THE GENTLEWOMAN COMPANION by Emily Opal, Reviewed by Paula Shreckhise #ReleaseDay

The Gentlewoman Series Book 4

PAULA'S REVIEW:

Louisa is a merchant’s daughter who is escaping an arranged marriage and makes a Big Mistake. She seeks employment and eventually becomes a companion to Lady Halverton who sees the gentlewoman that is hiding in Louisa. At Lady Halverton’s tutelage, she becomes well read and capable. She captures the attention of Lord Halverton, son of Lady Halverton. Lord James is following in his father’s legacy until he finds a flaw in his father’s character.
 

With an authentic voice, the author takes us to Georgian England following a hero who is searching for his true calling and a heroine who is trying to overcome her past. Louisa and James grow and subjugate the constraints of society to seek the good they can offer to others.
 

This was a sweet, clean historical romance with likeable, honest characters and a setting that puts you in the story. Lessons include righting wrongs, taking responsibility, standing up yourself and furthering worthy causes.
*A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the author. I was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are mine alone.*4 stars, clean read, faint faith thread 

 

BackCover Blurb:

United by love, two hearts must confront the secrets that threaten to unravel their bond.

Louisa Thorpe is determined to leave her past mistakes behind and forge a new path as an independent woman free from her family, who is eager to see her wed. To this end, she obtains employment as a lady’s companion. Despite her aversion to marriage and her firm resolve not to fall in love, she cannot deny the magnetic connection she develops with her employer's son, James Halverson.

James recently inherited his father’s title and is focused on fulfilling his duties in the House of Lords, leaving no time for romance. However, he can't help but be captivated—and delightfully unsettled—by Louisa's unconventional manners. When shocking revelations about his father's past challenge his perception of trust and duty, James finds himself questioning everything, including Louisa's loyalty. In this heartfelt tale of love, betrayal, and the fight for independence, will Louisa and James's love withstand the storm of secrets that may destroy them? 

 

Emily Opal, August 2025

Available in digital ebook or paperback at Amazon

 

 

WHAT THE RIVER KEEPS by Cheryl Grey Bostrom, Reviewed by Paula Shreckhise #ReleaseDay

PAULA'S REVIEW:
Set in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, the author eloquently and vividly describes the landscape. She depicts a fragile, vulnerable heroine, biologist Hildy Nybo, who shows strength even though she questions her sanity. The past haunts her, but she finds purpose in wildlife and the reclamation that will come once the dam is torn down on the Elwha River. 

Luke Rimmer, a still grieving widower, is helping his sister with her pottery shop in the cabin next to Hildy. As they grow together, Luke shows infinite patience when Hildy tries to reconcile her past with her present. “A chess game, this relationship,”  

This was a slow-build romance with complicated family dynamics. The author presented clear Biblical truths with realistic situations. “God can wash a person clean, restore hope, but consequences can scar a heart up pretty bad.” 

This was an expertly crafted story with a lot to ponder, a suspenseful thread and a satisfying ending.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale on behalf of the author via NetGalley. I was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are mine alone.* Beyond 5 stars and a solid faith thread 

BackCover Blurb:
Hildy Nybo is a successful biologist, her study of the Pacific Northwest’s wild fish both a passion and a career. But behind her professional brilliance, Hildy’s reclusive private life reflects a childhood fraught with uncertainty. Despite her father’s love and her mother’s sympathy, she grew up constantly losing even her most cherished belongings, unable to recall where she misplaced them. Haunted by the confusion of those early years, she now records her life in detailed diaries and clings tightly to memory-prompting keepsakes.

Then her mother’s health fails, and Hildy accepts a job near her childhood home, joining a team of scientists who will help restore her beloved Elwha River after the demolition of two century-old dams. There Hildy settles into one of the cabins on her family’s rustic resort—a place she both loves and dreads, for reasons she can’t fully explain.

When local artist Miranda Rimmer rents an adjacent cabin for her pottery studio, Hildy shrinks from such a close neighbor. But then Miranda’s carpenter brother, Luke, shows up to help with construction and captures Hildy’s attention. Now a few years beyond a tragedy that brought him to his knees, Luke recognizes a kindred soul in Hildy, and they build a relationship that dismantles the walls Hildy’s built to keep people out. As troubling pieces of the past surface, Hildy dares to wonder if she can banish the shadows that have burdened her and follow her river’s course to freedom.

-A compelling story of forgiveness, redemption, and overcoming painful secrets that explores the beauty of the natural world
-A poignant and emotive contemporary novel perfect for fans of Delia Owens and William Kent Krueger
-Includes discussion questions for book clubs

Tyndale Fiction, August 2025

Available in digital ebook,paperback, and audiobook:

Buy WHAT THE RIVER KEEPS at Amazon, Christianbook .com, or Baker Book House

THE LAST LIGHT OVER GALVESTON by Jennifer L. Wright, Reviewed by Rebecca Maney #ReleaseDay

REBECCA'S REVIEW:
"When we suffer, it reminds us that this life is short, and this world is not our home . . . Sometimes God has to tear down all the distractions . . . To see that after everything else is gone, He's still there."

