Rodeo Witness Protector by Sami A. Abrams

Rodeo Witness Protector
by Sami A. Abrams

ISBN-13: 9781488238895
Audiobook, Unabridged: 208 pages
Publisher: Harlequin Audio
Released: July 28, 2026

Source: audiobook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description from NetGalley:
While stopping an attack near the rodeo grounds, bullfighter and part-time deputy Daniel Sinclair is stunned to see his high school sweetheart attempting to save a stabbed undercover deputy. As a witness now in possession of crucial evidence about a narcotics investigation, new rodeo doctor Annie Davis needs Daniel’s protection—for her and her missing four-year-old daughter. And the stakes only grow higher when the girl’s babysitter is found murdered and the recovered child refuses to speak. To safeguard the targeted family, can Daniel uncover who is behind it all before a drug ring silences them for good?


My Review:
Rodeo Witness Protector is a Christian romantic suspense. Deputy Daniel was once unable to save a child and now feels like he can't be trusted to watch over any child. When his high school sweetheart returns to town with an adopted 4-year-old, he finds that both mother and daughter need his protection. Not only did Annie testify against a fellow doctor who was illegally selling drugs, but she was just handed evidence by a dying undercover agent who was trying to uncover a drug dealer ring that used the rodeo and carnival circuit. Local law enforcement worked to figure out the evidence while Daniel helped protect Annie and her daughter.

The suspense came from the attacks on Annie and her daughter and trying to find the daughter when she went missing. The main characters were engaging and reacted realistically to events. Annie and Daniel got to know each other again as they spent time together and quickly renewed their friendship. Daniel and Annie prayed for guidance and safety. 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.

A Lady's Handbook to Gadgets and Guile by Angela Bell

A Lady's Handbook to Gadgets and Guile
by Angela Bell

ISBN-13: 9780764242144
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Bethany House
Released: July 7, 2026

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
London, England, 1895. Ambulatory wheelchair user Margaret Kingsley secretly crafts gadgets for the Daughters of Genius Society, a covert team of lady inspectors disguised as harmless bluestocking spinsters. While her fellow inspectors gallivant about London solving crimes, Margaret has been perfectly content assisting from the sidelines--until her expertise is needed to infiltrate the domain of London's most prolific inventor, Alvan T. Harrison.

Charles Noble sacrificed his career as a musician to support his family after his father's stroke. Now he balances ledgers as a secretary by day and tends his disabled father by night, until taking a temporary job as event coordinator for a famous inventor commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of his mechanical empire. As strange occurrences surface, Charles's event planning collides with Margaret's case, and the pair must investigate the inventor's legacy while attraction sparks between them.


My Review:
A Lady's Handbook to Gadgets and Guile is a fantasy romance supposedly set in 1895 in England. The author made little effort to explain how things worked. Margaret and her father were geniuses, so of course their inventions worked. Somehow. Just don't look to hard. Some of the inventions made no sense: a steam-engine-powered vacuum? Do you actually understand how steam engines work, author? And the umbrella that could lift multiple people didn't appear to have a power source. Even people's attitudes and the technology available to everyone reflected much more modern times, so it didn't feel remotely historical to me.

Charles really saw Margaret and thought her beautiful and smart. His own father had struggles due to a stroke, so Charles understood her situation somewhat and honestly didn't feel like a life spent with her would be a burden. It's a sweet, fun romance that developed as they worked to solve the mystery. Well, the patent thief was pretty obvious. It was more about collecting the evidence needed to prove the case in a court of law.I liked their relationship.

The author spent a lot of time developing how Margaret suffered a severe injury to her back which left her in constant pain. Sometimes she's too tired to do anything, other times she could carefully dole out her energy. Her back also spasmed painfully when compressed (like a corset), after certain movements, etc. This sounds like a 'you can't push through it' injury that restricts what you can do. Yet, of course, we have her wearing a corset as a disguise (like the self-powered wheelchair doesn't give her away!) and still able to function. These back spasms were so bad it took up to an hour just to get out of bed, yet by the end she's doing things that would hurt a fully able-bodied woman with a great back. No real consequences beyond now being able to wake up to hanky-panky with her husband rather than an hour of pain getting out of bed. I wish that's the way things worked.

Margaret worshiped God with music when in pain. Both she and Charles found soul-healing in music and trusted God. There was no sex or 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.

Fugitive Manhunt by Sharee Stover

Fugitive Manhunt
by Sharee Stover
Mac Fowler (Narrator)

ISBN-13: 9781488238826
Audiobook, Unabridged
Publisher: Harlequin Audio
Released: July 28, 2026

Source: audiobook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
After a prison break, K-9 officer Lizzie Reynolds is ready to join the search for the criminals—but one of the escapees finds her first and ambushes her. She’s rescued by Deputy US Marshal Walker McCane, her high school crush, and they’re forced to work together to find the fugitives. Soon they realize that one of the prisoners has a personal vendetta against Lizzie. As they face persistent attacks, Walker and Lizzie must rely on each other to survive a dangerous game with a convict who wants to complete his deadly plan.


