Happy Monday, reading friends! Hope your weekend has been grand 🙂
Starting the week with a look at the early 2022 releases from Revell, and what a way to begin! With a new cover designer at the helm, there are some gorgeous cover below that break away from the traditional Christian Fiction style, much to my delight!
The ones that immediately catch my eye are the covers for Laura Frantz, Jody Hedlund, Jennifer Deibel, and Kelli Stuart. Stunning by virtue of style, colour, impact, and/or simplicity.
Susie May’s and Sarah Sundin’s get special mentions, too. Sarah’s is lovely and it certainly communicates it is a WWII novel as the style can be found on most novels of that era being published in the general market.
A dear author friend pointed out to me once how may covers have women walking or running away and now I can’t unsee it and note it every time!
Regardless, so many great stories await as the new year kicks off – which ones will you be adding to your TBR stack?
Sky King Ranch Book #1
Pilot Dodge Kingston has always been the heir to Sky King Ranch. But after a terrible family fight, he left to become a pararescue jumper. A decade later, he’s headed home to the destiny that awaits him.
That’s not all that’s waiting for Dodge. His childhood best friend and former flame, Echo Yazzie, is a true Alaskan–a homesteader, dogsledder, and research guide for the DNR. Most of all, she’s living a life Dodge knows could get her killed. One of these days she’s going to get lost in the woods again, and his worst fear is that he won’t be there to find her.
When one of Echo’s fellow researchers goes missing, Echo sets out to find her, despite a blizzard, a rogue grizzly haunting the woods, and the biting cold. Plus, there’s more than just the regular dangers of the Alaskan forests stalking her . . .
Will Dodge be able to find her in time? And if he does, is there still room for him in her heart?
January 2022
A Heart Adrift by Laura Frantz
A Virginia chocolatier and a privateering sea captain collide once more after a failed love affair a decade before. Will a war and a cache of regrets keep them apart? Or will a new shared vision reunite them?
It is 1755, and the threat of war with France looms over colonial York, Virginia. Chocolatier Esmée Shaw is fighting her own battle of the heart. Having reached her twenty-eighth birthday, she is reconciled to life alone after a decade-old failed love affair from which she’s never quite recovered. But she longs to find something worthwhile to do with her life.
Captain Henri Lennox has returned to port after a lengthy absence, intent on completing the lighthouse in the dangerous Chesapeake Bay, a dream he once shared with Esmée. But when the colonial government asks him to lead a secret naval expedition against the French, his future is plunged into uncertainty.
Will a war and a cache of regrets keep them apart, or can their shared vision and dedication to the colonial cause heal the wounds of the past? Bestselling and award-winning author Laura Frantz whisks you away to a time fraught with peril–on the sea and in the heart–in this redemptive, romantic story.
January 2022
Extreme Measures Book #1
EMS helicopter pilot Penny Carlton is used to high stress situations, but being forced to land on a mountain in a raging storm with a critical patient–and a serial killer on the loose–tests her skills and her nerve to the limit. She survives with FBI Special Agent Holt Satterfield’s help. But she’s not out of the woods yet.
In the ensuing days, Penny finds herself under attack. And when news reaches Holt that he may not have gotten his man after all, it will take all he and Penny have to catch a killer–before he catches one of them.
Bestselling and award-winning author Lynette Eason is back with another high-octane tale of close calls, narrow escapes, and the fight to bring a nefarious criminal to justice.
January 2020
Never Leave Me by Jody Hedlund
The Waters of Time Book #2
In the last stages of a genetic disease, Ellen Creighton has decided to live out her remaining days at the estate of her longtime friend Harrison Burlington. Harrison cares deeply for Ellen, but as a wheelchair-bound paraplegic, he’s never allowed himself to get serious in a relationship. However, he’s desperately trying to save her by finding the holy water that is believed to heal any disease.
When he locates two flasks, Ellen refuses to drink one of them because she believes the holy water killed her sister and father. In an effort to convince her to take it, Harrison ingests the contents first, and when Ellen witnesses the effects, she can no longer deny the power of the substance in the bottles. Dangerous criminals are also seeking the holy water, and Ellen soon learns they will go to any lengths to get the powerful drug–including sending her back into the past to find it for them.
Bestselling and award-winning author Jody Hedlund plunges you into the swiftly flowing river of history in a race against the clock in this breathtaking, emotional second Waters of Time story.
January 2020
The Lady of Galway Manor by Jennifer Deibel
In 1920, Annabeth De Lacy’s father is appointed landlord of Galway Parish in Ireland. Bored without all the trappings of the British Court, Annabeth convinces her father to arrange an apprenticeship for her with the Jennings family–descendants of the creator of the famed Claddagh Ring.
Stephen Jennings longs to do anything other than run his family’s jewelry shop. Having had his heart broken, he no longer believes in love and is weary of peddling the ÒliesÓ the Claddagh Ring promises.
