Wednesday, May 14, 2025

Book Spotlight: Meet Me at The Grand by Lindsay Harrel

Meet Me at The Grand

Welcome to the Takeover + Review Blitz for Meet Me at The Grand by Lindsay Harrel hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book


Meet Me at The Grand 

Title: Meet Me at The Grand 
Author: Lindsay Harrel 
Publisher: Sunrise Publishing 
Release Date: April 22, 2025 
Genre: Contemporary Christian Romance 

She’s fighting to save her island’s legacy. He’s here to secure his family’s future. When their worlds collide, will they build something lasting—or tear each other apart? 

Dani Sullivan is determined to revive Jonathon Island’s fading charm and reunite her fractured family. Her plan? Reopen the Grand Sullivan Hotel, a once-impressive landmark that’s been in disrepair for a decade. But without the funds to restore the hotel, Dani’s forced to accept help from Liam Stone—a big-city hotel developer whose sleek, modern vision is everything she’s trying to avoid. 

Liam has never been one for small towns or rundown hotels, but this project isn’t just any job. His father’s health is declining, and if Liam can prove himself by turning the hotel around, he’ll finally earn the chance to take over the business so his dad can retire. But Jonathon Island is far from the high-end luxury projects he’s used to, and Dani’s fierce dedication to preserving its history clashes with everything Liam stands for. 

As they battle over the future of the Grand, Liam starts to see Jonathon Island as more than just another project—it feels like the home he’s never had. But with his responsibilities pulling him back to Los Angeles, can he really stay? And can Dani trust him with her dream—and her heart? 

A lot rides on the success of this project, but when emotions run high, will Dani and Liam find a way to work together—or will their differences tear them apart? 

On Jonathon Island, love and loyalty are the ultimate balancing act.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Sunrise Publishing | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop


Free Novella:

Meet Me on Jonathon Island


Excerpt from Meet Me at the Grand


For the love of all that was holy—where had she placed those boots?

Dani Sullivan switched her cell to speakerphone mode and placed it on the edge of her bed before dropping to her knees to inspect underneath the full-sized mattress. The hardwood floors bit into her knees. “So, Florida’s good then?”

“More than good.” Her dad’s baritone filtered through her phone, the sound only slightly muffled by the fact her head was now underneath her bed, her eyes scanning around the wrapping paper and boxes of old junk she’d shoved there when she’d moved into the apartment above the now defunct Island Pizzeria five years ago. “Seventy degrees and sunny. Unlike somewhere else I know.”

She popped her head up. “Aw, come on. Our winter has been positively toasty this year, and the spring’s starting off the same. It’s only March seventh, and next week it’s supposed to reach forty-five. Can you believe that? I mean, the ferry’s already running regularly and everything.”

“Not that anyone is ever on it. Unless they’re leaving.”

Dani held back a sigh. This again? “Dad, you know I love talking to you, but why do we have to have this conversation every time you call?”

“We don’t. I—”

“Hang on a sec, okay? I’ve gotta find my shoes so I’m not late to Myrtle’s retirement party.” Ducking back under her bed, she did another quick scan in case she’d missed the boots the first time. Wait, was that them? Lying flat on her shoulder, she stretched her arm toward the lump in the shadows.

It meowed indignantly. A flash of orange bolted past her, squeezing through the crack in Dani’s bedroom door and out into the tiny living room, most likely to wreak havoc on her cat palace with her claws.

“Sorry, Roma,” Dani called after her.

“Who are you talking to?”

Standing, Dani dusted off her hands before grabbing the phone. “The cat.”

About the Author

Lindsay Harrel

Lindsay Harrel is a lifelong book nerd who lives in Arizona with her husband and kids. She’s held a variety of professional jobs over the years, and now juggles school volunteering with being an author and editor. When she’s not writing or keeping up with her children, Lindsay enjoys making a fool of herself at Zumba, curling up with anything by Jane Austen, and savoring sour candy one piece at a time.

Connect with Lindsay by visiting LindsayHarrel.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.


Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a paperback copy of Meet Me at the Grand and a $10 Sunrise Shop gift voucher!

Meet Me at The Grand

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight May 14, 2025 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on May 21, 2025. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. Paperback US only. Ebook available for international. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

Enter Giveaway


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

JustRead Publicity Tours

Tuesday, May 13, 2025

Movie Review: Show Me Your Glory

About the Movie:



How do you explain … the unexplainable?
When does the impossible … become possible?
Why are some prayers for healing answered and others … never are? 

