Julie Lessman: A Whim and A Prayer

 By Kelly Bridgewater

Welcome to the Blog Tour for A Whim and a Prayer by Julie Lessman, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: A Whim and a Prayer
Series: The Cousins O'Connor #4
Author: Julie Lessman
Publisher: Independent
Release Date: September 8, 2026
Genre: Historical Romance

(NOTE! THIS BOOK IS A SWEET INSPIRATIONAL WITH A HIGHER LEVEL OF ROMANTIC PASSION)

She’s a former orphan desperate to protect her heart.
He’s a best friend who protects her from the start.
Till prayer protects them both from a true love torn apart.

Discarded like so much trash on the steps of an orphanage at age two, seventeen-year-old Winifred Dennehy thinks God has it out for her. Abandoned by abusive parents and born cross-eyed to boot, she spent the first four years of her life battling bullies and verbal abuse. Deliverance came in the form of one Beckett Campbell, the ten-year-old orphan who became her best friend and guardian angel for life, along with an orphanage volunteer by the name of Mrs. D. When Mrs. Charity Dennehy adopts Winnie into her family, has her crossed eyes fixed, and secretly arranges for Beckett to be fostered and then adopted by elderly neighbors down the street, Winnie figures her luck has changed. But instead of attributing it to God like Beckett does, she’s inclined to believe it’s her own grit, charm, and spontaneity that has paved the way.

From the moment twenty-four-year-old Beckett Campbell saw the tiny, cross-eyed orphan who reminded him of the sister he lost, he wanted to love and protect her forever. Best friends from the start despite over five years apart, Winnie’s naïve spontaneity for wild hairs and whims keeps Beck’s mature responsibility busy and happily so. Until the little girl he wanted to protect suddenly becomes the young woman he wants to love. When Winnie insists on protecting their friendship from the fear and risk of anything more, Beck has a decision to make. Friendship forever … or a life apart from the best friend he loves. Praying that Winnie will change her mind, Beck doesn’t hold out much hope for that day. But when an unexpected turn of events alters both of their lives, it puts “a whim and a prayer” on a collision course that just might make a way.

My Thoughts:

A Whim and a Prayer by Julie Lessman is definitely my most favorite book of the O'Connor's clan stories. I love how Lessman includes a family that has been in my imagination for a LOOOONG time. I have loved this family, and every time Lessman writes another story that includes this family, it is a must purchase book. With this story, Lessman has crafted my favorite romance tropes. I love a Best Friend to More story. With Beckett and Winnie, Lessman does exactly that. She gives Winnie personal scares that she has to overcome in order to accept God, then she can accept love from others. The description does include more spice than normal Christian fiction. BUT at least, the romance is between married couples. Some might not like this aspect but I actually enjoy it to show that Christian are not prudes when it comes to romance. Overall, A Whim and A Prayer ended too quickly for me. I needed more. I definitely will be purchasing a physical copy when available.  

I received a complimentary copy of A Whim and A Prayer by Julie Lessman through Just Read Tours, but the opinions stated are all my own. 

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon

More in This Series

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About the Author

A lover of all things Irish, Julie Lessman writes close-knit Irish family sagas that evolve into 3-D love stories: the hero, the heroine, and the God that brings them together. Award-winning author of The Daughters of Boston, Winds of Change, Heart of San Francisco, Isle of Hope, Silver Lining Ranch, and The Cousins O’Connor series, Julie was American Christian Fiction Writers 2009 Debut Author of the Year and has garnered over 24 Romance Writers of America and other awards.

Voted #1 Romance Author in Family Fiction magazine’s 2012 and 2011 Reader’s Choice Awards, Julie also made Family Fiction magazine’s Best of 2015, 2014, and “Essential Christian Romance Authors” 2017-2021, 2023, as well as Booklist’s 2010 Top 10 Inspirational Fiction and Borders Best Fiction.

In addition, Julie has written a self-help workbook for writers entitled Romance-ology 101: Writing Romantic Tension for the Sweet and Inspirational Markets, and What’s the Story, Morning Glory: A Memoir Devotional with a “Novel” Approach to Practical Christianity. Contact Julie through her website at www.julielessman.com.

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Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a $50 Amazon gift card!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight September 21, 2026 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on September 28, 2026. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US/CAN only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

Elizabeth Goddard; When the Silence Breaks

By Kelly Bridgewater

Series: Mercy Ridge #1
Release Date: August 4, 2026
Genre: Fiction / Romantic Suspense, Fiction / Mystery & Suspense

A deathbed confession. A decades-old secret. A mountain that holds the answers--and danger closing in.

When intelligence analyst Sarah Ellison learns of her grandfather's deathbed confession connected to her brother's murder, she's determined to protect her remaining family. After further investigation, she discovers the disclosed information points to a decades-old government secret buried deep in the Cascade Mountains. With this knowledge, she looks for a guide who knows the terrain like the back of their hand.

