Tag Archives: women's fiction

If You Liked . . . A Weekend on Allyson Island

30 Apr

While I generally liked A Weekend on Allyson Island by Susannah B. Lewis, the book features characters who have A LOT going on — eating disorders, addictions, compulsions, domestic abuse — whew! If you like books that explore these issues, but only want to read about one at a time 😉 , here’s a list of reading recommendations.

Addiction

Stay with Me by Becky Wade

When acclaimed Bible study author Genevieve Woodward receives an anonymous letter referencing her parents’ past, she returns to her hometown in the Blue Ridge Mountains to chase down her family’s secret. However, it’s Genevieve’s own secret that catches up to her when Sam Turner, owner of a historic farm, uncovers the source of shame she’s worked so hard to hide.

Sam has embraced his sorrow, his isolation, and his identity as an outsider. He’s spent years carving out both career success and peace of mind. The last thing he wants is to rent the cottage on his property to a woman whose struggles stir his worst failure back to life. Yet can he bear to turn her away right when she needs him most?

Domestic Abuse

Dancing on Glass by Pamela Binnings Ewen

In the steamy city of New Orleans in 1974, Amalise Catoir sees Phillip Sharp as a charming, magnetic artist, unlike any man she has known. A young lawyer herself, raised in a small town and on the brink of a career with a large firm, she is strong and successful, yet sometimes too trusting and whimsical. Ama’s rash decision to marry Phillip proves to be a mistake as he becomes overly possessive, drawing his wife away from family, friends, and her faith. His insidious, dangerous behavior becomes her dark, inescapable secret.

In this lawyer’s unraveling world, can grace survive Ama’s fatal choice? What would you do when prayers seem to go unanswered, faith has slipped away, evil stalks, and you feel yourself forever dancing on shattered glass?

Eating Disorder

Invisible by Ginny Yttrup

When an overweight woman who’s hidden from romance discovers a handsome doctor is in love with her, will she finally risk her heart?

Ellyn–chef, cafe owner, and lover of butter–is hiding something behind her extra weight. While she sees the good in others, she has only condemnation for herself. So when a handsome widower claims he’s attracted to Ellyn, she’s certain there’s something wrong with him.



Sabina–tall, slender, and exotic–left her husband, young adult daughters, and a thriving counseling practice to spend a year in Northern California where she says she’s come to heal. But it seems to Ellyn that Sabina’s doing more hiding than healing. Why?Twila has come out of hiding and is working to gain back the pounds she lost when her only goal was to disappear. When her eating disorder is triggered again, she’s tempted to go back into hiding.



As these women’s lives intertwine, will they dare to come out of hiding?

Top 10 Tuesday — The Time of Day!

28 Apr

Happy Tuesday! Today is a Freebie day on TTT — anything our heart desires! Today I am featuring book titles containing times of day, some of which are more poetic than actual positions on a clock. I hope you find one you want to read no matter what time it is!

For more fun lists, please visit That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Titles Featuring A Time of Day

As Dawn Breaks by Kate Breslin

Cold Light of Day by Elizabeth Goddard

Sunrise Reef by Irene Hannon

The Golden Hour by Beatriz Williams

As The Light Fades by Catherine West

Shadows at Dusk by Elizabeth Goddard

When Twilight Breaks by Sarah Sundin

Night Fall by Nancy Mehl

Midnight on The Scottish Shore by Sarah Sundin

Cold Dead Night by Lisa Phillips

Mini-Book Review — A Weekend on Allyson Island

27 Apr

My book club is reading A Weekend on Allyson Island by Susannah B. Lewis this month. I’m usually a good judge of how my group will respond to a book, but I am not sure what they will think of this one. It’s women’s fiction featuring a lot of different types of women, but all struggling with identity issues, as well as compulsive and addictive behaviors. This is Christian fiction, so you know you will get a Christ-centered worldview, which means no judgment, but plenty of grace and mercy. Judgment, guilt, and shame are reserved for what the characters feel about themselves and the others in the group that gathers to celebrate the 50th birthday of their mutual friend/employer. I liked that the characters confront the elephants in the room, as they seek to support each other. The novel ends with an epilogue a year in the future, which gave a very satisfying recap of the growth that they achieve. I did think that the author spent more time telling than showing. That took me out of the story a bit, as I felt it was more commentary than narrative. But overall, I did like the book. As I said, I don’t know if the members of my book club are going to like it, but I am pretty sure that the topics explored will create a good discussion. And that is what we are always looking for.