Through true stories of the supernatural crashing into human suffering, a compelling new documentary arrives in theaters this spring—unlocking the possibility that the impossible still happens in our world. Meet experts who have studied miracles and suffering, discover true stories of the seemingly unbelievable, and be reminded that prayers can be answered in ways that we could never expect or imagine. If you or someone you love has ever pondered life’s deepest question— “If there is a loving God, why is there so much suffering and evil in the world?”—experience hope, encouragement, and awe with SHOW ME YOUR GLORY.

SHOW ME YOUR GLORY opens in theaters today (May 13, 2025). Buy tickets now to see the movie during this limited time event! 


Movie Trailer:


My Thoughts:

Where is God and why does he allow those who follow him to experience suffering? How can he claim to be a loving God when he has the power to prevent extreme suffering but allows it anyway? These are hard questions that humanity has wrestled with throughout the centuries.

In Show Me Your Glory, the questions, doubts, and suppositions were addressed with compassion. The various speakers acknowledged the problem of evil in our world, how it is normal to question why God allows us to suffer, and that not getting a miracle from an omnipotent God can feel like a personal wound. In the end, the movie celebrated stories of miracles while offering hope that human suffering is not without purpose even when there is no miracle.

Show Me Your Glory showcased stories of miracles by having the families or individuals relate their experiences. In between the stories, speakers discussed the suffering and implications, but the stories were what stayed with me most after watching the film. Some of the miracle stories were more potent than others, and they were all reenacted or depicted in some way. The film showed some content that might be triggering (a hanging, a near suicide, etc.) and for that reason I’d say it’s only appropriate for ages 16 and up. However, I absolutely loved hearing the stories of miracles – Jesus appearing to a Muslim, a healed child, a voice regained, and more.

I found Show Me Your Glory encouraging and it made me want to read some of the books by the various speakers. Four stars!

Many thanks to Abba Heart Ministries for providing a sample of the product for this review. Opinions are 100% my own.

Giveaway:

One winner recieve a $10 Amazon gift card. Enter to win by commenting on this post with your full name and email address (required by marketing company). US only. Giveaway ends 5/18/25 at 11:59 P.M.

Author Interview: The Shop Down the Lane by Leslie Gould

The Shop Down the Lane JustRead Blog + Review Tour

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for The Shop Down the Lane by Leslie Gould, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

The Shop Down the Lane

Title: The Shop Down the Lane
Series:
Letters from Lancaster County
Author:
Leslie Gould
Publisher:
Bethany House
Release Date:
May 6, 2025
Genre: Amish Romance

Leslie Gould delights in this sweet and humorous Amish romance reminiscent of The Shop Around the Corner and You've Got Mail. 

Lois Yoder has always found solace in the quiet life of Paradise, Pennsylvania, where she manages a gift shop that reflects her Amish community's simple values. Her tranquil world is upended when Moses Lantz, a former Amishman turned Mennonite and the man who broke her heart, buys the shop with ambitious plans to transform it into a tourist hub--a move that Lois fiercely opposes. 

Seeking a distraction, Lois joins a bird watchers' circle letter under an alias. But unknown to her, Moses does the same at the urging of a friend. While their correspondence blossoms into a tender romance, the enmity between Lois and Moses in real life only intensifies. Can they overcome their animosity and embrace the love they've found through their letters, or will their stubborn hearts keep them apart forever? 

This heartwarming Amish romance includes themes of bird watching, correspondence by letters, enemies to lovers, and family secrets for readers of Beverly Lewis, Wanda E. Brunstetter, and Shelley Shepard Gray.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Bethany House | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | ChristianBook | Bookshop | BookBub


Excerpt


pp 14-15

She turned her attention to tidying the shelves. She guessed John Miller wanted to marry soon. And Lois needed to marry. The bishop was intent on her not living alone.

The door buzzed again. This time Scotty entered the shop with a serious expression on his face. He cleared his throat as he approached Lois. “I need to talk to you about something.”

Alarmed, she stumbled backward. Had the books been off the day before? Had she ordered too many birdhouses? Not enough greeting cards?

He ran his hand through his gray hair. “I’ve had a couple of offers on the store.”

Lois gasped. “What?”

“Barb wants me to retire. This time for good.”

Lois felt ill. “What are you talking about?”

“We hope to be in Florida by October.”

Lois put her hand to her chest. “You’re kidding, right?”

He shook his head.

She placed her free hand on the shelf to steady herself. “What about the farm?”

