BEACH HOUSE RESCUE by Hope Toler Dougherty, Reviewed by Paula #ReleaseDay

Small Town Beach Read with Heart and Hope

PAULA'S REVIEW:
Wren and Pete own a beach house. Wren told Tessa she could stay there and renovate it. Pete told Wyatt he could stay there to recuperate from a broken foot. However, nobody told Tessa and Wyatt that the other would be there. Talk about awkward! To complicate things, Skylee, Wyatt’s teen sister shows up. 

Thrown into the role of bachelor dad, Wyatt is out of his element. Tessa is creative and artistic but needs to find her niche. The problem is, Wyatt cannot forget how his artistic mother did not take care of him as he was growing up. And he sees Skylee having an interest in art also. A little friction there… until Tessa and Wyatt start to be interested in eachother. 

The setting was beach perfect with sandy walks and shell collecting. The character development was sound, the faith element was subtle but solid.

This was a great summer, beachy read.
*A complimentary copy of this book was provided by Scrivenings on behalf of the author. I was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are mine alone.*4.5 stars and a solid faith thread

BackCover Blurb:
Two strangers. One beach house. Zero plans to share it.

When Tessa Trask arrives at a coastal beach house for a quiet summer, the last thing she expects is to wake up to an intruder—and have to defend herself the best way she can. But Wyatt Henry isn’t a burglar. He’s just as surprised to find her there…and just as determined to stay.

With no proof of who belongs, Tessa and Wyatt are forced into an uneasy roommate arrangement. She’s a free-spirited artist searching for direction. He’s a disciplined former Army captain who prefers order over chaos. Keeping their distance should be simple—until a surprise visitor arrives and complicates their fragile truce.

Sun-soaked days and shared responsibilities soften their differences, and Tessa looks to a future shaped by faith instead of fear. But Wyatt’s past has taught him that trusting the wrong person comes at a cost he’s not willing to pay again.

As the lines between them blur, both must decide if they’re willing to cling to what feels safe—or trust God with what comes next.

Perfect for fans of Denise Hunter, Lisa Carter, and Becky Wade, Beach House Rescue is a clean Christian romance full of warmth, faith, and happily-ever-after hope.

Scrivenings Press, June, 2026

Available in digital ebook at Amazon

DON'T UPSTAGE THE BODY by Naomi Stephens, Reviewed by Rebecca and Paula #ReleaseDay

A Witty British Historical Whodunnit and Manor House Murder Mystery Set in the 1950s

 

REBECCA'S REVIEW:
"Professional Mourners for Hire. Troupe of experienced thespians. Exceptionally discreet. Will dress smartly and can suit ourselves to the atmosphere of any funeral."

And that's exactly how Hippolyta Halfpenny, alias Ethel Jones, found herself in the bowels of the Montfort Manor with a dead body, except it wasn't the one who was just buried. Her family's unusual enterprise, posing as mourners for hire, had them pretending to know the deceased, a wealthy earl who lived as a virtual recluse towards the end of his days . . . thus, the need for hired mourners at his passing. Finding the undertaker minutes away from his expiration date in the library, coming face to face with the charming heir of the already deceased and fainting deadaway in the floor was most certainly not on her father's strict list of mourner's etiquette.

As fate would have it, torrential rain sequestered the small grouping of family and friends attending the post internment luncheon, forcing them to seek shelter in the Manor overnight. While local officials began the process of interviewing every person on the premises, Hippolyta's siblings rose to the occasion, demonstrating their theatric abilities, but the newly minted earl managed to intersect with Hippolyta at every turn. After all, it was his house now, and she was merely an imposter mourner who was determined to expose the person who had knocked off the undertaker.

What a clever than ever conundrum of quirks and clues, stirring up family secrets, unlikely chemistry and ulterior motives, leading towards the final destination; solving a murder! With authentic messaging, dramatic ingenuity, and an interesting backdrop, this story and the characters who play upon its stage form an alliance to make sure that every reader will enjoy all five acts until the final curtain falls! The end!
*I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book for the author and publisher. I also purchased a copy. The opinions stated above are entirely my own.

PAULA'S REVIEW:
“Grief was clever. It catered to each of them in their own way, and perhaps that was what made it difficult to escape.”

 
Patriarch Herbert Halfpenny pondered what to do when he was grieving his wife. His solution was to recruit his family in the business of professional mourners, complete with assumed names and a set of rules to follow including: Don’t Upstage the Body.
 

This was an enjoyable who-done-it with an unexpected ending. It was so well written that it played as a movie in my head. I could not help but cast my favorite old time actors, Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn as the main characters. Or maybe Jimmy Stewart and Loretta Young. But not quite screwball comedy.
 

At the funeral of Lord Basil and caught in a storm at the estate of the wealthy Cavendishs, Hippolyta and her family are compelled to stay when an additional dead body is found. Hipployta (aka Ethel) and the rest of the Halfpennys have to pretend not to know each other while they try to figure out who poisoned the undertaker. Hippolyta has help, of course, in the person of Crispin Cavendish, the new Earl who does not want to be an Earl.
 

These characters grow on you and just add to the quirkiness and intrigue.
 