My Review:
Fugitive Manhunt is a romantic suspense. Lizzie worked with her team to solve an ongoing case of a pregnant girl who's been kidnapped, the last in a series of kidnapped pregnant girls that have been found murdered after giving birth. She interviewed some people, but this is the ongoing mystery that will be solved at the end of the series. She and her tracking K9 also helped search for a bunch of prison escapees, though this seemed to consist of walking a hiking trail in the search grid rather than asking the dog to start at the site of the escape and then track people. One of the escapees kept trying to kidnap Lizzie, so Walker, a US Marshal, tried to protect her while they figured out who's behind it. Lizzie was grabbed multiple times, so the suspense not only came from the attacks but from her needing to free herself.

Lizzie and Walker were both manipulated by a friend in high school and thought the other wasn't interested in a relationship. As they worked together and finally talked about it, they found that they still liked each other. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable suspense novel.

The narrator of the audiobook did a good job of saying the text in a way consistent with the text (with surprise if surprised, etc.), and read the story in a way that easily kept my interest. It was easy to follow who was talking and what was going on because she not only gave each character their own tone of voice but their own speech mannerisms as well.


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.

Ambushed in Yosemite by Kellie VanHorn

Ambushed in Yosemite
by Kellie VanHorn

ISBN-13: 9781335919069
Paperback: 208 pages
Publisher: Love Inspired Suspense
Released: July 28, 2026

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Park ranger Skylar Jansen’s morning hike turns into a nightmare when she witnesses a man burying a body—and then the killer chases her through the wilderness. She’s saved by Special Agent Bode Tucker, a devoted single dad, who suspects a serial killer is at work. Soon it becomes clear that the killer may be connected to the cold case disappearance of Sky’s father. With targets now on both of their backs, they team up to investigate, but outrunning danger could be beyond their reach.


My Review:
Ambushed in Yosemite is a Christian romantic suspense. Skylar is the perfect damsel in distress, and I mean this in the nicest way as we are, after all, reading a suspense novel and most women aren't kick-ass law enforcement. Skylar's an average, kind woman with low self-worth and confidence. She often got in trouble because she didn't trust her own judgment. (The serial killer knows my name, where I live, and I don't really feel safe sleeping in my canvas-sided cabin, but the experts think I'll be safe with the police officer on guard outside, so, okay....) She's too trusting that people know what they're doing and are telling the truth. She had extremely good luck, though, in being matched with a serial killer that liked to play games rather than just kill his victim.

However, I can't imagine how Bode became a detective. The killer kept literally telling him the clues he needs, and Bode still couldn't figure out what was so blaring obvious. He did eventually figure it out when an evidence tech told him who the fingerprints belonged to, but the killer had to explain it to Skylar as he tied her up. Bode's also constantly running into known danger (as in, he knows it's a trap) because he can't stand leaving a loved one tied up as bait for even a moment. Sweet, but not generally a successful strategy. Some things just didn't make sense, like they knew that Skylar's phone had been used by the killer, and it's crime scene evidence at the very least. Yet she picked it up and just started using it again. Huh?

There was no sex or bad language. Despite the unrealistic elements, it was a sweet romance in that it gave hope that a man who wasn't that good at his job and a woman who wasn't very discerning could not only survive but end up happily matched.


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 Cloak and Dagger Club by Jackie McMahon

The Cloak and Dagger Club
by Jackie McMahon

ISBN-13: 9798217189557
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Berkley
Released: July 14, 2026

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
London, 1930. Lucy Hubbard is on the cusp of achieving her dreams. With her first mystery novel debuting with strong sales and glowing reviews, she's been invited by Horace Hazelmoor, the king of crime fiction, to join his elite group of writers—the Cloak and Dagger Club.

Thrilled at the opportunity, Lucy finds herself swept up into Horace's glamorous world at the Ritz hotel. She's even willing to put up with the inconvenient presence of her former fiancé, Frank Murray, the club's rising star who is on track to eclipse Horace as Britain's most popular crime writer.

But when Horace is found with a knife in his back, Frank is the police's prime suspect. Despite their complicated history, Lucy knows he's not capable of murder. With suspects galore and the danger rising, these two mystery writers must race to solve the crime—and fight their lingering feelings for each other.


My Review:
The Cloak and Dagger Club is a romance set in 1930 in England. Frank and Lucy met as children, became best friends, and fell in love. Lucy supported Frank's writing, but when he made it big as a published crime novelist, he neglected his now-fiancée in his craving for the praise and approval that he'd never gotten from his abusive father. Lucy broke up with him and wrote her own best-selling mystery novels. Three years later, they meet again at a crime writer's club meeting, investigate a murder, decide they're still in love, and we end with the details of their wedding. This is romance genre. While the characters were engaging and mildly developed, the mystery simply existed to help us get to know the characters better.

While some of this might be fixed by the final version (as I read an Advanced Reader Copy), I wasn't particularly impressed with the mystery aspect. Yes, there were clues, but it was a pretty simple mystery. Lucy was observant, but she failed to put clues together and only solved the crime because whodunit was convinced Lucy had it figured out and basically prompted her to reason it out. Frank at least had a burst of brilliance in which he put clues together and came to rescue Lucy.

