CANDY APPLE KISSES by Amy Clipston, Reviewed by Rebecca Maney

A cozy, low-spice fall romance

REBECCA'S REVIEW:
"Sometimes I wish I could go back to when all we did was play in the orchard and sit in our fort. Things were much simpler then."

Jake Hughes had always been her best friend growing up, so when he reaches out for her help, Emily Carmichael suspends her life in the city, and drives straight towards her childhood home in Splendid Lake. Local competition has not been kind to the Hughes family, leaving Jake with the burden of keeping their multi-generational apple orchard solvent. When Emily's creativity inspires new life for the property, Jake's parents reluctantly give their blessing and everything is going just fine until . . . Jake's on again, (mostly) off again girlfriend shows up to stake her claim.

Despite seeming to travel a rather typical pathway at first, this story gradually deepened its stride and gently probed into matters of grief, insecurities, and the sort of misconceptions that carve deep ruts into the lives of characters. In the end, "friends to more" doesn't get any better (or "sweeter") than this.
*I purchased a copy and was under no obligation to provide a positive review. 3.5 stars

 
BackCover Blurb:
This autumn, love is in the air.

Artist Emily Carmichael has always considered Splendid Lake her home, but she never imagined she would ever return. However, when she learns her childhood best friend, Jake Hughes, is struggling to save the beloved Hughes Family Orchard, she doesn't hesitate to pack her bags and head back to the North Carolina mountains--even if it means battling a corporate giant and resisting the temptation of too many candy apples.

For Jake, the orchard is more than just a business; it's a living legacy, a bond with his father and a promise to his family. As Jake and Emily work side-by-side to prepare for the orchard's centennial anniversary, long-held feelings, once hidden beneath years of friendship, begin to surface. For Jake, Emily's return illuminates what's been missing in his life, and for Emily, being with Jake stirs long-dormant emotions she's too scared to name. The air is crisp, the apples are sweet, and the sparks? They're flying higher than a bonfire.

But with Jake's ex-girlfriend's dramatic reappearance and the mounting pressure to keep the orchard from failing, their budding romance is put to the test. Can these two best friends turn a season of chaos into a lifetime of love, or will their romance fall flat before the first frost?

Thomas Nelson Publishing, July, 2026

Available in digital ebook, paperback, and audiobook:

Buy CANDY APPLE KISSES at Amazon, Christianbook, or Baker Book House 

THE RESURRECTION OF EVANIA JAMES by Jaime Jo Wright, Reviewed and Hosted by Paula for #PartnersInCrime tour

THE RESURRECTION OF EVANIA JAMES

by Jaime Jo Wright

October 5 - 30, 2026 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

If walls could talk, what nightmare might they expose?

1879

When Eloise James's sister, Evania, goes missing after being admitted to an asylum, Eloise is determined to find her sibling but instead discovers evidence of dying patients and missing remains. Wannabe journalist Silas Dobbs has his own suspicions that something more nefarious is at work, and that black market sales may originate at the asylum. Together, they are intent on learning whether Evania is alive, or if her body has also been stolen. But unraveling a web of underground resurrectionists proves daunting, and the dead cannot share their secrets.

Present Day

Tilly Thompson is horrified to find historical human remains entombed in a wall of the Gothic mansion her grandfather just purchased, launching her into an investigation of the original owners' questionable past. The James family legacy harbors a darkness tightly woven through decades of secrets, but the past refuses to remain ensnared by silence. Will revealing the truth resurrect dangers best kept buried forever?

Jaime Jo Wright masterfully weaves a dual-timeline gothic suspense novel that brings together a haunting historical tale and a shadowy modern-day mystery. For fans of atmospheric thrillers, spooky reads, the Victorian era, creepy mansions, and dark family secrets.

Book Details:

Genre: Gothic Fiction; Christian Mystery & Suspense
Published by: Bethany House Publishers
Publication Date: October 27, 2026
Number of Pages: 336 Pbk
ISBN: 9780764246258 (ISBN10: 0764246259)
Book Links: Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | BookBub | Baker Book House

Read an excerpt:

 PAULA'S REVIEW:

“The dynamics of a small town were always a bit like a soap opera.”