Altogether a top-knotch mystery reminiscent of a good Agatha Christie yarn with a supporting faith thread and a tender romance.
*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.*5 stars and an underlying faith thread

 

BackCover Blurb:

Rules for professional mourners:
· Plan your aliases well--no improvising.
· Wear proper mourning attire.
· Maintain discretion at all costs.
· Don't upstage the body.

Hippolyta Halfpenny and her family have mastered the business of bereavement. As professional mourners, they are so accomplished that even Lord Basil Monfort, the famous and wealthy recluse, engages the family's services for his own funeral. Tired of disguises and aliases, Hippolyta vows it will be her last performance. Then she discovers the undertaker's body during the wake and finds herself cast as an amateur sleuth in an increasingly unpredictable investigation. 

Soon rain washes away the roads, trapping the funeral party at Lord Monfort's estate--with an unidentified killer in their midst. Bound by her father's wishes to maintain their charade, Hippolyta navigates a web of secrets spanning decades. But sorting truth from deception proves even more difficult when Lord Montfort's charming yet perceptive heir suspects Hippolyta is not all she appears to be.

Concealing her family's true identities while unraveling secrets might be a role Hippolyta is hesitant to play, but with a murderer among them she must unmask the truth before the final curtain falls. 

With her Agatha Christie inspired voice, Naomi Stephens pens a 1950s manor house murder mystery set in England--perfect for book clubs and fans of cozy mysteries, amateur sleuths, Enola Holmes, Michelle Griep, Julie Klassen, and Anna Lee Huber.

 

Bethany House Publishers, June, 2026

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

BUY Don't Upstage the Body at Amazon, Christianbook, or Baker Book House 

PART OF YOUR WORLD by Karen Witemeyer, Reviewed by Winnie Thomas

Once Upon A Time in Texas Book Two

WINNIE'S REVIEW:
“We stand together. Faith and family. Forever.”

What an entertaining retelling of The Little Mermaid story! Karen Witemeyer has done a beautiful job of adapting a classic tale into a different setting—Galveston, Texas in 1886. When Muriel Quinn rescues Zane Erickson, a down-to-earth son of wealthy parents, after a boating accident, she vanishes before he can learn her name. As Muriel becomes trapped in a blackmail scheme involving an under-handed matchmaker hired by Zane’s parents, she finds herself in a quandary.

I was immediately drawn to both Muriel and Zane. I liked that Zane wasn’t tied to his family’s wealth and prestige. He wanted to be an architect and earn his own way. I loved Muriel’s affection for her family members and her willingness to do anything to defend them. Themes of family, forgiveness, and faith add elements of inspiration to this story. The growth that Muriel goes through in learning about the consequences of her actions is also noteworthy and a good moral to the tale.  
*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

SEE PAULA'S REVIEW 

BackCover Blurb:
She saved him from the sea. He awakened her heart. Now a villainous scheme threatens to destroy them both.

Seawater runs through Muriel Quinn’s veins—a fact that has long concerned her father, who desires his youngest daughter to abandon the waves and embrace the respectable life expected of a grown woman. Yet even when banished from her beloved sea, Muriel feels its pull upon her soul. Drawn to the shore, she witnesses a boating accident and dives in to save a man from drowning. As she brings him back from the brink of death, a dream stirs to life in her heart.

Despite his family's wealth and social standing, Zane Erickson pursues a career in architecture, having no interest in cementing a match with any of the bridal candidates his mother foists upon him. Until a mysterious beauty saves his life and vanishes before he can learn her name. Determined to find her, he is stunned when the matchmaker his mother hired arrives with the very woman who has haunted his dreams. But he soon learns there are darker forces than romance at work in this meeting.

Entangled in a blackmail scheme that grows more deceitful and dangerous by the day, Zane and Muriel must fight not only for their love, but for the lives of those they hold dear.

 

Hope and Light Publishing, June, 2026

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

Buy PART OF YOUR WORLD at Amazon 

 

SILENT MENACE by Angela Carlisle, Reviewed by Rebecca Maney

THE SECRETS OF KINCAID series

REBECCA'S REVIEW:
"I wish things were different."

Accountant Hailey Nieland is struggling to balance single motherhood with a demanding job following on the heels of her husband's death and the public scandal that followed him to the grave. As she begins to acquaint herself with a deceased colleague's client files, it becomes abundantly clear that something isn't adding up, leaving Hailey with a quandary of questions.

Security professional Peter Lewis becomes concerned when a woman working inside the building where he is employed finds her tires slashed and a threatening note on her windshield. His protective instincts signal that this is no ordinary prank, but Peter is barely acquainted with Hailey Nieland and is hesitant to intrude any further than necessary. As disturbing incidents against Hailey not only continue but escalate, Peter is pleased when she accepts his assistance, but neither is ready to acknowledge where the growing relationship may or may not advance. What possible motive could there be to ruin Hailey's life? That's the question.

True to its title, this book exhibits a quiet cadence, not really accelerating until mid-point through the narrative. It's then that the puzzle pieces begin to fall in and out of place and that prayers become a primary source of strength. An enjoyable read with solid characters and silent plot twists. 
*I purchased a copy and was under no obligation to provide a positive review.

SEE PAULA'S REVIEW

 

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