Anyway, the main problems: One, the workers at the hotel where the victim lived had motive, means, and opportunity, but Frank and Lucy immediately decided the murderer must be someone from the writer's club. No one, not even the police, once suspected the barman who could have easily done the whole thing. Two, the police don't appear to do any detective work beyond providing time of death and a mention that both poison and a knife were involved. The detective simply harassed Lucy to pressure her into accusing Frank. Three, even though it was extremely obvious when the poisoning occurred, that death took some time, and that the knife didn't kill the victim, Frank and Lucy asked for alibis for when the death occurred. This was meaningless information.

They also spent most of their investigation digging up secrets on their fellow club members in the hopes of finding a motive. This should have messed up their friendships but somehow everyone's the best of friends by the end. Somehow along the way people forgot to even question how the knife got into the victim's back, and we only learned the answer in the final few paragraphs because we're in the thoughts of that attempted murderer. But we're supposed to pass attempted murder off as okay because it was a homosexual who did it out of love to protect their partner from exposure. Hmm.

There was no sex. There was a fair amount of 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.

The Light of Stars by Jenelle Hovde

The Light of Stars
by Jenelle Hovde

ISBN-13: 9798400502934
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Tyndale Fiction
Released: July 14, 2026

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
When Kitty Grenville’s grandfather announces her engagement to Sebastian Sinclair, she’s appalled. She barely remembers the boy she met once as a child—and now he’s a man tied to the East India Company, the very organization that tore her and her brother from their mother and home in Hyderabad years ago. Unwilling to relinquish her dream of a love match or her passion for astronomy, Kitty is determined to refuse the marriage and find freedom in her own way.

Sebastian Sinclair carries the weight of duty and regret. To atone for past sins, he complies with his grandfather’s orders to return to England, fulfill a long-standing betrothal, and defend the maligned East India Company before Parliament. Though Kitty makes her disinterest clear, Sebastian is drawn to her intellect and spirit.

As Kitty navigates her first London season, her opinion of Sebastian begins to shift—especially when he shields her from scandal. When he’s abruptly called back to India, Kitty stuns everyone by marrying him and going with him, hoping to escape her grandfather’s control—and to find her mother.

But the challenges that await in India are greater than imagined. Together, Kitty and Sebastian must confront the legacy of family and empire—and decide if a marriage born of obligation can grow into a love strong enough to endure.


My Review:
The Light of Stars is a Christian romance set in 1814 in England and India. I had to keep reminding myself of just how very young and sheltered Kitty was. She's the daughter of a British man and a Muslim princess whose father ruled an area in India. When her father died (from the illness going around? or murdered due to politics?), the grandfather took her and her brother from the harem and raised them in England. Kitty deeply resented the East India Company for this, though I couldn't see how they were at fault. She idealized what life as a Muslim princess in India with her mother would have been like. Her main objections to Sebastian seemed to be that he didn't declare undying love for her, that he worked for the hated East India Company, and that he got to live in India and knew more about it than she did.

She wanted true love or her independence to pursue astronomy. Though Kitty's warned by several people that her behavior could cause a sandal, she publicly favored a suitor who's mainly interested in her money when people knew she's intended to marry Sebastian. She naively believed the man's flattery only to learn that the image she'd built up of him was an illusion and it's Sebastian that's been supporting her and trying to give her the things her heart desires.

Sebastian believed he could help guide East India Company in respecting the local workers while still making a profit for the British in India. Yet men that he respected were sure that there was more corruption and abuse than he's aware of. Both Kitty and Sebastian had to face reality and hard choices as secrets were uncovered. The characters were likable, and historical details were woven into the story that brought the setting alive. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting historical 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.

Conspiracy by Colleen Coble

Conspiracy
by Colleen Coble

ISBN-13: 9780840714671
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Released: July 7, 2026

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Just as wildlife veterinarian Paradise Alden begins to envision a future with Blake Lawson, the ghosts of her past return with a vengeance. The murder of her parents has shadowed her for fifteen years, but a new threat brings the cold case into the terrifying present. A trained leopard--a chilling embodiment of Paradise's deepest fears--is now stalking her.

Haunted by resurfacing memories, Paradise, Blake, and her newfound brother, Drew, follow a trail of clues that leads them into a web of dark family secrets. The deeper they dig, the more shocking the connections become, linking their families to a dangerous conspiracy that someone is still willing to kill to protect.

Paradise, Blake, and Drew must race to expose a murderer who has remained hidden for fifteen years, but this time, they are the ones being stalked. If they can't unmask the killer, the past will destroy both the fragile future Paradise and Blake are trying to build and the family she has finally found with her brother.


My Review:
Conspiracy is a Christian romantic suspense. This is the third book in a series and continues the story of the main characters in the previous books. Drew, Paradise, and Blake asked questions, found clues, and made connections regarding the deaths of Drew's and Paradise's parents. Two of the bad guys were pretty guessable as the clues built up, and they weren't a surprise to Paradise's group, either. While I didn't guess the main whodunit until the critical clue was uncovered, I did wonder at this person's behavior shortly before the reveal. This killer made a mild attempt to misdirect the investigation but did so by pointing them toward two major clues, one of which prompted Paradise to remember the truth. Basically, the killer needlessly exposed themselves, and I don't quite understand why (though the killer had plans to disappear, and I suppose killers aren't required to be logical).