“We’ll be selling it too.” His expression turned sympathetic for a moment and then, with a bit of a quiver in his voice, he said, “I’ve been talking with a prospective buyer. I’ve told this person I’ll only sell the shop if he promises to keep you on and let you continue to live in the apartment.”

Lois opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

“I wanted to tell you, so you wouldn’t be surprised.” He stepped behind the counter and opened the cash register. He held up a key. “I need to show Moses the shed.”

She sputtered, “Moses?”

“Yes. Moses Lantz.” Scotty gave her a questioning look. “Do you know him?”

Lois put her hand over her mouth. She had—she didn’t anymore. But she did know he was the last person in the world she wanted to buy Paradise Found.


© 2025 by Leslie Gould
Published by Bethany House Publishers
Minneapolis, Minnesota
BethanyHouse.com
Bethany House Publishers is a division of
Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan
Printed in the United States of America
All rights reserved.


Also Available

   


About the Author

Leslie Gould

Leslie Gould is a Christy Award-winning and #1 bestselling author of more than 48 novels, including four Lancaster County Amish series. She holds a bachelor's degree in history and an MFA in creative writing. She enjoys church history, research trips, and hiking in the Pacific Northwest. She and her husband live in Portland, Oregon, and have four adult children and two grandchildren.

Connect with Leslie by visiting lesliegould.com to follow her on social media and subscribe to email updates.


Author Interview


Q: What inspired you to write The Shop Down the Lane?

Leslie: This story is the first in my Letters from Lancaster County series, so I needed to create characters and a plot that had to do with letters. I chose a circle letter (where people exchange letters in a circular, group setting) device, complemented by an anonymous pen pal trope. However, a set of stories spanning a couple of centuries also influenced my story, starting with the novel Pride and Prejudice (1813), then the Hungarian play Parfumerie (1937), the movie The Shop Around the Corner (1940), and finally You’ve Got Mail (1998). The first three stories influenced You’ve Got Mail, and the three latter ones also have anonymous pen pal tropes. It was a lot of fun to explore the connections between all four of these stories and plop elements from them into a story set in Amish country with an Amish heroine and a Mennonite hero and a circle letter.

Q: How long did it take to write this book?

Leslie: It took about five months to write the first draft and then a couple of months to rewrite it after receiving my editorial letter from my publisher. I especially love the rewriting process!

Q: What surprised you while writing this novel?

Leslie: This is definitely a sweet romance and that’s the main focus, but a side plot is the friendship between my heroine, Lois, and her best friend, Amy. The importance of their friendship became much more central to the story than I’d first planned and really took on a life of its own, which was a pleasant surprise. It was a reminder of how important it is that we have support and other healthy relationships in our lives, not just romance. ☺

Q: Do you have a favorite quote from The Shop Down the Lane?

Leslie: “As he kicked the scooter around the curve just before the bridge, they both leaned into the turn, flying together.”

The heroine, Lois, doesn’t have a horse and buggy and rides her scooter nearly everywhere she goes. There’s also a birding theme in the story. This quote combines Lois’s mode of transportation and the bird motif through the flying image.

Q: When did you first know you wanted to be an author?

Leslie: I dreamed of being an author since the sixth grade, but it wasn’t until my twenties when I started writing short stories that I truly wanted to be one because I finally believed I could be!

Q: Would you share something about yourself that most readers wouldn’t know?

Leslie: I was hired to curate a museum in Ashland, Oregon when I was 23. Later, I set my first novel in Ashland, and I’ve have used what I learned in that job in multiple dual-time and historical novels that I’ve written through the years. It gave me a strong sense of history as applied to a community and a timeline of how world events impacted Americans living in small communities through the decades of our existence as the USA.

Q: What are you currently reading?

Leslie: I’m reading Joanne Lehman’s Leah’s Faith, and I’ve just started listening to Jane Kirkpatrick’s Beneath the Bending Skies.

Q: What is your favorite genre to read?

Leslie: I can’t choose just one! I read everything from literary fiction to sweet romances. I love reading Amish novels by my writer friends, but I also love World War II dual-time stories and historical fiction too.

Q: What is your favorite hobby?

Leslie: Because I consider reading essential to life and not a hobby, I have to say gardening. We live in the city, but I have a garden plot, a row of raspberry bushes, lots of flower beds, and a large collection of containers that I fill with flowers. I love being outside whenever I can be, but I especially take time in the morning in the late spring, summer, and early fall to water and weed and enjoy “watching” my plants grow.

Q: What is your favorite season and why?

