Pride and Practicality by Pepper Basham

Pride and Practicality
by Pepper Basham

ISBN-13: 9780840717719
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Released: November 3, 2026

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Thomas Bridges, the new rector of St. Groves, has a simple plan: gain the support of local wealthy parishioners to finance a boarding school for the orphans of St. Groves. With his stellar reputation and good heart, everything seems to be working well, even if he has to avoid his mother's matchmaking with the eligible ladies of the town. But his plans are rerouted when the "lost" sister of Lord Ravenscross returns and she happens to be the same woman in which he shared a secret and unexpected kiss eight months before.

Arianna Reeves has returned home a secret heiress, trying to redeem her past. With money to spare, a desire to earn back the favor of those she loves, and a hope of being useful she not only puts herself in harm's way to help the children of St. Groves but creates an "anonymous benefactress" to support Thomas Bridges' plan. However, their mutual attraction threatens to not only defrock Thomas but also ruin all their best-laid plans for the children.

When a man from Arianna's past comes to St. Groves with a plan to expose Thomas and Arianna's secret, their future together seems impossible.


My Review:
Pride and Practicality is a lust-motivated romance set around 1814 in England. However, the main characters were very modern in their attitudes so it didn't feel true to the period. I mean, Arianna rudely told off Thomas' uncle (whom she needed to impress to marry Thomas) and thought this would be the way to win him over. She was rude to a lot of people due respect and felt justified. Anyway, Arianna at least didn't try to hide that she'd made the choices that led to her ruin, but she also proudly refused to try to repair her reputation. She wouldn't even take a companion with her when visiting the rough sections of town and brothels. Rather than learning from her past, she actually encouraged Thomas to kiss her and welcomed it.

Thomas viewed himself as so much more morally pure than his fellow clergymen, yet he fell in lust at first kiss (taken in a dark garden with a woman he didn't know, which may have started accidently but sure didn't end that way). When he met Arianna again, he was constantly thinking about kissing her, nearly kissing her in public (thus making their reputations worse), then kissing her every chance he got, including in a dark closet. By the end, he's willing to give up his calling as a rector so he can bed her. He knows so little about her and has no plans for how he can support her (as he doesn't know she's rich), but that didn't matter.

And don't tell me he loved her: he helped her by sending her off to a compassionate rich woman and never followed up to find out if she made it or how she was doing. When they met again, he didn't try to find out much about what had happened (like who her seducer was, which caused problems later). She had no respect for him. She wouldn't follow his advice, no matter how sensible, and would stubbornly fight with him for no real reason. He'd just think about how that passion would be in the bedroom. Her own brother warned him she'd always be stubbornly defying him but, hey, the making up afterward would make it worth it! Seriously? This is a "Christian" book? No wonder we have so many divorces.

There were no sex scenes (though plenty of passionate kissing scenes). There was no bad language.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Montana Christmas Target by Terri Reed

Montana Christmas Target
by Terri Reed

ISBN-13: 9780369784551
ebook: 208 pages
Publisher: Love Inspired Suspense
Released: October 27, 2026

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Sculptor Fiona Halverson is shocked to stumble upon her ex-fiancé’s murder—just before a masked attacker attempts to abduct her. She’s rescued by FBI Special Agent Bryce Springs, who is investigating a counterfeit ring that points directly to Fiona’s art gallery. Forced to flee from a dangerous crime boss during a brutal blizzard, Fiona and Bryce must uncover how her gallery became part of a criminal operation—and prove her innocence. Facing armed adversaries and the treacherous storm, they’ll risk everything to expose the truth.


My Review:
Montana Christmas Target is a Christian romantic suspense. Fiona agreed to marry a man that encouraged her sculpting and sold her art, but she broke it off when she found him with another woman. Worse, she's now discovered that he stole money from her and used her to enable a counterfeit bill operation. If she wasn't so clearly a target of bad men trying to kidnap her, Bryce would assume she was in on it. Instead, she's willing to help him get information from her business computers to track down the bad guys. He had to keep her safe and free while working with other law enforcement to stop the head of the counterfeit ring.

Fiona was repeatedly attacked and even kidnapped, but she never stopped trying to get free while thwarting the bad guys. Bryce admired her character and beauty, but his job always came first, which broke up a past relationship. She appreciated that he risked his life to protect and help rescue her. Still, she doubted her judgment after trusting such a manipulator as her murdered ex-fiancé. The main characters were engaging, interesting, and reacted realistically to events. There was no bad language or sex. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable suspense.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

A Scheming in Parliament by Erica Vetsch

A Scheming in Parliament
by Erica Vetsch

ISBN-13: 9780825448638
Paperback: 312 pages
Publisher: Kregel Publications
Released: August 1, 2025

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Sir Bertrand Thorndike is tasked with investigating the halls of Parliament from the inside. With his new position as a member of the House of Commons, he has access to the power brokers of English government. His tactic is to listen and learn, careful not to reveal his true motives, and he’s quickly inducted into the mysterious Theban Club.

