Sunday, December 7, 2025

Ann Swindell: Love in the Castle Library

By Kelly Bridgewater

About the Book

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

Author: Ann Swindell

Genre: Contemporary Christian Romance

Release Date: October 15, 2025

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

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

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

My Thoughts:

Love in Castle Library by Ann Swindell is a captivating romantic story filled with historical research and delight. I love the cover of the two books in this series. They capture my book-loving attention with the castle background and the idea of a story that has to do with uncovering a mystery of a missing queen. I have heard a lot of good things about the first book, so I was excited when I could read the second book. Now, I have not read the first book, so there might be some plot items that I am missing. However, as much as I wanted to follow a story with tons of research and work toward uncovering the historical aspects. The story does focus a lot on the romance between the stewardess and one of the added historical researchers. I was disappointed that the historical research was there, but it kind of played around on the edges of the story. The romance took the front seat of the plot, and the historical aspect took a back seat. Unfortunately, I enjoy a story where romance happens because of all the time they spend together researching and realizing how excited the hunt makes them, and the two characters grow close over this. While Swindell does understand a good story, I believe that fans of contemporary romance will probably adore the heavy romance aspect. On the other hand, I, personally, felt that the story dragged on and on. Overall, Love in the Castle Library by Ann Swindell is a delightful contemporary romance, but for me, it was a little over the top. I wished the historical research took precedent over the romance thread.

I received a complimentary copy of Love in the Castle Library by Ann Swindell, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

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About the Author

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

More from Ann

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

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

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

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

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

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

Blog Stops

To Everything There Is A Season, December 6

Mary Hake, December 6

Lily’s Corner, December 7

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, December 8

Where Faith and Books Meet, December 8

Leslie’s Library Escape, December 9

Inkwell Inspirations , December 10

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

Devoted Steps, December 11

Texas Book-aholic, December 12

Holly’s Book Corner, December 12

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 13

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, December 14

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, December 15

Devoted To Hope, December 16

Stories By Gina, December 17 (Author Interview)

Lyssa Loves Books, December 17

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

Raining Butterfly Kisses, December 19

The Bookish Pilgrim, December 19

Giveaway

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

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/3e375/love-in-the-castle-library-celebration-tour-giveaway

Monday, November 3, 2025

Stephanie Landsem: The Fault Between Us

By Kelly Bridgewater

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

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

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

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

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

My Thoughts:

The Fault Between Us by Stephanie Landsem was a moving story about sisters, relationships, and hope. Readers will love how Landsem built up each individual character through a good portion of the story so that readers will know them personally. Landsem does a wonderful job at diving into their hurts, pains, and lives that they felt like they could be my sisters. She does tell the story from several different characters’ perspective, which I believe strengthens the storyline. The setting is very important to the story. It could not happen at any other time. Plus, Landsem does a wonderful job at crafting the setting, so readers do get lost in Yellowstone. The title does have a few different meanings to the plot of the story, and I really liked this aspect. My favorite part is when the climactic moment happened that I knew these characters so well because Landsem built them up that I enjoyed seeing the transformation of each character. Overall, The Fault Between Us by Stephanie Landsem is a moving tale that I enjoyed losing myself in, and the plot and the characters will stick with me long after I finished the novel.

I received a complimentary copy of The Fault Between Us by Stephanie Landsem from Tyndale Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Purchase The Fault Between Us

Monday, October 27, 2025

Jennifer Graeser Dornbush: What Darkness Does

By Kelly Bridgewater

Dr. Emily Hartford finds herself dredging the depths of Lake Isabella—and her own past relationship—in What Darkness Does, the next thrilling mystery from Jennifer Graeser Dornbush.

Called in to investigate the body of a young mother found floating in a small Michigan lake, Freeport coroner Dr. Emily Hartford quickly determines that Samantha Browdey was murdered. Among the many questions circling this horrifying event is one that yanks hard on Emily’s heartstrings: Where is Samantha’s infant daughter? Working alongside police detective Isode Aditson, Emily becomes ferociously determined to find the missing baby, Brooklyn.

At the same time, Emily’s longtime boyfriend Nick Larsen has reappeared—after being missing, presumed dead, for over a year. But Nick has changed. Badly injured and severely traumatized, the ex-cop turned FBI agent is a different man, one who has endured unimaginable brutality and then buried his secrets deep. Nick has a long road ahead … but he’s not a patient man, and catching a sadistic killer seems like good enough therapy to him.

Emily has her doubts, but what’s clear is that a cruel killer’s reign of terror must be stopped, one way or another. Their foe is formidable, increasingly bold, and brutally reckless. To catch this monster, Nick must battle his own demons, while Emily puzzles together the mystery of Brooklyn’s whereabouts, in hopes of giving a grieving family a happy ending.

