PROWL by Colleen Coble, Reviewed by Rebecca Maney

 

REBECCA'S REVIEW:
"Let's bring the truth out of the shadows. Things hidden are always scarier."

Someone with a hidden agenda is prowling around the grounds of The Sanctuary Wildlife Preserve. When the dead body of a recent employee turns out to be murder, Blake Lawson (whose family owns the property) automatically faces scrutiny while his girlfriend, wildlife vet Paradise Alden, immediately joins Blake in the search for answers. Speaking of answers, Paradise is back in Nova Cambridge to solve the murders of her parents, which propelled her into unhealthy foster care placements. She is also searching for a recently discovered half-brother only to discover that the results of her DNA testing have gone missing.

While Paradise is fiercely independent, Blake is equally protective, causing friction to flare when Paradise feels smothered. As the danger around them escalates, they have have difficult determining their top priorities, which direction to focus their efforts, and how to navigate an abrupt time limit on all that Blake's family has worked so hard to preserve; meanwhile, the person or persons thwarting Paradise's search for answers becomes blatantly aggressive.

A good story with multiple plot twists that fight amongst themselves to take precedence, occasionally to the point of distraction. What is not distracting however is the sweet love story that is determined to write its own happily-ever-after, which it certainly does! 
*I purchased a copy and was under no obligation to provide a positive review. 3.5 stars

SEE PAULA'S REVIEW

BackCover Blurb:
Prowl, the second book in USA TODAY bestselling author Colleen Coble's Sanctuary series (following Ambush), delivers exactly what her fans want: the ideal blend of suspense that keeps you on the edge of your seat with just the right amount of romance. Perfect for fans of Laura Dave, Allison Brennan, and Dani Pettrey.

When a worker at the Sanctuary is discovered dead in the tiger enclosure, authorities assume the big cat killed her. But when the autopsy shows she was killed by a lethal dose of anesthetic delivered by a tranquilizer gun, suspicion falls on Blake Lawson, co-owner of the Sanctuary. Blake has his hands full trying to clear his name as well as get the Sanctuary finances back in the black. When a soil test turns up traces of rare earth, he's even more puzzled. Is someone trying to run them out of business to get to whatever is under the ground?

Meanwhile, wildlife veterinarian Paradise Alden is determined to find the brother she only recently learned even existed. When the results of the DNA test she ran mysteriously disappear from her portal before she can read them, she realizes someone must not want her to know the truth. A break-in at her new apartment is alarming, but she tries to pass it off as someone trying to scare her away. She refuses to turn tail and run when she is desperate for answers.

For Blake, the only solid ground is his relationship with Paradise, and he longs to propose--but how can they even think about starting a life together with so many forces working against them? 

 

Thomas Nelson, November, 2025

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

Buy PROWL at Amazon, Christianbook .com, or Baker Book House

 

THE FAULT BETWEEN US by Stephanie Landsem, Reviewed by Rebecca Maney

REBECCA'S REVIEW:
"You don't even know him, Claire. Don't make the biggest mistake of your life."

Claire Reilly's decision to marry a Montana man and live close to the middle of nowhere nearly destroyed a relationship with her father, and fractured the once strong bond with her two sisters. She and Red were happy weren't they, especially when the proverbial "money doesn't buy happiness" mantra rang true more times than not. Their baby daughter Jenny was a joy to behold and her husband's employment on a nearby ranch covered their expenses . . . except when it didn't. Two events interrupted their idyllic pie-in-the-sky lifestyle, a poor choice and a visit from two meddlesome sisters; Bridget and Frannie were on a paternal mission, bring Claire and Jenny home, with or without Red Wilder.

The family dynamics in this story were remarkably well crafted, pulling from a cache of misunderstandings and miscommunications between a young husband and his wife, but also between three daughters and the father who had raised them. Throw in small town politics, a local family's tragedy, an horrific natural disaster, and the reader is left with an avalanche of plot twists to carefully unravel.

What did I take away from this story? A seismic infusion of hope; the kind that never gives up and never gives in; that binds together what is broken and forgives words spoken out of turn as well as those that were never spoken at all, but should have been.

"It was enough - more than enough - to hold on to."
*I purchased a copy and was under no obligation to provide a positive review. 4.5 stars 

BackCover Blurb:
In this gripping new work of historical fiction from the award-winning author of Code Name Edelweiss, three sisters fight for their lives and for each other amid the danger of a cataclysmic earthquake that rips Yellowstone National Park asunder.

1959. Claire, Bridget, and Frannie Reilly were once as close as sisters can be. Though their mother left when they were young, their loving father raised them with everything they could want. But when Claire marries a handsome cowboy and settles out west, a thousand miles away, the sisters’ strong bond begins to unravel.