Leslie: I really love summer—the warmth, the produce, the flowers, and the extra time spent with friends and family. We love hiking and kayaking and gardening (as mentioned) and generally spending as much time outdoors as possible. We live in Portland, Oregon so after a winter and spring of lots of rain, I really appreciate sunny days!

Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card and a print copy of The Shop Down the Lane!

The Shop Down the Lane JustRead Tours blog giveaway

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight May 13, 2025 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on May 20, 2025. 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. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway


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

JustRead Publicity Tours

Wednesday, May 7, 2025

Book Spotlight: Perfect by Kimberly Keagan

Perfect JustRead Blog Tour

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Perfect by Kimberly Keagan, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Perfect

Title: Perfect
Series:
Hearts on Display #1
Author:
Kimberly Keagan
Publisher:
Ventana Publishing, LLC
Release Date: May 6, 2025
Genre:
Historical Romance

In the glittering era of the Gilded Age, the heirs of Philadelphia’s Denwall Department Stores navigate family expectations, relentless ambition, and unexpected love. 

William Walraven’s picture perfect life is turned upside down when his fiancée jilts him for an English aristocrat and his father refuses to name him as his successor. To prove he’s worthy of leading Denwall Department Stores, Will must open their first New York store under budget and before the Christmas shopping season. 

Overwhelmed by disappointment and a nearly impossible deadline, Will has no time for distractions—especially not the captivating bookseller he saves from being crushed by a beer wagon. 

Ivy King and her aging grandmother are barely keeping their struggling bookshop afloat. Though drawn to the charming, enigmatic man who saved her life, Ivy has no illusions about her place in the world. It certainly isn’t beside a department store heir whose dazzling emporium threatens to close her family’s business. 

Brought together in the wake of an attack on Will’s brother, Will and Ivy find themselves at a crossroads—torn between the expectations that define them and a future neither expected.  

Perfect is a clean, wholesome historical romance featuring opposites-attract tension, class differences, a touch of mystery and humor, and an inspirational journey of faith and love.  

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub


Excerpt


From Chapter 11, Scene 2:


As new arrivals entered the box, Mrs. Dixon excused herself. Ivy and Zella found two seats in the front row by the balcony. Ivy leaned forward, peering through the railing at the crowd below as patrons found their seats. A petite woman wore an enormous hat resembling a nest with a decorative sparrow perched on top. Ivy stifled a giggle, wanting to point out the absurd millinery to her aunt when she caught sight of a tall man in the passageway outside the dimly lit enclosure.

Her breath caught in her chest.

It was him—unmistakably him—with that air of confidence and elegance wrapped in perfectly fitting evening wear.

Although she hadn’t seen him in several weeks and figured she never would again, the swirl of emotions was undeniable. Her hands, still gripping the balcony railing, grew clammy inside her gloves. And her heart betrayed her resolve to forget William Walraven.

About the Author

Kimberly Keagan

Kimberly Keagan discovered her love for romance novels at thirteen, often choosing a book over chores. She believes there's nothing like being transported to another time and place to find a happily ever after.

Kimberly is blessed to have her own handsome hero husband and two wonderful children. After earning a degree in accounting, she enjoyed a career in investor relations, writing financial reports and press releases—terrific jobs, though not very romantic. Now, she's pursuing her dream of writing historical romance. Her short stories have been published in Spark Flash Fiction and Short Fiction Break. Kimberly's debut novel will release in 2025. When not reading or writing, Kimberly enjoys baking, gardening, watching sports, and researching her family tree.

Connect with Kimberly by visiting kimberlykeagan.com to follow her on social media and subscribe to email newsletter updates.


Tour Giveaway

(2) winners will receive a “Perfect” Tea Time Bundle which includes a lovely tea set, a signed copy of Perfect, and other cozy reader treats—like a candle, stickers, coaster, and bookmark!

Perfect blog tour giveaway JustRead

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight May 6, 2025 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on May 13, 2025. 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. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway


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

JustRead Publicity Tours

Tuesday, May 6, 2025

April 2025 Reading Recap & May 2025 TBR

My April 2025 Reads: 


  1. The Watchmaker's Daughter by Larry Loftis - ⭐⭐⭐⭐½ - An extensively researched biography of Corrie Ten Boom. It's not the kind of book that is "fun" to read, but it worthy of the time spent. 

  2. Lady Maybe by Julie Klassen - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Kept me on my toes with its mystery and made me want to stay up all night with its romance. Read my review.

  3. The Unhiding of Elijah Campbell by Kelly Flanagan - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - A fiction novel that deals with past trauma and mental health. An interesting mix of self-help and fiction that would make a good therapy resource. Review to come.

