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!

Jessica R. Patch: The Girl Upstairs

 By Kelly Bridgewater

Welcome to the Blog Tour for The Girl Upstairs by Jessica R. Patch, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: The Girl Upstairs
Author: Jessica R. Patch
Publisher: Harlequin Love Inspired Trade
Release Date: April 28, 2026
Genre: Psychological Thriller

"Jessica R. Patch weaves a dark, twisty tapestry that’s both unsettling and unexpectedly hopeful. Masterful." –New York Times bestselling author Allison Brennan

She bought this house to save her marriage. Unearthing its secrets might just claim her life.

Gwen McDaniel’s life is broken. But she knows the perfect place to fix it. Cold Harbor, Maine, an idyllic small town with views of Acadia National Park, is where she used to vacation with her parents as a child. Here, she and Steven can start over, renovating their cliff-side fixer-upper while patching up their marriage. Soon, everything will be better.

Except from the moment they arrive, Gwen sees and hears things, and it’s more than just the drafts and shadows that are part of any old house. Steven downplays her fears, warning her not to fixate on problems as she has in the past. But Gwen spent years as a homicide detective, and her instincts don’t lie. Something happened here. Proof comes when she rips up the attic’s carpet to discover a chilling message carved into the wood underneath.

As Gwen delves into the history of the house and the Cold Harbor community, she begins to piece the fragments together. And gradually, a terrifying picture emerges: A missing girl. A house of horrors. And a dark, decades-old nightmare that is more haunting than Gwen ever imagined…

 

My Thoughts:

The Girl Upstairs by Jessica R. Patch is a thrill chase to the surprise ending. I love watching Gwen, the heroine, work on solving the mystery of the house she moved into. Patch does a wonderful job at creating a husband that appeared to be mysterious, but supportive at the same time. My favorite part of the story is the multiple surprises that Patch puts into the story. It starts like a normal story of an ex-detective, but trust me, surprises abound. I like the small town feeling that comes together to celebrate Halloween instead of it being Christmas like most stories when they feature a small town. The setting was perfect for the story. I really enjoyed this story. Patch has been writing the type of stories that I love. Thrillers with a touch of heart. I hope she keeps writing stories that I want to own. She always surprises me too, which is really hard for majority of authors to do know since I read so widely in this genre. Overall, The Girl Upstairs by Jessica R. Patch is a unique, surprising thriller that I could not put down. I highly recommend this for readers of mysteries.

I received a complimentary copy of The Girl Upstairs by Jessica R. Patch from Love Inspired Suspense, and the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Harlequin.com | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | BookBub

Also Available

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About the Author

Jessica R. Patch is a New York Times and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of more than thirty novels. Known for her pulse-pounding plots, emotionally charged characters, and signature twists, Jessica’s stories explore themes of justice, resilience, and the unshakable power of hope.

Whether weaving inspirational stories of danger edged with romance or crafting chilling thrillers that probe the shadows of the human heart, Jessica delivers fiction that thrills while shining light in the darkest places.

She makes her home in Northwest Mississippi, where she enjoys life with her family, a good cup of tea, and dreaming up her next edge-of-your-seat story usually over tacos and queso.

You’re invited to join the Patched In community at her website: jessicarpatch.com and receive a FREE short thriller, Nobody Has to Know.

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Tour Giveaway

(2) winners will each receive a signed copy of The Other Sister and a $10 Amazon gift card!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight April 27, 2026 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on May 4, 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 only for the print copy. 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!

Jen Turano: In Pursuit of Civility

 By Kelly Bridgewater

 LESSON TWO: Become headmistress and expect to find yourself partnering with an attractive inventor to search for treasure.

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. Somehow, they'll need to outwit dangerous individuals also intent on seeking the treasure and bring everyone back in one piece--all while deciphering what their hearts desire.

With witty characters and humorous banter, Jen Turano takes readers on a lively tale of hijinks, humor, treasure hunting, and forced proximity in her latest historical rom-com set in Chicago at a finishing school during the Gilded Age.

 

 

My Thoughts:

In Pursuit of Civility by Jen Turano features many different, yet charming animal characters who make the story a little different, yet in a good way. Annaliese, the heroine, is a decorum instructor at Merriweather Academy for Young Ladies, which her older sister help created out of the castle that their sister left them. Readers need to read the first book in the series to see how this happens. I love Turano’s stories, but in this installment, she does have many moments where readers are going to see two characters have a dialogue, and it will go on for pages with no real action happening. This was a little annoying at times. I wanted something to happen instead of just reading their lines. It made me wonder what the other characters were doing while these two characters were just talking. As for the romance, I like the little gestures that Seth gives to Annaliese to show his affection. There was one gift that stood out, and it is mentioned repeatedly in the story. The plot, besides what I mentioned earlier, does move along nicely. There are mishaps with skunks, pirates, monkeys, and birds that make the reader laugh. Overall, In Pursuit of Civility by Jen Turano was not one of my favorite of her stories, but I will definitely open a paperback copy.

