Author: Iola Goulton

2 September 2021

New Releases in Christian Fiction | September 2021

Here’s what’s new in Christian fiction from members of American Christian Fiction Writers for September 2021. I haven’t actually got any of these books on my to-read pile … but I have got reviews of some excellent fiction coming up in September (and from authors I thought were ACFW members, so I have no idea why they’re not here).

More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website

Contemporary/Women’s Fiction

The Gathering Table by Kathryn Springer — Winsome Lake, Wisconsin, is postcard pretty, but for personal chef Jessica Keaton it’s also a last resort. Fired from her dream job, Jess is starting over as a live-in cook and housekeeper. When she arrives, she finds her new employer is in rehab after having a stroke, and Jess expects she’ll be all alone in Elaine Haviland’s quaint house. A chef with no one to cook for. Instead, she encounters a constant stream of colorful visitors who draw her back into the world. (Contemporary/Women’s Fiction from Love Inspired (Harlequin))

Contemporary Romance

A Midnight Dance by Joanna Davidson Politano — All theater romances are tragedies. Ella Blythe knows this. Still, she cannot help but hope her own story may turn out different than most–and certainly different than the tragic story of the Ghost of Craven Street Theater. (Contemporary Romance from HarperCollins Christian Publishing (Thomas Nelson and Zondervan))

Historical Romance

Brides of the Old West by Amanda Cabot — Four unlikely couples. Four unexpected chances at happiness. Four unforgettable stories of love and faith in the Old West. (Historical Romance, Independently Published)

Daria’s Duke by Linda Shenton Matchett — After the death of her father, Daria Burke is thrust into the role of a servant by her stepmother. Locked in her room one night, Daria watches as the woman and her daughters sashay from the house wearing her mother’s gowns and jewelry. Realizing she’ll never be accepted as family, she flees the house and applies to be a mail-order bride. Then the sheriff arrives on the eve of her wedding with an arrest warrant. Can she prove her innocence or will she go to jail and lose her one chance at happiness? (Historical Romance from Shortwave Press)

Hers to Love by Sherrinda Ketchersid — Fiona McGowan, a beautiful Scottish widow without hope for a family of her own, travels to St. Mary’s Convent to become a nun. In route she is kidnapped by handsome Highlander Adam MacIntosh in a case of mistaken identity. Adam, laird of the MacIntosh clan, is attempting to free his brother held captive by the rival Fergus clan. The failure of his plan leaves him reeling with betrayal, death, and a wee babe in sore need of a healer. (Historical Romance, Independently Published)

Mystery

The Notorious Noel Caper by Sally Carpenter — A former teen idol investigates murders at a Christmas theme park while he tries to figure out his relationship with his girlfriend. (Mystery/Cozy from Cozy Cat Press)

This looks like fun!

The Secret of Emerald Cottage by Julie Lessman — Twenty-five-year-old Molly Stewart—ex-Navy nurse and former evidence technician for the Charleston Police Department—has been burned by love. So when her friend, Pastor Chase Griffin, begs her to move to scenic Lake Loon to be a nurse and companion for Miss Lilly, his elderly landlady, she jumps at the chance. The secluded and cozy cottage on a clear mountain lake seems the perfect place to heal from her fiancé’s betrayal as well as indulge in one of her greatest passions—cozy romance. First with reading them by the bookcase and then hopefully, if dreams come true, writing and solving them one day as an author and detective. But when Miss Lilly’s estranged great nephew shows up, it’s no mystery as to why he and Molly butt heads. Because it only takes one stolen kiss—while she’s sleeping, no less—to discover he’s an even bigger player than the ex-fiancé who broke her heart. (Romance/Mystery, Independently Published)

Romantic Suspense

Home Run by Cathe Swanson — Phoebe Schenstrom’s always been a bit bossy. After all, she’s the oldest of ten children, has worked as a nanny and run the children’s ministry at the Unity Plenkiss Community Center for three years. But when a clash – or two – with clients leads to her suspension, she needs to prove that she’s more than a babysitter. (Romantic Suspense, Independently Published)

