My Review:

I recently finished reading "Rumors and Promises" by Kathleen Rouser and I must say, it was a great read! It tells the story of Sophia Bidersham, who is the heiress to the Bidersham piano company. Sophia decides to run away after her fiance, Charles Warner, has taken advantage of her and left her with an illegitimate child. She moves to Stone Creek, Michigan under the name Sophie Biddle and takes up a job as a maid at a local boarding house.

Sophie meets Reverend Ian McCormick, the local minister and they soon begin to develop feelings for each other. However, Sophie is wary of men due to her past experiences. To protect her reputation, she pretends that her daughter, Caira, is her sister. Along the way, Sophie makes many friends, some of whom are quite comical, while others are skeptical of her and her "sister".

Sophie and Ian slowly fall in love but Sophie is scared of what he will think of her if she tells him the truth about her daughter. Despite her fears, they work through it together. Overall, I loved this book and I'm looking forward to reading more books by Kathleen Rouser soon! I would like to thank Celebrate Lit for allowing me to read and review this book.

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars! ★★★★★

About the Book

Book: Rumors and Promises

Author: Kathleen Rouser

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: October 10, 2023

She’s an heiress hiding a tumultuous past. He’s a reverend desperate to atone for his failures.

Abandoned by her family, Sophie Biddle has been on the run with a child in tow. At last, she’s found a safe life in Stone Creek, Michigan, teaching piano. But when a kind, yet meddling and handsome, minister walks into her life seeking to help, Sophie is caught off guard and wary. When her secrets threaten to be exposed, will be she able to trust the reverend, and more importantly, God?

After failing his former flock, Reverend Ian McCormick is determined to start anew in Stone Creek, and he’s been working harder than ever to forget his mistakes and prove himself to his new congregation—and to God. But when he meets a young woman seeking acceptance and respect, despite the rumors swirling about her sordid past, Ian finds himself pulled in two directions. If he shows concern for Sophie’s plight, he could risk everything—including his position as pastor of Stone Creek Community Church.

Will the scandals of their pasts bind them together or drive them apart forever?