THE SCARLET RIBBON by Naomi Stephens, Reviewed by Rebecca Maney

REBECCA'S REVIEW:

"Hang this outside your tent. Tomorrow. I'll watch for your signal  . . . and I will return for you."

Buried beneath layers of heartache and regret, Rebekah Stanton now finds herself caught between two struggles for predominance in a male-dominated world where subterfuge might just win the battle. When a bloody stranger with an aura of secrets lands in her bed, her role as a local prostitute shifts into something quite yet undefined.

Benjamin Renshaw is walking a very fine line; working as a Patriot spy while mingling among British soldiers could cost him his life. When a beautiful woman gets thrust into the middle through no fault of her own, Ben's chisled determination and well honed focus loses a chink; can he trust her to keep his secrets or is he just using her in the same manner as so many men before him? A scarlet ribbon could make all the difference.

Exceptional! Not only does this story dive headfirst into the annuls of our nation's history, (with vestiges of the Old Testament character of Rahab) but it does so with persons whose interminable courage and determination jump directly off the page and into the heart. Where is God in the midst this mayhem, you might ask? He's in every prayer!

"How often. . . had she pleaded with God for mercy, for deliverance? . . . For the strength to step out of the darkness of her past and into the light, wherever it may lead."

 

SEE PAULA'S REVIEW

 

BackCover Blurb:
As the Revolutionary War unfurls around her, Rebekah Stanton is abandoned by the man who once claimed to love her. Shunned by her father and forced to give up her child, she finds herself thrust into prostitution at the local boarding house.

When the British seize control of the nearby fort, she gives little thought to the officers who frequent the boarding house. Men are men regardless of the color of their uniform...or so she believes. But then a young man-a Patriot spy named Benjamin Renshaw stumbles upon her in the darkness, and she saves him from a group of pursuing Redcoats.

With an attack on the fort brewing in the background and the father of her child returned to serve with the British, Rebekah is torn between old dreams and new hope, struggling all the while to find peace and forgiveness in a place of rising conflict. 

 

Whitefire Publishing, February, 2025

Available in digital ebook, paperback, and audio

Buy THE SCARLET RIBBON at Amazon

 

SOME LIKE IT SCOT by Pepper Basham, Reviewed by Paula Shreckhise #NewRelease

PAULA'S REVIEW:
The Queen of Rom-Com has struck again. Whether you call it Grumpy vs Sunshine or Hot Scot vs Miss Adventure, this book is pure comedy gold with a commentary on grief that will feed your soul. It is a tippy-top read and a very favorite by this author until the next one she writes. 

With relatable characters who are flawed but show their faith, this story shines with truth to be pondered.
“Sometimes home is a place. Sometimes it’s a person. Sometimes it’s both.”
“Love gives you the strength to leap, and faith gives you the vision to believe that the one you love will be on the other side to catch you.”
 

I loved how Katie, attending an Edwardian Experience at the estate of the MacKerrows, imagines each participant as a character in the game Clue. She is resourceful and uses mishaps as a career booster. Graeme is the Scot who is selfless and caring. But what a not-so-cute-meet they have! And be on the lookout for that signature closet kiss!
 

I love to read Ms Basham when I need a comedy lift. I could absolutely go back to this setting for more adventures with the MacKerrow family! Hint, hint!
*A complimentary copy of this book was provided by Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. I was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are mine alone.* 5 + stars and a solid faith thread 

BackCover Blurb:
She lives her life on the fly. His heart is double-knotted to home. Can two different souls create a life together?

Popular travel writer and podcaster Katie Campbell roams the world collecting other people's stories. She's built a career as "Miss Adventure," known for saying yes to anything new--country, food, or experience--and predictably finding those adventures taking a downward turn into misadventures.

Offered the chance to explore her ancestral roots through a three-week Edwardian experience, Katie finds herself immersed in the beauty and eccentricity of Scotland. In her period attire, with traditional foods and activities, the opportunities for misadventures are endless, especially with the presence of a maniacal macaw, a jealous co-worker, and an all-too-surly Scotsman.

Reclusive and protective Graeme MacKerrow doesn't venture far from his island home. A stoic Scotsman, Graeme's comfort zone has always been family, and after his sister's death, he's even more determined to save the MacKerrow ancestral home and keep those he loves close. The sudden intrusion of a six-foot-one American lass, famous for her traveling misfortunes, was far from his plan.

As this world of folklore, community, and woodworkers-in-kilts tempts Katie to discover her own story, could this one grand series of misadventures lead her directly to where she belongs? And would a settled-in-Scot ever risk loosening his grip on what's familiar to allow a wanderlust writer a home in his heart? How could their very different worlds share the same page of life's story when "home" is in two very different places? But maybe home--and the future--isn't quite what either one imagined it would be. Maybe home is less about a place . . . and more about a person.

Thomas Nelson Publishing, April, 2025

Available in digital ebook, paperback, or audiobook:

Buy SOME LIKE IT SCOT at Amazon, Christianbook .com, or Baker Book House

 

KATE LANDRY HAS A PLAN by Rebekah Millet, Reviewed by Rebecca Maney

REBECCA'S REVIEW:
"How many times had I stared at that plan, framed and hanging on the wall in my office?"