Recommended.

Audience: adult women.

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

They’ve come for a birthday celebration . . . but they’ll leave celebrating themselves.

Moira Allyson is going all out for her 50th birthday. The planning part is easy–in her big, beautiful mansion set on Savannah’s waterfront, perfect parties practically plan themselves. She’ll serve the region’s finest cuisine, offer delicious drinks, book the best entertainment, and set up luxurious spa treatments for a small group of the most important women in her life–from childhood best friends to the woman who cleans her house.

She may be focused on her friends, but Moira’s focus has a purpose–distracting herself from the lonely reality of her life as a widow and empty nester. Her twentysomething sons don’t really come back to visit anymore, and her husband, the love of her life, is gone forever. Moira may appear to have it all on the outside, but there’s way too much room in her home . . . and way too many memories. She’s spared no expense for this weekend, and everything’s perfect–until it’s not.

Each woman who arrives at the party comes with her own birthday well wishes–and her own secret sorrow, which she’s determined not to unwrap. But weekends spent with friends have a way of bringing things that have been kept hidden to the surface. Late into the evening, when the stars come out and everyone gets comfortable, one friend opens her heart . . . and then others join in. Allyson Island is like summer camp for 50-year-olds–and, just like at summer camp, it’s a place where friendships are strengthened, deep emotions are shared, and hope and healing happen.

Susannah B. Lewis is an author, humorist, and podcaster. She has written nine books, includingCan’t Make This Stuff Up and How May I Offend You Today, both USA Today Bestsellers published by Thomas Nelson. Her work has been featured on Erma Bombeck’s Humor Writers, TODAY, and US Weekly, and her articles have appeared in Parents Magazine, Reader’s Digest, and more. She is the winner of the Southern Writers’ Magazine Short Story Contest and a recipient of the BlogHer Voices of the Year Award. Susannah also hosts the Moral of the Story Podcast, produced by AccessMore.

She lives on 90 beautiful acres in Tennessee with her husband, their three children, and a “whole bunch” of dogs and cats.

Top 10 Tuesday — April Showers Freebie

21 Apr

Happy Tuesday! Today’s TTT is April Showers — interpreted as bloggers please. I have done this topic a few times, so I am going to be all over the place today! I hope you find a book from my list to pique your interest! There are a lot of genres to choose from.

For more April Showers posts, please visit That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top April Showers Book Selections

books featuring meteorologists

Magnolia Storms by Janet W. Ferguson

The Songs That Could Have Been by Amanda Wen

books that feature storms

Between The Sound and Sea by Amanda Cox

The Choice by D. L. Wood

Indigo Isle by T. I. Lowe

The Light on Horn Island by Valerie Fraser Luesse

books with Pilgirms (because April showers bring Mayflowers, duh 😉 )

Love’s A Stage by Rene Gutteridge and Cheryl McKay

The Mayflower Bride by Kimberley Woodhouse

Spotlight on Women’s Fiction — Escape to Passignano

20 Apr
Escape to Passignano JustRead Blog Tour

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Escape to Passignano by Normandie Fischer, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About The Book

Escape to Passignano

Title: Escape to Passignano
Series: Carolina Coast Stories
Author: Normandie Fischer
Publisher: Sleepy Creek Press
Release Date: March 31, 2026
Genre: Christian Women’s Fiction

Can dreams be trusted when life feels like a nightmare?

