My Thoughts on Unwavering Heart by Angela Hunt

 

About:

When Rebekah is offered a marriage to Isaac--heir to wealthy and well-respected Abraham--she leaves behind the only world she has known and ventures into the sunbaked lands of Canaan. In her new household, Rebekah learns of the mysterious Adonai, whose favor has showered Abraham's family with abundance. To ensure her future children have a different childhood from hers, she makes a promise to God: If blessed with children, she will love all of them equally.

Twenty years later, her prayer is answered with twins who could not be more different. Gentle and thoughtful Jacob captures her heart, while wild Esau seems determined to defy her at every turn. As her sons grow into men, Rebekah finds herself torn between her promise and undeniable truths. Can she keep her love impartial even as she places her faith in God's covenant?

My Thoughts:

There are only really a handful of authors that I truly enjoy their Biblical fiction, and author Hunt is one of them. This is the second in the series, The Matriarchs, and this story is Rebekah's. Rebekah who is the wife of Isaac and gives birth to twins, Esau and Jacob. The author has included notes at the back of the book that gives more clarity on why she wrote certain things. These notes are very helpful.

The story of Rebekah is very familiar to me, and I really liked stepping into the past, even though this is a fictional account, and see a more fleshed out Rebekah. From the time she first meets Abraham's servant to seeing her two boys again at the end, her voice is strong throughout this story. Sometimes Bible characters can be brushed over, and when I read these stories, it does help the person become more alive. Seeing what she may have thought, grieved, loved, hoped, and her faith in the one true God. Reminding me she was a living, breathing heroine a long time ago.

I enjoyed this story and the faith that was shown. I look forward to Leah's next.

I was provided a copy of this novel from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review, and all views and opinions are my own.

Connect with Angela Hunt:

https://www.angelahuntbooks.com/contact/

My Thoughts and More on The Ties That Bind by Jane Bayly Vaughan

 

About the Book

Book: The Ties That Bind

Author: Jane Bayly Vaughan

Genre: Historical Fiction

Release Date: April 14, 2026

In 1830s Cornwall, Grace Bayly faces unimaginable events that threaten the survival of her family. Her father and half of her large family are an ocean away and her mother and remaining siblings are poised to follow. As hardships close in, hopes of a new beginning grow distant. She must summon fortitude borne of love and sacrifice to hold her family together. Amid the unyielding grip of loss and grief, Grace steels herself to persist as she faces the ultimate challenge that threatens to break her.

Will Grace find the strength she needs to ensure her family survives?

A poignant tale of loyalty, resilience, and the enduring bonds that shape a woman’s courage when everything she cherishes is at stake.

Inspired by real people and events.

 

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts:

Stepping into this story we are swept into the life and times of Grace Bayly and her home in Cornwall. Her family is the center of her life, both immediate and extended. As we begin the story, Grace has recently given birth to her fifth child, a first daughter. We also very much get a good handle on what her life was like as a woman living in the 1830's. A woman who either was obedient and reliant on her family, or her husband. She has a good marriage, but I appreciated her thoughts as a woman and her want for more freedom in the choices she was given.

Half of Grace's family have gone to America. She secretly longs to go, much to her husband Richard's chagrin. He will not even entertain the idea with his father still in Cornwall. Grace understands even though she feels tied down. I like that this is a family novel, Grace loves her family all of them, even the in-laws. The close-knit bonds were great to read about and gave strength to these people as they lived in what seemed a harsh world.

A harsh world it was too. This book is full of sadness along with family bonds. The author based this story on her own ancestors. Grace has a lot to overcome. I believe her story will continue in the series.

I was provided a copy of this novel from the author. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own. 

About the Author

Jane’s love of God and family permeates her life, including her passion to share stories rooted in genealogy and history. She weaves the theme of family into the fabric of her historical fiction and dives deep, by writing about true events and people.

Using her 20+ years of experience in genealogy research as a family historian, Jane has written articles and short stories. She was awarded a travel grant by the Cornish American Heritage Society and visited Cornwall to walk in the footsteps of her ancestors and research her roots.

Jane has won several awards for her writing, and invites readers to experience timeless lessons of faith, resilience, and heritage that echo from the past into our lives today.

She makes her home in the beautiful lowcountry of South Carolina with her husband of 45+ years. They have two grown children, and lots of cats.

