LOYALTY'S PURSUIT by Shanon McNear, Reviewed and Hosted by Paula Shreckhise #CelebrateLit

 

About the Book

Book: Loyalty’s Pursuit

Author: Shannon McNear

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: October 13, 2026

 

She needs a husband to survive. Right now, a wife is the last thing he wants.

August 1780. After the Battle of Camden leaves British camp follower Bess Eaton widowed, expecting a child, and stranded in enemy territory, she faces two impossible choices: a return to an England that offers her nothing…or marriage to a stranger before the army marches on without her.

Backcountry loyalist Rob MacFarlane has already buried a wife and son and has no intention of marrying again at this moment. But he can’t ignore the vulnerable widow in his path. What begins as an act of duty quickly becomes something far more complicated when he offers Bess protection—and a name.

As war rages and the British cause begins to crumble, their fragile alliance is tested at every turn. Loyalties fracture. Faith is questioned. And the lines between enemy and neighbor blur. To survive, Rob must decide what allegiance truly costs—and Bess must choose whether she can trust not only the man she married…but the God she’s never fully known.

 PAULA'S REVIEW:

“God was the one true King. The only one who could never abandon them.” 

A story of the American Revolution told through the eyes of Bess Eaton a camp follower and wife of a British soldier in South Carolina. Bess becomes a widow and must wed another out of necessity or face a long journey back to England but England holds nothing for her anymore.
 

I am always drawn to Ms McNear and her stories for their authenticity and attention to historical details. She writes flawed characters who have their faith tested but still rely on God. She does not shy away from the unsavory aspects of war but chronicles events with dignity and grace.
 

The author has a beautiful way with words. They caused me to emphasize with Beth through all her trials, worrisome thoughts and difficult decisions. She portrays Rob MacFarlane as a trustworthy and honorable man who cares for family and respects God.
 

I love history about the Revolutionary War and seeing it through the characters that Ms McNear creates makes the subject come alive. She depicts the nobility of service, no matter which side of the conflict the players may be on. I enjoyed the epigraphs at the chapter beginnings as they added insight to the story.
*A complimentary copy of this book was provided by Wild Heart Books through Celebrate Lit. I was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are mine alone.* 5stars and a solid faith thread

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Transplanted to the far north after more than two decades in the Deep South, Shannon McNear loves losing herself in local history. She’s the author of twenty-one novels and novellas, not all of them in print, but her favorite roles are retired military wife, pastor’s wife, mom-of-many, mother-in-law, and grammie. When not cooking, researching, or leaking story from her fingertips, she enjoys being outdoors, hanging out with her grandbabies and basking in the beauty of the northern prairies.

 

More from Shannon

I’m so honored to be part of yet another Celebrate Lit tour! This story especially is near and dear to my heart, because it was my very first long historical after writing fantasy for decades, the book I still had in process when I submitted the proposal for my first novella, Defending Truth, and the one which gave me the courage to try that story (and genre) to begin with.

The first draft of this story took five years to complete, in between other projects and real life. It was a hard sell to start with, I knew, being set within the Southern Campaign of the American Revolution but from the British and Loyalist viewpoint. Still, it eventually netted me both of my agents (Defending Truth’s RITA® nomination didn’t hurt there, either) while garnering interest from various editors—but didn’t actually sell until last summer. That means this story languished for more than 10 years—and then the Lord Himself practically dropped this contract in my lap.

The first story of how the concept came to me can be found here:

https://colonialquills.blogspot.com/2014/07/dispelling-colonial-myths-reenactor.html

It was on my heart from the beginning to portray the romance, such as it is, in a rather unconventional way—something closer to what I imagine real life must have been for such a situation. And I deliberately steered away from the usual flowery declarations of love between my main couple, while hoping to present them in such a way that the reader has no doubt by the end of the story that they do absolutely care for each other. My dear editor with Wild Heart Books helped me shape and refine the characters and story from what might have been a more straightforward historical fiction read into more of what a historical romance reader might expect. I hope those expectations are now met, but also that my readers also come away with a fresh appreciation for how our country came to be.

