Month: December 2017

22 December 2017

First Line Friday | Week 22 | All is Bright

It’s First Line Friday, which means it’s time to open the book nearest you and share the first line. Today I’m sharing from All is Bright by Australian author Andrea Grigg:

I know most of my #FirstLineFriday friends are choosing Christmas novels or novellas this week. Mine is also a Christmas novella, but it’s set in Australia, which means it’s the kind of Christmas I know and love: a summer Christmas. Sun, sand, beaches and barbecues.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

About All Is Bright

Amy Kirkwood is resigned to accept her destiny as a single woman. No one can measure up to Josh McMillan, her secret crush of fourteen years, and the man who was married to her late sister. But when Josh spends the weekend with Amy and her family on the anniversary of Tess’s death, everything changes.

A widower for five years, Josh McMillan is ready to love again, but he never expected to fall so fast for his sister-in-law, Amy Kirkwood. Then Josh receives a letter that rocks his world, and he knows he must show the letter to Amy, even though it may shatter their growing relationship.

Is their love strong enough to weather the storm unleashed from the secrets in their past?

A contemporary Christian romance novella, a spin-off story from ‘A Simple Mistake’.

Amazon | Goodreads

Click the button to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today:

You can then click on the link which will take you to the master page, which holds all this week’s #FirstLineFriday posts.

And you can click here to check out my previous FirstLineFriday posts.

Share your first line in the comments, and happy reading!

21 December 2017

Book Review | The Blacksmith’s Heart by Nerys Leigh

The Blacksmith’s Heart is the first book in Nerys Leigh’s Back to the West series, so you don’t need to have read any of her other books in order to enjoy this one. Having said that, if you have read any of her earlier Escape to the West mail order bride stories, you will recognise some of the characters in The Blacksmith’s Heart (even though the Escape to the West books are set around 15 years later than The Blacksmith’s Heart).

The Blacksmith’s Heart is the story of widower Peter Johnson, the blacksmith in Green Hill Creek, and father to ten-year-old Jesse. He’d never planned to marry again, but that was before Miss Malinda Wilson moved into town with her sister and brother, the new doctor. (I’m guessing they are the hero and heroine of the next two novels in the series, The Doctor’s Courtship and The Spinster’s Hope, both apparently coming in 2018).

Anyway, Peter isn’t looking for a wife, which is good because Malinda isn’t looking for a husband. Although Peter is handsome and smart and interesting and funny, with broad shoulders and brilliant blue eyes …

Okay, so this is a romance novel, which means we all know how it’s going to end. But the fun part is the journey, and it’s definitely fun. Peter has a disabled son, Jesse (who we later see in An Unexpected Groom). But right now Jesse is a mischievous ten-year-old who wants to ride and fish and pick blackberries … all the things a normal child would want to do.

It’s a great story, perfect for long summer days (if you’re Down Under, like me) or long winter nights (for the rest of you). Recommended for fans of Christian romance from authors such as Regina Jennings and Karen Witemeyer.

Thanks to the author for providing a free ebook for review.

About Nerys Leigh

Nerys Leigh writes thoroughly romantic Christian historical love stories. She loves heroes who are strong but sweet and heroines who are willing to fight for the life they want.

She’s from the UK, which you would think puts her in a unique position to not write about mail order brides in the American west, but the old adage of writing what you know has never appealed to her. She has an actual American read each book before publishing to make sure she hasn’t gone all English on it.

No One’s Bride is the first in the Escape to the West series which tells the stories of a group of women willing to travel across America to find happiness, and the men determined to win their hearts.

You can find Nerys Leigh online at:

Website | Facebook

About The Blacksmith’s Heart

Can true love strike twice in a lifetime?

Peter Johnson met the love of his life when he was nineteen. Three years later, she was gone, leaving him to raise their son alone. Knowing he would never love another woman the way he loved his wife.

But when a new doctor arrives in town ten years later, bringing with him his smart, beautiful, funny, opinionated sister, desires Peter never dreamed he’d feel again begin to surface.

Malinda Wilson, however, is fiercely independent and doesn’t want a husband. Which is good, because Peter doesn’t want another wife.

He’s almost sure of that.