  4. Home Going: Poetry for a Season by Carolyn Weber- ⭐⭐⭐½ - The poetry was not as good as expected given this author's credentials. My favorite selections were about mothering or motherhood experiences.

  5. Meet Me at the Grand by Lindsay Harrel - ⭐⭐⭐ - Might be a sweet read for those who love the "small town" vibe. For me, I felt the main characters lacked chemistry and some situations were just too ideal/easily resolved. I wouldn't read it again, but I wouldn't discourage anyone from reading it either.



Other April 2025 Reviews: 


  1. CSB Illustrator's Notetaking Bible - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - A gorgeous new edition of the CSB version. Read my review. (Putting it under this section because I didn't read the entire Bible before reviewing. 📖)


Expected May 2025 Reads:
  1. Of Silver and Secrets by Michelle Griep.
  2.  
  3. Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes. - Currently reading. This is a LONG book!

  4. Revive: Declarations of God's Truth to Renew Your Spirit by Cleere Cherry Reaves. - Currently reading.

  5. Every Hour Until Then by Gabrielle Meyer.

  6. The Wind Blows in Sleeping Grass by Katie Powner - My local book club's May selection.



What will you read this month? 

Friday, May 2, 2025

Book Spotlight: Beauty in the Bittersweet by Jessica Stone

Beauty in the Bittersweet JustRead Blog Tour

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Beauty in the Bittersweet by Jessica Stone, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Beauty in the Bittersweet















Title: Beauty in the Bittersweet
Series:
A Thornbush and Juniper Story
Author:
Jessica Stone
Publisher:
Story Architect
Release Date: May 5, 2025
Genre:
Women's Contemporary Fiction (Christian) with romance

If checking off lists were all it took, Elle Reed could keep her life from crumbling around her. But her husband betrays her trust, her best friend’s recent diagnosis reveals a hidden trauma, and a secret Elle has been keeping from her mother has wrecked their Gilmore Girls-esque relationship. Her career may be the one thing she has control over, and she holds it tightly with both hands. 

Then she gets a call she never expects—her mother has passed away suddenly, taking any hope of reconciliation with her. Discovering Catherine’s collection of devotional journals while packing up her home provides an opportunity to glean the wisdom she so desperately misses. But the journals reveal that her mother had secrets of her own, leaving Elle wondering if anyone in her life is who they say. 

When an upheaval at work rips away the only stability Elle has left, she has to face her biggest fear. What will it take for her to surrender control to The One who’s had it all along?  

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Jessica Stone Stories | Amazon


Excerpt


I slowly replaced the two books and pulled the box out of the closet. Pushing to my feet, I headed for the one room I hadn’t gone into since the day it had been necessary to select a dress to take to the funeral home. My mother had always considered her bedroom to be her sanctuary, and she kept it altogether clutter-free. Sitting on the edge of the mattress, I closed my eyes, trying to remember the last time we curled up here to watch movies.

I couldn’t stop myself from sinking into the memories any more than I could fight the softness of the plush floral bedding pulling me down. I pressed my nose into the place she’d last laid her head, where the scent of her rosemary shampoo lingered in the silk pillowcase, nearly convincing me she wasn’t truly gone.

Even still, I wouldn’t cry.

At last, I reached toward the nightstand and found what I knew would be waiting. The current journal had a pale gray cover with a soft ribbon marking her last entry scarcely a third of the way into the book, and as I held it to my chest, the tears I had not built into today’s schedule finally broke free.

About the Author

Jessica Stone

Despite her start as a journalist for a faith-based news publication two decades ago, Jessica Stone has always loved fiction. She believes that her testimony and message come most clearly through storytelling, and she loves the process of developing deep—and deeply flawed—characters who find redemption and learn to accept grace, just as she is herself. Jessica and her husband reside in Raleigh, North Carolina, near her parents and other family. This story—and her confidence to write it—were inspired by her own Gilmore Girls-esque relationship with her daughter, who is living out her dreams as a fashion designer in Paris. Beauty in the Bittersweet is Jessica’s debut novel and the first in her A Thornbush and Juniper Story series.

Connect with Jessica by visiting jessicastonestories.com to follow her on social media and subscribe to email newsletter updates.


Tour Giveaway

(3) winners will receive a print copy of Beauty in the Bittersweet plus a sticker/bookmark, journal and pen set!

Beauty in the Bittersweet blog tour giveaway JustRead

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight April 29, 2025 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on May 6, 2025. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. No shipping restrictions. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway


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

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