Author: Iola Goulton

Do you like weddings in Christian romance?

Bookish Question #204 | Do you like weddings in Christian romance?

The whole point of a romance novel is that the two main characters end up with their “Happy Ever After” ending.

As such, many readers want and even expect the novel to end on a proposal or wedding scene.

I am not that reader.

I’m perfectly happy to read a proposal scene or a wedding scene, but only if it fits the story. As a general rule, this means I want to see the couple are emotionally and spiritually mature enough to make that decision. I don’t like proposal or wedding scenes that feel rushed, as though the characters don’t know each other well enough yet to make that kind of decision.

This is especially important in shorter books—novellas and short novels—which tend to take place over a condensed period of time. Yes, I know some people meet and marry within months or even weeks and go on to have long and successful marriages. But divorce statistics suggest these people are the minority, not the norm.

The other reason I don’t like the novel that ends with a proposal or marriage is because it often feels contrived. It feels as though the author has decided the book must end with a marriage, rather than the marriage being the logical emotional conclusion for the couple. It can feel manipulative, and I don’t like that. It feels like the characters are being forced into marriage rather than making that decision themselves.

This is one of the reasons why I enjoy reading books in a series.

While I don’t want the couple who first met on page one to be married by page three hundred, I do enjoy a good wedding. the right place for that wedding might be in the second or third book in the series.

A wedding at the beginning of book two or three can be a great way to connect the two stories and introduce the new couple. A wedding in the middle of another book can be a great emotional turning point, where the hero and heroine realise they want to be together.

What about you? Do you like weddings in a Christian romance?

What’s the best proposal or wedding scene you’ve read?

I didn’t say you look beautiful; I said you are beautiful.

Book Review | Uncharted Courage (Land Uncharted #10) by Keely Brooke Keith

Bailey Colburn is feeling unsettled, so takes a trip to the village of Good Springs to visit old friends and get advice from the village elder, John Colburn. She visits over spring equinox, the one time of year when a change in atmospheric conditions allows newcomers to enter the Land. And someone does … actually, two people.

Revel is enjoying his role as island courier now he’s had his father’s blessing to take the role and not take over the family inn. Now, if he can only get Bailey to see how he feels about her. But first he has to share the information the newcomer brought.

Both are fiercely independent and love their freedom, Bailey especially. Both have to learn that working alone doesn’t always yeild the best result. Sometimes, it’s better to work together …

Uncharted Courage is an enjoyable romance, and a relatively quick read.

It’s good to see Bailey again—she’s been one of my favourite characters throughout the series. I also enjoyed the underlying spiritual thread, and the way the Christian elements underpin the entire plot without being preachy.

Uncharted Courage is the tenth book in the Uncharted series, about a small community living on a hidden island while World War III rages in the outside world. Keith does an excellent job of reminding readers of the important points from the previous novels by weaving them into the present story in a way that feels natural.

While you could read Uncharted Courage as a standalone novel, it’s probably best to read through the series in order. Having said that, my favourite stories in the series are the stories like Uncharted Courage, where there is a crossover between the Land and the outside world.

Recommended for fans of historical Christian romance or speculative romance with a twist.

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

About Keely Brooke Keith

Keely Keely Brooke KeithBrooke Keith writes inspirational frontier-style fiction with a slight Sci-Fi twist, including The Land Uncharted (Shelf Unbound Notable Romance 2015) and Aboard Providence (2017 INSPY Awards Longlist). Keely also creates resources for writers such as The Writer’s Book Launch Guide and The Writer’s Character Journal.

Born in St. Joseph, Missouri, Keely grew up in a family that frequently relocated. By graduation, she lived in 8 states and attended 14 schools.  When she isn’t writing, Keely enjoys playing bass guitar, preparing homeschool lessons, and collecting antique textbooks. Keely, her husband, and their daughter live on a hilltop south of Nashville, Tennessee.

Find Keely Brooke Keith online at:

Website | Facebook

About Uncharted Courage

With the survival of the Land at stake and her heart on the line, Bailey must find the courage to love.