Meanwhile, as the war for Irish independence gains strength, many locals resent the De Lacys and decide to take things into their own hands to display their displeasure. As events take a dangerous turn for Annabeth and her family, she and Stephen begin to see that perhaps the “other side” isn’t quite as barbaric and uncultured as they’d been led to believe–and that the bonds of friendship, love, and loyalty are only made stronger when put through the refiner’s fire.
Travel to the Emerald Isle for another poignant and romantic story from the enchanted pen of Jennifer Deibel.
February 2022
Until Leaves Fall in Paris by Sarah Sundin
As the Nazis march toward Paris in 1940, American ballerina Lucie Girard buys her favorite English-language bookstore to allow the Jewish owners to escape. Lucie struggles to run Green Leaf Books due to oppressive German laws and harsh conditions, but she finds a way to aid the resistance by passing secret messages between the pages of her books.
Widower Paul Aubrey wants nothing more than to return to the States with his little girl, but the US Army convinces him to keep his factory running and obtain military information from his German customers. As the war rages on, Paul offers his own resistance by sabotaging his product and hiding British airmen in his factory. After they meet in the bookstore, Paul and Lucie are drawn to each other, but she rejects him when she discovers he sells to the Germans. And for Paul to win her trust would mean betraying his mission.
Master of WWII-era fiction Sarah Sundin invites you onto the streets of occupied Paris to discover whether love or duty will prevail.
February 2022
Looking for Leroy by Melody Carson
It’s official: Brynna Phillips is done with men. They only break your heart. But just when she makes this declaration, her friend Jan convinces Brynna to join her on a camping vacation in Sonoma Wine Country. As they wind their way toward their destination, spanking-new mini camper in tow, Brynna recalls her teenage camp romance with a boy named Leroy. How can it have been nearly 30 years ago? All she remembers is that Leroy was a genuinely good guy and that his family owned a vineyard–in Sonoma. She doesn’t even remember his last name. Jan insists they look for him, and the search begins.
Beyond the slim chance they’d ever be able to find him are questions that have haunted Brynna for decades, including What is the point of digging up the past? and Can Leroy ever forgive me for losing touch?
March 2022
The Spark of Love by Amanda Cabot
Mesquite Springs Book #3
When a spurned suitor threatens her, heiress Alexandra Tarkington flees New York for Mesquite Springs in the Texas Hill Country, where her father is building a hotel. But the happy reunion she envisions is not to be as her father insists she return to New York. Instead, Alexandra carves out a niche for herself in town, teaching schoolchildren to paint and enjoying the company of Gabe Seymour, a delightful man she met on the stagecoach.
But all is not as it seems. Two men, each with his own agenda, have followed her to Mesquite Springs. And Gabe is an investigator, searching for proof that her father is a swindler. When a series of apparent accidents threaten her life, Alexandra and Gabe will have to work together to discover the truth. And perhaps along the way they will discover that the sparks of attraction they’ve felt from the beginning are more than sparks–they’re love.
Bestselling author Amanda Cabot invites you back to 1850s Texas for this exciting and heartwarming tale of treachery, love, and learning to trust.
March 2022
Malicious Intent by Lynn H Blackburn
Defend and Protect Book #2
Dr. Ivy Collins, founder and CEO of Hedera, Inc., is ready to begin clinical trials of her company’s cutting-edge prosthetic. Her work has been heralded by government, medical, and advocacy groups and everyone hopes the device will be a success. Well, almost everyone. Someone is trying to sabotage Hedera and the launch, but to what purpose–and how far will they go to get what they want?
Meanwhile, U.S. Secret Service Agent Gil Dixon can’t believe he’s finally been reunited with Ivy, his childhood best friend. Now that he’s found her again, Gil intends to spend the rest of his life with her. But it will take all his skill to uncover the truth in time to save Ivy’s life’s work, her own life, and the innocent lives caught in the crossfire.
Perfectly balancing chilling suspense and uplifting romance, award-winning author Lynn H. Blackburn delivers a story of revenge, greed, and overcoming that you won’t want to put down no matter how late it gets.
March 2022
The Master Craftsman by Kelli Stuart
In 1917, Alma Pihl, a master craftsman in The House of Fabergé, was charged to protect one of the greatest secrets in Russian history–an unknown Fabergé Egg that Peter Karl Fabergé secretly created to honor his divided allegiance to both the people of Russia and the Imperial Czar’s family. When Alma and her husband escaped Russia for their native Finland in 1921, she took the secret with her, guarding her past connection to the Romanov family.
Three generations later, world-renowned treasure hunter Nick Laine is sick and fears the secret of the missing egg will die with him. With time running out, he entrusts the mission of retrieving the egg to his estranged daughter, Ava, who has little idea of the dangers she is about to face. As the stakes are raised, Ava is forced to declare her own allegiance–and the consequences are greater than she could have imagined.
This modern-day treasure hunt from award-winning author Kelli Stuart transports you into the opulent and treacherous world of the Russian Revolution to unearth mysteries long buried.
