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Before she stepped into the spotlight as a master of French cooking, Julia Child navigated the shadows as a WWII intelligence officer.
On the sunny shores of California, Julia McWilliams is poised to embrace a life of comfort and financial security, with a marriage proposal from a wealthy man to consider. But as World War II erupts in the US, her patriotic fervor compels her to abandon her secure future. Trading country clubs for covert codes, Julia joins the Office of Strategic Services, where her sharp mind aids the Allied cause in the shadowy realm of espionage.
Amid strategic missions in Ceylon and China, Julia crosses paths with Paul Child, a fellow OSS officer whose delight in art, culture, and cuisine awakens a new hunger within her. Their chance meetings ignite a spark that blossoms into romance, leading to a proposal that Julia eagerly accepts. Together they embark on a new chapter in postwar Paris.
In the City of Light, Julia grapples with a different kind of challenge: She refuses to be confined by the societal expectations of a married woman. Drawn to the tantalizing world of French gastronomy—a pursuit her peers deem superfluous—she enrolls at the famed Le Cordon Bleu, and with Paul’s unwavering support, Julia immerses herself in her new passion.
Facing skepticism and prejudice in the male-dominated kitchens of Paris, Julia’s resolve never falters. Her relentless pursuit of culinary mastery not only transforms her own life but also introduces a revolutionary change in kitchens throughout America. From intelligence officer to beloved chef, this is Julia’s extraordinary journey.
Book Details
Publisher : Shadow Mountain Publishing
Publication date : September 2, 2025
Language : English
Print length : 384 pages
ISBN-10 : 1639934251
****I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, NetGalley, book tours, and or authors. A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.****
My Review
Julia: A Novel draws from Julia Child's amazing life. It pulled me in right away. Every time I pick up a book by Heather B. Moore, I end up chasing details from the pages. That slows me down from racing through the story. What detours did I take this time? Let me share a few.
-When Julia served as an OSS {Office of Strategic Services}officer, I rushed to learn about the OSS and the missions they did during World War II. As a history fan, I had to dig deeper.
-Julia spent years crafting her first cookbook. While she picked recipes and tweaked them, I searched for her cookbooks and flipped through their pages. This actually took several days to find the cookbooks and peruse the pages and recipes that I wanted to try.
-Then, as Julia found her true love, Paul Child, I dove into his story and achievements. He was a remarkable man who cherished her like royalty. I loved looking through old photos of them side by side. They had an endearing marriage that most people only hope for.
-Reading about Julia's long push to create Mastering the Art of French Cooking led me to another path: YouTube clips of her in action. Sure, I wandered off track now and then, but it's deeper than that. Heather B. Moore writes so well that she sparks my urge to explore every subject in her stories.
Julia: A Novel tells of a woman who achieved great things, even when doubt crept in. I loved this trip through her world and facts about her. Heather B. Moore digs deep in her research, and it shines in her fine books. Make sure to read all of the notes in the back. This is once again another five-star rating from me.
****Meet Author Heather B. Moore****
Heather B. Moore is a USA Today bestselling author of more than ninety publications. Heather writes primarily historical and #herstory fiction about the humanity and heroism of the everyday person. Publishing in a breadth of genres, Heather dives into the hearts and souls of her characters, meshing her love of research with her love of storytelling.
Her ancient era historicals and thrillers are written under pen name H.B. Moore. She writes historical women's fiction, romance and inspirational non-fiction under Heather B. Moore, and . . . speculative fiction under Jane Redd. This can all be confusing, so her kids just call her Mom. Heather attended Cairo American College in Egypt and the Anglican School of Jerusalem in Israel. Despite failing her high school AP English exam, Heather persevered and earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Brigham Young University in something other than English.
Literary honors: 2020 Goodreads Choice Award Semi-Finalist, Foreword 2020 INDIES Finalist, ALA Best New Books - September 2020, 6-time Best of State Recipient for Best in Literary Arts, 2019 Maggie Award Winner, 6-time Whitney Award Winner, and 2-time Golden Quill Award Winner.