Personal Threat by Kimberly Rose Johnson — Christmas is supposed to be the happiest time of the year, but when Sally’s young daughter, Emma, becomes the target of child traffickers, and the little girl’s biological father wants Sally dead, the Christmas season takes a dark turn. Police officer, Dillon Brady, responds to a call for help at the home of his friend and Protection Inc. bodyguard, Sally Wilson. When their relationship tips beyond friendship, Dillon is determined no one will hurt Sally or her daughter again. Will his resolve be enough? (Romantic Suspense, Independently Published)

Speculative Fiction

The Next Fithian: An Ordinary Teen on a Strange, New World by Rick Barry — Was this a new life – or a death sentence? When Rankin Johnson boards a flight to Israel, he expects an adventure in archeology. But the airplane comes under attack and explodes in midair. Rankin shouts, “God, I’m yours!” Instantly, he’s in some other place. An angel informs Rankin the Lord is pleased to accept his offer. He dubs Rankin “the next Fithian” – a messenger from God, not to Earth, but to planet Zemna in the alternate dimension. What happened to the previous Fithian? “He was killed,” the angel says before vanishing. (Speculative Fiction/Soft Science Fiction, Independently Published)

Plus check out these recent additions to Fiction Finder published within the past month:

A Summer in Shady Springs by Sarah Anne Crouch, How can Madeleine help A.J. discover a passion for the career he’s always wanted? And how can A.J. convince Madeleine to give God and Shady Springs a second chance? (Contemporary Romance)

Engaged: A Novel by K.L. Gilchrist, One bride. One groom. One unapologetically dope trip to the altar. (General Contemporary)

Moose Ridge: Ending to Beginning by Craig Hastings, Jazmine just knows, for once, everything is going to be exactly how she always dreamed it could be. Then she’s handed the letter. (Contemporary Romance)

Requilted with Love by Carrie Fancett Pagels, Find humor, family relationships, and romance blossoming at the 1889 Michigan State Fair in Lansing when a quilter finds herself literally falling for a balloonist! (Historical Romance)

Cold Case Double Cross by Jessica R. Patch, They’re on a cold trail and running out of time. (Thriller Suspense)

What’s on your to-read pile for September?

1 September 2021

Bookish Question #193 | Do you prefer to read fictional or real settings, or both?

Do you like to read about real places, or do you prefer made-up settings?

I don’t mind. I enjoy real settings, because it feels like an opportunity to take a virtual vacation. But I also enjoy well-developed fictional settings that are written so well they feel real.

What I don’t enjoy is reading a novel where I have no idea where it is set.

It’s usually obvious whether a story is set in a big city or a small town, but what country is it set in? What part of the country? The location impacts on big-picture story elements like language and culture, so is important. But location also impacts on smaller story elements, like weather and seasons (and is Easter in spring or autumn … or fall?).

I’m also not a fan of authors taking a well-known real setting and changing the name.

Either set the novel in the real place and tell us, or set it in a fictional place (and make that clear). If I’m reading a novel and wondering if New Cambridge is Boston or an imaginary setting , then I’m not thinking about the characters … and if I’m not thinking about the characters, then I’m probably not paying much attention to the plot.

(Okay, so that could be a problem with the plot or characters and not the setting. But it’s still a problem).

I like to be able to place myself in the setting, whether that setting is real or fictional.

I don’t mind which, but I do need enough information that I can imagine myself being there.

What about you? Do you prefer fictional settings, or real settings? Or both?

31 August 2021

Bookish Question #192 | Is there a book topic you’d prefer not to read?

I like stories with happy endings.

I like romances because the guy and the girl always end up together on the last page. I like women’s fiction because the main character learns something and is a better person on the last page than the first. I like mysteries because the mystery is always solved. I like suspense novels because the good guys always vanquish the evildoers.

I am not alone in this. I was listening to an episode of the Gracewriters podcast a few weeks ago, and Belinda Pollard made a comment to this effect: that we are programmed to want the happy ending.

So the I prefer not to read books where the characters don’t get their happy ending, or where good doesn’t win in the end. I guess that’s why I prefer fiction over nonfiction: in fiction, the author can choose the happy ending. In nonfiction, the author has to share the actual ending … and that might not be happy.

If I want to see the pain and ugliness in the world, I can watch the TV news. But for entertainment, I don’t want those topics and issues. I want the security of knowing I’m going to get a happy ending.

