Author: Iola Goulton

8 April 2022

First Line Friday | Week #231 | Becoming Us by Kristen M Fraser

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. Today I’m sharing from Becoming Us by Kristen M Fraser, a new-to-me Australian Christian romance author. Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

What’s the book nearest you, and what’s the first line?

About Becoming Us

What hope is there when the pain of the past revisits the present?

Seven years ago, Melanie Coombes made a heart-breaking decision to protect the man she loved. Broken inside, she accepted her fate, worked hard, and buried her pain and disappointment in her career.

Managing a busy ER in Sea Haven Beach, she never expected to see Wade Acton again. Let alone work alongside him or discover her feelings from years before had never gone away.

But all too soon, old wounds are reopened, and the painful truth she’s harboured for so long is revealed when an unexpected family crisis thrusts her into the role of caretaker for her nephew.

After all their years apart, can Melanie find the strength to trust Wade with her truth? Will she relinquish her brokenness and trust God’s plans for a future filled with hope?

You can find Becoming Us online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

Click here to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today.

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

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

Don’t forget to click here to check out my Amazon shop for my top picks in Christian fiction!

5 April 2022

Bookish Question #223 | What makes a romance hero attractive to you?

Attractiveness is in the eye of the beholder, so what I find attractive (or not) isn’t necessarily what someone else might find attractive … and that’s okay.

I tend not to picture characters when I read.

I’m more interested in their personality and especially in how they treat other people (okay, other characters).

I consider an attractive romance hero to be one who is intelligent, hardworking, and puts the needs of others before himself (especially the needs of the heroine). He should be a Christian (well, I mostly read Christian romance so that should be a given), who is loving and caring and unselfish, who doesn’t get angry without good cause, and who is never abusive in any way.

Basically, an attractive romance hero is one who demonstrates the qualities in 1 Corinthians 13, with a side of Ephesians 4:2.

What about you? What makes a romance hero attractive to you?

4 April 2022

Book Review | What Matters Most by Courtney Walsh

Even though her husband has been dead for five years, Emma Woodson has only just moved to Nantucket to claim the cottage and adjoining apartment she inherited from him. Now she’s hoping this will be a fresh start for her and her son, CJ, once she gets a job and finds someone to clear out the apartment so she can rent that out in holiday season. Falling in love with her tenant was not on her to-do list, aka the Year of Emma.

Jameson Shaw came to Nantucket to deliver Emma a letter confessing his role in her husband’s death. But when she assumes he’s answered her want ad to renovate the apartment, he takes the job and doesn’t give her the letter. He soon finds himself developing feelings for Emma which makes it harder and harder to tell her the truth …

And we can all see that’s not a great foundation for a lasting relationship.

It’s obvious from the first chapter that Jamie has some kind of secret involving Cam, Emma’s dead husband. He doesn’t mention it immediately (and in his defence, it’s not his fault Emma jumped to 100% the wrong conclusion when she saw him). And I can understand why he didn’t tell her – there was no right time. But the bigger the secret and the longer it’s kept, the harder it is to reveal the truth … and that’s a big part of the tension in the story. It was done well, but the lying by omission still bugged me.

Emma also has a secret. It’s hinted at in the book description but we’re a long way through the novel before it’s mentioned, let alone revealed. In many ways, her secret is worse than Jamie’s, even if the results weren’t as catastrophic. In that, it kind of explains why she took so long to get over Cam’s death.

What Matters Most was Christian fiction at the low-key end of Christian.

Emma and Jamie each had their own internal journey to go through, and they both needed to forgive themselves sufficiently before they would even be in the right mental place to consider asking God’s forgiveness. (Fortunately, God forgives before we ask. But we can’t live in that forgiveness if we’re not ready to accept it.) Their eventual acceptance isn’t necessarily told on the page, but is shown by their actions. After all, actions speak louder than words.

What Matters Most by Courtney Walsh is a compelling romance with underlying themes of faith and forgiveness. #BookReview #ChristianRomance Share on X

So while What Matters Most isn’t overt in its presentation of Christianity, faith and forgiveness are definitely the underlying themes. In that, it’s a compelling story with a lot of kisses in the meantime.