Traveling as far away from home as possible, Kathleen McDaniel locks her privileged life in New York inside a proverbial closet and courageously tries to pretend the horrific chain of events that sent her running all the way until the end of the line had not happened. Landing in Galveston, Texas she collapses inside the front hall of St Mary's Orphan Asylum where she assumes a new identity and prays that her nightmare will never find her.

Her plan works until her timeline is shortened and an historic storm brews off the coast of Texas, eventually taking out every last light over Galveston. Will Kathleen survive yet another tragedy as she struggles to keep one promise while making another that she may not live long enough to keep?

An arresting blend of historical events that wrap tentacles around a young woman's freedom to make the choices of her heart, while discovering that who she really is had graciously been determined by a God who lovingly knit her innermost being together with everlasting stitches.
*I received a copy from the publisher and also purchased a copy, and was under no obligation to provide a positive review.

BackCover Blurb:
Galveston, Texas. September 1900. Only months ago, Kathleen McDaniel returned from finishing school in Switzerland to her family home in New York’s Hudson Valley with a future of promise and privilege set before her. But one horrific event shattered her picturesque life. Now she has fled as far as the train line and a pocketful of money would take her, finding refuge at the St. Mary’s Orphan Asylum on Galveston Island, where she helps the nuns care for their young charges and prays her past will not find her. Despite her tenuous standing at the orphanage—and the grief and betrayal that drove her from home—Kathleen slowly begins to make friends. There is Emily, the novice nun she rooms with; Maggie, the tempestuous young girl who only bonds with Kathleen; and Matthew, a kind, handsome man recently employed by Isaac Cline at Galveston’s office of the US Weather Bureau.

Then in one fateful day, Kathleen’s fragile new life begins to crack as it becomes clear that she can’t run far enough to escape the reach of her former life. Meanwhile, as troubling news about a storm crossing the Gulf from Cuba swirls in the Weather Bureau offices, Matthew holds fast to Cline’s belief that no hurricane can touch Galveston. But as darkness falls on the island, Kathleen must gather her courage and reach for a strength beyond her own if she—and those she loves—are to survive.

-A stand-alone historical novel about the 1900 Galveston hurricane
-A gripping read inspired by true events
-Features themes of resilience, found family, and redemption
-Includes discussion questions perfect for book clubs 

Tyndale Fiction, August, 2025

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

Buy THE LAST LIGHT OVER GALVESTON at Amazon, Christianbook .com, or Baker Book House

EVERYTHING'S COMING UP ROSIE by Courtney Walsh, Reviewed by Rebecca Maney

A heartwarming tale of found family 

and a perfectly imperfect love

REBECCA'S REVIEW:
"I want to tell them the truth so badly."

Actually the truth of the matter was that aspiring actress Rosie Waterman's life was nothing like that of her friends, or even remotely like she had so creatively described to anyone who took the time to ask. In reality, Rosie's childhood dream of making it big in New York City had fizzled down to packing her belongings into exactly one suitcase, sending out a gazillion job queries, and going home; only to have the surprise of her life! A job offer from a small theatre program in Sturgeon Bay, Illinois; the Sunset Players. Their summer production of Cinderella needed a creative team member. Rosie loved Cinderella!

It was obvious upon arrival that Rosie had failed to read the fine print. Oops!

A pitch perfect example of how memorable character driven stories can be, especially when Prince Charming, instead of searching for a glass slipper, learns how to ask the right questions. Dreams really can come true! (even if they change a little)
*I purchased a copy and was under no obligation to provide a positive review.4.5 stars

BackCover Blurb:
Sometimes what you think you want and what you actually want turn out to be different things . . . In New York Times bestselling author Courtney Walsh's latest uplifting women's fiction, one woman discovers what it means to create a life that fits. Perfect for fans of Denise Hunter and Emma St. Clair.

Rosie Waterman has one dream: to become a working actor. But lately, that hasn't been working out. When she loses her apartment and her job on the same day, she does what she always does--puts herself out there, ready to find the next big thing. But a trip home makes her realize that while she's been struggling to make this dream come true, all her friends have become real adults with careers and weddings and babies on the way. Rosie's been at this for years, and she has nothing to show for it. But how does she simply let go of her dream?

When she's offered a job as the director of a regional theatre's production of Cinderella, she jumps at the chance--even though she's only directed in college and the job is in Door County, Wisconsin, and not in New York. She has no other offers, and at least she'll be getting paid to do something theatrical. But when she arrives, she quickly realizes that the "regional theatre" is actually in a retirement community, and the "actors" are actually senior citizens with no acting experience whatsoever.

Working on the show presents new challenges, forcing Rosie to learn how to step up and be the leader this fledgling theatre troupe needs. The more time she spends with her new cast, the more she begins to rethink what it means to dream big, especially when that big dream hasn't turned out to be at all what she thought it would be. It's not at all what she expected, but could it be exactly what she needs?

Come for the quirky cast, stay for the charm, and fall in love with the beautiful mess of becoming. Filled with laughter, a bit of clean romance, and a reminder that life doesn't have to go as planned to be beautiful, Everything's Coming Up Rosie will leave you cheering, swooning, and reaching for one more chapter.

Thomas Nelson Publishing, June, 2025

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

Buy EVERYTHING'S COMING UP ROSIE at Amazon, Christianbook .com, or Baker Book House