Wednesday, April 23, 2025

The Curious Inheritance of Blakely House By Joanna Davidson Politano

the Curious Inheritance of Blakely House
by Joanna Davidson Politano
Publisher: Revell
ISBN: 9780800742980

As a long time fan of JDP, I couldn't wait to read this story! They really should be in a class of their own. This book certainly doesn't fit into one specific genre and I love that! The author & publisher sent me the book for review!

Summary:

A clever young woman, a contested will, and an estate that does not easily give up its secrets.

It is 1901 when clockmaker and tinker Sydney Forrester receives a most unusual inheritance. Blakely House, the island estate of an estranged uncle she's never met, seems almost alive, revealing and hiding its secrets at will. It is filled with remarkable inventions, including an intriguing unfinished automaton Sydney is itching to get her skilled hands on.

The estate is also home to a number of peculiar people--including two men intent on removing this interloper from the island. Convinced that Sydney has something to do with their uncle's death, the late master's nephews contest the will and work against their cousin at every turn. 

Sydney finds a sometimes-ally in the estate's butler, an ex-adventurer who ran aground on the island years ago. But when a mysterious man washes ashore with a stunning surprise that upsets everything, Sydney must prove she has inherited the late master's brilliance as well as his property--or someone else will.

My Review:

The Curious Inheritance of Blakely House was such a fascinating story. It's different than any of the other books this author has written and I'm sure I've never read anything like it before.

The beginning felt a bit disjointed. I didn't quite understand what was going on, but it turns out it was intentional, at least in my opinion. I feel like now that I've read the book once, reading it from the start wouldn't be as "confusing." I know this might sound negative, but it's not. I have lived with ADD all of my life, and could see & understand the beginning more as I got further into it. That being said, I could also see myself in Sydney with some of her different quirks. I actually thought she was on the Autism spectrum, but extremely high functioning. If you want to get a fictional idea of what it's like to live in someone's brain that's wired differently, this story will give it to you in spades!

I really liked awkward Sydney. She knows she's not like most people. She accepts her lot in life and tries to make the best of it with her Aunt Lottie. That is until a strange woman shows up at their little shop and sends Sydney on an adventure, which is completely outside of her carefully crafted world of the same things day in and day out.

She takes her cat, Micah, with her as she makes her way to Blakely House, where she encounters the oddest of men who all look at her with suspicion. She upends their already strange existence in her Uncle Emmet's home. Turns out, she's not the only one vying for the inheritance.

We also meet the butler, André. Having lived in Emmet's home, he's had a glimpse into the mind of someone who's different than most. André's past is a mystery, but Sydney is sure he's a pirate in hiding. He has his own struggles, but overcomes them as best he can. 

Sydney has a lot to contend with in this odd house with inventions Uncle Emmet has left incomplete, rooms that seem to come and go, and lights that turn off and on randomly. It's easy to see a brilliant mind lived in that house. We also learn of Emmet's great love who left his little island when she was a young girl.

There are twists and turns galore, mysterious ship wrecks, more adventure, romance, and faith. I loved how André helped turn Sydney's eyes to a Creator!

About the Author:

Joanna Davidson Politano is the award-winning author of Lady Jayne DisappearsA Rumored FortuneFinding Lady EnderlyThe Love NoteA Midnight DanceThe Lost Melody, and The Elusive Truth of Lily Temple. She loves tales that capture the colorful, exquisite details in ordinary lives and is eager to hear anyone's story. She lives with her husband and their children in a house in the woods near Lake Michigan. You can find her online at JDPStories.com.

Wednesday, April 16, 2025

Tempest at Annabel's Lighthouse By JAIME JO WRIGHT

Tempest at Annabel's Lighthouse
by Jaime Jo Wright
Publisher: Bethany House Publisher
ISBN: 9780764243790

When a new book comes out by the author I will devour it and it was no different this time. Tempest at Annabel's Lighthouse was different from her previous books, but thoughtful and made me introspective! The publisher sent me the book for review.

Summary:

Where the lighthouse no longer illuminates, ghostly lore and legends emerge . . . 

1874
A battered woman awakens atop a forgotten gravesite by Lake Superior's southern shore. Identified only by the locket around her neck inscribed with the name Rebecca, she seeks refuge with an elderly lighthouse keeper. But as Rebecca struggles to remember who she is, she finds herself haunted by the lingering memories of Annabel, a mysterious woman who perished in the lake's unforgiving waves years earlier. With the spirit of Annabel seemingly reawakened, and an unknown adversary on the hunt to silence Rebecca once and for all, more is at stake than reclaiming her own memories. Rebecca must reclaim Annabel's as well. 