When Bailey accepts John Colburn’s offer for her to visit Good Springs, she leaves the Inn at Falls Creek expecting to spend the autumn relaxing in her favorite seaside village. Upon her arrival, Connor asks her to cover a shift of guard duty on the equinox, and her quiet vacation takes a shocking turn.

Revel Roberts works hard to keep his life commitment-free, making it easy to leave community decisions to men like Connor and John. But when the Land is threatened, Revel sees his chance to prove he is a man worthy of Bailey’s love. Amid the chaos in Good Springs, his unrequited feelings for her preoccupy him. One wrong choice could ruin everything.

As Bailey’s new life in the Land unravels and threats from the outside world loom, a yearning she can’t define surges within her. It distracts her from defending the hidden world she loves, and a tragedy reinforces her need for independence.

With the survival of the Land at stake and their hearts on the line, Bailey and Revel will need more courage than fighting ever required. They will need to find the courage to love.

You can find Uncharted Courage online at:

Amazon | BookBub| Goodreads

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

First Line Friday

First Line Friday | Week 212 | Every Word Unsaid by Kimberly Duffy

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 Every Word Unsaid by Kimberly Duffy, which is mostly set in India. Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

Nothing brought Augusta Constance Travers more joy than slipping away. And nothing frustrated her more than the companion meant to keep her from doing so.

I’ve read both Kimberly Duffy’s previous books and they were excellent. I’m looking forward to reading Every Word Unsaid and “visiting” India.

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

About Every Word Unsaid

Augusta Travers has spent the last three years avoiding the stifling expectations of New York society and her family’s constant disappointment. As the nation’s most fearless–and reviled–columnist, Gussie travels the country with her Kodak camera and spins stories for women unable to leave hearth and home. But when her adventurous nature lands her in the middle of a scandal, an opportunity to leave America offers the perfect escape.

Arriving in India, she expects only a nice visit with childhood friends, siblings Catherine and Gabriel, and escapades that will further her career. Instead, she finds herself facing a plague epidemic, confusion over Gabriel’s sudden appeal, and the realization that what she wants from life is changing. But slowing down means facing all the hurts of her past that she’s long been trying to outrun. And that may be an undertaking too great even for her.

You can find Every Word Unsaid online at:

Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

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

First Line Fridays hosted by Hoarding Books

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!

Do you Prefer People, Places, or Illustrations on Book Covers?

Bookish Question #203 | Do you prefer people, places, or illustrations on book covers?

It depends …

Book covers are a marketing tool, so different covers indicate a different kind of book:

  • Romance and romantic suspense novels tend to have people on the cover – usually the main character, or the couple in a romance.
  • Historical or literary novels often have places on the cover, as do fantasy or science fiction novels (which often have spaceships). This tells the reader something about the setting.
  • Romantic comedy or chick-lit novels often have illustrated covers.
  • There is also a trend for hand-drawn text covers on literary novels. These might be the book title, or may have some kind of pattern behind the text.

I have to admit a particular liking for a well-drawn illustrated cover.

These covers are invariably drawn for that novel and that novel only, so the covers are unique. One of the problems with stock photography is that multiple authors can end up using the same photograph.

So I’m always drawn by an illustrated cover … but that doesn’t guarantee I’ll buy the book.

The book description has to be equally engaging to convince me.

What about you? Do you prefer people, places, or illustrations on book covers?

I stare at my brain and wonder if God took a piece of it away every time I sinned.

Book Review | A Flicker of Light by Katie Powner

A Flicker of Light is set in the small Montana town of Moose Creek, population 756, and features three generations of the same family.

Juniper (June) Jensen is sixty-three, and showing signs of early-onset dementia. Not that she knows that, but her husband and son have certainly noticed.

Bea Michaels finds out she is pregnant just as her husband loses his job. The logical decision is to go back to Moose Creek and stay with her father— the last thing she and her young husband want to do.

Mitch Jensen was none too happy when his daughter dropped out of college and got married. He’s even less happy to find the husband is now unemployed, living in his house, and not making any effort to find a real job. He’s also worried about his mother—something is wrong.

