The Courting of Miss Cady

 

He’s the man of her dreams—she just doesn’t know it yet.

New York socialite Jane Cady is the envy of the season, and the supposed love of Graham Bank’s life, until news arrives that her father’s last merchant ship has sunk, costing them everything. To avoid scandal, the family disappears to manage a hotel in Las Vegas, New Mexico. Determined to support her family, Jane sets aside her dream of marriage and joins her father in working for the Harvey House, as a waitress. But when her former fiancé strolls into the Castañeda Hotel, the weight of her sacrifice becomes all too real.

Rancher Wade Sterling is well acquainted with hard work and that Miss Jane is one of the hardest working Harvey Girls he’s ever met, besides his sister-in-law. When Jane faints on duty, Wade catches her and upon her awakening in his arms, her passionate kiss nearly knocks him off his feet. She begs him to play along and before he knows it, she tells some dandy that they are happily courting. Jane later begs Wade’s forgiveness, explaining it was an emergency as the man was her former fiancé and their relationship ended poorly. But, when the dandy stays in town, Wade finds himself in a fake courtship and in love with the woman of his dreams. He only needs to convince Jane that he is the man of hers.

Review: 

Jane Cady and her family’s fall from the New England Society leads them to an unexpected place—Las Vegas, Nevada. Jane’s failure in her mind was complete after her disastrous cancelled wedding. What turned out to be a shameful situation actually turned out to be a blessing and a chance at a new life. Wade Sterling was a true knight in a Steston saving Jane from a herd of cattle running through town. But, rescuing her doesn’t stop there as he steps into helping her avoid embarrassment and a potential suitor that her father has arranged. I love that he is always there for Jane and proves this repeatedly. I think Jane was blessed to have a man like Wade care about her. Things to enjoy: dual POV Harvey Girls meet cute horse rancher brothers humor I liked seeing Jane grow in trusting God. It’s nice to see a character grow throughout the story. I recommend this fifth book in Aprons and Veils, and you don’t have to read the other books to follow the plot. Readers from young adult through mature readers will enjoy reading this clean historical romances. I received an advanced copy of the book. All opinions are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review.

A Not So Fictional Fall

I live for happily ever afters.

And I’m finally meeting my favorite romance author in person!

Only, all this time, I thought author, Amelie De Pierre, was a woman.

It turns out, Pierre Toussaint is the man behind the books that make me weak in the knees.
He could be the consummate book boyfriend with his dreamy hazel eyes, strong jawline, and those black-rimmed glasses. Not to mention that accent. Oh, that French accent. When Pierre speaks, I feel like I’m curled in his arms on a riverbank being fed chocolate-dipped strawberries.

Not Pierre’s arms, of course. We barely just met. And I’m just me. And he’s Pierre, internationally renowned romance author.

Seeing Pierre in person has me stammering and blushing—two things I don’t usually do.

Imagine my surprise when I receive a call a few weeks after meeting Pierre—from his agent—proposing marriage. Not that I’d marry his agent.

Review:

A male romance writer with a female nom de plume? Yes, you read that right! I loved that twist! This book is truly a romantic comedy. I laughed throughout the book from the meet cute at an author signing, to zip lining, to the rules that Pierre and Tasha came up for their relationship. Things to love: author treehouse accommodations family and friends humor banter marriage of convenience idioms I highly recommend this clean romcom and look forward to reading more in the series.

Long Trail Home Cover Reveal

 

Welcome to the Cover Reveal Takeover Blitz for Long Trail Home by Lacy Williams, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Long Trail Home  

Series: Wagon Train Matches #9 

Author: Lacy Williams 

Publisher: Lacy Williams Books LLC 

Release Date: February 26, 2026 

Genre: Christian Historical Romance 

All roads lead home in the dramatic conclusion to one family’s journey of love, sacrifice, and survival. 

Since the moment he saw her, Coop Spencer has been single-minded in his quest to protect Belle. She’s running from something—someone—and he’s never met anyone so scared. When the wagon master forces an ultimatum: a marriage or Belle is expelled from the wagon train, Coop makes the only choice he can. He’ll do everything in his power to prove he's the kind of man she can trust. But overcoming the mistakes of his past may prove too much... 

Belle knows that the danger she escaped is still out there, still hunting her. Experience has taught her that she can't rely on anyone, not even the man who promised their marriage was in name only. 

As they traverse the Oregon Trail together, Belle is taken in by Coop’s big family, and the more time she spends with her temporary husband and his siblings, the more she starts to long for something she'd forgotten ages ago: home. 