Miss Philippa Cashel's mission, the Princess Charlotte Eleos School for Women in Need, is thriving with donations, and the students are learning skills to help them earn their livings in honorable ways. But when a dear friend's past is revealed by blackmail, Philippa must wrestle with the question, Is it ever right to do the wrong thing?

Bertie's and Philippa's missions collide when Bertie uncovers a dangerous plot involving vulnerable women. He and Philippa join forces against the corruption threatening England's government.


My Review:
A Scheming in Parliament is a Christian romance set in 1816 in England. This is the second book in a trilogy about Philippa and Bertrand and continues their story. While it can be read as a standalone, I'd recommend reading the trilogy in order.

Philippa had to deal with the challenges of running a mission to help prostitutes learn a skill and find a job in another trade. One woman that took refuge there had been drugged, abused, and barely managed to escape the men forcing her into sexual slavery. Bertrand acted as a spy in the House of Commons to discover who was managing to pressure other MPs to vote his way. He joined the men's club at the center of the scheming and discovered how the blackmail was carried out.

They worked together to uncover information and then rescued some people who were being held captive. Philippa enjoyed the respect that Bertrand showed her, but her reputation was already iffy so I was disappointed that he risked her reputation (if she'd been recognized) several times. The ending, where Philippa's determined to never marry in one scene and agreed to a pretend engagement in the next, left me surprised by the sudden change. However, overall, it was an enjoyable story with engaging characters.

Historical details were woven into the story. There was an ongoing theme of everyone asking themselves, "Is it ever right to do the wrong thing?" Which is a little odd for spies to be asking, as obviously they think their job is justified, but hey. Philippa explained to several woman about God's forgiveness through Christ. There were no sex scenes or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable novel.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

A Thieving at Carlton House by Erica Vetsch

A Thieving at Carlton House
by Erica Vetsch

ISBN-13: 9780825448621
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Kregel Publications
Released: September 1, 2024

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
The Prince Regent has asked Sir Bertrand Thorndike to head an investigation into stolen royal jewels. It's the perfect chance for Bertie to step out of his brother's long shadow. His superior, the Duke of Haverly, wants him to form his own team. However, Bertie must change his persona along with his role, reforming his rakish reputation.

Philippa Cashel escaped a life as one of society's best-known courtesans and now devotes her time to helping other women in dire straits. Her hope is that laboring hard enough at her charity work will allow her to feel worthy of God's forgiveness of her past. So when Sir Bertrand Thorndike approaches her about becoming an agent of the Crown, she is skeptical. Why her? She's focused on getting her school for underprivileged women up and running, not on cloak-and-dagger skullduggery.

But when two of Philippa's rescued girls are accussed of stealing the jewels, Philippa risks partnering with Bertie to find the loot and stop a killer.


My Review:
A Thieving at Carlton House is a Christian romance set in 1816 in England. Philippa and Bertrand have shown up as secondary characters in previous trilogies, and now characters from those stories make appearances in their trilogy. However, you can understand this story without reading the other stories since the author provided the needed background information.

Philippa was forced to earn her keep as a courtesan when her father, an Earl, cast off his mistress, her mother. She's never forgiven him, but her half-sister offered her a way out of that life and supports her efforts to create a charity school to help other prostitutes learn a skill and gain a placement in another trade. Due to her past, she didn't feel worthy of God's love. She came to accept and give forgiveness.

Bertrand enjoys spying but felt out of his depth acting as a detective. The servants at Carlton House won't talk to him, leaving him with very few clues. He treated Philippa with the utmost respect, like a lady, making her wonder if his reputation wasn't accurate. They worked together to solve the case and start the charity, supporting each other's talents. Historical details were woven into the story. There were no sex scenes or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable novel.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Eat, Drink, and Get Buried by Cleo Coyle

Eat, Drink, and Get Buried
by Cleo Coyle

ISBN-13: 9780593642313
Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: Berkley
Released: September 22, 2026

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Years ago, when master roaster Clare Cosi was a newly divorced mom raising her daughter, Joy, Ava Welsh became Joy's best friend. Now the painfully shy girl next door has grown into a successful New York businesswoman, and Clare is delighted to be catering Ava's coffee-themed party, especially when her boyfriend, Ryan, confides his plan to propose that very night.

Then a scream shatters the celebration. A woman is thrown off the balcony to her death, and Ryan—who abruptly flees the party—is accused of murder. Clare vows to help Ava clear his name.

Her digging uncovers suspicious connections to a deadly event from which a teenaged Joy and Ava barely escaped with their lives. The stakes rise ever higher as a ruthless killer attempts to keep the ugly truth buried—even if it means sending Clare and her caffeinated crew six feet under.