Christian historical romance The Blacksmith’s Heart is the first in a prequel trilogy to the bestselling Escape to the West series. Lose yourself in the romance of the old west with this heart-warming, uplifting novella!

You can find The Blacksmith’s Heart online at:

Amazon US | Amazon AU | Amazon UK | Goodreads

You can read the introduction to The Blacksmith’s Heart below. If you like it, pop over to www.nerysleigh.com and download your free copy!

19 December 2017

Book Recommendation | The Ladies of Ivy Cottage by Julie Klassen

The Ladies of Ivy Cottage is the second book in the Tales From Ivy Hill series by beloved Christian Regency author Julie Klassen. There are a lot of characters to keep straight, so while this is a standalone story, it might help if you’ve read the first book in the series, The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill. And recently. I’ve read it, but it was over a year ago. I remembered the main plot points, but had forgotten some of the minor characters who are now major characters.

The Ladies of Ivy Cottage is historical romance but only to a degree. Ivy Hill has plenty of single ladies (and single gentlemen), but it’s less a romance and more a gentle ongoing story of everyday village life, complete with village intrigues. It’s not a fast-paced novel, but neither does it drag.

I enjoyed the slower pace, the reminder of a time when life wasn’t ruled by phone notifications but by the arrival of the Mail coach. I enjoyed the slow getting-to-know new characters, and being reintroduced to familiar characters. As always, I enjoyed the subtle-but-there presentation of Christianity (although The Ladies of Ivy Cottage certainly has even less of a faith message than some of her previous works).

The Ladies of Ivy Cottage was a delightful step back into another time.

Recommended for fans of village tales such as Elizabeth Gaskell’s Cranford, Lawanna Blackwell’s Gresham Chronicles, or Jan Karon’s Mitford. And fans of Jane Austen. Of course.

Thanks to Bethany House Publishers and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About Julie Klassen

Julie Klassen loves all things Jane–Jane Eyre and Jane Austen. She worked in publishing for sixteen years and now writes full time. Three of her novels have won the Christy Award for Historical Romance. Her book, The Silent Governess, was also a finalist in the Minnesota Book Awards, ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year Awards, and Romance Writers of America’s RITA Awards. Julie is a graduate of the University of Illinois. She and her husband have two sons and live near St. Paul, Minnesota.

Find Julie Klassen online at:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter

About The Ladies of Ivy Cottage

Living with the two Miss Groves in Ivy Cottage, impoverished gentlewoman Rachel Ashford is determined to earn her own livelihood . . . somehow. When the village women encourage her to open a subscription library with the many books she has inherited or acquired through donations, Rachel discovers two mysteries hidden among them. A man who once broke her heart helps her search for clues, but will both find more than they bargained for?

Rachel’s friend and hostess, Mercy Grove, has given up thoughts of suitors and fills her days managing her girls’ school. So when several men take an interest in Ivy Cottage, she assumes pretty Miss Ashford is the cause. Exactly what–or who–has captured each man’s attention? The truth may surprise them all.

Meanwhile, life has improved at the coaching inn and Jane Bell is ready to put grief behind her. Now if only the man she misses would return–but where is he?

As the women of Ivy Hill search for answers about the past and hope for the future, might they find love along the way?

Find The Ladies of Ivy Cottage online at:

Amazon | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

Read the introduction to The Ladies of Ivy Cottage below:

18 December 2017

Bookish Question #38 | What’s your favourite Christmas novel?

I’m not going to ask your favourite Christmas story.

It’s probably the same as mine: the gospel story of how God sent his only son to earth, and how he was born in a manger in Bethlehem. Although I suppose you might have a preference for Matthew over Luke. Or vice versa.

I don’t know that Jesus was actually born on 25 December. Odds are, he wasn’t (and if he was, we should celebrate Christmas Day on 6 January, like the Eastern Orthodox Christians have since the change from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar back in the 1700’s).

It’s not important what day Jesus was born. What is important, as far as I’m concerned, is that we celebrate His birth with our families, with our friends, and with our church fellowships.

That we remember the birth of Jesus as a physical sign of the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy.