The main characters were likable and reacted realistically to events. The suspense came from the danger from the attacks on Paradise. Blake and Paradise supported each other and worked well together. Paradise grew in her trust that God cared about her. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this exciting 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 Killer on Campus by Rhonda Starnes

A Killer on Campus
by Rhonda Starnes

ISBN-13: 9781488238680
Audiobook, Unabridged: 208 pages
Publisher: Harlequin Audio
Released: June 30, 2026

Source: audiobook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description from Goodreads:
After dodging bullets twice in one evening, forensic photographer Jane Mason realizes that she’s the target of a killer who wants to hide his crimes. Reopening the investigation of her aunt’s decades-old murder has painted a target on her back, and the culprit is closing in fast. Ridge Snyder—her estranged childhood friend and a former navy SEAL—is determined to protect her from the threats and uncover the killer’s identity. But safety is fleeting as the culprit escalates the stakes, setting deadly traps at every turn. Can Jane and Ridge unearth the truth about the past, or will the killer’s final move silence Jane forever?


My Review:
A Killer on Campus is a Christian romantic suspense novel. Jane, her twin brother, and Ridge were best friends as kids, but Ridge turned down Jane's request to date in high school because he felt she deserved someone who knew how to be a good husband. He then convinced her brother to enlist as a SEAL with him, which Jane opposed and said it'd end up with her brother killed. And she was right, so she's refused to talk to or acknowledge Ridge since then. She continued to barely tolerate his help when her life was threatened and he repeatedly saved her. She also kept making it hard for him to protect her by insisting they do things her way. But he knew her well and understood what he was getting into.

Jane finally came to realize how her actions had impacted various people, putting them in danger or causing Ridge to carry a heavy burden of guilt over her brother's death. She did change her behavior, forgive Ridge, and helped Ridge to forgive himself. I understood why she decided she had always loved him: who wouldn't want to be loved and protected even when you're not being that lovable?

The suspense came from the danger to Jane and those who helped her. They also tried to solve the old mystery, though Jane only uncovered one clue. Ridge had a strong faith in God and prayed over things that concerned him and didn't just ask for help in staying alive. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable suspense novel.

The narrator of the audiobook did a good job of saying the text in a way consistent with the text (with surprise if surprised, etc.), and it was easy to follow who was talking and what was going on. She read the story in a way that easily kept my interest.


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 Spy Keeper of Marseille Roseanna M. White

The Spy Keeper of Marseille
by Roseanna M. White

ISBN-13: 9798400501784
Hardcover: 368 pages
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers
Released: July 7, 2026

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Marseille, France, 1941. Zelie Bellerose never fit the mold of an army officer’s wife. She was too passionate in her convictions, too indifferent to societal expectations. After her husband was killed in the war, Zelie focused on securing a brighter future for her children, hoping to help free her country from the Nazi regime by helping organize a spy ring. When the spy ring's leader is imprisoned, she has to take command of France’s largest spy ring.

Marcel Laurent was a renowned concert pianist before joining the French army and being sent to a POW camp. Freed in a prisoner exchange by a wealthy businessman with ties to the Resistance, Marcel agrees to spy for Alliance by conducting a youth orchestra, gathering intelligence from patrons. Marcel’s weekly radio broadcasts introducing the orchestra’s performances give him the perfect cover to send coded messages over the airwaves.

As Zelie and Marcel grow closer through their shared love of music, she begins to rely on him. But betrayal from within Alliance puts everything they’ve fought for at risk.


My Review:
The Spy Keeper of Marseille is a Christian romantic suspense set in 1941-1942 in France. Zelie's very believable as a woman who could run a spy ring primarily made up of men. We got to see how she developed the spy ring, learning from mistakes so they could do things better ways and grow the number of people involved. However, though we're repeatedly told how vital her work is, we're never really shown how the information they discovered led to a military victory or something like that. Given the repeated empasisis on how she's so vital and must not be captured, it made no sense that, at the end, she stayed behind to personally oversee the evacuation of their central command when others could do it and they knew that Nazis were on the way. It did lead to an enjoyable, exciting ending, but I still don't like it when authors have their heroines inexplicably do something stupid to create that ending.

That said, the characters were well developed, complex people. They acted realistically, and I cared about what happened to them. Vivid historical and setting details were woven into the story, creating a distinct sense of the time and place. Marcel was uniquely able to support Zelie in her role and ecouraged her through his music and words. He showed her love without expecting (though hoping for) romantic love in return.

Both characters learned that God had a bigger view than theirs and to trust Him during difficult, confusing events. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable historical romance.


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.

Protecting the Baby by Jodie Bailey

Protecting the Baby
by Jodie Bailey

ISBN-13: 9781488238628
Audiobook, Unabridged
Publisher: Harlequin Audio
Released: June 30, 2026

Source: audiobook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description from Goodreads:
When a dangerous assailant trespasses on his ranch in the middle of the night, K-9 Officer Eli Blackwood must act quickly to outwit a kidnapper targeting his neighbor and her baby. Protecting veterinarian Carly Mayor and the infant she’s become guardian to means going off the grid and hiding out at his grandfather’s cabin. But who is after baby Ariel…and does it have to do with the mysterious deaths of her parents? Chased through the Colorado wilderness by deadly gunmen, Carly and Eli must work together to survive.