A wonderfully mysterious, even spooky dual time story. Just the thing to read on an October evening. And the curious thing is that it is based on real things that happened at the end of the 19th Century. 

The prose was flowing, the characters believable and the plot was priceless. This might be my favorite by this author, although I have read and loved every one of Ms Wright’s books. 

 

Told in dual timelines the mysteries are not restricted to the past. In fact the past at times defines what is in the present. From confinement in an insane asylum and body snatching in the 1890s, to DNA technology in the present, this was a mesmerizing story that was hard to put down. I especially like the parts where the mansion was a character in the plot. I appreciated the inspirational slant to the story and the faith of the characters. 

“Legacy is the memories that live in its children. The memories that become the choices and the consequences and the blessings. A legacy can be one of broken pieces or a legacy can be one of faith.”
*A complimentary copy of this book was provided by Bethany House through PICT tours. I was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are mine alone.*5+stars and a solid faith thread

Author Bio:

Jaime Jo Wright is a Publishers Weekly bestselling author of more than eighteen novels and three novellas, 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, Christy Award-winner Night Falls on Predicament Avenue, and Carol Award-winner The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond. She lives in Wisconsin with her family and fabulous felines.

Learn more at

JaimeWrightBooks.com
Amazon Author Profile
Goodreads
BookBub - @JaimeJoWright
Instagram - @jaimejowright
Threads - @jaimejowright
YouTube - @madlitmusings
Spotify - MadLit Musings
Facebook - @JaimeJoWright

 

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BOOKED FOR LOVE Anthology, Reviewed by Paula Shreckhise

Nine Authors Collection

PAULA'S REVIEW:
Quite the collection of stories that range from funny to suspenseful and all are based on matchmaking, libraries, book clubs, and blind dates with a book or silent book clubs. 

Something for everyone if you like books about books. Some stories had romantic matches and some were just about friendships and one had an unexpected match but all had a faith thread.

My favorite was the humorous Turn About is Fair Play by Chautona Havig. But all were worth the read. 

This is the first time reading some of these authors but I have read others before. 

All were enjoyable. Read them and see which one is your favorite.
*A complimentary copy of this book was provided by Ivory Keys Press. I was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are mine alone.*4.5 stars and a solid faith thread

BackCover Blurb:
Book clubs have always been about more than stories. What happens when a group of faith-filled matchmakers uses their love of books to pair hearts?

Matchmakers have been around since long before musicals began singing their praises. Seniors at church, friend groups, and even families try to pair people of like faith, shared passions, or familiar community. But what if your people, book people, got together and drew two book-loving (or soon will be!) hearts together? It’s a match made in literary (if not literal) heaven!

Love Twice Served by Malissa Chapin
Love is a dish occasionally served twice. In this gentle, faith-filled, second‑chance romance, split between the bustle of 1940s Harvey Houses and the comfort of a 1980s book club, you’ll enter a Midwestern town where community, grace, and a carefully guarded heart find their way back to hope.

Turnabout Is Fair Match by Chautona Havig
Imogen thought Olemann’s Books and their book club would match her grandson with the perfect bookish girl and heal his broken heart. But no one (including the Lord!) is following her carefully orchestrated plot, and the wrong people are getting matched! Or are they?

Connected by Susanna Haymond
Emily never imagined her grandmother’s book club would set her up with a cop who not only determines to keep her safe from a relentless stalker, but who she can also trust with her heart. But threats become attacks, and one question remains: will Josh stop this guy before tragedy strikes?

Match to Be Had by Martha Artyomenko Hurley
When newly widowed Mattie returns to her hometown, Elaine decides to rekindle a friendship and embroil Mattie in her latest matchmaking scheme at her newly formed Silent Book Club group. Can these two find the joy of friendship while helping others find love?

Hatched Marts by Joanne Markey
When discussing a romcom becomes solving major problems in the church, is a geriatric book club really the answer? Merry isn’t so sure, but she accepts the challenge and reinvents blind dates… with a book, that is. Add a bad guy and knitting needles, and book club just got way more exciting.

Monday Meddlers by Marisa Masterson
Introducing a book club that would rather scheme and matchmake than actually discuss the book. When the local librarian becomes their latest focus, secrets, laughter, and a little chaos follow. Will they reconcile the broken romance between a stubborn librarian and a proud rancher?

