Hope in Paris - Clever and Unique Suspense

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Hope in Paris (Vol. I The Teddy Bear Chronicles) by Donnalyn Vojta is a suspenseful and unexpectedly heartwarming story told through an entirely unique lens: the eyes of three stuffed teddy bears—Fair Bear, Love Bear, and Sleepy Time Bear. These adorable inanimate narrators share the story of Kelly Donovan and her desperate attempt to escape an abusive relationship, bringing a blend of charm and tension to an otherwise heavy subject.

 

BookHookup Book Review: Hope in Paris 

At first, the narrative structure threw me off. Expecting three distinct stories told by different teddy bears, I didn’t immediately recognize that it was one continuous tale with rotating perspectives. The early shifts—from Richard’s arc to Kelly and Mark’s, and later to Ms. V’s—felt jarring until I understood that each bear was offering a window into their own household. Once that became clear, the design revealed its brilliance: the interconnected storylines deepen the drama, and the gradual layering of suspense makes the book increasingly immersive.

                                      Available on Amazon

 

Hope in Paris is a quick, engaging read with a creative narrative style and an emotionally rich plot. The mix of suspense, light romance, and clever narration makes this read an enjoyable experience. I'm intrigued to see what happens in Volume Two and how Vojta continues to develop this unique storytelling format.

⚠️ Though it features teddy bear narrators, this is not a children’s book. It includes serious themes such as domestic abuse and is best suited for readers 14 and up.

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As BookHookup, I am a longtime book reviewer. I received a free review copy of this book from Black Tide Book Tours and have not received compensation for reviewing or recommending it. Some links in this post are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliate sites. 

About the Author: Donnalyn Vojta

• 2019 Underground Indie Film Festival Official Selection (Script Hope in Paris!)
• 2018 Quarterfinalist SCREENCRAFT Cinematic Novel Contest
• 2018 EYELANDS BOOK AWARDS TOP FINALIST! (international)

Donnalyn Vojta doesn't read for pleasure. She doesn't know why and knows it's weird. But she loves movies (especially action/adventure and thrillers), and absolutely loves writing.

To stay up-to-date on info on her novels and reviews check her out on Goodreads (link below).

She practiced law as a litigation and real estate transactions attorney for over 13 years but then quit that career to do something that makes her happy, and thus she is a novelist and loving it. Volumes I and II of THE TEDDY BEAR CHRONICLES have been met with wonderful ratings and reviews. All of the details about them can be found on Goodreads.com and on Amazon. In addition to writing novels, she is an award-winning screenwriter with two feature scripts in development with fantastic producers.

https://www.instagram.com/suspense_author/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnalyn-m-vojta-85481813

https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B07HJGNN29

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16869100.Donnalyn_Vojta

 

Jacob’s Well by Urcelia Teixeira delivers a five-star page-turner

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Jacob’s Well easily ranks as one of my favorite reads this year. From the very first page, it pulled me in with suspense, strong characters, and a storyline that kept me guessing until the end.

 

BookHookup Review: Jacob's Well

Sheriff Angus Reid is a character I immediately cared about, determined, flawed, and deeply human. His fight to step into the shoes of the "new sheriff" and bring justice to his community felt real and raw. I could also relate to Mary-Jean Foley’s desperate choices as a mother, the kind of gut-wrenching “how far would you go?” decisions that make you stop and think about what you’d do for your own family. Her struggles added another layer of tension and heartache that made the story even more powerful. The people in Weyport aren’t cardboard cutouts; they feel like neighbors, friends, and sometimes, enemies.

What I loved most is how seamlessly faith is woven into the story. It’s present and powerful, but never forced or preachy. Instead, it shows faith in action; how people wrestle with doubt, fear, and hope when life unravels.

This is not just a thriller; it’s a gripping exploration of family, community, and redemption. With every chapter, the suspense builds, the secrets deepen, and the stakes rise. I found myself unable to put it down. One of those books you read when you should be doing something else.

If you enjoy clean but compelling thrillers that balance mystery, faith, and authentic characters, Jacob’s Well is a must-read. Urcelia Teixeira delivers a five-star page-turner that lingers long after the last chapter.

 

About the author: Urcelia Teixeira

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https://books.urcelia.com/little-boy-lost

Award winning author of faith-filled Christian Suspense Thrillers that won't let you go!™

Urcelia Teixeira, writes gripping Christian mystery, thriller and suspense novels that will keep you on the edge of your seat! Firm in her Christian faith, all her books are free from profanity and unnecessary sexually suggestive scenes.

She made her writing debut in December 2017, kicking off her newly discovered author journey with her fast-paced archaeological adventure thriller novels that readers have described as 'Indiana Jones meets Lara Croft with a twist of Bourne.'

But, five novels in, and nearly eighteen months later, she had a spiritual re-awakening, and she wrote the sixth and final book in her Alex Hunt Adventure Thriller series. She now fondly refers to The Caiaphas Code as her redemption book. Her statement of faith. And although this series has reached multiple Amazon Bestseller lists, she took the bold step of following her true calling and switched to writing what honors her Creator: Christian Mystery and Suspense fiction.

The first book in her newly discovered genre went on to win the 2021 Illumination Awards Silver medal in the Christian Fiction category and the series reached multiple Amazon Bestseller lists!

While this success is a great honor and blessing, all glory goes to God alone who breathed every word through her!

A committed Christian for over twenty years, she now lives by the following mantra:

"I used to be a writer. Now I am a writer with a purpose!"

