Month: April 2018

12 April 2018

#Throwback Thursday | A Noble Masquerade by Kristi Ann Hunter

It’s Throwback Thursday, and today I’m sharing a review that originally appeared at Iola’s Christian Reads in September 2015. A Noble Masquerade was Kristi Ann Hunter’s debut novel, and it went on to win final in several awards, and won the 2016 Romance Writers of America RITA Award for Inspirational Romance. All were well deserved. I really must read this again!

A Noble Masquerade is Regency romance, my favourite historical period and one that is woefully underrepresented in Christian fiction. It’s also got a strong suspense plot, and it’s no secret romantic suspense is my favourite genre.

The book is off to a good start …

Lady Miranda Hawthorne might be titled and have been raised to be a lady, but she’s not a lady at heart. She has unladylike thoughts and sometimes does unladylike things, and she’s currently bemoaning her single state. For years, she’s been pouring her unladylike heart out to Marsh, her brother’s best friend since his school days. Not that she’s ever posted the letters. A single woman writing to a man is most unladylike.

But after one particularly stressful evening, in which Lady Miranda realises her shallow younger sister is going to eclipse her socially once she is “out”, Miranda finds herself in conversation with her brother’s new valet—his handsome new valet–and writing yet another letter to Marsh. Only the valet finds the letter and posts it, and a week later, Miranda gets a response from Marsh, the mysterious Duke of Marshington who no one has seen for nine long years. Oops.

Things soon get complicated.

Miranda finds herself fighting an attraction to Marlow, completely the wrong man, and getting to know Marsh through his letters … and finding herself attracted to him as well. Then the suspense plot takes hold, and I don’t want to say anything more because that would be a spoiler. You’ll just have to read it for yourself to find out what happens.

There were times when it didn’t seem like A Noble Masquerade was the first novel in the series at all.

It wasn’t as though I felt I was missing information, more that it felt like the characters had more history together than I was seeing on the page. When I checked Amazon, I found I was right: Kristi Ann Hunter also has a free prequel novella available, A Lady of Esteem. I obviously downloaded this immediately, and am planning to read it right after I finish this review …

A Noble Masquerade will appeal to fans of historical romance, especially Regency romance. The writing is excellent, with plenty of plot twists and turns, quirky characters and plenty of humour. But it’s definitely Christian fiction, and the faith elements are handled especially well. Recommended.

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

About Kristi Ann Hunter

Kristi is the RITA® award winning author of Regency romance novels from a Christian worldview. Her titles include A Noble Masquerade, An Elegant Façade, and An Uncommon Courtship. Beyond writing, she is also speaker, teaching classes in writing as well as Biblical and spiritual topics. She has spoken to writers’ groups, schools, and young women’s groups at churches.

When she is not writing or interacting with her readers, Kristi spends time with her family and her church. A graduate of Georgia Tech with a computer science degree, she can also be found fiddling with her computer in her free time. A born lover of stories she is also an avid reader. From very young she dreamed of sharing her own stories with others and praises God daily that she gets to live that dream today.

You can find Kristi Ann Hunter online at:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter

About A Noble Masquerade

Lady Miranda Hawthorne acts every inch the lady, but inside she longs to be bold and carefree. Entering her fourth Season and approaching spinsterhood in the eyes of society, she pours her innermost feelings out not in a diary but in letters to her brother’s old school friend, a duke–with no intention of ever sending these private thoughts to a man she’s heard stories about but never met. Meanwhile, she also finds herself intrigued by Marlow, her brother’s new valet, and although she may wish to break free of the strictures that bind her, falling in love with a servant is more of a rebellion than she planned.

When Marlow accidentally discovers and mails one of the letters to her unwitting confidant, Miranda is beyond mortified. And even more shocked when the duke returns her note with one of his own that initiates a courtship-by-mail. Insecurity about her lack of suitors shifts into confusion at her growing feelings for two men–one she’s never met but whose words deeply resonate with her heart, and one she has come to depend on but whose behavior is more and more suspicious. When it becomes apparent state secrets are at risk and Marlow is right in the thick of the conflict, one thing is certain: Miranda’s heart is far from all that’s at risk for the Hawthornes and those they love.

