Author: Iola Goulton

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:

Fake Engagement Mistake © 2021 by Lisa Renee
Last Flight Home © 2021 Milla Holt
Falling for Maddie Grace © 2021 Meredith Resce
The Billionaire’s Impromptu Bet © 2021 Lorana Hoopes
His Perfect Catch © 2021 Narelle Atkins
Originally Yours © 2021 Carolyn Miller
Imperfectly Proverbs 31 © 2021 Autumn Macarthur

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.

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!

15 March 2022

Bookish Question #220 | Do you know of any novels with scenes featuring tea?

The British Empire was built on tea: morning tea, afternoon tea, and tea with supper.

As such, it shouldn’t be any surprise that the novels I can think of with tea are from British authors, Commonwealth authors, or novels set in the British Empire.

In All the Tea in China by Jane Orcutt, the hero is returning to China to find and source the famed white tea. there are several scenes where he discusses his plans with the heroine.

The characters in Carol Preston’s Australian historical romances often discuss their day and their problems over a cup of tea. In fact, most of the action happens over the teacups.

Many of Carolyn Miller’s Regency romances feature characters conversing over a cup of tea. It was the drink of choice when one’s morning visitors arrived.

I know all these novels had tea scenes, and I’m sure some were significant. However, I can’t actually think of any 🙁

Can you think of any significant scenes or novels featuring tea? What do you recommend?

14 March 2022

Book Review | The Mozart Code by Rachel McMillan

The Mozart Code is a kind-of sequel to The London Restoration.

The two main characters of The London Restoration also feature as minor characters in The Mozart Code, and the characters all know each other (and have done since the War).

It’s also a kind-of sequel in that both novels are set in post-World War II Europe. Both feature characters who worked at Bletchley Park. Both feature couples in unconventional marriages. Both flit between the post-war setting, and scenes before or during the war. And both stories are ostensibly Christian, but the themes are subtle. Very subtle (I’ve read general market historical fiction with more obvious faith elements).

I listened to the audiobook version of The London Restoration, and found it very slow. However, that’s a common issue I have with audiobooks, so I put it down to the fact audiobooks (even on double speed) are slower than I read. I also found aspects of the story difficult to follow, but again put that down to the audiobook experience. I know a lot of people love audiobooks. I am not one of them, but that’s on me, not the author.

I therefore made a conscious choice to read The Mozart Code, not listen to the audiobook. Unfortunately, I found that I had the same issues with the written version.

The writing is beautiful. Outstanding.

But the story was slow, and the book didn’t deliver what I was expecting: suspense and espionage in post-war Europe. The book description suggests the story is about Sophia searching for Mozart’s death mask for two competing clients, but there was little searching or investigating. Instead, there was a lot of focus on Mozart (not unexpected, given the title), chess, and Simon’s background, and nothing to show what Sophia was or wasn’t doing to find the mask.

I’ve read and very much enjoyed Rachel McMillan’s contemporary romance novels. But I’m not a fan of her historic novels, despite the beautiful and literary style of writing. Or perhaps because the beautiful and literary style of writing got in the way of delivering on the plot promised in the book description.

Finally, I will add a content warning: there was some torture, which I skipped/skimmed. That came late in the story, so didn’t impact on my view of the novel.

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

About Rachel McMillan

Rachel McMillan is the author of the Herringford and Watts mysteries, the Three Quarter Time series of contemporary romances set in opulent Vienna, and the Van Buren and DeLuca mysteries praised for bringing an authentic 1930’s Boston world to life while normalizing the fictional conversation surrounding mental illness. She is also the author of Dream, Plan and Go: A Romantic’s Guide to Independent Travel and A Very Merry Holiday Movie Guide: which explores her love of made-for-TV Christmas movies. Her upcoming historical romances The London Restoration and The Mozart Code (Harper Collins) take readers deep into an atmospheric look of post-war London, Vienna and Prague. Rachel lives in Toronto, Canada.

Find Rachel online at:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter

About The Mozart Code

No matter how you might try to hide in a war to escape your past, it is always close at hand.

