Covered and Conquered by the Cross

The Pastor’s Easter Prayer

Written by Tina Radcliffe

Tumbleweed, Texas, Book 2

Published by Love Inspired Harlequin

Release Date: 02.24.26

Genre: Contemporary Christian Romance

5 Stars!

Some of us trust Christ for eternity but struggle to trust Him with yesterday.

That truth runs through The Pastor’s Easter Prayer by Tina Radcliffe, and it ran straight through me.

Pastor Rob knows the language of redemption. He preaches hope. He teaches surrender. Yet grief has quietly convinced him that survival is safer than belonging. Tumbleweed is meant to be temporary. A place to serve without risking his heart again.

Hannah understands that kind of guarded strength. She has built a life of responsibility and resilience for her boys. She loves deeply. She serves faithfully. She simply refuses to lean too hard on anyone.

Watching these two learn to lay something down … pride, fear, self-protection, guilt … felt deeply personal.

One line stopped me completely: “Funny how we mere mortals like to believe we have it all together,” Rob finally said. “But that implies that we’re in control.” He swallowed hard and swiped at his dry, gritty eyes. “No matter how prepared we are for our blessed eternity, death still comes in like a thief, taking us by surprise and knocking us to our knees.” That is not light reading. That is honest faith.

And then this: “Casting your cares upon the Lord may seem simplistic.” Her friend smiled. “But on the flip side, once you determine the worst-case scenario, all you have to do is ask yourself if God is big enough to handle that scenario.” Luna leaned closer. “Hint. He is. He always is.” He is. He always is.

There is a moment in this story when someone speaks truth to Rob, holding onto the past negates what happened on the cross. That line carries weight. Because Easter is not decoration. It is doctrine. It is surrender.

It is choosing to believe that Christ’s finished work is actually finished.

Hebrews 12:1 calls us to lay aside every weight and run with endurance. This story shows what that laying aside looks like in real time. Quiet. Costly. Faithful.

I loved the Christian faith woven throughout. Prayer is natural and necessary. The cross is central. Redemption unfolds through humility and obedience, not emotion alone.

And yes, I was genuinely sad to leave these people. Rob and Hannah felt like friends whose growth I had the privilege to witness. Tumbleweed feels like a place where faith is lived out loud in small, steady ways.

This is a story about surrender … and about finally trusting that what Christ finished at the cross is enough for yesterday, for today, and for whatever tomorrow holds.

I received a digital ARC of this book from the author and JustRead Publicity Tours, LLC. I am not required to write a positive review nor paid to do so. This is my honest and unbiased review. My thoughts and opinions expressed in this book review are my own. My review focuses on the writing and the story’s content, ensuring transparency and reliability.