Present Day
Author and researcher Shea Radclyffe escapes to the lighthouse outside a historic Michigan mining town to seek clarity about her failing marriage. Instantly drawn to the lighthouse's landlord, Shea contends with the legend of Annabel's vengeful ghost and a superstitious community that has buried the truth about a current murder. As the secrets harbored around Annabel's lighthouse unravel, Shea must navigate a fight between torn loyalty, self-discovery, and the haunting forces of love.

. . . demanding vengeance for secrets that should have drowned a century before.

My Review:

Once again, JJW takes us on a journey and we have no idea where she's leading us to! The thing you know with her stories is that there's always "something." She's going to creep us out, but along the ways, she's going to teach us a valuable lesson. I thought she did that in such a great way with this story! I felt like Tempest at Annabel's Lighthouse was told differently than all of her other ones. It had a different feel to me, and I enjoyed it just like I have all of her others!

First we meet Rebecca, who is running for her life in the late 1800s. She's found by Edgar and taken back to Annabel's lighthouse. Unfortunately, she doesn't remember anyone or anything. What she does know is fear and mistrust. We also get to know Abel and Niina at the lighthouse. They all share a secret, but getting it out of them wasn't easy, nor was it quick. All we know is men are after Rebecca, and her time at the lighthouse brings us to the story of why! Be ready for your heart to be broken for her and all she has gone through and goes through!

Then we meet Shea. Shea is fed up with her humdrum life with husband Pete. Boring, not-so-exciting Pete. She's heading to the lighthouse to learn more about Annabel and the mystery surrounding her. Her time there makes her wistful of what life could look like and she walks a precarious line. Then, her research of Annabel puts her life in danger because, apparently, Annabel isn't a fan of people looking into the past and snooping around her lighthouse.

This was a story that stopped me in my tracks. It made me introspective of not only my views on how I view my life, but my marriage as well. JJW wasn't playing around when she wrote that storyline. She gives a one, two punch to readers who are married so all I can say is, "Brace yourself."

The faith in these stories always hit home for me. I appreciate how she weaves it into the story and causes us to think more deeply with our own walk in faith.

About the Author:

Jaime Jo Wright is a three-time Christy Award finalist and the author of thirteen novels, including Christy Award-winner and ECPA bestseller The Vanishing at Castle Moreau,Christy Award and Daphne du Maurier Award-winner The House on Foster Hill, and Carol Award-winner The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond. Jaime has also written two Publishers Weekly bestselling novellas. She lives in Wisconsin with her family and fabulous felines. Learn more at JaimeWrightBooks.com.

Tuesday, April 15, 2025

Rescuing the Remnant By Tanya Sparks Belvin + GIVE AWAY

Rescuing the Remnant JustRead Blog + Review Tour

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for Rescuing the Remnant by Tanya Sparks Belvin, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours! I received a digital copy of the book for the tour! Be sure to check out my review below. This is my personal opinion of the story.

About the Book

Rescuing the Remnant

Title: Rescuing the Remnant
Series:
The Resurrection Project #2
Author:
Tanya Sparks Belvin
Publisher:
Tonya Belvin Publishing
Release Date: November 1, 2024
Genre:
Christian futuristic

This sequel to The Resurrection Project continues the story of medical student Ellen McCarthy, who uncovers a sinister truth when she takes an internship at the Grindland Institute in Chapel Hill, NC. Ellen and her coworkers, having rescued a little girl from Grindland's mysterious Resurrection Project, pray for a plan to rescue the remaining children from this medical experimentation lab. Their success is a matter of life and death, and God is guiding them every step of the way. Set in 2034, this Christian futuristic novel offers a thought-provoking exploration on ethics and the sanctity of life. 

All proceeds from the sale of The Resurrection Project and Rescuing the Remnant go to Tim Tebow's unKnown Foundation, focusing on finding missing and exploited children.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon

More in This Series


My Review:

I'll preface this to say that I didn't read book one (only because I haven't had time, but I did read a few of the first chapters). Because I knew what book one was about overall, I knew what I was getting into (minus how we got there) with the sequel.

I can completely understand why some people might be a bit hesitant to read a story about genetics and how that can go sideways, but let me just stop you and say, you HAVE to read this story. It's SO infused with the Christian faith and beliefs that you'll understand how important it is.