My Review:
Eat, Drink, and Get Buried is a cozy mystery. This novel is the 22th in the series. You don't need to read the previous novels to understand the mystery, though you'll probably understand the main character's relationships better if you've read some of the previous books. This story didn't spoil the whodunits of the previous books.

Clare was the one primarily investigating, poking into the clues that she could get her hands on. Some of her employees helped sort through social media posts or in other small ways. However, in the end, Ryan found the proof of whodunit for the current crime and a past crime.

There were only a few uses of bad language. There were no graphic sex scenes. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting mystery.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Missing in New Mexico by Kathleen Tailer

Missing in New Mexico
by Kathleen Tailer
Caroline Turner Cole (Narrator)

ISBN-13: 9781488240218
Audiobook, Unabridged: 288 pages
Publisher: Love Inspired Suspense
Released: Sept. 29, 2026

Source: audiobook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Sheriff Joaquin Fuentes stumbles upon a desert car crash in New Mexico, rescuing Luann St. John from the smoking wreckage—but this was no accident. Someone sabotaged her vehicle to stop her from uncovering the truth about a twenty-year-old plane crash tied to her father’s disappearance and diamond smuggling accusations. As danger closes in, Joaquin is determined to protect Luann, even as they’re hunted at every turn. The truth could clear her father’s name—or drag Joaquin and Luann into a deadly grave.


My Review:
Missing in New Mexico is a Christian romantic suspense. Joaquin was abandoned by his wife, who divorced him and left him and their daughter behind. Luann has wondered for 20 years if her father abandoned her mother and her, stealing diamonds and fleeing the country. The loving father she remembers would have contacted them if he was still alive. Convinced that her father was forced by the true thief to board a small plane that later crashed, she traveled to the crash area to find out the truth. As soon as she started asking questions about the crash, someone started trying to kill her and Sheriff Joaquin became involved.

The main characters were engaging and reacted realistically to events. The suspense came from the attacks on Luann, from car crashes to arson to shooting. Joaquin was attracted by her beauty and determination to find the truth. She appreciated that he was willing to protect her even to the point of potentially dying to save her. They came to care about each other as they spent time investigating what happened to her father. They were both Christians and asked God for guidance and protection. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable suspense novel.

The narrator of the audiobook did a good job, making it easy to follow who was talking and what was going on. She used different voices for the different characters and narrated the story in a way that allowed me to become immersed in the story.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

The Refuge by Carly Hillman

The Refuge
by Carly Hillman

ISBN-13: 9798892426824
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Released: September 8, 2026

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
When wildlife ranger Johnny Hayward discovers a terrified young girl hiding in the grasses, he investigates how the girl, Maeve, came to their land. But when the police arrive, she tells them that Johnny is her father. He goes along with the lie.

Decades later, Maeve’s daughter, Ava, grows up believing that same lie. Ava’s love for the Refuge, where she lives in the staff cabins with her mother and is a tour ranger, prevents her from dwelling on the fact that her mother never leaves the grounds—and won’t explain why. But after crushing on a temporary security guard about her age, Ava begins to question her sheltered upbringing. What is her mother so afraid of?

Angry that her mother and Johnny won’t give her answers, Ava turns to the internet to connect with her extended family, accidently revealing their location to a man still hunting for them.


My Review:
The Refuge is general fiction. It's told from five different viewpoints and jumped around in time. It's not really a mystery as Johnny quickly uncovered what probably happened and that's why they allowed Maeve to stay on the wildlife refuge rather than trying to find her parents. But Ava's never told the truth and, at 18 years old, she finally questioned living in such isolation. She started pressing for true answers rather than the obvious lies she'd been told. The wildlife refuge was a nice backdrop for the story, but it's more an explanation of how a person could live in isolation. It's a huge chunk of land and the staff lives on site, so a person doesn't have to leave. It even has security guards to keep out poachers, so it's safe.

While the main characters were well-developed, complex people and I always understood why they acted the way they did, I didn't really enjoy the story. It was like watching a slow train wreck. Maeve's mother, Evelyn, made a series of bad choices, made it free into a good life, but choose to be pulled in again. She paid a high price to get Maeve free from the consequences of her actions, but Maeve also made bad choices and lied to those she loved. She had a one night stand to get pregnant because she wanted a baby. Because Ava didn't know why they didn't have contact with her relatives or why they hid on the refuge, she made a series of bad decisions. With the exception of Maeve's father and Johnny, men are hardly mentioned.

The police seemed remarkably inept in this story. They're told Maeve was a lost child and the other staff knew it, but the police just dropped the case when told it was a misunderstanding. We're never told how the bad guy got away with killing a person. And even if a bear mauled the dead body at the end, I'd think the police would know a gun shot wound when they saw it and not just dismiss the case.

There was one almost-sex scene (not particularly graphic). There was occasional use of bad language. It was a decent story, it just didn't appeal to me, especially as I was expecting an actual mystery genre novel.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.