Shielded by the Cowboy by Connie Queen

Posted on December 28, 2025 by EmpowerMoms

 

I enjoyed getting to know the main character Holly in this fast paced, clean Love Inspired Suspense story.

Holly arrives in town to start a new life after the death of her husband and ends up meeting Clive when she finds herself on the run and needing protection against the unknown after witnessing a murder. They race against the clock to stay alive, trying to learn to trust and rely on each other. Clive is revisiting his worst nightmare; whether he can protect Holly and her unborn baby when he couldn’t even protect his own.

This story had lots of suspense and twists with danger around every turn! I loved the Texas location and large family theme. I absolutely loved this book and can’t wait to read more in this new Thunder Ridge Justice series!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions and views expressed are my own.

 

ABOUT THE BOOK

A witness in danger… and a protector standing guard.

Pregnant widow Holly Myers just wants a fresh start for her and her unborn child, but when she witnesses a double murder, her quiet life is shattered. On the run, she finds refuge with former Deputy Sheriff Clive Cantrell, who is determined to keep her safe. But with killers on their trail who’ll stop at nothing to silence Holly, staying alive might just be impossible. Especially when clues link the murders to a drug trafficking operation hidden on Clive’s family’s ranch. And stopping the criminals could prove lethal for them both.

Thunder Ridge Justice

 

PURCHASE YOUR COPY HERE

https://amzn.to/48gIHTu

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Scent of Sabotage by Dana Mentink

Posted on December 18, 2025 by EmpowerMoms

About the Book

Book: Scent of Sabotage

Author: Dana Mentink

Genre: Inspirational Romantic Suspense

Release Date: December 30, 2025

Detective Beth Wolfe’s reunion with investigative journalist Jack St. James is a matter of life or death—and when a masked assailant attacks them, a severe blow leaves Jack with amnesia. Beth and her K-9, Arthur, are determined to keep Jack safe while he regains his lost memories. Was he targeted due to a case he was working on…or does it have something to do with the son they placed for adoption decades ago? When their investigations lead them inside a booby-trapped amusement park, it’s a race against the clock to put all the pieces together and uncover the park owners’ nefarious plot…or die trying.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

My Review:

Another winner for the Security Hounds Investigation series! This is book 6 and final in the series involving the Wolfe family and their dogs. I have loved getting to know the main characters like Garret, Chase, and now Beth. I have read the other 5 books and have enjoyed each one. I highly recommend this book and this entire Love Inspired Suspense series!

Beth and her bloodhound Arthur team up with childhood friend Jack to find a missing woman. Lots of twists and danger around every turn as they try to escape a wildfire and unnamed killer. I especially liked that the main characters Beth and Jack were more mature characters (in their mid 50s) with life and experiences.

This was a beautiful story about forgiveness, redemption, love and family. This emotional story kept my interest chapter after chapter until the end. I loved it!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions and views expressed are my own.

About the Author

Dana Mentink is a New York Times, USA Today and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author as well as a two-time American Christian Fiction Writers Carol Award winner, and a Holt Medallion winner. She is the author of over fifty titles in the suspense and lighthearted romance genres. She is pleased to write for Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense, Revell and Poisoned Pen Press.

 

 

 

More from Dana

How could we be at the end of a series? I’ve been having a wonderful time with the Wolfe family and their house full of hounds. The last book is finally Beth’s story. She’s the matriarch of the family who has experienced the loss of a spouse. In this story, she will meet the son she never knew and explore the idea of learning to love again. I feel especially fond of this book because Beth is an older heroine who has some living under her belt. She’s learned how to carry on, with her old dog Arthur, and stand faithfully in the face of adversity. Now that’s a heroine I can root for! I hope you enjoy this final installment of the Security Hounds series!

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, December 16

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, December 16

The Avid Reader, December 17

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 17

Pause for Tales, December 18

EmpowerMoms, December 18

Bizwings Blog, December 19

Texas Book-aholic, December 19

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, December 20

Alyssa Amey, December 20

Life on Chickadee Lane, December 21

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, December 21

Leslie’s Library Escape, December 22

For Him and My Family, December 22

Devoted To Hope, December 23

Blogging With Carol, December 23

Because I said so, December 24

Artistic Nobody, December 25 (Guest Review from Donna)

