The Ballerina's Bargain

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for The Ballerina's Bargain by Lorri Dudley, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: The Ballerina's Bargain
Series: Danforth Theatre #1
Author: Lorri Dudley
Publisher: Wild Heart Books
Release Date: September 8, 2026
Genre: Historical Regency Romance

A burdened earl. A determined ballerina. Saving the theatre was part of their bargain. Losing their hearts wasn't.

London, 1815

Emmeline Laurent has survived by grace and grit. After her parents' execution in France, she has learned to live unseen as a humble ballerina instructing young pupils in a small London theatre. When whispers spread that the Danforth Theatre may be sold to an unscrupulous buyer, Emmeline fears not only for her livelihood but for the safety of her impressionable students. With no time and no options, she does the only thing she knows to do: leap into a moving carriage and bargain with the new lord who holds their fate.

Grant Atherton, the Earl of Quincy, has inherited the crushing weight of duty along with a failing theatre, an arranged engagement, two younger sisters to usher into society, and a mountain of his father's secrets. Selling the Danforth is the only way to save his family from ruin. The last thing he needs is a beautiful, infuriatingly determined ballerina turning his careful plans upside down.

But when Emmeline's hidden past begins surfacing and the danger circling the theatre proves far deadlier than either of them realized, Grant must choose between the life he planned and the one God may have been preparing all along.

For fans of Roseanna M. White and Jen Turano — a sweeping Regency romance about the grace found in surrender, the courage it takes to trust, and the God who makes a way when every door seems closed.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Wild Heart Books | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | BookBub

Like to learn more about the book? Here is an excerpt:

One corner of his mouth twitched into a sardonic grin. “If your plan is to accost me and make off with my purse, you should probably show your weapon.”

“Weapon?” She’d only seen the theatre owner from behind, but he was more handsome than she imagined, with a firm aristocratic jaw, light eyes, and thick waves of dark brown hair that curled at the ends. His appealing looks only aided in unnerving her. 

“Was someone chasing you?” His smile fell and he twisted to peer out the back window. “Were you being accosted?”

Emmeline also shifted to look but couldn’t explain why. She knew no one pursued her. “No.”

“Do you speak English?”

She inwardly groaned. This was going beyond poorly. “Indeed.”  

His gaze hardened. “Then, are you mad?” The muscle twitching in his jaw signaled his frustration. “Whatever were you thinking, jumping into a moving carriage?”

Also Available

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About the Author

Lorri Dudley is the bestselling author of The Leeward Island Series and The Agents of Espionage Series. She has a master’s degree in psychology and lives in Ashland, Massachusetts with her husband and three teenage sons, where writing romance allows her an escape from her testosterone filled household.

Connect with Lorri by visiting lorridudley.com to follow her on social media and subscribe to email newsletter updates.

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Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a $50 Amazon gift card and a prize bundle with reading blanket, socks, and candle!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight September 8, 2026 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on September 15, 2026. 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.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

Fatal Pattern

 

A COVERT INVESTIGATION
A stalker attacks behavioral analyst Dr. Tori Crew at knifepoint, shattering the fierce independence she's built since her parents' unsolved murder. Forced into an off-the-books criminal investigation, Tori must push her expertise--and her fiercely guarded heart--to the breaking point as a killer's pattern emerges.

A LOOMING THREAT
Homicide detective Blade St. James has been Tori's friend and protector since childhood. Haunted by his own past of parental abandonment, Blade is determined to build a stable life and find the peace that always seems just out of reach. But when Tori's life is threatened, his guardian reflexes collide with everything he's been trying to build.

A HIDDEN MENACE
As the conspiracy rooted in Tori's past pulls them deeper, the boundaries of their friendship blur, and the truth neither can deny becomes impossible to ignore. Can they unmask the sophisticated serial killer before they become the final, fatal piece in the pattern?

Review:

Wow! This was a great mystery and romantic suspense story that has plot twists, red herrings, and complex characters. I was engaged in the story from the first word to the very last. It just kept getting better and better the more I read. I cannot wait to see what Tori and Blade will uncover in the next book.

