Bookish Thoughts and a blog tour/giveaway! - Saving the Mountain Man's Legacy

About the Book

Book: Saving the Mountain Man’s Legacy

Author: Misty M. Beller

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: April 18, 2025

In the wild mountains of the Montana Territory, the Coulter ranch is a place of family, second chances…and a hidden fortune.

Sampson Coulter is determined to undo his disastrous mistake that is jeopardizing his family’s future. Now he’s deeply embedded in the corrupt mining empire of the ruthless Mick McPharland, and has earned the trust of Jedidiah, the brutal right-hand man. The threat reaches much farther than his own family, and he knows he must dismantle the operation from within…or die trying.

Grieving the loss of her mother, Grace Hampton is shocked to discover a newborn baby on her doorstep. When she seeks help from her father, Jedidiah, she never imagines he’ll force her to marry Sampson Coulter, the kind man who only gave her a ride to town. Though her father has always been willing to pass her off, at least she has Sampson’s promise to protect her and the baby. It doesn’t hurt that he’s the most handsome man she’s ever seen.

Marrying Jedidiah’s daughter adds an impossible complication to Sampson’s mission. It seems he can’t have it all—redemption for himself, justice for the victims of the corruption, protection for the innocent…and a life with the woman and babe he’s coming to love. From a USA Today bestselling author comes the gripping series finale filled with high-stakes danger, a marriage of convenience, an instant family, and love that heals wounded hearts.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Misty M. Beller is a USA Today bestselling author with over 1 million books sold. She writes romantic mountain stories, set on the 1800s frontier and woven with the truth of God’s love.

Raised on a farm and surrounded by family, Misty developed her love for horses, history, and adventure. These days, her husband and children provide fresh adventure every day, keeping her both grounded and crazy.

Misty’s passion is to create inspiring Christian fiction infused with the grandeur of the mountains, writing historical romance that displays God’s abundant love through the twists and turns in the lives of her characters.

Sharing her stories with readers is a dream come true for Misty. She writes from her country home in South Carolina and escapes to the mountains any chance she gets.

More from Misty

Hello Friends!

I’m BEYOND excited to share the finale of the Brothers of Sapphire Ranch series with you! This is Sampson’s story, the black sheep of the family. I thought it might be fun to give you a taste of one of my favorite scenes in the book:

***

Sampson eyed the woman he’d been told to marry. “I’d feel better if you and Ruby weren’t at the mercy of your father. I’d rather give you my name and make sure you have a nice place to live—a safe place. I’ll make sure you want for nothing.” She studied him with furrowed brow. He let his eyes plead with her as he said this last part. “Please consider it. For Ruby’s sake, if nothing else.”

Her expression didn’t change, she simply…stared at him. What thoughts churned in that mind of hers? Did she believe him?

Or did she think he was on her father’s side, trying to manipulate her into giving him control?

Show her the truth, Lord.

At last, her mouth parted as she prepared to speak. Her voice came out hesitant. “Would you expect to…live with us? Like a real husband?”

He shook his head, fighting off the burn in his cheeks at what she really asked. “You can live wherever you like. My family has a ranch a day’s ride from here. You’re welcome to move in there. Or if you want to be on your own, near a town, we’ll find a place you like.” He forced himself to meet her gaze again. They had to be honest with each, and he couldn’t let embarrassment get in the way of anything she needed to ask. “I won’t expect anything from you. Nothing like in a usual marriage.”

Her shoulders sagged a little, as if in relief. But a small furrow remained between her brows. “Why are you doing this? Why would you willingly burden yourself with us?”

He let himself consider her question. Why did he want her to say yes so much? He didn’t owe her anything. She was the daughter of his enemy—kin to the man who stole a year’s worth of sapphires from his family.

But this woman was different. Nothing like Jedidiah. And for some reason, he craved to keep her safe. To protect her from the evil who’d sired her. She didn’t deserve to be at that man’s mercy. Nor did the sweet child.

Sampson could help her so easily. Not only did he have money from his share of the sapphires, which he’d saved for years, he also had his pay from McPharland.

He swallowed as he tried to put all this into words. “I can help you.” His voice graveled with how much he wanted to do that. And then he let himself say the real truth. “And maybe in helping you, I can make up for my own mistakes.”

