Snelling (A Season of Harvest) gets the Home to Green Creek series off to a strong start with this captivating historical. It’s the late 19th century and Amalia Gunderson is only 20 when she sets sail from Norway to the U.S. By the time she arrives, she feels as though she’s aged a dozen years—a cholera epidemic on the ship took her parents’ lives and left her the guardian of five-year-old Ruth Forsberg, whose mother also died onboard. A terrified Amalia and Ruth make their way to Iowa, where Ruth’s set to inherit an estate. Once they arrive, they discover that Ruth’s cousin, Zelda Berg, has been running the property as a boardinghouse and is unwilling to give it up. As aspiring lawyer Absalom Karlsson helps to validate Amalia’s claim to the estate as Ruth’s guardian, she acclimates herself to her surroundings by learning English and taking over operations for the boardinghouse. She soon collects a motley group of guests, including two orphans—enraging Zelda, who’s willing to go to great lengths to retain control of what she believes is hers. Readers will find it easy to root for Amalia as her faith drives her forward, while a host of lovable side characters, including local orphan Hank, add energy and color to the proceedings. Fans of Janette Oke and Tracie Peterson should take note. (Apr.)

Reviewed on 02/07/2025 | Details & Permalink

A plucky widow struggles to get back on her feet in Hunter’s affecting latest (after Before We Were Us). For the past five years, high school teacher Maggie Reynolds has been raising her young daughter, Zoey, alone as she mourns her husband Ethan, who died overseas while serving in the military. She’s been grateful for the support of her in-laws, and now that she’s “officially ready” for a new relationship, she asks Ethan’s brother Josh for help finding dates. Josh has been secretly into Maggie since they were teenagers and balks at the request. Before he can confess his feelings, however, Maggie spots a man she’s sure is Ethan at a local carnival. After the pair track down the doppelgänger and uncover his surprising links to Ethan, Maggie questions what she thought she knew about her husband and prays for the strength to start over. Despite a plot that leans a bit too hard on far-fetched coincidences, Hunter paints a sympathetic, resonant character portrait of Maggie as she seeks to keep the memory of her ex alive without letting it ruin the possibility of a brighter future. Readers in the mood for a sweet second-chance romance with a twist will be delighted. (Apr.)

Reviewed on 02/07/2025 | Details & Permalink

A clockmaker gets embroiled in a complicated plot involving an unexpected inheritance in this twisty Edwardian mystery from Politano (The Elusive Truth of Lily Temple). When a strange woman informs Sydney Forrester that she’s inherited an estate on a nearby island, she is understandably confused: she’s never met the uncle who owned the estate and isn’t certain of the woman’s identity. But Sydney’s curiosity is piqued and, sensing that God wants her to embark on the adventure, she sets out to claim her inheritance. Things go awry almost immediately after she arrives on the island, however. Not only do distant cousins and fellow heirs Dane Hutchcraft and Tom Jolly cast doubt on Sydney’s claim to the estate, she also discovers that her uncle died under suspicious circumstances. When it becomes clear that her cousins are planning to frame her for the murder and steal her inheritance, Sydney teams up with handsome butler André Montagne to solve the mystery of her uncle’s death and prove her innocence. While the large cast of side characters can be tough to keep straight, the textured, creepy setting makes for a captivating backdrop. Readers will be on tenterhooks from start to finish. (Apr.)

Reviewed on 01/20/2025 | Details & Permalink

A retiree contends with the ghosts of her painful past in this moving tale of second chances from Gohlke (Ladies of the Lake). At 16, Ginny Pickering ran away from her family’s Christmas tree farm to marry farmhand Curtis Boyden. She’s been estranged from her family ever since. Nearly five decades later, she gets word from an attorney that she’s inherited the tree farm following her brother Harold’s death, but upon returning home she learns that his ill-advised business deals have sunk the farm so deeply into debt that few options remain but to sell. Things get more complicated when Harold’s cash-strapped son Mark and his three young children show up. Ginny convinces her grandnephews to help improve the land so she can sell it at a high price. In the process, she becomes increasingly enmeshed in the family’s struggles. She forms an especially close bond with Mark, a Vietnam veteran who suffers from PTSD like Ginny’s late WWII vet husband. Just as Ginny starts to wonder whether God is calling her to fight to save the land, a shocking discovery threatens the future of the farm and the Pickering family itself. Gohlke sensitively highlights the far-reaching effects of PTSD and family trauma, imbuing the plot with emotional resonance while leaving room for the promise of hope and renewal. Readers will find this tough to forget. (Apr.)

Reviewed on 01/20/2025 | Details & Permalink

Hannon returns to small-town coastal Oregon with this sweet entry in her Hope Harbor series (after Sandcastle Inn). After a fire damages her house and leaves her temporarily homeless, barista Bren Ryan moves into neighbor Fred Ward’s cottage while she gets back on her feet. She isn’t expecting Fred’s straitlaced accountant son, Noah, to drop by unannounced—which is why she pepper sprays him, getting their relationship off to a rough start. As Bren tries to pick up the pieces of her life, leaning on her church community for support, ambitious Noah tries to convince his aging father to move in with him in St. Louis. After Fred breaks his arm and the town bands together to help him recover, Noah begins to appreciate the value of community, making his lonely city condo and high-pressure job less and less appealing—especially as sparks begin to fly with Bren. The tender romance between the small-town girl and big-city boy charms as the pair discover they’re more alike than they realize. Readers will be delighted. (Apr.)

