Where Stillness Speaks + Giveaway

An unwanted engagement. A new life where she struggles to belong. One lie that might save her–but binds her with the very man who wants her gone.

The last place Audra Bancroft wants to be is trapped in the glittering world of the elite—paraded as little more than a decoration on some gentleman’s arm. She longs to be truly known and understood, but as the niece of a wealthy businessman, she is anything but. When her uncle announces her betrothal to a man she despises—a man whose power could ensure she never escapes the gilded cage—she makes the only choice her heart can to disappear.

Hiding her true identity, Audra takes a position on a family-run farm in another state, where faith runs deeper than blood and work is done with calloused hands. Though unaccustomed to the honest toil of the laboring class, she is determined to prove herself. Winning over the sharp-eyed eldest son, Tobias Haystead, is another matter entirely. He finds her suspicious, far too outspoken—and a threat to his family’s carefully guarded secret.

When Audra’s past catches up to her, she tells a desperate lie to save herself—one that binds her fate to Tobias in a way neither of them saw coming.

A tale of courage, faith, found family, and unexpected love. WHERE STILLNESS SPEAKS is perfect for fans of wholesome clean historical Christian romance with depth and a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers journey.

My Review:

You know that feeling you get when you come across the special kind of story that consumes you? Where the emotions leap off the page and into your heart and your reading journey becomes full of heartache and hope, right along with the heroine? Where sometimes it’s hard to catch your breath because you desperately need to know that everything is going to work out? And you want it to right away only not really because you don’t want the story to come to an end? Well, ‘Where Stillness Speaks‘ was that kind of read for me. And now I’m emotionally wrung out and not quite coherent as you can tell from my rambling.

I think what touched me the most was the significant inspirational thread that is so tightly woven into the very fibre of the story that the novel couldn’t exist without it. The Haystead family are struggling homesteaders who have known their share of grief and strife. Yet their unwavering faith acts as a beacon to a very lost and frightened Audra. She’s the epitome of a ‘poor little rich girl’, fleeing a deplorable arranged marriage with no idea of what comes next. Tabitha Haystead takes her in, with mixed reactions from her adult offspring. Evangeline is ecstatic, Felix is amused but Tobias is suspicious. Audra is caught in the middle.

Yes, this is Audra and Tobias’ love story, but honestly, I was drawn to the Haysteads as a whole even more. Such wonderful family dynamics and Tabitha’s matriarchal wisdom and steady inspiring words gave me lots to ponder in my own life. And I so love when fiction grows my faith!

Welwood has a lovely writer’s ‘voice’. Her artfully crafted words and phrases are immersive and the depth in characters and backstory beg to be savoured. I enjoyed every second I spent with Audra and the Haysteads.

There’s friction and drama but lighthearted moments too as well as the lure of an impossible romance. And while, no spoilers here, Welwood graciously provides Audra and Tobias with a heartfelt HEA, we find Evangeline in a particularly tenuous situation at the conclusion of ‘Where the Stillness Speaks’ which leaves me scrambling to get a hold of book two in the ‘Tabitha’s Kin’ series asap!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

US –  paperback or ebook – winner’s choice 

Canada – paperback, ebook or audio — winner’s choice

International – ebook if you have a US Kindle account

If you would like a chance to win a copy of  Where Stillness Speaks, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday October 17 2026.

42 thoughts on “Where Stillness Speaks + Giveaway”

      1. Both these books at my favorite historical books of the year! AND I don’t know if you’ve heard but Where Stilless Speaks got nominated for a Christy Award and Chelsey is going to Nashville for the event in November! I hope she wins!

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  6. I do seem to shy away from books where a lie seems to be a big part of the story but your review makes me want to give this book a chance. Knowing not everyone’s life story is free from this but I do admit I find it hard to read a book knowing already that it’s part of the story.

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  8. Yes!!! This is an incredibly great story….one I would re-read over and over again. It’s a pretty rare thing for me to do and takes a special kind of book to do that.

    Like you Kav, I eagerly anticipate the next book….it can’t come soon enough! 💗

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  9. WHERE STILLNESS SPEAKS sounds like an absolutely magnificent story. Can’t wait to dive into this story and imagine in too will fall in love with the Haysteads. Beautiful cover too!

    Thank you so much for the chance to win a copy!

    2clowns at arkansas dot net

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  12. Wow!  She’s up for a Christy Award.  I had never heard of her until one of your recent posts.  I have questions!  Is this her debut? Is she indie?  I also wonder how she wrote the second book in the series so fast.  Please count me into the drawing.

    perrianne (DOT) askew (AT) me (DOT) com

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    1. Yes, this is her debut book and the remarkable thing is it’s also indie published! Have no idea if she tried to go the traditional route first or decided to independently publish her book from the start. Good luck, Perrianne!

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      1. Oh no, lol😅 My TBR could fill the Beast’s castle library. There’s no way I could ever own everything I plan to read…but the library and book giveaways help! Yes, I’m entering, lol. This one was a recent discovery of mine and it sounded good! The cover is so pretty, too😍

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      2. Glad I checked. For me, when I say TBR that’s for books I own as well as books I have access to from the library or Net Galley and all the other books I want to read are on my wishlist. 🙂 Good luck, Elly!

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  15. Had already added this one to my TBR list so am glad to hear you loved it, Kav. Would love to be included in the giveaway!

    ckbarker at gmail dot com

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