Spotlight On Contemporary Romance: Chasing Kensie

7 Jan

Chasing Kensie JustRead Blog Tour

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Chasing Kensie by Drew Taylor, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About The Book

Chasing Kensie

Title: Chasing Kensie
Author: Drew Taylor
Publisher: Taylor Made Publishing
Release Date: December 23, 2025
Genre: Contemporary Romance

She moved to Alaska for a fresh start. He made her the object of his wry affection.

Kensington Smith, a high school English teacher fueled by coffee and plaid, looks for the good in people. The hot-but-vexing P.E. teacher and football coach, who is unfortunately her best friend’s older brother, is the exception. When he’s tapped to assist her with the annual Winter Solstice Dance, he rewrites Kensie’s long-held lesson plans of loathing as he reveals the man behind the flirtatious façade.

Nicolas Lancaster has a little thing for the pretentious, people-pleasing English teacher of Crescent Cove High School… a thing where he revels in riling her up. But as his proclivities shift and he chases the heart of the woman he’s taught to despise him, Nick begins to understand the pain behind the practiced smile she dons—a mirror that reflects his own inner demons.

Two hearts. Two histories.

One source of Hope.

Chasing Kensie is a Christian contemporary romance sparkling with Alaskan winters, unknown feelings, and a love that will light up the darkest of nights.

Excerpt

“You’d be surprised, I guess. This instance wasn’t the first time, and I’m sure it won’t be the last.” She didn’t miss Nick’s tilt of the head in question, but she kept on talking. “When those questions start invading my headspace, I make myself recite scripture. I remember that He says I’m fearfully and wonderfully made. That He knows every hair on my head. That He will take care of me more than He takes care of the birds. That He will never leave me or forsake me. That He knows my appointed days.” Kensie held his stare, willing him to hear her as tears overwhelmed her. “That He sent His son to die for my sins. I mean, what more can God do to reassure me that He cares and that He’s with me?”

Nick fought back more drops of emotion, releasing a masculine groan as he surrendered. “You’re right. He’s here. He’s with me. Everything I went through led me to this moment. With you. And if you’re here in front of me, He has to care. Because He knows I don’t deserve you. Not after how I’ve treated you and how I’ve lived my life these past few years.” 

Kensie took his hands between hers. “This isn’t about me, Nick. Even if I wasn’t here in this moment, God still cares about you, and He’s waiting for you to run back to Him.”



PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | BookBub

Also Available

About The Author

Drew Taylor

Drew Taylor writes modern closed-door chick-lit romance stories from a Biblical worldview. She believes faith-based romance can be full of heart, humor, healing, and hope while showcasing the reality of our fallen human condition. Her redemptive and engaging stories point to the One who embodies true love–Jesus Christ.

Drew lives in the great state of Mississippi where she teaches high school English. When not teaching or writing, she enjoys reading, baking, researching conspiracy theories, and spending quality time with the people who mean the most to her.

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

Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive signed paperback copies of Chasing Kensie and Reverie with book swag plus a $25 Amazon Gift Card or Coffee Gift Card of winner’s choice!

Chasing Kensie JustRead Tours blog giveaway

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight January 5, 2026 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on January 12, 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. 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

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First Line Friday — A Brewed Awakening

2 Jan

Happy first Friday of 2026. To go with the New Year, I have a new book to bring you for First Line Friday — A Brewed Awakening, a contemporary romance from the Queen of Kissing Books, Pepper Basham. This one looks like so much fun! Look for it in May 2026.

Here’s the first (at least the to me) line:

Ladies did not drool over cars.

Daphne dreams of Mr. Darcy. Finn serves up pints and rock music. Can opposites attract when a tea shop princess meets her pub-owning rival?

In the charming mountain town of Wisteria, North Carolina, Daphne Austen clings to tradition like cream to a scone. She’s built her life–and her late grandmother’s tearoom, Tea Thyme–around all things English: delicate china, Jane Austen novels, and the comforting predictability of routine. The only thing threatening her perfectly ordered world? The loud, aggravatingly handsome Brit opening a pub next door.

