My Thoughts and More on A Father's Dream by Heidi Ennis

 

Welcome to the Blog Tour for A Father's Dream by Heidi Ennis, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: A Father's Dream 
Series: Columbia River Saga #1 
Author: Heidi Ennis 
Publisher: At the Foot of Mountains 
Release Date: December 11, 2023 
Genre: Christian Historical Romance

A young Swedish immigrant determined to survive.  

A mountain guide haunted by his past.  

In 1883, in the Pacific Northwest, their lives collide in a faith-filled historical romance of courage, forgiveness, and second chances. 

Johanna Amalia Nilsdotter Oman has left everything she knows behind. By crossing an ocean and a continent, she now faces the two-hundred-mile journey up the Columbia River into Washington Territory. Her father purchased land near Lyle with dreams of building a sawmill, and Johanna is determined that nothing—not distance, danger, or loneliness—will stop her from reaching their new home. 

John is a man running from everything. Haunted by shame and regret, he has chosen the wilderness as his grave, determined to vanish into the mountains and die alone. 

But before he can disappear, he accepts one final job: guiding a Swedish settler named Nils Oman into the rugged foothills above the Columbia River. The promised twenty dollars will buy him freedom—or so he believes. 

But God has other plans. When Johanna’s path collides with John’s, both must face the truth they’ve been running from. In the shadow of towering evergreens and the roar of the Columbia, they will discover that even in the darkest wilderness, God’s love brings redemption, healing, and the courage to begin again. 

Fans of Christian historical romance, frontier love stories, and faith-filled pioneer fiction will be swept away by this tender story of hope, forgiveness, and second chances in the wild beauty of the Pacific Northwest.  

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Author's Website | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookBub

More in This Series

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About the Author

Heidi Ennis writes Christian historical romance set along the Columbia River, where faith, hope, and love meet the rugged beauty of the Pacific Northwest. Her stories celebrate courage, redemption, and the resilience of the human spirit—woven into real history and the landscapes she cherishes.

When she's not writing, you’ll find her sipping coffee with a dog or two at her side, exploring the outdoors, or sharing random PNW history facts with her family. Heidi loves languages, Pacific Northwest history, and telling stories that leave readers encouraged and inspired. 

Follow her at atthefootofmountains.com for new releases, sneak peeks, and stories that lift the heart.

My Thoughts:

This story completely swept me away. This was a beautiful story of a couple who both have had to deal with immense abuse and trauma in their lives. This story is filled with their tenacity for survival and the faith that they both relied on, when everything seemed to be falling apart and humanity showed its ugliness.

Johanna is a Swedish immigrant who has experienced way too much grief in her life. Now that her father is dead and her innocence stolen, she can only think to get to the land promised them all the way across the West into Washington state. But she is a lone young woman, who has already lost too much, how much more can be taken from her? So armed with her papers, her faith, and her resilience she makes the trek on her own hoping her lost brother will find his way to her.

When she reaches her destination, she must put all her trust in a man by the name of John, who himself is looked down upon as he is half Native American. These two start off on this perilous journey to fight against greed and evil all to find a home and a promise. Their journey is wrought with trials and tribulations, yet so, so rewarding in the end. I am so happy to have come across this new to me author that swept me up into Joanna and John's world.

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

(1) winner will receive a print copy of A Father's Dream (Book One) and An Echo of Courage (Book Two) plus a $50 Amazon Gift Card!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight January 19, 2026 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on January 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/CAN 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 Not Exactly Mr. Darcy by Carolyn Miller

 

About the Book

Book: Not Exactly Mr. Darcy

Author: Carolyn Miller

Genre: Romance/Contemporary/Christian Fiction

Release Date: December, 2025

Pride, Pemberley, and Second Chances

When history-loving Olivia Bennett’s teaching contract isn’t renewed, she is considered her family’s logical choice to care for her ailing grandmother in a tiny English village. While there, she soon finds additional work at nearby Hartbury Hall—one of England’s great houses once used as Pemberley in a filmed production of Pride and Prejudice. The head gardener there, however, proves to be anything but the gentlemanly hero of that famous book. Little does she know that behind Liam Browne’s brusque exterior is both a family tragedy and a legacy that demands truth and honor, creating a crisis that only Liv’s vivacious determination can resolve. Along the way, she may just learn that appearances count for naught. . .and that love can be found in unexpected ways.