Heather is represented by Dystel, Goderich, and Bourret.
Amid the 1900 Galveston hurricane, one woman’s perseverance is tested in this captivating story from the author whose work has been called “intelligent and arresting” (Foreword Reviews) and “historical fiction as it is meant to be told” (Library Journal).
“Old Galveston shines in this beautifully written tale of a woman’s quest to both lose herself and find herself.” Lisa Wingate, #1New York Timesbestselling author ofShelterwood
Galveston, Texas. September 1900. Only months ago, Kathleen McDaniel returned from finishing school in Switzerland to her family home in New York’s Hudson Valley with a future of promise and privilege set before her. But one horrific event shattered her picturesque life. Now she has fled as far as the train line and a pocketful of money would take her, finding refuge at the St. Mary’s Orphan Asylum on Galveston Island, where she helps the nuns care for their young charges and prays her past will not find her. Despite her tenuous standing at the orphanage―and the grief and betrayal that drove her from home―Kathleen slowly begins to make friends. There is Emily, the novice nun she rooms with; Maggie, the tempestuous young girl who only bonds with Kathleen; and Matthew, a kind, handsome man recently employed by Isaac Cline at Galveston’s office of the US Weather Bureau.
Then in one fateful day, Kathleen’s fragile new life begins to crack as it becomes clear that she can’t run far enough to escape the reach of her former life. Meanwhile, as troubling news about a storm crossing the Gulf from Cuba swirls in the Weather Bureau offices, Matthew holds fast to Cline’s belief that no hurricane can touch Galveston. But as darkness falls on the island, Kathleen must gather her courage and reach for a strength beyond her own if she―and those she loves―are to survive.
A stand-alone historical novel about the 1900 Galveston hurricane
A gripping read inspired by true events
Features themes of resilience, found family, and redemption
Includes discussion questions perfect for book clubs
Book Details
Publisher : Tyndale Fiction
Publication date : August 12, 2025
Language : English
Print length : 372 pages
ISBN-10 : 1496477626
****I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, NetGalley, book tours, and or authors. A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.****
My Review
The Cover of Last Light Over Galveston drew me in before I'd even read the synopsis. It weaves a historical tale jumping between New York and Galveston in different time periods. It follows the troubled socialite Kathleen, also known as Annie, as she struggles to endure after a brutal storm. Parts of her hidden past surface bit by bit, stirring up real tension. This is a tale of hanging on, of tapping inner power no one knew was there, and spotting hope amid total gloom. Kathleen's path holds a steady grit that pulled me in. I appreciated how her trust in God builds over the pages, and how she finds her value with divine aid—especially clear by the end of the book.
I knew nothing about the 1900 Galveston hurricane before picking up this book. The vivid sketches of Galveston drew me right in, along with ties to Isaac Cline, the top weather expert at the Texas U.S. Weather Bureau office in 1900. I wished there had been more details about the orphans and nuns from the convent and school because they stole my heart early on, especially the cute Maggie. The book sparked my own deep dive into the 1900 Galveston Hurricane, known as the worst natural disaster in U.S. history. It claimed 8,000 to 12,000 lives. That Category 4 beast hit land on September 8, 1900, with 145 mph winds and a 16-foot surge that drowned the flat island town. All that chaos showed what Kathleen could achieve in her world and helped her believe in herself.
The pace drags in spots, more than I'd like. Still, it's a gripping slice of historical Christian fiction. This true-to-life novel packs peril and shows the storm's full fury. You'll get pulse-racing action mixed with calm, thoughtful pauses that hit home as Kathleen's story is told.
This is a 3.5-4 star read for me.
****Meet Author Jennifer L. Wright****
Jennifer Wright has been writing since middle school, eventually earning a Master’s degree in Journalism at Indiana University. However, it took only a few short months of covering the local news for her to realize that writing fiction is much better for the soul and definitely way more fun. A born and bred Hoosier, she was plucked from the Heartland after being swept off her feet by an Air Force pilot and has spent the past decade traveling the world and, and every few years, attempting to make old curtains fit in the windows of a new home.
