As Silent as the Night
Happy Sunday! Welcome back to our annual blog series spotlighting (over 60 again this year) new and recently-released Christmas reads!
Christmas is only 28 days away, according to Google, but of course it’s never too early for Christmas stories, and ’tis the season when I really start craving them (even more than I do the rest of the year lol), so now is the perfect time to jump right into these posts!
Continuing through just after Christmas, I’m going to spotlight several Christmasy releases from 2022. Most days will have more than one post, just FYI. So… snuggle in, grab your fave hot beverage and comfiest blanket, turn on some Christmas tunes and start your bookish Christmas list! Oh… and did I mention there are GIVEAWAYS with EACH POST in this series??!! (Because authors are awesome!)
AS SILENT AS THE NIGHT by Danielle Grandinetti
SERIES: Strike to the Heart #1.5
GENRE: Inspirational Historical Romantic Suspense
PUBLISHER: Hearth Spot Press
RELEASE DATE: September 13, 2022
PAGES: 154
affiliate links used
Ebook is only $0.99 for a limited time!
Another two blocks and he parked along the curb. He hurried up to the Critelli home, a second story apartment, his heart pounding in time with his steps and with his fist as he knocked at the door.
“Gio!” The older man welcomed him. Silver hair curled around his ears, a cardigan hung unbuttoned from his shoulders, a grin showed his delight, though it faded as he glanced over Gio’s shoulder. “Dov’è la mia Lucia?” Where is my Lucia? A dagger wouldn’t hurt as much, Gio was sure.
“Ugo, we must hurry. Lucia is in trouble,” he replied in rapid Italian. “I’ll find her, but first I need you safe. She needs you safe.”
The man nodded, fear darkening his eyes.
Gio gathered up necessary items, putting them in the bag Lucia had taken to the church in an attempt to disguise the fact he planned to keep Ugo at his family’s house overnight. Gio or one of his brothers could sneak back into the apartment for more supplies, if necessary, but Gio honestly hoped he’d have Lucia back before nightfall.
Shouldering the bag, Gio locked up and helped the older man into his truck. Ugo hadn’t asked for details, and Gio filled him in as much as he thought wise—too much information could be deadly when dealing with people like Ettore—but Ugo needed to know the level of danger to both himself and Lucia.
“You will bring my Lucia home?” Ugo rested a leathery hand on Gio’s arm. “I cannot lose her.”
Gio parked in front of his own family’s home, a one-story frame house. The weathered boards contained two bedrooms and three generations, plus whatever guests joined them. Gio turned to the older man. “I promise, I won’t rest until I have the answers we need.”
Ugo shook his head. “That is no promise, young man.”
“I can’t promise positive outcomes, Ugo. You know that.”
“But you care for her. Do not deny it. I see it in your eyes.”
Gio pressed his thumb and forefinger into his sockets, as if he could gouge out the evidence. “I know you want us together, Ugo, but I can’t marry her. I’m not the right man for Lucia. She needs someone who hasn’t seen or done all the things I have. She is light and I am … not.”
Ugo patted Gio’s cheek as if Gio was but a youth. “Do not discredit yourself, young man. She needs a man like you.”
Gio let the words go. Ugo had been saying them for years. Sure, Gio had a different respect for Ugo than for the other matchmaking mammas and nonnas. Ugo had a different motive. Gio knew that, yet … Ugo couldn’t possibly understand how bad of a choice Gio was for Lucia. So Gio did nothing.
However, the protectiveness he felt for Lucia and the respect he had for Ugo also meant he had more motivation to find Lucia than any of the other young women he’d been asked to find over the years. Because if he was denying Ugo’s happily ever after to save Lucia from himself, there was no way he’d let someone like Emberto Ettore extinguish Lucia’s light and destroy her grandfather in the process.
Danielle Grandinetti, As Silent as the Night
© 2022, Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Danielle Grandinetti writes both historical romantic suspense and contemporary sweet romance. She is an avid reader and her writing has won the University of Northwestern Distinguished Faith in Writing Award. Originally from the Chicagoland area, she now lives along Lake Michigan’s Wisconsin shoreline with her husband and their two young sons. Find her online at daniellegrandinetti.com.
Danielle Grandinetti is offering a print copy of As Silent as the Night to one of my readers! (US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.) This giveaway is subject to Reading Is My SuperPower’s giveaway policies which can be found here. Enter via the Rafflecopter form below.
What about you? What makes you want to read As Silent as the Night by Danielle Grandinetti?
I would like to read As Silent as the Night by Danielle Grandinetti because it sounds like an interesting read to match the winter season.
Thank you Nancy!
Thank you for having As Silent as the Night and me on your blog! Buon Natale!
Sounds really good.
Thank you Lori!
This is all my favorite genres in one wonderful-sounding story.
Thank you Roxanne!
This book sounds really good, and this definitely a new author to me. 🙂
Thank you Regina!
Thank you so much for sharing. God bless you.
Thank you Debra!
Love reading an inspirational story during the holiday season. Congrats on your tour.
Thank you so much!
It sounds like a really interesting book. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you Diana!
nice excerpt
Thank you!
A new author to me. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you!
LOVE the genre of Inspirational Historical Romantic Suspense! “As Silent as the Night” by Danielle Grandinetti fits that bill and then some. Can’t wait for the opportunity to read and review this fabulous sounding story that combines so many things I enjoy all rolled into one book.
Thank you so much Kay! And I quite agree, they’re all my favorite genres, too. 🙂
New author
It’s a pleasure to meet you!
How would you feel about your book being made into a movie?
That would be pretty cool! 🙂
This sounds soooo good!
Thank you!
I want to read this because I love Christian historical fiction. It’s my favorite genre and I would enjoy hearing about 1930s Chicago.
Thank you! I love reading historical, too.
I like the name of it. Thank you
Thank you!
The cover makes me want to read this story, this man has such a great smile, I just have to meet him! (by reading this story of course)
Thank you! I totally agree. Didn’t my cover designer do an amazing job?
I like ‘missing’ person stories. There is always an element of danger and once the hero finds and rescues the person, then romance can take hold. I also like Gio’s picture.
Thank you! I love the mix of danger and romance, too.