After his ex-wife broke his heart and his business partner nearly destroyed his career, Finn Dashwood packed up his six-year-old daughter and left England behind. He’s looking for a fresh start, and the last thing he needs is a fussy, tea-obsessed neighbor criticizing his every pint and playlist. It doesn’t matter that she’s ridiculously kind (to everyone else) and that his daughter is utterly fascinated by her. Finn’s heart is not open to being broken again.

But disagreements turn into prank wars and then a competition when a high-profile wedding needs a last-minute caterer. The townsfolk are thrilled–Wisteria hasn’t seen this much excitement since the county fair lost a goat.

When the wedding demands both sweet and savory fare, Daphne and Finn are forced to put down their swords and pick up their serving trays. Between burnt pastries, brewing tempers, trending hashtags (#SipsAndSpats, anyone?), and one very adorable little girl, rivalry soon gives way to reluctant friendship–and maybe something that feels suspiciously like chemistry.

Can a tea shop princess and a pub owner with a past mix their lives as seamlessly as clotted cream and jam . . . or will their differences keep them steeped in rivalry forever?

Pepper Basham is a best-selling author who writes romance “peppered” with grace and humor. Writing both historical and contemporary novels, she loves to incorporate her native Appalachian culture and/or her unabashed adoration of the UK into her stories.

You can learn more about Pepper and her books on her website at http://www.pepperdbasham.com.

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January 2026 Book Club Pick — All We Thought We Knew

1 Jan

Happy New Year! The best way to celebrate is with a new book! 😉 My book club’s first selection for 2026 is All We Thought We Knew by Michelle Shocklee, the 2025 Christy Award-winner in the historical fiction category and Book of The Year. Won’t you join us in reading it? If you have read it already, please let us know what you thought.

She was so sure she knew her family’s story . . . Now she wonders if she was wrong about all of it.

1969. When Mattie Taylor’s twin brother was killed in Vietnam, she lost her best friend and the only person who really understood her. Now, news that her mother is dying sends Mattie back home, despite blaming her father for Mark’s death. Mama’s last wish is that Mattie would read some old letters stored in a trunk, from people Mattie doesn’t even know. Mama insists they hold the answers Mattie is looking for.

1942. Ava Delaney is picking up the pieces of her life following her husband’s death at Pearl Harbor. Living with her mother-in-law on a secluded farm in Tennessee is far different than the life Ava imagined when she married only a few short months ago. Desperate to get out of the house, Ava seeks work at a nearby military base, where she soon discovers the American government is housing Germans who they have classified as enemy aliens. As Ava works to process legal documents for the military, she crosses paths with Gunther Schneider, a German who is helping care for wounded soldiers. Ava questions why a man as gentle and kind as Gunther should be forced to live in the internment camp, and as they become friends, her sense of the injustice grows . . . as do her feelings for him. Faced with the possibility of losing Gunther, Ava must choose whether loving someone deemed the enemy is a risk worth taking, even if it means being ostracized by all those around her.

In the midst of pain and loss two women must come face-to-face with their own assumptions about what they thought they knew about themselves and others. What they discover will lead to a far greater appreciation of their own legacies and the love of those dearest to them.

Michelle Shocklee is the author of several historical novels including ALL WE THOUGHT WE KNEW, the 2025 Christy Award Book of the Year; APPALACHIAN SONG, a 2024 Christy Award Finalist; COUNT THE NIGHTS BY STARS, winner of the 2023 Christianity Today Book Award in Fiction; and UNDER THE TULIP TREE, a Christy Award & Selah Award finalist. As a woman of mixed heritage–her father’s family is Hispanic and her mother’s roots go back to Germany–she has always celebrated diversity and feels it’s important to see the world through the eyes of one another. Learning from the past and changing the future is why she writes historical fiction. With both her sons grown and happily married, Michelle and her husband make their home in Tennessee. She loves to hear from readers, so please connect with her at: http://www.MichelleShocklee.com.

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Happy Release Day — Taking A Second Shot

30 Dec

Happy release day to Leslie Kirby DeVooght. Her lates contemporary romance, Taking A Shot, is now available! Whether or not you are a sports fan, if you love small town contemporary romance, you need to check this book out!

Can he convince her that he’s playing for keeps?