After his father's death in a tragic mountain accident, former Navy SEAL Ryder Goodwin no longer guides for the family business. At first, Ryder refuses to help Sarah, but he sees the trouble chasing her and can't stand by while someone brings danger to his small-town mountain community.

Ryder and Sarah gear up to climb the mountain in a race against time and a looming storm. When the danger escalates, their search for answers shifts to a survival mission. Their only chance to make it through involves trusting each other and confronting the truth no one wants them to find.

This gripping romantic-suspense thriller set in the Pacific Northwest from USA Today bestselling author Elizabeth Goddard is a series opener that will sweep you away in a rush of adrenaline.

My Thoughts:

When the Silence Breaks by Elizabeth Goddard is a mixture of a treasure hunt and suspense at the same time. Someone is following the heroine and hero as they are trapsing up the mountainside looking for a longtime missing airplane during World War II. Goddard does a wonderful job at creating characters who are completely different, and readers will have no problem distinguishing between the two. Both characters can play off each other and work well together, especially in the harrowing situations they are thrown into. Readers will also love how detailed the setting is because Goddard uses great description to invite readers into the story and allow them to feel the cold get colder as they move upward on the mountain. As for romance, it is really not there, which I like. There are moments where the heroine and hero wonder if there is something more than what is on the surface, but Goddard did not force a relationship between the two. Overall, When the Silence Breaks by Elizabeth Goddard was a quick and thrilling read in the mountains. I want to read the next book in this series.

I received a complimentary copy of When the Silence Breaks by Elizabeth Goddard from Revell Publishing through JustRead tours, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars 

Purchase Amazon / Baker Book House

C. C. Warrens: Crossbones

 By Kelly Bridgewater

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for Crossbones

by C.C. Warrens, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Crossbones
Series: A Holly Novel #6
Author: C.C. Warrens
Publisher: Independently Published
Release Date: May 15th, 2026
Genre: Romantic Suspense

"Sticks and stones will break your bones, if you

make me hurt you.”

Some truths are better left buried, but Jace Walker

is determined to unearth the skeletons in her family’s

closet. Leverage is all she needs to keep her brother

alive, and she’s willing to risk everything to save him.

Even her life.
But is she willing to risk the lives of her friends?

Holly and Jordan take on the case, but what should

be a simple investigation takes a deadly turn when

they stumble onto a murder. Family secrets are the

least of their concerns as their path intertwines

with a killer intent on remaining hidden.

He doesn’t want to be found.
He doesn’t want to be known.
And anyone who threatens his anonymity dies.

My Thoughts:

Crossbones by C.C. Warren is a captivating novel with a serial killer. The plot moves through one mystery, but then it ties nicely with another mystery that comes across the story. Warren does a wonderful job at putting Holly and Jordan in difficult situations as they try to solve the beginning mystery but then end up another mess. I love a good mystery where I do not know who the villain is, and Warren did a wonderful job at leaving trails and breadcrumbs all over the place that keep leading to different characters. Warren crafted the story just the way that I like my suspense novels. Plenty of action. Plenty of close calls. Plenty of moments wondering if the characters were going to make it or not. Even has some romance that flirted with the edge of the storyline. If readers are not familiar with the previous stories in this series, like me, they will want to pick up the other books to see some of the past events that might have occurred in another story. Overall, Crossbones by C.C. Warren was a thrilling hunt for justice, and I’m really interested in picking up more stories by Warren. This is will not be my only story by her that I will read. I want more.

I received a complimentary copy of Crossbones by C.C. Warrens through JustRead Tours, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Buy from the Author | Amazon | BookBub

More in This Series

  

   

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About the Author

Jesus and laughter have brought C.C. Warrens

through some very difficult times in life, and she

weaves both into every story she writes, creating a

world of breath-stealing intensity, laugh-out-loud

humor, and a sparkle of hope. Writing has been a

slowly blossoming dream inside her for most of her

life until one day it spilled out onto the pages that

would become her first published book.

If she’s not writing, she’s attempting to bake

something—however catastrophic that might be—

or she’s enjoying the beauty of the outdoors with her

husband. One of the many things she’s learned

since she started this journey is that the best way

to write a book is to go on a long stroll with her husband.

That is when the characters—from their backgrounds

to the moments that make them laugh or bubble over

with anger—come to life.

Connect with C.C. by visiting ccwarrens.com to

follow her on social media and subscribe to email

updates.

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Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a grand prize of a signed
Crossbones paperback with bookmark, sticker,
character art card, and a $10 Amazon gift card!
Up to (5) winners will each receive an ebook of
Crossbones, delivered via Bookfunnel!
Up to (4) winners will each receive an audiobook
download of Crossbones!
Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins
at midnight May 25, 2026 and
will last through 11:59 PM EST on June 1, 2026.
Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the
giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk
forfeiture of prize. US only for grand prize. Void where
prohibited by law or logistics.
Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.
Enter Giveaway

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!