My Thoughts:

What Darkness Does by Jennifer Graeser Dornbush is a thriller novel that I really enjoyed. However, as a word of caution, there are some scenes that are graphic and brutal to read and a couple of bad language words. One thing I enjoy about mysteries is discovering who the villain is. What feels cheap to me is when the author shows who the villain is. Personally, I like to see clues and see if I can find out who this person is before the end of the novel. What Darkness Does is a novel where early on, the readers will know who the person is and will watch him brutally hurt several people along the way. Even though I prefer to guess, the readers will have the chase of wondering if the villain will be captured and how. As for the heroine, Emily, it was nice to catch up with her again. This time, if readers are familiar with all the stories in this series, Nick takes on more of an important role in capturing the villain. I enjoyed the story and the chance to capture the villain because there were plenty of moments of action and suspense, which is the way I like my thriller stories. I do recommend this book, and I am excited that there are more to come.

I received a complimentary copy of What Darkness Does by Jennifer Graeser Dornbush from Blackstone Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Purchase What Darkness Does

Monday, September 8, 2025

Michelle Shocklee: The Women of OakRidge

By Kelly Bridgewater

In the hills of Tennessee, two women work at a Manhattan Project site during World War II and uncover truths that irrevocably change their lives in this captivating new story from award-winning Southern fiction author Michelle Shocklee.

1944. Maebelle Willett arrives in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, eager to begin her new government job and send money home to her impoverished family. She knows little about the work she will be doing, but she’s told it will help America win the war. Not all is what it seems, however. Though Oak Ridge employees are forbidden from discussing their jobs, Mae’s roommate begins sharing disturbing information, then disappears without a trace. Mae desperately attempts to find her but instead comes face-to-face with a life-altering revelation—one that comes at significant cost.

1979. Laurel Willett is a graduate student in Boston when she learns about the history of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, where thousands unknowingly worked on the atomic bomb. Intrigued because she knows her Aunt Mae was employed there, Laurel decides to spend the summer with her aunt, hoping to add a family connection to her thesis research. But Mae adamantly refuses to talk about her time in the Secret City. Mae’s friends, however, offer to share their experiences, propelling Laurel on her path to uncovering the truth about a missing woman. As Laurel works to put the pieces together, the hidden pain and guilt Mae has tried so hard to bury comes to light . . . with potentially disastrous consequences.

My Thoughts:

The Women of Oak Ridge by Michelle Shocklee is a unique look into the Manhattan Project during World War II. Most students who have studied World War II have learned about the Manhattan Project, but never heard about a little town that helped create the atomic bomb. Readers will enjoy how Shocklee takes the stories of characters who actually worked and dealt with the issues there and brought it to the forefront of their knowledge. The characters' struggle and defeat were realistic and harrowing. Mae's story will keep readers' guessing and wondering what really happened. I couldn't read fast enough. I really want to know what happened. Why did it affect her so much? What happened to her? Shocklee laid out a wonderful story, and I felt engrossed in the plot. This story reminded me a lot of her story The Tulip Tree, that I absolutely loved and still think about today. I recommend this story and hope others love it as well as I did.

I received a complimentary copy of The Women of Oak Ridge of Michelle Shocklee from Tyndale Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Purchase The Women of Oak Ridge

Monday, September 1, 2025

Donna Mumma: First Comes Marriage, Then Comes Murder

By Kelly Bridgewater

Vivien's Bridal Creations Found at Murder Scenes Mid-century glam meets murder mayhem in a series of cozy mysteries at Wynton's Department Store. It is 1956 in Levi City, Florida. Vivien Sheffield, renowned bridal gown designer and consultant for Wynton's Department Store, is facing the greatest challenge of her career. Someone has been killing brides who wore one of her custom gowns in their wedding! Vivien's fellow employees and close friends—Audrey, Mary Jo, and Gigi—and her assistant Mirette spring into action to save Miss Vivien and the young brides of Levy City before the murderer succeeds at destroying Vivien's business at Wynton's. . .and her reputation. Be sure to also read The Women of Wynton's by Donna Mumma

My Thoughts:

First Comes Marriage, Then Comes Murder by Donna Mumma is a slight mystery with four friends who work at Wynton’s, a department store in the 1950’s. I love how eccentric and different the four women are. They spend time together, encourage each other, and lean on each other in hard times. Personally, I wish the story had a deeper spiritual thread for the characters. Maybe show them reading the Bible together and praying. I believe more women need women that will pour into each other’s lives. On the other hand, the mystery is really, really tame. Occasionally, another bride appears dead, and the four women talk about it, but then they move back on with their daily lives. It is not the central aspect of the story, which is what the title does lead the readers to believe that it is. Readers will find the tiny details like the bus ride to ring true for the time period that the story takes place in. Readers will enjoy the little details like the clothes and the order of what women can and cannot do. Mumma has spent some time trying to research and stay true to the time period. Overall, First Comes Marriage, Then Comes Murder by Donna Mumma reads okay for a historical fiction piece, but I needed more spirituality in the character’s lives and more attention to the mystery.