Struggling professional soccer player Rainey Allen has come to her grandparents’ small town in Georgia to train—certainly not to coach kids. But when a grief-stricken little boy gets excited about playing with her, she can’t refuse. Even if his uncle is Scott Wilcox, the source of Rainey’s worst preteen memory. Once on track to be a professional athlete himself, Scott is grappling with his new life as the high school baseball coach and guardian of his orphaned nephew. But as playing soccer puts the light back in Henry’s eyes, old wounds begin to heal. When Rainey gets her big break, will she give up on her dreams…or leave behind the family who stole her heart?

Leslie Kirby DeVooght writes women’s fiction inspired by romcoms, coastal Georgia, and fried okra! While Leslie and her family live in Jacksonville, Florida, they often visit her hometown of St. Simons Island, Georgia, where she loves to go for long walks on the beach. A graduate of Florida Southern College and Mercer Law School, Leslie is always revising her life from prosecutor to judge to PTA president to author of happily-ever-afters.

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Top 10 Tuesday — Most Recent Additions

30 Dec

Happy last Tuesday of 2025! How is it the year is over?! I had a great year of reading and of course acquiring books. My physical, Kindle, and NetGalley shelves overflow. Today on my TTT post I am featuring the last books to hit my NetGalley shelf. I know, I need to get reading. Let me know what you think of the latests additions.

For more TTT posts, visit That Artsy Reader Girl.

Last 10 Books Added to My NetGalley Shelf

The Bell Tolls at Traeger Hall by Jaime Jo Wright

A Brewed Awakening by Pepper Basham

Dark Design by Nancy Mehl

Daughter of The Rebellion by Jamie Ogle

Echoes of A Silent Song by Amanda Wen

Handle with Care by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen

More Than Friends by Denise Hunter

Not Exactly Mr. Darcy by Carolyn Miller

Spies, Lies, And Alibis by Natalie Walters

Witness Protection by Robert Whitlow

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First Line Friday — Hidden

26 Dec

Continuing with my Christmas book reading binge, I am featuring Hidden by Hope Welborn, a novella-length romantic suspense. The cover and the first line certainly give me the chills! 😉 Hope will be participating in the Read, White, and Blue Book Festival in Perry, Georgia in February 2026. I can’t wait!

Here’s the first line:

Large, fluffy snowflakes swirled in the wind, adding to the mass of white blanketing the ground.

All she wants is a peaceful Christmas…

Young widow Alison Bailey-Curtis seeks the comfort and familiarity of her family’s North Georgia mountain cabin to escape for the holidays.

But someone is following her and a snowstorm has her trapped.

With an unknown threat tracking her every move, she must rely on the one man she swore never to trust again – Special Agent Noah Chandler.

Noah’s sole mission is to protect Alison without blowing his cover. But as danger closes in, protecting her means resurrecting a web of lies and facing their painful past.

With nowhere to run, Alison and Noah must confront their deepest fears and insecurities, relying on each other for survival.

Can they unravel the truth before the enemy strikes, or will the shattered trust between them be their downfall?

Hope Welborn writes spine-tingling suspense, sprinkled with romance, and saturated with faith. Her manuscripts have won the ACFW Genesis Contest and the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference Foundations Awards in romantic suspense.

As a #writerwithadayjob, she spends her lunch hours creating small town characters who face big suspense with faith in a big God. By day, she masquerades as a digital content marketing technology specialist, and by night, she stays up too late putting words on the page.

Hope also serves as editor and web manager for Spark Flash Fiction and is a member of the Suspense Squad. She is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency.

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Mini-Book Review — Frostbite

24 Dec

As I continue my Christmas reading-binge, I have searched out books from a variety of genres. After several historical romances, I was ready for something a little different. I found the novella Frostbite by Christy Barritt. Barritt always delvers edge-of-the seat mystery/romance that keeps me up way past my bedtime. Frostbite is part of the Pros And Cons Mysteries series, and while this book set in the Hallmark-worthy Smoky Mountains can technically be read as a standalone, I must confess I wish I had read at least a few other books in the series. The book features main character Olive Sterling as she and the other members of her team are set to relax and reset in the days leading up to Christmas. But relaxation is not what they find! Instead a snowstorm, a power outage, a mysterious inn, and a dead body all conspire to keep the adrenaline flowing! There are lots of twist and turns that I did not see coming. As suspicion builds, no one can be trusted, even long time friends and colleagues. Frostbite is perfect for a quick winter’s night read. Fans of the Pros and Cons series are in for a treat. And if you are like me and insist on reading it without any other introduction to the characters, you will not be lost. You’ll just be yearning for more from Olive and Barritt.

