Showing posts with label Christian. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 14, 2026

Belle’s Christmas Carol by Michelle Griep

Belle's been a teacher at an orphanage. It's now been bequeathed to her, so she's learning how to cope with running it. Rafe is a lawyer. Circumstances have them spending a lot of time together and their story unfolds as they get to know each other. Interesting twists to the story, wonderful, puzzling and complex characters throughout. Keeps you hooked until the very satisfying end. Great for Christmas or any time of year. Curl up before the holiday or give as a great gift. A Dickens of a story.

#BellesChristmasCarol #MichelleGriep #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #ChristianHistoricalRomance #HolidayRomance #BethanyHousePublishers #NetGalley

I received this book free from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

About the Book

Book: Belle’s Christmas Carol

Author: Michelle Griep

Genre: Inspirational Historical Romance

Release Date: September 1, 2026

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?

With characters from Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, this festive historical romance Christmas novella of family and second chances from Michelle Griep is set in Victorian England and perfect for fans of Julie Klassen and Mimi Matthews.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Michelle Griep is an award-winning author known for her captivating historical romances. With a keen eye for detail, she pens tales that transport readers to the past where they’ll experience romance, adventure, and unforgettable characters. When she’s not writing, you can find her in her garden scaring away armadillos.

More from Michelle

Why I Gave Scrooge’s Belle Her Own Christmas Carol

Guest post by Michelle Griep

I’ve always been suspicious of characters who appear just long enough to break your heart and then vanish without so much as a forwarding address. Belle from A Christmas Carol is one of those.

Scrooge, of course, gets the full treatment. Ghosts. Doom. Moral terror. A dramatic overnight transformation. Turkey delivery. The works. And yes, yes, it’s all very moving. But Belle? Come on. All she gets is one aching goodbye and then is shoved neatly into Scrooge’s past. So, excuse me, Mr. Dickens, but I have questions.

What became of the woman who loved Ebenezer before greed got to him? Did she regret walking away? Did Christmas ever sting? Did she build a fine, sensible life or did some little corner of her heart still ache for him or not? That wondering became Belle’s Christmas Carol.

In my story, Belle Beaumont unexpectedly inherits Haven House, a struggling London orphanage with fire damage, muddled ledgers, eccentric staff, and children who are more than rambunctious. Naturally, Belle decides she will set everything to rights and give the children the most splendid Christmas imaginable because—like me—apparently the woman has never heard of pacing herself.

Then along comes Rafe Munro, a handsome barrister searching for a missing child, and Belle’s tidy plans start to change. Oh, did I mention he’s single? That’s because I wanted Belle to be more than Scrooge’s lost love. I wanted her to have grit, flaws, hope, purpose, and a future all her own.

Because sometimes the story doesn’t end with goodbye. Sometimes that’s where the real story begins.

Blog Stops

Where Faith and Books Meet, October 6
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 6
Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions , October 7
The Avid Reader, October 7
She Lives To Read, October 7
Texas Book-aholic, October 8
Devoted To Hope, October 8
Betti Mace, October 9
Inkwell Inspirations , October 9
The Lofty Pages, October 9
For Him and My Family, October 10
Romances of the Cross, October 10
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 11
Jeanette’s Thoughts , October 11
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, October 12
The Vine and The Branch, October 12
Maureen’s Musings, October 13
Fruitfully Planted, October 13
A Good Book and Cup of Tea, October 13
Books You Can Feel Good About, October 14
Mornings at Character Cafe, October 14
Tell Tale Book Reviews, October 15
Simple Harvest Reads, October 15 (Guest Review from Donna)
Cover Lover Book Review, October 16
Mrs. Ryan Moser’s Book and Movie Reviews, October 16
Vicky Sluiter, October 16
Devoted Steps, October 17
Lily’s Corner, October 17
Holly’s Book Corner, October 18
Mary Hake, October 18
Blossoms and Blessings, October 19
Pause for Tales, October 19

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Michelle is giving away the grand prize of a $25 Amazon gift card and a signed 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/KNJXt/belles-christmas-carol-celebration-tour-giveaway

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NetGalley

Barnes and Noble

Saturday, October 3, 2026

The Great American Christmas Movie Challenge

Enter the Great American Movie Challenge
by October 8th and you could win $100,000.

Predict which Great American Movies
will be most watched.

🎄Go HERE to create your Great American Christmas Movie List, ranking all 18 movies from most watched, 1 through 18, by October 8th.

🎄Then, catch the latest ranking results on Great American Pure Flix every Wednesday at 8pm ET starting October 21. Stay for an exclusive first look screening at an upcoming Christmas premiere!

🎄At the conclusion of the Christmas season, we will reveal the final rankings of all 18 new Great American Christmas Movies!
#ChristmasMovieChallengeMIN

#MomentumInfluencers #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout

Monday, September 7, 2026

Thawing The Frontiersman's Heart

Beauty and the beast? Jared was terribly scarred in the war and prefers to live in remote wilderness, even though he's from a prominent family. Roisin is trying to find her Dad who has wandered out into this area - during a blizzard. She stumbles on Jared's cabin and there their story begins. But oh, they're both Irish so you know it will be ok, and they'll melt your heart, and it will be an interesting and beloved story. Strong faith blends in beautifully. You can't go wrong with this author's work as she keeps you turning the pages and feeling involved with the characters. Wild Heart books will surely be favorites.

I received this book free from the author, publisher and CelebrateLit book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#ThawingTheFrontiersmansHeart #AndreaByrd #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #CelebrateLit #ChristianWesterns #WildHeartBooks

About the Book

Book: Thawing the Frontiersman’s Heart

Author: Andrea Byrd

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: August 25, 2026

A missing father. A deadly storm. And a stranger who may be more dangerous than the wilderness.

Kentucky Territory, 1785
Roisin Duncan has spent her life guarding secrets—her father’s failing mind, her own quiet eccentricities, and the fear that one misstep could see them both locked away like the aunt she lost. But when her father disappears into the wilderness caves he loves, Roisin has no choice but to venture beyond the safety of her carefully controlled world. Caught in a brutal snowstorm, she finds refuge at the cabin of Jared McFadin—a man as scarred on the outside as he is within.

Haunted by war, Jared has built a life of isolation on the edge of his family’s land, convinced he is more danger than protector. But when a desperate young woman arrives at his door, he cannot turn her away.

As they search the treacherous caverns and race against time to find Roisin’s father, the greater danger may not be the wilderness, but the fears that have kept them both imprisoned. To survive, Roisin and Jared must risk what they’ve guarded most—their trust, their hearts, and the fragile hope that love might be stronger than their weaknesses.

Perfect for fans of Lori Wick and Janette Oke.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Andrea Byrd is a small-town wife and mom from southern Kentucky who harbors a deep love of days gone by, expressed with pioneer skirts and a once-in-a-lifetime ride in an authentic biplane. She seeks to respect the past, giving voice to those that came before, while reminding readers that no aspect of their past defines them.

More from Andrea

Prior to becoming officially recognized by the American Psychiatric Association in 1980, PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) went by many names including Combat Fatigue, Shell Shock, and Soldier’s Heart. However, none of these categorizations even came about until the Civil War.

When considering the horrors faced by the soldiers that fought for our freedom 250 years ago, though, there is no doubt that it would have had a lasting effect on the mental health of a great number of men. And yet, during the Revolutionary War, the only term used for any kind of anxiety or sleeplessness amongst soldiers was simply Nostalgia.

But we all know that PTSD is extensively complicated, rather than simple homesickness. Not only can it bring flashbacks and nightmares, but it can cause hypervigilance, insomnia, and considerably more. It affects a person’s thoughts, behavior, mood, and overall quality of life.

In this Wilderness Romance series, and particularly in Thawing the Frontiersman’s Heart, I strove to give readers a small glimpse of what this might have looked like for the Revolutionary War soldiers to which we owe so much.

I pray that it serves to bring awareness to the struggles that many men during the time likely faced in darkness, without recognition or support. And I hope that you enjoy both Jared and Roisin’s stories as they each strive to find freedom from the confines of their own minds.

Happy Reading!

Andrea Byrd