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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First Line Friday — A Caffeine Conundrum

19 Dec

Happy Friday! I am continuing my Christmas binge-reading. It has been a fun December! This week I am highlighting A Caffeine Conundrum by Angela Ruth Strong, a cozy Christmas mystery full of sweet romance and zany characters. It is part of a series of books set on a holiday. I look forward to more book fun at Valentine’s and 4th of July.

Here’s the first line:

Hidden Treasures would soon belong to her.

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 — Once Upon A Christmas Carol

18 Dec

I make it a habit to read at least one Melody Carlson Christmas novella every holiday season. This year is no exception. I picked up Carlson’s newest book Once Upon a Christmas Carol and quickly devoured it. Carlson is not called the Queen of Christmas novellas for nothing! I loved the emphasis on the importance of family. While there is definitely a romance involved in the story, main character Carol discovered family ties that filled a hole in her life and heart. Carol made plans for a Bahama Christmas getaway, but God had other plans. A snowstorm and a long lost aunt help to point Carol in the direction of the wonder and joy of Christmas. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is a quick read with a wonderfully snowy setting, great characters, a sweet and hunky hero, and a message of the real reason for the season.

Recommended.

Audience: Adults.

(I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

What will happen when a tropical escape from holiday blues turns into a snowy wonderland filled with joy and cheer?

Carol Langstrom hates Christmas. Growing up in a dysfunctional home, with a birthday on December 25 and too many dashed childhood expectations, she would rather avoid the holiday season. And working in the design industry where she manages seasonal decor for wealthy, entitled clients certainly hasn’t helped!

So, this year her goal is to flee to the Bahamas—by herself—bah humbug! But bad weather and God’s radically different plan redirect her flight to blustery Michigan, where she gets stuck on her aunt’s farm and discovers a different kind of Christmas—one wrapped in love, family, and holiday spirit.

Melody Carlson has written more than 200 books (with sales around 6.5 million) for teens, women and children. That’s a lot of books, but mostly she considers herself a “storyteller.” Her novels range from serious issues like schizophrenia (Finding Alice) to lighter topics like house-flipping (A Mile in My Flip-Flops) but most of the inspiration behind her fiction comes right out of real life. Her young adult novels (Diary of a Teenage Girl, TrueColors etc.) appeal to teenage girls around the world. Her annual Christmas novellas become more popular each year. She’s won a number of awards (including Romantic Time’s Career Achievement Award, the Rita and the Gold Medallion) and some of her books have been optioned for film/TV. Carlson has two grown sons and makes her home in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and yellow Lab dog. To find out more about Melody Carlson, visit her website at http://www.melodycarlson.com/.

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Mini-Book Review — The Christmas Book Flood

17 Dec

Bibliophiles will love Roseanna M. White’s holiday novella, The Christmas Book Flood. Set in Iceland (I have never read a book set there!) during WWII, it features the beginning of the Icelandic Christmas tradition of giving and reading books on Christmas Eve. This is a delightful historical romance with great cultural details. I now want to visit Iceland more than ever! The theme is pursuit of dreams and finding purpose in life. I loved everything about this book. The endearing characters and the easy prose made this a great book to read over the course of just a few nights. The only caveat is that it is available only on ebook and audiobook. If you are a dedicated reader of physical books, you are out of luck. But if you have an ereader or like audiobooks get this one as soon as you can.

Highly Recommended.

Audience: Adults.

(I purchased the ebook from Amazon. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

In this charming World War II historical romance novella inspired by Jolabokaflod, Iceland’s Christmas Book Flood, an author falls in love with a man who doesn’t know he is her editor.

Iceland. December 1944. Tatiana Eliasdottir is looking forward to welcoming her niece Elea for Christmas. She’s determined to give the little girl a joyful holiday and take her mind off troubles at home. Soon, however, the publishing house where Tatiana works is flooded with orders thanks to the first issue of a seasonal book catalog. With the war causing so many shortages, Icelanders are eager to give their loved ones something that isn’t rationed, and books are the perfect solution to their dilemma.