Claire struggles to adjust to a life utterly unlike her upbringing, and surprising revelations about her husband’s past make her wonder if she’s made a terrible mistake. With a new baby and a shoestring budget, the last thing she needs is her family’s interference.

Sensing something isn’t right, Bridget takes a temporary nursing assignment in Yellowstone, promising her father she’ll bring Claire home—with or without her husband. When Frannie, the rebellious youngest sister, is sent along in hopes it will corral her behavior, the Reilly sisters reunite on the eve of a seismic event that rips Yellowstone apart, tests their survival, and exposes the ever-widening rift in their relationship.

Based on real events of the 1959 Hebgen Lake earthquake and inspired by true stories, The Fault Between Us is a suspenseful exploration of the bonds of sisterhood, the depths of family drama, and how hidden wounds can only heal when they’re brought into the light.

-Christian historical fiction based on fascinating historical events
-Perfect for fans of Cathy Gohlke or Susan Meissner
-Includes discussion questions for book clubs

Tyndale Fiction, November, 2025

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

Buy THE FAULT BETWEEN US at Amazon, Christianbook, or Baker Book House

EVERY BEND IN THE RIVER by Emerson Ford, Reviewed by Rebecca Maney

REBECCA'S REVIEW:
"Dear Mama, You always said I'd be the death of you. How did you know?"

Wild, reckless, and free-spirited, Rosanna Waters bucks her genteel mother's every attempt to transform her into a mannered young woman, until one tragic afternoon changes the trajectory of her entire family. Assuming many of the responsibilities for her large family, Rosanna still has time to catch the attention of a young Scottish indenture after boldly defending Callum Stewart in the face of a notorious bully. But as time and circumstances often do, growing up does not change the fact that life is not always fair.

Two wars punctuate this story. Rosanna marries, bears eight living children and moves from Virginia to South Carolina, her three oldest sons join the militia while the one who put his signature upon her young heart only appears in an occasional accidental memory. As you might suspect, this is not the end of the story.

There are so few authors who can write a story spanning decades of early American history and manage to seam together the most important details without overloading the reader with extraneous material. Like the flow of a river, Rosanna's story (inspired by the courageous life of the author's sixth great-grandmother) moves at a constant pace with natural bends, curves, and overflows that every great river carves along its landscape. With characters who spring to life on the page, and plot twists that are both heartwarming and heartbreaking, readers will be mesmerized from beginning to end with the constancy of love and loss, tragedy and triumph, and endless reasons to hope.

"Come live with me and be my love . . . "

*I purchased a copy and was under no obligation to provide a positive review.

BackCover Blurb:
From bestselling author Emerson Ford comes an unforgettable true story of a spirited woman caught between freedom and duty, set against the sweeping backdrop of the American Revolution. Perfect for readers of Where the Crawdads Sing, The Four Winds,and A Girl Called Samson.

Virginia, 1749. Rosanna Waters is more comfortable catching grasshoppers for fishing bait than helping her Mama with the washing. After one defiance too many ends in terrible tragedy, Rosanna learns that her rebellious nature carries a price too steep to pay. She must tame the fire within—for her family’s sake, if not her own.

Then she meets Callum Stewart, a Scottish indentured servant with secrets as deep as the river she loves, Rosanna discovers someone who sees her for exactly who she is. But revolution changes everything. War sends Callum to battle and Rosanna into the unknowns of the South Carolina frontier, where she carves out a life from the unforgiving backcountry—eight children, a working farm, and a hard-won independence.

When the war finally arrives at her doorstep, it brings not just soldiers threatening everything she’s built, but the boy who stole her heart all those years ago—now a man with his own scars. As violence engulfs the frontier, Rosanna must decide how far she’s willing to go to protect her family, and whether the woman she’s become can make peace with the girl she used to be.

Based on a true story, this is an epic tale of a woman who refuses to surrender—not to grief, not to the wilderness, and never to a fate trying to break the spirit she’s finally learned to love.

 

Storm Publishing, November, 2025

Available in digital ebook, paperback, and audiobook: 

Buy EVERY BEND IN THE RIVER at Amazon 

LOVE IN THE CASTLE LIBRARY by Ann Swindell, Reviewed and Hosted by Paula Shreckhsie #CelebrateLit

About the Book

Book: Love in the Castle Library (In the Castle Library Book 2)

Author: Ann Swindell

Genre: Contemporary Christian Romance

Release Date: October 15, 2025

Predictability and efficiency have marked Delphine DuVert’s orderly life as Castle Stewardess in the small European country of Lethersby—until she is tasked by the monarchy to hire a British researcher. Lethersby needs help solving the 100-year-old mystery of their Lost Queen, a young royal who disappeared into the night during World War I.