I prefer not to read fiction that looks too much like a newspaper headline. That includes:

Fiction based on real crimes. I enjoy reading mysteries and suspense novels, but I’ve discovered I’m less interested in true crime, even historic true crime such as Barbour’s excellent True Colors series. Yet I’m happy to read historical (or even contemporary) fiction featuring real people, places, and events, especially when that can give me an insight into history or ideas.
Anything about modern slavery or sex trafficking. Sex trafficking and slavery are real modern problems, so there’s a fine line between this and true crime. Now, you could say the same about most mystery or suspense stories, and you’d be right. For some reason, they bother me less (which may well be a different kind of problem).
Anything related to Covid-19. As I write this, Delta has just arrived in New Zealand so we’re back in lockdown. That means I’m probably back to reading historical fiction or contemporary fiction published before 2019, as anything newer set in the USA or UK that doesn’t mention Covid or lockdown seems about as relevant and realistic as a contemporary novel where the characters don’t have internet or smartphones.
Novels where the main character’s problem or the villain’s motive is related to health costs (because I’ve always lived in countries with universal healthcare, and while that is not perfect, I still have trouble comprehending how a rich, first-world country forces citizens to choose between medical care for cancer or diabetes and bankruptcy/death).

I think my problem is that I try to stay informed about current events, so I know all these things are real issues. That makes them current events, which are not entertaining or enjoyable.

Those are the topics I prefer not to read about.

What about you? Are there any book topics or issues you prefer not to read about? What are they?

27 August 2021

First Line Friday | Week 200 | When Love Returns by Lorana Hoopes

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 When Love Returns by Lorana Hoopes, a new-to-me author (and the book was on sale, which is what enticed me to check it out). Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

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

About When Love Returns

Can a daughter’s love rekindle an old flame?

Presley Hays and Brandon Scott were best friends in High School until Morgan entered their town and stole Brandon’s heart. Devastated, Presley took a scholarship to Le Cordon Bleu, but five years later, she is back in Star Lake after a tough breakup.

Brandon thought he’d never return to Star Lake after Morgan left him and his daughter Joy, but when his father needs help, he returns home and finds more than he bargained for.

Can Presley and Brandon forget past hurts or will their stubborn natures keep them apart forever? This sweet romance can be read stand alone or as part of the series, so click above and start the journey today.

You can find When Love Returns online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

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!

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

24 August 2021

Bookish Question #191 | Which character would you choose for Book Week fancy dress?

Book Week and dressing up wasn’t a thing when I was at school. Even now, it’s not common in New Zealand. I can only remember one instance of my children dressing up for Book Week.

When my son was about eight, her persuaded us to buy him a three-piece suit to wear to a family wedding. He later wore the suit to school for Book Week—he was James Bond. I have to admire his choice.

If I was going to pick a character to dress up for during Book Week—and if money was no object— I’d choose to dress as Caroline Delacroix, heroine of A Gilded Lady by Elizabeth Camden. Caroline is secretary to Ida McKinley, First Lady of the United States, a role that requires a lot of fancy, expensive gowns to attend fancy, expensive functions.

But Caroline’s beautiful dresses were nothing in comparison to the $8,000 gown Ida McKinley wore for the inauguration ball:

Cream satin, embroidered with silver thread, and lavishly embellished with crystals and pearls … the gown was fit for a queen and tailored to perfection.

I couldn’t spent $8,000 on a single gown now, let alone in 1901 or whenever McKinley was President. But I still enjoy looking at pretty things, and we’re talking imagination and fantasy … I wish I’d been able to see the gown or even find a picture.

What about you? Which character would you choose for Book Week fancy dress, and why?

23 August 2021

Book Review | Husband Auditions by Angela Ruth Strong

When Meri’s roommate marries, she gives Meri a copy of The List. The List is 101 tips on catching a husband, from a 1950s issue of Sophia Magazine (as an aside, I didn’t think some of the ideas were particularly 1950s. According to the Author’s Note, she couldn’t use the original 101 ideas so had to come up with her own. That explains my confusion).

But now Meri has to find somewhere else to live.

Her filmmaker brother is about to head to Ecuador for three months, so she moves into his house with his two tenants—gorgeous Gemma, the screenwriter who keeps getting offered acting roles, and laid-back Kai Kamaka, digital editor for a local late-night news show.

The List has apparently helped all her nursing-school friends find love and marriage. Meri is unimpressed, and thinks the idea is ridiculous. Kai suggests filming Meri following the ideas and posting the clips to YouTube to show what a stupid idea The List is. He can then use the footage for his demo reel, to try and get a better job.