She currently resides in New Mexico with her husband, two children, one grumpy dachshund, and a herd of overly demanding guinea pigs.
Her debut novel, 'If It Rains,' was nominated for a Kipp Award, and her second novel, 'Come Down Somewhere,' was a 2023 Carol Award-finalist. She is a member of ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers).
A modern-day London actor is hurled back to 1803, where a love that defies the centuries awaits.
For Kipling Summerfield, the glamour of Hollywood is becoming a distant memory. After losing the role of a lifetime, he’s forced to take a lesser job as a historical reenactor on England’s Guilford Island. But a sudden storm changes everything, casting him into the ocean—and into the care of a mysterious lighthouse keeper. Kip assumes everyone he meets and the island’s historical setting are just an elaborate performance—until he meets the captivating Amelia Archibald, whose quiet strength feels too real, making him question everything about Guilford.
Amelia has spent her life as an unimportant poor relation and is now trapped by her late grandfather’s will on an island she loathes because of her great fear of the sea. When Kip stumbles into her world, his strange ideas and warm presence are both a disruption and an unexpected light.
As Kip and Amelia work to save Guilford Island, an undeniable connection blooms between them. But when Kip uncovers the truth about where—or when—he is, he must make an impossible choice: rise to meet the expectations of Amelia’s world and build a life worthy of her station or walk away from the love that has redefined his very existence.
Book Details
Publisher : Shadow Mountain Publishing
Publication date : September 2, 2025
Series : A Storm Tide Romance-A Proper Romance
Language : English
Print length : 320 pages
ISBN-10 : 1639934243
****I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, NetGalley, book tours, and or authors. A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.****
My Review
Echoes of the Sea is book two in the A Storm Tide Romance series. Time-travel tales always pull me in, and this one hit every mark I love. How do they travel?A fierce storm at sea, with green lightning, sends unknowing people hurtling through time.
Kipling Summerfield is an actor from modern London who faces total chaos in his life. He loses his spot on a hit Regency TV show and hunts for jobs, but nothing emerges. Finally, he lands a job reenacting history on England's Guilford Island, but plans go wrong fast. Kipling finds himself in the water, and a wild storm drags him back to 1803, where Amelia Archibald waits without Kipling knowing it. She's an orphan, ignored by her family, seen as the poor cousin, and made to feel like a burden. Her grandfather gives her a harsh choice to claim her inheritance, and it involves the thing she hates the most, the ocean waters. It takes Kipling a while to figure out his strange fate, yet doubt lingers in his mind, and he ignores every clue right in front of him. The island folks prove that it's truly 1803, so he promises to stay to help Amelia. The romance builds slowly and true, and it was a beautiful thing to witness. These two, starving for real unconditional love all their lives, discover it together. It felt pure and deep, and I couldn't help but cheer them on.
The tension between Amelia and her stiff uncle made my heart hurt for Amelia. Her almost-fiancé, Mr. Winthrop, rubbed me wrong. He chased her only for the money she might get. He eventually gets what he deserves.
The ending wraps up well after some mishaps. That last scene in the book? It was just right and full of heart. Time-travel stories are some of my favorites right now, and the Storm Tide series is included on my list. Are you new to Sarah M. Eden's writing? Jump in with this one because it's a great place to start. Then go read all of her other wonderful books.
****Meet Author Sarah M. Eden****
Sarah M. Eden is a USA Today best-selling author of witty and charming historical romances, including 2020’s Foreword Reviews INDIE Awards Gold Winner for Romance, "Forget Me Not," and 2020 Holt Medallion finalist, "Healing Hearts." She is a three-time “Best of State” Gold Medal winner for fiction and a three-time Whitney Award winner. Combining her obsession with history and her affinity for tender love stories, Sarah loves crafting deep characters and heartfelt romances set against rich historical backdrops. She holds a bachelor’s degree in research and happily spends hours perusing the reference shelves of her local library.