The story starts in June’s point of view, which is written in first person. I know some readers don’t like first person. If you’re one of those readers, I’d encourage you to keep reading, as the other two points of view (Bea and Mitch) are both written in the more common third person, and they are the main viewpoints.

A Flicker of Lights is a strong and thought-provoking family drama.

I once read that all great characters have a secret, and the characters in A Flicker of Lights certainly have secrets, and those secrets provide the basis for the novel.

It’s an easy read with no high angst (I don’t like angst for the sake of angst). But there are plenty of problems and plenty of emotion. There are real characters with  real problems – unemployment, unplanned pregnancy, death, dementia. But it’s through the problems that the characters grow emotionally and spiritually, reminding readers that there is always a way through the hard times, even if it doesn’t always look like what we’d expected.

A Flicker of Light doesn’t have the rose-coloured glasses of many novels set in small towns.

Bea especially is all too aware of the downsides of small-town living. But there are also moments of levity—a cat named Steve, the busybody neighbour, the small-town “moosevine”.

A Flicker of Light by @Katie_Powner is a Christian family saga that's realistic without being depressing, and ultimately uplifting. #ChristianFiction #BookReview Share on X

I think that’s what I liked about it. It was realistic without being depressing. In fact, it was ultimately uplifting—which is what I want in a novel.

Recommended for readers looking for a realistic yet uplifting Christian novel that’s not a romance.

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

About Katie Powner

Katie Powner

Katie Powner is a lover of red shoes, Jesus, and candy. Not necessarily in that order. Passionate about reading books and writing books and talking about books and posting about books … She is an award-winning author who writes contemporary fiction about redemption, relationships, and finding the dirt road home.

Katie lives in rural Montana where cows still outnumber people. She is a two-time OCW Cascade Award and ACFW First Impressions Award winner. Katie is a biological and adoptive mother of three and foster mother to many more. She and her husband have been in youth ministry for over a decade

Find Katie Powner online at:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

About A Flicker of Light

For generations, the Jensens have raised their families in the small Montana town of Moose Creek, where gossip spreads faster than the wind. Yet some secrets need to be told.

When twenty-one-year-old Bea discovers she’s pregnant on the heels of her husband losing his job, she’s forced to admit she needs help and asks her dad for a place to stay. But past resentments keep her from telling him all that’s going on.

Mitch Jensen is thrilled to have a full house again, though he’s unimpressed with Bea’s decisions: dropping out of college, marrying so young–and to an idealistic city kid, of all things. Mitch hopes to convince Bea to return to the path he’s always envisioned for her, but she’s changed since her mom died. And he refuses to admit how much he’s changed, too, especially now that he might be losing his mother as well.

Grandma June is good at spinning stories, but there’s one she’s never told. Now that her mind is starting to fade, her time to tell it is running out. But if she reveals the truth before her memories are gone forever, the Jensen family will never be the same.

You can find A Flicker of Light online at:

Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

First Line Friday

First Line Friday #211 | A Promise to Remember by Kathryn Cushman

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 A Promise to Remember by Kathryn Cushman, another new-to-me author. Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

Andie Phelps could not put the brush to the canvas. The blue paint seemed wrong against the sable bristles.

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

 

About A Promise to Remember

When a car accident kills two teens from opposite sides of the tracks, the aftermath threatens to tear a community apart. On one side, Melanie Johnston–a grieving single mother–is convinced her son will be forgotten. On the other is Andie Phelps, a reserved woman who retreats even further into herself with grief.

Readers’ emotions are torn between these two sympathetic characters as each fights her way through grief and pain–sometimes wisely and sometimes with choices that have the power to divide family, church, and even their small, sea-side town.

You can find A Promise to Remember online at:

Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

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

First Line Fridays hosted by Hoarding Books

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!

I am who I am, and honestly, it’s not pretty anymore. Slick and shiny and striking perhaps, but not pretty.

Book Review | Straight Up by Lisa Samson

Straight Up is an older book, first published in 2006, which I picked up from a charity book sale last year. I bought it because it was cheap, and because the cover and book description intrigued me:

They are living lives they were never meant to live.

That’s a profound statement that didn’t seem relevant in the first part of the story but was key at the end (and while I loathe giving spoilers in a review, I don’t think commenting on the back cover constitutes a spoiler).

The way the author chose to show this was unusual, but it worked.

Did the author provide a solution to this problem? No, but that’s because the solution is going to look different for all of us. But it’s certainly an idea that got me thinking: Is this the life I was meant to live?

The novel is written in first person and present tense, from several points of view. The main character is Georgia Bishop, a talented jazz pianist, but it’s not just her story. It’s also the story of her cousin, interior designer Fairly Godfrey, their Uncle George, and a band of Christian misfits Fairly refers to as “the cult”.

Their intertwined stories form the basis of the novel, which is more about their individual character journeys than based on any kind of plot.

The other point of view character is Clarissa, who grows from a baby to a teenager over the period of the novel. It was never clear how she (or her mother, who got one or two scenes) fit into the novel and this subplot actually distracted me because I thought it was going to go in a completely different direction.

While the characters and story were interesting, they didn’t turn the cover from interesting into compelling until probably the last quarter of the novel. But the writing was compelling from the opening page, and that’s what kept me going even when I wasn’t exactly sure what was happening or how the characters were related.

I didn’t highlight any phrases because it was a paper book … and because if I started highlighting, there would be no way to stop. (Also, because a lot of the brilliant writing was brilliant in context. It doesn’t necessary translate to a simple quote meme).

The writing was literary and clever without being pretentious, and that’s a rare skill.

People see me as a birdbath. I am a well.

As such, I think this is a great book for writers to read—not for the plotting, not for the characterisation, not even for the theme. But for the lyrical writing that pulls the reader through the words.

Straight Up by Lisa Samson is a good story for anyone who enjoys Christian women’s fiction featuring messy characters living messy lives. #BookReview #ChristianFiction Share on X

It’s also a good story for anyone who enjoys Christian women’s fiction featuring messy characters living messy lives. Recommended.

About Lisa Samson

Lisa Samson

The Christy-award winning author of nineteen books including the Women of Faith Novel of the Year Quaker Summer, Lisa Samson has been hailed by Publishers Weekly as “a talented novelist who isn’t afraid to take risks.” She lives in Kentucky with her husband and three kids.

Find Lisa Samson online at:

Website

About Straight Up

They are living lives they were never meant to live.

Georgia Bishop, a could-be jazz great, has thrown away her life, her marriage, and her talent for her drinking habit. Her cousin, Fairly Godfrey, is living the good life in New York but wonders if deeper meaning exists beyond the superficial world in which she finds herself.

It takes a Congo refugee, a soul food chef, a persistent husband, and one desperate night on the brink of freedom for Georgia and Fairly to realize how far they have come from their God-given purposes. When they face the most difficult choices of their lives, only the power of grace can bring them to true healing.

You can find Straight Up online at:

This was originally published in 2011, so you’re probably not going to be able to find a paper copy unless you’re in a second-hand bookstore or visiting a charity book sale (which is where I found my paper copy).

Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

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

Do you have an all-time Favourite Book?

Bookish Question #202 | Do you have an all-time favourite book?

It’s probably a cliche answer, but the only book that springs to mind is the Bible.

As a Christian, the Bible is the Word of God, the foundation of my faith. It’s more than a favourite book: it’s essential.

No, I’m not always as “religious” or dedicated about reading it as I should be, but that doesn’t detract from its importance.

So I’ll move onto the logical associated question: which version of the Bible is my favourite?

I’ve read several over the years – the King James Version, the New King James Version, a replica of the original 1604 King James Bible (which, frankly, is unreadable). I’ve read the Good News, The Message, the Contemporary English Version, the New American Standard Version.

All have advantages and disadvantages, but my favourite is the New International Version for its balance between ease of reading and conceptual depth.

What about you? Do you have an all-time favourite book? If so, what is it?

People think I'm simple. But I think they just make things complicated that aren't.

Book Review | Tacos for Two by Betsy St. Amant

Rory Perez hates cilantro and can’t cook, but she’s inherited a food truck specialising Mexican food and she needs the income from the truck to keep her cousin in her care home. Jude Worthington works for his father’s law firm but doesn’t want to take the bar and be a lawyer. He wants to be a chef.