To learn more about Jane, visit her at JaneBaylyVaughan.com and sign up for her newsletter to receive an award-winning short story that will introduce you to the series A Story of Grace.

More from Jane

I have been a long-time family historian for over twenty years. When COVID hit, I was at a crossroads and could choose the next grand adventure. As I took stock, I revisited a question that had nagged me on and off for some time: how do I ensure the family history is not forgotten? Around that time, a friend of mine invited me to observe a writer’s group. I accepted her invitation, and after one meeting, I became a member of Word Weavers International. I knew that writing stories about my ancestors would generate interest among my relatives.

I faced a learning curve and dedicated myself to writing brief scenes as submissions each month. At first, I considered this venture as something fun, not to be taken seriously, but after several months, someone I respect encouraged me, and so I applied myself. As my writing improved and my research continued, I thought of my four^th great-grandmother from Cornwall. A story formed, and I wrote all my submissions to the writer’s group about her in a fictional narrative. After a year or two attending the writer’s group, I was suffering from imposter syndrome and needed encouragement from sources who were not familiar with me. I wrote a short story and entered it into a contest as validation to either continue writing or quit altogether.

I attended the Florida Christian Writers Conference in 2024 and sat white-knuckled as they announced the short story winners. They announced third place first, and I didn’t win, so I almost stopped listening because I assumed I hadn’t placed at all. They announced second place, and of course, someone else won. Then the announcer paused and explained that the first-place winning piece was so good they said it was ready for publication. The words, “In first place is ’Becoming Grace’ by Jane Vaughan,” shocked me! That was a God moment, and I realized He was offering me a partnership.

Driven by my love for family history, I found my next grand adventure: partnering with my Creator to create stories that help us remember the resilience and sacrifices of our ancestors and how their lives affect us today. Ultimately, my stories are about how important it is to love each other. The Ties That Bind is the first book in the series A Story of Grace.

Blogs Stops

Books Less Travelled, October 20

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions , October 21

Simple Harvest Reads, October 22 (Guest Review from Marilyn)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 23

Texas Book-aholic, October 24

Blossoms and Blessings, October 25 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, October 25

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 26

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, October 27

Books You Can Feel Good About, October 28

Stories By Gina, October 29 (Author Interview)

The Bookish Pilgrim, October 29

Avid Reader Nurse, October 30

Cover Lover Book Review, October 31

Holly’s Book Corner, November 1

Pause for Tales, November 2

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Jane is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card and a signed 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/94vrw/the-ties-that-bind-celebration-tour-giveaway

My Thoughts and More on The Heartfelt Formula by Leslie Kirby Devooght

 

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for The Heartfelt Formula by Leslie Kirby DeVooght, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: The Heartfelt Formula 
Author: Leslie Kirby DeVooght 
Publisher: Lanier Price Publishing 
Release Date: October 22, 2026 
Genre: Contemporary Romance/Women's Fiction/Romantic Comedy

After another breakup, Atlanta attorney Hope Elliot decides to stop waiting for her happily-ever-after and write it herself. Inspired by her beloved Christmas romance movies, Hope crafts The Heartfelt Formula: a foolproof plan including snowball fights, cookie baking, and a perfectly timed first kiss. 

Trading the big city for coastal Georgia, Hope sets out to find her small-town soulmate. But the actors in her carefully plotted scenes keep shuffling—especially when Brennan Taylor, her ambitious co-counsel continues to fill in for Cole Walker, the carefree furniture maker, who Hope cast as her hero. 

Between courtroom drama, a mismatched leading man, and a mistletoe mishap, Hope must decide if she’ll trust her formula or accept a plot twist that might leave her all alone, or perhaps, with the happiest ending of all. 

 A faith-filled romantic comedy for anyone who believes love, like Christmas, can still surprise you.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | BookBub

Also Available

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About the Author

PW Best-Selling Author Leslie Kirby DeVooght writes women’s fiction inspired by romcoms, coastal Georgia, and fried okra! While Leslie and her family live in Jacksonville, Florida, they often visit her hometown of St. Simons Island, Georgia, where she loves to go for long walks on the beach. A graduate of Florida Southern College and Mercer Law School, Leslie is always revising her life from prosecutor to judge to PTA president to author of happily-ever-afters.

