THE FAULT BETWEEN US by Stephanie Landsem, Reviewed by Paula Shreckhise

PAULA'S REVIEW:
This story struck me with its heartfelt, realistic descriptions of an earthquake and rescue efforts afterward. That was the tense and dangerous part but what also struck me was the relationships in the Reilley family. Sisters Claire, Bridget and Frannie grew up not knowing their mother and with an overprotective father. That situation colored their whole life and choices. The excellent writing showed how their decisions shaped them and how circumstances brought out the best in them.
 

The theme of trusting and trustworthiness came through as well as redemption and reconciliation. I especially like the viewpoint of Claire and her appreciation of the beauty of her surroundings, attributing them to God. Her faith and Christian outlook shine through.
 

Ironically, I have also been reading a contemporary book set in Yellowstone with a scene mentioning the quake of 1959. It was interesting to see the overlap.
* A complimentary copy of this book wa# provided by Tyndale through NetGalley. I was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are mine alone.*5 stars and a solid faith thread 

 

SEE REBECCA'S REVIEW: 

BackCover Blurb:
In this gripping new work of historical fiction from the award-winning author of Code Name Edelweiss, three sisters fight for their lives and for each other amid the danger of a cataclysmic earthquake that rips Yellowstone National Park asunder.

1959. Claire, Bridget, and Frannie Reilly were once as close as sisters can be. Though their mother left when they were young, their loving father raised them with everything they could want. But when Claire marries a handsome cowboy and settles out west, a thousand miles away, the sisters’ strong bond begins to unravel.

Claire struggles to adjust to a life utterly unlike her upbringing, and surprising revelations about her husband’s past make her wonder if she’s made a terrible mistake. With a new baby and a shoestring budget, the last thing she needs is her family’s interference.

Sensing something isn’t right, Bridget takes a temporary nursing assignment in Yellowstone, promising her father she’ll bring Claire home—with or without her husband. When Frannie, the rebellious youngest sister, is sent along in hopes it will corral her behavior, the Reilly sisters reunite on the eve of a seismic event that rips Yellowstone apart, tests their survival, and exposes the ever-widening rift in their relationship.

Based on real events of the 1959 Hebgen Lake earthquake and inspired by true stories, The Fault Between Us is a suspenseful exploration of the bonds of sisterhood, the depths of family drama, and how hidden wounds can only heal when they’re brought into the light.

-Christian historical fiction based on fascinating historical events
-Perfect for fans of Cathy Gohlke or Susan Meissner
-Includes discussion questions for book clubs

Tyndale Fiction, November, 2025

Available in digital ebook, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook:

Buy THE FAULT BETWEEN US at Amazon, Christianbook, or Baker Book House

 

 

A WEEKEND ON ALLYSON ISLAND by Susannah B. Lewis, Reviewed by Paula Shreckhise

PAULA'S REVIEW:
A party gone wrong? Or Right? 

Moira is a lonely widow who is celebrating her 50th birthday by inviting a few friends to an exclusive bash at her home on Allyson Island. What transpires is a revealing look at each person’s foibles and how they reacted to the unveiling of their own personal shortcomings. 

Among all the introspection and reflections, comes healing , solidifying friendships and realizing their individual purpose in life. 

At times it was gritty with reality but the setting on a beautiful island contrasted with the soul-searching of the women.  

One woman was an outspoken Christian and this story showed how she had an effect on her friends. The themes of reconciliation, healing and awakening faith resonated throughout. 

This is a new-to-me author and I will be on the lookout for more stories that cause me to ponder life questions.
*A complimentary copy of this book was provided by Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. I was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are mine alone.*5 stars and a solid Faith Thread

BackCover Blurb:
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. 

Thomas Nelson Publishing, December, 2025

Available in digital ebook, paperback, and audiobook:

Buy A WEEKEND ON ALLYSON ISLAND at Amazon, Christianbook, or Baker Book House 

A SEASON OUT OF TIME by Josie Riviera, Reviewed by Paula Shreckhise #ReleaseDay

A Christian Historical Romantasy (Stories of Love, Faith, and Hope)

PAULA'S REVIEW:

This was a romantic fantasy that had an atmospheric setting in a conservatory. The descriptions were poetic and realistic. In New England in 1924, Rosalind Drew is a botanist who studies and propagates plants for the local community. Intrigue comes in many forms such as unusual plants, mysterious Edmund Winterborne, and people who want to take over the research and property that Rosalind has worked at for so long. There is also the phenomenon of a winter that lasted a constant three years.
 

The faith thread was believable and natural. The characters saw the wonder of God’s creation. “Faith gives purpose to science. I study plants to appreciate His creation, not merely to catalog it.”
This is the first book I have read by this author. I like her writing style and am curious about other offerings. 

