Can an unexpected turn lead her right where she belongs?
Pregnant, single and stranded in a storm with her two young kids, Olive Hart is out of options—until gruff mechanic Hank Valentine comes to their rescue. When her housing falls through, he reluctantly offers them shelter at his ranch in exchange for help at his garage. It’s just a temporary arrangement…but Olive’s chaotic, lovable crew begins to warm his guarded heart. They’ve both been burned by the past, but can they find the courage to build something lasting…together?
Excerpt
“Hank, I—”
“Olive, please—”
They spoke over each other. He lifted a hand, palm up. “Ladies first.”
That earned him a tiny grin and a win in his book.
“I hate to be a burden—”
He opened his mouth, but she stopped him with the same look he’d seen her level on her kids when they misbehaved.
“As you probably figured out, my family needs a place to stay a bit longer—”
She licked her lips—a mouth he had no business noticing—then brushed a hand over her ponytail. At first glance, she looked young, but exhaustion clutched her like an extra layer.
He was too old—and too worn down himself—to be getting any ideas. Wasn’t he?
“So the sooner I can start work at the garage—” she took a deep breath, then exhaled “—the sooner I can pay our way.”
“Look, Olive, you’re—”
She didn’t miss the flicker in his eyes toward her ample middle.
“I’m what…pregnant?” Humor laced her tone.
He shrugged. “Well—yeah.”
Her bottom lip jutted out. Way too full, if you asked him.
Olive squared her shoulders and sat a little taller on her chair. “I’m starting on Monday.”
Chris Maday Schmidt is a Publishers Weekly bestselling author who writes contemporary inspirational romance—real-life fairy tales filled with hope, humor, and heart. A member of Faith, Hope & Love Christian Writers, she is the author of the Love Inspired Sweetwater series for Harlequin, including her latest release, A Mother’s Prayer (June 30, 2026). Her debut novel received a 5-star review in the 2024 Readers’ Favorite Book Reviews and Award Contest.
Connect with Chris by visiting chrismadayschmidt.com to follow her on social media and subscribe to email updates.
Tour Giveaway
(1) winner will receive a book tote, a B&N gift card, and a signed print copy of A Mother’s Prayer!
(1) winner will receive a Sweetwater, Arizona book bundle: A Father’s Vow, The Fire Chief’s Surprise, and A Mother’s Prayer! (print for US winner, ebooks if winner is outside the US)
Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight June 30, 2026 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on July 7, 2026. 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 for print copies & book tote. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Happy Tuesday and happy summer! Today TTT is featuring bloggers’ Summer TBR Lists. Mine is short, but sweet 😉 . I do have a favor to ask of you, though. I need to pick something for my book club to read in August. I’ve presented 3 choices — please tell me which you would choose and why. Thanks so much!
Happy Friday! Today I am featuring Eva Marie Everson’s newest novel, Miss Beth Bettencourt, which releases later this month. So you are getting a sneak peek! The book is billed as a Bynum, Georgia novel, so if you read The One True Love of Alice-Ann (I did and loved it!), you will again be swept away to this charming South Georgia town.
Here’s the first line:
Why do all the bad things happen at night?
Will an unlikely romance tear down Beth’s walls of indifference?
It’s 1962 in Bynum, Georgia, and Beth Bettencourt’s world is turned upside down when she wakes to a man snoring in the guest bedroom.
She’s home alone; her parents are traveling abroad, grieving her twin sister’s unexpected death. Instead of accompanying them, Beth stayed in Bynum to tend to her kindergarten and closely guard her own heart.
A beautiful and beloved member of the community, Beth is an unusual specimen for her time as she nears thirty and remains unmarried. She holds deep-seated unforgiveness toward her twin, Elise, who ran off with Beth’s beau. To make matters worse, Elise took their grandmother’s ring, which had been promised to Beth.
But now a stranger enters her home and her world. David Patrick Martin seems ready to break down her walls of indifference and find the core of Miss Beth Bettencourt. But can he be trusted with Beth’s past, her present, and more importantly, her future?