The ideas on the list range from sexist to ridiculous.

Fortunately, Meri and Kai go for the funny, starting with trying to lasso a guy (no, I can’t see that in a genuine 1950s list). Their show takes off, people start watching and commenting, and asking if Meri and Kai area dating in real life. They’re not, but this is a romance novel, so … and the exposure brings its own problems.

The story is told in first person, with chapters from Meri and Kai’s points of view. I enjoyed this, although I did occasionally get lost as to which point of view I was reading (their voices were very similar considering their characters were supposed to be almost opposite. It seems I’m not very good at noticing the big clue i.e. the character’s name at the beginning of the chapter).

So this rom-com has elements of opposites attract combined with enemies to more (although Meri and Kai were never really enemies). The idea of The List and going viral on YouTube was original and interesting. It’s what got me interested the story, and it definitely delivered on the promise.

As such, Husband Auditions was a typical fun rom-com. What lifted it from average to excellent was towards the end, and was a message that doesn’t often come through in Christian romance:

We can be godly without being married.

Kai points out that it sometimes feels like the church has made an idol of marriage. If that’s true, the Christian fiction industry perpetuates the idol (and I say that as someone who loves reading Christian romance).

But the novel also shows that getting married and being married are two different things, and there are some strong lessons on marriage from friends and relatives. I particularly enjoyed the sermon in the middle of the novel. Unlike most sermons in Christian fiction, this one added to the plot and had an important lesson.

The characters were great, the writing strong, and there are two single characters (Gemma and Charlie, Meri’s brother) so I hope that means two more books in the series (hint hint).

Thanks to Kregel Books and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About Angela Ruth Strong

Angela Ruth Strong sold her first Christian romance novel in 2009 then quit writing romance when her husband left her. Ten years later, God has shown her the true meaning of love, and there’s nothing else she’d rather write about. Her books have since earned TOP PICK in Romantic Times, been optioned for film, won the Cascade Award, and been Amazon best-sellers.

She also writes non-fiction for SpiritLed Woman. To help aspiring authors, she started IDAhope Writers where she lives in Idaho, and she teaches as an expert online at WRITE THAT BOOK.

You can find Angela Ruth Strong online at

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube

About Husband Auditions

How far would you go to find the perfect husband? All the way back to the 1950s?

In a world full of happily-ever-after love, Meri Newberg feels like the last young woman on the planet to be single, at least in her Christian friend group. So when she’s handed a strange present at the latest wedding–a 1950s magazine article of “ways to get a husband”–she decides there’s nothing to lose by trying out its advice. After all, she can’t get any more single, can she?

Her brother’s roommate sees the whole thing as a great opportunity. Not to fall in love–Kai Kamaka has no interest in the effort a serious relationship takes. No, this is a career jump start. He talks Meri into letting him film every silly husband-catching attempt for a new online show. If it goes viral, his career as a cameraman will be made.

When Meri Me debuts, it’s an instant hit. People love watching her lasso men on street corners, drop handkerchiefs for unsuspecting potential beaus, and otherwise embarrass herself in pursuit of true love. But the longer this game goes on, the less sure Kai is that he wants Meri to snag anyone but him. The only problem is that he may not be the kind of husband material she’s looking for . . .

With droll comic timing, unbeatable chemistry, and a zany but relatable cast of characters, Angela Ruth Strong has created a heartfelt look at the reality of modern Christian dating that readers will both resonate with and fall for.

You can find Told You So online at

Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

16 August 2021

Book Review | Provenance by Carla Laureano

Kendall Green is a Los Angeles-based interior designer with a reputation for sourcing quality antiques to place in the buildings she renovates. When rising LA rents place her business at risk, she finds a possible solution in her letterbox. Her unknown grandmother died, and she is the sole beneficiary. The only catch is that she needs to claim the inheritance in the next two weeks, which means an unplanned trip to the tiny town of Jasper Lake, Colorado.

Gabe Brandt is the young mayor of Jasper Lake, and he wants to bring new life to the town. That means persuading Kendall not to sell her houses to a property developer who wants to turn the town into an upscale resort.