Ok, that being said, it's not hard to imagine how our world could potentially get to a place where scientists are doing what's being done in this story. This is humanity we're talking about after all. We're not always known for making the best or right decisions. Well, creating human beings so that they can be used to heal or extend the life of a loved one by "harvesting" what is needed is abominable and that's what the main characters in this story are battling.

We get quite a few perspectives throughout the story, which turns out to be a good thing. It was an easy way to keep track of all of the characters who were in different places, but were relevant to the story. Ellen and Luke are working to free all of the children from Grindland after a successful escape of L2. Mamie & Liza (L2) set out on a journey to protect her and keep her safe as Dr. Lyons & her estranged husband, Brent, hunt them down! We also get both the doctor's and Brent's perspectives throughout the story. Let me say that those are both chilling!

This story is SO very faith filled. The characters know that for them to succeed in rescuing the children and putting a stop to what's happening at Grindland, God is going to have to move in mighty ways. The characters pray frequently, Mamie teaches Liza about Jesus, Luke and Ellen start attending church. Meanwhile, Brent is maniacal in his efforts to find Mamie. At one point in the search he has the "opportunity" to read a book by Lee Strobel. IYKYK! We also get to see how twisted Dr. Lyons mind is.

I will say that the book was hard to put down. It was definitely a nail biter, and it makes me want to go back and finish book one to see how Ellen ended up coming to faith and began to see what was truly going on at the company!

About the Author

Tanya Sparks Belvin

Tanya Sparks Belvin is a retired middle school teacher, with thirty-two years of experience. Her passion is serving the Lord, reading, writing, and entertaining her seven grandchildren. Tanya, her husband, Ron, and her mother, Tommie Moton, enjoy lakeside living in Denver, North Carolina. Tanya and Ron have three adult children.

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


Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a $25 Amazon Gift Card and a print copy each of The Resurrection Project and Rescuing the Remnant!

Rescuing the Remnant blog tour giveaway JustRead Tours

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight April 15, 2025 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on April 22, 2025. Winner 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.

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Monday, April 14, 2025

Waylaid By Jerusha Agen + GIVE AWAY

Waylaid JustRead Blog Tour

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Waylaid by Jerusha Agen, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours! As soon as I have a chance, I'll be reading Waylaid! I was sent the ebook for this tour, but haven't had time to read it yet. I'm looking forward to it. Be sure to read the excerpt below & enter the giveaway.

About the Book

Waylaid

Title: Waylaid
Series:
Windy City Westons #1
Author:
Jerusha Agen
Publisher:
SDG Words, LLC
Release Date:
March 27, 2025
Genre:
Christian Romantic Suspense

Someone wants to kill her. She wants the killer to finish the job. 

Spring Weston will do anything to rise in the ranks of pro cycling and prove she isn’t the one failure of the five Weston siblings. Anything except cheat. When she learns of doping on her cycling team, she’s determined to uncover the truth. But she can’t if she’s dead. 

Sergeant Torin Cotter may not be the hero the public thinks he is, but he recognizes fear when he sees it. When he takes over the investigation of the collision that landed Spring in the hospital, he’s compelled to protect her from whatever danger she’s in, even though he knows he might fail. Again. 

Spring’s faith in God isn’t enough to help her face the living nightmare she awakened to after the accident. But neither she nor the handsome sergeant see the greater threat that’s coming until it’s too late. 

If they’re going to survive, Spring and Torin will not only have to confront their worst fears—they’ll have to find a reason to live.  

Waylaid is the first installment in the thrilling Windy City Westons series that features five siblings who encounter danger and love in the city of Chicago.  

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

More In This Series


Book Excerpt

“Are you okay?”

Torin brought his gaze back toward Spring, stopping on a bullet hole that punctured the wall only six inches from her head.

He scowled. No, he was not okay with that. “What were you trying to do?”

She pulled her hand back, blinking at him.

“You really are trying to get yourself killed, aren’t you?”

She turned away, jaw tensing.

He shouldn’t have been so sharp. But the thought of seeing her get shot and being helpless to stop it still made his hands shake. “Spring.”

She wouldn’t look at him.

Fine. Then he’d just say it. “If you’re so okay with dying, then why are you so afraid of living?”

About the Author

Jerusha Agen

Jerusha Agen imagines danger around every corner but knows God is there, too. So naturally, she writes suspense infused with the hope of salvation in Jesus Christ. With a B.A. in English and a background in screenwriting, Jerusha is a speaker, writing instructor, and Fear Warrior who sounds the call to battle against fear in our everyday lives. Jerusha loves to hang out with her big furry dogs and little furry cats. You’ll often find her sharing irresistibly adorable photos of them in her newsletter and on social media.