Reviewed on 01/20/2025 | Details & Permalink

Basham (Loyally Luke) delights with this cute contemporary about an accident-prone travel writer. When Katie Campbell arrives in Scotland on assignment, she immediately feels at home in the land of her ancestors—even though her stay at Craighill, an Edwardian-themed vacation house, gets off to a rocky start when she falls off a railing and onto handsome Graeme MacKerrow, whose family owns the property. While the spark between the pair is instant, a woman with wanderlust has broken Graeme’s heart before, and he has no desire to be hurt again. But life continues to throw the two together as Graeme saves Katie from mishap after mishap, and their relationship deepens as they bond over their losses (both are mourning the death of a sister). Just as Katie begins to wonder if God wants her to call Scotland home, Graeme’s ex returns and throws a wrench into the budding romance. The grumpy/sunshine dynamic between the leads proves irresistible, and the Scottish backdrop is brought to life by eccentric side characters and plenty of local color and lingo. The result is a charming, comedic romance ideal for armchair travelers. (Apr.)

Reviewed on 01/20/2025 | Details & Permalink

A marriage of convenience might lead to true love if an unlikely pair can fend off those who want to separate them, in this fast-paced series opener from Keller (A Light in the Darkness). In February 1887, Ella Mountbatten escapes her abusive father and fiancé in Boston for Harmony Springs, Mont., hoping to find refuge with Travis Doyle, an acquaintance from back east. When she arrives in town, she’s met by local rancher Cody Brooks, Travis’s brother-in-law. Ella’s struck by Cody’s good looks and kindness—he’s even caring for his late best friend’s three orphaned children—so when he decides to seek a wife, she volunteers, believing a marriage will offer protection if her father tries to bring her back to Boston. Ella throws herself into mothering the children and is slowly won over by Cody’s steadfast, loyal nature. But just as the relationship heats up, Ella’s father arrives. When she refuses to return with him to Boston, his behavior becomes menacing, and Ella must work to uncover the nefarious reasons whe’s so determined to have her marry the fiancé she left behind. It’s easy to root for Ella as she harnesses her faith to carve out a life of her own, though the romantic subplot is somewhat weakened by clichés. Still, there’s enough heart and drama to keep readers on tenterhooks for the sequel. (Mar.)

Reviewed on 01/20/2025 | Details & Permalink

This tense series opener from Mehl (Cold Vengeance) pits an ex-cop turned mystery novelist, a former FBI agent, and a small-town police chief against an elusive serial killer. Ever since losing her partner (and lover) in a gang shooting, former St. Louis police officer Erin Delaney has been depressed, guilt-ridden, and haunted by nightmares. Not even writing a bestselling novel managed to get her out of her funk. So when her friend Kaely, a former FBI behavioral analyst who consulted on Erin’s book, suggests the pair meet at a cabin in the Smoky Mountains for a restorative week away, she agrees. But Erin barely has time to settle in before local police chief Adrian Nightengale seeks her help in assessing a gruesome crime scene, which Erin suspects is the work of serial killer. After Kaely arrives, she and Erin begin to work on a profile of the killer for the police. As the bodies pile up and the pair struggle to uncover the links between victims, they also draw on their faith to unpack Erin’s trauma, which leads them to a breakthrough in the case—though they fear it may be too late to keep them out of the killer’s crosshairs. The novel’s dual story lines—the search for the killer and the processing of Erin’s trauma—are each engrossing. Unfortunately, Mehl doesn’t always toggle between them seamlessly, resulting in some abrupt character development. Still, readers willing to overlook those flaws will have fun. (Mar.)

Reviewed on 01/03/2025 | Details & Permalink

The brutal realities of 1880s Wyoming frontier life undergird this action-packed series opener from Peterson (A Truth Revealed). Charlotte Aldrich, 21, bitterly resists her father’s efforts to marry her off to lawyer Lewis Bradley—she’s long been in love with her brother’s best friend, Micah Hamilton, who still sees her as a little sister. After Charlotte’s father and brother freeze to death in a snowstorm, Charlotte’s consumed by guilt, and Micah’s father, who found the pair, kills himself. Both families keep the suicide a secret to avoid the community’s judgment, and Micah sinks into a deep depression, rejecting God and numbing the pain with alcohol. A year later, Charlotte’s mother recruits a still-miserable Micah to help out on their ranch, and as he spends more time with Charlotte, he begins to heal and to see her in a new light. But trouble still lurks in the form of Lewis Bradley, who’s increasingly determined to marry Charlotte, even if it means getting Micah out of the way first. The propulsive plot surges along as Peterson throws hurdles and hardships into her protagonists’ way, though wooden exposition flattens their characterizations (following her father’s death, Charlotte bears “the truth and guilt alone”; “[after] how she’d treated [him], she told herself she didn’t deserve to be happy”). Still, there’s enough drama here to keep readers turning pages. (Mar.)

Reviewed on 01/03/2025 | Details & Permalink

Hunt (The Sisters of Corinth) sets this immersive tale of tragedy, faith, and renewal at the height of Nero’s reign over the Roman empire. Eighteen-year-old Calandra has no desire to marry. She's content to live with her sculptor father, Pericles, and spend her days making pottery and offering sacrifices to the Roman gods. When Pericles is commissioned to sculpt the emperor but is then blinded by a deadly fire that sweeps through the city, Calandra must complete the project herself. Stressed and struggling to keep the arrangement a secret, she looks to the gods for comfort, to no avail. Meanwhile, she grows closer with a group of Christians who care for her and her father in the fire’s aftermath. As more of her loved ones accept the new faith despite the emperor's efforts to scapegoat Christians for the fire, Calandra must decide what she believes and how far she’s willing to go to uphold it. Calandra’s relationship with her father serves as a powerful emotional through line, adding resonance to a fast-moving plot shaped by the religious and political upheavals roiling the empire. Both a propulsive narrative and a vivid window into a volatile historical period, this captivates. (Mar.)

Reviewed on 01/03/2025 | Details & Permalink