You can find A Noble Masquerade online at:

Amazon | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

Read the introduction to A Noble Masquerade below:

10 April 2018

Bookish Question #53 | Would you attend a Christian reader event?

First, what is a Christian reader event?

A Christian reader event is a reader-centric book fair where readers get the opportunity to meet and hear from authors.

The first I heard of was the Christian Fiction Readers Retreat held in 2016 in Nashville, Tennessee, the day before the annual American Christian Fiction Writers conference. The event attracted many popular Christian fiction authors attending the conference, including Kiwi Kara Isaac.

I also know Omega Writers, an Australasian organisation for Christian writers, have organised successful book fairs in Queensland to promote local Christian writers.

I’ve attended author events such as book launches or writer’s conferences, but I haven’t attended any reader events, much less a Christian reader event. This is mostly a factor of geography: to the best of my knowledge, there has never been a Christian reader event in my country (New Zealand), let alone in my city.

Would I attend a Christian reader event?

Yes, if it was close to where I live (say, within a two-hour drive), or if it was somewhere I was going to be anyway (e.g. the day before or after a writer’s conference I was attending). But I wouldn’t travel any further, both because of the time and the cost. Until then, I’ll have to be satisfied to stalk follow my favourite authors online, through their websites, newsletters, and social media.

What about you? Would you attend a Christian reader event? Let’s discuss in the comments.

9 April 2018

Book Review | Hurricane Season by Lauren K Denton

Hurricane Season is the story of two sisters, Betsy and Jenna. I will admit that I didn’t get this at first—I think of Betsy as an old-fashioned name, and I thought she was an old family friend … with an emphasis on the ‘old’. And my review copy didn’t make it clear in the subtitle the way Amazon does (the full title is Hurricane Season: A Southern Novel of Two Sisters and the Storms They Must Weather, which is a bit of a mouthful).

Betsy is a thirty-year-old farmer’s wife who is unable to conceive, so it’s poetic irony when Jenna calls and asks Betsy to babysit her two daughters so she can accept a scholarship to a photography retreat in Florida. Betsy agrees anyway, because that’s who she is, but Ty isn’t so happy about the arrangement.

Jenna has made a few bad decisions in her life, but loves her daughters and wants to be a good mom. That means she wants to do more with her life than make ends meet working in a cafe, so when she gets the opportunity to reconnect with her dream of being a professional photographer, she is both keen and scared.

Hurricane Season is an interesting and thought-provoking story that doesn’t run according to plan. Given the set-up, I had an idea of how it would finish, but I was around 80% wrong. That was both good and bad—my ending was the happy-ever-after emotionally fulfilling easy but unrealistic end. I guess Lauren K Denton doesn’t believe in easy. And that’s true to real life: things don’t come easy, and getting what we wish for doesn’t magically make everything perfect.

There are some good lines, inspiration for writers and other creatives, and the people who work with them:

I’d like to think I take that approach when working with writers.

However, I wouldn’t call Hurricane Season Christian fiction—while Betsy and Ty go to church, the faith element isn’t central to the plot or the journey of either Betsy or Jenna.

If you’re looking for a feel-good Christian romance, Hurricane Season isn’t the book for you.

But if you want a novel that addresses hard questions of wants and priorities and doesn’t tie up the ending in easy answers, Hurricane Season might be the novel you’re looking for.

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

About Lauren K Denton

Born and raised in Mobile, Alabama, Lauren now lives with her husband and two daughters in Homewood, just outside Birmingham. In addition to her fiction, she writes a monthly newspaper column about life, faith, and how funny (and hard) it is to be a parent. On any given day, she’d rather be at the beach with her family and a stack of books.

Find her at LaurenKDenton.com or on Facebook (LaurenKDentonAuthor), Instagram (LaurenKDentonBooks), or Twitter (@laurenkdenton).