I received a complimentary copy of In Pursuit of Civility by Jen Turano from Bethany House Publishers, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Purchase In Pursuit of Civility

Melanie Dobson: The Lost Story of Via Belle

By Kelly Bridgewater

 Searching for a story to adapt for film, an aspiring screenwriter becomes captivated by a bestselling classic novel and the mysterious disappearance of the woman who wrote it.

1940. Via Belle’s sweet romance novels made readers believe in happily ever after. But Via’s reality was much more complicated. While her first husband was alive, her creativity thrived in a beautiful stone estate situated above a pristine lake and moonflower garden. After his tragic death and a whirlwind second marriage shrouded in secrets, Via vanished from public life, leaving behind a shadow of scandal . . . and her final story.

2006. Screenwriter Harper Rayne is desperate for a breakthrough, if only she can find the right story to tell. But when she digs into the life of her late mother’s favorite novelist, she never expects it to become personal. Drawn to the quaint Pennsylvania town where both her mother and Via once lived, Harper discovers more than a mystery to solve—she finds echoes of her own longing for love, healing, and home. As long-buried secrets come to light, Harper must decide if she’ll protect the past or rewrite this particular ending.

Described as a “powerhouse in dual-timeline Christian fiction” (Library Journal), Melanie Dobson delivers another rich, atmospheric novel about the legacy of sacrificial love and the redemptive power of truth.

Standalone dual-timeline historical mystery filled with drama, faith, and intrigueClean, suspenseful historical fiction, perfect for fans of Susan Meissner, Lisa Wingate, or Patti Callahan HenryIncludes discussion questions for book groups

 

My Thoughts:

The Lost Story of Via Belle by Melanie Dobson is writers’ story. From the moment that Via Belle comes across the pages of the novel, something magical with her writing comes across the pages. Dobson does a wonderful job at crafting a story filled with mystery, historical charm, and modern-day hunting. The plot is fast moving and plenty of concern for the different characters make the story move along quite nicely. Even though the story does feature three different heroines, I really had no problem moving from one character’s point of view to the next. They were different, but similar. Dobson crafted characters with a past and a present that tie together nicely. Characters that readers will want to keep moving through the story to follow and see the ending of the novel. On the other hand, the setting is described well and gives a good background for the treachery and rest that the story alludes to. Dobson does not weave a spiritual element through the story, so the readers who just enjoy a good, safe story should pick up the story. While I enjoy a good, strong faith element in the story, even though it is not overly overt in the plot, it doesn’t hurt the story. Overall, The Lost Story of Via Belle by Melanie Dobson was a delightful story to read with the dual timeline and the hunt for what really happened to Via Belle.

I received a complimentary copy of The Lost Story of Via Belle by Melanie Dobson from Tyndale Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Purchase The Lost Story of Via Belle

Lynn Austin: The Lumber Baron's Wife

 By Kelly Bridgewater

When the young wife of a powerful lumber baron vanishes into the wilds of frontier Michigan, her friend is left to unravel the truth in this captivating dual-timeline novel from bestselling author Lynn Austin.

1873. After a devastating loss, Hannah Wagner never imagined she’d leave her comfortable home for the harsh, unfamiliar wilderness near Lake Michigan. But when Henry Abernathy, a friend of her husband, John, offers them a fresh start in a booming lumber town, where John’s skills as a doctor are sorely needed, Hannah reluctantly agrees. There, she meets Kate Abernathy, Henry’s spirited, much younger wife. Kate’s sharp tongue and outsider status have made her unwelcome among the town’s elite, and when she begins confiding in Hannah, it’s clear her marriage is not what it seems . . . and that a secret from her past could destroy everything.

Present day. Ashley Gilbert never planned to settle in Michigan, but when her husband lands his dream job as a conservationist, she agrees to follow. While restoring their historic home—built in the 19th-century for a doctor and his wife—Ashley becomes captivated by its past and its connection to the nearby Abernathy mansion, now being transformed into a museum. While volunteering with the restoration, she stumbles upon the unsolved mystery of Kate Abernathy’s disappearance. What begins as curiosity soon becomes a quest for the truth—one that will connect her to two women whose stories and struggles echo and inspire her own.