Kate Landry has a plan . . . boy, does she ever! and . . . (it doesn't involve pooping parrots, awkward voicemails, conniving ex-fiances, "precious" little puppies, or a handsome librarian teen-turned-man with the most (adorable,memorable,fantastic) seventh grade kiss . . . nope, none of those things.) The question is, what does it involve? And at what cost?

Kate Landry is by any and all means a success story. She owns and operates a beautiful cafe, Beignets & Books, in downtown New Orleans, while raising her teen niece Hayley since the age of two. A recent renovation of the cafe's adjoining courtyard has created outdoor venue space and the next item on her "plan" involves opening a second location (sometime in the next few years) . . . but what if some-time has the potential to becomes now-time?

Everything shifts on a seismic scale one ordinary afternoon. Kate heads to the local library to pick up Haley and comes face to face with someone who is definitely not on her plan. Micah Guidry. (pineapple Life Savers!) As you might imagine (knowing Kate), everything begins to turn captivating or complicated . . . depending on your your vantage point.

"Old people flirting is gross." (according to Hayley, the teen-ager! . . . what does she know? . . . what DOES she know!)

As entertaining as any on-screen romantic comedy, these characters also embody tender touch points that influence a variety of actions and reactions . . . laugh-one-minute, cry-the-next, as you turn the pages of this deeply endearing take-a-chance story. A fabulous sophomore novel by a very talented up and coming writer!

SEE WINNIE'S REVIEW

BackCover Blurb:
I turned to him, and he winked at me. Winked! We needed clear lines in place between us. We would not be flirty friends. We'd be friends, period. The sooner I made that distinction, the better.

Forty-year-old Kate Landry's carefully planned life has become as messy as the powdered sugar on her famous beignets. Juggling the responsibilities of running her café, raising her teenage niece, and the emotional baggage from her breakup, Kate finds her world once again turned upside down when her first-ever crush, Micah Guidry, returns to town as the hunky local librarian.

As Kate struggles to implement her plans to expand her café amid the New Orleans Mardi Gras madness and the meddling of her conniving ex-fiancé, Micah becomes the unwitting hero of her misadventures, stirring up feelings she thought she'd long buried. How can falling in love in the Big Easy be this hard?

Bethany House, March, 2025

Available in digital ebook, paperback, library binding, and audiobook:

BUY KATE LANDRY HAS A PLAN at Amazon, Christianbook .com, or Baker Book House

 

 

AMBUSH by Colleen Coble, Sanctuary Series #1, Reviewed by Rebecca Maney

A Sanctuary Novel (#1)

REBECCA'S REVIEW:
"Time to face Blake Lawson, the man who had destroyed her life."

Or had he? Coming back to Nova Cambridge, Alabama was going to be . . . (wonderful, terrible, exciting, depressing) Paradise Alden wasn't completely sure, especially when her new job as the veterinarian for a local wildlife refuge would bring her face to face with the one person from her past who had hurt her the most. Paradise had definitely not returned to her home town for a romantic revival, she simply wanted closure surrounding the murder of her parents.

Instead . . . on the very day she arrived on The Sanctuary property . . . . it was clear that Blake and his family were being set up for failure; a murder, break-ins, arson, important security measures compromised. Who . . . and why . . . was someone trying to ruin the refuge's reputation in the court of public opinion. How much interference could they withstand, and why did it seem like Paradise and Blake made such great partners?

Creative energy ignites this story into a trip to the wildlife refuge itself; sights, sounds, and smells all combine to make this novel an immersive reading experience that seems difficult to believe is only imaginary. In the end, while some questions eventually find their answers, a few don't, which means . . . stay tuned for more! (and more . . . is exactly what describes Blake and Paradise as well!!!) 

*I purchased a copy and was under no obligation to provide a positive review.

SEE PAULA'S REVIEW

 

BackCover Blurb:
Paradise Alden's childhood in Nova Cambridge, Alabama, was idyllic until the night her parents were murdered. Since then, life has left her scarred. The abuse she suffered in the foster care system, her first love's betrayal, and the jaguar attack that nearly destroyed her career have led to an unshakable distrust--in men, in God, and maybe in even in herself.

After fifteen years, returning to her hometown is a last resort to finding her life again. She's hoping the wildlife refuge where she's accepted a veterinarian job will be the perfect place to heal from her recent traumas and unlock her memories about the night her parents died. But the day she arrives at The Sanctuary, a body is discovered on the grounds. And soon, a series of deadly events threatens not only her future, but the man who, despite all odds, still makes her pulse stutter. Arson, a shooting, a break-in, and multiple instances of animals being freed from their enclosures all point back to him, but Paradise knows Blake Lawson isn't responsible. Not the man who has been helping his mother manage The Sanctuary these past six months and care for his stepbrothers in the wake of their father's death . . . even if his betrayal years ago cost her everything.

Someone dangerous is lurking beneath the town's moss-draped trees, and Paradise refuses to let another murderer disappear into the shadows.

 

Thomas Nelson Publishing, March, 2025

Available in digital ebook, paperback, and audiobook:

Buy AMBUSH at Amazon, Christianbook .com, or Baker Book House