Book Spotlight: Frayed Promises by Lynn U. Watson

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Frayed Promises by Lynn U. Watson, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Frayed Promises

Series: Promised Destiny #2

Author: Lynn U. Watson

Publisher: Independently published

Release Date: April 2, 2025

Genre: Christian Historical Fiction/Romance

Late 1800s historical romance.  

Sequel to The BookFest® award winning, Tangled Promises . 

God gives impossibilities beautiful endings 

Clara and Daniel Becker married secretly circumventing nobility’s rules. When denial no longer serves her, how does Clara hide the truth of their wedding night conception and their nuptials from her father, the Baron? 

If Vati sends her away, Daniel promises to follow. But unexpected circumstances bring them face-to-face with the words of Proverbs 16:9. A man's heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.  

Her grandmother’s last warning spins like a tempest threatening to shipwreck their joy and fray every promise they have made. A Life-Affirming Story. 

A portion of the royalties will go to support https://lifechoicesmemphis.org/  

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

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More In This Series

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Excerpt

From Chapter 1

“The genuine admiration and love between the two of you glows. It has for years. A beautiful thing, and I’m sad for you. This old lady’s opinions don’t count for much in our world, though.”

“You believe Daniel and I shouldn’t see each other anymore—at least not like this.”

“I’m not my children or my grandchildren’s judge. You must decide whether to follow your conscience or your heart. Often conflicts rage between our desires and the still small voice whispering into our ear the right thing to do. Clara stared at her shaky hands and pressed them over her stomach. Maybe I can hold my nervous flutters inside. An eerie silence draped itself around them.

Daniel finally spoke. “Clara and I are married.”

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Oma drew a breath. “Onkel Martin’s responsible?”

“With Curt’s assistance.” Clara nodded. “They surprised us at the Erntedank festival by having everything ready. We needed only to say, ‘I do.’”

Oma’s arms crossed over her bosom, she frowned at the couple.

“You don’t share our excitement, Oma?”

The older woman took another deep breath and rubbed her fingers between her springy white curls. “Your decision creates grave difficulties ahead for the two of you.”

“But you’ll not speak a word to anyone. Promise.”

“I’ll keep your secret. But, Clara.” Oma looked her granddaughter in the eye. “Choices carry consequences.”

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About the Author

Award-winning author, Lynn U. Watson is the great-great-granddaughter of a baron from Southwest Germany. From stories whispered down generations to the vibrant threads of her own life, Lynn's journey is a testament to creativity and compassion. Nurtured by her grandmother's love of needlework, Lynn built a thriving custom clothing business, and with her husband, Steve, they created The Lynn'n Butterfly Collection (cross-stitch designs). In 2007, Lynn became a certified reflexologist, opening Footsteps in Eden, a haven where she uses touch therapy and prayer to relax her clients. She combines her passions and heritage Stepping through Time Stitching Stories of Faith. Lynn, Steve, and their feline overlord, Jasmine, call Bartlett, Tennessee home.

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

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Tour Giveaway

(2) winners will each receive a Frayed Promises prize bundle which includes a signed paperback copy of Frayed Promises, a 3.5" square Frayed Promises related magnet, a bookmark, a Cross-Stitch pattern relating to book tagline, a Fairest Lord Jesus postcard (suitable for framing), and a $10 Amazon gift card!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight March 31, 2025 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on April 6, 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/CAN only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

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

Book Spotlight: An Unexpected Companion by Mindy Obenhaus

Welcome to the Takeover + Review Blitz for An Unexpected Companion by Mindy Obenhaus hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: An Unexpected Companion 

Series: K-9 Companions #31, Legacy Ranch #1 

Author: Mindy Obenhaus 

Publisher: Love Inspired 

Release Date: April 1, 2025 

Genre: Contemporary Romance 

With his dog by his side… Is a second chance within reach? 

After losing his family and his leg in a car crash, widower Dirk Matthews dedicates his solitary life to woodworking and his mobility service dog, Molly. That is, until a troubled kid steals from his truck. Desperate to reach her grieving oldest son, widow Tessa Wagner agrees to have the boy help Dirk work on her family’s ranch. Only she doesn’t expect her own connection with the carpenter. Soon they’re feeling more than the shared loss of loved ones. But will past heartbreak stand in the way of their future? 

