A Whim and a Prayer
Welcome to the Blog Tour for A Whim and a Prayer
by Julie Lessman
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About the Book A Whim and a Prayer
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 as 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
About the Author of A Whim and a Prayer
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.
My Thoughts on A Whim and a Prayer
A Whim and a Prayer is a wonderful historical fiction novel about orphans and their changing paths plus precocious littles! As soon as I met tiny little spunky Winnie, I was hooked. She’s so young and such a pistol! Fighting boys bigger than her. Wanting to believe she’s not the trash they say she is. Not the trash her parents said she was when they dropped her off at the orphanage.
Her name is really Winifred. But can you imagine calling a tiny little girl with blonde curls Winifred? Especially when she’s cross-eyed and a spitfire? No, Winnie is so much better.
When Beck finds Winnie, she reminds him of the sister he lost. And he immediately becomes her protector. But after they are adopted and grow up, his feelings change. He’s no longer feeling like an older brother but maybe more like a wannabe suitor.
Will Winnie accept this change? Will she accept that God has been for her this whole time, working things for her good? Or will she continue to fight and keep herself separate from the rest of the world?
I loved the spiritual aspects of the story. And the extended family has a special place in my heart. I love big families and all they entail. I can’t wait until my kids have kids and we can start having the large family I remember as a child. Cousins everywhere! My grandpa was the youngest of 12, and when his family got together it was amazing!
I highly recommend you read this book and the whole series!
This is part of a series. Please read the series in order. You aren’t required to, but it is always better to read more books than less!
I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, which I received from JustRead Publicity Tours. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.
Tour Giveaway for A Whim and a Prayer
(1) winner will receive a $50 Amazon gift card!
Find the full tour schedule linked below.
The giveaway begins at midnight on September 21, 2026 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on September 28, 2026.
Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of the close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of the prize.
Open to the US/CAN only.
Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.
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