Recommended for fans of contemporary Christian romance from authors like Kara Isaac, Carolyn Miller, and Becky Wade.

Thanks to Tyndale and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About the Author

Courtney Walsh is a novelist, artist, theater director, and playwright. Change of Heart is her fifth novel and is set in the same town as Paper Hearts. Her debut novel, A Sweethaven Summer, hit the New York Times and USA Today e-book bestseller lists and was a Carol Award finalist in the debut author category. She has written two additional books in the Sweethaven series, as well as two craft books and several full-length musicals. Courtney lives in Illinois where she and her husband own a performing and visual arts studio. They have three children.

Find Courtney Walsh online at …

About What Matters Most

Emma Woodson is hoping the cobblestone streets of Nantucket and the charm of her late husband’s family cottage will be the fresh start she and her young son, CJ, need. Securing a dream job at an art gallery is one more step along the path to a new life . . . and away from a piece of her history she hopes will never be revealed. Falling in love with the kind and handsome guy she hires to clean out the rental apartment above the garage wasn’t part of the plan.

Jameson Shaw came to Nantucket for one reason: deliver his letter to Emma and never return. But when he sees an opportunity to help her, he takes a chance, desperate to atone for his past. He never planned to keep his connection to her husband a secret or to fall in love with her. After all, he knows that their new relationship might not survive the discovery of who he really is.

Find What Matters Most online at:

Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

Don’t forget to click here to check out my Amazon shop for my top picks in Christian fiction!

1 April 2022

First Line Friday | Week #230 | Running Scared by Susan J Bruce

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. Today I’m sharing from Running Scared, the debut novel from Australian author Susan J Bruce. Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

What’s the book nearest you, and what’s the first line?

About Running Scared

My name is Melinda and this has been the worst year ever … We had to leave our family farm, Mum is in hospital, Dad is losing it and my freak-out-and-run arachnophobia is getting worse.

The one good thing in my world is Rory. Maybe he sees things differently because he’s been in a wheelchair for the past eight years, but Rory always knows how to make me laugh.

Problem is, Dad doesn’t want me anywhere near him. He doesn’t trust Rory or his family, especially as Rory’s brother is wanted by the police.

And now even I’m scared about what Rory might be hiding …

You can find Running Scared online at:

Amazon | Goodreads

Click here to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today.

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

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

Don’t forget to click here to check out my Amazon shop for my top picks in Christian fiction!

30 March 2022

Book Review | The Master Craftsman by Kelli Stuart

Ava Laine is the only child of archaeologist and treasure hunter Nick Laine (think Indiana Jones meets James Bond, with all the gadgets). But Nick left when she was a child, unable to tie himself down to the mundane life of father when there was treasure to be found. Now he’s dying, and he’s asked Ava to visit … and participate in one last treasure hunt. To find the previously unknown Fabergé egg.

Fabergé eggs? That got me hooked.

I don’t know where I first learned about Fabergé eggs, but they’ve always fascinated me. And when I realised this was a split-time story and the historical aspect was centred around the House of Fabergé , this was a must-read.

I was immediately fascinated by the historical portion, not just because of the Fabergé eggs but because one of the main characters was Alma Phil, a female designer in the House of Fabergé, Royal Jeweller to the Imperial Family. The House of Fabergé produced more than the famous (infamous?) eggs.

The historical portion of the story is fascinating in a macabre kind of way.

While it starts in 1894, time marches forward and we know 1918 is going to arrive all too soon. Yes, knowing history can be both a blessing and a curse when it comes to reading historical fiction (including split time). Knowing does heighten the suspense, but can also make for hard reading (who will live? Who won’t?). I will admit that I stopped reading a couple of times to try and delay the inevitable, and distracted myself with “researching” Fabergé eggs and Alma Phil on Wikipedia (which was also fascinating).

The modern portion was also full of suspense, in quite a different way.

