Welcome to the Blog Tour for Restoring Hope by Philippa Cleall, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
About the Book
Title: Restoring Hope
Series: Restored from Ashes #1
Author: Philippa Cleall
Publisher: Ark House Press
Release Date: October 31, 2025
Genre: Contemporary Christian Fiction
Can she find safety and belonging, before the past finds her?
After escaping an abusive marriage, Hope Elkins returns to the quiet town of Wombat Valley to reopen her late grandmother’s café, The Hearth—not to chase a dream, but to rebuild her life.
Drawn in by the scent of wood-fired pizza and the warmth of old and new faces, Hope begins to find more than comfort within the café’s walls. As The Hearth fills with stories and second chances, she forms unlikely bonds with others—Ruby, a fiercely guarded teen; Nova, a young mother on the run; and Joe, the gentle local vet carrying grief of his own.
With the support of her new community, Hope begins to heal and is gently drawn back to the faith she thought she’d left behind. But when a charming, dangerous figure from her past resurfaces, she must decide whether to stand firm in the life she’s begun to rebuild, or risk losing it all.
Restoring Hope is a tender, uplifting story of resilience, rediscovery, and the quiet strength found in faith, friendship, and a place to belong
PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Author's Website | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | BookBub
More in This Series
About the Author
Philippa Cleall is a Children’s and Family Counsellor and volunteer Court Chaplain on the south coast of NSW, in Australia. She has a heart for seeing communities become more trauma informed so they can care for those hurting with greater wisdom, compassion, grace, and truth.
Connect with Philippa by visiting philippacleall.com.Review
Restoring Hope is the first book I have read by Philippa Cleall, and I look forward to reading more. This small-town story is rich in real-life struggles looking towards hope and redemption while building a found family and community.
This story is set in Australia, and it took me a minute for that to really click in. When kilometers is mentioned and then ute and all the wildlife mentioned that are native to Australia, that is when my mind switched over, and I was there.
Hope has a past of her own, and as the story goes on, we really get to pull back the layers and see what Hope has been dealing with. Hope has moved to Wombat Valley to reopen her grandmother’s café. But Hope is a little withdrawn. When a women’s support group dealing with abusive relationships meets at Hope’s café, Hope feels led to share and begins to open her heart and experience. When the teenager Ruby shows up, Hope offers her some work, and Ruby finds a place in Hope’s heart. The different relationships throughout this story were great, and I got to see each one at a core level and watch them work through their past hurts.
This story does deal with some hard topics. Topics of abuse, toxic relationships, and teen pregnancy, while also dealing with a previous abortion. Philippa Cleall did a great job intertwining faith throughout the story. I loved watching the way the church ultimately came in and supported Hope. I loved the support from the church and the reminder that Christ is always there for us.
*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 only my honest opinion.
Tour Giveaway
(1) winner will receive a $25 B&N gift card + a 'Kangaroo Valley' souvenir prize pack from Australia!
(1) additional winner will also receive a 'Kangaroo Valley' souvenir prize pack!
Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight August 31, 2026 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on September 7, 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 for gift card. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
I can't wait to read this.
ReplyDeletelovely review, Emily! I was so moved by the church's response too!
ReplyDelete