WHEN THE SILENCE BREAKS by Elizabeth Goddard, Reviewed by Rebecca Maney

Mercy Ridge Book #1: High Octane Romantic Suspense in the Pacific Northwest with Secrets and Action in the Mountains

REBECCA'S REVIEW:
"He believed God's timing was perfect and that what was meant to be revealed would be, when the time was right. If and when the silence breaks, that's because it was meant to."

Intelligence analyst Sarah Ellison is carrying a boatload of secrets. Traveling toward the Cascade Mountains, she comes to the realization that her enemies may be closer than she thinks. Determined to bring her brother's killer to justice, she is on a self imposed mission to locate buried government secrets that could reveal essential information with regards to her family's safety. But first, Sarah needs a guide and former Navy SEAL Ryder Goodwin is just the man, whether he knows it yet or not.

Call it a man's intuition or simply years of tactical training, but Ryder is absolutely sure that Sarah Ellison is not telling him the whole truth and nothing but the truth. What he isn't so sure about is whether or not to take her up Blackspire Mountain on what he considers a highly dangerous and likely foolish venture. Predictably, they are drawn into a dangerous off the books operation which history has already proven to be lethal.

Sarah and Ryder took me awhile to figure out, their dynamics were a bit awkward, though to be fair, neither was divulging everything they knew. The complexity of the setting sent me sifting through the details in order to glean the essentials. Nevertheless, the ending managed to pull off several major unexpected twists coupled with a soft, romantic landing that made this first book in the series a nice glimpse into what might come next in Mercy Ridge!
*I purchased a copy and was under no obligation to provide a positive review. 3.5 stars

BackCover Blurb:
A deathbed confession. A decades-old secret. A mountain that holds the answers—and danger closing in.

When intelligence analyst Sarah Ellison learns of her grandfather's deathbed confession connected to her brother's murder, she's determined to protect her remaining family. After further investigation, she discovers the disclosed information points to a decades-old government secret buried deep in the Cascade Mountains. With this knowledge, she looks for a guide who knows the terrain like the back of their hand.

After his father's death in a tragic mountain accident, former Navy SEAL Ryder Goodwin no longer guides for the family business. At first, Ryder refuses to help Sarah, but he sees the trouble chasing her and can't stand by while someone brings danger to his small-town mountain community.

Ryder and Sarah gear up to climb the mountain in a race against time and a looming storm. When the danger escalates, their search for answers shifts to a survival mission. Their only chance to make it through involves trusting each other and confronting the truth no one wants them to find.

This gripping romantic-suspense thriller set in the Pacific Northwest from USA Today bestselling author Elizabeth Goddard is a series opener that will sweep you away in a rush of adrenaline.

Revell Publishing, August, 2026

Available in digital ebook, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook

Buy WHEN THE SILENCE BREAKS at Amazon, Christianbook, or Baker Book House

TO WIN A WAGER by Grace Hitchcock, Reviewed by Rebecca Maney #ReleaseDay

BEST LAID PLANS Series #3

REBECCA'S REVIEW:
"Tonight, the terror I have been dreading for decades has become all too real."

Alerted by the sound of intruders during the dark of night, Tess Hale is deeply disturbed when her father frantically pleads with her to flee. Taking only a few possessions, a small sum of money and cryptic instructions she climbs down an outer wall, and escapes with only her knives and a trusty canine as protection. Meandering her way towards their small island cottage, Tess has no indication that she has been followed until former spy and rising clan chieftain Jamie Malcolm makes his presence known.

Jamie Malcolm has no desire to cause bodily harm to the lovely young woman whom he has pursued. Apparently she has no idea why her home was raided or her father's life threatened, but Jamie knows full well that Tess holds the key to the future of his clan. It's complicated, it has been complicated for years and now he needs to gain the trust of the one person whose birth set all of the present circumstances into motion. He needs a plan, or perhaps a wager? With a vast treasure on the line, there are bound to be more villains than heroes.

