The Lost Story of Via Belle by Melanie Dobson

 

1940. Via Belle’s sweet romance novels made readers believe in happily ever after. But Via’s reality was much more complicated. While her first husband was alive, her creativity thrived in a beautiful stone estate situated above a pristine lake and moonflower garden. After his tragic death and a whirlwind second marriage shrouded in secrets, Via vanished from public life, leaving behind a shadow of scandal . . . and her final story.

2006. Screenwriter Harper Rayne is desperate for a breakthrough, if only she can find the right story to tell. But when she digs into the life of her late mother’s favorite novelist, she never expects it to become personal. Drawn to the quaint Pennsylvania town where both her mother and Via once lived, Harper discovers more than a mystery to solve—she finds echoes of her own longing for love, healing, and home. As long-buried secrets come to light, Harper must decide if she’ll protect the past or rewrite this particular ending.

Described as a “powerhouse in dual-timeline Christian fiction” (Library Journal), Melanie Dobson delivers another rich, atmospheric novel about the legacy of sacrificial love and the redemptive power of truth.

Amazon 

 

About The Author

 

Writing fiction is Melanie Dobson's excuse to explore abandoned houses, travel to unique places, and spend hours reading old books and journals. The award-winning author of almost thirty books, Melanie enjoys stitching together both time-slip and historical stories including The Wings of Poppy Pendleton, The Winter Rose, Catching the Wind, Memories of Glass, and the Legacy of Love series. Five of her novels have received a Carol Award, Catching the Wind's audiobook won the 2018 Audie for Inspirational Novel, and The Black Cloister was ForeWord's Book of the Year for Religious Fiction.

Melanie and her husband, Jon, have two daughters. After moving numerous times with Jon's work, the Dobson family has finally settled near Portland, Oregon, and they love to travel and hike in both the mountains and the cliffs above the Pacific. When Melanie isn't writing, she enjoys exploring dusty back roads, dancing, and reading stories with her girls.

More information about Melanie and her books is available on her author website.

 

My Review

 A dual time read, 1940 and 2006, that the author has messed together perfectly!
There is a lot going on here, with crime that is hidden, but hurting so many. There is some sweet romance, and some very deep caring characters given to us.
This quickly became a page turner, I needed answers, and we get them, along with a great epilogue!
Yes, I recommend this historical Christian read to get lost in! I will warn you, you will be holding your breath as danger approaches, and with people you quickly care about making the wrong decisions!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Tyndale, and was not required to give a positive review.

Handle with Care by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen

 

On a quiet spring afternoon, an ordinary small-town post office becomes ground zero for a domestic dispute. A husband draws a weapon and seals the doors, holding four hostages captive: his terrified wife, a young woman searching for meaning amid uncertainty, a mother on the brink of letting go as her only daughter graduates, and an elderly woman concealing a secret that could shatter everything she knows.

Outside, the negotiator works to keep a fragile peace, forced to confront her own baggage as every word becomes a lifeline.

Each of the three women who walked into the post office is carrying something that, if mailed, would profoundly change her life. As minutes become hours in this daylong siege, these strangers forge lasting bonds.

Amazon 

 

About The Author

 

Marybeth Mayhew Whalen is the author of Every Moment Since and 9 previous novels. Marybeth received a BA in English with a concentration in Writing and Editing from NC State University a long time ago and has been writing ever since. She is the co-founder of The Book Tide, an online community of readers where "a rising tide raises all books." Marybeth and her husband Curt are the parents of six kids who are now all in various stages of adulting. A native of Charlotte, NC, Marybeth now calls Sunset Beach, NC home. 

My Review

 

Can you imagine walking into your local post office to mail a letter or package, and end of fearing for your life? That is what happens to these women whom innocently end up being held hostage in Sunset Beach, NC.
We soon really care for the four women being held hostage, and we really get to know the man, and in some ways felt sorry for him, but?
Then we meet the hostage negotiator whom is named Hope, quite appropriate, and soon a helper, a retired FBI agent, Bo.
Loved how this story meshed together, how they opened up about their lives, and you could see some healing in the time of trauma. We find some healing when times seem to be the darkest.
I loved and recommend this read!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Thomas Nelson, and was not required to give a positive review.

More than Friends by Denise Hunter

 

Jenna Greene just ended things with her boyfriend . . . which also ended her career. (That's the risk a girl takes when her boyfriend doubles as her boss.) With no income and no job prospects in sight, Jenna is forced to return to her mother's house on Chincoteague Island, Virginia, to figure out what's next. And the timing couldn't be more perfect. Jenna's widowed mother has just returned from a cruise--with a brand-new boyfriend in tow. But there's something off about the guy. His story doesn't quite add up, and he keeps sneaking off to make suspicious phone calls and borrowing money from her too-trusting mother.

