killer, the past will destroy both the fragile future Paradise and Blake are trying to build and the family she has finally found with her brother.

Amazon

About The Author

USA TODAY and Publishers Weekly bestselling author Colleen Coble has captivated readers with over 6 million books in print, earning #1 spots on Amazon. Her novels blend suspenseful plots, emotional depth, and faith-filled redemption that keep fans turning pages late into the night.

Colleen also teamed up with attorney Rick Acker. Together they launched the high-octane Tupelo Grove series which infused her signature coastal intrigue with Rick's courtroom-sharp twists. Multiple high concept novels continue to flow from their fun and exciting collaboration including I Think I Was Murdered, a ripped-from-the-headlines AI suspense novel.

A passionate mentor to aspiring writers, Colleen has served on the American Christian Fiction Writers board for 20 years, helping foster a warm and supportive community. A life-long Hoosier, she and her husband recently moved to Arizona where she continues to spoil her grandchildren and craft stories in the sunshine.

My Review

This is the third book in this series, and I've loved them all. The author does a wonderful job of bringing this story to an end.
Warning there is a lot going on here, and I found myself holding my breath as I read some of the danger here. I enjoyed how the story wrapped up, just wish I could continue on with this family that I have come to care about!
Along with the danger there are a few sweet romances going on! You will also be wondering what really makes some people tick! Also the value of human life?
I be looking for more from this author, she does not disappoint!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Thomas Nelson, and was not required to give a positive review.

The Spy Keeper of Marseille by Roseanna M. White

Marseille, France, 1941. Zelie Bellerose never fit the mold of an army officer's wife. She was too passionate in her convictions, too indifferent to societal expectations. After her husband is killed in the war, Zelie focuses on securing a brighter future for her children, hoping to help free her country from the Nazi regime by joining the Resistance. She is soon one of the most trusted operatives in Alliance, and when their leader is imprisoned, she takes command, hiding her identity from all but a few. With enemies closing in, Zelie must earn the trust of her network and prove herself to those who doubt a woman's place at the helm of France's largest spy ring.

Marcel Laurent was a renowned concert pianist before joining the French army and being sent to a POW camp. Freed in a prisoner exchange by a wealthy businessman with ties to the Resistance, Marcel agrees to spy for Alliance by conducting a youth orchestra, gathering intelligence from patrons who are loose-lipped Nazi sympathizers. Marcel's weekly radio broadcasts introducing the orchestra's performances give him the perfect cover to send coded messages over the airwaves.

As Zelie and Marcel grow closer through their shared love of music, she begins to rely on him. But betrayal from within Alliance puts everything they've fought for at risk. When a double agent infiltrates their ranks and the two are captured, their bond faces its greatest test . . . and any misstep could jeopardize not only Alliance but the very outcome of the war.

Amazon

About The Author

Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary. You can learn more about her and her stories at www.RoseannaMWhite.com.

My Review

I enjoy reading Historical fiction, and this read did not disappoint!
This story is set in France 1941-1944, and we meet the people that helped win the war and keep freedom! Family is important here, but such sacrifices are made, and we owe these people so much!
Along with the danger that we know is going on here, we are offered a gift of a musical genius, and his gift to help! We also have a mother whom in the end ends up being the person in charge, along with some colorful names. The author does a great job with the names and flustering the enemy!
We are offered some sweet romance, some betrayal by those whom are trusted, and a story that at times will have you holding your breath!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Tyndale House Publishers, and was not required to give a positive review.

The Unexpected Caller (The Amish Widows Club) by Shelley Shepard Gray

Leanna Mast never imagined she'd be a widow at forty-one, but it seems God had other plans. After mourning her husband for a year, she realizes it's time to start living again. But her community expects her to remarry, and after living on her own, she's not eager to start cooking and cleaning in another man's home.

When she's invited to join the Amish Widows Club, she discovers a place of belonging she didn't even know she needed. In this group of women who support one another through sharing books, stories, and companionship, Leanna immediately feels welcome. She's sure her life as a widow will bring her the fulfillment she craves . . . until handsome, kind Evan Keim comes calling. As their relationship deepens, her heart becomes involved. But how could she possibly leave the widows club for a dream that might be too good to be true?

Amazon

About The Author

Shelley Shepard Gray is a NYT and USA Today bestselling author. She's published over a hundred novels and has over a million books in print. She currently lives in northern Ohio and writes full time.

Shelley lives just an hour from Holmes County, where many of her Amish-themed novels are set. She currently writes contemporary romance and Amish fiction for a variety of publishers. When not spending time with her family or writing, she can usually be found walking her two dachshunds on one of the many trails in the Cleveland area.

She also bakes a lot, loves coconut cream pie, and will hardly ever pull weeds, mow the yard, or drive in the snow.

Shelley also spends a lot of time on line! Please visit her website, www.shelleyshepardgray.com to find out her latest news or to sign up for her newsletter. Shelley can also be found on FaceBook, Instagram @shelley.s.gray, or on Twitter @ShelleySGray.