Luna Rosati found acceptance and comfort with her childhood foster family, but when she became pregnant at sixteen, she gave the baby up for adoption and left without a word. Now a CIA counterintelligence officer, Luna wants to reconcile her fractured sense of self by finding the only blood family she has--the teenage daughter she's never met. As Luna closes in on learning the girl's identity with the help of her mentor, Stryker, she prepares to meet him in her old neighborhood--the last place she wants to be. Then Stryker is captured.
AN INESCAPABLE PAST
Special Agent Corbin King changed his last name to escape the shadow of his convicted father serving a life sentence. When he runs into Luna, the object of his failed teenage romance, the two must put their pasts aside and work together to expose a secret that someone's willing to kill for.
A DEADLY THREAT
But when they encounter a kidnapping, missing bodies, and murder, the secrets Corbin and Luna are keeping from one another are only the beginning of the threat they face with more than their own lives at stake.
A gripping Christian romantic suspense thriller with CIA intrigue, second chances, and found family. Perfect for fans of clean thrillers, faith-based fiction, and emotional page-turners by Lynette Eason, Colleen Coble, Jessica R. Patch, and Charles Martin.
My Review
Girl Lost's blurb grabbed me right away. I couldn't put it down once I began reading. It packs in a murder mystery, intense action, and a second-chance romance. The author weaves every part of the novel with ease. and it all flows together without a hitch.
Luna Rosati and Special Agent Corbin King fell in love as teens. Eighteen years later, they team up to track a killer who is targeting young women and harvesting their organs. Luna has returned to her hometown as she is secretly hunting for the baby girl she and Corbin gave up long ago.
There are many old feelings lingering between Luna and Corbin, wrapped up in unresolved pain from the past. With the beautiful gifts of forgiveness and mercy, it helps them heal much of that hurt.
Girl Lost delivers a gripping, tense plot, heart-racing action, and twists that catch you off guard. The bad guys raise tough moral questions, but the book has a satisfying ending. The next book in the series brings back key players, and I'm excited and look forward to more.
Praise for Kate Angelo:
"Kate Angelo skillfully unveils the savagery of greed under the pretense of good." ~ DIANN MILLS, bestselling writer
"An exciting story that will capture readers' emotions while also taking them on a pulse-pounding, suspenseful roller coaster ride they won't soon forget." ~ NANCY MEHL, author of the Erin Delaney Mysteries
“What are you doing here, Luna?” The honeyed tone he’d used on the waitress morphed to granite.
“Since when does the FDLE investigate missing persons?”
“Since when do you talk to Stryker? Or any of us, for that matter?”
“Why do you keep answering questions with another question?” Although she knew good and well she’d started it.
The squiggle of a blue vein bulged at Corbin’s temple, and she kind of enjoyed it. “Since we gave our baby up for adoption. Since you cut me out of your life.” His finger stabbed the table to punctuate each sentence. “Since you left town without a word and never looked back.”
Another crack formed. His words knifed her heart. Images of a teen beggar girl on the streets of Pakistan played through her mind. The one with dark hair and eyes that mirrored her own. The girl’s striking resemblance to herself had brought Luna back to the time when she held a tiny life in her arms. The baby girl she’d given up—not because she wanted to, but because she refused to let her child suffer the life she’d had.
The daughter she’d brought into being was somewhere out there in the world, and she needed Stryker to tell her where.
The pang cut deep, but Luna gathered her composure and locked her emotional armor down tight. She wasn’t the only one who’d walked away. “You broke up with me, Corbin. You told me you didn’t want to be a father. You made that choice. I just made sure our daughter had a future.”
The skin around his collar flushed crimson. She could see his neck straining. “I can’t believe you—”
A sharp glint of light flashed through the storefront windows. Whatever Corbin was saying faded into nothingness. She watched Stryker emerge from his rusty old Jeep parked across the street. His hair, a blend of salt and pepper, hung in a knot at the nape of his neck. Aside from the silver strands, he looked like the same athletic man she’d known when she was a teenager.