Recommended (read the other books in the series first).

Audience: Adults.

(I borrowed this book from Kindle Unlimited. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

During this snowstorm, the true danger isn’t the cold—it’s the secrets people keep.

Olive Sterling and Jason Stewart expected Aegis’s Christmas retreat in the Smoky Mountains to be a rare chance to breathe, reconnect, and enjoy a peaceful holiday away from the chaos of their high-risk world. Instead, they discover that even the most picturesque setting can conceal the darkest of intentions.

When Olive finds a teammate’s body frozen in the snow, she instantly knows his death was no accident. As a brutal storm traps the team on the mountain with a killer in their midst, Olive and Jason must uncover the truth before the body count rises.

But when every footprint leads to more questions—and every teammate becomes a suspect—suspicion turns as lethal as the dropping temperatures. With trust eroding and fear closing in, Olive and Jason must decide who they can truly rely on—and who they can’t.

A USA Today and Publishers Weekly best-seller, Christy Barritt writes both mystery and romantic suspense novels that are clean with underlying messages of faith. Her books have sold more than three million copies, one has been made into a TV movie, and another is being developed for a TV series.

Christy’s books have won the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Suspense and Mystery, have been twice nominated for the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award, and have finaled for both a Carol Award and Foreword Magazine’s Book of the Year.

She’s married to her prince charming, a man who thinks she’s hilarious–but only when she’s not trying to be. Christy’s a self-proclaimed klutz, an avid music lover who’s known for spontaneously bursting into song, and a road trip aficionado.

Christy currently splits her time between the Virginia suburbs and Hatteras Island, North Carolina. She loves spending time with her husband, her two sons, and her four dogs.

For more information, visit her website: http://www.christybarritt.com.

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If You Liked . . . A Wish Book Christmas

23 Dec

A Wish Book Christmas by Lynn Austin is a sweet book full of nostalgia and the real meaning of Christmas. It also has a few HEAs that will appeal to romance lovers. If you liked this sequel to If I Were You, here are a few more reading recommendations.

The Christmas Pony by Melody Carlson

Eight-year-old Lucy Turnbull knew better than to wish for a pony that Christmas in 1937. Her mother had assured her in no uncertain terms that asking for a pony was the same as asking for the moon. Besides, the only extra mouths they needed at their boarding house were the paying kind. But when an interesting pair of strangers comes to town, Lucy starts to believe her Christmas wishes might just come true after all.

The queen of the Christmas novel, Melody Carlson pens another magical tale of expectation and excitement as one little girl dreams big and the impossible becomes possible.

The Christmas Star by Ace Collins

Robert Reed gave his life for his country in the early days of World War II. His sacrifice was honored when his widow and son were presented with the Congressional Medal of Honor. Each Christmas the final decoration Madge Reed hangs on the family’s tree is that medal. Rather than being a symbol of honor for young Jimmy Reed that shining star represents loss, pain, and suffering. Yet a letter delivered by one of Robert’s fellow soldiers and a mystery posed in that letter put a father’s sacrifice and faith into perspective and bring new meaning to not just the star hanging on the Christmas tree but the events of the very first Christmas. Then, when least expected, a Christmas miracle turns a final bit of holiday sadness into a joy that the boy has never known.

The Unfinished Gift by Dan Walsh

Patrick Collins has three items on his Christmas list. He wants the army to find his father, a B-17 pilot, somewhere in England. He wants to leave his grandfather’s house. And he wants–very badly–something he’s just seen tucked away in his grandfather’s attic. Set at Christmastime in 1943, The Unfinished Gift is a dramatic family drama that reminds us of the surprising things that can affect powerful changes in our hearts–-a young boy’s desperate prayers, a shoebox full of love letters, even a dusty, long-forgotten wooden soldier.