 *A complimentary copy of this book was provided through Book Sirens on behalf of the author. I was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are mine alone.*5 stars and a solid faith thread.

BackCover Blurb:
When everything feels frozen, could love be the one thing that finally thaws her heart?

Rosalind Drew has always lived by logic, not longing. A brilliant botanist clinging to control, she's watched her once-vibrant family conservatory wilt under the weight of endless winter—and the even heavier silence in her soul.

Dreams deferred. Love denied. Life on pause.

Then Edmund Winterborne arrives.
Mysterious, wealthy, and burdened by secrets of his own, Edmund steps into her world like a forgotten melody—unsettling, alluring, impossible to ignore. He's everything she's not: impulsive, passionate, and a believer in things unseen. And yet, he sees her. The woman beneath the routine. The heart aching for more.

As the snow presses in, so does the promise of something neither expected—a love that might restore what was lost, rewrite the rules, and bloom in even the harshest season.

But when past wounds and present choices threaten to undo everything, will Rosalind have the courage to let go of control... and trust the wild, beautiful promise of winter?

Includes, as a bonus, the classic Nordic fairy tale East of the Sun, West of the Moon, reprinted from the public domain—a timeless story of sacrifice, transformation, and love that inspired this novel.

 

Cherished Hearts Publishing, January, 2026

Available in digital ebook, paperback, and hardcover

Buy A SEASON OUT OF TIME at Amazon

THE LIES WE TRADE by Kristine Delano, Reviewed by Rebecca Maney #ReleaseDay

REBECCA'S REVIEW:
"It's starting to feel like everyone knows something they shouldn't."

When Wall Street portfolio manager Meredith Hansel is convinced by others in her financial firm to sign a restraining order against her former sales manager, numerous confounding circumstances begin to circle like hawks. It's not as if Meredith's life is picture perfect to begin with, she and her husband have been growing apart while her two children have spent their time growing up, or maybe it's just that Meredith is working way too many hours to feel a part of her family any more.

What begins as carefully constructed innuendos rapidly changes into an all out assault on everything and everyone that Meredith holds dear, secrets that she has kept for reasons of her own are being used as leverage to get Meredith's undivided attention and ultimate cooperation. Unfortunately for her, the truth and lies are scheduled to converge in a matter of days, holding Meredith hostage in her own life if she cannot find a way to re-establish her most stable alliance, her husband.

For readers with more than a rudimentary knowledge of investment markets, the financial scheme in this story will most likely prove both fascinating and perhaps even brilliant. Surprisingly, my simple base line understanding didn't distract me at all from the core elements of this story. For whether a hard working mother invests her time on Wall Street or Main Street, many of the stress points are exactly the same. Communicating with a spouse about deep matters of the heart is never easy, especially when the risk factors could be heart breaking. And who has has a magic wand when it comes to raising teenagers? No one.

An astonishing array of legal suspense, family drama, and women's fiction, creating a palpable tension from beginning to end, with bonus points for how well it landed!

"It's hard to trust, but that's the point, we need to learn. And we are. We're finding that trusting in a God who knows us and created us is a whole lot easier than in the people who have hurt us." 
*I purchased a copy and was under no obligation to provide a positive review. 4.5 stars

BackCover Blurb:
A high-powered Wall Street career, a beautiful family in a quiet suburban neighborhood—she seems to have everything. Which means she has everything to lose.

Meredith Hansel should be having the best week of her life. After establishing herself as a portfolio manager at a prestigious Wall Street firm, she’s in the national spotlight for the innovative funds she created. But as Meredith prepares to celebrate, the plates she’s kept spinning for years begin to crash: Her strained marriage reaches a breaking point. Her conscientious teenage daughter acts out under mysterious pressures. Someone vandalizes her home with disturbing graffiti. And Betsey, her most trusted ally at the financial firm, goes rogue, and Meredith is forced to sign a restraining order against her.

Then her worlds collide when she receives a thumb drive and a cryptic note from Betsey threatening to reveal a secret that could have devastating effects on Meredith’s family . . . unless she can figure out what Betsey wants and deliver it in time.

As Meredith begins to dig into the data, however, she begins to suspect that it’s no coincidence her life is crumbling. That maybe what’s happening to her family is connected to what’s boiling beneath the surface at her investment company. Soon Meredith realizes there’s only one way to avoid taking the fall, and it all hinges on Betsey’s true motives. Was she really threatening Meredith or trying to warn her?

-Great for fans of Colleen Coble, Laura Dave, Dani Pettrey, and Lisa Scottoline
-Clean, high-stakes women’s domestic suspense with workplace secrets and family drama
-A stand-alone Wall Street thriller
-Includes discussion questions for book clubs

 

Tyndale Fiction, January, 2026

Available in digital ebook, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook:

Buy THE LIES WE TRADE at Amazon, Christianbook, or Baker Book House