You can find Lauren K Denton online at:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter

About Hurricane Season

Betsy and Ty Franklin, owners of Franklin Dairy Farm in southern Alabama, have long since buried their desire for children of their own. While Ty manages their herd of dairy cows, Betsy busies herself with the farm’s day-to-day operations and tries to forget her dream of motherhood. But when her free-spirited sister, Jenna, drops off her two young daughters for “just two weeks,” Betsy’s carefully constructed wall of self-protection begins to crumble.

As the two weeks stretch deeper into the Alabama summer, Betsy and Ty learn to navigate the new additions in their world—and revel in the laughter that now fills their home. Meanwhile, record temperatures promise to usher in the most active hurricane season in decades.

Attending an art retreat four hundred miles away, Jenna is fighting her own battles. She finally has time and energy to focus on her photography, a lifelong ambition. But she wonders how her rediscovered passion can fit in with the life she’s made back home as a single mom.

When Hurricane Ingrid aims a steady eye at the Alabama coast, Jenna must make a decision that will change her family’s future, even as Betsy and Ty try to protect their beloved farm and their hearts. Hurricane Season is the story of one family’s unconventional journey to healing—and the relationships that must be mended along the way.

You can find Hurricane Season online at:

Amazon | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

6 April 2018

First Line Friday | Week 36 | Winning Miss Winthrop

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 the wonderful Winning Miss Winthrop by Carolyn Miller.

Here’s the first line:

About Carolyn Miller

Carolyn Miller lives in the beautiful Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia. She is married, with four gorgeous children, who all love to read (and write!).

A longtime lover of Regency romance, Carolyn’s novels have won a number of Romance Writers of American (RWA) and American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) contests. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Australasian Christian Writers. Her favourite authors are classics like Jane Austen (of course!), Georgette Heyer, and Agatha Christie, but she also enjoys contemporary authors like Susan May Warren and Becky Wade.

Her stories are fun and witty, yet also deal with real issues, such as dealing with forgiveness, the nature of really loving versus ‘true love’, and other challenges we all face at different times.

Find Carolyn Miller online at:

Website | Facebook | Google+

Goodreads| Pinterest | Twitter

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

You can then click the link which will take you to the master page of 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!

5 April 2018

#ThrowbackThursday | A Fragile Hope by Cynthia Ruchti

It’s Throwback Thursday, and today I’m sharing my review of A Fragile Hope by Cynthia Ruchti. She is known for her emotional and exceptional writing, and A Fragile Hope proves both points. Even though I didn’t like the hero.

One of my ‘rules’ for reading and reviewing is that I have to like the main character—it’s hard to like a book (especially a romance) if you can’t stand the hero.

A Fragile Hope is the exception to that rule.

Josiah Chamberlain is one of the most self-absorbed men you could ever hope to meet. He’s a Christian relationship counsellor who has given up counselling in favour of writing best-selling self-help books while his wife dabbles in some little hobby ‘business’, selling home-made greeting cards.

But he’s forced to re-evaluate his life when Karin is involved in a fatal car accident. She ends up in ICU, unconscious. And she’s apparently pregnant … after they’ve been told Josiah can’t have children. This is the slightly frustrating cause of the Big Misunderstanding, something that could have been sorted out early in the novel. But Josiah is the man who always has the right answer so it never occurs to him that he hasn’t.

I didn’t like Josiah, but I kept reading out of some kind of macabre fascination. Would Mr Intelligent get a clue? And when?

The other reason I kept reading was because of the writing. There were so much great writing, so many great lines. I appreciated the way the Christian themes were woven in, strong but not overwhelming or out of place.

Overall, recommended for the outstanding writing, thought-provoking Christian themes, and a great character-driven story. Thanks to Abingdon Press and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About Cynthia Ruchti

Cynthia Ruchti tells stories hemmed-in-Hope through her novels and novellas, nonfiction books and devotionals, and through speaking for women’s and writers’ events. Her books have been recognized by many top industry readers’, reviewers’, library, retailer, and other honors.

Cynthia is the Professional Relations Liaison for American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and a literary agent with Books & Such Literary Management. She and her plot-tweaking husband live in the heart of Wisconsin, not far from their three children and five (to date) grandchildren.

You can find Cynthia online at:

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram | Twitter

About A Fragile Hope

Josiah Chamberlain’s life’s work revolves around repairing other people’s marriages. When his own is threatened by his wife’s unexplained distance, and then threatened further when she’s unexpectedly plunged into an unending fog, Josiah finds his expertise, quick wit and clever quips are no match for a relationship that is clearly broken.

Feeling betrayed, confused, and ill-equipped for a crisis this crippling, he reexamines everything he knows about the fragility of hope and the strength of his faith and love. Love seems to have failed him. Will what’s left of his faith fail him, too? Or will it be the one thing that holds him together and sears through the impenetrable wall that separates them?

You can find A Fragile Hope online at:

Amazon | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

You can read the introduction to A Fragile Hope below:

4 April 2018

New Releases in Christian Fiction from ACFW | April 2018

Welcome to April! Today I’m sharing the new releases in Christian Fiction from American Christian Fiction Writers for April 2018. More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website.

Which of these books are you planning to read this month?

Contemporary Romance:

Pelican Point by Irene Hannon — After inheriting a crumbling lighthouse, ex-Army doctor Ben Garrison wants to sell it. But Hope Harbor Herald editor Marci Weber is determined to save the town landmark. Can these two romance-wary souls finds a meeting of the minds…and hearts? (Contemporary Romance from Revell – A Division of Baker Publishing)

An Amish Heirloom by Amy Clipston, Kathleen Fuller, Kelly Irvin, and Beth Wiseman — From bestselling Amish authors come four novellas about the meaning and tradition found behind every family heirloom. (Contemporary Romance from HarperCollins Christian Publishing)

Historical Romance:

This Wilderness Journey by Misty Beller — He’s been sent to retrieve the new missionary… But she’s not at all who he expects to find. (Historical Romance, Independently Published)

The Accidental Guardian by Mary Connealy — Deborah and her sister and two little children survive a wagon train massacre. Trace finds them and takes them home. He finds himself their accidental guardian. He must protect them all and gain justice. When he does, all these friendly visitors–especially Deborah–will leave him forever. (Historical Romance from Bethany House [Baker])

First Love Forever Romance Collection by Susanne Dietze, Marcia Gruver, Cynthia Hickey, Carrie Fancette Pagels, Martha Rogers, Lorna Seilstad, Connie Stevens, Erica Vetsch, and Jennifer Uhlarik — Coming face to face with a lost love can be awkward when the heartstrings are still holding on to the “what ifs.” In settings from 1865 to 1910, nine couples are thrown back on the same path by life’s changes and challenges. Can love rekindle despite the separation of time and space? (Historical Romance from Barbour Publishing)

All Things Beautiful by Keely Brooke Keith — It’s 1868 in the settlement of Good Springs, and Hannah Vestal is passionate about writing fiction and keeping her stories to herself. When her father asks to read her work, she decides to have it printed secretly for his 50th birthday. Hannah tries to arrange the printing with the settlement’s pressman, but the witty and dapper Henry Roberts has better things to do with his ink.

In order to secure settlement support for his printing press, the elder council says Henry must print an error-free copy of the New Testament before the settlement’s 8th anniversary celebration. He is determined to meet their challenge, but when the enigmatic Hannah proves to be a beguiling distraction, Henry longs for something more than a life at the letterpress. (Historical Romance from Edenbrooke Press)

This is on my to-read-and-review pile. It’s classified as historical fiction, but it also has speculative elements, as the settlement of Good Springs is in the hidden Land from the Uncharted series.

Adoration by Olivia Rae — Sir Darrin de Longue is desperate to get his lands back from Lady Faith de Sainte-Marie, the woman who betrayed him and may have had a hand in his father’s murder. But King Richard discloses on his deathbed that Lady Faith is the king’s daughter and then issues an ultimatum Darrin must obey. In order to reclaim his lands, he must marry Lady Faith and get her with child in a year’s time.