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Harlequin | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Christianbook | Bookshop

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Also Available:

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Excerpt

While the boys took off down the hall with Molly, Tessa remained beside Dirk, moving at a more leisurely pace. “Thank you for inviting us tonight. In only a matter of minutes you have opened my eyes. Now I’m starting to envision the potential for the barn at Legacy Ranch.” Her sweet fragrance wrapped around him, sending his mind down a trail it had no business venturing.

“Believe it or not, you and the boys are the first people outside of my family to see this place.” He cringed as soon as the words spilled out. He must sound pathetic.

Her steps halted as she looked up at him. “Are you serious? How long have you lived here?”

“A little over two years.” Shoving his hands into his pockets, he longed for a rock to crawl under. “I guess I’ve become a bit of a hermit.”

She continued to watch him, her scent wrapping around him, making it difficult to look away. Yet instead of the sympathy he expected to see, he saw only understanding. “Trust me, if it weren’t for those two—” she nodded toward her boys “—I would be, too.”

Staring into her beautiful eyes, he found himself longing to come out of hiding and truly live again. But to what end? Tessa would be leaving in August, and he’d find himself alone once more.

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About the Author

Best-selling author Mindy Obenhaus is passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. She lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, two sassy pups, countless cattle, deer and the occasional coyote, mountain lion or snake. When she’s not writing, she enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, cooking and watching heartwarming romance movies.

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

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Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a signed copy of An Unexpected Companion and a $25 Amazon gift card!

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight April 2, 2025 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on April 9, 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 only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

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

Movie Review: The Chosen: Last Supper

About the Movie:

The table is set.

The people of Israel welcome Jesus as king while his disciples anticipate his crowning. But—instead of confronting Rome—he turns the tables on the Jewish religious festival. Their power threatened, the country’s religious and political leaders will go to any length to ensure this Passover meal is Jesus’ last.

Shot in a beautiful cinematic format, The Chosen: Last Supper brings the most pivotal week in history to audiences in this special three-part theatrical release.

Buy tickets today to see The Chosen: Last Supper in theaters starting March 28!

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Movie Trailer:

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My Review:

I’ve watched some, but not all, of The Chosen series. Being very familiar with the Biblical narrative, I decided to watch The Chosen: Last Supper (episodes one and two) anyway. I quickly caught on to who each character was and enjoyed the portrayal of different disciples. In these episodes, the followers of Jesus held different levels of comprehension about Jesus and the future which I found interesting.

As usual, Jonathan Roumie, the actor who played Jesus, excelled in his role. He captured the kindness and care that I imagine Jesus had for those around him. As the movie progressed, there were moments of seriousness and humor, but underneath, a solemnness about the future events lurked. The writers and Roumie captured this so well.

One of the things I loved most about The Chosen: Last Supper was hearing the characters quoting from Scripture. For me, it hits different when I hear the words and see the earnestness portrayed visually. Absolutely beautiful.

The Chosen: Last Supper holds some visually intense moments. I would recommend episodes one and two for ages 13 and up.

Many thanks to Come And See Foundation for providing a sample of the product for this review. Opinions are 100% my own.

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More about the Movie:

• The Chosen is a groundbreaking historical drama based on the life of Jesus (Jonathan Roumie), seen through the eyes of those who knew him. Set against the backdrop of Roman oppression in first-century Israel, the seven-season series shares an authentic and intimate look at Jesus’ revolutionary life and teachings.

• The Chosen: Last Supper is releasing in theaters in 3 parts! Part One (episodes 1-2) releases on March 28; Part Two (episodes 3-5) releases on April 4; and Part Three (episodes 6-8) releases on April 11.

• Buy tickets today to see The Chosen: Last Supper in theaters starting March 28! https://thechosenlastsupper.com/tickets/?booknow

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Giveaway:

One winner will receive a $10 Amazon giftcard. Limited to US only. Enter by leaving a comment on this blog that includes your full name and email address. Giveaway ends 03/31/25 at 11:59 pm, EST.

Book Spotlight: Texas Divided by Sherry Shindelar

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Texas Divided by Sherry Shindelar, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Texas Divided
Series: Lone Star Redemption #2
Author: Sherry Shindelar
Publisher: Wild Heart Books
Release Date: March 25, 2025
Genre: Christian Historical Romance

He thought he was rescuing her from the Comanche. Now the Civil War soldier must prove he isn't the villain she thinks he is. 

Driven by the looming expectation of becoming a suffocatingly proper lady, Morning Fawn is determined to escape the confines of her uncle’s plantation and return to her adoptive Comanche tribe. But with each failed attempt, her hopes dwindle, and she wonders if she'll ever find her way back home or if that world is forever lost to her. 

Devon Reynolds, disillusioned by the price of affluence and the horrors of war, leaves his privileged life to join the Texas Rangers and later the cavalry. In the military service, he finds purpose . . . until he loses his wife during childbirth while he is away. In an attempt to redeem himself, he takes one last fateful mission to rescue Morning Fawn from the Comanche. But the results force him to question the righteousness of his actions and the cause he serves. 

When Devon returns to Texas as a Yankee spy, his path crosses with Morning Fawn once more. Determined to save her from the prison of her uncle's house and to recover Texas from the Confederacy, Devon is drawn to her fierce spirit and unwavering resolve. But can two wounded souls, each fighting their own battles, find solace and love amidst the chaos of war?  

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Wild Heart Books | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | BookBub

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More In This Series

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Excerpt

Morning Fawn’s head pounded. She had to get away. From the past. From everything.

Stumbling on a root, she bent down and yanked the deplorable shoes off of her feet. Ahead, Mr. Franklin’s chestnut Thoroughbred nibbled on grass, no owner in sight. She’d heard rumors it could beat any horse in the county.

A thought sizzled through her. Freedom. She broke into a run, her skirt flapping against her legs. Pebbles dug into her stocking feet. No walls. No people. Escape. She yanked the lead rope from the rail and grabbed the reins.

The horse snorted as she latched on to the pommel, stuck a foot in the stirrup, and heaved herself onto the saddle.

“Miss Logan—” A man came around the corner.

Morning Fawn snapped the reins and pressed her calves to the horse’s side. The chestnut quickened from a trot to a lope past the weathered fence and down the hill. Horse hooves tore through dried grass and onto the packed-dirt road.

Wind whipped the hat from her head, and her hair unfurled as they galloped past stubby brown picked-over fields, empty of cotton. The blood red faded, along with the screams.

Someone yelled behind her in the distance.

No. She would not, could not stop. She’d never get free. If they caught her, they’d lock her up.

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About the Author

Originally from Tennessee, Sherry Shindelar loves to take her readers into the past. A romantic at heart, she is an avid student of the Civil War and the Old West. She fell in love with writing when she was nine-years-old dreaming up stories while playing on her swing set. Decades later, she is living out her dream of writing stories from her heart and sharing them with the world. When she isn’t busy writing, she is an English professor, working to pass on her love of writing to her students. Sherry is an award-winning writer: 2023 ACFW Genesis finalist, 2021 & 2023 Maggie finalist, and 2022 Crown finalist. She currently resides in Minnesota with her husband of forty years. She has three grown children and three grandchildren

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

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Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card, a signed copy of Texas Divided, and two Texas blue bonnet woven coasters!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight March 24, 2025 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on March 31, 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/CAN only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

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

Book Spotlight: These Long Shadows by Jennifer Mistmorgan

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for These Long Shadows by Jennifer Mistmorgan, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: These Long Shadows
Series: On Victory's Wings #3
Author: Jennifer Mistmorgan
Publisher: Independently Published
Release Date: March 21, 2025
Genre: Historical Romance WWII

How do they rebuild a marriage that wasn’t real in the first place? 

London, 1945: Two years ago, Jonty Ables married Katie Baines to save her and her unborn baby from shame. But now the war is all but over, the baby is gone and they must work out where their shaky marriage fits into lives irrevocably changed by war. 

Clinging to the memory of a time before all happiness evaporated, Katie works hard during the day as a seamstress. At night she comes home to a tiny terrace on a bomb-scarred street, crammed with her extended family and their problems. Years of estrangement sit between her and her recently demobilized husband. She’s not even sure she loves him, so why is she so crushed that he calls out another woman’s name in his sleep? 

Jonty is determined to honor the vows he made no matter how many ghosts now plague him, but with such separate lives his wife is more of a stranger than ever. When Katie’s friend goes missing, Jonty seizes the opportunity to help her find him just so they have a reason to talk. But the war casts long shadows over their efforts, and fighting for their future might just be the hardest battle of them all.  