Kendall is obsessed with finding the origin (provenance) of every antique she buys, but she knows nothing of her own background beyond being abandoned by her mother when she was five and raised in foster care. Going through her grandmother’s house could be her opportunity to find her own provenance.

This was a skilful melding of Kendall’s outward and inward journeys.

Meanwhile, there is also the growing attraction between Kendall and Gabe. But Gabe (as we come to see) is a Christian whose faith has meaning in his everyday life. Ironically, that faith is largely because of Kendall’s grandmother.

Kendall is not a person of faith. On particular foster home showed her the negatives of faith, and she has never been interested enough to search out the truth for herself … until now. Provenance gives Kendall a clear faith journey, and it’s refreshing to see a Christian novel where one of the main characters has a serious and believable journey to trusting in Jesus.

As such, Provenance is one of the strongest Christian romances I’ve read in a while.

It does an excellent job of melding the internal and external plots, and of integrating Christianity in a real way—recognising the strengths and weaknesses of the faith and the followers.

Provenance by @CarlaLaureano is the strongest Christian romances I've read in a while, especially the way Kendall's faith journey is shown. #BookReview #ChristianRomance Share on X

Recommended for Christian fiction and romance fans.

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

About Carla Laureano

Carla Laureano is the RITA® Award-winning author of contemporary inspirational romance and Celtic fantasy (as C.E. Laureano). A graduate of Pepperdine University, she worked as a sales and marketing executive for nearly a decade before leaving corporate life behind to write fiction full-time. She currently lives in Denver with her husband and two sons, where she writes during the day and cooks things at night.

You can find Carla Laureano online at:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

About Provenance

Los Angeles interior designer and former foster kid Kendall Green is in high demand, both for her impeccable eye and for her uncanny ability to uncover the provenance of any piece. But for all her success, skyrocketing costs have put her California home and her business in jeopardy. Then an unexpected inheritance provides a timely solution: a grandmother she never knew has left her a group of historic properties in a tiny Colorado town on the edge of ruin.

To young, untried mayor Gabriel Brandt, Jasper Lake is more than another small town—it’s the place that saved his life. Now, seeing the town slowly wither and die, he’s desperate to restore it to its former glory. Unfortunately, his vision is at odds with a local developer who wants to see the town razed and rebuilt as a summer resort. He’s sure that he can enlist the granddaughter of one of its most prominent former citizens to his cause—until he meets Kendall and realizes that not only does she know nothing of her own history, she has no interest in reviving a place that once abandoned her.

In order to save his beloved town, Gabe must first help Kendall unravel the truth of her own provenance—and Kendall must learn that in order to embrace the future, sometimes you have to start with the past.

Find Provenance online at:

Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

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

13 August 2021

First Line Friday | Week #198 | Rose Among Thornes by Terrie Todd

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 Rose Among Thornes by Terrie Todd, which looks to be historical fiction with a unique setting—World War II Canada and Hong Kong. Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

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

About Rose Among Thornes

Forgiveness is the deadliest force on earth.

War might be raging overseas, but Rose Onishi is on track to fulfill her lifelong goal of becoming a concert pianist. When forced by her government to leave her beloved home in Vancouver and move to the Canadian prairie to work on the Thornes’ sugar beet farm, her dream fades to match the black dirt staining her callused hands. Though the Thorne family is kind, life is unbearably lonely. In hopes that it might win her the chance to play their piano, Rose agrees to write letters to their soldier son.

When Rusty Thorne joins the Canadian Army, he never imagines becoming a Japanese prisoner of war. Inside the camp, the faith his parents instilled is tested like never before. Though he begs God to help him not hate his brutal captors, Rusty can no longer even hear the Japanese language without revulsion. Only his rare letters from home sustain him—especially the brilliant notes from his mother’s charming helper, which the girl signs simply as “Rose.”

Will Rusty survive the war only to encounter the Japanese on his own doorstep? Can Rose overcome betrayal and open her heart? Or will the truth destroy the fragile bond their letters created?

You can find Rose Among Thornes 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!

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

10 August 2021

Bookish Question #190 | Does an Author’s Online Behaviour Affect your Buying Behaviour?

We live in the era of “cancel culture”.

Some people try to say it’s new, but it has existed in various forms since before the time of the Pharaohs (for example, Thutmose III tried to literally erase Hatshepsut from history).