My Review:
"Protecting the Baby is a Christian romantic suspense. Eli lost his pregnant wife in an accident and is reluctant to love again. Carly's dear friends were both murdered within months of each other, leaving her as the guardian of their young baby. Someone wants guardianship of the baby so they can access her secret inheritance, but someone's also trying to kidnap the baby--why? Eli and his protection K9 not only protected Carly and the baby but worked to uncover what's going on. He also worked with his team to solve a ongoing case of a pregnant girl who's been kidnapped as the last in a series of kidnapped pregnant girls that have been found murdered after giving birth.

The suspense came from the danger to Carly and the baby as well as the looming deadline on finding the missing girl in time. Eli and Carly asked good questions, and Eli did a good job of protecting Carly. They fell in love as they spent time together. They'd already become good friends as neighbors, but the danger brought them closer together as they dealt with past and present hurts. Both trusted in God and prayed for help. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable suspense.

The narrator of the audiobook did a good job of saying the text in a way consistent with the text (with surprise if surprised, etc.), and it was easy to follow who was talking and what was going on. She read the story in a way that immersed me in the story and easily kept my interest. 5 stars.


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.

Scent of Hope by Susan May Warren

Scent of Hope
by Susan May Warren

ISBN-13: 9780800746063
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Revell
Released: June 2, 2026

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Sheriff's daughter Harley Tatum hates injustice, as it hits particularly close to home. Her trauma-riddled past made her vow never to return to Copper Mountain, where she lost her family and was abandoned by the man she loved. But when she receives a call that the drug dealer responsible for so much of her pain is at large, she decides to return to Alaska for one final chance at justice.

The last person Jericho Bowie expected to see in Copper Mountain is the woman he abandoned years ago. When Harley needs his heroic avalanche dog, Orlando, to track down a drug lord, Jericho realizes he has a chance to redeem his mistakes. As they navigate the treacherous Alaskan mountains, tentative feelings grow yet again, but their mission quickly turns defensive as the hunted becomes the hunter.


My Review:
Scent of Hope is a Christian romantic suspense. Jericho and Harley both lost their parents when a plane flown by his father went down in bad weather. Jericho left for the military, and Harley left to become a detective. After her brother died from an overdose of drugs supplied by a family involved in distributing drugs, she's determined to stop them from harming more people. They reconnected when the sheriff asked each to join him in tracking these men down. Jericho has been running a SAR dog training school. He and his scent-tracking dog were struggling after an avalanche training session turned tragic.

Jericho and Harley cared for each other and were best friends since they were kids. Yet they had so much painful history and bad interaction patterns in their relationship that they just kept replaying the hurtful beliefs that had come to define them. They also both felt that obtaining justice and keeping the people they loved safe depended on their abilities, and they already knew that didn't always work out. They learned to trust God and gain a new heart that allowed their relationship to start anew, too.

The main characters were complex, realistic people, and I cared about what happened to them. The suspense was created by relationship tensions, bad weather, and bad guys trying to kill them. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this suspenseful 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.

Peril on the Ranch by Lynette Eason

Peril on the Ranch
by Lynette Eason

ISBN-13: 9781488238475
Audiobook, Unabridged
Publisher: Harlequin Audio
Released: May 26, 2026

Source: audiobook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description from Goodreads:
When an infant is abandoned on her ranch, foster mother Isabelle Trent will do anything for the child—even put her own life on the line. She might not know who left the little girl, but it’s clear someone’s after her and will kill to reach their target. With Isabelle’s ranch hand, Brian “Mac” McGee, at her side, can she survive long enough to protect the baby?


My Review:
Peril on the Ranch is a Christian romantic suspense. Isabelle and her husband ran a ranch (on land given to them) where they raised foster kids in a healing environment. He died, but she's still dedicated to raising the kids on the ranch. Mac lost his wife and baby in a car accident. In his grief, he left his job as a police officer and worked various jobs to save enough money to buy his own ranch. He's her new ranch hand, and he admires the way she cares for the kids. The kids help heal his heart. His response? To see if Isabelle would give up her ranch and foster kids to join him in his dream. Umm. Fellow, you like her for certain reasons and then want her to give those things up? Mac was a nice guy who protected Isabelle and the kids, but that nonsense just annoyed me. Happily, Isabelle had some insight into his issues and helped him get several of his relationships back on good ground (including with God).

The suspense came from several attempts by the abandoned baby's father to kidnap his child rather than try to legally claim the baby. He couldn't believe that his behavior was criminal. Someone else also had evil intentions toward Isabelle, though I can only conclude he was insane. His scheme made no sense and would have never gotten started, let alone succeeded, in real life. While Isabelle and the kids carried the story well and Mac ended up a good match for her after an epiphany, I found the suspense-ending so unbelievable that I was left feeling unimpressed. There was no sex or bad language.

The narrator of the audiobook did a good job of saying the text in a way consistent with the text (with surprise if surprised, etc.) and spoke in a way that kept my interest. It was easy to follow what was going on. However, the 'voice' for some of the less frequently speaking characters sometimes changed. For a little bit, most of the male characters had higher-pitched voices than the women and they acquired a nasal accent. That was a little confusing.


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.