In search of some investigative help, Jenna turns to her childhood BFF, Tyson Parker, who lives and works in town. Still reeling from his wife's infidelity, Tyson is doing his best to heal from the pain of divorce. He's made a name for himself on the island as a volunteer firefighter and one of the much-admired saltwater cowboys who looks after Chincoteague's wild ponies. Oh, and he turned out to be more than a tiny bit attractive--besides being almost-too-good-to-be-true sweet and caring.

Growing up, the uber-competitive Jenna was always accepted as one of the guys. But things have changed between her and Tyson, and he's now looking at her through new eyes. Jenna suddenly feels like a leading lady on a movie set--only with way less composure.

But Jenna also has old wounds that make these new feelings seem fraught with peril. Is she willing to open her heart and see where love might lead? Or will she let her hesitant heart hold her back?

Amazon 

 

About The Author

 

Denise Hunter is the internationally-published bestselling author of more than forty novels, three of which have been adapted into Hallmark movies. She has appeared on the The 700 Club and been featured in Southern Living and Woman's World.

Denise writes heartwarming, small-town love stories, peopled with layered characters who have real-life issues. Her readers enjoy the vicarious thrill of falling in love and the promise of a happily-ever-after sigh as they savor the final pages of her books.

In 1996, inspired by the death of her grandfather, Denise began her first book, writing while her children napped. Two years later it was published, and she's been writing ever since. Her husband says he inspires all her romantic stories, but Denise insists a good imagination helps too!

When Denise isn't orchestrating love lives on the written page, she enjoys traveling, drinking chai lattes, hiking, and playing drums. Denise makes her home in Indiana where she and her husband raised three boys and are currently enjoying an empty nest and four beautiful grandchildren. 

 

My Review

I loved getting lost in this book! Sometimes we really don't see what is in front of us!
Can friends of many years move into a relationship? Or if things go wrong will that end a friendship?
This is a story about relationships, or maybe just friendship, it is also a story about what happens when the relationship ends.
There is a lot going on here, right from the beginning with a marriage proposal, to the end with the epilogue, which I loved!
Mom coming home from a cruise and a new friend with her, also Jenna coming home to the Island she loves and misses, Chincoteague Island, Virginia. but without a job.
When the final page was turned, I wanted to stay! Looking forward to my next read by this go to author!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Thomas Nelson, and was not required to give a positive review.  

The Patchwork Players: An Elm Creek Quilts Novel (The Elm Creek Quilts Series, 24)

 

Acclaimed TV actress Julia Merchaud almost can’t believe her good fortune. Her beloved historical drama, A Patchwork Life, revived her career and made stars of several younger actors. But Julia’s happiness turns to dismay when she learns that the hit show will have only one more season. Can she convince everyone to stay just a little longer?

Inspiration comes after a conversation with Summer Sullivan, one of the expert quilters who helped Julia prepare for her role. When Summer confides that Elm Creek Quilt Camp is in financial trouble, Julia concocts a brilliant plan that will help the Elm Creek Quilters and herself.

Julia sets about persuading the cast and crew to join her for what she promises will be a marvelous week at a luxurious nineteenth-century mansion amid the autumnal splendor of central Pennsylvania, a creative and dynamic working vacation they’ll never forget. Secretly, she hopes the bonding experience will convince them to abandon their other plans and sign on for another few seasons. But after several joyful days of quilting and camaraderie, Julia’s scheme takes an unexpected turn. Soon she’ll have to make hard choices about which matters more—career or friendship.

Amazon 

 

About The Author

 Jennifer Chiaverini is the New York Times bestselling author of FATES AND TRAITORS, MRS. LINCOLN'S DRESSMAKER, MRS. LINCOLN'S RIVAL, THE SPYMISTRESS, MRS. GRANT AND MADAME JULE, and other acclaimed historical novels. She also wrote the beloved Elm Creek Quilts series, as well as six collections of quilt patterns inspired by her books. A graduate of the University of Notre Dame and the University of Chicago, she lives with her husband and two sons in Madison, Wisconsin. About her historical fiction, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes, "In addition to simply being fascinating stories, these novels go a long way in capturing the texture of life for women, rich and poor, black and white, in those perilous years."

 

My Review

 

I loved being back at Elm Creek Quilts, and with the re-curing characters that I have come to love.
This is not the usual summer camp, we are here in November. Why? Because Julia wants her friends to have a change of heart.
When things go awry, I loved all Julia does, to help what she has messed up. I also love the heart she has for Elm Creek, and how she goes about helping so Sylvia will accept, she knows she wouldn't take a handout.
A reminder here of what I love about the manor, and because I'm a quilter, talking about the things I love to do. I did chuckle about the pizza cutters.
Now I can't wait for book 25 in this wonderful series!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher William Morrow, and was not required to give a positive review.