As we discussed last week, a lot of novels and novellas are set around Christmas. Some are Christian novels, so are able to emphasise the spiritual importance of the occasion. Some are general market novels—isn’t it great that non-believers still chose to celebrate our Christian holy days? Even several of the Harry Potter novels, often maligned by Christians, still have Christmas right at the centre of the novel.

What’s your favourite Christmas novel (or novella)? Why?

Next Monday is Christmas Day, so I won’t be posting. Instead, I’ll be enjoying the day with my family, and remembering our Saviour. May God bless you and your family over this Christmas season.

15 December 2017

First Line Friday | Week 21 | A Song Unheard

It’s Friday, which means it’s time to open the book nearest you and share the first line. Today I’m sharing from A Song Unheard by Roseanna M White:

I love it! It’s atmospheric, and takes us straight into the setting.

About the Book

Willa Forsythe is both a violin prodigy and top-notch thief, which makes her the perfect choice for a crucial task at the outset of World War I–to steal a cypher from a famous violinist currently in Wales.

Lukas De Wilde has enjoyed the life of fame he’s won–until now, when being recognized nearly gets him killed. Everyone wants the key to his father’s work as a cryptologist. And Lukas fears that his mother and sister, who have vanished in the wake of the German invasion of Belgium, will pay the price. The only light he finds is meeting the intriguing Willa Forsythe.

But danger presses in from every side, and Willa knows what Lukas doesn’t–that she must betray him and find that cypher, or her own family will pay the price as surely as his has.

A Song Unheard releases in paperback and ebook on 2 January 2018.

Amazon | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

Click the button to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bday loggers are sharing today:

You can then click on the link which will take you to the master page, which holds all this week’s #FirstLineFriday posts.

And you can click here to check out my previous FirstLineFriday posts.

Share your first line in the comments, and happy reading!

14 December 2017

Book Recommendation | You’re Gonna Love Me by Robin Lee Hatcher

Samantha Winters broke up with Nick Chastain because he was a professional daredevil, a college professor whose out-of-class adventures mean he’s an adrenaline-seeking modern Indiana Jones. Two years later, she’s back in her home town of Thunder Creek for three months, to help her grandmother recover from a riding accident. Nick is there, working on her brother’s farm. Why?

Nick was injured in a white-water rafting accident not long after he and Sam broke up. He suffers from memory loss, which means he can no longer teach, and he’s been told to stay away from the daredevil activities, as another accident could kill him. So he’s installing irrigation systems in Idaho. On Sam’s brother’s organic farm.

It doesn’t take long for the two to reconnect.

It also doesn’t take long for the sparks to fly, as the two realise their old problems are still bubbling under the surface. I found Samantha frustrating. I could understand her fear that something might happen to Nick as he’s off doing all these dangerous things, but people choke to death on vegetables. We can’t live our lives in fear, or we’d never leave the house.

But that is Sam’s problem: she wants to feel safe.

That’s why she’s stuck in a job she doesn’t really enjoy, because that’s easier than looking for another job. I can relate to that. If the current job allows you the time, money, and mental headspace to pursue hobbies, why change?

But I also found Nick frustrating, for not telling Samantha about his accident, and for not telling her the extent of his injuries. Especially for not telling her he was no longer the adventuring daredevil she’d broken up with.

I guess the plus part of these character quirks is it made them feel like real people. The opposites-attract plot isn’t original. It’s a romance so we all know how it’s going to end (if you weren’t sure, the clue is in the title). But the author manages to take what could be a cookie-cutter romance up a level with well-developed characters who are anything but cliche. Even though I knew what was going to happen, I wanted to see it play out on the page.

I especially liked the way the Christian faith was woven into the plot.

It gave an added depth to the plot and to the characters, but it didn’t provide an “easy out”. The characters couldn’t just pray and have everything be fixed. That’s not real life, and it’s not good fiction either.

You’re Gonna Love Me is the sequel to You’ll Think of Me (Derek and Brooklyn’s story), but can easily be read as a standalone. Personally, I’d recommend starting at the beginning of the series—while You’re Gonna Love Me was good, I thought You’ll Think of Me was better. I’ll be interested to see whose story we get in the next visit to Thunder Creek.