I historically knew this concept as boycotting—individuals choosing not to buy products from organisations if they disagreed with the organisation’s business practices. This can be a good thing: if consumers decide not to support organisations that use child labour or slave labour, those organisations might be persuaded to change their practices.

It can also be a practical thing. Vegetarians can choose meat-free alternatives to a steak dinner. People who are lactose-intolerant can choose dairy-free alternatives to cheese and ice cream. That’s consumer choice, not cancel culture. Consumer choice is a feature of a capitalist economy.

As such, it is my consumer choice which businesses I choose to support financially.

And that includes the books I read. There are some authors I don’t read because they write in genres I don’t read. That’s consumer choice, not cancel cultures. There are some authors I don’t read because I just don’t relate to their topics or style of writing. Again, that’s consumer choice. But I will admit that there is a small handful of authors I’ve stopped reading because of something they wrote online—generally about book reviews.

If an author says they want honest book reviews from readers (and most do), then they have to understand that “honest” does not mean “glowing”. Authors, please don’t have an online hissy fit when a reviewer posts a less-than-glowing review. Don’t write a retaliatory blog post explaining why you were right and the reviewer was wrong. Please don’t mock specific reviewers because they didn’t like your book.

Act like an adult. Be professional.

Not everyone will like your books, just like not everyone likes kale or kombucha. Understand that if I (or any other reader) chooses not to buy your books, that’s our free choice as consumers.

Just make sure that the reason I choose not to read your books is because you’re writing in a genre I tend not to read, not because your writing isn’t up to standard … or because you’re known for being a badly behaved author.

What about you? What affects your buying behaviour? Would you choose not to buy certain books based on the author’s behaviour?

9 August 2021

Book Review | The Cryptographer’s Dilemma (Heroines of WWII) by Johnnie Alexander

Eloise Marshall was happy in her job as a maths teacher before the US Navy recruits her as a cryptographer … and she is then transferred to the FBI. After training, she is partnered with Phillip Clayton. He is unable to fight because he is colourblind … something I didn’t work out until about halfway through, despite the author’s effort to show it in the first line:

(Was I the only person who didn’t understand he was colourblind?)

The FBI needs both Eloise’s code-breaking ability and a “womanly touch” to discover the truth behind some strange letters about broken dolls. Are the letters nothing more than they appear to be, or are they some kind of message within a message, a traitor using a steganography code to pass information to America’s enemies?

At one point, Phillip observes that Eloise doesn’t seem to notice masculine attention. He seems to see this as a positive, that she’s not trying to attract male attention. I saw it as a negative: how good is she as an FBI agent if she doesn’t notice the people around her?

I enjoyed the World War II setting.

I’m a big fan of novels featuring code-breaking and cryptography (e.g those by Roseanna M White). It was the cryptography that caught my attention. I also enjoyed the back-and-forth hunt for the evildoer—and I appreciated it even more when I read the Author’s Note at the end and discovered the plot was based on fact.

But I was kind of lost when it came to Eloise’s “dilemma”. What was it? I can only assume it was the will-she-won’t-she search for the father who abandoned her and her mother … a plot point I thought was weakened by the fact we didn’t know she was searching for him.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed the story, as it’s a unique angle that made for a solid romance.

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

About Johnnie Alexander

Johnnie Alexander creates characters you want to meet and imagines stories you won’t forget in a variety of genres. An award-winning, best-selling novelist, she serves on the executive boards of Serious Writer, Inc. and the Mid-South Christian Writers Conference, co-hosts Writers Chat, and interviews other inspirational authors for Novelists Unwind. Johnnie lives in Oklahoma with Griff, her happy-go-lucky collie, and Rugby, her raccoon-treeing papillon.

Find Johnnie Alexander online:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter

About The Cryptographer’s Dilemma

Full of intrigue, adventure, and romance, this new series celebrates the unsung heroes—the heroines of WWII.

FBI cryptographer Eloise Marshall is grieving the death of her brother, who died during the attack on Pearl Harbor, when she is assigned to investigate a seemingly innocent letter about dolls. Agent Phillip Clayton is ready to enlist and head oversees when asked to work one more FBI job. A case of coded defense coordinates related to dolls should be easy, but not so when the Japanese Consulate gets involved, hearts get entangled, and Phillip goes missing. Can Eloise risk loving and losing again?

Find The Cryptographer’s Dilemma online at:

Amazon | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong