Talkshow Thursday: Clean Sweep by Julie Arduiini

Clean Sweep by Julie Arduini

Sometimes the messiest moments lead to the most miraculous grace.

After a public breakup leaves Abbi Gearheart humiliated and heartbroken, she escapes to Dogwood Creek, Tennessee, hoping to rebuild her life far from the spotlight—and even farther from athletes. With her new cleaning business and the gentle encouragement of stained-glass artist Alicia Caruso and her matchmaking family, Abbi begins to find peace in the quiet rhythms of small-town life.

Seth Chamberlin is a beloved coach, teacher, and mentor at Dogwood Creek High. His faith runs deep, but so do the wounds from a strained relationship with his father. When he meets Abbi, he’s drawn to her strength and vulnerability, but she’s made it clear that friendship is all she’s willing to offer.

A powerful sermon on forgiveness challenges them both. For Abbi, to release the pain of betrayal, and for Seth, to seek reconciliation with the father he thought he’d lost. As they walk separate paths toward healing, could God be gently sweeping them toward something more?

A tender story of grace, second chances, and the kind of love that only grows when hearts surrender.

Small-town charm and rediscovered dreams are always in season in Dogwood Creek, Tennessee.

 
The Inspiration Behind Clean Sweep

I’m beyond excited to join the Dogwood Creek Matchmakers multi-author series, alongside the talented Leah Atwood, Robin Bayne, JoAnn Durgin, Dawn Kinzer, Lisa Prysock, and Lori Soard. With a new novella releasing every other month through 2026, Clean Sweep marks my first contribution to the series, and I’ll be back with a second installment in September 2026.

This story was born from my desire to weave Ohio, my home for the past 20 years, into the charming world of Dogwood Creek, Tennessee. In my solo romances, I often spotlight Upstate New York, where I spent over three decades exploring its small towns. But when I collaborate on multi-author projects, I love bringing a touch of Ohio into the mix.

Each novella in the Dogwood Creek Matchmakers series features one of six matchmakers. For Clean Sweep, I chose Alicia Caruso, the gracious hostess of the matchmaking meetings. She’s married to Luca and together they’re raising twin teen daughters, Arianna and Bella.

What made Clean Sweep especially fun to write was its blend of romance, humor, and heartfelt moments. Abbi’s journey includes laugh-out-loud scenes as she launches her cleaning business, and familiar faces from earlier books make meaningful appearances. I especially loved incorporating teens into the story—Arianna, Bella, and Grayson bring energy and depth to Abbi and Seth’s world. Having mentored teens for years, I find joy in writing characters from this vibrant age group.

Of course, matchmaking plays a central role. Alicia leads a prayer group that subtly nudges Abbi and Seth toward each other. While some matchmakers are more assertive, Alicia’s gentle approach adds warmth and grace to the unfolding romance.

At its heart, Clean Sweep is also a story of forgiveness. A definition I heard years ago stayed with me and became a guiding force for this book. Both Abbi and Seth wrestle with past wounds, Abbi from a broken engagement, and Seth from a strained relationship with his father. Writing their healing journeys challenged me personally, too.

During the writing process, I was awaiting cataract surgeries. My vision was so impaired that I often had to hold my laptop inches from my face. I’m deeply grateful to the friends who helped proofread the manuscript and catch the typos I couldn’t see. And just like my characters, I faced a moment where I had to forgive in order to move forward—using the very definition I included in the book.

Clean Sweep isn’t just Abbi and Seth’s story. It’s mine, too.

To purchase Clean Sweep: https://amzn.to/47hD08F

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Julie Arduini writes small-town romances featuring Christian surrender themes and chocolate mentions. She’s the author of the series SURRENDERING HEARTS (Anchored Hearts, Repairing Hearts, +four more). Her other romance series is SURRENDERING TIME (Entrusted, Entangled, Engaged). She also co-wrote a YA/Women’s Fiction series with her daughter, SURRENDERING STINKIN’ THINKIN’ (You’re Beautiful, You’re Amazing, You’re Brilliant). Her stand-alone romances include MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN and RESTORING CHRISTMAS. In 2025 she joins Leah Atwood, Robin Bayne, JoAnn Durgin, Dawn Kinzer, Lisa Prysock and Lori Soard with the small-town romance series Dogwood Creek Matchmakers. Julie maintains a blog at http://www.juliearduini.com and https://substack.com/@juliearduini1. She resides in Ohio with her husband and daughter. Learn more by visiting her at http://linktr.ee/JulieArduini.

Photo credits:

Author image: Courtesy Julie Arduini

Carpet Cleaner: Pixabay/Steve Buissinne