Recommended for fans of family-based contemporary Christian romance stories.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About Robin Lee Hatcher

Best-selling novelist Robin Lee Hatcher is known for her heartwarming and emotionally charged stories of faith, courage, and love. Winner of the Christy, the RITA, the Carol, the Inspirational Reader’s Choice, and many other industry awards, Robin is also a recipient of Lifetime Achievement Awards from both Romance Writers of America and American Christian Fiction Writers. She is the author of 75+ novels and novellas with over five million copies in print.

Robin enjoys being with her family, spending time in the beautiful Idaho outdoors, reading books that make her cry, and watching romantic movies. Her main hobby (when time allows) is knitting, and she has a special love for making prayer shawls. A mother and grandmother, Robin and her husband make their home on the outskirts of Boise, sharing it with Poppet, the high-maintenance Papillon, and Princess Pinky, the DC (demon cat).

Find Robin online at:

About You’re Gonna Love Me

Who knew fate could twist a tragedy into a second chance at love?

Samantha Winters lives her life the way a good accountant should—measured, deliberate, and safe. After watching her father die in a tragic skiing accident, she decided never to allow risk into her life again. But she didn’t count on falling for Nick Chastain, who embodies everything she doesn’t want in her safely constructed world.

Against Samantha’s warnings, Nick plans a dangerous kayaking trip over spring break. Furious that he’s so careless with his life, she ends their fledgling relationship with harsh words.

Two years later, Samantha is desperately in need of a change. When she learns her grandmother has had an accident and is in need of a caretaker, Samantha quickly packs her bags and heads to Thunder Creek, Idaho. But nothing could prepare her for the surprise awaiting her in her grandmother’s hospital room . . . Nick.

With the charming backdrop of small-town friends, beloved cousins, and a whole church congregation rooting for them, can they set aside the disastrous ending of their first try at love? Has Nick changed enough to meet Samantha in the middle—and can she realize that a risk in love might be worth taking?

Find You’re Gonna Love Me online at:

Amazon US | Amazon AU | Amazon UK | Goodreads

12 December 2017

Book Recommendation | Holding the Fort by Regina Jennings

Lovely Lola Bell was raised in a saloon, but her singing voice has meant she’s managed to keep from working upstairs. Except now she’s been fired, and no one in town is going to give a saloon girl a respectable job. Then she hears her brother—her only family—is in trouble. She has no choice but to become Miss Louisa Bell, find Bradley at Fort Reno, find a respectable job, and hope her past never catches up with her.

Major Daniel Adams is a widower with two daughters. When Miss Louisa Bell arrives at the Fort to teach his daughters, he’s so grateful he doesn’t bother to check her details. The girls like her, and anything to keep them out of trouble in a fort filled with soldiers and surrounded by potentally hostile Indians …

In some ways, Holding the Fort was a typical Western romance. Beautiful heroine meets handsome hero, fall in love, and so on.

But that would be missing the best parts: the comedy, and the Christian element.

Regina Jennings writes comedy. Well, this had a lot of comedy—awkwardly comedic situations, similar to Karen Witemeyer or Jen Turano. There can be a fine line between comedy and cringefest, but I definitely found Holding the Fort was comedy (especially a couple of the riding scenes).

It was also Christian. Lola aka Louisa was not a Christian. She’d been raised in a saloon, hardly the kind of place you’d find a preacher. She does a so-so job of pretending, but when it comes out that she’s not a Christian, Daniel has a dilemma. He’s attracted to her, but … Anyway, that ended up being one of the strengths for me.

Overall, I loved Holding the Fort. Recommended for fans of romantic comedy, especially historical Westerns.

Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About Regina Jennings

Regina Jennings is the winner of the National Reader’s Choice Award, a two-time Golden Quill finalist and a finalist for the Oklahoma Book of the Year Award. A graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University with a degree in English and a minor in history, Regina has worked at the Mustang News and at First Baptist Church of Mustang, along with time at the Oklahoma National Stockyards and various livestock shows. She lives outside of Oklahoma City with her husband and four children when not traveling the world.

Find Regina Jennings online at:

Website | Facebook | Pinterest | Twitter

About Holding the Fort

Louisa Bell never wanted to be a dance-hall singer, but dire circumstances force her hand. With a little help from her brother in the cavalry, she’s able to make ends meet, but lately he’s run afoul of his commanding officer, so she undertakes a visit to straighten him out.