When danger closes in, one of them must sacrifice everything for love...

• Forced marriage of convenience
• Redemption
• Family saga
• Heroine with a dark past/sworn off men

---

Ready to see the cover?

PRE-ORDER LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon

---

About the Author

With multiple hits on the USA Today and Publishers' Weekly bestseller lists and more than 1 million copies sold, Lacy Williams has won the hearts of readers worldwide with her heartwarming romances set in the rugged beauty of the American West. A proud Oklahoman, she balances writing with the joyful chaos of raising four children and snuggling her fur babies.

Connect with Lacy by visiting lacywilliams.net to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

---

Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a paperback copy of A Trail so Lonesome and ebook copies of the rest of the series!

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 16, 2025 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on October 23, 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 only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

Enter Giveaway

---

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

Clara and the Cowboy

 

About the Book

Book: Clara and the Cowboy

Author: Erica Vetsch

Genre: Christian Historical Fiction

Release Date: October 13, 2025

She’s the rancher’s daughter. He’s the reformed outlaw who became her father’s foreman. Love was never part of the plan.

Clara Bainbridge has loved Alec for years, long before she left for finishing school in Boston. And though she is convinced he loves her too, he seems determined to push her away now that she’s back. So when the handsome stranger who protects her during a stagecoach robbery reveals that he is her new neighbor, Clara begins to wonder if accepting his suit might be wiser than waiting for Alec.

Ranch foreman Alec McConnell has worked hard to overcome his criminal past and prove himself worthy of Colonel Bainbridge’s trust. When cattle start disappearing from the Cross B Ranch, Alec’s checkered past makes him the prime suspect. He must catch the real rustlers to clear his name, but his growing feelings for the Colonel’s daughter, Clara, threaten to undo everything he’s built. How can he protect her when his very presence in her life could destroy her reputation?

 My Review: 

Living in a small ranching community can have its difficulties. Such was the case for Alec McConnell. He has had a hard time living down his past when he made some mistakes and also trying to distance himself from his father’s behavior.

Clara Bainbridge has returned from Boston and hopes to return to the easy going friendship and growing feelings that she has for Alec. He seems like a different, very distant man than the person she remebers before she left home. How does she get through to him?

With cow rustlers and a man interested in pursuing a relationship with Clara, Alec has his hands full. I was happy to see things get resolved between the two of them, even if it took some intervention of Alec’s brothers. Readers will enjoy this story of romance and forgiveness in Money Creek, Idaho. I am looking forward to seeing what lies ahead for the McConnell family.

Things to enjoy:
western setting
danger
mystery
friends to more
faith thread

I received a gifted copy of the book from Celebrate Lit. All opinions in this review are my own; I was not required to write a positive review.

Click here to get your copy!

 About the Author

Best-selling, award-winning author of The Debutante’s Code, first in the Thorndike & Swann Regency Mystery Series, Erica Vetsch loves Jesus, history, romance, and sports. When she’s not writing fiction, she’s planning her next trip to a history museum.

 

 

 

 

More from Erica

Did you, like me, grow up watching westerns on tv? I watched often in reruns as the heyday of the TV Western was waning about the time I was born. But I watched Gunsmoke, The Big Valley, Bonanza, Have Gun, Will Travel, The Rifleman, Wagon Train, The Virginian, and more.

And so grew my love of the old west, of cowboys, cattle drives, frontier justices, and rolling tumbleweeds.

I also read westerns. Zane Grey, Louis L’Amour, Abel Shott (Yes, that was the pen name of the man who wrote the series called Solo Strand: The Silver Kid.) I was a firm believer in The Code of the West.

So, when it came time to write my own ‘cowboy book’ I took much inspiration from the screen and the page.

Clara and the Cowboy is the story of Alec and Clara, a cowboy and the ranch owner’s daughter. There’s cattle rustling, gunplay, good vs. evil, a damsel in distress…all the best parts of western classic lore. I had such fun writing it, influenced by those who had written the genre before me.

The setting was chosen (Southwest Idaho) because of a series of books I had read as a teen, written by Glenn Balch, about a ranching family near Nampa, ID. I’ve never been to that part of the US, but I felt as if I had because I read those books (many times!)

As I look back on the hours I spent watching classic westerns on tv and reading western fiction, I’m reminded of the impact they had on my life. How they taught that good and evil exist in the world, and that it takes bravery to stand up and do the right thing. I learned that honor and integrity do not come without cost, and that actions have consequences.

Who would have thought that watching a rerun of The Big Valley would instill a desire to embrace the cowboy culture through my own fiction?