 

My Thoughts:

The Lumber Baron’s Wife by Lynn Austin took my breath away. Austin does a wonderful job at crafting a town with two Victorian homes crafted with such craftsmanship that it made me wish I owned one. This story brings images of the older homes in my town that have went into disrepair because they are now college apartments or apartments, so nice old Victorians are now holding 4 – 6 families and the elegance of yesterday days are gone. I wish the modern homes had more character like those homes instead of the boxes everything is made of now. No pride just slap’em as fast as they can. As for Austin’s story, I love the dual timeline with the mystery of what happened to the Lumber Baron’s wife. Similarly, Austin does a wonderful job at crafting characters with a backstory that readers will love to come along them and help them change and grow from. I love the faith element because it is important to show how God will love everyone no matter what they might have done in the past. Overall, The Lumber Baron’s Wife by Lynn Austin was a story that I wasn’t too sure that I would like because of the cover and the synopsis, but I have enjoyed her writing before, so I picked up the story, and I’m glad that I did. It is a wonderful story that I really devoured.

I received a complimentary copy of The Lumber Baron’s Wife by Lynn Austin from Tyndale Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Purchase The Lumber Baron’s Wife

Connie Mann: The Liar's Treasure

 By Kelly Bridgewater

From the acclaimed author of Beyond Risk and The Crown Conspiracy, hailed as a “wild ride” by Library Journal, comes an action-packed adventure about a mysterious diary and a thrilling, high-stakes treasure hunt.

Camille Abernathy ignored rumors of The Liar’s Treasure and her family’s connection to it . . . until someone put a target on her daughter’s back. Growing up in New Orleans, such tall tales were as common as beignets and gumbo. But when Camille’s teenage daughter, Cass, posts pictures of a centuries-old diary her uncle gave her, she unwittingly attracts dozens of treasure hunting fanatics who are convinced Cass and the diary can lead them to a valuable cache.

To keep her daughter safe, Camille enlists the help of Speranza, a secret society always ready to help women in need. Together, they set out on a globe-trotting journey to find The Liar’s Treasure while also investigating a suspicious death related to Camille’s childhood friend. The deeper they dig, the more they suspect it’s all connected.

Chasing clues from New Orleans to Italy to the Bahamas, Camille and her friends receive unexpected assistance—and unwanted competition—from a handsome treasure hunter from Camille’s past. Then Cass is kidnapped, and finding the treasure truly becomes a matter of life and death.

My Thoughts:

The Liar's Treasure by Connie Mann will take readers for a ride as the Speranza Team hunt for each individual piece to this treasure. I love the non-stop action across Europe, to the Caribbean, and back to America before returning to Florence, Italy. Mann does a good job at keeping the villain's identity a secret, which is a huge plus for me. I love to be taken for surprised when the villain is actually revealed. Mann does include a little bit of romance, but nothing too over the top. A spark of interest that was from the past and moved forward into the current situation that might be explored deeper later. I like the idea of the treasure hunt. I love how the characters were featured in the Crown Conspiracy, and then we get to see another lady tell her story. Mann really does not throw the character's personal faith into the story. There are prayers once in a while when they are in a sticky situation, but nothing over the top. I love the characters and how Mann makes them completely relatable. Overall, The Liar's Treasure is a fascinating team of remarkable women on the hunt to seek justice with treasure. I recommend this book and the first one if readers have not read it yet. 

I received a complimentary copy of The Liar's Treasure by Connie Mann from Tyndale Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own. 

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Purchase The Liar's Treasure

Lindsay A. Franklin: The Restitching of Camile DuLaine

 By Kelly Bridgewater

About the Book

Book: The Restitching of Camille DuLaine (The Rivenlea Book 2)

Author: Lindsay A. Franklin

Genre: YA Fantasy

Release Date: February 10, 2023

A splintered world, a heart gone cold.

Hope reborn in threads of gold.

After accidentally bridging the storyworlds together, Emlyn DuLaine faces an impossible task: sever the connections without destroying the stories themselves. If she fails, the characters will be trapped in twisted versions of their tales, forced to relive their worst moments forever.

But undoing the bridges is only the beginning. To truly fix what’sbunraveling, Emlyn must uncover the secret flaw buried deep in Rivenlea’sbfoundation, something that’s been wrong since the very start.

And the danger has never been closer to home. The clock is ticking for the injured wyvern who needs Rivenlite air to survive and the story boy Emlyn swore she’d never fall for. Emlyn and her team must rescue Frank and Laramie from chaotic, shifting story spheres before they’re gone for good.