Lily’s Corner, December 26

Mary Hake, December 26

Labor Not in Vain, December 27

Blossoms and Blessings, December 27

Holly’s Book Corner, December 28

A Good Book and Cup of Tea, December 28

Little Homeschool on the Prairie, December 29

Lights in a Dark World, December 29

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Dana 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/T2I2F/scent-of-sabotage-celebration-tour-giveaway

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Underestimated by Sherri Wilson Johnson

Posted on December 11, 2025 by EmpowerMoms

About the Book

Book: Underestimated

Author: Sherri Wilson Johnson

Genre: Romantic Suspense/Mystery

Release Date: December 9, 2025

Liam Holcomb is a no-nonsense forensic accountant, not a farmer—but when his grandfather dies under suspicious circumstances, Liam returns to the Anything Goats farm near Nashville to investigate. What he finds buried in old records suggests the death wasn’t an accident—and someone wanted the land badly enough to kill for it.

Wren Meadows, a free-spirited goat yoga instructor and single mom, is busy planning the church’s Christmas celebration at the farm when her daughters witness something they shouldn’t have. Now, threats are closing in, and Liam may be the only one who can protect them.

He’s serious, guarded, and sworn off relationships. She’s sunshine, spontaneity, and a walking invitation to chaos. But as danger deepens and sparks fly, Liam and Wren may discover that opposites don’t just attract—they just might save each other.

A cozy but gripping Christian romantic suspense full of heart, humor, and holiday hope.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

My Review

I enjoyed reading this Christian suspense story, which is book 1 of The Silas Holcomb Legacy series. The story line was intriguing with great characters that kept my interest from beginning to end. I especially love the setup of this new series; Liam and his cousins inherit the Anything Goats farm together but they can’t make any changes to it for six months.

Liam, a forensic accountant finds the death of his grandfather suspicious, so it decides to dig deeper; but instead of finding answers, he’s left with more questions. I enjoyed getting to know Liam and Wren in this faith filled, clean romance that kept me reading more chapter after chapter. I can’t wait to read more from this family Legacy series!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions and views expressed are my own.

About the Author

Sherri Wilson Johnson writes romantic suspense from her home in Georgia where she lives with her husband, their two dogs and spoiled Bombay cat. Sherri loves spending time with family, vacationing at the beach, reading or working on her current work-in-progress. She dreams of a second home on some beach somewhere some day, where she can plot romantically suspenseful novels around the clock.

 

 

 

 

More from Sherri

In Underestimated, Liam Holcomb cooks his grandmother’s Beef Hash recipe. This is actually one of my mom’s recipes that I cook quite often. She passed away in 1993, and cooking her Beef Hash always brings fond memories to my mind. So I’ll share the recipe with you now. Keep in mind that just like Liam’s grandmother, I use lots of garlic salt. I sample along the way until I get just the right amount of seasoning. You may want to use more or less, depending on your preference.

But here are the basics:

Ingredients:

2 lbs lean ground beef

6-8 yellow potatoes (or 4 large Idaho potatoes) cut into cubes

½ cup finely chopped onions or dried minced onions

2-3 large cut carrots (or a ½ to ¾ bag of frozen cut carrots)

Black pepper to taste

Garlic powder and onion powder to taste

Lawry’s Coarse Ground with Parsley Garlic Salt (This is the secret sauce—use as much as you want to get that good savory flavor to your liking.) (I probably use ¼ cup for a large batch, but I’m not 100% sure, honestly. I always eyeball it and then taste it once it’s done.)

Instructions:

Season the ground beef with the garlic salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. Brown, drain and rinse.

Cut the potatoes into cubes and slice the carrots into circles about ½ inch thick. Boil until tender (you can use an Instantpot or pressure cooker). You can add salt to the water, but I usually don’t because I don’t want to overdo the salt. I save the saltiness for the garlic salt.

After the potatoes and carrots are tender, scoop them into a pot with the ground beef and add the potato water as the broth. You can add as much as you like depending on how much broth you like.

Bring everything to a boil, smashing some of the potatoes until the broth thickens.

Toast hamburger buns until crispy then pour the Beef Hash on top and gobble it up.