Blog Stops

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, October 27

Holly’s Book Corner, October 28

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 28

Inkwell Inspirations, October 29

Betti Mace, October 30

Locks, Hooks and Books, October 30

Texas Book-aholic, October 31

For Him and My Family, November 1

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 2

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, November 3

Pause for Tales, November 4

Devoted To Hope, November 4

Jeanette’s Thoughts , November 5

Maureen’s Musings, November 6

Books You Can Feel Good About, November 7

Lyssa Loves Books, November 8

Simple Harvest Reads, November 8 (Guest Review from Donna)

Cover Lover Book Review, November 9

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Shannon is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

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

https://gleam.io/AJy7n/loyaltys-pursuit-celebration-tour-giveaway

DEADLY CHARADE by Kelly Underwood and Lynette Eason, Reviewed by Paula #ReleaseDay

(FBI New Recruits Book #1): Clean Suspense Thriller with Undercover FBI Investigations, Fake Relationship, Special Agents, and Workplace Romance

 
PAULA'S REVIEW
Ever since I learned about the Amber Room that was dismantled during the threat of WWII, my interest is piqued when it crops up in a story I am reading. This book has a interesting new slant on the mystery of WWII artifacts and the entities who are after them. 

This writing duo has offered a suspenseful, intriguing scenario involving a rabbit statue and everyone from the FBI to a Russian organization is after it. 

The FBI agents Kira and Bryce are going undercover as a married couple to try to get into a secret auction covertly selling stolen art. The characters are thrown into dangerous situations but the authors make it so believable and quite adventurous. “Things just went from impossibly bad to apocalyptic in one second.” 

I enjoyed the relationship between Kira and Bryce because they are attracted to each other and have to pretend be married but at the same time they must focus on being professional. A key element is how their backgrounds play into their present circumstances. For Kira, it is a spiritual awakening and Bryce has to follow through in his faith to be able to forgive. 

This is a brilliant start to a new series by fantastic collaboration.
*A complimentary copy of this book was provided by Revell through NetGalley. I was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are mine. 5 stars and a solid faith thread

BackCover Blurb:

One wrong move and their cover is blown. So their charade sparking real feelings is the last twist they can afford.

Special Agent Kira Miller's new career at the FBI has started--in translations. It's not the opportunity she was hoping for to show off her skills, until she detects a lead in some paperwork. Now assigned an undercover role, she's in her element as she gathers intel on an art smuggling ring. She's daunted not by the mission but by her cover--posing as a married woman to the fake husband she met less than twenty-four hours earlier.

Special Agent Bryce Lambert's assignment to go undercover as a newlywed couple with Kira has the two of them moving next door to the prime suspects, and a relationship is the last thing he wants, fake or real. With secret auctions and hidden treasures, there's plenty to keep them busy--if only they can play the part their lives and careers depend upon while keeping their own hearts in check.

Romantic suspense novelists Lynette Eason and Kelly Underwood collaborate in this fast-paced, clean thriller delivering fake-dating tension, forced proximity, and FBI intrigue--perfect for fans of Elizabeth Goddard, Irene Hannon, Dani Pettrey, and edge-of-your-seat reads.

 

Revell Publishing, October, 2026

Available in digital ebook, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook

Buy DEADLY CHARADE at Amazon, Christianbook, or Baker Book House 

A K-9 CHRISTMAS BLESSING by Tina Radcliffe, Reviewed by Kim #ReleaseDay

An Uplifting Inspirational Romance 

(K-9 Companions Book 50)

KIM'S REVIEW:
I always love reading a Tina Radcliffe story! The small towns she creates make me want to move there. I love the sense of community, how everyone helps one another, and how they’re always there for each other.

I really enjoyed returning to Aspen Creek and catching up with the characters. Nate and Jo’s story is a second-chance romance, one of my favorite tropes, and I loved watching them rekindle their relationship. Their romance was so sweet, and I especially enjoyed seeing Jo’s personal growth throughout the story. She was hanging on to things both emotionally and physically that she had to work through and I loved how she did that.