***

I pray you love Sampson and Grace’s story in Saving the Mountain Man’s Legacy!

Blessings!

Misty

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L's Book Impressions, May 31

lakesidelivingsite, May 31

Book Looks by Lisa, June 1

Debbie's Dusty Deliberations, June 2

Simple Harvest Reads, June 3 (guest review from Marilyn)

Melissa's Bookshelf, June 3

Texas Book_Aholic, June 4

Betti Mace, June 5

Locks, Hooks and Books, June 6

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, June 7

Holly's Book Corner, June 7

Cover Lover Book Review, June 8

Devoted to Hope, June 9

Blossoms and Blessings, June 9

Library Lady's Kid Lit, June 10

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, June 11

Pause for Tales, June 11

Books You Can Feel Good About, June 12

Jeanette's Thoughts, June 13

Mary Hake, June 13

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Misty is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54233

My Thoughts:

A couple things to note, before beginning my review. I knew this book was part of a series, but I didn't realize that it is the last book in the series (and yes, I just realized that it actually says that in the description) - and I haven't read any of the other ones. That seemed very important, the further into the story I read (especially as more characters were added). Also, this book seems to be a little longer than a novella, but not nearly as long as a typical novel, so parts of it seemed very rushed to me.

 So, those notes aside, I really enjoyed this story! I liked Grace and Sampson right away, and who wouldn’t love tiny Ruby?  I loved Sampson’s family and how they welcomed Grace with open arms.  I appreciated Grace’s strength and determination to help with the problems they were faced with.  I enjoyed how the author set the stage to tell this final story and how she wove each of the prior characters into the story, though I didn’t know that until after reading it and going to search out the other books.  If I had been a loyal reader who had followed the entire series, I believe I would have found the ending exceptionally satisfying, with what seemed to be all of the loose ends tied up neatly.  Having not read the other books, I did still quite enjoy how it came to a close.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book if you are looking for a quick historical read with a sweet romance and adventure.  I would also probably suggest trying the other books first, so you would have the further depth of characters that I was missing a little bit.

*I received this book through Celebrate Lit for promotional purposes.  I was not required to write a positive review and have not been compensated for it in any way.  All opinions expressed are my own.

As always, thank you so much for taking the time to stop by!  I hope you have a delightful day!  (also, I'm sorry for a couple formatting issues.  I've tried several times to fix them, but am at a loss.  Hopefully I'll get them straightened out by my next post!)

Bookish Thoughts and a Blog Tour/Giveaway! - Arranged With The Earl

 

About the Book

Book: Arranged with the Earl

Author: Jackie Killelea

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: May 13, 2025

A spinster with a tarnished reputation. An earl scarred from war. Can their convenient marriage withstand those aiming to steal everything they have?

Catherine Blynn resigned herself to a life without romantic love after a disastrous broken engagement. Although she’s always hoped to marry for affection, her father arranges for her to wed Loftus Cromwell, the broken Earl of Hardwicke. If she defies her parents, she risks her family's ruin.

Loftus Cromwell had no intention to marry for love, only for the sake of his estate. But If he fails to win the love of his spirited and unconventional betrothed, he risks his conniving brother claiming everything he holds dear.

As treachery unfolds within the manor's walls and a foe from Catherine’s past resurfaces, can Loftus and Catherine trust one another enough to unravel the truth before tragedy steals any chance of happiness?

Click here to buy your copy!

About the Author

Jackie Killelea is a born and raised small-town girl from Connecticut with a degree in English and Creative Writing. She started off her writing journey with poetry, soon shifting into novels and becoming hooked. On days when she’s not busy with her nose in a book, she can be found typing away with a cup of tea at her side.

More From Jackie

In Arranged with the Earl, Loftus’ study of plants and flora is his foremost pastime, aside from his duties managing his estate and those that come along with being an earl. In his conservatory, there are a variety of different species of plants that he cares for but, would he actually have had these plants in his conservatory and would they have been able to feasibly grow there if he did?

Well, according to my research and a bit of wishful thinking…yes.

The thing is, Loftus has a few native plants in his conservatory and those certainly would have been able to grow there, given that they’ve pretty much just been brought inside from other counties in England. Loftus knows his home country and the landscape as well as how to care for those plants, already. The trickier plants to think upon are the exotics.