Lady Faith has loved the rowdy and bold Sir Darrin since childhood, but cannot be a true wife to the bitter, angry man whom she has wed. In order to gain his trust and love, she vows to find the truth about his father’s murder. But when she stumbles upon deadly secrets, will she be able to prove her innocence–and his–to erase the past and win Darrin’s heart? (Historical Romance from HopeKnight Press)

Under Prairie Skies by Cynthia Roemer — Illinois prairie, 1855. Unsettled by the news that her estranged cousin and uncle are returning home after a year away, Charlotte Stanton goes to ready their cabin and finds a handsome stranger has taken up residence. Convinced he’s a squatter, she throws him off the property before learning his full identity. Little does she know, their paths are destined to cross again.

Quiet and ruggedly handsome, Chad Avery’s uncanny ability to see through Charlotte’s feisty exterior and expose her inner weaknesses both infuriates and intrigues her. When a tragic accident incites her family to move east, Charlotte stays behind in hopes of becoming better acquainted with the elusive cattleman. Yet Chad’s unwillingness to divulge his hidden past, along with his vow not to love again, threatens to keep them apart forever. (Historical Romance from Mantle Rock Publishing)

The Pirate Bride by Kathleen Y’Barbo — The last time New Orleans attorney Jean-Luc Valmont saw Maribel Cordoba, a Spanish nobleman’s daughter, she was an eleven-year-old orphan perched in the riggings of his privateering vessel proving herself as the best lookout on his crew. Until the day his infamy caught up with them all and innocent lives were lost.

Unsure why he survived but vowing to make something of the chance he was given, Jean-Luc has buried his past life so deep that no living person will ever find it—until a very much alive and very grown up Maribel Cordoba arrives on his doorstep and threatens all he now holds dear. (Historical Romance from Barbour Publishing)

General Contemporary:

Shadows of Hope by Georgiana Daniels — Crisis pregnancy worker Marissa Moreau suspects her husband is cheating, but little does she know how close to home her husband’s infidelity hits. College student Kaitlyn Farrows is floundering after a relationship with her professor leaves her pregnant. Soon she lands a job and a support system at the local pregnancy resource center and things seem to be turning around.

But when Marissa and Kaitlyn become friends, neither one knows they share a connection—Colin, Marissa’s husband and Kaitlyn’s former professor. When their private lives collide, the two women must face the ultimate test of their faith and choose how to move forward as they live in the shadows of hope. (General Contemporary from Barbour Publishing)

I’ve already read and reviewed this—it’s excellent. Click here to read my review.

Romantic Suspense:

Secret Past by Sharee Stover — With gunmen at her doorstep, Katie Tribani learns her true identity. She’s been in witness protection since childhood, and now her crime-lord father has found her. (Romantic Suspense from Love Inspired [Harlequin])

Young Adult:

Chase by Glenn Haggerty — Tyler, a middle school newbie, shadows drug runners to rat out the methamphetamine dealer before his friend turns into a brain-dead druggie. (Young Adult, Independently Published)

3 April 2018

Bookish Question #52 | Do you read print books or ebooks or both?

It’s a little over ten years since Amazon released their first-generation Kindle e-reader, which sold out in less than six hours (and it was almost six months before it was back in stock).

Since then, we’ve seen a range of ereader options released, including Kobo and Nook readers. We’ve also seen all the major booksellers develop their own ereader apps. Now anyone can read ebooks, whether on a dedicated ereader, or on another device such as a smartphone, tablet, or computer.

Which leads to this week’s question: Do you read print books or ebooks or both?

I have to admit that I don’t have the patience to read an entire novel on the computer. I already read a lot of blog posts on the computer. Also, I always want to make changes, because I do my freelance editing on the computer. I’m also not a fan of reading on my iPhone—the screen is too small.

But I’m a huge fan of the Kindle, and I’m at the point where if I have the choice of a print book or an ebook, I’ll almost always choose the ebook.

Why?

