Restoring Hope: Read an Excerpt + Enter to Win

 

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Restoring Hope by Philippa Cleall, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Restoring Hope 
Series: Restored from Ashes #1 
Author: Philippa Cleall 
Publisher: Ark House Press 
Release Date: October 31, 2025 
Genre: Contemporary Christian Fiction

Can she find safety and belonging, before the past finds her? 

After escaping an abusive marriage, Hope Elkins returns to the quiet town of Wombat Valley to reopen her late grandmother’s café, The Hearth—not to chase a dream, but to rebuild her life. 

Drawn in by the scent of wood-fired pizza and the warmth of old and new faces, Hope begins to find more than comfort within the café’s walls. As The Hearth fills with stories and second chances, she forms unlikely bonds with others—Ruby, a fiercely guarded teen; Nova, a young mother on the run; and Joe, the gentle local vet carrying grief of his own. 

With the support of her new community, Hope begins to heal and is gently drawn back to the faith she thought she’d left behind. But when a charming, dangerous figure from her past resurfaces, she must decide whether to stand firm in the life she’s begun to rebuild, or risk losing it all. 

Restoring Hope is a tender, uplifting story of resilience, rediscovery, and the quiet strength found in faith, friendship, and a place to belong 

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Author's Website | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | BookBub

More in This Series

Book Excerpt

Chapter 13

Scene: Healing Presence of Animals (Page 76)

The cottage was quiet, still holding the warmth of the day. Hope hung up her coat near the door and stepped forward into the living room. And stopped.

Curled together on the armchair near the window were Tiger and the ginger kitten, whom she’d never quite named properly. They slept in a tangle of fur and whiskers, purring in soft harmony. Tiger, ever patient and gentle, had accepted the nervous, wide-eyed rescue without fuss. And now here they were, chest to chest, breathing in sync like they’d always belonged together.

Hope sank slowly onto the couch, watching them with a tightness in her chest. The kitten—Ginger, she now decided—had come from a place of fear and hunger, skittish and unsure. But over time, through Tiger’s quiet and steady presence, she had learned to rest.

To trust.

To curl up and purr.

Hope let the thought settle.

Maybe this was what healing looked like. Not some thunderclap moment of transformation. But a slow, steady return. A walking beside someone safe until your heart remembered how to breathe again.

She exhaled and closed her eyes for a moment, letting the quiet wrap around her.

Could grace look like this too?

Could God be the one who walked beside you, gently waiting and never forcing, just holding out what you couldn’t quite take yet?

She opened her eyes to the sleeping animals.

Their purring sounded like a lullaby.

Tonight, no fear clawed at her edges. She felt safe.

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About the Author

Philippa Cleall is a Children’s and Family Counsellor and volunteer Court Chaplain on the south coast of NSW, in Australia. She has a heart for seeing communities become more trauma informed so they can care for those hurting with greater wisdom, compassion, grace, and truth.

Connect with Philippa by visiting philippacleall.com.

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Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a $25 B&N gift card + a 'Kangaroo Valley' souvenir prize pack from Australia!

(1) additional winner will also receive a 'Kangaroo Valley' souvenir prize pack!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight August 31, 2026 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on September 7, 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 only for gift card. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

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