I received a complimentary copy of First Comes Marriage, Then Comes Murder by Donna Mumma from Barbour Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Purchase First Comes Marriage, Then Comes Murder

Monday, August 4, 2025

Kristy Cambron: The French Kitchen

By Kelly Bridgewater

"In The French Kitchen, award-winning author Kristy Cambron weaves multiple characters and storylines into a tapestry of secrets, betrayals, and redemption. Full of mouthwatering culinary scenes and peppered with several appearances from famed chef Julia Child, who worked in intelligence during World War II, this story of spies and lovers zips between the coast of northern France during the war and Paris in the early 1950s . . . Delicious!" --Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling author of The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau

As Paris rebuilds in the aftermath of World War II, Kat Fontaine never expected the skills she learned in a French chateau kitchen to be the key that unlocks the secrets swirling in her new post-war life.

Paris, 1952--Still haunted by the years she spent serving in the American Office of Strategic Services (OSS) during WWII, ex-pat Kat Fontaine, now living in Paris, finds a simple cookery class led by indomitable chef Julia Child unearths the tangle of gut-wrenching memories of war. Determined to find her brother who went missing during the war and is presumed dead, Kat questions everything, especially her high-ranking society husband whose past is as murky as her own. But when the puzzle pieces start to come together--and her carefully crafted Paris world begins to fall apart--Kat must confront her own secrets against the mounting suspicions of the husband she thought she knew . . .

Rue, 1943--Deep in the heart of Nazi-controlled northern France, Manon Altier shifts between working for the enemy by day--as a French chef at the famous Chateau du Broutel, where names like Himmler, Rommel, and Goebbels frequent the guest list--and running with underground networks against the Vichy regime at night. Working undercover to filter critical information to agents within the burgeoning OSS presence in France, Manon digs deep into the glitz and glamour of a Nazi stronghold that has her teetering on the edge of being discovered at any turn. But when an intriguing stranger appears at the chateau claiming to work with the French Resistance, Manon must lean on her instincts to judge whether to run and hide or stand firm--even as a terrifying discovery tests her resolve to continue the fight.

From the heights of culinary cuisine in 1950s Paris society to the underbelly of a WWII spy network embedded deep within Nazi-controlled Vichy France--and the spy backstory of the world's most famous would-be French chef, Julia Child--The French Kitchen turns up the heat on the pasts of women whose worlds collide, and forces each to question what she thought she'd planned for a perfect future.

My Thoughts:

The French Kitchen by Kristy Cambron had me scratching my head. The story is told from two different heroines' perspective, then told in two different time periods. As I was reading, I had a hard time keeping the two stories apart. While I love a good World War II spy novel, I really was drawn into the concept of the story, but it sadly did not deliver for me. The action was a little on the downside, and the romance really was not there. It wanted to be, but it was weak at times. The surprise ending was nice, but I felt like the story really didn't set up to have that type of reveal. I enjoyed the setting. I liked traveling through Europe during a horrific time in world history. Cambron does a good job at allowing her readers to see and feel the setting. Her prose is nicely handled. I loved how she crafted some sentences and used words to convey a feeling or color that I would not have thought of to describe things, but it worked perfectly for the story. Overall, The French Kitchen by Kristy Cambron really did not deliver the type of story that I was promised to have been given. I wanted more suspense. Maybe just one heroine in the two different timelines.

I received a complimentary copy of The French Kitchen by Kristy Cambron from Harper Collins Christian Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Purchase The French Kitchen

Tuesday, July 29, 2025

Pepper Basham: The Highland Heist

By Kelly Bridgewater

About the Book

Book: The Highland Heist (A Freddie and Grace Mystery Book 4)

Author: Pepper Basham

Genre: Christian Fiction/Historical Fiction

Release Date: July, 2025

My Thoughts:

The Highland Heist by Pepper Basham thrills me as a historical mystery. I love catching up with Grace and Freddie. This couple is mysterious and loving all wrapped in a story goodness. I love seeing their relationship continue and develop. These characters are definitely becoming one of my favorite characters. As for the mystery, it felt a little disjointed. The story starts out strong, but then it twists to something else, then moves to a totally different country to complete the new mystery, which I enjoyed the new mystery. It just didn’t flow like one mystery. It read like three different types of mysteries trying to fight for attention. Yes, there is a resolution that kind of came out of nowhere, but it still was nice to see the mystery wrap itself up. The different country setting’s house was spooky just enough to make the mystery hold my attention. Overall, The Highland Heist by Pepper Basham features great characters who wiggle their way into the reader’s heart. Mystery was not one of my favorite mysteries. I will definitely own a paper copy in my library.

