What If I Stay (Home To Hearts Bend book 3) By Rachel Hauck

What If I Stay is a beautiful story of two people discovering what really matters. I loved the setting of an old family owned inn set in small town America. The characters were very well done and I hope Ms Hauck will revisit Hearts Bend again. Here's to second chances. So get cozy with a favorite beverage and settle in for a fabulous trip to small town America. All thoughts are my own.

From Amazon: She built walls around her heart—until he came home to tear them down. Cami Jackson has her life locked down tight. As Nashville's most ruthless property developer, she's made a fortune turning sentiment into profit and never looking back. But when a mysterious email about the Hearts Bend Inn—the place where her mother died fifteen years ago—lands in her inbox, everything she's buried threatens to surface. Some places hold more than memories. They hold the keys to who you're meant to become. Enter Ben Carter, the boy who gave her first kiss, now a devastatingly handsome hotel executive with his own empire to build. He's inherited his grandparents' beloved inn, but his future lies halfway around the world in Sydney. When Cami arrives with a briefcase full of cash and a heart full of unresolved pain, their reunion ignites a fire that could either heal old wounds or burn down everything they've built. In Hearts Bend, Tennessee, some inheritances are worth more than money... As Cami fights to honor her mother's memory and Ben struggles between duty and desire, they must navigate family secrets, corporate betrayal, and a love that refuses to stay buried. When her father's shocking revelation threatens to destroy the inn forever, Cami faces an impossible choice: protect the empire she's spent her life building or risk everything for the one place—and one man—that feels like home. Will love be enough to bridge fifteen years of silence? “What If I Stay is an adorably charming story of second chances, finding hope, and coming home again. Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a return guest, you’ll love your stay in Hearts Bend.” —Lindsay Harrel, author of The Inn at Walker Beach Perfect for fans of: Nicholas Sparks • Elin Hilderbrand • Kristin Hannah 💔 Second chance romance that will steal your breath 🏡 A charming inn with secrets worth protecting 👵🏻 Family healing that spans generations 💍 A love story fifteen years in the making 🎨 An artist's journey back to her true calling When the past calls, will you answer? Lose yourself in Hearts Bend today—where every ending is a new beginning! **Previously published in 2022 as You'll Be Mine**

About the author Rachel Hauck is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author. She is a Christy Award Winner and a double RITA finalist. Her book The Wedding Dress was named Inspirational Novel of the Year by Romantic Times Book Club. She is the recipient of RT's Career Achievement Award. Her book, Once Upon A Prince, was filmed for an original Hallmark movie. Hauck has been acclaimed for her split time novels and royal romances. A graduate of Ohio State University with a degree in Journalism, and a former sorority girl, Rachel and her husband live in central Florida. She is a huge Buckeyes football fan. In other news, she's recently learned how to hard boil an egg. She's quite proud. Visit her at www.rachelhauck.com or www.facebook.com/rachelhauck

The Summons ( Legend Of The King's Ring book 1) by MaryLu Tyndall

MaryLu Tyndall's The Summons is full of pirates, legends and beautiful women. Throw in some Jesuit pirates, a cursed ring, Spiritual warfare and you have the makings of a great book. I really enjoyed reading the Summons and recommend it to anyone that enjoys great adventure! So brew up some tea, find your favorite reading spot and settle in for an adventure filled read! All thoughts are my own.

From Amazon: New and Exciting series from award-winning author, MaryLu Tyndall!. Emeline Hyde is the runt of the litter. Especially in comparison to her incredibly talented and comely siblings and heroic parents. She longs for a hero like her father to come and sweep her off her feet and give her the romantic adventure her parents had. She longs to find her place in life, her God-given purpose. But instead she finds herself taken from the only security she’s ever known by a man who is as far from a hero as night is from day. Captain Blake Keene has one goal in life—to rule over his own kingdom. It is the only way to avoid the bruises of betrayal and abuse he’s suffered for so long. Hence, when he hears about the Ring of Solomon from an old Jewish pirate and tracks it down, he plans on using it to gain the power and wealth he craves. The Jesuits, on command of the Pope, are after the infamous Ring. In an effort to distract them, Blake slips it into a missionary woman’s pocket, only to put her in danger when the Jesuits discover his ruse. Now, he has no choice but to steal her away. The Ring is more powerful than he expected. The woman not at all like he expected. With Jesuits on the chase and demons haunting him, Blake soon discovers that Emeline holds a power that far surpasses any relic from the past.