Connect with Leslie by visiting lesliedevooght.com to follow her on social media and subscribe to email newsletter updates.

My Thoughts:

For those of you who love your happily ever after Christmas holiday movies in both July and Christmas time, this is a story for you. What happens when the person you thought you would spend the rest of your life with breaks up with you instead? Well, you watch your movies. And what if you come up with an idea to script your own life like a movie, and make the magic yours? Well, that is exactly what happens to Hope Elliot after a painful breakup. She will make her life a movie, one that ends happily ever after.

Hope is a lawyer who has concocted a plan to work for a big law firm, quit, and move to a small town and find her handsome man. She already has a leg up when her mom sets her up with one of her future coworkers. Brennan Taylor and Hope knew each other a bit in college. Now they will be working together. They also decided to get their moms off their back by pretending to be dating. Oh boy.

They both end up in a small town for work. Yep, that is when Cole steps in. The perfect man that Hope has been dreaming up. Oh boy. 

This was a fun story of one woman's journey to true love. It was very cute and funny at times. And at other times I really felt for Hope. Who of us hasn't wanted to try to steer our lives in a much happier direction when life doesn't cooperate? A heartwarming and fun read that I highly recommend.

I was provided a copy of this novel from the author. I was not required to post a positive review, and all views and opinions are my own.

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Tour Giveaway

(2) winners will each receive a Coastal Christmas ornament, plus signed copies of Taking a Second Shot, Stealing Magnolias, and The Heartfelt Formula!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight October 21, 2026 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on October 28, 2026. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

Spotlight and More on To Win a Wager by Grace Hitchcock

 

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for To Win a Wager by Grace Hitchcock, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: To Win a Wager 
Series: Best Laid Plans #3 
Author: Grace Hitchcock 
Publisher: Kregel Publications 
Release Date: October 20, 2026 
Genre: Regency Romance

A Regency-era enemies-to-lovers romance set in the magnificent Scottish Isles 

Tess Hale has always been taught to fend for herself, but she never needed to until the night bounty hunters come knocking. It's 1813 in Great Britain, and Tess's best laid plans crumble when her father sends her alone in the dead of night to an island cottage to escape them. She finds herself in a world of warring clans she didn't know existed. 

After a decade as a spy separated from his clan, Jamie Malcom has a duty to fulfill as next in line as chief—but his absence means he must earn his people's loyalty. He pursues a treasure stolen from his clan long ago, and it leads him straight to Tess. 

As Tess grapples with her past, Jamie vows to protect her future—but lies revealed shatter the trust they had been building. For purposes beyond themselves, they are thrust into a marriage neither of them wanted . . . at first.

In the finale to the Best Laid Plans series, Grace Hitchcock invites readers to the sweeping Highlands and beautiful Scottish Isles with a romance guaranteed to delight.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Kregel | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | ChristianBook | Bookshop | BookBub

More in This Series

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About the Author

Grace Hitchcock is the award-winning author of the Best Laid Plans series and other historical novels and novellas. She holds a master's degree in creative writing and a bachelor of arts in English with a minor in history. She lives near New Orleans with her husband, sons, and daughter. Connect with her online at gracehitchcock.com.

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Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a signed copy of To Win a Wager, plus print copies of To Catch a Coronet and To Kiss a Knight, and a bookmark!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight October 20, 2026 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on October 27, 2026. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

My Thoughts and More on Wounds and Rescues by Kathleen Rouser

 

 

About the Book

Book: Wounds and Rescues

Author: Kathleen Rouser

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: October 6, 2026

A nurse with a wounded heart. A former lawman haunted by loss. An attraction neither can afford.

Rose Sinclair has built a careful new life in Stone Creek, hiding her painful past beneath a high lace collar. When private investigator Caleb Ellis arrives claiming he’s found a grandfather for two orphans she’s grown to love, she’s determined not to trust him—or let him take the children she’s come to cherish.

Caleb needs Rose’s cooperation to reunite the children with their family. But as questions begin to surface and shadows from Rose’s past reappear, it becomes clear someone is willing to do whatever it takes to keep the truth buried.

Forced to travel west posing as husband and wife, Rose and Caleb must protect the children while outrunning a past determined to destroy them. As danger closes in, Caleb must confront the faith he abandoned, and Rose must decide if she can risk her heart again.