If you love epic wartime romance with a dash of intrigue, you’ll love this second-chance, marriage-of-convenience love story.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | buy from the author | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | BookBub

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More in This Series

 

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Excerpt

Katie

"Of course he had changed. She had too. It had been almost two years since they'd buried the baby girl who had been their reason for marrying in the first place. Almost two years since that dreadful night when, numb in her grief, she'd screamed at him to leave and never come back.

Jonty moved first, shuffling to narrow the distance between them. His cheerful spirit used to fill his whole body, giving him the air of an irrepressible puppy. His slow steps now marked a stark contrast to the man she'd married. She didn't throw herself into his arms. She worried she might knock him over.

His eyes searched hers, so intense she glanced at the ground to avoid them.

"I'm glad you came, Katie-my-love." She hadn't heard that in two years. Her throat tightened. She stiffened, fighting against the swirl of feelings inside her gut. She didn't realize how much she'd missed the way he'd run the words together as though they were all part of her name. Like his love, the nickname hadn't grown from anywhere. It was the result of his decision and determination--like stating a fact.

"Hello, Jonty."

She tried her best to smile but wasn't sure if she managed it. She'd conceived possible things to say last night as she'd lain awake next to her younger sister.

Practiced them under her breath as they'd trooped through the rubble to get from their home in Hackney to King's Cross. But none of them came to her dry mouth now.

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About the Author

Australian author Jennifer Mistmorgan sometimes feels like she was born in the wrong era. So she writes romantic historical fiction set in the 1940s, against the backdrop of WWII and its aftermath. She infuses her sweet romances with wartime drama, gentle faith and a dash of intrigue. She lives in Canberra with her family and a wonky-eared West Highland terrier.

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

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Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a $20 Amazon Gift Card (US$)!

(5) additional winners will each receive an ebook bundle of all 3 books in the "On Victory's Wings" series!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight March 25, 2025 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on April 1, 2025. Winner 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.

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

Book Review: A Jane Austen Year

About the Book:

This beautifully illustrated book charts the life of one of the world’s most beloved authors through the letters, objects, and manuscripts that shaped her life.

Published in partnership with the curators of Jane Austen’s House, the enchanting Hampshire cottage where Jane Austen’s genius flourished that now attracts thousands of visitors every year.

Arranged over the course of a calendar year, from snowy scenes in January to festive recipes in December, specially commissioned photography of Austen’s home and possessions are brought together with extracts from her books, reproductions of her letters, and stories of her life throughout the seasons. Highlights include the first time Austen read a published copy of Pride and Prejudice to an enraptured audience in her drawing room, affectionate letters to her sister Cassandra reproduced in full and an exquisite miniature portrait of Tom Lefroy, the man she nearly married.

Read this book for a unique and intimate insight into Austen’s world. Dip into it as you will, or visit each month, and enjoy a full year of Austen—her life, works and letters, people and objects she knew, and of course her idyllic, inspiring home.

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My Thoughts:

I thoroughly enjoyed reading A Jane Austen Year, curated by The Jane Austen House Museum. Years ago, I read a biography of Jane Austen, so I was somewhat familiar with her life events, family, and writing. However, A Jane Austen Year took what I knew, plus other things I didn’t know, and brought it to life with full-color photos and an interesting narrative. Unlike a traditional biography, the narrative was not chronological. Rather, the book used a monthly format in which each month covered things that happened or might have been used during that month. I especially liked the inclusion of recipes, traditions, and novel excerpts. The variety of topics worked well and was delightful to read.

A Jane Austen Year would make a lovely gift for any Jane Austen fan. It certainly made me want to go pick up an Austen novel. Five stars!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a copy of this book by the author or publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.

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Curator Bio:

Jane Austen’s House is the inspiring Hampshire cottage where the beloved author lived for the last eight years of her life. It houses an unparalleled collection of Austen treasures. Highlights include Jane’s jewelry, letters, first editions of her novels, and the table at which she wrote her much loved novels. Visitors can step back in time to 1816 and follow in Austen’s footsteps as they explore the rooms where she lived and wrote. It has been open to the public as a museum since 1949 and is an international center for Jane Austen studies.

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