About the author Award winning and best-selling author, MaryLu Tyndall dreamt of pirates and sea-faring adventures during her childhood days on Florida's Coast. After obtaining a degree in Math and working as software engineer for 15 years, she decided to test the waters as a writer. With now more than thirty books published, she makes no excuses for the deeply spiritual themes embedded within her romantic adventures. She is most known for her Award-winning Christian Pirate Romances. As a follower of Christ, her stories often reflect her own journey and walk with God. Her hope is that readers will not only be entertained but will be brought closer to the Creator who loves them beyond measure. In a culture that accepts the occult, wizards, zombies, and vampires without batting an eye, MaryLu hopes to show the awesome present and powerful acts of God in a dying world. MaryLu makes her home with her husband, six children, four grandkids, and several cats on the California coast, where her imagination still surges with the sea.

Playing Jesus : book 8 of the Seeing Jesus series by Jeffrey McClain Jones

One extraordinary day! Paul Bailly looks like Jesus, so much so that he is playing Jesus in a church passion play. He is worried that people will find out about how unworthy he is to play Jesus...then Jesus shows up to spend the day! Playing Jesus is a fantastic book about Jesus spending the day with a man and helping him discover what he needs in order to be well. I loved this book with it's gentle humor. Reading Playing Jesus leaves the reader content and comforted. I highly recommend the whole Seeing Jesus series of books. So settle in with a mug of tea in your favorite reading spot and be prepared to to evaluate your own relationship with Jesus. All thoughts are my own.

From Amazon: He’s afraid his mom and her church will discover his sins. Maybe more afraid of facing the secrets he’s been trying to hide from himself. That’s too much to delve into alone. But what if he’s not alone? Paul Bailey is a daytime TV actor in Hollywood. His faith has been on hold for a few years as he focuses on his career. And he hasn’t been following all the rules church people generally expect. He’s still reeling from his father leaving when he was a kid, his brother overdosing and his sister succumbing to a mysterious illness. His faith was always too fragile to help him fully recover from any of that. Paul goes home to comfort his mother after his sister’s death. His mom is all he has left. To please her, he takes the starring role in her church’s annual passion play. Jesus is someone Paul believes in. He can pretend to be him for his mother and for her big church. Then one Saturday Paul discovers he is not alone in his small apartment. And the entire day is turned upside down by his astonishing visitor. Paul is sure no one will believe what’s happening to him. He’s not fully convinced himself. Until he meets a young woman who seems to recognize what he confesses to her. The eighth novel in the Seeing Jesus series, Playing Jesus tells the story of an ordinary person having an extraordinary experience, an experience he has to see to believe.

bout the author Jeffrey McClain Jones, known by his friends (and some enemies) as Jeff, is a bestselling Amazon author of over 30 books, specializing in supernatural Christian fiction. He grew up in a Baptist church, went to a Christian High School and graduated from Houghton College, in Houghton, NY (1984). As an undergraduate he majored in both writing and Bible (not writing the Bible). He took graduate degrees in theology and ethics at Wheaton College Graduate School and Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. Finishing with a Ph.D. from Northwestern University. Born in Denver, CO, he was raised in Lincoln, NE and has lived most of his adult life in the suburbs of Chicago. He loves movies and can recite his top ten list given the slightest provocation. Walking along the river path near his house and reading on the deck next to the pond both give him joy and negative ions (look it up). He writes all his books where he can see the bird feeder on the back deck. Don’t get him started about the latest species he saw out there. His passion is to write about Jesus as a living person who impacts the modern world, working through the imaginations and the hands and feet of his people. He believes God is supernatural and that the followers of Jesus are too.