What started as a potentially risky search for something that may or may not exist quickly escalated into the kind of full-on suspense befitting Indiana Jones or James Bond, but with Ava at the centre. There was a touch of romance, with two men vying for Ava’s affections – nick, the good-looking treasure hunter, and Zak, the nerdy IT guy who lives in Amy’s building, who she ropes into helping at the last minute.

The past story all takes place in Russia, and I enjoyed the virtual visit.

I’ve been to Moscow and St Petersburg and visited places in the story, like Khodynka Meadow and the Tsar’s palace (now the State Hermitage Museum). The present story moves from the USA to Russia, to find if the rumoured egg exists and where it might be. This is where the suspense kicks in, and Ava has to work out who she can trust.

The Master Craftsman by Kelli Stuart is a compelling split-time novel set in the USA and Russia, a treasure hunt for a missing Fabergé egg #ChristianRomance #BookReview Share on X

The best split time fiction has two equally compelling plots. The Master Craftsman certainly meets that standard. Recommended for fans of split time fiction, especially romantic suspense, and those who enjoyed The Russians series by Michael Phillips and Judith Pella.

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

About Kelli Stuart

Kelli Stuart is a writer and a storyteller at heart. A graduate of Baylor University with a degree in English Professional Writing, and a minor in the Russian language, Kelli has honed her skills in the written word through editing, ghostwriting, blogging, and traveling the world.

Kelli is the author of the Carol-award winning novel, Like a River From Its Course, based on true stories from Ukrainian World War II survivors. Her second novel, A Silver Willow by the Shore, was the NIEA winner for literary fiction and received the IPPY silver award for literary fiction in 2020.

Kelli has co-authored the non-fiction books Dare 2B Wise with Joe White, and Life Creative: Inspiration for Today’s Renaissance Mom with Wendy Speake. Kelli lives in Tampa, Florida with her husband and five children.

Find Kelli Stuart online at:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter

About The Master Craftsman

In 1917, Alma Pihl, a master craftsman in the House of Fabergé, was charged to protect one of the greatest secrets in Russian history–an unknown Fabergé Egg that Peter Karl Fabergé secretly created to honor his divided allegiance to both the people of Russia and the Imperial tsar’s family. When Alma and her husband escaped Russia for their native Finland in 1921, she took the secret with her, guarding her past connection to the Romanov family.

Three generations later, world-renowned treasure hunter Nick Laine is sick and fears the secret of the missing egg will die with him. With time running out, he entrusts the mission of retrieving the egg to his estranged daughter, Ava, who has little idea of the dangers she is about to face. As the stakes are raised, Ava is forced to declare her own allegiance–and the consequences are greater than she could have imagined.

You can find The Master Craftsman online at:

Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

Don’t forget to click here to check out my Amazon shop for my top picks in Christian fiction!

29 March 2022

Bookish Question #222 | What’s your view of characters in Christian fiction drinking alcohol?

I know many Christians who don’t drink alcohol. I know some who don’t drink tea or coffee or any other drink containing caffeine. These Christians believe there is a Biblical mandate not to drink, so they follow their beliefs and don’t drink.

But other Christians do drink alcohol. They give the example of Jesus turning water into wine, or quote Paul’s instructions to Timothy. It’s one of many topics that the Bible isn’t as clear on as some of us might like.

So should characters in Christian fiction drink alcohol?

Personally, it doesn’t bother me as long as they drink in moderation, and the drinking is either consistent with the character (if the character doesn’t have an issue with alcohol) or clearly presented as wrong (if they characters do have an issue with alcohol, or if they are under the legal drinking age).

What I don’t like is characters acting out of character.

I recently read a Christian novel where one of the Christian characters downed three strong cocktails in less than an hour, with predictable side-effects. I didn’t think this was necessary to the plot, and it left me wondering about the character. Was she really that stupid? Why did she accept the first drink, let alone the second and third?

It made a difference that the character was Christian—a churchgoing Christian who should have known better. My reaction might have been more charitable if the character hadn’t been a Christian (or hadn’t been a Christian yet).

I accept that drinking alcohol may sometimes be needed as a plot point. If so, fine. Just don’t add a drinking scene to be “hip” or “relevant”, the way some general market authors add sex scenes. Make the scene mean something. Make sure it has a point, and that drinking alcohol is the only or best way of making that point.