Serve with a side salad.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, December 9

The Sacred Line, December 10

Stories By Gina, December 11 (Author Interview)

EmpowerMoms, December 11

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, December 12

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, December 13

Simple Harvest Reads, December 14 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 15

Texas Book-aholic, December 16

Artistic Nobody, December 17 (Author Interview)

An Author’s Take, December 17

For Him and My Family, December 18

Betti Mace, December 19

Bizwings Blog, December 20

Because I said so, December 21

Guild Master, December 22

Giveaway

To celebrate her tourk, Sherri is giving away the grand prize of a $25 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://promosimple.com/ps/3edbd/underestimated-celebration-tour-giveaway

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“Abducted in the Woods” by Kerry Johnson

Posted on December 5, 2025 by EmpowerMoms

I really enjoyed this fast paced, exciting, Love Inspired Suspense story set in the Allegheny National Forest.

Sarah, an Olympic swimmer, never expected to see her husband murdered in front of her, her son Liam abducted, and then running for her life.

Sarah ends up getting help from her brother-in-law Tucker along with his working canine Onyx to figure out what her late husband was hiding, who killed him, and why they want her son.

This story had great characters, storyline and setting that I found thrilling from beginning to end. I love the working canine stories-one of my favorites!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions and views expressed are my own.

 

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Pursued by criminals— with a child’s life on the line.

Just when Sarah Brindley believes she and her son, Liam, are safe from the men who murdered her husband, they are attacked—and Liam is taken. Her only hope is to team up with her brother-in-law, forest ranger Tucker Brindley, to uncover who is targeting her family. When they discover her late husband’s ties to an underground medical black-market ring, it’s clear the trail of danger runs deeper than they realized. With assaults on them ramping up, they must race against the clock to recover young Liam…before they become the next victims.

 

PURCHASE YOUR COPY HERE: 

https://amzn.to/4p1qfoZ

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2025 Health & Fitness update

Posted on November 15, 2025 by EmpowerMoms

I’ve been contemplating for months how to share my current health/fitness journey.

I noticed the biggest changes in my health in 2023 when I was almost 41 – started gaining weight rapidly which resulted in an ankle injury, brain fog, , tired, more anxiety…  honestly it’s been downhill since then.

This year, 2025, I have felt burnt out from my Fitness so I stopped posting regular pictures and updates on social media.  I’ve been doing a deep dive into my health with specialists and doctors trying to figure out my 45 pound weight gain in the last 5 years. More about that in a minute…

Back when I started my health/fitness journey and blogging back in 2011; I started at 250 pounds after the birth of my son in 2010. By 2014 I had lost almost 100  pounds naturally weighing in at my lowest of 153. I was so proud of myself! I worked extremely hard every day with logging my food, making my meals and exercising!

From the years 2015 to 2020 I weighed between 160 and 170 pounds. I got several certifications for health and fitness and started teaching more and more classes at the gym and online- upwards to 7 classes per week. I loved it and I felt great!

In 2023 I started gaining weight and weighed in at 195 pounds. I hadn’t changed anything with my fitness and eating routines. I was still logging my food, eating around the same kind of calories and doing a variety of workouts. Then in 2024 I had a lot of sickness which resulted in multiple antibiotics and doctors visits, along with moving and going through a divorce, which is still going on almost 2 years later.

As my weight continued to creep up, my teaching group exercise classes started to decrease as my body hurt and wasn’t recovering like it used to 45 pounds less ago.

This year I have read tons of books about perimenopause, continued to do intermittent fasting, logging macros and calories, food journaling, hours of food prep every week, marriage counseling, saw a registered dietitian for several months to dial in my nutrition, multiple blood tests every couple months, hormone and functional doctor, HRT. As you can imagine, it’s been extremely expensive and a very frustrating year because none of these things have given me the results I’m looking for: Weight loss, energy, less brain fog, better sleep.

I continue to meal plan, eat healthy, log my food, exercise, and walk almost every day; but I am so burnt out from not seeing the results. Ive been experiencing aches and pains almost on a daily basis, which is extremely frustrating and makes exercising/Movement hard some days.

From starting at 250 pounds down to 153 pounds back up to 215 pounds currently has been so hard on me emotionally and physically. I want to feel good and exercise and recover quickly, but this weight that I currently have makes it so hard to do. I feel insecure about teaching group fitness classes, almost like I’m a fraud because I haven’t been able to lose this weight despite doing all of the “textbook” things that typically work.

I’m not going to give up! I love moving my body and working out and will continue to do so despite the challenges. I know many of you are experiencing the same challenges with body limitations, pain, weight gain, health issues, etc. I pray that as a community we can encourage each other and help each other.

Thank you for being a part of my blogging community and Walk Strong Roanoke team! You bring me joy and purpose every day!

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