My Review

At first when we meet Leanna, there are a lot of unexpected callers, and she doesn't seem to happy about it. We learn some of her marriage to her late husband, and her desires to have children, even though that never came to pass.
I loved that she found the support of the Widow's Club, I belong to one, and to get there is not fun, but we are all in the same boat, and as with Leanna, they become fast friends.
The author does give us a glimpse at what life could be for her, but she would have to give up her club and friends, will she do it?
Pretty soon there is more than one caller whom might make a match?
We do get to meet long time friend and possible caller, Evan, but when he finds out what she wants, he more or less heads for the hills.
This was such an enjoyable page turning read for me, and I loved the epilogue! Now I can't wait for the next book in this series!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Revell, and was not required to give a positive review.

The Amazing Crab Alley Revival by Sharon Wilharm

The year is 1897, and wealthy widow Lydia Culpepper is evaluating her mundane existence. For sixty-three years, she’s faithfully gone through the motions of fulfilling everyone else’s expectations for her life, but nothing she does is ever enough. She longs for something more. When a young boy comes to her house in search of his missing coon dog, she gets her wish. She meets Emily Reed, a young finishing school instructor, and Opal Jackson, an Irish single mother, and the three women join together on a mission that turns the First Baptist Church on its head. Suddenly, the town is in an uproar as lives are changed. When Yellow Fever hits, it looks like their efforts may have been in vain, but the epidemic isn’t enough to thwart the fruits of the Amazing Crab Alley Revival.

Amazon

About The Author

Through the years, Sharon Wilharm has worn many hats--author, speaker, Bible teacher, podcaster, radio host, and filmmaker. The common thread of all her activities is women and storytelling. She loves to tell stories that inspire and encourage women in their walk with the Lord.

Sharon is the author of Women of Prayer, a 10-week Bible study about praying women in the Bible, and The Amazing Crab Alley Revival, a Southern historical retelling of Lydia in the Bible. She’s also the host of All God’s Women podcast and internationally syndicated radio show heard daily on Moody Radio Network and Faith Radio Network

My Review

What an awesome read, the pages flew, and I fell in love with the characters.
This book had me laughing out loud, but there are some sad aspects. The Jackson family and their dog were my favorite, but so were Lydia Culpepper, the senior wealthy widow! Lydia's family helped build the First Baptist Church, and she wants all to know the Lord. Then there is Emily, she has a family she wants to hide, and as we begin has just secured a job at a girl's finishing school.
Praying for a change of heart, Lydia follows her own heart and embraces what the elite here in this Florida town find appalling! Shaking my head, but can believe it, she wants everyone to be able to go to church.
Your going to love the little ones who live in Crab Alley, they are so excited to know the Lord! So excited to learn about the Lord, and see the inside of the church. Can you imagine people being against this? Sadly, yes!
This is a beautifully woven story, and unwrapping is a gift!
I received this book through the Author, and was not required to give a positive review.

Monday, July 6, 2026

The German Sisters by Marty Wingate

As the train carries her far away from home, ten-year-old Dagmar’s hand tightens around her sister’s. As little Heike leans in, her acorn-coloured eyes wide, Dagmar is terrified she won’t be able to keep her safe…

Dagma heart aches for her mother but only children were allowed on board. The carriage is crowded; a small boy hugs a battered teddy bear and cries for his father. A girl her own age whispers that this train is rescuing Jewish children. But their families have been left behind…

As the train jolts along the track, Dagmar holds her breath. Her scuffed suitcase, with everything she owns inside, bangs painfully against her.Dagmar and Heike have nobody else but each other; what will happen to them? And will they ever see their mother again?

Amazon

About The Author

USA Today best-selling author Marty Wingate shares her love of Britain in three mystery series.

The First Edition Library mysteries (Berkley) are set in the lovely Georgian spa town of Bath. Here we find Hayley Burke, curator of an impressive collection of books from the Golden Age of Mystery—Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, and all the rest. Too bad Hayley has never read a detective story in her life. In book one, The Bodies in the Library, she attempts to bluff her way along when a member of a local fan-fiction writers group turns up dead—in her library. In book two, Murder Is a Must (October 2020), Hayley plans an ambitious spring exhibition and with luck finds the best venue and the best—if the most difficult—manager to put it on. Then, said manager is found dead at the bottom of a spiral staircase.

Marty’s first historical fiction book, Glamour Girls (Alcove Press, January 2021) is set against the backdrop of the Second World War in England and follows the story of Rosalie Wright as she goes from farm girl to Spitfire pilot.

Marty also write two further mystery series. The Potting Shed books feature Pru Parke, a middle-aged American gardener transplanted from Texas to England—in the latest, Midsummer Mayhem, Pru finds herself up to her ears in murder and Shakespeare, as she builds the set for an outdoor production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Also, look for the short story Christmas at Greenoak. The Birds of a Feather mysteries follow Julia Lanchester, bird lover, who runs a tourist office in a Suffolk village—in book four, Farewell, My Cuckoo, Julia attempts to identify a murder victim found at the edge of the village while doing battle with her boyfriend’s sister, who has made herself entirely too at home in Julia’s cottage.