Lady Sophia Huntington Villiers is no stranger to intrigue, as her work with Alan Turing’s Bombe Machines at Bletchley Park during the war attests. Now, as part of Simon Barre’s covert team in post-war Vienna, she uses her inimitable charm and code name Starling to infiltrate the world of relics: uncovering vital information that could tilt the stakes of the mounting Cold War. When several influential men charge her with finding the death mask of Mozart, Sophie wonders if there is more than the composer’s legacy at stake and finds herself drawn to potential answers in Prague.

Simon Barrington, the illegitimate heir of one of Sussex’s oldest estates, used the previous war to hide his insecurities about his past. Now, he uses his high breeding to gain access to all four allied quarters of the ruined city in an attempt to slow the fall of the Iron Curtain. He has been in love with Sophie Villiers since the moment he met her, and a marriage of convenience to save Simon’s estate has always kept her close. Until now, when Sophie’s mysterious client in Prague forces him to wonder if her allegiance to him—and their cause—is in question. Torn between his loyalty to his cause and his heart, Simon seeks answers about Sophie only to learn that everything he thought he knew about his involvement in both wars is based on a lie.

You can find The Mozart Code 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!

11 March 2022

First Line Friday | Week #227 | Checked Impressions by Carolyn Miller

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 Checked Impressions by Australian author Carolyn Miller, the third book in her Original Six Hockey contemporary romance series.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

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

About Checked Impressions

Sparks fly when a hometown hockey hero meets a classy art-loving museum guide hiding a secret…

Jai Mullins is used to being the fastest man on ice. Trouble is, his ability to find a genuine woman is tracking at glacial melt levels. He’s trusting God she’s out there, but he’s wary of getting trapped by a superfan, when all he wants is someone with whom he can be real.

Allie Davis has two great loves: impressionist art and hockey. More specifically, a certain hockey player. But between her shyness and her family, she’s convinced she’ll never meet him, let alone connect with him in a non-embarrassing way.

Until she does. And they connect. And romance sparks.

But she is hiding a big secret, and he’s about to find that first impressions sometimes need a reality check. Will they learn to trust and find a way forward, or will half-truths lead to further hurt on opposite sides of the country and lonely lives?

This Windy City romance has plenty of heart, humor, and swoon-worthy kisses in the third book of the Original Six, a sweet, slightly sporty Christian contemporary romance series.

You can find Checked Impressions online at:

Amazon | 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!

8 March 2022

Bookish Question #219 | What’s your favourite fictional service?

What’s your favourite fictional service: army, navy, air force, or marines?

Tough question.

I could say army, because my son is in the army, as was my grandfather and great-grandfather.

I could say Air Force, because I was an Air Force cadet as a teenager and later discovered my other grandfather served in the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War II (even though he was Welsh).

I could say Marines, because my Army grandfather also spent time in the Royal Marines (which is part of the British Army, not a separate service as it is in the USA).

I could say Navy, because my father was in the merchant navy (although in peacetime, not during a war).

You can probably see a theme: British armed services.

All my family are British, so my preference is stories about British or Commonwealth services. But it’s an unfortunate reality that most Christian fiction is written for a US audience, so the characters tend to be American—even in military novels set in wartime England.

But none of that helps decide on my favourite fictional service.

I like variety, so I’m going to choose army stories.

Why? Because the army has a wider range of trades, including a lot of interesting specialisations. That gives a lot more scope for stories that feature original stories and unusual occupations, and I love reading something new.

Do you have a favourite fictional (or real) service? Which one, and why?

7 March 2022

Book Review | Love, Faith & Tender Kisses

This is a collection of international contemporary Christian romance novellas by seven different authors from Australia, England, and the USA. It is published by The Collaborative Press from Australia, which explains why four of the seven authors are Australian (five, if you count Autumn Macarthur who is from Australia but now lives in England).

I had already read three of the stories, either in previous limited-time novella collections, or via Amazon.

I’ve now read six of the seven, and have enjoyed all of them.

Fake Engagement Mistake by Lisa Renee

This is probably the first Christian romance I’ve read and enjoyed that features an an accountant as the hero. I don’t have anything against accountants (I’m married to one), but other Christian romance I’ve read with accountants haven’t painted them as loveable heroes. (They’ve been boring.) I love the fact the accountant ends up with someone who is his opposite, yet they’re a perfect match. My only criticism is that it ended too soon 😉

I have another book in this series waiting on my Kindle, and I’m looking forward to reading it.

