Tavo Morales has returned to Valiant, Texas, to stir the embers of a relationship with the woman he has never stopped loving, but hidden reefs from his past threaten to destroy his future.
Paige Muñoz wants her new event planning business to be a success and won’t let anything stand in her way. But the path she’s on to make her dreams come true proves dangerous.
Is the love Tavo and Paige once shared strong enough to survive his secrets and her stubbornness?
Arden Bleu has always known that her stepsister, Jade, was destined for great things. In a world where beauty follows magic, she has no doubt that their upcoming Awakening Ceremony will reveal that gorgeous Jade is far more than a mere mortal. But when Jade is kidnapped by a mysterious sect of mer on the eve of the newly-returned king's ball, Arden will do anything to save her sister. Even face down the man she's always dreaded meeting because of the power he holds over her family, the man to whom her father swore loyalty long before she was born. The Sea King.
Seidon, the Sea King of Daryatla, has grown only more powerful as the centuries have gone by, but lifetime after lifetime has failed to give him what he most yearns for: a family. He knows that it will take a woman of extraordinary power to match him enough to create a child, and no such woman seems to exist...until he feels her magic calling to his one day in the water. And when Arden Bleu, daughter of his most trusted official, arrives to tell him about her missing stepsister, he knows this Jade, with a new magic so coveted that the mer would risk war with his kingdom to steal her away, may be the one he's waited centuries for. But how can he and the determined Arden ever hope to find one young woman trapped beneath the waves? Perhaps the Great Golden Sea Hawk who has guarded the sisters all their lives holds the key.
In a world on the brink of war between the mer and the land-dwellers, friendship, faith, and love demand the ultimate sacrifice as both kingdoms seek to unlock the prophesied magic waiting to spring forth: the magic of wind and sky. To the mer, it would mean the freedom to return to the land. To Seidon's court, it would mean safety from every storm. But how can any human hand wield the wind?
My thoughts: This was such a fun, unique story about a world where there is water magic and mermaids and mermen are slightly different than what we usually read about. I loved how different this story was from any other I have read! It's a delightful one told from the POV of Arden, Jade, and Seidon as they fit from different sides of the war. I loved Jade's heart for others, and how Arden had to learn to see herself apart from her relationship/friendship with her step sister. As I have come to expect with Roseanna White's stories, there was some wonderful discussions about God and morality, though with it being a fantasy story, it was different from her historical fiction. This is a wonderful book for YA and adults!
I received this book from the publisher. This is my honest review.
Welcome to the Blog Tour for Echoes of Darkness by Darlene L. Turner, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
Title: Echoes of Darkness
Author: Darlene L. Turner
Publisher: Love Inspired Trade
Release Date: June 24, 2025
Genre: Christian Suspense/Romantic Thriller
A serial killer stalks a small town, and a police officer must face her family’s dark past to catch him.
The sleepy community of Kenorapeake Falls in northern Ontario seems like somewhere Constable Oaklynn Brock can finally outrun her violent past. That is, until she’s assigned to investigate a series of suspicious deaths. She can’t reveal that she knows how serial killers think because she grew up with one. Yet the eerie similarities between these murders and those committed by her father, known as the Suicide Slayer, hint at a copycat in their midst. But why here and why now?
Caleb Greene of the Canadian Watchers Squad, a special task force, has his own reasons to be wary of working alongside Oaklynn. But with rumors of a local cult known as the Light Paragons gaining power, the stakes are too high to refuse.
As they explore connections between the killings and cult, Oaklynn and Caleb are forced to confront old secrets…and a terrifying new threat. Someone is watching Oaklynn’s every move. They know exactly who she is and what she might be capable of. And soon her biggest fear isn’t just having her past exposed, but that a killer will turn whatever days she has left into a living nightmare…
My thoughts: This suspenseful story was hard to put down! I thought that the author did a fabulous job of writing an unforgettable mystery about a woman who has sought to distance herself from her horrific childhood of growing up with a father who was a serial killer. When a copycat strikes, things come to light that she would rather have left buried.
I love when a mystery keeps me guessing and reading late into the night, which is what this one did! I love how there were so many layers to the story, both with the mystery and the main characters being so unique. I look forward to reading more of Darlene L. Turner's stories!
I received this book from Just Read. This is my honest review.
PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Harlequin | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | ChristianBook | Bookshop | BookBub
Darlene L. Turner is a Publishers Weekly bestselling author known for her high-octane stories and riveting twists. Sparked by Nancy Drew, she’s turned her love of solving mysteries into her writing, believing readers will be captured by her plots, inspired by her strong characters, and moved by her inspirational message. Dubbed “the plaid queen” for her love of everything plaid, Darlene resides with her husband Jeff in Ontario, Canada. You can connect with Darlene at www.darlenelturner.com where there’s suspense beyond borders.