Because this time, trusting the wrong person won’t just break them—it could cost them everything.

Perfect for fans of Karen Witemeyer and Mary Connealy, this faith-filled historical romance features a forced-proximity journey, blending danger, redemption, and a road that leads two wounded hearts toward love.

 

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts:

Rose is a nurse to unwed mothers and helps out at the orphanage as well. She considers herself past the marrying age and also is covering up scars from her past. Not only physical but emotional as well. Caleb is a private investigator who has been hired to return two children to their grandfather. Here is where they meet.

Rose is tasked with accompanying Caleb to make sure of the children's safety. Little do they know the familial bonds that will form amongst this little group along with feelings between Rose and Caleb. And danger awaits them, a danger that exposes so much more than thought. 

Rose has a good heart and longings she feels will never be met. She doesn't think anyone will want her, but her heart breaks for the young women she takes care of for a living. She would also make a great medical doctor, but in the early 1900's, this is still unheard of for a woman. Trapped in a culture and time that underappreciates her, she pours her heart out in her work. Until Caleb comes along. Can she trust him enough with her pain and wounds to start anew?

I was provided a copy of this novel from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review, and all views and opinions are my own. 

About the Author

Kathleen Rouser is a multi-published, award-winning author of historical and contemporary Christian romance. She is a longtime member of American Christian Fiction Writers and a member of Faith, Hope and Love Christian Writers. She resides in southeast Michigan, a location which she often uses in her novels, with her hero and husband of forty-some years and two sweet cats who found a home in their empty nest.

 

 

 

More from Kathleen

Joining an Orphan Home with Foster Care

Rose Sinclair makes a quick appearance in the third Stone Creek Brides novel, Scandals and Mercies as the head nurse at the local unwed mother’s home. With a tender heart and hurts of her own, she desires to help in a different way and moves to a nursing position at the town’s small orphanage. It is a loving sanctuary to around a dozen children and youth waiting for forever families.

During the era of orphan trains, the Child and Family Services of Michigan was established in 1891. They started “receiving homes” which cared for children with the goal of adoption. By 1906, the organization advocated for children to be placed in foster care when they couldn’t remain with their natural families. Thus began the trend toward foster care rather than orphanages.

The care received in the Anna and Jared Barrington Home for Children falls in between the two. In Rumors and Promises, the first Stone Creek Brides novel, readers see a glimpse into Gloria Myles’s life and how she became the guardian for her granddaughter, Elise. From this situation came her passion to care for orphans, as well as her desire to memorialize her daughter and son-in-law.

While most orphanages were often harmful institutions, I’d like to think that there were places like the Anna and Jared Barrington Home for Children, though I may have taken a bit of literary license.

I thought about what might happen if some of the children had the opportunity to be reunited with a faraway relative. How may that have taken place? Enter private investigator Caleb Ellis, who has lost several people he loved. He’s on a mission to bring together the scattered family.

In Wounds and Rescues, Rose becomes deeply attached to orphans Sam and Nellie Tubbs. The childhood trauma she experienced prompts her to become fiercely protective of them. From small-town Michigan of 1903 to the hills of Montana, she embarks on a journey of forgiveness, healing, and facing the past.

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 10

Books Less Travelled, October 11

Texas Book-aholic, October 12

lakesidelivingsite, October 13

Simple Harvest Reads, October 13 (Guest Review from Marilyn)

For Him and My Family, October 14

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 15

Betti Mace, October 16

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, October 17

Locks, Hooks and Books, October 17

Devoted To Hope, October 18

Jeanette’s Thoughts, October 19

Books You Can Feel Good About, October 20

Artistic Nobody, October 21 (Guest Review from Donna)

Holly’s Book Corner, October 22

Pause for Tales, October 22

Cover Lover Book Review, October 23

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Kathleen 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/WuCup/wounds-and-rescues-celebration-tour-giveaway

My Thoughts on The Last Noel by Sarah Hamaker, Jayna Breigh, and Kimberley Woodhouse

 

About:

Christmas novellas from three award-winning suspense authors

The Last Noel is a riveting Christmas novella collection with suspense, intrigue, and second-chance romance.