 

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts:

This was a cute Pride and Prejudice inspired novel that was based on a fictional 2015 film and the Pemberly estate that was used. That estate has a rather grumpy and reclusive owner who has, due to tragedy and his broken heart, cut the world off from his family home. Could anyone or anything help Liam open back up to the world?

Well in steps Olivia Bennett fresh off the plane from Australia. She has come to England to help her grandmother through her hip surgery and recovery. She was the only one free to do so of her sisters as she is between history teaching jobs. Something she is still very much smarting from. She didn't realize that when she went to visit the beautiful estate, the resident dog and its owner would run her off. 

Secrets abound and love is in the air for these two as Olivia has the set of skills that really could help Liam set his estate to rights. If they can get past their mutual dislike for one another. This one was a cute one and I look forward to the other sisters' stories as well. I also really enjoyed how their faith played a big part in how they viewed life and worked through their issues.

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

Carolyn Miller is an inspirational Regency and contemporary romance author who lives in the beautiful Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia, with her husband and four children. Together with her husband, she has pastored a church for ten years and worked as a public high school English and Learning and Support teacher.

A longtime lover of romance, especially that of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer’s Regency era, Carolyn holds a BA in English Literature and loves drawing readers into fictional worlds that show the truth of God’s grace in our lives.

 

 

More from Carolyn

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, January 6

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, January 6

The Sacred Line, January 7

Leslie’s Library Escape, January 8

Vicky Sluiter, January 9

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 9

Texas Book-aholic, January 10

Life on Chickadee Lane, January 11

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, January 11

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, January 12

Tell Tale Book Reviews , January 12

For Him and My Family, January 13

Lyssa Loves Books, January 13

Blossoms and Blessings, January 14

Mornings at Character Cafe, January 14

Holly’s Book Corner, January 15

Mrs. Ryan Moser’s book and movie reviews , January 15

Pause for Tales, January 16

Mary Hake, January 16

Cover Lover Book Review, January 17

A Good Book and Cup of Tea, January 18

To Everything There Is A Season, January 19

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Carolyn is giving away the grand prize of a print copy of the book and a $25 Amazon eGift card!!

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

https://gleam.io/P3So9/not-exactly-mr-darcy-celebration-tour-giveaway

My Thoughts on An Unexpected Texas Reunion by Heidi Main

 

About:

Rebuilding a life

one paw print at a time.

After a traumatic experience, Brenna Park hopes that leading a youth summer camp with her emotional support dog, Lulu, will help ease her back into her life. Only, she didn’t expect to be sharing the responsibility with the man she left behind a decade ago. Recently widowed, Owen McCaw returns to his family’s ranch with his infant daughter to mend his estranged relationship with his parents and agrees to help out at his mother’s camp. As Brenna and Owen clash over every decision, they can’t ignore their growing connection either. When camp comes to an end, the two must decide if risking their hearts is worth a second chance at love…

My Thoughts:

Life can certainly throw some hard wrenches into people's lives, and Brenna and Owen only know that too well. Both of them are still smarting from past wounds and the tragedies of the present day. Once upon a time they loved each other and planned on spending their lives together. Until it didn't happen. They both went their own ways until they came back to the small town they grew up in.

Owen is a recent widower and single father to his baby girl. He needs help, but he also needs to mend some bridges between his parents and himself. His mom needs his and Brenna's help to run her day camp, since her recent accident. They both agree, albeit reluctantly.

Brenna ran away from Owen and now she is back helping him and his family. She also has survived a recent attack that has turned her world upside down. Now she needs an emotional support animal and breaks out in a panic attack when dealing with unexpected situations with people. 

There is a lot of healing that needs to take place between these two. Not only between one another but also coming to terms with what they both have gone through. Who knew volunteering and working together could begin the healing? This was a heartfelt emotionally packed romance of forgiveness, acceptance, and new beginnings. 

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.