Sophia chose to honor her deceased husband’s wishes by visiting his hometown of Passignano sul Trasimeno in the Umbrian region of Italy. She’s trying to find the peace he promised, really she is, while she studies his language and sips caffè with a view of mountains and lake. Only, things begin to happen involving a red-haired child who speaks of things she cannot know—and the child’s father whose very presence challenges that peace.

Dr. Luca Moretti still wrestles with guilt three years after the death of his wife and older children. Overwhelmed by grief, Luca gave the care of his toddler daughter, Noemi, to his sister. It was supposed to be temporary; it wasn’t. Now, Luca wants Noemi back.

When his sister flees, taking Noemi into hiding, Sophia joins forces with a desperate Luca to piece together dreams and voices and supernatural nudges to retrace Noemi’s steps. It’s going to take trust, though, something in short supply for both Luca and Sophia. They’ll have to learn to trust in one another, and, more importantly, to trust in God—that a God who would allow such pain really does mean to work it all out for good. For Noemi. For the two of them. And for a troubled woman from North Carolina who enters their orbit with her own demons, demons God uses—and dispels—as He wills.

Excerpt

 Luca

They’d been walking for miles, or so it seemed. All the voices of police and searchers had gone silent. Most had probably gone off toward the cliffs, and Luca choked back a momentary fear that they might have had a reason to do so. 

Then he chided himself. Noemi would not have gone toward the sea. She would not have fallen down the rocks. She would not.

He had to believe the Lord was with them, leading them. That they would find her somewhere in here. 

After all, the dream…

He called again; again only forest noises responded. They trudged on.

And then the sister called out. “The hut!”

Excited, Luca pushed forward past bushes toward the small stone building, alert to possible hiding places as he went. He checked the ground leading up to it, but couldn’t detect footprints. Perhaps, if she’d come here, it had been before the rain. He circled the building, pushing back bushes, until he came to a wooden door, but it was locked. 

He blew out a sigh of frustration.

Sophia had continued to circle the small clearing. “I’m going to check this way,” she said, waving her phone flashlight in one direction. Mutters sounded as if she’d gotten caught in a bramble, and he headed after her. 

He almost ran into her as she stopped abruptly. “Luca, look!” 

He looked where she pointed. The beam of her flashlight was focused on the ground under a bramble bush. He bent to pick up the object she’d spotted.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

More in This Series

Sailing out of Darkness


About The Author

Normandie Fischer

Normandie Fischer had the best of several worlds: a Southern heritage, access to schooling in the DC area (which meant lots of cultural adventures), and several years of sculpture studies in Italy. It might have been better for her if she’d used all these opportunities more wisely, but it’s possible that the imperfect and the unwise also add fodder for the artist and the writer.

She writes Christian and Southern fiction as well as romantic suspense from her waterfront base in coastal North Carolina, where she lives with her husband, their two dogs, and a once-feral cat. If only her children and grandchildren lived within hailing distance, life would be just about perfect.

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


Tour Giveaway

(2) winners will each receive three books of their choice by Normandie Fischer!

Escape to Passignano blog tour giveaway JustRead Tours

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight April 20, 2026 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on April 27, 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

First Line Friday — A Weekend on Allyson Island

10 Apr

Happy Friday! Today I am sharing the first line of A Weekend on Allyson Island by Susannah B. Lewis, my book club’s April selection. I am excited to read this new-to-me author’s novel set in Savannah, Georgia. This book is going to make my Georgia-based group very happy!

Here’s the first line:

Celia Kate Stokes flipped through the pile of mail that her youngest child, Tucker, had brought inside and dumped on the kitchen counter, which was already cluttered with books, papers, pencils, and artwork.

They’ve come for a birthday celebration . . . but they’ll leave celebrating themselves.

Moira Allyson is going all out for her 50th birthday. The planning part is easy–in her big, beautiful mansion set on Savannah’s waterfront, perfect parties practically plan themselves. She’ll serve the region’s finest cuisine, offer delicious drinks, book the best entertainment, and set up luxurious spa treatments for a small group of the most important women in her life–from childhood best friends to the woman who cleans her house.