Seeking Persephone by Sarah Ladd

Seeking Persephone by Sarah Ladd brings a Beauty and The Beast vibe to a marriage of convenience tale. I loed the strong characters and the setting was fantastic. This is a fun book to curl up with on a long weekend with the added bonus that it is the first book of series. So brew up a pot of tea, add some scones to the tray and enjoy a good read. All thoughts are my own.

When Persephone Lancaster receives a marriage proposal from the ill-tempered Duke of Kielder, she refuses—and then reconsiders. The obscene sum of money he’s offering Persephone would save her family from ruin. With her characteristic optimism, she travels to the far reaches of Northumberland to wed a greatly feared stranger. Lodged deep in a thick forest infested with wild dogs, the Duke’s castle is as cold and forbidding as the Duke himself, a man with terrible scars on his body and his soul. But the Duke’s steely determination to protect his heart at all costs is challenged by his growing attachment to his lovely and gentle bride. With caring persistence, Persephone attempts to pierce the Duke’s armor and reach the man beneath. Yet he cannot tolerate such exposure, and his repeated rejections take their toll. But when grave danger arises, the Duke realizes he must face the risk of revealing his true feelings or lose the woman he cannot live without.

About the author Sarah M. Eden is a USA Today best-selling author of witty and charming historical romances, including 2020’s Foreword Reviews INDIE Awards Gold Winner for Romance, "Forget Me Not," and 2020 Holt Medallion finalist, "Healing Hearts." She is a three-time “Best of State” Gold Medal winner for fiction and a three-time Whitney Award winner. Combining her obsession with history and her affinity for tender love stories, Sarah loves crafting deep characters and heartfelt romances set against rich historical backdrops. She holds a bachelor’s degree in research and happily spends hours perusing the reference shelves of her local library.

Even In This by Dianna Lanser

Even In This is a very good book. It is honestly not a book you enjoy per say but I did like it. Warning the subject matter can be triggering for some. I did enjoy the way the characters grew in faith Even In This, when the unimaginable happens. I appreciate the way Dianna Lanser depicted the characters having struggles but they always circle back to God and His will. She did an awesome job of handling a delicate and heartbreaking act with tact and grace. I look forward to reading more books by Ms. Lanser in the future. I borrowed this book through Kindle Unlimited. All thoughts are my own.

From Amazon: Even In This: Where Tragedy and Faith Collide Sixteen going on seventeen, Miah Brennan stands on the riverbank of her future, awaiting permission to jump in. With a recording contract pending and a young Native American man winking at her; it seems as if God is parting the waters and waving her through. Her parents, however, prefer to keep her tucked away as if they were still living on their secluded, drought-dry cattle station in the Australian Outback. Weeks before the September 11 attacks, just when her dreams are on a sure track to coming true, evil stalks Miah with a vicious plan of its own, destroying her hope and her future. While scripture tells her to forgive, her heart wants to forget. But how in the cruel, aching world can she move forward when her life has collapsed into a heap of rubble? How could God possibly work this out for good? And will she and her boyfriend remain steadfast in their faith and love as they face the shocking challenges ahead? Based on James 1:2, “Consider it all joy,” Even In This is a heart-wrenching but uplifting contemporary Christian Fiction novel of hope and redemption. Readers will find a tender thread of romance woven through this story of personal growth, forgiveness and healing after trauma, and learning to trust God even in life’s darkest moments. Please Note: Though ultimately a story of faith and redemption, this novel includes references to violence and personal violation as part of the character’s journey. These sensitive topics are addressed in a thoughtful, nuanced manner.

About the author Dianna Lanser is a contributing author of Strengthened By His Touch (Guidepost 2024) and Uprising of the Broken, a collection of devotions from the 40 Days of Prayer Blog published by Ada Bible Church. A member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Word Weavers International, Dianna writes stories that inspire her readers into deeper faith so they may find the kind of hope that helps them look beyond their current pain to Someone greater. Dianna and her husband live in West Michigan, not too far away from their five adult children.

Dwell In Rest: A Seeing Jesus Companion novel by Jeffrey McClain Jones

Jeffrey McClain Jones has written a companion book to his Seeing Jesus series. Molly is a novelist in her 50s and is discovering the rest from having Jesus living inside of her. I enjoyed this book, especially the reminder that Jesus is in us and provides peace beyond understanding. This novel also points out the comforting fact that once we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior we no longer face life alone. Jesus promises us that He will never leavve or forsake us. Although this is a novel it points to many truths for believers. I was given a copy of Dwell in Rest by through Book Funnel with no expectations. All thoughts are my own.