Eva MarieEverson is an ECPA bestselling and multiple award-winning author and speaker, including an ECPA Gold Medallion. She is a Christy finalist, and a Silver Medallion winner. She has won a Carol, several Maggie and Golden Scroll awards, and an Inspirational Retailers Choice Award. Born and reared in Georgia, Eva Marie and her husband make their home in Central Florida where they are owned by one very spoiled cat and two hearts full of grandchildren.
I have long been a fan of Eva Marie Everson. Her novels include women’s fiction and romance, both contemporary and historical. I think her strength as an author is writing authentic female characters her readers can easily identify with — those facing real life struggles. Her latest book is Miss Beth Bettencourt. I thoroughly enjoyed it! Find out all about it and my thoughts below.
Will an unlikely romance tear down Beth’s walls of indifference?
It’s 1962 in Bynum, Georgia, and Beth Bettencourt’s world is turned upside down when she wakes to a man snoring in the guest bedroom.
She’s home alone; her parents are traveling abroad, grieving her twin sister’s unexpected death. Instead of accompanying them, Beth stayed in Bynum to tend to her kindergarten and closely guard her own heart.
A beautiful and beloved member of the community, Beth is an unusual specimen for her time as she nears thirty and remains unmarried. She holds deep-seated unforgiveness toward her twin, Elise, who ran off with Beth’s beau. To make matters worse, Elise took their grandmother’s ring, which had been promised to Beth.
But now a stranger enters her home and her world. David Patrick Martin seems ready to break down her walls of indifference and find the core of Miss Beth Bettencourt. But can he be trusted with Beth’s past, her present, and more importantly, her future?
Eva MarieEverson is an ECPA bestselling and multiple award-winning author and speaker, including an ECPA Gold Medallion. She is a Christy finalist, and a Silver Medallion winner. She has won a Carol, several Maggie and Golden Scroll awards, and an Inspirational Retailers Choice Award. Born and reared in Georgia, Eva Marie and her husband make their home in Central Florida where they are owned by one very spoiled cat and two hearts full of grandchildren.
My Impressions:
Everyone knows everyone in the small town of Bynum, Georgia. And they certainly know your business, all in the matter of a few hours! Beth Bettencourt knows this full well as she seeks to live a quiet, purposeful life in the face of past heartache. Little does she know that on one fateful night (in a life derailed by another fateful night), just how much her world will change. Miss Beth Bettencourt by Eva Marie Everson is a quiet novel set in an ordinary Southern town in 1962. It seems not a lot happens there, yet below the calm surface lie regrets and grief. Beth has a lot of those until Marty enters to break down the walls she has built around her heart. Marty, a newly discharged soldier, makes a mistake when he sleepily stumbles into Beth’s home, but it is soon apparent that God has His hands all over the breaking and entering. The book is told through the first person perspectives of Beth, Marty, and Molly, the Bettencourt’s longtime housekeeper, giving the narrative a completeness. Beth and Marty discover forgiveness, redemption, and a chance at a future neither expected. I loved how trust and respect slowly develops between the two. This is just such a sweet story! There’s a bit of a mystery, and of course no fictional (or real-life) relationship exists without a few obstacles. But by the end of the book the two have grown in profound ways. I also loved secondary character, Molly, as she guided Beth with her wisdom and wit. Molly cooks throughout the book, and I was delighted to find her recipes shared at the conclusion. Yum! Can’t wait to try those and make a return to Bynum.
If you like well-developed characters facing real-life challenges wrapped up in a charming setting, then Miss Beth Bettencourt is a book for you!
Recommended.
Audience: Adults.
(Thanks to the author for an ARC of the novel. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
Happy Tuesday! Today I just was not feeling the TTT topic — bucket list books. I have done a couple of these posts and didn’t really want to do the research on books and destinations, so instead I am sharing the latest additions to my NetGalley Shelf. A few of these have already released, so I need to get going on my reading. There is also a good mix of genres — I hope you find one to love.
Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for Love & Baseball by Jaime Jo Wright (with Chloe Joanne) AND The Cinderella Plot by Pepper Basham, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
About The Books
Title:Love and Baseball Author:Jaime Jo Wright with Chloe JoAnne Publisher: MadLit Publishing Release Date: February 10, 2026 Genre: Young Adult Romantic Comedy
She needed a boyfriend. AI came to her rescue. But then her fake boyfriend showed up at school.
Brielle has never wanted a boyfriend. She’s happy with her book boyfriends–purely fictional, right? Easy to maintain. She’s also not a huge fan of sports, except baseball. Not playing it. No. Again, books and cozy afternoons are her thing. But Brielle can get into baseball with the best of them when it comes to watching, repeating stats, and wearing her favorite jerseys. But apparently, that’s not enough in life. At least according to her four nosy aunts, who all think she needs a boyfriend, people at school who are convinced Brielle is a closet serial killer because she’s happier with her books, and yeah. Valentine’s Day is on the calendar.
There is a purpose for AI, and Brielle decides the genius thing to do is make a fake boyfriend. Complete with deepfake photos, Brielle creates the perfect boyfriend, and no one needs to know he’s entirely fictional. They just need to believe she met him over summer vacation, and he lives somewhere in North Carolina. Only he doesn’t. When baseball catcher, Brooks Mason shows up at high school, a lookalike to Brielle’s AI boyfriend, her entire world becomes a dog-eared, bent pages book nightmare.
Brooks is getting sick of all the girls at school wanting to date him. He wants to play ball and hang out. So, yeah. It makes sense to help Brielle out. Fake date? Why not? But once together, dating for show becomes an act that both Brielle and Brooks aren’t quite prepared for, and dealing with unexpected attraction, complicated situations, and interfering aunts and bffs?
It’s a grand slam of problems just waiting to happen, plus a game-changing shot at a championship home run at love.
** CLEAN YA Rom-Com Fiction you can read without skipping a page **
Excerpt
“Are you cold?” Brooks dropped his gear bag and bent over it. Rummaging around, he tugged out his sweatshirt. It was navy blue with the name of his old high school on the front. Before I could say, “no” or “thank you” or “yes, please,” he had scrunched it up in his hands and tugged the hoodie down over my head. My baseball cap got stuck at the neck opening, and then it flipped off my head and onto the ground as he tugged. The sweatshirt settled on my shoulders, and he finally let go of it. “Put your arms in. You’ll get warm.”
It was so off-handed, so nonchalant, like it wasn’t anything any normal, decent human being wouldn’t have also done. But as Brooks bent to retrieve my cap that lay on the ground, I slid my arms into the sleeves and inhaled the smell of laundry detergent and . . . Brooks Mason. It smelled like what I imagined palm trees and ocean spray might smell like. To die for.
Title:The Cinderella Plot Author:Pepper Basham Publisher: independently published Release Date: March 19, 2026 Genre: Young Adult Romantic Comedy
Paisley Harper is invisible.
Not in a superpower way. More like the people-look-right-through-you-in-the-hallway kind of way.
She’s the girl with the oversized cardigan, random book knowledge, and the uncanny ability to tutor the school’s star quarterback without actually being seen as anything more than helpful. Meanwhile, her aunt and uncle’s beloved small-town bookstore is under threat from a shiny corporate chain, her best friend keeps giving her looks that feel suspiciously loaded, and Homecoming is looming like a glittery reminder that senior year is running out…and she’s never been kissed.
Enter The Cinderella Plot—a wildly popular self-help book promising total transformation in five easy steps. New hair. New confidence. New life. Maybe even… a date.
With nothing to lose (except her dignity), Paisley decides to follow the plan. Because if fairy tales have taught her anything, it’s that invisible girls don’t get happy endings unless they change something first.
But as Paisley starts stepping into the spotlight, she has to ask herself an important question:
What if being seen comes at the cost of being herself?