For instance, when showing Catherine the conservatory for the first time, he mentions Black Hellebore(Helleborus niger). How would he have come to own this? This plant is native to the mountains and woodlands of southern and central Europe, so we must assume that Loftus would’ve had it imported, or grown from seed. Still, would a woodland plant grow well enough to produce flowers in a conservatory setting?

Well, fortunately for Loftus, Black Hellebore actually grows fairly well in containers and does well in partial shade, so where he placed it in the conservatory was a prime location and it isn’t a stretch of the imagination to think that it produces blooms there.

With each plant I chose to be in the conservatory, I had to research if Loftus would reasonably have access to it and if it would grow under conservatory conditions–as well as during the season in which the book takes place. Of course you, as readers, will still need to use your imagination at some points. I’m sure Loftus would agree that ideas, like plants, need lots of water and space to grow.

I do so hope you enjoy Catherine and Loftus’ story in Arranged with the Earl!

Sincerely,

Jackie

Blog Stops

For Him and My Family, May 28

Debbie's Dusty Deliberations, May 28

She Lives to Read, May 29

Holly's Book Corner, May 29

Betti Mace, May 30

Devoted Steps, May 30

Texas Book-aholic, May 31

Looks, Hooks and Books, June 1

Romances of the Cross, June 1

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, June 2

Pens Pages and Pulses, June 3

Devoted to Hope, June 4

Stories by Gina, June 5 (author interview!)

Babbling Becky L's Book Impressions, June 5

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, June 6

Cover Lover Book Review, June 7

Book Butterfly in Dreamland, June 7

Book Looks by Lisa, June 8

Pause for Tales, June 8

Blossoms and Blessings, June 9

Blogging with Carol, June 9

Simple Harvest Reads, June 10 (Guest review from Donna Cline)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Jackie is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54230

My Thoughts:

I’m not entirely sure what I was expecting when I started this book, but it ended up being a bit different than whatever idea I had in my mind.  I’m always intrigued by the marriage of convenience tropes, so I decided to give this story a try.  While not one of my favorite books of the year, I did enjoy it and would be very interested in reading more of this author’s work.

I have to admit, when the story started out, I didn’t particularly like any of the characters.  And it wasn’t that Catherine and Loftus were unlikable, I just didn’t connect with them right away.  It took a few chapters and some layers added to their personalities for me to find a common ground with them.  I did really appreciate that Catherine was so eager to get to know Loftus and to join him in his work.  She didn’t shy away from her new home and embraced the new life thrust upon her.  For his part, it took Loftus a little longer to trust Catherine after the way he’d been treated previously.  I confess that I found his fixation on his scarring a little over-blown at times, but his reaction and the response of those around him was actually probably pretty accurate of the time period.

I also have to say that I found the mystery to be quite predictable and Catherine more than a bit naive about a few things.  Despite that, I did find myself racing towards the end of the story, wanting to know if I was right or if there would be a twist to the ending.  There wasn’t.  But I did find the “how” quite interesting and I enjoyed the ending.

Overall, if you enjoy Regency romance and marriage of convenience stories, I would definitely recommend trying this one and seeing if it’s to your liking.

*I received this book through Celebrate Lit.  I was not required to write a positive review and have not been compensated for it in any way.  All opinions expressed are my own.

As always, thank you so much for stopping by!  Before you go, don't forget to click on the blog links above for extra giveaway entries!

Have a ducky day! 

Bookish Thoughts and a Blog Tour/Giveaway!: Forgotten Identity

 

About the Book

Book: Forgotten Identity

Author: Penny Zeller

Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense

Release date: January 14, 2024

Who is he really? And why is someone after him?

Mariah Holzman never imagined a whiteout blizzard would sever all communication from the outside world—communication desperately needed for the injured man Mariah finds near her home. Nor did she imagine helping nurse the man back to health would lead to threats and intimidation. As danger escalates and questions rise, Mariah is left to wonder what kind of person she has allowed into her home.

Grant MacGuire never imagined he would wake up one day in a strange cabin, surrounded by strange people, with no memory of who he is or how he was injured. Nor did he imagine his presence would put the lives of those who saved him in danger. As Grant struggles with distorted memories, he wonders if his life is worth the price the Holzman family is paying.