From Amazon: A novelist in her fifties living alone in the Chicago suburbs, Molly MacGregor has buried her mother, survived a painful divorce, mourned her ex‑husband’s death, and spent twenty‑five years wondering what became of her sister. Now she’s caring for her aging father who doesn’t recognize her most days. But Molly is not alone. In the quiet spaces of her ordinary days, she senses a presence—steady, intimate, impossible to ignore. Not a distant God confined to Heaven, but a God who dwells within, offering comfort, courage, and companionship. As Molly explores the depths of this inner presence, she dares to ask the questions that could transform everything: What if we truly believed we were never alone? What if God’s presence wasn’t a metaphor, but a reality pulsing through every moment of our lives? Determined to discover what such a life might look like, Molly embarks on a journey that is part spiritual awakening, part emotional reckoning, and wholly unexpected. Book One introduces a heroine whose search for meaning becomes a testament to resilience, faith, and the quiet miracles that unfold when we finally listen to the voice within. Read less

About the author Jeffrey McClain Jones, known by his friends (and some enemies) as Jeff, is a bestselling Amazon author of over 30 books, specializing in supernatural Christian fiction. He grew up in a Baptist church, went to a Christian High School and graduated from Houghton College, in Houghton, NY (1984). As an undergraduate he majored in both writing and Bible (not writing the Bible). He took graduate degrees in theology and ethics at Wheaton College Graduate School and Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. Finishing with a Ph.D. from Northwestern University. Born in Denver, CO, he was raised in Lincoln, NE and has lived most of his adult life in the suburbs of Chicago. He loves movies and can recite his top ten list given the slightest provocation. Walking along the river path near his house and reading on the deck next to the pond both give him joy and negative ions (look it up). He writes all his books where he can see the bird feeder on the back deck. Don’t get him started about the latest species he saw out there. His passion is to write about Jesus as a living person who impacts the modern world, working through the imaginations and the hands and feet of his people. He believes God is supernatural and that the followers of Jesus are too.

To Dance With a duke (Dollar Princess series book two) by Gabrielle Meyers

If you loved Seven Brides For Seven Brothers you will most likely love To Dance With A Duke by Gabrielle Meyers. This book features a house party during the Guilded Age when American heiresses were sent to England to snag titles from impoverished noblemen. A recntly wed Duke and his American Duchess host several young American heiresses and their chaperones hoping to find brides for his brothers. Throw in a castle, a curse, spooky passageways and the dreary weather of the Moors add up to a fantastic tale. I suggest you get the good china out, brew a pot of tea and curl up for a great story! All thoughts are my own.

From Amazon: For those who love The Gilded Age and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. In 1884, Ames Welby, the Duke of Severton, is desperate. His ancestral home is falling apart, his tenant farmers are starving, and his family name is tainted by a mysterious scandal that keeps people away. With no fortune and no time, he does the unthinkable—marries for money. But Lily Parker, the American heiress he weds in haste, is no pampered socialite. She’s practical, passionate, and has a plan to restore Pickering Castle—and the reputation of the five reclusive Welby brothers. Inspired by her love of matchmaking and her longing for connection, Lily invites four eligible young women to a summer house party, hoping to spark romance and rebuild the family’s future. What follows is a whirlwind of mischief, mismatched couples, and unexpected love. But when Lily’s belief in true love clashes with Ames’s fear of family curses and social ruin, their fragile marriage is put to the ultimate test. As storms rage and secrets unravel, Ames must decide: will he fight for legacy—or for the woman who’s taught him that love is the most daring risk of all?

About the author Gabrielle Meyer is the Christy Award-winning, bestselling author of over 45 books, including her popular Timeless Series. She lives in central Minnesota on the banks of the Mississippi River with her husband and four children. As an employee of the Minnesota Historical Society, she fell in love with history and enjoys writing fictional stories inspired by real people, places and events.