Full of heart, humor, bookish charm, and small-town magic, The Cinderella Plot is a romcom about friendship, first love, faith, and discovering that sometimes the greatest transformation isn’t becoming someone new—it’s realizing you were worthy all along.
** CLEAN YA Rom-Com Fiction you can read without skipping a page **
Excerpt
It’s Homecoming Week, which means Spirit Days—a torture device designed by extroverts to terrify introverts on a daily basis by drawing attention to them through costumes. Jokes on them, though. They underestimate nerd-love of dressing up, which is definitely in my favor, because the fashion rules are not only spelled out but eccentric.
Monday: Favorite book/movie character day.
I don’t know how this is related to school spirit, but I’m totally here for it. Go Jayhawks!
With my blue 1930s-style dress (courtesy of Aunt Diane’s thrift shop expertise) hitting just below my knee, cinched at the waist with a thin belt, my hair straightened and flipped out at the ends—as close to classic Nancy Drew as I could manage without a time machine—and a magnifying glass tucked in my belt, I’m not only ready for Spirit Day.
I’m ready for crime-solving.
Which is an important factor this week.
But as I walk toward my locker, I stop dead.
Standing in front of it is Chris.
But not like I’ve ever seen him before.
Ever.
I almost whimper.
He’s full-on Regency. Complete with the long coat, vest, the works.
My poor little heart takes off on a marathon I was not prepared to run. He looks amazing, and he even styled his hair. I am so not prepared!
Chris looks up from his phone, a slow grin spreading across his face as he sees me and my knees make jelly seem sturdy. Forget about feet sweating. My whole body just erupted!
“Nancy Drew?”
Who? I blink and then look down at my outfit. Right. Me.
Of course he’d know. Because he knows me.
I’m still trying to find my voice beneath complete air-loss. Wow. He looks fantastic.
Dashing, even.
Last time I’d seen him he was loopy and drooling on a pillow. This is…different.
“Yeah.” I manage.
“Need a Watson?”
Dear heavens, I nearly melt to the floor on the spot. Who knew this Chris was hiding behind my best friend Chris? How did I not… How…
Clearly, my brain capacity was going the way of my oxygen supply.
“Wrong detective.” I gesture to where Molly is posing for photos in her own sleuthing costume, hoping my voice isn’t as high-pitched as it sounds to my ears. “And I think Watson’s already taken.”
“Fair enough.” He’s still smiling, gaze searching my face. Is there something different in those eyes? “Well, if you need backup on your case, Nancy… I’m around.”
Was he…flirting? Because, I didn’t come prepared for that today. Or ever.
“I would love that.”
Major fail. Still high-pitched. Cinderella’s mice have nothing on me.
I clear my throat. “But… we’ll have to time travel, because you’re—” I wave toward his ensemble and check him out all over again. “Mr. Darcy?”
“Knightley, actually.”
And there goes my airflow again. “Mr. Knightley?” I squeak.
“Yeah, I like him better than Darcy. He’s more my kind of guy.”
My mind stutters to a complete stop. How have we never talked about Austen before? Disney princesses? Yes. Star Wars? Yes. Lord of the Rings? Of course. But not Austen.
I feel as though I need to encourage this on a regular, self-torture-style basis.
Though it tracks. Totally. He is more of a Mr. Knightley than a Mr. Darcy.
My silence must push him to clarify. “Don’t get me wrong, Darcy’s great and all. But Mr. Knightley? He’s underrated.”
Jaime Jo Wright is a multi-award-winning author of gothic historical mystery novels that weave suspense through dual timelines. Her debut novel, The House on Foster Hill (2017), won both the prestigious Christy Award and the Daphne du Maurier Award, establishing her as a compelling voice in inspirational fiction. An ECPA and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author, Wright specializes in chilling mysteries stained with history’s secrets, drawing readers into haunting tales set primarily in turn-of-the-century Wisconsin. Her work has earned praise from Publishers Weekly for skillfully wrapping intricate mysteries around dual timelines with enough surprises to captivate lovers of gothic fiction. When she isn’t writing mysteries, she co-authors YA RomCom with her teenage daughter, Chloe JoAnne, with a passion to provide sweet and witty romance for teenagers with no apologies needed. Residing in Wisconsin’s rural woodlands with her husband and their two children, Wright is a self-proclaimed coffee enthusiast and lover of all of her rescued felines.