Connect with Jerusha by visiting jerushaagen.com to follow her on social media, subscribe to email newsletter updates, find more of her thrilling, fear-fighting novels and get a free suspense story.


Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a signed paperback of Waylaid, a $25 Barnes and Noble gift card, and a Waylaid mug, notebook, and magnet!

Waylaid blog tour giveaway JustRead Tours

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight April 14, 2025 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on April 21, 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.

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Thursday, April 10, 2025

Lullaby by the River by Temperance Johnson + GIVE AWAY

Lullaby by the River JustRead BlogTour

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Lullaby by the River by Temperance Johnson, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours! Doesn't this cover look so sweet? Be sure to check out the excerpt & giveaway below!

About the Book

Lullaby by the River

Title: Lullaby by the River ‎
Series:
Amish River
Author:
Temperance Johnson
Publisher:
Independently Published
Release Date:
February 4, 2025
Genre:
Amish Fiction

An unique Amish love story.  

A wounded woman with no way out…unless she marries her ex. 

After unexpected abuse, quiet and happy Priscilla Yoder thinks her life can’t get worse. But then she finds out she’s pregnant, and her family and church insist she marry the man who hurt her. When a man she used to love, a man who wants to leave the Amish, offers to marry her, she doesn’t see a better option. 

Danny Taylor, charming bad boy of his Amish community, is ready to leave the plain life. But when a woman he used to love finds herself in danger of marriage to an evil man, he can't resist offering marriage to keep her safe. Only problem is, he didn’t expect to fall for his bride so fast. She's softening his tough heart and showing him that there’s a good side to the Amish. As they grow closer, he realizes this gorgeous woman in pain has giant walls, and it will take both patience and faith if he wants to scale them. 

Caring for Danny was never what Priscilla wanted. And she never expected his faith to bring her closer to God. 

But when Danny’s past wounds resurface, and as Priscilla learns to hope again, can they trust God to make their relationship more than just a marriage of convenience?  

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon

Also Available

Liberty Rose


Book Excerpt

After a long day of celebrating the 4th of July, she and Danny were now alone. Priscilla stood on top of the hill, overlooking the Ohio River. Such a beautiful view with fields, trees, and moonlight shining off the river.

Looking over the mountain top, she was in awe. She turned to Danny, who was watching her closely. “It’s so beautiful. I’m in awe.”

He tugged her gently to lie down on the blanket they had brought up. “Let's watch the stars come up.”

She was tense at first, but then she calmed into his hold. He wasn’t making a move. He was just showing her a good time. She smiled.

When the fireworks started, Priscilla jumped. She had been so relaxed in his arms, the bishop himself could have yelled at them, and she wouldn’t have moved. “The fireworks are beautiful,” she told Danny.

In the middle of the fireworks, he adjusted his position. Taking her cheek in his hand, he kissed her forehead, her cheeks, her nose. “Let’s make our own fireworks.” His voice was husky. Priscilla closed her eyes, enjoying his every touch. The fireworks were loud, but she hardly heard them.

His lips finally found hers, and she touched his chest, wanting to pull him closer. He was so gentle and passionate at the same time. She kissed him back when he deepened the kiss.

After a while, she pulled back, smiling.

Danny’s face flashed red from the shadow of the fireworks. “That was nice.” He kissed her again. “I haven’t waited this long to do it wrong.” He grinned at her. He ran a hand through her hair and she could see he wanted to kiss her again, but he just pulled her close and whispered, “I love you.”

She cuddled closer to him. She was glad he had waited. It was worth it.

About the Author

Temperance Johnson

Temperance Johnson has always loved to read and write. As one of eleven children, she read from her older sister's books. With that, her love for both reading and writing has only continued to grow. Passionate about the subjects of adoption, family, and faith, she started the Liberty Chronicles and now her Amish fiction. In her free time, she plays with her ponies and many nieces and nephews. Her horses even made it into her stories. She enjoys spoiling her ten nephews and twenty-three nieces.

Connect with Temperance by visiting temperancejohnson.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.


Tour Giveaway

(2) winners will each receive a $20 Baker Book House gift card and a print copy of Lullaby by the River!

Lullaby by the River JustRead Tours blog tour giveaway

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight April 8, 2025 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on April 15, 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.

Enter Giveaway


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

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Creative Commons License
Woven by Words by Mimi B is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.