"Do You See What I See?" by Sarah Hamaker

Oakleigh Wright's estranged foster sister reappears late one night desperate to hand off her children. Oakleigh agrees to bring them to their aunt out of state, but her travels are intercepted by a ruthless gang. She turns to her ex, Joseph, for help. Will they rekindle their love as they uncover what the gang seeks?

"Do You Hear What I Hear?" by Jayna Breigh

Trial lawyer Elise Sinclair resigns herself to a lonely Christmas reviewing legal documents—until her renegade fiancé, Jack, reappears. He is jobless, broken, and seeking forgiveness. Can two battered hearts overcome secrets and restore their love?

"Do You Know What I Know?" by Kimberley Woodhouse

When Faith Thibodeaux returns to her Cajun-style food truck in Alaska after an accident, the last thing she expects is to find out that her ex-boyfriend is the executive chef of a new restaurant. When they return to their hometown over the holidays to fundraise, will the "friendly" competition restore their love or rip them apart forever?

 My Thoughts:

This was just what I needed and didn't know it. I really enjoyed these three fast-paced romantic suspense stories, taking place during the Christmas holiday. First off, the characters are unassuming and quite shocked to be in for the ride of their lives. And I was curled up in my chair with a hot drink all in for it.

All three of these stories deal with couples who have had a romantic pasts with one another and all of a sudden are thrust back into each other's lives unexpectedly, and with a bit of danger thrown in for all of them. I really enjoyed the freshness of all these stories, the season and the danger that seems like it would have clashed but made the stories all the more memorable.

From an ex calling her boyfriend in desperation to help her as she and two children that are left in her care because danger is seriously stalking her. To a woman finding her ex-fiancé bleeding on her doorstep, seriously that was a shocking scene. To a woman that has been through a terrible ordeal, and recovery finds out her ex has turned out to be her cooking competition, with a bit of danger on their heels. This was a great holiday read.

I was provided a copy of this novel from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review, and all views and opinions are my own.

My Thoughts and More on The Stand-In by Kit Hawthorne

 

Welcome to the Blog Tour for The Stand-In by Kit Hawthorne, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: The Stand-In 
Author: Kit Hawthorne 
Publisher: Highsmith Books 
Release Date: October 13, 2026 
Genre: Contemporary Romance

He reinvented himself. Now the truth could cost him everything. 

For years, Halverson Ramsay Ford cultivated a reputation for brilliance and reckless arrogance. But after a devastating accident leaves him with a permanent limp, the notorious biotech genius disappears from public view…and emerges as a very different man. 

Intelligent, sensitive, and scarred by a past betrayal, librarian Tamryn Page has no interest in falling for a charming billionaire—especially one with Hal’s history. Yet the man she comes to know is thoughtful, vulnerable, and kind, with a love of history and literature to match her own. 

But the relationship is built on a lie. And when the truth comes to light, it threatens to destroy not only the future of Hal’s company, but the trust of the only woman who has ever truly seen him. 

Now Hal must choose whether to step out from behind the identity he created—or lose the woman he loves forever.  

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | KitHawthorne.com | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | BookBub

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About the Author

A lifelong resident of the American South, Kit Hawthorne lives on a Texas farm that’s been in her husband’s family for two centuries. She used to play in a Celtic folk band, and the only sport she understands is Highland games.

Connect with Kit by visiting kithawthorne.com to follow her on social media and subscribe to email newsletter updates.

My Thoughts:

I really enjoy it when a story pulls me in, especially leaving breadcrumbs about what is actually going on behind the scenes. The title intrigued me. I have read other stand-in books that dealt with brides or grooms. I thought at first this may have a similar storyline. No, no it doesn't and the story pulled me in all the more as I was trying to figure out what was actually happening. Especially with all the scientific research and talk that Hal was a part of. 

Here we have two characters, Hal and Tamryn whom the author totally fleshes out. Getting to know their past and present so well, like a puzzle being put together to show a beautiful picture. Their hurts and dreams shattered to the rebuilding of new future. Possibly together? Then the secrets come out. Wow. This was a unique story that I got sucked into from the very beginning, for the romance, the healing, and the revealing.

I was provided a copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review, and all views and opinions are my own.

 

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Tour Giveaway

(2) winners will each receive a copy of The Stand-In and a $30 Amazon gift card!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight October 19, 2026 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on October 26, 2026. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!