I’m really hoping Maggie gets her own story in a future installment because I absolutely loved her character! If you are a big animal lover, you will love that animals play such a big part in this story. Jo is opening an animal rescue, and Nate is a veterinarian, making this a great read for animal lovers.

This book is also full of Christmas feels, with sleigh rides, Christmas parties, and tree lighting and decorating. If you’re ready to kick off your Christmas reading, this may be just the book for you!

I always enjoy visiting the charming towns Tina Radcliffe creates, and I’m already looking forward to the next installment in the series!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own. The faith thread is light 4 1/2 stars! 

BackCover Blurb:
Can a sweet Christmas K-9

Make this sudden reunion bright?

After rescuing an injured beagle, therapy dog trainer Jo Webster reluctantly turns to the new veterinarian in town, who’s also her former fiancé. But when Nate Morris suggests a prosthetic leg for the wounded dog, there’s no way Jo can afford it. Reluctantly, she agrees to a part-time job at his clinic during the Christmas season to pay for the treatment. Soon, Jo learns Nate is not the same man she broke off her engagement to years ago. If they can learn to forgive each other for past hurts, they might build something new and beautiful together for the holidays—and forever.

From Love Inspired: Uplifting stories of faith, forgiveness and hope.

Love Inspired Publishing, October, 2026

Available in digital ebook, and paperback at Amazon, and Christianbook

 

WHEN THE SILENCE BREAKS by Elizabeth Goddard, Reviewed by Rebecca Maney

Mercy Ridge Book #1: High Octane Romantic Suspense in the Pacific Northwest with Secrets and Action in the Mountains

REBECCA'S REVIEW:
"He believed God's timing was perfect and that what was meant to be revealed would be, when the time was right. If and when the silence breaks, that's because it was meant to."

Intelligence analyst Sarah Ellison is carrying a boatload of secrets. Traveling toward the Cascade Mountains, she comes to the realization that her enemies may be closer than she thinks. Determined to bring her brother's killer to justice, she is on a self imposed mission to locate buried government secrets that could reveal essential information with regards to her family's safety. But first, Sarah needs a guide and former Navy SEAL Ryder Goodwin is just the man, whether he knows it yet or not.

Call it a man's intuition or simply years of tactical training, but Ryder is absolutely sure that Sarah Ellison is not telling him the whole truth and nothing but the truth. What he isn't so sure about is whether or not to take her up Blackspire Mountain on what he considers a highly dangerous and likely foolish venture. Predictably, they are drawn into a dangerous off the books operation which history has already proven to be lethal.

Sarah and Ryder took me awhile to figure out, their dynamics were a bit awkward, though to be fair, neither was divulging everything they knew. The complexity of the setting sent me sifting through the details in order to glean the essentials. Nevertheless, the ending managed to pull off several major unexpected twists coupled with a soft, romantic landing that made this first book in the series a nice glimpse into what might come next in Mercy Ridge!
*I purchased a copy and was under no obligation to provide a positive review. 3.5 stars

BackCover Blurb:
A deathbed confession. A decades-old secret. A mountain that holds the answers—and danger closing in.

When intelligence analyst Sarah Ellison learns of her grandfather's deathbed confession connected to her brother's murder, she's determined to protect her remaining family. After further investigation, she discovers the disclosed information points to a decades-old government secret buried deep in the Cascade Mountains. With this knowledge, she looks for a guide who knows the terrain like the back of their hand.

After his father's death in a tragic mountain accident, former Navy SEAL Ryder Goodwin no longer guides for the family business. At first, Ryder refuses to help Sarah, but he sees the trouble chasing her and can't stand by while someone brings danger to his small-town mountain community.

Ryder and Sarah gear up to climb the mountain in a race against time and a looming storm. When the danger escalates, their search for answers shifts to a survival mission. Their only chance to make it through involves trusting each other and confronting the truth no one wants them to find.

This gripping romantic-suspense thriller set in the Pacific Northwest from USA Today bestselling author Elizabeth Goddard is a series opener that will sweep you away in a rush of adrenaline.

Revell Publishing, August, 2026

Available in digital ebook, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook

Buy WHEN THE SILENCE BREAKS at Amazon, Christianbook, or Baker Book House