Celebrate Lit Presents: The Star-Blessed Author: Kathy Tyers

 

About the Book

Book: The Star-Blessed

Author: Kathy Tyers

Genre: Science Fiction Space Opera

Release Date: March 10, 2026

Three legendary origins of power. Two royal bloodlines. One deadly curse.

The kingdom of Stelauris is slowly dying. A season of poison infects the air, earth, and water with increasing deadliness each year, and a deep love of gold and power infects the failing mind of the king. His only daughter and first in line to the throne, Princess Seren, lives in tightly controlled isolation. When she is suddenly thrust into royal society, she struggles to hide the strain of untamed magic awakening in her blood.

Seren’s newly appointed personal guard, Sir Corin, resents the exile of his people. As heir to a long-banished line of succession and the last of the land’s legendary protectors, he holds no loyalty for the current royal family and their history of unhinged cruelty.

As death steals over the kingdom and the schemes at court grow deadlier, the princess and the guard are forced to face their fears, their troubled pasts, and the cost of personal freedom.

The Star-Blessed is a reimagining and reinventing of two fairy tales: “Rumpelstiltskin” and “Cat-Skin” by the Brothers Grimm.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Angie Dickinson is a lifelong lover of magical stories that point to truth, hope, and redemption. She is the author of Truth Cursed, a YA fantasy with Enclave Publishing. Angie especially loves to read and write historically inspired fantasy, mystery, and fairy tales. She enjoys Earl Grey tea, reading too late at night, and spending time with her husband and children at their home in the woods of Michigan.

 

 

 

 

More from Angie

If you’re like me, I suspect you can still remember the soft sounds and smells of the local or school library that you visited in childhood. You can probably remember the thrill of finding a book that you longed to spend time paging through in peace. For me, the greatest thrills came whenever I found a beautifully illustrated fairy tale. Fairy tale collections were always my favorite, and finding illustrated versions by talented artists made my heart sing.

Reading and re-reading fairy tales as a child eventually led to writing my own retelling as an adult. I began with an unusual tale that was very familiar to me via its illustrated retelling: “Cat-Skin” by the Brothers Grimm has been gorgeously retold (and mercifully sanitized) by Charlotte Huck, and illustrated by Anita Lobel. This picture book for children is titled Princess Furball, and is one of my old favorites that never left me. I chose this story and its original source for my retelling, lightening the darker original elements in my own way, but including the story beats, themes, and motifs that were so dear to me. I put my own twist on the tale, which surprisingly (even to me) included a subplot that was a retelling of its own: “Rumpelstiltskin.” I have loved many versions of this familiar story over the years, but my favorite is an illustrated retelling by Paul O. Zelinsky. I have read this one to my children countless times, and it has always set my mind whirring with the different ways that it could be told again.

For my retelling, I lovingly mined these two stories, “Cat-Skin” and “Rumpelstiltskin,” and worked them together into a foundation for a new fairy tale. The frame holds pieces of the old tales, but it’s wrapped up in something brand new. This is a story of a young woman and a young man whose paths cross and wend down a road marked by destiny, shadowed by grief, and lit by courage. Their story is a new fairy tale, reflected in gold and fortified by the faithful gleam of the stars.

 

Blog Stops

Texas Book-aholic, March 31

Devoted Steps, April 1

The Lofty Pages, April 1

Inspired by Fiction, April 2

Because Fiction, April 3 (Author Interview)

Lily’s Corner, April 4

Blogging With Carol, April 5

Artistic Nobody, April 6 (Author Interview)

Holly’s Book Corner, April 7

Guild Master, April 8 (Author Interview)

Tell Tale Book Reviews, April 9

Simple Harvest Reads, April 10 (Guest Review from Mindy)

Fiction Book Lover, April 11 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 12 (Spotlight)

To Everything There Is A Season, April 12

Vicky Sluiter, April 13 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Angie is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card and a hardcover copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://gleam.io/0iDN2/the-star-blessed-celebration-tour-giveaway

Celebrate Lit Presents: Chancing the Frontiersman’s Heart Author: Andrea Byrd

 

About the Book

Book: Chancing the Frontiersman’s Heart

Author: Andrea Byrd

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: March 24, 2026

From Andrea Byrd comes a stirring tale of faith and courage on the Kentucky frontier—a story of second chances, steadfast love, and the family bonds that sustain us through life’s darkest hours. Perfect for fans of Lori Wick and Janette Oke.

Kentucky Territory, 1782

When Dawn agrees to travel west with her cruel stepparents, she has one goal—to reunite her young stepsister Mary with her uncle at Bryan’s Station. But a chance encounter with Jacob McFadin, her childhood sweetheart, changes everything. Despite her missing left hand and the scars of rejection she carries, Jacob sees past her differences and offers marriage to help protect them on their journey.