Survival in the Mountains by Carrie Stuart Parks

Survival in the Mountains
by Carrie Stuart Parks

ISBN-13: 9781335957795
Paperback: 208 pages
Publisher: Love Inspired Suspense
Released: May 26, 2026

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Rescuing a woman from a burning car crash near his mountain cabin immerses undercover Fish and Game officer Joshua McGregor in a dangerous plot. But all Bethany can remember is being deliberately run off the road. Soon killers are hunting both of them through the unforgiving Idaho wilderness, and the discovery that Bethany’s identity has been erased has them grasping for answers. Now they must avoid treacherous traps and unexpected enemies…while trying to trust each other. But when the truth about Bethany's past proves even more dangerous than they imagined, can she and Joshua protect innocent lives—and save their own?


My Review:
Survival in the Mountains is a Christian romantic suspense. Joshua lost his family in a tragedy, so he choose a dangerous job as an undercover officer in a remote area to try to stop some suspected crime in the area. He saved Bethany when someone ran her off the road, but she couldn't remember much about the last few weeks or anything about the last hours. They started to retrace the research that led her to visit a previously unknown relative in the mountains when things got worse. Someone's erasing her identity, claiming that her house isn't hers, not to mention trying to kill her. I liked that Bethany's clever when she had to escape bad guys, and Joshua and Bethany worked well together. I cared about what happened to them. However, the reason the bad guys needed to kill her was a little hard to believe.

The main characters occasionally prayed. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting 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 Chance for Kallie Mae by Ann H. Gabhart

A Chance for Kallie Mae
by Ann H. Gabhart

ISBN-13: 9780800746278
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Revell
Released: May 19, 2026

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Kallie Mae Bertram has harbored two dreams since childhood: to learn to read and to one day marry Quinn Spencer. But her first dream slipped away when her little sister died of a fever and her mother passed in childbirth. Kallie promised to care for the baby and her younger brother, which meant putting aside her own desires in order to keep her family together. But then a moonlight school for adults offers Kallie hope of finally fulfilling that dream.

After Kallie's father forbids her from seeing Quinn, her second dream seems impossible until her frantic search through the woods for her missing sister leads to an unexpected encounter with Quinn--their first meeting in six years. The love they shared as children burns stronger than ever, awakening hopes Kallie thought were forever buried. But with their families locked in a bitter feud, following her heart could cost Kallie everything she's worked to protect.


My Review:
A Chance for Kallie Mae is a Christian romance set in 1911 in the Appalachian Mountains in Kentucky. The main characters were interesting, well-developed, and complex. I cared about what happened to them. Things started slow with each point-of-view character thinking about the past and how things got to this point, but then the characters had more interactions and things started moving forward.

Kallie and Quinn lived on land right next to each other, yet their fathers each held a deep grudge against the other's family. A brother of each couldn't go to school without finding a reason to fight, but their sisters liked playing together. Kallie and Quinn admired each other and want to marry, but they'd be disowned at best, forbidden to see family again. Each family depended on their labor to function. On the other hand, Kallie's father was pushing her to marry a crude, disrespectful man and her father was courting a widow, so things were going to change.

Kallie and Quinn prayed for a school when young, but it came too late for them. Now they finally had a chance to go to school when the Moonlight School for adults was offered by the new teacher. They saw each other at school and sneaked off to see each other at home, but neither was sure how to create a future together. An older neighbor lady encouraged them to seek God's help. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this nice historical romance.


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.

In Pursuit of Civility by Jennifer Turano

In Pursuit of Civility
by Jennifer Turano

ISBN-13: 9780764243868
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Released: April 21, 2026

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Annaliese Merriweather has been appointed the temporary headmistress of the Merriweather Academy for Young Ladies while her sister is on her honeymoon, but she doesn't feel cut out for the role. Especially after she loses two of her most troublesome students during an outing to a county fair and has to recruit the help of Seth McCormick, an eccentric inventor, to retrieve them.

Soon after, one of those mischievous students disappears again, intent on pursuing a pirate map. Together, Annaliese and Seth set out to find her, accompanied by a menagerie of Annaliese's rescued animal companions. As they stumble from one chaotic situation to the next, sparks fly between Annaliese and Seth.


My Review:
In Pursuit of Civility is a romance set in 1885 in Chicago. This has the typical quirky characters that stand out from the crowd, and I did enjoy Seth. He's thoughtful and paid attention to what Annaliese said, giving her a spiders, for example, rather than a more typical gift. And this won her heart. They're both clearly in love with each other before halfway through, and the only thing holding up a wedding is that Annaliese is worried Seth wants a traditional wife. Just ask him, girl, as it's not like he acts like he's interested in traditional women!

My major problem with this book was the author avoided writing action scenes as much as possible, so little happened "on screen." It's people talking about what's going on, repeating what was just said (maybe even just a sentence ago), or talking about the funny action that just happened "off screen." Wordy, wordy, wordy, and instead of witty it just got tedious.

I also found Annaliese exasperating rather than funny. She meant well but she so often caused the problem she was trying to solve. Like taking 13-year-old girls to a fair (not known as a place for high manners) to practice their manners. Or allowing a 13-year-old who ran away to go treasure hunting (a reward) instead of going home with an adult. Or being willing to pay animal abusers a huge amount of money to acquire their animals when those people would just use that money to buy more animals, thus feeding the trade she's trying to stop. I just couldn't respect her.