Connect with Jaime Jo by visiting jaimewrightbooks.com to follow her on social media and subscribe to email updates.
Pepper Basham is an award-winning 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. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of southwestern VA, where she is the wife, mom to five great kids, a speech-language pathologist, and a lover of chocolate, jazz, hats, and Jesus.
Connect with Pepper by visiting pepperdbasham.com to follow her on social media and subscribe to email updates.
Tour Giveaway
(1) winner will receive a prize pack of Brielle’s Faves (an signed copy of Love & Baseball, a copy of Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen, a Milwaukee Brewers lanyard, and a Brewers Christian Yelich baseball card) and Paisley’s Faves (a signed copy of The Cinderella Plot, a Cinderella carriage jewelry holder, and a beautiful copy of Emma by Jane Austen)!
Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight March 2, 2026 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on March 9, 2026. 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.
Happy Tuesday! Today we are talking about bookish discoveries (new authors, new genres, new bookstores, etc.). My lists consists of new-to-me-authors and the first book (but not the last) I read in 2025. I had a great reading year, and these authors added greatly to the fun. I hope you discover a new author too!
We don’t get a lot of snow where I live. We did have a freak snowstorm in late January that left 6 inches on the ground. Needless to say, it threw everyone for a loop! Even the Waffle Houses in town were closed. 😉 So I usually get my snow-fix from books. I grew up outside of Orlando, so snow is always a treat for me. Today’s TTT topic is BooksWith A Snowy Setting. I could just rinse and repeat last week’s Freebie post, but I’ll come up with a few more books for you to cuddle with. Bonus: all have snow on the cover! There are quite a few with Christmas settings as well (it’s an eclectic list), so you can keep your holiday reading going. I hope you love my list!
Happy Release Day to Lara Van Hulzen. Her newest contemporary romance featuring a married couple is now available!! I love this! Find out all the details below.
Charlie Benson is happy with her life; she just feels a little lost. The empty nest years haven’t been as easy as she thought they might be, and while planning her daughter’s wedding should be fun, it’s become more about appeasing overbearing relatives than her daughter’s happiness. Davis Benson wants nothing more than for his wife to be happy, but since their two kids left for college, things just haven’t been the same. Charlie isn’t her usual bubbly self, and the empty nest years aren’t as fun as he expected.
When a potential real estate deal threatens the small town where they live, and Charlie and Davis risk losing their home, their world feels beyond their control, making it increasingly difficult to find hope. Together, they must find a way to carve a new path unlike the one they imagined, holding tight to what matters most.
Hey, honey. I’m home!” she hollered as she came through the front door.
“In here!” Davis’s voice echoed down the hallway from the kitchen.
Charlie set her purse on the bench inside the door and hung her coat on the rack. She took off her shoes and kicked them under the bench. Padding down the hall in her stocking feet, she found her husband of twenty-five years humming as he opened takeout containers he’d placed on the large island at the center of the kitchen. He hadn’t heard her come into the room yet. She took in the sight of him. Tall with blond hair cut short and blue eyes that reminded her of the lake in summer when the sun hit it just right. With a bright smile that won over everyone he met, Davis personified friendliness. While Charlie could get herself worked up about most anything, Davis was steady. Easy going. Her calm in any storm. Coming home to him was what soothed her most in life.
He looked up and smiled at her. “Hey, babe.”
She made her way around the island to him. “Hey.”
He turned and pulled her into his arms, something he’d done thousands of times over the years. She tucked in against him, her arms around his waist, and sighed.
“I love it when you do that.” He rested his chin on top of her head.
“Do what?”
“When your whole body relaxes when I hold you.”
Charlie smiled against his chest. “I like that, too.”
She pulled back and looked up at him. He kissed her softly.
“I see you got us takeout from Marianny’s,” she said as she turned her head toward the containers on the counter.
“I did. I figured it would be nice for us not to have to cook tonight.”
“There are many reasons why I married you. Knowing when I’m not up for cooking and getting us food from Marianny’s is one of them.”
“Hmm. Not my charm and good looks?”
“Those are bonuses.” She winked at him and then stepped out of his arms to grab two plates from the cupboard. The sound of his laughter caused any concerns of the day to fade away.
They dished up food, grabbed silverware, and made their way to the kitchen table. Soft jazz music played from the speaker Davis had installed in the corner of the room. As he set down two wine glasses and poured her a glass, Charlie took a deep breath and soaked in the moment. Yes, having an empty nest was a huge change. And yet, there were nights like this one that reminded her some things don’t change. Some things in life she could still rely on.
Davis sat beside her and held her hand as he said a small blessing over their meal, then dove into their food. Marianny’s made the best arepas, a popular Venezuelan food Charlie and Davis had fallen in love with when the restaurant opened a few years back. Filled with yummy meat and cheeses, Charlie moaned with pleasure as the flavors danced across her tongue, the warm, gooeyness the best comfort food imaginable.
“How was work today?” Davis asked once he’d finished his bite of food.
Charlie took a sip of wine and sat back in her chair. “Interesting. Amber gave me a new listing. I went by, and it needs some work, but…”
“Where is it?” Davis took a sip of wine.
“It’s a Colonial Revival just outside of town on White Pine Drive.”
Davis nodded. “I think I know the one you’re talking about. It needs a bit of work, doesn’t it?”
“It does, but it has good bones.”
Davis smiled as Charlie took another bite of food.
They had agreed over the years that having a common interest in architecture and building construction was something they appreciated.
“Tell me about your day,” Charlie said as she finished her bite and wiped her face with a napkin. The food was delicious—and messy.
“It was fine.”
Charlie stopped and stared at Davis, the napkin halfway back to her lap. Davis didn’t say “fine” unless something was up. She placed her napkin and her hands in her lap and looked at her husband, who was doing a tremendous job of avoiding eye contact with her.
“Davis.”
*******
Writing stories since she was a young girl, Lara Van Hulzen‘s dream of being a novelist became a reality with her Men of Honor series. An avid reader, she worked as a book reviewer for 18 years with various organizations. She has a BA in Journalism and a Masters of Divinity in Chaplaincy. Lara loves tea, baseball and living in Idaho with her husband and Great Dane.
Happy Tuesday! Today TTT bloggers are posting random books from our shelves — either physical or digital. Sharing from either is really going to expose my lack of timely reading. 😉 My Kindle, physical shelves, and NetGalley shelf are filled with hopes and dreams — hope that I will finally choose a book and dreams of having all the time in the world to read! Sad for so many reasons. But I will play along anyway. I chose to go the physical book route — have you read any on my list? Tell me which should head to the top of the TBR pile.
For more random book goodness, please visit That Artsy Reader Girl.
10 Random Books from My Book Shelves
The Cairo Brief by Fiona Veitch Smith
Code of Valor by Lynette Eason
Version 1.0.0
Every Hour Until Then by Gabrielle Meyer
A Gardin Wedding by Rosey Lee
The Secret Book of Flora Lee by Patty Callahan Henry
Many of the books I review are provided to me free of charge from publishers, authors, or other groups in return for a review. The opinions expressed in the reviews are mine and mine alone. No monetary consideration is given. This disclaimer is in accordance with FTC rules.
I am an Amazon.com affiliate, which means that I earn a small percentage of the sales from products purchased through links on my site. I NEVER recommend a book in order to receive a profit. Proceeds from affiliate sales help to defray operating costs of the blog.
Giveaways are open to persons 18 years or older. All winners are picked randomly. No purchases are necessary to enter a giveaway. All giveaways are for US entries only and are void where prohibited.
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