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

About the Book

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

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How Friendships and Faith Can Support Healing After Trauma

In Restoring Hope, the narrative explores how wise and honest friendships can be an integral part of a person’s healing journey. While many readers may already recognise this possibility, seeing it unfold in story form can be a powerful way of communicating that truth. When trust has been broken, safe relationships can help restore a sense of connection and belonging. In this story, characters who live out their Christian faith with sincerity and compassion model a particularly meaningful role in nurturing hope for healing.

Trauma often causes people to withdraw from others. Self-protection can feel safer than risking further hurt. Yet gentle and consistent friendships can demonstrate that isolation is not the only path forward. Through care, patience, and presence, they show that healing relationships are possible.

Hope Elkins arrives in Wombat Valley with the intention of remaining isolated. However, the people who gradually enter her life become an unexpected source of safety. Over time, their kindness allows her to begin opening her heart again.

Healing cannot effectively happen in isolation. When harm has occurred in relationships, it is through safe and trustworthy relationships that healing and renewed trust can begin.

The Power of a Safe Presence

In the story, Eve represents a safe relational refuge. She is a non-judgmental listening presence with gentle biblical wisdom to offer. Having previously been hurt in a faith community, Hope is understandably cautious. Yet Eve’s authenticity and quiet consistency begin to rebuild a sense of safety.

Importantly, Eve’s care is not superficial. She offers practical help and remains present even when it is costly. This kind of friendship reflects a deeper form of compassion, one that does not turn away from pain but walks alongside it.

Empathetic friends play a vital role in healing. They listen without dismissing and help restore a sense of worth in those who struggle to trust love and connection.

Friendship as a Pathway to Hope

Through characters like Ruby, Rowena, Joe, and Eve, Restoring Hope explores how friendship can offer support, validation, empathy, kindness, and encouragement to move forward into a better future.

These relationships are not perfect, but they have been created to express genuine caring connection. They demonstrate that healing is often found not in dramatic moments, but in small, consistent acts of care.

A Gentle Invitation

This story gently invites readers to consider faith as a source of healing. It does not assume that those who engage with it already trust God or feel safe within faith communities. For many, especially those who have experienced harm, trust takes time to rebuild.

Trauma and relational pain are complex, and healing is rarely quick or simple. However, safe relationships, marked by honesty, compassion, and grace, can offer a meaningful pathway forward.

It is my hope that through stories like Restoring Hope, readers might glimpse what genuine, restorative relationships can look like, even after deep hurt, and understand how powerful these can be in a healing journey.

Author: Philippa Cleall

Book: Restoring Hope (The Restored from Ashes series)

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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

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

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