Years melted away. She saw the man who’d seen the good in her, even when she was a mess of anger and bad choices. The man who’d taken a lost and confused girl and forged her into something stronger, something more. He’d pulled her back from the edge, shown her a different path. And somehow, against all odds, the rebellious girl who’d once cursed every cop in sight had become a government agent.
He’d challenged her, pushed her, never let her give up on herself. And she hadn’t. Would he still recognize that girl in the woman she’d become?
A black SUV slammed to a halt outside. Doors flew open. Three dark figures jumped out, faces swallowed by masks, bodies muted by black tactical gear.
Guns. They had guns.
Luna was on her feet before she knew what was happening. Her brain put it together on the fly. Outside. Help Stryker.
Corbin’s chair scraped back. Clattered over. He was on her heels.
Stryker wouldn’t go down without a fight. With his reflexes, he could disarm a shooter and break a few bones faster than she could blink. His resistance would buy them the priceless seconds they needed to get outside.
One man pointed a Taser at Stryker and squeezed the trigger. Two barbed probes shot through the air and embedded into the back of Stryker’s neck, sending fifty thousand volts of electricity screaming through his body. The other two men caught him under the arms before he hit the sidewalk and hauled his limp body into the back seat.
Luna and Corbin burst outside. Shouts. A woman screamed. But Luna’s eyes were laser focused on the dark vehicle. The doors slammed shut.
Corbin had his gun out. “Police! Stop or I’ll shoot!”
The SUV’s engine roared. The vehicle lurched forward, tires shrieking, grabbing traction. It fishtailed, sideswiping two parked cars. Then it swerved back on course, speeding down the street. It blew through a stop sign and disappeared around the corner.
Bits of red and yellow confetti littered the street and sidewalk. Luna crouched and used her fingernail to scrape up a few of the tiny round dots.
Corbin sprinted half a block chasing after the vehicle before he stopped. Feet set shoulder width apart. Knees flexed. Arms extended and ready to fire.
She marched over and slapped her palm on the muzzle of his gun to shove the barrel down. “Put that away. You can’t shoot into a busy street at a fleeing vehicle.”
He was breathing hard. “No plates. They wore masks. Should be able to get surveillance footage and interview witnesses.” Like her, Corbin was already thinking of the next steps.
She had her phone out, thumb hovering over the screen. The secret code used to send secure cables to the Agency wouldn’t work on this plain smartphone. The only person whose number was stored in this one had just been kidnapped.
Corbin muttered something Luna couldn’t hear. He had a hand on his waist. The tail of his blazer was pushed back, showing the gun in its holster on his hip. He rattled his name, badge number, and their location into his phone. “I’m reporting a confirmed kidnapping in progress. Requesting immediate backup and notify detectives.”
With Stryker gone, she had no reason to stay. Time to start searching for him. She did an about-face and went back inside.
Angie was on the phone in hysterics. It’d be a wonder if the dispatcher could make sense of the gibberish behind her sobs. Luna marched to the table and picked up her purse. Paused long enough to drain her lemonade and toss a twenty on the table before heading back outside.
Corbin fell into step beside her, phone still pressed to his ear. “Where are you going?”
She kept walking.
“Hey, you can’t leave a crime scene.” He grabbed her shoulder and spun her around.
She caught his hand in a wrist lock and rotated his forearm until his knees buckled. “You’ve gotten slow in your old age.” She flashed a thin smile and shoved him, releasing her hold.
Corbin stumbled a few steps. The look on his face was almost worth the agony of seeing him again. She turned and headed for her car.
The last person she’d ever wanted to see was Corbin King. Not here. Not now. Not ever.
“Luna! You can’t just walk away. Luna!”
Stryker was not only her mentor but a father figure. She wouldn’t stand by and let someone hurt him. Besides, he was the one who’d arranged the adoption. Handled everything himself, outside the system when she was too young and emotionally wrecked to question the details. Back then, she hadn’t wanted to know. Convinced it was better that way. But that had changed.
Now, without Stryker, she had no way to find the only blood relative she had left. And after everything she’d lost in Pakistan, she could not afford to lose anything else.
The weight of it all didn’t matter.
She would save Stryker.
She would find her daughter.
And she would do it without Corbin King.
***
Excerpt from Girl Lost by Kate Angelo. Copyright 2025 by Kate Angelo. Reproduced with permission from Kate Angelo. All rights reserved.
***Meet Author Kate Angelo ***
Kate Angelo is the Publishers Weekly bestselling author of Hunting the Witness, Selah Award winner of Deadly Holiday Hijack, and Amazon Top 100 Bestseller of Driving Force. Kate works alongside her husband championing stronger marriages and families. Her journey from foster care to bestselling author fuels her fast-paced romantic suspense, where flawed characters discover hope and healing through life's fiercest trials and relationships. When she's not putting fictional people through the wringer, she's out creating real-life happily-ever-afters at conferences and events nationwide.
****I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, NetGalley, book tours, and or authors. A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.****
In 1948, Zion National Park ranger Henry Eriksson and his wife, Alma, are less than one year removed from their infant son's sudden death in a flash flood, and the weight of the loss hasn't diminished with time. When Henry discovers an abandoned baby in a hatbox on his morning rounds, he's unsure how to react, but Alma is delighted, and she reignites with purpose at what seems to be a miracle from God.
Nearly eighty years later, Talia Eriksson leaves her job at an athleisure company in Palo Alto, California, in disgrace and returns to Zion National Park to reconnect with her grandfather and review her life goals. But when an at-home DNA test exposes family secrets, Talia and her newfound friend, law enforcement ranger Blake Mitchell, work together to search for answers.
Talia navigates the rocky path into her past with Blake by her side, what she discovers may alter everything she knew to be true about herself. With the uncertain future looming, Talia must learn that family is deeper than genetics and that trusting God can mean being still and clinging to the Rock.
My Review
I enjoy visiting national parks, so this book series is quickly becoming one of my top picks. Through Water and Stone tells a story across two time periods. It focuses on Henry Eriksson, a ranger at Zion National Park, and his wife Alma, back in 1948. They faced heartbreak when a flash flood took their baby boy. A year later, Henry finds a newborn baby boy in a cardboard box in the park. Alma takes to the baby immediately, and eventually, they adopt him. A few years pass, and doubts grow about the child's true origins thanks to an undercover reporter from Salt Lake City.
Fast-forward 80 years to now. We follow Talia Eriksson, who just lost her big marketing job in disgrace. She returns to Zion for the summer to stay with her grandpa, a longtime ranger there like his dad. A DNA test shakes everything up, and Talia starts to question her own roots. She meets the handsome Ranger Blake Mitchell from law enforcement. Together, they dig for clues to her past. Sparks soon fly, and romance starts to grow between Talia and Blake.
The two-timeline setup hooked me. It jumps between the 1950s and today. Each chapter uncovers bits of hidden family secrets. You start fitting the pieces together yourself quickly. I also adore how Karen Barnett pulls you into Zion's stunning beauty. She paints the park's wonders with vivid details. If you've never been there, it is a must-see park. A Christian thread runs through it all, and the characters turn to God for strength in tough times. One line hit home for me...
"Zion is a good place to seek truth. God's voice can be heard through the water and the stone. Be still and listen."
This novel is packed with mysteries, Zion's amazing glory, family bonds, and faith. Through Water and Stone makes for a solid read. It gets you thinking deeply about what is truly important in your life.
Karen Barnett is the award-winning author of nine novels, including When Stone Wings Fly, Where Trees Touch the Sky, and the Vintage National Park novels. A former national park ranger, she’s also a hobby photographer and enjoys teaching writing workshops with both Cascade Christian Writers and West Coast Christian Writers. She and her family live in Albany, Oregon.
Connect with Karen by visiting karenbarnettbooks.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.
Tour Giveaway
(1) winner will receive a signed copy of Through Water and Stone and $20 Amazon gift card!
Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight October 1, 2025 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on October 8, 2025. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US/CAN only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
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