A Whim and a Prayer by Julie Lessman Reviewed

Welcome to the Blog Tour for A Whim and a Prayer by Julie Lessman, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: A Whim and a Prayer 
Series: The Cousins O'Connor #4 
Author: Julie Lessman 
Publisher: Independent 
Release Date: September 8, 2026 
Genre: Historical Romance

She’s a former orphan desperate to protect her heart. 
He’s a best friend who protects her from the start. 
Till prayer protects them both from a true love torn apart. 

Discarded like so much trash on the steps of an orphanage at age two, seventeen-year-old Winifred Dennehy thinks God has it out for her. Abandoned by abusive parents and born cross-eyed to boot, she spent the first four years of her life battling bullies and verbal abuse. Deliverance came in the form of one Beckett Campbell, the ten-year-old orphan who became her best friend and guardian angel for life, along with an orphanage volunteer by the name of Mrs. D. When Mrs. Charity Dennehy adopts Winnie into her family, has her crossed eyes fixed, and secretly arranges for Beckett to be fostered and then adopted by elderly neighbors down the street, Winnie figures her luck has changed. But instead of attributing it to God like Beckett does, she’s inclined to believe it’s her own grit, charm, and spontaneity that has paved the way. 

From the moment twenty-four-year-old Beckett Campbell saw the tiny, cross-eyed orphan who reminded him of the sister he lost, he wanted to love and protect her forever. Best friends from the start despite over five years apart, Winnie’s naïve spontaneity for wild hairs and whims keeps Beck’s mature responsibility busy and happily so. Until the little girl he wanted to protect suddenly becomes the young woman he wants to love. When Winnie insists on protecting their friendship from the fear and risk of anything more, Beck has a decision to make. Friendship forever … or a life apart from the best friend he loves. Praying that Winnie will change her mind, Beck doesn’t hold out much hope for that day. But when an unexpected turn of events alters both of their lives, it puts “a whim and a prayer” on a collision course that just might make a way.  

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon

More in This Series

My Thoughts:

The O'Connor Clan is the best big family. There are so many people that you could hide in a closet and not really be missed. That's not true. You would be missed, and looked for thoroughly.

This book focuses on Mitch and Charity Dennehy and their adoptive daughter Winnie. Don't fret all of the O'Connor clan make an appearance.

At 19 and going into college, Winnie is a handful. She doesn't mean to be, she was teased at a small age for many different reasons, yet excelled on the stage.

What I love about Julie Lessman's books, and I believe I've read them all, is that she creates a troubled character and shows them the way to Jesus.

I can identify with parts of Winnie's story, because I'm adopted, and you go through who do I look like, will I ever be good enough? My adoptive mom got upset each time I got pregnant. Found through counseling that she was jealous that I could and she couldn't. Adoption is beautiful, but it can be a sticky widget of fish if some of those things we know about ourselves aren't dealt with, and we can use a little nudging.

While this is book four of The Cousin O'Connor Cousins series it can be read as a stand-alone, but it's much more fun reading the previous three.

I received a copy of this book via the publisher. I was not required to write a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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About the Author

A lover of all things Irish, Julie Lessman writes close-knit Irish family sagas that evolve into 3-D love stories: the hero, the heroine, and the God that brings them together. Award-winning author of The Daughters of Boston, Winds of Change, Heart of San Francisco, Isle of Hope, Silver Lining Ranch, and The Cousins O’Connor series, Julie was American Christian Fiction Writers 2009 Debut Author of the Year and has garnered over 24 Romance Writers of America and other awards.

Voted #1 Romance Author in Family Fiction magazine’s 2012 and 2011 Reader’s Choice Awards, Julie also made Family Fiction magazine’s Best of 2015, 2014, and “Essential Christian Romance Authors” 2017-2021, 2023, as well as Booklist’s 2010 Top 10 Inspirational Fiction and Borders Best Fiction. 

In addition, Julie has written a self-help workbook for writers entitled Romance-ology 101: Writing Romantic Tension for the Sweet and Inspirational Markets, and What’s the Story, Morning Glory: A Memoir Devotional with a “Novel” Approach to Practical Christianity. Contact Julie through her website at www.julielessman.com.

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Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a $50 Amazon gift card!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight September 21, 2026 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on September 28, 2026. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US/CAN only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

Top Ten Tuesday My Fall TBR

Happy Tuesday and welcome to another edition of Top Ten Tuesday a weekly blog link-up sponsored by That Artsy Reader Girl. Today's theme is books on my Fall TBR. I actually needed this because I had just finished A Whim and a Prayer by Julie Lessman which will be reviewed on Thursday.

I'm currently Wicked is the Hollow. I looked through my TBR and chose books that fit the season.

Of course here in Idaho the weather can't decide if it is Summer or Fall. I'm kinda tired of changing three times a day.

Happy Fall, Y'all!

 I really hope I read through these. What are you wanting to read this Fall? Do we share any of the same titles? Let me know in the comments.

Top Ten Tuesday - Author"s I Have Met

Happy Tuesday and welcome to another edition of Top Ten Tuesday blog link-up sponsored by That Artsy Reader Girl. Today's theme is author's I've met. I had the immense privilege to attend Christian Fiction Readers Retreat in 2019, where I met so many amazing authors. 

Mesu Andrews

Toni Shiloh, Sarah Monzon, Janet W.Ferguson, and Suzie Waltner who was my roommate.

Melissa Tagg

Stephenia H. McGee

Jen Turano

Mary Connealy

Mikal Dawn

Bethany Turner and Kristi Ann Hunter

Rachel Hauck, and Susan May Warren
 

Angela Ruth Strong

On my bucket list are Julie Lessman, Laura Frantz, Heather Kaufman, Jessica R. Patch, Rachel Dylan, Becky Wade, Kristy Cambron, and Jill Eileen Smith; and probably tons more.

Have you met any of these authors? What authors have you met? Tell me in the comments.

Top Ten Tuesday Young Adult Books Teen Me Would've Loved

 

Happy Tuesday, and welcome to another edition of Top Ten Tuesday blog link-up sponsored by That Artsy Reader Girl. Today's theme is about Indie authors and bookstores. I couldn't figure that one out so I chose an older topic that I missed. Young Adult books teen me would've loved. This was so fun to put together. I hope wherever you are you are still enjoying warm weather. Here in Idaho we are definitely moving into Fall.

The two at the bottom are technically not YA books, but I would've loved to have them to read.

My huge question. Would you have liked to have any ONE of these books when you were a teen? If so, which one(s)? Let me know in the comments.

Top Ten Tuesday Featuring Books With Nationalities in the Title

 

Happy Tuesday, and welcome to another weekly blog link-up sponsored by That Artsy Reader Girl. Today's theme is books that have Nationalities in the titles. I was struggling until I figured it out with the help of Carrie from ReadingismySuperPower.

How was your week? Have your kiddo's gone back to school yet? We went back last week. Remember when no one went back to school until Labor Day. Some of my grands went back to school last week and others in September. 

Are you familiar with any of these? Did you find a new one you'd like to read? I sure hope so. Beside list making, I think finding a new book as we see each other's weekly list helps grow our TBR. Have a wonderful day.