SILENT MENACE by Angela Carlisle, Reviewed by Paula Shreckhise #ReleaseDay

The Secrets of Kincaid: A Small-Town Cold Case 

Romantic Suspense Novel with a Bodyguard Love Interest

PAULA'S REVIEW:
Widow Hailey is terrified when bad things start happening. But the threats are real and put her and her deaf, toddler daughter in more danger. She is confounded when trying to figure out if the danger is coming from a disgruntled co-worker or if it is from a more far-reaching source. Ex-bodyguard and security guard at her building, Peter, comes to her aid. 

The plot was well-written with likeable main characters, scary bad guys and an interesting problem to solve that was complex and puzzling. Peter was a thoughtful, godly hero with an incident in his past that he worked around in order to protect Hailey. Hailey was determined to provide for her daughter and also to do the right and ethical thing when confronted with shady dealings. 

For those who like suspense along with romance and a solid faith thread, this is the ideal story.
*A complimentary copy of this book was provided by Bethany House on behalf of the author and via NetGalley. I was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are mine alone.*4.5 stars and a solid faith thread

BackCover Blurb:
A vulnerable target. A mysterious discrepancy. An unforeseen love.

After the exposure of her deceased husband's criminal activity, CPA Hailey Nieland struggles to move on with life as a single mother raising a hearing-impaired toddler in a hostile small town. When she gains a major client, she hopes the extra income will be just what they need . . . until she begins finding anomalies in the accounts. 

No one should trust their life to a bodyguard who can't protect himself, much less his client. At least, that's what Peter Lewis believes after his failed mission. But leaving his former career behind is much harder than he expected--especially when someone begins targeting an accountant who works in the office building he's now responsible for. As threats against her escalate, Peter and Hailey must work together to overcome their fears and expose a complex cover-up before she becomes the next victim. 

Parable bestselling author Angela Carlisle delivers edge-of-your-seat romantic suspense featuring a single mother, a bodyguard seeking redemption, financial intrigue, and a small-town setting for readers who enjoy high stakes and nonstop action.

Bethany House, May, 2026

Available in digital ebook, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook:

Buy SILENT MENACE at Amazon, Christianbook, or Baker Book House 

THE BOOKSHOP OF 99 DOORS by Jaime Jo Wright, Reviewed by Paula Shreckhise

PAULA'S REVIEW:
It is always an adventure when I read a book by Ms. Wright. It gives my brain a workout trying to figure out how the supernatural and spooky will be explained. 

This was a bit more spooky than usual and reminded me of myself in high school and my own search for the Truth. Getting to the end of the story was very intriguing. I love old houses and the possibilities of hidden rooms, doors and treasure. It was fascinating how the past and present came full circle in the story. I never tire of reading the interesting ways this author connects her two time periods. I always appreciate the faith journey her characters take and the emphasis on the truth of the Gospel. 

Well done suspense-I call Gothic Gold.
*I purchased a copy of this book from Baker Book House and read an ebook via NetGalley. All opinions are mine alone.*5 stars and a solid faith thread 

SEE REBECCA'S REVIEW

BackCover Blurb:
The manor's rumored one-hundredth door may conceal secrets hidden as deep as the estate's bookshelves extend high . . . but the haunted past has a way of ensnaring curious souls.

In 1888, Minnie Tipton finds herself beset by the dark superstitions that envelop the Pennsylvania mansion her father bought. Convinced the vengeful spirit of a Civil War captain haunts the house and worried by her father's rapidly worsening illness, Minnie delves into the home's fraught past in an effort to bring him peace. Yet the lingering impact of the war and the gruesome tale of murder she uncovers only foster more fear and threaten to unravel Minnie's own sanity.

In the present day, Triss Bellamy eagerly steps into the role of bookshop manager in the mansion-turned-museum boasting ninety-nine doors. But Triss's dream job turns into a nightmare when havoc breaks loose with the arrival of her brother's team of self-proclaimed paranormal investigators. Their determination to find a rumored one-hundredth door--a dangerous portal to the madness long said to plague the mansion--results in calamity, leaving Triss no choice but to hunt down the truth or watch her brother slip forever beyond her reach.

An atmospheric dual-time Gothic suspense masterfully penned by acclaimed author Jaime Jo Wright with themes of a Civil War-era ghost, a possible hidden door, and unexplained mysteries at a historic mansion's bookshop with a troubled past.

Bethany House Publishing, April, 2026

Available in digital ebook, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook:

Buy THE BOOKSHOP OF 99 DOORS at Amazon, Christianbook, or Baker Book House 

 

 

MORE THAN FRIENDS by Denise Hunter, Reviewed by Rebecca Maney

 A sweet, low-spice contemporary romance 

REBECCA'S REVIEW:
"Just because they were both single and available for the first time in years didn't mean he should be thinking of her this way."

Oh, but he did. When Tyson Parker discovers that Jenna Green is back on Chincoteague Island, he looks forward to rekindling their easygoing friendship. Jenna is still reeling from an engagement proposal gone awry, and Tyson has grown weary of trying to date every single woman on the island following his divorce. When Jenna comes to him for advice after her mother arrives back from a cruise with a gentleman friend in tow, the two pick up right where they left off, except for that nagging feeling that Jenna is becoming more than just a friend.

Things tangle up when Jenna's new job prospects will likely take her back off the island, plus her fear of ever loving someone with a dangerous job turn Tyson's volunteer firefighting passion into an obvious obstacle.