This adventurous romance starts off quickly and maintains a steady speed throughout all the ups and downs of escape and pursuit, coming full circle, back to where it all began. In spite of Jaime's determined self-control, he and Tess become united for life, citing reasons of self-preservation, and while he thought it was to protect her, in the end it is Tess who protects him. An endearing, faith filled love story that gathers everyone in the series together for quite a grand finale! 
*I was under no obligation to provide a positive review. 3.75 stars

 

BackCover Blurb:

A Regency-era enemies-to-lovers romance set in the magnificent Scottish Isles

Tess Hale has always been taught to fend for herself, but she never needed to until the night bounty hunters come knocking. It's 1813 in Great Britain, and Tess's best laid plans crumble when her father sends her alone in the dead of night to an island cottage to escape them. She finds herself in a world of warring clans she didn't know existed.

After a decade as a spy separated from his clan, Jamie Malcom has a duty to fulfill as next in line as chief-but his absence means he must earn his people's loyalty. He pursues a treasure stolen from his clan long ago, and it leads him straight to Tess.

As Tess grapples with her past, Jamie vows to protect her future—but lies revealed shatter the trust they had been building. For purposes beyond themselves, they are thrust into a marriage neither of them wanted . . . at first.

In the finale to the Best Laid Plans series, Grace Hitchcock invites readers to the sweeping Highlands and beautiful Scottish Isles with a romance guaranteed to delight.

"Grace Hitchcock strikes a perfect balance of adventure, intrigue, and breathless romance. Who doesn’t love a Scotland setting, a tortured rogue, and a heroine with impressive knife-fighting skills?"

—Allison Pittman 💟, award-winning author of Laura’s Shadow

 

Kregel Publishing, October, 2026

Available in digital ebook, paperback, and audiobook

Buy TO WIN A WAGER at Amazon, Christianbook, or Baker Book House 

 

THE RESURRECTION OF EVANIA JAMES by Jaime Jo Wright, Reviewed and Hosted by Rebecca for #PartnersInCrime Tour

 

THE RESURRECTION OF EVANIA JAMES

by Jaime Jo Wright

October 5 - 30, 2026 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

If walls could talk, what nightmare might they expose?

1879

When Eloise James's sister, Evania, goes missing after being admitted to an asylum, Eloise is determined to find her sibling but instead discovers evidence of dying patients and missing remains. Wannabe journalist Silas Dobbs has his own suspicions that something more nefarious is at work, and that black market sales may originate at the asylum. Together, they are intent on learning whether Evania is alive, or if her body has also been stolen. But unraveling a web of underground resurrectionists proves daunting, and the dead cannot share their secrets.

Present Day

Tilly Thompson is horrified to find historical human remains entombed in a wall of the Gothic mansion her grandfather just purchased, launching her into an investigation of the original owners' questionable past. The James family legacy harbors a darkness tightly woven through decades of secrets, but the past refuses to remain ensnared by silence. Will revealing the truth resurrect dangers best kept buried forever?

Jaime Jo Wright masterfully weaves a dual-timeline gothic suspense novel that brings together a haunting historical tale and a shadowy modern-day mystery. For fans of atmospheric thrillers, spooky reads, the Victorian era, creepy mansions, and dark family secrets.

Book Details:

Genre: Gothic Fiction; Christian Mystery & Suspense
Published by: Bethany House Publishers
Publication Date: October 27, 2026
Number of Pages: 336 Pbk
ISBN: 9780764246258 (ISBN10: 0764246259)
Book Links: Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | BookBub | Baker Book House

Read an excerpt:

REBECCA'S REVIEW:

"I can only watch. Listen. Whisper. Then I am silent. Because walls cannot speak. Even when we want to."

Tilly Thompson wasn't sure that she wanted the walls to speak any louder than they already had; finding skeletal remains encased in the walls along a central staircase was enough, thank you very much. On the other hand, she could hardly ignore the precious voice that had obviously been prematurely snuffed out. Working alongside a surprising ally, Tilly determines to discover what might have happened in the historic James Mansion that her grandfather recently purchased for the two of them. As it turns out, memories have a voice of their own.