Delphine’s split-second decision to hire Jack Worthington, a doctoral student at the University of Oxford, has long-lasting consequences when he steps in to protect her from an angry colleague determined to ruin her life. The only catch? That protection looks like Jack posing as her beau.

Jack Worthington believes that his instinct to protect Delphine was the right one, but he’s determined to stay focused on his research for Lethersby—and keep his emotional distance after reeling from a broken heart. Yet as the clues to discovering the Lost Queen’s story unravel and the Delphine’s future hangs in the balance, both Jack and Delphine must step out in faith, choosing to trust that what God has ahead for them is worth any risk.

Click here to get your copy!

PAULA'S REVIEW:
This story was an absolute delight to read. 

Delphine Duvert is the stewardess of the castle in Lethersby, a fictional country in Europe. According to the first book in the series, Queen Alma secretly left the country in 1918 in order to volunteer as a nursing assistant during The Great War, never to be heard of again. Research has begun to track down her movements after a letter of hers was found. Delphine hires Jack Worthington from England to help research because his grandmother was a nurse in WWII and he is already delving into that subject.

These fascinating bits of history being researched by Jack lead to some amazing discoveries. The wonderful thing about this book is that it is steeped in scripture. Among the verses cited are my absolute favorites in Romans 8. I love the way that Jack is a committed Christian and lets God guide him through constant prayer. His way of life has a profound impact on Delphine and she contrasts that with the remembrances of her father.

This is a well-rounded story that contains some obstacles in the form of a jealous colleague and an uncertain future for Delphine. I could not stop turning pages, anticipating the end.
And Yay! There is another book in the works for this fabulous series.
*A complimentary copy of this book was provided by WhiteCrown on behalf of the author and through Celebrate Lit tours. I was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are mine alone.*

About the Author

ANN SWINDELL writes stories that point to Christ’s presence in our day-to-day lives and the hope He brings to our hearts. She is the award-winning author of multiple books and the owner of Writing with Grace, where she teaches Christ-centered writing classes for women. Ann lives in West Michigan, and she enjoys adventuring with her family…usually with a cup of Earl Grey tea in hand.

More from Ann

Love in the Castle Library is set in two of my favorite places—one imaginary, and one real. When I started the In the Castle Library series, the main character’s journey in book one (Christmas in the Castle Library) takes her to Lethersby, a small, fictional European country full of tradition, beauty, and charm. I tried to put much of what I love about Europe into this fictional country that I wish existed. From what readers have told me, they wish it was real, too!

Book two, Love in the Castle Library, is also set in the castle in Lethersby, but I decided to make my hero and heroine take a jaunt to Oxford, England—my favorite real country outside of the USA.

I spent a summer in college studying abroad in England, and Oxford was the city that captured my heart. The “city of dreaming spires” is ancient, beautiful, and academic—a heady mix for a nineteen-year-old girl who traveled there for the first time. I even gave a nod to one of Oxford’s most well-known professors through the hero’s name, Jack.*

I had the gift of getting to go back to Oxford with my family over a decade ago, and while I’m aching to go again, including some of my favorite places in Love in the Castle Library helped me to enjoy the city vicariously through my characters. Look for some of my favorite places to eat—including Ben’s Cookies and the King’s Arms—when the characters visit. And if you ever have the opportunity to make it to Oxford, make the effort to buy one of those cookies (they’re sold by weight!) and enjoy some ice cream at G&D’s…the hero recommends chocolate of any kind (and so do I!).

I hope you love this story as much as I do, and that these tastes of beautiful places, both real and imagined, point your heart to the beauty of Christ that is at the heart of every story I write.

*Jack was C.S. Lewis’s nickname, and he taught at Magdalen College in Oxford from 1925-1954.

Blog Stops

To Everything There Is A Season, December 6

Mary Hake, December 6

Lily’s Corner, December 7

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, December 8

Where Faith and Books Meet, December 8

Leslie’s Library Escape, December 9

Inkwell Inspirations , December 10

Mrs. Ryan Moser’s Book and Movie Reviews, December 10

Devoted Steps, December 11

Texas Book-aholic, December 12

Holly’s Book Corner, December 12

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 13

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, December 14

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, December 15

Devoted To Hope, December 16

Stories By Gina, December 17 (Author Interview)

Lyssa Loves Books, December 17

Simple Harvest Reads, December 18 (Guest Review from Donna)

Raining Butterfly Kisses, December 19

The Bookish Pilgrim, December 19

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Ann is giving away the grand prize of a $50 gift card to Amazon and a signed paperback copy of the book!!

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

GIVEAWAY LINK