But Frank and Laramie aren’t the only ones lost to the spheres. Camille DuLaine is a prisoner, held as bait by someone who knows exactly how to lure her sister in. After seven years of sleep, Camille wakes to find herself trapped in a storybook and sure of only one thing: Emlyn must stay far, faraway.

Racing to solve one mind-bending puzzle after the next, Emlyn uncovers a plan seventeen years in the making. She stands at the center of a fractured universe—and she might be too late to save it.

 My Thoughts:

The Restitching of Camile DuLaine by Lindsay A. Franklin is a delightful, unique story about the written word. I love the references to familiar stories. I love the concept of jumping in and out of these spheres to try to save the character. This second story explains more of the background that explains the fracturing of the written worlds. I love seeing the returning characters from the first book. Plenty of action and quest for the truth and how to make it right. I love the story world that Franklin makes and how to keep the story moving along at very nice pace. I read the book in two days while the snowing was piling up outside. Overall, The Restitching of Camile DuLaine is a good combination of the written word and fantasy that I enjoyed. I will be owning a physical copy of this novel someday. I highly recommend this story. 

I received a complimentary copy of The Restitching of Camile DuLaine by Lindsay A. Franklin from Enclave Publishing through Celebrate Lit. Tours, but the opinions stated are all my own. 

My Rating:  5 out of 5 stars 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Lindsay A. Franklin is the Carol Award–winning author of The Story Peddler, the ECPA best-selling author of Adored, and Managing Editor of Enclave Publishing. She would wear pajama pants all the time if it were socially acceptable. Lindsay lives happily among the rain and evergreens of the Pacific Northwest with her scruffy-looking nerf-herder husband, their three (nearly) grown geeklings, and three demanding thunder pillows (a.k.a. cats).

 

 

 

More from Lindsay

The Fiction-Fixer’s Handbook:

A Guest Post by Emlyn DuLaine, the Newest Member of Novem XVII

I haven’t been a Novemite long, and if you want advice from an absolute expert, you’ll have to ask Captain Doyle or maybe Laramie, if you can manage to push your way past the cloud of ego that surrounds him at all times.

But I’ve been diving into upside-down classics, wrangling rogue characters, bridging broken plots, and saving story spheres long enough to give some helpful pointers on how to keep your wits about you when you, too, traverse the fantastical, fictional universes we all know and love.

Read on for my hard-won wisdom.

1. Never accept apples from anyone. Ever. Even if they promise it’s organic and locally sourced. Just don’t.
2. If a book starts whispering, close it immediately. This is not the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Cursed tomes are not to be trifled with.
3. Stay away from unattended spinning wheels and mirrors that look a little too shiny. Exercise caution around wardrobe-shaped furniture. Odds are high you’re about to be enchanted, imprisoned, or transported. Stay vigilant.
4. Beware of overly charming men in masks, hoods, and/or capes. It’s 50/50 on whether he’s a tragic hero or a villain with a vendetta. Proceed with caution.
5. Always check the fine print on magical contracts. If the terms include “firstborn child” or an unspecified “favor” to be later named, run.
6. Characters who break into song at random intervals are either harmless or extremely dangerous. If they’re just narrating their morning routine, you’re fine. If the music gets ominous, assume the worst.
7. If you find yourself in the company of a talking animal sidekick, always ask for its backstory. Talking cats may be friend or foe, sometimes both if it starts telling riddles. Grumpy toads are probably cursed nobles. Overdramatic ravens are almost always bad news.
8. When in doubt, follow the protagonist—but not too closely. The main character has plot armor. You do not.

If you’re hoping for a fairy-tale ending, these tips might get you there. Stay safe, friends. And happy sphere-diving!

Blog Stops

The Lofty Pages, February 25

Simple Harvest Reads, February 26 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, February 27 (Spotlight)

Blogging With Carol, February 27

Artistic Nobody, February 28 (Author Interview)

Inspired by Fiction, March 1

Tell Tale Book Reviews, March 2 (Spotlight)

Where Faith and Books Meet, March 3

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, March 4

Guild Master, March 5 (Author Interview)

Blossoms and Blessings, March 6 (Spotlight)

Holly’s Book Corner, March 6

For the Love of Literature, March 7 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, March 8

Stories By Gina, March 9 (Spotlight)

Fiction Book Lover, March 10 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Lyndsay is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card and a hardcover 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://gleam.io/iyeVn/the-restitching-of-camille-dulaine-celebration-tour-giveaway