It’s lighter and easier to hold than a print book.
I can adjust the font size if necessary.
It’s easier—I can hold the Kindle and turn the pages all with one hand.
Even at full price, an ebook is around half the price of buying the print book in New Zealand.
I have access to a wider range of books—the fiction range in my local Christian bookstore is pitifully small in comparison.
I have access to free ebooks because I’m a reviewer.

There are some books I still prefer to read in print form:

The Bible
Reference books such as the dictionary or style manuals (not that I “read” those like one would read a novel!)
Non-fiction books such as books on writing craft (although I still read a lot of those on Kindle, either because I get review copies or because of the relative cost of the print book vs. the ebook.

What about you? Do you read print books, ebooks, or both? Let me know in the comments.

2 April 2018

Book Review | Shadows of Hope by Georgiana Daniels

Shadows of Hope is not the feel-good romance novel I usually read and review.

Instead, it’s a thoroughly modern novel where messed-up characters have to wade the confusing waters of consequences, and there is no trite or easy answer with no convenient divorces or deaths (ironically, the plot twists in the two previous novels I read with similar moral quandaries).

Marissa is forty, infertile, and wants a baby—a want made worse by working in a pregnancy resource centre, and being married to a man she suspects of wandering. Kaitlyn is the barista at Marissa’s favourite coffee shop, a twenty-six year-old college student who is secretly dating one of her professors. Colin is a biology professor who breaks off his illicit relationship as he finds out he’s up for tenure. Now if only she’d stop trying to contact him …

Kaitlyn discovers she’s pregnant, but Colin has broken it off and she can’t tell him. She does tell Marissa, not realising she’s Colin’s wife. But we know, and that one small secret drives much of the tension. When will Marissa find out? What will she do when she does? How will she cope in the meantime?

The writing was excellent.

The author delves into the emotions of three people who’ve all made mistakes in their relationships, mistakes which mean there is no easy answer, no possible ending that will satisfy everyone. The story wasn’t predictable, and I liked that because it felt authentic in a way a feel-good romance ending would have felt contrived and false.

The spiritual aspects were also interesting: Marissa and Kaitlyn were both raised as Christians, but both fell away from the church. Marissa got more involved in church after she married, but Colin never did (which caused some friction). Interesting …

Recommended for those who enjoy contemporary Christian fiction that deals with the real-life issues that don’t have easy answers.

Thanks to Barbour Publishing and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About Georgiana Daniels

As a Christian author and homeschooling mom, my life is random and often chaotic—but abundantly blessed! I’m the wife of a super-charged husband and the mother of three high-energy daughters, and as such I’ve become a master at spinning plates—until they crash and I remember how much I need God’s grace. The journey is filled with both good times and extraordinary challenges, and now I’d like to peel back the curtain and share some of it with you!

Whether you’re a reader who desires fiction where the characters’ lives are challenged in unimaginable ways, or you’re a writer who needs a little encouragement—I have a heart for you!

My hope is that you’ll be inspired and motivated. Motivated to love more and live bigger no matter what’s happening. Because I get it…I know that life doesn’t always turn out the way we plan. But we can trust there’s a bigger plan at work!

Come along and join me for real life…real hope…real fiction.

You can find Georgiana Daniels online at:

About Shadows of Hope

A story of hope in the aftermath of inconceivable betrayal and broken dreams

What if. . .

. . .you struggled with infertility but unknowingly befriended your husband’s pregnant mistress?

What if. . .

. . .the woman you were seeing behind your wife’s back gets pregnant, threatening your job and marriage?

What if. . .

. . .your boyfriend never told you he was married and you discover you’re pregnant?

Crisis pregnancy worker Marissa Moreau suspects her husband is cheating, but little does she know how close to home her husband’s infidelity hits. College student Kaitlyn Farrows is floundering after a relationship with her professor leaves her pregnant. Soon she lands a job and a support system at the local pregnancy resource center and things seem to be turning around. But when Marissa and Kaitlyn become friends, neither one knows they share a connection—Colin, Marissa’s husband and Kaitlyn’s former professor. When their private lives collide, the two women must face the ultimate test of their faith and choose how to move forward as they live in the shadows of hope.

You can find Shadows of Hope online at:

Amazon | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong