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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

Could Your Favorite Books Contain Secrets You Didn’t Know About?

by Chautona Havig · 8 Comments

The Bookshop of Secrets by Mollie Rushmeyer was one of my FAVORITE September reads, and this review will show you why! via @chautonahavig

The Bookshop of Secrets. The cover grabbed me almost as quickly as the title did. I mean, come on. What could be better? Then I got an early copy from the publisher and read it like a crazy woman. Here’s a hint.  The inside… the inside is even better than the title and the cover combined. For a debut novel, this ranks up there as one of the best I’ve ever read. Family secrets hidden in plain sight but not?  But yes?  Oh, man. You’re in for a treat

The Bookshop of Secrets Mollie Rushmeyer

Note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

Could Your Favorite Books Contain Secrets You Didn’t Know About?

So many thoughts and emotions swirl as I try to write this review, which is fitting, actually. Because this book roils with thoughts and emotions. Much more complex than the synopsis would have you believe, The Bookshop of Secrets slowly unearths long-buried secrets and probes shallow graves of hopes and fears until everything is laid bare.

The process is horrifying, freeing, ugly, and achingly beautiful all at the same time.

Rushmeyer offers a glimpse into an ugly world through one trying to rebuild a life outside it–and outside God. She shows the pain of a lifetime of rejection and accusation. In the end, people trapped in thought patterns and destructive behaviors discover the lies that tether them there–lies that sometimes they hold onto as if lifelines.

This isn’t an easy read, but it’s a worthwhile one. I knew I’d love it before I opened the first page, but I hadn’t turned that page before I was proven right. While I was given a copy of the book for review purposes, I preordered it long before that, and will be receiving my own, paid-for, copy upon its release.

The Bookshop of Secrets is on tour with Celebrate Lit

About the Book

Book: The Bookshop of Secrets

Author: Mollie Rushmeyer

Genre: Contemporary Women’s Fiction (Christian)

Release date: October 25, 2022

A collection of lost books holds the clues to her family’s legacy…and her future.

Hope Sparrow has mastered the art of outrunning her tragic past, learning never to stay anywhere too long and never to allow anyone control over her life again. Coming to Wanishin Falls in search of her family’s history already feels too risky. But somewhere in the towering stacks of this dusty old bookshop are the books that hold Hope’s last ties to her late mother—and to a rumored family treasure that could help her start over.

Only, the bookshop is in shambles, and the elderly owner is in the beginning stages of dementia and can’t remember where the books lie. To find the last links to the loved ones she’s lost, Hope must stay and accept help from the townsfolk to locate the treasured volumes. Each secret she uncovers brings her closer to understanding where she came from. But the longer she stays in the quaint town, the more people find their way into the cracks in her heart. And letting them in may be the greatest risk of all…

About the Author

Mollie writes contemporary fiction with a heart for history. What does this mean exactly? She loves to write inspirational fiction in contemporary settings with fascinating historical elements, people, objects, and stories woven throughout.

A modern girl herself– She wouldn’t want to go a day without modern plumbing and central air! But she’s always felt a special connection to the past. The legacies and lives left behind are like gifts waiting to be unwrapped, and she’s excited to share this blend of history and contemporary living with readers.

A born and bred Midwestern gal, Mollie Rushmeyer, makes her home in central Minnesota with her husband and two spunky, beautiful daughters. She is not only a bibliophile (the dustier the better, in her opinion), she’s a true anglophile at heart. Tea and coffee fuel her travels, by Google maps at least, and her passion for the written word.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, October 27

lakesidelivingsite, October 27

Inklings and notions, October 28

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, October 28

Simple Harvest Reads, October 28 (Guest Review from Mindy Houng)

An Author’s Take, October 29

The Write Escape, October 29

deb’s Book Review, October 29

Texas Book-aholic, October 30

Rebecca Tews, October 30

Blogging With Carol, October 30

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 31

Inspired by fiction, October 31

Life of Literature, October 31

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, November 1

Lily’s Book Reviews, November 1

Cover Lover Book Review, November 1

Locks, Hooks and Books, November 2

Losing the Busyness, November 2

For Him and My Family, November 2

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, November 3

Holly’s Book Corner, November 3

Mary Hake, November 3

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, November 4 (Author Interview)

Paula’s Pad of Suspense and Detection, November 4

Blossoms and Blessings, November 4

Sylvan Musings, November 5

Lily’s Book Reviews, November 5

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, November 5

A Reader’s Brain, November 6

Book Looks by Lisa, November 6

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, November 7

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 7

Story Craft, November 7

Through the fire blogs, November 8

Pause for Tales, November 8

Labor Not in Vain, November 8

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, November 9

To Everything There Is A Season, November 9

Lights in a Dark World, November 9

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Mollie is giving away the grand prize package of an eBook or signed paperback copy (paperback U.S. Only) of The Bookshop of Secrets and a $50 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/226c7/the-bookshop-of-secrets-celebration-tour-giveaway

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Comments

  1. Sarah L says

    November 1, 2022 at 5:48 pm

    Looks like an interesting book.
    Thanks for the contest. 

    Reply
  2. Roxanne C. says

    October 30, 2022 at 5:18 am

    A mystery, a bookshop, memorable characters, and faith lessons will make The Bookshop of Secrets a book to enjoy but also ponder and contemplate.

    Reply
  3. Debbie P says

    October 29, 2022 at 10:37 pm

    This sounds like a wonderfully intriguing read.

    Reply
  4. Emma says

    October 29, 2022 at 8:46 pm

    Ok, now you have made me want to read another book!

    Reply
  5. Lilly says

    October 29, 2022 at 6:49 pm

    I’ve seen this book a lot lately I think it sounds really interesting!

    Reply
  6. Richelle Leffler says

    October 29, 2022 at 12:04 pm

    Sounds interesting. Thanks.

    Reply
  7. Eva Millien says

    October 29, 2022 at 10:58 am

    Great post, I can’t wait to read The Bookshop of Secrets and I love the cover!

    Thanks for sharing it with me and have a fabulous weekend!

    Reply
  8. Kim says

    October 29, 2022 at 10:53 am

    I enjoyed your review this is my kind of book can’t wait to read! Thank you ?

    Reply

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The Because Fiction Podcast

The Because Fiction Podcast
The Because Fiction Podcast

Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Episode 581: A Chat with Bethany Crigger
byChautona Havig

YA Christian fiction set in Israel? Come on, that screams, “Sign me up!” Listen in as Bethany Crigger and I chat about her book, Sunshine for Yofi.

note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

Love this different setting in particular. Seeing Jewish culture and a Christian set in it and seeing everything. through that lens? Yeah. This is unique, fresh, and still relatable.

Sunshine for Yofi by Bethany Crigger

After Yofi bombs her big opportunity to share her music, she spirals into a pit of self-doubt. Who is she if she doesn’t have what it takes to play in front of other people? Didn’t God put music inside her to speak to others through it?

Giving up isn’t an option, but Yofi’s nerves promise one thing: failure. So she does the only thing she knows to do. She cries out to God.

His answer is puzzling—a verse containing lilies, paired alongside a new friendship with Ori—the boy who sees what Yofi is painfully blind to. But even if Ori’s got her perfectly pegged, both the lilies and the captivating boy remain a mystery to Yofi.

With her curiously intuitive cat by her side, Yofi weaves herself into the beautiful community of Yerushalayim (Jerusalem). But just as her playing improves, Yofi’s world flips upside down. Nothing is coincidental; it’s all a part of the plan.

But whose plan? Is the burning in Yofi’s heart to play and share her music God’s leading, or is it merely her own selfish desire heading her straight for the deepest pitfall of all?

Sunshine for Yofi is a uniquely crafted and heartfelt novel by Bethany Crigger. This wholesome coming-of-age story is a breath of fresh air, awakening the sleeping soul to dreams of hope long buried. If you enjoy clean, faith-filled themes, you’ll pine for this story of perseverance, friendship, love, generosity, and community attuned to God.

Learn more on Bethany’s WEBSITE and follow on GoodReads.

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Episode 581: A Chat with Bethany Crigger
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Avelino Carrillo is home from the Pacific Theater and wounded in more ways than one. Determined to earn back his family's vineyard, despite the underhanded machinations of a local "land baron," his new life home is everything he could've hoped for and nothing like he expected. It's heartache and joy, love and acceptance, and rejection and disdain. As he shares his family's stories with the people living in his family home, he's even more determined to succeed than ever. If not for himself and his family, then for the young woman who has stolen his heart.
Deepest Roots of the Heart is available on Kindle, "free" through Kindle Unlimited, and also as an audiobook narrated by the fabulous Thom Rivera @thomriveraofficial. His ability to flip between accents is astounding.
When Reid decided on "no girlfriends" for his firs When Reid decided on "no girlfriends" for his first year out of prison, he hadn't counted on prayer-singing, guitar-playing nurse Kelsey. Oh, and he hadn't counted on a matchmaking florist (not to mention said florist's obsession with daisies!). When a floral fiasco says all the right things to the right woman at the wrong time, Reid has to decide if his decision was God-directed or if romance was part of His plans all along.
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When Reid decided on "no girlfriends" for his firs When Reid decided on "no girlfriends" for his first year out of prison, he hadn't counted on prayer-singing, guitar-playing nurse Kelsey. Oh, and he hadn't counted on a matchmaking florist (not to mention said florist's obsession with daisies!). When a floral fiasco says all the right things to the right woman at the wrong time, Reid has to decide if his decision was God-directed or if romance was part of His plans all along.
Available FREE from 9/12-9/16/2026. Always "Free" on Kindle Unlimited.
https://amzn.to/4yslLfs #affiliatelink
#Christfic
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A family legacy so deeply rooted in the soil of Ca A family legacy so deeply rooted in the soil of California's Napa Valley that it stretches back a hundred years.
Avelino Carrillo is home from the Pacific Theater and wounded in more ways than one. Determined to earn back his family's vineyard, despite the underhanded machinations of a local "land baron," his new life home is everything he could've hoped for and nothing like he expected. It's heartache and joy, love and acceptance, and rejection and disdain. As he shares his family's stories with the people living in his family home, he's even more determined to succeed than ever. If not for himself and his family, then for the young woman who has stolen his heart.
Deepest Roots of the Heart is available on Kindle, "free" through Kindle Unlimited, and also as an audiobook narrated by the fabulous Thom Rivera @thomriveraofficial. His ability to flip between accents is astounding.
When Reid decided on "no girlfriends" for his firs When Reid decided on "no girlfriends" for his first year out of prison, he hadn't counted on prayer-singing, guitar-playing nurse Kelsey. Oh, and he hadn't counted on a matchmaking florist (not to mention said florist's obsession with daisies!). When a floral fiasco says all the right things to the right woman at the wrong time, Reid has to decide if his decision was God-directed or if romance was part of His plans all along.
Available FREE from 9/12-9/16/2026. Always "Free" on Kindle Unlimited.
https://amzn.to/4yslLfs #affiliatelink
#Christfic
#ContemporaryChristianRomance
#SmallTownRomance
#KindleFree
#KindleUnlimited
When Reid decided on "no girlfriends" for his firs When Reid decided on "no girlfriends" for his first year out of prison, he hadn't counted on prayer-singing, guitar-playing nurse Kelsey. Oh, and he hadn't counted on a matchmaking florist (not to mention said florist's obsession with daisies!). When a floral fiasco says all the right things to the right woman at the wrong time, Reid has to decide if his decision was God-directed or if romance was part of His plans all along.
Available FREE from 9/12-9/16/2026. Always "Free" on Kindle Unlimited.
https://amzn.to/4yslLfs #affiliatelink
#Christfic
#ContemporaryChristianRomance
#SmallTownRomance
#KindleFree
#KindleUnlimited
A family legacy so deeply rooted in the soil of Ca A family legacy so deeply rooted in the soil of California's Napa Valley that it stretches back a hundred years.
Avelino Carrillo is home from the Pacific Theater and wounded in more ways than one. Determined to earn back his family's vineyard, despite the underhanded machinations of a local "land baron," his new life home is everything he could've hoped for and nothing like he expected. It's heartache and joy, love and acceptance, and rejection and disdain. As he shares his family's stories with the people living in his family home, he's even more determined to succeed than ever. If not for himself and his family, then for the young woman who has stolen his heart.
Deepest Roots of the Heart is available on Kindle, "free" through Kindle Unlimited, and also as an audiobook narrated by the fabulous Thom Rivera @thomriveraofficial. His ability to flip between accents is astounding.
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