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Mini-Book Review — A Caffeine Conundrum

23 Dec

Looking for a cozy mystery for a quick holiday read? Check out A Caffeine Conundrum by Angela Ruth Strong. This small town whodunit is full of crazy happenings as Tandy and Marissa, competitors in buying a retail space to fulfill their dreams, join forces to uncover who could have killed antique store owner Virginia. Could it have been the coffee? I liked the holiday hijinks of the two young women who are searching for their purpose in life. And in Grace Springs, Ohio they may just find grace as well. There’s holiday spirit, close calls, pratfalls, and not just one romantic thread. I look forward to the next adventure for the two coffee and tea-loving duo.

Recommended.

Audience: older teens and adults.

(I borrowed the ebook through Kindle Unlimited. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

Solving a murder mystery is harder when you don’t trust your partner…or their taste in beverages.

Sassy city girl Tandy Brandt moves to the small town of Grace Springs to start a coffee shop, never imagining she’ll be competing with local beauty queen Marissa Alexander and her dream of running a tea house. Unfortunately, the current store owner dies before selling the location to either of them, and they both become murder suspects.

The unlikely pair team up in an attempt to discover the real killer, though with the secrets in Tandy’s past and Marissa’s infamous clumsiness, they could be their own worst enemies. Despite their differences, they follow clues to question a sweet, apple pie baking antique store owner, a GQ Santa in the retirement center, and a hipster millionaire with no social skills. Will they be able to figure out whodunit and prove their innocence before one of them goes to jail…or worse?

Angela Ruth Strong sold her first romance novel in 2009, and her books have since earned TOP PICK in Romantic Times, been a finalist for the Christy, won the Cascade Award, and become Amazon bestsellers. Her book Finding Love in Big Sky released as a movie in 2022. To help aspiring authors, she started IDAhope Writers where she lives in Idaho, and she blogs for Inspy Romance and My Book Therapy. Get to know her even better at http://www.angelaruthstrong.com.

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Mini-Book Review — Hidden

22 Dec

Hidden by Hope Welborn is a romantic suspense novella perfect for Christmas Eve reading. Allison thinks someone is after her, or is she just paranoid? Taking no chances she flees to her family’s north Georgia cabin, but real danger follows her, along with a snowstorm! She is joined by Noah, once-upon-a-time-friend turned betrayer. He says he’s there to help, but can he really be trusted? The twists and turns come fast and furious in this book. And I didn’t see the ending coming! At just a little bit over 100 pages, you can uncover the mystery before you hang up your stocking for Santa. 😉 I like the idea of the Icelandic tradition of giving and reading books on Christmas Eve, and Hidden is a great choice to gift yourself. So snuggle under the covers with some cocoa and find the HEA along with Allison.

Recommended.

Audience: Adults.

(I borrowed this book from Kindle Unlimited. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

All she wants is a peaceful Christmas…

Young widow Alison Bailey-Curtis seeks the comfort and familiarity of her family’s North Georgia mountain cabin to escape for the holidays.

But someone is following her and a snowstorm has her trapped.

With an unknown threat tracking her every move, she must rely on the one man she swore never to trust again – Special Agent Noah Chandler.

Noah’s sole mission is to protect Alison without blowing his cover. But as danger closes in, protecting her means resurrecting a web of lies and facing their painful past.

With nowhere to run, Alison and Noah must confront their deepest fears and insecurities, relying on each other for survival.

Can they unravel the truth before the enemy strikes, or will the shattered trust between them be their downfall?

Hope Welborn writes spine-tingling suspense, sprinkled with romance, and saturated with faith. Her manuscripts have won the ACFW Genesis Contest and the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference Foundations Awards in romantic suspense.

As a #writerwithadayjob, she spends her lunch hours creating small town characters who face big suspense with faith in a big God. By day, she masquerades as a digital content marketing technology specialist, and by night, she stays up too late putting words on the page.

Hope also serves as editor and web manager for Spark Flash Fiction and is a member of the Suspense Squad. She is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency.

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