I received a complimentary copy of The Highland Heist by Pepper Basham from Barbour Publishing through Celebrate Lit Tours, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Purchase The Highland Heist

About the Author

Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes romance peppered with grace and humor with southern Appalachian flair. Both her historical and contemporary novels have garnered recognition in the Grace Awards, Inspys, and ACFW Carol Awards. Her historical romance, The Thorn Healer, was a finalist in the 2018 RT Awards. Her historical romance novels, My Heart Belongs in the Blue Ridge and The Red Ribbon, and her contemporary novels, the Mitchell’s Crossroads and Pleasant Gap series, showcase her Appalachian heritage, as well as her love for humor and family. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC where she is the mom of five great kids, a speech-language pathologist to about fifty more, and a lover of chocolate, jazz, hats, and Jesus.

Excerpt

June 23, 1914

Perfect husbands were rare, except perhaps in fiction, but Grace Percy, Countess of Astley, had married the real-life equivalent, she was certain.

“I still cannot believe this surprise, Frederick!” Grace’s shock had continued all the way from the harbor, where her dear husband had announced that they’d arrived in America instead of England. “I thought the terrain looked different than England, but I never suspected we’d go anywhere else except your beloved Havensbrooke.”

“Our beloved Havensbrooke, I hope?” he corrected, turning from his place in the front seat of the hired touring, next to a rather somber driver.

Her smile immediately responded. At nearly seven months married, Grace still found her thoughts paused on occasion at the idea of his English estate being her home. But how could she help it? They’d only lived in the estate a few months before they’d taken off on their honeymoon tour. But oh, what a delightful introduction to her new home, complete with a murder mystery and a ghost hunt.

She sighed. Married life certainly kept proving to be wonderfully exciting.

She sent him another grin before tipping her head out the window just enough to take in the familiar lane leading to her father’s house. “How did you even know where to go? Harrington is such a small place outside of Richmond, and I know I’ve never given you exact directions.”

His low chuckle warmed the already heated June air, skittering a familiar welcome of tickles up her bare neck. “I’ve written my own letters to your father, darling.” His voice, so smooth and English, carried such delicious tenderness that Grace turned to find him shooting a wink to their adopted daughter, Zahra.

Zahra’s lips tipped. She rarely showed great affection, but who could blame her? After losing her family and living on the streets of Cairo, the little girl still had plenty of healing to do. So every smile came extra special.

Poor Miss Cox, the young English maid Frederick had hired in Italy to accompany them through the remainder of their trip, blushed at Frederick’s wink and smile. After all the overt affection Grace lathered on her darling husband, it was a wonder Miss Cox hadn’t gotten used to it yet, but perhaps the trouble lay more in how very handsome her husband was.

Grace thought about that idea for a moment. She supposed if she wasn’t married to this wonderful man, she’d find herself a little awestruck too.

Truth be told, he was so handsome, he might fit the description of a dime-novel villain, but she was very glad fiction didn’t get it right on that score either.

“Besides, it may be a while before we can travel again.” He continued, turning back to face the front of the car. “I know it’s a few months earlier than we’d originally planned, but it seemed a waste not to take advantage of being at sea. And I know you’d love to see your family.”

Grace would have kissed his cheek if she hadn’t been sitting in the back seat of the touring with Zahra between her and Miss Cox. “You are the most wonderful man.” She turned to Zahra and Miss Cox. “Don’t you think so?”

Miss Cox’s eyes widened, and she quickly looked away, but Zahra’s grin stretched enough to show off her teeth. The simple white dress she wore brought out the depths of those endless gray-green eyes. Grace still couldn’t stop smiling at the very idea that the little girl belonged to her and Frederick now.

“He has all his hair and teeth.” Zahra nodded, the tiniest twinkle in her eyes alerted Grace that the little girl might be finding her humor. “That is a help.”

Frederick’s laugh burst out. “Indeed it is, Zahra. And I’m glad to still possess both of them.”

Grace studied his thick dark hair for a second longer, her fingers twitching to push through his locks, but the very idea could send poor Miss Cox through the car window. Grace drew in a deep breath to keep her show of admiration to a more appropriate public display and leaned toward Zahra. “The gardens at Rutledge House are lovely, Zahra. They were my mother’s gardens, and I’d often spend time with her there. Hopefully, when we return to our dear Havensbrooke”—she emphasized, sending her dear husband a look to ensure her noted her correction—“you and I and, perhaps even Lily, can work to restore those gardens together. Then we can make our own special place too. Gardens are very creative places in stories as well as in real life.”