The two are messaging and falling for each other via an app, but they communicate using pseudonyms, so don’t know it. In real life, they are both competing to win the prize in the local food festival—Rory because she needs the money, and Jude because he wants to get out of law.

There were a few things I didn’t like about Tacos for Two. The first  was that I started reading, and I immediately wanted to eat tacos. This is a problem as I had to stop reading and work out if I actually had the ingredients for tacos (yes, I did. Fortunately).

There were a couple of other things I didn’t get. If Jude is twenty-nine years old and hasn’t yet sat the bar exam, what has he been doing since he graduated college? Who is Fiona Stone and why is she mentioned so often (I honestly thought Rory was going to turn out to be Fiona Stone in disguise. She didn’t).

The romance itself was a fun play on You’ve got Mail, a modernised version using an app called Love at First Chat.

It’s a fun romp with plenty of laughs as well as some deeper thoughts on life and faith. As such, it’s an easy read that hits all the right notes and has a satisfying ending.

Tacos for Two by Betsy St. Amant is a fun romp with plenty of laughs as well as some deeper thoughts on life and faith. #BookReview #ChristianRomance Share on X

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

About Betsey St. Amant

Betsy St. Amant Haddox is the author of over fifteen inspirational romance novels and novellas. She resides in north Louisiana with her hero of a hubby, two total-opposite young daughters, a vast collection of coffee mugs, and an impressive stash of Pickle chips. Betsy has a B.A. in Communications and a deep-rooted passion for seeing women restored in Christ. When she’s not composing her next book or trying to prove unicorns are real, Betsy can usually be found somewhere in the vicinity of a white-chocolate mocha–no whip.

Find Betsy St. Amant online at:

Website | Facebook | Twitter

About Tacos for Two

Rory Perez, a food truck owner who can’t cook, is struggling to keep the business she inherited from her aunt out of the red–and an upcoming contest during Modest’s annual food truck festival seems the best way to do it. The prize money could finally give her a solid financial footing and keep her cousin with special needs paid up at her beloved assisted living home. Then maybe Rory will have enough time to meet the man she’s been talking to via an anonymous online dating site.

Jude Strong is tired of being a puppet at his manipulative father’s law firm, and the food truck festival seems like the perfect opportunity to dive into his passion for cooking and finally call his life his own. But if he loses the contest, he’s back at the law firm for good. Failure is not an option.

Complications arise when Rory’s chef gets mono and she realizes she has to cook after all. Then Jude discovers that his stiffest competition is the same woman he’s been falling for online the past month.

Will these unlikely chefs sacrifice it all for the sake of love? Or will there only ever be tacos for one?

You can find Tacos for Two online at:

Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

First Line Friday

First Line Friday #210 | A Flicker of Light by Katie Powner

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 A Flicker of Light by Katie Powner, a family saga from a new-to-me Christian author. Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

Secrets are like pennies. Everybody's got one, even the poorest among us.

Doesn’t that make you want to keep reading?

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

About A Flicker of Light

For generations, the Jensens have raised their families in the small Montana town of Moose Creek, where gossip spreads faster than the wind. Yet some secrets need to be told.

When twenty-one-year-old Bea discovers she’s pregnant on the heels of her husband losing his job, she’s forced to admit she needs help and asks her dad for a place to stay. But past resentments keep her from telling him all that’s going on.

Mitch Jensen is thrilled to have a full house again, though he’s unimpressed with Bea’s decisions: dropping out of college, marrying so young–and to an idealistic city kid, of all things. Mitch hopes to convince Bea to return to the path he’s always envisioned for her, but she’s changed since her mom died. And he refuses to admit how much he’s changed, too, especially now that he might be losing his mother as well.

Grandma June is good at spinning stories, but there’s one she’s never told. Now that her mind is starting to fade, her time to tell it is running out. But if she reveals the truth before her memories are gone forever, the Jensen family will never be the same.

You can find A Flicker of Light online at:

Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

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

First Line Fridays hosted by Hoarding Books

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!