A sweet, smoldering friends-to-more romance with several interesting sub-plots that inconveniently converge at the same time, forcing Jenna and Tyson to face the fact that even though life might seem out of their control, it was never out of God's. 
*I purchased a copy and was under no obligation to provide a positive review. 3.5 stars. 

BackCover Blurb:
Who knew that returning home after a broken engagement could be the best decision you ever made? Denise Hunter is back with another heartwarming contemporary romance with a sweet friends-to-more story, featuring a saltwater cowboy. Perfect for fans of Debbie Macomber and Hallmark movies.

Jenna Greene just ended things with her boyfriend . . . which also ended her career. (That's the risk a girl takes when her boyfriend doubles as her boss.) With no income and no job prospects in sight, Jenna is forced to return to her mother's house on Chincoteague Island, Virginia, to figure out what's next. And the timing couldn't be more perfect. Jenna's widowed mother has just returned from a cruise--with a brand-new boyfriend in tow. But there's something off about the guy. His story doesn't quite add up, and he keeps sneaking off to make suspicious phone calls and borrowing money from her too-trusting mother.

In search of some investigative help, Jenna turns to her childhood BFF, Tyson Parker, who lives and works in town. Still reeling from his wife's infidelity, Tyson is doing his best to heal from the pain of divorce. He's made a name for himself on the island as a volunteer firefighter and one of the much-admired saltwater cowboys who looks after Chincoteague's wild ponies. Oh, and he turned out to be more than a tiny bit attractive--besides being almost-too-good-to-be-true sweet and caring.

Growing up, the uber-competitive Jenna was always accepted as one of the guys. But things have changed between her and Tyson, and he's now looking at her through new eyes. Jenna suddenly feels like a leading lady on a movie set--only with way less composure.

But Jenna also has old wounds that make these new feelings seem fraught with peril. Is she willing to open her heart and see where love might lead? Or will she let her hesitant heart hold her back?

More Than Friends is a charming, can't-put-it-down romance, full of laugh-out-loud moments, tender emotion, and the kind of small-town warmth Denise Hunter does best. With its beloved friends-to-more arc, swoony yet grounded hero, and gentle thread of healing and hope, this story will have readers rooting for love on every page. If you're longing for a feel-good romance that blends heart, humor, and just enough mystery to keep you reading past your bedtime, More Than Friends is the perfect escape to Chincoteague Island.

Thomas Nelson Publishing, April 2026

Available in digital ebook, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook

Buy MORE THAN FRIENDS at Amazon, Christianbook, or Baker Book House 

THE LIFE SHE FORGOT by Joanna Davidson Politano, Reviewed by Rebecca Maney

REBECCA'S REVIEW: 

"Some stories are lost to time. Some are rewritten. And some - broken, imperfect, and true - continue to echo, even in minds that have forgotten the details." 

This is a story like none other; elegant as a poem and crafty as an imposter, sneaking and waltzing from page to page like a memory that cannot decide whether or not to become a nightmare or a dream come true. Grief mingles with joy, broken vessels become parables, hidden paintings tell sad stories, and the forgetting, always the forgetting.

Remembering . . . regretting . . . restoring . . . remaining . . . mingling . . .mixing . . defining . . . love.

When Merryn Dunn loses all remnants of her past, she is locked into a world where anyone and everyone can have her best or worst interests in mind. Upon saving the life of a young child, she inherits a substantial sum of money and the guardianship of the boy whose life she saved. Her good fortune earns the scorn of the woman who was born into that wealth and in order to protect what is hers, Merryn agrees to a marriage of convenience, after all her husband is a handsome, impetuous man whom she has come to adore.

Except that the memory of another striking profile flashes in and out of her subconscious . . . is it possible that she belongs to another? Why can she not remember the life that she has forgotten?

This book is as much of a wild ride as it is a slow drift, meaning that it is so very much a love story . . . for "love stands in the gap between . . . "
*I purchased a copy and was under no obligation to provide a positive review.

SEE REVIEWS BY PAULA AND WINNIE

BackCover Blurb:
He promised to help her reclaim the memories she lost—no matter what they found.

Until she remembered another man.

Cornwall, 1913
For three years, Merryn has lived without a past—no family, no history, no home that's truly hers.

When the threat of being locked away for her own “protection” looms, she takes a desperate chance on AJ Winthrop—a warmhearted, whimsical stranger who offers a hasty marriage of convenience and a promise: he will take her back to Cornwall and help her uncover the truth about who she once was.

But along the wild Cornish coast, the memories that begin to surface are not the ones she expects.

Another man.

Another wedding.

A life that may already be hers.

When a hidden painting reveals Merryn’s own face staring back from another life, the fragile life she’s begun to build with AJ begins to unravel. Because the truth waiting in her past could destroy the love she’s only just found.

Cornwall, 1947
Haunted by the war and estranged from the wife he still loves, William Crawford is determined to save their family home for her—even if it means selling the mysterious portrait of Merryn Dunn tucked away in his cottage. But the secrets hidden within the painting threaten to overturn everything he believes…or lead him toward a redemption he never expected.

Decades apart, two lives are bound by a single portrait—and the truth it refuses to keep hidden. This sweeping dual-timeline historical mystery weaves together lost memories, buried truths, and a love story that refuses to fade.

Perfect for fans of Mimi Matthews, Susanna Kearsley, and Kate Morton.

Grafted Page Press, April, 2026

Available in digital ebook, paperback, and audiobook:

Buy THE LIFE SHE FORGOT at Amazon