The missing aunt prayed to God for rescue, and Annaliese's group "just happened" to learn her whereabouts, which she attributes to answered prayer. There was no sex or bad language. This is the last Jennifer Turano for me. I needed a laugh, but this wasn't it.


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.

Where We Belong by Kim Vogel Sawyer

Where We Belong
by Kim Vogel Sawyer

ISBN-13: 9780593600856
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: WaterBrook
Released: April 21, 2026

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description from Goodreads:
The life of Hester Haak, a widow with no children of her own, takes an unexpected turn when she opens her Kansas home to children from the bustling streets of New York City. The orphan asylum has entrusted her with two sisters and a young boy, and Hester is determined to provide a safe and loving environment for them. Despite the looming uncertainty of their stay, she rises to the challenge, embracing the opportunity to make a difference in their lives.

Meanwhile, Callum Holbrook is grappling with the loss of his wife and the despair that followed. Unable to provide for his family, he made the heart-wrenching decision to place his daughters in an orphanage, promising it was only temporary. Now, with a stable job and a renewed sense of purpose, Callum is horrified to learn that his daughters have been sent halfway across the country. Fueled by determination and love, he embarks on the difficult journey to bring them back.

Through their struggles and triumphs, Hester and Callum discover that family and love can be found in the most surprising places—and that the journey home is paved with hope.


My Review:
Where We Belong is a Christian historical set in 1931 Kansas. Hester's a widow running a store in a small town with an illiterate, elderly man helping her. She longs for children of her own and hears that an orphan train is stopping nearly, so she goes intending to adopt a school age girl. Though she lives in a small, 1 bedroom house, she bafflingly doesn't figure out where she's going to put this child let alone the three children that she returns with. (Luckily, her helper is handy at carpentry as, by the end, there are 8 people living in that house.)

Callum goes to get his two girls from the orphanage only to learn that it has closed down and his girls were sent out on an orphan train. It's his fault: they tried to contact him, but when he never responded or came to visit, they had to assume he was dead or didn't want the girls. He has to find the money to go after them, but even then, how can he leave the best job he's going to get during these hard economic times?

Hester and Callum don't even meet for over half of the book, so it's not really a romance. Most of the story was about Hester trying to raise her new children. Callum's eldest is determined to return to New York City to find her father. Hester's patience and love and the friendships formed with time cause the children to form ties locally. Callum can see that Hester loves the children, but his life is in NYC. She appreciates that he's kind, hardworking, and good with the children.

Several Christian characters helped Callum and his eldest daughter find their relationship with God again and trust Him with their future. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable historical 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.

Retribution in the Mountains by Jodie Bailey

Retribution in the Mountains
by Jodie Bailey

ISBN-13: 9781335957726
Paperback: 208 pages
Publisher: Love Inspired Suspense
Released: April 28, 2026

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
When a planted bomb detonates in her car, former army investigator Melanie Shaw knows that her witness protection cover has been compromised. Suspecting that this was an inside job, she turns to the only person she can trust: her former love, Elliott Weiss--the man she once mistakenly accused of a crime. Despite their rocky history, Elliott agrees to help her, especially when it becomes clear there’s a target on his back too. But when secrets from the past are exposed and an old enemy reappears bent on revenge, one wrong move could be their last.


My Review:
Retribution in the Mountains is a Christian romantic suspense. It's the 4th book in the series, but it can be read as a stand alone. Melanie went undercover as an investigator in Elliott's army unit after he reported accounting discrepancies. Everyone's a suspect, including Elliott since all the evidence pointed at him. Having gotten to know and care for him, she kept searching until she uncovered the true criminal. But she's now hunted by the group the criminal was a part of. When her witness protection is blown, she not sure whom to trust but heads for the man she still loves.

Due to the investigation being confidential, Elliott didn't know why the woman he loved just disappeared after he was accused. He believed the worst of Melanie. If the assassins weren't targeting him, too, he'd be reluctant to get involved with her again. While she still couldn't tell him the truth, he began to realize he's made some wrong assumptions. Despite this huge hurt between them, they worked well together. The main characters were likable and reacted realistically to events.

Melanie learned what becoming a new person in Christ is like because she had to become a new person in witness protection. Elliott fought to be in control and not need any help, but circumstances made him physically vulnerable when he wanted to be enough protection for Melanie. He had to ask for help--first, in prayer to God, and then from his investigative team. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable romantic 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.

The Manhattan Confessions by Jocelyn Green

The Manhattan Confessions
by Jocelyn Green

ISBN-13: 9780764239656
Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Released: April 7, 2026

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Ivy Malone, the New-York Historical Society's librarian, is dedicated to preserving Manhattan's rich history, but when society grand dame Adeline King anonymously reveals her shocking life story, Ivy finds herself holding a highly coveted secret. Burdened with the responsibility of keeping Adeline's identity hidden, Ivy finds the matter increasingly complicated when two men claim ties to the elderly woman--one of them accusing Adeline of involvement in a crime.

Another dilemma brews when Ivy's cousin, Gina, is detained at Ellis Island for lack of proper documentation. Hoping an immigration service can resolve the misunderstanding, Ivy employs their help but is instead thrust into a dangerous world. With time running out, she must unravel the tangle of secrets that bind Adeline's past, Gina's freedom, and her own safety. How far is she willing to go to protect those she loves?