What do you think? What’s your view of characters drinking alcohol in Christian fiction?

25 March 2022

First Line Friday | Week #229 | Turn to Me by Becky Wade

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. Today I’m sharing from Turn to Me by Becky Wade, which releases in May … but I already have my review copy and couldn’t resist. Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

My review will post in early May—if you’ve read the first two books in the Misty River Romance series, you’ll definitely want to read this.

What’s the book nearest you, and what’s the first line?

About Turn to Me

His promise will cost him far more than he imagined.

Guilt has defined Luke Dempsey’s life, but it was self-destructiveness that landed him in prison. When his friend and fellow inmate lay dying shortly before Luke’s release, the older man revealed he left a string of clues for his daughter, Finley, that will lead her to the treasure he’s hidden. Worried that she won’t be the only one pursuing the treasure, he gains Luke’s promise to protect her until the end of her search.

Spunky and idealistic, Finley Sutherland is the owner of an animal rescue center and a defender of lost causes. She accepts Luke’s help on the treasure hunt while secretly planning to help him in return–by coaxing him to embrace the forgiveness he’s long denied himself.

As they draw closer to the final clue, their reasons for resisting each other begin to crumble, and Luke realizes his promise will push him to the limit in more ways than one. He’ll do his best to shield Finley from unseen threats, but who’s going to shield him from losing his heart?

You can find Turn to Me online at:

Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

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!

Don’t forget to click here to check out my Amazon shop for my top picks in Christian fiction!

23 March 2022

Book Review | Something Good by Vanessa Miller

Well, there’s plenty of conflict in Something Good.

Jon-Jon’s family is suffering financial because of his injuries in an accident that wasn’t his fault. Their insurance won’t pay for the operation he needs, and they’re not getting any help from Alexis Marshall, the woman who caused the accident.

Alexis wants to help, but her husband won’t let her because he thinks it will affect his big business deal. He’s too busy trying to present a perfect persona, which impacts on Alexis’s relationship with her mother.

Marquita Lewis has had a tough upbringing, with a mother who has serious mental health issues and who hasn’t been taught a lot of what we might think are the basics of life. When she shows up on the Marshall’s doorstep, it challenges them all.

The overriding theme of Something Good is implied by the title.

God can bring something good out of even the worst of circumstances if we let him. It’s a great theme, and the novel does a great job of showing this at the big-picture level.

My problems with Something Good were in the detail.

First, this book has a plot that shouldn’t be allowed to happen. I will admit to Kiwi privilege here: I live in a country with “socialist” national healthcare as well as separate state-funded medical insurance for those injured in accidents. As such, it grates that Jon-Jon’s medical expenses cause his family such financial stress. It’s a sad indictment on “the land of the free” that this plot is possible and all-too believable.

Second, there were a lot of editing issues e.g. misspelled words (e.g. Epson salt), awkward tense changes (maybe they’re in italic in the paper version, but they weren’t in my ebook review copy), repetition (arms and hands flailing in consecutive paragraphs, as though the sentence was moved but the original sentence not deleted), and weird dialogue tags (objected, joked).

But the main problem the dialogue—it felt wooden, unnatural, and inconsistent with the characters. The quality of the editing was an unpleasant surprise, because Thomas Nelson novels are usually edited to a much higher standard. The editing drew me out of the story many times which is a shame, because Something Good is a powerful story that deserves to be read.

In particular, I found Alexis an inspiring character.

Why? Because of her determination to hold onto God despite her circumstances, and her habit of praying her way through the bad times. I found that encouraging, and it’s great to see Thomas Nelson returning to their heritage of novels displaying strong Christian values. More, please!

Meanwhile, I look forward to exploring some of Vanessa Miller’s extensive list of previous novels.

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

About Vanessa Miller

Vanessa Miller is a bestselling author, with several books appearing on Essence Magazine’s Bestseller’s List. She has also been a Black Expressions Book Club Alternate pick and #1 on BCNN/BCBC Bestsellers’ List. Most of Vanessa’s published novels depict characters that are lost and in need of redemption. The books have received countless favorable reviews: “Heartwarming, drama-packed and tender in just the right places” (Romantic Times Book Review) and “Recommended for readers of redemption stories” (Library Journal).