The growing attraction between Mariah and Grant is hindered by Grant’s unknown identity. Is Grant, as the family’s neighbor assumes, a criminal on the run from the law? Or is there more to his identity—and the reason he was attacked—than they realize?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author:

Penny Zeller is known for her heartfelt stories of faith-filled happily ever afters and her passion to impact lives for Christ through fiction. Her books feature tender romance, steady doses of humor, and memorable characters that stay with you long after the last page.

While she has had a love for writing since childhood, Penny began her adult writing career penning articles for national and regional publications on a wide variety of topics. Today Penny is a multi-published author of over two dozen books and is also a fitness instructor, loves the outdoors, and is a flower gardening addict. In her spare time, she enjoys camping, hiking, kayaking, biking, birdwatching, reading, running, and playing volleyball.

Penny resides with her husband and two daughters in small-town America and loves to connect with her readers. 

More from Penny

Hello, Reader!

Thank you so much for joining us for the Forgotten Identity blog tour. Enjoy the sneak peek into the book below.

Blessings,

Penny

"Mariah bit back a sigh as they neared. While grateful Nosy stopped when he did, couldn’t the dog have chosen another place to investigate besides the ravine that could be deadly if someone mis-stepped and fell into it? At least the handful of boulders near its edge warned of the ravine’s proximity.

Nosy’s barking turned to a whine as he pawed at the snow.

No, not just the snow.

The snow covering a shoe protruding from behind a large boulder.

She reached for her son, Jordan, and slowed both of their paces even as her pulse quickened. Maybe the object just looked like a gray tennis shoe. Or maybe it was a shoe, but a discarded shoe Nosy found somewhere, brought home, and forgot about until now.

Still…

“Jordan, stay where you are, please.”

“Aww, Mom.” Despite his protest, Jordan did as she requested.

Mariah advanced. Better be safe than sorry, and on the one percent chance this wasn’t a shoe found, forgotten, and rediscovered by Nosy, Jordan did not need to see whatever, or whomever, was attached to the shoe.

“Mom?”

“Just a minute, Jordan.”

A few seconds later, she saw an image she’d not soon forget.

Partially obstructed by the boulders and surrounding dormant foliage, a man’s body lay face up in the snow, dangerously close to falling over the side of the ravine."

Giveaway!!

To celebrate her tour, Penny is giving away the grand prize of a $25 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54178

Blog Stops:

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, March 19

Madi’s Musings, March 19

Melissa’s Bookshelf, March 20

Pens Pages & Pulses, March 20

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 21

Stories By Gina, March 22 (author interview) 

Mornings at Character Cafe, March 22

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 24

Texas Book-aholic, March 25

Blogging With Carol, March 25

The Sacred Line, March 26

Locks, Hooks and Books, March 27

For Him and My Family, March 27

Leslie's Library Escape, March 28

Book Reviews From An Avid Reader, March 29

Mary Hake, March 29

lakesidelivingsite, March 30

Cover Lover Book Review, March 31

Holly's Book Corner, March 31

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 1

Pause for Tales, April 1

My Thoughts:

Have you ever read a book that was okay?  This one fell into that category for me.  I typically enjoy the amnesia trope (though I’m sure in real life it’s quite terrible) and thought I’d give this new-to-me author a go.  And the book was okay!  I can’t honestly say that I loved it or couldn’t put it down, but the story was fairly interesting and it really picked up about two-thirds of the way through the book.

I so want to be fair to Ms. Zeller with everything I say here.  Because this is simply one person’s opinion and I can tell that she worked very hard writing this book . . . but I found the characters very one-dimensional for most of the story.  Characters really make or break a book for me and these weren’t the vibrant, compelling new friends I was hoping for.  As the reader, I understood that Mariah was a great mom and daughter.  We see her loving her family and friends.  She takes in a complete stranger, all the while hoping he isn’t actually someone to fear.  But I didn’t “feel” any of it with her.  The same is true for “George” (as Mariah’s kids dub him). Though I’m sure it’s very hard to write a character who remembers absolutely nothing about themselves, I couldn’t seem to find a point of connection with him.  It wasn’t until nearly the end of the book that the characters seemed to finally come alive.  I finally felt invested in them and cared about them and then it was over!

 I also found their romance a little far-fetched, as there’s not really a lot of personal dialogue between Grant and Mariah.  Most of their conversations revolve around his situation or her children.  Or the case, as they begin to know more about Grant’s past.