Marty lives with her husband and two cats near Seattle, her local library standing in for a more colorful writing venue—say, Vita Sackville-West’s tower at Sissinghurst. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and the Crime Writers Association (Britain) as well as the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and the Royal Horticultural Society. She has her own modest vintage collection of books from the Golden Age writers.

Marty takes research seriously—she is a former how-to garden writer of three books and a countless number (at least, she stopped counting ages ago) of magazine and newspaper articles on everything from apple maggot to the prettiest daffodils and the best-smelling roses. Research took on an entirely new light when she began writing mysteries, and now she and her husband travel regularly to England and Scotland, where she plunges deeply into study concerning the next adventure for Hayley, Julia, or Pru—sparing not a few minutes a day to head to the pub.

Connect with Marty on Facebook (Marty Wingate Author) or on her website: martywingate.com.

My Review

This read starts in Germany, and parents making the hard decision to send their children to safety. Evil has taken over Europe in the thirties, such horrible hate, and we meet a Jewish family that makes that hard decision, a hard sacrifice. We follow their daughters Dagmar and Heike to England, and hopefully away from harm.
Dagmar is a ten year old girl, and keeps writing letters to home, she want her parents to come to England. We meet the people put in these girls lives, and the road is not always easy for them. They do finally land in a home of "love", but still no word on Mutti and Vatti.
The author does a great job of weaving this story of the great sacrifices being made, the danger of even being in England, and the story of family, new and old.
I did like the epilogue here, and wished I could have followed these girls further!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Bookouture, and was not required to give a positive review.

CelebrateLit Presents: Mail-Order Viscountess Author: Misty M. Beller

About the Book

Book: Mail-Order Viscountess

Author: Misty M. Beller

Genre: Christian historical romance

Release Date: June 9, 2026

Five sons of an English duke, all raised in the Rocky Mountains…

When a Montana blizzard strands two strangers in a cave, honor demands a vow neither of them want.

Nobody knows the truth about newly knighted Lord Thomas Balfour. He doesn’t deserve the being honor showered on him, so after this last trip with his brother and sister-in-law to Butte for supplies, he’ll leave this territory behind completely. But once he reaches town, he’s blindsided to discover his brothers have ordered him a bride by post. A woman complicates everything. And even worse—the bride has brought her sister.

Kate McKinney masterminded this journey west to rescue her younger sister from their controlling mother’s plans. Yet one look at the intended groom’s scowl, and Kate’s doubts bloom. Maybe this mail-order marriage scheme will be far worse for her beloved sister than the wealthy brute their ambitious mother arranged.

Thomas has no choice but to help escort the sisters back to the Balfour ranch. On the trail, a blizzard changes everything, tearing Thomas and Kate away from the others—straight into danger…

From a USA Today bestselling author comes a royal family saga featuring a mail-order bride, snowed-in peril, and an aristocratic marriage of convenience…all set in the rugged Montana Territory.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Misty M. Beller is an ECPA and USA Today bestselling author with over 1 million books sold. She writes romantic mountain stories, set on the 1800s frontier and woven with the truth of God’s love.

Raised on a farm and surrounded by family, Misty developed her love for horses, history, and adventure. These days, her husband and children provide fresh adventure every day, keeping her both grounded and crazy.

Misty’s passion is to create inspiring Christian fiction infused with the grandeur of the mountains, writing historical romance that displays God’s abundant love through the twists and turns in the lives of her characters.

Sharing her stories with readers is a dream come true for Misty. She writes from her country home in South Carolina and escapes to the mountains any chance she gets.

More from Misty

His Brothers Did What?! Meet the Hero of Mail-Order Viscountess

Every family has that one person who needs a little…nudging in the right direction.

For the Balfour brothers, that person is Thomas.

Lord Thomas Balfour is many things—newly knighted, fiercely capable, and absolutely convinced he doesn’t deserve any of it. He carries a secret that weighs on him heavier than the Montana snow, and he’s made up his mind: after one last supply run to Butte with his brother and sister-in-law, he’s leaving the territory for good. No fuss, no goodbyes. Just gone.

His brothers, of course, had other plans.

Because while Thomas was busy planning his quiet disappearance, his brothers were busy placing an ad—for a mail-order bride. For him. Without telling him a single word about it.

So imagine Thomas’s face when he arrives in Butte and discovers a woman waiting there to become his wife.

Actually, not one woman. Two.

Because the bride—Kate McKinney—has brought her sister along.

To say Thomas is less than thrilled would be an understatement. The scowl he greets them with says everything. A woman complicates his carefully laid plans. Two women? That’s a catastrophe.

But here’s what Thomas doesn’t know yet: Kate didn’t come west to trap a reluctant lord into marriage. She came to rescue her sister. And one look at Thomas’s stormy expression has her wondering if she’s made a terrible mistake—whether the Balfour brothers’ well-meaning scheme has landed her beloved sister somewhere far worse than the life they left behind.

Two people who don’t want to be there. One scheme cooked up by meddling brothers who love Thomas too much to let him walk away. And a Montana blizzard that’s about to strand them all together with no way out.

I pray you love Mail-Order Viscountess! J

Blessings!

Misty