Anders Johannsson is an editor who shares Tatiana’s love for stories. While he wishes to know her better, he’s never dared pursue more than friendship. They are first and foremost colleagues. But when Tatiana’s attempts to cheer Elea fail, Tatiana recruits him to help, a plea he can’t refuse. He is, after all, not only an editor but a beloved children’s book author and devoted uncle to his adoring nieces and nephews.

As the two creatively bring Icelandic Christmas traditions to life for Elea and frantically work to meet the demands of the publisher’s holiday rush, Tatiana finds herself increasingly drawn to kind, thoughtful Anders. But if a love is to grow between them, she will need to reveal her closely held secret: she is the mysterious author of a popular new novel . . . and Anders is her editor.

Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary. You can learn more about her and her stories at http://www.RoseannaMWhite.com.

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Top 10 Tuesday — Winter TBR!

16 Dec

Happy Tuesday. I am Christmas binge-reading right now, but I am also looking forward to some great reading in the months ahead. Today my TTT Winter TBR list contains a couple of Christmas books I hope to finish up before New Year’s, some book club reading, and some just because reading. I hope you find a book to pique your interest!

For more Winter TBR lists, please visit That Artsy Reader Girl.

Winter TBR List

All We Thought We Knew by Michelle Shocklee

An Appearance of Impropriety by Jayna Breigh

The Bitter End Birding Society by Amanda Cox

Christmas with The Queen by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb

The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn

Hidden by Hope Welborn

Version 1.0.0

How to Sparkle by Leslie DeVooght

Spies, Lies, And Alibis by Natalie Walters

Taking A Second Shot by Leslie DeVooght

Whiskers, Wreaths, and Murder by Kathy Manos Penn

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Cover Reveal — A Founding Mother: A Novel of Abigail Adams

15 Dec

I am happy to reveal the cover of Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie‘s upcoming historical/biographical novel, A Founding Mother: A Novel of Abigail Adams. I have read several of their books and find them well-crafted and historically-detailed, as well as unputdownable! The book is now ready for pre-order at all your favorite bookstores prior to its May 5, 2026 release. Check it out today!

In time for the 250th Anniversary of the birth of the United States comes a sweeping, intimate portrayal of Abigail Adams—wife of one president and mother to another—whose wit, willpower and wisdom helped shape the fledgling republic. A stunning historical novel with modern-day implications from the New York Times bestselling authors of America’s First Daughter and My Dear Hamilton.


In the heart of revolutionary Boston, Abigail Adams raises her children amid riots, blockades, and the outbreak of war. While her husband, John Adams, rises from country lawyer to nation-builder, often away for years at a time, Abigail builds her own independence—managing their farm, making lucrative investments, amassing savings, battling plague and loss, and defending their home. Unafraid to speak her mind, she famously offers fearless political counsel, urging John to “remember the ladies” in the new government. Through it all, she becomes his most trusted confidante and indispensable ally.

When peace is secured, Abigail steps onto the world stage—exchanging ideas with Thomas Jefferson in the French countryside, navigating court life as the wife of the Minister to Great Britain, and presiding over the parlor politics of the early American republic in New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC. Even after her husband’s presidential administration, she continues battling political foes and working behind the scenes to advance her family, secure independence for the women in her life, and ensure a better life for the next generation of
Americans.

From war-torn streets to the chandeliered halls of power, A Founding Mother is the unforgettable story of a woman ahead of her time—one whose voice, vision, and valor still resonate.

Pre-order Today!

Amazon https://amzn.to/4rS8muU
Apple https://bit.ly/4nz4JaD
Audible https://bit.ly/4oOcidp
B&N https://bit.ly/42gg4Us
Books a Million https://bit.ly/4oGekMB
Bookshop.org https://bit.ly/4ppYrLb
GooglePlay https://bit.ly/3Wio6bO

Kobo https://bit.ly/48P47ZE

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