I hope you enjoy reading Clara and the Cowboy, and that perhaps it takes you back to your own childhood of rooting for the man in the white hat to get the girl he loves before the credits roll.

Blog Stops

Texas Book-aholic, October 14

Book Looks by Lisa, October 15

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 15

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 16

For Him and My Family, October 17

Devoted Steps, October 17

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, October 18

Devoted To Hope, October 18

Simple Harvest Reads, October 19 (Guest Review from Mindy Houng)

Fiction Book Lover, October 20 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)

Books You Can Feel Good About, October 20

lakesidelivingsite, October 21

Locks, Hooks and Books, October 21

She Lives to Read, October 22

Pens Pages & Pulses, October 22

Books Less Travelled, October 23

Blossoms and Blessings, October 23

Life on Chickadee Lane, October 24

Cover Lover Book Review, October 24

Bizwings Blog, October 25

Melissa’s Bookshelf, October 25

Pause for Tales, October 26

Holly’s Book Corner, October 26

Jodie Wolfe, October 27

Vicky Sluiter, October 27

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Erica 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://promosimple.com/ps/3d27f/clara-and-the-cowboy-celebration-tour-giveaway

The Bell Tolls at Traeger Hall

An abandoned estate encased in stagnant darkness . . .
A haunting legacy intent on silencing all within reach . . .

In 1890, the ominous tolling of the bell announces that death has come to Traeger Hall, leaving orphaned Waverly Pembrooke to piece together the puzzle behind her uncle's and aunt's murders. Bound by the terms of her uncle's eccentric will, Waverly finds herself alone in a manor shrouded by death and questioning the reasons for her uncle's paranoia. A madness hovers over Traeger Hall, and Waverly--as well as the people of nearby Newton Creek--are ill-prepared for the woe that has descended.

In present day Newton Creek, whispers of a family curse still cling to the century-old, abandoned property of Traeger Hall. When Jennie Phillips takes possession of the estate after her mother's passing, she is intent on solving the mystery of the Traeger murders. Yet a modern cold case suggests that untimely deaths and mysterious occurrences still plague the property. And as thorny truths surface, Jennie realizes the dark legacy threatens not only the town and the Traeger descendants . . . but also, chillingly, Jennie herself.

Review: 

Jaime Jo Wright amazes me at how she can write intriguing dual timeline stories. I always look forward to seeing how she is going to tie the two very different storylines together. I love the Gothic elements that are present in these stories, and there are plenty here: a foreboding mansion, murder, a spine-tingling atmosphere, and of course, mysteries to solve. There were some surprising events in both stories that I didn’t see coming, which is what I like best. I believe my favorite character was Milo who is the autistic son of Zane and very much a part of the mystery of present day Traeger Hall. He shows love that is unconditional and much needed in Jennie’s life. I also loved that Ms. Wright included her own beloved cat, Foo, in the story. I’d recommend reading this for fans of dual timelines, mystery, and eerie atmosphere stories. I received an advanced copy of the book from the publisher and NetGalley. All opinions are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review. mention of abuse, brutal murder

Just a Plot Twist

They’re completely wrong for each other—and yet, with every unexpected rescue and reluctant favor, falling in love might be the biggest plot twist of all.

It was humiliating, okay?

When I suffer an accident high atop my favorite Longdale mountain, I don’t want Benson—my sister’s brother-in-law—to play hero. Unfortunately, he’s the one holding me upright. Literally.

Benson cannot fall in love. Between a painful divorce, two energetic kids, and his father’s finance business, he has more than enough going on. Besides, my grandparents despise the entire Tate clan.

They raised me, and I want to please them. Nothing wrong with merging their dreams for my life with my own, right? Sidenote: my grandparents’ dreams do not include the older, single dad, Benson.

But every time I trip (literally and metaphorically), he’s there to catch me—and sometimes feed me. Soon, I start to imagine what it would be like to choose my own vision for the future.

I’m chasing a promotion and my grandparents’ pride. He’s guarding a broken heart. Yet with every cringe-worthy collision, we discover our off-limits love isn’t what we expected.

But it might just be exactly what we need.

Review: 

Claire and Benson were so cute together. Claire was always in need of rescuing and Benson was there to help. Claire also helped Benson heal from his heartbreak and be able to move forward with his life, bringing joy and hope to him through her sunny disposition and positive outlook. you are sure to root for them as they navigate expectations and old family rivalries.


This is part of the Tate Brothers series, and I had only read one other book, but it was not a problem to follow this story. I loved the family members and the chemistry between them and will have to read the other books.

