Friday, October 16, 2026

Giveaway and Review: Belle's Christmas Carol

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.

Review

Belle’s Christmas Carol by Michelle Griep is the perfect Christmas novella. I have never read a Christmas Carol, so after reading this, I am going to have to pull it out and read it this year. I loved the epigraph clips from Dickens’s A Christmas Carol.

Belle is Ebenezer Scrooge’s ex-fiancée. She has recently inherited an orphanage and is trying to keep it running. Rafe Muno stumbles upon the orphanage in his search to clear a man’s name. While trying to find documents at the orphanage and spending more time with Belle, one of the orphans catches Rafe’s eye, and things begin to be uncovered.

I love the way Micheel Griep has created this beautiful novella. With faith and Christmas elements interwoven throughout. This story might be short, but it was the perfect read.

*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, which I received from the author. A positive review was not required. All views expressed are my honest opinion.

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

Thursday, October 15, 2026

The Last Noel by: Sarah Hamaker, Kimberly Woodhouse, and Jayna Breigh

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: The Last Noel
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: Sarah Hamaker,Jayna Breigh, Kimberley Woodhouse
𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫: Kregel
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Romantic Suspense
𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: August 18, 2026

Review:

The Last Noel is the perfect Christmas romantic-suspense novella collection by Sarah Hamaker, Kimberly Woodhouse, and Jayna Breigh. With those authors, you cannot go wrong.

Do You See What I See? This novella kept me on my toes. Oakleigh receives a call from her foster sister asking her to take her kids. Oakleigh picks up the kids, and when weird things keep happening, she calls the only person she can think of, her ex-boyfriend Joseph. Together, they get the kids to safety, but someone is still out to get them, or something else. This second chance romance was great.

Do You Hear What I Hear? Janya Breigh brings us some great legal dramas, and this novella was no exception. Elise has been called in over Christmas to find the documents that might win the case. When her ex-fiancé Jack ends up on her couch, they call a truce over Christmas. They work together to find what Elise needs for the case. This second chance romance was a fun read.

Do You Know What I Know? Faith has moved up to Alaska after an accident. She is from Louisiana and has a Cajun food truck. The last person she thought she would see in Alaska was her ex-boyfriend Gabe. When they both go back to Louisiana for a fundraiser, they have a second chance to mend things. Living in Louisiana myself, it was fun to see that as a location in the story. Revisiting Woodhouse’s Alaskan Cyber Hunters series was enjoyable.

I loved all the different styles presented by these authors. I loved the Christmas touches that were present. Most of all, I loved the faith elements that were present throughout the stories.

*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, which I received from the author. A positive review was not required. All views expressed are my honest opinion.

Tuesday, October 13, 2026

Giveaway and Spotlight: The Glades by Angela Hunt

The Glades JustRead Blog Tour

Welcome to the Blog Tour for The Glades by Angela Hunt, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: The Glades
Author: Angela Hunt
Publisher: Hunt Haven Press
Release Date: October 13, 2026
Genre: Suspense Thriller

When Katherine Armstrong arranges a birthday weekend on her husband's private island in the Everglades, she plans for everything: the guest list, the menu, the flowers, the careful distance between herself and the dark water beyond the dock.

She does not plan for the storm.

By nightfall, the power is gone, the mainland is unreachable, and something in the mangrove shadows has begun to move. Katherine has spent years building a life that looks flawless from the outside. Now, with her children beside her and the water on every side, she will have to decide what that life was actually worth.

Sixty years earlier, a World War II veteran named Conrad Boone made a decision on these same waters — one that seemed containable, even necessary, at the time. He passed the consequence of that decision to his family. They learned to live with it. And the island learned to keep its secrets.

Until the storm.

The Glades moves between a Florida that no longer exists and a Florida that is drowning in its own inheritance, between a man who thought he could manage what he'd done and a woman who never knew there was anything to manage. What lives beneath the water has been patient for sixty years.

It will not be patient much longer.

About the Author

Christy-Award winner Angela Hunt writes for readers who have learned to expect the unexpected in novels from this versatile author. With nearly six million copies of her books sold worldwide, she is the best-selling author of more than 160 works ranging from picture books (The Tale of Three Trees) to novels and nonfiction.

Now that her two children are grown, Angie and her husband live in Florida with Very Big Dogs (a direct result of watching Sandlot too many times). This affinity for mastiffs has not been without its rewards--one of their dogs was featured on Live with Regis and Kelly as the second-largest canine in America. Their dog received this dubious honor after an all-expenses-paid trip to Manhattan for the dog and the Hunts, complete with VIP air travel and a stretch limo in which they toured New York City. Afterward, the dog gave out paw-tographs at the airport.

When she's not home writing, Angie often travels to teach writing workshops at schools and writers' conferences. And to talk about her dogs, of course.

Readers may visit her web site at www.angelahuntbooks.com.

Excerpt

1958

Conrad Boone—Connie to his family—pushed through the double doors of the five-bed hospital, the antiseptic smell sharp after hours of salt air and mangrove mud. His boots squeaked on the polished floor. He had driven faster than he ever had in his life, hands tight on the pickup’s steering wheel.
What if he missed it?
The waiting room held two people: his parents, Jim and Helen Boone.
His dad rose halfway from his chair, his face bright as he exhaled. His mother remained seated, stiff, her mouth puckered as if she had bitten into a green persimmon.
“A baby boy,” Mom said. Her lips barely moved. “But your wife won’t let us in because she says you have to see the baby first.”
A son!
He had barely nodded when he spotted a nurse in a doorway down the hall. She smiled and beckoned. He crossed the floor in long strides and hurried inside.
In the dim light, a curtain stirred at the open window. Betty lay propped against white pillows, her dark hair damp and tangled, the sheen of sweat on her forehead. On her chest lay a tiny tan bundle in a cloth diaper, fists curled near his chin as if he had arrived ready to go a round with the world.
“He’s here,” Betty said. “Ain’t he beautiful?”
Connie couldn’t speak.

Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a $50 Amazon gift card!

The Glades blog tour JustRead Tours

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight October 13, 2026 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on October 20, 2026. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. No delivery restrictions. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

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

Friday, October 9, 2026