Major Daniel Adams has his hands full at Fort Reno. He can barely control his rowdy troops, much less his two adolescent daughters. If Daniel doesn’t find someone respectable to guide his children, his mother-in-law insists she’ll take them.

When Louisa arrives with some reading materials, she’s mistaken for the governess who never appeared. Major Adams is skeptical. She bears little resemblance to his idea of a governess–they’re not supposed to be so blamed pretty–but he’s left without recourse. His mother-in-law must be satisfied, which leaves him turning a blind eye to his unconventional governess’s methods. Louisa’s never faced so important a performance. Can she keep her act together long enough?

Find Holding the Fort online at:

Amazon | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

Read the introduction to Holding the Fort below:

11 December 2017

Bookish Question #37 | Do you enjoy reading Christmas stories?

I have to admit that I’m not the biggest fan of Christmas stories.

That’s mostly because I live in the Southern Hemisphere, which means our Christmas celebration marks the beginning of our summer holidays. Christmas is different Down Under.

I know a lot of people enjoy reading Christmas novels, perhaps because it gets them into the spirit of the Christmas season.

We don’t have snow. We have sand. At the beach.

We don’t have roaring log fires. Instead, we have the air con going full blast.

We don’t drink mulled wine (whether the alcoholic or non-alcoholic version). Who wants hot spiced wine in the middle of summer? Instead, we drink iced soft drinks—although it’s more likely to be Coca-cola or L&P than iced tea.

We might have the traditional Christmas dinner: roast turkey, ham, potatoes, kumera (the Maori name for sweet potatoes). And fresh asparagus—it’s in season. But we might also have a barbecue at home or on the beach. After all, it’s summer. Who wants to spend the day in a hot, steamy kitchen?

So I hope you can see why the traditional Christmas story doesn’t really appeal to me.

The one Christmas collection I did enjoy was the Aussie Summer Christmas novella collection. It’s no longer available as a collection, but the individual novellas are for sale on Kindle. They are:

Seaside Christmas by Narelle Atkins
A Christmas Resolution by Rose Dee
All is Bright by Andrea Grigg
Falling for Maddie Grace by Meredith Resce (I’m not a sports fan, but this was one of my favourites)
Melbourne Memories by Marion Ueckermann
Santa Next Door by Lacy Williams

What about you? Do you enjoy reading Christmas stories?

9 December 2017

Christmas Giveaway!

It’s almost Christmas!

I have teamed up with my critique partner, Jessica Kate, to bring you a giveaway of two of our favourite novels: Blue Ridge Sunrise by Denise Hunter, and Then There Was You by Kara Isaac.

[giveaway id=1610]

8 December 2017

First Line Friday | Week 19 | The House on Foster Hill

It’s Friday, which means it’s time to open the book nearest you and share the first line. Today I’m sharing from The House on Foster Hill by Jamie Jo Wright:

Is that creepy or what? I have to say I started reading this novel late at night, and that was a bad idea. I think it’s more suited for reading on a bright sunny day … when there are no creeping shadows in the house. Just saying.

About The Book

Kaine Prescott is no stranger to death. When her husband died two years ago, her pleas for further investigation into his suspicious death fell on deaf ears. In desperate need of a fresh start, Kaine purchases an old house sight unseen in her grandfather’s Wisconsin hometown. But one look at the eerie, abandoned house immediately leaves her questioning her rash decision. And when the house’s dark history comes back with a vengeance, Kaine is forced to face the terrifying realization she has nowhere left to hide.

A century earlier, the house on Foster Hill holds nothing but painful memories for Ivy Thorpe. When an unidentified woman is found dead on the property, Ivy is compelled to discover her identity. Ivy’s search leads her into dangerous waters and, even as she works together with a man from her past, can she unravel the mystery before any other lives–including her own–are lost?

Amazon US | Amazon AU | Amazon UK | Goodreads

Click the button to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today:

You can then click on the link which will take you to the master page, which holds all this week’s #FirstLineFriday posts.

And you can click here to check out my previous FirstLineFriday posts.