My Review:
The Manhattan Confessions is a Christian romance set in 1926 in New York City. It's the 3rd in a series but works as a stand-alone. Ivy lost her family when she was young, so she idealized family and was constantly looking for people to fill that void and provide her with an assurance she won't be abandoned again. Tom was dealing with lasting trauma from his war experiences. Tom protected Ivy against danger. Ivy's drawn to Tom's kindness toward others. Ivy and Tom built each other up and supported each other.

The main characters were well-developed and engaging. Interesting historical details were woven into the story, mostly about how some people were taking advantage of poor immigrants. I anticipated some of the "twists" but enjoyed the story. I was disappointed by the ending, though: Ivy's told by her friends that doing something sounded like a bad idea but she did it anyway, then she realized the "lure" wasn't genuine and she might now be vulnerable to the bad guys, yet she STILL decided to go off by herself to a dark area (where the bad guy had been waiting for some time). It felt forced: make the heroine act foolishly so the hero could come to her rescue! Then, in the epilogue, we have very pregnant (about to give birth) women skating! Why make heroines randomly throw all sense out the window? (My mother lost a baby due to a short fall, so maybe I'm extra sensitive about this.)

By the end of the story, Ivy realized that God was what she was looking for in human family. He'll never leave her. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable 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.

Targeted in the Swamp by Kerry Johnson

Targeted in the Swamp
by Kerry Johnson

ISBN-13: 9781335957672
Paperback: 208 pages
Publisher: Love Inspired Suspense
Released: March 31, 2026

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Laurel Bell’s first day as a wildlife photography ranger takes a treacherous turn when she is nearly drowned by a masked assassin. Her witness protection cover has been blown, and she knows it’s only a matter of time before her attacker returns to finish the job. Her only chance at survival is police sergeant Heath Calhoun, who will do anything to deliver Laurel to her marshal handler. But when Heath’s young daughter is endangered, the stakes are raised, and now they must race to outsmart the powerful enemies who will stop at nothing to exact their revenge.


My Review:
Targeted in the Swamp is a Christian romantic suspense. Laurel's policeman father was killed, then her adoptive parents died. Witness Protection just moved her to a new town where she knows no one, and she's feeling pretty lonely. Heath helped save her from an attacker, but he's certain she must know her attacker and kept pressuring her to tell him who it was. But Laurel didn't recognize the man, and the man she witnessed against was still in prison a week ago. Her handler's not responding, and she's not supposed to tell anyone that she's in witness protection. This delayed Heath and Laurel from really being able to work together, but trust did build between them as Heath protected her and helped her discover what was going on.

The main characters were generally likable and acted realistically. A few actions taken by various characters didn't make sense to me, like why did the attacker keep nearly drowning Laurel in the shallow swamp until help could arrive rather than simply killing her. The suspense came from the repeated attacks on Laurel and the spill-over danger to those around her. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable 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 Good Fortune of Miss Robbins by Melanie Dickerson

The Good Fortune of Miss Robbins
by Melanie Dickerson

ISBN-13: 9780764245220
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Released: March 17, 2026

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Charlotte Robbins accepts a governess position for the Earl of Brookhaven's siblings despite rumors of the earl's scowling demeanor. As a lowly governess, Charlotte entertains thoughts of possible romance with an eligible servant until she does fall unexpectedly in love--with the pensive earl himself.

But love does not mean a match is possible, and the earl's friends warn Charlotte that if he were to fall for her, it would ruin him. Just as Charlotte resigns herself to the impossibility of her feelings, she receives news that she has inherited a fortune from a long-lost relative. Now thrust into London high society, Charlotte grapples with suitors vying for her attention, but her heart still belongs to the Earl of Brookhaven. As secrets unfold, she's no longer certain if her newfound fortune is a blessing.


My Review:
The Good Fortune of Miss Robbins is a romance set in 1814 in England. Charlotte longs for some of the adventure found in the novels she reads, so she accepts a position as a governess in hopes of finding a man of equal status who will fall in love with her. Instead, she finds a friendship with the Earl, who enjoys talking with her due to her unconventional opinions. He's tired of society's expectations, but his friends see his preference for Charlotte and warn him that he can't possibly marry her unless she had a large fortune. Suddenly, she has 50,000 pounds....but the Earl doesn't follow up on his generosity. Poor Charlotte's also been warned away from the Earl, so she's left fending off fortune hunters while debating what to do with her future.

The main characters were likable, and I appreciated that the romance was based on shared interests, values, and friendship. However, nothing actually stood in the way of their marriage. They loved each other and neither cared about high society's opinion. But the Earl was once engaged to a woman who ran off with someone wealthier than him, so he decided (with no reason) that Charlotte would do the same so he refused to declare his love.

The storyline was rather predictable--even the Earl's aunt told him that his scheme was a bad one. And I know it's meant to be humorous, but Charlotte would have been taught dancing etiquette along with the actual movements. Surely she knew that she had the right to say "no" to invitations--she even overhears others doing so. And, strangely, no one in high society actually seemed to follow good manners as many invited themselves to events, for example. Some parts just didn't feel believable.

Charlotte wonders what God's will is for her life and how to use her fortune for good. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable, if somewhat predictable, romance.


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.