Tidbits and Tropes:

found family

mathematical genius

friends to more

forced proximity

danger

psychological thriller

faith and forgiveness elements

This is the second book in the King Legacy series, and you should read the first book in order to understand what has happened in the past. I loved seeing the past characters and how they played a part in the story. I highly recommend this if you are wanting a book similar to Nancy Mehl, DiAnn Mills, or Elizabeth Goddard. 

Content: brutal murders (not a lot of detail), childhood trauma

I received a copy of the book from Revell, JustRead,  and NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.

Belle's Christmas Carol

 

While all of London waits for snow, an orphanage in need holds holiday cheer, sparks of love, and secrets waiting to be discovered.

When Ebeneezer Scrooge's former fiancée, Belle Beaumont, unexpectedly inherits a struggling London orphanage, she dreams of giving the children of Haven House the most splendid Christmas they've ever known. But her vision of snowflakes and merriment quickly collides with reality: Fire damage has rendered part of the building unsafe, and the paperwork is years behind.

Barrister Rafe Munro is fighting to clear an innocent man and searching for a child, who may be his relative. His pursuit leads him to Haven House, where Rafe offers to help Belle sort through the chaotic records that might lead to the missing child. Amid the mayhem of running an orphanage full of mischievous children and eccentric staff, will Belle and Rafe find love and the answers they seek this holiday season?

Review: 

I loved this story as we see the incredibly kind Belle Beaumont and what has happened to her after her painful breakup with Ebenezer Scrooge years before. Watching her invest her life into the orphans of Haven House is just the kind of story that will warm your heart.

Rafe Munro is the kind of barrister that fights for justice and will give his very best to see that happen. I love the twist that occurs with one of his cases as I didn’t expect that at all.

Tropes and Tidbits
found family
orphans
forced proximity
quirky characters
Belle’s mental lists

I highly recommend this story for the holiday season. You’ll be wishing for snow right along with Belle.

I received a copy from Bethany House Fiction, author, and NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.

I'm doing a giveaway for the book! Please look at my Instagram post for a chance to win. https://www.instagram.com/p/Dc0sEu3itC4/

A Guided Gratitude Journal

 

About the Book

Book: A Guided Gratitude Journal

Author: Donna Wyland

Genre: Nonfiction/Christian Guided Journal

Release Date: September, 2025

What would you change in your life if you could? Scientific and faith-based research prove that gratitude is the key! 5 minutes a day/7 days a week/7 weeks. CHANGE YOUR MINDSET. CHANGE YOUR LIFE. Let today be the day your new life begins!

 

 

 

Click here to get your copy!

 Review: 

It is so easy to fall into an attitude of ungratefulness. But, the author has done a great job in writing short sections that can be read and reflected upon. You can set your own schedule too. You can read, answer questions, and journal at your convenience. I highly recommend you purchase this resource to keep you centered upon God and his goodness. 

Thank you to the author and Celebrate Lit for a copy of the book. All opinions are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review. 

About the Author

Donna Wyland is an award-winning author of fiction, nonfiction, and picture books. Her most recent gift book, Last Best Year – A Short Guide to a Grateful Life – is a Golden Scroll Award Winner, and her picture books, ‘Twas the Night Before Jesus and Psalms in Rhyme for Little Hearts were both Readers’ Choice Award Finalists.‘Twas the Night Before Jesus also won the Illumination Award Silver Medal and Psalms in Rhyme for Little Hearts was the Christian Indie Award winner for picture books.

Though she began a career in financial planning, God interrupted those plans and called her to write more than twenty years ago. Donna responded, “Yes, Lord,” and today has numerous books, essays, and blogs attributed to her name.

In the future, Donna hopes to continue writing guided journals to encourage and inspire people’s faith and confidence in God and themselves. As a Certified Christian Life Coach, Donna learned the value of asking powerful questions. Through her guided journals she hopes to lead readers to greater clarity, peace, and purpose as they read, consider, and reply to the questions asked.

Donna is grateful for her husband, four grown daughters, sons-in-law, and grandchildren. She and her husband currently live in Southwest Florida, but her passion for travel frequently takes her to other states and countries around the world. Only God knows where she will live in five years. Thankfully she has a husband who says he will follow her wherever she goes.

More from Donna

What would you change in your life if you could? Scientific and faith-based research prove that gratitude is the key! 5 minutes a day/7 days a week for 7 weeks could change your life. Let today be the day your new life begins!

This journal was inspired by God and written as a result of many personal losses in my life. As I tried to move toward healing, I felt like I was still walking under a dark cloud each day, faking happiness and joy as I went about my responsibilities as a wife, mother, and grandmother. I was still hurting and desperately wanted to know why. That’s when I did a deep dive on the topic of gratitude and discovered its tremendous power to heal.

I pray that this journal becomes a legacy of readers’ journeys to joy, emotional and physical health, peace, and a thankful way of life. God knows you and sees you. He is excited to hear your praise and watch you grow into a gratitude-filled man or woman of God who lights the world on fire simply by being your wonderful, beautiful, joyful self.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, August 22

Texas Book-aholic, August 23

Simple Harvest Reads, August 24 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 25

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 26

Its Mama Safe, August 27

Guild Master, August 28 (Author Interview)

The Vine and The Branch, August 28

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, August 29

Fiction Book Lover, August 30 (Author Interview)

Book Looks by Lisa, August 31

Cover Lover Book Review, September 1

Devoted to Hope, September 2

Mary Hake, September 2

Artistic Nobody, September 3

Life on Chickadee Lane, September 4

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Donna is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card and a copy of the book!!

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

https://gleam.io/tkOYA/a-guided-gratitude-journal-celebration-tour-giveaway

The Darling's Daughter

About the Book

Book: The Darling’s Daughter

Author: Sydney Schmied

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: August 4, 2026

A woman chasing the truth. A man running from his past. And a secret that threatens the fragile trust between them.

Searching for answers about her mother’s suspicious death, artist Angelica Woods takes a job painting backdrops at the Majestic Theater—the very place her famous actress mother warned her to avoid. When she discovers cryptic notes and bloody evidence of an old murder, Angie realizes her mother’s warning may have been meant to protect her from a deadly secret.

Architect Trace Ackerman has worked hard to build a quiet, respectable life far removed from his former mistakes. Renovating the Majestic is meant to be a fresh start—until Angie awakens feelings he never planned to risk again. Drawn to her courage and vulnerability, Trace offers his protection as rumors swirl and danger edges closer. But the past he’s worked so hard to outrun threatens to surface, and Trace fears the truth could cost him Angie’s trust—and the future he longs to build.

With a killer determined to silence them both, Angie and Trace must decide if uncovering the truth about her mother’s death is worth risking their own lives—and hearts. Set against the backdrop of a historic theater in 1912 Ohio, this romantic suspense weaves together murder, betrayal, and the redeeming power of faith and forgiveness.

 Click here to get your copy!

 Review:

Angela is the daughter of a widely known actress known as the Darling. Angie isn’t convinced that her mother died of an accidental overdose and her suspicions seem to be confirmed the more she and Trace investigate. There are puzzle boxes, clues, secrets, and a developing romantic relationship. There is a plot twist at the end, and if you aren’t careful paying attention you might miss who is the villain.

There are messages of redemption, forgiveness, and second chances. I enjoyed seeing the message of hope and faith throughout the book. This is the first book in the Majestic Theater series. 

Content Notes:

infidelity, murder, physical abuse 

I received a copy from Celebrate Lit. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.

About the Author

Sydney Schmied writes sweet and intriguing historical romantic suspense stories with a whole lot of faith. She is a 2023 ACFW First Impressions Contest finalist and a 2024 Genesis Contest Semi-finalist, as well as a two-time Scrivenings Press Get Pubbed Finalist. When she is not writing, she enjoys reading, painting, and sipping on a classic London Fog.

 

 

 

 

More from Sydney

Theaters tell so many stories, and in The Darling’s Daughter, The Majestic Theater itself has been shaped by the people who have passed through its doors. While it was known as The Masonic Opera House from 1853 to 1915, The Majestic has stood through nearly 173 years of history. I can’t help but wonder about all the individuals who walked its halls, performers, musicians, and attendees alike, and what stories they might tell about how their lives once intertwined with the Majestic.

In my research, I came across so many real accounts of people who visited theaters like this one, and I was able to glimpse bits and pieces of that connection. For Angie, the heroine in The Darling’s Daughter, The Majestic becomes a place of reckoning and reconciliation. Her mother was her only family, and even that relationship was strained. Angie carries a deep loneliness as she peels back the complicated layers of her late mother’s life, wrestling with questions of worth, belonging, and whether she is truly loved.

For Trace, The Majestic offers both a meaningful project and a chance to rebuild. Unfortunately, his identity has been constructed atop the fragile foundation of guilt, and that foundation begins to crack as his past resurfaces.

Just as The Majestic has stood strong through seasons of change and still stands today, Angie and Trace are refined through their struggles as everything around them begins to shift. Neither of them are defined by the broken parts of their story, but by their hope in Christ, even when that hope feels uncertain and their faith is shaky. If this resonates with you, I hope you’ll join Angie and Trace in The Darling’s Daughter and find encouragement in their journey.

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, August 19

Devoted Steps, August 19

Books Less Travelled, August 20

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 21

Texas Book-aholic, August 22

Connie’s History Classroom, August 23

For Him and My Family, August 23

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 24

Lyssa Loves Books, August 25

Holly’s Book Corner, August 26

Locks, Hooks and Books, August 27

Pause for Tales, August 28

Devoted to Hope, August 29

Book Looks by Lisa, August 30

Paula’s Pad of Inspiration, August 30

Cover Lover Book Review, August 31

Lily’s Corner, September 1

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Sydney 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.

https://gleam.io/TyDfI/the-darlings-daughter-celebration-tour-giveaway

Taken Without a Trace

Georgia Special Agent Cash Brenner gets an anonymous tip on a cold case that’s haunted him for years--but following the lead has him walking into a deadly ambush. He’s saved by his ex, private investigator Maya Reid, who is on a mission to find her missing sister. As eerie similarities between their investigations emerge and Cash grapples with memory loss from the attack, they must put their rocky past aside to find answers. With danger lurking at every turn, Cash and Maya need to act quickly to solve the case and locate Maya’s sister--or risk losing everything they hold dear.

Review: 

Cash and Maya are caught up in a deadly trap of secrets, missing persons, and a past that needs to be resolved between them. There are several suspects in this suspenseful story, and I really didn’t figure out who was behind the abductions and why until right before the reveal. I liked that it was a surprise. If you are a fan of romantic suspense, this is a book to check into. 

Tropes and Tidbits: 

second chance romance

forced proximity

faith thread

  

CW- Tr*fficking, but nothing is described in detail

I received a copy from JustRead Tours. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Harlequin | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | ChristianBook | Bookshop | BookBub

Also Available

 

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About the Author

Award-winning author Hope Welborn writes spine-tingling suspense, sprinkled with romance, and saturated with faith. By day, she masquerades as a digital content marketing technology specialist, and by night, she stays up too late putting words on the page. Hope is also co-owner and design/technology manager for Spark Flash Fiction and a member of the Suspense Squad. She has two indie published works, and her next novel will release from Love Inspired Suspense in August 2026. She is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency.

Connect with Hope by visiting hopewelborn.com to follow her on social media and subscribe to email newsletter updates.

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Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a signed paperback copy of Taken Without a Trace, a copy of both Hidden and Trail of Danger (also by Hope Welborn), and a $15 Amazon gift card!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight August 24, 2026 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on August 31, 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 the Giveaway below! 

https://gleam.io/DeURa/taken-without-a-trace-blog-tour-giveaway