Overall, if you asked me specifically about this book, I would be happy to say that it was good and if you’re looking for a clean, pretty low-stress read, I would recommend it.  If you asked me for a book with an amnesia-trope, I’d probably consider recommending a few other books before this one came to mind.

*My thanks to the author for my copy of this book! I received it as part of a Celebrate Lit blog tour and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you so much for stopping by!  Please be sure to enter the giveaway and have a delightful day! :) 

Bookish Thoughts: An Honorable Deception

 

Description:

In the trying art of balancing investigations and love, a detective must determine his priorities when faced with dangerous circumstances that could threaten everything he holds dear.

As the leader of the Imposters, an elite private investigative firm, Lord Yates Fairfax has made an art of concealing his identity. But when his newest client, the beautiful Lady Alethia Barremore, is shot while leaving their meeting, he throws caution to the wind and rushes to her aid. Though Lady Alethia thought she was only looking for her missing former nanny, she has clearly stumbled upon something much more dangerous.

Lady Lavinia Hemming suspects her longtime friends hold more secrets than they’re willing to admit, and when she stumbles upon the truth that they’re the esteemed Imposters, she recruits herself into the firm. While she is happy for the distraction of an investigation, Lavinia’s own family secrets continue to haunt her. And the one thing bringing laughter back into her life–her friendship with Yates–lands her squarely on the disagreeable side of her best friend: his sister.

Tormented by a past she doesn’t dare voice aloud, Lady Alethia does what she can to help her handsome host, her new friends, and the investigators. But as clues lead them deeper into the dark side of society, Alethia, Yates, and Lavinia learn anew that the gentry isn’t always noble . . . even as they fight to hold fast to their own honor.

About the Author:

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, 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 www.RoseannaMWhite.com

My Thoughts:

I have been ever so anxiously awaiting the final novel of Roseanna M. White’s “The Imposters”  series and it was so worth the wait!

I had such a book-hangover after finishing this one!  Ms. White’s stories are always ones that linger in my heart and mind, fueling my imagination as I wait for my next opportunity to sit down (or stand in a corner) and read for a few minutes.  And did this one ever captivate my thoughts! The subject matter - goodness, it is heavy.  Heartbreakingly so.  But I thought Ms. White did a marvelous job of balancing the weight of the investigation with some lighthearted moments and humor, keeping the story from becoming too dark.  Penelope is always a great distraction!

"But sheltering us from the world doesn't spare our eyes

from seeing evil, Papa - it spares evil from the light that would

reveal it. It provides the cover it seeks. It's only when we tear down

those walls and look at the truth straight on that we can hope to change things."

My favorite part of any good book is always the characters and, as I have adored Yates from the very beginning of the first book, I was so happy to be reading his story at last!  He is the teasing younger brother, the serious leader, the anonymous Mr. A, and in this one, so wonderfully honorable, especially in the midst of the deception of this investigation.  I appreciated how the author contrasted the honor of The Imposters, with the lies and disgrace of the villains.  He wasn’t so noble as to be unbelievable, but a perfect hero of the story.

"Go outside for a while, sweet one. Soak up a bit of the sunshine.

Be reminded of how the God who created such an intricate world

is at work here and now, too."

Then there is Lady Lavinia who is struggling to reconcile her past and discern what her future might look like.  I loved her friendship with Lady Alethia, as well as following her to a much different future than she had envisioned.

Oh, and if you’ve read some of Ms. White’s other series, there is a familiar character that I was super happy (and surprised) to see!  I won’t spoil anything, but I definitely had to go reread their book, as soon as I had recovered from my book-hangover.

The worst part of this book?  The fact that it and the series are over!  The best part?  I can reread the whole series whenever I want to whisk them back off of their shelf.

Overall, if you enjoy captivating characters, as well as historical mysteries full of suspense and romance, then I would highly recommend this book and the entire series!

*My thanks to the author and publisher for my copy of this book! I was not required to write a positive review and have not been compensated for it in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.

This is just your friendly reminder that books make excellent Christmas presents! Or anytime presents! If this story intrigues you, I'll add some purchase links below.

I don't have any more reviews lined up for the coming weeks, so please have a joyful Christmas!!

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Baker Book House  (has a sale right now! 30% off!)

Roseanna's Shop (signed!)