Over a century earlier, Eloise James is horrified when her overbearing father sends her dear sister Evania to a nearby asylum. Defying her father's dictates, Eloise sneaks away to visit the facility, only to discover that her sister has been declared deceased, and that her remains have been taken to an undisclosed location. Suspecting foul play, Eloise stumbles someone else interested in her quest for the truth, which appears to be much darker than the dead of night when Evania disappeared.

On the one hand, this novel is an exceptional duet of mysteries, but if you read the author's endnotes, which I highly encourage that you do, this story also hints at the power memories can wield, either imprisoning us behind walls of hurt and brokenness or freeing us to expose those same hurts to the power of hope and healing. Our descendants depend on us to make the right choice. It's called a legacy.
•I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book from the publisher. I also purchased a copy. All opinions stated above are entirely my own.4.5 stars       

SEE PAULA'S REVIEW

Author Bio:

Jaime Jo Wright is a Publishers Weekly bestselling author of more than eighteen novels and three novellas, including Christy Award-winner and ECPA bestseller The Vanishing at Castle Moreau, Christy Award and Daphne du Maurier Award-winner The House on Foster Hill, Christy Award-winner Night Falls on Predicament Avenue, and Carol Award-winner The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond. She lives in Wisconsin with her family and fabulous felines.

Learn more at

JaimeWrightBooks.com
Amazon Author Profile
Goodreads
BookBub - @JaimeJoWright
Instagram - @jaimejowright
Threads - @jaimejowright
YouTube - @madlitmusings
Spotify - MadLit Musings
Facebook - @JaimeJoWright

 

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CANDY APPLE KISSES by Amy Clipston, Reviewed by Rebecca Maney

A cozy, low-spice fall romance

REBECCA'S REVIEW:
"Sometimes I wish I could go back to when all we did was play in the orchard and sit in our fort. Things were much simpler then."

Jake Hughes had always been her best friend growing up, so when he reaches out for her help, Emily Carmichael suspends her life in the city, and drives straight towards her childhood home in Splendid Lake. Local competition has not been kind to the Hughes family, leaving Jake with the burden of keeping their multi-generational apple orchard solvent. When Emily's creativity inspires new life for the property, Jake's parents reluctantly give their blessing and everything is going just fine until . . . Jake's on again, (mostly) off again girlfriend shows up to stake her claim.

Despite seeming to travel a rather typical pathway at first, this story gradually deepened its stride and gently probed into matters of grief, insecurities, and the sort of misconceptions that carve deep ruts into the lives of characters. In the end, "friends to more" doesn't get any better (or "sweeter") than this.
*I purchased a copy and was under no obligation to provide a positive review. 3.5 stars

 
BackCover Blurb:
This autumn, love is in the air.

Artist Emily Carmichael has always considered Splendid Lake her home, but she never imagined she would ever return. However, when she learns her childhood best friend, Jake Hughes, is struggling to save the beloved Hughes Family Orchard, she doesn't hesitate to pack her bags and head back to the North Carolina mountains--even if it means battling a corporate giant and resisting the temptation of too many candy apples.

For Jake, the orchard is more than just a business; it's a living legacy, a bond with his father and a promise to his family. As Jake and Emily work side-by-side to prepare for the orchard's centennial anniversary, long-held feelings, once hidden beneath years of friendship, begin to surface. For Jake, Emily's return illuminates what's been missing in his life, and for Emily, being with Jake stirs long-dormant emotions she's too scared to name. The air is crisp, the apples are sweet, and the sparks? They're flying higher than a bonfire.

But with Jake's ex-girlfriend's dramatic reappearance and the mounting pressure to keep the orchard from failing, their budding romance is put to the test. Can these two best friends turn a season of chaos into a lifetime of love, or will their romance fall flat before the first frost?

Thomas Nelson Publishing, July, 2026

Available in digital ebook, paperback, and audiobook:

Buy CANDY APPLE KISSES at Amazon, Christianbook, or Baker Book House