The Book Club on Willow Lane by Dannielle Norwood
When Nevaeh’s boss drags her into a book club filled with deeply intrusive women, she finds herself pushed into awkward conversations, unexpected friendships, and something even more terrifying: real connection. What was wrong with her nice, safe, AI chat bot boyfriend, Max?

The Teacher's Secret by Caitlin Nikolai
She's running from the past. He feels broken from his. When a meddling book club brings them together, will he be enough to protect her? Together, can they find peace and healing in Jesus' Name?

The Straight Path Home by Mishael Austin Witty
After a workplace accident, Jonah Calloway moves to Chokeberry Falls and finds a steady job, a quiet apartment, and a book club that adopts him. But when anonymous notes appear and danger edges closer, Jonah must decide between running or trusting that God might be leading him down a path he never expected.

Join the book club. Fall in love. Order your copy today.

Ivory Keys Press, October, 2026

Available in digital ebook or paperback at Amazon 

 

THE CHRISTMAS COURIER by Roseanna M. White, Reviewed by Winnie Thomas #ReleaseDay

A WWII Historical Novella

WINNIE'S REVIEW:
“Sometimes it was only against a backdrop of darkness that human eyes could even see the light they needed to focus on. Sometimes it was in the hardest times that they could see the Lord most clearly too.”

One of the reasons historical fiction is my favorite genre is that I enjoy learning about little slices of history while reading an engrossing story. Roseanna M. White is a pro at using unusual and interesting historical settings, facts, and people to wrap her stories around. It was fascinating to learn of the traboules in Lyon, France—hidden, covered passageways that residents of the city would use to cut through buildings and stairwells to get from one street to another. They were used by the French Resistance in WWII and also by workers in the silk trade to keep the fabric clean and dry while transporting it

The Christmas Courier features Resistance members Madeleine Perrin and Daniel Raymond, longtime friends who smuggle messages to the Resistance leaders. I enjoyed seeing their relationship grow and change amid the danger of their activities. They are realistic and engaging, and I was quickly swept up in their story.

White’s stories are always well-researched and intriguing, and this one is true to form. Elements of faith, courage, family ties, and forgiveness add depth to the tale. Although this is a novella, it feels complete, satisfying, and unrushed.
*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from Tyndale through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

BackCover Blurb: 
In World War II France, the future Madeleine Perrin and Daniel Raymond hope for is in grave peril when the Nazis imprison Daniel, a courier for the Resistance network. But a centuries-old law soon paves the way for a Christmas Eve wedding that becomes both a celebration and a daring rescue in this historical romance.

1943. Lyon, France. After bidding her students farewell for the holidays, Madeleine Perrin is looking forward to a quiet, simple Christmas at home with her mother. With the war raging on and rations tight, she knows it will be up to her to make the day festive and find special ways to remember the papa she lost and honor his love for Christmas. But first, Madeleine must smuggle secret messages hidden in her students' essays to the Resistance network. She never expects the person waiting to receive them is her childhood best friend, the man who broke her heart.

Daniel Raymond has thrown himself into his work as courier for the Resistance, carefully concealing his Jewish ancestry that, if discovered by the Nazis, could put his life at risk. Haunted by regret about the day Madeleine professed her love and he turned her away, Daniel longs to make things right. When he sees her again, he dares to hope for reconciliation―and realizes the love he once denied has only grown deeper.

As Christmas nears and Daniel recovers from a wound sustained in a courier run, forgiveness and romance soon blossom between Daniel and Madeleine and the two begin planning a future together. But when a mission goes wrong and Daniel is captured by the Gestapo, Madeleine must turn to her Resistance allies―and a centuries-old law―to attempt a dangerous rescue before it's too late.

-A standalone WWII historical Christmas novella inspired by true events
 -A low-spice second-chance holiday romance with a friends-to-lovers trope
-Compelling Christian fiction about brave spies and daring escapes for fans of Sarah Sundin, Kristen Harmel, Lynn Austin, and Sara Ackerman 

Tyndale Fiction, October, 2026

Available in digital ebook, paperback, and audiobook

Buy THE CHRISTMAS COURIER at Amazon, Christianbook, or Baker Book House