Jacob has spent years trying to prove himself as more than just the youngest McFadin brother. When he recognizes Dawn, the girl who captured his heart years ago, he knows God has given him a second chance. But his desire to finally make a name for himself threatens to tear apart their fragile new family.

As they face the perils of the Kentucky wilderness and escalating tensions with British and Indian forces, Dawn and Jacob must learn to trust in God’s plan—and each other. When violence erupts at Bryan’s Station, they discover that true worth isn’t found in grand achievements, but in the boundless love of family and faith.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Andrea Byrd is a small-town wife and mom from southern Kentucky who harbors a deep love of days gone by, expressed with pioneer skirts and a once-in-a-lifetime ride in an authentic biplane. She seeks to respect the past, giving voice to those that came before, while reminding readers that no aspect of their past defines them.

 

 

 

More from Andrea

As a reader of historical fiction, I love reaching the end of a novel and reading the author’s note to learn how real people and events inspired the written words. Now, as an author myself, I try to provide the same for my own readers and Chancing the Frontiersman’s Heart is no exception.

While the Siege of Yorktown is considered the last major battle of the revolutionary war, ten months afterward, American forces would suffer great losses at the Battle of Blue Licks. During this conflict, more than sixty Kentuckians would lose their lives.

However, what intrigued me most about this piece of American history was actually the events leading up to it. The Battle of Blue Licks was a result of a skirmish a few days prior: the Siege of Bryan’s Station. In what is now Lexington, Kentucky, a fortified settlement was attacked by Delaware and Shawnee warriors, as well as Canadian Rangers.

Playing a vital part in the station’s ability to withstand the attack, of course, were the women of Bryan’s Station. During this conflict, the women would do more than simply provide support though. They would put themselves directly in harm’s way, venturing outside the safety of the settlement walls, in order to fetch water from the spring. Though Bryan’s Station was surrounded and they could be descended upon the moment they left the fold, the women (and girls) marched forwarded with heads held high to do what had to be done.

As soon as I learned of the women of Bryan’s Station and their act of bravery, I knew I had to weave these historical events into this novel. I hope you find their story as inspiring as I did!

Happy Reading!

Andrea Byrd

Blog Stops

Texas Book-aholic, March 28

Books Less Travelled, March 29

Locks, Hooks and Books, March 30

Bizwings Blog, March 30

lakesidelivingsite, March 31

Sylvan Musings, April 1

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 2

Devoted To Hope, April 3

For Him and My Family, April 3

Abba’s Warrior Princess, April 4

Life on Chickadee Lane, April 5

Bigreadersite, April 5

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 6

Jeanette’s Thoughts, April 7

Mary Hake, April 7

Fruitfully Planted, April 8

Holly’s Book Corner, April 8

Lyssa Loves Books, April 9

Books You Can Feel Good About, April 10

Pause for Tales, April 10

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Andrea is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://gleam.io/KhGOn/chancing-the-frontiersmans-heart-celebration-tour-giveaway

The Island Bookshop by Roseanna M. White

 

When Kennedy Marshall sets off for a prestigious career in the city, she leaves behind the sunlit shores of North Carolina’s Outer Banks—and runs from a love she believes she can never have. With her sister, Lara, managing their grandmother’s beloved island bookshop, Kennedy feels confident she’s escaped the past. But when Lara is suddenly injured, Kennedy is drawn back into the island’s warm embrace—and bittersweet memories she thought she’d buried forever.

For Wes Armstrong, the Outer Banks is more than home—it’s his anchor. Building a successful family business was supposed to bring stability, but life has been anything but steady since his wife’s passing. Haunted by past regrets and facing a life-changing decision, Wes is determined to make the right choice for his family’s future. Yet Kennedy’s unexpected return stirs up old emotions and mistakes he thought he’d put to rest.

As hidden family secrets surface and long-buried truths come to light, Kennedy and Wes must navigate the delicate tides of forgiveness, second chances, and the unspoken love that still lingers between them. Can they find the courage to rewrite their story and create a new future on the island’s shifting sands?

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

 This is such a good read to get lost in, can friends form a deeper relationship, and not risk loosing the friendship?
A dual time split read, that the author messes together beautifully!
A beautiful setting for a story, North Carolina's Outer Banks, a serious accident, a dream job, family revelations, and renewing friendships. This a page turner, you wonder what changes are going to happen in the lives of these people you now care about.
Major decisions need to be made, not easy, and they need to find important paperwork, and answers.
I got very invested in these characters, and in the end wanted to extend my visit, and glad there is another book in this series!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Guideposts, and was not required to give a positive review.