April 2022
Sea Glass Cottage by Irene Hannon
A Hope Harbor Book #8
Christi Reece is desperate. The one-time golden girl’s life has tarnished, and a cascade of setbacks has left her reeling. She needs help, and she’s certain Jack Colby is in a position to provide it.
When she shows up in Hope Harbor, however, Jack wants nothing to do with the woman who betrayed him. He’s built a new life on the Oregon coast–and there’s no room in it for Christi, even after she takes refuge in a charming but mysterious cottage nearby. Yet it soon becomes apparent his opinion of her may need revising . . . especially when he ends up needing her help.
Can these two hurting souls make peace with their past and open their hearts to a new beginning?
Come home to Hope Harbor–where hearts heal . . . and love blooms.
Bestselling and award-winning author Irene Hannon delivers another heartwarming and romantic story set in the enchanting seaside community of Hope Harbor that is loved by readers the world over. Once you visit, you’ll never want to leave.
April 2022
US Marshals Book #3
After a harrowing attempt on a judge’s life at the courthouse, Deputy US Marshals Madison James and Jonas Quinn are tasked with finding a missing woman and an endangered child in connection to the murder of the judge’s wife. What seems like a fairly straightforward case becomes hopelessly tangled when the marshals discover that the woman they are searching for is in witness protection and the Amber Alert put out for the missing child has put two lives in danger.
Madison and Jonas are forced into a race to find the woman and the child before the men who want her dead discover her location. And in a final showdown that could cost her everything, Madison will come face-to-face with the person who murdered her husband.
USA Today bestselling author Lisa Harris concludes her thrilling US Marshals series with this breathless tale of secrets kept, lies exposed, and ultimately, justice prevailing.
April 2022
July 20, 2021 at 1:21 am
Beautiful covers! Will need to read them all!
July 20, 2021 at 2:23 am
Love this! Thanks, Rel!
July 20, 2021 at 2:44 am
Lovely books!! Can’t wait to read these! Thanks for sharing!!!
July 20, 2021 at 5:01 am
Great covers! So glad to get away from the usual “same old, same old”! Thanks for the post, Rel!
July 20, 2021 at 5:26 am
Ooo! Jody’s is pretty. Makes me want to give these books a chance. 🙂
July 21, 2021 at 1:22 am
I do not read Science fiction but I picked up Jody’s first one because so many people were talking about it that I wanted to see what the fuss was about. It was AWESOME and I can’t wait until the second book comes out 🙂 I think you should give them a try 🙂
July 21, 2021 at 9:42 am
Good to know! Thanks, Cindy. I’ll have to add it to my list of possible TBR additions (of which there are many!). 🙂
July 21, 2021 at 11:59 pm
I understand that completely!!! I think even if I never added another book to my bookshelves, Kindle, or TBR list on Goodreads I would have enough books to read for the rest of my life. But, new books keep coming out and the list gets longer 🙂
July 20, 2021 at 1:59 pm
Wow! Thanks, Rel! I’m adding a bunch of books to my TBR list–again!
July 20, 2021 at 9:07 pm
I love these covers! And the insides sound great as well 😉 . My favorite has to be Laura Frantz’s though. It really catches the eye — so unique.
August 10, 2021 at 11:48 am
Agree, it’s lovely!
July 20, 2021 at 11:02 pm
Jody’s cover is my favorite, especially since I’m reading the first book (“Come Back To Me”) right now. Really liked Lynn Blackburn’s new series, so am anxious to read book two.
Now that you’ve mentioned covers with women walking or running away, they’re going to jump out to me all the time.
August 10, 2021 at 11:48 am
Hehe!! Have fun seeing them run 🙂
July 21, 2021 at 1:01 am
ok – – I’m “running to” the covers of Jody Hedlund and Laura Frantz – beautiful covers that give me a hint of the story inside. The rest of the covers are not bad – but they don’t grab my attention like Jody’s and Laura’s.
As a matter of fact the cover and story behind Jody Hedlund’s book 2 of “Never Leave Me” had me so intrigued that I’m going to start reading her first book of this series – “Come back to Me” – – I love the time travel genre and am so excited to find that there is another christian writer for the genre. The other is Tamara Leigh – her books of DreamSpell and Lady Ever After are excellent!
Thanks for the info Rel – – some great reading ahead.
August 10, 2021 at 11:46 am
Yay!! Yes, Tamara’s are excellent – let me know what you think of Jody’s when you are done 🙂
July 21, 2021 at 1:25 am
So many great authors here, I will probably end up giving them all a try. For sure will be reading Jody’s, Lynette’s, Lisa’s, Lynn’s, and Irene’s. Thanks for sharing!
August 10, 2021 at 11:46 am
You are welcome, Cindy!
July 22, 2021 at 12:03 pm
I’ll be reading Susan May Warren’s and Laura Frantz’s books! The cover for Laura Frantz is stunning, def my favorite!