(4) winners will each receive a $25 Amazon eGift Card!
Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight June 23, 2025 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on June 30, 2025. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. Open internationally. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
Play. Win. Survive.
There’s one building on her island that Halley has never visited: the Mercenary House. Perched atop a mountain, surrounded by unnaturally evergreen foliage, the House is rumored to be a breeding ground for criminals. Mercenaries are liars, cheats, spies . . . and maybe, depending on who you ask, killers.
At the Warsafe headquarters in Seattle, Roscoe is beta testing the company’s new video game. It’s her job to track down glitches—but something is different about this one. Lurking behind the lines of malfunctioning code is a secret that threatens to drag her deeper into the game, forcing her to put her life on the line if she ever wants to come home.
Worlds collide as Roscoe teams up with Halley to uncover the island’s secret and expose Warsafe’s designs. But some mysteries are better left unsolved. As traitor after so-called traitor is revealed to be on their side, they begin to wonder: Could Warsafe’s mission be critical enough to justify its cruelty?
My thoughts: I should start this review off with saying that I am not one to play a lot of video games, so there was a bit of a learning curb with some of the lingo in this book. Even though I wasn't the targeted group for a story like this, I found that I enjoyed the story and trying to get to the bottom of what was really going on with the two settings- Halley's unusual island and Roscoe's futuristic world. This is a wonderful story of friendship and courage in the face of adversity. I wish there had been a little more to the ending, with the resolution, but I still thought that the story was well written and interesting. I look forward to reading more books by the author!
I received this book from Celebrate Lit. This is my honest review.
Click here to get your copy! This post contains affiliate links.
Lauren Smyth is an economics and journalism student at Hillsdale College. Since signing her first publishing contract at age 13, she has written three young adult action/adventure novels, coded two story-based video games, and started a blog enjoyed by readers and writers around the world. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her flying right seat in a Piper PA-30 aircraft, recording episodes of her Grammar Minute writing podcast, or heading upriver on her paddleboard.
The Mercenary House, where much of Warsafe takes place, quite literally appeared to me in a dream.
By age 12, I’d already watched way too many action-adventure movies. (Did anyone else grow up on Tom Clancy—The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games?) Most nights, I was hyped on fictional adrenaline, and I was able to lucid dream. So I got to star in highly imaginative and unrealistic versions of my favorite spy stories when I fell asleep.
That night, I found myself trapped in the basement of an eight-story house. Guards patrolled the rooms outside, and somehow I knew I had to sneak past them to reach the top floor. I also knew I was dreaming and in no real danger, which made me brave. So I crawled through air ducts, hid in shadowy corners, and darted behind turned backs. And I escaped.
The dream was so logical compared to others I’d had that it stuck in my mind. Why was I trying to get to the roof? Why did I agree to play this “game?” What was the secret behind that dilapidated, shadowy building where I’d been imprisoned?
A few years later, I started coding video games. My first full-length game featured more than 100,000 lines of code and is probably part of the reason why I’m so near-sighted. I loved the results, but not the process. More than coding, I realized I loved storytelling—weaving together sentences and images and movements that became a world on the reader’s screen.
I hadn’t forgotten my dream, but I didn’t have the Python know-how to turn it into a game. And I’d gotten sick of naming variables. (Somewhere in the source code for that first game, there’s an if-then statement oh-so-creatively named “againagainagainagainagainagainagain.” See also the classic: “help.”) What if, instead of crawling back to my code editing software, I wrote a book?
And what if that book wasn’t just about a fictional video game, but was also an exploration of morality, economics, and politics in a parallel world?
I believe that good books don’t answer questions; they make you ask new ones. They draw you into a situation you’ve never experienced and force you to take sides, rooting for or against characters, judging or supporting their choices. If you could stop a catastrophe by sacrificing a few people, would you do it? If you were offered control over someone’s life, would you take it?
That’s the central dilemma of Warsafe. What you choose, who you agree with is up to you. Like a real video game, Warsafe lets you confront the same choices as the characters and work your way out of the puzzle—if you can do it without compromising your morality.
Remember Warsafe’s motto: Safety requires the many to sacrifice the one.
Disagree?
Enter the Warsafe universe and prove it.
Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, May 27
Artistic Nobody, May 28 (Author Interview)
CeCe Reads and Sings, May 28
Locks, Hooks and Books, May 29
The Lofty Pages, May 30
Guild Master, May 31 (Author Interview)
For Him and My Family, June 1
Texas Book-aholic, June 2
Fiction Book Lover, June 3 (Author Interview)
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, June 4
Tell Tale Book Reviews, June 5
Simple Harvest Reads, June 6 (Guest Review from Mindy)
For the Love of Literature, June 7 (Author Interview)
Blogging With Carol, June 8
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, June 9 (Spotlight)
Inklings and Notions, June 9
To celebrate her tour, Lauren is giving away the grand prize of a $25 Amazon card and a signed, 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.