Last Flight Home by Milla Holt

This is a second-chance romance with surprising depth for a novella-length story. Macey broke her engagement with Caleb when he sided with their friend Josh, who had cheated on his fiance. Macey, naturally enough, saw that as condoning Josh’s behaviour. It’s a tough situation, and I liked the way the characters worked through it, and especially the way their Chritian faith was interwoven into the story.

Falling for Maddie Grace by Meredith Resce

I think I’ve now read this story at least three times, even though I have exactly zero interest in Aussie Rules football. It gets better each time I read it. It’s the story of an AFL player who falls for (literally and romantically) the AFLs first female referee.

The Billionaire’s Impromptu Bet by Lorana Hoopes

I know billionaire romances are hugely popular with many readers, but it’s not my favourite genre … so this is the novella I’ve yet to read. I will 🙂

His Perfect Catch by Narelle Atkins

This features Mia, who has run away from her life in Sydney after a too-public split with her boyfriend. She’s now hiding in a friend’s house in Sapphire Bay, and living next door to hear teenage crush, Pete. Unfortunately, Pete thinks Mia is the same high-mainteance girl as his ex, so the course of true love is not going to run smooth.

Originally Yours by Carolyn Miller

This is set in a US Bible college that forbids fraternising. not that Gloria intends to fraternise. She’s here to find the ministry god has for her, not find a man. I liked her attitude:

I don’t think a woman needs a man to complete her. That’s God’s job.

Yes, I’m a Carolyn Miller fan, and it’s because of the way she weaves counter-cultural yet Biblical truths into her stories.

Imperfectly Proverbs 31 by Autumn Macarthur

This is the story of blogger Samantha rose, whose Perfectly Proverbs 31 blog has gone viral and who is now being interviewed by a handsome reporter determined to prove she’s a liar. Which she’s not. Sure, she can’t cook, can’t bake, and the house is never clean, but she never said she baked or cooked . She just never said she didn’t …

Lying is a tough premise to make work in Christian fiction, but this novella does it brilliantly. I think this was my favourite of the collection, because I loved the idea of the accidental viral blogger.

What I liked most about this collection was that all the stories were unashamedly Christian, with characters who were doing their best to live out their faith. I also appreciated the humour – I’m always a fan of a romance that can make me laugh as well as make me think.

Recommended for anyone looking for some uplifting Christian romance novellas.

Thanks to The Collaborative Press for providing a free ebook for review.

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:

Fake Engagement Mistake © 2021 by Lisa Renee
Last Flight Home © 2021 Milla Holt
Falling for Maddie Grace © 2021 Meredith Resce
The Billionaire’s Impromptu Bet © 2021 Lorana Hoopes
His Perfect Catch © 2021 Narelle Atkins
Originally Yours © 2021 Carolyn Miller
Imperfectly Proverbs 31 © 2021 Autumn Macarthur

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

Amazon | Apple| Goodreads | Kobo

4 March 2022

First Line Friday | Week #226 | 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 Fake Engagement Mistake by Lisa Renee, which is the first novella in the new Love, Faith, and Tender Kisses collection. 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:

Fake Engagement Mistake © 2021 by Lisa Renee
Last Flight Home © 2021 Milla Holt
Falling for Maddie Grace © 2021 Meredith Resce
The Billionaire’s Impromptu Bet © 2021 Lorana Hoopes
His Perfect Catch © 2021 Narelle Atkins
Originally Yours © 2021 Carolyn Miller
Imperfectly Proverbs 31 © 2021 Autumn Macarthur

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.

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!

2 March 2022

Bookish Question #218 | Do You Enjoy Novels with Military Themes?

First, a disclaimer: I don’t make these questions up each week. I collaborate with Australasian Christian Writers on these questions, and we finalised the 2022 questions in December 2021. So the fact I’m posting this just as Russian invades the Ukraine is pure coincidence.

I definitely enjoy novels with military characters. I can think of several series I’ve enjoyed:

Don Brown’s series about US Navy lawyers – I enjoyed the TV show, JAG, and this series was a Christian equivalent.
Dee Henderson’s True series, set against the backdrop of 9/11 and the war in the Middle East.
Sarah Sundin’s Sunrise at Normandy series, which shows the story of the Prodigal Son from different points of view.

But those are the characters. What about the themes?

Novels with military characters and themes tend to show the best of the military (unlike, say, novels about law enforcement officers. Too many novels show police officers are corrupt, stupid, or both).

Military fiction, especially Christian ones, tend to show the characters as strong and noble, people who are prepared to sacrifice and put others before themselves.

Perhaps it comes back to John 15:13: stories with military themes remind us that the greatest love is to lay down our lives for our friends.

In that respect, novels with military themes reflect Christian values. Perhaps that’s why I like military fiction—it shows humanity at our best, not our worst.

What about you? Do you enjoy novels with military characters or themes? Why or why not?

28 February 2022

Book Review | Postcards by Elizabeth Maddrey

Cecily has just landed a big project for her company and is looking forward to managing her first project when her boss dumps a bombshell: he’s hired Owen Chandler to take over the project. Unfortunately, her sister and sounding board has just left the country after dropping a bombshell of her own: she’s been diagnosed with terminal cancer. She’s even cancelled her mobile, so Cecily can’t even text her. Instead, she finds herself texting the random stranger who now has Leila’s number.

Work improves, and Cecily finds herself hanging out with Owen outside of work – they have the same taste in movies, and go to the same church. But he’s just a friend.

After all, everyone who loves her ends up leaving her …

There was so much to like about this novel. To start with, Postcards is written in first person. I know that’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but I love it as a way of getting inside the character’s head.

Postcards has a heroine with the unusual job. The fact she enjoyed her job and was really good at it was a bonus (I love to read about women who are good at things, especially areas such as IT or STEM which are often male-dominated).

And there were other things I loved: The postcards Leila sent as she travelled. The way Cecily investigated the places her sister visited (many of which I’ve visited too). Cecily’s snarky tone (particularly her attitude to exercise). The way Cecily’s Christian faith was intertwined into the novel. Her relationship with her sister.

The fact Cecily isn’t afraid to stand up for herself at work. The fact money wasn’t an issue (I’m not a fan of novels where someone’s financial problems are a major plot points. It’s an unpleasant reminder of some of the systemic failures in our society, and I’m generally reading romance to escape. If I want Big Issues, I’ll choose women’s fiction).

Overall, Postcards ticked all my boxes for contemporary Christian Romance: intelligent heroine, great hero, excellent writing, and a strong Christian thread.

Overall, Postcards by @ElizabethMaddre ticked all my boxes for contemporary Christian Romance: intelligent heroine, great hero, excellent writing, and a strong Christian thread. #BookReview #ChristianRomance Share on X

There were also links back to Elizabeth Maddrey’s Operation Romance series, which I read over the Christmas break. It was great to catch up with some of those characters again.

Recommended for Christian romance fans, especially if you’ve already read the Operation Romance series.

About Elizabeth Maddrey

Elizabeth Maddrey is a semi-reformed computer geek and homeschooling mother of two who loves a good happily ever after.

She began writing stories as soon as she could form the letters properly and has never looked back. Though her practical nature and love of computers, math, and organization steered her into computer science at Wheaton College, she always had one or more stories in progress to occupy her free time. This continued through a Master’s program in Software Engineering, several years in the computer industry, teaching programming at the college level, and a Ph.D. in Computer Technology in Education. When she isn’t writing, Elizabeth is a voracious consumer of books and has mastered the art of reading while undertaking just about any other activity.

She lives in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. with her husband and their two incredibly active little boys.

Find Elizabeth Maddrey online at:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

About Postcards

Turns out, my sister was serious about everything she said in that phone call.

The cancer.
The leaving.
The postcards.

So I was already struggling to figure out just what God thought He was doing. And then my boss introduced me to the guy who would be taking over the new project.

My project.

Sure, Owen’s hot. And so what if he has the world’s most impressive resume? He’s not getting my job without a fight.
And my job isn’t the only thing I’m not going to surrender.

I’m also not going to let Owen take over my heart.

You can find Postcards online at:

Amazon | BookBub| Goodreads

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

25 February 2022

First Line Friday | Week #225 | The Mozart Code by Rachel McMillan

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 The Mozart Code by Rachel McMillan, which is set in post-World War II Vienna, Austria.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

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

About The Mozart Code

No matter how you might try to hide in a war to escape your past, it is always close at hand.

You can find The Mozart Code 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.