Find Vanessa Miller online at:

Website | Facebook | Twitter

About Something Good

When three women find their lives inextricably linked after a terrible mistake, they must work together to make the most of their futures.

Alexis Marshall never meant to cause the accident that left Jon-Jon Robinson paralyzed—but though guilt plagues her, her husband hopes to put the past behind them. After all, he’s in the middle of selling a tech business—and if Alexis admits to texting while driving, the deal could collapse and cost them millions. Meanwhile, Alexis’s life is not as shiny and perfect as it may seem from the outside. She has secrets of her own. As she becomes consumed with thoughts of the young man she hit, can she reconcile her mistake with her husband’s expectations?

Trish Robinson is just trying to hold it together after the accident that left Jon-Jon dependent and depressed. As the bills pile up, Trish and her husband, Dwayne, find themselves at odds. Trish wants to forgive and move on, but Dwayne is filled with rage toward the entitled woman who altered their lives forever. Trish can’t see how anything good can come from so much hate and strife, so she determines to pray until God intervenes. Then one afternoon Marquita Lewis rings their doorbell with a baby in her arms and changes everything.

Vanessa Miller’s latest inspirational novel reminds readers that differences may separate us, but if we cling to each other, God can bring something good out of our very worst moments.

You can find Something Good online at:

Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

Don’t forget to click here to check out my Amazon shop for my top picks in Christian fiction!

22 March 2022

Bookish Question #221 | Do you like romance novels featuring older characters?

Most of the romance novels I read feature couples in their twenties or thirties.

I have to say I prefer slightly older characters, characters who are mature enough to know what they want out of life.

But romances with characters over the age of forty are rare. Part of the reason (problem?) is that there has to be a reason why older characters are unattached and looking for love. There are only three possible ways this can happen:

One or more of the characters are single, and have never married or had any significant relationships in their past. That raises a question: Why? Why are they still single? What circumstances or catastrophes have led to their singleness? There needs to be a reason … because otherwise we might (mis)judge the character.
The character is divorced, or has previous significant relationships akin to marriage. This raises a different question: What went wrong? Why did their previous relationship fail? Was it their fault, in part or in whole? Knowing the answer helps us know whether we’re going to like or dislike the character.
The character has been married before, but their spouse died. Well, that’s a fun plot, isn’t it? I know the novel starts well after they are over their grief, but it’s still in the background. And there is also the awkwardness of how many fictional Christian marriages end in an untimely death for one spouse because the author needs a widowed character …

I worry about the fictional marriages where the characters do get their happy-ever-after in their twenties, because reading Christian fiction tells me one of them is going to face a horrible death in the next ten years …

So while I don’t mind romance novels featuring older characters and I certainly have no problem with the over-forties finding love, I wouldn’t want to read too many of them … because every forty-something happy-ever-after is a twenty-something relationship that ended tragically.

What about you ? Do you like romance novels featuring older couples?

18 March 2022

First Line Friday | Week #228 | Love, Faith and Tender Kisses Collection

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. Today I’m sharing from another novella in the Love, Faith, and Tender Kisses collection—Falling for Maddie Grace by Meredith Resce. Here’s the first line from Chapter One:

I’m going to enjoy reading these novellas!

What’s the book nearest you, and what’s the first line?

About Love, Faith, and Tender Kisses

Boy meets girl. Man meets woman. Sparks fly. All good love stories start here and usually face a myriad of challenges before the young couple find that together they are better.

This set of Contemporary Christian romance stories come from writers across both sides of the pond and Downunder, proving that romance is not only a sweet thing, it’s global.

Here’s a set of stories to inspire, encourage faith, and meet all the warm-fuzzy expectations.

In this boxset, you’ll receive a total of seven novellas from these popular Christian Romance authors:

You can find Love, Faith, and Tender Kisses online at:

Amazon | Apple| Goodreads | Kobo

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.