She may be focused on her friends, but Moira’s focus has a purpose–distracting herself from the lonely reality of her life as a widow and empty nester. Her twentysomething sons don’t really come back to visit anymore, and her husband, the love of her life, is gone forever. Moira may appear to have it all on the outside, but there’s way too much room in her home . . . and way too many memories. She’s spared no expense for this weekend, and everything’s perfect–until it’s not.

Each woman who arrives at the party comes with her own birthday well wishes–and her own secret sorrow, which she’s determined not to unwrap. But weekends spent with friends have a way of bringing things that have been kept hidden to the surface. Late into the evening, when the stars come out and everyone gets comfortable, one friend opens her heart . . . and then others join in. Allyson Island is like summer camp for 50-year-olds–and, just like at summer camp, it’s a place where friendships are strengthened, deep emotions are shared, and hope and healing happen.

Susannah B. Lewis is an author, humorist, and podcaster. She has written nine books, includingCan’t Make This Stuff Up and How May I Offend You Today, both USA Today Bestsellers published by Thomas Nelson. Her work has been featured on Erma Bombeck’s Humor Writers, TODAY, and US Weekly, and her articles have appeared in Parents Magazine, Reader’s Digest, and more. She is the winner of the Southern Writers’ Magazine Short Story Contest and a recipient of the BlogHer Voices of the Year Award. Susannah also hosts the Moral of the Story Podcast, produced by AccessMore.

She lives on 90 beautiful acres in Tennessee with her husband, their three children, and a “whole bunch” of dogs and cats.

Top 10 Tuesday — New to My TBR

7 Apr

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.

To discover on topic bloggers, please visit That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top 10 Recent Additions 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

Harbor Pointe by Irene Hannon

Mists over The Channel Islands by Sarah Sundin

More Than Friends by Denise Hunter

Spies, Lies, And Alibis by Natalie Walters

Witness Protection by Robert Whitlow

Top 10 Tuesday — Buzzwords

31 Mar

Happy Tuesday! Today’s TTT topic is buzzwords — words attributed to a book that make you want to read it. With a little tweaking of the topic, I am bringing to you books that might appeal to you if you are looking for a specific trope or plot device. There are 5 buzzwords but 10 books of a variety of genres! I hope my list achieves its goal to make you want to read them immediately! 😉

For more book buzzwords, please visit That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Bookish Buzzwords and The Books That Go with Them

Enemies to Lovers — Fragile Designs by Colleen Coble and Last to Fall by Lynn H. Blackburn

Marriage of Convenience — Indigo Heiress by Laura Frantz and The Mistletoe Countess by Pepper Basham

Opposites Attract — The Meet-Cute Manuscript by Kimberly Duffy and Memory Lane by Becky Wade

Second Chance at Love — Lost Hours by Susan Sleeman and The Words We Lost by Nicole Deese

Unreliable Narrator — The Curse of Crow Hollow by Billy Coffey and Queen of Hearts by Heather Day Gilbert

If You Liked . . . The Bitter End Birding Society

26 Feb

I absolutely loved The Bitter End Birding Society by Amanda Cox. I think it’s my favorite of all her books, and that’s saying a lot! If you haven’t read it, put it on the top of your TBR. If you have read it and liked it as much as I did, or you enjoy character-driven novels and/or books with a strong sense of place, check out a few more book recommendations.

The Light on Horn Island by Valerie Fraser Luesse

Just when her life comes crumbling down, she discovers secrets that could shape her future–and heal her past. 

When Edie Gardner’s life in New York falls apart, her grandmother Adele “Punk” Cheramie coaxes her back to tiny Bayou du Chêne, Mississippi. Edie spent many happy summers there, a stone’s throw from untamed Horn Island, where she once found love. Can she now demystify the island’s strange new light?

Punk and her colorful friends introduce Edie to the Trove, a fascinating gallery and antique shop. Like Horn Island’s light, The Trove has appeared out of nowhere. Its proprietor, with a gift for discerning his customers’ needs, gives Edie a Victorian parlor game that asks players a series of personal questions, which is harmless fun at first. But Edie and her grandmother’s circle find that the game has a way of uncovering secrets, including a heartbreak that has haunted one of the women for decades. Banding together, this Southern sisterhood is determined to find answers that will bring healing, hope, and happiness–and maybe explain the transcendent illumination of a wild and windswept barrier island.

A Place to Land by Lauren K. Denton

Violet Figg and her sister Trudy have lived a quiet life in Sugar Bend, Alabama, since a night forty years ago that stole Trudy’s voice and cemented Violet’s role as her sister’s fierce and loyal protector. Now Trudy spends her days making sculptures from found objects and speaking through notes written on scraps of paper, while Violet runs their art shop, monitors bird activity up and down the water, and tries not to think of the one great love she gave up to keep her sister safe.

Eighteen-year-old Maya knows where everyone else belongs, but she’s been searching for her own place since her grandmother died seven years ago. Moving in and out of strangers’ houses has left her exhausted. After seeing a flyer on a gas station window for a place called Sugar Bend, Maya chooses to follow the strange pull she feels and finds herself on the doorstep of an art shop called Two Sisters.

When a boat rises to the surface of Little River in the middle of the night, the present and no-longer-buried past collide, and the future becomes uncertain for Maya, Violet, and Trudy. As history creeps continuously closer to the present and old secrets come to light, the sisters must decide to face the truth of what happened that night forty years ago, or risk losing each other and those they’ve come to love.

The Stories We Carry by Robin W. Pearson

A small-town bookstore owner finds herself at odds with a newcomer bent on disrupting her quiet life in this Southern women’s fiction novel by award-winning author Robin W. Pearson.

Glory Pryor has carved out a life for herself in Gilmore, North Carolina, cultivating a community around her bookstore, By the Book. While her business is a success, she carries the weight of stories of her own she’s never told anyone. She holds out hope that one day her estranged brother will turn up on her doorstep so she can finally learn where he’s been all these years. Glory’s husband Eli thinks she has her arms wrapped too tightly around the could-have-beens, and that it’s time for them to let go of the store as they head into their retirement years. Glory has different opinions on that—she’s not ready to give up the dream she’s built just yet. Then Adelle Simonette shows up with her young son, Bennett, and Glory’s carefully controlled life begins to crumble.

Newly widowed Adelle Simonette is a single mother trying to find her footing and navigate parenting her young son. Lost in her grief, one thing she’s certain of is that she needs to confront Glory Pryor and everybody who knows her because the woman’s been living a lie. Adelle thinks it’s high time Glory made things right. But Adelle’s finding it hard to tell the truth . . . and there will be no going back once she does.

In the wake of deeply personal grief and loss, two women reckon with a lifetime of silence and secrets to find a path forward toward healing, hope, and restoration.

Top 10 Tuesday — Cozy Reads

21 Oct

Happy Tuesday! This week’s TTT topic is Cozy/Atmospheric reads. When I see those two descriptors I think of very different types of books. Cozy makes me think of small communities, quirky characters, and a feel-good plot, regardless of genre. Atmospheric reads, to me, are ones in which the setting plays a big part of the plot, often setting the stage for spooky goings-on. I am going to focus on cozy books this week, and for next week’s Halloween Freebie, atmospheric novels.

For more cozy/atmospheric books, please visit That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Cozy Reads

The Christmas Tree Farm by Melody Carlson

The Divine Proverb of Streusel by Sara Brunsvold

The Gardins of Edin by Rosey Lee

Hope Harbor by Irene Hannon

The Light on Horn Island by Valerie Fraser Luesse

Memory Lane by Becky Wade

On Moonberry Lake by Holly Varni

Some Like It Scot by Pepper Basham

Stealing Magnolias by Leslie Kirby DeVooght

The Wind Blows in Sleeping Grass by Katie Powner