When the devil wears Blue and Gray,
doing the right thing can be a thorny matter.
His family is missing. Bushwhackers are sleeping in his bed. This war just got a heap more personal for Union Sergeant Fin Dabney.
Fighting guerillas in your own neck of the woods comes at a high price. Neighbors, kin, and even Fin’s best friend are on the wrong end of a rifle. But not all battles are fought amid smoke and blood. When Fin faces a murderer from his past, flesh and spirit collide, but only one can prevail.
Melinda Jane has waited a lifetime for Fin to declare his intentions. But now she has moved on to other interests—with disastrous results. Her choices have cost her Fin’s love and possibly her life.
Why was it he could draw down on the enemy and look death in the eye, but he could not bring himself to deal plainly with Melinda Jane?
He never told her how he feels. Now he may never get the chance.
My thoughts: I enjoyed returning to this series and seeing where the war takes the Dabney family. I also really like that Fin and Melinda Jane have know each other for a long time, and she is like a part of the family already when Fin tries to decide how to be honest about his feelings having grown into something more than thinking of her as a sister. I have a soft spot for stories with that sort of romance.
I've read a lot of books set during the Civil War, but this series is quickly becoming a favorite, since the author covers some different aspects of the time period. I look forward to reading the next book in the series!Click here to get your copy!
Kendy Pearson is a worship leader, Bluegrass fiddler, and Civil War reenactment enthusiast. As a veteran high school teacher, she loves to discover a pocket of American history missing from the schoolbooks and turn that pocket inside out. Her novels lead fictitious characters through historical events and settings, engaging with period personalities. And she always includes a romantic thread to warm the heart. Every story is a journey through tragedy, secrets, regrets, and God’s undeniable grace.
She has received multiple lit awards and enjoys public speaking and teaching writing workshops. When she’s not clicking away on the computer or scaling mountains of research, she relishes ice cream, snowy days, fireplaces, and maple trees. Kendy is the mother of four grown children and lives with her sweet hubby and two amusing miniature dachshunds.
Research and writing are so much fun! I always have some kind of theme in mind for every book I write. In keeping with my brand, Heart of History, I am turning two history pockets inside out with this second story of the “West Virginia: Born of Rebellion’s Storm” series. When Heaven Thunders is the eldest Dabney sibling’s story and brings two factors to light that are not commonly known about the Civil War.
First, Fin, the hero, faces various moral dilemmas just trying to carry out orders. He witnesses historically accurate atrocities and unfair tactics perpetrated by both Union and Confederate commanders and soldiers. Fin is in the thick of rooting out bushwhackers and guerillas who bring the battle to not just the soldiers, but to civilian homes and families, including his own.
Fin is a moralist, working desperately to find a way to do the right thing even when all his choices seem so very wrong. Can you imagine meeting your best friend on the battlefield and he’s the enemy? I tried to wrap my mind around the idea of neighbor against neighbor and lawless vigilantes molesting plain folks in the name of a cause. “We are in a war, yes, but it needn’t strip a man of his humanity or God’s favor.” (Col. Joseph Lightburn, Fin’s commander)
Secondly, Melinda Jane, the feisty family friend (who definitely wants to be more than Fin’s friend) represents another little-known pocket from history. I took a bit of my own heritage to heart for her background. For most of my life, I definitely resembled my kin of Irish ancestry. However, like Melinda Jane, I have Native American and African American genes also. We don’t think much about mixed race nowadays—it’s the fabric of our wonderful country! Unfortunately, many folks were not as accepting during the Civil War period. At that time, a variety of ethnicities were actually enslaved, which we seldom see represented in Civil War movies and stories.
My second main character’s “secret” lends to her heart of gold and a compassionate nature that shines through everything she does. “Izzy taught me we’re all born into bondage. It matters not a whit what color a man’s skin is or the color of his horse or house—we’re all in shackles and only Master Jesus holds the key.” (Melinda Jane)
Oh boy, did I enjoy working with Fin and Melinda Jane—and watching sparks fly! I hope they’ll make you smile as well.
Blessings from the Heart of History, my friends!
Kendy
Book Looks by Lisa, May 14
Stories By Gina, May 15 (Author Interview)
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 16
Simple Harvest Reads, May 17 (Author Interview)
Artistic Nobody, May 18 (Author Interview)
Texas Book-aholic, May 18
Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, May 19
Devoted Steps, May 20
Guild Master, May 21 (Author Interview)
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, May 22
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 23
Fiction Book Lover, May 24 (Author Interview)
Inklings and Notions, May 24
For Him and My Family, May 25
Blossoms and Blessings, May 26 (Author Interview)
Holly’s Book Corner, May 27
To celebrate her tour, Kendy is giving away the grand prize of a $40 Amazon gift card and a paperback copy of the book!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
Welcome to the Blog Tour for Perfect by Kimberly Keagan, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
Title: Perfect
Series: Hearts on Display #1
Author: Kimberly Keagan
Publisher: Ventana Publishing, LLC
Release Date: May 6, 2025
Genre: Historical Romance
In the glittering era of the Gilded Age, the heirs of Philadelphia’s Denwall Department Stores navigate family expectations, relentless ambition, and unexpected love.
William Walraven’s picture perfect life is turned upside down when his fiancée jilts him for an English aristocrat and his father refuses to name him as his successor. To prove he’s worthy of leading Denwall Department Stores, Will must open their first New York store under budget and before the Christmas shopping season.
Overwhelmed by disappointment and a nearly impossible deadline, Will has no time for distractions—especially not the captivating bookseller he saves from being crushed by a beer wagon.
Ivy King and her aging grandmother are barely keeping their struggling bookshop afloat. Though drawn to the charming, enigmatic man who saved her life, Ivy has no illusions about her place in the world. It certainly isn’t beside a department store heir whose dazzling emporium threatens to close her family’s business.
Brought together in the wake of an attack on Will’s brother, Will and Ivy find themselves at a crossroads—torn between the expectations that define them and a future neither expected.
Perfect is a clean, wholesome historical romance featuring opposites-attract tension, class differences, a touch of mystery and humor, and an inspirational journey of faith and love.
My thoughts: I loved traveling back in time with this story and seeing what life in the Gilded Age might have been like for two characters in different social classes, yet both being business owners. I enjoyed Ivy and how she works with her Gran in a bookshop, working to make ends meet. It was sweet to see how she and Will got to know one another and try to figured out a way to make things work and step out of the shadows. This is a wonderful historical romance! I look forward to reading more in the series!
I received this book from Just Read. This is my honest review.
PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub
Kimberly Keagan discovered her love for romance novels at thirteen, often choosing a book over chores. She believes there's nothing like being transported to another time and place to find a happily ever after.
Kimberly is blessed to have her own handsome hero husband and two wonderful children. After earning a degree in accounting, she enjoyed a career in investor relations, writing financial reports and press releases—terrific jobs, though not very romantic. Now, she's pursuing her dream of writing historical romance. Her short stories have been published in Spark Flash Fiction and Short Fiction Break. Kimberly's debut novel will release in 2025. When not reading or writing, Kimberly enjoys baking, gardening, watching sports, and researching her family tree.Connect with Kimberly by visiting kimberlykeagan.com to follow her on social media and subscribe to email newsletter updates.
(2) winners will receive a “Perfect” Tea Time Bundle which includes a lovely tea set, a signed copy of Perfect, and other cozy reader treats—like a candle, stickers, coaster, and bookmark!
Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight May 6, 2025 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on May 13, 2025. 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.
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
In a kingdom where souls are bound to magical animals called Shadows, Rowena’s Shadow is a ghost—silent, powerless, and a death sentence if anyone finds out.
The citizens of Wyre share a soul with their Shadow, a supernatural animal companion that gives them the ability to perform magic. But Rowena was born with a ghost for a Shadow, incapable of magic and marking her as a dangerous anomaly. Her superstitious neighbors would say she must be reported to the king (and executed for good measure!). And they would if they knew she existed—but they don’t.
Hidden from the world with only her father and ghost for company, Rowena’s made the best of her secret life. She fills her days tinkering, inventing, and longing for the magic everyone else has.
When Penalynn Graft, a disgraced Scholastic who refuses to use her own Shadow’s magic, is banished to Rowena’s city, rumors swirl about her rebellion.
Both Rowena and Penalynn are outcasts: one hidden, one exiled. Both are cut off from magic: one by birth, the other by choice.
Together, they could unearth the truth about the bond linking humans to Shadows, which, until now, has been lost under a veil of ancient mythology.
But in a world where souls are split in two, the truth might shatter everything.
With the stakes of The Golden Compass, the thrilling action of The Wingfeather Saga, and the heart and spiritual depth of the Chronicles of Narnia, Shadowless is a gripping fantasy tale that will captivate fans of epic adventures and magical worlds.
My thoughts: It took me a bit to get into this story, since there is a lot going on and it was hard to get a sense (for me anyway) of what was going on. I did like that it set the stage for what was going to happen later on, when things started coming together. I felt like I was just starting to get some answers when the book ended, setting it up for a sequel. I like how the story mainly focuses on Rowena and Penalynn's point of view, with the rare third person jumping in. I would recommend this book for older teens (due to some not graphic violence/death and mild romance) and adults. I look forward to reading the next book in the series!
I received this book from Just Read. This is my honest review.