For more on Urcelia and her books, visit www.urcelia.com

To walk alongside her as she deepens her writing journey and walks with God, sign up to her Newsletter - https://newsletter.urcelia.com/signup

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Dandelion Serenade by Lori Soard - Enchanting tale of second chances

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Lori Soard’s Dandelion Serenade, the second novella in the Dogwood Creek Matchmakers series, is a quietly enchanting story that blooms with emotional depth and nostalgic charm.

About the Book: Dandelion Serenade 

Perfect pacing guides the reader through a tale of second chances and rekindled romance, as childhood friends Lauren Juniper and Nathan Brickner are reunited by the fate of a beloved landmark: an old stone bridge. Nathan, now a bridge engineer, returns with plans to replace the structure; to Lauren, that bridge is woven into her family’s history and the fabric of the town itself.

 

But the bridge isn’t the only thing in need of repair. Years earlier, Nathan broke Lauren’s heart when he left Dogwood Creek after high school, chasing a future that didn’t include her. Lauren carries a quiet unforgiveness, her heart still bruised from his departure. Nathan, on the other hand, has spent years believing he must achieve and prove himself worthy, to his family, his community, and perhaps most of all, to Lauren. These personal battles make their reunion bittersweet and layered, turning a simple homecoming into a journey of grace and healing.

 

BookHookup Book Review: Dandelion Serenade 

What makes this novella truly memorable are its likable, flawed, and relatable characters. In just a short span, Soard gives readers people who feel real, woven with longing, regrets, and a yearning for belonging. Lauren’s tension between preserving memory and embracing the future, and Nathan’s pull toward progress and self-worth, echo conflicted hearts we all understand.

Underlying it all is a delicate, symbolic thread of the dandelion, woven through the plot and imagery like a whispered wish. From childhood “dandelion wishes” to a statue in the garden at the end, of a figure holding a dandelion gone to seed—this motif resonates. Is the statue holding on to the past, or reaching for the future? That ambiguity lingers beautifully, as if every seed could land somewhere hopeful.

 

 Dandelion Serenade is part of the Dogwood Creek Matchmakers series, a multi-author collection set in the charming small town of Dogwood Creek, Tennessee. Lori Soard launched the series with Chasing Snowflakes, and new novellas are planned for release every other month over the next two years — promising plenty more heartwarming tales for fans of small-town romance.

I highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy sweet romance and Christian fiction.

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Some links in this post are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliate sites. 

 

About the Author: Lori Soard

Lori Soard has a PhD in Journalism and Creative Writing, but she's hardly the stuffy professor type. She loves nothing better than a good romantic comedy and thinks the good guy should always win and the ending should always be happy.

From an early age, Lori started honing her story telling skills. As a kid she was rarely seen without a book in her hand, even walking and reading at the same time. Her first stories were about the world around her. At twenty she wrote her first novel, which she admits was horrible. At twenty-one, she sold her first article to a local newspaper. Once she got that taste of having others read her work and realizing that she could reach others and touch their hearts, there was no turning back for this natural born writer.

"If I can make someone's day just a tiny bit better," Lori says, "if I can make them smile even though they are sad, make them think things could be better, make them understand how much God loves them, then I have accomplished something. I write my stories, articles and books with that one person in mind who really needs the message. If I can change one person's perspective, then I've succeeded."

Lori is a life-long Hoosier and lives in southern Indiana with her high school sweetheart turned husband. They have two grown daughters and two granddaughters. She always has a her critters surrounding her, including a couple of miniature dachshunds and several rescue cats. "During the extreme low points in life, it has been my animals that have seen me through. There is nothing like the deep devotion of a dog or the unconditional love of a cat." Lori adores animals and while some of her dear friends have crossed over the Rainbow Bridge she will always stand by her belief that animals make the world a better place.

She loves to hear from her readers and blogs regularly.

 

Black, White, and Gray All Over - A Memoir of Resilience and Truth

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Black, White, and Gray All Over is both a personal memoir and a chronicle of a city and a profession, told with an immediacy that makes you feel as though you’ve been invited into the passenger seat for a years-long ride-along. Frederick Reynolds writes with the economy of a seasoned storyteller, sketching people, places, and moments with just enough detail to make them vivid without ever slowing the pace.

 

From the turbulent 1960s, through the shifting social and political landscapes of the ’70s and ’80s, to the present day, Reynolds takes us through a life lived in service—and in struggle—within the Compton Police Department. We meet an array of characters: fellow officers, community members, victims, and perpetrators, all rendered as more than just names on a page. Compton itself becomes a living, breathing character—wounded, resilient, and endlessly complex.

What makes Reynolds’s story even more compelling is his personal journey. He did not come from an easy beginning—his early years were marked by family dysfunction, alcoholism, and instability. Yet, he rose above those challenges, carving out a path defined by discipline, perseverance, and a willingness to confront the darkness, both on the streets and within himself. His growth over the years is as much a part of this memoir as the crimes he investigated or the history he witnessed.

This is not a memoir that seeks to glorify, nor one that aims to condemn. Instead, it’s an unflinching yet compassionate look at what it means to serve in a broken system, to witness both the worst and the best of humanity. The book acknowledges the violence, hardship, and moral gray areas that come with police work, but those moments are never gratuitous—they’re presented with purpose and context.

Reynolds also weaves in moments of levity and tenderness: the camaraderie among officers, small acts of kindness from unexpected places, and glimpses of his life beyond the badge. These moments provide a necessary counterpoint to the heavier material, reminding us that humanity persists even in the toughest environments.

By the time I reached the last page, I felt I’d not only read one man’s story, but also witnessed the evolution of a life—from troubled beginnings to a hard-earned wisdom. Black, White, and Gray All Over is powerful, memorable, and well worth the read, especially for those interested in the intersection of personal history and broader social change. It’s a testament to resilience, integrity, and the belief that where you start does not have to determine where you finish.