I received a gifted copy; all opinions are my own, and I was not expected to write a positive review.

The Earl and Miss Muffet

 

A secret house party,
A hidden past,
A growing love she must fight to keep.

Never look a man in the eye. Never speak to him. These are the rules Elena must live by if she is to endure life with her sister. But Elena isn’t the shy, awkward girl she portrays herself to be. An invitation to a house party—without her sister—might be the very reprieve Elena has longed for. Determined to keep Lord Crawford at a distance to avoid repercussions, she nonetheless finds herself irresistibly drawn to him. Can she find the courage to forsake the strict guidelines that have ruled her life long enough to take a chance at love?

When Lord Crawford’s mother invites the quiet Miss Elena Muffet to stay with them, he is in no mood to force conversation with her. He’d rather dwell on his broken heart than play host. After a few days in Miss Muffet’s company, he discovers there is more to her than she portrays. Her timidity melts away in his company, and she blossoms into a woman he never expected. Time spent with Miss Muffet makes Anton the happiest he’s been in a long time, but she is not the woman he planned to spend his life with. Can he discern the dictates of his heart before her fears send her running from him forever?

The Earl and Miss Muffet is a sweet and clean Regency romance novella. Although it can be read as a standalone, it is the third book in the Regency Ever After series, featuring beloved shared characters from past stories.

Review:

I have never read a retelling of a nursery rhyme, and Ms. Walker did it so well in using Miss Elena Muffet as the main character. While she is very shy around Lord Anton Crawford (who I thought at first was going to be the spider), it was someone else entirely who reminded me of a black widow. 

I laughed when Elena tripped over the tuffet that was in the library. I thought seeing that particular piece of furniture from the rhyme woven into the story was cleverly woven into the story was perfect. 

I enjoyed seeing the relationship between Anton and Elena grow. Both were shy to enter into anything more than surface conversation, but seeing them share with each other and trust their hearts were safe was very gratifying and just what I hoped would happen. Anton did a splendid job of defending and protecting Elena. Bravo! Miss Muffet for having the courage not to run away.

I highly recommend this book to readers of all ages. It is one that you could gift to a young lady or an elderly friend; all would be happy to have the opportunity to read it.

I received a gifted copy of the book. All opinions in this review are my own; I was not required to write a positive review.

A Winter of Sweet Secrets

 Description:

For generations, the Evergreen Candy Company has been a beloved small-town Alaskan tradition run by Jovi Wright’s family—until now. With her grandparents no longer at the helm, Jovi’s parents are considering selling it. When her sister calls with the news, Jovi hops on a plane back home to help rescue the family business. Her plan: launch Grammie’s salted caramel chews as a new product. But with Grammie’s memory fading and the recipe missing, Jovi has her work cut out for her.

Still reeling from being jilted by her fiancé, Jovi welcomes the distraction of trying to re-create the recipe from scratch. The distraction she’s not so sure about is single dad Burke Solomon. The disillusioned author and his adorable little girl have moved in to his late aunt's cabin just down the road from her grandparents' home, where she's staying. And the discovery that their families have been feuding since before either of them were born is too irresistible to ignore.

With a looming deadline and the stresses of single parenthood, the last thing Burke needs is a bright-eyed optimist like Jovi next door. But he finds himself asking for her help adjusting to life in Evergreen more than he'd like to admit. And untangling the history of what happened to the friendship between his late aunt and Jovi's Grammie provides an antidote to his writer’s block. But when Burke unearths several shocking family secrets, will revealing them settle the feud or bring everything he and Jovi have been working toward crashing down around them?

My Review:

As soon as I read that this book involved candy, I knew I wanted to read it. I’m so glad I did! Jovi must return home in order to help her sister save the family’s candy business. It seems like a nearly impossible task, but she is a wonderful optimist who is determined to see the business flourish. Jovi can’t help but see a need and do what she can to meet it. Unbeknownst to Burke Solomon, Jovi is exactly the key ingredient he needs in his life to help him heal from his deep sorrow and regret.

Things to love:

grumpy vs. sunshine

humor

forced proximity

single parent

best selling author

traveling nurse

scavenger hunt

secret candy recipe

faith thread

grand gesture

Favorite quote:

“What a gift to see God make something beautiful from the bitter ashes of our heartache.”

I enjoyed this story filled with faith, restoration and risking all for love. I highly recommend this book to readers of all ages with its heartwarming characters and small town atmosphere.

I received a gifted copy of the book. All opinions in this review are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.